Best Buy says strong sales not 'new normal,' shares skid
By Gayathree Ganesan and Vibhuti Sharma
(Reuters) - Best Buy Co Inc <BBY.N> reported another strong quarter of same-store sales on Tuesday, but shares of the No.1 U.S. consumer electronics retailer fell after it cautioned that the performance should not be seen as a "new normal."
Best Buy's shares, which hit a record high last week, were down 11 percent at $55.60 despite the company lifting its annual revenue forecast.
Best Buy's sales at established stores rose 5.4 percent in the second quarter ended July 29, handily beating analysts' average expectation for a 2.1 percent increase, according to Consensus Metrix.
Chief Executive Hubert Joly, however, said on a post-earnings call that he did not expect comparable sales to continue to grow at a mid-single-digit rate, but expected a 2 percent increase instead for the rest of the year.
The company also warned its strong second-quarter results do not necessarily signal a similar performance in the crucial holiday quarter ending January, due to reliance on launches of new products, whose availability can often be unpredictable.
Best Buy last year blamed the recall of Samsung's flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone for the surprise decline in its same-store sales in the holiday quarter.
Best Buy is typically cautious about its expectations for the holiday quarter, David Schick, an analyst at Consumer Edge Research said.
Schick also noted that Best Buy's stock had declined following results in past quarters even as the retailer's earnings comfortably beat Wall Street estimates.
"Simply put, we think this is a typical Best Buy over-reaction," Schick said of the stock's decline on Tuesday.
Best Buy has tried to turn itself around by closing underperforming stores, improving customer service and most importantly, matching Amazon.com Inc's <AMZN.O> low prices.
Those efforts have helped the company beat analysts' estimates for sales in six of the past eight quarters, a performance unmatched by other electronics retailers such as hhgregg and RadioShack, which have gone bankrupt.
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Best Buy now expects full-year revenue growth of 4 percent, compared with an earlier forecast for a 2.5 percent increase.
On the impact of Hurricane Harvey on Best Buy's business, Chief Financial Officer Corie Barry said it was "nearly impossible" to predict at this stage.
Excluding one-time items, Best Buy earned 69 cents per share in the second quarter, beating analysts' estimates of 63 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Net sales climbed 4.8 percent to $8.94 billion. Analysts had expected $8.66 billion.
(Reporting by Vibhuti Sharma and Gayathree Ganesan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar)
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive in Texas on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump seemed pleased to see hundreds of supporters gathered during his trip to Texas to survey the damage of Hurricane Harvey.
The president climbed atop a platform between two fire trucks to address the few hundred supporters who had gathered outside of a Corpus Christi fire station where Trump met with emergency and government officials on Tuesday.
"What a crowd, what a turnout," Trump said to the assembled supporters.
"We love you. You are special. We are here to take care of you," he said, speaking into a microphone while flanked by first lady Melania Trump. "It's going well."
What a crowd, what a turnout, Trump said from atop this firetruck, addressing hurricane victims. pic.twitter.com/0EdsLctHDi Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) August 29, 2017
After thanking Gov. Greg Abbott and the state's senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, Trump called the storm-relief response "a total cooperative effort."
"It's historic, it's epic, but I tell you it happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything," he added.
The president held up a Texas flag to cheers from the crowd, which was interspersed with a handful of people protesting Trump.
Crowd of thousands, supporters and protesters, at Annaville Fire House--Trump's first stop in #Corpus. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/kEX61sazDZ Silvia Foster-Frau (@SilviaElenaFF) August 29, 2017
NOW WATCH: We went inside the Charlottesville winery Trump bragged about during the press conference
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Residents use boats to evacuate from Tropical Storm Harvey along Tidwell Road in east Houston on Aug. 28. (Photo: Adrees Latif/Reuters)
Houston continues to deal with record flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Since Friday night when the hurricane first reached land, thousands have lost their homes and relocated to shelters in the area. Images from the past few days show destruction and rising waters.
See the latest images, including heroic rescues and families coming to terms with their losses of homes and property from the flooding, below.
A volunteer carries a woman whose home was affected by severe flooding in north Houston.
People take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Mark Ocosta and his baby, Aubrey, shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
People walk to a Harris County Sheriff's Office air boat while escaping a flooded neighborhood in Houston.
Police and volunteers rescue residents flooded by the San Jacinto river in Kingwood, Texas.
Amazing video sent to us @KHOU, freeway concrete barrier broke away on Hwy 59 at San Jacinto Bridge. #HoustonFloods pic.twitter.com/xMUfcIPj3Y Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) August 29, 2017
Glenda Montelongeo, Richard Martinez and his two sons are helped out of a boat after being rescued near Tidwell Road and Toll road 8 in Houston.
Volunteer Dustin Langley, who lives two hours north of Houston and came down with a friend to volunteer, helps a family to escape their flooded apartment in Kingwood.
People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood in Houston.
A Texas flag hangs from a home surrounded by floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey in The Woodlands.
Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of tropical storm Harvey in east Houston on Aug. 28.
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheelchair onboard after lifting a person to safety in Houston.
A Shell gas station is under water at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston.
VIDEO: Dover native Melissa VanOrman waits in her Houston-area apartment for Hurricane #Harvey floodwaters to recede pic.twitter.com/Uadb77q4Tf azcentral (@azcentral) August 29, 2017
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja, right, and 9-month-old son LaDarius after they arrived to high ground by boat in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows after they fled their home in east Houston.
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas.
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon use his airboat to rescue them from their home after the area was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Dean Mize, left, and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of an underpass in Houston.
A person, followed by a dog, walks through a flooded street in Houston.
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston.
A resident of Bayou on the Bend watches the first floor flood as the Buffalo Bayou continues to rise in Houston.
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston.
People walk down a flooded street in Houston.
People wait on a flooded street in Houston.
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston.
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston.
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Steve Culver cries with his dog Otis as he talks about what he said was the, 'most terrifying event in his life,' when Hurricane Harvey blew in and destroyed most of his home while he and his wife took shelter there on in Rockport.
Ofelia Castro leads her grandchildren across a flooded street as they continue an hours long trek from their flooded house in the Edgewood area of South Houston to a relatives apartment miles away.
Aaron Tobias who said he lost everything stands in what is left of his home in Rockport. Mr. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived but he stayed there and rode it out.
Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen in Rockport.
People gather supplies out of destroyed homes to take back to a shelter near City-By-The Sea, Texas.
A destroyed laundromat is seen in Rockport.
A destroyed apartment complex is seen on Aug. 26, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey passed through Rockport, Texas.
Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham in Rockport.
Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving her apartment in Rockport.
Charlie Company of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve arrive at the Central Mall in Port Arthur, TX on Thursday night after running rescue missions in the hardest hit areas of town throughout the day.
A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help.
Rescue personnel help Hersey Kirk as she is airlifted into a rescue helicopter.
Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives in Rockport.
A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey in Rockport.
Damage is seen to a shopping center in Victoria, north and farther inland than Rockport.
Damage is seen at a business near Rockport
A damaged mobile home in Victoria.
Damage to a hotel in Victoria.
A business is damaged in Victoria.
A light plane sits upside done at Rockport Airport.
A sunken boat at Rockport Harbor.
Destroyed houses in Rockport.
Light medium tactical vehicle's (LMTV) make their way through floodwaters near Bridge City in Texas.
A car lies abandoned in Rockport.
A police officer checks for survivors among destroyed houses in Rockport.
A gas station in Victoria.
Damage to homes is seen near Rockport
A sign on a Holiday Inn hotel in Victoria.
Just got out of Rockport; no cell service there; catastrophic damage; homes, businesses destroyed. #hurricaneharvey pic.twitter.com/CJKPJOhEHZ Jeremy Schwartz (@JinATX) August 26, 2017
First light reveals heavy damage in Rockport, TX. #hurricaneharvey. pic.twitter.com/a9vVRn9iJS Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) August 26, 2017
A burnt-out house that caught fire after Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi.
A house suffers roof damage in Corpus Christi.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Ford Motor Company F has partnered with Dominos Pizza DPZ to understand if self-driving automobiles can play a pivotal role in pizza delivery.
Researchers of both the companies will analyze how customers react to this interaction with the self-driving cars as part of food delivery experiences. The findings will enable both organizations to get a feel of customers viewpoint for future food delivery via self-driving automobiles.
This study will further help Ford ensure that the self-driving technology only amplifies customers experience. This partnership with Dominos supports Ford to move toward a business that meets the needs of both companies as well as their customers.
Ford Motor Company Price and Consensus
Ford Motor Company Price and Consensus | Ford Motor Company Quote
Within a few weeks, the testing process will start when Fords Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle will be delivering pizzas to random Dominos customers at Ann Arbor. The vehicle can be tracked by the clients through a GPS-based Dominos Tracker. On approaching the delivery location, customers will receive a code to unlock the Dominos Heatwave Compartment inside the car.
Roush Enterprises, a local partner engineered the pizza container prototype for the vehicle to serve the food hot and fresh.
Ford is working on bringing autonomous vehicle technology to the market. The company will be adding several driver-assist technologies to its cars over the next five years.
In February, Ford announced plans to invest around $1 billion in Argo AI, an artificial intelligence company, in the coming five years. The money will be utilized to develop the virtual driver system for Fords autonomous vehicles.
Price Performance
Fords shares have tumbled 14.6% in the last six months, substantially underperforming the 1.4% increase of the industry it belongs to.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Ford currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked automobile stocks are Renault SA RNLSY and Toyota Motor Corporation TM, both currently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Renault has a long-term growth rate of 4.6%.
Toyota has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 7%.
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Gold miners rally as North Korea fires missile over Japan
Investing.com - The shares of most U.S. gold miners were higher on Monday, getting a boost from golds ascent as North Koreas latest missile test sent investors on another flight to safety.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan early Tuesday (local time), and leaders from Japan and the U.S. have already voiced their concerns over this latest show of force.
Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the missile was an unprecedented, serious and grave threat to Japan. He added that he will ask the United Nations to increase the pressure on North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump responded by saying 'all options on table when it comes to dealing with Pyongyang.
In times of uncertainty, investors flock to safe haven investments, and gold, perhaps the most classic safe haven investment was seeing renewed buying interest on Tuesday. Spot gold shot up 1% in the immediate aftermath of the missile launch to trade around $1,322, a 9-month high. At last check, gold futures were fractionally higher, up 0.4% at $1,320.30.
Gold futures have gained 15% so far this year, despite the U.S. Federal Reserves monetary tightening and a relatively strong U.S. dollar. A big factor behind golds rally is increased investor appetite for safe haven investments over concerns that North Korea's missile tests would lead to a war.
On Tuesday, U.S. listed gold miners were benefiting from climbing gold prices. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) was leading the way, but shares of Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX), Yamana Gold Inc (NYSE:AUY), and Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE:KGC) were also higher.
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Tropical Storm Harvey, which made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 hurricane, is set to rank as one of the costliest natural disasters on record. But while economists highlight temporary disruptions, there is more of a mixed view about the long-term impact on the broader economy.
Wed 5
Heres a rundown of what some analysts are saying:
Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs: The GDP impact is ambiguous
Hatzius, who noted that preliminary estimates suggest property damages in the $30 billion range, said the effect on GDP long-term is unclear despite a temporary slowdown.
Property losses will not be directly visible in most economic indicators, but major hurricanes in the past have been associated with a temporary slowdown in retail sales, construction spending, and industrial production, as well as a pickup in jobless claims, he wrote. However, GDP effects are ambiguous, as the level of economic activity typically returns to its previous trendore even somewhat abovereflecting a boost from rebuilding efforts and a catch-up in economic activity displaced during the hurricane.
Wednesday morning 2
Hatzius did highlight the importance of the energy sector in the regions affected.
Our commodities team estimates that Harvey has already shut down over 16.5% of US refining capacity, and we estimate that disruptions in the energy sector could directly reduce Q3 GDP growth by as much as 0.2pp. However, we stress that the overall impact of the hurricane on second-half growth is uncertain, as the negative effects are likely to be offset by an increase in business investment and construction activity once the storm has passed.
Don Rissmiller, Strategas: GDP impact could be positive
Rissmiller noted rebuilding would give the economy a boost, but that the spending could cause strain on individual pocket books:
Flood insurance is unlikely to provide much of a cushion for individuals. The business situation could be more nuancedincreased spending on essentials is set to crowd out other purchases (eating out, etc). Rebuilding will be a significant story, though monthly data (especially durables) will likely be volatile. Replacement spending will boost economic growth, though its not good for wealth.
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Brett Ryan, Deutsche Bank: The GDP impact could be negative
Ryan highlighted estimated the disaster would be a drag on GDP growth, but that it would have little impact on whats expected to be strong growth.
Harvey could potentially drag on H2 real GDP growth by as much as -20 basis points (bps)mainly through disruptions to exports. This is not much in the context of our 2.7% growth forecastthe economy would still be growing noticeably above trend.
To be sure some of the negative hit to growth will likely be offset by a boost to construction spending as rebuilding efforts get under way. Hence, this unfortunate event will not likely affect the overall trajectory of the economy or monetary policy.
Michael Feroli, JPMorgan: Jobless claims should spike
Feroli, who cited a $10 billion to $20 billion estimate for Harveys physical damage, also highlighted that the hurricane could strengthen economic activity.
Any assessment of the economic impact of Hurricane Harvey will be inherently subject to a fair degree of uncertainty, given the recency of the event. As a general rule, hurricanes tend to be a short-run depressant and a medium-run boost to economic activity. (Here we should pause to emphasize the usual disclaimer: economic growth does not always correspond with economic well-being).
Other storms reflected medium-term growth, he noted, as shown below.
Wed morning 3
Feroli added that, nonetheless, we will see some temporary disruptions in data points and energy prices:
While Harvey may not be a game-changer for the expansion, it may leave its market on the high-frequency economic data Jobless claimswhich are counted at a weekly frequencyare a prime candidate to show effects of Hurricane Harvey, especially in the state-level data.
Gasoline prices, and to a lesser degree, natural gas prices have already moved higher. This could crimp consumer spending power in the near term. However, if the past is any guide the impact on energy prices should be short-lived as refineries come back on line in the coming days and weeks.
Ellen Zentner, Morgan Stanley: Gas prices will tax households
Zentner highlighted the potential positive impact to 4Q GDP, but was wary of quantifying her expectations.
Natural disasters are never good for the economy, but they can cause a temporary increase to GDP We have over a full month left in the third quarter, which means the economic effects of Harvey may be fairly neutral on 3Q as a whole, but the lagged effects of rebuilding homes and replacing motor vehicles can last longer, providing a lift go GDP in 4Q and beyond.
She did note, though, the offsetting negative impact on gasoline prices.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the effect of rising gasoline prices on the pocketbooks of all Americans We estimate that every sustained 10-cent rise in the price per gallon of gasoline acts as a $10bn tax on US households.
And Zentner did add the looming debt ceiling deadline as something to watch.
Our current estimate of the debt ceiling deadline is mid-October. This estimate could be affected by cash transfers from the Treasury in response to Hurricane Harvey, she wrote. But she added that this will likely be handled: Ultimately we expect funds from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund will be enough to cover near-term disaster response needs, and additional appropriations can be made in the 2018 budget and/or after the debt ceiling is resolved.
Michael Cohen, Barclays: The last major hurricane to hit Texas was pre-shale boom
Cohen, who pointed out that Harvey is the first major Hurricane to hit the US Gulf Coast since the shale booms started, emphasized the threat to infrastructure and production.
Its market impact from a trade, refining and petroleum perspective should not be underestimated, Cohen wrote. The US Gulf Coast is now exporting twice as much petroleum from the area as it did in 2012 We think the flooding impact of Hurricane Harvey could make it more destructive to US crude and product supplies as well as port facilities than the market is currently assuming.
Nicole Sinclair is markets correspondent at Yahoo Finance
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The devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey is heartbreaking and vast, and the areas hit hardest by epic floods will take months to recover, if not longer. But there may be an unexpected upside to the disaster: It could force Congress to set aside the usual gamesmanship this fall and do its job. And financial markets would be among the winners.
Congress has a busy calendar once it reconvenes on Sept. 5, with two urgent orders of business. The most important is raising the governments borrowing limit by the end of September, averting the risk that Uncle Sam wont be able to pay the bills. Congress must also pass spending legislation that will keep the government functioning once the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
These ought to be routine matters, but of course theyre not. In recent years, factions have held up must-pass legislation to create a crisis and, in theory, maximize the leverage needed to attain political goals. Conservatives in particular have tried to use the threat of debt default and government shutdown to push for sharp spending cuts. The brinkmanship led to the first-ever downgrade in the U.S. credit rating in 2011, and a deeply unpopular 16-day shutdown in 2013.
Washington has been bracing for similar warfare this fall but Harvey has now changed the outlook somewhat. Congress will now have to come up with emergency funding to help cover the cost of dealing with the disaster, including financial assistance for thousands of families who lost their homes and municipalities facing monumental reconstruction efforts. It wont be a lot of money by Washington standards $5 billion, perhaps but the money will be a lifeline to those suffering as the floodwaters recede.
Conservatives in Congress dont face much blowback in their districts for trying to cut government funding, since the voters who elected them generally favor that. But few politicians want to block aid for people who desperately need it. Republican leaders in the House and Senate know that, which is why theyre now likely to tie post-Harvey disaster funding to the bigger spending bills, or a debt-ceiling increase, or both. If they do, anybody who wants to kill the spending or borrowing provisions will also be voting to kill disaster aid.
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Government shutdown looks unlikely
Goldman Sachs recently published research saying the probability of a government shutdown in October has dropped from 50% to 35%. Recent events have lowered the odds of a government shutdown or a delayed debt ceiling hike, Goldman analysts wrote. Allowing a partial government shutdown when federal relief efforts are underway would pose greater political risks than under normal circumstances.
This is good news for financial markets, which have shown signs of anxiety recently over the looming budget showdowns in Washington. Breaching the debt ceiling would be most worrisome for markets, and perhaps disastrous; when Congress flirted with that possibility in 2011, stocks plunged and took six months to recover. Shutdowns arent as destructive, but they nonetheless distract businesses and investors and do more harm than good.
Even if the need for disaster funding raises the maturity level in Washington for a while, theres still plenty that could go wrong. President Donald Trump, not surprisingly, may be the biggest wild card. Before Harvey roared into Texas, he said hed shut down the government if Congress didnt appropriate $1.6 billion he wants as a down payment on his border wall. So Trump himself could be the one who kills spending bills by vetoing them, perhaps insisting that disaster funding be passed on its own, reigniting the showdown over the debt ceiling and the budget. In Washington, harmony can morph into conflict faster than a giant storm can swamp a sewer drain.
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
A megachurch in Houston closed its doors in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which has caused catastrophic flooding and forced thousands to leave their homes.
An announcement on Facebook said Pastor Joel Osteens Lakewood Church had shut due to the storm and asked people to pray for those affected.
Lakewood Church is inaccessible due to severe flooding! We want to help make sure you are safe, the post read.
It included a list of resources for those affected by the storm, including the addresses for temporary shelters.
But some responded sceptically to the Facebook post, questioning why one of the largest churches in the US - including a 16,000-seat arena - was not able to take in victims of Harvey.
Emily Timbol, an author who has written critically about homophobic views among conservative Christians, tweeted: It doesn't make sense why you're not opening up your mega church to house Houston citizens, help me understand that. Jesus.
. It doesn't make sense why you're not opening up your mega church to house Houston citizens, help me understand that. Jesus. pic.twitter.com/CzCiEtbkgY Emily Timbol (@EmilyTimbol) August 28, 2017
Joel Osteen has a HUGE church in Houston that would make a great shelter. pic.twitter.com/byqHxXrHQn Brasilmagic (@Brasilmagic) August 28, 2017
Others criticised televangelist Mr Osteen for not opening up his $10 million home in the upscale area of River Oaks to those desperately seeking shelter.
Shame on Joel Osteen, one person tweeted. Jesus would open the doors and care for the needy.
Mr Osteen responded to the criticism in a statement quoted by ABC and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center to those in need. We are prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm.
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Others pointed out that mosques in the region are still open and offering people shelter, including the Islamic Society of Greater Houstons 21 centres.
If you went to @JoelOsteen's church for shelter & found it closed, don't worry, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston's 21 mosques are open, the @altNOAA account posted on Twitter.
More than 3,000 people have been rescued in Houston and the surrounding area since the storm hit, with many still waiting to be picked up.
At least nine people are reported to have died as a result of Hurricane Harvey, the worst storm to strike the US in 12 years.
As responders across the country move into areas of Texas inundated by Tropical Storm Harvey, one federal flood insurance program is sinking further into debt.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the singular source of flood insurance for most Americans, is already $23 billion in debt after servicing prior natural disasters, including Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina. Costs from Harvey are expected to increase that debt by billions of dollars. The NFIP, which is overseen by FEMA, has borrowed money from the U.S. Treasury, and thus from taxpayers, in order to keep itself running. That debt is due next month, when the program is also up for reauthorization in Congress.
The government has already said it would be impossible for the flood program to repay such a staggering amount of dues, causing some to believe the program needs a major overhaul to prevent structural debt accumulations every time there is a disaster situation.
The Government Accountability Office has included the program on its High-Risk List since 2006, finding flaws with its fundamental structure.
[The] lack of sufficient [NFIP] revenue highlights what have been structural weaknesses in how the program is funded, a recent GAO report said. Since the program offers rates that do not fully reflect the risk of flooding, NFIPs overall rate-setting structure was not designed to be actuarially sound in the aggregate, nor was it intended to generate sufficient funds to fully cover all losses.
However, the urgency and gravity of the situations in Texas and Louisiana could pressure lawmakers into pushing through a quick reauthorization before the program before its September 30 expiration. Others are hopeful lawmakers may pass a temporary reauthorization while working on longer-term reforms, including potentially updating zoning maps and expanding coverage options to private insurance companies.
FEMA estimates that the damage from just one inch of water can exceed $20,000. In the coastal areas of Texas, rainfall was expected to reach up to 50 inches before the storm completely cleared out of the region.
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Fifty-two percent of Houstons residential and commercial properties are located outside of FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas, according to global property analytics firm CoreLogic. Only individuals with properties located within flood hazard areas are required to purchase flood insurance. This could leave many people in the area with serious financial challenges after the storm clears out.
Overall, 20% of flood claims tend to come from properties outside the high risk flood zone, according to FEMA.
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By Ana Isabel Martinez and Lizbeth Diaz
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico sees a serious risk the United States will withdraw from NAFTA and is preparing a plan for that eventuality, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Tuesday, calling talks to renegotiate the deal a "roller coaster."
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened three times in the past week to abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement, revisiting his view that the United States would probably have to start the process of exiting the accord to reach a fair deal for his country.
Trump has vowed to get a better deal for American workers, and the lively rhetoric on both sides precedes a second round of talks starting on Friday in Mexico City to renegotiate the 1994 accord binding the United States, Mexico and Canada.
"This is not going to be easy," Guajardo said at a meeting with senators in Mexico City. "The start of the talks is like a roller coaster."
The need for a back-up plan in case Trump shreds the deal underpinning a trillion dollars in annual trade in North America has been a long-standing position of Guajardo, who travels to Washington on Tuesday with foreign minister Luis Videgaray to meet senior White House and trade officials.
"We are also analyzing a scenario with no NAFTA," Guajardo said.
In an interview published earlier on Tuesday in Mexican business daily El Economista, Guajardo said "there is a risk, and it's high" that the Trump administration abandons NAFTA.
Responding to Guajardo's comments, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would continue to work "seriously" to improve NAFTA.
Earlier this month, Guajardo told Reuters a "Plan B" meant being prepared to replace items such as the billions of dollars in grain Mexico imports from the United States annually.
To that end, and to seek openings in more markets, Mexico is hosting trade talks with Brazil this week. Trade officials are also discussing a possible replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact that Trump ditched after taking office.
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Overlapping with the NAFTA talks, Mexico will participate in separate trade meetings with Australia and New Zealand in Peru, and President Enrique Pena Nieto travels to China this weekend.
Still, attempts to diversify trade will not be easy. Some 80 percent of all Mexican exports go to the United States, and economies such as Brazil and China often compete with Mexico.
Guajardo also suggested World Trade Organization tariffs that would kick in if NAFTA crumbled would be more favorable for Mexico, a view held by many Mexican experts who think trade with the United States would survive the demise of the 1994 deal.
"I don't think it's going to make that much of a difference in terms of the trading relationship, said Andres Rozental, a former Mexican deputy foreign minister. "If we have to go to WTO tariffs, for us it's fairly straightforward."
Guajardo's and Videgaray's trip to Washington was announced after Trump not only threatened to pull out of the trade deal, but again said that Mexico would end up paying for the wall he wants to build between the two countries.
Mexico has refused point blank to pay for a wall. In January, after similar comments led Mexico to scrap a summit with Trump, the two sides agreed not to talk in public about it.
(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by W Simon and Dan Grebler)
hwasong 12
North Korean state media claimed the missile launched in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Japan time, was the very same one Pyongyang threatened to fire towards Guam in mid August.
The missile, known as the Hwasong-12, is an intermediate-range ballistic missile that experts say could carry a nuclear warhead.
The test fire over Japan fell short of North Korea's proposed salvo of four missiles towards Guam, but could serve as an important test before commencing the Guam strike.
At the time of North Korea's threat, Mike Elleman, the senior fellow for missile defense at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Business Insider an "important question revolves around the missile's reliability," because it had only been successfully tested once.
Additionally, the single successful test was on a lofted trajectory, or shot straight up in the air instead of at an angle.
The more recent launch over Japan may have filled a need for North Korea to figure out the reliability of the Hwasong-12 on a realistic trajectory.
Importantly, Kim Jong Un never said he would not fire missiles towards Guam. Instead, he reserved the right to carry out a strike at a later time.
Serious questions remain about the US and its allies' ability to shoot down North Korean missiles, but the launch over Japan's airspace promises to contribute to the militarization of the Pacific.
The missile launch was condemned by Japan, China, Russia, the US, and South Korea.
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By Soyoung Kim and Susan Heavey SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday it had conducted a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and as a first step in military action in the Pacific to "contain" the U.S. territory of Guam. The North's leader Kim Jong Un ordered the missile drill to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said it was necessary to undertake more exercises with the Pacific as the target, the North's KCNA news agency said. "The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The Korean People's Army or KPA is the North's military. Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major military presence, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the North would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States. Tuesday's test was of the same Hwasong-12 missile Kim had threatened to use on Guam, but the test flight took it another direction, over northern Japan's Hokkaido and into the North Pacific Ocean. Trump, who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States, said the world had received North Korea's latest message "loud and clear". "Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table," Trump said in a statement on Tuesday. LACKING DETAIL The launch came as U.S. and South Korean forces conducted annual military exercises on the Korean peninsula, angering Pyongyang which sees the war games as a preparation for invasion. North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under Kim in defiance of U.N. sanctions, but firing a projectile over mainland Japan was a rare and provocative move. Reports of the launch by North Korean media were lacking the usual boasts of technical advances, indicating the test may not have accomplished its intended technical goals. The 2,700 km (1,680 miles) the missile flew before splashing down was much shorter and at a lower trajectory than that of an earlier and lofted launch of the same missile. The May launch would have had a range of about 4,800 km on a standard trajectory, an expert on missile technology, David Wright said. "It is not clear what new North Korea would have learned from this launch that is relevant to a long-range missile," Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said. The shorter range points to an intended early cutting of the engine thrust or a possible mechanical problem, as the trajectory taken would not have been useful in simulating re-entry or heating of the missile, Wright wrote in a blog post. UN IN FOCUS Japan reacted sharply to the missile overflight, warnings residents to take cover as the missile approached and raising protests at the United Nations. The United States has said before that all options, including military, are on the table, although its preference is for a diplomatic solution. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the launch was "absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible" and that the Security Council now needed to take serious action. The Security Council earlier this month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea after it staged two long-range missile launches in July. South Korea and the United States had discussed deploying additional "strategic assets" on the Korean peninsula, South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement, without giving more details. (Additional reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Since President Donald Trump announced his campaign, he has consistently reiterated that Mexico would pay for his signature vision of a tangible and unrepealable legacy: a big, beautiful wall.
Even as the flood waters rose in Houston during Hurricane Harvey, Trump tweeted again about his desire for the border wall, and for the U.S.s southern neighbor to pay.
With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
In a press conference Monday, Trump said: One way or another, Mexico is going to pay for that wall.
The wall and who is paying for it has seeped into a bevy of political issues. Last week, he threatened a government shutdown over the walls funding. (Trump expects the U.S. to be reimbursed by Mexico.) This would affect the Trump administrations agenda, and continue to distract and wreak havoc on tax reform and hopes for bipartisanship.
But if Congress were to approve funds for a southern border wall, they should not expect to be reimbursed. It is impossible to overstate exactly how much Mexico does not want to pay for this wall, no matter how many times Trump insists otherwise.
The U.S. publics support for the wall is divided at best, but in Mexico opposition to paying for it is completely united. REUTERS/Ashlee Espinal
Agreeing to pay for the wall would be treason to the motherland
In response to Trumps mid-hurricane tweet, the Mexican foreign ministry issued a statement, reiterating it would not pay under any circumstances, and adding an important note that is key to understanding the Mexican-American standoff: This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity.
Trump continues to view the opposition from Mexico as a negotiating tactic.
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You cannot say that to the press because I cannot negotiate under those circumstances, Trump responded to Mexico president Enrique Pena Nietos rejection during a call.
Most Mexicans see Trumps threat as an attack on the countrys honor, said Fernando Dworak, a political analyst in Mexico City. Any politician who would suggest any collaboration with the USA on building the wall would immediately be seen as a traitor and a nation-seller (vende patrias).
This sentiment is shared by the archdiocese of Mexico, which penned an editorial in March entitled Treason to the motherland.
To Mexico, the demand to pay for a wall would be as large as a demand to change the name of the country or the flag.
Theres no other issue of Trumps long-standing anti-Mexico tirade that grates Mexican public opinion more than stating that Mexico will pay for the wall, Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S. from 2006 to 2013, told Yahoo Finance.
The wall has united Mexico against the U.S.
If Trump expected a mild response from Pena Nieto, as leaks have suggested, he made a big tactical mistake, said Dworak. Mexico has developed a defensive nationalism since the 19th century.
Trumps comments have brought Mexicans together and strengthened their nationalism. Since Trumps drugs, crime, rapists speech, Mexicos public opinion of the U.S. has fallen considerably, with 49% of Mexicans polled in January having a bad or very bad view of the U.S. Meanwhile, a February Gallup poll found the U.S.s favorable view of Mexico at its highest in a decade.
Its no wonder that pimping Mexico as a political and electoral pinata with his base has triggered a collapse of favorable opinions of the U.S. to an all-time low in recent Mexican history, said Sarukhan. The wall has become a third-rail for Mexico-U.S. ties.
For Mexico, a wall is a slap in the face
In the leaked calls between Pena Nieto and Trump, Pena Nieto reiterated his view that the U.S. can do what it wants on its own land. I have recognized the right of any government to protect its borders as it deems necessary and convenient, he told Trump. But Mexico cannot pay for that wall.
Still, however, Mexicans find the idea disrespectful.
The idea of a wall its offensive, said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst and columnist for El Universal, a major Mexico City newspaper. The notion of actually paying for it is adding insult to injury. Its simply not negotiable. Its an issue of national pride and national dignity.
According to Hope, many Mexicans contend that if anything, the money should flow the other way to compensate for U.S. transgressions. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms found that 70% of seized guns in Mexico came from the U.S., contributing to the tens of thousands of murders from organized crime south of the border. Furthermore, in Mexico, there is resentment of thirsty American noses that keep drug demand high.
As the Mexican foreign ministry statement read: It is a shared problem that will only end if its root causes are addressed: high demand for drugs in the United States and supply from Mexico (and other countries).
Compelling Mexico to pay without consent is seen as extortion or theft
There are scenarios like tariffs and taxes in which Trump could attempt to get reimbursed without Mexicos consent, though there are considerable downsides.
Its impossible for Mexico to agree to [pay for the wall], Hope said. Trump might extort payment, but itll be seen in Mexico as extortion or theft. Mexico could strike back in other ways.
Such coercive techniques might be risky for Trump as Mexico could start a trade war. The country also could strike back by pivoting to China as a trading partner. Its an extreme option, but not out of the question if Mexico finds itself against the wall. Pena Nieto has already looked towards China for trade.
Even before that, however, things get tough for reimbursement. Options like tariffs or border adjustment taxes explicitly tied to the wall might be able to give Trump a political win for getting Mexico to pay, but they wouldnt really guarantee that Mexico will foot the bill. In the end, those unpopular options would likely end up costing American consumers, as the higher costs for goods would simply be passed down the chain.
Perhaps the best way to understand the wall situation from the Mexican perspective is a massive game of chicken between a truck and a train. Mexicos position is on rails and simply cannot turn.
In the past two decades, Mexico and the U.S. have done and can continue to do a great many things together, said Sarukhan. The one thing Mexico wont do jointly with the U.S. is build a wall.
Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Got a tip? Send to: tips@yahoo-inc.com.
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If you're a food-lover like me, your Instagram feed is flooded with food photos and Thanksgiving is, well, the food photographers Super Bowl.
Who can resist taking a few snaps of the honey-glazed ham, bourbon pecan pie, bacon and leek stuffing, and, of course, the 20-pound roasted turkey? But all too often the pictures we post are less appetizing than a decade-old can of cranberry sauce. (Need proof? Just take a look at last years pics.)
But there are some simple ways to fix that, says Sharon Chen, a Texas-based food photographer and blogger. With some attention to detail and a few basic tricks, you can significantly improve your food photos, even the ones you shoot with your smartphone.
Chen agreed to share some photos and walk us through the techniques she used to make them sizzle. Give her tips a try and you'll soon have photos that are a true feast for the eyes.
Find the Best Light
With any photograph, light is the most important ingredient, Chen says. And natural light is usually preferable to the artificial kind.
If you're not inclined to carry your gourmet spread to the backyard, lay it out near a window. Of course, that's not always feasible, especially when you're dining in someone else's home or in a restaurant or bar. In that case, you may want to bring some light of your own. A flash isn't ideal unless you're willing to disturb your fellow diners.
Chen says food photographers often use portable lamps. She advises bringing a small, adjustable LED light. A model such as the Manfrotto Lumimuse 3 LED, $45, lets out a steady stream of light that can be increased little by little without causing a commotion. In a pinch, you can even use the flashlight function on your smartphone, Chen says, assuming you have a camera at hand to take the picture. Simply adjust the volume of light by shining it through your napkin.
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Choose Your Angle
Chen tends to shoot her food photos from one of three viewpoints: overhead, straight-ahead, or at a 45-degree angle.
The overhead approach is great for conveying the variety and abundance of ingredients in a dish or the sweep of a holiday spread.
The straight-ahead shot comes in handy when you want to point out the height of a stack of pancakes or a Dagwood sandwich. It's also useful for showing off the grain in a slab of cheese.
The 45-degree angle allows you to draw on the strengths of both of those viewpoints. It's a clever way to show off the charred outside and tender middle of an expertly grilled steak.
From time to time, Chen says she's even been known to step on her chair in a restaurant to get the perfect angle. "It used to be weird," she says, "but these days everybody is a little more forgiving, because they know what you're up to."
Set the Stage
Once you've chosen the best angle, take some time to set the scene. With food photography, you want the background to be very simple, Chen says. So remove all unnecessary objects from the setting: napkins, salt shakeranything that's likely to be a distraction.
At the same time, Chen likes to include props such as wooden spoons, flowers in vases, and bits of garnish. Nothing in the frame of her shot is there by accident.
Chen also recommends looking for ways to complement your food with color. A blue plate or tablecloth, for example, will make an orange dish such as pie or churros seem more appealing. And a dark, neutral background will make the star attraction pop.
You might even want to rotate your dishes, shifting less colorful fare such as beans, mashed potatoes, and plain white rice to the back of the frame.
And finally, wipe any stray crumbs, butter, or oil from the edge of the plates. You want all eyes on the main course.
Pick the Right Settings
You can snap appealing food photos with your smartphone, but even the best smartphone cameras have limitations, especially in low light.
If you really want to dazzle your Instagram followers, it pays to use a conventional camera, one that lets you adjust parameters such as the aperture and ISO setting. (When you're shooting with your phone, try using an app such as Manual or Camera FV-5 Lite, which gives you added control over your photos.)
Chen usually shoots her food photos with a 12-year-old 6-megapixel Nikon D70 using a 50mm lens. For $600 or less, you can get a modern DSLR that comes recommended by Consumer Reports' testers, such as the Nikon D3300 or Canon EOS Rebel T5i. Both cameras perform well, even in the low-light conditions you might find in your favorite bistro.
Many mirrorless cameras and advanced point-and-shoot cameras, such as the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, also offer great image quality along with manual controls.
Which settings should you start with? Chen says she uses a wide aperture of f/3.5 for most of her images. This allows a good amount light to come into the camera and blurs the background, making the food take center stage. It's the same technique photographers often use for portraits.
Chen advises budding food photographers to use the lowest ISO possible, which usually results in a higher-quality image. Start with an ISO of 100 and adjust upward if needed.
Add Some Action
Adding subtle action to food photography makes it more interesting and dynamic. And yes, this means you have an excuse to play with your food.
Dripping sauces, melted cheese flowing off a spoon, and toppings being poured over ice cream can enhance your photography.
To freeze that kind of motion, Chen advises using a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second or faster. You also need to find a way to get the action you want while working your camera. She relies on a tripod.
"I adjust my camera settings first by taking a few nonaction shots," she says. "When everything looks good, I will do the action and press the shutter button at the same time."
Another optionand the one I preferis to enlist a friend who's willing to supply the action. Let her dust the Dutch baby pancake with confectioners sugar or pour the olive oil while you snap the photo. After all, shooting food photos is usually a precursor to digging into a good dishand the best meals are the one we share with others. (Camera tripods make terrible conversationalists.)
As a bonus, tag your photo assistant in your Instagram post and you're almost guaranteed a "like."
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2017, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Yahoo Finance is tracking Best Buy, Finish Line, Barrick Gold and Kinross Gold in intraday trading on Tuesday.
Best Buy tanks on CEO sales warning
Best Buy (BBY) reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for the second quarter, upped its guidance for the year and posted its best same-stores sales jump in seven years. Shares initially popped in the pre-market on the news but quickly gave up gains following a warning from the retailers chief executive. On a call with analysts, Hubert Jolly said he didnt think it was likely that the mid-single-digit rise in comparable sales would continue. Best Buy fell about 12% to $55.18 a share in early trading, its lowest level since 2015.
Finish Line tanks on lowered guidance, new shareholder rights plan
Shares of Finish Line (FINL) plunged into negative territory on Tuesday after the company lowered its profit forecast for the year and adopted a shareholder rights plan. The plan is an effort to prevent a hostile takeover. Glenn S. Lyon, chairman of Finish Line, said in a statement, The plan is designed to ensure that the Companys board of directors is able to appropriately consider whether proposals, if any, are in the best interests of all our shareholders. The Company remains positioned to fully capture the opportunities we foresee to optimize value for all our shareholders. Shares of Finish Line had fallen about 19% as of 12:40 pm E.T. Tuesday.
Gold miners climb as investors seek safety
Gold miners posted gains during the first half of the trading day on Tuesday as the metal surged to its highest level in nearly a year. Investors fled to the precious metal as tensions over North Koreas missile launch rattled global markets. Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG), and Kinross Gold (KGC) are getting a boost in midday trading.
For more on Tuesdays big stock movers and breaking news after the bell, check out The Final Round, starting at 3:55 p.m. ET, on Yahoo Finance.
Shervin Pishevar
Uber finally decided who will take over for ousted CEO Travis Kalanick.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia's CEO for the last 12 years, has reportedly been asked to the lead the ride-hailing startup, which is valued at roughly $69 billion by investors in the private market.
The CEO selection occurred in the midst of a bombshell lawsuit between early Uber investor Benchmark and Kalanick, the brash cofounder of the company. The lawsuit, which seeks to remove Kalanick from Uber's board, claims Kalanick had been using his board seat to meddle in the CEO search and reclaim his position at the company's helm.
The litigation extremely rare in the cozy world of Silicon Valley investing has exposed deep and bitter divisions between Uber's backers.
While the choice of Khosrowshahi was framed as a "truce" candidate that all sides could agree upon (unlike HPE CEO Meg Whitman and GE Chairman Jeff Immelt, who were also on the shortlist), don't expect the bad blood between the factions to go away anytime soon
In fact, Uber investor Shervin Pishevar couldn't resist taking a jab at Benchmark on Monday even as he publicly endorsed the new CEO.
"I applaud the Boards decision to make Dara Khosrowshahi the next CEO of Uber, and we are gratified that Benchmark did not succeed in subverting the CEO selection process," Pishevar wrote in a statement sent to Business Insider, and first reported by Recode.
"I look forward to working with my friend and fellow Iranian American Mr. Khosrowshahi," Pishevar went on to say. "Dara's experience and his proven track record of success make him the right choice to lead Uber."
NOW WATCH: Ubers pick for its new CEO is the head of Expedia and an Iranian refugee who has criticized Trump
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Lucas Jackson | Reuters. These are the stocks posting the largest moves before the bell.
U.S. Treasury yields were slightly higher on Wednesday, as investors analyzed new data while trying to shake off any concerns surrounding tensions between North Korea and the United States.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note (U.S.:US10Y) edged higher to 2.145 percent at 3:14 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond (U.S.:US10Y) ticked higher to 2.748 percent.
The two-year note yield, meanwhile, rose to trade at 1.333 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
In the previous day's trade, markets worldwide were on edge following news that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile which had passed over Japan. However, investor nervousness around North Korea appears to have eased.
This comes as President Donald Trump issued a statement which said that " all options are on the table " when it comes to its relationship with North Korea going forward.
"The world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior," Trump said in a statement.
Data was also at the forefront of investors' minds on Wednesday.
U.S. revised second-quarter GDP rose 3.0 percent versus a 2.7 percent rise expected .
The upward revision from the 2.6 percent pace reported last month reflected robust consumer spending as well as strong business investment, according to Reuters.
Growth last quarter was the strongest since the first quarter of 2015 and followed a 1.2 percent pace in the January-March period.
Private payrolls for August jumped at their fastest pace in five months thanks in part to strong gains in construction and manufacturing jobs, according to the latest release from ADP and Moody's Analytics.
Companies added 237,000 positions for the last full month of summer, well ahead of the 185,000 that economists surveyed by Reuters expected.
Total mortgage application volume decreased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications are now down nearly 25 percent compared with a year ago, largely due to the lack of homeowners refinancing their loans.
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Sticking with economics, Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell spoke on "the role of boards at large financial firms" at the Large-Bank Directors Conference in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Harvey continues to cast a shadow over the energy sector, with oil prices coming under pressure , as refineries continue to be affected by the natural disaster.
Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
More From CNBC
Western Digital says it is acquiring Tegile, a specialist in fast flash storage systems. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Flash storage systems incorporate solid-state storage, which is faster but can be more delicate than the disk storage that dominated in most companies data centers up until recently. Flash storage is also more pricey than disk drives although that cost has been falling.
Tegiles move comes three months after [f500link]Hewlett Packard Enterprise[/f500link] hpe paid $1 billion to acquire Nimble Storage, another flash storage seller and rival to Tegile and Pure Storage pstg , among others.
Interestingly, HPEs former chief technology officer Martin Fink, who had retired from that company in 2016, came out of retirement early this year to become CTO of Western Digital.
San Jose-based Western Digital wdc has been a Tegile investor for a few years, and led a Series E funding round of $33 million in April. Overall, Tegile, Newark, Calif., had taken in about $175 million in venture funding since it was founded in 2009.
In an interview with Fortune, Tegile CEO Rohit Kshetrapal, says all of the companys 300 employees will move over to Western Digital.
There is definitely consolidation in this market, Kshetrapal acknowledges. The conundrum for startups is that its expensive to build a company both in terms of product development and sales and marketing.
Western Digitals size could help with that.
Get Data Sheet, Fortunes daily tech newsletter.
Long-time data storage power EMC, now part of Dell Technologies, jumped into flash storage with a series of acquisitions starting with that of XtremIO in 2013. EMC rival NetApp ntap , bought SolidFire another flash provider two years later. And then there are the pure play flash storage players like the aforementioned Pure Storage, Tintri, and Kaminario.
This acquisition will bring some 1,700 Tegile customers, which include the U.S. Department of Defense and Bookings.com, to Western Digital.
The news comes a day after Western Digital announced its acquisition of Upthere, a cloud-based storage service for consumers photos, music, and video files. Terms were not disclosed on that purchase either.
Note: (August 29, 11:48 a.m.) This story was updated to add mention of NetApps acquisition of SolidFire and of Western Digitals day-old acquisition of Upthere.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Aug. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In his new book Astana: Architecture, Myth & Destiny, renowned architecture expert and Cambridge historian Dr. Frank Albo, has imbedded an arm-chair treasure hunt connecting Walt Disney, King Arthur, and the Illuminati Capital of the World. The reader who reveals the hidden message in this book wins a $30,000 luxury vacation to Astana, Kazakhstan. The fascinating scholarship and breathtaking photographs of this futuristic, world destination city are for every person who loves mystery, architecture, and ancient mythology.
An image accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5c664956-f7e0-41f9-99ad-4de76b186450
A video accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4a7e45d-4aed-4864-b524-cf3bf0a6a825
Dr. Albo states: "This new book offers fresh insight into one of the most remarkable cities on Earth. Kazakhstans capital city, Astana, is more than a progression of futuristic buildings and monumental construction. Its a city whose foundation myth sets the scene for the peaceful coexistence of the human family. Astana provides an ideal city model that acknowledges the environmental limits of urban growth, while promoting greener livelihoods, cultural diversity and a vibrant civic life directed toward happiness, health and the fulfillment of human needs.
An award-winning professor of history in Canada, Dr. Albo specializes in architecture, Freemasonry and the Western esoteric tradition. Over the past decade, Dr. Albo has led tours of the Manitoba Legislative Building, identifying concealed Masonic symbols, hieroglyphs and numerological codes. Dr. Albo examines our conventional beliefs about history and provides entirely new perspectives about our built environment, cultures of the past and sustainability in architecture. In this complex and stunning coffee-table book, Dr. Albo has created an exciting journey into the myth and symbolism of Astana.
"For conspiracy sleuths and aficionados of architecture, mythology, treasure hunts, or the mysteries of Freemasonry, this is your new bible! Dr. Albo brilliantly unpacks the hype surrounding Astana, and goes far beyond by showing us that the principal buildings of this extraordinary Kazakhstani capital offer an architectural blueprint to the peaceful destiny of the world! This book is Umberto Eco meets Robert Langdon meets Indiana Jones all rolled into one. Marvelous, absorbing, beautifully illustrated, and highly recommended!"
Kundeon
Bombed
GMAT 1 : 600 (Q48, V23, IR-5, AW-5)
DECISION
BIG DIFFERENCE
GMAT 2: 650 (Q49,V29,IR-8,AW-5?
Vice President
Work Experience
Hi Guys,I have posted a lot of times on this forum and people have been very kind in their replies.This has been a great journey and I would like to share my experience with all of you. I would also need some guidance regarding the selection of universities and application process.So here it goes:I gave my first GMAT on 23rd March, 2017. I was working in Zomato Media Pvt Ltd that time. I had to study while i was working. I used tests, GMAT Prep Tests and a few Princeton Review Tests. I used to study for 1-1.5 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends. It was a difficult task. I took a break of 10 days before the exam, gave some mocks and appeared for the exam.AWA and IR went well. Quant was my strong part since the beginning. So it was also good. But then came verbal. I read the first question, i was blank. During the first 15 minutes i thought i should stand and cancel the exam then and there. But I moved on. I knew i would score somewhere between the 30th and 40th percentile in Verbal. Iverbal.After completing the exam, I saw the score - I was expecting 550-600 and that's what happened.I always wanted to pursue my post grad [MBA] in Canada. I started looking for B schools that would accept this score. I found a lot of schools which have a minimum requirement of 550 and an Average around 600. I though I should apply to these schools and ignore the top 5 B schools as the average of those schools was obviously more than that. I wanted to do my MBA in toronto. So i came across Ryerson University [Ted Rogers School Of Management]. The Average score in this university is around 620. I was close to the average score so I thought i should apply at this school as i have a decent profile also.I asked a lot of people about this on this forum and got a feedback that to be on a safer side i should improve my score by atleast 20-30 points. I didn't have time and i didn't want to delay things. But then, i gave it a thought and took theI didn't study for 4 months after my first attempt because I was working. I completed my 2 years work ex and then left my job in July. I prepared for 1.5 months. The only thing i did extra was that i took the verbal course as Verbal was my weak part. I gave some mocks after taking the course and I scored V33-35 on average. But after giving my first GMAT i realised that there is abetween a mock and real GMAT. The nerves, the pressure, the panicking, everything adds up. That's why it's said one should expect 40-50 points less than the average mock score. I used to get 650-660 on mocks. All I wanted was a 20-30 point jump.Then came the D Day. 30th August, 2017. I gave my 2nd attempt. This time, I started with verbal. And guess what, the panic mode started. I wasn't sure whether the answers were right or not. But i carried on. I thought that I bombed Verbal again. And let me tell you, Quant, AWA and IR were still left. My hands were shaking and I thought that I won;t be able to score more than 600 this time. But i carried on, kept my focus and completed all the remaining 3 sections.Clicked 'NEXT' and :I know this is not a very impressive score. I didn't touch the 700 mark. BUT, my main aim was to improve my score by 20-30 points after a 4 month break. I only had a month and a half. I certainly knew that Ryerson University was on the cards now. But with a 650, i think i have more options. Not the top 2 universities in Canada [Rotman and Ivey]. But I can certainly apply for some of the top 10 universities in Canada.I won't be giving the GMAT again. Reasons: 1: I want to apply for 2018 batch. Can't delay it more (personal reasons). 2: Don't want to invest more money on GMAT. I know its a silly reason, but i have to see my budgets, which i have to put in the applications and the tuition fees.It's not a 700 score success story. But, I think i am satisfied. I have more options now.Now, here's my profile:Name: Ronit SharmaNationality: IndianAge: 23 Years10th: 9 CGPA12th: 95%Graduation: 68% (First Division) [Economics Honors, University of Delhi]Extra Curricular activities: I have been an active member of the Delhi University Theater circuit for the 3 years of my graduation. I have written, directed and acted in many plays. i was theof the Theater Society of my College.Internship (2 months): Anabond Pvt Ltd (Marketing): 2 Years (Zomato Media Pvt Ltd - Marketing/Operations)I joined in when Zomato began Online ordering. I was a key member in initial process of setting up that business. So apparently, I worked in a successful startup within a startup (a new-age, fast growth, ups-and-downs kind of company).I have also worked with a couple of NGOs.So now, I need some suggestions and some guidance. I will definitely apply at Ryerson University, but i think i have more options now. I want to apply for 2018 (September intake). Here's a list of the top 10-12 Universities/Schools in Canada. The average GMAT score of all these university is below 650 (Except 2-3) and the work experience requires is <=2 years. So i need you guys to tell/guide me, in what all universities I have a good chance of getting in. Please share your or your friend's experience and guide me how to go forward. Your replies are very important and valuableList:1: Rotman2: Queen's3: McGill University4: Ivey5: Ryerson [ted rogers]6: University of british columbia7: HEC Montreal8: Tefler School - University of ottawa9: Schulich School of business10: DeGroote School of Business11: Alberta School of Business12: Wilfrid Laurier University13: Simon Fraser UniversityWaiting for your replies , Thankyou
Re: American economists continually attempt to gauge the health of the eco [ #permalink
American economists continually attempt to gauge the
health of the economy, both for the gain of the private
sector as well as for the global standing of the United
States. Different elements of the economy react differently
to changes in prosperity. Some elements rise and fall as
the economy waxes and wanes. These are known as
coincident indicators. Other elements are known as
leading indicators and usually show a downturn before
the economy does. A third group of elements are known
as lagging indicators and lose vigor only after the economy
has already begun to slow. Economists can predict the
direction of the economy by monitoring these indicators.
Coincident indicators, such as manufacturing and
employment rates, are the best gauge of the current state
of the economy. A continued shift in these indicators allows
economists to determine whether the economy itself is in
the process of an upturn or a downturn. These indicators
coincide with shifts in the economy because they are
dependent on sustained prosperity. But since coincident
indicators reflect only the current state of the economy,
they are not especially useful in predicting how the
economy will perform in the near future. Economists must
look to other indicators for that.
The indicators with the greatest predictive power are
leading indicators, such as mortgage applications and
profit margins. When these indicators rise or fall,
economists can often foretell similar changes in the
countrys economic health. These indicators do not cause
changes in the economy. Rather, they often signal changes
in economic behavior that lead to shifts in the economic
cycle. By contrast, the third type of indicator lagging
indicators is useless as a harbinger of change. But these
indicators can be helpful in confirming the assessments
of economists.
Determining which elements of the economy fall into which
category of indicator requires analysis of copious data
and an understanding of the factors that propel the
economy. One must determine which events surrounding
a turn in the business cycle actually contributed to the
change. Establishing a solid framework for understanding
the behavior of these indicators helps economists to avoid
miscalculations and to guide the country through periods
of slow or negative economic growth.
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
compare the utility of various economic indicators
explain the process by which economists draw
conclusions about key factors of economic change
present a conceptual framework used by economists
to prescribe economic goals
trace the development of a set of economic devices
argue for the continued evaluation of economic factors
affecting the business cycle
2. The information in the passage suggests that which
of the following would most strongly indicate an
imminent change in the business cycle?
a decrease in the employment rate
a decrease in the number of new homes built per
month
an increase in the number of new automobiles
produced each month
an increase in the difference between manufacturing
costs and retail revenues for large home appliances
a decrease in the number of corporate bankruptcies
per month
3. According to the passage, the main purpose of
economic indicators is which of the following?
to facilitate the analysis necessary to maintain forward
economic momentum
to allow investors to time their investments in sync
with economic cycles
to foster healthy economic competition among various
commercial sectors
to bring to light several key factors in economic
downturns
to promote widespread understanding of economic
principles
4. The passage suggests that lagging indicators would
be least helpful in determining which of the following?
whether predictions based on the behavior of the
mortgage market were accurate
whether companies ought to cut costs in order to
avoid short-term losses
whether recent trends in the employment rate were
consistent with the overall economic picture
whether financial analysts are correct in their
assessment of recent economic developments
whether the government was justified in taking action
to boost the economy
spiridon wrote:
Why is everbody so concern about career services in PT?
After u get ur part time MBA u can apply or register with employment agencies and I am sure that u will be overwhelmed with good job offers.
I think thats actually better because u can solicit a better deal if u r already employed and wanna transfer to another company.
Well, i think it depends on what you want to do... if its non-transitional, then yes, your prior existing job creates leverage. If on the other hand you are switching job function / industry completely (java programmer -> banker for instance) your existing compensation package would be viewed as largely irrelevant.The reason people harp on the career svcs issue is because, frankly, a lot of firms aren't going to give you the time of day if you just submit your resume from monster.com or some other "anonymous" method such as their website. It'll go into a pile with a few hundred (or thousand) other resumes. Career Services gives you intimate one-on-one access to a lot of these top firms in the forms of coffee chats, networking events, etc - and (most importantly) gets your resume directly in front of someone who you KNOW is going to be on campus in a few weeks as opposed to just going to some recruiting@ email address along with the 3,800 other people who sent something in. Also, you'll note that often what you find online are jobs not intended for immediate post-mba grads -- those jobs are being filled through career services events -- so it becomes increasingly difficult to find jobs that are right for your skill level outside of the career svcs office. Of course this only matters if you are changing careers in some way, but most everyone is...That said, I've been impressed with what some of the PT have been able to do at Chicago. I know one that spent the summer at Lehman and now moved to McKinsey full time (although he took a job in some weird city). He was in the army before I believe. So the OPs original question - it can be done and obviously, he's pretty happy. On the other hand, I know a girl who works for IBM at the moment and hasn't been able to land a single FT offer - and she's trying to stay in the same industry and just switch from technology to strategy. Not Booz, not bain, not mcksiney, not deloitte, not at kearney, not a single one of them wanted her. It seems like there are some PT who network well, connect well, and move forward - there are others that don't.Simply having the MBA isn't going to get Bain or McKinsey or GS or DOW or whomever to start knocking on your door. Employment agencies can open some doors, sure, but if your goal is to change job function, they aren't going to be much help. You can't convince an employment agency to take your 5 years engineering experience and submit you as their top candidate for a Senior Financial Analyst role at PIMCO. It's not going to happen. First many of them wouldnt understand why you are now qualified anyway, and second, they aren't going to risk an employment relationship with a firm so you can get "a chance". They will send the best candidate over, and odds are, thats not you. What I'm trying to get at is that the opportunity to change jobs -- to truly change industry and function -- comes rather uniquely through the internship and full time recruiting cycle at MBA programs. It doesn't follow you forever thereafter - whether or not you were PT or FT.Also, for what its worth, and this may vary by school, but ..... FT folks will hate you with a vengeance if you are in the PT program. The way the FT see it - the PT folks got in through a back door and now want to compete for the same jobs with people who don't even have a job. The reasons are sometimes far, sometimes not. In general, the PT students seem far less polished and really play the "elbow" game in recruiting circles. I could tell you some stories.Along those lines, there's something to be said about the network opportunity differences. I'll see if I cant dig it up, but somewhere I have a network diagram of PT students in a class and FT students in a class. What the network diagram shows is that, on average, PT students knew something like 1.8 other people in the class (I'm making this number up at the moment since I cant recall the details, but the gist is there) and the FT folks knew something like 12 people. In fact, I've met a few FT who switched from the PT program because they felt that, despite what the PT program likes to tell people, they didn't feel it was on par. To be fair, I can see why - many of the clubs here are closed to PT students, and although they often start their own, the career svcs office supports the FT clubs with networking events, not the PT clubs. The number of career svcs events and support provided to FT students is astronomically different than that of PT students (at least at Booth, which applies to everything I've said so far actually). In short, there is a pretty big difference, at least here at Booth.On balance, I don't think the two programs are equal - thats not to say however that the PT program isn't without merit, but it doesn't provide the same experience. I've admittedly wondered a few times if PT would have made more sense for me, considering my already high salary (pre mba) and the relative ease with which I've managed to move industries and function.... but when I remind myself that a lot of that success was because I had the support of the school, and the amazing career svcs office, as well as access to a ridiculous number of FT-only networking events, coffee chats, L&Ls, etc, I realize that it probably wouldn't have worked out. I think back to the girl I know at IBM Global Svcs -- if she can't break out of that firm into another consulting firm (thats not that big of a leap) could I have broken out of my job into General Mgmt ? Probably not.In short, I'd caution that your hope that you will be "overwhelmed" with good offers through employment agencies is probably a bit overly optimistic.Now on to the OPs original question:Can you get copies of employment reports for the PT program? That might be able to answer many of your questions.... Another option is to raise these concerns with the school and ask them if they can put you in touch with some students who have sucessfully made changes to their careers. Thats another option. Also consider finding out who runs the PT clubs, or if the FT clubs are open to you at Stern. Reach out to the FT co-chairs and ask if you can join as a PT student. Reach out to the PT co-chairs (if they exist) and ask them what events they held last year. Take a look and see. It may be that my experiences are colored and Stern may provide a different set of opportunities. If I were you, I'd basically go network with everyone I could at teh school and try to learn as much about what opportunities really exist.
strangeday wrote:
Background
Past Education
Wow, impressive GPAs and wonderful experience to have studied in the US already. This will definitely look good.
Work Experience
This is my main area of concern...not just the years of experience, but the lack of leadership. Why not wait one more year? That could hopefully give you a chance to take some lead roles on projects, perhaps even get a promotion if you're on track for that.
Extra Curricular
Excellent, that's great you have a long history of commitment to one organization.
GMAT
Good luck! Schools will always take your highest score, so if you have to retake, that's no problem at all.
Recommendation Letters
Is it possible to get a second professional recommendation? Perhaps another manager or a more experienced colleague? Academic recommendations are less typical, and I often find they're just not recent enough to really comment on your professional skillset and leadership potential. But if you knew your professor well, and have kept in touch, then perhaps that could work.
Broad MSU
Jindal UT Dallas
1. How is my chance to be admitted for these schools? What could I do to improve my profile? I think strong chances for those schools. Of course GMAT is a missing piece of the puzzle that will be important. You could improve by waiting a year, or trying to find a way to quickly boost your leadership exposure on the job.
2. Would my chance increase significantly if I apply for an MS in Finance instead of MBA, considering the admission requirement for this program is only 2 years WE minimum Yes, I think your experience level would be more in line with the typical applicants for those program. But do your research, obviously it's going to be more narrow and finance focused, and double check the career options post-MS to make sure they are attractive to you.
3. Should I aim for lower ranking school, says UNL MBA/Finance? See how GMAT goes. I think the two schools you listed are reasonable.
4. Would it be much better if I wait another year to i) increase my WE and ii) boost my GMAT score to 750+. I don't prefer this idea but will do if absolutely needed. This would make your application stronger, and would even allow you to apply to more competitive schools. I think it's worth considering, but it's a very personal choice and I can understand why you may want to get started sooner.
5. In case I have to wait, should I change to another job? If I stick with this job, I would get standard promotion and be a senior consultant in a year (but this job sucks, really). Otherwise, what kinds of job/position should I look for to increase my relevant WE criterion?
Ha, well the promotion would look good but if it sucks, then definitely look for something else! Perhaps a consulting role but with a broader focus beyond just tax? Or maybe an internal corporate finance / financial analyst role?
Hi all,So, here is my current profile:: 23 y/o Vietnamese Female: BA in Economics, minor in Business. graduated in 2016.I studied in a partnership program between a top university in Vietnam and a top-tier US university. Studied 3 years in VN then spent the last year in the States. I earned 2 legit undergrad degrees from both schools.+ VN degree GPA: 3.56+ US degree GPA: 3.96: 2 years by enrollment. Been working as a Tax Consultant at a Big4 firm in Vietnam since 08/2016. The work involves a lot of accuracy, teamworking, communication, professionalism but unfortunately little leadership requirement since I'm still at a lower level. However, I would like to add that after graduating, I was offered a management trainee position at a big MNE, but I declined due to personal conflict (it was in tobacco industry).: 4+ years working as a coordinator for a non profit organization. we organize art and cultural activities (music shows, film festival) to raise social awareness of mental illness. Vice president of a University club. Also had a 6-month internship at a local company during undergrad years.: going to take the GMAT next week, aiming at 660-700 after 1.5 month studying. I'm planning to retake the GMAT in Oct if needed.: likely 2 very decent recommendations from my finance professor at the US school and from my current manager.I'm hoping, or, but not confident about my chanceI know my lack of working experience does hurt my profile seriously, and I feel like WE at Big4 is usually looked down on by MBA adcom.Thus, I have the following questions, given that i) the sooner I start my master the better and ii) i would need some sources of funding, hopefully by GA/TA employment and iii) my future goals after MBA are flexiblei know this is a lot of questions, and I would really appreciate your help to answer all/some of them.Cheers!clueless kid
the first Europeans, including smallpox, hepatitis, typhus, and measles, killed 95 percent of the Native American population and allowed Europeans to begin their conquest of the continent.
The average rate of death in Europe from the most virulent epidemic in recorded history, the Black Death of the 14th century, was only 33 percent. Even if the Native American populations were extremely vulnerable due to their never having been exposed to these diseases, the cumulative death rate of all of the diseases should not have been more than 50 to 75 percent on average.
Essentially she says that there was a greater population in America than the dialogue above has explained - so we need to undermine this
:/ completely irrelevant - sugar and digestion as a cause has not been mentioned anywhere
Strengthens Michelle's conclusion
Yes can help explain why S's argument makes sense - if they had no immunity the slightest infection could have killed several more
Black death is an extreme example used by Michelle to drive a point - whether or not it came to America that was mentioned by S (she only mentioned hepatitis/ typhus etc not black death. So D is out of scope and distracting
randome fact
C is correct - I used the following reasoning:Sara: Anthropologists estimate that diseases brought to the Western Hemisphere byIf the Native American population had been twenty times greater, only 4.75 percent of the population would have died, and the Europeans would never have been able to conquer North and South America.Michele: Those death rates are way too high.Which of the following, if true, would most weaken Micheles conclusion?(A) Native Americans generally lacked the enzyme that would allow them to digest the sugars in milk.(B) Knowledge of medicine in Native America was much more advanced than in Europe at the time of Columbus.(C) At the time of Columbus, Native Americans were much less genetically diverse than Europeans, so there were fewer possibilities of natural immunity.(D) The death rates from the Black Death were higher than 33 percent in specific locations.(E) Diseases that quickly kill more than 75 percent of their infected hosts usually die off with their hosts extinction.Hope this was helpful to anyone looking for reasons for C. Hit kudos if it was useful
- A 12-year-old girl in China secretly gave birth under a bridge
- She abandoned her baby in a bush
- Local residents found the newborn baby and rushed her to hospital
A newborn baby girl who was abandoned in a bush by her 12-year-old mom in Yibin City, Chinas Sichuan Province, has miraculously survived.
Local residents found the newborn baby weak but still alive and rushed her to hospital, where she has been nursed back to health.
They also notified the local police, who were shocked to discover that the baby's mother was just 12 and that she had given birth secretly under a bridge.
The miracle newborn baby. Photo: AsiaWire
READ ALSO: Nigerian slay queen caught red-handed stealing wine at shop in Abia state (photos)
According to reports, the young mother had kept her pregnancy secret. She lives with her grandparents who told police that she was unwell on the day she gave birth.
However, on the way to hospital for a check up, the girl requested to relieve herself but "disappeared" under the bridge for 30 minutes.
The young mother has refused to identify the baby's father. Photo: Asia Wire
The girl has reportedly refused to name the baby's father. Hospital workers and volunteers are helping to care for her baby.
PAY ATTENTION: Install the latest android app to get updates from Nigeria's number one online news platform
Well-wishers have also donated money and dropped off baby supplies at the hospital for the newborn.
The baby has been nursed back to health. Photo: AsiaWire
Watch the Legit.ng TV video below to see the responses given by some Nigerians when asked if they could marry a baby mama or baby daddy:
Source: Legit.ng
- Nigeria's tallest man meets tallest model in Nigeria
- The model is 6 ft 8 inches tall while the tallest man in Nigeria is 7 ft 4 inches tall
A Nigerian model Bakare Mubarak who assumed he was the tallest man in Nigeria has received a blow to the heart after he met with the tallest man in Nigeria Hafiz Agoro.
The young model who is six feet and eight inches tall got his bubble busted after meeting with Hafiz who is seven feet and four inches tall.
Legit.ng gathered that the model is 21 years old while the tallest man in Nigeria is 42 years old.
Tallest man in Nigerian meets with tall model and we are overwhelmed Photo Source: Instagram
It was also gathered that the two men came together to begin work on some projects that will benefit the populace.
READ ALSO: Meet 'Hafiz Agoro' who is allegedly the tallest man in Nigeria (photo)
Tallest man in Nigerian meets with tall model Photo Source: Facebook
PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ Gossip App
The project would reportedly be unveiled with a short documentary on the models YouTube page.
Mubarak and Hafiz are working on a project together Photo Source: Facebook
It is possible that a few years from now another man would emerge has the tallest man in Nigeria giving Hafiz Agoro a run for his money just like he did to Mubarak.
Hafiz and Mubarak take photos with women Photo Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, meet 20-year-old Nigerian female contortionist.
Source: Legit.ng
DECATUR As Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch toured the Farm Progress Show Tuesday, it was something of a work visit combined with a visit to her second home.
Crouch, who took office this January, oversee the Indiana Department of Agriculture, and Tuesday allowed her to meet with agribusiness officials about the latest developments in the industry. But by her side during her visit to the show included her husband, attorney Larry Downs, and her sister-in-law Linda Downs-May, both natives of Decatur.
Weve been coming to Decatur for years ... this (show) really is a wonderful addition for the community, Crouch said.
Married for nearly three decades, Indiana native Crouch and Downs, who visit Decatur frequently, said this was their first visit Farm Progress Show. Downs said he was impressed by what he saw.
Its really interesting to see all the new technologies these farmers have, said Downs, a Stephen Decatur High School graduate.
When asked what government can do to help farmers, Crouch said limiting the amount of government oversight could provide at least one avenue of certainty for private farms.
Crouch also said Midwestern states need to find the balance of helping their own residents, while also working toward building an economically strong Midwest that can collaborate on economic and social challenges that all states face.
We want to be supportive of our neighbors We want them to be as successful as Indiana, Crouch said. When any one of us can benefit and prosper, then all of us can share those benefits and prosper.
When we encounter a teenage girl racing for her life in moonlight at the opening of the mystery thriller Wind River, the only visible antagonist is the pitiless winter terrain. Following her barefoot run across widescreen vistas until she drops, seeing the crimson smears she leaves on the monochrome tundra, the film takes a gripping dive from pristine white landscape and into bloody shadows.
The next shot showcases sheep being protected from a wolf pack by a professional animal tracker and sniper for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Marksmen assigned to pick off threats to the human population are harder to find. The weak in that flock are often eaten alive.
Wind River is the name of Wyomings only American Indian reservation, 2.2 million acres of mountain and snow, poverty and drug addiction, crime and predators not all of them wolf or bear. Its also the setting for a classy shocker that adds to the already impressive filmography of Taylor Sheridan.
Here the screenwriter of the excellent quasi-Westerns Sicario and Hell or High Water proves extremely talented on both sides of the camera. Directing his own script, he displays the cool, confident control of a seasoned veteran, assisted by an eerie, otherworldly score composed and performed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
The rifleman of the opening is Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), who discovers the frozen body of the Native American girl in the wilds. His report triggers an investigation by the FBI to determine if her death was a homicide committed on the reservation and thereby under federal jurisdiction. Because such cases arent priorities for an agency that works on terrorism, organized-crime and drug-trafficking cases, the assignment goes to novice Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), dispatched from her Las Vegas home base.
Shes smart, serious and tougher than she appears. Nonetheless, Banner nonetheless is out of her depth in more than the vast snowpack. She needs an experienced guide to help her explore the teens death. Lambert joins her probe, a decision that is morally right but mentally agonizing.
Hes a man of action who would just as soon swing a snow shovel into a fugitives face as waste his homemade ammunition, but he has motives for a specific type of revenge. Strong and stoic as he is, beneath his Stetson and John Wayne reserve, Lambert is still grieving the death of his daughter several years before under similar circumstances. That crisis ruptured his marriage to Wilma (Julia Jones), who views him with icy, polite restraint when he visits their young boy in her home. His FBI gig cuts into time hes supposed to spend with his son, and gradually we learn that he sees it as less a matter of enforcing justice than of settling personal affairs.
There are fine roles for the broadly Native American supporting cast, from Kelsey Asbille as the victim (seen in a flashback sequence) to the ever-outstanding Gil Birmingham as her devastated father, who paints a death face of mourning on his features. As he explains to his old friend Lambert, its tradition, but there was no one remaining to tell him what it means or how to do it.
In a richly layered story, Sheridan explores issues of tribalism in gender relations, within and across Indian and Anglo lines. The head of the reservations police force (Graham Greene in dryly ironic form) is in charge of six officers covering a territory the size of Rhode Island. He gets the same level of dismissal among his citizens that Banner receives from the private security team patrolling the central area leased by an oil company. Sometimes the hostility is expressed through rough talk, sometimes with weapons in hand. In this film, a standard police interview can turn into an armed confrontation at knuckle-whitening speed.
Banner, caught by disbelief just as the viewers are, is a solid audience surrogate as Sheridan uncorks shocking sequences that turn the storys character focus and timeline in unexpected directions. Sheridan forms solid drama from the battle between community law and the feral law of the frontier. Piling bodies everywhere as it approaches its climax, Wind River is a new chapter in that endless battle. As Lambert says, you survive or you surrender.
WIND RIVER
3.5 out of 4 stars
Rating: R for violence, rape, disturbing images, and language.
DECATUR Remnants of former hurricane Harvey could bring extra rainfall to Central Illinois later this week, but the more immediate consequences are likely to come from higher prices at the gas pump.
Gas prices in Illinois could jump 10 to 20 cents per gallon this week, said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst with Gasbuddy.com. Major oil refineries near Houston have shut down because of the storm and intense flooding. With 16 percent of the countrys refinery capacity offline, demand could outstrip supply, DeHaan said.
It may be several weeks, at best, before gas prices drop fully below their pre-hurricane levels, he said in an email Monday. In addition, further damage to the refineries could push gas prices even higher.
Gas prices in Decatur on Monday evening ranged from $2.22 to $2.39 per gallon, according to Gasbuddy.com. The average price of a gallon in Illinois was $2.43.
Weather-related effects of the storm wont reach Central Illinois until Friday or Saturday, said meteorologist Patrick Bak of the National Weather Service at Lincoln. The region could experience moderate to heavy rainfall, but nothing like the 30-plus inches that have fallen in parts of Texas over the past few days.
Whenever it comes this way, its going to be on the move at that point, so it wouldnt be day after day of rain, Bak said.
Bak described the storm as historic. It is kind of unusual for one of these to come ashore and just park for four or five days like this one is going to do, he said.
One former Decatur resident is among those riding out the storm, watching in disbelief as the unrelenting downpour continues to flood his neighborhood. Steve Choate is a 1982 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School. He now lives in Alvin, Texas, about 30 miles south of Houston.
Choate said he left work early Friday to make it home before the storm hit. His neighborhood flooded, and he and his wife are stranded in their trailer home. Their cars are nearly submerged, and anyone who tries to get out of the neighborhood winds up stuck, he said.
It is still raining now. I cannot believe this, Choate said Monday afternoon. Take a first step and youd be underwater.
Choate and his wife thought about evacuating to a family member's home, but now all the places they would go are either out of power or flooded. Luckily, he just put a new roof on his trailer this summer, and its holding up against the onslaught.
What we need to happen for us to think about doing anything is for it to stop raining for one whole day, Choate said. That might get us to the nearest gas station, but not to work still.
The Central Illinois region began rallying to help last week, as the American Red Cross said Friday that it was deploying volunteers. Among those sent to Texas were Kathi Knope of Taylorville, Darrell St. Claire of Charleston, Bill Warner of Vandalia, Tara Lund of Woodson and Janet Stuckey of Robinson, spokeswoman Trish Burnett said.
On Monday, the organization said it had deployed 38 people from Central and Southern Illinois and planned to send more in the coming days.
In Clinton, one business is collecting hygiene items, bottled water and Gatorade, baby food and diapers, and other essentials to take to victims of the storm at the end of the week.
A crew from SERVPRO of Clinton is headed south on Friday to work on the cleanup effort and decided to fill its trucks with donations for those who lost many of their possessions in the storm, said Michael Moore, marketing representative for the company.
"A lot of them have lost everything," he said.
Donations are being accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at First Christian Church in Clinton, 100 N. Jackson St., or at Clinton High School until Thursday afternoon. The company does not want monetary donations, Moore said.
Bloomington-based State Farm had dispatched eight special trucks to Texas and thousands of specialists are working on claims related to Hurricane Harvey, according to a company spokeswoman.
As of the end of the day Sunday, State Farm had received more than 5,000 homeowner and auto claims, spokeswoman Missy Dundov said Monday.
We are already working claims and we will be there as long as needed, she said in an email response to questions.
Country Financial does not conduct business in Texas or neighboring Louisiana and doesn't have financial representatives in either state, according to Chris Stroisch, Country Financial public relations supervisor.
We are, however, working with the American Red Cross to determine how we can assist with their relief efforts, Stroisch said.
Last year's Hurricane Matthew, which hit the East Coast, affected both State Farm and Country Financial customers.
Herald & Review staff writer Claire Hettinger and Herald & Review News Service writer Lenore Sobota contributed to this story.
DECATUR Thousands of vehicles converged near Richland Community College this morning for the start of the Farm Progress Show, which is expected to bring more than 100,000 people to Decatur over the course of three days.
The Macon County Sheriff's Office, Decatur Police Department and Illinois State Police were all helping with traffic control. There had been no accidents reported as of 10:30 a.m., according to Decatur police Sgt. Josh Sheets and Macon County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Brown.
"The only issues we have are people not paying attention, people being on their phones and people not using their turn signals to let us know their intentions," said Brown, who was leading the deputies directing traffic on Reas Bridge Road east of Brush College Road.
Brown said traffic was heaviest from 7 a.m. to around 9:30 a.m. Thousands of vehicles are now parked in the lots at Progress City USA, the show site north of Richland.
The Mount Zion Swingsations sang the National Anthem to open the show, which is expected to host 600 exhibitors and create an estimated $10 million impact on the city's economy.
Major events this week include a visit by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Wednesday morning, as well as a free concert by country music artist Easton Corbin starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Follow @heraldandreview on Twitter and Facebook.com/HeraldandReview for live updates during the next three days. Join the conversation with the hashtag #FPS17.
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At the top of the world, under the ice, lies a large number of natural resources. Gas, coal, uranium and other minerals, even diamonds, sit under the ice inside the Arctic Circle.
As climate change pushes the cold and ice farther north each year, discussion increases about how to get to those resources. Less ice also means possible new business in shipping, tourism and fishing.
But, industry experts, researchers and people in the far north say there are many problems in reaching those rich resources. People who want to protect the environment are against any large effort to take Arctic resources. They warn that the fragile environment could be harmed past repair.
The Northwest Passage, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is one of the last unexplored areas of the planet. But, that is changing as more companies seek business possibilities in the frozen north. Ships are now taking passengers through the Arctic Circle. Last year, the cruise ship Crystal Serenity sailed through the passage. On board were 500 crew and 1,100 adventure tourists, who paid at least $22,000 each for the four-week trip.
The trip was unusual, however. Fewer than 500 ships have sailed through the passage since the first in 1906. Such trips require approval of almost 30 Canadian agencies, including Nunavut territory officials.
In addition to tourism, shipping companies may start using the passage to save on fuel costs.
Sailing through the passage cuts the travel distance between East Asia and Western Europe by more than 10,000 kilometers. Such travel usually moves through the Panama Canal.
However, businesses may want to do more than move through the area, like mine for resources.
As the world demand for raw materials is ever increasing, and (with) a realization that a large part of the unexplored deposits are in the Arctic, there is a natural shift to focus on that area, said Mads Boye Peterson, head of Denmarks Nordic Bulk Carriers Shipping.
Petersen noted that rising temperatures make operations more difficult because the moving ice floes are less predictable than solid ice sheets.
The Arctic is a 14.5 million square kilometer area around the North Pole. But, it is not all ice and ocean. It also has a mix of plant and animal life.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that up to 30 percent of the worlds undiscovered gas and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil are inside the Arctic Circle.
But there could be other resources also, like diamonds, uranium, phosphate, nickel, platinum and other minerals. Morten Smelror is the director of the Geological Survey of Norway.
He also said lithium and cobalt have been found in important amounts in the Arctic regions of Russia, the Nordic countries and Greenland. Lithium and cobalt are used to make batteries that power the growing number of electric cars and small electronic devices.
And the Arctics huge Baffin Island holds large amounts of pure iron, which is used to make steel.
The Arctic is certainly among the last frontiers with respect to undiscovered mineral resources, along with the deep oceans, Smelror said.
Countries in the Arctic region are making claims to land and resources in the area.
Greenland claims the Lomonosov Ridge, an underwater ridge, 1800 kilometers long. But Russia disputes the claim. The United Nations is working to settle the disagreement.
Russia also has claimed ownership of a large Arctic Ocean area and, ten years ago, placed a Russian flag underwater at the North Pole.
Canada and the United States also dispute ownership of parts of the Arctic region.
In April, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that cancelled restrictions on oil exploration in the Arctic and other places.
Im Anne Ball.
And I'm Caty Weaver.
Anne Ball adapted this story for Learning English from VOA News and AP reports. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
fragile adj. easily broken or damaged
cruise adj. a kind of boat or ship that travels to a number of places for vacation
adventure tourism n. tourism that involves travel to remote areas and usually involve physically challenging activities
realization n. the state of understanding or becoming aware of something
deposit n. an amount of a substance (such as oil or coal) that exists naturally in the ground
icebreaker n. a special ship that can move through icy water by cutting the ice
Nordic adj. of or relating to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and sometimes Finland and Iceland, or to the people who live there
ice floe n. a large, flat area of ice floating in the ocean
ice sheet n. a very large and thick area of ice that covers a region
frontier n. a distant area where few people live
ridge n. a long area of land that is on top of a mountain or hill
1 A medium-range ballistic missile target is launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, during Flight Test Standard Missile-27, Event 2. The target was successfully intercepted by SM-6 missiles fired from the guided-missile destroyer destroyer USS John Paul Jones.
This is Whats Trending Today.
There have been a lot of stories about people being rescued from flooded homes in and around Houston, Texas.
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States. The area has received over 120 centimeters of rain in just a few days. Many Houston neighborhoods are flooded.
Many people decided to wait out Hurricane Harvey when it first hit southeast Texas on Friday. But after so much rain, they found the water had entered their homes and they needed to leave.
That is what happened on Monday to J.C. Spencer and his wife Karen, who live in north Houston.
We had to get out of there, J.C. Spencer told the television show Good Morning America.
With local police and fire department crews overwhelmed with life-saving efforts, some Houston residents had trouble getting help.
Some people said telephone calls to 9-1-1, the number U.S. residents call when they are in danger, were going unanswered.
The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported that some Houston residents calling 9-1-1 found out their call would not be answered for over two hours.
So many residents turned to social media websites like Twitter and Facebook and posted messages asking for help.
The Spencers had another idea. They called a restaurant where they often had dinner.
The restaurant is Chick-fil-A, an eatery known for both its chicken sandwiches and friendly workers.
When the Spencers explained their problem, the stores manager sent her husband to their house on a boat.
J.C. Spencer said the phone call went like this: I called Chick-fil-A, now that sounds kind of funny, he said. I ordered two grilled chicken burritos with extra egg and a boat.
The Spencers loaded their belongings onto the boat, but there was not enough room for them to get in. Next thing they knew, two more people riding Jet Skis arrived to help. A Jet Ski travels on water like a small boat, but moves fast, like a motorcycle.
The Spencers got on the Jet Skis and were taken to a safe place. They said they were grateful for the help.
A number of people reacted to the story on Twitter. One wrote: dont forget to give that manager a raise!
Another called it the best story of the day.
And thats Whats Trending Today.
Im Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English based on reports by ABC News and the Los Angeles Times. George Grow was the editor.
What do you think about the chicken restaurant sending a boat? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
____________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
overwhelm v. to cause (someone) to have too many things to deal with
manager n. someone who is in charge of a business or office
grill v. to cook food on a metal frame over a fire
burrito n. a Mexican food that consists of a flour tortilla that is rolled or folded around a filling (such as meat, beans, and cheese)
grateful adj. feeling or showing thanks
raise n. an increase in the amount of your pay
A former rebel group in Colombia is becoming a political party.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia fought against the Colombian government for more than 50 years. It was the largest rebel movement in the country.
This week, it launched a political party at a conference in the capital, Bogota. The former rebels said they would work with other groups to overturn the countrys traditional conservativism.
The rebels signed a historic peace deal with the government last year. The agreements guarantee the former fighters 10 seats in Congress. The new party will get the same amount of financial support the government gives to Colombias 13 other political parties. The government also agreed to give the former rebels $500,000 to launch a research group to help the party develop its political beliefs.
Rodrigo Londono was known as Timochenko when he fought for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also called the FARC. He recently told a group of former rebels they are taking an extraordinary step in the history of the common peoples struggle in Colombia. But he noted that the decision to sign the agreements doesnt mean we are rejecting in any way our fundamental principles.
The group has said that it still believes in the political and economic ideas of Karl Marx. And it says it will seek support for its social justice policies from poor people, workers and middle-class Colombians who live in cities.
The group faces opposition from many who identify the rebels with kidnappings and terrorism. In August, an opinion study found that fewer than 10 percent of Colombians said they had complete trust in the rebels as a party. A large majority said they would never vote for a former guerrilla in congressional elections.
Adam Isacson works at the Washington Office on Latin America, a research group. He says the former rebels are not going to be received very warmly in most of Colombia. Their human rights record hurt them. Their media image is terrible. Most Colombians quite simply arent socialists or communists.
But Isaacson added, All is not lost. A message of wanting to redistribute wealth and undo economic injustice could probably do quite well in a lot of poor areas of Colombia.
The groups entry into politics is strongly opposed by politicians like former President Alvaro Uribe. He has sharply criticized the peace agreement. And the Supreme Court is now considering whether a law naming the former rebels a political party is constitutional. Earlier, the court had ruled it was.
At a recent court hearing, former Peace Commissioner Camilo Gomez said the fact that a war criminal could become president of Colombia makes no sense.
But many people support the peace deal. Ivan Cepeda of the Alternative Democratic Pole says bringing the rebels into the political process is the best way to guarantee a lasting peace.
We have had to pay a very high cost in lives, in infrastructure that today we are saving with the end of the conflict, Cepeda said. Its more an investment in the democracy of Colombia.
The FARC was formed in the early 1960s by guerrillas allied with Colombias Communist Party. Over the next 53 years, at least 250,000 people were killed in fighting among the rebels, government forces and paramilitary groups. About 60,000 people are still listed as missing, and millions of people were displaced.
Four years of negotiations in Cuba between rebel leaders and the Colombian government ended with the signing of the peace agreements. The rebels agreed to give up their weapons and admit to their crimes in a special peace tribunal. Most of them will not be sent to jail. The rebels must also return any property they seized to victims of the conflict.
The agreement also deals with how to reduce the production of coca crops, from which the drug cocaine is made. The United States once named the FARC as one of the worlds biggest traffickers of illegal drugs.
Colombian voters rejected the peace deal by a small number of votes. But the countrys legislature later approved a different version, with minor changes.
Recently, the Colombian company Politmetrica asked Colombians whether they were hopeful about the peace process. The survey found that public optimism has dropped since the nationwide vote last October -- from 67 percent of those surveyed to just about 53 percent.
Im Phil Dierking. And I'm John Russell.
The Associated Press news agency reported this story from Bogota. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.
_____________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
extraordinary adj. very unusual; extremely good
fundamental adj. of or relating to the most important part of something
principle n. a law, moral rule or belief
redistribute v. to spread to other areas
paramilitary adj. of or relating to an armed group or militia
tribunal n. a court of justice
survey n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something
optimism n. a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future : a feeling or belief that what you hope for will happen
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Junior Alvarado was worried when he began his first year at a public charter high school in Washington, DC. He often struggled in his math classes and earned poor grades in middle school.
But the teachers at the Washington Leadership Academy used computer programs to identify the areas he was weak in and design a learning plan just for him.
As Alvarado started geometry in his second year of high school last week, he says he felt much better about his math skills.
For me personalized learning is having classes set at your level, the 15-year-old said, in between lessons. They explain the problem step by step, it wouldn't be as fast. It will be at your [speed].
Many schools in the United States struggle to raise the high school graduation rate. They also have difficulty helping many minority and low-income students perform at the same level as others. So many educators see digital technology as a way of solving these problems.
Personalized learning
The use of technology in schools is part of a larger idea of personalized learning. This idea has been gaining popularity in recent years.
Personalized learning is a way of teaching centered around the interests and needs of individual students instead of entire classes as a whole. It includes flexible learning environments, specially-designed education plans, and letting students help decide what and how they learn.
Under the Obama administration, the Education Department put $500 million into personalized learning programs in 68 school districts. These programs served almost 500,000 students in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have also invested heavily in digital tools and other student-centered methods.
The International Association for K-12 Online Learning supports the growth of education technology. It claims that up to 10 percent of all of America's public schools now use some form of personalized learning.
Rhode Island plans to spend $2 million to become the first U.S. state to make teaching in all of its schools individualized. And current U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos also supports personalized learning.
Supporters say traditional methods, where teachers just speak at the front of the class and test students all at once, do not match the modern world.
Ken Wagner is the Rhode Island Education Commissioner. He said, The economy needs kids who are creative problem solvers, who synthesize information, [form] and express a point of view.
At Washington Leadership Academy, educators use computer programs to collect information on students performance. This information helps teachers follow their students progress and make changes to lessons that meet students individual needs. That way students are able to master subjects at their own speed.
In English classes, for example, students reading below their level would have the same books or reading materials as their classmates. But complex words in the reading materials would have notes helping explain the words shown on the students computer screens.
Joseph Webb is the principal who helped establish the Washington Leadership Academy last year. The school serves about 200 mostly African American students from high-poverty and high-risk areas in Washington, D.C. He says the digital tools help teachers identify problems students are facing before they become too serious.
We can [solve them] right then and there; we don't have to wait for the problem to come to us, he said.
Too early to tell
Still, many researchers say it is too early to tell if personalized learning works better than traditional teaching.
The Rand Corporation recently did a study of personalized learning and found that it only led to small improvements. It found only a 3-percentile improvement in math and even smaller improvements in reading compared to schools with traditional teaching methods. Some students also complained group work in personalized learning classes was more difficult as each student had different tasks to complete.
In addition, experts in childrens health say the overuse of technology presents other problems. They warn that too much time looking at screens can damage face-to-face relationships and young peoples interest in physical activity.
Some teachers have their doubts as well. Marla Kilfoyle is the executive director of the Badass Teachers Association, an education activist group. She admits that technology can be helpful in the classroom in many ways. But she argues that no computer program should ever replace the personal touch, support and inspiration teachers give their students.
That human element is very important when children learn, Kilfoyle said.
Im Lucija Milonig. And Im Pete Musto.
Maria Danilova reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. How much technology should teachers and students use in classrooms? How important is the personal connection between teachers and students? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
charter n. a document which declares that a city, town, school, or corporation has been established
graduation n. the act of completing an education program at a school, college, or university
income n. money that is earned from work, investments, or business
digital adj. using or characterized by computer technology
flexible adj. easily changed
district(s) n. an area or region containing the schools that a school board is in charge of
match v. to be suited to (someone or something): to go well with (someone or something)
synthesize v. to combine things in order to make something new
screen(s) n. the usually flat part of a television or computer monitor that shows the images or text
complain v. to say or write that you are unhappy, sick, uncomfortable, etc., or that you do not like something
doubt n. a feeling of being uncertain or unsure about something
inspiration n. something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create
Apollo Global Management, Inc. is a private equity firm specializing in investments in credit, private equity and real estate markets. The firm's private equity investments include traditional buyouts, recapitalization, distressed buyouts and debt investments in real estate, corporate partner buyouts, distressed asset, corporate carve-outs, middle market, growth capital, turnaround, bridge, corporate restructuring, special situation, acquisition, and industry consolidation transactions. The firm provides its services to endowment and sovereign wealth funds, as well as other institutional and individual investors. It manages client focused portfolios. The firm launches and manages hedge funds for its clients. It also manages real estate funds and private equity funds for its clients. The firm invests in the fixed income and alternative investment markets across the globe. Its fixed income investments include income-oriented senior loans, bonds, collateralized loan obligations, structured credit, opportunistic credit, non-performing loans, distressed debt, mezzanine debt, and value oriented fixed income securities. The firm seeks to invest in chemicals, commodities, consumer and retail, oil and gas, metals, mining, agriculture, commodities, distribution and transportation, financial and business services, manufacturing and industrial, media distribution, cable, entertainment and leisure, telecom, technology, natural resources, energy, packaging and materials, and satellite and wireless industries. It seeks to invest in companies based in across Africa, North America with a focus on United States, and Europe. The firm also makes investments outside North America, primarily in Western Europe and Asia. It employs a combination of contrarian, value, and distressed strategies to make its investments. The firm seeks to make investments in the range of $10 million and $1500 million. The firm seeks to invest in companies with Enterprise value between $750 million to $2500 million. The firm conducts an in-house research to create its investment portfolio. It seeks to acquire minority and majority positions in its portfolio companies. Apollo Global Management, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York with additional offices in North America, Asia , India and Europe.
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Hi! I am so delighted you are a fan! I guess my biggest piece of advice is to read as much as you can of the sort of thing that you would like to write. Read constantly! And write constantly. There is that old classic piece of advice from Ira Glass about how the first half of your writing life is bound to be miserable because you know what good writing sounds like and then you also know what your writing sounds like and the two are not the same, and you just have to keep cranking through the agonizing gap between your taste and your ability until you reach a style you like, so, uh, just read and write constantly. Journalism-wise, there are many folks who will have better advice, but something I have learned by doing the opposite, mortifyingly, on a few occasions, is that if you are interviewing someone you should be sure to let them talk more than you.
(HealthDay)Customers of health insurance giant Aetna in many states were sent mail with envelopes that clearly revealed their HIV status, says the Legal Action Center and AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania.
In partnership with six other groups, the two legal organizations are representing the affected customers, who say friends and neighbors discovered their HIV status in this way, the firms said in a news release. On Thursday, lawyers sent Aetna a demand letter requesting that they cease sending mail in this format, CNN reported. The mail went to an estimated 12,000 customers, the law firms said, and 23 complaints have so far been received. The Aetna letters were sent July 28 to customers taking HIV medications or drugs meant to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS, the legal groups said.
On July 31, the insurance company became aware that private health information was clearly visible through the envelopes' windows, according to a "notification of privacy breach" letter sent to customers. In that notification, Aetna claimed that the vendor that handled the mail used a windowed envelope, and in some cases the paper inside shifted to make personal health information viewable.
So far, patients in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., have reached out to lawyers, CNN said. "I know of someone who has been kicked out of his home because somebody who saw his envelope learned his HIV status," Sally Friedman, legal director of the Legal Action Center, told CNN. "People with HIV need to feel they can seek medical help without their private information being illegally shared with neighbors, family, etc.," Friedman added. "So, when an insurance company breaches confidentiality in this fashion, it can deter people from getting health care."
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There are many ways a gene can be altered and there are many genes that, when altered, can cause cancer. Testing individually for each possible alteration in every cancer-related gene is not feasible as it would require hundreds of individual tests and many, many thousands of dollars. A University of Colorado Cancer Center case study published today in the journal JCO Precision Oncology highlights an alternative: Use testing that can look for gene alterations in many genes simultaneously. The technique results in the first published report describing successful targeting of MET fusion in a lung cancer patient.
In this study, researchers examined the tumor sample from a late-stage lung cancer patient using an assay that detects gene fusions in dozens of genes. The test identified a rare fusion involving the gene MET, leading researchers to treat the cancer with the targeted therapy crizotinib, which inhibits MET signaling (among other kinds of signaling). Now more than 8 months after the start of the targeted treatment, the patient who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer continues to show an almost complete response.
"The way we approach the workup and treatment of stage IV lung cancer patients includes broad molecular profiling, so that's what we did," says the patient's oncologist, Terry Ng, MD, senior fellow in clinical and translational research in thoracic oncology at CU Cancer Center and the CU School of Medicine.
Among the tests used for this molecular profiling was a relatively new assay called Archer FusionPlex, developed by a Boulder-based biotechnology company ArcherDX, and validated for clinical testing by the Colorado Molecular Correlates Laboratory (CMOCO), an advanced molecular diagnostics laboratory which is part of the Department of Pathology at the University of Colorado. Instead of testing for alterations in individual genes - for example, testing separately for changes to known oncogenes ALK, ROS1 or EGFR - the test explored an entire class of genetic changes, testing simultaneously for "gene fusions" in 53 cancer-related genes.
In these gene fusions, pieces of one gene accidently become attached to pieces from another. This creates "chimeric proteins" - new proteins made from parts of each - that can drive cancer growth. Two well-established examples of this in lung cancer are fusions involving genes ALK and ROS1. The gene MET has also been identified as a partner in cancer-causing fusions, and, in fact, other changes to the MET gene including mutation of MET, amplification of MET, and something called exon-14 skipping mutations have already been targeted by investigational drugs in lung cancer clinical trials. However, testing for MET fusions has been uncommon.
"The frequency of MET fusions is very low in lung cancer, well below one percent. You would never test for them individually. You need an assay that looks at many things simultaneously to catch these rare events," says Kurtis Davies, PhD, lead assay development scientist CMOCO.
Adding to the challenge is that identifying a MET fusion gene requires not only testing for MET, but testing in a very specific way.
"A lot of tests say they cover MET, but that doesn't mean they pick up this particular alteration. Depending on how you sequence MET and what regions you sequence, you may or may not find this alteration," says Robert C. Doebele, MD, PhD, CU Cancer Center investigator and associate professor of Medical Oncology at the CU School of Medicine.
In 2016, the patient who is from out-of-state, planned to spend three months in Denver visiting her daughter. She had previously been diagnosed with lung cancer and knew that while in Colorado she would need care from a local treatment team.
When she came to University of Colorado Hospital, "We could see her tumors growing," Ng says.
The team at CU Cancer Center requested a sample of the patient's tumor that had been removed during an earlier surgery, and used that sample for molecular testing.
"At CU, in addition to the tests that most community centers would use, looking for things like EGFR, PD-L1, ALK and ROS1, we do a broader panel. We look for KRAS, MET amplification, MET exon 14 skipping mutations, RET gene rearrangements, BRAF-V600 mutations, HER2 mutations and more. All those things were negative. But one other thing that we do is this RNA-based next-generation sequencing assay called FusionPlex. This NGS platform looks for gene fusions in 53 cancer-associated genes. The assay is unique in that is you don't need to know a gene's fusion partner to identify that there is a gene fusion," Ng says.
This is how the team identified the patient's MET fusion. The next step was deciding how to treat it.
"A lot of people don't know that the drug crizotinib was originally designed to be an inhibitor of the MET gene product," Davies says, pointing out that the drug's first FDA approval was not against MET but against ALK-positive lung cancer and was more recently approved to treat ROS1-positive lung cancer. "But the reality is that most drugs in this class hit many targets. Sometimes that's detrimental - it hits things you don't want to hit. This is an example of a case when it's beneficial."
In the current patient, this strategy of targeting MET with crizotinib showed dramatic results.
"Her first scan showed an almost complete response, a total absence of lung nodules," Ng says. Side effects included increased fatigue, "but overall nothing that was life-threatening or would keep her from continuing the drug," says Ng.
According to Doebele, the takeaway from this study is twofold. First, "This study shows the importance of broad molecular testing and also shows the importance of better transparency from commercial laboratories on what they cover," he says. And second, "This case report and another describing the use of crizotinib with MET translocation in gliobastoma suggest this is a reasonable non-FDA approved way to treat these patients. However, the approach needs to be studied in clinical trials, and we hope this case shows that MET translocations should be included in trials of drugs evaluating efficacy of MET inhibitors."
As for the patient, Ng says, "She came in to visit us the other day, and she told me that she felt so lucky to have come to see us in Colorado. Otherwise, she never would've discovered this Achilles heel in her cancer."
More information: Kurtis D. Davies et al, Dramatic Response to Crizotinib in a Patient With Lung Cancer Positive for an HLA-DRB1-MET Gene Fusion, JCO Precision Oncology (2017). Kurtis D. Davies et al, Dramatic Response to Crizotinib in a Patient With Lung Cancer Positive for an HLA-DRB1-MET Gene Fusion,(2017). DOI: 10.1200/PO.17.00117
CRISPR (= Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) + DNA fragment, E.Coli. Credit: Mulepati, S., Bailey, S.; Astrojan/Wikipedia/ CC BY 3.0
Each one of our cells has the same 22,000 or so genes in its genome, but each uses different combinations of those same genes, turning them on and off as their role and situation demand. It is these patterns of expressed and repressed genes that determine what kind of cellkidney, brain, skin, hearteach will become.
To control these shifting patterns, our genomes contain regulatory sequences that turn genes on and off in response to specific chemical cues. Among these are "enhancers," sequences that can sit tens of thousands of genetic letters away from a gene, yet still force it into overdrive when activated. Missteps in this delicate choreography can lead cells to take on the wrong role, causing debilitating diseases, but the regulatory regions involved are difficult to find and study since they only play a role in specific cells, often under very specific conditions.
Now a research team led by University of California scientists has used a modified version of the gene-editing technique CRISPR to find enhancersnot by editing them but by prompting them into action. As reported online August 30, 2017 in Nature, a team from UC San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley, used a tool called CRISPR activation (CRISPRa), developed at UCSF in 2013, to search for enhancers of a gene that affects development of the immune cells known as T cells. The sequences they found illuminate fundamental circuitry of autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease.
The work was conducted in the laboratories of Alexander Marson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at UCSF, and Jacob Corn, PhD, assistant adjunct professor of molecular and cell biology at Berkeley.
"Not only can we now find these regulatory regions, but we can do it so quickly and easily that it's mind-blowing," said Corn. "It would have taken years to find just one before, but now it takes a single person just a few months to find several."
Corn is co-founder and scientific director of the Innovative Genomics Institute(IGI), a Berkeley-UCSF initiative of which Marson is an affiliate member. The IGI aims to advance CRISPR-based genome editing in medicine and agriculture to cure human disease, end hunger, and protect the environment.
CRISPRa Turns on Enhancers
The advent of CRISPR has allowed researchers to make rapid progress in understanding protein-coding genes. In the most common application of CRISPR, an enzyme called Cas9 snips DNA at particular sequences specified by the sequence of a "guide RNA." Using the technology, scientists can excise or edit any gene, and observe how these changes affect cells or whole organisms.
But sequences that code directly for proteins make up only 2 percent of our genome. Enhancers and other regulatory DNA elements spread throughout the other 98 percent are more difficult to study, but are implicated in a large number of genetic disorders. Scientists can look for potential enhancer sequences based on how they interact with proteins that bind to DNA, but figuring out which enhancers work with which genes is much more challenging. Simply cutting out an enhancer with CRISPR-Cas9 doesn't help, because it won't have a noticeable effect if the enhancer is inactive in the particular cell type used in an experiment.
If you think of the genome as a model home with 22,000 lightbulbs (the genes) and hundreds of thousands of switches (the enhancers), the challenges have been finding all of the switches and figuring out which lightbulbs they control and when. Previously, CRISPR has been used to cut out wires looking for those that would cause a bulb to go dark, giving a good idea of what that section of the circuit was doing. However, cutting out a light switch when it's off doesn't tell you anything about what it controls. So, in order to find certain light switches, it has been common to try to mimic the complicated chemical cues that activate an enhancer.
But using this method, "you can quickly go insane trying to find an enhancer," said Benjamin Gowen, a postdoctoral fellow in Corn's lab at Berkeley and one of the study's lead authors.
A better approach would be a universal "on" switch that could target any part of the genome and, if that part included an enhancer, could activate that enhancer. Fortunately, CRISPRa, recently developed by Jonathan Weissman, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at UCSF and co-director of the IGI, is just such a tool. CRISPRa uses a "blunted" version of the DNA-cutting Cas9 protein, strapped to a chain of activating proteins. Although CRISPRa also uses guide RNA to target precise locations in the genome, instead of cutting DNA, CRISPRa can activate any enhancers in the area.
While the first applications of CRISPRa involved using a single guide RNA to find promoters - sequences right next to genes that help turn them on - the UCSF/Berkeley team behind the new study realized that CRISPRa could help find enhancers too. By targeting the CRISPRa complex to thousands of different potential enhancer sites, they reasoned, they would be able to determine which had the ability to turn on a particular gene, even if that gene was far away from the enhancer on the chromosome.
"This is a fundamentally different way of looking at non-coding regulatory sequences," said Dimitre Simeonov, a PhD student in Marson's lab at UCSF and the study's other lead author.
Performing 20,000 Experiments at Once
The gene the team chose to study produces a protein called IL2RA, which is critical to the function of immune cells called T cells. Depending on conditions in the body, T cells have the ability to either trigger inflammation or suppress it. The IL2RA gene produces a protein that tells T cells that it's time to put on their anti-inflammatory hats. If the enhancers that should turn on the gene have errors, the cells fail to suppress inflammation, potentially leading to autoimmune disorders like Crohn's disease.
To track down locations of the enhancers that control IL2RA, the UCSF and Berkeley team produced over 20,000 different guide RNAs and put them into T cells with a modified Cas9 protein.
"We essentially performed 20,000 experiments in parallel to find all the sequences that turn on this gene," Marson said.
Sure enough, targeting some of the sequences with CRISPRa increased IL2RA production, yielding a short list of locations that might be important for regulating the fate of T cells.
"Whenever you get a chance to ask a question in a totally new way, you can suddenly discover things that you would have missed with older methods," said Gowen. "We found these enhancers without having to make any assumption of what they looked like."
Tying Mutant Enhancers to Inflammatory Disease
One of the likely enhancer sequences the team identified included the site of a common genetic variant that was already known to increase the risk of IBD, though how it did so was not understood. Marson and Corn's teams wondered whether this genetic variation might alter the switch regulating the amount of IL2RA protein present in T cells. To test this, they modified mouse T cells so they contained the genetic variant associated with human disease, and found that these T cells indeed produced less IL2RA.
"This starts to unlock the fundamental circuitry of immune cell regulation, which will dramatically increase our understanding of disease," said Marson.
The team next hopes to expand the method, perhaps by finding ways to search for enhancers of many different genes at once, making the search for regulators of immune disorders that much faster. And they expect the method to be a widely applicable tool for untying genetic interactions in all kinds of cells.
"We believe this is going to be a very generally useful method," said Corn. "It would be easy for someone interested in neurons or any other cell type to pick it up and look for the enhancers involved in programming those cells' behavior."
More information: Dimitre R. Simeonov et al. Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation, Nature (2017). Journal information: Nature Dimitre R. Simeonov et al. Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature23875
"Patch" Adams, the eccentric American doctor made famous in a movie starring Robin Williams, brought his brand of laughter-is-the-best-medicine therapy to Costa Rica this week to promote his view of "humanist health."
The 72-year-oldreal name Hunter Doherty Adamsmade an appearance on Tuesday at the country's top university, the University of Costa Rica, with his 30-strong troupe of clowns. A day earlier, they filed through a poor immigrant neighborhood in the capital San Jose.
He reiterated his message that the US-style health system lets down its patients by treating them according to income and social groups.
It's a message he and his group have been taking around the world for decades, while promoting unconventional medicine applied independently from big health insurance groups, and offering treatment in poor countries.
"It was obvious to me that our hospitals were horrible, they treated rich different than the poor, pretty different than the uglywhite different than black," Adams told hundreds of Costa Rican students.
"I realized I couldn't work in a hospital in the US. With the pay from one talk you could build a clinic or a school in poor countries, so that's what we do," he said.
Adams' offbeat life work and approach to medicine inspired the 1998 movie "Patch Adams" starring the late Williams.
Global fame has taken him to the lecture circuit around the world, proceeds from which finance his medical projects.
2017 AFP
CAR T Cells ready for infusion into a patient. Credit: Penn Medicine
In a landmark decision for the field of cancer immunotherapy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved a personalized cellular therapy developed by the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory or in second or later relapse. The approval was granted to Novartis for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel, formerly CTL019). In 2012, Penn and Novartis entered into a global collaboration to further research, develop and commercialize Kymriah and other CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of cancers. Kymriah is the first therapy based on gene transfer approved by the FDA.
Investigators at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and CHOP, who together led research, development, and clinical trials of the new therapy in collaboration with Novartis, hailed the FDA's approval as a game changer for the treatment of younger patients battling the aggressive blood cancer and a pivotal milestone in this new era of cellular therapies that treat cancer with a patient's own immune system.
"This is a turning point in the fight against B-cell ALL that opens up opportunities for patients across the world who desperately need new options," said Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies in the Abramson Cancer Center.
"We're excited and proud to have moved this CAR therapy, in collaboration with Novartis and CHOP, through all phases of development and clinical trials, established its efficacy, and now extended its reach to children across the country under this FDA approval," he added. "We hope the momentum behind the technology builds as we continue to investigate the abilities of personalized cellular therapeutics in blood cancers and solid tumors to help patients with many other types of cancer."
Kymriah is expected to be available through a network of certified treatment centers throughout the United States.
"We delivered engineered T-cell therapy at CHOP for the first pediatric patient in the world, Emily Whitehead, who was only six years old when her leukemia stopped responding to conventional treatments. Emily's cancer remains in remission, and in larger trials, we're seeing overall remission rates over 80 percent, which is a remarkable improvement upon previous treatment success rates," said lead investigator of the CHOP and global trials of the therapy, Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD, the Yetta Deitch Novotny Professor of Pediatrics at Penn and director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Frontier Program and chief of the section of Cell Therapy and Transplant at CHOP.
The new treatment modifies patients' own immune T cells, which are collected and reprogrammed at the Novartis manufacturing facility to potentially seek and destroy the patients' leukemia cells. After being infused back into patients' bodies, these newly built "hunter" cells both multiply and attack, targeting cells that express a protein called CD19. Tests reveal that the army of hunter cells can grow to more than 10,000 new cells for each single engineered cell patients receive, producing high remission rates in completely refractory leukemia - and can survive in the body for years.
"This transformational therapy for patients is the result of true collaboration between industry, academia, healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers" said Bruno Strigini, CEO, Novartis Oncology. "We thank all those involved in this historic FDA approval, which provides renewed hope to children and young adults who have had limited treatment options thus far."
CTL019 was first tested at Penn in 2010, in adult patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In 2012, CHOP became the first institution to investigate Kymriah in pediatric patients with ALL, the most common childhood cancer. About 20 percent of the 3,500 pediatric and young adult patients diagnosed every year with ALL in the United States relapse or do not respond to conventional treatment.
Those early-stage clinical trials, in which more than 90 percent of patients achieved a complete remission one month after receiving the therapy, led to a global registration trial in 2015, involving 68 children and young adults with advanced ALL treated at 25 centers across the world. Eighty-three percent of the patients who received a single dose of their own engineered cells achieved a complete remission.
In July 2017, an FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of the therapy, paving the way for today's FDA approval. After presentation of trial data and testimony from families whose children have received the therapy, one expert on the panel said this was "the most exciting thing I've seen in my lifetime."
Many patients in the ALL trials experienced a side effect called cytokine release syndrome (CRS) including grade 3 or grade 4, which includes varying degrees of flu-like symptoms, with high fevers, nausea, and muscle pain, and temporary neurologic symptoms, including delirium, but also low blood pressure and breathing difficulties requiring ICU-level care in the most severe cases. Eighteen percent of patients experienced grade 3 or grade 4 neurologic events. Patients were treated with the immunosuppressant drug tocilizumab or short courses of steroids to combat the symptoms.
Novartis will create a registry to follow patients for 15 years after being treated to monitor their progress and any potential, future side effects.
Other trials with CTL019 therapy are also underway in the Abramson Cancer Center for adult ALL patients and those with CLL and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Penn and Novartis are also investigating the next generation of CAR therapies for multiple myeloma, and for solid tumors, through trials in glioblastoma, mesothelioma, and ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Other CAR trials at Penn are exploring the technique for prostate cancer, melanoma, and triple-negative breast cancer.
The Novartis-Penn Center for Advanced Cellular Therapeutics (CACT) opened in 2016 and hosted Vice President Joe Biden at the launch of his Cancer Moonshot initiative, cementing Penn's role as an international innovator in the development and manufacturing of personalized cellular therapies.
Provided by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.
2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.
3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.
4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.
5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.
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Texas National Guardsmen assist resident affected by Hurricane Harvey. National Guard photo by Lt. Zachary West
(HealthDay)Texans trapped in the unprecedented flooding wrought by Hurricane Harvey now face untold health hazards, officials say.
The filthy water that has inundated the city of Houston poses the most immediate danger, said Cleveland Clinic infectious disease expert Dr. Frank Esper.
"Those floodwaters are being contaminated with sewage, because the sewers themselves are completely flooded and are backing up through the drains into the standing bodies of water that are around and in people's homes," Esper said. "Every time a person is wading across the street to get from one place to another, or down the road to get to higher ground, they are encountering much, much higher loads of bacteria."
But beyond that short-term threat, other hazards and medical problems will crop up due to the lack of modern amenities in Harvey's aftermath, experts said.
Dr. Bruce Farber is chief of infectious diseases at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. He said, "We don't even think about these problems in general because we live in a country where we take for granted a modern sanitation system."
Filthy water in flooded areas also is likely contaminated with chemicals and toxins, from a combination of household sources and commercial sources like car dealerships and industrial plants, explained Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
"At some point, even the water that comes out of your tap might become contaminated," Benjamin said. "If you are drinking water from a well, that can easily become contaminated."
Filthy Waters Trigger Skin Infections
You don't have to drink flood water for it to pose a health hazard, said Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, chief of geriatric and palliative medicine for Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Carney, a former health commissioner for Nassau County in New York, helped man a mobile medical van during the emergency response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
"We saw lots of injuries initially," Carney said. "Abrasions and lacerations from people trying to climb and move in flooded areas with woodwork and nails exposed."
These injuries posed a substantial infection risk, thanks to the dirty water.
"When you don't have access to antibiotics or sutures, they can be deadly for people," Carney said.
And, Esper noted, even people lucky enough to avoid scratches and scrapes will eventually run the risk of skin infections.
"Your skin breaks down and becomes raw after so much unrelenting exposure to water," Esper said. "Bacteria are able to find those little microscopic fissures and cracks, and cause local skin infections."
Good wound care and skin hygiene becomes paramount in situations like this, Esper and Carney said.
Vaccines, Medications Become Critical
In addition, public health workers likely will be doling out many hepatitis A and tetanus vaccine shots, to prevent serious infections that can result from cuts and scrapes exposed to filthy water, Carney said.
Esper warned that people who drink the dirty floodwater, either intentionally or accidentally, could develop a nasty case of diarrhea or vomiting.
He added that he doesn't expect severe waterborne diseases like cholera or typhoid will erupt in Houston. "Those just don't happen here in the United States, and they're not likely to be brought here by this disaster," he said.
But even mild cases of diarrhea brought on by waterborne noroviruses will leave people vulnerable to dehydration, particularly given the ongoing August heat in Texas, Esper explained.
"That's going to be a one-two punch," he said. "You're going to have diarrheal illness that can lead to dehydration, particularly in the most vulnerablesmall children and the elderly."
Benjamin said people should stick to bottled water or fresh water brought in by emergency workers, rather than trying to boil water.
People who regularly take medicine to treat chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure or rheumatoid arthritis will face an additional burden, Carney and Benjamin said.
"When they evacuated their homes, I suspect very few of them grabbed their bag of medicines, so people are going to be going without their medications," Benjamin said.
So, Carney pointed out, a lot of the public health response will be focused on getting these folks the medications they need.
Unfortunately, Benjamin said, people don't always know the exact dosage or even the name of the drugs they are taking. Emergency response workers will have to make an educated guess regarding the medications these people need until their medical records are found, a potentially dangerous situation.
Colds, Viruses Spread Quickly in Crowded Shelters
The thousands of people now dwelling in shelters also will have to protect themselves against waves of colds and viruses, experts said.
"When you have these respiratory viruses, they can sweep through a confined population very quickly," Esper said. "They love to attack the most vulnerable of us."
Carney's emergency medical van provided hundreds of flu shots in the aftermath of Sandy, she said. Although it's early for the flu season, Harvey responders might play it safe and do the same.
Basic hand hygiene will also be important for people in shelters, Benjamin said.
"Hand washing is absolutely essential," Benjamin said. "If I tell people to do one thing and one thing only, it's wash your hands after you go to the bathroom or before you eat."
Mental Health Issues Will Worsen
People also will be dealing with emotional or mental issues, particularly those who already have mental health problems, Carney said.
"There were people who maybe had behavioral health issues, and this trauma triggered things," said Carney, describing the response to Hurricane Sandy. "We had to link them to services that were brought to different sites."
And if all this isn't enough, the Texas coast is one of the few areas in the United States with an ongoing risk of local transmission of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that can cause devastating birth defects.
According to Benjamin, "There is Zika in that community, so you do have to worry about mosquitoes. Once the water starts receding, you will have a lot of standing water that will provide substantial breeding grounds for mosquitoes."
There is precedent for an increase in mosquito-borne illnesses following a natural disaster, Esper noted. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Gulf Coast saw more cases of West Nile virus.
Zika "is something a lot of obstetricians and pediatricians will be watching for" in the aftermath of Harvey, Esper said.
Despite these hazards, Esper believes emergency teams are heading into Harvey much better prepared than they were for Katrina.
"There are a lot of things we did wrong and a lot of things we did right, but we have a lot of lessons that were learned from that disaster," Esper said. "I can tell you right now, policies are well-established that are being applied based on those lessons. We will not see the same extent of issues we saw following Katrina."
More information: Frank Esper, M.D., infectious diseases expert, Cleveland Clinic; Bruce Farber, M.D., chief, infectious diseases, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y., and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; Georges Benjamin, M.D., executive director, American Public Health Association; Maria Torroella Carney, M.D., chief, geriatric and palliative medicine, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, N.Y. Frank Esper, M.D., infectious diseases expert, Cleveland Clinic; Bruce Farber, M.D., chief, infectious diseases, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y., and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; Georges Benjamin, M.D., executive director, American Public Health Association; Maria Torroella Carney, M.D., chief, geriatric and palliative medicine, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, N.Y. For more on Hurricane Harvey, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Copyright 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Telkom has issued a cautionary statement to its shareholders, warning that the South African government is considering reducing its 39% holding in the company.
Shareholders are advised that Telkoms major shareholder, the Government of South Africa, is currently considering various strategic options with regards to partially reducing its current approximate 39% shareholding in Telkom, it said.
The implementation of governments Telkom proposal may have a material effect on Telkoms share price. Accordingly, shareholders are advised to exercise caution when dealing in Telkoms securities until a further announcement is made in this regard.
The sale of the governments stake in Telkom may take place as part of a plan to bail out SAA, which is set to receive R10 billion from the state.
The sale of Telkoms shares may not be enough to pay SAAs debt, however, said DA MP Alf Lees.
A fire sale of these Telkom shares would likely result in a significant discount and thus on their own will not meet the full cost of recapitalising SAA, he said.
Other assets will have to be sold.
Now read: Finance Minister in discussions to sell Telkom stake
Forty-eight municipalities still owe Eskom billions of rand in combined debt, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen said on Tuesday.
Twenty of those municipalities had registered progress in terms of compliance, he said following a quarterly presidential coordinating council meeting at Tuynhuys in Parliament.
Some of the issues that have been raised are currently being looked at by the Eskom board as well, Van Rooyen told journalists in Tuynhuys.
Eskom has agreed that it will align its credit policy to that of municipalities. The power utility currently gives a credit deadline of 15 days, whereas municipalities have a 30-day deadline for their lenders.
There is a positive correlation between the economic status of municipalities and the rate at which they pay their creditors, including Eskom, he said.
Its very clear that the lack of economic basis in many municipalities is one of the key contributing factors of municipalities not being able to pay.
As a result, government would continue to review the current formula for the equitable share of the budget between municipalities, Van Rooyen said.
The inter-ministerial task team would continue to mediate the issue, he said. As high as R12bn Van Rooyen did not have the exact figure owed to Eskom on hand.
Media reports have put the figure between R8bn and R12bn.
iAfrica reported on Tuesday that the combined debt is R11.54bn. Eskom plans to cut electricity to around 42 municipalities due to bills being in arrears, the report said.
Other items on the agenda at the PCC included the progress of the Back to Basics programmes in the various provinces and municipalities around the country.
Three provinces presented on their progress in the Back to Basics programme the North West, Western Cape and Free State.
President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, key ministers, the South Africa Local Government Association and various premiers were in attendance for the quarterly meeting, including Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.
News24
Now read: Solar plants now power the whole Northern Cape
The National Treasury has been reprimanded by Scopa for its botched plan to upgrade government IT systems, reported BusinessLive.
The Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) was meant to be implemented in 2005, but is still not operational.
This is despite over R1 billion being invested in the initial phase of its development.
Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane admitted the first phase of the system was never completed, despite the funding.
The IFMS was set to replace aging technologies, improve service delivery, and increase security across government departments.
Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said a team would be appointed to conduct an investigation into the funding and implementation of the IFMS.
He said the department would report back to Scopa when the investigation was complete.
Alpine to make 3 electric crossovers
Number of injured in Istanbul blast rises to 81
Paul McCartney sells guitar for $77,000 to support Ukraine
Erdogan says preliminary findings after Istanbul bombing point to terrorist attack
Erdogan says number of victims of Istanbul bombing rises to six
Authorities forbid TV channels to broadcast from Istanbul bombing site
Istanbul blast: Governor reports 4 dead and 38 wounded
Media: Terrorist attack considered as one of versions of bombing in Istanbul
Blast in Istanbul: victims reported
Reuters: National Bank of Ukraine prepares banking system for power outages
Explosion hits pedestrian street in Istanbul
Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin calls for Turkey to be recognized as sponsor of terrorism
Bloomberg columnist says Japan may be preparing for war with China
Reuters: U.S. to demand EU colleagues to continue aid to Kyiv at G20
Washington Post: U.S. intelligence believes UAE tried to interfere in U.S. politics
Yeni Safak: Turkey increases sales of winter products, blankets in EU by almost third since beginning of year
Fox News: Trump has been silent on social media for over 24 hours amid Republican failures
Lebanon extradites to Iraq relative of Saddam Hussein
Financial Times: Kyiv plans to nationalize more private companies
U.S. Senate declares 'death' of Republican Party after congressional elections
Head of U.S. Customs resigned
President of Georgia Zourabichvili says about 100 thousand Russians settled in country
CNN: Democrats to retain control of Senate after congressional elections
Alen Simonyan: We are truly and sincerely committed to the peace agenda
Artak Beglaryan: Genocidal purpose is apparent
French maritime services rescue more than 140 migrants trying to swim across English Channel
Biden says he is satisfied with results of midterm elections in U.S.
Slovenia holds second round of presidential elections
'Witch' burned alive in India, 14 arrested
COVID-19 cases are expected to surge in Germany this winter
Dollar makes worst showing in week since early days of COVID-19 pandemic
Macron confirms France's readiness to support normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku
Germany withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty
Is Jordan country that has not supplied arms to Armenia?: 'The press usually has reliable information'
European Commission approves nationalization of Russian Gazprom's German subsidiary
Pashinyan: If the state interferes with the exchange rate unnecessarily, the economy will only suffer
U.S. to work with strategic coalition of Southeast Asian countries
Armenian PM: To reform army, it is necessary to make military service more attractive
Putin and Raisi discuss topical issues of the bilateral agenda
Blinken: Ukraine must decide on timing and content of any talks with Russia
Catholicos expresses hope that Russia efforts will contribute to ensuring free, safe life of Artsakh Armenians
More than 50 of poorest developing countries are on brink of bankruptcy, says UN official
Armenia ex-ombudsman: We are facing serious national security issues (PHOTOS)
Biden has no plans to meet with Saudi crown prince at G20 summit
EU offers natural gas price cap assurances amid disagreements with member countries
Scholz is against establishment of ceasefire in Ukraine on Kremlin's terms
Turkologist: Turkey does not support agenda of achieving peace with Armenians
Sweden to not permit deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory after joining NATO
Erdogan signs decree on appointing Turkey ambassador to Israel
Information security expert: Some Armenia officials received letter that they were victims of national hackers attack
Armenia FM meets with France minister of foreign trade
Foreign Policy: US to resume nuclear arms control talks with Russia
Armenia opposition MP: Artsakh army reduction is impermissible
Biden to warn Chinas Xi that North Korea path could lead to increase in US military presence
US Treasury chief: India can buy as much Russian oil as it wants
Newspaper: Armenia authorities trying to find legal grounds for signing peace treaty
Newspaper: People of Karabakh not going to tolerate final destruction of their army
Texas woman sentenced to death for killing pregnant woman, removing fetus from victim
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
OP are you trying to make me not work rn, this is the PERFECT post for me I wanna cuddle with it and never let it go
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I'm glad GRRM gave a shout out to Sharon Kay Penman since The Sun in Splendor is such an obvious influence on ASOIAF.
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ooh is that good then? I'm trying to prioritise women authors and if that's a good read I'm on it
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I enjoyed it. It's a telling of the War of the Roses and while it focuses mainly on Richard III, it jumps from character to character. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
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I loved it! It's one of my favourite books and great once you great hang of all the names (she identifies them differently which helps b/c there are a lot of same names).
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Ugh, I love the Sunne is Splendour soooo much, it's such a great book.
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i read that book so quickly and felt all of the emotions you are describing.
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I can't work with China Mieville's style. And Abercrombie is fun but every novel is firmly barbarian fantasy.
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I love Joe Abercrombie's work so much. I would argue Best Serves Cold and Red Country are less barbarian fantasy. Still has barbarian characters, but Best Serves Cold is more of a political and revenge story while Red Country is a western fantasy with white Indians. IDK. They're all violent tho. *shrug*
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The only book of his I like is Best Served Cold.
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I don't mind it, it's just that he has a very clear surrounding set in which he plays/writes. I'm curious about what else.
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I don't like China's writing eith. I don't get what all the fuss is about.
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Ditto for China Mieville.
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like i want to read LOTR but they're too dense and all i want to do is procrastinate when i look at them. maybe in 10 years.
ursula's earthsea series and american gods are in my to-read list this year. i'm planning on reading arrival (the short story collection on which the movie is based) by ted chiang first though.
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I had a hard time getting thought LOTR too. What I found helped was that first I watched the films, then I picked one character I really loved and read it just for that character. Which is to say I read every chapter but I used the character I picked as motivation to get to the next bit with them. By the time I was done with book 2 I was really into the story and reading the book just to read it. I finished all 3 in a week.
Edited at 2017-01-30 10:33 pm (UTC)
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I only just barely got through the first LOTR recently. I have a giant combined volume and I pull it down and read a chapter or two at a time in between other stuff. Oop, It's not the most honest way to read, but it works for me.
Ursulas Earthsea is on my list this year too.
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I plan to re-read them at some point along with The Hobbit. I actually originally read the books in 7th grade originally, and used those for my reading log that I had to do for English. I first read The Hobbit in 5th grade, so they weren't that hard to read - but they do take a while to read.
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I read the hobbit a few years ago and it wasn't too time-consuming but that one was written for kids and LOTR was written for adults, so it's a faster read. I've tried reading the first LOTR book and it's not like it's hard or anything, it just requires a lot of concentration to remember all the places/characters/creatures/events.
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American Gods was really good. I read it between Halloween and Christmas (work was crazy so I had to fit it in when I could)and it was the perfect time for it.
Also, reading it through the election was super interesting because it brought up a lot of issues that are in the Midwest that the electiom stirred up and I'm from the Midwest and it just nailed a lot of my feelings of my home state and region.
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i fucking love the goblin emperor. love nice characters tbh - nice doesn't mean "simple" or "boring"!!
for the same reason, tho they're very different books, love the heartstrikers series. they're kind of silly but i love the setting of slightly futuristic + MAGIC IS BACK. loved it in the shadowrun setting, love it here.
anybody have good recs for fantasy books about interesting ~nice characters?
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It was so good! I really loved Goblin Emperor a lot. I was worried throughout that there was going to be an awful twist and ruin everything, but it was so....pleasant?
Her other series though, written under her real name is enjoyable but fucking weird.
And. Like, not everyone is good, but Lynn Flewelling's series are really good.
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right?? it's like "oh no this is all gonna end in pain and death isn't it" but it's just... a story of maia being really sweet to everyone and overcoming a lifetime of abuse on the way. what a goddamn sweetheart.
you mean the nightrunner series, yea? i'll check it out!
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Reading a book about WW2 refugees in Morocco and the North Korean one recommended in the ontd book club. Think I'm going to have to add something light soon.
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what're they called? are they good?
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The first is the 1947' published The Field The second one is In Order To Live: a north Korean's girl journey to freedom. Non fiction, the information important enough to ignore style.The first is the 1947' published The Field http://www.letterenfonds.nl/nl/boek/1035/en-de-akker-is-de-wereld
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Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
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Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
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I'm also curious about what book you're reading. I'm finishing Yes, Please by Amy Poehler. It's been okay, some nuggets of wisdom, nothing too heavy but also boring sometimes.
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as I said below i'm reading HP book #1, its a re-read. I'm having a little HP book club with my friends~ and i'm trying to take notes about it lol. I have a use for all the paper tabs I bought in japan! I meant to read The Lightning Thief for the ONTD reading challenge but I got hit with the urge to read HP instead.
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The Hating Game, still. I'm struggling so much with it, they're both so annoying.
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Murder In The Mystery Suite still although I'm finally finishing it up. After that, I'll start World After by Susan Ee. Excited for that because I LOVED the first book in the series.
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Yesterday I finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I'm thinking I might give myself a day of rest before I start my book for the Feb section of the oNTD book challenge
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The Summer That Melted Everything, rec'd in a book post last year. I'm over a third of the way in and nothing much has happened yet, so I'm hoping it'll pick up soon.
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the green mile
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The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Donbyns
Definitely a slow burn.
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I'm reading Peter the Great by Robert Massie (for the ontd book club). It's a biography but it really reads like an epic novel.
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Rereading Vorkosigan series for the nth time. already up to Komarr
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I've never been into science fiction but Octavia Butler's books sound amazing. I'm going to try to check her out and some authors as well.
PS. I'm so behind on the reading challenge, my goodness.
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Her books ARE amazing. This whole post is going to me just worshipping my favorite authors, lol.
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Kindred is awesome
I'm in the middle of the Seed to Harvest series and it is a mindfuck
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Seconding Kindred. Really dark, really interesting.
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i've only read Kindred but it was amazing. also a graphic novel adaptation of it was just recently released and that looks stunning as well. I'd gladly read that too.
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kindred and the lilith's brood collection are fucking amazing. i am obsessed w octavia.
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Echoing the Butler is amazing chorus. Her books are so mesmerizing and complicated and they've really stuck with me for years.
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I'm so close to finishing HP. I am 3/4ths done. I think I can finish the rest by tonight. Just barely making it for the reading challenge. I hope its ok I don't post anything on the goodreads forum about it, maybe for the next month I will b/c idk what i'm gonna read for that.
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is this your first time??? How exciting if it is!!!! I kinda think people who didn't grow up with the phenomenon kinda miss out, but I love it when people get into it at any age and they loooove it
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oh no I grew up with it lol! I'm re-reading it b/c I introduced my friend to the movies tho lol. I'm trying to get her to read the books too.
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yess i LOVE when people who have only seen the movies finally give the books ago bc they just lose their mind at how amazing and so. much. better. it is
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I've been re-reading the series in between my library books. I was waiting for my hold book in come in, decided I hadn't read them that recently, so I started reading them again. I read the first 3 books within a few days, because they're shorter. After I finish my current library book, I'm going to re-read the 5th one.
I've always loved the series. I actually went to Borders at midnight to get the 6th & 7th books when they came out and I think I pretty much read all the books within a day.
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I feel like Garth Nix is underrated on fantasy levels. He has yet to disappoint me.
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yes! he is one of my all time favorites!
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THIS
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The Old Kingdom series is so amazing.
I wasn't sold on Keys to the Kingdom but I will forever love Sabriel.
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mte! I was scanning his for this name through all of these and no mention. I read Sabriel around the time when I was waiting for a new HP book and it changed me. Shame that it hasn't been adapted for tv or film yet, especially as there are similarities between it and Game of Thrones (but Sabriel was first).
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i appreciate the new flow of book posts on ontd! science fiction is probably the only genre i've never been into or dabbled in outside of a school assignment.
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On the topic of science-fiction, I feel like William Gibson is a literary one hit wonder or smth. Like Neuromancer was AMAZING (+I really liked his Fragments of a Hologram Rose short) but the sequels were sOOooOoo much more worse in comparison, like really bad fanfic? And then I tried to give Pattern Recognition a shot, and while I liked the main character Cayce and the premise had a lot of potential, the writing was just so amateurish :/ idg why he didn't just stick with the Burroughs-lite thing he had going for him in Neuromancer because that really worked.
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His orientalism is dated .
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I completely agree. He's an interesting and smart person but not a talented writer.
lmao, yes, Burroughs-lite. I think he tried to find his own voice but maybe his own voice wasn't that great? idk
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The fact that none of them recommended Dune or The Left Hand of Darkness, or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
SMH.
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Ikr! Shocked by Dune not appearing at least once
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Jealous hoes tbh. Dune is a masterpiece if you can get past the latent homophobia.
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i think it's because this list seems to veer more on the fantasy side?? i never got why people just lumped sci-fi and fantasy together because i go crazy hard for science-fiction (and agree with your picks :>!!) but literally could not care any less about dragons and magic or w/e. gimme da future ya'll
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I have to read Dune and The Left Hand of Darkness for my science fiction course this semester. I'm not looking forward to Dune tbh, just because it's so huge, but TLHoD sounds interesting. I'm not really big on science fiction though, so we'll see how I go.
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yeah those are surprising exclusions for sure
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those are more sci-fi than fantasy
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I read The Left Hand of Darkness earlier this month and it was incredible. it was so well-built and intricate and emotional. I'm very new at sci-fi but I'm trying to read more this year.
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Have you ever wanted to snuggle a Siamese while drinking your morning coffee? How about petting a Persian while sipping a nice glass of malbec?
Well, if all goes well, you could be doing just that, thanks to new plans for Milwaukees first cat cafe, Sip & Purr, which is slated to open in early 2018, though the search for the "purrfect" location is still in the works.
The cafe would be a first for Milwaukee, and the third of its kind in the state, which is also home to Cat Cafe Mad in Madison and Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary in Green Bay, both of which offer self-service beverages along with an area to interact with cats.
However, unlike its Wisconsin predecessors, Sip & Purr will offer a full service "cat-free" cafe where guests can enjoy coffee, beer or wine, along with a selection of small plates and sweet treats. A separate cat lounge, visible through a glass observation window and open to guests who want the full experience, will house 8-12 cats in an interactive environment, all of which are available not only for snuggling, but also for adoption.
Yoyo the cat (PHOTO: Lori Fredrich)
Meownificent plans
The vision for the cafe was created by Katy McHugh, a life-long animal lover and Whitefish Bay resident whose experience with a cat in Amsterdam inspired her to bring a similar experience to others.
McHugh, her husband and two children were hoping to visit De Poezenboot, a refuge for stray and abandoned cats located on a houseboat in Amsterdam's picturesque canal belt. But, when they found the cat sanctuary closed, they decided to visit a nearby cafe. McHugh says bought the kids ice cream and she ordered a glass of wine.
"Out of nowhere, this big yellow tabby cat comes out and jumps up on my lap," she says. "And I just sat there petting her and drinking. It was amazing. Her name was Gigi, and she just sat on my lap purring and purring. And I said to my husband: I want a place at home where I can do this. We need a place where people can drink wine and pet cats."
Upon returning home, McHugh who, at the time, had no idea that cat cafes even existed took to the internet. And as she researched, she became more and more intrigued by the thought of opening her own cafe.
Along the way, she reached out to numerous shelters about the potential for partnering on the cafe. But, it wasnt until she talked with the folks at the Lakeland Animal Shelter in Elkhorn that she found a perfect fit.
Lakeland harbors hundreds of cats in a cage-less open cat colony, an increasingly popular shelter model in which cats live in community and are free to run, play and socialize with both cats and visiting humans.
"Their model really makes sense in terms of maintaining cat health and creating well socialized cats," says McHugh. "And we love the idea of working with them to facilitate adoption of some of those cats."
Venus the cat.
The whole kitten caboodle
McHugh says the cafe creates an ideal scenario for folks to meet and interact with cats, particularly when looking for a feline friend to adopt.
"Being able to interact with adoptable cats in a cage-less, fun, relaxing environment gives potential adopters the opportunity to really get to know a cats personality and visualize how a particular feline might fit in at his or her home."
Research also suggests that socializing with cats also has a positive impact on health: reducing high blood pressure, mitigating anxiety and reducing the risk of heart disease in humans. And, according to leading pet researcher Dr June Nicolls, owning a cat might even make you more attractive to the opposite sex. So, its a win-win for everyone.
McHugh says the coffee shop and wine bar attached to the cat lounge will be designed as a comfortable inviting space and is likely to feature a combination of both modern and vintage items.
In terms of food and beverage offerings, she says shell seek out socially responsible and local products, including locally roasted coffee. Soft drinks will include sodas from Twigs Beverage, a small family owned company based in McHughs hometown of Shawano, Wisconsin.
"Theyve been around since the 1950s," says McHugh. "And well carry the original Sun Drop soda thats still bottled in Shawano and isnt currently available in the Milwaukee area."
Meanwhile, the food menu will contain both vegan and gluten-free options, notes McHugh, with a variety of items, including baked goods, coming from local purveyors.
McHugh has obtained financing for the cafe, as well as business support through the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), and she anticipates plans will move forward quickly once shes signed a lease on a space.
"Since this will be the first cafe in the city," McHugh notes. "Were looking at places that are accessible to a variety of neighborhoods. It will be all about the experience, a destination for cat lovers, cat-owners and those who might love cats but arent able to have one of their own. Its a great way for folks to get their kitty fix without the commitment."
Watch OnMilwaukee for additional updates on Sip & Purr as they develop. You can also follow the cafe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or get more information at sipandpurr.com.
Mrs. Valaithip Piriyawarasakul (3rd left), Chairperson of ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation, Ms.Yowalak Thiarachow (3rd right), Country Director of WWF-Thailand and executives of ONYX Hospitality Group congratulate Ms.Nittaya Tunyong (Centre), Wannawit School Board Member and Eco-Schools student committee on opening ceremony for implementing Eco-Schools Programme.
1st photo (standing from left to right)
1. Mr. David Cumming, Regional Vice President of Operations for Bangkok, Malaysia and Laos, ONYX Hospitality Group
2. Ms. Thaveerut Charupatanapong, Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer, ONYX Hospitality Group
3. Mrs. Valaithip Piriyawarasakul , Chairperson of ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation
4. Miss Nittaya Tunyong, Wannawit School Board Member
5. Ms.Yowalak Thiarachow, Country Director of WWF-Thailand
6. Ms. Waraporn Tong-on, Environmental Education Project Manager, WWF-Thailand
7. Ms. Lisa Thomas, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, ONYX Hospitality Group
Bangkok, 30 August 2017- ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation, in collaboration with WWF-Thailand, is taking part in an environmental educational Eco-Schools Programme at Wannawit School in Bangkok. The opening ceremony started with the presenting of Eco-Schools Armbands to the student committee to symbolise their commitment to preserving and maintaining a sustainable school environment. To achieve the goal, WWF-Thailand will share their knowledge about sustainable environmental management to the student committee while ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation will provide financial support via its Baht for a Better Life CSR programme.
The Eco-Schools Programme is a fundamental initiative which encourages young people to engage with their environment through actions to preserve and protect the ecosystem. The actions will start in the classroom, expands towards the whole school and eventually foster change in the community at large. This programme is intended to provide the youth with the achievement of being able to influence the environmental management policies of their schools, and ultimately steer them towards certification and the prestige which comes with being awarded a Green Flag. The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community while at the same time having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school staff and local authorities.
In the Eco-Schools programme, students and adults will learn about environmental management through hands-on practice in schools by following 7 steps:
1) Set up of an environmental committee
2) Review of a relevant environmental situation
3) Creation of an action plan
4) Monitoring and evaluation of activities
5) Integrating the plan into the school curriculum
6) Informing and Involving the students and community
7) Creating an Eco-Code
After the opening ceremony, ONYX Hospitality Group volunteers conducted a fun and insightful learning activity with Wannawit students on the topic of waste management that is one of the themes of the Eco-Schools Programme.
Following this initial collaboration, ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation and WWF-Thailand look forward to expanding the Eco-Schools Programme to other schools in other locations where Amari properties are located, with the intention of expanding on the companys commitment towards promoting and supporting the environmental preservation in the communities where the company is part of.
Under a deal with Microsoft, Amazon Echo device users will be able to ask Alexa to bring in Cortana as a "guest" to tend to tasks such as booking meetings or reading work email
Amazon's Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana will start talking to each other in a first of its kind alliance of rival digital assistants, the companies said on Wednesday.
Amazon Echo device users will be able to ask Alexa to bring in Cortana as a "guest" to tend to tasks such as booking meetings or reading work email.
Meanwhile, those with devices powered by Windows 10 software will be able to have Cortana bring in Alexa for tasks such as controlling smart devices in homes or, of course, ordering items from Amazon.
"There are going to be multiple successful intelligent agents, each with access to different sets of data and with different specialized skill areas," Amazon fonder and chief Jeff Bezos said in a statement announcing the digital assistants were becoming friends.
"Together, their strengths will complement each other and provide customers with a richer and even more helpful experience."
Alexa has some 20,000 "skills" created by third-party software developers.
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella has prioritized making the company's software and services available from the broad array of devices people use to connect to the internet.
The latest version of Windows operating software was crafted with that vision in mind.
"Ensuring Cortana is available for our customers everywhere and across any device is a key priority for us," Nadella said.
"Bringing Cortana's knowledge, Office 365 integration, commitments and reminders to Alexa is a great step toward that goal."
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella has prioritized making the company's software and services available from the broad array of devices people use to connect to the internet
Alexa and Cortana will begin talking to one another later this year, according to the companies.
The alliance comes in the face of competition from Google and Amazon, which have invested heavily in artificial intelligence infused digital assistants to enhance their offerings.
Siri heading home
Apple this year unveiled a "HomePod" speaker as it moved to challenge Amazon Alexa and Google Home as a smart home and music hub.
HomePod, powered by Apple's Siri digital assistant, will be priced at $349 when it begins shipping in December in Australia, Britain and the United States, the tech giant announced at its annual developers conference in June.
"It's so cool, we really believe it is going to take your home music experience to the next level," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said of the new device.
HomePod will take Amazon Echo and Google Home, which have been building momentum in the market for voice-controlled speakers capable of controlling smart appliances, fetching content from the internet and more.
HomePod is designed to work with the Apple Music subscription service and can produce rich sound while tapping into the artificial intelligence power of Siri.
Apple vice president Phil Schiller said the Siri team at Apple had tuned the assistant into a "musicologist" that learns the tastes of listeners and gets songs from the internet cloud.
Amazon has dominated the category of connected speakers since 2014, when it introduced its first Echo, which responds to voice commands and allows users to order goods or rides and control-connected appliances.
2017 AFP
This cartoon shows how gas falling into distant starburst galaxies ends up in vast turbulent reservoirs of cool gas extending 30,000 light-years from the central regions. ALMA has been used to detect these turbulent reservoirs of cold gas surrounding similar distant starburst galaxies. By detecting CH+ for the first time in the distant universe, this research opens up a new window of exploration into a critical epoch of star formation. Credit: ESO/L. Benassi
A team led by Edith Falgarone (Ecole Normale Superieure and Observatoire de Paris, France) has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to detect signatures of the carbon hydride CH+ in distant starburst galaxies. The group identified strong signals of CH+ in five out of the six galaxies studied, including the Cosmic Eyelash. This research provides new information that helps astronomers understand the growth of galaxies and how a galaxy's surroundings fuel star formation.
"CH+ is a special molecule. It needs a lot of energy to form and is very reactive, which means its lifetime is very short and it can't be transported far. CH+ therefore traces how energy flows in the galaxies and their surroundings," said Martin Zwaan, an astronomer at ESO, who contributed to the paper.
How CH+ traces energy can be thought of by analogy to being on a boat in a tropical ocean on a dark, moonless night. When the conditions are right, fluorescent plankton can light up around the boat as it sails. The turbulence caused by the boat sliding through the water excites the plankton to emit light, which reveals the existence of the the turbulent regions in the underlying dark water. Since CH+ forms exclusively in small areas where turbulent motions of gas dissipates, its detection in essence traces energy on a galactic scale.
The observed CH+ reveals dense shock waves, powered by hot, fast galactic winds originating inside the galaxies' star forming regions. These winds flow through a galaxy, and push material out of it, but their turbulent motions are such that part of the material can be re-captured by the gravitational pull of the galaxy itself. This material gathers into huge turbulent reservoirs of cool, low-density gas, extending more than 30 000 light-years from the galaxy's star forming region .
"With CH+, we learn that energy is stored within vast galaxy-sized winds and ends up as turbulent motions in previously unseen reservoirs of cold gas surrounding the galaxy," said Falgarone, who is lead author of the new paper. "Our results challenge the theory of galaxy evolution. By driving turbulence in the reservoirs, these galactic winds extend the starburst phase instead of quenching it."
The team determined that galactic winds alone could not replenish the newly revealed gaseous reservoirs and suggests that the mass is provided by galactic mergers or accretion from hidden streams of gas, as predicted by current theory.
"This discovery represents a major step forward in our understanding of how the inflow of material is regulated around the most intense starburst galaxies in the early Universe," says ESO's Director for Science, Rob Ivison, a co-author on the paper. "It shows what can be achieved when scientists from a variety of disciplines come together to exploit the capabilities of the world's most powerful telescope."
This research was presented in a paper entitled "Large turbulent reservoirs of cold molecular gas around high redshift starburst galaxies" by E. Falgarone et al., to appear in Nature on 30 August 2017.
More information: E. Falgarone et al. Large turbulent reservoirs of cold molecular gas around high-redshift starburst galaxies, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature23298
Provided by ESO
An activist holds a sign that reads "All for the Amazon" during a demonstration by Greenpeace against the Brazilian government's decision to scrap the huge Amazon reserve and allow commercial mininga decision that is now suspended
A Brazilian court on Wednesday suspended a government decree that would open a huge Amazon reserve to commercial mining, after the initial decision sparked outrage from environmental groups, the Catholic Church and even supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
The federal court in the capital Brasilia said in a statement it had "partially granted an injunction to immediately suspend any administrative act" aimed at scrapping the Denmark-sized reserve, known as Renca.
The order from Judge Rolando Spanholo "suspends possible administrative acts based on the decree" signed by President Michel Temer last week.
Spanholo said that the government had failed to consult Congress, as required under the constitution, and that the decree would "put at risk the environmental protection (of Renca) and the protection of local indigenous communities."
The center-right government's lawyer immediately said it would appeal.
The Renca reserve in the eastern Amazon is home to the indigenous Aparai, Wayana and Wajapi tribes and vast swaths of untouched forest, covering more than 17,800 square miles (46,000 square kilometers).
Temer says that opening up the gold and mineral-rich area to mining is part of his program to boost Brazil's weak economy.
The government insists that vital areas within the reserve, including where indigenous people live, will remain off limits.
However, Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund, Bundchen and other celebrities, as well as Brazil's influential Catholic hierarchy, have pushed back in an unusually broad-based campaign for Latin America's biggest country.
Troubled decree
Temer, who came to power a year ago after the impeachment of his leftist predecessor Dilma Rousseff, is attempting to enact austerity cuts and market reforms aimed at loosening up Brazil's moribund economy.
The Renca decision dovetailed with the announcement of sweeping privatizations of state-owned companies, ranging from an airport in Sao Paulo to the national mint, which makes bank notes and passports.
Renca contains important reserves of gold, manganese, iron and copper which until now have been available only to relatively low-level state-owned mining, although illegal miners also operate in the area.
Temer's aggressive push has been widely interpreted, in part, as payback to industrial groups that backed him during a corruption scandal which came close to bringing him down at the start of August.
However, the Renca decree was immediately controversial.
Apparently taken aback by the opposition, the government reissued the decree with far more detail and explanation insisting that the majority of the reserve would still remain protected.
The seven special conservation areas and two tribal homelands inside Renca would not be affected, the government said.
That did not satisfy critics, including the federal prosecutor's office, which said the decree threatened "ecocide," and asked for the court injunction.
Leftist Senator Randolfe Rodrigues described the decree as "the biggest attack on the Amazon in the last 50 years."
2017 AFP
Observations with the Blanco Telescope (left) determined the number of house-sized objects in near-Earth orbit. Objects in this size range are responsible for Chelyabinsk-like bolide events (right). Credits: left T. Abbott & NOAO/AURA/NSF; right A. Alishevskikh
In 2013 a small meteoroid, the size of a house, hurtled through Earth's atmosphere and exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. The explosion shattered windows, and more than a thousand people were treated for injuries from flying debris. How many similar-sized rocks have orbits that bring them close to Earth? A new study has answered that question using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The result lends new insights into the nature and origin of small meteoroids.
Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are asteroids or comets whose orbits bring them close to Earth's orbit. Their close approach makes them a potential Earth-impact hazard capable of causing widespread destruction.
While very large (10 kilometer-sized) impactors can induce mass extinction events like the event that led to the demise of the dinosaurs, much smaller impactors can also wreak havoc. The meteoroid that exploded in Chelyabinsk unleashed a powerful shock wave that destroyed buildings and blew people off their feet. Relatively petite at a 'mere' 17 meters in diameter, comparable to the size of a 6-story building, the impactor, when it exploded, released about ten times the energy of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
A survey for NEOs being carried out with DECam on the 4-m Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory has now estimated the number of objects in near-Earth orbit that are similar in size to the Chelyabinsk impactor. Lori Allen, Director of the Kitt Peak National Observatory and the lead investigator on the study, explained, "There are around 3.5 million NEOs larger than 10 meters, a population ten times smaller than inferred in previous studies. About 90% of these NEOs are in the Chelyabinsk size range of 10-20 meters."
The study, to be published in the Astronomical Journal, is the first to derive, from a single observational data set with no external model assumptions, the size distribution of NEOs from 1 kilometer down to 10 meters. A similar result was obtained in an independent study that analyzed multiple data sets (Tricarico 2017).
Whats interesting about house-sized Near Earth Objects? This trailer video describes the motivation for the study. Credit: Pete Marenfeld
While the surprising results do not alter the impact threat from house-sized NEOs, which is constrained by the observed rate of Chelyabinsk-like bolide events, they do lend new insights into the nature and origin of small NEOs.
David Trilling (Northern Arizona University), the first author of the study, explained how the study reconciled the surprisingly small number of house-sized NEOs with the observed rate of Chelyabinsk-like events: "If house-sized NEOs are responsible for Chelyabinsk-like events, our results seem to say that the average impact probability of a house-sized NEO is actually ten times greater than the average impact probability of a large NEO. That sounds strange, but it may be telling us something interesting about the dynamical history of NEOs."
Trilling speculates that the orbital distributions of large and small NEOs differ, with small NEOs concentrated in bands of collisional debris that are more likely to impact Earth. Bands of debris could be produced when larger NEOs fragment into swarms of smaller boulders. Testing this hypothesis is an interesting problem for the future.
Estimating the study's detection efficiency was critical to the result. Frank Valdes (NOAO), who developed the data reduction and analysis pipeline for the project, pointed out that "The best way to measure detection efficiency is by implanting synthetic NEOs into the data stream and then detecting the fake ones in the same way real NEOs are detected."
Well-matched to the study of small, faint NEOs, the large aperture of the 4-meter Blanco telescope and the wide field-of-view of DECam were also vital to the study. Describing the broad science reach of DECam, Allen remarked, "DECam has the power to revolutionize many fields of astronomy, from our understanding of dark matter and dark energy, to the search for distant planets in our Solar System and our understanding of the near-Earth environment."
More information: "The size distribution of Near Earth Objects larger than 10 meters," Trilling et al. 2017, Astronomical Journal, in press. Preprint: arxiv.org/pdf/1707.04066.pdf Journal information: Astronomical Journal
Provided by National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Prehistoric human skeleton in the Chan Hol Cave near Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula prior to looting by unknown cave divers. Credit: Tom Poole, Liquid Junge Lab
Analysis of a skeleton found in the Chan Hol cave near Tulum, Mexico suggests human settlement in the Americas occurred in the late Pleistocene era, according to a study published August 30, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Wolfgang Stinnesbeck from Universitat Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues.
Scientists have long debated about when humans first settled in the Americas. While osteological evidence of early settlers is fragmentary, researchers have previously discovered and dated well-preserved prehistoric human skeletons in caves in Tulum in Southern Mexico.
To learn more about America's early settlers, Stinnesbeck and colleagues examined human skeletal remains found in the Chan Hol cave near Tulum. The researchers dated the skeleton by analyzing the Uranium, Carbon and Oxygen isotopes found in its bones and in the stalagmite which had grown through its pelvic bone.
The researchers' isotopic analysis dated the skeleton to ~13 k BP, or approximately 13,000 years before present. This finding suggests that the Chan Hol cave was accessed during the late Pleistocene, providing one of oldest examples of a human settler in the Americas. While the researchers acknowledge that changes in climate over time may have influenced the dating of the skeleton, future research could potentially disentangle how climate impacted the Chan Hol archaeological record.
More information: Wolfgang Stinnesbeck et al. The earliest settlers of Mesoamerica date back to the late Pleistocene, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183345 Journal information: PLoS ONE
Credit: Vilem Skarolek/public domain
Every fall, college freshmen begin the familiar tradition of establishing friendships with classmates in their dormitories.
But little do they realize how much choosing the right friends notably ones with empathy could be beneficial during stressful times, a new Stanford study says.
"The transition to college can be tumultuous," said Jamil Zaki, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford and co-author of the study. "Whom you end up making friendships with can play a significant role in how you'll deal with the stress and hardship of freshman year."
The study appeared Aug. 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Networking" in college
Stress is a natural reaction for college students, but knowing how to manage that stress is an important factor in a student's success. A 2008 poll conducted by the Associated Press and mtvU found that 40 percent of college students said they felt stress regularly and almost 1 in 5 seriously considered dropping out of school.
With those high stress levels in mind, the researchers, including Stanford economics professor Matthew Jackson and former Stanford doctoral candidate Desmond Ong, put nearly 200 Stanford freshmen who had recently moved into first-year dorms through a battery of personality tests and questionnaires. Students also answered questions related to social networks within their dorms, for example, "Who usually makes you feel positive?" or "Who do you turn to when something bad happens?"
Their goal was to determine which students occupied central roles in these different networks notably groups based on trust and fun/excitement. The researchers found that individuals were more particular about whom they included in their trust networks compared to groups related to fun and excitement. In those selective trust networks, freshmen were more likely to include highly empathic students.
In contrast, when students wanted to feel positive and have fun, they were more likely to seek out dorm mates high in happiness. This suggests that students' personalities are related to the different roles that they play in supporting their communities.
"What we find here is not only that people's networks of fun-based friendships are denser than their more trust- and stress-based networks," Jackson said, "but also that more central people in a network have personalities that match the purpose of that network in intuitive ways. "
Finding fitting friends
Just as you need the right outfit for a particular occasion, college freshmen need certain friends for certain situations.
When you need a dose of fun, engaging with a positive and happy friend can lift your mood. But that friend may not be the best person to go to when you need someone to confide in. An empathic friend, on the other hand, may be just the right person for helping you through difficult and challenging times.
"Empathic individuals were more likely to help their dorm mates and provide support during difficult times," said Sylvia Morelli, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and lead author of the study. "These freshmen became magnets for close relationships in their new dorms."
"Empathic people are the ears and shoulders of these communities," Zaki said.
This research shows that people know the difference between these two types of individuals. They spend time with individuals high in positive emotion, but target empathic individuals when they are stressed.
"The study offers an opportunity for college students to examine their own relationships," said Morelli, a former postdoctoral fellow in Stanford's Social Neuroscience Lab, "especially against the landscape of social media where they can have seemingly countless 'friends' across the country and the world. Our work suggests that people will turn to only a small handful of these friends when things get stressful, and that they will trust their friends who show empathy and concern."
More information: Sylvia A. Morelli et al. Empathy and well-being correlate with centrality in different social networks, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702155114 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Study suggests emergence of male bees with both paternal and maternal genetic material unbalances workforce in colonies of Scaptotrigona depilis (physogastric queen inspects brood cell). Credit: Ayrton Vollet-Neto / University of Sao Paulo
Queens of stingless bee species (Meliponini) face a reproductive dilemma. If they mate with males with which they turn out to share the same sex determination gene, half of their offspring will consist of males, and the colony's workforce will fall by half, given that effectively only the females are workers.
In addition, males with both paternal and maternal (diploid) genetic material as a result of this unfortunate choice by the queen only consume the resources collected by workers and are usually sterile, contributing to diminished reproductive chances for the colony. A research project supported by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) involving a team of scientists in universities of Brazil, Belgium, and the United Kingdom shows that the emergence of diploid males from this type of mating also leads to the death of the queen in colonies of the stingless bee species Scaptotrigona depilis.
According to Ayrton Vollet-Neto, first author of the study, the results suggest that this behavior may be common to all stingless bee species because it occurs in phylogenetically distant genera.
One possible explanation for the death of a queen that doesn't comply with the role of maintaining a proportional rate of worker bees in the colony is that a replacement daughter queen will be able to mate and ensure the colony's survival. Otherwise, the most probable outcome would be the death of the colony. "If the queen is killed quickly, she can be replaced by a daughter that will have a chance to mate with a male that doesn't have the same sex allele," Vollet-Neto said.
The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology.
Genetic accident damages male prole control
Vollet-Neto explains that female stingless bees are able to choose the sex of their offspring, a trait that they share with all insects in the order Hymenoptera, which include ants and wasps as well as bees.
Stingless bee queens mate only once in their entire lives. This happens when they are very young. They store sperm in the spermatheca, an organ located in the abdomen. In fertilizing ova with spermatozoa from the spermatheca, they generate diploid females, which have two copies of each gene (one from each parent) in their cells.
When queens want to produce males, they close a canal in the spermatheca to prevent the eggs from being fertilized. Haploid males (with only maternal genes) hatch from unfertilized eggs. "Insects in the order Hymenoptera differ from other insects and from humans with regard to sex determination because males have no father and hatch from unfertilized eggs," Vollet-Neto said.
However, the sex determination mechanism in stingless bees can fail. By an unlucky chance, the queen may mate with a male whose genetic makeup leads to the production of diploid males instead of females, he explained.
The reason is that sex determination in Hymenoptera is typically controlled by a complementary sex determination (CSD) gene, which may or may not has two alleles (copies). Moreover, if there are two alleles, they may be identical or different. If there is only one allele, the result is a male. If there are two different alleles in a diploid male, the result is a female. If there are two identical alleles, the result is another diploid male instead of a female.
"When there are two identical copies of the CSD gene, the insect's physiology interprets it as having only one. This results in a diploid male," Vollet-Neto explained.
"Male stench" triggers riot in the colony
To remedy the problem created when the queen chooses a mate with the same sex allele, the workers of the honey bee Apis mellifera, for example, are able to detect and kill diploid male larvae early in their development. This avoids a waste of resources and time that would be invested in rearing them with no return for the colony.
In the case of stingless bees, there is little evidence of such behavior. Workers do not have access to brood cells to eliminate immature diploid males because the cells are sealed after oviposition and contain all the resources required by larvae to develop.
To test the hypothesis that stingless bees also have ways of remedying the consequences of diploid male production, the researchers performed an experiment in which they removed queens from colonies of S. depilis where diploid males were about to hatch and replaced them with "healthy" queens, which did not produce offspring with this trait.
The experiment showed that all the "healthy" queens introduced into the colonies where diploid males were about to emerge died within 10-20 days, whereas queens introduced into 20 control colonies without diploid male emergence did not die.
"These 'healthy' queens were not responsible for producing the diploid males that emerged in the colonies, so the conclusion we drew was that their death was determined by the emergence of diploid males," Vollet-Neto said.
Based on this finding, the researchers then tested the hypothesis that the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of diploid males somehow served as a chemical signal for queen execution.
The cuticle is an extracellular layer that completely covers the external surface of social insects. Cuticular hydrocarbons act as a chemical signature for each individual in the colony.
To test their hypothesis, the researchers compared the chemical profiles of diploid and haploid males at zero, five and 10 days of age. Analysis using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry showed that the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of diploid males differed significantly from that of haploid males as they grew older and that this occurred about 10 days after emergenceprecisely when the queens began to die.
"This suggests male chemical profile differences may act as signals to trigger queen death," Vollet-Neto said. "But more research is needed to confirm or refute this hypothesis."
More information: Ayrton Vollet-Neto et al. Diploid Male Production Results in Queen Death in the Stingless Bee Scaptotrigona depilis, Journal of Chemical Ecology (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0839-7
Provided by FAPESP
In this Feb. 4, 2009 file photo, Dennis-Anthony Wyrzykowski of Carmel Laboratories LLC, poses in front of an alter in a chapel at a Carmelite monastery, in Millbury, Mass. Wyrzykowski has filed a federal lawsuit against cosmetics giant L'Oreal, accusing the company of stealing patented technology in an anti-aging wrinkle cream that his charity was selling to raise money for the poor. Dennis Wyrzykowski and his company, Carmel Laboratories LLC, have been joined in the lawsuit by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which developed the technology and licensed it to Carmel in 2009. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
A former Roman Catholic monk has filed a federal lawsuit against cosmetics giant L'Oreal, accusing the company of stealing patented technology in an anti-aging wrinkle cream that his charity was selling to raise money for the poor.
Dennis Wyrzykowski and his company, Carmel Laboratories LLC, have been joined in the lawsuit by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which developed the technology and licensed it to Carmel in 2009.
According to the lawsuit, the cream, called Easeamine, is made using technology inspired by a discovery by two UMass scientists that adenosine, a chemical compound found in the heart, can promote skin elasticity.
The lawsuit, filed in June and amended this month, alleges L'Oreal was aware UMass held the patent for the science. It alleges L'Oreal had been denied patents because of their similarity to those granted to UMass, but the cosmetic company went ahead with a line of products based on the adenosine technology.
Wyrzykowski, who leads a religious charity known as the Teresian Carmelites in Millbury, Massachusetts, said in an interview Tuesday that he was selling the cream online for $65 per tube to support the Carmelites work with prisoners, drug addicts, and school children.
He said the availability of the L'Oreal products decimated the Carmelites business.
This Feb. 5, 2009 file photo shows two tubes of Easeamine skin cream at a Teresian Carmelite monastery in Millbury, Mass. Teresian Carmelite Prior Dennis-Anthony Wyrzykowski and his monastery teamed with a University of Massachusetts Medical School scientist to sell Easeamine, a face cream containing a patented substance the scientist found while studying other anti-aging compounds in the heart. In August 2017, Wyrzykowski, his company and UMass filed a lawsuit against cosmetics giant L'Oreal, accusing the company of stealing patented technology used in the cream that his charity was selling to raise money for the poor. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
"For me, L'Oreal pillaged the poor, that's what they did," Wyrzykowski said.
L'Oreal, which is based in Paris and has U.S. operations in New York, has asked a U.S. District Court judge in Delaware to dismiss the lawsuit. The company's attorneys argue in court documents that L'Oreal believes its use of adenosine falls outside the University of Massachusetts patents.
"While we admire the purpose of the work these two organizations are doing together, we find no merit in these allegations," L'Oreal said in an email Wednesday to The Associated Press. "We expressed this point of view in many conversations we had with the Teresian Carmelites and their outside legal advisers over the past two years."
Mark Shelton, a spokesman for the UMass Medical School, said they were not involved in drafting or filing the lawsuit, but became plaintiffs because they are obligated to protect the licensing agreement with Carmel.
James Dobson Jr., a now-retired cardiovascular physiologist who was one of two UMass scientists to make the discovery, said the technology is potentially worth millions of dollars.
In this Feb. 5, 2009 file photo, University of Massachusetts professor Dr. James Dobson, Jr., center, posses with his wife Susan, left, and Teresian Carmelite Prior Dennis-Anthony Wyrzykowski, right, in Dobson's laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Mass. Wyrzykowski's monastery teamed with Dobson to sell Easeamine, a face cream containing a patented substance the scientist found while studying other anti-aging compounds in the heart. In August 2017, Wyrzykowski, his company and UMass filed a lawsuit against cosmetics giant L'Oreal, accusing the company of stealing patented technology used in the cream that his charity was selling to raise money for the poor. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
"If you know a patent is out there and you willingly infringe on it, that really upsets me," he said. "What also upsets me is that the Teresian Carmelites were going to use the proceeds for the poor and disadvantaged in central Massachusetts and that was a noble thing to do."
Wyrzkowski said the loss of profits from the cream forced him to sell property that was going to be used for a spiritual center and curtailed other charitable works.
The Catholic Church withdrew recognition for the Teresian Carmelites in 2008, saying they no longer met the criteria to be a Catholic organization. But the group continued as a nondenominational, nonprofit with about 15 current members, Wyrzykowski said.
"We've basically turned it into a foundation because we were no longer able to sustain what we were doing because of what L'Oreal did," he said.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Motorized molecules that target diseased cells may deliver drugs or kill the cells by drilling into the cell membranes. The illustration shows a motorized molecule sitting atop a cell membrane (left) and molecules activated by ultraviolet light drilling into the bilayer membrane (right). Credit: Tour Group/Rice University
Motorized molecules driven by light have been used to drill holes in the membranes of individual cells and show promise for either bringing therapeutic agents into the cells or directly inducing the cells to die.
Researchers at Rice, Durham (U.K.) and North Carolina State universities demonstrated in lab tests how rotors in single-molecule nanomachines can be activated by ultraviolet light to spin at 2 to 3 million rotations per second and open membranes in cells.
The researchers used motors based on work by Nobel laureate Bernard Feringa, who won the prize for chemistry in 2016. The motor itself is a paddle-like chain of atoms that can be prompted to move in a single direction when supplied with energy. Properly mounted as part of the cell-targeting molecule, the motor can be made to spin when activated by a light source.
The work detailed this week in Nature was led by chemists James Tour of Rice, Robert Pal of Durham and Gufeng Wang of North Carolina State. Their labs collaborated to create several motorized molecules that can home in on specific cells, and they viewed what happens when they activate the motors with light.
The Tour lab previously demonstrated molecular motors whose diffusion in a solution was enhanced, if not specifically directed, when activated by ultraviolet light. The rotors needed to spin between 2 and 3 megahertz2 to 3 million times per secondto show they could overcome obstacles presented by adjacent molecules and outpace natural Brownian motion.
A sequence of images taken over 10 minutes shows a human prostate cell under attack by motorized molecules. The cell, tagged with a green fluorescent protein, is made permeable by the nanomachines, which drill through its lipid bilayer membranes. The bottom images clearly show blebbing (bubbling) of the membrane as cytoplasm leaks out of the cell. Credit: Robert Pal/Durham University
"We thought it might be possible to attach these nanomachines to the cell membrane and then turn them on to see what happened," Tour said. The motors, only about a nanometer wide, can be designed to target and then either tunnel through a cell's lipid bilayer membrane to deliver drugs or other payloads or disrupt the 8-10 nanometer-wide membrane, thereby killing the cell. They can also be functionalized for solubility and for fluorescent tracking, he said.
"These nanomachines are so small that we could park 50,000 of them across the diameter of a human hair, yet they have the targeting and actuating components combined in that diminutive package to make molecular machines a reality for treating disease," Tour said.
The Rice lab created 10 variants, including motor-bearing molecules in several sizes and peptide-carrying nanomachines designed to target specific cells for death, as well as control molecules identical to the other nanomachines but without motors.
The Wang lab first successfully tested the motorized molecule's ability to open a synthetic lipid bilayer vesicle, allowing dyed solution to get inside. Next, they trapped dye-carrying molecular motors inside a vesicle, activated them with ultraviolet light and watched as the fluorescent dye faded, which suggested the motor had punched through the vesicle wall.
The researchers found it takes at least a minute for a motor to tunnel through a membrane. "It is highly unlikely that a cell could develop a resistance to molecular mechanical action," Tour said.
Motorized molecules that target diseased cells may deliver drugs to or kill the cells by drilling into the cell membranes. Scientists at Rice, Durham (U.K.) and North Carolina State universities have demonstrated them on cancer and other cells. Credit: Loic Samuel/Rice University
Pal expects nanomachines will help target cancers like breast tumors and melanomas that resist existing chemotherapy. "Once developed, this approach could provide a potential step change in noninvasive cancer treatment and greatly improve survival rates and patient welfare globally," he said.
The Pal lab at Durham tested motors on live cells, including human prostate cancer cells. Experiments showed that without an ultraviolet trigger, motors could locate specific cells of interest but stayed on the targeted cells' surface and were unable to drill into the cells. When triggered, however, the motors rapidly drilled through the membranes.
Test motors designed to target prostate cancer cells broke through their membranes from outside and killed them within one to three minutes of activation, Pal said. Videos of the cells showed increased blebbing - bubbling of the membranewithin minutes after activation.
Smaller molecular motors were harder to track but proved better at getting into cells quickly upon ultraviolet activation, disrupting their membranes and killing them. Motorless control molecules were unable to kill cells upon ultraviolet exposure, which eliminated thermal absorption of ultraviolet light as the cause of disruption, according to the researchers.
They expect the rotors may eventually be activated by two-photon absorption, near-infrared light or radio frequencies, which would make the technique more viable for in-vivo treatment; this would pave the way toward the establishment of novel, easy and cost-effective photodynamic therapy.
"The researchers are already proceeding with experiments in microorganisms and small fish to explore the efficacy in-vivo," Tour said. "The hope is to move this swiftly to rodents to test the efficacy of nanomachines for a wide range of medicinal therapies."
More information: Victor Garcia-Lopez et al, Molecular machines open cell membranes, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature23657 Journal information: Nature
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a nanophotonic chip system using lasers and bacteria to observe fluorescence emitted from a single bacterial cell. To fix the bacteria in place and to route light toward individual bacterial cells, they used V-groove-shaped plasmonic waveguides, tiny aluminum-coated rods only tens of nanometers in diameter. The novel system, described in the journal Nano Letters, paves the way for an efficient and portable on-chip system for diverse cell-based sensing applications, such as detecting chemicals in real-time.
The field of on-chip photonic devices for biological and chemical sensing applications presents many powerful alternatives to conventional analytical techniques for applications ranging from "lab on a chip" to environmental monitoring. However, these sensing schemes rely mainly on off-chip detection and require a cumbersome apparatus, even when measuring only single cells.
The Hebrew University team looked for ways to integrate all system components, including light sources and detectors, on-chip at the nanoscale. This would result in a lab-on-chip system that is small, portable and can perform sensing in real-time.
To achieve this, they molecularly engineered live bacteria that emit a fluorescent signal in the presence of target compounds. They paired these on-chip with a nanoscale waveguide, which not only served the purpose of guiding light, but also allowed mechanical trapping of individual bacteria within the V-groove.
In three different illumination conditions, they experimentally demonstrated the interrogation of an individual Escherichia coli bacterial cell using a nanoscale plasmonic V-groove waveguide. First, they measured the light emitted from a bacterium flowing on top of the nanocoupler in a liquid environment by allowing the fluorescence from the bacterium to be coupled directly into the waveguide through the nanocoupler. Next, a bacterium was mechanically trapped within the V groove waveguide and was excited by laser directly either from the top or through the nanocoupler. In all cases, significant fluorescence was collected from the output nano coupler into the detector.
A laser beam excites fluorescent bacteria swimming in a micro-fluidic device. The fluorescent light emitted by these bacteria radiates in all directions, and some of it couples into a plasmonic waveguide and is directed toward the waveguide's end. The direct fluorescence from the bacteria is seen most clearly on the right-hand side, while light which was coupled and propagated in the waveguide appears as a bright spot blinking on the left-hand side. The blinking is a result of the bacteria's changing position, and is correlated to the location of the bacteria relative to the nano-mirror in the waveguide's right side. Credit: Hebrew University
The system worked well both in wet environments, where the bacteria are flowing on top of the waveguide, and in dry conditions, where the bacteria are trapped within the waveguide.
The research was led by Prof. Uriel Levy, Director of The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Hebrew University in collaboration with Prof. Shimshon Belkin, at the Hebrew University's Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, who genetically engineered the bacterial sensors, and Prof. Anders Kristensen from the Danish Technical University, who was in charge of fabricating the V-groove waveguides. Prof. Levy is the Eric Samson Chair in Applied Science and Technology, and Prof. Belkin is the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare Chair in Industrial Hygiene, at the Hebrew University.
Unlike the more traditional plasmonic waveguides consisting of either silver or gold, the choice of aluminum was instrumental for being able to guide the fluorescent light emitted from the bacteria all the way to the output nanocoupler. Furthermore, the waveguide dimensions allow for efficient mechanical trapping of the bacteria and the multimode characteristics may become instrumental in gathering more information, e.g., on the specific position and orientation of the bacteria.
The results provide a clear indication of the feasibility of constructing a hybrid bioplasmonic system using live cells. Future work will include the construction of waveguide network, diversifying the system to incorporate different types of bacterial sensors for the detection of various biological or chemical analytes.
More information: Oren Lotan et al. Nanoscale Plasmonic V-Groove Waveguides for the Interrogation of Single Fluorescent Bacterial Cells, Nano Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b02132 Journal information: Nano Letters
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
Salvador Barazza-Lopez, associate professor of physics at the University of Arkansas, is part of a team that published a review article on the properties of strained graphene and other strained two-dimensional atomic materials in the prestigious Reports of Progress in Physics, a review-style journal published by the Institute of Physics in the United Kingdom that has a large impact factor of 14.3.
Materials that are atomically thin can be thought as membranes. Membranes bend to adapt to other materials, and change their properties when pulled from two opposite edges. Electronic and optical properties of atomically-thin membranes are modified as a result of bending and stretching, and the 62-page published article provides a detailed descriptions of these effects.
"This comprehensive project was led by Gerardo G. Naumis at the Institute of Physics National University of Mexico, and it took about one year to be completed." Barraza-Lopez said. "Besides giving me the opportunity to summarized work performed at Arkansas over the last six years, the two weeks spent working at the Institute were memorable." Continued access to the Trestles supercomputer at the Arkansas High Performance Computing Center was crucial for completing many of these studies.
The review proves the crystallographic description of mechanical deformations, as well as the diffraction pattern for different kinds of representative deformation fields. Various theoretical approaches to study the electronic properties of strained graphene were examined. Exotic properties, such as a fractal spectrum related with quasicrystals, a mixed Dirac-Schrodinger behavior, emergent gravity, topological insulator states, in molecular graphene and other 2-D discrete lattices were included.
Recent advances to tune the optical conductivity of graphene by strain engineering are given, which open new paths in device applications. A brief review of strain effects in monochalcogenide-monolayers, work being presently carried out at the Barraza-Lopez group is presented, with a brief discussion of interplays among strain, thermal effects, and illumination in the latter material family.
More information: Gerardo G Naumis et al. Electronic and optical properties of strained graphene and other strained 2D materials: a review, Reports on Progress in Physics (2017). DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aa74ef Journal information: Reports on Progress in Physics
Python skins in a tannery in West Malaysia for the international market. To date, it has been almost impossible to prove whether such skins are from legal or illegal harvests. Credit: Mark Auliya, UFZ
Trading in skins of the reticulated python is such a lucrative business that illegal exports are rising sharply and existing trade restrictions are being circumvented on a large scale. This is endangering the stability of populations. Therefore, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Royal Zoological Society Scotland (RZSS) are developing genetic methods for tracking down individual origins and potential trade routes of the skins. Initial results have now been published in the renowned journal PLOS ONE. They show the genetic variation across reticulated python populations in Southeast Asia, and demonstrate the importance of such data for the long-term conservation of the giant snake species and controlled trade of its skin.
The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.) lays claim to two records: it is the longest reptile in the world, and it is one of the top reptile species most traded for their skin. Reticulated python skins have been traded commercially for around 80 years. They are an extremely lucrative natural resource for the international fashion industry. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam alone exported almost four million reticulated python skins from 2002 to 2012; at least 75 per cent of these came from "legal" wild harvests. Intense international commerce is, however, calling into question the legality and sustainability of this trade, which is in fact regulated by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is because the reticulated python is one of around 34,000 species in Appendix II of CITES that may only be traded legally with special documents. In reality, however, it is next to impossible to keep track of the trade dynamics of the reticulated python, says Dr. Mark Auliya, an expert for applied species conservation working on international wild animal trade at the UFZ, who also advises the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CITES, scientific organisations and customs authorities. In his opinion, management approaches barely exist at the regional and national levels. A number of businesses in the fashion industry therefore see it as their responsibility to support research projects such as that of the UFZ biologist and his Scottish colleague Dr. Gillian Murray-Dickson (RZSS), who aim to develop tests that verify the origin of the skins within the chain of commerce and hence reduce illegal trade.
The researchers investigated the extent to which evolutionary relationships between the populations might be used as reference for the management of catch quotas. For this purpose, they analysed mitochondrial DNA of reticulated pythons from a wide variety of regions within their distribution area. In this process, a clear separation emerged between populations west and east of the so-called "Wallace Line". This imaginary biogeographical line runs across the Malaysian archipelago and separates areas with exclusively Asian fauna from areas that contain not only Asian fauna but also fauna elements of Australian origin. The results show that the reticulated python populations of the Philippines can be clearly distinguished from other populations in the Sunda region, and it is likely that the reticulated python was introduced by humans to the Moluccan island of Ambon.
As an adult, the southeast Asian reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.) belongs to the largest predators of Asia. The species is particular in demand as a leather supplier for the fashion industry. Credit: Mark Auliya, UFZ
These findings should, firstly, contribute to the long-term conservation of the genetic diversity of the python. "If the animals of a particular region have their own genetic variation, the population must be managed separately," Mark Auliya explains. Adjusted catch and export quotas can be determined for this purpose, or a trade ban can be imposed if necessary.
Secondly, the genetic investigations can help to verify details relating to the initial export country (assuming that this is the county of origin) or country of origin provided in the CITES documentation - to determine whether the imported skins are indeed from the Philippines or elsewhere, for example. That would facilitate the enforcement of international regulations and significantly restrict illegal schemes.
More information: Gillian Murray-Dickson et al, Phylogeography of the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.): Conservation implications for the worlds' most traded snake species, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182049 Journal information: PLoS ONE
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland studied the implementation of a logistics robot system at the Seinajoki Central Hospital in South Ostrobothnia. The aim is to reduce transportation costs, improve the availability of supplies and alleviate congestion on hospital hallways by running deliveries around the clock on every day of the week. Joint planning and dialogue between the various occupational groups and stakeholders involved was necessary for a successful change process.
As the population ages, the need for robotic services is on the increase. Adopting new technology to support care and nursing work is not straightforward, however. Autonomous service robots and robot systems raise questions about safety as well as about their impact on care quality and jobs, among others.
VTT has studied the implementation of a next-generation logistics robot system at the Seinajoki Central Hospital. First steps are being taken in Finland to introduce automated delivery systems in hospitals, with Seinajoki Central Hospital acting as one of the pioneers. The Seinajoki hospital's robot system will include a total of 5-8 automated delivery robots, two of which were deployed during the study.
With deliveries running 24/7, the system will help to improve the availability of supplies and alleviate congestion on hallways. Experiences gained during the first six months show that transport personnel expenses and the physical strain of transport work have been reduced. The personnel's views on the delivery robots have developed favourably and other hospitals have shown plenty of interest in the Seinajoki hospital's experiences.
From the perspective of various occupational groups, adoption of the system has had a varied effect on their perceived level of sense of control and appreciation of their work, as well as competence requirements. This study by VTT, employing work research approaches and a systems-oriented view, highlights the importance of taking into account in the change process the interdependencies between various players, along with their roles in the hospital's core task.
Careful planning, piloting and implementation are required to ensure that the adoption of new robots runs smoothly as a whole. "As the system is expanded with new robots and types of deliveries, even more guidance, communication and dialogue is needed. Joint planning that brings various players to the same table ensures that the system's implementation goes as smoothly as possible, making it easier to achieve the desired overall benefits", says Senior Scientist Inka Lappalainen of the ROSE project.
VTT's study is part of the Robots and the Future of Welfare Services project (ROSE), running from 2015 to 2020. The project investigates Finland's opportunities for adopting assisting robotics to support the ageing population's independent living, wellbeing and care. There is also a blog post on the topic: roseproject.aalto.fi/fi/blog/32-blog8.
Roadmap
Intermediate results of the project are presented in the publication Robotics in Care Services: A Finnish Roadmap, providing recommendations for both policy making and research.
More information: The roadmap is available on the ROSE project website, at roseproject.aalto.fi/ or roseproject.aalto.fi/fi/blog/29-roadmap-blog-fi.
A view of Trindade Island, a collecting spot for the study. "In order to crack the forces that shape ocean life around islands, we decided to dig into the evolutionary history of Brazilian reef fishes," says Pinheiro, Academy researcher and member of its Hope for Reefs team. "When we focused on 10 species in a chain of volcanic seamounts and islands off the coast of Brazil, we saw that older endemic species were larger. These large fishes were better dispersers than their 'younger' species counterparts, which were all small, bad dispersers. It's clear that these unique marine environments need their own model to explain what lives where over time." Credit: Joao Luiz Gasparini
On its 50th anniversary, the landmark theory of island biogeographythe study of the distribution of species on islands over timeexpands from land to sea with fascinating results. A team of researchers led by Dr. Hudson Pinheiro, postdoctoral ichthyologist at the California Academy of Sciences, have proposed a new conceptual model of island biogeography for marine organismsa theory that explores how different processes (like sea level fluctuations and geographic isolation) influence marine species diversity around islands. The team found that, despite some similarities, the forces that tend to shape diversification and community assemblage on land are different from those that impact islands' marine environments. Resultsauthored by researchers from the Academy, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Universidade Federal do Espirito Santoare published today in Nature.
An unprecedented model of marine evolution
The new model suggests that marine species are better dispersers than land-based animalsarriving quickly around inhabitable islands to fill available ocean niches. This fast action by skilled dispersers leaves no chance for adaptation to cause species to change and fill new niches, as is typically seen over time on terrestrial island habitats.
"In order to crack the forces that shape ocean life around islands, we decided to dig into the evolutionary history of Brazilian reef fishes," says Pinheiro, Academy researcher and member of its Hope for Reefs team. "When we focused on 10 species in a chain of volcanic seamounts and islands off the coast of Brazil, we saw that older endemic species were larger. These large fishes were better dispersers than their 'younger' species counterparts, which were all small, bad dispersers. It's clear that these unique marine environments need their own model to explain what lives where over time."
By tracing the evolutionary history of the reef fishes restricted to this specific chain of seamounts and islands through their DNA, the scientists were able to better understand exactly how island geography, geological history, and sea level fluctuations generally impact the diversity of nearby marine species. Fishes were collected from both shallow and deep reef locationsthe dives requiring specialized equipment called rebreathers that Pinheiro and his Academy colleagues use to dive 200 to 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface. The findings confirm that sea level changes and the locations of exposed seamounts play a critical role in marine evolution over time, mainly by intermittently providing stepping-stones for weak disperser species to colonize island habitats.
"We're finally understanding how the complex, ever-changing web of island life on land differs from the same web in the ocean," says senior author Dr. Luiz Rocha, Academy curator of ichthyology and co-leader of the Hope for Reefs initiative. "Think of iconic Galapagos fincheswhen their ancestor arrived in the region, there were many empty land niches to fill and adaptations emerged to help them specialize over time. It's simply not the same in island marine habitats. Fast-dispersing marine organisms quickly colonize available niches, and we don't see the same pattern of specialized adaptation over time."
By tracing the evolutionary history of the reef fishes restricted to this specific chain of Brazilian seamounts and islands through their DNA, the scientists were able to better understand exactly how island geography, geological history, and sea level fluctuations generally impact the diversity of nearby marine species. Fishes were collected from both shallow and deep reef locations--the dives requiring specialized equipment called rebreathers that Pinheiro and his Academy colleagues use to dive 200 to 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface. The findings confirm that sea level changes and the locations of exposed seamounts play a critical role in marine evolution over time, mainly by intermittently providing stepping-stones for weak disperser species to colonize island habitats. Credit: Hudson Pinheiro, California Academy of Sciences
50th anniversary of a land-based breakthrough
In 1967, Drs. Robert H. MacArthur and E.O. Wilson pioneered the field of island biogeography as a way to explain the distribution of species around the worldhow they move, change, and occasionally go extinct. Islands isolated by water could be viewed as splintered habitats with higher extinction rates than their larger, continuous counterparts like continents and their coastlines.
"Our research team had quite an exciting brainstorming session about testing a marine biogeography theory," says co-author Dr. Giacomo Bernardi, University of California, Santa Cruz professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and California Academy of Sciences Fellow. "We knew that MacArthur and Wilson came up with parts of their theory by drawing on restaurant napkins. We were drawing our hypotheses on paper towels in a lab. This type of scientific collaboration is exciting, and the foundational work of innovative predecessors helps make it happen."
Understanding the forces that help shape what allows species to persist in (and adapt to) different environments over time is a useful tool in tailoring conservation work and modeling for the future. This field of research has prompted new generations of scientistsincluding the authors of the Nature paperto push for a more detailed understanding of evolution during our modern time of mass species extinction and rapidly changing climate.
"Pulling out patterns in nature is important," says Bernardi. "We tend to think of the ocean as a fast-moving soup of larvae constantly invading regions and dying, but it's not total chaos. We have to find the methods in the madness."
Looking forward
Terrestrial and marine environments are both vulnerable to the never-before-seen wave of species die-offcalled the "sixth mass extinction"currently underway. The global community risks losing valuable marine ecosystems like coral reefssystems that support the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people worldwideto the combined impacts of overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, climate change, and ocean acidification. At least a quarter of the world's reefs have already been lost, with another 30% predicted to die in the next thirty years.
"We have hope," says lead author Pinheiro. "The more we uncover about dynamic marine environments and how they change over time, the better we can plan to protect them from future threats. This study sheds light on the ebb and flow of marine life on islands over evolutionary time. My role as a scientist is to chase the light, and encourage others to do the same."
More information: Hudson T. Pinheiro et al. Island biogeography of marine organisms, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature23680 Journal information: Nature
Magnetic tomography developed at HZDR is an important prerequisite for controlling mold injection in continuous steel casting. Credit: HZDR / F. Bierstedt
Modern parallel computer architectures are capable of processing huge amounts of data at high speed. This allows for the increasing use of imaging techniques as sensors to control machines and process plants. In the new European collaborative project TOMOCON twelve research institutions and 15 renowned industrial companies work together on the development of imaging-based industrial process control. The network is coordinated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).
Beginning of September, the European Doctoral Training Network "Smart Tomographic Sensors for Advanced Industrial Process Control" (TOMOCON) is going to be launched. "Together with our international partners we offer a comprehensive doctoral training to 15 Early Stage Researchers. Beside their academic research projects they will receive industrial training in various companies and attend three summer schools of the network", explains the project coordinator Professor Uwe Hampel from HZDR.
The scientific subject of the network is a hot topic within the context of digitalized industrial processes. Especially with the development of ultrafast parallel-data processing techniques imaging technologies have gained an enormous potential to be employed as sensors for real-time control of industrial processes and plants. Such concepts currently emerge in other fields as well, such as for example in autonomous driving.
Among the many imaging techniques tomographic ones are of highest interest for the industry, as they can provide insight into opaque systems in a contactless way. However, to do so it is imperative to solve some grand challenges coming from industrial processes. Just to name a few: How can we cope with aggressive process conditions and highest data rates? How can control parameters be most intelligently and rapidly extracted from image data? What does human-machine interaction in such systems look like? Hence, the research topics of the 15 Early Stage Researchers are accordingly diverse and connect the scientific fields of sensor technology, process tomography, industrial process control, computational physics and process modelling, human-machine interaction and massive parallel-data processing.
Efficient industrial processes of the future
The TOMOCON project attains a strong practical relevance through four selected technical demonstrations, which are closely accompanied by the many industry partners. In inline-fluid separation liquids of different density are being separated via centrifugation in slim flow channels. Process control with smart tomographic sensors shall suppress the development of emulsions and hence improve the separation quality drastically. This is of vital interest in the chemical and petro-chemical industry and supported by companies like Linde, Shell and TOTAL. Magnetic tomography developed at HZDR shall be developed as a sensor for controlling mold injection in continuous steel casting at highest production speed and will be accompanied by the Austrian company Primetals Technologies and the Dutch TATA Steel. Together with the German companies Votsch Industrietechnik and Pinta Elements the drying of impregnated polymer foams via tomography-controlled microwave heating will be demonstrated. Furthermore TOMOCON will demonstrate ultrasound-controlled industrial crystallization together with Sulzer Switzerland and DuPont from Finland.
"At HZDR we are strongly involved in the first two topics," says Uwe Hampel, who is also Endowed Chair of Imaging Techniques in Energy and Process Engineering at TU Dresden. "We are proud that our project also contributes to a sustainable network of academic and industrial partners in Europe and world-wide. For HZDR the activities being pursued in TOMOCON are central to the development of efficient industrial processes of tomorrow."
American red squirrel on the railway in Banff National Park. The photograph is taken with a remote camera on time-lapse settings. Credit: Julia Put
Grains have been reported to regularly trickle from hopper cars travelling via the railway located within the Canadian Banff and Yoho National Parks, attracting the local red squirrels.
As a result, the rodents have grown used to foraging on the spilled seeds, which they collect in underground storage areas where they can be discovered and dug up by grizzly bears. Grain-conditioned bears may frequent the railway more often than usual, resulting in increased mortality by trains strikes.
Furthermore, the dispersal, following caching and digestion of such seeds by both squirrels and bears, could lead to the spread and establishment of those agricultural plants in the area.
The case is investigated and discussed by members of the University of Alberta's research team of Julia Elizabeth Put, Laurens Put and Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair. Their study is published in the open access journal Nature Conservation.
It all began when members of the team found a grain-filled midden that was visited by a bear near where the same bear had bluff-charged Parks Canada employees. At the time, the researchers were investigating possible explanations for causes of grizzly bear mortality on the adjacent railway. Thus, an unexpected opportunity to document interactions between species and how those can lead to human-wildlife conflicts presented itself to the scientists.
Grizzly bear excavating a squirrel midden where bear signs had been previously recorded during a survey of an area with high bear use. The photo was taken with a remote camera on hyperfire settings. Credit: Julia Put
The three basic questions brought up by Julia and her team were whether spilled grain could increase the number of squirrels near the rail; if other middens contained grain; and if other bears accessed grain in middens. Eventually, their data provided a resounding 'yes' to all of them.
In some mountain parks in North America, including Banff, grizzly bears are known to excavate squirrel middens to access whitebark pine seeds. The tree, however, is only found at high elevations far from the valley bottom where the railway is located. Nevertheless, this behaviour may easily translate to targeting other food items in middens, such as grain, speculate the researchers.
Once a bear consumes grain from a squirrel midden, it could initiate or reinforce a tendency to seek grain on the rail, where it is generally less concentrated. Such conditioning of food rewards could lead to grizzly bears spending more time in the area around or on the rails, where they would be at risk of being struck by trains.
"The only feasible mitigation for these effects is to reduce spillage from hopper cars via careful attention to loading and gate maintenance," conclude the authors.
Grizzly bear digging into a red squirrel midden. The footage was captured with a remote camera. Credit: Julia Put
The acquisition of surplus military equipment through the US Department of Defense Law Enforcement Support Officers 1033 Program does not cause police to be more aggressive, according to a study published this week by a team of researchers from UT's Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research.
The federal government has transferred more than $5.2 billion in decommissioned tactical military gear to local law enforcement agencies through the program since 2006.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced it is lifting limitations on the program that were put in place by the Obama administration.
"Peacekeeping Force: Efforts of Providing Tactical Equipment to Local Law Enforcement," written by Matt Harris, Jinseong Park, Don Bruce, and Matt Murray, was recently published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. The paper is the first to evaluate the consequences for local communities of local law enforcement agencies acquiring military armaments through the 1033 Program.
Results indicate that acquisition of tactical items from the federal government reduces citizen complaints and assaults on police officers, and does not lead to increases in offender deaths. The authors stress that the limitations of the paper are as important as the findings.
"The paper is not a referendum on police militarization, which is the product of several factors including who is hired, training, leadership, procedures, practices, department culture, equipment, and other factors," Harris said. "We only consider the role of a single factorsurplus military equipment acquired from the federal government."
Harris described the key takeaways: "While the military kit makes for a striking image, our findings imply that the path to improving police-community relations is about the people, not the equipment. Second, more oversight and transparency are needed. Our research used the best available data, which was quite limited in some instances.
"Police departments are funded by the public to provide a public service in the form of public safety. Knowledge of equipment acquisition and the good and bad outcomes resulting from that provision should be public, and informed by standardized reporting practices."
Credit: NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC
This year has been particularly hard for British Columbia in their ongoing battles with wildfires. Climate change has caused more wildfires to break out in this area due to hotter temperatures and drier conditions in the summer when wildfires are more apt to break out. The Government of British Columbia has pinpointed the impacts that climate change will have on forest fires going forward.
The Government of British Columbia projects the following impacts in 33 years:
Temperatures will increase from 1.3 (current temperature increase) to 2.7 C expected by 2050 causing more frequent and severe heat waves;
Growing seasons that are longer though hampered by more frequent and severe droughts (which also contribute to forest fires spreading due to more dry fuel);
Even though average annual rainfall is expected to increase from 2% to 12% by 2050, summers will be drier;
Increased frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation (storms) resulting in damage to buildings and infrastructure ( and will cause more lightning strikes, and more fire starts);
Higher risk of wildfires, insect outbreaks and diseases in our forests.
In British Columbia the current wildfire situation is 123 active fires with 23 fires that are threatening communities and structures. (NOTE: The link goes to a current page that is updated daily at midnight so numbers may change.)
At present, though, most of the fires in British Columbia are centered around the Fraser Plateau. This image, taken by NASA's Aqua satellite was collected this natural-color image with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, MODIS, instrument on August 28, 2017. Each hot spot, which appears as a red mark, is an area where the thermal detectors on the MODIS instrument recognized temperatures higher than background. When accompanied by plumes of smoke, as in this image, such hot spots are diagnostic for fire.
Provided by NASA
The tunnel system of the European XFEL X-ray Free Electron laser near Hamburg.
A sleek, subterranean X-ray laser to be unveiled Friday in Germany, by far the most powerful in the world, has scientists in a dozen fields jostling to train its mighty beam on their projects.
European XFEL will revealand capture in imagessecrets at the sub-atomic level, promising breakthroughs in medicine, biology, energy, information technology and chemistry.
It will map the molecular architecture of viruses and cells; render three-dimensional nano-scale snapshots; and film chemical reactions as they unfold.
Earth scientists should be able to duplicate and study processes occurring deep inside planets, including our own.
"The laser is the biggest, and the most powerful, source of X-rays ever made," Olivier Napoly, a member of the French Atomic Energy Commission who helped build the complex, told AFP.
The European X-Ray Free Electron Laser, or XFEL, is lodged in a series of tunnels up to 38 metres (125 feet) underground near the city of Hamburg.
Its centrepiece is the world's longest1.7 kilometres (one mile)superconducting linear accelerator, designed to provide the energy needed to generate X-ray flashes a billion times brighter than the best conventional radiation sources.
That's 27,000 X-ray flashes per second, compared to the 120/sec produced by a laser of the same type at the US National Accelerator Laboratory in Stanford, California, and 60/sec generated by another in Japan.
For X-ray lasers, brilliance is measured in the number of photonssub-atomic light particles with no electric charge that move at the speed of lightgenerated at a certain radiation wavelength, from high-energy gamma- and X-rays, to low-energy infrared and radio waves.
The uber-laser is "like a camera and a microscope that will make it possible to see more tiny details and processes in the nanoworld than ever before," Robert Feidenhan'l, chairman of the European XFEL management board, told AFP.
Here's how it works: To generate X-ray flashes, bundles of electrons are first accelerated to high energies near the speed of light.
Overhead shot of the European XFEL X-ray Free Electron laser facility, near Hamburg, northern Germany.
Film-like sequences
The electronscharged with electrical powerthen race through an arrangement of magnets that force the particles onto a tight, swerving slalom course.
In the process, each individual electron emits X-ray radiation that becomes more and more amplified.
The electrons gradually gather into a multitude of ultra-thin discs, allowing them to emit their light in sync and produce extremely short, intense X-ray flashes of laser light.
Scientists working in the field of medicine are eager to train these flashes on the tiniest building blocks of living tissue, whether of humans or pathogens.
Like a mechanical machine with moving parts, biological molecules performing their respective tasks change structure. The ultra-short duration of XFEL pulses will create filmlike sequences that can record these changes as never before.
In the field of energy, scientists hope to use the high-powered lasers to improve the efficiency of solar and fuel cells.
The 1.5 billion euro ($1.7 billion) XFEL is a scaled-up version of a smaller, free-electron laser called FLASH, which has been in use since 2005.
Until 2009, it was the only machine of its kind to produce laser-like, shortwave ultraviolet radiation.
Spearheaded by Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, the Hamburg-based research centre that built FLASH, the European XFEL was born of an international agreement inked in 2009.
Ten European countries and Russia pitched in with cash and/or resources, and Britain has pledged to join the consortium soon.
Existing members include Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
First developed in 1977, free-electron lasersmeaning that the electrons have been separated from the nucleus of their atomsproduced a high-energy beam of electrons. The one built in Hamburg worked in the X-ray spectrum.
European XFEL is a so-called "fourth generation" laser of this type. The main difference with it's third-generation predecessor is the shift from a circular to a linear accelerator.
2017 AFP
Reconstruction of musculature inside the Zasphinctus sarowiwai ant. Credit: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
Biologists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have named three new, rare ant species in Africa after important figures in African biodiversity conservationa former United States president, a writer-activist, and a world-renowned scientist. Using new scanning technology for documenting species, the OIST researchers compiled scans of the ants to create 3D avatars, giving them, and their namesakes, a measure of immortality.
The first ant species, Zasphinctus obamai, was discovered in the Kakamega Forest National Park, Kenya, located near Mr. Barack Obama's ancestral family village. The OIST researchers chose to honor Mr. Obama for his prodigious contributions to global biodiversity conservation. The second species, Zasphinctus sarowiwai, was named after Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian writer and environmental activist who, after campaigning against irresponsible oil development, was executed in 1995. The third, Zasphinctus wilsoni, was named after biologist Edward O. Wilson, who is famous for his contributions to sociobiology, ant biology, evolution, and biodiversity conservation. Through his foundation, Wilson has contributed to the resurgence of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, which is one of Africa's most successful wildlife restoration stories.
To create the 3D avatars, "we used X-ray microtomography, or micro-CT, which is comparable to when you go to the doctor and get a CT scan but at much higher resolution, to scan very small insects," explains Dr. Francisco Hita Garcia, first author on the study and a member of the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit at OIST.
The OIST research team then compiled the scans into 3D reconstructions of the antsidentical to their originals down to the thinnest hair on the tiniest leg. The reconstructions hint at a future of virtual taxonomy with the potential to alleviate issues of time, money, and specimen damage, and realize new horizons of inquiry into hard-to-reach details, such as the thickness of an ant's exoskeleton.
The following link shows an interactive model of a whole-body 3D reconstruction of the Obama ant: Zasphinctus obamai. (sketchfab.com/models/dfe15a585 4be89cdeff7f9713091c.) It is an exact replica of a physical specimen that the OIST researchers collected during field work in the Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya and scanned using micro-CT.
Reconstruction of musculature inside the Zasphinctus sarowiwai ant. This image shows a 3D reconstruction of the arrangement of muscles inside the Zasphinctus sarowiwai ant, shown in red, and the stinger, showed in green. This ant species has many muscles in the abdomen, which suggests that its sting is quite powerful and functional for predation. Credit: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
There are plenty of advantages to creating these models. For example, since they are made using micro-CT technology, the original, physical specimens are recreated on both the outside and inside. As such, if researchers wanted to study the way the inside of an ant's mouth is organized, they could simply virtually remove the outside parts that are in the waysomething that cannot be done on a physical specimen without damaging it. In their study, the OIST researchers did precisely this.
In addition to reconstructing and examining the ants' mouthparts, the OIST researchers also visualized the muscles inside of the ants' bodies and measured the thickness of their skin, called the cuticle, all with the help of the virtually reconstructed 3D models.
"We saw things that nobody ever looked at," Dr. Hita Garcia explains, and through those new observations the research team was able to confirm details about the ants' lifestyles. Other species of Zasphinctus from outside Africa are known to be predators of other ants, and the mouthparts, musculature, and skin-thickness data from the OIST researchers' study all provide evidence that the African Zasphinctus ants are top predators as well. "Normally when you describe a new species, you don't know much about its biology," Dr. Hita Garcia explains, but with the 3D reconstructions researchers can discover details right away.
Another advantage of 3D models is that they can be easily accessed from anywhere. Especially for specimens that are rare, examining them requires a lot of time and money to coordinatesuch as an expensive plane ticket to visit a museum in Nairobi. This is not the case with the 3D models. "If someone wants to see the Obama ant, they can download it, look at it, and 3D print it," Dr. Hita Garcia explains. All of the 3D material that the OIST researchers created can be found and freely accessed at the Dryad Digital Repository: datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.4s3v1.
Yet despite advances in scanning capabilities, the world of virtual taxonomy is not yet ready to be realized. For one, there are not enough research labs and institutes that provide access to micro-CT scanners. "We have millions of species on the planet, but we have 3D models for only a handful," Dr. Hita Garcia explains. The technology is ready, the scientific community just needs the means and incentive to apply it, as well as to embrace it.
Until that future arrives, however, the OIST researchers can focus on using the unique names of the three new ants for altruistic purposes. "Since these ants are from very threatened habitats in Africa, we wanted to pick names that draw attention to the environment, and not just the ants," Dr. Hita Garcia explains. The rainforests in equatorial Africa, as well as the savannah in Mozambique, needs to be protected before the habitats and animals living within them are destroyed.
More information: Francisco Hita Garcia et al. Next-generation morphological character discovery and evaluation: an X-ray micro-CT enhanced revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Afrotropics, ZooKeys (2017). DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.693.13012 datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.4s3v1. Journal information: ZooKeys
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Edwin Ng, CEO of KinerjaPay Corp. commented on the announcement, We are excited to launch this feature as we welcome Eid al-Adha, the festival marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The Muslim community makes up approximately 87% of the Indonesian population, and by partnering with three of Indonesias most reputable charity institutions, we have enabled our customers to make donations and participate in Qurbani directly through the KinerjaPay App.
Fitriansyah Agus, Head of the National Retail Division of Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (Baznas) stated, Our partnership with KinerjaPay will facilitate users ability to contribute to Baznas and other organizations that service the neediest among us. I am hopeful that this convenience will motivate users to make donations, which all goes to help reduce poverty across the country.
Irvan Nugraha, Marketing Director of Rumah Zakat, commented that We welcome the opportunity to work with others who have the same vision and mission as Rumah Zakat; supporting community empowerment programs in education, health, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability initiatives. I am optimist that our relationship with KinerjaPay will attract more donors to our cause.
Dompet Dhuafa, the third organization in the announced partnership, is a non-profit institution that is also engaged in Zakat, Infaq, charity, and endowments. The more institutions participating in the effort to raise awareness and funds, the easier it will be for Dompet Dhuafa to serve the community. We look forward to working with the team at KinerjaPay to accomplish those objectives, said Urip Budiarto, General Manager of Ziskur Mobilization at Dompet Dhuafa.
Mr. Ng concluded, The ways that consumers use digital platforms to conduct financial transactions, such as banking and shopping, continues to evolve. KinerjaPay is always looking for ways to expand our traditional ecommerce services in order to best service the needs of our user-base for both consumers and affiliates. Our success has been reflected in the Companys financial performance; KinerjaPay recorded a 40% increase in transactions in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the last quarter of 2016.
About KinerjaPay
KinerjaPay enables consumers to Pay, Play and Buy through its secure web portal and mobile applications. Based in Indonesia, the Company provides easy and convenient payment solution while shopping online at its marketplace platform. With its current omni-channel platform, users can perform various payment services such as credit card bill payment, utility, phone bill, healthcare insurance and direct transfer to anyone at their convenience. KinerjaPay is also planning to launch other eCommerce verticals such as travel market, delivery services, and online gaming in the near future. The Companys services are available through its mobile applications and on its website at http://www.kinerjapay.com.
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PacSun partners with PredictSpring to launch fast mobile app
ANAHEIM, Calif.(BUSINESS WIRE)Pacific Sunwear of California, LLC, a leading specialty retailer offering a cross-section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of Los Angeles, today announced that it has launched a new mobile app experience through a partnership with PredictSpring, a mobile commerce leader.
Users of the app, powered by PredictSpring, will benefit from notable features including Instagram Shop-the-Look, where consumers can easily browse and purchase directly from the PacSun Instagram feed; loyalty integration, where members of PacSuns loyalty community can easily view and manage their myGSOM REWARDS points and activity. The app also offers users access to wishlists and a store locator, and incorporates push and geo-fenced notifications to keep customers engaged and drive purchases via the app and in-store.
Mobile plays an important role in consumers everyday lives, and we know that translates to when and where they are shopping, said Eugene Lai, Director of Digital of PacSun. Since partnering with PredictSpring, PacSun has increased YoY app revenue by 45.8%* and we have enhanced our app experience to engage with our customers in a meaningful way.
PacSun is a renowned contemporary retailer, and we are thrilled to partner with them to provide an exceptionally fast and visually rich app experience that their millennial and mobile savvy consumer has come to demand, said Nitin Mangtani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PredictSpring. We have also simplified online merchandising and creative processes, empowering business users to make quick and effortless updates to products and content without lengthy development cycles.
The integration of PredictSpring with Salesforce Commerce Cloud allowed for the rapid go-to-market of the PacSun mobile app a factor that proved critical to the apps immediate success.
The PacSun app is now available for download in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
*YoY app revenue reflects July 2016 vs July 2017
About Pacific Sunwear of California, LLC
Pacific Sunwear of California, LLC. and its subsidiaries (collectively, PacSun or the Company) are a leading specialty retailer delivering a curated collection of the most relevant brands and styles to a community of inspired youth through its unique 34 year heritage at the center of California lifestyle. The Company sells a combination of branded and proprietary casual apparel, accessories and footwear designed to appeal to teens and young adults. As of September 7, 2016, the Company operates 583 stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. PacSuns website address is www.pacsun.com.
About PredictSpring
PredictSpring is one of the fastest mobile commerce platforms designed exclusively for brands and retailers. Its innovative technology powers native mobile and in-store apps with Instant Search, Dynamic CMS, and One-Touch Checkout. PredictSpring Clienteling and Endless Aisle solutions digitize the in-store experience by providing store associates the ability to connect with their customers in a highly personalized way.
Founded by the visionary behind Google Shopping and other early mobile commerce pioneers, PredictSpring provides a seamless omni-channel experience to help consumers shop anywhere, anytime with a single touch of a button.
PredictSpring powers mobile commerce for the worlds leading retailers and brands, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Cole Haan, Vineyard Vines, PacSun, New York & Company, Skechers, Charlotte Russe, and Claires. To learn more, visit predictspring.com.
Salesforce, Commerce Cloud and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce.com, inc.
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ShopKeep Announces Cash Advanced Program, ShopKeep Capital
August 30, 2017 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK(BUSINESS WIRE)ShopKeep, the cloud-based technology solution that transforms an iPad into a smart, connected cash register that is used by more than 24,000 independent businesses, today announced the launch of ShopKeep Capital, a merchant cash advance service. The new service helps small business owners overcome one of the largest challenges that stands in their way of growth lack of easy access to capital.
Through ShopKeep Capital, select eligible merchants across ShopKeeps customer base will have the opportunity to request a cash advance that can be used towards a variety of business needs, such as purchasing extra inventory, building a new website, expanding their employee base, investing in marketing initiatives and more.
Difficulty accessing capital is an issue most businesses are familiar with, but for the independent merchants we serve, the issue carries even more weight. Having access to funds when needed can be the determining factor as to whether or not a merchant can expand their business, said Michael DeSimone, ShopKeep CEO and President. ShopKeeps mission has been to innovatively support the growth of the independent businesses we serve while making the lives of their owners and staff easier. ShopKeep Capital will serve as another critical pillar in serving that cause and we look forward to seeing our customers grow and succeed with the help of a boost from ShopKeep.
One of the key benefits of the ShopKeep Capital program is that merchants will not be subject to fixed, monthly payments. ShopKeep customers will enjoy a simple, seamless process, with a set percentage of the proceeds from their daily sales going to pay the balance until the advance has been paid. This works in the customers favor, particularly if the businesses sales volume is highly variable, because payment amounts are driven by sales volume and are not fixed.
The ShopKeep Point of Sale serves as the core component of a merchants daily operations, helping them run a more efficient business and providing valuable data that can drive more informed decisions. This unique view into its merchants business enables ShopKeep with the ability to identify qualified merchants who could benefit from extra capital, while avoiding risks typically associated with traditional loans.
We are uniquely equipped to make very well-informed decisions as they relate to our customers and ShopKeep Capital. This service will make for a strong addition to our core business and contribute to our greater mission of supporting the success and growth of our customers, added DeSimone.
About ShopKeep
Everything ShopKeep does supports growing and independent businesses. Built by and for small business owners, ShopKeep provides an intuitive, secure, iPad point-of-sale system with POS software that empowers merchants to run smarter businesses by optimizing staffing, managing inventory and accessing real time sales reports and customer information on one seamless, cloud-based platform. With more than 24,000 customers, ShopKeeps award-winning customer care team is available to help 24/7 and provides a robust support network for growing business owners. ShopKeep is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Portland (OR), Chicago (IL), and Belfast (NIR). Visit www.shopkeep.com to learn more about ShopKeeps POS system. You can also join the conversation on the ShopKeep blog and follow us @ShopKeep on Twitter.
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Smart & Final Launches Delivery E-Commerce Site Shop.smartandfinal.com Powered By Instacart
COMMERCE, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ Smart & Final Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SFS), the neighborhood warehouse grocery store, has launched its own delivery platform at shop.smartandfinal.com Powered by Instacart, the technology-driven, nationwide on-demand grocery delivery service. The e-commerce website is part of a renewed collaboration between Smart & Final and Instacart, who announced today they have signed an expanded partnership contract.
Smart & Final and Instacart first joined forces to bring same-day grocery delivery to customers in March 2015. Based on the strong, consistent results including 15 times sales growth since that initial collaboration Smart & Final is doubling down on the partnership, giving customers the option to pair the club stores everyday low prices and farmers market freshness as experienced in-store with the added convenience of delivery straight to customers doorsteps.
Theres no question that there is an increasing emphasis on online ordering and delivery in the grocery space, as todays customer wants and deserves convenience, said Eleanor Hong, Smart & Finals Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer. Today, over half of our 253 Smart & Final stores offer delivery, both for household and business customers, and we continue to expand that reach as far as our partners at Instacart can offer it. Were enthusiastic about delivery, and through our new e-commerce site Powered by Instacart, we can give our online customers a platform to search, explore and order delivery directly from Smart & Final.
Smart & Final customers across Arizona, California and Nevada can now visit shop.smartandfinal.com to fill their virtual carts with all their favorite items, from farmers market fresh produce and quality meats to club-size essentials, and have them delivered same-day, often in as little as an hour. Customers who place orders on the Smart & Final Powered by Instacart site will enjoy the same great everyday low prices that they enjoy when shopping in person, while getting back something truly valuable: time.
Part of Instacarts mission to partner with the best retailers across the nation is the commitment to provide them with the best e-commerce experience, said Nilam Ganenthiran, Instacarts Chief Business Officer. We are thrilled to extend our partnership with a premier quality brand like Smart & Final and continue the success we are seeing with value grocers on the Instacart platform.
About Smart & Final
Smart & Final Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SFS), is a value-oriented food and everyday staples retailer, headquartered in Commerce (near Los Angeles), California. The Company offers quality products in a variety of sizes, saving household, nonprofit and business customers time and money. As of June 18, 2017, the Company operated 314 grocery and foodservice stores under the Smart & Final, Smart & Final Extra! and Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice banners in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Utah, with an additional 15 stores in Northwestern Mexico operated through a joint venture. In business for over 145 years, the Company remains committed to giving back to local communities through employee volunteer opportunities and Company donations to local nonprofits.
About Instacart
Instacart helps people cross grocery shopping off their to-do lists with just a few clicks. Customers use the Instacart website or app to fill their virtual shopping cart with items from their favorite, local stores and Instacart connects them with shoppers who hand pick the items and deliver them straight to their door. Founded in San Francisco in 2012, Instacart has quickly scaled to over 110 markets nationwide and partnered with retailers across the United States, including popular national chains as well as local, regional grocers. By combining a personal touch with cutting-edge technology, Instacart offers customers a simple solution to save time and eat fresh food from the most trusted grocery brands. Instacart is the only grocery service that can meet todays on-demand lifestyle by delivering in as little as one hour. First delivery is free at www.instacart.com.
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Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether
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The Milwaukee Police Department fails the community and its own officers by not communicating clearly, making too many traffic stops and applying inconsistent standards when disciplining officers, according to a draft of a federal report obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The draft report offers a particularly damning critique of Chief Edward Flynn's reliance on data, a signature component of his strategy since he took over the department in 2008. Federal evaluators found this approach is having a damaging, if unintended, effect on police-community relations.
MPDs attention to crime data has distracted the department from the primary tenet of modern policing: trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve, the draft report states.
Whats more, many officers dont know what community policing is and dont think its part of their jobs even though Flynn promised when he was sworn in nine years ago that the department would implement it.
The draft report is the result of a U.S. Department of Justice review known as a collaborative reform initiative a voluntary, non-adversarial process aimed at improving the community's trust in the Police Department.
Calvin Mattheis / for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn speaks during a news conference to announce the launch of the U.S. Department of Justice collaborative reform process with the Milwaukee Police Department on Dec. 17, 2015.
Journal Sentinel file photo The president of the Milwaukee Police Association told the Fire and Police Commission in 2016 that MPD officials had established a quota of at least two stops a day.
Flynn requested the review in November 2015 amid public outcry after federal prosecutors declined to charge a now-fired officer in the on-duty fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton in Red Arrow Park.
Since then, the fatal police shooting of Sylville Smith in August 2016 sparked two nights of violent unrest in the Sherman Park neighborhood and the ACLU of Wisconsin filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the department of illegal stop-and-frisks targeting African-Americans and Latinos.
It's important to note that the draft report obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offers a snapshot in time. It is not dated, but it appears to have been written in mid-2016, based on context and on the data sets used.
More recent drafts likely have been written, incorporating context and feedback from police officials, correcting mistakes in earlier drafts, and updating information. For example, the draft report did not mention federally funded efforts at community policing that have shown results in reducing crime in the Washington Park and Amani neighborhoods, a success the department would likely want to highlight.
It's also unclear if federal evaluators intended to address the shooting of Smith and its aftermath in subsequent versions of the report. In the meantime, Flynn persuaded the conservative Bradley Foundation to hire one of his mentors to evaluate the department's actions in the wake of the shooting.
Flynn declined to talk with reporters Tuesday.
His spokesman released a statement attributed to Flynn that said, in part: "The initial report was riddled with erroneous assertions and inaccurate data. MPD worked in true collaboration with DOJ consultants to rectify these errors. The results of that work are contained in the final report which remains at the Department of Justice.
"I have been requesting the report for months as I want the Milwaukee Police Departments efforts accurately portrayed. It is my goal to move forward with the recommendations for reform rather than to be mired in the need to refute errors I have been assured have been corrected."
However, the department refused to provide the Journal Sentinel with items Flynn or others contended were inaccurate in the draft. And neither the Police Department nor the Justice Department has released subsequent drafts, much less a final one.
The draft made available to the Journal Sentinel validates concerns voiced for years by residents and officers alike concerns that have continued to percolate since Flynn first asked for the review. It includes analysis by the Justice Department that incorporates data from Police Department members, city residents and community groups. And it sheds light on at least the direction of the review at a time when skepticism has grown among community leaders and public officials about whether a final report ever will be released.
Federal officials did not make good on their estimate that an initial report would be released in January. Since then, they have declined to give a timetable for finishing the review. Further, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has signaled that police reform is not a priority, saying he believes in local control and local accountability, and adding that federal officials have no role in managing local law enforcement.
Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn holds a roll call and inspects the rows of Milwaukee Police bicycle officers as part of "Operation School's Out" in 2011.
Community policing
Throughout his tenure, Flynn has touted partnerships with large nonprofits, such as Sojourner Family Peace Center, which helps domestic violence victims; and Safe & Sound, which helps organize efforts such as block watches.
He has highlighted monthly crime and safety meetings in the police districts and the role of Community Liaison Officers, who frequently attend cookouts, neighborhood clean-ups, toy giveaways and other community events.
But those are one-off efforts not a guiding philosophy embedded within the department, according to the draft report.
Attending community meetings or giving away toys does not require establishing ongoing and collaborative relationships with community stakeholders to address the root causes of social issues that drive crime within Milwaukees neighborhoods, the evaluators wrote.
For police departments to prevent and solve crimes, all officers need to work routinely in partnership with residents to find solutions to problems. That's the definition of community policing.
And it often does not happen in Milwaukee, federal officials found.
Patrol officers cannot articulate what community policing is. Many of those who try say its the responsibility only of those assigned to outreach efforts.
Thats because the Milwaukee Police Department doesnt have a strategic plan for community policing or a set of guidelines regarding it, the draft report says. And department-wide training on how to implement the strategy has not been offered in years.
Federal evaluators highlighted one example of an attempt at community engagement that fell flat.
Officers held a roll-call, or shift change, outside a Milwaukee school. The stated purpose was to let kids know officers wanted them to have a safe summer. The problem? There were no kids in sight, not even student leaders.
The evaluators noted the event may even have sent the wrong message: That the students on summer break were a problem, and the police planned to deal with them.
Lack of diversity
Racial tensions between the department and the public are exacerbated by a lack of diversity in the policing ranks, according to the draft report.
Diversity Although African-Americans are 39% of the population, they account for about 17% of sworn officers.
Hispanics make up nearly 18% of the population, but just over 12% of sworn officers.
Women account for about 52% of the population, but account for less than 17% of sworn officers.
In general, the ranks of caption and above in the department have more diversity than lower ranks.
Diversity Although African-Americans are 39% of the population, they account for about 17% of sworn officers.
Hispanics make up nearly 18% of the population, but just over 12% of sworn officers.
Women account for about 52% of the population, but account for less than 17% of sworn officers.
In general, the ranks of caption and above in the department have more diversity than lower ranks.
And the hiring process is designed to screen out unqualified candidates, rather than identifying those who are most qualified for the job, the report says. MaryNell Regan, executive director of the civilian Fire and Police Commission which is responsible for hiring said it has developed a strategic plan for hiring more women and people of color, but federal reviewers never asked about it.
Racial disparities also existed in the results of surveys commissioned by the city, the report notes. While most residents were satisfied with their interactions with police, white respondents reported greater satisfaction than their non-white counterparts.
Those differences of opinion persisted during interviews and listening sessions conducted during the federal review. The report noted a consistent theme: African-Americans are subject to an unwritten rule in which they are questioned about their presence in certain areas of the city.
Journal Sentinel file photo The president of the Milwaukee Police Association told the Fire and Police Commission in 2016 that MPD officials had established a quota of at least two stops a day.
Traffic stops
The most common interactions between police and members of the public are traffic stops, with the department making nearly 150,000 in 2015.
Thats where the Milwaukee Police Department runs into a host of problems: a de facto quota system for issuing tickets; allegations of racial profiling; and complaints of bias and disrespect generated by curbing, a practice in which officers make drivers sit on the curb or sidewalk while their cars are searched.
Flynn has always been clear about his goal of a patrol-driven department with officers who focus on geographic areas where crime is concentrated, known as hotspots. The philosophy includes interrupting violence with traffic and pedestrian stops.
Traffic stops African-Americans are stopped three times more than white residents but account for only 2% more of the city's population than whites.
African-Americans represent 8% of the population in District 1, an area that covers downtown and the east side, but represent 66% of all traffic stops in the district from 2013 to 2015.
Overall, African-Americans were three times more likely to be searched when compared to white drivers, both with and without consent.
Traffic stops African-Americans are stopped three times more than white residents but account for only 2% more of the city's population than whites.
African-Americans represent 8% of the population in District 1, an area that covers downtown and the east side, but represent 66% of all traffic stops in the district from 2013 to 2015.
Overall, African-Americans were three times more likely to be searched when compared to white drivers, both with and without consent.
Traffic stop data is a regular fixture in weekly CompStat meetings, where the chief and his commanders scrutinize crime statistics and quiz district captains about what they are doing to address problems.
But many officers said they didnt think pulling over more cars reduced crime and they never heard the rationale fully explained. For some, an immense pressure to make more stops resulted in pulling over drivers who seemed easy to deal with and wouldnt take a lot of time to process.
Although high-ranking department officials publicly denied the existence of a quota system as recently as last year, and there isnt one on paper, officers said they felt they had to make two stops per shift or there would be some sort of retribution.
That fear, combined with a shortage of officers, has led some to engage in dangerous practices, the report says.
Officers told federal officials they often went hitch to hitch, or from one call to the next, during entire shifts. Because that left no time for traffic stops, officers said they sometimes didnt tell dispatchers they had finished an assignment until after they also pulled someone over.
This practice raises huge concerns for officer safety if one of those stops goes bad because dispatchers do not know where officers are. It also can create problems with transparency because there is no dispatch record of the traffic stop.
The emphasis on traffic stops also has raised concerns within the African-American community. In the past, Flynn has said racial disparities are the result of the citys demographics. He has produced maps showing that hotspots correspond with poverty, segregation and other social ills.
Nonetheless, the stops are straining relationships with residents, according to the report.
While they expressed their understanding that resources are focused in their community because crime is high, they felt that many innocent individuals are being stopped, harassed and detained unduly simply because they lived in the community, the report says.
We heard from teenagers and young adults that they are sometimes afraid of walking in their communities not because of the danger of crime but in fear of being stopped by the police.
Internal Investigations
The way the Police Department deals with officers suspected of misconduct also undermines the community's trust, the report says.
Internal affairs investigators and supervisors who evaluate officers use of force receive "no formal training," the report says.
The Police Department also does not have specific guidelines for conducting use-of-force investigations, specifically how investigations are conducted, what evidence should be collected, and which supporting materials are gathered, the report says.
Investigators are required to make audio or video recordings of statements from civilian witnesses, but not from officers who participated or who saw what happened.
Use of force The is a general decline in uses of force from 2011 to 2015.
In that time period, 11 officers used force 21 or more times.
African-Americans subjects are 118% more likely than white subjects to have a chemical agent, such as pepper spray, used against them by Milwaukee police instead of bodily force. The evaluators controlled for whether the person was armed, resisting or assaulting an officer unprovoked.
87% of uses of force involved someone reported to be "resisting," but the type and level of resistance is not known because of MPD reporting procedures.
Use of force The is a general decline in uses of force from 2011 to 2015.
In that time period, 11 officers used force 21 or more times.
African-Americans subjects are 118% more likely than white subjects to have a chemical agent, such as pepper spray, used against them by Milwaukee police instead of bodily force. The evaluators controlled for whether the person was armed, resisting or assaulting an officer unprovoked.
87% of uses of force involved someone reported to be "resisting," but the type and level of resistance is not known because of MPD reporting procedures.
Officers involved are often not interviewed by internal affairs for months, and they are allowed to review their earlier statements beforehand.
Tactics and decision-making were rarely addressed in use-of-force reviews, the report says.
The Justice Department also found shortcomings in the investigations of non-fatal police shootings, due in part to the fact that internal affairs does not participate in crime scene investigations. Those tasks are handled by the same division that investigates shootings by civilians. They then pass on their files to internal affairs.
When it comes to officer-involved shootings, the cases reviewed by the Justice Department were inconsistent and the documentation was inadequate.
In both non-fatal shootings and other uses of force, information about officers training, prior use of force, complaints and discipline were not included in internal affairs files.
That information also does not seem to have an effect on whether officers are promoted.
The report found that neither the department nor the civilian Fire and Police Commission which has the final say on hiring, serious discipline and promotions has a written directive that describes the procedures used for each element of the promotion process for sworn personnel.
Wisconsin law, the report points out, requires the civilian board to review all aspects and policies of the department annually something it has not done.
Regan did not answer a specific question about that contention.
She said the Justice Department "spent 99.5% of all the resources researching the MPD."
"They did not review the job announcements, the union contracts, reports, data, or the job descriptions, all of which were frequently updated," she said in an email. "The DOJ never interviewed a single FPC commissioner, recruiter, investigator, or other relevant staff member."
Discipline
Flynn has repeatedly said dishonesty is one of the most egregious offenses that can be committed by a member of law enforcement. He has fired people for lying.
Ladmarald Cates was investigated for misconduct 13 times before he raped a woman after responding to her 911 call in 2010. He is now in prison.
Ladmarald Cates was investigated for misconduct 13 times before he raped a woman after responding to her 911 call in 2010. He is now in prison.
However, there is no written department policy that says dishonesty in any matter of official police business is a terminable offense, the report says, and the ability to testify in court with credibility is not listed in the job description for officers.
At the same time, the departments Progressive Discipline Matrix, updated in 2008, allows several types of misconduct to be categorized as either minor or major, including excessive force, sexual harassment, filing false official reports or entering someone's residence without valid reason.
The ability to classify these actions as minor allows for "too much discretion, the report says.
There are two ways to file complaints about police: directly with the department or with the commission.
The federal investigators did not study the commission's process, Regan said.
In terms of complaints to the department, supervisors have too much latitude, according to the report.
Under department rules, supervisors may decide upfront, before any investigation is done, that a complaint form should not be filed because the allegation does not rise to the level of a standard operating procedure or code of conduct violation.
The evaluators noted "accepting all complaints is crucial to ensuring transparency and community trust in the complaint process."
Discipline From 2011 to 2015, eight officers were accused of misconduct 10 or more times.
One officer racked up 86 complaints during that time.
From 2011 to 2015, about 19% of all misconduct allegations filed by community members were sustained by the Police Department. Of those, formal disciplinary action was taken about 30% of cases.
The proportion of African Americans and Latinos whose complaints received an outcome of "not sustained" was 79.7%, compared to only 20.3% of whites.
Discipline From 2011 to 2015, eight officers were accused of misconduct 10 or more times.
One officer racked up 86 complaints during that time.
From 2011 to 2015, about 19% of all misconduct allegations filed by community members were sustained by the Police Department. Of those, formal disciplinary action was taken about 30% of cases.
The proportion of African Americans and Latinos whose complaints received an outcome of "not sustained" was 79.7%, compared to only 20.3% of whites.
For the department overall, complaints increased from 2011 to 2012 but decreased for the next three years, the report says.
Flynn has long characterized the reduction as evidence that the departments relationship with residents is improving. But evaluators pointed out the data "does not provide any insight into the reasons why community complaints decreased.
During the time period studied by the Justice Department, about 19% of misconduct complaints were sustained. Even then, only about one-third of those officers were subjected to formal disciplinary action.
There is a perception that the current process favors police personnel, the report says.
When complaints are not sustained, they are tracked under the departments Early Intervention Program, designed to identify potentially troubled officers.
But the system flags only officers with three hits in 90 days. As a result, it has missed officers with long histories of misconduct such as Ladmarald Cates, who had been investigated 13 times before he raped a woman after responding to her 911 call in 2010.
The department acknowledged in 2012 that the system which also keeps track of squad accidents, uses of force, pursuits and sick leave was ineffective.
However, this is still a concern at present, the report says. Failing to flag officers who exceed benchmarks is problematic, because without any intervention from their supervisors, unwanted actions or behaviors by officers will likely continue.
Every night, and sometimes during the day, Jan Manders would hear her missing daughters voice: Mom. Mom. Mommy! Mom!
Her baby was alive, Jan knew. Her beautiful, curious child wanted Jan to find her, to save her, to bring her home.
Jan couldnt sleep; the cries in her head kept her awake.
Then, about three weeks after 2 -year-old Michelle disappeared from her bedroom in the middle of the night, the voice fell silent.
Not long after that, on Nov. 5, 1981, Jan and her other two young children were sitting at the kitchen table, about to eat lunch, when they heard a knock at the door.
Family photo Michelle Manders sits on her mother, Jan Manders, lap.
Jan opened it to find three people standing on the porch: Two police officers and a meter maid.
The meter maid took the children into another room. Then the officers gave Jan the news: They had found Michelles body entangled in some brush on the bank of the Rock River about two miles away. She was still wearing her new pink pajamas.
Jan fell to the floor and crawled under the table.
Not my baby.
A scream. A wail. A whisper.
Not my baby. Not my baby.
The Rock River forms an upside-down V through the center of Watertown. Situated about halfway between Milwaukee and Madison, the city had a population of about 18,000 when Michelle vanished more than three decades ago.
Back then, the residents most of whom lived on the Jefferson County side of Division Street thought of violent crime as something that happened elsewhere. The police spent most days dealing with car crashes and picking up teenagers whod skipped school. On Halloween, all but a few kids knocked on doors alone, while their parents stayed home to hand out the treats.
Voice of Gina Barton Click to hear more about Jan's locked doors
Voice of Gina Barton Click to hear more about Jan's locked doors
Jan locked her doors at night, perhaps because she'd lived in Chicago as a teenager. But her oldest child, Christopher, walked about half a mile to Webster Elementary by himself for first grade. And if they had enough change, he led his little sisters from their familys duplex on Clyman Street to the Clark station a block away to buy candy.
Then Michelle vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night.
During the 22 days the little girl was missing, reporters covered every twist in the case. On days without new details, they rehashed the old ones, with the police chief pleading for tips and Michelles parents begging for her safe return.
Over the previous seven years, four teenagers had turned up murdered or missing in Jefferson County, their cases all unsolved.
No one in Watertown wanted to believe something like that could happen to a 2 -year-old girl.
The first cold case involved high school junior Cathy Sjoberg, who was last seen at an after-prom party at a banquet hall called the Concord House in 1974.
During the party, Sjoberg, who was scheduled to serve as maid of honor at her mothers wedding the following week, walked outside after an argument with her boyfriend and vanished.
Five years later, in 1979, the body of Milwaukee teenager Jay Kelly Flom was found in a ditch near the farm town of Ixonia, about 10 miles from Watertown. He had been shot in the back of the head.
The authorities suspected revenge. Flom, 18, had testified for the defense at a 15-year-olds murder trial 10 days earlier; the boy was acquitted.
Police had no reason to think Sjobergs disappearance and Floms death could be connected until another crime seemed to tie them together.
In 1980, teenage sweethearts Timothy Hack and Kelly Drew disappeared from a wedding reception at the Concord House the same place where Sjoberg was last seen.
Their bodies were later found at the edge of a forest near a cornfield in Ixonia, the town where Floms remains ended up.
Clip courtesy of Richard Reynolds Newspaper clipping showing a photo of the police removing Michelle Manders body from the river where she was found.
That field was just five miles from the riverbank where, in early November 1981, a search team spotted a swath of pink.
When Michelles mother first reported her missing, the police thought she had simply wandered off. She had done so before.
Watertown Police Chief Richard Reynolds asked residents to search their property for places a child could hide and to report anything out of the ordinary. Their efforts turned up suspected burglars and car thieves, but no sign of the little girl.
Voice of Richard Reynolds Click to hear more about the search for Michelle
Voice of Richard Reynolds Click to hear more about the search for Michelle
With each passing day, the possibility that shed simply gotten lost became less and less likely. After six days, authorities felt sure Michelle had been kidnapped.
If she had walked away from her home, someone would have seen her, Reynolds told reporters at the time. If shed fallen into the river, her body would have surfaced by then.
When Michelles remains were finally recovered and an autopsy was conducted three weeks after she vanished, Reynolds, along with state and federal investigators, abandoned their suspicions that she had been abducted.
Robert W. Huntington III, a pathologist from Madison who examined the body, summed up his findings this way:
"Changes very consistent with drowning "
"Water-soaked clothes and skin"
"No proof of pre-mortem trauma"
During his examination of Michelle's body, Huntington found a possible hemorrhage in her skull and bleeding near the middle ear. Although those injuries could have been caused by smothering or even strangling, Huntington concluded they fit best with drowning followed by prolonged exposure to the water.
And while there was no proof the injuries had occurred before Michelle's death, there was no solid evidence they occurred afterward, either.
There was no sign of sexual assault.
This child must appear, by reasonable process of exclusion, to have drowned, Huntington wrote.
In other words, drowning was the most likely explanation for how Michelle died, and there was no other obvious cause.
The pathologist could not determine when Michelle died or how long she had been in the river.
DNA wasnt used to solve crimes back then. Even if it had been, the water likely would have degraded any genetic trace of an abductor.
Huntingtons report did not rule the death an accident, nor did he call it a homicide.
Left unanswered was the most obvious question: How did Michelle end up in the water?
Note that this only concerns my own imagery posted here, not imagery by others which I post with permission (the latter are clearly indicated as such in the subscripts)!
Excerpt from United Nations resolution 2222 (XXI)
Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
In order to promote international co-operation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, States Parties to the Treaty conducting activities in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, agree to inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of the nature, conduct, locations and results of such activities. On receiving the said information, the Secretary-General of the United Nations should be prepared to disseminate it immediately and effectively.
A member of Singapores Parsi community leading children in a Zoroastrian prayer. (PHOTO: Nurul Amirah Haris)
by Nicholas Yong and Andre He
How much do you know about the diversity of faiths in Singapore? In this series, Yahoo News Singapore explores the lesser-known rituals and branches of religions in the country.
There are only about 300 Parsis of the Zoroastrian faith, one of the countrys 10 official religions, in Singapore. But they represent a heritage that goes back thousands of years, and a religion that pre-dates Christianity and Islam.
We are one of the smallest communities, not only in Singapore but in the world, said student Zeena Avari, 16, at a gathering of the Parsi community in Singapore in late August.
You kind of are on the verge of extinction, so you really want to uphold this tradition. You want to keep this community moving forward.
Zoroastrianism began in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) with the emergence of the prophet Zarathustra Spitama, also called Zoroaster. While there is no academic consensus, many scholars think Zarathustra lived between 1,500 and 1,000 BCE. He founded one of the worlds first monotheistic religions after receiving a revelation of a god named Ahura Mazda, which combines a Sanskrit word for Lord and Zarathustras own term for magnificent creator.
The faith became Persias dominant religion under the rule of kings such as Cyrus the Great, who is mentioned in the Bible as the deliverer of Jews in captivity. The three main tenets of the religion: good thoughts, good words and good deeds.
Zoroastrians worship in fire temples, where a sacred flame burns constantly, as fire represents truth and purity. Other practices include sky burial, or leaving dead bodies on mountaintops to be consumed by vultures.
A Tower of Silence, where sky burials were once carried out, in Yazd, Iran. (PHOTO: Gillian Ang)
We believe that once you bury a body in the ground, you pollute the ground for 100 years, explained Inter-Religious Organisation president Rustom Ghadiali, 82, of the practice that still survives among Zoroastrian communities in parts of India. Most Zoroastrians now bury or cremate their dead.
Story continues
When the Persian empire fell to the Arab caliphs around the 7th century CE, Islam became the dominant religion. A century later, fearing persecution, some Zoroastrians left Persia and eventually landed on Diu Island off the western coast of India. They later sailed to Sanjan on the mainland.
They migrated to India. And because we came from the province of Pars in Iran, we were called Parsis, explained orthopaedic surgeon Pesi Chacha, 79.
Today, there are an estimated 190,000 Zoroastrians worldwide, who can be found in places ranging from India to Iran to Russia.
(video by Nurul Amirah Haris)
Commemorating Pateti
On 19 August, about 170 members of Singapores Parsi community came together at the Holiday Inn Singapore to mark Pateti. According to the Shenshai calendar, it is the day before Nowruz, or the New Year. It is a day for reflection and repentance, while the eight to 10 days before Pateti are marked by prayers for the dead.
It was a colourful occasion for what is clearly a tight-knit community, with many of the women decked out in saris, reflecting the Indian influence on their culture. Many of the children present were ushered onstage to kick off proceedings with a short prayer, asking for blessings and a good future. There were also many greetings of Navroz Mubarak, or Happy new year.
One of the attendees was actress Daisy Irani, 58, well-known for her role in the popular 1990s sitcom Under One Roof. The founder of Hum Theatre said she is always heartened to see the community coming together, and lauded the fact that its younger members are well-travelled and more accepting of other religions.
Its nice and its the correct thing to hold on to your values, to hold on to your traditions, at the same time, being open, accepting, said Irani. But I think right now there is a group that yet feels very strongly that No, its a patriarchal religion and if a girl gets married outside, her progeny cannot become a part of the community.
So that I think is a debate which is not going to go away.
Orthodox Zoroastrians are opposed to marrying outside the community. Spouses of those who do so are not considered members of these communities and are not allowed to take part in its rituals or activities. There is also no conversion into the religion.
Irani, who is originally from Mumbai, has painful memories of her fathers death some four decades ago. His body was taken to a Tower of Silence, a raised circular structure where air burials are carried out. But Iranis mother was not allowed inside as she was a Hindu.
I was like, oh my god. She wants to be there but because shes not a Zoroastrian, she was not allowed inside, she said.
Actress Daisy Irani at the recent Zoroastrian gathering. (PHOTO: Nurul Amirah Haris)
Singapores Zoroastrian community
But times have changed, and many Zoroastrian communities worldwide have moved with them. According to Ghadiali, about a third of the Parsi community here is married to outsiders, including his two daughters. Non-Zoroastrian spouses are also allowed to be associate members of the Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore (PZAS).
And while sky burials are not allowed in Singapore, there has been a Parsi burial ground in Singapore since 1828. Asked if it is difficult for the Parsi community to preserve its traditions and practices, Ghadali laments the lack of a fire temple in Singapore.
There is no place here to teach (our children) about the religion. It is a very different story when you have a temple. A permanent place (and) a priest there to give answers.
Nevertheless, younger adherents like Zeena Avari take pride in their identity. In Singapore, not many people know what it is. So normally when you say Im Parsi, theyd be like, Whats that? I dont know what that is.
Then when you explain it to them, you really do take pride in it. Its like giving them a part of you.
This story has been amended to reflect the dates of the emergence of Zarathustra and the final conquest of the Persian empire by the Arab caliphs.
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China said Tuesday that its troops would continue to patrol a disputed Himalayan border area after resolving a months-long military stand-off there with India. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying refused to disclose future plans for the road project that had triggered the confrontation on the remote Doklam plateau. "I've said that Chinese border troops will continue to be stationed and patrol in Doklam and we will continue to exercise our sovereignty according to historical conventions," Hua told a regular press briefing. The standoff began in mid-June after Chinese troops started building a road in the area, which is disputed between China and India's ally, Bhutan. India itself does not claim the territory but has a military presence in Bhutan. The Indian government announced on Monday that Beijing and New Delhi had agreed to pull back back their border forces. When asked whether China would halt road-building, Hua told reporters: "We'll take into consideration all relevant factors, including weather, to make any infrastructure plans -- including road-building." The border tensions eased days before India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to China for a summit of the BRICS group of countries, which also include Brazil, Russia and South Africa. When asked if the border issue was settled in order to avoid conflict at the BRICS meetings, Hua only said that "ensuring the success of the summit serves interests of all relevant parties". Bhutan separately expressed relief the crisis was apparently over. The tiny Himalayan country of fewer than a million people had been caught in the middle of what some analysts called the worst crisis in India-China relations in decades. "Bhutan welcomes the disengagement by the two sides at the face-off site in the Doklam area," its foreign ministry said. "We hope this contributes to the maintenance of peace and tranquility and status quo along the borders of Bhutan, China and India, in keeping with existing agreements between the respective countries."
Fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra hit out at "tyranny" on Wednesday via a cryptic tweet quoting a French Enlightenment thinker, in his first comments since his sister fled overseas. Yingluck Shinawatra, who like her brother was ousted from the post of prime minister by a coup, dramatically disappeared before a court was about to deliver judgement in a criminal negligence trial. Party and junta sources say she went to join her brother, who lives in self-exile in Dubai. On Wednesday Thaksin broke a long public silence, issuing tweets in both English and Thai that quoted 18th century French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu. "Montesquieu once said 'There is no crueller tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice'," he wrote on his Twitter account. It is the first time Thaksin has used Twitter in more than two years, in an apparent swipe at the military rulers who forced him out of office in 2006 and toppled his sister's administration in 2014. The message quickly went viral on Thai social media and was retweeted more than 4,000 times within five hours. One striking endorsement came from Princess Ubolratana, the oldest daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thaksin's youngest daughter Paetongtarn reposted her father's tweet on her Instagram page under which Princess Ubolratana wrote: "I agree!!! Su Su". (Su means "fight" in Thai). Yingluck faced up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics had she been convicted by the Supreme Court last Friday. But she failed to appear, forcing the court to delay its ruling and issue a warrant for her arrest. Thaksin fled overseas in 2008, two years after the coup that toppled him, to escape a graft conviction he says was politically motivated. "That tweet after so long reflects Thaksin's anger," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and an academic at Kyoto University. "I suspect Yingluck and Thaksin will continue to find a political space in Thailand (from overseas)... they want to take revenge" on their enemies, he added. The Shinawatra political dynasty began under Thaksin in 2001 with a series of groundbreaking welfare schemes that won them votes and the loyalty of the rural poor. But their popularity rattled the royalist and army-aligned elite, who assailed successive governments linked to the clan with coups, court cases and protests. The period since the first coup has been dubbed the "Lost Decade", with frequent deadly street protests, short-lived governments and the return of entrenched military rule.
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Venezuela on Wednesday offered $5 million worth of aid for people affected by hurricane Harvey in the United States, calling it a gesture of "solidarity" despite recent US sanctions against Caracas. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said funds would be made available from Citgo, the US subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. Washington has slapped sanctions on PDVSA, part of a series of measures against Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro over his handling of a deadly political crisis. Arreaza cited a previous program under which Venezuela provided heating fuel to victims of the deadly hurricane Katrina in 2005. "On the basis of that precedent, there will be direct support from Citgo, a contribution of up to $5 million to support families affected in Houston and Corpus Christi," Texas, he said on television. "This is an expression of solidarity by Venezuela, beyond any political differences we have, in the face of a devastating phenomenon." He also proposed that Citgo use some of its revenues to help rebuild homes damaged by the hurricane. Venezuela is suffering an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food and medicine. International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in order to resist opposition pressure for him to quit.
The widespread rights abuses committed against protesters in Venezuela has left democracy "barely alive", the UN said Wednesday, after France branded the Caracas regime a "dictatorship." A fresh UN report warned that the rights situation in Venezuela was at "grave risk" of unravelling further as the authorities continue to brutally repress demonstrators, and urged international action. Recent actions by Venezuela's authorities "support the feeling that what is left of democratic life in Venezuela is being squeezed", UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told reporters in Geneva, where the report was launched. Democracy in Venezuela "must be barely alive, if still alive", Zeid said. He did not go as far as French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Tuesday accused his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro of creating a "dictatorship ... at an unprecedented humanitarian cost", in one of the harshest condemnations yet of the South American regime by a European leader. Caracas hit back against Macron on Wednesday, with the foreign ministry expressing "firm rejection of the deplorable comments" by the French leader. "They constitute clear interference in the internal affairs" of Venezuela, it said in a statement. - 'Crush dissent' - The UN report accused Venezuelan authorities of implementing a policy of repression to crack down on months of street protests against Maduro. "The generalised and systematic use of excessive force during demonstrations and the arbitrary detention of protesters and perceived political opponents indicate that these were not the illegal or rogue acts of isolated officials," it said. The extent of violations "in our view point to the existence of a policy to crush dissent and instil fear in the population with the intention of curbing these demonstrations," one of the report authors, Herman Vales, told reporters. Venezuela, which is suffering from an acute economic crisis marked by shortages of basic goods, has experienced months of deadly street demonstrations against Maduro that have left 125 people dead, according to prosecutors. Wednesday's report found that security forces and pro-government groups were responsible for at least 73 of the protester deaths. It remained unclear who was behind the remaining deaths, the rights office said. Zeid also pointed out that his office had documented "serious violations of due process and patterns of ill-treatment, in some cases amounting to torture." The tactics listed in the report included "the use of electric shocks, severe beatings, stress positions, suffocation, and threats of sexual violence and death." After receiving no response to repeated requests for access to Venezuela to investigate the situation, Zeid deployed a team of human rights officers to monitor the country remotely. The investigators conducted 135 interviews between June 6 and July 31 with victims and their families, witnesses, civil society organisations, journalists, lawyers and doctors, among others. More than 5,300 people have been detained in Venezuela since April 1, with more than 800 still held, the report authors said, adding that more than 700 detained civilians had had their cases handled in the military justice system. It also pointed to repeated attacks on journalists and media workers that "appeared to be intended to prevent them from covering protests." - 'Extremely serious' - While acknowledging that the number of demonstrations, detentions and deaths had decreased in recent weeks, Zeid expressed concern at efforts to criminalise Venezuela's political opposition. The country's all-powerful new constituent assembly announced Tuesday it would hold treason trials for opposition leaders it said are promoting economic sanctions imposed by the United States. Wednesday's report called on the UN Human Rights Council to "consider taking measures to prevent further deterioration of the human rights situation" in Venezuela, which currently holds a seat on the council. burs/nl-bs/pvh
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PayPal is a great solution for businesses looking to accept payment, send invoices and manage finances online. But its far from the only option. For businesses that are looking for a PayPal replacement or just some other options to add more flexibility, here are 30 PayPal alternatives for small businesses.
PayPal Alternatives
Google Wallet
Google Wallet is an app and web platform that allows users to send and receive money using their email address and phone number. You can connect the service directly to your bank account and also use it to track your expenses and payments over time.
Stripe
Stripe is a software platform that allows you to accept credit card payments online. But the tools are also flexible so you can set them up to accept subscription payments or make it fit with the specific needs of your business.
Venmo
Venmo has become a popular platform for individuals looking to send money and share expenses. But it can also have business applications for those who want to make it easier for customers on mobile devices and social media apps to make purchases using Venmo.
Amazon Payments
Amazon Payments gives online merchants a way to accept payments through Amazons online platform. So for customers who have payment information saved on their Amazon account, they can really easily just login and use that same payment method in other stores that use the platform.
Square
Square is already well known for providing a POS system for businesses that accept credit card payments in person. But the company also offers tools for ecommerce and appointment based businesses. Processing fees start at 2.75 percent per transaction.
Payline
Payline provides a few different options for payment processing, including those for mobile, online and in-store purchases. Fees start at 20 cents per transaction plus 5 percent overall.
Payza
Payza is a payment platform that works with credit cards, bank accounts, Bitcoin and more. The platform supports ecommerce businesses and even offers a Payza card to make purchasing even easier for customers. Accounts and sending money are free. And there are minimal transaction and Bitcoin processing fees.
Skrill
Skrill is a digital payment platform that can help online merchants, app developers and game creators accept payments.
WePay
WePay is an integrated payment platform that can help you accept payments from customers, send invoices and even manage things like marketing automation.
Authorize.net
Authorize.net provides payment processing tools for businesses that accept payments in stores, online or on site. Pricing starts at 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction.
Intuit
QuickBooks from Intuit provides a platform for businesses to send invoices and accept payments from anywhere. Fees start at 25 cents per transaction plus 2.4 percent.
Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments lets you accept payments online if you run a Shopify ecommerce store. But the company also offers a POS system for businesses that need to accept payments in person as well.
ProPay
ProPay offers payment solutions for everyone from small businesses to enterprises. The company supports credit card payments, bank transfers, mobile payments and more.
Worldpay
Worldpay offers a global payment platform that lets you accept payments online and in person. The company works with all different forms of currency and also offers data and optimization tools.
Charge.com
Charge.com is a credit card processing platform that comes with no setup fees or contracts and lets you accept payments online and in stores.
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Training a police dog takes years and not every puppy can be trained to be good service dog.
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In one episode of the Inspector Rex series fictional police dog Rex is able to hand coffee to his human colleagues in their office, steal their sandwiches with a nonchalant look on his face and take part in a shootout with drug criminals at the end.
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The series whose adaptations have been broadcasted in several European countries has built its popularity on a character behaving like a man, but in fact is a cute dog. On September 9, the private broadcaster TV Markiza is launching the Slovak adaptation of the series.
However, the idea of a dog spending all day with police officers in the office and doing everything from searching for drugs, detaining people and being involved in shootouts is unrealistic, according to former police cynologist Jan Low, president of the K-9 sport police club.
This is not the way dogs are used by the police, Low told The Slovak Spectator. A dog can learn many commands, but each one is suitable for different tasks.
This is also the reason why three different dogs named Odin, Rex and Arti play the main character.
For example, Odin is very behaved, able to sit in one place and obediently follow commands, Juraj Baca, who plays Rexs owner, told The Slovak Spectator. Rex is more lively, he likes to play, so we use him for scenes where we play with each other.
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What dogs are capable of
One dog named Rum looks like an ordinary crossbreed at first glance. He is cheerful, constantly wagging his tail and eagerly awaiting a command. After receiving the signal, he runs into the room of the K-9 dog hall specially adapted to look like a living room.
It looks like fooling around, jumping from the floor to the couch and back, but Rum is actually checking several corners of the room until it catches a trace of a scent. It leads him to the small cabinet where he starts to bark. The whole scene lasts about ten seconds.
Rum is the first dog in central Europe specially trained to search for bed bugs. He works with the private company Fullprofi as a search dog.
However, not every animal can reach such efficiency. Those dogs must have an extraordinary sense of smell and appropriate character, Low says.
It also works the same in the case of police dogs. Before they receive training, each dog goes through testing to find out if it is fit for training and what kind of work it can do. For example, friendly dogs with a good sense of smell are suitable for searching in airport halls where there are many people, according to Low.
On the other hand, such a dog cannot be aggressive to people, which makes them difficult to use for crowd control, Low said.
Rum is a great search dog. But with his little body and friendly nature he would hardly detain a fleeing smuggler, unlike the inspector Rex commissioner, who would be able to do both.
From puppy to inspector
The police corps currently has more than 730 dogs available. They pick them from their own breeding or buy them from external suppliers.
Training a police dog takes years and not every puppy can be trained to be good service dog. The problem is when they are too sensitive, fear people or shooting. However, such dogs can also be used in the civilian sector, and police usually sell them.
Dogs can go through two types of training. Either this is classical cynology, training all-purposes dogs usually serving as defenders or special cynology, training dogs to search unusual smells such as drugs or explosives.
Usually handlers will receive dogs that have already completed basic training and then together will go through a three-month course. If they pass the final tests they can be put into service.
Unlike Rex, however, they are not in the office but are usually in police dog stables, according to Marian Charvat, the deputy director of the Department of Cynology and Hippology of the Presidium of the Police Corps.
Meanwhile, the dog handler takes care of him all day, takes him for a walk or training ground to have enough movement, Charvat told The Slovak Spectator.
In addition, serving dogs usually undergo tests once per year to check whether they are keeping up with their work.
Search and detain
Dogs that go through classical cynology are more versatile and learn more commands. They must be able to find a searched person and hold them on command. They are even trained to endure attacks from people.
The effectiveness of police dogs has recently been shown by the 6-year-old shepherd dog Ubock. Within a few hours, he was able to find the prisoner Stefan Boto, who was serving a prison sentence in Kralova. Boto fled from public service works on Zvolenska cesta on 7 August at 7:40 and the police praised Ubock on Facebook at 16:00 for finding him on the same day. They published a video where Ubock was taking a rest while police officers were putting cuffs on Boto.
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Special cynology is focused more on specific tasks. In Slovakia, for example, there are nine police service dogs trained to look for the scent of dead people. They can do it even in water.
Dogs deployed for protests must also undergo special training. They must gradually become accustomed to noise and a large number of people. If Rex has not experience such training, a protest with more conflict could leave him with a lifetime trauma.
"If I took an untrained dog and threw an explosive close to it, it might be so stressed it would cause permanent trauma," Low said.
Even special dogs are trained to withstand noises. In addition to shooting, they must become accustomed to common noisy objects such as lawn mowers, grinders and so on, according to Charvat.
End of service
Dogs are put out of service when they cannot work for medical reasons. They mostly finish between eight to ten years of life, but discarding is not a matter of age.
I have never seen a situation where an older dog in good shape was discarded, Low said.
The discarding of a dog goes through a similar process like any other property of the Interior Ministry, because legislation does not see it as a living being.
An emotional relationship is created between the handler and the dog, so police officers almost always buy the dog after it is released from service, according to Charvat.
The dog and handler are accustomed to each other, serving for eight to ten years, and its natural that the cops take them home, said Charvat.
Open Day in Slovak parliament annually attracts thousands.
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On September 1, the anniversary of the Slovak Constitution and the national holiday, the National Council, i.e. parliament, offers an Open Day. Throughout the year, an average of 18,000 people visit the building; but on this single day, the same number of visitors usually arrives, the Parliamentary Office states on its website.
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This time around, a rich programme has been arranged for September : a parade and show of the Slovak Armed Forces, demonstrations of the work of police, fire-brigade, and rescue team.
Interesting spaces in Parliament include, for example, Hurban Hall, dedicated to one of the Slovak national revivalists, Jozef Miloslav Hurban, which also includes the transcript of the lyrics by Janko Matuska of a folk song called Ponad Tatrou Blyska (Lightning over the Tatras), whose first two stanzas are the Slovak national anthem. Janko Matuska wrote it in 1844, in turbulent times when the Slovak nation was being born in the Great Hungarian Empire.
Apart from a bust of Hurban which dominates Hurban Hall another bust, that of Milan Rastislav Stefanik, important Slovak politician, diplomat, general of the French Army and co-creator of the first Czechoslovak Republic is placed here. Apart from being a crucial politician and army representative, Stefanik had great technical talent and was an inventor e.g. of switches for trams, or a folding pipe, as well as trousers braces.
More on offer on Open Day
On the first floor of the southern wing, there are three original phone booths from times before the internet and mobile phones. They used to connect the Parliament to the whole world.
These curiosities, and some others, can be visited on the first day of September, the Open Day in parliament.
Shortly before the sale, the Slovak government confirmed that the private company SK-Nic will administer the national internet domain in the upcoming years as well.
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SK-Nic, which administers the Slovak national internet domain .sk, will change its owner in the weeks to come. For 26 million, it will be purchased by the CentralNic from Great Britain, which also administers the national domains of Armenia (.am); Laos (.la); the Caribbean isle of Curacao (.cx), and the Pacific island of Micronesia (.fm). Apart form national domains, it also administers 24 general internet domains, e.g. .love, .store., .xyz, .online and .wiki, the Sme daily wrote on August 27.
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Borrowing money to purchase
The interest of the CentralNic Group in the Slovak domain has been known for some months, the transaction officially confirmed on August 25 through an announcement on the London Stock Exchange. The legal conclusion of the transaction is expected in mid-September, SK-Nic informed on the same day.
SK-Nic, which has been administering the national domain since 1993, is part of the DanubiaTel group, owned by the Slovak businessmen Juraj and Pavol Ondris; they have long been present in the telecom business. Their assets include the Stvorka mobile operator and Swan and GlobalTel, which have built a system of electronic mailboxes and forms on the Slovensko.sk website for 50 million.
The Ondris brothers first transferred the shares of SK-Nic to the Dutch company they founded in December 2015; and this company is now selling SK-Nic to the CentralNic Group. The transfer will bring the Ondris brothers 21.27 million, another almost five million euros to be paid depending on how the growth targets are met in the next three years. The targets have not been specified in the stock exchange announcement.
The British company took a loan of 18 million (19.5 million) from the US Silicon Valley Bank. The remaining three million pounds (3.3 million) are financed from their own resources.
New registering system
CentralNic promised to support the Slovak internet community by offering a more competitive service than that from the past. The company also announced that they will put five percent of SK-Nic revenues into the fund for supporting the Slovak digital economy, which has been agreed upon with the Deputy Prime Minister for Informatisation, Peter Pellegrini.
The sale of SK-Nic also implies that the company has been working on introducing a new administration system for several months already, which shall simplify and accelerate the registering and administration of .sk domains. SK-Nic is known for its backwardness: a domain owner could only be reported to the registry by filling an electronic form which was then printed, signed at a notary, and sent by post to SK-Nic. The process could be simplified for users with a secured electronic signature.
CentralNic promises to further improve the system so that users are more satisfied.
Indirectly, the government has been involved in the sale of SK-Nic, as CentralNic negotiated with Pellegrini before concluding the deal about the new contract on administering the national domain.
Then the internet community launched a petition for the more transparent operation of the .sk domain, supported by almost 10,000 people, Sme wrote.
Ultimately, Pellegrini secretly signed the extension of the contract at the beginning of August. The contract assured the British company that SK-Nic will not lose the position of administrator for the top Slovak domain in the upcoming years.
Profitable business
The private company acquired the administration of the .sk domain in the 1990s in a backdoor manner.
In June 2006, the position of SK-Nic was confirmed by then-transport minister Pavol Prokopovic when he signed an irredeemable contract for the administration of the national domain. According to this contract, SK-Nic received the fees for administering the domain but paid nothing to the budget. Only gradually did tthe pressure to make the company invest part of this money back into digital economy projects increase.
The firm is profitable in the long term, though, and its revenues keep growing every year, last year amounting to 4.3 million.
Small municipal museum inside a bell tower.
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Tourists and visitors can get to know the history of the mining village of Zlata Idka in the Kosice-Okolie (Kosice-Vicinity) district in eastern Slovakia in a small museum in a bell tower. This is in the borough of Rieka (River). Through photographs and information texts, they can learn the history of the village and also about the local mining of precious metals.
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Relatively few monuments reminiscent of Zlata Idkas rich mining past have been preserved to the presnt, mayor Stanislav Rusnak told the TASR newswire. He added that it is remarkable though, that his village is better when compared to some important localities of the Spisssko-Gemerske Rudohorie mountain range. One of the preserved monuments is the bell tower from 1823, which correlates with the period when the ironworks to produce silver was built, Rusnak said.
Based on this we suppose that the construction was most probably used to announce signals, especially in crisis situations, the mayor explained. The ironworks was a prominent building, since lucrative metals were produced there.
It is a three-storey building made of quarry stones with a square ground plan and a pyramidal shingle roof finished by a minerss logo. A chapel is also part of it.
It was a bell tower in which the bell of Jesus of Nazareth, King of Israelites, was placed. This was requisitioned in World War I. In the 1950s, in the fundaments of a room previously used as sobering-up cell or a cell for perpetrators of misdemeanours, miners built the Chapel of the Ascension of Virgin Mary, Viera Filcakova, who specialises in the villages history, said for TASR.
In 1979, the bell tower was renovated and galleries were added on each of the grounds.
Text and picture documents prevail in the exhibition. Worth mentioning are copies of the original historical documents, e.g. the list of privileges by King Louis (Ludovit) from 1349, a donation charter of King Vladislaus (Vladislav) from 1440, or the donation charter of King Matthias (Corvinus) from 1459. Other deposits include copies of blueprints, e.g. ore stamp, furnaces for antimony ores, Mannsfeld-type furnace, amalgam barrel, maps of mining works in the eastern and western district, period photos from Zlata Idka, photos of mining tools and equipment, as well as mining and metallurgical scenes from the publication of Agricola, Rusnak explained.
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Moreover, visitors can see also three-dimensional exhibits as well, for example the mining lights called karbidky i.e. carbide lights or tools to disconnect the rock.
The visit was due to minister Lajcak assuming the post of president of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in September.
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Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak paid a visit to India between August 27 and 28. At Indias invitation, the Slovak minister met his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs State Minister M. J. Akbar as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the TASR newswire wrote, citing the ministerial press department.
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Lajcak and Modi discussed issues on combating terrorism and poverty, as well as the need to educate young people in particular, and the role of regional organisations in the international system.
Lajcak also presented to the Indian prime minister his priorities for the upcoming UN General Assembly session. These include improving peoples lives, the prevention of conflicts, addressing migration and human rights, promoting the goals of sustainable development and combating climate change.
Ive always had confidence in the United Nations, and Im counting on Indias support to keep this global organisation relevant so that it can continue to help find solutions to current global issues, said the head of Slovak diplomacy.
At the invitation of Chairman of the Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries Hardeep S. Puri, Lajcak also met leading Indian experts to discuss UN issues. They exchanged their views and experience with the UN and outlined further options for improving this global organisation.
Message of anti-fascist insurgency resonates in Banska Bystrica ahead of Novembers regional election.
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Slovakia marked the 73rd anniversary since the outbreak of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) on August 29, 1944. The central remembrance ceremonial took place on the SNP Day in Banska Bystrica.
Thanks to the heroes of the Uprising we remember the defeat of fascism and Nazism every year while holding our heads high, President Andrej Kiska told the crowd in Banska Bystrica. Thanks to them, we, as a country, did not stand on the side of evil, or shamefully stood by.
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Veterans of the SNP, top constitutional officials, foreign diplomats, and thousands of citizens attended the event. It took place at the SNP Memorial, which offered a free entry to the museum on that day. Museum director Stanislav Micev estimates up to 12,000 people came to visit the museum and see the cultural programme in the afternoon, the TASR newswire reported.
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Speaking to the gathering at the official part of the celebrations in the morning, President Kiska thanked the other nationalities who fought in the SNP, among them Russians, Czechs, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Romanians, French, Bulgarians, Poles and Hungarians.
Stressing the message of the SNP for the present day, Kiska noted that it is the duty of all of us to do more than just remember those fallen in the uprising with speeches and wreaths. He alluded to the Banska Bystrica Regional Governor Marian Kotleba, who won the election five years ago and his party has subsequently made it to the parliament in the 2016 general elections. The president called on citizens to participate in regional elections, to make them the elections in which we will stand up against the ideology of evil.
Today we no longer need to stand up against the enemy with a weapon in our hands, Kiska said. We dont need to be heroes. Its enough if we act like true citizens, and go vote in November and choose a non-fascist candidate.
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Parliament Speaker Andrej Danko also reminded the people of Banska Bystrica of the slogan that started the SNP: Start the Evacuation.
In response to the start of the Nazi German occupation of Slovakia, Slovak Army Lieutenant Colonel General Jan Golian issued this code for military units on the evening of August 29, 1944, which signaled the start of active military defence against the occupation.
I want to call on all of Bystricas people, you living here, to start the evacuation this election, Danko said as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that Banska Bystrica has the chance to show other regions that this experience was enough for them and that they will not let madmen control state power.
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In his speech PM Robert Fico also addressed the situation at the Banska Bystrica regional authority and called on the prosecution bodies to react to expressions of extremism Slovak laws define as a crime. There is freedom of expression in Slovakia, but this should not mean that people can praise Hitler and fascists and greet each other with Na Straz (On Guard, the salutation of the wartime Slovak State).
In a minor incident during his speech, Fico apologised to the audience for the group who shouted against him, and which he said abused the sacred site of the SNP.
Shame on you, gentlemen from the OLaNO, for abusing the official SNP celebrations in such a crude way, he said.
The opposition Ordinary People (OLaNO) movement accused Fico of politicking during the SNP festivities and claimed they were not involved in the organisation of any protests in Banska Bystrica on August 29.
Resulting from the coalition crisis and the ensuing resignation of Education Minister Peter Plavcan, the ministry has been left without a leader just as the new school year begins.
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President Andrej Kiska will task Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) to temporarily lead the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry as of September 1. Kiska will do so as soon as he receives the resignation of the current Education Minister Peter Plavcan also an SNS nominee on August 31. The President's Office informed the TASR newswire that Plavcan will not take part in the act in person.
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He is leaving his post after Prime Minister Robert Fico called on him to do so on August 16. The PM asked the SNS leader, Andrej Danko, to give him the name of a new minister as soon as possible. Danko has not yet done so.
Since early July, the ministry has been criticised for the distribution of EU-funds for research and innovation, as subsidies were provided to companies that had never done research before. Later, the European Commission suspended payments for four project calls organised by the ministry and also banned the ministry from inking new contracts with subsidy applicants. The distribution of European Funds is being looked into by the European Anti-fraud Office, as well as the National Criminal Agency.
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The opposition has been demanding Plavcan's removal ever since the scandal erupted. The circumstances also contributed to the government crisis and the SNS' decision to unilaterally withdraw from the coalition agreement.
Reactions to the appointment
The President's decision to appoint Matecna will in no way harm the situation in the education sector, head of unions in education Pavel Ondek said, as cited by the SITA newswire, after the August 30 session of the Council of Unions of School and Education Employees in Slovakia (OZPSaV). He added that Plavcan has been the 18th education minister since 1990, which makes an average span in function for such ministers about 18 months. It is not a good sign neither for teachers and professors, or for students, or for the public, as it shows there is no stability in the education sector, he noted.
Matecna wants to calm down the situation at the ministry but has no plans to make any changes, TASR wrote, citing her. I am not a person who would like to make changes and I am not even expected to make any changes or fundamental decisions, Matecna noted, adding that normal everyday functioning of the ministry must be secured.
It is not clear who will make the traditional address at the beginning of the new school year on September 4, Education Ministry State Secretary Peter Krajnak (of Most-Hid) said on the same day, as quoted by TASR. In this connection, he mentioned that both he and the second state secretary, Olga Nachtmanova (of Smer) are both prepared to take over this task but usually, it is the minister or the deputising minister who does so.
Food inspectors in Slovakia have identified further imported egg products containing the notorious fipronil pesticide.
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This time, a bakery belonging to a Dutch company called Zeelandia in Rozhanovce (Kosice region) was involved, the Agriculture Ministry announced on August 30.
The findings concerned pasteurised egg melange and liquid yolk - both products made in Germany. Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna called on food suppliers not to endanger people's health on the same day the findings were made.
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The composition and origin of imported food must be checked thoroughly, she noted, as quoted by the TASR newswire. I recommend betting on verified products from verified suppliers, ideally from Slovakia, who oversee the entire production process under surveillance from the farms to the shops, she said, calling on consumers to inquire about the origin of food, not only at shops but also at restaurants.
Earlier this month, food inspectors found fipronil-tainted food products made from Dutch eggs at four luxury hotels in Bratislava. The food was made in Germany from Dutch eggs and imported to Slovakia via Austria.
The ex-mayor of Ivanka pri Nitre will get a million euros reimbursement for being jailed in Switzerland.
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Peter Guzmicky, the mayor of the village, ended up behind bars in 2015, the same year when, as a lawyer, he tried to resolve the inheritance of a Czech citizen, Vladimir Hunek. Later, evidence confirmed that his original claims were justified, the pluska.sk website wrote on August 28.
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The website tells the story which started in 2013 when Hunek asked his lawyer, Guzmicky, to help him acquire his inherited property. Finally, Guzmicky received all the due documents for the man, who spent some years in prison and thus could not participate in the inheritance proceedings. Moreover, Hunek unwittingly sold some of the documents necessary for the process.
He inherited, as sole heir, the rent of his aunt who died in 2005 in Wintenthur, Switzerland. The inheritance includes properties in Germany and money in several Swiss and German banks.
First jailed, then compensated
The case got Peter Guzmicky 20 days in jail in December 2015, when he wanted, with late Czech MP Miloslav Ransdorf, to withdraw Hunek's money from Zurcher Kantonalbank. Suspected of fraud, Guzmicky ended up behind bars.
Later, he was released, and now he is entitled to compensation. The lawyer and ex-mayor claims that he was compensated by the Swiss state, and will receive further compensation from Hunek based on their agreement. Guzmicky also expects to receive compensation from the Swiss bank, after all other issues are concluded.
I was accused of attempting to steal 350 million from them, with forged documents, the ex-mayor explains. The bank made the biggest bank thief out of me, so the compensation must be commensurate. Moreover, I will ask for an inscription in the Guinness Book of Records no-one has ever tried to steal such a sum of money, he says jokingly. The damage compensation can amount to dozens of millions of euros, pluska.sk writes. Guzmicky, aged 60, declares that he is prepared to donate 90 percent of the sum to humanitarian activities.
Guzmicky was mayor in Ivanka pri Nitre from 1992, for five terms. During this time, he had several problems, and was involved in court proceedings for which he received a conditional sentence of two years for fraud and abuse of the powers of a public official. Other misdemeanours included using a municipal phone for private purposes, but he paid the difference and the case was dismissed.
The cabinet at its session selected lawyer, Miroslav Hlivak as its candidate for the new head of the new Public Procurement Office (UVO).
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After a public hearing on August 30 of nine candidates, the cabinet chose Hlivak and forwarded his name to parliament for final approval, which is set to take place at a September session. The government has opted for a candidate who comes from outside the UVO body.
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We think it's good that a new face will arrive at the Public Procurement Office, Prime Minister Robert Fico said after the session, as cited by the TASR newswire. Someone with practical experience, someone who looks at the Office's work from a [different] angle.
Who is Hlivak and what does he stand for?
Hlivak is a lawyer who unveiled his plans for the UVO during the public hearing earlier in the day which featured three basic pillars: making the Office more professional, overseeing the activities and the decision-making processes of the body, and raising a new generation of specialists in the field of public procurement.
If we want to talk about these pillars, if we want to move the public procurement system forward, we have to clearly state that we consider the public procurement procedure to be a matter of public interest, said Hlivak, refuting the rumours that he was close to the coalition Most-Hid party or met with any politician in connection with his bid for the UVO post.
I didn't speak about my candidacy or my project with any politician, he claimed, according to TASR.
The remaining eight candidates for the post of UVO head were Helena Polonyi, Martin Hasay, Matej Sliska, Matus Dzuppa, Ingrid Sikulajova, Elena Sivova, Zita Taborska and Peter Kubovic. The latter two candidates took part in the first selection round. However, neither of them received the required number of votes. Therefore, the Government Office announced a new call.
Next year, on March 2018, a new movie about Armenia, Armenia Uncovered will be aired showing the world the beauty and the uncovered history of our country. The film is produced and directed by the award winning Australian-Armenian journalist and television producer Andy Simon (Andy Simonian) and the beauty of Armenia is being presented by the famous British-Armenian comedian and actor Kev Orkian.
NEWS.am STYLE met the two talented Armenians during the last day of their shootings in Yerevan and we have covered some interesting stories about Armenia Uncovered.
Armenia Uncovered is exactly what the title says, uncovering Armenia. The project actually started from Andy, who is the director and the producer of the show. He came up to me and said to look at that idea and that I'll be perfect for the job. I had an idea about the documentary about Armenia and he also had the idea, we got together and we spent about a year and a half putting the project together. And now we're in Armenia and we're doing Armenia Uncovered, which is basically on travelling around the country, uncovering the beauty of it,-says Kev Orkian adding that the film will have comedy, emotional and also factual stories.
There has been a lot of factual evidence that we've uncovered. Everything- from the oldest shoe in the world. And only yesterday we went to Etchmiadzin museum and we went down the stairs into another part of the church which no one's really allowed to go down and we touched the stone that was blessed by Gregory the Illuminator. So, we've been everywhere.
The team of Armenia Uncovered has started their journey from Yerevan, they have also participated in Big barbecue festival in Akhtala, they have been in Lori, Jermuk, Areni and Stepanakert.
There are always a lot of discoveries in Armenia that in other countries we haven't heard about. We're so excited that we're uncovering all these to the world,-says Andy, while Kev adds.
It seems like everything is in Armenia, even the most beautiful women. The food, the hospitability. It's been amazing. Stepanakert for me was very special, because it's the part of ancient Armenia, it holds a lot of history. And I was touched by the beauty of the place. Knowing what happened there in 1992 and 1994, when the entire city was ruined and what's coming out of these ashes today was quite amazing. If the people in Yerevan have not been there yet, they need to go and see it.
Andy was also impressed by the country while covering the historical stories of it.
I liked everything. I shall be honest and say that I loved Stepanakert, but I also liked Jermuk and so many other places here in Armenia. Everywhere you go, the people are just so hospitable, you can't not love the place.
Of course, Kev and Andy had a lot of adventures in Armenia, like test driving an Armenian car, making the traditional food of Artsakh-Jengyalov hac, dancing with the State dance ensemble of Armenia and even participating in the traditional cleaning of Armenian rag.
Kev had to dress in a traditional way, because it's only the job for women. He put the scarf around his head, so that he could participate in rag cleaning,-remembers Andy.
We were interested, will the film show only the beautiful side of Armenia, or have they also met some negative sides of it?
In every country there is always positive and negative things. I'll be absolutely honest, the only negative thing about this country is some of the roads. Apart from that I can't say any negative thing about this country. It's so positive- the people, the city, the streets, the hospitability, the food, the viewsBut sometimes when you're driving and you're dying to go to the toilet, and you're in the back seat of the carand you need to go quicker, than you feel that you needed to because the roads are so bumpy,-says Kev with his typical sense of humor.
I've been to Armenia 2 years ago, for the Genocide anniversary and I don't think I have seen any changes. It's just as beautiful as it was two years ago,-adds Andy.
The team of Armenia Uncovered consists not only from Armenians, but also from volunteers from Australia. The uncovered Armenia will be premiered next year, it will be on the big screens from March. The film will appear in Armenian, Russian, French and Spanish subtitles.
Syune Arakelyan
Photos by Shushan Shatikyan and from Andy's Facebook page
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Artificial Intelligence
AI Chatbot Hubert Talks to Students to Collect Course Feedback
A new AI-driven chatbot is looking to give educators deeper insights from course feedback by starting conversations with students.
Hubert uses machine learning to interpret student feedback on courses and instructors, and offer ready-categorized results to administrators, according to information from the Stockholm-based startup company.
Educators can create an account for free to use the chatbot in beta. Once logged in, they will be able to access a dashboard and launch a course evaluation that stays open for seven days. Hubert corresponds with students via e-mail throughout that time. The chatbot is capable of holding conversations with students that surround the following questions:
What could the teacher start doing that would improve the course?
Is there something that should stop because its not working well?
What is working well and should continue in the same way?
The core goal of Hubert is to reform traditional teacher-surveys and provide more qualitative feedback on a course without creating extra work for instructors. Each time an evaluation is completed, the instructor is notified and receives a unique evaluation link that can be shared with the student. Hubert sends students in the course automatic reminders and chats, compiling a report for the instructor. They can choose to read every response separately as well by downloading them in a detailed CSV-file.
In the future, Hubert will include more tailored conversations and clarifying questions. There will also be more comprehensive forms of questions.
Education Trends
ISTE Says Watch Out for Coding, Immersive Tech This School Year
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) this week named five technology trends to watch in the 2017-2018 school year.
Serving approximately 100,000 teachers, administrators, ed tech specialists and other education stakeholders worldwide, ISTE has a comprehensive view of the K12 education landscape and offers a unique perspective on emerging learning technologies, according to CEO Richard Culatta.
"With improved connectivity and increasingly impactful educator professional learning around the use of technology, many students will have new experiences as the bell rings to start a new school year, Culatta said the announcement.
An ISTE educator from Wisconsin says coding can be taught to students as young as kindergarten.
First, the organization called coding the international language of problem-solving and says every student will need to know the basics of computer science. Teachers are helping students attain problem-solving skills by infusing coding and computational thinking into courses across the curriculum and encouraging students to become digital content creators, the organization wrote.
Second, learning feedback will happen in real-time. Therefore, schools will start to do away with end-of-unit or end-of-year tests and instead assess student knowledge as they learn.
"Tools that can visualize student progress in real time and recommend learning activities based on individual student progress are just becoming available, Culatta noted in the announcement. This will allow teachers to intervene and adjust more quickly when students are struggling to comprehend difficult subjects.
Third, virtual reality and augmented reality will make a real impact in the classroom. As outlined in the ISTE Standards, the key [with VR and AR] will be ensuring teachers continue to first consider what their learning goals are for students, and then design a learning experience that uses the unique capabilities of these tools to serve that goal, the organization noted.
Fourth, this school year, there will be a big push for media literacy to combat fake news. Students are constantly consuming information online, so ISTE thinks that teachers will ramp up efforts to teach students media literacy skills.
On THE Journal At the ISTE 2017 conference, participants responded to a spike in fake news websites. Read the full story here.
Finally, there will be a shift in the conversation surrounding digital citizenship. Traditionally, digital citizenship has been about the don'ts of online activities, with a lot of hazard signs thrown up in front of students and a focus on online safety. While online safety is critical, it's only a small subset of digital citizenship, ISTE wrote. Instead, students can be encouraged to take a positive approach to using online tools and become more active citizens and community members.
VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian court has rejected a Spanish extradition request for Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, potentially paving the way for the businessman to face bribery allegations in the United States. A Vienna appeals court in February overturned a lower court's ruling that Firtash should not be extradited to the United States because the request was politically motivated due to Firtash's links with Russia. It said the U.S. bribery accusations were purely criminal in nature. The Spanish extradition request linked to money laundering allegations came on the same day as that appeal was over-ruled. Firtash, who denies wrongdoing, is a former supporter of Ukraine's ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich. Firtash made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Kiev government. Firtash retains influence in Ukraine thanks to his part-ownership of Inter, a top television channel, and his gas distribution and fertilizer businesses. "The request from Spain has been rejected," a spokeswoman for the Vienna criminal court said on Wednesday. The judge in charge had not received all the information he had asked the Spanish authorities to provide, the spokeswoman said. The Spanish High Court declined to comment. A U.S. grand jury indicted Firtash in 2013, along with a member of India's parliament and four others, on suspicion of bribing Indian government officials to gain access to minerals used to make titanium-based products. Prosecutors in Vienna, acting on behalf of Spain, have two weeks to appeal the rejection of the request, the Austrian court spokeswoman said. It is unclear what impact the rejection of the Spanish request will have on Firtash's case in the United States, but a judicial source said it was unlikely that the U.S. extradition process would proceed before the Spanish issue was resolved. Firtash's spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. Firtash has said he would return to Ukraine, if allowed to. (Reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Alison Williams)
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview he had major differences with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and "won't let him get away with anything." "I speak with everybody. Very directly and very frankly," Macron said in an interview with French weekly Le Point published on Wednesday. "On Ukraine, we have major differences with Vladimir Putin. I take note of it. France won't let him get away with anything." The conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists has claimed more than 10,000 lives since it erupted in 2014. Germany and France have tried to persuade both sides to implement a peace deal agreed in Minsk in 2015, but with little success, including since Macron came to power in May, despite several meetings and calls. Macron in late May hosted Putin at the 17th-century palace of Versailles outside Paris. Both men said they had agreed on the need to move forward on divisive issues such as Syria and Ukraine. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by John Irish and Peter Cooney)
ROME (Reuters) - Italy denied on Wednesday that it supported a deal to pay armed groups implicated in human trafficking to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Libya's U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, as part of a deal backed by Italy, was paying militias and giving them equipment and boats to prevent migrant vessels setting off. "The foreign ministry firmly denies that there is an agreement between Libyan traffickers and the Italian government," an official from the Italian ministry's press office said. "The Italian government does not deal with traffickers", the official added. A new force in the Libyan coastal town of Sabratha is preventing people leaving, often by locking them up, sources in the area have told Reuters, prompting a sudden drop in departures at what is usually the busiest time of year for migration. Arrivals from North Africa dropped by more than 50 percent in July and more than 80 percent so far in August. Some 600,000 have made it to southern Italy by sea since 2014. In a bid to manage migrant arrivals ahead of a national election due by May next year, Italy has taken action including providing training and equipment to Libya's coastguard, and laying down rules for non-governmental sea rescue organisations. Progress in Libya is likely to be fragile, as two governments are vying for power, and local militias are battling over territory and smuggling profits. (Reporting by Isla Binnie; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan will open its main border crossing with Iraq on Wednesday for the first time since 2015, now that Iraqi forces have gained control of the main highway to Baghdad from Islamic State militants, both governments said. Iraqi troops pulled out of the Tureibil post, on the 180 km (110 mile) border, in summer 2014 after the militants secured nearly all the official crossings of the western frontier as they swept through a third of the country. Commercial traffic continued for a year after until Iraq launched an offensive in July 2015 to reclaim the predominately Sunni Anbar province and deprive the militants of funds raised from truck drivers forced to pay a tax on cargo coming in from Jordan. Tureibil would open on Wednesday after the road was secured "from attacks and criminal gangs," the Iraqi and Jordanian governments said in a joint statement. Officials have said that customs and border arrangements have been finalised, with security measures in place to ensure the 550 km highway from the border to Baghdad was safe. "The opening of the crossing is of great importance to Jordan and Iraq ... It's a crucial artery. Jordan and Iraq have been discussing reopening it for a while," Interior Minister Ghaleb al Zubi said last week. Several trade and business officials had said they had been invited to an event on Wednesday to mark the re-opening that would include senior Jordanian and Iraqi officials. Since last year, the Iraqi army has regained most of Anbar province's main towns that fell to the ultra-hardline jihadist group. The vast desert province is an historic hotbed of the hardline Sunni insurgency sparked by 2003s U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which empowered the oil-rich nations Shiite majority. Iraq has also been working on securing the highway that connects Iraq's Basra port in the south to Jordan, where the Red Sea port of Aqaba has long served as a gateway for Iraqi imports coming from Europe. Although the highway has been secured after driving out the jihadists, the threat of hit-and run attacks on convoys and the army are ever present, according to security experts. There have been several attacks by militants near al-Rutba town, the last town before the border with Jordan. A senior Western diplomatic said Iraqi authorities have awarded a contract to a U.S. security company that will employ a local force to secure the highway. The source gave no further details. Jordan hopes the reopening of the route will revive exports to Iraq, once the kingdom's main export market, accounting that accounted for almost a fifth of domestic exports or about $1.2 billion a year, according to the International Monetary Fund. They have fallen by more than 50 percent from pre-crisis levels. "This will increase industrial exports and also revive the two countries' trucking industry. It's a major boost to the economy," Nael Husami, general manager of the Amman Chamber of Industry, adding transport costs would fall by nearly half. Jordanian exporters have had to use more expensive sea routes to Iraq's Um Qasr port or another land route across Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, businessmen have said. The restoration of trade links will also give a push to an oil pipeline project running from Basra to Aqaba. Prime Minister Hani al Mulki had visited Baghdad earlier this year to revive the frozen project. Jordanian officials are hopeful the crossing with Syria on its northern border can also open by the end of the year once a U.S.-Russian de-escalation zone in southwest Syria that includes the area is cemented. The International Monetary Fund recently said that prolonged conflicts in neighbouring Syria and Iraq were weighing on the kingdom's debt-ridden economy and the opening of these export routes would boost economic growth. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; additional reporting by John Davison, Sarah Dadouch in Beirut, Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; Editing by Alison Williams, Toni Reinhold)
Ricardo McFarlane refused to stand up in court (Rex)
A Muslim convert accused of preaching sharia law outside Topshop was ordered to stand in court by a judge, who told him: This is not a court of religion.
Ricardo McFarlane is accused of breaching an ASBO given to him in February 2014 that banned him from approaching members of the public in order to promote sharia law.
The 30 year old is alleged to have set up a stall outside the flagship Topshop on Oxford Street, central London, on March 25 last year, along with 20 other men, to call for strict Islamic laws to be implemented in Britain.
The Muslim convert is accused of promoting sharia law in public (Rex)
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, McFarlane told the usher he would not stand for any man.
However, Judge Martin Beddoe entered the court and noticed McFarlane had remained on his seat in the dock.
He told him to get up, adding: This is not a court of religion.
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He said: If Mr McFarlane isnt going to treat this court with respect then I might have to deal with him differently than to release him on bail.
Roy Hedlam, defending, said: Because of his religious belief he believes there is only one person who he should bow to.
But Judge Beddoe hit back: That is as may be, but this isnt a court of religion, this is a secular court and it expects to be treated with respect.
McFarlane eventually stood in the dock at Southwark Crown Court (Rex)
That isnt in breach of any religious principles Im aware of.
McFarlane eventually stood up in the dock while judge Beddoe was speaking, prompting him to say: Hes very kindly standing up for me because Im about to go.
He remained standing for the rest of the hearing.
McFarlane, from Walthamstow, London, denies one count of breach of an ASBO and his trial was adjourned until the week beginning 11 September due to a witness being unable to attend court.
The operation was carried out in Israel (Picture: Hadassah Medical Center)
A recluse suffering from tree man disease has reportedly been cured after a groundbreaking new operation proved successful.
Mohammed Taluli suffered from the rare condition for almost a decade before medical experts offered to try a revolutionary new operation.
The 42-year-old, from Gaza, was cured after medics at the Hadassah University Medical Centre in Israel removed every inch of skin on his affected hand, before grafting it from other parts of his body.
The skin graft will now prevent the return of the rare condition, which is known as epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV).
I have been suffering with this for nearly 10 years, Taluli told the Jewish Press.
The operation took place at the Hadassah Medical Center (Picture: YouTube)
After years of being ashamed and staying at home, unable to work and unwilling to show my hand to people, I have finally been given some hope of my life returning to the way it used to be.
During the operation, doctors also feared developing the condition and wore double globes and special masks in a bid to combat it.
Dr Michael Chernofsky, the lead surgeon, said: Aside from the pain, the disease is very dangerous and could easily develop into cancer.
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He eventually couldnt move the hand. He had become withdrawn and fearful of any possible situation that could cause him to show the hand to other people.
He kept the hand covered all the time and life was very hard for him.
EV is an extremely rate condition, and can only be inherited if two abnormal EV genes are carried one coming from each parent.
By Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) - After Taiwan's state-run Mega Financial Holding Co <2886.TW> was fined $180 million by U.S. authorities for lax enforcement of anti-money-laundering rules at its New York branch, the bank started a rigorous training programme for its staff. Now, like Mega Financial, companies across Taiwan are working to get staff and systems up to speed after the island passed laws to meet international standards on combating money laundering and was taken off a watchlist by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG). "Unfortunately, Taiwan has earned a name for itself as a paradise for money laundering," Deputy Justice Minister Tsai Pi-chung told Reuters. Money laundering and cybercrime connections to Taiwan, which is also in the process of pushing through a cyber security bill, have grabbed global headlines. U.S. authorities fined Mega Financial $180 million last year for lax enforcement of anti-money-laundering rules at its New York branch. Some money from the $170 million cyber heist of India's Union Bank of India was transferred through Taiwan's Bank SinoPac. An international crime ring used malware to steal $2.6 million from the ATMs of Taiwan's First Bank. Taiwan was one of the six most targeted countries of the Wannacry ransomware attack earlier this year, according to security company Avast. Since 2011, 800 people from China and Taiwan have been deported from Cambodia on suspicion of telecoms fraud. Following its U.S. fine, Mega Financial said cleaning up its act is a top priority. U.S. authorities had said the Mega branch had been "indifferent" to the risks associated with transactions involving Panama, a high-risk area for money laundering. "What happened at our New York branch was just terrible," said Robert Tsai, a senior executive vice president, referring to the fine and ensuing scandal. "Half of our 6,000 clerks have been certified with anti-money laundering training. How each of our branches implements the rules and ensures proper training is the top priority for our business." To gain international confidence in its anti-money laundering measures, Taiwan will have to demonstrate it is putting the laws into practice. The APG will review Taiwan in 2018. "The visit will focus on how effectively Taiwan will have actually implemented the anti-money laundering rules," said Liang Hung-lieh, partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan. "The APG's on-site review will be new to most of the assessed, including banks, non-bank financial institutions and in particular non-financial institutions such as lawyers, public certified accountants and other professional service providers." Under the anti-money laundering laws, these financial professionals will be required to report suspicious transactions, including bank transfers exceeding T$500,000 (US$16,500). They will have to determine where the money came from, provide details about the client and report that to Taiwan's newly established Anti-Money Laundering Office. These are similar to regulations that countries that have signed up to global anti-money laundering rules overseen by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have adopted. The cost to companies of implementing the new rules may be significant as they put processes, workers and data systems in place. "There's a lot of extra work for them to do now, such as determining the identities of their clients' beneficiaries," said an official with the Financial Supervisory Commission, the island's financial regulator. He declined to be identified in the absence of permission to speak to the media. "They don't yet know exactly what they have to do, and to what extent, to be considered compliant with the new regulations. They're going to need some time to digest all of these new rules," he said. The potential costs and increased difficulty of getting transactions done under the new rules worry those in the property market, said Wong Jui-chi, the spokesman for Taiwan's Chinese Association of Real Estate brokers, while emphasising that his industry intends to fully comply with the regulations. "The property market is already in a bad shape and these new rules will make things worse by making the process of real estate transactions more complicated. More or less everyone in our industry is complaining about it," he said. (Reporting by Faith Hung; Additionanl reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Neil Fullick)
Prime Minister Theresa May is scheduled to meet Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Britain earlier this year (Picture: REX)
Theresa May has refused to rule out military action against North Korea, after a ballistic missile was launched by the hermit state over Japan earlier this week.
As she landed in Japan, the Prime Minister insisted that the UK would be doubling down on efforts to curb the dictatorships weapons testing regime.
Her comments came just 36 hours after the launch of a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which landed in the Pacific Ocean.
Mrs May refused to rule out British military action against North Korea when quizzed by reporters four times.
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I think what I have made clear is what the UK is looking at and what the UK doing, and that is looking at pressure on North Korea, which is discussions about further sanctions and its about the sort of change that China can bring. I think they are a key player in this, she said.
We would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure on North Korea to stop this.
Speaking to reporters, Mrs May said: We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think that they are significant actions of provocation.
I think it is outrageous. Thats why will be working with our international partners, as we have done previously, but we will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversees the launch of a ballistic missile that overflew Japan
Kim Jong-uns nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were already on the agenda for the PMs three-day visit, which begins in Kyoto.
The visit to Japan is also being used to seal a ambitious post-Brexit trade deal for when the UK leaves the European Union in 2019.
Mrs May has been joined by a delegation of UK business leaders, along with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
By Noah Browning ABU DHABI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates urged Iran and Turkey on Tuesday to end what it called their "colonial" actions in Syria, signalling unease about diminishing Gulf Arab influence in the war. Allied to regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, the UAE opposes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his backer Iran, and is wary of Turkey, a friend of Islamist forces the UAE opposes throughout the Arab world. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan urged "the exit of those parties trying to reduce the sovereignty of the Syrian state, and I speak here frankly and clearly about Iran and Turkey." He was speaking at a news conference with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, whose country helps Assad militarily. "If Iran and Turkey continue the same historical, colonial and competitive behaviour and perspectives between them in Arab affairs, we will continue in this situation not just in Syria today but tomorrow in some other country," Sheikh Abdullah said. The six-year-old war in Syria has dragged in regional and international players who have sought to advance their interests there: Iran has sent troops and military support to shore up Assad's rule as he has battled mostly Sunni Muslim rebels backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states. The Syrian army and its allies have regained lost territory with the help of Russian air strikes since 2015. At the same time, Islamic State is being pushed back from strongholds in Eastern Syria by the Syrian army and a rival offensive by Kurdish and Arab rebels backed by the United States. Fearing expanded Kurdish influence along its border with Syria, U.S. ally Turkey has grown increasingly uneasy about the rebels' armed thrust. Turkey and Iran have discussed possible joint military action against Kurdish militant groups, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. Lavrov and Sheikh Abdullah said they agreed on a need for a negotiated end to the war. Russia is helping shepherd talks in the Kazakh capital Astana which has already produced "de-escalation" zones to reduce combat in three parts of Syria. Lavrov said Russia hoped that efforts to unify the positions of Syria's disparate opposition would aid the peace process. "There were some deep disagreements in the past which led to the failure of some meetings, but we will continue encouraging the participation of all the platforms," he said through a translator. (The story was refiled to correct the day in the first paragraph) (Reporting by Noah Browning Editing by William Maclean and Jeremy Gaunt)
British Retail Consortium warns that "availability of affordable, quality products" could be disrupted by Brexit. Food and clothing imports could be disrupted even if government secures transition customers deal with the EU after March 2019. BRC wants the "agreements on security, transit, haulage, drivers, VAT and other checks" to avoid a crisis.
Shelves that held water bottles sit empty at a supermarket before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in South Daytona, Florida, U.S., October 6, 2016.
LONDON Britain's leading retail lobby group is warning that the UK is risking shortages on shelves unless the government does more to prepare for post-Brexit trade with the EU.
Imports of food, wine, clothing, and more could be disrupted by Britain's expected exit from the EU customs union after March 2019, the British Retail Consortium said on Wednesday.
The BRC, which represents 70% of the UK's retailers by turnover, published its "Customs Roadmap" report, calling for "wider recognition of the complexity and scale of the challenge pertaining to future customs controls."
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: "Whilst the Government has acknowledged the need to avoid a cliff-edge after Brexit day, a customs union in itself wont solve the problem of delays at ports.
"So to ensure supply chains are not disrupted and goods continue to reach the shelves, agreements on security, transit, haulage, drivers, VAT and other checks will be required to get systems ready for March 2019."
The Customs Union explained
Britain is currently a member of the EU's single market and customs union, meaning there is tariff-free trade between the UK and EU members.
The government has stated that it wants to negotiate a transitional customs union deal for when Britain officially leaves the European Union in March 2019, before negotiating a "new" customs relationship with the EU which it hopes will be as "frictionless" as possible and include most of the benefits Britain enjoys as a customs union member.
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However, the European Commission has said "frictionless trade is not possible" outside the customs union and EU Parliament chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt says British plans are "fantasy." Trade experts are also skeptical of the viability of Britain's plans.
Whatever happens, a continuation of Britain's current trading relationship with the EU seems unlikely.
What's at stake
The BRC estimates that leaving the EU customers union will lead to an increase in customs declarations from 55 million to 255 million a year, with imports from the EU that previously passed through unchecked having to be registered and inspected.
If the UK does not invest in the infrastructure to support this dramatic increase, there could be delays of up to three days at ports, the BRC said.
Delays could lead to shortages on shelves and higher prices for perishable goods like food. The BRC estimates the cost of holding a delayed driver with a refrigerated lorry at a port at 500 per day.
Food and drink will be the hardest hit by any delays, with 79% of all food and drink imported into the UK coming from the EU. 12% of all non-food imports come from the EU, but that still equates to 1.4 billion worth of clothing imported from Turkey in 2015, for example.
brc
BRC
Dickinson said: "We want to work with the Government to develop a system which works for consumers, so that theres no difference in terms of the availability of affordable, quality products when they make purchases or visit stores post-Brexit."
Dickinson's warning echoes that of former Sainsbury's CEO Justin King, who said in July that Brexit would lead to "higher prices, less choice, and poorer quality" at supermarkets.
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Commuters have vented their anger after disruption at London's Waterloo station and on the South Western network continued - despite the scheduled end to improvement works.
A month-long 800m overhaul to increase capacity at the UK's busiest station was meant to be complete but travellers reported delays and cancellations in the morning rush hour.
Jasper Johns said his journey from Kingston was delayed by about 40 minutes.
The 35-year-old, who has been commuting to Waterloo while the works have been going on, said: "I've actually found going in OK, but coming out is an absolute shambles."
Another commuter, Dave Vasse, tweeted: "Predictable & embarrassing that Waterloo should be a mess today after 8 months of advertising 28th completion date."
A 24-year-old tutor trying to get to New Malden in Surrey said: "My train was delayed - very delayed and then it was cancelled.
"It's annoying. I was told all the work would be finished by yesterday evening but it's been delayed again and again. It's really frustrating."
South Western train passengers were told by email that services on the operator's entire network might be cancelled, delayed or changed, with disruption expected until 4pm.
Stations including Queenstown Road, Earlsfield and Norbiton were closed.
Network Rail boss Mark Carne, speaking in a video message, said Waterloo had reopened "a little later than planned" after a signalling problem closed platforms during the morning rush hour.
He said the project would make a "huge difference" and increase capacity by 30% in the long run - meaning space for an extra 45,000 commuters in the morning and evening peaks.
A statement added: "Network Rail apologises to passengers for any delays to their journey and asks them to check before they travel this morning."
A team of 1,000 worked 24 hours a day for three and a half weeks to get the work done, according to Network Rail, with platforms 1 to 4 extended by 44m so they can take 10-carriage trains.
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Safety (Shenzhen: 300523.SZ - news) and signalling across all platforms also had to be upgraded and tested.
The five former Eurostar platforms at the station will now be redeveloped to bring them permanently back into service by the end of next year.
Network Rail route managing director Becky Lumlock reassured passengers the work would happen "behind the scenes".
Anthony Smith, head of the watchdog Transport Focus, said it was disappointing that the end to the upgrade works had slipped, despite promises from rail bosses.
Mr Smith said lessons must be "learnt and built into future events".
"In the meantime, every single passenger affected should claim compensation. Send a clear message to the industry and make sure your voice is heard," he added.
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and offers medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and payers, as well as provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
Opponents of the proposed Healthy Workforce Ordinance have raised more than $100,000 to defeat the ballot measure, and they have begun airing radio ads.
If passed, the proposed sick leave ordinance will result in fewer jobs, a woman says in one ad. We ask Albuquerque voters to stand with small businesses that are already struggling. Vote no on the back page of the city ballot.
The ad was paid for by the Albuquerque Coalition for a Healthy Economy and the Realtors Association of New Mexico, a measure filing committee. In a filing with the city clerks office, the group reported contributions of $50,000 from the Realtors Association of New Mexico, $19,600 from the New Mexico Restaurant Association, and $20,000 from Real Estate Community PAC.
The ordinance would require employers to provide paid sick time off to full-time, part-time and temporary workers at any business with a physical presence in Albuquerque. Supporters argue that the ordinance would ensure that workers dont have to choose between their paychecks and caring for themselves or a loved one.
1. What is the biggest issue facing the city, and how would you address it?
Undoubtedly, crime. Our crime epidemic has spiraled nearly into a state of lawlessness. This is the current administrations failure. Our community deserves trust in its police department, rebuilt through an appropriately-staffed and highly-trained police force.
2. What would you do to tackle Albuquerques crime problem?
Albuquerque needs targeted police units to reduce violent and property crime. Community policing and partnership efforts must be supplemented with stringent pretrial procedures, repeat-offender review with enhanced criminal prosecution, mental health training, treatment for individuals with addiction and gang prevention.
3. What do you believe is the optimum number of officers for APD and what, if anything, would you do reach that number?
1,200 officers. Our citys budget must reflect our values. Public safety is our first priority. We must provide a conducive work environment where officers receive support, appropriate compensation and benefits to make APD an attractive choice.
4. Would you keep Police Chief Gorden Eden if you are elected mayor? If not, how would you go about selecting a new police chief? What would your time frame be? Do you have anyone in mind?
No. Without a pre-determined candidate in mind, I will immediately form a search committee of law enforcement experts and community advocates to identify/interview candidates. A national search will locate a chief who can rebuild trust between APD and citizens.
5. APD is currently operating under a U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement that outlines reforms, policy changes and mandatory training that police need to complete over several years. Should the city continue with that settlement agreement or go back to DOJ and the courts and attempt to get out of or modify it? If modify, how so?
APD should fulfill all duties required under the decree as soon as practically possible with an emphasis on moving forward. If elected, the new APD police chief will report directly to me and adopt an improved vision for public safety.
6. In what circumstances, if any, would you support raising taxes? Which taxes would you be receptive to increasing?
Raising taxes is an option only in very limited circumstances when current funding is insufficient. Safety is my first priority, and APD must have the resources to protect our community. I will work diligently to identify funds without increased taxes.
7. The current administration has made technology and entrepreneurial innovation the centerpiece of its economic development efforts. Would you continue that focus or switch gears? Why?
We need to continue to support the growth that the technology and entrepreneurial industries have provided. As mayor, I will invest in our local businesses and showcase Albuquerques attractiveness to larger national companies looking for a new home.
8. What would be your approach to boosting the economy in Albuquerque?
Our city must provide effective incentives to assist local businesses, secure the relocation of major national employers, and grow workforce skills through UNM and CNM. The entrepreneurial energy of our arts economy and Downtown corridor must be replicated across Albuquerque.
9. In recent years, the city has been issuing revenue bonds to pay for major capital projects. Would you support the continued use of revenue bonds to fund capital projects?
I support revenue bonds and similar public/private incentive programs that serve the citys best interest. We are in a near-crisis situation regarding economic growth, and we must be slow to say no on these types of possibilities.
10. Whats your take on the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project?
I would never have adopted ART without true community engagement and endorsement. With ART nearly complete, we must maximize its usefulness by properly integrating it into our existing transportation network. An ART Ambassadors program will increase attractiveness and rider safety.
11. What plans do you have to raise the quality of life for Albuquerque residents?
My goal is to create a safe city and a smart city that engages its citizens to move us forward. We must immediately address the issue of public safety which affects economic growth and calls for an improved education system.
12. Albuquerques educational system is viewed by many as being in a crisis situation its graduation rate is below 70 percent, and far too many students are below grade level in competency. In addition, its often cited as being a deterrent for attracting new businesses and employers. As mayor, do you believe there is anything you can do to improve the situation? If so, what would you do?
It is time to stop giving the mayor a hall pass on education. The city commits significant financial resources to APS annually with little accountability. I will appoint a chief education officer to serve as liaison on city-related educational issues.
13. The Healthy Workforce Ordinance has garnered both praise and criticism. If approved by voters on Oct. 3, the ballot initiative will require any business with a physical presence in Albuquerque to provide paid sick time off to full-time, part-time and temporary workers. Supporters argue that the ordinance would ensure that workers dont have to choose between their paychecks and caring for themselves or a loved one. Opponents argue that it would hurt businesses because of higher costs and record-keeping requirements. Whats your position on the ordinance? Whats your position on the Healthy Workforce Ordinance?
I will vote for the ordinance. It is not in the communitys best interest for sick workers to report to work due to economic needs. Additionally, as mayor, I will aptly consider the added burden this places on businesses.
14. Whats your position on the 2 cent per gallon gasoline tax increase that has been proposed?
Under the measure, revenue generated would be used for roadway and other transportation projects. Voter approval would be required to enact the tax. My concern is that the proposed tax to rehabilitate transportation systems is troublingly vague. There is no question that the infrastructure of our community can also be improved and I fully support any fully-reviewed initiative which would reach that goal.
15. What differentiates you from your opponents?
We need more than just awareness and desire to improve Albuquerque. My vision is matched with the conviction to build a city with opportunity for growth. I will work with community advocates and experts to get the results Albuquerque deserves.
16. Name one issue not mentioned in the questions above that you would plan to tackle as mayor.
As mayor, I will re-energize pride for our citys unique ancestry, landscape, and culture. Instead of topping the list of crime-riddled cities, we must transition to a community that champions the blend of tradition and innovation that sets us apart.
17. Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?
I started in business when I was 22 years old. That first business was the subject of two liens, one in 1995 and another in 1996. Both liens were satisfied through payment and lifted in 1997 and 1998.
18. Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?
No.
19. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, any misdemeanor or any felony in New Mexico or any other state? If yes, explain.
No.
New Mexico may be a poor state, but people here are generous and they are stepping up in record numbers to donate blood for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Thats especially important because the flooding that has devastated the Houston area has halted mobile blood drives and shut down blood donation centers there, said Aussy Levi, senior manager of donor recruitment at the United Blood Services Albuquerque center.
The center on Tuesday had people backed up in the sitting area waiting for those in the donation chairs to cycle through.
A mobile blood drive at Yale and Lomas NE also drew a steady stream of people Tuesday. The blood drive was organized by the University of New Mexico ROTC program.
We want the people in Houston to know the American people are behind them, said Master Sgt. Eugene Broadus III while giving blood inside the donation bus.
Nearly 20 cadets in the ROTC program at the university donated blood. They talked about the disaster in Houston, and the importance of answering the call. Even though they cant go to Texas, they can contribute here and make a difference, and they feel good about helping.
Sitting on an adjacent donation chair was Kim Kloeppel, UNMs student affairs chief operations officer. I donate blood regularly, but when I got a call saying they were needing extra blood because of the hurricane I knew I had to come out and donate today.
This donation, she said, seems a little more urgent in view of the massive scale of devastation in Texas.
Devon Fisher-Chavez, 21, a pre-med student at UNM, said he spends perhaps too much time studying, and knew little about the hurricane and flooding in Houston. I kind of live under a rock, but I was out walking around today to pay some bills and saw it (mobile donation bus) and just wanted to do something good for others. It is important to give blood.
Mobile blood drives and blood centers throughout New Mexico take in collectively about 300 units, or pints, of blood daily, which is the minimum required to service hospitals, said Levi.
On Monday, the blood center in Albuquerque by itself saw a 17 percent increase in donations, and on Tuesday a 35 percent increase, she said. Statewide, the other blood centers in Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and Farmington reported an average increase of about 13 percent.
Whats happening here with the increased donations is great, but I hate that it happens because of a disaster, and that underscores why blood is continuously in need, she said.
As an example, she noted, a single car accident involving a family of three, all of whom require blood during emergency surgeries, could use 100 units of blood or more. And of course, there are other tragedies, such as the Clovis library shooting on Monday that killed two and sent four others to area hospitals. The condition of those injured has not been released, but the tragedy would be multiplied if they required blood and it wasnt available.
United Blood Services goal for New Mexico is to collect an extra 1,000 units by the end of next week, most of which will go to Texas.
I think people want to do something, and if they cant send food or if they cant send money, they can donate blood because its easy, quick and they feel it makes a difference, Levi said.
After the blood is tested and processed, the donors get a text saying their blood is on its way to save a life.
The Journals front page story on Aug. 15 about the UNM Art Departments graduate studios being moved from the Art Annex building to the Biology Annex was well-written but very one-sided.
The Art Department did not know about this move until it was a done deal, and the department had no input into the final decision that authorizes renovation of the Art Annex for the UNM Honors College, which does not even want the Art Annex building. The Honors College not only does not want to move us out of the Art Annex, but the future of their program and rankings lies in a new Living and Learning Space. The most competitive Honors Colleges offer this environment, and the best students are going to choose this innovative pedagogy.
Moving Honors College to the Art Annex provides only a mirage of elevated prestige, when in fact it could stunt the growth of the college in the long run.
The UNM Art Departments photography graduate program is ranked fifth in the nation, first among public universities, and this move directly impacts the photo grad program, which has a majority of its studios in the Art Annex as well as 10 darkrooms and an alternative processes lab. This is more student work space than any other part of the program. The Art Annex dates from the 1920s and was renovated in the 1950s by architect John Gaw Meem especially for the Art Department. It was the department headquarters until the new Art Building was completed in the late 1970s. In 1988, the Art Annex was added to it and is now protected by the National Registry of Historic Places. Large-scale renovations may not even be allowed for this building.
This move will be a major loss for the Art Departments graduate students and programs. The Art MFA programs are an incubator for the art industry in New Mexico. The arts are a big business and a historical attraction for this state and account for a great deal of tourism and income for New Mexico. Some UNM MFAs were among the artists involved in the creation of Meow Wolfs House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe and continue to be involved in the art project, which has grown and expanded quickly since its inception.
UNM Regent Marron Lee contends that, moving (the art studios) from the current Art Annex to the Bio Annex, where theyll have plenty of light where their concerns are not founded honestly is a win-win-win. For the UNM studio art graduates and the whole Art Department, this move would lead to much less light and plunge the program into the darkness of a very big and unnecessary loss at a time of precarious existence for the whole university. Construction could also mean the loss of these studios for a semester or longer, which could seriously impact the Art Department for a very long time.
WASHINGTON Pay attention to what happened to Houston. It is rare to be given such a vivid look at our collective future.
Climate change cannot be definitively blamed for Hurricane Harvey, but it likely did make the storm more powerful. Global warming did not conjure the rains that flooded the nations fourth-largest city, but it likely did make them more torrential. The spectacle of rescue boats plying the streets of a major metropolis is something we surely will see again. The question is how often.
The relationship between climate and weather is undeniable but never specific. Tropical cyclones do not batter Siberias arctic coast and heavy snowfalls do not blanket the beaches of Barbados because the climates are different. But no one blizzard or hurricane can be attributed to climate change beyond the shadow of a doubt which opens anyone who raises the subject at a time like this to the accusation of politicizing a disaster.
The science explaining climate change is clear, however, no matter what deniers such as President Trump choose to believe. And it will be political decisions that determine how often we witness scenes of devastation such as those in Houston.
Begin with the basic fact of a warming planet, due primarily to greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are unusually warm this summer between two degrees and three degrees above normal which gave Harvey extra energy and moisture.
Hurricanes usually weaken when they approach a coastline, but Harvey was able to gain strength, making landfall as a Category 4 storm. According to Penn State University professor Michael Mann, one of the worlds leading experts on climate change, Harveys unprecedented rainfall totals were likely boosted by global warming in at least two ways. Higher atmospheric and ocean temperatures mean more evaporation, he wrote in The Guardian, which means more precipitation. And the fact that the storm parked itself so stubbornly over Houston is due to a jet-stream pattern predicted in scientists climate-change models.
Since 2005, weve had Katrina, Sandy and now Harvey. The flood next time could come in Corpus Christi, Mobile, Pensacola, Tampa Bay, Naples, Miami, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston no one knows where. But there is no doubt that it will come.
Humankind has boosted the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by a shocking 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when we started burning fossil fuels on a large scale. Even if carbon emissions were magically ended tomorrow, warming would continue for many years. But we can if we choose keep climate change from getting catastrophically out of hand.
The rest of the industrialized world has decided to move toward a clean-energy future and reap the economic benefits such a shift can entail. Im betting that Trumps successor, whether a Democrat or a Republican, will reverse his shortsighted, self-defeating decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
But in addition to mitigating climate change, we must adapt to the warming we have made inevitable. Houston officials at least tried to learn one lesson: In 2005, as Hurricane Rita approached, officials ordered an evacuation that turned freeways into parking lots; about 100 people died in the chaos. This time, residents were advised to stay put and, from what we know so far, there appears to have been much less loss of life.
But billions of dollars worth of private and public infrastructure is being destroyed. Since low-lying coastal cities are not likely to pick up and move inland, they are going to need new natural or artificial barriers to protect against storm surge which might have been the big problem with Harvey, but wasnt and high-capacity drainage systems to alleviate flooding which was.
Such projects are hugely expensive, but cheaper than repairing the damage from a citywide flood.
Also, the nation needs a sustainable way of providing flood insurance to those living in vulnerable areas. The current National Flood Insurance Program charges rates that do not nearly cover its outlays, and for years it relied on out-of-date maps that did not accurately show flood risks.
Buildings, meanwhile, can be made more flood-proof. President Obama signed an executive order requiring builders who receive federal funds for a project to account for the risk of flooding in their construction plans. Trump rescinded the measure, saying it was job-killing. How many people went to work in Houston today?
Folks, nature is telling us something. How many 100-year storms or 1,000-year floods will it take for us to listen?
Even hurricanes have a silver lining: The downpour washes away a lot of bull.
Dont get me wrong. This is a tragedy for untold thousands of people. And no upside could possibly balance the scale against the downside. The full human toll of Harvey, now a tropical storm, remains to be determined, but its already steep. As of this writing, the official count of fatalities was up to 14, and that number will probably rise. The economic cost will take a long time to calculate. And the emotional price lost homes, heirlooms, pictures, worry, stress can never be calculated.
And yet, I couldnt help but notice that there is a feel good aspect to the whole catastrophe. The best example is the hyper-viral story of two men loading up their boat and driving into the storm. CNNs Ed Lavandera found them under a highway overpass readying the vessel.
You guys just jumping in to help out? Lavandera asked.
Yes, sir, says one of the men.
What are you going to do? Lavandera asks him.
Go try to save some lives.
That man was African-American. His partner appeared to be Caucasian or maybe Latino. But it doesnt matter at all. We dont know if theyre Republican or Democrat, pro-Trump or anti-Trump, NRA members or fans of gun control. Though lets be honest: This is Texas, so we can guess on that one. All they wanted to do was help. While it was a journalistic faux pas not to get the mens names, it almost made the story more endearing that we didnt get them, because it reinforced the idea that they were just normal Americans.
All weekend, TV and social media highlighted stories like this. Granted, there were plenty of attempts to politicize the storm. Some had superficial legitimacy. Did Texas officials particularly the Democratic mayor of Houston and the Republican governor of Texas drop the ball in not ordering a mandatory evacuation? But even these debates lacked the bitter vitriol that marked coverage of Hurricane Katrina or even Hurricane Sandy.
Other attempts to bend an apolitical event to a preferred political narrative were more desperate and despicable. The Twitter account for an outfit called Charitable Humans unleashed a Cat-5 gale of schadenfreude at Houstons woes. Over a satellite image of Harvey: Texas has been bitten by Karma, but they still have a huge debt to the bank of Karma. I just cant bring myself to even consider providing aid to any red state, let them clean up their own mess.
To its credit, the organization later deleted its account and released an apologetic statement saying its leaders were horrified by their social media coordinators actions.
But the point was already made. We live in an ugly, tribal moment in American history. Indeed, the more representative story of the weekend came out of Berkeley, where antifa goons beat up nonviolent protesters they unilaterally deemed to be fascist.
By comparison, despite the terrible plight of its victims, Harvey was the happy story, at least in one narrow respect. Politics is becoming a substitute for identity, even religion, for millions of Americans. How you vote, what team you root for on the cable shout shows, is becoming a signifier of who you are. The media fuel this attitude, in large ways and small, by turning the news into narratives of good people and bad people. This is an unhealthy development, regardless of which ideological uniform you wear.
But politics and ideology are, or should be, downstream from all of the most important things in life, at least in America. Its a different matter in places like Venezuela or North Korea. Under normal circumstances this can be hard to see, never mind appreciate, because we are lucky to live in a fabulously rich and free society where people can afford to make politics into a sport or fashion statement.
Most of us can see this within our own networks of friends and family, where political differences rarely trump more meaningful bonds. But on a mass scale, it becomes apparent only in dire circumstances, like when floodwaters wash away the nonsense and reveal the decency of the American people.
Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. E-mail goldbergcolumn@gmail.com, Twitter @JonahNRO. Copyright, Tribune Media Services Inc.
To the surprise of no one, President Donald Trump has again displayed his disdain for the federal judiciary this time by pardoning disgraced former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
The pardon is a less-than-subtle thumb in the eye of the federal judge who found Arpaio guilty of willfully disobeying a court order to stop profiling drivers based on ethnicity and detaining them without charges. It joins Trumps pattern of criticism of the courts.
And the pardon was predictable, given the fact that Trump campaigned long and hard on the issue of illegal immigration an issue that helped win him the election. Its the same issue that helped Arpaio get elected and re-elected by his constituents for 24 years. Part of his popularity was his harsh criticism of the federal governments inability to control illegal immigration and the criminal element that can be part of it. Arpaio continually ratcheted up the rhetoric while ratcheting down on illegal immigrants, employing constitutionally questionable tactics against arrestees.
There is no question that the nations inability to pass immigration reform and control our borders by multiple administrations is in itself a travesty.
But pardoning Arpaio is not the way to address it.
While there have been many notorious presidential pardons from Richard Nixon of Jimmy Hoffa (serving 15 years for jury tampering and fraud) to Bill Clinton of Marc Rich (hiding in Switzerland while facing 51 counts of tax fraud and running illegal oil deals with Iran during the hostage crisis) that doesnt excuse this latest one.
As Time magazine points out, pardons are granted to provide mercy or correct a miscarriage of justice or on more general grounds based on public policy. (For the latter, think Thomas Jeffersons pardons of those convicted under the Alien and Sedition Acts its about bringing a nation together.)
Regarding Arpaio on Category one: Not one but two federal judges found he ignored court orders, and he has yet to be sentenced. Category two: public policy is not strengthened by embracing Arpaios brand of racial profiling that ignored court orders and conducted saturation patrols that kept a Mexican man with a valid tourists visa detained for nine hours.
Its also worth noting that Arpaio was an early supporter of candidate Trump including the latters thoroughly disproved birther conspiracy targeting Obama.
Trump, having reportedly failed to convince Attorney General Jeff Sessions to drop the criminal case against Arpaio, took the only route available to help Arpaio once he was convicted a presidential pardon. Making no reference whatsoever to the judges finding of contempt against Arpaio, all 162 pages of it, Trump praised the former lawman for protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.
In point of fact, youre supposed to protect the public from within the confines of the law. Which Arpaio clearly did not.
Arpaios pardon appears to be a political salve to some of Trumps supporters and it may feel good to some. But it wont heal our nations border problems, and its an affront to the judiciary and to the rule of law.
This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
This story has been updated to reflect that the event is this Saturday.
Volunteering is front and center as a celebration of service through a series of short films, as well as job fair, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday at the historic KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque, 423 Central NW.
The Getting it Done in New Mexico event will showcase a new series of short videos highlighting how AmeriCorps members are serving New Mexico communities by meeting needs and improving the lives of citizens.
The motto of AmeriCorps is getting things done,' said the commissions executive director Samuel Sokolove. Were pleased to host this festival of films and service to showcase how volunteers, professionals and leaders are truly making a positive difference in our state.
The four videos, available online at www.youtube.com/nmdws, were produced by Rio Rancho production company Ad House Advertising-Edit House Productions LLC and the video featuring AmeriCorps program EcoServants in Ruidoso has already received a Bronze Telly Award.
This free event is sponsored by the New Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism and state Department of Workforce Solutions.
The day at the KiMo will also include a question-and-answer session with agency representatives and a job fair featuring nonprofit service agencies.
From tutoring and mentoring children in pueblos, cities and rural areas to improving trails for the public, outdoor enthusiasts and ecotourism, New Mexico AmeriCorps programs are as varied as the communities they serve, organizers said in a news release.
AmeriCorps, referred to as the Domestic Peace Corps, is a network of local, state and national service programs that connects more than 75,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our countrys critical needs in education, the environment, public safety and other areas.
We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
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A jury last week found that a Bernalillo County deputy who briefly chased a drunken driver was not to blame for a deadly crash that took place moments after she ended her pursuit, according to attorneys in the case.
Attorneys said that Deputy Judy Galloway initiated a pursuit after Steven Trujillo, who was driving a truck that had been involved in an earlier wreck, rolled through a stop sign.
When Galloway and her supervisor learned that the truck was only involved in misdemeanor incidents, she stopped the chase. But seconds later, Trujillo slammed into an SUV carrying nine people. The wreck at Rio Bravo and Del Rio SW left Mary Soto, 30, and Elijah Sandoval, 13, dead and others injured. The group was headed to McDonalds after spending that July 2015 day swimming.
Trujillo was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading no contest in November to two counts of vehicular homicide and lesser charges connected to the wreck.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the wrongful death case, argued that Galloway was insufficiently trained for the situation and never should have pursued Trujillos truck.
Her attorney, Luis Robles, argued that she had a duty to investigate the crime and that Trujillo was the person to blame for the wreck. He said the jurys verdict offered Galloway a great sense of relief.
This was a horrible, terrible case, undeniably tragic, Robles said in an interview. There is no way to view it differently.
David Houliston, one of three attorneys representing plaintiffs in the case, said pursuit cases are difficult because officers are forced to find a middle ground between endangering the public with a chase and catching a criminal. Plaintiffs, which included those injured in the wreck along with personal representatives for those killed, believed that the deputy unnecessarily endangered a lot of people, he said.
Jurors reached a verdict within about an hour Friday after a five-day trial before 2nd Judicial District Judge Shannon Bacon.
Plaintiffs in the case had already settled claims filed against the company that owned the truck Trujillo was driving that night, attorneys said.
Editors note: This is the fifth in a series of profiles the Journal will publish over the next few weeks on Albuquerques mayoral candidates.
Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal
He grew up in Section 8 housing, eating government-issued cheese and watching his parents struggle as muscular dystrophy slowly robbed his father of his life.
Brian Colon, a former state Democratic Party chairman vying to be Albuquerques next mayor, didnt have it easy growing up. But rather than throw up his hands, Colon followed the example set by his parents: He worked hard, seizing every opportunity that came his way. His fortitude paid off.
He was the first in his family to graduate from college. He went on to graduate from law school and has been a practicing attorney for 16 years. His son, Rafael, is attending George Washington University on a presidential scholarship.
And the upscale house Colon lives in with his wife, Aleli, is, figuratively speaking, a world away from the government-subsidized housing where he grew up in Valencia County.
While hard work played a major role in his success, Colon, 47, says he would have fallen through the cracks if not for the community support, nonprofits and government programs that filled the gaps. He says thats why hes running for mayor.
I am the first in my family to break the cycle of poverty, Colon tells voters on the campaign trail. And I owe a debt of gratitude for that to this community, to Albuquerque, and so for me this is about repaying a debt that Ill never be able to repay completely. But like I tell my son, Im going to die trying.
Colon is one of eight mayoral candidates on the ballot. Also running are:
Democrats Tim Keller, the state auditor and a former state senator; and Gus Pedrotty, a recent University of New Mexico graduate.
Republicans Wayne Johnson, a Bernalillo County commissioner; Dan Lewis, a city councilor; and Ricardo Chaves, founder of Parking Company of America.
Independents Susan Wheeler-Deichsel, co-founder of the civic group Urban ABQ; and Michelle Garcia Holmes, a former chief of staff for the state attorney general and a retired Albuquerque police detective.
Election Day is Oct. 3. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff election in November.
The new mayor takes office Dec. 1.
Crime-fighting plan
Crime has emerged as the top issue in the mayoral race, and Colon has said he would launch a national search for a new police chief. He said Albuquerques police department should be staffed with 1,200 officers; it now has about 850.
I think we have to make a deeper commitment to hold people accountable when they make bad choices, but we also have to make sure we have a system in place in Albuquerque that addresses the underlying issues of poverty, drug addiction and mental health and behavioral health, Colon said. Those are the underpinnings of this incredibly rampant crime in Albuquerque.
And, he said, the city needs to attract businesses, but it cant do that until it starts paying attention to the small stuff, like addressing broken windows, cleaning up graffiti immediately, picking up trash, and identifying a path to get people at street corners off the streets.
Those kinds of things matter whether youre already a local business person whos considering growing your business or whether youre somebody who Im flying into Albuquerque to help convince them that this is where they ought to take their next phase, Colon said.
Quality of education also impacts economic development, and he said he would appoint a chief education officer to serve as a liaison on city-related education issues.
Support from AG
Colon has many backers with deep pockets, but arguably his highest profile supporter is state Attorney General Hector Balderas, who went to law school with him.
He will outwork everyone, but hell also lead by example, said Balderas, a Democrat.
The two have known each other and been friends for close to two decades.
Ive seen it consistently throughout his career where hell sign up to be a board member on a foundation or try to raise money for an issue involving children, Balderas said. He always exceeds expectation, and I think he just works harder.
Balderas, who lives in Albuquerque, said the city has taken a step back, and its time for a leader like Colon: In a time where the city needs to leverage economic, educational and public safety initiatives, I think we cant afford to get this next decision wrong.
Caucus problems
Colon who was born in New York but came to New Mexico as an infant has never held public office. But he served as chairman of the state Democratic Party from 2007 to 2009. Less than a year into his tenure as chairman, he presided over the New Mexico Democratic caucus, which, by most accounts, was a train wreck.
The heated race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton drew more than 153,000 Democrats to the primary polls.
Many voters endured hourslong waits. Some reportedly gave up and went home. Some places ran out of ballots, and there were reports of people voting on scraps of paper. The glitches resulted in more than 17,000 provisional ballots being cast, requiring the Democratic Party to sift through each one.
Of the 22 states that held Democratic nominating contests on Feb. 5, 2008, New Mexico was the only one that didnt have results by the next day. Final results werent posted until nine days after the Super Tuesday vote. The debacle thrust New Mexico and its Democratic Party into the national spotlight. Democrats were fuming, many of them calling the caucus an embarrassment to the party and to the state.
As (the caucus) got closer, I realized that I didnt have the monetary resources to shore up what I suspected was going to be an overwhelming task but had no capacity to stop that train, he said. I immediately took responsibility because I was chair of the party, and I dont regret that a bit.
Colon said trying to run the caucus with a 100 percent volunteer labor force was a mistake. But he said he learned from the ordeal and is a better leader because of it.
Ive been in that kitchen when its so hot everything is melting down, Colon said. And as a result, Im also very realistic when it comes to needing to evaluate potential challenges on a path.
He went on to win the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 2010 to become Diane Denishs running mate. They lost to Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and her running mate, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez. But that race also wasnt without controversy.
In a campaign commercial, Colon said, We know that Susana Martinez is from Texas Susana es una Tejana.
Colon said he has apologized for going down that road.
Its the one and only time Ive stooped to any kind of silliness like that, and I regret it, he said.
Skillful fundraiser
Colon raised more money than his opponents in his quest for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, and hes on track to do the same thing in his current mayoral bid, already having received more than $700,000 in contributions.
But he has also used his fundraising prowess over the years to raise money for nonprofits, everything from Popejoy Halls Schooltime Series and Friends of the Children of El Salvador to the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity.
Ive raised hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars in Albuquerque for nonprofits that I believe in, and Ive never been paid a dime to do it, he said.
Colon said his success comes from being able to help people see what they can accomplish if they pull in the same direction, and he said hed use that same skill set as mayor.
Colon also volunteers as a mentor and has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Albuquerque Community Foundation.
Work ethic
Colon was featured in a Journal article in 1987. It was the summer before his senior year at Los Lunas High School, and Colon was heading to Boys Nation in D.C. The article delved into Colons work ethic.
He had been working at his parents Bosque Farms Flea Market since he was 10, had been elected student body president and class president and was an active member of about 20 student organizations, having been elected to hold office in 10 of them.
After Colon graduated from high school, his parents and two younger siblings moved to Florida. Rafael Colons health had been deteriorating, and doctors recommended the move.
My parents had a rough road, Brian Colon said. My father had muscular dystrophy. As long as I can remember, I remember him really struggling to make it.
Colon stayed behind and enrolled at New Mexico State University. His father died shortly thereafter.
Colon said his parents taught him to work hard and to make a difference in the lives of others. To this day, he said, hes asked how he can maintain his hectic schedule.
Not only am I the hardest working candidate out there, Ill be the hardest working mayor, he said, promising to attend every city council meeting. Im tireless. Im passionate about this opportunity, and no one is going to outwork me to get it.
SANTA FE The ranking Republican member on a New Mexico Senate committee in charge of holding confirmation hearings has criticized Democrats for not scheduling meetings this summer to address a lingering backlog of appointees, but a top Senate Democrat said Tuesday the panel will meet at least once before the 2018 legislative session.
Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican whose second term in office ends next year, has repeatedly accused the Democratic-controlled Senate of stalling her appointments, especially when it comes to university regents.
And the issue has flared up again in recent weeks with leadership changes on the horizon for the states two largest universities the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.
University regents, who are appointed by the governor, have come under scrutiny at NMSU after university chancellor Garrey Carruthers said last week hed been told by regents that they did not intend to extend his contract. That prompted an outpouring of support for Carruthers from lawmakers and student leaders.
At UNM, regents will pick a new president to succeed interim president Chaouki Abdallah after a search committee recommends candidates. That could happen by as soon as this fall.
While the Senate acted during this years 60-day legislative session on 10 of the 18 regent nominees the Governors Office had submitted to the Senate Rules Committee, it did not act on all six of the regent nominees for UNM and NMSU.
Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, said Tuesday she thinks the Senate Rules Committee will meet at least once this summer, though no date has apparently been set yet.
We know theres some people out there (who havent been confirmed), and were going to try to get some of this cleaned up, said Papen, who is a member of the committee.
However, she also bristled at criticism from the Governors Office and others about the Senates pace on confirmation hearings, pointing out the Senate did confirm regent nominees for six different institutions during this years regular session.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, the Senate Rules Committees ranking GOP member, said earlier this week he hasnt been told of any planned hearings.
Im very disappointed it seems like the powers that be have decided were not doing anything until theres a new governor, Moores told the Journal. We could have easily done all those confirmation hearings this summer.
The Senate Rules Committee can hold hearings on appointees and other matters between regular legislative sessions. However, nominees are approved only with the consent of the full Senate meaning the 42-member chamber must be in session to vote.
New Mexicos confirmation system is based on the federal model and requires that high-level officials be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the Senate. In addition to university regents, the list of those subject to Senate confirmation includes Cabinet secretaries and appointees to a wide range of boards and commissions.
The news of a mass shooting in Clovis hit, aptly, like a bullet to the back, stinging, shocking, numbing.
Then nothing?
No. Not at first. Nothing comes later.
Thats how it is, yes? A community is rocked by another gunman gone wild and we grieve, we rage, we vow never again, we promise something will be done. Then nothing is.
Shoot, lather, repeat.
Sometime after 4 p.m. Monday, news of the latest shooting in the United States this one in our own backyard began breaking through the wall-to-wall coverage of raging floods and Russia. Two were dead inside the public library in Clovis, we heard. Four others were injured as well.
And a teenage gunman described by one witness as happy, laughing, smiling the whole time was taken into custody while the rest of us made attempts to make sense of it all.
But it never makes sense, does it?
Nathaniel Jouett, the 16-year-old Clovis boy identified as the shooter, was a troubled boy, we learned, as all teens who mow down innocent lives with live rounds tend to be. Pastor David Stevens at Clovis Living Word Church of God said Jouett had a very hard life before he started coming to church.
But he was doing better, Stevens said, since the days when he kept a gun at his side and a suicide note in his pocket. He had been baptized. He was dating the pastors daughter.
Sixteen hours after she posted happy photos of the two of them on Facebook, wreathing their heads with pink heart emojis and announcing to the social media world that she was the luckiest girl alive, it appears that the gun and the suicidal thinking had returned.
So here we go again, pondering how someone so young and so apparently disturbed could so easily obtain a firearm. We consider ways to regulate that access without screwing with the Second Amendment. We consider installing metal detectors in libraries or arming all librarians.
Briefly, all too briefly, we consider whether more mental health counseling is needed, especially by troubled youths.
We consider whether this kid should be locked away forever, as if that would solve anything.
We shake our heads and say, what a tragedy. We leave flowers in the bloodstains. Government officials offer thoughts and prayers to Clovis. Gun safety advocates implore government officials to turn thoughts and prayers into responsible action. People like me roll out the devastating data on gun violence. And so it goes until it doesnt.
But things are happening, said Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.
There is no more time for complacency when it comes to gun violence, she said. Not one person in this country is safe from gun violence; not mothers, children, fathers, friends, loved ones, Democrats or Republicans. This public health hazard has come to define us both as state and a country.
Her group has seen some success, especially with programs that focus on youth gun violence. That includes the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, which asks youths to get involved in preventing the deadly use of firearms, and the Murals to End Gun Violence, art designed and created by students. The students are on their fourth mural. Both programs have only been implemented in Northern New Mexico.
Earlier this month, Viscolis group assisted Albuquerque residents Ron Schwartz and Yusef Lovato in creating The Face of Gun Violence, a website that memorializes those shot and killed in New Mexico since 1999.
Many of those faces are children.
The next big focus is promoting the groups First Born program, which provides new parents with gun locks and gun safety information, Viscoli said.
Small but meaningful changes, she said. But bigger things, like changes in law and policy, continue to stall out.
SB 259 a bill the group pushed that would have forbidden domestic violence abusers under restraining orders from possessing guns while the order is in effect was vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez this year.
So, what then?
I dont have the answers, but I know nothing will change if we cant even begin a meaningful discussion from all sides of the gun debate. Im getting tired of repeating myself on that.
Im tired of the platitudes and promises that go nowhere. Im tired of asking gun owners to be more responsible with their arsenals, tired of gun lovers thinking that all gun safety advocates want to do is take away their weaponry.
Im tired of the nothing. Im thinking some of you are, too.
So start talking. Keep talking. And keep listening, too. Surely we can do that much this time.
UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
CLOVIS Kristina Krissie Carter, 48, and Wanda Walters, 61, were well-known friendly faces at the Clovis-Carver Public Library.
Carter lived most of her life in Clovis and raised two daughters there, encouraging them to join the swim team and travel to competitions, said her daughter Chelsey Jorde.
She was my childhood Girl Scout troop leader, Jorde said. She loved reading and listening to audiobooks. She liked to go camping and fishing with my dad. She liked to travel to Germany to see my uncle and aunt there. They had a lot of adventures there.
Jorde said Carter threw herself into her job as a youth services librarian at the library, where she had worked since November 2002.
She loved her job. Even more, she loved the kids that came with it, Jorde said.
Walters, who had worked at the library since 2010, was a circulation assistant who many in the town remembered seeing on their regular trips to the library.
A relative said her son and daughter are in shock and requested privacy.
She was a wonderful woman, a devout Christian and she loved her family, said Misty Moore. She was a very special person and she didnt deserve to be shot down like an animal at her job.
Hundreds turned out for vigils held at two churches in the area Tuesday evening.
At 6 p.m., about 150 mourners gathered at Central Baptist Church in a solemn setting as the choir sang religious hymns. Audience members cried and hugged.
An hour later, more than 400 members of the community filled the rows of seats at Faith Christian Family Church, standing and clapping as the churchs praise and worship band played.
Mayor David Lansford spoke at both vigils, asking the city to be strong and hold the victims in their thoughts and prayers.
HOUSTON Harveys floodwaters started dropping across much of the Houston area and the storm weakened slightly Wednesday but major dangers remained for the U.S. Gulf Coast area, including the threat of an explosion at a stricken Texas chemical plant and major flooding further east near the Texas-Louisiana line.
The scope of the devastation caused by the hurricane came into sharper focus, meanwhile, and the murky green floodwaters from the record-breaking, 4-foot deluge of rain began yielding up more bodies as predicted.
The confirmed death toll climbed to at least 31, including six family members four of them children whose bodies were pulled Wednesday from a van that had been swept off a Houston bridge into a bayou.
Unfortunately, it seems that our worst thoughts are being realized, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said after the van that disappeared over the weekend was found in 10 feet of muddy water.
As the water receded, Houstons fire department said it would begin a block-by-block search Thursday of thousands of flooded homes. Assistant Fire Chief Richard Mann said the searches were to ensure no people were left behind.
While conditions in the nations fourth-largest city appeared to improve, another crisis related to Harvey emerged at a chemical plant about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston. A spokeswoman for the Arkema Inc. plant in Crosby, Texas, said late Wednesday that the flooded facility had lost power and backup generators, leaving it without refrigeration for chemicals that become volatile as the temperature rises.
The fire will happen. It will resemble a gasoline fire. It will be explosive and intense in nature, said Janet Smith, spokeswoman for the French company.
The last of the plants employees evacuated on Tuesday and residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) were told to leave.
Arkema submitted a plan to the federal government in 2014 outlining a worst-case scenario that said potentially 1.1 million residents could be affected by such an event over a distance of 23 miles, according to information compiled by a nonprofit group. But the company said Wednesday that a worst-case scenario was very unlikely.
Another threat was emerging east of Houston where weather conditions deteriorated close to the Louisiana line.
Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, struggled with rising floodwaters and worked to evacuate residents after Harvey completed a U-turn in the Gulf of Mexico and rolled ashore early Wednesday for the second time in six days. It hit southwestern Louisiana as a tropical storm with heavy rain and winds of 45 mph.
Forecasters downgraded Harvey to a tropical depression late Wednesday from a tropical storm but it still has lots of rain and potential damage to spread, with 4 to 8 inches forecast from the Louisiana-Texas line into Tennessee and Kentucky through Friday. Some spots may get as much as a foot, raising the risk of more flooding.
For much of the Houston area, forecasters said the rain is pretty much over.
We have good news, said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District. The water levels are going down.
Houstons two major airports were up and running again Wednesday. Officials said they were resuming limited bus and light rail service as well as trash pickup.
At Hermann Park, south of downtown, children glided by in strollers and wagons, joggers took in midday runs and couples walked beside cascading fountains and beneath a sparkling sun. People pulled into drive-thru restaurants and emerged from a store with groceries.
At the same time, many thousands of Houston-area homes are under water and could stay that way for days or weeks. And Lindner cautioned that homes near at least one swollen bayou could still get flooded.
Officials said 911 centers in the Houston area are getting more than 1,000 calls an hour from people seeking help.
In Houstons flooded Meyerland neighborhood, hundreds of families emptied their homes of sodden possessions under a baking sun as the temperature climbed into the 90s. They piled up couches, soggy drywall and carpets ripped out of foul-smelling homes where the floodwaters had lingered for more than 24 hours.
The curbs were lined with the pickup trucks of cleanup contractors and friends.
For Harry Duffey, a 48-year-old computer security specialist, this was flood No. 3 in as many years. Just before the flood, he got a notice that his flood insurance premium had nearly doubled to $5,300 a year.
Everywhere we look this water has cost me money after money after money. It just does not end, he said. But he said he has no intention of moving: This is in my blood. This is where Im from.
Altogether, more than 1,000 homes in Texas were destroyed and close to 50,000 damaged, and over 32,000 people were in shelters across the state, emergency officials reported. About 10,000 more National Guard troops are being deployed to Texas, bringing the total to 24,000, Gov. Greg Abbott said.
Confirmed deaths from the storm include a married couple who drowned after their pickup truck was swept away while they were on the phone with a 911 dispatcher asking for help, officials said.
Others among the dead include a woman whose body was discovered floating in Beaumont, a man who stepped on a live electrical wire in floodwaters, and a woman who died after she and her young daughter were swept into a drainage canal in Beaumont. The child was rescued clinging to her dead mother, authorities said.
When Harvey paid its return visit to land overnight, it hit near Cameron, Louisiana, about 45 miles from Port Arthur.
Port Arthur found itself increasingly isolated as floodwaters swamped most major roads out of the city.
More than 500 people along with dozens of dogs, cats, a lizard and a monkey took shelter at the Max Bowl bowling alley in Port Arthur after firefighters popped the lock in the middle of the night, said the establishments general manager, Jeff Tolliver.
The monkey was a little surprising, but were trying to help, he said.
In Orange, Texas, about 30 miles east of Beaumont, residents of a retirement home surrounded by thigh-deep water were rescued by National Guardsmen and wildlife officers, who carried them from the second floor and put them aboard an airboat.
Harvey initially came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane in Texas on Friday, then went back out to sea and lingered off the coast as a tropical storm for days, inundating flood-prone Houston.
Harveys five straight days of rain totaled close to 52 inches, the heaviest tropical downpour ever recorded in the continental U.S.
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Associated Press writers Frank Bajak, Matt Sedensky and Michael Graczyk in Houston; Diana Heidgerd and David Warren in Dallas; Seth Borenstein in Washington; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; and Tammy Webber in Chicago contributed to this report.
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This version of the story corrects the last name of the Arkema spokeswoman to Smith from Hill.
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Sign up for APs daily newsletter showcasing our best all-formats reporting on Harvey and its aftermath: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb .
WASHINGTON True to form, President Donald Trump sowed policy confusion with a tweet.
Declaring Wednesday that talking is not the answer on North Korea, Trumps message appeared to clash with efforts by his Cabinet members to safeguard the possibility of a diplomatic solution as Kim Jong Uns military races toward mastering a nuclear-tipped missile that can reach America.
The presidents morning tweet came a day after a highly provocative North Korean missile test that flew over Japan, a close American ally, potentially endangering civilians on the ground. On Wednesday, Kim called for more weapons launches in the Pacific.
The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer! Trump tweeted.
The statement raised fresh uncertainty about the Trump administrations strategy for North Korea. How the U.S. plans address the Norths growing nuclear capabilities is of increasing urgency not just in Northeast Asia, but also in the United States. Last month, the isolated, communist country tested for the first time a missile that could potentially strike the U.S. mainland.
Trump didnt spell out what he meant by extortion, but he appeared to be referring to the $1.3 billion the U.S. has provided in aid to North Korea since 1995. Most of that has been food and fuel.
Criticism of past administrations failures to halt North Koreas march toward nuclear weapons has been a recurrent theme from Trump. However, his comment overlooked that fact theres been virtually no U.S. aid to North Korea since early 2009. Talks also have been in limbo for years. The last formal negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang on the nuclear issue occurred in 2012.
Eliminating the possibility of new negotiations could limit U.S. options. It also risks increasing the chance of military confrontation between nuclear-armed powers.
Within hours of Trumps tweet, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared to contradict him.
Were never out of diplomatic solutions, Mattis said as he met with his counterpart from South Korea for talks on military readiness.
The U.S.-allied government supports, in theory, greater diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang. If war were to ever break out, millions of South Koreans would immediately find themselves within range of the Norths large conventional weapons arsenal.
In Geneva, Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, sought to explain the presidents tweet.
Trump was expressing his frustration at North Koreas dangerous and provocative threats, Wood said. But like Mattis, he said the U.S. remained willing to discuss the Norths denuclearization.
The United States is open to trying to deal with this question diplomatically, but the other side is not, Wood told reporters.
Its not the first time Trump has complicated his administrations national security message via social media.
Last month, as aides worked to defuse tensions between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, Trump blindsided them by tweeting that Qatar funded terrorism. The gas-rich monarchy hosts 11,000 U.S. troops.
Trump also surprised officials with tweets on Russia and banning transgender people in the military.
Supporters of U.S. engagement with North Korea argue that periods when the U.S. is talking and providing aid to the country have proved the most successful in curbing its weapons development. In the past five years, without formal talks, the Norths technological strides have been most rapid.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week hinted at possible direct talks if North Korea demonstrated its sincerity by stopping weapons tests. The U.S. also has been maintaining a diplomatic back channel with North Korea.
The immediate outlook for diplomacy, however, appears bleak.
On Wednesday, North Koreas Kim called for more weapons launches into the Pacific Ocean. The Korean Central News Agency said the launch that overflew Japan was of an intermediate-range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month. It described the launch as a muscle-flexing countermeasure to U.S.-South Korean military drills that conclude Thursday.
Trump offered a surprisingly subdued, initial response to the Japan overflight Tuesday, without any of the bombast of earlier this month when he warned the North of fire and fury if its threats persist. He said all options are on the table, a standard formulation signaling Washington hasnt ruled out military action.
While the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday condemned the launch as outrageous, there was no move to impose more sanctions.
At the disarmament body in Geneva, North Korean diplomat Ju Yong Chol said the councils statement revealed Washingtons evil intention to obliterate the DPRKs sovereignty and rights to existence and development.
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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Jill Colvin, Robert Burns and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.
State employees raised $13,524 for disaster relief in New Mexico, Gov. Susana Martinez announced Wednesday during a news conference at the Albuquerque offices of the American Red Cross New Mexico.
In presenting the check, the governor said the money was collected in July as part of this years Dollars for Disaster campaign conducted by state employees. New Mexico is currently the only state government to have a Red Cross campaign, she said.
The partnership between Red Cross New Mexico and New Mexico state employees was initiated by Department of Transportation employee and Red Cross board member Yvonne Encinias in the wake of the 2011 Las Conchas wildfire, which burned across 156,000 acres of northern New Mexico wilderness.
From fires, floods and other emergencies, New Mexicans know more than most how important it is to be prepared, and how to come together to help those in need. Im proud that our state employees are leading by example, Martinez said.
I also ask that all New Mexicans join me in supporting the Red Cross as they work to help our neighbors in Texas with Hurricane Harvey.
The Red Cross is currently working to deliver food, water and other essential goods in the affected area. It is also working to set up and maintain shelters for those displaced by the hurricane, a task that has proved challenging because some shelters are now being evacuated due to rising flood waters, Martinez said.
Kathy Segura-Salas, executive director of the Red Cross New Mexico, said its too early in the response to know with any degree of accuracy how much individual and corporate money has been donated to Red Cross offices throughout the state on behalf of relief efforts in Texas.
Martinez said shes been unable to make contact with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, but has had a conversation with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. I offered him any and all of our state agency assets, she said. We have uploaded everything we have available, and then when they need it they just ask for it and we will send assistance over to them. New Mexico stands ready to help in any way we can.
In the meantime, Martinez said the New Mexico National Guard has deployed three aircraft and their crews to aid in relief efforts, as well as prepared a team of more than 80 personnel to accommodate potential additional requests for assistance.
The governor on Wednesday also greeted and wished well Ellen Benton, 72, who was leaving for the Houston area to assist in shelter relief operations there. A Red Cross volunteer for less than six months, this will be Bentons first deployment with the organization.
She is among about 15 Red Cross volunteers from across New Mexico who are already in the Houston area or are en route.
My motivation was just to go in and see what I can contribute to the situation, she said. Its really sad, and you feel so sorry for all the people going through this and losing their homes, and the animals. There are people completely displaced and I just want to help them.
SANTA FE Staff members for the state Democratic and Republican parties shed a little blood together this week.
They met up and donated at United Blood Services motivated by the horror stories coming out of Houston and Clovis.
Neither side took credit for coming up with the idea. Instead they each issued identical statements and released a photo of everyone smiling together in Albuquerque, their arms bandaged after having blood drawn.
In the photo are Republicans James Clarke, political strategy director, and Dominic Pacheco, interim communications director. The Democrats are Joe Kabourek, executive director; Felicia Salazar, communications director; and Andrew Lefebvre, data director.
Houston and much of Texas, of course, have been battered by Hurricane Harvey.
At a public library in Clovis, meanwhile, a shooting left two people dead and four others wounded, including a 10-year-old boy. Police identified the shooter as a 16-year-old boy.
Headed to Texas
A state lawmaker from southern New Mexico is on his way to Houston.
Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Mesilla Park, said on Twitter that he might be hard to reach for a couple of weeks because hes headed to Houston to try to help.
SANTA FE State auditors are recommending New Mexico do a better job of tracking the money withheld from charter schools to help pay for oversight and administrative support.
About $18.5 million was withheld from public charter schools over a recent five-year period, and its difficult to say whether the money was spent effectively, according to a nine-page report issued this week.
Under state law, the Public Education Department or a school district whichever
agency approved the charter can withhold about 2 percent of the schools costs to help cover the cost over providing oversight and other administrative support to the school.
We found an unfortunate lack of transparency and accountability, which makes it difficult to see if these dollars are being used effectively, Democratic State Auditor Tim Keller said in a news release.
Lida Alikhani, a spokeswoman for the Public Education Department, part of the administration of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, described the report as misinformed and politically motivated.
One of our top priorities will always be to ensure that classroom spending is used properly and well-accounted for, she said.
Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal
Clovis High School student Leandra Martinez, 16, right, cries during a vigil at Central Baptist Church for the victims of the deadly shooting at the Clovis Carver Public Library. Martinez, who went to school with the teen suspect, sat with her 8-year old friend Audrey Sawyer. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis police officers on Tuesday continued to investigate the deadly shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis Mayor David Lansford talks about how the city is coping following a deadly shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis city employee Bert Archibeque removes yellow crime tape and barriers in front of the Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis a day after a deadly shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis Police Chief Douglas Ford talks about the deadly shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Lisa Pellegrino-Spear puts a ribbon on a light pole across the street from the Clovis-Carver Public Library a day after a deadly shooting there. Pellegrino-Spear was helped by her 15-year-old son, Dillan Spear. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Bobbie McCandless used to teach Nathaniel Jouett, the teen accused of killing two and wounding four at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis firefighters fold their water hoses after power washing the parking lot of the Clovis-Carver Public Library a day after a deadly shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Gov. Susana Martinez fights tears while talking about the deadly shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Eddie Martinez, owner of Eddie's Subs and More, a restaurant located near the Clovis-Carver Public Library, talks about the victims of the deadly shooting who frequented his restaurant. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Clovis Mayor David Lansford leads a prayer during a vigil at Central Baptist Church for the victims of a deadly shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Andrea Reeb, the 9th Judicial District Attorney, talks about the charges that will be filed against the teen suspected of shooting six people, killing two, at a public library Monday. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) From left: New Mexico Department of Public Safety Secretary Scott Weaver, Clovis Chief of Police Douglas Ford and Mayor David Lansford listen to Gov. Susana Martinez talk about the deadly shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) A woman places flowers at the entrance of the Clovis Carver Public Library in Clovis , NM, a day after a deadly shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) A law enforcement investigator collects evidence at the Clovis Carver Public Library in Clovis, NM, a day after a deadly shooting. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Dillan Spear, 15, left, helps his mom Lisa Pellegrino-Spear put a ribbon on a light pole across the street from the Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis a day after a deadly shooting there. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Wanda Walters, 61. (Courtesy Go Fund Me) Kristina Carter was killed in the shooting. (Courtesy) Clovis Police Department officers escort the suspect following Monday's shooting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The police did not identify the shooter, but The Eastern New Mexico News has independently identified him as Nathaniel Jouett. (Tony Bullocks/The Eastern New Mexico News) People in the assembly sing and give praises during a prayer vigil at Faith Christian Family Church for the victims of the deadly shooting at the Clovis Carver Public Library in Clovis , NM. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal) Clovis Mayor David Lansford,, addresses the assembly during a prayer vigil at Faith Christian Family Church for the victims of the deadly shooting at the Clovis Carver Public Library in Clovis, NM. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal) Prev 1 of 21 Next
CLOVIS When detectives asked 16-year-old Nathaniel Jouett why he shot six people on Monday, killing two librarians, he told them he was mad and had been for months.
And he said he had been thinking of shooting up the school, according to court documents filed in the 9th Judicial District Court in Clovis.
Jouett was charged Wednesday with two counts of murder, four counts of assault with the intent of committing a violent felony, four counts of aggravated battery and child abuse.
He is accused of taking two handguns from his fathers safe, walking into the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Monday afternoon and shooting six people, including a child.
Jouett stated he had planned this for a while and wanted to shoot the school up, and kill himself, a Clovis police sergeant wrote in a search warrant affidavit. He stated he ended up at the library because he was angry and was either going to kill himself or shoot a bunch of people.
He said he didnt know anyone at the library.
Jouetts pastor told the Journal on Tuesday the high school sophomore had been suspended from school for fighting on Friday. School district officials said they could not release any information, citing student privacy laws, and wouldnt comment for this article.
They did publish a statement saying there have been many stories circulating about the shooting and the police have been following all of those leads.
Our goal is to proceed with school as normally as possible, the statement said. Additionally, we want to assure parents and community members that student safety and mental well-being is first and foremost.
When officers searched the home of Jouetts father, less than a mile from the library, they found several more guns, including an AR-15 rifle, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to a search warrant.
They also found suicide notes in Jouetts bedroom.
Here I am
Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, Chris Jouett, Nathaniels father, called police to say his son had taken guns from the home and was missing, according to the affidavit.
It was too late.
Officers had already been called with a report of an active shooter at the library 15 minutes earlier.
An affidavit reports that when detectives entered the library, Jouett said, Here I am.
They said the youth was standing next to the information desk, holding his hands above his head with a handgun on the shelf next to him.
Circulation assistant Wanda Walters, 61, and Kristina Krissie Carter, 48, a youth services librarian, had been shot and killed.
Another library employee, Jessica Thron, 30, was severely injured. Noah Molina, 10, was shot in the hand and his sister, 20-year-old Alexis Molina, was seriously injured, as was 53-year-old Howard Jones, according to police. The injured are all being treated at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas.
During his interview with detectives, Jouett was reported as saying, I went to the library. I shot someone.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, he told detectives he had been kind of mad for a while since getting kicked out of school last year.
Its unclear when Jouett was kicked out of school and when he returned.
According to Nathan, everyone hates him and no one likes him, a detective wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit. He is referred to as Nathan in the documents. He said he was a born-again Christian for about a month, but he has been thinking about this for a long time.
Detectives said Jouett told them he had planned to either kill himself or kill a lot of other people.
But, he said, I didnt think I would do it.
Jouett said he knew how to shoot because he and his father go shooting and had a hunting trip planned for October.
He told detectives he took the guns, went to the library, used the restroom, and then went out and started shooting. He said he didnt aim at anyone in particular.
Jouett said he knew it was wrong, but he had been having bad thoughts for a while.
He didnt tell anyone these thoughts because they have their own problems, the detective wrote in the affidavit. He couldnt say these things to his family, his girlfriend, or his friends from church.
As police were escorting Jouett out through the library, he saw a woman lying on the ground, without anyone around helping her, according to the affidavit. The sergeant told him to think about it.
Sergeant Munoz asked him what he thought would happen, the detective wrote in the affidavit. Nathan said I feel awful. I dont like hurting people.'
The children and brother of a man who was killed when he was struck by a recreational vehicle in a wild chase with Albuquerque police officers earlier this summer have filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the dangerous tactics police used violated their relatives civil rights.
The suit says that police used a Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT maneuver, to stop the RV and it crashed into a vehicle driven by Tito Pacheco, 39, seriously injuring him. He later died.
A PIT maneuver is when an officer intentionally sideswipes a vehicle with the intent of stopping a chase. Albuquerque police policy says that only certain officers who have been trained on the tactic can perform it, and they must first get approval from a supervisor. The maneuvers also shouldnt be done on vehicles moving faster than 35 mph unless the situation calls for lethal force, according to police policy.
To me, its outrageous. I dont know what they could have been thinking to do a PIT maneuver on an RV in a busy intersection, said Jason Bowles, an attorney for Pachecos family. If you are going to direct something of that size into traffic, its not going to be a good outcome.
Celina Espinoza, a police spokeswoman, said there is an ongoing serious use of force investigation into the chase. That means the polices Critical Incident Review Team is examining the case and looking for policy violations and training opportunities.
The crash happened on June 20 when David Barber, 40, fled from police in an RV. Police were trying to arrest him on an 18-count warrant on charges that included aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, multiple counts of larceny of a firearm and battery on a police officer.
The citywide chase started at the Balloon Fiesta Mobile Home Park on the 500 block of Tyler NE when officers surrounded the RV and Barber accelerated through a closed gate onto Edith. For more than an hour police pursued the RV throughout the city, first just with the police helicopter and then with vehicles.
The lawsuit said there were crashes at Princeton and Girard, Wyoming and Burlison, Indian School and Washington, Marble and Louisiana and Candelaria and the Pan American Frontage Road.
Police on the night of the incident said that during the chase Barber at times followed traffic laws and at other times drove recklessly. At one point, Barber nearly struck an Albuquerque police officer at the Target parking lot in Uptown.
The helicopter could have monitored it until it stopped, Bowles said. There was no need to have an hour-plus chase through Albuquerque that caused all those accidents.
Pachecos vehicle was struck when officers used a PIT maneuver to stop Barber and take him into custody near Coors and Irving on the West Side.
The father of three suffered six broken ribs, an injured spleen, a punctured lung, spine injures and a traumatic brain injury, according to the lawsuit.
After three agonizing weeks Tito Pacheco passed away from his severe injuries, the suit states.
Barber is in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center on state charges. District Judge Brett Loveless ordered that he be detained until his state court charges go to trial. He has also been charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
With Mumbai inundated with torrential rains for two straight days, there are several who are caught in the downpour without food, water and shelter. This has revived the memories of the flooding of Mumbai on July 26, 2005 following the eighth heaviest-ever recorded 24-hour rainfall figure of 944 mm (37.17 inches).
And as on July 26, August 29, 2017 also saw the ever resilient Mumbaikars open their hearts and homes to absolute strangers stranded in flooded streets. There is one formidable weapon in their hands this time social media. Twitter and Facebook are being used extensively to inform people about the availability of free food, water and shelter across Mumbai. From the common man to celebrities, FM radio stations and Mumbai Police everyone has been extensively using the social media platforms to offer help and information.
Prashant Panday, MD & CEO, Radio Mirchi, commended all the FM players doing yeoman service during #MumbaiRains and requested I&B Minister Smriti Irani to allow private FM radio players to broadcast news.
Radio Mirchi is offering tea, Maggi and love to anyone in the Lower Parel area.
Big FM RJ Anirudh Chawla gave company to those stranded in the rains all night, hosting the #MumbaiFlooded show.
Together, we can overcome any ordeal. Thank you all for showing what humanity is in the face of adversity! #SaluteMumbai #MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/8pU6Sl5Nv1 Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 30, 2017
The Mumbai Police Twitter feed was on overdrive, doling out information about flooded roads, traffic jams, availability of free towing service and much more.
Goibibo, OYO Rooms and many other travel and stay organisations sent out messages to people offering free stay at select properties during this calamity. Cab hailing services like Ola and Uber have announced free rides and other concessions for Mumbaikars. Uber is offering free rides on UberPool with the code MUMBAIRAINS urging them to pool together and help fellow Mumbaikars travelling in the same direction to reach home safely while also discarding the surge prices.
Ola Cabs is providing their Ola Shuttle service free of charge to help people reach their destinations safely without any booking requirement. Anyone who wants to avail the service just has to reach the dedicated Shuttle locations by Ola, which include Powai Hiranandani, Bandra Kurla Complex, Domestic Airport, Lower Parel and Goregaon Hub Mall.
Facebook, on the other hand, is asking residents of Mumbai to mark themselves safe during the flooding in Mumbai so that Ones friends and family know about the well being of the Facebook user.
Bollywood celebrities, too, are re-tweeting information about where all help is available, as well as some emergency numbers. These include: Farhan Akhtar, Boman Irani, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Vishal Dadlani, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza, Sonakshi Sinha and more.
Setting aside religious differences, Gurudwaras, Ganpanti pandals, mosques and churches have opened their doors for everyone, offering shelter and food.
Indeed, it is in times of crisis that humanity shows its most resilient face, and these #MumbaiRains are no different.
HOUSTON, Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Devastating flooding continues in Houston, the country's fourth largest city, where droves of people stranded and displaced by the deadly floods from Hurricane Harvey are being transported to nearby evacuation centers and shelters. The biggest rainstorm in the history of the continental United States, the life-threatening storm has killed at least 22 people and has left thousands of families seeking refuge.
Save the Children is expanding its emergency response in Texas, assessing needs in Houston and Dallas, and acting quickly to bring truckloads of infant and toddler supplies to four shelters in Austin today, while strengthening its work to support children in area shelters.
Officials anticipate that more than 30,000 Texas residents will need shelter including in three mega shelters located in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Save the Children has teams on the ground, and at the request of the City of Austin, is en route to the city's four major shelters with essential items including portable cribs and sheets, strollers, baby wash basins, hygiene kits and lotion packs.
Save the Children opened its first Child-Friendly Space Monday at Kazen Middle School in San Antonio and is now working to establish additional spaces in Houston and Dallas, with thousands of Houston residents from Houston in the next few days. The organization is also working with local officials and partners to get more volunteers out to help.
Child-Friendly Spaces are safe, well-supervised areas within shelters where children can play, socialize and begin to recover from the disaster, while allowing their parents to concentrate on addressing the family's immediate and longer-term needs.
"Child-Friendly Spaces are a hallmark of Save the Children's emergency response, and are essential in helping children cope and build resiliency during disasters," said Jeanne-Aimee De Marrais, the organization's senior director of U.S. emergencies. "We are working hard to make sure that children and families in Texas are getting the supplies and care they need."
"We are evaluating the immediate needs for families who are being rescued in Houston, and those who are still stranded," added De Marrais. "We know the longer-term needs will be in Houston and we're determined to get child care and early education programs up and running as quickly as possible."
To support Save the Children's response efforts around Hurricane Harvey, please go to www.SavetheChildren.org or text Hurricane to 20222 to donate $25 to the Hurricane Harvey Children's Relief Fund. (A $25 donation will be added to your mobile bill. Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. Terms: www.hmgf.org/t. Privacy Policy: www.savethechildren.org/privacy.)
Save the Children gives children in the United States and around the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We invest in childhood every day, in times of crisis and for our future. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contacts:
Erin Taylor, etaylor@savechildren.org, 267.250.8829, @etaylor524;
Jeremy Soulliere jsoulliere@savechildren.org, 203.295.5842, @soulles
Note to Editors: Experts in Texas Available for Interview and Photos Available for Download HERE
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SOURCE Save the Children
DARMSTADT, Germany, August 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Not intended for UK-based media
Data to showcase Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany ' s strong and diverse pipeline ranging from immuno-oncology to DNA damage response
Avelumab data validate potential in hard-to-treat cancers and highlight progress of the JAVELIN clinical development program
First data in mTNBC for ATR inhibitor (M6620) from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany 's comprehensive portfolio in DNA damage response
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced it will present data for a number of tumor types across its rapidly evolving pipeline. A total of 23 abstracts, representing five therapeutic agents, will highlight the company's expanding scientific expertise at this year's European Society for Medical Oncology congress (ESMO 2017; September 8-12, Madrid, Spain).
Data to be presented include continued reinforcement of the role of established brand Erbitux (cetuximab) as a standard of care therapy, with quality of life (QoL) data in colorectal cancer (CRC) and real-world data in both CRC and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN); updated efficacy and safety data for avelumab in metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) among other cancers; and new data and updates from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's rapidly evolving pipeline, including first data from potential first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor M6620* (also known as VX-970).
"The Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Oncology Franchise has had a momentous year, particularly with the positive regulatory milestones achieved for avelumab. The story continues to evolve at ESMO 2017 from our legacy with Erbitux to our diverse and robust pipeline which has potential novel molecules that could become new standards of care," said Luciano Rossetti, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Research & Development at the biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "The data reinforce Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's commitment to pursuing approaches that will bring important benefits to patients and transform the way cancer is treated."
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's innovative approach and strategic collaborations in oncology are exemplified through the ongoing partnership with Pfizer, and the significant progress of avelumab. Granted two accelerated approvals** by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year, more recently the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending the approval of avelumab as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with mMCC. ESMO 2017 includes new data for avelumab in the treatment of mMCC, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, and 12-month follow-up data in pre-treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC. The progress of the broader JAVELIN clinical development program will also be highlighted, with updated data in hard-to-treat tumors such as metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC).
The addition of the recently acquired Vertex DNA damage response (DDR) portfolio to its own in-house DDR platform has positioned Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany as one of the key players in the DDR field. The company's broad DDR portfolio includes inhibitors for enzymes of major DDR pathways, such as ATR, DNA-PK and ATM. At ESMO 2017, first data will be presented for ATR inhibitor M6620 in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). M6620 is currently being investigated in several ongoing Phase I trials across a variety of tumor types.
Other pipeline updates will include data on the potential first-in-class dual p70S6K/Atk inhibitor M2698*; and tepotinib***, a highly selective c-Met kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Product related information contained herein is subject to local product approval and can therefore vary from country to country. For information relevant to your country, please check in with local regulatory authorities.
*M6620, M2698 and tepotinib are under clinical investigation and have not been proven to be safe and effective. There is no guarantee any product will be approved in the sought-after indication by any health authority worldwide.
***Tepotinib is the proposed International Non-proprietary Name (INN) for the c-Met kinase inhibitor (also known as MSC2156119J).
Notes to editors
Accepted Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany-supported key abstracts at ESMO 2017 are listed below. In addition, a number of abstracts with data from investigator-sponsored studies have been accepted, including abstracts related to Erbitux (not listed).
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Avelumab Poster sessions September 9 JAVELIN Lung 100: Reck M. 1377TiP 13:15 - 14:15 Hall 8 updated design of a phase 3 trial of avelumab vs platinum doublet chemotherapy as first-line (1L) treatment for metastatic or recurrent PD-L1+ non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) September 10 JAVELIN MERKEL D'Angelo S.P. 1227P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 200: Avelumab treatment in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC). September 10 Avelumab in Le Tourneau C. 913P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC): results from the JAVELIN Solid Tumor trial September 10 Potential impact Zheng J. 882P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 of avelumab+axitinib (A+Ax) on tumor size (TS) compared with historical data of sunitinib (S) as evaluated by a modeling and simulation (MS) approach September 10 Avelumab treatment Apolo A.B. 856P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in the phase 1b JAVELIN Solid Tumor study: updated analysis with greater than or equal to6 months of follow-up in all patients
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location September 1 Sevilla M6620 (VX-970) Telli M.L. 242PD 09:15 - 10:45 auditorium Poster session Initial results of a phase 1 dose expansion cohort of M6620 (VX-970), a first-in-class ATR inhibitor, in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in patients (pts) with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) (NCT02157792)
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location M2698 Poster session September 9 Alicante Phase I dose Tsimberidou A.M. 370PD 16:30-18:00 auditorium escalation study of M2698, a p70S6K/AKT inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancer September 11 Pharmacodynamic Xiong W. 393P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 (PD) biomarkers for the p70S6K/Akt inhibitor, M2698: translation from animal to human and its relevance for dosing rationale
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Erbitux(R): Poster session September 9 Biomarker testing Aravantinos G. 576P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 practices in the SECURE (proSpective obsErvational clinical practiCe stUdy in the first-line management of metastatic colorectal cancer [mCRC] with eRbitux in combination with chemothErapy) study September 9 Quality of life Liu T. 593P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 (QoL) analyses in patients with RAS wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with first-line FOLFOX-4 plus or minus cetuximab in the phase 3 TAILOR trial September 10 ENCORE: a phase 4 Le Tourneau C. 1068P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 observational study of cetuximab and platinum-based therapy (PBT) for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent/metastat ic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN) September 10 A survey of Tischer B. 1579P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 patient acceptance of skin toxicities from cetuximab-based therapy
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Tepotinib Poster session September 9 Final data from a Qin S. 701P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 phase Ib trial of tepotinib in Asian patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Anti-PD-L1/TGF- trap pathways Poster session September 11 Analysis of Zhang Y. 1645P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta gene expression signatures (GES) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): rationale for targeting PD-L1- and TGF-beta
About avelumab
Avelumab is a human antibody specific for a protein called PD-L1, or programmed death ligand-1. Avelumab is designed to potentially engage both the adaptive and innate immune systems. By binding to PD-L1, avelumab is thought to prevent tumor cells from using PD-L1 for protection against white blood cells, such as T-cells, exposing them to anti-tumor responses. Avelumab has been shown to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro. In November 2014, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer announced a strategic alliance to co-develop and co-commercialize avelumab.
**Indications in the US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for avelumab (BAVENCIO) for the treatment of (i) metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older and (ii) patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or who have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. These indications are approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Avelumab is not approved for any indication in any market outside the U.S.
Important Safety Information
The warnings and precautions for avelumab (BAVENCIO) include immune-mediated adverse reactions (such as pneumonitis, hepatitis, colitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis and renal dysfunction and other adverse reactions), infusion-related reactions and embryo-fetal toxicity.
Common adverse reactions (reported in at least 20% of patients) in patients treated with avelumab for mMCC and patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, infusion-related reaction, peripheral edema, decreased appetite/hypophagia, urinary tract infection and rash.
About Erbitux (cetuximab)
Erbitux is a highly active IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). As a monoclonal antibody, the mode of action of Erbitux is distinct from standard non-selective chemotherapy treatments in that it specifically targets and binds to the EGFR. This binding inhibits the activation of the receptor and the subsequent signal-transduction pathway, which results in reducing both the invasion of normal tissues by tumor cells and the spread of tumors to new sites. It is also believed to inhibit the ability of tumor cells to repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels inside tumors, which appears to lead to an overall suppression of tumor growth. Erbitux also targets cytotoxic immune effector cells towards EGFR expressing tumor cells (antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, ADCC).
The most commonly reported side effect with Erbitux is an acne-like skin rash. In approximately 5% of patients, hypersensitivity reactions may occur during treatment with Erbitux; about half of these reactions are severe.
Erbitux has already obtained market authorization in over 90 countries world-wide for the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany licensed the right to market Erbitux, a registered trademark of ImClone LLC, outside the U.S. and Canada from ImClone LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, in 1998.
About M6620
Also known as VX-970, M6620 is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR). ATR is a key sensor for DNA damage, activating the DNA damage checkpoint and leading to cell cycle arrest. It is thought that inhibition of ATR can enhance the efficacy of DNA-damaging agents, and could potentially also be efficacious as monotherapy against tumors with high levels of replication stress induced by overexpression of oncogenes. M6620 complements our strong DDR portfolio and is currently being investigated in Phase I and II trials.
About M2698
A potential first-in-class, investigational small-molecule that is designed to inhibit both p70S6K and Akt. Both targets are part of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which is often dysregulated in solid tumors.
About tepotinib
Tepotinib is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase. Alterations of the c-Met signaling pathway are found in various cancer types and correlate with aggressive tumor behavior and poor clinical prognosis. Tepotinib is being investigated in two Phase II studies in non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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 except in the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.
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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.
Anker has just announced the latest addition to its newest brand, Zolo. The Zolo Mojo is a new WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 speaker from Anker that has the Google Assistant built-in. So you can think of it as a cheaper Google Home. The Zolo Mojo is going to go on sale in October of this year and sold under $70. Anker worked hand-in-hand with Google to create the Zolo Mojo, so that everything you can do with the Google Home today, will work with the Zolo Mojo. That means you can say OK Google, hows the weather? or ask Google to turn off the lights, adjust your Nest thermostat and so much more. The Google Assistant continues to get better and better every day, the company said.
On the speaker side of things, the Zolo Mojo has a 5W speaker inside, which is similar to the Eufy Genie that the company just unveiled recently that has Amazons Alexa built-in. This means that the speaker wont be the best sounding speaker out there, but it will get the job done, which is important. Of course, it does support Google Cast as youd expect, so you can talk to the Zolo Mojo and tell it to cast 13 Reasons Why from Netflix onto your TV. This is a WiFi and a Bluetooth 5.0 speaker, so you can stream music over WiFi which will give you better audio than over Bluetooth. But if for some reason your music streaming app is not supported by the Google Assistant, you can still stream via Bluetooth, and it does support the latest version of Bluetooth, version 5.
Thats not all that Anker has to announce either. The company is also teasing the fact that it is working with Google to create an entire line of Google Assistant-powered speakers, with the Zolo Mojo being the first in the lineup, and also being the entry-level model. Which means that users can expect a more high-end model to be available in the coming months, as well as something in the mid-range. This is on top of the number of smart appliances that the company is planning to debut before the end of the year, making it a pretty busy time for Anker.
AT&T is currently rolling out early 5G services on a trial basis in a select number of U.S. cities and is looking to add Waco, Texas to the list by 2018, along with Kalamazoo, Michigan, and South Bend, Indiana. The new testing cities will be run on a larger scale than previous trials. AT&T is planning to open trial sign-ups to big business customers, but also small businesses, universities, and churches. The coverage areas for the new trial cities are also reportedly going to be larger, allowing for more customers, and giving AT&T a chance to see how the network performs with a large amount of users in a wide area.
The current run of 5G trials focuses on millimeter wave technology, also known as mmWave. While most of the connections networking requirements and backhaul are handled by heavy-duty equipment at or near a large wireless site, the last leg of the journey takes place on short-range, extremely high-bandwidth radio waves capable of transmissions at high speeds. For the most part, trials will consist of radio waves coming from an origination point and jumping from a smaller point to another smaller point until they reach a users device, as opposed to the normal method of a single cell tower serving hundreds or thousands of users in a given radius. This technology involves wireless equipment placed at or very near the client site, and is thus called fixed wireless.
AT&T is not the only carrier looking to deploy 5G on a testing basis using mmWave spectrum and fixed wireless technology, but its method, for now, is more suited for large-scale customers like businesses. Verizon and Sprint, on the other hand, are looking into using small cells to serve a wider area, but not quite as wide as traditional cell sites. This allows transmission on higher-bandwidth radio waves, and AT&T is expecting to see 5G services become commercially available within the next few years, with that expectation being in line with the general consensus which is that the 3GPPs official 5G standard will be complete and 5G services will be commercialized on a nationwide level by 2020.
A new application is being developed by researchers at the University of Washington that could use software to help users with the early detection of one of the most dangerous types of cancer. Bilirubin build-up in the blood stream is a key early indicator for Pancreatic cancer which has a five-year survival rate of only 9 percent. Pancreatic cancers high fatality rate is primarily the result of how difficult it is to catch. The application, which is currently called BiliScreen, works using an algorithm, a smartphone camera, and machine learning to detect increased bilirubin levels by examining coloration changes in the white of a human eye. According to researchers, the application is able to catch changes in coloration long before the human eye can detect them and, better still, users only need to take a selfie to use BiliScreen.
What makes BiliScreen so exciting to the people involved in the project, is how accurate it has been shown to be so far. Although the app wont officially be presented until September 13 at Ubicomp 2017, the Association for Computing Machinerys International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing, initial clinical studies have correctly identified cases of concern 89.7 percent of the time. Unfortunately, as of this writing, accuracy is still dependent on a 3-D printed box which controls light exposure but the results are promising nonetheless since the findings are backed up by subsequent blood work confirmation. Another study, conducted earlier with BiliScreens predecessor BiliCam, showed comparatively accurate estimates of bilirubin levels in 530 infants. Moreover, changes in eye coloration are more consistent than jaundice-related skin changes across all age groups and ethnicities. Discoloration is also not solely linked to pancreatic cancer, so any advancement in measuring bilirubin through examination of the eye is going to be hugely beneficial to fields of medicine.
At very least, if BiliScreen is successful, users will no longer be burdened by the costs associated with visiting a doctor to have blood drawn and the extensive tests tied to that for many patients. Instead, anybody concerned with their individual risk-level for pancreatic cancer will be able to use the application to decide if more tests are needed. However, it will also help those who are already experiencing health problems related to bilirubin concentration in the blood stream to track the progress of their condition with high accuracy and with more frequency. Aside from the implied cost savings associated with that, doctors and medical researchers could eventually find more efficient ways to treat disorders on a more personal level using the data gained from those measurements.
An unannounced Sony device with the model number G8541 has reportedly popped up on GFXBench, with the listing revealing some of its core specifications. The device could come in two sizes, both as a smartphone and a tablet, according to the newly uncovered listing. The latest Android 8.0 Oreo operating system will apparently fuel the software side of things, possibly being the first smartphone to run this particular build of Googles popular OS out of the box.
The benchmark listing for the Sony G8541 reveals that the device will pack an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC clocked at 2.4GHz, paired with 4GB of RAM, Adreno 540 graphics chip, and 128GB of native storage space which may be expandable via a microSD card slot. The smartphone will apparently feature a large 6.2-inch display with a full HD resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels which suggests a regular 16:9 aspect ratio, but the listing also mentions a 12.3-inch display with a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. Unless the listing is inaccurate, the Sony G8541 may also come in the form of a tablet. Other listed specifications include an 18-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, touch focus, 4K video recording, flash, and face detection, as well as a 12-megapixel selfie cam with 4K video recording capabilities.
The existence of the Adreno 540 GPU indicates that the Sony G8541 might pack the Snapdragon 835 processor, but it remains unconfirmed at this point. The GFXBench listing also reveals a number of other features, including an accelerometer, barometer, Bluetooth, GPS, compass, NFC, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and a pedometer. The device will be of the single-SIM variety, according to the same source. The Sony G8541 could be the rumored Sony Xperia XZ1 Ultra, expected to launch as a successor to the old Xperia Z Ultra that released back in 2013. Sony has yet to offer any official information regarding this device, but it could unveil it alongside the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact at the IFA 2017 trade show which is scheduled to officially open its doors on Friday, September 1. Regardless, more details on the mysterious device and its specifications, as well as Sonys other hardware endeavors should follow in the coming days.
Samsung had introduced the Gear IconX, card-free earphones, last year, and today the company introduced the second-generation of these earphones, which are really similar to last years model, in terms of the design. Weve already talked about these earphones in our announcement article, but did not really talk much about its specifications. Now, before we begin, its worth saying that these earphones were announced during the companys IFA 2017 press event in Berlin, and this is not the only products Samsung introduced, the company also showed off the Gear Sport smartwatch, and the Gear Fit2 Pro fitness tracker. Having said that, lets move to the Gear IconX (2nd-gen) specs.
The official name of these earphones is the Samsung Gear IconX (2018), and these are, of course, wireless earbuds, just like the first-gen model. The Gear IconX (2018) earbuds come in Black, Gray and Pink color variants, and they come with a carrying case, which also acts as their charger. Each of the two earbuds includes an 82mAh battery on the inside, while the case comes with a 340mAh unit on the inside, and Samsung says that it will provide a full charge for both earbuds. Samsung says that these earbuds have a play time of up to 6 hours, in a standalone mode, and if youre playing something via Bluetooth, theyll be able to last you up to 5 hours of play time. Now, as far as talk time is concerned, the Gear IconX earbuds will provide you with up to 4 hours of talk time. Some of you might wonder how will you charge the carrying case, well, it comes with a Type-C port, though this is a USB 2.0 connection, not 3.0 connection, not that it matters much in this case, but its worth noting. Each of the two earbuds weighs 8 grams, while the case weighs 54.5 grams, which means this whole package weighs 70.5 grams.
These earbuds come with a 5.8pi Dynamic Driver, which is supposed to help with sounds output, and Bluetooth 4.2 is supported here. Samsung says that these earbuds are compatible with all devices that are running Android 4.4+, and have at least 1.5GB of RAM. The Gear IconX earbuds are equipped with a capacitive touch area, while they also include an IR blaster and an accelerometer. Each of these earbuds measures 22.8 x 18.9 x 21.8mm, while the case measures 31.4 x 73.4 x 44.5mm. Now, in terms of voice guide languages, the following languages are supported: English, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Korean, Italian, Russian and Japanese.
Ambitious plans to expand its coverage in the Southeast Asia region are behind international firm Stephenson Harwoods decision to open a new office in Myanmar.The firm has a well-established Myanmar practice, built up over the past 20 years, but it has been based in the Singapore office."This year marks our twenty-first anniversary in Singapore, and the opening of our Yangon office demonstrates our commitment both to Myanmar, and to the region as a whole," said Sharon White, CEO, Stephenson Harwood. "It also marks an important step in our ambitious growth strategy."The Yangon office opens this Friday (1st September) with Tom Platts, lead partner of the Myanmar practice. Seyfarth Shaw has hired another key lawyer for its growing Hong Kong office.The US-headquartered firm adds partner Raymond Wong to the office as part of its Asia Pacific and international corporate practice expansion. He joins from King & Wood Mallesons.Wong will also be the Hong Kong offices managing partner and will work alongside former DLA Piper Asia employment practice head Julia Gorham, who joined Seyfarth for the Hong Kong opening in February.Seyfarth Shaw was recently approved by The Law Society of Hong Kong as a registered foreign law firm in Hong Kong, and has approved Seyfarth Shaws association with Wong, Wan & Partners, the Hong Kong solicitors firm formed by Seyfarth Shaw LLP partners Raymond Wong and Wan Li.A lawyer-turned-author is about to release the third of her novels focusing on lawyers in lovewith a touch of kink!Seelie Kays background as a lawyer and journalist has led her to ghostwrite many non-fiction books for other lawyers; but since February she has also been publishing contemporary erotic fiction with lawyers in lead roles.Kay says she turned to fiction after an accident left her immobile for 30 days. The boredom was transformed into the first novel Kinky Briefs in February 2017, which began the journey into a side of the legal profession not often considered.Most people seem to think lawyers lead pretty boring lives, says Kay. I beg to differ. This is my way of revealing a different side of lawyering, a more realistic one.She says it was easier to write about the world she knows: lawyers, law firms and courts.While the books, including the forthcoming Kinky Briefs, Thrice have a racy element, Kay insists the focus is on loving relationships but adds People may not look at their lawyers the same after reading my book, but that's a good thing.
AWD
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Previewed by three renderings, the 2018 Mitsubishi Delica will debut at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show as a near-production design study. Published by Web Motor Magazine , the renderings reveal what can only be described as an Xpander with more attitude and sliding rear doors. On a closer look, its easy to notice that the oversized wheels and tire design are not ready for production.According to the Japanese publication, the all-new Delica will borrow the vehicle platform from the Outlander mid-size SUV . And for a change, the Delica will come as standard with S-all-wheel-drive. The business end of the eight-seat minivan is Mitsubishis 2.2-liter Di-D inline-4 turbo diesel, which is rated at 170 PS (168 horsepower) and more than 392 Nm (290 lb-ft).Production of the 2018 Mitsubishi Delica should start sometime in the second quarter of next year, probably after the month of April. As ever, the Nagoya plant in Japan is where the Delica will see the light of day, and one of the make-or-break markets for the all-new model is people carrier-savvy Thailand.Its highly unlikely Nissan will adopt the Delica for its own purposes now that the Japanese automaker controls Mitsubishi , but the two companies have confirmed that synergies have to happen at some point. One such synergy will come in the form of the next-generation Pajero, which is expected to share its platform with the all-new Patrol.Another area Nissan is interested in Mitsubishi is the companys plug-in hybrid technology, with the Outlanderpriding itself as being the best-selling plug-in hybridin Europe.
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The usability-boosting transformation has also touched the Aventador . For instance, the Superveloce model became the most responsive V12 model ever made in Sant'Agata Bolognese. And the Aventador S, which is the mid-cycle revamp for the vee-twelve model, has borrowed plenty of features from the SV, while its slightly milder tune means the thing is even less determined to make the one behind the wheel sweat.Returning to the Huracan, the Performante might have come up with a considerably spicier approach, but the thing has kept its driver-friendly aura.And all these efforts the Italian automotive producer is making can also be translated in sweet Nurburgring lap times - while the Aventador SV can lap the Green Hell in 6:59, the Huracan Performante currently holds the record for production cars, thanks to a 6:52 lap.However, the look-at-me aura is obviously still a top priority and you can regard the Instagram pic you see here as a real-world example that comes to back this up.The photo shows a Huracan Performante getting a bath during the Goldrush Rally and the reaction of the crowd says it all.Even so, there are certain aficionados who might not be all that in love with the looks of the Huracan Performante. Truth be told, while the various special editions of the Gallardo managed to keep the clean look for the aprons, we can't say the same thing about the uber-Huracan.For instance, the ALA active aero bits on the supercar mean that the nose of the V10 animal must accommodate a pretty complex structure. But this is another story for another time.
Training veterinary leaders to ensure the future of the profession will be Dr. Michael Topper's top priority as AVMA president.
Dr. Michael Topper
In his address to the AVMA House of Delegates on July 21 in Indianapolis, the retired Army colonel outlined the focus of his presidency in the coming year. In addition to leadership development, Dr. Topper will use his office to address shortages in the federal veterinary workforce, strengthen AVMA leadership in the one-health movement, and promote member wellness.
"One thing I learned in my 22 years as an officer in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps is that a successful leader takes care of their troops," he said. "This conviction has guided me throughout my career in both the paid and volunteer workforce, and it is why I embrace the principles of servant leadership."
He succeeded Dr. Tom Meyer as AVMA president at the conclusion of AVMA Convention 2017 on July 25.
Dr. Topper enlisted in the Army Veterinary Corps in 1980 after receiving his DVM degree from the University of Georgia. He worked in various capacities during his military career and was running the pathology division at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research when he retired from the Army in 2002. A board-certified veterinary pathologist, Dr. Topper is currently director of clinical pathology at Merck Research Laboratories in West Point, Pennsylvania.
For the workplace, the key priorities of servant leadership, Dr. Topper explained, are developing people, building a trusting team, and achieving results; the key principles are service first, persuasion, and empowerment; and the key practices are listening, delegating, and connecting followers to the mission. He said the AVMA can do more in promoting leadership development, specifically by helping veterinary practice owners develop team-building and team-leadership skills.
(A) successful leader takes care of their troops. This conviction has guided me throughout my career in both the paid and volunteer workforce, and it is why I embrace the principles of servant leadership. 2017-18 AVMA President Michael Topper
"By better utilizing the annual Veterinary Leadership Conference, our Future Leaders Program, and our Early Career Development Committee; by expanding our partnership with the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative and other leadership programs; and by improving existing seminars, workshops, and online leadership training, we can better meet this need for our members and for our principal and constituent allied veterinary organizations," Dr. Topper said.
"And so, let's work together and make the AVMA the center of excellence for veterinary leadership development for our next generation of leaders," he added.
The AVMA also must continue to work on finding ways of growing the federal veterinary workforce, according to Dr. Topper. There is an ongoing concern that federal agencies lack sufficient numbers of veterinarians necessary to mount an effective response to a highly contagious or economically devastating animal disease, he said.
Dr. Michael Topper outlines his priorities as president in his address to the AVMA House of Delegates in Indianapolis.
"We can do our part by advocating for the creation of new jobs and increased responsibilities in all public practice areas," Dr. Topper said. "We also have two resolutions before this body that call for assistance in supporting the federal veterinary workforce." (See "USDA recruiting for slaughter inspectors".)
Regarding one health, Dr. Topper believes the AVMA should strengthen its commitment to the movement. "Ultimately, people and animals rely on the environment for their nourishment and survival, and it's these interconnections that make the practice of one health so critically important for each of us," he said.
Dr. Topper highlighted AVMA initiatives promoting veterinary wellness and well-being such as "Question, Persuade, and Refer" training to identify those at risk of suicide; the AVMA Wellness and Well-being community on LinkedIn; and cyberbullying resources. The AVMA is working with veterinarians in the United Kingdom and Australia on enhancing outreach in this critical area, he added.
Dr. Topper concluded his HOD address by encouraging his colleagues to "own" their profession.
"If we veterinarians do not own the professional issues dealing with the diverse practice of veterinary medicine, somebody else will. We must own advocacy at the state and national levels to prevent legislators from telling us how to treat animals. We must own production animal welfare to prevent consumers and retailers from telling us the best way to humanely raise these animals. We must own being the public face of veterinary medicine to prevent others from being the go-to source for information," he explained.
"Owning it may force us out of our comfort zone because it will mean being proactive and not reactive, and being willing to take on challenges that are best for the profession," Dr. Topper said. "But I believe we have it in us."
Some holidaygoers in ariverside community in the south of France got an airshow plus some drama on Sunday when an air tanker taking off from the Rhone River hit a barges mast with its wing. It is a miracle that there have been no [deaths], a spokesman for the harbor office at Vallabregues told local media. The Canadair CL-415 was the second of two taking off from the river after loading water to fight a nearby forest fire. People aboard the barge can be heard in the accompanying video exclaiming at how close the first aircraft passes to the barge and whoever shot the video appears to have dropped his or her phone as the wing of the second flying boat severs the mast.
The video ends there but apparently, the sturdy aircraft continued the takeoff and landed safely at Nimes, a short distance away. According to the Fire Aviation website, the aircraft will be repaired within weeks and be put back in service. French officials released this translated statement. The wing of the firefighting plane is damaged. It will be unavailable for several weeks, the statement said. The pilots were reported to be experienced and knew the stretch of water and were given the rest of the day off for a medical check. The 75-acre fire near Collias was brought under control later in the day.
Here's a preliminary look at how much of Texas' gulf coast is under water, using data from the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. The purple areas on this map were mapped using imagery from various satellites that orbit the Earth.
Data: Dartmouth Flood Observatory; Map: Lazaro Gamio / Axios
Gasoline prices are beginning to rise in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, with at least 12% of America's refinery capacity currently offline. The average national retail cost of regular fuel has climbed 4 cents per gallon over the past week, per AAA, while mid-grade and premium are both up 5 cents per gallon.
And, if history is a guide, expect the increases to continue:
In his tax reform speech today in Missouri, President Trump called on Congress to "get this job done" and repeatedly stated that he doesn't want to be "disappointed."
"I don't want to be disappointed by Congress , do you understand me? Do you understand? I think Congress is going to make a comeback. I hope so. I'll tell you what, the United States is counting on it."
, do you understand me? Do you understand? I think Congress is going to make a comeback. I hope so. I'll tell you what, the United States is counting on it." He later instructed the crowd to pressure their Democratic senator: "Your senator, Claire McCaskill must do this for you, and if she doesn't... you have to vote her out of office."
"Your senator, Claire McCaskill must do this for you, and if she doesn't... you have to vote her out of office." As Axios' Jonathan Swan previewed, the speech was light on policy, but Trump signaled that he's willing to play hardball to push tax reform through.
The one tangible figure: Trump said he wants to bring the corporate tax rate down to 15%. But as Swan notes, the 15% figure is fantasy: "Nobody who is serious thinks this number is possible. Most tax experts in Washington say Republicans will be doing well to get the corporate rate down to 25%.
Key quotes
"I want Americans to wake up happy to go to work for a big fat beautiful paycheck... I want them to be proud again."
On NAFTA: "Mexico is not happy... but we've got to renegotiate this deal and if we cant we'll terminate it and start over again with a real deal."
Trump's four principles for tax reform:
Azerbaijan does not accept peace proposals made by the United States, Russia and France despite its calls for substantive negotiations on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian insisted on Wednesday.
Azerbaijan continues to mislead the international community by saying that it is ready for substantive negotiations, he claimed after talks in Yerevan with his Bosnian counterpart Igor Crnadak.
Nalbandian challenged Baku to prove its commitment to a peaceful settlement by accepting the internationally recognized principles of non-use of force, peoples self-determination and territorial integrity of states.
The three principles are at the heart of a repeatedly modified peace accord that has been advanced by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the past decade. The proposed deal calls for Armenian withdrawal from virtually all seven districts around Karabakh that were fully or partly occupied by Armenian forces in 1992-1993. In return, Karabakhs predominantly Armenian population would determine its internationally recognized status in a future referendum.
Armenia agrees with the co-chair countries, said Nalbandian. As for Azerbaijan, it rejects those principles and even refuses to sign international documents that merely refer to those principles.
Azerbaijan should first and foremost affirm its commitment to the three principles that are proposed by the three co-chairs, he added at a news conference.
The Azerbaijani government regularly blames the Armenians for the continuing deadlock in the negotiation process, saying that they are avoiding substantive talks in order to cement the status quo. Baku is also reluctant to implement confidence-building agreements that were reached by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Vienna and Saint Petersburg last year.
The two leaders specifically agreed to allow the OSCE to deploy more field observers in the conflict zone and investigate ceasefire violations occurring there. Yerevan insists that these safeguards are essential for making progress towards a Karabakh settlement.
Azerbaijan should implement, rather than oppose, the agreements that were reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg, said Nalbandian.
Nalbandian and Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov are due to meet again in late September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The U.S., Russian and French mediators hope that they will prepare the ground for an Armenian-Azerbaijani summit later this year.
30 August 2017 13:57 (UTC+04:00)
By Sara Israfilbayova
The expression "Sargsyan and his criminal clan" is on everybodys lips in Armenia.
The dissatisfaction of Armenians has its roots in a number of deep-rooted domestic issues in Armenian politics and economics. And no wonder: international organizations in their reports clearly indicate that more than half of the countrys population lives below the poverty line, while many are deprived of basic human rights.
Armenians blame President Serzh Zargsyan and his team for turning Armenia to a dependant and poor country. They, as follows from the statuses of social network users and local media, are aggressive towards the Sargsyan regime and do not intend to hide their bitterness.
First of all, this is due to the difficult socio- economic situation in Armenia: a citizen of this country has to think only of daily bread. A rapid growth of external debt and decline in foreign investment are the realities of the national economy.
Armenians are fed up with empty talk, chattering and foolish promises. Each speech of Sargsyan is followed by a flashmob in social media, where Armenians show obscene gestures against the background of the photos of their president.
Today, Armenian society is in deep anxiety, because, no one knows what to do. As for those who should know, they are part of "the criminal clan" and their actions have nothing to do with ordinary citizens of Armenia. Sargsyan and his criminal clan are busy with emptying pockets of ordinary Armenians.
Today Armenian society is characterized by the absence of both ideological, value incentives, and the lack of a dream, idea, strength and faith in future.
A recent poll also proved that the citizens of Armenia are not happy with their president.
Nothing good was the most often first answer of respondents. Among the reasons for such a negative attitude the majority of respondents called the disastrous socio-economic situation in the country, which forces many people to leave their homeland, as there is no decent pay in the country.
Armenia's current emigration rate is 4-5 percent of the whole population annually, which is the highest in the world. The official Armenian statistics show that some 3,226,000 people lived in the country in 2000, but this indicator fell to 2,981,000 by early 2017.
Nevertheless, Sargsyan seems very positive. He promised that the number of population will reach 4 million in 2040 thanks to a sharp improvement of the demographic situation and keeps irritating Armenians with his unrealistic promises and statements.
Chaos and anarchy reign in Armenia, young people refuse to serve in the army, authorities violate the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Armenia today has become a symbol of injustice, militant ignorance and corruption. Considering the dire political and economic situation in the country this is quite normal.
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30 August 2017 13:10 (UTC+04:00)
By Sara Israfilbayova
The Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Indonesian Port Corporation had an exchange of views on personnel training issues.
CEO of Indonesia Port Corporation Elvyn G. Masassya and his delegation have visited the Port of Baku, in Alat settlement of Baku in this regard. Director General of the Port of Baku Taleh Ziyadov informed the guests about the capacity and prospects of the Port.
The sides also discussed possibilities for personnel trainings and creation of digital port system.
The sides had signed memorandum on cooperation between the Indonesian Port Corporation and Baku Sea Port in May 2017 in the Indonesian city of Bali.
The Port of Baku is located on an area of 400 hectares (ha) of land, of which about 100-115 ha cover the area for the development of the international Logistics and Trade Zone. The northern areas around the port are reserved for future expansion of logistics, industrial, and manufacturing activity.
The Port is expected to become one of the leading trade and logistics hubs of Eurasia. The implementation of all 3 phases of construction is projected to increase the capacity up to 7,660 tons on a daily basis.
The first stage of construction of the Port is projected to be completed until late 2017. Till that period the Baku Port is expected to increase its capacity handling some 10-11 million tons of freight and 50,000 TEUs per year. The second stage will provide for the handling of 17 million tons of freight and 150,000 of containers, while the implementation of the final stage is projected to increase the capacity up to 25 million tons of freight and 1 million of containers.
The Port of Baku signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation in Singapore with SMRT International Pte Ltd and Ectivise Solutions Pte Ltd to enhance the operational effectiveness of the new Port of Baku in Azerbaijan.
The two Singapore-based companies will advise and support the Port of Baku in its efforts to introduce new technologies and innovative solutions in the Port and Free Trade Zone operations.
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30 August 2017 16:44 (UTC+04:00)
By Amina Nazarli
The state-owned Food Products Procurement and Supply Company has received a "certificate of origin" through the Export Promotion Center "One Window" for the export of agricultural products to Qatar.
Food Products Procurement and Supply OJSC, which has been established by the Presidential Order, carries out purchase of food products considered for procurement from producers and sellers, and deliver them to state enterprises and organizations.
The document covers export of such products as potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, lemons and tomatoes.
Company representative Nijat Rahimli said that the company intends to continue to implement export procedures through the Export Promotion Center "One Window".
The company has already received orders for the export of apples, carrots, tomatoes, onions and nuts through the portal Azexport.az. Currently, the company is negotiating on placing its products on the Amazon website through the portal Azexport.az.
The state retains a 51 percent stake in the Food Products Procurement and Supply Company, while it is ready to transfer the remaining 49 percent to other investors through transactions on the stock exchange.
Among main objectives of the company are stimulating production and processing of agricultural output, creation of a basis for the social wellbeing of population residing in regions of the country and engaged in agriculture, provision of centralized state purchases of food stuff, holding monitoring on each type of product, etc.
State organizations (law enforcement agencies, army, penitentiary system, social enterprises) currently procure food and agricultural products on the account of the state budget, while big volumes of financial means are allocated from the state budget to provide these state organizations with food stuff. The establishment of the company allows to direct the funds to local entrepreneurs.
Moreover, most farmers were not able to sell their products, while the consumers were forced to pay expensive price for it, while the difference in prices, by which products are sold directly in the field and to the final consumer, is about 3-5 times. The decision is also aimed at elimination of the problem.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli
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30 August 2017 17:08 (UTC+04:00)
By Laman Ismayilova
The first teaser of the Babek 2020 movie dedicated to the most heroic freedom fighter of Azerbaijan, Babek Khorramdin, was released.
Babak Khorramdin was the initiator of the Khurramites movement, a freedom fighting movement aimed to overthrow the Arab Caliph occupiers and at the time rulers of Iran.
The film director is Zaur Tahirsoy; the head of graphic works is Famil Asadov (LIMAF). The movie aims to inspire the Azerbaijani youth, increase patriotic and statehood atmosphere.
Tahirsoy, talking to Report.az, said that the movie will write down a history in the Azerbaijani film industry.
Classics are always valuable; however, innovations are also important in the modern world to attract the attention of people. It is necessary to produce something relevant to the present time. Like other fields, it is significant to pay special attention to this in the film industry as well. Therefore, we have launched the Babek 2020 project," said the director.
The cast includes Rasim Balayev, Hasan Turabov, Amalia Panahov, Tamara Yandiev, Shahmar Alakbarov Mammad Verdiyev, Isaev Hamid, Enver Hasanov and others.
Along with professional Azerbaijani actors, it is also planned to invite foreign actors.
Fashion designer Shalala Magsudova will be in charge of the actors clothes.
The film describes the story of Babek's life and the national liberation movement. For twenty years of hard struggle, the great hero won many battles. However, as a result of treason, he was taken prisoner. Babak refused the offer to redeem his freedom at the cost of treason.
The hero was executed in a cruel manner: the Caliphs henchmen first cut off his legs and hands. The legend says that Babek bravely rinsed his face with the drained blood pouring out of his cuts, thus depriving the Caliph and his army from seeing his pale face.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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30 August 2017 11:30 (UTC+04:00)
Caspian Event Organizers will open the new exhibition season in Azerbaijan in autumn.
All the exhibitions will be held with the approval and official support of the state structures of Azerbaijan. A number of these projects will also be provided with additional support from various international and industry associations.
Education, Career, Caspian Ecology, Bakutel are scheduled for autumn 2017. This year in October for the first time will start a new project - the 1st Azerbaijan International Gift Exhibition GIFT FAIR 2017.
On October 6, the Azerbaijan International Education and Career Exhibitions will be held at Baku Expo Centre. These exhibitions are officially supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and will offer a wide range of bachelors, masters and postgraduate and MBA programs, including business foreign language courses, internships, trainings and pre-school education opportunities to the visitors. In turn, the 11th Azerbaijan International Career Exhibition will reflect the trend of increasing demand for exceptional personnel in the country. Among the participants of the Career exhibition are Azersun, Gilan Holding and JTI; these companies will present both vacancies and special educational programs for young people.
The 1st Azerbaijan International Gift Fair 2017 will be held from the 27th to the 28th of October at Boulevard Hotel Baku and will become a showcase of the gift industry, offering a wide range of business gifts, VIP level gifts, as well as gifts intended for loved ones and friends. This debut exhibition will also present goods and services for event management, along with interior design items and much more. Over 2 days, the exhibition will provide an exceptional opportunity to get acquainted with a wide range of high-quality products and development trends in the industry. The exhibition participants will include companies that deal with organisation of parties, weddings and pre-wedding events, along with pastry and hand-made products. At the GIFT FAIR 2017 exhibition will be present the "Premium sector", which focused on companies, boutiques and travel agencies offering luxury goods and services with the goal to establish new contacts and strengthen existing business relations with VIP clients.
Next the baton passes to the 8th Azerbaijan International Environmental Exhibition - Caspian Ecology 2017, to be held from the 14th to the 16th of November. Traditionally, the exhibition season is completed by the 23rd Azerbaijan International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Exhibition and Conference Bakutel (5 - 8 December).
The capital of Azerbaijan therefore anticipates an intense season of autumn trade fairs, which will enable the relevant industry professionals to meet reliable partners, find new areas of business, as well as keep abreast of industry innovations. More information about all the shows is available on the company's website www.ceo.az, as well as on the official pages of the exhibitions on social media networks.
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30 August 2017 10:53 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
Hungary intends to raise the level of cooperation with Azerbaijan to a long-term partnership and expects the intensification of relations with the Azerbaijani business circles, Deputy State Secretary of Hungary Zsolt Csutora said in an interview with Trend.
"Hungary and Azerbaijan have friendly political relations, without any outstanding problematic issues. We see our partnership as strategic not only on the bilateral basis, but on the level of the European Union as well. Our bilateral relations might be characterized by the regular contacts at the highest level: last year Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid an official visit to Baku, and President Ilham Aliyev is going to visit Hungary in October this year. The Hungarian-Azerbaijani Joint Economic Commission is chaired at ministerial level, which is quite rare in our practice," said Csutora.
"However, our economic relationship falls short of its potential and of the intensity of our political cooperation. Thus, we are committed to enhance and deepen our economic cooperation; we expect that President Aliyevs visit will give a new impetus for the intensification of the B2B relations, which is in the interest of both sides," he noted.
According to him, Hungary looks forward to all kinds of cooperation with Azerbaijan, including mutually favorable investments or joint ventures.
"We intend to move away from the simple turnover of goods in favor of long-term cooperation. The most perspective areas are construction industry, food processing industry, logistics, IT, water sector, and healthcare industry," said the Hungarian official.
He also noted the availability of favorable opportunities for Azerbaijani investments in Hungary.
"The Hungarian market offers favorable tax possibilities, skilled workforce, outstanding logistical infrastructure and a bridge to the European market for the Azerbaijani investors. Foreign direct investments are supported by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) which is supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade," said Csutora.
The diplomat noted that Hungary considers Azerbaijan as a strategic partner both in terms of national and European energy security.
"We are pleased to see that Azerbaijani natural gas exports will reach Europe within just a few years. We are working on North-South pipeline connectors in our region to ensure Hungarian access to the new Azerbaijani supplies," he added.
According to him, the cooperation between the Hungarian oil company MOL and Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR has a long tradition.
"Both sides are looking for mutually beneficial projects. Our friendly political relations provide an appropriate framework for the cooperation of our strategic companies," said the Hungarian official.
Earlier, Hungarian MOL Group expressed its interest to participate in oil and gas projects in Azerbaijan.
The trade turnover with Hungary amounted to about $20 million in January-July 2017, and almost the entire amount accounts for the supply of Hungarian products to Azerbaijan, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.
Azerbaijan and Hungary outlined promising areas of cooperation at the talks of the two countries foreign ministers during the official visit of the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to Budapest in early August.
The parties expressed interest in developing cooperation in such areas as transport, agriculture, industry, education, pharmaceutics and others.
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30 August 2017 12:00 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have played the role of a bridge between the East and the West, the two countries also have served to the integration of science and culture in the Muslim world, said Professor Isa Habibbayli, PhD, vice president of Azerbaijans National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).
He made the remark on August 29, at the plenary session of the international scientific conference Central Asian Renaissance in the history of world civilization, which started on Aug. 28 in Samarkand city.
Ancient caravan routes and the Great Silk Road, which connected the East and the West, played leading roles in the emergence of Muslim Renaissance culture in the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus, including Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, he said.
According to Habibbayli, the processes, which had started with the establishment of economic ties, gave impetus to the development of a dialogue among cultures.
Thus, cultural integration, along the routes of the Great Silk Road, had a strong impact on the development of science, culture and literature in the countries, the territories of which these routes crossed, including Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan; this had happened while the cultural revival in Central Asia and the Caucasus made an outstanding contribution to the development of world civilization, Habibbayli added.
Earlier, it was reported that the international scientific conference Central Asian Renaissance in the history of world civilization has started its work in the Samarkand city on Aug. 28.
The conference is being held under the auspices of UNESCO.
Representatives of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Research Centre for the Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) under the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other international organizations have been invited to participate in the forum.
During three days of the work of the forum, famous scientists, experts and historians will make speeches on various aspects of the period of renaissance of science, culture, architecture and art in IX-XV centuries in Central Asia.
Within the conference, the results of studies devoted to the Renaissance in the Central Asian region will be presented. Particular attention will be paid to the study of the historical significance and the role of the Great Silk Road in the economic and cultural development of the Asian continent, as well as in the evolution of scientific thought.
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30 August 2017 10:34 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijani Ambassador Vilayat Guliyev has been awarded Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in accordance with President Janos Ader`s decree.
The award recognizes ambassador Guliyev`s contribution to the development of political, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary, Azertac reported.
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30 August 2017 11:19 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
The foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries will meet on August 31 in Budapest.
Azerbaijan will be represented by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who will deliver a speech at the meeting, the Foreign Ministry told Trend.
Mammadyarov is also slated to have bilateral meetings with other foreign ministers.
Foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group and the EaP countries will discuss infrastructure development, cooperation in energy and transportation, as well as security issues at the Budapest meeting.
The Visegrad Group includes four countries Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
The EaP is a project of the European Union. Its main goal is to develop the EUs integration ties with Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine.
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30 August 2017 16:22 (UTC+04:00)
The Azerbaijani Emergency Situations has sent another helicopter to Georgia to help extinguish forest fires which broke out in Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
The helicopter was sent upon the request of the Georgian government and under the instructions of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Azertac reported.
The Ka-32A helicopter of the ministry supplied with special equipment will today take part in extinguishing forest fires in the neighboring country, the ministry said.
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30 August 2017 17:22 (UTC+04:00)
By Sara Israfilbayova
The Southern Gas Corridor is the most effective option for export of Israeli gas.
Israels gas supplies to Turkey will allow the country to gain access to the Turkish market and ensure transport of blue fuel to Europe, Consultant of the Mediterranean Energy Political Risk Consultancy Cyril Widdershoven told Trend.
The Southern Gas Corridor is a system of mega-pipelines meant to bring gas from the Caspian region to Europe.
Previously, Israel's Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz said that Turkey and Israel will sign an agreement on the construction of a gas pipeline to the EU by the end of the year.
The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP), the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The total value of this route is estimated at $40 billion. The main supply source would be the Shah Deniz gas field, located in the Caspian Sea.
As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.
First gas is targeted for late 2018, with supplies to Georgia and Turkey; gas deliveries to Europe are expected just over a year after first gas is produced offshore Azerbaijan.
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30 August 2017 14:51 (UTC+04:00)
By Ali Mustafayev
North Korea has one again come to the forefront of the international scene following the launch of ballistic missile over the Japanese Hokkaido Island.
The test, as politicians say, sent a clear message to Washington just weeks after the Korean leader threatened to target the US Pacific territory of Guam with similar missiles. Pyongyang has tested more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles in early 2017, but Tuesdays launch followed a much flatter trajectory than those tests.
The UN Security Council condemned North Koreas missile launch, calling it an outrageous threat and demanded to stop all the missile tests and abandon nuclear programs of the country.
The 15 members of the Security Council stated with one voice that it was of "vital importance" that North Korea make immediate steps to reduce tensions and called on all states to adhere to U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang, RIA Novosti reported.
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and have caused grave security concerns around the world," the statement said.
U.S. leader Donald Trump and Japans Shinzo Abe also vowed to increase pressure on North Korea.
A Hwasong-12 missile was launched on August 30 from near the capital of Pyongyang. The missile flew about 2,700 km and landed in the Pacific Ocean in 1,180 km from Hokkaido Island in Northern Japan.
Pyongyang confirmed the test hours before the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the launch.
North Koreas state KCNA news agency reported that Kim Jong-un had personally guided the missile, which came in response to military drills involving tens of thousands of troops from South Korea and the U.S. last week.
"The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA reported Kims statement.
The agency quoted Kim as saying that there would be more ballistic rocket launches in the Pacific, adding that the regime would monitor Washingtons response before deciding on its future actions.
Previously, North Korea announced a detailed plan to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam, where the U.S. naval base is situated.
The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, also urged the North Korean regime to stop its missile programs, strongly condemning aggressive missile launches towards Japan.
In August, the UN Security Council adopted new sanctions against the North Korea, accusing it for its ballistic missile program. The sanctions on Korean export of coal, iron and lead ores and seafood, were adopted to reduce the countrys foreign-exchange income up to two thirds.
Pyongyang ignores the international communitys pretensions regarding violation of human rights and its nuclear power programs for many years.
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30 August 2017 17:49 (UTC+04:00)
By Ali Mustafayev
The situation around the Tehran-Washington relations continues to heat up, as Iran has dismissed a U.S. demand for United Nations nuclear inspectors to visit its military bases.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the U.S. demand for U.N. nuclear inspectors to visit the country's military facilities were unlikely to be accepted by the nuclear watchdog.
"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is very unlikely to accept America's demand to inspect our military sites," Rouhani said in a televised interview on August 29.
The announcement was referring to the statement made by the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, last week. Haley pressed the IAEA to seek access to Iranian military bases to ensure that they were not concealing activities banned by a 2015 nuclear deal reached between Iran and six major powers.
Spokesman for the Islamic Republic Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, commenting on the issue, earlier said that Iran's military sites are off limits.
"All information about these sites is classified. Iran will never allow such visits. Don't pay attention to such remarks that are only a dream, he said.
The Iranian side assessed the act as an attempt by the U.S. to undermine the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Iran and the United States have often accused each other of violating the spirit of the nuclear deal.
Washington started its new sanctions campaign against Iran following President Donald Trump took the office. Trump has repeatedly called the nuclear pact -- negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama -- "the worst deal ever". In April, he ordered a review of whether a suspension of nuclear sanctions on Iran was in the U.S. interest.
The Trump administration announced sanctions in July related to Irans development and testing of missiles, along with its support for Syrias government and software theft. It further penalized Iran with more sanctions after Iran launched a satellite into orbit.
As a response to the sanctions imposed by the U.S., the Parliament of Iran approved a bill on allocation of funds for the development of its missile program. The bill mandates the government to allocate an additional $260 million for the "development of the missile program" and the same amount to the Revolutionary Guards's foreign operations wing.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia plus Germany signed the nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.
The agreement limits Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.
The US Congress requires the administrations certification (every 90 days) of Irans compliance with the nuclear deal. Trumps administration has already declared Iran in compliance, as required by law, twice during his tenure.
Iran refuses accusations and argues that there is no danger in its missile testing and that each country has rights to improve its defense system.
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30 August 2017 14:29 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
Uzbekistan and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) had discussed the perspective plans for cooperation in the field of tourism, with a view to promoting Uzbekistan in the international tourism market.
Samarkand hosted the meeting of the Chairman of the State Tourism Committee Aziz Abdukhakimov and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai, according to the information published on the official website of Uzbek Foreign Ministry.
The visit of the high-ranking guest, timed to the international festival "Shark Taronalari," has become a convenient platform for mutual exchange of opinions and experiences on the development of tourism in Uzbekistan.
During the meeting, long-term plans for cooperation with UNWTO, on promoting Uzbekistan in the international market as a recognizable tourism destination, were discussed.
The issues of developing the country tourist brand and plans for marketing the countrys entrance to the highly liquid tourism markets (in particular China, Russia, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.) have been considered.
An agreement, to facilitate the training of personnel in tourism sphere, in particular the hotel business, the provision of services in various related industries (transport, public catering, etc.) by organizing an internship for specialists in the UNWTO secretariat on an ongoing basis, was also reached.
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30 August 2017 15:40 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced that in the fight against corruption, the main emphasis should be placed on the formation of anti-corruption behavior.
The president, addressing a meeting of the State Security Council, noted that, it is also important to eliminate the causes and conditions, leading to the emergence of corruption, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports.
Further, during the meeting, Berdimuhamedov pointed to importance of the work, carried out in this area in compliance with the provisions of Turkmen legislation, and gave a number of relevant instructions.
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Turkish president has issued a statement ahead of Victory Day celebrations on Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a message on Tuesday to mark Victory Day, the 95th anniversary of a key Turkish defeat of Greek forces in the country's War of Independence.
President Erdogan, describing the victory in 1922 as a "declaration of will for independent living," said: "Turkey pursues the same determination to defeat any threats, attacks or attempts for sabotage against its economic and political independence as it did 95 years ago."
Erdogan said the fight against terror groups, including the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), Daesh and the PKK/PYD, were "obvious" examples of Turkey's determination.
In his message, Erdogan highlighted the will of Turkish nation which played a role in fighting at Gelibolu (Gallipoli), the Independence War and the night of July 15, 2016 saying: "Our nation has the power and capacity to overcome any difficulty, thanks to this will."
Prime Minister Yildirim also released a message to mark Victory Day, reiterating how the Turkish nation's struggle for independence ended in victory on Auguat 30, 1922.
Yildirim emphasized the strong bond between the nation and state, saying: "Power groups, trying to weaken the Turkish Republic with coup attempts and terrorism, will never achieve their goals and they will be completely defeated in the face of the nation-state interlocking."
In a statement Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar said Victory Day "will continue to be a source of inspiration and pride to the army which evolved out of our beloved [Turkish] people".
Paying tribute to the Turkish Republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his fellow soldiers as "the architects of this victory", Akar highlighted the fight against terrorism.
"The Turkish Armed Forces are determined to fight, with its gendarmerie, police and security guards, successfully against all terror groups threatening our national unity and indivisible integrity without letting any of our innocent people be harmed, and until there is not even a single terrorist on our territories," Akar said.
Victory Day marks the final battle against Greek forces in Dumlupinar in 1922, and is dedicated to Turkey's armed forces.
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30 August 2017 18:29 (UTC+04:00)
By Trend
Uzbekistan has paid off $9.3 million to Kyrgyzstan for electricity, KyrTAG reported, citing the head of the Kyrgyz National Energy Holding Aibek Kaliev during the meeting of the republican headquarters for the preparation of economic sectors for the autumn-winter period of 2017-2018 held on August 30.
Kaliev also mentioned that the water level in the Toktogul reservoir of 19.6 billion cubic meters allows the export of electricity to the neighboring countries, according to Kaliev.
The export of electricity from Kyrgyzstan to other countries is conditioned by the high water season as the country mostly produces energy from hydropower plants. In Kyrgyzstan, every 7-10 years, the high-water cycle is replaced by a low-water cycle and this has a corresponding effect on the generation of electricity.
"To date, we have exported 825 million kWh," Kaliev said. "The total amount of our exports to Uzbekistan should amount to 1.2 billion kWh at 2 cents per 1 kWh."
The agreement concluded between Uzbekenergo JSC and Electric Stations OJSC June 15 provides for a contractual supply of 1.25 billion kWh.
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30 August 2017 11:43 (UTC+04:00)
By Amina Nazarli
Baku is a dream city, visited by more than 2.5 million tourists yearly. Azerbaijans capital city is relatively undiscovered Caucasus gem for many travelers, and thats why one will have to take care not only of the cultural program, local sights, but also about housing in Baku.
Accommodation plays a central role in tourism industry as it is a vital and fundamental part of tourism supply. Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities contribute to popularizing any tourist destination, as travelers require location where they can rest and revive during their travel.
Hotels are the base of tourism, even if they are not always the most popular form of accommodation. However, many who travel to unknown places prefer hotels because of their safety and amenities.
Today, Azerbaijan can accommodate about 40,000 tourists in its 575 hotels, which include a series of luxury hotels Excelsior, Hilton, Four Seasons, Fairmont, JW Marriott as well as several budget hotels for cost-conscious travelers. Moreover, 25 hostels and 92 apartments for tourists operate in Baku.
However, the number of hotels needs to be increased due to the rising tourist flow. Only in January-May, some 956,000 tourists arrived in the country, while last year this figure was 768,000.
The growth of tourism in Azerbaijan and increasing number of tourists has necessitated construction of more hotels in the country.
Muzaffar Agakarimov, the adviser of the Chairman of Azerbaijani Tourism Association AzTA stresses that it is necessary to increase the number of hotels of different types and levels to more than 1,000.
Availability of 575 hotels in the country, according to the expert, is very small and it is necessary to build new ones.
It has been repeatedly noted the importance of attracting more tourists to Azerbaijan, but it should be noted that there are very few hotels in Baku, there are about 155 hotels in Baku, which is quite low. There are some hotels in Azerbaijan which have 7-10 rooms, he said.
Bulks of the hotels located in the country are 5-3 stars, which sometimes creates inconvenience for low-budget tourists. Here you can see the price list of some of them.
Therefore rent of private apartments is gaining popularity and for some this is the best way to spend vacation in Azerbaijan. Local residents lease out houses both in the center of Baku and on the outskirts of the city.
Meanwhile, the Government seriously decided to deal with this issue and the construction of hotels of different levels is on the agenda since last year.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli
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30 August 2017 12:21 (UTC+04:00)
By Laman Ismayilova
Gabala, a charming part of Azerbaijan, has been named the International Jam Capital.
President of the World Culinary Organization, Thomas Gugler presented the corresponding certificate to Sabuhi Abdullayev, the head of the Gabala Region Executive Power.
Last weekend, Gabala hosted the fifth edition of the International Jam Festival, featuring the most delicious jams and marmalades from a number of the countries.
This year's jubilee festival has set a unique record: more than 3,500 jams from 25 countries, including 45 cities and regions were presented at the festival.
In addition to the traditional types of jams, such as strawberries, apricots, plums, blackberries, quince, cherries, and other commonly-used fruits, the chefs presented very exotic ones.
Chefs from Russia Perm city surprised festival's guests with the jam made of yellow berries and acorns.
Alexei Petrov, President of the Parma Culinary Association said that yellow berry, which grows in wetlands of Russian's northern regions, gives a yield for 4 to 6 years.
Exotic jams brought from Iran were also met with great interest. The chefs of the neighboring country presented extraordinary jams made of potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants.
Sweet lovers also enjoyed jams made of peppers, ginger, mint, peppermint, pumpkin, rosemary, beetroot and other unusual ingredients.
Even jury members avoided evaluating some types of jams due to lack of other examples to compare them. For example, the Malaysian stands featured jams of karkade and roselle, know as Mecca flower.
Azerbaijani chefs were able to surprise the guests with jams made of tomatoes, hawthorns, and acacia flower. Delicious fruits jams left no one indifferent.
Head of the Croatian Master Chefs Association, Eric Glavica, said that he liked the watermelon jam of Azerbaijani chefs. The professional jury praised mulberry jam from Shabran region, blackberry jam from Mingachevir and rose jam from Baku.
Apart the sweet jams, guests also enjoyed Azerbaijani folk music and tasted the national cuisine.
An unforgettable excursion to the famous sights of Gabala region was organized for foreign guests. The impeccable beauty of Nohur Lake, surrounded by forested hills, the magnificent views of Tufandag, and the stones of the ancient artifacts of Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve, which has witnessed the history of Caucasian Albania, surprised the tour participants.
President of the Parma Culinary Association was impressed by the hospitality of the Azerbaijani people.
"This is my first visit to Azerbaijan and my impressions are very rich. Our team has participated in many specialized events abroad, but we have never seen such attention and care from organizers and local residents. I would like to thank the Azerbaijani government for organizing the jubilee jam festival in Gabala," he said.
Presentation of the stamps, featuring the kings of the Azerbaijani cuisine dolma, pilaf and piti was another remarkable event of the fifth International Jam Festival. Now these stamps will be a dream of philatelists from all over the world.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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Going Green The day before A Gentleman's release, Jacqueline wrapped up the pre-release promotion by going green in a classy pair of separates. She wore a combined ensemble by Prabal Gurung and Lemill. The top was casual but we had our eyes drooling over her skirt. Do you like the asymmetrical side slit skirt? We are in love with it.
Popping It Up Jacqueline wore rainbow-coloured pants with a black tank top during A Gentleman promotion. The pop colour pants are certainly mind blowing and we cannot blame you if that lures you to steal it from her wardrobe. The Miramikati pants are amazing like anything and we too are loving them.
Reddening Hot! Jacqueline slayed in this style book and we cannot stop appreciating her for carrying this look with so much elegance with a twist of ravishing hotness. In a pair of separates, including off-shoulder Blooming Dales top and & Other Stories trousers, this lady just killed it. She wore a pair of red Valentino shoes and a golden coloured choker to support the already stunning look.
Soothing With Class The actress looked really classy wearing the Lavish Alice off-shoulder sheath dress along with Louboutin pump heels. The classy and graceful look was compiled into a swanky style book, finishing it up with dangling earrings. The bling in the shoes perfectly complemented the matte dress.
Shimmering It With Gold Jacqueline made it clear that she is capable of carrying all types of looks with the equal amount of confidence. This bling golden attire was no less to prove it. She wore this golden off-shoulder party shirt along with plain denim ankle length jeans. The Marilyn Monroe style posture proves her stunning capabilities. She matched a pair of shimmery dangling earrings and a pair of black pump heels with her party attire she wore during one of A Gentleman's promotional event.
Keeping The Pop Alive When Delhi was giving up on monsoon, this stunning lady decided to heat it up with her look in yellow. She went to Delhi for A Gentleman promotions last week and wore a Ferragamo dress. The bright yellow belted and front slit dress looked pretty cool on her, steaming up the environment. She wore a pair of black sandals with the look and completely blew the mind of all.
Roshan Kokane "I was 10-years-old when I was sexually abused for the first time. I was napping in the noon on my bed after a tiring day at school and suddenly opened my eyes to the sensation of someone trying to physically hurt me. I was scared, shocked and I didn't move a bit. Fear and confusion gripped me that afternoon. The abuser was unfortunately someone from my family. Every time I was alone, they would touch me in the most inappropriate ways and force me to do the same with them. They would do it as frequent as one or twice a week. Reaching out to my parents was impossible They were going through a rough patch in their lives. I didn't have any friends or family I could trust on. I was hiding my pain with fear because I couldn't speak openly about it. I was also confused because, the difference between exploration and exploitation was not clearly understood by my abuser. This was definitely not exploration. I was being hurt, bullied and forced into doing something I didn't like or consent to. I felt absolutely helpless and victimised. Finally, when I grew up a little more (16 to be precise) and couldn't take it any longer, I politely asked my abuser to stop. I had made these pleas several times in the past but clearly they weren't successful. This time it stopped. Gradually, I stopped visiting them or speaking to them. I forgave them for whatever they have done but I cannot forgive myself for whatever happened. I feel embarrassed, guilty and lack confidence in myself all the time. My relationships or social life suffers now. I am battling anxiety and depression on the side too. However, throughout all of these complex and tough feelings from the past, I have not given up. I choose to live. I do know what it's like to be on the other side and a part of me wants to help those who have been through it. Help them recover and regain love. That's my people for me, and I will be there for them. No one should be alone in this..."
Rajeev Pandey "I was 5 when I was sexually abused. I lived in a joint family, and had a male servant who used to take care of me. My mother was a busy daughter-in-law in a joint family system, and my father worked out of town. Even so, he sure was my hero. The Enfield motorcycle he rode, fascinated me no end. I wanted to ride the bike like my dad. but I could not. It frustrated me. That's when my caretaker told me he had the perfect medicine for it. I was taken to a dark empty room in the huge family house. He told me the medicine he had would only work if I kept it a secret. He then pulled down my pants, and abused me. It hurt me no end, but I bravely bore it. After all, I was on my way to becoming like my father.
The abuse continued. So did the pain. After a long time, I was still unable to ride the bike. That really upset me, and I told my mother about how the medicine didn't work. She stopped the caretaker from coming home, but also punished me for getting into mischief'. Slowly, I created this dark well to numb my pain. It took me away from people. I became lonely, isolated and very scared. My loneliness made me a writer. But this is not how it should have been, because in the process I also isolated myself from reality. I was too scared to trust, too scared to come out. Then I met my wife 9 years ago. As a survivor of abuse, she shared the same pain. Slowly, she built trust inside of me. She helped me heal, helped me find the courage to come out, and live life. Her efforts inspired me, and together, we started The Hands of Hope Foundation, to address sexual abuse on children. I am still a work in progress. Healing takes time. But I have come a long way from the isolation I used to feel. I realized the world is a good place too. Not everyone is The Caretaker'. I can trust again. I can help others trust again too."
Praveen Minj "I never really understood it then, but now when I look back at my life I understand how much I really suffered. Sadly, more than the abuse, it was the how the trauma of it changed me as a person. It robbed me of who I could have been. I also realized few things, which added to my agony, the role of this society. As a male child I was always expected to be strong. My mother's suffering in her life, forced me to hide my own pain and take the onus of healing, upon myself. Eventually, this kept on adding to my baggage of constant self-victimizing , self criticism, self-doubt, and self-disbelief.. I locked that memory inside and it kept burning me from within. No one knew my pain. I hid it well. I realized the importance of family in the nurturing of a child, especially a father's role. I slowly saw myself drifting apart from them. Today there is pain. But I have also found new ways of healing through my profession. I work with children in the community, mainly boys, and whenever I see a child using aggression, and violence, I see that child within who wants his presence to be seen, and yet can't go home to meet his fears. I see me. Coming out and speaking about my abuse has helped me. It is empowering in its own way when you find some stubborn souls still holding it all together. Their solidarity and support showed me the fight that is still within me; seamless and unfathomable. My story is not yet over. I shall overcome. I am not alone anymore.
I am a survivor and this is my story."
Abhhydday Paathak "Sometimes the very wounds that cripple us hold the key to our healing. So here I am, breaking the silence.
I was born in the family of defence personnel and grew up in the wild secluded spots of various cities where my father was posted. Most of the children around me, were older, and didn't really connect with me. So I found solace with roosters, and rabbits from the Nature park, I often went to. In the attic of my childhood , I lost the child within me.I was 5 , when my fairy tale turned into a nightmare. Like the caged , mute , animals, digging canals to escape the predator, I too found myself, dodging the predator who terrorized my body and soul almost every day. Ironically, he was an officer charged with the responsibility to safeguard me. I know rationally , that none of it was my fault . But , the threats then, didn't allow me to see otherwise. I thought, I gave in', I was the Bad Person'. So I withstood repeated rape over a period of two years to avoid discovery, because it was imperative that no one found out my secret, not even my parents. The park that gave me so much joy once, has never been the same since then. For years, shame, anxiety, insecurity, and guilt filled me. Trust didn't come easy. But today I am not my scars. I am who I choose to become. I hold both strength and fear inside me and I see- saw between the two. However, I have learned that i am beautiful the way i am. I want to make a difference in the world. I can't change what happened to me, but I can help educate others. I am Abhhydday-the strong one. For many years of my life I was a victim but today I proclaim , I am no longer a victim. I am a SURVIVOR!"
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This article was published 30/08/2017 (1901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The City of Brandon is working with Gambler First Nation on what could lead to its first urban reserve deal.
Negotiations are underway for a municipal services agreement, a significant step toward the creation of a First Nations Urban Development Area.
I think collectively Gambler (First Nation) and the city weve made a lot of progress, said Sandy Trudel, Brandons director of economic development. Weve got a really solid working relationship, and I think its a positive message to share.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun David Ledoux, chief of Gambler First Nation, walks through the future site of a commercial enterprise run by the First Nation, with his grandchildren Emily Ledoux, Dawjae Smith and Dylan Ledoux at 18th Street North and Clare Avenue on Tuesday.
The property in question is located on the North Hill nearly eight acres at the corner of 18th Street and Clare Avenue. Gambler First Nation Chief David Ledoux said they are working with current landowners Crane Steel Structures and the Kokonas family.
A range of commercial options are being considered for the location, such as gas bar, convenience store, car wash, mini mall and hotel.
What wed like to see happen is a new way of doing business for the First Nations in our area, Ledoux said.
Seeing the success of other urban reserves, Ledoux said its time to bring it to this part of the province.
What Im hoping to do is set this up for the youth, he said, as he looked out at the property with three of his grandchildren in tow. Thats my vision for this property, making sure the youth have a future.
Gambler First Nation is a small community located west of Binscarth, with a population of less than 300 people.
Ledoux noted there is a long list of benefits to not only for Gambler, but to the City of Brandon. It would create jobs and provide financial stability for Gambler so they are no longer a have-not community.
The benefits for Brandon include job creation, and increased amenities/services in the community. Trudel noted that the citys population is roughly 11 per cent Aboriginal.
If were able to enhance the employment opportunities for them, then everybody wins, she said. You have a stronger labour pool, you have people gainfully employed all of those type of good things come out of there.
In addition, there would be revenue generated for the city through water/sewer and permitting fees.
Ledoux said he is amazed by the support and encouragement of everyone involved thus far, from city staff to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Just this week, they received a letter of support from INAC.
Over the past year, city administration has been working with Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council and Brandon Chamber of Commerce, with the goal of stimulating economic prosperity among First Nations communities.
Its something that weve really seen starting to take shape over not just our local Prairie provinces but across our nation of Canada, said Jason Gobeil, Aboriginal community co-ordinator with BUAPC.
Were so proud that our community has taken this approach of an open door process now, and looking to build on those relationships when it comes to business opportunities.
There are multiple processes running parallel as Gambler pursues the project. They have applied for an Addition to Reserve through the federal government, to have the lands transferred to reserve status.
It is difficult to predict a timeline, but Trudel said the land designation process could take around 18 months.
Weve seen projects elsewhere in Canada and some in Manitoba that have taken a decade to bring into place, and then weve seen other municipalities where theyre able to get them well within those (18-month) time frames, Trudel said.
A municipal services agreement with the city is a critical part, as that needs to be in place before it moves to the next step. The agreement is a legal document that defines, among other things, how city services will be supplied to the First Nation, how land development will occur, reimbursement to the city in lieu of taxes and applicable development costs.
Were almost ready to sign, Ledoux said. Its just being fine-tuned between the lawyers now.
jaustin@brandonsun.com
Twitter: @jillianaustin
The erosion of public trust in banks reflects a wider decline in sentiment towards large institutions, which will take a long time to rectify, National Australia Bank chairman Ken Henry says.
After the banking regulator this week acknowledged the community's trust in banks had suffered after a series of scandals, Dr Henry said he understood why people felt this way about banks, but argued the issue went beyond the financial sector.
NAB chairman Ken Henry said rebuilding trust in institutions will take "a long time". Credit:Jesse Marlow
"You know it's not just banks. Actually on comparisons across industries, banks are relatively well trusted, believe it or not, compared with entities operating in other sectors," Dr Henry said at a Trans-Tasman Business Circle lunch in Melbourne.
"If you think about the great institutions that guide the development of economies and guide the development of society, look at the other great institutions, like the political institutions, and look at how much trust there is in them."
Just one day after releasing its annual results investor presentation, the infant formula and organic baby food products company Bubs Australia has revealed it wants a cash injection from investors. Bubs Australia requested a trading halt on Wednesday morning, "pending an announcement regarding a proposed capital raising". Infant formula and organic baby food company Bubs Australia has flagged a capital raising. Shares in Bubs had fallen sharply on Tuesday, by 7 (or 10.2 per cent) to close at 61.5, as the market reacted to its preliminary results for fiscal 2017. When it started trading on the ASX in January, following a backdoor listing, its shares were worth 10. In late July, before the rapid surge, Bubs was trading in the low 30 range.
The company, which has a market capitalisation of about $117 million, reported a statutory loss before tax of $5.04 million, and revenue of $4.53 million for the year. The brief ASX statement requested a trading halt until the commencement of normal trading on Friday, 1 September, or possibly earlier. The company's stock had risen sharply between late July and late August, hitting a peak of 96.5 on 22 August. In an ASX release on Monday, Bubs Australia chief executive Nicholas Simms said the company was pleased with the "strategic achievements" since Bubs listed on the ASX in January. "Since listing, we have significantly reshaped the business and invested heavily in building channel capacity, both domestically by doubling our footprint, and internationally, principally into China with several ecommerce platform agreements and a strategic partnership with Brilite Nutritionals," he said.
The fifth biggest iron ore exporter from Australian shores has predicted that Rio Tinto, Vale and BHP Billiton will not be able to fund their iron ore expansions out of revenue and will be forced to change their attitude towards export growth.
The new chief executive of American miner Cliffs Natural Resources, Lourenco Goncalves, said the market had failed to fully appreciate the big capital expenditure bills the miners would face if they went ahead with their expansion plans.
Cliffs believes its port and rail infrastructure at Esperance is undervalued in the market. Credit:Sharon Smith
Mr Goncalves accused the big miners of running a "cost-plus business model" in iron ore, implying they were happy to settle for a slim profit rather than testing what the market was truly willing to pay.
"I have my doubts if the big Australian miners will be able to sustain their huge capex requirements out of the cost-plus business model, or if in a few more quarters their current behaviour toward pricing will not change," he said.
Parramatta is throwing down the gauntlet to the rest of Sydney after the green light was given to a $225 million mixed-use project to revamp the rundown former Auto Alley in Church Street.
It is part of the $876 million South Quarter development by the Dyldam group which will add to the $6 billion-plus transformation of the Parramatta CBD.
Developer Dyldam bought the former Heartland Holden car yard site from the Turner family for $150 million in 2015 and the City West Joint Regional Planning Panel Parramatta approved the masterplan in 2016, with the development expected to coincide with the widening of Church Street, featuring new cycle lanes and tree planting.
It will be the amalgamation of three separate sites, 57, 63 and 83 Church Street to create the new southern gateway to Parramatta, comprising five residential and commercial buildings, featuring an international branded hotel and community park with artworks.
The competition watchdog has been dealt a blow after the Federal Court threw out a landmark case against private health insurer Medibank over alleged misleading and deceptive conduct.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took action against Medibank in June last year after the insurer stopped covering out-of-pocket expenses on some medical tests such as x-rays, CT scans and blood tests.
Medibank chief executive Craig Drummond said the company "firmly [believed] that our actions were not unlawful". Credit:Pat Scala
It alleged Medibank and its subsidiary brand AHM hid the changes to prevent consumers from changing insurers and to plump up profits by $24 million ahead of the company's 2014 float.
The company denied any wrongdoing and, in a judgment delivered late on Wednesday, Justice David O'Callaghan agreed.
Rio Tinto has declared its $468 million Silvergrass iron ore mine in Western Australia open, with a ceremony at the site attended by company chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques and Western Australian premier Mark McGowan.
Mr Jacques said the new iron ore mine, which will add a further 10 million tonnes to Rio's annual production capacity, was "a further demonstration of our long-standing commitment to the Pilbara region in Western Australia".
Rio Tinto, which recently reported underlying earnings for the half year of a massive $4.95 billion, says the mine will produce "high quality, low-phosphorous Marra Mamba ore" which is critical to the giant miner's Pilbara blend product.
The mine is in Western Australia's vast Pilbara region, about 70 kilometres north-west of Tom Price. Rio Tinto has described Silvergrass as a satellite deposit, which is adjacent to the company's Nammuldi mine.
Australians are in the prime position to make food and brands that will resonate around the world, the founder of American yoghurt success story Chobani says.
Hamdi Ulukaya bought a disused Kraft plant in New York state and launched his line of Greek yoghurts in 2007.
A decade later, Chobani has become the highest-selling yoghurt brand in America, with sales of more than $1 billion a year, and is growing rapidly in Europe and Asia.
Now Mr Ulukaya says he sees Australia as home to the best opportunities for other entrepreneurs to follow his lead and build world-beating food companies from scratch.
NSW has the most large-scale renewable energy projects under way in Australia, and lifted its share of clean energy markedly in the past year, as states and territories take the lead in decarbonising the electricity sector, a report by the Climate Council has found.
A jump in hydropower helped raise renewable energy share in NSW by 5 percentage points last year to 17 per cent. That was marginally above the national share of 16 per cent, and the second-biggest increase after South Australia.
The Climate Council, though, rated by the most populous state behind all but Western Australia and the Northern Territory. While NSW has a net-zero economy-wide emissions target for 2050, it has not set a goal for renewables.
By contrast, Victoria gained credit for its efforts to legislate this year a 25 per cent renewable energy share by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025. Last year, the state's share was 12 per cent, up one percentage point from 2015.
I must admit, I am a serial offender when it comes to cleaning my makeup brushes goes dereliction of duty doesn't even come close. That is, until I read a couple of horror stories on the internet about the perils of dirty makeup brushs.
One was about Katie Wright, a 21-year-old Texan who didn't follow any rules about makeup brush cleansing. She told Seventeen magazine that everything started to unravel when she discovered what she "thought was a giant under the skin pimple" next to her brows. When Wright attempted to pop it her face began to swell and the pain became unbearable.
A good cleaning routine is essential for make-up brushes if you want to keep bad bacteria at bay.
"It felt like something was going to burst out of my skin," she wrote on Facebook.
Wright immediately went to the ER and was informed that she was suffering from "a very serious case of Cellulitis, which is a version of a Staph infection that affects the deep cellular tissues".
Telstra CEO Andy Penn said at the telco's results two weeks ago that the NBN funds would be used to pay down debt by $1 billion and the remaining $3 billion used in share buybacks. Credit:Pat Scala Australian shares, including dividends, returned 6.6 per cent for the year to July 31, 2017 while a portfolio of the nine equally weighted stocks favoured by small investors returned 5.9 per cent. That is a better relative performance than for the year to January 2017, when the market returned 11.6 per cent and the Mums and Dads Index produced a return of only 0.9 per cent. Craig James, chief economist for CommSec, created the Mums and Dads Index in 1999. Chris Batchelor, independent market commentator, says to get growth in their portfolios, small investors should be adding a bit of exposure to stocks outside of the household names.
"Many investors are attracted to these stocks because of the high levels of franked dividends, but ultimately it's the combination of dividends and share price growth that determines an investor's total return," he says. Batchelor says small investors typically have no or little exposure to resources, technology, infrastructure and real estate sectors, among others. The score card Qantas
Result: For the year to June 30, 2017, profit was $852 million, down 17 per cent from 2016, when it received a windfall from the sale of its Sydney Airport domestic terminal. Positives: It's Qantas' second-highest profit; beaten only by the previous year's profit. Qantas continues to enjoy earnings growth from domestic flights and its loyalty business. Negatives: Qantas' international division reduced its profit margin on international routes, contributing to a 36 per cent fall in earnings before interest and tax to $327 million. Key point: Discounting for international airfares continues to be a challenge for the airline's international business Dividend: Announced a $373 million on-market share buyback and declared a dividend of 7 a share taking the total dividend for the year to 14.
Woolworths Result: Woolworths reported a 3.6 per cent drop in underlying profit from continuing operations for the year to June 25 to $1.422 billion from $1.476 billion last year. Positives: Total sales at Woolies and its retail offshoots grew 3.7 per cent to $55.5 billion over the year. Negatives: Losses at Big W increased from $14.9 million in 2016 to $150 million, with total sales falling 5.8 per cent. Key point: Same-store supermarket sales grew 3.6 per cent during the year, outpacing the sales growth of rival Coles.
Dividend: A final dividend of 50 per share to take total dividend for the year to 84, a 9.1 per cent increase on the prior year. Commonwealth bank Result: Australia's biggest bank pulled off another full-year record profit of almost $10 billion, almost 5 per cent for the year to June 30 compared to the previous year. Positives: The bank just keeps making record profits, with a consistently good performances across its divisions. Negatives: Allegations have been made that Australia's biggest bank breached laws to combat money laundering. The banking regulator is to conduct a public inquiry into "organisational and cultural" issues at the bank.
Key point: The bank will look to sell its life insurance business in Australia and New Zealand in a deal which could be worth up to $5 billion. Dividend: A final dividend of $2.30 per share, giving a full-year dividend of $4.29. IAG Result: Net profit after tax increased almost 50 per cent to $929 million, helped by stronger investment income, higher insurance prices and releases from reserves. Positives: IAG has done well for its shareholders for the year to July 31, 2017 with its share price at about $5.70, about a dollar higher than a year ago.
Negatives: The company's outlook for reported insurance profit margins left some analysts underwhelmed. Key Point: It's expecting claim costs to rise. Dividend: IAG will pay a fully-franked final dividend of 20 a share, taking its full-year dividend to 33 a share. Suncorp Result: Full-year cash profit of $1.075 billion, an increase of 3.6 per cent on the previous financial year.
Positives: Strong performance of its insurance arm. Negatives: Despite the lift in profit, the result fell short of market expectations. Banking and wealth earnings were subdued. Dividend: An increase in final dividend by 2 to 40 a share to takes full-year dividend 73, up 7 per cent on last year. AMP Result: A fall for six months to June 30 of about 15 per cent to $445 million, compared to the previous corresponding period.
Positives: Underlying profit was $533 million for the half year; almost 4 per cent higher than the earlier corresponding period's $513 million. Negatives: Some analysts questioned whether AMP could make better use of the capital released in the life insurance business rather than returning the capital to shareholders. Key Point: Will complete a reinsurance program for its life insurance business by year-end that would release $1 billion in capital and protect it from spikes in claims. Dividend: AMP will pay a 14.5 a share dividend for the half-year, an increase on 14. Telstra
Result: Full-year profit in the year to June fell by about a third to $3.9 billion. However, that was mainly due to a $1.8 billion windfall gain in the prior year from the sale of Chinese car web site Autohome. Positives: Without the Autohome sale, comparable earnings were up 1.1 per cent at $3.87 billion. Negatives: Telstra said it will cut future dividends by up to 30 per cent. Key point: Telstra is challenged by stronger competition. Dividend: Telstra will pay a final dividend of 15.5 to take the full year dividend to 31.
Tabcorp Profit: Tabcorp reported a full-year net loss of $20.8 million because of costs related to its proposed merger with Tatts, legal battles and expenses at its new British business. Positives: Though a loss, the gaming company reported a 2 per cent lift in revenue to $2.23 billion for the 12 months to June 30. Negatives: The gaming giant was hit by $199.7 million in costs, including, among others, costs for its acquisition of gaming tech firm Intecq and proposed takeover of Tatts. Key point: The main worry is the uncertainty surrounding the proposed merger with Tatts.
Dividend: A final dividend of 12.5 will be paid, taking its full-year distribution to 25. Wesfarmers Result: The conglomerate reported a net profit after tax for the 12 months to June 30 of $2.87 billion, up from $2.25 billion a year earlier, excluding impairments against Target and its coal assets in 2016. Positives: Its industrials division did well, mostly as a result of higher coal prices. Kmart's earnings grew 17.7 per cent to $553 million with a 7.5 per cent lift in sales. Negatives: Coles earnings fell 13 per cent as it tripled it further discounted prices and improved customer service.
After Alex and Lauren Fisher exchanged their wedding vows in June last year, they jetted off to Bali for a honeymoon using money they'd saved with the Acorns investment app.
Now the couple is expecting a baby girl in December, they're using Acorns to save for their first holiday as a family of three.
Brisbane couple Alex, 28, (left) and Lauren Fisher, 33, at their wedding in 2016. They plan to have another ceremony if the law changes to allow same-sex marriage.
"We'll only be on one income next year, mine, and my wife won't be working," Alex says. "We're looking at going to Fiji for a 'fly and flop', when our daughter is about six months old."
Acorns is a micro-investment app that lets people invest small amounts in exchange-traded funds. The company will announce on Wednesday that it now has $100 million funds under management and more than 300,000 registered users in Australia.
The murder of Bradyn Dillon hit neighbour Michelle Woods hard.
The mother-of-four lost a child to leukemia and couldn't comprehend why a father would throw away his child's life.
Bradyn Dillon was murdered by his father.
"Life is so precious," Ms Woods said,
Graham Stuart Dillon, 39, pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court this week to the murder of his nine-year-old son.
The man hesitated, and Haddad threatened to "put one in his leg". Pattman turned to his son Christopher, 29, and told him to get the gun, nicknamed the "cannon", which he handed to his dad. Stephen Pattman shot at the space to the left of Haddad's head, and the bullet shattered the rear passenger side window. He did not want to shoot Haddad but scare him into leaving, Pattman said when he gave evidence on Wednesday. He believed the man was armed and he had no other options.
He had only joined the Rebels to protect his daughter, who was 19 when she started dating the much older ACT Rebels president Ali Bilal in 2011, Pattman said. "Her life was in danger," he said. He had sold his boat, his pride and joy, and bought a motorbike. Pattman asked his son to also join, because he "had no idea what I was getting into and I can rely on my son to have my back." They both became fully patched members.
He said he had tried to leave four times in the four years he was involved, but each time it caused conflict within the family. He was ordered, he said, to set up the Bungendore Rebels clubhouse and become that chapter's president. His son became the sergeant at arms, a person tasked with enforcing discipline among members. Pattman said he was never friends with any members, and eventually, in 2014, had enough and handed in his colours. He told the court under cross examination that his daughter had never wanted his protection.
She was still with Bilal, and she no longer spoke to him. His wife never agreed to the idea, and they were now estranged. But prosecutors challenged Pattman on whether his membership with the gang was all a pretence. Prosecutor Mark Fernandez pointed to a photo of the man and Haddad looking "relaxed" and he suggested they were mates. Pattman denied that, saying it wasn't his scene, and he told the court that any socialising with the members was compulsory.
The court also heard the Rebels club is a shadow of its former self and that many members had patched over to other clubs. The Bungendore clubhouse had been dismantled. The father and son appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday for a sentencing hearing over the shooting. Pattman has been charged with an act endangering life, and his son Christopher charged with possession of a prohibited firearm. Both have pleaded guilty.
Mr Fernandez told the court the gun was a powerful .44 calibre revolver and the shooting was "a situation fraught with danger." The man had taken the law into his own hands, he said. But Pattman's defence solicitor, Louise Taylor, said while the conduct was extreme and dangerous, the man himself was not. He was a man with only two minor brushes with the law on his record and one who had held down jobs, including as a gold prospector before the shooting, and provided for his family. He was unlikely to come back before the court, she said.
A violent scuffle at a Woolworths supermarket has ended with an 11-year-old girl being shot in the face outside a rural home about an hour later.
The young girl was shot in the town of Deloraine in Tasmania on Tuesday night while she was in the car with her mother, uncle and four-year-old cousin.
A 25-year-old Deloraine man allegedly fired a rifle at the car, hitting the young girl in the right side of her face.
The girl was sitting in the back of the car next to her cousin, when she was hit. Her mother and uncle were in the front seats.
While awaiting trial on sex charges, Kenneth Bell was savagely beaten in jail and suffered severe brain damage.
By 2016 Mr Bell was well enough to face a judge-alone trial in the NSW District Court, and was found guilty of raping a woman while giving her a nude massage the morning after a party at her house.
But the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal acquitted Mr Bell, finding there was "real doubt" he had committed the crimes, and that doubt should have been shared by trial judge Siobhan Herbert.
"The trial judge's reasons do not dispel that doubt but rather fortify it," said the appeal judgment, made public on Monday.
The court pointed to the alleged victim's inconsistent statements, "significant anomalies" in the evidence, and a "sense of unease" about the course of the trial.
Accused murderer Ron Medich and his property developing brother Roy are set to make hundreds of millions of dollars after secretly selling their substantial landholding adjacent to the proposed second airport at Badgerys Creek.
Ron Medich and his brother Roy are set to make hundreds of millions of dollars from a Badgerys Creek land deal. Credit:Daniel Munoz
The sale, rumoured to be more than $500 million, is to companies associated with Chinese property billionaire Shen Yuxing, also known as Tin Ching Shum.
Sources close to the deal say it's contingent upon Foreign Investment Review Board approval. This may not be straightforward given the land's proximity to the proposed airport.
When Mary Broadley heard a deafening crash and felt the walls of her 11th-storey apartment shuddering, she thought it was a terrorist attack.
Then she looked out of her window and saw that a crane from a neighbouring construction site had collapsed on the roof of her top-floor home in Wolli Creek.
"The whole place was absolutely shaking," she said. "I'd been in the back bedroom, I looked out the window and saw the guys working on the crane. I went to the kitchen to put the kettle on and then it just crashed.
"I was terrified. My husband came running downstairs and said, 'Mary what did you do?'
A delicate operation to remove a crane that fell on a Wolli Creek apartment block has begun but residents have been told to expect further delays, leaving them homeless for at least another night.
The 30-metre crane fell onto the 10-storey building in Sydney's inner south last Sunday, crashing into the penthouse apartment and leaving three workers in need of rescue.
About 200 residents who had to be evacuated have spent a week moving from hotel room to hotel room.
On Saturday morning, the cabin and the horizontal arm of the crane were removed by larger cranes, exposing the damage caused when the arm hit the top of the building last weekend.
Within 13 years, every business will have its own fleet of drones as Australia enters the swarm bot era, futurist Thomas Frey predicted ahead of a major international drones conference in Brisbane.
Colorado-based Mr Frey will speak at the inaugural three-day World of Drones conference, to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Thursday.
Ahead of his departure for Australia, Mr Frey told Fairfax Media he believed drones were the most disruptive technology in human history, incomparable even to the introduction of mobile phones or the internet.
Futurist Thomas Frey will speak at the inaugural World of Drones Congress in Brisbane
This technology driven change is basically permeating every part of our lives, Mr Frey said.
Queensland's Education Department says a school principal was wrong to allow a parent of Sikh faith to carry a ceremonial knife on to school grounds.
News Corp reported a concerned parent wrote to Education Minister Kate Jones to complain about an incident more than 18 months ago, in which a father was allowed to wear the ceremonial knife, known as a kirpan, onto the grounds of an unnamed school.
A kirpan is pictured in the turban of an Indian Sikh devotee in Amritsar, India. Credit:AFP/Narinder Nanu
Department of Education and Training Director-General Dr Jim Watterston says the principal gave approval after receiving advice from police that the kirpan was allowed on school grounds if covered.
But he said the decision went against the department's policy.
Dwayne Lindsay, the man accused of murdering a baby found covered in bruises and with the drug ice in his system, has been committed to stand trial.
Six-month-old Chayse Dearing was found with bruising on his head, torso and genitals and around his neck when emergency services were called to a Glenroy unit on June 26 last year, Melbourne Magistrates Court has heard.
Dwayne Lindsay is facing a murder trial over the death of six-month-old Chayse Dearing.
His life support was turned off in hospital two days later.
Mr Lindsay, 34, pleaded not guilty to murder on Wednesday and was directed to stand trial.
Illegal dumpers are notorious in the Serpentine Jarrahdale area. Credit:Riann Laubscher: Serpentine Community "We go out and collect wood usually around this time of the year... soon we could see it... it was everywhere and it was disgusting." About four kilometres into the track, Ms Gibson came across a burnt-out car with its boot open, large oil drums, spray can bottles, plastic and a barbeque strewn around the forest floor. Ms Gibson said while she was disappointed by what she found, she wasn't surprised. "My brother goes up there a lot for firewood, he knows it pretty well," she said.
"He reckons there was a few tyres there he hadn't seen last week." Despite this being quite common, Ms Gibson snapped a photo of the dumped industrial and commercial waste and posted it to social media. In her post, she implored locals to stop dumping their unwanted foods in the "beautiful" state forest. Ms Gibson said while she hoped to make a difference by sharing what she found, the problem never seemed to get better. Only a month prior to Ms Gibson's visit, keen bushwalker and Port Kennedy local Tracy Lindsey visited the Jarrahdale State Forest for the first time.
She walked the Jarrahdale Heritage Trail, and said she had a very similar experience to Ms Gibson and her brother. She had heard rumours about the extent of the problem, but still went along to see it for herself. "It was the first time I had experienced a trail that was just completely littered and disgusting," Ms Lindsey said. "I was so upset by it."
Like many others before her, Ms Lindsey took to social media to try and rally her environmental troops. She took to her popular blog, Off The Beaten Track, and wrote about what she had found. "If you're in the market for a new bumper, muffler, wheelchair, tyres, umbrella or kitchen sink then you will find these items and many more on the Jarrahdale Railway Heritage Trail," she said. "This eight kilometre trail starts at the corner of Nettleton Road and Jarrahdale Road and takes you through jarrah and wandoo bushland, along the disused railway built in 1872. "At times you will be blessed with some beautiful views of small creeks, granite boulders and surrounding hills but you will be sadly let down by the amount of rubbish that has been dumped in the area.
"It's horrible; I don't understand how people don't have more respect for it. "It's horrible that people think it's some sort of dumping ground." Also like many others before her, Ms Lindsey gathered 20 volunteers with help from the local Serpentine-Jarrahdale Council, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Keep Australia Beautiful. On a Sunday afternoon, the group meticulously worked their way through the trail on the corner of Jarrahdale Road and Nettleton Road, and walked up and down the four kilometre stretch for hours. "We saw two washing machines, mops, TVs, big bags of rubbish that had just been dumped, mattresses, a car bonnet, a muffler, heaps of tyres it was crazy. We spent the whole afternoon in there," she said.
"We filled the skip-bin to the point where it was overflowing, and we did trips with our utes to cart stuff up and down the four kilometre trail. "We filled four ute loads full of bulk rubbish, and then another extra car on top of that." Despite the group's efforts, a number of locals said it is only a matter of time before the forest becomes littered with tyres, burnt-out cars, oil drums, old desks, chairs and plastic again. It's difficult for locals to know who to call about possible illegal dumpers, as the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions are responsible for sections of the 75,000 square kilometre forest. The park does not belong to a single city, or government, limit.
A Shire spokesperson said the council often received reports of illegal dumping, and workers did what they could within their boundaries. "The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale receives many calls relating to illegal dumping of rubbish and waste materials," a spokesperson said. "At a considerable financial burden, the Shire undertakes a clean-up on land that is under the management of the Shire." Between 2016 and 2017, the council spent $170,000 cleaning up illegal dumping across the Shire. Depending on the size of the rubbish collection, it can sometimes take up to four staff, a truck and a bobcat to remove the rubbish. "Where the land is not under the Shire's management, the dumpsite details are forwarded to the appropriate management agency, being the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service in this case," a council spokesperson said.
Shire rangers are known to regularly patrol known dumping hot spots and undertake clean ups when necessary. The Department, however, is unable to respond to some community concerns due to a lack of resources - or the area is simply not in their jurisdiction. "The illegal dumping of rubbish occurs throughout the outer metropolitan area and along the urban interface near townships," a spokesperson said. "Unfortunately, the department is forced to divert valuable resources and funding to the removal of dumped rubbish. The Perth Hills district has spent about $100,000 on the removal of dumped rubbish from forests and national parks during the past 12 months." While the Department of Parks and Wildlife does what it can, it often has to rely on the help of volunteers or residents in order to keep Jarrahdale clean. "The department receives reports of illegal dumping of rubbish along the Darling Escarpment, including the forest and national parks surrounding Jarrahdale.
"Patrols are conducted in illegal dumping hotspots and supported by the use of surveillance cameras. Surveillance is considered an effective way of gaining evidence and the necessary details to identify offenders," a spokesperson said. "Parks and Wildlife Service staff participate in multi-agency patrols with other government agencies, and regular rubbish removal occurs on Nettleton Road... local interest groups and the mountain bike community regularly assist with rubbish collection on volunteer days with a focus on areas with public facilities." The authority division inside the Jarrahdale State Forest seems to have caused a grey area, and has meant many illegal dumpers continue to use the forest as a makeshift rubbish dump. Local volunteer groups and bushwalkers also maintain the problem had only continued to worsen due to the increased presence of four-wheel-drives, quad-bikers and dirt-bikers on the trail. Jarrahdale Heritage Society spokeswoman Vicky Kerfoot said the distinction had meant some council employees were called to work in areas that were not technically their jurisdiction.
"My husband came across a dumped trailer load in front of our property," she said. "He called the Shire, and they removed it really quickly even though it wasn't really their job." As the local council and residents continue to fight against illegal dumpers in the forest, Ms Kerfoot said she often received feedback from bushwalkers and tourists about the state of the trails. "If you were to ask those people who live on Nettleton Road how long people have left their rubbish there, they'd tell you 'forever'," she said. "It never gets any better. A group will come out and clean it like the Karnet prisoners, or another bushwalking group and they clean it up, but then it just gets worse again, almost right away."
The Serpentine Jarrahdale region does not have a designated rubbish dump, and some locals have raised concerns that the lack of a tip or designated tip passes may encourage people to dump in the state forest. However, it is understood horse-riders had previously gone deep into the forest and found abandoned building materials, including untreated asbestos. Industrial and commercial waste is typically the most common material dumped in the forest and council confirmed a local tip would not accept these materials regardless. "The waste illegally dumped recently in the photos on the Facebook post was predominantly industrial and commercial waste that a tip would not accept including car bodies, tyres, petrol and paint containers, therefore issuing tip passes would not address this issue," a council spokesperson said. "The Shire provides two green waste and one hard waste pick-ups per year in lieu of tip passes.
Emergency services have re-oped Wood Street in Bassendean after a LPG gas leak at a UGL Limited facility forced the closure of Wood Street on Wednesday morning.
Emergency WA raised the alarm around 9am, and advised the gas leak had been traced to the facility on Wood Street near the intersection of Alice Street.
Emergency services remain on site. Credit:Jake Battrick
Firefighters confirmed the leak had been isolated and repaired at around 10.50am.
Workers at the UGL building have re-entered the facility and Wood Street has since reopened.
Now, a confession. I regret that I was a person who believed that Malcolm Turnbull would be better than Tony Abbott. Instead, his team of wafters, grifters, sadists, egomaniacs, psychopaths and New Zealanders has sought to divide, exclude, demean and derail Australia's journey to unity and decency. Neither unity nor decency sounds all that exciting but that's where we need to be.
This is a government which works to sow division in the community and thinks it will harvest success at the ballot box. I cannot recall a single campaign or policy which this government has conceived and then executed which seeks to bring the country together. Every single policy, strategy, action, with which it has tampered, has driven us apart. From Medicare to the NBN, from same sex marriage to refugees, it believes that the way to popular success is to appeal to the worst parts of ourselves.
Weak yet bullying, in disarray yet able to find time to impose cruel penalties on those who can't protect themselves, ineffectual yet grasping for new ways to hurt and harm those who live here.
Credit:Ron Tandberg
Following the imposition of the conflict ridden postal survey on same sex marriage we now discover that as of Monday, at least 100 asylum seekers have had their support stopped (that's 100, plus all their families). That's right. With absolutely no notice, the government told the affected people that they would no longer be entitled to any welfare whatsoever, including cutting more than $100 a week in income support.
These are people who came to Australia because they were medically evacuated or because their family members were medically evacuated. Some were survivors of sexual assault. Others needed treatment for violent assaults experienced while they were on Manus. Children who were so traumatised by what they've witnessed they needed urgent psychiatric care. Some were pregnant. We know that the Australian government actively refuses to conduct medical evacuations and we've seen the results of that active refusal, with the horrifying deaths of Hamid Khazaei and Omid Masoumali.
What else do we know about these asylum seekers? Some are in their sixties and some were born in this unfair country of ours. There have been 50 little Australians not recognised by this government but Australians nonetheless - born in our hospitals.
Yet the government has decided to target these humans in a form of virtue signalling that is, if our politicians were capable of ever signalling virtue which is far from virtuous. In this instance, the 'virtue' is that this government will stick by its commitment to never give refuge. It's signalling consistency even when there is no benefit to that consistency.
The Turnbull government is heading for a doomsday scenario in which its constitutionally controversial MPs are struck from Parliament and its postal survey on same-sex marriage is declared invalid, one of Australia's leading constitutional experts has predicted.
In a pessimistic address at the National Press Club on Wednesday, UNSW Dean of Law George Williams predicted the High Court would take a stern view of the seven MPs currently facing an eligibility probe because they were citizens of other countries.
He dismissed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's confidence in the outcome as "misplaced", including the PM's prediction that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce would be cleared by the court.
"Joyce may survive the High Court challenge, but personally I would be surprised if he does so," Professor Williams said. "It is difficult to see, if the current law is applied, that any of the seven parliamentarians who will face the High Court are likely to survive that challenge."
US President Donald Trump has promised "all options are on the table" when it comes to dealing with North Korea, but Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has placed Australia's faith in economic sanctions bringing the rogue state back under control.
Ms Bishop said the world needed to give time for the "toughest set of sanctions" ever imposed on North Korea to take effect, after the UN Security Council, including China and Russia, agreed earlier this month to clamp down on the nation's economy in a bid to halt its weapons program.
The sanctions hinge on China, which has the closest relationship with the secretive state, following through on its commitment to halt work visas and stop purchasing North Korean commodities, to have substantial effect.
"This will have a significant impact on North Korea's economy and its ability to fund these illegal weapons programs," Ms Bishop told Sky News on Wednesday morning.
Refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea have been threatened with arrest and prosecution as authorities ratchet up the pressure ahead of the closure of Australian operations on Manus Island.
Meanwhile, the Turnbull government is under pressure from Labor to "come clean" after Fairfax Media revealed a boat carrying six Chinese men and a PNG man had successfully landed in Australian territory.
The $70 million will be paid to up to 1923 asylum seekers detained on Manus between 2012 and 2014. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
About 100 men have now been transferred from Manus Island to Port Moresby, according to witnesses, while refugees were sent a forthright letter outlining their options before the Manus centre closed on October 31.
The men were given four options: relocate to the transit centre, move into the PNG community, go home voluntarily or resettle in a third country, potentially the US. Australia's offer of $20,000 for those who go home voluntarily expires on Thursday.
He's known for accusing China of building a "great wall of sand" in the form of artificial islands.
And while Australia was still reluctant to accuse Beijing of militarising those islands, he told the US Senate early last year "you'd have to believe in flat Earth to believe otherwise".
Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of US forces in the Pacific, may soon be well-placed to give Australia a lesson in his brand of plain-speak. He's tipped to become the next US ambassador to Canberra, a long-awaited appointment that remains vacant seven months into the administration of Donald Trump.
Despite Admiral Harris' penchant for fiery rhetoric, he is said to be a nuanced military diplomat and strategic thinker, though one who has been a strong proponent privately as well as publicly for the US to more firmly challenge China's island-building by sailing naval ships close to the disputed territory in so-called freedom-of-navigation operations.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has slammed a new TV advertisement by opponents of same-sex marriage as "total rubbish" licensed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The Coalition for Marriage's debut TV ad, which aired on commercial networks on Tuesday night, links marriage equality to sex education at schools.
It claims that in countries which have legalised same-sex marriage, "parents have lost their rights to choose", and features an unidentified woman who says her son was told "he could wear a dress" to school.
The tunnel, four new underground stations and other work associated with Cross River Rail will progress under a public-private partnership.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad made the announcement about the planned 10.2-kilometre rail link before addressing more than 600 industry members on Wednesday afternoon.
Jackie Trad says the Cross River Rail will be delivered as a PPP. Credit:Tammy Law
But her media conference had only just begun when Galilee Blockade protester and former Greens lord mayoral candidate Ben Pennings gatecrashed, standing next to journalists while waving cash and loudly asking about Adani lobbyist Cameron Milner, who was also volunteering with the ALP.
"Can you please tell us why an Adani lobbyist is working with Queensland Labor?" Mr Pennings repeatedly asked.
Butler, 39, who won Rudd's Brisbane seat of Griffith in a byelection in 2014, says it's "hard to overstate" the impact a full-time political career has on families. As she writes in a new book, Labor of Love, published next week, she became a "gold medallist in mother guilt" when she first came to Canberra.
This is not because they particularly miss Rudd's programmatic specificity or sauce-bottle shaking. They just reason that if Rudd was still PM, their mum would not be in Federal Parliament.
"When I go to the school, all the mums and dads seem to know each other and I sometimes feel like a bit of an outsider. Even the grade two Facebook page is a mystery to me," she writes.
But despite this, Butler, who is Labor's spokeswoman on domestic violence, equality and universities, insists all the effort is worth it. "Often things that are worth doing aren't easy," she told Fairfax Media.
She also wants other people to come along for the ride. Acknowledging that faith in democracy is at a "low ebb", she argues "don't just expect others to do the heavy lifting".
"If people of good will decide that politics is just pointless ... they are in danger of leaving [it] to the passionate, extremist few."
Butler's book not only comes amid declining support for both major parties in Australia. It also comes as other parliamentarians publicly negotiate their home and political lives. Minister for Revenue and Financial Services and mother of two, Kelly O'Dwyer, has recently returned to work, after becoming the first cabinet minister to give birth during her term in office. Earlier this year, Labor frontbencher Kate Ellis announced she would retire at the next federal election so she could spend more time with her young family.
Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls says his Liberal National Party is ready to contest an election, despite having no candidates in several seats.
The party is still finalising preselection in about eight to 10 seats but Mr Nicholls says the process is well under way and the party is in good shape even if an election is called this week.
Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls said his party was ready for an election despite not having contestants for every seat. Credit:Glenn Hunt
"Not only are we ready to fight an election, we've released over 40 policies, we are ready to govern in the interests of all Queenslanders," Mr Nicholls said.
"I simply repeat the call to Annastacia Palaszczuk, stop the uncertainty, stop what is occurring out there in Queensland with people wanting job security, and name the election date now."
Los Angeles: US President Donald Trump is considering naming America's top military commander in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, as US Ambassador to Australia.
The coveted position in Canberra is one of many diplomatic posts across the world Mr Trump has failed to fill despite moving into the White House seven months ago.
Admiral Harry Harris Credit:AP
The Washington Post, citing US officials, reported on Tuesday the Australian government "is growing more and more concerned that President Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador there".
Admiral Harris, head of the US Pacific Command and heavily involved in dealing with China and North Korea, has a strong relationship with Australia.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the test-firing of a missile over Japan on Tuesday was a "meaningful prelude" to containing the American territory of Guam, adding he will continue to watch the response of the US before deciding on further action.
Kim guided the firing of the intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket and urged his military to conduct more such launches into the Pacific Ocean in the future, according to a statement from the official Korean Central News Agency.
The missile firing was part of "muscle-flexing" to protest annual military exercises being held between the US and South Korea, KCNA said. North Korea had threatened earlier this month to launch missiles over Japan toward Guam, which prompted threats of retaliation from American military officials.
"The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The Korean People's Army or KPA is the North's military.
The Philippines has accepted Australia's offer to provide "technical assistance", including sharing counter intelligence, to its security forces to fight Islamic State-allied extremists seeking to gain a foothold in south-east Asia.
But President Rodrigo Duterte has ruled out Australian combat troops being sent to the country where militants have besieged the southern city of Marawi for 101 days, leaving almost 800 people dead.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the assistance will be limited to "technical matters, training and information sharing".
"It will not involve boots on the ground in accordance to our law prohibiting the direct participation of foreign troops in combat operations," he said.
Bangkok: Philippine troops are planning a final assault to end the almost 100-day battle of Marawi, as Islamic State-allied fighters try to sneak into the besieged southern Philippine city.
More than a dozen armed militants have been killed in firefights with soldiers in recent days as they attempted to cross the city's Lake Lanao under the cover of darkness.
It is not known how many have managed to reach the 40 or so heavily-armed militants still holed up in the city centre with hostages.
Militants have also attacked residents in the nearby town of Marantao in what analysts say appears to be a ploy to divert military attention from Marawi.
Kabul, Afghanistan: At least 11 civilians were killed on Wednesday in US airstrikes in southeastern Afghanistan, witnesses and officials said, the second deadly allied strike in three days to add to the country's mounting civilian death toll.
The airstrikes, near Dasht e Barai, in Logar province, came during a joint Afghan and US military operation to pursue Taliban forces, said Salim Salih, a spokesman for the provincial governor, and it was part of President Donald Trump's new strategy to bolster Afghan forces combating insurgents.
The allied forces had come under fire from the Taliban and had called for air support, Salih said, and the Taliban fighters sought cover in nearby homes.
A delegation dispatched from the provincial capital, Pul e Alam, to the site of the battle found 11 civilians had been killed and 16 wounded, Salih said. He added that two Taliban commanders were also killed.
Geneva: The United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's repeated denunciations of some media outlets as "fake news" could amount to incitement to violence and had potentially dangerous consequences outside the United States.
The rebuke by Zeid bin Raad al-Hussein, the high commissioner for human rights, at a news conference in Geneva was an unusually forceful criticism of a head of state by a UN official.
Prince Zeid was reacting to Trump's recent comments at a rally in Phoenix during which he spoke of "crooked media deceptions" in reports of the violent clashes at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that resulted in the death of a counter-protester.
In Phoenix, the President's words also appeared to whip up audience hostility toward journalists.
Paris: Brigitte Macron, France's first lady, has urged the country to "have faith" in her husband Emmanuel as his approval ratings collapsed to 40 per cent ahead of a crunch week for the new President.
Her comments came just two days before Mr Macron's government was to unveil the details of crucial labour reforms to unions.
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and his wife Brigitte who says he needs more time to implement his policies. Credit:AP
At the couple's country home in the northern seaside resort of Le Touquet, Mrs Macron, 64, was asked whether she had a message for her compatriots for la rentre - the French term for the return to school and work after the long summer break.
"They must have faith," she told BFM TV. "I tell them that my husband is doing everything to ensure that [la rentre] takes place as best as possible."
Australian man Lewis Bennett, at the centre of a mystery after his new wife vanished from their catamaran near The Bahamas, will make an attempt for freedom at a bail hearing in Florida later this week.
Bennett, 40, was locked up in a Florida jail after his arrest on Monday for allegedly stealing valuable gold and silver coins.
The owner of a boat on which Bennett was working in St Maarten last year had $US100,000 in gold and silver coins stolen. Credit:Louie Douvis
The FBI declined to say if they were also investigating Bennett for the disappearance of his Colombian-born wife Isabella Hellman on his 12-metre catamaran as it sailed from Cuba to Florida in May to celebrate their honeymoon.
The couple's one-year-old daughter was not on the catamaran.
Ibec today called on Government to oppose and prevent measures under consideration by Dublin City Council to restrict student accommodation.
The proposal seeks to provide planning authorities with an additional basis to oppose the building of student accommodation, if there is already purpose-built student accommodation within a three square kilometre radius of the planned new development.
Ibec said that such changes to local planning requirements would undermine Dublins attractiveness as a city in which to live, study and work.
The group's Senior Policy Executive, Aidan Sweeney, stated: "At a time when students are excitedly accepting CAO offers, their next concern is access to quality, safe and affordable accommodation throughout their college life. Dublin City Council, however, is currently examining a proposal that could make it extremely difficult to provide purpose-built student accommodation within an area of three square kilometres of an existing student premises."
He continued, "This would dramatically reduce the amount of areas available to build accommodation that is of good quality and affordable across the city. The result will be to push future student housing provision to the outskirts of Dublin and beyond, impacting upon the quality of student life and on the future economic growth of the city."
He added, "This proposal ignores and seriously undermines Dublins distinct advantage as a global hub for education. Student numbers are increasing, and by 2030 they are expected to be approximately 30% higher than current numbers. The rise could be even higher with the sharp spike in applications from EU and international students in the wake of Brexit. This raises the question of where they will all live during their studies.
Mr Sweeney concluded, Not everyone can commute to college from home. Instead, students are left to compete for an ever shrinking supply of student residence placement, or for the sparse availability in the private rental sector. Housing four students in purpose-built accommodation would free up one additional housing unit, alleviating some of the burden in the over-crowded rental market. Specialist student housing will crucially play a part in addressing Dublin's, and indeed the countrys, chronic housing shortage. It must be prioritised. We must ensure that Dublin remains an attractive city to live, work and study in.
Source: www.businessworld.ie
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Modified On Nov 22, 2017 09:17 PM By Raunak for Renault Captur
This is your one-stop destination for all your Renault Captur-related questions!
Article updated on November 7, 2017, post the Captur's launch.
Post the discontinuation of the Koleos from India last year, the Duster has been Renaults flagship SUV in the country. The French automaker has recently launched a new SUV/crossover, the Captur, which is a more premium product compared to the Duster. The Duster has been a bestseller with more than 1,73,500 units of the SUV sold since its launch in June 2012. With the Captur, Renault hopes to repeat the success.
A Quick Recap Of The Capturs Origins
The SUV made its world debut in Russia, in April 2016, where it is known as the Kaptur (spelt with a K). It shares its design with the European Captur (Renault Clio-based) but is based on the Dusters B0 platform, and is meant for emerging markets, including India.
After Russia, this Duster-based SUV was revealed for the South American market at the 2016 Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil. It went on sale there in February this year and is known as the Captur with a C. And now, finally, it is available in the Indian market.
Prices and Variants
Prices (ex-showroom, New Delhi)
Renault Captur Petrol Prices RXE Rs 9.99 Lakh RXL Rs 11.07 Lakh RXT Rs 11.69 Lakh RXT (Dual-Tone) Rs 11.86 Lakh
Renault Captur Diesel Prices RXE Rs 11.39 Lakh RXL Rs 12.47 Lakh RXT Rs 13.09 Lakh RXT (Dual-Tone) Rs 13.26 Lakh Platine Rs 13.88 Lakh Platine (Dual-Tone) Rs 14.05 Lakh
The Renault Captur is available in a total of four variants RXE, RXL, RXT and Platine excluding the dual-tone versions, which attract a premium of Rs 17,000 over their respective regular models. Check out what all the Renault Captur packs variant-wise here: Renault Captur: Variants Explained
Wondering how it stands against the competition? Take a look at Renault Captur Vs Hyundai Creta Vs Maruti S-Cross Facelift comparison.
Dimensions
Dimensions Captur Duster Length 4,329mm -14mm Width 1,813mm +9mm Height 1,619mm +76mm Wheelbase 2,673mm same! Ground Clearance 210mm -5mm/ 0mm (AWD) Boot Space 392-litres +83-litres
Do check this - Renault Captur - Size Matters!
Design and Equipment
The highlight at the front is its big C-shaped daytime running LEDs. The tail lamps also feature C-shaped LED elements complementing the DRLs at the front.
The prominent feature of the Renault Captur is its dual-tone paint scheme with multiple customisation options.
The cabin is a straight lift from its European counterpart, and hence we have the Capturs digital+analog instrument cluster.
You can easily spot the cabin's similarity with the Duster's, such as the touchscreen unit and the auto climate control, among others.
The seats are identical to the Euro-spec model, and are more comfortable and plush than the Dusters (Check out how comfortable it is - [Spons.])
Equipment List
Comes with full-LED Renault Pure Vision lights with dynamic turn indicators
Tail lamps with LED graphics
C-shaped Sapphire LED DRLs
215/60 R17 tyres with diamond-cut alloy wheels
The top-spec variant of the Renault Captur is christened the Platine edition and is available only in diesel. It features a white and gold cabin theme with dual-tone grey and white leather upholstery
7-inch Renault MediaNav 2 infotainment system (same as the Duster's) with built-in navigation, Bluetooth and Aux connectivity, and rear camera support. The Euro-spec model gets a more advanced 7-inch Renault R-Link unit that supports Android Auto, which could have been offered to enhance the experience.
Auto climate control unit with surround illumination and rear AC vents
Cruise control
Passive keyless entry with push-button engine start-stop - Smart card key-[Spons.]
Dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist along with ISOFIX child seat anchors are standard; the top-spec diesel-only Platine edition offers side airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) as well (Renault Captur Safety Features Explained)
Gets a 392-litre boot
Engine and Transmission
The India-spec Renault Captur carries forward the engine options of the Duster: the 1.5-litre diesel and the newly introduced 1.5-litre petrol. The diesel produces 110PS and 240Nm, while the petrol puts out 106PS and 142Nm, same as the Duster. The petrol engine is mated to a 5-speed manual, while the diesel motor comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Where Is The Renault Captur Automatic?
Renault Captur Petrol Diesel Engine 1.5L H4K 1.5-litre K9K dCi Power 106PS 110PS Torque 142Nm 240Nm Transmission 5-speed manual 6-speed manual Fuel Efficiency 13.87kmpl 20.37kmpl Drivetrain Front-wheel-drive Front-wheel-drive
Also read:
Renault Captur Fuel Efficiency Comparison
Renault Captur vs Creta vs Duster: Variant Wise Comparison
Renault Captur Safety Features Explained [Sponsored]
India-Bound Renault Captur Scores 4 Stars In Latin NCAP
Modified On Aug 30, 2017 04:20 PM By Rachit Shad for Renault Duster 2016-2019
The compact SUV will get significant aesthetic changes at the front and the rear, but will continue to be a 5-seater
The 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, which will go live in the second week of September 2017, will host the global premiere of the heavily updated Dacia Duster. Dont get confused by the Dacia brand name, as it is a Romanian subsidiary of the French carmaker Renault.
But before it goes on display in Germany, the company has revealed how the updated 2018 Duster will look. The first thing that catches the eye is the same, hunkered-up stance that the Duster has always featured. The enormously flared wheel arches and in-your-face looks still remain part of its appeal. That said, there are a bunch of new styling cues to make it stand out from the original model.
At the front, theres a new chrome-plated grille, three-barrel headlamps with DRLs, sporty crease lines on the bonnet and a larger skid plate. Move to the sides and the refreshed Duster reveals its higher belt line, new aluminium roof bars, newly styled 17-inch alloy wheels, blacked-out wing arch and the more steeply raked windscreen that has been moved forward by 100mm. Thanks to that last change, the cabin, Renault says, is longer and feels more spacious.
At the rear, the changes are subtle but make the Duster even more striking. Theres a wider skid plate with a satin-chrome finish and the companys signature rear lighting - four red stacked squares, which remind you of the Jeep Renegade.
Apart from these details, Renault is tight-lipped about the updated Duster. However, September 12, which is when the car will make its global premiere, isnt far away.
At present, the Renault Duster in India is available with a choice of diesel and petrol engines. While the petrol-fed powerplant displaces 1.5 litres to produce 106PS/142Nm, the diesel-powered 1.5-litre engine is available in two states of tune - 85PS/200Nm and 110PS/245Nm. The petrol unit can be opted with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT (continuously variable transmission). On the other hand, while the less powerful diesel engine makes do with a 5-speed manual transmission, the more powerful engine can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed AMT (automated manual transmission).
It will be interesting to see when Renault brings the updated Duster to India. It has already revealed that the Captur is coming soon, which is a compact SUV based on the Duster. So, dont expect the updated Duster to come in anytime soon.
Also Read: Renault Captur: All You Need To Know
Read More on : Duster diesel
Photo: BC Hydro Almost 5,000 homes are without power in West Kelowna.
UPDATE: 5:20 p.m.
Power is back on in the Quails' Gate Winery area of West Kelowna. However, it is still out in Shannon Lake, readers report.
UPDATE: 3:30 p.m.
A semi truck clipped power pole support wires, causing this afternoon's outage in West Kelowna, says a witness.
The Castanet reader and resident of Tallus Ridge said he saw a semi pulling a flatdeck trailer cut a corner too tight and clip the support wires, bringing a power pole partially down.
"His wheels contacted the wires," said the witness. "I saw it from my house. There were sparks and an explosion." There was no fire, however.
The truck driver kept on going. "It's hard to imagine he didn't see the lines," said the witness.
ORIGINAL: 1:45 p.m.
Thousands of West Kelowna residents are without power Tuesday afternoon.
Power went out for almost 5,000 homes at 1:20 p.m., south to Mission Hill Road, north past Traders Cove and west to the Shannon Lake area.
Crews are responding to Tallus Ridge Drive and Shannon Lake Road for reports of a damaged power line, but it's unclear what caused the damage.
BC Hydro expects its crews to reach the downed line by 2 p.m.
Dangote Cement - August 2017
Aliko Dangote has sold a 2.3 per cent stake in Dangote Cement to foreign buyers in a deal worth NGN86.1bn (US$236m), according to Reuters. The company has been selling off small stakes to try and meet its free float requirement for the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). When it joined the NSE in 2010, it was given 18 months to reach a 20 per cent free float level, but this latest transaction only takes it to 10.4 per cent. In 2013 it sold 1.5 per cent to Public Investment Corporation, followed by a further 1.4 per cent in 2014 to Sovereign Fund Investment Corporation. Today, Dangote is the largest company on the NSE, accounting for a third of its total market capitalisation.
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Monthly advance in Pakistan export revenues
30 August 2017
Pakistan's cement export revenue during July 2017 increased by 25.02 per cent compared to the previous month but declined by 0.94 per cent on YoY basis, according to data released by the country's Federal Bureau of Statistics.
A breakdown of the figures reveals that the country exported 428,489t of cement with revenues of US$22.51m in July 2017 compared to 349,430t at US$18.01m in June, 2017. This translates into a rise of 22.63 and 25.02 per cent in volume and value terms, respectively. On the other hand, compared with July 2016 data (437,734t at US$22.73m), exports fell by 2.11 per cent in terms of quantity and by 0.94 per cent in value on a YoY basis.
According to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), cement exports to Afghanistan grew by over 40 per cent to 209,904t, but shipments to India fell by 11.61 per cent to 121,930t. Exports to the rest of the world were also down by 18 per cent.
An APCMA spokesman said that the government should lower excise duty on the sector to further boost local and export dispatches. In the same way coal import duties for the industry should be brought on a par with other sectors.
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After 95 days of fighting with Christians caught in the crossfire, Philippines troops retake Cathedral in Marawi
Government forces in the Philippines have finally cleared and retaken a Catholic church in the centre of the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi after 95 days of fighting there, according to The Philippine Star.
The military said that troops originally took control of St. Mary's Cathedral on Friday, but then had to clear the church of improvised explosive devices left by the Islamist Maute group, which seized the church in Marinaut village during the first day of fighting in the region on May 23.
Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, the spokesperson of the Joint Task Force Marawi, said troops from the 10th Infantry Battalion approached and took over the church on Friday afternoon.
Back during the first week of the siege, the Maute group posted videos of themselves seizing the church and desecrating religious images inside it. The militant group also seized the priest, Teresito 'Chito' Soganob, along with 10 others.
Petinglay said that after the successful recovery of the cathedral, troops were also able to recover three high-powered firearms and assorted ammunition inside the building.
The move came hours after the troops also retook the Islamic Centre and the Grand Mosque that the Maute group used as a command and control centre.
There, the troops recovered three 'booby traps', a 'suicide bomb suit', two rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, an RPG rocket and a tripod for a machine gun, according to the report. They also recovered the black flag used by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Troops also found a tunnel inside the mosque that the military believes the Maute group used to store ammunition, the report said.
'We have seen how these terrorists have desecrated both the Islamic Centre and the St Mary's Cathedral,' said a senior military official.
'This only shows how these people do not respect any religion, may it be Christian or Muslim,' the official added.
With Christians caught in the crossfire, violence erupted in May after a failed army raid to capture a top militant, Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who is on a US terror watch list and has also pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group. The raid failed and dozens of gunmen took to the streets of Marawi, flying black ISIS flags.
Chinese Catholics succeed in prayerful protest against demolition of their church - for now
Dozens of Chinese Catholics yesterday tried to stop the demolition of their church in Wangcun, near Changzhi, in thesouth-eastern Shanxi province of the country, according to Asia News.
The Christians, some standing on the bulldozer controlled by police, shouted 'Jesus save me!' and 'Mother Mary, have pity on us!' as they tried to hinder the demolition, apparently with success temporarily at least.
Priests and thousands of believers gathered in the rain around the church and the surrounding wall, praying and asking the Lord to make the heart of the officials 'less hard and act in accordance with the law of the state that protects freedom of religion,' according to the report.
Previously, officials had authorised the restoration of the church, which dates back to the early 20th century.
The restoration work had begun four months ago but now, for reasons of 'urban planning,' the authorities reportedly changed their mind and decreed the demolition of the building.
The Communist Party District Committee, along with local authorities, have stated that, 'After the demolition, a square will be built to enrich the life of the people'.
Changzhi has a local population of almost 3.5 million, of which some 50,000 are Catholics, served by 47 priests, according to Asia News, with more than 60 churches and chapels in the diocese.
Christian charity says food bank usage likely to rise, calls for review of welfare changes
The Trussell Trust, the Christian based charity which runs the majority of the UK's food banks says their use may continue to rise.
It's after research commissioned by the Trust and carried out by academics from Oxford University painted a grim picture of the future need for food bank provision.
Although the headline finding was that the researchers expected to see food bank usage rise, there were other aspects. One of the most disconcerting is that disabled people or those with chronic illnesses are disproportionately likely to be referred to a food bank.
'These are the same groups that have been and continue to be hit hardest by welfare reform, such as loss of disability entitlements, increased conditionality and sanctions, the benefit cap, and reductions in tax credits. Our observation that these groups are disproportionately needing help from food banks is unlikely to be coincidence,' said the report's lead author, Rachel Loopstra.
Other findings included that two in five users were waiting for benefit payments, and that most were also struggling to pay for rent, energy and toiletries as well as food.
'These findings serve to reinforce what we already know: poverty and hunger are real in the UK today,' said David McAuley, chief executive of the Trussell Trust.
Christian girl placed with Muslim foster carer is returned to grandmother after court ruling
The Christian girl reportedly forced to live with a Muslim foster carer was last night returned to her grandmother's home following a hearing at a family court and a national outcry.
The Times, which broke the story on Monday, reported today that the five-year-old had been removed from two Muslim households where she had been sent against the wishes of her family.
But after claims that the girl was confused by Arabic speaking in her foster care, the council at the heart of the row has hit out at 'errors' in the reporting of the case, claiming instead that the foster family were mixed-race English speakers.
Nonetheless, the girl was taken to her grandmother's house yesterday after a judge urged councils to seek 'culturally matched placements' for vulnerable children.
Judge Khatun Sapnara, who is a Muslim, told the council it was in the girl's best interests to live with a family member who could meet her needs 'in terms of ethnicity, culture and religion,' according to The Times.
The judge also ordered the Tower Hamlets council in East London to conduct an urgent investigation, praising The Times for acting responsibly in raising 'very concerning' matters of 'legitimate public interest'.
Friends of the girl's family told The Times that they were hugely relieved by the decision to remove her from placements where everything was 'foreign and unfamiliar' into surroundings where she would feel 'much more at home'. The girl reportedly had a necklace with a crucifix removed from her while in care.
During yesterday's hearing at the East London Family Court, security staff reportedly tried to remove a journalist, but Judge Sapnara ruled that the reporter be allowed to stay, according to the Daily Mail.
Officials had previously opposed plans by the girl's parents to place her into the temporary care of her grandmother.
Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said that councils usually tried to ensure that children were placed with carers who would respect their beliefs. 'Clearly something has gone wrong in this case,' he added.
'We can't have a situation where a local authority respects all religious backgrounds except Christianity. In my experience, Christian foster carers do all they can to respect the religious and cultural heritage of children placed in their care.'
Meanwhile, the Guardian today reported that Tower Hamlets council said the placement was a temporary measure and hit out at what it said were errors in the reporting of the highly sensitive fostering case.
It referred to the original report claiming that the child had been sobbing and begging not to be returned to one foster carer because 'they don't speak English'.
A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets council said: 'While we cannot go into details of a case that would identify a child in foster care, there are inaccuracies in the reporting of it. For example, the child is in fact fostered by an English-speaking family of mixed race in this temporary placement. We would like to give more details but we are legally restricted to do so.'
The spokesperson added: 'We have always been working towards the child being looked after by a family member and we continue to do so.'
MPs have expressed concern over the case, including Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Commons education committee, who said that it would be equally worrying if a Muslim child who did not speak English were placed with a Christian foster carer in a home where the child's language was not spoken.
The Children's Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield said: 'I have spoken to Tower Hamlets council and raised a number of concerns, and have asked about the wishes of the little girl. I have asked the council to ensure that this child has the support of an independent advocate so that her views are heard at the heart of this process.'
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that the Department for Education was conducting a 'stocktake' of national fostering. She added: 'Councils have to bear in mind the ethnicity and religion of children when they are placing them in care, but they approach that on a case-by-case basis, which is right.'
Christian MPs join more than a hundred backing holiday hunger bill
More than 100 MPs have backed a bill to tackle hunger and malnutrition during the school holidays when free school meals are not available.
Introduced by veteran Labour MP Frank Field and signed by dozens of fellow Labour MPs, the bill would ring-fence 10 per cent of the money raised by a sugary drinks tax and force councils to provide food and activities for children who would otherwise go without.
The School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill has won support from MPs across the Commons and will be presented to MP on their first day back from summer recess.
It is also signed by several Christian MPs including second church estates commissioner Dame Caroline Spelman and several other senior Conservatives including committed Christian Nicky Morgan, Sir Oliver Letwin and Jeremy Lefroy.
It comes after the all party group on hunger, chaired by Frank Field, unearthed fresh evidence of the number of children suffering from a lack of food in holiday.
Field said: 'If the Prime Minister were to pick up this bill and run with it, at nil extra cost to the Government, she would tackle overnight one of the great injustices afflicting children in this country: a widening of inequalities at school caused by a lack of food during the holidays. Likewise she would immediately be cutting off one of the main supply routes to food banks.'
It comes after Trussell Trust figures published last month showed the increased use of foodbanks during summer months with 4,412 more three-day food parcels given out nationally in July and August than the previous two months.
Earlier this month Christian Today revealed how churches are stepping in to fill the gap.
Heather Black, a development worker in Middlesborough, told Christian Today of the 'unimaginable increase in referrals' to the foodbank in the summer holidays.
'You have got to feed the children and they need entertaining so it's a double whammy really.
'We just thought, "What kind of response should there be as churches?"'
The result is 'Feast of Fun' clubs which provide activities including arts, crafts sports, games and music based around themes as well as all serving food.
'Its growing a sense of community and family,' she said.
'As well as addressing very real physical needs we are building stronger community. I think that's the real qualitative care that the church can offer. It's creating a place with a feel of a family gathering.'
Hajj 2017: Ten things you need to know as two million pilgrims flock to Mecca
Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage, begins August 30 with two million Muslims arriving in the holy city of Mecca.
Saudi Arabia's High Judicial Court confirmed the precise timings as late as last week because the Islamic dates are based around a lunar calendar.
Iranian Muslims will once again be allowed to participate after the government banned citizens from travelling to its Middle Eastern rival last year following a stampede that killed more than 2,400 pilgrims, including 464 Iranians in 2015.
Here are ten things you should know about Hajj 2017:
Hurricane Harvey and the Twitter mob: Why the hate for pastor Joel Osteen?
Megachurch pastor and prosperity gospel preacher Joel Osteen came under heavy fire online this week for not immediately opening his 16,000 seat megachurch to the homeless victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.
The arena complex that is Lakewood Church has now been opened to the needy, but the vicious mob reaction to Osteen remains troubling. The online outrage is understandable, but there's a fine line between calling out injustice and just being judgmental. Mass tragedy probably shouldn't have us at each other's throats. So what's going on with the hate for Joel Osteen?
The prince in his palace
Osteen is something of an easy target. As Kate Bowler explained for the Washington Post, the man is 'America's prince of the prosperity gospel', a polished symbol of the wealth and material blessing that he promises to his megachurch flock.
She writes: 'With his yachts and jets and endless-smiling mouth offering promises of "Your Best Life Now" (that's the name of his best-selling book), Osteen was already a subject of contempt among Americans'. Seeing images of Osteen's vast, lavish mansion alongside footage of homes submerged by the wake of Hurricane Harvey obviously creates a discord. It seems wrong and cruel, apparent evidence of the pastor's distance from the people he serves.
The mob sees the prince in his palace, feeding off his bestselling book-sales and packed-out arena crowds, but apparently closing church doors when the multitude comes knocking (though the church has insisted its doors were never 'closed').
Writer Alan Spencer tweeted: 'Joel Osteen won't open his church that holds 16,000 to hurricane victims because it only provides shelter from taxes'.
Hollywood director Scott Derrickson went as far as to call him 'a wolf in sheep's clothing', using the imagery of the 'false prophet' that Jesus warned of.
Insofar as the outrage highlights the huge problems at the heart of the prosperity gospel movement, and the wealthy icons at its helm, it isn't wrong. Money isn't evil, but having it in indulgent abundance whilst poverty pervades even in the prosperous west, is troubling. And a gospel that makes material gain the goal is a false, supremely dangerous one which misses that Jesus said the Kingdom of God belonged to the poor.
Some of the anger at Osteen (and let's be clear, Lakewood's complex is now fully open as a shelter for homeless) points to pervasive social injustice, questions about wealthy excess at the expense of the poor, and some seriously dubious Christian leadership. And that's not wrong.
Someone to blame
Then again, in times of crisis, sometimes people just want someone to blame. But when the disaster is a natural one that clearly can't be curtailed by human powers, who can be blamed? It's traditional of course, to question God in these times wrestling with the divine over the ever-compelling problem of human suffering and God's place in it all.
Is he the distant uncaring deity, or the active judge directly dealing out disaster? Of course, traditional Christian theology has said neither is the case, but many, having rejected faith, may no longer ask such questions anyway. In which case, they're looking for someone to blame, and as we've seen, perhaps the boot fits (or feels like it does) with Osteen. It's hard to direct anger at vast, uncontrollable forces but specific persons are easier to hate.
But that doesn't make it right. And goading virtue and charity out of someone through an angry online mob hardly seems the way it should be. One Twitter user condemned Osteen as a 'parasite', sharing a meme that wrote: 'And lo, Jesus fed the needy only after receiving a massive public shaming on Twitter.' But does anyone really want the fear of public shaming to be the new driver for human generosity?
Thank you Houston. Your response has been overwhelming. We cannot thank enough the hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers who came out today! pic.twitter.com/hI1jl5Sry8 Lakewood Church (@lakewoodch) August 29, 2017
Broken world, broken people
At the end of the day, we're not responsible for Osteen, his wealth or his church. It's fine to feel angry (if there's just cause), but something tells me Christ would have us looker closer at ourselves before we start judging others for un-generosity. It's not like only the super-rich have the capacity to give, and to publicly throw Osteen to the lions if we haven't lifted a charitable finger ourselves would be a tragic kind of hypocrisy.
The world is broken, which is why we have natural disasters, deep human suffering and unanswered questions for God. Human beings are broken too, which is why crisis can make us turn on each other, seeking a scapegoat instead of focusing on helping the hurting. Seeing the tragedy wrought by Hurricane Harvey is heartbreaking. Many have died, thousands have lost their livelihoods. We often don't know what to do about it, because in the face of it all we're only human.
But embracing our humanity, our flaws and our limits, may be the way forward. That probably means more prayer and less public shaming. Having grace for each other, for those in need and for Joel Osteen whatever we think of him. It seems more promising than the torch and pitchfork, at least.
You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter
Sony Xperia XZ1 release date, specs rumors: Upcoming flagship handset will not be bezel-less
Smartphone makers have kept up with the trend of minimizing the bezels on the side of a handset. This latest development in modern mobile devices is well-received by the users as it offers a different visual experience as the display area is increased. Starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 devices with their "Infinite Display," the bezel-less trend is expected to continue. Unfortunately for Sony Xperia followers, the upcoming Xperia XZ1 might not jump on the bandwagon just yet.
As reported by The Verge, the latest leaked renders of the Sony Xperia XZ1 reveal the new appearance and features of Sony's flagship handset. Apparently, it still has the same display as the previous Xperia smartphones. Some tech enthusiasts were disappointed by the leaks, particularly on Xperia XZ1's massive bezels.
The online publication also noted that the Sony Xperia handsets for the past few years have not seen a decrease in bezel size, unlike the other big names such as LG and Samsung that unveiled their latest top-end devices this year with smallest possible bezels. If the leaked bezel-less Xperia XZ1 turned out to be correct, Sony is already left behind as other upcoming handsets of 2017, such as Apple iPhone 8 and Google Pixel 2, are all expected to sport a bezel-less display.
Perhaps the best part of the leaked Sony Xperia XZ1 renders are the pink and black color variants of the handset. Even with the lack of innovation in the display aspect, Sony can still attract potential buyers with the flagship's slick color options. However, a pink Xperia XZ1 handset is not really something new as similar variants have already been released before.
Aside from the old, full-bezel design, the Sony Xperia XZ1 will sport a 5.2-inch full HD screen display and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. The camera department of the upcoming design might not look promising for some, as the leaks suggest only a single-lens 19-megapixel rear camera for Sony Xperia XZ1 instead of a dual camera. However, according to Tech Advisor, there will be an interesting change in the device based on the leaks, as it will have a rear-facing fingerprint sensor which is different from its front-sided position in Xperia XZ.
Sony Xperia XZ1 will be unveiled at the IFA 2017 in Berlin, Germany on Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. CST. Aside from the high-end Xperia phone, Sony is expected to launch a mid-range Xperia X1 smartphone.
Sudan church leader among those re-arrested amid government pressure for property
A Sudan church leader who spent Christmas 2015 in prison on charges of 'spying' before being freed after 19 days due to lack of evidence, was re-arrested last week, along with five other church leaders, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).
Those arrested belong to the Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC) and include its head of missions, Kuwa Shamal, who had been arrested on 15 December 2015, with three others, on several charges but was released on 2 January.
The two others arrested in 2015, Hassan Taour and Abdulmonem Abdumawla, were eventually released in May after the Czech aid worker Petr Jasek was set free in February following an intervention by his government and the EU Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
WWM reported that this is at least the third time that Shamal has been arrested, having also been detained in May 2016.
The others arrested, for a day, last week were the SCOC moderator, Rev Ayoub Mattan, the finance secretary Abdulbagi Ali Abdulrahaman, the deputy finance secretary El-Amin Hassam Abdulrasool and the church leaders Yagoub Naway and Musa Kodi.
Two days previously, two other church leaders from Omdurman had been evicted by police from their homes, according to WWM, with one of them arrested for trespassing after allegedly entering his own office. They were released on bail later that day, 21 August.
Yahiya Abdel-Rahim Nalu, the church's moderator, and Sidiq Abdallah, a pastor, were reportedly living in houses owned by the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC).
The police evicted them to help a Muslim businessman, Hisham Hamad Al-Neel, to take over the church property, after claiming that he owns the asset for investment purposes.
'The situation is very difficult, we are living in the street,' Nalu told Radio Tamazuj.
Their cases follow a long series of others in which authorities have continued the gradual confiscation of properties belonging to, among others, the SCOC and SPEC in Bahri (Khartoum North) and Omdurman.
In June, Sudanese church leaders sent an open letter to the government.
On 26 April, police and an armed mob occupied part of the SPEC compound in Omdurman. It was the same location where, earlier that month, two church members were stabbed during a protest against appropriation of a school.
The arrest of Kuwa Shamal and other leaders of the SCOC followed the arrival of an illegally-convened rival committee, which had a letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs dated 14 August, in which the committee asked police to help them take over the SCOC offices. When the leaders refused to hand over the property, they were arrested, WWM said.
The church leaders were released on bail a few hours later and still wait to hear if there will be further legal action.
The evangelical leaders are appealing the case.
In an interview in mid-June, Mariam Ibrahim, who was condemned to death for her Christian faith in Sudan in 2014, told WWM that the 'Sudanese government says it respects freedom of religion, but it does not'.
Yesterday, the new head of USAID, Mark Green visited Khartoum to assess how far Sudan is meeting obligations ahead of the 12 October deadline by which the US will decide on whether or not to lift sanctions imposed for lack of progress on measures to attain sustainable peace, as well as more progress on human rights.
'This is not a court of religion': Judge orders Muslim man to stand in court
A Muslim man accused of preaching sharia law on the streets of London was ordered to stand in court after the defendant initially refused to stand for the court's judge.
Ricardo McFarlane was accused of breaking the terms of his Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) after allegedly preaching shariah law on Oxford Street in London, according to the Metro. His ASBO barred him from addressing members of the public 'in order to promote sharia law'.
But before entering Southwark Crown Court for his hearing, McFarlane reportedly told an usher that though expected to rise when the judge entered the court, he would not stand for 'any man'. When Judge Martin Beddoe saw that McFarlane had refused to stand he told him told him to do so, telling McFarlane that 'this is not a court of religion'.
'If Mr McFarlane isn't going to treat this court with respect then I might have to deal with him differently than to release him on bail,' the judge said.
Representing the defendant, Roy Hedlam said: 'Because of his religious belief he believes there is only one person who he should bow to.'
Judge Beddoe responded: 'That is as may be, but this isn't a court of religion, this is a secular court and it expects to be treated with respect. That isn't in breach of any religious principles I'm aware of.'
McFarlane then arose in the dock where he had been seated, and remained standing for the rest of the hearing. McFarlane is accused, alongside as many as 20 other men, of calling for Islamic shariah law to be imposed across the UK, preaching outside Topshop on Oxford Street. He denied the charges.
When a witness was unable to attend, McFarlane's trial was adjourned and he was released on bail.
Two Jesuit schools in Australia cautiously back same-sex marriage, citing teachings of Pope Francis
Two elite private Jesuit schools in Australia appear cautiously to have endorsed same-sex marriage, citing the teaching of Pope Francis, ahead of a referendum on the issue in that country.
In messages to parents, staff and students, St Ignatius's College in Sydney and Xavier College in Melbourne stopped short of explicitly backing a 'Yes' vote but urged parents to reflect on Pope Francis's teaching on love, mercy and non-judgmentalism.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the rector of Xavier College, Chris Middleton pointed out that young people overwhelmingly backed same-sex marriage.
'In my experience, there is almost total unanimity amongst the young in favour of same-sex marriage, and arguments against it have almost no impact on them,' Fr Middleton wrote.
'They are driven by a strong emotional commitment to equality, and this is surely something to respect and admire. They are idealistic in the value they ascribe to love, the primary gospel value.'
Middleton also suggested that by opposing same-sex marriage, the church could be accused of hypocrisy following revelations by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 'To be brutally honest, the church speaking out in controversial areas around sexuality risks being mired in vitriolic attacks on its credibility in the aftermath of the royal commission,' he said.
Further, he hinted that Catholics should reflect on whether 'denial of the right to civil marriage is an "unjust discrimination"'.
Meanwhile the rector of St Ignatius's College, Ross Jones said that same-sex couples already had many rights, claiming many wish to marry 'for the same reasons as their opposite-sex counterparts'.
He also said that Catholic couples could 'in good conscience' engage in sexual relationships for reasons other than procreation. 'Presumably, same sex-couples, who make such a commitment to each other in good conscience, do so by reflecting on experience and on what it is to be human, using their God-given reason,' he wrote.
The principal of St Ignatius's College, Paul Hine, also rejected suggestions that staff in Catholic schools or parishes could be sacked if they enter same-sex marriages. 'I won't be asking with a view to removing them from the school,' he said.
St Ignatius's College is the alma mater of the former prime minister Tony Abbott, who is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage, while the current opposition leader Bill Shorten attended Xavier College.
The messages from the colleges come as Kay Goldsworthy, the newly appointed Anglican Archbishop of Perth, strongly hinted that she personally backs same-sex marriage, adding that she took an 'inclusive' approach while respecting the wider position of the church.
President Trump visited coastal Texas Tuesday but said little and soon left. That was appropriate: unless a city or region is fully incapacitated, as Texas and Houston are not, the federal government provides support but leaves disaster operations to the locals. Texas governor Greg Abbott reminded the public of that arrangement, reiterating that Trump and the White House were helping, not directing. After his briefing with rescue and recovery officials, Trump told supporters gathered outside the local firehouse that were gonna get you back and operating immediately. To that end, what can observers expect to see in the next few days?
The Houston region has received record rain, more falling in less than a week than it usually does in a year, and at least 30 people, including a Houston police officer, have died. Harvey, however, is not Katrina. One measure of this difference is in electricity provision. After Katrina, New Orleans was almost entirely without power for weeks. In Houston, by contrast, 94 percent of customers still had power as of early Wednesday.
Though we wont know for sure for a while, the fact that Houston has kept the power on is likely in part a legacy of infrastructure investment after previous storms. Five years ago, Hurricane Ike cut power to 95 percent of Houston. But, as NPR reported after the storm, the citys power company, CenterPoint, took steps after Ike, as well as after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, to upgrade the grid, spending $400 million. Houston, helped by $50 million in federal money, cut down tens of thousands of trees along power lines and outfitted poles with the ability to re-route electricity away from damaged routes toward undamaged ones.
With power, hospitals can continue to operate; even Ben Taub Hospital, surrounded by water, kept the power on. Stores, too, have quickly begun to reopen. Power also means that people whose homes didnt flood can stay put, lessening the burden on police to keep neighborhoods safe from looters. If the power stays onas it should, now that the worst of the storm is overHouston should do well. If it goes out, the city will have far more serious problems.
As people in low-lying areas have fled their homes, or found themselves among the thousands rescued by the Coast Guard and local helpers, many have flocked to communal shelters. Houstons George R. Brown Convention Center reached its 5,000-person capacity by Tuesday; the NRG Center, with room for 10,000 people, opened to handle additional evacuees, and dozens of churches, schools, and other facilities have provided additional help.
Shelters can be run well or poorly, as the terrifying chaos among evacuees at New Orleanss Superdome revealed in Katrinas aftermath. As FEMA chief Brock Long said on Tuesday, this is not the Superdome. They are sustaining food, security. That's partly because the electricity is on, but it is also thanks to Houstons superior policing compared with the Big Easys. Moreover, reports of drug overdose and discontent at the Brown Center do not equal mass chaos. By definition, people with few other resources will go to communal shelters in disasters. Their ranks include the homeless, as well as drug addicts and the mentally ill.
Even with competently provided power, water, food, and security, though, people can stay in public shelter for only so long. Superstorm Sandy, which sent 7,000 New Yorkers to public shelter, was a reminder that people do not do well in such spaces for more than three days, due to inadequate showers and poor sleeping conditions. Houston has begun the task of finding thousands of people temporary homes. Many of these will be hotel rooms or apartments far from peoples workplaces and schools. Even five months after Sandy, 2,000 New Yorkers remained stuck in hotels. If recent history is any guide, the federal government likely will spend billions providing temporary housing alone.
Empty neighborhoods and business districts invite looting. Houston had already arrested 15 people as of late Tuesday for allegedly trying to steal everything from liquor to an ATM, and for attempted robbery, as well. These arrests, plus a nighttime curfew, are a good sign; after Katrina, New Orleans police officers failed to keep control over the city, both because of the severity of the damage, which left most of the city empty and dark, but also due to their longstanding poor performance. Harris County district attorney Kim Ogg and Houston police chief Art Acevado have already set the right tone to deter wrongdoing. Ogg said Tuesday that thieves are going to feel the full weight of the law, and Acevedo said he would push for tough sentences for people convicted. In New Orleans, by contrast, state and local officials apocalyptic invocation of martial law, rather than calm reliance on the rule of normal law, only exacerbated the sense of chaos.
With some, though not most, Houston neighborhoods now deserted, state law enforcement has a role to play here, as well, with federal support. A competent local police force will be busy, after a storm, in helping still-populated areas. In turn, state police and the National Guard, with less experience interacting with people on a neighborhood level, can help by patrolling and securing empty areas. To that end, Texas has already activated the National Guard, adding 12,000 people to safety efforts as well as rescue and food distribution.
In three critical areas, thenpower supply, shelter, and public safetyTexas, Houston, and the feds are so far doing a good job. Things are working as they should: Houston and Texas are directing efforts, with FEMA playing a critical support role and, eventually and importantly, paying the bills.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
The history of academic criminology is one of grand pronouncements that dont often prove out in the real world. In the 1960s and 1970s, for example, criminologists demanded that public policy attack the root causes of crime, such as poverty and racism. Without solving these problems, they argued, we could not expect to fight crime effectively. On this thinking, billions of taxpayer dollars poured into ambitious social programsyet crime went up, not down. In the 1970s and 1980s and into the 1990s, as crime rates continued to spike, criminologists proceeded to tell us that the police could do little to cut crime, and that locking up the felons, drug dealers, and gang leaders who committed much of the nations criminal violence wouldnt work, either.
These views were shown to be false, too, but they were held so pervasively across the profession that, when political scientist James Q. Wilson called for selective incapacitation of violent repeat offenders, he found himself ostracized by his peers, who resorted to ad hominem attacks on his character and motivations. Wilsons work was ignored by awards committees, and criminological reviews of his books, especially Thinking About Crime and Crime and Human Nature, were almost universally negative. In the real-world policy arena, however, Wilson attained significant influence: the Broken Windows theory of policing and public order, which Wilson developed with criminologist George Kelling, became a key part of the proactive policing strategies that would be largely responsible for the great crime decline starting in the mid-1990s.
In short, while academic criminology has had much to say about crime, most of it has been wrong. How can an academic discipline be so wrongheaded? And should we listen to criminologists today when, say, they call for prisons to be emptied, cops to act as glorified playground attendants, and criminal sentences to be dramatically reduced, if not eliminated? Answers to the first question are readily availableand suggest the answer to the second.
Academic criminologists are mainly sociologists, trained in statistics and armed with theories. Though most dont study crime or violence directly, they have produced useful studies about offenders and the criminal-justice system. Through their work, we know, for example, that criminal behavior is strongly intergenerational, that relatively few people account for the majority of all crimes, and that some offenders desist from crime over time but many others simply change the types of crimes they commit. We also have learned that most offenders are generaliststhat is, they commit a diverse assortment of crimesand that steps can be taken to reduce criminal events by making them more difficult to carry out. Most criminals, it turns out, are lazy.
In other ways, though, criminologists lack of direct contact with subjects, situations, and neighborhoodstheir propensity to abstractioninvites misunderstandings about the reality of crime. Most academics have never met with women who have been raped or children who have been molested, or seen the carnage wrought by a bullet that passed through a human skull, or spent a lot of time with police on the street. The gulf between numbers on a spreadsheet and the harsh realities of the world sometimes fosters a romanticized view of criminals as victims, making it easier for criminologists to overlook the damage that lawbreakers causeand to advocate for more lenient policies and treatment.
Evidence of the liberal tilt in criminology is widespread. Surveys show a 30:1 ratio of liberals to conservatives within the field, a spread comparable with that in other social sciences. The largest group of criminologists self-identify as radical or critical. These designations include many leftist intellectual orientations, from radical feminism to Marxism to postmodernism. Themes of injustice, oppression, disparity, marginalization, economic and social justice, racial discrimination, and state-sanctioned violence dominate criminological teaching and scholarship, as represented in books with titles like Search and Destroy: African American Males in the Criminal Justice System, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, and Imprisoning Communities: How Mass Incarceration Makes Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Worse.
A quick perusal of Presidential Awards for Distinguished Contributions to Justice, bestowed by the American Society of Criminology (ASC), shows that the winners were primarily rewarded for their left-wing advocacy. They included a judge in Massachusetts who advocated abolishing the states death penalty, an FBI agent who successfully sued the organization for ethnic discrimination, and a former director of juvenile corrections in Massachusetts who closed the states juvenile reformatories and wrote a book alleging that the system hunted down black men for sport. The society also honored Zaki Baruti, a radical black activist in St. Louis known for his hatred of police and support for leftist causes.
Recently, the ASCs policy committee sent a mass e-mail to members, asking for help in countering a Wall Street Journal editorial written by Heather Mac Donald, a longtime City Journal contributing editor and a writer known for eviscerating liberal claims about the police and the justice system. Mac Donald argued that because of increased scrutiny and charges of racism, police had rolled back their efforts to deter crime, at least in minority communities, resulting in rising violence in many cities across the country. She called this the Ferguson Effect, after the town in Missouri where the (justified) police shooting of Michael Brown, a young black man, in 2014 ignited riots and gave rise to a new anti-law-enforcement push from advocates, the press, and Democratic politicians. The existence and extent of the Ferguson Effect is an empirical question that can be debated. But it is telling that the ASC had never shown any interest in rebutting the hundreds of editorials that repeated factually baseless claims about police shootings or the racism supposedly embedded in the criminal-justice system. Only Mac Donalds work was singled outas was Wilsons, years earlier.
Walter Miller, one of the few mid-twentieth-century criminologists whose work was unapologetically conservative, suggested that ideology can turn plausibility into ironclad certainty . . . conditional belief into ardent conviction . . . and reasoned advocate into the implacable zealot. When shared beliefs take hold, as they often do in the academic bubble in which most criminologists live, ideological assumptions about crime and criminals can take the form of the sacred and inviolable dogma of the one true faith, the questioning of which is heresy, and the opposing of which is profoundly evil.
Millers observations have proved prophetic. Led by the work of Jonathan Haidt, a growing number of scholars now acknowledge that a lack of ideological diversity in the social sciences skews research in favor of leftist claims, which become the guiding principles of many fields, challenged only at the risk of harming ones career. Liberal assumptions go unchecked and tendentious claims of evidence become fact, while countervailing evidence doesnt get published or faces much more rigorous scrutiny than the assertions that it challenges.
Liberal political values can shape and distort the research that criminologists do and the public positions that they take. Lee Ellis and Anthony Walsh surveyed several hundred criminologists and found that self-reported ideological perspective was strongly associated with the type of theory that the scholar most often advocated, with liberal criminologists primarily supporting theories that locate the causes of crime in social and economic deprivation. Coauthor John Wright has recently collected data showing that political ideology predicts almost perfectly the policy positions of criminologists. On issues ranging from gun control to capital punishment to three-strikes laws, liberal criminologists showed almost no variation in their beliefs. (Needless to say, they dislike guns, oppose punitive sentences, and vehemently object to the death penalty.)
Liberal criminologists primarily support theories that locate the causes of crime in social and economic deprivation.
Most criminologists follow a penal-harm narrative, which seeks to account for all the ways that the criminal-justice system hinders the lives of offenders and their communities, generating and reinforcing social inequality and harming minorities, since they are the primary targets. Purveyors of the penal-harm narrative assert that conservative legislators demagogically used the upswing in crime rates during the late twentieth centuryincluding more than 20,000 murders and hundreds of thousands of rapes, robberies, and assaults per yearto incite racial animosity and arouse support for overly punitive crime policies. The lawmakers pushed for more police and longer and more uniform criminal sentences, went after gangs and street crimelargely located in minority neighborhoodsand backed increased prison capacity. The result was an era of mass incarceration. Amazingly, the criminological community could not see that decades of rising American crime rates might have had something to do with why the public had supported the adoption of three-strikes laws, the imposition of other mandatory-minimum sentences, the rise in incarceration rates, and the death penalty. Instead, criminologists stick to the contention that the anticrime efforts were all about conservatives eagerness to harm vulnerable minority populations.
In 2012, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)commissioned a scholarly review on the growth of incarceration. Leading these efforts was Jeremy Travis, director of the National Institute of Justice under President Bill Clinton and a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a liberal think tank. Travis recently stepped down as president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and has a long history in Democratic politics. To assess the evidence on incarceration, he staffed two committees with scholars who had, in one way or another, embraced the penal-harm narrative long before the NAS came knocking. Bruce Western, Michael Tonry, and Marie Gottschalk had written damning accounts of the damage supposedly wrought by rising incarceration rates. Tonry (a past president of the ASC) had previously equated incarceration with Guantanamo, the CIA rendition program, and torture; Gottschalk had condemned the rise of the carceral state as a method to control black populations. Their views dominated the NAS report, which does not differ substantially from the arguments of radical left-wing groups like Black Lives Matter.
What was achieved by ensuring that violent offenders served 85 percent of their sentences or that more murderers were sentenced to prison? Not much, according to the report, other than to reward racists. Crime rates, the authors argued, werent affected, but incarceration took minority men out of their neighborhoods, stripped them of voting rights, destabilized families, and sapped already-paltry economic resources from struggling communities. Such claims could seem plausible only if one believescontrary to evidence and common sensethat career criminals contribute positively to their neighborhoods, enjoy stable and functional families, vote, and work. What they did, in reality, was to prey on their neighbors.
In the NAS report and in subsequent publications, Travis stated that a just-the-facts approach to policy assessment should be replaced by normative values in the research process. What values should displace objective evaluation? The answer: social justice. Scholars cannot claim to be dispassionate analysts when they embrace a social-justice agenda from the outset. Agenda-based politics will overrun their scientific objectivity.
While promoting the report, Travis and Nicholas Turner, president of the Vera Institute of Justice, an advocacy organization, published a New York Times op-ed assailing American prisons and holding up the German penal system as a positive exemplar. To be sure, there are significant differences between the two countries, the authors observed. Most notably, Americas criminal justice system was constructed in slaverys long shadow and is sustained today by the persistent forces of racism. Not only does this statement shed light on the authors ideological views; it also manages to insult anyone who works in the criminal-justice system and who values public safety and order.
Social-justice themes suffuse the NAS report. Consider the authors argument that, while crime has gone up and down at different periods, the incarceration rate has never increased so dramatically as it has in recent years. This is true only in a limited sense. Crime rates didnt vacillate yearly, as the report claims. From 1928 until about 1960, the rates rose slowly each year. Then, during the 1960s, crime rates exploded, launching a three-decade climb that would culminate in remarkable levels of violence. Yet incarceration rates remained flat prior to the 1960s and began to climb only thereafter. By the reports own numbers, prior to 1980, only 40 percent of individuals arrested for murder were sentenced to prison (and murderers served only an average of five years). Less than 10 percent of those arrested for sexual assault in 1981 were sentenced to prison, and they spent an average of only 3.4 years behind bars. After sentencing reforms, 92 percent of convicted murderers were imprisoned for an average of 17 years, and 30 percent of those arrested for sexual assault were sent to prison for 6.6 years. Somehow, the NAS report authors see incarcerating only 40 percent of murderers as just, and sending more murderers and rapists to prison as unjust.
And what about the crime reductions associated with locking up more serious offenders or keeping them behind bars longer? This perennially important policy question was apparently too difficult to answer. After presenting a litany of complex statistical issues that complicate these types of analyses, the authors stated that we cannot arrive at a precise estimate, or even a modest range of estimates, of the magnitude of the effect of incarceration on crime rates.
Gauging the impact of any policy is challenging, but it seems untenable that the authors couldnt craft a range of estimates based on various modeling assumptions. Several studies exist that have done just that, including William Spellmans award-winning work, and most show modest crime reductions connected with incarceration. Steven Levitt (of Freakonomics fame) and Thomas Marvell and Carlisle Moody found that each additional prisoner contributes to reductions ranging from 15 to 30 serious index crimeswhich include murder, rape, aggravated assault, armed robbery, burglary, motor-vehicle theft, larceny, and arson. Unfortunately, criminologists either lack the tools and abilities to assess the amount of crime prevented through incarceration, or, more likely, they lacked the will to do so.
To understand why many criminologists refuse to acknowledge criminal behavior as a potent predictor of life outcomesincluding premature mortality, health disparities, arrest and incarceration, and even being shot by the policeone must understand that most liberal criminologists feel strangely protective about criminals. Criminologists who work collaboratively with the police have done important work in understanding how best to respond to crime and how to prevent it. Their research, which often includes complex spatial analyses of crime patterns and which targets specific, high-rate offenders for arrest and prosecution, has been rigorously evaluated and confirmed. Yet liberal-minded criminologists dismiss these scholars as administrative criminologistsmeaning that they help the state impose unfair social and economic arrangements.
Liberal criminologists avoid discussing the lifestyles that criminal offenders typically lead. Almost all serious offenders are men, and they usually come from families with long histories of criminal involvement, often spanning generations. They show temperamental differences early in life, begin offending in childhood or early adolescence, and rack up dozens of arrests. Their lives are chaotic and hedonistic, including the constant pursuit of drugs and sex. They produce many children with different women and rarely have the meansor inclinationto support them. Active offenders exploit others for their own benefit, including women, children, churches, and the social-welfare system. They commit many crimes before getting arrested, and they move in and out of the criminal-justice system for decades. Many also report enjoying acts of violence; the social-media accounts of martyred gangsters shot by police often illuminate this subculture. Perhaps not surprisingly, they see the police as another competing tribe that has to be manipulated, controlled, and sometimes confronted. In sum, the lives of persistent criminal offenders are often shockingly pathological. The nature of this world is hard to grasp without witnessing it firsthand.
Unfortunately, criminology has had a long history of suppressing evidence for expressly political reasons. For most of its history, the discipline has overtly censored research, for instance, on biological, genetic, and neurological factors that scientists have shown to be associated with antisocial traits and behavioral problems. Even today, despite lots of hard scientific evidencesuch as that 50 percent of the variance in antisocial behavior is attributable to genetic factors, or neuroimaging studies that show systemic structural and functional brain differences between offenders and non-offendersthose who pursue this line of research get branded as racists or even eugenicists. We have personally experienced hostile receptions when presenting our work in these areas at professional conferences and have been excoriated in the anonymous-review process when attempting to publish our papers. The disciplinary animus toward the study of biological factors extends to other individual factors, including intelligence and personality, and to a range of traits, such as callous and unemotional behavior, psychopathy, and self-control.
When it comes to disciplinary biases, however, none is so strong or as corrupting as liberal views on race. Disproportionate black involvement in violent crime represents the elephant in the room amid the current controversy over policing in the United States. Homicide numbers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Supplementary Homicide Reports, 19762005 indicate that young African-American males account for homicide victims at levels that are ten to 20 times greater than their proportion of the population and account for homicide offenders at levels that are 15 to 35 times greater than their proportion of the population. The black-white gap in armed-robbery offending has historically ranged between ten to one and 15 to one. Even in forms of crime that are allegedly the province of white malessuch as serial murderblacks are overrepresented as offenders by a factor of two. For all racial groups, violent crime is strongly intraracial, and the intraracial dynamic is most pronounced among blacks. In more than 90 percent of cases, the killer of a black victim is a black perpetrator.
Criminologists talk about the race-crime connection behind closed doors, and often in highly guarded language; the topic is a lightning rod for accusations of racial hostility that can be professionally damaging. They avoid discussing even explicitly racist examples of black-on-white crime such as flash-mob assaults, polar bear hunting, and the knockout game. What criminologists wont say in public is that black offending differences have existed since data have been collected and that these differences are behind the racial disparities in arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. They also wont tell you that, despite claims of widespread racial discrimination in the justice system, legal variablesnamely, the number of prior arrests and the seriousness of the crime for which the offender has currently been arrestedaccount for all but a small fraction of the variance in system outcomes. Nor will they tell you the truth about politically correct remedies, such as diversifying police forces, hiring black police chiefs, or training officers in the alleged effects of implicit bias: that these measures wont reduce racial disparities in crime.
Fifty years of research on the topic have failed to find the smoking gun linking justice-system disparities to racism.
In the aftermath of the Department of Justice reports on Ferguson and Baltimore, it may sound odd to hear that the system does a good job of processing individuals with comparable criminal backgrounds similarly, regardless of race. But 50 years of research on the topic have failed to find the smoking gun linking justice-system disparities to racism. Claims to the contrary often manipulate data or ignore them altogether. In the case of the DOJ reports, and in the eyes of many criminologists, racism has to be the cause of these disparities because recognizing the truth about the huge racial imbalance in crime is politically intolerable.
The values that characterize an academic community cant help but affect, to some degree, the work of that communityin the case of academic criminology, cutting off research or leading to distorted conclusions. But when entering the realm of public policy, these biases can translate into disastrous consequences for real people. Public safety may be compromised, and valuable and limited resources may be squandered. Under the best circumstances, criminal-justice policy confronts a complex and imperfect reality of criminals and their victims; the stakes are too high to accept research tainted by political bias. The hands-off policing now advocated by many liberals doesnt work, and it endangers the lives of police and citizens at the same time that it erodes the legitimacy of law and order.
Reliable evidence tells us that the most effective strategies to reduce crime involve police focusing on crime hot spots, targeting active offenders for arrest, and helping to solve local problems surrounding disorder and incivility. Putting predatory, recidivistic offenders in jail or in prison remains the best way to protect the publicespecially those who live in high-crime neighborhoods. Lower-level offenders can often be supervised in the community, and many benefit from programs that seek to modify drug and alcohol addictions that contribute to their criminal behavior. Despite our best efforts, though, most will re-offend and reenter the system at some point.
The current national conversation about criminal-justice reform is well-intentioned, but we run the risk of succumbing to passionate rhetoric and to being misled by promises built on flimsy evidence. Gains made in reducing crime have been hard-won, but faulty reform can easily erode them. Its costs will be measured in lost lives and suffering. The reality of crime does not easily lend itself to analysis by spreadsheet; nor is it a matter of arcane theory or philosophical principles to those whove been victimized. Reform efforts must recognize these stubborn facts. We encourage policymakers to listen to what criminologists have to saybut we also encourage them to pay attention to what they dont say, which is often more important.
Top Photo: The eminent political scientist James Q. Wilsons work had a major impact on public policy, even as he found himself ostracized by academic criminologists. (AP PHOTO)
Charities lack skills and understanding about cyber security and must do better, the government has said.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport today published a report, Cyber Security Among Charities, as part of its National Cyber Security Strategy.
The government commissioned Ipsos Mori to carry out 30 in-depth interviews with a range of charities, and said the findings show that in general the sector does not feel well informed about cyber security issues.
The research was published on the same day as analysis of the FTSE 350 companies, which found that one in ten FTSE 350 companies operate without a response plan for a cyber incident.
The charities report concludes that there is still a need to raise basic awareness of cyber security among charities.
It says that smaller charities are more likely to not feel well informed about the topic and that there is low awareness of current support available.
Charities also assumed cyber security was more of an issue for businesses than for charities.
Barriers
The report identifies a number of barriers that mean charities do not prioritise cyber security, including competing demands and lack of skilled trustees.
Responsibility for cyber security internally was often held by someone with a different core role, or with multiple responsibilities, such as chief executives or finance staff. It says. Competing demands on time and resources with greater focus often given to areas such as fundraising and delivery meant that cyber security was often deprioritised and could lack investment.
Charities also thought training would be expensive and lacked the expertise to put on training by themselves.
The report also says that charities struggle to find trustees with the right skills.
Participants noted that smaller and long-running charities often tended to have older trustees, who might lack IT skills and work only part-time, as well as in multiple roles, it says. This made it particularly hard for these charities to get engagement with cyber security among trustees and also to find people internally who could champion the issue.
It also highlights that charities often have a strong cultural emphasis on costs and cost-cutting, making it hard to justify spending in cyber security.
This had significant implications in terms of the outsourced providers that charities used, and how much outside help they would ask for, the report says.
Lacking a central head office and having trustees based around the country is also highlighted as a barrier to delivering face-to-face training in some smaller charities.
Must do better
Matt Hancock, minister for digital, said the report highlights that charities must do better, but also committed to working with the Charity Commission to produce more tailored guidance.
Recent attacks have shown the devastating effects of not getting our approach to cyber security right, he said.
Hancock added: Charities must do better to protect the sensitive data they hold and I encourage them to access a tailored programme of support we are developing alongside the Charity Commission and the National Cyber Security Centre.
Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: Charities have lots of competing priorities but the potential damage of a cyber-attack is too serious to ignore. It can result in the loss of funds or sensitive data, affect a charitys ability to help those in need, and damage its precious reputation. Charities need to do more to educate their staff about this threat and ensure they dedicate enough time and resources to improving cyber security.
We want to make sure charities are equipped to do this, and we encourage them to use the advice on our Charities Against Fraud website. We also continue to work closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to help charities protect themselves online.
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International development charity VSO will no longer carry out door-to-door fundraising because of insufficient long-term returns and high supporter attrition, according to its annual report.
The charity had used door-to-door fundraisers since 2007 to recruit regular givers, but said in its annual report for 2016/17, published on its website, that it has stopped using this approach.
Due to insufficient long-term returns and high supporter attrition, we chose to withdraw from door-to-door activity, and are diversifying the ways we recruit new regular givers", it said.
VSO raised 6m from 41,000 regular givers last year.
Doorstep fundraising has been criticised in the national media and by politicians, but has been defended by charities as a cost-effective way to recruit regular givers.
Last year RNLI pulled out of doorstep fundraising.
During 2016/17, VSO said it used the agencies APPCO and HOME for doorstep fundraising and that this accounted for the majority of its recruitment of new supporters. It said it had a number of safeguards in place to monitor this fundraising activity.
Results were closely monitored on a weekly basis with status calls. We shadowed the fundraisers to better understand how they work in the field, the charity said. Several welcome calls were sent every two weeks, which were listened to by the VSO team. Feedback was then sent back to the team, and amendments made to practices. We held regular refresher workshops to ensure fundraisers were well informed about VSO and our work.
Nicola Fickling, VSOs head of individual giving, said: We found that door to door fundraising wasnt delivering the long-term relationships we want to have with supporters. The process of diversifying our recruitment has given us greater control of our messaging and messengers, meaning that we can better inspire supporters to donate for years to come.
VSO also used the telemarketing agency Ethicall for telephone fundraising.
In 2016/17 it received 126 complaints relating to fundraising but said that it had fully resolved all complaints in a timely manner.
Gender pay reporting
VSO is one of the first charities to reveal its gender pay gap in its annual accounts.
It revealed that female employees do earn less than the male employees but the gap is less than the national average.
Based on a median average, women earn 4.47 per cent less at VSO, and by mean average they earn 6 per cent less. The median average for the whole of the UK is 18 per cent.
The charity said: VSO guarantees equal pay for men and women in the same roles. This is achieved by external benchmarking of salaries per role (as opposed to job holder) every year against other organisations in all the countries we operate in. Roles are reviewed internally to ensure consistency between comparable positions. The job holders personal qualities (such as gender and age) are purposefully excluded from this exercise.
VSO said that 60 per cent of its workforce is female, including half of those in the upper most salary quartile.
Business development and human resources are traditionally less competitive and lower-paid fields of work and, therefore, generate lower benchmark figures, the charity said. In the UK these areas of work have tended to attract more women. There is a more competitive and higher paid market for finance and IT, which traditionally tend to attract more men.
VSO employs 810 people with 244 based in the UK.
All organisations with more than 250 employees must publish details of their gender pay gap by April 2018. NCVO estimates that this will affect around 670 charities.
Sophie Paradis, VSO compensation and benefits analyst, said: We are also proud to be one of the first major UK charities to publish details on gender pay disparity. The gender pay gap at VSO is more than three-times narrower that the UK average. However, we will never be complacent on this issue and continue to focus on reaching parity as soon as possible.
From Charity Finance magazine
New three-year DfID grant agreed
Most of VSOs income comes from the Department for International Development.
In 2016/17 it received a total strategic grant from DfID 20m. DfID extended this funding twice; first to cover the period to 31 December 2016 and then to 31 March 2017.
It said it has now agreed a three-year deal with DfID to continue its partnership through an accountable grant for the delivery of a three-year volunteering for development programme.
VSO also received 25m from DfID to deliver the International Citizen Service programme. This was down by 1.5m on the previous year.
Some 12m was received from other agencies, including USAID, the European Union and the United Nations.
The charitys total income for the year was 78m, which was slightly down on last year when it was just over 80m. In 2016/17 it spent 76m and said that 92 per cent of this was on charitable activities.
Civil Society Media is hosting its Charity People & Culture Conference on 20 September 2017. For more information, and to book, click here . And on the 28 November we are hosting NGO Insight. For more information, and to book, click here
Sometimes new ideas fail, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be innovative. Charities Aid Foundation's James Moon looks at how we can learn from failure.
The social sector is awash with innovation. It implies progress and excitement and is something that funders embrace, as it implies eureka moments and leaps in impact. At the same time, innovation requires risk. It is about embracing new ideas or ways of working. These new ways of working may be a fantastic success but they also may lead to failure. Does that mean we should shun innovation? In my opinion, no. If we do not innovate as a sector, we stagnate and the world leaves us behind. If the world leaves us behind we are not able to effectively support the causes that we exist to support. Failure through innovation can be ok as long as when it occurs we learn and innovative further from it.
Failure is a difficult word to swallow, particularly considering the low levels of trust in the sector at the moment and accountability to funders. However it is crucial that the learning from failure is captured, analysed and used to adjust and adapt going forward. There is also a slow but growing trend of funders that understand and accept failure under the right conditions.
Learning from failure, not only helps your own charity to innovate, but the sector as a whole. Being open and sharing your learning (good or bad) with the sector helps to strengthen it, and ultimately the lives or causes that we exist to support. Some charities are already embracing the learning and sharing from failure, Engineers without Borders Canada, for example, produce failure reports and closer to home, Street League, dedicate a section of their annual report to what they didnt do well. There is also the site admitting failure, where organisations and individuals share their learning stories.
Be bold and share your learning from failure whether through open relationships with funders, or standing up at a conference and having a frank discussion about how you failed and what you learnt. Failure leads to learning which leads to innovation and ultimately progress.
James Moon is advisory manager at Charities Aid Foundation.
Civil Society wishes to thank Charities Aid Foundation for its support with this article
Every day seems to bring something unprecedented out of Washington, something entirely outside normal political and journalistic life. We can now add to that the present conflict with North Korea, which is unlike any conflict American journalists have ever covered.
The threats by North Koreas Kim Jong Un are an historical anomaly, as unprecedented as the fact of Trump himself. The reality of the threat and the surreality of the president who is confronting are what make covering the stand-off with North Korea so difficult. On the one hand, you have a ruthless, erratic, desperate tyrant. On the other, you have a president whose election has been under a cloud of illegitimacy since November, and who now is the subject of a criminal investigationperhaps several criminal investigations. North Koreas rapidly growing nuclear capability is real. But to what extent is Trumps response calculated bluster that will unnecessarily raise tensions with North Korea while serving as another important distraction at home?
After Trumps election, there was an outpouring of commentary urging the media not to normalize Trump, an admonition that seemed unnecessary, given that Trump was such an outsize political aberration. Yet if ever there was a moment to resist the process of normalization it is now, when talking about the possibility of war with North Korea.
The media needs to remind itself of the role it played in the months preceding the Iraq war, when the mainstream media swallowed wholesale the Bush administrations line about Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction. Part of the reason for the medias credulity was its fear of appearing unpatriotic. The medias resistance to Bush, as it had been to Reagan, had become so relentless that accusations of liberal bias began to sting. In that moment, when what was at stake was not some domestic policy but, so it seemed, the fate of the country, the media could not afford to appear partisan.
The media so far has left the military-speak of Trumps generals untouched.
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At this juncture, the medias resistance to Trump is more intense than it has been to any president in modern American history, even Nixon. How much greater, then, is the fear of appearing unpatriotic when it comes to fateful issues; how much greater for the media is the temptation to prove its lack of bias by raising its voice against a threat to the nation.
The media so far has left the military-speak of Trumps generals untouched. About two months before Trump and Kim started trading threats, Defense Secretary James Mattis testified in front of a Congressional committee about the possibility of war with North Korea. It would be a war like nothing we have seen since 1953, he said, and we would have to deal with it with whatever level of force was necessary It would be a very, very serious war.
Instead of merely quoting Mattis without comment, here is the kind of journalistic thinking that would be useful: The generals are experts in warfare and we need their expertise. But having thrown their lot in with Trump, they do not want to lose his support. And being generals, in a political context, they will have a natural tendency to want to expand their power, to turn political events into military ones, which they may then turn to political advantage. Remember that MacArthur was fired by Truman precisely because MacArthur wanted to expand the Korean War by invading China. The generals have already gotten their way with Afghanistan.
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Recently Mattis and other generals have shown prudence with regard to North Korea, publicly urging diplomacy as an alternative to armed conflict. But they are generals, and they are sworn to obey the commander-in-chief. Their instincts are entirely military. So while it is important to acknowledge the generals capacity to counteract Trumps irrational outbursts, it would be a mistake to regard the generals themselves as bastions of rationality, moderation and disinterestedness.
Even as it reports on the prospect of war, the media must continually broaden and deepen its analysis beyond the military perspective. Would China, on which North Korea almost entirely depends, allow Kim to start a conflict that might lead to a nuclear confrontation? Is Kim, who has spent his life preserving himself, ready to immolate himself in response to a mere threat, or insult?
ICYMI: Eight simple rules for doing accurate journalism
Much to the medias relief, a soothing narrative is finally beginning to take shape around Trump, of which Steve Bannon was until recently a part, and this narrative has the potential to distort the coverage of the accelerating tension with North Korea. Trump is irrational and dyspeptic; the generals know all about the costs of war, even as they speak more and more about it becoming reality; the grown-ups in the administration are too focused on China to allow a war with North Korea to happen; the Republican party is becoming disillusioned with Trump; Mueller is coming to save us.
The media must resist this fall into a false narrative clarity. If there is some type of clarity, it is coming from a different direction. In all the promiscuous commentary after Trumps election comparing the countrys imminent future to the world portrayed by Orwell in 1984, little of it mentioned one aspect of that book that has become increasingly relevant: Orwells conceit of his totalitarian regime sustaining itself through the tactic of perpetual war.
In Trumps case, the media should factor into its approach to covering Trump the possibility that, lacking the full support of the military, and lacking a majority of Americans behind him, Trump will not lead the country into war, but rather will keep the pot boiling with the perpetual threat of armed conflict both internationally and domestically. In the age of Trump, the need to try to see through appearances even as journalists accurately report on appearances is more pressing than ever before.
Trump is using the medias hostility toward him against it. Knowing that the media will react swiftly and sometimes hysterically to his slightest provocation, he is harnessing the medias antipathy toward him and making it run in one direction after another. You get the feeling that the threat of perpetual war was always a strategy that he was waiting to use. Bannons exit will not make a jot of difference. Trump, to an extraordinary degree, has surrounded himself almost entirely with military people. It is the perfect atmosphere in which to make military peril a perpetual threat.
Trump is using the medias hostility toward him against it. Knowing that the media will react swiftly and sometimes hysterically to his slightest provocation, he is harnessing the medias antipathy toward him and making it run in one direction after another.
The ugly fact is that the strategy of perpetual conflict has worked very well for Trump, from North Korea to Charlottesville. The one obstacle to his reign, the Russia investigation, has disappeared from the headlines. A few hundred white supremacists and neo-Nazis responding to a nationwide call to converge on Charlottesville are now being discussed in the media as a possible mainstream political movement, just as last week, and now once again, the media is discussing nuclear apocalypse as a real and imminent event, thus making the unspeakable a more and more acceptable aspect of the possible.
The media has to try to keep its focus. It has to treat situations like North Korea and Charlottesville as both complex and manipulated events. The threat of permanent war and the reality of perpetual conflict mean the consolidation of permanent political power, especially for a president who lacks numerical support.
Finally, journalists must not allow the stand-off with North Korea, confrontation with the alt-right, or any other threat of conflict, to become just another phase in the endless media feast on Trump. On the one hand, the media has to resist the pull of turning everything into a commercially friendly spectacle, as well as the impulse to seize on every event as the one that will finally bring Trump downthus eclipsing situations that are unfolding in political life. On the other hand, the press cannot allow itself to succumb to criticism that it is not acting in the national interest.
We are in the most perilous political moment of our lifetimes. Everything depends on how the peril, in all its constantly proliferating facets, is projected to the public.
ICYMI: Top journalists reveal the best reporting advice they have received
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Lee Siegel , a widely published writer on culture and politics, is the author of six books and the recipient of a National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism.
In the aftermath of Harveys deluge, the media focus has rightly been on the response to the catastrophe, the danger to those on the ground, and the heroism of rescuers. But theres another aspect to the story that deserves attention. In a time of crisis, conversations about climate change can come across as insensitive. That doesnt mean they should be avoided.
Did climate change cause Harvey? Thats the wrong question. Hurricanes and flooding have always been part of life in the Gulf region. But climate change made Harvey more dangerous, and, encouragingly, many journalists and climate scientists are tackling the issue with nuance and clear arguments. Voxs David Roberts has a good overview of what we can and cant say about the role of our changing climate, writing, Climate is not central, but by the same token it is grossly irresponsible to leave climate out of the story, for the simple reason that climate change is, as the US military puts it, a threat multiplier.
The response from many conservative politicians, think tanks, and media outlets has been to deny or ignore any connection between Harveys intensity and climate change. The Guardians Oliver Milman rounded up responses from conservative groups that shrug off the link between the storm and warming temperatures, while The Daily Caller criticized media members for working double time to turn the Hurricane Harvey disaster into a conversation about climate change.
Tragedies often have political dimensions that, if not proximate causes, are at least part of the picture. That means that when mass shootings occur, its fair to talk about gun control, mental health, or extremist ideologies. When, amidst rising seas and warmer temperatures, a storm dumps a biblical deluge on a city, its fair to talk about how we address climate change.
We know that warmer water and air temperatures increase the amount of moisture in the air, and that more moisture leads to more rain. Harveys damage has been largely attributable to the incredible amount of water that has fallen on the greater Houston region, topping 50 inches in some areas. Until we have peer-reviewed studies of the storm and its impact, we wont know precisely how much of its devastation we can attribute to our changing climate, but we shouldnt wait to talk about how we address the underlying causes that made Harvey more deadly.
Below, notes from a discussion worth having.
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Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
Media analysts are puzzled by BuzzFeeds decision to add programmatic banner advertisements to its homepage, sub-pages, and mobile applications at a time when the ads have lost favor among media companies and advertisers.
BuzzFeed has long touted its unique native ads, created in-house, as a more effective way to reach youthful customers. Many have seen the ads as a key differentiator for the 10-year old site, which is expected to go public sometime next year.
The change in strategy is designed to bring in additional revenue, but what isnt clear is what that means for a site that has viewed traditional banner advertising as anathema to the brand. Its vice president of agency strategy once declared, You are more likely to summit Mount Everest than click on a banner ad.
Over the years, most companies have moved away from banner ads because they have limitations in getting the message across and they take up too much space, says Morningstar equity analyst Ali Mogharabi in an interview with CJR. Last year, for instance, The New York Times moved away from traditional banner advertising for its own proprietary format. According to eMarketer, Video is the only subcategory of display ad spending that is growing, as rich media, banner ads and sponsorship all shrink.
RELATED: The word BuzzFeed now accepts in its articles
BuzzFeed publisher Dao Nguyen in a statement says the company long rejected overtures to show advertisements from Facebook Audience Network and Googles DoubleClick Ad Exchange, which it now plans to welcome, for being highly-intrusive and often irrelevant to its viewers. The site did previously show banners alongside its native articles, but they were never sold programmatically. Nguyen says programmatic technology has evolved, and the ads should load quicker and be more relevant to users.
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BuzzFeed also may not have much of a choice: Google and Facebook now control two-thirds of the digital ad market; the news site will find growth more difficult if it cant snag a piece of that pie.
Still, banner ads seem like an odd fit for the BuzzFeed ethos. Look no farther than the companys flagship website, which features content that pokes fun at banner advertisements. And its own advertising materials still tout the superiority of its in-house ad solutions: Click-through rates for story units have proven to be 10x the industry standard for banner ads.
RELATED: BuzzFeed was right to publish Trump-Russia files
Ads featuring video, audio, and elements like games or interactive graphics are some of the biggest trends in online advertising right now. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported desktop video was the only other category besides mobile advertising that recorded increases in revenue in 2016. Standard banner advertisements dont allow for features like video. As a result, Mogharabi says, many of BuzzFeeds new advertising customers for programmatic ads will likely be small and medium-sized businesses. They just want to get that mass exposure, he says. Theyre not thinking about target advertising. They also have tight budgets and would probably go for the banner ads which are much lower cost.
Another analyst notes that banner ads have improved on mobile sites and in their overall quality. They know what youve been looking at, clicking on, searching and shopping for, says Robin Diedrich, senior equity analyst at Edward Jones. However, theyre still fairly intrusive.
The move is part of a larger, strategic push for BuzzFeed to generate more revenue from its various platforms and massive scale, Nguyen wrote in a statement to CJR. In June, the companys flagship website saw 75 million unique visitors and 231 million video starts according to comScore. That was down slightly from the same period last year, when BuzzFeed had 78 million unique visitors.
One risk of BuzzFeeds adoption of programmatic banner ads is the lack of control over where they are placed and what content appears nearby. You can have your brand placed next to some undesirable content, she says, noting advertisers have commented on this issues. If this content is not being scrubbed and supervised beforehand, thats where I think some advertisers been a little leery.
Prior to this announcement, the company was already using some advertising on Facebook to help distribute its branded content, as well as in its Instant Articles.
I think theres room for both, is the bottom line, and banner ads have become smarter. It seems like its still a very viable and growing piece of the puzzle that most advertisers are going to want to use, says Diedrich, the Edward Jones analyst.
When asked whether the move was designed to bump up BuzzFeeds numbers in advance of an IPO, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti did not answer directly, only replying, The goal is to serve our diverse audience and build a great business to support our continued growth.
From archives: Oh, here we go again: Investigative reporter laid off for the third time
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Karen K. Ho is a freelance business, culture and media reporter, based in New York. She is also a former Delacorte Fellow at CJR. Follow her on Twitter @karenkho.
Today is Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett's birthday. He is 87, but the best birthday present he ever received came long ago, before he made his first penny before he was even born. It didn't come wrapped; it doesn't even take a physical form. It's called luck.
Warren Buffett Lacy O Toole | CNBC
Of course Buffett's made a lot of money for those who like playing around with numbers, like Buffett does, his fortune works out to millions of dollars per each day of his life. But even with Berkshire Hathaway shares up about 20 percent in the past year easily outpacing the S&P 500 and sitting near an annual high and Bank of America , one of his shrewd post-crisis financial investments, reaching a $12 billion paper profit, some recent headlines suggest that his luck may be running out: Sempra Energy outbid master dealmaker Buffett's $9 billion offer for energy company Oncor. But luck, or winning the "ovarian lottery," as Buffett called it, has been as instrumental as any factor in building his billionaire fortune. Luck doesn't get the recognition it deserves as a success factor. Analysis of the traits of billionaires and the effort to uncover their secret to success tend to go granular: Do they awake at 4 a.m.? Do they write handwritten notes from their CEO desk to everyone, even the little people? Or does success tend to circle around some new (and not necessarily improved) versions of habits already covered by the likes of Stephen Covey? Some American billionaires and captains of industry attempt to encapsulate business brilliance in methodical form and with their own pen, such as Koch Industries' Charles Koch, who shared his market-based management approach in his book "The Science of Success." But luck matters. "Having the good luck to win the 'ovarian lottery' is a major determinant in success in life in general and in business in particular," Professor David Kass told CNBC. The clinical professor of finance for the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland was the first to publish Buffett's "ovarian lottery" comments, based on notes he took at a 2013 graduate student event where Buffett spoke.
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Luck may seem like the least tangible, least controllable success factor. After all, what can one do about luck? But there's a perfect example from Buffett's business history that Kass shared with CNBC, showing how those who believe in luck are also on the lookout for luck when it delivers an opportunity into their lap: When Buffett was a 20-year-old MBA student at Columbia University, he learned that his hero, Professor Benjamin Graham, was the Chairman of the Board of GEICO. Since Buffett was interested in anything that Graham was interested in, he took a train to Washington from New York (1950), arriving on a Saturday morning. Without calling or writing ahead of time, Buffett was very lucky that one employee was there, Lorimar Davidson, who spent four hours explaining both insurance and GEICO to Buffett. Buffett immediately grasped that GEICO would have an enduring competitive advantage. (Davidson subsequently became CEO of GEICO.) Insurance later became the primary business and building block of Berkshire Hathaway. "Warren Buffett has stressed the importance of luck in his life, focusing not only on where he was born but also when. His primary skill of allocation of capital has worked well for him in the United States and in his lifetime," Kass said. Michael Mauboussin, a managing director and head of global financial strategies at Credit Suisse and author of "The Success Equation," which looks at the role of skill and luck, said Buffett's example reveals something fundamental about business greatness: Positive outliers, including Buffett, "are the product of lots of skill and lots of luck ... in business dealings."
You set the rules
Public support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fallen further this week, according to the latest opinion polls, throwing new uncertainty on her continued reign ahead of the country's upcoming national elections. Germany will head to the polls on September 24 to elect its new government. Merkel hopes to secure her fourth term in power with her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, but new figures released Tuesday indicate that her perceived strength could be waning, giving her opponents greater leverage. The complex nature of Germany's electoral system means that it is highly unlikely for a single party to secure a parliamentary majority. This means that a coalition deal must be struck with two or more parties. Here's a look at Germany's key parties and how they might work with or against Merkel to form a government.
The key parties
Cars drive past election campaign posters hanging from lampposts on August 22, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Germany has a multi-party system made up of two large parties, three smaller parties and a number of minor parties. Traditionally, power has either been held by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) plus its sister Christian Social Union (CSU) party, or the Social Democratic Party (SPD). This year, however, smaller parties could play a crucial role.
Christian Democratic Union + Christian Social Union
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives to address a press conference at the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party headquarters in Berlin, on November 20, 2016. Tobias Schwarz | AFP | Getty Images
Angela Merkel is leader of the CDU and has held office for three terms alongside the smaller CSU, which is part of the same parliamentary group. It is considered to be in the centre-right of German politics. The party saw a lapse in popularity at the start of the year when Merkel came under fire over her immigration policies after a terror attack in Berlin in December killed 12 people. But the party has since regained ground and hopes to capitalize on Merkel's otherwise strong track record and good international standing. Among other things, the party is pledging modest tax cuts, greater infrastructure spending, an extra 15,000 policemen and cutting unemployment to below 3 percent. Interestingly, despite the backlash earlier this year, Merkel has ruled out setting an upper limit on refugees coming into Germany. Merkel, seen as the de facto leader of the EU, is a strong advocate of increased integration of the union. On Monday, she announced her support for turning the euro zone's rescue fund, known as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), into a European Monetary Fund. She said the mechanism would make the region more stable and better able to react to "unexpected situations."
Social Democratic Party (SPD)
AFP | AFP I Getty Images
The centre-left Social Democratic Party is the main opposition party in Germany and currently forms a 'grand coalition' government with the CDU and CSU. In January 2017, its leader Sigmar Gabriel was replaced by former President of the European Parliament and leftist Martin Schulz. The appointed spurred a surge in popularity for the party and pointed to the first major risk to Merkel's Chancellorship. However, as campaigning has developed the party has pared some of its earlier traction. Under a SPD-led government, Schulz promises a very different Germany. He has vowed to pour billions into the country's infrastructure, as well as pledging greater sums to facilitate labor and welfare reforms. Schulz is a fervent supporter of increased EU integration and would make establishing a economic and monetary union (EMU) a core objective.
Free Democratic Party (FDP)
Christian Lindner, head of the German Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei, or FDP) Thomas Niedermueller | Getty Images
The business-friendly Free Democratic Party, also known as the liberals, is headed up by Christian Linder. The party has previously partnered up with Merkel but found itself losing voter support when, in 2009, its campaign pledges of generous tax cuts were torpedoed by the more dominant CDU. Nonetheless, deep tax cuts remain front and centre of the FDP's policies, alongside cutting regulation and investing in the modernization of Germany's economy. The party is also calling for increased security and more stringent immigration policies, including points-based permits for skilled immigrants.
Greens
German Green Party's Cem Oezdemir talks to the media on January 18, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Steffi Loos | Getty Images
The environmentalist Green party has found support amongst Germany's metropolitan voters and could find itself an appealing coalition partner for either the CDU/CSU or the SPD. Led by Simone Peter and Cem Ozdemir, it focuses on ecological, economic and social sustainability and is promoting greater infrastructure spending over tax cuts. It is also somewhat reluctant to increase security spending but has suggested curtailing immigration.
Die Linke (The Left)
Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Germany's democratic socialist and left-wing populist Left Party is co-chaired by Katja Kipping and Bernd Riexinger and is seen as a possible bedfellow for the SPD. The party is heavily focused on welfare spending and redistribution policies and is opposed to tax cuts for higher earners and businesses. The Left is also a strong advocate of greater EU integration and, like the SPD, is keen to establish cohesive European fiscal policy with a European budget and a European monetary fund. The party also opposes military missions abroad and is campaigning for NATO to be replaced with a new collective security system including Russia.
Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Chairwoman Frauke Petry reacts after her speech during the AfD (Alternative fuer Deutschland) federal party congress on November 28, 2015 in Hanover, Germany. Nigel Treblin | Getty Images
The Alternative for Germany party is the country's answer to France's far-right National Front. Espousing populist values, its leaders Frauke Petry and Jorg Meuthen have quickly developed regional support since launching the party in 2013 and have been vocal advocates of President Donald Trump's policies. It represents Eurosceptic and anti-Islam policies. However, despite being forecast to gain the third-largest number of votes, the party is losing momentum and would struggle to find other allies in government. "For the right-wing party AfD, the good times are over. Gone are the days of their 14 percent," Torsten Schneider-Haase, associate director at research group Kantar Emnid suggests.
The voting system
German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a government declaration supporting the passage of a second aid package for Greece before a vote in the Bundestag on February 27, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Germany is a mixed-member proportional system, meaning that voters cast two votes on their ballot paper one for a constituency MP and one for a party. Parliament's 299 constituency MPs are elected on a first past the post basis. The remaining at least 299 MPs are appointed according to the number of votes each party gains within each of Germany's 16 federal states. A party must win at least 5 percent of the national vote or three constituencies to be allocated a seat.
What do the polls say?
A voter casts his ballot in German federal elections as a German flag hangs behind on September 22, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. Sean Gallup | Getty Images
1. Simplify the battlefield
Mark Divine The Oracles
Mark Divine, retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander, founder of SEALFIT, Unbeatable Mind, and The Courage Foundation; NYT and WSJ bestselling author As a leader in the U.S. Navy SEALs, I had to "simplify the battlefield" and make rapid-fire decisions that had life-and-death consequences. I developed a simple but powerful model to enable a fast course of action. The model uses the acronym, PROP, as in "prop up decisions." First, define your top Priorities, such as "get cash positive." Next, outline the Realities you face, such as limited resources or timeline. Then, based on your priorities and realities, consider the most plausible Options available, such as to cut staffing or offer a deep discount. One option will typically be the obvious choice, but I often rank them with select criteria to make sure. Finally, choose the best option as your Path forward. Execute that immediately with a simple plan and shift fire as you meet the next set of realities. Keep things simple with this tool and you'll stay on target! Follow SEALFIT on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram
2. Get comfortable with the cost of deciding
Grant Cardone, top sales expert who has built a $500-million real estate empire and NYT-bestselling author of "Be Obsessed or Be Average" Understand that refusing to decide is a decision it's a decision to continue with the way things are. When you're stuck, ask yourself the big question: "Are you going to continue with the status quo or move forward?" All decisions have an associated cost. Indecision indicates one of three things: fear, concern over past mistakes, or a lack of information. When I decided to move my business and life from California to Miami, I had to decide if the cost of moving was worth it. I'd never lived in Florida before it was an unknown. Whenever you don't know something, there is an element of fear. But the cost of staying in California with its outrageous income tax was far worse than the fear of not knowing how my life and business would look 2,500 miles away. Follow Grant on Facebook or YouTube
3. Control your emotions
Tai Lopez The Oracles
Tai Lopez, investor and advisor to many multimillion-dollar businesses, who has built an eight-figure online empire In a book called "Wharton on Making Decisions," one of the interesting takeaways from their research is the more important a decision, the more emotional you get. But it should be the exact opposite. The more important a decision is, the more you should think it through logically and rationally. So, the average person gets it completely backward. For example, you should use emotion in deciding what movie to see Friday night or what restaurant to eat at. With simple things, there are no long-term repercussions of making an emotional decision that turns out to be a mistake. But when it comes to big decisions, like what product to launch, whether to sell your business, or whether to hold it, you have to become more like a robot. Sometimes I try to convince myself to become a cyborg: half human (emotional) and half machine (unemotional). Connect with Tai on Facebook or Snapchat
4. Understand that logical decisions have a secret emotional component
Nafise Nina Hodjat The Oracles
Nafise Nina Hodjat, founder and managing attorney of The SLS Firm During law school, I clerked for a New York Supreme Court Judge. There, I realized: people often think they're making logical decisions; in reality, they make emotional decisions and try to rationalize with logic. I watched as both sides to a lawsuit truly believed they were right; their lawyers passionately torpedoed logical arguments to back up an emotionally-driven situation. I noticed this decision-making pattern in other areas of life, such as when people purchase exotic cars for supposed "investment value," when there are more logically sound ways to invest funds. Later, I learned a simple yet effective three-part formula for decision making you can use for virtually any scenario. And it balances logic with emotion. When making a decision, ask yourself: one, what's the upside? Two, what's the downside? And most importantly, three: can I live with the downside? Most people face trouble because their emotions take control and cause them to overestimate the upside, underestimate the downside, and never even consider if they can live with the downside.
5. Know what you want
Marina Rose
Marina Rose, QDNA, founder and developer of Quantum DNA Acceleration, a revolutionary technique for quantum growth in health, life, and business Business success comes from knowing your desired outcome. You need a laser-beam focus on what you want to create. Never lose sight of your target or goal. When making decisions, ask, "Is this getting me closer to my goals? Is it taking me away from my goals?" Discard everything that's taking you away from your goals. You also need to work on your beliefs and mindset to approach your mission fearlessly. Other people may have failed on a similar path or not dared to venture where you're going. Fix this. Weak thoughts create weak outcomes. Don't be swayed by any limitations people try to put on you. Winning is an option. Follow Marina Rose, QDNA on Facebook
6. Say no
Joshua Harris The Oracles
Joshua Harris, founder of Quantum Jump Consulting, started first business at 12 and now teaches entrepreneurs how to start and grow a digital marketing business from scratch I say no by default to everything outside my core focus because it won't impact my major professional goal: Create 100 seven-figure students by the end of 2018. When something comes along that's aligned with my goals, I ask myself: What's the worst case scenario? What's the upside? What does my gut tell me? A big personal decision was moving my family from Michigan to Florida. We'd always wanted to move interstate but put it off as something to do much later in life. I knew the upside would be a better lifestyle. Plus, a major change of scene can shed old habits. It turned out to be the best possible decision personally and professionally.
7. Build a filter system
Com Mirza The Oracles
Com Mirza, "The $500 Million Man" and CEO of Mirza Holdings; failed in eight companies back to back and today, runs a nine-figure empire with over 600 employees Every decision I make should benefit not just me, but everything I'm responsible for. So I run my decision making through three filters: Does it impact my family and me in an ethical, moral, and positive way? Does it help my businesses and their growth plans? Does it benefit my employees? If any decision meets the three filters, I proceed quickly. If it doesn't, I analyze it further and usually don't proceed. Without a filter system, you'll only analyze decisions one sided. With a filter system, you'll make the right moves even if it takes longer and is less attractive. Give yourself some filters to run decisions through and stick to them no matter what. If something you "want" doesn't meet all your prerequisites, it's probably not a good move.
8. Proximity is Power
Moshe Malamud The Oracles
Moshe Malamud, founder and CEO of M2Jets Business mastery begins with developing principals you can rely on during times of adversity and opportunity. However, a larger part of your success can be attributed to the people you surround yourself with and the insight they provide. I've always kept close relationships with top business leaders in all industries. Thus, no one experience creates the byproduct for all business psychology; it's a culmination of multiple experiences that truly shapes your insight in the decision-making process. Prior to starting M2Jets, I had limited expertise in private aviation and had many questions: Where can I purchase an aircraft for a great price? What are the operating expenses? And so forth. It was discussions with trusted colleagues that armed me with the necessary knowledge to purchase my first aircraft. Through trial and error, gaining experience, and creating a client-focused culture with a good team of industry professionals, I've been able to succeed in a competitive industry with little prior operating experience. Connect with M2Jets on Instagram
9. Do your homework
Jonathan Gilinski The Oracles
Jonathan Gilinski, serial entrepreneur, executive director of CapsCanada, and founder of Capsuline Don't make decisions based solely on emotions and gut instinct. Do as much due diligence as you can, and the rest will be intuitive. Outsiders also bring fresh perspectives. So, when facing a difficult decision, I always seek the advice of two to four trusted people with more experience or subject-matter expertise than me. After seeking counsel, I'll go for a run at the end of the day or the next morning to be alone with my thoughts. Then I'll usually make the decision before the end of the run. That's because I've worked hard to gather the facts, which paint a clear picture in my mind.
10. Build an A-Team
Tom Shieh The Oracles
Tom Shieh, CEO of Crimcheck It would be foolish to believe our company's success was achieved from only my wise choices. Instead, the vast majority of reasons Crimcheck has continually grown and has reached the Inc. 5000 list is because of our awesome team. They deserve all the credit. When I make decisions, I gather all the necessary people in the room and seek their valued input, insight, and perspective. I surround myself with people smarter than me and tremendously skilled in their area of expertise. Consequently, we leverage each other's gifts and compound our strengths as a team.
11. Develop wisdom
Amir Orad The Oracles
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It's not breaking news to say retailers, especially those with exposure to the shopping mall, have been hurting of late. But CNBC's Jim Cramer discovered one group that stood out after earnings. "I'm calling it the BTF club BTF stands for Better Than Feared," the "Mad Money" host said. "These companies didn't necessarily report quarters that were actually any good at all. They're companies that had gotten to the point where the expectations were so low ... that anything better than truly devastating numbers was considered a big win, causing all these stocks to soar." American Eagle Outfitters , Abercrombie & Fitch , Express and Signet Jewelers made up Cramer's BTF club. And while Cramer didn't find the first three companies' stocks particularly compelling (except if you own them and are looking to sell into strength), Signet intrigued him. The parent company of Kay, Jared and Zales beat earnings estimates, which managed to not only stabilize its free-falling stock, but send it soaring. With a new CEO in place, Cramer thinks Signet, which struggled with declining earnings for some time on top of a class-action lawsuit, could have a chance at a turnaround. "I know it's risky, but it could be prime for a longer term turn here," the "Mad Money" host said. "Of the four, it's one I might consider owning."
The Market's 'New Normal'
An Iranian woman taking pictures with an Apple iPhone in Tehran. Eric Lafforgue | Gamma-Rapho | Getty Images
Charts Caution Against Commodities?
Employees torque a pipe at a wedge well at Christina Lake, a situ oil production facility half owned by Cenovus Energy and ConocoPhillips, in Conklin, Alberta, Canada. Brent Lewin | Bloomberg | Getty Images
With commodity watchers concerned about the fate of Texas' oil refineries after Hurricane Harvey, Cramer wanted to nail down the condition of oil itself. So Cramer went off the charts with technician Carley Garner, the co-founder of DeCarley Trading and Cramer's colleague at RealMoney.com with a nearly spotless record on calling oil's moves. "The trouble with the oil market right now, in Garner's view, is that the buyers all feel like eternal optimists and they won't let multiple failed rallies stand in the way of their conviction," Cramer said. But since West Texas Intermediate Crude , the market's general barometer for crude oil prices, peaked in January, oil prices have been sliding, making a series of lower highs. Since then, each time oil has climbed significantly higher, speculators have gotten more bullish, and each time, Cramer has seen them let down because oil has been stuck in a trading range. "We've made this point before, but Garner thinks ... it's worth stressing now, because we're currently approaching what's historically been a bearish time of year ... for the oil markets and she wouldn't be surprised if the bulls just get blown out here," the "Mad Money" host said.
Del Taco CEO on Avocado Price Spike
John Cappasola, CEO, Del Taco Scott Mlyn | CNBC
Rising avocado costs might be squeezing Chipotle's margins, but John Cappasola, the president and CEO of West Coast chain Del Taco , said his Mexican fast-food chain isn't feeling the heat. "This is actually a structural advantage for us, the fact that we do it fresh in our restaurants," Cappasola told CNBC on Tuesday in an interview with Cramer. In response to Cramer's question about handling the spike in avocado prices, Cappasola said that his business benefits from being more hands-on with food preparation than other chains. "From a food cost standpoint, we are cutting out the middleman," Cappasola said. "When you think about the value add you pay to have someone else chop it and slice it and put it in a bag and ship it in, we don't do that. We take it inside and we do the chopping and the slicing and the grating and the grilling, and we feel really confident that that's what delivers a great food experience for us."
Finally, Cramer erred his grievances about Monday's after-hours trading, when panicked sellers made some trades that truly astonished the "Mad Money" host. First, traders fled the stock of Alibaba , the Chinese e-commerce giant that many have compared with Amazon . "I can't believe I even need to spell this one out, but Alibaba's a Chinese company, and China is North Korea's only real ally. Although they keep saying they'll help us negotiate, the [People's Republic] is fine with a nuclear-armed North Korea," Cramer said. "Given how well this company's doing, this stock should've been a buy, not a sell." People also took to selling the stock of Apple , which hit an all-time high on Tuesday. "Honestly, if you want to take a really grim, really cynical view here, the traders should've been buying Apple on the news and selling its main competitor, the South Korea-based Samsung, because if a conflict does break out, Samsung's headquarters would be right at the epicenter," Cramer said. Frustrated by the panic, Cramer had a final piece of advice for the traders who sold the stocks without good reason: "Take a deep breath, chill out, and for heaven's sake, learn from your mistakes!"
Lightning Round: I'm Not Concerned About AMD
Goldman Sachs Group will detail plans to turn around performance at its core bond-trading unit next month after unusual pressure from large investors frustrated by vague explanations of its troubles, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move is a break from tradition at Wall Street's pre-eminent bank, which usually gives its investors little information about how it makes money.
A Goldman Sachs sign at at NYSE. Brendan McDermid | Reuters
That was the case last month, when Goldman reported a stunning 40-percent decline in bond-trading revenue, much worse than rivals like Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co . Goldman Chief Financial Officer Marty Chavez said Goldman had trouble "navigating" the markets during a conference call to discuss second-quarter results on July 18, but did not offer specifics. That, and his vagueness over the causes of Goldman's problems, unsettled some investors. "You were left with reading about what 'navigating the market,' means and that doesn't feel satisfying," said Ian McDonald, a U.S. bank analyst at Janus Henderson, which owns 2.5 million Goldman shares. "Did they cut too deep on the bench? Are they not in a position to be taking on risk as much as peers?" he asked. McDonald said he has faith in Goldman's trading prowess and its stock, but wants the bank to do a better job of communicating its strategy. Goldman Sachs spokeswoman Ida Hoghooghi declined to comment.
Investor frustration
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy on Tuesday defended his role in a months-long war of words with the company's board that led to changes at the top, saying his actions were in the interest of shareholders.
Speaking to investors on a conference call, Murthy said he hoped the company's management would rally behind Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder and a former Infosys CEO, who was named as non-executive chairman last week.
Vishal Sikka, the first CEO of Infosys drawn from outside its founders, resigned this month, blaming Murthy for creating an "untenable atmosphere".
Sikka's sudden exit sparked a sell-off that wiped billions of dollars off Infosys's market value, forcing India's No. 2 IT services firm to reshuffle its board and bring back Nilekani.
On Tuesday, Murthy reiterated concerns about the previous board's corporate governance practices, including the "excessive" severance paid to a former finance chief, but expressed hope that things would take a turn for the better under Nilekani's leadership.
"In fact, based on Nandan's media interviews and the recent changes in the board, I believe that corrective actions have already begun," Murthy said.
The return of Nilekani, who is credited with quadrupling Infosys' revenue to $2 billion, has cheered investors - he is widely expected to end the board's row with founder executives, help clients and boost employee morale.
Nilekani told investors last week his priorities were to find a CEO, reconstitute the board and shape future strategy.
Earlier on Tuesday, the owner of the plant, Arkema SA, said in a statement the situation at its Crosby, Texas, plant "has become serious" and evacuated all of its staff from the facility after Tropical Storm Harvey knocked out power and flooding swamped its backup generators.
All residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of a chemical plant in southeast Texas were told to evacuate as a "precautionary measure" on Tuesday because of the rising risk of an explosion, the local fire marshal's office said in a Twitter message.
Hurricane Harvey is seen approaching the Texas Gulf Coast, in this NOAA GOES East satellite image taken at 7:07 ET (11:37 GMT) August 25, 2017.
The plant has been hit by more than 40 inches (102 cm) of rain and was heavily flooded and has been without electric service since Sunday. Back-up generators have largely been inundated with water, the company added.
The key issue is maintaining refrigeration for chemicals on site, which are stored at low temperatures. The plant lost refrigeration when backup generators were flooded and then workers transferred products from the warehouses into diesel-powered refrigerated containers.
The company said some refrigeration of back-up containers has been compromised because of high-water levels and the company is monitoring temperature levels remotely.
"While we do not believe there is any imminent danger, the potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire and/or explosion within the site confines is real," the company said.
Arkema is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the state of Texas to set up a command post near the site.
U.S. Representative Ted Poe, a Texas Republican, wrote on Twitter that the Crosby plant "is in danger of fire/explosion. The local area is being evacuated. Stay out of area."
Harvey, which came ashore in Texas last week as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, has caused catastrophic flooding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency referred questions to Texas authorities, which did not immediately respond.
The Arkema plant in Crosby that produces organic peroxides has been closed since Friday but has had a skeleton staff of about a dozen in place.
Other chemical plants have also shuttered production in Texas because of the hurricane.
Anglo-Swiss chemicals firm Ineos Group Holdings said it has been forced to shut down facilities in Texas Chocolate Bayou Works and Battleground Manufacturing Complex, and INEOS Nitriles' Green Lake facility are following hurricane procedures and are temporarily shut down, spokesman Charles Saunders said.
Huntsman said it has closed six chemical plants in Texas, along with its global headquarters and advanced technology center in Texas.
Here's some unconventional career advice: Binge-watch a TV series. According to bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, the best thing you can do to further your professional life right now is to go home is to watch HBO's "The Defiant Ones," which chronicles the rise of music moguls Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. "It doesn't matter if you're a music fan or not," Welch tells CNBC Make It. "Trust me, it's the best four hours you can spend on your career today." The series takes an in-depth look at how the two men changed the music industry and helped launch the careers of mega-stars like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, U2, Eminem and Lady Gaga. Welch says she particularly appreciates its "lessons about how you get what so many people dream of when they dream of their careers: huge impact."
Bestelling author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch
Here are three lessons from the series that Welch says apply to any career:
1. Be obsessed
"To really soar in your career," Welch says, "you have to be obsessed with your product and the people who create it." "The Defiant Ones," shows how Iovine and Dr. Dre made their way from tough backgrounds working class Brooklyn and the streets of Compton, Calif., respectively to Hollywood. According to stories from Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg, just two of the many artists featured in the series, Dr. Dre and Iovine were obsessed with finding the right sounds.
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine Jason LaVeris / Getty Images
"They worked constantly," Welch says. "They were always talking, pushing, inventing, experimenting. That's how success happens."
2. Take risks
"Dre and Iovine were brave," Welch says. "They went big over and over again. You have to go big to get big." The documentary follows how the duo took bets on artists other producers rejected. They worked on songs others thought wouldn't succeed. "Sure, they failed sometimes. But they were resilient and fearless," she says. "It makes you wonder, are there any risks you could take?"
3. Stay ahead of the curve
Welch highlights a final, crucial lesson from HBO's series: Always focus on what comes next. "Always be thinking about the future," Welch says. "But more than that, run toward it." When faced with uncertainties or the onslaught of new technology, such as the change from vinyl to tapes or the rise of streaming services, they worked to stay on the cutting edge. Iovine even asked Apple founder Steve Jobs how he could work with him when the iPod launched.
You have to go big to get big. Suzy Welch bestselling management author
"The Board and the Executive Leadership Team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work," the team said in the message.
The ride-hailing giant's board of directors chose him to replace ousted chief Travis Kalanick earlier this week. In a message to employees, Uber's senior management confirmed Khosrowshahi's appointment.
Khosrowshahi will be at Uber for an all-hands meeting on Wednesday and is expected to take questions from employees. He will also meet with Uber employees in smaller groups over the next few weeks and spend time with the company's drivers as well.
Kalanick said in a statement that he couldn't be "happier to pass the torch to such an inspiring leader."
Arianna Huffington, who sits on the company's board, also congratulated Khosrowshahi on Twitter.
Huffington tweet: Delighted to welcome @dkhos as @Uber's new CEO. Here is the note the Board just sent to Uber employees
Benchmark Capital, a major investor in Uber, also congratulated Khosrowshahi. Benchmark had reportedly been backing Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman for the top job at Uber.
Benchmark tweet: We've been admirers of the work and character of @dkhos for years, and are thrilled to have him leading @Uber 2.0
As CEO of Expedia, Khosrowshahi had been credited with expanding the U.S.-based travel company's global presence through several online travel booking brands, which include Expedia.com, Hotels.com and Hotwire.
Meanwhile, Uber, which is now valued at about $70 billion, has spent recent months fending off chaos on all sides.
The company's ride-hailing business has suffered a series of setbacks. Those include sexual harassment allegations, a slew of firings related to a workplace culture investigation, political pressure, tussles with regulators, a legal battle with Alphabet, alleged distribution of a rape victim's medical records, a report of drug use, unflattering videos and emails from the former CEO, mergers, an exploding car, steep losses and infighting among investors just to name a few.
Amid some of those problems, Kalanick stepped down as CEO in June following a shareholder revolt. Uber had been searching for a replacement since then, as news piled up of infighting on the board.
Read the full email sent to Uber employees below:
Team, We are delighted to announce that Uber's Board has voted unanimously to appoint Dara Khosrowshahi to be our new CEO. Dara came to America at nine years old when his family escaped Iran on the eve of the Iranian Revolution. He grew up in Tarrytown, N.Y., trained as an engineer at Brown, and spent many years at IAC serving as Chief Financial Officer and in various operational and strategic roles. In 2005, he became CEO of Expedia, which he built into one of the world's leading travel and technology companies, now operating in more than 60 countries. He has four children and not surprisingly loves to travel, one of his favorite trips being to the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia where his wife Sydney said yes to marrying him. We're really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara's experience, talent and vision. The Board and the Executive Leadership Team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work. Dara will be joining us tomorrow, August 30, for an All Hands. Add your questions for Dara here, and stay tuned for a calendar invite with more details. He'll also be meeting with employees around the world in smaller groups over the next few weeks, and spending time with drivers. Please join us in welcoming Dara on what promises to be an exciting ride! -Yasir, Garrett, Matt, Ryan, Arianna, Travis, Wan Ling & David
CNBC's Anita Balakrishnan contributed to this report.
The United Nations condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, demanding that the isolated country halts its weapons program but holding back on any threat of new sanctions.
North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and was the first step in military action in the Pacific to "contain" the U.S. territory of Guam.
The North's leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North's KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.
"The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
North Korea this month threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major U.S. military presence after President Donald Trump said the North would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States.
For its part, the U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency announced a "complex" and successful missile defense flight test off Hawaii early on Wednesday, intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target.
The 15-member Security Council said it was of "vital importance" that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tension and called on all states to implement U.N. sanctions.
However, the U.S.-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea.
Diplomats say veto-wielding council members China and Russia typically only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible sanctions.
China's and Russia's ambassadors to the United Nations said they opposed any unilateral sanctions on North Korea and reiterated calls to halt deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.
"I certainly hope that we'll be able to have a strong resolution following up this ... statement," Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Koro Bessho, told reporters after the meeting.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was discussing the situation with other Security Council members and would make a "necessary response" based on the consensus reached. China is the North's lone major ally.
"Any measures against North Korea should be under the U.N. Security Council framework, and should be carried out according to Security Council resolutions," he told a news briefing.
Unilateral sanctions did not accord with international law, Wang added, a reference to sanctions imposed on Chinese firms and citizens by the United States and Japan.
Speaking during a visit to the Japanese city of Osaka, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying Beijing had a key role to play.
Asked about her comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said some "relevant sides" were only selectively carrying out the U.N. resolutions by pushing hard on sanctions yet neglecting to push for a return to talks.
She said this was not the attitude "responsible countries" should have when the "smell of gunpowder" remained strong over the Korean peninsula.
"When it comes to sanctions, they storm to the front but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back," Hua told a daily news briefing.
Also, there is a report from the Korea Times quoting an unnamed South Korean presidential official that the U.S. is considering sending more military equipment to the Korean Peninsula, including stealth fighters, B-1B and B-52 bombers, as well as warships such as U.S. Navy destroyers and submarines.
South Korean media are reporting the two will discuss South Korea's request to double its ballistic missile firepower to counter the rising threat from nuclear-armed North Korea.
Defense Secretary James Mattis is scheduled to hold a previously scheduled bilateral meeting on Wednesday at the Pentagon with Song Young-moo, South Korea's defense ministry.
"The North Korean government has in the past has tended test its missiles and nukes on days of historic significance in North Korean state history or alternatively to thumb their nose at the United States and do it on July 4 or do it on a South Korean national holiday," said Nicholas Eberstadt, who holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Experts say fine tuning the nuclear warhead miniaturization on the missiles is one reason the North Koreans want to continue testing nuclear weapons. They say it's possible the regime could do the test on a national holiday such as Sept. 9, the communist state's independence day.
"It's always difficult to predict what the North Koreans will do, but they've been talking about things that would almost certainly require more nuclear testing including talking about hydrogen bombs," said Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert and professor of practice at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Also, there is speculation the secretive North Korean regime led by Kim Jong Un may be preparing to conduct its sixth nuclear test.
More U.S. military might could be headed for the Korean Peninsula as tensions grow following several North Korean missile launches in the past week.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, part of the country's nuclear triad, is capable of carrying 70,000 pounds of nuclear or precision guided conventional bombs.
The U.S. Marine Corps has F-35B variant stealth fighters stationed in Japan, and eight previously went to South Korea for training exercises. The nearest B-1B bombers are stationed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
A U.S. defense official told CNBC on Tuesday the military is continuing to closely monitor the developments on the Korean Peninsula, but the official provided no confirmation on the reports that more military hardware could be headed to the region.
In a statement Tuesday, President Donald Trump blasted Pyongyang and said its "threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table."
On Monday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. In response, the South Korean government said four fighter jets from its air force staged live-bomb drills in a show of force near the border.
"No country should have missiles flying over them like those 130 million people in Japan," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told reporters Tuesday.
Haley said the dynastic regime led by the 33-year-old dictator has "violated every single U.N. Security Council resolution that we've had and so I think something serious has to happen."
Monday's missile firing over Japan followed North Korea firing a series of missiles on Saturday. The U.S. military indicated there were at least three missiles, including on that appears to have blown up immediately.
David Wright, co-director and senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a blog posting Tuesday that the ballistic missile fired Monday appeared to be a Hwasong-12, similar to one tested May 14. He said the range of the missile is about 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles), but given it only flew a distance of about 1,700 miles might indicate the regime used a heavier payload than the previous test.
According to Wright, another reason the missile may have flown a shorter distance is due to the North Koreans purposely reducing the range or the "possibly due to a mechanical problem."
The missile firing comes as the annual joint U.S.-South Korean Ulchi-Freedom Guardian military exercises continued this week. The military exercises, which started Aug. 21, are scheduled to continue through Thursday. More than 20,000 forces are participating in the war games, including some U.S. service members brought in for the exercises from off-peninsula.
Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to lob its Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward U.S. military bases on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. Experts said the test that flew over Japan was more proof the regime's Hwasong-12 can strike Guam.
At the same time, some believe the North may have felt they had to do something given the huge military exercises that are underway right now in South Korea.
"We have ongoing large-scale exercises that they don't like," said Joel Wit, senior fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and co-founder of Washington's 38 North think tank. "To think that they will remain totally silent and totally quiet while that's happening is just ridiculous."
Wit said missile firings and another nuclear test are just some of the ways Pyongyang may vent its anger. He said they also have resorted in the past with other actions, including demilitarized zone landmine provocations.
"The administration is trying to maintain the appearance that a military option is viable," said Wit. "The dirty little secret is it's not viable and I think Steve Bannon sort of let that secret out before he left."
In an interview published August 16, Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, reportedly told the American Prospect that: "There's no military solution [to North Korea's nuclear threats], forget it." The White House announced August 18 that Bannon no longer worked in the administration.
The Trump administration has been relying on a policy of "maximum pressure" on North Korea, including economic sanctions, as well as leaving the door open to engagement with the hermit regime. But some critics suggest the sanctions still are insufficient and more should be done.
"What they won't stop despite engagement, or with engagement, is the march towards nuclear option," said AEI's Eberstadt. "The idea that we can charm Kim Jong Un out of his nuclear arsenal I think is a little far fetched."
Eberstadt said secondary sanctions maybe needed on Chinese financial institutions and others to further tighten the screws on Pyongyang.
"The U.S. still has a lot of leverage that we can put on China, Russia and other governments whose entities traffic with North Korea," he said. "Because we can just say you can't do dollar-denominated commerce and that's more than a trivial inconvenience."
WATCH: China's trade ties to North Korea
The Trump administration has launched an aggressive drive to renegotiate U.S. trade deals, but one country may manage to stymie major changes: South Korea.
President Donald Trump during an April interview with the Washington Post called the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, known as Korus, a "horrible deal" that has "destroyed" his country, and he threatened to terminate it. A report in The Wall Street Journal on Saturday said the Trump administration could serve notice of withdrawal from the pact as early as next week.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had sought a special meeting with South Korea on the deal in a bid to address the administration's concerns about the U.S. goods trade deficit with the North Asian country.
That meeting ended last week with the USTR issuing a statement reiterating concerns that the U.S. goods deficit with South Korea had more than doubled from the 2012 implementation of the deal through 2016.
The USTR didn't respond to CNBC's request for comment.
On the South Korean side, however, Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong, who was the country's chief negotiator for Korus, said last week that the two sides had "different views," on both the cause of the goods deficit and whether there was a need to amend the deal.
The U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea has certainly risen since the deal took effect. It's gone from $13.2 billion in 2011, the last full year before implementation, to $27.6 billion in 2016, according to USTR figures. But it's neither clear that Korus is to blame for that change, nor does that figure include the services component of trade, in which the U.S. has a surplus with South Korea.
Analysts pointed to several reasons the USTR might be on shaky ground when it came to trying to force through changes to the deal.
The two-year note yield, meanwhile, rose to trade at 1.333 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note edged higher to 2.145 percent at 3:14 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond ticked higher to 2.748 percent.
U.S. Treasury yields were slightly higher on Wednesday, as investors analyzed new data while trying to shake off any concerns surrounding tensions between North Korea and the United States.
In the previous day's trade, markets worldwide were on edge following news that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile which had passed over Japan. However, investor nervousness around North Korea appears to have eased.
This comes as President Donald Trump issued a statement which said that "all options are on the table" when it comes to its relationship with North Korea going forward.
"The world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior," Trump said in a statement.
Data was also at the forefront of investors' minds on Wednesday.
U.S. revised second-quarter GDP rose 3.0 percent versus a 2.7 percent rise expected.
The upward revision from the 2.6 percent pace reported last month reflected robust consumer spending as well as strong business investment, according to Reuters.
Growth last quarter was the strongest since the first quarter of 2015 and followed a 1.2 percent pace in the January-March period.
Private payrolls for August jumped at their fastest pace in five months thanks in part to strong gains in construction and manufacturing jobs, according to the latest release from ADP and Moody's Analytics.
Companies added 237,000 positions for the last full month of summer, well ahead of the 185,000 that economists surveyed by Reuters expected.
Total mortgage application volume decreased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications are now down nearly 25 percent compared with a year ago, largely due to the lack of homeowners refinancing their loans.
Robert Dudley, chief executive officer of BP Plc, speaks during the 2017 CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston, Texas, on March 7, 2017.
Worried by a long-term rise in inequality, Britain announced on Tuesday a series of measures aimed at increasing transparency over executive compensation, hoping to ramp up pressure on companies that offer lavish salaries for bosses but restrict pay for regular employees.
The proposals include plans to force all publicly listed companies to publish their wage ratio, comparing their chief executive's salary with that of the average worker, as well as the creation of a register that "names and shames" firms that faced shareholder opposition over executive pay levels.
In much of the Western world, public anger is growing over what critics say are excessive wages for senior business leaders. That has helped contribute to a populist backlash in many countries, as the gap between the salaries of employees and their managers has widened markedly.
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In the United States, pay packages for top bosses grew last year, with the highest paid, Thomas M. Rutledge, the chief executive of Charter Communications , making $98 million. That was 2,617 times the average salary for American workers
The difference is not as stark in Britain, but has nevertheless increased significantly in recent years. The average chief executive of a company listed on the FTSE 100, the country's benchmark stock index, made 129 times as much as a regular employee last year, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. That was up from 45 times as much 20 years ago.
But it has become an increasing point of contention here.
In one case, investors in the energy company BP protested against the $19.6 million compensation package awarded to the company's chief executive, Robert W. Dudley, in 2016 a majority voted against the deal in a nonbinding vote. And the salary of Martin Sorrell, the head of the advertising giant WPP , regularly attracts pushback from shareholders. Mr. Sorrell made 48 million pounds, or about $62 million, last year.
That expanding gulf has spurred the government's proposals, which it plans to put into effect by June. In addition to forcing the publication of pay ratios, officials would set up a public register listing companies that faced opposition on pay packages from at least a fifth of shareholders.
Listed businesses would be pushed to improve employee representation on their boards, by assigning a nonexecutive director to represent workers, creating an employee advisory council or nominating a director from the work force. There is no punishment for failing to do so, but companies would have to announce why they had not followed the requirements.
"Today's reforms will build on our strong reputation and ensure our largest companies are more transparent and accountable to their employees and shareholders," Greg Clark, Britain's business secretary, said in a news release.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks to reporters Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Hurricane Harvey isn't just a major test for the millions of people in and around Houston whose homes are inundated. In the coming weeks, it will also present perhaps the country's greatest public policy challenge since President Donald Trump's was inaugurated. How Congress handles that challenge and if it completely screws it up will have enormous consequences for the millions of Texans and Louisianans in the hurricane's path. The federal government goes through at least three discrete stages when responding to a natural disaster on the scale of Hurricane Harvey. Right now, we're still in the first: the immediate search-and-rescue efforts. More from Vox:
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The number of insured Americans just hit a new high The second stage is the short-term recovery, which involves restoring power where possible and moving residents back into homes that are still habitable. But then, Larson said, there's the third and longest stage of disaster relief the one in which federal and local government rebuild the infrastructure crippled by the hurricane, and try to get life as close to normal as possible. "You're going to see demands for billions and billions of dollars to rebuild," Larson said. "So Congress is going to make a ton of huge decisions: Will they be smart about how they spend the money? Will they spend billions in a way that will force taxpayers to simply come back and spend it again in a few years? What will they get done?" Here's a guide to the three big tests Congress will face in responding to the hurricane and how the legislative chamber might fall on its face spectacularly.
Test No. 1: Keeping the government funded
The first and most important test Congress will face is whether it can simply keep funding the federal agencies whose work is essential for repairing Houston. FEMA, for instance, only has enough money to get through the end of September before running out of funding. Similarly, the National Flood Insurance Program needs to be reauthorized by September 30. As Vox's Ella Nilsen has documented, millions of Americans will effectively lose their flood insurance if Congress can't get its act together in time to reauthorize, or temporarily extend, the program. For months, the Trump administration and its allies in the Freedom Caucus have signaled their willingness to shut down the government if Congress does not agree to fund a border wall with Mexico. If that threat came to fruition, federal agencies like FEMA and the flood insurance program would be effectively crippled at the very moment they're most needed. Houston could change that calculus. Vice President Mike Pence promised to swiftly pass hurricane aid for Congress, with no mention of the wall, and it doesn't seem likely that Congress and the White House would risk a government shutdown right now amid such a high-profile natural disaster. Politico's Jake Sherman reported Tuesday that funding for Hurricane Harvey will likely be included in a bigger legislative aide package. "I expect they will back off of the discussion about the debt limit or tying the shut down to the wall," William Hoagland, a former GOP staff director for the Senate Budget Committee, told me. "I think that takes a real backseat to the situation [in Houston] ... The big picture is that this will put pressure on Congress and the president to make sure that the government does not shut down first of all, and that assistance continues." Still, we won't know for sure until Congress comes back into session after Labor Day. Trump himself hasn't promised to drop the shutdown threat. "I think it has nothing to do with it, really. This is separate this is going to go very, very quickly," Trump said at a press conference Monday with the president of Finland. But if Trump does decide to link Harvey funding to the wall, then a federal aid package could have trouble getting enough Democratic votes to pass in Congress. "It makes no sense to tie this to an issue like the wall," Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), who is also running for a Senate seat, told me Monday. "We can't fix one part of Texas by ruining another part of it."
Test No. 2: Getting the feds the money they need
Keeping the government open and funded is the bare minimum to expect from Congress after the Houston disaster. But Capitol Hill is also widely expected to take up an emergency "supplemental" funding bill that would send tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars to help begin to repair the Texas coast using the Federal Relief Act, which allows the federal government to steer emergency cash to state governments hit by natural disasters. The price tag could be huge. After Hurricane Katrina, Congress passed several aid packages that together exceeded $110 billion. In 2013, after Hurricane Sandy struck the Eastern Seaboard near New York City, Congress approved upward of $50 billion. (For some perspective: The US government spends about $60 billion on housing every year for the entire country.) "Every hurricane is different, but this one has similarities to Katrina," Hoagland said. "Certainly the death rate now is much less, but the impact on total federal spending may wind up being very similar." The amount of federal money will largely be determined by FEMA and state teams that will go into the field, survey the damage, and write reports about what needs to be fixed and how much it may cost to fix it. Once those damage estimates are compiled, the executive branch will send Congress a spending bill to transfer federal money back to the states. About 90 percent of this multi-billion-dollar aid package will likely go to restoring public infrastructure, according Larson, of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. If history is a guide, just 10 percent will likely go to helping private homeowners. FEMA is far from the only federal agency that will require funding in the wake of the disaster. Among those that will likely seek billions of dollars in emergency temporary funding is the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Education, as well as the US military. Schools will have to be repaired; bridges and roads will have to be rebuilt; electrical grids must be restored. But in the past, getting emergency funding has meant overcoming political hurdles. Congressional Republicans including nearly all of the Texas delegation spent the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy insisting that any new funding for hurricane relief had to be offset with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget. The New York Daily News memorably accused then-Speaker John Boehner of stabbing the Statue of Liberty in the back, and Congress held up the package even while facing criticism from a Republican governor, Chris Christie (R-NJ). @brianefallon: This is how @NYDailyNews covered it when some in GOP played politics with Sandy relief. Let's hope for no such game-playing with #Harvey This time, the story will likely end differently. In 2013, 23 of 24 House Republicans from Texas voted against the aid package for Sandy; some members of Texas's Republican delegation, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), are signaling they're unlikely to have similar reservations this time around. (Cruz complained about "unrelated spending" in the Hurricane Sandy bill, though the Huffington Post's Matt Fuller has a convincing debunking of that explanation.) Still, other potential fissures could complicate Congress's plan to swiftly pass a big aid package for Texas. One challenges facing lawmakers is that some members will have legitimate grievances about not receiving enough funding to respond to disasters in their areas. They'll use the crisis as an opportunity to fix that problem which can then open the door for more and more requests than are manageable. "'Oh, there was a hurricane in Houston? Well, we had a tornado in Kansas a few years ago,'" Hoagland said, imagining what a lawmaker might say. "Then more and more things get tacked on like that, and congressional districts will say, 'I want to take care of Houston, but I also want the funding that we were promised.' That's where things can really begin to break down."
Test No. 3: Making sure the relief package isn't counterproductive
The problem with meetings:
Employees dislike attending meetings for a variety of reasons, but often it comes down to a time management issue. Busy workdays that are broken up by too many appointments can be frustrating. Employees need time to get tasks accomplished, and these interruptions often seem to hamstring productivity.
NBC's Parks and Recreation NBC | Getty Images
"Don't your spirits rise at the thought of having an entire day free to work, with no appointments at all?" Paul Graham, an essayist and venture capitalist wrote in his 2009 essay "Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule" (h/t: The New York Times). "Well, that means your spirits are correspondingly depressed when you don't." There are many reasons employees dislike meetings. But, often it boils down to feeling like they're wasting their time. Meetings can run too long, especially when there's no agenda. Employees also feel frustrated when no conclusions are drawn and when they learn nothing new from a meeting.
Who likes meetings anyway?
Some rare folks actually enjoy meetings. Perhaps there is something we can learn from them. Meetings are more enjoyable to people who keep a "manager's schedule." In his essay, Graham explores the difference between how managers and employees experience meetings. The premise is that managers construct their workdays around a schedule and the rest of us plan our days around tasks. Managers think of their schedules in terms of hour-long blocks. But, busy employees think about everything they need to accomplish and their respective levels of priority. The end result is that managers are too often the ones enjoying, and benefiting from, meetings the most.
There are alternatives
With hundreds of roads underwater and hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks stranded in Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters, Houston-area highway traffic has ground to a near halt.
Nearly 10 percent of U.S. truck shipments will be affected by the storm this week, according to freight analyst firm FTR Transportation Intelligence. That will likely produce a spike in shipping rates, especially in Texas and the surrounding area, according to FTR.
"Spot pricing was already up strong, in double-digit territory," FTR partner Noel Perry said in a blog post. "Market participants could easily add 5 percentage points to those numbers."
To try to quantify the shipping slowdown, Geotab, a Toronto company that makes tracking devices, gathered data from more than 50,000 commercial vehicles, before and after the storm slammed in to the Texas coast earlier this week.
The results, displayed in before and after animations, show an 88 percent drop in commercial vehicle traffic.
Before Harvey (Mon., Aug. 21, 2017)
Foursquare has gone from a social media app that let users broadcast their favorite bars or restaurants online by "checking-in," to a company that provides location-based data to some of the biggest retail names in the world: Apple , Microsoft and Samsung to name a few.
Recently, the company signed a partnership with Chinese online travel booking service Ctrip . Now, travelers booking their trips outside China with Ctrip can get recommendations on attractions to visit, restaurants to eat at and general city guides all based on Foursquare data.
"That's a typical partnership for us with Chinese companies," Jeff Glueck, CEO of Foursquare, told CNBC.
"We do the same for Tencent, but Ctrip is obviously a giant player in Chinese travel and we're excited to bring them onto the Foursquare global location platform," he added.
In Asia Pacific, Foursquare has partnerships with brands like Tencent's WeChat and QQ, Samsung, LG, Singapore-based Carousell and more.
In just nine years since the company was created, Foursquare has amassed billions of check-in data in about 105 million places across some 160 countries. Currently, it has two consumer-facing applications and it also provides commercial services to enterprises.
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The whole world is feeling the pinch of the shutdown of the Texas energy industry. The logistics that move oil and fuel are snarledor just not operating at allafter Harvey's catastrophic flooding caused widespread outages of energy operations along the Gulf Coast. The shutdowns have the potential to ripple across the global supply chain and impact prices. As of Wednesday, well over 20 percent of U.S. refining capacity was shut down. Harvey shows just how important the U.S. has become to the world's energy supply. In the nine years since the last major hurricane hit Texas, the U.S. has nearly doubled the amount of crude it drills to the point where it now challenges Russia and Saudi Arabia in the top tier of oil producers. It has also turned from being an importer of gasoline and diesel to being a net exporter on a major scale, sending cargoes to far-flung places like Mexico, Brazil, Belgium and China. Texas itself was producing just about 1 million barrels of crude oil from its wells each day when it was hit by Hurricane Ike in 2008. As Harvey arrived last weekend, its oil field production topped 3.4 million barrels a day more than most OPEC members including Angola, Kuwait, Nigeria, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. has also added 2 million barrels a day of refining capacity in recent years, much of it in facilities along the Gulf coast. The U.S. refines 17.5 million barrels a day of crude, turning it into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. "The whole logistics of the global industry has changed dramatically over the last decade," said Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit. "There are refineries in China that depend on U.S. crude oil. U.S. refined products go to Latin America. The U.S. exports distillates to Europe." In the week before Harvey hit, the U.S. exported 936,000 barrels a day of crude oil and 693,000 barrels of gasoline a day. The U.S. consumes over 9 million barrels of gasoline a day. Now, the Houston Shipping Channel is closed, tankers are not moving, and oil that is being drilled is not able to move into refineries.
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"Harvey's impact is in the process of going global, as buyers of U.S. crude and refined product now have to scramble to cover. Remember the U.S. was one source of diversification away from OPEC for Asian buyers," said John Kilduff, energy analyst with Again Capital. The Gulf Coast is home to about 46 percent of U.S. refining capacity. The heart of that industry is in Houston, which has seen neighborhood after neighborhood flooded and thousands left homeless. Major arteries have been paralyzed by an unprecedented volume of water, and an untold amount of damage has been done to infrastructure, homes, offices and other commercial buildings. "There's a group of people who are quick to say the industry is resilient and that everybody is going to bounce back," said Michael Cohen, head of commodities strategy at Barclays. "The impact to Houston as the U.S. energy hub I don't think can be discounted...The return to normal is going to take a while and that applies to the energy industry as well." The U.S. became a major fuel exporter very quickly. Exports of refined products since the beginning of the year are up 30 percent since last year. "Really we've become a net exporter of refined product since 2012, and that was really when you had the step change in import, export flow," said Suzanne Minter, the director of client strategy at S&P Global Platts. She said the U.S. is a net exporter of 2.6 million barrels of refined products a day, up from 1.7 million barrels a day in 2015. That includes gasoline, diesel and other fuels. Minter said the reduced refining output at Texas and Louisiana refineries is also creating an imbalance in the global crude market. Gulf Coast refiners are dependent on heavy crude that is imported to the U.S. and used as the raw material to make gasoline and other fuel, while the U.S. exports a lighter grade. "Texas alone takes in 1.9 million barrels a day," she said, adding that oil is now sitting outside the U.S., unable to come in.
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Minter said if the refiners can get back on line, they still need transportation channels to operate normally so they can distribute the product. "I think we really now are in a wait and see mode. We really have to see how long it takes before the import and export channels can flow again." Since just before Harvey, gasoline futures have risen, with New York harbor gasoline up about 30 percent to $1.90 per gallon. Gulf Coast spot crude was up even more, gaining 50 cents in the past week, to $1.98 per gallon Wednesday. Those increases have not made it to the pump yet, with the national average price for gasoline up just six cents in the past week, to $2.40 a gallon, but analysts say it could rise above $2.80 a gallon or more, depending on refinery damage. There were much bigger spikes in the aftermath of Katrina and Ike, said Tom Kloza, a global energy analyst at Oil Pride Information Service. After Ike, gas prices jumped $1.50. The fact that gas hasn't jumped that much yet "is a testament to a much broader refining industry and probably more sophistication across trading," he said. Oil prices have fallen, reflecting the sudden drop in demand from idled refineries. The price of West Texas Intermediate oil, the U.S. benchmark, has fallen to just above $46 per barrel. It trades at a growing discount to international Brent, which was about $51.44 a barrel late Tuesday. WTI is trading lower because it reflects landlocked U.S. crude. Analysts said the outlook for the Gulf Coast refining industry will be unclear until the rain stops and employees are able to return. It will take several days for the industry to assess whether there has been serious damage to equipment. Gasoline continues to make its way out of the area but slowly. The Colonial Pipeline, a major gasoline artery to the east coast, reduced capacity because of limited supply from Houston and storm related damage at its Pasadena, Houston, and Cedar Bayou facilities in Texas. "Before all is said and done with, 31 percent of the nation's refining capacity is significantly affected, resulting in a reduction of crude oil processing in excess of five million barrels a day," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. "It makes a difference in price to lots of markets because Mexico has become such a large importer of gasoline from the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. Gulf Coast is shut down," Lipow added. "They are now in other markets like the European market, seeking gasoline supplies. Mexico is now competing for gasoline that would have gone into New York harbor," Lipow said. Mexico also exports crude oil into the U.S. "There are so many tankers that are just sitting out there waiting for the storm to clear, and for the ports to reopen," said Lipow. "We're already seeing in Corpus Christi that it's going to take weeks to get these refineries back on lineand in Houston, we're just praying they don't get flooded." Lipow also said gasoline shipments that would have gone to Florida from the Gulf Coast could now be covered by shipments from the Mid-Atlantic or European shipments that would have headed to the mid-Atlantic. Another problem is that U.S. oil supplies could keep growing as production continues, adding to price declines. "There has to be somebody at a refinery to receive oil from the Permian or Eagle Ford shale. If refiners aren't operating, that's going to back up," Yergin said.
WATCH: Cramer says oil about to fall off a cliff
Hurricane Harvey is "almost certain" to be at least the third worst storm in U.S. history when it comes to damage costs, according to Enki Research.
The firm's current estimate ranges from $48 billion to $75 billion, with an average of $57 billion. But those numbers are subject to change with each passing day.
"The computer models we normally use to do estimates for hurricanes don't really work that well for this kind of a storm," Chuck Watson, the director of research and development at Enki Research, said in an interview with "Power Lunch."
"This is more like a big, broad flooding low-pressure type thing and it's over such a large area that a lot of the normal assumptions that you build into the system start to break down."
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's pick for CEO, listens during the GeekWire Summit in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. Bloomberg | Getty Images
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It also gives a taste of the kinds of issues that Mr. Khosrowshahi may have to navigate at Uber. Late Tuesday, Uber formally announced the 48-year-old executive as its new leader, saying the board was "confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work." Earlier on Tuesday, in an interview at Expedia's offices in Bellevue, Wash., Mr. Khosrowshahi said of the ride-hailing company, "I would be happy to get started." Mr. Khosrowshahi said he was attracted to the Uber role because the company is "reinventing the transportation industry and is one of the most powerful brands in the world," adding, "I'm excited to shape that unfinished story." One of his priorities, he said, is helping Uber's employees get back "to running a company they can be proud of." That may be difficult given the numerous scandals that Uber has confronted this year, including a new development that surfaced on Tuesday: The Department of Justice is looking into whether Uber managers broke an American law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which governs acts such as international bribery. Uber confirmed that it was cooperating with the Justice Department's preliminary review in the matter, which was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company declined to comment on its search for a new chief.
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The process was already complicated leading up to last weekend. Since Mr. Kalanick resigned under pressure in June, the company's board had worked to put together a list of potential recruits with Heidrick & Struggles, the executive search firm. Over two months, that list was whittled down to three candidates. Ms. Whitman, a veteran of the tech industry who had led multiple public companies, quickly became a favorite candidate of Benchmark, one of Uber's largest investors, which also has a board seat. Ms. Whitman, who was steering Hewlett Packard Enterprise through a challenging landscape for corporate technology, was intrigued by the possibility of leading a turnaround at Uber. But in July, she publicly denied she wanted the Uber job in a series of tweets, taking herself out of consideration. Board members had all but written her off until recently, when Ryan Graves, an Uber director and early employee, coaxed Ms. Whitman to return to the process. Mr. Immelt, who was on the verge of leaving G.E., was favored by Mr. Kalanick and a few other directors for his depth of experience running a public company. Mr. Khosrowshahi, the long-shot candidate, also gained favor with some directors. On Friday, Mr. Immelt and Mr. Khosrowshahi made the trip to downtown San Francisco for the last leg of the selection. In an airy conference room on the 33rd floor of TPG's offices, the two candidates presented their visions for the future of Uber. Ms. Whitman met with some board members the next day at the Four Seasons Hotel, changing locations as a way to throw people watchers off the trail. After the presentations, some board members grew concerned about Mr. Immelt. They questioned the success of his tenure at G.E., while others particularly Benchmark worried that he would serve only as a surrogate for Mr. Kalanick. And while Mr. Immelt had experience with large organizations, some board members felt he lacked the technical and strategic prowess to run Uber. Mr. Immelt withdrew from the process on Sunday morning with a post on Twitter.
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"It's hard to convey how bad this is because it transcends usual definitions of 'bad,'" explains Paul Musgrave, a professor who studies American foreign policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "Is it bad to buy a car without tires or an exhaust pipe? Is it bad if your pilot has an open bottle of Johnnie Walker?"
The result is a North Korea crisis where America's typical tools for crisis management high-level statements and consultation with allies aren't functioning. And experts agree that the consequences are unpredictable, but potentially severe.
But right now, the US doesn't have top-level people in the State Department developing diplomatic approaches to the North Korea crisis. And given the frequent public undermining of Secretary Tillerson, it's hard for foreign capitals to know how seriously to take him.
The problem with this state of affairs, experts warn, is that crises demand smart and efficient policymaking. Even when the president is deeply knowledgeable and engaged in subject matter, good foreign policymaking requires qualified staff who can develop the right set of policies. It also requires high-level diplomats who can credibly communicate America's intentions and policy approach to its chief allies, namely Japan and South Korea.
Tillerson himself is reportedly unhappy , and lacking vital staff when it comes to North Korea . There is no assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the State Department, nor is there an ambassador to South Korea . There aren't even nominees for those posts.
According to several reports out of the White House in the past week, the president is unhappy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , and potentially on the verge of firing him. The New York Times' Maggie Haberman described Trump as "livid" with the Secretary, and Axios's Jonathan Swan quotes Trump as saying "Rex just doesn't get it."
North Korea fired a missile over Japan on Monday night, an extremely aggressive move that it has only done twice before in its history. This is the kind of situation that requires a thoughtful, sophisticated US response but the Trump administration's diplomatic team is in complete disarray.
The United States doesn't have a lot of tools for punishing North Korea; military options are too risky and it's already extremely isolated economically. What the US can do, however, is deter conflict by signaling to North Korea that its provocations haven't changed American commitment to defend Japan and South Korea in the event of a real attack.
This is vitally important: If Japan and South Korea don't feel reassured by the United States during a crisis with the North, they could feel the need to send a signal to Pyongyang with some kind of unilateral military response a step that could prompt further escalation from the North, making a crisis situation worse rather than batter.
"The missile launch yesterday was meant to signal to Japan that we can't defend them," Mira Rapp-Hooper, a North Korea scholar at Yale University Law School, tells me. "Our options for managing the actual North Korea capability are relatively limited; it's the allied side of this we can affect but that takes a lot of work."
The president personally did some work on this on this after Monday's missile launch. He and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a 40-minute call afterward in which the president reportedly told Abe that "the US stands with Japan 100%." That's a good first step.
But the president is famously mercurial. Earlier this month, he threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like world has never seen" reportedly without consulting allies first unnecessarily escalating US-North Korea tensions. During the campaign, he mused about making the US alliances with South Korea and Japan conditional on those countries paying the United States a certain amount of money
So there's no guarantee the president will continue to play a constructive role in reassuring allies. That's why you need a credible secretary of state who can convey reassuring messages either behind the scenes or in public, supported by competent staff.
"This is a moment that will test alliance coordination, and having key people in place to manage that communication and coordination is essential. And internal [US government] coordination is critical to ensuring implementation of a coordinated plan," Laura Rosenberger, who was the National Security Council director for Korea and China in the Obama administration, tells me via email.
But with Tillerson marginalized, allies don't know whether they he's really speaking for the president when he makes promises to them. Trump has an ambassador in Tokyo, which is good, but there's currently no ambassador to Seoul. That's a problem, as South Korea is even more threatened by the North than Japan. And the top-level Asia position in State the person whose job it is to coordinate the US government's response and get new policy ideas to Tillerson remains unfilled.
The result is that American signals on North Korea are is haphazard and scattered, and far more dependent on the president's personal whims than it needs to be.
"As best I can tell all the foreign policy rhetoric is intended entirely for domestic consumption and there is no consideration of the international reaction," said Jeffrey Lewis, an expert on North Korea's nuclear program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. "This administration is not ideal from many perspectives. It is the fractal of incompetence."
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has tried to fill in the gap by (among other things) continuing regularly scheduled joint military exercises that reinforce Japanese and South Korean confidence in America. But even Mattis has staffing problems: There is no assistant secretary for Asian and Pacific security affairs at the Defense Department, and no one has even been nominated for the post.
More fundamentally, the secretary of defense cannot do diplomacy in a crisis situation that's literally the State Department's job. In the absence of a trusted and qualified secretary of state and vital subordinates, the risk of a screw up during a crisis like this goes up.
It's more than possible that all of this amounts to nothing that we muddle through this latest North Korea provocation and future ones on the strength of America's long-term commitment to South Korean and Japanese security. But the longer Tillerson remains a marginalized Secretary of State with poor staffing the more likely it is that America makes a grievous error that escalates one of the world's scariest situations.
"War and conflict and loss of life on a huge scale remain unlikely," Musgrave says. "But if decades of strategists, textbooks, and bureaucratic wisdom is right it is higher than it should be in the absence of a government."
The latest actions by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are forcing the U.S. and its allies to consider a more combative strategy, retired Gen. Wesley Clark said Wednesday on CNBC, including going after test-launch pads and naval assets.
"We're walking up to that and actually Kim is forcing us to walk up to considerations of these options," said Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander.
"We have to consider what we can do in the non-lethal category as well," he said in an interview on "Squawk Box." "There's been a lot of talk about cyber. ... We know we can shut down a lot of the North Korea communications. We can shut down electric power. We can shut down their early warning defense networks."
Also Wednesday on "Squawk Box" was Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. He said North Korea's latest missile test shows a lack of restraint.
The United Nations Security Council condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday and demanded the isolated country halt its weapons program but held back on any threat of new sanctions.
In response to North Korea's actions, President Donald Trump said in a statement Tuesday that the "world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear" and "all options are on the table" to answer North Korea.
On Wednesday morning, Trump indicated that talking may not be the answer to North Korea.
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Clark said Wednesday that the U.S. has likely already taken some actions against North Korea that the public isn't aware of, and the public likely doesn't want to know. The U.S. is in a "real cat and mouse game" with North Korea, Clark said.
"Privately, we should be considering what is it that is really intolerable for us," he added. "Is it the firing of missiles at Guam or in the direction of Guam? And, if so, are we going to permit that to happen?"
While North Korea's repeated missile tests and defiance of international sanctions may seem erratic to onlookers, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's latest move demonstrates a "very rational" strategy based on an "sense of acute timing," one strategist told CNBC.
Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, global geopolitical strategist at Standard Chartered Bank, explained that the pariah state's latest missile test was timed specifically while U.S. President Donald Trump was busy with Hurricane Harvey, and a coherent coalition between China, Russia and other international players is yet to be assembled. The most recent missile flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido earlier this week.
"From (Kim Jong Un's) perspective, basically all options on the table for the international community are bad, and he knows that," Dauba-Pantanacce said. So, Kim Jong Un is strengthening his hand by trying "to get to the point where he's recognized as a nuclear power," he added.
"The latest missile launch, and what he's been trying to do, is actually very rational. The latest launch was responding to a technical imperative," Dauba-Pantanacce explained. Kim's move to test the missile at a more horizontal angle was "to prove that they can reach a certain distance" namely, North Korea's threat against the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. Up until now, missile tests have been vertical, Dauba-Pantanacce added.
The international community seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Upping the rhetoric is dangerous," Dauba-Pantanacce argued, saying that this sets precedent for stronger moves to come. This could be difficult to achieve given the "fragile, if not fractured coalition" at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Job creation in the ADP/Moody's survey was last this strong in March, which saw growth of 255,000. The August number also easily outpaced the 201,000 added in July, a number that was revised upward from the initially reported 178,000.
Companies added 237,000 positions in the last full month of summer, well ahead of the 185,000 that economists surveyed by Reuters expected.
Private payrolls in August jumped at their fastest pace in five months thanks in part to strong gains in construction and manufacturing jobs, according to the latest release from ADP and Moody's Analytics.
Trade, transportation and utilities contributed the biggest sector gains, at 51,000, while leisure and hospitality contributed 51,000. Education and health services was next with 45,000 and professional and businesses services grew by 39,000.
While service-related industries again dominated the numbers with a gain of 204,000, the month saw notable increases in construction [18,000] and manufacturing [16,000].
"The job market continues to power forward. Job creation is strong across nearly all industries, company sizes," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said in a statement. "Mounting labor shortages are set to get much worse."
The numbers come as the national job picture appears to be at or near what would normally be considered full employment. The unemployment rate has tumbled to a 16-year low of 4.3 percent as the economy has added 440,000 jobs over the past two months, according to the government's official nonfarm payrolls account.
The Labor Department will release its August tally on Friday, with a gain of 180,000 expected. Economists sometimes adjust their projections based on the ADP numbers, though the gap between the two readings can be substantial. August's numbers are often volatile, and Zandi cautioned that the initial reading may be low "due to measurement problems."
"The economy is powering ahead and we're getting 200K," Zandi told CNBC. "We will see this slow, it's just a matter of when."
As for the ADP/Moody's count, there also were several other interesting developments.
Businesses with more than 500 employees led the way with 115,000 new positions. Companies with fewer than 50 employees added 48,000, while medium-sized firms grew by 74,000. Most sectors saw at least modest gains, though mining lost 1,000 and information services declined by 3,000. Wall Street saw its ranks grow by 11,000.
Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research Institute, noted that the growth in trade jobs was the best of the year and said it "could be an industry to watch as consumer spending and wage growth improves."
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Russia's central bank stepped in to launch one of the largest bank rescues in the country's history, stoking fears of a possible systemic crisis in its banking sector. The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) said late Tuesday it planned to rescue Otkritie, the country's seventh-largest bank by assets according to Interfax data, amid concerns about its loan portfolio. "The problems at Bank Otkritie are, I think, raising more general concerns as to whether a larger and potentially systemic crisis is brewing in the Russian banking sector," Tim Ash, a strategist at BlueBay Asset Management in London, said in an emailed research note.
Why now?
Ash said that Russian authorities had known about the underlying structural weakness in the country's banking system for some time but its central bank had only been jolted into action in 2014. A dramatic slump in oil prices at that time was coupled with tough international sanctions for the annexation of Crimea and Russia's perceived role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine. Ash said this had put Russian markets under "extreme pressure" and exposed "vulnerability" among its lenders. Now that the CBR was looking at ways to improve the insulation of the country's banking sector, Ash described the central bank's "pro-active" yet "painful" bid to clean-up the banking system as a "big plus". "It is notable in my view that the accelerated efforts by the CBR to clean up the Russian banking sector, with large numbers of bank closures already, has not seen noticeable stress across the broader banking sector," he concluded.
Questionable business practices
A branch of Otkritie Bank, one of Russia's biggest private lenders, in central Moscow. Andrei Makhonin | Contributor
Like many Americans, Redd Horrocks got into debt in her twenties.
The British native, living in Atlanta, started living above her means when she moved into a new loft. "It was gorgeous, I threw great parties," she tells CNBC Make It. "[But] I didn't pick it and I honestly couldn't afford it.
"I picked keeping the peace [with my roommate] over keeping myself debt-free. Everything other than rent went on my credit cards."
Then she got in a car accident. "I had medical bills. My scooter was a write-off, but I still owed on that, and, to [top] it all off, the insurance company found me liable," she says.
Before she knew it, Horrocks was $24,000 in the red with little means to pay it off. Then she racked up another $15,000 in debt when she moved to a new city with her boyfriend.
"I was offered an amazing job in another state. I asked my partner, at the time, to come with me," she says, "which would mean he would leave his job and I would be the sole provider.
"Suffice to say, things didn't go exactly as planned, and, by the end of one year, I was out of the relationship and left with $15,000 worth of debt that my new salary would barely chip away at."
Senator Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday reminded her hometown of San Francisco how far women's rights in the U.S. have come over the last 60 years.
Speaking just blocks away from the headquarters of Uber, which has been plagued this year by complaints of sexual harassment, the senior Democratic senator from California told hundreds of supporters of the challenges she's faced over the decades.
Feinstein, who served as San Francisco's mayor from 1978 to 1988, was asked what advice she would give to women right now.
Here's what she said:
"Women today are so lucky. They are accepted all across this land... as surgeons, farmers, in the Supreme Court. I applied for my first job in 1955 and I can tell you, it was 'women need not apply.' It's a great time to be a woman. "Women have to develop a body of expertise. Figure out what you want to do for the next 50 years, get as much education as you can."
Feinstein's discussion at the Herbst Theater was sponsored by the Commonwealth Club.
Up the road, Uber was in the process of introducing its new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi after a chaotic few months for the ride-hailing company.
In February, an Uber engineer, Susan Fowler, wrote a lengthy blog post detailing alleged harassment and management failures during her year at the company.
Fowler's post sparked a company-wide review at Uber and a broader debate about women in tech start-ups. In the following months, sexual harassment claims led to the ouster of several venture capitalists.
When it comes to innovation, there is no such thing as status quo you either improve or decline relative to everyone else, and sitting in a comfort zone for too long could prove costly. That is the philosophy of Steve Leonard, the CEO of SGInnovate, the government entity that supports entrepreneurs leading Singapore's innovation efforts. While it may not be on par with Silicon Valley, widely considered the heart of global innovation, Singapore has been punching above its weight for several decades now.
Suhaimi Abdullah | Getty Images
Last year, a joint study from Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization ranked Singapore as the sixth most innovative country in the world, behind the likes of the United Kingdom and the United States countries much bigger, and with more resources, than the city-state. Singapore's innovation journey so far had been necessitated by the need for survival. The country has had to tackle some big macro problems: long-term potable water supply; food security; affordable housing; infrastructure; and talent acquisition, among others. Today, with one of the highest global standards of living, the urgency to innovate may not appear to be as high at first glance. But appearances can be deceiving and the need for innovation has never been higher as Leonard noted. "You sort of slip into this comfort zone and there's this idea that as soon as you are too comfortable, that's when things slip away from you because somebody across the street, across the continent is working harder," Leonard told CNBC earlier this year at the side-lines of the Innovfest Unbound conference in Singapore. Leonard has been at the cutting edge of Singapore's innovation story for years he was formerly the CEO of the Infocomm Development Authority, which was restructured in 2016 to become the Government Technology Agency. Prior to that, he held Asia Pacific leadership roles based out of Singapore in some top tech companies. "I am a big believer that there's no such thing as status quo. You're either always improving or you are declining," he said.
Other voices
Becoming an innovation hub is an ambition for many cities because it attracts investments and talent and Singapore is no exception. There are three parameters culture, ecosystem and the urban environment that work together to make a successful innovation hub, according to Yossi Vardi, a veteran Israeli entrepreneur and investor. Culture affects the willingness among innovators to take risks and can foster a more collaborative environment. A vibrant ecosystem allows people with similar mindsets to discuss ideas and help each other. "You always have to reach out outside of the boundaries of your five, six, seven or 20 people," Vardi told CNBC earlier this year, adding that meetups, hackathons and industry conferences help people to expand their network within an ecosystem. He added that, because of globalization, innovators can move around more freely. Cities, Vardi said, need to offer a comfortable standard of living to attract or retain talented individuals. While Singapore can attract talent, and build an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, corporations and research institutes, experts say the city-state generally lags in the culture of risk taking. Leonard pointed out the challenge is in convincing people at every level to buy into an innovative idea, where not all the variables are known from the start. Giving an example, he explained that in the 1940s, a big innovation to cars was padding the dashboards to offer some protection in accidents. That ushered in more features, including seat belts, airbags and electronics for anti-lock brakes. "The point is it's not like we kept vehicles off the road while we figured all these things out," said Leonard. But he acknowledged winning over skeptics is difficult. "I don't pretend to have the answer. I think there's just this good, old fashioned will which says if this is important enough, we commit to it." Singapore's leadership appears to understand the necessity to constantly innovate and take risks. Last year, the government committed 19 billion Singapore dollars ($13.6 billion) to support research and developments over the next five years. And earlier this year, it announced more than $100 million will be invested into local efforts in artificial intelligence which is still at its nascent, experimental stages over the next five years.
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Tan Kiat How, CEO of the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore the government statutory board that looks after Singapore's information, communication and media sector told CNBC the authority was focused on several areas to help the country become an innovation hub and a smart nation. Those include looking at how technology will disrupt various sectors and the new opportunities created in areas of finance, retail, restaurants, manufacturing and others; keeping a steady talent pool for the ICM sector; investing in building more infrastructure; and making regulations pro-business and pro-innovation while also ensuring sustainability.
The sandbox approach
Kauss, founder and CEO of S'well, which makes fashionable, reusable water bottles, continued with the exercise after graduation. Journaling, she says, helped her realize her goals and grow as an entrepreneur.
"At the time, I thought it was a bit of a funny thing to do," Kauss tells CNBC Make It , at CNBC's iConic conference in New York , "but now I find it a really valuable professional exercise."
When Sarah Kauss was attending Harvard Business School in the early 2000s, a professor gave her class an interesting assignment: The students were to keep a daily journal of their thoughts and ideas.
"I actually keep a five year journal," she says. "So five years ago today, four years ago today on the same page."
She's tracked her progress along the journey from quitting her full-time job in real estate to start her company in 2010, to hitting $10 million in revenue in 2014, to growing that to $100 million in 2016.
"It's really hard to think of what you're looking to do when you're a busy person," she says. "It's hard to get up on the balcony of your life and look down on it."
To pause, gather her thoughts and reflect on her life, the CEO takes a few minutes either at the start or end of each day to write down her thoughts.
The journal helps her "understand where creativity comes from," puts things in perspective and tracks her motivations. The exercise can be especially helpful for people who are looking to switch jobs or even careers, Kauss says.
Ask yourself "What have I appreciated in my career?" and "What do I like doing?" Next, ask yourself, "What is it that I'm seeking to change? What is it that I'm looking to do?"
The more specific you get, the CEO says, the better.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency roundly criticized for its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has been "much more effective" in dealing with the tragedy unfolding from Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, said Scott Cowen, the former president of Tulane University who had helped lead rebuilding efforts in New Orleans.
"The level of preparedness is better than it's ever been before," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday.
Cowen should know, because Katrina in 2005 flooded 70 percent of Tulane, which forced the university to close for a whole semester. The school suffered more than $650 million in damages.
On Tuesday, Tulane's New Orleans campuses were closed as a precaution as Harvey was tracking toward Louisiana where it eventually made a second landfall in the early morning hours Wednesday as a tropical storm in the western part of the state.
As a hurricane, Harvey hit southeast Texas late Friday and in the ensuing days dumped record rainfall and brought devastating flooding to the Houston area. Weakened levees there were in danger of failing and rivers have yet to crest.
"When I look at what's happening in Houston today versus 12 years ago with Katrina, first of all FEMA is much more effective," said Cowen, who in 2005 partnered with a coalition of civic, business and nonprofit leaders to resurrect New Orleans and rethink the city's antiquated systems.
Ironically, Cowen described in his book, "The Inevitable City: The Resurgence of New Orleans and the Future of Urban America," how he and Tulane officials worked to reopen the university from the safety of Houston after Katrina swept through New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005.
He said he spent the entire month of September that year in Houston, except for three days in Dallas, after being evacuated for Hurricane Rita, which made landfall on Sept. 24, 2005, along the Texas-Louisiana border. Rita ended up sparing Houston but hit southwest Louisiana and the BeaumontPort Arthur area in southeast Texas.
"It's a different situation in terms of magnitude ... the size of Houston versus New Orleans," said Cowen. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the nation with a population of about 2.35 million people. New Orleans, pre-Katrina, had a population of about 455,000.
Cowen said the focus in Houston right now should be on rescuing stranded residents and helping shelter people left homeless by the floods.
But when the waters eventually recede, Cowen said that like in New Orleans, Houston will face a yearslong process of rebuilding. "It's not a quick fix," he added. "We have an obligation to the next generation to fix what we learned from tragedy."
The federal government and those in states and cities which learned from Katrina will also learn from Harvey, he said.
The failures of FEMA in 2005 became apparent as then-President George W. Bush, while touring Katrina destruction, infamously praised then-FEMA Administrator Michael Brown. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," Bush had said at the time. Brown resigned shortly thereafter over what was viewed as a mishandling of the federal response to Katrina.
Brown, who spoke to CNBC on Tuesday, also praised FEMA describing its current administrator, Brock Long, as a "great person to have in this position." Long, nominated to head FEMA in April by President Donald Trump, was confirmed in June. Trump on Tuesday visited Texas where Long has been leading the administration's response to Harvey.
That's less than the top 35 percent tax rate that is the target of supporters of corporate tax cuts. Companies pay less by claiming a wide variety of deductions and exemptions, similar to those available to individual taxpayers.
The researchers relied on companies' public accounting statements to calculate the amount of taxes paid and on company and news reports to assess changes in payrolls.
What they found was that more than half of these lightly taxed companies actually shed jobs during the period when the overall economy boosted payrolls by 6 percent. Of the 92 companies studied, the median change in payrolls was minus 1 percent.
Where did the tax savings go? Many of the companies on the list used the free cash to buy back stock, helping to boost the price of their company's shares. The top 10 job cutters each spent $45 billion in stock buybacks over the 2008-2015 period, a pace six times that of the S&P 500 corporate average, according to the researchers.
The review also found that CEO pay among the 92 companies rose 18 percent during the period, compared with a 13 percent increase among S&P 500 CEOs.
While the review is not scientific, the conclusion that corporate tax cuts don't create jobs is backed by other economic research.
In 2014, New York University economists Alexander Ljungqvist and Michael Smolyansky analyzed differences in state corporate tax rates and found that they had little impact on job creation.
"We find little evidence that corporate tax cuts boost economic activity," they found, "unless implemented during recessions when they lead to significant increases in employment and income."
Other economic research has found that cuts in individual tax rates can help boost growth and create jobs as long as they don't increase federal borrowing to make up the difference.
Congressional Republicans favor deep cuts in both corporate and individual tax rates, but there is less consensus on how to pay for the lost revenues without adding to the national debt. The difficulty in striking that balance has, for decades, thwarted multiple efforts at overhauling the complex U.S. tax code.
The latest effort to cut corporate taxes will rely on generating popular support for the idea, which is one reason proponents insist it would create jobs. But the historical evidence is slim, according to Cornell economist Karel Mertens and University College London economist Morten Ravn.
In 2012, they looked at the impact of changes in U.S. tax policy since World War II, including both personal and corporate tax rates.
While cuts in personal income taxes helped boost employment, investment and consumer spending, the same was not true for cuts in corporate taxes. Lower business taxes did help boost production but didn't lead to much new hiring, they found.
"In contrast to the personal income tax cut, there is no evidence that a cut in corporate taxes is associated with any significant impact on employment, despite the considerable and significant immediate increase in output," they wrote.
President Donald Trump today offered Americans an appealing description of the tax reform he wants but none of the details.
There are good reasons for that.
As president, he hasn't yet come up with a detailed tax reform plan.
As a 2016 candidate, he did. But those details don't match today's description, and they represent the opposite of what Trump's core supporters, as well as most Americans, say they want.
In remarks in Springfield, Mo., the president called for tax reform in the name of "loyal, hard-working Americans and their families," "middle-class families,' "the forgotten people," and U.S. companies struggling under tax burdens much higher than those in other countries.
The result, he said, would be "a big, fat, beautiful paycheck" and restored pride for American workers at the expense of "deep-pocketed special interests" and wealthy people like himself.
The tax reform plan candidate Trump proposed indeed would increase take-home pay for workers in the center of the income scale. Depending on assumptions about economic growth and final legislative language, the conservative Tax Foundation estimated that the middle 20% of earners would see after-tax income rise by anywhere from 1.3% to 9%.
But that plan, which would have cut the top personal rate and eliminated both the alternative minimum and estate taxes, gave the wealthy much greater benefits. The Tax Foundation said the top 1% of earners such as Trump - would gain anywhere from 10.2% to 19.9%.
President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping chat as they walk along the front patio of the Mar-a-Lago estate after a bilateral meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 7, 2017. Carlos Barria | Reuters
In yet another move resisting President Donald Trump's repeated demands to rein in North Korea, China not only refused to immediately condemn the rogue nation for its missile launch over Japan on Tuesday, but again called for the removal of the only viable projectile defense in the region. Although Trump has blamed China for not taking a harsh stance toward the consistently belligerent North Korea, the Asian giant may have already lost its ability to influence the rogue state. So instead of making Kim Jong Un's regime back down, Beijing is actually pushing for Seoul to remove its best defense. That is, the U.S.-supplied Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea is the only asset in the region that could bring down a missile coming out of North Korea, but China seems determined to see it removed. The defense shield, which was paid for and supplied by the United States, is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles in mid-air. A day after the missile traveled over Japan, China called for an immediate halt to THAAD deployment and for the removal of related facilities in comments from its United Nations ambassador. In the statement, China blamed THAAD deployment for jeopardizing geopolitical balance and "undermining the strategic security interest of all regional countries, including China."
China isn't all that close to North Korea anymore
According to some analysts, security concerns may be what's driving China's opposition to THAAD deployment in the Korean peninsula Beijing fears that the defense system's powerful radar gives Washington and Seoul the ability to monitor China's military activities. Beijing could also be harboring broader worries about an improvement in U.S.-South Korea relations, which might threaten China's global position, said Thomas Karako, senior fellow with the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "China doesn't like the closeness of the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea," Karako said. "The missile defence is a technical and symbolic representation of the alliance, and China wants to use the North Korean threat to drive a wedge in the alliance," he added. China might also be seeking to avoid a crisis that could result from a breakdown of Pyongyang's regime. A regime collapse would not be in China's interest, as it could bring a wave of refugees flooding into China, said Chin-Hao Huang, assistant professor of political science at Yale-NUS College.
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All of those concerns aside, people may have been asking the wrong question about China all along, according to Huang. He cited the example of China's statement that the situation with Pyongyang was at a "tipping point." "What the statement indicates is that China is actually quite frustrated as well," Huang said. "The assumption a lot of us have is that China has excessive influence on the North Korean regime. In reality, I think what [the statement] shows is that the Chinese also cannot control Kim Jong Un," Huang added. Notably, Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping have yet to meet in person an unprecedented situation in China-North Korea relations, since the personal relationship between heads of state has historically been very important, according to Huang. "That they haven't' met shows mistrust that has emerged in the past years between the two countries," he said.
But China isn't necessarily against North Korea, either
The first time Donald Trump tried to get a health-care bill passed turned out to be a political tragedy for the president and his grand plan to reform the nation's tax code risks turning into a farce if that recent history is any guide.
Trump is set to make a major speech Wednesday touting the need to cut taxes, but he isn't expected to lay out much of a plan, if any, on how exactly to do that.
The approach offering up a big idea and then trying to figure out details and strategy with Congress later is an uncomfortable echo of Trump's failure to get an Obamacare replacement bill passed this summer.
At any other time, a Republican president whose party had control of both chambers of Congress would be seen as sitting in the catbird seat for passing a big tax cut bill.
Now, not so much.
"The president's speech and the pieces" of a bill being discussed don't say anything, said Henrietta Treyz, a tax analyst with Veda Partners in Maryland, and a former staffer on the Senate Finance, Banking and Budget Committee.
"It says nothing except railing against the current system," said Treyz. "Tax cuts are complicated, just like health care is, and you have to explain what the end game here is."
Treyz doesn't think there will be an actual plan until perhaps mid- to late October. "And that means, for the next six weeks or so, Republicans will not have anything to get behind."
She detailed a set of problems that the Trump administration faces in passing a tax reform bill this year, in advance of the 2018 midterm elections.
The first problem, she said, is the fact that Republicans in and outside of Congress "have too many plans" for how to get tax reform done, while "it's unclear what the White House wants."
Each of those existing plans or broad ideas contains elements that are popular with one set of Republicans but unpopular with another set.
"If you go to House Republicans, for instance, they love the idea of a 100 percent capital expense deduction," which could add $2.2 trillion to the federal debt, Treyz said.
"Senate Republicans don't agree with that."
Treyz noted that that there are 41 Republican members of Congress from just five states whose residents are much more apt than other Americans to take advantage of personal tax deductions on mortgage interest, and on state and local taxes.
Other Republicans have eyed eliminating or reducing the value of those deductions as a way to finance other tax cuts, such as reducing the corporate tax rate and lowering the top personal income tax rate.
Trump's habit of lashing out at individual members of Congress, which worked to his disadvantage during the health-care repeal effort, also threatens to undercut his goal of passing comprehensive tax reform legislation. Among those targets were the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.
"They do not have a united Republican conference" in Congress, Treyz said.
Republicans also not have support from Democrats. Nor have they sought it. That same dynamic occurred during the GOP's Obamacare repeal effort in the spring and summer.
Without Democratic support, House Republicans had to come up with bills that pleased nearly every member of their caucus, which proved impossible once the effort moved to the Senate.
The GOP Obamacare repeal bills also were strongly opposed by a wide array of interest groups, including doctors, health insurers, patient advocacy groups and AARP, the lobbying powerhouse for older Americans. Treyz said lobbying groups are already planning to mobilize against aspects of a Trump tax-reform plan that threaten their interests.
"AARP is going to freak out in reaction" to any plan for "reducing retirement incentives" in the tax code, Treyz said.
Treyz also believes Trump could end up fueling even more public opposition to key details of his tax-reform effort by pitching the idea on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, as lawmakers focus on relief legislation.
Trump's tax plan will likely include a large cut of corporate tax rates, as well as the estate tax and the top rate on income. All of those moves would benefit wealthier Americans.
A White House official, during a call with reporters on Tuesday, reportedly was asked how the administration could argue its plan is targeting the wealthy to benefit lower income groups. The official reportedly suggested that a big cut in corporate taxes could be presented as something that would appeal to average Americans.
"If you look at where our business tax rate is compared to the rest of the world ... if you don't bring that down, get us more in line with the rest of the world, give us a competitive advantage or at least level the playing field, it makes no sense," the official said, according to Axios.com.
Treyz noted that her own clients "just want the corporate tax rate" reduced.
But, she added: "The average American ... doesn't think that corporations pay enough."
Iranian-born Dara Khosrowshahi, who will soon become Uber's new CEO, did not hide his patriotism in a May conversation with CNBC's Jim Cramer.
The Expedia CEO shed light on his personal experience as an immigrant to the United States on an episode of "Mad Money."
"I emigrated here when I was nine years old," Khosrowshahi said. "My family had to flee Iran, ... the revolution, and we were very, very lucky to come to America and have opportunities presented to us. And that's ... one of the things that makes America great."
Khosrowshahi was a surprise choice to lead the embattled, privately-held ride-hailing company, coming in after HP Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman and former GE CEO Jeff Immelt dropped out of the running.
But sources told CNBC that the board's "dark horse" candidate could be the perfect antidote to Uber's ousted CEO, Travis Kalanick.
"The power of immigration, the power of the American dream, if you think about the American dream, it is the best brand out there," Khosrowshahi told Cramer in May. "It's stronger than Apple and Microsoft and Google combined, times 10."
Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Apple and Alphabet, Google's parent company.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is greeted by dignitaries as she arrives in Japan on August 30, 2017 in Kyoto, Japan. Carl Court | Staff | Getty Images
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May touched down in Japan on Wednesday, with aspirations to soothe Brexit concerns and drum up trade from the world's third-largest economy. Japan, which is prioritizing talks with the European Union over a landmark free trade deal, has been direct with Britain in voicing its concern about the danger Brexit poses to its own UK-based companies. Japanese firms based in Britain currently employ around 140,000 people, according to its government. Speaking to reporters ahead of her three-day trip to Japan, May said: "There's obviously a number of trade deals that the EU has with other countries and we are looking at the possibility of those being able to be brought over into, certainly initially, trade deals with the United Kingdom." "I think we will give business certainty, which is what business wants at the point at which we leave," May added.
'May hoping for a political win she won't get it'
Britain's freedom to forge new trade deals independently of the EU - as a result of Brexit - has been championed by Westminster, but businesses have frequently expressed trepidation about how existing trade relationships will work after leaving the EU. The U.K. cannot officially negotiate bilateral trade deals until the country departs the bloc in 2019. May has consistently argued that Britain should try to replicate several of the existing arrangements it has as an EU state before gradually introducing change. However, EU officials say this approach attempts to keep the benefits of EU membership without incurring the necessary costs. Britain's prime minister is due to meet her Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, later on Wednesday. May will be accompanied by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox as well as 15 other business executives from a range of sectors. When asked whether May had any chance of securing a potential trade deal with Japan before Britain is to leave the European Union, Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce, global geopolitical analyst at Standard Chartered , replied, "No. There is no hope that she can get any trade deal." "She was just hoping to have a political win of a promise (or) a hope maybe, of a trade deal She won't get it," Dauba-Pantanacce told CNBC on Wednesday.
Japanese firms could relocate to Europe post-Brexit
Vehicles go through final checks after being assembled on the production line at a Toyota plant on October 24, 2014 in Derby, England. Peter Macdiarmid | Staff | Getty Images
In September 2016, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Brexit could prompt Japanese companies to move their European head offices out of the country. The report urged Westminster to deal with anxiety among business leaders in a "responsible manner." Carmakers Toyota , Nissan and Honda as well as Nomura bank and high-tech giant Hitachi all have bases in the U.K. "With the U.K. on the path to leave the EU, if we are unable to have the free flow of trade and people across borders (then) that will inevitably bring costs up and reduce competition. We have made it clear to the government we need to prevent that post-Brexit," Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada told CNBC via a translation this week.
North Korea
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At a time when corporate leaders have been highly critical of President Donald Trump over his response to deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett has remained quiet, telling CNBC on Wednesday he tries not to mix business and politics.
"I'm not in the business of attacking any president, nor do I think I should be," Buffett said in a "Squawk Alley" interview.
Earlier this month, a deluge of CEOs distanced themselves from Trump in the wake of Charlottesville by leaving White House business advisory councils, which were later dissolved.
The tipping point for corporate America seemed to come Aug. 15 when the president angrily doubled down on his original comments about the deadly rally, and again blamed both the white nationalists and the counterprotesters for the mayhem.
Trump's critics felt he put neo-Nazis on the same moral footing as the demonstrators who gathered to denounce their racist views.
The most important poll in America right now isn't the approval rating for President Donald Trump. Instead it's a new survey of Republican voters in Arizona that has a stunningly clear message for the rest of America. And that message is this: The Republican Party is stuck with President Trump.
The JMC Analytics poll came out Monday and it showed that incumbent GOP Senator Jeff Flake not only trails leading primary challenger Kelli Ward, but he trails her by a whopping 26 percentage points. It also shows that Flake only has a 22 percent approval rating among Republicans, and that those voters would like to see someone else be the GOP nominee in the 2018 Senate race by a 44 percentage point margin. Finally, 76 percent of the Arizona Republicans surveyed approve of the job President Trump is doing.
That's a lot of numbers to digest, but the final message is clear. And that message is that Flake's recent attacks on President Trump are coming at a hefty price, even though he represents a state that only tilted to Trump in the election by fewer than 100,000 votes and under four percentage points.
In other words, as bad as many establishment Republicans think publicly supporting President Trump may be for them and their electoral chances, publicly opposing him is worse. For all the pundits who insist, cajole, and even pray that the GOP make a clean break with the Trump team to preserve their political future, the best response is this poll.
Much of this is due to the establishment's very obvious lack of understanding the election results. Forget the general election of 2016 and focus on the GOP primary process and you see a much clearer result than President Trump's mixed victory over Hillary Clinton. In those primaries, candidate Trump broke records including gaining the most Republican primary votes ever even though he was facing an extremely crowded field of opponents. Just about all those opponents were from the GOP establishment ranks of the party, with the also mostly anti-establishment Senator Ted Cruz coming in second.
It's simply easiest to understand that President Trump won the election and the Republicans and Democrats lost, with the Republicans losing by a wider margin. Even though the GOP retained control of Congress, its "control" has been greatly diminished by its shifting inability and/or unwillingness to carry out the Trump agenda. That was extremely evident in its failure to pass an Obamacare repeal and replacement bill and is at the root of President Trump's recent public spat with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell, like Flake, is facing severe erosion of public support. He's not up for re-election next year, but his approval rating in his home state of Kentucky is even lower than Flake's at 18 percent.
The second most important poll in America today has a slightly similar message for Democrats. That survey by ABC News and the Washington Post last month found that 52 percent of Americans believe the Democratic Party doesn't "stand for anything" other than opposing Trump. That may be great for all the anti-Trump voters who will be motivated to vote for Democrats in 2018, but they may have a very muted effect considering so many crucial senate races are in states where President Trump enjoys strong support. Remember that America is still very much a state-by-state democratic republic, so even heavily organized anti-Trumpers coming out to vote for Democratic Party incumbents in mostly blue states may not have much of an impact.
None of this means Republicans and certainly Democrats can't push back on President Trump's policies or comments. But for Republicans like Flake, the opposing Trump at all costs strategy is no better than it was for the 16 or so Republicans who tried that in the 2016 primaries. It could cost him the election. And it could cost other Republicans their seats if they go up against this president.
Of course, none of this means that backing President Trump won't come with enormous risks as well. But no matter how much the Republicans try to distance themselves from this president, even refusing to renominate him in the 2020 primaries wouldn't necessarily free them from the public's general ire. The Republican Party and most importantly, its voters, brought Donald Trump to the White House in 2016. There will be no erasing that in 2020 or beyond, for better or for worse.
Right now, Senator Flake looks dead in the water. He may still have time to find a way to reverse his course, but he's facing an enormous polling gap and an opponent with name recognition in Arizona because Ward just finished running statewide against McCain in the 2016 GOP primary. Those double hurdles are exceedingly unusual for most incumbents in congressional elections. Flake may just end being the sacrificial lamb who serves as a lesson for his fellow Republicans hoping to avoid his apparent fate.
Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.
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Businesses around the world are bracing themselves for the fallout from tough U.S. sanctions against North Korea, as their impact moves through . Those effects were still being processed as the reclusive nation fired a ballistic missile over Japan early on Tuesday in what is seen as one of its most provocative actions ever. President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke after the launch when they agreed to increase pressure on the isolated regime, according to reports. On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council condemned North Korea's firing as an "outrageous" act and called on all states to implement UN sanctions on Pyongyang. Already, Trump's administration had taken out new so-called "secondary sanctions" against third-country entities deemed to be aiding Pyongyang, prompting some protests. Beyond its North Korea concerns, the White House has also recently rolled out sanctions against various countries including Russia and Venezuela. And while Kim Jong Un's regime may not be showing signs of slowing down, recently announced U.S. penalties are already eliciting strong reactions from other countries.
Why US sanctions matter
As the world's largest economy, the U.S. has significant clout in the global supply chain that will hit many companies' logistics, said Alex Capri, a visiting senior fellow at the National University of Singapore's business school. That's likely to create a domino effect down the supply chain in terms of tracing the movement of goods, which will be hard and costly to enforce, with consequences to business operations. The U.S. sanctions are causing "great distress," according to the international trade scholar. Capri has over two decades of experience in various trade roles including leading the Asia trade and customs practice at accounting giant KPMG. Now, those who come into contact with "strategic goods," as defined by U.S. authorities, will need special licenses. While such goods are generally understood to be weapons, nuclear and biological materials, that designation can affect a much wider range of products, which is what makes sanctions "so painful," said Capri. Broadly, sanctions also cover the trade of "dual use" goods, which refer to products and technologies that can be used by both civilians and the military. They include over 1,000 classes of goods from brake pads to SIM cards, Capri said. "Once sanctions are in place, dual use goods might require special export licenses or be banned entirely," he added. That will impact the entire supply chain from seller to end user.
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For instance, Capri said, the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Russia may require five of the largest companies in Western Europe to halt their business activities on a gas pipeline. That project, connecting Russia to Europe, has seen the firms partner with Russian gas giant Gazprom, which will be hit by the U.S. sanctions. Rainer Seele, CEO of OMV, a Vienna-based oil company that deals with Gazprom said greater clarity is needed from the U.S. There's market uncertainty, he said, over the fallout of the new sanctions, which creates a supply-demand mismatch. But analysts say these "secondary sanctions" have been imposed precisely because some United Nations members were not stringently enforcing overarching sanctions. "We are often reliant on the governments in these countries to police their own sanctions enforcement because the UN doesn't have police on its own that it can send around the world. A lot of it is in good faith, and as we often see in the case of mainland China as the conduit for North Korea's trade for the rest of the world, a lot of the enforcement doesn't happen unfortunately," said Sean King, senior vice president at consultancy Park Strategies.
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The approach of new U.S. sanctions in the case of North Korea is to strengthen the effectiveness of direct economic penalties that have already been put in place on the reclusive regime, said IHS Markit's Asia Pacific Chief Economist Rajiv Biswas. The new sanctions also take aim at firms that export North Korean workers overseas a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the isolated regime, added Biswas.
Are unilateral sanctions even illegal?
Some countries have come out to say unilateral secondary sanctions from the U.S. are illegal, but that's a matter of debate, experts said. In July, France's foreign ministry said new U.S. penalties against Iran, Russia appeared at odds with international law due to their extra-territorial reach, Reuters reported. Those sanctions limited the type of business that energy companies can do with Russia and European companies fear they could lead to unintended consequences. In fact, the French foreign ministry said that that its domestic and European laws would need to be adjusted due to the sanctions. Germany also signaled the U.S. sanctions against Russia were "a violation of international law."
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is seen during the Security Council meeting. Pacific Press | Getty Images
The silly season has ended a little earlier than planned in Scotland after Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, resigned yesterday.
There are competing theories as to why she did so: the official version is that she reassessed her life after the death of a friend, but there are also suggestions that she was forced out by JCs mob and was facing a leadership challenge.
Over at the Spectator Fraser Nelson supports both stories at once, accepting Dugdales stated reasons her decision to quit whilst suggesting that the long-term prospect of a Corbynite putsch may have motivated it. That may be closest to the truth.
Already, the debate over her legacy has started. Nelson argues that she was a good leader, citing the general election result and her abilities as a debater, and Euan McColm believes that she was a higher-calibre candidate than any of her would-be successors.
Isabel Hardman disagrees, and takes a much dimmer view. She highlights Dugdales unforced errors on the constitution, which ceded precious Unionist territory to Ruth Davidsons Tories, and her indulging the Left by adopting divergent policy on reserved issues such as Trident.
Worse, perhaps, is the fact that the timing of her resignation pulls the rug from under her moderate allies in the wider Labour Party.
One of Dugdales triumphs as leader was to win the right for the Scottish and Welsh leaders to nominate their own representatives to Labours National Executive Committee. This very important body has until now been finely balanced between Corbynite and anti-Corbynite members until now.
Alex Rowley, the interim leader of Scottish Labour, is a Jeremy Corbyn man. According to Stephen Bush, giving him the opportunity to fill the NEC slot would tip the balance of the partys ruling executive from hung between Corbynsceptics and Corbynites to a narrow majority for Corbyn. And right before conference, too.
Nor is this just a short-term boon. According to both Bush and Chris Deerin, whoever succeeds Dugdale is almost certain to be a much stronger public supporter of Corbyn if not an out-and-out Corbynista. As far as the leadership is concerned that will be a clear upgrade from Dugdale, who backed Owen Smiths leadership challenge after the EU referendum.
All this will be welcome news to Davidson, who may be able to woo more pro-UK voters who have stuck with Labour thus far but are alienated by anything that smacks too strongly of actual socialism. And if an openly non-Unionist candidate such as Rowley wins it would again likely see a fresh wave of defectors as unionist voters abandoned Labour.
Regardless of the extent to which Dugdale can take the credit, Labour is in a better position in Scotland than it expected to be 12 months ago. The SNP are struggling, caught between public opinion and the mismanaged expectations of their base and tired after a decade in office. Voters who backed independence out of left-wing despair at Britain are tempted by Corbyns prospects.
The coming leadership battle will be fought out not only between left and right, but between those for whom Labour is a unionist party and those for whom support for the United Kingdom is tactical and mercenary.
It will decide which voters the party attempts to woo (and perhaps more importantly, not woo) ahead of the next Scottish elections. If they alienate the right people, could make the difference in Davidsons bid to be First Minister.
Rebecca Lowe Coulson was Parliamentary Candidate for the City of Durham at the 2015 General Election.
From the vintage Italian coffee machines of Carlton to the old Greek gyro-makers amidst the increasingly expensive homes of Northcote, Melbournes ethnic diversity is patent. Of course, Australia is famous or, to some, infamous, as shown by recent attacks on the Captain Cook statue in Sydneys Hyde Park over its plaques claim that he discovered this territory for being a settler nation.
Representing a huge country with a relatively small population (currently just under 25 million), successive Australian governments have embraced immigration. Approaches have not been without controversy most notorious were the various white Australia policies, which precluded immigrants on the grounds of race but from the 1950s onwards, many Southern Europeans and migrants from diverse other countries added to Australias growing Anglo-Celtic population. Today, 49 per cent of Australians were either born overseas or had one or both parents who were.
This is the context for the countrys hottest political dilemma: the dual citizenship scandal. (Though the upcoming equal marriage postal survey is a contender, too.) In October, five MPs or maybe more will appear before the High Court to see whether their dual citizenships will be judged to prevent them continuing in office. Under section 44 (1) of the Australian constitution, people holding citizenship of any country aside from Australia are not allowed to run for election to become federal politicians. MPs have been forced to stand down over this before, but the complexities of the cases of some of those currently under assessment mean it is thought the previous ruling could be amended or overturned.
Theres no time here to discuss the subject in detail, but its striking that whilst citizenship is very much an international issue de jour, the renouncement of it is rarely a focus. (Even refugees fleeing their home do so to escape a certain regime, rather than to renounce their country itself.) More often, people seek to take up new citizenships in countries they have moved to, in order to extend their rights, and/or gain the feeling of official belonging and acceptance.
In an increasingly globalised world, however in which the Westphalian order of nation states is regularly criticised as inward-looking citizenship is repeatedly denounced as an outdated representation of division and exclusion. It hardly seems necessary to comment that such denouncements typically come from the privileged, within the most economically and politically secure nations. And that, like those Britons angered at the imminent loss of their EU citizenship after Brexit, few global citizens seem keen to give up the privileges of their current national citizenships.
Of course, what many of those citizenship-snubbers truly want (like most of the rest of us) is for their own privileges to be extended to those living in less secure places. It is undeniable that great global imbalances remain, even though living standards continue to rise across the world. But then, the question should not be whether the concept of citizenship precludes opportunities in the sense that being a member of one state can be highly preferable to being a member of another, but whether it is still the case that ones rights and opportunities are best protected and afforded through membership of an individuated state. In a world in which secure states increasingly offer extensive rights to non-citizen inhabitants, and less secure states need more substantial upheaval and help than an improved understanding of the intricacies of membership rules, is the concept of citizenship relevant?
We all remember how, in her 2016 Conservative Party conference speech, Theresa May said that citizens of the world were citizens of nowhere. The comment has become symbolic of an approach for which she has been widely criticised: an approach seen both as arrogant, and as attempting to appeal to those on the further right of her party.
At the time, I felt her tone mistaken, in that I would have preferred a use of language implying greater keenness to heal, or at least address pressing divisions within the country. General criticisms of the comment often overlook the argument May was setting out, however. The words came within a section about the spirit of citizenship, and read, in full: But if you believe youre a citizen of the world, youre a citizen of nowhere. You dont understand what the very word citizen means. Surely, it is that forgotten second sentence that is key, here. And that the point May was in the midst of making was about the importance of respecting the bonds and obligations that make our society work.
The state, and the society that exists within it, still matters profoundly to those people who arent happy with the countries they call home. As Australian MPs are becoming aware, official membership of such societies is conferred in different ways: from the automatic rights of familial lineage to the successful passing of a test. But the standard way of gaining the citizenship of a state is by being born and growing up in it. For those of us fortunate to count somewhere like Britain or Australia as that place, it can be easy to take for granted the relative privileges this affords us.
Yet most of us see that the uncertainties and risks of life make it expedient for us to live together in societies, and that, as social creatures, it is natural for us to want to do so, over and above that expediency. The advancements of the past centuries in communication, travel, science, military capabilities, commerce, and on have made it impractical for societies to remain limited to the family groups, villages, or cities they once were. The continuation of that advancement does not mean that our embrace of the nation state must also become outdated, however. For simple reasons of functionality not to mention the more complex, such as those related to culture or national identity it is hard to see how bigger blocs or idealist internationalist approaches could work.
The political and economic frailty of the EU shows this. The inability of non-state actors, like the UN, to solve the humanitarian disasters of our world shows this, too. As long as we believe in the rights of the individual and believe that those rights should be upheld by the powers to which the individual cedes some freedom in order to gain security and representation it is difficult not to believe in the state: an entity small enough to allow us an individual political voice and a gradually developed group identity, yet big enough to protect us in a global world. And it is difficult not to believe in citizenship as part of that as the official tie between us and our state, not only representing the benefits of membership, but also the obligations.
Sure, many questions remain: not least those about the rights of non-citizens within a state, those about the obligations we have towards citizens of other states, those about our capacity for allegiance to more than one state, and those about non-state actors. First, however, we need to decide where we should begin. Australian MPs may be keen to renounce their citizenships, but let us not renounce the concept as a starting point for debate.
Carnival Cruise Line, and its parent company, Carnival Corporation, and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation are pledging a minimum of $2 million to relief and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2004, according to a statement.
Carnival Cruise Line and Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation, are each donating $500,000 to Harvey disaster relief efforts, for a total donation of $1 million from the company. Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine are matching the corporations commitment with a $1 million donation from the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation.
To help generate additional relief funds, cruise guests sailing on certain Carnival Cruise Line cruises will have the option to make a donation when they check in for their cruise, while the corporations brands and employees will be participating as well.
Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, and all of us throughout the Carnival Corporation family feel a responsibility to do our part in supporting relief and rebuilding efforts in a region that we call home and where so many of our guests and business partners live and work, said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. We are very committed to the Gulf Coast as a vibrant and special part of the North American cruise industry, and our commitment will remain as strong as ever during the regions recovery process. We know this storm is still active, so we will continue to hold positive thoughts for everyone in the region while exploring ways to support affected communities as they recover and rebuild.
Carnival Cruise Line and Carnival Corporation are working together with emergency response authorities, community leaders, and key relief and recovery organizations to identify the most urgent needs and immediate allocations for the donated funds. The donation will be used to maximize positive impacts on recovery efforts and support on-the-ground teams that are distributing emergency supplies and aiding rebuilding efforts targeting the most affected families in the region.
Carnival Corporation's support will help relief and recovery organizations provide families with access to food, shelter, water, hygiene products, general necessities, medicines and healthcare supplies as they begin the relief and recovery process after initial life-saving and well-being needs are met.
Norwegian Yacht Voyages is the updated name of Nordic Cruise Company, which intends to build four luxury expedition yachts.
"We are today changing our brand name to NORWEGIAN YACHT VOYAGES," the company said. "As our project of building four Expedition Mega Yachts is moving forward we saw the need to update our branding and profile to better identify and reflect on the products and services we intend to provide. We feel that Norwegian Yacht Voyages appropriately does so."
Previously, President and CEO Ulf Henrick Wynnsdale told Cruise Industry News that the word cruise did not fit into the company's branding or passenger demographic targeting after extensive research.
Other new players, such as Virgin Voyages and Ritz-Carlton, are also avoiding using cruise.
A study published earlier this year provides support for paying credit union directors.
The issue of whether or not to pay a credit unions board of directors is a controversial one within the credit union industry. There are those who argue that volunteer boards represent the cooperative nature of credit unions, while others argue that paying board members is necessary to attract qualified members to the board and ensure directors fulfill their duties.
The paper, To Pay or Not Pay: Directors Remuneration and Insolvency Risk in Credit Unions, hypothesized that highly compensated directors will have an incentive to more carefully monitor management behavior. The paper found that director pay reduced the likelihood of a credit union becoming insolvent, but only when board members are highly paid.
The research examined a sample of Australian credit unions, where the majority of institutions have moved from a traditional volunteer board nature to one that compensates directors.
Credit union organizations continue to reach out with assistance to families, friends and colleagues affected by Hurricane Harvey.
The CUNA Mutual Group Foundation has donated $50,000 to CUAid, the National Credit Union Foundations online disaster relief fund. Credit union supporters in every state can make donations at cuaid.coop.
PenFed Credit Union, Tysons, Va., has donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross Corpus Christi and Houston Chapters. American Red Cross, its employees, retirees and volunteers are among PenFeds diverse field of membership.
The conversation about overdrafts has been somewhat non-existent the past several months as credit unions patiently wait for impending compliance directives, changes within the CFPB and an uptick in the economy. It seems nowwith positive movement regarding all these concernsits time to start talking about the opportunity they represent and the best way to seize it.
CUES recently reported that with The Financial Choice Act likely to pass Congress, compliance on overdrafts appears headed for less restriction. This assertion is based on the fact that part of the proposed Financial Choice Act dismantles key parts of Dodd-Frank, which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), whose role would be redefined under a new name. The actamong other improvementsremoves the boards opaque and ill-defined unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and Practices (UDAAP) authority, while still emphasizing consumer protection. The bill passed in the House on June 8 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.
In the meantime, before The Financial Choice Act is adopted, CFPB director Richard Cordray has stated, We are not proposing any regulatory amendments at this time and with less than a year left in his term (and the possibilities that President Trump may oust him earlier or Cordray may run for Governor of Ohio and be required to step down), the likelihood of any new legislation may indeed be dubious.
This movement toward less restrictive regulation should be encouraging to credit unions that seek to provide overdraft protection for members who chooseand can affordto take advantage of it. Indeed, trends suggest that use of the service is on the rise.
Research firm Moebs recently reported that the marketplace is poised to rebound and, when it does, consumers will begin spending more, saving less and accessing overdraft privilege more often. When this happens, the firm projects overdraft revenue will rise to an historic high of $40 billion by 2020.
What is the best way for credit unions to take advantage of the new overdraft landscape? Focus on service to the consumer (and risk-management for the institution) by implementing customized and protective measures, including:
Set overdraft limits that align with the members ability to repay
Setting a fixed overdraft limit (for instance, paying all overdrafts up to $500/day) for every consumer based solely on account type could result in certain members receiving a limit higher than what they can afford. Likewise, members who can afford a higher limit (based on a myriad of account data points, including specific deposit and overdraft activity and related balances) may be restricted from paying for necessary expenses when the fixed limit is not high enough to accommodate the purchase amount. When this happens, your credit union runs the risk of losing this member to a program that is more in tune with his financial needs and habits.
Produce communications that are personalized and tailored to each members situation
Whether your credit union relies on internal resources, core-generated communications or third-party software, personalized and dynamic messages improve engagement, maximize collections, retain members and help manage risk.
An overdraft technology platform that tracks multiple account data points can ensure your overdraft communications are not only branded to your credit union (down to the branch managers signature), but also contain completely relevant, custom messaging that coincides with activities, like:
ATM/Debit Card Denial due to NSF Overdrawn Balances Days Overdrawn Member Overdraft Repayment Capacity; and Other Changes in Account Activity
The timing of overdraft communications and the method of delivery (i.e., call/email/letter/text) are also important to enhance service and manage risk. And obviously, your ability to identify frequent overdrafters and provide counseling alternatives and repayment plans is crucial.
Adopt disclosures that clearly define the program and pricing
A recent article by compliance expert Temenos suggests that choosing the right words in your overdraft disclosures is critical, even down to whether you refer to it as privilege, protection, program, service or coverage. Currently, the CFPB is field testing four sample overdraft disclosure forms, which it released earlier this month. These Know Before You Owe forms attempt to make it easier for consumers to understand overdraft protection policies and procedures, especially with regard to debit card/ATM transactions. The outcome of these tests may be months away or more, but the more the consumer understands about your overdraft program, the better.
After all, studies have shown that the majority of overdrafters (which is only a small percentage of members) willingly use the service as a result of informed choice. Director Cordray acknowledged this fact on multiple occasions saying the CFPB is not looking to do away with overdraft services. Instead, he hinted at only minor consumer-focused changes, including new, more transparent disclosures and possible changes to posting order.
Seek an experienced overdraft service provider that provides a published set of best practices to ensure the most responsible way to take advantage of the re-emerging opportunity that overdrafts present.
Russia's US Election Hacks More Persistent Than First Thought
Voting systems across the US were far more susceptible to Russian hacking efforts during last year's presidential election than was previously known, according to evidence uncovered during the federal government's investigation and a leaked classified intelligence report.
A wave of attacks in the summer and fall of 2016 targeted and accessed a campaign finance database and software that poll workers were supposed to use on Election Day, Bloomberg reports, citing people with knowledge of the government's investigation into the hacking.
The FBI previously confirmed that hackers breached voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona, but the investigation has since determined that voting systems in 39 states were compromised, according to Bloomberg.
The Obama administration complained about the hacking to Russian officials via rarely used diplomatic channels, including a "red phone," before ultimately sanctioning Russia in December for its involvement in the hacks.
A classified report from the National Security Agency that The Intercept published recently provides some insight into the investigation. "Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards," the NSA wrote, although "the types of systems we observed Russian actors targeting or compromising are not involved in vote tallying."
Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied the hacking accusations, although he recently appeared to suggest that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may have prompted private Russian hackers to attempt to compromise the US election of their own accord.
"If they are patriotically minded, they start making their contributions, which are right, from their point of view, to the fight against those who say bad things about Russia," Putin said of the hackers during a recent TV interview.
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Talking Points
Asian bourses were broadly higher, even if some were off their best levels for the day
North Korea remains the markets focus but a dearth of news gave investors breathing space
Australian construction data raised overall GDP hopes
New to foreign exchange trading? The DailyFX beginners guide is here for you
Asian stocks were up but in many cases off their highs Wednesday despite initial gains for many indexes as investors regrouped following North Koreas shock missile launch of the day before.
The United Nations has strongly condemned Pyongyangs actions, while US President Donald Trump said that all options remain on the table when it comes to dealing with the rogue state. North Korean President Kim Jong Un for his part called for more weapons tests, so it seems very unlikely that market disruption from this quarter is at an end.
Still, the Nikkei 225 added 0.7%, the Hang Seng rose 1%. Australias ASX and the Shanghai Composite were just higher, up 0.1% each into the close.
The US Dollar pulled back a little from the four-month lows hit against the Yen on Tuesday and ticked up against many of its most widely traded rivals as well. Meanwhile the New Zealand Dollar took a short hit from Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Graeme Wheeler, who attempted to talk it down yet again in Auckland. Across the Tasman Sea the Australian Dollar got a modest lift from quarterly construction data which knocked forecasts clear out of the park. The other main piece of regional data came from Japans retail sector. It was generally upbeat, in contrast with Tuesdays household spending rout, but the Yen market took little obvious interest.
Gold prices inched up initially only to steady. The metal is still finding buyers as investors nervously eye North Korea but a dearth of news from that direction Wednesday has sapped the market of energy.
Benchmark crude oil prices lost about 15 dollars/barrel apiece on news that Hurricane Harvey has now taken around 20% of US refining capacity offline, obviously limiting demand for crude until they come back up. Gasoline prices continued to rise.
The rest of the session will offer German consumer price data and UK public borrowing figures out of Europe. From the US will come the latest mortgage-application snapshot, employment change data from Automatic Data Processing a second look at Gross Domestic Product and personal consumption numbers. Oil inventory data are coming up from the Department of Energy too.
--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research
Contact and follow David on Twitter: @DavidCottleFX
Best Buy Co., Inc. retails technology products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Domestic and International. Its stores provide computing products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness, home theater, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products. The company's stores also offer appliances, such as dishwashers, laundry, ovens, refrigerators, blenders, coffee makers, and vacuums; entertainment products consisting of drones, peripherals, movies, music, and toys, as well as gaming hardware and software, and virtual reality and other software products; and other products, such as baby, food and beverage, luggage, outdoor living, and sporting goods. In addition, it provides consultation, delivery, design, health-related, installation, memberships, repair, set-up, technical support, and warranty-related services. The company offers its products through stores and websites under the Best Buy, Best Buy Ads, Best Buy Business, Best Buy Health, CST, Current Health, Geek Squad, Lively, Magnolia, Best Buy Mobile, Pacific Kitchen, Home, and Yardbird, as well as domain names bestbuy.com, currenthealth.com, lively.com, yardbird.com, and bestbuy.ca. As of January 30, 2022, it had 1,144 stores. The company was formerly known as Sound of Music, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.
The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Credit Management LLC, AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe Holdings S.a.r.l, AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Operations Inc., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund II GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund III GP LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund IV GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American International Group UK Limited, American International Realty LLC, American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A. en Liquidacion S.A., Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., C.A. de Seguros American International, Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Glatfelter Underwriting Services Inc., Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Illinois National Insurance Co., Inversiones Segucasai C.A., Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Lexington Specialty Insurance Agency Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PCG 2019 Corporate Member Limited, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SAFG Capital LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., and Western World Insurance Company.
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Enbridge Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The company operates through five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. The Liquids Pipelines segment operates pipelines and related terminals to transport various grades of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in Canada and the United States. The Gas Transmission and Midstream segment invests in natural gas pipelines, and gathering and processing facilities in Canada and the United States. The Gas Distribution and Storage segment is involved in natural gas utility operations serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ontario, as well as natural gas distribution and energy transportation activities in Quebec. The Renewable Power Generation segment operates power generating assets, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and waste heat recovery facilities; and transmission assets in North America and Europe. The Energy Services segment provides energy marketing services to refiners, producers, and other customers; and physical commodity marketing and logistical services in Canada and the United States. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline, and underground storage systems; natural gas gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities; natural gas liquids fractionation facilities and transportation systems; and liquefied natural gas liquefaction and storage facilities. The Products Pipelines segment owns and operates refined petroleum products, and crude oil and condensate pipelines; and associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix facilities. The Terminals segment owns and/or operates liquids and bulk terminals that stores and handles various commodities, including gasoline, diesel fuel, chemicals, ethanol, metals, and petroleum coke; and owns tankers. The CO2 segment produces, transports, and markets CO2 to recovery and production crude oil from mature oil fields; owns interests in/or operates oil fields and gasoline processing plants; and operates a crude oil pipeline system in West Texas, as well as owns and operates RNG and LNG facilities. It owns and operates approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines and 143 terminals. The company was formerly known as Kinder Morgan Holdco LLC and changed its name to Kinder Morgan, Inc. in February 2011. Kinder Morgan, Inc. was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.
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Anixter International Inc., through its subsidiary, Anixter Inc., distributes enterprise cabling and security solutions, electrical and electronic wire and cable solutions, and utility power solutions worldwide. The company operates through Network & Security Solutions (NSS), Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), and Utility Power Solutions (UPS) segments. The NSS segment offers copper and fiber optic cable and connectivity, access control, video surveillance, intrusion and fire/life safety, cabinet, power, cable management, wireless, professional audio/video, voice and networking switches, and other ancillary products for the technology, finance, transportation, education, government, healthcare, and retail industries, as well as telecommunications service providers. The EES Solutions segment provides electrical and electronic wires and cables, shipboard cables, support and supply products, low-voltage and instrumentation cables, industrial communication and control products, security cables, connectors, industrial Ethernet switches, and voice and data cables to the commercial and industrial, and original equipment manufacturer markets. The UPS segment supplies electrical transmission and distribution products, power plant maintenance, repair and operations supplies, and smart-grid products, as well as arranges materials management and procurement outsourcing for the power generation and transmission, and electricity distribution industries. The company serves contractors, installers, system integrators, value-added resellers, architects, engineers, and wholesale distributors in various industries, including manufacturing, resource extraction, telecommunications, Internet service providers, finance, education, healthcare, retail, transportation, utilities, and defense, as well as government customers. The company was formerly known as Itel Corporation. Anixter International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois.
Avangrid, Inc., an energy services holding company, engages in the regulated energy transmission and distribution, and renewable energy generation businesses in the United States. The company operates through Networks and Renewables segments. It is involved in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and distribution, transportation, and sale of natural gas. The company also operates renewable energy generation facilities primarily using onshore wind power, as well as solar, biomass, and thermal power. It delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial, and institutional customers through its regulated utilities in New York, Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts; and sells its output to investor-owned utilities, public utilities, and other credit-worthy entities. In addition, the company generates and provides power and other services to federal and state agencies, as well as institutional retail and joint action agencies; and delivers thermal output to wholesale customers in the Western United States. It owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.3 million customers in New York and New England, as well as owns and operates 8.8 gigawatts of electricity capacity primarily through wind power in 22 states. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Orange, Connecticut. Avangrid, Inc. is a subsidiary of Iberdrola, S.A.
Biglari Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, primarily operates and franchises restaurants in the United States. It owns, operates, and franchises restaurants under the Steak n Shake and Western Sizzlin names. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 199 Steak n Shake company-operated restaurants, 159 franchise partner units, and 178 traditional franchise units, as well as 3 Western Sizzlin company-operated restaurants and 38 franchised units. The company also engages in underwriting commercial trucking insurance; selling physical damage and non-trucking liability insurance to truckers; and providing property and casualty insurance. In addition, it operates oil and natural gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico; and publishes and sells magazines and related publishing products under the MAXIM brand name. Further, it licenses media products and services; and engages in the investment activities. The company was formerly known as The Steak n Shake Company and changed its name to Biglari Holdings Inc. in April 2010. Biglari Holdings Inc. was founded in 1934 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. It also offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution; data-driven solutions and an end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and omni-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services; data and analytics solutions; solutions for public corporations and mutual funds; SEC filing and capital markets transaction services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; and omni-channel customer communications solutions, as well as operates Broadridge Communications Cloud platform that creates, delivers, and manages communications and customer engagement activities. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment provides solutions that automate the front-to-back transaction lifecycle of equity, mutual fund, fixed income, foreign exchange and exchange-traded derivatives, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral management, asset servicing, compliance and regulatory reporting, portfolio accounting, and custody-related services. This segment also offers business process outsourcing services; technology solutions, such portfolio management, compliance, fee billing, and operational support solutions; and capital market and wealth management solutions. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York.
CarMax, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of used vehicles in the United States. The company operates through two segments, CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance. It offers customers a range of makes and models of used vehicles, including domestic, imported, and luxury vehicles, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles; and extended protection plans to customers at the time of sale, as well as sells vehicles that are approximately 10 years old and has more than 100,000 miles through wholesale auctions. The company also provides reconditioning and vehicle repair services; and financing alternatives for retail customers across a range of credit spectrum through its CarMax Auto Finance and arrangements with various financial institutions. As of February 28, 2022, it operated approximately 230 used car stores. CarMax, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..
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Delek US Holdings, Inc. engages in the integrated downstream energy business in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Logistics, and Retail. The Refining segment processes crude oil and other feedstock for the manufacture of various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, asphalt, and other petroleum-based products that are distributed through owned and third-party product terminal. It owns and operates four independent refineries located in Tyler, Texas; El Dorado, Arkansas; Big Spring, Texas; and Krotz Springs, Louisiana, as well as three biodiesel facilities in Crossett, Arkansas, Cleburne, Texas, and New Albany. The Logistics segment gathers, transports, and stores crude oil, intermediate, and refined products; and markets, distributes, transports, and stores refined products for third parties. It owns or leases capacity on approximately 400 miles of crude oil transportation pipelines, approximately 450 miles of refined product pipelines, an approximately 900-mile crude oil gathering system, and associated crude oil storage tanks with an aggregate of approximately 10.2 million barrels of active shell capacity; and owns and operates ten light product distribution terminals, as well as markets light products using third-party terminals. The Retail segment owns and leases 248 convenience store sites located primarily in West Texas and New Mexico. Its convenience stores offer various grades of gasoline and diesel under the DK or Alon brand; and food products and service, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise, as well as money orders to the public primarily under the 7-Eleven and DK or Alon brand names. It serves oil companies, independent refiners and marketers, jobbers, distributors, utility and transportation companies, the U.S. government, and independent retail fuel operators. Delek US Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
EPAM Systems, Inc. provides digital platform engineering and software development services worldwide. The company offers engineering services, including requirements analysis and platform selection, customization, cross-platform migration, implementation, and integration; infrastructure management services, such as software development, testing, and maintenance with private, public, and mobile infrastructures for application, database, network, server, storage, and systems operations management, as well as monitoring, incident notification, and resolution services; and maintenance and support services. It also provides operation solutions comprising integrated engineering practices and smart automation; and optimization solutions that include software application testing, test management, automation, and consulting services to enable customers enhance their existing software testing and quality assurance practices, as well as other testing services that identify threats and close loopholes to protect its customers' business systems from information loss. In addition, the company offers business, experience, technology, data, and technical advisory consulting services; and digital and service design solutions, which comprise strategy, design, creative, and program management services, as well as physical product development, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality. It serves the financial services, travel and consumer, software and hi-tech, business information and media, life sciences and healthcare, and other industries. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services. It offers pineapples, fresh-cut fruit, fresh-cut vegetables, melons, and vegetables; non-tropical fruits, such as grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and kiwis; other fruit and vegetables, and avocados; and prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and meals and snacks. The company also engages in the sale of poultry and meat products; and third-party freight services business. In addition, it manufactures and sells plastic and box products, such as bins, trays, bags, and boxes. The company offers its products under the Del Monte brand, as well as under other brands, such as UTC, Rosy, Fruit Express, Just Juice, Fruitini, Mann's Logo, Arcadian Harvest, Nourish Bowls, Broccolini, Caulilini, Better Burger Leaf, RomaLeaf, and other regional brands. It markets and distributes its products to retail stores, club stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, distributors, and foodservice operators. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands.
Graco Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets systems and equipment used to move, measure, control, dispense, and spray fluid and powder materials worldwide. The company's Industrial segment offers proportioning systems to spray polyurethane foam and polyurea coatings; equipment that pumps, meters, mixes and dispenses sealant, adhesive, and composite materials; and gel-coat equipment, chop and wet-out systems, resin transfer molding systems and applicators, and precision dispensing solutions. It also provides liquid finishing equipment; paint circulating and supply pumps; paint circulating advanced control systems; plural component coating proportioners; spare parts and accessories; and powder finishing products to coat powder finishing on metals under the Gema and SAT brands. The company's Process segment offers pumps to move and dispense chemicals, water, wastewater, petroleum, food, lubricants, and other fluids; pressure valves used in the oil and natural gas industry, other industrial processes, and research facilities; and chemical injection pumping solutions for injection of chemicals into producing oil wells and pipelines. It also supplies pumps, hose reels, meters, valves, and accessories for fast oil change facilities, service garages, fleet service centers, automobile dealerships, auto parts stores, truck builders, and heavy equipment service centers; and systems, components, and accessories for the automatic lubrication of bearings, gears, and generators in industrial and commercial equipment, compressors, turbines, and on- and off-road vehicles. The company's Contractor segment offers sprayers to apply paint to walls and other structures; and viscous coatings to roofs, as well as markings on roads, parking lots, athletic fields, and floors. It sells its products through distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and home center channels; and directly to end-users. The company was incorporated in 1926 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AFD.TECH, AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Accenture (UK) Limited, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Agencia Interativa Ltda, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture B.V., Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BPS Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A., Accenture Canada Holdings Inc, Accenture Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Limited, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co. Ltd, Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Pty Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SASU, Accenture Customer Services Ltd, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Delivery Poland S.p. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance II Limited, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services S.r.l., Accenture Financial Advanced Solution & Technology S.r.l., Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Global Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Global Engagements Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Limited, Accenture Global Services Limited, Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc, Accenture Holding Brasil Ltda, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture S.p. z o.o., Accenture S.p.A., Accenture SASU, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sdn Bhd, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services and Technology S.r.l., Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Single Member S.A. Organization Information Technology & Business Development, Accenture Solutions Co. Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions S.r.l., Accenture Technology Solutions SASU, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures B.V., Accenture Technology Ventures SPRL, Accenture Tecnologia Consultoria y Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co. Limited, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Ltda, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Advoco, Agilex Technologies Inc., Alfa Consulting, Allen International, AlphaBeta Advisors, Altevie Technologies S.r.l., Altima, Altima (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda , Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Avieco, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, BRIDGEi2i, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhidao Future Consulting Co. Ltd, Benext, Berico Technologies LLC, Bionic, Bionic Solution LLC, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Bow & Arrow, Bow & Arrow Limited, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, Byte Prophecy Private Limited, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CS Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, CS Technology (UK) Limited, CS Technology Group LLC, CS Technology LLC, CadenceQuest Inc., Callisto Integration Europe B.V., Callisto Integration Europe Limited, Callisto Integration LLC, Callisto Integration Ltd, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc, Certus Solutions Consulting Services Limited, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, ClearEdge Partners, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Ergo, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Founders Intelligence, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Headspring, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision LLC, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Olympus Systems Corporation, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, T.A. Cook, TXF LLC, Tambourine, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis AG, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zestgroup, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut.
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Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in hip and knee joint replacements, and trauma and extremities surgeries. This segment also offers spinal implant products comprising cervical, thoracolumbar, and interbody systems that are used in spinal injury, deformity, and degenerative therapies. The MedSurg and Neurotechnology segment offers surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling, emergency medical equipment and intensive care disposable products, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical device products that are used in various medical specialties. This segment also provides neurotechnology products, which include products used for minimally invasive endovascular techniques; products for brain and open skull based surgical procedures; orthobiologic and biosurgery products, such as synthetic bone grafts and vertebral augmentation products; minimally invasive products for the treatment of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke; and craniomaxillofacial implant products, including cranial, maxillofacial, and chest wall devices, as well as dural substitutes and sealants. The company sells its products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities through company-owned subsidiaries and branches, as well as third-party dealers and distributors in approximately 75 countries. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.
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The following companies are subsidiares of Stanley Black & Decker: 2315708 Ontario Inc., 3-V Fastener Co. Inc., 3xLOGIC Dalian Technology Company Limited, 3xLogic Florida LLC, 3xLogic Inc., 3xLogic Indiana LLC, 8 Commerce Drive LLC, ADT France, ASIA FASTENING (US) INC., Advanced Turf Technologies LTD, AeroFit LLC, AeroScout (US) LLC, AeroScout Industrial, AeroScout LLC, AeroScout Ltd., Aeroscout (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Al Khaja Pimex LLC, Allan Brothers, Automatic Doors Systems, Automatic Entrances of Colorado, Avdel Holding Limited, Avdel Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, Avdel UK Limited, Aven Tools Limited, B&D Holdings Inc., B.B.W. BAYRISCHE BOHRERWERKE GmbH, BD Precision (Hong Kong) Limited, BD Suzhou (Hong Kong) Limited, BD Suzhou Power Tools (Hong Kong) Limited, BD Xiamen (Hong Kong) Limited, BDB Ferramentas do Brasil Ltda, BDC International Limited, BDK FAUCET HOLDINGS INC., BLACK & DECKER (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER (SUZHOU) POWER TOOLS CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER (SUZHOU) PRECISION MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER ASIA MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS 1 S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER ASIA MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS 2 S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER DE REYNOSA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., BLACK & DECKER GLOBAL HOLDINGS S.a.r.l., BLACK & DECKER GROUP LLC, BLACK & DECKER HOLDINGS LLC, BLACK & DECKER INC, BLACK & DECKER INDIA INC., BLACK & DECKER INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.A.R.L., BLACK & DECKER INVESTMENT COMPANY LLC, BLACK & DECKER SHELBYVILLE LLC, BLACK & DECKER SSC CO. LTD., BLACK & DECKER TRANSASIA S.a.r.l., BLACK AND DECKER S.A. de C.V., Bagley Road LLC, Baltimore Financial Services Company Unlimited Company, Baltimore Insurance Designated Activity Company, Bandhart, Bandhart Overseas, Bed-Check, Belco Investments Company Unlimited Company, Besco Investment Group Co. Ltd., Besco Investment Holdings Ltd., Besco Pneumatic Corporation, Besco Pneumatic Corporation, Best Lock Corporation, Black & Decker, Black & Decker (Czech) s.r.o., Black & Decker (Ireland) Inc., Black & Decker (OVERSEAS) GmbH, Black & Decker (Thailand) Limited, Black & Decker (U.S.) Inc., Black & Decker Argentina S.A., Black & Decker Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Black & Decker Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Black & Decker Distribution Pty. Ltd, Black & Decker Europe, Black & Decker Far East Holdings B.V., Black & Decker Finance, Black & Decker Finance (Australia) Ltd., Black & Decker Finance SAS, Black & Decker Funding Corporation, Black & Decker Hardware Holdings B.V., Black & Decker Healthcare Management Inc., Black & Decker Holdings (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Black & Decker Holdings B.V., Black & Decker Inc., Black & Decker International, Black & Decker International Finance (UK) Limited, Black & Decker International Finance 1 Unlimited Company, Black & Decker International Finance 3 Designated Activity Company, Black & Decker International Finance Holdings (UK) Limited, Black & Decker International Holdings B.V. & CO. KG, Black & Decker Investments (Australia) Limited, Black & Decker Investments LLC, Black & Decker Limited BV, Black & Decker Luxembourg S.A.R.L., Black & Decker Mexfin LLC, Black & Decker No. 4 Pty. Ltd., Black & Decker Puerto Rico Inc., Black & Decker de Colombia S.A.S., Black & Decker de Panama LLC, Black & Decker del Ecuador S.A., Black & Decker del Peru S.A., Black & Decker do Brasil Ltda., Black and Decker de Costa Rica Limitada, Blick Plc, Bostitch-Holding L.L.C., Bristol Industries LLC, Bulldog Barrels LLC, C&C Enterprise Co. Ltd., CAM International Holdings Inc., CAMACC Systems Inc., CONNEXCENTER SA, CPE Acquisition Co., CRC-EVANS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., CRC-EVANS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, CRC-EVANS WELDING SERVICES INC., CRC-Evans B.V., CRC-Evans Canada LTD., CRC-Evans International LLC, CRC-Evans Offshore Limited, CRC-Evans PIH Servios De Tubulao do Brasil Ltda, CRC-Evans Pipeline International Inc., CRC-Evans Pipeline International Sdn Bhd, CWS Industries (Mfg.) Corp., Chesapeake Falls Holdings Company Unlimited Company, Chesapeake Investments Company S.A.R.L., Chicago Steel Tape, Chiro Tools Holdings B.V., Christie Intruder Alarms Limited, Clarke Security Services Incorporated, Columbia Manufacturing Company Incorporated, Compass Corporation, Compass II Co. Ltd., Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing, Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing LLC, Constellation (Luxembourg) Holdings S.a r.l., Contact East, Craftman, Cub Cadet LLC, DADO Inc., DEVILBISS AIR POWER COMPANY, DIYZ LLC, DeWalt Industrial Tools S.p.A., Dewalt Industrial Power Tool Company LTD., Doncasters US Holdings Inc., Dubuis et Cie SAS, E.A. Patten Co. LLC, ELU B.V., ELU Power Tools LTD, EMHART TEKNOLOGIES LLC, Eastern Vault & Security, Emhart Guangzhou (Hong Kong) Limited, Emhart Harttung A/S, Emhart Harttung Inc., Emhart International Holdings Limited, Emhart International Limited, Emhart Teknologies (Thailand) LTD., Excel Industries, Excel Industries Inc., F. Robotics Acquisitions Ltd., Facom, Facom Belgie BV, Fastener Jamher Taiwan Inc., First National AlarmCap LP/Premiere Societe en Commandite Nationale Alarmcap, First National AlarmCap. Trust, Frisco Bay Industries, GDX Technologies, GMT China, GRUPO BLACK & DECKER MEXICO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., GUANGZHOU EMHART FASTENING SYSTEM CO. LTD., Gamrie Designated Activity Company, Garden Way LLC, Generale de Protection, HSM Electronic Protection Systems, Hangtech Limited, Hardware City Associates Limited Partnership, Hefei INTACA Science & Technology Development Co. Ltd., Herramientas Stanley S.A. de c.v., Horst Sprenger GmbH Recycling-tools, Hustler Turf Equipment Inc., I.D.L. Techni-Edge LLC, INFASTECH CAMCAR MALAYSIA SDN BHD, INFASTECH DECORAH LLC, ISR Solutions, IguanaFix, Infastech (China) Limited, Infastech (Korea) Limited, Infastech (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Infastech (Mauritius) Limited, Infastech (Shenzhen) Limited, Infastech (Singapore) Pte. Ltd, Infastech Company Limited, Infastech Fastening Systems (Wuxi) Limited, Infastech Holdings (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Infastech Intellectual Properties Pte. Ltd., Infastech Receivables Company Pte. Ltd., Infastech/Tri-Star Limited, InfoLogix, InfoLogix Systems Corporation, Infologix - DDMS Inc., Infologix Inc., Innerspace Products, Interfast B.V., Irwin Industrial Tool Ferramentas do Brasil Ltda., JAFFORD LLC, JRB Attachments LLC, JennCo1 Inc., Jewel Attachments LLC, Jiangsu Guoqiang Tools Co., Jiangus Guopiang Tools Co. Ltd., Jointech Corporation LTD., K.And.M. Holdco Products Ltd., Kodiak Mfg. Inc., Lista International Corporation, Lux Star International S.a r.l., M. HART DO BRASIL LTDA., M.P.N. HOLDINGS LIMITED, M.T.D. France SAS, MTD Asia Hong Kong Limited, MTD Austria Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H., MTD Consumer Group Inc., MTD Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, MTD Deutschland Verwaltungsgeschellschaft mbH, MTD Europe Holding GmbH, MTD Holdings, MTD Hungaria Kft., MTD International Operations Inc., MTD Investments Australia Pty Ltd., MTD LLC, MTD PRODUCTS ITALIA S.R.L., MTD Poland Sp. z.o.o., MTD Products AG, MTD Products Australia Party LTD, MTD Products Benelux B.V., MTD Products Company, MTD Products Czech Spol. s.r.o., MTD Products Denmark ApS, MTD Products Inc., MTD Products India Private India Limited, MTD Products Limited, MTD Products New Zealand Limited, MTD Products Nordic AB, MTD Products S.A. de C.V., MTD Products Singapore, MTD Schweiz AG, MTD Southwest Inc., Mac Tools Canada Inc., Maquinas y Herramientas Black & Decker de Chile S.A., Microalloying International Inc., Microtec Enterprises, Moeller Manufacturing & Supply LLC, Monarch Mirror Door Co., NEWFREY LLC, NFASTECH COMPANY LIMITED, NIscayah, NSW Fabristeel Netherlands B.V., National Manufacturing, Nelson Bolzenschwei-Technik GmbH & Co. KG, Nelson Bolzenschwei-Technik GmbH Verwaltungs GmbH, Nelson Fastener Systems, Nelson Fastener Systems de Mexico SA de CV, Nelson Saldatura Perni S.r.l., Nelson Soudage de Goujons SAS, Nelson Stud Welding (Tianjin) Company Ltd., Nelson Stud Welding Canada Inc., Nelson Stud Welding Inc., Nelson Stud Welding India Private Limited, Nelson Stud Welding International LLC, New FEP Co. LLC, Newell Brands - Tools Business, Nippon Pop Rivets & Fasteners LTD., Niscayah Asia Limited, Niscayah Group AB, Niscayah Holdings Limited, Niscayah Investments Limited, Niscayah Teknik AB, Novia SWK SAS, OSI Security Devices, Onglin International Limited, P I H Holdings Limited, P&B Re Holdings LLC, PIH Services Limited, PIH Services ME LLC, PIH Services ME Ltd., PIH Services ME W.L.L., PIH U.S. LLC, PIPELINE EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES SARL, PORTER-CABLE ARGENTINA LLC, PT Stanley Black & Decker, Pacom Group AB, Pacom Systems (North America) Inc., Pacom Systems Espana S.L., Pacom Systems Pty Limited, Paladin Brands Group Inc., Paladin Brands Holdings Inc., Paladin Brands International Holdings Inc., Panalok Limited, Pengo Corporation, Pillo Health, Pinnacle Electronic Systems, Pipeline Induction Heat Limited, Pipeline Induction Heat Limited, Powers Fasteners Australasia Pty Limited, Powers Fasteners Inc., Powers Fasteners Inc. (Panama), Powers Rawl Pty. Ltd., Powers Shanghai Trading Ltd., Precision Hardware, Prikos & Becker LLC, Pro One Finance SAS, QRP Inc, RCTENN LLC, RIGHTCO II LLC, Rawl Australasia Pty. Ltd., Rawlplug Unit Trust, Refal Industria e Comercio de Rebites e Rebitadeiras Ltda., Remington LLC, SBD Cayman LLC, SBD European Investment Unlimited Company, SBD European Security Holdings S.a r.l., SBD European Security International Unlimited Company, SBD European Security Investment Unlimited Company, SBD Holding AB, SBD Insurance Inc., SBD MDGP Partnership Holdings LLC, SBD MDGP Partnership Holdings S.a r.l., SBD Manufacturing Distribution & Global Purchasing Holdings L.P., SBD Niscayah S.a r.l., SBD Property Holdings LLC, SBD UK Canada Holdings Inc., SPIRALOCK GLOBAL VENTURES LIMITED, STANLEY BLACK & DECKER HUNGARY KORALTOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG, STANLEY BLACK & DECKER IBERICA S.L., STANLEY BLACK & DECKER MOROCCO SARL, STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LTD, STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER CYPRUS ONE HOLDINGS LTD, STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER CYPRUS S1 HOLDINGS LTD, STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER CYPRUS S2 HOLDINGS LTD, STANLEY ENGINEERED FASTENING EASTERN EUROPE SP.Z O.O., SWK (U.K.) Holding Limited, SWK (UK) Limited, SWK Utensilerie S.r.l., Scan Modul, Security Group, SecurityCo Solutions Inc., Shanghai Emhart Fastening System Co. Ltd., Sidchrome Tool, Sielox Security Systems, Societe Miniere et Commerciale SAS, Sonitrol, Sonitrol Distribution Canada Inc., Sonitrol Security Systems of Buffalo Inc., Southern Monitoring Services Limited, Specialty Bar Products Company, Spiegelberg Manufacturing Inc., Spiralock Corporation, Stanley Access Technologies LLC, Stanley Atlantic Inc., Stanley Black & Decker (Barbados) SRL, Stanley Black & Decker (Hellas) EPE, Stanley Black & Decker Asia Holdings LLC, Stanley Black & Decker Asian Holdings B.V., Stanley Black & Decker Australia Pty Ltd., Stanley Black & Decker Austria GmbH, Stanley Black & Decker Belgium BV, Stanley Black & Decker CCA S. de R.L., Stanley Black & Decker Canada Corporation, Stanley Black & Decker Cayman Holdings Inc., Stanley Black & Decker Cayman International Financing LLC, Stanley Black & Decker Centroamerica S. de R.L., Stanley Black & Decker Chile L.L.C., Stanley Black & Decker Colombia Services S.A.S., Stanley Black & Decker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stanley Black & Decker Deutschland GmbH, Stanley Black & Decker Distribution SAS, Stanley Black & Decker Finance 1 LLC, Stanley Black & Decker Finance 2 LLC, Stanley Black & Decker Finance Limited, Stanley Black & Decker Finance Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker Finland Oy, Stanley Black & Decker France SAS, Stanley Black & Decker France Services SAS, Stanley Black & Decker Hermosillo S. de R.L. de C.V., Stanley Black & Decker Holdings Australia Pty Ltd, Stanley Black & Decker Holdings S.a r.l., Stanley Black & Decker IP Holdings Limited, Stanley Black & Decker India Private Limited, Stanley Black & Decker International FZE, Stanley Black & Decker International Fiance 2 Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 1 Limited, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 2 Limited, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 3 Limited, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 3 Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 4 Limited, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 4 Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance 5 Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker International Finance L.P., Stanley Black & Decker Ireland Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker Italia S.r.l., Stanley Black & Decker Latin American Holding BV, Stanley Black & Decker Latin American Investment Unlimited Company, Stanley Black & Decker Limited, Stanley Black & Decker Limited Liability Company, Stanley Black & Decker Logistics BV, Stanley Black & Decker MEA FZE, Stanley Black & Decker Manufacturing SAS, Stanley Black & Decker Middle East Trading FZE, Stanley Black & Decker NZ Limited, Stanley Black & Decker Netherlands B.V., Stanley Black & Decker Norway AS, Stanley Black & Decker Partnership Japan, Stanley Black & Decker Partnership Japan Holdings S.a r.l., Stanley Black & Decker Polska Sp. z o.o., Stanley Black & Decker Precision Manufacturing (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stanley Black & Decker Romania SRL, Stanley Black & Decker Slovakia s.r.o., Stanley Black & Decker Sweden AB, Stanley Black & Decker Turkey Alet Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stanley Black & Decker UK Group Limited, Stanley Black & Decker UK Limited, Stanley Black & Decker de Monterrey S. de R.L. de C.V., Stanley Black and Decker Commercial Private India, Stanley Black and Decker Security Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V. (fka DEWALT INDUSTRIAL TOOLS S.A. DE C.V.), Stanley CLP3, Stanley Canada Holdings L.L.C., Stanley Chiro International Ltd, Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Inc., Stanley Engineered Fastening Benelux B.V., Stanley Engineered Fastening France SAS, Stanley Engineered Fastening India Private Limited, Stanley Engineered Fastening Industrial Deutschland GmbH, Stanley Engineered Fastening Italy S.r.l., Stanley Engineered Fastening Spain S.L.U., Stanley Europe BV, Stanley European Holdings B.V., Stanley European Holdings II B.V., Stanley Fastening Systems Investment (Taiwan) Co., Stanley Fastening Systems L.P., Stanley Fastening Systems Poland Sp. z o.o., Stanley Feinwerktechnik GmbH, Stanley Grundstuecksverwaltungs GmbH, Stanley Healthcare Solutions France Sarl, Stanley Housing Fund Inc., Stanley Industrial & Automotive LLC, Stanley Infrastructure LLC Formerly f/k/a International Equipment Solutions ("IES"), Stanley Inspection L.L.C., Stanley Inspection US L.L.C., Stanley International Holdings Inc., Stanley Israel Investments B.V., Stanley Logistics L.L.C., Stanley Pipeline Inspection L.L.C., Stanley Safety Corporation LLC, Stanley Security AS, Stanley Security Alarmcentrale B.V., Stanley Security B.V., Stanley Security Belgium BV, Stanley Security Canada ULC (fka 3xLogic Holdings Inc.), Stanley Security Denmark ApS, Stanley Security Europe BV, Stanley Security Federal Systema LLC, Stanley Security Holding AS, Stanley Security Limited, Stanley Security Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Stanley Security Nederland B.V., Stanley Security Oy, Stanley Security Singapore Pte. Ltd., Stanley Security Solutions (NI) Limited, Stanley Security Solutions - Europe Limited, Stanley Security Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Stanley Security Solutions Inc., Stanley Security Solutions India Private Limited, Stanley Security Solutions Limited, Stanley Security Sverige AB, Stanley Technical Services Ltd., Stanley Tools SAS, Stanley U.K. Holdings Ltd., Stanley UK Acquisition Company Limited, Stanley UK Services Limited, Stanley Works (Europe) GmbH, Stanley Works (India) Private Limited, Stanley Works (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Stanley Works (Wendeng) Tools Co. Ltd., Stanley Works Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Stanley Works China Investments Limited, Stanley Works Holdings B.V., Stanley Works Limited, Stanley-Bostitch S.A. de c.v., Stanley-Bostitch Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Stichting Beheer Intellectuele Eigendomsrechten Blick Benelux B.V., SureHand Inc. f.k.a. SBD Aura Inc., Sweepster Attachments LLC, THE BLACK & DECKER CORPORATION, TOG Holdings Inc., TOG Manufacturing Company Inc., TSI Monitoring LLC, TSI Sales & Installation LLC, The EAP Acquisition Co. LLC, The Farmington River Power Company, The Ferry Cap & Set Screw Company, The Stanley Works (Langfang) Fastening Systems Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works (Zhongshan) Tool Co. Ltd., The Stanley Works Israel Ltd., The Stanley Works Limited, The Stanley Works Pty. Ltd., Tong Lung Metal Industry, Troy-Bilt LLC, Tucker Fasteners Limited, Tucker GmbH, Tucker S.R.O., Universal Inspection Systems Limited, Venus Enterprise Co. Ltd., Visiocom International Pte Ltd, Voss Industries Inc., Wintech Corporation Limited, XMARK Corporation, XMARK Corporation., Yong Ru Plastics Industry (Suzhou) Co. Ltd, and Zag USA Inc..
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Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Corning Incorporated engages in display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, including cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories. This segment also offers its products to businesses, governments, and individuals. Its Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, software; as well as ultra-thin and ultra-flat glass wafers, substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products. This segment serves various industries, including mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables; aerospace and defense optics; radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. The company's Environmental Technologies segment offers ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products comprising consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware and equipment under the Corning, Falcon, Pyrex, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. 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KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. 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Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.
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Citizens Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Citizens Bank, National Association that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. The Consumer Banking segment offers deposit products, mortgage and home equity lending products, credit cards, business loans, wealth management, and investment services; and auto, education, and point-of-sale finance loans, as well as digital deposit products. This segment serves its customers through telephone service centers, as well as through its online and mobile platforms. The Commercial Banking segment provides various financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, and interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as syndicated loans, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity capital markets services. This segment serves government banking, not-for-profit, healthcare, technology, professionals, oil and gas, asset finance, franchise finance, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, private equity, and sponsor finance industries. It operates approximately 1,200 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia; 114 retail and commercial non-branch offices in national markets; and approximately 3,300 automated teller machines. The company was formerly known as RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and changed its name to Citizens Financial Group, Inc. in April 2014. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1828 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.
By Damali Mukhaye:
Investors in Kampala have been urged to invest in parking to keep pace with the high influx of motor vehicles in the city.
Addressing journalists at city hall, the acting deputy director for roads Jacob Byamukama says that after the authority doubling the parking fee to 1000 per hour in Kampala, investors should take advantage of this to invest in this business.
He notes that there are very few parking in the city and majority of buildings do not have parking space hence people are left with no space to keep their vehicles.
He also notes that they are in talks with the owners of the big trucks to start parking outside Kampala since they consume a lot of space.
The authority yesterday increased the parking fee from 400 to 1000 per hour and 800 per 30 minutes.
By Ssebuliba Samuel:
Police has vowed to ensure thorough security to all people willing to watch the historical match between Uganda and Egypt this Thursday.
Speaking to media today, the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said that this is an international match with full watch of FIFA official thus security will be at its best.
He has however said that police has been given strict instruction from FUFA not to allow invalid tickets and additionally no ticket will be sold at the stadium.
According to FUFA Deputy Chief Executive Officer Humphrey Mandu general public are advised to purchase their tickets early enough and at the designated selling points to avoid the late minute rush.
By Damali Mukhaye:
Uganda revenue authority has taken over collecting taxes on behalf of Kampala capital city authority following a directive from the government.
Addressing journalists at city hall, the director supervisor training and public awareness Daniel Nuwabiine says that government wants to know how much money KCCA has been collecting from the city after allegations of fraud by some officials in the authority.
He notes that URA has already started collecting all the local revenue that have been previously deposited on the accounts of the authority and all the people in Kampala should comply to this effect.
He thus notes that all the pay slips shall bear the URA logo which has not been the case.
PCI-SIG Developers Conference 2017 was held in Santa Clara, California in June this year where several hundred customers from more than a hundred unique companies visited the conference. The next-generation PCI Express (PCIe) 5.0 specification was announced with plans for ratification in 2019. The announcement had a supporting quote by Cadence confirming our long-term commitment to developing products for PCIe interface protocols. The schedule for adoption of the new standard has been accelerated to less than 2 years to keep up with the networking and storage throughput requirements of the data center. The PCIe 4.0 specification v0.9 was also released and is expected to be ratified later this year.
The Cadence PCIe 4.0 integrated PHY and Controller IP solution had a good showing at a demo of x16 16Gbps PCIe PHY based on 16nm running at speeds over 22Gbps and the complete PCIe 4.0 solution (PHY+Controller) interoperating with a Mellanox end-point.
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Zong, Pakistans largest 4G operator, is planning further network expansion in Q4 2017 as it reinvests its revenues.
The company has made a commitment to reinvest "all earned revenues" in Pakistan. "Any revenue earned from the people of Pakistan will be spent back on the people of Pakistan, to give them a stable, advanced and reliable network" said Maham Dard, Director Corporate Affairs & Strategy at Zong. "Our first goal is to help the Pakistani people adopt a digital lifestyle through Zong 4G. We will continue to re-invest in Pakistan, on the Pakistani people."
What this means in practice is a further up-scaling its network by increasing the number of its 3G/4G sites to around 10,500 by the end of the current year. This comes on top of existing investments in Pakistan worth US$3 Billion over the past five years since Zong launched.
Zong has been very successful in Pakistan. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), as at July 2017 it is the 4G market leader with 4.4 million subscribers, significantly more than the 1.6 million combined total of Jazz and Telenor. In terms of overall share Zong is now number two in the marketplace with 13 million subscribers, narrowly behind overall market leader Jazz, with 13.5 million subscribers. Former market leader Telenor was overtaken in 2015 and now has a total of 11 million subscribers according to the PTA, fewer than 1 million of which are on 4G.
Zong says it is fully geared towards digitally transforming the lives of the Pakistani people, with an overarching vision of shared prosperity at a regional level. The commitment forms part of parent company, China Mobile Pakistans focus on the "Belt and Road" initiative.
What this means in practice is not yet clear. Zong has said it plans to implement "a series of targeted and sustainable investments dedicated to expanding not only the countrys communications infrastructure, but also the potential of the people that are helping build it... and digitally empower the people of Pakistan from the ground up."
As far as Developing Telecoms is aware this is the first time an operator has made an overt commitment to reinvest all revenues earned within the country it operates in. How much of this will be channelled towards network and service expansion, how much will go towards social initiatives and over what period of time the commitment lasts all remains to be seen.
It is relatively common for network operators in emerging markets to contribute towards the wider development of the countries within which they operate with social initiatives such as CSR schemes, local sponsorships, humanitarian projects and not-for-profit foundations. While it is easy to dismiss some of these types of activity as public relations and goodwill gestures, the best schemes do have a genuine beneficial impact in the wider societies they operate in, beyond the mobile industry.
China Unicom and Ericsson have launched China's first gigabit LTE broadcast commercial network, offering subscribers high-speed mobile broadband data.
Covering Hainan Island province, the new gigabit LTE network will provide China Unicom subscribers with high speed mobile video to enhance customer satisfaction and make full use of network resources to improve operator profitability.
As part of the launch passengers on the Hainan Island high-speed train were able to watch the launch ceremony through LTE broadcast technology and the gigabit wireless network. Commenting on the launch Hao Liqian, General Manager of the Hainan branch of China Unicom, said This remarkable achievement will fulfill our strategy to offer the most advanced services to individuals and enterprises on the China Unicom network. Our launch ceremony today is important, innovative and fun, since were using Virtual Reality on a high-speed train over a high-speed network to prove the worthiness of this launch.
Chris Houghton, Head of Market Area North East Asia, Ericsson, said: Were literally putting the network into the hands of the subscribers on day one. People will be able to immerse themselves in their video experience and not just understand, but feel, the difference with a gigabit LTE network while they are moving at very fast speeds.
Ericsson claims its LTE broadcast solution will revolutionise video delivery in mobile networks by combining three new standards: eMBMS, HEVC (H.265) and MPEG DASH, to address the growing consumer demand for media services. To accelerate the development of China Unicoms video strategy, Ericsson supported China Unicom with eMBMS in the high-speed train scenario so that passengers could enjoy high-definition video without buffering on the network.
Ericsson has already set up 1Gbps networks with China Unicom in Guangdong, Hainan, Shandong, and Beijing. With peak speeds of up to 979Mbps these can offer 13 second download times for a 1080P high-definition movie at optimum performance. There are on-going 1Gbps trials in Sichuan, Hubei, Shanxi, Jilin and Jiangsu province. More than 270 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered by Ericsson worldwide, of which 200 are live commercially.
Central American gold explorer, Condor Gold said new results from drilling at its La India Project in Nicaragua showed a high-grade ore shoot in the Tatiana vein that contained an approximate 13.7grams of gold per tonne (g/t).
La India Project consists of seven separate resources, one of which, Mestiza, is a former Soviet Union drilling site with an estimated mineral resource of 785,694 ounces of gold.
The majority of resources are contained within the Tatiana vein, the largest of the four main veins at Mestiza, which also includes the Buenos Aires and Jicaro veins to the north of the purchase and the Espinito vein set to the west.
Five of the firm's eight drilling projects found grams of gold per tonne in double digits and all but one contained more than 13 g/t of silver.
While noting that Tatiana was the "highlight" of the update, Mark Child, chairman and chief executive of Condor also said new mapping at the Soviet site had identified a larger vein system than previously thought.
"The Mestiza vein set is about 3.5 km long and about 1 km wide. Surface samples of 41.5 g/t and 47.7 g/t gold are 2 km north of the recent drilling. Mapping will continue and is aimed at identifying further high-grade shoots by targeting dilational bends in the veins."
Condor Gold shares were up 2.67% to 52.36p as of 1040 BST.
Developer and constructor of multi-occupancy property assets, Watkin Jones , announced on Wednesday that it has forward-sold a development of 354 beds on Little Patrick Street in Belfast, and completed a development agreement to deliver 972 beds on the Hollis Croft scheme in Sheffield to the same institutional investor.
The AIM-traded company said the consideration payable to Watkin Jones over the course of the developments was 90m, net of client funding costs.
Both developments were due for completion for the summer of 2019 and, following the agreements, Watkin Jones had now forward-sold 1,981 of the 3,545 beds planned to be delivered ahead of the 2019/2020 academic year.
All schemes to be delivered during FY17 and FY18 and ahead of the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years had been forward sold, the board confirmed.
We are delighted to announce that we have successfully completed the forward sale of a development for 354 beds in Belfast and entered into a development agreement to deliver 972 beds in Sheffield for the same institutional investor, said chief executive Mark Watkin Jones.
Combined the developments are worth circa 90m to the group and both developments are to be completed ahead of the 2019/2020 academic year.
Jones said the company now had revenue and earnings visibility on 1,981 of the 3,545 beds it planned to deliver in FY19, with the remaining beds having been secured and working through the early stages of its business model.
These agreements further demonstrate the group's strong and growing relationships with institutional investors, as well as the continuing demand for high quality purpose built student accommodation.
Our ability to secure, fund and develop a pipeline of attractive sites provides excellent earnings visibility for our shareholders.
Donald Trump continued his war of words with the North Korean regime over Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, Trump told the media that "all options are on the table" in regards to how he felt best to deal with the rogue Asian state after Pyongyang launched a missile through Japanese airspace in defiance of the Western superpower.
The President tweeted from his personal account:
The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2017
The launch on Tuesday, which comes on the heels of repeated threats from Kim Jong-un towards the Pacific Island of Guam, a US territory, has been seen as the most aggressive action taken by the hermit kingdom in nearly 20 years.
Kim Jong-un's statements that a missile fired over Japan in the early hours of Tuesday morning was intended to be nothing more than a formal objection to annual military drills between Seoul and Washington currently being held in South Korea seemed to suggest the situation would not escalate further.
Japan's Nikkei, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and South Korea's KOSPI all rose, and the US Dollar closed stronger as the Euro Dollar lagged.
Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK said, "Despite the escalation in tension and the universal condemnation the missile launch has provoked, US markets, despite initially opening sharply lower, rallied strongly in the afternoon session to close the day higher."
"It is true that flare ups on the Korean peninsula are nothing new and previous instances have always resulted in a winding back of tension, and it would appear that US investors have decided that recent events are likely to go the same way, as the markets muscle memory of selling the panic and then buying the dip kicked in," said Hewson. "In ordinary circumstances, this might seem sensible, however, the events of the last few weeks can hardly be described as ordinary, which suggests that markets could be being rather naive that current events can be contained."
The 15-member United Nations Security Council met on Tuesday evening and condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan's airspace, before demanding that Pyongyang cease all its missile tests and weapons programs.
Ambassadors from China and Russia said the deployment of American missile defence systems in South Korea should be scrapped and Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador said the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises ought to be toned down in order to appease Kim Jong-un.
Prime Minister Theresa May demanded China put more pressure on North Korea to stop missile tests.
Kim Jong-Un said in a statement published by state mouthpiece KCNA, "The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the Korean People's Army in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam."
London stocks were set for a positive open on Wednesday, tracking upbeat sessions in the US and Asia as investors shrugged off concerns about North Korea.
The FTSE 100 was expected to open 26 points higher at 7,363.
CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "It is true that flare ups on the Korean peninsula are nothing new and previous instances have always resulted in a winding back of tension, and it would appear that US investors have decided that recent events are likely to go the same way, as the markets muscle memory of selling the panic and then buying the dip kicked in.
"In ordinary circumstances this might seem sensible, however the events of the last few weeks can hardly be described as ordinary, which suggests that markets could be being rather naive that current events can be contained."
On the data front, net lending to individuals, consumer credit, mortgage approvals and money supply are due at 0830 BST.
Hewson said: "Well get to see the latest lending data for the UK economy for July, against a backdrop of an overextended consumer. We have seen some anecdotal evidence of a bit of a slowdown in spending patterns, however its not been particularly evident in recent data with net lending still expected to be near its highest levels this year, above 5bn.
"Mortgage approvals are also expected to come in at 66k, despite July being a historically slow month in the UK housing market."
In corporate news, international specialised technical products group Diploma said it had continued to trade well in the second half of the year and remained on track to post full year results in line with expectations.
Full year reported group revenues are expected to increase by around 17% including a 9% lift from the collapse in the pound and 2% from acquisitions. On an underlying basis, after adjusting for the impact of acquisitions and currency effects, group revenues for the year are expected to increase by 6%, Diploma said in a trading statement.
WH Smith said results for the year to the end of August should hit target and that it continues to see further opportunities for international growth in via the airport market.
The Travel division, which operates outlets in train stations and airports, delivered a strong performance for the year and saw the first three Italian stores opened in Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, and one in Turin.
UK and continental Europe-focussed industrial property investor Hansteen Holdings announced the sale of Carvers Trading Estate in Ringwood, north east of Bournemouth for 7.06m, reflecting a net initial yield of 4.93% and a capital value per square foot of 137.
The company said the multi-let property comprises 51,346 square feet, benefitting from a prominent location in the centre of Ringwood and let to a variety of tenants including Topps Tiles, Screwfix, ATS Euromaster and Howdens.
Carvers Trading Estate was sold to a client of CBRE Global Investors.
The deal was announced by the company's president and chief executive, Dr Andy Palmer, during his visit to Japan as part of the UK delegation accompanying Prime Minister Theresa May.
Aston Martin will buy more than 70m in components from Japanese suppliers including Bridgestone, Denso, Mitsubishi and Yazaki. In addition, it will open an Aston Martin Meta Technology and Luxury Accelerator office in Japan next year. It will also invest in a flagship global brand centre in Tokyo, a new Aston Martin Japan HQ and further growth of the dealer network across the country.
PM May said: "As we prepare to leave the European Union, it is vital that we build on our existing ties with friends and allies. Aston Martin is a prime example of the innovative and world leading firms the UK is proud of and Im delighted they are joining me on this important trade mission.
"Aston Martins 500m deal will directly benefit the Gaydon plant in West Midlands and the St Athan plant in Wales helping safeguard existing jobs and opening new possibilities for future deals with Japan."
Palmer said: "As the worlds second largest luxury car market, Japan is key to our future plans as we completely revitalise and expand our product portfolio under our Second Century plan. We have long enjoyed a loyal following from Japanese customers and the public alike, with our new dealership in Tokyo set to become our largest worldwide by volume."
Last week, Aston Martin said it swung to a 21.1m pre-tax profit in the six months to the end of June from an 82.3m loss in the same period a year ago, as revenue rose to 410.4m from 211.8m. Pre-tax profit in the second quarter came in at 15.2m on revenues of 222m, compared with a pre-tax loss of 52.6m on revenues of 119.2m in the prior-year quarter.
Homewares retailer Dunelm Group announced on Wednesday that John Browett will be stepping down as chief executive for personal reasons, with immediate effect.
The FTSE 250 company said it has made good progress over the last two years during Browetts tenure, but added that the next phase of growth would require different leadership.
I would like to thank John for his contribution to the business and the strategic progress made under his leadership, most notably the exciting acquisition of Worldstores, said Dunelm chairman Andy Harrison.
We will immediately start a search for John's replacement and, in the meantime, I will provide interim executive leadership, supported by Will Adderley, our Deputy Chairman, and Keith Down, our CFO.
Harrison said Dunelm remained the market leader in homewares, adding that the board had ambitious and profitable growth plans to continue building the UK's biggest and best multi-channel homewares retailer.
We have a strong executive team in place to make this happen, and the board remains confident in the group's future prospects.
John Browett said he was pleased to have led the development of Dunelm over the last few years, and felt that he had achieved much in a challenging retail environment.
It is, however, time to move onto a new challenge, and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career.
The group said it would announce results for the financial year ended 1 July on 13 September, which would be in line with the trading update issued on 7 July.
It said trading in the first two months of the new financial year had started positively, with an encouraging like-for-like sales performance.
UK and continental Europe-focussed industrial property investor Hansteen Holdings announced the sale of Carvers Trading Estate in Ringwood, north east of Bournemouth on Wednesday for 7.06m, reflecting a net initial yield of 4.93% and a capital value per square foot of 137.
The FTSE 250 company said the multi-let property comprises 51,346 square feet, benefitting from a prominent location in the centre of Ringwood and let to a variety of tenants including Topps Tiles, Screwfix, ATS Euromaster and Howdens.
Carvers Trading Estate was sold to a client of CBRE Global Investors.
Following refurbishment and improvement works we let the remaining void units to quality covenants at rents over 10 per square foot which moved the estate ERV on by over 20%, said Hansteens UK property director Derek Heathwood.
The price we achieved is 25% above our December 2016 valuation and the number of bidders shows the market for light industrials remains strong and highly competitive.
Our UK portfolio of over 17m square foot of light industrial / urban logistic space, is well positioned to deliver continued performance as occupational demand continues to increase with little or no new supply entering the market.
Petrofac cut its first half dividend by 42% as part of a new policy from the oil and gas services provider to slim the business as net profits slipped 4% amid ongoing low commodity prices.
The FTSE 250 company, which is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office over alleged bribery and money laundering, is looking to reduce net debt and strengthen the balance sheet and move back towards a low capital intensity business model as the new lower oil-price environment prices weighs heavily on capital investment in the industry, impacting cash flows.
Revenues in the first six months of the year of $3.13bn were down almost 20% on the same period last year and below consensus of $3.5bn, but Petrofac won $2.7bn of new orders to create a contract backlog of $12.5bn as of 30 June, down from the $14.3bn at the end of the last year.
However, the order book excludes the framework agreement signed with Petroleum Development Oman in June until various projects are assigned and has since been swelled by the $1.0bn Duqm refinery project award in August 2017.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 11% to $323m but were much better than the City's consensus forecast of $294m, while net business profits dipped 4% to $158m, though profits before tax almost doubled to $109m due to lower exceptional charges so far this year.
Group net profit for the full year 2017 is expected to be weighted to the second half of the year, the company said.
The Integrated Energy Services arm, where sales shrank 37% in the first half and a net loss of $19m resulted from flat EBITDA at $37m, is expected to deliver EBITDA of $80-100m for the full year.
Management predict an improvement in operating performance for IES following the start-up of production at Chergui and the expected entry onto the Greater Stella Area development licence in the third quarter of the year.
Net debt was $1.0bn, up from $0.6bn over six months, said to be mainly due to working capital movements but is expected to reduce during the second half.
The interim dividend of 12.70 cents per share was cut from 22.00 cents at this time last year as the the dividend is 'rebased' as "part of a range of measures being taken to deliver a sustainable reduction in net debt", also including a focus on operational efficiencies, divesting non-core assets and reducing capital investment such that capex is expected to be $200-250m this year not the $300-350m initially planned.
Directors intend to target a dividend cover of between 2.0x and 3.0x business performance earnings, with a proposal that the interim payment each year will be approximately 33% of the prior year total dividend.
Chief executive Ayman Asfari felt the results were "solid" and said the new contract wins were "evidence of our continued competitiveness in challenging markets".
He added: "Tendering activity remains high, we are well placed on a number of bids and have a healthy order backlog. This positions us well for the second half of 2017."
"We also remain committed to our strategy of focusing on our core business, delivering organic growth and reducing capital intensity."
Shares in Petrofac were up 2.4% to 433.48p after an hour and a half of trading on Wednesday, having largely flatlined since May's announcement from the SFO.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May demanded China do more to rein in North Korea over its missile programme as she arrived in Japan to drum up investment opportunities post Brexit.
May said Pyongyang's latest missile test over the Japanese Island of Hokkaido was outrageous as Russia and China, both allies of the North Koreans, agreed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the action.
"I want to work with other international partners to do what we all want to do which is to stop North Korea from conducting these illegal activities," she told the BBC.
"These are illegal tests. It is outrageous, it is provocative and they should be stopped."
May held her first talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe as part of a three day trade mission to the Asian country designed to convince business leaders a quick bilateral trade deal can be struck after Britain leaves the European Union in March 2019.
Ahead of the talks, May said she wanted to implement existing EU trade deals that could be refined if required.
We cant sign up to a trade deal with Japan or with any other country outside of the European Union until weve left the European Union, she told ITV.
What we can do is to be talking about that future relationship. Thats what Im going to be doing here with Prime Minister Abe. I believe we can look at an EU-Japan deal as the basis for a future trade deal between the United Kingdom and Japan.
Even if we start on the basis of an existing trade deal that a country has with the EU, it will be up to the United Kingdom and that country if we wish to renegotiate and change those terms in the future, she said.
Alongside the talks came the announcement that iconic British car maker Aston Martin had signed a 500m trade and investment deal between the UK and Japan.
The deal was announced by the company's president and chief executive, Dr Andy Palmer, who is part of the UK delegation accompanying May.
Aston Martin will buy more than 70m in components from Japanese suppliers including Bridgestone, Denso, Mitsubishi and Yazaki. In addition, it will open an Aston Martin Meta Technology and Luxury Accelerator office in Japan next year.
It will also invest in a flagship global brand centre in Tokyo, a new Aston Martin Japan HQ and further growth of the dealer network across the country.
Iraqi minister of Water Resources, Dr Hassan Janabi, signed a renewed version of a Memorandum of Understanding with director Johan van Dijk of IHE Delft. The Iraqi minister and IHE Delft will continue their cooperation for another five years.
The signing took place in the stand of IHE Delft at the Stockholm World Water Week on 29 August.
IHE Delft will initially support the ministry by assessing their needs in relation to development of staff expertise and performance improvement.
Iraqi minister Dr Hassan Janabi (left) and IHE Delft director Johan van Dijk, talking about the details of the signing ceremony.
Capacity building
A second step will be developing capacity building programmes, resulting from the initial needs assessment.
The two parties also commit to improve water resources in Iraq through integrated and optimal use of water resources management, with a special emphasis on transboundary water management and water for agriculture.
The MoU is a follow-up of the first MoU, which was signed early 2014.
Assessment of needs
On the occasion of signing the MoU, Dr Hassan Janabi said to be very happy to continue the cooperation. IHE Delft updated the skills of our people at the ministry. We have also done joint modelling exercises and assessment of the needs of our ministry.
The MoU is mainly about capacity building within the ministry, but we will look for further enhancement of our cooperation, the minister added.
This news item was originally published on the website of IHE Delft.
Read also on this website
IHE Delft to lead AFMA-based flood resilience project for Alexandria, Egypt, 27 July 2017
IHE Delft receives Coca-Cola grant for women and water for change in communities project, 19 June 2017
Water education institute IHE Delft starts new life at age 60, 28 April 2017
More information
IHE Delft
Delft, the Netherlands
+31 15 215 23 21
www.un-ihe.org
There is little proof of violent conflicts that have emerged directly from water shortage only, but surely there is an influence, said Sophie de Bruin of PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency at the Stockholm World Water Week on 29 August.
De Bruin was one of the speakers at a session under the umbrella of the Dutch-based Planetary Security Initiative that addressed changes of water availability and its effects on conflicts and migration.
Sanne Vermeulen of aid-organisation Cordaid shared her experiences in South Sudan on the enormous impact of the changes in the grow season for farmers and cattle herders.
Direct impact versus no impact
De Bruins conclusion is based on her literature study. She noticed a big difference in weighing the role of water in conflicts. Some literature speaks of a direct influence of climate change on violent conflict. Others speak of no influence at all and refer to the poor governance structure in certain dry areas.
Widely recognized though is the 10-years old report by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that identified climate change as a threat multiplier that can exacerbate conflict risks. It is generally accepted that in certain contexts, climate change can, mostly through changes in water availability, affect social and economic conditions.
The session at the Stockholm World Water Week was meant to explore the possible pathways to influence the outbreak of a conflict by controlling water scarcity.
Increased water use
Research Karin Meijer of Deltares suggested to look at water scarcity beyond the issue of climate change. According to Meijer more factors are involved. 'Certain areas receive more rain because of climate change, but may still have a water shortage because of increased water use, resulting from population growth.'
Meijer also mentioned the influence of drought in other countries. 'Countries as Egypt import a large part of their food from countries that are vulnerable to drought. This can lead to decreasing food imports or raising food prices, she said.
Poor infrastructur
Specialist Anders Jagerskog, at The World Bank Group mentioned the poor infrastructure in general. With or without a conflict, it drives insecurity, he said.
More specific, Jagerskog suggested to bridge the gap between development aid and humanitarian aid. Organisations as Red Cross could change their response and get themselves more involved in water infrastructure during a conflict. We also need to think of a new kind of response to prevent outbreaks.
Farmers versus cattle herders
To iullustrate the direct influence of seasonal changes on a conflict, Sanne Vermeulen of Cordaid presented a case in South Sudan where farmers have their own piece of land to grow their crop and cattle herders travel from place to place, depending on where their cattle can graze.
Because of the changing season pattern, the cattle herders migrate earlier into the areas where the farmers are. The cattle cause much more damage because the crop is still young and has not been harvested yet. That in turn triggers conflict between farmers and herders, she explained.
Vermeulen was involved in a project to introduce an early warning system so the farmers know when the cattle come. The project also involved local authorities and peace building committees.
New conflict
South Sudan is now involved in a new civil war. Despite we have still contact and can keep the early warning system operational. But the local involvement is minimal as the peace building committees have other priorities now, Vermeulen adds.
She hopes that when the conflict settles again, the work on the project can continue. Many people have been forced by the militants to leave their homes, so we must re-establish the contacts
About Planetary Security Initiative
The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the Planetary Security Initiative (PSI) in 2015.
Operated by a consortium of leading think tanks, the goal of the initiative is to strengthen the knowledge-policy interface by consolidating the Community of Practice on planetary security.
The initiative aims to increase awareness, to deepen knowledge, and to develop and promote policies and good practice guidance to help governments, the private sector and international institutions better secure peace and cooperation in times of climate change and global environmental challenges.
The next Planetary Security Conference will be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 12-13 on December.
Read also on this website
Degradation of wetlands in the Sahel drives massive migration to Europe, 4 May 2017
Planetary security conference: Eruption of armed conflicts cannot be linked to water scarcity, 12 December 2016
Multi-track framework for water diplomacy launched at Planetary Security conference, The Hague, 8 December 2016
More information
Planetary Security Initiative
c/o Clingendael
+31 6 23 94 00 57
www.planetarysecurityinitiative.org
PORT-AU-PRINCE Timberland, alongside the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) and Haitis minister of commerce and industry, has announced the reintroduction of cotton as an anchor crop in Haiti, after a 30 year absence. The company says the project will revitalise over 17,000 farms, while adding to the economy and contributing positively to the environment as it plans to plant millions of trees. Cotton was once the fourth largest agricultural export from Haiti before it disappeared by the late 1980s. Its demise was due largely to external pressures and internal politics, not climate or environmental concerns.
Kendallville, IN (46755)
Today
Mostly cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 22F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..
Tonight
Mostly cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 22F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
By Jeff Turrentine
President Trump, to put it mildly, hasnt worked too hard to bring Democrats and Republicans together on many issues. By almost any account, the partisan divide in this country today is wider than its been in living memory, certainly wider than it was before he took office.
But on one issue, at least, the president seems to have bridged that divide and fostered some much-needed unity. When it comes to endorsing Trumps plan to open up the Atlantic coast to oil and gas drilling, citizens in both red and blue statesas well as their elected officialsare speaking with one voice.
Theyre saying, Hell, no.
When Trump issued an executive order unveiling his new America-First Offshore Energy Strategy back in April, his administration announced that the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program would be one of its key components. Under the aegis of this new programwhich essentially reverses the Obama administrations 2016 ban on drilling in the Atlanticthe U.S. Department of the Interior would begin considering new leases for oil and gas rigs along the Eastern Seaboard for a five-year period beginning in 2019.
Trump knew the move would enrage many of those who didnt vote for him and who already oppose his pro-extraction, anti-renewables energy policy. But by oh-so-cleverly placing the words America First in his plans name, he probably thought hed have no trouble picking up support in states where he had performed well in the election, or where the GOP controls the statehouse or the legislature (or both).
Except thats not what happened.
The response from South Carolinawhere Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than 14 points, and where the Trump-supporting Republican governor, Henry McMaster, routinely enjoys the cooperation of a state legislature dominated by members of his partymust have caught the president off guard. Im against it, said the governor, flatly and unequivocally, back in June. His objection is shared by the mayors of Republican-heavy cities and towns up and down South Carolinas coast. Its also shared by the president of the states Small Business Chamber of Commerce, who also leads the multistate Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast, which represents more than 40,000 businesses that oppose the drilling leases.
Other Republican governors along the eastern coast who publicly oppose offshore drilling include Larry Hogan of Maryland and Chris Christie of New Jerseythe latter of whom enthusiastically endorsed Trump during the GOP primaries. While the GOP governors of Georgia and Florida, Nathan Deal and Rick Scott, respectively, have kept their mouths shut on the issue so far, their silence is a statement in and of itself. Both endorsed Trump for president, and both of their states went for Trump over Clinton. But they know the vast majority of their constituents dont want oil spills lapping at their coastlines, or the whale-killing seismic blasting that paves the way for the industry. These governors will keep quiet as long as its politically feasible, although the pressure from newspaper editorial boards, citizens groups and the business community suggests that time is almost up.
The public comment period for the Atlantic drilling program formally ended last week, and its now up to the Interior Department, under the leadership of Ryan Zinke, to weigh the administrations desire to dramatically ramp up offshore oil and gas production against the publics response not to. We can safely assume that Trump and his cabinet wont give a moments thought to objections raised by Democratic governors and lawmakers, environmental organizations and citizens groups that are already perceived by the administration as hostile. In the presidents childishly binary worldview, anyone who has ever disagreed with him on anything is, de facto, an enemy of the state whose opinion isnt worthy of consideration.
But can the president afford to defy the firmly expressed wishes of his base? Of Republican governors? Of business leaders and chambers of commerce in deep-red states? Of conservative stakeholders who are deeply (and rightly) worried about the potential destruction of the shores they call home?
As Trump and Zinke (or more likely their staffers) sift through the tens of thousands of public comments, perhaps it will finally dawn on this administration that the environment simply doesnt work as a wedge issue. Regardless of how they might vote or self-identify ideologically, American citizens have made it abundantly clear that they dont want wildlife-threatening seismic blasts or unnecessary, and leak-prone, oil rigs off their own coastlines. Its a loser on every levelenvironmental, economic and, yes, political.
Which brings me to my next point: We need to stop treating the protection of the environment as a political issue in the conventional sense of that word. We all breathe air and drink water. We all need clean, nontoxic neighborhoods and a safe food supply. We all deserve to enjoy and appreciate natural wonders like oceans, beaches and waterfronts. And we all contribute, through either our actions or our inactions, to the future condition of the planet that our children, and their children, will inherit.
Some have speculated that Trumps primary presidential motivation is nothing more than destroying Barack Obamas legacy. If this is true, then he wont heed the many voicesincluding those within his own partytelling him to put this idea of drilling in the Atlantic out of its misery and move on to something else. But if he actually cares about something more than spite, or even if he just wants to do the right thing, hell listen to the American people and try to carry out their will.
Reposted with permission from our media associate OnEarth.
By Ryan Schleeter
With rain expected to continue falling through this Friday, what we already know about Hurricane Harvey paints a devastating picture.
The equivalent of half of Houstons annual average rainfall has fallen in the last 48 hours; 80,000 households are without electricity; Houston emergency services have received almost 6,000 urgent appeals for rescues; 54 Texas counties have been declared state disaster areas; thousands of people are displaced or in shelters; five people have died.
And climate change is making it all worse.
This is Houston. I-45 is flooded. pic.twitter.com/X0mSeQTT8c Suvro Banerji (@suvCBS) August 27, 2017
While we cannot say definitively that climate change caused Hurricane Harvey, science tells us with confidence that it has increased the impact of the flooding and heightened the intensity of the storm.
But this shouldnt come as a surprise. For many years, scientists have warned that our continued reliance on fossil fuels will lead to bigger and more devastating storms.
Its also abundantly clear that coastal Texas and the wider Gulf region (which has seen this kind of event before), are on the frontlines of sea level rise and extreme weather heightened by climate change. And Houston in particularwith its slate of oil, gas, and chemical refineries owned by companies like Exxon and Shellfaces the additional risk of toxic petrochemical chemical spills into nearby communities.
When disasters like Harvey strike, those standing in the way of climate action must answer to the victims.
That means were looking at you, Greg Abbott. The Texas governor has been on record for years denying the science of climate change, stating that scientists disagree (they dont) and that their findings need to continue to be investigated (not really). He also sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the Clean Power Plan, President Obamas initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Theres also Ted Cruz, the Texas senator so committed to discrediting climate science he once convened a Senate hearing on the issue and filled his panel with scientists paid by the fossil fuel industry.
And we cant forget Lamar Smith, who represents Texass 21st congressional district. As chairman of the House Science Committee, he subpoenaed eight environmental groupsincluding Greenpeacefor calling on officials to investigate Exxons history of climate denial.
But this goes beyond Texaswere also looking at you, Donald Trump. Not only is Trump a unapologetic climate denier who has spent his time in office dismantling every climate protection activists have won in recent years, he also rolled back an Obama-era rule that required new infrastructure to be built with climate resiliency in mind (flood protection, specifically).
How you can support the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
In the long run, helping those impacted by extreme weather events means holding big polluterslike Exxonand climate denierslike Trump, Cruz, Abbot and Smithaccountable. Only a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy economy can soften the impact of the next superstorm to come our way.
But right now, folks on the ground need your immediate support as they deal with power outages, continued flooding, and overcrowded shelters.
Concerned about #HarveyRelief? Want to give to #AJustHarveyRecovery? Start here: https://t.co/wDpTQSuWC3 (plans are in the works for more) BridgeTheGulf (@BridgeTheGulf) August 28, 2017
Giving money? Consider donating to a local relief effort. Want to give supplies? There are supply drives for items like water and basic hygiene products across Louisiana and the Gulf. Looking for other ways to donate your time? Use this guide from our friends at Another Gulf Is Possible to find more ways you can support.
The impacts of Hurricane Harvey continue to be felt in the southern U.S., where at least nine people have died after unprecedented flooding in Houston, Texas.
The events have sparked early debate over the links between the hurricane and climate change. Commentary from scientists suggests that warming is likely to have intensified its impact.
Above-average sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico provided more energy and more moisture for the developing hurricane, they said, while sea level rise ensured a larger storm surge at the coast and prevented floodwater from draining more quickly.
Nevertheless, many other factors are likely to have played a role. These include Houstons population explosion, continued building in flood-prone areas and subsidence due to groundwater over-extraction, media reports suggested.
Mobile homes are destroyed at an RV park after Hurricane Harvey landed in the Coast Bend area, 26/08/2017, in Port Aransas, Texas. Tribune Content Agency
What has happened?
At 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, the category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Corpus Christi on the southern coast of Texas.
It had developed over the previous week, according to an Associated Press timeline, after being officially named on Aug. 17. During that time, it subsided, before rapidly strengthening, gathering energy from the above-average warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Harvey is the first category 4 hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Charley in 2004, reported the Washington Post, and the first to make landfall in Texas since Carla in 1961.
Harvey later slowed and then hovered over Houstonthe fourth largest city in the U.S.dumping unprecedented rainfall of as much as 40 inches (100cm) by Monday morning.
Updated rainfall and forecast from @NWSWGRFC Also for reference, Buffalo Bayou is 2.5 ft above it's record, forecast to stay beyond Sep. 2 pic.twitter.com/QdDvU5hmoq National Weather Service (@NWS) August 28, 2017
Meanwhile a storm surge of more than six feet (1.8m) was recorded at some coastal sites on Friday, reported the Washington Postand as much as 13 feet had been expected in shallow estuaries.
The governor of Texas had already declared a state of emergency in anticipation of flooding, with mandatory evacuations in some areas. More than 3,000 national and state guard troops were deployed to aid the response effort, the Washington Post reported, a figure later raised to 12,000, noted the New York Times.
Tragically, this has not been enough to prevent loss of life: the LA Times reported at least nine people dead, as of Monday evening. The rain has caused Houstons worst-ever flooding, one meteorologist told the Houston Chronicle.
Some 30,000 people have sought refuge in temporary shelters, Reuters reported. So far, more than 300,000 homes have been left without power, reported the Times. The Federal Emergency Management Administration expects some 450,000 to seek disaster assistance, Reuters added.
In a series of maps, the New York Times has tracked Harveys path of destruction, showing the major infrastructure that has been hit and the places where flooding has been recorded.
Harvey is already being listed as one of the ten costliest storms in U.S. history, the Financial Times said, with the energy and insurance industries expecting heavy losses. Insurer payouts could reach $10 billion to $20 billion, the paper said, citing a JP Morgan Chase best guess. Thousands of homeowners lack adequate insurance cover, meaning these totals underestimate the true costs.
The final costs of the ongoing damage remain highly uncertain, with one insurance analyst telling Bloomberg it could pass $100 billion. This can be compared to Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive to hit the U.S., which cost about $118 billion in 2005. Hurricane Sandy cost $75 billion.
Meanwhile, Harvey, now downgraded to a tropical storm, continues to wreak havoc.
In its latest advisory, issued early on Tuesday morning, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is affecting large portions of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. It said these areas face a further 7 to 13 inches (18-33cm) of rain.
https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/statuses/902465201739575296 have a better answer on the attribution of extreme events. The science of attributioncovered in a recent in-depth Carbon Brief articleevaluates how climate change has affected the odds of a given event.
In a separate piece for Grist, Holthaus noted that record-breaking rainfall brought by Hurricane Harvey is more likely in a warmer climate:
Theres a clear climate connection when it comes to higher rainfall. All thunderstorms, including hurricanes, can produce more rain in a warmer atmosphere, which boosts the rate of evaporation and the water-holding capacity of clouds.
Indeed, intense downpours measuring at least 10 inches (25cm) have already doubled in frequency over the past three decades, the Associated Press noted.
Flooding elsewhere
Amidst the wall-to-wall coverage of events in Texas, its worth remembering another, arguably more catastrophic flooding crisis, taking place halfway around the world in South Asia.
Some 41 million people across India, Nepal and Bangladesh are being affected by monsoon flooding, reported the Hindustan Times on Friday. Tens of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed, the paper said. The situation is worsening, with CNN reporting earlier last week that just 24 million people were affected.
The latest information from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs catalogues the numbers of people displaced, homes destroyed and people killed by the floods.
As of Friday, the death toll due to flooding in recent weeks had risen above 1,200, reported Reuters, describing it as the worst monsoon floods in years. Rains have brought Indias financial centre, Mumbai, to a virtual standstill on Tuesday, reported the Gulf Times.
However, both authorities and citizens in Bangladesh have been reluctant to attribute the crisis to climate change, according to an article at New Security Beat.
Reposted with permission from our media associate Carbon Brief.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson took a swing at climate change deniers during his Daily Show interview Monday night.
The topic came up when host Trevor Noah asked the astrophysicist about his recent
tweet, Odd. No one is in denial of Americas Aug 21 total solar eclipse. Like Climate Change, methods & tools of science predict it.
Odd. No one is in denial of Americas Aug 21 total solar eclipse. Like Climate Change, methods & tools of science predict it. Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 10, 2017
Well, I just thought, theres everyone organizing their lives around attending and viewing one of natures great spectacles, and I dont see people protesting it, the
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry author explained during the Daily Show sit-down.
I dont see people objecting to it. I dont see people in denial of it. Yet methods and tools of science predict it. So when methods and tools of science predict other things, to have people turn around and say I deny what you say, theres something wrong in our world when that happens.
DeGrasse Tyson took a similar dig at science deniers with a tweet last week about
Hurricane Harvey:
Hmm. Dont see much denial of @NOAA climate scientists who have predicted Hurricane Harveys devastating path into Texas. Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 25, 2017
Interestingly, DeGrasse Tyson later clarified with TMZ that he should have tweeted NOAA scientists rather than NOAA climate scientists after a mass of Twitter users accused him of confusing weather events with climate change.
While Harvey is not exactly caused by climate change, the hurricane, now a tropical storm, has been exacerbated and become more deadly because of the global phenomenon.
As DeGrasse Tyson told TMZ, the point is that we have people in denial of the emergent scientific consensus, and that was the real point of the tweet people got all distracted by it.
The famed scientist has previously spoken against powerful U.S. politicians who reject the science of climate change.
When you have an established scientific emergent truth it is true, whether or not you believe in it, he said in a April Facebook video. And the sooner you understand that, the faster we can get on with the political conversations about how to solve the problems that face us.
He concluded that this shift in attitudes is a recipe for the complete dismantling of our informed democracy.
Pope Francis, who has a strong belief in the science of climate change, called upon world leaders on Wednesday to listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, who suffer most because of the unbalanced ecology.
Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew I, the head of the Orthodox Christian Church, will issue a joint message to commemorate the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Friday, the
Associated Press reported.
In 2015, the Pope designated Sept. 1 as a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, framing the preservation of the environment as a moral responsibility.
Similarly, Bartholomewwho backed Francis 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Sionce said:
There has never been so much turmoil on our planet, but there has never been greater opportunity for communication, cooperation and dialogue. Basic human rights such as access to water, clean air and sufficient food should be available to everyone without distinction or discrimination. We are convinced that we cannot separate our concern for human dignity, human rights or social justice from the concern for ecological preservation and sustainability.
Pope Francis has long pressed for strong climate action. In May, during their meeting at the Vatican, the pontiff gifted President Trump a copy of the climate encyclical right as POTUS considered whether the U.S. should exit from the Paris climate agreement. Trump, a notorious climate skeptic who does not agree with Francis about the global phenomenon, apparently didnt take the Popes message to hearthe controversially withdrew the U.S. from the Paris accord just a month later.
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)s inspector general has launched a preliminary investigation into administrator Scott Pruitts frequent trips back to his home state of Oklahoma at taxpayer expense following congressional requests.
The Office of Inspector General said
in a letter it will investigate the frequency, cost and extent of Pruitts travel to Oklahoma through the end of July. The office will also try to determine whether EPA policies and procedures are sufficiently designed to prevent fraud, waste and abuse with the Administrators travel that included trips to Oklahoma.
According travel records obtained by the
Environmental Integrity Project, Pruitt spent 48 of the 92 days in March, April and May traveling, including 43 days on trips that included stops in Oklahoma. Airfare for these trips reportedly cost more than $12,000.
Before being tapped by President Trump to lead the EPA, Pruitt served as Oklahomas attorney general who sued the agency he now heads more than a dozen times over environmental regulations.
His visits home as well as his stops to 25 Republican-led states during his cross-country listening tour have fueled reports that Pruitt wants to run for higher office. According to POLITICO, [hes] spending time with GOP leaders and influential industries and packing in as many media hits as possible, laying out well-rehearsed talking points to bash former President Barack Obamas EPA.
Pruitt seems to be using these visits to launch his political career,
Sierra Club legislative director Melinda Pierce told Reuters. Perhaps he should use polluter money to fund these trips if hes going to continue doing their bidding.
Reuters reports that Pruitt paid for some legs of the trips directly related to his visits home but it is unclear if he paid for all of them.
EPA spokeswoman Amy Graham defended Pruitts travel.
Administrator Pruitt is traveling the country to hear directly from the people impacted by EPAs regulations outside of the Washington bubble, Graham said. This is nothing more than a distraction from the administrators significant environmental accomplishments.
By Elly Benson
Last week, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC) attempts to downplay the massive climate impacts of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project, a $3.5 billion project that includes the 515-mile Sabal Trail pipeline. FERC and the pipeline companies argued that even though the projects purpose is to transport fracked gas through Alabama and Georgia to Florida power plants, FERC nonetheless could ignore the greenhouse gas emissions from burning the gas at those plants.
Its Not Just the Journey, Its Also the Destination
In a 2-1 decision, the court agreed with the Sierra Club and its partners that FERCs refusal to analyze these downstream emissionsan entirely foreseeable result of constructing the pipelineviolated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The court vacated FERCs approval of the project and remanded to the agency with instructions to prepare an environmental impact statement consistent with the courts opinion.
Once the court officially returns the matter to FERC, the pipeline should cease operations while FERC undertakes the new analysis. (Despite the shoddy environmental review, the pipeline was allowed to start operating in June).
Noting that [i]ts not just the journey, its also the destination, the court rejected each of FERCs many excuses for ignoring the emissions from burning the gas. The court found:
FERC is the legally relevant cause of the climate-altering emissions because it has the power to deny a pipeline based on harm to the environment.
FERC has estimated that the pipeline will transport 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of gas, and can use this number to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
FERCs vague assertions that some emissions may potentially be offset by coal plant retirements were so devoid of meaningful information that the environmental impact statement fail[ed] to fulfill its primary purpose.
Even if the power plants are subject to state or federal greenhouse-gas regulations in the future, such requirements cannot substitute for a proper NEPA analysis (citing a landmark NEPA case from 1971).
The court concluded that FERC should have either given a quantitative estimate of the downstream greenhouse emissions that will result from burning the natural gas that the pipelines will transport or explained more specifically why it could not have done so. The court further noted that the environmental impact statement needed to include a discussion of the significance of the downstream greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their cumulative impact. Finally, the court directed FERC to explain, in its new environmental impact statement, whether it still maintains that the social cost of carbona valuable tool that places a dollar value on the harm caused by each ton of carbon emittedis not useful for NEPA purposes, and why.
The decision is a significant victory for pipeline opponents, with far-reaching consequences for gas pipelines and other fossil fuel projects that require federal approval. And while Trump tweets that climate change is a hoax and cynically attempts to eliminate climate considerations from federal decision making, the courts opinionauthored by a George W. Bush appointeesignals that the courts will hold agencies to their NEPA obligations.
Environmental Justice
Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards and routinely bear the brunt of harmful impacts from polluting industrial facilities. For pipeline projects, those impacts include pipeline ruptures, construction impacts, groundwater contamination and noise and air pollution from massive compressor stations.
A staggering 83.7 percent of this pipelineor approximately 574 milesruns through or within a mile of environmental justice communities. And the compressor station in Albany, Georgiaa huge industrial facility that would release hundreds of thousands of tons of air pollutants each yearis slated to be constructed in a neighborhood that is more than 80 percent African American (watch community leader Gloria Gaines discuss the Albany compressor station). As members of Georgias congressional delegation pointed out to FERC before the pipeline was approved, these communities are already overburdened with polluting facilities.
FERC nonetheless concluded that the projects impacts would not disproportionately fall on environmental justice populations. While recognizing the grim statistics regarding the overburdened nature of these communities, and noting that it is sensitive to Sierra Clubs broader contention that it is unjust to locate a polluting facility in a community that already has a high concentration of polluting facilities, the court declined to overturn FERCs analysis.
Elly Benson is a staff attorney with the Sierra Clubs Environmental Law Program.
Brazils environmental agency (Ibama) rejected Tuesday the application for a license to drill in the mouth of the Amazon Basin by the French company Total (operating in a joint venture with BP). This is an important step towards defending the Amazon Reef; a unique and largely unexplored ecosystemTotals closest block is only 8km away from the reef.
In a statement published Tuesday, Ibamas president, Suely Araujo, said that Total had not provided adequate information about the environmental impact of the project, making it impossible to grant the license. The company admits in their own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that there is a 30 percent probability of oil reaching the reef in case of a spill.
Among the many flaws on Totals Environmental Impact Assessment, Ibama listed, the oil dispersion modeling and potential cross border risks to French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela and Caribbean archipelagos. The note also highlights the lack of information about possible impacts to the welfare of mammals, turtles and birds that live in the region.
The company still has another chance to send additional documentation as requested by Ibama. This will be the third and last time that the agency is willing to allow Total to provide adequate information about the environmental impact of the project. If Total does not adequately address the outstanding requests from the technical team, the licensing process will be finally archived, said Suely Araujo, Ibamas president.
After two years and multiple unanswered questions, Total has failed to meet the demands of the regulator, Ibama, Helena Spiritus, Greenpeace Brazil energy campaigner, said. They have shown they are incompetent and not fit to drill anywhere near the Amazon Reef. Ibama shouldnt give them another chance to threaten this precious ecosystem.
She continued, The only right decision by Total now is to give up their plans to drill at the Amazon mouth, instead of trying to find ways to convince authorities to approve this risky project, rejected by science, local communities and by the Brazilian environmental agency.
More than 1.2 million of people all around the world have called Total and BP to cancel their plans to drill for oil near the Amazon Reef.
As the first trilateral meeting of the governments of China, Mexico and the U.S. on illegal totoaba trade came to an end Friday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) urged swift action to halt the trafficking of totoaba swim bladders and save the vaquita.
The worlds most endangered marine mammalthe vaquita porpoiseis teetering on the brink of extinction as individuals are trapped as bycatch in gillnets cast illegally to capture totoabaalso a critically endangered species.
The totoaba and vaquita are species endemic to the Upper Gulf of California in Mexico, part of the Gulf of California World Heritage site. In recent years, unsustainable fishing practices and illegal wildlife trafficking have seen populations spiral downward, with vaquita numbers plummeting to as low as 30 or fewer individuals remaining.
Only 30 Left in the Wild: Saving the Nearly Extinct Vaquita https://t.co/Mc9v2wwuEO @ConservationOrg @WildlifeRescue EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) June 27, 2017
As the majority of totoaba swim bladders follow an illegal trade route from Mexico through the U.S. to China, the first trilateral meeting, held this week in Ensenada, Mexico marks a potential turning point against totoaba trafficking where decisive action could bolster ongoing conservation efforts to protect the last remaining vaquitas. At the meeting, where WWF was participating as an observer, the three countries agreed to promote cooperation on investigating organized wildlife crime networks and strengthen customs training, paving the way toward improved collaboration in enforcement measures.
Cross-border collaboration is essential to tackle a challenge at the scale of global wildlife crime, said Dr. Margaret Kinnaird, WWF wildlife practice leader. Political will has long been a bottleneck in international efforts to crack down on illegal totoaba trade and the trilateral meeting marks a crucial moment that can mobilize the high-level policy efforts and collective determination needed to dismantle criminal syndicates and save the vaquita.
The meeting comes less than two months after the implementation of a permanent ban on the use of gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California as part of the strong commitment of the Mexican government to prevent the vaquitas extinction. The ban will be further accompanied by the retrieval of all abandoned or lost ghost nets within the vaquita habitat and the development of new fishing gear and techniques for local communitiesmeasures considered imperative by WWF to halt the vaquita population decline and secure its habitat.
As we head into a new fishing season in the Upper Gulf of California, the meeting reminds us all that weand the vaquitahave no time to lose, said Jorge Rickards, director general of WWF-Mexico. The commitment we have seen at the table today is promising but our work has only just begun. We urge the three countries to rapidly move to action even as we work together with local communities and partners to create a gillnet-free and healthy Upper Gulf of Californiafor both marine life such as the vaquita and totoaba, and people.
WWF has been working with the government of Mexico and other partners to identify and implement a comprehensive long-term strategy to save the vaquita and secure its habitat in the Upper Gulf of California, an important source of income, food and livelihood for thousands of people in the country. WWF was invited by the Mexican government to participate in the trilateral meeting as an official observer, alongside high-level representatives including Sec. of Environment and Natural Resources Rafael Pacchiano Alaman, as part of this ongoing cooperation.
It is critical to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to save the vaquita and it is encouraging to see Mexico lead the way, added Rickards. In the past months, the government has announced financial support for captive totoaba production, dispatched naval forces to the vaquita habitat and cracked down decisively on illegal fishing and we hope the discussions today lead to concrete actions that strengthen the impact of these efforts.
The trilateral meeting was organized as a follow-up to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, in Johannesburg in 2017 where China, Mexico and the U.S. committed to maintain cooperation and coordination in combating illegal fishing and trade in totoaba.
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Within the past decade, 3-D printers have gone from bulky, expensive curiosities to compact, more affordable consumer products. At the same time, concerns have emerged that nanoparticles released from the machines during use could affect consumers' health. Now researchers report in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology a way to eliminate almost all nanoparticle emissions from some of these printers.
Recent studies on 3-D printers have found that when operating, the devices can release volatile organic compounds, aldehydes and nanoparticles into the air. All of these substances have the potential to harm human health. But no research had been reported on strategies for preventing or reducing pollution from the machines. So Chungsik Yoon and colleagues decided to focus on testing various approaches for controlling the devices' nanoparticle emissions.
For their study, the researchers worked with a 3-D printer based on fused-deposition modeling technology, the most commonly used process among commercially available models. They tested seven "inks" made out of thermoplastic materials under different temperatures. Of these, high-impact polystyrene and nylon had the highest nanoparticle emission rates; polylactic acid had the lowest. Printing at the manufacturer-recommended temperatures resulted in fewer emissions than doing so at higher temperatures. The researchers also analyzed eight methods for controlling pollution from the printers using varying combinations of fans, filters and enclosures. All of the designs removed at least 70 percent of nanoparticle emissions. The most efficient approach eliminated 99.95 percent of such pollution, and involved enclosing the printer and installing a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Based on their results, the researchers recommend using low temperatures, low-emitting materials and enclosing 3-D printers with a HEPA or similar filter to reduce the release of nanoparticles.
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The authors acknowledge funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
The paper's abstract will be available on Aug. 30 at 8 a.m. Eastern time here: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.7b01454
The American Chemical Society is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
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Today the FDA launched a new era in cancer treatment with its approval of the first cancer gene therapy drug in the United States. With the FDA's approval of Novartis' Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) for pediatric and young adult patients with a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), one of the original funders of the early work around CAR T, believes that today is a monumental turning point in cancer treatment. The approved CAR T gene therapy drug, now known as Kymriah, received early funding from ACGT in 2004, while in development by Dr. Carl June of the University of Pennsylvania. ACGT funded Dr. June's work before the government (NIH) or pharmaceutical companies would. Novartis ultimately partnered with Dr. June and the Penn Medicine team to fund clinical trials that showed an exceptional 83 percent success remission rate with pediatric and young adult patients with a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). With this FDA approval, cancer centers around the country will be able to make this specialized therapy readily available to ALL patients with no other treatment options.
"We're entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient's own cells to attack a deadly cancer," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., in an announcement made by the FDA. "New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold out the potential to transform medicine and create an inflection point in our ability to treat and even cure many intractable illnesses."
Dr. Carl June, an ACGT Research Fellow/Scientific Advisory Council Member, led the research and trials leading to this breakthrough at the University of Pennsylvania. He stated, "When other organizations, including the NIH, considered gene therapy too risky, ACGT believed in the science and funded us when no one else would. ACGT really kept us going and kept the research alive. Without them, we wouldn't have had a clinical trial and I don't think we'd be where we are today."
ACGT's late co-founder Edward Netter and his wife Barbara founded ACGT in 2001 and Dr. Carl June was one of ACGT's first grant recipients. The Netters founded ACGT after the death of their daughter-in-law Kimberly from breast cancer. After her passing, the Netters became convinced that there was a better way to treat cancer. They believed gene and cell therapy held the key.
"My only regret is that my husband Edward did not live to see the fulfillment of his vision, as he sadly passed away in 2011, only months before Dr. June's initial research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine," said Barbara Netter, ACGT's co-founder. "My husband Edward Netter was one of the primary promulgators of gene therapy -- before anyone else was interested. He was always thinking about gene therapy and knew that it was the key to unlocking better and more effective treatments for cancer."
There are a number of other CAR T therapies awaiting approval, including for the treatment of CLL and other blood cancers.
"This approval by the FDA of Kymriah CAR-T therapy is a major milestone in the successful treatment of cancer," noted John Walter, CEO and president of ACGT. "This is the first-ever true gene therapy treatment made available to the US population and will help accelerate the speed at which we will see even more gene-based therapies come to fruition. It's a very exciting time."
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About Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT)
Established in 2001, ACGT is the nation's only non-profit dedicated exclusively to cell and gene therapy treatments for all types of cancer. One hundred percent of contributions go directly to research. Founded by Barbara and Edward (1933-2011) Netter, ACGT is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Since its inception, ACGT has funded some of the underlying science that has resulted in the formation of either licensing agreements or biotech companies including Novartis, Ziopharm, Juno, Turnstone Biologics, all of which are in various stages of bringing new treatments to patients. ACGT has funded 55 grants in the U.S. and Canada to conduct and accelerate critically needed innovative research. 36 of those grants have gone to Young Investigators and 19 grants to Clinical Investigators, totaling over $28 million in funding. ACGT is located at 96 Cummings Point Road, Stamford, Connecticut 06902; 203-358-5055. To learn more, visit acgtfoundation.org or join the ACGT community on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at @acgtfoundation.
An anthropologist at The Australian National University (ANU) may have stumbled across a clue to resolving one of the most enduring mysteries of Pacific history - the fate of famous French navigator, Jean Francois de Galaup, Comte de La Perouse who disappeared in 1788.
La Perouse was instructed by King Louis XVI to undertake a major voyage of exploration in the Pacific to emulate the feats of Captain James Cook. He departed the French port of Brest in 1785 with two frigates and a complement of 225 officers, sailors and scientists.
Dr Garrick Hitchcock, of the ANU School of Culture, History and Language, believes the last survivors of La Perouse's voyage were shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef near Murray Island, in northeast Torres Strait.
"La Perouse's voyage of discovery in the Pacific is recognised as one of the most important of its era, rivalled only by the work of Cook. He remains a very well-known and respected figure in eighteenth century scientific exploration," Dr Hitchcock said.
What is known is that La Perouse's ships Astrolabe and Boussole were wrecked in 1788 on Vanikoro, a small island in the Santa Cruz Group of the Solomon Islands.
The survivors made it to shore and spent several months constructing a small two-masted craft, using timber salvaged from the wreck of the Astrolabe. Once completed, they launched the vessel in a bid to return to France.
"What became of this ship and its crew, desperate to return to France, has been an ongoing mystery."
While researching a project on the history of Torres Strait, Dr Hitchcock came across an article published in an 1818 Indian newspaper, The Madras Courier. He is confident the article reveals what became of the survivors.
The article tells the story of Shaik Jumaul, a castaway Indian seaman who survived the sinking of the merchant ship Morning Star which was wrecked off the coast of north Queensland in 1814. Jumaul made it to Murray Island, where he lived for four years, learning the language and culture of the Islanders. He was finally rescued by two merchant ships that passed through the area in 1818.
"Jumaul informed his rescuers that he had seen cutlasses and muskets on the islands which he recognised as not being of English make, as well as a compass and a gold watch," he said.
"When he asked the Islanders where they obtained these things, they related how approximately thirty years earlier, a ship had been wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef to the east, in sight of the island.
"Boats with crew had come ashore, but in the fighting that followed, all were eventually killed, except a boy, who was saved and brought up as one of their own, later marrying a local woman."
The La Perouse expedition crew list includes a ship's boy (mousse), Francois Mordelle, from the port town of Treguier in Brittany, northwestern France. Dr Hitchcock wonders if Mordelle could be the last survivor of the La Perouse expedition.
"The Indian newspaper article featuring the castaway's account was later reproduced in several other newspapers and periodicals of the day, in Australia, Britain, France and other countries, and observers noted that this might refer to the La Perouse expedition," Dr Hitchcock said.
"Somehow, Shaik Jamaul's story was subsequently largely forgotten."
While a French book published in 2012 refers briefly to this newspaper article and discounts it as unreliable account, Dr Hitchcock believes otherwise.
"The chronology is spot on, for it was thirty years earlier, in late 1788 or early 1789, that the La Perouse survivors left Vanikoro in their small vessel," he said.
"Furthermore, historians and maritime archaeologists are not aware of any other European ship being in that region at that time. This means that this is the earliest known shipwreck in Torres Strait, and indeed, eastern Australia" he said.
"It could well be that the final phase of the La Perouse expedition ended in tragedy in northern Australia. Future recovery of artefacts from the wreck site on the Great Barrier Reef - yet to be discovered - or the islands, will hopefully provide final confirmation."
The Torres Strait region, which includes the northern part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is studded with reefs, rocks and sandbars, and has been described as a 'graveyard of ships'. Over 120 vessels are known to have come to grief in its treacherous waters.
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An article by Dr Hitchcock, detailing Shaik Jumaul's account, has been published in the Journal of Pacific History.
FOR INTERVIEW
Dr Garrick Hitchcock
ANU School of Culture, History and Language
E: garrick.hitchcock@anu.edu.au
T: 0428 399 283
MEDIA CONTACT
Aaron Walker
ANU Media
T: 02 6125 7979
M: 0418 307 213
E: media@anu.edu.au
Buck Institute scientists use tissue samples from the California Teachers Study to confirm that the protection comes via a common genetic variant, goal is to develop new breast cancer prevention strategies for all women
Researchers have demonstrated that women with a history of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure, have as much as a 90% decrease in breast cancer risk if they carry a specific common gene variant. Further studies are now underway to determine the mechanism of this protection in an effort to develop new breast cancer prevention strategies for all women. The study is now online in Cancer Causes & Control, and can be found here.
The research, directed by lead author Mark Powell, MD, MPH, and Buck Institute professor Christopher Benz, MD, was carried out in the large California Teachers Study. Women with preeclampsia were found to have a 74% lower risk of the most common type of breast cancer (hormone receptor positive) if they carried two T alleles of a variant of the insulin-like growth factor receptor gene when compared to women carrying no T alleles. This decrease in risk increased to 90% if the pregnancy with preeclampsia occurred before the age of 30.
"We are thrilled to work with researchers from our Scientific Advisory Board on this exciting project with the potential for developing a new approach to prevention. This very much fits with our goal of reducing the risk of breast cancer," said Rose Barlow, Executive Director of Zero Breast Cancer, which administered the study with funding from the Avon Foundation for Women.
"This research could contribute to understanding the key impact of pregnancy on breast cancer risk, and may help explain why some women are protected while others are not," said Powell, who is a visiting scientist at the Buck Institute and is Director of the Breast Cancer Prevention Project.
Powell said women who develop high blood pressure in pregnancy have many associated changes in levels of hormones and growth factors, resulting in permanent protective breast tissue changes in women who carry the specific common gene variant. Powell and Benz are now working on a major collaborative effort to identify the mechanism of this protective effect with the goal of developing badly needed new prevention strategies. "Fellow researchers have demonstrated enormous interest in working with us," said Benz, who is also a practicing oncologist at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). "This collective endeavor includes breast cancer investigators from UCSF, the Mayo Clinic, and many other leading research institutions." Working with the Komen Tissue Bank, Powell and Benz have obtained breast tissue from women identified as having high levels of protection, and are now analyzing this tissue in an effort to apply this naturally occurring process to all women.
"These study results may have a more immediate application in risk assessment," Powell added. "Research has shown this decrease in risk applies to women with gestational hypertension who carry the protective gene variant as well as those with preeclampsia. It is estimated that there are 9 million women in the U.S. whose risk could now be more accurately assessed, resulting in enhanced individualized breast cancer screening protocols."
Powell says the study results confirm and expand upon earlier findings from the Marin Women's Study, which consists of 13,344 Marin women whose contribution to this research cannot be overstated. Results were compelling enough to warrant validation in the larger California Teachers Study (CTS), which is a major long-term research study initiated in 1995 by the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC), and is comprised of 133,479 active and retired female public school teachers and administrators. This study was completed in collaboration with CPIC Senior Research Scientist Peggy Reynolds, PhD, MPH.
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Citation: Functional IGF1R variant predicts breast cancer risk in women with preeclampsia in California Teachers Study DOI: 10.1007/s100552-017-0942-7
About the Buck Institute for Research on Aging
The Buck Institute is the U.S.'s first independent research organization devoted to Geroscience - focused on the connection between normal aging and chronic disease. Based in Novato, CA, The Buck is dedicated to extending "Healthspan", the healthy years of human life and does so utilizing a unique interdisciplinary approach involving laboratories studying the mechanisms of aging and those focused on specific diseases. Buck scientists strive to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, diabetes and stroke. In their collaborative research, they are supported by the most recent developments in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and stem cell technologies. For more information: http://www.thebuck.org
About Zero Breast Cancer
Zero Breast Cancer promotes breast cancer risk reduction through translation of scientific research and evidence-based recommendations that support health and wellness at key stages of life. Our vision is a world with zero breast cancer. The work of ZBC takes place in the context of understanding that cancer risks are not clear cut or sudden; they are complex, they interact and they are embedded in our physical and our social environments. Therefore, risk reduction and prevention efforts must be integrated, multi-faceted, incremental and sustained. ZBC focuses on modifiable risk factors - things that we can change - either individually or within our community. http://www.zerobreastcancer.org
About the Cancer Prevention Institute of California
The Cancer Prevention Institute of California manages the California Teachers Study and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing cancer and to reducing its burden where it cannot yet be prevented. We are the only freestanding research institution working solely to prevent cancer using extensive population data. Our researchers study a wide range of cancer risk factors, such as racial/ethnic background, socioeconomic status, age, occupation, gender, genetic predisposition, geographic location, environment and lifestyle to determine how these factors affect frequency, distribution and types of cancers. For more information, visit the CPIC website at http://www.cpic.org
SAN FRANCISCO (August 30, 2017) -- On its 50th anniversary, the landmark theory of island biogeography--the study of the distribution of species on islands over time--expands from land to sea with fascinating results. A team of researchers led by Dr. Hudson Pinheiro, postdoctoral ichthyologist at the California Academy of Sciences, have proposed a new conceptual model of island biogeography for marine organisms--a theory that explores how different processes (like sea level fluctuations and geographic isolation) influence marine species diversity around islands. The team found that, despite some similarities, the forces that tend to shape diversification and community assemblage on land are different from those that impact islands' marine environments. Results--authored by researchers from the Academy, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo--are published today in Nature.
An unprecedented model of marine evolution
The new model suggests that marine species are better dispersers than land-based animals--arriving quickly around inhabitable islands to fill available ocean niches. This fast action by skilled dispersers leaves no chance for adaptation to cause species to change and fill new niches, as is typically seen over time on terrestrial island habitats.
"In order to crack the forces that shape ocean life around islands, we decided to dig into the evolutionary history of Brazilian reef fishes," says Pinheiro, Academy researcher and member of its Hope for Reefs team. "When we focused on 10 species in a chain of volcanic seamounts and islands off the coast of Brazil, we saw that older endemic species were larger. These large fishes were better dispersers than their 'younger' species counterparts, which were all small, bad dispersers. It's clear that these unique marine environments need their own model to explain what lives where over time."
By tracing the evolutionary history of the reef fishes restricted to this specific chain of seamounts and islands through their DNA, the scientists were able to better understand exactly how island geography, geological history, and sea level fluctuations generally impact the diversity of nearby marine species. Fishes were collected from both shallow and deep reef locations--the dives requiring specialized equipment called rebreathers that Pinheiro and his Academy colleagues use to dive 200 to 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface. The findings confirm that sea level changes and the locations of exposed seamounts play a critical role in marine evolution over time, mainly by intermittently providing stepping-stones for weak disperser species to colonize island habitats.
"We're finally understanding how the complex, ever-changing web of island life on land differs from the same web in the ocean," says senior author Dr. Luiz Rocha, Academy curator of ichthyology and co-leader of the Hope for Reefs initiative. "Think of iconic Galapagos finches--when their ancestor arrived in the region, there were many empty land niches to fill and adaptations emerged to help them specialize over time. It's simply not the same in island marine habitats. Fast-dispersing marine organisms quickly colonize available niches, and we don't see the same pattern of specialized adaptation over time."
50th anniversary of a land-based breakthrough
In 1967, Drs. Robert H. MacArthur and E.O. Wilson pioneered the field of island biogeography as a way to explain the distribution of species around the world--how they move, change, and occasionally go extinct. Islands isolated by water could be viewed as splintered habitats with higher extinction rates than their larger, continuous counterparts like continents and their coastlines.
"Our research team had quite an exciting brainstorming session about testing a marine biogeography theory," says co-author Dr. Giacomo Bernardi, University of California, Santa Cruz professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and California Academy of Sciences Fellow. "We knew that MacArthur and Wilson came up with parts of their theory by drawing on restaurant napkins. We were drawing our hypotheses on paper towels in a lab. This type of scientific collaboration is exciting, and the foundational work of innovative predecessors helps make it happen."
Understanding the forces that help shape what allows species to persist in (and adapt to) different environments over time is a useful tool in tailoring conservation work and modeling for the future. This field of research has prompted new generations of scientists--including the authors of the Nature paper--to push for a more detailed understanding of evolution during our modern time of mass species extinction and rapidly changing climate.
"Pulling out patterns in nature is important," says Bernardi. "We tend to think of the ocean as a fast-moving soup of larvae constantly invading regions and dying, but it's not total chaos. We have to find the methods in the madness."
Looking forward
Terrestrial and marine environments are both vulnerable to the never-before-seen wave of species die-off--called the "sixth mass extinction"--currently underway. The global community risks losing valuable marine ecosystems like coral reefs--systems that support the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people worldwide--to the combined impacts of overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, climate change, and ocean acidification. At least a quarter of the world's reefs have already been lost, with another 30% predicted to die in the next thirty years.
"We have hope," says lead author Pinheiro. "The more we uncover about dynamic marine environments and how they change over time, the better we can plan to protect them from future threats. This study sheds light on the ebb and flow of marine life on islands over evolutionary time. My role as a scientist is to chase the light, and encourage others to do the same."
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The Academy's Hope for Reefs initiative is made possible through the support of visionary donors. The Academy gratefully acknowledges the lead partners listed below.
William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation
Wendy and Eric Schmidt
Eva and William S. Price
Diana Nelson and John Atwater
Huifen Chan and Roelof F. Botha
Dalio Ocean Initiative
Jennifer Caldwell and John H. N. Fisher
The Hellman Foundation
Frances Hellman and Warren Breslau
About research at the California Academy of Sciences
The Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences is at the forefront of efforts to understand two of the most important topics of our time: the nature and sustainability of life on Earth. Based in San Francisco, the Institute is home to more than 100 world-class scientists, state-of-the-art facilities, and nearly 46 million scientific specimens from around the world. The Institute also leverages the expertise and efforts of more than 100 international Associates and 400 distinguished Fellows. Through expeditions around the globe, investigations in the lab, and analysis of vast biological datasets, the Institute's scientists work to understand the evolution and interconnectedness of organisms and ecosystems, the threats they face around the world, and the most effective strategies for sustaining them into the future. Through innovative partnerships and public engagement initiatives, they also guide critical sustainability and conservation decisions worldwide, inspire and mentor the next generation of scientists, and foster responsible stewardship of our planet.
Changes in how humans map their surroundings and construct and follow directions as they age have been understudied compared to effects on memory and learning. However, age-related declines in navigational ability are independent of those more well-known cognitive downturns, and could form the basis for tools for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discuss this possibility in a review published August 30 in the journal Neuron.
"In humans, navigation is much more cumbersome to research than learning or memory," says Thomas Wolbers, a neuroscientist specializing in aging and cognition at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. "But it has such a dramatic impact on everyday life, and the key structures of the 'navigational network' in the brain are very sensitive to both ordinary healthy aging and pathological factors."
Currently, Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed based on an individual's medical history, genetic risk factors, and performance on tests that measure memory, language, and reasoning impairments. Wolbers and his colleagues from the United States and the United Kingdom suggest that navigational impairments are among the earliest signs of the Alzheimer's progression. Healthy older individuals, for instance, strongly prefer to map objects and landmarks relative to their body position (an egocentric strategy) rather than in relation to external objects such as global landmarks or boundaries (an allocentric strategy). This strategic bias makes it much more difficult for them to learn the spatial layout of an environment and can thus reduce their mobility, a worrisome sign in younger people.
"It can take up to 10 years after the onset of Alzheimer's for someone to show abnormal results on the standard cognitive tests that are available today, and that's 10 years that you've lost for treating it, should an effective therapy come along down the road," says Wolbers. "This is where navigation-based diagnostics could contribute, by reducing that window."
Navigational testing is held back by a pair of obstacles, though both are receding. The first is the lack of standard tests for navigational tasks and population norms with which to evaluate results. More-affordable and portable virtual reality technology is making standardized test conditions possible, however, while co-author Jan Wiener (@Jan_Wiener) of the United Kingdom's Bournemouth University is one of the scientists behind the mobile app Sea Hero Quest, a game designed to collect population data on navigation decisions for dementia research.
The second holdup is that navigational abilities vary wildly from person to person, more so than for memory or other cognitive functions, Wolbers says. An effective diagnostic tool might need to be longitudinal, tracking an individual's navigation behaviors at different points in time throughout their life and looking for signs of early or accelerated decline. "We need longitudinal human data to be able to definitively say whether a change in navigational function can be used to predict whether Alzheimer's or any other neurodegenerative disease will develop later on," Wolbers says.
With such data and the improved virtual reality setups, the researchers conclude that a navigational test battery analogous to those used for memory and learning will be feasible. For now, Wolbers suggests that people train and use the navigational skills hardwired into their brains, especially in an age of commonplace in-car and handheld GPS technology.
"There is growing evidence that if you rely too much on that technology it can have a detrimental effect on your navigational ability and in the long term may even be a risk to develop pathological conditions," he says.
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This work was supported by the European Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
Neuron, Lester et al: "The Aging Navigational System" http://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(17)30561-5 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.06.037
Neuron (@NeuroCellPress), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that has established itself as one of the most influential and relied upon journals in the field of neuroscience and one of the premier intellectual forums of the neuroscience community. It publishes interdisciplinary articles that integrate biophysical, cellular, developmental, and molecular approaches with a systems approach to sensory, motor, and higher-order cognitive functions. Visit: http://www.cell.com/neuron. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Surviving cardiac arrest often seems like a matter of luck -- whether a passerby knows CPR, or a defibrillator is close at hand or the ambulance arrives quickly.
But one surprising factor also plays a role: The racial makeup of your neighborhood.
Compared to people who live in predominantly white neighborhoods, those who live in predominantly black areas are much less likely to receive CPR or defibrillation from a bystander when their heart suddenly stops beating while they are at home or out in the community.
And that appears to translate into a worse chance of survival for people in black neighborhoods, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in JAMA Cardiology by researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
"We have known that there are differences in the rates of survival from cardiac arrest between blacks and whites, but it was surprising to see how the demographics of a neighborhood affected outcomes of residents who experience cardiac arrest," said lead author Monique Starks, M.D., a cardiologist and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. "This is absolutely a call to action to improve and expand CPR training and defibrillator access."
Starks and colleagues -- including senior author Graham Nichol, M.D., director of the University of Washington-Harborview Center for Prehospital Emergency Care -- analyzed cardiac arrest data from a registry that includes information from seven U.S. cities: Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Portland, Seattle, and Milwaukee. U.S. Census data were used to provide demographic information at the neighborhood level.
The researchers analyzed more than 22,000 cases in which cardiac arrest occurred in a non-hospital setting over a four-year period between 2008-11. Neighborhoods where out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurred were classified by census tract, based on percentage of black residents, ranging from fewer than 25 percent, between 25-50 percent, between 51-75 percent, and more than 75 percent.
Compared with patients who experienced a cardiac arrest in mainly white neighborhoods, those in predominantly black neighborhoods were slightly younger, more frequently female, had lower rates of initial shockable rhythm, and less frequently experienced their heart event in a public location.
Overall, nearly 40 percent of people stricken with cardiac arrest outside of the hospital received bystander CPR. In primarily white neighborhoods, the rate was almost 47 percent, but in predominantly black neighborhoods, the rate was just 18 percent.
Use of an automated external defibrillator was similarly disproportionate by racial composition of the neighborhood. In mostly white neighborhoods, 4.5 percent of cardiac arrest victims received defibrillation from a bystander, compared to 0.9 percent in black neighborhoods.
Neighborhood make-up was also associated with survival. People with cardiac arrest in mixed- to majority- black neighborhoods had significantly lower adjusted survival rates at hospital discharge, the researchers found.
"We clearly see that treatments and outcomes for patients with cardiac arrest in black neighborhoods are worse than those in white neighborhoods. We then asked does it matter if you were black or white within those neighborhoods?" Nichol said. "Our observations were reassuring. It actually does not matter if you are black or white within the neighborhood, but the neighborhood matters."
That finding, the researchers noted, points to a lack of education about cardiac arrest and CPR in general among people living in black neighborhoods, along with a dearth of defibrillators in public spaces.
"This is something that can be addressed," Starks said. "Organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, along with medical centers and public health departments, have a unique opportunity to address this issue with dedicated education programs that are particularly tailored for black neighborhood. This is a relatively low-cost solution that could save lives."
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In addition to Starks and Nichol, study authors include Robert H. Schmicker, Eric D. Peterson, Susanne May, Jason E. Buick, Peter J. Kudenchuk, Ian R. Drennan, Heather Herren, Jamie Jasti, Michael Sayre, Dion Stub, Gary M. Vilke, Shannon W. Stephens, Anna M. Chang and Jack Nuttall on behalf of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium investigators.
The study was supported by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association. Starks also receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to promote diversity in health-related research (3U54AT007748-02S1).
A team led by Edith Falgarone (Ecole Normale Superieure and Observatoire de Paris, France) has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA - http://eso.org/alma) to detect signatures of the carbon hydride CH+ [1] in distant starburst galaxies[2]. The group identified strong signals of CH+ in five out of the six galaxies studied, including the Cosmic Eyelash (eso1012 - https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1012/ ) [3]. This research provides new information that helps astronomers understand the growth of galaxies and how a galaxy's surroundings fuel star formation.
"CH+ is a special molecule. It needs a lot of energy to form and is very reactive, which means its lifetime is very short and it can't be transported far. CH+ therefore traces how energy flows in the galaxies and their surroundings," said Martin Zwaan, an astronomer at ESO, who contributed to the paper.
How CH+ traces energy can be thought of by analogy to being on a boat in a tropical ocean on a dark, moonless night. When the conditions are right, fluorescent plankton can light up around the boat as it sails. The turbulence caused by the boat sliding through the water excites the plankton to emit light, which reveals the existence of the the turbulent regions in the underlying dark water. Since CH+ forms exclusively in small areas where turbulent motions of gas dissipates, its detection in essence traces energy on a galactic scale.
The observed CH+ reveals dense shock waves, powered by hot, fast galactic winds originating inside the galaxies' star forming regions. These winds flow through a galaxy, and push material out of it, but their turbulent motions are such that part of the material can be re-captured by the gravitational pull of the galaxy itself. This material gathers into huge turbulent reservoirs of cool, low-density gas, extending more than 30 000 light-years from the galaxy's star forming region [4].
"With CH+, we learn that energy is stored within vast galaxy-sized winds and ends up as turbulent motions in previously unseen reservoirs of cold gas surrounding the galaxy," said Falgarone, who is lead author of the new paper. "Our results challenge the theory of galaxy evolution. By driving turbulence in the reservoirs, these galactic winds extend the starburst phase instead of quenching it."
The team determined that galactic winds alone could not replenish the newly revealed gaseous reservoirs and suggests that the mass is provided by galactic mergers or accretion from hidden streams of gas, as predicted by current theory.
"This discovery represents a major step forward in our understanding of how the inflow of material is regulated around the most intense starburst galaxies in the early Universe," says ESO's Director for Science, Rob Ivison, a co-author on the paper. "It shows what can be achieved when scientists from a variety of disciplines come together to exploit the capabilities of the world's most powerful telescope."
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Notes
[1] CH+ is an ion of the CH molecule known as methylidynium to chemists. It is one of the first three molecules ever discovered in the interstellar medium. Since its discovery in the early 1940s, the presence of CH+ in interstellar space has been a mystery because it is extremely reactive and hence disappears more quickly than other molecules.
[2] These galaxies are known for a much higher rate of star formation compared to sedate Milky Way-like galaxies, making these structures ideal to study galaxy growth and the interplay between gas, dust, stars, and the black holes at the centres of galaxies.
[3] ALMA was used to obtain spectra of each galaxy. A spectrum is a record of light, typically of an astronomical object, split into its different colours (or wavelengths), in much the same way that rain droplets disperse light to form a rainbow. Since every element has a unique "fingerprint" in a spectrum, spectra can be used to determine the chemical composition of observed objects.
[4] These turbulent reservoirs of diffuse gas may be of the same nature as the giant glowing haloes seen around distant quasars.
More information
This research was presented in a paper entitled "Large turbulent reservoirs of cold molecular gas around high redshift starburst galaxies" by E. Falgarone et al., to appear in Nature on 30 August 2017.
The team is composed of E. Falgarone (Ecole Normale Superieure and Observatoire de Paris, France), M.A. Zwaan (ESO, Germany), B. Godard (Ecole Normale Superieure and Observatoire de Paris, France), E. Bergin (University of Michigan, USA), R.J. Ivison (ESO, Germany; University of Edinburgh, UK), P. M. Andreani (ESO, Germany), F. Bournaud (CEA/AIM, France), R. S. Bussmann (Cornell University, USA), D. Elbaz (CEA/AIM, France), A. Omont (IAP, CNRS, Sorbonne Universites, France), I. Oteo (University of Edinburgh, UK; ESO, Germany) and F. Walter (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie, Germany).
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its world-leading Very Large Telescope Interferometer as well as two survey telescopes, VISTA working in the infrared and the visible-light VLT Survey Telescope. ESO is also a major partner in two facilities on Chajnantor, APEX and ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope, the ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".
Links
* Research paper in Nature - https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1727/eso1727a.pdf
* Photos of ALMA - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/alma/
Contacts
Edith Falgarone
Ecole Normale Superieure -- Observatoire de Paris
Paris, France
Tel: +33 01 4432 3347
Email: edith.falgarone@ens.fr
Richard Hook
ESO Public Information Officer
Garching bei Munchen, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Cell: +49 151 1537 3591
Email: rhook@eso.org
Trading in skins of the reticulated python is such a lucrative business that illegal exports are rising sharply and existing trade restrictions are being circumvented on a large scale. This is endangering the stability of populations. Therefore, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Royal Zoological Society Scotland (RZSS) are developing genetic methods for tracking down individual origins and potential trade routes of the skins. Initial results have now been published in the renowned journal PLOS ONE. They show the genetic variation across reticulated python populations in Southeast Asia, and demonstrate the importance of such data for the long-term conservation of the giant snake species and controlled trade of its skin.
The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.) lays claim to two records: it is the longest reptile in the world, and it is one of the top reptile species most traded for their skin. Reticulated python skins have been traded commercially for around 80 years. They are an extremely lucrative natural resource for the international fashion industry. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam alone exported almost four million reticulated python skins from 2002 to 2012; at least 75 per cent of these came from "legal" wild harvests. Intense international commerce is, however, calling into question the legality and sustainability of this trade, which is in fact regulated by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is because the reticulated python is one of around 34,000 species in Appendix II of CITES that may only be traded legally with special documents. In reality, however, it is next to impossible to keep track of the trade dynamics of the reticulated python, says Dr. Mark Auliya, an expert for applied species conservation working on international wild animal trade at the UFZ, who also advises the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CITES, scientific organisations and customs authorities. In his opinion, management approaches barely exist at the regional and national levels. A number of businesses in the fashion industry therefore see it as their responsibility to support research projects such as that of the UFZ biologist and his Scottish colleague Dr. Gillian Murray-Dickson (RZSS), who aim to develop tests that verify the origin of the skins within the chain of commerce and hence reduce illegal trade.
The researchers investigated the extent to which evolutionary relationships between the populations might be used as reference for the management of catch quotas. For this purpose, they analysed mitochondrial DNA of reticulated pythons from a wide variety of regions within their distribution area. In this process, a clear separation emerged between populations west and east of the so-called "Wallace Line". This imaginary biogeographical line runs across the Malaysian archipelago and separates areas with exclusively Asian fauna from areas that contain not only Asian fauna but also fauna elements of Australian origin. The results show that the reticulated python populations of the Philippines can be clearly distinguished from other populations in the Sunda region, and it is likely that the reticulated python was introduced by humans to the Moluccan island of Ambon.
These findings should, firstly, contribute to the long-term conservation of the genetic diversity of the python. "If the animals of a particular region have their own genetic variation, the population must be managed separately," Mark Auliya explains. Adjusted catch and export quotas can be determined for this purpose, or a trade ban can be imposed if necessary.
Secondly, the genetic investigations can help to verify details relating to the initial export country (assuming that this is the county of origin) or country of origin provided in the CITES documentation - to determine whether the imported skins are indeed from the Philippines or elsewhere, for example. That would facilitate the enforcement of international regulations and significantly restrict illegal schemes.
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The research project received financial support from the Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) conglomerate. It is the leading supplier worldwide of luxury goods, including reptile leather products.
Related links:
ZDF / Planet-e: Snakeskins for Luxury Goods: The Python Code": https://www.zdf.de/dokumentation/planet-e/planet-e-pythoncode-englische-fassung-100.html
UFZ newsletter March 2016 / pages 6 to 8: http://www.ufz.de/newsletter/ufz/Maerz2016/index.html#/6 (available in German only)
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): https://www.cites.org/
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN): http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Further information:
Dr. Mark Auliya
UFZ Department of Conservation Biology
Email: mark.auliya@ufz.de
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?de=38972
Dr. Gill Murray-Dickson
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) WildGenes Laboratory
Email: gmdickson@rzss.org.uk
http://www.rzss.org.uk
Modern parallel computer architectures are capable of processing huge amounts of data at high speed. This allows for the increasing use of imaging techniques as sensors to control machines and process plants. In the new European collaborative project TOMOCON twelve research institutions and 15 renowned industrial companies work together on the development of imaging-based industrial process control. The network is coordinated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).
Beginning of September, the European Doctoral Training Network Smart Tomographic Sensors for Advanced Industrial Process Control" (TOMOCON) is going to be launched. "Together with our international partners we offer a comprehensive doctoral training to 15 Early Stage Researchers. Beside their academic research projects they will receive industrial training in various companies and attend three summer schools of the network", explains the project coordinator Professor Uwe Hampel from HZDR.
The scientific subject of the network is a hot topic within the context of digitalized industrial processes. Especially with the development of ultrafast parallel-data processing techniques imaging technologies have gained an enormous potential to be employed as sensors for real-time control of industrial processes and plants. Such concepts currently emerge in other fields as well, such as for example in autonomous driving.
Among the many imaging techniques tomographic ones are of highest interest for the industry, as they can provide insight into opaque systems in a contactless way. However, to do so it is imperative to solve some grand challenges coming from industrial processes. Just to name a few: How can we cope with aggressive process conditions and highest data rates? How can control parameters be most intelligently and rapidly extracted from image data? What does human-machine interaction in such systems look like? Hence, the research topics of the 15 Early Stage Researchers are accordingly diverse and connect the scientific fields of sensor technology, process tomography, industrial process control, computational physics and process modelling, human-machine interaction and massive parallel-data processing.
Efficient industrial processes of the future
The TOMOCON project attains a strong practical relevance through four selected technical demonstrations, which are closely accompanied by the many industry partners. In inline-fluid separation liquids of different density are being separated via centrifugation in slim flow channels. Process control with smart tomographic sensors shall suppress the development of emulsions and hence improve the separation quality drastically. This is of vital interest in the chemical and petro-chemical industry and supported by companies like Linde, Shell and TOTAL. Magnetic tomography developed at HZDR shall be developed as a sensor for controlling mold injection in continuous steel casting at highest production speed and will be accompanied by the Austrian company Primetals Technologies and the Dutch TATA Steel. Together with the German companies Votsch Industrietechnik and Pinta Elements the drying of impregnated polymer foams via tomography-controlled microwave heating will be demonstrated. Furthermore TOMOCON will demonstrate ultrasound-controlled industrial crystallization together with Sulzer Switzerland and DuPont from Finland.
"At HZDR we are strongly involved in the first two topics," says Uwe Hampel, who is also Endowed Chair of Imaging Techniques in Energy and Process Engineering at TU Dresden. "We are proud that our project also contributes to a sustainable network of academic and industrial partners in Europe and world-wide. For HZDR the activities being pursued in TOMOCON are central to the development of efficient industrial processes of tomorrow."
More information on TOMOCON:
On an annual base the EU funds open-topic Innovative Training Networks within the frame of the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie actions. Such funding is very popular. In the 2017 call there were in total 1.718 submitted proposals for which less than 10 percent received funding. The project coordinated by Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, has a duration of four years, and starts September 1, 2017. The financial budget is 3.82 million Euros.
Academic Partners:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany, coordinator), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (France), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland), Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic), University of Technology Lodz (Poland), University of Bath (UK), University of Eastern Finland (Finland), Technische Universitat Dresden (Germany), Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (Brazil)
Industry Partners:
Netrix S.A. (Poland), Teletronic Rossendorf GmbH (Germany), Rocsole Ltd. (Finland), CERG Fluides S.A.S. (France), Frames Group B.V. (The Netherlands), Votsch Industrietechnik GmbH (Germany), Pinta Elements GmbH (Germany), Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH (Austria), Siemens AG (Germany), Linde AG (Germany), Total S.A. (France), Tata Steel Europe Ltd. (The Netherlands), Shell Global Solutions International BV (The Netherlands), DuPont Ltd. (Finland), Sulzer AG (Switzerland)
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Did you know that August 30 is International Whale Shark Day? Whale sharks are the largest fishes on Earth, growing up to 18 meters (60 feet) long, but they feed mostly on tiny drifting animals such as copepods and, occasionally, small fish such as anchovies. To satisfy their immense appetites, whale sharks travel long distances to find dense swarms of prey.
MBARI biological oceanographer John Ryan recently worked with biologists who have been tracking whale sharks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. They discovered that whale sharks in this area spend most of their time cruising along fronts--the dynamic boundaries between warm and cold ocean waters. This study, recently published in the journal PLoS One, could help in the conservation of these endangered animals.
In 2011 and 2012, a team of researchers from Ecuador and England attached satellite tracking tags to 27 whale sharks at Darwin's Arch, a remote location about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the main Galapagos archipelago, and about two degrees north of the equator. This was the first time whale sharks had been tagged in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The tagged sharks spent the next four to six months traveling east and west from this location across a 4,000-kilometer expanse of ocean, mostly staying between the equator and five degrees north latitude.
The researchers contacted Ryan to help them figure out how the whale-shark movements related to ocean conditions. This was a challenging task because ocean conditions are continually changing and whale sharks are always on the move.
Sea-surface temperatures, routinely measured by satellites, can reveal the oceanic features that whale sharks encounter during their large-scale movements. Ryan analyzed day-to-day changes in sea-surface temperature across the entire Eastern Tropical Pacific for the months when the whale sharks were being tracked. Because the Equatorial Pacific is often cloudy, Ryan used a combination of infrared and microwave radiation data from satellites (microwave radiation can pass through clouds).
When Ryan first looked at the whale-shark tracks in relation to the satellite data, he was struck by how consistent the tracks were. "The whale sharks could have ranged anywhere in the Eastern Tropical Pacific," he said, "but they were primarily following frontal boundaries between warm and cold water."
Extending across the Eastern Pacific is a distinct boundary between warm water north of the equator and colder water to the south. This boundary is called the North Pacific Equatorial Upwelling Front. Ryan's analysis showed that whale sharks followed this front as if it was an open-ocean highway. When the front moved north and south in huge wave-like meanders, the whale sharks followed these meanders like semi trucks negotiating a winding mountain road.
Darwin's Arch, the whale-shark tagging site, is located right in the middle of the equatorial front. This could explain why whale sharks are often seen in the area, but rarely hang around for very long.
Ryan pointed out that the equatorial front is an environmental transition zone. "To the north of this zone, the water is warm and stable but there's not a lot of productivity," he explained. "To the south the water has high productivity, but is much colder."
He continued, "Previous studies showed that plankton [small, drifting plants and animals] can accumulate in this transitional zone. So this zone may be a good place for whale sharks to find dense food patches, while not getting too chilled by cold water."
Ryan also discovered that, when whale sharks approached the coasts of Central and South America, they followed fronts in these areas as well. Though less extensive than the equatorial front, these coastal fronts also form at boundaries between cold, high-productivity water and warm, less productive water. Whale sharks appear to head for these "secondary highways" in January or February, when the equatorial front typically weakens or disappears.
In an interesting side note, almost all of the whale sharks tracked in this experiment appeared to be pregnant females. The one adult male that was tracked followed a similar path as the females. Two juvenile whale sharks that were tracked followed different paths, farther away from the equatorial front.
In 2016, whale sharks were declared an endangered species, their numbers threatened by shark finning, entanglement in fishing gear, and boat collisions. But one of the biggest challenges in whale-shark conservation is simply coming up with good population estimates. By demonstrating that whale sharks can be found along fronts, this study will make it easier for marine biologists to estimate how many of these gentle giants are out there riding the rolling waves of the whale-shark highways.
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International research involving Monash biologists has provided new insights into how the feeding habits of the whale - the biggest animal - have evolved.
The research, led by Monash University and Museums Victoria was published in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters, and is the first to show that ancient whales had sharp teeth, suggesting they were ferocious predators.
"Contrary to what many people thought, it seems that that whales never used their teeth as a sieve, and instead evolved their signature filter feeding strategy only later - maybe after their teeth had already been lost," said study lead co-author Associate Professor Alistair Evans, from the Monash School of Biological Sciences.
"Our findings provide crucial new insights into how the biggest animals ever evolved their most important trait: filter feeding," he said.
"Filter feeding is the defining trait of modern whales - there are few ways in which this unique strategy could have evolved from tooth-bearing, predatory ancestors, and our study firmly rules out one of them."
Researchers studied the 3D shape of fossil and modern teeth from museum collections in Australia and overseas.
They compared how sharp the teeth of ancient whales were relative to those of modern predators, like dingoes and lions.
Teeth are the main tool used during feeding and their shape reveals much about how and what animals eat.
"Predators that kill and chew their prey need sharp teeth with cutting blades," Dr Evans said.
"By contrast, species that use their teeth as a sieve have blunt teeth with rounded edges that help to filter prey from water.
"We found that ancient whales had sharp teeth similar to lions and dingoes so it likely they used their teeth to kill rather than filter."
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ARLINGTON, Va. -- Before acceptance to flight school, aspiring naval pilots must pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)--a rigorous intellectual exercise that evaluates things like aviation and nautical knowledge, math and engineering skills, and personality traits.
Since training a single pilot costs the U.S. Navy over $1 million, the ASTB is a critical tool for finding the right candidates to fly manned aircraft, such as fighter jets. But the Navy doesn't have ASTB-style tests to qualify pilots of today's latest aircraft--remotely operated, unmanned aviation systems (UAS), popularly called drones.
Since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, UAS have played ever-larger roles in intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, and other missions. Consequently, there's an increasing need for well-trained UAS pilots.
Georgia Tech and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute--sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)--are developing a series of new specialized tests to assess cognitive abilities and personality traits, and identify potential Navy and Marine Corps UAS operators. It's called the Selection for UAS Personnel, or SUPer.
"The temperament and personality of F-18 pilots won't necessarily be the same as those flying surveillance aircraft," said Cmdr. Brent Olde, a program officer in ONR's Warfighter Performance Department. "Neither will the required skill set be identical, so it's important that we create a standardized way to assess the abilities of future UAS operators."
In recent years, the Air Force established its own formal screening process for UAS operators, and the Marine Corps designated a UAS career path for its ranks. The Navy, however, doesn't have an official selection and training pipeline specifically for UAS operators. Historically, the service took aviators who already earned their wings, gave them on-the-job, UAS-specific training, and placed them in temporary positions.
SUPer comprises both written and computerized tests covering skills like math knowledge, spatial orientation, reading cockpit dials and critical thinking. SUPer participants also study computer maps featuring prominent natural or manmade landmarks--and then remember object locations on larger, less defined maps.
Tests are followed by training exercises on a flight simulator designed to mirror common UAS missions. Participants also complete psychological and personality tests to ascertain if they would excel as UAS pilots--which often involves 12-hour shifts sitting in front of a control station, inside of an isolated command center.
"SUPer will be a valuable tool in helping the Navy pick the best people to become UAS operators, and determine who will be an optimal fit and find satisfaction in the role," said Dr. Phillip Ackerman, a Georgia Tech psychology professor overseeing SUPer's development.
Approximately 350 civilian and military volunteers are participating as SUPer research subjects at Ackerman's Georgia Tech laboratory and various Navy and Air Force training centers. The current version of the SUPer test battery takes approximately four hours to complete.
At September's end, Ackerman and his research team will review the results; design a standardized exam for validation by prospective Navy and Air Force UAS pilots; and, hopefully, have a product ready for fleet implementation in 2018.
"Training pilots for manned and unmanned systems is time-intensive and expensive," said Lt. Cmdr. Tatana Olson, deputy director of the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory at the Naval Medical Research Unit, Dayton, and who serves as SUPer's government lead. "SUPer will define and assess the knowledge, skills and abilities required to be a successful UAS operator, and, ultimately, optimize naval use of human resources for unmanned aviation."
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Analysis of a skeleton found in the Chan Hol cave near Tulum, Mexico suggests human settlement in the Americas occurred in the late Pleistocene era, according to a study published August 30, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Wolfgang Stinnesbeck from Universitat Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues.
Scientists have long debated about when humans first settled in the Americas. While osteological evidence of early settlers is fragmentary, researchers have previously discovered and dated well-preserved prehistoric human skeletons in caves in Tulum in Southern Mexico.
To learn more about America's early settlers, Stinnesbeck and colleagues examined human skeletal remains found in the Chan Hol cave near Tulum. The researchers dated the skeleton by analyzing the Uranium, Carbon and Oxygen isotopes found in its bones and in the stalagmite which had grown through its pelvic bone.
The researchers' isotopic analysis dated the skeleton to ~13 k BP, or approximately 13,000 years before present. This finding suggests that the Chan Hol cave was accessed during the late Pleistocene, providing one of oldest examples of a human settler in the Americas. While the researchers acknowledge that changes in climate over time may have influenced the dating of the skeleton, future research could potentially disentangle how climate impacted the Chan Hol archaeological record.
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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183345
Citation: Stinnesbeck W, Becker J, Hering F, Frey E, Gonzalez AG, Fohlmeister J, et al. (2017) The earliest settlers of Mesoamerica date back to the late Pleistocene. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0183345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183345
Funding: All the funding or sources of support received during this specific study have been presented. This financial support was granted to us by the Internationales Buro of the German Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF project 01DN119) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG project STI 128/28-1). MD acknowledges support by the Irish Research Council (IRC) by a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship (GOIPD/2015/789). BMBF and DFG financed our field work in Mexico and provided funds for laboratory work. Author Michael Deininger received a salary from the IRC during part of this study. Other than that the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Grains have been reported to regularly trickle from hopper cars travelling via the railway located within the Canadian Banff and Yoho National Parks, attracting the local red squirrels.
As a result, the rodents have grown used to foraging on the spilled seeds, which they collect in underground storage areas where they can be discovered and dug up by grizzly bears. Grain-conditioned bears may frequent the railway more often than usual, resulting in increased mortality by trains strikes.
Furthermore, the dispersal, following caching and digestion of such seeds by both squirrels and bears, could lead to the spread and establishment of those agricultural plants in the area.
The case is investigated and discussed by members of the University of Alberta's research team of Julia Elizabeth Put, Laurens Put and Dr. Colleen Cassady St. Clair. Their study is published in the open access journal Nature Conservation.
It all began when members of the team found a grain-filled midden that was visited by a bear near where the same bear had bluff-charged Parks Canada employees. At the time, the researchers were investigating possible explanations for causes of grizzly bear mortality on the adjacent railway. Thus, an unexpected opportunity to document interactions between species and how those can lead to human-wildlife conflicts presented itself to the scientists.
The three basic questions brought up by Julia and her team were whether spilled grain could increase the number of squirrels near the rail; if other middens contained grain; and if other bears accessed grain in middens. Eventually, their data provided a resounding 'yes' to all of them.
In some mountain parks in North America, including Banff, grizzly bears are known to excavate squirrel middens to access whitebark pine seeds. The tree, however, is only found at high elevations far from the valley bottom where the railway is located. Nevertheless, this behaviour may easily translate to targeting other food items in middens, such as grain, speculate the researchers.
Once a bear consumes grain from a squirrel midden, it could initiate or reinforce a tendency to seek grain on the rail, where it is generally less concentrated. Such conditioning of food rewards could lead to grizzly bears spending more time in the area around or on the rails, where they would be at risk of being struck by trains.
"The only feasible mitigation for these effects is to reduce spillage from hopper cars via careful attention to loading and gate maintenance," conclude the authors.
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Original source:
Put JE, Put L, St. Clair CC (2017) Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears. Nature Conservation 21: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429
We have a symbiotic relationship with the trillions of bacteria that live in our bodies--they help us, we help them. It turns out that they even speak the same language. And new research from The Rockefeller University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai suggests these newly discovered commonalities may open the door to "engineered" gut flora who can have therapeutically beneficial effects on disease.
"We call it mimicry," says Sean Brady, director of Rockefeller University's Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules, where the research was conducted. The breakthrough is described in a paper published this week in the journal Nature.
In a double-barreled discovery, Brady and co-investigator Louis Cohen found that gut bacteria and human cells, though different in many ways, speak what is basically the same chemical language, based on molecules called ligands. Building on that, they developed a method to genetically engineer the bacteria to produce molecules that have the potential to treat certain disorders by altering human metabolism. In a test of their system on mice, the introduction of modified gut bacteria led to reduced blood glucose levels and other metabolic changes in the animals.
Molecular impersonation
The method involves the lock-and-key relationship of ligands, which bind to receptors on the membranes of human cells to produce specific biological effects. In this case, the bacteria-derived molecules are mimicking human ligands that bind to a class of receptors known as GPCRs, for G-protein-coupled receptors.
Many of the GPCRs are implicated in metabolic diseases, Brady says, and are the most common targets of drug therapy. And they're conveniently present in the gastrointestinal tract, where the gut bacteria are also found. "If you're going to talk to bacteria," says Brady, "you're going to talk to them right there." (Gut bacteria are part of the microbiome, the larger community of microbes that exist in and on the human body.)
In their work, Cohen and Brady engineered gut bacteria to produce specific ligands, N-acyl amides, that bind with a specific human receptor, GPR 119, that is known to be involved in the regulation of glucose and appetite, and has previously been a therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The bacterial ligands they created turned out to be almost identical structurally to the human ligands, says Cohen, an assistant professor of gastroenterology in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.
Manipulating the system
Among the advantages of working with bacteria, says Cohen, who spent five years in Brady's lab as part of Rockefeller's Clinical Scholars Program, is that their genes are easier to manipulate than human genes and much is already known about them. "All the genes for all the bacteria inside of us have been sequenced at some point," he says.
In past projects, researchers in Brady's lab have mined microbes from soil in search of naturally occurring therapeutic agents. In this instance, Cohen started with human stool samples in his hunt for gut bacteria with DNA he could engineer. When he found them he cloned them and packaged them inside E. coli bacteria, which is easy to grow. He could then see what molecules the engineered E. coli strains were making.
Although they are the product of non-human microorganisms, Brady says it's a mistake to think of the bacterial ligands they create in the lab as foreign. "The biggest change in thought in this field over the last 20 years is that our relationship with these bacteria isn't antagonistic," he says. "They are a part of our physiology. What we're doing is tapping into the native system and manipulating it to our advantage."
"This is a first step in what we hope is a larger-scale, functional interrogation of what the molecules derived from microbes can do," Brady says. His plan is to systematically expand and define the chemistry that is being used by the bacteria in our guts to interact with us. Our bellies, it turns out, are full of promise.
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HOUSTON - (Aug. 30, 2017) - Motorized molecules driven by light have been used to drill holes in the membranes of individual cells and show promise for either bringing therapeutic agents into the cells or directly inducing the cells to die.
Researchers at Rice, Durham (U.K.) and North Carolina State universities demonstrated in lab tests how rotors in single-molecule nanomachines can be activated by ultraviolet light to spin at 2 to 3 million rotations per second and open membranes in cells.
The researchers used motors based on work by Nobel laureate Bernard Feringa, who won the prize for chemistry in 2016. The motor itself is a paddle-like chain of atoms that can be prompted to move in a single direction when supplied with energy. Properly mounted as part of the cell-targeting molecule, the motor can be made to spin when activated by a light source.
The work detailed this week in Nature was led by chemists James Tour of Rice, Robert Pal of Durham and Gufeng Wang of North Carolina State. Their labs collaborated to create several motorized molecules that can home in on specific cells, and they viewed what happens when they activate the motors with light.
The Tour lab previously demonstrated molecular motors whose diffusion in a solution was enhanced, if not specifically directed, when activated by ultraviolet light. The rotors needed to spin between 2 and 3 megahertz -- 2 to 3 million times per second -- to show they could overcome obstacles presented by adjacent molecules and outpace natural Brownian motion.
"We thought it might be possible to attach these nanomachines to the cell membrane and then turn them on to see what happened," Tour said. The motors, only about a nanometer wide, can be designed to target and then either tunnel through a cell's lipid bilayer membrane to deliver drugs or other payloads or disrupt the 8-10 nanometer-wide membrane, thereby killing the cell. They can also be functionalized for solubility and for fluorescent tracking, he said.
"These nanomachines are so small that we could park 50,000 of them across the diameter of a human hair, yet they have the targeting and actuating components combined in that diminutive package to make molecular machines a reality for treating disease," Tour said.
The Rice lab created 10 variants, including motor-bearing molecules in several sizes and peptide-carrying nanomachines designed to target specific cells for death, as well as control molecules identical to the other nanomachines but without motors.
The Wang lab first successfully tested the motorized molecule's ability to open a synthetic lipid bilayer vesicle, allowing dyed solution to get inside. Next, they trapped dye-carrying molecular motors inside a vesicle, activated them with ultraviolet light and watched as the fluorescent dye faded, which suggested the motor had punched through the vesicle wall.
The researchers found it takes at least a minute for a motor to tunnel through a membrane. "It is highly unlikely that a cell could develop a resistance to molecular mechanical action," Tour said.
Pal expects nanomachines will help target cancers like breast tumors and melanomas that resist existing chemotherapy. "Once developed, this approach could provide a potential step change in noninvasive cancer treatment and greatly improve survival rates and patient welfare globally," he said.
The Pal lab at Durham tested motors on live cells, including human prostate cancer cells. Experiments showed that without an ultraviolet trigger, motors could locate specific cells of interest but stayed on the targeted cells' surface and were unable to drill into the cells. When triggered, however, the motors rapidly drilled through the membranes.
Test motors designed to target prostate cancer cells broke through their membranes from outside and killed them within one to three minutes of activation, Pal said. Videos of the cells showed increased blebbing - bubbling of the membrane -- within minutes after activation.
Smaller molecular motors were harder to track but proved better at getting into cells quickly upon ultraviolet activation, disrupting their membranes and killing them. Motorless control molecules were unable to kill cells upon ultraviolet exposure, which eliminated thermal absorption of ultraviolet light as the cause of disruption, according to the researchers.
They expect the rotors may eventually be activated by two-photon absorption, near-infrared light or radio frequencies, which would make the technique more viable for in-vivo treatment; this would pave the way toward the establishment of novel, easy and cost-effective photodynamic therapy.
"The researchers are already proceeding with experiments in microorganisms and small fish to explore the efficacy in-vivo," Tour said. "The hope is to move this swiftly to rodents to test the efficacy of nanomachines for a wide range of medicinal therapies."
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Rice graduate student Victor Garcia-Lopez is lead author of the study. Co-authors are graduate students Lizanne Nilewski and Amir Aliyan; research scientist Guillaume Duret; Anatoly Kolomeisky, a professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering; and Jacob Robinson, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, all of Rice; and North Carolina State alumnus Fang Chen. Pal is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Durham (U.K.). Wang is an assistant professor of analytical chemistry at North Carolina State. Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Chair in Chemistry as well as a professor of computer science and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice.
AT RICE:
Jeff Falk
713-348-6775
jfalk@rice.edu
Mike Williams
713-348-6728
mikewilliams@rice.edu
AT DURHAM (UK):
Stephanie Dawson
44-0-191-334-6075
stephanie.dawson2@durham.ac.uk
AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE:
Tracey Peake
919-515-6142
tracey_peake@ncsu.edu
The National Science Foundation, North Carolina State University, the Royal Society and the Biophysical Sciences Institute at Durham University supported the research.
Read the paper at http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature23657
DOI: 10.1038/nature23657
This news release can be found online at news.rice.edu
Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews
Related materials:
Rice vehicle tops all in Nanocar Race: http://news.rice.edu/2017/04/28/rice-vehicle-first-in-nanocar-race/
Rice makes light-driven nanosubmarines: http://news.rice.edu/2015/11/16/rice-makes-light-driven-nanosubmarines/
Tour Group: http://www.jmtour.com
Gufeng Wang: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~gwang10/index.htm
Robert Pal: https://www.dur.ac.uk/research/directory/staff/?mode=staff&id=6011
Wiess School of Natural Sciences: http://natsci.rice.edu
Video:
https://youtu.be/UE_Zh8XUDuE
Video produced by Brandon Martin/Rice University
Images for download:
http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/07/08XX_MACHINES-1a-WEB-23wdukb.jpg
Motorized molecules that target diseased cells may deliver drugs or kill the cells by drilling into the cell membranes. The illustration shows a motorized molecule sitting atop a cell membrane (left) and molecules activated by ultraviolet light drilling into the bilayer membrane (right). (Credit: Tour Group/Rice University)
http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/07/08XX_MACHINES-2-WEB-1p3vvfp.jpg
A sequence of images taken over 10 minutes shows a human prostate cell under attack by motorized molecules. The cell, tagged with a green fluorescent protein, is made permeable by the nanomachines, which drill through its lipid bilayer membranes. The bottom images clearly show blebbing (bubbling) of the membrane as cytoplasm leaks out of the cell. (Credit: Robert Pal/Durham University)
http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/07/08XX_MACHINES-3-WEB-1ue0v52.jpg
This is a sample schematic of a nanomachine created by researchers at Rice, Durham (U.K.) and North Carolina State universities. The machine incorporates a static body and a light-activated rotor and can be modified for solubility, with fluorophores for tracking or with recognition sites for cellular targeting. (Credit: Tour Group/Rice University)
http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/08/08XX_MACHINES-4-WEB-2jvtmoy.jpg
Motorized molecules that target diseased cells may deliver drugs to or kill the cells by drilling into the cell membranes. Scientists at Rice, Durham (U.K.) and North Carolina State universities have demonstrated them on cancer and other cells. (Credit: Loic Samuel/Rice University)
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 quality of life and for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for happiest students 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.
About Durham University: A world top 100 university with a global reputation and performance in research and education (QS 2018 and THE World University Rankings 2016/17). In the Guardian University Guide 2018 and the 2017 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, Durham was ranked fourth in the UK. A member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive UK universities. Research at Durham shapes local, national and international agendas, and directly informs the teaching of our students. Ranked 34 globally for the employability of its students by blue-chip companies world-wide (QS World University Rankings 2018).
A new analysis of drought in Jordan - one of the world's most water-poor countries - suggests that without alternate water sources, better land use and improved water-sharing agreements, the country could face a future of potentially disastrous droughts. The research, which was the first to analyze several types of drought and to take into account land use changes in upstream Syria, could inform water policies in other arid countries with shared rivers. "Jordan's ability to satisfy future urban and agricultural water demands will be stressed by cascading effects on its freshwater supply," said study co-author Steven Gorelick, the Cyrus Fisher Tolman Professor in Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. "These impacts are from increasingly severe droughts and eventual agricultural land-use recovery in the aftermath of the Syrian civil war."
Gorelick leads the Jordan Water Project, which is exploring water management and policy in Jordan with the hope of both improving water security in the water-poor nation and developing tools to improve water availability in other drought-prone regions. The recent paper, published August 30 in Science Advances, found that without significant changes, Jordan could face lower rainfall, much higher temperatures and as much as a 75 percent decline in water flowing into the country from Syria.
The situation would be exacerbated by increasing Syrian agricultural water use in the aftermath of the country's prolonged civil war, which could further diminish flow to the Yarmouk River, the largest tributary to the Jordan River.
Management-focused analysis
Rather than focusing just on lower rainfall, the team measured three types of drought as they affect Jordan: rainfall decrease, agricultural soil moisture loss and declines in freshwater streams. They looked at each of those conditions through, first, a business-as-usual lens that assumes a lack of international climate-policy action with continued high rates of greenhouse gas emissions and, second, an optimistic scenario of reduced emissions with climate change policy interventions. They used the period 1981-2010 as a historical baseline against simulations for the years leading up to the end of the century.
The authors said this approach could better inform drought management by considering all vulnerabilities for people, agriculture and the environment. That's because declines in streamflow and soil moisture, which are critical to freshwater supply and agriculture, are driven not only by lower rainfall but also by higher temperatures, evaporation and land-use change. Importantly, countries such as Jordan that are dependent on waterways flowing downstream to them are vulnerable to the consequences of drought and land-use change in upstream regions.
Sobering findings
The team's results suggest that by the end of the century under a business-as-usual scenario, rainfall in Jordan will decrease by 30 percent, temperatures will increase by 6 degrees Celsius, and the number and duration of droughts will double. Increasingly severe drought events will occur almost every year. Flow from the Yarmouk River, an important source of water that flows from Syria, would decline by up to 75 percent.
"Most importantly, our findings also showed a steep rise in the simultaneous occurrence of multiple drought types," said lead author Deepthi Rajsekhar, a former postdoctoral scholar in Gorelick's lab now working at the California Department of Water Resources. "This brings on a compound effect and increases the overall drought impact significantly. The need for an integrated drought analysis has never been more important for water management."
In a sad twist, an end to the Syrian civil war could add to Jordan's water misery. That's because resurgent Syrian agricultural operations now stalled by the conflict would draw heavily on the Yarmouk.
Toward solutions
Jordan's experience holds lessons for not only countries in arid regions but also those that obtain supplies from one or more of the 278 trans-boundary waterways that feed into shared watersheds occupying nearly half of the world's land.
Despite the challenges, countries such as Jordan have already gone a long way toward water security through sound water management such as efficient irrigation and extensive use of treated wastewater for agriculture. But regional cooperation on water is paramount. A shining example: Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement to desalinate and share water from the Red Sea.
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Bacteria may be responsible for more than we suspect. Especially when it comes to inflammatory diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
Prof. Resia Pretorius from Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa and Prof. Douglas B. Kell from The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom have conducted a series of studies that are drastically changing the way scientists think about the effect bacteria have on a number of diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Sepsis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and most recently Type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Previously, Pretorius and Kell have established that these chronic inflammatory diseases also have a microbial origin. "If the bacteria were active, or replicating, as in the case of infectious diseases, we would have known all about that," says Kell. "But the microbes are not replicating, they're mainly actually dormant."
Because their dormant nature meant that they did not manifest under standard microbial test conditions, bacteria were previously thought to be absent from human blood, consistent with the view that blood is 'sterile'. However, high levels of iron in blood (typical of inflammatory diseases) can effectively bring these bacteria back to life. Previous research suggested that under these conditions, the bacteria start replicating and secreting lipopolysaccharides (LPS), leading to increased inflammation.
The one thing these chronic diseases have in common is constantly elevated levels of inflammation. Pretorius and Kell had already established that anomalous amyloidogenic blood clotting, a cause of inflammation, is linked to and can be experimentally induced by bacterial cell wall constituents such as LPS and Lipoteichoic acid (LTA). These are cell wall components of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively.
These coagulopathies (adverse blood clotting) are also typical of inflammatory diseases and the researchers have long shown that they lead to amyloid formation, where the blood clotting proteins (called fibrinogen) are structurally deformed from ?-helixes to a flat ?-sheet-like structures, potentially leading to cell death and neuro-degeneration.
As a result, the fibrin fibres of blood clots in diseased individuals are distinctly different from those of healthy individuals. This can be visualised microscopically and is discussed in various publications from the group. "In normal blood clots, these fibres would look like a bowl of spaghetti" explains Pretorius. "But in diseased individuals, their blood clots look matted with large fused and condensed fibres. They can also be observed with special stains that fluoresce in the presence of amyloid."
The researchers found that this changed clot structure is present in all inflammatory conditions studied, now including Type 2 diabetes. But what is the link between this abnormal clot formation, bacteria, LPS and TLA? And are there any molecules that may "mop up" LPS or LTA and that might be circulating in the blood of people with inflammatory diseases?
In their 2017 study, recently published in Scientific Reports (a Nature publication), Pretorius and Kell, along with MSc student Ms Sthembile Mbotwe from the University of Pretoria, investigated the effect of LPS-binding protein (LBP), which is normally produced by all individuals. They added LBP to blood from T2D patients (and also to healthy blood after the addition of LPS). Previously they had showed that LPS causes abnormal clot formation when added to healthy blood, and that this could be reversed by LBP. In this publication they showed that LBP could also reverse the adverse clot structure in T2D blood. This process was confirmed by both scanning electron microscopy and super-resolution confocal microscopy. The conclusion is clear: bacterial LPS is a significant player in the development and maintenance of T2D and its disabling sequelae.
"In an inflamed situation, large amounts of LPS probably prevent LBP from doing its work properly," explains Pretorius.
So what does this mean in terms of treatment?
"We now have a considerable amount of evidence, much of it new, that in contrast to the current strategies for attacking T2D, the recognition that it involves dormant microbes, chronic inflammatory processes and coagulopathies, offer new opportunities for treatment," the researchers conclude.
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About the researchers
Prof. Resia Pretorius is a full professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences at Stellenbosch University. Her main research objective and major scientific achievement has been to create a vital mind-shift in the understanding of inflammation by developing new approaches to study the role of coagulation parameters in inflammatory diseases. She has developed rapid diagnostic methods for these purposes, with innovative ultrastructure and viscoelastic techniques that include confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and thromboelastography (TEG).
Prof. Douglas Kell is a professor at the School of Chemistry and The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. He specializes in systems biology, where he tries to understand complex biological systems.
Prof. Resia Pretorius
Tel: +27 21 808 3143
E-mail: resiap@sun.ac.za
Prof. Douglas Kell
E-mail: dbk@manchester.ac.uk
Wiida Fourie-Basson
Media: Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University
E-mail science@sun.ac.za
Tel +27 21 808 2684
http://www.sun.ac.za/science
Jordan Kenny
News and Media Relations Officer, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester University
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CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. Troubled Wisconsin grocer Gordys Market, which has stores from Rice Lake to La Crosse, announced Wednesday it will be laying off 1,008 workers by Oct. 28, unless it can find suitable buyer or buyers for Gordys stores.
Please be aware that business circumstances may change and that all employees may not be permanently laid off if the Gordys entities are purchased and remain operational. It is impossible for us to determine at present which employees may be affected, if any, said a letter sent to employees dated Tuesday by Michael S. Polsky.
Polsky was appointed last week as a receiver for Gordys, in charge of a financial restructuring of the company.
He continued: If the Gordys entities are ultimately closed, or if the buyers do not hire any of the Gordys employees, we expect it to result in the permanent elimination of all 1,008 employees. This includes both union and non-union employees.
We regret having to make the decision; however business and industry circumstances leave us no alternative, he wrote.
The layoff notice was disclosed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The layoff, if it takes place, will dwarf any other in the state in 2017.
The largest previously announced layoff was made in April, when Gander Mountain announced it would lay off 371 workers.
According to the notice, the layoffs will be in the cities of Arcadia, Augusta, Barron, Black River Falls, Chetek, Chippewa Falls, Cornell, Eau Claire, Galesville, Hayward, La Crosse, Ladysmith, Neillsville, Rice Lake, Richland Center, Shell Lake, Spencer, Stanley, Tomah and Whitehall.
Some of the layoffs already have occurred. Gordys closed its south side Chippewa Falls store, along with Stanley and several other locations, including Hayward.
Gordys is selling one store in Tomah and two stores in Eau Claire to Festival Foods and is closing a third Eau Claire location along East Hamilton Avenue.
Last week the grocer was sued by its supplier, Nash Finch. Gordys appointed a receiver to run its financial affairs.
Gordys home office at its Lake Wissota location in Chippewa Falls had no comment about the notice from Polsky.
Children who live full time with one parent are more likely to feel stressed than children in shared custody situations. The benefit holds regardless of the level of conflict between the parents or between parent and child. These are the results of a new study from Stockholm University's Demography Unit.
- The explanation may be that children, who spend most of the time away from one parent, lose resources like relatives, friends and money. Previous research has also shown that children may worry about the parent they rarely meet, which can make them more stressed, says Jani Turunen, researcher in Demography at Stockholm University and Centre for research on child and adolescent mental health at Karlstad University.
The fact that children who live full time with one parent are worse psychologically than children in shared physical custody has been previously shown, but this study is the first to look specifically at stress. Shared physical custody is not to be confounded with shared legal custody. Shared legal custody only gives both parents the legal right to decisions about the child's upbringing, school choices, religion, and so on. Shared physical custody means that the child actually lives for equal, or near equal, time with both parents, alternating between separate households.
The data for this study are from the Surveys of Living Conditions in Sweden, ULF, from 2001-2003, combined with registry data. Sweden is a country that is often considered a forerunner in emerging family forms and behaviors like divorce, childbearing and family reconstitution.
- This means that the results of this study are relevant to today's situation in many European countries, since their situation today might be comparable to the one in Sweden 15 years ago, says Jani Turunen.
In the survey, a total of 807 children with different types of living arrangements answered to questions about how often they experience stress and how well, or badly, they get along with their parents. The parents have answered how well they get along with their former partner.
The study shows that children living with only one of the parents have a higher likelihood of experiencing stress several times a week, than children in shared physical custody. This generally applies even if the parents have a poor relationship, or if the children don't get along with either of them.
- There has previously been a concern that shared physical custody could be an unstable living situation, that can lead to children becoming more stressed. But those who pointed to it earlier have built their concerns on theoretical assumptions, rather than empirical research, says Jani Turunen.
What probably makes children in shared physical custody less stressed is that they can have an active relationship with both their parents, which previous research has shown to be important for the children's well-being. The relationship between the child and both of its parents becomes stronger, the child finds the relationship to be better and the parents can both exercise more active parenting.
- In other words, living with both parents does not mean instability for the children. It's just an adaptation to another housing situation, where regular relocation and a good contact with both parents equals to stability, says Jani Turunen.
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More about the research
"Shared Physical Custody and Children's Experience of Stress", Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. Author: Jani Turunen.
For more information: Jani Turunen, Researcher in Demography, Department of Sociology, tel. 08-16 34 22, jani.turunen@sociology.su.se
Individuals who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in neighborhoods with higher percentages of black residents had lower rates of bystander CPR and defibrillator use and were less likely to survive compared to patients who experienced an OHCA in predominantly white neighborhoods, according to a study published by JAMA Cardiology.
Approximately 350,000 patients experience OHCA each year in the United States. The survival rate is 8.3 percent to 10 percent annually; however, there is regional variation in the incidence of and survival from OHCA. The incidence of OHCA has been consistently higher in black individuals compared with white individuals in the United States.
Using data from the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium for January 2008 to December 2011, Monique Anderson Starks, M.D., M.H.S., of the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and colleagues examined whether differences in care and outcomes exist in predominantly black neighborhoods vs neighborhoods with a lower proportion of black residents. Neighborhoods where OHCA occurred were classified by census tract, based on percentage of black residents.
The study included 22,816 adult patients with OHCA. The researchers found that the percentage of patients with OHCA receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation or a lay automatic external defibrillation was inversely associated with the percentage of black residents in neighborhoods. And compared with OHCA in predominantly white neighborhoods (less than 25 percent black), those with OHCA in mixed to majority black neighborhoods had lower adjusted survival rates to hospital discharge.
Despite lower survival in predominantly black neighborhoods, survival was no different for black and white patients having a cardiac arrest in any neighborhoods.
"Improving bystander treatments in [predominantly black neighborhoods] may improve cardiac arrest survival," the authors write.
The study notes some limitations, including that the observational data demonstrate an association between neighborhood race and survival, but this association does not prove causation.
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For more details and to read the full study, please visit the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2017.2671)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Often when we make a decision, we calculate its "expected value," by multiplying the value of something (how much we want or need it) with the probability that we might be able to obtain it, a concept first introduced by 17th-century mathematician Blaise Pascal.
Now, research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published August 30, 2017, in the journal Neuron is showing for the first time in monkeys which parts of the brain are involved in the two-pronged decision-making process that determines this expected value.
"For a long time, we thought that representations of value and probability were being evaluated in the same, single part of the brain," says Peter Rudebeck, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and lead author of the new study. "What's exciting here is that we're showing that it's being done in two different parts of the brain, which are separate both functionally and anatomically."
Mount Sinai researchers focused on two areas of the brain, the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). While previous research has indicated that people whose OFC was damaged by injury or disease have impaired decision-making abilities, little was previously known about their precise roles in the decision-making process.
"Depression and anxiety disorders are characterized by changes in the way that people process rewards and make decisions. In some cases, changes in decision-making can be so extreme that individuals are unable to lead normal lives," says Dr. Rudebeck. "Determining which parts of the brain help us to make decisions based on the subjective value and probability is therefore a critical step in understanding how these debilitating disorders are caused."
To explore the specializations of the OFC and VLPFC, the research team conducted two experiments. In the first, monkeys were tasked to play a sort of slot machine game, in which they were shown images on a touch screen and had to determine which image was most likely to get them a reward - a banana-flavored pellet. The researchers periodically changed the probability and found that the control monkeys were able to adjust their choices accordingly, pressing images most likely to get them a reward. The monkeys with OFC lesions performed the same as the control animals, but the monkeys with VLPFC lesions lost the ability to track reward probability.
In the second set of experiments, the monkeys played a different game where they had a choice between two rewards: peanuts or M&Ms. These rewards were hidden under objects, and the monkeys had previously learned which objects went with which food rewards. Because monkeys generally like peanuts and M&Ms equally, they normally turn over objects overlying the peanuts and M&Ms at the same rate. But to shift the value in favor of the peanuts, the monkeys were given M&Ms immediately before the experiment. Having already had their fill of M&Ms, the control monkeys favored the objects overlying peanuts, as expected. Those with VLPFC had the same inclination as the control group, but the monkeys with OFC lesions showed a preference for objects overlying the M&Ms.
"We've known for a long time that these two parts of the brain are highly interconnected," says Dr. Rudebeck. "Previous research indicates that both send connections to another area of the frontal lobe called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and functional magnetic resonance imaging suggests that the VMPFC may be where choices ultimately get made."
The investigators tested whether VMPFC is involved in comparing different values in a separate set of experiments, where they induced lesions in that area. The animals were able to make a decision based on probability or value alone, but when they had to compare values, they were less able to do that.
"This data lines up with and extends what we've seen in humans, because we know that people who have brain damage in that area also have trouble with making decisions," concludes Dr. Rudebeck. "The information ascertained through our research could potentially aid in the development of novel treatment interventions for the many people who suffer from depression and anxiety."
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Investigators from the National Institutes of Mental Health also participated in this research.
The research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health, an NIHM BRAINS award (RO1 MH110822), a NARSAD Young Investigator Award, a Rosen Family Scholarship, and seed funds from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system encompassing seven hospital campuses, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 10 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in four other specialties in the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked in six out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 12th nationally for Ophthalmology and 50th for Ear, Nose, and Throat, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
By using miniature mobile microscopes, scientists have uncovered a map in the brains of mice that is used to guide our movements
New research has revealed that deep in the brain, in a structure called striatum, all possible movements that an animal can do are represented in a map of neural activity. If we think of neural activity as the coordinates of this map, then similar movements have similar coordinates, being represented closer in the map, while actions that are more different have more distant coordinates and are further away.
The study, led by researchers at Columbia University and the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, was published today in Neuron.
"From the ears to the toes and everything in between, every move the body makes is determined by a unique pattern of brain-cell activity, but until now, and using the map analogy, we only had some pieces of information, like single/isolated latitudes and longitudes but not an actual map. This study was like looking at this map for the first time." said Rui Costa, DVM, PhD, a neuroscientist and a principal investigator at Columbia's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and investigator at the Champalimaud Research at the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, in Lisbon. Dr. Costa and his lab performed much of this work while at Champalimaud, before completing the analysis at Columbia.
A snapshot of neural activity
The brain's striatum is a structure that has been implicated in many brain processes, most notably in learning and selecting which movements to do. For example, a concert pianist harnesses her striatum to learn and play that perfect concerto. Early studies argued that cells in the striatum sent out two simple types of signals through different pathways, either 'go' or 'no go,' and it was this combination of these two signals -- acting like a gas pedal and a brake -- that drove movement. However, Dr. Costa and his team argued that the reality is far more complex, and that both types of neurons contribute to movement in a very specific way.
"What matters is not how much activity there is in each pathway, but rather the precise patterns of activity," said Dr. Costa. "In other words, which neurons are active at any particular time, and what sorts of movements, or behaviors, corresponded to that activity."
The key to observing neural activity during natural behavior was that the mice had to be able to move freely and naturally. To accomplish this, the team attached miniature, mobile microscopes to the heads of the mice. This allowed them to capture the individual activity patterns of up to 300 neurons in the striatum. At the same time, each mouse was equipped with an accelerometer, like a miniature Fitbit, which recorded the mouse's movements.
"We have recorded striatal neurons before, but here we have the advantage of imaging 200-300 neurons with single-cell resolution at the same time allowing for the study of population dynamics with great detail within a deep brain structure. Furthermore, here we genetically modified the mice so that neurons were visible when they were active, allowing us to measure specific neuronal populations. This gives us unprecedented access to the dynamics of a large population of neurons in a deep brain structure," says Gabriela Martins, postdoctoral researcher and one of the leading authors.
Towards understanding the striatal dynamics
Then, working with Liam Paninski, PhD, a statistician and a principal investigator at the Zuckerman Institute, the researchers devised a mathematical method of stripping out any background noise to the data. What they were left with was a clear window into the patterns of neural activity, which could serve as a basis for the complete catalog, or repertoire of movements.
"What we saw was that for each type of movement, there is a particular pattern of brain activity, and that these patterns were organized in a specific manner" said Dr. Costa.
In the striatum, there is an organization that is not random, where the neurons that are active together tend to be closer together in space. "This, again, implies that we can learn much more from the neuronal activity and how it relates to behavior when considering detailed ensemble patterns instead of looking at average activity." says Andreas Klaus, a postdoctoral researcher and one of the leading authors. This particular representation somehow maps the complete repertoire of possible actions. Similar actions we do are more similarly represented and actions that are more different are represented more differently. "This mapping reflects similarity in actions beyond aspects of movement speed," added Andreas Klaus.
Interpreting patterns of brain activity and eventually repairing them
But how can scientists read and interpret these patterns of brain activity? "Imagine looking at the brain activity when the mouse makes a slight turn to the right vs. a sharp turn. In even more abstract terms, if moving my right arm is more similar to walking than to jumping, then those would be represented more similarly. One of the challenges is finding out what does this mean. Why is the pattern more similar for similar actions? Is it because it's saying something about the body parts or muscles we're using? This is something we hope to explore for the future," says Dr. Costa.
And he added, "The precise description of the organization of activity in the striatum under normal conditions is the first step toward understand whether, and how, these dynamics are changed in disorders of movement, such as in Parkinson's disease. Experts tend to focus on disruptions to the amount of neural activity as playing a role in Parkinson's, but these results strongly suggest that it is the pattern of activity, and specifically disruptions to that pattern, that may be more critical."
This research marks a critical step toward a long-held scientific goal: deciphering how the brain generates behavior. It also offers clues as to what may happen in disorders characterized by disrupted or repetitive movements -- including Parkinson's disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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This paper is titled: "The spatiotemporal organization of the striatum encodes action space." Additional contributors include Gabriela Martins, Vitor Paixao, Pengcheng Zhou and Liam Paninski, PhD.
This research was supported by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiatve, the European Research Council, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, ERA-Net Neuron, the National Institutes of Health (R01 EB22913, 2R01 MH064537, R90 DA023426), DARPA (N66001-15-C-4032) and IARPA (D16PC00007).
The authors report no financial or other conflicts of interest.
Columbia Universitys Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute brings together an extraordinary group of world-class scientists and scholars to pursue the most urgent and exciting challenge of our time: understanding the brain and mind. A deeper understanding of the brain promises to transform human health and society. From effective treatments for disorders like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, depression and autism to advances in fields as fundamental as computer science, economics, law, the arts and social policy, the potential for humanity is staggering. To learn more, visit: zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu.
Each one of our cells has the same 22,000 or so genes in its genome, but each uses different combinations of those same genes, turning them on and off as their role and situation demand. It is these patterns of expressed and repressed genes that determine what kind of cell--kidney, brain, skin, heart--each will become.
To control these shifting patterns, our genomes contain regulatory sequences that turn genes on and off in response to specific chemical cues. Among these are "enhancers," sequences that can sit tens of thousands of genetic letters away from a gene, yet still force it into overdrive when activated. Missteps in this delicate choreography can lead cells to take on the wrong role, causing debilitating diseases, but the regulatory regions involved are difficult to find and study since they only play a role in specific cells, often under very specific conditions.
Now a research team led by University of California scientists has used a modified version of the gene-editing technique CRISPR to find enhancers -- not by editing them but by prompting them into action. As reported online August 30, 2017 in Nature, a team from UC San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley, used a tool called CRISPR activation (CRISPRa), developed at UCSF in 2013, to search for enhancers of a gene that affects development of the immune cells known as T cells. The sequences they found illuminate fundamental circuitry of autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease.
The work was conducted in the laboratories of Alexander Marson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at UCSF, and Jacob Corn, PhD, assistant adjunct professor of molecular and cell biology at Berkeley.
"Not only can we now find these regulatory regions, but we can do it so quickly and easily that it's mind-blowing," said Corn. "It would have taken years to find just one before, but now it takes a single person just a few months to find several."
Corn is co-founder and scientific director of the Innovative Genomics Institute(IGI), a Berkeley-UCSF initiative of which Marson is an affiliate member. The IGI aims to advance CRISPR-based genome editing in medicine and agriculture to cure human disease, end hunger, and protect the environment.
CRISPRa Turns on Enhancers
The advent of CRISPR has allowed researchers to make rapid progress in understanding protein-coding genes. In the most common application of CRISPR, an enzyme called Cas9 snips DNA at particular sequences specified by the sequence of a "guide RNA." Using the technology, scientists can excise or edit any gene, and observe how these changes affect cells or whole organisms.
But sequences that code directly for proteins make up only 2 percent of our genome. Enhancers and other regulatory DNA elements spread throughout the other 98 percent are more difficult to study, but are implicated in a large number of genetic disorders. Scientists can look for potential enhancer sequences based on how they interact with proteins that bind to DNA, but figuring out which enhancers work with which genes is much more challenging. Simply cutting out an enhancer with CRISPR-Cas9 doesn't help, because it won't have a noticeable effect if the enhancer is inactive in the particular cell type used in an experiment.
If you think of the genome as a model home with 22,000 lightbulbs (the genes) and hundreds of thousands of switches (the enhancers), the challenges have been finding all of the switches and figuring out which lightbulbs they control and when. Previously, CRISPR has been used to cut out wires looking for those that would cause a bulb to go dark, giving a good idea of what that section of the circuit was doing. However, cutting out a light switch when it's off doesn't tell you anything about what it controls. So, in order to find certain light switches, it has been common to try to mimic the complicated chemical cues that activate an enhancer.
But using this method, "you can quickly go insane trying to find an enhancer," said Benjamin Gowen, a postdoctoral fellow in Corn's lab at Berkeley and one of the study's lead authors.
A better approach would be a universal "on" switch that could target any part of the genome and, if that part included an enhancer, could activate that enhancer. Fortunately, CRISPRa, recently developed by Jonathan Weissman, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at UCSF and co-director of the IGI, is just such a tool. CRISPRa uses a "blunted" version of the DNA-cutting Cas9 protein, strapped to a chain of activating proteins. Although CRISPRa also uses guide RNA to target precise locations in the genome, instead of cutting DNA, CRISPRa can activate any enhancers in the area.
While the first applications of CRISPRa involved using a single guide RNA to find promoters - sequences right next to genes that help turn them on - the UCSF/Berkeley team behind the new study realized that CRISPRa could help find enhancers too. By targeting the CRISPRa complex to thousands of different potential enhancer sites, they reasoned, they would be able to determine which had the ability to turn on a particular gene, even if that gene was far away from the enhancer on the chromosome.
"This is a fundamentally different way of looking at non-coding regulatory sequences," said Dimitre Simeonov, a PhD student in Marson's lab at UCSF and the study's other lead author.
Performing 20,000 Experiments at Once
The gene the team chose to study produces a protein called IL2RA, which is critical to the function of immune cells called T cells. Depending on conditions in the body, T cells have the ability to either trigger inflammation or suppress it. The IL2RA gene produces a protein that tells T cells that it's time to put on their anti-inflammatory hats. If the enhancers that should turn on the gene have errors, the cells fail to suppress inflammation, potentially leading to autoimmune disorders like Crohn's disease.
To track down locations of the enhancers that control IL2RA, the UCSF and Berkeley team produced over 20,000 different guide RNAs and put them into T cells with a modified Cas9 protein.
"We essentially performed 20,000 experiments in parallel to find all the sequences that turn on this gene," Marson said.
Sure enough, targeting some of the sequences with CRISPRa increased IL2RA production, yielding a short list of locations that might be important for regulating the fate of T cells.
"Whenever you get a chance to ask a question in a totally new way, you can suddenly discover things that you would have missed with older methods," said Gowen. "We found these enhancers without having to make any assumption of what they looked like."
Tying Mutant Enhancers to Inflammatory Disease
One of the likely enhancer sequences the team identified included the site of a common genetic variant that was already known to increase the risk of IBD, though how it did so was not understood. Marson and Corn's teams wondered whether this genetic variation might alter the switch regulating the amount of IL2RA protein present in T cells. To test this, they modified mouse T cells so they contained the genetic variant associated with human disease, and found that these T cells indeed produced less IL2RA.
"This starts to unlock the fundamental circuitry of immune cell regulation, which will dramatically increase our understanding of disease," said Marson.
The team next hopes to expand the method, perhaps by finding ways to search for enhancers of many different genes at once, making the search for regulators of immune disorders that much faster. And they expect the method to be a widely applicable tool for untying genetic interactions in all kinds of cells.
"We believe this is going to be a very generally useful method," said Corn. "It would be easy for someone interested in neurons or any other cell type to pick it up and look for the enhancers involved in programming those cells' behavior."
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Other authors on the study include Theodore L. Roth, Youjin Lee, John D. Gagnon, Alice Y. Chan, Dmytro S. Lituiev, Michelle L. Nguyen, Rachel E. Gate, Eric Boyer, Frederic Van Gool, Meena Subramaniam, Zhongmei Li, Jonathan M. Woo, Victoria R. Tobin, Kathrin Schumann, K. Mark Ansel, Chun Ye, William J. Greenleaf, Mark S. Anderson, and Jeffrey A. Bluestone of UCSF; Mandy Boontanrart, Nicolas L. Bray, Therese Mitros, Graham J. Ray, Gemma L. Curie, Nicki Naddaf, Julia S. Chu, and Hong Ma of Berkeley; Maxwell R. Mumbach, Howard Y. Chang, and Ansuman T. Satpathy of Stanford University; Hailiang Huang, Ruize Liu and Mark J. Daly of Harvard University; and Kyle K. Farh of Illumina Inc.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants DP3DK111914-01, R01HG0081410-01, R01HL109102, P50-HG007735, S10RR029668, S10RR027303, and P30 DK063720), the Scleroderma Research Foundation, the UCSF Sandler Fellowship, a gift from Jake Aronov, a National Multiple Sclerosis Society grant (CA 1074-A-21), and the Marcus Program in Precision Medicine Innovation. Marson and Schumann have filed a patent on the use of Cas9 ribonuclear proteins to edit the genome of human primary hematopoietic cells. Chang and Greenleaf are co-founders of Epinomics. Marson serves as an advisor to Juno Therapeutics and PACT Therapeutics, and the Marson lab has received sponsored research support from Juno Therapeutics and Epinomics.
About UCSF: UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, transitional and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Beinoff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, and other partner and affiliated hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the Bay Area. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news.
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An estimated 1 million people in the UK carry a human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) genome integrated into their own human genome
The integrated HHV-6 genome is located in the same chromosome in people having no known family relationship
DNA sequencing showed that the integrated HHV-6 genomes originated thousands of years ago in a small number of ancestors
Most of the integrated HHV-6 genomes are intact and may be able to reactivate as viruses
An international study of integrated HHV-6 has discovered that a small number of human ancestors, one from about 24,000 years ago, have been responsible for transmitting ancient strains of the virus to individuals today - affecting about a million people in the UK alone.
Research led by the University of Leicester collected DNA samples from unrelated people who were carriers of the human herpesvirus 6, mostly from the UK and Europe but also from Japan, China and Pakistan. The researchers found that some of the inherited HHV-6 genomes are very similar to each other and are also located in the same chromosome in people having no known family relationship. This showed that the HHV-6 genomes, which the scientists sequenced, originated in a small number of ancestors thousands of years ago.
The researchers also found that most of the inherited HHV-6 genomes are intact and therefore may be able to reactivate as viruses. The study makes an important contribution towards understanding the possible impact of inherited HHV-6 on the 1-2% of the UK population who carry it.
Dr Nicola Royle of the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology at the University of Leicester, who headed the study, said: "There are two types of HHV-6 (HHV-6A and HHV-6B) that have different biological, immunological, pathological and molecular properties.
"Initial infection by HHV-6 usually occurs in early childhood. Then, like most herpesviruses, HHV-6 enters a state of latency and persists for life in a small number of cells. Reactivation of latent HHV-6 can have severe consequences and often occurs in patients with a compromised immune system, for example in patients undergoing chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapy, in particular when the stem cells are from cord blood.
"Unexpectedly, about 1-2% of the UK population (650,000 -1.3 million people) have inherited a copy of the human herpesvirus 6 genome as if it is part of their own human genome. The inherited HHV-6 genome is large, containing at least 86 viral genes, and is carried in a telomere. Telomeres are the essential capping structure at the ends of chromosomes that stablise the human genome and play important roles in cancer and ageing. Carriers of integrated HHV-6 bear one copy of the viral genome per cell and therefore have a high load of viral DNA. There has been very little research into the consequences for people who have inherited HHV-6, although a recent Canadian study has shown they have an increased risk of suffering from angina pectoris.
"We used molecular dating methods to compare, for example, the inherited HHV-6B genomes in five individuals from Sardinia, Orkney and England, and estimated that the most recent common ancestor with the inherited HHV-6B existed 24,500 10,600 years ago. Despite the antiquity of this inherited HHV-6B genome, it is intact and therefore potentially functional in all five carriers.
"We want to find out whether integrated HHV-6 carriers have an increased risk of disease or other adverse effects, and, if so, how this might be manifested. We think that there are three ways in which the inherited HHV-6 genome could have a deleterious effect:
The presence of the HHV-6 genome could compromise the function of the telomere in which it is integrated or affect the expression of nearby human genes
HHV-6 genes could be expressed from time to time over the carrier's lifetime and elicit an adverse immune response
the inherited HHV-6 genome could potentially reactivate and generate viable viruses.
"Our new research makes an important contribution towards understanding the possible impact of inherited HHV-6 on people that carry it. We now know that in Europe, and most likely in other populations as well, most inherited HHV-6 genomes have been inherited from a small number of ancestors thousands of years ago and still appear to have the potential to reactivate."
Stratification of carriers of inherited HHV-6 in modern populations due to common ancestry is an important consideration for genome-wide association studies that aim to identify disease risks for carriers. In addition the discoveries represent potentially important considerations for immune-compromised patients, in particular in the setting of organ transplantation and in stem cell therapy.
The work, published in the Journal of Virology, was carried out by staff and students in the Telomere Group, headed by Dr Nicola Royle in the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester in collaboration with Prof. Andrew Davison and Prof. Ruth Jarrett and their teams in the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
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The funders included the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund to the University of Leicester. Generation Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government Health Directorates and the Scottish Funding Council was a source for some of the samples used in the study.
The article appears here: JVI Accepts / http://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2017/08/17/JVI.01137-17.abstract
An image of Dr Nicola Royle is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4h147o1y4rsitoj/AAA6QegJztNTW594lJY5pFF5a?dl=0
ANN ARBOR--Polypterids are weird and puzzling African fish that have perplexed biologists since they were discovered during Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in the late 1700s.
Often called living fossils, these eel-like misfits have lungs and fleshy pectoral fins, bony plates and thick scales reminiscent of ancient fossil fish, and flag-like fins along their back that are unique.
For several decades, scientists have placed polypterids down near the base of the family tree of ray-finned fish, a large group believed to have originated around 385 million years ago.
But a new study that used CT scans to probe three-dimensionally preserved fossil fish skulls shakes up the fish family tree by concluding that the emergence of polypterids occurred much later than researchers had thought. The findings also suggest that the origin of all modern ray-finned fish may have occurred tens of millions of years later than is generally believed.
The international research team was led by Sam Giles of the University of Oxford and includes University of Michigan paleontologist Matt Friedman. A paper summarizing the findings is scheduled for publication Aug. 30 in Nature.
"This causes a shakeup in the fish family tree, which indicates that the ancestor shared by all ray-finned fishes lived tens of millions of years after previously thought, maybe in the aftermath of a mass extinction event around 360 million years ago that decimated many other groups," said Friedman, an associate curator at the U-M Museum of Paleontology and an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Ray-finned fish represent about half of all backboned animals on Earth. For every species of mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian on land, there is a species of bony fish in the ocean.
Polypterids include about a dozen species of African fish called bichirs and a single species of ropefish. They have long defied classification but are generally accepted to be the most primitive living ray-finned fish, separated from the other modern groups by a host of long-extinct fossil fish.
But the new CT study repositions polypterids on the fish evolutionary tree so they are "nestled neatly back more closely with other living ray-finned fishes, kicking a range of fossil ray-fins to a more distant branch of the evolutionary tree," said Oxford's Giles, first author of the Nature paper.
"These results change our understanding of when the largest living group of vertebrates evolved and allow us to iron out a lot of the wrinkles in our understanding of the sequence of evolutionary events."
An enduring puzzle about polypterids has been the lack of early fossil evidence. The oldest fossil polypterids are just 90 million years old, leaving a gap of more than a quarter billion years in the fossil record. If polypterids are really as old scientists have believed, where's the fossil evidence?
To get at some answers, the researchers examined high-definition computed tomography (CT) scans of Fukangichthys, a 230 million-year-old fossil fish from China that belongs to a widespread group of fossil fish called scanilepiforms.
Analysis of physical characteristics in three-dimensionally preserved Fukangichthys skulls, as well as an examination of DNA sequences from 12 genes, revealed that scanilepiforms are actually ancient cousins of polypterids. Scanilepiforms originated in the Triassic Period, 252 to 201 million years ago, when the first dinosaurs were evolving on land.
"While this finding extends the fossil record of polypterids, it also has some unexpected consequences," U-M's Friedman said. "It shows that many features of polypterids aren't primitive at all, but rather are specializations that evolved later in their history."
Said Oxford's Giles: "Polypterids appear to have undergone several reversals in their evolution, which has clouded the view of their position in the fish family tree. It's like if your brand new smart phone came with a rotary dialer and without Wi-Fi. We know it's the latest handset, but its characteristics might lead us to thinking it's an older model."
This repositioning of the polypterids sends shock waves through the fish family tree and suggests that ray-finned fish may have emerged tens of millions of years later than scientists had thought, near the boundary between the Devonian and Carboniferous periods about 360 million years ago.
"Analyses like these are powerful tools and go to show that paleontology doesn't always rely on the discovery of new fossils," Giles said. "Re-examination of old fossils using new techniques is just as important for revitalizing our understanding of vertebrate evolution."
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The other authors of Nature paper are Guang-Hui Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Thomas Near of Yale University.
Giles was supported by a Junior Research Fellowship from Christ Church, Oxford, and a L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship. Xu was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Near was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Bingham Oceanographic Fund from the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. Friedman was supported by a Philip Leverhulme Prize and a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant, and by U-M's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Museum of Paleontology, and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
The American criminal justice system relies on jurors to regularly decode the mental states of criminal defendants. When those defendants are people of color, decoding minority mental states is a centerpiece of the justice process.
A new study released by University of Minnesota Law School Professor Francis Shen finds that it may be possible to make these "minority mens rea" determinations (mens rea is a legal term referring to criminal intent) without significant racial bias.
The study, titled "Minority Mens Rea" and published in the Hastings Law Journal, offers positive news for a criminal justice system that has become keenly aware of the need for improved responses to race biases. Ultimately, Shen hopes further research will help the legal system better understand how implicit racial biases lead, or don't lead, to unjust outcomes.
"The rush to tackle implicit bias is based on a presumption that these implicit biases are contributing, perhaps dramatically, to racial injustice in criminal outcomes," Shen said. "Do implicit racial biases exist? Yes. But must they affect every decision in the justice system? My results suggest that the answer may be no."
Shen's research presents the first empirical investigation of how jury-eligible subjects engage in assessing the mens rea, or criminal intent, of minority defendants, and builds on the 2003 economics field study, "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal?" In that study, researchers from Harvard and the University of Chicago sent out resumes to potential employers. While keeping the substance of the resumes the same, the researchers randomly changed the name (e.g. replacing John with Jamal). Their findings were striking: the fictional Lakisha and Jamal were less likely to receive interviews than their white counterparts.
Shen's study, conducted through 16 separate online experiments with more than 1,200 subjects and evaluation of 2,400 unique vignettes, explored whether subjects assessed the criminal mental states of "John," "Jamal," "Emily," and "Lakisha" differently. Specifically, subjects read a vignette and determined whether its protagonist acted Purposely, Knowingly, Recklessly, or Negligently. These four mental states, defined by the Model Penal Code, can lead to very different penal outcomes. Thus, if black defendants are systematically deemed more culpable than white counterparts, it would be of great concern.
However, the study instead found that assessments of minority mens rea were not biased by race. On the Model Penal Code's hierarchy of mental states, higher levels of culpability were no more likely to be misattributed to "Lakisha" and "Jamal" than to their white counterparts. In other words, implicit biases did not affect mens rea determinations.
To explain these results, Shen draws on psychology and cognitive neuroscience. He argues the most compelling explanation is the nature of the experimental task subjects were asked to perform. It might have served as a distraction task, he says, focusing subjects on the cognitively intense work of determining mental states and thereby diverting their attention from the perceived race of the protagonist.
"The distracted brain may sometimes be a less racially biased brain," Shen said.
Despite his findings, Shen cautions that it is premature to draw policy implications from a single study, which relied only on the manipulation of names.
"Until we complete more ecologically valid mock jury studies, we can only speculate," Shen said. "Still, the research suggests that further research in this domain could lead to new insights about how to reduce racial bias in criminal justice outcomes."
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The research was supported by the University of Minnesota and by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience at Vanderbilt Law School.
New research suggests that geographical mismatches between conservation needs and expertise may hinder global conservation goals.
Experts from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and other institutions have examined geographical patterns within the leadership of the conservation science publishing system focusing on the affiliation of journal editors, who serve as gatekeepers and leaders in the scientific process. Their research, 'Striking underrepresentation of biodiversity-rich regions among editors of conservation journals' has been published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation.
The top 20 journals in the field of biodiversity and conservation biology were analysed, with the geographical distribution of editorial board members examined and compared against the National Biodiversity Index, a key indicator of national biodiversity values.
1,210 editorial positions were included in the research which revealed that most of the countries with the highest biodiversity had few or no editors representing them at top conservation journals. Indonesia had the highest National Biodiversity Index but only one editor. Many other biodiversity-rich places including Colombia, Ecuador, Madagascar, and most of tropical Asia had no representation at all on the editorial board.
Similarly, China, India, Mexico, and Brazil are all large, biodiverse and populous countries with very few editors at top conservation journals. The United States, Canada and European countries, especially the United Kingdom and Germany, were strongly over-represented on editorial boards.
Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, from the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at the University of Nottingham led the research and said: "Journal editors decide what science gets published and whose research is highlighted. Our findings show that there is a distinct lack of representation of biodiversity-rich areas, which could have an impact on policy and funding decisions."
Professor Richard Primack, from Boston University and one of the authors of the study, said "this bias among journal editors mirrors other well-known biases in conservation science. For example, tropical regions are less studied and represented in biodiversity databases compared with less diverse temperate systems; much of research in tropical countries is not conducted by local researchers, most of reviewers for conservation journals are from English-speaking temperate countries such as USA, UK, Australia, and Canada".
Dr Martine Maron of the University of Queensland, another co-author adds, "The good news is that addressing this bias is relatively easy and could help reducing biases elsewhere in conservation science. Conservation journals could develop policies to recruit editors from biodiversity-rich countries. Increasing geographical inclusion of journal editors would add diversity of ideas and expertise, which can be of great value for conservation science. It would also help develop conservation science leadership and capacity in biodiversity-rich regions, where it is most needed.
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PITTSBURGH, Aug. 30, 2017 - Scientists may have found a clue to why people living with HIV have double the likelihood of developing heart disease. The findings, made by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research and National Institutes of Health, also show that an experimental drug may hold promise as a potential treatment.
The increased heart disease risk is driven by a subset of immune cells in people with HIV which continue to express a protein that triggers blood clotting and inflammation even after the HIV virus is under control by medication, the scientists explain in today's issue of Science Translational Medicine.
Furthermore, the researchers found that Ixolaris, an experimental drug isolated from tick saliva and previously tested to treat blood clots in animals, successfully reduced the inflammation in monkeys infected with SIV, the primate form of HIV.
"People are living long, fruitful lives with HIV thanks to tremendous strides in antiviral treatment regimens, however those lives are being cut short due to perplexingly high rates of heart disease," said co-senior author Ivona Pandrea, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology in Pitt's Center for Vaccine Research. "By uncovering one of the cellular mechanisms driving the heart disease, we can look for medications--such as Ixolaris--that specifically target and disrupt that mechanism."
Co-senior author Irini Sereti, M.D., of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), tested blood samples from people without HIV, people with HIV whose infections were well-controlled by antiretroviral therapy and people with HIV who weren't on the medications. The researchers found an elevated number of immune cells called monocytes that expressed high levels of the 'tissue factor' protein, which is associated with blood clotting and other inflammatory proteins, in the blood from people with HIV, regardless of how well their infection was controlled.
These findings were confirmed by Pandrea and her team in monkeys that progress to AIDS after infection with SIV. The same cells isolated from a different species of monkey that usually does not develop heart disease when infected with SIV do not produce tissue factor, thus reinforcing the role of this damaging protein in triggering cardiovascular disease in the HIV/SIV settings.
The scientists then exposed the human blood samples to Ixolaris and observed that the drug blocked the activity of tissue factor. When tested in a small group of monkeys during early SIV infection, the treatment significantly lowered the levels of inflammatory proteins linked to cardiovascular disease.
NIH holds the patent for Ixolaris, which is a small molecule found in the saliva of the tick Ixodes scapularis--commonly known as the deer or blacklegged tick--and was uncovered by study co-author Ivo M. B. Francischetti, M.D., Ph.D., of NIAID. More studies are needed to test the drug's safety and interaction with other drugs that are used for HIV patients. Ixolaris has not been tested in humans and the results could differ, the researchers also cautioned.
"This treatment has the potential to improve the clinical management of HIV-infected patients and help them to live longer, healthier lives with HIV," said Pandrea. "That, and other therapies that may arise from targeting the inflammation pathway we discovered, are exciting avenues for future research."
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In addition to Pitt and NIH, co-authors are from the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research; Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz and Fundacao Jose Silveira, both in Brazil; the University of Cape Town; Vanderbilt University; University of Vermont; Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Universidade de Lisboa in Portugal.
This research was funded by NIAID's Intramural Research Program and Bench-to-Bedside award R01 HL117715-10S1; NIH contract HHSN261200800001E; NIH grants R01 HL123096, R01 HL117715, R01 AI119346 and R01 AI104373.
About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
As one of the nation's leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1998. In rankings recently released by the National Science Foundation, Pitt ranked fifth among all American universities in total federal science and engineering research and development support.
Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region's economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see http://www.medschool.pitt.edu.
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Small-town grocers Hansens IGA and Randys Neighborhood Market may be looking to fill the gap left by cash-strapped grocery chain Gordys Market after it announced the closure of three of its locations last week.
According to a layoff notice public notices filed Aug. 23, in Arcadia, Galesville and Black River Falls, the number of closing locations may soon climb.
Public notices indicate Shawn Christiansen, general manager of Gordys Black River Falls location, applied for a liquor license on behalf of Hansens IGA, headquartered Bangor.
Heather Heineman, general manager for Gordys Galesville location, filed for a liquor license on behalf of Arcadia Food Bank Inc. and Galesville Food Bank Inc., both for the purposes of a Randys Neighborhood Market, headquartered in Iowa.
Christiansen could not be reached for comment. Heineman declined comment.
A move into the region for the Bangor-based grocery chain wouldnt be unprecedented. Hansens IGA launched its northernmost branch in Stanley in May 2015 and has locations in neighboring Neillsville and Mondovi.
Nick Hansen, co-owner of Hansens IGA, declined to comment on acquisitions.
The recent closures were made in response to a lawsuit filled last week by Michigan-based food distributor SpartanNash, which alleged Gordys market owed $86 million in unpaid debts.
The same day, Gordys shuttered stores in Stanley, Richland Center and Spencer and announced it would be appointing a receiver to assist in the financial restructuring of the company.
To date, Gordys has closed six of its locations including one in Chippewa Falls, and two in Eau Claire that were announced prior to filing for receivership.
Gordys Market could not be reached for comment.
Music is not only a major part of Dan Fabbio's life, as a music teacher it is his livelihood. So when doctors discovered a tumor located in the part of his brain responsible for music function, he began a long journey that involved a team of physicians, scientists, and a music professor and culminated with him awake and playing a saxophone as surgeons operated on his brain.
Fabbio's case is the subject of a study published today in the journal Current Biology that sheds new light on how music is processed in the brain.
In the spring of 2015, Fabbio was serving as substitute music teacher in a school in New Hartford, New York. He was in a small office at the school working on the capstone project for his Master's degree in music education when he began to suddenly "see and hear things that I knew were not real."
He became dizzy and nauseous and the episode prompted a visit to hospital in nearby Utica later that day. After undergoing a CAT scan, the doctors sat Fabbio down and told him they found a mass in his brain.
"I was 25 at the time and I don't think there is any age when it is OK to hear that," recalled Fabbio. "I had never had any health problems before and the first thing my mind went to was cancer."
The good news was that the tumor appeared to be benign - in fact, it had probably been slowly growing since childhood - and was in an area of the brain that was relatively easy for surgeons to access. The bad news was that it was located in a region that is known to be important for music function.
Fabbio was referred to UR Medicine's Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and neurosurgeon Web Pilcher, M.D., Ph.D.
"When I met Dan for the first time, he expressed how concerned he was about losing his musical ability, because this frankly was the most important thing to him in his life, not only his livelihood, but his profession and his interest in life," said Pilcher.
A Precise Map of Brain Function
Pilcher, who is the Ernest and Thelma Del Monte Distinguished Professor of Neuromedicine and Chair of Department of Neurosurgery, had struck up a partnership with Brad Mahon, Ph.D., an associate professor in the University of Rochester Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. The two have developed a Translational Brain Mapping program for patients who had to undergo surgery to remove tumors and control seizures.
"Removing a tumor from the brain can have significant consequences depending upon its location," said Pilcher. "Both the tumor itself and the operation to remove it can damage tissue and disrupt communication between different parts of the brain. It is, therefore, critical to understand as much as you can about each individual patient before you bring them into the operating room so we can perform the procedure without causing damage to parts of the brain that are important to that person's life and function."
The brain mapping program Pilcher and Mahon developed is tailored to circumstances of the individual. Patients with brain tumors are now routinely referred to Mahon before undergoing their surgery. Mahon and his team subject each individual to a battery of tests, including brain scans that identify important functions - such as motor control and language processing - that may be located in proximity to the tumor and potentially impacted by the surgery.
"Everybody's brain is organized in more or less the same way," said Mahon. "But the particular location at a fine grain level of a given function can vary sometimes up to a couple centimeters from one person to another. And so it's really important to carry out this kind of detailed investigation for each individual patient."
While testing language and motor skills was relatively straightforward, evaluating musical ability, especially in a trained musician, was a different undertaking altogether. Perhaps nowhere in the world was Fabbio's case a better fit. Not only had Pilcher performed hundreds of these surgeries and had partnered with Mahon to develop a sophisticated brain mapping program that would be key to the procedure's success - but the famed Eastman School of Music, a part of the University of Rochester, could be called upon to help plan Fabbio's surgery.
Mahon reached out to Elizabeth Marvin, Ph.D., a professor of Music Theory in the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music. Marvin also holds a position in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and studies music cognition - the ability of our brains to remember and process music.
The two developed a series of cognitive musical tests that Fabbio could perform while the researchers were scanning his brain. During functional MRI (fMRI) scanning, Fabbio would listen to and then hum back a series of short melodies. He also performed language tasks that required him to identify objects and repeat sentences. The fMRI detects changes in oxygen levels, so the parts of the brain that were activated during the tests helped pinpoint the areas important for music and language processing.
Using this information the research team produced a highly detailed three-dimensional map of Fabbio's brain - with both the location of the tumor and music function - that would be used to help guide the surgeons in the OR.
Saxophone Serenades Surgeons
The ability to process and repeat a tune was an important measure, but the team also wanted to know if they were successful in preserving Fabbio's ability to perform music. So they decided to bring his saxophone into the OR and, if possible, have him play it during the procedure.
The challenge was that Fabbio would be lying on his side, so it would be difficult to play the instrument. Also, the pressure caused by the deep breathes required to play long notes on the saxophone could cause the brain, which would be exposed during the procedure, to essentially protrude from his skull. Fabbio and Marvin ultimately selected a piece - a version of a Korean folk song - that could be modified to be played with shorter and shallower breaths.
"The whole episode struck me as quite staggering that a music theorist could stand in an operating room and somehow be a consultant to brain surgeons," said Marvin. "In fact, it turned out to be one of the most amazing days of my life because if felt like all of my training was suddenly changing someone's life and allowing this young man to retain his musical abilities."
During the procedure, Pilcher and the surgical team used the map of Fabbio's brain that had been developed by Mahon to plan the surgery. They also went through a process of painstakingly reconfirming what the brain scans showed them. This was accomplished by delivering a mild electrical stimulus that temporarily disrupts a small area of the brain. While this was occurring, Fabbio was awake and repeating the humming and language tasks he performed prior to the surgery. Marvin was present in the OR and scored his performance to let the surgeons know whether or not they had targeted an area that disrupted music processing and, therefore, should be avoided during the procedure.
Once the tumor had been removed the surgeons gave the go ahead to bring over the saxophone and let Fabbio play. "It made you want to cry," said Marvin. "He played it flawlessly and when he finished the entire operating room erupted in applause."
Fabbio has since completely recovered and returned to teaching music within a few months of his surgery.
Harnessing Science to Improve Brain Surgery
While the brain mapping program's primary purpose is to help improve surgical outcomes, the information that the researchers gather before, during, and after the surgery is also helping advance understanding of complexities of the brain's structures and function.
"We study about 40 or 50 patients a year and what this allows us to do is ask what are the factors that we can identify in these patients before their surgery or early on after their surgery that distinguish which patients go on to have a good outcome versus which patients may have lingering cognitive impairments," said Mahon.
The data from Fabbio's case, which is the basis of a study in the journal Current Biology, has helped more precisely define the relation between the different parts of the brain that are responsible for music and language processing.
"As I think back about Dan's case and about the incredible outcome and what we were able to achieve, it reminds me of how far we have come," said Pilcher. "Ten years ago, we mapped the brain using very simple tools - electrical stimulation and image guidance. But now, we have all the tools of cognitive science. We have brought the cognitive science laboratory into the operating room and now almost as a matter of course with every single patient."
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In addition to Mahon, Pilcher, and Marvin, additional co-authors of the Current Biology study include first author Frank Garcea, Benjamin Chemoff, Bram Diamond, Wesley Lewis, Maxwell Sims, Samuel Tomlinson, Alexander Teghipco, Raouf Belkhir, Sarah Gannon, Steve Erickson, Susan Smith, Jonathon Stone, Lynn Liu, Trenton Tollefson, and John Langfitt with URMC. The study was funded with support from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Science Foundation.
MADISON, Wis. -- Astronomers have measured magnetic fields in a galaxy 4.6 billion light-years away -- a big clue to understanding how magnetic fields formed and evolved over cosmic time.
In an article published Aug. 28 in Nature Astronomy, a collaboration led by Sui Ann Mao, the Minerva Research Group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and a former postdoctoral Jansky Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reports the discovery of large, well-ordered magnetic fields in a galaxy far, far away. Because of the time it takes light to travel such immense distances, astrophysicists observe cosmologically distant magnetic fields as they were 4.6 billion years ago. The new observations provide hints at how magnetic fields have grown into galactic-sized structures since the beginning of the universe.
Like the humble refrigerator magnet, astronomical objects such as galaxies, stars, and even our own Earth have magnetic fields that attract and repel other magnets and electrically charged matter. Understanding magnetic fields is essential to understanding fundamental questions about the universe. Among other things, magnetic fields play a crucial role in the processes that form stars out of interstellar gas, determine how stars affect their surroundings, and indicate whether planets may or may not be habitable.
In the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe, there were no magnetic fields in the cosmos. So when and how did magnetic fields arise? Scientists, including Mao's team, aim to answer the question by observing the strength and organization of magnetic fields in galaxies as far away -- and therefore as far back in time -- as possible, when the universe was much younger.
"By catching magnetic fields when they're so young, we can rule out some of the theories of where they come from," explains Ellen Zweibel, a professor of astronomy and physics at UW-Madison and a co-author of the new study.
Astronomers had measured large, well-ordered magnetic fields in our own Milky Way and in galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood before. But Mao's team is the first to successfully measure the magnetic field structure of a galaxy so distant in both space and time, pushing the boundaries of what's capable with current radio telescope technology and analysis techniques. With the National Radio Astronomy Obesrvatory's Very Large Array, a collection of 27 radio telescopes in New Mexico arranged to function together as a single enormous telescope, Mao observed a distant galaxy with a specific configuration optimal for measuring the galaxy's magnetic fields.
The galaxy lies in front of a quasar, one of the brightest objects in the sky. The light from the quasar appears as two distinct images around the foreground galaxy, bent and magnified by the galaxy's mass in a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. Mao and her team measured how properties of the two images of the quasar differed, affected by the magnetic fields of the galaxy, to determine the strength and organization of those magnetic fields.
"It's a beautiful experiment," Zweibel says of Mao's experimental design. Zweibel explains that the setup eliminates the need to account for how looking through different parts of the Milky Way would affect the observations. Since the two views of the quasar are observed along two very close lines of sight through the Milky Way, they are affected in the same way and can be compared.
Mao first proposed this experiment to Zweibel when she was a postdoctoral scientist at UW-Madison. She says Madison is a stimulating environment for studying and discussing magnetic fields in the universe because of a critical mass of scientists researching the phenomenon and the annual Midwest Magnetic Fields Workshop that takes place in Madison.
"Madison is the magnetic fields capital of the USA -- it's the place to go if you want to study magnetism," says Mao.
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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
Erika K. Carlson, 925-321-6440, ecarlson@astro.wisc.edu
Previously overlooked section of fusion found to worsen cancer cells
Scientists finds section acts like a vacuum cleaner 'hoovering up' healthy parts of cell
Preventing' signalling' in cells may not stop cancer in studied gene fusion
A study by the University of Warwick sheds new light on gene fusion in bladder and brain cancer.
Researchers have found that a previously overlooked part of a specific gene fusion has a worsening effect on cancer cells. They have also found that preventing cell 'signalling' from this particular fusion may not be an effective route for future cancer treatment research.
Their findings have just been published in the paper FGFR3-TACC3 cancer gene fusions cause mitotic defects by removal of endogenous TACC3 from the mitotic spindle in the Royal Society journal Open Biology.
Sometimes chromosomes can break and get reattached to a different one in an unusual way which results in a fusion between one gene and another which makes a new gene, called a gene fusion. The scientists at Warwick Medical School examined the gene fusion FGFR3-TACC3 which is associated with bladder and brain cancers. Previously scientists focused on the first part of the fusion, FGFR3, because this was known to be associated with cancer. However the team decided to look at the second half TACC3 or transforming acidic coiled-coil protein 3.They found that this part of the fusion causes mistakes in cell division, making the cancer worse.
The team was led by Professor Stephen Royle who said: "Cancer cells often have gene fusions which happen because the DNA in cancer cells is really messed up such as the well-known Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelogenous leukaemia.
"A few years ago, a new fusion was discovered in bladder and brain cancers, called FGFR3-TACC3. Previously most of the emphasis has been on the former part of the fusion. However we found that the latter part of the fusion causes mistakes in cell division which could make the cancer worse.
"Doing work like this is important as it helps us to understand all the possible ways to tackle a specific cancer and to find any problems with potential treatments"
Many gene fusions have been found to be the result of a protein that continues to send a signal to the cell when it shouldn't. It is thought that this transforms the cell to divide uncontrollably as is the case in FGFR3-TACC3; FGFR3 can send signals and TACC3 is thought to make it do this uncontrollably.
TACC3 is important for cell division as it helps chromosomes to separate to the two 'daughter' cells when a cell divides. Chromosomes are shared out by the mitotic spindle which is built inside the cell made up of tiny threads called microtubules. TACC3 stabilises these microtubules and adds strength to the mitotic spindle. Previously scientists suggested that the gene fusion FGFR3-TACC3 might bind to the mitotic spindle but not be able to work properly. Professor Royle's team decided to examine this in further depth.
However the team found that FGFR3-TACC3 is not actually bound to the mitotic spindle. Instead it is at the cell's membrane and in small vesicles in the cell. They found that the TACC3 section of the fusion gene FGFR3-TACC3 was acting like a vacuum cleaner 'hoovering' the normal TACC3 off the spindle, preventing normal cell division.
The team used a process of elimination to further their research. First they made the cancer cells express some normal TACC3 and this repaired the faulty division. They then removed the FGFR3-TACC3 fusion and that also returned the cells back to normal. Finally they made a fake FGFR3-TACC3 with a dummy part in place of FGFR3 and they found that this also caused problems by hoovering up normal TACC3 and causing cell division.
Professor Royle said: "An ideal cancer treatment might be to block TACC3 interactions as well as stopping signalling. However this is very difficult to do and is far in the future
"Drug companies can develop chemicals which stop cell signalling from fusions and these could work as anti-cancer agents.
"In the case of FGFR3-TACC3 even if you stop the signalling there will still be cell division problems in the cancer cells. We hope our study will provide a basis for further research into how these gene fusions are linked to bladder and brain cancer."
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When the Fukushima power plant released large quantities of radioactive materials into nearby coastal waters following Japan's massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it raised concerns as to whether eating contaminated seafood might impair human health--not just locally but across the Pacific.
A new study by an international research team shows that those concerns can now be laid to rest, at least for consumption of meat from migratory marine predators such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks.
The team focused on cesium, a silvery metal with a large number of radioactive isotopes. Two of these, 134Cs and 137Cs, form when uranium fuel breaks down in nuclear reactors. The cesium isotopes are of particular concern because they were discharged in large quantities following the disaster, exhibit relatively long half-lives (2.1 and 30 years respectively), and tend to accumulate in the muscle tissues that people like to eat.
However, the team's sampling of tissues from predatory fishes and other large vertebrates collected across the northern Pacific between 2012 and 2015 revealed no detectable levels of 134Cs, and 137Cs concentrations that were generally consistent with background levels from aboveground nuclear testing during the 1940s and 50s. They collected the animals from waters near Japan, Hawaii, and California.
Lead author Daniel Madigan of Harvard University says, "Our measurements and associated calculations of how much radioactive cesium a person would ingest by eating this seafood shows that impacts to human health are likely to be negligible. For marketed fish to be restricted from trade, the cesium levels would have to be more than 1,600 times higher than in any samples we measured."
Co-author Kevin Weng, an assistant professor at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, participated in the study by collecting fish samples in waters around Oahu and a remote seamount. He says, "Go ahead and eat some sushi! Our work shows that radioactivity from the Fukushima disaster is very low in open-ocean vertebrates."
Also contributing to the study were Zofia Baumann and Nicholas Fisher of Stony Brook University; Owyn Snodgrass, Heidi Dewar, and Peter Dutton of NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Michelle Berman-Kowalewski of the Channel Islands Cetacean Research Unit; and Jun Nishikawa of Tokai University.
The researchers undertook their analysis partly in response to earlier studies by Madigan and colleagues showing elevated levels of radioactive cesium in bluefin and albacore tuna caught off the California coast shortly after the Fukushima disaster--evidence that these fishes had swum almost 6,000 miles in less than two months. (It took ocean currents more than two years to deliver much-diluted cesium from Fukushima to those same waters.)
Although this early work focused on the utility of cesium isotopes as a happenchance tool that could help scientists characterize migratory patterns among a group of heavily exploited commercial fishes, public attention focused on perceived risks to human health.
"The earlier studies showed extremely low risks from cesium to anyone eating these migratory species, but public concern persisted," says Weng. That concern also expanded to include not only the species of tuna in which cesium had been measured, but to other fishes, marine mammals, and sharks.
"People were very concerned about North Pacific salmon, halibut and scallops off British Columbia, and sea lions in Southern California," says Madigan. "There was even information on the Internet that 'the Pacific is dead'."
"One goal of our study," he says, "was to put these perceived risks in context by surveying a broad range of vertebrate species across the entire North Pacific for the presence or absence of Fukushima-derived radiocesium. Our results, which show very low or undetectable levels in these animals, are important both for public perception of seafood safety and for scientific understanding of radionuclide transfer."
The authors suggest that scientists and funding agencies should look for at least one silver lining in any future nuclear or industrial accidents. "We can and should use future point sources of contamination, radioactive or otherwise, to shed new light on migratory dynamics of pelagic species that are poorly understood, heavily exploited, or of high conservation concern," says Madigan. "But we would need to act quickly, within that narrow opportunistic timespan."
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VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland studied the implementation of a logistics robot system at the Seinajoki Central Hospital in South Ostrobothnia. The aim is to reduce transportation costs, improve the availability of supplies and alleviate congestion on hospital hallways by running deliveries around the clock on every day of the week. Joint planning and dialogue between the various occupational groups and stakeholders involved was necessary for a successful change process.
As the population ages, the need for robotic services is on the increase. Adopting new technology to support care and nursing work is not straightforward, however. Autonomous service robots and robot systems raise questions about safety as well as about their impact on care quality and jobs, among others.
VTT has studied the implementation of a next-generation logistics robot system at the Seinajoki Central Hospital. First steps are being taken in Finland to introduce automated delivery systems in hospitals, with Seinajoki Central Hospital acting as one of the pioneers. The Seinajoki hospital's robot system will include a total of 5-8 automated delivery robots, two of which were deployed during the study.
With deliveries running 24/7, the system will help to improve the availability of supplies and alleviate congestion on hallways. Experiences gained during the first six months show that transport personnel expenses and the physical strain of transport work have been reduced. The personnel's views on the delivery robots have developed favourably and other hospitals have shown plenty of interest in the Seinajoki hospital's experiences.
From the perspective of various occupational groups, adoption of the system has had a varied effect on their perceived level of sense of control and appreciation of their work, as well as competence requirements. This study by VTT, employing work research approaches and a systems-oriented view, highlights the importance of taking into account in the change process the interdependencies between various players, along with their roles in the hospital's core task.
Careful planning, piloting and implementation are required to ensure that the adoption of new robots runs smoothly as a whole. "As the system is expanded with new robots and types of deliveries, even more guidance, communication and dialogue is needed. Joint planning that brings various players to the same table ensures that the system's implementation goes as smoothly as possible, making it easier to achieve the desired overall benefits", says Senior Scientist Inka Lappalainen of the ROSE project.
VTT's study is part of the Robots and the Future of Welfare Services project (ROSE), running from 2015 to 2020. The project investigates Finland's opportunities for adopting assisting robotics to support the ageing population's independent living, wellbeing and care. There is also a blog post on the topic: http://roseproject.aalto.fi/fi/blog/32-blog8.
Roadmap
Intermediate results of the project are presented in the publication Robotics in Care Services: A Finnish Roadmap, providing recommendations for both policy making and research. The roadmap is available on the ROSE project website, at http://roseproject.aalto.fi/ or http://roseproject.aalto.fi/fi/blog/29-roadmap-blog-fi.
The roadmap has been compiled by the project consortium comprising Aalto University, the project's coordinator, and research organisations Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Tampere University of Technology, University of Tampere and VTT.
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Photo: a logistics robot at the Seinajoki Central Hospital (photo Marketta Niemela, VTT)
Further information:
VTT
Inka Lappalainen, Senior Scientist +358 50 341 1233, inka.lappalainen@vtt.fi
Marketta Niemela, Senior Scientist +358 40 574 6549, marketta.niemela@vtt.fi
Seinajoki Central Hospital
Ville Ruuskanen, Logistics Manager
The Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia
+358 40 544 5066, ville.ruuskanen@epshp.fi
Further information on VTT:
Milka Lahnalammi-Vesivalo
Communications Manager
+358 40 5457 828
milka.lahnalammi-vesivalo@vtt.fi
http://www.vtt.fi
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is the leading research and technology company in the Nordic countries. We use our research and knowledge to provide expert services for our domestic and international customers and partners, and for both private and public sectors. We use 4,000,000 hours of brainpower a year to develop new technological solutions. VTT in social media: Twitter @VTTFinland, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
Together with a large industrial consortium, VTT Technical Research of Finland has launched a EUR 4.5 million project to speed up the development of fibre-based products as alternatives to oil-based materials like plastics. The project, funded partly by the European Regional Development Fund ERD, has brought together 33 companies, ranging from small to large, global companies.
The Future Fibre Products project coordinated by VTT will transform laboratory-scale results into pilot-scale demonstrations for products and processes with a low carbon footprint. It will also explore how the current paper and board production infrastructure can be utilised in the field of new packaging solutions, non-woven materials, porous insulation materials, or even as replacements for EPS-based materials.
Global awareness of climate change is driving the search for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to oil-based products and materials. The forest industry is looking for energy-efficient and low-carbon solutions to improve production. In addition, they are looking for new applications and solutions to adapt the production infrastructure to changes in the market.
Excellence through long-term development of competence and infra
The new initiative continues the development of advanced solutions for fibre products and processes, which has been VTT's strategic priority for a long time. It will strengthen the position of Central Finland as the global leader in the development of fibre-based products. The three-year project received approximately EUR 1.3 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund, via the Regional Council of Central Finland and the Council of Tampere Region.
In order to answer the increasing piloting needs of companies in the development of novel solutions for future fibre products, VTT is investing in another pilot line facility in the city of Jyvaskyla. The new line will enable the production of lightweight, porous materials, as it can be operated without a wet-pressing unit. The line will be ready for trials in early 2018.
"The new pilot, together with the current piloting environment, will have a central role in demonstrating the alternatives with the most potential. We hope that it will be used as efficiently by industrial partners, universities, and other research organisations as the current one", says Harri Kiiskinen, project manager of the Future Fibre Products project.
Faster success by combining forces
The project attracted considerable industrial interest already when it was under preparation. In the end, 33 industrial companies from Finland, North America, Europe, and Asia decided to join. The project brings together actors from small enterprises to global leaders in the field, to tackle major challenges through open innovation.
The industrial project partners are A Fredrikson Research & Consulting, Ahlstrom-Munksjo, Albany International, Andritz, Anpap, BASF, Berndorf Band, BillerudKorsnas, BinNova, Essity (formerly SCA Hygiene Products), Glatfelter, Humuspehtoori, Irving Paper Limited, Kemira, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Metsa Group, Moorim SP, Neenah Gessner, Novarbo, Paptic, Pixact, ProDeliver, Rejlers Finland, Sappi, SCG Packaging, Stora Enso, Sulzer Pumps Finland, Suominen, UPM-Kymmene, Valmet, Weidmann Electrical Technology, WestRock Corporation, and Wetend Technologies.
"It is great to see so many innovative companies joining forces to develop tomorrow's material solutions. The large consortium is a clear sign that our long-term R&D work in the field of the bioeconomy is highly valued by companies", comments Jussi Manninen, EVP for Business Area Solutions for Natural Resources and Environment at VTT.
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Further information:
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Erkki Hellen, Key Account Manager, tel. +358 40 7194 675, Erkki.Hellen@vtt.fi
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Harri Kiiskinen, Principal Scientist, tel. +358 40 5273 853, Harri.Kiiskinen@vtt.fi
More information on VTT's research in the field of the bioeconomy: http://www.makingoftomorrow.vtt.fi
Further information on VTT:
Milka Lahnalammi-Vesivalo
Communications Manager
+358 40 5457 828
milka.lahnalammi-vesivalo@vtt.fi
http://www.vtt.fi
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is the leading research and technology company in the Nordic countries. We use our research and knowledge to provide expert services for our domestic and international customers and partners, and for both private and public sectors. We use 4,000,000 hours of brainpower a year to develop new technological solutions. VTT in social media: Twitter @VTTFinland, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
SALEM, Ohio Some people meet their soulmate through mutual friends, at work or in school. For others, the search is more intentional.
Twenty-three-year-old Derek Ma was looking for love as a country person living in a big city and was not satisfied with any of the apps he tried that were targeted for country singles. So he created FarmersMatch, his own dating app for farmers and country singles.
The app
Ma grew up on an organic farm but now works in a city. He said he wanted to meet a girl who can understand the country lifestyle, but being in a city made it difficult.
Ma said dating can also be difficult for farmers living in a rural area since many of these communities are small and many of the people in these communities already know each other.
He figured farmers and other people interested in a rural lifestyle were having similar issues to the ones he has encountered while trying to meet people. This is what led him to create the app.
Ma said his friends who did not have an agricultural background thought the idea was interesting when he brought it up, but pointed out that it was a small niche.
They just worried about the future of my startup, Ma said.
Those who had a background in ag, however, saw the potential in the idea Ma presented.
They understand how difficult it would be for country singles to meet new people, Ma explained.
So in May 2016, five months after he discovered the need, Ma launched FarmersMatch on the Apple Store. In March 2017, he also released an Android version of the app. It is currently available only in the Android version.
Connections
An 18-year-old FarmersMatch user who goes by the user name Mattea on the app said she felt she had better connections with people on FarmersMatch as opposed to other dating sites.
I definitely have more in common with people on this app versus others, she said after a month of using the app.
Mattea grew up with horses in California and has been involved with rodeo for five years. She calls herself country and rodeo through and through, and said this is what led her to start using FarmersMatch.
While meeting people in person has been difficult because of the traveling she does, Mattea has talked to over a dozen people via the app.
I had connections relatively quickly, Mattea said. Unfortunately, everyone Ive connected with lives in a different state.
Still, Mattea hopes with time she will find someone who will support my lifestyle and enjoy it himself.
Plans
Ma thinks there are farmers out there who could benefit from using the app, but who do not know it exists. He said the next step for FarmersMatch is to work on running more ads for the app and hiring a PR firm to help build brand awareness.
Users
Some of the top cities for FarmersMatch users include New York and Los Angeles, which may seem strange for a dating app that focuses on rural living.
But Ma explained while some of these users are actually from more rural areas around these cities, there are also some users who live in cities and are interested in meeting country singles. He said some users grew up on farms and want to meet other people with similar values, while others grew up in urban areas but are interested in meeting farmers or getting involved with farming.
Because many farmers have difficulty meeting people because they have limited time, Ma hopes the app will let country singles meet potential matches anywhere and at any time, since all it requires is a phone and internet access.
The app also has a 51-49 female to male ratio, implying there is a match for nearly every person, at least based on the numbers.
Ma also said the app attracts people looking for real relationships.
People on our app are less interested in casual stuff, Ma said.
The world of online dating provides many choices, starting with which app or site to use. Ma wants to make sure farmers have good options that will give them a better chance of meeting the perfect match.
I think its very necessary to create a good app for farmers and country singles, Ma said. When country singles go on big dating apps, they all too often encounter people who dont understand or appreciate their down-to-earth or traditional values and country lifestyle.
Yet, people who do understand are out there, and Ma hopes FarmersMatch will allow some of them to find each other.
A group of Canadian beef importers made a special visit to the UK this month to see first-hand the countrys high standards in meat production.
The visit was organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Department of International Trade to increase the presence of British beef and lamb on the Canadian market.
The group was given a tour of four major beef processing plants as well as a lamb processing plant, a beef farm featuring British native breeds and a number of food stores and leading supermarkets.
AHDB Head of Livestock Export Trade Development Jean-Pierre Garnier said: Our Canadian guests were happily surprised by the high standards in British meat plants and the beef processing technology applied there.
This important visit is a major step towards increasing our presence on the Canadian market with the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CETA) soon in operation which will eliminate quotas and tariffs for EU beef.
Canada is of course a major beef producer and exporter. However, they are interested in some specific cuts and offal and we are already selling good volumes to Ontario and Quebec. In addition, we are progressing with some lamb marketing projects in the two Canadian provinces. Canada imports more than half the lamb consumed there.
In short, this successful visit bodes well for the development of British beef and lamb on the Canadian market.
Exports of beef, lamb and pork from the UK have surpassed the 500 million mark for the first six months of 2017 up 18 per cent year-on-year.
The new data from HMRC shows that exports to non-EU countries have also risen, with the Asian markets continuing to offer exciting opportunities for beef, lamb and pork.
Criminals are raiding the countryside and stealing farm vehicles to rip cash machines out of walls.
Last week, a green Merlo telehandler, stolen from a nearby farm was used to steal the ATM from Totnes Cross Filling Station near Halwell in the South Hams.
The thieves partly demolished the petrol station in the process of raiding the ATM.
Rural police across the UK have reported that machines such as telescopic handlers are being stolen from farms by criminals wanting to steal ATMs.
Totnes Police said: "Police across the South Hams wish to raise awareness regarding the possible theft and subsequent use of farming agricultural vehicles in the targeting of cash machines, particularly at petrol stations during the night.
"Last week, we saw a Merlo used to steal a cash machine from a petrol station at Totnes Cross. This Merlo was stolen from a nearby farm.
"Last night, three male offenders attempted to steal a Merlo from a Farm close to Kingsbridge, no doubt to be used to commit similar crime. They were unsuccessful as were disturbed by residents.
"Please help spread the word and make sure efforts are made to better secure farming/building site machinery in order that these vehicles aren't used to commit further crime."
The dairy industry has been urged to respond 'dynamically and forcefully' on a global level to those who challenge its 'nutritional and environmental integrity'.
According to Dr Judith Bryans, President of the International Dairy Federation (IDF), dairy plays a key role in feeding the world.
Dr Bryans said there are plenty of people seeking to undermine dairy and the wider-industry.
Speaking at the China Dairy Industry Association Annual Conference held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, Dr Bryans said increased demand for dairy products around the world is offering multiple opportunities that need to be grasped.
Dr Bryans said: Milk is one of the most produced and valuable commodities traded globally. Day after day, dairy provides nutrition and value and as such it enriches peoples lives.
Dairy has a role in meeting their needs if we have the right products and ingredients and if people understand the benefits. To be fit for the future we need to continue to be innovative and make sure we have the right products available that are culturally acceptable, nutritious, safe, sustainable and affordable and delivered in a way that makes them relevant to the lives of our consumers.
Dairy has long been recognised as providing high quality nutrition but the sector is now being attacked on this by anti-dairy groups and plant based alternatives. Our environmental credentials are also being questioned.
As a sector, we know we have a strong case to put forward to policy makers as to why dairy farming and dairy products should form an integral part of feeding the world and helping to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its essential that we do that at every opportunity.
Indeed, earlier this month, the NFU dairy team created a Proud of Dairy campaign to promote the health benefits of dairy and the high-standards of animal welfare amid planned anti-dairy activism on World Milk Plant Day.
The NFU urged farmers to use the hashtag #proudofdairy on social media, and to fight misleading negative dairy campaigning.
Optimism
Dr Bryans told the conference that there is optimism in world dairy markets at the moment but the caveat to that is that dairy markets have always experienced cyclical volatility. It can have profound effects on dairy farmers and processors alike.
She added: We need to continue to develop a range of tools to help our dairy farmers through those difficult periods of time.
In 2016, the FAO signed the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam in which the FAO recognised the importance of dairy, with the IDF committing to continuous improvement, with the declaration setting out a number of principles for doing so.
A number of IDF member countries have endorsed the Dairy Declaration since then.
Dr Bryans congratulated the China Dairy Industry Association for being the first country to endorse the principles.
The Declaration aims to underline the integrated approach that the dairy sector takes to promote the sustainability of dairy systems, taking into consideration social, economic, health and environmental dimensions.
Burger King has closed its store at 1124 W. George St. in La Crosse, where a whopper of a road construction project has had its way with customers trying to get there from here.
The fast-food restaurant in Bridgeview Plaza which also has seen the tear-down and relocation of a McDonalds to make way for the reconstruction of Rose Street and revamping of George closed Sunday. The Burger King signs on the street and the building have been removed.
Burger King corporate representatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday, so it is impossible to determine how much of a factor the ins-and-outs of the construction zone might have played, if any, in the decision.
The Burger King and the demolished McDonalds were so close that one almost could visualize their employees shaking hands from their respective drive-up windows. The McDonalds, which is one of nearly 60 that the Courtesy Corp. of Onalaska owns in Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota and Decorah, Iowa, closed on Feb. 27 after the state bought its land.
Courtesy is building a larger restaurant within a stones throw of the previous site, and company President Rick Lommen said Wednesday that it plans to open the new store on Sept. 21.
The prolonged work on Rose and George streets, which is expected to continue into November, has made access to businesses in the plaza inconvenient much of the time and almost impossible sometimes.
Shopko, North Country Steak Buffet and Harbor Freight Tools are Bridgeviews main tenants, with a few smaller stores also in the strip mall.
The building for another business, the Good Steward Resale Shop, also fell to the wrecking ball for road work, and the shop built anew at 1930 Rose St., where it opened in May.
Also experiencing customer lags because of the construction have been a Kwik Trip, Walgreens and Americas Best Value Inn across George from the plaza.
The $16.3 million reconstruction of Rose is the final stage of a five-year, $70 million project to reconfigure Exit 3 and a section of Interstate 90 between French Island and Onalaska.
The newly paved northbound portion of Rose was opened last week to northbound and southbound traffic while crews reconstruct the southbound lanes. Work continues on parts of the network of entrance and exit ramps to I-90 around its intersection with Hwys. 53 and 35.
That work still is on target to wrap up in November or late fall, said Jim Rohe, protect development chief engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Its pretty close to where we thought it would be its gone fairly well, Rohe said in a phone interview Wednesday. They might be working a little more hours.
Project coordinators are discussing the possibility of working some nighttime hours because they have to move some materials from one side of Rose to the other, he said, although nothing has been decided.
At the former Burger King on George, the company has removed the company logo from the street sign and the building. A sign on the door refers customers to the chains four other stores in the area, at 515 N. Fourth St.; 3519 Mormon Coulee Road; 1259 Crossing Meadows Drive, Onalaska; and 1540 Holmen Drive, Holmen.
The farming industry has called on Tesco for a 'clear sourcing policy' for British lamb to build on its claim to be UK agricultures biggest customer.
This comes as recent figures from AHDBs Beef and Lamb Watch show Tesco is the only major retailer whose British lamb facings are falling compared to last year, by 15%.
In February 2014, the NFUs retailer report card said Tesco hadn't shown any 'meaningful aspiration' to support British lamb in peak season.
The farming union said that over three years have passed, and 'little has changed on this front'.
The NFU's livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe said: British lamb is at its prime right now and our farmers take great pride sending this high quality product to the supermarket shelves, especially so for the British public.
And with surveys saying that 86% of shoppers want to see more British food in supermarkets, its a valued product.
'Shy away'
With Brexit looming, British lamb producers have asked retailers to support them more than ever, and for clear sourcing commitments.
Mr Sercombe continued: Tesco has seemed to shy away from making clear to suppliers and customers what its sourcing policy is with lamb. With so many positive moves towards British farming among retailers, Tesco is sticking out like a sore thumb.
British farmers want to invest in their farms for the long term and clear sourcing commitments from retailers can help farmers to do this.
Ambiguous sourcing only reduces farmer confidence to invest. UK production is at its peak and is highly competitive, leaving British farmers bewildered as to why British facings are going down and not up at Tesco.
The latest shelf watch study by NFU Scotland found that 11 per cent of lamb available in Scottish supermarkets is imported, with Tesco and Asda being the main culprits.
Farmers' leaders in Northern Ireland have criticised what they see as inadequate checks on imports of red meat and called for inspections to be tightened up.
The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) says that only one in 20 consignments of red meat from outside the European Union are checked at the border.
It wants the number of inspections increased. However, a spokesman for Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) rejected the UFU's criticism, saying that a number of consignments had been rejected this year.
The union says it obtained the statistics on border checks through a freedom of information request to DAERA.
It subsequently issued a statement to voice its concerns about the standard of beef arriving in Northern Ireland from countries outside the EU.
The union has recently called for a ban on imports of Brazilian beef - such a ban has been imposed by the United States - after concerns were raised about sub-standard meat.
The United States had previously rejected Brazilian beef shipments said to contain blood clots, lymph nodes and potentially harmful bacteria. UFU president Barclay Bell has called for a "full scale ban on Brazilian beef.
'Shortcomings'
After obtaining details on import checks in Northern Ireland, UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt said there were 'shortcomings' in the checks at Belfast port.
He said more resources needed to be put into increasing the number of checks, given concerns about meat from countries outside the EU.
Over 3,500 tonnes of frozen red meat came through Belfast port from outside Europe between January 2016 and May 2017," he said.
"Most was from New Zealand, Botswana and Australia. Yet just five per cent of containers were checked by the port authorities. It's worrying that our authorities have not increased inspections to ensure all meat complies with the requirements for entry into the EU, he said.
The UFU has also called for better labelling laws to protect consumers. One of the fundamental principles of country of origin labelling is that this is clearly displayed on packaging," said Victor Chestnutt.
"However, there is a major gap in the current legislation. These rules have less muscle when it comes to meat going into the catering trade or where loose products are sold in butchers shops, he said.
The UFU deputy president said the union was concerned that this was the destination for much of the imported meat.
This is an area we want the Food Standards Agency, DAERA and the Environmental Health Authorities to address, he said.
'Always been transparent'
A spokesman for DAERA said he rejected the UFU's criticism. He said: "Belfast Border Inspection Post (BIP) has been EU approved since 1993, and has been the subject of multiple EU Food and Veterinary Office audits during the intervening period with ongoing full compliance.
"The default requirement is for all consignments (100 per cent) of products of animal origin (POAO) to be subject to documentary and identity checks. Physical checks are done on a risk basis.
"Sampling of consignments is conducted under and in accordance with the requirements of the UK National Monitoring Plan, and further sampling takes place where safeguard measures are in place in respect of particular public or animal health concerns," he said.
"Several consignments of POAO have been rejected at Northern Ireland BIPs to date in 2017 at the importers` expense due to failure to comply with import conditions, and such rejections are reported to the Commission.
"DAERA has always been transparent in this area and in June 2016, it hosted a visit by members of the UFU to Belfast Port during which import controls where explained and detail on relevant consignments provided.
"The Department made it clear then that it implements rigorous and robust controls on consignments of products of animal origin; this work supports the ongoing capability and aspirations of the industry in being able to export local produce around the world from a disease free region. This remains the case to this day."
The Food Standards Agency issued a statement to FarmingUK saying simply: "The FSA work together with and support DAERA to ensure the implementation of official controls in Northern Ireland.
"DAERA is responsible for import checks on red meat and so we refer you to their response on this matter."
Brazilian beef
Barclay Bell recently welcomed the decision by the United States to ban Brazilian beef.
The US Department of Agriculture said beef imports from the South American country had been found to contain abscesses, unidentified foreign material and 'ingesta', which could include any food, drink or medicine that cattle consume.
It has been reported that consignments of beef had also been missing shipping marks and had labelling problems on containers.
Barclay Bell said he was concerned that the European Union had not imposed the same sanctions as the US and he said he wanted to see talks on a free trade deal between the EU and South America halted. It is wrong that the European Commission is pressing ahead with attempts to secure a free trade deal with the Mercosur countries of South America when there is such a big question mark over the fitness of one of the key players to export food.
"We agree with other farm lobby organisations that these talks should be delayed until that is resolved.
"We know Commission veterinary officials have visited Brazil, and the Commission is suggesting the problems found can be resolved," he said.
"We would like to see their report in full, so that we can decide whether this is an effective approach. If the Commission will not make that report public, I would urge MEPs to press for its release.
The UFU president said that nothing that had emerged from the Commission or in Brazil had altered his view that a full scale ban on imports of Brazilian beef to Europe should be implemented immediately.
The Northern Ireland Agriculture Department has announced that it will liaise with DEFRA to seek permission from the EU to allow it to raise the level of advanced CAP payment made in October from 50% to 70%.
Many farmers are currently assessing the damage to their businesses due to the recent flash floods which hit Northern Ireland on 22 August.
A number have lost livestock or suffered damage to farmland or properties. For example, tens of thousands of chickens have been killed in the floods.
The Northern Irish Agriculture Department (DAERA) said that an increase in the level of advanced CAP payment will help alleviate some of the costs, and will help encourage the EU to make these payments.
DAERA said it is aware of the impact on affected businesses and their land and said that the department remains committed to making advance payments from 16 October to farmers who have verified claims.
Impacted farmers have thus been encouraged to submit their force majeure applications as soon as possible ahead of the deadline (14 September 2017).
In light of the impacts of the extreme conditions, DAERA said that it is adopting a flexible approach to late notification of animal losses from affected premises.
Farmers have been are urged to take extra precautions if working in flooded areas or damaged property to keep themselves, their family and anyone else working on the farm safe.
Flooding and extreme weather events are no stranger to the farming industry. The NFU has previously said that creating solutions which improve flood resilience and build a secure, sustainable supply of water is 'vital' for the future of the food and farming industry.
Government flood advice
DAERA has issued advice for farmers who have been battling the recent disaster.
Do not enter flooded areas unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.
Work in pairs or let someone know where they are going and carry a charged mobile phone.
Wear appropriate protective clothing including a high visibility jacket.
Take extra care when using machinery and drive slowly and carefully on flooded roads.
Remember flood water can lift manhole covers so extra care should be taken and particular care is needed in deep water or where is it flowing rapidly.
Contact their local vet if they are concerned about welfare or disease risk to stock.
Saif Ali Khan & Jacqueline Fernandez In Race 3
Producer Ramesh Taurani confirmed this news and said, "Yes, Salman and Jacqueline are confirmed for Race 3. It will release next year on Eid."
Is Daisy Shah Also A Part Of Race 3?
To this, Taurani replied, "We haven't taken a call on that. We will do that in a week's time."
Saif Was Approached To Play The Parallel Lead
If reports are to be believed then there will also be a parallel actor along with Salman in the film. Rumours suggest that Saif Ali Khan was approached for this role.
But
The actor turned down the film.
He Didn't Want To Play A Second Fiddle
A DNA report quoted a source as saying, "He was the hero of the franchise. Suddenly, why would he want to be the second lead to Salman."
Remo D'Souza To Direct Race 3
This time, the directorial baton has been passed from Abbas-Mastan to Remo D'Souza to helm this slick action thriller.
The Shooting To Kickstart With A Song
We hear that Race 3 will go on floors in October. The shooting will begin with a song shoot wherein Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez will dance to the recreated version of Allah Duhai Hai from Race. After a month long schedule in Mumbai, the team will fly abroad where 70% of the film will be shot.
First Look Poster
The makers have released the first look poster of 'The Good Maharaja' and one must say that Sanju looks absolutely stunning in his royal attire.
English-Polish Production
Reportedly, the film will be an English-Polish production and Omung has been working on it for about a year-and-a-half. They also met the Polish government officials last year to work out shooting permissions for the film.
Sanjay's Regal Look
Elaborating on Sanjay's look, Omung Kumar said, "We have photographs of the Maharaja for reference. We will take certain creative liberties but are trying to keep things as authentic as possible. Sanjay looks regal and it was his idea to do this role and I wanted to direct it because it's a superb story."
Baba Is Very Excited About The Film
On the other hand, producer Sandeep Singh was quoted as saying, "Sanjay Dutt's image has the aura of royalty. We have done look tests and we are very excited with the outcome. Baba is very excited about this film and this will be a big budget film that will span across continents."
Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3
Talking about other films, Sanjay Dutt will be seen playing a royal gangster in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3.
Torbaaz
He has also come on board for Girish Malik's Torbaaz which has him essaying an army officer. The film revolves around his character who wants to give the 'children of war' a ray of hope.
Milan Luthria, who has made commercially successful films like The Dirty Picture and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, says the concept of drama has been diluted from the narrative used in Bollywood over time.
"Drama has reduced (from Bollywood films). Heroes' machoism, heroines' elegance ('nazakat') and the fear of villains have been diluted...International cinema is also going towards period drama...It is larger than life. It appeals to me personally," Luthria told IANS.
"Audience don't look at the period that the film is set in, but at the story," he added.
The Dirty Picture and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai were set in the 1970-1980s. Luthria's forthcoming directorial venture Baadshaho is also set 1970, against the backdrop of the Emergency.
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"I don't have a fixation with the period. It (Baadshaho also set in the 1970 era) is a coincidence," he said.
Baadshaho narrates a fictional story of six people who try to bring a change in their destiny by pulling of a heist. Luthria was in Delhi for the promotion of the film with the star cast Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta and Ileana D'Cruz.
Baadshaho marks the fourth collaboration of Luthria with Ajay. They had earlier worked for Kachche Dhaage, Chori Chori and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. The film is set to release on September 1.
Ajay said that their bond has become stronger -- personal and professional-- over time.
"Our friendship is not for the last 18 years, and not from the time of Kachche Dhaage. It is before that...We don't need to discuss much about our requirements. There is a comfort zone. I know what Milan wants, and he know how will I perform," he said.
Sandalwood seems to be affected by a jinx that is taking over one actor after the other. Tragedies and accidents have been on a rise during film shooting now-a-days.
It has not even been a week since two small screen artists lost their lives in an accident near Nelamangala Highway. Now, two famous Sandalwood actors have been injured during a film shoot.
Comedy actor Komal and Loose Maada Yogi have suffered minor injuries in an accident while shooting for their upcoming film, Kempegowda 2, in Mahabalipuram, Chennai.
Yes, the two actors succumbed to minor injuries right after they fell off of a bike during a chasing scene for Kempegowda 2. Apparently, Komal was riding the bike, while, Yogi was the pillion rider.
Yogi has sustained a few injuries to his knees and Komal has taken a hit to his back, injuring his spine. The two actors were immediately attended to on the spot and given first aid. They were then transported safely to a nearby hospital for treating the injuries.
The doctors in the hospital have advised the two patients for further checkup and scanning, for which, they will be moved to a bigger and better hospital.
Director and producer of the film, Shankar Gowda, has stated in an interview to the media that the two actors succumbed to minute injuries and that they were fine, with nothing serious to worry about.
He has futher said that they were given the best treatment and would be moved to a sophisticated hospital for further checkup. We hope that the two stars recover soon.
Stay tuned for more updates..
Dileep's Arrest & Kavya's Involvement In The Case
The investigation team arrested Dileep on the charges of conspiracy in the actress abduction case, with solid proofs, on July 10. Even though Kavya Madhavan was questioned multiple times upon Suni's statements, the actress has always stated that she has no personal connection with the accused.
Kavya To Relocate?
It was rumoured that Kavya is planning to relocate to Dubai, as she is unable to cope up with Dileep's arrest and the current situation. However, the reports have not been officially confirmed, yet.
Kavya's Current Status
Kavya Madhavan is currently staying with Dileep's daughter Meenakshi Dileep and his family. Even though Kavya is living in Aluva, she hasn't met Dileep even once post his arrest and has never visited him in the jail.
Dileep & Kavya's First Onam
It is the first Onam for Dileep and Kavya Madhavan post marriage, and the couple was reportedly planning a grand celebration. However, the family cancelled all the plans post Dileep's arrest. So, it would be Onam san celebration for Kavya, while Dileep will have his Onasadya in jail.
The Surprise Wedding
Dileep and Kavya Madhavan tied the knot on November 25, 2016. The wedding news came out as a huge surprise for the audiences and media, as the couple has always been in denial towards the rumours regarding their affair.
Post-Wedding Controversies
Dileep's exclusive interview for Manorama Online sparkled huge controversies, and the actor was heavily thrashed for his offensive statements against the attacked actress. In the interview, Dileep once again stated that Kavya was just a close friend before, and was not involved with his divorce.
Kavya's Bond Meenakshi Dileep
In the absence of Dileep, Kavya is at present the guardian of Meenakshi. In the interview given to Manorama Online, Dileep had made it clear that his daughter shares a very warm bond with Kavya Madhavan.
Did Manju Warrier Visited Meenakshi & Kavya?
Recently, it was rumoured that Manju Warrier paid a visit to Dileep's house, to meet Meenakshi. According to the gossip mongers, Meenu refused to talk to Manju, even though Kavya gave her a warm welcome.
But, the sources close to Manju Warrier slammed the reports later and made it clear that the actress is currently in Kolkata for the shooting of Aami.
ALEXANDRIA, VA August 30, 2017-The Motley Fool will release a new edition of The Motley Fool Investment Guide on September 5, 2017. Completely revised and updated with clear and witty explanations, the third edition of The Motley Fool Investment Guide deciphers all the current information available to today's investorfrom evaluating individual stocks to creating a diverse investment portfolio.
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Domestic steel markets have been strong lately, which is a nice respite after a long downturn. All of the major players in the industry should benefit, but United States Steel Corporation (X 8.21%) is facing some self-inflicted headwinds that mean it's not likely to participate in the upturn to the same degree as some peers. Here's what you need to know.
The story of a downturn
At the end of the 2007 to 2009 recession, the steel industry started to hit the skids. It was a painful downturn driven at first by reduced domestic demand. It got worse when foreign imports of low-priced steel products started to flood into the market, at what some claim are unfair prices. To give you an idea of how bad it's been, U.S. Steel has lost money in seven of the last eight years.
During this downturn, U.S. Steel has been focused on adjusting its business to the changing market. That's meant things like cutting costs. A key part of that was a decision to, on the whole, reduce the investment it was making in its business. In 2016 capital spending was less than half of what it was in 2009, with a clear trend of lower and lower spending over the intervening years. That decision helped U.S. Steel get through the downturn, but it has material implications now that the steel industry is recovering.
Missing out
The first big sign of what's to come showed up in the first quarter. U.S. Steel reported earnings that were much worse than expected and then CEO Mario Longhi made a somewhat startling statement. After acknowledging improving conditions he said, "This remains a cyclical industry and we will not let favorable near-term business conditions distract us from taking the outages we need to revitalize our assets in order to achieve more reliable and consistent operations, improve quality and cost performance, and generate more consistent financial results."
Investors sent U.S. Steel's shares down roughly 30% in the days following that news. The takeaway being that the steel company had underinvested in its business and was now forced to play catch up... limiting how much it would benefit from the upturn. The problem is two fold. First, shutting mills down means they aren't producing steel for sale which obviously hits revenues. But, second, there's a cost to upgrading mills which hits the bottom line. That includes the costs to shut mills down, the cost of the upgrades being made, and then the cost of starting the mills back up.
New CEO, same troubled outlook
Mario Longhi announced his retirement shortly after investors were surprised by that first quarter earnings release. But you can't fix a problem like this by changing the CEO. The only thing the company can do is spend the money it needs to spend even though it's going to be a headwind during an industry upturn. And that's exactly what new CEO David Burritt said when he announced second quarter earnings: "Our investment in our facilities and our people continues to increase."
That's a good thing for the company over the long term, of course. But it means that U.S. Steel is going to be dealing with a self-inflicted headwind right when other companies that didn't pull back on spending, like industry giant Nucor Corporation, are flourishing. If you are looking for a steel investment, you're better off avoiding U.S. Steel -- sure it's going to benefit from an improving steel market, but not as much as better positioned peers.
When Robert Cole dove into what he thought was a foxhole to escape shelling as an infantryman in World War II, he probably didnt foresee a future where he would be comforted decades later with a special quilt.
Cole was presented with a Quilt of Valor at his current residence in the Onalaska Care Center in Onalaska. The handmade quilt was given to Cole during a special presentation Aug. 23.
A Sparta native and former Bangor resident, Cole enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940 and was deployed to Africa and Europe. He was part of the invasion of North Africa, and from there, he went on to Sicily, Italy and France.
We did a lot of walking, said Cole. I went because it was my duty.
His daughter, Candace Warhanik, requested a QOV for her father after seeing a television segment about the program. She says her father didnt talk about his adventures during the war until a few years ago.
He landed behind the enemy lines at the Anzio Beach in January 1944, said Warhanik. He served 550 days of combat in the Third Infantry Division. He was awarded the Bronze Star, 10 Battle Stars, four Bronze Arrowheads and the Croix de Guerre with Palm.
It was at Anzio where Cole found refuge from the shelling in the hollow. However, it turned out the pit wasnt a foxhole.
I jumped in a hole and woke up and saw it was a grave, said Cole, and I was glad to be there.
Along with his memories, one of the mementoes Cole brought back from the war is a Nazi flag he acquired when U.S. troops entered Nuremberg, the birthplace of the Nazi party.
Honorably discharged in 1945 when the war ended, Cole returned home, finding employment at La Crosse Footwear. Now the patriarch of five generations, the 95-year-old Cole is among the last of The Greatest Generation, that lived through the Great Depression and World War II.
Quilts of Valor Foundation is a non-profit with a mission of honoring physically or psychologically wounded service members by covering them with a handmade quilt.
Started by Catherine Roberts of Seaford, Delaware, in 2003, after she dreamt about her son who was stationed overseas, the concept has spread across the country and has entered the international sphere.
More than 5,500 veterans have been honored with a quilt. The quilters make the quilts to honor the 25 percent of veterans returning home who suffer from a physical or psychological wound.
Individuals or groups can make a Quilt of Valor; non-quilters can support the movement through donations of materials or money.
Karen Demaree of Platteville, the maker of Coles quilt, learns about potential recipients through requests made on the programs website.
Each QOV is unique and may take anywhere from three months to a year to complete, said Demaree. The volunteers in Wisconsin have awarded over 650 quilts over the past three years. As state coordinator, I have made a lot of Quilts of Valor from many patterns. Any quilt pattern can be made into a QOV, just think red, white and blue.
Rita Champion of Porcupine Quillting on Brice Prairie awarded the quilt made by Demaree. Champion has been involved with the QOV, having made several QOV herself and stitching quilts made by others with her long-arm quilting machine.
We usually get two to four to finish a month, said Champion. I got involved with Quilts of Valor a few years ago and it is wonderful awarding the quilts.
Anyone wanting a quilt made for a veteran can nominate the service member by going to the QOVF website at https://www.qovf.org.
The NFU has challenged Tesco to explain its lamb sourcing policy after it was found to be the only major retailer whose British lamb facings had decreased over the last 12 months.
The UKs largest retailer had the lowest percentage of British lamb facings at just 50%, according the AHDB Beef and Lambs June 2017 shelf watch survey.
The survey, which covertly investigates 150 stores from the UKs 10 largest supermarkets, found that Tescos British lamb facings had fallen by a quarter since the levy boards last survey in January and were 15% down compared with 12 months ago.
Facings are the number of items sitting horizontally on retailer shelves.
See also: Good demand for heavy lambs as supply tightens
Asda and Sainsburys had the next lowest British lamb facings, both on 61%, but had increased these figures compared with 12 months ago, by 21% and 10% respectively.
The NFU criticised Tesco three years ago for failing to meet a commitment made by the then CEO of Tesco, Philip Clarke, to source more of its food closer to home in light of the horsemeat scandal in 2013.
But, according to NFU livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe, the supermarket hadnt shown any meaningful aspiration to support British lamb in peak season.
Over three years have passed and little has changed on this front, said Mr Sercombe.
Tesco has seemed to shy away from making clear to suppliers and customers what its sourcing policy is with lamb.
With so many positive moves towards British farming among retailers, Tesco is sticking out like a sore thumb.
In July, Morrisons joined the Co-op and Aldi in committing to stock 100% British fresh meat all year round.
Several supermarkets still import large volumes of cheaper Australian and New Zealand lamb, despite a 25% year on year decline in UK sheep meat imports in June 2017, according to AHDB Beef & Lamb.
High-quality
Mr Sercombe added: British lamb is at its prime right now and our farmers take great pride sending this high-quality product to the supermarket shelves, especially so for the British public.
With Brexit looming, British lamb producers now more than ever need retailers to be clear on their sourcing commitments.
The livestock board chairman said that retailer commitments on sourcing would help British producers to invest in their farms for the long term.
UK production is at its peak and is highly competitive, leaving British farmers bewildered as to why British facings are going down and not up at Tesco.
In a statement, Tesco said it disagreed with the surveys findings.
The amount of British lamb we offer customers has increased over the last year, so we dont recognise the findings of this research.
However, the supermarket failed to provide its own figures for how much British facing lamb it stocks, despite multiple requests from Farmers Weekly.
The supermarket added: We are proud supporters of the British lamb industry and always offer our customers 100% British lamb on our counters and in our organic and finest* ranges.
By selling British and New Zealand lamb we can offer our customers quality, availability and good value all year round.
Missed Nokia 6 flash sale in Amazon? Here are smartphones with better specs at same price Features oi -Harish Kumar These smartphones come with the same price tag as the Nokia 6, but offer better specs.
Nokia was considered be one of the biggies in the mobile phone industry. Sadly, after the entry of smartphones, the company slowly started to lose its charm. Brands like Samsung, Motorola took over its place.
Fast forward a few years, and we have got the Finnish company HMD Global backing up Nokia. Well, it turns out, people in India still have full faith in the iconic brand.
List of best Nokia phones available to buy in India
The company has already launched a few smartphones in the country this year, and Nokia 6 is of them. Priced at Rs. 14,999, the smartphone offers some impressive features and specs. Amazon recently hosted the flash sale for Nokia 6 attracting many buyers.
Nokia 8 vs high-end Android smartphones with 6GB RAM
However, if you have missed the flash sale, you don't have to be sad about it. Today, we have compiled a list containing smartphones that comes with better specs than Nokia 6 at the same price.
Motorola Moto G5s Plus Buy At Price of Rs 15,999
Key Features 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display with Corning Gorilla glass 3 protection
2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM
64GB storage
expandable memory up to 128 GB with microSD
Android 7.1 (Nougat)
Dual SIM
13MP (RGB) + 13MP (monochrome) dual rear cameras with dual-tone LED flash
8MP front-facing camera with flash
4G VoLTE
3000mAh battery with Turbo Charging LG Q6 Buy At Price of Rs 14,990
Key Features
5.5-inch 18:9 FHD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) FullVision 442ppi Display
Octa-Core Snapdragon 435 Mobile Platform with Adreno 505 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB storage
expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD
Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera, 100-degree wide angle
4G VoLTE
3,000mAh built-in battery Honor 8 Lite Buy At Price of Rs 15,200
Key Features 5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD 2.5D curved glass display
Octa-core Kirin 655 with 16nm processor with Mali T830-MP2 GPU
4GB LPDDR3 RAM
64GB storage
expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) with EMUI 5.0
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano/microSD)
12MP rear camera with LED flash
8MP front-facing camera
4G VoLTE
3000mAh battery Panasonic Eluga A3 Pro Buy At Price of Rs 12,400
Key Features
5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Asahi Dragon Trail Glass protection
1.3GHz Octa-Core Mediatek MT6753 Processor with Mali T-720 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal memory
expandable memory up to 128GB with MicroSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano /microSD)
13MP rear camera with LED Flash, PDAF
8MP front-facing camera
4G VoLTE
4000mAh battery LG Stylus 3 Buy At Price of Rs 15,500
Key Features
5.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) In-cell Touch 2.5D curved glass IPS display
1.5 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6750 64-bit processor with Mali T860 GPU
3GB RAM
16GB Internal memory
expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
13MP rear camera with LED flash
8MP front-facing camera
Fingerprint sensor
Stylus Pen
4G LTE
3200mAh removable battery Micromax Dual 4 Buy At Price of Rs 17,999
Key Features
5.2 Inch FHD Touch Screen Display
1.4GHz Snapdragon 435 Octa Core Processor
4GB RAM With 64GB ROM
Dual SIM
13MP Rear Camera With LED Flash
Dual 13MP Front Camera
4G VoLTE
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.0
2730 MAh Battery Samsung Galaxy On Max Buy At Price of Rs 16,900
Key Features
5.7-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD TFT IPS 2.5D curved glass display
MediaTek Helio P25 Lite Octa-Core with 64-bit 16nm processor with ARM Mali T880 GPU
4GB RAM
32GB internal memory
expandable up to 128GB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Dual SIM
Samsung Pay Mini
13MP rear camera with LED flash
13MP front camera with LED flash
Fingerprint sensor
4G VoLTE
3300mAh battery Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Buy At Price of Rs 16,999
Key Features
6.44-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display with 450nits brightness
2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU
4GB RAM with 64GB / 128GB storage
expandable memory with microSD
MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
Hybrid Dual SIM (micro+nano/microSD)
12MP rear camera with dual-tone LED Flash
5MP front-facing camera
4G VoLTE
5300mAh (typical) / 5200mAh (minimum) battery with Quick Charge 3.0 Gionee A1 Buy At Price of Rs 15,974
Key Features
5.5-inch (1920 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS in-cell 2.5D curved glass display
2GHz Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with Mali T860 GPU
4GB RAM
64GB Internal memory
expandable memory up to 128GB with micro SD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Amigo OS
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
13MP rear camera with LED flash
16MP front-facing camera
4G VoLTE
4010mAh battery with fast charging Samsung Galaxy J7 Max Buy At Price of Rs 17,900
Key Features
5.7-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD PLS TFT LCD 2.5D curved glass display
1.6GHz MediaTek Helio P20 Octa-Core (MT6757V) 64-bit processor with ARM Mali T880 GPU
4GB RAM
32GB internal memory
expandable up to 128GB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
Dual SIM
Samsung Pay Mini
13MP rear camera with LED flash
13MP front camera with LED flash
Fingerprint sensor
4G VoLTE
3300mAh battery
Best Mobiles in India
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Leaked official renders of Vivo X20 show full-screen design News oi -Chandrika The images also suggest the smartphone will be offered in two color options; Black and White.
It is safe to say that 2017 is the year of bezel-less smartphones. From biggies like Samsung and Xiaomi to little-known Chinese brands, many smartphones featuring the full-screen design.
Well, seems like Vivo is all set to enter the fray with its own bezel-less smartphone called Vivo X20. Chinese publication mydrivers.com has posted two teaser posters of the smartphone that clearly reveal its design. The images show the device sporting a similar look to that of the Samsung's Galaxy S8 duo. Its upper and lower bezels are ultra-thin, while there are no bezels on the sides.
Judging from the renders, the display of the Vivo X20 will have an aspect ratio of 18:9. For comparison, it the same aspect ratio used on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. The images also suggest the smartphone will be offered in two color options; Black and White.
This is not the first time though, Vivo X20 has been spotted online. Earlier this month, Slashleaks had shared an image said to be of the device. If you wondering about its specs, the phone is expected to come with a 5.5-inch full HD display with the resolution density of 1080p.
Under the hood, the smartphone could be powered by a 64-bit, Octa-core Snapdragon 660 processor by Qualcomm.
Paired with the chipset will be 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage space. The storage space can be further expanded using a microSD card. The device is also expected to feature a powerful camera configured with the company's latest DSP image processing technology.
Vivo is also likely to launch the Vivo X20 Plus along with the Vivo X20. The former is said to feature a larger 6-inch display. As of now, we have no other information about the Vivo X20 Plus. However, since it is Plus variant, its specs should not be too different than the Vivo X20.
Best Mobiles in India
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Sony Xperia XZ1 with Android 8.0 Oreo spotted on GFXBench News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Sony Xperia XZ1 is coming tomorrow.
Sony is all set to unveil three smartphones on August 31 at the IFA 2017 tech show in Berlin. As the launch is approaching close, there are several leaks that are emerging online regarding the devices.
Well, Sony is likely to launch three smartphones - Sony Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia X1 at the event. The Xperia XZ1 is the high-end variant and the flagship model of Sony and is said to arrive with the model number Sony G8541. Now, a GFXBench benchmark listing has revealed more details about the Sony Xperia XZ1 besides the renders those were already leaked.
Sony Xperia XZ1 First Impression
Going by the benchmark listing spotted by The Android Soul, the Sony Xperia XZ1 is all set to run on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Apart from the OS, the benchmark listing also reveals that the device will arrive with 2.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm processor that could probably be the Snapdragon 835 SoC. The processor is likely to be teamed up with 4GB RAM and 128GB default storage space.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact official renders and pricing leaked
Though the GFXBench listing tips at these specifications, there is concrete evidence that it is the Xperia XZ1 that has been spotted on the benchmark database. There are possibilities for the device could be either the Xperia XZ1 Ultra or the Xperia XZ1 Compact as well. However, one thing that we are clear about is all these three smartphones ship with Android 8.0 Oreo.
Android Oreo was officially released in the last week. The update is available for the Google Pixel and the Nexus smartphones for now. The Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 tipped to be launched later this year would be the first ones to ship with the Android 8.0 Oreo software pre-installed in them.
Sony Xperia XZ1 official press images leaked
The Android Oreo is the latest iteration of the mobile OS and it brings several new features such as Picture-In-Picture mode, revamped settings, snooze notifications, etc.
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On Aug. 18, 2007, around the time Lynn and Sharon Partington tucked their grandson into bed, it started to rain.
Sheets of water pounded the roof and streamed down the Partingtons floor-to-ceiling windows. Thunder, like the steps of God, sent recurrent tremors through the darkening countryside.
It seemed all the world was drenched and trembling. But Sharon couldnt be bothered.
There was little to distinguish this storm, she thought, from the storms that come and go every summer in this part of the country. Sharon expected to wake up the next morning to find her trees and her flowers dripping themselves dry, the sun burning away in its usual place.
But it wouldnt stop raining.
Just after midnight, Lynn and Sharon got a call from the neighbors. They needed a hand at their house, in the basement. It was filling up with mud and water and fast.
Lynn shrugged into a raincoat, grabbed a shovel and headed over.
He was halfway there when a bolt of lightning split the sky. It illuminated houses and trees and the highway that runs between the bluffs and the Mississippi River.
Then, up on the bluff, there was a crack.
I knew exactly what it was, Lynn said. I ran for my life.
Its been 10 years since the Partingtons and their riverfront dream home were swallowed up by a wave of mud, trees and debris. The mudslide left Lynn and Sharon without a home and, for a while, without a clear sense of purpose among the families most devastated by a storm that rocked so many.
In the weeks that followed, Lynn and Sharon felt as if they were once again in their 20s, when they started their lives together with nothing but a 55 Pontiac and a pile of wedding presents.
They lost almost everything in the mudslide.
Practical things like clothes, furniture and vehicles. Sentimental things like old photos and antique clocks.
Lynn and Sharon had worked most of their lives, on teacher salaries, to build the house they had always wanted a place reminiscent of a lodge, with a wrap-around deck and a great stone chimney.
Then, in seconds, it was gone.
Discussing the storm recently at their new place a home that Lynn says will never truly feel like one, despite the family photos and inspirational signs hanging on the walls Lynn and Sharon couldnt help but shake their heads and lament their losses.
We were in our 60s, and we had to start completely over, Lynn said. How do you do that?
There were so many times I wondered to myself: What was our sin? What did we do? What do we do now? said Sharon, who describes herself and her husband as loyal Christians. I wouldnt say it shook our faith, but there were all these questions.
Austin, their grandson, remains haunted by the events of that night.
Sleeping in an upstairs bedroom, he was thrust awake by a surge of air that lifted his mattress and him and hurled it against a wall. He was 9 years old at the time of the storm, and at 19, hes still afflicted with nightmares and flashbacks.
Hes getting better, Sharon said. But it will always be with him.
The Partingtons memories from that night are as sharp and clear as their grandsons.
Just as Lynn remembers the flash of lightning, like daylight, and the sound of the splitting bluff, Sharon remembers standing in the kitchen, watching a mass of mud rush toward her.
I was looking out the window, and everything was tan, she said. You couldnt see anything just tan.
Sharon was launched through the air and into the living room. She landed on a coffee table and must have been knocked out, she said the passage of time is a little hazy.
She remembers lying there, in the rubble, believing she might have been buried alive. Then, through the debris and the watery darkness, she saw a light.
Climbing what she thought was the staircase it was actually the railing of that staircase she reached her grandsons room. Furniture was smashed. Doors were ripped from their hinges.
Austin! she cried. Austin!
The boy wasnt in his room.
Austin! she screamed.
Sharon later learned that Lynn had returned to the house, ripped a piece of siding from a wall, and pulled his grandson to safety.
Hearing his wifes voice, Lynn called Sharon to the same opening. With some tugging, he managed to squeeze her through.
The family was together again. Intact.
But their house wasnt.
The Partingtons smashed and shredded belongings were strewn across the yard. Their roof was resting in the highway. Their great stone chimney was reduced to dust.
Miraculously, the family says, Sharon was the only one with significant injuries fractured vertebrae and a deep cut on her right forearm. The rest of that night, for her, was a bright blur of ambulance and hospital lights.
But she wasnt alone.
Austin, the grandson she feared she had lost, spent those gauzy hours curled up next to her.
We lost all our stuff, Sharon said at the time, in a story that ran in the Daily News. But not the stuff that counts.
The Partingtons received widespread attention in the days after the flood. Their story was chronicled by local news outlets as well as CNN, ABC News and Good Morning America.
Lynn and Sharon were inundated with phone calls from family and friends. Letters some from perfect strangers also poured in.
There was one, Sharon can remember, from a woman who had survived Hurricane Katrina two years earlier.
Reading her letter, it was obvious that she didnt have much, Sharon said. She still gave us $100, so we could get by.
The Partingtons needed all the help they could get.
As was the case with many flood victims, none of the Partingtons losses were covered by insurance. Their house was paid off and extensively insured they even had an add-on for earthquakes, in case the long-dormant fault lines along the Mississippi ever ruptured.
But their policy said nothing about mudslides.
Weve gotten that question so many times, Lynn said. We didnt get anything.
Instead, Lynn and Sharon watched as men shoveled up the rubble that used to be their home, watched as they loaded it onto trucks and carried it away.
For two months, they stayed with their daughter in Onalaska, picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.
Family photo albums were among the few things the slide did spare. Lynn and Sharon collected all of the photos one day and arranged them on their daughters driveway, letting the sun dry them out a soggy collage of happier times.
What we saved amounts to peanuts, Lynn said. None of the dishes matched. Everything was wet, broken, chipped. It was just ... .
But friends and neighbors came to the aid of the Partingtons, helping the couple in ways big and small.
Lynns dentist cleaned his teeth at no charge.
A family friend let Lynn and Sharon drive his car until they could buy their own.
And the Partingtons church and community helped raise money for the couples empty pockets.
Destroyed home and all, Sharon said, we had so much to be grateful for.
In October 2007, two months after the storm, Lynn and Sharon moved into the house where they live today. They filled it with donated furniture, and planted trees and shrubs where there had been only grass.
There were no birds when we moved here, Lynn said. Now, we hear the birds and appreciate just being alive.
The Partingtons live quiet and normal lives you wouldnt know their world was once damaged beyond repair, because they dont talk much about it.
They spend a lot of time on the Mississippi, boating and fishing and sunbathing.
They entertain their children and grandchildren.
They take vacations to Florida.
As much as she can, Sharon who takes anxiety medication and gets nervous during thunderstorms visits cancer patients at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse. She sees her life through the proper lens, she said, when she meets people with even harder lots in life.
No matter what, she said, theres always someone who has it tougher than you do.
It can be just as easy to lose perspective.
The effects of the storm are all around the Partingtons. Ever-present.
They see its strength in the bend of a floor lamp, in the dents that riddle pots and pans.
Boxes, unopened since the move, sit like cardboard monuments in the basement.
And Sharon carries with her a constant reminder a fat, white scar that runs down her right forearm.
When it was healing, I always used to show it to Austin, she said. God allows bad things to happen in this world. But He puts the miracle of healing in all of us.
More and more, Lynn and Sharon think not about everything the slide took but about everything the slide spared.
They have their photos. And a fleet of hand-carved loons. And a set of glassware thats been in their family for generations.
And they have their lives.
We were so lucky to spend 17 years in that house, Lynn said. Not many people get to live out their dream.
Its a blessing of equal proportion, the Partingtons say, to live through your nightmare.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 officially confirmed to launch on September 11 News oi -Chandrika The launch event will take place at Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium on Sept. 11 at 2 PM local time.
The upcoming IFA 2017 is going to witness the unveiling of several smartphones. However, Chinese brand Xiaomi has decided to not join the rat race of manufacturers.
The company has posted a launch poster for the Mi Mix 2 on its official Weibo account.The launch poster reveals that Xiaomi will take the wraps off its flagship on September 11. Besides the revelation of the launch date, the poster also states that the Mi Mix 2 will arrive with a full-screen 2.0 design. The launch event will take place at Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium on Sept. 11 at 2 PM local time.
Well, there are rumors suggesting that Apple will unveil the iPhone 8 on September 12, along with the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. Earlier the Mi Mix 2 was also speculated to launch on the same day. However, now we know that the Xiaomi flagship will be launched one day prior to the alleged launch date of iPhone 8.
Coming back to the launch poster, it indicates the smartphone's display will have a higher screen-to-body ratio than its predecessor, the Mi Mix. If you remember, French designer Phillippe Starck had posted a video on his Facebook profile. The video contained a bezel-less smartphone along with the text that reads Mi Mix 2 conceptual product design.
We don't know if it is a coincidence, the handset that is shown in the video and the one in the poster looks quite the same. For better reference, the original Xiaomi Mi Mix was designed Phillippe Starck as well.
If we pay heed to the rumors, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 will flaunt a 6.4-inch dual curved AMOLED 2K display.
Speaking of other specifications, the smartphone is said to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. It will come with pre-installed Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the layer of MIUI 9 on top.
There could be two memory variants of the Mi Mix 2. The standard will offer 6GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage space. Whereas, the higher version will probably have 8GB of RAM and 256GB of default storage.
Best Mobiles in India
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ZTE to soon launch 5 budget smartphones in India News oi -Chandrika Taking cues from the interview, the launch of these smartphones will take place either by September end or in the beginning of October.
While Chinese manufacturer ZTE is quite popular in regions like the US, it falls a little behind to other brands in India. However, the company is all set to change the scenario.
In an exclusive interview with Gizbot, Sachin Batra, the CMO of ZTE, told that the company is going to launch five new smartphones in India. Taking cues from the interview, the launch of these smartphones will take place either by September end or in the beginning of October.
As of now, the company's top-man didn't reveal the model name of the smartphones. However, talking about the price-point, "all of them will be entry-level smartphones, falling in the price range between Rs. 6,000-15,000," stated the CMO.
As for the availability, the ZTE phones will be sold exclusively on a particular e-commerce retailer website, which the company didn't reveal. However, the smartphones will be available through offline channels, claimed Sachin.
As of now, we have no information about the specs and features of these smartphones. But surely, with the leaks and rumors that are on the rise in the tech-sphere, we might not have to wait for long.
According to Sachin Batra, ZTE will offer "right products at a right price" to its customers. When asked about how the company wants to strengthen its foothold in the super competitive smartphone market in India, he says ZTE will mainly focus on "innovative technology". He was pretty reluctant to delve into the details.
Sachin Batra is also hopeful that one year down the line, ZTE phones will be quite popular among Indian consumers.
Undoubtedly, the company has to fight against other Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, but probably it wouldn't be long before ZTE emerges as a renowned brand for affordable smartphones in India.
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Local domestic helpers can help you handle all household chores, from cooking, cleaning to taking care of family members. This article will tell you ways to hire local domestic helpers, recruitment tips and other points to note.
Where to Select Candidates You may choose to post your vacancy or search online for candidates through the Smart Living portal of the Employees Retraining Board. More on services provided by Smart Living
Recruitment Tips Before recruiting a domestic helper, you should identify your requirements, such as scope of duties, mode of employment, number of working days per week, etc. You may draw up a job description to help the candidates understand your requirements.
During the recruitment process, you should observe the laws of Hong Kong on equal opportunities as well as protection of personal data. Equal Opportunities CommissionOffice of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data
Written Employment Contract When you have selected the right candidate, you are advised to enter into a written employment contract with him/her. You can find useful information for preparing an employment contract and a sample of it through the following links. Notes for preparing an employment contract (pdf file)Sample employment contract
Statutory Obligations under Labour Legislation As an employer, you are required to observe the labour legislation of Hong Kong. Answers to some frequently asked questions about your rights and obligations under the labour legislation are available on the following link. FAQs about labour legislationEmployer shall take out insurance policy for the domestic helper
Merchants Banks Swipe Out Hunger Facebook giveaway has concluded with donations of $500 to Semcac in Houston County.
Merchants Bank donated 5 cents each time a Merchants Bank credit card or debit card was used Aug. 1-8, for a total of $10,000 donated to 13 food shelves. The top three donations of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 were awarded based on the percentage of votes cast for each food shelf on Merchants Banks Facebook page, with the remaining money split between the rest of the food shelves. More than 3,600 votes were cast in this years giveaway.
The food shelves were nominated by Merchants Bank locations. There were a number of locations that nominated the same organization. The Swipe Out Hunger awards break down as follows:
SEMCAC (Caledonia, Lanesboro, Rushford, Spring Grove): $500
The Open Door Pantry (Apple Valley and Rosemount): $500
Hastings Family Service (Hastings): $2,500
Friends in Need Food Shelf (Cottage Grove): $1,000
Feed My People (Eau Claire): $500
360 Communities (Lakeville): $500
Cannon Falls Food Shelf (Cannon Falls): $500
Channel 1 (Rochester): $ 500
Hometown Resource Center (St. Charles): $500
The Hunger Task Force (Onalaska): $1,500
La Crescent Food Share (La Crescent): $500
Randolph Food Shelf (Hampton): $500
Winona Volunteer Services (Winona) $500
Merchants Bank has 21 locations, including Minnesota locations in Rushford, Lanesboro, Caledonia, Spring Grove, Winona, St. Charles, Goodview, Rochester, La Crescent, Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Hampton, and the southern Twin Cities metropolitan suburbs of Apple Valley, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Lakeville and Rosemount. Merchants has Wisconsin locations in Eau Claire and Onalaska.
On June 10, 2016, Marc Ma went paddle boarding on Lake Tahoe near Homewood, Calif. with his friends, but winds picked up and created unsafe conditions. Ma got separated from the group and was never found.
On July 31, after 416 days, Bruces Legacy of Black River Falls found Ma in 240-foot water, providing closure to a grieving family.
Suddenly, Keith Cormican, director of Bruces Legacy, was famous.
We had eight news channels that came and did a story on us that afternoon. They drove from over two hours away to come and setup an appointment with us, Cormican said.
Even though Bruces Legacy had done what many viewed as impossible, Ma was one of many lost souls Bruces Legacy gets calls about.
We spent the next day and a half on the phone talking to families from all over California, Nevada and Washington that asked us if we could come up and look for their family, Cormican said explaining that they talked to 16 different families that requested his help.
Even though Cormican helped find Ma, he tends to think more about those he cant find, like 12-year old Marcos Vasquez who went missing after going kayaking in July with his cousin on Stampede Reservoir in California.
Vasquezs parents are immigrants and so Cormican and his crew didnt get a lot of help initially.
We actually went and looked for him for two days before the Lake Tahoe one, and we just didnt get any help by the local authorities. It was like they didnt even care. It was very sad. They didnt have any information they wanted to share with us, Cormican said.
Bruces Legacy did eventually find Vasquez on a second trip they took to California in August.
In some cases it might be thankless and some cases it is very appreciated by the families, said Sandra BlackDeer, Cormicans relative who helps with Bruces Legacy.
Behind Bruces Legacy
Bruces Legacy began as a way to honor Cormicans brother, Bruce Cormican.
Bruces Legacy is in memory of my brother. My brother was a firefighter for Black River Falls that passed away in a recovery operation of a drowning victim back in 1995, Cormican said.
On Aug. 21, 1995, the Black River Falls Fire Department conducted a search for a victim that had drowned in Robinson Creek near Black River Falls over the weekend.
During the search, three firemen were pulled into a whirlpool created by the small waterfall known as Polly Falls.
Two of the three firefighters made it out of the whirlpool alive, but Bruce Cormican did not have any neurological activity and was taken off of life support on Aug. 25, 1995.
I was able to put this together about four years ago and wanted to honor my brothers name and do the work that both of us had visions on and thought it would be a great legacy for him, Cormican said explaining that he and his brother had talked about creating a dive rescue team for the area before his death.
A huge part of what makes Bruces Legacy so successful is the equipment it uses, which also aids in increasing safety.
Bruces Legacy uses a side scan sonar on its boat to find points of interest for the team to explore. Once a point of interest is found, a remote operated vehicle is deployed to retrieve the person which removes the need to dive.
It is this expensive equipment that makes Bruces Legacy such a success, but also makes it hard for a non-profit to survive.
Most of our funding is directly from family and friends, Cormican said. Unfortunately we dont get a lot of donations.
Cormican also typically doesnt ask local governments to cover the costs. What Ive found in Wisconsin is everything is within a few hours. What happens if I tell them just pay for my fuel, then now they have to have an act of congress to pay for it. So I just made a rule a few years ago that anything in Wisconsin there is no charge.
If you would like to donate to Bruces Legacy or read updates about their most recent searches, go to www.bruceslegacy.com.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has modified operations of its lock and dam in Genoa in an effort to slow the upstream movement of invasive carp in the Mississippi River.
The changes, designed to stop Asian carp with minimal impact on native fish and barge traffic, are in response to recommendations from University of Minnesota biologist Peter Sorensen, who has been researching fish movement with a grant from the Minnesota Environmental Trust Fund.
Sorensen first studied how fast and far carp can swim and then used computer modeling to evaluate the flow of water through the gates.
What we found was two things: for most of the time they were incapable of going through gates in most conditions it was just too fast, Sorensen said. It really roars through most of the time.
But under certain conditions, the flows were imbalanced, giving adult carp a chance to swim through where there was less current.
Sorensen recommended some minor adjustments that he said will even the flow and could cut carp passage, which he believes is relatively low, by more than half.
To their credit they were very receptive to that idea, Sorensen said. Its to their advantage, because by balancing velocities it also has the potential to reduce erosion. Its a win-win.
Corps project manager Nan Bischoff said the changes wont cost anything and still allowing the Corps to fulfill its mission of maintaining a 9-foot shipping channel
We just revise our operational charts, she said. The lock master and lock staff knows what adjustments (to make).
In 2014, Sorensen installed underwater speakers to keep carp out of the lock at Genoa. The speakers broadcast low-frequency sound waves that deter carp but dont affect native species.
The Genoa dam is the first of the 29 on the Upper Mississippi River to undergo modifications, and Corps spokeswoman Shannon Bauer said it is the first time the Mississippi Valley Division has ever changed procedures in response to invasive species.
The flow models were also modified to accommodate the concerns of Mark Clements, whose family has operated Clements Fishing Barge immediately below the dam since 1936.
Sorensen is now studying flows at Lock and Dam 5 in Winona in hopes that changes there could stop any carp that make it that far from reaching the Minnesota River. His researchers are also monitoring the impact of the changes on other fish species at Genoa.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, bigheaded and silver carp are now abundant and reproducing in Iowa, about 100 miles south of Genoa and continuing to move north. In 2008, a silver carp was discovered in pool 8 of the Mississippi River. Bighead, silver and grass carp have since been found as far north as Hastings as well as on the St. Croix River.
The DNR warns invasive carp can devastate local ecosystems by overcrowding native species and eating all their food. Silver carp, which can weigh up to 60 pounds, are also startled by the sound of propellers and create a hazard for boaters when they leap out of the water.
Theyre probably just about everywhere, a few scattered ones, Sorensen said. It hasnt been enough to spark reproduction. If we can reduce those with no cost its low-hanging fruit.
Haiti - FLASH : Revocation of the Minister of Social Affairs...
Roosevelt Bellevue, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, suspected of corruption, in a case of fraud in the acquisition of over-charged school kits, was revoked.
In the official newspaper Le Moniteur N 139 dated Tuesday, August 29, 2017, a decree was issued appointing Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant, acting Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
"Combating corruption and impunity is one of my commitments. I shall put all my strength into it. An act of corruption presupposes the presence of corrupters and corrupters. All are subject to the same penalties," declared President Jovenel Moise.
For his part, the former Minister denies his involvement in any corruption case. He considers these accusations to be "politicaillerie" and that this history of overcharging school kits is the work of a specific sector that wants to tarnish his image...
For his part, Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, the Minister of Education, denies any involvement of his Director of Cabinet, Jackson Pleteau, in cases of corruption related to a case of overcharging of school kits. Minister Cadet says he has not signed any contract to date.
HL/ HaitiLibre
After opening day, Apple Festival weather looks good
Set up at the North Carolina Apple Festival.
Blame Hurricane Harvey if we have a damp opening day of the North Carolina Apple Festival. After that, the forecast improves dramatically with near perfect conditions the last two days.
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Sunday should be really nice and theres almost no chance that it will rain on our parade or on the Tour dApple bicycle event on Labor Day.
Moving slowly from southwest Louisiana on Wednesday morning, Harvey is expected to travel toward Nashville, Tenn., reaching central to west Tennessee on Thursday night. Were within range of the big weather systems eastern edge, said Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C. The biggest rain is forecast Thursday and Thursday night, with up to 2 inches possible.
Its certainly looking like Friday is going to be on the wet side, unfortunately, Outlaw said. Starting with Friday morning, yeah, 70 percent chance of rain all across Henderson (County) and that continues through much of the day. Itll start to decrease as the remnants of Harvey start to move to the north of us. So by sunset Friday the chance of rain will decrease to about 50 percent and continue to decrease, below 40 percent.
Then good weather comes behind it.
Saturday will dawn with only a 20 percent chance of rain, increasing to 50 percent Saturday afternoon, then dropping back.
Saturday night theres almost no chance of rain, Outlaw said. Ditto Sunday.
Theres less than a 20 percent chance on Sunday afternoon and no chance at all on Sunday night and Monday night. So its probably not going to rain at all on Labor Day.
We wont have any of those scorching hot days, either, that often come with Apple Festival weekend.
Highs should be 74 on Friday, 75 on Saturday, 78 on Sunday and 80 on Monday for the King Apple Parade.
Its not often your boss promises you a promotion after he finds someone else to replace you.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse administrator Barbara Stewart, who is currently the interim vice chancellor for student affairs, will become the universitys first vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion. A search is underway to fill the vacant student affairs position, which was left by Paula Knudson earlier this year when she left UW-L for a position in her home state at the University of Northern Iowa.Gow announced the creation of the new cabinet-level position during his annual chancellors welcome on Wednesday to faculty and staff.
The division of diversity and inclusion will join student affairs, the provosts office, finance and administration and affirmative action as part of the leadership team on campus.
What I believe that it means is that UW-L is committed to making the campus community as diverse and inclusive as possible, Stewart said. It means that diversity, equity and inclusion have been given campus-level vision and scope. This organizational change will put diversity and inclusion at the center of the campus life and bring more attention and focus to diversity and inclusion at UW-L.
Gow said he hoped to have the student affairs position filled before the start of the spring semester, after which Stewart will take on her new role. The new position will oversee numerous programs and offices on campus including Campus Climate, the Office of Multicultural Student Services and the TRIO student services program.
At the welcome, Gow said some of the final discussions leading up to creating the new position occurred just before the events in Charlottesville, Va., a few weeks ago where white nationalists clashed violently with counterprotesters and resulted in the deaths of at least three people. Gow and his cabinet sent a response to the incident via email, where they shared their heartbreak over the violence and called on students, faculty and staff to work toward fostering a safe, respectful, and welcoming place for all people.
Our hearts go out to the families of the three brave people who lost their lives responding to a shocking display of hatred and violence by white supremacist groups, the letter read. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution ensures the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and, tragically, that was not the case in Charlottesville. The three people who died that day powerfully remind us that anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry are not just a shameful part of our history; they are with us today.
Increasing diversity and equity at the campus is one of four pillars of the UW-L strategic plan, which was approved in December. According to U.S. Department of Education data, only 11 percent of students at UW-L are non-white, compared to a 25 percent average at peer institutions including Winona State University, UW-Eau Claire, the State University of New York Brockport and Western Washington University.
While the campus has demographics comparable to the city and the county, Wisconsin is about 20 percent non-white and Gow has spoken of the need to achieve parity with the states demographics. Among the goals of the diversity pillar in the strategic plan are achieving that demographic equity for students, staff, faculty and administrators as well as providing inclusive educational experiences for all students and increasing the visibility and participation in diversity and inclusion efforts across campus.
Issues of diversity have come up during the past few years on campus, including protests over the universitys handling of a Hmong heritage language course, outrage over a move-in weekend banner students hung off campus that contained a lewd message targeting female students and protests and a teach-in on race after a derogatory drawing was found on a white board in one of the residence halls.
Faculty and staff have voiced their desire for more prominence of diversity actions on campus and Gow said he was glad to be able to meet that need as well as promote someone at the university who has done outstanding work during her time there. Along with her work leading student affairs, Stewart has overseen numerous diversity programs and initiatives on campus and was the 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award recipient.
This was the ideal way to acknowledge the outstanding leadership Barbara has provided, Gow said. And signal how important our diversity and inclusion activities are going forward. This is a historic development for the university.
Related Related Press Release HSMAI Celebrates Adreana Bailey and Jane Pearsall as Hotel Sales Professionals of the Year
Jane Pearsall, Senior Manager of Worldwide Sales, Global Business Travel for Best Western Hotels & Resorts, will be honored as the recipient of HSMAIs Above-property Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award. Pearsall has more than 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry in both domestic and international sales, including leadership roles with Marriott, Hampshire Hotels, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Since joining Best Western in 2010, Pearsall has been instrumental in expanding key partnerships, securing new corporate accounts, bringing additional corporate project business into the brand, and converting dormant accounts into top producers.
As director of sales, Kelly Clark will handle training and supervision of the sales team to generate meeting business in the corporate, government, sports, and social market segments. With more than 15 years of accomplished hotel sales experience, Clark is trained and certified in numerous hotel brands. She was most recently director of sales at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tampa Bay, where she had three years of record-breaking revenues, including three record months in the first quarter of 2017. Prior to this, Clark was director of sales at SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Gainesville, Florida, where she created a sales training program and incentives to target past accounts and groups. As an active member of the community, Clark has been involved in many local causes and organizations throughout her career. She will continue her service in Clearwater through her efforts at the Homeless Empowerment Campus [HEP].
Montreal, Quebec is set to play host to the 26th edition of the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC), taking place 26 29 September 2017. WYSTC is the must-attend B2B trade conference for key stakeholders and organisations in youth, student and educational travel. Over 600 participants from more than 350 organisations across the globe come together to network, learn from industry experts, collaborate in business appointments and attend cutting edge seminars.
This event is organized by WYSE Travel Confederation
For more information please contact WYSE Travel Confederation
Bob Harlow, a native of Barneveld, Wis., who intends to win the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Scott Walker for the top job in his home state, pins much of his hopes on derailing state approval of a $3 billion incentive package for Foxconn.
I object in general to the use of tax incentives to lure businesses, said Harlow, a 25-year-old 2016 graduate of Stanford University in California with a bachelors degree in physics.
Harlow, whose previous political experience was an unsuccessful primary election campaign for Congress in California last year in which he garnered 7.4 percent of the vote, said he doesnt expect his age to be a detriment to his campaign.
He has gathered 500 signatures on a petition against Foxconn both online and in person in a campaign he launched a week ago with a goal of 1,000 signatures.
The fact that his petition to urge the state Senate to reject the proposal made it halfway to its goal in a week shows that the people of Wisconsin want the Senate to vote no and that they believe in his policy positions, Harlow said during an interview Wednesday.
Money that Walker has proposed for the incentive package would be spent better investing in the states schools and infrastructure, said Harlow, who said he had been canvassing for support for the past few days in La Crosse.
Harlow alleged that Walkers base of support is anchored in wealthy and special-interest groups, while he is trying to develop a volunteer network.
He advocates repealing Act 10, which, in part, reduced public employees pay and ended their collective-bargaining rights, and espouses a minimum wage.
Walkers assault on the unions has shut people out, Harlow said. They have no seat at the table. The only ones with seats are wealthy donors, corporations and PACs.
Harlow advocates an eight-point plan, including more universal high-speed internet and creating jobs through repairing and building new elements of the states infrastructure, such as a high-speed rail system he calls the Wisconsin Badger Bullet connecting several cities throughout the state with those in other states, such as Chicago and the Twin Cities.
He also favors revamping the states health-care access system to make everyone eligible for Badgercare and accept the millions of federal dollars Walker rejected in spurning President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act.
Other Democratic hopefuls for the nomination include state Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire, state schools Superintendent Tony Evers and Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik. Also mulling campaigns are state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout of Alma, longtime Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, political activist Mike McCabe of Madison, former state Reps. Kelda Helen Roys of Middleton and Brett Hulsey of Madison, and Mahlon Mitchell, president of the state firefighters association.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), which is celebrating 90 years of fueling sales, is pleased to announce the HSMAI Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award recipients. Adreana Bailey, National Sales Manager, Hilton DFW Lakes, will be recognized as the Hotel Sales Professional of the Year in the On-property category. Jane Pearsall, Senior Manager of Worldwide Sales, Global Business Travel, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, has been selected as the Above-property Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award recipient. Pearsall and Bailey will be honored with the awardswhich are in their inaugural yearon September 6, 2017 at HSMAI's 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Lansdowne Resort & Spa in Leesburg, Virginia.
The HSMAI Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Awards honor individuals that exemplify strong sales performance producing measurable results and demonstrate excellence in all of the following areas: creativity and initiative; sales acumen; innovative leadership; and advancement of the discipline.
"HSMAI is proud to honor Adreana and Jane for their outstanding achievements in hotel sales," said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president & CEO of HSMAI. He added, "This year, HSMAI is celebrating a very important milestone90 yearsand we are elated that a special part of the celebration will be devoted to honoring these two distinguished hotel sales professionals. Adreana's and Jane's hard work exemplifies HSMAI's 90-year mission of growing business for hotels and their partners."
Adreana Bailey, National Sales Manager of Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, will receive HSMAI's On-property Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award. Bailey's more than 20 years in hotel sales have boasted roles at 5-diamond resorts and world class resort casinosincluding the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and the Peppermill Resort & Casino in Reno. Over the course of her six years thus far at Hilton DFW Lakes, Bailey singlehandedly grew the conference center's social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal meetings business by more than 50%. Her fresh ideas and commitment to relationships have also ensured that a large contingency of her groups return every year.
Jane Pearsall, Senior Manager of Worldwide Sales, Global Business Travel for Best Western Hotels & Resorts, will be honored as the recipient of HSMAI's Above-property Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award. Pearsall has more than 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry in both domestic and international sales, including leadership roles with Marriott, Hampshire Hotels, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Since joining Best Western in 2010, Pearsall has been instrumental in expanding key partnerships, securing new corporate accounts, bringing additional corporate project business into the brand, and converting dormant accounts into top producers.
For additional information about HSMAI awards and recognition programs visit www.hsmai.org/awardsandrecognition.
About HSMAI
HSMAI is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales, marketing, and revenue management disciplines, as well as connecting its members with customers. Founded in the United States in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of nearly 5,000 members from 35 countries and chapters worldwide. HSMAI operates regionally around the globe via Regional boards of directors and staff. There are four regions: the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Each region has signature programs and services for association members. HSMAI has a Global board that is comprised of delegates from each Region.
Jason Smith
VP communications
HSMAI
Market Research Company Euromonitor International revealed today the key trends shaping travel and tourism in Africa at the 41st Annual World Tourism Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to Euromonitor International's new data, international arrivals to Africa grew by 6.5 percent in 2017, to reach 18,550 million, up from 16,351 million in 2012. Key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Cameroon, Mauritius and Tanzania accounted for 70 percent of international trips to the Sub-Saharan African region.
This growth can be attributed to digital integration and increasing interaction between hotels, airlines, and car rental companies, using platforms such as social media, meta-search engines and the penetration of online travel agents. Other drivers include a growing short-term rental market, luxury travel, niche tourism, Meetings Incentives Conferences Exhibitions (MICE) and an increasing focus on domestic tourism.
"Many countries are moving away from only promoting Africa as a traditional safari destination, exploring other niche categories such as beach and medical tourism. The travel and tourism market continues to introduce products that suit different type of travellers, accounting for strong growth in major cities across Sub-Saharan Africa," says Euromonitor Research Analyst Christy Tawii.
Euromonitor predicts that growth in international arrivals to Sub-Saharan Africa will reach 25,000 million trips by 2022. Arrivals to Africa are expected to see continued growth, driven by increased interest from overseas visitors due to competitive rates in comparison to other destinations with a similar offer. Aggressive brand marketing campaigns and the introduction of new and increased direct air connectivity to and from major overseas markets, is also expected to boost inbound arrivals to the region. Key economies such as South Africa and Nigeria can expect strong growth in inbound trips.
For more information, click here.
About Euromonitor International
Euromonitor International is the world's leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.
Peak 10, the industry leader in IT infrastructure and security, highlights Vizergy's successful partnership in new case study. Vizergy provides stability, reliability and security to hospitality clients by combining proven digital marketing strategies, best-in-class marketing tools and their proprietary, cloud-based marketing system, hosted and supported by Peak 10, one of the nation's most advance data centers.
There is no place for downtime in a digital world. Downtime can be detrimental to business for high-profile clients like Hard Rock Hotels and Cafes, Virgin Hotels or The Melting Pot restaurants, therefore Vizergy only works with the most advanced technology partners, like Peak 10.
"We'd gotten to the level where we really needed to have the majority of our servers in one consolidated environment," explains Addams England, Vice President of IT at Vizergy. "We needed the additional redundancies and capabilities of a solution and a data center like Peak 10."
Vizergy has worked with Peak 10 for over ten years to consolidate IT environments and deliver high-performance, reliable access that drives business results. Backed by sophisticated technology and extensive support, Peak 10 helps enable Vizergy to provide the most reliable digital marketing, management and ecommerce system in the hospitality industry.
Vizergy's Digital Marketing System (DMS) is a true demonstration of client-focused innovation. This proprietary system enables hoteliers and hospitality professionals to easily and efficiently maintain their property websites, monitor social media, manage online reputation, deploy email campaigns and evaluate site performance from a single easy-to-use system. With personalization capabilities built into the DMS, clients can deliver tailored messaging that will be most relevant and personal to each individual site visitor.
Peak 10's advanced technologies and infrastructure strength provide superior support for the Vizergy sites and the DMS and ensures that the Vizergy team is consistently backed by industry leading IT professionals.
About Vizergy
For more than 20 years, Vizergy has served the hospitality industry with leading marketing technologies, knowledgeable talent and exceptional service for clients worldwide. The company deploys complete travel life-cycle marketing solutions from conversion-optimized website design to award-winning digital marketing programs, reservation solutions, media planning and execution. Vizergy's platform is touted as the #1 digital marketing system easy to use, turnkey and SMART, and continually enhanced with tools to help hotels compete and maximize revenue. At Vizergy, hospitality marketing is not only our mission, it's our sole focus.
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Zach Turner
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An old school sales technique that today is considered somewhat exploitative and sleazy may in fact help you shed some light on how to improve your loyalty program. Hot button selling was a colloquial term to describe first the process of qualifying your leads in order to decipher the emotional motivations underpinning their logic-based decisions, and then second using this information to pressure and coerce these leads into closing the sale on the spot.
From a psychology standpoint, the proliferation of this technique makes sense because of how often we humans are slaves to our emotional states of mind. When it comes to purchases, we habitually complete translations based upon our own internal 'hot buttons' then back-rationalize these decisions into features and benefits that is, the logical aspects of traditional sales training.
For instance, a woman joins a gym not to be healthier (logic) but because she wants to look drop dead gorgeous in her wedding dress (emotion). As another, a millennial buys a certain Japanese model as his first car not because it was lauded in Consumer Report for its gas efficiency and safety rating (logic), but because he saw his favorite actor driving one in the most recent Fast & Furious movie (emotion). To touch on a personal example, a marketing executive buys the newest Macbook Pro, not because he needs all that extra speed to load Microsoft Word or Outlook a few milliseconds faster, but because he has been locked in a game of technological one-upmanship with his cousin for the past three decades.
For all of the abovementioned cases, if a salesperson knows these underlying purchase drivers, he or she can subtly or overtly rephrase the pitch for maximum returns. While I would like to believe that we've moved past these antiquated methods (or maybe only given them a more innocuous name), playing upon one's emotions is a component that's sorely overlooked in today's hotel loyalty programs. Perhaps we can take the constructive aspects of hot button selling while leaving out the unscrupulous.
Transactional Pseudo-Loyalty
Today's loyalty programs are almost purely transactional. You give away your name, email and perhaps your home or mailing address, and in return you get basic perks such as free WiFi, complimentary breakfasts, extra drinks at the lobby bar, members' only room rates or shuttle service to the airport. While these are all great features of a contemporary loyalty program, there are three grievous errors that have been overlooked.
First, if it's a quick sign up process, then your loyalty program won't linger in someone's mind long enough for it to stick. Membership becomes akin to a convenience store; it's there only when it serves the immediate needs of the customer, but said customers won't go out of their way to stay loyal to any one store in particular.
Second, these perks are all but perfunctory nowadays. Everyone is offering them and as such you aren't differentiating your loyalty program from the others out there. This in itself contributes to brand apathy and agnosticism doubly true for special rates whereby consumers will only join to obtain this rate when instead you should be using your loyalty program to offer benefits to your guests that they cannot help with any other brand or hotel.
This belies the third point in that loyalty programs are too easy to join without any prequalification or introductory brand education. After all, you can't discover customers' hot buttons without first getting to know them.
Prequalification
Think of all the times you've been funneled through a hotel's booking engine and the prompt to join the loyalty program is nothing more than a basic form at the bottom of a colorless web page. Not only are there no exciting visuals to elicit an emotional reaction, but the brand remains oblivious to that person's individual tastes and preferences.
With the power of Big Data, computers these days can perform such amazing feats to infer future customer behavior from answers to even the most basic of multiple choice questionnaires, and yet we aren't making our new guests go through these rudimentary hoops in order to gain access to a myriad of benefits. Without any sense of prequalification, we are transforming travelers into mercenaries, always on the prowl for the best numerical value with little to no emotional attachment.
I'm not suggesting that we exclude certain guests from joining our loyalty programs, only that we require an ounce more of engagement on their part before induction. So include your member signup at the bottom of the booking direct page, but be sure to also throw in a "Before you join, take a minute to learn about all the things that make us great" segue.
That, or you can be more audacious by adding a graphic with the header that reads, "Tell us about yourself" or "We don't just let anyone into our loyalty program," and then have people input a few of their own preferences to build some initial rapport. Some interesting questions to this effect may include what they already like about your brand, whether they prefer shopping online or calling the hotel to speak with a reservation agent or even which occasions and features might entice them to opt for a room upgrade.
In this sense, yes, you are excluding guests, but only those who aren't willing to go the extra inch to tell you a little bit more about what makes them tick. This in itself is a qualifier as those guests who are intrinsically brand disloyal and very likely to not give you repeat business are the ones who want go through this harmless extra step.
Loyalty Programs as Brand Education
These additional steps represent a fine balance whereby you don't want the process to be lengthy to the point that it terminates the sales funnel. But when done right, you can educate potential customers to make them at the very least 'brand conscious' as well as give them reasons beyond price to select your property over others.
Key here is to make this brand education and member induction process visually stimulating. It's less a list of features that includes 'free internet access' as a top bullet point and more a slideshow that shows a happy guest relaxing in the lobby while streaming a video of his or her phone. While you may not touch upon each individual's hot button, you are certainly getting closer by prompting customers to discover more about your brand before you automatically sign them up for your loyalty program.
In other words, don't give it away, make guests 'earn it', because if people doesn't feel like they have earned something then they definitely will not bother to learn more about it. While this represents the beginning of the process, once you have that opening hook, subsequent e-blasts, offers and questionnaires will then stand a better chance towards building true brand advocacy and giving you the necessary data to better cater to your guests' emotional hot buttons.
Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc in Vietnam Announced for 2019
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has revealed plans to launch a spectacular new beachfront resort in Phu Quoc, the stunning tropical island off Vietnam's South Coast.
On July 20, 2017, Best Western signed a license agreement with Vietnam's CEO Group for the brand new Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc - a beautiful upscale property scheduled to open in January 2019.
Nestled on a prime plot of beachfront land on the island's pristine West Coast. Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc will overlook the glistening waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The hotel will offer 565 contemporary rooms, all equipped with balconies, upscale facilities and the latest technology, including complimentary Wi-Fi. Additionally, many of the rooms will offer views of the golden beaches, turquoise seas and beyond.
The tropical layout of the resort will also include a series of impressive villas running alongside the freeform outdoor pools, which stretch down from the main resort building to the beach. For honeymooners, groups and special occasions, these villas provide the perfect place to unwind in luxurious style and comfort.
Guests will also be able to enjoy delectable local and international cuisine at the restaurants, sip sundown drinks at the bars, work out at the high-tech fitness center, or simply kick back, relax and soak up the sun on the resort's private beach.
"Phu Quoc Island is one of Asia's most desirable up-and-coming resort destinations, and we are delighted to enter this prime tourist market with such a fantastic resort," said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western's Managing Director of International Operations Asia. "Modern, stylish and commanding a prime location, Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc represents the new era of Best Western Hotels & Resorts in Asia.
"Vietnam's tourism industry is experiencing incredible growth. Having welcomed a record ten million international arrivals in 2016, the country continues to surge in popularity among tourists from across the world. With its unspoilt beaches, fast-developing infrastructure and relaxed visa regulations, Phu Quoc is at the forefront of this growth.
"We look forward to following the development of Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc in the months ahead, and to welcoming our first guests to this spectacular new resort in 2019," Olivier added.
Vietnam's answer to Bali, Hawaii or Phuket, Phu Quoc Island attracted over 550,000 visitors in the first quarter of 2017, which represents a remarkable increase of more than 80 percent compared to the same period last year. This included 139,000 overseas visitors, up 53 percent year-on-year.
The island already features a wealth of attractions, including the Vinpearl safari and amusement parks, Cua Temple, Ho Quoc Pagoda, and a series of natural wonders such as golden beaches, verdant forests and spectacular waterfalls. Snorkeling is a major draw for visitors, and an impressive new cable car attraction is also being developed, connecting Phu Quoc with its neighboring island, Hon Thom.
And with 250 investment projects worth approximately US$14 billion earmarked for the island, including an expanded international airport, Phu Quoc's star will continue rising in the coming years.
Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a member of Hotel Brokers International, announced the successful sale of the Boulder Creek Inn, Donnelly, Idaho. Crystal Investment Property, LLC, a licensed Idaho broker, represented the Seller and Buyer in the sale. Joseph P. Kennedy, President of CIP, worked closely with the Seller, as well as the parties other professionals, to negotiate a mutually acceptable sale. The final sale price is confidential.
The 43-key property is a four-season interior corridor inn that provides access to year-round recreation in the town of Donnelly, Idaho. Close to nearby ski resorts, many outdoor tourist destinations and offering an array of guestrooms including family suites, kitchenette units, as well as Jacuzzi king suites, the Boulder Creek Inn is able to accommodate a vast range of guests year-round.
Joseph Kennedy, President of Crystal Investment Property said, The property received extensive interest given its excellent condition, ability to franchise and four season resort location. The Buyer was able to move from a smaller property out of state to his dream locale and we are excited to watch as his vision for the property is realized.
Crystal Investment Property, a premiere hospitality investment advisory and brokerage company located in the Pacific Northwest, maintains the most cutting-edge technological, online and social media presence as well as a full range of traditional and web-based marketing reaching local, regional, national and international clientele. The firms core services of hospitality asset acquisition/disposition are supported by innovative and creative solutions to maintain position as the most active and successful hotel broker in the region. Crystal Investment Property represents the full spectrum of hospitality real estate owners and their experience covers all hospitality assets types, including: full service hotels, boutique hotels, select service hotels, limited service hotels, as well as development projects, and leasehold transactions. Crystal Investment Property may be accessed online at www.crystalip.com.
Founded in 1959, Hotel Brokers International members lead the industry in hotel real estate sales. HBI hotel brokerage specialists have successfully negotiated more than 10,000 hotel real estate transactions and consistently account for the largest share of all select-service and economy hotel sales in the United States. The organizations database currently comprises more than 100 property listings and the HBI website attracts site visitors from around the world. Founder and host of the popular Hotel Investors Marketplace Webcast, HBI also developed the Certified Hotel Broker professional designation program. In addition to hospitality real estate advisory services, HBI offers affiliate membership to professionals in allied fields, including franchising, lending, appraisals and investment services. For more information about HBIs hotel listings or to become a broker or affiliate member, visit www.hbihotels.com.
For more information contact:
Joseph P. Kennedy, President
Crystal Investment Property, LLC
Portland, Oregon
503.530.1316
joe@crystalip.com
Glenda J. Webb, Managing Director
Hotel Brokers International
Kansas City, Missouri
816.505.4315
gwebb@hbihotels.com
Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya Opens
Located within the new, two-tower Burj Alshaya development Four Seasons is ideally situated for business and leisure travellers visiting the city, as well as local guests to dine, entertain and relax. Indeed, with 2,912 square metres (31,349 square feet) of beautifully-appointed event spaceshosting up to 1,200 guests, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait already has many important business meetings and social events on the calendar including 21 weddings so far.
Entering the all-new Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, eyes are immediately drawn to the dramatic staircase, spiralling 13 metres (43 feet) up through the soaring lobby, appearing to defy gravity as it makes its way toward the sky.
Our own stairway to heaven is quickly becoming the symbol of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait, and indeed it reflects the optimism one feels in this dynamic city, notes General Manager Didier Jardin on the occasion of the Hotels opening day. For our team of 415 staff, its a daily inspiration to take the hospitality experience to new heights, proudly introducing renowned Four Seasons service culture in a new country while being at the vanguard of the companys continuing leadership around the world.
Located within the new, two-tower Burj Alshaya development Four Seasons is ideally situated for business and leisure travellers visiting the city, as well as local guests to dine, entertain and relax. Indeed, with 2,912 square metres (31,349 square feet) of beautifully-appointed event spaceshosting up to 1,200 guests, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait already has many important business meetings and social events on the calendar including 21 weddings so far.
With 217 guest rooms plus 67 lavish suites, Four Seasons easily transforms for each individual guest, whether in the city to do business, enjoy an urban getaway for two, or with the whole family for a holiday filled with shopping, sightseeing and playing in the outdoor pool. Four dining venues plus a fifth opening in September showcase the creations of international culinary talent while celebrating local tastes and traditions. A two-level spa complex hosts innovative treatments as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre and second swimming pool.
Chef Concierge Ahmed Elmomor notes that the Four Seasons experience can begin the moment one exits the airport with Kuwaits most luxurious fleet of house cars ready to convey guests to the Hotel, and chauffeur them about town, including a plush Bentley Flying Spur.
Advertisement To welcome its first guests, Four Seasons has extended a special Introductory Offer featuring 20 percent savings on the regular room rate, as well as an attractive Bed and Breakfast package.
The Look of the New Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait
Conceived by Gensler architects and designed by Yabu Pushelberg, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait easily stands among the most striking hotels in the world, and yet it is distinctly Kuwaiti in style and ambiance.
A palette of warm colours and refined textures comes together in sophisticated spaces dressed with bespoke furnishings and original artworks. One such piece is the remarkable sculpture by British artist Marc Quinn, known for his ability to physically and aesthetically capture the exquisite forms of flowers. His Etymology of the Baroque in the Hotels lobby depicts a white orchid at the height of its bloom in a way both startlingly real and fantastical at the same time.
In the Hotels 284 guest rooms and suites, residential-style decoration and furnishings conceal myriad thoughtful touches and high-tech conveniences that allow guests to effortlessly create their own quiet hideaway, high-performance workspace or family home-away-from-home. Views in all directions take in the glittering skyline, and to the east, Al Shaheed Park, the largest urban park in the country. Many suites are easily expanded for larger parties or entertaining, including the fabulous top-floor Royal Suite, the largest in the city.
Spoiled for Choice: Dining at Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait presents multiple options for dining and socialising, with culinary operations led by Executive Chef Sebastiano Spriveri, who also oversees the Hotels extensive banquet and catering division.
With its incredible views, three wood-burning ovens emitting mouth-watering aromas and lively atmosphere, Dai Forni on the 21st floor offers indoor and outdoor terrace seating, and two private dining rooms. Chef de Cuisine Daniele Bartolo Polito offers specialties from his native country including freshly made pizzas, baked pastas and more in the carefully curated dinner menu of regional Italian dishes and global favourites.
At Elements, Chef Fabio Quartas menu is an international marketplace of flavours from South and East Asia, Italy and around the Arab world including hot and cold mezze, a signature falafel burger and local sweets such as mouhalabiya (rose-scented pudding) and traditional fatira tamir (date pie). Serving a daily buffet or a la carte breakfast dont miss the Kuwaiti breakfast featuring a balaleet (omelette with sweet vermicelli), foul medames(fava bean stew) and fresh labnah and halloumi - as well as lunch, its an ideal choice to sample local and international cuisines, host a business lunch in its private dining room, and delight every member of the family with its broad menu options.
Poolside at Al Bandar, a variety of light dishes, refreshing drinks and shisha can be enjoyed at outdoor tables, or in the comfort of an air-conditioned private cabana. In the lobby, guests can partake in Al Soors gourmet menu choices accompanied by rich coffees, premium juices and creative mocktails at any time of day, or indulge in an elegant tea set in the afternoon, featuring delicate finger sandwiches and exquisite treats from Chef Lucio Colombos pastry kitchen.
Coffee connoisseurs will also love the immersive Starbucks Reserve coffee bar experience at the new Starbucks located in the lobby at Four Seasons, which also offers a convenient grab-and-go alternative for those on the move.
Coming Soon: In September, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait will introduce a fifth restaurant, Sintoho. Both its name for Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong and menu will offer a hybrid interpretation of Asias most famous cuisines in a see-and-be seen setting.
Relaxing and Rejuvenating: Spa, Swimming Pools and More
At the heart of the two-storey wellness complex is the Spa at Four Seasons a temple of indulgence and results-oriented therapies offered in ten treatment rooms plus two bath suites. Spa Director Melissa Rodriguez is particularly excited to introduce the ancient Greek practice of psammo therapy to discerning Four Seasons guests: Our unique beds of fine alpha-quartz sand envelop guests in warm sand, melting tensions away and promoting total comfort. We also have a private hammam for Turkish-style bathing rituals.
An extensive spa menu offers custom treatments featuring MCCM, Sodashi and Biologique Recherche products, and theres even a selection created just for young adults, while other treatments are specifically tailored for men.
Also on site is the first-ever Aveda Salon in Kuwait. The famed American salon and organic product brand offers hair, nail and beauty services for ladies and gentlemen. Guests of the Spa as well as the 24/7 fitness centre also have access to mens and womens change rooms; sauna, steam and whirlpool; and a 26 metre (85 foot) indoor lap pool.
Outside, another pool is located on the 4th floor rooftop, surrounded by comfortable loungers, five private air-conditioned cabanas, a whirlpool and Al Bandar restaurant for casual outdoor dining.
Fully serviced by Four Seasons attendants, a day at the pool is a wonderful diversion for families on holiday. In addition, younger guests will thrill at the numerous surprises theyll find in their rooms from special bedding to their own robes and slippers, while parents will be thankful for thoughtful services including professional babysitting and custom-tailored family itineraries.
Weddings and Other Memorable Occasions by Four Seasons
There are times when only perfection will do, and thats why so many couples around the world choose Four Seasons as the setting for the most important day of their lives. Even before Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait officially opened its doors, Kuwaiti couples and families have already begun planning their weddings in one of two grand ballrooms, each fully divisible for ultimate enjoyment of all guests. Flexible set-ups can accommodate seated dinners and stand-up receptions, or even a cat walk flanked by raised sofas and tables.
Four Seasons is currently offering the Majestic Wedding Package, including use of a bridal suite with multiple change rooms, bridal spa package, a private photo studio, honeymoon night accommodations in an Ambassador Suite and complimentary airport transfers via Bentley.
Your Success is Our Mission: Doing Business at Four Seasons
Business travellers will find every convenience in their guest rooms, from large working desks to multiple outlets and charging stations, task lighting and meeting-ready living areas in all suites. A 24-hour business centre is fully equipped, and the multi-lingual concierge team is always ready to assist.
In addition to the Al Bidaa and Al Mirqab Ballrooms, 2,912 square metres (31,349 square feet) of flexible meeting space accommodates groups from 10 to 2,000, with two additional divisible meeting rooms, and two more boardrooms, as well as private dining rooms throughout the Hotels restaurants.
Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait is also available for group buyouts and exclusives.
Mantra MacArthur Hotel to Open this September in Canberra
A former office tower transformed into a 176-room hotel as part of the city's vibrant urban renewal program will meet Canberra's growing demand for hotel capacity.
Mantra MacArthur Hotel is the only new hotel to open in Canberra in 2017. The hotel will be operated by Mantra Group, the leading Australian-based hotel and resort operator with 128 properties across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Hawaii, and is owned by Canberra developer HTI Group.
Mantra Group Chief Executive Officer Bob East said the new property will provide much-needed hotel capacity to support the growth of tourism in Canberra.
"Not only will Mantra MacArthur Hotel be a major boost for the local economy from an international and domestic tourism perspective, but it also supports the local economy by creating numerous long-term hospitality jobs," said Mr East.
The opening of the 10-storey Mantra MacArthur Hotel in late September will see Mantra Group operating just under 500 rooms across four hotels in Canberra.
A $19 million retrofit has transformed the office building into a full-service hotel featuring 136 hotel rooms and 40 suites as well as the brand new Podilato restaurant and bar serving Greek Mediterranean-style cuisine, a fully equipped gym, 24-hour reception, secure parking, internet lounge and express check-out.
The overall design by AMC Architecture features a modern industrial approach with interiors of black steelwork, brass, mirrors and stone with areas of exposed structure such as visible soffit and ductwork in the bar and restaurant.
The modern rooms (One Bedroom Deluxe Suite image attached) use timber to contrast stylish industrial grey feature walls, kitchens and cabinetry, while the overall look is softened by upholstered bedheads and coloured scatter cushions to provide a welcoming comfortable feeling.
The original building is barely recognisable and, while the designers retained the main precast facade elements of the original office building, the remainder was stripped back to a bare shell to create a modern hotel guest experience.
To celebrate the opening of Mantra MacArthur Hotel, guests can stay in a Studio Room from $129* per night including 1GB Wi-Fi daily, drink voucher on arrival and 12pm late check-out.
Mantra MacArthur Hotel is located at 219 Northbourne Avenue in Canberra's inner city suburb of Turner. The hotel is located close to the central business district, the Australian National University and has a light rail stop, which seamlessly connects the hotel with the city, directly outside the hotel.
*Conditions apply, subject to availability. Valid for sale until 31 October, 2017. Valid for travel from 2 October, 2017 until 31 January, 2018.
With 6.2 million job openings, and 7 million unemployed1, it's never been more important for job seekers to stay one step ahead of the competition. More than half of U.S. workers (55 percent) feel they have just a job, not a career, and 38 percent of these workers are likely to change jobs in the back half of 2017, according to CareerBuilder's latest survey.
Survey highlights:
- 28 percent of workers say they hate or tolerate their job, primarily stay because of bills, proximity to home, and insurance need
- 38 percent of workers who feel they have just a job, not a career, are likely to change jobs in the back half of 2017
- Hiring managers have seen it all and share their most unique and over the top things that candidates have done to get noticed
With 6.2 million job openings, and 7 million unemployed1, it's never been more important for job seekers to stay one step ahead of the competition. More than half of U.S. workers (55 percent) feel they have just a job, not a career, and 38 percent of these workers are likely to change jobs in the back half of 2017, according to CareerBuilder's latest survey.
Almost three in 10 workers (28 percent) tolerate or hate their job. Of those who tolerate or hate their job, some of the top reasons for staying in a current position are the need to pay the bills (74 percent), its proximity to home (41 percent), needing the insurance (35 percent), it pays well (30 percent), or the job market is too tough (27 percent).
The national survey, which was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 24 to June 16, 2017, included representative samples of 2,369 full-time employers and 3,462 full-time U.S. workers across industries and company sizes in the private sector.
"Unfortunately, more than half of workers feel they have just a job, not a career, and almost three in 10 say they dislike their job," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "When workers don't enjoy what they are doing, they are more inclined to pursue other options, and there are many routes for them to take as the U.S. continues to add jobs. Arming themselves with what employers are looking for will help job seekers stand out from the competition ultimately landing a new opportunity that will be more personally rewarding for them."
Here's What Employers Are Really Looking For
To get the right attention from a hiring manager, job seekers should stay away from crazy stunts and keep it simple. Haefner shares five tips that every worker needs to remember when hunting for a new gig.
Customize your application and resume for the job. Approximately a third of employers review resumes for less than one minute (32 percent), but 49 percent of employers say they would pay more attention to job applications with a resume customized for the open position. Take the time to personalize it might just get you to the next round. Review your references. Think through your references pick colleagues who can speak to your strengths. More than half of employers (51 percent) say that a candidate's reference has not given positive feedback about the candidate, and 54 percent have changed their mind about a candidate after speaking with a reference. Tell the truth. More than half of employers (55 percent) have caught a lie on a resume, and over a third (39 percent) have caught someone providing a fake reference. The truth is always your best bet. Provide your profiles. Seventy percent of employers use social media to screen candidates and 57 percent of employers are less likely to interview a candidate they cannot find online.2 Do their work for them by providing handles to your online portfolio, website and social media handles just be sure you are presenting a professional image. Prepare for the interview. So you got the interview congrats, but the work does not stop there. Fifty-nine percent of employers said asking good questions in the interview is important to them when considering a candidate for a job, and 48 percent said it was important to come to an interview prepared with ideas.
Be Remembered for the Right Reasons
Hiring managers gave the following examples of unusual tactics job seekers used to stand out:
Candidate gave the hiring manager a baseball that read: "This is my best pitch of why you should hire me."
Candidate sent the hiring manager daisies with a note that said "Pick me, pick me."
Candidate brought their mother to the interview as an in-person character reference.
Candidate developed a whole website dedicated to the hiring manager, asking to be hired.
Candidate hugged the hiring manager when introduced instead of shaking hands.
Candidate got up from interview and started waiting on customers because the business got busy.
Hiring manager had a candidate volunteer to work at the business for a month before submitting an application to show that she was able to do the job.
Candidate presented a thick scrapbook of certificates, awards and letters.
Candidate sent a Christmas card every year for three years.
Candidate sent a cake with their resume printed on it.
Stunts can have a negative impact on your chances of getting the job more than a quarter of employers (26 percent) say unusual attention seeking antics from job seekers would make them less likely to call a candidate in for an interview.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,369 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) and 3,462 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 24 and June 16, 2017 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With pure probability samples of 2,369 and 3,462, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have sampling errors of +/- 2.01 and +/- 1.67 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.
About CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. It also operates top job sites around the world. CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
LE CENTER, Minn. (MCT) A man from New Prague admitted having at least nine drinks before he crashed his vehicle in a farm field and killed a passenger, according to charges filed Monday.
Jesse D. Brown, 34, was charged in Le Sueur County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide and drunken driving in connection with the fiery rollover crash late Thursday that killed Jarrett F. Luethe, 26, of Sparta, Wis. Brown remains jailed in lieu of $7,000 bail ahead of a Sept. 19 hearing.
Brown told a sheriffs deputy at the scene that he had three shots of liquor and six to seven beers that evening, the criminal complaint read. Brown was given a preliminary breath test that evening at a hospital, which revealed his blood alcohol content at 0.183 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
Browns attorney, Daniel Koewler, declined to comment about the allegations.
According to the charges:
The deputy arrived to the scene, southeast of New Prague on 141st Avenue in Lanesburgh Township, to see the vehicle on fire in a bean field and a New Prague police officer trying to revive Luethe as Brown stood nearby.
A witness said he came upon Brown hanging from his seat belt in the vehicle, which landed on its roof. Once the witness had helped Brown get out, the two then freed Luethe, who was pinned underneath.
A strong odor of alcohol coming from Brown and slurred speech made the deputy suspect that the driver had been drinking.
Luethe was married, had two children and another due in January. He worked for Ames Construction Co. and recently learned he was being promoted to foreman, according to his family.
In a move that even Captain Obvious himself could see coming from a mile away, conservative radio host Tomi Lahren has joined the team at Fox News. Best-known for her divisive remarks, including a tweet that compared Black Lives Matter protestors to the Ku Klux Klan, the 25-year-old has been quoted as saying that shes not racist. However, one way or another, shell be under far more scrutiny going to a network that has been called out numerous times since last November as being a media organization that has enabled the hate-fueled outbursts that have occurred since President Trump has taken office.
I am blessed and honored to join the Fox News team, said Lahren in a statement that she published to her official Facebook page. This exciting new step will allow me to give voice to all the America-loving patriots who have had my back since Day One. I will remain a solid and passionate advocate for you. She goes on to thank all of her supporters who she describes as brave and hardworking. Thank you for following me on my journey. I assure you, I will always stand up and speak out for our brave service members, our law enforcement community, our veterans and hardworking Americans from coast to coast. The Fox News digital future is bright and I cant wait to take it to new heights! There is so much more to come and I am blessed to partner with Fox News on this next adventure.
Earlier this summer, Lahren joined another outspoken TV personality, Chelsea Handler, at Politicon to discuss, among other things, Trumps supposed lies to the American people. According to a report from Variety, thats where things got interesting, to say the least. When pressed on the Presidents past public comments on Chinese currency manipulation and inauguration crowd size, Lahren said that those exaggerations were something I can live with. Another controversial moment came when she admitted that shes luckily still on her parents insurance plan, which drew a derisive reaction from the crowd. Guaranteed to get a response one way or another, Fox seems like the perfect fit for Lahren.
Tomi Lahren
Trippie Redd has been rising on a lot of peoples radars in the past few months. His association with XXXTENTACION has garnered him some well deserved attention. He recently appeared on Xs debut album as the only feature on the whole project. Along with that, his mixtape A Love Letter To You has been well received from his fans and has played a pivotal role in his rising success. The tape dropped back in May and included features from Lil Tracy and Uno The Activist as well as production from Pierre Bourne. Today, he took to Soundcloud to upload not one but two new songs. He recruits the lovely Bali baby to assist him on Woah Woah Woah/Crashbandicoot and chill.
Alongside Bali baby, the two made a very smooth R&B jam together. His signature style of wailing his heart out is often strong enough to hit your emotions but with the addition of Bali babys vocals on this, it takes it to another level. She does a great job at complimenting his voice as he does hers. The two wail their hearts out over a simple but incredible piano progression and some really heavy bass.
As his mixtape did drop a few months back, it does seem like hes on the way of dropping another on in the near future. In the description box on the songs Soundcloud page, it reads A Love Letter To You 2.VerySooooooon<3 so he might be indicating something to us. With his unique look and sound as well as co-signs from the likes of Ugly God, Playboi Carti and XXXTENTACION, hell definitely be on a lot more peoples radar in the near future. He also recently penned a deal with L.A. label Strainge Entertainment so theres a good sign he has something up his sleeve.
Quotable Lyrics
Red rag tied around my neck, bitch
VVS, them diamonds in my necklace
In memory, your girl got my other necklace
it aint nothing just to flex, bitch
Red Bull has successfully managed to expand their brand from an energy drink into music, film, arts and culture. Their Red Bull Sound Select showcases have expanded into a bunch of different cities and provides intimate and affordable experiences. Now theyve announced they will be debuting their Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 30 Days in Chicago with a new concert everyday of the month.
Their line-up this year includes some pretty solid names attached to it. They will be kicking off the first night of the festival with Young Thug and two days later, will have Kehlani and Kodie Shane and the day after that Tee Grizzley will be performing for Fake Shore Drives 10th anniversary. The line-up continues to be just as enticing throughout the whole month. Included in the line up is Khalid, Smino, Syd, 6lack and Daniel Caesar among many others. Red Bull Sound Select has gotten Migos and Lil Yachty to close out the festival on November 30th. While the line-up already seems stacked, they will be announcing more performers in the coming weeks. So far the only two dates without shows are Nov. 13, which will be announced, and Thanksgiving on the 23rd.
The whole month of November will be lit in Chicago, theyve curated an excellent blend of electronic, hip hop, indie rock and everything in between. Red Bull Sound Select is a platform to highlight up-and-coming talent. On their website, it says that 30 Days In Chicago is a month-long festival in artist discovery celebrating Chicago and the music scene that makes it happen.
Tickets for their upcoming showcase will be available through signing up for Red Bull Sound Select which is free, however each show will be priced for $15 or less before taxes and fees.
Theyve also announced that they will be hosting a 3 Days in Philly similar to their Chicago showcases. The festival will include some of the same performers thatll be playing in Chicago such as Noname, Syd and Ravyn Lenae.
Check out the dates and trailer below:
11/01 Metro
Young Thug
11/02 Metro Whitney NE-HI Mt. Joy
11/03 Riviera Theater Kehlani Kodie Shane Blaise Moore 11/04 Portage Theater Fake Shore Drive 10th Anniversary A special event celebrating 10 years of Fake Shore Drive featuring: Tee GrizzleyAND FRIENDS OF FAKE SHORE DRIVE!!
11/05 House of Vans Discogs Presents: Crate Diggers Chicago Local record vendors, collectors looking for rare finds or newly minted vinyl and fans seeking to build their collections join up in a festival-like atmosphere, with food, drinks, local DJs spinning records and live performances from: Polica Ohmme
11/06 The Annex Music + Photography Master Class As long as people have been taking pictures, theyve turned their lenses toward music. At this masterclass, culture photographers will share stories of how they found their voice and vision and rose to prominence in their profession. The conversation, including advice on how aspiring photographers can unlock their creative potential and push the limits of their art will lead into a live demo, where the photographers will provide hands-on experience to share their craft.
*Invite only event
11/07 Lincoln Hall Mitski Miya Folick Hazel English
11/08 Metro Syd Charlotte Day Wilson Bailey Wiley
11/09 Thalia Hall Kali Uchis Twelvelen Elley Duhe
11/10 Metro Ibeyi TheMIND Koda
11/11 Thalia Hall 6lack Tobi Lou Emi
11/12 Schubas Sabrina Claudio Kiya Lacey Amanda Delara
11/13 Event To Be Announced
11/14 Subterranean Jorja Smith Dizzy Fae Snoh Aalegra
11/15 Empty Bottle The 30 Days show featuring Parquet Courts and Meat Wave will be part of the legendary institutions year-long 25th Anniversary special programming. Parquet Courts Meat Wave
11/16 Concord Music Hall Mura Masa Tennyson Bonzai
11/17 Subterranean Alice Glass NOLIFE Nadia Tehran
11/18 Metro Amine Pell A2
11/19 Thalia Hall Lizzo Bia Junglepussy
11/20 Reggies Rock Club Daniel Caesar SiR Cherrie 11/21 Concord Music Hall Noname Buddy The Last Artful, Dodgr 11/22 Lincoln Hall Jacob Banks JSEPH Durand Jones & The Indications
11/23 Thanksgiving No Event
11/24 Fourth Presbyterian Church Eryn Allen Kayne Sidewalk Chalk
11/25 SPACE Kweku Collins Kamau Trapo
11/26 Lincoln Hall Smino Ravyn Lenae / Monte Booker Bari / Jay2
11/27 Metro Jungle NoMBe Drama Duo
11/28 Chop Shop Xavier Omar Jesse Baez Jake & Papa
11/29 Aragon Ballroom Khalid Amber Mark Marteen Estevez
11/30 Riviera Theatre Migos & Lil Yachty Ro Ransom Shaboozey
Young Thug Migos
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North Korea has the world on edge.
In July, the isolated nation test-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, that can reportedly deliver nuclear warheads to targets thousands of miles away. And as journalists revealed in August, US intelligence officials think North Korea has also figured out how to miniaturize its warheads to fit atop ICBMs.
While many weapons experts question the exact capabilities of North Korea's latest hardware, few deny it represents worrisome progress toward the nation becoming a credible nuclear threat. Experts are also concerned the maturing ICBM program could proliferate nuclear weapons around the world, raise the likelihood of nuclear accidents, and bring the world closer to the brink of what could be a global calamity.
North Korea release launch footage of missile that flew over Japan
"Based on current information, [the July 28] missile test by North Korea could easily reach the US West Coast, and a number of major US cities," David Wright, a physicist and the co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' global security program, wrote in a recent blog post.
To estimate how long it'd take for North Korean missiles to reach key US targets, Business Insider called up Wright for help.
The approximate flight times from the North Pyongan province (where the ICBMs were test-launched) to several key US targets are:
New York City: 40 minutes 30 seconds
Washington DC: 41 minutes
Chicago: 39 minutes 30 seconds
Anchorage: 29 minutes
Los Angeles: 38 minutes
Honolulu: 37 minutes
Guam: 18 minutes 30 seconds
Wright said the above flight times and distances are not ironclad and come with numerous caveats.
For one, they're calculated based on what is publicly known about North Korea's Hwasong-14 ICBM system and its July 28 test launch. Wright estimated the missile to have a maximum range of about 6,500 miles, which would bring it just shy of Washington, DC.
"The range of a ballistic missile is tied to its speed. It's just like throwing a ball; the faster you throw it at a given angle, the farther it will travel," Wright said, adding that the burn-out velocity -- or speed an ICBM reaches when it shuts off its engines in space -- isn't known, among other variables.
Given the correct angle of launch and some modifications, he thinks North Korean ICBMs might be capable of reaching between 3 and 4.2 miles per second at burn-out.
"I've tried to put in numbers that I think are related to North Korean missiles," said Wright, who is considered an arms control, missile technology, and space weapons expert. "I get those from years of playing around with this stuff."
Another unknown is payload weight.
The Hwasong-14 missile test reportedly flew some 2,300 miles into the sky, for a total flight time of about 47 minutes. It also lofted a reentry vehicle -- a device that protects one or more warheads from burning up when plowing through Earth's atmosphere -- but it's uncertain if the dummy vehicle accounted for the weight of an actual warhead. (The lighter a payload, the faster, higher, and farther a missile can go.) There's also evidence that the reentry vehicle failed and broke into pieces on its way back down.
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
Just as important, Wright said his numbers and flight paths don't account for Earth's movement.
"When you launch, the Earth doesn't stay still. It rotates underneath the missile," Wright said. "Trying to do this on a rotating Earth gets really complicated."
This not only requires over- or under-shooting a missile, but also makes the physics of targeting far more complex.
"The range of a ballistic missile is tied to its speed, and if you're firing east, you get a little bit of a speed boost from the Earth's rotation," Wright said. He added that it depends on whether you're firing at a target to your north or south, since Earth moves faster at its equator than northern or southern latitudes.
Finally, the numbers also assume a North Korean ICBM could thwart missile defense systems, such as the US military's latest "kill vehicle" technology, and actually reach its intended target.
"If you're launching your missile, you need to figure out how fast it's going, shut off engines at the right speed, and keep it pointed in the right direction," Wright said. "That's hard to do really accurately."
Read more:
Every Game of Thrones romantic relationship, ranked from best to worst
This is why narcissists are so cruel to the people they date
Inside the daily routine of billionaire Bill Gates
Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
Kolkata, Aug 30 (IBNS): Shanghaias Pudong International airport had a special visitor on the day of the Qixi festival.
Rosie Emirates SkyCargos rose-liveried Boeing 777 freighter aircraft arrived at the Chinese city during the early hours of 28th August to mark the day known as Chinese Valentines Day.
Shanghai is one of Emirates SkyCargos scheduled freighter destinations and the air cargo carrier connects businesses and cargo from Shanghai to the rest of the world through a network that spans over 155 destinations in 84 countries.
Emirates SkyCargo operates a daily freighter service to Shanghai and also offers customers freight capacity on its twice a day passenger flights from the city.
Some of the major commodities exported by Emirates SkyCargo from Shanghai include branded electronic goods, fashion garments, pharmaceuticals and telecommunication equipment.
The rose decal on A6-EFL was originally unveiled in Dubai on the occasion of Valentines Day in February this year in order to highlight the role of Emirates SkyCargo in the global floriculture industry.
Since then, the aircraft has flown around the world to close to 50 destinations across six continents and has made special visits including arriving in Barcelona on the Catalan Day of the Rose. In six months the aircraft has flown over 400 flights and has carried over 20,000 tonnes of cargo including flowers and other perishables, pharmaceuticals, horses, cars and general cargo.
A 39-year-old man faces his fourth drunken driving offense after he was arrested Tuesday evening driving more than 100 mph on Interstate 90 in Monroe County, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Allahabad University is one of the most prominent and reputed educational institute in regards to higher education in the country. The University is a colonial era legacy and its establishment goes back to the pre-independence era.
History of the University
Allahabad University is the fourth oldest university in the country after Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras Universities. It was established by British authorities on September 23, 1887.
Sir William Muir, the then Lt. Governor of United Provinces is credited for laying the foundation of the University. The University was established by the British government in accordance with Downward Filtration Policy (of westernizing Indian minds). The University was called Oxford of East for quite some time.
In its initial years, the University functioned under the control of University of Calcutta and was established as separate University later in 1987.
The University has been vocal towards the cause of womens education, right from the very outset. Proper facilities were arranged for the female students in the face of Sarojini Naidu building, Priyadarshini girls hostel, and Shatabdi girls hostel.
Considering its historical and educational importance, the government of Uttar Pradesh granted it the status of Premier Institution. The center also felicitated the Allahabad University by granting it the status of Central University through a parliamentary act.
At present, the University offers wide variety of UG and PG courses in Law, Commerce, Arts, and Science.
Allahabad University is also credited with producing some of greatest alumni over the years, some of them even took part in Indias freedom struggle. The University is credited with having former President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Chief Justices on its board.
The University represents a symbol of colonial era legacy which India molded in accordance with the needs and requirements of its higher education system so as to serve the larger purpose.
Departments
The University provides courses in four disciplines- Law, Science, Arts, and Commerce. There are four faculties namely
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Commerce
The respective Faculties are further divided into departments based on the subject under each faculty.
Departments under faculty of Science
Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Zoology
Home Science
Biochemistry
Photography
Statistics
Electronics and Communication
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Defense and Strategic Science
Departments under faculty of Arts
Ancient History
Anthropology
Arabic and Persian
Education
English and Modern European Languages
Geography
Hindi
Journalism in Mass Communication
Medieval and Modern History
Music and Performing arts
Philosophy
Physical Education
Political Science
Departments under faculty of Commerce
Commerce
Economics
MONIRBA
The faculty of law does not house any individual department under its ambit and works as a single unit under the aegis of University of Allahabad.
The law department is credited with having various former Chief Justices of India on its roll.
Alumni
The University hosts a list of notable alumni under its Alma mater. The university has given several eminent Bureaucrats, Chief Justices, Freedom Fighters, Actors, and Poets to the country.
Being an Institute of excellence since the time of colonial rule, the University has attracted the best of the minds to garner and nurture their talent in the conducive environment of the University.
The free and liberal atmosphere of the University was utilized best by our nationalist leaders who ignited their fervor against the colonial rule and created mass awareness and consciousness among countrymen for nationalism.
In post-independence period the University continued on its path of delivering excellence in higher education and gave some gems that proved their worth and contributed in the fields of politics, literature, diplomacy, filmmaking and what not.
The University also hosts former Indian Prime Minister, President, and Vice-President on its roll. The rich culture of university of providing gems that contribute to the cause of nation is continuing in the modern times as well and the University stands firm on its wills and motto.
Some of the noted alumni from the universitys Alma mater are
Govind Ballabh Pant
Shankar Dayal Sharma
Madan Mohan Malaviya
Gulzarilal Nanda
Mahadevi Varma
V.P.Singh
Firaq Gorakhpuri
Harivansh Rai Bacchan
Satyendra Narayan Sinha
Motilala Nehru
J.S. Verma
Tigmanshu Dhulia
Vikas Swarup
Prakash Singh
Chandra Shekhar
Rafiq Hussain
Markandey Katju
Dharamvir Bharati
Saeed Jaffery
Amir Azam Khan
Krishna Kumar Sharma
Vijay Bahuguna
Vibhuti Narain Rai
B.C. Khanduri
Mrinal Pande
Prabhu lal Bhatnagar
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
Harish Chandra
Pankaj Mishra
Udit Raj
Vidya Niwas Mishra
Number of courses offered
The University offers UG, PG, and M.Phil courses in the four major disciplines (mentioned above). Candidates can have hosts of courses offered by the various departments to choose from at the beginning of each academic year.
The admissions are made each year in various courses that are offered by colleges affiliated to the Allahabad University through a common admission process. The admission process for each course is regulated by the respective Faculty/Department of the University.
With the beginning of each academic year, there is a surge of applications for admissions into various courses offered by the university. However, only a handful of them get the opportunity to be a part of this prestigious Indian University.
The various courses offered by Allahabad University are:
UG
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Physical Education
Bachelor of Fine arts
Journalism and Mass Communication
Bachelor of Technology
Bachelor of Law
Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Science in Applied Science
PG/PG Diploma
Diploma in Town-Country Planning
Diploma in Tourism Administration
Diploma in Gandhian thought and peace studies
Masters of Psychology
Masters of Arts
Masters of Science
Masters of Food Technology and Nutrition Sciences
Masters of Biotechnology
Masters of Commerce
Masters of Business Administration
Masters of Law
Masters of Civil Engineering
Masters of Environmental Engineering
Apart from above mentioned courses M.Phil and D.Phil courses are also offered by the University in specific subjects and domains for which applications are welcomed each year.
Kashmir has several sought-after Central, State and Private universities which offer UG, PG and Doctorate programs in fields like engineering, dentistry, medicine, management, agricultural studies as well as law. Manyof these colleges and universities are funded by UGC for their development and betterment. This also ensures that quality education is provided. The numerous options in higher studies have compelled students from other states to take admission in these universities.
Some of the well-known education providers in Kashmir: NIT Srinagar, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, University of Kashmir, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir.
Kashmir has also been witnessing a growth in the distance education system. A variety of distance education courses are provided by
institutions. This has benefited many candidates hailing from remote villages. Applicants have a great opportunity of getting into good colleges in
Kashmir. Its popularity is increasing with regards to quality education imparted in these institutes. In this article, we have mentioned the top 5
universities in Kashmir.
1- National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar
NIT, Srinagar is the most popular engineering college in Kashmir. It is a public institute which functions under the MHRD. It offers both UG and PG as well as Ph.D. courses on its campus. The university has 8 engineering departments- Chemical, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical, Electronics and Communication, Mechanical, Metallurgical and Information Technology. It also included 4 physical science departments for Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Humanities.
The admissions to the B Tech programs are done by CSAB on the basis of JEE Main scores. In 2016, NIT, Srinagar closed at an AIR of 46826 for the General category. Applicants who wish to pursue the M Tech course must clear GATE and secure a good rank. The institute offers M.Sc. programs in 4 streams. For admission to this course, students must clear JAM and participate in its common counseling.
A number of companies visit this institute for offering job placements. Students have placed all over the country as well as abroad. The highest
package offered was around INR 13 lakh with INR 5 lakh being the average. Companies like Mu Sigma, IBM, L&T Info, Polaris and Reliance Jio Infotech recruit candidates of NIT, Srinagar.
2- Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST)
SKUAST is a renowned university that has several agricultural science courses. It has multiple campuses but the campus of Srinagar and Jammu is preferred by most applicants. It offers UG, PG and Ph.D. courses in various fields like Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Veterinary Sciences, and Forestry. Candidates can also pursue engineering in agricultural sciences in this university.
SKUAST university conducts its own entrance exam. Admissions to all courses are done on the basis of scores obtained in this exam. Aspirants
must fill in the online application form to appear for the exam. The application process will commence from the 2nd week of April.
The exam will be held in June for UG courses and in July for PG courses. The institute admits only Jammu & Kashmir residents (or J & K origin) for its UG course. Aspirants have to attend the counseling session and will be offered seats based on merit.
3- University of Kashmir
Kashmir University is one of the largest public universities. The university has several campuses but the main school is located in Srinagar. It has a number of departments which offer UG, PG and Doctorate programs in different fields. Faculty of Law and Business School are the departments which have the highest number of student enrolments.
The university conducts its own entrance exam for admission to various courses. Eligible aspirants should apply for the exam. The syllabus and exam pattern will be given on the official website of the university. They must obtain a positive score in order to qualify the exam. Seats will be offered based on merit and preferred stream and campus.
The University of Kashmir provides a lot of scholarship opportunities for good students. Merit scholarships are offered to the top 2 scorers of the
entrance test. Applicants pursuing Ph.D. and M Phil degrees are given research scholarships. Student aid is provided to meritorious candidates of low- income groups.
4- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University is a popular choice for engineering aspirants. It offers various programs in the streams of science,
management, philosophy, engineering and other contemporary subjects.The business department has been ranked within 100 by the National
Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
Many individuals are admitted into the engineering and architecture programs each year. Admissions are offered based on JEE Main scores and
counseling is conducted by CSAB. For MBA course, aspirants should clear CAT/ MAT and appear for the other rounds of selection. PG seats of other streams are filled on the basis of national level entrance exams.
This university does not have any reserved seats. There is no reservation quota for any category of applicants and seats are allotted solely on the basis of merit. It also has a Student Assistantship Program. In this program, the top 10% candidates in each class are awarded a scholarship. They also receive a tuition fee waiver ranging from 50- 100% provided students fulfill
the merit restrictions.
5- Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University offers UG and PG courses in several streams. It has 8 schools of studies- Engineering & Technology, Mathematical & Computer Sciences, Management Studies, Bio- Sciences & Biotechnology, Islamic Studies & Languages, Education, Nursing & Biomedical Sciences and Social Sciences.
Candidates who wish to get into this Institute must appear for its entrance test. Admission to M Phil and Ph.D. courses will be done on the
basis of scores obtained in the qualifying bachelors exam. This university is becoming popular amongst applicants from all over India due to the variety of programs offered by it.
The institute has a fully functioning Training and Placement Cell. It also organized various job fairs, campus drives, industrial visits and summer
internships for candidates. Companies like ICICI Prudential, HCL, PEPSI, HDFC bank and Capgemini to offer jobs to the university students.
If you are looking for admission in top colleges for degree courses in Homeopathy, Ayurveda, and Pharmacy in the state, you will have to sit for Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) and qualify with the minimum cut-off marks as decided by the exam conducting committee.
The cut off for admission into various courses is set based on the performance of the candidates in OJEE. The merit list is then prepared based on OJEE results and the qualified candidates are invited to other processes after which they are granted admission into various courses. Candidates get a call letter, inviting them for the OJEE counseling. Candidates must carry this call letter to take part in the OJEE counseling.
Here, we talk about the counselling process for OJEE after the OJEE results have been declared. Read on to find out how you can take part in the counselling process based on your results.
Announcement of OJEE Results
OJEE results will be declared tentatively in two weeks after the exam is over. Candidates can check the result on the official website of OJEE. The rank of the candidates in the merit list depends on their OJEE results.
Candidates who have qualified with the required cut-off marks, decided by the exam conducting authorities, will be called for OJEE counselling. Candidates are required to download and print a copy of their OJEE rank card from their official website. It is mandatory for the candidates appearing for the counselling process to carry their valid rank card with them.
The details of the colleges offering Bachelors in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and Bachelors in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) will be given during the counselling round after due approval has been taken from the Central Council of Homeopathy or Central Council of Indian Medicine and the Government of Odisha.
Documents to be brought for Counselling process
The data that the candidates have mentioned in their application form will be duly verified during the counselling process. For the verification, candidates will have to carry the following documents with them.
The rank card- It is mandatory for the students to carry their rank cards, without which, their application automatically becomes invalid.
The online registration slip that the candidates get after filling the application form.
Date of birth proof- Carry any relevant document such as class 10th admit card.
Class 10 and 12 marksheets and passing certificates.
Caste certificates, resident certificates, and any other category certificates (if applicable). It is mandatory for the candidates to produce a resident or nativity certificate from a concerned revenue officer - not below Tahsildar - if applying for BAMS or BHMS.
OJEE Counselling Rounds
The candidates can determine if they will be able to sit for the counselling process from their rank card. The counselling process is conducted online. Candidates need to register themselves for the online counselling process on the official OJEE website.
An OTP (one-time password) is generated on the registered phone number of the candidates while they sign up for the counselling process. The counselling will continue for three rounds.
In the first round, the candidates must lock in their college and seat choices as per the availability and their rank. This choice filling is done online when the candidates register for the counselling process.
Candidates can choose as many seats as they want. The seats, however, will finally be allocated to the candidates as per their rank. Once a seat has been allocated to the candidate, he/she will receive an SMS on their registered phone number with the college and seat details. Candidates can confirm their seat by paying INR 25,000 (online). Candidates can pay the fee via credit card, debit card or via net banking facility.
The second round will be like the first-round. However, in the second round, the choices will be based on the seats that are left vacant after the Allotment Round 1. If the candidate has not been allocated a seat in round 1, they will be allocated one in this round, depending on the availability of seats.
Candidates can select their preferred seats. There is no upper cap for the number of seats one can choose. If the candidates are allocated a seat this time, they will receive an sms on their registered phone number and they can choose to accept or reject their allotment. If the candidate accepts the allotted seat, they must pay INR 25000 to confirm their choice.
If theres still some vacancy after the 2nd round, there will be a third allotment round. The third allotment round will be the same as the second round.
Once all the three rounds are over, the counselling process will officially be closed. Given below are some of the colleges that take part in the OJEE counselling process.
The four Government Homoeopathic colleges that take part in OJEE are listed below. They have 25 seats each.
Abhin Chandra Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar;
Utkalamani Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Rourkela;
Biju Patnaik Homoeopathic Medical College, Brahmapur;
Odisha Medical College of Homoeopathy, Sambalpur.
The two private colleges that consider OJEE rank card for admission are- Homoeopathy Medical College and Hospital, and Baripada and Medical College of Homoeopathy, Cuttack. These colleges have 30 seats each.
In the ayurvedic stream, admission into 120 seats, in three Government and a lone private medical college is available. There are 30 seats each in the three Government colleges.
Candidates must choose their seats wisely and carefully! OJEE results will help the candidates with their choices ultimately.
Gorakhpur, Aug 30 (IBNS): At least 42 children have died in the last 48 hours in Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical college, reports said.
The Uttar Pradesh government run-medical college cum hospital is already under the scanner for the death of at least 70 children earlier this month
PK Singh, the principal of the college was quoted by ANI news agency as saying, "42 children died in 48 hours of which seven due to encephalitis, rest due to other reasons."
The previous deaths were due to short supply of oxygen.
The suspended principal of B.R.D. Medical College, Rajiv Mishra, was arrested by police along with his wife Purnima on Tuesday.
The couple was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police.
An FIR has also been lodged against nine people, including Mishra.
The others who have been named in the FIR are six other staffs from the hospital and two officials from Pushpa Sales Private Limited, the oxygen supplying agency.
The nine people have been charged for 'deliberately not submitting the payment despite repeated written request by the supplier to the principal'.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is sustaining criticism from opponents, who have questioned his competence and management skills, has order severe punishment for the guilty.
Jodhpur, Aug 30 (IBNS): In a shocking incident which was caught on camera, two doctors allegedly led to the death of a new born child as they were busy in quarreling with each other during an emergency C-section in the operation theatre at the Umaid hospital in Jodhpur on Tuesday, media reports said.
As the pregnant woman lied in between, the doctor started shouting against the anesthetist which began when the former asked the latter whether the patient had eaten anything before the delivery.
Though the woman delivered the baby at the hospital in Jodhpur, the new born failed to survive.
The delivery of the baby was scheduled during an emergency caesarean surgery following the feeble heart beat of the foetus which was recorded.
When obstetrician Dr. Nainwal asked anesthetist Dr Tak whether the pregnant woman had eaten anything before the delivery, the latter reportedly tried to carry out the test by a junior doctor. Nainwal didn't agree with him and told Dr Tak as he was quoted by NDTV: "You stay within your aukat (limits)."
The whole incident was video recorded by another staff member who was present at the OT.
Both the doctor and the anesthetist have been suspended.
Image: Youtube.
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IBNS): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah to submit reports on the violence in the state which occurred after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction on last Friday.
The Dera followers went rioting in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa leading to the deaths of 36 people.
The violence which erupted in Haryana drew Khattar's widespread criticism for failing to maintain the law and order situation in the state.
However, Khattar, remained mum on the possibility of his resignation as he avoided the question of the reporters saying: "Let people say whatever they want."
He insisted that the peace in Haryana has been maintained and the situation is normal.
As the entire country waited with bated breath, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20-year-jail term by a special Central Bureau of Investigation judge on Monday for raping his Sadhvis (female followers) in 2002.
The judge was flown by a government helicopter to conduct court at a prison in Haryana's Rohtak to avoid any further violence.
Ram Rahim Singh will serve two consecutive 10-year jail terms, the CBI stated while clarifying the quantum of imprisonment.
He has also been fined Rs. 15 lakh in each case.
The prosecution demanded maximum punishment for the rape convict while the Dera chief's defence argued that Ram Rahim is a social worker and urged the judge to take a lenient view.
The CBI urged the judge to treat the case as 'rarest of rare' during its argument.
Reports said that the Dera chief broke down in court and pleaded for leniency while the judge was reading out the sentence.
Ram Rahim will be medically examined and then will don prison clothes as prisoner number 1997 at the Rohtak jail.
Ram Rahim was convicted by the CBI court on Friday in a rape case that dates back to 2002.
Image: Official Facebook page of Manohar Lal.
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IBNS): After submitting reports on Dera violence to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said no VIP treatment was given to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the allegations which were brought against the Haryana government post conviction of the self proclaimed Godman.
Dismissing the claims of giving VIP treatment to Ram Rahim, Khattar said only he was kept at a guest house for some time before posting him to Rohtak jail.
He reasoned out saying that such protections were given for his safety. "Our target was to produce him (Ram Rahim) to court so that he doesn't get any excuse of escaping" the CM said.
After the conviction of the Dera chief on last Friday, the Dera followers went rioting in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa leading to the deaths of 36 people.
The violence which erupted in Haryana drew Khattar's widespread criticism for failing to maintain the law and order situation in the state.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday slammed the Haryana government blaming it for deliberately let Panchkula "burn for political benefits."
Earlier on Wednesday, Khattar, remained mum on the possibility of his resignation as he avoided the question of the reporters saying: "Let people say whatever they want."
He insisted that the peace in Haryana has been maintained and the situation is normal.
As the entire country waited with bated breath, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20-year-jail term by a special Central Bureau of Investigation judge on Monday for raping his Sadhvis (female followers) in 2002.
The judge was flown by a government helicopter to conduct court at a prison in Haryana's Rohtak to avoid any further violence.
Ram Rahim Singh will serve two consecutive 10-year jail terms, the CBI stated while clarifying the quantum of imprisonment.
He has also been fined Rs. 15 lakh in each case.
The prosecution demanded maximum punishment for the rape convict while the Dera chief's defence argued that Ram Rahim is a social worker and urged the judge to take a lenient view.
The CBI urged the judge to treat the case as 'rarest of rare' during its argument.
Reports said that the Dera chief broke down in court and pleaded for leniency while the judge was reading out the sentence.
Ram Rahim will be medically examined and then will don prison clothes as prisoner number 1997 at the Rohtak jail.
Ram Rahim was convicted by the CBI court on Friday in a rape case that dates back to 2002.
Image: Official Facebook page of Manohar Lal.
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IBNS): The Union Ministry of Water Resources announced on Wednesday that the Central Water Commission (CWC) has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with NIT Calicut and NIT Rourkela to support dam rehabilitation efforts of various implementing agencies and CWC.
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has taken on board selected premier academic and research institutes, for capacity building in the areas of dam safety through World Bank assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).
The scope includes strengthening the testing laboratories, enhancing analytical capabilities, exposure visits to best global institutions and on ground exposure to dam safety concerns to the faculty of these institutions.
CWC had signed MoUs with IIT Madras and IISc Bengaluru in January 2017. The Ministry is supporting these institutes for the procurement of specified equipment and software for enhancing their testing and modeling capabilities.
DRIP is assisting rehabilitation of 225 dams in seven states that are experiencing different levels of distress.
Owners of these dams require technical support for the investigation of dam conditions and supporting rehabilitation efforts.
The Central government has decided to enhance the capability of selected premier academic institutes in dam safety areas so that they, in turn, can carry out field investigations and material testing, and provide training and consulting services to the dam owners in their dam rehabilitation efforts.
Mumbai, Aug 30 (IBNS) : The rain-battered Mumbai and its suburbs started crawling back to normal on Wednesday after three days of massive downpour that wreaked havoc, inundating many areas and throwing life out of gear, reports said.
Even as the situation appeared to have looked up a bit with the water slowly receding in some areas, roads being cleared of uprooted trees and abandoned vehicles and local trains, Mumbai's lifeline, resuming service and flight operations becoming normal, the city's suburbs received light rainfall and the weather office said there could be heavy rains in places later on Wednesday.
The India Meteorological Department and the Union Water Ministry have issued an advisory on "very heavy rainfall" over the next three days in parts of 12 states, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
According to the weather office, the storm that lay over Mumbai has now moved towards Gujarat with a red alert for heavy rain being sounded for Konkan, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and central Maharashtra.
Altogether five persons have so far died in incidents related to the Mumbai rains considered heaviest in 12 years.
Mumbai remained crippled on Tuesday by the rain that measured 300 mm in some parts with thousands of people, who had left home in the morning being forced to stay overnight in their work places.
Five teams of the Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to rescue people, who remained marooned in the deluge areas.
The Navy has divers and choppers on standby and its cadets set up food camps and arranged shelter for people stuck in areas like Colaba, Worli and Ghatkopar.
On Wednesday morning, there were fewer people on Mumbai's roads this morning with many staying indoors. Many others returned home after spending night in the office.
Schools and colleges remained closed.Mumbai's famous dabbawalas, who deliver lunch to offices, won't operate on Wednesday.
Patna, Aug (TheBiharPost/IBNS): In another setback to RJD politician Mohamamd Shahabuddin, the Patna High Court on Wednesday upheld the life sentence awarded to him two years back by a local Siwan district court in connection with 2004 murder case.
A bench of the Patna High Court, comprising justice KK Mandal and S Kumar, upheld the December 2015 lower court order, thus refusing to grant him any reprieve. Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Delhis Tihar jail.
According to police records, three brothers of a Siwan-based businessman Chandra Keshwar Prasad were kidnapped from their home by the associates of Shahabuddin and then taken to Pratappur village where two killed in cold blood by giving them an acid bath.
The incident had taken place in August 2004.
The third brother somehow managed to escape and became a witness in the case. He was the lone witness but he too was murdered by unidentified criminals in June 2014.
This is the second biggest jolt to Shahabuddin in the past one week. Earlier on Aug 22, the CBI had filed a charge-sheet against Shahabuddin in the murder case of Siwan-based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan who was killed May last year.
(thebiharpost.com)
Will the Ice Castle cometh to Wisconsin Dells again?
The answer is ... maybe.
With no agreement as of yet to bring the relatively popular winter-time attraction to the area for the 2017-18 season, the question of whether an ice castle attraction will appear in the Dells-Delton area at all remains to be answered.
Preferring the answer to be an unequivocal yes, the Dells Business Improvement District (BID) committee decided at its twice-monthly meeting Aug. 23 to pursue the attractions return, agreeing by consensus upon the added value of having a recurring wintertime activity aimed at increasing the stream of visitors to the area, especially downtown.
The Finnegan Avenue parking area on the eastern end of the Kilbourn Bridge, nestled between the Wisconsin River on the west and Canadian Pacific railroad tracks on the east, was chosen as the most likely site for what could be a smaller icy attraction for 2017-18.
Committee member and Wizard Quest co-owner Kevin Ricks agreed to take on the task of recruiting an ice attraction-building company, with Utah-based Ice Castles, which constructed and operated the attraction at the Mt. Olympus parking lot on Wisconsin Dells Parkway, first on his list.
The committee will consider Ricks findings at its Sept. 2 meeting and decide whether to proceed with bringing an ice attraction back to the Dells.
The decision to leap into action in pursuit of an icy attraction to settle in the Dells emerged during the committees ongoing discussion of 2018 budget priorities, as committee members mulled various possible projects for the coming year.
Dells Alderman and regular BID meeting attendee Brian Holzem referred to the 2016-17 Ice Castles attraction at Mt. Olympus as the best winter event weve had, no one in the committee or the audience disputed that assessment.
It really had a huge impact during the winter months, Holzem said.
It would be a mistake to let it go, said BID member and JustAGame Fieldhouse executive Kyler Royston.
Utah-based Ice Castles built and operated a massive ice castle at the Mt. Olympus parking lot next to the Top Secret attraction, beginning construction in late 2016 and opening in early 2017.
The attraction became a social media phenomenon and attracted thousands of visitors from across the region but was had to close in late January when unseasonable temperatures made it impossible to continue.
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IBNS): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas at Bagan, Myanmar.
The MoU will be signed during the visit of Modi to Myanmar during 6-7 September 2017.
Implementation of the project will further strengthen Indias enduring ties in culture and religion with Myanmar.
It will also generate immense goodwill for India among the people of Myanmar due to the religious significance as well as the touristic significance of the project. It will also contribute to Indias development partnership with Myanmar. Bagan is one of the premier tourist attractions of Myanmar.
It will be an opportunity to showcase Indias expertise in the restoration and conservation of monuments not only to the people of Myanmar but also to the tourists from other countries.
Guwahati, Aug 30 (IBNS) : Security forces on Wednesday recovered 9 Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) and arms-ammunition from middle Assamas Nagaon district and arrested two persons in connection with it.
According to the reports, following a tip-off, police and army had jointly lauched operation at Tuktuki area near Dhing in the middle Assam district and recovered 9 IEDs, one gun, six rounds live ammunition from a house owned by Abu Sahid.
Security forces had arrested Abu Sahid and his associate Babul Ali in connection with the recovery.
Nagaon police suspected that, both arrested persons are linked with some militant group and they had carried the explosive to trigger a major attack.
Police has started investigation to find out more information.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kolkata, Aug 30 (IBNS): A 29-year-old technician was electrocuted during the shooting of Anushka Sharma's movie Pari at an outdoor location at Korolberia Kalitala in Kolkata's neighbouring South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday late evening, reports said.
According to reports, while the technician, a member of the shooting unit's lighting department, was trying to fix a light at around 8:25 pm, he was electrocuted.
The man was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to police reports, the deceased has been identified as Shah Alam, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh and had joined the shooting unit from Mumbai.
Local police said that producer-cum-lead actress of the movie, Anushka Sharma and her co-actor Parambrata Chatterjee were present at the location when the accident took place.
The unit has been shooting the film in and around Kolkata since last few days.
The local police have started probe into the matter while the body has been sent for post mortem.
Shooting for the movie has been temporarily suspended, reports said.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres on Tuesday reiterated his call for a political solution to the Middle East conflict that would end Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and would create an independent Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.
It is my deep belief that it is essential to restart a serious and credible political process of negotiation aiming at that objective the two-state solution as it is also important to create conditions on the ground to improve the situation of Palestinian populations, Guterres said at a press conference in Ramallah after meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.
A two-state solution that will end the occupation and, with the creation of conditions, also the suffering even to the Palestinian people, is in my opinion the only way to guarantee that peace is established and, at the same time, that two states can live together in security and in mutual recognition, Guterres said.
He said that Israel's settlement activity represented a major obstacle to the implementation of the two-state solution although there are other obstacles.
The UN chief also expressed a concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and pledged to support the effort towards creating conditions for a unified Palestinian leadership both in West Bank and Gaza.
To a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest comments on settlements in West Bank, Guterres said it is clear that there is a disagreement on that matter.
We believe that settlement activity is illegal under international law [] it is an obstacle to the two-state solution, he added.
Visit to Yasser Arafat Museum
Also on Tuesday, the Secretary-General visited Yasser Arafat Museum.
When visiting this museum, there are of course many emotions and many feelings, but the most important of them is the feeling of the suffering of the Palestinian people, Guterres told reporters.
For many years, in different capacities as Prime Minister of Portugal and as president of an international political organization, he has closely followed the peace process, in its hopes and frustrations, he said.
I have a dream, a dream to see in the Holy Land two states: A Palestinian state and an Israeli State, living together in peace and security, in mutual recognition and allowing for this kind of suffering not to be possible anymore, the Secretary-General stated.
Photo: Katrin Hett
Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): The United Nations migration agency is working with Libyan authorities to help rescue more migrants off the Libyan coast.
The UN Migration Agency (IOM) met this week with Libyan authorities in Tunis to create a coordination body to aid rescues, and also provided lifesaving equipment and offered computer literacy classes aimed at documenting sea rescue operations.
By better documentation of migrants at the disembarkation points, IOM is hoping to put a registration system in place to help regulate the humanitarian services provided to rescued migrants, said Maysa Khalil, IOM Libya's Operations Officer.
Among other supplies, IOM also provided computers and other information technology equipment to Libyan Coast Guard officers.
Saving lives remains our highest priority, said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Libya Chief of Mission. As it is also a legal obligation, it is important to help the Libyan Coast Guard improve their capacities to save lives and respond in a better way to the needs of the migrants that they rescue.
The UN agency is also working with Libyan counterparts to rehabilitate the points where the boats reach, by offering shaded areas, installing a water tank, cementing the floor, and creating toilets and showers, among others.
Photo: UN Migration Agency
Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): The United Nations is reacting to the devastating images from Tropical Storm Harvey, which has affected an area the size of Spain in the southern United States, and which is likely to worsen in the coming hours as the rain continues.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the developments in Texas with great concern, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life and extends his condolences to the Government and people of the United States of America, the spokesperson said. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery.
Guterres, who is currently in the Middle East on an official visit with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, added that his thoughts are with all the victims and the first responders.
Earlier in the day, the UN chief tweeted that he was shocked at the images of the devastation.
The storm is presenting a nightmare scenario, according to the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and bringing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.
Clare Nullis, a WMO spokesperson told journalists in Geneva that rivers are rising and the disaster is far from over.
Harvey has caused so much rainfall that the National Weather Service has had to update the colour charts on its graphics in order to effectively map it, Nullis said, introducing a new colour category for rainfall totals above 30 inches or 76 centimetres.
Although the storm is no longer classified as a hurricane, it is moving slowly and generating heavy rainfall.
The priority for now is to save people's lives and get them out of harm's way, said Nullis.
The UN disaster risk reduction office on Tuesday extended condolences to the families and friends of the people killed, and said the destruction caused by Harvey is already in the millions of dollars.
Hurricane Harvey has revealed how exposed even high-income countries are when building takes place on a grand scale along coastlines exposed to tropical storThere is no doubt that along with failings in risk governance, climate change is intensifying the cocktail of man-made risk to an unprecedented degree, said UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Robert Glasser.
He noted the impact of displacement caused by flooding the most common natural hazard and stressed the importance of building outside of flood plains.
Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
Source: www.justearthnews.com
Pyongyang, Aug 30 (IBNS) : Warning that Tuesday's missile launch over Japan was a "meaningful prelude to containing" the US Pacific territory of Guam, North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un has said that his regime would conduct more ballistic missile tests, media reports said.
North Korea confirmed the test hours before the UN security council unanimously condemned the launch.
The 15-member council described North Koreas actions as outrageous and called for the full implementation of tough sanctions agreed less than a month ago.
However, the council did not recommend fresh measures against the regime, while saying it remained committed to a peaceful solution to the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.
The security council stresses that these DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states, it said, referring to the North by its official title the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
The emergency meeting was called after a North Korean intermediate-range missile designed to carry a nuclear payload flew over northern Japan on Tuesday morning.
The missile, believed to be a relatively untested Hwasong-12, is the same type Kim has recently threatened to use against Guam, a key US military base located about 3,000km (1860 miles) southeast of North Korea.
North Koreas state KCNA news agency said Kim had personally guided the missile, which came in response to military drills involving tens of thousands of troops from South Korea and the US.
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): Extensive human rights violations and abuses have been committed in the wake of anti-Government protests in Venezuela and point to athe existence of a policy to repress political dissent and instill fear in the population to curb demonstrations,a a report by the United Nations human rights office has found.
The policies pursued by the authorities in their response to the protests have been at the cost of Venezuelans' rights and freedoms, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release issued on Wednesday.
The report notes that the generalized and systematic use of excessive force during demonstrations and the arbitrary detention of protestors and perceived political opponents indicate that these were not the acts of isolated officials.
The report calls on the UN Human Rights Council to consider taking measures to prevent the human rights situation in Venezuela from worsening. Venezuela is currently a Council member.
Mass street demonstrations began in the country in April. Tensions between the Government and the opposition reached a new high about a month ago, when President Nicolas Maduro convened elections for the so-called Constituent Assembly, which could replace the current legislative body, the National Assembly.
The report indicates that of the 124 deaths linked to the protests being investigated by the Attorney General's Office as of 31 July, the security forces were reportedly responsible for 46 and pro-Government armed groups, known as armed colectivos, for 27. Responsibility for the remaining 51 deaths has not yet been determined.
According to reliable estimates from a local NGO, more than 5,000 people were detained since 1 April, with more than 1,000 reportedly still held as of 31 July. At least 609 civilians arrested in the context of protests were presented before military tribunals. The report calls on the Government to halt arbitrary detention and the use of military courts to try civilians.
The report documents attacks against journalists and media workers by security forces that were apparently aimed at preventing them from covering demonstrations.
Demonstrators and journalists were labelled by high-level authorities as 'enemies' and 'terrorists' words that did little to counter, and may even have contributed to, the climate of violence and polarization, the High Commissioner said.
Warning that amid continuing economic and social crises and rising political tensions, there is a grave risk the situation in Venezuela will deteriorate further, Zeid encouraged the Government to follow up on the recommendations made in the report and to use its findings as guidelines to seek truth and justice for the victims of human rights violations and abuses.
Photo: Helena Carpio/IRIN
Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): Visiting Gaza for the first time since taking office as United Nations Secretary-General, AntAnio Guterres on Wednesday called for Palestinian unity, saying division aonly undermines the cause of the Palestinian people.a
Speaking to reporters at a UN-supported school in northern Gaza, the Secretary-General appealed for unity, in line with the principles of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which include rejecting violence and terrorism, and recognizing Israel's right to exist in peace.
I have a dream. A dream to one day see the Holy Land with two states Israel and Palestine living in peace and security together, Guterres told reporters in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, at a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Making this second appeal, Guterres underscored the importance of a credible political process and actions to improve living conditions of Palestinians.
It is important to open the closures, in line with resolution 1860 he said, referring the Security Council resolution from 2009 which called for an immediate ceasefire to the fighting between Israel and Hamas and lifting of blockades for food, fuel and medicines.
The resolution was meant to diffuse an intra-Palestinian conflict which flared when Hamas took over Gaza in 2007. Since then, Israel sought to isolate the group by restricting the movements of goods and people in and out of the strip.
In on Wednesday's statement, Guterres that it was important to avoid the build-up of the militantism that can undermine the confidence between the two people, he added.
The UN chief on Wednesday appealed to the international community to strongly support humanitarian aid in Gaza. He ordered an immediate release of $4 million from the limited resources of the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), to support the UN activities working for the benefit of the Gaza people.
Guterres, who toured the Israeli-Gaza border by helicopter and then crossed it by vehicle, called the conditions in Gaza, one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises he has seen during his time working as a humanitarian.
The two million people living in Gaza have lack access to basic services, such as electricity, food or healthcare. The real gross domestic product (GDP) is largely stagnant, unemployment is up and the infrastructure and private sector have been gradually debilitated, according to a UN report published last month.
Given the current trends, Gaza would become unliveable by 2020, according to the report.
'True peacemakers'
Wrapping up his trip to the Middle East, Guterres on Wednesday also visited the Museum of the Jewish People, where he reiterated his ongoing calls for an end to anti-Semitism around the world.
Pledging that he will do all possible to stand against anti-Semitism and all other forms of bigotry and discrimination, Guteres stressed that anti-Semitism includes calls for the destruction of Israel.
Israel is a Member State of the United Nations. It bears all the responsibilities and enjoys all the rights of every other Member State and, therefore, it must be treated as such, he stressed.
Guterres described meeting families in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz close to the Gaza Strip. Speaking with relatives of a child killed by a Palestinian rocket, he told of a request to help the Palestinians in Gaza have better lives.
Calling the request a fantastic example of solidarity, of humanity, of tolerance, Guterres paid tribute to the voices of these true peacemakers.
Let us not forget that those individual peacebuilders represent the best faces of their communities and serve as the human foundation so essential for a lasting peace, here and everywhere, he said.
Photo: OSSG
Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 31(Just Earth News): Calling for creative ways to work towards peace in Syria, the United Nations Special Envoy on Wednesday outlined the political path forward, which includes holding another round of the so-named Astana talks and behind-the-scenes efforts by the international community.
This is a time for realism and focus, for shifting from the logic of war to that of negotiation, and for putting the interests of the Syrian people first. If I could identify one thing above all that can make the difference, it will be a sense of unity of purpose internationally with clear priorities and common goals, UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told the Security Council.
He noted that the next round of what has become known as the 'Astana talks' between the Syrian conflict parties and led by Russia, Turkey and Iran will be held on 14 and 15 September.
These three countries will need to keep actively working, as they have been doing, on de-escalation, de Mistura said, adding that he and his team will be supporting these efforts.
The UN official also noted the key role that Saudi Arabia and other countries with influence over the opposition have in fostering cohesion and realism of the opposition. de Mistura said his office is ready to convene further technical talks to support Saudi efforts on unifying the opposition.
In addition, he noted the importance of working with the Government of Syria. He said that it will be vital for those countries with influence to assess the situation carefully and signal a genuine readiness for dialogue and inclusion on the country's political future.
On Wednesday 's briefing comes just weeks ahead of the annual high-level opening segment of the UN General Assembly, where the European Union will host a special event in New York which will serve as an opportunity to address future resilience and stabilization efforts, and support the humanitarian needs in Syria, de Mistura said.
These events will all take place ahead of the convocation of the formal intra-Syrian talks in Geneva later in October.
This is designed to give time for the dynamics I have just described to reach a further stage of maturity, the senior UN official said.
He added it is my hope that both the Syrian Government and the opposition will come to Geneva then to engage in formal negotiations.
Outgoing UN aid chief urges help for Syrians
Also on Wednesday , the Council heard from outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, who steps down tomorrow.
Addressing the Council for the final time after two years on the job, O'Brien made an emotional appeal for the 15-member body to do more to end the brutal civil war, now in its seventh year.
I am still urging you, in the name of our common humanity, to find a way to stop the Syrian people paying the price of political failure, he said. The fact that month after month, it is the unremitting, fearful plight of the Syrian people which sears into our hearts and outrages and torments our minds, I am bound to reflect surely we can do better.
He expressed frustration at the little progress made in recent months in responding to the needs of thousands of people who remain besieged in Foah, Kefraya and Yarmouk.
O'Brien noted that on numerous occasions, despite agreement to distribute aid, the trucks were loaded only be to be unloaded.
This is disgusting. It's scandalous and an outrage and I urge all Member States in particular those with the influence to do all they can to bring the parties to their senses, he urged.
I am told a new agreement among the parties was apparently reached on 27 August, but where is the evidence?
He cautioned that thousands of people mostly women and children depend on the international community's collective action.
Among other points raised, he reiterated that civilians, humanitarians and health workers are not a target, and said that he stands in solidarity with the millions of civilians whose lives have been destroyed by the conflict.
Photo: UNOCHA
Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 30(Just Earth News): Alarmed at renewed fighting and incitement in the wake of the attacks on Myanmar security forces in northern areas of Rakhine state, the top United Nations human rights official on Tuesday urged all sides to renounce the use of violence and called on State authorities to ensure they abide by their obligations under international human rights law.
This turn of events is deplorable. It was predicted and could have been prevented, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, noting that decades of persistent and systematic human rights violations, including the very violent security responses to the attacks since October 2016, have almost certainly contributed to the nurturing of violent extremism, with everyone ultimately losing.
The High Commissioner called on the political leadership to condemn the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to hatred that is proliferating, including on social media.
Zeid also expressed concern about claims by the State Counsellor's Office that international aid workers were complicit in or supporting the attacks.
Such statements are irresponsible and only serve to increase fears and the potential for further violence, he said. I am extremely concerned that the unsupported allegations against international aid organizations place their staff in danger and may make it impossible for them to deliver essential aid.
Zeid said the perpetrators of the attacks on security personnel must be brought to justice, as must those who have been attacking the civilian population.
State authorities should issue clear instructions to security forces to refrain from using disproportionate force, minimize damage and injuries and respect the right to life, he said.
The State has a duty to protect those within its territory without discrimination, stated Zeid.
I call on the Government of Myanmar to follow the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by Kofi Annan, for an integrated and calibrated response to the situation in Rakhine state, to address rather than sacrifice human rights concerns in the interests of maintaining peace and order, he said.
The High Commissioner also expressed concern about thousands of Rohingya having fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since the attacks, adding to the tens of thousands who have been arriving in Bangladesh since October 2016.
UN refugee agency urges open borders for people fleeing violence in Rakhine
Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday communicated to the Government of Bangladesh its readiness to support the country in assisting refugees crossing the border.
As of Sunday, it was estimated that some 5,200 people had entered Bangladesh from Myanmar since Thursday. Several thousand were reported to be in locations along the Myanmar side of the border.
The agency is aware of several reported instances of people being prevented from entering Bangladesh. UNHCR believes it is of the utmost importance that Bangladesh, which has hosted refugees from Myanmar for decades, continues to allow Rohingya fleeing violence to seek safety there.
UNHCR also called on the international community to support Bangladesh in doing so, with all necessary aid and other help.
Photo: UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi
Source: www.justearthnews.com
Islamabad, Aug 30 (IBNS): Pakistan on Wednesday passed a resolution against US President Donald Trump's policy for the region.
Leaders from different parties raised voices against the policy of the US President.
"After speeches by members throughout the day, the assembly passed a resolution condemning US President Donald Trump's new policy," Geo News reported.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif presented the resolution in the house, media reports said.
"The House denounces the complete disregard of Pakistan's sacrifices by the US," he was quoted as saying in the house by Geo News.
The resolution was adopted unanimously after the Speaker presented it on the floor of the house.
Trump recently sent out a strong message to Pakistan over the issue of terrorism and said the Asian country has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists.
Trump said: "We can no longer be silent about Pakistans safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists."
"In the past, Pakistan has been a valued partner. Our militaries have worked together against common enemies. The Pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorism and extremism. We recognize those contributions and those sacrifices," Trump added.
"But Pakistan has also sheltered the same organizations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately. No partnership can survive a countrys harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace," the US President added.
Islamabad, Aug 30 (IBNS): Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday left for London city in the UK, media reports said.
He left for the nation to meet his wife ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz.
"The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader will be abroad with his wife and sons during Eid," Geo News reported.
Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been diagnosed with throat cancer, doctors in the United Kingdom told Geo News had earlier reported.
The doctors, who are treating her, has reportedly said she could be treated.
Toronto, Aug 30 (IBNS): Ontarioas proposal to create a new French-language university in central and south-western Ontario -- governed by and for the Francophone community -- would be the first of its kind in the province and would create more job opportunities for the Ontario Francophone community, media reports said.
This is a tremendous step forward," said Deb Matthews, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, "which will provide access to high-quality French-language university education in the Greater Toronto Area and central and south-western Ontario. My sincere thanks to the planning board panel and chair, Dr. Dyane Adam, for the work they have done."
Ontario is said to have the largest French-speaking population in Canada outside of Quebec, with central and south-western Ontario home to the fastest growing Francophone population.
Nearly 430,000 people in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) speak French, which makes it the fourth largest centre of French-language speakers in Canada.
At present Ontario has two publicly funded French-language colleges and nine French-language and bilingual schools offering university programs.
In 2015-16, the Ontario government had invested $87.9 million to support French language under post secondary education, including almost $14 million from the federal government an increase of more than 71 per cent since 2003-04.
Established last fall by the Ontario government, the French-language University Planning Board chaired by Dr. Dyane Adam, submitted its report titled From Local Innovation to Global Excellence: Proposal for a French-Language University in Ontario in July 2017 with recommendations to create a new French Language University in central and south-western Ontario.
The Planning Board recommended that the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) take the necessary steps within the government "to establish a French-language University in centre and southwest Ontariothat support affiliation approaches to academic oversight; and provide advice on options regarding the legislative composition of the board and the academic council.
The Ontario government will review the report and accept key recommendations, and introduce legislation for the creation of the proposed university, in the coming months,according to media reports.
Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Francophone Affairs tweeted, Reached a historic milestone today: our govt intends to create Ontarios first standalone French-language university in CSW Ontario#onpoli.
Lalonde was quoted by the media as saying, Francophone culture and the French language have always been essential to Ontarios identity and prosperity. This is strongly reaffirmed today with the governments intent to provide high quality postsecondary education to Francophone students. The creation of a new French-language university, governed by and for Francophones, is a critical milestone for Franco-Ontarians and future generations.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Images: Deb Matthews/Twitter, Marie-France Lalonde/Facebook
Montreal, Aug 30 (IBNS): Quebec has planned to distribute welfare cheques to only those refugees who are staying in temporary shelters, media reports said.
The cheques will not be distributed to the asylum seekers staying in convention centre of downtown Montreal.
The distribution of cheques among the refugees are scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
Quebec will give 3000 cheques to asylum seekers. The refugees who had already shifted to their new homes, will get their cheques delivered at their place.
The basic welfare cheques of amount $642.92 will be distributed to around 8000 refugees who have crossed the border of the US and entered into Quebec since June this year.
The asylum seekers are asked to shift from the government shelters to their own residences after receiving the amount.
The influx of huge number of asylum seekers in Quebec has already put the provincial government of Canada under pressure.
(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)
Supporters of the Wilton Rancheria are calling for ratification of the tribe's Class III gaming compact in California.
The California Assembly's Governmental Organization Committee took testimony on Assembly Bill 1606 , which ratifies the compact, on Wednesday. According to The Elk Grove Citizen, local officials and union representatives spoke in favor of the tribe's project.
What I find very admirable is their goal to become self-sufficient to where theyre funding themselves and funding their own programs and getting themselves off of the United States taxpayers, Elk Grove City Council member Pat Hume told the committee, the paper reported.
The California Senate passed the compact bill on August 24 so it just needs to clear the Assembly before it can be signed into law. After that, the agreement can be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review.
On January 19, the last full day of the Obama administration, the BIA approved the land-into-trust application for the 36-acre casino site in Elk Grove. The Trump administration has since confirmed that the land is in trust, although opponents are seeking to reverse the decision.
The tribe has not set a firm date for the start of construction. Chairman Raymond Chuckie Hitchcock has indicated that work will begin within the next three years.
The tribe was restored to federal recognition in 2009 after being illegally terminated in the 1950s.
Read More on the Story: Casino supporters make case to Senate committee (The Elk Grove Citizen August 29, 2017)
Federal Register Notices: Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Revised Draft Conformity Determination for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 14, 2016) Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 29, 2015) Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 4, 2013)
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Asia Dont Demonize India Over Rohingya Deportation, Minister Says
A woman from the Rohingya community walks through a camp in Delhi, India August 17, 2017. / Cathal McNaughton / Reuters
DATELINE NEW DELHI Rights groups should stop lecturing and demonizing India over its plan to deport some 40,000 stateless Rohingya and recognize that the country has treated millions of refugees from across the world humanely, a senior official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis right-wing government says the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to India because of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar are illegal immigrants and should deported as they pose a potential security threat.
India is the most humane nation in the world, said junior interior minister Kiren Rijiju, defending an order to states to identify and deport the Rohingyaincluding 16,500 registered with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
There is no other country in the world which hosts so many refugees so dont demonize us, dont give us lecture.
The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming centuries-old roots.
Hundreds of thousands have fled Myanmar, where they are marginalized and sometimes subjected to communal violence, with many taking refuge in Bangladeshand some then crossing a porous border into Hindu-majority India.
On Monday, Myanmar security forces intensified operations against Rohingya insurgents, following three days of clashes with militants in the worst violence involving the Muslim minority in five years.
Indian minister Rijiju said registration with the UNHCR was irrelevant.
India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which spells out states responsibilities towards refugees. Nor does it have a domestic law to protect refugees.
The Rohingya will be sent back from India in a humane way, following due legal processes, Rijiju added.
We are not going to shoot them, nor are we planning to throw them in the ocean, he said on Monday.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have slammed Indias deportation plan as outrageous.
Asias third largest economy is bound by customary international lawthe principle of non-refoulementwhere it cannot forcibly return refugees to a place where they face danger, they say.
Burma ARSA Mobilizes Rohingya in Northern Rakhine: Army
Myanmar Army press conference. / The Irrawaddy
NAYPYITAW The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) has rallied Rohingya in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships to establish a Rohingya-only area in Maungdaw District, northern Rakhine State, claimed Myanmar Army spokesperson Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win.
Their [ARSA] main objective is to rally through fear, build strongholds, and declare the whole region as their liberated area, Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win said at a Myanmar Army press briefing in Naypyitaw on Tuesday for military attaches of foreign countries and the media on attacks in northern Rakhine State.
They managed to rally some 50 percent of Bengalis in Buthidaung and Maungdaw. They mobilized in different places for each household to send a person to participate in the attacks, he added, referring to the stateless Rohingya population, which the Myanmar government and many in the country refer to as Bengali to infer that they are interlopers from Bangladesh.
According to the briefing, ARSA, which claimed responsibility for attacks last week on 30 police outposts and an army base in Rakhine State, sent a letter to the government on March 29 listing 20 demands. Recently declared a terrorist organization by the government, ARSA had been plotting jihad for some time, according to military leaders.
On Tuesday, home affairs minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe claimed that the recent attacks were a move on the part of ARSA to establish an Islamic State in Rakhine.
Bengalis want their own territory. So, they drove Arakanese people out of the country and this resulted in conflict. They made political and military movements to demand their own territory, said Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win, who is also the vice-chairman of the Myanmar Army True News Information Team.
Muslims account for 34 percent of the total population in Rakhine State, and there are 1,272 mosques in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, and no restriction of religion, he said.
He claimed that the attacks were not religiously motivated, but due to the Rohingya being unwilling to undergo the citizenship verification process and wanting to gain territorial control.
The treatment of the regions 1.1 million stateless Rohingya has been one of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis biggest challenges. For years, they have been denied citizenship, endured apartheid-like conditions and faced severe travel restrictions.
Tensions had been running high recently between the ethnic Arakanese and Rohingya Muslim populations, who remained largely separated since inter-communal violence in 2012 and 2013 displaced around 140,000 people, the vast majority of them Rohingya.
The worst violence that the area has seen in years has sent thousands to flee the area once again.
Deputy Chief of Military Affairs Security Maj-Gen Than Htut Thein said Parliament had rejected Myanmar Army proposals calling for necessary responses. The administration in Maungdaw had collapsed and hatred between the two communities had reached its peak, he added.
He said the Myanmar Army would ensure that a National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) meeting was summoned if necessary, adding that the army was striving for stability but that continued attacks could threaten national security.
Maj-Gen Aung Ye Win said the Myanmar Army was fully cooperating with the government and had offered suggestions, but the decision to summon an NDSC meeting was ultimately in the hands of President U Htin Kyaw.
On Monday, the Presidents Office sent a letter to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, instructing the Myanmar Army to continue cooperating with the Myanmar Police Force in operations in Rakhine State.
Maj-Gen Than Htut Thein said the Myanmar Army had to join the operations as the situation was beyond the capacity of the police force.
The president, state counselor and Myanmar Army deputy commander-in-chief had discussions over the phone, in which they agreed to deploy additional military troops to the area and employ helicopters in the operations.
Additional reporting by Htun Htun. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Mob Kills Four Arakanese Amid Ongoing Rakhine Violence
A soldier crouches near Zula village in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy
MAUNGDAW, Rakhine State Four Arakanese men were killed and another seriously injured by a mob of Rohingya Muslims in Maungdaw Township in conflict-torn northern Rakhine State on Wednesday morning, according to the district administrator.
The five men were attacked with swords near the Muslim-majority village of Zula, said Maungdaw District Administrator U Ye Htut.
Four were dead and the other man is seriously wounded, he told The Irrawaddy.
The region has been reeling from the August 25 attacks of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on 30 police stations and an army base, which left 12 security personnel and at least 59 militants dead.
About 18,000 Rohingya are estimated to have crossed into Bangladesh in the last week in order to flee the violence, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday. Security forces reportedly shot some Rohingya as they tried to cross the border.
Meanwhile, thousands of Buddhists and Hindus have been evacuated to shelters dotted around the region.
According to witnesses from nearby Thazi village, the five men were approaching Zula after seeing fire come from the village.
When they were approaching the village, about 10 Bengalis hiding in the field attacked them, said Maung Thein Aung from the Arakanese majority-Thazi village, using a term for the stateless Rohingya that implies they are interlopers from Bangladesh. It happened right between the road and Zula.
Thazi resident Ko Hla Thein Aung told The Irrawaddy in his village on Wednesday afternoon that there were 10 security members nearby at the time of the attack.
But they were a bit far so all they could do was fire four warning shots, he said. The Bengalis ignored it.
The troops would have been outnumbered and attacked if they chased the culprits into Zula village, he added.
Dozens of deaths have been reported over the past five dayssome civilian, including the killing of six members of a Hindu family in southern Maungdaw on Saturday that the government said was at the hands of militants.
The Myanmar government declared ARSA a terrorist organization the following day. ARSA has been carrying out arson attacks on local homes and planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to the government.
More than 2,300 buildings in Maungdaw and surrounding villages were razed during ARSA attacks, the government announced on Monday.
However, ARSA has accused the military of burning homes, a claim supported by the accounts of some Rohingya villagers. Satellite data shows widespread fires burning in at least 10 areas of northern Rakhine, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) statement on Tuesday.
Burnings were seen across 100 kilometers in length, roughly five times larger than the area where burnings by the Myanmar Army occurred from October to November 2016, said HRW. Over those months, data from HRW suggested about 1,500 buildings were destroyed.
ARSA has stated in a series of statements and videos that it is committed to securing citizenship and basic civil rights within Myanmar for the Rohingya and has maintained that it does not target civilians.
Burma Parliament Votes Down Ethnic DNA Proposal
There are eight major ethnic groups in Myanmar. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy
NAYPYITAW The Lower House on Tuesday voted down a proposal to develop DNA profiles of each ethnic group in Myanmar.
The motion was put forward by Mandalay Regions Meiktila Township lawmaker Dr. Maung Thin who argued that keeping such a DNA profile would contribute to medical research and citizenship verification processes.
Of the lawmakers who voted, 150 voted in favor, 222 against and six abstained.
Military representative Maj Win Min Tun said: Keeping DNA profiles will contribute a great deal to the anthropological study of the origins of Myanmar people today as well as genetic characteristics and related fields.
The proposal comes at a time of a stalled citizenship verification process for the stateless Rohingya population in Rakhine State who manyincluding the governmentrefer to as Bengali to infer they are interlopers from Bangladesh.
Maj. Win Min Tun said the military is ready to cooperate with civilian technicians in developing genetic profiles of Myanmars eight major ethnic groupsKachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Mon, Arakanese, Shan, and Bamar.
Asian countries such as China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines keep DNA records of some of its ethnic groups.
The Myanmar government has formed a DNA supervisory board which has made little progress in developing genetic profiles of ethnicities living in the country, said lawmaker U Hla Htun Kyaw of Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State.
Neighboring countries have started to systematically record their races. This is a very important issue, and necessary. Myanmar has a high risk of problems connected with citizenship and ethnic identity, said U Hla Tun Kyaw, who is also member of the Lower House Ethnic Affairs and Internal Peace Implementation Committee.
Shan States Pyin Oo Lwin Township lawmaker Dr. Aung Khin said much needs to be done to develop DNA profiles at a national level such as hiring technicians, building hi-tech labs, and developing a law in place in case of controversy.
Union health minister U Myint Htwe also called for consultations with technicians first to discuss the viability of the plan as it has legal and human rights implications, as well as being costly.
Burma Rights Commission Submits Report on Jailed Journalists
Plaintiff in the case, Tatmadaw Adjutant Thet Naing Oo, at Hsipaw Township Court on July 28. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy
YANGON The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) has submitted its findings and suggestions on the case of three detained journalists in northern Shan State to the defense ministry after its members visited the reporters in Hsipaw Prison.
Commission members met The Irrawaddys Lawi Weng, also known as U Thein Zaw, and U Aye Naing and U Pyae Phone Aung from the Democratic Voice of Burma, and checked the conditions of the inmates on August 9.
The MNHRC inspected jail cells in police stations and courts in Lashio and Hsipaw as part of countrywide prison reforms. It presented its wider findings to the home affairs ministry and made recommendations on the case of the three journalists to the defense ministry.
We presented to the defense ministry that the journalists should not have been arrested for going to a public place and doing their jobs, said commission member U Yu Lwin Aung.
The Myanmar Army detained the three reporters along with three other men on June 26 as they returned from covering a drug-burning ceremony hosted by the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to mark the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse.
Later, the journalists were charged under Article 17(1) of the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act after Tatmadaw Adjutant Thet Naing Oo from Light Infantry Battalion No. 503 filed the lawsuit case.
Violators of Article 17(1) face two to three years in prison and a possible fine for being a member of an unlawful association, making contributions to such an association or assisting in its operations.
U Yu Lwin Aung said no action should be taken against the journalists for covering the drug-burning event, which was also attended by local people including civil servants.
If the military has evidence the reporters are connected to the TNLA, an outlawed organization, he said, the commission cannot object to the arrest and would instead await the courts decision.
Reporters will cover stories in areas of the militarys opponents. It is their job. But we dont know what evidence is included in the confiscated cameras, phones and laptops of the three journalists. If there is evidence that could damage national security, action could be taken against them, U Yu Lwin Aung said.
Press advocacy groups and rights groups have urged authorities to drop the charges against the journalists immediately and denounced the move as an attempt to intimidate journalists for doing their jobs.
U Yu Lwin Aung previously told the media right after the visit to Hsipaw that the journalists did not break the law.
The plaintiff submitted a compact disk with data allegedly copied from the journalists cameras and phones to be examined as evidence by Hsipaw Township Court.
The journalists lawyers objected, stating that the evidence was inadmissible and questioning its authenticity as Maj Myat Maw Aung, a military witness, testified at the trial that they had deleted the original data from the reporters confiscated cameras and phones.
The court will rule whether to accept the evidence on Friday.
Guest Column Myanmars Post-Panglong Problems (Part 2)
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi chats with Myanmars President Htin Kyaw after the opening ceremony of 21st Century Panglong conference in Naypyitaw, Myanmar May 24, 2017. / Soe Zayar Tun / Reuters
Disarmament
The government of Myanmar possesses the capacity to undertake disarmament and demobilization processes. But what it is still theoretically building with EAOs is the trust necessary to engage in such a process. Despite this, the government is unlikely to go down the well-trod path many other states have travelled via the subcontracting of Disarmament and Demobilization processes to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and other UN agencies that have expertise in such work. Chinas acquiescence, however, matters here: elements of One Belt, One Road require the stability in Myanmars border with Yunnan, and this has been amply demonstrated by the involvement of special envoy Sun Guoxiang in the latest Panglong meeting. It is unlikely that China would involve itself in disarmament and demobilization directly; a process under the auspices, not of the EU or DPKO, but of ASEAN, may be more palatable for them.
The disarmament aspect of DDR is a technically easy, time-bound process that only requires the will of each entity to engage with the other, under third party facilitation. This may involve insurgent entry into cantonments and dual-key weapons storage after a given peace process reaches a certain pre-defined milestone. The weapons initially handed over will likely be constituted in large part by museum pieces, while better functioning weaponry is held back in case Panglong 21 breaks down, or for sale. Implicit in such a process is the building up of state police forces in insurgent areasoften made up of ex-insurgents under state commandin a structure resembling BGFs, but more lightly armed.
Demobilization and Insurgent Economics
Demobilization of insurgent forces is both a discharging of soldiers and dissolution of the insurgent command structure. In most DDR processes, within the time-bound framework that also encompasses disarmament, it is almost purely symbolic: soldiers in formation hand over their weapons on a parade ground in front of press and dignitaries, and are then dismissed, one last time, by a commanding officer. The pageantry implies they all go home after. This is disingenuous. Despite claims of demobilization or conversion, the structures nearly always remain, down to the grassroots level.
In less-organized EAOs, these structures are most apparent in financial flows generated by legal and illegal economic activities. Ex-All Burma Students Democratic Front rebel and former MPC director Aung Naing Oo estimated the size of the conflict economy in Myanmars borderlands at between US$20 billion and $30 billionand while conflict will stop, the raising of funds often does not. Many EAOs, namely those with longstanding ceasefires with the Tatmadaw, have built up lucrative portfolios constituting of real estate in Yangon and Mandalay, hotels, bus companies, and so on. These are generally in the hands of individual insurgents rather than a group as a whole. Extralegal taxation is the norm, with trade taxed at checkpoints, and businesses and even households taxed in many areas. Sometimes these taxes are used for legitimate ends within complex EAO structures providing services; other times, they are simply protection fees. Often, insurgents exploit natural resources to fund rebellion and charge others for the license to do so: in Myanmar, jadeite, rubies and timber are especially lucrative. Taxes on jadeite, for example, provided up to half of the KIAs operating budget.
In border areas, the smuggling of untaxed goods also constitutes a norm, as does insurgent taxes on such goods. Vice is also a popular business, as is gambling, in Kokang and Mongla especially. This also doesnt stop with a peace agreement, and military businesses also remain deeply involved in natural resource extraction in contested areas, which casts a shadow across Panglong 21. On the furthest end of the spectrum of illegality, select EAO and militia economies are constituted by drug cultivation and processing, namely heroin and methamphetamine. Indeed, some EAOs and militias operate as particularly well-armed criminal syndicates with a thin veneer of ideology masking economic rationales.
As mentioned elsewhere, some crime will be tolerated by the authorities, written off as the price of peace. A particularly negative example can be found in the experience of neighboring northeastern India, where Naga insurgents who rose up against the Indian state in the 1950s developed comprehensive extortion and protection rackets, and engaged in fratricidal warsmore so than they either fought the state or provided services. They and other insurgent groups in Assam, Manipur, and other areas of northeast India, espouse ideologies to mask the economic rationales of their current activities, and they act as shadow security forces, descending, despite high-sounding ideals and rhetoric, into a criminalized oligarchy. The Indian state tolerates these behaviors in the insurgents it has treaties with and the groups it is still trying to negotiate with. Yet another example of tolerated criminality can be found in Indonesian Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra. There, the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or GAM) fought the Government of Indonesia from 1976 until 2005, when a mediated peace process culminated in the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding, followed by the 2006 Law on the Governing of Aceh. GAM disarmed and theoretically demobilized; the structure remained in place, with GAM veterans continuing to collect extra legal taxes from individuals and businesses across the province, as well as other organized criminal activities. This is implicitly allowed by the provincial government, with only GAM dissenters from the main GAM corpus declared outlaws and killed.
In Myanmar, peace will also offer lucrative protection opportunities for insurgent structures, especially regarding construction contracts in EAO areas. Improved roads and new businesses will mean more goods and services to tax. These structures will prove durable long after the peace process ends.
The government will initially lack both the capacity and the will to police ex-insurgents and militias, and the Tatmadaw will not do so either. On the contrary, rogue elements of the Tatmadaw within its regional command structure may engage in the same activities, forming new partnerships with EAOs and militias and continuing existing ones.
Ultimately this will be important for a future when the Tatmadaw itself contracts, firstly through its Border Guard Forces. Its affiliated militias, which the Tatmadaw does not finance, will present more immediate law and order problems.
Drug Eradication and Alternative Livelihoods
As in Afghanistan, chaos and statelessness in Shan and other areas of Myanmar engenders drug production. A key element of DDR is the halting of principal insurgent funding streams, and in select (but not all, the KNU, for example, historically executes drug traffickers) EAO and militia areas, this means opium poppy cultivation and heroin/methamphetamine production. The primary way in which this should be undertaken is the ramped-up targeting of grassroots opium poppy cultivators through alternative livelihoods programs, which UNODC and partners have implemented for years through introduction of alternative crops and agricultural extension services. If the alternative livelihood process occurs in a cautious manner, then a period of crop introduction and extension services will occur prior to opium poppy field eradication and law enforcement. Drug treatment programs will follow this process: many poppy cultivators are also addicts.
This can result in much economic distress to poppy-cultivators: In The United Wa State Party: Narco-Army or Ethnic Nationalist Party? Tom Kramer notes that, when the UWSP leadership were indicted by the US Department of Justice for drug production in 2005, they launched eradication efforts on their own accord, and this resulted in widespread declines in household incomes, as well as small-scale famine. As opium was the only cash crop in the area, and hardly any other edible crop was grown, farmers didnt have the ability to purchase rice and other staples. However, a future alternative livelihood process may be less economically painful for these poor households. If it were a sellers market, no alternate crop would equal the value a farmer can earn from opium, but this may not be the case in Myanmar: the last UNODC Southeast Asia Opium Report indicates a fall in the opium purchase price which may result from market consolidation. Initial successes in alternative livelihoods might result in buyers offering higher prices, which could eliminate licit gains made in a non-coercive manner. Other administrations have also taken crop substitution initiatives, in Kokang especially, with sugarcane supplanting poppy grown there.
A better-fundedand for communities, less beneficialalternative livelihoods model has been pursued by private businesses which are opening rubber and other plantations, and paying local laborers pittances. This exploitative capitalism, disguised as beneficial to former opium cultivators, can lead to exactly the type of instability that more traditional alternative livelihoods programs seek to avoid.
Individual Combatant Reintegration
The reintegration element of DDR is likely to be seen by Myanmar and China as less politically sensitive. It is also the aspect of the triage that disarmament and demobilization practitioners avoid, as it is often sub-contracted to the UN sister agency or at the NGO level. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are key reintegration implementers, but this does not mean they have been uniformly successful in past endeavors. Reintegration of ex-combatants from insurgent groups into civilian life is not time-bound, and is fraught with difficulty, if not failure. When insurgencies end, there often isnt enough work for civilians, much less fighters, as insurgent areas are distinguished by a lack of infrastructure and undeveloped licit markets. The majority of the economy is illicit, with significant organized criminal activity, as EAOs are regularly excluded from licit markets unless, in the example of the UWSP and others, they control a large enough territory. Most civilians in such areas are engaged in subsistence agriculture or, to a lesser extent, petty trading. There is often also a lack of health and education services, although this was not the case historically in KIA, KNU, and then-Communist Party of Burma (CPB) territories.
When it comes to the type of work available to ex-combatants, there is also the issue of pride. Having a weapon taken away, as a soldier, can be a traumatic experience. The work one can do in civilian life when one fought previously cannot just be any work. It has to have meaning. We cannot expect people who have killed and suffered for a cause to become subsistence farmers on their own land, much less land that is not their own, or bicycle-riding vegetable sellers especially when previously, in addition to fighting, they acted in a tax-collecting capacity (or what in peacetime is referred to as conducting a protection racket) and when the old insurgent structure still exists for them to return to. This is why the recidivism rate amongst select ex-combatants to violence and crime is high, and why after millions of dollars in reintegration programming in other contexts, only a minority of ex-combatants identified as problematic by their own structure are engaged in licit work (as a direct result of a program, be it a job training or grant) after five years.
Reintegration of individual combatants will consist of job training, apprenticeships, support to small businesses, and remedial/vocational and technical education. It will be proven that the rural economies of EAO areas do not have the capacity to absorb large numbers of fighters into roles other than subsistence ones. The leadership class of insurgents, on the other hand, will become local politicians and construction contractors for the myriad projects that the union and the Tatmadaw will launch, and non-competitive contracts will likely be awarded to them by the government in order for them to feel that peace is profitable. Such leaders will be able to provide for much less of their rank and file than they would have before the peace. One-time reinsertion payments for demobilized soldiers will be spent quickly, and demands for pensions may follow. A particularly expensive example can be found in Timor-Leste, where disgruntled insurgents from the 1975-1999 conflict acted as the foot soldiers for a 2006 insurrection; since then the government has prioritized veterans pensions in order to maintain stability, and has committed to paying off select veterans and their descendants through 2122.
The Union of Myanmar cannot afford this. And so a certain amount of illegal activity will continue to be committed by the non- integrated rank and file. Extortion and other crimes are often tolerated by the state and the EAO authorities as the price of peace. And so the future peace, for select EAO host populations, might be a cold one, with some insurgents shorn of their ideological justification continuing to feed on communities, whilst other ex-combatants face the disappointment of local economies that cannot accommodate their peacetime ambitions.
Reintegration, crop substitution, extension services, and other livelihood programs are not only for ex-combatants and opium poppy cultivators. The morass of internally displaced within Myanmar and refugees from Myanmar in Thailand will require not just resettlement but an economic role and livelihood source. The UNHCR and other agencies estimate nearly 100,000 internally displaced in Kachin and northern Shan, and roughly 400,000 in the Karen and Mon areas of the southeast. The government will likely prioritize formerly armed populations for reintegration and livelihoods programming, and will neglect returnees, because in the cynical but pragmatic calculus of authorities, they pose less of a threat.
Part three of the series will discuss other aspects of state building in insurgent areas, service delivery and migration in particular, followed by a comparative discussion of state building in formerly insurgent areas of northwest Thailand in previous decades.
Bobby Anderson ([email protected]) is a Myanmar-based Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. The opinions expressed in this article are the authors own.
This article originally appeared in Tea Circle, a forum hosted at Oxford University for emerging research and perspectives on Burma/Myanmar.
David has been computing since 1984 where he instantly gravitated to the family Commodore 64. He completed a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from 1990 to 1992, commencing full-time employment as a systems analyst at the end of that year. David subsequently worked as a UNIX Systems Manager, Asia-Pacific technical specialist for an international software company, Business Analyst, IT Manager, and other roles. David has been the Chief Information Officer for national public companies since 2007, delivering IT knowledge and business acumen, seeking to transform the industries within which he works. David is also involved in the user group community, the Australian Computer Society technical advisory boards, and education.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has announced an industry first solution, simplifying an IT depts move to a hybrid IT infrastructure and lower VM costs.
Specifically, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) revealed at VMworld 2017 in Las Vegas today their new, industry first, composable platform for VMware Cloud Foundation, based on HPE Synergy, and named, logically enough, VMware Cloud Foundation on HPE Synergy.
As tremendous as the cloud can be for business agility, allowing machines to be spun up and down on demand among other benefits, there is no doubt the expectation of cloud speed has placed greater demands on IT departments to respond with new infrastructure to meet business and developer initiatives.
For many organisations, the new normal is a multi-cloud environment with public clouds like AWS and Azure, as well as on-premises and hosted cloud environments. IT departments are left to manage these, while being expected to lower capital and operating expenditure.
HPE wants IT managers to know it understands their problems, and this new solution will enable their department to simplify their transition to a hybrid environment, deploying infrastructure as a service and private cloud within minutes. It further offers a reduction in the cost of virtual machines compared to public clouds and traditional server racks.
HPE Synergy with VMware Cloud Foundation will enable customers to:
operate a single platform to run traditional bare-metal, virtualised SAN environments along with new vSAN-based workloads. HPE states its Synergy platform is the only one available today that can provide a single infrastructure to dynamically compose the right mix of virtual, traditional and VMware Cloud Foundation. become an internal service provider of IaaS and private clouds. Using HPE Synergy Image Streamer, IT depts can quite literally deploy infrastructure and VMware Cloud Foundation software in mere minutes with just a few clicks. This in turn means IT can respond quickly to line of business requests and accelerate consumer DevOps initiatives. perform at cloud speed. HPE Synergy says its offers the industrys fastest platform for VMware environments, recording a 41% increase in the VMmark 2.x performance benchmark against the previous best scoring server. Reduce capital and operational expenses while still increasing productivity. HPE Synergy is the industrys first platform based on compassable infrastructure and delivers VMs at 29% less cost than traditional architectures, and up to 50% less than public clouds, according to the CloudGenera Workload Placement Engine.
In todays competitive digital world, enterprises need technology that enables them to quickly introduce and scale new services, said Raj Thakur, vice-president and general manager for Hybrid IT, HPE Asia Pacific and Japan. HPE Synergy with VMware Cloud Foundation will deliver a private cloud experience that empowers IT to be an internal service provider and enables rapid response to business needs with single-click DevOps delivery. Under the hood, HPE Synergy with VMware Cloud Foundation extends HPE and VMware joint offerings, including vSphere and vRealize. These solutions are all built on a common architecture and integration with HPE OneView, HPEs infrastructure automation software, allowing IT admins to discover, manage and optimise their virtualisation environments.
HPE Synergy powered by Cloud Foundation will provide a powerful solution to consolidate traditional, private and cloud native workloads onto a single integrated infrastructure platform that is simple to deploy and operate, said John Gilmartin, vice-president and general manager, Integrated Systems Business Unit, VMware.
Customers will benefit from a highly dynamic, programmable infrastructure foundation that eliminates the operational overhead of traditional deployments thanks to new built-in lifecycle automation capabilities. We are excited about the value that HPE Synergy powered by Cloud Foundation will unlock to our mutual customers.
HPE Synergy with VMware Cloud Foundation can work with HPE Flexible Capacity, an infrastructure service that offers on-demand capacity and a pay-as-you-go consumption model. HPE Flexible Capacity providers customers the ability to scale-up and scale-down capacity as required, meaning customers will only pay for what is consumed. When compared to public cloud pricing, HPE says its solution delivers results for either the same cost or at less than the public cloud price.
VMware Cloud Foundation on HPE Synergy is expected to be certified and available from HPE and channel and distribution partners in late 2017. vSphere and vSAN are already certified and available with HPE Synergy, while Private Cloud Express with VMware vRealize is targeted for availability in September.
The worldwide premiere of VIA ALICE, a uniquely Australian journey through virtual reality and live performance via New York to the Aussie Outback and Aboriginal Culture, is on at Carriageworks, from 31 August to 3 September.
The opening night of the Red Bull Music Academy Weekender will feature VIA ALICE, a cross-cultural collaboration between American rapper and producer Khalif Diouf (Le1f) and indigenous Australian dancer and choreographer Waangenga Blanco".
Collaborating with Pete Keen, multidisciplinary artist, creative director and founder of Melbournes Sugar Mountain festival; and Daniel Stricker, head of Siberia Records, a producer, and founding member of Australian luminaries Midnight Juggernauts, VIA ALICE follows Khalif and Waangenga Blanco on an immersive and unique journey from New York City into the vast Australian outback and into Aboriginal culture".
Through its virtual reality technology, Samsung says it has enabled these two creatives to make a connection between traditional and modern storytelling, and explore these techniques with the element of dance".
In conjunction with producers Daniel Stricker (Midnight Juggernauts, Mind Gamers, Kirin J Callinan), and John Kirby (Mind Gamers, Blood Orange, Sebastian Tellier), Khalif and Waangenga will simultaneously collaborate with Indigenous communities in urban and regional centres on an original music composition to accompany this progressive visual journey".
Were told the artistic collaboration is informed via diverse performance backgrounds and passed down knowledge from community elders and takes viewers on a unique journey into Aboriginal culture. Through artistic collaboration, the meeting points between storytelling and dance otherwise known within these communities as songlines is told".
Taking place at Carriageworks, this exclusive performance will run across four evenings, accompanied by a free virtual reality experience enabled by Samsung Gear VR, open to the public for the festivals duration".
Multiple sessions occurring daily, 31 August to 3 September 3 // Carriageworks Track 3, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, Sydney // Free entry to VR film only session or $35 to VR & live performance.
More info at the Facebook event page here, ticket links are below:
31 August
VR Exhibition (Free)
VR + Performance
1 September
VR Exhibition (Free)
VR + Performance
2 September
VR Exhibition (Free)
VR + Performance
3 September
VR Exhibition (Free)
VR + Performance
Payment cards make purchasing convenient not only for consumers and businesses, but for fraudsters, too. Global fraud losses from payment cards in 2018 reached $27.85 billion, according to the latest numbers from The Nilson Report, a card and mobile payments trade publication. As large as those losses are, they only amount to $10.83 for every $100 of spending by credit card users, which is actually lower than the previous year, $11.12 per $100.
That may be why credit card issuers believe they have fraud under control. "What worries most credit card sponsors more than fraud is unfairly blocking a consumers legitimate transaction," says Roger Grimes, a defense evangelist at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider. "Most of the evolving and newer systems arent trying to detect credit card fraud better. What they are trying to do better is prevent losing customers from blocking legitimate transactions. So, shockingly, most of the activity is in preventing 'false-positives' and not in actually decreasing real fraud."
Fraud has a limited immediate impact on consumers and businesses. If a number is compromised and a thief goes on a spending spree, liability is limited to $50.
Consumers and businesses might see fraud costs down the road in the form of increased prices for goods and services as merchants and credit card issuers pass on the cost of losses. "Ultimately, some amount of fraud will always exist for as long as we continue to use credit cards," observes Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate at Comparitech.com, an information website for consumer security products. "A large part of the interest payments we all make on credit cards goes toward compensating for fraud.
Credit card fraud scope and trends
Card issuers have boosted the security of their physical cards through the use of EMV PIN and chip technology. "EMV was a big leap forward," says Greg Hancell, senior manager at OneSpan, a provider of anti-fraud and digital transaction management solutions. "In countries that adopted the technology, card-present fraud disappeared overnight. The problem was it went online, and card-not-present fraud increased."
A study released by the Federal Reserve in 2018 noted that a year after EMV cards began to be issued in the United States, card-present fraudfraud where a physical credit card was used for the fraudulent transactiondropped to $2.91 billion in 2016 from $3.68 billion in 2015. Meanwhile, during the same period, card-not-present fraudfraud where a credit card number is used over the phone or in an online transactionjumped to $4.57 billion from $3.4 billion. Online fraud has continued to grow until now card-not-present fraud is 81% more likely to occur than card-present fraud, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.
However, the adoption of EMV technology hasn't been consistent globally, which has opened the door for some global bandits. Organized crime groups can plant radio-enabled skimmersa hardware device for capturing credit card information without a user's knowledgein ATMs or point-of-sale terminals in a country supporting EMV and send data from those skimmers to accomplices in a country without EMV support. "They can take that information and print a card in under a minute. Then they will use that card without worrying about EMV," Hancell said.
He adds that card-not-present attacks might become broader threats because they can be scaled up with automation. "With a skimmer on a single machine, you run the risk of only a few people visiting the machine, or the skimmer being quickly discovered," Hancell explains. "In the card-not-present world, you can send out a phishing attack to a target range of victims that will encourage them to provide you with credit card details or will infect them with malware and steal their details that way."
Uri Arad, co-founder and vice president of product at Identiq, operator of a peer-to-peer user identification network, added that professional fraudsters often prefer to work at scale. "They want to maximize their ROI and may well use botnets to attack as many sites as quickly as possible, as well as programs to automatically rifle through new identities and matching IPs quickly and easily for each new attack," he says.
As fraud detection systems get more sophisticated, online swindlers are going to greater lengths to obscure their activity. "They will try to mask their IPs using proxies of various kinds," Arad says.
"More sophisticated fraudsters will even aim for IPs in close proximity to the billing address of the stolen card they plan to use," Arad continues. "Similarly, they may use emulators to appear to be coming from a mobile device, change the time on their computer to match the relevant time zone, or use virtual machines or wiped or jailbroken devices to appear to come from a clean machine."
Credit card fraud has become such a large enterprise and is so sophisticated that it has begun to take on the characteristics of legitimate businesses. For example, clear divisions in labor have developed. "What we have seen via many of the recent data-breaches for the last few years is a large, organized and coordinated series of hand-offs between malware creators to those who breach the payment systems to those that package and sell the breached credit card information," says Bryan Jardine, director of product management at AppGate, a developer and provider of security and analytics products and services.
Jardine adds that digital wallets have also been targeted by credit card thieves. "Stolen credit card information sold on the black markets is used to load balances into these non-deposit accounts," he explains. "Then the balances are transferred to another individual in peer-to-peer payments, who buys gift cards or pre-paid cards that cannot be tied to an individual when used. These payment style cards can then be used with complete anonymity online."
The Russian-speaking underground was a leader in credit card theft in the early 2000s and continues to be in the forefront of fraud, building a cybercrime-as-a-service model. "They have created end-to-end services for experienced to novice cybercriminals that has expedited the evolution of exploitation techniques," says Ed Cabrera, chief cybersecurity officer at Trend Micro, a maker of enterprise cybersecurity solutions.
Purchasing habits of fraudsters have changed over the years, too. They're shying away from physical goods, which can be difficult to convert into cash and easy to track by law enforcement. "Usually they purchase intangible things that are more difficult to trace, such as gift cards, crypto currencies, and digital goods. They might also try to reap the rewards from a card's points program," Comparitech's Bischoff says.
Credit card thieves, though, may be victims of their own success. "Evidence suggests that there is an oversupply of stolen credit cards and not enough demand from criminals who want to use them," Bischoff says. "This has driven the price of stolen credit cards on the dark web down to just a few dollars each.
Types of payment card fraud
Account takeover
If a malicious actor obtains credentials to an account, they can purchase items through any payment cards tied to that account. They can also check out the profile of the account holder, copy any credit information stored there, and use it to buy stuff outside the account. For example, if someone compromises an Amazon account, they can buy goods with any form of payment associated with the account and add an address where the items should be shipped.
Credentials used to compromise accounts can be obtained in several ways: purchased on the dark web or captured by deception. "A person gets an email or text alert that somethings wrong with their account. They follow a link and are sent to a fake site to log in their credentials, which the attackers then use to own account," says Deb Radcliff, an evangelist at Bolster Security, a maker of an online fraud prevention solution.
Skimmers and shimmers
Skimmers capture payment card information on a card's magnetic strip. Shimmers snatch data from EMV cards. These are usually hardware devices placed on ATM or point-of-purchase terminals designed to steal information used to complete a legitimate transaction. Since planting hardware can be labor intensive, fraudsters often take the malware route and infect point of sale (POS) systems that way.
Formjacking
This has become a popular form of online fraud largely due to Magecart, which consists of at least seven criminal groups that have infected shopping carts at thousands of e-commerce sites with skimming malware. Among the gang's high visibility targets have been Ticketmaster, British Airways, and Newegg.
"Formjacking is one of the most used techniques," says Mounir Hahad, head of the threat lab for Juniper Networks, a network security and performance company. "A malicious script is injected into the payment page of a compromised merchant's site, siphons off credit card information entered by unsuspecting shoppers, and sends it to the attackers."
Exploiting vulnerabilities
Flaws in software can be exploited to steal all kinds of information from devices, including credit card data. For example, Magecart attacks exploit a bug in MAGMI, a plug-in for Magneto-based online stores, to plant malicious code at a site that leads to the theft of payment information.
Phishing
It seems that no matter how often users are warned about clicking on links in emails, they continue to do so. Clicking on such links usually leads to a malicious website that tries to pry credit card data from a visitor or plant malware on their computer. "Malware can range from a simple keylogger that steals all text to a more complex style that specifically looks and parses out credit card and related data," says Melody J. Kaufman, a cybersecurity specialist with Saviynt, an application and infrastructure security provider.
Insider threats
Unscrupulous employees at financial institutions, credit card manufacturers, restaurants, retailers or just about anyone who handles credit cards can engage in fraud.
Anti-fraud regulations
Organizations that handle credit cards from the major providers must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Merchants, ISVs and anyone who stores, processes, transmits or otherwise manipulates cardholder data, as well as service providers who can affect the security of cardholder data must meet the requirements of PCI DSS, including:
Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.
Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
Protect stored cardholder data.
Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.
Use and regularly update anti-virus software or programs.
Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know.
Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
Regularly test security systems and processes.
Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel.
"The PCI has done a lot to help organizations secure their own credit card transactions and storage of card data through mandated controls, penetration tests and yearly audits," Saviynt's Kaufman says.
"While this does not limit fraudulent transactions," she continued, "it does make it harder to compromise a card processor and walk away with thousands of cards, which does limit the potential for fraud."
Industry groups have begun to explore deeper forms of collaboration to address their fraud problems. "Many of these projects have been stymied by the problem of data sharing, but new providerless options have started to emerge to enable collaboration on a data level without actually sharing any personal user data at all," Identiq's Arad says. "The more closely companies and industry organizations can work together, the more effectively they can combat fraudsters, so it will be very interesting to see how this develops."
Mitigating credit card fraud
These are some of the recognized best practices for preventing payment card fraud:
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |
The whole Trump administration should resign in shame, since they have lied to the American people about the disaster of burning fossil fuels.
The policies of climate change denial made Hurricane Harvey far worse than it would ordinarily have been, some scientists say by as much as 30%. If the US had started a crash program to curb emissions back in the 1970s when Exxon Mobil scientists confirmed the dangers of carbon dioxide emissions, which lead to global heating, the once in a 500-year year storm might not have been nearly as severe.
Who led the charge in denying manmade climate change and trying to muddy the waters about the menace of burning fossil fuels?
Exxon Mobil.
Where is Exxon Mobil?
The HQ is in Dallas and there is a big new state of the art campus in Houston. (The web page for it mentions sustainability but ExxonMobil is a master of greenwashing. Only about 1% of their research budget goes to renewables and almost everything they do involves finding, producing and selling petroleum, the burning of which in automobiles causes global heating.). In other words, Exxon Mobil is fouling its own nest and it expects you and me to pay for it.
And who was the head of Exxon Mobil?
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson may as well have been down on the shore scooping buckets of water from the sea and throwing them on Houston.
A new study shows that Exxon Mobil went to enormous trouble to deny climate change from 1977 right until today.
Tillerson, while CEO of Exxon Mobil, maintained a special email address for discussing climate change, under the name of Wayne Tracker.
Trump himself attempted to make climate change look like a Chinese plot.
The Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt is closing down the EPA for all practical purposes, leaving the rest of us open to being poisoned by amoral corporations. One of the poisons Pruitt is plotting to unleash on us is vastly increased carbon dioxide emissions.
Rick Perry was governor of Texas and he encouraged gas and oil interests and put billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which has now returned in the form of Harvey to bite his state in the ass. His Energy Department just instructed a scientist to take out mention of climate change from an application to the department for funding.
This is not an administration, it is a rogues gallery of environmental criminals.
Want to know why were having a once in a 500 years storm and flood in Texas?
Because of Trump and his buddies on the cabinet. They are creating a situation where Hurricane Harvey becomes the new normal.
They should resign.
Related video added by Juan Cole:
CBC News: Tropical storm Harvey: Drone footage of flood damage
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By Gail Ukockis | (Informed Comment) |
As parts of eastern Texas go underwater, the scenes of people fleeing for their lives are gut-wrenching. One picture of nursing home residents in waist-deep water took my breath away; fortunately, they did get rescued and are now safely placed in a new facility. Watching the news coverage has made me wonder when this low-lying region will be safely habitable again. Officials say that it will take years for the area to recover..
These Houstonians and others affected by Harvey may become the newest version of climate refugees (also known as environmental migrants.) It is impossible to deny that climate change had increased the severity of Harvey, since the warmer water temperatures and higher sea level were factors. Unfortunately, not every evacuee may be able to return home in the near future. One troubling question is how much of the land will be washed away from this unprecedented event. Oil refineries and Superfund sites will probably pollute the region to such a high level of toxicity that the land may not be safe for human habitation for years. How many Texans and Louisianans will have to relocate within the U.S.?
The term climate refugee, then, applies to the Harvey crisis not only because of climate change but the need to flee ones home. Although the international community still limits refugee status as related only to war and persecution, I believe that climate events should also be included. Technically, the term migrant is correct but I think that it understates the urgency of the situation and implies that the departure was voluntarybut a refugee has to run for their life.
If the Harvey storm victims do become climate refugees, they will not be the first U.S. citizens to face this trauma. The others, though, have more time to prepare for their departure. In 2016, the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana were granted federal money to find new homes before the recurrent flooding grew even worse. These climate refugees will probably be joined by other Louisiana residents in the near future, since the state has been recording a high rate of land loss.
Other climate refugees in the U.S. are the indigenous people of Alaska, who have been trying for years to survive in a state that has become much warmer than the lower 48 states. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, permafrost thawing and melting glaciers are threatening the ecological balance. The sea ice, once deep enough for humans to walk on without hesitation, has become treacherously thin. Lakes are drying up, with the fish and other subsistence foods not being enough to sustain the indigenous people. Because of erosion and flooding, several tribal communities have started the process of relocating.
According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, there will be up to 150 million climate refugees by 2050. Although this estimate is disputed, the realities of the mass migration due to climate change are dire. Many experts consider Bangladesh, for example, as the most vulnerable nation due to cyclones and flooding. Meanwhile, Pacific islands such as Kiribati and Tuvalu are gradually sinking into the ocean and relocation is the populations only option.
For a Houstonian trapped on a roof and being rescued by a helicopter, these broader considerations may not seem relevant to their situation. However, these flood victims also share similarities with war refugees. Like the refugees from Syria escaping war, the Harvey evacuees do not want to leave their homes. Many refugees, whether fleeing bombs or flood waters, have to flee with little or nothing. The Harvey evacuees have to depend on the kindness of strangers, which can be humiliating and stressful even in the best of circumstances.
All refugees deserve our respect. In the recent months, the word refugee became associated with terrorists and other undesirable people. The true meaning of the word, though, is somebody seeking refuge from harm and even death. This weeks tragic events in Texas remind me of the Ice Storm of 1998 in Maine, when three-quarters of the state lost their power in the middle of winter. I was one of the lucky ones who did not have to move into shelters to avoid the life-threatening cold. As a volunteer working with Bosnian refugees, I realized that the Mainers brief experiences of being homeless and needing emergency assistance could be a lesson in empathy with refugees. Right now we are still in the middle of the Harvey crisis, so we must concentrate on the victims survival and well-being. After the crisis is over, though, I sincerely hope that Americans will recognize how climate refugees share the same dilemma as war refugeesthey were displaced by a catastrophe that was beyond their control, and deserve our embrace and support.
Gail Ukockis, PhD, MSW, MA, is an educator and social worker with an eclectic background that includes graduate studies in history. For eleven years, Dr. Ukockis taught a womens issues course at Ohio Dominican University, which served as the foundation for this textbook. Her research interests also include HIV/AIDS, cultural competence, and human trafficking. She is author of Womens Issues for a New Generation: A Social Work Perspective (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016).
Related video added by Juan Cole:
Hurricane Harvey: Climate change may have made the storm more deadly, experts say TomoNews
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TeleSur |
The number of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan has already dramatically spiked since Trump took office in January.
Fighter pilots at the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan are preparing for more air attacks after President Donald Trump announced his plans for a new war strategy last week.
After a months-long review of his Afghanistan policy, Trump committed the United States last week to an open-ended conflict in the country and promised a stepped-up campaign against Taliban insurgents.
On Thursday, the commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Gen. John Nicholson, confirmed that his forces would increase air support for Afghan troops.
We know the enemy fears air power, he told reporters in Kabul.
After former President Barack Obama curbed the United States combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, U.S. forces were restricted from attacking the Taliban in most circumstances except self-defense.
Instead, their targets since then have been Islamic State group militants, who are also active in the country.
Between the two groups, the Taliban are definitely smarter, F-16 pilot Maj. Daniel Lindsey told Reuters. The Taliban are much harder to kill.
While the Islamic State group has launched a series of deadly attacks around the country, it has nowhere near the influence, reach and community ties that the Taliban has.
The Taliban is often embedded in the community, but nobody likes the Islamic State, so they are often separate, Lindsey said.
White House officials have said that rolling back territorial gains by the Taliban will be one of the key objectives of the new strategy.
The number of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan has already dramatically spiked since Trump took office in January, from 1,074 in all of last year to 2,244 as of August 20 this year.
When asked about the recent effects of U.S. air strikes, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the groups fighters had become used to dodging U.S. bombs.
In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the U.S. air strikes were successful and we lost many Mujahideen, he told Reuters. But now we have enough experience to avoid casualties during their strikes by hiding in mountain holes and other places.
Trump also announced that he would lift restrictions and expand authorities in the field, but it remains unclear exactly what that would entail.
Currently U.S. forces are limited to conducting airstrikes under circumstances including self-defense, counter-terrorism strikes against specific groups and helping Afghan troops achieve strategic effects, said Capt. William Salvin, a U.S. military spokesman in Kabul.
He declined to say whether those parameters might change, but saying they were less restrictive compared to when he was a fighter pilot in Iraq in 2007.
"Some guys can complain about it, but most I know dont seem to have any problem finding Islamic State or Taliban to kill," he said. "If you use the rules smartly, youll get the bad guys."
Via TeleSur
Related video added by Juan Cole:
TYT Politics: Trumps Afghanistan Escalation Is A Political Prop
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Aug. 30, 2017) - Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to report the closing of its previously announced agreement (the "Agreement") to acquire a 51% interest in the Ulaan exploration license, adjacent to the Company's high-grade Bayan Khundii gold project, with the option to acquire up to 100%.
The Ulaan exploration license ("Ulaan" or the "Property"), located immediately west of the Company's 100%-owned Bayan Khundii gold project license, covers an area of approximately 1,780 hectares. The property hosts a very large, 3-kilometre diameter, intense alteration zone with characteristics thought to be related to a porphyry copper and epithermal gold system. Although the Property has no history of drilling or trenching, rock chip and stream sediment geochemical sampling has identified anomalous concentrations of gold, copper and molybdenum in the surrounding area, and recently completed geophysical surveys have produced a number of follow-up targets. Exploration programs are being formulated with work to commence this quarter. In addition to planned exploration at Ulaan, the Company continues with drilling programs at its neighboring, 100%-owned Bayan Khundii, Altan Nar and Altan Arrow gold projects.
Figure 1 - Erdene Emerging Gold District
Figure 2 - Ulaan License
Under the terms of the Agreement, Erdene has acquired 51% of the outstanding shares of Leader Exploration LLC ("Leader"), a private Mongolian company that currently owns the Property, from Erdenechuluun.Z and Erdenekhuyag.Z for US$750,000. Provided Erdene spends a minimum of US$600,000 on work expenditures on the Property over the next three years, it has the right to acquire the remaining 49% of the shares of Leader from Erdenechuluun.Z or, at Erdene's option, a portion of the Property, for the then fair market value of the Property or the portion to be acquired. Erdene may extend the option beyond three years by spending a minimum of US$100,000 per annum on work expenditures.
About Erdene
Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD) is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has four exploration licenses and a mining license in southwest Mongolia. Exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of several 100%-owned prospects and deposits including the Company's flagship and newly discovered, high-grade, near-surface Bayan Khundii gold project; the 5.6 kilometre long Altan Nar gold-polymetallic mineralized trend that is host to 18 targets; the Altan Arrow gold-silver prospect; the Khuvyn Khar copper-silver prospect; and the Zuun Mod molybdenum-copper deposit. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. Erdene has 145,963,086 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 156,592,160 common shares.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 30, 2017) - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX:DML) (NYSE MKT:DNN) (NYSE American:DNN) is pleased to report the intersection of new high-grade unconformity-hosted uranium mineralization in drill hole WR-689D3 approximately 250 metres along strike to the northeast and 200 metres up-dip of the Gryphon deposit, on the Company's 60% owned Wheeler River project. Preliminary radiometric equivalent probe results ("eU 3 O 8 ") from drill hole WR-689D3 are highlighted by an interval of 5.0% eU 3 O 8 over 4.7 metres, including 8.5% eU 3 O 8 over 2.7 metres, from mineralization occurring immediately above the sub-Athabasca unconformity that is comprised of massive to semi-massive uraninite (pitchblende) associated with hydrothermal hematite and clay alteration.
Denison is also pleased to report that a further ten drill holes have been completed within the D series of mineralized lenses, which occur entirely outside of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit. The results continue to exhibit thick high-grade mineralized intervals as drilling focuses on expanding mineralization outwards, on an approximate 25 metre drill spacing, from the previously released results in drill holes WR-641 (5.3% U 3 O 8 over 11.0 metres) and WR-633D3 (1.3% U 3 O 8 over 3.0 metres, plus 3.3% U 3 O 8 over 13.5 metres, and 6.2% U 3 O 8 over 2.5 m).
Today's news is highlighted by the following:
Discovery of new high-grade unconformity-hosted mineralization in drill holes WR-689D3 (5.0% eU 3 O 8 over 4.7 metres) and WR-690D3 (1.2% eU 3 O 8 over 1.4 metres) immediately up-dip of previously intersected basement mineralization that includes drill hole WR-507D2 (19.30% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metre) and drill hole WR-646 (6.20% U 3 O 8 over 2.5 metres).
O over 4.7 metres) and WR-690D3 (1.2% eU O over 1.4 metres) immediately up-dip of previously intersected basement mineralization that includes drill hole WR-507D2 (19.30% U O over 1.0 metre) and drill hole WR-646 (6.20% U O over 2.5 metres). The mineralization occurring at the unconformity is open along strike in both directions, and together with the high-grade mineralization previously discovered in the upper basement has been termed the "E series" of lenses, representing a new high priority target area for resource expansion
A further ten drill holes have been completed within the D series lenses, with results continuing to include thick and high-grade mineralized intervals, as drilling expands the mineralized zone outwards from drill holes WR-641 and WR-633D3. Detailed results from the latest drill holes are provided in Table 1, and include the following highlights: 4.8% eU 3 O 8 over 3.7 metres in drill hole WR-694 3.8% eU 3 O 8 over 3.7 metres in drill hole WR-690D2 2.0% eU 3 O 8 over 5.2 metres in drill hole WR-657D1 6.4% eU 3 O 8 over 1.0 metre in drill hole WR-690D1
Two drill holes testing for an extension of mineralization outside and near the fringes of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon Deposit's A series lenses successfully intersected high-grade mineralization: 1.5% eU 3 O 8 over 4.6 metres in drill hole WR-638D4 1.3% eU 3 O 8 over 3.6 metres in drill hole WR-682D1
Six additional infill and delineation drill holes have been completed on the Gryphon Deposit's A, B and C series lenses. Detailed results from the latest drill holes are provided in Table 2, and include the following highlights: 1.3% eU 3 O 8 over 21.8 metres in drill hole WR-572D1, including 3.9% eU 3 O 8 over 5.3 metres 5.8% eU 3 O 8 over 5.4 metres in drill hole WR-564D3 1.8% eU 3 O 8 over 3.9 metres in drill hole WR-564D3
David Cates, Denison's President and CEO, commented, "The notable high-grade mineralization intersected at the unconformity, immediately northeast of the Gryphon deposit, presents our Saskatoon based exploration team with a new and exciting target for additional exploration - with the potential for further drilling to continue to expand resources at Gryphon. Coupled with a steady stream of impressive high-grade intersections within the basement-hosted D series lenses, the prospect of significant growth in our estimate of resources for the Gryphon deposit continues to increase as we work towards completing an updated resource estimate following the completion of the summer drilling program."
Emergence of the E Series Lenses
The E series lenses, previously reported in several instances as mineralization along the A or B series plane, occur as a series of closely spaced stacked lenses at or immediately below the unconformity (within the basement) approximately 50 metres along strike to the northeast and 50 to 200 metres up-dip of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit. Collectively the E series lenses measure approximately 350 meters along strike (southwest to northeast) and up to 40 meters along dip (moderately toward the southeast), with individual lenses varying in interpreted true thickness from approximately 1 to 3 metres.
The discovery and initial delineation of the mineralization comprising the E series lenses was a result of drill holes designed primarily to test for D series mineralization, which occurs deeper in the basement. These drill holes resulted in a series of mineralized basement intersections near the unconformity, which include the following previously reported results (see Denison's Press Releases dated May 26, 2016 and November 17, 2016):
19.30% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metres in drill hole WR-507D2
O over 1.0 metres in drill hole WR-507D2 6.20% U 3 O 8 over 2.5 metres in drill hole WR-646
O over 2.5 metres in drill hole WR-646 1.61% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metres in drill hole WR-671
O over 1.0 metres in drill hole WR-671 1.38% U 3 O 8 over 1.0 metres in drill hole WR-675
The new unconformity mineralization intersected in WR-689D3 and WR-690D3 is located in sandstone 'wedges' produced as a result of reverse faulting of the basement units below. The unconformity-hosted mineralization is interpreted to be the up-dip unconformity expression of the previously discovered basement lenses and are assumed to be continuous to semi-continuous in nature. The mineralization remains open along strike in both directions along the unconformity to the northeast and southwest where similar geologic settings exist with mineralized basement intersections below.
A significant zone of structural disruption, bleaching and clay alteration, including dravite, was noted immediately overlying the mineralization within the sandstone in drill holes WR-689D3 and WR-690D3. These features are typical of high-grade unconformity-hosted uranium deposits such as Phoenix, which occurs approximately 3 kilometres to the southeast on the Wheeler River property.
Future exploration of the E series lenses will focus on evaluating the continuity of the basement lenses as well as their unconformity expression using drill orientations and spacing appropriate to the style of mineralization being tested and evaluated.
Continued Expansion of the D Series Lenses
The summer 2017 drilling within the D series lenses has focussed on testing around drill holes WR-641 (5.3% U 3 O 8 over 11.0 metres) and WR-633D3 (1.3% U 3 O 8 over 3.0 metres, 3.3% U 3 O 8 over 13.5 metres, and 6.2% U 3 O 8 over 2.5 m) on an approximate 25 metre spacing, with the objective of adding indicated or inferred resources to the Gryphon deposit. The summer 2017 results, as provided in Table 1, include thick and high-grade intersections in all directions, which indicate continued expansion of this high-grade mineralization. The mineralized zone remains open in numerous areas and now occurs over an area of approximately 70 meters along strike and 200 meters along dip, with interpreted true thicknesses varying between approximately 2 and 20 metres.
To date, the delineation drilling within the D series lenses (on a 25 metre spacing), has only tested approximately 50 to 70 metres of strike length within the D series plane. A further approximate 250 metres of known D series lenses strike remains to be evaluated at this tighter drill spacing. Furthermore, the D series lenses remain completely open to the northeast and southwest.
Additional Extension of the A Series Lenses
Drill hole WR-638D4, which was primarily designed to test for D series mineralization, intersected 1.5% eU 3 O 8 over 4.6 metres indicating further expansion of the A series lenses in the up-dip direction. This result builds on previous expansion drill results for that area, which include 1.7% eU 3 O 8 over 8.6 metres in drill hole WR-582D3 (see Denison's Press Release dated July 24, 2017).
Drill hole WR-682D1, which was completed approximately 25 metres down-dip of the current resources estimated for the A series lenses, intersected 1.3% eU 3 O 8 over 3.6 metres. This result indicates further expansion of the A series lenses in that area.
A, B, and C Series Infill and Delineation Nearing Completion
Infill and delineation drilling at Gryphon continues, with the objective of bringing the inferred resources estimated for the deposit to an indicated level of confidence. In total, 38 infill and delineation drill holes have been completed with a further four holes remaining.
The results within the A and B series lenses continue to show good consistency with the current inferred block model. Most notable is the result in drill hole WR-572D1, which returned a mineralized interval of 1.3% eU 3 O 8 over 21.8 metres, including 3.9% eU 3 O 8 over 5.3 metres, which represents a significant expansion of the mineralized extents of the A and B series lenses in the central portion of the deposit, indicating potential for resource growth in that area of the deposit.
Although drilling has confirmed the continuity of mineralization along the C series plane, the grades returned from preliminary radiometric equivalent probe results have been lower than what was expected when compared to the current inferred block model. This possibly suggests a different structural control on the C series lens mineralization and further infill drilling is expected to test this scenario.
Illustrative Figures
A plan map of the Gryphon A, B, C, D and E series lenses is provided in Figure 1. The inset on Figure 1 shows a schematic cross section of the A, B, C, D and E series lenses and their respective inclined longitudinal section windows (as shaded rectangles). Figures 2 to 6 provide inclined longitudinal sections of the Gryphon A, B, C, D and E series lenses respectively.
The mineralized lenses which occur in the A series plane, immediately below the unconformity, and along strike to the northeast of the Gryphon deposit have now been designated E series lenses and coloured purple. The modelled mineralized lenses shown in Figures 1 to 6 are defined using a 0.05% U 3 O 8 grade shell and minimum thickness of two metres and have been updated following receipt of the winter 2017 assay results. There is no certainty that the modelled mineralized lenses shown will constitute future mineral resources and they may be subject to modifications as further drilling data becomes available.
Further details regarding the Gryphon deposit and the current mineral resource estimates are provided in the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Wheeler River project titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated April 8, 2016 with an effective date of March 31, 2016. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.
Detailed Radiometric Equivalent Probe Results
The following tables provide the radiometric equivalent probe results from the additional 17 drill holes completed during the summer 2017 exploration program at Wheeler River.
Table 1: Radiometric equivalent probe results for drill holes targeting the Gryphon D and E series lenses
Section Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m)5 eU 3 O 8 (%)1,2,4 Lens Designation6 5175GP WR-694 566.3 567.3 1.0 0.11 E Series and 571.5 572.5 1.0 0.10 E Series and 708.5 709.5 1.0 0.27 D Series and 717.8 720.5 2.7 0.62 D Series including3 719.4 720.4 1.0 1.0 D Series and 722.8 726.5 3.7 4.8 D Series including3 723.0 725.5 2.5 7.0 D Series and 727.1 728.1 1.0 0.10 D Series 5200GP WR-689D2 545.8 547.2 1.4 0.32 E Series and 564.8 565.8 1.0 0.46 E Series and 628.3 629.3 1.0 0.28 A Series and 675.0 676.0 1.0 0.23 D Series and 679.8 680.9 1.1 1.0 D Series and 686.9 689.4 2.5 0.55 D Series including3 688.3 689.3 1.0 1.1 D Series and 694.0 695.0 1.0 1.2 D Series and 697.8 698.8 1.0 2.3 D Series WR-689D3 538.5 540.8 2.3 0.44 E Series and 547.4 552.1 4.7 5.0 E Series including3 548.9 551.6 2.7 8.5 E Series and 565.4 566.4 1.0 0.20 D Series 5225GP WR-690D1 617.8 619.2 1.4 0.17 A Series and 695.2 697.2 2.0 0.48 D Series and 717.9 719.9 2.0 1.5 D Series including3 717.9 718.9 1.0 2.8 D Series and 724.0 725.0 1.0 6.4 D Series WR-650D1 671.1 672.2 1.1 0.30 A Series and 676.1 677.1 1.0 0.21 A Series WR-690D2 565.5 567.0 1.5 0.88 E Series including3 565.9 566.9 1.0 1.2 E Series and 664.7 665.7 1.0 0.20 D Series and 668.5 669.5 1.0 0.11 D Series and 686.4 687.4 1.0 0.53 D Series and 694.4 695.4 1.0 0.10 D Series and 700.9 701.9 1.0 0.57 D Series and 711.0 714.7 3.7 3.8 D Series including3 711.2 714.5 3.3 4.2 D Series and 717.9 721.4 3.5 0.36 D Series WR-690D3 558.8 560.2 1.4 1.2 E Series including3 559.1 560.1 1.0 1.6 E Series and 573.0 574.0 1.0 0.75 E Series and 656.9 657.9 1.0 0.12 D Series WR-654D1 723.9 725.8 1.9 0.70 D Series including3 724.6 725.6 1.0 1.0 D Series and 733.0 734.0 1.0 0.12 D Series and 738.8 739.8 1.0 0.11 D Series and 745.2 746.4 1.2 4.3 D Series including3 745.4 746.4 1.0 5.1 D Series and 760.5 761.5 1.0 0.18 D Series WR-638D4 710.6 715.2 4.6 1.5 A Series including3 712.4 715.0 2.6 2.5 A Series and 771.5 774.3 2.8 0.69 D Series including3 772.4 773.4 1.0 1.3 D Series and 776.5 777.5 1.0 0.46 D Series and 786.1 787.9 1.8 3.3 D Series including3 786.7 787.8 1.1 5.1 D Series 5250GP WR-657D1 567.1 568.6 1.5 0.22 E Series and 587.0 588.0 1.0 0.12 E Series and 708.2 713.4 5.2 2.0 D Series including3 708.6 711.7 3.1 3.1 D Series
Notes: 1. eU 3 O 8 is radiometric equivalent U 3 O 8 from a calibrated total gamma downhole probe. eU 3 O 8 results are preliminary in nature and all mineralized intervals will be sampled and submitted for chemical U 3 O 8 assay. 2. Intersection interval is composited above a cut-off grade of 0.1% eU 3 O 8 unless otherwise indicated. 3. Intersection interval is composited above a cut-off grade of 1.0% eU 3 O 8 . 4. Composites are compiled using 1.0 metre minimum ore thickness and 2.0 metres maximum waste 5. As the drill holes are oriented steeply toward the northwest the true thickness of both the basement and inconformity mineralization is expected to be approximately 75% of the intersection lengths (the basement mineralization is interpreted to dip moderately to the southeast and the unconformity mineralization is interpreted to be flat-lying). 6. Drill holes targeting the D and E series lens mineralization, in some cases, also intersect mineralization in the A and/or B and/or C stratigraphic horizons outside of the Gryphon resource area.
Table 2: Radiometric equivalent probe results for Gryphon deposit A, B, C infill, delineation and expansion drill holes
Section Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m)5 eU 3 O 8 (%)1,2,4 Lens Densignation6 4925GP WR-572D2 649.6 655.8 6.2 0.41 A Series including3 654.5 655.5 1.0 1.3 A Series and 690.3 691.3 1.0 0.55 B Series and 703.8 706.4 2.6 0.25 C Series 4950GP WR-682D1 728.7 729.7 1.0 0.14 A Series and 758.6 759.6 1.0 0.12 A Series and 761.6 765.2 3.6 1.3 A Series including3 763.0 764.4 1.4 2.8 A Series 4975GP WR-572D1 631.3 632.3 1.0 0.15 A Series and 638.2 639.2 1.0 0.10 A Series and 639.5 661.3 21.8 1.3 A Series including3 650.7 651.9 1.2 2.5 A Series including3 654.9 660.2 5.3 3.9 A Series and 682.8 691.4 8.6 0.48 B Series and 687.6 688.6 1.0 1.7 B Series and 690.2 691.2 1.0 1.2 B Series 5025GP WR-564D2 720.5 721.5 1.0 0.37 A Series and 730.7 732.4 1.7 0.38 A Series and 735.5 739.4 3.9 1.8 A Series including3 737.0 739.0 2.0 3.2 A Series and 757.7 758.7 1.0 0.22 B Series WR-568D2 755.7 757.7 2.0 0.20 C Series WR-564D3 707.1 708.1 1.0 0.18 A Series and 713.4 714.4 1.0 0.14 A Series and 716.3 721.7 5.4 5.8 A Series including3 717.9 720.7 2.8 11.0 A Series and 741.4 746.8 5.4 0.61 B Series including3 741.7 742.7 1.0 1.04 B Series including3 745.4 746.4 1.0 1.36 B Series and 749.7 750.7 1.0 0.16 B Series and 757.9 763.1 5.2 0.30 C Series and 767.3 768.3 1.0 0.36 C Series and 770.4 771.4 1.0 1.5 C Series 5075GP WR-568D1 728.1 734.2 6.1 0.17 A Series and 739.9 743.9 4.0 0.16 B Series
Notes: 1. eU 3 O 8 is radiometric equivalent U 3 O 8 from a calibrated total gamma downhole probe. eU 3 O 8 results are preliminary in nature and all mineralized intervals will be sampled and submitted for chemical U 3 O 8 assay. 2. Intersection interval is composited above a cut-off grade of 0.1% eU 3 O 8 unless otherwise indicated. 3. Intersection interval is composited above a cut-off grade of 1.0% eU 3 O 8 . 4. Composites are compiled using 1.0 metre minimum ore thickness and 2.0 metres maximum waste 5. As the drill holes are oriented steeply toward the northwest and the basement mineralization is interpreted to dip moderately to the southeast, the true thickness of the mineralization is expected to be approximately 75% of the intersection lengths. 6. Drill holes targeting the A, B and C series lens mineralization, in some cases, also intersect mineralization in the D and/or E stratigraphic horizons outside of the Gryphon resource area.
Qualified Persons and Data Quality
Dale Verran, MSc, P.Geo, Pr.Sci.Nat., Denison's Vice President, Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. The Company currently reports preliminary radiometric equivalent grades ("eU 3 O 8 "), derived from a calibrated downhole total gamma probe, during its exploration programs and subsequently reports definitive assay grades following sampling and chemical analysis of the mineralized drill core. Radiometric equivalent probe results are subject to verification procedures by qualified persons employed by Denison prior to disclosure. For further details on the total gamma downhole probe methods employed by Denison, QAQC procedures and data verification procedures please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2017 filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
About Wheeler River
Wheeler River is the largest undeveloped high-grade uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan. The project is a joint venture between Denison (60% and operator), Cameco Corp. ("Cameco") (30%), and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited ("JCU") (10%), and is host to the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix uranium deposits discovered by Denison in 2014 and 2008, respectively. The Gryphon deposit is hosted in basement rock and is currently estimated to contain inferred resources of 43.0 million pounds U3O8 (above a cut-off grade of 0.2% U3O8) based on 834,000 tonnes of mineralization at an average grade of 2.3% U3O8. The Phoenix unconformity deposit is located approximately 3 kilometres to the southeast of Gryphon and is estimated to include indicated resources of 70.2 million pounds U3O8 (above a cut-off grade of 0.8% U3O8) based on 166,000 tonnes of mineralization at an average grade of 19.1% U3O8, and is the highest grade undeveloped known uranium deposit in the world.
On April 4th, 2016, Denison announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Wheeler River Project, which considers the potential economic merit of co-developing the high-grade Gryphon and Phoenix deposits as a single underground mining operation. The PEA returned a base case pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 20.4% based on the current long term contract price of uranium (US$44.00 per pound U 3 O 8 ), and Denison's share of estimated initial capital expenditures ("CAPEX") of CAD$336M (CAD$560M on 100% ownership basis). Exploration results from the subsequent drilling programs have not been incorporated into the resource estimate or the PEA. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. On July 19th, 2016 Denison announced the initiation of a Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for the Wheeler River property and the complimentary commencement of an infill drilling program at the Gryphon deposit to bring the inferred resources to an indicated level of confidence.
As previously announced on January 10, 2017, Denison has entered into an agreement with its Wheeler River Joint Venture partners, Cameco and JCU, to fund 75% of Joint Venture expenses in 2017 and 2018 (ordinarily 60%) in exchange for an increase in Denison's interest in the project to up to approximately 66%. Under the terms of the agreement, Cameco will fund 50% of its ordinary 30% share in 2017 and 2018, and JCU is expected to continue to fund its 10% interest in the project.
About Denison
Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 60% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 359,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region, including 340,000 hectares in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV"), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit and a 63.63% interest in the J Zone deposit on the Waterbury Lake property. Both the Midwest and J Zone deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.
Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 30, 2017) - Eastmain Resources Inc. ("Eastmain" or the "Company"- (TSX:ER) (OTCQX:EANRF) is pleased to announce the final assays from 12 drill holes (7,469 m), part of its 13,000 m drilling program at the Eau Claire gold deposit, located in James Bay, Quebec (see FIGURES 1-5). These results have been incorporated into the deposit's wireframe model and delivered to SGS Geostat for inclusion in the mineral resource update expected in September. Exploration continues with two drills. The Company's 100%-owned Clearwater Project hosts the Eau Claire gold deposit.
Drilling Highlights Include:
New shallow visible gold mineralization in quartz veining identified approximately 1.0 km SE of Eau Claire's 450W Zone outcrop ER17-771 - 226 g/t Au over 0.5 m - vertical depth of 69 m
High Grade Schist ("HGS") drilling using an oblique, shear parallel hole confirmed the predicted locations of HGS-02 and HGS-04 veins in the updated resource model ER17-777 - 5.84 g/t Au over 16.8 m, including 55.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m ER17-777 - 8.71 g/t Au over 5.5 m , including 64.0 g/t Au over 0.5 m ER17-777 - 3.38 g/t Au over 10.2 m , including 6.36 g/t Au over 2.5 m
Other Deep Domain exploration highlights include: ER17-786 - 34.6 g/t Au over 1.1 m ER17-782 - 15.9 g/t Au over 2.1 m, including 28.1 g/t Au over 1.1 m ER17-775 - 2.50 g/t Au over 10.1 m including 11.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m
Claude Lemasson, Eastmain President and CEO, commented, "We are impressed with the ongoing drilling results. In particular, down-plunge hole ER17-777 cut multiple HGS vein intercepts and provided more data to the model regarding the relation of HGS-02 and HGS-04 to each other, and the behaviour of other HGS-type veins. Interestingly, hole ER17-771, targeting Deep Domain mineralization, drilled 226 g/t Au over 0.5 m in a new area of shallow mineralization southeast of the deposit. With minimal surrounding information, we intend to conduct significant follow-up in this area."
The completed 13,000 m program was initiated to further define three important resource objectives:
HGS Veins: To demonstrate continuity of the HGS veins with several oblique, shear parallel holes; successful intercepts are providing greater understanding of the HGS mineralization and help outline future drilling targets Deep Domain Exploration: To further develop and improve vein continuity within portions of the Deep Domains identified in the 2015 Eau Claire mineral resource estimate; holes in these domains are principally within the 400 m - 700 m depth range, targeting drill spacing of 50 - 75 m from historic holes Additional Exploration To develop targets for testing from current interpretations of the 450W and 850W zones which may expand the mineral resource envelope
A summary of selected high-grade assay results from this drilling are presented in Table 1 below. TABLE 2 represents the complete set of significant results.
TABLE 1: Highlights from Eau Claire Drilling Results
Type Drill Hole From To Interval Gold
Assay Vertical
Depth
(m)3 Zone (m) (m) (m)1 (g/t Au)2 Deep
Swarm ER17-771 69.7 70.2 0.5 226.0 69 450 West 515.5 516.5 1.0 14.4 455 634.7 636.0 1.3 7.72 548 Deep
Swarm ER17-775 604.0 614.0 10.1 2.50 547 450 West incl. 609.0 610.0 0.5 11.5 Deep
Swarm ER17-778 760.4 766.7 6.3 1.99 642 450 West incl. 762.6 763.7 1.1 5.31 Deep
Swarm ER17-782 608.0 610.1 2.1 15.9 556 450 West incl. 609.0 610.1 1.1 28.1 Deep
Swarm ER17-786 386.2 387.3 1.1 34.6 366 450 West 723.0 724.0 1.0 11.8 665 Exploration ER17-780 89.0 90.0 1.0 13.5 81 850 West 99.5 102.0 2.5 4.94 90 421.8 422.3 0.5 27.5 382 Exploration ER17-783 432.9 442.1 9.2 2.62 395 450 West incl. 432.9 433.6 0.7 10.8 incl. 440.0 440.6 0.6 10.8 HGS ER17-777 159.5 164.0 4.5 3.51 157 450 West 173.5 176.0 2.5 3.72 169 184.5 201.3 16.8 5.84 187 incl. 187.0 187.5 0.5 55.5 and 193.5 194.0 0.5 25.5 211.2 213.2 2.0 12.4 205 218.5 221.0 2.5 7.88 213 231.6 233.2 1.6 20.3 225 266.5 276.7 10.2 3.38 263 incl. 270.5 273.0 2.5 6.36 314.0 319.5 5.5 8.71 307 incl. 314.0 315.5 0.5 64.0
1 Intervals are presented in core length; true width will vary depending on the intersection angle of the hole with the targeted zone. Holes are generally planned to intersect vein structures as close to perpendicular as possible and true widths are estimated to be 75%-85% of downhole widths with the exception of hole ER17-777 from which true width cannot be determined. 2 For known mineralized zones, intervals are based on geological observations and limited compositing of veins. Assays presented are not capped. Intercepts occur within geological confines of major zones but have not been correlated to individual vein domains at this time. 3 Vertical depth is measured from the surface to the mid-point of the reported interval.
High Grade Schist (HGS) Exploration
Hole ER17-777 drilled near-parallel to HGS-02, confirming the interpreted positions of the main HGS veins (see FIGURE 2 and 3). Highlights include 3.51 g/t Au over 4.5 m, 1.72 g/t Au over 3.0 m and 3.72 g/t Au over 2.5 m in HGS-02 and 12.4 g/t Au over 2.0 m, 7.88 g/t Au over 2.5 m and 20.3 g/t Au over 1.6 m in HGS-04. In addition, the hole encountered other HGS-style veins paralleling HGS-02. Additional examination of historic drilling will be conducted in this area to facilitate potential re-classification of QT to HGS-type veins.
Deep Domain Exploration (400 m - 700 m depth)
Seven drill holes testing the Deep Domains below 400 m depth are reported with 6 holes intersecting interpreted vein extensions to veins identified in these Domains between 2003 and 2009 (see FIGURE 4).
Hole ER17-771 intersected 7.72 g/t over 1.3 m, located 70 m up-dip and to the northeast of hole ER04-44 (18.0 g/t over 1.5 m). The hole intercepted mineralization at 548 m vertical depth.
A narrow high-grade gold interval of 226 g/t Au over 0.5 m was also intersected at 69 m vertical depth in hole ER17-771, collared south of Tonalite Lake. This intercept bears visible gold in a quartz vein with associated tourmaline and biotite. The vein is located outside of the Eau Claire mineral resource envelope in a minimally explored area of the property south of the deposit. Evaluation of this intercept and related geology in historic adjacent holes and at surface is underway to specifically target this mineralization.
Hole ER17-775 tested the extension of hole ER03-29 which intersected 2 deep intervals (an upper 1.51 g/t Au over 2.5 m and lower 18.0 g/t Au over 1.5 m), at 547 m depth and 7.5 m apart. Hole ER17-775 encountered the projected extension of ER03-29 veins intersecting a single interval 2.5 g/t Au over 10.1 m including 11.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m, 13 m to the east.
Hole ER17-778 tested the same Deep Domain as ER03-29 and ER17-775, approximately 190 m to the east and approximately 100 m deeper than hole ER17-775. This hole returned a mineralized interval 1.99 g/t Au over 6.3 m, including 5.31 g/t Au over 1.1 m, at 642 m vertical depth.
Hole ER17-786 tested the Deep Domain identified initially by hole ER04-45 which intersected a stacked interval of 3 veins (4.94 g/t Au /over 1.70 m, 3.71 g/t Au over 1.6 m and 4.99 g/t Au over 6.50 m) within a core interval of 19.0 m at a vertical depth of 677 m. Hole ER17-786 intersected the projected vein zone 55 m due east of hole ER03-45 returning 11.8 g/t Au over 1.0 m.
Hole ER17-782 intersected 15.9 g/t Au over 2.1 m approximately 100 m up-hole of the projected Deep Domain target, at a vertical depth of 556 m (see FIGURE 5). This intercept is not part of the documented vein array. It is most closely associated to the previously reported HGS intercept in hole ER17-774 of 30.8 g/t Au over 4.1 m at a vertical depth of 529 m located 140 m to the east (see press release dated July 27, 2017). These 2 intercepts are approximately 300 m down-dip of the deepest current limits of the HGS-02 vein and nearby QT veins in the 450W Zone. An undrilled extent of approximately 150 m east to west and 300 m in dip is defined for further exploration drilling.
Additional Exploration Drilling
Several additional holes were completed at shallow depths (<400 m). A total of 4 holes are reported from this exploration, including 2 each targeting the 450W and 850W zones. Holes ER17-780 and ER17-781 tested the 850W Zone with hole ER17-780 encountering numerous narrow intersections characteristic of QT veins including 2 shallow intervals at 81 m and 90 m returning 13.5 g/t Au over 1.0 m and 4.94 g/t Au over 2.5 m, respectively. These intervals appear to extend the interpretation of the flat-lying QT-08 vein approximately 50 m to the east. One interval intersected at 380 m vertical depth returned 27.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m in an underexplored area of the 850W Zone.
Holes ER17-783 tested the 450W Zone just below 400 m in depth. The hole extends known mineralization reported in hole ER17-720 (see press release dated June 1, 2017) by 50 m down-dip, intersecting two similar zones of interest between 400 m and 432 m including the HGS-02 vein (2.62 g/t Au over 9.2 m at 410 m vertical depth) and an interpreted extension of QT vein 39 (4.54 g/t Au over 1.0 m).
Table 3: Hole Location Information
Azimuth Dip UTM Coordinates Elevation Hole Length Zone Hole ID Degrees Degrees Easting Northing (m) (m) 450 West ER17-771 358 -65 445,163 5,784,579 268 640 450 West ER17-775 352 -68 444,540 5,784,616 270 691 450 West ER17-778 359 -63 444,702 5,784,466 262 748 450 West ER17-779 16 -52 445,115 5,784,579 259 607 450 West ER17-782 344 -73 444,990 5,784,541 261 756 450 West ER17-784 15 -69 444,815 5,784,279 266 978 450 West ER17-786 8 -73 444,965 5,784,491 266 799 850 West ER17-780 150 -65 444,050 5,785,615 290 474 850 West ER17-781 151 -45 443,542 5,785,338 273 348 450 West ER17-783 355 -70 444,678 5,784,846 259 525 450 West ER17-785 175 -70 445,316 5,784,925 282 492 450 West ER17-777 288 -75 444,886 5,785,108 298 411
This press release was compiled and reviewed by William McGuinty, P. Geo., Eastmain's VP Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Please see Eastmain press release dated July 13, 2017 or the Company's 2016 AIF, filed on www.sedar.com under the company's profile, for a description of data verification and QA/QC procedures.
About Eastmain Resources Inc. (TSX:ER)
Eastmain is a Canadian exploration company with 100% interest in the Eau Claire and Eastmain Mine gold deposits, both of which are located within the James Bay District of Quebec. Clearwater, host of the Eau Claire deposit, is the Company's core asset with access to superior infrastructure in a favourable mining jurisdiction. Eastmain also holds a pipeline of exploration projects in this new Canadian mining district, including being a partner in the Eleonore South Joint Venture.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug. 30, 2017) - Liberty Gold Inc. (TSX:LGD) ("Liberty Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional drill results from the Western Zone at the 100% controlled Goldstrike Oxide Gold Project in southwestern Utah. The newly-defined Western Zone considers five targets as potentially a single linear gold zone up to 3 km long. The objective of the current drill program in this area is to drill under and adjacent to four historic open pits (Covington, Moosehead, Caribou and Beavertail) in order to demonstrate continuity of gold mineralization over the entire zone.
Highlights from the Western Zone include:
0.90 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over 3.0 metres (m) and 0.45 g/t Au over 79.2 m and 0.38 g/t over 10.7 m in PGS279
2.09 g/t Au over 6.1 m within 0.69 g/t Au over 30.5 m and
0.41 g/t Au over 7.6 m and 0.48 g/t Au over 13.7 m and
1.79 g/t Au over 10.7 m within 0.74 g/t Au over 41.1 m in PGS281
0.41 g/t Au over 7.6 m and 0.48 g/t Au over 13.7 m and 1.79 g/t Au over 10.7 m within 0.74 g/t Au over 41.1 m in PGS281 1.20 g/t Au over 6.1 m within 0.62 g/t Au over 44.2 m in PGS289
1.97 g/t Au over 6.1 m within 0.65 g/t Au over 36.6 m in PGS291
1.62 g/t Au over 9.1 m within 0.78 g/t Au over 27.4 m in PGS295
0.74 g/t Au over 30.5 m in PGS298
0.97 g/t Au over 6.1 m within 0.48 g/t Au over 39.6 m in PGS317
Please note that due to having three drills on the property, assay results for the holes are not necessarily received in sequence.
KEY POINTS
In all areas, results highlight long intervals of gold mineralization beginning at shallow depth, hosted in the Claron Formation (regional gold host) as well as in underlying Paleozoic rocks and fault breccias.
Drilling to date, in conjunction with historic results, clearly outlines continuous mineralization over a 1 km-long zone beginning at surface and extending to over 150 m under and adjacent to the Moosehead and Caribou pits. This zone is presently open to depth and along strike.
The area referred to above was tested with several holes in late 2015, which returned 0.48 g/t Au over 71.6 m in PGS013 0.47 g/t Au over 39.2 m in PGS014.
In addition to bedrock mineralization, drilling within the historic Moosehead Pit in three holes shows the presence of over 10 m of mine pit backfill grading 0.22 - 0.27 g/t Au.
Drilling totaling 13 holes was carried out in the Picaroon area to the west of the historic Moosehead Pit over a 500 m strike length. With most of the assay results received, all show long intervals of anomalous gold in jasperoid-altered Claron Formation, with some areas of reportable gold mineralization. On the basis of this drilling, the model will be updated, with follow-up drilling planned.
Road access was recently established to the Beavertail Pit, where drilling is planned in September. This area contains significant surface mineralization that was identified but not mined prior to shut-down of the historic operation in 1996.
For a complete table of drill results from the current holes, please click here:
http://libertygold.ca/images/sites/default/files/GS_Intercepts08282017.pdf
For a complete table of results for all drilling by Liberty Gold at Goldstrike from 2015 to August 2017, please click here: http://libertygold.ca/images/sites/default/files/GS_Intercepts2015to08282017.pdf
Figure 1. Map of Drill Collars and Traces for Current Release
Goldstrike is located in the eastern Great Basin, immediately adjacent to the Utah/Nevada border, and is a Carlin-style gold system, similar in many ways to the prolific deposits located along Nevada's Carlin trend. Like Kinsley Mountain and Newmont's Long Canyon deposit, Goldstrike represents part of a growing number of Carlin-style gold systems located off the main Carlin and Cortez trends in underexplored parts of the Great Basin. The historic Goldstrike Mine operated from 1988 to 1994, with 209,000 ounces of gold produced from 12 shallow pits, at an average grade of 1.2 g/t Au.
Moira Smith, Ph.D., P.Geo., Vice-President Exploration and Geoscience, Liberty Gold, is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in the release is accurate. Drill composites were calculated using a cut-off of 0.20 g/t. Drill intersections are reported as drilled thicknesses. True widths of the mineralized intervals vary between 30 and 100% of the reported lengths due to varying drill hole orientations, but are typically in the range of 60 to 80% of true width. Drill samples were assayed by ALS Limited in Reno, Nevada for gold by Fire Assay of a 30 gram (1 assay ton) charge with an AA finish, or if over 5.0 g/t were re-assayed and completed with a gravimetric finish. For these samples, the gravimetric data were utilized in calculating gold intersections. For any samples assaying over 0.200 ppm an additional cyanide leach analysis is done where the sample is treated with a 0.25% NaCN solution and rolled for an hour. An aliquot of the final leach solution is then centrifuged and analyzed by AAS. Metallic screen techniques may be employed where the presence of coarse free gold is suspected. Approximately 1000 grams of coarse reject material are pulverized and screened. Two splits of the fine fraction are assayed, as well as all material that does not pass through the screen (the coarse fraction). The final gold assay reported is a weighted average of the coarse and fine fractions. QA/QC for all drill samples consists of the insertion and continual monitoring of numerous standards and blanks into the sample stream, and the collection of duplicate samples at random intervals within each batch. Selected holes are also analyzed for a 51 multi-element geochemical suite by ICP-MS. ALS Geochemistry-Reno is ISO 17025:2005 Accredited, with the Elko prep lab listed on the scope of accreditation.
Goldstrike is an early-stage exploration project and does not contain any mineral resource estimates as defined by NI 43-101. The potential quantities and grades disclosed herein are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource for the targets disclosed herein. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in these targets being delineated as a mineral resource. Further information on Goldstrike is available in the technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Goldstrike Project, Washington County, Utah, U.S.A.", effective April 1, 2016 and dated October 7, 2016, prepared by Michael M. Gustin, C.P.G. and Moira Smith, Ph.D., P.Geo. found at the top of this page or under Liberty Gold's issuer profile in SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
ABOUT LIBERTY GOLD
Liberty Gold is led by a proven technical and capital markets team that continues to discover and define high-quality assets. Our flagship property is the Goldstrike Oxide Gold Project in Utah. Liberty also has a pipeline of projects, including Black Pine in Idaho and Kinsley Mountain in Nevada, providing a solid platform for future growth. Over the past 5 years, there have been 8 new open-pit, heap leach gold mines built around the world and the management team and/or directors of Liberty Gold are responsible for discovering, developing and/or building two of them. Long Canyon in Nevada (Fronteer Gold) and Karma in Burkina Faso (True Gold) both reached commercial production in 2016.
Korea International Trade Association CEO Kim In-ho, right, shakes hands with Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, during a reception at the Grand InterContinental Seoul, Tuesday. They announced a joint statement on the promotion of economic growth and prosperity between Korea and the U.S. / Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are on a visit to Korea to meet businesspeople here.
The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said Wednesday it invited Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and other representatives to a reception held Tuesday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul.
Including Rep. Shim Jae-kwon of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is also a chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the reception was attended by 90 Korean executives from Korean Air, Hyundai Motor, POSCO, SK, SeAH and Hyosung.
The U.S. attendees included Co-chair of Congressional Caucus on Korea Ami Bera, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Ted Yoho, Committee on Foreign Affairs member Brad Schneider and Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Jennifer Gonzalez.
The attendees at the reception discussed pending issues, including the amendment of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) and security on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean executives were given a chance to introduce each of their companies' businesses in the United States and talked about their difficulties to those who are in charge of the superpower's domestic and foreign policies on politics and economics.
Rep. Royce and Rep. Bera especially showed keen interest in Korean companies investing in the U.S., visiting head offices of CJ and SPC, both of which invested in California, the congressional district of the two politicians.
During the reception, Rep. Royce and KITA CEO Kim In-ho announced a joint statement on the promotion of economic growth and prosperity between Korea and the U.S.
They vowed to hold friendly discussions on strengthening the two countries' bilateral relationship, the importance of foreign direct investment in the U.S. and the mutual benefits of the KORUS FTA, with the aim of fostering greater cooperation in business, trade and investment between the two.
"The economic ties between Korea and the U.S. have mutually benefited the two," Kim said. "The KORUS FTA is a symbol of the successful economic cooperation that has allowed practical benefits and faster growth for both countries over the past five years."
Rep. Royce also admitted that the two countries' alliance has continued to become stronger, as businesspeople in the two countries have spared no efforts for this.
Astonishing, unprecedented, catastrophic: Experts are running out of adjectives to describe the devastation Tropical Storm Harvey has unleashed as it has relentlessly dumped more than 40 inches (102 centimeters) of rain on the Houston area, setting an all-time record for a tropical system in the contiguous U.S.
Harvey has been exceptional in a number of ways since it quickly spun up from a bedraggled collection of storms in the Gulf of Mexico before slamming into the coast of Texas as a Category 4 hurricane the first major hurricane to strike the U.S. since 2005 and the first hurricane to hit Texas since 2008. But nothing compares to the epic amounts of rain that have left even experienced meteorologists and emergency workers astounded. [In Photos: Hurricane Harvey Takes Aim at Texas]
A number of factors contributed to the historic nature of this storm most likely including climate change, experts say. But breaking down what role global warming plays in any individual storm is still a difficult question that doesn't yield easy answers.
The clearest link is likely with extreme rainfall, several scientists said, as heavy precipitation events have been on the rise in recent decades and several have been shown to be more likely because of climate change. But even there, the peculiar weather setup of Harvey was the biggest driver, the scientists said.
"It's important to say that this event or something close to it could have happened without climate change," Adam Sobel, who directs Columbia University's Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate, told Live Science. But climate change could have played a role, even if only a minor one, experts said, and the science is constantly improving to detect that influence.
Harvey's rapid rise
Harvey traversed the Caribbean as a tropical storm early last week, but shearing winds tore it apart. It was reborn from those remnants as they emerged back into the Gulf of Mexico and encountered favorable wind conditions and a pool of warm water, Jim Kossin, an atmospheric research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), told Live Science. "The environment most definitely was conducive."
It so conducive, in fact, that an index used to forecast the potential for storms to rapidly spin up was at an unusually high level for the Atlantic basin, Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University, said. [A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes]
Harvey fairly quickly went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph (209 km/h). (After landfall, it slowly weakened into a tropical storm again.)
NASA's GPM satellite has been monitoring rainfall accumulation along Harvey's track, as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico and stalled over Texas. (Image credit: NASA/JAXA/Hal Pierce)
Over the last decade, research into the potential impacts of climate change on hurricanes was spurred by Katrina, and scientists have determined that warming, particularly of the oceans, is likely to lead to more of the most intense hurricanes, even if there are fewer storms overall.
But there isn't clear evidence that such a shift is already happening, in part because researchers detect more storms now than they did before the advent of satellites and the ways they measure hurricane intensity have changed, said Gabriel Vecchi, a Princeton University climate scientist. Any trend toward more-intense storms may also be too small to stand out against the big year-to-year swings in hurricane activity he said.
"Even though we expect that the intensity of storms should be fueled by global warming, it's really tough to say that that's already happening," Vecchi told Live Science.
How warming might affect the rapid intensification of storms is a little trickier to answer, as there are still aspects of the process that scientists don't fully understand, Klotzbach said. Ocean warming could tilt the odds in favor of more rapid intensification in the future, because warm oceans provide the fuel for that process, Kossin said. Warming is also increasing the difference in temperature between different layers of the atmosphere, which is raising the bar on the intensity any particular storm can achieve, he said, and this could favor more-rapid intensification.
Clearest climate link
The strongest link between Harvey and climate change, though, is likely seen in its astronomical rainfall, several scientists said. Over the five days from Aug. 24 to Aug. 29, Houston more than doubled its rainfall total for the year to date, according to rain data from Houston's William P. Hobby Airport. And Harvey broke the all-time record for total rainfall from a tropical system in the contiguous U.S., dropping 49.2 inches (125 cm) at Mary's Creek at Winding Road in southeast Houston, according to the National Weather Service. (The previous was record was 48 inches, or 123 cm.)
See more
One of the clearest outcomes of global warming is that the amount of moisture in the atmosphere increases as temperatures rise, meaning more fuel for rainstorms. [Hurricanes from Above: Images of Nature's Biggest Storms]
The main reason Harvey has been racking up rainfall records day after day, though, is that it just hasn't moved much since making landfall. Its average speed has been a plodding 3 mph (4.8 km/h), Klotzbach noted on Twitter. High-pressure systems to the east and west of Harvey have kept the storm blocked in, and so rain bands have been dumping over the same area over and over again.
"If storms don't move, they cause a lot of damage," Klotzbach said.
And it's not clear whether this kind of stalled-out storm situation would be more or less common with warming, Vecchi and others said. But because of that added moisture boost from warming, when such a stalling does happen, the rains will be higher, even if only by a relatively small amount.
"And given the enormous cost of this storm in human life and property and everything else, the extra costs due to that amplification may be significant, even if it's a small fraction of the total," Sobel said.
Looking for human fingerprints
To say anything specific about how and whether climate change affected Harvey, "we definitely would want to do a formal detection and attribution study," Kossin said.
Such studies use climate models and observational records to look for the fingerprints of climate change on extreme weather and have been done for dozens of events, ranging from heat waves to snowstorms.
Doing such a study for a hurricane is much more difficult than for a heat wave, though, because hurricanes are far more complex. An attribution study would require high-resolution models that are currently too expensive and time-consuming to run. But Vecchi said he is optimistic that such tools could be in place in a decade.
Kossin, who co-edits an annual attribution edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, said he hopes that research groups will look at Harvey for next year's edition.
Any such study is likely to focus on the storm's rainfall, though even then, the picture is somewhat complex, because climate change may change air patterns that govern when, where and how weather forms, not just the moisture available for a storm, Friederike Otto, a University of Oxford climate scientist involved in attribution work, wrote at Climate Home. And those changing air patterns could actually make heavy rains less likely, she said.
But an attribution study of last year's torrential rains in central Louisiana found a clear climate change signal, so "I would suspect that if somebody did a formal attribution study [of Harvey], that's where I would expect to see a human fingerprint, is the rainfall," Vecchi said.
Sarah Puschmann contributed reporting.
Original article on Live Science.
This sculpture of an Egyptian pharaoh was found in the ancient city of Hazor in Israel. It was constructed around 4,300 years ago, at a time when pyramids were being built in Egypt, and was smashed apart when Hazor was destroyed around 3,300 years ago.
A sculpture of an unknown Egyptian pharaoh's head, found at the ancient city of Hazor in Israel, dates back around 4,300 years, to a time when Egyptians were building pyramids. The sculpture was smashed apart around 3,300 years ago, possibly after an Israeli force led by Joshua destroyed the city, researchers have found.
Researchers said the sculpture, excavated and reconstructed in 1995 and discussed in the recently published book "Hazor VII: The 1990-2012 Excavations, the Bronze Age" (Israel Exploration Society, 2017), leaves them with a number of questions: Which pharaoh does it show? Why was it transported to Hazor? And why did it survive for a millennium before being smashed apart when Hazor was destroyed?
"The history of the statue was surely quite complex, and the kingdom of Hazor must have been eager to use and display a prestige object connected to Egyptian royal imagery," wrote Egyptologists Dimitri Laboury and Simon Connor in a report published in the book. [Biblical Battles: 12 Ancient Wars Lifted from the Bible]
"The person depicted wears a short, close-fitting, curled cap wig, topped by a uraeus, the solar cobra that rises above the forehead of [a] pharaoh in ancient Egyptian iconography, thus identifying our character as a king of Egypt beyond any doubt," wrote Laboury, a senior research associate at the Belgian National Foundation for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS) at the University of Liege, and Connor, a curator at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy.
"The rendering of these facial features on the piece from Hazor are characteristic of the 5th Dynasty [circa 2465-2323 B.C.], although it does not seem possible to determine with any certainty which king it depicts," wrote Laboury and Connor, who also noted that the head was once part of a larger statue.
A view of the front of the royal head. (Image credit: Gaby Laron/Hebrew University/Selz Foundation Hazor Excavations in memory of Yigael Yadin)
Destroyed city
Hazor was destroyed in the mid-13th century B.C., possibly by an Israeli force led by Joshua. A passage from the Book of Joshua in the Bible claims that Joshua's force destroyed a large army led by "Jabin," a king of Hazor. The passage also says that after destroying the army, Joshua sacked Hazor.
"Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword," the biblical text from Joshua 11:10-11 reads. "Everyone in it, they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he [Joshua] burned Hazor itself."
Whether the Israelis were actually the group that destroyed Hazor is a matter of debate among scholars, but research shows that the city was sacked and this sculpture was one of many statues that were smashed. "The cracks indicate that the nose had been broken and the head detached from the rest of the sculpture before being shattered," wrote Laboury and Connor in their report. "Interestingly, no other part of the statuette to which it had originally belonged was recovered at the site."
A number of Egyptian statues have also been discovered at Hazor, including one found in 2013that has the paws of a sphinx. "Given Hazor's location in northern Israel, the number of Egyptian statues and statuary fragments uncovered at the site is surprising," a team of scholars wrote in another report published in the book. "All statues appear to have been deliberately smashed to pieces."
Editor's Note: This article was updated to indicate that in the Hebrew Bible Joshua acts as the leader of the Israeli people, though he is not referred to as a king.
Original article on Live Science.
If you're considering plastic surgery options whether it's a nip here or a tuck there you may need to exercise caution when it comes to services that are advertised on social media, according to a new study that examined plastic surgery-related posts on Instagram.
Scientists calculated the number of plastic surgery-related posts on Instagram in a given day and evaluated the surgical credentials of the doctors advertising their services. They found that more than 26 percent of top-ranked posts were from cosmetic surgeons in the United States who were not board-certified plastic surgeons.
While the analysis was limited to one day on one social media site, it provides insights into the type of ads that young people, who increasingly want to improve their appearances, might see. [7 Plastic Surgery Myths Revealed]
The research, published online today (Aug. 30) in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, revealed that many doctors advertising plastic surgery services on Instagram are physicians originally trained as dermatologists, gynecologists, family medicine physicians, general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians and otorhinolaryngologists a surgical subspecialty that focuses on the ear, nose and throat. A small percentage of ads were from dentists, spas without an attending physician and a hair salon, the researchers found.
Robert Dorfman, the lead author and a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, sifted through more than 1.7 million posts using 21 hashtags such as #tummytuck and #boobjob that represent the procedures of breast augmentation, facial surgery, gluteal buttocks augmentation and liposuction. They found that only about 18 percent of the posts came from board-certified plastic surgeons located in the United States. The rest of the posts were from surgeons outside the U.S., whose credentials could not be vetted or were personal photographs posted by people showing results of a surgery, said the studys senior researcher Dr. Clark Schierle, director of aesthetic surgery at Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery, S.C., in Chicago.
Most of the posts, about 67 percent, were self-promotional, according to the study. Almost 33 percent were educational. Board-certified plastic surgeons were more likely to post content that was educational compared with non-plastic surgeons 62.1 percent versus 38.1 percent.
Although the medical doctors who perform cosmetic surgery do undergo training, Schierle and fellow plastic surgeons question whether its in the best interest of the patient.
"Just the other day, I searched the hashtag 'breastaug.' I found an oral surgeon who had undergone additional training in cosmetic surgery, and the oral surgeon is doing breast implants," Schierle told Live Science.
But how is it that an oral surgeon is able to perform breast implants?
"An oral surgeon is an MD, and an MD, legally, can do anything they want," Schierlesaid.
A medical doctor can pursue a one-year cosmetic surgery fellowship, Schierle said, which involves training under another cosmetic surgeon to learn a particular procedure, such as breast augmentation. Once that training is complete, the physician can get a medical license to perform surgery.
However, most hospitals do not consider a cosmetic surgery licensure from the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery valid, because it is not certified by one of the 24 standard medical boards that are recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties , he added.
"When that patient in that dentist office is getting her breast implants and [the physician] accidentally punctures her lung, he's going to have to call 911, transfer her to a hospital, where he's not allowed to care for her," Schierle said. "She'll be cared for by an emergency-room physician or by a plastic surgeon on call who has never met the patient." [7 Beauty Trends that Are Bad for Your Health]
Board-certification
Becoming a board-certified plastic surgeon is a more lengthy and rigorous endeavor, according to Schierle.
The ABMS requires that physicians complete a full residency in plastic surgery, three years or more in a fellowship training program, additional training in a specialty area, followed by a series of oral and written exams that tests the candidates on the full breadth of all plastic and reconstructive surgery, Schierle said.
"When the cosmetic patient has a complication that's more severe or they require more complex reconstructive surgery to correct a problem, that surgeon is able to give them the best possible care without having to hand them off to someone else," he said.
The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is different, Schierle said. "[It] is a self-organized group of individuals who claim to hold themselves to high standards of education and training but they're really accountable to no one but themselves."
Understanding the nuances between the two different kinds of physicians, and their certifications, is crucial when sifting through posts on Instagram, Schierle said. Instagram is uniquely suited for plastic surgery ads because it's such as a visual medium and plastic surgery is a specialty that relies on visual results, he added.
But misinformation can spread through social media, he said. Schierle recommendschecking the credentials of the surgeon and making sure they operate in an accredited facility before going through with any plastic surgery. This can be done on the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's website . People can find additional safety information by consulting the American Society of Plastic Surgeon's patient safety website .
Schierle said he and his colleagues will build on this new research with additional studies that look at the popularity of Instagram posts during different seasons as well as the impact of other social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.
In the meantime, "It all boils down to the hashtag 'Do your homework,'" he said.
Originally published on Live Science.
CALGARY, Alberta Half a million years ago, the Arabian Peninsula wasn't a sandy desert but rather a lush, wet landscape. There, a gigantic elephant 50 percent larger than today's biggest elephants tromped around an ancient lake before dying, a new fossil skeleton reveals.
The behemoth, known as Elephas recki, is an ancient elephant species that existed from about 3.5 million years ago to about 300,000 years ago and lived in parts of Africa and the Middle East, said study lead researcher, Iyad Zalmout, a paleontologist with the Saudi Geological Survey in Jeddah.
Researchers first began uncovering the newfound animal's remains in northwestern Saudi Arabia's Nafud Desert in 2014, but other parts of the same individual were unearthed as recently as this year, and excavation work is ongoing, said study co-researcher Dan Fisher, the director of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan. [Mammoth Resurrection: 11 Hurdles to Bringing Back an Ice Age Beast]
So far, researchers have discovered about 60 percent of the elephant's fossilized bones, making it "one of the best-preserved examples of this species from this part of the world," Fisher told Live Science. Scientists have found fossils of this ancient Asian elephant relative before, including a 1.8-million-year-old individual from the Turkana Lake Basin in northern Kenya.
Fisher added that although E. recki was 50 percent larger than the largest modern elephants, it was vastly heavier, "at least twice the weight of today's elephants, if not more," Fisher said.
The bull (a male elephant) had reached adulthood before it died, an analysis of its bones revealed. After the animal kicked the bucket, the fine sands of an ancient lake system preserved the creature's bones. Its fossils are so intact, researchers are making 3D models of some of them using a laser-scanning digitizer so that they can be shared virtually online with other researchers, Fisher said.
"This work is providing a more detailed understanding of the bones of this species of elephant," Fisher said. "This is important because it provides the foundation for more-thorough analyses of new sites where we anticipate more remains of this type of elephant will occur."
The ancient elephant's scapular bone (shoulder blade) and humerus (upper arm). (Image credit: Saudi Geological Survey)
There was no evidence that human ancestors lived at this site 500,000 years ago, when this particular elephant stomped around, but the researchers said they hope to find evidence that the two coexisted at other fossil sites.
Elephants and early humans took similar routes as they trekked out of Africa and dispersed into the Middle East and Eurasia, so it's likely they crossed paths at some point, Fisher said. (Note that researchers aren't talking about Homo sapiens, which developed between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, but rather their hominin predecessors.)
"We know that early humans were contemporaries of these elephants in this part of the Arabian Peninsula," Fisher said. "Although we have not yet found sites where these elephants are associated with evidence of human activity, we want to be ready to interpret any such discoveries when and if they do arise."
At the time this elephant died, ancient elephants and early humans would have encountered a wet climate that watered a green landscape of the Arabian Peninsula, Zalmout said. During parts of the Pleistocene (an epoch lasting from 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), Saudi Arabia had a greater diversity of animals than it does today, including vertebrates such as camels, gazelles, antelopes and carnivores, including big cats and hyena ancestors.
"It was a vibrant place," Zalmout told Live Science.
The research, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, was presented here on Aug. 23 at the 2017 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting.
Original article on Live Science.
A lost collection of letters written by Alan Turing was discovered in an old filing cabinet in a storeroom at the University of Manchester.
A batch of previously unknown letters from the famous code-breaker and computer scientist Alan Turing has been discovered in England.
The papers had been sitting in an orange folder in the back of a filing cabinetunnoticed for at least three decades in a storeroom at the University of Manchester, where Turing worked after World War II.
"When I first found it, I initially thought, 'That can't be what I think it is,'" Jim Miles, a professor of computer engineering at the University of Manchester, said in a statement. "But a quick inspection showed [that] it was a file of old letters and correspondence by Alan Turing. I was astonished such a thing had remained hidden out of sight for so long." [Super-Intelligent Machines: 7 Robotic Futures]
Miles stumbled upon the letters in May, and they are now available at the University of Manchester's archives.
There are 148 documents in total, dating from early 1949 until the month of Turing's tragic death in June 1954. Turing had been convicted of "gross indecency" in the United Kingdom in 1952 for having sex with another man. The computer scientist was forced to undergo chemical castration, and committed suicide at age 41. Turing was pardoned by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.
The papers don't contain any major revelations about Turing. Most offer a window into his everyday life as an academic.
There is a draft of a BBC radio program about artificial intelligence. (Turing famously came up with a test, now known as the Turing test, to determine whether a machine is capable of thinking.) There is a letter to the editor of The Mathematical Gazette journal, in which Turing offers to review Norbert Wiener's seminal 1948 text"Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine." In another correspondence, from 1953, Turing makes dinner plans ahead of a talk called "Fir cones and Fibonacci numbers" at theCambridge University Mathematical Society. (Late in his career, Turing was fascinated by the mathematical patterns found in nature.)
Though there are no personal letters in this new collection, one letter does offers a candid opinion on the United States. In the document, from 1953, Turing explains to a colleague why he won't be attending a cybernetics conference in New York: "I would not like the journey, and I detest America."
Turing, who developed a machine that helped break the German Enigma code during World War II, spent time in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s and was unimpressed, previous letters indicate. "I am persuaded that one cannot very well trust these people where a matter of judgment in cryptography is concerned,"Turing wrote in one previously known letter after meeting American code-breakers.
The newly discovered letters "mostly confirm what is already known about Turing's work at Manchester, but they do add an extra dimension to our understanding of the man himself and his research," James Peters, an archivist at the University of Manchester, said in a statement. "As there is so little actual archive on this period of his life, this is a very important find in that context. There really is nothing else like it."
Original article on Live Science.
The chirps of the American pika have gone silent in a core portion of their habitat in California.
New research finds that the pika (Ochotona princeps) disappeared from a 64 square-mile (165 square kilometers) section of the Sierra Nevada mountains north of Lake Tahoe between the 1950s and the early 1990s. Pikas are tiny mammals, related to rabbits, that live on mountain slopes. They're known for making hay while the sun shines, harvesting grass all summer to dry and store for winter sustenance (they don't hibernate). They're also known for their distinctive, high-pitched alarm cries, which frequently greet hikers and backpackers picking their way along rock fields in pika habitat.
But pikas are struggling in the face of climate change, as highlighted by the new study, published online today (Aug. 30) in the journal PLOS ONE.
Pikas are adapted for cold weather they even have fur on the bottoms of their feet, said study leader Joseph Stewart, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They must climb to higher elevations when it gets warm to avoid overheating. They also rely on winter snows to blanket and insulate their dens, lest they freeze to death. Global warming has buffeted pikas from both sides by boosting summer temperatures and shrinking winter snowpack, Stewart told Live Science. [8 Ways Global Warming is Already Changing the World]
Searching for pikas
Stewart started doing pika surveys around northern Lake Tahoe in 2011 after conservation groups petitioned to list the small mammals as endangered under both California and federal law. He and his colleagues focused on 14 sites in a triangular-shaped area bounded by north Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River and Highway 267, a region they called the "Pluto triangle" because it encompasses the 8,617-foot-tall (2,626 meters) Mount Pluto. They visited the triangle sites multiple times between 2011 and 2016, searching for pikas, pika fecal pellets and hay piles and listening for pika calls. They also compiled survey information from 24 areas nearby but outside the triangle.
Initially, the researchers found old pika poop in the lower elevations of the Pluto triangle, so they figured living pikas must be farther upslope, having abandoned warmer lower habitats, Stewart said. They looked higher and higher: no pikas. The animals had vanished from this central portion of their range, the scientists found.
"A lot of studies have documented climate change sort of nibbling away at the edges of species distribution," Stewart said. "This is an example where you see a species disappearing from the center of an area of distribution."
Using radiocarbon dating, which measures isotopes of carbon to determine organic matter's age, the researchers were able to determine that the pika droppings from the Pluto triangle dated back from before 1955 all the way to 1991. In other words, while pikas vanished from some areas before 1955, the total disappearance of the species from this region was more recent.
"All signs point to climate change" as the cause, Stewart said.
Fragmenting populations
Temperatures measured at the nearby Tahoe City weather station reveal an upward march of temperatures in the area, with an average increase of 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1.9 degrees Celsius) between 1910 and 2015, the researchers reported. Winter snowpack in the area has also declined, they found: Before 1955, there was not a single year on record with less than 0.8 inches (2 centimeters) of snowpack. After 1955, 34 percent of years had snowpacks lower than that level.
Pikas still persist in the Sierra Nevadas outside the Pluto triangle, but their future is precarious. Today, the animals have about 469 square miles (1,214 square km) of land with suitable climate in the greater Lake Tahoe area where mean summer temperatures stay below 57.5 degrees F (14.2 degrees C), the level above which pika survival becomes precarious, Stewart said. By modeling projected temperatures, Stewart and his colleagues found that suitable habitats in the right temperature range will decline 77 percent from its current area by 2030, and by 97 percent by 2050. That would leave a mere 13 square miles (33 square km) of land with suitable climate where pikas could survive year-round near Lake Tahoe. [101 Animal Shots You'll Go Wild Over]
The pika's story, though, is one of variability, said Johanna Varner, a biologist and pika expert at Colorado Mesa University, who was not involved in the study. In some regions, particularly in the more isolated mountains of southern Utah, climate change has hit pikas hard. In other areas, like the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, pikas manage to live quite happily at practically sea level, thanks to short winters and cool under-rock refuges, Varner told Live Science. Some subpopulations seem to be able to adapt behaviorally, perhaps by reducing their foraging time during the hottest parts of the day.
"In some places, they seem to be doing OK," she said. But in others, the pikas don't have much resilience because less time spent foraging in the summer means starvation in the winter, she added: "There are some places that the outlook doesn't look very good, particularly in these really isolated low-elevation places where the pikas just don't have a lot of refuge to get away from warm summer temperatures."
The Pluto triangle is relatively low elevation, Varner said, so though it's a large area, it's also not entirely surprising that pikas living there might struggle with warming temperatures.
The disappearance of pikas in the middle of their Sierra Nevada range means that the animals are unable to meet and mate, Stewart said, which could give them fewer genetic tools to cope with climate change. Without connected habitats, more resilient pikas are unable to naturally spread whatever genes are responsible for their survival. Humans might be able to help by deliberately moving a few individuals from hardier populations to more vulnerable areas, in the hope that the resilient genes will spread, Stewart said. However, pikas are just one of an estimated 1 million species that are threatened by climate change, he said. Trying to save them, one by one, as the climate gets warmer and warmer is likely battling against the inevitable.
"A far more efficient solution to doing that is to rein in and reverse climate change," Stewart said.
Original article on Live Science.
Earlier this year we shared news of a partnership between Welkin Health, a technology platform on which organizations can build their own digital therapeutic solutions, and Common Sensing, developers of the Gocap, a dose-capturing insulin pen cap, to evolve the paradigm of at-home diabetes management. Recently, Welkin Health announced a new partnership with Lyra Health to provide businesses with high quality behavioral health services for their employees and family members.
Welkins modular case management platform captures health information and facilitates communication between patients and providers. Through the platform, contextual patient data is made available to clinical decision makers through customizable workflows.
According to Lyras VP of Operations, Elaine Yang, leveraging Welkins technology platform allows Lyra to focus on the role of finding high quality and accessible behavioral health care for employers and their employees rather than processes. Recognizing the need to manage employees emotional and mental well-being for increased productivity and lower costs of medical care, Lyra not only improves the accessibility of behavioral health services but proactively assesses treatment outcomes to ensure high quality patient care.
In a statement, Welkins CEO Chase Hensel, commented that Many of us spend the majority of time at work. Were excited to support Lyrahelping individuals living with behavioral health needs improve their well-being by getting the help they need. Medgadget had a chance to speak with Chase and get a little more information about the new partnership.
Medgadget: Where did the Lyra and Welkin partnership come from?
Chase Hensel: Lyra was referred to Welkin by a VC firm. They were looking for a centralized hub to house all of their very complex workflows and capabilities. We developed an end-to-end solution that would serve to expedite their work, widening access to high quality behavioral health care services for employers and their employees.
Medgadget: What are the challenges with access to behavioral health in the workforce today? How does Lyra improve upon that standard?
Hensel: Access to behavioral health care can be challenging to navigate, period, but the workplace can be an especially intimidating place where stigma associated with mental health and illness is very real and prevalent. Many employees forgo getting help because they are afraid of losing their jobs or fear judgement from bosses or colleagues. Others dont know where to begin looking to find effective care. This is why we feel Lyras work is so impactful.
Recognizing the importance of emotional health in our workforce, Lyras technology simplifies what can normally be an arduous process, and helps employers find proven effective, high quality behavioral health support for their employees. Lyras technology removes the barriers people often face, providing clients and their families with immediate, ongoing help from a behavioral health provider who can best meet their needs.
Medgadget: Tell us a little more about how Lyra is using Welkins data capture and communication platform to further these efforts?
Hensel: Utilizing Welkins platform, Lyra wholly focus on their clients rather than processes. They can house their workflow in one, centralized locationthis includes routing inbound and after hours calls, connecting clients with care team members, connecting clients to other workplace service providers if needed, and managing client care plans and assessments.
Workflows are customizable, and prompts, health assessments and care plans are configurable so that all interactions between providers and clients are personalized, meaningful and immediate. The more a provider knows about the person they are treating, the more impactful care will be. Our platform captures this important client data to make such insights possible and actionable.
Medgadget: What does Welkin bring to the table that changes or improves upon what Lyra was able to achieve before the partnership?
Hensel: A 360 degree view of each clients journey is key to providing care that is actually effective. These insights that Lyras care team are able to glean through Welkins platform, as well as the ability to centralize and streamline this information and their workflows, enables personalized, effective, and quick care. It also ensures no client ever falls through the cracks.
Medgadget: What challenges in facilitating employee behavioral health still exist today?
Hensel: Ridding the stigma often associated with behavioral health needs in the workplacewhich often prevents people from seeking helpis a challenge. Its about changing the broader mindset in our culture as it relates to behavioral health. Its important that people feel safe enough to ask for help, and when they do, that they have guidance and access to effective help. Innovative organizations like Lyra, and the companies they work with who take an active role in the well-being of their employees and their loved ones, are paving the way for a healthier, more effective workforce. One that talks openly about mental health and gives employers and their employees the support they need to achieve their health goals, stay well, and thrive at work and at home.
Links: Welkin Health and Lyra Health
Flashback: Common Sensing and Welkin Health Partner to Launch Health Coach-Driven Insulin Adherence Program [Interview]
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, August 29, 2017
Natalie Portman says she would travel to the ends of the earth for it. Rihanna says you have to give it to get it. And Jennifer Lawrence says she would even sleep in sexy underwear and pretend its comfortable. Theyre all part of the new #DiorLoveChain campaign, answering the luxury brands question, And you, what would you do for love?
The luxury brand kicked off its new campaign with a moody three-minute video on Instagram, shot in black and white. Now running on all its social media channels, the effort is a whos who of Dior spokespeople, including Robert Pattinson, Johnny Depp, Bella Hadid, Charlize Theron and Angelababy, as well as plenty of inspired anonymous folk. It asks viewers to share their own answers to the question and tag someone they love, using the #DiorLoveChain hashtag.
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For every post, it says it intends to donate a dollar to WE Charity, formerly known as Free The Children. While the Canadian organization works worldwide, funds from the Dior effort are earmarked specifically for girls education in Kenya.
To support the chain-of-love idea, Womens Wear Daily reports that Dior commissioned three murals in the U.S., in New Yorks SoHo and two in Los Angeles, with another set to debut in Brooklyn during the upcoming New York Fashion Week. And WWD says Dior plans to run some of the best responses on its website, with a number of them showcased in a traveling exhibit, set to kick off next year in Shanghai.
Dior is owned by LVMH, which says its perfumes and cosmetics business grew 12% in the most recent quarter, with Dior scentsnotably Jadore and Miss Diorproviding strong growth momentum.
by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, August 30, 2017
The UK news market will always be skewed by the BBC. It's a free, ad-free resource that Brits have grown up on relying on for information. So it will come as little surprise that eMarketer has again confirmed the public broadcaster is way out ahead as the leading desktop and laptop news source. As such, however, it hides what's really going on in the market.
For example, the BBC accounts for 39% of news articles that are being read in the UK, and nearly three in four of its news readers come direct to its site. If you add up the next two players, The Guardian and Mail Online, which account for nearly a quarter of the market combined, you still don't get too close to the BBC.
However, the BBC makes it appear that just over half of desktop and laptop news reading is direct to the publisher's site. If you actually look a little deeper, the BBC accounts for, rounded up, 4 in 10 stories, and three in four of these are discovered directly. Doing the math on the back of an envelope, that suggests one player is responsible for nearly a third of all direct news traffic in the UK. That that only leaves around 20% of overall visits being direct.
In other words, if you take the BBC out of the equation, direct traffic is probably around, or just over, 20% for everyone else. That means it's rubbing shoulders with the 18% of stories that are discovered through social media and 12% that come from search while being considerably above the 9% that derive from aggregation.
Why is this an important point to make? If you look beyond the seemingly healthy statistic that 53% of news discovery is direct and realise for everyone other than the BBC it's average at a little over on in five, you begin to realise something -- a point that eMarketer actually draws attention to: The print stalwarts of publishing are now getting more articles read via social, search and aggregation.
In other words, news discovery is now indirect. It may not be completely brand agnostic, but brand is clearly not the first consideration, or else traffic would be flowing more directly to a person's trusted news brand of choice.
What does this mean? Well, it's probably not all as bad as it sounds, once news brands have taken it on the chin that their name alone is not the prime influencer on where someone reads their news.
With search, I'm afraid it means we will see a lot more SEO journalism. It's a sad but true fact of life that someone will be asked to write about whatever's trending, whether they know anything about it or not. With aggregation, it will depend on the deal a publisher has signed with the aggregator how much they welcome that 9% of traffic.
The real channel here is social, and where social will effectively meet aggregation when Facebook begins aggregating news. The deal so far sounds good. Publishers will keep ad revenue if they sell the ads and if a subscription is earned through aggregation, Facebook has said it will not take a commission.
So, right now, there isn't a price to pay for fickle customers going through a third party, such as whatever Facebook's service will be called.
Long term, however, there has to be a price there somewhere for brands being secondary to channel. We have known for a long time that indirect traffic was big, but eMarketer is showing that it's now bigger than direct visitors for newspaper sites. People aren't going to a site direct nearly as much as they used to -- they are effectively going to a digital newsstand and snacking on pieces from each title rather than handing over their cash for their usual paper.
Which brings us to the million-dollar question -- is it too early to say a newspaper's home page is now Facebook, or at least Facebook plus page one of a Google search? If it isn't yet, just wait for Facebook's aggregation service from this Autumn onwards. Surely then it will have to be true.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 30, 2017
Google announced on Wednesday that its Assistant will soon become available through three third-party smart speakers, extending the reach of its search engine and the possibilities of advertising to more hardware devices.
The latest news covers devices from Zolo Mojo by Anker, which goes on sale in late October; TicHome Mini by Mobvoi, and the GA10 by Panasonic, and Google expects to announce more hardware makers this week.
Beginning later this year with manufacturers like LG, the Google Assistant will control appliances such as washers, dryers, or vacuums from the smart speaker, Android phone or iPhone, or any other device with which Google Assistant connects.
The integration into appliances will allow Assistant users to to give commands such as "OK Google, wash my clothes" or "OK Google, start vacuuming."
Google says the Assistant today already supports more than 70 home automation manufacturers, including Honeywell, Netatmo, TP-Link and Wemo.
The news that Google will partner with three new hardware manufacturers supports a growing trend around voice search and the integration of devices with virtual assistants.
On Wednesday, Microsoft and Amazon also announced an extended partnership that enables Alexa to talk with Cortana and Cortana with Alexa. The two companies managed to integrate the technologies to support each others' actions.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 30, 2017
The Federal Communications Commission's proposed rollback of the net neutrality rules may not hold up in court, according to the Silicon Valley trade group Internet Association.
"The record provides no basis for the Commission to reverse course from its 2015 Order," the Internet Association writes in comments filed Wednesday with the Federal Communications Commission.
The organization -- which includes companies like Amazon, Google, eBay and Facebook as members -- adds that Supreme Court precedent requires the FCC to show it has good reasons to change its position.
"The 2015 Order is working -- both the cloud economy and ISPs are doing well (and claims that investment by ISPs has been hurt by the 2015 Order are unsupported by evidence), and consumers are reaping the benefits of the virtuous circle of innovation across the internet economy," the organization writes.
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The FCC's 2015 net neutrality order reclassified broadband as a utility service and subjected providers to some common carrier restrictions. Among others, the rules prohibit broadband providers from blocking or degrading service and from charging higher fees for prioritized delivery. The rules also broadly ban Internet service providers from engaging in conduct that interferes with people's ability to access material online.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed that the agency reverse the portion of the order that classified broadband as a utility service. Instead, he favors classifying broadband as an "information" service.
Pai also is seeking comment on the rules that prevent broadband providers from blocking or degrading service and from charging higher fees for prioritized delivery. But it may not be possible to retain those rules if broadband is reclassified as an information service, given that a federal appellate court ruled three years ago that the FCC has no authority to impose common-carrier restrictions on providers of "information" services.
The Internet Association says the 2015 rules "protect a virtuous circle of innovation that benefits the fast-growing, cloud-based economy."
The group also questions whether the current net neutrality rules have spurred a decrease in network investment, as Pai argued when he unveiled his proposed rollback.
"The empirical studies relied upon by the ISP economic studies have already been examined and countered ... with numerous parties explaining that the findings are inconclusive at best and that there is no reliable evidence that the 2015 Order has reduced ISPs investments in broadband infrastructure," the Internet Association writes.
The FCC's proposed net neutrality reversal has drawn widespread interest. To date, the matter has garnered nearly 22 million comments -- though some of them appear to have been submitted by bots.
The last date for the public to submit comments is Aug. 30.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, August 30, 2017
WPP has added two more agencies to its portfolio including London-based Design Bridge, a design shop that will operate as a separate brand within the holding company. The company has also acquired a majority stake in Danish digital shop DIS/PLAY, which becomes part of AKQA.
Design Bridge, which posted roughly $52 million in revenue last year, has a client roster that includes AkzoNobel, Diageo, Mondelez and Unilever. In addition to its London headquarters, the agency has operations in Amsterdam, New York and Singapore, employing around 400 people.
DIS/PLAY provides strategy, user experience, design, and technical development solutions to clients. Employing more than 100 people in Copenhagen and Aarhus, DIS/PLAYs clients include Amnesty International, ECCO and Vestas. According to the holding company, the acquisition builds AKQAs European presence and capabilities while providing DIS/PLAY with access to AKQAs global network and resources. The shop had revenues of nearly $17 million in 2016.
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30.08.2017 LISTEN
Well-decided to remain committed to his new girlfriend, irrespective of being stalked by his 'ExGirl; K-Hi Bangit has just released 'I surrender' which features Lippy.
Co-produced by Omo Fuji and K-Hi Bangit and recorded at the studio's of Hotline Music Group; 'I surrender', comes as a follow up song to Lippy and K-Hi Bangit's 'ExGirl' song.
'While being stalked by an 'ExGirl' can be that frustrating and even create some sort of trust issues with one's new partner, the need to assure them and equally be committed becomes necessary, hence 'I surrender'," says K-Hi.
Adding, "and 'I surrender' idea came up after my friend, Omo Fuji, a Nigerian based in Ghana, who is also an artist and producer sent me a beat which inspired the hook to the song. The rest was put together by me and Lippy."
Meanwhile, the video for 'I surrender' has already been shot and in its editing stage. Follow @khibangit and @LippyOfficial on social media.
Musically known as K-Hi Bangit (Kofi-High Bangit), Kofi Agyare Benjamin's music life began while he was mainly a drummer with a traditional drumming and dancing troupe. He is very familiar with traditional instruments created in Ghana and some parts of Africa.
He has also played with some individual bands that played for artists like Efya, Sammie B, Okomfuo Kwadie, Stonebwoy, and Kofi B, among others.
Download 'I surrender' by K-Hi Bangit featuring Lippy below:
https://soundcloud.com/k-hi-bangit/i-surrender/s-kMuVh
Nacee has been awarded by Eurostar Limos Limited as one of the best dressed male celebrities at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA), organised earlier this year.
Officials of the company presented a cash prize to the gospel artiste for being among the top three finalists who were selected from a poll of 10 well-dressed celebrities at the event.
In an exquisite black and white, zebra-like design suit, Nacee glowed on the red carpet of the event, and he capped his fashion presence on the night with eye-catching apparel in his performance with the Gospel All Stars.
Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy and a member of the music group, Praye, Cartel Big J, are the other two who made the top three.
The Eurostar Ghana fashion review panel initially settled on the top 10 best dressed male celebrities that included the likes of TooSweet Annan, Elikem Kumordzi, Stonebwoy, Harold Amenyah, Joe Mettle, Nacee, Cartel Big J, Trigmatic, Kofi Sarpong and Nat Attoh.
This year's VGMA witnessed some very interesting sense of fashion on the red carpet, especially by the female celebrities.
Eurostar Global Limousines Group which was established in early 2012 and provides luxury chauffeur-driven limousine rental has, for the past five years, supported the creative industry, especially the music industry, with various sponsorship packages.
Apart from its sponsorship packages for the industry, it has also instituted awards scheme to reward well-dressed celebrities at various events organised in the country.
Some of the celebrities who have benefited from Eurostar's Ghana fashion review panel for red carpet in Ghana initiative include Amanda Jissih, Nana Ama McBrown, Bibi Bright, Zynnell Zuh, Feli Nuna, Benedicta Gafah, Gloria Osei Sarfo, Berla Mundi, Selly Galley and Edem Fairre.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Jessica Opare-Saforo, co-host of the award-winning show, Celebrity Fanzone on GH One TV has condemned the Ghana Police for what she described as the audacity with which they brutalize people in the country.
It was reported last week that a 16-year-old girl had lost her pregnancy at a Police station after she was allegedly brutalized by a Police officer during an arrest at Begoro in the Eastern Region.
Addressing this issue last Saturday on Celebrity Fanzone, the beautiful presenter condemned law enforcement officers in Ghana who feel they are above the law.
We live in a country where the people who enforce the law feel they are above the law. How many times havent we heard stories of police brutality?
For me it is the audacity with which they do it. It is like, I feel they dont actually know it is illegal to do that. You cant abuse someone even if they are caught doing something wrong but in Ghana, if you dare challenge a police man, chances are you will end up with a slap or two and it is totally wrong, she maintained.
Jessica however called on Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS), the body responsible for checking Police abuse of power and intimidation to do more to protect civilians.
The fact that you enforce the law doesnt mean you are above the law. I think that PIPS should be up and doing. There are so many abuse stories. Why should you grab a 16 year old girl and throng her towards an electric pole to the point that she loses her pregnancy? If this man handled her properly, this wouldnt have happened. And yet we hear these stories every day. It is like you cant even challenge a Police man, Jessica stated.
Meanwhile, the mother of the victim, Dora Amponsah has reported the incident to the Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for assistance.
The world has witnessed the performance of super power nations. Today, its the other way around. It is the small countries of the world. Who are the Micro-Power-Nations that will take care of super power countries and others? The question becomes, how this work and what really happens?
The Big Picture: So long the notion of shipping to few countries qualifies being global, exporters all over the world must now re-explore new untapped universe of 200 plus countries, studded with 10,000 cities and buzzing with 5 billion online connected inhabitants. The new global landscape has dramatically changed and exportability of goods and services with boundary less innovative entrepreneurial excellence is becoming a new phenomena. Why shouldnt trading with 100 plus countries be the new standardwhy shouldnt creating global alliances spanning 200 cities be the new qualifiers what are the key hurdles?
Fact: The world can easily absorb unlimited amount of exports in so many vertical markets.
Fact: The well designed and high quality goods are worthy of such quadrupled volumes.
Fact: The well trained entrepreneurial talent of a country is capable of such tasks.
Quadrupling exports is far easier but getting rid of myopic thinking is very much harder.
Todays revolutionary times demand revolutionary actions, future problems demand future tools and futuristic thinking, as tomorrow is already today, that we were unnecessarily worried about yesterday. It is time to either act now or simply become irrelevant.
The Pyramid
Roughly speaking, the global pyramid of human consumption clearly fills the top tip with one billion wealthy people, followed by 2 billion middle income and the base of some 3 billion poor. Simple math will point out that just the top and middle section alone creates huge potential markets. The exotic conveyer belts feeding the consumption of motivated buyers are no longer exclusive to handful deluxe countries but have rather become an intricate galaxy of smart high quality customer service driven 24-7-365 delivery platforms available to some 100 million awakening SMEs around the world.
The super expensive knowledge tools on how to operate globally once exclusively available to multi-billion dollar players on are now freely available in shoeboxes to smart thinking SME entrepreneurs. However, to understand deeply at emerging enterprise level specialized training and knowledge is required something that current university curriculums have not yet fathomed. The varying depths of such subjects are extremely exciting but require practical and pragmatic understanding something charts and theories in class-room cannot achieve. Deep dives are critically essential.
How organized and efficient is your business to cope with global age issues?
The Technocalamity Factor:
When the tsunami of free technologies makes organizations look increasingly outdated, the same tsunamis can quadruple exports, innovative excellence and catapult into image supremacy...this makes technocalamity a new global age phenomena.
The Population Factor:
Suddenly population-rich nations are getting an upper hand over population-poor but knowledge based economies mainly Western economies. Easy and free technology in the hands of population rich nations is like gun powder creating explosions of nouveau entrepreneurialism. Every new idea deployed with every hand held mobile device is kindling grassroots fires of innovative excellence. The billion entrepreneurs from faraway lands are on the march. The old establishment can very easily get lost in this global rush.
The Language Factors:
Hundreds of millions the cart pushers and snake charmers of yester years are now suddenly trading their goods online, checking out global markets and talking to each other face to face on Skype. English is no longer a prerequisite as the online population is so large that each and every single language has its own critical mass. English is now about 27% of the language of global online community. Instant translations, and non-English websites complete with non-English domain names are adding billion additional non-English speaking online users. English language, overtime earned its global image supremacy as universal and business languagebut in time may lose its edge to other major languages as e-commerce language
So where do nations stand? What do they offer so unique in innovative entrepreneurial excellence? Is it just cheap labor, global age knowledge, innovative excellence or armies of entrepreneurs with global age skills, all or neither? How do they communicate with the new world?
Smart Micro-Power Nations:
Super power economies are more aligned to attacking other economies. They feel this is a prime necessity for their own survival. While new emerging smart Micro Power Nations are upcoming hungry performers with very special skills and are willing and able to help any small or super power without threatening their base of power. They thrive in mutual collaborative synthesizim. These Micro-Power-Nations may deploy highly selective, well trained and extraordinary strengths and deliver surgical solutions to a mammoth nation and get mutually rewarded.
Such specialized capabilities will create universal borderless residencies, merit based immigration, global friendly fair trading, and unlimited human resources dependent technoclamity platforms for the new global age world. Not the armies invading, but armies of entrepreneurs landing in collaborative synthesizim to create massive local prosperity. Such advancement will impact thousands of cities and nations and will towards faster advancements. Technocalamity is silently creating some 100 plus such mighty Micro Power Nations; their sum total power will be far greater than any super power on the planet
FACTS:
No single country is exclusive.
No single country has exclusivity to all mankind.
No single nation has all the virtues.
No single nation has solution for all the other nations.
The diversity of mankind is hardwired to not to surrender to one single ideology or any one single culture or style.
Mankind is color-blind to race; deaf and mute to hate talk, open to all and demonstrate kindness to humanity. Mankind is also very resilient to adversity and strives for survival; the proof of its existence is not hidden in its stealth destructive capabilities, but rather centers on the constant nurturing of minds even under extreme tyranny and repression. The evolution of civilization, no matter how primitive in certain spots is still the solid proof of this steady process.
FACT: News: Seven new earth-sized planets have been discovered; if the human race is like a beetle and earth a ball of dung, we are right now spinning like a sand particle in universal dust; peaceful survival will be based on mental functionalities organized to cope with mankinds advancements and never guided by those who seek and destroy missions.
Common sense issues
America provides a land of millions of new opportunities.
India provides a land of millions of new entrepreneurs.
China provides a land of millions of amazing manufacturers.
Africa provides hidden resources and energized nations
Todays world is already filled with billion plus highly talented people
When in time has there ever been such available talent possible?
It is time to create your own common sense realities, there are smart and Micro-Power Nations are helping the world to grow in harmony.
Its time to win.
Advanced studies: via Google
Innovative Election Platforms: 2020
National Mobilization of Entrepreneurialism
Collaborative Synthesizim and Micro-Power Nations
Technocalamity
Author:
Naseem Javed is founder of Mentorian Worldwide and now leading a worldwide movement on how to create supremacy of innovative excellence and business leadership performance via high speed
mass market penetration strategy implementation modules. His latest work is getting global attention. A corporate philosopher, he also conducts special CEO Executive Workshops and Global Age Strategy Sessions to create more powerful marketable High-Value Global Corporate Assets. Naseem is a world recognized authority on corporate nomenclature, global and domain naming complexities, and cyber affairs, a world-class speaker, syndicated columnist and author of several books. He is building a global network of high quality Mentorian Ambassadors
http://www.mentorian.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naseemjaved
30.08.2017 LISTEN
The oneness of the Ghanaian is under siege and the anchoring role of a society bonded together by a common destiny and unity of purpose is under threat; this time not by colonialists but by our very own Ghanaians bred and nurtured in the land and fed with the fingers they have now decided to bite so spitefully! When one has savoured delicacies with a tribe, they are deemed to have a better understanding of their way of life, yet after licking their fingers of the good meal, they pretend the meal was bitter! Such has become the way by which most of our political actors are fuelling ethnocentrism with an aura of indignation.
One would easily forgive a novice whose appreciation of cultural diversities is limited. But when the elite; with years of experience among a certain tribe or kinsmen comes out to render inordinate insults and rude gesticulations at the very people he or she has sealed a history of life with, it becomes unpardonable to accept an apology after much harm has been done.
Let us not pretend the skewed eyes with which many Ghanaians from other parts of the country look at persons from the three Northern regions of Ghana. Often, I get told that I dont resemble a person of the northern stem and when I ask why, the response I get is; you dont talk or act like one. Many of my folks would hear same and smile it off as if it were a compliment. No, it is not a compliment rather an indictment of great harm. Such a comment is a brief summary of how northern brothers and sisters have been perceived as uncivilised. That is sad!
For a (former) Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr William Quaittoo, in a 21st Century Ghana to have described northerners as difficult and liars was most unacceptable. His comments are semblances of exclusionist political attitude that is gaining grounds in the Ghanaian political landscape lately. We need no telling that the most potent tool for mass destruction is not in the armoury used, but the predicator of the armoury mobilisation. Giving room for grave political exclusionist attitude will one day render some people as unfit to live with and that will be the trigger of a force of discord. This is not an act of sounding an alarm bell but a note for caution, and a statement of action from the same political actors under whose watch such statements are made.
Any persons who would exclude another from enjoying some rights and privileges is deemed an exclusionist. The thinking that the act of humans being difficult and liars is the preserve of northerners is a clear indication of exclusionist mindset. It becomes a political attitude when its usage is a rhetoric of the political actors. Within the context of cultural behaviourism, it needs stating that being difficult and having the penchant for lying is humanistic and not tribal or an ethnic derivative. That is why such behaviours must be pitched as individualistic as opposed to it being tribalized as a distinctive feature among a select few. It does not pass the test of logic and reasoning to label the entire people of the north with different tribes as being the most difficult people and liars! How can this be?
Such a statement did not come from a virgin political pundit but an assimilated person of the north who has had 27 years of cultural assimilation. On the construct of logic, Mr William Quaittoo, an assimilated northerner could not feign unconsciousness when he was making those comments, for, to be unconscious of himself when addressing an important farmer-based issue such as the claims of army-worm destruction of farms would be an act of insensitivity at the highest level. That farms have been badly hit by the army-worm invasion remains a fact and the least the resigned Deputy Agric Minister could have done was to be assuring and not to spite them with ethnocentric effusions.
That exclusionist political attitude is a growing phenomenon is not a difficult an assertion to substantiate. The current Senior Minister, Osafo Marfo, in 2015 spewed an unfortunate ethnocentric comment, and it went with little show of discontent except a lame disapproval from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) through the then General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong who said the party condemns ethnocentrism as that was not the mainstream of the party.
Then as presidential candidate, the now President Akuffo Addos Yen Akanfuo comment, to wit we the Akans was so ethnocentric yet it found defense among party followers. Former President John Dramani Mahama in 2016 flamed ethnocentrism when he averred that the NPP only uses northerners to win political power and dump them afterwards. The list of ethnocentric comments coming from the two main political parties is what I describe as a growing case of exclusionist political attitude and the examples are countless. Much of such ethnocentric comments have found northerners suffering the most.
It is sad that our political leaders have chosen the path of divisive politics that can only widen the gap of social exclusion when in fact they are required by both moral edicts and the principle of nation building to avoid such rants that make some Ghanaians feel unwanted. Such behaviours typify a nation with no regard for diversity and inclusion and it begs the honourable title that accompanies persons with high political offices and ministerial portfolios. The least trait of an honourable person I know of is a conduct deserving honour. How can persons who spew ethnocentric comments bear the honourable insignia which must be seen in both deeds and utterances?
There must be a stop to ethnocentrism and that calls for clear actions against persons who fuel such divisive commentaries. It is not enough to reprimand people for showcasing gross disrespect for ethnic identities but political officers must be given the sacking as a strong statement against ethnocentrism. If any unguarded statement is tolerable in our politics, ethnocentrism cannot be one of such verbiages.
We do not need to be reminded of Rwanda before we appreciate the destructive force of ethnocentric and tribal commentaries gradually building up in Ghana. May we be reminded that we cannot have a cohesive society when we follow politicians lamely and go all out to their defense when they spew ethnocentric comments. That is why I find it heart-warming to read a write-up by Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana, a Presidential Staffer, condemning the ethnocentric comments that came from the resigned Deputy Minister for Agriculture, William Quaittoo. Certainly, Tia Sulemanas aversion that a mere apology is not what we are demanding but more, resonates with many Ghanaians. Inasmuch as Mr. Quaittoos apology was commendable, it was not enough to stem the tide against repeated ethnocentric comments from our political leaders. President Akuffo-Addo had the compelling responsibility of showing the Deputy Minister the exit to serve as a deterrent to persons who care little about ethnocentrism, but also a statement that Ghana is indeed a country for all and that ethnicity cannot be the dividing line of who is whole and who is unworthy of recognition.
Now that the Minister has resigned on the back of his ethnocentric effusions, one can say that the demand for our political leaders to be responsible in their utterances and conduct themselves with decorum is a call backed by precedence in this regime. I salute the President for accepting the resignation of former Deputy Agric Minister in a matter of days following his unguarded ethnocentric effusions. Indeed, this is a sign of responsible governance. Ghana must work again.
In our bid to consolidating our young democracy, it an inclusive society that will guarantee the kind of peaceful co-existence needed to make progress. When political actors can act with no regard for civility, they better be shown the exit regardless of their political capital. The NPP has the onerous responsibility to re-tell the story of Ghana as a country not only hospitable to foreigners but also to its own. We must uphold the values of diversity and the debate about manners should be treated as humanistic and individualised. That way, we can identify errant behaviours from the lot without hurting the feelings of the tribes from which they come. No one tribe has the moral prowess to stage a clean behaviour otherwise the adage that in every home, there is a bad nut would hold no more truth.
Adama Bukari
29/08/2017
Email: [email protected]
The writer is a leadership, governance and social justice activist.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
The resignation of Deputy Agriculture Minister William Quaitoo comes as a traumatic surprise to me, more so because I never heard of any group of Northerners, either from Parliament or civil society, call for the immediate resignation of former President John Dramani Mahama for categorically stating on the ground, as it were, that even if his government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) paved all the streets and highways of the Asante Region with gold, so pathologically ungrateful were Asantes that they would never appreciate such magnanimous gesture.
Mr. Mahama also frontally and disdainfully insulted The Okyenhene and the people of Akyem-Abuakwa by, literally, calling them morons who had absolutely no fundamental sense of environmental preservation as to wantonly convert their traditional polity into Ghanas Galamsey Capital. The significant contribution of his own brother, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, to such predatory environmental degradation and destruction was conveniently ignored. Here again, I never heard any politicians of northern descent or civil society leaders call their self-proclaimed Messiah to order.
This is why I am disconsolately outraged by the decision of Mr. Quaitoo to resign his post. But I am even more perturbed by the decision of President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo to accept such gunpoint-induced resignation. I have also traumatically watched Nana Akufo-Addo take the people of Okyeman, and Akyem-Abuakwa, in particular, for granted by officially inaugurating his indisputably laudable One District, One Factory in the hometown of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills. This flagrantly contrasts with the distribution of school uniforms to public schoolchildren, which the late President officially launched in his home enclave of the Central Region.
That was a very judicious decision because as our elders of yore discovered ages ago, our very humanity inescapably dictates that Charity ought to begin at home. The stark elementary fact of the matter is that you cannot hate yourself and your kinsfolk and clansmen and women and hope to be loved and respected by onlookers. It simply does not work that way.
For all our relatively disproportionate contribution to the political culture and material development of the country, Akyemfo and Okyeman remain one of the most impoverished communities in Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo perfectly knows that he did not leave a proud legacy as a longtime New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akyem-Abuakwa-South. Just look at the Accra-Potroasi-Bunso road.
I personally know a couple of our Kyebi relatives, including a second cousin of Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Presidents Protocol Chief, who have vowed to never vote for an Akufo-Addo-led party and government, no matter what. And the reason? Not once did MP Akufo-Addo hold a meeting of Kyebi youths to discuss their wishes and aspirations. I had to earnestly plead with this hardworking relative, who owns two private schools back home, to change his mind. And the evidence has been clear for all to see, to wit, the fact that Nana Akufo-Addo has consistently failed in the past to clinch upwards of 70-percent of the ballot in his own home district.
Indeed, I was totally mortified to see and hear former President John Agyekum-Kufuor literally go down on his knees and beg Okyeman to dignify itself by overwhelmingly delivering the votes for one of their own. Dont get me wrong, dear reader, I am not about to give up on Nana Akufo-Addo; at least not just yet. But, of course, he can rest assured that there is also absolutely no guarantee that my unstinted support will be incessantly forthcoming.
After all, nobody lives or holds any position, however lofty, and however long, forever. Condoning the vicious and dastardly scapegoating of Mr. William Quaitoo for the Kobby Acheampongs and the Atta-Millses of Ghanaian political culture, will not go unrewarded in the form of poetic justice (See Deputy Agric Minister Resigns Over Tribal Comment Adomonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 8/29/17).
At any rate, what makes Mr. Quaitoos apology for calling northeners difficult liars any less significant than Mr. Mahamas scripted and poorly rehearsed apology for calling Akyemfo congenital morons? We live to see, as the saying goes.
*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, has urged aspiring Executives and CEOs to see Corporate Communications and Public Relations as integral parts of a business, because they contribute positively to business success and sustainability by building internal and external goodwill for sustained competitive and business advantage.
Sharing insights during the breakout session of the 2017 Festival of Ideas organized by Legacy and Legacy in Accra, Mrs. Lumor stated that Corporate Communications and Public Relations should be part of a well-planned, well executed, cohesive integrated communications strategy seeking to link organizations with identified stakeholders.
The decision by customers to patronize a companys products and services, as well as investment, regulatory and policy decisions, are hugely influenced by credibility and trust, which are built over time and influenced by stakeholder experience with a companys actions and communications, she said. She emphasized the need to develop an effective, well-thought out plan that fits within the goals of the organisation, with clear timelines and monitoring, metrics for measurement, and the flexibility for adjustment where necessary.
Knowing your business, understanding the companys vision, goals and strategy, as well as the broader industry and the needs and expectations of stakeholders is extremely important; that knowledge will drive the relevance and effectiveness of your communications and PR strategy, Mrs. Lumor stated.
Mrs. Lumor also explained that communication is a two-way phenomenon, and in order to avoid alienation and ensure that what is being communicated resonates with the target audience, communication messages must be relevant, clear and simple, and companies must also learn to listen, process the information coming from stakeholders, feedback to the organisation and act or revert where necessary. A company excels when it builds and nurtures relationships with relevant stakeholders -- media, customers, suppliers, partners, opinion leaders, professional associations, civil society, advocacy groups, communities, regulators, policy makers, employees. Ask yourself, how does each of these stakeholders feel about their experience with the company, the way we engage them, how we communicate with them? Do they feel respected and cared about? She also cautioned participants about the need to use relevant channels of communication for appropriate audiences, including traditional and digital channels.
She advised communications practitioners to be proactive in the anticipation and identification of issues, to better implement mitigation plans before they turn into crises. Reiterating the importance of crisis management planning, she stated that a good crisis management plan includes comprehensive analyses and plans for possible and potential crises. Treat it as a living document that needs to be examined frequently. Additionally, when there is a crisis elsewhere in another company, another industry, another country, another region consider if it could happen with your company and if you have an effective plan in place, she said.
In the area of employee communications, Mrs Lumor said employees are every companys best ambassadors, thus it is important to engage them effectively and frequently. They must understand the companys vision, goals and strategy and the part they play in achieving them. Factor them in the rollout plan of all your communications activities and the results will be phenomenal. If your employees are not part of what you do, then you are setting your business up to fail. Remember, everyones actions and words feeds into how the organization is perceived, she said.
Mrs. Lumor advised the group to streamline Corporate Social Investment Initiatives and effectively communicate related results and benefits, to enable people to easily resonate with the brand.
Answering a question on how social media impacts corporate communications, Mrs. Lumor stated that digital communications and social media have changed the face of Corporate Communications. She stated that with the escalating preference for social media as a publication platform, especially for millennials, and the quick and easy access for millions of active contributors, companies have no choice but to be part of the social media phenomenon. She thus advised all companies to have social media policies and guidelines, and for prospective CEOs, Executives and Communicators, to sharpen their skills to use social media to their advantage as a reputation management tool.
Mrs. Lumor was one of the Resource Person at the morning session of the 2017 Festival of Ideas held at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra under the sub-theme, Grooming the Next CEOs. She facilitated the breakout session on Corporate Communications and Media Relations where she shared insights on what prospective CEOs and top executives need to understand about the role of Corporate Communications in organizational success.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
A group calling itself, Young Cadres Association (YCA) Eastern Regional Branch has called on the ruling government to develop Eastern Region most especially the Akim Oda and its environs.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 and cited by Daniel Kaku therefore calling on His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo as matter urgency to do something about the bad roads in the Region.
The group also stated that, Eastern Region is the bedrock of the ruling New Patriotic Party and has produced prominent figures including the Senior Minister, Minister for Roads, Works and Housing, President Nana Addo himself, among others but the Region is always undeveloped whenever the NPP is in power.
"It is sad however that in spite of the huge number of high profile personalities the Region boasts of in government, the region suffers neglect and underdevelopment thereby impacting on the socio-economic livelihood of inhabitants. It is an undisputable fact that places like Akim Oda, Asamakese, Koforidua, and the Region at large is always neglected anytime the NPP tradition is in power"
The group commended the then NDC government for the numerous of developmental projects that spring out in the Region.
"The extension of potable drinking water to the area during the NDC's era give credence to the fact that Eastern Region's rate of development only picks up when NDC is in power and the Region retrogress anytime the NPP finds its way to power. The reconstruction of the Suhum-Asamankese road all took place under the NDC government".
Below is the full statement;
PRESS RELEASE
AKIM ODA: 29/08/2017
Development Substituted With Corruption and Bigotry Young Cadres(Eastern Regional Branch)
The Eastern Region is the bedrock of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and notably doubles as the home region of the President, His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo. Prominent figures including the Senior Minister, Ministers of Roads, Works and Housing, among others also hail from the Region.
It is sad however that in spite of the huge number of high profile personalities the region boasts of in government, the Region suffers neglect and underdevelopment thereby impacting on the socio-economic livelihood of inhabitants. It is an undisputable fact that places like Akim Oda, Asamakese, Koforidua and the region at large is always neglected anytime the NPP tradition is in power. For eight years, traders, buyers, drivers and commuters in Akim Oda and its catchment area occupied a very dilapidated market and vehicle park until the NDC came to save the situation by building an ultra-modern market square in the town.
The extension of portable drinking water to the area during the NDC's era give credence to the fact that Eastern Region's rate of development only picks up when NDC is in power and the Region retrogresses anytime the NPP finds its way to power. The reconstruction of the Suhum-Asamankese road all took place under the NDC.
It's been eight months of NPP rule and so far, there is nothing to show for their time spent in power. All that the government has brought upon the people is tension and hatred as a result of the tribal bigotry being shown and exhibited by henchmen from the President's tribe against other tribes. Attention has now been shifted from championing the developmental agenda of the Region to defending comments by one of our Members of Parliament, the Honourable William Quaitoo who has been accused of insulting our Northern folks.
As we speak, most of the dilapidated roads in Ghana can be found in the Eastern Region. We are challenging the media to come to Akim Oda and then take a ride from Oda to Gyadam,the hometown of Hon. William Agyapong Quaitoo and see the poor nature of the road.Hon. Osafo Marfo, Hon. Owusu Boateng and William Agyapong Quitoo have represented the Akim Oda constituency for over 12 years running, yet we are still suffering.
We, the Young Cadres Association (YCA),Eastern Region Branch, fully support the call for the immediate dismissal of Hon. William Agyapong Quaitoo as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture because his unfortunate comments have brought disgrace and unnecessary hatred on his constituents. His two terms in office as our MP has been the worst period, relative to his predecessors.
We, the members of Young Cadres Association, Eastern Region Branch, would not wait for another election year before we call on the government to give some attention to the region. We are also calling on media practitioners in the Region to expose the underdeveloped nature of the region to attract attention from the government. It is time for the Region to also have its fair share of the national cake.
Thank you.
Cc.
All Media Houses(Print and Electronic)
All Social Media platforms
...Signed...
SACHIBU FATAWU HAFIZ
(CONVENOR
Young Cadres Association E/R)
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Nairobi, August 29, 2017--The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by reports that a South Sudanese army spokesman today denied that U.S. freelance reporter and photographer Christopher Allen, who was killed covering conflict there on August 26, was deserving of civilian status. CPJ called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Allen's death, and urged authorities to respect all journalists' status as civilians.
South Sudan's army, a rebel spokesman, and the U.S. Embassy in the capital Juba confirmed to CPJ that Allen was killed during fighting between government and rebel forces in Kaya, near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Allen had been embedded with opposition forces for two weeks, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, the rebel's deputy spokesman, told CPJ.
At a press conference today, South Sudan army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said journalists who enter the country with rebel forces will not be protected, The Associated Press reported. "Anybody who comes attacking us with hostile forces will meet his fate," Koang told journalists, according to AP.
"Taking photographs and reporting events is not attacking. It is journalistic work done by civilians, who are protected under international law," said CPJ AfricaProgram Coordinator Angela Quintal in New York. "We call for a credible, independent investigation into the killing of Christopher Allen so that those responsible can be held to account."
Gabriel, with the rebel forces, told CPJ that the South Sudanese military deliberately targeted Allen for taking pictures of the fighting, but he offered no evidence when asked to back up this claim. Gabriel said the rebels failed to recover his body because of heavy fire, but did get the journalist's camera and bag.
In an interview with CPJ yesterday, Koang denied that the army deliberately targeted Allen.
Reuters on Saturday quoted a rebel fighter who said Allen was wearing a press jacket at the time of his death. CPJ was unable to independently confirm this.
According the AP, South Sudan's chief army medical examiner, Peter Ajak Bullen, said Allen was shot in the head, though it was not clear if the bullet entered at close range.
Yesterday, South Sudan deputy army spokesman Col. Domic Chol Santo told CPJ that the army had no way of identifying Allen as a journalist until his body was recovered. He said the army was looking into Allen's "illegal" entry into South Sudan. He also said the army had no immediate plans to investigate the killing.
Apart from confirming Allen's death, the U.S. Embassy yesterday did not respond to any additional questions, including those on the repatriation of Allen's body, and his migrant status in South Sudan. The embassy said it was still in the "process of obtaining all information related to this situation."
A civil war has been raging in South Sudan since 2013, displacing millions, and leaving tens of thousands dead in its wake. In response to coverage of the fighting, authorities have closed and obstructed access to news outlets, arrested journalists, and expelled reporters, according to CPJ research.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
The backlashes against the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, who doubles as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hon. William Quaitto for his degrading and demeaning statement on Dagombas in particular, and Northerners as a whole is a clear indication of our collective resolve to do away with stereotyping and any form of tribalism.
Tribalism, no doubt, has devastating effects on peace and development and therefore, it is not out of place for any rational being to condemn the statement made by the Dep. Agric. Minister and call for his resignation from his position.
Whilst supporting the clarion call for his removal from office by HE, the President, permit to also commend Hon. Quaitto for the timely retraction of the statement and the unconditional apology rendered. That is the way to go, because to err, they say, is human. It is thus expected that those who have been emotionally hurt by this unguarded statement from the Dep. Minister would have a special place in their heart and forgive him since he has shown remorse.
Moving forward, I would like to make the following proposals:
First, all Ghanaians, especially politicians, must desist from making ethnocentric statements henceforth.
Those who make ethnocentric statements must suffer the penalty for it. For instance, if the person holds a public office, he must be forced to resign.
No ethnic group should sit back or put up defence when other tribes are being attacked just because the person making the reckless statement is one of their own. In other words, we should have the same courage and voice to fight those who make ethnocentric statements in our political discourse.
For instance, if people calling on the head of the Dep. Minister today could have mastered the same courage to condemn the following personalities when Asantes and other tribes were previously attacked, I believe Hon. Quaitto would have thought twice before opening his mouth.
1. Every shameless act related to politics comes from the Ashanti Region. They have gained more notoriety when it comes to politics. Every ill-fated political demonstration is coming from them and nothing good seems to come from the region. Had it not been for their recognized and well-respected King, they would be insulted all the time - Solomon Nkansah, Communications Director of NDC - (June 24, 2015).
1. "Our brother Aliu Mahama was Vice President for 8 years. I was Vice President for 3 and half years. For almost 12 years, we have tasted vice presidency. It's no more exciting. It's no longer what we want. If the NPP wants to win here, they should make Bawumia their presidential candidate and let the two of us contest and then they will get something from here" - John Dramani Mahama (at a mini rally in Zualerugu, U/E Region - 10th Nov, 2012).
2. there is an Akan proverb which says, no matter how nice the dance of the fowl is, it never impresses the hawk when the fowl dances for the hawk, the hawk never finds it beautifuldon't let this deter us because for you in Kumasi, even if we construct roads tarred with gold, you will still say we've done nothing. - President Mahama (May 6, 2014 in Kumasi)
3. "Mr. Samuel Sarpong, may I know from you if other ethnic groups, particularly those from the Northern and Volta extraction are safe and will be safe under your tenure as the Ashanti Regional Minister" - Haruna Iddrisu, MP for Tamale South and Minister of Labour & Emloyment, 13 February, 2012 during a ministerial vetting).
4. "Politics is polarised and ethnically divided and that the Great Ashanti project is terrifying. President Kufuor is an ethnic Ashanti, as are many at the top levels of his government. He would try to hold the country together, but the time comes when the people you lead take over" - John Atta Mills, Wikileaks report in 2011).
5. "Because John Agyekum Kufuor is an Ashanti and does not come from the coastal area, that is why he has built all the best cold stores in Kumasi. He does not care for coastal fisherfolk" - John Atta Mills, September, 2008 in Central Region).
6. "If today I come to you as president, it's because you made it possible. Indeed, this region is my second home" - Prof. Mills (on a three-day visit to the Volta Region in April 2009).
7. "No individual with an Akan name will be allowed to register here. Odododiodio is for Gas so anyone with Akan name could go to his native area to register" - Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije (during the March-May 2012 Biometric registration).
8. "Sir John reminds me of a typical 'Kookooase Kuraseni'. I mean he stayed in Kumasi too long, he is in Accra now, and he should broaden his horizon. Whenever he comes from Kumasi he should take a different touch or else he would be lost and now he is telling us he is losthe should shed that image and look at things from a broader perspective" - Kobby Acheampong, (18/10/10) on his reaction to Sir John's disagreement with Grade B given to Atta Mills on his performance as president).
9. "The NPP is a tribal Ashanti Party, not even Akan Party anymore. The Ashantis are just fulfilling the agenda of those who truly founded the party. It's an Ashanti agenda. I'm so surprised that the Northerners, Ewes, and Gas in the party would sit unconcerned and pretend this is not an issue and would come out to defend it" - Benjamin Akyena Brentuo, NDC Communications Team member (on Ekosii s3n programme, Asempa FM; August 11, 2012).
10. "Ashantis are deliberately sabotaging the purpose of the family planning programme. They are producing children with the sole aim of fuelling their population for political purpose" - Jerry John Rawlings, (August 1985, Accra).
11. "The source of Asante wealth is as result of thievery and corruption" - Jerry Rawlings.
12. "Volta Region deserved a change because we have not fared well at all. In the last 8 years, we were made to feel like 2nd class citizens - Togbe Afede, April 18, 2009.
13. Thank you for your patience and tolerance. Let me take this opportunity to assure all Voltarians that every effort will be made to ensure your safety so far as the NDC remains in power". John Mahama at a Ceremony in Volta Region to initiate 40m Urban Management project, August 6, 2012).
14. "We have a president who is our brother and our father, we have a president who grew up in Tamale, and rode bicycles through Nobisco, to Tamale Senior High School and actually Ghana Secondary school which I also attended. So you see he is very passionate not only about the developments in Ghana but issues affecting Northern region. It is not as if he is bias because he is from the North but because he knows when he retires he will come home, and that is why it is incumbent upon us to vote for him, sometimes when you say this people think you are being partisan and political, when I was growing up I realised that we Northerners dont like each other". - Alhassan Suhuyini, MP for Tamale North - July 26, 2016
Let's all say no to tribal politics and ethnocentric statements.
God bless Ghana! God bless the NPP!! God bless Nana Akufo-Addo!!!
Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang
Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri
"Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success"
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Around the globe, occupational licensing is extensive and growing. In some jurisdictions practitioners have lobbied and pushed for licensing of their occupation. And in othercases, governments have imposed regulations on some occupation to reconcile special interest of practitioners and those of society.
To those new to the concept of occupational licensing it is the process by which governments establish standard qualifications required to practice a trade or profession so that only those licensed are allowed by law to receive work and get paid for doing work in the occupation. It is also useful to contrast occupational licensing with certification.
A certification permits an individual to perform a task after she/he has passed a set of examinations. In the case of occupational licensing, it is illegal and punishable by law for anyone to perform a task in an occupation he has no license. In terms of requirements, certification pales in comparison to licensing. The latter is the focus of this op-ed.
Effects of occupational licensing
The effects of licensure the strictest form of regulation have often been mixed. From an economics point of view, occupational licensing serves as a barrier to entry, thereby driving up the price of labour. The supply of labour into these occupations is limited by the license, hence shooting up the wage of labour in these professions. It tends out to be that the very public who are to be protected by the license have to pay higher price for such protection. So why do states continue to support licensing if it comes at a net cost to the general public?
The argument of the regulating body has often been that, licensing protects the public from incompetent practitioners, charlatans, quacks and the likes. The rationale for the licensing is that it protects the health and safety of consumers and also ensure a sufficiently high level of product or service quality. In sum, with a license, a consumer is able to determine who is qualified to render a service or provide a product with an expectation of a high professional and quality standard.
The case of Teacher Licensing in Ghana
Licensing of occupation is not new in Ghana. Certain occupations like doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses and midwifery among others require licenses to operate. The journey to this right to operate have often been long, burdensome and sometimescostive, both to the state and individual.
When the National Teachers Council (NTC) of the Ministry of Education made public its plans to introduce teaching license in Ghana, it was met with sharp criticisms and opposition from teachers who were already in the profession. Surprise? No. Times beyond many, craftsmen who sees licensing as a threat to their means of livelihood have dissented the regulation. As such, it was no surprise when the barrage of opposition came in.
So, in plain English, the policy says pass an exam and you become qualified. Simple. According to the NTC the policy is aimed at enforcing discipline and to weed-out non-performing teachers from the system.I see this as a step in the right direction to strengthen our educational system. But the NTC must also ensure that those who become teachers not only memorize or know education theories, but also can show the ability to handle students of diverse abilities and needs. This may have led to the need to fulfil some requirements to have a license renewed. So, what are these requirements?
The NTC stated that renewal of the license would be contingent on factors such as the teacher upgrading her/his skills in the subject been thought. That is fairly understandable.It is only intuitive that teachers need to be well-versed in the subjects they teach. It further mentioned that teachers whose students continue to fail in examinations like BECE, WASSCE and other local examinations would not have their license renewed. This is questionable. Why should a teacher placed in a poorly resourced school be penalized for poor student results? Isnt the correlation expected anyway?
In fact, Does the burden of students passing their exams hinge entirely on the effort of the teacher? Certainly not. There are numerable challenges that have hindered and continues to hinder the success of these teachers in their job. Until these challenges are resolved it will be unfair to tie renewal of their license to the success rate of students in an exam.
A major general concern about the teacher licensing policy is that, the educational system in Ghana faces numerous challenges. And licensing is the least to think about. Many schools are still under trees, poor teacher-student ratio, lack of ICT facilities and teaching materials (weve heard of schools begging for chalk, computer mouse demonstrated with stones). Wouldnt it be fair to fix these structural problems before introducing a higher regulation? Well, should we continue to keep our educational system lousy with incompetent, sub-standard and non-committed teachers while we wait to fix our structural problems? An equilibrium is needed.
You may espouse sympathy towards those to be affected by this license. But lets face truth, some teachers have shown poor work ethics like absenteeism and shirking of duties. If you ever attended a public school popularly known as Saito you will recall the numerous times your teacher is either absent or present but minding her/his private business during legal working hours. If as a country we agree nem con that education is key to our development, then this cant continue. Our teachers have to exhibit higher standards in their profession to churn out quality citizens for the future. But like any other adjustment to equilibrium, the other side of the lever must also swing.
The Ministry of education needs to hasten in its approach to solving the structural problems within the system. Teaching must be conducted in a decent classroom, resources to facilitate teaching must not be of short supply, good remuneration for teachers (I should believe this has left the pipeline and already flowing). Its only a matter of equity for one to be in a good working condition if she/he is expected to be highly qualified to practice a profession.
Rollback, prior to this new licensing policy which is to take effect next year, to be a teacher in Ghana was quite straight forward. Enroll and complete a teacher training college. Voila! You are a qualified teacher. And you get posted by the Ministry of Education to a school whereyou start your teaching career. We have had this system in place for a long time, weve seen the good and bad. As a country, we look determined to make progress, hence the introduction of licensing. The Ministry has laid out its steps to implement this policy, or we fear it will be done piecemeal?
As stated earlier, licensing is not new in Ghana, so why the fret, confusion and opposition. If nothing at all, we have licensed doctors, licensed nurses, licensed engineers, licensed lawyers providing services to the general public. So be rest assured, license is a homie he knows Ghana too well. But hey, pause, think of it, does a license which tends to imply highly qualified mean highly effective? You be the judge.
As a result of having to tackle a case of mistaken identity to do with an unpaid loan to a company known as Concord Landscaping Limited, which was apparently adanced the sum of GHc130,000 by the Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF) in 2013 but has failed to repay it, the VCTF has been on my radar lately.
I was horrified when I learnt about the shambolic manner in which the various funds - such as the VCTF - set up by the government to empower SME owners and young micro-entrepreneurs throughout Ghana had ended up being mismanaged in the most egregious of fashions.
Thinking about the poor loan repayment records of many of those government SME and youth funds, it struck me that global non-profit organisations that grant loans to poor people around the world and have stellar repayment records, such as Kiva, could actually teach the managers in charge of the various government funds in Ghana a great deal about the transparent disbursement, monitoring and recovery of loans.
Perhaps if they were amenable to it, the government could enter into private public partnership (PPP) agreements with such global non-profit organisations to take over the disbursement and monitoring of the taxpayers' monies given out as loans to young entrepreneurs from the various funds set up by government for that purpose.
Were that to happen, there is no question that repayment rates for all those government SME and youth funds would improve dramatically. And Ghanaians would not have to regularly read horrific newspaper stories about individuals and businesses accessing such taxpayer funds either not repaying their loans or not being able to be traced at all - when today we have the what3words addressing system to enable society locate every building or structure in the world. Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o.
These are some of the impressive numbers for Kiva: 2.5M Borrowers 83 Countries 1.6M Lenders $1.03B Loans funded through Kiva 97.1% Repayment rate. At the very least, surely, it would be worthwhile for the current government to meet with organisations such as Kiva, to share ideas about how government funds for young people and SMEs can be managed well and transparently?
Perhaps it might be worthwhile for the powers that be to take a look at a Kiva-funded SAMA SAMA toilet project in the north with its local partner, iDE Ghana, to "implement the SAMA SAMA toilet project, which aims to distribute 61,560 toilets to 3 of the most marginalized regions of northern Ghana by 2020." to quote Kiva's website. Finally, with respect, this blog is pretty sure that those now running our country might learn a thing or two about loans to empower the base-of-the-pyramid demographic in Ghana and how to recover them successfully, from global non-profits such as Kiva. Food for thought.
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin have collectively been awarded $5.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to enroll patients in a nationwide precision medicine initiative.
The institutions will partner with the Blood Center of Wisconsin and some of Wisconsins federally qualified health centers to recruit participants in the NIHs All of Us Research Program, which aims to gather data from more than 1 million Americans.
Precision medicine is an approach to disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in biological makeup, environment and lifestyle.
UW-Madison plans to build a Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine next to the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, near UW Hospital. Construction is set to begin next year and be done in 2020.
Dr. Stephen Meyn, a molecular genetics and pediatrics professor at the University of Toronto, was named the centers director this month.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
The Dream Big Family, a Voluntarily Group of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has thrown its support for one of the party's dynamic women, Madam Joyce Zempare, to contest for the party's National Women's Organizer position.
According to the Group, the party needs a dynamic woman who is proactive, affable, hardworking, respectful and who has been tried and tested to step into the shoes of the current women's organizer whose tenure of office comes to an end next year.
Literally, the group believes that " the one who climbs a good tree deserves a push to reach the top" and therefore, calling on all party faithfuls especially the delegates to support and also vote massively for Madam Joyce Zempare.
The group added that with Madam Zempare, she can unite the women in the party from the grassroot to national.
The group also advised other party officers should distance themselves from offensive languages and therefore calling for unite in the party.
The group also urged the NPP members to support President Akufo-Addo led government to work perfectly for the mother-Ghana.
The group believes even though the Party has other equally qualified women, Madam Zempare stands taller among them and therefore deserves to be given the nod to be part of the next National Executives of the Party that would ensure the party functions well and also secure another victory for the party in 2020 elections and beyond.
"Any person attacks should not welcome in the party as the party's preparing for internal elections", the group advised.
Political background of Madam Joyce Zempare
Madam Joyce Zempare has a very rich political background and experience which span from 1992. Currently, she is the Greater Accra Regional Women's Organizer of the Party-a position she is serving for the second term running.
Prior to becoming the Regional Women's Organizer of the party, Madam Zempare was the Okaikoi Constituency Women's Organizer (2005-2009), Constituency Women's Secretary (2002-2005), Polling Station Chairperson (2001-2005), a ward chairperson (1996-2001) etc. She has also been a member of the National Vetting Committee of the Party (2012) and also a member of the Regional Vetting Committee both in 2010 and 2015.
Madam Zempare is Krobo from the Eastern Region. She is a very versatile woman who understands and speak fluently Krobo,Twi, Ga, Ewe, Dante, Brong and Grusie.
Port Harcourt (Nigeria) (AFP) - The people of Belema village can only be reached after a three-hour journey aboard a rickety makeshift speedboat from the nearest major town.
For 37 years their community in Nigeria's southern Rivers state has lived in the shadow of an oil pipeline transit station run by Shell's local subsidiary.
Despite the enormous natural riches that pass them by, locals say they have not shared in the explosion of wealth that black gold has brought to Nigeria.
The country exported petroleum products worth $27.8 billion (23.1 billion euros) in 2016 alone, according to OPEC, and is Africa's largest oil producer and exporter.
But Belema residents still rely on an unhygienic open-air well for drinking water, while a complete lack of medical facilities means the sick have to be ferried to Abonnema -- a boat journey of three hours.
On August 11, local reached breaking point.
Frustrated with the dire situation in the area, hundreds of people stormed the nearby Shell flow station, demanding the Anglo-Dutch oil giant leave the area over its alleged failure to improve their lives.
The occupying protesters -- 550 women and 350 men -- work in shifts to maintain a constant presence, according to local chief Evans Dabiri.
The protest raises the spectre of the militant campaign of recent years against oil infrastructure in the region that slashed output and caused chaos in the sector.
That violence was eventually tempered after successful but lengthy negotiations with the armed groups angered by the unbalanced distribution of oil riches.
'Shell has overstayed'
For 37 years a community in Nigeria's southern Rivers state has lived in the shadow of an oil pipeline transit station run by Shell's local subsidiary
"Shell has overstayed their welcome here for 37 years -- and we have not benefited anything from them," Dabiri said.
"Tell us what they have done there in the past 37 years.
"We are in no hurry to leave this flow station as we will be here until Shell hands (it) over."
He explained to AFP the occupiers want the critical piece of Nigeria's oil infrastructure transferred to a local company.
At the station, women with canopies, mattresses and sleeping mats took turns guarding the site, cooking for the other protesters and entertaining themselves.
The action prompted the army to deploy 30 extra soldiers to monitor the situation, according to a State Security agent.
Shell insists it has invested in social welfare and created jobs -- efforts it says were frustrated by local power struggles.
"Legal tussles and disputes among the oil-producing communities (have) made it impossible for Shell to implement planned development projects for the communities," said Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria's (SPDC) external relations manager Igo Weli.
Shell still managed to invest 600 million naira ($1.7 million) to improve schools, infrastructure and health provision in both Belema and neighbouring Kula in the past 10 years, he added.
The community has none the less suffered from chronic neglect and been preyed upon by pirates who cruise the regions' waterways in search of boats and valuables.
'At the mercy of sea pirates'
"We are at the mercy of sea pirates who lay siege on the waterways as they rob our people," said Dabiri.
The pirates, undeterred by at least six military checkpoints that dot the route from Abonnema to Belema, continue to operate with impunity.
Shell is now warning the extended occupation at the flow station could be endangering not just the protesters, but other communities in the region.
"SPDC is deeply concerned that unauthorised persons -- including women and children -- have been observed in close proximity to equipment... without the protection of safety clothing," said SPDC spokesman Joseph Obari in a statement.
He said there was a heightened risk of an oil spill or fire as a result of the protest action because engineers had been unable to prepare machinery for a long-term shutdown.
However there is growing optimism at Shell that the occupation will soon be brought to a peaceful end.
The state oil company NNPC, local leaders and Shell have brokered a deal that could lead to the reopening of the site, according to a traditional chief in the area.
"We have succeeded in reaching a truce with NNPC," said Godson Egbelekro. "Within this week there will be a joint inspection... after which we will withdraw all our subjects from the facility. Then SPDC can resume operation."
But the community's demand that the station be handed to a local company will go unfulfilled -- at least for now.
"As far as (the NNPC) are concerned, SPDC is still the company running that facility," said Egbelekro.
"There is machinery in motion for the handover of the flow station (back to Shell)."
Brussels (AFP) - Hundreds of migrants sleep in the shadow of high-rises in downtown Brussels, raising fears in the EU capital of a new "Jungle", similar to the dismantled camp in Calais.
Each night, the young migrants -- mostly Sudanese and Eritreans -- take over Parc Maximilien, a sliver of green space adjacent to the gritty Gare du Nord station where trains depart for Belgium's North Sea coast.
As in the French port of Calais, the dream of most here is getting to Britain.
The young men, gathered just three kilometres (two miles) from European Union headquarters, have survived a long and dangerous journey -- through North Africa, across the Mediterranean and the gauntlet of police checks set up to catch them throughout southern Europe.
But for Adam, 25, making a life in Brussels instead of London would do just fine after abandoning his native Sudan, crossing Chad and waiting for six "very tough" months in Libya.
"This is too hard. I want protection from the government (in Belgium)," the young man said on a warm August night, just blocks from where prostitutes ply their trade and drug users seek a quick fix.
"The dream is achievable here," he added.
'No illegals'
Belgian authorities have offered no help to migrants arriving in Brussels
But for now, only the efforts of activists and charities cushion the indignities of being an illegal migrant.
Belgian authorities want no part in even a temporary solution for people they say are only interested in reaching Britain.
Adam, like many of the 500 to 600 migrants processed in the park by charities this month, has been caught out by Belgium's clear preference that he quickly move on.
For Theo Francken, deputy minister in charge of immigration, there is no reason to take on board "illegals ... who do not want asylum in Belgium".
Also hanging over migrants is the EU's so-called Dublin rule, an obligation that asylum seekers lodge their cases in their first point of entry in Europe. In Adam's case, as for most in the park, this was Italy.
In theory, he and his friends could be rounded up and sent back to Italy at any moment -- though Belgian authorities have yet to carry out any such operation.
Aid groups such as Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) provide medical attention and warn of police harassment.
Stephane Heymans, head of operations for the NGO, said that minors make up nearly 20 percent of the migrants and "don't know that they have special rights in Belgium".
Every night, volunteers from NGO Belgium Kitchen make their way across the park, wary of building up a crowd that could alarm residents and create even more problems.
Young men stretch out on the grass, hanging laundry from playground fences, but by dawn the Parc Maximilien will mostly return to normal, as the migrants head into the railway station or continue their journey north.
New 'Jungle'
That journey holds dangers, with high risks of police checkpoints along motorways, at train stations or at the busy port of Zeebrugge.
Police in the coastal province of western Flanders said they have averaged about a hundred migrant arrests per week since the start of the year.
The spectre of Calais, just across Belgium's French border, remains.
French authorities shut down the notorious "Jungle" camp there, at its height home to some 10,000 people living in dire conditions, last October.
The town still remains a springboard for migrants trying to reach Britain by stowing away on lorries heading into the Channel Tunnel.
In Brussels, a Sudanese teenager was killed in July trying to hang onto a bus heading for Britain from a busy terminal near Parc Maximilien.
"A sad first for Belgium," Medecins du Monde said in a statement.
An investment Analyst, Mahama Iddrisu has argued that some processes in private equity fund, Foritz's 2013 acquisition of Merchant Bank, now UMB Bank, were illegal.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Iddrisu explained that the illegality stemmed from Fortiz's decisions to borrow the needed funds from Merchant Bank, with the bank itself likely acting as a guarantee.
Following this, a contract was somehow signed to convert Fortizs loan into equity, he stated.
They had a contract that converted that loan into equity. That money that was borrowed actually was a guarantee for the three shareholders banks to take that money, meanwhile, it was converted to benefit only Fortiz.
In the formerly wholly state owned Merchant Bank, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) controlled an 89.6% stake with the remaining 10.4% belonging to SIC Life.
SSNIT and SIC Life sold 90% of the bank to Fortiz, with the expectation that they could claw back more shares when a plan by the special purpose vehicle, the Merban Assets Recovery Trust (MART) succeeded in recovering more than 30% of the bank's bad or impaired loans.
But Fortiz opted for a cause of action which resulted in the increasing their stake in UMB, whiles reducing the state owned entities' shares from 10% to 5% jointly.
Problems with contract
All these problems for the state entities stemmed from a contract that was not properly construed, Mr. Iddrisu said.
the GHc 40 million [borrowed from the bank] actually belongs to the two shareholders and not Foritz for borrowing the money, because that same money was sitting in the bank and the bank assets were sitting as collateral.
He noted further that the money belonged, by extension, to workers but was converted to equity, constituting an illegality.
They borrowed it from the asset management company, that actually belonged to the total bank, and which's money belonged to workers and that same money was used to convert to equity up front, making them reduce the shareholding down to 4.3 percent. That alone is an illegality.
The contract indicated that Fortiz was supposed to inject GHc 50 million as equity in the beginning, of which it injected 10 million but Foritz, Mr. Iddrisu further arguing his point said, went back to the same bank and the same fund with Ghanaian's money sitting in the bank and they are saying that it is a subordinated unsecured loan All that they did was to pick money from the bank and term it as a loan and say that it is convertible.
Background
Fortiz paid GH90 million for a majority stake in the bank with the understanding that an additional injection of GHS 50 million would be injected within a six month period.
The amount gave them a controlling stake of 90 per cent in the bank, leaving the minority 10 per cent to the country's pensions fund manager, SSNIT and SIC Life Limited.
But after an initial payment of GHS 10 million to UMB as equity capital by Fortiz, it entered into an unsecured, subordinated debt instrument facility, referred to as a convertible loan with the bank, through which an additional GHS 40 was invested into UMB.
Soon after it was concluded, the loan was converted into equity, in accordance with the Term sheet as approved by the AGM.
This led to SSNITs shares reducing from 8.96 to 4.43% of the company and valued at GHS 2,565, 537, while that of SIC life reduced from 1.04% to 0.51% and valued at GHS 297, 780.
Subsequently, SSNIT and SIC Life took Fortiz and UMB to arbitration in January 2017 claiming among other things that Fortiz erred in the means it did to acquire more shares in the bank. The arbitration panel however roundly rejected the claims by the two.
By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Ghanaian attacker Kevin Prince Boateng celebrated his centenary appearance in the Bundesliga despite suffering a 1-0 defeat in Eintracht Frankfurt's 1-0 loss to Wolfsburg on Sunday.
The Ghanaian who joined from Spanish outfit Las Palmas earlier this month played his second game since arriving from Spain, making his 100thappearance.
Frankfurt were handed a lone goal defeat but the former AC Milan and Portsmouth offensive midfielder was happy to have played his 100th game in the most watched league in the world.
He tweeted,' 'Happy about my 100th game in Bundesliga!! Not happy with the result,but we will bounce back!! Let's fight back.'
Happy about my 100th game in Bundesliga!! Not happy with the result,but we will bounce back!! Let's fight back #prince17 #adler pic.twitter.com/J6ottf1AvF
Kevin-Prince Boateng (@KPBofficial) August 28, 2017
The former Las Palmas player played 39 times for Schalke O4, 10 times with Hertha Berlin and made 10 appearance with Burossia Dortmund to add to the two appearances at Frankfurt.
The writer
30.08.2017 LISTEN
African patriots have agonized about Africa's puzzling underdevelopment for decades. Some believe the central issue is corruption and they are right, up to a point. Nigeria has a veritable Hall of shame for corruption, starring Umaru Dikko, Abacha, Allison-Madueke and many others. Zaire or DRC had Mobutu and his acolytes. South Africa's plight is highlited by Zuma's list of infractions, headlined by Nkandlagate. Ghana has a long list of corruption scandals currently headlined by Woyome, the deliberate burning of the Central Medical Stores and the revelations of malfeasance at State-owned enterprises, including COCOBOD and SSNIT. In short, every country has its list.
However, corruption may be a symptom of our disease rather than the disease. Corruption exists everywhere. America had teapot dome under grant, the Agnew bribery case, the "Keating 5" and many others but it holds people accountable. China has corruption but despite being a one-party state, it holds people to account.Earlier this year, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that 210 thousand officials of the Communist party had been disciplined. Amongst these were a former General and Sun Zhengcai, an official once touted as a future Premier. South Korea just removed a President for corruption. So, my fellow Africans, the problem is not corruption, it is how we deal with it.
The next big factor is violence and lack of peace. There are always wars going on. In the last half century, there have been the wars of liberation that were justified. But there have also been many senseless civil wars-- in Nigeria, Angola, Zaire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and South Sudan as we speak. Even where there are no wars, there are violent elections, ethnic and chieftaincy disputes resulting in extra-judicial killings and suffering. And most of the time, nobody is held accountable for the violence. After Kenya's 2007 elections, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-president Ruto were accused of being involved in the deaths of over a thousand Kenyans. The cases against them at the ICC collapsed due to "witness tampering" after they were elected.
It is difficult to imagine candidates elsewhere winning elections under similar circumstances. Indeed, many believe that for the ICC and the Europeans, Charles Taylor and Laurent Gagbo would still be sitting in West Africa, eating jollof and Acheke while basking in the adulation of their misguided supporters. When violence ends, we just move on and in the words of the Akans, we "leave it to God". As a wag once said, "In Africa, you will be punished more for killing one or two than for killing thousands".
The millions of Africans carried off like sardines to build the Americas and Europe never got justice. The millions dehumanized in pursuit of our natural resources by our colonial masters never got justice. The millions murdered by our murderous tyrants from Cape to Cairo never got justice. But even those who came to us with the bible never had qualms about righteous accountability and justice. The Americans were not looking to hug Hitler and let bygones be bygones. They used the Nuremburg trials to admister justice to the Nazis. The Isrealis spent a lot of time and resources pursuing the Nazis who were responsible for the holocaust.
The last factor cited for our underdevelopment is incompetence and as one might expect, we do not hold anyone to account for incompetence. A few years ago, in Ghana, there were floods and fires, leading to over a hundred and fifty deaths of innocent people. Despite glaring evidence that officials could have prevented many deaths, not one person lost his job!
My fellow Africans, AFRICA'S debilitating disease is not corruption; it is not violence; it is not incompetence. These are symptoms of our disease. Our disease is the absence of accountability.
We need a judicial system that will punish the corrupt and the violent, regardless of their station in life.
We need Presidents and Parliaments who will hold government appointees to account. Our leaders must know that holding people to account is not control; it is empowerment.
We need parties that will not shield wrong-doers because of party affiliations.
We need media who will be more committed to the principles of journalism than to parties.
We need NGO's who will speak truth to power.
Finally, we need voters who know that ultimately, elections are about accountability.
We cannot, as a continent, aspire to a developed continent and refuse to embrace accountability.
Let Africa move forward.
Arthur K
30.08.2017 LISTEN
The special representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Francois Lounceny Fall, appeared before the UN Security Council in June to brief it on the situation in the Central African region. He talked about political tension caused by Februarys controversial elections, in addition to security threats by rebels and terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. Africa Renewals Franck Kuwonu sat down with Mr. Fall after the briefing to discuss the situation in the region. Here are the Excerpts:
Africa Renewal: Two issues seem to define the current situation in the Central African region: terror-related violence and contested elections. Isnt that a worrying trend?
Mr. Fall: Certainly! The Central African region stands out for various reasons. Firstly, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has been unable to effectively play its role as mediator, although it is being reformed. Secondly, almost all of the elections in the region, or at least seven of them held within the last year, were marred by controversies. This led to multiple problems that we are now dealing with. With some of the countries now getting ready to elect their members of parliament, we will have a lot to deal with.
Now if you add to that the Anglophone protests in Cameroon, the armed insurgency in the Pool region of the Republic of the Congo and other internal issues in other countries, obviously the situation in the Central African region is of concern. In addition, the economic situation is also worrying. The fall in commodities and oil prices has hit the region hard.
Is Chad, an oil producer, one of the countries affected?
Not just Chad, but the Congo and Gabon as well. Last year, members of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) agreed to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to shore up their economies. Chad and Gabon appear to be doing better, but the region overall is going through a hard time. So when you add the impact Boko Haram activities are having in Cameroon and Chad, it becomes clear that Central Africa faces great challenges.
How is it that all of those issues seem to be happening at the same time?
This could be explained by the fact that there really have not been political changes in the region, as elections remain controversial and the economies are weakthis can lead to all sorts of problems.
You said almost all elections in the region are marred by controversies. Why is that?
I believe that every country in the region has to do better. They have to ensure that those who are tasked with organising elections do their job and that the voting process is transparent. In the past, we have had elections that were widely contested, but progress is being made in the Congo and in Gabon, as opposition parties and the government are talking to each other. In general, we have always advised opposition parties never to spurn a chance to talk to their governments. Dialogue offers a chance to reform the electoral process, but nothing will change if opposition parties refuse to take part in discussions.
Beyond advising opposing parties on the need for dialogue around elections, how is the UN office in Central Africa involved with efforts to end conflict in the region?
We offer our good offices and our expertise. We also work towards strengthening ECCAS mediation capacities in each of its member countries, especially with womens organizations, youth associations and other civil society groups.
Going back to security, there is the issue of the persistence of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda and its implication for the region. Until recently there was international military cooperation, and now we are hearing that the coalition may be falling apart. The US has left and some countries are withdrawing their troops. How did we get there?
We expressed to the Security Council our great concern about the vacuum left by the departure of the Ugandan troops and the American Special Forces from some areas in the Central African Republic. That vacuum may attract other armed groups and undermine peace efforts. We have suggested to the Council that they look into the possibility of deploying the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) troops to fill the vacuum while working to strengthen the Central African Republican armys abilities to take over at a later stage.
How possible is this?
Its possible, because everybody knows and understands that there is a real risk, that there is a real threat for peace and security in this region.
Since the American Special Forces left, Ugandas troops and other allies are leaving as well. Why?
I believe Uganda forces are leaving because the LRA may no longer be a threat to the Ugandan government. That may be true, but we are saying that the LRA is still active and is committing violence against women and attacking civilians. Even if the LRA is no longer a threat to the government of Uganda, it remains a threat to peace and the stability of the region nonetheless.
How soon do you think the vacuum left by the withdrawing troops could be filled?
We are working actively with MINUSCA to fill the vacuum as soon as possible. I have been assured that the force commander is working on that.
Could armed groups take advantage of this vacuum?
There are several other armed groups, not just LRA, in the region that borders the three countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Unfortunately, none of these governments control the area. So when there are no effective authorities, rebel groups from any of the three countries could move in.
What would be your assessment of the work that the UN is doing in the region in general?
It is great work overall. Take the elections, for instance. Even when I mentioned earlier that elections in the region generate a lot of problems, we also are working closely with all the political parties to avoid violence. We are working to strengthen the capacity of ECCAS in terms of preventive diplomacy. As you know, the sub-region has a role to play in maintaining peace and security among its members, so we are working with the regional organization to sustain their capacities.
Africa Renewal
30.08.2017 LISTEN
When travelling abroad for work and looking for accommodation, Joe Eyango, a Cameroonian living in the US, considers two factors: convenient transportation from the airport and around the city and reliable Internet access. He is a university professor and wants to be able to jet in, hit the ground running, make his presentation and zoom off to another destination in a day or two.
Mr. Eyango has been to various countries in Africa for business and work but has reasons for preferring South Africa.
South Africa has a lot to offer compared with other African countries. The road system is good, there is adequate electricity and reliable Internet connection, which is necessary for work and business, Mr. Eyango told Africa Renewal in an interview.
Recently, having been invited to present a conference paper on a tight schedule, Mr. Eyango flew into Johannesburg from Amsterdam, spent less than 30 minutes in customs at the O. R. Tambo International Airport, took a taxi and was at his hotel in less than an hour since arrival.
South Africa attracts many professionals and big multinationals. Its currently home to more than 75% of all top global companies in Africa.
Where these big companies choose to invest depends on whether the environment is right for business. Investors are interested in relatively stable countries, good infrastructure, reliable communication, electricity and labour, says Dr. John Mbaku, a researcher at Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution and also a professor of economics at Weber State University, US.
Some of the global companies with a presence in South Africa include luxury car manufacturers BMW, the Standard Bank Group, Barclays Bank, Vodafone (one of the worlds largest communication companies), Volkswagen, and General Electric. There is also FirstRand, Sasol, Sanlam, and MTN Group.
In an earlier interview with South African officials on why theyd chosen the country as an investment destination, Sam Ahmed, then the managing director of Britannia Industries, an India-based manufacturer of biscuits, snacks and confectionery, said his organization had been looking for a country that would give it access to the entire African market while keeping its costs low.
In South Africa you have first-world infrastructure and third-world cost, Mr. Ahmed said. The companys production costs in South Africa were much lower than in Southeast Asia, the company headquarters.
Big businesses are also attracted to countries where the legal system works, so they can be assured of justice should legal issues arise. South Africas judiciary has been hailed for its sound judgements and independence from political machinations relative to other African countries.
Another attraction for big businesses is human resources. The efficiency and smooth operation of these large companies depend on the calibre of its labour force. Despite many years of apartheid, according to Mr. Mbaku, South Africa provides its citizens with relatively good quality education the multinationals are looking for in their labour force.
However, despite its successes, South Africa continues to grapple with a high crime rate (especially in urban areas), graft accusations and the political uncertainty that businesses loathe.
Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN body that deals with trade, investment and development issues, acknowledges that South Africa has the oldest and most developed market economy in the whole of Africa for historical reasons: the market grew out of a strong mining and industrial base and the financial industry.
However, according to Mr. Kituyi, things are now changing and other African countries are also attracting big investors.
Its true South Africa has had a head start, but in net terms, there is faster growth in alternative centres for both manufacturing and service delivery than in South Africa. Today, the financial services industry is growing faster in Morocco than in South Africa, Mr. Kituyi told Africa Renewal in an interview.
He notes that some multinational enterprises operating out of South Africa have relocated substantially. We recently saw the opening of the Volvo truck-manufacturing plant in Mombasa. And similarly, we have seen many other services, particularly IT-based services and telecommunications, growing in new nodes like Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda.
Fringe benefits
So why should African governments want to encourage global companies to set up shop in their countries?
Driven by insufficient funds, African governments are increasingly turning to private-sector companies for a much-needed boost. Foreign investments provide capital to finance industries, boost infrastructure and productivity, provide social amenities and create jobs, all of which can help a country reach its economic potential. And as countries rush to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, funding is key.
In Africa, governments and industry are gradually forming public-private partnerships (PPPs) in which companies provide capital while governments ensure an environment conducive to business. In the last 10 years, the continent has welcomed PPPs for projects in infrastructure, electricity, health and telecommunications.
Lenders like the African Development Bank are urging African countries to improve business environments by creating the necessary legal and regulatory framework for PPPs, and to facilitate networking and sharing of experience among regulatory agencies and other similar organizations.
Tread carefully
However, even as PPPs begin to change the face of Africa, there is need for countries to tread carefully and to learn from failed PPPs when signing up for such partnerships.
Ask yourselves, does the state have the capacity to forge ahead with these partnerships? This is necessary to avoid bad debt, says Mr. Kituyi, adding that governments should not let private companies drive the agenda.
This word of caution is echoed by the Brookings Institutions Mr. Mbaku, who is advising African governments to ensure that PPPs work to their advantage: If you have a weak or corrupt leadership, you may not have the power or the skills required to negotiate a favourable partnership. You will end up with a PPP that is not really a partnership.
Mr. Mbaku gives the example of oil companies that have been operating in Africa for more than 20 years yet still depend on expatriate labour instead of employing locals. Such companies are reluctant to transfer skills, knowledge and technology to the locals.
Another problem with PPPs is the imbalance of power. If you are a government engaged in a PPP on a development project, there is inequality in power. The multinational has capital, skilled manpower and [an] external market. The government has no power over these, says Mr. Mbaku.
Despite the challenges, however, PPPs will continue playing a major role in the development of poor countries. For African countries to attract multinationals and other big investors to partner with, their governments need to put their house in orderimprove infrastructure, communication, security and the legal system, and fight corruption.
Africa Renewal
Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, August 29, 2017 Ahead of the 2017 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, wants greater attention paid to the implementation of concrete plans for achieving the green revolution in Africa.
The seventh African Green Revolution Forum, taking place in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, from September 4-8, 2017, will focus on Accelerating Africas Path to Prosperity: Growing Economies and Jobs through Agriculture.
The Forum is hosted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), an African-led institution focused on putting farmers at the centre of the continents growing economies. AGRA is built on an alliance of partners that care about, commit to and invest in Africas agricultural transformation.
AGRF partners include the African Development Bank, the African Union, the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), AGRA, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mastercard Foundation, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), OCP Africa Group, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Syngenta, and YARA International.
The African Development Bank is proud to be a partner in the Forum in Abidjan.
As we all converge on Abidjan for this years African Green Revolution Forum, our focus should be on implementation, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB, said in a video statement.
Adesina noted that this years Forum comes as some African nations are witnessing drought and heightened food insecurity.
He stressed that the event presents an opportunity to push efforts to make Africa self-sufficient in food production and transform agriculture into a wealth-creating sector
Agriculture is booming in Africa and holds the greatest opportunity to boost African economies, build rural economies, lift millions out of poverty, and create jobs, he said.
AfDB is accelerating this development through its Feed Africa Strategy with planned investment of US $24 billion over the next 10 years.
The Bank invites partners, governments, private sector, and development institutions to work together to make this happen.
This years African Green Revolution Forum, considered to be the most important meeting on African agriculture, will be held under the patronage of the President of Cote d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara.
The Forum will bring experts and other stakeholders together to ensure that the importance of agriculture to African economies is not overlooked. Agriculture represents more than 70% of employment making it essential to delivering on economic development visions for the continent and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The sixth African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2016 and attracted more than 1,500 delegates from 40 countries.
At AGRF 2016, many of Africas steadfast champions of agriculture pledged more than US $30 billion in investments to increase production, income and employment for smallholder farmers and local African agriculture businesses over the next 10 years.
AfDB is leading a campaign to unlock the continents food and agriculture market, which is projected to hit US $1 trillion by 2030
In the words of the AfDB President: We must hurry. Africas time to become the global powerhouse for food and agriculture is now. We are already late.
The Christian Journal, Bronx, New York The Ghanaian Ministers Fellowship International of New York held its Annual Banquet at the Immaculate Pentecostal Church of Christ premises at Gun Hill Road in New York. The event, which was attended by a large number of Ghanaian Pastors and a cross section of the Ghanaian religious community, was one of the most colorful in the history of the Fellowship.
Opening the event, the Vice President of the Association, Reverend Nana Poku thanked God for the establishment of the association, pointing out that it gives members a forum for sharing biblical and spiritual ideas and enable them to work as partners in the body of Christ.
Reverend Poku pointed out that the annual banquet not only showcases the associations ambitions, but also serves as a means to foster unity and oneness among members and open up to new members.
He referred to the Fellowship of the Believers in the Book of Acts, declaring that apart from the prayer, teaching, worship and the witnessing, which characterized the meeting of the Apostles, there was also the breaking of bread, which also formed the basis of the annual banquet.
Reverend Poku hinted that a major goal of the fellowship is to have a permanent facility, whose doors will be open to the Ghanaian religious community and other believers, who may need counseling in various facets of life and other spiritual needs. He therefore called on members and other well meaning believers to open their wallets and support the association financially to realize this lofty ambition.
The Association honored some of its members and other professionals, who in one way or the other contributed to the spiritual and social development in their various communities.
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Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, 29 August 2017 As a leading financing partner on water and sanitation services in Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and two of its flagship water initiatives: the African Water Facility (AWF) and the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI), are participating in the 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden from August 27 to September 1, on the theme: Water and Waste: reduce and reuse.
During the annual World Water Week, experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and a range of sectors and countries gather in Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today.
The importance of water to human development and poverty alleviation in Africa is clearly expressed in the strategic focus areas of the Bank called The High 5s Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
We are delighted that the African Development Bank, together with partners, is given an opportunity to showcase and discuss its strategies, results and lessons learned at the 2017 World Water Week. The development of the water and sanitation sector in Africa greatly benefits from this unique forum organized every year by the Stockholm International Water Institute, said Osward Chanda, OIC Director of the Banks Water Development and Sanitation Department and the AWF.
This week in Stockholm, the AfDB, AWF and the RWSSI have been invited to provide new and emerging perspectives on how to accelerate delivery of water services, water supply and sanitation to all Africans by 2030 and organizing two event together with partners.
The first Showcase co-organized by the AfDB, African Water Facility and the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW): An African Response to Agenda 2030 was held on August 29. This event outlined key approaches by the three Conveners, and how they cooperate to produce an evolving and more effective approach
As key African institutions, AfDB, AMCOW, and AWF have an important role to play in helping African states address their water objectives and challenges that are enormous as highlighted by Mansour Faye, Senegals Minister for Water and Sanitation and President of the AWFs Governing Council: Together we must take up the challenges of water and sanitation financing and reduce the deficit in hydraulic infrastructure in a sustainable way in order to increase our resilience to climate risks. Today, only 5% of the hydroelectric potential of our continent is developed and only 7% of arable land is irrigated. The minister further explained that the financing gap for water and sanitation is in the region of US$ 6-14 billion per year, almost half of the total funding requirement.
To accelerate development of bankable projects for the sector, the African Water Facility adopted a strategic plan in December 2016 for the years (2017-2025). This approach considers the previously stated challenges and innovative approaches to financing water investment. The 2017-2025 Strategy aims to leverage financing for water sector development through Project Preparation, Catalytic Investments and Investment Promotion.
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) hosted by the African Development Bank is a pan-African response to address the rural water and sanitation crisis. The AfDBs rural water and sanitation portfolio supports 37 active programs in 25 African countries and represents 1.3 billion of AfDB financing commitments. RWSSI is supported by a multi-donor Trust Fund with paid-in contributions of 182 million.
Together, the AfDB, AMCOW and AWF provide a comprehensive approach to preparing sustainable infrastructure projects, whilst strengthening the enabling investment climate and facilitating access to needed investment financing by African governments, development partners and the private sector. Further, increase the investment impact of the internal financial resources from their national budgets in the sector.
On August 30, the AfDB will co-organize a second Showcase in partnership with the Global Water Partnership on the theme: Integrated Urban Water Management Challenges and Opportunities
About World Water Week: Hosted and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the World Water Week (WWW) is the largest global event for water and development issues. Every year, government representatives, water experts, and private sector leaders meet to discuss and advance the water agenda.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o. Some of our nation's politicians are pretty hard to fathom. What a strange lot many of them are. Have they still not read and understood the national mood yet? Ebeeii.
The question is: Why is the minister for energy, Hon. Boakye Agyarko, acting as the spokesperson for the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to explain away the outrageous decision to lift the ban on the dumping of health-damaging and vehicle-engine-damaging substandard fuel on the Ghanaian market by racketeers?
Has it escaped an intelligent gentleman like him that the ban on the importation of substandard fuel into Ghana is in society's long-term interest? How unfortunate that he appears not to understand the implications of that decision that is only in the interest of dishonest and profiteering businesspeople.
In case it escapes the Hon. Boakye Agyarkos of our nation, the suspension of the ban of the importation of substamdard fuel into Ghaa is a classic example of the baleful influence and power of faceless lobbyists operating from the shadows in Ghana - where money apparently talks: even if it enriches crooked businesses whose products silently kill people and damage vehicle engines.
To ban the importation of damaging and dangerwous substandard fuel - yes, that is exactly what it actually is, substandard according to EU specifications for fuel - that damages vehicle engines and harms the health of Ghanaians because harmful emissions from the exhausts of vehicles using it contribute to poor air quality especially in urban areas - is in the national interest. Definitely.
The question therefore is: If it is only right and proper to ban substandard from being dumped on the Ghanaian market by greedy and callous criminals - why then has a ban protecting our nation from a trade enriching racketeers been suddenly lifted?
Perchance, is it because the criminal syndicates raking in hundreds of millions of dollars on a regular basis from this super-lucrative monstrosity and abominable crime against Ghanaians, will lose out? Ebeeii. Incredible.
It is increasingly becoming clear that our honest and principled leader, President Akufo-Addo, ought to watch some of his ministers with eagle eyes.
With respect, for the sake of all Ghanaiansa, President Akufo-Addo must insist that only fuel that meets European Union standards ought to be imported into Ghana. Full stop.
If stocks of substandard fuel remain in tanks on tank farms as a result of the ban does it not only mean that the crooks who brought them into the country will lose money? And if that is the case, why should that result in the lifting of the ban? Does the ban not mean in practice that no more vehicle engines will be damaged and that air quality in urban Ghana will improve dramatically because of their removal from the downstream fuel supply chain?
Has the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) ever calculated the overall cost to the nation of the increase in respiratory illneses from the air pollution resulting from the use of this dangerous rubbish? Perchance, have they calculated the trillions of Ghana cedis being lost by vehicle owners whose engines have been damaged and are being damaged because of this crooked substandard fuel importation business? Incredible.
If he is wise, Hon. Boakye Agyarko would disassociate himself from this case-study of special-interest racketeering being used to rip hapless Ghanians off quickly - before it damages his reputation permanently. Haaba. He must understand clearly that he might soon have to follow Hon. Agyapong Quaittoo if he is not careful. This is a resigning matter. Actually. Hmm...
If crooks in the system insist on benefitting financially from this fraudulent enterprise enriching rogue companies such as Trafigura and Glencore and their local lackeys at great cost to Ghanaian society, Hon. Boakye Agyarko must understand that it will only end in tears for him. Eventually.
There will definitely be consequences for all those behind this foolishness and stupidity informed by sheer greed. Unfathomable greed, that is. Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o.
Finally, the point ought to be made that we are a civilised people who care about our health. We therefore demand that henceforth only fuel that meets EU standards is brought into Ghana legally. The president must act quickly to restore the ban. We repeat: Henceforth only fuel that meets European standards must be allowed into Ghana. Period.
Haaba.
Campaign Coordinator at the Integrated Social Development Center (ISODEC), Dr. Steve Manteaw, says he is not impressed with the way President Nana Akufo-Addo is managing the affairs of the country.
According to him, he was expecting the president to learn from the wrongs of the erstwhile NDC government and institute measures to reduce public sector corruption.
Akufo-Addo is repeating the same mistakes committed by John Mahama and Im very disappointed. After getting overwhelming votes for change, I was expecting him to adopt a different approach or style to managing the affairs of the country Dr Steve Manteaw told Afia Pokua host of Adom FM's Burning Issues programme on Monday.
The radio discussion focused on revelations at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) which has led to the interdiction of head of SSNITs Management Information Systems, Dr. Caleb Afaglo for presenting fake documents for the top job.
Since he assumed office as President of the land, I was expecting him [Akufo-Addo] to sack all political appointees in the various public institutions and declare that positions vacant to allow competent people to apply through a competitive process to ensure sanity and robust in public service, he said.
Dr. Steve Manteaw who is also a member of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), revealed that a top New Patriotic Party (NPP) official has two of his children holding executive positions at SSNIT, a situation he describes as wrong.
He also said the appointment of the acting Chairperson of NPP, Freddy Blay as the board chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), as well as other similar appointments, was wrong.
Public institutions such as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and among others will continue to underperform in the country and corruption will continue to dominate in the public institutions due to the appointment of such party executives and officials Dr. Steve Manteaw stressed.
Dr. Steve Manteaw urged the president to appoint competent and experienced people to occupy positions at the various public institution's, but party officials who may not be cut out for the job.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Every mothers dream is to see her son, daughter finish school, get a good paying job and start life, a life to change the world he lives in.
For a mother whose son gained scholarship to pursue an MBA course in the Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management, her dreams for her son were even higher, the prospects were greater and the future even brighter.
He was a leader in the making, Eva Amarfio said of her son, Nii Amar Amarfio. For a son who had exhibited leadership traits at the Ridge Church and Legon Presec, where he was the senior prefect and scripture union president respectively, Eva could only be proud of her son.
Such was the gladness in her heart when she called Amar Amarfio in the US early August, had a hearty chat with him one Sunday dawn, asked him about his health, his wellbeing and everything a mother would want to know about her most beloved son who is far away in another country.
Amar Amarfio told her mother he was fine. And indeed he was. Except the cold weather condition which he was grappling with, his broad smile, his tender care and love for the people he came close to; his love for humanity had endeared him to officials at the Turner Family Center in the US, students and lecturers at the Vanderbilt university.
But Eva Amarfios call to her son on early this month would be her last. Her son slept peacefully a day after that call, never to wake up. He was found in his room dead, with no sign of attack.
His mom did not even have the benefit of being informed about her sons death. She missed a call from a hospital in US and the next thing she saw was the RIP pictures of her son flooded on facebook and other social media networks. Her son was no more!
A family friend in the US, Dinah Quist told Myjoyonline.com Amar Amarfio did not show any sign of sickness.
Amarfio was reported to have had wonderful discussions with friends and roommates before retiring to bed on the fateful night.
According to Dinah Quist, the roommate left the hostel with Amarfio still in bed but that did not trigger any panic reaction because the deceased person did not have any lectures that day.
It was when he returned from school in the evening to see him lying in bed in the same posture he saw him in the morning that it occurred to him that something might have gone wrong.
Hospital authorities have ruled out foul play in the death of Nii Amar Amarfio. Even though a full scale coroners report is expected in the next few days, the Ghanaian is believed to have died from seizure.
One of his teachers, Bart Victor, Owen Faculty and Cal Turner Professor of Moral Leadership, said this of the deceased person.
"As a teacher I enjoy a hard question from a student more than anything else. Nii Amar Amarfio brought me great joy. In our first encounter before classes even started until just a week or so ago, Nii challenged and inspired me. His search to be of service was as profound and passionate as any student I have ever met. In that search, he applied his heart and brilliance in equal measure. We are all at a loss from his tragic early passing. But we are also all better and more committed to our shared mission as the gift of knowing him."
Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Dakar (AFP) - A controversial West African activist who was arrested in Senegal for burning a bank note in an anti-colonial protest over the regional CFA franc has been acquitted by a Dakar court.
Kemi Seba, born in France to parents from Benin, was arrested at his home in the Senegalese capital on Friday following an incident on August 19 in which he burned 5,000 CFA -- a banknote worth 7.6 euros ($9.10).
He was detained following a complaint by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) on charges of "destroying a banknote" and held in pre-trial custody, appearing in court on Tuesday.
The bank is responsible for issuing the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro and used in eight West African countries in the region, six of which are former French colonies. A similar currency of the same name is used by six states in central Africa.
Following more than two hours of sometimes stormy debate, the judge acquitted him along with another supporter who was accused of handing him a lighter. The prosecution had pushed for a three-month suspended sentence.
Addressing the court, Seba said it was a "symbolic" act during a demonstration aimed at "exposing the wrongs of FranceAfrique" -- a term referring to the murky post-colonial relationship France maintains with African countries it once ruled.
The 35-year-old, whose real name is Stellio Capo Chichi, has in recent years organised many demonstrations against the CFA franc, which his Facebook page describes as "an economic and political scandal of the colonial establishment which is killing our people".
'Plundering an entire continent'
Outside the court, around 100 of his supporters broke into loud cheers on hearing the verdict, shouting "Down with FranceAfrique" and "Down with the CFA franc".
Kemi Seba, whose real name is Capo Chichi, has organised many demonstrations against the CFA franc which his Facebook page describes as "an economic and political scandal of the colonial establishment"
"Those who should be in prison are those who have been starving and plundering an entire continent for centuries," said Hery Djehuty, who helps run Urgences Panafricanistes, a Dakar-based charity set up by Seba.
"It is the youth who are bringing the issue to the table, who want Africa to be able to decide its own fate, its future and its economic policy and that it not be in the hands of a third party or foreign power like France," he said.
Seba is no stranger to brushes with the law -- particularly in France where two groups he founded, Tribu K and Jeunesse Kemi Saba, were banned for "racist and anti-Semitic" ideology.
He has also acknowledged being friends with controversial French comedian Dieudonne who has been convicted for racist and anti-Semitic remarks.
The Assemblywoman for the Ofankor Electoral Area in the Greater Accra Region, Ms. Humu Dilley Saeed has been honoured by the Chief of the area, Nii Kortey Boi (Obiani Ehi ) for bringing massive developments to the community.
The development-oriented politician, who is regarded by many as the new Hawa Yakubu was honoured last weekend when the people of the area climaxed their Homowo celebration with an award ceremony to acknowledge hardworking individuals in the area. She is now the Nkosoo Hemaa or Naa Kordey for the area.
Addressing a colourful durbar, the Chief of Ofankor, Nii Kortey Boi, commended the assembly member for her numerous development projects and urged stakeholders to support her.
The chief further described the assemblywoman as hardworking, affable and reliable.
Nii Kortey Boi, explained that even though the dynamic assemblywoman is not a Ga by birth, she has proven to the chiefs and people of Ofankor that the community is her home.
Gas by their nature love their own but we consider Humu as our own because she has taken as her own, the chief added.
Ms Humu Dilley Saeed thanked the Chiefs and people of Ofankor for the honour bestowed on her and promised to initiate more development projects in the area.
Ms Saeed who is also aspiring for the Greater Accra New Patriotic Party (NPP) Womens Oganiser position also said bringing development in an area is a shared responsibility of the central government, assemblies, citizenry and most importantly the traditional leaders.
"This is because the community can be mobilized quickly and productively to address local problems, elaborate action plans and come up with solutions to strengthen community through effective functioning of traditional leaders," she said.
He paid glowing tribute to the Nii Kortey Boi and promised to collaborate with the chiefs as a true daughter of the land.
Ms. Saeed, enjoys massive popularity in the Ga-dominated community due to her hard work.
Her service to humanity, humility and love for the people will make her a good Womens Organiser if given the chance, a top party official told this paper.
Staff of the National Communications Authority (NCA) have donated disaster relief items such as mattresses, pieces of clothes, blankets, bedsheets and several bales of used clothing worth GH10,000.00 to support victims of the mudslide and flood disaster which hit a suburb of Freetown, Sierra Leone a couple of weeks ago. The items were donated through the Sierra Leone High Commission in Ghana on Tuesday, 29th August, 2017.
The NCA staff met with the High Commissioner, Madam Umu Hawa Tejan-Jaloh and her colleagues who welcomed the staff. NCA Staff also signed the book of condolence on behalf of NCA staff. Mrs. Mavis Obeng-Aidoo led the delegation to donate the relief items and spoke on her colleagues efforts to help the victims.
She recounted that staff of the Authority were sad and moved by the disaster which had taken the lives of hundreds of people and rendered thousands homeless. Mrs. Obeng-Aidoo said, to help alleviate the suffering of victims, staff voluntarily made cash donations which were used to purchase the relief items.
Her Excellency Madam Umu Hawa Tejan-Jaloh receiving the items, expressed appreciation on behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone for the kind gesture.
She also expressed her gratitude to the many groups and individuals that have made various donations in support of the victims of the tragedy. She said, the relief items presented will go a long way to relieve these victims.
Heavy rains in the city of Freetown in Sierra Leone in August 2017, have caused major landslides in various parts of the city. This left thousands of people homeless and hundreds dead.
Food, clean drinking water, and clothing are now needed to help those that have lost everything. Over 1,000 homes have been covered in deep mud with people stranded inside.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
As Ghanaians, the concept of eating appears to be part of everything we do. Whether taken literally or figuratively, we encourage eating. And we seem to be madly in love with iteating. Some form of eating is a constant in all we do anywhere we are.
For example when I arrived on the campus of the University of Ghana in September 2013, one thing that struck me was the consistent, constant and emboldened addition of Item 13 is massively assured on flyers, notices, banners and WhatsApp messages that advertised programmes. It appeared to me that the organisers were saying to potential patrons: even if you find the programmes not worthy of attending, even if you find whatever is going to be discussed worthless, just come and eat your item 13. And at programmes it was quite clear that people had attended merely to eat their item 13. And greedily!
In fact, programmes that did not go the extra mile to stress that item 13 was massively assured (note: not just assured, but massively) were bound to fail or at least do worse than those that massively assured item 13, to wit, massive eating.
Even at funeral ceremonies, which ordinarily should be occasions for mourning and a collective loss of appetite, people promptly dry their tears, restore their voracious appetite and eat. Some take the funeral food away to be eaten. Others will later complain about how good or bad, how tasty or tasteless the food was.
Eating, especially communal eating, shouldnt be a problem. The food nourishes our bodies and the bond established as we eat together makes for a happier, peaceful society. But our notion of eating comes with a certain obliviousness, a blindness to the source of the food and the consequences of our eating. Whatever it is, we want to eat.
And this unbridled and brazen addition of eating to everything we do is one major cause of our vampiric corruption. When people elect their representatives, the coded message which is sometimes said openly though is go and also eat. If such an elected representative stays for too long in the eyes of the electorate, he is voted out so that another person can go and also eat.
Now even if elected representatives and other politicians assume a questionable lavish lifestyle that reeks of corruption, it is explained away with an eating mentality: You dont worry. Its his time to chop. It wont last forever. Dont miss eating in this; chop means eat.
Most public officials armed with this mindless mentality of eating, see public office as an eatery. They seem to be there to eat. They gobble solid food and guzzle anything liquid, from ordinary water to the harshest of liqueurs.
The revelations from SSNIT seem to fit my perfect example of eating. It appears that the management and board members were there to chop, to eat. The four representatives of labour seemed to have been the busiest, eating.
The breath of fresh air is that as Ghanaians we are tackling corruption head on on various platforms, notably, social media. This, I suggest, should be boosted by banishing the concept of unquestioning eating from the outset. Eating must not be given prominence in our affairs.
Item 13 must not be massively assured. Of course, participants of programmes should be catered for but they must not attend programmes with eating lodged in the fore of their subconscious. Politicians, and indeed every other worker, must not be allowed to eat at and from their workplace. Places of work are not cafeterias. Public office is not a food bazaar. We must consciously dislodge the jaundiced notion of eating that is unfortunately lodged in our sub-conscious. We must stop eating because eating is eating us up.
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is on a high alert to avert an impending flood disaster in the Northern Region following plans of authorities in Burkina Faso to open flood gates of their Bagre dam.
The organization has intensified its awareness creation asking residents of lowland areas in the region to relocate ahead of the Bagre dam's spillage.
NADMO's national Director, Nana Agyemang Prempeh is leading a team advocating the operation thunderbolt 2017 recently launched following the recent floods.
The operation thunderbolt is headquartered in Walewale under the supervision of a Deputy NADMO National Director in charge of operations, Abu Ramadan.
Nana Agyemang Prempeh at a meeting with major stakeholders from the various district assemblies in the Northern Region called for teamwork to save lives ahead of the Bagre dam spillage.
He made a passionate appeal saying, I want us to all prepare ourselves. You have your men in your various districts so let them start doing the sensitization and the awareness creation.
We have pitched camp here, our people are here to do sensitization and awareness creation before the thing happens. In Ghana, we always wait until it happens before we bring mattresses and others but this time we want to change the style.
So I am just here to plead with you because you are the stakeholders as far as the assemblies are concerned to make a passionate appeal to our people especially those who know very well that where they are staying when it happens it is going to affect them to leave for this short period and move to other places, he stressed.
He bemoaned the politicization of NADO operations and called for a paradigm shift.
According to him, disaster management is a serious business which should be devoid of partisan political considerations.
Nana Agyemang Prempeh insisted that NADMO officials should discontinue media interviews without authorization.
As we wait for the spillage of the Bagre dam, I want to make this clear that NADMO work should be out of the politics of Ghana. If this country will progress, security and disaster management should not be politicized.
What happened in Tamale, whilst we were solving the problem some people were on air saying so many things. If you are a NADMO staff you don't just speak on air and don't just say anything without recourse to your Bosses because there are somethings you might not understand and you need to get proper information before you speak on air, it happened in Tamale and I didn't like it, he lamented.
NADMO has relocated its headquarters from Accra to the Northern Region to undertake the Operation Thunderbolt 2017.
The decision followed recent flooding which killed two people and destroyed homes, livestock, feeder roads and farmlands in some parts of the region.
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
A few days after the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had called for the cessation of the war of words among members of the party, it appears some faceless individuals are again making frantic efforts to tarnish the name of the party's founder, Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
They have disseminated information in the social media which has since gone viral, accusing Nana Konadu of attempting to 'steal' a piece of land located at Switchback Road a prime area of Accra sometime in 2013 when John Mahama's NDC administration was in power.
Was your wife Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings claiming a 1.5 acre of property at Switchback Road, a prime area of Accra, on the Flair Catering Road? Mr. Rawlings was quizzed in the message posted on social media.
Did she (Mrs. Rawlings) attempt to forcefully take over the land sometime in May/June 2013? the faceless person(s) asked Mr. Rawlings in the said message.
Did the matter become a police case in which divine priestesses from Osu stripped naked at the Cantonments police station to invoke the intervention of the gods and to prevent innocent persons from being detained at the behest of Nana Konadu? it queried.
Mr. Rawlings has become a thorn in the flesh of many members of the NDC, especially those closely linked to former President Mahama.
This is due to the continued open and strong criticisms of some top members of the NDC by Mr Rawlings on issues mostly bordering on corruption and gross neglect of the party's ideologies.
He recently came under attack from Valerie Sawyerr, a former Deputy Chief of Staff under the erstwhile Mahama's administration, after he (Rawlings) had in a speech at the 80th anniversary of the Asafotufiam Festival at Ada, hit back at some members of the NDC who hold the view that his words against some officials of the party depict his hatred for his own party.
Mr. Rawlings had indicated that he was just a patriotic citizen who abhors corrupt practices, therefore his remarks against the party stemmed from corruption and bad governance which bedeviled President Mahama's NDC administration.
He noted, When we speak, they say I don't like NDC. No! I just don't like corruption and bad governance. I don't like disgrace so if NDC does good, I will praise them and if they are bad I will say it as well.
But Ms. Sawyerr, in what appeared to be an open letter, strongly condemned the NDC founder for constantly tagging the party's hierarchy as corrupt.
They say he booms, I say he buzzes like an agitated mosquito looking for his next victim. Is he trying to say that his reign was unblemished or that his twin brother's (President Akufo-Addo's) reign is unsullied? Really? Valerie quizzed in the open letter.
Most of the attacks on the person of Mr. Rawlings have apparently been by individuals who seem to want to 'equalize the score' by making him (Rawlings) also look dishonest in the public's eyes.
This had compelled Mr. Rawlings to state recently that Valerie Sawyerr, whose father was Education Minister in his (Rawlings') government, was intimidated by his (Rawlings') integrity, for which reason she attacked him.
By Melvin Tarlue
The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has denied any involvement in an alleged GH97 million contract signed between it and European Dynamics Company of Greece for the e-Procurement Project under the National e-Transform project.
At a press conference yesterday in Accra to set the records straight, Agyenim Boateng Adjei, CEO of the PPA, said the contract sum amounted to $5 million and not GH97 million as speculated.
Giving further details of the contract, Mr Adjei said European Dynamics Company of Greece, the application service provider, won an international competitive tendering process, which was supervised by the World Bank and other stakeholders by beating the stiff competition from other companies from Portugal, China, Nigeria and South Africa.
The contract sum ($5 million) covers the engagement of the ASP, sensitization and training, roll out expenses and other service costs.
So far, a total of US$1,775,084.25 has been disbursed to cover the first phase of the implementation process. And this is made up of a contract sum of US$1,510,710.00 and Value Added Tax (VAT) and direct tax components in the sum of US$264,374.25.
He stated that the remainder of almost $3.2million would be used to cover other roll out expenses to bring other entities onto the e-procurement system.
I am glad to announce that European Dynamics has successfully held a joint inception and stakeholder consultations in July 2017 to kick-start the entire process.
Currently, system requirement specifications are being developed. Other integration systems requirements are being addressed with relevant stakeholders such as the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Registrar-General's Department, GIFIMIS and the National Internet & Technology Agency (NITA).
By the foregoing, he said European Dynamics was expected to conduct the training and implementation roll-out for six selected entities namely the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Health Services (GHS), Department of Feeder Roads, Koforidua Technical University, Ghana Cocoa Board and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).
The CEO used the opportunity to reiterate the authority's commitment to ensuring value for money and delivering on its mandate.
Background
Ghana, in its quest to bridge the digital divide in its service delivery from manual to electronic systems, received support from the World Bank under the e-Ghana Project to support applications such as the e-Government Procurement system in 2011.
This led to the engagement of Messrs PriceWaterHouse Coopers (Ghana-India) as consultants for the effective implementation of the project in 2012.
It was however suspended when the e-Ghana Project came to a close in 2012.
By Akpene Darko-Cobbina
Trident Imperial Company Limited, in collaboration with its South African partners, has entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Ga West, Nsawam-Adoagyiri and the Akwapim South Municipal and District Assemblies for the construction of a $1.5 billion state-of-the-art industrial village.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trident Imperial Company Limited, Nana Opeabere Awuah Asiedu, during a durbar of chiefs and people at Nsakye in the Akwapim South District of the Eastern Region lately, lauded the chiefs in the three MMDAs for donating 5,000 acres of land for the project which would benefit the residents.
Nana Opeabere Awuah Asiedu, who is also the Benkumhene of Suhum and Adantamhene of Akwapim, indicated that the project will comprise industrial complex, hospital, housing units, schools, restaurant, shopping mall, a stop transit point for exports and rapid transit systems, among others.
We have the resources to embark on this project which to us is a novelty and expected to create huge employment opportunities for more than 100,000 people but at present we are relying on the three MMDAs to obtain the relevant documentations from the chiefs and government, he stated.
The MCE for Ga West, Clement Wilkinson, indicated that the project is centered on the president's 'One District One Factory' policy.
He explained that the Ga West Municipality shares boundaries with the other areas, adding that the majority of residents in Ga West are settler farmers in the Akwapim South and Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipalities.
The Chief of Aburi, Otoobour Djan Kwasi II, who made the donation of the lands on behalf of the other chiefs to the MMDAs, urged Ghanaians to support government in the implementation of its 'One District One Factory' policy.
According to him, the policy has a lot of benefits for future generations, adding that it should be embraced by all Ghanaians.
The President's One District One Factory Policy adopted from international best practices is what holds the key that opens to secure future for our people, and therefore there is no need playing politics with it, our people have far too long suffered and this is the time to break the cycle of poverty.
Otoobour Djan Kwasi, who is also the Adontenhene of Akwapim and the overlord of lands, told the chiefs that the appropriate compensation would be given to them.
In a related development, the MCE for Ga West, Mr Wilkinson and his delegation have presented a ram, assorted drinks and cash of GHC2,000 to the chiefs and people for the celebration of 'Awukudae.'
By Solomon Ofori
The Tobinco Group of Companies on Friday donated $58,000 worth of drugs to victims of the recent mudslide in Sierra Leone which also claimed over 400 lives.
Ben Kpabi Tetteh, General Manager of Marketing and Communications of Tobinco, told the media that the donation was in response to the appeals made by government to support Sierra Leone in these trying times.
He said Tobinco continues to demonstrate high sense of humanitarianism as part of efforts to ensure that people enjoy the best of health to reduce mortality not only in Ghana but neighbouring countries as well.
We have our friends, brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone. We see this as a disaster, which has affected the sub-region. This gesture is, therefore, very urgent, he added.
Albert Yankey, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who received the items on behalf of government, commended the company and called on other institutions to emulate their gesture.
We all saw and heard the news about the disaster, and it was only good for Ghana to demonstrate a sense of solidarity with our friends in Sierra Leone, he added.
Rtd Chief Justice Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh, the Sierra Leonean High Commissioner to Ghana, applauded the institution for the support and said Ghana had showed commitment to deepening bilateral relations with his country.
On behalf of President Ernest Bai Koroma, I want to thank you all for your help, she said.
The total value of exports generated under the Ghana Free Zones Programme last year stood at $2.3 billion, Michael Okyere-Baafi, Executive Secretary of the board, has disclosed.
This formed part of export revenue generated between 1996 and December 2016 which recorded $30.9 billion.
Speaking at the launch of a week-long celebration themed: 'Promoting Export Oriented-Investment for National Development' to promote investment opportunities in the export-oriented business sector for local investors on Monday in Accra, Mr Okyere-Baafi said the Free Zones Regulations have given the Board the flexibility to licence export-oriented companies located outside the declared and designated areas.
For such entities, he said his outfit was taking opportunity to facilitate the implementation of government's policy on the 'One District, One Factory' policy.
The celebration, billed for the last week of August every year, is targeted at encouraging Ghanaian business executives and entrepreneurs who have surplus funds to invest in the export sector.
Data from GFZB shows that out of 201 licensed Free Zones companies, only 56 companies were wholly owned while 63 were joint-ventures, representing 28 and 31 percent respectively while 82 companies, representing 41 percent, were foreign owned.
Mr Baafi said GFZB has had various interactions with members of the Association of Ghana Industries to highlight the investment opportunities in the Free Zones programme and encourage them to utilize the opportunity by investing in the GFZ programme.
Other objectives are to increase foreign exchange earnings, provision of business opportunities for local and foreign investors to undertake joint ventures, enhancement of technical and management skills of Ghanaians and promotion of technology transfer.
He applauded the investors for believing in Ghana's Free Zones programme.
He said he was expecting an increase in employment at the Tema Export Processing Zone and all the single factory zones.
Events lined up for the week celebration include a media briefing on the activities of GFZB, breakfast meeting with business owners, tour of the Free Zones enclave, staff durbar and a corporate health walk at the Peduase Mountains on Saturday.
I am beginning to wonder if the NDC apparatchiks have shame in their lexicons. The NDC in government, created, looted and shared the booty among themselves. They grabbed everything that came their way and treated Ghanaians with disrespect and contempt because they thought they could buy their way to yet another stolen verdict. Acting like the Vikings, these bunch of nation wreckers bulldozed their way into the national kitty and made away with whatever they saw, thereby, raping the nation with a serrated manhood. Rampaging Vikings they were!.
All along, Ghanaians bid their time with patience and when the day of reckoning came knocking on their doors, they showed them the red card. Barely eight months in opposition, communicators of the NDC are on the war path while their leaders disturb our ears with series of press conferences. If they think they can play politics of distraction, then someone out there should tell them to hold their breath because there is a job to be done and the President and his team will never succumb to any pressure. It is easy to destroy than to build. The NDC took eight solid years to destroy a buoyant economy left behind by ex-president Kufuor and yet they want President Nana Akufo Addo to take eight months to clean the mess they created.
Since losing the 2016 general election, supporters of the NDC and their leadership, for that matter, have become so desperate that if they fail to apply the brakes and strike their mental delete buttons, some of them will go gaga or contract high blood pressure or even die before 2020. They have still not come into terms with the reality that they lost miserably to the mighty elephant fraternity. Ant they continue to tickle themselves and continue to tell their supporters that they will come to power in 2020 as if Ghanaians are fools to entrust their destinies to vampires who milked the state coffers dry.
For the past eight months, Ghanaians have seen for themselves the way the President and his team are working past exhaustion to salvage the economy. The NDC stands against the good people of Ghana because we stood on their way when they wanted to continue mismanaging the economy. When the NDC was in power, they abandoned every value except the will to power and use the power to amass wealth. They used propaganda to deceive the people and followed that path all the way to where they are today and as sure as the sun will shine tomorrow, they will follow that path to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
Ghana was successful under ex-president Kufuor because of the enabling environment created by the regime, coupled with the hard work and creativity and enterprise of our people. These were the true strength of our economy when ex-president Kufour was in power before the NDC came to turn the apple cart upside down. The current regime is picking up the pieces in order to move the nation forward but those who spoiled the economy will never give the government a breathing space. But you know what? We aren't going to allow that. People can decide to contain them but some of us in the inky fraternity will give them a run for their money. These guys thought they could not lose the election because they had their plan B to lay their hands on. That was why this loud-mouthed guy with protruding stomach called Koku Anyidoho had the confidence to tell supporters of the NDC even before the EC announced the results that the party was in a comfortable lead And when the chickens came home to roost, their National Organizer, Kofi Adamu had to swallow a bitter pill and told the supporters that an I.T failure caused their defeat. That was when Koo The Boy realized that the NDC had no more ace to play. Yes, rules must be obeyed. Who say man no dey?
When Justice Atuguba and his other four judges of the Supreme Court moved in sympathy with John Mahama and his NDC, the NPP led by candidate Nana Akufo Addo and his team quickly patched it up together and hit the road running. Not so with the NDC. These people are finding it very difficult to patch it up together and they are so fragmented that not even the Pope can bring them together. You insult Rawlings and expect him to join your campaign in 2020? NEVER! The illusive Kwasi Botchwey report is still illusive because the NDC people are afraid that when it is released the party will fall apart. Some NDC supporters and communicators might have had a glimpse of the document and so they go on radio stations and begin pointing accusing fingers at some of their leaders. Who cares? One day when the cat comes out of the bag, the cat will tell us what was in the bag. Meanwhile time is ticking as 2020 beckons while the NDC leaders continue kicking. Instead of coming together to mend fences they still have time to grieve over their shameful defeat.
WHY HEADS MUST ROLL AT NADMO AND NHIS
Heads must role in some departments and agencies in this country if the NPP promises would be kept. During the 2016 electioneering campaign, the NPP promised that when voted to power, the government will revive the tattered National Health Insurance Scheme. It was ex-president Kufour who promised Ghanaians in the run-up to the 2000 general election that he would do away with the Cash and Carry health delivery system which was hoisted on Ghanaians by the Rawlings regime. The then candidate Kufour held his cards on his chest until he was voted to power before rolling out the NHIS. Ghanaians remember with nostalgia when the scheme was working with perfection until the NDC came on board to destroy it because of chop, chop.
Wherever Nana Addo went during the electioneering campaign, he made it plain to Ghanaians that when voted into power, he will never hesitate to revive the scheme which was being run down by the Mahama-led administration. Many people, especially the poor who were finding it difficult to access health care voted massively for Nana Akufo Addo because of this particular promise. Today, the NPP is in power but sadly those at the helm of affairs at the NHIS at the district level are still at post. And these are the same people who collapsed the scheme. It is commendable that the government is paying the debt which was incurred by the scheme during the NDC era but that is not enough. Unless those in charge of the scheme at the district level are replaced, it would be like fetching water and pouring it into a leaking barrel. We will go back to square one. Much as I do not subscribe to their dismissal, I think they should be transferred to other departments and agencies and new qualified officers appointed to man the outfit in all the districts.
If they are left to work at the NHIS, they will sabotage the scheme and the promise of revamping the scheme will be a dream gone bad. If this happens, the NDC will use it as a weapon to fire the NPP, come 2020. Why should the NPP buy guns for its enemies? In the run-up to the 2016 general election, the leadership of the NDC instructed bosses of the NHIS at the district level to register as many people as possible without collecting premium from them because they wanted votes. During District Assembly elections, MMDCEs ordered the scheme managers to register more people free of charge. That was why one of the defenses anytime they were accused of running down the scheme was that they had registered more people than the NPP did under ex-president Kufour.
Another place where heads must roll is the National Disaster Management Organization. We need to remake that outfit so that it would be useful. There are a whole lot of supposed workers there doing absolutely nothing but collect pay at the end of the month. The time has come for the government to dissolve the outfit, remake it and ask people to reapply so that competent people are employed there. Visit any district office of NADMO and you will see the workers sitting under trees, doing nothing. As for the Zonal Co-coordinators they become happy whenever there is a disaster because that is an opportunity for them to make extra money. They will quickly rush to the district offices to collect relief items which will never land in the hands of victims of disaster.
What is most annoying and what is worrisome to the grassroot supporters of the NPP is that when the NDC came to power, they dismissed some of the staff of NADMO. They also transferred many of them to far away places knowing very well that the salary they were receiving then, could not even pay for the transportation of their beds to such areas. How wicked they were.
So, I demand that heads must roll at these places and the demand is not opened for negotiation or discussion. It is simply a demand from an Angel who dwells in the firmament and not just an ordinary angel but the one who predicted the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me say AMEN!
By Eric Bawah
Harare (AFP) - Thousands of Zimbabweans marched through Harare on Wednesday in a show of support for first lady Grace Mugabe who evaded assault allegations in South Africa by claiming diplomatic immunity.
The march, organised by President Robert Mugabe's all-powerful ZANU-PF party, came two weeks after Grace was accused of attacking a 20-year-old model at an upmarket Johannesburg hotel.
Grace Mugabe was due to address the "solidarity rally" once marchers reached the party's headquarters in the capital.
She is alleged to have assaulted Gabriella Engels with an electrical extension cable at the hotel where the Mugabes' two sons, who have a reputation for partying, were staying.
The marchers, who were mainly women and young men dressed in party colours, chanted slogans and singing praises for "Dr Amai" (Doctor Mother).
Some street vendors and shopkeepers told AFP they were forced to close their businesses and join the march.
"We support the president and Dr Amai all the way to elections in 2018," said 21-year-old unemployed mother-of-one Belinda Sunga, adding she relied on party-sponsored projects to survive.
President Mugabe, 93, who came to power in 1980, is due to stand again in elections next year, with his wife, 52, seen as one possible successor when he leaves office.
'A insult to women'
"We came here to march and mobilise support for our president and the first lady," said Lovemore Goka, 22, a motor mechanic who travelled by ZANU-PF transport from Gokwe, about 340 kilometres (210 miles) away.
"Engels is not an angel," read one placard held by a supporter while another said "We Stand by Our Mother, Dr Grace."
Engels suffered cuts to her forehead and the back of her head, and opened a police case in South Africa alleging assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Zimbabwean opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) dismissed the marchers as "sycophants" trying to seek favour with the Mugabe regime.
"If there should be any march, it should be against Grace Mugabe," MDC spokesman Obert Gutu told AFP.
"The march is an insult to women. She had no decency to apologise after she was granted diplomatic immunity in suspicious circumstances."
The state-run Herald newspaper on Wednesday ran a special supplement praising Grace Mugabe for her charity work and describing her as "a loving mother of the nation".
The first lady is increasingly active in public life and in 2014 became the head the ZANU-PF party's women's wing.
She regularly speaks at rallies across the country, railing against anyone alleged to be disloyal to the president, and handing out clothes and domestic goods.
The Volta Regional Medical Store is currently in huge debt so much that the facility may have to close down if immediate and drastic measures are not taken to rescue it from its indebtedness.
According to the Volta Regional Health Director, Dr Joseph Teye Nuertey, the indebtedness has increased dramatically over the period from GH6,211,985.22 to GH9, 334, 11.90.
He stated that the level of indebtedness has affected the supply of drugs and other supplies to health facilities such that facilities at the rural areas do not sometimes have basic medical supplies to carry out their work.
Dr Teye Nuertey said, That is really creating some problem for us. It means that we cannot pay our suppliers and our suppliers are reluctant to give us more commodities There are times where some of our facilities do not have commodities at all. Health centres and CHPS compound don't have the basic commodities.
Gradually, the medical store is grinding to a halt. If nothing is done immediately and drastically; we may have to close down the medical stores, he bemoaned.
Dr Teye Nuertey, therefore, warned that moving forward there will be stringent measures, including sanctioning facilities that owe the medical stores.
He disclosed this when he spoke to DAILY GUIDE on the sidelines of the mid-year health review of the Volta Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Services.
The mid-year review of the Volta Regional Health Services is a forum held by the directorate to review the performance of health facilities and directorates across the region and develop strategies to deal with challenges that will come about.
Medical Store
The Volta Regional Medical Store is an appendage of the Central Medical Stores in Tema. The medical store provides commodities, thus, drug and non-drug resources to health facilities across the country, particularly those under the Ghana Health Services.
In the Volta Region, the medical store serves all the 14 hospitals and 25 health directorates including, clinics, health centres and CHPS compounds.
It will, therefore, be suicidal if the medical store closes down, as many lives will be lost due to lack of drugs and other essentials supplies for quality health delivery in the region.
Why Indebtedness
As part of measures to ensure constant supply of drugs and non-drug resources to health facilities in the region, the 'cash and carry' relationship between the medical store and facilities was replaced with a scheduled delivery system.
Per the system, facilities send their request to the Volta Regional Health Directorate, and it is packed and sent back to the medical store, which then delivers the supplies to the facilities. Unlike the former regime, facilities only pay for their supplies after receiving and using them.
However, the new system which is to be a blessing has rather increased the indebtedness of facilities to the medical store from about GH2.3 million to GH9.3million.
He was, however, unhappy that facilities are not ready to use part of their internally generated funds to defray their debts while they wait for the NHIS claims.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
The medical store is supposed to be their first port of call, but somehow they go behind to the open market to buy products and pay, while they hold on the payment of the medical stores, he disclosed.
Dr Teye Nuertey further revealed that some facilities also abused the one-month non-availability certificate used to procure medical commodities, adding, Instead of procuring supplies meant to last for a month, they will procure for more than that one month.
From Fred Duodu, Ho [email protected]
Defense lawyers in the trial of two Russians and two Ukrainians at an Accra Circuit Court for engaging in illegal mining in the country without licence have pleaded with the court to allow their clients to go home.
According to Emmanuel Kofi Darko, the families of his clients-Farid Isaev, Vadim Potokin, Serhii Chepurniy all engineers and Genadiy Rubec, a site manager, are worried about their situation.
Emmanuel claimed the families of the accused persons have continuously been lamenting overseas.
He prayed the court to review the bail conditions to enable his clients travel back to Russia and return when the prosecution begins its case.
This was after the prosecutor DSP Cletus Abadanlowra had prayed the court to adjourn the case.
The trial judge subsequently adjourned the case until October 12, warning the prosecution not to fail to start its case.
It would be recalled that the court on June 14 2017 granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of GH200,000 with one surety, who must be a Ghanaian.
They were ordered to deposit their passports at the court registry.
As part of the bail conditions, they were also ordered to report to the police every two weeks.
The accused persons on or about May 22, this year at Manso- Tontokrom in the Amansie Circuit of the Ashanti Region, conspired to undertake small-scale mining without authority.
DSP Abadanlowra said the complainant in the case is a police officer attached to the Lands and Forestry Ministry while the accused persons are from Russia and Ukraine and reside at Tontokrom in the Ashanti Region.
The Minister of Lands and Forestry, John Peter Amewu, recently gave an ultimatum to small-scale mining companies and illegal miners, popularly known as galamsayers, operating in the country to stop their activities till the regulation of their operations.
The government subsequently banned all forms of small-scale mining in the country till further notice.
On May 22, Mr Amewu and a team, including the complainant, went on a fact-finding tour at Manso Tontokrom to ensure that the ban was being complied and met the accused persons busily engaged in illegal mining (galamsey).
They used heavy-duty equipment to degrade a vast land, nearby destroying crops and cocoa farms of the inhabitants.
They also polluted their source of drinking water.
The accused persons stated that they were employees of Geo Professional Services (GPS), a mining company.
[email protected]
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kofi Atiemo-Gyan has begun a new wave of campaign against funerals in Ghana.
He believes funerals in general are but a waste of time and resources and must be abolished if possible.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, the 78-year old lawyer who is currently on holidays in Ghana expressed disgust at the manner in which Ghanaians cherish the dead more than the living.
Funerals are too expensive in this country that we are being mocked by the British press, he noted, recalling how one of the British media houses recently published a story on how Ghanaians spend so much money to bury their dead.
Concerns
He stressed that these funerals stifle productivity in Ghana, insisting that funerals have taken the working time in Ghana to an extent that we even cherish them than the work that puts food on our table and money in our pockets.
According to him, the actual working days in Ghana have been reduced to mainly Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; sometimes you will go to an office, be it a Ministry, Department or Agency and most government establishments and when you ask of the schedule officer who will attend to your needs, you are told he or she has gone to a funeral and will return on Monday.
Meanwhile, he indicated, when he or she returns on Monday, instead of going to work, he would use the day to rest and resume work on Tuesday. That alone should tell how much we are losing to these funerals.
He also had course to complain about the way some families and people even keep dead bodies in morgues for a year and over and in the process accrue so much expenditure which could otherwise have been channeled into productive use like paying school fees or as a start-up capital for a member of the family who may be in need, but all these monies will be wasted on a dead body for nothing.
What seemed to annoy him the most was the fact that some even go to borrow money to organize these funerals for people to come and eat and drink, sometimes giving nothing in return and what has become more of a 'serve yourself' (open buffets) and dinners after funerals in recent times.
The annoying thing is that they will say they are paying last respect; how can you pay last respect to a person who is dead? he asked rhetorically.
Meanwhile, he said we end up celebrating the dead more than the living by spending rather more on funerals than when a new baby is being outdoored or named.
Regulation
He is therefore seeking the intervention of Parliament, if possible, and especially traditional rulers and churches to help regulate funerals in the country as Muslims do.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Sunyani based radio station Metro 90.5FM has been taken over by Dr Victor Kwadwo Adeymang, CEO of Ahomeka Beverages, producers of Bie Gya Bitters.
The owner of the radio station,Bishop Columbus Appiah, leader of Miraculous Jesus Evangelistic Ministry International,has agreed to changed hands.
The radio station,which started some years ago is among the top 5 radio stations in the Brong Ahafo region.
The station formerly known as Metro 90.5FM is to trade as Ahomeka 90.5FM.
The station which is currently running a test transmission is still operating from old place in Sunyani Magazine and shares the same premises with National lottery.
The Metro FM acquisition is the Dr. Victor Adeymang, first major takeover in radio in the Brong Ahafo region.
Meanwhile,last month the CEO of Ahomeka Beverages, producers of Bie Gya Bitters, Dr Victor Adeymang, honoured with a doctorate degree for his immense contribution to the development of the local beverages in Africa and the world at large.
The honour from one of the Ukrainian leading university, Alfred Noble University was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology at the Faculty of Law.
Bie Gya Bitters which is made from the best natural extracts from the thickest forests in Ghana and stands stall as reigning king of all bitters has won the hearts of many in Ghana and has fast been accepted as the preferred bitters across the West African sub region.
Bie Gya bitters which is suitable for all occasions have super smooth, tasty and leaves refreshing smell and no hangover.
WASHINGTON There are lots of compelling reasons not to pardon the countrys most famous racist in the middle of a hurricane.
So why exactly did President Trump decide to pardon Joe Arpaio?
Maybe, some speculated, Trump wanted to toss some red meat to his base. Trumps recent Phoenix campaign-rally crowd practically frothed at the mouth when he hinted at a coming pardon of the former Maricopa County sheriff. As Trumps overall approval hovers around 35 percent, a high-profile pardon of a notorious racial profiler might be a way to shore up his support.
But Trump had also previously pursued more behind-the-scenes moves to help Arpaio avoid facing justice, as my Washington Post colleagues reported over the weekend. Which suggests that public credit may not have been the primary goal.
Others speculated that the pardon was about rewarding a longtime ally for his loyalty. Arpaio was, after all, one of the first politicians to board the Trump train. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions was also among Trumps earliest political supporters, and loyalty alone did not shield him from public torment and humiliation at the hands of the president.
Another popular theory is that the pardon was a signal to other Trump confederates coming into special counsel Robert Muellers orbit that the president will protect them.
In my view, the most likely explanation for this stomach-churning pardon is much simpler: Its projection. Trump sees himself or what he sometimes aspires to accomplish, anyway in this local tin-pot dictator.
Think about it. Trump has not exactly proved himself to be the forward-looking, calculating mastermind implied by those alternative explanations. And he makes everything including the Charlottesville violence, the Houston catastrophe, even the eclipse about himself.
Trump and Arpaio both built their political careers by demonizing immigrants. They also both raised their national profiles by claiming that Barack Obama was secretly a Kenyan-born Muslim, a racist conspiracy theory that Arpaio even sent a taxpayer-funded deputy to Hawaii to investigate.
And more broadly they both seem to use law and order as code for encouraging law enforcement to harass people of color.
Those are the best-known parallels between the two politicians, but theyre hardly the only ones. There are many other ways in which Arpaio has proved to be Trumps mini-me.
Arpaio has, for example, jailed journalists who wrote critical stories about his hidden commercial real estate transactions. Trumps antipathy for the media likewise goes beyond bashing us as the enemy of the people and threatening to open up the libel laws he reportedly asked the FBI director to fight leaks by throwing journalists in jail.
Or consider their preferred forms of pomp and circumstance.
For years as sheriff, Arpaio rode a giant tank in local parades. Trump hoped (but failed) to emulate this in his own inaugural parade in January. Trump also plans to issue an executive order expanding the militarization of local police forces, which Obama had rolled back.
Both Trump and Arpaio also have launched attacks on the independence of our federal judiciary.
Trump did this by, among other things, questioning the ability of a U.S.-born judge of Mexican descent to remain impartial in a Trump University case. Arpaio, for his part, refused a court order to stop racial profiling earning him a contempt-of-court conviction, the crime for which he was pardoned.
Before that, Arpaio secretly investigated a judge assigned to his trial, and then claimed that this same judge could not be impartial because the judge had learned about the politically motivated investigation.
Politically motivated investigations were actually a mainstay of Arpaios law enforcement career, as well as Trumps campaign rallies (Lock her up!), while both claim to be victims of political witch hunts themselves.
And woe betide those who actually find themselves imprisoned under eithers authority.
Trump throughout the presidential campaign repeatedly advocated torturing prisoners held abroad; Arpaio often acted on this brutal impulse in his own jails. He set up a tent city, which he sometimes referred to as a concentration camp, housing inmates in temperatures reaching up to 145 degrees; conditions got so hot that prisoners shoes sometimes melted.
And at least three prisoners died each at the time held down in a restraint chair via suffocation.
Trump and the White House repeatedly alluded to 85-year-old Arpaios advanced age when justifying his absolution, perhaps another reason that the oldest man to assume the presidency empathizes with the recipient of his first pardon.
During the two years of his political life, Trumps insults have often been of the I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I projectional variety. Turns out his praise and clemency are, as well.
The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) on Tuesday raided the premises of the IT firm which executed the $72 million digitization project for the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
This latest development was confirmed by citifmonline.com's sources close to the issue.
Perfect Business Systems (PBS), a local IT company partnered Silverlake consortium, a Malaysian firm to install and procure some software and hardware systems known as Operational Business Suite (OBS) aimed at digitizing the operations of SSNIT.
The contract sum which was originally $34 million later ballooned to $66 million and $72 million due to maintenance and additional infrastructure.
The Economic and Organized Crime Organization (EOCO) is currently investigating five officials of SSNIT for their alleged involvement in the acquisition of the DBS system.
The Board Chairman of SSNIT, Kwame Addo Kufuor in an earlier interview with Citi News said about 15 people had already appeared before EOCO as witnesses in the matter.
SSNIT interdicts MIS Manager over suspicious university degrees
SSNIT had interdicted its General Manager for MIS [Management of Information Systems], Dr. Caleb Afaglo over the authenticity of his qualification for the position he holds in the organization.
SSNIT gave Dr. Afaglo, who was appointed in October 2015 and confirmed in July 2016, a letter interdicting him on July 13, 2017, pending the outcome of an EOCO investigation into his academic and professional qualifications.
EOCO conducted raids in his house, seized his passport and froze his bank account.
By: citifmonline.com/Ghana
30.08.2017 LISTEN
On Wednesday 30th August, 2017 03: 20 hrs, the Kasoa District police Night Patrol Team received a distress call that a house at Lamptey Bigman Town, Kasoa was attacked by armed robbers.
The patrol team led by Inspr. Acquah proceeded to the scene and met Abubakari Abdul Kadril 23yrs a mobile money vendor with gunshot wounds on right and left legs and arms, Jabil Abdul Kadril 17 yrs a student shot on the chest and Mammound Jarrah 21yrs also received bullet wounds on right and left legs.
The robbers entered the seven room house by jumbing over the fence wall and used cement blocks to force open five doors and took several assorted mobile phones, laptops, unspecified amount of money and personal effects.
The team retrieved nine empty shells of 9mm ammunition from the scene.
Victims were rushed to Kasoa Polyclinic and later referred to Korle bu Hospital for further treatment.
Below are pictures of the attack,
Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's Supreme Court this week completed two days of hearings during which the opposition alleged fraud it claims handed victory to President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 8 poll.
On Friday the court's seven judges will rule on whether the election should be annulled and rerun, as the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) demanded, or the vote and result should stand, as the election commission and Kenyatta contended.
The country is on tenterhooks as it awaits the result, here's why.
How did elections go?
Election day was calm with more than 15.5 million Kenyans voting for president, governors, senators, parliamentarians, local assembly members and women's representatives.
The overwhelming majority of international observers welcomed the successful holding of the elections.
The presidential election -- preceded by an acrimonious campaign and the murder of the IT manager at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) -- pitted incumbent President Kenyatta against Raila Odinga, who had run unsuccessfully three times in the past.
As initial votes were being counted in the early hours of August 9 the opposition cried foul, alleging hacking and rigging were resulting in a false tally favouring Kenyatta.
The August 11 declaration of Kenyatta's victory with 54.27 percent of the votes, against 44.74 percent for Odinga, was followed by two days of demonstrations and riots in the slums of Nairobi and in the western city of Kisumu, traditional opposition strongholds.
At least 21 people, including a baby and a nine-year-old girl, were killed on 11 and 12 August, mostly by police, according to an AFP tally.
Post-poll unrest killed at least 21 but has not been on the scale of the ethnic violence which left more than 1,100 dead after the disputed 2007 election
The violence, however, has fallen far short of the politically-motivated ethnic violence that left more than 1,100 dead following the disputed 2007 election.
What does the opposition want?
After initially ruling out taking its complaints to court, the opposition in the end asked the Supreme Court to annul the result of the presidential election, filing its petition just hours before the constitutional deadline on August 18.
Opposition lawyers denounced a "litany" of irregularities, accusing the IEBC of having falsified results during the several days it took to publish polling station and constituency tally sheets on its website.
The Supreme Court ordered the opposition lawyers be granted access to IEBC computer servers, documentation, voter identification kits and GPS data. The IEBC failed to abide by all the orders of the court yet opposition lawyer James Orengo claimed the information gathered proved the fraud allegations affecting more than five million votes.
The IEBC denied rigging but acknowledged some "inadvertent errors" that it said would not affect the outcome of the vote.
What is at stake for Kenya?
Opposition leader Odinga attended the court hearing in Nairobi after challenging the result which seven judges are now perusing
On Friday the Supreme Court will either validate the election and Kenyatta will be sworn-in a week later for a second five-year term or it will annul the presidential election giving the IEBC 60 days in which to organise a fresh vote.
The response of the losing party -- at the court as at the ballot -- and its supporters will be key to Kenya's short-term stability.
In that respect much will depend on the perceived quality and impartiality of the judges' ruling, which is final and cannot be appealed.
In 2013, the then Supreme Court judges were widely criticised for their rejection of Odinga's case, again alleging fraud.
Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group think tank said the current procedure has been impressive so far with sessions broadcast live on television and with opposing lawyers laying out their arguments with courtesy and clarity.
But, he warned, "even if the quality of the ruling is high, some people will be disappointed" and that can spell trouble in a country where elections routinely put pressure on ethnic and economic fault lines.
A Koforidua circuit court has sentenced 26 foreigners arrested for engaging in illegal mining in the Atewa forest of the Eastern region.
The foreigners, mainly Nigeriens and Malians were found guilty of conspiracy to do illegal mining and mining without a licence contrary to Section 23(1) of Act 29.
They were ordered to pay a fine each of GH 600,000 which means the 26 of them are expected to pay a total of GH 15.6million to the state or in default they will spend five years in jail.
Hausa and French interpreters provided for some of the accused told the court the accused were not mining but were on a hunting expedition.
Some of them claimed they were in the forest praying although the Forestry Department found sophisticated mining equipment at the site of their arrest.
Counsel for accused persons Dolla Mensah pleaded the sentence be reduced because they have already spent 8 months in custody after they were arrested January 26, 2017.
Deputy state prosecutor Cyril Boateng however asked the court to impose the maximum sentence for the offence to set an example that illegal mining blamed for massive environmental degradation will no longer be tolerated.
He said the whole country is watching out for the verdict of the court and a stiff punishment could boost the government's declared war on 'galamsey'.
There are about 400 soldiers and police officers combing mining zones to flush out illegal miners after several warnings to them to stop the practice went unheeded.
Her Worship Mercy Addai Kotei rejected the pleas of the accused and convicted them.
Three other Ghanaians also standing trial for the same offence were also sentenced to pay a fine each of GH 2,500 In default, they are to spend three years in jail.
Joy News Edwin Kofi Siaw who reported from the court explained sentences are different according to an accused person's citizenship status.
All the 29 miners were arrested by the Forestry Department in an operation led by Palmer Akins Amponsah following a tip-off.
Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
Wa, Aug. 29, GNA - Government appointed Assembly members to all the eleven Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper West Region have undergone a day's orientation to enhance their knowledge on the local governance system.
In all, 105 out of a total of 118 appointees in the Region turned up for the programme, which saw participants being treated to topics such as the 'Overview of the Local Governance Act (2016) Act 936', 'The District Assembly and the Committee System, 'The Model Standing Orders', 'Local Resource Mobilisation, 'Community Engagement in Local Governance' and 'Ethics in Local Governance'.
The orientation programme for the appointed Assembly members was jointly organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) and the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Local Government (IMCC).
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sideline of the orientation programme, Mr. Richard Kambootah, Deputy Director, ILGS, Tamale campus, explained that the training was for only the government appointees because they did not benefit from the earlier training for Assembly members.
He emphasised that it was necessary for the appointees to understand the Assembly system so that they could contribute appropriately during deliberations.
Mr. Kambootah explained that through the orientation, the appointees had the opportunity to understand the new Local Governance Act (2016) Act 936, the committee system, the model standing orders, local resource mobilisation, community engagement and ethics in local governance.
Madam Fati Koray, a Deputy Director at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), called on participants to take the training serious in order to gain in-depth understanding of the local governance system for improved performance.
GNA
By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA
Kwame Asare Obeng, also known as Kwame A-Plus, has expressed satisfaction with the Criminal Investigations Departments (CID) investigation into his corruption claims against two presidential staffers.
Speaking to Citi News, A-Plus said the CID invitation to him was only in fulfillment of President Nana Akufo-Addo's directive to security agencies to investigate any corruption allegations against his officials.
It is the same promise that the President made that he will investigate any allegation. So he has lived by the promise that he made. If I am alleging then he is asking that it be investigated and I think that it is in the right direction. I am very happy.
The CID invitation extended to the NPP Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, who had also made similar corruption allegations, and backed claims.
The accusations came when A-Plus took to Facebook to accuse President Akufo-Addo's two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye, and Abu Jinapor of being corrupt.
In a rant, that he has since apologised to the President for , he described the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff as thieves and called them stupid, without backing his claims with evidence.
Francis Asenso-Boakye subsequently rejected the unsubstantiated corruption claims made against him and Abu Jinapor.
Govt not chasing me
A-Plus noted further that, this invitation was not some sort of witch-hunt against him by the government because of his allegations.
I don't want people to create the impression that the NPP government is chasing people who are coming out with allegations. Anybody who has any allegation of corruption should come out with it. The President will investigate it.
On the corruption claims against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, A-Plus said he was not going to put out anything yet.
I don't think any discussion with the police will be shelved or will be secret. So let's use the institutions, he added.
By: Umaru Sanda Amadu/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Minority Spokesperson for Communications, Alhaji A. B. A. Fuseini, has welcomed the resignation of the immediate past Deputy Minister of Agriculture, William Quaitoo .
He said Mr. Quaitoo's fate is a lesson to politicians to be mindful when making comments on national issues.
The Akim Oda MP tendered in his resignation on Thursday, following pressure from the Minority, and some civil society groups for making ethnocentric comments, which was triggered during a conversation on how government has dealt with the fall army worm invasion in the three regions of the North.
He stated that calls on government to pay compensation for farmers who lost their crops in the three regions of the north, were simply a ploy to fleece the state.
Our brothers [in northern Ghana], it is so difficult to deal with them. I lived there for 27 years, I speak Dagbani like a Dagomba and all that. They are very difficult people. Nobody can substantiate. If anybody says that his farm was destroyed by armyworm, the person would have to come and prove it. We have no records of that. It's just a way of taking money from the government; that's what they do all the time, he said.
Mr. Quaitoo subsequently apologized for his comments but many Ghanaians demanded that he resigns.
He thus resigned on Tuesday.
The Member of Parliament for Sangarigu, A. B. A. Fuseini, who also condemned the deputy minister's comment, said the development must teach politicians to be measured in their speech, and demonstrate humility when engaging citizens.
Those in public office should be minded by the need to be decorous, to be respectful in their utterances. As a public officer, anytime you are going to speak to people, you must show them respect and courtesy. You must eschew arrogance. Don't think that you are going to talk down on people especially when you are talking about the sensibilities of an entire geographical region as the North, I think you should be extra careful about your utterances, he said.
Deputy Agric Minister resigned voluntarily Eugene Arhin
Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, has told Citi News the immediate past Deputy Agric Minister, William Quaitoo, resigned on his own volition .
By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Centre for Transformational Leadership in Africa (CTL Africa) has urged a redefinition of leadership on the continent to bring about the needed development.
CEO of CTL, Samuel Ayim said there are issues with leadership in the country and on the continent because of definitions associated with the word.
In a statement issued Tuesday, he said Ghanaians will be able to get more from their leaders if there is a redefinition of the concept of leadership.
CEO of CTL, Samuel Ayim
There is an urgent need for a redefinition of the concept of leadership in Africa and to inculcate same into the national values of African states through a new curriculum of education from the basic level through to all higher levels of the educational system, he said.
PRESS RELEASE
Accra August 29, 2017
URGENT NEED TO REDEFINE LEADERSHIP FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A Speech by Mr. Samuel Ayim, CEO, Centre for Transformational Leadership in Africa (CTL Africa )
There is an urgent need for a redefinition of the concept of leadership in Africa and to inculcate same into the national values of African states through a new curriculum of education from the basic level through to all higher levels of the educational system.
In every discussion on the development (or rather the under development) of Africa, the issue of leadership is fingered. It has almost become a cliche to cite countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and even Rwanda, as examples of where leadership has made a difference as against African countries who are still struggling under poor leadership, with its attendant avoidable economic and social tragedies.
So if leadership is recognized as the problem, for so long, why are we not able to fix it with all the intellectual and financial resources at our disposal? The answer is that the problem is deeper than merely fingering leadership. The problem lies in the very definition we put on leadership. The concept of leadership as a position, a higher position, from where all solutions should emanate, and that we should all strive to attain that position before we can make any meaningful contribution is a flawed one.
The concept of leadership as position that should bring to the occupant the maximum personal benefit is a flawed one.
As John Maxwell ( renowned leadership expert ) has written and taught for years, the true meaning of leadership is influence and the highest purpose of leadership is to add value to others. True leaders do not serve their own personal interest. True leaders make a difference in their societies and in the lives of their people. True leaders aim to change the circumstance of their communities for the better. We need a new concept of leadership that says each and every one of us can lead. In other words, each of us can influence change from where we are. We do not have to wait till we are appointed or elected to a 'position' before we start leading.
This is the concept of leadership that we should begin to adopt and inculcate as part of our national culture and attitude. We should begin to introduce this concept into our educational system from the basic level. The people who today occupy the positions of President, Minister, Chief Executive Officer etc, did not fall from the moon. They are from the society and they carry with them the national definition and attitudes of leadership. As long as all of us, as a people have a flawed concept of leadership, we can change governments a million time, but we will have the same disappointing results.
I agree with the view that the difference between poor and rich nations is not the age of the nation, nor the availability of natural or even human resources. The difference is the attitude of the people, moulded for many years by education, moral responsibility and culture.
It would be observed that the conduct of the majority of people from the rich and developed countries reveal basic principles of ethical behaviour, integrity, responsibility, respect for Laws and Order, respect by the majority of citizens towards others, the love of work and productivity, a positive attitude toward savings and investment, and punctuality.
Leadership is influence; therefore whether you are father, mother, family head, supervisor or chief executive of an organization, a driver or the president; you must set high ethical values for yourself and those you are leading and be strategically focused to succeed in your area of influence. As a leader you need a strong character, appropriate training and skills to lead effectively.
This new concept of leadership is what Live2Lead is all about; an annual leadership program which CTL Africa in partnership with the John Maxell Company is bringing to Ghana on October 6, 2017 at the College of physicians and surgeons centre, Accra. This will be held annually to help inculcate this new concept of leadership in our people.
The event will feature four renowned world class speakers and leaders to address different aspect of this concept of leadership to equip participants to lead and create change with renewed passion and drive.
We are by this opportunity inviting people in all levels of leadership positions and those aspiring to leadership to come and participate in this life changing leadership event. To participate in the Live2Lead conference kindly visit www.focuslifegroup.com.gh .
About CTL Africa: The Centre for Transformational Leadership in Africa (CTL Africa) aims to bridge the gap between traditional education and real life by providing knowledge, programs, and facilities necessary for successful living but which are not taught in schools. This includes leadership principles in all aspects of life such as self-sacrifice, disciplined living, identifying life purpose by committing to resolving problems of the world (self-leadership); business leadership (entrepreneurship), political leadership among others.
Contact: 0540708433 or 0246325758
Email: [email protected]
Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com |
Lagos (AFP) - A feared Nigerian kidnapper known as "Evans" entered a guilty plea Wednesday to kidnap charges that his lawyers say was obtained through police intimidation.
A lawyer for Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, who will face trial on October 19, said in a statement that "police told him to plead guilty, failure to which the police will kill him".
The charge sheet, seen by AFP, accuses a heavily armed gang of five men and one woman of kidnapping Dunu Donatus in February, holding him for 57 days and receiving a 223,000 euros ($266,000) ransom.
Officers jostled to take selfies with the defendants in chaotic scenes before Wednesday's hearing began.
Evans, 36, was arrested in a major police sting in June and has since been held in detention along with his alleged accomplices.
Judge Hakeem Oshodi ordered that he be remanded in custody until the start of the autumn trial.
The group appeared in the High Court in Lagos looking solemn and cramped in the small dark wood panelled dock where they were flanked by members of the security forces.
Evans' defence team allege that he has been denied access to his lawyer and family and that they were only made aware of Wednesday's hearing through social media.
"We intend to challenge this unconstitutional procedure for hoodwinking, undue influence, brainwashing and coercion," said the statement by defence lawyer Olukoya Ogungbeje.
Police staged a media visit to Evans' home shortly after his arrest in which he explained his methods, highlighting the life of luxury he enjoyed in Nigeria's commercial capital.
'Anybody that is rich'
Evans denied having personally murdered during kidnap operations
In another interview with local broadcaster Channels TV in June, Evans revealed the meticulous planning that went into kidnap operations and how targets were selected.
"Anybody that is rich, you will know that he is rich. I have people that give me information," said Evans, who is a well-known figure in the Lagos criminal underworld according to local media.
"We would carry the man, put them inside the motor and go.
"The highest money we have collected is from somebody living in Festac (Lagos) -- $1 million."
Evans denied having personally murdered during kidnap operations.
"It is not me that killed. I don't kill," he said, adding he was unsure if his accomplices had.
Evans was himself the victim of a kidnapping in 2015 but was freed following the intervention of a gang leader, according to the Saturday Tribune newspaper.
Dozens of heavily armed officers surrounded Evans as he was transferred from the courtroom back to prison on Wednesday.
Kidnapping for ransom used to be confined to Nigeria's oil-rich south, where criminal gangs would typically target expatriate workers.
But the practice has spread across the country as the economy has faltered, with Control Risks consultancy warning that the phenomenon has become "entrenched" nationwide.
Nnamdi Obasi, senior Nigeria researcher at the International Crisis Group, said poverty had made "anybody" a target and had led to a rise in "spontaneous" kidnappings.
Most victims are usually released unhurt after ransom money is paid but the country still had the fourth highest kidnap rate in the world in 2016, according to Control Risks analysis.
Ten of Nigeria's 36 states carry the death penalty for kidnapping, with Lagos state only enforcing capital punishment in cases where kidnap targets are killed.
30.08.2017 LISTEN
Residents of Oblogo, a suburb of Accra in the Ga South constituency are under threat by the activities of land guards who operate within the area. A resident (name withheld) told a member of journalists In Development (JID) in an interview that land guards sell parcels of land belonging to people. Sometimes, they go to the extent of selling the frontage of other people's houses for their victims to build stores or as a place for their containers.
A resident who granted interview to JID on anonymity shared a similar experience; she said an innocent woman was sold a frontage of someone's house to a business woman to build a store. Unknown to her, she put up a beautiful store.
Just after the last touch of the finishing, the owner of the house came. When the owner asked the "store developer" the right of ownership, she brought out receipts and some documents suggesting she owned the the place.
According to her, the issue nearly turned physical, drawing the attention of the police. The business woman eventually lost the case. She had to comb the entire community to find the land guard who sold her that parcel of land but to no avail.
Another resident who spoke on anonymity told JID that land guards who come to the area often attack people working at construction sites, beat them up and seize their tools, and until the people pay a certain fee, the land guards would not leave. He added that even weeding or painting one's own property attracts fees from these land guards. According to him, failure to pay the fee has often resulted in a serious confusion.
The Gyase Kye of Oblogo, Nii Aryee Laryea revealed some more of the illegal activities taking place by land guards in the area. He told the JID reporter in an interview that land guards suspected to come from Weija, a community next door, have become a threat to the people of Oblogo for many years now. According to him, the land guards without any cause, attack residents of Oblogo with guns and machetes, claiming ownership of properties which do not in actual fact belong to them. On funeral occasions, "they get down from their vehicles at the beginning of Oblogo town, and with gun shots, they move through the town wielding dangerous weapons - guns, machete, knifes, sticks, etc attacking innocent people going about their normal duties" he said.
According to him, these law breakers obstruct movement of vehicles and every other person they meet on their way, thus causing fear and panic in the entire Oblogo community.
The Gyase Kye maintained that all these actions are done to provoke the people of Oblogo to take revenge.
Asked whether the case has been reported to the police, the Gyase Kye said the case has been reported to the police on several occasions, but anytime the land guards get hint of the police, they vanish into thin air.
The man recounted the number of times elders of Oblogo have tried to remain calm in the face of all the provocations from the Weija land guards. He declared that Oblogo lands belong to the Oblogo people and not the people of Weija. He challenged anyone who has an issue having to do with land to go to court for redress. He called on the authorities to take immediate steps to forstall any possible clashes between the two communities.
A principal Elder of Gbawe Kwatei Family ( overlords of Oblogo ), Nii Laryea Quartey who spoke to JID in an interview confirmed reports about the disturbances of land guards from Weija, but noted that in the interest of peace and stability, elders of the family, have admonished the leadership and residents of Oblogo not to revenge the attacks of the land guards. He called for the use of dialogue in solving problems rather than resorting to the use of weapons.
Drive through a quaint renovated small village or town in Wisconsin and you are likely seeing a downtown renovated with Historic Tax Credits.
In my opinion, the Historic Tax Credit is the most successful rural and small town economic development program administered by Gov. Scott Walkers Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. As the Legislature considers venturing into the great unknown on high-tech manufacturing with checks from our taxpayers for 15 years, that same Republican majority is planning to cap the Historic Tax Credit program.
This cap is defended as needed as an austerity measure. But clearly these budget cuts are not needed elsewhere. The Republican compromise budget announced by Sen. Scott Fitzgerald earlier this summer caps total spending on the Historic Tax Credit at $20 million and limits the funding a project can receive at $5 million. These limits will have a significant impact on the programs success.
In 2014, 60 percent of the Historic Tax Credit projects renovated buildings that had been vacant for more than 20 years. The return on investment for taxpayer investments in the Historic Tax Credit has been proven to be 8 to 1. Capping the program will jeopardize projects that will revitalize our communities and provide a known payback to taxpayers. I have heard from local leaders from all over the state and the 27th Senate District asking to leave the program alone, so I know other Legislators have received contact as well.
I cannot figure out why Gov. Walker has continually tried to kill this program and why Republican legislators would consider allowing it to happen. Last year brought 38 projects into the Historic Tax Credit projects all over Wisconsin, including La Crosse and Prairie du Chien. I know of projects in the works in the 27th District as well.
In the last three budgets the Historic Tax Credit destruction has been defeated, but it appears we are at the cusp of a victory for Gov. Walker limiting the Historic Tax Credit for communities all over Wisconsin in planning phases for redevelopment. I truly hope that the final budget will save the Historic Tax Credit again and deter those that wish to punish communities that are working to redevelop their downtowns.
Please contact members of the Legislature and ask them to support the Historic Tax Credit. The Legislative Hotline is (800) 362-9472 or you can email from the Legislative website: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/.
Khartoum (AFP) - A leading Sudanese activist who was released after a presidential pardon said Wednesday that defending human rights was "not a crime", as he vowed to continue fighting against rights abuses.
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an engineering professor at the University of Khartoum, told AFP in an interview that it was pressure from global and local human rights groups that finally led to his release Tuesday after months of detention, during which he was put on trial on charges of spying for foreign embassies.
"Defending human rights is not a crime," Ibrahim Adam, winner of several international human rights awards, said at his home in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman.
"Human rights are being violated not only by the authorities but also by armed groups, and we have to fight all those who abuse human rights."
Ibrahim Adam, 58, was freed after President Omar al-Bashir pardoned him along with five other activists.
He was arrested in December as part of a crackdown against opposition leaders and activists in an attempt to crush widespread protests against a government decision to raise fuel prices.
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a leading Sudanese activist, hugs a woman at his home in Omdourman on August 30, 2017, the day after his release from prison following a presidential pardon
Prosecutors accused him of being among activists who were running a "criminal organisation" and engaged in "spying and intelligence activities for foreign embassies".
Ibrahim Adam and others were also accused of "publishing lies about (government forces) using chemical weapons" during fighting with rebels in the country's conflict zones.
Ibrahim Adam said the prosecution had "no evidence" against him.
"They exaggerated things and made them big. The only way for them to back out was a direct intervention from the president," said the activist, who went on hunger strike while in jail.
Ibrahim Adam, who has worked extensively on human rights issues in Sudan for three decades, has been arrested several times for his work.
The government shut down a development organisation he headed in 2009.
'International pressure'
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam (R), a leading Sudanese activist, greets people at his home in Omdourman on August 30, 2017, the day after he was released from prison following a presidential pardon
Ibrahim Adam said he was held in several prisons during his nine months in detention, after initially being detained by agents of the country's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).
He said these types of detentions were reason enough for human rights defenders to continue their fight.
The "human rights situation in Sudan will improve if you scrap laws that give the authorities the right to detain people without offering any reason", said a relaxed Ibrahim Adam, dressed in a traditional white robe and cap.
"There is an institution that has a right to detain you for up to six months without offering any reason," he said, in reference to NISS.
The way forward "is to fight such laws that restrict freedom", the activist said, as dozens of men, women and university students arrived at his three-storey home to greet him after his release.
Global rights groups have often accused NISS of detaining human rights workers, opposition politicians and journalists.
NISS agents regularly confiscate entire newspaper print runs without giving a reason, particularly when they publish articles opposing government policies.
Ibrahim Adam said his release was a result of the "government's own assessment" of his case, as well as pressure from international and local human rights groups.
"Officials of almost all foreign embassies used to attend my trial sessions," he said, adding that even the United Nations believed there was no case against him.
Ibrahim Adam said it was this international pressure that made Bashir pardon him, not Washington's expected decision on October 12 on whether to permanently lift US sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.
Some global campaign groups have insisted that Washington retain the sanctions, given Sudan's human rights record.
Ibrahim Adam said the human rights situation in Sudan now "was not as bad as in the past", but "more efforts" were still needed.
"We have to fight peacefully to change the overall situation," he said.
"We have to insist that defending human rights is not a crime, and the government has to protect human rights defenders according to international conventions it has signed."
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says his encounter with some armed men in Suhum in the Eastern Region has left him traumatized.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia told Evans Mensah on Joy FMs Top Story Wednesday, he has not been able to report for work after the incident.
I have been traumatized but the matter has been reported to the police, he said.
Related Article: NDC summons emergency meeting over Asiedu Nketia's 'gun attack'
The outspoken former lawmaker said he witnessed an attack on a motorist while on his way to Accra Monday.
An account of the incident given by Mr Nketia revealed some armed men in a Toyota Tundra vehicle with registration number GT 666 12 sped past him around the Suhum Township.
He told Omanhene on Asempa FMs Ekosi Sen Monday, the men got down from their vehicle brandishing AK47 rifle and went ahead to grab the driver in the vehicle they stopped.
Mr Nketia said it took his intervention and that of a soldier friend to rescue the driver.
But a statement by the NDC National Communications Officer, Solomon Nkansah blamed the attack on government.
Mr Nkansah said governments attitude towards activities of militant groups is fueling the spate of attacks in the country.
Asked why the party is roping in government in the matter, Mr Nketia said he cannot be held responsible for the statement.
He said the statement was supposed to be a solidarity message, which did not need his permission.
The NDC General Secretary said his party functionaries are at liberty to interpret the situation the way they see fit because they have seen some pictures from the encounter.
Mr Nketia also said he has provided the police with the necessary evidence to enable them conduct their investigation into the matter.
It will be extremely miraculous for anyone to say that they dont have information on the matter, he said.
Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
The Eastern Regional Minister says the Minority in Parliament is to blame for the resignation of deputy Agriculture Minister, William Quaitoo last night.
Eric Daffour told Emefa Apawu on Joy FMs Newsnite Wednesday the opposition lawmakers succeeded in inciting the public against the deputy Minister after he described Northerners as difficult people.
He said despite the remorse shown by Mr Quaitoo, the National Democratic Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) went ahead to try the former deputy Minister in the public.
The opponent [NDC] was not satisfied with the apology, he lamented.
Mr Quaitoo resigned last night, ending days of repeated calls for him to do so following a disparaging comment he reportedly made against people from the three regions of the north.
Reacting to compensation calls by some farmers from the north following the fall armyworm attack, the deputy Minister reportedly described them as difficult people.
Some groups from the north and political opponents jumped on the comment to call for his dismissal.
His apology proved ineffective in dousing the rising flame of opposition against his status as a Minister.
Mr Daffour said the NDC MPs should have been satisfied with Mr Quaitoos apology but rather chose to hook on to their position.
The Eastern Regional Minister said the resignation of the former deputy Minister though unfortunate is the best way forward.
We do sympathise with him I am a bit devastated, he said.
By the former deputy Ministers resignation, Mr Daffour said he has done something some past government officials could not do in the face of worst comments.
People have said worst things but they didnt resignthey didnt have courage [so] they held on to their position, he said.
But Sagnarigu MP, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini said the former deputy Minister deserves the reaction he received over his comments.
He said the Eastern Regional Minister is only interested in the retention of his colleague instead of considering the weight of the "ethnocentrical bigotry statement" he made against the Northerners.
"Tell me one single crime the northerners have done to warrant the insult," he asked, adding anyone who sells himself short would be bought for nothing.
Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @realbrakopowers
31.08.2017 LISTEN
"IMANI demonstrates the vital role that civil society organizations can play in making government leaders more accountable to citizens, said Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips. Its IMANIFesto Campaign finally forces politicians to reconcile their campaign rhetoric with the real-world trade-offs that face policymakers in office."
The IMANIFesto campaign was broad in its digital reach over 4 million watched the broadcast of the report launch. IMANIFesto reached more than 2 million Facebook users and 1 million Twitter users from August and November 2016. And it had more than 20 direct media placements on radio, traditional, electronic, and state-run media outlets.
A famous cartoonist even published a cartoon called Manifesto Inspector in the Daily Graphic, Ghanas most read newspaper, depicting IMANI President Franklin Cudjoe scrutinizing the political promises from the leaders of major political parties.
The impact of the IMANIFesto project is undeniable. It provided a country easy-to-consume information about the issues of the election and the viability of the various political promises from each party and, according to Kenneth Ashigbey (editor-in-chief and managing director of the Daily Graphic), it functioned as a barometer of legitimacy for the masses.
This allowed the 2016 election to transcend its usual partisan, religious, and tribal lines. IMANIs work also forced party leaders to revise their party manifestos to increase their feasibility and thus their attractiveness to the electorate.
IMANI is even working with think tanks in Nigeria to duplicate this work for Nigerian elections. The campaign on the whole had a dual effect: first, it educated an electorate that previously lacked access to information about the various campaign promises of political parties that preyed upon such a lack of access, and second, it induced those parties to revise their poorly formulated platforms or risk being punished by voters at the ballot box.
IMANI is the only African think tank among the six think tanks from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, U.S. and Ghana named finalists for 2017 Templeton Freedom Award.
'The big truck is still on ...
One of the least safe places to be in Berkeley, California, is in the vicinity of someone holding a No Hate sign.
So-called anti-fascist, or antifa, activists bearing shields emblazoned with those words assaulted any of the handful of beleaguered Trump supporters they could get their hands on at a small political rally over the weekend. All in the cause, mind you, of demonstrating their supposed opposition to hatefulness.
Too many people were willing to perfume antifa in the wake of Charlottesville, where it clashed with Nazi thugs who caused, and deserved, a wave of national revulsion. But Berkeley demonstrates once again the true nature of this left-wing movement, which is thuggish in its tactics and totalitarian in its sensibility. Anyone who at this point makes excuses for antifa or worse, justifies it is participating in its moral rot.
The antifa goons showed up in force at Berkeley at what had been a small anti-Marxist rally of Trump supporters at a public park. Antifa wore its usual fascistic garb of black masks and body armor. They overwhelmed the police who had been trying to maintain order and, holding aloft smoke-spewing flares, chanted, Whose park? Our park!
They then treated suspected Trump supporters with all the decorousness of torch-wielding medieval villagers who believed they had stumbled upon a witch. A leader of a pro-Trump group had to run from a mob that pepper-sprayed and beat him, until he was taken into police custody for his own protection. The targets werent Nazis bearing Nazi regalia, but supporters of the duly-elected president of the United States. Or people who were guilty of the offense of committing journalism a reporter was beaten by the antifa cadres.
Antifa benefited enormously from the horrific events in Charlottesville. It became Nazis versus the people standing up to the Nazis, and in that formulation the people standing up to the Nazis always win. There can be no moral equivalence, we were told, between Nazis and their opponents. But that depends on who the opponents are there is a vast difference between peaceful counterprotesters and violent thugs, even if they are marching on the same side.
There was certainly moral equivalence between Hitler and Stalin. Likewise, bully-boy fascists spoiling for a fight and black-clad leftists looking to beat them up exist on the same moral plane. They both thrill to violence and benefit from the attention that comes from it. They both reject civility and the rule of law that make a democratic society possible. They both are profoundly illiberal.
All this was lost in the reaction to Charlottesville. Liberal commentators spread memes comparing antifa to American GIs who stormed the beaches at Normandy. The comparison would be apt if the 1st Infantry Division got together to spend an afternoon beating up fellow Americans rather than giving its last measure of devotion to breaching Hitlers Atlantic Wall.
There is a cottage industry in excuse-making for antifa. Mark Bray of Dartmouth College says in The Washington Post that its activists are characterized by their willingness to physically defend themselves and others from white supremacist violence and pre-emptively shut down fascist organizing efforts before they turn deadly, i.e., assault people and shut down uncongenial speech as they deem necessary. Todd Gitlin of Columbia University writes in The New York Times that antifa is not squeamish about its means but he is clearly squeamish about describing it frankly.
There will always be goons who enjoy breaking things and hurting people. The real scandal is that otherwise respectable people are willing to look the other way or explain away the violence, so long as its perpetrators are on their side. They are just as cowardly as the mask-wearing antifa thugs who are brave enough to punch and kick people, but not to show their faces.
The U.S. Constitution, Amendment 25, authorizes Congress to establish a body, a commission to oversee the health of a president and to turn power over to the vice president when appropriate. Recent events have prompted 28 Congress members to sponsor a bill that would set up such a commission.
President Trumps fire and full fury attack on North Korea prompted former CIA Director James Clapper to question Trumps stability in a time of provocation.
Many now question the wisdom of allowing Trumps finger to be on the nuclear trigger that could launch a pre-emptive attack on North Korea, endangering much of the world. North Korea has identified Japan as a target.
Trumps pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio flaunted the democratic process.
It intervened in the justice process by pardoning him before the justice process was complete. His attacks on anyone who displeases him, politicians of both parties, public figures and especially the news media do not suggest stability.
A positive side benefit of Trumps behavior seems to be that the news media is now more respected for independently exposing Trumps antics.
Hurricane Harvey has held the attention of this president who seems to thrive on crises. However, when no crisis is evident he seems intent on creating one.
It is time to encourage Congress members of both parties to join in setting up a commission that oversees the actions of this president. A commission to oversee the health of the president is appropriate no matter who is president.
John Hempstead, La Crosse
Railraod Fire smoke plumb View Photos
Update at 5 p.m.: The Railroad Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest west of Highway 41 has grown to 1,200 acres this afternoon but its containment remains at 5-percent. Seven structures have been destroyed and 100 remain threatened. Fire officials have once again implemented a mandatory evacuation order for the community of Fish Camp. Sugar Pine and Sugar Pine Camp were evacuated yesterday. Forest fire officials have announced that there will be a public meeting with fire officials on hand to answer questions at the Oakhurst Community Center located at 39800 Fresno Flats Road in Oakhurst at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
The flames are posing a threat to Yosemite National Park and the stretch of Highway 41 that is closed has been expanded to north of Cedar Valley Drive to the South entrance to the park. Additionally, the highways southbound lane from Wawona to the South entrance of Yosemite has been shut down. Yosemite visitors are advised to use Highway 49 to Highway 140 or 120 for entrance to the National Park.
The fire is burning in steep terrain, with difficult access and heavy fuel loading, according to forest fire officials, who add that the potential for this fire is high. Fire activity this afternoon has increased due to high temperatures and stiff upward canyon winds. Forest spokesperson Alex Olow says that overnight strategy will be to man the containment lines and protect the communities threatened. What sparked the blaze remains under investigation.
This evening the Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team (Type 2), will take over the command of the fire from the Sierra NF.
Original post at 8:15 a.m.: Fish Camp, CA The Sierra National Forest reports the Railroad Fire is 920 acres this morning and there remains 5-percent containment.
The size estimate reduced from late yesterday due to more accurate overnight mapping. The fire, which poses a threat to Yosemite National Park, has resulted in a closure of Highway 41 that goes into the park. Guests staying at the Tenaya Lodge, who need to return to the hotel in order to retrieve their belongings, can meet at the Highway 41 road closure at 10am so that they can be escorted back. This is only for hotel guests. An evacuation order is in effect for the community of Sugar Pine and there is an evacuation advisory for Fish Camp. In addition, Yosemite officials have warned the community of Wawona that there is the potential for an evacuation warning in the days ahead. An evacuation shelter opened last night at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.
The fire is burning in steep terrain with heavy fuels. The fire potential remains very high. 350 firefighters are assigned to the incident this morning, including 26 engines, seven hand crews, two helicopters and three air tankers. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. It was first spotted at 1pm yesterday. Reduced wind speeds and lower temperatures helped fire crews make some progress last night, according to the forest service.
Many of us have heard about the MMM company - one of the biggest scam company in history. But do you know what the MMM did to Nigeria? It is time to learn the history of MMM in Nigeria. Interesting facts are waiting and you definitely dont want to miss them!
What is MMM?
We bet a lot of you already know what MMM is, but lets call to mind some information about MMM really quick. MMM is a joint-stock company that is widely known for perpetrating one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the world. The company was founded in 1989 and the main action took place in the 1990s, in Russia. It is known that between 5 to 40 million people have lost about $10 billion because of MMM.
Interesting fact: Do you know the meaning of "MMM"? There were a lot of rumors about it, but it's fairly easy. MMM stands for the first letters of the founders surnames - Sergei Mavrodi, Olga Melnikova and Vyacheslav Mavrodi. However, some people believe that it stands for Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox.
MMM started as a company that imported office equipment. However, there were some problems. In January 1992 the company was accused of tax evasion. This led to problems with the financial support of company's operation. It struggled
The company got a lot of money from people - it was making about 50 million USD each day. But how did MMM achieve that? The company promised annual returns for up to 1000% to private investors. It sounded quite attractive, and a lot of people were eager to invest. With strong advertising and naive people (no one heard about scams during that time), MMM became one of the most successful companies in Russia.
However, the success didnt last for long. Eventually, the company was shut down in 1994 and it declared bankruptcy in 1997.
Unfortunately, everything didn't end here. After 14 years, the company reopened as MMM Global. Here's where the story of MMM and Nigeria started.
Top facts from the history of MMM Nigeria
READ ALSO: What government institution was Sergey Mavrodi elected to?
History of the MMM in Nigeria started in November 2015, when MMM launched a new website for Nigerian audience. Remember we've told you about the promise of annual returns up to 1000%? Well, this time the company decided to lower the standards and now the promised profit was 30% per month.
The primary target of MMM was unemployed people. The number of people that signed up by the late 2016 was shocking - 2.4 million! They hoped that MMM will give them easy money and they had no doubts. But, as we all know, there is always free cheese in a mousetrap.
After a year of work in Nigeria, MMM announced the freezing of all members accounts. Why? Well, according to the company, the reason was systems overload and the negative attention brought on by the Government and mass media. But we all know that it was part of the plan or the scheme called Ponzi scheme.
After the freeze of members accounts, people started to panic. Remember, a lot of them were unemployed, and they considered MMM as their only source of income. However, the worst thing about this is that the panic led them to even attempt to end their lives. Can you imagine that? Things were getting so serious that even the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency of Lagos State asked the citizens to look out for each other and call the emergency number if someone is trying to kill himself.
New schemes and MMM today
Interesting fact: This wasnt the first time people were trying to kill themselves because of problems with this company. A lot of people in Russia tried to kill themselves as a result of MMM.
In January 2017, new Ponzi schemes were created. Their creators knew that MMM had a huge success and they wanted to get money too. Some schemes, including Ultimate Cycler and ABCDonor, offered returns to up to 200%. But why were they so active? The reason was that MMM had some problems and it was crashed in December 2016. The founders of new schemes realized that they could use the fall of MMM Nigeria to their advantage.
Interesting fact: Did you know that even the Redeemed Christian Church of God was warning its members against participating in MMM?
You would think that the history of Nigeria MMM stops here, but unfortunately, it doesnt. On January 2017 MMM Nigeria reopened. Also, on February 11th the company announced the lifting of the withdrawal limits on 2017 mavro. Note that in 2016 there was no specific limit. Investors were angry because of the delayed, and unfulfilled payments and some people left the scheme. You would think that they will leave the schemes for good, but no, a lot of people moved to new Ponzi schemes.
What happened next? The investors who stayed loyal to the company were given assurance of getting back the money. But the company stated that in order to get the pre-2017 money, investors should add new money. And the more they add, the higher their chances to get the previous money back. Sounds horrible, right? Just imagine how investors felt when they realized that they are not going to get their money back.
MMM Nigeria was trying its best to keep the old investors and get some new ones. They even made various charity donations in order to fix their reputation. Even though a lot of people understood that the company was just trying to regain credibility, there were new investors.
What is MMM Nigeria now? It is still trying to convince people that they will get their money back. They are offering various bonuses and changing the growth of 2016 mavro. However people are not buying it. They are still waiting for their money, but chances are that they wont get it.
Interesting fact: Did you know that people lost about 18 billion Naira? This is about 60 million dollars! Thats a lot of money from one country, and there were even more victims that we don't know.
MMM history is something we must not forget. It can teach us a lot. About 110 countries suffered from MMM, including various African countries like Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe. People believed in the company and wanted to get a lot of money almost out of nowhere. But, remember the old adage If its too good to be true, it likely is.
READ ALSO: What was the main difference between MMM-2011 and older versions of MMM?
Source: Legit.ng
A national symbol is an object, sign, or emblem belonging to a nation often characterized by federal integration and a state of colonial independence. Such a symbol is meant to unite the country's populace by creating iconic, verbal, or visual representations of the people's history, goals, and values. Additionally, the symbols are often used as part of national celebrations to showcase nationalism and patriotism. What are the national symbols of Nigeria today?
Some of the Nigerian national symbols. Photo: @francisodetola, @OpenClipart-Vectors, @renayjannell (modified by author)
Source: UGC
Like numerous other countries worldwide, Nigeria has several symbols created at varying moments in the country's rich history. These symbols are key to the country's sovereignty and carry various meanings.
The types and meanings of national symbols of Nigeria
Here is a look at the pictures of national symbols of Nigeria and their underlying meanings.
1. The Nigerian flag
The Nigerian flag. Photo: pixabay.com, @OpenClipart-Vectors
Source: UGC
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The Nigeria flag has two colours; one white band and two green bands. Before 1960, Nigeria used the British flag since it was a British colony. After it attained independence, the country adopted the current flag. The two green stripes represent natural wealth, and the white represents peace and unity.
The flag was designed in 1959 by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, a student at the Norwood Technical College, London. Today, the country's flag is usually hoisted in front of public buildings, government houses, the National Assembly, embassies, and buildings housing major international bodies.
The flag is flown at half-mast whenever the country is experiencing serious political upheaval or mourning a renowned figure. It is also flown at half-mast to express solidarity with a friendly nation that has been befallen by tragedy.
2. The National Anthem
The country's national anthem takes into cognizance the account of the country's historical past as well as its aims and aspirations for the coming generation. In addition, the anthem serves as a clarion call for all Nigerians to serve their motherland with zeal and faith.
The anthem, known as Arise O' Compatriot, was adopted in 1978 and replaced the former National Anthem, Nigeria, We Hail Thee. The lyrics were coined from the five best entries in a countrywide contest held to determine the new anthem. The words were put to music by Benedict Odiase, the then director of the country's Police Band.
3. The Nigerian Coat of Arms
The Nigerian coat of arms. Photo: @francisodetola
Source: Instagram
The country's coat of arms can be viewed as the country's 'logo.' It is the image of an eagle mounted upon a wreath on the backdrop of a black shield. The eagle represents pride and strength. The shield's colour signifies the country's vast fertile lands and mineral resources. The wavy band on the shield represents Nigeria's largest rivers, River Benue and River Niger.
The horses supporting the shield on either side signify strength and dignity. The shield's base depicts the costus spectabilis, one of the most abundant wildflowers in Africa. At the bottom of the coat of arms are the words' unity and faith, peace and progress.'
4. The national pledge
Nigeria's national pledge is an oath of allegiance of support to the country. The pledge is typically recited after the anthem and is among the top 5 national symbols of Nigeria. Professor Felicia Adebola drafted the words in the pledge in September 1976. Shortly afterwards, then General Olusegun Obasanjo decreed that all school-going children were to recite the pledge on a daily basis
Here are the words in the pledge.
I pledge to Nigeria, my country, to be faithful, loyal, and honest. To serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory. So, help me, God.
5. The Nigerian Naira
A 100 Naira bill. Photo: @mjteriaky.numis
Source: Instagram
The Nigerian Naira is the country's official legal tender and one of the country's top five national symbols. The cCentral Bank usually issues the currency in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000. The notes have pictures of the country's heroes, with the 50 being the most common denomination.
Besides images of well-known heroes, some of the notes also have images depicting the numerous Nigerian tribes and cultures.
6. The armed forces
The country's armed forces consist of the air force, the navy, and the army. These forces are tasked with defending the country's territorial integrity, making them part of the unifying national symbols in Nigeria. Besides defending Nigeria, the armed forces also work with other nations, particularly on peacekeeping missions.
7. The national flower
The costus spectabilis. Photo: @renayjannell
Source: Instagram
Unbeknownst to many, Nigeria has a national flower as one of her symbols. The flower in question is the costus spectabilis, one of the most common wildflowers in the country. There are more than 100 varieties of the flower, all with slightly varying features.
Interestingly, the Nigerian coat of arms has the red variety of the flower despite the official one being the yellow variety.
8. The Seal of the Nigerian President
This is the official symbol of the country's President. It was first used in 1979 by then-President Shehu Shagari. The seal was then abandoned by the successive military regimes that ruled from 1983 to 1999. It was then reintroduced in the wake of the fourth republic in 1999. It has remained in use since then.
The seal has the image of the country's coat of arms surrounded by the words' Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.'
9. The National Arts Theatre
The theatre is the primary venue for the performing arts in the country. The building is located in Iganmu, Surulere, Lagos. The theatre was built in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) 1977.
The theatre's exterior is shaped like a military hat. The inside has a 5,000-seater hall with a collapsible stage and two capacity cinema halls, all equipped with facilities for the simultaneous translation of up to 8 languages.
10. The national animal of Nigeria
The eagle is Nigeria's official animal. There isn't a specific reason the bird was chosen as one of the Nigerian symbols, given it's not even found abundantly in the country. Still, it is used to depict strength and vision. Additionally, the eagle appears in two other symbols, the country's coat of arms and the President's seal.
11. The Nigerian President
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrives at Lancaster House for the international anti-corruption summit on May 12, 2016 in London, England. Photo: Dan Kitwood
Source: Getty Images
The country's sitting president is one of the most important national symbols. The President is usually chosen by popular vote during the presidential elections every five years. A picture of the President can be found in most public offices.
The current President is Muhammadu Buhari.
What is the most important symbol in Nigeria?
While it is hard to gauge the different symbols by importance, the country's flag is arguably the most important one. Its widespread use in and out of the country underlines its essence.
How many national symbols does Nigeria have?
The country currently has 11 national symbols.
Like numerous other countries across the world, Nigeria has various symbols that signify national unity. These national symbols are meant to unite Nigerians behind a common purpose and are used or applied in different situations.
READ ALSO: What are the 10 economic problems that Nigeria is facing?
Legit.ng recently explored the main economic problems plaguing Nigeria. Like other middle-income countries with emerging markets, the country has witnessed gradual expansion in communication, technology, finance, manufacturing, and service sectors.
However, problems such as poor health facilities, high crime levels, unemployment, and corruption continue to be pressing issues in the country's economy.
Source: Legit.ng
- Five Nigerian pilgrims to this years hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have been declared dead
- This was announced by the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mohammed
- Mohammed was however silent on the identity of the victims
Five Nigerian pilgrims to this years hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have passed on, Premium Times reports.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mohammed, on Tuesday, August 29, in Islams holiest city.
According to the report, he made the disclosure at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders.
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He was however silent on the identities of the late pilgrims as well as the circumstances that led to their death.
He said such information could only be disclosed after their families had been appropriately informed.
He also pleaded with the media to withhold the details so as not to further devastate the families of the affected pilgrims.
A total of 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims are performing this years hajj, all of whom have converged on Makkah.
A few other pilgrims came directly to Makkah after flying into Saudi Arabia through the nearby city of Jeddah
On Wednesday, August 30, the pilgrims will move to the city of Mina to spend the eve of the 9th of Dhul-Hijah.
The pilgrims will then proceed to Arafat on Thursday, August 31 praising Allah and reciting the Quran.
Nigeria's first lady, Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday, August 29, left Nigeria to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the 2017 Hajj.
The personal assistant to the first lady, Zaynab Ikaz-Kassim, in a tweet said Mrs. Buhari left Abuja on Tuesday afternoon to join millions of Muslims to perform this year's Hajj.
READ ALSO: Federal government declares 2 days public holiday for Sallah
Watch the Legit.ng TV interview with a man who converted from Christianity and Islam:
Source: Legit.ng
- Lai Mohammed said the process of restructuring Nigeria has started
- The minster played down the reported issue between Ibrahim Magu and Abubakar Malami
- He said the government has drawn a red line against hate speech
Lai Mohammed who is the minister of information has said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has started the process of restructuring Nigeria based on recommendation from Nigerians.
The minister who spoke on Channels TV said the government has drawn a red line against hate speech and will not tolerate it any longer.
READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu has broken Arewa-born to rule mentality - IPOB boasts
Mohammed said: For the Federal Government restructuring means devolution of power. Restructuring means for the Federal Government a system whereby governments policies and programmes can reach everybody at the grassroots. For us, restructuring means ability that will allow you to deliver and in our own way, we have started.
The Acting President (then) issued an order to the police that they should start implementing community policing; that is one aspect of restructuring that we believe will deliver better criminal justice. We as a government we look at our constitution as it is today and we follow strictly what the constitution says, and in applying the constitution we look at practical ways of reaching out to people.
The constitution is the grundnorm today, that is the basis of our being together and you cannot today as a government do anything that is contrary to that Constitution because that is the supreme law of the country. So, even when you talk about restructuring you may need to amend certain provisions of the constitution, and we all know how cumbersome it is to do that. But we are not averse to genuine grievances, we are ready to look at them, but what the government cannot do is to react to the cacophony of voices.
The minister also responded to question concerning the alleged face-off between Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Abubakar Malami, the minister of justice.
He said: People may have different ideas, but this is not unusual, and I can assure you, the matter will soon be brought under control.
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I think you are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. There is nothing unusual for two agencies of the same government to have different means on how to achieve the goal. But it is a matter that will be resolved and will be resolved.
"Asked whether President Buhari was aware of the issue, the minister said: Yes, he is. He is the employer of the two of them. The president would look into the matter and of course, pronounce on the issue. The EFCC chairman why would he take the position that he is taking, the AGF why would he take the line he is taking?
Olusegun Obasanjo, former president, explained why he is opposed to those who are advocating for the restructuring of the country.
Obasanjo, who made this in an interview with Channels Television said Nigerians should rather advocate for a better management of the countrys resources.
Legit.ng gathered that he said instead of fighting for restructuring, people should be concerned about inclusiveness and the restructuring of their minds.
Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians talking about the issue of restructuring:
Source: Legit.ng
The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), a national service volunteer program, is one of three programs of the National Senior Corps which taps the skills, talents and experiences of senior Americans to meet a wide range of community needs.
Locally, the Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program (Southwest CAP) sponsors the FGP in counties of Grant, Richland, Iowa, Lafayette, Green, Crawford, Vernon and Sauk. Foster Grandparents volunteer 15-40 hours per week during the school year to provide an intergenerational component at educational sites, not-for-profit child care agencies and family enhancement programs.
FGP is administered through the Corporation for National and Community Service which assists local not-for-profit and public agencies in carrying out their missions. To assist in off-setting the cost of volunteering, qualified Foster Grandparent volunteers who meet FGP income and program guidelines receive a tax-free hourly stipend which does not affect income sensitive programs such as SSI and housing. Additional benefits include paid training, meal and travel allowance and the satisfaction of seeing students improve and satisfaction of helping youth in their community.
Seniors interested in the program may stop by McIntosh Memorial Library, 205 S. Rock Ave., Viroqua, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. or Chaseburg Village Hall, 400 Depot St., from 3-4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5. If you are unable to stop in at these locations, contact Cindy at Southwest CAP, 149 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville, 800-704-8555, ext. 209, or c.deckert@swcap.org. Additional information is available at www.nationalservice.org or www.swcap.org.
- Two people managed a narrow escape, while 11 others were abducted by armed gunmen near Port Harcourt
- The incident reportedly on Monday, August 21, between Ndele and Elele Alimini communities in Rivers
- The state police command says they have launched an investigation into the incidence
Eleven people on a bus near Port Harcourt were abducted by unknown gunmen on Monday, August 21, while five of the passengers escaped.
The state commissioner of police, Ahmed Zaki, on Tuesday, August 22 confirmed the incident at the state police command headquarters in Port Harcourt.
He condemned the incident and said that efforts are underway to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to book.
According to Premium Times, one of the escaped passengers said that the ambush took place around 9 p.m. on Monday between Ndele and Elele Alimini communities.
The passenger whose name is Amiekro Princewill said: After asking us to come out from the bus, they tried to take us inside the bush but five of us in the bus escaped before police and military personnel arrived the scene."
READ ALSO: 25-year-old woman who escaped from Boko Haram recounts ordeal
Another passenger who escaped, Bright Belekwe, explained that 18 passengers and the driver, had embarked on the journey but 16 persons were in the vehicle after two others alighted earlier.
We were 18 excluding the driver who boarded the bus from Rumuokoro going to Ahoada but when we got to Ndele, two people dropped. After that, between Ndele and Elele Alimini, hoodlums ambushed us and tried to take us inside the bush.
I and four others escaped before police personnel arrived the scene. We were ushered into another vehicle by the police which took us back to town, Mr Belekwe said.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Hussaini Akwanga, a former minister of labour and productivity, who was abducted from his farm in Akwanga, Nasarawa state by unknown gunmen has been freed.
Akwanga had served as minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was confirmed by the spokesman of the Nasarawa state police command, Kennedy Idrisu, on Thursday, August 24.
Watch this Legit.ng video on the activities of kidnappers in Lagos:
Source: Legit.ng
- Abubakar Malami, Nigeria's justice minister and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) has revealed why the country has not retrieved its fund stuck in South Africa
- Malami said Nigeria has not been able to retrieve the funds because of some cumbersome processes
- The minister spoke while giving details of the activities of his ministry in the last one year
Nigeria is yet to access the $15 million allegedly meant for the purchase of arms and seized by the South African government during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
The Nation is reporting that the inability of Nigeria to retrieve the fund is because of diplomatic intricacies and the long processes.
According to the report, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, said the same hindrance was behind the governments inability to repatriate looted funds.
READ ALSO: South African minister mocks Buhari, other African leaders for health tourism (video)
Malami, who spoke while reviewing the activities of his ministry in the last one year, said: As it relates to the money in South Africa and other countries, my reaction to recovery generally is that it is a process; a process involving mostly nations whose legal systems differ.
The process in respect of diplomatic consideration equally plays a key role over and above international convention and best practices.
So, when multiplicity of legal systems is in issue, multiplicity of diplomatic engagement is in contention, delay is naturally bound to set in.
But, one thing I want to state categorically is that the government is doing whatever is possible to ensure the recovery of moneys that relate to Nigeria in all jurisdictions and not necessarily limited to South Africa.
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He however declined to speak on the alleged rift between him and the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Abubakar Malami, explained why the federal government did not go after sponsors of quit notice because of security implications.
Even though there have been various allegations against the government of Jonathan, some Nigerians still have a positive picture of him. Watch this video:
Source: Legit.ng
- Governor Nyesome Wike has said that Nigeria's democracy is under threat
- The governor fingered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police as derailing democracy
- He accused INEC and the police of colluding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stiffle opposition
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has raised the alarm that the countrys democracy is under threat, The Guardian reports.
He spoke when the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Lehmann visited him at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, August 29.
Wike alleged that the police, the APC and the INEC were planning to rig the upcoming general elections in 2019.
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The governor pleaded with the international community to intervene, stressing that the actions of the ruling party, INEC and the police portend grave danger for the countrys democracy.
He said that that the latest rigging system wherein the APC used the police to forge electoral results, in collusion with the INEC would no longer be allowed in Rivers state.
We are happy that we have been vindicated by the fact that INEC printed their own result sheets with their serial numbers, which other people also printed with the same serial numbers. The question is, how did they know the serial numbers? he queried.
He stated that George Thompson Sekibo was removed as the duly elected senator from Rivers East Senatorial District on the grounds of the certified results tendered by the police at the tribunal.
The governor however urged Australian investors to take advantage of the right business climate to invest in the states agricultural sector, even as he promised to give them tax holidays.
Meanwhile, the New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP) has accused the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party of setting machinery in place to systematically rig the 2019 elections in their favour.
NGP's allegation is coming on the heels of the meeting held between President Muhammadu Buhari and the the leadership of the APC and PDP held last week at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, August 27, the national chairman of the NGP, Dr Yakubu Shendam, described the meeting as a secret and desperate attempt to derail democracy in the country, even as he appealed to well meaning Nigerians, political parties and the international community to stand against the undemocratic move.
READ ALSO: 6 APC leaders who may replace Buhari in 2019
In the interview below with Legit.ng TV, APC chieftain, Comrade Timi Frank warns the party to resolve its internal bickering before 2019:
Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian group championing the move to get Diezani Alison-Madueke back to Nigeria says it is taking its protest to the UK
- The protesting group, co-led by Charles Oputa, says it will march to the 10, Downing Street office of the British prime minister to make its demand known
- An earlier protest by the group in Nigeria resulted in a promise given them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
The fate of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigerias former petroleum minister, is currently hanging in the balance over a push by some Nigerians to get her extradited to face corruption charges.
The protesters, led by Charles Oputa, better known as Charly Boy and head of the OurMumuDOnDO, are reportedly planning to storm the 10, Downing street Westminster London office of the British prime minister, Theresa May, to make their demand known.
READ ALSO: South African minister mocks Buhari, other African leaders for health tourism (video)
Legit.ng learnt that the planned protest would hold very soon.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting group in Abuja, its co-convener, Deji Adeyanju, said: Before this week runs out, our comrades in the UK are going to stage a protest at the entrance of 10, Downing Street to drive home the point of Bring Back Diezani
We will appeal to the British government saying: If Diezani Allison-Madueke is just allowed to be prosecuted in London, it will merely amount to a pat on the back, because her contravention of the British laws and the punishments therein are minor compared to what awaits her here in Nigeria.
There are real allegations in Nigeria that she needs to answer to. So, we will be appealing to the British government to send her back to Nigeria so that she can properly be charged.
As we speak, the plan for the London protest is in top gear. We are also mindful of the fact that she is slated to appear before a British court in September.
We are also planning something for court appearances in the UK.
We just want to drive home the point that she has to be repatriated to Nigeria to face punishment for her alleged crimes.
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The plan to continue the protest in Nigeria earlier, was stopped following a promise by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that it was working to have the former minister extradited from UK.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reiterated its resolve to follow the rule of law as a group, Concerned Nigerians, led a protest to its headquarters, calling for repatriation of Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources.
Diezani Alison-Madueke was alleged to have siphoned several billions of state funds from the United Kingdom, UK.
Watch this video as it brings to mind the impact of corruption on Nigerians:
Source: Legit.ng
- The personal assistant to the president on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, says the Buhari administration will follow due process on the Nnamdi Kanu issue
- Onochie states that Kanu has abused and broken the three conditions that are within his personal ability to honour
- The presidential aide describes the supporters of the IPOB leader as touts, hooligans and hoodlums who have no education at all
The personal assistant to the president on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, has said the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, will be locked up for flouting the bail conditions granted him by a court.
READ ALSO: Gunmen kidnap 11 passengers in Rivers state
Onochie in a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, August 29, said the Buhari administration will follow due process on the Kanu issue to ensure that the IPOB leader is punished for allegedly refusing to adhere to his bail conditions which the court granted him.
The presidential aide said Kanu has abused and broken the three conditions that are within his personal ability to honour.
According to Onochie, the three conditions that Kanu violated are:
1. Kanu must not hold rallies.
2. He must not grant interviews
3. He must not be in a crowd of more than 10 people
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She also described the supporters of the IPOB leader as touts, hooligans and hoodlums who have no education at all.
Onochie said Kanus supporters lack the ability to process information or respond civilly.
See Onochie's post below:
Meanwhile, a member of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Joseph Waku, has called for the immediate detention of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, for flouting the bail conditions set before him by the court.
Speaking to Vanguard in an interview on Monday, August 28, Waku said nobody is above the law and that Kanu should have his bail revoked and put back in jail.
He said: Did he not violate his bail conditions? He should have his bail revoked and put back to jail. Nobody is above the law. The government should demonstrate that it is serious."
Similarly, elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, supported the federal governments decision to approach the court over the reported violation of bail conditions by Namdi Kanu.
In the video below, Legit.ng TV takes a critical look at Nnamdi Kanu and the struggle for the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.
Source: Legit.ng
- Former Minister of Aviation, Mbazulike Amaechi, has urged the federal government to call for a plebiscite
- Amaechi also condemned the federal government's decision to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu
- He said the government has no business rearresting Kanu because he hasn't broken any law
The former minister of aviation, Mbazulike Amaechi, has condemned the federal government's plan to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Amaechi said the government has no business re-arresting Kanu because he is speaking the mind of his people, Vanguard reports.
He urged the federal government to call for a plebiscite and let the Igbo people decide whether they want to leave Nigeria or stay.
He said: "If I wake up and say, I would go and blow up Aso Rock, would I be arrested, or when I march to Aso Rock fully armed? Why the focus on Nnamdi Kanu, what of the other Arewa youths who are committing similar or more grievous offences? What has been done to them? If Kanu breaks the law, let him be punished, not when he is unarmed and just making statement that his people are not being treated fairly.
READ ALSO: Why we have not been able to retrieve $15 alleged arms fund seized from Jonathan's government in South Africa - Malami
"What Kanu is saying is that Igbo want to go, if you dont agree with him, put it to plebiscite. That is how it has been done in other places.
"Scotland said it wanted to leave United Kingdom, and they put it to plebiscite, majority said they didnt want to go away.
"I dont see why it should be different in Nigeria. Plebiscite does not amount to war.
"In America, since Donald Trump came to power, two states have expressed the desire to quit US, has anybody killed them? The only thing is that when the demand becomes serious, the government will give the opportunity for the people to decide.
"What has been done to the Arewa youths who said their leaders were the ones who asked them to issue the quit notice? Yes, we know who is sending them to do what they are doing, the politicians are behind them and we are not deceived.
"What of those behind the anti-Igbo songs, what has the government done to them? What efforts have the security agencies made to bring them to book?"
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Meanwhile, IPOB has condemned the Arewa Consultative Forum over their attack on the chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Nnia Nwodo, for defending the group.
The group also condemned Paul Unongo, the chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, for condemning the activities of the IPOB.
The IPOB in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, said its leader, Nnamdi Kanu has not committed any crime to warrant his arrest.
Watch Legit.ng video of Nigerians reacting to the inauguration of Biafra Secret Service by Nnamdi Kanu below:
Source: Legit.ng
- A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has been arrested for allegedly aiding the escape of a suspected child ritual killer
- The DPO was arrested by the Rivers state police command on Monday, August 28
- He was said to have worked with another police officer Johnbosco Okoroeze, a dismissed sergeant to help Ifeanyi Dike, a suspected ritual killer escape
The Nigerian Police has arrested another police officer - a Divisional Police Officer - for allegedly aiding the escape of Ifeanyi Dike, a suspected child ritual killer, Punch reports.
The DPO was arrested on Monday, August 28, by the Rivers state police command after various investigations revealed his involvement in the escape of Dike, a University of Port Harcourt undergraduate.
Legit.ng gathered that the DPO had been in long telephone conversation with Johnbosco Okoroeze, a police sergeant earlier dismissed for aiding in Dike's escape.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Alleged billionaire kidnapper Evans returns to Lagos, finally to appear in court on Wednesday, August 30
The telephone conversation, a senior police source said, indicated that there were premeditated actions by the DPO to allow the suspect escape from police detention.
It was also gathered that while the father of the deceased, Ernest Nmezuwuba, and the suspected ritual killer were being prepared to write their statements, Okoroeze received several calls from the DPO.
READ ALSO: Diezani Alison-Madueke in big trouble as Nigerians take protest to London, demands her extradition over alleged corruption
The police source said the Rivers state command has substantial evidence to prove that the DPO worked with the dismissed sergeant for the escape of Dike.
The source also said the father of the deceased informed the police that there were conversation between the investigating police officer - Okoroeze - and another undisclosed officer in the police.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigeria Police arraigned Okoroeze for aiding in the escape of a suspected ritualist.
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Okoroeze, an ex-sergeant was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt on two count charges bordering on obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
He is accused to have aided the escape of Dike, who is suspected to have killed an 8-year old girl Victory Chikamso and removed her vital body organs.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of how this suspected kidnapper escaped jungle justice in Lagos:
Source: Legit.ng
- Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) popularly known as Shiites have not given up in their fight to secure the release of their leader
- Shiites leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has been in the custody of the federal government for months
- Amnesty International has waded into the ordeal of El-Zakzaky's followers
Amnesty International on Wednesday, August 30 called on Nigerian authorities to investigate unexplained disappearances of members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN).
Members of IMN have been at loggerheads with Nigerian authorities over the continued detention of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
The pro-Iranian Shiite religious movement had made claims that 600 of its members are missing.
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Amnesty International is calling on the Nigerian authorities to investigate all cases of enforced disappearances and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice.
According to figures provided by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), at least 600 of their members whereabouts is not known, the group said in a statement sent to journalists.
More than 350 IMN followers, led by Zakzaky, were killed in clashes with the military in Zaria, Kaduna state in December 2015.
Zakzakys supporters allegedly refused to allow the chief of army staffs convoy to pass through the town, sparking violence.
Zakzaky, who was shot and injured leaving has since been imprisoned for alleged incitement and subversion.
Amnesty International said hundreds of other civilians had disappeared in the North-east region during Boko Harams brutal eight-year insurgency.
Many more are being held illegally in secret. The families of the victims of enforced disappearance have already waited too long for answers.
They deserve justice, truth and reparation now, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the group has called on the federal government to release their leader or be ready to kill all of them.
Members of the group recently blocked all the major highways in Kaduna metropolis, chanting, Free El-Zakzaky, we demand justice, we are Nigerians release El-zakzaky or kill us all.
Speaking on behalf of the Shiites at the procession, Nuhu Mafara, said they were out to demand the unconditional release of their leader who has been in detention for 612 days.
READ ALSO: Abubakar Shekau is hiding in Mandara Mountain - BH commander
Watch the Legit.ng TV report of a retired Army Major calling for dialogue between IPOB and federal government:
Source: Legit.ng
Notorious billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans is currently being arraigned before an Ikeja Division of the Lagos state High Court.
The kidnapper is being arraigned for kidnapping and murder.
Legit.ng crew is presently on ground to bring you exclusive reports as the high profile kidnapper is being arraigned. A detailed report will be published soon on our platform.
Evans is being arraigned alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Izechuwku, Okechukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and one Victor Chukwumonso.
READ ALSO: Alleged billionaire kidnapper Evans reportedly returns to Lagos to face arraignment in court
9.57: That's the pronouncement right now.
9.56: Evans to be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons until 19th October for trial.
9.54: The choice of prison was made by the Attorney General of Lagos state.
9.53: Evans may be kept in Kirikiri Maximum Prison pending the next adjourned date.
9.52: The Lagos Attorney General has asked for an adjournment date for proper trial
9.50: The defence team argue that they only met with their client this morning.
9.51: The lead counsel argues that the defendants have been in police custody before the arraignment.
Evans pleads guilty to the charges against him in court
4.49: Other charges are being read at the moment.
9.48: About three others plead NOT guilty.
9.48: Evans pleads guilty to the charges against him in court.
9.45: Charges are being read to the accused now.
LIVE UPDATES: Notorious Kidnapper Evans in court for kidnapping, murder
9.38: Lagos state Attorney General is leading the prosecution.
9.42: Several lawyers in court this morning for Evans.
9.44: Legit.ng observed that the kidnapper is looking absolutely fresh this morning!
9.37: Evans's case has been called alongside others now. Justice Hakeem Oshodi has sat.
9.31: The court clerk is calling people's cases right now, Evans is sitting with five other suspects and four men and one woman
A close up photo of the kidnapper in court
The kidnapper is being arraigned for kidnapping and murder
9.20: Security is water tight inside the court to be presided over by Justice Hakeem Oshodi in Lagos.
More photos from the court proceedings:
Legit.ng had reported that notorious kidnapper, Chukwudi Onuamadike who was arrested by security operatives on Saturday, June 10, begged for forgiveness.
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Legit.ng gathered that after about three months of search, police officers from Abuja, Saturday arrested the notorious kidnapper in his Magodo hideout in Lagos.
It was reported that during the arrest, he was wearing a designer wrist watch which costs $170,000.
What should happen to alleged kidnapper Evans? Watch as Nigerians speak:
Source: Legit.ng
Bill Pike, a past commander and active member of Westby American Legion Post 155, swore in the 2017-18 officers. The new officers are: Commander, Melanie Driese; Senior Vice President, Harold Olson; Junior Vice President, Forrest Dowling; Financial Officer, Ron Paulsrud; Adjutant, Butch Schttuck; Chaplain, George Narvestad; Sergeant-at-Arms, Calvin Cade; Service officer, John Nelson.
The American Legion is an active part of the Westby community sponsoring scholarships, hosting bingo events and a steak fry in the fall. Post 155 also joins the Westby VFW in providing military honors for fallen momrades whether they are post members or not.
We believe every veteran deserves a military tribute at their graveside honoring them for their service to our country, Harold Olson said.
As members of the Legion age they are searching for new members to join the organization.
There are many benefits to joining this national trademark of veteran appreciation. We could use your help, Olson said.
Anyone having questions about the Westby American Legion can call Olson at 606 4343.
- A group of Imo state leaders have called for the governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha, to resign or be impeached
- The group accused Okorocha of being incompetent and having no care for the lives of Imo citizens
- The group also blamed Okorocha for the deaths of a 10-year-old boy and several others during the Owerri market demolition
The Concerned Imo State Leaders (CISL) group on Tuesday, August 29, demanded the immediate resignation of Governor Rochas Okorocha for being allegedly incompetent.
The group said Okorocha has clearly established leadership incompetence and serial blunder on the most elementary duties of governance.
The Nation reports that the group has asked the House of Assembly to invoke the impeachment clause and unseat the governor immediately.
The group accused the Okorocha administration of conducting a reckless market demolition that led to the deaths of several people, including a 10-year-old boy, Somtochukwu Igboanusi.
READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Notorious Kidnapper Evans in court for kidnapping, murder
He said: As leaders in Imo state from various zones and across different political party lines, we are pained that at this time government should focus all resources and alleviate economy hardship and youth unemployment, the government in Imo state is sending struggling families to severe poverty and misery through irresponsible governance.
By refusing counsel, rejecting court injunctions and going ahead to carry out the demolition of a market that has been in existence before Independence in 1960, the Imo state government has provoked the people and threatened the peace of the state.
As Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the state, the governor ought to have realised that such wanton and reckless disregard for the sensibilities and interest of the people in a democracy poses a grave challenge to national security at a time the Federal Government is concerned about insecurity across the country.
As leaders of Imo state, we would ordinarily support any well-conceived urban renewal project in the state as we know the economic growth spill-offs of properly executed infrastructural development in the state. But what we are witnessing in Imo state is a self-interested and uncoordinated urban renewal project that consists largely of demolition of private properties and transfer of recovered plots of land to cronies for private development.
The fact is that the present demolition was carried out in reckless violation of a clear court order of Justice S. I. Okpara, restraining the Imo state government from demolition of the market until determination of the suit filed by the stall owners.
In as much as it is the priority of government to determine the direction of urban renewal, we believe that a responsive and responsible government would undertake a process that minimizes hardship and disruption to economic and social life of the citizens.
We are very angry at this uncivilised, reckless, thoughtless and disrespectful model of governance and warned that henceforth, we will be out to fight the governor to stop him from further destroying life and livelihood in Imo state.
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Meanwhile, Okorocha has denied reports that a stray bullet hit a boy during the demolition of a market in Owerri, the state capital on Saturday, August 26.
In a press statement released late on Saturday by Governor Rochas Okorocha's chief press secretary Sam Onwuemeodo, the state government denied any death.
The statement described reports of death as 'wicked rumours' meant to pull the government down.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians' reaction to rats in the presidential villa:
Source: Legit.ng
- The Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida University has pegged its admission cut-off mark at 160
- The university's cut-off mark was arrived at 160 after the institution analysed JAMB's decision to announce a 120 mark
- The vice chancellor of the IBBU said candidates must have a minimum of 160 points as an entry requirement for the 2017/2018 academic session
The Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Lapai, Niger State, has pegged its 2017/2018 admission cut off mark at 160.
Its Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Maiturare, announced this at a press briefing on Tuesday in Minna, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) last week fixed 120 as cut-off point for university admission, signifying a 60-point reduction compared to last years minimum of 180 points.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Alleged billionaire kidnapper Evans returns to Lagos, finally to appear in court on Wednesday, August 30
After analysing JAMBs decision to peg the minimum entry requirement at 120 points, IBBU has pegged its minimum entry requirement to 160 points for the 2017/18 academic session, he said.
He lauded JAMB for the decision, noting, however, that every university had the right to decide on its admission policy.
READ ALSO: 7 new permanent secretaries appointed at the National Assembly (full list)
JAMBs decision to lower the cut-off point will help tertiary institutions to maintain high standards without sacrificing quota, he said.
He said that 7,120 UTME candidates made IBBU their first choice.
Legit.ng earlier reported that JAMB had pegged it cut-off mark for admission into tertiary universities at 120.
The examination body in a statement also warned candidates that the 120 cut-off mark does not guarantee an automatic admission into a university.
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JAMB also said the admission process for the 2017/2018 academic session will begin on September 15.
You can watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians complaining about the hassle of JAMB registration:
Source: Legit.ng
According to Legit.ng reports, notorious billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (a.k.a Evans) is currently being arraigned before an Ikeja Division of the Lagos state High Court.
About two months after Evans was arrested and paraded by men of the Lagos state police command, his arraignment has begun.
Evans who attained some sort of celebrity status following his arrest, is being arraigned at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, today, August 30, 2017.
If pictures of Evans taken by Legit.ng reporters are anything to go by, the notorious kidnapper looks 'well rested' and 'fresh', even though he has spent several weeks in police custody.
READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Notorious Kidnapper Evans in court for kidnapping, murder
See the pictures below:
Evans the kidnapper looks fresh as court resumes hearing. Photo: Legit.ng
Evans is facing arraignment at the Ikeja High Court. Photo: Legit.ng
Evans is being arraigned for kidnapping and murder. Photo: Legit.ng
READ ALSO: Alleged billionaire kidnapper Evans reportedly returns to Lagos to face arraignment in court
Evans pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Photo: Legit.ng
Evans is to be remanded in the Kirikiri maximum prisons until October 19, for trial. Photo: Legit.ng
Evans was arraigned alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Izechukwu, Okechukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and one Victor Chukwunonso.
Meanwhile, watch this video to see what Nigerians think about whether Evans the kidnapper should be sent to prison or employed by the government:
Source: Legit.ng
- President Buhari arrived Katsina state on Wednesday, August 30, en route to his hometown
- The president will be celebrating this year's Eid-el-Kabir in Daura, Katsina state
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Katsina state today, August 30, en route to Daura his hometown for Sallah celebration.
This was revealed by Katsina state governor, Aminu Masari, in a tweet to welcome the president.
Legit.ng gathered that the presidents plane landed at the Umaru Musa YarAdua Airport, in Katsina state in Nigeria Air Force plane 001 around 4:03 p.m.
Governor Masari at the Umaru Musa Yar'adua Airport waiting for the arrival of President Buhari Photo credit: Twitter, Governor Masari
He was received by Governor Masari, Emir of Katsina and other top government officials of the state.
President Buhari was immediately flown to his hometown, Daura in a chopper.
People of Katsina state waiting for President Buhari's arrival at the airport Photo credit: Twitter, Governor Masari
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According to the assets declaration that was made public, Buhari owns a modest apartment in his hometown Daura, Katsina state.
His residence is located in the Government Reserved Area, a few metres off Daura-Kwangolam road, nestling the Daura Shagari Low Cost Housing Estate.
See more photos below:
President Buhari welcomed at the airport by Katsina state governor and the Emir Photo credit: Twitter, Nigerian Presidency
President Buhari received a warm welcome in Katsina state Photo credit: Twitter, Nigerian Presidency
Buhari will be spending the holiday in Katsina state for Sallah celebrations Photo credit: Twitter, Nigerian Presidency
President Buhari arrives Katsina state for Eid-el-Kabir celebrations Photo credit: Twitter, Governor Masari
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the government of President Buhari declared Friday, September 1 and Monday September 4, 2017 as holidays in celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir.
The announcement of the public holiday was made by Abdulrahman Dambazau, the interior minister.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Danbazau congratulated Muslims over the celebration.
Watch video of how Nigerians celebrate Buhari's return on the streets of Abuja:
Source: Legit.ng
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As the Trump administration ramps up its immigrant detention and deportation machine, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is trying to get permission to begin routinely destroying records related to its detention operations. More specifically, ICE has asked the National Archives and Record Administration to approve a new timetable for the destruction and retention of records that would allow records relating to solitary confinement to be destroyed after three years, and records relating to detainee deaths to be destroyed after 20 years.
Under the proposed timetable, which has already been granted preliminary approval by NARA, the agency would have "permission to begin routinely destroying 11 kinds of records, including those related to sexual assaults, solitary confinement and even deaths of people in its custody," according to an ACLU release. ICE has proposed a number of timelines for when these records could be destroyed "ranging from 20 years for sexual assault and death records to three years for reports about solitary confinement," according to the ACLU.
This is routine, government record maintenance as prescribed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which is the ultimate arbiter of how our records are managed," ICE spokeswoman Danielle Bennett told LAist in an email.
Bennett told LAist that "there were no timetables [for record destruction or retention] in place previously since ICE has only existed as an agency since 2003." She also said that the agency has been working with NARA to establish timetables for "how to manage our records and come into alignment with federal records management laws and regulations."
"We expect that they're moving toward an increase in the immigrant detention system," Victoria Lopez, a senior staff attorney with the ACLUs National Prison Project, told LAist. In Lopez's view, the agency's request is far from routine maintenance, and would instead hinder access to "pretty important documents."
"This may seem like a run-of-the-mill government request for record-keeping efficiency. It isnt," the ACLU explained in their release. "An entire paper trail for a system rife with human rights and constitutional abuses is at stake." As noted at Splinter, the agency's request "also comes during an era when ICE has abruptly stopped sharing data with researchers and limited information available to attorneys."
Although 20 years may seem like a long time, it's a relative drop in the historical bucket. The idea that ICE, which has been in existence for 14 years, could begin destroying records about detainee deaths and sexual assaults from the agency's first days of operation a mere six years from now is troubling to watchdog groups.
"When you look at our immigration detention system as a whole, it was originally really ramped up in the early '80s, so that was over 30 years ago. Twenty years ago, that was right around the time of the 1996 laws that were passed under President Bill Clinton and basically doubled immigrant detention overnight," Christina Fialho, an attorney and the co-founder of immigrant detention watchdog group CIVIC, told LAist, expanding on what a 20-year timeline looks like in the context of recent American immigration history.
"Without information about the pattern of abuse that's taking place over the last few decades, it's going to be harder for us to really show that this is a system that's using our tax dollars to perpetrate human and civil rights abuses," she continued.
Fialho's organization authored a report earlier this year documenting the rampant sexual assault and harassment claims at immigrant detention centers. As indicated in the report, the government also has little protocol in place for investigating or preventing those claims, which makes the destruction of records related to them especially troublesome.
"I can't help but feel that this move on ICE's part is a direct response to a lot of the complaints around abuse that they've been receiving recently in the media," Fialho said.
In their preliminary approval of ICE's requested timetable for record retention and destruction, the National Archives justified the eventual destruction of records relating to both detainee sexual assault and detainee deaths on the grounds that neither "document significant actions of Federal officials." The preliminary report also justified the destruction of records relating to detainee deaths after a 20-year period on the grounds that they have "little or no research value."
"The M.O. of the immigration detention system as a whole is isolating people from information," Fialho told LAist in April.
Ten people have already died in ICE custody this fiscal year (the fiscal year began in October 2016 and ends on September 30). Since Trump took office, three detainees have died at the Adelanto Detention Facility alone, which is located in the high desert about 90 miles from Los Angeles. Adelanto, which houses just shy of 2,000 people, is California's largest immigrant detention facility.
"ICE may try to destroy the evidence of its wrongdoing, but we will not allow them to operate with impunity between closed doors," Fialho said.
Splinter reports that NARA is currently accepting public comment on ICE's request before they make a final decision, and that the public comment period will close on September 7. If you would like to comment, you can do so by emailing NARA here (make sure to indicate that you are commenting in regard to schedule item #DAA-0567-2015-0013).
Related: Sexual Assault Claims At Private Immigrant Detention Centers Are Rarely Investigated
ICE Detainee Dies 6 Days After Attempting Suicide At Adelanto Facility
Two Adelanto Detention Center ICE Detainees Have Died In The Past Three Weeks
Third Adelanto ICE Detainee Dies In As Many Months
- Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar has advised President Buhari not to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu
- He said his agitation was for the benefit of Igbo people
- He noted that every citizen must be treated fairly before they will accept Nigeria's unity
Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government not to revoke the bail granted to Nnamdi Kanu describing it as dangerous.
There has been report that the federal government had called for the re-arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) but the former military administrator of Kaduna state has urged the president to handle the matter gently.
READ ALSO: PDP moves to woo Dangote for 2019 presidential election
Col. Umar who is the chairman of Movement for Unity and Progress described Kanu as a bitter young man fighting for the interest of Igbo people.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 30, the retired military administrator noted that the presidents involvement in the civil war was responsible for his interest in keeping the country united but said this can only be achieved when every citizen is treated fairly.
He said: President Buharis insistence that the unity of Nigeria is a settled issue is a nationalistic wish and is no surprise coming from a veteran of civil war who fought to keep the country one. However, this does not take into account the mood of the nation as indicated by the growing agitations for self-determination, restructuring and many other similar demands.
Nigerias unity can only be guaranteed when all its citizens feel they are getting a fair deal; when all its component parts are treated justly and equitably. When none feels oppressed.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Adeyanju and other similar agitators might seem like felons or even anarchists. But as often happens over humanitys turbulent history, appearances can be deceitful. One mans terrorist could well be another mans freedom fighter.
In any event, despite what the security agencies might feel, there is nothing to fear from Mazi Kanu. He and his compatriots are people who love their country dearly and are willing to take a risk with their lives while blowing a whistle on some of our bad habits.
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It will be a tragic mistake to treat them as common criminals. It is evident that they are fighting a cause millions consider entirely legitimate.
Until our democracy learns to accommodate dissent, vigorous, robust, even if inconvenient, it will be incapable of serving our common good.
Meanwhile, governors in the south-eastern part of Nigeria are reportedly meeting Kanu in Enugu.
Legit.ng learnt that the meeting, which is holding inside the Enugu Government House, also has His Royal Highness, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, the father of the IPOB leader, in attendance.
Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Kanu speaking about his Biafra agitation:
Source: Legit.ng
- The billionaire kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans may face life imprisonment
- Evans pleaded guilty to two counts charge when he appeared in court on Wednesday August 30, 2017
- One of his accomplices, Mr. Amadi, the second defendant, also pleaded guilty to the two counts
There was a graveyard silence in the crowded courtroom after suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, pleaded guilty to the first of the two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping brought against him.
Premium Times reports that the Lagos state government on Wednesday August 30 arraigned Evans alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, and Victor Aduba on a two count charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping.
Legit.ng gathered that the government said the suspects had conspired on February 14th at about 7.45pm at Ilupeju, Lagos, to kidnap one Donatus Dunu and collect 223,000 for his release.
Notorious Kidnapper Evans in court for kidnapping, murder
READ ALSO: Why Nnamdi Kanu should not be re-arrested - Col Umar
After he pleaded guilty when the first charge was read, there was a slight pause, and then the judge ordered the court registrar to repeat the question.
Evans repeated the same answer.
He also pleaded guilty to the second charge of kidnapping.
Mr. Amadi, the second defendant, also pleaded guilty to the two counts.
Mr. Nwachukwu pleaded guilty to conspiracy and not guilty to kidnapping.
Ms. Uchechukwu, the only female in the group, and Messrs. Ifeanyi and Aduba, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned till October 19 for trial of those who pleaded not guilty, and to look at the evidence for those who pleaded guilty before their conviction.
According to the criminal laws of Lagos State, an act of kidnapping attracts life imprisonment while kidnappers whose victims die in their custody get the death penalty.
Ahead of the arraignment, there was heavy security presence around the high court with armed police officers and armoured personnel carriers stationed at both entrances into the premises.
Police officers on horsebacks patrolled the grounds while uniformed men with bomb detectors frisked journalists at the door of the courtroom.
At about 9.30 a.m., at least half a dozen police officers marched a clean shaven Evans, sporting a cream shirt on black trousers, and his co-defendants into the courtroom.
The defendants had been in police custody since June 10.
Before their charges were read, Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to the defendants, attempted to raise an issue before the court but was shunned by the judge who told him you cant control my courtroom, the charges have not been read.
After the defendants took their pleas, Mr. Ogungbeje said he had wanted to inform the judge that he had not been allowed to discuss with his clients before the arraignment.
We are having the opportunity of meeting with our clients just this morning, said Mr. Ogungbeje, who had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit on behalf of Evans at a federal court.
All the defendants have since been in the custody of the police, we have not had the opportunity of conferring with them, this is a capital offence.
Earlier, Adeniji Kazeem, the Attorney General of Lagos State, specified that the defendants be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison before the next adjourned date.
We apply for the defendants to be remanded in custody and to obtain trial dates for the ones that had pleaded not guilty, said Mr. Kazeem, the lead prosecutor.
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While those that had pleaded guilty, we can come and lay our statement of facts following which your lordship can adjourn for sentencing.
While adjourning, the judge ordered that the male defendants be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison while Ms. Uchechukwu be kept at the Kirikiri Female Prison.
After the court proceedings, which lasted about 45 minutes, Evans and the other defendants remained in court for almost two hours before they were taken away in a waiting Prison vehicle.
Meanwhile Legit.ng had previously reported that the notorious kidnapper, Chukwudi Onuamadike, who is also popularly known as Evans, who was arrested by security operatives on Saturday, June 10 begged for forgiveness.
What should happen to alleged kidnapper Evans? Watch as Nigerians speak:
Source: Legit.ng
- Nnamdi Kanu met with south-east governors in Enugu
- The IPOB leader who has been agitating for an independent Biafra state insisted that he will not relent in his Biafra agitation
Nnamdi Kanu has allegedly insisted that there is no going back in his agitation for Biafra shortly after his meeting with the five south east governors.
The leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) met with the south-east governors on Wednesday, August 30 alongside his father over his call for no election in the region.
Legit.ng had reported that the the meeting took place inside the Enugu Government House, also has His Royal Highness, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu.
Nnamdi Kanu with south east governors after the meeting in Enugu. Credit: Facebook
READ ALSO: PDP moves to woo Dangote for 2019 presidential election
In a series of photos shared by one Somto Okonkwo on Facebook, the IPOB leader was seen leaving the meeting with the governors.
The IPOB leader has insisted that there will be no elections in the south east. Credit: Facebook
He said Kanu spoke after the meeting insisting that there was no going back on his Biafra agitation.
Nnamdi Kanu and his father after the meeting/ Credit: Facebook
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Meanwhile, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar advised the president Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government not to revoke the bail granted to Kanu describing it as dangerous.
There has been report that the federal government had called for the re-arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) but the former military administrator of Kaduna state has urged the president to handle the matter gently.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 30, the retired military administrator noted that the presidents involvement in the civil war was responsible for his interest in keeping the country united but said this can only be achieved when every citizen is treated fairly.
Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Kanu speaking about his Biafra agitation.
Source: Legit.ng
- The Police Service Commission (PSC) has invited Senator Isah Misau to appear before its panel
- Senator Misau had accused the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris of pocketing N120 billion annually
- He also accused the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro of incompetence and corruption
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has invited the Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isah Misau, to appear before its Special Panel investigating allegations of corruption in special promotions in the Nigeria Police Force.
Punch reports that the senator is expected to appear before the panel on September 6, 2017 at 11.00am, according to a statement on Wednesday by the commission spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani.
READ ALSO: Billionaire kidnapper Evans faces life imprisonment over guilty plea
Legit.ng gathered that Misau was invited to appear before the panel with the original copy of his letter of retirement from the force for authentication.
The Senator had accused the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris of pocketing N120 billion annually as payments for special security services rendered by the police to corporate organisations and Very Important Personalities.
He also accused the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro of incompetence and corruption.
The Senator had presented to journalists a letter of retirement dated March 5, 2014 signed by a former official of the commission, Mrs. Garos Logam.
But the commission in its letter signed by the Chairman of the Special Panel, Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, stated that the immediate issue for investigation is the genuineness or otherwise of the two letters of retirement supposed to have emanated from the Police Service Commission in connection with this (Misaus) retirement.
The letter was titled, Re: Retirement from the Nigeria Police Force of AP 57300 DSP Mohammed Isah Hamma Invitation to appear before Police Service Commission Panel.
The commission said it received correspondence from the NPF Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters dated August 28, 2017 relating to the senators retirement from the force.
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The commission explained that it was the only organ saddled with the statutory responsibility of issuing retirement letters to all police officers except the IG.
The letter read, The Police Service Commission, the only organ saddled with the statutory responsibility of issuing letters of retirement to all police officers except the IG, has a vital role to play in determining the authenticity of this letter.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Senator Isa Hamman Misau representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly was declared wanted for questioning by the Nigeria Police Force.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians sharing their opinion on whether the Senate should be scrapped or not:
Source: Legit.ng
- The Lagos state police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, has debunked rumors making the rounds about the alleged kidnap of an expatriate in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state by a member of the Badoo cult group
- The police chief stated that no such incident had been recorded by the Lagos state police command
- Owoseni advised members of the public to be careful about what they post on social media in order not to make the country look as though its unsafe
Rumors making the rounds about the alleged kidnap of an expatriate in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state by a Badoo gang member, have been debunked by the Lagos state police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, Premium Times reports.
Owoseni made his comments in a chat with journalists at the Police officers Mess, Ikeja, on Wednesday, August 30.
READ ALSO: IPOBs demand cannot be absolute - South-east governors tell Kanu
According to the police chief, no such incident of an American expatriate, either kidnapped or attacked, in Ikorodu had been recorded by the state police command, even after the command had conducted a wide search.
He advised the public to be careful about what they post on social media.
Owoseni stated: Sometimes, people just ascribe names of places to where incidents happen.
From the voices that followed that (video), Yoruba language was being spoken languages that appear Edo are (also) being spoken.
We want to appeal to the general public not to do anything that will disparage the country and make it appear as if it is not safe.
When they see such incident, they should report to the appropriate quarters.
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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that a suspected member of the dreaded cult group, Badoo, allegedly attacked an unidentified expatriate who boarded his taxi from the Lagos airport.
The expatriate was picked from the airport by the cultist who is reportedly also a cab driver.
The Badoo member then proceeded to take the foreigner home, where he then allegedly used a cutlass to butcher him; but thankfully, the victim survived.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of how an alleged kidnapper escaped jungle justice in Lagos:
Source: Legit.ng
- There have been calls for the resignation of service chiefs by some individuals and groups in the country
- This demand has not gone down well with some groups
- The New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP) is not in support of the calls
New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP) has called for restraint in the rampant calls for resignation of security chiefs by some groups and individuals in the country.
The party dismissed the calls saying security is a delicate issue that must not be sacrificed for pecuniary gains.
The NGP in a statement signed on Wednesday, August 30 by its National Chairman, Dr Yakubu Shendam said it was high time Nigerians and organisations making such calls put national interest first and also consider the security of lives and property before making such calls.
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Part of the statement read: Security anywhere in the world is serious business that should not be politicized, but regrettably in our country, anytime a security chief is seen to be making progress in the fight against crime and criminality, weighty allegations are made by some persons who should know the intricate nature of securing a nation.
While we are opposed to corruption in its entirety, we wish to caution the federal government to be cautious of such calls in other not to jeopardize the feats already achieved in the security architecture of the country.
No one among the chiefs of the various security outfits in this country is free of allegations of corruption particularly under this administration that is known to be making efforts in fighting corruption.
Therefore, it should be clear to all that those making these allegations are a cabal that want to puncture the security architecture for reasons only known to them.
Shendam wondered how those accusing the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris of collecting N120 billion got at the figure considering the fact that it was not done following due process.
If those calling for the resignation of the IGP had an inkling of corruption in the system and called for investigation, one would understand that they meant well for the system and Nigeria in general. But merely calling for resignation of a security chief over frivolous allegation is suspect, he added.
According to the NGP chairman, more calls for sack of security chiefs would be made should the federal government fall to the antics of those who have constructed themselves to seeking outright sack or redeployment of security personnel that may not be useful for their dealings.
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has invited the chairman, Senate committee on Navy, Senator Isah Misau, to appear before its special panel investigating allegations of corruption in special promotions in the Nigeria Police Force.
Legit.ng gathered that Misau was invited to appear before the panel with the original copy of his letter of retirement from the force for authentication.
The senator had accused the IGP of pocketing N120 billion annually as payments for special security services rendered by the police to corporate organisations and Very Important Personalities.
READ ALSO: Biafra: Full charges against Buratai, Obiano, others in US Court revealed
Watch the Nigerian Air Force outline its plans to defeat Boko Haram on Legit.ng TV:
Source: Legit.ng
- The current economic recession in the country has been blamed for the rise in hate speech, by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state
- The governor however advised citizens to engage the Nigerian state peacefully, rather than engage in hate speeches that generates tension
- Okowa stated that when hate speeches are heard outside Nigeria, it will dissuade potential investors from investing in the country
Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta state, has stated that the recent increase in hate speech across the country is caused by the current economic recession.
According to reports, the governor made his comments during a courtesy visit by members of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in Asaba, on Wednesday, August 30.
The delegation was led by Hon. Mathias Eto.
READ ALSO: The Lagos state Police Command has not recorded any case of kidnap/assault of any expatriate by Badoo - Fatai Owoseni
However, the governor advised members of the public to employ appropriate channels to address their grievances.
He stated: There is no doubt that because of the recession, people are easily getting angry; but it is time for us as a people to realize that there are several constitutional avenues for us to lay our complaints.
People should try to have more reasonable means to engage the Nigerian state peacefully, rather than engage in hate speeches that generates tension.
When these types of speeches are heard outside the shores of the country, it will discourage foreign direct investments and make local investors to be cautious, which will further endanger our fragile economy.
The governor further praised the commission for stabilizing the polity.
He stated: Anything that will help us achieve peace in the state will be welcomed. As a government, we have a lot of avenues for peace-building and to cement the existing peace and unity in our state.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, set in motion a process for the arrest and prosecution of peddlers of hate speech, following the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The development was made public by Moshood Jimoh, spokesman of the Nigerian Police Force.
Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians reacting to the news that Buhari was chased out of his office by rats.
Source: Legit.ng
Press Release
A recently-published clinical study has concluded that the key to diminishing wrinkles in as little as two months has everything to do with the source and volume of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the body. For Kewpie, the long-time leader in HA research and producer of global standard Hyabest(S)LF-P, the conclusion was an acknowledgment of decades of work and study.
Leaders in pharmaceutical health supplementation, from academia to marketing, developers and researchers alike, agree that the current state of awareness in health and longevity looks directly to natural materials and methods, and turns to original wisdom for fundamental understanding of the bodys functions, in the quest for improvement. There are few companies in the world better positioned to answer this quest than Kewpie Corporation of Japan, a company founded in 1919 on exhaustive investigation of the generative properties of the humble egg, natures essential crucible of life, and today the manufacturer of a host of products built around the idea that the power to sustain life and youth resides within the body, and requires only the correct natural support to unleash its resilience and vitality.
The role of the mucopolysaccharide hyaluronic acid in hydrating the skin and guarding against deterioration, especially from the effect of UV radiation, has been commonly known since it was first revealed generations ago. It acts to reinforce the collagenic structure beneath the corneal layer of the skin. Without it, that structure breaks down, hydration is lost, and the surface becomes riven with ruts and lines. In humans, the primary antagonist in this process is aging we lose some three quarters of our bodys HA as we pass through middle age with UV radiation following close behind. Hyaluronic acid in the dermis is replaceable by injection, but at considerable cost, discomfort, and risk, and the effects are unsustained. More importantly, HA is a component of every organ and connective tissue in the body, from brain to eyes, to heart, to synovial fluid. Although skin, our largest organ, holds the most visible fifty percent of the bodys store of the substance, every organ and joint suffers over time from its loss.
So it came as an epochal change when, in 2014, the highly impact-factored Nutrition Journal, one of the worlds most respected publishers of top-level nutritional research, released a peer-reviewed study in which daily intake of Kewpies hyaluronan ingredient Hyabest(S)LF-P was shown conclusively to counter the loss of skin hydration and guard against deterioration due to age, and to such environmental factors as cold, dry air and UV radiation. For the first time, daily oral intake of hyaluronic acid, which had been used topically from its debut in the 1930s, was determined to be a viable means of replenishment in the body, and it was not long before supplement manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon.
But this second double-blinded, placebo-controlled study offers more complete evidence that not every producers oral application of hyaluronic acid can promise any hope of effectiveness, and that Hyabest(S)LF-Ps combination of unique properties, in specific, meaningful dosage, can show positive results after just two-months of commencing daily oral intake.
The study involved sixty healthy men and women between 22 and 59 years of age. The group was divided in three, with subjects administered either a placebo, or a hyaluronic acid formulation using one of two varieties, with a molecular weight of 2k or 300k. The dosage, 120 mg. daily, was the same for all, and the trial lasted 12 weeks. Within two weeks of completing the course of supplementation, subjects were observed with instrumentation and interviewed via questionnaire. The HA groups reported indisputable changes in the depth and definition of wrinkles, which was substantiated by microphotography, along with notable improvements in luster and suppleness.
Dosage and Dedication are Key.
To say that Kewpie Corporation is respected and beloved in Japan is neither exaggeration nor merely market talk. Beloved for its food products, which are wholesome and basic, and rely on freshness and minimal processing, rather than coloration and additives, for their appeal, Kewpie has earned the nations respect for its consistent quality. Since 1919, the companys nutritional research division has spent more time and resources than most any other manufacturer in the category on strict and rigorous testing and development. Based on the idea that the strongest defense against the ravages of the environment and aging is the one were endowed with at birth, Kewpie has maintained an abiding dedication to ultimate purity and refinement regarding what enters the body. Kewpie products have been among the most trusted in Japan for generations.
In 1983, the company turned its attention to the benefits of hyaluronic acid, and hasnt turned away since, becoming a world leader in sales of HA products, including flagship Hyabest(S)LF-P, along with its counterpart Hyabest(J), geared to addressing joint and intramuscular issues. When, in 2015, the Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) announced its newest and most rigorous labeling standard for functional foods, Food with Function Claims (FFC), Kewpies Hyabest(S)LF-P was among the first ingredients recognized, thanks to the companys single-minded effort in maintaining the highest standards of research, reporting, quality and consistency.
That the current study identified, with specificity and certainty, a dosage of 120 mg. daily is significant too. Because while many companies are racing to include HA as a component of their anti-aging and anti-wrinkle supplementation, they lack the resources and experience to produce the substance at a volume and with consistent quality necessary to provide it in sufficient amounts.
Hyaluronic acid is costly to manufacture, and once in the body, its effectiveness is diminished by absorption in the intestinal tract and metabolic action by the liver, making the slight quantities available in other formulations negligible in their effect. Uniquely-formulated Hyabest(S)LF-P is less subject to degradation, and few companies possess the technical expertise and facilities to produce hyaluronic acid at the levels that Kewpie Corporation does, through a time-tested process of natural bio-fermentation, and without the use of any animal sources whatsoever.
With clinically proven Hyabest(S)LF-P, consumers can count on visible results; and manufacturers, with the advent of this new clinical proof, can stand with confidence on the quality and effectiveness of their products.
Speak with Kewpie representatives at SupplySide West in Las Vegas this September to learn more. Find them at the Mitsubishi International Food Ingredient presentation, Booth T156.
Earlier this month, Cisco completed the acquisition of SD-WAN vendor Viptela, which it had announced in early May.
The companies recent news sparked several rumors about the fate of Ciscos Intelligent WAN (IWAN), with publications writing such articles as Is the End Near for Ciscos IWAN? and Ciscos Viptela acquisition could mean IWAN is dying or dead. The content of the articles isnt quite as aggressive as the headlines, but the articles have led to a number of misconceptions about what Cisco will do with its SD-WAN solution.
Cisco obviously has a massive install base of customers, particularly within the readership of Network World, so I thought it was important to write something that would help everyone understand what Cisco is doing or not doing with IWAN.
+ Also on Network World: Why Cisco needs SD-WAN vendor Viptela +
Some of the speculation revolves around the thought that if Cisco now has Viptela, it no longer needs IWAN because they are both SD-WAN solutions. That might make sense from a high-level perspective, but the products do address different needs.
Theres an expression that goes something like this: If the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like nail. And thats the approach most SD-WAN vendors take. Theres obviously some overlap, but think of IWAN and Viptela as being overlapping Venn diagrams with a large converged area, but the two do address different needs today although Cisco plans to integrate the two into a single, more flexible solution that can address all requirements.
Ive discussed the roadmap of IWAN and Viptela with several executives at Cisco, including CEO Chuck Robbins, Executive Vice President David Goeckeler, and Vice President Prashanth Shenoy, and they all reiterated the fact that Viptela wont kill IWAN. In fact, they say it will make it better.
What is IWAN?
Before I describe the integration roadmap, there are a couple of important points to understand about IWAN. The first is that there is actually no single product called IWAN. Its a solution based on Ciscos widely adopted Integrated Services Router (ISR) running different technologies such as DMVPN, WAAS, PfRv3, AVC, and Akamai Connect. ISR has become the de facto standard in branch routing, with Cisco holding north of 80% in that market.
Each year Cisco sells about $1.6 billion in ISRs, so dumping the ISR-based IWAN would be bad for Ciscos customers, resellers, service provider partners and anyone else involved in the massive Cisco ecosystem making it bad for Cisco. The company has always been a customer-first vendor, and I cant think of a case where it abruptly killed off a widely adopted product. Cisco may eventually stop using the name IWAN, but the core components will be around for the foreseeable future.
The second point about IWAN is that its hard to deploy and manage, and Cisco admits this. Ciscos history is filled with great innovation that didnt get adopted as widely as it could have because of complexity. TrustSec, PfR and NBAR are a few that come to mind, and IWAN would certainly fall into this category.
However, over the past few years, Cisco has gotten religion around ease of use, and everything the company is doing is based on the concept of making it easier for its customers to purchase, deploy and manage Cisco technology, so using Cisco everywhere gives a 1+1 = 5 value proposition. The recent Network Intuitive launch was based on making Cisco so easy to manage that it manages itself. Its with this goal in mind that Cisco acquired Viptela.
The Cisco/Viptela integration plan
However, Rome wasnt built in a day nor will it be fast integrating Viptela with Cisco at an operating-system level. To get there, Cisco customers can expect the following integration plan.
Cisco
Phase 1: No integration parallel products
This may sound odd, but the first phase of integration will be no integration at least not at a product level. Understanding that businesses today want solutions that are designed to be cloud first and easy to deploy, Cisco and its resellers will lead with Viptela and the vEdge device.
Existing customers that are deploying their network with IWAN, will continue to do so. If a customer decides to buy a Cisco ONE software license for the ISR and chooses to move to Viptela later, Cisco will credit back the cost of the software license.
Customers that want Viptelas full-service stack (UC, WAAS, etc.) can go with a SD-WAN bundle, deploying ISR behind the vEdge.
Customers that want to move to a Cisco-based SD-WAN solution today are protected no matter which path they chose Viptela or IWAN.
Phase 2: Platform integration
In about a year, Cisco will have native integration where the Viptela software will become an integrated feature of IOS XE running on the ISR 4000. This native integration provides Viptela capabilities on all physical/virtual platforms that can run IOS XE.
Example: Cloud Services Router (CSR) 1000V, Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) 5000 Series with ISRv or the Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 1000.
In this case, Viptela management will manage ISR physical/virtual platforms the same way it manages vEdge nodes today.
Phase 3: Management integration
This phase is likely a few years away, but Ciscos goal is to create a single pane of glass for the end-to-end network. This will be accomplished by integrating vManage into Ciscos DNA center, with the ultimate goal of delivering on the vision of intent-based networking from the data center to the branch and out to the cloud.
Ultimately, the name IWAN might disappear, as Viptelas vManage will be used as the management interface for Cisco WAN infrastructure, but this in no way means Cisco will kill off the products that currently comprise IWAN.
In the past, Cisco has been quick to kill off the brand of the acquired company and have those products assume Cisco naming convention. Think back to Tandberg, Selsius, Latitude and many others that went through this transition. A few years ago, Cisco may have acquired Viptela and called it IWAN manager or some variant of that, which may have avoided some of the misinformation that is out there today.
Over the past few years, Cisco has maintained the company brands of the companies it buys. Examples are Cisco WebEx, Jasper, Meraki, Tropo, and now Viptela. The most important point for customers to understand is that Cisco acquired Viptela to augment and make IWAN better. Businesses seeking to adopt an SD-WAN can choose to leverage its ISR 4000 for IWAN or jump straight to Viptela or something in between and be assured that the decision will eventually lead to the same point. IWAN isnt dead, and its not going anywhere anytime soon.
Weather on Mount Washington in New Hampshire can be biblical. On one occasion, I started an early-morning April ascent with fresh snow at the base. Mid-day we stripped to our base layer of clothing when the bright sun warmed the temperature to 60F. At the peak elevation of 6,288 feet, dark clouds closed in, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. We ran for cover from lightning that had a very short distance to travel between the low clouds and the high peak to travel.
After hiking the mountain a half-dozen times, in all seasons and all conditions, its interesting to learn how the Mount Washington Weather Observatory on the peak uses IoT to update weather conditions on this frequent hiker destination.
+ Also on Network World: IoT catches on in New England fishing town +
Mount Washington winter temperatures can range from 48F to minus 44F and in the summer, from 72F to 8F. Much of the mountain is overcast 60% of the time. Winter wind speeds often reach hurricane force and have been clocked at 140 mph. It is not uncommon for summer winds to reach 50 mph. Weather conditions change quickly, endangering unprepared hikers with hypothermia even in summer months.
The non-profit weather observatory, in operation since 1932, is chartered to collect atmospheric data, perform meteorological research and provide education. The observatory's website informs hikers of active conditions, updated every 15 minutes for each 1,000-foot interval. And the website and other communications channels provide vital information to observatory field staff, local government agencies, the U.S. Forestry Service and public safety rescue teams for assessing active conditions in order to protect the lives of crews during search and rescue operations.
Every year, a few hikers die from extreme and changing weather conditions. Most of the hiker rescues and deaths occur during the summer due to exposure when novice hikers, overconfident because of the warm summer weather, start the climb lightly dressed, without additional protective layers. Summer winds regularly blow at 40 mph, and temperatures can drop quickly to 40 degrees, resulting in a deadly windchill factor of 26F.
IoT technology at the Mount Washington Observatory
The Mount Washington Observatory is an early adopter of IoT, beginning 13 years ago using an ensemble of radios and sensors. At the peak, sensors measure barometric pressure, temperature, wind speed, electric field and other conditions. The peaks wind speed sensor (anemometer), a Pitot static sensor, uses the same technology as passenger airplanes. The electric field meter measures the difference in electric potential to detect the high electric field conditions that precede a lightning strike to protect observatory personnel.
A network of 28 sensors extends the observatorys sensors and improves the accuracy of predictions. All sensor sites include a barometer and thermometer, and in some locations, wind speed sensors.
The observatory turned to wireless communications to connect the sensor clusters and the observatory. Like all IoT systems, the engineering constraints are:
Power source
Transmission distance
Transmission frequency
Freewave FGR and FGR2 frequency-hopping spread-spectrum radios operating in the 902 to 928 MHz range were chosen for a few reasons. The lower frequency radio waves of the 900 MHz radios provide greater penetration through trees and other obstacles over shorter distances, though when distances increase, line-of-sight communication is necessary. This radio band does not require coordination of the spectrum with and licensing from the FCC. The spread spectrum design is necessary because there isnt a coordinating function between with narrow band radios that also operate in this band.
Powering the sensor clusters is the most difficult problem. Solar panels and batteries remotely power the devices, a challenge because the mountain is covered in fog 60% of the year. A 25-watt solar panel supplies power. Energy is stored in a 240 amp-hour battery, about four times the energy storage of a car battery, to power the clusters through the night and long periods of overcast weather. The FGR sends a small amount of data from each cluster and limited transmission every 15 minutes, so the clusters can continue to transmit through long periods when the mountain is socked in with fog.
Freewave
Arguably, this early example of IoT is not really one that will lead to the billions and billions of devices that researchers and hardware and software suppliers project because the clusters and radios are not cheap. Also, deployment and maintenance of large batteries are neither easy because of the terrain nor inexpensive.
Given the use case, weather forecasting and research and public safety, the Mount Washington Observatory sensor network produces an ROI. But for IoT, ROI produces stiff headwinds to progress unless the cost of devices, sensors and, most important, the cost of deployment drop significantly.
Hair color is the phenotypic modification of genes related to hair that shows noticeable variations within humans.
Generally, hair colors are classified into dark and light in which the former is predominant. The knowledge of melanocyte biology can lead us to the genes involved in hair color.
All the colors of hair are mostly associated with a single class of pigments called melanin.
Hair Colors Palette. Hair Texture. Image Credit: Subbotina Anna / Shutterstock
Melanin
Melanins are pigments derived from an amino acid called tyrosine. The color of the hair depends on the amount and type of melanin produced by melanocytes. Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) is the gene responsible for hair color determination.
It is found on the surface of melanocytes and also in other cells and play a role in the immune function in humans. There are three types of natural melanin.
They are:
Eumelanin
When MC1R is in the active condition, it produces eumelanin, which causes dark hair. It is also responsible for the protection of skin from damage by ultraviolet radiation.
Pheomelanin
When MC1R is in an inactive condition, the melanocytes will produce pheomelanin, which causes light or red hair. This pigment lacks the feature of protecting the skin from sunlight.
Neuromelanin
Since it is found in dopamine neurons, it colors some areas of the brain, which has no direct relation with hair color.
Mutation of neuromelanin may result in a neurodegenerative disorder, which has an indirect relation with hair color.
Genes Liable to Hair Color
Predominantly, human hair can be of five different colors: black, brown, blond, white/gray, and rarely red. Among these major colors, different shades also exist.
Black Hair Color
Black is the commonly seen hair color in Asia and Africa due to the fact that the people in these regions tend to have lower levels of tyrosinase in their bodies.
Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today
Black eumelanin secretion causes the hair to turn black, which indicates that the MC1R is in the active state.
Brown Hair Color
Human hair in brown color is seen in many shades like brown-ebony, brown-mahogany, brown-oak, etc.
These many shades of brown are due to the presence of an allele, a specific variation in the gene that is found at the specific spot on the chromosome.
For example, people with brown-ebony shaded hair have some alleles that catalyze the enzymes to produce a large amount of brown pigment.
Some alleles in people with brown-Swedish blond suppress the enzyme production, which in turn causes less production of brown pigment. Based on this allele-enzyme activity, the shade of brown hair color differs.
Blond Hair Color
Blond hair is formed when there is a presence of lower quantity of brown eumelanin with the absence of other pigments. People with blond hair color are mostly seen in European countries.
The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has found that the mutant gene that is responsible for blondness in the Northern European population is KIT ligand (KITLG), which has an ability to fight skin cancer.
KIT ligand along with other genes is responsible for the mutation of skin color, blood stem cells, and sperm.
Genes involved in the pigment production contain single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) or the adenine guanine nucleotide, which alters the amount of KITLG present in the hair follicle.
The mutation of the SNP or adenine-guanine nucleotide has been marked as a potential element of blond hair phenotype.
Red Hair Color
The red hair color is very rare around the world. They are found in Northern Europe, specifically in Britain and Ireland. The gene present in red hair is recessive.
The red color is caused by a series of mutations in the MC1R gene, which transmits to the hair more pheomelanin; this also results in pale skin.
The arrangement of amino acids in the protein for red-haired people differs from that in people having other color hair.
Red-haired people suffer a lot due to a higher risk of sunburns and skin cancer, since the pheomelanin does not protect the skin from sunlight. People with red hair genes are more prone to skin cancer.
The ultraviolet radiation from sunlight instantly triggers the MC1R gene to get mutated and also increases the stage of mutation in the tumor.
Scientists have found that people with two MC1R alleles are more likely to have melanoma than those with one MC1R variant gene.
The variant MC1R gene has decreased the synthesis of dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain; thus red-haired people require a larger amount of anesthetic and are very conscious of thermal pain.
Chromosome 16 - Genetically ginger Play
White or Gray Hair
Hair that lacks melanin pigments become white. Thus, white hairs completely lack both eumelanin and pheomelanin pigments.
White-haired people reflect light due to the optical activity of the color. Mostly, colored hair turns white or gray as the melanocyte activity stops.
Scientists have discovered that the gene responsible for gray hair is the "Interferon regulatory factor 4" (IRF4), which plays a role in the production and storage of melanin.
Further Reading
Biomedical engineering researchers at Case Western Reserve University are refining more than 15 years of work on an electrical nerve-block implant, focusing their next step on new applications related to treating asthma and heart failure.
The research by Niloy Bhadra, MD, PhD, an assistant research professor of Biomedical Engineering, Kevin Kilgore, PhD, a professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and three other Case Western Reserve investigators was bolstered this summer by a four-year, $2 million National Institutes of Health grant.
The new research, aimed at blocking unwanted generation of nerve impulses in many clinical applications, will be conducted at The MetroHealth System, where Bhadra is on the bioscientific staff. The study will be done in collaboration with teams at UCLA and Johns Hopkins University.
Bhadra and Kilgore, also both researchers at the Cleveland FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) Center, have been developing the nerve block since 2000. Their technology is in commercial use for pain management by Neuros Medical Inc., a Willoughby Hills company which this summer received a $20 million boost from five venture-capital partners.
FES refers to the use of small, artificially generated electrical currents selectively applied to the central or peripheral nervous system to replace the actions of neurons damaged by injury or disease.
The Case Western Reserve team will focus on "inducing a reliable, rapid, gradable and reversible nerve block" to the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the functions of internal organs. The electrical block is proposed as an alternative to surgery or drugs to "calm down" nerves or reduce pain.
The collaboration with researchers at UCLA will focus on an application that aims for nerve control after cardiac failure, which is now primarily addressed with drugs. Similarly, the Johns Hopkins researchers will team up with Case Western Reserve to use the nerve block to keep bronchial tissue from constricting in asthma patients.
To do all of that, researchers are developing a "combined waveform," referring to the application of both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) at different times and for different periods in the treatment. Until now, the technology has been hampered by a dual problem: AC electricity can cause initial pain and DC can cause nerve damage.
"DC is the headache, because if you do it wrong, there's not only pain, but you can damage the nerve," said Jesse Wainwright, PhD, a research professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Case Western Reserve involved in the work.
"Historically, that's why people said DC is not safe," he said, "but we've developed a way to do it safely and accurately."
The advances made in this new research could also boost pain-management potential for the nerve-block technology--and that could play an important role in reducing an increasing societal reliance on medication, Wainright said.
"After knee or hip-replacement surgery, for example, patients now are sent home with some powerful drug packs," Wainwright said. "But our electrical nerve block could be implanted for a week or two to provide the same pain relief. That might eliminate the need for those drugs and possibly reduce the chance to become addicted to heavy narcotics."
Opioids are a broad category of drugs which include many legal painkillers as well as illegal drugs like heroin. Experts have said today's nationwide health crisis has roots in the increased availability and use of opioid painkillers in the 1990s.
Other investigators on the project are Narenda Bhadra (Niloy Bhadra's brother) and Tina Vrabec from Case Western Reserve; Jeffrey Ardell from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine; and Brendan Canning of Johns Hopkins University.
Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 5,100 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.
The MetroHealth System is an essential health system committed to providing health care to everyone in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and improving the health of the community overall. Its 7,400 employees deliver care to everyone at its main campus, just west of downtown Cleveland, and at more than 20 other MetroHealth locations. It also provides health care at more than 40 additional sites in Cuyahoga County through community partnerships such as the School Health Program.
MetroHealth is home to Cuyahoga County's most experienced Level I Adult Trauma Center, verified since 1992 by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons, and one of two adult and pediatric burn centers in the state of Ohio verified by the American Burn Association. MetroHealth also is home to a verified Level II Pediatric Trauma Center.
In the past year, MetroHealth provided more than 1.3 million patient visits in its hospital and health centers. MetroHealth also is an academic medical center committed to teaching and research; each of its active physicians holds a faculty appointment at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. MetroHealth has earned Magnet status, which places it in the top six percent of all hospitals nationwide for nursing excellence.
MetroHealth's mission is, "Leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork."
A new study, published this week in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, assessed experiences related to orgasm, sexual pleasure and genital touching in women.
For this study Debby Herbenick, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and her team looked at data from 1,055 women ages 18 to 94 years. The women were enrolled in the study in June 2015 and were part of the nationally representative GfK KnowledgePanel. The study sample was representative of women of all ages, races, ethnicities and social and educational backgrounds in United States.
These participants were all given a completely confidential online questionnaire to fill in about their sex lives. Herbenick explained that the idea was to understand the kinds of touch women find pleasurable and see how orgasm is associated with appropriate vaginal and clitoral stimulation. Results revealed that intercourse alone was not enough for women to reach an orgasm.
Results revealed that around 18 percent of can reach their orgasm during vaginal intercourse alone. Over one third of women 36 percent reported that they preferred clitoral stimulation to reach their peak. Another 36 percent women said the clitoral stimulation served to enhance their experience of vaginal intercourse. Despite this many women fake an orgasm during penetrative intercourse.
The study further showed that some orgasms feel better than others for most women (78 percent). These better orgasms are not the ones that last longer state the participants of this study. Less than 20 percent women surveyed said longer sex meant better orgasms. Herbenick said that better orgasms are reported in cases when more time is spent on foreplay or arousal. Emotional intimacy and clitoral stimulation seem to be the key words she said. How stressed the women is and how her mood is determines how mindfully she can immerse into the intercourse explain researchers and that determines the better orgasmic quality.
Two thirds of the women reported that up and down motions over their clitoris gave them pleasure while a little over half, 52 percent liked circular movements. One third of all women enjoyed side to side movements on their clitoris. Around 11 percent liked firm pressure on their vulva while most other liked a light pressure.
Outercourse is a term used to refer to sex that does not involve penetration. This involves touching, kissing, massages and use of sex toys etc. According to experts all of this can be termed as part of the intercourse rather than terming them foreplay. Herbenick suggested that couples could learn from their own early days in the relationship. During that time they spend a lot more time touching and kissing before they begin on oral sex and penetrative sex. Soon as sex becomes routine for the couple, the initial touching is reduced to minimum and penetrative sex remains the only part of sex. This is detrimental to the quality of orgasms in the women partners she explained.
The study revealed that 41 percent of the surveyed women preferred one type of touch to reach their orgasms. Herbenick said that this shows how important it is for partners to know what their women want. This can only come through communication. Couples should talk about what the woman likes, what they enjoy and what can contribute to a great orgasm. Unless they talk about this they may not be reaching their potential she explained, as chances of stumbling upon what she would like are slim.
Using a combination of computational and experimental techniques, a research team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst led by molecular biologist Lila Gierasch has demystified the pathway of interdomain communication in a family of proteins known as Hsp70s - a top target of dozens of research laboratories trying to develop new anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics and treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Gierasch says, "This one presented us with quite a scientific challenge, because all the techniques we usually use to look at communication between the different domains in proteins get stuck when the targets are flexible and not rigid, and the interdomain linker in Hsp70s is very flexible. We had to be clever in our approach." Details are in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
As she explains, heat shock proteins in the Hsp70 family - molecular weight 70 - are "a really important class of molecular chaperones that have many important jobs in the cell, including binding to client proteins to assist their folding, or to keep them from pathologically aggregating, or to keep them unfolded so they can pass threadlike through a membrane."
She describes the three parts of a folded Hsp70 protein as a nucleotide-binding domain and substrate-binding domain linked by a "mysterious" interdomain linker, which becomes part of the structure when a small molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), binds to the Hsp70. When ATP releases energy for the cell's use, it changes to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). "You can think of this molecular machine like a Rube Goldberg apparatus," she notes. "We've known for years that the little linker that connects the two domains is important, and when ATP is present it is a part of the two-domain collapsed structure. But with ADP present, the domains move independently. The linker's role in this case was unknown, and posed a puzzle that was very hard to figure out."
Faced with limited direct experimental methods to watch the linker's movements, Gierasch and postdoctoral researcher Charles English, collaborating with adjunct faculty member Woody Sherman, also CSO of Silicon Therapeutics, Boston, conducted a computational study to understand the range of possible linker positions. They used a technique called molecular dynamics, which uses Newton's equations of motion to simulate how atoms and molecules move. This was aided by the massive computing power of graphics processing units and the nearby multi-university Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke.
Gierasch says Wenli Meng, a master of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques, obtained NMR data that validated the simulations. The linker is just 12 amino acids long, and Meng was able to directly extract linker information from among 636 amino acids. "That was a significant contribution to our work," she notes. "It gave us an experimental fingerprint to compare with what the computer simulation said, and we were delighted by the tight agreement. The combination of NMR data with our simulations made our findings much stronger. Integration of multiple disciplines is greatly advancing life sciences research like this."
She reports, "It turns out that when you look at this linker carefully, it's like a universal joint in a car." For Gierasch, who rebuilt an MG from parts as a graduate student, this analogy is not as unlikely as one might think. "In the driveshaft mechanism, there are rigid pieces connected by joints, and that's what this linker has, three rigid pieces connected by flexible hinges. The result is that the two domains tethered by the linker have restricted rotation with respect to each other. So this protein linker is not like a noodle or piece of yarn. It is rigid in some places yet flexible in others, and, to facilitate proper function of the chaperone, it can twist in ways that facilitate the chaperone's mechanism, but it can't go everywhere."
An "unanticipated bonus" she adds, is discovering that the linker made frequent pauses at a pocket on the substrate-binding domain, "that gives you a potential binding site to target with a drug. We didn't know about this little pocket before, but now we can imagine a way to stop the chaperone-assisted folding cycle by designing a little molecule that will bind at that site."
Gierasch acknowledges that this advance is, by itself, just one step in a long process, in fact one she has been working out for decades. "But that's how science works, one step at a time. With each piece of the puzzle you put in, it clarifies the larger picture." She and co-authors write that enhanced understanding of the interdomain linker's role they have now characterized "fills one more gap in comprehending how these molecular machines perform their myriad physiological functions." This work should be useful for research on Hsp70 targets for cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and developing new antibiotics, they add.
"In addition, seemingly flexible linkers are widespread in signaling molecules in biology, and our work illustrates the importance of studying the roles of these ostensibly flexible units in depth. Delineating their conformational landscapes will shed light on how they may relay information from one region of a molecule to another."
Gierasch adds, "It's said that cancer cells are absolutely addicted to Hsp70s because they are making many proteins in large quantity, and these chaperones are greeting every newly synthesized protein and facilitating their adoption of a proper structure, which is why people are so interested in them. If you inhibit them you would slow the growth of cancers. The problem is that you also would make some other cells sick." Also, new antibiotics might be developed from inhibiting specific bacterial Hsp70s, and because Hsp70s help to protect cells against protein aggregation, inhibiting or manipulating them might lead to new treatments for the rare diseases resulting from protein clumping.
Source: http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/umass-amherst-biochemists-simulate-protein
Captain America and the Winter Soldier Special #1 takes Marvel's secret history to a whole new level with a real world historical figure
If you know who Gavrilo Princip is, prepare to be shocked
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The Riga Gaming Congress Report Sheds Light on Latvia iGaming
Published August 30, 2017 by Brett C
A comprehensive report on gambling in Latvia has been commissioned by the Riga Gaming Congress. The results of this comprehensive study are presented below
Gambling in Latvia continues to show strong growth trends, despite the industry facing headwinds in 2016. Government policy has been increasingly accommodating of gambling in Latvia, and the pros and cons of this activity have been thoroughly evaluated.
Findings in the Latvia Gambling Report
There are some 183 gambling tables, 6 bricks and mortar casinos, 8,826 registered slot machines, and 315 gambling halls across Latvia (June 2017). From 2013 to 2017, investments in gambling-related enterprises have reached 102 million. This includes the physical acquisition of gambling facilities, machinery, equipment and refurbishment. Turnover in 2016 amounted to 264 million, of which 10% + was received by government authorities.
Gambling companies now face additional taxation, with the Ministry of Finance proposing a 20% dividend tax, tax on lottery winnings, and up to 30% in gambling business taxation. If approved, these could come into effect in the fall. The in-depth study finds that some two thirds of Latvians between 18 & 74 years old have never gambled, while most slot machine halls and casinos are frequented by men between the ages of 25 & 34. Online casino gaming has increased by 11% over the past 5 years, and some 67% of gamblers spend up to 10 per month, with just over 20% of them winning 10 + monthly.
Increased Tax Burden on Latvian Gambling Companies
The benefits received by the government are due to the tax liabilities imposed upon the gambling companies. The Latvian authorities are seeking to impose higher sin taxes (alcohol, cigarettes) as well as increasing the excise tax on fuel. The 29.1 million tax figure is significant, given that the country's budget is a 8.066 billion for 2018. In-depth deliberations between the LAGB (Latvian Association of Gaming Business) and the government continue.
Riga Gaming Congress in October 2017
The Riga Gaming Congress sponsored the study into Latvian gaming, and an international conference is slated for October 12, 2017 in Riga. Online Casino Reports is a media partner of this international innovation event for online gaming.
From Counterpunch
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A quagmire is defined as a complex or unpleasant position that is difficult to escape. President Trump's recently announced war plans in Afghanistan maintain that quagmire. They come at a time when US Empire is failing and its leadership in the world is weakening. The US will learn what other empires have learned, "Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires."
During the presidential campaign, some became convinced that Trump would not be an interventionist president. His tweets about Afghanistan were one of the reasons. In January of 2013, he tweeted, "Let's get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA." Now, we see a president who carries on the interventionist tradition of US Empire.
While Afghanistan has been a never-ending active war since 9-11, making the 16-year war the longest in US history, the truth is the United States became directly involved with Afghanistan some 38 years ago, on July 3, 1979. As William Rivers Pitts writes "On that day, at the behest of National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter signed the first directive in an operation meant to destabilize the Soviet-controlled government of Afghanistan." In fact when the US dropped the MOAB bomb, Trump was bombing tunnels built with the assistance of the CIA in the 1980"s for the mujaheddin and Bin Laden.
Trump's Afghan policy is inaccurately described as a new approach but has only one element that is new -- secrecy, as Trump will not tell us how many soldiers he will send to this war. His so-called new strategy is really a continuation of the permanent war quagmire in Afghanistan, which may be an intentional never ending war for the empire's geopolitical goals. Ralph Nader reviews 16 years of headlines about Afghanistan, calling it a "cruel boomeranging quagmire of human violence and misery" with no end in sight."
Another Afghan Review Leads To Same Conclusion: More War
During his campaign for president, Trump called for the US to pull out of Afghanistan. Early in his administration, President Trump announced a review of the Afghanistan war. This week when he announced escalation of the war, Trump noted this was his instinct. Unfortunately, the president did not trust his previous instincts and missed an opportunity to end the war.
We have seen how President Trump refuses to admit mistakes, so it is highly unlikely he will change course from this mistaken path. His rationale is so many US soldiers have given their lives that we must stay until the United States wins. This is the quandary -- the US must continue the war until we win because soldiers have died, but continuing the war means more will die and the US must stay committed to war because more have died.
After we read President Trump's Afghanistan war speech, we went back and re-read President Obama's Afghanistan war speech given in March 2009. It is remarkable how similar the two speeches are. When Russian president Putin was interviewed by filmmaker Oliver Stone as well as when he was interviewed by Megyn Kelly, he made a point proven by US policy in Afghanistan, "Presidents come and go, and even the parties in power change, but the main political direction does not change."
Both presidents conducted a lengthy review early in their administration and both talked with generals and diplomats who convinced them to escalate rather than end the war. Both presidents put forward what they claimed was a new strategy but in reality, was just doing the same thing over again: more troops, building up Afghanistan's military by working closely with them, using economic and diplomatic power and putting pressure on Pakistan not to be a safe haven for the Taliban and those fighting against the United States.
To ensure a quagmire both presidents said that decisions would not be based on a timeline but on conditions on the ground. Both promised victory, without clearly defining what it would mean; both raised fears of the Taliban and other anti-US militants using Afghanistan to attack the United States again. Trump had the advantage of knowing that President Obama's approach had failed despite repeated bombings in Pakistan and working with Afghan troops, but that didn't alter his course.
Afghanistan Victims of a February, 2012 US air strike that killed eight children in Kapisa, Afghanistan.
Failure To Learn Lessons Ensures Repeating Them
According to Mike Ludwig, since President Obama approved a troop surge in 2009, the war in Afghanistan has claimed at least 26,512 civilian lives and injured nearly 48,931 more. In July, the United Nations reported that at least 5,243 civilians have been killed or injured in 2017 alone, including higher numbers of woman and children than previous in years. Trump seems less concerned than previous presidents with killings of civilians.
Trump noted that the Afghanistan-Pakistan region was now the densest part of the world when it comes to anti-US militants, saying there were 20 terrorist groups in the area. President Obama added tens of thousands of troops to the Afghanistan war, dropped massive numbers of bombs and the result was more terrorism. The US was killing terrorists but the impact was creating more anti-American militants. Trump failed to connect these dots and understand that more US attacks create more hatred against the United States.
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Former Senator John C. Danforth appeared on The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell recently, to speak about his op-ed in The Washington Post, calling on Republicans to shun Donald Trump and his politics.
It was a relatively limited argument for the party's supposed discomfort with Trump, as it relied heavily on the early development of the Republican Party under Lincoln. That was a long time ago. He neglected to mention the infamous Southern Strategy utilized by Republicans during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. It was a strategy Jeet Heer of The New Republic notes, in February of 2016, that began with William F. Buckley's The National Review and the 1964 candidacy of Barry Goldwater, only later to be adopted by Richard Nixon on the heels of LBJ's civil rights initiatives:
"The Southern Strategy was the original sin that made Donald Trump possible."
Neglected, as well, was the infamous trip by Ronald Reagan to Philadelphia, Mississippi, to kick off his 1980 general election with a speech celebrating "states' rights." As Rachel Maddow noted , Philadelphia, Mississippi was known for the murder of three civil rights workers, and 1980 was the first year in many election cycles that segregationist George Wallace was not on the ballot. Maddow recalls Reagan's all-white crowd that day, and his apparent effort to "mop up" any segregationist votes that might be left over from the Wallace days.
Beyond these oversights, however, Danforth almost instantly removed any impression that his op-ed was some kind of profile in courage, in his interview with Lawrence O'Donnell. After introducing Danforth as holding both divinity and law degrees from Yale - intimating some kind of moral authority - O'Donnell began by asking Danforth if he is referring to elected Republicans in the op-ed. Danforth replied that he understands how hard it would be for the men and women who represent actual Americans to stand up to Trump. So much for moral clarity. Then, after doing his historical dive back to the time of Lincoln, Danforth totally destroyed his own credibility, by criticizing liberals for "identity politics," and being "touchy" about things like "micro-aggressions." It is rather breathtakingly obtuse for Danforth to complain about Trump's divisiveness and prejudice, while taking issue with the reaction of the victims of that divisiveness. After all, how does one effectively fight back from racism, misogyny and antisemitism, without being accused of engaging in "identity politics?" Being ever-cognizant of one's identity is the price you pay for a society that treats you based on that identity. (As a recent article on the debate over whether Jews should consider themselves to be white points out, the issue is academic: White Supremacists and the KKK have made that decision, for the time being.) The luxury of ignoring one's identity is reserved for the majority.
I've been an avid fan of Lawrence O'Donnell's show for some time now. There are many times when he has had the courage to speak truth to power on air, and urged other journalists to do the same. But as with his recent interview with George F. Will condemning Trump, without asking Will about the climate denialism they share, I was disappointed that O'Donnell didn't confront Danforth on his hypocrisy. Perhaps he holds him in high esteem due to his long legislative career. But if Republicans are really to rid themselves of the stench of the Trump presidency, they need to look more deeply at themselves, than their historical ties to President Lincoln.
From Mike Malloy Website
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More proof of Russian collusion and confirmation of Trump lies about his ties to the Kremlin -- keep reading below.
Meanwhile...
It's the last week of August and just the beginning of hurricane season. As Harvey devastates the Houston area, Trump admits he "used the ratings" he knew the hurricane would garner to announce his pardon of convicted felon Joe Arpaio -- disgraced racist sheriff in Arizona. There are so many things wrong with that sentence -- where to begin? Trump cares not that American citizens are using picnic coolers to float their children to safety in the flooded streets of Houston. Trump is just happy the hurricane happened so folks would tune in and hear about his kindness to this convicted criminal. #sick But what else can you expect from a completely amoral psychopath?
Then there is ethically-challenged mega-church operator Joel Olsteen who closed his 16,000 sq ft tax-exempt Houston facility to keep the smelly refugees from ruining his pretty carpets. Such a good Christian. He's safe and dry in his $10 million mansion, funded by his deluded worshipers. Three different Houston mosques are serving Houstonians while Joel Osteen's $50M megachurch sits closed. I bet they have a big kitchen in there, too. Here is a message from Olsteen's church website:
Dear Lakewood Church family, We want to let you know that our hearts are with each of you and your families during this difficult time. We are praying for you and we are praying for our city, and for all of those affected by the devastating flooding and rains caused by Hurricane Harvey. We love you and we love this city. And we want to help.(emphasis added) Over the last couple of days, as the enormity of this storm was being realized, we have been working to organize relief efforts for the Houston area with our friend Franklin Graham and the disaster relief organization that he oversees, Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse has been, since it's inception, organized to respond to situations just like Hurricane Harvey, and we are grateful to be able to partner with them to provide assistance to the Houston area. We know the need is great. That much is clear. We do not yet know all the ways we can help.(emphasis added) However if you would like to register to volunteer with us, please do so by clicking the link below. Or, if you would like to donate to our relief efforts, please do so here in this page. We are working just as fast as we can on this and will update you with more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, know that our prayers for strength and comfort for each of you will continue, as well as our prayers for God's help as we navigate the upcoming days and months together. We love you. And we are praying. Together (?!) we will make it through this difficult time.
I may vomit. They don't know how to help, and "together" we will make it through his difficult time. Seriously? You don't know how to help? Maybe open the doors and feed and shelter the people? Y'know, like Jesus would do? Hypocritical prosperity gospel freak ...
While this madness was developing there were two more significant developments in the Russian investigation, the dominos just keep toppling at an ever-increasing rate. Trump's own attorney Michael Cohen admitted today that he and Trump had at least three separate conversations about opening a Trump Tower in Moscow in 2015 and early 2016, despite The Don's claims that he "never" had any such discussions or any potential business relationships in Russia, as CNN reports:
"President Donald Trump's attorney reached out to the Kremlin for assistance in building a Trump Tower in Moscow well into the business mogul's presidential campaign, he said Monday, adding that he discussed the project with Trump three times. The attorney, Michael Cohen, said in a two-page statement provided to congressional investigators on Monday that he sent the email to Dmitry Peskov in January 2016 to seek his help securing government approval for a proposed Trump Tower in the Russian capital. Cohen denied that the project was related 'in any way' to Trump's campaign, though the developments appear to contradict Trump's vehement denials of any such business connections to Russia in the past. "The Washington Post, citing several people familiar with the proposal and new records reviewed by Trump Organization lawyers, first reported the project, which involved Russian-born developer Felix Sater.
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Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121
"Rob Kall gives readers an important wake up call to the bottom up power that they have to protect their rights, powers, and freedoms. His advice applies to all aspects of life, including politics, economics, journalism, entertainment, and psychology and wellness. Kall's book explains the differences between the top-down leadership approach of dominating, fear based, disconnected authoritarianism and the bottom-up connection consciousness that emphasizes values, justice, fairness, equity, and kindness. This book helps readers see the whole elephant as opposed to the disconnected parts. Kall gives great advice as to intensifying, expanding, prolonging, and deepening connections. With his professional background, Rob Kall is the perfect person to write this book. This is a very well-researched book that includes dozens of insightful interviews with top-notch experts. Kall shows how bottom-up small acts can produce massive results. He emphasizes that since we cant avoid this emerging bottom-up connection revolution, we need to learn how to navigate and embrace it. This bottom-up leadership will result in power to the people. This is a fascinating and insightful book, especially in this new era of digital hunting and gathering."
Larry Atkins, author of Skewed: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Media Bias
From Palestine Chronicle
Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, has been reduced to rubble. It has been finally conquered, snatched back from the notorious group, Daesh, after months of merciless bombardment by the US-led war coalition, and a massive ground war.
But "victory" can hardly be the term assigned to this moment. Mosul, once Iraq's cultural jewel and model of co-existence, is now a "city of corpses," as described by a foreign journalist who walked through the ruins, while shielding his nose from a foul smell.
"You've probably heard of thousands killed, the civilian suffering," Murad Gazdiev said. "What you likely haven't heard of is the smell. It's nauseating, repulsive, and it's everywhere -- the smell of rotting bodies."
Actually, the "smell of rotting bodies" can be found everywhere that Daesh has been defeated. The group that once declared a Caliphate -- an Islamic state -- in Iraq and Syria in 2014, and was left to freely expand in all directions, is now being hurriedly vanquished.
Such a fact leaves one wondering how a small group, itself a spawn of other equally notorious groups, could have declared, expanded and sustained a "state" for years, in a region rife with foreign armies, militias and the world's most powerful intelligences?
But should not such a question be rendered irrelevant now, considering that Daesh is finally being routed, in most violent and decisive methods?
Well, this is what almost everyone seems to agree on; even political and military rivals are openly united over this very objective.
Aside from the city of Mosul in Iraq, Daesh has also been defeated in its stronghold in the city of Raqqa, in the east of Syria.
Those who astonishingly survived the battles of Mosul and Raqqa are now holed in Deir ez-Zor, which promises to be their last major battle.
In fact, the war on Daesh is already moving to areas outside large population centers where the militant group had sought safe haven. Yet, Daesh militants are being flushed out of these regions as well, for example, in the western Qalamoun region on the Syria-Lebanon border.
Even the open desert is no longer safe. The Badiya Desert, extending from central Syria to the borders of Iraq and Jordan, is now witnessing heavy fighting, centered in the town of Sukhnah.
Brett McGurk, US special envoy for the "Global Coalition to Counter ISIS," recently returned to the US after spending a few days the region. He talked to CBS television network with palpable confidence.
Daesh forces are "fighting for their life, block-by-block," he said, reporting that the militant group had lost roughly 78 percent of areas it formerly controlled in Iraq since its peak in 2014, and about 58 percent of its territories in Syria.
Expectedly, US officials and media are mostly emphasizing military gains they attribute to US-led forces and ignore all others, while Russian-led allies are doing just the opposite.
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Mimi Kennedy, Election Integrty Press Conference
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The California Establishment Democrats thought they had silenced the left. But last weekend, the Left did not appear to be under control. To the contrary, at the August 25-27 California Democratic Executive Board meeting, the Left appeared to be making their own deciions and not in the way the Party wanted them to go. California Democratic Chairman Eric Bauman and Bob Mulholland (the guy running the party behind the scenes) tried to subdue the left by preventing true progressives from being placed on the top policy committees: rules, resolutions, platform, and legislation. Berners who wouldn't agree to hold the establishment line were either ignored when it came to committee assignments or placed on "Voter Services," to be used as recruiting puppets for the Establishment. At the same time, various Establishment Hillary supporters obtained more than one top committee appointment, despite not having the technical or other relevant background for those appointments.
Turning apples into oranges, Voter Services members are making that committee more relevant by moving it in the direction of stopping the kind of fraud and voter stalking (the targeting of voters and the changing of their registrations) that turned Bernie Sander's landslide in California support into a win for Hillary Clinton. Greg Palast has verified that Bernie would have won a landslide victory if his voters had been allowed to have their votes counted. Committee members were much less concerned about DNC claims of fraud in the general election than with disenfranchisement of millions of Democratic voters in the primaries.
On August 26 th , Mimi Kennedy and other progressives held a press conference in front of the Anaheim Sheraton, where the E-board meeting was taking place, to call for an end to voter stalking and election fraud. It was pointed out that even paper ballot votes can be changed at the tabulator level. Hand counting of paper ballots is the preferred method for ensuring accuracy. It's tedious but less rigable.
The other major surprise at the Executive Board Meeting was the popularity of dark horse candidate for Governor Delaine Eastin. When delegates learned that she was the only gubernatorial candidate who supports SB 562,they booed the position of Gavin Newsom Newsom, John Chiang and Antonio Villaraigosa on the issue. Gavin Newsom and John Chiang, who have paid lip service to supporting single-payer, both refuse to get on board with the bill to make single-payer a reality. Though criticizing the economics of the bill, John Chiang was caught on video admitting he had never read the bill, according to PDA's California Coordinator Bill Honigman.
Califrnia Gubernatorial Candidate Delaine Eastin
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Delaine Eastin had a surprisingly very large turnout at her hospitality suite. The room was packed tighter than a sardine can with delegates continuing to pour into the doorway. One delegate said that, up until that meeting, she would never have considered backing Delaine Eastin for anything but was now switching her vote from John Chain to Eastin. She wasn't alone as many delegates stated that, if Newsom and Chiang cannot back the single-payer bill, they don't deserve to be in office. Eastin also has a plan to end private prisons and the prison industrial complex. Eastin had the overwhelming support of the Berners and the PDA membership during the weekend event. Even Eastin was surprised by the extent of her support.
California Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa
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Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is the newest addition to the governor's race. Angelinos who remember the brutal way Occupiers were evicted from their City Hall Park during Occupy Wall Street are not among his biggest fans. Though Newsom, part of the Pelosi family, has received the highest amount of donations so far, Villaraigosa is expected to receive the most in Wall Street contributions.
At the Arab-American Caucus, a panel discussed the unconstitutionality of the anti-protest/anti-boycott bills introduced in the House and the Senate. The audience members agreed to help unseat members of Congress supporting that bill. Among the members co-sponsoring the House legislation is Lou Correa, the Congressman in whose district the meeting took place. There is an effort to get Dennis Kucinich to run against Senate bill co-sponsor Maria Cantwell in the State of Washington. Among those participating in the panel was Congressman Ro Khanna, who later asked people to get out the word that he is opposed to regime change in Syria.
During the weekend, it was learned that a former progressive candidate was being targeted for removal of his credentials, simply because he backed Jill Stein in the 2016 general election. All of California's votes went to Clinton and so this came across as very punitive and served as a subtle threat against anyone else who wanted to acknowledge not voting for Clinton. Privately, about a third of the delegates said they either did not vote, did a write in or voted for Jill. A number of the delegates saw this as an attempt to suppress dissent within the party.
The next CDP E-board meeting is in Burlingame in November. If this is a first round, what will happened then?
Dairy Not Found
Sometimes, authors delete their diaries after publishing them.
To see if the diary was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Police Brutality Protest - Anaheim - July 29 2012 - 47
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President Trump's pandering executive order reversing an Obama decision to scale back the dumping of surplus military equipment on the nation's already over-armed police departments includes word that his new "toys (arms)-for-cops" benefit program will include Army and Marine surplus bayonets.
Let's ponder that for a moment.
The Army gave up bayonets for combat use after the Korean War (the last recorded US bayonet charge was in 1951 in that war). Now, while the Marines still train in bayonet use in boot camp in a bow to tradition, the reality is that nobody actually uses them in combat.
So you have to ask: If the military doesn't think that bayonets are needed or useful in actual combat, why would police in the US need them?"
It's a good question and gets to the larger question of why American cops need any of the gear that they're being offered -- once again -- by the US military: everything from RPGs to MRAP "tanks" so heavy that if called out for a SWAT raid, a route has to first be carefully plotted and followed that doesn't cross over any of this country's worn-out and and crumbling bridges and culverts (an MRAP weighs 14-18 tons, while local street viaducts in many communities frequently have tonnage limits in the single digits).
Before he retired, I had a conversation with the chief of police of my community of Upper Dublin, a quiet middle-class suburb of Philadelphia, about militarized policing. A thoughtful veteran of the Vietnam War himself, he disabused me of an automatic and commonly shared assumption I had made that local police SWAT teams were probably populated by combat veterans looking for more adrenalin-pumping action. Actually, he told me, combat vets who go into police work -- and there are many who do, thanks to the extra points awarded to veterans by most communities in their hiring -- don't want to be playing soldier when they become police officers. "They've had enough of war and killing," he told me. "It's the ones who have never been in the military who volunteer for SWAT teams." He described such SWAT volunteers as "wannabe soldiers."
Maybe if police and sheriff's departments get old Korean War-era bayonets from the Pentagon to mount on their semi-automatic rifles, they'll try launching bayonet charges next time they bust into a house to deliver a bench warrant for a bald tire or missed family court appearance or to look for pot plants, instead of just walking up to the front door in the early morning and bashing it in with a battering ram, as my son witnessed the Savannah Police SWAT unit do trying to arrest a pot dealer who lived next door to him and his schoolmates (the suspect wasn't home, but his little kids were).
Next we'll be reading about police stabbings of innocent civilians, instead of their being shot.
Maybe that would be a a good thing. A stabbing victim, I should think, would have a much better chance of survival than someone who is the victim of a barrage of bullets fired by an over-excited cop in the heat of urban, suburban or rural "battle." That is unless the cop wielding the bayonet decides to engage in multiple piercing of his victim.
Really, this whole thing is getting seriously out of hand.
I was just in England, where I had to spend some time in a National Health Service hospital waiting room, and among other things, I got to see an English version of a reality cop show, where the camera was following a couple of bobbies around on their night patrol. I don't know what city it was but judging by the size of the railroad station where the portion of the program I watched took place, it must have been a big one.
At any rate, the two bobbies drove up to the train station in response to a call about an apparently deranged man attacking a locked station door and shattering its glass pane. The cops exited their squad car and walked up to the perp. He tried to leave but they gently took him by the arms and restrained him. They kept their voices low and calm and did not draw any weapons (I'm not sure they were carrying guns at all).
"Why did you break that glass?" one cop asked him.
The man had no answer. The other cop asked him where he lived. When he replied that he didn't have a home, he was told they could take him to social services, which could find him a place.
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From The Intercept
NOW IS EXACTLY the time to talk about climate change, and all the other systemic injustices -- from racial profiling to economic austerity -- that turn disasters like Harvey into human catastrophes.
Turn on the coverage of the Hurricane Harvey and the Houston flooding and you'll hear lots of talk about how unprecedented this kind of rainfall is. How no one saw it coming, so no one could adequately prepare.
What you will hear very little about is why these kind of unprecedented, record-breaking weather events are happening with such regularity that "record-breaking" has become a meteorological cliche. In other words, you won't hear much, if any, talk about climate change.
This, we are told, is out of a desire not to "politicize" a still unfolding human tragedy, which is an understandable impulse. But here's the thing: every time we act as if an unprecedented weather event is hitting us out of the blue, as some sort of Act of God that no one foresaw, reporters are making a highly political decision. It's a decision to spare feelings and avoid controversy at the expense of telling the truth, however difficult. Because the truth is that these events have long been predicted by climate scientists. Warmer oceans throw up more powerful storms. Higher sea levels mean those storms surge into places they never reached before. Hotter weather leads to extremes of precipitation: long dry periods interrupted by massive snow or rain dumps, rather than the steadier predictable patterns most of us grew up with.
The records being broken year after year -- whether for drought, storm surges, wildfires, or just heat -- are happening because the planet is markedly warmer than it has been since record-keeping began. Covering events like Harvey while ignoring those facts, failing to provide a platform to climate scientists who can make them plain, all while never mentioning President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accords, fails in the most basic duty of journalism: to provide important facts and relevant context. It leaves the public with the false impression that these are disasters without root causes, which also means that nothing could have been done to prevent them (and that nothing can be done now to prevent them from getting much worse in the future).
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Hurricane Harvey, 08/24/17
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As I write this, Hurricane Harvey hovers off the Gulf Coast, menacing Louisiana and possibly ramping up for another go at Texas. Much of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, is under water.
It may be weeks before the storms end, the waters recede, and basic utilities are restored. But this, too, shall pass -- and then begins the rebuilding. Who's going to do that rebuilding?
A few years back, a contractor who built houses in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 answered that question for me. Demand for construction workers was high, but many American workers weren't especially interested in spending months away from home, living in trailers or tents. And those who were willing to take jobs that didn't have them home every night understandably commanded premium pay.
If not for large numbers of largely "undocumented" workers who showed up ready to work for reasonable wages, the contractor told me, the work simply couldn't have been completed in any reasonable time-frame or at any reasonable cost.
Even before Harvey, an April 2017 poll by Texas Lyceum found that 62% of Texans believe immigration helps the US more than it hurts, and that 61% of Texans oppose US president Donald Trump's "border wall" project.
Hopefully those numbers will go up as the bills for Hurricane Harvey start to arrive and the need for (re)construction labor begins to mount.
Hopefully, President Trump will re-think both his border wall proposal and his emphasis on immigration enforcement, and order at least a temporary draw-down of Border Patrol and Immigration & Customs Enforcement operations, especially along the Gulf Coast.
The conflict Donald Trump faces now is one of priorities. He can indulge his immigration obsession or he can let the market rebuild Houston. He can't do both.
To put it bluntly, America can't afford to live without Houston and the rest of Gulf Coast Texas for even a moment more than absolutely necessary. If the Houston metro area was a country, its GDP would rank 28th in the world. It routinely ranks near the top of US job creation and paycheck indices. Even setting raw human suffering aside -- and we shouldn't -- the rest of America will feel each day without Houston in our pocketbooks (possibly to the point of recession).
Impeding immigration has always been morally evil and economically stupid. In the wake of Harvey, it will remain morally evil and become economically suicidal.
From Smirking Chimp
Many progressives are stupid. Unless they get smart soon, "The Resistance" to Donald Trump will fail, just like everything else the Left has tried to do for the last 40 years.
Stupid progressive thing #1: letting yourself be shocked by Trump.
Far too many lefties still can't believe that the Orange One won the election, or that as president he's so stupid and mean and right-wing.
Know the cliche, "if you're not angry you're not paying attention"? If you didn't see Trump's victory coming, you weren't paying attention to the anger of your fellow citizens -- and neither was the Democratic Party. NAFTA cost a million Americans their jobs. Since the 1970s automation has put 7 million people out of work. Democrats marketed themselves as the party of Joe and Jane Sixpack, but Bill Clinton pushed for and signed NAFTA, a Republican idea. Neither Clinton nor Obama lifted a finger to save the Rust Belt; as a candidate Hillary Clinton didn't care either.
For those who opened their eyes to see, every aspect of Trump's "surprise" win was visible in plain sight.
2016's Rust Belt Trumpers were yesteryear's Reagan Democrats and the "angry white males" of the 1990s.
Democratic disunity was another big factor. But the schism between Hillary Clinton corporate Democrats and Bernie Sanders progressives directly paralleled the 1980 split between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy.
Shocked by Trump's radical anti-intellectualism? That his only qualification for the nation's highest political office was celebrity? Don't be.
Trump is merely the logical culmination of a trend that goes back at least to celebrity politicians John Glenn, Clint Eastwood, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura and Al Franken, all of whom exploited their celebrity to defeat more experienced public servants. Though George W. Bush and Obama both had legislative experience, neither man accomplished much before running for president. Both famously adjusted their voices and accents to come off as dumber than they were.
Trump wasn't a surprise. He wasn't an anomaly. American politics won't get nicer or smarter after he's gone. He's crazy and mean and dangerous -- but he's not a bizarre departure from the American norm.
Stupid progressive thing #2: viewing Trump's politics as significantly more dangerous or extreme than, say, Obama's.
Worried that Trump will pull a Greg Stillson ("the missiles are flying") on North Korea? Me too. But please get real. Trump's needlessly bellicose rhetoric and gleeful overuse of the war machine hardly represent a radical shift in foreign policy from his predecessors. Obama gleefully ordered a political assassination (Osama bin Laden), financed civil wars that destroyed Libya and Syria, slaughtered thousands of civilians with drones and joked about it. All Trump did was alter the tone of U.S. propaganda from fake they-made-me-do-it to his more honest I-like-it.
Stupid progressive thing #3: always reacting, never acting.
Benghazi wasn't a real issue that Americans cared about. Fox News zeroed in on it, pimped it, and pounded away at Obama-Clinton's alleged responsibility for the deaths of American diplomats in Libya until it gained traction and ultimately became a Thing. Republicans know how to alter the playing field.
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For the first time in U.S. history, the Presidential election of 1860 featured four major party candidates. There has not been a similar one since then. But the U.S. election of 2020 might change all that.
Abraham Lincoln memorial. (Be sure at some time to read his 2nd Inaugural Address. In my view, stands way above the Gettysburg Address in historical importance.)
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Looking first at the 1860 election, it was of course the one that presaged the Civil War. The principal reasons that led to the eventual secession of the Southern states from the Union were front and center in that election. They were:
The maintenance of the institution of slavery in the states that had it. (In fact, no candidate held the position that slavery should be abolished in any of the slave states, but the latter made it an issue anyway.)
The matter of the expansion of slavery further into the Western Territories than it had already gone. Many from the non-slave Northern states wanted that practice to end, completely. The Northern Democrats (until that time, the Democratic Party had been THE party of slavery) were led by Sen. Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois (he of the famous "Lincoln-Douglas debates" of 1858). They held that slavery could be allowed to further expand into the territories, if the residents of each voted in favor of allowing the practice. This doctrine was called "Popular Sovereignty." A major issue for the slave-holding states was the allowance of the virtually unlimited expansion of slavery into the Territories.
The question of protective tariffs, favored by the Northern states to protect the growing industrial sector, opposed by the Southern states.
The matter of the Federal government's role in the expansion of the nation westward, in addition to the matter of the expansion westward of slavery. Non-pro-slavery Northerners were generally in favor of an active role of the Federal government in the expansion of the economy, at the time particularly focused on Federal support for building a trans-continental railroad and for providing free land in Federal territories for "Homesteaders" (which of course would be contrary to the Southern interest in establishing slavery in the same).
Absolute abolition of slavery was the goal of the Northern Abolitionist Movement, of course, but none of the eventual four candidates, nor their parties, took that position. That did not stop the Southerners from spreading the myth that the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, was secretly in favor of abolition (which at that time, having been both a white supremacist and in favor of "back-to-Africa" as a partial solution to the slavery problem, he was definitely not).
There were several other major issues which did not figure in the election, but definitely did figure in the post-Civil War politics that have been curse of this country down to the present day, and have led me to the conclusion that in fact, in terms of the outcomes of every issue other than that of chattel slavery, the South did win the Civil War. E.g., the spread of the Dogma of White Supremacy over the whole country; the development of an Imperialist foreign policy that had only just begun with the fighting of the Mexican War, led by Southerners; and the maintenance of the "Doctrine of States Rights," primarily to protect the states' right to discriminate against designated sectors of the population, like African-Americans and women, and more lately the LGBT community. (An odd footnote to that one is the fact that the pre-Civil War President James Buchanan, whose policies did so much to bring the regional conflicts to a head, was actually the first, and so far only, gay President the U.S. has had.)
In the end, there were four candidates for the Presidency. The brand-new Republican Party, made up of the "Northern Whigs" nominated the moderate Abraham Lincoln. It was opposed to the expansion of slavery to the territories and supported the pro-industrial- expansion policies of the Whigs. It also included the Temperance Movement and elements of the anti-immigrant "American Party" (the "Know-Nothings"), both of which have played major roles in Republican policies in the ensuing decades --- see Prohibition and the 1924 Immigration Act --- right down to the present --- see the current anti-immigrant policies and the "Drug War." The Democrats split, with the Northern Democrats nominating Sen. Stephen "Popular Sovereignty" Douglas." The Southern Democrats nominated the pro-slavery, then-sitting Vice-President John C. Breckinridge, while the Constitutional Union Party, formed from Southern Whigs and others, adopted a platform which avoided the question of slavery altogether. Their nominee was John Bell.
Lincoln won with just 39.8% of the popular vote, but 180 electoral votes, a majority of the 152 then required. A big difference between 1860 and 2016 in terms of the meaning of the popular/electoral vote differentiation was that the next-highest popular vote total was garnered by Stephen Douglas, with 29.5%.
(A couple of historical footnotes, one minor, one not. (1) In the 1850s, Vice-President Breckinridge had had a mining town in Colorado named for him. When he joined the Confederacy for the Civil War, becoming a General in the process, the town, pro-union, changed the spelling of its name to Breckenridge. (2) A candidate for the Northern Democratic nomination in 1860 was a Senator from the slave state of Tennessee [which chose to join the CSA] named Andrew Johnson. When going into the election of 1864 President Lincoln wanted to "broaden his appeal," he dropped the reliably pro-Northern Hannibal Hamlin and chose Johnson, who had been a pro-Union but otherwise Southern Democrat whom Lincoln had appointed as Military Governor of Tennessee after most of it had been re-taken by the Union Army, as his Vice-President. As President, it was Johnson, of course, who laid the groundwork for the eventual destruction of Reconstruction. Think of how, leading up to the election of 1944, FDR dropped his progressive Vice-President Henry Wallace for Harry Truman, and how nuclear-use and post-war policies might have been very different had he not done so.)
And so, very briefly here, let's look at the possibilities for 2020. (If this prediction becomes more likely to hold water than it might be considered to do so now, I will of course be returning to this subject.) First, I do think even moreso than I did when subject, that when things get just too hot (and they are getting ever-hotter), pardoning everybody in his entourage, including himself, Trump will resign the Presidency. He will then proceed to set up an openly fascist party (although he won't use the word in its name). His chief-of-staff will be Steve Bannon, and he will bring in also Corey Lewandowsky, Roger Stone, his family members, Kelly Anne Conway, and so forth. To begin with, he will be funded by Koch and Mercer money.
The Republican Party will of course stay in business. As the "OMG, why did we get stuck with Trump" Republican David Brooks of The New York Times has said: "As long as [Trump] is in power the G.O.P. is a house viciously divided against itself, and cannot stand." There are a variety of "anti-Trump" so-called "liberal" Republicans who would compete for its nomination. The irony is that their basic policies are very similar to Trump's, just with the traditional Republican/let's-use-dog-whistles style and absolutely the same so-called "small government" mantra (except when it comes to such things as women's choices for their bodies and everyone's choices for their Recreational Mood-Alerting drugs), lower taxes for the wealthy, massive de-regulation (only a little less radical than Trump's), and so on and so forth.
As for the Democrats, it is becoming increasingly clear that they will split into two wings regardless of what happens to the Republicans. The split is becoming so sharp(and it should, in my view) that there may well end up being two Democratic Party candidates in 2020, just as there were in 1860. A fifth possibility is the Kasich-Hickenlooper ticket (already) being floated about. Gov. Kasich tried to put the kybosh on that very quickly (and Colorado's Gov. Hickenlooper is on the board of "New Democracy"), but of course he would do that now. It's very early.
At any rate, the election of 2020 could well see four major parties in the field as in 1860 (and perhaps five, at the beginning at least). The issues facing the country now are as momentous as they were in the years leading up to that election, and the in nuclear war/global warming arenas, much more momentous. So, we will all stay tuned.
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Many people who rue the venality, irrationality, and inhumanity behind war, and the killing, suffering, and injustice it inevitably produces, nevertheless pull their punches in backing a universal prohibition of all war--including "defensive" war. The reason they give can be summed up in just three words: "What about Hitler?"
In assigned online classroom reading excerpted from his published writing, World Beyond War Director David Swanson offered three rebuttals to the notion that Hitler's madness demonstrates why war must always be reserved as a last resort for combating aggression. In short, he argues the following:
First, as far as the U.S. is concerned, it is extremely unlikely that the country would ever have been subject to Nazi occupation. As for the people of Europe, a compelling case can be made that, even in the face of Nazi aggression, they would have been better off if the U.S. had engaged in serious diplomacy with the Nazis, or invested in non-violent resistance to them, rather than intervening militarily. In doing so, we extended the war, leading to increased targeting of civilians and greatly expanded death and destruction.
Second, in failing to build on many successful instances of indigenous nonviolent actions against the Nazis, the U.S. lost a chance to seriously challenge their hold on occupied countries. We now know from many historical examples that non-violent resistance is more effective than violent resistance in countering both injustice and occupation.
And, third, if the sociopathic Nazi campaign against the Jews can be said to justify a war that took 70 million lives and reduced untold millions more to abject misery, the U.S. and Britain are themselves culpable in failing even to pursue such opportunities as were open to them to safely repatriate millions of Jews.
War Is Immoral at Its Roots
These three rebuttals to the "What about Hitler?" objection to outlawing war are consistent with my own view that no country that fights a war can claim it had no other choice. It can always choose not to do so, and seek first to negotiate the best possible terms to prevent impending aggression, or, if necessary, combat enemy occupation by peaceful resistance. No matter how great the compromise required, such a course will always be less bad, when weighed against the killing, suffering, social chaos, and moral degradation resulting from war, than any conceivable benefits to be gained by winning the war.
To my mind, war is immoral at its roots, because it violates the very principle of what it means to be a human being. Though the outcomes of war may have a transitory effect on human history, war itself is in fact not a progressive, but a reactionary, force, serving mainly to reinforce a human mindset that famed psychologist Abraham Maslow called "the psychopathology of the average." A principal manifestation of that pathology is the absence of empathy--an inability to see the world from the other guy's point of view or to walk a mile in his moccasins.
This defect is a concern of every major belief system on earth--and often, too, of secular individuals seized by spiritual insight. Yet, the absence of empathy is essential to war. It enables its political and military organizers to pursue greater personal and national power, while paying no heed either to the cause that drives their adversary, or to the death, misery and degradation they will inflict on fellow humans. At the same time, a drumbeat of supportive propaganda inherent in the culture of aggressor nations gives sanction to this betrayal of humanity and reason, further normalizing the psychopathology it represents.
If mankind is to achieve a positive outcome of its evolutionary development--which is now mainly cultural, not biological--it will have to arrest and reverse this pathology. The immediate reason to do so is of course self-preservation. Unless we learn to convert conflicts with adversaries into negotiated settlements that respect both sides' needs, it seems likely that at some point one antagonist or another will resort to nuclear or other mass violence that risks annihilation of the race.
Yet, eliminating the scourge of war can serve an even more significant end. For self-aware human beings, a life without war that remains beset by the psychopathologies of egoism, constant antagonisms, and a lack of meaning and purpose is in my view little better than no life at all. Seen from that perspective, a legally-binding universal agreement to abolish war would function most importantly as the sign of a moral turning point in human history. It would signal to all of humanity that respect and empathy for others, and a willingness to reconcile their needs with one's own, constitute the soundest basis in any situation for resolving differences and achieving constructive collaboration. If an approach to other people based on that mindset were in fact widely adopted, it would herald a new normal in human behavior that could enrich the human experience we have accepted as normal with yet undreamed-of levels of creativity, meaning, and joy.
Implications for International Relations
The abolition of war constitutes perhaps the greatest and most difficult challenge mankind has ever faced, and achieving and maintaining it will require effective implementation of every strategy spelled out in the annually updated plan developed by World Beyond War for a Global Security System.
If abolition can be achieved, however, it will not only save the human species from the perpetuation of mass killing, widespread suffering, and possible destruction. For the first time in modern history, it would also open the door to a revolutionary change in international relations. This is especially so with respect to relations between militarily strong countries and weaker nations with contrasting cultural values and social systems.
As the U.S. government has amply demonstrated in its attitudes and policies toward North Korea and Iran, such nations and its leaders can be easily demonized and then misrepresented as implacable aggressors that must be controlled by crippling economic sanctions and military threats. A similar perspective characterizes American policy for combating international terrorism. Although terrorism continues to spread across the world, and our attacks on it have so far served only to increase its hostility and numerical strength, our strategy for combating it remains the highly ineffectual and unsubtle one of never-ending war. Common sense, however, suggests that a more humane course, based on seeing the world from the perspective of the other guy's experience, might be a great deal more successful. From that starting point, it would be apparent that ideologically-based terrorism can only be effectively countered by investments in global economic development that make opportunities for self-development and constructive employment more appealing to young men seeking a place in society than fantasies about martyrdom and death.
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Well, I think we can say with few reservations that this is one of the odder brewery partnerships weve seen in recent memory, at least on paper. The more you read into the circumstances of the partnership between Montanas Big Sky Brewing Co. and the University of Montana, the more unusual it gets.
First things first: The University of Montana is actually an alcohol-free campus, except for special events when folks sell beer and wine during concerts at the Adams Center or Washington-Grizzly Stadium, according to The Missoulian. This, despite the fact that Montana regularly is near the top of U.S. states in per capita beer consumptionit was #3 overall in 2015 according to USA Today, which also included the nations second-highest rate of drunk driving fatalities behind only North Dakota, which is the #1 beer consumer per capita.
So with that in mind, it makes more sense that proceeds from the sale of Big Skys new Bohemian pilsner, Griz Montana Lager, will be used to benefit an alcohol abuse awareness and prevention program, along with a late-night downtown Missoula bus shuttle. But stilldrinking beer for the sake of alcohol abuse awareness? Is this not in the same vein as sex for abstinence awareness?
Things begin to make more sense when you read about the connection that already existed between the creators of Big Sky and the university. Bjorn Nabozney, the co-founder of what is now Montanas largest brewery, is a 1993 graduate of UMs School of Business Administration, and wrote the original business plan for the brewery while attending the school. The brewery now has Montanas largest craft beer footprint, and is available in 24 states.
UM is a major asset to Missoula and the region, and we want to do everything we can to help the university succeed, Nabozney said to The Missoulian. We thought this partnership was a wonderful way to market a new product and give back to a great institution at the same time.
Still, its not like pharmacies sell Vicodin to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid abuse, which will likely continue to have eyebrows raising at the unusual collaboration.
With that said, are we missing out on a chance to brand our future craft beer blind tasting articles as raising awareness of alcohol abuse? If theres any recovery programs out there who would like to attach their names to such a hedonistic pursuit, by all means shoot us a message so we can talk figures.
Harvey is flooding Houston, but rains are also falling hard on the other side of the word. The Indian city of Mumbai and its twenty million citizens are getting pummeled with moisture right now.
If the storm continues, it will likely be the worst Mumbai flood since July 26, 2005. The summer monsoon season is both curse and lifeblood to South Asia: it arrives between May and September, when the warm airs come calling from the Indian Ocean, and hang over Myanmar, Sri Lankaand, of course, India. The wet season feeds the aquifers and irrigates the crops and provides electricity. And sometimes it rains, and doesnt stop.
Per CNN:
Heavy rainfall paralyzed parts of the Indian financial capital of Mumbai on Tuesday, as traffic chaos sparked by flooding streets prompted officials to warn residents to abandon stranded vehicles and remain indoors. An unrelenting downpour has battered low-lying parts of the city since the early hours of Tuesday, with some areas receiving almost 12 inches of rain. Weather forecasts suggested that the rain will continue over the next 48 hours before it begins to decrease. Vehicles gingerly made their way through waterlogged roadways as residents sloshed through flooded streets navigating waist-high water in some areas after being sent home early from offices and schools.
News organizations claimed that thousands of commuters faced significant challenges in making safe passage. Videos posted online told the tale: in one instance, inflatable rafts and dinghies were recorded crossing waterlogged streets. The BBC reported that tens of thousands of people had been displaced. Airlines were grounded and police cautioned the public to stay indoors as much as possible.
The worst stories from 26 July 2005 were of people trying to get home. Don't be brave. Office is safer than street today.#MumbaiRains Shashank Singh ???????? (@RccShashank) August 29, 2017
The citys manholes flooded just in time for high tide, which rolled into town as the day turned to evening.
The waters are rising, all across the Indian Ocean. According to the Times, more than a thousand people have died in South Asian floods this summer. Last weekend, the Indian Prime Minister Modi soared over the watery catastrophe in Bihar, where an estimated four-hundred people died. Even the mountainous country of Nepal has not been spared the rampaging tide:
... as sheets of incessant rain pummeled the vast region on Tuesday, worries grew that the death toll would rise along with the floodwaters. According to the United Nations, at least 41 million people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal have been directly affected by flooding and landslides resulting from the monsoon rains, which usually begin in June and last until September. And while flooding in the Houston area has grabbed more attention, aid officials say a catastrophe is unfolding in South Asia.
As Sanjiv Shankaran of the Times of India noted:
The damage wrought by the rainfall on 29th August (Tuesday) could have been mitigated if the municipal authorities and state government cared enough. Given the frequent floods in the city, it is apparent that they have not cared enough over decades.
Three factors cause urban flooding- meteorological, hydrological and human. There is nothing anyone in government can do about the first two factors, but failure in the third factor is what leaves a trail of destruction.
Shankaran suggested that Mumbai is overbuilt and land reclamation has led to the current flooding:
The citys storm water drainage system is a network of surface drains, underground drains and canals which discharge surface run-off into the citys creeks, river or straight into the Arabian Sea. Perhaps the most important component of the drainage network is the Mithi river which serves as the line of demarcation between the city and its suburbs. Mithi river has over the years been not only been encroached upon, but whatever is left is clogged with solid wastes and plastic. ... It is simply not right that Mumbai should crumble so often. The intensity of urban flooding can be reduced.
It is important to remember that at the height of unstoppable fury, we may do much to mitigate what follows. The sky makes its plans; we make ours. As we look towards Houston with sympathy, let us remember Mumbai too, in the height of a wet season. The rain falls equally on us all.
Five years after the film's release, Darren Berrcloth, Kurt Sorge, and James Doerfling's section from China still features some of the heaviest riding of all time.Where The Trail Ends is available for purchase on iTunes for just a few more days. It will be taken off sale by the end of the day on August 31st. If you haven't seen it, it's totally worth the $2.99 to own the film.
After two days of playing, Hakim Zoufri conquered a stacked 65-player field to win the inaugural 3,500 WSOP International Circuit Rotterdam High Roller for 69,888. It's the first time ever the WSOP International Circuit is visiting The Netherlands, and the final table was dominated by the Oranje men, with eight out of nine representing the nation's red, white and blue. Zoufri forfeited his short stack at the start of the day, opting to reenter instead, and rode his new stack all the way to a WSOP Circuit ring.
Freek Scholten ended up in second place for 43,189 after a bold bluff with ten-high went wrong. Well-known Dutch high roller Govert Metaal finished in 3rd place and cashed 28,636. The only non-Dutch player at the final table, Niko Mykkanen, finished 4th for 20,277. Famous Dutch TV host and journalist Alberto Stegeman became 6th and cashed 12,174.
Final result
Position Player Country Prize in Prize in $ 1 Hakim Zoufri Netherlands 69,888 $83,671 2 Freek Scholten Netherlands 43,189 $51,707 3 Govert Metaal Netherlands 28,636 $34,284 4 Niko Mykkanen Finland 20,277 $24,276 5 Kees van Brugge Netherlands 15,262 $18,272 6 Alberto Stegeman Netherlands 12,174 $14,568 7 Firoz Mangroe Netherlands 10,260 $12,278
After 59 entries on the first day, 6 more players entered at the start of Day 2 at 4 p.m. local time, before late registration was closed. One of the players to do so was Hakim Zoufri, who finished the first day with a mere 2,300 - one big blind - in chips. Zoufri opted to forfeit his current stack and reentered with a fresh 25,000 stack to work with. It turned out to be one of the best decisions Zoufri has ever made.
It was a feast for those who follow the Dutch circuit, as many of the nation's best players showed up to battle for the coveted WSOP Circuit Ring. Joris Ruijs, one of the strong, young talents The Netherlands boasts, fell in the early stages after losing most of his stack by running queens into Kees van Brugge's pocket kings. Joep van den Bijgaart, Luuk Gieles, Farid Chati, WSOP Bracelet winner Rob Hollink, WPT Tournament of Champions winner Farid Yachou, and Tobias Peters all ended up empty-handed at the rail as well.
Seven players would end up in the money, and it was Raoul Refos who became the last player to miss out on a cash. Holding ace-ten, Refos shoved over a raise from Zoufri. The 2016 Master Classics of Poker champion called with pocket fives and held up to knock Refos out. Although Refos officially ended up outside the money, all other players agreed beforehand to give the bubble 500 each, which meant Refos got his buyin back from the other players.
Firoz Mangroe finished 7th (10,260) after four-bet shoving pocket nines into pocket aces. Dutch TV host and journalist Alberto Stegeman, who started the day as the chipleader, ended up in 6th place (12,174). After losing ace-queen against nine-eight earlier, Stegeman moved in with ace-queen. Zoufri once again found pocket fives and once again won to eliminate the Dutch celebrity, who's a well-known poker aficionado.
Kees van Brugge fell shortly after in 5th (15,262) by shoving ace-seven into pocket kings. The only non-Dutch player at the final table, Niko Mykkanen, saw his run end in 4th place (20,277). After turning a wheel with ace-trey, Mykkanen bet and called a shove from Zoufri on a board containing three diamonds. Zoufri had bottom set with a diamond draw and completed the flush on the river. High roller fixture Govert Metaal added another 28,636 to his lifetime winnings of over $2 million dollar. Short stacked, Metaal moved in with ace-nine, and this time it was Scholten holding pocket fives to win.
After thirty minutes of trading small pots back and forth, the heads-up all ended in the first big hand. Holding ten-four, Scholten three-bet preflop and barreled it off on a king-five-trey-queen-nine board. Zoufri called the all-in shove with queen-ten on the river to capture his first WSOP Circuit ring and the first place prize of 69,888. As runner-up, Scholten received 43,189.
That's all from the 3,500 High Roller in Holland Casino Rotterdam. Wednesday at 2 p.m. local time, Day 1b of the 1,650 Main Event will commence, and PokerNews will provide live coverage of this four-day event until a winner is crowned on Saturday night.
Last month the Fanohge Coalition sent a simple survey to all candidates seeking to represent Guam in I Liheslaturan Guahan, as its attorney ge Read more19 candidates take stand on CHamoru self-determination, future status, Marine buildup
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 15:04:01
TORONTO, Aug. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Borealis Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment advisory and management arm of OMERS, the Canadian-based pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees, announced today that it will now operate as OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc. (OMERS Infrastructure).
"The name OMERS Infrastructure helps the global marketplace recognize our direct connection to the more than 470,000 members of OMERS, on behalf of whom we manage a portfolio of investment assets," said Michael Rolland, Chief Investment Officer, OMERS Private Markets.
OMERS investments in infrastructure via Borealis date back to 1999, and have evolved substantially since inception. "Now active across four continents, we are one of the world's largest direct investors in infrastructure. Our offices in Toronto, London, New York, Amsterdam and Sydney, are consistently expanding our track record of successful cooperation with like-minded partners, as we seek to grow our investment footprint," added Mr. Rolland.
"A key part of OMERS investment strategy is owning and managing some of the highest-quality assets in the world. OMERS steady growth over the years, to more than $85 billion in total assets under management, reflects in large part the quality of relationships we continue to build with the global investment community. Today's name change positions us to further extend our reach, and embark on a new chapter in the OMERS story," he said.
"While the name is changing, our patient and disciplined approach that emphasizes diversified investment in large-scale infrastructure businesses and takes a long-term view remains our focus. We look forward to continuing to work the same way with our investing partners, governments, regulators, and the local communities we serve," he concluded.
The transition to the new name and to the use of the OMERS visual identity is underway and will continue throughout the remainder of 2017, including in the operations of the Global Strategic Investment Alliance (GSIA), a co-investment program developed by OMERS.
About OMERS Private Markets:
OMERS Private Markets, including OMERS Infrastructure and OMERS Private Equity, invests globally in infrastructure and private equity assets on behalf of OMERS, the pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees. Investments are focused on steady returns to help deliver strong and sustainable pensions to OMERS members. OMERS diversified portfolio of large-scale infrastructure assets exhibits stability and strong cash flows. OMERS Private Markets has offices in Toronto, New York, London, Amsterdam and Sydney. Visit www.omersprivatemarkets.com
About OMERS:
Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans, with more than $85 billion in net assets, as at December 31, 2016. OMERS invests and administers pensions for more than 470,000 members from municipalities, school boards, emergency services and local agencies across Ontario. OMERS has employees in Toronto and other major cities across North America, the U.K., Europe and Australia - originating and managing a diversified portfolio of investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information, please visit www.omers.com.
Daunting peaks of Khumbu Himal dominates the life in Everest national park. Yeti the abominable snowman comes down the holy mountain Khumbilla to accept the feast. Monks bedecked in divine custom and mask dances in trans to ward off evil spirit. Mountain goats, Musk deer and Pheasants roam around fearless in the nonviolent Buddhist domain. Everest national park is a peace of heaven on earth.
Namche bazaar with Kongde mountain in the background as seen along the Everest trek.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 15:30:10
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Anna Nepal Trek P Ltd
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Nasanh Dyah Marg, ThamelTour / Trek Manager977 1 4363643 , 4412011http://www.annanepaltrek.com/
In the remote corner of the Khumbu Himal range, the valleys are dominated by Sherpa people. Sherpa migrated south of Mt Everest from eastern Tibet some 400 years back bringing the Tibetan culture with them. In the citadel of mighty peaks, the culture stayed aloof from the troubled Tibet. Most of them are partially employed in trekking and expeditions. During off season, they work in their fields and take care of Yaks.Villages are marked by Mani walls (stone walls carved with Buddhist prayers) and Khani the entrance and exit gates with Buddhist paintings. Houses are often two storied painted in white and with slate roofs. Every village have authentic monastery with big prayers wheels and prayers flag unfurling down from the cliffs.The whole Khumbu valley is based at the buttresses of high mountains. Most of the mountains are holy and are worshiped in their local monasteries. Mt Everest is one of the five mother goddess Chomolongma for the people. Every expedition to the top pays homages to the mountain god in their biggest monastery of Tengboche. Khumbila is the most sacred mountains for Sherpas of Khumbu. The name Khumbu (their valley) comes of the mountain.The belief of Yeti is mixed up with local day to day life in Khumbu. Monastery in Khumjung village preserves a scalp believed to be of Yeti. The other monastery in Pangboche village used to have abnormal limb believed to be of Yeti which was stolen in 1959 by an expedition team member of Tom Slick after the in charge monk denied its removal for study.The legend of the human ape, Yeti in the Himalayas are as old as the mountains themselves. Myths and imaginations of locals have caught the attention of westerners as well. Many expedition members have taken mysterious photographs and seen footprints on the snow. Last expedition hunting for Yeti was launched in 2008 with photo trapping device but no evidences were found. However the hairy bests continue to live with people of Khumbu.A short cultural trek in Everest - http://www.itournepal.com/trek/shorteveresttrek.phpA short cultural trek in Everest let you experience the exclusive Sherpa culture and the great mountains they live in harmony with. The trek starts with a stunning flight to Lukla at 2,800 m. The trekking could be planned from 5 days to one week visiting Namche bazaar, Khumjung village and their biggest monastery Tengboche. Tengboche monastery celebrates the biggest festival of Mani Rindu in November. The festival exhibits age old occult mask dancing by monks commemorating the 8th century Guru Rinpoches (Padmasambhava) struggle to fight local evils and establish Buddhism in Tibet.Short trek to Everest could be planned based on luxury and deluxe lodges. It is also possible to organize pony trek. However pony can just help in the difficult part of the trek. Trekkers still need to have sound fitness to do this trek. Short cultural trek in Everest is moderate in difficulty. Hiking, jogging and workout before coming on the trek will be helpful.Other Short Treks in Nepal : http://www.itournepal.com/shorttrek.php
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 12:08:26
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# 710 Words
Abhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531
Glycerol is the by-product obtained during the manufacturing form the biodiesel. Diacetin is one of the Diacetin, also known as glycerol diacetate is an ester compound used as a filler material or diluent in a production of synthetic food color. Glycerol diacetate is produced by the reaction of acetic acid and 1,2- and 1,3-diacetates of glycerol, with mono- and tri-esters in the minority. Its chemical formula is CH3COOCH2CH(OH)CH2OOCCH3. It is an odorless, colorless, hygroscopic, oily liquid which is soluble in alcohol, ether and other organic solvents synthesized from glycerin. The glycerol diacetate is manufactured as per the food standards and is used in vast industrial uses including solvent, softener, and cement additive. It is packaged in the metal container to avoid direct contact with the air and other impurities. It is directed to be stored in cool and dry place to avoid heat exposure. Glycerol diacetate is used as food additive and diluent in the coloring and flavoring agents.Global Glycerol diacetate: Market DynamicsThe global glycerol diacetate market is driven majorly by the pharmaceutical and food industry. The application of glycerol diacetate in the building and construction and other varied industries contribute to the demand for the glycerol diacetate. Its variety of uses in different industries attracts the manufacturers to substitute other compounds with the glycerol diacetate. Due to the variety of the applications of the glycerol diacetate, it is expected to have significant growth in the glycerol diacetate market during the forecast period. Moreover, glycerol diacetate market is also driven by the favorable government policies regarding the use of such synthetic compounds in the food products. The glycerol diacetate market is driven by various other factors such as increase in demand for ready-to-eat products,Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3888 Global Glycerol diacetate: SegmentationThe glycerol diacetate is segmented intoBased on End-UseFood IndustryBuilding and ConstructionPharmaceutical IndustryOtherFoundryCigarettePaint and Ink IndustryBased on ApplicationsFlavor carrierMoisturizing agentPlasticizerSolventResinCamphorCellulose derivativeFixativeAdditiveCoatingBased on Packaging type,DrumsTanksGlobal Glycerol diacetate: Segment OverviewGlycerol diacetate is the ester compound used in wide range of applications and industrial process. By its end use, it is categorized into food industry in which it is used as the diluent and solvent carrier in coloring and flavoring of the synthetic agents. It is also used in pharmaceutical companies, and for cigarette and foundry manufacturing industries. In foundry manufacturing, it is used for the resins binding. Glycerol diacetin, due to its varied functional uses, is also used in buildings and constructions. Its use extends in paint and ink production.Based on its applications, glycerol diacetate is used as a solvent for cellulose derivatives, camphor, and resin, as an additive, plasticizer, fixative agent and for paint coating in automotive OEM, transportation and various related applications. Due to its hygroscopic effect, it is also used as a moisturizing agent.As per the quantitative requirements, glycerol diacetate is packaged into two segments drums and tanks.Global Glycerol diacetate: Regional OutlookThe global glycerol diacetate market is present in the regions including Japan, Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. Asia Pacific is expected to be the potential market for the glycerol diacetate due to the increasing demand for the pharmaceutical and food industry in India and China. Manufacturers focus on increasing their market value share by targeting the Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Growing demand of automotive industry favors the glycerol diacetate market. The North America and Europe provide impetus to the glycerol diacetate market as it is hugely contented with various large scale pharmaceutical and food industries. The industrial development and availability of large scale industries in the North America and Europe help to have the significant growth rate regarding consumption and revenue generation. It thus showcases favorable market indicators for the glycerol diacetate market.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3888 Global Glycerol diacetate: Prominent PlayersSome of the prominent players areBASF SESigma-Aldrich Co. LLCEastman Chemical CompanyMoellhausen S.p.A.Yixing Sunrise Commerce Co., LtdTennants fine chemicalsYixing Tianyuan Chemical Co LtdTetrahedron Scientific Inc
Glyceryl Triacetate (Triacetin) Market
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 12:06:13
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future market insights
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Published by
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+1-347-918-3531
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# 737 Words
616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: www.futuremarketinsights.comAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531
Glyceryl triacetate, also known as triacetin, is a trimester of glycerol and acetic acid. It is an artificial chemical compound used in the varied application including pharmaceutical products, humectant, and plasticizer and as a solvent. Glyceryl triacetate is the clear and oily liquid used as food additive in commercial products such as baked goods, beverages, and confectionaries. The triacetin is formed by the reaction of glycerine, acetic acid, and acetic anhydride. Glyceryl triacetate is also used in fragrances and flavors. It is widely used in cosmetics. Its usage as a food additive is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Glyceryl triacetate is a plasticizer used for nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate which is used to manufacture cigarette filters in the cigarette industry.Global Glyceryl triacetate (triacetin): DynamicsThe triacetin market is mainly driven by the food and cosmetic industry. The factors that trigger the market growth includes increasing demand of the packaged food and beverage, low production cost as compared to that of the natural agents, fewer side effects on the human health, properties enhancing the shelf life of the food products. Coupled with all the above factors, the Food and Drug Administration recognized triacetate as safe to consume the product. It is also safe for the human and animal consumption. Thus manufacturers prefer synthetic agents such as triacetate over the natural one. All these factors thus favor the triacetate market growth.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3889 Due to increasing health awareness among the customers and growing concerns about the ingredients in the product, the triacetin, a synthetic or artificial compound face backdrop regarding market growth. The glyceryl triacetate market is likely to be hampered by the raw materials due to price fluctuations. The changing preferences of the customers, availability of a large number of substitutes in the market affect the overall growth of the glyceryl triacetate market.Global Glyceryl triacetate (triacetin): SegmentationBased on the raw materials, glyceryl triacetate is segmented intoVegetable glycerineSynthetic glycerineBased on its End Use glyceryl triacetate is segmented intoFood IndustryBaked productsBeveragesDairy productsConfectionariesPet foodTobacco industryPharmaceuticalsCapsule coatingsCosmeticsOtherCoatings and adhesivesPerfumesInksBased on Application, glyceryl triacetate is segmented intoEmulsifierFixerAdditivePlasticizerStabilizersAdhesiveAntifungal agentsGlobal Glyceryl triacetate (triacetin): Segment OverviewGlyceryl triacetate is segmented on its industrial uses such as food industry, Tobacco industry, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and others., In the food industry, glyceryl triacetate is used in baked products, confectionaries, dairy products, beverages and in a pet food. In tobacco industry, triacetate is used as a plasticizer for cigarette filter rods. It is also used in the capsule coating in pharmaceutical industries. Apart from all the above industries, it is also used in cosmetics and personal care products as humectants and plasticizers. In others, the glyceryl triacetate is used in perfumes and printing inks. Based on applications, it is segmented as the additive, emulsifier, fixer, plasticizers, and stabilizers, adhesive and as an antifungal agents based on its nature. It is also segmented based on its raw materials such as vegetable and synthetic.Global Glyceryl triacetate (triacetin): Regional OutlookThe glyceryl triacetate marked its presence in seven regions including Japan, Asia Pacific, Western Europe, North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. The global demand for the glyceryl triacetate accounts major value share in China for the forecast period. The demand generation for the glyceryl triacetate is significant in the China due to largely competitive market for the food industry and glyceryl triacetates functional properties favoring industrial process. It is estimated that the total market share of the glyceryl triacetate will grow with the high pace owing to its varied range of industrial uses and applications. Moreover, Eastern Europe, Australia and the Middle East and Africa, are expected to create significant opportunities for the players operating in the glyceryl triacetate market. Overall, the outlook for the global glyceryl triacetate market is projected to witness positive growth due to the growth in food and beverage industry during the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3889 Global Glyceryl triacetate (triacetin) PlayersThe glyceryl triacetate i.e. triacetin market is driven by some of the prominent players namelyReactChem Co., Ltd.,Jiangsu Lemon Chemical & Technology Co. Ltd,Jiangsu Ruijia Chemistry Co. Ltd.,Henan Huayin Chemical Co. Ltd,Croda International Plc,BASF SE,Eastman Chemical Company,Daicel Corporation.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 02:31:55
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Watts McCray Lawyers
Level 15, The Chambers, 370 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000
02 92835877
email
http://www.wattsmccray.com.au
Published by
Cam Wilkes
006499503888
e-mail
https://www.pureseo.co.nz
# 431 Words
Level 15, The Chambers, 370 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, 200002 92835877Cam Wilkes006499503888
Watts McCray Director Kate O'Grady won "Private Practice Lawyer of the Year" category in the Women Lawyers Association of NSW Achievement Awards announced on 11 August, 2017. The Gala Presentation Dinner was held in the Grand Ballroom, Doltone House, Hyde Park, Sydney.Kate O'Grady has led the Watts McCray family law team at the Erina office for the last four years and is an Accredited Family Law Specialist. The awards recognise the achievements of outstanding women lawyers, mentors and firms that have achieved excellence in their area of practice and helped create opportunities for women in the law. The guest speaker at the event was the Honourable Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC of the High Court of Australia. A number of the Watts McCray team attended the Gala Presentation Dinner.Kate was appointed a Partner of Watts McCray in 2016. Kate was admitted to practice as a lawyer in 2006 commencing her legal career in Community Legal Centres working predominantly in the area of family law, domestic violence court support and victims compensation before moving to private practice in 2007 where she has worked exclusively in family law.Comfortable with complex property and parenting matters Kates expertise includes interstate and international relocation, child support, spouse maintenance, and complex property matters. Kate is skilled in the areas of Binding Financial Agreements, Child Support Agreements and other Court documents and she regularly appears as an advocate in the Federal Circuit Court, and Family Court in Sydney, Parramatta and Newcastle.Kate became an Accredited Specialist in Family Law in 2011 and has experience in writing and presenting CLE papers on family law issues, allowing her to diversify the way in which she applies her legal knowledge, increasing her understanding of the law through communication. This has benefitted clients when it comes to a Court advocacy or negotiation. Her professional background demonstrates a strong interest in law reform and providing support to community legal services through workshops and advice.Kate completed a combined Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Western Sydney and her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the College of Law.Watts McCray Lawyers, with offices located in Sydney, Canberra, Central Coast, Parramatta, Norwest, Brookvale and Frenchs Forest, have helped thousands of Australians move forward with their lives following the adversity that often presents with separation and divorce. Watts McCray are a leading specialist family law firm providing services such as child support, spousal maintenance, parenting, divorce and property advice.For more information on the services offered: www.wattsmccray.com.au To contact: https://www.wattsmccray.com.au/contact-us
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-30 02:37:42
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Watts McCray Lawyers
Level 15, The Chambers, 370 Pitt Street,
02 96354266
email
http://www.divorce.com.au
Published by
Cam Wilkes
006499503888
e-mail
https://www.pureseo.co.nz
# 398 Words
Level 15, The Chambers, 370 Pitt Street,02 96354266Cam Wilkes006499503888
Specialist divorce and family law firm Watts McCray Lawyers sponsored the award outstanding law firm of the year category at the 2017 NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards. The awards recognise the achievements of outstanding women lawyers, mentors and firms that have achieved excellence in their area of practice and helped create opportunities for women in the law.The winners were announced at the Awards Gala Presentation Dinner on Friday, 11 August 2017 at the Grand Ballroom, Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney. The guest speaker was the Honourable Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC of the High Court of Australia.The firms nominated in the Outstanding Law Firm of the Year category were Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers, Clayton Utz, Dentons, Gilbert + Tobin, King & Wood Mallesons, Perdriau Family Lawyers, McCabes, Mills Oakley, NLS Law, Source Legal and TressCox Lawyers. Gilbert + Tobin won this category.A number of the Watts McCray team attended the Gala Presentation Dinner. The Women Lawyers Association of NSW was supported for this event by the Law Society of NSW, the NSW Bar Association, the Department of Justice, the Association of Corporate Counsel, Australia and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards have been at the forefront of improving the status and working conditions of women lawyers. The organisation has been active in liaising with the government and promoting law reform, particularly in relation to issues affecting women and children.Watts McCray has been recognised as one of Australias leading specialist law firms and provide services such as child support, child custody, divorce and property. The team at Watts McCray Lawyers has over 40 years of experience in the field of family law. With eight directors and two partners supported by a team of highly experienced solicitors Watts McCray continues to be very highly regarded by clients, the Judiciary and the marketplace. It has offices in Sydney, Parramatta, Canberra, Erina and Norwest.Watts McCray has an online resource on its website divorce.com.au that provides information to make the divorce process easier. The website takes you through the divorce stages in detail. For those who want to find out more about divorce in Australia, are in the process of a separation, or looking to contact a highly experienced divorce lawyer the website is there to assist.For online resources on divorce managed by Watts McCray: https://www.divorce.com.au/ To contact: https://www.divorce.com.au/contact-us/
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.
Engineers to Create New 3D Modelling from Previous Drill Data for ~ 800,000 ounces Gold
By: Guyana Goldstrike Inc.
3d Image Gold Deposit
Contact
P Berdusco
***@guyanagoldstrike.com P Berdusco
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-- Guyana Goldstrike Inc. () announced that it has retained the services of mining engineering firm MineIt Consulting Inc. to assist the Company in compiling, modelling and advancing the legacy geological data from the Marudi Gold Project located in Guyana, South America.The legacy data contains over 40,000 metres of diamond drilling performed on the project by prior operators. The majority of the drilling was conducted on Marudi's two main development sites: Mazoa Hill and Marudi North. Both sites are open to mineralization in multiple directions and therefore favourable to further exploration and development. Mineit services will primarily assist the company in defining a comprehensive exploration program for these sites, focussing on drill target definition and mineralization expansion.MineIt Consulting Inc. with offices located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a leading mining engineering consulting firm serving the Canadian mining industry. The company provides engineering services that include Mining Engineering, Project Evaluation, Geotechnical Engineering, and Process & Metallurgy services.Past clients of MineIt include: Goldcorp Gold Standard Terrane Metals Victory Nickel Thompson Creek Riverside Resources MX Gold Anglo American Alexco Resources North American TungstenThe Marudi Gold Project is the Company's flagship project located in Guyana, South America. It has had an extensive history of exploration and development completed by past operators. The Marudi has all-season infrastructure including an established mining camp with permanent facilities, employees and a full-time camp manager.
This has been issued to let the readers know about the new food tags and dish-based searching feature introduced in Wajabaty.
Contact
Wajabaty
***@wajabaty.com Wajabaty
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-- There is nothing worse for the food souls than going to a fancy restaurant and finding that its food is not as scrumptious as it appeared on their menu. So, what do you end up in doing? You return with a frown on your face and an empty stomach and a firm decision of never going to the same place again. But what if the same thing happens to you again, this time in a different restaurant or a cafe? Well, it would be a downright injustice to your taste buds and your stomach, which are in the habit of savoring delicious food every other day.This is where, the need of having a platform that makes sure you always get the best, comes into the scenario. And when we are talking about food, restaurants, and Kuwait, there is only one thing that connects them all- Wajabaty. It is a heavenly platform for the food lovers present both in the form of a website and mobile app. It assists the people in choosing the best as well as new cafes and new restaurants in Kuwait, as per their preferences and food habits.While Wajabaty is a feature-laced platform, one new feature that has marked its debut in this platform is the Food Tags. If you are even a bit acquainted with social media, then you will definitely know what a tag is. This shortcut feature, which is available both on the app and the website, enables the people to search for a restaurant that offers particular cuisine or service that the user wants. For instance, typing the tag #happyhours will fetch the information about all the restaurants that offer Happy hours. Similarly, if you want to know the restaurants that offer cat service, you can type #catservice and you will get the names of all the restaurants which offer the service wherein they will take care of your cat, while you enjoy your meal.On the occasion of the introduction of this feature, the CEO of Wajabaty had to say the following, "Keeping in mind the efforts people put in to search for a particular dish or service while searching a restaurant, we decided to come up with a feature that could make this process easier for the people. We are looking forward to the feedbacks of our app and website users and are eagerly waiting for their responses on the same."This feature has taken food searching to a whole new level and that too on the easier side. No more going through the menu of different restaurants separately and searching through to find out your favorite dish. Just type your favorite dish as a hashtag and let Wajabaty do everything else.About the Company:Wajabaty is one of the best platforms for the foodies designed for making it easy for the food lovers to search the best restaurants in Kuwait. It enables them to remain updated with the new restaurant opening, upcoming food events, food wall and much more.For more info, visit: https://www.wajabaty.com/ NewInTownRestaurants
Contact
Austral Migration Consultancy
***@australmigrate.com Austral Migration Consultancy
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-- Are you looking toand are looking for an experienced migration agency to help with your visa application?Austral Migration Consultancy, a stalwart in the migration industry in Malaysia has begun their regional expansion with their doors opening soon on the island nation of Singapore.Austral's lead migration lawyer, who has overseen hundreds of permanent residency applications says,"With a substantial amount of our clients currently based in Singapore, we are happy to announce the establishment of our Singapore office to better service our clients in the region."He added,"With over 400 approvals last year alone, we were getting more than 1 visa approval every day of the year."Austral Migration Consultancy is a full serviced migration firm with offices in Subang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.It is one of the only migration agencies with an Australian registered lawyer in-house.To find out more about the migration process, Australian permanent residences and more, visit https://australmigrate.com/ singapore-office- opening-soon/
Theme: Consistent Leadership for a Constantly Changing World
By: Refreshing Spring Church of God in Christ
22nd Pastoral Anniversary
Media Contact
AblazePR
***@ablazeprllc.com AblazePR
End
-- In a constantly changing world, one thing that is consistent is the leadership of the Refreshing Spring Church of God in Christ (COGIC) Superintendent James E. Jordan and First Lady Wilhelmenia Irene Joy Jordan. Beginning Wednesday, September 13, 2017, in Riverdale, Maryland, the Refreshing Spring congregation will celebrate the 22Pastoral Anniversary honoring their continued work in the community.This exciting event will include a power-packed schedule of events for guests to attend. Dedicated to First Lady Mother Jordan, the 7:00 PM Wednesday night service will feature guest speaker Mother Melody Whittley from Refuge Temple Ministries COGIC. On Friday evening, Sept. 15 Refreshing Spring will host a night of gospel and arts entitledfeaturing surprise performances and musical guests. Closing out the weekend of events, on Sunday, Sept 17, attendees are encouraged to fellowship at the 9:00 AM worship service lead by Bishop Jimmie L. Williams of Lighthouse Worship Center COGIC featuring guest psalmist, Grammy nominated gospel artist Vanessa Bell Armstrong.The 22Pastoral Anniversary theme is entitled, "The thematic scripture,I Corinthians 15:58, references Paul and the need to stay unmovable and steadfast in the work of the Lord. In his concluding words of his first letter to the Church at Corinth, Paul exhorts the Church to promote and advance "the work of the Lord" steadfastly without being swayed by others or by a volatile political climate'. Superintendent James E. Jordan continues to set a precedent in his leadership, fulfilling the work of the Lord. In November, Superintendent Jordan will also be appointed a distinct honor at the Greater Maryland First Jurisdiction COGIC 110Holy Convocation in St. Louis MO as an Auxiliary Bishop.All Pastoral Anniversary event activities will be held at the Refreshing Spring COGIC, 6201 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Maryland 20720 and will be free to attendees. Monetary donations will be accepted during the festivities. For more information visit www.rscogic.org
Montana State University offers several credit and non-credit online courses for science teachers.
By: Montana State University
Contact
Suzi Taylor
***@montana.edu Suzi Taylor
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-- Montana State University's online courses for science teachers are now open for registration. The courses are all part of MSU's National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN). Most courses start Sept. 12, 2017 but some start later in the semester.Fall 2017 graduate-level courses include 14 offerings in microbiology;physics; biology; earth science; land resources and environmental science (LRES); and education, curriculum and instruction (EDCI). Several non-credit courses are offered, as well, including forensic science, art and literacy in the science classroom, and a course on best practices for teaching online.Several popular courses are returning, including Understanding Climate Change (ERTH 591), Microbial Ecology (MB 542) and The Principles of Soil Science (LRES 591).The courses are open to all teachers and informal educators. Participants can take courses for professional development or start working toward an online graduate certificate or master's degree. The courses are all part of MSU's National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN), which has reached more than 22,000 science teachers in its 20-plus-year history.Register or learn more at http://btc.montana.edu/courses/aspx/ntencourses.aspx or contact Kelly Boyce at kboyce@montana.edu or (406) 994-6812. The NTEN Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/ scienceteachers/
Texas Independent Dealers affected by Hurricane Harvey need help now.
GIADA CEO Paul John
Contact
Georgia Independent Automobile Dealers Association
Lee Brogden Culberson
***@professionalmojo.com
Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/ 12661579/1 Georgia Independent Automobile Dealers AssociationLee Brogden Culberson
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-- Georgia Independent Automobile Dealers Association CEO Paul John has called on all State Associations to step up and support the independent car dealers affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas.The challenge comes after the Georgia Association ( https://giada.org ) pledged $5000 to the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association Foundation's Hurricane Harvey relief effort ( http://www.niada.com/ hurricaneharveyrelief.php ). One hundred percent of all contributions will be given to those needing relief from the effects of Harvey. The national association will be working in tandem with the Texas IADA ( https://www.txiada.org/ hurricaneharvey )."Georgia is committed to helping our fellow independent car dealers in South Texas recover from this unfortunate, serious event. With that said, GIADA has pledged a $5000 donation to the NIADA Foundation, who will in turn, donate 100% of the contributions collected to fellow south Texas independent dealers in need," says John."GIADA encourages and challenges all state independent dealer associations to donate whatever they can afford to give. And more importantly, they can help by reaching out to their state auto dealers and members for their immediate assistance. Timing is key, and they need our help," he adds.Georgia IADA, along with its other state associations, routinely steps up to help preserve and protect the industry when needed and that time is now.
Nationally known attorney Don Marcari, whose first case as a JAG lawyer inspired "A Few Good Men," publishes a novel about a Navy court-martial
By: Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban P.C.
Don Marcari
Contact
Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban P.C.
***@mrslawfirm.com
888-351-1038
Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/ 12661605/1 Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban P.C.888-351-1038
End
-- Withnoted Virginia plaintiffs' attorney Donald Marcari has written a military court drama in the tradition of, the play and film by Aaron Sorkin, based on Marcari's first case as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. But while Sorkin's JAG was a neophyte jurist, cutting his teeth on a murder trial, Mr. Marcari's hero is a successful but jaded defense lawyer ready to walk away from the service. Mr. Marcari, founding partner of Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban P.C., describes his novel as "based upon an actual case I handled while in private practice, but interwoven throughout are events that happened during my Navy career."In the novel, Commander Mike DeMarco defends a young sailor, Joshua Miller, facing the death penalty for the murder of a marine war hero. DeMarco believes he can win the circumstantial case, but Miller refuses to cooperate. Then, shortly before trial, Miller relates a bizarre story about falling in love with a beautiful, rich college student who unexpectedly called his barracks. Miller claims the "girlfriend"he never met called later alleging three marines had raped her. In his search for the rapists, Miller used questionable tactics, even impersonating an NCIS agent, thus making himself the prime suspect in the murder. Against DeMarco's counsel, Miller demands to take the stand, leaving DeMarco no choice but to find the girl if he hopes to save his client's life.An avid reader, Don Marcari has already co-authored a nonfiction work with Richard E. Spalding:. Writing a novel, however, was high on his bucket list and an activity that led him to return to his JAG roots for inspiration. Mr. Marcari looks forward to feedback from former colleagues in the JAG Corps.Fans of military and courtroom drama can findon Amazon . And, of course, Mr. Marcari has a copy ready for Aaron Sorkin.Attorneys at Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban P.C. have more than 150 years of combined legal experience in personal injury cases throughout Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, please visit the firm's website or call 888-351-1038.
Rhode Island State House: To Sell Desmark Industries' Custom State Ornament in Gift Shop
Contact
Desmark Industries, inc.
***@desmarkindustries.com Desmark Industries, inc.
End
-- Desmark Industries of Cranston, RI, is proud to announce and welcome collaboration with the State House of Rhode Island. The custom RI "Anchor of Hope" State Ornament will be available to purchase at the Rhode Island State House gift shop beginning in September 2017.The 24K-gold plated ornament features an anchor, a pinecone and thirteen stars encircling the design. The bordering area reads, "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations:1636,". The selection of the Hope Anchor for the seal of RI was inspired by the biblical verse, "Hope we have as an anchor of the soul" (Hebrews 6:19). Due to its traditional Italian meaning of welcome, abundance and quality, the pinecone or "la pigna" was chosen as a focal point. The La Pigna has become one of the most recognizable symbols on historic Federal Hill in Providence, RI. Surrounding the anchor and pinecone are thirteen stars which represent RI as being one of the original Thirteen Colonies, founded in 1636.President, John Caito III of Desmark Industries stated, "A great deal of thought and detail went into designing and creating the RI State Ornament, and we are thrilled to have it sold to Rhode Islanders and tourists visiting the State Houseit means a lot." Artist, Michael J. Valletta of Johnston, RI designed the ornament from inception to completion. His talent as a visual artist truly captured the essence of Rhode Island and helped bring the ornament to life.Desmark Industries is a US custom design company and manufacturer of collectible ornaments, as well as screen printed and embroidered apparel. To purchase a Rhode Island State Ornament, visit the gift shop in the Rhode Island State House located at 82 Smith Street in Providence, RI. To learn more about Desmark Industries visit the company website at www.desmarkindustries.com or Instagram at www.instagram.com/ desmarkindustriesri . Desmark Industries will continue to offer quality craftsmanship with Rhode Island pride.info@desmarkindustries.com401-223-0252
By: Church of Scientology
VM
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-- 50 volunteers from the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Florida left Clearwater this week to join the growing number of people in Houston to help in the wake of Hurricane Harvey."Hurricane Harvey has affected over 30,000 people so they need all the help they can get," said Ms. Glendy Goodsell, the Executive Director for the Volunteer Ministers of Florida. "The Scientology Volunteer Ministers cannot shut their eyes to such devastation."There are currently hundreds of Texas residents helping the National Guard, FEMA and other organizations rescue victims of the hurricane. Many people are still trapped in their homes even though over 10,000 people have been rescued so far.In addition to giving their support in man-power, the Volunteer Ministers are gathering hygiene supplies, such as diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand sanitizer and more for those who are without homes.Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 800 different groups, organizations and agencies including the Red Cross, FEMA, the National Guard, and police and fire departments."Expect to see hundreds of our signature yellow shirts in Houston," said Ms. Goodsell. "Our motto is 'Something Can Be Done About It' and that's exactly what we intend to do."For more information on how to contribute, please visit the Volunteer Minister Center in Downtown Clearwater or contact them at (727) 467-6965 or email glendy@volunteerministers.org.The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations. Based on L. Ron Hubbard's words, "A community that pulls together can make a better society for all," the Church of Scientology regularly engages in many humanitarian programs and community events. To learn more, visit www.scientology-fso.org.
Local Author Randall J. Soland will be available to sign copies of book
Utopian Communities of Illinois
End
--The Prairie State became a crucial testing ground for the grand American thought experiment on how a society should be constructed. Between 1839 and 1901, six different utopian communities chose Illinois as the laboratory and sanctuary to elevate their ideals into reality. The Mormons and the Icarians selected Nauvoo. The Janssonists picked Bishop Hill. The Fourierists settled on the north edge of Loami. The employees of the Pullman Railroad Car Company naturally resided in Pullman, and the Dowietes put down roots in Zion. Three were religious and the others secular. All possessed charismatic leaders and dramatic stories that drew attention from across the globe. Randy Soland examines the relationship between these havens and their legacies.Randall J. Soland was raised in Nauvoo, Illinois. His love of history was fostered by his father, Robert D. Soland, and an elementary school teacher, David Fortado. Mr. Soland is employed as a full-time private practice counselor in Springfield, Illinois. He has bachelor of science degrees in history and psychology and secondary education from Western Illinois University. He has multiple graduate degrees, including a master of arts degree in history from Illinois State University.Barnes & Noble3111 South Veterans ParkwaySpringfield, IL 62704Saturday, September 9th, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com
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Scholastic, Hachette, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House are among the New York trade publishers responding to the humanitarian crisis in flood-ravaged Southeast Texas.
Driven by a company-wide response, Scholastic made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross to aid relief efforts in the area. Scholastic is also accepting requests for help from damaged schools via its Possible Fund, an initiative that donates books to schools in underserved communities (as well as those in areas affected by natural disasters). Additionally, the company's Scholastic Book Clubs is offering to help restock classroom libraries in areas harmed by floodwaters.
The Hachette Book Group has made a donation to the UJA Federation of New York that will provide basics ranging from food to medicine to shelter.
Simon & Schuster announced plans to provide assistance to Texas libraries and booksellers struggling in the wake of the storm. S&S is offering damaged Texas public libraries and school libraries a donation of 250 best of titles to help restock their collections. School and public libraries can request the donation by emailing S&S at education.library@simonandschuster.com.
For booksellers affected by the flooding, S&S is offering multiple copies of 20 new releases and bestsellers free of charge. Booksellers affected are urged to contact the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC) at help@bincfoundation.org.
In a release, S&S said the company stands ready to work with national and local non-profits such as First Book and the Red Cross to provide books for children and adults displaced by Hurricane Harvey.
Macmillan said the company will match personal donations of up to $100 each by its employees to the Red Cross to support the relief efforts.
A spokesperson for Penguin Random House said the company has announced an unlimited matching program and will match donations to Hurricane Harvey relief from all of its employees through September 15. A PRH spokesperson said "we are working with our partners to provide meaningful support where it's needed most."
In his August 21 speech on Afghanistan, President Trump maintained his stance of opposing nation-building.
But implementing the strategy he announced will require a continued American commitment to nation-building.
As did President Obama's Afghanistan policy, the newly refreshed approach hinges on the U.S. successfully developing Afghan government capabilities to fight the Taliban insurgency, provide for the country's security over the long-haul, and serve as a counter-terrorism partner for the U.S.
Indeed, the main purpose of the anticipated mini-surge of several thousand troops is to return to somewhat more extensive and more forward-deployed training and advising of Afghan forces.
The real challenge, however, is not teaching Afghans to shoot and maneuver and call in airstrikes. It is creating security institutions that are well led, reasonably corruption free, and have self-sustaining systems for logistics and management.
Those institutional attributes cannot be manufactured simply through technical advisory efforts; they are part of the broader landscape of governance and the uses and abuses of power in Afghanistan. Changing that landscape is nation-building.
The economic angle of getting Afghanistan to a place where it can provide for its own security presents a further challenge. Currently, the Afghan government spends about a quarter of its resources on security a huge proportion by international standards but that contribution covers only about a tenth of the costs of the government's security forces.
The U.S. and other foreign donors cover the rest. Without a lot of help in setting a foundation for economic growth another aspect of nation-building the Afghans will be hard-pressed to close that gap.
Nation-building in Afghanistan under his two predecessors was not, as President Trump suggested, conducted for the purpose of re-making the country in our own image. It was a pillar of a counter-insurgency strategy the idea being that the Afghan government must have the political and institutional wherewithal to win and maintain the population's support.
Security capabilities were to be nested within a broader framework of good governance. President Trump's speech echoed the same approach, including in his reference to an integrated U.S. military, economic, and diplomatic strategy.
The principal new element of Afghanistan policy the President introduced is a shift to an open-ended conditions-based military presence and the eschewal of pre-announced timetables for scaling up and down that presence, though he did not specify the conditions.
In the end, the last Administration's policy turned out to be conditions-based, too. The timetable set for completing a withdrawal was jettisoned because the security conditions (too much risk of terrorist group resurgence) and political conditions (too much chronic fragility) were judged not suitable for leaving the Afghans on their own.
Whether it is labeled nation-building or simply stabilizing or something else, modifying the conditions on the ground is required.
Whether it is labeled nation-building or simply stabilizing or something else, modifying the conditions on the ground is required if the level and duration of the American commitment to Afghanistan is going to be tied to those conditions.
In his nod to U.S. expectations of real reforms, real progress, and real results from Afghans on the military, political, and economic fronts, President Trump acknowledged this.
And in saying that U.S. support is not a blank check he implied the use of aid conditionality as the main tool for modifying conditions.
Using that tool as, in fact, the U.S. already has been doing for some years in Afghanistan has two severe limitations. First, the premise of providing U.S. military and financial support is that it is necessary to protect our own national security interests; the more we cut back, therefore, the more we are putting our own interests at risk.
Second, conditioning support to the government generally does not change the behavior of those officials who are part of the problem. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, for instance, appears to have the will to reduce corruption, but he has limited capability to do so in the face of enormous obstacles; he doesn't need to be incentivized.
On the other hand, threatening to cut off funding to government ministries is not likely to motivate those who are, essentially, stealing from public coffers.
The basic conundrum of policy in Afghanistan remains what it has been since the insurgency arose in the years following the U.S. invasion and since American leaders decided to make the counter-insurgency our fight: The U.S. cannot only battle its way to establishing enduring stability in Afghanistan.
It has pursued a strategy that depends upon political stability, government popularity, and economic development in a country that is still one of the world's poorest and least institutionalized. At the same time, perpetuation of the conflict with the Taliban keeps the state persistently fragile.
Ending Afghanistan's internal conflict could give the U.S. a surer basis for focusing more on its counter-terrorism interests in the region.
The most plausible solution remains the one that was rejected by the Bush Administration and half-heartedly pursued by Obama: reaching a negotiated settlement with the Taliban that gives them a place in the Afghan polity, and engaging the key regional players toward that end. Ending Afghanistan's internal conflict could give the U.S. a surer basis for focusing more narrowly on its counter-terrorism interests in the region.
President Trump said in his speech that perhaps it would be possible to have a political settlement after an effective military effort.
In other words, the President has declined to make a strong diplomatic push for peace. In the alternative, he has embraced a long-term counter-insurgency.
For that, nation-building is part of the deal.
Laurel Miller, a senior foreign policy expert at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, was a senior State Department official with responsibility for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2013 to 2017.
This commentary originally appeared on Newsweek on August 29, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
BBC Worldwide and free-to-air (FTA) network Teletica have extended their partnership to produce a fourth season of Dancing with the Stars Costa Rica.
The show, set to premiere on 10 September, aims to maintain the high ratings registered for the three previous seasons, which captured the audience on Costa Ricas most watched FTA channel.There are few dancing shows that have managed to reach the same audience and popularity levels as Dancing with the Stars, said Anna Gordon, EVP and GM, BBC Worldwide America Latina/US Hispanics. We believe the new season on Teletica will enable the show to keep gaining fans across the Central American market.The fourth season of the Costa Rican adaptation will be hosted by Randall Vargas and Shirley Alvarez, and will see ten couples formed by a celebrity and a regular contestant competing.In addition to the traditional jury, viewers will be allowed to cast their votes through the official Dancing with the Stars website at teletica.com Dancing with the Stars has been adapted for 53 countries worldwide, registering consistently high ratings and accumulating over 300 seasons.
Research from IBOPE has revealed that Rios DTT reaches the 90% penetration purely through pay-TV set-top boxes (STBs).
The research, published by Gired, the group that is leading Brazils DTT deployment, found that only 63% of Rio de Janeiros homes have specific set-top boxes or TV sets ready for the ISDB-T standard.However, digitalisation increases to 91% due to homes with pay-TV platforms. A similar trend has been noticed in the city of Vitoria, where 70% of homes have DTT-only TVs or STBs, while 97% are ready for the analogue switch-off thanks to pay-TV digitalisation.Both cities are the next due to complete the digital switchover in the country, with the analogue switch-off scheduled for 25 October 2017.According to Brazils telecom authority Anatel a minimum 90% of DTT penetration needs to be reached in order to complete the process.Aiming to increase the reach of digital, free-to-air TV, the Government is also distributing DTT-ready STBs among low-income families, while strengthening communication campaigns to make the population aware of the coming changes.
As it aims to increase mobile data demand while it extends its over-the-top (OTT) video offering, Telefonica Peru has announced a strong investment in its 4G network.
According to the company, a $110 million investment will be made before the end of the year in order to make the 700MHz band slots purchased in 2016 ready for use. Last year, the Spanish telco invested almost $70 million on adapting the slots.Through this move, we are supporting the service quality of our video streaming platform Movistar Play, and other services such as Movistar Futbol, Movistar Musica and VoLTE, said Oswaldo Perez, core planning manager, Telefonica Peru In fact, the announcement follows the strategy unveiled last July to unbundle video OTT services and offer them as a cornerstone for mobile and Internet convergent plans.According to Telefonica Peru, the investment in the 4G network also aims to power business services like virtual networks, cloud computing and remote health platforms.
After its sale to Ooyala two years ago, the founders of Nativ Jon Folland, Gordon Ashworth and Nick Ryan have revealed their latest venture in the form of OnFrame which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify, process and manage stream-based content.
The B2D media software companys solutions are targeted at companies that have large amounts of live and archive audiovisual content that want to harness state-of-the-art AI to search, tag, repurpose and augment their content in real-time and at scale.OnFrame aims to give users the power to create AI-enabled automated analysis, processing and repurposing pipelines and scale them out easily and cheaply. The pluggable architecture supports a growing array of media processing use cases and the entire platform is cloud-based and API-driven.The beta version of the platform will be demonstrated at IBC 2017 with an aim to acquire additional market research to fine tune the solution. It is also planning to secure companies to sign up to a beta test of the service prior to its launch in late 2017.Commenting on the launch of OnFrame , Folland said: We want to provide an API-driven developer platform to capture, process and augment masses of video and audio streams cheaply and [with scale], using state of the art machine learning. The aim is to generate real-time actionable data and augmented video, tailored by the customer, for their own needs.
An early-morning house fire tore through a Lebanon residence on Mill Street on Aug. 30, destroying the home, the Lebanon Fire District says.
A resident was cooking french fries in oil on the stove when the expanding oil overflowed onto the burners and ignited, the district said in a press release Wednesday. According to Division Chief Jason Bolen, the 52-year-old man attempted to put out the fire but quickly realized that it was out of control. He woke his girlfriend, who was sleeping in a nearby bedroom, and the pair escaped the house with two dogs and called 911.
The Lebanon Fire District received the call around 1:23 a.m. and initially responded with an engine, two medic units, a battalion chief, and two division chiefs. The incident commander upgraded to a second alarm due to difficulties accessing a reliable water source caused by the road construction project on Russell Drive. Units from the Albany Fire Department, Scio Fire District, and Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District responded to the scene as well as to cover Lebanon during the fire. The total number of firefighters and vehicles on the scene was not immediately known.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within an hour and spent more than three hours on the scene.
There were no civilian or firefighter injuries.
The Lebanon Fire District said residents should never fill a cooking vessel more than half-full of oil when frying and always remain in the kitchen whenever cooking. The district urged residents to have a fire extinguisher in their homes and to know how to use it, and ensure that working smoke detectors are present in each bedroom and on all levels of a residence.
For more information on home fire safety or to schedule a free home fire and life safety evaluation, contact the Lebanon Fire District at 541-451-1901.
The Pentagon on August 30 sharply raised its estimate of the number of U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan, ahead of a decision on adding thousands more under President Donald Trump's new strategy for the war-wracked country.
Pentagon Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said a comprehensive review showed that there were approximately 11,000 uniformed U.S. servicemen and women in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon has said previously that there were roughly 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, under a cap set during former President Barack Obama's administration.
Military officials have long quietly acknowledged there were far more forces in the country than the cap allowed, but commanders shuffled troops in and out, labeled many "temporary," and used other personnel-accounting tactics to artificially keep the public count low.
"This is not a troop increase," but rather an effort to be more transparent about the total size of the U.S. force, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.
The new count, which includes temporary and covert units as well as regular forces, was made to establish the basis for an increase in troops -- possibly by around 4,000 -- under Trump's revised strategy to better support Afghan troops in the fight against the Taliban.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Officials in Afghanistan's eastern Logar Province say at least 11 civilians were killed and 16 wounded when a NATO helicopter attacked a house where Taliban insurgents had taken shelter against the wishes of the residents.
Provincial Governor Halim Fedaee on August 30 said the incident, which occurred late on August 29, took place in Dashte Bari District near the provincial capital Pul-e Alam in the east of the country.
A spokesman for Resolute Support, the NATO-led mission in Kabul, did not confirm the details but said the military was aware of the reports and was investigating.
Fedaee said Taliban extremists had entered the civilian house and fired a rocket at the NATO helicopter.
"The house owner begged the Taliban to leave, but they didn't. The helicopter took a turn, came, and hit this house. That caused these deaths," the governor said.
Provincial council member Hasibullah Stanekzai told dpa news agency that women and children were among the dead.
He said two top Taliban commanders and other militants were also killed in the raid, identifying Mawlavi Ahmadullah, the Taliban's self-appointed governor for Khoshi district in Logar, and a deputy insurgent commander in the region, Qari Naqibullah.
Taliban insurgents fighting against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul have a heavy presence in Logar.
Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP
Two security guards have been killed in a suicide attack on a lawmaker's house in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, local officials say.
Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest in the morning of August 30 outside of parliament deputy Haji Zahir Qadirs house in Jalalabad, the provincial capital. Another attacker was shot and killed by the guards.
One guard was also wounded in the attack, Khogyani said.
Provincial council member Iftikhar Momand said a third attacker was taken into custody by security forces.
Momand also said that Qadir was inside his house at the time of the attack but was unharmed.
Amaq, a news outlet affiliated with the extremist group Islamic State (IS), published news of the attack, but it was not clear whether IS claimed responsibility, dpa news agency reported.
Qadir, a former deputy speaker of parliament, is considered an opponent of the Taliban and IS, both of which operate in Nangarhar Province.
In December 2015, militia fighters loyal to him were said to have beheaded four IS militants and displayed their severed heads on the side of a road in retaliation for the beheading of four militia members.
A U.S.-led invasion drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States -- carried out by Al-Qaeda, whose leaders were harbored by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
But the government is struggling to beat back insurgents in the wake of the exit of most NATO forces in 2014.
A U.S. report found earlier this year that the Taliban controls or contests control of about 40 percent of the country, and security forces are also fighting against militants affiliated with IS.
With reporting by Khaama Press, Reuters, AP, and dpa
Four days after the killing of Chechen parliamentarian Mukhmad Askhabov on August 25, the perpetrators remain at large and uncertainty still surrounds their motive.
Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has ruled out two of the most seemingly obvious motives.
Askhabov, 61, was elected to the Chechen parliament in September 2016 on the ticket of the Russian Communist Party (KPRF). Prior to that, he had served as Chechen minister for property and land issues and held various posts within the regional presidential/government administration. In a statement expressing condolences, KPRF Chairman Gennady Zyuganov characterized him as a man of profound intellect, with an impressive education" -- he had university degrees in law and economics -- "and inexhaustible energy.
Askhabov was driving to Grozny on the morning of August 25 from his home in Achkhoi-Martan when his car came under fire from an overtaking vehicle. He lost control of the car, which hit a road sign and overturned. The perpetrators managed to escape.
Chechnyas hard-line Minister for Nationalities Policy Djambulat Umarov immediately suggested the most obvious explanation for the attack: that it was the work of terrorists, an apparent reference to Islamic militants, who have perpetrated such drive-by killings in the past. But Kadyrov categorically ruled out the involvement of either terrorists or Islamic militants. He also declared that it was not a political killing.
Those denials are understandable insofar as either a terrorist attack or a political murder would reflect badly on Kadyrov personally at a time when he appears to have incurred the Kremlins displeasure by his handling of public protests over the show trial of two young men accused of planning to leave Russia for Syria to join the armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.
Investigators nonetheless consider that Askhabovs death was linked to his professional activities. One of the dead mans relatives told the news portal Caucasian Knot on condition of anonymity that Askhabovs death was a total shock to his family, given that he had not received any threats nor had he been involved in any conflicts. That would appear to rule out a blood feud as a possible motive.
Despite Kadyrovs denial, one explanation might be that the killing was the work of militants, possibly a sleeper cell of either the extremist group Islamic State (IS) or of the Caucasus Emirate. Given that the latter organization has not perpetrated any attacks in Chechnya for several years, most analysts have inferred that it is defunct. IS has not claimed responsibility for Askhabovs death, although it was swift to affirm that the young men who attacked two police officers with knives in Daghestan on August 28 were acting in its name.
The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.
So I guess everybody in Vilnius, Warsaw, and Kyiv can rest easy now.
At a briefing this week, Russia's deputy defense minister, Aleksandr Fomin, said the upcoming Zapad-2017 war-games exercises would not be used as a platform for an invasion and occupation of Lithuania, Poland, or Ukraine.
He interestingly didn't offer similar guarantees to Estonia and Latvia, but -- let's give him the benefit of the doubt -- that was probably just an oversight.
It would be a mistake, however, to interpret Fomin's remarks as an effort to reassure Russia's neighbors and the West on the eve of Russia's largest military exercises since the Cold War.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
By saying the words Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, invasion, and occupation in the same sentence, Fomin appeared to be encouraging everybody to think about this possibility.
Can you say psyop? Of course you can.
Because it is in Russia's interests for the Zapad exercises to be seen as menacing.
It's in Moscow's interests for Zapad to be seen as a threat.
It's in the Kremlin's interests for the Baltic states, Poland, and Ukraine to be nervous and edgy.
But while these war games do give Russia an opportunity to spook and intimidate the West, they also give the West an opportunity to better understand Moscow's true military capabilities and its strategic thinking.
As the military analyst Michael Kofman reminds us in a recent article, the West shouldn't fear the Zapad exercises, the West should watch them very closely -- and learn from them.
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A court in Austria has rejected a Spanish extradition request for Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash.
The move paves the way for the businessman to potentially face bribery charges in the United States.
In February, a Vienna appeals court overturned a lower court's ruling that Firtash should not be extradited to the United States because the request was politically motivated due to Firtash's links with Russia.
The appeals court's ruling said the U.S. bribery allegations were purely criminal in nature.
The Spanish extradition request in relation to money laundering accusations came on the same day as that appeal was overruled.
"The request from Spain has been rejected," a spokeswoman for the Vienna criminal court said on August 30.
The judge in charge had not received all the information he had asked the Spanish authorities to provide, the spokeswoman said.
The Spanish High Court declined to comment.
Firtash is a former supporter of Ukraine's ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Firtash, who denies the accusations, made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Ukrainian government.
Firtash remains influential in Ukraine due to his part-ownership of Inter, a top television channel, and his gas distribution and fertilizer businesses.
Firtash was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in 2013 in connection with some $18.5 million in bribes allegedly paid for a permit to mine titanium in India.
He was detained in Vienna in March 2014 on the U.S. charges, but he was set free after posting bail of 125 million euros ($133 million).
Firtash, who is also wanted on criminal charges in Ukraine, has not left Austria since his initial detention.
Prosecutors in Vienna acting on behalf of Spain have two weeks to appeal the rejection of the request, the Austrian court spokeswoman said.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has rejected a U.S. demand that UN nuclear inspectors visit Tehran's military bases, while other Iranian officials called the idea a "dream."
In a televised address on August 29, Rohani said he believed that the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), would be unlikely to agree to such visits in any case.
"Our relations with the IAEA are defined by rules, not by the United States," Rohani said. "I see it as unlikely that the IAEA will accept the request for inspections, but even if they do, we will not."
Rohani also asserted that the United States would get little support from allies if it tried to back out of Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers.
"Twenty-eight [European Union] countries, which are America's allies, clearly say we are committed to the [deal]," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron had said earlier in the day that he saw "no alternative" to the deal, which placed curbs on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Rohani was responding to a call by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley last week for the IAEA to seek access to Iran's military sites to ensure they are not concealing secret nuclear activities.
The IAEA was charged with monitoring Tehran's compliance with restrictions on its nuclear activities under the deal, which is aimed to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not seeking to do so.
Although Iranian leaders have repeatedly refused to open their military sites to inspectors, the deal laid out a process for the UN agency to request access to any Iranian site where it suspects nuclear activities might be occurring.
The agency has repeatedly certified that Iran is in compliance with the deal's nuclear curbs.
Before Rohani spoke on August 29, Iranian government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht told a news conference in Tehran that "Iran's military sites are off-limits."
"All information about these sites are classified. Iran will never allow such visits. Don't pay attention to such remarks that are only a dream," he said.
A top aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also rejected the idea.
"The Americans will take their dream of visiting our military and sensitive sites to their graves.... It will never happen," Ali Akbar Velayati said.
While Iran has long rejected allowing international access to its military sites, under the nuclear deal it allowed inspectors to make a onetime visit to its Parchin military complex, where Western intelligence services believe Tehran had carried out nuclear weapons development more than a decade ago.
Under the 2015 accord, Iran also was not allowed any sanctions relief until the IAEA said it was satisfied that Tehran had answered outstanding questions about "possible military dimensions" of its past nuclear research.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
The journalism watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for the immediate release of Afqan Muxtarli, an investigative journalist who was abducted in Georgia and detained in Azerbaijan three months ago.
The group on August 29 condemned Baku's "persecution of independent journalists like Muxtarli," who had been living in exile in Tbilisi when he was kidnapped on May 29.
The group noted that prison officials say Muxtarli is in good health despite being diabetic, but quote his lawyers and wife as saying he has lost 21 kilograms since his abduction and has at times been denied medical access and family visits.*
A Baku court just extended his provisional detention until October 21, the group said.
Muxtarli's "detention is a disgrace for both Azerbaijan and Georgia," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSFs Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "Not only is no one able to explain how it began, but now it is being extended in defiance of the most elementary humanitarian principles."
"We again appeal to the Azerbaijani authorities to free this journalist at once and to drop the trumped-up charges brought against him. And the Georgian authorities must shed all possible light on how he came to be abducted, Bihr said.
Muxtarli, who worked for the Meydan TV independent news website, often wrote about high-level government corruption.
* CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly quoted an RSF statement about Muxtarli's health.
The Kremlin has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump's lawyer sent an e-mail about a real estate project in Moscow during the U.S. presidential campaign.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on August 30 that Michael Cohen had sent the e-mail in January 2016 to the press office's general e-mail address.
Peskov said Cohen had written about "a certain Russian company and certain people" who wanted to build a skyscraper in Moscow and sought help for the project.
"Because we do not react to such [questions about] business issues, and this is not our job, we left this matter without a response," Peskov said.
He added that the Kremlin had not received other similar requests on the matter and that he had not raised the subject of Cohen's e-mail with Putin.
"We cannot discuss the hundreds and thousands of various requests from different countries we get with President Putin," said Peskov.
Letter Of Intent
The comments come after Cohen disclosed that Trumps company was pursuing a project to build a tower in Moscow while he campaigned for the Republican Party nomination for the U.S. presidential election in 2015 and early 2016.
U.S. media reported on August 28 that Cohen had written a statement to the House Intelligence Committee, one of several congressional panels that are investigating alleged Russian interference in the election and whether there was any collusion between Russia and allies of Trump. Both Trump and Moscow deny the allegations.
Cohen, who was the Trump Organization's chief counsel at the time, said in the two-page statement that the deal reached the "letter of intent" stage but ultimately was abandoned "for a variety of business reasons," according to the reports.
The Moscow Trump Tower deal was "unrelated" to Trump's presidential campaign, Cohen insisted.
He said he personally told Trump about the proposal "on three occasions," and Trump signed a non-binding letter of intent in October 2015 to build the hotel complex.
'Our Boy Can Become President'
Cohen also said he sent an e-mail to Peskov asking for help with the deal based on the advice of a Russian-born business associate of Trump, Felix Sater, who claimed to have deep connections with the Kremlin, media reported.
According to The New York Times, Sater wrote a series of e-mails to Cohen in which he spoke of such connections and suggested building a Trump Tower in Moscow would help Trump win the presidency.
"Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it," the Times quoted one of Sater's e-mails to Cohen as saying. "I will get all of Putin's team to buy in on this, I will manage this process."
Cohen said he did not recall any response to his e-mail to the Kremlin, or any other contacts with Peskov or other Russian government officials about the project.
The Trump Organization confirmed that a nonbinding letter of intent was signed in October 2015 with Moscow developer I.C. Expert Investment Co. to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
It said the licensing deal was abandoned because it "was not significantly advanced" and no site or financing materialized during negotiations. It also said Trump was never paid any fees as part of the deal.
"To be clear, the Trump Organization has never had any real estate holdings or interests in Russia," the company said.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has vowed to punish anyone who causes "disturbances" in connection with an October 15 election to choose his successor, issuing a strongly worded warning amid tension over the vote.
Atambaev was speaking on August 30 in response to criticism over recent remarks in which opponents say he used his position to promote the candidacy of former Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov, a longtime ally.
He said that politicians accusing him of using the levers of power to support a favorite were "shaking up" stability in the country in order "not to allow a candidate proposed by Atambaev to become president."
"Let's not forget that until December 1, I will be this country's president and I will have sufficient time to severely punish all of those who plan disturbances in our country," said Atambaev, who is barred by the constitution from seeking a second term.
"Once, when I was in the opposition, I was scared of Almighty God alone. And now Kyrgyzstans people support me," Atambaev said. "Do not play with fire, you will burn your hands -- and not only hands."
At a meeting with residents in the southern town of Ozgon on August 28, Atambaev called Jeenbekov his "friend" and suggested that Sapar Isakov, who became prime minister after Jeenbekov quit to run in the election, was his protege.
"After I leave my post, my friend may become the president. A young fellow whom I trained and raised was recently appointed prime minister.... I hope they will carry on my affairs and finish what I have undertaken," Atambaev said.
Critics say Atambaev is looking for ways to maintain influence after he leaves office to make way for the winner of the election in the country of 6 million.
Constitutional amendments proposed by Atambaev and approved in a December 2016 referendum boosted the powers of the prime minister in Kyrgyzstan, the only Central Asian country that has had more than two presidents since the 1991 Soviet collapse.
Opponents fear the amendments are aimed at making it easier for Atambaev and his allies to remain in power as long as possible.
Atambaev began his six-year term in 2011, succeeding Roza Otunbaeva. The two previous presidents were driven from power by street protests, Askar Akaev in 2005 and Kurmanbek Bakiev in 2010.
Controversy has been cast over the election by the August 16 conviction of opposition politician Omurbek Tekebaev, a former ally of Atambaev, on bribery charges that his Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party says were aimed at keeping him off the ballot.
Tekebaev was sentenced to eight years in prison, a ruling that bars him from running in the upcoming election and the next presidential vote, due to be held in 2023.
Election officials are scheduled to release the final list of candidates in the October 15 vote on September 10.
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.
CHISINAU -- A Moldovan political party says it has filed a criminal complaint accusing President Igor Dodon of treason and of fomenting divisions in the interest of Russia.
In a statement posted on its website, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) said that it had filed the suit with the Prosecutor-General's Office on August 29.
It accused Dodon of violating laws against the "betrayal of the homeland" and "incitement of national, ethnic, racial, or religious disunity."
It contended that Dodon, who has courted Moscow and is at odds with his country's pro-European Union government, "acts [in] contrary to the interests of the Republic of Moldova, openly promoting the interests of another state -- the Russian Federation."
The Moldovan president has not commented on the complaint.
Among other things, the party criticized Dodon for congratulating the separatist leader of the breakaway Transdniester region, Vadim Krasnoselsky, on his victory in a December election that was not recognized by Moldova or the international community.
Dodon "seriously damages the consolidation of the Moldovan society and the unity of the citizens" through his actions, it said.
The move comes as Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, marked the 26th anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on August 27.
During celebrations that day, Dodon decorated several people for contributing to closer ties with Russia while Prime Minister Pavel Filip reiterated his government's determination to pursue closer ties with the EU in a speech to parliament.
The celebrations came amid heightened tensions with Russia after Moldova's envoy to the United Nations, Victor Moraru, earlier this month called on the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transdniester.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called the move "provocative."
Transdniester declared independence what was then the Soviet republic of Moldova in 1990.
Moldovan forces and Moscow-backed Transdniester fought a short war in 1992, in part over fears in the breakaway region that newly independent Moldova would seek reunification with neighboring Romania. The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement after Russian troops in the region intervened on the side of the separatists.
Russia maintains an estimated 2,000-strong force in Transdniester -- 1,500 troops that Moscow says guard huge Soviet-era arms depots, and up to 500 other soldiers to ensure the uneasy 25-year-old cease-fire.
At a 1999 OSCE summit in Istanbul, Moscow pledged to withdraw its troops from Transdniester by 2002, but it has not done so.
No country recognizes Transdniester as independent, but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist leadership.
A Moscow court has rejected an appeal to end the house arrest of former Economic Development Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev, who is facing bribery charges.
"The ruling of the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow remains unchanged, and the appeal filed by defense lawyers is dismissed," the state-run Interfax news agency reported an unidentified judge as saying on August 30.
Uyukayev, whose arrest in November 2016 send shock waves through the business and political circles surrounding President Vladimir Putin, has been ordered to be held under house arrest through January 27, 2018.
Prosecutors say Ulyukayev was caught red-handed receiving a $2-million bribe in exchange for his ministry's approval for state oil giant Rosneft to acquire a majority stake in regional oil company Bashneft from the government.
Ulyukayev, in an earlier proceeding, told the court he was set up by Rosneft chief Igor Sechin and the Federal Security Service (FSB), which Kremlin critics say Russian authorities use as a tool in political and economic disputes.
Ulyukayev did not take part in the August 30 hearing, but his lawyer, Larisa Kashtanova, presented the appeal urging for his release, Russian news agencies reported.
The prosecutor, Boris Neporozhny, told the court that "Ulyukayev has not acknowledged his guilt and could affect the testimony of Economic Development Ministry employees yet to testify if freed from house arrest.
The prosecution phase of his trial is expected to begin on September 1.
Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and Reuters
Pakistani lawmakers have denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations that the country has provided safety to militants battling NATO-led forces in neighboring Afghanistan.
Pakistan's lower house of parliament on August 30 unanimously passed a resolution rejecting Trumps remarks of August 22, in which the U.S. leader said Washington would no longer tolerate Pakistan offering "safe havens" to extremist groups such as the Afghan Taliban.
Trump's comments angered Pakistani officials and ignited street protests in many Pakistani cities, with police forced to break up the gatherings with tear gas in several instances.
In its resolution, the National Assembly decried the "hostile" remarks and urged the government to consider postponing delegation exchanges between Pakistan and the United States.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has already canceled a visit planned for August 28 by Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary Alice Wells, without giving a reason for the decision.
Trump, in outlining a new U.S. strategy for the war in Afghanistan on August 22, accused Islamabad of offering havens to "agents of chaos" and suggested relations between the two countries would be adjusted.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan strongly criticized the comments, denying claims of being soft on the militants and, in turn, accused the United States of ignoring the thousands of Pakistani citizens and security forces who have been killed by extremists and the billions of dollars spent fighting the insurgents.
"The National Assembly [of Pakistan] regards President Trump'sstatements on Pakistan as hostile and threatening, and calls on the government of Pakistan to express the determination of the people of Pakistan to protect Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Pakistani Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif told parliament on August 30.
He said the country should consider the suspension of cooperation with the United States, particularly in regard to the routes used by the United States or NATO to take their supplies through Pakistan to Afghanistan.
The U.S. military has led a 16-year-effort to defeat the Taliban and other militants who are fighting the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and Geo News
News reports from Moscow say that Umar Dzhabrailov, a wealthy businessman and former member of the Russian parliament, could face criminal charges after allegedly firing a pistol in a luxury hotel near the Kremlin.
State-run news agency TASS reported on August 30, citing the Moscow police press service, that police opened a criminal investigation on suspicion of hooliganism after an incident the previous night at the Four Seasons hotel.
The suspect fired several shots at a ceiling in the hotel just off Red Square, TASS reported. Nobody was hurt.
Several Russian media outlets reported, citing unidentified law enforcement officials, that Dzhabrailov was detained, but reports later on August 30 said that he had been released on condition that he remain in Moscow.
Dzhabrailov represented his native Chechnya region in Russia's upper parliament house in 2004-09. He was a deputy chairman of the chamber's International Relations Committee and a member of Russia's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Dzhabrailov's name became widely known amid a dispute over ownership of the Radisson Slavyanskaya hotel in Moscow. His partner in the project, American businessman Paul Tatum, was shot dead near the hotel in November 1996, months after he had publicly accused Dzhabrailov of planning to kill him.
Dzhabrailov ran for president in 2000, receiving about 80,000 votes in the election that handed President Vladimir Putin his first term.
He is the founder of Avanti, a lobby group that says its mission is the promotion of "patriotic business."
Hooliganism is punishable by up to five years in prison if a weapon is used in committing the crime.
With reporting by TASS, RBC, Kommersant, Interfax, RIA Novosti, and Meduza
BRUSSELS -- NATO says it will send three observers to Belarus and Russia to monitor the upcoming Zapad-2017 military exercises, but is repeating its calls on the two countries to allow broader monitoring of the drills.
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said on August 30 that the Western military alliance will send an expert to "visitors' days" connected to the drill in Russia, and confirmed that two other representatives will be dispatched to Belarus.
Lungescu said that while the Western alliance welcomed the invitations, international rules require Moscow and Minsk to allow wider access to monitors.
Under Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) rules known as the Vienna Document, states conducting maneuvers involving more than 13,000 troops must notify other countries in advance and be open to observers.
Russia and Belarus say the Zapad (West) exercises, which are set to be held in Belarus and parts of western Russia on September 14-20, will involve about 12,700 troops.
But Western military officials and experts say that the true numbers could be far higher, with as many as 100,000 military personnel involved.
And there has been speculation that Russia could use the exercises as a cover for an occupation of Belarus or an offensive against NATO states or Ukraine -- something Moscow has adamantly denied.
The NATO official said that the Vienna Document permits monitors to have "briefings on the exercise scenario and progress, opportunities to talk to individual soldiers about the exercise, and overflights of the exercise."
"Russia and Belarus are instead choosing a selective approach that falls short," she added. "Such avoidance of mandatory transparency only raises questions about the nature and purpose of the exercise."
Russia charges that that Western concerns about Zapad-2017 are unfounded, saying the war games will be "purely defensive" and pose no threat to Russia's neighbors, NATO, or the West.
Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin asserted on August 29 that Western politicians and media outlets have been "spreading myths about a Russian threat" in connection with the exercises, but that "none of these paradoxical theories has anything in common with reality."
Russia holds the Zapad exercises every four years, rotating them with drills in three other parts of the country.
Belarus has invited observers from seven countries to the drills.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia on August 24 not to "use loopholes" to pump up the numbers while keeping observers out.
NATO routinely invites Russia to watch its war games as a confidence-building measure, Stoltenberg told The Associated Press, but "Russia has never, since the end of the Cold War, invited any NATO ally to observe any of their exercises."
In Poland on August 25, Stoltenberg said that NATO would "be watching very closely the course of these exercises" and that Russia and Belarus should "respect the obligation to be transparent."
Belarus borders NATO members Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, as well as Ukraine. The area the exercises are due to take place also includes the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which lies between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.
Russia's military actions in Ukraine have increased concerns about Moscow's intentions in NATO members, particularly former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact satellites of the Soviet Union.
Russia occupied and seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists whose war against Kyiv's forces has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April of that year.
Those actions have prompted NATO to step up its defenses in the east.
The United States on August 29 sent additional jet fighters to patrol the skies over the Baltic states, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said.
Seven US F-15 fighter jets landed at the country's northern Siauliai military air base, where NATO member Poland ran patrols using four jets over a four-month rotation.
The deployment came a day after NATO announced that its four multinational battlegroups in the three Baltic states and Poland -- totaling approximately 4,500 troops -- were now "fully operational."
A statement said these forces were "a defensive and proportionate deterrent force" that responded to "Russia's use of force against its neighbors and its military build-up in the Baltic region and beyond."
With reporting by AP
Aleksei Navalny, the charismatic anticorruption crusader and persistent thorn in the Kremlins side, has published exposes exploring the wealth of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika.
Now he and his investigative team have trained their sights on someone even higher: President Vladimir Putin himself.
Navalny on August 30 released a new video examining a Russian island near the Finnish border where a venerable country house has been restored and, he alleges, used by Putin for holidays.
The 50-hectare property, located on the islet of Lodochny, not far from the city of Vyborg, in a bay north of the Gulf of Finland, is home to several buildings and a helicopter landing pad, according to Navalny. It also has a decades-old mansion known as Villa Selgren, which was used for a 1980s Soviet film about Sherlock Holmes.
WATCH: Aleksei Navalny On 'Putin's Secret Dacha' (In Russian)
Navalny alleged the mansion was restored, beginning around 2010, under the direction of Ilya Traber, who he charged was involved in a legendary Russian organized crime group known as the Tambov Gang. Traber was one of several Russians named by Spanish authorities in a 2016 arrest warrant targeting the gang.
Navalny said land records showed the property belonged to Oleg Rudnov, a Putin confidant from St. Petersburg who headed a company called the Baltic Media Group.
Rudnov headed another company belonging to another Putin confidant, classical musician Sergei Roldugin, who has been alleged by the Panama Papers investigative project to be a conduit for some of Putins secretive wealth.
Rudnov also reportedly has ties to Bank Rossiya, a financial holding company headed by Yury Kovalchuk that has been sanctioned by the United States.
Rudnov's son Sergei took over his fathers business holdings after his death in 2015.
'Putin Museum'
Navalny said another building on the island had been restored as a "museum for Putin," with photographs and other paraphernalia dedicated to the Russian leader. He also said his investigators had located an online resume of the property's main engineer, which listed other projects he had worked on, including an official presidential residence on the Black Sea.
The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the latest Navalny report.
Adding credence to Navalny's video is a report by the independent TV channel Dozhd (Rain), released earlier this week, that also investigated the property and the houses on it, and came to similar conclusions.
Dozhd said Rudnov, in addition to other long-standing connections, also had business ties with Kirill Shamalov, a tycoon who is reportedly married to Putin's daughter.
With his youthful charisma, biting wit, and singular focus on the problem of Russia's endemic corruption, Navalny has risen from obscurity as a lawyer to become a nationally known figure. He's faced multiple criminal prosecutions for cases that his supporters say are political motivated.
The latest one concluded in February and left him with a conviction and a suspended sentence, which effectively bars him from challenging Putin in a presidential election in March 2018.
Still, Navalny has pledged to press on. In June, he helped organize nationwide protests that were among the largest since Putin first came to the presidency 17 years ago.
Underscoring his continuing popularity, the latest Navalny video garnered nearly a half-million views on YouTube within just a few hours of its release.
More than 300 young Russian cultural figures have published an open letter of support for theater director Kirill Serebrennikov, who is under house arrest and facing embezzlement charges, and four other figures connected with the case.
In the letter published on August 30, the signatories asserted that the case is a "politically motivated" effort to silence Serebrennikov and a "dangerous symptom that says much about the government's attitude toward culture."
The young directors, artists, actors, and other cultural figures called on Russia's cultural community "to not be silent about the case ... and to continue calling for the release of the defendants until the authorities and the public listen."
The letter comes two days after some 30 international cultural figures, including Australian actress Cate Blanchett, German actress Nina Hoss, and German film director Volker Schloendorff, issued a petition calling on the authorities to drop the charges against Serebrennikov.
Many leading Russian cultural figures and intellectuals have also spoken out in support of the 47-year-old theater and film director. On August 30, actress Chulan Khamatova mentioned Serebrennikov's arrest at an event in Kazan, saying "I am very afraid and I have had this feeling now for several days."
Asked about the case on August 30, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the support shown by the cultural community for Serebrennikov is "understandable," but called for "patience" and warned against "idle talk about some politicization, some censorship."
Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has said that Serebrennikov's prosecution was intended by the government to send a signal to Russia's cultural elites to toe the line ahead of the March 2018 presidential election, in which Putin is expected to seek and be awarded a fourth term.
Critics of the charges against Serebrennikov also include Putin's former Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin and Vladimir Solovyov, a prominent TV host who is generally loyal to the Kremlin.
On August 23, a Moscow court placed Serebrennikov under house arrest pending further investigation and trial into charges that he embezzled government funds allocated for a project he is accused of failing to stage.
Serebrennikov, who was detained in St. Petersburg on August 22, dismissed the charges as "incredibly absurd and impossible." He has submitted posters, reviews, and other evidence that the production was indeed staged.
He could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Serebrennikov has participated in antigovernment protests and voiced concern about the increasing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church in cultural matters.
He participated in the Strategy-31 protests, in which demonstrations were periodically held against restrictions on the right to protest, which is protected by Article 31 of the Russian Constitution.
He also demonstrated against Russia's actions during the 2008 war with neighboring Georgia. He signed statements in defense of the performance-art collective Pussy Riot, members of which were arrested in 2012 for an unsanctioned performance in a cathedral.
Serebrennikov has spoken out against a Russian ban on the adoption of Russian orphans by U.S. citizens and against the treatment of Russia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
With reporting by Interfax
Ukrainian officials and local residents moved to stabilize conditions in the freshly recaptured southern city of Kherson, as Russian symbols were being torn down and with the restoration of Ukrainian radio and television service and a new police presence.
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.
The action on November 12 came after months of occupation by Russian forces following their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February and as Ukrainian and Western officials hailed Kyivs latest extraordinary battlefield success and Moscows strategic failure.
Separately, Russian occupying forces said late on November 12 that they were preparing to leave the city of Nova Kakhovka, the site of a damaged dam on the Dnieper River, to a safer location, according to Russian state-run TASS news agency.
As jubilant Kherson residents awoke the morning following the arrival of the first Ukrainian troops, Ukraines military said it was putting stabilization measures in place to ensure safety.
Ihor Klymenko, chief of the National Police of Ukraine, said about 200 officers were at their posts in Kherson and that checkpoints had been set up. Authorities also began seeking out any evidence of possible Russian war crimes, he said in a Facebook post.
The Ukrainian communications watchdog said national TV and radio broadcasts had resumed in the strategic southern city and officials said aid supplies had begun to arrive from nearby regions.
Social media postings on November 12 showed local residents removing memorial plaques put up by Kremlin-installed authorities during the occupation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials warned that while special forces had entered central Kherson, the full deployment of Ukrainian troops was still under way and that some Russian soldiers could have shed military uniforms for civilian clothing and remained in the city.
Even when the city is not yet completely cleansed of the enemys presence, the people of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols and any traces of the occupiers stay in Kherson from the streets and buildings, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
But he said that medicine, communications, social services are returning. Life is returning.
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.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking to world leaders at an ASEAN summit in Cambodia, warned that the celebratory mood could turn grim with the possible discovery of war crimes evidence in Kherson.
Such evidence was discovered after Russian troops pulled out of the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions months ago.
Every time we liberate a piece of our territory, when we enter a city liberated from the Russian Army, we find torture rooms and mass graves with civilians tortured and murdered by the Russian Army in the course of the occupation of the territories," he said. "Its not easy to speak with people like this. But I said that every war ends with diplomacy and Russia has to approach talks in good faith.
The White House on November 12 hailed Russias withdrawal from Kherson as an "extraordinary victory" for Ukraine.
"It does look as though the Ukrainians have just won an extraordinary victory where the one regional capital that Russia had seized in this war is now back under a Ukrainian flag -- and that is quite a remarkable thing," U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters as he accompanied President Joe Biden to the ASEAN summit.
Sullivan said that the Russian retreat would have "broader strategic implications," including relieving the longer-term threat by Russia to other southern Ukrainian cities such as Odesa.
"It's a big moment, and it's due to the incredible tenacity and skill of the Ukrainians, backed by the relentless and united support of the United States and our allies," Sullivan said.
Asked about reports that the Biden administration has started to press Zelenskiy to explore negotiations with Moscow, Sullivan said Russia, not Ukraine, was the side that has to decide whether or not to go to the table.
"This whole notion, I think, in the Western press of, 'When's Ukraine going to negotiate?' misses the underlying fundamentals," Sullivan said.
Russia, he added, continues to make "outlandish claims" about its self-declared annexations of Ukrainian lands, even as it retreats from Ukrainian counterattacks.
"Ultimately, at a 30,000-foot level, Ukraine is the party of peace in this conflict and Russia is the party of war. Russia invaded Ukraine. If Russia chose to stop fighting in Ukraine and left, it would be the end of the war. If Ukraine chose to stop fighting and give up, it would be the end of Ukraine," he said. "In that context, our position remains the same as it has been and fundamentally is in close consultation and support of President Zelenskiy.
Separately, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on November 12 that Moscow's "strategic failure" in Kherson will sow doubt among the Russian public about the point of the war in Ukraine.
"Russia's announced withdrawal from Kherson marks another strategic failure for them. In February, Russia failed to take any of its major objectives except Kherson," Wallace said in a statement. "Now with that also being surrendered, ordinary people of Russia must surely ask themselves: 'What was it all for?'"
Meanwhile, Pavel Filipchuk, the head of the occupation government in Nova Kakhovka, told administrators and residents that Russian forces will be pullng back from the city on the right bank of the Dnieper River.
He cited concerns that the key dam could be damaged by missiles, which would result in flooding.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of planning to blast the dam, which has already been severely damaged.
With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters
ST. PETERSBURG -- At the Levashovo mass grave site outside Russia's northern capital, there are nearly two dozen separate memorials for various groups of victims of dictator Josef Stalin's Great Terror -- Assyrians, Belarusians, Jews, Italians, Lithuanians, Germans, and so on. Each one represents a small chapter in a historical crime that saw between 650,000 and 1.4 million people executed and millions of others imprisoned, deported, displaced, or orphaned.
One of the Levashovo stones features two hands reaching up from a prison cell toward the light, with the words: "To the eternal memory of the deaf-mute victims of political repression -- 1937."
That particular chapter of the horror story of the Great Terror began one night in August 1937 when members of the Leningrad Deaf-Mute Society were in rehearsal for a special production to be presented for the 20th anniversary of the October 1917 Bolshevik seizure of power. Two security agents in plain clothes unexpectedly entered the hall.
By the time the chapter closed, 35 deaf people had been summarily executed (34 of them sentenced to death on December 19, 1937, and shot in the back of the head on December 24) and 20 had been sentenced to 10 years in Stalin's labor camps.
Among the executed were scientists, artists, laureates of state productivity awards, athletes, teachers, and others. All of them -- according to investigators with Stalin's NKVD secret police -- were members of a pro-German fascist terrorist organization specializing in the distribution of fascist and counterrevolutionary literature.
"When I read the case files, I saw that [investigators] even forced the sign-language interpreters to lie so that they could write up falsified protocols," said Anatoly Razumov, a historian whose multivolume Leningrad Martyrology documents the Great Terror in the city of Leningrad, which is now St. Petersburg. "That's how the whole case was fabricated. And then the victims were shot."
The head of the Leningrad NKVD at the time was Leonid Zakovsky, who was himself executed in August 1938.
"Zakovsky used to say, 'Why are you whining about your sick and your crippled? In Leningrad, we just put them in the first category (i.e., sentenced to execution) and there is no problem. And in the camps, if someone is crippled or maimed, send him to be shot and that's it. No problem,'" Razumov told RFE/RL.
"This attitude partially explains the pitilessness of this case," he added.
Yulia Khoroshailova is a member of the All-Russia Society of the Deaf who first heard about the case in 1997.
"I was really surprised that such a case came up," she told RFE/RL. "Usually, we think that deaf people are always on the margins of events. After all, they can't hear so they don't know about much that is going on and many are not active members of society. So when I found out that the Great Terror didn't even pass us by, I was simply shocked."
If there is a hero in this story, it is David Ginzburgsky, a Leningrad factory worker and artist who turned himself into a historian to document the cases of deaf victims of Stalinism. He was able to interview two of the interpreters used during the interrogations and conducted groundbreaking archival work during the perestroika period. He died in 2004 at the age of 90.
Khoroshailova learned about the deaf-mute "fascist terrorist band" by attending a lecture given by Ginzburgsky.
"Later, we interviewed the descendants of the repressed, but they couldn't add much to what [Ginzburgsky] already knew because their families did not talk about these experiences," Khoroshailova said.
Ginzburgsky's research formed the core of the section on this case in Razumov's Leningrad Martyrology.
There is a very touching ceremony in one of the Levashovo meadows. They always invite me and, when I can make it, they insist every time that I tell them the entire tragic story and they listen to me with tears in their eyes."
In the 1930s, it was common practice for deaf people in Leningrad to make money by reselling postcards on commuter trains around the city. This fact became the key to the entire "plot" supposedly uncovered by the NKVD.
Under torture, the head of the city's society for the deaf, Erik Totmyanin, denounced several members of his group, accusing them of selling "counterrevolutionary materials." On the basis of his statements, five more people were arrested and tortured. Then six more. By this point, the case had reached into several factories considered crucial to the Soviet Union's defense capabilities. The accusations expanded to include sabotage, espionage, and the preparation of terrorist attacks against leading communists and members of the Soviet government.
The "gang" was also accused of distributing fascist literature provided by the German Consulate in Leningrad. (In 1937, Hitler's Germany and the Soviet Union had extremely tense relations; in August 1939, however, the two countries signed a nonaggression pact and became de facto allies in the division of Eastern Europe.)
As was typical of such NKVD cases, none of the incriminating postcards or "fascist literature" was included in the case files.
"Postcards had value back in the 1930s," Razumov said. "And everything that had value was taken by the NKVD officers."
On October 30 each year, people gather at the Levashovo mass grave site to mark the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions.
"To this day, there is a very touching ceremony in one of the Levashovo meadows," Razumov said. "They gather in a semicircle with an interpreter in the middle. They always invite me and, when I can make it, they insist every time that I tell them the entire tragic story and they listen to me with tears in their eyes."
At the entrance to Levashovo, there is a bell that visitors can ring in memory of the victims of Stalin who are buried there.
"In the visitors' book from 2003, there is a message that was left by the daughter of [Georgy] Zolotnitsky, who was shot there," Razumov said. "She came from Yekaterinburg and wrote: 'Papa, I came again. I am here. I am striking the bell. I know that you are deaf -- but you will hear me."
Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson on the basis of reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Tatyana Voltskaya.
When a young Tajik teacher recited poems of praise for the country's autocratic president, he had no idea that the leader would respond by arranging his marriage. Within days, a village committee had located a suitable bride for the teacher and planned a wedding sponsored by the government. But the future bride had her own conditions to fulfill before she agreed to the proposal. (RFE/RL's Tajik Service)
Ukrainian authorities say they have expelled a Russian state TV journalist, despite condemnation from Russia and a pan-European security organization.
In a Facebook post late on August 30, Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) spokeswoman Olena Hitlyanska said Russian First Channel correspondent Anna Kurbatova had been sent back to Russia and banned from entering Ukraine for three years.
"Russian propagandist Anna Kurbatova, whose forcible expulsion has been decided, has crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border," Hitlyanska said. "She has been banned from entering our state for three years."
When contacted by the media earlier, Hitlyanska had declined to answer questions about whether and how Kurbatova had been detained.
The same thing will happen to "anyone who allows themselves to discredit Ukraine," she wrote on Facebook.
After arriving back in Russia, Kurbatova told Russian news agencies that the SBU had given her an official document saying she "poses a threat to Ukraine's national security and sovereignty" because she has described the conflict in eastern Ukraine in her stories as a "civil war" rather than a "Russian aggression."
First Channel said Kurbatova had previously received threats from people who did not like her reports.
Kyiv's treatment of Kurbatova was condemned on August 30 by an official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the conflict in eastern Ukraine and counts both Ukraine and Russia as members.
"I call on #Ukraine not to arrest & deport journalists from other OSCE States #AnnaKurbatova," Harlem Desir, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, wrote on Twitter.
The Russian TASS news agency reported that Mikhail Fedotov, the chairman of Russia's presidential council for civic society and human rights, said Ukraine should follow the OSCE's principles of press freedom.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had earlier said the deportation was a "deliberate provocation" by Ukraine's security service and nationalist radicals, and called on the OSCE to condemn the move.
Kyiv has banned more than a dozen Russian television channels since 2014, accusing them of spreading war propaganda.
On August 29, the SBU said it had barred two Spanish journalists over their coverage of the war in eastern Ukraine -- a move media groups decried as an attack on free speech.
Russian-Ukrainian relations soured badly after protesters angry over the Ukrainian government's abandonment of a landmark deal with the European Union pushed Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February 2014.
Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, after sending in troops, and backed separatists whose war against Kyiv's forces has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.
With reporting by Ukrayinska Pravda, Interfax, TASS, and Reuters
KYIV -- A Ukrainian politician's son charged with hitting and seriously injuring a pedestrian while driving a car has avoided pretrial detention.
The Shevchenko district court in Kyiv ruled on August 30 that Nestor Shufrych Jr. will be under the supervision of his father Nestor Shufrych, who is a member of the Opposition bloc in the Ukrainian parliament.
Investigators say Nestor Shufrych Jr., 22, was speeding while driving his Bentley in Kyiv on August 26 and hitting a man who was crossing the street.
The man, identified as Oleksiy Melnychenko, 31, was hospitalized with skull injures and bone fractures.
Ukrainian officials or members of their families who are suspected of crimes or other wrongdoings often enjoy special treatment from authorities.
President Petro Poroshenko and Ukraines government have been under pressure from ordinary Ukrainians and Western governments to fight corruption.
Critics say corruption runs so deep in Ukraine that it hurts the countrys chances of throwing off the influence of Russia, which seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backs separatists in eastern Ukraine.
A U.S. senator visiting Belgrade has urged Serbia not to grant diplomatic status to the staff of a Russian disaster-relief center that some Western officials suspect harbors spies and disseminates propaganda.
"I am hoping that President [Aleksandar] Vucic and Serbia resist any attempt to offer immunity" to the staff of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center, Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said on August 29.
"I think that'd send a very bad signal. It would surely not be in the best interest of the people of Serbia in terms of the Western flow of capital to help build your economy," he said.
For Serbia to benefit from an economic infusion from the West, Johnson said, "you need as little corruption as possible and you also need an indication that a country is really leaning toward Western democracies and free-market capitalism, and leaning against the type of aggression that, unfortunately, [Russian President] Vladimir Putin is demonstrating with Russia currently."
Johnson made his remarks after meeting with Vucic, who has cultivated close ties with Russia while at the same time seeking European Union membership.
Vucic did not say what his intentions were toward the Russian center, where staff has sought the same diplomatic-immunity status as NATO staff have in Serbia.
"We are making decisions in accordance with our interests," Vucic said, adding that "we have not been exposed to any sort of aggression."
Moscow has denied housing spies or conducting political activities at the center, which opened in 2012 in the southern city of Nis. The center has helped Serbia with de-mining and clearing unexploded ordnance from the 1999 NATO bombing of the country.
But the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, Hoyt Brian Yee, said in May that the center might have ulterior motives such as influencing public opinion in the Balkans.
Johnson argued that Russia's activities in the Balkans had become increasingly divisive. Rather than becoming a "friendly rival" after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia had turned into an "unfriendly adversary," he said.
"I think America stands ready for Russia to become that friendly rival, but it's going to be up to Vladimir Putin and Russia to make that decision," Johnson said.
"I think America, I think the West, has to respond with strength and resolve ourselves so that Vladimir Putin understands that we will stand up to his bullying, to his aggression, which is in nobody's best interest."
With reporting by AP, Radiosarajevo.ba, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Uzbek National Television and Radio Company chief Bobur Alikhonov has been dismissed after less than a month in the job, media reports said on August 30.
Alikhonov's removal would make him the third head of the state broadcaster to lose his job since President Shavkat Mirziyoev came to power in September 2016 after the death of autocratic longtime leader Islam Karimov.
Several media outlets reported that both Alikhonov and the head of the presidential press office, Asadjon Khojaev, were dismissed on August 29.
There was no official comment. The reports come amid controversy over the brief introduction of live TV talk shows in the tightly controlled country, which has no independent media.
Alikhonov was appointed on August 2, replacing Khurshid Mirzohidov, who had held the position since February.Mirzohidov had replaced Alisher Khojaev, who had headed the state broadcaster since 2005.
Mirziyoev has cultivated an image of increased openness and has criticized state TV, suggesting it should tone down the sycophantic praise for government officials and start to reflect the interests of ordinary people.
Following some of that criticism, state television introduced live talk shows and panel discussions in which government officials faced journalists.
But that experiment appears to have come to an end.
State media journalists told RFE/RL on August 22 that Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov ordered a stop to all live shows except for newscasts after a tense meeting the previous day with state TV officials and employees.
With reporting by podrobno.uz, kun.uz, and Interfax
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As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation talks begin, employers are calling for better rules governing how professionals and business travelers cross the Canada-U.S. border.
"The NAFTA renegotiation presents an opportunity to improve the flow of skilled employees between the U.S. and Canada," said Lynn Shotwell, executive director of the Council for Global Immigration (CFGI), a Washington, D.C.-area advocacy organization supporting workforce mobility and employment-based immigration and a Society for Human Resource Management affiliate. "Timely, predictable and flexible labor mobility is critical to employers' ability to meet their business objectives."
She listed several areas in need of improvement:
Administrative processes.
Clarity and consistency in decisions.
Adaptation of modern technology applications.
Training of border officials in both countries.
Revised requirements for specialized knowledge workers.
An outdated NAFTA professional occupations list, which designates the jobs required for admission to the U.S. under the TN visa.
NAFTA's implementation of permissive temporary entry policies for workers and business travelers has already boosted economic growth and expanded the talent pool available to employers in the two countries, according to Stephen Cryne, president and CEO of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC), a Toronto-based organization representing the workforce mobility interests of Canada's largest employers.
"The overall impact of the rules of temporary entry have delivered tremendous benefits to the businesses and economies in both countries," he said. "While much emphasis is placed on the movement of physical goods, which account for the majority of trade, there is significant growth in the trade in services between Canada and the U.S., which relies on the free movement of business executives and professionals. Virtually all sectors of the economy have benefited, particularly those with operations on both sides of the border."
However, the trade agreement's cross-border labor mobility provisions are far from ideal. "The movement of employees between Canada and the United States is fraught with delay, confusion [and] inconsistent decisionmaking and is confined by an outdated NAFTA professionals list that does not reflect the modern skills needed by employers in both countries," Cryne said.
CFGI and CERC recently polled 87 organizations from several industry sectors with employees who frequently travel or are transferred between the U.S. and Canada.
When asked what aspects of cross-border travel were most challenging, 68 percent responded compliance with immigration regulations; followed by understanding when a business entry visa, as opposed to a work permit, is required (60 percent); and differing rules between the two countries (58 percent).
More than half of the employers surveyed (53 percent) reported that their employees have experienced delays unrelated to travel volumes when crossing into Canada, and 61 percent reported delays when crossing into the U.S.
Inconsistent decision-making by border officials was identified as the most common reason for delays when crossing the border, with 76 percent of employers citing this for employees entering the U.S. and 67 percent reporting this for employees entering Canada.
Employers also felt that border officials lacked sufficient training and resources to effectively and speedily adjudicate applications for entry. Fifty-eight percent of employers said this about U.S. border officials, and 46 percent cited this about dealing with Canadian border officials.
Calls to Update Occupations List
Over half of the employers surveyed (56 percent) felt that the current NAFTA professional occupations list, intended to facilitate the movement of skilled workers, is outdated.
"It is now approaching 25 years since NAFTA came into effect and since those occupational classifications [on the list] were finalized," said Andrew Wilson, a partner in the immigration law firm Serotte Reich Wilson, based in Buffalo, N.Y. "Obviously, professions, industries and needs have evolved over that time. This is particularly true within technical fields such as IT and engineering."
Wilson clarified that it's not necessarily the occupational classifications themselves that need to be updated but that there should be periodic guidance issued on changes within those professions.
"The list is fine," he said. "But right now, CBP [Customs and Border Protection] uses the Occupational Outlook Handbook [OOH] to determine whether a position qualifies under a certain occupational classification. The OOH can be slow to keep pace with changes in industries, and it can be frustrating to convince CBP of new roles and duties within certain occupational classifications."
Examples include user experience and interface design roles under the Graphic Designer, Computer Systems Analyst or Software Engineer occupational classifications, or technical sales roles under the Engineer, Chemist, or Biologist occupational classifications.
"We have companies confirming that this is what software engineers do now, and CBP or USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] is questioning it because it is not in the OOH," Wilson said. "The OOH is still seen as 'gospel' and even trumps expert opinion letters in some cases."
Concern NAFTA Talks Could Make Things Worse
Many in the business community fear that not only could expanding the list of eligible professions be out of reach, but also that preserving the existing labor mobility provisions could be endangered under President Donald Trump's protectionist administration. Perhaps tellingly, there was no mention of labor mobility when the U.S. released its objectives for NAFTA negotiations in July. Nor was it identified as an area that the U.S. wants to maintain. "While we know it's a high priority for Canada and Mexico, the U.S. position [on labor mobility] is opaque at this point in time," Cryne said.
Wilson said he doesn't foresee any major changes to the labor mobility provisions of the trade agreement but that changes in interpretation of the rules to meet a more-restrictive mandate could become a reality. "We've already seen this with H-1B filings and a specious new USCIS position that any job that falls under a Level 1 prevailing wage cannot qualify as a specialty occupation. We have also seen this now with TN applications for Mexican nationals through U.S. Consulates in Mexico. Although there is no prevailing wage requirement for TNs under NAFTA, we have had to overcome initial denials where the consular officer had an issue with compensation when the individual was paid out of a Mexican division of the company."
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Today, the nova that lit skies on March 11, 1437, shows an ejected shell of hot hydrogen gas. This image was taken with the Carnegie Swope 1-meter telescope in Chile. The star that incited the nova is indicated with red tick marks; it's off-center today, but was located at the red plus mark back in 1437, researchers said.
After decades of hunting, astronomers have tracked down the origin of a nova first recorded by Korean royal astrologers nearly 600 years ago.
This finding is the oldest-known example of such a stellar explosion with an accurately pinpointed location, the new study's researchers said, and it could help shed light on the nature of novas, and on the way that about three-quarters of all stars evolve.
On March 11, 1437, Korean astronomers detected what seemed like a bright new star in the night sky. As recorded in the "Veritable Records of the Reign of King Sejong," a detailed chronicle of the reign of a king who ruled Korea from 1418 to 1464, the explosion lay close to a star in what is now thought of as the tail of the constellation Scorpius. The outburst, now known as Nova Scorpii AD 1437, was seen for 14 days before vanishing. [Know Your Novas: Star Explosions Explained (Infographic)]
The study's researchers sought to find out what the nova looks like now but to do that, they needed to pinpoint its location in the modern sky.
"I've spent more than 30 years hunting it," said study lead author Michael Shara, curator in charge of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The details of the star explosion suggested it was a classical nova a nuclear explosion that happens in binary star systems. "Roughly 75 percent of all stars are in binary star systems," Shara told Space.com.
In a classical nova, one member of the binary is a white dwarf a superdense, Earth-size core of a dead star that is left behind after its star has exhausted all its fuel and shed its outer layers. The sun and most sun-like stars will one day become white dwarfs.
The nova occurs after a white dwarf siphons too much fuel from its companion star, which eventually leads to a nuclear detonation.
Much remains a mystery about the aftermath of novas. Novas leave their stars intact, unlike more powerful supernovas. And once a cataclysmic variable the duo of white dwarf and companion star goes nova, more novas can theoretically explode there in the future. However, a great deal is unknown about how cataclysmic variables act between nova events, and the researchers knew that finding the modern-day trace of a past nova could help shed light on the structures' life cycle.
When the researchers first looked about three decades ago where the records seemed to say the nova was, they could not find it: "It turns out we were looking in the wrong place," Shara said. "When it comes to analyzing ancient records, it can be a challenge interpreting them correctly."
"None of the ancient records we looked at gave the stars in the constellation names or numbers," Shara added. "We initially thought the nova was supposed to be located between two certain stars in the constellation, when the nova was actually the next two stars over. When we relaxed our criteria as to where to look in the constellation, we found the nova in 90 minutes."
In the new study, the scientists analyzed data recently collected by the Southern African Large Telescope and the Las Campanas Observatory's Swope and du Pont telescopes. They also examined digital versions of photographic plates from Harvard archives that captured more than a century's worth of images of the sky.
The researchers discovered a shell of debris likely left behind by a nova in the constellation Scorpius. When they calculated the motions of stars in that area, they discovered a binary system that was in exactly the right position to create that shell nearly 600 years ago.
The archival photographic plates also revealed that in the 1930s and 1940s, this binary system gave off brief, smaller, dimmer eruptions known as dwarf novas. These findings support an idea that Shara and his colleagues proposed about 30 years ago that binary systems that give off classical novas also give off dwarf novas, and are not separate entities, as some had previously suggested, Shara said.
"The analogy I use here is that of a caterpillar and a butterfly," Shara said. "If humans only lived a few days, it's not clear we'd unravel the fact that caterpillars and butterflies are the same creatures we'd need to live much longer. In much the same way, the time scale to go from a classical nova to a dwarf nova looks to be somewhere between two and five centuries."
"We think an old nova and a dwarf nova are basically the same system, just seen at different stages of development," Shara said. "By understanding classical novae and dwarf novae, hopefully we'll get a better understanding of binary stars, which make up most stars in the universe."
Future research can investigate other novas recorded in antiquity to learn more about their evolution, Shara said. "We'd want to find at least a half-dozen novas to enable us to say with greater certainty if all old novae become dwarf novae," he said.
The scientists detailed their findings (opens in new tab) in the Aug. 31 issue of the journal Nature.
Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik posted this view of Tropical Storm Harvey from the International Space Station on Twitter on Aug. 28, 2017.
NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston will remain closed through Labor Day as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey, agency officials said.
NASA shuttered JSC to everyone except "essential personnel" on Aug. 25, the day that Harvey slammed into the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane. Though Harvey has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, it has lingered, continuing to drench southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana with record-breaking rain that has caused catastrophic flooding. [Hurricane Harvey: Photos of the Massive Storm from Space]
JSC won't reopen until Sept. 5.
"Our primary concern is the safety of our employees and all our fellow Houstonians," JSC Director and former NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa said in a statement. "We're taking these measures to ensure the members of our team and their families can take care of themselves and their neighbors."
The essential personnel riding out the storm at JSC include the team responsible for NASA's International Space Station (ISS) operations. These workers will continue supporting and monitoring ISS activities, including the landing of three ISS crewmembers Saturday (Sept. 2) in Kazakhstan, NASA officials said.
Those three crewmembers are NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer and cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.NASA has also canceled a press conference with Whitson, scheduled for today (Aug. 30), since the Johnson Space Center would be unable to support the event due to Harvey's effects. In a Twitter post, Ochoa also said that NASA had canceled survival training for its latest astronaut class, which reported for duty last week.
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NASA's $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in late 2018, is currently at JSC for testing. Mission team members have said that flooding has infiltrated the building housing Webb, but the telescope is fine.
All of the backup systems required to keep Webb in good condition "were checked prior to the arrival of the storm and are ready for use if necessary," NASA officials wrote in the same statement.
As of Tuesday morning (Aug. 29), Harvey had dumped 42 inches (107 centimeters) of rain on JSC, according to the center's emergency communications Twitter account.
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, in drier times. (Image credit: NASA)
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Technicians lift the lander portion of the InSight spacecraft for testing in a clean room facility at Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado.
What lies beneath the surface on Mars? NASA's next Mars mission aims to find out. The InSight project, NASA's first mission to study the Red Planet's deep interior, is on track for a 2018 liftoff after needing to be delayed two years due to a technical issue. Scientists hope that it will help explain the formation of rocky planets, including our own.
InSight is expected to launch sometime in the five weeks following May 8, 2018, with a course charted for its arrival shortly after Thanksgiving. Lockheed Martin Space Systems has constructed the mission's spacecraft a stationary lander that will be positioned near the Martian equator and is currently testing it at a facility near Denver.
"The lander is completed and instruments have been integrated onto it so that we can complete the final spacecraft testing including acoustics, instrument deployments and thermal balance tests," Stu Spath, spacecraft program manager at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement.
While many missions have targeted Mars over the past two decades, the rovers, orbiters, and landers involved have all focused on the Red Planet's surface, examining features such as craters, rocks, regolith (soil), and volcanoes.
RELATED: NASA Has Big Plans for AI on Mars and Beyond
Unlike any mission that preceded it, InSight will do a deep dive into the Martian underground, putting two instruments onto the surface that will ferry information back from the Martian depths.
An artist's impression of the InSight lander. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The first is a seismometer whose development was led by the French space agency CNES in collaboration with several other countries, including the US. It is sensitive enough to detect ground movements that are only half the diameter of a hydrogen atom, and its main goal is to record "marsquakes" (seismic waves) or meteor impacts, which will help reveal information about the interior layers of Mars.
The second is a heat probe that can burrow approximately three to five meters (10 to 16 feet) below the surface to measure how much energy comes from the planet's interior.
RELATED: It's Snowing on Mars at Night, Research Suggests
The goal is to better learn how terrestrial planets such as Venus, Earth, and Mars were formed. Mars gives a special advantage to this kind of investigation because, unlike Earth, plate tectonics (which generate earthquakes, among other phenomena) dont appear to be active on the planet.
"Because the interior of Mars has churned much less than Earth's in the past three billion years, Mars likely preserves evidence about rocky planets' infancy better than our home planet does," said Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
The project's third main experimental component will use radio transmissions between Mars and Earth to investigate changes in how Mars rotates on its axis. This could reveal information about the size of the Red Planet's core.
RELATED: The Mars Colony of the Future Could Be Powered by This Advanced Microgrid
When a mission to Mars gets delayed by more than a few weeks, it has to wait another 26 months to launch. Thats because the orbits of Earth and Mars bring the two planets into a favorable position to launch spacecraft when the planets are relatively close to one another, which saves on spacecraft fuel and travel time only for a few weeks every 26 months.
The InSight mission's 26-month delay came in part due to orbital geometry as well as because of a technical issue. NASA called off the planned March 2016 launch after discovering a leak in a container surrounding the seismometer's main sensors; the container was supposed to maintain a near-vacuum around these sensors. A new vacuum vessel was delivered in July and installed.
"We have fixed the problem we had two years ago, and we are eagerly preparing for launch," said Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager at JPL.
This story was originally published on Seeker.
For the first time, researchers have used neural networks to analyze gravitational lenses, characterizing the distortions in space-time 10 million times faster than traditional methods can do so.
Researchers have used brain-like "neural networks" to analyze key distortions in space-time 10 million times faster than conventional methods can do so.
The new study trained an artificial-intelligence system to examine features called gravitational lenses in images from the Hubble Space Telescope as well as simulated images. The process could give researchers a better glimpse of how mass is distributed in the galaxy, and provide close-ups of distant galactic objects.
"Analyses that typically take weeks to months to complete, that require the input of experts and that are computationally demanding, can be done by neural nets within a fraction of a second, in a fully automated way and, in principle, on a cell phone's computer chip," Laurence Perreault Levasseur, a co-author of the new study, said in a statement. Perreault Levasseur is a researcher at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), which is a joint institute of the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University in California. [Gravitational Lensing Eloquently Described in 'Hubblecast' (Video)]
Chance alignments of dense objects and background galaxies can create gravitational lenses a natural magnification of the background as its light bends around the foreground's mass. The distorted ring of light that results, sometimes called an Einstein ring, can be analyzed to learn about both the distant system itself and the mass of the object passing in front of it. This is particularly handy for understanding dark matter, which, although it cannot be observed directly, can act as the "lens" to focus background galaxies.
Scientists are discovering more and more of these lenses in data from telescope surveys, SLAC researchers said in the statement. However, analyzing the systems to learn about the objects' properties has been a long, tedious process of comparing the lens images with simulations and trying to re-create the conditions that caused them.
Rather than weeks or months of analysis for a single lens, neural networks can find the lens's properties in just a few seconds, the researchers said.
Galaxies captured by the Hubble Space Telescope "bent" around dense foreground objects in a process called gravitational lensing. Researchers used these images to test the performance of neural networks to understand the lenses' properties. (Image credit: Yashar Hezaveh/Laurence Perreault Levasseur/Phil Marshall/Stanford/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; NASA/ESA)
Lens training
Neural networks work by exposing an artificial-intelligence system with a particular brain-inspired architecture to millions or billions of examples of given properties, thus helping researchers learn how to identify those properties in other situations. For instance, showing a neural network increasingly more photos of dogs would allow it to identify dogs more and more accurately, without requiring the researchers to tell the network which details to pay attention to.
This process can also be used for more complex tasks. For example, Google's AlphaGo program was shown a large number of Go games to analyze and process, and it ultimately defeated a world champion of the complex game. Traditional computer programs have faltered at mastering Go because of the extreme number of possible moves.
In this study, the researchers showed neural-network systems about a half-million simulated gravitational-lens images over the course of a day. Then, they tested the networks on new lenses, and found extremely quick and accurate analyses.
"The neural networks we tested three publicly available neural nets and one that we developed ourselves were able to determine the properties of each lens, including how its mass was distributed and how much it magnified the image of the background galaxy," the study's lead author, Yashar Hezaveh, also a researcher at KIPAC, said in the statement.
While neural networks have been applied to astrophysics before, they've rarely been used at this level of complexity, the researchers said. For instance, they've been used to identify whether an image contains a gravitational lens, but not to analyze it.
"It's as if [the study's neural networks] not only picked photos of dogs from a pile of photos, but also returned information about the dogs' weight, height and age," Hezaveh said.
Although the analysis was done with a high-performance computing cluster, the researchers said it could be done with much less processing power on a laptop or even a cellphone, for instance. And as more and more astronomical data demands examination, such a process could become a crucial tool for learning as much as possible from the deluge.
"Neural nets have been applied to astrophysical problems in the past, with mixed outcomes," KIPAC researcher Roger Blandford, who was not an author of the paper, said in the statement. "But new algorithms combined with modern graphics processing units, or GPUs, can produce extremely fast and reliable results, as the gravitational lens problem tackled in this paper dramatically demonstrates. There is considerable optimism that this will become the approach of choice for many more data processing and analysis problems in astrophysics and other fields."
The new work was detailed Aug. 30 (opens in new tab) in the journal Nature.
Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A $100 million search for intelligent aliens has spied 21 bizarre, repeating flashes of light coming from a distant galaxy.
The galaxy a dwarf known as FRB 121102 that lies 3 billion light-years from Earth is a known source of such brief, high-energy fast radio bursts (FRBs). But the newly detected pulses stand out, astronomers said.
"Bursts from this source have never been seen at this high a frequency," Andrew Siemion, director of the Berkeley SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. [Are Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts Propelling Alien Spacecraft? (Video)]
Siemion is a team member with Breakthrough Listen, a $100 million project that's searching for potential signals from alien civilizations from the 1 million stars closest to the sun, the 100 galaxies nearest our own Milky Way, and the galactic plane.
Some researchers think FRBs which were discovered in 2007 and remain mysterious today could be such alien signals. For example, astronomers have speculated that FRBs may be generated by powerful lasers designed to blast alien craft through space at high speeds a propulsion method akin to that being developed by Breakthrough Listen's ambitious sister project, Breakthrough Starshot. (Aliens aren't the only possible explanation, of course; some scientists think FRBs are likely emitted by fast-rotating neutron stars, for instance.)
So, FRB 121102 which, as its name suggests, was discovered on Nov. 2, 2012 was a natural target for the Breakthrough Listen team, researchers said. The scientists, led by Berkeley SETI Research Center postdoctoral researcher Vishal Gajjar, detected the new pulses on Saturday (Aug. 26) using the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.
"As well as confirming that the source is in a newly active state, the high resolution of the data obtained by the Listen instrument will allow measurement of the properties of these mysterious bursts at a higher precision than ever possible before," Gajjar said in the same statement.
A sequence of 14 of 15 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected by the Breakthrough Listen team using the Green Bank Telescope. The streaks across the colored energy plot are the FRBs appearing at different times and different energies because of dispersion caused by 3 billion years of travel through intergalactic space. (Image credit: Breakthrough Listen/UC Berkeley)
To be clear, the Breakthrough Listen team isn't claiming that FRB 121102's pulses are evidence of alien life. But the new observations, and others like it, could lead to a better understanding of FRBs and other puzzling phenomena, researchers said.
"Whether or not fast radio bursts turn out to be signatures of extraterrestrial technology, Breakthrough Listen is helping to push the frontiers of a new and rapidly growing area of our understanding of the universe around us," Siemion said.
The Breakthrough Listen project was announced in July 2015 by billionaire entrepreneur Yuri Milner and a team of scientists, including famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story described the detection of 15 FRBs on Aug. 26, 2017. The earlier number was based on a UC Berkeley news release that focused on 15 particularly powerful FRBs, rather than the total haul of 21, that were spotted that day.
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
A visible-light image of Tropical Storm Harvey captured by NOAA's GOES-East satellite on Wednesday (Aug. 30, 2017) at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1230 UTC).
NASA satellites continue to track the path of Tropical Storm Harvey, which made landfall in Louisiana this morning (Aug. 30).
The sun is finally shining in Houston and parts of southeast Texas that are grappling with the effects of record-setting rainfall and subsequent flooding caused by Harvey. The storm is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression by this evening, NASA said, but could still dump up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in some isolated areas of Louisiana.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-East satellite captured a high-resolution image of Harvey's massive, swirling white form as it crept over Louisiana at 7:30 a.m. CDT (8:30 a.m. EDT/1230 GMT). The center of the storm made landfall at 4 a.m. CDT (5 a.m. EDT/0900 GMT), according to the agency. [Hurricane Harvey: Photos of the Massive Storm from Space]
The NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite captured this nighttime image of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and Louisiana on Aug. 29 at 3:03 a.m. Tropical Storm Harvey's center is identified over the Gulf. (Image credit: William Straka III/NASA/NOAA/UWM-CIMSS)
A nighttime image of the storm was captured by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the joint NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite at 3:03 a.m. CT (4:03 a.m. EDT/0803 GMT) today. The image shows the center of storm's circulation hovering over the Gulf of Mexico, about 1 hour before it made landfall.
NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite, which measures soil moisture on Earth's surface, captured a view of southeastern Texas on Aug. 21 and 22, showing that the surface soil was already fairly wet, even before Harvey made landfall. Another image captured on Aug. 25 and 26, following Harvey's landfall there, showed moisture levels greatly higher along the coast.
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Astronauts on the International Space Station have continued to tweet pictures of the storm from space and send their well wishes to people on the ground. Randy Bresnik, a NASA astronaut living on the station, tweeted a photo of sunrise and wrote, "Houston is reporting blue sky for the first time in many days! May this sunrise start the healing process."
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Jack Fischer, another NASA astronaut on the station, tweeted a picture of the storm and wrote, "Harvey fills the window creating a path of destruction as it traverses the Gulf. Praying for the people there and hoping for sunshine."
The space station is managed from the Mission Control center at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The facility is closed through Labor Day to all but mission-critical staff due to the flooding. On the JSC emergency management Twitter account, officials wrote, "Assessment and recovery teams underway. Beautiful day today."
NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite observations in southeastern Texas on Aug. 21 and 22 (left) and Aug. 25 and 26 (right). The image shows surface soil moisture, which increased significantly with the arrival of heavy rains and widespread flooding. (Image credit: NASA/JPL)
Harvey is expected to continue to move inland, reaching as far north as Tennessee before its intensity significantly decreases, according to the National Weather Service.
Overnight (Aug. 29 to 30), Harvey struck hard at the Beaumont/Port Arthur area of southwest Texas, dropping an additional 12.5 inches (32 cm) of rain in some areas, NASA said. On average, southwest Louisiana and nearby areas are expected to receive 3 to 6 inches (8 cm to 15 cm) of rainfall as Harvey moves north, but isolated areas could receive as much as 10 inches (25 cm), according to the agency.
Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
EDWARDS, Calif. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft completed a successful captive-carry test (in which the craft is suspended from another vehicle during flight) today (Aug. 30) at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California's Mojave Desert. The flight test was a crucial step toward using the space vehicle for orbital flights to the International Space Station.
Attached with a 200-foot-long (61 meters) cable to a Columbia 234-UT helicopter, a test model of the Dream Chaser lifted off at 7:21 a.m. PDT (10:21 a.m. EDT/1421 GMT). The two vehicles flew over Rogers Dry Lake for 1 hour and 41 minutes before landing (with Dream Chaser's gear extended) at 9:02 a.m. PDT (12:02 p.m. EDT/1602 GMT).
"It went as well as we could possibly expect," said Steve Lindsey, Sierra Nevada vice president of Exploration Systems, to a group of reporters after the flight. "We met every single flight-test objective." [Dream Chaser's Captive Carry Test in Pictures]
Despite high heat that threatened to limit the helicopter's operating altitude, the pilots were able to get Dream Chaser to its intended "drop box" of around 12,500 feet, Lindsey said. In a "free-flight test," the vehicle would be released from its carrier vehicle and allowed to glide back to Earth. During today's test, engineers were able to remotely test the spacecraft's avionics, aerodynamics, landing gear and other systems.
"All the avionics worked exactly as expected," Lindsey said. "We obviously have to look at the data. We have reams and reams of data we've got to go look at. But, what we saw real time, everything was working exactly as expected."
The flight was the first of two planned captive-carry tests that Sierra Nevada will conduct from the NASA facility in the Mojave Desert. Once the flights are completed, Dream Chaser will be ready for an autonomous, free-flight, approach-and-landing test later this year.
Sierra Nevada is developing the uncrewed shuttle to carry NASA cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) under the space agency's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) program. NASA has awarded the company a minimum of six cargo flights from 2019 to 2024. The Dream Chaser will be carried to space by a rocket, but has the capability to return to Earth and land autonomously, similar to NASA's space shuttle.
The 30-foot-long vehicle, which is about one-quarter the length of the retired space shuttle, will be capable of delivering up to 5,500 kilograms (12,125 lbs.) of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the space station. It is expected to make its first flight to the orbiting facility aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster in 2020.
Dream Chaser arrived at NASA Armstrong in January to begin a series of tests leading up to the two captive-carry test flights and the subsequent approach-and-landing flight. Engineers recently completed a successful series of tow tests in which the spacecraft reached 60 mph (96 km/h).
Today's test was the first Dream Chaser flight in nearly four years. On Oct. 26, 2013, the same vehicle crashed during its first approach-and-landing test at Edwards. The glide portion of the flight went as planned, but the vehicle's left main landing gear failed to deploy properly, causing the Dream Chaser to skid off the runway.
A test model of the Dream Chaser spaceplane rides into the air with help from a Columbia 234-UT helicopter. (Image credit: Sierra Nevada)
At the time, Sierra Nevada was competing against Boeing and SpaceX in NASA's Commercial Crew Program to take astronauts to the ISS. Eleven months after the accident, Dream Chaser was dropped from the fourth and final round of the program when the space agency awarded contracts to Boeing and SpaceX.
Sierra Nevada continued developing Dream Chaser for both human and cargo flight, however. In January 2016, NASA awarded the company a commercial resupply contract to the ISS, along with SpaceX and Orbital ATK. That agreement is for cargo services only.
Dream Chaser will have a cargo module at its rear that will separate from the spacecraft after separation from the ISS. The cargo module is designed to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, giving astronauts the ability to dispose of trash and unneeded equipment.
Dream Chaser will then re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and glide back to a landing on a runway at the former Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Sierra Nevada is also pursuing alternative landing sites at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas, and Huntsville International Airport in Alabama.
Sierra Nevada has continued to work with NASA on developing a human-rated Dream Chaser under an unfunded Space Act Agreement. The company recently extended the agreement to August 2022, with several additional milestones added.
The human-rated Dream Chaser will be capable of carrying up to seven astronauts to the ISS. Sierra Nevada continues to pursue funding options to develop the crewed system.
Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Brazil, August 29, 2017 (SPS) - The Workers' Confederation of Brazil (CTB), has approved in its fourth congress meeting in the city of Salvador de Bahia held between August 24 to 27, 2017, a motion to support the Struggle of the Saharawi people for self-determination and independence.
The Brazilian trade union organization hailed the Saharawi people for their heroic struggle of more than four decades, condemning the systematic violation of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara as manifested in the brutal sentences handed down by a Moroccan court against Sahrawi Human rights activists ranging from two years to life imprisonment without any concrete evidence according to international observers present at the trial.
The motion unanimously adopted in the plenary, supports the Saharawi people rights for self-determination and independence, calling for the respect of human rights, the freedom of all political prisoners and the end the exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara.
The Saharawi delegate Emboirik Ahmed, invited to the Congress, had the opportunity to hold working meetings with delegations from different countries. SPS
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Maputo (Mozambique), August 29, 2017 (SPS) - The International March for Women called on the international community and the African Union to act as soon as possible to end the illegal Moroccan occupation of party of the Sahrawi Republic.
The International Women's March said in a statement that what happened in Maputo during the summit of the partnership between the African Union and Japan on August 23 and 24, and the conduct of the Moroccan delegation is irresponsible and contrary to the decisions and principles of the African Union.
"We, the women of the International Women's Movement, strongly condemn this unacceptable act of the Moroccan delegation," the statement said, calling on the African Union to reject it categorically.
The International Women's March also called on the African Union to commit itself to assuming full responsibility for the Western Sahara issue.
The statement stressed the need to accompany the international march of women to the Saharawi people until they achieve their freedom and independence. SPS
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O il giant Shell and Exxon on Wednesday admitted the devastating rains sweeping the Texas Coast had allowed toxic chemicals to leak from its refineries.
Shell said that 100 pounds of benzene, a carcinogen, and 100 pounds of toluene, a solvent, had been released from its oil refinery in Deer Park, Texas, after heavy rains damaged a tank.
Exxon Mobil said two of its refineries had been hit and pollutants had been released.
A spokeswoman for the business said it had made every effort to prevent emissions and safely shut down equipment as Tropical Storm Harvey hit the Texas coast.
Other refinery and chemical plant operators have reported leaks because of Harvey.
The portion of Texas coast affected by Harvey is covered with oil refineries and chemical and industrial facilities.
Scientists are concerned that with large parts of the state flooded, drinking supplies could be contaminated by toxins leaking into the water.
The flooding has caused the shutdown of about 15% of the nations refining capacity, sending gasoline prices higher.
Americas biggest refinery at Port Arthur, operated by a Saudi Aramco offshoot, cut output to 40%, as it deals with restrictions on crude oil coming in and gasoline going out through pipelines and ports affected by flooding.
A risible statement to the stock market from Dunelm, which deserves little but mockery.
Here goes: the UKs leading homewares retailer, it says, announces that John Browett will be stepping down as chief executive for personal reasons, with immediate effect.
Thats clear, right? Hes chosen to go. And personal reasons is well-established code for either hes very ill or someone close to him is.
Then in the very next sentence: Dunelm has made good progress over the last two years during Johns tenure, however the next phase of growth requires different leadership.
So, wait, that sounds more like it wasnt his call at all. Note 1 at the end further muddies the waters, informing us details of Mr Browetts severance terms are still to be finalised ie, not only is he out, have the lawyers even had time to meet yet?
It is very hard to see what the point is of this jiggery-pokery is, or whose best interests it serves. No one is fooled by what the statement really means, so it does the reverse of soften the blow.
All of this is a shame for Browett who is one of those chief executives who ought to get good press and new jobs (he has had a few). He talks well. He isnt pompous.
He did a good job of rescuing Dixons over five years from 2007, laying the ground work for Seb Jamess present revolution (also, erm, suffering teething difficulties such as no one presently buying what hes selling).
Briefly, Browett rocketed to the centre of the universe, becoming one of the few UK executives to land a top job in the US, when Apple made him senior vice-president of retail. This job lasted all of six months. Later, he ran Monsoon in the UK.
When things were going wrong at Apple, Browetts message to staff was clear cut. We messed up, he informed them.
If this cost him his job, it was at least admirably straightforward.
Senior businessmen usually worry terribly about their legacy. It would be a pity if Browetts turned out to be this piece of lame news management.
Banking on debt
Its good to be reassured by bankers that we are in a new era of sensible lending. They wont be making the same old mistakes all over again. At least for a bit.
So whats this from Citizens Advice that one in five people struggling with debt see their credit card limit automatically increased?
Serial debtors are highly profitable for banks, for a while, until they go completely under, when they become a strain on balance sheets and society. Still, that wont happen today or tomorrow, so is not worth considering.
F or decades, North Korea and the free world have performed a nerve-shredding diplomatic and military dance. Kim Jong-uns launch on Tuesday of a ballistic missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido was an unconscionable act of aggression. But it was not without precedent.
North Korean missiles have flown over Japan at least twice before, in 1998 and 2009. On both occasions, the DPRK claimed that the exercises were connected to satellite launch programmes.
This week, Kim made no attempt to disguise the martial character of the test, or its provocative intent. But the world is used to his despotic dynastys methods and its lethal theatricality.
Theresa May, en route to Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, expressed outrage at Kims antics.
But her primary concern during this visit remains a post-Brexit trade deal with Japan her task made all the more difficult by the strong signals from Tokyo that an agreement with Brussels remains its priority, and that bilateral negotiations with the UK will be postponed until its new status outside the EU is clear.
So is the sabre-rattling between Kim and his adversaries essentially business as usual, a testosterone-packed sideshow? No.
What is unaccustomed and deeply alarming is that the two principal protagonists in this stand-off are both extraordinarily capricious and, in a grotesque twist, it is the North Korean leader, rather than the US President, who is the more predictable of the two.
In all confrontations that involve the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, the prevention of catastrophe depends upon the capacity of the potential combatants to address one other clearly, through word and deed. In this respect, the Cuban missile crisis offers a model, as well as a warning: it was President Kennedys constant concern that Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev should be afforded a means of backing down gracefully.
For his part, Khrushchev had the courage to tell the Soviet Presidium that we must not be obstinate.
As indefensible as Kim's actions are, they are also transparently comprehensible
Kim is no Khrushchev. But, as indefensible as his actions are, they are also transparently comprehensible. Like his predecessors, he is engaged in the so-called cycle of provocation, in which the DPRK ratchets up the military stakes, bides its time as the world condemns its actions, and then awaits hefty diplomatic and commercial reward.
The conspicuous example of this strategys success was the Agreed Framework of 1994 negotiated with the Clinton administration. Though Kim Jong-il continued to test missiles, he was rewarded by a visit to Pyongyang in 2000 by the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.
Rhetorical fashion changes: George W Bush included North Korea in his axis of evil. But the essential pattern of small sticks and big carrots justified as practical containment has yet to be ditched.
Dominant in what passes for Kims logic is the fate of Iraq and Libya. He has concluded that a pariah regime stripped of its WMD is doomed to collapse. Accordingly, his message to Japan and the US is that he will never agree to such a course, that North Korea insists upon the right to develop its nuclear programme and that any deceleration of that process will come at a heavy price.
In this, he runs two deadly risks. The first is that China, which has historically indulged the DPRK as a buffer state, will lose patience. In its declaration yesterday that tensions were at a tipping point, the Chinese foreign ministry was addressing Kim as well as his enemies. The prospect of conflict on the Korean peninsula, a refugee crisis on Chinas borders and of serious disruption to its global commercial interests holds no appeal whatsoever in Beijing. China will stand by Kim but not unconditionally.
At different times, depending on his mood, Trump has described Kim as a smart cookie whom he would like to meet and a wack job
The second peril for the North Korean leader is that he faces a US President whose next move he cannot possibly predict. At different times, depending on his mood, Trump has described Kim as a smart cookie whom he would like to meet and a wack job. The Presidents North Korean strategy veers from the promise of full diplomatic engagement to the threat of fire and fury. The only constant in his decision-making if that is the word is attention deficit. Why trust one tweet and not the next?
So far, US reaction to Kims missile launch has been comparatively restrained. The Presidents warning that all options are on the table may have sounded menacing but, in practice, reiterated a longstanding (and designedly banal) form of language.
At the United Nations, US Ambassador Nikki Haley declared that enough is enough. Again, however, the UN security councils draft statement proposes no new sanctions of any significance and amounts to little more than a call for previously-agreed penalties to be implemented in full.
Yet Kim should not assume that the other guy just blinked, and that his familys tried-and-tested methods are working yet again. In his assertion that the missile launch was a meaningful prelude to containing the US island of Guam, the North Korean dictator was goading a President who finds it impossible to shrug off sketches on Saturday Night Live, let alone bombastic threats to American territory.
During his candidacy, Trump is said to have asked what the point of nuclear weapons was if they remained in their silos: If we have them, why cant we use them? This may have been a whimsical reflection, or the germ of a new nuclear doctrine, or both.
The chilling truth is that Trump himself may not know. In this stand-off, the North Korean dictator and the rest of us would be foolish to assume that normal rules apply. If the past seven months have a principal lesson, it is that, for as long as this President is in office, there are no rules.
B ritains immigration system is broken. If you want to know just how badly, heres a question for you. Until recently, how do you think the Home Office worked out the number of people who came to the UK from outside the European Union?
You might reasonably assume that this important calculation was done digitally perhaps by cross-checking airline databases, or by crunching the data collected by the computer terminals when your passport gets checked. Unfortunately, youd be wrong.
Because the immigration system is so antiquated, piles of visa entry forms the slip of paper you fill in when you arrive in the UK were collected in boxes. These were then sent off to be weighed, in an attempt to estimate how many people were coming through.
Imagine that. In the 21st century, at a time when technology is more affordable and powerful than ever, the most important statistic in the entire immigration system was calculated using an old-fashioned weighing scale.
And what about working out how many non-EU nationals were leaving the UK each year? Well, that was beyond the abilities of the immigration authorities maybe there were no piles of paper to weigh so that statistic wasnt even collected at all.
It would be funny if it wasnt so serious. The Prime Ministers controversial clampdown on the number of skilled migrants coming to the UK is entirely informed by Home Office statistics numbers that have been shown to be wildly unreliable.
Take foreign students. The Home Office has been steadily making it harder for foreign people to study in the UK all because it estimated that 100,000 students were overstaying their visa every year. Last week the Office for National Statistics revealed the real number: 4,600. That means the Home Offices calculation was totally inaccurate the true figure is 20 times lower than the one they were using to make immigration policy.
As Lib-Dem leader Vince Cable puts it: We spent five years trying to persuade the Home Office that the figures they were using were bogus, but they persisted nonetheless on the basis of these phoney numbers.
The economic cost of this policy error has been dramatic. The clampdown on foreign students means that our share of the international market for higher education is actually declining and the number of Indian students who came to the UK, for example, fell every year that Theresa May was Home Secretary.
This is in stark contrast to Australia, Canada and the US, where students are classed as temporary migrants and are excluded from immigration targets. So while the UK is busy making it harder for foreign students to come here, those other countries are pulling out all the stops to attract more.
Its not just foreign students who are being locked out by the immigration system skilled migrants are being turned away too, with the Prime Minister rejecting an Australian-style points system and instead proposing to cut net migration from the current level of 273,000 a year to tens of thousands. As business leaders have pointed out, this arbitrary cap will negatively affect every industry in the UK, with dire consequences for the economy.
In the words of Theresa Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell, fewer skilled migrants means lower growth, fewer jobs and a heavier burden on British nationals struggling to pay down the deficit built up by the last government.
Hes right. Hopefully the next Prime Minister will be able to get our immigration system back on track. We cant afford to keep heading in the wrong direction.
A job is the greatest gift for a refugee
Last week we hosted a dinner at my business, Second Home, with Help Refugees, an organisation set up by young Londoners determined to make a difference. (You might have seen the Help Refugees Choose Love T-shirts being worn by Lily Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch and other celebs.)
It was a lovely evening refugees ate with us for free, while the food was prepared by a brilliant London start-up called Welcome Kitchen, run by refugee women who celebrate their cultures by cooking delicious dishes from across the Middle East and Africa.
Welcome Kitchen is just one of many refugee businesses popping up across London right now another of my favourites is Bread & Roses, a social enterprise that trains and employs refugees to create beautiful bouquets of flowers that can be bought online.
So if you ever need catering or flowers, be sure to think of these refugee start-ups.
As the ancient Jewish philosopher Maimonides wrote, the highest form of charity is to create a job. Thats the kind of charity we can all help with.
T he most lethal natural disaster in American history, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, killed thousands and obliterated the bustling port city. The survivors retreated inland up the river to the small town of Houston on slightly higher ground. Today its a sprawling global city; the fourth largest and most diverse in the United States, home to the worlds oil industry.
The first glimmer we had of Hurricane Harvey was early last week. A tropical storm was brewing over the tepid bathwater of the Gulf of Mexico. Was this just storm one of many wed hear of during the hurricane season (which runs from the start of June until the end of November) that wouldnt amount to much?
By midweek Harvey had strengthened to a hurricane and was starting to look ugly. As it wallowed out in the Gulf, sucking up moisture and growing in size, its destination was hard to predict; only time would narrow the cone of possibility of its ultimate landfall.
By Thursday morning Harvey looked to be heading straight for Texas. I was worried enough to head to the supermarket to stock up only to find the shelves already running low. By Friday most shops were out of essential provisions.
That evening Harvey was predicted to come ashore as a massive category four hurricane north of Corpus Christi, some 200 miles south of Houston. The citizens of the Texas coast (including Houston) were told to evacuate by the Governor Greg Abbott, while city Mayor Sylvester Turner urged us to stay put. Most heeded Turners advice, scarred by the fiasco of the evacuations ahead of Hurricane Rita in 2005. More than a hundred people died trying to escape its path.
We watched with a mixture horror and guilty relief as Harveys 130mph winds slammed into a relatively unpopulated stretch of the coast that night.
Not to downplay the devastation wrought on those coastal communities, but a direct hit on a major city would, surely, have been a disaster to equal Hurricane Katrina (which hit New Orleans in 2005 at category three strength).
Saturday found Houstonians cautiously optimistic; how bad could the dregs of Harvey be if they meandered up one of their possibly predicted path towards Houston?
Three days later, on the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Houston has suffered a cataclysm, an unprecedented thousand-year flood which stretches for hundreds of square miles, covering the city in a toxic cocktail that makes everything it touches ruined.
This disaster in slow motion is still ongoing as rain continues to fall and dams overflow (or in the doublespeak of officialdom, suffer an uncontrolled release). Michael Brown, the controversial director of FEMA during Katrina, said Harvey already surpasses that horrific disaster.
Thankfully Donald Trump, who started the process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement three weeks ago, headed to the relative safety of Corpus Christi rather than Houston.
Our resources, already stretched far beyond capacity, couldnt even start to cope with the strain of a presidential visit.
The hurricane stalled for days leaving us under the churning dirty side of the storm, the upper right quadrant of the cyclone which spawns huge thunderstorm cells and deadly tornadoes.
Nearly 50 inches of rain fell on my suburban town of Friendswood since Saturday. Thats a years worth of rain in a weekend
Nearly 50 inches of rain fell on my suburban town of Friendswood since Saturday. Thats a years worth of rain in a weekend. The Weather Channel was forced to add a new colour to their rainfall spectrum to accommodate the sheer weight of water.
My local river, Clear Creek, is now 24 feet out of its banks. Around one third of Friendswoods residents have been flooded out of their homes, rescued by boats and helicopters and forced into already packed temporary shelters.
That story is repeated all over this vast urban area and tens of thousands are homeless and displaced. Unlike Katrina, where much of the greatest suffering was inflicted upon those living in the generally poorer lower lying areas without the resources to evacuate, Harvey has annihilated regardless of economic background.
The Crosby chemical plant is starting to breach. The citys main trauma hospital, Ben Taub, has been forced to evacuate. All airports are shut, and most major roads under 20 feet of water. The city is under mandatory curfew in an attempt to halt looting.
The Tax Day Floods of April 2016 (during which less than half the rain weve just had fell) shouldve served as a warning of what was to come. Two large dams built in the 1940s to prevent central Houston flooding came close to overflowing then and are doing so now.
As early as 2009 the Army Corp of Engineers warned these were at extremely high risk of catastrophic failure, which looks exactly like what may be about to happen. Smaller levees have already burst inundating the suburban communities springing up to accommodate the citys population growth. Houstons success has been its undoing.
The city is known for its notoriously freewheeling approach to town planning, and large developments upstream of the dams have been built contrary to the advice of the Corp, who were concerned about the runoff into already burgeoning reservoirs.
The greatest irony of all, perhaps, is that this city built on oil might ultimately be undone by climate change
Building has been rife too recently in areas previously ruled out due to flooding risks. The greatest irony of all, perhaps, is that this city built on oil might ultimately be undone by climate change.
With a population of 6.3 million metro Houston is 13 times bigger than pre-Katrina New Orleans, which lost more than 50 per cent of its population after the hurricane. That attrition will not be Houstons fate.
This city refuses to be abandoned or defeated and the same indomitable frontier spirit which fuelled Houstons heady rise is already apparent in the ongoing rescue effort.
Not only in the hard work of the emergency, military, and medical personnel but also, and perhaps most importantly, in the response and reaction of my fellow Houstonians in the face of this catastrophe. As I write they are paddling in kayaks through alligator and snake infested water to rescue stranded neighbours and mobilising all of their resources to furnish those whove lost everything with shelter, clothes and sustenance.
My friend Kathy has who battled through flood waters every day since the rain started falling to volunteer at shelters helped an elderly Houstonian named Mary out of her flooded nursing home Tuesday.
Before she was put on on a bus relocating her to Huntsville, 150 miles north, Mary hugged my friend. What a great adventure this is, she said. Houstons great adventure is not about to end.
Tuesday January 30
Head to the Arts Theatre in Soho for the hospitality industrys panto, which this year is Aladdin. See big names from Londons restaurant, bar and hotel scene take the stage to raise funds for to The Springboard Charity.
6-7 Great Newport St, WC2H 7JB, artstheatrewestend.co.uk
Tonight new play A Girl In School Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) opens at the New Diorama Theatre. As the unnerving title suggests, this one is a dystopian thriller exploring gender and power, set in a surreal but recognisable future, uncertainty is everywhere and violence against women is rife.
New Diorama Theatre, 15-16 Triton St, NW1 3BF, newdiorama.com
M exico's most famous celebrity chef has told of her mission to break through the caramel ceiling women face in cooking as she prepares to open her first ever London restaurant.
Martha Ortiz runs Dulce Patria in Mexico City regarded as among the worlds best restaurants has published eight books and is a television star in her homeland.
She will soon open Ella Canta at the InterContinental Hotel in Park Lane.
An outspoken feminist in an industry famed for its macho celebrity chefs, she told ES magazine: You say the glass ceiling, but it is caramel for us And I will make all my effort to break it.
From when I was a little girl I said to myself, I want a wonderful life and a wonderful life with freedom. In a way, my restaurants are my children, but theyre more than that
Maybe in Mexico a lot of women dont hear me because theyre more interested in being married and having for me, this horrible life, no? A horrible life of dependency.
Ortiz, 47, has vowed never to have children so she can focus on her career. She added: From when I was a little girl I said to myself, I want a wonderful life and a wonderful life with freedom. In a way, my restaurants are my children, but theyre more than that. Theyre a kind of theatre, where I can write stories through flavours.
Im not that typical chef who goes to a market to get the fish and find inspiration. I go to the V&A and see the psychedelic colours of Pink Floyd and say, I want a dish with these kind of flavours.
30 must-try dishes in London restaurants 1 /41 30 must-try dishes in London restaurants Bone marrow on toast with parsley salad at St John Not only has this dish kicked off countless wonderful meals over the course of St Johns 25 years, but it also gets credit for putting British cooking back on the global culinary map. Roasted bone marrow, coaxed out onto toast, cut perfectly with salad of parsley, shallots and capers. A nose-to-tail revolution, and utterly divine. Whole turbot at Brat Tomos Parrys talents with a turbot first came to feverish acclaim at Mayfair restaurant Kitty Fishers, but they are now the star attraction at his Michelin-starred solo spot. This whole fish grilled Basque-style, over hot coals and in a specially designed cage softens as if it has melted, and is basted at the table in an emulsion made with its own juices. Benjamin McMahon Marinara at 50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo Superlatives should be used in moderation but heck it, this might just be Londons best pizza. This under-the-radar London iteration of a Naples pizzeria serves an unrivalled marinara: just tomato sauce, oil, garlic and oregano. No need for any more with a sauce this good and a base so fine and perfectly charred, you can stop mourning your cancelled Italian holiday at first bite. Luciano Furia Clay pot baked pork and crab glass noodles at Kiln When we say Kiln is one of the hottest spots in town, we mean it hang over the counter at the Thai barbecue and youre not far out of range for the odd flame. Baking in the heart of the swirling heat is this must order: shimmering glass noodles, coated with a silky sauce enriched with fatty slicks of Tamworth pork belly and improbably unctuous crab meat. Lamb chops, Melabes Perhaps because its quietly tucked in among its unassuming neighbours down on the wrong end of High Street Kensington, Melabes is often overlooked by Londons food lovers. An unwarranted shame, as this partly Middle Eastern, partly Mediterranean set-up is really very good; it is somewhere to pick and choose from bits and pieces, and put a meal together yourself. The lamb chops, which come all smokey and burnished from the grill, are perfect; pink as a Vegas sign inside, but the fat all soft and dripping and delicious. A must, whatever the order. Steak tartare imperial at Bob Bob Ricard Theres Press For Champagne buttons, lobster in your mac and cheese and anything that stays still long enough gets gilded there is no point in going small at Bob Bob Ricard. Steak tartare is a luxurious pick at the best of times, but the Imperial upgrade here comes with a dollop of caviar even without the finishing touch, the tartare itself is one of the best in the capital. Bacon naan at Dishoom Londoners spent decades believing bacon in a bap with some ketchup (or brown sauce, but lets not have that argument now) couldnt be beaten and then Dishoom came along. This breakfast sandwich fills a fresh naan with bacon, a slathering of cream cheese, a luxurious tomato and chilli chutney, coriander and an oozing fried egg if you feel so inclined. Hangover be gone. Cacio e pepe at Padella Five years ago, you would have thought anyone queuing for pasta in London to have lost their minds this dish changed that. The starlet of Padellas much coveted is this plate of pici hand-rolled fat worms of eggless pasta with a mirror-shine sauce of parmesan cheese and pasta. Simple but unrivalled and itll set you back just 6. Jamon croquetas at Barrafina A dish like this should be elusive it is far too easy to eat seven portions of croquetas in a single sitting, which is why we presume Barrafina makes you queue. Very sensible. As the crunchy coating gives way to the oozing centre, enriched with the flavour of Spanish jamon (the best ham in the business), were already planning our next visit. Biang biang noodles at Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles There are oodles of noodles in the capital, but Guirong Weis triumphant take is one of the finest. First finding followers at her north London restaurant Xian Impression (soon to reopen for dine-in, but not yet), the dish of has inspired a whole spin-off restaurant in Spitalfields. Thick, hand-pulled, chewy noodles soak up all the spice and zing of the special sauce they swim in very special indeed. Souffle Suissesse, Le Gavroche Le Gavroche the street urchin is perhaps not for everyone. It is a Mayfair time machine, a reminder of how things were done once upon a time. Fortunately, it happens that how things were once done was very well indeed, and lunch or supper here is a masterclass in traditional French luxury (and often, happily, includes very large glasses of wine). Staff make the place, anyone who has been gently teased by the twins pretending to be each other will know. A tendency towards the old ways does mean the cooking offers little in the way of evolution or revolution, but new, after all, isnt always better. Michel Roux Jrs cheese souffle, baked on double cream, stuns, so overwhelmingly tasty, utter decadence that clings to the taste buds. Buttermilk Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Around the Cluck / 12:51 James Cochran found his signature dish early on, but its good it should stay with him for the rest of his career. While he has chops, and can do more beyond, theres something special in the way he works with his chicken; hotly spiced, gorgeously crispy, beautifully soft on the inside. A long-standing favourite and, though 12:51 cant operate as it did before, there are tables at his new project Around the Cluck, which is operating out of the same site. Breakfast at Hawksmoor Guildhall Your Full English is not full in comparison to the Hawksmoor breakfast at the steak connoisseurs Guildhall restaurant. The mind-boggling two-person spread swaps bacon rashers for an entire smoked chop, serves its bubble and squeak with short rib, puts trotter meat into its baked beans, and adds grilled bone marrow to all the usual trimmings. Cauliflower shawarma at Berber & Q Its not often that the main event at a barbecue restaurant is the veg, but Berber & Q have achieved just that. The cauliflower shawarma here is cooked on their flaming grill until softened and charred, before being doused liberally in tahini, pomegranate molasses, coriander, pomegranate seeds and a scattering of dried rose petals. BBQ Butter Chicken Wings at Brigadiers Brigadiers is a bold, boisterous sort of place: a labyrinthine City dining room, packed to the rafters with beer and Indian food that is indisputably gutsy. But arguably its finest moment comes in one of its smallest packages these chicken wings may be diminutive, but are mightily spiced, deftly charred and dripping with ghee-fuelled succulence. Beef brisket bun at Smokestak David Carters Shoreditch restaurant occupies itself by giving the entirety of Kansas City a run for its money on a daily basis. The star turn at this lauded barbecue restaurant is its beef brisket bun the meat is soft and juicy, riddled with its fats in the centre, while charred and treacle-like on the outside, paired perfectly with pickled chillies. To remember it is to salivate, we assure you. Snails, LEscargot LEscargot is one of Sohos old aristocrats and in its grand, beret red dining room there is always a mischievous sense of fun perhaps because it is still such a smart, suited, chandeliered place, and people are often drinking themselves rather silly. The clue to good eating is in the name; the snails come still clinging to their shells and submerged in their butter and parsley sauce. Dive in; you will emerge stinking gloriously of garlic. It wont matter a jot; roll on the red wine and settle in for a long, comforting night. Confit potatoes at Quality Chop House Yes, there are some high quality chops on offer at this 150-year-old Clerkenwell restaurant but blimey, leave room for the chips. Fine slices of potato are stacked into architecturally sound wedges, and confited until shatteringly crispy on the outside and devastatingly soft in the centre. They have been much imitated in recent years, but never bettered. Smoked eel sandwich at Quo Vadis Jeremy Lee cooks many things to a legendary level at Quo Vadis his pies could so easily have also made this list but he gets the nod here for his unrivalled take on the fancy sandwich. Smoked eel, horseradish cream and Dijon mustard, served with red onion pickle a combination so popular Lee says he nearly ran out of eel on post-lockdown reopening. Classic bao at Bao London has buns in abundance, but we still bow down to the fluffy superiority of Bao. The Taiwanese restaurant has become a cross-town favourite, thanks to its pleasingly pert rice buns (they are genuinely very pert, no crassness intended) and carefully considered fillings. The classic order comes filled with braised pork, fermented veg, coriander and a dusting of peanut powder. Carol Sachs Potato and roe, Core by Clare Smyth Clare Smyth has a knack that must infuriate other chefs; she is able to take the simplest of ingredients say, a single carrot and a smattering of lamb mince do something devilish with it and charge rather a lot for it; so good are the results, though, that few mind. Smyths sorcery is perhaps best witnessed with her signature, the potato and roe. It is simply a potato on a plate in a little sauce, but then it is also perhaps the best potato dish in the world; it has this wonderful salty richness, a certain seaside intenseness. It is glorious; so too is the smoked chicken that tends to come as an amuse bouche. Youll be treated here. Omelette Arnold Bennett Dont worry, no Arnolds were harmed in the making of this dish. Alongside impeccable service and an arguably perfect dining room, you could add another highlight to your breakfast at The Wolseley by ordering this creamy, haddock-filled dish, named for the writer who inspired its creation while staying at the Savoy. Fish pie, J Sheekey Long an actors favourite, J Sheekeys glamour has never lost its lustre. Its kept its regulars and charmed newcomers with a menu that plays the greatest hits of fine dining favourites. Seafood is Sheekeys thing; simply done sole is beautiful here, crab comes three ways, brill brushed in butter has a meatiness thats beyond satisfying. The fish pie is famous though, and rightly so; beneath the flaking pastry is a sea of cream, mustard and white wine, in it bobbing cod, haddock and salmon. It is simple but never fails; it does on its own for lunch, but is a failsafe at supper, too. John Carey The Ari Gold at Patty & Bun Theres a cheeseburger on every high street in the capital but not all of them are created equal. Patty & Bun has got the classic combination down to a tee with its curiously named Ari Gold burger: a fat, 35-day aged patty is served medium rare, and topped with gooey American cheese, smokey house mayo and tangy pickled red onions. Xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung Few dishes in the capital have been known to cause queues of four hours. Thats exactly what the world-famous xiao long bao dumplings did when top Taiwanese restaurant group Din Tai Fung first opened in Covent Garden. An intricately folded out layer (made by chefs trained for at least 18 months) gives way to succulent meat and a broth you could take on by the bowlful. Pig's trotter, the French House Upstairs in the Soho local, Neil Borthwick is quietly running one of the areas best kitchens. He orders in particularly good oysters, does brilliant things with brill and with his pigs trotter, has a dish that is rich and fatty, but with a beautiful salty cut that makes it madly moreish. The menu tends to change often upstairs in the French, but have this if its on. That little dining room is somewhere to go in early for lunch and stay until late, eventually spilling down into the pub below, to drink pints they do pints now, not just halfs all while merrily reliving the joys upstairs. Peter Clark Dover sole with crab butter at Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill There are so many delights at Bentleys, its tricky to pick a single one. This could so easily have been a plate of rigorously sourced oysters, the fish pie, the decadent Royal seafood platter (pictured). It is however, the Dover sole that wins. A sublime piece of fish always, expertly cooked without fail choose it either filleted with beautiful crab butter, or grilled and whole for a simple pleasure. Over in the City, Corrigan does similarly brilliant things with lobster at Daffodil Mulligan. Ragu, Lina Stores Sohos Lina Stores the pasta bar, not the longstanding Italian deli it comes from is the sort of restaurant one longs for; small, fun, friendly, not too pricey. They do small plates of near perfect pasta; their ragu, whether lamb or veal, is a gem. A good ragu is hard to find too often theres too little meat, or meat not cooked for long enough but here, they spend the time over it, cooking slowly, carefully. No restaurant can compare with a Nonna, but Lina gets gratifyingly close. Porterhouse steak, the Guinea Grill London is not short of steakhouses, but the Guinea does not number among them. A pub a proper one it is tucked down a Mayfair sidestreet, away from everything and yet still perpetually busy. Besides the small bar is a dining room that looks much as it must have done when the likes of Sinatra was in (or Bette Midler, or Kylie, or Regan, or, or, or), where theyve served prime Aberdeen Angus cooked on a smoking hot grill. The Guinea is all about having a good time pints, red wine, brandies, the lot but they cook beautifully, and their handling of a good piece of beef is second to none. Puree de pommes de terre, Le Comptoir Robuchon The late Joel Robuchon may have been the most decorated chef of his and perhaps any other era, but his signature stayed humble mashed potato. Until youve had it, it is hard to believe it could be quite so good; mash, after all, is mash. No matter the scepticism, it will always surprise; it is almost silly that so little could taste of so much. A side, it will match almost everything on the menu; of which, the lamb with aubergine on the menu of classics is extraordinarily good.
She adores London having first visited with her parents aged nine, and took part in the Womens March in the capital in January: Hillary [Clinton] lost because women didnt vote for her and I say, What is happening with us? Ortiz also said she believed the UK is ahead of Mexico in terms of equality: I havent lived here, but I think here you have an amazing woman you have a queen. You have a prime minister. I dont know if she does well or badly, but you have a prime minister.
I think that in Mexico its hard; in a lot of Latin America its hard. But I have two little nieces and I always say, Do whatever you want in life. Become a writer, a president, a senator, a designer, a photographer, an artist, a rebel all of those things. Be whatever you want to be.
Read the full interview in ES magazine, out tomorrow.
L ike lots of other four-year-olds in the country, Prince George will start primary school today.
Back in March, Kensington Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had chosen the exclusive Thomas's Battersea in south London for their first born.
The announcement confounded long-running speculation that George would follow in his fathers footsteps and attend the prestigious Wetherby school in Notting Hill - where uncle Prince Harry also attended.
As well as piquing the interest of locals, Georges imminent arrival has put the heart of what is locally dubbed as nappy valley in Battersea back on the map for young parents.
In the lead up to Prince Georges first day, house-hunters have been desperately snapping up property in the catchment area for the school, with estate agents reporting a 60 per cent surge in people looking to buy in SW11.
St Thomas's School in Battersea / Google
Curious to know more about the most talked-about private school in London? Heres everything you need to know.
It costs 18,000 per year to attend
Children entering in the lower school, like George, pay 5,868 per term to attend Thomass Battersea, with fees rising from the ages of seven onwards. The exclusive school educates just 540 boys and girls per year between the ages of four and 13. The royals may enjoy a discount when Charlotte begins school in 2019, as parents get a reduced fee where older siblings already attend.
Theres a varied curriculum
Prince William, Kate and their two children George and Charlotte. / Getty Images
As well as the usual academic subjects like maths, English and science, George will also take more unusual classes such as understanding the world, expressive arts and design and communication and language.
Cara Delevingne and Florence Welch are alumni
Prince George isnt the first famous face to attend a Thomass school. Cara Delevingne, Florence Welch and Fresh Meat actress Charlotte Ritchie are all ex-pupils. Battersea isnt the only outpost either: there are also Thomass day schools in Fulham, Clapham and Kensington.
Cara Delevingne reportedly attended Thomas's School / Getty Images
The uniform includes his famous navy shorts
Little George will no doubt look as adorable as ever when Duchess Kate drops him off for his first day of school. Given the current heatwave, it's likely hell be starting the school year in his summer uniform, which consists of a periwinkle blue short sleeve shirt, navy Oxford shorts, and a navy pullover with the schools crest stitched onto the breast. If the blazing sunshine continues, he may even turn up in a school-approved white boater hat.
When winter comes round, George will look just as sweet in a red long sleeved polo neck, navy shorts, a navy pullover and matching waterproof coat. The adorable fashion influencer, who has single-handedly sparked a revival in traditional childrenswear looks, is sure to also be photographed wearing his signature knee-high socks.
Prince George school uniform - in pictures 1 /8 Prince George school uniform - in pictures A blue shirt is also part of the boys' uniform The boy's winter unform includes navy Bermuda shorts, a red polo neck and v-necked jersey with Thomas's logo PE Kit for Thomas's boys includes a red t-shirt, navy shorts and a navy sweater Thomas's socks are red with a navy stripe at the top Thomas's red school bag A white sun hat for summer
Theres a ban on having best friends
In a controversial move, the school is said to discourage pupils from having best friends. Headmaster Ben Thomas said schoolchildren should have 'lots of good friends' to stop others from having their feelings hurt, according to the Daily Telegraph.
It has a rooftop playground
George will definitely have fun larking around with his friends on Thomass rooftop playground, which has stunning views out to the River Thames and the sprawling Battersea Park. The school itself cuts an impressive figure, occupying a Grade II listed building that was built in 1700. As well as a rooftop space, the school also boasts a ballet room, science laboratories, a pottery room, two libraries and a one-acre playground with Astroturf.
Its main value is to teach children kindness
The first rule of Thomass is to be kind and there is a great emphasis on teaching pupils at George's formative age to be thoughtful and courteous individuals. Although Thomass is first and foremost a Christian school, it is open to children of all faiths and encourages its pupils to be tolerant of other religions. Our ethos, aims and values actively support the upholding of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. These are British values which we cherish and which equip pupils for life in modern Britain, the school emphasises on its website. As well as kindness, Thomass Battersea asks its pupils to exercise courtesy, honesty, respect, perseverance, independence, confidence, leadership, humility, and to show generosity of spirit.
Its Ofsted rated 'outstanding'
In its last inspection, Ofsted said of the lower school, where George will attend was outstanding. The school inspectors described the learning environment as: bright, attractive and welcoming.
As you might imagine, its not easy to get in
Unsurprisingly, everyone is now vying to get their child into Thomass in Battersea. If youd like your brood to follow in the footsteps of Prince George, youll need to get your application in early. Entry is selective at 4+; get your child's name down at birth, advises the Tatler Schools Guide.
T hey say the summer never ends in LA, which is why youll find Angelenos taking happy hour to higher ground and heading to a rooftop bar when the weather gets hazy.
Luckily, youre spoilt for choice in this city, which serves its drinks with dreamy tangerine sunsets, Instagrammable views and cold night breezes.
Here's the lowdown on the best rooftops LA has to offer - from trendy Hollywood hotspot Mama Shelter to a chilled urban oasis upstairs at Ace Hotel.
Next time you happen to be on the West Coast, make a play for one of these sky-high spots.
Mama Shelter
Mama Shelter is undoubtedly the boutique hotel of the moment with LA's hip crowd. This eclectic rooftop bar enjoys 360-degree views - from the Hollywood sign to Downtown, South Bay to Westside. A happening spot with a fun vibe, classic movies on repeat and a DJ on the weekends.
6500 Selma Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.mamashelter.com
High Rooftop Lounge at Erwin Hotel
Venice's best rooftop spot is prime for people watching, epic sunsets, panoramic views and live local DJs. Sink into their cozy couches (complete with blankets on request) and enjoy a chilled tipple or three.
1697 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291
www.hotelerwin.com
Rooftop at The Standard
Housed in a mid-century Downtown LA landmark, The Standard spoils its guests with an alfresco bar, endless views of Downtown and the mountains beyond. Complete with a heated pool, dancefloor, fire pit and endless lights from the cityscape, the iconic venue treats guests to nightly DJ sets, waterbed pods and a German Biergarten.
550 South Flower at Sixth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
www.standardhotels.com
Perch
Nestled on the 15th floor above South Hill Street, this indoor and outdoor restaurant and lounge offers guests a stellar view of the sparkling city lights. With tasty French fare, live music and toasty fire pits to curl up around, this really is the place to let your hair down.
448 South Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
www.perchla.com
Upstairs at Ace Hotel
For a modern twist in a historic neighbourhood, this rooftop bar takes inspiration from Hollywoods famous Les Deux Cafe. It's also home to the the legendary Jesus Saves sign. A sky-high urban oasis, their nightly events, pool and cocktails provide the perfect backdrop to Instagram Banksys street art.
929 S.Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015
www.acehotel.com
Spire 73
This chic craft-cocktail bar sits on the 73rd floor at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Not for those with that get queasy around heights: the lounge bar is the tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere.
900 Wilshire Blvd. 73rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
www.dtla.intercontinental.com
Filifera
Named after California's native desert fan palm, this lesser-known rooftop gem offers an indoor and outdoor lounge with a no-fuss vibe. Come for the Margaritas and stay for the views.
1550 N. El Centro Ave, Rooftop, Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.livehollywoodproper.com
The Roof on Wilshire
Want fries with your Cosmo? This bar-come-restaurant serves up classic American fare with poolside vistas spanning the LA skyline and Hollywood Hills. With the city surrounding you, plot your next hike to the Hollywood sign on Mt. Lee during the golden hour.
6317 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048
www.theroofonwilshire.com
P atients with Parkinsons disease could take part in the first clinical trial of a new stem cell treatment before the end of next year, scientists have suggested.
Researchers in Japan said the new treatment has successfully restored damaged nerve cells in monkeys.
The primates had been given a version of Parkinson's disease but, after the treatment, showed significant improvement.
The condition causes the loss of dopamine neurons, which release the vital nerve transmitter chemical dopamine necessary for controlling body movement.
In the recent trial, scientists transplanted neurons derived from human stem cells into the monkeys brains, alleviating the disease.
The researchers now hope to start looking for suitable patients within the next 15 months.
Professor Jun Takahashi, a Parkinson's neurosurgeon from Kyoto University, said: "This study is our answer to bring iPS cells [the laboratory-made stem cells] to clinical settings."
A key finding from the research, published in the journal Nature, was that no tumours had appeared in the monkey's brains - a recognised hazard of experimental stem cell therapies.
British expert Dr Tilo Kunath, a Parkinson's UK-funded researcher at the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said: "This is extremely promising research demonstrating that a safe and highly effective cell therapy for Parkinson's can be produced in the lab.
"Such a therapy has the potential to reverse the symptoms of Parkinson's in patients by restoring their dopamine-producing neurons. The next stage will be to test these therapies in a first-in-human clinical trial.
"As a side-note, the fact that the researchers have used induced pluripotent stem cells instead of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) means that this therapy can be used in any country worldwide.
"Some countries, such as Ireland and most of South America, have banned the use of hESCs as a therapy."
T his is the first picture of an exceptional college staff member killed as he cycled to work in the morning rush hour.
Albanian national Ardian Zagani suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a Ford Transit van just after 6am yesterday morning.
A passenger in the van attempted first aid on Mr Zigani but he was declared dead at the scene in Camden Road, Holloway, just minutes later.
He is the sixth cyclist to be killed on the capitals roads this year.
The scene of the crash in Camden Road on Tuesday morning. / Jeremy Selwyn
Mr Zagani, in his 30s, was killed commuting to his first day back at work at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London in Tottenham where he worked as a caretaker.
Andy Forbes, the college principal, said: Ardian was a member of our caretaking staff who had been with us for about a year based at our Tottenham Centre. We all knew him as Sam and he was a very popular colleague who was bright, cheery and hardworking.
Many of us who knew Sam felt numbed yesterday, as we found out that on a day seemingly like any other, on his journey into work that morning to open up the College, he had been so tragically killed. He will be sorely missed and our hearts go out to his family and friends.
A close friend said: I cant believe this has happened. This is devastating he was a beautiful, exceptional person who was loved by everyone. He adored working at the college it was his life.
Scotland Yard said the female driver of the van stopped at the scene and was initially arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
She was eventually de-arrested and interviewed under caution at a north London police station.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision to call officers at the Alperton Traffic Garage on 020 8991 9555 or via 101.
T he founder of a high-end London cupcake chain today said he wanted to expand in the capital but found it difficult because of rising rents.
Tarek Malouf owns six Hummingbird Bakery stores across the city and has plans to expand in the UK and worldwide, particularly to new markets in the Middle East.
But he said growth could be a challenge in London, describing the sort of locations the business needs for new branches as hard to come by.
He told BBC Business Live: It's tough [in London] because of rents growing increasingly high."
The bakery is known for its red velvet cupcakes
We need any area where there's a relative affluent population but also businesses nearby, lots of kids, mums with kids. Tourists help.
Cupcake hit: a branch of Hummingbird Bakery
The ideal place would be somewhere that combines all of those elements.
Londoner Mr Malouf, made MBE this year in the Queens Birthday Honours, launched the American-style bakery 14 years ago with one store in Notting Hill.
Now his company produces about 25,000 cakes a week across branches in Richmond, Soho, Spitalfields, Islington and South Kensington as well as Guildford in Surrey.
He said: "14 years later I can say it's not a trend."
Later quizzed about his clientele, he added: "Our customers are mostly female, we have all age ranges but I would say women between 18 and 40-something.
J eremy Corbyn supporters moved to seize control of the Scottish Labour Party today after the shock resignation of Kezia Dugdale.
The Scottish Labour leader resigned citing personal reasons, but speculation is mounting that she quit before being hounded out by the partys Left wing.
Today activists, socialists and members of Momentum began planning for a pro-Corbyn replacement, with Unite union member and MSP Neil Findlay tipped as a front-runner.
Martyn Cook, chairman of the Campaign for Socialism (CfS), the sister organisation of Momentum in Scotland, said they will back whichever pro-Corbyn candidate emerges, or may field one themselves.
On the next leader, he said: They need to be a Corbyn supporter, and buy into the manifesto and be someone that drives that agenda. If we are going to win people back its got to be on an agenda of the For the Many manifesto they want to see things like the 10 living wage, an expansion of workers rights.
Mr Findlay, who is a favourite among Labours Left wing as a potential leader, is a CfS convener.
Ms Dugdale, 36, denied suggestions she resigned before being pushed by party members unhappy at her distance from the Labour leader and perceived isolation in Holyrood. She previously said Mr Corbyn should stand down as leader.
Mr Corbyn now has a majority on the partys National Executive Committee, as supporter and deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Alex Rowley, a former fixer for Gordon Brown, is stepping up to be interim leader.
T heresa May has indicated she will fight the next general election as she insisted: Im not a quitter.
Rumours had been mounting the Prime Minister was preparing to step down the day before Brexit officially happens in 2019.
But during a visit to Japan where she met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and enjoyed a menu of specialities including sea urchin and sushi Mrs May set out her plan to lead the Conservatives into the next election.
Asked if she intends to fight the next UK vote, she said: Yes. There's been an awful lot of speculation about my future which has no basis in it whatsoever.
"I'm in this for the long term. There's a real job to be done in the United Kingdom. It's about getting the Brexit deal right, it's about building that deep and special partnership with the European Union, but it's also about building global Britain, trading around the world.
Theresa May, flanked by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is welcomed by Master of Tea Ceremony Sen Sosa upon her arrival for a tea ceremony. / REUTERS
"Yes, dealing with injustices that remain inside the United Kingdom, but also going out around the world ensuring that we can do those trade deals which bring prosperity to our economy and bring jobs to the United Kingdom."
Pressed on whether she would step down before the next election, expected in 2022, she replied: I'm not a quitter."
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Junes vote was disastrous for Mrs May, who reduced the Conservative majority in Parliament.
Since Parliament has been in recess, this summer has seen suggestions that backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg may be placed to take the helm.
'Special relationship': Donald Trump and Theresa May hold hands 1 /17 'Special relationship': Donald Trump and Theresa May hold hands US President Donald J. Trump holds hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA US President Donald J. Trump holds hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA US President Donald J. Trump holds hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA US President Donald J. Trump holds hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May AP Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump walk along the White House Colonnade PA British Prime Minister Theresa May laughs during a news conference with President Donald Trump AP Prime Minister Theresa May meeting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office PA President Donald Trump reaches out to shake hands with British Prime Minister Theresa May AP Prime Minister Theresa May with US President Donald Trump during their joint press conference PA Prime Minister Theresa May meeting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House PA Prime Minister Theresa May meeting US President Donald Trump by a bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the Oval Office PA Prime Minister Theresa May meeting US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House PA White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer posted this photo on Twitter. PA
But Mrs May said she was "here for the long term and it's crucial, what me and my Government are about is not just delivering on Brexit, we are delivering a brighter future for the United Kingdom".
David Cameron famously insisted to voters he would remain as leader if he lost the EU referendum, but quit weeks later after the 2016 vote.
After visiting Japans ancient capital Kyoto, the PM will spend Thursday in Tokyo for a series of meetings and visits, including attending the Japanese National Security Council, the first European leader to do so.
She will also visit the headquarters of the Japanese maritime self-defence force, where the flagship aircraft carrier Izumo is based, and will be briefed by UK and Japanese personnel on board.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has resigned with immediate effect - insisting her decision is best for her and best for the party.
She said she left the party "in better shape than I found it", after taking on the job in the wake of the 2015 general election, which saw Labour lose all but one of its MPs in Scotland while the SNP enjoyed a landslide victory.
With four years to go until the next Holyrood elections, Ms Dugdale said: "I am convinced that the party needs a new leader with fresh energy, drive and a new mandate to take the party into that contest."
Jeremy Corbyn, who she campaigned against in the 2016 party leadership contest, paid tribute to her for taking on the job of Scottish leader at "one of the most difficult times" in Labour's history north of the border.
Labour managed to win back some of the seats it had lost the Nicola Sturgeon's SNP in the June 2017 snap general election, with the party now having seven MPs from Scotland.
Mr Corbyn said: "I'd like to thank Kezia Dugdale for her work as Scottish Labour leader and the important role she has played in rebuilding the party in Scotland.
"Kezia became Scottish leader at one of the most difficult times in the history of the Scottish Labour Party, and the party's revival is now fully under way, with six new MPs and many more to come.
"I want to thank Kez for her tireless service to our party and movement, and look forward to campaigning with her in future for a country that works for the many not the few."
Ms Dugdale becomes the third Scottish Labour leader to have resigned since the 2014 independence referendum, after Johann Lamont and Jim Murphy, while Anas Sarwar and Iain Gray have also served as acting leader since the vote on Scotland's future.
Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, wished Ms Dugdale well for the future, writing on Twitter: "We may be opponents, but @kezdugdale led her party with guts and determination and I admired her for that."
In her resignation letter to Scottish Labour Party chairwoman Linda Stewart, Ms Dugdale insisted she was leaving the party "in better shape than I found it."
She added: "Emerging from the challenging times following the 2014 referendum, and the 2015 UK election, we now have a solid platform on which to build towards success, and government."
With the constitutional battleground having defined Scottish politics in recent years, Ms Dugdale has sought to give Labour a distinct position, with the party now supporting a federal UK.
She pressed Scottish ministers to use new powers over income tax north of the border to raise extra revenue, calling for a return of the 50p top tax rate for high earners and a 1p rise in the basic rate.
In her time as leader there was speculation of a leadership challenge from the left, but Ms Dugdale denied she was quitting before she was pushed.
She stated: "Too often our leaders leave in a crisis, with scores to settle. I love this party too much for that to be my way. There will be no press conference and no off the record briefing in my name.
"I choose to stand down because I believe it is best for me and best for Scottish Labour, at a time when we can be positive and optimistic about our future."
She added: "I remain in awe of all those party activists who devote their time to this movement without pay or reward. I thank them for their belief in me."
Ms Dugdale will continue as an MSP for the Lothian region, with deputy leader Alex Rowley set to take charge of the party in Scotland until her successor is found.
Her resignation came the day after her 36th birthday, with Ms Dugdale saying being leader had been "a difficult but fulfilling challenge".
Referring to the death of Labour activist and Motor Neuron Disease campaigner Gordon Aikman earlier this year, Ms Dugdale said she had "lost a dear friend who taught me a lot about how to live".
She continued: "His terminal illness forced him to identify what he really wanted from life, how to make the most of it and how to make a difference. He taught me how precious and short life was and never to waste a moment."
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband thanked Ms Dugdale for her work, and said she gave her "heart and soul to leading Scottish Labour".
He tweeted: "Thank You. You deserve to get your life back. Enjoy."
During Ms Dugdale's time in charge Labour has become the third party in Scotland, with Ruth Davidson's Scottish Conservatives now having more MSPs and more MPs.
Ms Davidson said on Twitter: "'Leadership can be tough and @kezdugdale deserves the thanks of her party for putting in the hard yards. I wish her well."
Meanwhile Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: "Today as always @kezdugdale has shown she is a person of character and substance. I wish her well, but hope she stays in frontline politics."
Patrick Harvie, the co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said Ms Dugdale had "served her party with dedication".
He added: "Her decision to stand down can't have been easy. I'd like to wish her well for the future."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "Kezia Dugdale has been a good thing for Labour. Her open, friendly, and upbeat style was appealing. I enjoyed working with her on common causes and hope that will continue. I wish her well for the future."
T heresa May refused to rule out British action to stop North Koreas illegal missile launches today as the rogue state threatened to increase its military tests.
The Prime Minister, speaking en route to Japan which was flown over by a missile just a day ago, called on China to do more to rein in dictator Kim Jong-un.
Asked four times if she would rule out a British intervention, including cyber warfare or military action, she declined to answer directly. Mrs May landed in Japan this morning at the start of a three-day visit, 24 hours after the missile alert.
North Korea defied a unanimous vote of condemnation at the UN Security Council by suggesting it would stage further tests of nuclear-capable missiles. State media said the Japan flight was the first step of military operations in the Pacific and again threatened the US island of Guam, calling it an advanced base of invasion.
Yesterdays missile caused air raid alerts as it crossed over Japans Hokkaido island, before landing in the sea.The UN Security Council held an emergency session and branded the missile flight outrageous.
Mrs May said pressure from China was the key to easing the crisis. China has a key role to play in this I have said this to President Xi, I know others have as well, we think that China has that important role to play and we would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure to bear on North Korea to stop this. The UK is looking at the discussion around further sanctions and the sort of change that China can bring. We see China as being the key in this.
UK PM Theresa May vows to put pressure on North Korea
A British government source suggested cyber warfare might already be being deployed against North Korea, saying to reporters: If we were doing that we certainly wouldnt be telling you.
After landing in Japan Mrs May was due to take a high-speed bullet train and go into talks with premier Shinzo Abe which will focus on trade and security as well as Kims nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said China will make a necessary response. Hitting back at Mrs Mays call, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused some relevant sides of selectively carrying out UN resolutions.
When it comes to sanctions, they storm to the front but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back, she told a news briefing.
She said this was not the attitude responsible countries should have when the smell of gunpowder remained strong over the Korean peninsula.
The official North Korean news agency quoted leader Kim as saying like a real war, the latest missile drill was the first step of the military operation of the KPA [Korean Peoples Army] in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam.
It said the launch was in direct response to joint US-South Korean military exercises currently taking place, and also to mark the anniversary of the 1910 Japanese annexation of the Korean peninsula.
The Hwasong-12 missile launched by the North Koreans flew from a site near the capital Pyongyang for 1,700 miles at low altitude, causing Japan to alert residents in its path to seek shelter in sturdy buildings.
North Korea threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major US military base, earlier this month after President Donald Trump said that the North would face fire and fury if it threatened the United States. He has also called on China to help curb North Koreas nuclear programme.
S cottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has quit with immediate effect after little over a year in the post.
She stood down claiming the party needed a new leader with "fresh energy, drive and a new mandate" ahead of Holyrood elections in four years time.
Rumours abounded that Ms Dugdale, who in the past has been critical of Jeremy Corbyn, had been forced out - but the Labour Party leader paid tribute to his colleague north of the border.
Her resignation now leaves a vacuum at the top of the party in Scotland. Here are possible candidates to replace her.
Favourite: Neil Findlay / PA
Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian
The current favourite among left-wing activists, this pro-Corbyn member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian is a socialist and member of CND.
Crucially he is a UNITE member and may get the backing of union boss Len McCluskey. He has run for leader before, losing to Jim Murphy in 2014.
Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow
A former MP for Glasgow Central and former deputy leader of the Scottish Labour party, the 34-year-old is among the most senior party figures likely to throw their hat in the ring. Seen as a moderate and successor to Kezia Dugdale. He was embroiled in a bitter row with the SNP after he sent his son to private school.
Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland
Labour members are already talking excitedly about how this former GMB man would be their favoured candidate if Mr Findlay does not stand. He was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, and is pro-Corbyn and popular among the partys left-wing despite being a relative newbie.
Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife
The current interim Scottish Labour Leader and deputy leader broke from Ms Dugdale to write a letter of support for Corbyn when he faced a leadership challenge in 2016. He is a former Fife council chief, fixer for Gordon Brown and has called upon his party to ditch its pro-Union stance. His daughter Danielle is the MP for Midlothian in Westminster.
O n one side is the post-punk apocalyptic craft brewery thats swept all before it on the other are a pair of no-nonsense Australian officials.
BrewDog, known for its Punk IPA and unconventional approach, plans to open a production centre in Australia.
After learning of the proposal Bill Muirhead, the London-based agent general to the government of South Australia, claims he tried to contact the company for two months to no avail to convince them they should set up in the state of South Australia, with the company having reportedly shown an interest in two other states.
Deputy agent general James Mraz has now released a video accusing the British company, founded in Fraserburgh, Scotland, of being rude w*****s for failing to respond.
He and Mr Muirhead, responsible for attracting investment from British and European firms, also joked that in an uncertain post-Brexit environment the brewers cannot afford to dither between no deal and a bad deal.
A still from the video message by James Mraz
In the letter to BrewDog founders James Watt and Martin Dickie, Mr Muirhead wrote: Bit surprised we havent heard back. In Adelaide we pour beer on our Weet-Bix and use it as sunscreen ... scrappy buggers like you are the states lifeblood. We thought youd be knocking down our door.
He accused the company of having sold out by selling a stake to a private equity firm and said the gimmicks it had become known for, including brewing steroid beer for Olympic athletes, stalled after it teamed up with a poncy London PR agency.
He added: If youre gonna make it in Australia, you need to go back to your roots. South Australia doesnt do empty stunts. Were the original punk state.
"We were first to embrace Aboriginal Rights in 1856, and Womens Suffrage in 1894. We like people who give two fingers to the establishment ... lads, this is the post-Brexit world. You cant afford to dither between no deals and bad deals. You need good deals. And Adelaides prepared to offer you one. Lets make it happen.
Mr Watt and Mr Dickie founded BrewDog in 2007 after becoming bored with mainstream beers and lagers and opened their first bar in Aberdeen.
The multi-award-winning company once described itself as a post-punk, apocalyptic, motherf***er of a craft brewery. It has bars around the world, including in Shoreditch and Soho, and reportedly recently received a 213 million investment from TSG Consumer Partners, valuing it at up to 1 billion. Mr Muirhead today said he stood by the letter and video.
He said: We think they are a great company and they make some great beer and we would like to help them grow. Mr Mraz said: We are trying to get an audience with BrewDog ultimately and we thought we would engage in the sort of tactics they know.
BrewDog had not responded to the Standard by the time of going to press.
A Surrey man has been brought back to Britain charged with carrying out cyber attacks on two of the UKs biggest banks.
Daniel Kaye, 29, is accused of attacking and blackmailing Barclays and Lloyds in two separate attacks January this year.
He was in Germany but has been extradited back to the UK to face the charges, the National Crime Agency said on Wednesday.
Customers who use Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland were left unable to use their online accounts for over three days during one of the attacks.
According to the charges, Kaye allegedly used a botnet for the cyber assaults, which is when several infected computers bombard a system in an attempt to overwhelm its security and gain access to information.
Kaye, of Egham, Surrey, was extradited back to Britain on Wednesday under a European Arrest Warrant, following an investigation involving the NCA's German counterpart the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).
The defendant will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday, the NCA said.
He faces nine charges under the Computer Misuse Act, two of blackmail and one of possession of criminal property.
Among the charges he will face is a claim that he endangered human welfare with an alleged cyber attack against Lonestar MTN, Liberias biggest internet provider.
Luke Wyllie, senior operations manager at the NCA, said: The investigation leading to these charges was complex and crossed borders. Our cyber crime officers have analysed reams of data on the way.
Cyber crime is not victimless and we are determined to bring suspects before the courts.
A pilot halted the deportation of an Afghan asylum seeker after refusing to take off from Heathrow.
Samim Bigzad, 22, had been booked on a commercial flight back to his home country after immigration officers refused his application to remain in the UK despite claims he was facing beheading by the Taliban.
His friends and family had been working with campaigners to stop him from being deported to Kabul, from where he fled two years ago after fearing he would be killed.
More than 3,000 people signed a petition appeal for Mr Bigzads deportation to be delayed so his asylum claim could be reviewed.
Campaigners from Kent Anti-Racism Network went to Heathrow to tell Turkish Airlines passengers that he was being deported on their plane on Saturday.
They asked passengers to do whatever they were comfortable with to raise the issue with airline staff, according to the Independent.
The Turkish Airlines pilot refused to take off with asylum seeker Samim Bigzaf on board / AFP/Getty Images
The European Aviation Safety Agency says that a pilot is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and of all crew members, passengers and cargo on board.
The Turkish Airlines pilot refused to take off with Mr Bigzad on board and Bridget Chapman, chairwoman of the Kent Anti-Racism Network, said she had received a call to say he was back in the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick.
Kavel Rafferty, who had been housing the asylum seeker, told the Independent: The last message I'd had from him was so sad - it just said 'they've come to take me' and then the phone was switched off.
"But then he rang that night and told me 'the pilot said no'. He was happy and shocked. There are so many people who would like to thank the pilot."
Mr Bigzads cousin Arash also told the news site: There were three guards who tried to force him onto the planemy cousin was crying and shouting Im going to get killed in Afghanistan.
Samim said they were in the tunnel by the door when the pilot came out and said: Youre not going to take him, Im not flying. Someones life is at risk."
Mr Bigzad had worked for a construction company which had contracts with American firms and the Afghan government and said he fled to the UK after repeated threats by the Taliban.
He arrived in the UK in 2015 and went to live with relatives. He was also helping to care for his sick father who had gained British citizenship.
In July while attending an immigration appointment he was refused asylum and detained.
A Home Office spokesman said: "All country policy and information is based on a careful and objective assessment of available evidence from a range of sources including media outlets, local, national and international organisations, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
"We continually review our country policy and information to ensure it is up-to-date, accurate and relevant, so that staff can make fair and considered decisions.
Country policy and information notes provide assistance to immigration officers when deciding whether to grant asylum.
The Home Office said if a person does not require international protection and there are no remaining rights of appeal or obstacles to return, they are expect to return voluntarily. It said if they refuse to leave voluntarily, it may become necessary to enforce their removal.
A Houston businessman has opened up his furniture stores to shelter hundreds of Texans displaced by Storm Harvey.
Jim McIngvale, known as Mattress Mack, invited storm victims to take refuge at either of his two Gallery Furniture stores. A post made on the stores Facebook page on Sunday offered food, beds and restrooms for all in need.
Volunteers used rented furniture trucks to pick up displaced people and bring them to safety.
By Monday night Mr McIngvales stores had reached their 400 person capacity. In a second Facebook post, Gallery Furniture encouraged Texans to seek shelter at a local convention centre.
When the hurricane first hit down here, my first thought was this is going to be a one-day event. Then I came into work the next day and I saw the devastation of the entire area and decided it would be best if we opened this 100,000-square-foot furniture store as a shelter, Mr McIngvale told NPR.
He has been providing three meals a day for the evacuees.
Photos posted on Mr McIngvale's Twitter account show people sitting on the new furniture.
I was raised as a Catholic. I continued my Catholic faith throughout my life, trying to do the right thing and hopefully, you do the right thing and help people along the way, Mr McIngvale told San Antonio TV station KENS 5.
During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he also opened his doors to 200 evacuees from New Orleans, KENS 5 reported.
An emergency centre set up at downtown Houstons George R. Brown Convention Center, which was given a capacity of 5,000 evacuees, had taken in 9,000 people by Monday night, KTRK reported.
The Red Cross, which is running the facility, said that despite that number they are still accepting newcomers.
Latest figures suggest 18 people have died as flooding continues to wreak havoc in Houston.
C alifornia could become the first US state to legalise magic mushrooms, thanks to newly proposed legislation.
Californians could be able to vote on whether or not to legalise the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms as early as next year.
The proposed legislation, known as a ballot measure in the US, was filed on Friday with the state Attorney Generals office.
If the ballot initiative becomes law, voters could choose to decriminalise the use of the psychedelic compound known as psilocybin which is found in some types of mushroom.
The measure would exempt adults over the age of 21 from penalties of possession, selling, transporting or cultivation of psilocybin.
The proposal was filed by Kevin Saunders, a former candidate for mayor in Marina, a city on Californias central coast.
California already voted to legalise the recreational use of marijuana in the November 2016.
Mr Saunders, who said he used magic mushrooms to help him stop using heroin 15 years ago, said he sees their legalisation as a natural progression from marijuana legalisation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
I think were seeing something that could literally heal our brothers and sisters. Were talking about real cutting-edge stuff, he added.
A recent study found the psilocybin compound could help treat depression in people with terminal or advanced cancer, with just one dose reducing psychological distress.
In the UK, magic mushrooms are still illegal and classified as a Class A drug.
U S comedian Kathy Griffin has retracted her apology for posing with a fake severed head of Donald Trump.
The photoshoot is believed to have prompted a Secret Service investigation and sparked a huge social media storm - which Ms Griffin has now branded B.S.
The 56-year-old told Australian television programme Sunrise: I am no longer sorry, the whole outrage was B.S."
Ms Griffin was reportedly investigated by the US Secret Service because of the photos, posted on Instagram in May this year, but the case was closed by the end of July.
She was also sacked from a presenting slot on CNNs New Years Eve programme and had to cancel her tour as a result of the backlash.
Ms Griffin said: "The whole thing got so blown out of proportion, and I lost everybody. Like, I had Chelsea Clinton tweeting against me. I had friends, Debra Messing from Will and Grace, tweeting against me. I mean, I lost everybody."
The comedian slammed Trump supporters, describing how her entire tour was cancelled within 24 hours because every single theatre got these death threats. These Trump fans are hard core. They are a minority but they know how to act like they're a majority."
The gruesome photos were taken in a shoot with celebrity photographer Tyler Shields, who is known for work depicting violence. Shields photographed Lindsay Lohan with a gun in 2010.
The sight of the Presidents bloodied head sparked widespread outrage: Donald Trump took to Twitter to condemn the photos, suggesting his youngest son was traumatised by them.
Meanwhile the President's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, branded the photos "disgusting":
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Trumps former rival Hillary Clinton, added her voice to the disapproval, suggesting Ms Griffin had broken a political taboo:
Ms Griffin posted what seemed to be a heartfelt apology on Instagram at the time, writing I am sorry. I went too far. I was wrong.
She added: I beg for your forgiveness.
K im Jong-un has been pictured casually laughing with his generals as North Korea blasted a rocket over Japan.
Dramatic images showing the moment were released by the secretive state on Wednesday as tensions mounted and Prime Minister Theresa May landed in Japan for a scheduled visit.
The pictures show the gleeful despot accompanied by officials for the successful missile launch, which caused security alerts as it flew over Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
In another snap, the dictator was pictured holding a white stick some suggested could be a cigarette sparking speculation the leader was nonchalantly smoking while his actions risked causing a major international crisis.
North Korea japan missile launch Kim Jong Un
After landing in Kyoto, Mrs May ticked off the Chinese and urged the nation to do more to stop its neighbours provocative missile launches.
The PM landed in Japan on Wednesday morning just 36 hours after the launch.
She said: "We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think that they are significant actions of provocation.
UK PM Theresa May vows to put pressure on North Korea
"I think it is outrageous. That's why will be working with our international partners, as we have done previously, but we will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities."
"China has a key role to play here in terms of the pressure they can bring on North Korea," she added.
The Prime Minister refused to rule out future British military action against North Korea or cyber warfare after being quizzed by reporters four times on the issue.
Mrs May said: "I think what I have made clear is what the UK is looking at and what the UK doing and that is looking at pressure on North Korea, which is discussions about further sanctions and it's about the sort of change that China can bring. I think they are a key player in this."
A couple in North Dakota have been charged with conspiring to murder their pregnant neighbour and steal her unborn child.
The body of 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, was discovered by kayakers in the Red River eight days after she went missing from her flat on August 19.
A two-day-old new-born baby, which police believe to be hers, was allegedly discovered during a search of the home of neighbours William Hoehn, 32, and Brooke Crews, 38.
The pair have reportedly told officers in North Dakota differing accounts of how the baby came into their care, with Ms LaFontaine-Greywind alleged to have visited their apartment the day she went missing.
Savanna Lafontaine-Greywind, 22, whose body was found dumped in a river / AP
Officers are waiting on DNA tests to discover if the baby is in fact Ms LaFontaine-Greywind's daughter.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Ms LaFontaine-Greywinds body was discovered heavily wrapped in plastic and duct tape in the Red River at the border of Minnesota and North Dakota.
David Todd, the Fargo police chief, has said the expectant mother was a victim of a cruel and vicious act of depravity.
In interviews with detectives from Fargo Police Department, Ms Crews has claimed Ms LaFontaine-Greywind came to her apartment and handed over the new-born baby.
Days earlier, she claimed to have told the expectant mother how to induce child birth.
Both Ms Crews and Mr Hoehn face charges of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and lying to investigators.
According to court documents, Mr Hoehn told detectives he had returned home to find his girlfriend cleaning up blood from the bathroom at their home.
Throughout the weekend, huge numbers joined a desperate search of the American state.
Sierra Demery, who babysat the expectant mother when she was a child, told the Star Tribune: She was bright. She was into music and running around outside. Just the usual things for a kid that age.
[The family] are nice, they have a close relationship with their children.
N orth Korea has again been threatened with tough sanctions after the rogue state sparked international outrage for firing a missile over Japan.
Tensions between North Korea and the United States have reached critical levels over the past few months, with the rogue state firing the missile on Monday.
Prime Minister Theresa May today strongly warned Kim Jong-uns dictatorship further sanctions were imminent, saying Britain needed to double its efforts to put pressure on North Korea.
But despite sanctions being rolled out by the United Nations and US since North Koreas first nuclear test in 2006, its economy grew by 3.9 per cent this year, according to the Bank of Korea.
An image in Tokyo showing the direction of the North Korean missile launch / REUTERS
The Standard spoke to Anwita Basu, an expert in Asian economics and politics for the Economist Intelligence Unit, to find out how North Koreas economy survives western pressure and what it means for the future.
How does the North Korean economy work?
According to Ms Basu, economic growth in North Korea is largely down to the remarkable levels of state control in all aspects of life.
The control means that the economy is maintained largely without the positive effect of imports which helps western democracies flourish.
The growth is largely stemmed by domestic mining and energy, while China has also increased its exports to the state in recent years.
Theresa May: China must put pressure on North Korea to halt missile launches
Ms Basu said: North Korea imports the majority of its goods from China - but its estimated. It doesnt release its own data and a lot of that comes from observers such as Bank of South Korea.
She added: Everything on every level in North Korea is controlled so even the amount of income people receive is controlled.
Because its a heavily controlled state it can create growth in that sense.
Ms Basu also says there is evidence to suggest the state is one of the few that can and does sell Soviet military equipment abroad. Some African countries are believed to have taken part in such arms dealings ,she added.
She said: They circumvent loopholes in US sanctions. There is no way of stopping it, though this is all from circumstantial evidence.
What are the United Nations sanctions and what effect do they have?
According to Ms Basu, sanctions typically involve targeting iron and coal imports to North Korea.
But aid and food is still sent to the state, with most of the sanctions based purely on economic imports to North Korea.
Because of this and the dictatorships level of state control, Ms Basu says such sanctions in reality have little effect on the economy or way of living in North Korea.
US President Donald Trump has threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" over recent missile threats / AFP/Getty Images
She said: The big difference is that the sanctions only target the external sector and that doesnt have a positive impact on the country.
What the sanctions will do is effect imports so some of the equipment becomes more expensive. But there is still quite a swell going and the state does have ways of controlling prices.
The sanctions arent going to bring the economy to its knees just yet.
In fact, this week some business owners have warned the measures have a detrimental effect on Western economies.
A report by CNBC today claimed new sanctions would stifle global supply chains.
Alex Capri, a visiting senior fellow at the National University of Singapore's business school, told the US broadcaster the United States changes to the supply chain would be hard and costly to enforce.
Why does the United States not impose tougher sanctions?
Given its standing as the world largest economy, the United States technically has the power to impose heavier sanctions on the state.
But according to Ms Basu, imposing tougher measures coupled with rising tensions could antagonise an already unstable country.
North Korea nuclear program is already accelerating and Ms Basu expects them to be a full nuclear power possibly as early as next year something for the United States to fear.
She said: What is likely to happen is that North Korea will have full nuclear capability by the end of 2018 or early 2019. There is no way of stopping that.
She added: What a lot of the countries in the UN dont want to do is destabilise the regime. You just dont know how they are going to react.
What next for relations between the United States and North Korea?
Tensions between the United States and North Korea appear to have reached dangerous levels in recent weeks, with both countries leaders threatening each other with military action.
Recently, President Donald Trump said the state would face fire and fury like the world has never seen if it followed through on a threat to bomb US territory Guam.
But Ms Basu said war was still only a very distant possibility, with Mr Trump at odds with his own administration on the issue and Kim Jong-un simply pressuring for recognition.
Despite their growing nuclear arsenal, she said both the economy and military of North Korea is not ready for war.
Ms Basu: Its not in North Koreas interests to start a war. What they basically want is to survive as a regime and then be recognised as a nuclear state.
Its quite a difficult time. The problem is once [North Korea] achieve their goal they will have nothing but their state agenda.
A search has been launched for a British businessman who has been missing for a week in Barbados.
Car salesman Steven Weare, 49, was last seen in the car-park of a Burger King last Wednesday, according to local website Nation News.
The Foreign Office has confirmed officials are in contact with Barbados police and the family of Mr Weare, who is from Kirkham, Lancashire.
He had reportedly been staying at Newcastle Plantation House, in the St John area on the east of the Caribbean island, when he was reported missing on August 23.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "We are aware he is missing and inquiries are ongoing with police in Barbados to locate him."
It is reported Mr Weare is a regular visitor to Barbados and his family bought a property there several years ago.
Reports say he was last seen in the car park of a Burger King restaurant on University Drive in Black Rock, near Bridgetown in the St Michael's region.
Mr Weare is listed as a director of Fylde Motor Company in Kirkham. It is believed he had been selling cars during his time in Barbados.
He was driving a silver Mitsubishi Warrior pick-up with the registration number J4000.
Mr Weare was wearing a white short-sleeved button-down linen shirt, royal blue chinos and a similar coloured pair of loafers.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: "Our staff are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Barbados. We are in contact with the local police."
A police officer was among 18 people confirmed dead as flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey continued to devastate Texas in the US.
Sergeant Steve Perez, 60, who had been a police officer for 34 years, drowned as he tried to make his way to work in Houston in the early hours of Sunday.
He spent two and a half hours driving around trying to get to his duty station and drove on an underpass, according to police chief Art Acevedo.
His body was recovered early on Tuesday.
Sergeant Steve Perez, 60, who drowned on his way to work / REUTERS
Exhausted and drenched in filthy floodwater, volunteers and rescue workers are scrambling to save victims in the aftermath of the storm.
Officials said at least 9,000 to 10,000 people have been rescued in the Houston region. Up to 30,000 people are believed to be in need of emergency shelter and authorities are receiving more than 1,000 calls an hour for help.
On Tuesday night, the death toll rose to 18 after the Harris County, Texas, forensic office confirmed three more fatalities.
They include an 89-year-old woman, Agnes Stanley, who was found floating in floodwater in a home, and a 76-year-old woman who was found floating in floodwater near a vehicle. Her name was not released.
Devastation: floodwaters after Storm Harvey / AP
A 45-year-old man, Travis Lynn Callihan, left his vehicle and fell into floodwaters, and was taken to hospital, where he died on Monday.
Family members and authorities have reported at least 18 deaths, although the bodies of some victims apparently swept away in the floodwaters have not yet been found.
They are feared to include six members of a family who were in a van that sank into Greens Bayou on Sunday.
Hurricane Harvey seen approaching Texas from space
Samuel Saldivar was the only survivor, found clinging to a tree with water up to his neck by two Harris County Sheriff's deputies.
He was distraught and in tears, describing what had happened to the van carrying his elderly parents and his brother's grandchildren, aged six to 16, a relative said.
Beaumont police said they had recovered the body of a woman from floodwaters on Tuesday night. Her young daughter, who was clinging to her mother, is being treated in hospital.
US President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday in the wake of the devastating storm and said he wants to provide better than ever recovery efforts.
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive in Corpus Christi. / AFP/Getty Images
The US leader and First Lady Melania arrived in the crisis-hit state in the late morning as officials struggled to cope with the fourth day of the deluge and refuge centres were full to capacity of homeless families.
The couple arrived in coastal town Corpus Christi for briefings on the federal governments response to the storm, which is expected to become the worst rainstorm in US history.
Donald Trump praises Texas' Emergency Services in wake of Hurricane Harvey
It is the first major natural disaster since President Trump took office in January and many commentators say it is a chance for the leader to make a show of his administrations emergency response.
Evacuee Edward Jones, 11, holds his step-brother Mickel Duane Batts at the Lakewood Church in Houston / AP
The former businessman met with Texas governor Greg Abbott and senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn in front of members of the public who had gathered to greet him.
"What a crowd. What a turnout," President Trump said.
"This is historic. It's epic what happened, but you know what, it happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything."
Category four hurricane Harvey the fiercest to hit Texas in more than 50 years was downgraded to a tropical storm after reaching land over the weekend.
Flooded cars near the Addicks Reservoir are shown as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise / AP
It led to mass evacuations and left much of the city of Houston home to 6.8 million people underwater.
The tropical storm is due to make landfall again on Wednesday but it is Louisiana that is expected to bear the brunt.
It is expected to strike the Texas-Louisiana border before continuing to batter Louisiana through the later part of the week.
A number of tornadoes are also forecast.
Residents of Louisianas Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and New Orleans have been warned to expect extreme weather in the coming days.
T heresa May has said China must do more to stop North Koreas outrageous missile strikes, and refused to rule out British military action against the rogue state.
The Prime Minister insisted the UK would be doubling its efforts to put pressure on dictator Kim Jong-un to stop the missile tests as she arrived in Japan for a state visit.
She landed just 36 hours after Pyongyang fired a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which landed in the Pacific Ocean.
Mrs May has gone ahead with the visit, which will focus on trade and security, despite the growing tensions between Western countries and the rogue state.
Theresa May is greeted by dignitaries as she arrives in Japan / Getty Images
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Monday's missile strike an unprecedented threat while US President Donald Trump called it an act of "contempt".
On arriving in Kyoto, Mrs May said: "We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think that they are significant actions of provocation.
"I think it is outrageous. That's why will be working with our international partners, as we have done previously, but we will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities."
Pedestrians in Japan watch the news on a huge screen displaying the path of the North Korean missile / AFP/Getty Images
She went on: "China has a key role to play here in terms of the pressure they can bring on North Korea.
Kim Jong-un's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were already on the agenda for the three-day visit, which begins in Kyoto.
Mrs May will attend a meeting of the Japanese National Security Council on Thursday, with former Australian premier Tony Abbott the only other foreign leader to have been given the honour.
The Prime Minister refused to rule out future British military action against North Korea or cyber warfare after being quizzed by reporters four times on the issue.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / REUTERS
Mrs May said: "I think what I have made clear is what the UK is looking at and what the UK doing and that is looking at pressure on North Korea, which is discussions about further sanctions and it's about the sort of change that China can bring. I think they are a key player in this."
As well as talks with Japanese counterpart Mr Abe on boosting security and defence co-operation, Mrs May will be pushing for progress on an "ambitious" trade deal ready for when the UK quits the European Union.
The PM wants to use the trade agreement being finalised between the EU and Japan as the basis for a future pact with the Britain.
She will attempt to reassure Japanese businesses that the UK will not fall off a cliff-edge when it quits the EU.
Mrs May said: "When we leave the European Union, there's obviously a number of trade deals that the EU has with other countries and we are looking the possibility of those being able to be brought over into trade deals with the United Kingdom."
A 15-strong delegation of UK business leaders, along with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox are flying out for the visit and will attend the UK Japan business forum in central Tokyo, where the PM will make a speech.
B aking the perfect Victoria sponge might seem like a piece of cake when youre watching Mary Berry, but some of us need a helping hand when it comes to baking.
Whether youre a beginner who wants to master the basics or an advanced pastry maker looking for some adventurous recipes, there's a cookbook for every skill level.
We select 10 of the best in time for the eighth series of the Great British Bake Off.
1. Raw Cake: 100 Beautiful, Nutritious and Indulgent Raw Sweets, Treats and Elixirs by The Hardihood
Guilt-free baking is made easy with the Hardihood girls, Daisy and Leah. Well known to Londons raw baking scene, the confectionary makers present a whopping 100 recipes free from refined sugar, dairy and gluten. From pistachio donuts to toffee cacao cheesecake, each treat is packed with natural ingredients that not only taste delightful, but will also make you feel good on the inside. If youve always been intimidated by vegan cooking, then this is a good place to start.
11.89, Amazon, Buy it now
2. Lola's: A Cake Journey around the World by Julia Head
With multiple stores and kiosks across the capital, Lolas is popular among Londoners for its fashionable cupcakes. The master bakers behind the delectable treats have dished up more than 80 recipes for showstopping cakes from across the globe. Featuring bakes to tickle every fancy, the recipes are categorised by continent and include European classics like the Victoria Sponge, a dreamy Middle Eastern-inspired Turkish Delight Cake and an exotic Burmese Mango Cake from Asia.
18.99, WHSmith, Buy it now
3. Healthy Baking: Nourishing Breads, Wholesome Cakes, Ancient Grains and Bubbling Ferments by Jordan Bourke
London-based chef and food writer, Jordan Bourke, presents this colourful read packed with simple clean eating recipes. Its chapters cover a range of bakes and methods including how to cook with ferments and ancient grains, a guide to making whole baked vegetables and how to turn your bakes into a meal. From sourdough bread to a fruity buckwheat crumble, the recipes utilise natural ingredients and include options for gluten and dairy-free bakers.
16.59, Amazon, Pre-order now
4. Bake: 125 Show-Stopping Recipes, Made Simple by Lorraine Pascale
With four bestselling cookbooks under her belt, baker and TV chef Lorraine Pascale has a knack for sweet and savoury baking. In her latest offering, she shows how to take your skills to new heights with 125 tempting recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Expect interesting ways to bring new life to teatime favourites, such as Eclairs with Espresso and Hazelnut Cream and Lemon and Pistachio Drizzle Loaf.
8, Amazon, Pre-order now
5. Maggie Austin Cake: Artistry and Technique
If intricate cake designs are your thing, then Maggie Austins stunning debut is for you. The couture cake designer, who has served the likes of the Obamas and royalty across the globe, reveals simplified methods for achieving her picture-perfect bakes, including a guide to delicate floral embroidery and decorating with pearls. Gorgeous images show each technique step-by-step, while tips and useful information is strewed throughout so its a safe bet for amateur bakers.
22.19, Amazon, Buy it now
6. Tanya Bakes by Tanya Burr
Tanya Burr might be known her incredible beauty skills and popular cosmetics line, but she also knows a thing or two about baking. From her nannys apple pie to the ultimate celebration cake, the makeup artists debut cookbook is packed with the perfect fixes for sweet cravings.
12.78, Wordery, Buy it now
7. Paul Hollywood The Weekend Baker
Cultural cakes, anyone? The latest offering from celebrity chef and dead-pan style Bake Off judge, Paul Hollywood, features sweet and savoury recipes which range from easy to tricky discovered during his trips to 10 different cities including New York, Paris and Copenhagen. Think Polish cheesecake and cherry and cheese scones.
10, Amazon, Buy it now
8. The Cardamom Trail: Chetna Bakes with Flavours of the East by Chetna Makan
Want to spice up your baking? The first cookbook from Chetna Makan, semi-finalist of Great British Bake Off 2014 and presenter of Chetna Bakes, shows you how to put an Indian twist on traditional recipes, with scrummy desserts like Strawberry Pudding flavoured with cinnamon and mango. Ideal for experienced bakers.
5.99, Amazon, Buy it now
9. Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding by Justin Gellatly
For those choosing their very first baking book, this one is a safe bet. In his wonderfully designed cookbook, Justin Gellatly, owner of Bread Ahead bakery, puts a tasty twist on traditional sweet and savoury snacks and also includes his famous cream-filled doughnuts.
19.99, Amazon, Buy it now
10. Twist: Creative Ideas to Reinvent Your Baking by Martha Collison
If youve mastered the basics and are ready to be adventurous with your baking, then look no further than Martha Collinsons Twist. The youngest ever Bake Off contender from the shows 2014 series brings a helpful guide to transforming simple bakes into wild and wonderful treats. The Pink Grapefruit Drizzle Cake is just the ticket for impressing guests.
5.99, Amazon, Buy it now
VERDICT: If youre a beginner looking for something to kick-start your baking, then you cant go wrong with the easy-to-follow recipes in Tanya Burrs Tanya Bakes. Skilled bakers looking to switch up their game can delve into the different baking cultures featured in Paul Hollywoods The Weekend Baker.
L ove Islands Kem Cetinay made a brave or slightly silly pledge live on Good Morning Britain.
The 21-year-old promised to strip naked and run through the streets of London if his debut single fails to make the UK Top 10.
Cetinay was on the ITV breakfast show with girlfriend Amber Davies to report on the latest showbiz news, when talk turned to his music career.
Ranvir Singh asked: Didnt you say youre coming out with a rap? Is this what youre going to do head for another reality show?
Cetinay, who is teaming up for a show with fellow Love Islander Chris Hughes, replied: I cant say what mine and Chris show is about. It might be about rap. If we bring out a song and its not Top Ten, I will run down the streets of London naked.
Davies replied: I will actually bet with you live right now.
Clearly confident that he can come close to topping the charts, Cetinay shook Davies hand, to which she replied: Done.
But he was less confident when it came to playing The Chase live on air.
Cetinay and Davies were left red-faced after they failed to correctly answer a question about where Love Island was filmed.
The loved up couple guessed the Canary Islands, only to be branded idiots by Richard Madeley who informed them that they spent the summer in Majorca, which is one of the Balearic Islands.
Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures 1 /16 Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood Rex Features Chris Hughes, Olivia Attwood, Kem Cetinay, Amber Davies, Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Kem Cetinay surrounded by friends and family at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Rex Features Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes returning home Rex Features Chloe Crowhurst Rex Features Gabrielle Allen at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Gabrielle Allen and Ethan Allen Rex Features
Good Morning Britain is on ITV weekdays at 6am.
The popular baking series kicked off with the new broadcaster on Tuesday night, and despite a mostly positive reaction it failed to compete with previous figures.
The new series averaged 6.5 million compared to the 2016 launch which was watched by 10.4 million.
Some 5.8 million people watched live, while an additional 0.7 million tuned in on Channel 4+1.Figures for those who watch the show on the network's catch-up service All 4 have not been released.
Twitter reacts to the return of the Great British Bake Off
It marked the shows lowest launch figure for four years, but is higher than when the show was on BBC Two.
But Channel 4 bosses are celebrating after previously revealing that the show only needed three million to break even on its 75m deal to buy the show.
Jay Hunt, creative chief of the broadcaster, last week told the Edinburgh international TV festival that she would be delighted to eclipse that figure.
If it gets five, six, seven [million] I would be absolutely delighted, Hunt said. This show breaks even at around 3 million, so anything north of that would be fantastic.
Great British Bake Off trailer released
Speaking after last nights premiere, she said: The Great British Bake Offs audience last night proves its still one of the countrys favourite shows.
I am delighted millions watched the new team put 12 magnificent bakers through their paces. Its the largest share of young audiences weve had for a show for over a decade.
Last years final, which saw Candice Brown crowned champion, peaked at 14.8 million viewers. Channel 4s highest ever audience is 13.8 million, for the drama series A Woman of Substance in 1985.
Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig made their debut as hosts after taking over the reins from Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc while Prue Leith replaced Mary Berry as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood.
The new series was praised by Brown, who said show bosses had absolutely smashed it.
The Great British Bake Off 2017 - The Contestants 1 /17 The Great British Bake Off 2017 - The Contestants Meet the line-up Prue Leigh and Paul Hollywood will judge this year's batch of hopefuls Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4 Television/PA Wire Kate, 29, from Merseyside A health and safety inspector from Merseyside, Kate also dabbles in blacksmithing, furniture restoration and yoga. She also loves the outdoors. When she's indoors though, indulging in her love of baking, she is a fan of "old-fashioned" baking techniques. She taught herself to bake when she began to grow her own vegetables two years ago PA Sophie, 33, from Surrey A former Officer in the Royal Artillery, Sophie did not discover her talent for baking until she volunteered to make a friend's birthday cake. The psychology graduate, who lives in Surrey with her boyfriend and a cat named Loki, has also developed a passion for patisserie. When she is not baking, Sophie enjoys track cycling, rowing, teaching military boot camps and is also training to be a stuntwoman. PA Flo, 71, from Merseyside Flo is retired and the oldest amateur contestant to appear on Bake Off to date. She was one of 11 children and was raised in Huyton, Liverpool. She met her late husband Richard when she was 21 years old and working at a sausage factory. Following Richard's death two years ago, her son Stephen encouraged her to take up baking. She bakes treats for his restaurant when she's not baking for the family - or 'having a boogie' with friends. PA Peter, 52, from Essex Born in Brixton originally, IT programme manager Peter had a well-travelled youth. He lived in Nigeria from the age of seven and moved back to the United Kingdom when he was 24. He has a wife, Tito and two children - Temi and Toni. He was bitten by the baking bug eight years ago when he started making his own bread. He reckons one of his specialities is making a melt-in-your-mouth Macaron, which is based on a recipe from French pastry maestro Pierre Hermes. When he's not kneading dough he loves running on the beach, spinning, playing chess and badminton PA Tom, 29, from Edinburgh Architect Tom lives in Edinburgh with his partner David, where he can often be found making fresh shortbread for family and friends. Baking has always been a huge part of family life for Tom and his siblings, who were taught to bake by their mother, a home economics teacher. The family cherishes recipe books passed down by grandparents from both sides of the family PA Steven, 34, from Hertfordshire Despite having a background in marketing, Steven's heart lies in the kitchen. His mum, Judi, has been his cooking mentor. He cooks and bakes all of his own food and has lost an impressive five stone thanks to his own home-cooking. He likes putting a twist on recipes from his mum's old cookbooks PA James, 46, from Essex James describes himself as a bald, baking banker - but his friends say he looks more like a bank robber than a banker. He was taught to bake by his father more than 40 years ago and grows his own fruit and vegetables to incorporate into his recipes. James lives in Essex with his wife Ann, sons Oliver and Ethan and their three chickens: Sparkles, Superman and Jeff PA Chris, 50, from Bristol A software developer who loves the science behind baking and developing quirky flavour combinations. He is a cancer survivor and passionate about helping other people whose lives have been affected by cancer. He is married (his wife's name is Catherine), and he loves sailing, travelling (especially visiting bakeries) and writing PA Stacey, 42, from Hertfordshire Former school teacher Stacey has fond memories of helping her grandmother make bread and butter pudding when she was a little girl, but it was during university that she really started to bake seriously. Stacey likes to incorporate her Jewish heritage into her baking, with a traditional homemade Challah with every Friday night dinner PA Julia, 32, from West Sussex Julia has spent three years honing her baking prowess so she could enter Bake Off. She is originally from Kemerovo, Siberia. She met her husband Matt while on holiday in Turkey as a 17-year-old. PA Liam, 19, from North London Hackney-born Liam has been baking for four years and is fondly known as the 'Cake Boy' amongst his university friends. He believes that baking is a universal language that can bring people together from all walks of life, and he wants to make it acceptable amongst his peers and the younger generation PA Yan, 46, from North London Hong Kong-born Yan moved to the UK with her family when she was two. She started to bake seriously 10 years ago when she found herself in between 24 hour shifts, working as a molecular biologist for the NHS. Currently working as a laboratory research scientist, Yan now lives in north London with her wife, Marian and cat Kacey. PA
Great British Bake Off is on Channel 4, Tuesday at 8pm.
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While India has already made arrangements to build British developed M777 155mm howitzers it still has an Indian firm seeking to build a new one based on the Swedish Bofors howitzers that were imported in the 1980s. The Indian version, called Dhanush is a towed 155mm howitzer with a longer barrel (and longer range) than the Bofors design. Three prototypes were turned over to the army for tests in July and failed. The Indian OFB (Ordnance Factories Board) built the prototypes and has a contract for producing 114 of them with the first 18 to be delivered by the end of 2017. But that only happens of the Dhanush passes acceptance tests by the army and it is common for OFB built weapons and ammunition to fail, often repeatedly.
The state owned Ordnance Factories Board has long had for producing weapons ammunition. In 2016 that began to change. There are several sound reasons for the change. Civilian firms have long demonstrated that weapons and ammo can be made cheaper, of higher quality and faster if state owned manufacturing is not involved. But the OFB has more powerful allies in the government than any foreign supplier, no matter how superior their product may be.
The OFB began in 1775 as part of the British East India Company (which colonized, unified and industrialized India) which sought to create a local source of gunpowder and other munitions while also controlling who had access to it. When British India became independent in 1947 it inherited the OFB, along with a nationwide bureaucracy, a common language (English) for government and commerce and a preference for socialism (in the form of state controlled monopolies). Britain got rid of its state owned firms in the 1980s and India, for much the same reasons, followed suit in the 1990s. But there was one major difference in India and that was the long established use of government jobs as a form of patronage (to help get elected). This exists in many other democracies but India had a particularly nasty addiction to this sort of thing. Thus Indian primary education is still a shambles (because teaching jobs often go to incompetent or non-existent people) and state owned defense industries were perpetually overstaffed and inefficient.
The OFB is knew it was facing local competition for building 155mm howitzers. In 2016 an Indian firm (Mahindra) and BAE (a major British arms manufacturer) agreed to jointly produce 145 M777 howitzers for the Indian Army. It was only in mid-2015 that India and BAE finally settled all their contract differences and confirmed the M777 sale. One of the conditions was BAE finding an Indian firm to assemble the howitzers in India. The Mahindra M777 facility will begin production in late 2018 and will probably get their M777 howitzers to the Indian army before the OFB delivers usable Dhanush howitzers.
India first approached BAE about buying the M777 in early 2010. Selling weapons to India is a very complicated process, made more complex since 2006 because of an escalating Indian crackdown in corruption in weapons procurement. Thus Indian procurement bureaucrats became even more troublesome and obstinate than usual. The M777 deal was almost completed in 2013 but more problems kept showing up. The army was determined to get these howitzers and made a major effort to deal with the obstacles. This sale went through the BAE American subsidiary, which because of its size, ownership and track record basically operates as an American defense firm.
With this purchase India was joining the United States, Canada and Australia in using the M777 towed 155mm howitzer. India is buying the lightweight (3.4 ton) M777 howitzers for about $5 million each. India is particularly attracted by the fact that the M777 can be moved slung under a helicopter, and thus quickly moved to inaccessible areas near the Pakistani and Chinese borders.
The M777 is a British design and, at four tons (for the standard version), is the lightest 155mm towed howitzer ever fielded. M777 fire control is handled by computerized system that allows faster response time and more accurate shooting. The M777 can use all current 155mm ammunition, including the Swedish/American Excalibur GPS guided shell. The guided round cuts ammo use enormously. India already uses a similar Russian guided shell called Krasnopol. The helicopter is the preferred method of moving the M777 across rough terrain. An M777 on a mountain top, with a few dozen Excalibur or Krasnopol rounds, provides precision fire support for troops within a 30-40 kilometer radius. Indian land borders are largely mountainous, and difficult to reach by land routes, especially for artillery that could not be flown in. The M-777 changes that.
The M777 is also the first new artillery for the Indian Army since the late 1980s. Currently most Indian artillery is either obsolete or soon to be. All these guns are also quite worn and less reliable as a result. Decades of pleas to parliament to speed up acquisition of new weapons. Until 2010 nothing much happened, but since then public pressure and the rapidly deteriorating (and publicized) state of Indian artillery led to some action.
The Dhanush howitzer is apparently inferior in every way to the M777, but the Dhanush is of more value to the Indian procurement bureaucracy and that counts for a lot even in the 21st century.
Most of those fighting in Yemen since 2011 have quietly (as possible) admitted that victory is neither affordable nor attainable. The signs are increasingly visible. For example in the capital Sanaa Shia rebels deny they had placed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh under house arrest and that Saleh and Shia tribal leaders have worked out disagreements that caused tensions and occasional violence. Forces loyal to Saleh had clashed with Shia rebel tribesmen for nearly a week in Sanaa before and the after of the annual meeting of Saleh supporters.
The Shia tribesmen from north of the capital accused Saleh and members of his GPC (General People's Congress) political party of seeking to make a separate peace deal with the national government and their Arab coalition backers. That would be in character for Saleh, a Shia politician long popular because he had cultivated allies from among the many tribes, both Shia and Sunni. That coalition fell apart in 2011 and degenerated into a civil war that brought in Arab coalition troops and warplanes after the rebel Shia tribes took control of the capital in early 2015.
Iranian backing for the Shia rebels makes things worse because this turned the Yemen mess into part of the Iranian effort to make Shia Islam supreme in the Moslem world. So the Yemeni civil war became more than an effort to reduce corruption and settle disagreements over who gets what. The rebels have stalemated the better armed and more numerous government and coalition forces but are nevertheless losing. Most Yemenis agree that the Iranian support has kept the rebels going longer than they would have lasted otherwise. Despite the Iranian aid the rebels appear to most everyone (except the hard core rebels) as fading and should be looking for a peaceful way out.
Former president Saleh helped make the Shia tribes (who have been troublesome for centuries) more of a threat than usual by secretly making an alliance with them. Saleh is a Shia who ran Yemen from the early 1980s until 2011 by brokering deals between all the factions and often doing so in secret. He took a cut but for decades even the most demanding tribes went along because what Saleh was doing was preferable to anarchy. Then came 2011 and the Arab Spring uprisings. Saleh proved adroit in dealing with this and resigned with an amnesty deal. But rather than retire he secretly arranged for his old allies in the military and many Shia and Sunni Yemeni tribes to effectively oppose and overthrow the elected government that succeeded him (and is now kept alive by the Arab coalition). Saleh also had contacts among Sunni Islamic terrorist groups that were surviving in Yemen because of Salehs willingness to make deals with anyone. That included Iran. All this was understandable (if not acceptable in this case) to his Arab neighbors but Westerners (especially the Americans) found it incomprehensible. It wasnt, it was just the way things are done in this part of the world. That is the main reason this region is so backward and ravaged by violence and corruption but thats another issue.
Earlier in August Saleh has been heard openly disparaging the Shia tribal rebels as a militia and unfit to rule Yemen. At least thats what a lot of Shia tribal rebels believe and many non-Shia heard about these sentiments from non-Shia Saleh followers. Members of the GPC believe Saleh was simply trying to negotiate an end to more than two years of heavy fighting, a growing death toll and massive disruption of the economy. The Shia tribal rebels consider the Saleh approach a betrayal because many of those Shia tribesmen believe that Iranian support will at least enable the Shia tribes to force the government and the Arab coalition to negotiate a peace deal the Shia tribes can live with. The problem here is that Saleh has lost the trust of his tribal allies.
Meanwhile pre-existing problems (overpopulation, water shortages, corruption) and all the unrest since 2011 have left Yemen broke, disorganized and desperate. In early 2015 the rebels controlled at least half the population and about the same portion of GDP and that helped keep them going. Most importantly they took control of the capital and most government ministries in late 2014 with the help of Saleh and the GPC. Saleh had been in touch with the Shia tribes after he resigned in 2012 and negotiated a secret alliance to overthrow the elected government that replaced him. Thats what triggered the Saudi led intervention in early 2015 and widespread fighting and the eventual inability of the government to function.
The 2015 intervention crippled the Shia use of what little oil Yemen produced. That was because exported oil accounted for about 70 percent of pre-2011 government income. By early 2016 the rebels had lost the local oil income and despite scrounging up other sources of income the government budget was cut by more than half and the rebels could no longer pay for essentials, like salaries for the million Yemenis who were government employees in areas they controlled. Continuing to pay these civil servants bought loyalty, or at least less willingness to fight. The Shia rebels were also popular with many non-Shia Yemenis because these rebels were serious about doing something about the corruption. But that did not stop the Saudi backed elected Yemeni government from move the Central Bank from Sanaa to Aden in late 2016 and appoint a new pro-Saudi official to run it. This move was possible because the rebels had lost so many income sources that foreign banks and most of the Yemeni economy saw it in their best interest to support the move. That explains the declining popular support for the rebels, who justified their actions as part of an effort to deal with the corruption and government mismanagement that had already ruined the economy by 2011. In areas they control the rebels were not able to pay salaries for government workers after September. To make matters worse some of the rebels went around trying to collect taxes from businesses and wealthy families in areas they controlled and while that brought in some cash (who would say no to a bunch of armed men?) the money did not all go to pay the local government workers. The rebels were getting enough additional cash from Iran to keep them going but not enough to pay all their government workers. Iran always treated Yemen like a low-cost effort because the Iranians considered it a longshot that the Saudis and their local (other Arab oil states) and for foreign allies (mainly the West) would tolerate a pro-Iran government in Yemen. Not all the Shia rebels believed that in 2015, now most do, whether they like it or not.
Perhaps the final blow to the rebels came in April when living conditions in Saana declined to the point that there was an outbreak of cholera (that is spread by infected water and food). The disease spread from the capital and intensified. So far it has killed over 2,000 people and infected over half a million. This is all because the rebels have not put a priority on maintaining the quality of the water supply. Iran blames the people fighting the rebels, especially Saudi Arabia. But the main problem is the corruption. Aid groups complain that they have to divert money from buying and importing food to medical supplies in order to deal with the cholera outbreak. Asking donor states (and private foundations or individuals) for more money doesnt work when the destination is a place like Yemen. Because of the Internet donors can more easily exchange information on the success or failure of their efforts. Yemen most frequently comes up on the losing side because of the rampant corruption and banditry.
Logistics
The Shia rebels are largely confined to using the Red Sea port of Hodeida for legitimate imports and a lot of smuggled items. This has been the main port for the delivery of foreign aid for civilians in rebel held areas and, in theory, government controlled areas. The UN is forcing the rebels to allow the UN to police the port and basically control the smuggling and diversion of foreign aid the rebels have been engaged in. Evidence of rebel theft of foreign aid and depriving civilians of essential supplies is piling up and has become difficult to ignore.
Government forces have captured most of the coastal areas as well as closing in on Hodeida. That makes it more difficult for the rebels to smuggle in military supplies any other way except through Hodeida. For months the UN has been pressing the Shia rebels to peacefully give up control of Hodeida but the rebels have refused to consider this. Even proposals that Hodeida be turned over to a neutral third party are turned down. This is not a matter of trust, its a matter of survival for the rebels. In part this is because of the smuggling. The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. The rebels are putting up a strong defense around Hodeida and that slows down the advance but cannot stop it. As long as the rebels hold onto Hodeida and Iran still has powerful allies in the UN (mainly Russia and China, who can veto some measures) the smuggling can continue as can the use of food to control civilian populations that are hostile to the rebels. But Iran is losing UN support for what is going on in Yemen with Russia or China no longer ready to veto anything the Iranians dont like.
The Air Campaign Scares Iran
UN analysts estimate there have been a lot more airstrikes in Yemen this year. During the first six months of 2017 there were about 5,600 compared to 3,900 for all of 2016. The means about 30 airstrikes a day so far in 2017 compared to about eleven a day during 2016. Nearly all those airstrikes were carried out by Arab coalition forces, usually with smart bombs and guided missiles. This reduced civilian casualties but did not eliminate them because the rebels and Islamic terrorists (the two primary targets) often operated in populated areas. Iran played this up in the media and that had some impact.
By late 2016 the American government was threatening to halt shipments of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia because of the bad publicity the Arab Coalition aircraft were getting (with the help of Iranian media experts) for the civilian casualties caused by the airstrikes. The U.S. was trying to placate domestic and foreign critics of the Saudi ROE (Rules of Engagement) in Yemen. The Saudis apologized to the Americans for the civilian casualties in Yemen but did not modify their ROE to reduce such deaths. Iranian publicists and diplomats have successfully played down the Yemeni rebel practices of deliberately using civilians as human shields. Since the Arab coalition entered the Yemen civil war in early 2015 both sides have accused the other of deliberately attacking civilians. The government forces (and their Arab allies) accuse the rebels of storing weapons and housing troops in buildings also used by civilians. The Arab warplanes are using smart bombs and missiles to minimize civilian casualties (compared to previous wars) but will still attack rebel forces who are using civilians as human shields.
The Arabs are not as concerned about killing human shields as Western nations and believe that this encourages civilians to avoid being used as human shields. Perhaps, but a lot of civilians are getting hurt. Saudi Arabia has its lobbyists and diplomats in the West and at the UN working overtime to deal with accusations, especially those sponsored by Iran, that the Saudi led Arab coalition air attacks in Yemen has caused over 60 percent of the civilian deaths.
The Iranians have also been promoting accusations (mostly false) that Arab forces and their tribal allies are interfering with foreign aid efforts for desperately hungry or sick Yemeni civilians. Iran has been less successful defending the Shia rebels from all sorts of misbehavior accusations. When there is a war between Shia and Sunni things tend to get ugly. It is no secret that Arabs tend to be brutal when fighting each other and regularly treat civilians badly. The Saudis and other Arab states prefer to keep this out of Western media while continuing to operate as they always have. Western governments, although not most Western media, usually cooperate as best they can about Yemen by looking the other way. But a lot of unsavory local practices are getting unwelcome international publicity.
In response to this American ban the Saudis let the Americans know that Russian and Chinese firms were ready to supply smart bombs and other high-tech gear. While Russia and China are also cooperating with Iran, they are doing it for reasons that have nothing to do with Yemen or the animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Israel is also a potential supplier of high-tech weapons but that would create more political problems for the Saudis. At the same time the Saudis knew that the American president who halted the shipment of the smart bombs would be gone by January 2oth and replaced with a new one who had different attitudes towards the Middle East. At the same time most Western governments support the Saudi effort in Yemen, even if many wish there were fewer civilian casualties. In the United States, for example, the State Department had approved the smart bomb shipment the outgoing U.S. president halted. Meanwhile the first of 84 F-15SA fighter bombers Saudi ordered from the U.S. in 2011 arrived in Saudi Arabia. Older Saudi F-15s are doing much of the bombing in Yemen.
One thing the Iranians dont like to discuss openly is the fact that the Arab air forces have demonstrated they can indeed use all this high-tech weaponry effectively. Not just the modern warplanes using smart bombs but also the anti-aircraft systems that regularly shoot down ballistic missiles fired by the Shia rebels. The Arabs now have a lot more combat experience with these modern weapons than do the Iranians. Actually the Iranians have few modern warplanes or smart bombs at all and are eager to obtain them now that most sanctions have been lifted.
August 26, 2017: In Sanaa there were some gun battles between supporters of former president Saleh. Several people on both sides were killed or wounded. Total casualties were eventually twenty or more but apparently there were a few as three killed. Leaders of GPC and the Shia tribes openly sought to calm their followers and sought ways to deal with such an obvious weakening of the rebel coalition.
August 25, 2017: In the south, about 30 kilometers off the coast an American UH-60 helicopter went down during a training flight. Five of the six people on board were rescued. The U.S. has a few hundred special operations troops in Yemen and help from more American forces stationed in the Persian Gulf and across the Gulf of Aden in Djibouti. The U.S. forces in Yemen are mainly to go after Islamic terrorists, which benefits everyone, even the Shia rebels. The American try to stay out of the way.
August 24, 2017: In Sanaa supporters of former president Saleh held their annual mass rally to honor him and the GPC (the political party Saleh led to victory 35 years ago). Many Shia tribal rebels manned the checkpoints Saleh supporters passed as they entered the city for the event. Many of the Saleh supporters were more loyal to the GPC than the Iran backed Shia tribesmen and that was more obvious this year.
August 22, 2017: In Sanaa the Shia tribal rebels who control the city declared an emergency and banned partisan activities. This ban was directed at the GPC which was gathering for a mass demonstration to honor the GPC leader, former president and Shia rebel ally Ali Abdullah Saleh. Both the Shia rebels and Saleh followers have armed men in Sanaa but the Shia rebels have more and technically control the city.
August 20, 2017: Abdul Malek Al Houthi, the leader of the Shia tribal rebels gave a televised speech in which he openly criticized the GPC and former president Saleh. The speech described Saleh as a deceiver and seeking to exploit the Shia tribal rebels for his own benefit. The rebel leader reminded everyone that the main reason for the rebellion was to force Yemen to do something about the crippling corruption. Saleh was always a symbol of that corruption in action but he was a Shia and came to the rebellious tribes at a time when both the rebels and the GPC needed allies.
August 15, 2017: Yemenis reacted optimistically to the prospect of the Saudi-led coalition withdrawing. This came after it was revealed from leaked emails that senior Saudis were discouraged with their efforts in Yemen.
August 14, 2017: Hackers obtained emails from the UAE ambassador to the United States and released another batch of them today in which they indicate the new (since June 2017) Saudi crown prince considers the war in Yemen a failure and more of a burden to Saudi Arabia than to Iran. The crown prince is Mohammed bin Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud (or MBS as he is called), the young (born 1985) son of the current king of Saudi Arabia. MBS is seen as one of the brightest (he has a degree in law) of the top Saudi royals. In addition to being the crown prince he was, in January 2016, appointed the youngest Minister of Defense ever. MBS is ambitious and has proved himself capable to handling the Saudi bureaucracy. Since 2014 he has been working on a plan to move Saudi Arabia away from dependence on oil income. In April 2016 he announced that his plan has been accepted and he will implement it. MBS considers this economic plan more important than what is happening in Yemen. The UAE ambassador apparently agreed with that assessment and the need for the Saudis to reform their economy.
August 8, 2017: In the south (Abyan province) Islamic terrorists used a car bomb to kill three soldiers and wound nine of them outside the town of Loder (150 kilometers northeast of Zinjibar, the provincial capital). Islamic terrorist activity in Zinjibar, Loder and much of Abyan has been intense since 2011. Al Qaeda and anti-government tribesmen have been fighting government forces and, increasingly, local tribesmen who turned against the Islamic radicals in order to get food aid trucks and other supplies through to civilians. Islamic terrorists from al Qaeda and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) have been less active in the area since last year because of more counter-terrorism activity by the United States and the Arab coalition. Those operations have driven Islamic terrorists out of key areas like ports and oil production facilities thereby reducing access to cash, supplies and foreign recruits.
A Whakatane home school student with an ambitious project has taken out top honours in this years Bay of Plenty Regional Science and Technology Fair.
Wasted Watts, is the name of the winning project by Year 9 student Elizabeth Howells, which aimed to justify the need to build a new hydroelectric plant planned for the Waitaha River on the West Coast of the South Island.
In her research, Elizabeth investigated whether it was possible to save enough power from unplugging fully charged items in individual households.
She measured the power used by a number of items in her home and then carried out a survey of 100 households to determine how much electricity could be saved if all New Zealand households unplugged fully charged items.
Her conclusion showed that even with full compliance, the energy conservation would not be enough to warrant not building the new plant.
Elizabeth says has plans to study astronautical engineering.
"I want to be an astronaut. Ive wanted to be one for many years, but its only recently Ive started telling people, says Elizabeth.
It was after we visited the Air and Space Museum in Washington last year and that made me realise I really wanted to do it and I started saying it."
As well as winning Best in Fair, Elizabeth also took out the DOC Conservation Science Award and Junior Secondary Science Award.
The runner up award went to Kieran Butler of Awakeri School for a project he called Handy Hygiene.
Runner-up Best in Fair, Kieran Butler. Credit: Tracey Burton
Kieran wanted to develop a fun way to encourage children to wash their hands for the full 20 seconds that is recommended for successful hand washing.
He altered an existing soap recipe to create a bath bomb type experience that fizzed and bubbled as children washed their hands and trialled this at day care centres.
NIWA scientist Tracey Burton, who plays a lead role in the six NIWA-sponsored fairs each year, says the Bay of Plenty entries were impressive with some truly new solutions to classic problems.
But just as impressive was the obvious passion that was shown for the research topics, she says.
Its great to think that these young people are bringing critical thinking to things that are relevant to them personally and to the world around them. The standard was incredibly high.
Uber has confirmed the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi as its new CEO. Reports that the former Expedia boss had accepted the role surfaced earlier this week. Now, the ride-hailing giant has made it official, and will no doubt hope its new leader can bring stability to the company.
Khosrowshahi was raised in Tarrytown, New York, having fled Iran with his family on the eve of the Iranian revolution when he was nine. He trained as an engineer at Brown before eventually becoming Chief Financial Officer at IAC (InterActiveCorp). He took over Expedia in 2005 and became the highest-paid CEO in 2015 when the international travel aggregator awarded him a $94.6 million salary for signing a long-term agreement.
"Casting a vote for the next chief executive of Uber was a big moment for me and I couldn't be happier pass the torch to such an inspiring leader," said Travis Kalanick, who stepped down as Uber CEO in June after investors demanded his resignation.
For a long time, it seemed as if the Uber job would go to Meg Whitman. The Hewlett Packard Enterprises CEO last month denied she was in the running, but admits Uber approached her over the weekend.
(3/3) We have a lot of work still to do at HPE and I am not going anywhere. Uber's CEO will not be Meg Whitman. --- Meg Whitman (@MegWhitman) July 28, 2017
"They asked what it would take for me to change my mind," she told the Financial Times. "I was not a contender for this job until the weekend --- and I'm not even sure I was then."
Repairing Uber's tarnished reputation will be a tough job for Khosrowshah. In the months before its CEO stepped down, it had to deal with with sexism claims and the fallout from the resulting investigations, Greyball, the Hell software, a lawsuit over alleged self-driving technology theft, the medical records scandal, and Kalanick's argument with a driver and visit to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar with other Uber executives. Khosrowshah will also have to deal with the many legal cases the company faces.
In a letter to Expedia employees, Khosrowshah admitted that the Uber job won't be easy.
It's quite unusual to find competing products form partnerships, but as reported by the New York Times, rival smart assistants Cortana and Alexa are teaming up to improve the overall consumer experience.
The publication says Microsoft and Amazon decided that instead of working separately, it would be mutually beneficial if the two AIs could access each other's unique skills. The plan is for those using Alexa devices to say "Alexa, open Cortana," to access Microsoft's assistant, while someone using Cortana could speak the command: "Cortana, open Alexa."
"Alexa customers will be able to access Cortana's unique features like booking a meeting or accessing work calendars, reminding you to pick up flowers on your way home, or reading your work email - all using just your voice. Similarly, Cortana customers can ask Alexa to control their smart home devices, shop on Amazon.com, interact with many of the more than 20,000 skills built by third-party developers, and much more," Amazon explains in its press release.
In time, it's hoped that questions will automatically be sent to whichever assistant can best answer them. "In my view of the world, because that would be best for the customer, that's probably what eventually happens," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said.
The surprising partnership has been in the works for some time. Bezos reportedly first suggested the idea of a collaboration to Satya Nadella at Microsoft's CEO Summit in May 2016.
When asked if Google or Apple had been invited to add their respective digital assistants to the effort, Bezos said he hadn't reached out to the companies and didn't know if they would be open to the idea. "I'd welcome it," he said. Nadella seemed equally enthusiastic. "Hopefully, they'll be inspired by it. At least that would be my hope," the Microsoft boss added.
Cortana continues to make its way into more products, including the upcoming Harman Kardon speaker and smart thermostat, while Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo devices remain popular - the Echo Dot was the best-selling item during the recent Amazon Prime Day.
Alexa and Cortana will begin talking to each other later this year
Venezuela condemns this event and maintains its principled position of absolute condemnation of terrorist acts, methods and practices. | Read More
DECATUR, Ill., Aug. 29, 2017 --
Ram supports American farmers with the first truck designed specifically for the agriculture industry
Ram Harvest Edition available in Case IH Red and New Holland Blue
Ram Harvest Edition combines capability, technology and premium appearance
Ram is celebrating its agricultural bonds with a new model designed specifically for America's farm families.
The Ram Harvest Edition is the industry's first agricultural market-specific truck and is visually distinguished by two new colors: Case IH Red and New Holland Blue.
"The Ram Harvest Edition marks the first time that Ram dealers will be able to stock trucks that exactly match the colors of two of the most popular lines of farm equipment in the nation," said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep & Ram Brands FCA Global. "Farmers have been asking for these colors, and Ram is proud to be the first in the industry to be able to offer them. The Ram Harvest Edition truck will allow farm families to get their work done while proudly showing their agricultural brand loyalty."
Case IH and New Holland farm tractors and other agricultural equipment are manufactured by subsidiaries of CNH Industrial. CNH Industrial N.V. shares a common ancestry with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.
The Harvest Edition will be available across the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 lineup, in all four-door Quad, Crew and Mega Cab configurations, all box lengths and all powertrains, including 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 and 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel.
Harvest Edition trucks are loaded with features that are designed to work. Among them, a ride-height increase of one inch and aggressive on/off-road tires on Ram 1500 Harvest Edition trucks are designed to help owners comfortably and confidently navigate rough farm roads and pastures.
Also included in the farm-life essentials are black tubular side steps, a durable spray-in bedliner, fold-out bumper step and mud flaps, rubber floor mats, skid plates and tow hooks (4x4) and heated seats. Ram Heavy Duty models also come with on/off-road tires and add a cargo-view camera.
Because Ram knows farmers are tech savvy, the Harvest Edition comes standard with an 8.4-inch Uconnect 4C touchscreen radio with navigation, 4G Wifi, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, which gives buyers seamless connectivity, fingertip access to smartphone map mirroring, and up-to-the minute weather maps and forecasts customizable to any location in the nation.
The Harvest Edition features a premium exterior appearance packed with bright highlights, including a chrome "Wave Mesh" luxury cross-hair grille, bright front and rear bumpers, 17-inch chrome wheels (1500 models, 18-inch polished aluminum on Heavy Duty models), chrome mirrors, chrome door handles and chrome-tipped dual exhausts (V-8 1500 models).
The Harvest package also includes body-color (or Bright Silver) wheel flares and upper facia (1500). In addition to Case Red and New Holland Blue, Harvest Edition Ram trucks are also available in Bright White and Brilliant Black. Monotone and two-tone with Bright Silver color schemes are available.
Ram 1500 Harvest Edition MSRP starts at $39,910, plus $1,395 destination charge. Ram Heavy Duty models start at $46,235.
Ram Harvest Edition trucks were unveiled today at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, and go on sale in the third quarter of 2017.
About Ram Truck and America's Farmers
Farming continues to be a part of the foundation on which Ram's success is built. Ram stands by its commitment to the farm community, supporting the future of farming and the development of the next generation of farmers and future leaders in agriculture.
From the entry-level Ram 1500 Tradesman work truck to the fully loaded Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn Heavy Duty model, America's longest-lasting pickup truck offers a range of products that appeal to both ag business and farming families.
Ram also provides various affiliate reward programs supporting American agricultural customers including: Case IH and New Holland equipment purchasers, National FFA Organization members, Farmers in America farm owners and Dairy Farmers of America members.
About Ram Certified Agriculture Dealership Program
The Ram Certified Agriculture Dealership program equips dealers to properly address the needs of farmers and ranchers in their local communities.
Agriculture is meaningful to many truck customers and through the Ram Certified Agriculture Dealership program, Ram Truck aims to extend its commitment to the local agricultural community by equipping Ram Truck dealers to properly serve local farmers and ranchers.
RCAD is designed to educate dealership staff and requires that they complete a competency-based grassroots training curriculum which is dedicated to helping Ram truck dealers gain a greater awareness and address the needs of the farming and ranching communities.
Certified Agricultural Dealerships help farmers and ranchers get the right Ram light-duty, heavy-duty and commercial trucks for their needs and help them take advantage of incentives and bonus offers.
With the purchase of every new Ram truck Certified Ag Dealers offer a farm-specific package worth more than $5,300 that includes a discount on Crop Copter Ag Drone products, a voucher toward AgroLiquid Crop Nutrition and a subscription to Agrible's Grower Bundle.
A first-of-its-kind in the industry, this certification lets farm and ranch families know staff at these dealerships have a far deeper understanding of agriculture business and its unique vehicle requirements. It also signals the dealership's commitment to activities like the timing of the cherry harvest, milking schedules and calving season by adjusting parts of its operations to accomodate the demands of every commodity and every season.
To become a Ram Certified Agricultural Dealer, participating dealers are required to select at least three team members to successfully complete a lengthy agriculture literacy curriculum. The programs one each from the parts department, service department and sales so knowledge will be spread across the major segments of the business.
The first Ram CAD dealers were certified in early 2016 and now number nearly 200.
About Ram Truck Brand
Since its launch as a stand-alone division in 2009, the Ram Truck brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with America's longest-lasting line of pickups.
Creating a distinct identity for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on core customers and the features they find valuable. Whether focusing on a family that uses a Ram 1500 day-in and day-out, a hard-working Ram 3500 Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its Ram ProMaster commercial van every day for deliveries, Ram has the truck market covered.
In order to be the best, it takes a commitment to innovation, capability, efficiency and durability. Ram Truck invests substantially in its products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and exclusive features that further enhance their capabilities.
Ram continues to beat the competition in the most sought-after titles:
Longest-lasting line of pickups
Highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup
Highest torque ever 930 lb.-ft. with Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel
Highest 5th wheel towing capacity 30,000 lbs. with Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel
Best ride and handling with exclusive link coil rear and auto-level air suspensions
Best-in-class fuel economy and longest range with exclusive EcoDiesel 29 mpg and 754 miles with Ram 1500
Best-in-class gas towing 16,320 pounds with Ram 2500
Highest snow plow rating Ram 2500 and 3500
Most luxurious trim available in pickups with Ram Tungsten Limited Edition
Most interior space with Ram Mega Cab
Most capable full-size off-road pickup Ram Power Wagon
Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.
Toyoda Gosei to Establish a New Airbag Parts Plant in Vietnam
KIYOSU, JapanToyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. will establish a new plant in Vietnam to meet growing demand for airbags as safety regulations become more stringent in regions around the world.
The new plant will be established as a branch plant of Toyoda Gosei subsidiary Toyoda Gosei Haiphong Co., Ltd. (TGHP), and will start production of airbag parts and steering wheels in July 2019 for export to final airbag assembly plants in Japan, North America, Europe, and other regions. Investment for the new plant will be US$24.6 million and construction will start in March 2018.
Airbags and other safety system products are a key business segment for Toyoda Gosei, and the company is moving to strengthen its production capacities for these products globally. Annual production capacity for these products in Vietnam was 14.5 million airbag parts and 2.2 million steering wheels in FY2016. The company plans to increase this to 23 million airbag parts and 3.2 million steering wheels by FY2023.
Outline of new plant Name Toyoda Gosei Haiphong Thai Binh Plant (provisional name) Location Tien Hai Industrial Park, Thai Binh Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Start of production July 2019 Products Safety systems (airbag parts, steering wheels) Area Land approx. 113,000 m2 Building approx. 20,800 m2 No. of employees Approx. 1,000 (as of March 31, 2021)
Outline of TGHP (reference) Name Toyoda Gosei Haiphong Co., Ltd. Location Haiphong, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Established September 2004 Capital US$50 million Shareholders Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. 95% Toyota Tsusho Corporation 5% Products Safety systems (airbag parts, steering wheels) No. of employees 3,128 (as of March 31, 2017)
About Toyoda Gosei
Established in 1949 and headquartered in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Toyoda Gosei is a leading specialty manufacturer of rubber and plastic automotive parts and LEDs. Today, the Toyoda Gosei Group provides a variety of high-quality products internationally, with a network of approximately 100 plants and offices in 18 countries and regions. Through its flexible, integrated global supply system and leading-edge technologies for automotive safety, comfort, and environmental preservation, Toyoda Gosei is a global supplier that aims to deliver the highest levels of quality, innovation, and satisfaction to customers worldwide.
POSITANO, Italy, Aug. 30, 2017 -- Another banner year for tourism along the famed Amalfi Coast has welcomed throngs of travelers to the region this summer, and the picturesque towns dotting the hillsides currently are teeming with visitors from across the globe.
According to Carrington Italia, the only luxury villa specialists with a local office in the heart of Positano, the crush of tourists will lessen considerably at the end of this month.
"The weeks following the high season all of September, and well into October are a magical time on the Amalfi Coast," says Erin Romano, a longtime Positano resident who manages guest services for Carrington Italia. "Anyone planning a luxury villa vacation in September and October should consider the Amalfi Coast and the numerous advantages of late-season travel." Romano's top reasons for autumn travel to the Amalfi Coast include:
Pleasant weather : Visitors will find any kind of walking activity a lot more enjoyable in comfortable weather; and the weeks following the high season offer some of the best conditions. In September, the temperatures in Positano, for example, range between an average high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Early in the month it's warm enough for a swim but without the peak summer heat. By October, the climate is still temperate and, although it may not be sunbathing weather, it can be ideal for those more interested in touring the villages, gardens, historic sites and amazing hillsides.
: Visitors will find any kind of walking activity a lot more enjoyable in comfortable weather; and the weeks following the high season offer some of the best conditions. In September, the temperatures in Positano, for example, range between an average high of 80 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Early in the month it's warm enough for a swim but without the peak summer heat. By October, the climate is still temperate and, although it may not be sunbathing weather, it can be ideal for those more interested in touring the villages, gardens, historic sites and amazing hillsides. Room to breathe: Every guidebook warns about the teeming tourist crowds during the high season, and for good reason. Yet when September comes, the crowds disperse and everything becomes easier from touring the popular sites to getting the reservations you want at the time you want. And veteran travelers eager to spend their vacation time living like a local can get that far more authentic experience after the summer season.
Every guidebook warns about the teeming tourist crowds during the high season, and for good reason. Yet when September comes, the crowds disperse and everything becomes easier from touring the popular sites to getting the reservations you want at the time you want. And veteran travelers eager to spend their vacation time living like a local can get that far more authentic experience after the summer season. Doable daytrips: Two of the most popular daytrips in the region the Isle of Capri and the ancient Roman remains of Pompeii are famously packed with tourists in the summer. September, the last month of the tourist season in Capri, is less crowded and more enjoyable. Similarly, Pompeii is bustling in the summer and far more pleasant in the shoulder season.
Two of the most popular daytrips in the region the Isle of Capri and the ancient Roman remains of Pompeii are famously packed with tourists in the summer. September, the last month of the tourist season in Capri, is less crowded and more enjoyable. Similarly, Pompeii is bustling in the summer and far more pleasant in the shoulder season. Harvest season: September and October are harvest months for the vineyards of Campania , offering a unique experience for travelers interested in touring the region's wine country. In addition to private winery tours, wine tastings and vineyard walks, visitors can even spend a day on an estate picking grapes and helping with the harvest.
September and October are harvest months for the vineyards of , offering a unique experience for travelers interested in touring the region's wine country. In addition to private winery tours, wine tastings and vineyard walks, visitors can even spend a day on an estate picking grapes and helping with the harvest. Food festivals: The Amalfi Coast is renowned for its locally grown fruits and vegetables, not to mention the bountiful harvest of the seas. Italians in the region celebrate local fare in many ways, including the sagra , an outdoor food festival with music, dancing and arts. On the last Saturday in September, the annual Festa del Pesce (fish festival) takes place on famed Fornillo Beach in Positano, celebrating the end of the summer season. In October, the village of Scala hosts the annual Sagra della Castagna (chestnut festival) celebrating the new harvest.
The Amalfi Coast is renowned for its locally grown fruits and vegetables, not to mention the bountiful harvest of the seas. Italians in the region celebrate local fare in many ways, including the , an outdoor food festival with music, dancing and arts. On the last Saturday in September, the annual (fish festival) takes place on famed Fornillo Beach in Positano, celebrating the end of the summer season. In October, the village of Scala hosts the annual (chestnut festival) celebrating the new harvest. Traditional celebrations: September 1 marks the official beginning of the new year during the Byzantine era, and every year the Byzantine New Year is celebrated in Amalfi and its neighboring town of Atrani with an historic reenactment parade and medieval games and entertainment. Also, on the third Sunday in September, the seaside village of Torello hosts a spectacular display of fireworks, visible from neighboring towns.
"September and October are great months to visit the Amalfi Coast, not only to tour our fascinating and beautiful sites, but also to experience the region in a more authentic way," advises Romano. "It's among the best times to interact with the locals and get that cultural immersion experience so many travelers desire."
Carrington Italia creates tailor-made Italian experiences through its network of longstanding personal relationships and personally-curated luxury villas along Italy's Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula.
Leveraging its local presence in Positano, Carrington Italia's onsite bilingual team provides local expertise and concierge services and assists their guests in experiencing the region in more personal and authentic ways.
The Carrington Companies
Carrington is a holding company whose primary businesses include asset management, mortgages, real estate transactions and real estate logistics. Collectively, the businesses are vertically and horizontally integrated, and provide a broad range of real estate services encompassing nearly all aspects of single family residential real estate transactions in the United States. Carrington's international presence includes operations in the United Kingdom and Italy. To read more visit: www.carringtonhc.com.
Through its collective associates made up of Carrington leaders and employees, the company's nonprofit organization, Carrington Charitable Foundation, contributes to the community through causes that reflect the interests of Carrington Associates. For more information about Carrington Charitable Foundation, and the organizations and programs it supports through specific fundraising efforts, please visit: carringtoncf.org.
SEATTLE, Aug. 30, 2017 -- Alaska Airlines announced today that Singapore Airlines will be its newest Global Partner. Members of Alaska Mileage Plan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer loyalty programs will begin earning miles on each other's flights beginning Sept. 27. Mileage Plan members will be able to redeem miles for travel awards on Singapore Airlines-operated flights at a later date.
In addition, the two carriers will enact a codeshare partnership, pending government approval, which will allow guests booking through Singapore Airlines to travel on both airlines and enjoy seamless reservations and ticketing, one-stop check-in, baggage checked to final destination and coordinated flight schedules.
"We're very proud to add an airline of the caliber of Singapore Airlines to our portfolio of Global Partners," said Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer for Alaska Airlines. "Our guests will enjoy truly distinctive inflight service when traveling with Singapore Airlines, while also taking full advantage of their Alaska Mileage Plan benefits when traveling from the West Coast to Asia."
Virgin America guests have enjoyed frequent flyer benefits with Singapore Airlines since 2013. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan will take over as the singular loyalty program for Virgin America flyers starting in 2018.
"Our new partnership with Alaska Airlines enables us to improve connectivity between Singapore and the important North American market, providing customers with more codeshare destinations and enhanced KrisFlyer benefits. It also reflects our commitment to continuously expand our network reach and offer our customers greater flexibility when planning their travel itineraries," said Tan Kai Ping, Singapore Airlines senior vice president marketing planning.
Known for its premium inflight service as the world's most awarded airline, Singapore Airlines flies from Alaska's San Francisco hub to Singapore nonstop and via Hong Kong, and from Alaska's Los Angeles hub to Singapore via Seoul or Tokyo (Narita), with connecting service from Seattle and Portland. In all, Changi Airport-based Singapore Airlines flies to over 60 destinations in more than 30 countries on five continents worldwide.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 118 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group .
About Singapore Airlines
The Singapore Airlines Group's history dates back to 1947 with the maiden flight of Malayan Airways Limited. The airline was later renamed Malaysian Airways Limited and then Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). In 1972, MSA split into Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysian Airline System. Initially operating a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to 22 cities in 18 countries, SIA has since grown to be a world-class international airline group.
Singapore Airlines is committed to the constant enhancement of the three main pillars of its brand promise: Service Excellence, Product Leadership and Network Connectivity. The SIA Group fleet and network are also expanding in support of the development of its portfolio strategy, in which it has investments in both full-service and low-cost airline operations. This portfolio of airlines serving short-, medium-, and long-haul markets gives the SIA Group more flexibility and nimbleness, with the right vehicles to serve the right markets.
In May 2017, Stockholm became the second Scandinavian city in Singapore Airlines' route network, while SIA's subsidiary airlines also have plans for growth in their key markets.
2017 Mazda CX-9 Earns Strategic Visions ?Total Qualty Impact Award
LEARN MORE: COMPARE SPECS, PRICES and OPTIONS : 2017 Mazda CX-9 With All Other SUV's
CX-9 Continues to Impress Buyers, Adding to Roster of Awards
IRVINE, Calif. (August 30, 2017) Much like Mazdas entire lineup, CX-9 continues to garner praise from media and consumers alike. The 2017 Mazda CX-9 three-row crossover SUV further adds to the list of recognitions, earning Strategic Visions Total Quality Award as the top midsize crossover SUV in its segment.
Mazdas standout crossover SUV remains the flagship of Mazdas lineup, positioned to push the brand to new, aspirational heights. Strategic Vision clearly agreed with its Total Quality Impact report, which is a complete, holistic measure of the total quality of vehicle ownership experience, encompassing the positive and negative product experience, including reliability, driving excitement and other aspects of dealership experiencesall energized by the emotional response associated with the experiences. Strategic Vision surveyed customers about even the smallest details, including sound of the engine, quality of the interior seat material and the overall performance.
A major reason Strategic Vision bestowed the CX-9 with its Total Quality Impact Award is because it meets and exceeds owner expectations by providing a premium driving and passenger experience, courtesy of an award-winning, turbocharged SKYACTIV-G 2.5T engine, which delivers excellent performance in everyday driving scenarios, and an interior that is pleasing to the sight and touch with available Nappa leather, real aluminum trim and rosewood supplied by premium Japanese guitar-maker Fujigen. It is with these qualities that Mazda is seeing CX-9 conquest sales from premium and luxury brands.
Additionally, complementing what customers see and feel when they drive CX-9 is the peace of mind they get with its safety credentials. The 2017 Mazda CX-9 was recently named as an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+, the highest designation the nonprofit organization awards. Mazda is the only automaker in North America to have a full line of vehicles rated as Top Safety Pick+ when equipped with available headlights and safety systems.
With a starting MSRP[1] of $31,520, Mazda CX-9 provides a remarkable value, from its crafted details to its sleek KODOSoul of Motion design.
For more information about the 2017 CX-9, visit: https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/vehicle-page/2017-cx-9/.
For more information about Strategic Vision, visit: https://www.strategicvision.com/.
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.
Ed van der Elskens Jumelles sur la place Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam, 1956. Photo: Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam. Ed van der Elsken / Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Dutch street photographer Ed van der Elsken (19251990) searched for what he deemed his people: eccentrics whose style defied convention in postwar Paris, and later Amsterdam and Tokyo. His most iconic images are showcased in the Paris exhibition Camera in Love, which provides a glimpse of fringe kids from the 1950s to 1980s.
Born in Amsterdam in 1925, van der Elsken first studied sculpture, then photography; he began snapping away in the streets of Amsterdam, and assisting photographers to save up for his own Rolleicord camera. In 1950, he moved to Paris, where he met Vali Myers a magnetic free-spirited party girl with brassy red bangs dangling over smudgy eye makeup who introduced van der Elsken to her bohemian crew.
Van der Elsken photographed Myers and her friends, and produced a series called Love on the Left Bank (or Een liefdesgeschiedenis in Saint-Germain-des-Pres). Over his four-year stay in Paris, he captured their coy looks, makeout sessions, uninhibited dancing, and bien sur constant smoking.
The photographer wrote accompanying text for the images, describing St-Germain-des-Pres as one square mile of scented riverside quay and boulevard, furnished, the whole way, with crowded cafes and empty bookshops. He likened the Parisian lifestyle to a celestial haze of Pernod and garlic. The bohemian vibe hints at spontaneous snapshots, but van der Elsken in fact often made his subjects pose, a biographical yet exaggerated narrative for the camera.
A few years later, van der Elsken published the series in book form. In the interim, several of his photographs were selected by prominent curator Edward Steichen for acclaimed group shows at MoMA in New York, namely Postwar European Photography (1953) and Family of Man (1955).
Vali Myers recalled in a 1979 letter displayed in the exhibition and written in curlicued script We lived in the streets and cafes of our quarter, like a pack of bastard dogs there was always cheap booze and Algerian hashish to get by on. She deemed the squad of uprooted kids stateless post-war vagabonds who were old for their young years. Myers also appeared in van der Elskens 1972 film Death in the Port Jackson Hotel. Covered in face paint, while affectionately if somewhat indiscreetly pawed by her younger lover, she shared recollections of drunk friends arrested for indecent exposure and drug addicts who committed suicide.
The Paris exhibition also features images from later in the photographers career. After Paris, van der Elsken traveled extensively to Hong Kong, Sierra Leone, Manila, Oaxaca, and over a dozen trips to Japan and later returned to the Netherlands. On his native terrain, he photographed rebellious teens in Amsterdams Nieuwmarkt neighborhood: a girl in cat-eye glasses with cotton-candy hair, a set of twins with bouffants side-eyeing him through their winged black liner, punk boys with Mohawks, and girls wearing spiked pumps and fingerless gloves. Click ahead to see images from the exhibit.
Ed van der Elsken, Camera in Love is on view at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris through September 24th.
Fille dans le metro, Tokyo, 1981.
Vali Myers (Ann), Roberto Inigez-Morelosy (Manuel) et Geraldine Krongold (Geri) Paris, 1950.
Photo: Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam. Ed van der Elsken / Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Jumelles sur la place Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam, 1956.
Pierre Feuillette (Jean-Michel) and Paulette Vielhomme (Claudine) kiss at the cafe Chez Moineau, Rue du Four, Paris, 1953.
Ata Kando checks a photographic print under a lamp, Paris, 1953 (v. 1979).
Rockers, Harajuku, Tokyo, 1984.
Photo: Nederlands Fotomuseum / Ed van der Elsken
Jean-Michel Mension (Pierre) et Auguste Hommel (Benny) devant le Mabillon Paris, 1953.
The image from Matt Walshs viral tweet. Photo: David J. Phillip/AP
As Houston grappled with catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey, conservative columnist Matt Walsh took to Twitter on Monday to use the natural disaster to promote traditional gender roles and slam gender studies professors. In response, one professor explained why Walshs viral tweet was so incredibly inaccurate basically, because women traditionally hold the role of caregiver.
Woman cradles and protects child. Man carries and protects both. This is how it ought to be, despite what your gender studies professor says pic.twitter.com/oX85v67FaY Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 28, 2017
Walsh, who writes for the Blaze, posted a picture of a man carrying a woman, who is also carrying a child, through the floodwaters, writing Woman cradles and protects child. Man carries and protects both. This is how it ought to be, despite what your gender studies professor says. But on Tuesday, University of Notre Dame gender studies and political science professor Christina Wolbrecht decided to debunk the claim on Twitter.
I was going to stick w sarcasm but as an actual gender studies prof, there's just so much to unpack here, I can't help myself. THREAD! 1/ https://t.co/et7L7oClqe Christina Wolbrecht (@C_Wolbrecht) August 29, 2017
Care work (for children, infirm, elderly) is necessary for human flourishing & has been traditionally performed by women for free, which 2/ Christina Wolbrecht (@C_Wolbrecht) August 29, 2017
contributes to women's lesser financial & politics power. As care work has moved into the market, it remains poorly paid & overwhelmingly 3/ Christina Wolbrecht (@C_Wolbrecht) August 29, 2017
female, which again makes women more vulnerable. We to laud a woman "cradling her child" but don't provide paid maternity leave or 5/ Christina Wolbrecht (@C_Wolbrecht) August 29, 2017
Care work (for children, infirm, elderly) is necessary for human flourishing & has been traditionally performed by women for free, which contributes to womens lesser financial & politics power, Wolbrecht wrote. As care work has moved into the market, it remains poorly paid & overwhelmingly female, which again makes women more vulnerable.
The professor went on to say that society loves to laud a woman who cradles her child, and yet refuses to offer her adequate paid maternal leave, support quality child care, or offer decent pay or benefits for child-care workers. She also noted that men are reluctant to take jobs in the expanding care sector, as the positions are traditionally thought of as female and are low paying.
IN SUM your rigid and illogical sexual division of labor, & related hierarchy of value, hurts both women & men, the US economy, & the flourishing of society as a whole, she concluded.
At least well always have the memes.
Woman cradles and protects child. Man carries and protects both. This is how it ought to be, despite what your gender studies professor says pic.twitter.com/qchib8b1Sy Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) August 29, 2017
A monument to Jefferson Davis in Georgia. Photo: Courtesy of CC/Wikimedia/Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD
On Tuesday, a Georgia state representative warned his former Democratic colleague that talk of removing Confederate monuments in the state might be met with torches but something a lot more definitive, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Republican representative Jason Spencer posted a photo of himself at the Jefferson Davis Memorial (Davis was the first and only president of the Confederate States). This is Georgias history. #DealWithIt, he wrote.
Former Georgia state representative LaDawn Jones commented on the photo, saying it was only a matter of time before the monument was torn down. In response, Spencer wrote that she should visit South Georgia (Jones is from Atlanta). It will not be pleasant, he wrote. The truth. Not a warning. These folks wont put up with it.
In later comments, he added, I can guarantee that you wont be met with torches but something a lot more definitive people in South Georgia are people of action, not drama.
They will go missing in the Okefenokee, he added in reference to people who continued to call for the monuments removal. Too many necks are red around here. Dont say I didnt warn you about em.
When asked about the interaction, Spencer said he was just trying to keep her safe if she decided to come down and raise hell about the memorial in the back yards of folks who will see this as an unwelcome aggression from the left. He also asked that the Journal-Constitution include a photo of him standing in front of a monument of Martin Luther King Jr., which was unveiled at the Georgia capitol Monday.
For her part, Jones said she and Spencer had a unique relationship in the Georgia Legislature and didnt see his comments as a threat. But if thats representative of what people in south Georgia think, then yikes.
Calls to remove Confederate monuments around the country have accelerated since protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, with many cities opting to take them down overnight to minimize controversy. The trend has some conservative lawmakers, including the president, worried about erasing history. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson whos next, Washington, Jefferson? Trump tweeted. So foolish! Not even Christopher Columbus, the founder of our nation, is safe.
The Cook Childrens team evacuating NICU infants in Corpus Christi. Photo: Courtesy of Cook Childrens
Around lunchtime on Thursday, the team at Cook Childrens Hospital in Fort Worth got the call theyd been preparing for ever since Hurricane Harveys massive scale had been announced. A hospital in Corpus Christi needed their help transporting ten critically ill newborns out of the path of the storm.
Debbie Boudreaux, director of the transportation team and a neonatal nurse at Cook Childrens, sprang into action, scrambling to get planes to transport the infants 400 miles north to Fort Worth. (With one exception, their parents would have to drive separately.) The last plane lifted off there at 4:15 a.m., and I waited and waited for them, Boudreaux told the Cut. When I knew that they were all safely on the ground here in Fort Worth, then that was it. I was so happy and relieved that wed done our job, completed our mission, and got them out of there.
Hurricane Harvey arrived just north of Corpus Christi as category four storm on Friday night hours after the babies safely arrived in Fort Worth. The storm ravaged South Texas with 130 mile winds, catastrophic flooding, and record-breaking rainfall on its first night. As Harvey which dropped down to a tropical storm continued to wage throughout the weekend, it inundated the Texas coast with up to 50 inches of rainfall. Haunting video and images of the storms damage annihilated homes, people risking their own lives to save others, massive flooding in Houston show the danger it posed to the most vulnerable in its path: infants dependent on medical equipment and electricity for survival.
We had already been ramping up for it, because you could watch the news and see the storm was forming out in the gulf, Boudreaux said. We had done this before with Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, so we kind of have that in the back of our mind all the time.
Photo: Courtesy of Cook Childrens
Transporting kids from dangerous situations is merely part of the job for the team at Cook Childrens. They generally move around 3,800 children each year from across the country, ranging from high-risk deliveries to those at referral centers who simply cant handle their medical needs. Most of the highly-specialized transport staff members are seasoned medical professionals (nurses, respiratory therapists, and paramedics) who have been part of the team for 15 to 20 years. Even as we were doing the hurricane evacuation, we were still transporting other patients from around Texas and outside of our borders, Boudreaux explained.
The neonatal nurse immediately reached out to two other air medical providers in Fort Worth to ask for their assistance escorting the infants from Driscoll Childrens Hospital they ended up letting Cook Childrens use some of their aircrafts and quickly got her team together. I didnt call in extra people. I didnt bring anyone else in, she said. Not that I didnt have any shortage of people who wanted to volunteer, but I had people who were already there and capable of going to do that. It was business as usual at home.
The teams made it to Corpus Christi in under an hour but spent time on the ground after they arrived due to limited ambulance availability. They would have to drop one team off at the airport and then pick another one up and drop them back, Boudreaux said.
The private planes used during the evacuation only had room for one or two babies at a time, as each infant came with an entourage of three medical professionals and had to travel in a large neonatal incubator known as an isolette. Youve likely seen isolettes in medical TV dramas theyre large, clear plastic chambers complete with portholes and equipment to monitor the infants heart rates and assist with breathing, while also providing controlled heat, oxygen and humidity for premature and low birth-weight babies. They had a lot of equipment, a lot of medical technology needed to support those infants, so that was the biggest reason we needed to get them out of Corpus, the transport director said.
Photo: Courtesy of Cook Childrens
But because of the complex nature of the equipment and the large-yet-necessary medical teams, most of the babies werent able to be accompanied by their parents on the flight. In fact, only one parent total was able to hitch a ride with the transport team and thats only because their child was the only one being transported on that particular flight. The other parents, whose own medical conditions Boudreaux couldnt disclose to the Cut, had to make the drive from Corpus Christi to Fort Worth. The drive usually takes around six hours but because of the hurricane, the parents found themselves in horrible traffic. One of the nurses who was flying in said you could just see all of the headlights coming toward Fort Worth, Boudreaux said. Thats got to be an eerie feeling.
Boudreaux handled logistics from Cook Childrens end in Fort Worth, so instead of assisting the team on the ground, she stayed glued to the phone and closely monitored their flight progress with trepidation as the storm edged closer. I knew we would not send our team into harms way. You never know whats going to happen with the weather, but we are very careful in everything we do safety first. But I just wanted them all back here, she said. When the last plane landed at 5:10 a.m. on Friday, she was filled with relief knowing the babies and her team had made it out safely.
Yet, despite the stress of having to transport critical infants, Boudreaux said that this process was actually much easier than previous hurricane evacuations shes participated in during her 30-year career. This was controlled chaos. Katrina hit so quickly, and no one had ever really done that before really. That was a quicker pace, and there was not enough time to prepare, she said. Kudos to Corpus and Driscoll for making that call early so we werent behind in getting those children out.
The nurse told the Cut that she isnt sure how long the babies will end up staying in Fort Worth. It all depends on the scale of damage and the referral hospitals capacity to care for the infants after the storm is over. It will be until the hospital is ready to take them back, and when they are, we will be happy to take them back so they can be closer to their families, she said. But they will need to make sure that everything is safe and secure.
The U.S. economy grew at a brisk 3 per cent pace in the April to June quarter, the Commerce Department said Wednesday a report likely to be welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly vowed he can propel the country to faster growth.
It was the strongest quarterly growth for the United States in over two years and was driven by U.S. families and businesses opening their wallets a little wider. Americans spent more money at stores and restaurants and on other services, while businesses invested more in equipment and research. While the private sector surged ahead, however, government spending shrank, especially at the state and local level.
Read more about U.S. President Donald Trump
The growth is impressive given the lack of policy reforms out of Washington D.C., said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, a tax and consulting firm. Trump has yet to achieve a major legislative victory, although he has been aggressively rolling back regulations on businesses.
Its rare for the U.S. economy to be doing this well when a presidents approval rating is below 40 per cent, as Trumps has been this summer. Some credit President Barack Obama for handing off a solid economy to Trump; others point to the surge in business and consumer confidence after Trump was elected as an indication that the new president caused a shift in momentum.
The Commerce Department originally estimated second-quarter growth at 2.6 per cent, but it was revised up to a 3-per-cent pace on Wednesday as more data came in. The most encouraging news was the strong spending by businesses, which has been lacking for much of the recovery but may finally be turning around. There will be one more revision to second-quarter GDP. Trump had not responded to the report by late Wednesday morning.
Read more: Warning signs are there for stock market retreat: Olive
The White House has promised that Trump can achieve 3-per-cent growth for the year, far higher than the 2 per cent average under Obama. For Trump to achieve his goal in 2017, he will need the economy to accelerate at an even faster rate the rest of the year to make up for the sluggish 1.2 per cent growth in the January-March quarter. Few economists think that will happen.
Were still in the slow-lane economy, said Stuart Hoffman, senior economic adviser at PNC Financial Services Group. The 3-per-cent growth the president talked about is not in sight.
Hoffman attends an annual gathering of leading economists and investors each August at Camp Kotok in Maine. For 2017, the Camp Kotok group predicts a 2.1-per-cent pace of growth. Thats right in line with what Obama achieved during his tenure.
It is not unusual for the U.S. economy to see a spring bounce, where growth picks up sharply after the winter months as people head to the store or take expensive vacations. Under Obama, the economy sometimes grew as much as 4 per cent or 5 per cent in a single quarter. Trumps challenge is to make strong growth the norm, not a blip for a quarter or two.
Still, the economy remains a bright spot for the president, who is suffering from low approval ratings and a barrage of criticism after his comments on the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.
This week, Trump visited Southeast Texas to survey the devastation from Hurricane Harvey, which has deluged Houston and surrounding areas with record amounts of rain, triggering historic flooding. Early estimates indicate that Harvey has caused $40-billion (U.S.) worth of damage to homes, roads and businesses. Emergency crews are still working to get everyone to safety.
While Houston, Americas fourth-largest city, will take years to recover, the overall impact on the U.S. economy is expected to be modest.
As is the case with most natural disasters, the impact on the U.S. economy will likely be both small and mixed as the early disruption to production and potential spikes in gas prices fade and are replaced by the positive impact of repair and reconstruction efforts, said David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds.
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TokyoToyota Motor Corp. is pushing deeper into the ride-booking business.
Toyota Tsusho Corp., the automakers trading arm, will invest an undisclosed amount in Grab, Southeast Asias leading ride-booking operator. Toyota said it will work with Grab to provide services in the region, a year after the carmaker bought a small stake in Uber Technologies Inc. as it explores new revenue models.
Through this collaboration with Grab, we would like to explore new ways of delivering secure, convenient and attractive mobility services to our fleet customers in Southeast Asia, said Shigeki Tomoyama, a senior managing officer at Toyota, in a statement Wednesday.
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Self-driving robo-car taxi service now available to public for free in Singapore
Car makers see future in ride sharing services
Automobile manufacturers are working with and competing against technology companies to figure out how to make money from driver services as automation, electrification and on-demand transportation threaten to reshape the current model of individual car ownership. Honda Motor Co. has also invested in Grab, its first in a ride-sharing company, in a partnership aimed at expanding motorcycle-booking operations in Southeast Asia.
Toyotas investment in Grab will be through the six billion yen ($70 million) Next Technology Fund set up in April by Toyota Tsusho for opportunities in innovative technologies, products and services.
Grab is aiming to raise $2.5 billion from the latest round of funding, of which it has previously announced $2 billion in investment from Didi Chuxing and SoftBank Group Corp. That will take Grabs valuation north of $6 billion, a person familiar with the matter said in July.
Connected services
Toyota will record and analyze driving patterns in 100 Grab cars in Singapore, and offer recommendations on what connected services it can provide Grab drivers, the two companies said in separate statements.
We are confident this will benefit our driver partners, Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan said in one of the statements. We look forward to exploring other ways to collaborate with Toyota in the future.
Toyotas shares climbed 1 per cent to 6,151 yen on Wednesday, the biggest gain in two weeks. The benchmark Topix index advanced 0.6 per cent.
Carmakers globally are racing to place bets on which companies will emerge as the dominant players in ride-booking. General Motors Co. has joined forces with both Uber and Lyft, while Volvo Cars partnered with the former and Tata Motors Ltd.s Jaguar Land Rover with the latter. Volkswagen AG has created a mobility services division under the Moia brand and invested $300 million in ride-booking provider Gett Inc.
Beyond ride booking, Toyota is also collaborating with U.S. car-sharing company Getaround to promote the carmakers new mobility service platform. It started testing a new suite of car-sharing apps and services this month with Servco Pacific Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Paradigm shift
The Toyota City-based automaker is boosting spending in what it calls the crucial fields of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to as much as a quarter of its total R&D budget, from about a fifth previously. President Akio Toyoda has said a paradigm shift is underway in the auto industry, forcing a re-evaluation of traditional business models.
The danger of falling behind became clear in May, when then-Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields was forced out after losing the confidence of the board and of investors that he could keep pace with the rapid pace of change in the industry.
For its part, Grab which counts more than 1.2 million drivers across seven countries has also been expanding partnerships beyond automakers. Its collaborating with Tokyo Century Corp. on leasing and renting cars for drivers; it is integrating its services in Singapore with CapitaLand Ltd.s network of shopping malls, serviced apartments and offices; and it has teamed up with the Lippo Group, the Indonesian conglomerate founded by billionaire tycoon Mochtar Riady.
In Southeast Asia, Grab claims to have a 95-per-cent share in third-party ride booking and 71 per cent in private vehicle booking. The market is expected to increase fivefold to $13.1 billion by 2025, according to a study by Google and Temasek.
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It was five or six weeks of work that turned into a lifetime engagement.
Forty-two years after the release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell are still interacting with fans of the musical-horror comedy. And its not just people who saw the cult movie in those early days.
This train never stops, this circus never stops, says Quinn, who has toured the world representing the film and seen a fan as young as 4 years old performing The Time Warp.
The circus in question is under the Fan Expo Canada big top in Toronto this weekend. There, Bostwick, Quinn and Campbell will appear along with co-stars Meat Loaf and in a rare appearance Tim Curry, the British actor who made his movie debut in Rocky Horror as a sexually omnivorous sweet transvestite.
Read more: Fan Expo: Advice for newcomers on how to get the most out of it
Stranger Things Finn Wolfhard on It, directing a music video, and his screen kiss
The pop-culture extravaganza at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will feature dozens of celebrity guests for fans to meet, ranging from people with a modern sort of acclaim (YouTube personalities, game designers, comics and anime creators, three of the kids from Stranger Things) to people whose fame is rooted in work decades old, like Bostwick and company, as well as Richard Dreyfuss and Anthony (C-3PO) Daniels.
The Rocky Horror fans, naturally know Bostwick as straitlaced Brad Majors, who stumbles on the castle of Frank-N-Furter (Curry) with his fiancee Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) after getting a flat tire. Brad and Janet rapidly evolve from prudes to hedonists under Franks tutelage, both of them embracing sexual relationships with the mad scientist from outer space.
Belfast-born Quinn played Magenta, a fellow alien and member of Franks household staff along with her brother Riff Raff (Richard OBrien, creator of the original stage musical), with whom she has an incestuous relationship. And Australian Campbell was Columbia, the castles resident groupie, whos involved with the doomed delivery boy Eddie, Meat Loafs character.
The movie certainly pushed erotic boundaries way back then, which Bostwick appreciates.
What enamoured me about it was the energy and the sort of tongue-in-cheek look at the sexual mores of the time, says Bostwick, 72, who as a young actor in New York had done everything from juggling for tips in Central Park to originating the role of Danny Zuko in Grease on Broadway before heading to London to make Rocky in the fall of 1974.
Quinn, 73, and Campbell, 64, had both been in the Rocky Horror Show onstage: a small workshop production upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973 that had to move to a bigger venue after just three weeks when audiences went wild for it (including, Quinn says, Mick and Bianca Jagger).
All three actors describe the musicals stage and film director, Jim Sharman, as a genius for taking the quirky B-movie spirit of the theatre work and its infectious rock n roll score, and turning it into a one-hour, 40-minute movie that was just as enjoyable.
I think its a brilliantly made piece of film, says Bostwick. Thats why its in the Library of Congress. Its not just a kitschy kind of one-off; its a well-conceived, well-edited, certainly well-designed piece of film history that will be around forever.
He also praises Curry, 71 who has made limited public appearances since a stroke in 2012 for his skill in terms of transferring a stage performance, which was so alive and over the top and campy and yet still dangerous, really dangerous, and (he) had the skills to really project it on film.
Despite the enjoyment they got from making the low-budget (reportedly $1.4-million) film for 20th Century Fox, the cast didnt envision its future as a cult classic, let alone one said to be the longest-running movie in history (it has never stopped screening, somewhere, after all these years).
We were kicking up our heels doing sex, drugs and rock n roll (onscreen). We werent out to change lives, says Quinn.
Yet thats a claim the performers say theyve heard over and over again at the appearances theyve made in support of Rocky Horror, particularly from people whove used the films Dont dream it, be it message to come to terms with their sexual and gender identities.
A 16-year-old girl recently told me that she had come out as transgender to her parents (who rejected her), Campbell said. She was going to kill herself and then she saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and she realized there are people like her out there and she wasnt alone.
Bostwick credits, in particular, the shadow casts people all over the world who dress up as the characters and act out the movie as it screens for keeping it alive.
If it wasnt for them, this thing would have died on the vine years ago, he says.
Campbell notes that the movies fans form their own communities. And shes met many people who met their spouses at Rocky Horror, had kids, then grandkids, and now three generations of the family turn up at conventions.
You very seldom get to be part of something that actually affects people rather than just entertains them for two hours, says Bostwick.
Whenever weve done a convention, myself and the girls . . . Ive spent more time listening to the stories of the people that come up to us. Im moved by how much this little film meant to them.
The actors are looking forward to meeting fans in Toronto, a city Quinn describes as Rocky Horror-minded. But there is one person in particular whom Campbell desperately hopes will make it to Fan Expo.
I have a massive crush, like the rest of the world, on your prime minister.
Tim Curry and Barry Bostwick are at Fan Expo Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Friday Sept. 1 to Sunday, Sept. 3. Patricia Quinn and Nell Campbell are there throughout the convention, which runs Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. See fanexpocanada.com for tickets and information.
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Spoiler alert: This story contains details from Sundays Season 7 finale of HBOs Game of Thrones.
Rest in Peace, Petyr Littlefinger Baelish if you can. Thats quite the interesting life you lived.
Littlefinger, the self-made lord and schemer extraordinaire, came to his end in Sundays Game of Thrones Season 7 finale, his death sentence for treason and murder pronounced by former ward Sansa Stark and carried out by her sister, Arya, who slit his throat in an emotional scene.
Irish actor Aidan Gillen (The Wire, The Dark Knight Rises), 49, who imbued the treacherous Littlefinger with charm, wit and a hint of danger, spoke Monday about the death scene, his characters downfall, his favourite moments and how it feels to be departing an international phenomenon a year before it ends its run.
How do you feel about Littlefinger, a character youve embodied for seven years, being dead?
Im in the U.K., where it airs tonight, so Im not dead here yet . . . It was inevitable. I knew that was coming sooner or later . . . I felt they gave me some good space to continue to develop the character . . . . Its been a long ride and an exciting one, so you feel a little empty afterward. In a way, its good to get out when youre ahead.
Do you think Littlefinger deserved to die?
As the actor playing him, Ive always been able to justify his actions: This is survival, this is revenge. If youre talking to me as Littlefinger, Id probably say no. From (the audiences) point of view, they want him to get his comeuppance. Hes a classic villain, in a way. Thats what they want. Its a classic payoff. Im fine with that.
Did Littlefinger really love Sansa or was it political, a means to an alliance that would lead to greater power?
Tricky question . . . You can tell somebody you love them, and it can mean 50 different things. Ive always tried to be a bit non-specific about that. He definitely has feelings for her and strong protective feelings, as well. I think (feelings and politics were) intermeshed. And there was a degree of obsession to it.
Arya (Maisie Williams) had a satisfied smile on her face when Sansa accused Littlefinger of murder and treason.
Well, she would, wouldnt she? . . . Heres an interesting piece of information: In the last three years, Ive had two Funko (Thrones) dolls on the shelf in my house, (Littlefinger) and Arya standing just behind to the right with, not a dagger, but a sword . . . There was a Q&A over a year ago where I suggested Arya (would kill Littlefinger). I hadnt read anything. (But) if I had known it was going to be her, I wouldnt have said it. (He laughs.)
Do you have any favourite Littlefinger scenes?
Theres one in Season 2 in the brothel with Ros (Esme Bianco), where he was talking to her about how he wasnt happy if she wasnt happy, but the language is very veiled. It was a threat. I felt it was one of the first times I had a proper shot at explaining who this guy was and what he was capable of . . . I like the scenes with Sean Bean, (who played Ned Stark). Theres a guy I miss. When Ned first arrived in Kings Landing and Littlefinger was giving him a pep talk, there was a classic line (from Littlefinger): Distrusting me was the wisest thing youve done since you stepped off your horse. . . . The scenes with Varys (Conleth Hill) were highlights. We always felt we were going to see each other again, but it was not to be . . . So much of the stuff with Sansa (Sophie Turner). That became what my story was, because so much was interlocked with hers. That scene at the Eyrie where he plants a kiss on her in Season 4: It revealed a lot and was a good character scene. (I had) some nice scenes with Kate Dickie (who played Lysa Arryn). Shes a great actress. Our time was cut short, because I pushed her through the Moon Door.
Did you get to keep the mockingbird pin that Littlefinger wore and represented his made-up family sigil?
Yes. The pin is what I wanted. It seemed like the most appropriate (souvenir for) a self-made man, an adventurer. His sigil was invented . . . I got a few raven scrolls. The scrolls are good. I really like that cloak. I have to put a call in (to see if he can get it from the show).
You already have upcoming roles in the film Pickups and the U.K. series Peaky Blinders. How has Thrones affected your career?
So many people have seen it. Its the biggest production Ive been involved with and its run for a long time and the character is quite eye-catching. I hate talking about the mechanics of career, but Im sure it all helps.
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A blockade by members of Six Nations has barred a portion of Argyle Street, the main road in Caledonia for the past 21 days.
The protest is connected to a parcel of land that was put into a federal corporation in March by Six Nations elected band council, allegedly reneging on an Ontario promise to return it to Six Nations people in 2006 to ameliorate the Caledonia Standoff a protest that saw a group of Indigenous people occupy a housing development called Douglas Creek Estates. The blockade is situated near the site where violence broke out over 10 years ago.
It concerns a disagreement between the elected band council and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a traditional government system comprised of five First Nations. The latter says it has been responsible for the lands for over 10 years.
A letter penned by former Ontario premier David Peterson in 2006 states that The title of the Burtch lands will be included in the lands rights process of the Haudenosaunee/ Six Nations/Canada/Ontario. It is the intention that the land title be returned to its original state, its status under the Haldimand Proclamation.
Ontario honoured the 2006 commitment by transferring the land into the corporation, said a spokesperson with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
We are hopeful that all of the parties involved will be able to work together in a spirit of mutual respect to ensure the land benefits all the people of Six Nations, said Antoine Tedesco in a written statement. As this matter is before the courts right now, any further comment would be inappropriate.
This summer, Mohawk farmer Kristine Hill was evicted from the Burtch lands about 380 acres west of the reserve line after an injunction was filed against her, despite the Confederacy issuing a five-year lease to her. A decision on this case, along with a contempt of court charge, will be delivered in an Ontario court on Sept. 22, said Hill.
The government needs to sit down and talk, said Hill. They cant make unilateral decisions, pan-Aboriginal decisions and expect individual nations to be happy with that.
Hill did not want to comment about the blockade or Burtch lands because her court case is ongoing.
Ontario defaulted on the original agreement, she said, adding that the elected band council is carrying out the provinces bidding. The province is responsible for whats happening here because it did not live up to its obligations, in terms of that letter and the promises they made. They broke their promise.
The land is being held in trust until it becomes designated reserve land. The Confederacy is at odds with this concept it wants the area to be independent from the Canadian government.
The Confederacy has been invited to sit on the board of the corporation, Tedesco said.
In a press released dated June 4, a Confederacy chief says the offer relegates the council from a government to an individual on the board.
Elected band council staff did not respond to requests for comment.
On Tuesday, members of Six Nations addressed the media on the outskirts of Caledonia, south of Hamilton, providing site updates. Independent interviews were refused and no photographs of people at the barricade were permitted.
We the Onkwehonwe of Kanonhstaton are still standing strong, said Ronda Martin, in front of the blockade decorated with Haudenosaunee and Mohawk Warrior flags, built of what appeared to be part of a decommissioned electrical tower. We ask again for the publics patience as we work on some very complicated issues.
In a YouTube video uploaded by Turtle Island News on Aug. 17, a woman identified as Doreen Silversmith lists off three demands of Six Nations people at the barricade. They include that the province and the Canadian government return to the negotiation table with the Confederacy, that Ontario honour its promise encapsulated in the 2006 letter and that Six Nations elected band council withdraw its injunction against Hill.
A camp has been established behind a gate surrounding a small hut were tents, lawn chairs and a small crowd.
A Caledonia resident who lives close to the blockade called the demonstration an inconvenience because it obstructs the thoroughfare.
The local businesses, theyre being impacted severely, said Sean Sullivan, 45. Its a land dispute, but it has nothing to do with Caledonia. This is in the wrong place.
Im supportive of their claims, but lets compensate them and deal with it, he said.
OPP cruisers are stationed at opposing stretches along Argyle St. around the clock, said OPP spokesperson Rod Leclair.
Our only role is preserving the peace, he said. There has been no problems. Its been peaceful.
Martin said that First Nations people have been corresponding with Indigenous councils this month to raise awareness and gather support.
We continue to put pressure on the Canadian government to honour our treaties and respect our jurisdiction over our sovereign lands, people and water.
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Public high schools across the country are welcoming a growing number of international students in an effort to build valuable relationships and in some cases boost revenue.
Though international students make up only a small fraction of high schoolers, administrators in Ontario and British Columbia say theyve seen a spike in recent years, with some school boards reporting their ranks have doubled.
The Toronto District School Board, which has one of the largest such programs in the country, says it sees an increase in its international population of five to 10 per cent each year, with close to 2,000 foreign students attending last year.
The Thames Valley District School Board in southwestern Ontario has experienced growth of more than 100 per cent since launching its international program three years ago, going from 133 students to 293, it said.
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In B.C., the Surrey school district says some 1,000 international students are enrolled in its facilities roughly twice as many as in 2009.
School boards say they are making concerted efforts to draw more international students to their halls, participating in recruiting events around the globe, partnering with education agents and working to identify emerging markets.
Every province, including the territories, they have international student programs, said Smita Sengupta of the Toronto District School Board. This is a trend in school boards in Ontario as well as throughout Canada.
Vancouver, Surrey, B.C., and Coquitlam, B.C., are among the most popular school districts for international students, with Toronto and nearby York Region also ranking high, according to the Canadian Association of Public Schools - International, an organization representing 133 public school districts across Canada with international student programs.
Boosting diversity is part of the appeal for school boards such as the Thames Valley, said Sarah Noad, the boards international business development officer.
Our local students benefit so much by learning about new cultures, being introduced to students from other countries, Noad said. They gain new communication skills and learn different global perspectives and ideas and these are all needed to succeed in a more globally interconnected world.
While forging lasting connections is a top motivator, some boards say there are also financial benefits to bringing in international students, who pay between $11,000 and $14,000 each year in school fees and insurance.
It obviously creates a number of teacher jobs, it covers the costs of the program ... but it does leave behind a significant amount of money to the school district, which supports other school initiatives, said Angela Olson, manager of international education for Surrey Schools in B.C.
International students poured $5.21 million into the coffers of Edmonton public schools in the 2015-16 school year, an increase of 22 per cent over the previous year, according to the school boards budget.
The bulk of the financial resources, specifically 67.3 per cent, were distributed to schools serving international students, thereby employing teachers and ensuring strong English language and other programming for all students, it said.
David Johnson, an education economist at Wilfrid Laurier University, said the extra revenue may, in some school boards, help offset the effects of dwindling domestic enrolment.
Not all international students pay fees, however. Some come on student exchanges, or as refugee claimants. Whats more, some only stay for a year or two.
Traditionally, most have come from Korea or China, but recently more have arrived from Vietnam, school boards said. Some countries that were previously more disposed to send students to the United States have refocused their attention on Canada after the U.S. election, said Olson, of the Surrey school board.
For students, enrolling in a Canadian high school may be part of a broader plan to seek an education and a life here, administrators and experts say, noting many go on to apply to Canadian universities.
You improve your English and you probably have easier access to Canadian post-secondary if you put in a year or two at a Canadian high school, said Johnson.
The post-secondary institution has lots of experience interpreting those student records, whereas if you apply from outside the country... its just a whole lot harder to figure out what theyve taken and what theyve not taken and what their grades mean, he said.
Some 175,000 international students are enrolled in Canadian universities, more than double compared to a decade ago, though its not known how many attended a Canadian high school, according to Universities Canada.
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Six months before an alleged assault by an off-duty Toronto officer on teen Dafonte Miller, the director of Ontarios Special Investigations Unit asked police Chief Mark Saunders to educate his officers on their duties to notify the watchdog when a civilian is seriously hurt by police, according to correspondence obtained by the Star.
SIU director Tony Loparcos request to Saunders was spurred by a 2015 case in which the watchdog alleges Toronto police neglected to notify the civilian agency about an incident warranting an SIU investigation, specifically the injuries of a man sent to hospital while bleeding out of his ears following a police raid.
A decision was made not to contact the SIU, Loparco wrote in the June 2016 letter, obtained by the Star through a freedom-of-information request. This was the incorrect decision.
Ontarios Police Service Act states the SIU must be notified immediately of any incident that would reasonably be considered a serious injury, including when someone is admitted to the hospital. But the watchdog, which investigates serious injuries and deaths involving police, learned of the mans injuries only two and a half months later and only after receiving a letter of complaint about the incident. The man was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum.
Meanwhile, the delay deprived SIU investigators of important evidence, Loparco told Saunders.
It is my hope that you will implement appropriate educational requirements for your officers so that similar problems do not arise in the future.
Asked if any action was taken on Loparcos request to educate officers on notification requirements, Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for the Toronto police, said he would not discuss the specifics of the case.
Toronto police take Loparcos comments seriously, Pugash said, but is accountable to the Toronto police board.
Toronto police have come under fire in recent weeks for failing to notify the SIU of serious injuries incurred by civilians in encounters with police, chief among them the severe alleged assault on Miller.
The 19-year-old Black man suffered a broken orbital bone and broken nose and will lose an eye because of the December 2016 incident. The injuries were allegedly caused by an off-duty Toronto police officer, Michael Theriault, and his brother, Christian Theriault. Last month, both men were charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and public mischief following an investigation by the SIU.
But the watchdog did not even know about Millers injuries until months after the alleged attack, and only then because Millers lawyer contacted the SIU. The delay has prompted accusations by Millers lawyer, Julian Falconer, of a deliberate coverup by police to protect the Theriault brothers, whose father is a veteran Toronto police officer working in the Professional Standards unit, which was the division that decided not to contact the SIU about Millers injuries.
Saunders has denied allegations of a coverup, saying the SIU was not told because, based on the information his officers had at the time, notification was not required.
Last week, the SIU announced it was charging Toronto police Const. Joseph Dropuljic with assault in a separate case involving injuries incurred by a young Black man. In that case, the SIU was not notified for 11 months after the incident, and only after the victim came forward to lodge a complaint.
The repeated delays underscore what critics say is a need for stronger police oversight, including consequences for officers who dont follow laws around the SIU.
This is what raises suspicions in peoples minds because they ask, Well, why didnt they not notify the SIU? said Howard Morton, former director of the SIU and now a criminal defence lawyer.
This month, Morton joined a coalition of rights groups, including the Ontario Human Rights Commission, in calling for the immediate implementation of the recent report by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch.
That report made a series of recommendations aimed at stronger police oversight, including clarifying the rules around when police services must notify the SIU and officers duty to co-operate with investigations.
At the completion of every SIU investigation involving Toronto police, the SIU director writes a letter to the chief with basic details of the investigation and its conclusion.
Unlike the two recent cases involving Black men, the May 2015 incident prompting Loparcos letter to Saunders did not result in a criminal charge against any Toronto police officer.
According to the letter, the incident started with an attempted knifepoint robbery which led to an investigation involving Torontos Emergency Task Force. On May 30, 2015, the ETF executed a search warrant in the case.
The location of the search warrant execution, and any identifying information about the injured man or officers involved, was redacted in the letter obtained by the Star. The letter also did not state who sent the complaint letter notifying the watchdog of the mans injuries; Jason Gennaro, a spokesperson for the SIU, said he could not say who wrote the letter due to confidentiality requirements.
A team of seven ETF officers arrived at the home, found it unlocked then called out for the man wanted by police to exit the home. When he didnt, the team went inside and found the man sleeping in the basement. The man refused the officers orders to show his hands then to get on the ground. One of the officers, spotting a knife beside the mans bed, then deployed a Taser.
The man fell to the ground but continued to thrash, according to the letter, so one of the officers pressed his ballistic shield onto the mans back to immobilize him, allowing him to be handcuffed.
When the man was brought outside, there was blood coming from his ears and he had a small cut above his eyebrow. He was taken to the hospital, where his cut was sutured and he was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum, an injury typically seen in people who encounter a deafeningly loud sound.
Loparco had to determine whether the mans injuries were caused by the officers and wondered if a loud police distraction device called a flash bang has been used in their entry into the home. Citing witness and officer accounts, Loparco concluded it hadnt been used and stated that the perforated eardrum was not attributable to police. He also said the force used by police was reasonable.
However, Loparco noted that because the SIU was not immediately notified, the watchdogs investigators could not go to the residence to conduct a probe to independently determine whether the loud distraction device had been used.
According to Ontarios Police Services Act, the SIU must be notified immediately of any incident that may reasonably be considered to fall within its mandate. The SIU uses whats called the Osler definition of serious injury, which states it must be presumed someone is seriously injured when they, among other types of injuries, are admitted to hospital and suffering hearing loss.
The mans injuries satisfied two separate presumptions contained within the definition. Thus, the SIU should have been notified, Loparco wrote Saunders.
Among Tullochs recommendations is to set out in law the Osler definition of serious injury. As it stands, serious injury is not defined in the Police Services Act.
As reported by the Star this year, Loparco has issued several complaints about Toronto police co-operation with SIU investigations within the past few years, including failures to notify the watchdog of serious injuries. In some cases, Loparco will ask the chief to investigate an alleged incident of non-co-operation and report back.
But police chiefs are not legally obligated to respond to these letters because the SIU has no authority under the Police Services Act to demand chiefs look into officer conduct.
Morton said the provincial government must step in to enforce the laws outlining whats expected of police when it comes to SIU co-operation. Its not enough to simply have a director out there in isolation hoping that if he writes to the chief there will be some education, Morton said.
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said this month he would introduce a bill in the fall session of the legislature that will transform Ontarios police oversight system.
Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca
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Dissatisfied with commercial radio, Andrew OConnor decided to shake it up by tapping into Toronto airwaves to broadcast what is, in his opinion, righteous, underappreciated music.
Every Thursday the 38-year-old radio guru does just that with Disco 3000, a homespun show thats been in operation for three years his tag line: Good music on the radio.
Nobody puts together a thoughtful program of music anymore, something that reflects a time in place, an emotion, he said in his modest apartment. Theres this notion that we have to coddle peoples ears and never challenge them.
Pirate radio is rare in Canada and is more commonly found in remote areas, like First Nations reserves, OConnor said.
He operates without a license, making his work illegal, technically, but because the range is so limited, he doesnt see a problem.
Im under the radar, he said. Its small enough that nobody really notices. The main things that will cause trouble are interfering with somebody elses signal or broadcasting hate speech, neither of which I come anywhere close to doing.
According to the Radiocommunication Act, interfering or obstructing radio signals is prohibited.
Unauthorized radio broadcasting, including pirate radio, can cause interference to public safety radio operations and aeronautical radio navigation and communications and jeopardize the safety of Canadians, said a spokesperson in a written statement.
OConnors show, which can be found on frequency 87.5 FM between 9 and 11 p.m. every Thursday, was chock-full of genre-defying music. Sun Ra and Harry Partch were played artists that fit within the experimental, avant-garde vein. Punctuated between sets was OConnors crooning voice, guiding listeners through each song.
Last Thursday, OConnor played Sun Ras Unknown Kohoutek,a song about a comet that was spotted in our solar system in the 1970s.
If I had to describe it, OConnor said, Id call it polyrhythmic spiritual jazz, with Sun Ras classic organ wizardry.
The broadcast is exclusive to Torontos Parkdale neighbourhood. A Star reporter walked around the area with a hand-held radio that evening to determine how far OConnors signal would reach feedback choked it out along Roncesvalles Ave., Marion St., Jameson Ave. and south of King St. West. If you find yourself within these parameters, however, the transmission will most likely be clear. OConnor said there are many variables that can affect the broadcast, like weather and quality of the receiver.
He said that no night is average, adding that he plays Motown and contemporary hip-hop at times, too.
Martin Watson, 34, has been tuning into Disco 3000 since its inception he listens to it whenever he has a chance, he said.
I get to hear all of these fantastic bands that Ive never heard on (commercial) radio, outside a few college shows, he said. The other thing is the freedom of the format.
Watson added that he enjoys the pure physicality of the experience.
Ive never felt the same sense of immediacy with anything online, he said. An analog radio show, you have to be ready at a specific time.
OConnor prefers his analog rig over the internet because of its old-school way of reaching people.
The fact that I can sit in a room listening to records and this magic box can take it to the antenna, shoot it out into the air and people around me with a different magic box can pull it out of the air and listen with me is a beautiful thing, he said.
Hes been working in the radio arts industry for 20 years freelancing and working on commissioned art projects around the country, which could help explain why he considers his show to be a community art project.
Im interested in someone whos gonna come along for the ride, he said.
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A Toronto-based non-profit organization is heading to Houston to save rescue dogs in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Nicole Simone, founder of Redemption Dogs which advocates for rescue and support dogs said two volunteers will be travelling to Houston with supplies and a temperature-controlled van to save as many canines as possible and bring them to Toronto.
We have the resources so were extending help to alleviate some of the stress over there, Simone told the Star.
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She said shes been in contact with Hot Mess Pooches, which takes in rescue and disabled dogs in Houston, to bring supplies and take as many dogs as possible to Toronto.
Simone said Hot Mess Pooches facility was on the other side of the bayou and avoided the worst of the floods, but that theyre in need of support as thousands of people are fleeing the area and were rescued and resources have been used up.
About 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area as Harvey brought heavy rain and floods into the city. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were at least 23 confirmed deaths.
Rescue boats were prioritizing humans and shelters were refusing peoples pets, Simone said. And there are more dogs than there are rescuers.
She said the volunteers will only be taking already displaced dogs and rescue dogs, and they will not be taking any pets from owners that were left behind or displaced.
On Sept. 6, two volunteers will bring crates, towels, dog treats and food to Houston in exchange for canines bound for Toronto.
In addition to aid for the dogs, the volunteers will be heading down with items that Houston residents desperately need, including non-perishable foods and diapers.
Tim Alamenciak, formerly a Toronto Star reporter, is one of the two volunteers heading to Houston.
I decided to get involved because I am the owner of a rescue dog myself, and I am very passionate about animal welfare. I know they are dealing with a tremendous influx of dogs who were displaced by the hurricane who need to be cared for, Alamenciak said.
The idea of rescuing some dogs who are already in the shelter waiting for homes struck me as a good way to help.
He said when they arrive in Houston, the volunteers will work with local shelters to identify dogs looking for homes.
Once weve identified those dogs and transported them safely, were working with organizations in Ontario to find foster homes. Theres already a lineup of homes willing to foster the dogs Alamenciak said.
When the dogs arrive in Toronto they will be taken in by rescue shelters in the GTA.
Redemption Dogs, which was created in 2014, has also set up a Go Fund Me page where theyve raised about $1,600 as of Wednesday. The money will go towards getting the volunteers to Houston as well as vet costs to give the dogs rabies vaccinations.
With files from Jenna Moon
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JERUSALEM Israel is using a visit this week by the United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, to highlight concerns about what it says are Irans efforts to produce advanced, precision weapons in Lebanon and Syria.
Iran is busy turning Syria into a base of military entrenchment, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday at a news conference with Guterres, and it wants to use Syria and Lebanon as war fronts against its declared goal to eradicate Israel.
Netanyahu asserted that Iran is building sites to produce precision-guided missiles toward that end in both Syria and in Lebanon.
He added: This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the U.N. should not accept.
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Israels defence minister, Avidgor Lieberman, also spoke in his meeting with Guterres about Israels concerns about factories for precision weapons and what he called Irans repeated attempts to smuggle arms into Lebanon.
We are determined to prevent any threat to the security of the citizens of Israel, Lieberman said, according to a transcript of his remarks from his office.
The assertions are not new, but Israel now appears to want to put them on the international agenda.
Israels chief of military intelligence, Maj. Gen. Herzl Halevi, told an audience at a policy conference in Herzliya, Israel, in June that Iran had been working during the past year to set up independent production facilities in Lebanon to manufacture precise weapons, which use advanced technology to guide them to specific targets.
The beneficiary, he said, would be Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite organization, with which Israel fought an inconclusive, month-long war in 2006. Adding that Iran was setting up similar facilities in Yemen, Halevi warned, We cannot remain indifferent to this and we dont.
Israeli leaders also pressed Guterres to prod the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, into fulfilling its mandate to prevent Hezbollahs weapons buildup.
I will do everything in my capacity to make sure that UNIFIL fully meets its mandate, said Guterres, visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories for the first time since taking up the top U.N. post in January. He added that the idea or the intention or the will to destroy the state of Israel is something totally unacceptable from my perspective.
Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria in recent years against convoys or stores of advanced weapons said to be destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Acting under the cover of the Syrian civil war, the Israeli strikes have prompted little retaliation from Hezbollah, which is fighting in Syria to prop up the government of President Bashar Assad, an Iranian ally.
Through Hezbollah and other proxies, Iran has been extending its influence and its reach in the region and, according to Israeli officials, is working to provide Hezbollah with more precise weapons to hit valuable targets in its next war against Israel.
But while Israel has acted with relative impunity in the chaotic environment of Syria, any pre-emptive strike on Lebanese soil could spiral into a broader conflict over Israels northern border.
Israels Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported this week that in the face of the Israeli warnings, Prime Minister Saad Hariri of Lebanon has been working to stop Irans construction of the missile factory in his country.
More generally, Israel has been voicing concern that arrangements for ceasefires and de-escalation zones in southern Syria will help Iran and its loyalists consolidate their presence across Israels frontiers.
Last week Netanyahu travelled to Sochi, Russia, on the Black Sea to confer with President Vladimir Putin. The victory over ISIS is welcome, Netanyahu told Putin, referring to Daesh, which has been battling Assads forces. Irans entry is unwelcome, endangering us, and in my opinion, endangering the region and the world, Netanyahu said, according to his office.
Israeli officials have also raised these concerns with U.S. officials.
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WASHINGTONTwo Canadian men are among more than a dozen people indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., for attacking protesters in May 2017 during a U.S. visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The indictments charge the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who had gathered on May 16 outside the home of the Turkish ambassador to await Erdogans arrival after he had met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
The two Canadians named in the American court document are Mahmut Sami Ellialti and Ahmet Cengizhan Dereci.
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In June, police in the U.S. capital issued arrest warrants for Ellialti on charges of felony aggravated assault and felony assault with significant bodily injury and Dereci on charges of felony assault with significant bodily injury and misdemeanour assault or threatened assault in a menacing manner.
Sixteen of the defendants named in Tuesdays indictment had already been charged on June 13. Two of the defendants were arrested in June and face an initial court hearing on Sept. 7. The rest remain at large, including the two Canadians.
The pair told the CBC last year that they are staunch supporters of Erdogan and had voted to elect him.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was chosen by the Turkish people. We voted for him and we want him to be our president, Dereci said at the time.
All 19 defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Several are members of Erdogans security detail who returned with him to Turkey, so it is unclear if any will face legal repercussions in the United States. However, they could end up being threatened with arrest if they return to the U.S. If any are still in the country, they could be expelled if Turkey refuses to waive diplomatic immunity.
Video of the protest showed security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of protesters with their fists and feet. Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another wrenched a womans neck and threw her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face.
After police struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt.
Police detained two members of Erdogans security detail, but released them shortly afterward. Two other men were arrested at the scene one was charged with aggravated assault and the other was charged for assaulting a police officer.
American officials strongly criticized Turkeys government and Erdogans security forces for the violence; the State Department summoned Turkeys U.S. ambassador to complain. The Turkish Foreign Ministry then summoned Americas ambassador to protest the treatment of the detained security guards.
Turkeys official Anadolu news agency said at the time that Erdogans security team moved in to disperse the protesters because police did not heed to Turkish demands to intervene. The Turkish Embassy claimed the demonstrators were aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president.
With files from The Canadian Press
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WASHINGTONFirst lady Melania Trump spoke little during a stop through Harvey-ravaged Texas on Tuesday, but in a statement from the White House, is now praising the people of Texas affected by the storm.
What I found to be the most profound during the visit was not only the strength and resilience of the people of Texas, but the compassion and sense of community that has taken over the state, Trump said in a statement released Tuesday evening, also noting: I want to be able to offer my help and support in the most productive way possible, not through just words, but also action.
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The first lady travelled to Corpus Christi with U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged a robust federal response to the disaster.
It wasnt her words, but footwear, that seemed to gain the most attention. The former model left Washington in a pair of black stiletto heels, but arrived in Texas sporting white sneakers and a black cap that read FLOTUS.
Trumps spokeswoman dismissed the high heel hubbub, according to multiple reports: Its sad that we have an active and ongoing natural disaster in Texas, and people are worried about her shoes.
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The death of Diana, Princess of Wales in a high-speed car crash shocked the world 20 years ago Thursday.
The 36-year-old princess was killed in the early hours of Aug. 31, 1997 after her Mercedes crashed into a concrete pillar in the Alma Tunnel in Paris.
Dianas boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul were also killed. Their car was travelling more than 100 kph. It had been pursued by paparazzi.
The news of Dianas death arrived in the Stars newsroom in the form of a wire service bulletin at 12:15 a.m., Toronto time just in time for the Star to redesign the front page to run the stark headline, Diana dead.
What followed was a week of grief, mourning and anger over the sudden loss of the peoples princess. The next day, a Monday, the Star ran an eight-page special section dedicated entirely to the princesss death.
A selection of pages from the Toronto Stars coverage of the week following the Aug. 31, 1997, death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Dianas funeral five days later drew an estimated one million mourners to London, with millions more watching live around the world including at SkyDome, now Rogers Centre, where more than 3,500 watched the service on the Jumbotron.
To mark the anniversary of Dianas death, here is Star reporter Bill Schillers story on her funeral, from London.
This story was first published on Sept. 7, 1997. It ran on the Stars front page under the headline, Goodbye Englands rose.
LONDONBritain buried Diana, Princess of Wales, yesterday in a ceremony that sacrificed pomp and pageantry for a more common, human touch.
She would have approved whole-heartedly.
Dianas sons, Princes William and Harry, joined their father Prince Charles, grandfather Prince Philip and uncle Charles, the Earl Spencer, to walk bravely behind the princess coffin for the last kilometre of a hushed procession.
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The only sound was the quiet clatter of horses hooves and the haunting, intermittent peal of a church bell.
It was an extraordinary and touching sight.
Never in modern memory has the British royal family demonstrated its grief so openly nor, it seemed, so humbly.
Even the Queen and her family appeared at Buckingham Palaces gates as the cortege carrying Dianas body passed the palace and moved into The Mall en route to Westminster Abbey.
The gesture appeared to be yet another royal concession to Dianas struggle to modernize and humanize the British monarchy.
As an estimated 1 million mourners lined the five-kilometre route, more than 25 million more Britons watched on television and 2.5 billion other viewers looked on worldwide.
What they saw was the most massive outpouring of British national feeling since Victory in Europe celebrations ending World War II more than 50 years ago.
Dianas friend, Elton John, brought tears to many eyes yesterday, adapting his classic song, Candle in the Wind, to honor the princess as Englands rose.
Her beloved sons, who maintained a valiant composure as they escorted their mothers coffin to the abbey, were moved to tears during the poignant song.
Authorities said 30,000 people camped out overnight on Londons streets, 2,000 of whom slept in front of the abbey to ensure themselves a glimpse of Dianas coffin as it passed.
One of them was Mary OConnor, an 84-year-old pensioner from Norfolk, who has had two hip operations. She camped out at the abbey for two nights and was rewarded by organizers yesterday with a chair near the Great West Door, where Dianas coffin entered and left the church.
The old bones were creaking with the arthritis, she admitted following the funeral. But it was a wonderful experience.
I wouldnt want to go through it again however, it was so heart-rending. She was my favorite royal. I was crying all the time.
Perhaps the most heart-breaking sight mourners saw was the wreath of white flowers set atop Dianas coffin, with a handwritten card bearing the single word: Mummy.
The funeral was attended by a mix of people from all nationalities and all walks of life, from the high and mighty of the film and fashion worlds, to the homeless and those in wheelchairs who had been helped by Dianas charities.
It was the perfect expression of Dianas life, one that had comfortably mixed glamor with good works, a feat few people have ever accomplished.
But Dianas charm, sincerity, compassion and commitment made it happen.
Luciano Pavarotti came from Italy; actors Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise from the United States; film producer Lord Richard Attenborough and Virgin Airlines chair Richard Branson were also there, as well as leading British politicians and ex-politicians.
Designer David Emmanuel, who had made Dianas wedding dress, attended too.
So did U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But just as important was the legion of unnamed charity workers who joined the cortege, just behind the members of the royal family, as the procession passed St. James Palace. They accompanied some of the people Diana had helped: the sick, the downtrodden and the needy.
As a note on one bouquet this week noted, Diana was Queen of the Devastated, Queen of the Unloved ... Queen of the Uncared-for.
Some of those charity workers, in jeans and sweatshirts, pushed wheelchairs. Some were dressed in nursing and Red Cross uniforms.
They alone took up 500 of the 2,000 places on the guest list.
It was a fitting tribute to the woman British Prime Minister Tony Blair called, The Peoples Princess.
The day had begun with sunshine, long shadows, and the single, haunting peal of a muffled bell as Dianas coffin was set on a gun carriage in front of her former home, Kensington Palace.
At 9:08 a.m., six gleaming horses drew the gun carriage bearing the coffin down Palace Avenue to Kensington Road, and as it edged into public view, people began throwing flowers atop it and one woman let out an anguished, high-pitched cry.
All along the route, people did what Diana herself may have done had she been there grieving for another: they were supporting each other, holding each other.
And they did so in silence, though the occasional sound of a muffled sob pierced the air.
It was eerily quiet, said Velda Bottle, a 55-year-old store clerk.
All you could hear really was the horses. All of us were fine, but then we saw the boys (Princes William and Harry) walking behind the casket and we lost it.
Bottles sister, Jennifer Horsington, said one elderly woman near them started sobbing uncontrollably and a young man made his way through the crowd and threw his arms around her and hugged her.
It was an incredibly touching thing, remarked Horsington. Here were these two total strangers hugging, and no one seemed to mind. We were like one big family, Dianas family.
Some felt that the days events and the extraordinary emotional outpouring would change Britain irrevocably.
This is a watershed in the history of the country, I think, said Ekow Nelson, a 32-year-old London management consultant. From today on, I think the rulers of our country will probably think slightly differently. There will be a lot more compassion.
I think there will be a lot less rigidity and formality, and a lot more public emotion.
Adding color to the procession were the dozen scarlet-coated Welsh Guards who flanked the coffin along the route.
And ahead of them, wearing gold brocade on their blue tunics, were members of the Kings Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery.
It was as close to pageantry as the day got.
By the time the casket arrived at the abbey at 10:58 and was carried into the Great West Door by the Welsh Guards and set beneath the gothic arcs of the abbey, the sun was strong and bright and the stained glass windows shone a brilliant blue.
Heralding the beginning of the service, God Save the Queen was then sung by all in attendance and for a moment it seemed not a hymn to the sovereign, but to Diana herself.
Protocol ended then, and a kind of peoples service that reflected Dianas down-to-earth nature began. It highlighted her favorite hymns, her favorite readings and, in Elton Johns singing, one of her favorite performers.
Dianas sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, dressed in black, shaking visibly and fighting back tears, began to read:
If I should die and leave you here awhile,
Be not like others, sore undone, who keep
Long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake turn again to life and smile.
Then after a moments reflection, a BBC choir burst into Deliver Me, from Verdis Requiem, and it seemed that all feelings of dread had been left behind, if only momentarily, and everyone had been lifted to heaven.
Prime Minister Blair read St. Pauls epistle to the Corinthians on love in such a clear and dramatic way that every nuance was crystalized and every political speech that Blair had ever made instantly paled by comparison.
And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and I have not love, I am nothing.
As the mourners in the abbey remained seated, Elton John began his song for the friend who had so recently comforted him at the funeral of fashion mogul Gianni Versace.
Goodbye Englands rose, he sang, from a country lost without your soul, / wholl miss the wings of your compassion/more than youll ever know.
What immediately followed was a eulogy for Diana by her younger brother Charles which will resonate down the years.
It was full of passion, love, anger and good sense. Anger at the royal family and the British press for having made Dianas life at times miserable; good sense in its respectful acknowledgment of the value of the British crown, but condemning of the blind and narrow-minded allegiance to protocol that can produce emotionally stunted personalities destined to remain alienated from the people.
Spencer vowed he would keep his nephews, William and Harry, safe from such damage and that their personalities would be real and natural and able to sing in the way that Diana had planned. He also promised to protect the boys from the media that he said made his sister the most hunted person in the modern age.
When he finished, those inside the abbey could hear strong and spontaneous applause working its way towards them from outside like a wave.
The many ordinary Britons who turned out to pay tribute to Diana yesterday sensed that she was not about pomp, circumstance and pageantry but about them, about being ordinary. She connected with them.
Thats why Carmel McInerney, 38, her 13-year-old daughter Danielle, and Carmels sister Grace, 32, came across town from Fulham to sleep huddled together on the pavement using a single blanket.
For that small sacrifice, they won a clear and unobstructed view of the passing casket draped in the royal standard.
She was the best ever, said Danielle. She should have been queen.
As she spoke, her aunt Grace broke down and cried, She loved Charles so much and he didnt give her the respect she deserved.
Hopefully, Prince William will be our next king, she choked, and hell have a little bit of her love inside him to give to the people.
As remarkable as the heartfelt emotions of Britons in the crowd were, there were also huge numbers of international mourners as well: people from Poland, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Turkey and many other countries.
And that underlined the truth of what Dianas brother had said in his tribute from the abbeys pulpit that she was a very British girl who transcended nationality.
Many international visitors, such as 21-year-old student Sascha Meyer-Diekena, of Bremen, Germany, paid their respects and lamented that their country was not blessed with a woman like Diana.
There is no similar person in Germany, said Meyer-Diekena, who is touring Britain with a group of 40 other young Germans.
Dianas family has decided that her final resting place should be beyond the reach of fervent fans, out of fears that they could turn it into a kind of over-run celebrity shrine.
So yesterday, Diana was finally laid to rest on a tree-shaded island in an ornamental lake on the grounds of her childhood home, at the family estate near Althorp, north of London, securely beyond the reach of any camera lens.
Mourners would only be allowed access on special and limited occasions throughout the year, a spokesperson for the family said.
Dianas admirers lined much of the 100-kilometre route to Althorp yesterday, and threw cascades of flowers as the hearse moved through the rolling green farmland of central England.
The days final ceremony was private. No cameras were allowed in and no statement was released. Only 10 people were permitted to attend: Dianas brother, two sisters and their husbands, Prince Charles, Princes William and Harry, Dianas mother, Frances Shand Kydd, and Dianas butler, Paul Burrell.
Diana had come full circle.
By nightfall she had been returned to that tranquil place from whence she came, where she developed the shy but beguiling smile that captivated the world.
With files from The Associated Press
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SPRINGFIELD, MO.U.S. President Donald Trump launched his fall push to overhaul the nations tax system by pledging Wednesday that the details-to-come plan would bring back Main Street by reducing the crushing tax burden on middle-class Americans, making a populist appeal for a proposal expected to heavily benefit corporate America.
Trump said his vision for re-writing the tax system, a key campaign pledge, would unlock stronger economic growth and benefit companies and workers alike. He promised it would be pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-worker and pro-American.
True to form for the president, Trump dangled the prospect of the biggest ever tax cut and warned that without it, jobs in our country cannot take off the way they should. And it could be much worse than that.
Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump
Trump, who rarely travels to promote his policy agenda, chose to debut his tax overhaul pitch before employees at a manufacturing plant in Springfield, Missouri, a community known as the birthplace of Route 66, one of the nations original highways, and one known as Americas Main Street.
This is where Americas Main Street will begin its big, beautiful comeback, the president declared.
After eight months without any major legislative victories and after a significant defeat on health care, Trump and Republican congressional leaders face mounting pressure to notch some significant achievements before next years midterm elections. But the tax overhaul effort already is facing political headwinds.
The White House and Republican lawmakers have not finalized details of the plan, and the push comes as Congress returns to face an intense September workload filled with must-do items such as raising the debt limit, funding the government and providing assistance for the Harvey recovery effort.
While the White House has been designing a tax plan aimed at appealing to Republicans, Trump sought to cast the effort in bipartisan terms. He called on members of both parties to work with him on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver real tax reform for everyday hard-working Americans.
I am fully committed to working with Congress to get this job done and I dont want to be disappointed by Congress, do you understand? Trump said. Do you understand? Congress. I think Congress is going to make a comeback.
The president used the official White House event to inject an overtly political message aimed at Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, a top Republican target in next years midterm elections.
We must lower our taxes, and your senator, Claire McCaskill, she must do this for you. And if she doesnt do it for you, you have got to vote her out of office, Trump said, drawing out each of the last five words for emphasis.
Even before Trump took the stage, Democrats eagerly laid down their own markers for what the tax plan should look like.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined a series of conditions, telling reporters the tax cuts should not go to the wealthiest 1 per cent of Americans. He added that the plan should not increase the budget deficit and should be written by both parties not just Republicans like the GOPs failed health care effort.
If the president wants to use populism to sell his tax plan, he ought to consider actually putting his money where his mouth is and cut taxes for the middle class, not the richest Americans, Schumer said.
The Trump administration released a one-page set of goals in April for its tax overhaul, followed by a joint statement in July with congressional leaders.
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In an interview with the Financial Times last week, Gary Cohn, a top Trump economic adviser, said the White House and Republican leaders had agreed on a good skeleton for the plan, and said the tax-writing committee in the House would be drafting legislation while the White House tries to sell it.
Cohn, who recently publicly denounced the presidents response to the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, travelled to Missouri with the president and was standing to the side of the stage. But he was not among a number of administration officials whom Trump publicly thanked in his opening remarks.
The White House played down the omission, saying White House staff members typically arent recognized in prepared remarks, only Cabinet members.
Trump said he would like to see the top corporate tax rate drop from 35 per cent to 15 per cent. But its not clear that the top rate will go that low in the plan or what kind of tax break a typical taxpayer would see.
With his promises to the middle class, Trump is essentially betting that the benefits of tax cuts for businesses will flow directly to workers, rather than ending up in the pockets of top executives and wealthy investors.
His administration has asserted that high corporate tax rates primarily hurt workers, since companies can stash their money overseas in countries with lower tax rates.
Trumps Treasury Department cited a 2006 Congressional Budget Office study to back the claim that workers mostly bear the brunt from corporate taxes, as well as research by Kevin Hassett, the economist picked to lead the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
But Treasury officials concluded in a separate 2012 analysis that only 18 per cent of corporate taxes costs fell on labour. This would suggest that Trumps plan is more likely to bolster stock prices and CEO pay than trickle down to workers salaries.
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After black-clad antifa members violently attacked conservative protesters in Berkeley on Sunday, the citys mayor has asked the University of California at Berkeley to cancel a conservative student groups plan to host alt-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in September.
The university says it isnt backing down.
We have neither the legal right or desire to interfere with or cancel their invitations based on the perspectives and beliefs of the speakers, said university spokesperson Dan Mogulof.
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Mayor Jesse Arreguin said bringing Yiannopoulos to campus for Berkeley Free Speech Week, which is hosted by a conservative campus newspaper called the Berkeley Patriot, could create the potential for violent protesters to create mayhem.
I dont want Berkeley being used as a punching bag, Arreguin told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Berkeley Patriot also invited former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and conservative provocateur Ann Coulter to speak during the week, scheduled for Sept. 24-27. Mogulof said the university is not able to confirm the speakers until administrators receive a finalized list from the student group this week.
The university, where the Free Speech Movement began in the 1960s, again became a focal point in national debate about free speech on college campuses in February, when violent protests forced university police to cancel a speech by Yiannopoulos, who his critics call a hate-monger.
In February, police estimated that 150 violent agitators who were wearing masks and clad in black smashed windows, set fires and hurled rocks at police, costing about $125,400 in damage to the school. The protesters reportedly interrupted much larger peaceful demonstrations.
Following the unrest, U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of cutting federal funds to the school, which is a public university.
If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view NO FEDERAL FUNDS? Trump tweeted.
In April, demonstrators again converged on Berkeley to protest a speech by Coulter, which ultimately didnt happen after a back-and-forth between Coulter and university officials worried they hadnt been given enough notice to work out security and logistics.
Chancellor Carol Christ promised in a letter to students, faculty and staff last week that this year, the university will invest the necessary resources to make speeches by Yiannopoulos and conservative columnist Ben Shapiro safe for both the speakers and the community.
If you choose to protest, do so peacefully, Christ wrote. That is your right, and we will defend it with vigour. We will not tolerate violence, and we will hold anyone accountable who engages in it.
Arreguin said he obviously believes in freedom of speech but that there is a line between freedom of speech and then posing a risk to public safety, he told the Chronicle.
That is where we have to really be very careful that while protecting peoples free-speech rights, we are not putting our citizens in a potentially dangerous situation and costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing the windows of businesses, he said.
Yiannopoulos said Aug. 18 on his website that he hopes the event brings together liberals, conservatives, and whatever libertarians arent too busy mining bitcoin, to celebrate free speech.
In the not too distant past, that is what every day at American universities was about, Yiannopoulos said. Now free speech is shunned, and in some cases violently shut down.
Shapiro, whose appearance is sponsored by the Berkeley College Republicans, is scheduled to speak Sept. 14. In a Twitter thread on Monday, the editor in chief of the conservative website the DailyWire.com demanded that police do their jobs and stop violence if violence breaks out because of his speech.
The alt-right is repulsive. Antifa is repulsive. We should all stand together against political violence. Join us, Berkeley, Shapiro tweeted.
3. That means the police should damn well do their jobs and stop violence. No excuses.4. ATTENDEES, DO NOT SHOW UP FOR VIOLENCE. (2/)
6. Those who engage in political violence break the covenant of civilized society. The police must enforce that covenant. (4/)
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WASHINGTONThe Pentagon is poised to have roughly 15,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the coming months, as defence officials on Wednesday finally acknowledged the actual number of American forces in the country after long camouflaging the total in misleading accounting measures and red tape.
Senior Defence officials for the first time said there are about 11,000 U.S. forces currently deployed to Afghanistan thousands more than the 8,400 that were allowed under the previous administrations troop cap. Military officials have long quietly acknowledged there were far more forces in the country than the cap allowed, but commanders shuffled troops in and out, labelled many temporary, and used other personnel accounting tactics to artificially keep the public count low.
The officials, however, refused to provide similar details for Iraq and Syria, where there also are thousands more than the Pentagon publicly admits.
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Chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said that while the same principles of transparency will apply in Iraq and Syria, those countries have their own interests. There have long been political sensitivities within the Iraq government about the number of American troops on the ground, and those concerns raise questions about whether the Pentagon will be less candid about force numbers there to avoid conflicts.
Based on troop caps instituted by the Obama administration, the number of U.S. forces in Iraq has consistently been reported as 5,262, but officials say there are actually more than 7,000. And there are at least 1,500 U.S. troops in Syria three times the 503 that the Pentagon will acknowledge. White said details on troop numbers in Iraq and Syria would be announced in the future.
The troop numbers announcement comes as the Pentagon is preparing to deploy several thousand more Americans to Afghanistan, in order to expand the training and advising of Afghan forces and beef up counterterror operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida-linked groups in the country. Officials have said the U.S. will send as many as 3,900 more troops to the war which would bring the number of publicly recognized troops there to about 15,000. The officials were not authorized to discuss the future deployments publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.
Lt. Gen. Frank McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said providing more truthful numbers is an attempt to actually clarify a very confusing set of reporting rules that has the unintended consequence of forcing commanders to make readiness trade-offs as they deploy their forces.
As an example, Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, noted earlier this year that when Obama ordered the cut in troops to 8,400, commanders had to hire contractors to do jobs that American forces would normally do. So, an aviation brigade that deployed to Afghanistan was able to bring its helicopters, pilots and staff, but the mechanics had to be left behind at Fort Riley, Kansas. The contractors hired to replace the mechanics, Nicholson said, cost tens of millions of dollars and hurt the units overall military readiness.
White and McKenzie said there have been no final decisions about future deployments to Afghanistan, but those should be coming soon. Others have said that some small numbers of troops have moved into the country from nearby within the region, but there have not been any new deployment orders for forces based further away, such as the U.S.
Officials said that once Mattis makes his decision, a few hundred troops could be ready to deploy quickly within days, while others could take several weeks to get into Afghanistan.
In the close to 16 years since the United States went to war in Afghanistan, the number of American troops initially grew in spurts, as U.S. leaders wavered about how much focus to put on the war. Former president Barack Obama came into office saying he would give the war there the attention it required, and the number of American troops on the ground spiralled by mid-2010 to 100,000.
Over time, as the public grew weary with the wars, Obama began to steadily withdraw troops. By March 2015, there were fewer than 10,000 there and Obama announced plans to drop the number to 5,500 by the end of 2016. He later agreed to a compromise that set the cap of 8,400 through the end of his presidency.
Since taking office President Donald Trump has moved to give his military commanders more control over the day-to-day operations of the wars. Allowing Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to determine troop deployments is one example of that.
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There is no commitment in this country like the one made by Canadian soldiers going to war. They accept the very concrete possibility of being killed, maimed, and psychologically damaged in the service of the nation. They dont choose when and where theyll fight, but rather do so at the behest of the government and on our behalf.
As Seamus ORegan takes the helm of Veterans Affairs following Mondays cabinet shuffle, he inherits the duty of acknowledging and rewarding that commitment. He will have a long task ahead of him: principal among his obligations will be to resolve the ignoble squabble between the federal government of Canada and injured veterans who wish to see the return of lifetime pensions for soldiers wounded while serving Canada.
Stephen Harpers Conservatives, responding to a 2012 class-action lawsuit from six injured Afghan war veterans, claimed the government has no sacred obligation to veterans.
Justin Trudeau, in opposition, did not agree. He stressed, on multiple occasions, that indeed the government did have a sacred obligation, that this was precisely our debt to those enlisted to risk their lives for this country. He called on the Harper government to end this court battle, and start giving our veterans the help they deserve. Throughout his campaign, he promised to bring back lifetime pensions for injured soldiers.
Yet once in power, Trudeaus Liberals have carried on the shameful lawsuit they inherited. Despite their rhetoric, they didnt put it behind them and set to work restoring lifetime pensions for injured veterans. In their first budget, they elided the issue. In their second, they still provided no money.
Instead, they merely signalled the intention to announce plans by years end for a life-long pension option though many suspect this will simply take the lump-sum payment for which injured vets are presently entitled and spread it out monthly. For those most seriously wounded, the best-case scenario would be a pension of $1,000 per month for 30 years.
This would be an embarrassingly paltry offer. Consider that Members of Parliament who survive a six-year tour of duty in the House of Commons become eligible at age 55 for a bare minimum of some $30,000 in pension, all the way up to potential annual pensions of $165,000 for longtime parliamentarians. Few, if any, will be so injured by their time in Parliament as to be left disabled.
Canada is lucky that its soldiers do not risk their lives, their bodies, and their lifelong mental health primarily for money. If in fact they did, two successive governments would now have driven home the lesson that it simply isnt worth it. Rather, they are public servants who risk the highest sacrifice for their country.
The new minister inherits a small department with an extremely important mandate: to adequately compensate these public servants for their extraordinary contribution. He has both the opportunity and the obligation to make real all of the high-sounding rhetoric veterans have heard from too many successive governments. If Trudeau truly believes in this countrys sacred duty to veterans, then he must empower his ministers to act in accordance with that obligation.
It now falls to ORegan to lead Veterans Affairs out of ignominy by retiring the no sacred duty legal defence and taking action to restore livable lifetime pensions. If we can profit as a country from putting soldiers in harms way, surely we can find the resources to take care of them once they return.
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Re: Atwood joins Annex neighbours to fight condo, Aug. 29
Atwood joins Annex neighbours to fight condo, Aug. 29
Margaret Atwood, we need you!
I hear you are complaining about an eight-storey condo planned for a corner of your neighbourhood. Imagine seven new buildings, all 25 storeys or more, that will double the density of the neighbourhood to 4,000 people between Quebec and Oakmount Sts., just north of High Park!
In the Annex, the Weston family complains that this building is an invasion of our privacy, our community and an environmental assault on our neighbourhood.
Our situation might give you perspective. You have very little to complain about, whereas our situation is dire. It will be interesting to see whether your prestigious voices will halt the development in your neighbour, whereas our situation affects thousands of people and High Park itself.
Cathy Brown, Toronto
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Re: Help veterans, not enemies like Khadr, Letter, Aug. 28
Help veterans, not enemies like Khadr, Letter, Aug. 28
Allen Bateman made a glorious point in his letter regarding two things: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the way the government treats soldiers inflicted with it, plus the way the Liberal government so quickly and happily gave an admitted terrorist $10.5 million.
That money, which made Khadr a multi-millionaire and gave him a lifestyle many of us can only dream about, and also lined the pockets of his many lawyers, could have been spent not just on programs for soldiers with PTSD but other programs that help the needy. Priorities.
Randy MacDonald, Whitby
The letter from Allen Bateman is a very sad letter indeed. My heart breaks for this poor man and Im further saddened because there are so many more like him.
Its for reasons like those detailed in Mr. Batemans letter (in addition to ethical and moral reasons) that 70 per cent of Canadians opposed the payout to Khadr.
Heres a Canadian who fought for us and cannot work because of his experiences as a soldier, but cannot get enough money to live a decent life.
Compare that to someone who fought against us and is now living in the lap of luxury on the taxpayers dime, and demanding changes to his bail conditions. Talk about using the system!
Rita Maio, Woodbridge
I read with sadness the letter by Allen Bateman, a former Canadian solder. He is accusing our government of unfairly helping Omar Khadr.
Some might see Omar Khadr as a child soldier; some as a traitor. Some might see Allen Bateman as a hero who fought for Canada; some might see him as a professional solder who got paid for his work.
However, both are victims of the same machine: war. In the absence of war, and few of us understand why we were involved in Afghanistan, neither of these two would be in the situation they are today.
Millions of people are suffering because of senseless wars. Each life is precious. It could be so beneficial for all of us if Bateman channelled his energy into the anti-war movement.
Emilia Betkova, Whitby
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Re: National school food program needed, Opinion, Aug. 29
National school food program needed, Opinion, Aug. 29
Missing from this tear-jerker of an op-ed piece is any acknowledgment of parental responsibility to give children a substantial breakfast and provide nutritious lunches to take with them to school. Isnt that what the enhanced Canada Child Benefit is for?
Except for the children too young to leave the schoolyard on their own, lunches for the schoolkids in my neighbourhood mean tripping out to Dollarama, McDonalds and Tim Hortons. Big Macs, Timbits and chocolate bars will win out every time over healthy food offerings in the school cafeteria. I do not support paying for a national school food program.
Malcolm Davidson, Toronto
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As Harvey continues to flood Houston, the heart of oil refining in America, Jim Cramer used his "Off the Charts" segments on Mad Money Tuesday night to talk with Carley Garner, co-founder of DeCarley Trading and a contributor to RealMoney.com, about where crude is headed.
Since West Texas Crude peaked in January, the commodity has seen a series of lower highs. Each time oil has moved significantly higher, speculators and money managers have jumped on the chance to go long at elevated levels, according to Cramer. And each time they've been disappointed.
Garner thinks it's worth stressing this now because oil is approaching an historically bearish time of year for the oil markets.
Garner started with a weekly chart of West Texas Intermediate crude, which contains the CFTC's Commitments of Traders Report. The Commitments of Traders data tells you what large speculators -- meaning money managers -- small speculators, and commercial hedgers are doing with their futures positions.
Garner told Cramer this is an incredibly useful tool because it measures the level of fear or complacency in the futures market. In the case of oil, whenever large speculators own too many futures contracts, it's been a bad sign, as it means that the buyers have run out of firepower. As of the latest report, large speculators had a net long position of 445,000 futures contracts. That's lower than the 500,000-plus reading earlier this year, but Garner said it still points toward an extremely one-sided trade.
In short, if a hedge fund manager was going to bet on oil, they've probably done it already, which means there's little chance of fresh money coming in to push up the price of crude.
Even worse, at some point bullish traders will need to exit their positions by selling the futures, and when that happens, the price of oil will go lower. If they all decide to sell at the same time, the decline could be very sharp.
Garner warned that it's not just the current state of the market that's a worry; the other big problem is historical.
This seasonal chart shows the overall pattern of oil prices over the past 15 years. In most years, crude takes a beating from August through December. Just because big fall selloffs have happened before doesn't necessarily mean they'll happen again, but it doesn't bode well for the bulls.
The weekly chart shows oil has been directionless for months. Oil rallies up to the low 50s then sells off back to the low 40s. Garner's started to wonder whether oil's floor of support near $40 will finally fail sooner rather than later. Crude can't keep making lower highs unless it takes out the $40 level and goes lower still.
According to Garner, in recent months, downswings have made lower lows as the traders' stop loss orders start kicking in, which exaggerated the selling by roughly $1 per barrel.
If oil fails to hold above last month's low of $42, Garner expects speculators will push it down further as their stop loss orders flood the market with supply, hence the $40.90 floor underneath. Similarly, if crude gets hammered down to $37.50, another floor, Garner can't rule out a quick sell-off down to $35.50.
However, if Garner's suspicious prove to be correct and oil does pull back down to the mid $30s, she thinks that would actually be a fabulous buying opportunity.
Oil may not be the only big commodity in danger. Consider the case of copper, which has been roaring because of a weaker dollar and firm demand from China, thanks in part to a proposed Chinese ban on importing copper scrap. Since China consumes nearly half the world's copper and imports more scrap than refined metal, the news offered a nice boost to copper pricing.
But Garner sees a number of signs that copper could be done running, now that it's rallied over $3 a pound.
A weekly chart shows the CFTC's Commitments of Traders report for copper. The net long position of more than 40,000 contracts is highly significant. And because the data is a week old, Garner suspects that the real number is probably in the vicinity of 50,000. Historically, whenever large speculators amass around 51,000 futures contracts on copper, the market tends to run out of buyers. If history's any indicator, the bulls have already expended most of their firepower.
When you check out both the daily and the weekly charts for copper, you see a bunch of indicators that suggest it's already overbought. The Relative Strength index is well over 70 on both charts, and whenever it gets that high, it generally means there's a looming correction.
On Real Money, Cramer says the bulls took this one. They made the bears eat some real crow. Get Cramer's insights with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
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Uber Technologies has confirmed that Dara Khosrowshahi will take up the position of CEO bringing to an end a two-month search after co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick resigned in June.
In a letter to Uber employees late Tuesday, the Uber board said it has unanimously voted to appoint Expedia's (EXPE) - Get Free Report CEO to the top position at the ride-sharing company.
"We're really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara's experience, talent and vision," the board wrote. "The Board and the Executive Leadership Team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work."
Khosrowshahi will meet with employees in the California office on Wednesday and meet with employees, including drivers, around the world over the next few weeks, the board said in its note.
Uber has been under pressure from investors after a slew of scandals rocked the company, including sexual harassment claims and lawsuit from Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Free Report self-driving car business Waymo over trade secrets theft.
Kalanick was forced out in June and since then names such as Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) - Get Free Report CEO Meg Whitman and General Electric's (GE) - Get Free Report former CEO Jeff Immelt were named as possible candidates, both pulled their names from consideration.
Expedia shares fell 0.13% in after hours trading Tuesday, after closing at $143.99.
Uber is facing severe competition in many areas.
Grab, the ride sharing company that's challenging Uber Technologies in Asia, secured its second major investment in as many months Wednesday after the world's biggest carmaker said it would take a stake in the Singapore-based group.
Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) - Get Free Report investment arm, Toyota Tsusho Crop., said it has taken an undisclosed stake in Grab through its Next Technology Fund, a $55 billion division is established earlier this year to identify next-generation automobile-related businesses opportunities. The Toyota investment follows a $2 billion investment from Japan's SoftBank (SFTBY) and China's Didi Chuxing in July that valued GrabTaxi Holdings Pte Ltd. at just over $6 billion.
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Hurricane Harvey's devastation along the Texas coast has reduced the likelihood of a U.S. government shutdown next month, according to the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) - Get Free Report .
That's because lawmakers could face a backlash from allowing a partial shutdown at a time when federal relief efforts are underway, Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a report late Tuesday. The odds of a shutdown have fallen to about 35%, from a 50% chance earlier this month, they estimated.
Some 30 people have died from Harvey and its aftermath, according to the New York Times, citing local officials. It battered coastal cities with gale-force winds and storm surge before stalling in the Houston area and dumping more than four feet of rain in some areas, causing catastrophic flooding. The storm swept back out into the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall a second time Wednesday near the Louisiana-Texas border, near some of the nation's biggest oil refineries.
"Allowing a partial government shutdown when federal relief efforts are underway would pose greater political risks than under normal circumstances, raising the probability that lawmakers will find a way to resolve disagreements," the analysts wrote.
President Donald Trump, who has vowed he's willing to risk a government shutdown if Congress doesn't appropriate funds to build a border wall with Mexico, visited the Texas coast on Tuesday to assess the rescue and recovery efforts.
Tesla's Elon Musk Thinks AI Will Be Best or Worst Thing for Humanity
Analysts say the government might have to shut down - and fall short of funds to pay its bills - if federal lawmakers don't authorize new spending and increase the nation's $19.8 trillion debt limit in September.
Earlier this month, Goldman Sachs warned clients of the growing risk of a shutdown, due to Trump's declining popularity.
The firm predicted then that Trump may try to embrace controversial positions - like the border wall - to shore up support among his core political supporters.
Two key Trump administration officials working on the debt-ceiling increase are former Goldman Sachs executives: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn.
Congress will probably need to allocate new disaster-relief funds at some point in the next several weeks, the Goldman Sachs analysts wrote Tuesday.
"Congressional leaders are apt to combine this with legislation to extend federal spending authority and/or raise the debt limit if possible," the analysts wrote. "If they do, a combined package would be more likely to pass and less likely to be vetoed."
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On his 87th birthday, billionaire investor Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) - Get Free Report (BRK.B) - Get Free Report said he's "never sold a share" of Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Get Free Report , in an interview with CNBC's Becky Quick.
Buffett has made billions on his stake in Apple, of which he owns about 2.5% of outstanding shares. The legendary investor doubled his stake in the tech company in January and has said he sees Apple becoming the first trillion-dollar company.
Before commenting on the U.S. economy, Buffett set the record straight regarding his Kraft Heinz Foods Co (HNZ) holding -- the company will not try to buy Mondelez Int'l Inc (MDLZ) - Get Free Report .
While he was on the subject of righting headlines, Buffett told Quick that the rumors Berkshire was exercising a hostile takeover of Unilever plc (UL) - Get Free Report were unfounded. There was a "misunderstanding," Buffett said, and Berkshire withdrew immediately.
Berkshire exercised its right to acquire 700 million shares of Bank of America Corp (BAC) - Get Free Report on Tuesday, making it the bank's top shareholder. That more than tripled Berkshire's original investment in Bank of America made in 2011. Buffett has previously said he decided to bet on the bank while in the bathtub.
Buffett recognized Bank of America as a "terrific bank," and added that Wells Fargo (WFC) - Get Free Report is as well, despite a string of recent scandals from fraudulent accounts to insurance scams.
Buffett said, "There's never just one cockroach in the kitchen ... That's what used to terrify me at Salomon." Buffett invested $700 million in the now-defunct Salomon Brothers when it was a bond-trading powerhouse ahead of the 1987 market crisis.
Wells Fargo and Salomon shouldn't be compared, Buffett clarified, but putting a spotlight on any company will shine light on more than just one problem.
As for his International Business Machines (IBM) - Get Free Report investment, Buffett said he "made a mistake," but he didn't want to make two mistakes by holding on to a stock that didn't reach goals.
Buffett later said that the current economy "doesn't feel like a 3% growth economy," but more like a 2% growth economy. He said its "sort of unbelievable that rates have stayed down."
President Trump and his administration have said that the 3% threshold is their goal for GDP growth. Second quarter GDP figures released Wednesday revised estimates to 3% from a prior 2.6% estimate.
Beyond market commentary, Buffett offered insight into the staggering effects of Hurricane Harvey. Buffett said that, although there was some advanced notice to help Texans evacuate, there will be a high amount of uninsured loss.
Berkshire's GEICO insurance covers about 500,000 cars in the area affected by storm damage, representing about 10% of the total vehicles in that market.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we had 50,000 losses and most of them will be total losses," Buffett said. "It's how you perform at a time like this that really defines whether your insurance company is doing the right job."
As for economic effects, Harvey will send shock waves, but perhaps not as large as some estimates predict, Buffett said. "I don't think it'll be a full percentage point for the year or anything like that, but it has a real effect. It destroys wealth."
Buffett told Quick that North Korea is a major issue of concern on a level above the "hundreds" of problems in the country that can yet be solved. "I've been concerned since 1945 when the first atomic bomb was used," Buffett said.
But he's not going to speak out against President Trump, despite many of his cohorts using their platforms to criticize the president.
"I worked for Hillary, I raised money for Hillary, I voted for Hillary," Buffett said. "I was disappointed when she lost. But I'm not in the business of attacking presidents ... I won't say if my candidate doesn't win that I'm going to take my ball and go home."
Buffett appeared in midtown Manhattan Wednesday to attend lunch with a buyer who paid $2.7 million to share a meal with the Oracle of Omaha. The lunch was auctioned off by the GLIDE Foundation.
Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.
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As Tropical Storm Harvey, formerly a Category 4 hurricane that brought a deadly amount of rain to East Texas, makes its final landfall, and as North Korea's most recent missile launch over Japan may serve as prelude to more military operations directed at the U.S. territory of Guam, corporate boards are finding it difficult to prepare for a disaster that by its nature is unpredictable, executive search firm consultants said.
Planning for a disaster, such as a hurricane, is ongoing, said Constantine Alexandrakis, member of the Board and CEO Advisory Group at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, but the problem is the magnitude of the disaster, which can force boards to improvise on its crisis management plan. "Boards can never really prepare for the extreme disaster," he said.
"It's very hard to predict what the crisis might look like," said Dennis Carey, co-leader for board services at executive search firm Korn Ferry.
"The degree to which boards have a plan has to do with the culture of the company and the industry," John Kurtz, a partner at management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, said in an interview. Boards need to plan at various levels of detail, looking at how they mobilize in the face of a disaster and which partners they might pull into play, like providing phone assistance for those stranded, Kurtz said. "Boards have to be able to be very imaginative, but they can't plan for everything."
A 2016 study by Deloitte called "A crisis of confidence," found that 76% of board members believed their companies would respond effectively if a crisis struck, and yet, only 49% said their companies have playbooks for likely crisis scenarios. Fewer than half of the directors surveyed (49%), said they have engaged with management to understand what has been done to support crisis preparedness. About a third said their companies engage in crisis simulations or training. Deloitte surveyed more than 300 board members from companies representing every major industry and geographic region.
Typically, management develops a plan and brings it to the board, said Carey. It would be a broad plan that "might be flexible enough to respond to a variety of events," he added.
"The oil and gas industry is extraordinarily good at planning, and that includes disaster planning," said Kurtz. "I expect that they all had fairly robust plans."
When Harvey touched down in Texas over the weekend, it disrupted refineries across the region, affecting Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) - Get Free Report , Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) - Get Free Report and Phillips 66 (PSX) - Get Free Report among others. The closures of these refineries "are already impacting markets with crude prices lower on a perceived drop in demand and gasoline prices spiking in response to lower supply," Sandy Fielden, director of oil and products research at Morningstar Commodities Research, wrote in a note on Tuesday.
"The bigger concern now is crude supply and product distribution for plants further east in Houston," Fielden said.
Accounting and consulting services company BDO noted in 2015 that natural disasters appear to be on the rise in recent years and that these events are a "powerful" demonstration of supply chain risks in a global economy.
"Any single failure in a business's supply chain can cause problems throughout the company," BDO said. "Boards should be prepared to articulate what they have done to prepare for low probability, but high impact events such as natural disasters."
TheStreet reached out to five oil and gas companies; ConocoPhillips (COP) - Get Free Report and Phillips 66 both declined to comment on their boards' plan to deal with natural disasters; the rest, Exxon Mobil, Valero and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) did not respond to a request for comment.
"With a natural disaster, its location and asset specific," said Alexandrakis. He said the plan to respond to a natural disaster will be localized to ensure that assets are being protected and that the people working in that area are safe.
Another potential crisis such as a potential military strike, given North Korea's most recent activity and the ramped up rhetoric by President Donald Trump, might be on a board's radar, but directors are "probably spending more time on currency issues and natural disasters," Alexandrakis said.
"Few companies have contingency plans for an all-out war between the U.S. and another country," said Alexandrakis.
Kurtz echoed that sentiment, saying that there is probably no U.S. company that has a war plan, which could be due in part to "overconfidence of our country and our military." Although the feeling is probably different in Japan, he said.
TheStreet reached out to a several of Japan's and South Korea's biggest companies, including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (SSNLF) , car makers Hyundai Motor Co. (HYMTF) , Kia Motors (KIMTF) and Nissan (NSANY) , and steelmaker Posco (PKXFF) , to see if these boards have taken any measures in preparation for further military action by North Korea.
"Hyundai has business continuity plans for various potential disruptions in its business, but it is not something we discuss publicly," Hyundai's press relations team said via email. "We support and encourage a diplomatic resolution of the current tension with North Korea."
"As a company, we have no specific comment on this issue other than to say that we would follow any guidance or emergency response plans put in place by the competent government authorities in Japan should this be the case," Jean-Yves Jault, a media relations manager for Toyota, wrote in an email. The other companies did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Government plans, however, tend to be focused in a different way, said Carey. While a government has more resources at its disposal, it doesn't typically respond financially as efficiently and as immediately as companies can. "A company, because it is a smaller and well-defined universe, can be much more efficient and targeted in its response than a government can be," Carey said.
Increasingly, the best companies have practiced scenario planning, by asking structured "what if" questions, to think about the possible events in the future, said Kurtz. Both Kurtz and Alexandrakis agree that boards should have specific discussions about crisis prevention and management at least once a year, and even more frequently for companies that have business exposure in volatile parts of the world.
-- This story has been updated to include Hyundai's response.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to cut the federal corporate tax rate to 15% from 35% as part of a sweeping tax reform he wants enacted by the end of the year.
The tax cut would be part of four main goals Trump said should be included in a tax overhaul: simplifying the tax code, making it more competitive with tax regimes in other countries, providing tax relief for middle-class families and encouraging U.S. companies to bring back trillions of dollars in profits "parked overseas."
Aside from the call for a new corporate rate, Trump provided no specific changes he wants in the reform.
He delivered his remarks at the Loren Cook Co., a manufacturer of fans, blowers, exhaust systems and ventilators based in Springfield, Mo.
Highlighting the importance of reform to Trump's agenda, joining him in attendance were Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Small Business Administration chief Linda McMahon, and Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt.
"We're here today to bring back Main Street by reducing the crushing tax burden on our companies and our workers," he said.
Along with deregulation, he said reform of the tax code for the first time in more than 30 years is "the foundation of our job creation agenda."
Tax reform, he said, is "Pro growth, pro jobs, pro work and pro American."
Trump played up Missouri as the eastern starting point for the iconic U.S. Route 66, which he said symbolized the growth and prosperity enjoyed by Americans in the middle of the 20th century.
"Millions of Americans have seen the road disappear in the rear view mirror. If we want to renew our prosperity we must reduce the tax burden on our companies and on our workers."
He contrasted the 2% annual U.S. economic growth during the last 10 years to growth in many other countries, whose leaders are "unhappy when its seven, eight, or nine percent."
He predicted that the U.S. can do better than 3% annual GDP growth.
He also took a swipe at Missouri's Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, who he predicted would join other Democrats in thwarting tax reform, just as he said they have done with blocking his nominees and obstructing healthcare reform.
"Your senator Claire McCaskill must do this for you (vote for tax reform) or you must vote her out of office."
Shamik Trivedi, senior manager in Grant Thornton LLP's Washington national tax office, said the lack of detail in Trump's remarks was expected given that the White House already indicated it would leave drafting the details of tax reform to Congress. The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to unveil a first draft of legislation sometime after lawmakers return to Washington following Labor Day.
He noted that the president's call for a 15% rate is important and may set up a spat with Congress. "That rate is likely to be at odds with what Congress comes out with," Trivedi said.
Trivedi also suggested that lawmakers may struggle to meet at least one of Trump's four principles: radically simplifying the tax code. "Simplicity and fairness are usually talking points that come with discussion of reform but I don't know of anything in the legislative blueprint that would make it so simple that Americans could file their tax returns on a post card," he said.
Nevertheless, Trivedi said Tuesday's speech should help win support for reform. "Anytime you get the president to speak on a matter Congress is concerned about it's good for the effort and in this case I thought he stayed on topic."
Enacting reform that fulfills his other principles of reform will also pose a challenge, he said. For instance, a provision in a reform bill encouraging repatriation of profits held overseas would require lawmakers to decide at what rate the transferred money would be taxed and whether there would be limits on how it is used, such as whether companies would have to invest it in new plants or could pay dividends to shareholders with it.
Other complications include timing. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady's is from Texas and following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey may have attention directed elsewhere for awhile. Congress also must tackle the debt ceiling quickly, which could delay moving the tax reform bill.
Finally, the impact of reform on the federal deficit could make the tax bill tricky, especially because lawmakers seemed to have ruled out a border tax, leaving little in the way of a significant revenue raiser to offset the revenue lost from cutting tax rates.
Jasper Howard, a partner in Hogan Lovell LLP's global tax team based in Washington, and an adviser on the tax implications of cross-border M&A, said if those complications could be worked out it would be a blessing for U.S. based international firms. "The potential to make more it more tax efficient for U.S. companies to repatriate cash trapped overseas would be a very welcome development, particularly in the tech and pharma sectors, which have companies with a lot of cash trapped abroad."
More generally, the reception to Trump's speech depended on listeners' political inclinations.
Jessica Mackler, president of the liberal American Bridge, derided the pledge to help the middle class, given that the only specific was massive cut in corporate taxes. "Donald Trump's presidency has been one gigantic, failed marketing gimmick," she said in a prepared statement. "In spite of everything he told us, his agenda never meets the basic test of 'Would this help the American middle class and those fighting to enter it.' But he can't hide the truth of his dangerous plans to further rig the American economy to his own advantage at everyone else's expense. Just like on healthcare, the American people will reject this promise-breaking plan and demand the real reform that they deserve."
Michael A. Peterson, president of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, warned lawmakers not to pass reform without an offset to any tax revenue that would be lost to a rate cut. "Smart tax reform will promote economic growth, increase fairness and simplicity, and improve the nation's fiscal outlook," he said. But "in order to be truly pro-growth, tax reform must be paid for. Tax reform that worsens our fiscal condition is counter-productive because increasing our national debt harms economic growth."
Mnuchin said he stands by ready to push Trump's tax reform agenda. "At the Treasury Department, we are committed to continuing to advance the President's vision on tax reform while working with Congress to pass a plan that will lead to economic growth and job creation to benefit all Americans," he said.
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Editors' pick: Originally published Aug. 30.
All eyes might have been on Vegas over the weekend as one UFC heavyweight took on the challenge of a lifetime.
However in Hawaii, another of the sport's biggest players was celebrating a different type of big day - and a far more intimate one at that!
UFC star-turned-actress Ronda Rousey, 30, officially tied the knot with Furious 7 star Travis Browne, 35, in a super secret ceremony in Hawaii, and has shared some stunning photos from the laid-back occasion for fans.
The happy couple beam in a black and white image by Rousey's personal photographer Michael Mardone, which shows them walking hand-in-hand with a garland of greenery over the groom's shoulders.
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In another photo, Browne poses as if struggling to lift his wife, who was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo, which she won at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The bride wore a beautiful beaded Galia Lahav gown, which featured a plunging neckline and soft, chapel-length train.
Groom Travis opted for a more relaxed look with a loose-fitting linen shirt and light coloured trousers.
"What an amazing day!!," the groom wrote on his photo announcing the nuptials. "She is so perfect in every way! She makes me so happy! She is my other half! I Love You @rondarousey ".
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The couple got engaged on holiday in New Zealand earlier this summer, leaving just weeks to plan their bohemian style big day.
"We're going to do, like, a backyard Mexican, Corona party, but in Hawaii," the bride announced as she spoke all about her big day plans on US talk show Live! with Kelly and Ryan.
Video of the Day
It's the first marriage for Rousey and second for Browne who was previously married to fitness model Jenna Webb.
PSST! Love Ronda's dress? It's by Israeli bridal designer Galia Lahav. Galia Lahav is stocked in Ireland by Myrtle Ivory, based in Dublin, who will hold a trunk show for the designer on 1st and 2nd September 2017. Visit myrtleivory.com for details and check back with THEVOW.ie for more fabulous wedding fashion news!
The Mater Hospital in Dublin has launched an investigation after an elderly woman reported that her wedding rings were taken as she slept in her hospital bed.
The woman, 91-year-old Kathleen Kearns from Cabra in Dublin, said that when she awoke in her hospital bed on Saturday morning, she found that her gold wedding bands had disappeared from her finger.
Kathleen had been wearing her wedding ring for 67 years.
Another band on the same finger was gifted to her by her mother who passed away in 1978.
I went up on Saturday at about half two and I was sitting there and I said are you ok nanny? and she said you wouldnt believe it my wedding rings are gone'," the woman's granddaughter Lorraine Watters told the Irish Sun.
" I checked the bed, the bin, the floor and the toilets. She had them on her the night before."
They dont fall off, they wouldnt have come off her finger," added Lorraine.
While the woman said she did not want to contact the guards as she didn't want 'to cause a fuss', a spokesperson for the Mater Hospital said that they are investigating the disappearance of the rings, as is their policy with any items reported lost or stolen.
She sees the good in everyone, shes just the most lovely person ever," said Lorraine.
She said to me, how would you feel if someone took your wedding ring Lorraine? I said I wouldnt like it at all nanny.
Video of the Day
She said thats all I have left of your granddad. Its heartbreaking.
NCI Building Systems, Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets metal products for the nonresidential construction industry in North America. It operates in four segments: Engineered Building Systems, Metal Components, Insulated Metal Panels, and Metal Coil Coating. The Engineered Building Systems segment offers engineered structural members and panels; and self-storage building systems under the Metallic, Mid-West Steel, A & S, All American, Mesco, Star, Ceco, Robertson, Garco, Heritage, and SteelBuilding.com brands to builders, general contractors, developers, and end users directly, as well as through private label companies. The Metal Components segment provides metal roof and wall systems, metal partitions, metal trims, doors, and other related accessories for use in new construction, and repair and retrofit applications; roll-up doors; and interior and exterior walk doors under the MBCI, American Building Components, Eco-ficient, Metal Depots, and Doors and Buildings Components brands to manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, distributors, lumberyards, cooperative buying groups, and other customers. The Insulated Metal Panels segment offers insulated metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, and cold storage end-market applications under the Metl-Span and CENTRIA brands. The Metal Coil Coating segment engages in cleaning, treating, and painting flat-rolled metals in coil form, as well as in slitting and/or embossing the metal, before the metal is fabricated for use by industrial users. It also cleans, treats, and coats heavy and light gauge metal coils for use in construction products, heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, lighting fixtures, ceiling grids, office furniture, appliances, and other products; and provides toll coating and painted metal package services under the Metal Coaters and Metal Prep brands. NCI Building Systems, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Navigant Consulting, Inc. provides professional services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services Advisory and Compliance. The Healthcare segment offers consulting and business process management services to healthcare providers, payers, and life sciences companies. This segment helps clients respond to market legislative changes, such as the shift to an outcome and value-based reimbursements model, ongoing industry consolidation and reorganization, Medicaid expansion, the implementation of a electronic health records system, and product planning and commercialization expertise. The Energy segment provides life-cycle solutions that help clients businesses in changing energy environment, manage complexity, accelerate operational performance, and meet compliance requirements, as well as transform its organizations and systems; and various benchmarking, and data and market research services. This segment serves utility and energy companies, government and nongovernmental organizations, large corporations, product manufacturers, and investors. The Financial Services Advisory and Compliance segment provides strategic, operational, valuation, risk management, investigative, and compliance advisory services to financial services industry, including financial and insurance institutions. This segment also offers anti-corruption solutions and anti-money laundering consulting, litigation support, and tax compliance services. Navigant Consulting, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. manufactures and sells motorcycles. The company operates in two segments, Motorcycles and Related Products and Financial Services. The Motorcycles and Related Products segment designs, manufactures, and sells Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including cruiser, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and related services. This segment sells its products to retail customers through a network of independent dealers, as well as e-commerce channels in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The Financial Services segment provides wholesale financing services, such as floorplan and open account financing of motorcycles, and parts and accessories; and retail financing services, including installment lending for the purchase of new and used Harley-Davidson motorcycles, as well as point-of-sale protection products comprising motorcycle insurance, extended service contracts, and motorcycle maintenance protection. This segment also licenses third-party financial institutions that issue credit cards bearing the Harley-Davidson brand. Harley-Davidson, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
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The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a very good value because of its captivating infinity display, strong performance and long battery life for under $500.
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .
The Galaxy S8 has been around for a couple of years, but it's still a strong choice for those looking for flagship-level design and solid performance for under $500. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ boast 5.8- and 6.2-inch infinity displays, which go from edge to edge, and these handsets feature Qualcomms relatively zippy Snapdragon 835 processor for speedy performance.
Were still not fans of the fingerprint sensors location. But when you add in excellent battery life and improvements to a camera that was already very good, you have two winning handsets with the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
See our best phones list for all of our top picks.
Galaxy S8 price and release date
The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were released in April of 2017. You can now get the Galaxy S8 starting at $499 with 64GB of storage. The larger Galaxy S8+ isn't as readily available, but it retails for about $589. However, we've seen this phone for as low as $364 on Amazon (opens in new tab).
You may want to keep an eye out for Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals to see if these phones get discounted during the holiday season.
Design: It feels like the future
The Galaxy S8 exemplifies a nearly bezel-free phone done right. Samsung didnt just take away the bezels on this phone; it crafted a space-age work of art with a new infinity display that stretches from edge to edge. The Galaxy S8 not only has a slightly bigger screen-to-body ratio than LGs phone but also looks sleeker because of the way the Gorilla Glass curves toward the edges on the front and back. Other Android phones look like blah, flat slabs by comparison. The S8 is also thinner and narrower than the G6.
The screen on the S8 is 5.8 inches, versus 6.2 inches on the S8+. But other than the difference in display size, the S8 and S8+ have the same design. Overall, we prefer the bigger screen on the S8+, but if you have small hands, youll likely find yourself repositioning the phone in your hand to reach certain buttons, including the home button, which is now a virtual button instead of a physical key. The button worked well in our testing, providing solid haptic feedback. Its flanked by the Recent Apps and Back buttons.
Whats remarkable about the Galaxy S8 is how much more screen real estate it gives you compared with the S7, while still offering a compact and lightweight design. The S8s 5.8-inch screen is housed in a 5.5-ounce, 2.7-inch-wide chassis, whereas the 5.1-inch S7 weighed 5.4 ounces and had the same width. The S8 is taller, but its still easy to use with one hand.
With its 6.2-inch screen, the 6.1-ounce S8+ is heftier than the 5.5-ounce, 5.5-inch S7 Edge. But the S8+ makes the iPhone 8 Plus (6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 inches, 7.13 ounces) look positively bloated. Plus, unlike the latest iPhones, the S8 and S8+ have headphone jacks.
No matter which size you choose, it wont be long before you see fingerprint smudges on the back of the phone. The smudges were especially prominent on the midnight black version of the S8 and S8+, but you can also choose the lighter orchid gray or arctic silver, which dont show smudges as easily.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Galaxy S8 Galaxy S8+ Price
From $499
From $589
Display (Pixels) 5.8 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED 6.2 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED Camera (Back) 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture Camera (Front) 8 MP, f/ 1.7 aperture 8 MP, f/1.7 aperture Biometric Scanning Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader CPU Snapdragon 835 Snapdragon 835 RAM
4GB 4GB Storage 64GB 64GB microSD
up to 256GB up to 256GB Battery
3,000 mAh 3,500 mAh Battery Life (4G) 10:39 11:04 Size
5.9 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches Weight
5.5 ounces 6.1 ounces Colors
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Android Version 7.0 Nougat 7.0 Nougat Charging USB Type-C USB Type-C Wireless Charging WPC and PMA WPC and PMA
About that fingerprint sensor
We were worried that the fingerprint sensors placement right next to the camera on the back of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might be a problem. And it was, initially. Because the sensor is fairly narrow, its difficult to target it without looking. We got used to it after a couple of days, but we still wish it were below the lens.
If you dont want to reach around the S8 to unlock your phone, you can choose from a couple of other biometric options that Samsung gives you. Theres facial recognition, as well as iris scanning. Iris scanning unlocks your phone faster and even works in the dark, but it doesnt work in direct sunlight; your eyes need to be fully open, so squinting isnt an option. The facial recognition is not only slower but also had trouble in direct sunlight and doesnt work in the dark.
Our advice? Use the iris scanning everywhere except in the sun, and when there is bright light, just use the fingerprint scanner.
Display: The perfect screen is here
Apple is bringing an OLED screen to the iPhone X, but you have to pay a grand for the privilege. Sporting a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels, both the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ turned in nearly perfect scores on our tests, offering a very bright picture, amazingly vivid colors and near-perfect color accuracy.
The extra-wide 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with some apps, but overall, we like how immersive the experience is when watching video and playing games.
When watching the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, we could make out every wrinkle in Reys hands as she seemed to levitate the rocks around her with the Force, as well as every rising ring of smoke around Kylo Rens smoldering mask. As the camera panned around to the island where Luke was training Rey, it was hard not to be impressed by the golden sunshine that reflected off the water, as well as the lush, green foliage dotting the mountains.
The S8 backed up our experience by reproducing a superb 183 percent of the sRGB color gamut. That blows away the LG G6s 134 percent, but the AMOLED screen on the Google Pixel scored an even higher 191 percent. (However, when you turn on Adaptive Display mode on the Galaxy S8, it can reach as high as 255 percent.)
If youre looking for accurate color, the S8 can deliver that, too. In its AMOLED photo mode, the display notched a Delta-E score of 0.28 (0 is perfect). The LG G6 was closest, at 1.01, but the Pixel XL was way behind, with 5.88. Like the LG G6, the Galaxy S8s screen is HDR certified, which means you can enjoy a wider range of colors and better contrast on videos that support the standard. Amazon, Netflix and YouTube offer a growing variety of HDR-ready movies and shows.
The 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with every app. For instance, in Super Mario Run, we noticed unsightly bars above and below the game. But Samsungs own apps are optimized, and you can fill the screen by pushing a button while watching YouTube and Netflix, even if the video looks a bit stretched out.
Since our initial review, some users complained about a red tint appearing on their S8 screens, but Samsung has released a fix.
Audio: Poppin
For a small speaker, the Galaxy S8 pumps out pretty sweet sound. When we listened to Justin Timberlakes Cant Stop the Feeling, on this phone, the lyrics were clearer, and the volume was louder, than the same track on the LG G6.
The latter handset sounded slightly muffled by comparison. However, you dont get stereo sound from the Galaxy S8 as you do from the HTC U Ultra.
The S8's Snapdragon 835 muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market.
Performance: A handheld powerhouse
The Galaxy S8 goes boldly forward into a new era of speed, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system on a chip (at least in the U.S.; in other regions, the S8 will have Samsung's Exynos 8895 chip). The S8 also comes with a healthy 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage (twice the amount you get from base models of the LG G6 and the Google Pixel) and microSD card expansion for people who need even more space.
When you put it all together, the S8's muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market, but it falls short of the iPhone 8's A11 Bionic chip. The S8 almost always feels exceedingly snappy, no matter if you're vaulting over Goombas in Super Mario Run or mowing down aliens in N.O.V.A. Legacy. We didnt experience any lag when using multiwindow mode for chatting with friends while streaming video on YouTube. If you pay close attention, you may notice that some of the transitions when switching between apps aren't 100 percent smooth, but that seems mostly cosmetic.
In terms of benchmark performance, the Galaxy S8s multicore score of 6,295 in the Geekbench 4 overall performance test was more than 50 percent higher than that of its closest Android competitor, the Snapdragon 821-powered Google Pixel XL (4,146). However, the iPhone 8 scored above 10,000 on this test.
The Galaxy S8's graphics power was also quite impressive, as it hit 36,508 on 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited test. Other Android adversaries, like the LG G6 (29,611) and the Google Pixel XL (28,182), were farther behind. But the iPhone 8 scored a much higher 64,532.
New for the S8 is Samsung's Device Management tab, which is best accessed by swiping in from the Edge tab. It offers a quick look at the status of your device, including battery status, power mode (optimized, performance, game or entertainment), available storage and your current memory usage. There's even an optimization button that cleans up any lingering apps and clears your cache, which is a handy tool for people who go weeks or months without actually turning off their devices.
Cameras: Better on both the front and back
When we first found out that the S8's 12-megapixel rear camera is ostensibly the same as the one on last year's S7, we were a bit disappointed. But that rush of emotion was a bit premature, because under the hood, Samsung made some important software enhancements. And then you toss in a new, higher-resolution, 8-MP front cam, and you get a phone that produces noticeably better pictures no matter which shooter you're using.
The most important tweak comes in the form of Samsung's new multi-image photo processing, which mimics the operation of the Google Pixel's HDR+ mode by taking multiple pictures when you press the shutter, selecting the best one, and enhancing that image with extra details and info from the remaining two pics.
When we took both the S8+ and a Pixel XL out for some side-by-side testing, it was clear that Samsung's adjustments have had a pretty positive effect. At a nearby farmer's market, the S8 captured a crate full of apples with better contrast, richer colors and better details than the Pixel XL.
And when I continued down the street, the S8+ topped the Pixel XL again when I snapped a pic of some flowers, this time offering better white balance than Google's phone, as evidenced by the greenish hue on the white flower's petals.
But it wasn't a clean sweep for the S8+. When I really tried to push both cameras to the limit by shooting a backlit scene pointing straight at the sun, the Pixel XL stunned us with a shot featuring big, bold colors and sharp details, even though there was some serious lens flare going on.
Inside, in pretty much ideal conditions, the S8+ and the Pixel XL were again neck and neck. The one difference is that the Pixel's cool color tone brought out the green in the pistachio macaroon, while the pic from the S8 sported a more neutral white balance, which led to a more pleasing overall photo.
Finally, at a local bar with even less light to work with, both the Pixel XL and the Galaxy S8 impressed us with photos that were brighter than the scenes in real life. Small differences included less blown-out highlights in the S8's pic, which was countered by more detail in the darker areas of the scene in the Pixel's photo.
When it comes to tweaking your photos or changing modes, Samsung has added new Snapchat-like filters that let you decorate faces with various animal masks, hats and other silly emojis. But if that doesn't strike your fancy, the camera also comes with modes for shooting panoramas, food, slow-mo and more. And as with all good camera apps, there's also a Pro mode that lets you adjust settings manually.
As for selfies, the S8 and S8+ sport new 8-MP cams with a wide-angle lens, which makes it easy to snap you and all your besties at once. However, compared with the Pixel XL's 8-MP camera, the S8's selfies can sometimes be a little lacking.
We compared photos shot by the S8 and the Pixel XL outside on a sunny day. The Pixel XL's photo had an extra level of sharpness and detail we didn't get from the S8+. Our face looked a little too smooth and perfect on the Samsung, to the point where we were wondering whether Beauty Mode was kicking in even when we had it set to 0.
The Galaxy S8s camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second and slow-mo video at up to 240 frames per second at 720p. (In comparison, the LG G6 shoots at just 60 fps in slow-mo.)
To test the Galaxy S8s video quality, we shot some footage of a pond with fish swimming about in 4K. The S8s footage looked crisper and more vibrant than what the iPhone 7 Plus captured, even if the colors looked a bit oversaturated. However, when we put both phones on a mount to test image stabilization, the iPhone 7s video looked smoother; we saw a bit of stuttering in the S8s footage as we walked up a grassy hill.
For a hallmark feature on a flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now.
Bixby: Still a work in progress
The Galaxy S8 introduces a new personal assistant, Bixby, to take on the likes of Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. And for a hallmark feature on Samsung's flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now, even after Samsung has rolled out voice controls to its virtual assistant.
The main difference between Bixby and other digital assistants is that it lets you use voice commands to control your phone in lieu of tapping the screen, which can save you time and energy. You can also use Bixby to tell you the weather or look up the definition of quixotic, but its real purpose is giving you a whole new way to control your phone. For instance, you can ask Bixby to show you emails from a specific person by name, and it will slickly pull up all your conversations in just a couple seconds. That's way faster than tapping to open the email app, hitting search and then typing in that person's name.
Bixby can also understand complex commands with contextual language, so you can do things like ask Bixby to post the last photo you took to Instagram and add a caption, all with one command. You can also change almost any setting on the S8 using your voice, which is often much faster than trying to dig through a modern phone's increasingly complex array of menus and tabs.
Or at least, that's how things should work. The big problem is that Bixby's voice-command functionality, while now available, was pretty erratic when we tested it.
Sometimes Bixby will fail to understand your language at all, while other times, Bixby will get confused and try to open the wrong app or adjust incorrect settings. But every once in a while Bixby will get everything right and you won't even be able to tell that its voice commands are still a work in progress. Currently, simple commands have the best success rate.
MORE: 11 Coolest Things Bixby Voice Can Do on the Galaxy S8
As of August 22, Samsung announced that the Bixby voice command feature is now available in more than 200 countries and territories, though you'll still need to use either English or Korean to make it work. Support for additional languages, as well as more third party apps, is in the works.
Then there's Bixby Vision, which leverages the S8's camera along with object recognition to identify items in the world. We found this worked pretty well when we pointed the S8 at various household items, such as shampoos, snacks and aluminum foil. It also works for books. After pointing the Galaxy S8's camera at any object, we could check prices online on Amazon.
Say you're at the liquor store and want to know the rating of that wine or what food to pair it with. Bixby has also partnered with Vivino to identify that bottle and spit back information. However, at a wine store in New York, the feature was more miss than hit, as it seemed to have trouble with the bright lights. At home, however, Bixby identified three wines correctly, though we were greeted with a home server error.
Bixby's other talents include the ability to set reminders and a Bixby Home tool with a card-based interface that shows you your schedule, what's trending on Facebook, the weather, news and other info.
All told, Bixby is a frustrating mix of success and failures, though there is a lot of potential should Samsung work out all the kinks. Thankfully, though, you can turn to the Google Assistant, which also comes preloaded on the S8.
Software: Feature-rich but accessible
Running Android 7.0 Nougat, the Galaxy S8 still has a skin on top of Android, but its fairly intuitive, and Samsungs minimalist, line-drawn icons are easy to understand. We like that you dont have to tap a button to see all of your apps from the home screen; just swipe down from the middle of the screen, and then swipe left to see more apps.
If you swipe down from the very top of the screen from wherever you are, youll see your notifications and Samsungs quick-settings shortcuts. Finally, swiping in from the left provides access to Edge screen shortcuts, such as a customizable list of apps, a device maintenance screen (for battery, choosing performance mode, etc.) and a Smart Select tool for selecting an area of the screen and sharing it or pinning it to the top of your display.
Youll also find a ton of advanced features. The ones at the top of our list include a one-handed mode that you can activate by tapping the home button three times to shrink the screen, as well as the ability to quickly launch the camera by pressing the power key twice.
At least on the T-Mobile S8 we tested, there was minimal bloatware. T-Mobile included just five of its own apps: Device Unlock, T-Mobile, T-Mobile Name ID, T-Mobile TV and Visual Voicemail.
Accessories: Way beyond Gear VR
The Galaxy S8 works with the new Gear VR for those who want to experience virtual-reality games and content, but thats not the only interesting accessory. The new DeX ($149) is a dock that lets you use the S8 and S8+ as a mini PC. The dock can connect to a full-size monitor via its HDMI port, as well as a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth. It also has an Ethernet jack and a USB port.
Out of the box, the Samsung Connect app will let you access and control various Samsung-branded smart home gear. For instance, you can start your Samsung robot vacuum ($549) or peek inside your Samsung Family Hub fridge (about $2,900) to see what you need from the store while youre out. But youll get a lot more possibilities if you buy Samsung's $169 Samsung Connect Home a combination mesh Wi-Fi router and SmartThings hub that will let you control other items, such as Philips Hue lights and Netgears Arlo security camera.
Samsung offers a slew of other accessories, including an LED View cover for always having the time in view, a wireless charging stand and more. Check out our roundup of the Best Galaxy S8 accessories and Galaxy S8 cases.
Battery Life
One concern about a phone with this much screen is how that extra real estate might impact battery life. The Galaxy S8+ has a slightly smaller battery than last years S7 Edge (3,500 mAh versus 3,600 mAh), and yet the S8+ improved almost 1 hour, to 11 hours and 4 minutes, on the Tom's Guide Battery Test (continuous web surfing on 4G LTE using T-Mobile's network). The standard Galaxy S8s 3,000-mAh battery endured for 10:39 on the same test, improving on the Galaxy S7's (8:47) time by nearly 2 hours.
We obtained these results with the phones resolutions set to their max 2960 x 1440 pixels. They come with the less demanding 2220 x 1080 setting on by default.
MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life
Compared to the Galaxy S8+, the Pixel XL's battery life was just a bit longer, at 11:11. The iPhone 8 Plus hit 11:16, while the smaller iPhone 8 lasted 9:54. LG G6 finished way behind, with a time of just 8:39.
On top of that, the S8 has battery smarts that let it learn about your usage patterns to help extend its longevity even further. And when you need to juice the phone back up, you can take advantage of the S8s fast-charging capabilities via its included USB Type-C cable or use one of Samsung's slick wireless chargers (available separately).
Bottom Line
Its clear that, with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung set out to create more than a phone. Its trying to build a more Apple-like ecosystem, with devices ranging from the Gear VR and the DeX dock to the new Samsung Connect app for controlling smart home gear and the Bixby assistant. Its also evident that Samsung hasnt yet reached that goal, as Bixbys voice features can be hit or miss.
But even with that shortcoming, the Galaxy S8 still beats the Android competition while surpassing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in terms of design, display quality and features. The iPhones are better, though, when it comes to sheer speed and their cameras.
Some shoppers will prefer a newer Android phone in the same price range, like the $479 Pixel 3a XL, but overall the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain good values for those who prefer Samsung handsets.
Credit: Jeremy Lips/Tom's Guide; Comparisons: Samuel Rutherford/Tom's Guide.
The arrival of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the region was celebrated at an elegant event at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi this week.
The event showcased the exceptional intelligence, comfort and luxury defining the new flagship model, said a statement.
The event, attended by more than 200 VIP customers, influencers and media, comprised experiential zones that immersed guests in the superior elements and features of the model.
Audiences were treated to an extravagant grandstand visual display leading up to the reveal of the new S-Class.
A presentation by Mark De Haes, president and CEO at Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East, highlighted the flagship models innovative capabilities and the brands exciting new ventures that are reinventing the future of cars and creating new mobility solutions.
Lennart Mueller-Teut, head of marketing and communications, Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East, said: Throughout its lifetime the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been at the pinnacle of automotive engineering and an undisputed status symbol around the world. We are delighted to introduce this latest version of a truly remarkable car, and to highlight the features that demonstrate why the new S-Class really is the best of the best.
The 2018 model takes autonomous driving to a new level with driver assistance systems and substantially expanded functionality that demonstrates the latest automotive technology. Intelligence in the new S-Class is matched equally with comfort and world-first wellness features that include in-seat massage options, temperature control, interior cabin climate control, and mood enhancing light and sound options.
Luxury is evident in every detail of the latest model, from the finest quality interior craftsmanship to the exclusive exterior design that includes stylish chrome finishes and distinctive Multibeam LED headlights with three unique torches of light.
Test drives are now available for customers to experience first-hand the intelligence and comfort features of the best car in the world, said the statement.
The S-Class will be available in different model variants in the GCC. They models and prices are: S450 - $109,950; S560 - $133,700 (available from November); S560 4MATIC - $137,350; AMG S 63 4MATIC+ - $174,950; AMG S 65 $237,000 (available from November); Maybach S 650 - $209,300 (available form November).
Powertrain: new engines
The new Mercedes-Benz S 560 boasts a new V-8 engine that comes to the starting line with 345 kW (469 hp) and 700 Nm. The new biturbo engine is among the most economical V-8 petrol engines in the world, and consumes about ten percent less fuel than the predecessor. To lower the fuel consumption, four cylinders of the new V-8 are simultaneously deactivated under partial load with the help of the CAMTRONIC valve-lift adjustment system. This reduces gas-cycle losses and enhances the overall efficiency of the four firing cylinders by shifting the operating point towards higher loads. The turbochargers positioned in the V of the cylinder banks represent another special feature.
Intelligent Drive: the next step
Over 10 years ago, innovations that began with PRE-SAFE and developed into DISTRONIC PLUS led to new dimensions in driving. With the previous S-Class, comfort and safety blended into one, which Mercedes-Benz referred to as "Intelligent Drive". Now, the new S-Class adds an additional layer of excellence by incorporating and enhancing a host of innovative driving assistance systems initially introduced in the previous model. These include:
The Active Steer Assist, which has been noticeably improved across its entire performance range, results in markedly enhanced customer benefits;
The Active Breaking Assist, which detects end-of-tailback situations without space for evasive action, triggers a warning as well as automatic emergency stopping when required;
The Evasive Steering Assist supports the driver in taking evasive action when pedestrians are detected in the danger zone in front of the vehicle;
With PRE-SAFE Sound, a short interference signal is triggered ahead of any collisions expected to produce a loud crash, in order to protect the eardrum and inner ear from high acoustic pressures.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class made a technological statement of superiority in 2013 with Road Surface Scan. The system detects bumps ahead of the vehicle and adjusts the Active Body Control suspension accordingly. In the new S-Class this suspension control is further improved. The stereo camera of the system now scans the road even more thoroughly, even in dusk and at speeds up to 180 km/h.
Another comfort enhancement is Curve, the curve-tilting function available in the S-Class Sedan for the first time. The body tilts to the inside of the turn by up to 2.65 degrees and thereby reduces the centrifugal forces perceived by the passengers.
Exclusive exterior design
Modern luxury in the new S-Class is affirmed with the highest quality materials and uncompromising workmanship. All models are fitted with a new radiator grille: the versions with six and eight-cylinder engines sport three twin louvres as well as vertical strips with a high-gloss black finish. The V-12 model variants are fitted with additional chrome-finish vertical strips in the radiator grille. Seven new light-alloy wheels with diameters between 17 and 20 inches have been introduced on the new model. TradeArabia News Service
Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, recently announced the list of the 12 teams to compete in the final round of Go Green in the City, its international student case study competition focusing on innovative energy solutions for smart cities.
Team Cyclops, which included Kanza Naeem Malik and Zohaib Salahuddin from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore-Pakistan, was chosen from the Gulf and Pakistan region, said a statement from the company.
As part of the 2017 challenge, the team developed Jashn, a digital web-based concept that monitors power wastage arising from house-hold appliances and alerts users of the excess consumption.
The proposed solution comes in response to the mounting technical inefficiencies in household and commercial devices that are adversely affecting the countrys power supply.
The team was mentored by Lijo Abraham, who is the senior project manager at Schneider Electric.
Hanan Darwish, president Gulf Countries and Pakistan, Schneider Electric, said: Through the Go Green in the City competition, we aim to broaden the minds of the students and sharpen their skills, by giving them the chance to understand Schneider Electrics operations and IoT- enabled platforms such as EcoStruxure.
This helps them recognize existing challenges in the market and find ways to develop sustainable solutions. Being a global company, we take pride in fostering the growth of young minds across the world and providing a platform that creates future innovators, he said.
Abraham commented: I strongly believe that collaborations between companies and institutions is key to driving innovation and producing future technocrats and business leaders.
As a mentor, I helped the team evolve their initial idea and ensured that the team was presenting the solutions effectively, and succinctly, he said.
The finalists will now prepare for the last challenge of the competition: presenting their final case study to a panel of Schneider Electric executive jury. Each team will continue to be mentored by a Schneider Electric volunteer, who will offer advice and support. Their role is to help the participants develop their solutions, focusing on user needs and the projects impacts, feasibility, and return on investment, said a statement.
Sevda Esenturk, vice president of HR - Gulf Countries and Pakistan, Schneider Electric, said: As the years progress, we are extremely happy to see that more students from the region are participating in this challenge.
We are committed to promoting the communities it operates in and providing opportunities for its growth. The teams Cyclops project is a great way to combat the growing power inefficiencies and clearly exhibits the capabilities of the regions new generation, Esenturk said.
Launched in 2011, Go Green in the City offers engineering and business students (starting from the second year) an opportunity to present their innovative energy management ideas for the smart cities of the future.
As in previous years, participants are asked to propose an energy management solution to meet the challenges of smart cities in five fields: residential, universities, business, hospitals or water management. Each two- person team must include at least one woman.
Interest in Go Green in the City has grown considerably since the competition launch. This year, Schneider Electric received more than 19,000 applications, 20% increase on 2016. In addition, 180 countries are represented, 24 for the first time.
The number of participating universities has increased by 25 per cent to 2,900, while 58 per cent of competitors are women. Go Green in the City has also attracted wider interest on social networks, with a 51 per cent increase in unique visitors to the competition website (more than 130,000), a 123 per cent increase in the number of likes on Facebook (more than 29,000) and 32 per cent more followers on Twitter (1,950), it stated. TradeArabia News Service
The World Customs Organisation (WCO) with support from the Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) Japan and Burkina Faso Customs Administration organized a Regional Workshop on Digital Customs and E-Commerce from 21 to 24 August 2017 at the Regional Training Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Thirty-six representatives from 20 Customs administrations of the Region (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic of), Cote dIvoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo), Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) of Western Africa (Senegal) and Central Africa (Cameroon), African Alliance for E-Commerce (AAEC), Express Industry and IT providers participated in the Workshop.
Inaugurating the Workshop, Mr. Adama SAWADOGO, Director General, Burkina Faso said that information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming omnipresent, impacting every walk of life including the international supply chain and regulatory processes. He underscored the need of finding innovative solutions through the maximum use of ICT to address new and emerging challenges in terms of facilitating seamless movement of goods, people, and conveyances across borders, while strengthening risk management and control.
Noting some of the challenges and opportunities presented by growing E-Commerce, the Director General called for exploring ways and enhancing related capabilities to capture all commercial activities on the Internet. Thanking the WCO, he encouraged participants to share knowledge and enhance regional capacity on these issues.
The Experts from the WCO provided detailed information and explanations on Digital Customs and its various facets, in particular the implementation / consolidation of electronic services, Single Window and harmonization of data and messaging standards in accordance with the WCO Data Model. The Experts also made detailed presentations on cross-border E-Commerce, including the related opportunities and challenges together with potential solutions. All the relevant WCO tools and instruments, country examples, case studies and the WCOs ongoing and envisaged work in these areas were explained and their use in national and regional context was discussed in great detail.
Representatives from Mali, Cameroon, Senegal, and Nigeria shared their respective national experiences and initiatives on ICT implementation, IT project management, use of WCO Data Model, and E-Commerce. In addition, the representative of Cote dIvoire provided a detailed account of work being done by the Regional Working Group on Digital Customs (a group of 23 countries), and the representative of African Alliance for E-Commerce (AAEC) presented their work in the area of Single Window implementation (including ongoing pilots on the exchange of e-certificate of origin) and E-Commerce.
Throughout the Workshop, the participants raised several questions and shared practical experiences / best practices relating to the implementation various ICT solutions and E-Commerce as well as national experiences and initiatives concerning effective risk management and efficient revenue collection on increasing low-value shipments. Additionally, the accession / ratification and the harmonized implementation of the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), the WCO Immediate Release Guidelines, and the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) were discussed in the context of consolidating ICT implementation and supporting E-Commerce flows.
There was a clear emphasis towards moving to a paperless Single Window environment and eventually having an interconnectivity/interoperability of Customs IT systems / Single Windows for an efficient exchange of information (e.g., e-certificate of origin and e-phytosanitary certificate). The capture and use of new data sources from all economic operators in the E-Commerce supply chain for integrated risk management as a whole government approach was equally explored as a potential way forward.
A representative from the Express Industry (DHL) shared their perspective, in particular how they were adapting to the growing E-Commerce environment. Several opportunities in terms of leveraging respective control and compliance mechanisms of express service providers and postal operators in improving compliance and strengthening risk management together with related working experiences were discussed.
Being the first of its kind in the Region, the Workshop was very well received by participants and raised a lot of interest and robust discussions. Participants acquired an enhanced understanding of issues relating to Digital Customs and cross-border E-Commerce as well as relevant WCO instruments and tools in terms of their effective and harmonized implementation at the national/regional level. Furthermore, they learned how the different WCO instruments and tools could support the facilitation of low-value shipments whilst ensuring effective revenue collection and supply chain security.
The workshop also enabled the participants in developing a broad strategy going forward, which inter alia included adoption of a risk-based approach based on advance electronic data (from E-commerce stakeholders such as Posts, express service providers, e-platforms / marketplaces); the implementation / enhancement of ICT in close coordination with other government agencies and private sector stakeholders leading to a paperless single window environment; and the development of IT and data analytics capabilities including internet monitoring.
Additionally, the Workshop provided participants with a good opportunity to establish networks with other Customs administration of the Region through an enhanced understanding of issues of mutual interest at the regional level. The WCO will continue to provide all necessary support and technical assistance, based on national and regional needs in the future.
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If you travel via the coast you will encounter a lot of long tunnels too. The Italians are basically progressively moving the whole coastal railway from Ventimiglia all the way to La Spezia away form the coast to the inside of the coastal mountain range. As a result large stretches of it are completely underground, only popping up occasionally where there are stations.
Travelling by train in mountainous areas it is unavoidable that you'll have some long tunnels.
JahC - If you've been using Big Ship exclusively for 20 years, how do you know they're the best these days? :)
All kidding aside, there are many great drivers. Most of the ones recommended here have been around for years and have stood the test of time. IMHO, $50-60 for an 80 minute ride (and often twice that time for the driver) is a bargain. We always tip $10 or so.
"when you go to sandals south coast, you don't drive to negril then whitehouse... you take the inland road from where it splits outside of montego bay, so the experience could be different than the road from negril to whitehouse."
That makes sense I guess, go through Anchovy and on through Sav...slow but that "inland road" (we always called it the back way when we'd opt to go that way back to the airport from Negril before the highway was built/finished) is starting to show some wear and I can't imagine large buses using that route....but they fixed the road - as in paved and filled in potholes depending on what stretch - from Bluefields right to the door of Sandals so that section is smooth sailing.
And I'm off to London and Paris in October, Isla Mujeres in early December, and either Zihua or Huatulco in early March.... not worried about any of those trips, but if I had to choose the most dangerous place I'll be this winter, Paris might win out.... haha
It's other posters who click and complain on posts and get them deleted- TA does not employ people who go around deleting posts....it's done automatically after a certain number of complaints. I'm not sure about locking threads, TA might have a set number of deleted posts that automatically close threads, like how old they are without posts (6 months then they are closed) but the OP can always write and ask it to be re-opened and they might choose to do so.
Personally I think talking about an area's safety is perfectly acceptable on a travel forum to that destination. However, nothing recently has changed in this area, soooo....
Hello. First time posting. I've done some research and am U.S citizen and planning a trip to Southeast Asia.
I plan on flying into Bangkok for a few days and I know visa is obtained at the bkk airport on arrival.
I do want to fly to Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City. Best way I read is to get VOA through a travel agency website.
One that I found is vietnamvisapro.net
For Cambodia, my understanding and research shows that visa can be obtained upon arrival at the Siem Reap international airport.
So basically once I have the Vietnam travel visa I should be free to travel between countries without any issue?
Once I have the Vietnam travel visa (one time entry) should I decide to fly between cities in Vietnam is it still valid?
I don't imagine I would have to get a multi entry visa since I am technically only entering Vietnam once.
My plan is to fly into Bangkok and stay for a few days, then fly into Ho Chi Minh City (then possibly fly to Hanoi for a visit then fly back to HCMC) with about a week in Vietnam, then fly to Siem Reap in cambodiaa and stay for a week, then fly back and stay in Bangkok for about a week, then back to the USA.
If anyone has any experience with Southeast Asia travel/visa or any other tips/advice to share I would greatly appreciate it. Anything that could make the travel and entry into the countries smooth and easy. Thanks!
What you're looking for is a transfer from where your boat will dock in Halong Bay (Halong City) to Ninh Binh.
By car it's about a four hour trip. I believe there may be buses, but I also believe that it's not terribly straight forward. Might involve a couple of buses???
It certainly makes sense to go directly to Ninh Binh but if going by car, it's obviously going to cost you. Should be around $100.
I wouldn't do a day trip to NB, a couple of nights would be far better.
We did a couple of days riding pillion on motorbikes around NB, three years ago. It's a great way to see the countryside.
You could ask your NB accommodation if they can recommend you a tour guide, or you could contact the one we used.
https://ninhbinhpuluongtours.wordpress.com/
He can also arrange the private transfer if you require it.
Scott
Option 1:
Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Kanazawa:
Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa, and explore the city.
Day 3 Takayama:
Take a Takayama-based Nobi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawago, leave your luggage at the bus center there, while you explore the World Heritage Village for a few hours, then take another Nobi bus to Takayama.
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/shirakawago.pdf
Day 4 Shin-hotaka Onsen or Hirayu Onsen, sometimes it's called Oku-hida Onsen:
Take a Nobi bus from Takayama to Shin-hotaka Onsen and enjoy the views of Japan Alps by taking Shin-hotaka Ropeway as follows and enjoy the Onsen.
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/routebus/hirayu_shinhotaka_line.pdf
http://shinhotaka-ropeway.jp.e.uk.hp.transer.com/
(Day 5 Kamikochi)
Kamikochi closes on November 15. If it's open, go there, if it's closed skip.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6040.html
Day 6 Matsumoto
(Day 7 Kiso Valley)
If you have time, consider staying at Kiso Valley.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6075.html
Day 8 Osaka
Take Limited Express "Shinano" to Nagoya, and transfer to Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka.
Day 9 Mt. Koya
Day 10 Osaka
Day trip to Kobe, Himeji
Day 11 Osaka
Day 12 Fly back home.
Option 2:
Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Shibu Onsen (which is close to the Snow Monkey Park)
Go to Shiba Onsen via Nagano. See these videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t_7Qffa2j4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KmqInrpaqE
Day 3 Matsumoto
(Day 4 Kamikochi)
Kamikochi closes on November 15. If it's open, go there, if it's closed skip.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6040.html
Day 5 Shin-hotaka Onsen or Hirayu Onsen, sometimes it's called Oku-hida Onsen::
Take a Matsumoto-based Alpico bus from Matsumoto (or Kamikochi) to Shin-hotaka Onsen and enjoy the views of Japan Alps by taking Shin-hotaka Ropeway as follows and enjoy the Onsen.
http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/english/
http://shinhotaka-ropeway.jp.e.uk.hp.transer.com/
Day 6 Takayama:
Take a Nobi bus from Shin-hotaka Ropeway to Takayama.
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/routebus/hirayu_shinhotaka_line.pdf
Day 7 Kanazawa
Take a Nobi bus from Takayama to Shirakawago, leave your luggage at the bus center there, while you explore the World Heritage Village for a few hours, then take another Nobi bus to Kanazawa.
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/shirakawago.pdf
Day 8 Osaka
Explore Kanazawa, and take the Limited Express "Thunderbird" to Osaka.
Day 9 Mt. Koya
Day 10 Osaka
Day trip to Kobe, Himeji
Day 11 Osaka
Day 12 Fly back home
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Chinas National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee has officially proposed to list the anthem law into Annex III of Macau and Hong Kongs Basic Law, according to a report by Oriental Daily News.
On Monday, the NPC Standing Committee continued its review of the draft law of the national anthem for its second sitting. The committee suggested bringing the proposal to the committees next meeting and possible final sitting in October.
Currently under the draft law, those who mock the national anthem could be sentenced to up to 15 days in jail. It is thought that the law deliberately precedes Xi Jinpings next leadership bid at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China this autumn, as a show of patriotism.
The NPCs legal affairs division explained that the anthem law needs to be listed in the Basic Law after it becomes established in mainland China. Moreover, both the SARs governments should be responsible for announcing and implementing the law.
Several scholars and pro-Beijing commentators in Hong Kong considered that the SAR should establish local regulations regarding the anthem law, in addition to setting up punishment articles which would better suit Hong Kong, to avoid unnecessary disputes.
The official proposition follows widespread expectation in Macau after Sonia Chan, Macaus Secretary for Administration and Justice, said in June: I think that if a national anthem law is proposed in the future, then it is mandatory that it be implemented in Macau as a national law.
Annex III of Macaus Basic Law details the relevant national laws of the Peoples Republic of China to be applied in the MSAR, including matters relating to the national anthem, the national flag and nationality law.
Chinese authorities are highly sensitive to any perceived slight against the countrys integrity.
Mocking national symbols of China which can include referring to them insincerely or showing them at inappropriate times, events or in an unofficial manner can be considered a criminal offence in Macau.
In July this year, the Judiciary Police confirmed it was investigating the case of several netizens who photoshopped the national flag upside-down onto photographs of Macau and shared the images on social media. The netizens were responding to a mistake in the hoisting of the national flag at the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal by a staff member of the Macau Customs Service. DB/JZ
Australia, the worlds most China-dependent developed economy, invests more in the obscure South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea than it does in its biggest trading partner.
Part of the reason for such an imbalance is corporate Australias long history of failure abroad, which deters boards from venturing beyond their often cozy oligopolies at home. Yet when it comes to China, theres also reason to be circumspect.
Its a high-risk area, said Alan Oxley, a former Australian trade negotiator, citing problems with corruption and difficulties maintaining business relationships in China. Those that do go in frequently find themselves pressured to share patents.
Market access is becoming a global flashpoint as China shifts from being the honeypot for businesses eager to plug into its vast manufacturing value chains or sell cafe lattes to its 1.3 billion people to being a net acquirer of companies, commodities and real estate. The most recent spark: The U.S. said this month it will investigate whether Beijing is violating international trade law by forcing foreign firms to hand over intellectual property.
When it comes to investment, the playing field in China is as level as a ski jump, said David Loevinger, a former China specialist at the U.S. Treasury and now an analyst at fund manager TCW Group Inc. in Los Angeles. Chinese companies have been buying up market leaders abroad, like Shuanghuis takeover of Smithfield. That could never happen in China.
The purchase of Smithfield Foods Inc. by Shuanghui International now known as WH Group Ltd. ranks as one of the largest Chinese takeovers of a U.S. company.
Its not just the U.S thats making noise over access. In November, Germanys Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel urged China to open its borders to foreign investment in response to the growing backlash in Europes biggest economy to a wave of Chinese investment.
Indeed, European companies in China are increasingly frustrated with the authorities. Theyre reporting unfair treatment compared with domestic firms in areas such as environmental rules being enforced strongly on foreign companies and less so against domestic ones, according to a survey released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.
Chinese companies face few, if any, limitations in investing in European industries like construction, healthcare, insurance, logistics and media, yet European companies in China continue either to be fully barred from participation or limited to holding a minority position, it said.
The money trail backs that view: While in 2016 Chinese investment in the European Union jumped 77 percent year-on-year to more than 35 billion euros (USD42 billion), European investment into China dropped by 23 percent to only 8 billion euros.
Australian executives have run into more than just access problems. Stern Hu, who led Rio Tinto Groups China iron ore unit, was sentenced to 10 years jail in 2010 after he was found guilty of taking bribes from steel mills and infringing commercial secrets. In June, a Shanghai court convicted 19 current and former Crown Resorts Ltd. staff of illegally promoting gambling on the mainland. Hu and the Crown staff have all been released.
Australian investments in Papua New Guinea, a former colony whose highland region is so remote that some villagers didnt come into contact with Europeans until the 1930s, center mainly around energy and minerals. Australias largest investment in the nation is in a project that started shipping liquefied natural gas in 2014. There are plans to double production by 2023 at a cost upwards of $20 billion.
In 2016, Australian foreign direct investment into Papua New Guinea totaled AUD15.8 billion ($12.6 billion) versus AUD13.3 billion into China. By contrast, Australias two-way trade with China totaled $117.3 billion last year, versus $4.7 billion with Papua New Guinea, according to International Monetary Fund data compiled by Bloomberg.
A report this month showed two-thirds of board members in ASX 200 companies have no extensive experience operating in Asia, while more than half demonstrate little to no knowledge of the regions markets.
While it may lack businesses on the streets of Beijing, Australia has nonetheless been boosted by Chinas industrialization, which fueled a boom in demand for raw materials such as iron ore. In late 2014, the two nations signed a trade deal designed to drive exports beyond commodities while services account for about 70 percent of Australias gross domestic product, they made up just 17 percent of exports at the time.
Part of the imbalance in market access stems from the fact that investment arrangements with China were accepted when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and at the time was still a poor, developing country, according to David Dollar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington and a former U.S. Treasury attache in Beijing.
To persist in these practices now that China is the biggest trading nation and the worlds second-largest economy is undermining the global trading system, he said. In addition to these forced technology transfers, there are other, more out-right thefts of IP by Chinese actors. IP protection in China, however, is improving and the specialized IP courts have turned in many decisions favorable to foreign IP holders.
As China seeks to make the leap to being an advanced economy, self interest may spur efforts to protect intellectual property and open up more sectors to foreign investment and competition. Authorities will severely fight against fake or counterfeit products, Premier Li Keqiang said at a weekend seminar on upgrading the manufacturing sector.
But for now at least, many parts of Chinas economy remain largely off limits.
China would like to select foreign investments that are valuable to the economy, said Iris Pang, an economist at ING Bank NV in Hong Kong. Chinas authorities want to make sure that foreign firms coming in do not just make a profit and go away. They need to create value for the economy, not only by creating more jobs. Michael Heath, Enda Curran, Bloomberg
The Airports Authority has successfully carried out a simulation of a crash landing at Piarco.
Militants launched 21 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. There were no losses among Ukrainian soldiers.
This is reported by the ATO press center.
In Mariupol direction, militants used heavy machine guns to shell Ukrainian positions near Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk), Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol) and Talakivka (20km north-west of Mariupol).
The tense situation was still observed in Donetsk direction, where illegal armed formations used grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Ukrainian positions in the industrial area of Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). The enemy also launched attacks on ATO troops near Zaitseve (67km north-north-east of Donetsk).
In Luhansk direction, the ceasefire regime was observed at the end of the day.
The ATO press center reported that there were no casualties among Ukrainian soldiers.
ish
The defense budget of Ukraine for 2018 will be not less than 5% of the gross domestic product.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov said this during a meeting on defense budget issues, the press service of the National Security and Defense Council reported.
"According to the NSDC secretary, the formation of a defense budget takes place under the National Security Strategy of Ukraine and will be not less than 5% of the gross domestic product," the report reads.
"Moreover, this budget will be distinguished by that its main financing will come from the general fund, which will amount to 156,4 billion hryvnias. The special fund will be formed solely on the basis of proposals from the power ministries and institutions and will amount to around 6,3 billion hryvnias, which means that the total financing must be not less than 162,7 billion hryvnias," Turchynov stressed.
The NSDC secretary emphasized that when planning the budget, it is necessary to consider the increase in the financial support of our military servicemen. "First of all, this refers to a significant increase in position salaries and salaries for military ranks," he noted.
The issue of development of the defense industry of Ukraine was also discussed during the meeting.
According to the report, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danilyuk, Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak, heads of the National Guard of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement agencies participated in this meeting.
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The Government of Ukraine is ready to comprehensively promote the implementation of infrastructure and logistics projects in Ukraine, as this will enable Ukraine to become a significant part of the global economy and continental transport corridors.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during a meeting with the leadership of the world's logistics giant Hutchison Ports and Qatar Airways.
"We are interested in providing comprehensive support for the implementation of transport infrastructure development projects in Ukraine. I want to express my gratitude for the practical interest in cooperation. Ukraine is a very good choice," the prime minister said.
The Head of Government stresses that Ukraine has ample logistic opportunities, but they require attention and development. That is why specific projects aimed at improving the quality and safety of domestic infrastructure and port development are priorities for the government. In this context, expanding capacities, for example, container transportation, first of all, in the port of Chornomorsk, will become an additional incentive for development both for Ukrainian and foreign companies, and in addition, will allow to create new jobs and attract direct investments and new logistics technologies.
"We are very happy that Qatar Airways will work in Ukraine. Welcome. We will rejoice at your expansion.Our team will support you where it will be required. We are interested in creating qualitative conditions of development of your company in Ukraine. In turn, we will be grateful for the offer of Ukraine in Qatar," Groysman told.
The prime minister drew attention to the fact that arrival of the authoritative companies in Ukraine is a signal for the whole world as about trust to the government and business environments, and about belief in prospects of the Ukrainian economy.
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The Overseas Private Investment Corporation of the USA is interested in strengthening of economic cooperation with Ukraine.
President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Ray Washburne said this during a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"We are interested in strengthening of economic cooperation between two countries. And this meeting is taking place on the continuation of those held during this year," Washburne said.
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The Ukrainian An-32P aircraft of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service will help Georgia in extinguishing forest fires.
This agreement was achieved during a phone conversation between President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the presidents press service reports.
On Wednesday morning, the An-32P aircraft will depart from Odesa for Batumi.
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In two open letters printed in Macau newspapers yesterday, Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On thanked all citizens, and civil servants in particular, for the help, solidarity and mutual aid as well as their contribution toward the search and rescue activities.
Speaking on behalf of the entire Macau Special Administrative Region government, the CE acknowledged all citizens noting that the government is both, proud and moved by the generosity and good spirit of everyone that has contributed to the successful work of frontline staff.
In the same letters he also acknowledged the help provided by the departments in the mainland, provinces and sisters cities, as well as, the Macau garrison of the Peoples Liberation Army.
Summarizing the current situation, the CE noted that water and electricity supplies as well as traffic have been normalized and that the post-catastrophe recovery works are being conducted in an orderly manner.
Chui said that the government concedes that there is great room for improvement and that the government needs to do a global review of the response mechanisms to catastrophe situations.
The communication ends by reaffirming the commitment of the MSAR government to develop in the best way possible all the rescue and repair works that will result from the calamity, as well as do an evaluation of this incident that will include the disclosure of weather information, the alert system and awareness campaigns over security, in order to perfect the catastrophe prevention and rescue mechanism accordingly to the expectations of citizens.
To the civil servants, Chui offered additional gratitude and encouraged their work, together with the request for them to, keep assertive and dedicated at their posts, serving the population and contributing to the on-time [resolution] of citizens difficulties. He thanked them and their families for their tenacious work. RM
The United States will not reach any agreement with Russia behind the backs of Europe and Ukraine, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker has said.
"That's absolutely not going to happen. There is no such thing and there will not be any kind of separate deal over the heads of the Ukrainians or behind the backs of the Europeans," Volker said in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
The diplomat said that he was in close contact with his German and French colleagues and recalled that the United States fully supports the Normandy process. However, Washington does not intend to become a part of it or to try to go over the top of it, he added.
Volker noted that none of the provisions of the Minsk agreements had been fulfilled. "The Minsk agreement is not working today in the sense that it hasn't produced the peace and the restoration of Ukraine's territory, which is the goal. At the same time it plays a very important role in that it is a vehicle by which Russia, as recently as just a few weeks ago, reaffirmed its support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and it is also the basis on which sanctions are kept in place. So until Russia implements the Minsk agreements forward - sanctions remain," he said.
Volker did not agree with the assessment of Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov on how their meeting was held on August 21. Volker believes that the negotiations were "frank and direct," constructive, but there are some disagreements. However, Russia and the United States agreed that the status quo is not good for anybody, and it is necessary to change this provision as soon as possible, he said.
He said he was not surprised that Moscow was raising concerns about possible deliveries of U.S. weapons to Ukraine. "They had an opportunity to move into Ukraine and take territory and annex Crimea without really much opposition. So obviously they're going to raise concerns about Ukraine being better able to defend itself Russia was hoping that it would be able to keep Ukraine in its orbit as part of the Russian sphere of influence, the greater Russian identity," Volker said.
In his opinion, the only area where Russian-speaking people are suffering is in the area controlled by Russian forces.
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Pavlo Hryb, a 19-year-old son of Ukrainian State Border Service employee Ihor Hryb, disappeared on Belarusian territory not by accident, but was abducted as a result of a special operation by Russian special services.
People's Front deputy Anton Herashchenko said this live on the 112 Ukraine television channel on Tuesday.
"Today [on August 29], journalists contacted a girl who allegedly made him go there. She testified that she had done this under pressure from FSB. I was convinced that this girl still acts under pressure from FSB and is likely to be an FSB agent," he said.
According to him, the purpose of this is to provide maximum publicity and create another story for intimidating Ukrainians.
In his opinion, this is related to the holding of the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises in Belarus.
"These exercises were imposed on Belarus. The country's leadership is not enthusiastic about cooperation with the Russian Federation. We know that in private conversations, [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko perfectly understands that if he opposes Russia, he can expect the Ukrainian scenario. In fact, the responsibility for the case with Pavlo Hryb lies on the Belarusian authorities, because a special operation could not be organized on their territory without their consent. If this was done without their consent, then it's just disrespect for Belarus on the part of Russian special services," he said.
Earlier, Ihor Hryb posted on his Facebook page the information about the disappearance of his son. According to him, 19-year-old Pavlo went to Gomel to meet with a girl whom he met and communicated in social networks.
He suggested that FSB had "fooled Pavlo into going to Gomel under the guise of a date with a girl and detained him."
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A total of 81 Ukrainian children have undergone medical and psychosocial rehabilitation at the Slovenian Red Cross Health and Youth Resort at Debeli rtic in August.
This is reported by the press service of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia.
"Children whose parents were killed or wounded during the ATO in the east of Ukraine, as well as children of displaced families from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, within the framework of the ITF Enhancing Human Security program underwent a two-week course of rehabilitation in the town of Ankaran, Slovenia," the statement reads.
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In a first, North Korea yesterday fired a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean, officials said. The aggressive missile launch likely the longest ever from North Korea over the territory of a close U.S. ally sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 2,700 kilometers and reached a maximum height of 550 kilometers as it traveled over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The distance and type of missile tested seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the U.S. territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. Yesterdays test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year 13 times, Seoul says and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of U.S. President Donald Trumps first term in early 2021.
Seoul says that while North Korea has twice before fired rockets it said were carrying satellites over Japan in 1998 and 2009 it has never before used a ballistic missile, which is unambiguously designed for military strikes. North Korea also chose not to fire its most recent missile at a lofted angle, as it did in previous launches to avoid other countries, and Seouls spy service said the North launched from an unusual spot: the international airport in its capital, Pyongyang. The South Korean military was analyzing whether North Korea had launched a Hwasong-12, a new intermediate-range missile that it recently threatened to fire into waters near Guam, which hosts a major U.S. military base that the North considers a threat.
The launch is also another rebuke to Trump, who suggested last week that his tough approach to North Korea, which included threats to unleash fire and fury, meant leader Kim Jong Un is starting to respect us.
Yesterdays missile landed nowhere near Guam, but firing a Hwasong-12 (Hwasong is Korean for Mars, or Fire Star) so soon after the Guam threat may be a way for North Korea to show it could follow through if it chose to do so. Guam is 3,400 kilometers away from North Korea, but South Koreas military said the North may have fired the most recent missile at a shorter range.
South Koreas spy agency told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that North Korea fired the missile from an airfield at Pyongyangs international airport. Some outside observers said launching a road-mobile missile from an airport runway could demonstrate the Norths ability to fire its missiles from anywhere in the country. It was not immediately clear what the launch meant for the few civilian flights that use the airport.
The National Intelligence Service also told lawmakers it was unclear whether the missiles warhead survived atmospheric re-entry, according to the office of Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker in attendance.
Separately, the spy agency said North Korean leader Kims third child was born in February, but provided no other details.
North Korea will no doubt be watching the worlds reaction to see if it can use yesterdays flight over Japan as a precedent for future launches. Foster Klug & Kim Tong-Hyung, Seoul, AP
U.S. President Donald Trump said that North Korea had signaled its contempt for its neighbors and that all options are on the table in terms of a U.S. response.
In a terse, written statement yesterday, Trump said that with the missile launch North Korea has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior.
Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world, Trump said. All options are on the table.
Japanese officials made their usual strongly worded condemnations of the launch.
We will do our utmost to protect peoples lives, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat.
Tokyo said there was no reported damage from the missile, which Japans NHK TV said separated into three parts. Residents on Hokkaido were warned of a North Korean missile launch by an alert on their cellphones, with loud alarms and an email that told people to stay indoors. Speakers broadcast an alert saying missile is passing, missile is passing.
A U.S. congressman visiting Seoul said Washington is now pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions by shutting down the impoverished countrys access to hard currency, the lifeblood of its expensive weapons program.
The goal is to offer international banks that do business with North Korea a choice between bankruptcy and freezing North Korean accounts, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in an interview after meeting with South Korean leaders.
Yesterdays launch comes days after North Korea fired what was assessed as three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, and a month after its second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.
In an unusual move, the military in Seoul released videos of three South Korean missile tests conducted last week. They showed two types of new missiles with ranges of 800 kilometers and 500 kilometers being fired from truck-mounted launchers.
South Koreas Agency for Defense Development said the launches represented the last flight test for the longer-range missile before it is operationally deployed. Such missiles, which would be the latest additions to South Koreas Hyumoo family of missiles, are considered key components of the so-called kill chain pre-emptive strike capability that South Korea is pursuing to counter North Koreas nuclear and missile threat.
South Korea also said its air force conducted a live-fire drill involving four F-15 fighter jets dropping eight MK-84 bombs that accurately hit targets at a military field near the countrys eastern coast. Yoon Young-chan, chief press secretary of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said the exercise was conducted after Moon directed the military to display a strong capability to punish North Korea if need be.
The Norths launch over Japan shouldnt be a total surprise. Earlier this month, when threatening to lob four Hwasong-12s into the waters near Guam, North Korea specifically said they would fly over Japanese territory. North Korea in June also angrily reacted to the launch of a Japanese satellite it said was aimed at spying on the North and said Tokyo was no longer entitled to fault North Korea no matter what it launches or whether that crosses the sky above Japan.
North Korea typically reacts with anger to U.S.-South Korean military drills, which are happening now, often testing weapons and threatening Seoul and Washington in its state-controlled media. But animosity is higher than usual following threats traded between Trump and the North. AP
The relative proportion of >75 is expected to double over the next 25 years and older men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease. Meta-analysis of the eagerly awaited CHAARTED, STAMPEDE and GETUG15 trials have shown that men with newly diagnosed hormone sensitive metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) who were treated with docetaxel in addition to ADT, showed a 9% absolute overall survival benefit at 4 years(1) . As such, European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines recommend that newly diagnosed mPCa should be treated with castration plus docetaxel chemotherapy 'provided the patient is fit enough'. However, this assessment of fitness for chemotherapy remains a clinical stumbling block. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
BJU international. 2017 Aug 19 [Epub ahead of print]
A Thompson, M J Beresford, P Sarmah, E R Jefferies
Department of Urology, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK., Department of Oncology, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK.
PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28834013
Human rights defenders, pro-democracy groups, and even U.S. lawmakers have rebuked Prime Minister Hun Sens government for its apparent attacks on media outlets and the closure of a democracy promotion group in Cambodia.
Last week, Hun Sen branded the American-owned English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily a thief for allegedly avoiding millions of dollars in tax since its founding almost 25 years ago, giving its management until September 4 to pay up or close down.
Two days later, the government decided to close the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a U.S.-funded democracy promotion outfit, for allegedly violating the NGO law.
The moves against U.S.-funded institutions continued with the closure of more than a dozen local radio stations that sell air time to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith threatened legal action against station owners whom he claimed had been in breach of trust with the government.
Both international and local human rights groups responded quickly to the attacks, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) claiming the moves were aimed at silencing critics ahead of a crucial general election next year.
The Cambodian governments shutdown of independent media outlets and a respected democracy promotion group shows that Hun Sen is intensifying efforts to curb criticism of his rule, HRW Asia divisions deputy director Phil Robertson said in a statement. Diplomats and donors should put Hun Sen on notice that if he doesnt reverse course, elections in 2018 wont be considered credible.
The group also noted that Hun Sen recently ordered the closure of the election monitoring coalition the Situation Room, accusing its members, such as local rights groups Licadho and Adhoc, of conspiring to create a color revolution in the country.
But government spokesman Phay Siphan, who sought refuge in the United States after Vietnam invaded to overthrow the Khmer Rouge in 1979, said the government would not take any orders from foreigners, adding that Human Rights Watch was just an enemy that is always jealous of Cambodia.
Voice of Democracy, a radio station run by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM), also announced its service had been totally blocked by the government.
CCIM believes that the action of the government to shut down independent media in Cambodia is politically motivated in preparation for the general elections scheduled for July next year, CCIM said in a statement.
U.S. officials, including veteran Senator John McCain, have also called on the Trump administration to take action against Hun Sens government over the crackdown.
But Phay Siphan, the government spokesman, said such statements were a confession that backed up government assertions that U.S. interests were attempting to interfere in Cambodia.
In May 1965, Cambodia broke off diplomatic relations with the United States following U.S.-backed bombings of Cambodian villages and an alleged plot to overthrow his neutral regime.
Chan Vibol, a political scientist, said the current tension was unlikely to lead to another severing of ties between the two states, but that intervention from third-parties would be necessary to avoid such an eventuality.
The institutes and both governments should work together to establish a different working culture together in order to study the current situation and find a way to settle their issues, he said.
Cambodias mission to the United Nations has rejected criticism by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of Phnom Penhs moves against media outlets and the closure of a U.S.-funded democracy promotion outfit.
In a statement on Monday, it said the comments from OHCHR were politically motivated and defended Prime Minister Hun Sens government.
When law and regulations are violated, actions taken by the authorities to prevent the violations should not be explained as a threat or associated with the upcoming national election, it reads.
No organization or individual is permitted to manipulate the public, incite armed forces and readers to commit any form of violence.
Last week, Cambodia announced it was closing the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a U.S.-funded democracy promotion group, suspending more than a dozen radio stations, and threatened the English-language Cambodia Daily newspaper with closure if it does not pay a more than $6 million alleged tax bill.
Liz Throssell, spokeswomen for the OHCHR in Geneva, said: Ahead of next years general elections, we call on the government to guarantee full political and civil rights and media freedoms.
Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said the government was unconcerned with the statement from the OHCHR.
The government has a duty to defend its sovereignty and its neutrality and prevent external invasion, he said. Therefore, the action is considered as a win for Cambodia and Cambodian citizens.
Their pitch wasnt a bid to be the next billion-dollar company, but rather to help craftspeople in Cambodia access international markets.
Lets fight poverty by using our app. Dont find customers for your product, find products for your customers, says Lom Dara Soucheng, 12 who led the team that created Cambodia Identity Product.
We want to increase employment for Cambodians, Chea Sopheata, 11, told the judges, so there will be a reduction in Cambodians migrating to work in other countries, reducing poverty through making income and providing charity to local Cambodians.
To make it to the August 7 - 11 Technovation competition, the girls had to build a mobile app, and create a business plan, that addressed at least one of the U.N. Development Goals.
While Cambodia has seen strong economic growth, especially in the tourism industry, globalization has also arguably fueled economic inequality. These Cambodian girls think they can help be part of the solution.
We want to promote our culture to people from all over the world, Dara Soucheng says.
No-one would expect these girls to have all the answers, but their participation in the competition was itself the main goal of Technovation.
Across the world, the number of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions remains low, with only about 14 percent of students choosing to study information technology-related classes in 2010 - the last time comprehensive figures were made available. Some attribute this disparity to unequal access to education, information, and a lack of female role models in those professions.
Programs such as Technovation are aimed at reversing that trend.
Tara Chklovski, the founder and CEO of Iridescent, the non-profit that launched Technovation in 2010, says that for the first time, technology can really help girls have a strong voice and help us have a society that has equality.
The Cambodian team were all drawn from underprivileged backgrounds, but had the opportunity to gain a quality education by being selected for the Liger Learning Centers (LLC) programs. LLC is a local NGO that is pioneering project-based and experiential learning techniques.
Moni Mau, a Cambodian-American software engineer who also has a young daughter, heard about the Cambodian entrants to Technovation and ran to the event, impressed with the young coders from his home country.
Compared to a lot of kids in the U.S., who dont know how to do this and a kid in Cambodia with the current situation, the current poverty over there...[they] can do this much, and they can get this far. I was impressed, he said.
Pauline Seng, a Cambodian-American program manager at Google, was similarly surprised and impressed with the girls success.
Theres going to be so many people who aspire to reach this stage and also inspire other people to get involved in technology, she said.
Technovations grad prize this year went to entrants from Hong Kong. Im very happy that our team made it this far, says Yos Serei Sabda, another of the Cambodian entrants.
Although the girls did not win the grand prize, they are proud to have made it here to Google and Silicon Valley.
Asked whether they believe that Google will one day be headed by a women, the girls replied in unison: Yes!
Recent moves by the Cambodian government to crackdown on independent media - including broadcasters and newspapers - is seen by analysts and activists as a key step by the government to consolidate control ahead of national elections in 2018.
The tougher approach by the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen - in power for over three decades - comes against a backdrop of growing opposition support, especially among younger voters.
Allegations of a government campaign against human rights
Rights activists also point to a broad strategy by the government against both the media and rights activists.
The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development condemned the recent attacks against civil society organizations and the free media.
"These repressive measures come at a critical juncture for Cambodia and severely compromise the legitimacy and fairness of next year's election," Asian Forum said in a statement.
The group also pointed to the killing of activist Kem Ley in July of last year, as well as the detention of other opposition politicians, as adding to a "culture of fear spreading in the country."
Campaign takes many forms
The media crackdown has included the imposition of a $6.3 million tax bill against the English-language Cambodia Daily, a newspaper published since 1993, with the paper being forced to shut down if the payment is not met by September 4.
Other targets included Cambodian radio stations broadcasting U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America (VOA), with the government claiming the outlets failed to have the correct licenses, charging the offices were "unregistered" with the authorities.
In late August, Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), in international development and democracy organization, ordering the Institute's foreign staff to leave the country before month's end.
Billy Chai-Lung Tai, an independent analyst with Human Rights and Project Management, said the moves against the media marked a tougher line by the government on the media and public debate.
Analyst says China is a factor
"The gloves are off, so to speak," Chai-Lung Tai said in an email to VOA. He added the government was also less reticent now about maintaining "a semblance of upholding human rights to show the (international aid) donors anymore."
Cambodia has become less dependent on Western foreign development assistance in recent years as the economy has grown and the Cambodian government has built closer ties with China.
Charges that government fears elections
Nathan Thompson, president of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia (OPCC), said the 2018 elections is the main reason for the media crackdown.
"The ruling party is terrified of losing the 2018 elections and so they crack down on all opposing voices," Thompson told VOA in an email. He pointed to opposition gains in local elections with the results "served to only increase their paranoia".
He said there were also fears the government may also tighten visa rules and work permits, making it easier for the government to deny visas to both freelance journalists and foreign correspondents.
HRW charges government wants to crush dissent
Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said the government was acting dictatorially control the media and "wipe out" opposition political leaders and critical non-government (NGOs) "in a barrage of bogus criminal charges heard by judges beholden to [the Prime Minister]."
Robertson said the strategy by Hun Sen was to, "stifle all the remaining independent media outlets, whether they be radio or newspapers before the real campaigning starts for the July 2018 election."
In a May commentary, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) noted the Cambodian government had also drawn on the new U.S. administration's "more hostile rhetoric and policies regarding the [U.S.] media".
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) said the government should first clarify new regulations "rather than immediately launch a crackdown as a first action."
SEAPA director Edgardo Legaspi called the government's policy a "systematic attack" at silencing independent media and called on the international community to press the government over the recent crackdown.
"It is important for the international community to voice their concern about the recent events in order to convince the Cambodian Government to adopt a more reasonable approach for their all-too-sudden concern about taxation or reporting airtime buyers," Legaspi told VOA.
"We must call for the immediate reinstatement of the programming of the canceled radio programs," he said.
Cambodia's "freedom of press" ranking is low
Cambodia remains ranked lowly in terms of press freedom with the media watchdog Freedom House, which classifies Cambodia's media as "not free" while in 2016 Reporters without Borders placed Cambodia at 128 out of 182 countries for the freedom afforded to its press.
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights said journalists often found themselves "victim to physical attacks, judicial harassment, and even murder."
CCHR said since 1994, 14 journalists have been killed in Cambodia with most of the killings carried out "with complete impunity," creating a "climate of fear among Cambodian journalists and political commentators."
The Cambodian government did not respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. president and his defense secretary issued divergent comments Wednesday about how to respond to North Korea's advancing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis emphasized that the United States is "never out of diplomatic solutions" in dealing with North Korea. That comment was made after President Donald Trump said that "talking is not the answer."
Mattis was responding to a question about Trump's tweet Wednesday morning on dealing with the threat of North Korea following its most recent ballistic missile test, in which a projectile flew high over Japan.
"Talking is not the answer!" Trump tweeted, a day after he said that "all options are on the table" for dealing with Pyongyang.
Some analysts are criticizing the divergence.
"Aside from the fact that President Trump needs to get his facts straight talking has worked at times and not at others his administration needs to get its policies straight," Joel Wit, senior fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins University, told VOA.
The Trump administration's "constant stream of contradictory statements is only confusing our allies and undermining our ability to effectively deal with this growing threat," said Wit, who coordinated a U.S. deal with North Korea in the mid-1990s to freeze its nuclear program.
An arms control specialist who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations, Gary Samore, said, "Trump is correct that our efforts to negotiate agreements with North Korea to resolve the problem, to end the North Korea nuclear program, haven't worked."
Samore, of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, deemed it "unlikely in the future that a diplomatic agreement" would North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. But he agreed with Wit that "there is a danger of mixed messaging, because the U.S. government, I believe, is trying to find a way back to the bargaining table."
The problem, Samore told VOA, is not so much with Trump's tweets but "that [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un is not interested in having a negotiation right now."
North Korea said it fired the intermediate-range ballistic missile Tuesday over Japan to counter current joint exercises by South Korea and the United States.
The U.S. has military treaties with both Japan and South Korea to help protect them.
For the second day in a row, Trump discussed the matter by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In their Wednesday conversation, which lasted for more than 30 minutes, the two leaders "confirmed their continuing, close cooperation on efforts to address" North Korea's recent missile test, according to a White House statement.
Abe, in Tokyo, told reporters that Trump and other leaders he had spoken with "totally agree pressure [on North Korea] must be raised by the international community."
In Geneva, U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, the nation's permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament, called for "concerted action" in response to the "increasing threat" caused by North Korea's missile program, calling it the greatest current "challenge to the global security environment."
North Korea's state news agency quoted leader Kim as saying the drill for Tuesday's launch of the Hwasong-12 missile was "like a real war" and "a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," a U.S. territory nearly 3,000 kilometers southeast of the Korean Peninsula and home to American air and naval bases.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy announced its sailors had successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii on Wednesday in a test of its defense systems.
"We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves," said Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
VOA's Carla Babb at the Pentagon and Bill Gallo in Washington contributed to this report.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, warns freedom of the press in the United States is under attack from President Donald Trump, with potential national and global consequences.
Zeid says words have consequences, actions have consequences and both must be chosen wisely. He says President Trumps characterization of respected newspapers and media outlet as liars and crooks is damaging.
He says the reference to journalists as dishonest and bad people and purveyors of fake news is potentially dangerous.
Is this not an incitement for others to attack journalists? And, let us assume that a journalist is harmed from one of these organizations, does the president then not bear responsibility for this, for having fanned this? he asked.
Cornerstone of democracy
Zeid says the demonization of the press is poisonous because it has consequences elsewhere. He says the words of the U.S. president reverberate around the world.
We see now in Cambodia for example, the licenses of media, radio programs are being lifted off the air. And, the president of the United States his remarks are being cited," he said. "Is this going to expand in this way?
Zeid notes freedom of the press is a cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution, adding he is amazed that instead of defending this right, press freedom is now under attack from the president of the United States.
He calls this a stunning turnaround and ultimately a dangerous one, leading to incitement and fear, self-censorship and banning and then violence.
Trump has regularly criticized major news media outlets like CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Earlier in August, he took aim at news organizations for their coverage of a violent rally organized by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. He called the journalists "truly dishonest people." Trump has lashed out at the media in speeches and on Twitter.
The South Sudan army hands over the body of American freelance journalist Christopher Allen to U.S. Embassy officials; Sudanese living under temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States worry the program will soon be terminated; and a South Sudan native describes living in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and catastrophic flooding in the U.S. state of Texas.
4 Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance toward Al-Ayadieh village, the last remaining active frontline near Tal Afar, during an operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group, Aug. 29, 2017.
Last Wednesday, the 23rd of August 2017, started as just another stormy August morning. However, by the time the clock struck eleven, the little-noticed cyclone had begun to take its terrible toll on the citys people and infrastructure.
Skyscrapers trembled with the awesome force of rain and wind, going up to a maximum of 200 km/h, cars parked outdoors flipped, windows shattered, even century- old trees were uprooted from the soil as if they had been freshly planted. Infrastructure and working sites were blown away, behemoth-sized cranes bended like straws, while bamboo scaffolding disassembled and dropped from the skies, revealing the considerable damage to private and public infrastructure, that will take considerable time and resources to repair. Macaus inner harbor was completely submerged by flood waters and the entire city lost power and water supply for at least half a day, with certain parts of the city still suffering from water and power shortages. The aftermath of Typhoon Hato was worse than any apocalypse scene we could have ever imagined and left an everlasting imprint in the heart and mind of every Macau citizen.
But while the human and emotional damage will take time to mourn and assess, time can be as inclement as the weather and the infrastructure industry cannot dwell on the storm, particularly in regard to public projects.
Indeed, and regardless of the severity of the typhoon, the law makes no distinction between storms and it is of vital importance that contractors (both public and private) be mindful of their entitlements in these cases and aware of the requirements they must meet to recover their losses.
Regarding private contracts, contractors should review the contract terms and ensure that there are no specific formalities for assessment and claim of damages in these cases. As a matter of caution, contractors are also advised to inform owners at once of the damages, their extent and impact (financial and incompletion time) as opposed to deferring these matters to final account stages.
Conversely, public construction contracts, which are f are regulated by Decree- Law No. 74/99/M, are subject to a very specific (and draconian) regime for assessment and recovery of damages in these cases. While extension of time should be granted automatically, this would not be the case regarding losses and damages, which must be claimed in a timely fashion in order to be recoverable by contractors.
As such, and under this regime, contractors are advised in the strongest possible terms to notify the owner within five days counting from the date on which the damage occurred, for the owner to come to the work site and inspect it for assessment.
Thereafter, the owners representative should prepare a report with its finding and the contractor is entitled to file its request for compensation immediately with this report, or 10 days after, and should present in this claim its basis for compensation and financial requests- to the extent that they can determined at the time and may also dispute the owners finding as set out in this report.
If the owner refuses to carry out this inspection, the contractor may carry it out itself, within the same time period and with the assistance of two witnesses, and prepare a report for submission to the owner.
Failure to follow this procedure will result in forfeiture of any rights to claim of these damages. The Macau Government has been increasingly strict in its enforcement of this provision and denial of claims that are not compliant with these proceedings, although it would be only fair if public authorities were to extend to the public the same type of understanding and patience that the public has shown them in view of the unpreparedness and clumsy reaction shown before, during, and in the aftermath of the storm.
Typhoon Hato may have dimmed the lights of our city, but cannot extinguish them. While it may take Macau a long while to recover from the most traumatic encounter with tropical storms in its recorded history and to fully recuperate from all the material damages and losses, its citizens have showed their endurance in time of crisis, by volunteering in massive numbers to help clean out the streets, by providing water and food for those in need and by standing strong when tragedy strikes. These gestures have far exceeded the isolated instances of speculation and profiteering and, if combined with what we hope to be the ability of the Macau Government to learn from its shortcomings, we have full reason to believe Macau will rise back again, better and stronger than before.
*Partner, MdME Lawyers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the media, accusing it of working against him by playing up corruption investigations against him.
"The 'fake news' industry has reached a record level. The aim is to secure indictments, at whatever price and quickly, against me," he said at a rally of supporters Wednesday.
Israeli authorities have questioned Netanyahu in two separate corruption cases.
One case, dubbed "File 1000,'' reportedly involves claims that Netanyahu improperly accepted lavish gifts from wealthy supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.
The second, "File 2000,'' reportedly concerns Netanyahu's alleged attempts to strike a deal with publisher Arnon Mozes of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper group to promote legislation to weaken Yediot's main competitor in exchange for more favorable coverage of Netanyahu by Yediot.
The Israeli leader has denied any wrongdoing but is said to be under increased pressure since a former chief of staff agreed to turn state's witness.
Two weeks before Harvey's floodwaters engulfed much of Houston, President Donald Trump quietly rolled back an order by his predecessor that would have made it easier for storm-ravaged communities to use federal emergency aid to rebuild bridges, roads and other structures so they can better withstand future disasters.
Now, with much of the nation's fourth-largest city under water, Trump's move has new resonance. Critics note the president's order could force Houston and other cities to rebuild hospitals and highways in the same way and in the same flood-prone areas.
"Rebuilding while ignoring future flood events is like treating someone for lung cancer and then giving him a carton of cigarettes on the way out the door," said Michael Gerrard, a professor of environmental and climate change law at Columbia University. "If you're going to rebuild after a bad event, you don't want to expose yourself to the same thing all over again."
Trump's action is one of several ways the president, who has called climate change a hoax, has tried to wipe away former President Barack Obama's efforts to make the United States more resilient to threats posed by the changing climate.
Consideration of climate predictions
The order Trump revoked would have permitted the rebuilding to take into account climate scientists' predictions of stronger storms and more frequent flooding.
Bridges and highways, for example, could be rebuilt higher, or with better drainage. The foundation of a new fire station or hospital might be elevated an extra 3 feet (1 meter).
While scientists caution against blaming specific weather events like Harvey on climate change, warmer air and warmer water linked to global warming have long been projected to make such storms wetter and more intense. Houston, for example, has experienced three floods in three years that statistically were once considered 1-in-500-year events.
The government was still in the process of implementing Obama's 2015 order when it was rescinded. That means the old standard rebuilding storm-ravaged facilities in the same way they had been built before is still in place.
Trump revoked Obama's order as part of an executive order of his own that he touted at an August 15 news conference at Trump Tower. That news conference was supposed to focus on infrastructure, but it was dominated by Trump's comments on the previous weekend's violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Trump didn't specifically mention the revocation, but he said he was making the federal permitting process for the construction of transportation and other infrastructure projects faster and more cost-efficient without harming the environment.
"It's going to be quick, it's going to be a very streamlined process," Trump said.
Asked about the revocation, the White House said in a statement that Obama's order didn't consider potential impacts on the economy and was "applied broadly to the whole country, leaving little room or flexibility for designers to exercise professional judgment or incorporate the particular context" of a project's location.
Construction curbs
Obama's now-defunct order also revamped Federal Flood Risk Management Standards, calling for tighter restrictions on new construction in flood-prone areas. Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn of Texas, opposed the measure, saying it would impede land development and economic growth.
Revoking that order was only the latest step by Trump to undo Obama's actions on climate change.
In March, Trump rescinded a 2013 order that directed federal agencies to encourage states and local communities to build new infrastructure and facilities "smarter and stronger" in anticipation of more frequent extreme weather.
Trump revoked a 2015 Obama memo directing agencies developing national security policies to consider the potential impact of climate change.
The president also disbanded two advisory groups created by Obama: the interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience and the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
Obama's 2015 order was prompted in part by concerns raised by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper after severe flooding in his state two years earlier. Hickenlooper was dismayed to learn that federal disaster aid rules were preventing state officials from rebuilding "better and smarter than what we had built before."
The "requirements essentially said you had to build it back exactly the way it was, that you couldn't take into consideration improvements in resiliency," Hickenlooper, a Democrat, said Tuesday. "We want to be more prepared for the next event, not less prepared."
Bud Wright, the Federal Highway Administration's executive director during George W. Bush's administration, said this has long been a concern of federal officials.
He recalled a South Dakota road that was "almost perpetually flooded" but was repeatedly rebuilt to the same standard using federal aid because the state didn't have the extra money to pay for enhancements.
"It seemed a little ridiculous that we kept doing that," said Wright, now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' executive director.
Big federal 'checkbook'
But Kirk Steudle, director of Michigan's Department of Transportation, said states can build more resilient infrastructure than what they had before a disaster by using state or nonemergency federal funds to make up the cost difference.
"That makes sense, otherwise FEMA would be the big checkbook," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Everybody would be hoping for some disaster so FEMA could come in and build them a brand-new road to the 2020 standard instead of the 1970 standard."
Even though Obama's order has been revoked, federal officials have some wiggle room that might allow them to rebuild to higher standards, said Jessica Grannis, who manages the adaptation program at the Georgetown Climate Center.
If local building codes in place before the storm call for new construction to be more resilient to flooding, then federal money can still be used to pay the additional costs.
For example, in Houston regulations require structures to be rebuilt 1 foot (30 centimeters) above the level designated for a 1-in-100-year storm. And in the wake of prior disasters, FEMA has moved to remap floodplains, setting the line for the 1-in-100-year flood higher than it was before.
With rising urban populations and ever scarcer water supplies, cities and companies are teaming up to invest billions of dollars in water management projects, a report said on Tuesday.
Around two thirds of cities from London to Los Angeles are working with the private sector to address water and climate change stresses with 80 cities seeking $9.5 billion of investment for water projects, according to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit environmental research group.
Water investment opportunities are greatest in Latin America, with Quito in Ecuador seeking $800 million to manage its water supply, including building three hydropower stations and cleaning up its contaminated rivers and streams.
City in India prepares for future
The cities most concerned about their water supply lie in Asia and the Pacific, the report found, with serious risks also identified in Africa and Latin America.
The key issues for cities include declining water quality, water shortages and flooding.
The Indian city of Chennai faced extreme floods in 2015 which killed hundreds and left survivors without access to clean water, while businesses were also severely disrupted.
The city is now investing in boosting its resilience to future water crises, with water conservation education, building a storm water management system and new infrastructure.
We are seeing critical shifts in leadership from cities and companies in response to the very real threat of flooding, for example, to local economies, said Morgan Gillespy, head of CDP's Water Program.
Climate change is another underlying threat to all cities with an increase in extreme weather events from droughts to floods, with cities in North America more concerned than those in Europe, the report found.
Tropical Storm Harvey, pounding the U.S. Gulf Coast, has killed at least eight people, led to mass evacuations and paralyzed Houston, the fourth most-populous U.S. city.
The storm is most likely linked to climate change, said the U.N. weather agency.
Companies are also concerned about the effects of climate change on water supplies, with $14 billion of water impacts such as loss of production reported by companies last year, the report found.
WATCH: Worrying About Water
UN predicts global water shortfall
The United Nations predicts a 40 percent shortfall in global water supply by 2030, while global demand is set to increase by 55 percent due to growing domestic use, manufacturing and electricity generation.
From our work with cities around the world, water has consistently come up as a key resilience challenge, said Claire Bonham-Carter, Principal and City Resilience Lead at AECOM, a global infrastructure firm and partner on the report.
Many of them, regardless of size, from Mexico City, Mexico to Berkeley, California, are addressing both long-term water supply issues as well as chronic urban flooding.
Forests in the northeastern United States and southern Canada could be ravaged by tree-killing beetles in coming decades as a warming climate expands the pest's habitat, a study has found.
Over the next 60 years, southern pine beetles could infest forests in new areas of the United States and Canada, disrupting industries and ecosystems alike, it said.
Warmer winter nights allow spread
The red-brown insects, the size of a grain of rice, known to feast on pine-tree bark, has typically only thrived in the hotter climate of Central America and the southeastern United States.
But in recent years warmer than usual winter nights have allowed it to survive the cold months and spread as far north as the U.S. state of New York. The coldest winter night has warmed by 6 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 4 degrees Celsius) over the past 50 years in various parts of the United States, the study's authors said.
Using computer-based climate models, they predicted the beetles should gradually march north along the Atlantic coast, infesting forests including in the U.S. states of Maine and Ohio all the way to Canada's Nova Scotia.
Pest moves fast
By 2080, the pest should proliferate to red and jack-pine forests in a 270,000 square miles (700,000 square km) area of the United States and Canada roughly the size of Afghanistan, the researchers wrote in Nature Climate Change.
That would not only upend ecosystems, but also disrupt several key industries in already struggling rural areas, said lead author Corey Lesk, a researcher at Columbia University in New York.
Residents of these regions could see a direct hit to their pocketbooks, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday in a phone interview.
Infestations costly to timber industry
Where the southern pine beetle has struck in the past, timber industries have been hard hit.
Infestations of pine beetles have cost an estimated $100 million a year in timber losses from 1990 to 2004 in the southeastern United States, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Thousands of adult beetles can kill a tree in two to four months as the insects carve S-shaped tunnels under the bark, depriving their host of needed nutrients.
The tourism industry would also likely suffer, said Lesk, with the potential destruction of iconic forests including the Pine Barrens of New Jersey and Long Island.
Europe faces same problem
In Europe, previous research has shown that bark beetles have similarly been chewing through pine and spruce trees in forests from the Swiss Alps to Belarus alongside temperature increases.
Land managers have found the best way to fight off bark beetles has been thinning high-density forests and cutting out infested trees, though with limited success, the researchers said.
The key question is whether those strategies would be able to keep up with rapid advance of the pest into regions with little or no experience managing it, Lesk said.
There were dueling demonstrations in Zimbabwes capital Wednesday, for and against first lady Grace Mugabe.
Members of the ruling ZANU-PF marched in Harare chanting songs to show support for first lady Grace Mugabe. They held placards written Gabriella Engels is not an angel.
Engels is the South African model who accused Mugabe of assaulting her with an electrical cord two weeks ago at a Johannesburg hotel.
The first lady was expected at the march, but senior ZANU-PF official Manditawepi Chimene said she had other commitments.
Chimene said, We can not afford her to sleep outside her home. We have come here for our father and our mother, referring to longtime president Robert Mugabe and his wife.
There is no way we are going to respect our father and ignore our mother, she added
That statement is an apparent reference to ongoing rivalry within the ZANU-PF.
One faction supports Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed Robert Mugabe, while another is backing Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.
The first lady has not spoken publicly since she returned from South Africa.
Controversial immunity
Meanwhile in South Africa, Engels has filed a court challenge to Grace Mugabes diplomatic immunity, saying she had traveled to South Africa for medical treatment, not official business.
On Wednesday, as the ruling party marched, a coalition of Zimbabwean opposition parties rallied outside the South African Embassy in Harare to protest Pretoria's handling of the alleged assault case.
Granting her immunity is saying political leaders can go anywhere in the world and assault people and get away with it because they have diplomatic immunity," said opposition activist Linda Masarira. "It [gives] a negative image on all Zimbabweans.
South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, last week filed papers with the nation's Constitutional Court asking the court to reject the decision to grant diplomatic immunity to Mugabe.
In a statement, the party said the move was "wholly without legal merit and should thus be declared unconstitutional and invalid."
No hearing date has been set for the case, but it could further strain Harare-Pretoria relations.
Rights groups should stop lecturing and demonizing India over its plan to deport 40,000 stateless Rohingya and recognize that the country has treated millions of refugees from across the world humanely, a senior official said this week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing government says the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to India because of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar are illegal immigrants and should deported because they pose a potential security threat.
"India is the most humane nation in the world," said junior interior minister Kiren Rijiju, defending an order to states to identify and deport the Rohingya including 16,500 registered with the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR).
"There is no other country in the world which hosts so many refugees, so don't demonize us, don't give us lecture," Rijiju said.
The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming centuries-old roots. Hundreds of thousands have fled Myanmar, where they are marginalized and sometimes subjected to communal violence, with many taking refuge in Bangladesh and some then crossing a porous border into Hindu-majority India.
On Monday, Myanmar security forces intensified operations against Rohingya insurgents, following three days of clashes with militants in the worst violence involving the Muslim minority in five years.
Indian minister Rijiju said registration with the UNHCR was irrelevant.
India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, which spells out states' responsibilities toward refugees. Nor does it have a domestic law to protect refugees.
The Rohingya will be sent back from India in a humane way, following due legal processes, Rijiju added.
"We are not going to shoot them, nor are we planning to throw them in the ocean," he said Monday.
Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have slammed India's deportation plan as "outrageous."
Asia's third-largest economy is bound by customary international law the principle of non-refoulement where it cannot forcibly return refugees to a place where they face danger, they say.
Seeking the fate of nearly 50,000 Colombians who disappeared during the country's civil war should become a "national cause," a top presidential adviser said Tuesday as the government faces criticism that it is failing to do enough to find them.
Government efforts to increase searches and offer compensation to relatives of those who disappeared during five decades of armed conflict have been slow and must be stepped up, critics and families say.
About 220,000 people were killed in the war, and all the factions state security forces, government troops, paramilitary groups and leftist rebels are responsible for the forced disappearances, according to Colombia's National Center for Historical Memory.
"May the cause of the disappeared become a national cause," Paula Gaviria, presidential adviser on human rights, told a conference in Bogota.
A peace accord was signed last year between the government and rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and families of the disappeared say they hope the rebels will reveal grave locations as part of a deal to avoid long prison terms and be allowed to enter politics.
Unit stalled
The government offers up to $8,600 U.S. in compensation for relatives and has passed a law paving the way for a special search unit, including forensic teams, to help find, identify and exhume bodies.
But the unit has yet to start work, and its director has still not been appointed.
"The search unit will have to make an enormous effort to contribute to the truth," Gaviria said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged the government to speed up the process.
"This makes it necessary to push forward, with firm political will, in making concrete progress in the search for missing people," Christoph Harnisch, head of the ICRC delegation in Colombia, said in a statement. "The steps so far taken in this direction aren't enough."
Martin Santiago, U.N. resident coordinator in Colombia, said relatives have a right to know what happened to their missing loved ones.
"Victims must have the right to know the circumstances, manner and place of the crime, as well as the collective right to know the truth," he said at the same conference.
Harvey, the devastating storm that flooded a huge swath of Houston, Texas, and forced thousands of people from their homes, made landfall again Wednesday, moving to the east and drenching the neighboring state of Louisiana even as it weakens.
The National Hurricane Center said the tropical storm is gradually diminishing in strength as it moves inland and away from Houston, where untold numbers remain trapped in their homes, marooned by churning, muddy waters that often are waist deep.
Tropical Storm Harvey's winds have diminished to 65 kilometers an hour with higher gusts, though acting Homeland Security chief Elaine Duke warned that "catastrophic flooding is likely" for days, even after the historic rains end.
"We expect a many-year recovery in Texas, and the federal government is in this for the long haul," she said.
For the moment, Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Brock Long said, "We're still in life-saving, life-sustaining mode."
Long said 30,000 people have been moved to more than 230 shelters, with another 1,800 people housed in hotels. About 210,000 people have registered for government assistance, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott saying that $37 million in aid has already been approved.
Abbott said 14,000 National Guard troops have been activated to assist in the rescue efforts and another 10,000 are on the way to help. He said 8,500 people have been rescued from the floodwaters.
Still, Coast Guard Commandant Paul Zukunft said operators are answering more than a thousand emergency calls an hour.
U.S. President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday for briefings on the rescue efforts. He said Wednesday in a Twitter comment, "After witnessing first hand the horror & devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, my heart goes out even more so to the great people of Texas!"
However, Trump and first lady Melania Trump did not visit Houston, where the worst of the flooding has occurred, not wanting to disrupt rescue efforts in America's fourth-largest city. They visited with emergency officials in two other cities.
Later, in a speech in Missouri, Trump voiced his sympathy for the flood victims and families who lost loved ones. "We are praying for you," Trump said. "We will endure and we will overcome."
The White House said Trump plans to return to Texas on Saturday to see more of the devastation from the biggest storm to hit the U.S. in a decade, with damages expected to reach tens of billions of dollars, and could visit Houston then.
The National Weather Service said the clouds that dumped more than 130 centimeters of rain on south Texas over four days will at last give way to sunshine, with sunny skies and hot temperatures by Friday. But the flooding will remain for a lengthy period.
East of Houston, the city of Beaumont, Texas, was seeing the heaviest rain early Wednesday as the center of the storm made its landfall in Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center said the storm could drop 15 to 30 centimeters of rain on southwestern Louisiana as it moves further inland.
With so many people away from their homes and scattered reports of looting, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner instituted an overnight curfew starting Wednesday morning in order to prevent "potential criminal acts."
Turner praised Houston as a city where neighbors look out for each other and come together to face their shared challenge.
"Anyone who underestimates the spirit of this city does not know Houston. 'Woe is Houston?' That just encourages us further," he wrote on Twitter.
At least 13 deaths have been reported in connection with the storm. Authorities have not yet confirmed a number that high, but have said casualty figures could rise once the floodwaters begin to recede.
Homeland Security chief Duke said Tuesday the biggest challenge remains search and rescue efforts.
"We will continue looking, and until the waters are gone, I really don't think we'll be completed with making sure we've accounted for everyone," she said.
Duke added that once the rain stops, officials will be focused on making sure people who cannot return to their homes can move from the temporary shelters into transitional housing.
Duke was one of several officials who flew to Texas along with Trump to meet with local and state leaders and survey the response to the storm.
Visiting an emergency operations center in the Texas capital, Austin, Trump said his administration and Congress are going to come up with the "right solution" to help storm victims.
Trump also went to Corpus Christi, where the storm hit the Texas coast, and said there he wants the federal government's response to be "better than ever before."
The president waved a Texas state flag as he spoke to cheering supporters, calling the storm "epic." He added, "...but it happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything."
Flooding in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey has forced several universities to evacuate their students or cancel classes in the first weeks of the new school year.
Colleges and universities in southeast Texas, where the storm has dumped more than 50 inches of rain, were set to welcome thousands of students including international students back to the coastal Houston and Galveston areas, as well as the inland cities of Corpus Christi and San Antonio.
This continues to be a difficult and challenging time for us all, said University of Houston President Renu Khator in a statement.
Houston bayous have crossed their borders, water has entered homes and roads have become unfriendly, said Khator.
The University of Houston, 50 miles north of the storms landfall along the Gulf of Mexico coast, has been severely impacted by high winds, rainfall and flooding.
Housing, food service overwhelmed
University housing and food services have been overwhelmed in the relief effort as the storm affected those on campus and in the surrounding area. The opening of classes has been postponed until September 4.
However, schools have opened their dining facilities during the storm at no charge. Kitchens have been operating 24 hours a day to accommodate incoming students who moved in before Harvey made landfall in the Houston area, according to the universitys webpage.
VOA speaks to University of Houston student
University of Houston "dining halls were open to all students whether you had a meal plan or not," student Sunny Gotewal told VOA. That included free food to those in the community who were displaced, he said.
Classes at Texas A&Ms coastal campus in Corpus Christi nicknamed the Island University because it sits on a peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico are postponed until at least September 5, officials said.
Most students had not arrived on campus when the storm hit, said university spokesperson Luisa Buttler, but eight students and three faculty members were evacuated to Laredo, about 150 miles to the west.
Rice University in Houston said it is not evacuating students despite heavy flooding, spokesperson B.J. Almond said.
All of our students are safe, he said.
University of Houston students have also stepped up to help with storm rescue efforts. Before the National Guard arrived, four students waded through floodwaters to aid elderly residents of Beall Village, a nearby community, reported The Cougar, a student newspaper.
Moved to higher ground
Hadley said he and three other students moved residents to a parking garage on a higher level of the residence.
The first room that I saw had a lady in a wheelchair," Gotewal told VOA's Student Union. "Water was up to her knees and she couldn't move, and she was just sitting there."
The students helped whom they could, Gotewal said, but couldn't lift the motorized wheelchairs through the high water.
The National Guard arrived and removed other residents, Hadley said.
The University of Texas-Austin is also offering shelter to those affected by the hurricane, said Cindy Posey, UTs director of internal and safety communication. UT Austin is honored to provide the space.
Students at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UT-SA) have donated more than 50 units of blood in a drive arranged by the student health department. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, which is also holding a blood drive on UT-SAs campus, said it had sent 350 units to the Houston and Gulf Coast area.
The university will host several other events in the coming weeks, including food and clothing drives.
Lorenzo Sanchez, director of UT-SAs emergency management, said that he is thrilled with cooperation between the university and the San Antonio community.
We want to make sure were doing our part in helping our neighbors in Houston, Sanchez said.
All students, including international students, are eligible for assistance even if they are not permanent residents of the affected area, said Troy Christensen, external affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Christensen said FEMA is coordinating with the Department of State to offer assistance to international students.
Save documentation
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website urges international students to save documentation to prove their non-immigrant student status, including a passport, visa and I-20 form to provide documented proof of their immigration status. DHS also advises students to have emergency-preparation kits and monitor FEMAs website.
International students whose visa status could be affected by Harvey must apply for an extension or change of status waiver, if needed, according to the U.S. Department of States website.
Your safety is important to us as well as out commitment to the mission of education. Please know that we are all in it together as a family and as a community, said Khator. We hope to get back on our feet, help each other and help our community in its rebuilding efforts.
Zach Rayment and Max Cotton contributed to this report.
Iran on Tuesday dismissed U.S. demands for the inspection of Iranian military sites by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, shrugging off a request by America's ambassador to the U.N. as only a "dream."
Iran's government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht told reporters that the demand by Ambassador Nikki Haley wasn't worth any attention. Iran will not accept any inspection of its sites and "especially our military sites," he said.
In remarks broadcast by state TV, he said the sites and all information about them were "classified."
Last week, Haley said the United States wants inspections of Iranian military and nonmilitary sites to determine its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The deal saw Iran cap its nuclear activities in return for lifting of crippling sanctions.
In a televised interview later in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also rejected the demands, saying "regulations dictate out relations with the [International Atomic Energy] Agency, not the United States."
He said Iran was still committed to the nuclear agreement, but "we do not accept bullying."
The foreign ministers of Russia and the United Arab Emirates urged North Korea yesterday to stop its provocations and obey United Nations resolutions, after Pyongyangs launch of a ballistic missile over Japan.
Speaking in Abu Dhabi, the two ministers offered a forceful warning for Pyongyang, with Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan particularly calling for North Korea to stop its provocations.
But what was left unsaid between the two ministers was their own diplomatic and commercial ties to North Korea, with the UAE in particular home to thousands of its workers whose wages help Pyongyang avoid international sanctions.
Early yesterday, North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its capital that flew over Japan before crashing into the northern Pacific Ocean.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is visiting the UAE as part of a three Gulf Arab nation tour over the ongoing diplomatic crisis involving Qatar, avoided discussing that dispute. He instead focused in part on North Korea.
Regarding North Korea and the missile tests it is conducting, we stick to the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and we insist on the fact that our North Korean neighbors should fully respect those resolutions, Lavrov said. We base our position on these statements during discussions in the Security Council and will do the same in the session, which as far as we understand is being planned now and which will be dedicated to discussing the last missile launches from North Korea.
Sheikh Abdullah went further.
The situation cannot continue to escalate between North Korea on one side and Japan and South Korea on the other, he said. North Korea cannot continue to disregard the U.N. Security Council resolutions and the U.N.s call to stop its provocations.
Tureibil, Iraq's main international border crossing with Jordan and a key trade route, officially reopened Wednesday after being officially closed for three years. Privately-owned U.S. security firms, along with Iraqi ground and air forces, will be responsible for safety along the 500-kilometer route from Baghdad to Amman, which goes through Iraq's Anbar province.
Iraqi forces have cleared areas near the highway of Islamic State militants in recent months, and parts of the route, including a number of bridges and overpasses, were rebuilt or repaired.
The Iraqi parliament agreed to allow U.S. security firms to oversee the highway, after a long and heated debate.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi indicated in a tweet Wednesday that he was "pleased by the reopening of the Iraq-Jordan border crossing," adding that it will "increase bilateral relations considerably."
The deputy head of the Anbar provincial council, Falah al-Aissawi, told al-Hurra TV recently that the provincial government was doing its utmost to reopen the key highway.
He says that Anbar province is using part of its budget to reopen the highway and the crossing with Jordan, which is a lifeline for both Anbar and the country, and that its reopening to traffic will give a boost to the economy.
Iraqi Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji inspected the highway and the border crossing several days ago, noting that the security situation appeared to be good.
The interior minister says he has inspected all the key infrastructure along the route and that Iraq was intent on reopening all its border crossings. He says the Tureibil crossing is vital to Iraq's economy.
Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, tells VOA that the reopening of the Iraqi border with Jordan was yet another step in the ongoing collapse of the Islamic State group.
"It's clear that IS is being defeated and it is in full retreat on all fronts. This move points in the direction of increasing security in both Iraq and Jordan," said Khashan.
Khashan also thinks that Jordan agreed to reopen its border crossing with Iraq "in conjunction with both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia," and that the move "marks a significant improvement of ties between Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and [possibly] Iran."
Iraq and Saudi Arabia recently reopened their land border, which had been closed since 1990.
The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed that President Donald Trump's personal lawyer reached out to them during the 2016 presidential campaign, seeking help for a business project in Russia.
In a statement to the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Monday the president's company pursued a project in Moscow during the Republican primary. He said the plan was abandoned for various reasons.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that they received Cohen's email, which was sent to the press office's general email address. Peskov said it was one of many emails the Kremlin press office gets - since its email address is available online - and that the Kremlin did not reply to it.
Cohen said he worked on the real estate proposal with Felix Sater, a Russia-born associate who he said claimed to have deep connections in Moscow.
The discussions about a real estate deal in Moscow occurred in the fall of 2015, months after Trump had declared his presidential bid. They ended early in 2016 when Cohen determined that the project was not feasible, according to Cohen's statement.
Cohen also disclosed that Trump was personally aware of the deal, signing a letter of intent and discussing it with Cohen on two other occasions.
Asked whether Putin had seen the email, Peskov said Wednesday that he "cannot discuss with President Putin the hundreds and thousands of various requests coming from different countries" that end up in that Kremlin mailbox.
Peskov said the press office did not reply to Cohen's email because it "does not react to such business requests. It is not our job."
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has emphasized the U.S. is never out of diplomatic solutions when it comes to the North Korean crisis, after President Donald Trump said that "talking is not the answer."
Mattis was responding to a question about Trumps tweet Wednesday morning about dealing with the threat of North Korea following the country's most recent ballistic missile test over Japan.
"The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!" Trump tweeted, a day after he said "All options are on the table" for dealing with Pyongyang.
Defense Secretary Mattis welcomed his South Korean counterpart to the Pentagon on Wednesday, as the two countries try to figure out how to handle recent North Korean provocations.
We continue to work together, and the Minister and I share a responsibility to provide for the protection of our nations, our populations, and our interestsand look for all the areas that we can collaborate, Mattis said.
North Korea has acknowledged firing a ballistic missile Tuesday over Japan, saying it was to counter current joint exercises by South Korea and the United States.
In Geneva, U.S. Disarmament Ambassador Robert Wood called for concerted action in response to the increasing threat caused by North Koreas missile program, calling it the greatest current challenge to the global security environment.
We must respond to the serious threats it makes to the United States and to our allies, he said. We want to be clear to North Korea that the United States has the unquestionable ability and unbending will to defend itself and its allies.
On Wednesday the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted leader Kim Jong Un as saying the drill for the launch of the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile was like a real war and the first step by North Korea's military for operations in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam."
The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting war games in recent days, as rhetoric between North Korea and the United States has heated up.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy announced its sailors had successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii Wednesday in a test of its defense systems.
We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves, said Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, the director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
A Pentagon official says the military's contribution to severe weather rescue efforts in the southern states of Texas and Louisiana could rise tenfold or more in the coming days.
Air Force Major General James Witham, who directs domestic operations for the National Guard, told reporters Tuesday at the Pentagon that there are approximately 3,500 National Guard troops involved in the rescue efforts for Harvey, the Category 4 Hurricane turned Tropical Storm, in southeast Texas, with about 1,000 more Texas National Guardsmen set to join them within the next day.
Witham added that number could surge. An additional 20,000 to 30,000 National Guardsmen from other states are preparing to move into the area to help, if needed, along with an additional 8,000 Texas National Guardsmen who can be deployed.
The United States Northern Command also has readied more than 1,000 active-duty personnel in support of relief efforts.
The military response so far has been somewhat limited by a combination of ongoing storms and the ensuing flooding that has created impassable roadways.
As dozens of helicopters carry out search-and-rescue efforts, Witham asked citizens to keep drones out of the crowded skies.
The potential for drone impact is a big deal, Witham said. They present a hazard for our crews operating those helicopters in the region.
Witham said the National Guard has helped rescue more than 3,500 people, most by boat and others by air hoisting. The military also has saved nearly 300 pets.
Due to the high volume of 911 calls, some in the National Guard are helping to answer the rescue phone lines to make sure people can get through.
This will be a long-term effort, Witham said, adding that the flooding from the storm's historic rainfall could lead to a sustained demand on the Defense Department for periods of days, if not weeks," before entering the recovery phase.
Following the United Nations' swift and stern rebuke of North Koreas missile test over Japan, calls are growing to put more pressure on Pyongyang and tighten existing sanctions even further. Some observers, however, wonder what good that will do, in light of the North's persistent provocations as it faces its toughest sanctions to date.
In a statement, the Security Council condemned Tuesday's launch and what it called the North's "outrageous actions," but did not mention the option of new sanctions.
The United States says all options are on the table, but China North Koreas biggest ally has put its focus more on repeating its call to return to long-stalled talks and for all sides not to take any steps that would further heighten tensions.
Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, Wednesday warned against unilateral actions by individual countries against North Korea, arguing that such steps violate international law.
Unilateral sanctions
In recent weeks, the United States and Japan have announced unilateral sanctions on Chinese firms aimed at curbing the flow of money to the North.
A new round of sanctions that went into effect earlier this month is the toughest ever in history, but not enough to stifle North Koreas missile development, according to Zhao Tong, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.
Any tougher sanctions, such as new bans on oil, labor and textile imports from North Korea, will seriously hurt the North's economic stability, he said, noting China and Russia would be very cautious about implementing new sanctions.
Air, sea blockade
Ding Xueliang, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says given that North Koreas illicit trade ranges from $3 billion to $5 billion a year, sanctions need to amount to about $2.5 billion to have any impact.
Measures such as an air and sea blockade against the North also could be effective.
"All traffic in and out of North Korea, be it for commercial or military use, could be suspended; this is something the U.S. military could handle on its own, said Ding. But there are two things it may not be able to prevent and thats the flow of goods from the North's connections to China or Russia."
North Korea shares a nearly 1,500-kilometer-long border with northeastern China and a short border with Russia.
The latest round of sanctions has targeted coal, iron and seafood. The impact already is being felt in China, where local sellers of seafood have protested about the closure of the border and implementation of the ban. Analysts say it may take months for the impact of the current sanctions to truly be gauged.
Threats and talks
In the meantime, tensions continue to rise.
Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to fire missiles into the sea near Guam an important U.S. military outpost in the Pacific after President Donald Trump said Pyongyang would face fire and fury if it threatened the United States.
Following Tuesdays launch, North Korea said more were to come, calling the missile test the first step in an effort to contain Guam.
Zhao Tong says that while the long game for both Washington and Pyongyang is to get back to the negotiating table, the two countries have opposite approaches.
The U.S. believes that they should keep on exerting economic, political, diplomatic and military pressures on the North Korea to a certain extent that it is too much to bear so that the North will be forced to resume talks, Zhao said.
The North thinks the U.S. isnt convinced Pyongyangs missile capabilities are feasible and solid, and that is keeping the U.S. from resuming talks with the North unconditionally, he says.
Pyongyang will likely keep on testing its missile capabilities to the U.S. in the hope that the U.S. will acknowledge that fact and eventually treat the North as an equal party at the negotiation table, he added.
Potential miscalculations
China, too, is the focus of international pressure to do more to help with the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
During a visit Wednesday to Japan, British Prime Minister Theresa May urged Beijing to put more pressure on North Korea, saying it had a key role to play; but much like the United States could not force Cubas hand during the Cold War, China cannot force Pyongyangs, says Joseph Siracusa, a professor at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in Australia.
There is always the possibility here of a Cuban missile-like solution, that is if China just announces tomorrow morning that they will guarantee North Korean sovereignty in exchange for an American pledge not to invade North Korea, I think we might save the day, he said. But the Chinese believe that the United States should cease and desist all military activities and exercises, and that the United States will not do that under any circumstances.
Siracusa notes that unlike the Cold War, the situation on the Korean Peninsula now is more tense and the chance of war is high, standing at about 80 percent in his estimation.
We have a kind of a 1914 situation, where all of these alliances are balanced against each other and we have all of these different players. Everybody is trying to calibrate what they are doing, etcetera, he said. We are looking at catastrophic potential miscalculations here, and I think any [damn] thing could trigger this thing off.
North Korea's test-firing of yet another ballistic missile proves that the Kim Jong Un regime has no intention of slowing down its nuclear weapons ambitions, analysts say, and that attitude effectively thwarts at least for now any chance of dialogue between the United States and Pyongyang.
Launched from the vicinity of Sunan Air Base, near the North Korean capital, the missile traveled 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) early Tuesday morning, reaching a maximum altitude of roughly 550 kilometers (340 miles). It set off alarms in Japan as it passed over the northern island of Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean after a flight of 14 minutes. The Pentagon assessed the missile was an intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Hwasong-12, the same weapon that the Kim regime has been promising to fire into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.
It did not pose a threat to North America or to Guam, the Pentagon said, but added: We continue to monitor North Korea's actions closely.
Had they launched [it] toward Guam, that would have been not quite to Guam but pretty close, said David Maxwell, associate director of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies. He told VOA Korean: I think they are trying to demonstrate that capability.
Change in direction
The latest missile firing came just days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had welcomed the Kim Jong Un regimes level of restraint since Aug. 5, when the U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang. The sanctions are intended to reduce North Korea's export revenues from sales of coal, iron ore and seafood, possibly making a billion-dollar dent in the regime's hard-currency earnings.
A pause in missile launches by North Korea could point toward possible dialogue with the U.S., Tillerson said, adding, We need to see more on their part. Seoul's Unification Ministry echoed his statement but went further and said it was considering sending an envoy to Pyongyang.
North Korea fired three short-range missiles early Saturday, apparently as a gesture of defiance against joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises that had just begun. Then came the larger rocket's flight over Japan early Tuesday, which triggered alarms in many capitals.
North Korea shows progress
At the White House, President Donald Trump issued a statement denouncing North Korea: This regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior. Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table.
Analysts said the North Korean missile program continues to show progress on Pyongyang's announced goal of developing a long-range, nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. But they noted Tuesdays launch was more of a political gesture: a calculated move to signal to Washington and its allies that the Kim regime is not interested in diplomacy and does not intend to suspend its weapons tests.
Gary Samore, who worked on arms-control issues under former President Barack Obama, said this weeks missile test was an important political statement from Kim, signaling he is not intimidated by the U.N. Security Council resolutions [or] by the U.S.-South Korea military exercises. The annual war games that began last week are due to run until Aug. 31.
Eventually we will make it back to diplomacy, but at least for the time being, I think the reaction of the U.S. will be to not expect that talks will take place in the near future, and to focus U.S. energy on increasing sanctions, said Samore, who is now with the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University.
Prospects for dialog take a hit
Bruce Klingner, northeast Asia analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington and a former CIA intelligence analyst, said the message carried by Pyonyang's rocket undercut and set back the prospects for dialog that had been encouraged by suggestions in Washington and Seoul that nuclear talks could resume if the North ceases further provocations.
Georgetown University's Maxwell said the missile launch might have been part of an attempt to stifle implementation of the new restrictions on North Korea by the U.S. and South Korea.
If North Korea continues these provocations, they are forcing us to react ... and so by reacting to each provocation, we are unable to execute a long-term, holistic, coherent policy, Maxwell said. So the North maybe is attempting to keep both South Korea and the U.S. off balance in execution of new policies.
David Straub, a former U.S. State Department official and a North Korea expert at the Sejong Institute, near Seoul, said North Korea uses the threat that it might use nuclear weapons in an attempt to decouple Washington from Seoul and eventually Tokyo so that Pyongyang can reset the strategic chessboard on the Korean peninsula.
Jenny Lee contributed to this report which originated on VOA Korean.
Pakistans National Assembly passed a resolution Wednesday strongly denouncing President Donald Trumps new policy on Afghanistan and calling his and General John Nicholsons statements on Pakistan hostile and threatening.
President Trump had some of the harshest words for Pakistan when he announced his new policy on Afghanistan and South Asia on August 21.
We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting, he said in a speech.
Soon after, in an interview with an Afghan TV channel, the top U.S. military commander in Kabul, General Nicholson said the U.S. is "aware of the presence" of Taliban leaders in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar, and that they should not "sleep in peace."
Drone strikes a concern
Many observers in the region interpreted that to be a threat of either drone strikes or unilateral military action. The U.S. has carried out drone strikes periodically on Pakistans territory against high value targets. Last year, Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was taken out in a drone strike in Pakistans Balochistan province.
Pakistan maintains that drone strikes on its territory are a violation of its sovereignty, but it has never shot down a U.S. drone.
While the resolution passed Wednesday did not directly call for such an action, it called on the government to express the determination of the people of Pakistan to protect Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Other suggested responses included postponement of visits by U.S. delegations to Pakistan and vice versa, and suspension of Ground or Air Lines of Communication, the official name for the routes used by the U.S. or NATO to take their supplies through Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Some of these steps seem to already have been implemented. A visit by Pakistans Defense Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif to the U.S. was postponed after Trumps speech, followed by the postponement of a visit by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells to Pakistan.
India as player
The National Assembly also objected to attempts by the Trump administration to provide more space to India in Afghanistan, a move Pakistan considers highly provocative.
Pakistani officials say India, a hostile neighbor to the east, wants to encircle their country by setting up a second front on the west in Afghanistan from where it could support terrorist activities or support separatist insurgencies inside Pakistan. Officials in the U.S. say Pakistans fears regarding India in Afghanistan are overblown.
The resolution, presented by Defense Minister Asif, also emphasized the robust and credible command and control system for the countrys nuclear weapons program in response to the second element of President Trumps policy to prevent nuclear weapons and materials from coming into the hands of terrorists.
Pakistans Senate had adopted a similar resolution earlier in the day.
Freelance journalist Christopher Allen believed it was important to not look away from the worst of humanity. By the age of 26, he had lived up to his belief, covering conflict in Ukraine and South Sudan and sharing powerful stories with people around the world.
"He chose to bear witness; he chose to look unflinchingly at what was painful and to find the humanity within it," his mother, Joyce Krajian, told VOA.
On August 26, Allen was killed in the southern border town of Kaya, South Sudan, in a clash between government and rebel groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists said he had been embedded with rebel forces for two weeks, citing a rebel spokesman.
He was killed by a bullet wound to the head, although the details of his death are still unclear. A spokesman for South Sudan's Army said that anyone, including a journalist, who enters the country with rebels will be targeted for death by their forces. CPJ has forcefully rejected any notion that Allen was helping the rebels and noted that international law affords journalists the same protection as civilians in conflict zones.
"Chris was actually a photographer. He was holding a camera, not an AK-47. So, he was not a combatant," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal.
Allen is the tenth journalist to be killed in South Sudan since 2012, according to the U.N. CPJ has called for a full investigation into his death.
'I want to see history in the making'
Allen grew up in suburban Philadelphia and attended the University of Pennsylvania. He later earned a master's degree in European history at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
During his studies in Europe, Allen was riveted by images of revolution in Ukraine and decided to travel there to cover the story.
"In the middle of that program, when the rest of his cohort was going off to the Greek islands, Chris chose to go to Ukraine," his mother said. "It was just post-Maidan Square [the site of protests in Kyiv], and he said 'I want to see history in the making. I don't want to read about history.'"
Allen's work appeared in The Telegraph newspaper, BBC, Mashable and other outlets. In 2014, he was one of the first reporters to arrive at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over Ukraine, killing 298 people.
Later, as part of a documentary, he shared his thoughts on the carnage he saw that day in a wheat field.
"Being in Eastern Ukraine, seeing all this death, you're conscious of how quickly a life can be taken," he told the interviewer in 2014. "Whether it's the person walking across the playground during [a] shelling or whether it's the people who fell 10,000 meters in a plane, you quickly become conscious, being here, being in the middle of this conflict, that life is a really fragile thing."
A life cut short
Allen's family is left grieving the son they say could have chosen a comfortable existence in academia, but instead was driven to tell stories of people seeking freedom in forgotten corners of the world.
"He found it very refreshing when people would stand up for what they consider their human rights and the right of their country," said his father, John Allen. "And he was interested in what makes these folks tick who were prepared to put themselves out there to sacrifice, to even make the ultimate sacrifice, which most of us don't dare to do."
Above all, they feel an incredible sense of loss at a life cut short.
"He was such a big-hearted, big-spirited guy," his mother said. "It's really hard to imagine the world without him. Our world. We have gotten a lot of response from people who knew him and said that, truly, this is a loss for the world."
Moscow and Washington should re-establish direct contacts between their military and foreign policy chiefs, Russia's new ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said Wednesday.
"The time has come to resume joint meetings of Russia's and the United States' foreign and defense ministers in a 'two plus two' format," Antonov said in an interview published on the Kommersant business daily's website.
Military contacts between Moscow and Washington were frozen in 2014 due to the Ukraine crisis.
Antonov also called for meetings between the heads of Russia's Federal Security Service and Foreign Intelligence Service and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency.
A "working cooperation" between Russia's Security Council and the U.S. National Security Council could also help fight terrorism and cyberthreats and help strategic stability, he said.
Antonov, a former deputy foreign minister, is subject to European sanctions over his role in the conflict in Ukraine.
Seven women sit in front of computer screens fielding distress calls from across Mecca ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage this week, in a first for Saudi Arabia as it tries to expand participation in the workforce.
The seven, almost all wearing the black niqab over their faces, form the first women's section of an emergency call center in the kingdom, which has begun offering more education and employment opportunities to the half of the population that has traditionally stayed at home.
The women verify a caller's location and request, which could be related to fire, crime, illness or a traffic accident, before passing the information on to first responders.
WATCH: Saudi Women Step into Security Role at Hajj for the First Time
In the conservative kingdom, that's a big shift.
Saudi Arabia adheres to strict interpretations of Islamic law and tribal custom, requiring women to have male guardians and obey a modest dress code. They are barred from driving.
However, the Saudi government has begun introducing gradual reforms to open new job opportunities for women as part of a vision to wean the country off oil on which it relies for more than 60 percent of its income and transform society.
"Saudi women are present in multiple fields, so they can also be present in the security sector," 31-year-old Baara al-Shuwaibi, who studied English at a Mecca university, told Reuters, headphones hanging over her ears.
The women all speak English and received training before starting their jobs in recent weeks. Dozens of men sit in a separate room doing the same work.
"I receive a call, check the location and send the request to the proper authority as fast as possible, especially if it's an emergency like fire or ambulance," Shuwaibi said.
'Step forward'
The National Operations Center in Mecca launched two years ago, becoming the first in the kingdom to unify government response services. There are plans for similar sites in Riyadh, Medina and the Eastern Province.
This is the first year the women's section will operate during the hajj, which is expected to attract about two million Muslims from around the world for a week of sacred rituals starting Wednesday.
The world's largest annual gathering of Muslims has in the past seen numerous deadly stampedes, fires and riots, and the authorities have been preparing for months to handle any violence, disease or a crush like the one that killed hundreds in 2015.
Major General Abdel Rahman al-Saleh, who runs the operations center, said it receives around 65,000 calls each day during hajj, 50 percent more than normal.
"We consider the women's section a step forward to demonstrate that women can work in any place and in any field," Saleh said.
There are plans to increase the number of women and offer them advanced training, he said.
Hassa al-Badi, who manages the women's section and has a master's degree from an American university, said female callers sometimes ask to speak to another woman due to the sensitivity of their request.
"Women are now present in the security sector and, God willing, they will continue to advance," she said.
The South Sudan government says it regrets the killing of an American freelance journalist on Saturday, and sends its condolences to his family. Christopher Allen was killed by South Sudanese government forces while embedded with rebel forces loyal to Riek Machar in the South Sudan-Uganda border area of Kaya.
Information Minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei denied the 28-year-old American journalist was targeted, initially saying Allen was one of the rebels.
Sixteen rebels, including a white rebel, were killed. The identity of that man is not known, but he was among the rebels who attacked the garrison, Makuei told VOA on Monday.
On Wednesday, Makuei changed the narrative, saying Allen was killed in the cross-fire as government troops fought to repulse the rebels.
He also sounded a more conciliatory tone, saying We, as the government of South Sudan, pass our condolences to the family, friends and relatives of Christopher Allen, who died in the course of his duty.
On Monday, SPLA-In Opposition deputy military spokesman Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel told VOA that Allen was "armed" only with a camera.
Makuei said the fact that Allen died is regrettable.
We send our condolences to the family of Chris Allen for his untimely death. Here was a very young man who should have continued to serve humanity for long, but unfortunately he met his fate in Kaya, he said.
Contradictory statements
Makuei told reporters Wednesday in Juba that government troops did not kill Allen intentionally.
The killing of Christopher Allen was not targeted as it is being reported by some sources, but when fighting ensues between two fighting forces, then whoever is in front of you is a target. Because even in a fighting where we are shooting ourselves at a range of 50 or 100 meters, I will not see that what you are carrying is a camera, he said.
Makuei's latest statement contradicts what he told VOA in Mondays exclusive interview. In that interview, Makuei denied flatly that Allen was a journalist, adding, he is a rebel. He attacked the town together with the rebels and he was killed in the line of the rebels.
Makuei said Allen was not allowed to enter South Sudan because the government objected to his previous reporting.
Chris Allen had been one of the reporters who had been coming to South Sudan, but because of his hostile reports the government decided to deny him entry into South Sudan. And as a result he decided to go to the rebels and enter South Sudan the other way around, he said.
Col. Gabriel said Monday that Allen entered South Sudan through Kampala.
About 20 other journalists also were denied entry into the country by South Sudans Media Authority in May and June.
Makuei said while the killing of Allen is regrettable, the international community also should condemn the attack on Kaya which he says was carried out by rebels loyal to Riek Machar in an attempt to capture the town.
I would expect the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to come out clearly and condemn the act of the rebels. I expect the European Union, the Troika, and the African Union and IGAD to come out and in clear words condemn these acts of the rebels, Makuei said.
Ten journalists have been killed in South Sudan since 2012.
Food and beverage companies face the risk of forced labor in countries where they obtain sugarcane but most fall short in efforts to tackle the problem that threatens millions of workers, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Most of 10 companies studied offered only limited details of how they assess and monitor risks of forced labor in specific countries, and most of grievance procedures for workers are weak, said KnowTheChain (KTC), a partnership founded by U.S.-based Humanity United.
Sugarcane, a major agricultural commodity, can be found in a list of household foods and beverages from cereals to sauces and is often harvested by rural migrant workers with machetes who work long hours for low wages in hazardous conditions.
KTC said there is often little law enforcement and those workers are vulnerable to becoming victims of forced labor, especially by recruiters who deceive them about work and wages in other regions or countries.
"It is possible that the sugar in the cereal you ate for breakfast or the soda you drank at lunch was produced with forced labor," said Kilian Moote, KnowTheChain project director, in a statement.
"Agricultural workers, particularly migrants, are at most risk of abuse."
Sugarcane produced by forced labor has been found in Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Myanmar and Pakistan, according to a list published in 2016 by the U.S. government.
Risk Assessment?
Verite, a KTC partner, also found reports of debt bondage of sugarcane workers in India and found sugarcane workers in Guatemala at a high risk of trafficking.
Globally, about 21 million people are victims of forced labor, made to work for free after falling into debt or forced to work due to deception, coercion or threat of violence, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In Brazil, the world's largest producer of sugarcane, roughly a half million people work cutting the crop, according to industry statistics.
The companies studied were Coca-Cola, Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A.B (FEMSA), Monster Beverage, PepsiCo, The Hershey Co., Mondelez International, Nestle, Archer Daniels Midland, Associated British Foods (ABF) and Wilmar International.
PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestle and ABF were the only four companies to undertake forced labor risk assessments of sugarcane supply chains in specific countries, the study said.
Coca-Cola has committed to conduct 28 country-level studies on child labor, forced labor, and land rights for its sugar supply chains by 2020, it said.
Most companies were lacking in revealing details of their risk assessment, monitoring and grievance procedures, it said.
"Few companies disclose information explaining how they address forced labor risks in specific countries, and, where they do, the information is typically focused on understanding and assessing risks, with limited information on concrete follow-up steps," the researchers said.
Asked for a response, a Coca-Cola spokesman said the company provided detailed information to KTC.
"We believe the report speaks for itself," a spokesman said, citing Coca-Cola's policies on human and workplace rights posted on its website.
Contacted by email, none of other nine companies responded immediately to requests for comment.
The study compared policies and practices and used a questionnaire, to which eight of the 10 companies responded. ADM supplied only limited answers and Monster Beverage, a U.S. maker of energy drinks, did not respond, it said.
Coco-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestle listed the countries they sourced from most, while Hershey, Mondelez and Monster Beverage disclosed just one of their sugarcane-sourcing countries, it said.
ADM and Monster Beverage disclosed nothing about if or how they monitor working conditions in their sugarcane supply chains, it said.
Paul Trinh, who lives with his wife and two young boys in the Westbury neighborhood of Houston, Texas, said it started raining "really hard" late Thursday night.
As Hurricane Harvey swept in, the rain continued through Friday and intensified on Saturday. At 5 a.m. Sunday, floodwaters were approaching the house. An hour later, the Trinhs' home was completely flooded, along with the garage and their two cars.
Paul shut off the power before the water could reach the home's electrical circuits. "We were running out of time," he said.
Another round of rain was forecast for Sunday evening, so he and his wife, Audra, each took one of their boys Jet, 4, and Kai, 5 and evacuated on foot.
"I put a kid on my shoulders and my wife put a kid on her shoulders, and we were wading through the water, which was about waist-high," Paul said.
A good Samaritan in a boat picked them up and ferried them across the deepest floodwaters. They had to disembark and slosh some more before reaching the edge of their neighborhood, where a relative waited to take them to Audra's mother's house.
Paul called their escape "a bit of an ordeal," but said the boys were excited about the novelty of the experience, and everyone's health is fine.
"We're dry and safe now," he added, speaking by telephone from the family's temporary headquarters, where there is power and food.
"Luckily, the house we went to is really, really high up," and safe from further flooding, Paul added.
He has since returned to his house to view the damage, which is extensive. A filthy black streak on the walls shows how high the water rose. The Trinhs had flood insurance, so they filed a claim the day they evacuated. Both of the family cars already have been declared total losses by their car insurance company.
Areas near the Trinhs' home have flooded in the past, but the Westbury neighborhood had stayed dry, so the Trinhs were taken by surprise this time. In the end, Paul said, there wasn't much they could do except to get out fast.
Now, they wait. Audra, a real estate agent, can work remotely from her mother's house, while Paul, a mortgage loan officer, has not been called back to work yet.
"The whole city's pretty much shut down right now for the rest of the week," he said Tuesday.
Schools normally would have begun a new term this week, but will be closed until at least September 5, after the U.S. Labor Day holiday. Gas stations and grocery stores have begun reopening, but at a gradual pace.
In some ways, the downtime at Grandma's house is welcome.
"It's going to give me time to get everything in order," Paul said.
There's certain to be a lot of work ahead, as the Trinhs face the long process of getting back to normal.
The latest phase in the long-running Syrian conflict is presenting a dizzying picture of strange bedfellows and temporary battlefield deals as sectarian groups, President Bashar al-Assad and overseas powers, including the United States, Russia and Iran, maneuver to gain an edge or to steer the war to a resolution.
U.S. officials said this week that Turkish-backed Syrian rebels fired on American troops who were working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria. The Turks view Americas ground ally against Islamic State, the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, as much a menace to them as the jihadists, and anti-Assad rebels have long seen the YPG as serving Assads interests.
Adding to the confusion of opportunistic maneuvers, Assad and his foreign Shiite backers, Iranian-directed militias and Hezbollah, granted more than 600 IS fighters and their families safe passage this week from the west to the east of Syria after the jihadists suffered a defeat in the Qalamoun mountains, on the border with Lebanon.
The transfer deal for the militants, which included a Syrian government escort from near Damascus to Deir ez-Zor, prompted angry condemnations from the Syrian Coalition, the umbrella political organization of anti-Assad rebels, but scant public comment from Western powers in the anti-IS coalition.
Although U.S. envoy to the anti-IS international coalition Brett McGurk tweeted a rebuke Thursday (Aug. 24), Irreconcilable #ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across #Syria to the Iraqi border without #Iraqs consent.
After the Iraqi government issued a furious condemnation of the transit of IS militants, the Pentagon issued a statement saying, "the Coalition was not a party to any agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and ISIS."
A Syrian rebel statement said the safe-passage deal exposed the close links between ISIS, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the Assad regime. But for analysts, the deal smacked more of expediency, a move by Assad and Hezbollah to solve a problem on the border with Lebanon. But it earned the Syrian government no favors from IS militants in Raqqa province, who launched an offensive on Syrian government forces, seizing tanks and rockets.
Creating a negotiating base
The war, which has left up to a half-million dead and millions of Syrians displaced, has been notorious for double-dealing.
At the beginning of the rebellion against Assad, the beleaguered Syrian leader freed hundreds of jailed jihadists. Syrian rebels argue the mass release was part of an Assad plan aimed at infiltrating insurgent ranks with extremists so the Syrian dictator could later claim he was battling an uprising by terrorists, not an insurgency of moderates wanting democracy.
In this latest phase the dangers of miscalculation by all sides as they jostle for advantage may be mounting.
Charles Lister, an analyst with the Middle East Institute, a Washington policy research organization, argues the current maneuvering reflects the shifting priorities of external states who are driving the creation of an interim set of pre-settlement conditions, to split the wrecked country into territorial zones of control.
The map is becoming increasingly clear with Assad and his Iran-commanded Shiite allies controlling the west and central desert area, the U.S.-backed Kurds the northeast of the country, with IS boxed in in the east and anti-Assad rebels bottled up in northern Idlib province and a small part of the south.
US, Russia
In recent weeks cooperation between the United States and Assads other foreign backer, Russia, has deepened, according to U.S. officials, as both Washington and Moscow strive to avoid conflict between their own militaries and between their proxies.
The two powers have established a "co-operation center" in neighboring Jordan, have worked to get the Syrian military and rebel factions in the southwestern city of Dara'a to observe a cease-fire and have collaborated in northern Syria to try to prevent clashes between SDF forces and Turkish-backed rebels. And Washington and Moscow have been co-operating to ensure that de-escalation zones, agreed to by Russia, Turkey and Iran, remain free of fighting.
Trump administration officials have made it clear their priority in Syria is the defeat of IS and not the ouster of Assad. But critics claim that has meant ceding Syria to Iran, which controls tens of thousands of troops in the war-torn country, and argue it diminishes U.S. influence in the region. Hezbollah is immeasurably more powerful than before the Arab Spring, argues Lister.
The situation also worries Israel, which fears Iran and Hezbollah will use Syria to launch a future Shiite conflict with Israel. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, where the Israeli leader condemned Irans strength in Syria, saying it is endangering us [Israel], and in my opinion, endangering the region, according to his officials.
It still isn't clear how (U.S. President Donald) Trump intends to counter Iranian influence, says Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington research organization. One of the problems for U.S. policy has been that weakening Iran in Syria will likely strengthen the hand of jihadist groups, he added.
The fugitive leader of the Afghan Taliban renewed his call Wednesday for U.S. and NATO forces to leave the country, saying that would pave the way to peacefully resolve the armed conflict.
The remarks by Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada came in a message to mark the coming Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in a bid to rally followers.
The main obstacle in the way of peace is the occupation, said the insurgent chief, referring to the presence of international forces in Afghanistan.
Peaceful solution of the Afghan issue is the main pillar of the policy of the Islamic Emirate [the Taliban], should the occupation come to an end, he added.
Akhundzada claimed the Taliban has established administration over more than half of the country, and the Islamist insurgency is determined to liberate from foreign invaders the rest of the Afghan territory.
He went on to claim that life, property and honor of people, including minorities, are safe in Taliban-held areas of Afghanistan.
These areas, he added, do not pose threat to the neighboring countries and the world at large.
We believe in an inclusive and representative system. ... I would like to mention that we want a free, independent and progressive Afghanistan, said Akhundzada in a bid to present a moderate face of the Taliban.
The radical religious group had imposed harsh Islamic rule in Afghanistan when it was in power from 1996 until 2001. Under the Taliban regime, Shiites and other minorities were persecuted, while women were barred from receiving education and outdoor activities.
The Taliban leaders defiant message comes a week after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his new Afghan war strategy, extending and enhancing the U.S.-led foreign military mission in the war-torn nation.
The new policy, among other things, also will mean an increase in U.S. forces and foreign airpower available to Afghan security forces to help them reverse Taliban territorial gains.
The end goal of the Trump plan is to pressure the insurgents to push them to the negotiating table to find a political solution to the Afghan war.
The new U.S. policy comes as the Taliban already has intensified deadly attacks on Afghan security forces across the country and captured new districts in recent weeks.
The United Nations has warned that the protracted Afghan conflict has caused record levels of civilian casualties since the beginning of the year.
The latest civilian casualties occurred early Wednesday when a U.S. airstrike hit a suspected Taliban hideout in the eastern Logar province.
Residents in the Pul-e-Alam district told reporters the attack also killed more than 20 civilians, including women and children.
Afghan officials would not confirm the fatalities, although they said at least 10 civilians have been evacuated for medical aid to hospitals in Kabul.
A U.S. military statement said it is aware of the incident with potential civilian casualties, and an official invitation has been launched.
United States Force Afghanistan takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously and is working with our Afghan partners to determine the facts surrounding this incident, the statement added.
An American drone strike in the western Herat province on Monday killed at least 13 civilians and wounded nine others, according to Afghan officials. That attack also targeted a Taliban base, killing 16 insurgents, they added.
Most of the United States' special envoys will be abolished and their responsibilities reassigned as part of the State Department overhaul, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Congress on Monday, including envoys for climate change and the Iran deal.
Special envoys for Afghanistan-Pakistan, disability rights and closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center will be eliminated under the plan. But President Donald Trump's administration plans to keep envoys for religious freedom, fighting anti-Semitism and LGBT rights, despite speculation from critics that it would seek to downgrade those priorities.
Lawmakers of both parties, think tanks and even the diplomats' association have long called for absorbing some of the countless U.S. envoys and special representatives into related offices, to help reduce redundancies across the State Department's notoriously unwieldy bureaucracy. But the idea has attracted new scrutiny amid the Trump administration's plans to drastically cut the State Department's budget and concerns that Trump was eschewing the promotion of American values overseas.
While State Department officials stressed that changes to the flow chart don't necessarily signal a change in priorities, in some cases the policy implications are clear. Elimination of the Guantanamo closure envoy dovetails with Trump's plans to keep the prison open. The president has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris global climate deal and threatened to do the same with the Iran nuclear deal.
Of 66 current envoys or representatives, 30 will remain, a cut of 55 percent. Nine positions will be abolished outright. Twenty-one will be integrated into other offices, five merged with other positions, and one transferred to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the government's foreign aid arm.
In each case, the envoys' staff and their budgets will be absorbed by the office taking over their functions. That shift will free up significant funds that Tillerson can draw upon as he restructures other parts of the agency, said a State Department official, who wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity. For example, merging the cyber envoy into the broader Economic and Business Affairs bureau will boost the latter's budget by $5.5 million.
Tillerson, in a letter to Congress, said he believed the State Department could better execute its mission by integrating some positions, pointing out concerns that the current system diluting the government's effectiveness by creating multiple power centers dealing with the same issue. The number of special envoys has grown over the years.
Today, nearly 70 such positions exist within the State Department, even after many of the underlying policy challenges these positions were created to address have been resolved, Tillerson wrote.
The pruning offers the first concrete information about how Tillerson's sweeping overhaul will affect the State Department and its approximately 75,000 employees. Since taking office in February, Tillerson has been scouring the agency and soliciting input from diplomats about how to trim the agency down. A roughly one-third budget cut and elimination of thousands of jobs are expected.
Those anticipated cuts have driven down morale among diplomats, as Tillerson has acknowledged, playing into concerns that Trump's America First approach means the U.S. will stop promoting human rights or helping the most vulnerable global populations.
The Trump administration will keep envoys or at-large ambassadors for women's issues, hostages, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and Holocaust issues. There will no longer be special envoys for the Arctic, Syria, Myanmar, Libya, Haiti, Sudan and South Sudan, though regional offices will assume those portfolios. The envoy for six-party talks in North Korea, currently vacant, won't be filled.
In a 2014 report, the American Foreign Service Association, which represents career diplomats, recommended retaining only a handful of envoys while eliminating or merging the rest.
Tillerson's letter responded to legislation passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July that took aim at the proliferation of special envoys by forcing Tillerson to tell Congress which positions he wanted to keep, and to secure Senate confirmation for all envoys in the future. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the committee's chairman, praised Tillerson for working to to responsibly review the organizational structure of special envoys.
Some special envoys are mandated by Congress. The Trump administration will ask lawmakers to repeal those mandates.
Seven months into his tenure, the broad outlines of President Donald Trump's foreign policy are coming into focus. As a candidate, Trump suggested there would be stark foreign policy changes in his administration. But many experts say that on key issues, such as Afghanistan, Syria and North Korea, Trump is continuing along a traditional U.S. foreign policy path similar to his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
Last week, Trump said he changed his mind about pulling troops out of Afghanistan, pledging to boost U.S. forces to help the Afghan government. But he insists his plan is different from previous ones in the 16-year-long war.
We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the Afghan people how to live, or how to govern their own complex society," he said. "We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists.
Trump campaigned with the slogan America First, but some experts stress this does not mean America is retreating from the world stage under his leadership.
James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation said he would call Trumps strategy one of forward presence.
There are kind of three critical parts of the world that the United States really needs to be stable right? Europe, the Middle East and Asia. So youve seen a heavy focus on all three of those. And it's not about the withdrawal or retreat of American power. It's actually about putting American power out there and not just military power, but also economic and diplomatic power.
'America First' as Foreign Strategy
Previous U.S. presidents also embraced using different levers of power, but experts say Trump has broken with precedent by putting less focus on trade, alliances and institutions.
Longtime U.S. diplomat Aaron David Miller who is now at the Wilson Center told VOA Trump is traditional in some ways, but calls him a disrupter on climate change, building a wall with Mexico and on international trade.
I think if I had to characterize it, it would be a muscular, but highly risk averse, nationalistic America First strategy, where in essence the notion of the United States leading in an effort to create a globalist, liberal international environment, where international institutions and all nations connected to one another would thrive that has been in some respects abandoned, in favor of a much narrower, U.S-focused strategy.
Trump has not only advocated a narrower foreign policy, he has embraced a more ambiguous one. His tweets are closely followed as indications of U.S. policy, but experts say they sometimes lead to confusion. Many look to others in Trump's cabinet for reassurance about U.S. strategy.
Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress pointed to the former generals who appear to have gained more influence with the president.
It seems to me that he is just unpredictable and U.S. foreign policy is in uncharted territory. But his team around him, the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, the national security advisor, I think they are trying to keep policy within some sort of more conventional boundaries.
Katulis told VOA he is concerned though because he thinks there has been a trend for the last 15 years of a militarization of U.S. foreign policy, a huge increase in the budget to the Defense Department, and a heavy reliance under Presidents Bush, and then Obama, on special forces and drones. That trend appears to be continuing under Trump.
Melvin Goodman, who is with Center for International Policy and a former senior CIA analyst, said the U.S. for decades has been leaning more heavily on the military as a foreign policy tool.
The militarization of U.S. foreign policy worsened during the administration of President Clinton who unwisely supported the expansion of NATO and accepted the Pentagon's opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban and the ban on land mines," he said. "President George W. Bush expanded the influence of the Pentagon with the unwise decision to invade Iraq in 2003. President Obama also deferred to the military in surging US forces in Afghanistan in 2009-2010.
Goodman added: But Trump's appointment of Generals Kelly, Mattis and McMaster to key policy positions is the most dangerous step toward militarization in U.S. history.
The United States is the single biggest military spender in the world, with an estimated military budget greater than the next seven countries combined. At $618.8 billion in 2016, military spending accounted for more than 53 percent of the U.S. federal discretionary budget.
The National Priorities Project puts spending on international affairs, which would include the State Departments budget at $42.8 billion, or 4 percent of the U.S. federal discretionary budget in 2016. The Trump administration has proposed slashing State's budget by almost a third, while boosting defense spending by 10 percent.
A Beleaguered Top Diplomat?
Some experts pointed to Trumps foreign policy structure and his relationship with the chief U.S. diplomat, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as another departure from previous presidents.
Aaron David Miller served as a top adviser to a number of Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State. He told VOA Tillersons situation is unprecedented.
This is not a political statement at all. I have just never seen a situation in which the president does not empower the secretary of state to be the key agent or deliverer of the presidents foreign policy," he said. "That is not what is happening here.
The news website Axios reported that tensions over policy differences between Trump and Tillerson have been building, and the two sides are now blaming the other for the lack of senior political appointments at the State Department.
Tillerson's spokesman, R.C. Hammond, blamed a "busted" system, according to the Axios report. The website quoted Hammond saying, "The secretary sends over recommendations and they sit on the dock." Trump officials suggested the fault was Tillerson's for moving too slowly, not the White House's.
Analyst Aaron David Miller said: And no matter how many meetings Tillerson has with the president, it doesnt obviate or mitigate the fact that he is faced with an environment in which he doesnt really own a foreign policy issue of real consequence.
Miller said the most glaring example of this is that the president has given the high-profile Arab-Israeli issue, not to Tillerson, but to his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who traveled to the region last week. He said every other secretary of state has been the one in charge of the thorny Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump and Tillerson have also publicly expressed contradictory views on resolving the Qatar crisis and sanctions on Venezuela.
James Carafano disagrees with those who say Tillerson is not empowered.
Tillerson is, I think, very forceful. Many of the decisions that are made at the top national security and foreign policy decisions are never the secretary of states alone.
Tillerson raised some eyebrows on Sunday when he was asked by Fox News Sundays Chris Wallace if the president represented American values in his response to the racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tillerson replied: the president "speaks for himself."
Some observers have speculated that Tillersons days at the State Department may be numbered, a rumor he himself has repeatedly rejected.
Melvin Goodman told VOA he would not be surprised if Tillerson is out by the end of the year.
Tillerson is the steward of a department that has suffered one indignity too many, and maybe the secretary himself believes it is time to go. The fact that only two of the top 24 positions in the department have been filled also speaks to the irrelevance of the Department of State in day-to-day decision-making.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday inspected the huge cleanup and rescue work in southeastern Texas from Hurricane Harvey and said the storm recovery would probably be one of the most expensive efforts the U.S. has ever undertaken.
The storm is already a record-breaking disaster. More than 49 inches (124 centimeters) of rain have poured down on Houston since Friday night the most rain ever to fall in the continental U.S. in such a short period.
Visiting an emergency operations center in the Texas capital of Austin late Tuesday, Trump said his administration and Congress would come up with the "right solution" to help storm victims.
WATCH: Texans Talk about Evacuations, Snakes and 'Too Much Water'
The president and first lady Melania Trump spent the day in Texas to get a firsthand look at the indescribable damage caused by Harvey. No longer a major hurricane, the tropical storm was still dumping heavy rain on southeastern Texas and western Louisiana.
Cabinet chiefs
Several Cabinet members accompanied Trump, including Health and Human Services chief Tom Price, who said his department was trying to make sure storm victims get the medical care they need, especially those with chronic diseases who may be unable to reach their regular physicians.
Housing Secretary Ben Carson said his department was reallocating assets from routine spending to disaster relief.
In Corpus Christi, where the hurricane hit the Texas Gulf Coast, Trump said he wanted his administration's storm recovery effort to be "better than ever before."
In an ironic convergence of hurricane history, Tuesday was the 12th anniversary of the day Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and caused catastrophic damage in New Orleans.
Trump said Harvey was a "historic ... epic" storm. Waving a Texas state flag as he spoke to cheering supporters in Corpus Christi, he added: "But it happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything."
Total damage estimates from Harvey have ranged between $30 billion and $100 billion. But the immediate job for emergency workers, including firefighters, doctors and the Texas National Guard, is rescuing thousands of people still trapped by floods inside or on top of their homes.
Around-the-clock rescues
More than 3,500 people in the Houston area already have been rescued in around-the-clock efforts by emergency personnel and volunteers pushing boats, rafts, inflatable dinghies and even floating plastic furniture through streets and highways that now resemble brown, debris-filled rivers.
As many as nine storm-related deaths have been reported. They included Houston police Sergeant Steve Perez, who drowned in a highway underpass Saturday when his car was overwhelmed by floodwaters as he tried to get to his post.
Police Chief Art Acevedo could barely hold back his tears when he talked about Perez, saying the 59-year-old veteran officer would get a proper tribute from the city as soon as possible.
More rain fell in Houston Tuesday as the storm, which has moved back out over the Gulf of Mexico, remained near the Texas coastline, sucking up moisture from the warm Gulf waters, normally above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (above 30 degrees Celsius) at this time of year.
Forecasters said Harvey would move back inland, passing north and east of Houston Wednesday. Once it moves away from the Gulf, the tropical storm is expected to weaken further as it heads toward the U.S. East Coast by the end of this week.
Rough days ahead
But the worst may not be over for storm survivors. Brock Long, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said difficult times lie ahead, even after the rain stops.
"This recovery is going to be frustrating," Long said in a message of assurance to Texas residents, adding, "We're going to be here with you."
Trump did not visit Houston, where flood recovery and relocation efforts were concentrated, in order to avoid disrupting rescue efforts. But White House officials said the president planned to return to Texas as soon as Saturday to see how the recovery effort is going. He also plans to stop in Louisiana, east of Texas, which also has received a heavy share of Harvey's rains.
VOA's Ken Bredemeier contributed to this report.
A grand jury in Washington has indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, in connection with a brawl that broke out during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the U.S. capital in May.
The indictments, announced Tuesday, charge the defendants with attacking peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence.
All 19 are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Sixteen of the defendants had already been charged in June; Tuesday's indictment adds three new defendants, all Turkish security officials.
WATCH: Demonstration at Turkish Embassy in DC Turns Violent
The incident, which took place after Erdogan met with President Donald Trump at the White House, put further stress on already strained relations between Washington and Ankara.
Video of the incident recorded by VOA Turkish showed men who appeared to be security guards and Erdogan supporters attacking and beating a small group of protesters.
Men in dark suits and others repeatedly kicked one woman as she lay curled up on a sidewalk. Another wrenched a woman's neck and threw her to the ground. A protester with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face.
Washington police struggled to protect the protesters, who did not appear to initiate the attacks, and ordered the Erdogan supporters to retreat. Several suspects dodged the officers, however, and continued to flail at and punch their targets.
WATCH: Turkish President Erdogan Watched Violent Clash
The Turkish Embassy claimed Erdogan's bodyguards acted in "self-defense," without citing any evidence. Turkish diplomats further claimed that the protesters were affiliated with the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, an outlawed group in Turkey, but offered no substantiation for that accusation.
Nine people were injured in the skirmish.
VOAnews.com later posted additional video recorded just before the clash. It showed that Erdogan, returning to the embassy after his White House meetings, spoke briefly with members of his armed security detail; moments later, the bodyguards broke through a police line and violently charged the protesters. Erdogan, standing beside his limousine, was seen looking on as the attack unfolded.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for large-scale humanitarian aid to Gaza on Wednesday in his first visit to the isolated territory as U.N. chief and ordered the immediate release of $4 million from the world body's emergency relief fund.
Speaking at a U.N.-backed elementary school in the northern Gaza Strip, Guterres also called for unity among the Palestinians' warring factions - Hamas, which rules Gaza, and Fatah, which rules parts of the West Bank.
"The division only undermines the cause of the Palestinian people," he said, adding that he had a dream to "come back to Gaza one day and to see Gaza as part of a Palestine state in peace and prosperity."
Guterres is on his first visit to the region since taking office at the beginning of the year. He has met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders aiming to encourage the resumption of peace talks. But he did not meet with Hamas officials in Gaza, who issued a demand he work to lift the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the strip and save it from a humanitarian crisis. Hamas also demanded he approve relief and development programs and pressure Israel about the Palestinian prisoners it holds.
Prior to arriving in Gaza, he took a helicopter tour of the Israel-Gaza border with Israeli officials, visited a tunnel Hamas dug into Israel to carry out attacks and met local residents living along the volatile front.
Guterres was accompanied by Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, and Aviv Kochavi, Israel's deputy military chief. Danon warned Guterres that Gaza's Hamas rulers have been exploiting international humanitarian aid to dig the tunnels aimed at harming Israel.
"Instead of working to ensure a better future for their children, Hamas has turned the residents of Gaza into hostages," Danon said. "At the same time, the Israeli residents of the border communities have stood strong in the face of terror threats, as they build prosperous communities and help further develop the region for the betterment of the next generation."
Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, has ruled Gaza with an iron fist since seizing control of the coastal area in 2007 from forces loyal to Palestinians President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. Repeated attempts for reconciliation have failed.
Hamas has since fought three wars with Israel, firing thousands of rockets into its territory and digging a network of elaborate offensive tunnels. It has largely observed a truce with Israel since the last battle, in 2014, though more radical groups in the territory have carried out occasional attacks.
Egypt and Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza after the Hamas takeover that has crippled the local economy. In recent years, Egypt has also cracked down on the once-vibrant tunnel trade along the border. Israel began construction of an underground anti-tunnel barrier along the border last year.
The United Nations on Wednesday said Venezuela's security forces had committed extensive and apparently deliberate human rights violations in crushing anti-government protests and that democracy was "barely alive".
The actions indicated "a policy to repress political dissent and instill fear", the U.N. human rights office said in a report that called for further investigation and accountability.
It called on the government of President Nicolas Maduro to release arbitrarily detained demonstrators and to halt the unlawful use of military courts to try civilians.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein was asked whether the country was now a dictatorship.
"I think we would argue that over the course of time we have seen an erosion of democratic life in Venezuela," Zeid told a news conference. "It must be barely alive, if still alive, is the way I would look at it."
Some 882 people are currently believed to remain in custody, among 5,341 arbitrarily detained in street protests since April, U.N. human rights official Hernan Vales said. Detainees are often subjected to ill-treatment, in some documented cases amounting to torture, the report said.
"After many of the violations they suffered, the violent house raids and the detentions, the ill-treatment...the large majority of them have told us that they don't dare to demonstrate anymore. They are afraid," Vales said.
The report followed initial findings issued on Aug 8.
"Credible and consistent accounts of victims and witnesses indicate that security forces systematically used excessive force to deter demonstrations, crush dissent and instill fear," the report said.
Security forces have used tear gas canisters, motorcycles, water cannons and live ammunition to disperse the protesters, it said. Venezuelan security forces and pro-government groups are believed to be responsible for the deaths of 73 people since
April, while responsibility for the remaining 51 deaths has not been determined, the U.N. report said.
The overall toll of 124 includes nine members of the security forces that the government says were killed through July and four people allegedly killed by protesters, it said.
Some protesters have resorted to violent means, ranging from rocks to sling shots, Molotov cocktails and homemade mortars in protests against Maduro and shortages of food and other basic goods, it said.
Maduro has said Venezuela was the victim of an "armed insurrection" by U.S.-backed opponents seeking to gain control of the OPEC countrys oil wealth.
But as the political crisis deepened, the use of force by security forces has progressively escalated, the report said.
"The generalized and systematic use of excessive force during demonstrations and the arbitrary detention of protesters and perceived political opponents indicate that these were not the illegal or rogue acts of isolated officials," it said.
Zeid said that amid the economic and social crises and rising political tensions, there was a "grave risk the situation in Venezuela will deteriorate further".
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says at least 18,000 ethnic Rohingya Muslims have escaped to neighboring Bangladesh in the past week. They fled after a series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Myanmar's north Rakhine State triggered new fighting with the army.
Amid reports that the security forces have been involved in extrajudicial killings, the burning of villages and attacks on ethnic Rohingya communities, thousands more people have headed toward the Bangladesh border.
In a closed-door U.N. Security Council briefing Wednesday, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft urged all parties to reduce tensions. He also called on Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, to show strong leadership.
"We look to her to set the right tone and to find the compromises and the de-escalation necessary in order to resolve the conflict for the good of all the people in Burma," Rycroft said.
Myanmar is also known as Burma.
On Tuesday, U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said the state has a duty to protect all people within its territory without discrimination.
He also expressed concern about unfounded allegations by the government that international aid organizations were complicit in or supported recent attacks on the security forces.
Human Rights Watch U.N. Director Lou Charbonneau said such accusations are dangerous.
"The suggestion that aid workers are at all involved in this violence is irresponsible, unhelpful and it just smells like an excuse to keep aid workers out of an area where people desperately need humanitarian aid; where they have been suffering for a long time," Charbonneau said.
Charbonneau urged the Security Council to speak with one voice to demand that both the government and insurgents stop the violence, end human rights abuses, and carry out investigations of alleged abuses.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that about 11,000 U.S. troops are serving in Afghanistan, not 8,400 as the Defense Department had previously reported.
The higher number emerged following Defense Secretary Jim Mattis's call for a more accurate troop-strength estimate, as the Trump administration worked on a new U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
The chief spokeswoman at the Pentagon, Dana White, told reporters the estimate of 11,000 troops was based on a simplified accounting method that provides greater "transparency" while "increasing commanders' ability to adapt to battlefield conditions."
The lower number of troops cited previously excluded service members on assignment in Afghanistan for less than 120 days short-term duty that could include temporary combat support or materiel recovery missions.
Lieutenant General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie Jr., staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the new method of counting troops in the field used approximations rather than exact numbers of troops. This, he said, allows commanders "more flexibility" in battlefield deployments.
"We all recognize that whole units are inherently more prepared and more ready than units that are fragmented in order to meet an arbitrary force management level," McKenzie said.
WATCH: U.S. troop numbers on the rise
Fight against IS
White and McKenzie said the changes made in calculating troop strength in Afghanistan would eventually be applied to American troops fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
"We are reviewing Iraq and Syria, and the same guiding principles will govern how we roll out those numbers as well," White said.
The new number of 11,000 does not include any additional troops that Mattis may choose to send to Afghanistan under the new military strategy there. McKenzie said no decision had yet been made on what total troop strength is to be in the weeks and months ahead. Officials have suggested that about 4,000 additional troops will join the fight in Afghanistan.
Mattis had previously acknowledged there were discrepancies between troop strengths listed in war zones and the actual numbers of American forces deployed there. The Pentagon chief told reporters last week that before he sent more troops to Afghanistan he would "level" the number of troops actually there.
In his Aug. 21 speech announcing the new Afghanistan policy, President Donald Trump said giving commanders more flexibility was a primary goal of his new policy, not simply "transparency" about numbers of troops: "We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities. America's enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out."
The United States has sent a reinforced detachment of fighter planes to police the skies over NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia during a major Russian military exercise in the Baltic region next month.
The Zapad war games, set for September 14-20 in Belarus, western Russia and Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad, have caused unease in the region, though Russia has said the large-scale exercise will rehearse a purely defensive scenario and will not be a springboard for invasion.
Seven U.S. F-15C fighters landed at Siauliai airfield this week to patrol skies over the Baltic countries, three more than normally used since the NATO policing mission was upgraded after the Crimean crisis in 2014.
The three Baltic states do not operate their own fighter aircraft and rely on their NATO allies for patrols.
"We are reinforcing the air police mission for the period [of Zapad]. And we are glad to also have additional land troops here," Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Vytautas Umbrasas told reporters at Siauliai, referring to 600 extra U.S. airborne troops being deployed during Zapad in the Baltic states.
"This is very helpful in a situation like this," he said.
Chance for training
Tod Wolters, the top U.S. Air Force commander in Europe, said fighter numbers had been increased because of "training opportunities" in Lithuania, without mentioning Russia during the news conference in Siauliai.
"The air policing mission will remain as it has been. And the purpose of the air policing mission is to protect the sovereign skies of the three Baltic nations," said Wolters.
Moscow says almost 13,000 Russian and Belarussian servicemen will take part in Zapad, as well as around 70 planes and helicopters and 700 pieces of military hardware, including tanks, artillery and rocket systems.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the U.S. Army's top general in Europe, told Reuters last month that U.S. allies in Eastern Europe and Ukraine were worried the exercises could be a "Trojan horse" aimed at leaving behind military equipment brought into Belarus.
A Russian deputy defense minister said Tuesday that there was no truth in allegations Russia would use the exercise as a cover to invade and occupy Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine.
Suggestions that Russia posed a threat were "myths," the deputy minister, Alexander Fomin, said.
Three U.S. exercises will be underway at the same time as Zapad, in Sweden, Poland and Ukraine, and a U.S. armored brigade has already deployed in Europe.
The U.S. economy rebounded sharply in the spring, growing at the fastest pace in more than two years amid brisk consumer spending on autos and other goods.
The gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, grew at an annual rate of 3 percent in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It was the best showing since a 3.2 percent gain in the first quarter of 2015.
The result is a healthy upward revision from the government's initial estimate of 2.6 percent growth in the second quarter. The growth rate in the January-March quarter was a lackluster 1.2 percent.
Improvements in consumer spending, particularly on autos, and business investment powered second-quarter growth. Those revisions offset a bigger drag from spending by state and local governments.
This was the second of three estimates the government will provide for second quarter growth. Even with the upward revision, the weak start to the year means that growth over the past six months has averaged 2.1 percent, the same modest pace seen for the recovery that began in mid-2009.
During last year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump attacked the Obama administration's economic record, pledging to double GDP growth to 4 percent or better. His first budget, sent to Congress earlier this year, projects growth rates will climb to a sustained annual rate of 3 percent, a goal that many private economists believe is still too optimistic.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office sees growth averaging 1.9 percent over the next decade, a forecast much closer to estimates made by private economists.
Many economists had been forecasting growth in the current July-September quarter would be around 3 percent. Some are now saying that the devastation from Hurricane Harvey could shave about a half-percentage point off growth this quarter. However, analysts believe the pace of growth will bounce back once the rebuilding begins and oil refineries get back to full production, bringing down prices.
For the entire year, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, is forecasting growth of 2.1 percent. That would mark an improvement over last year when the economy grew a meager 1.5 percent, the poorest showing since 2009 when GDP shrank by 2.9 percent.
Zandi is forecasting that growth in 2018 will be an even stronger 2.8 percent. But he said 0.4 percentage point of that forecast reflects an assumption that the Trump administration will win a tax cut package that will take effect in early 2018. The economy will also be boosted by higher spending on the military and infrastructure projects, he said.
"For the first time since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009, the economy is not facing any significant headwinds," Zandi said.
American troops returned fire last week after being repeatedly shot at by rebels in areas of northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed forces.
Defense officials told VOA that U.S.-led coalition forces came under gunfire "on multiple occasions" from "unknown groups." Army Colonel Joe Scrocca, a military spokesman in Baghdad, said there were no casualties or damage to equipment during the incidents.
"We are engaged with Ankara and other parties to address this danger," Defense Department spokesman Eric Pahon told VOA.
Pahon said coalition troops will continue to perform patrols in the area controlled by the Turkish-backed Manbij Military Council, and will defend themselves against any threat.
"Coalition forces are there to monitor, deter hostilities, and ensure all parties remain focused on our common enemy and the greatest threat to regional and world security, ISIS," he said, referring to the Islamic State group. "We strongly urge all parties to remain focused on defeating ISIS."
Many of the Turkish-backed forces oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and have clashed with Kurdish fighters from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, who also are battling Islamic State militants.
There is no evidence that Turkish forces were involved in the attacks, according to officials.
The United States is investigating possible civilian deaths in a military airstrike in Afghanistan.
A military said Wednesday. "U.S. Forces-Afghanistan is aware of an incident in the Pul-e 'Alam District in Logar Province ... with potential civilian casualties. An official investigations has been launched."
The latest civilian casualties were reported Wednesday when a U.S. airstrike hit a suspected Taliban hideout in the eastern Logar province.
Residents in the Pul-e-Alam district told reporters the attack also killed more than 20 civilians, including women and children.
Afghan officials would not confirm the fatalities though they said at least 10 civilians have been evacuated for medical aid to hospitals in Kabul.
An American drone strike in the western Herat province on Monday killed at least 13 civilians and wounded nine others, according to Afghan officials. That attack also targeted a Taliban base, killing 16 insurgents, they added.
The strikes occurred a week after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his new, "condition-based approach" for Afghanistan.
The president offered few details about how many additional troops would be required in Afghanistan, or how they would support Afghan forces fighting the Taliban and the Islamic State terror group.
The U.S. Navy successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii as part of a test of defense systems Wednesday, following the most recent North Korea ballistic missile test, officials said.
A navy statement said sailors aboard a U.S. vessel "successfully conducted a complex defense flight test.
The director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency Lieutenant General Sam Greaves said, We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves.
Tuesday, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. It was the most recent in a series of missiles launched from North Korea toward Japan, with most missiles falling in the Sea of Japan.
U.S. President Donald Trump responded to the missile launch by saying again that all options are on the table when dealing with the North Korea threat.
"The world has received North Koreas latest message loud and clear, this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standard of acceptable international behavior," Trump said in a statement. "Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world.
The U.S. and South Korea have been conducting war games in recent days, as rhetoric between North Korea and the United States has heated up.
North Korea acknowledged the missile launch Wednesday, saying it was to counter the joint exercises.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted leader Kim Jong Un saying the drill for the launch of the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile was like a real war and the first step by North Korea's military for operations in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam."
This isn't like China, says Vietnamese activist Anh Chi at a noisy bar off one of the narrow streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter. They can't shut Facebook down here.
His 40,000 Facebook followers make him one of Vietnam's better-known critics, but by no means the biggest in a Communist state whose attempts to crack down on dissidents have collided with the rapidly expanding reach of foreign-owned social media.
Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang this month called for unspecified tougher internet controls in the face of hostile forces that he said threatened not only cybersecurity but also undermined the prestige of the leaders of the party and the state.
But taming the internet in a young, fast-growing country is not easy, especially when the companies providing the platform are global. China, in contrast, allows only local internet companies operating under strict rules.
Vietnam is among Facebook's top 10 countries, by number of members. It now reports more than 52 million active accounts to advertisers, according to research provided to Reuters by social media agencies We Are Social and Hootsuite. Google's YouTube and Twitter are popular too.
As elsewhere in Southeast Asia, social media underpins business and communications as well as government critics.
Some dissidents posting on social media have been caught in a major crackdown that has followed changes in the ruling party hierarchy. At least 15 people have been arrested this year.
High profile bloggers Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as Mother Mushroom, and Tran Thi Nga have been jailed for 10 and nine years respectively. Government critics also complain of beatings by unidentified assailants and intimidation.
Big followings
But dozens of activists still post critical comments every day.
Several have more than 100,000 followers and at least one has over 400,000 more than double that for the government's own Facebook page and nearly a 10th the size of the Communist Party's national membership.
We use any chance we have to raise our voice: environmental issues, territorial issues, land issues, said Anh Chi, 43, a Vietnamese teacher, translator and publisher whose real name is Nguyen Chi Tuyen.
Vietnam tried to pressure Facebook and Google to take down thousands items of anti-government content in March by leaning on advertisers, but the continued prevalence suggests limited success.
One reason it is hard to take tougher action is business: From brewers to insurers to the makers of the motorbikes buzzing Vietnam's streets, social media is a key marketing route to young and increasingly affluent consumers in an economy growing at more than 6 percent a year, one of the fastest rates in Asia.
For small businesses it is crucial: One new silk flower shop in Hanoi told Reuters 95 percent of customers found it through Facebook or Instagram.
You've got kids that are building businesses on these platforms and generating significant success, said Simon Kemp, founder of the Kepios marketing consultancy.
While it accounts for only a tiny part of Facebook or Google parent Alphabet's revenue, Vietnam is a hot target for global consumer brands. Asia-Pacific was Facebook's fastest growing region by revenue last year, up nearly 60 percent.
Tighter Internet controls could dampen innovation and impact the growth of Vietnam's digital economy and its competitiveness, said Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, whose members include Facebook, Google and Twitter.
Facebook did not respond to a request for comment. Google declined to comment.
Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told Reuters the government was an advocate of the internet but tried to minimize "behaviors that harm users and illegal acts such as inciting violence and a depraved lifestyle."
Chinese lesson
China blocked Facebook in 2009 and only local sites such as WeChat and Weibo are permitted, operating under laws that ban content that is obscene, violent or offends the Communist Party.
China has had remarkable success controlling discussion, said David Bandurski, co-director of the China Media Project and a fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.
Tools include keyword filtering by the local internet companies and the close monitoring of big networks, he said.
Even so, China has said it is investigating its top social media sites for failing to comply with its laws.
Facebook has been blocked in Vietnam occasionally sometimes at sensitive moments but never for long.
Vietnamese authorities have tried for years and so far failed to stop independent journalists and bloggers from using the internet, said Shawn Crispin, Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists. It's a losing battle.
That does not stop activists being targeted for arrest.
Activist Pham Doan Trang noted on Facebook that some campaigners appeared to have withdrawn from the scene in the face of the crackdown, but said she would not be discouraged.
Freedom has a very funny rule, she told Reuters Once people know the limit of freedom they will never go back.
Tanzania is set to launch the world's largest drone delivery network in January, with drones parachuting blood and medicines out of the skies to save lives.
California's Zipline will make 2,000 deliveries a day to more than 1,000 health facilities across the east African country, including blood, vaccines and malaria and AIDS drugs, following the success of a smaller project in nearby Rwanda.
"It's the right move," Lilian Mvule, 51, said by phone, recalling how her granddaughter died from malaria two years ago.
"She needed urgent blood transfusion from a group O, which was not available," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Malaria is a major killer in Tanzania, and children under age 5 often need blood transfusions when they develop malaria-induced anemia. If supplies are out of stock, as is often the case with rare blood types, they can die.
Tanzania is larger than Nigeria and four times the size of the United Kingdom, making it hard for the cash-strapped government to ensure all of its 5,000-plus clinics are fully stocked, particularly in remote rural areas.
The drones fly at 100 kph (62 mph), much faster than traveling by road. Small packages are dropped from the sky using a biodegradable parachute.
The government also hopes to save the lives of thousands of women who die from profuse bleeding after giving birth.
Tanzania has one of the world's worst maternal mortality rates, with 556 deaths per 100,000 deliveries, government data show.
"It's a problem we can help solve with on-demand drone delivery," Zipline's chief executive, Keller Rinaudo, said in a statement. "African nations are showing the world how it's done."
Companies in the United States and elsewhere are keen to use drones to cut delivery times and costs, but there are hurdles ranging from the risk of collisions with airplanes to ensuring battery safety and longevity.
The initiative could also ease tensions between frustrated patients and health workers.
"We always accuse nurses of stealing drugs," said Angela Kitebi, who lives 40 kilometers east of Dodoma. "We don't realize that the drugs are not getting here on time due to bad roads."
Thousands of Zanu PF supporters staged a solidarity march in Zimbabwes capital city, Harare, on Wednesday to show support for underfire First Lady Grace Mugabe, who recently allegedly attacked a South African model she found in a hotel socializing with her sons, Mugabe Junior and Chatunga.
The marchers carried banners inscribed Masvingo Yati Engels is Not an Angel, Gutu South: We Stand by Our Mother Grace, We Are on Solid Ground: Geared for 2018 + Beyond, Stop Victimizing Our Mother and several others.
The march was spearheaded by members of the Zanu PF Youth League and backed by the Womens League and some top party officials following public attacks on Mrs. Mugabe, who sought diplomatic immunity after police in South Africa asked the first lady to hand herself to the police after allegedly assaulting Gabriella Engels.
Zanu PF administration secretary, Ignatius Chombo, told the marchers that people attacking Mrs. Mugabe on social media are tarnishing the image of the first lady.
Chombo advised members of the public to desist from posting messages on social media like Facebook and Twitter and messaging application, WhatsApp.
At the same time, war veteran, Mandiita Wepi Chimene, who participated in the march, took a swipe at some members of the ruling party alleging that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was poisoned while attending a rally organized by the Youth League two weeks ago.
She said members of the so-called Team Lacoste, said to be backing Mnangagwa to succeed 93 year-old President Mugabe, should stop causing havoc in the party.
Several other party officials expressed the same sentiments, noting that factionalism should come to an end in Zanu PF.
Several members of another Zanu PF faction called Generation 40, said to be a front for Mrs. Mugabe who also habours presidential ambitions, attended the march which had police protection.
Mrs. Mugabe and Mnangagwa have dismissed as untrue claims that they want to succeed Mr. Mugabe.
INTERNET
Google agrees to E.U. shopping search rules
Google will comply with Europes demands that it change the way it runs its shopping search service, a rare instance of the Internet giant bowing to regulatory pressure to avoid more fines.
The Alphabet unit faced a Tuesday deadline to tell the European Union how it planned to follow an order to stop discriminating against rival shopping search services in the region. A Google spokeswoman said the company is sharing that plan with regulators before the deadline expires, but she declined to comment further.
The E.U. fined Google a record $2.7 billion in late June for breaking antitrust rules by skewing its general search results to unfairly favor its own shopping service over rival sites. The company had 60 days to propose how it would stop its illegal content and 90 days to make changes to how it displays shopping results when users search for products. Those changes need to be put in place by Sept. 28 to avert a risk that the E.U. could fine the company 5 percent of daily revenue for each day that it fails to comply.
The obligation to comply is fully Googles responsibility, the European Commission said in a statement.
Google can challenge the fine and antitrust order to the E.U. courts, which can take years to reach a final decision. Google would have to comply with the order in the meantime.
Bloomberg News
housing
U.S. home prices jump in June
Home prices rose in 20 U.S. cities in June, reflecting a shortage of homes available for sale, according to S & P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data released Tuesday. Nationwide, values posted their largest advance in three years.
A persistent inventory shortage for previously owned homes is keeping prices elevated at a time that housing demand is being sustained by a strong job market and still-low mortgage rates. In the past few years, growth in property values has consistently outpaced wage gains and is holding back potential new entrants to the housing market.
Home prices in all 20 major cities increased from a year earlier, and all but six posted month-over-month gains, the report showed.
Seattle led the way in year-over-year price gains with a 13.4 percent increase, followed by Portland, Ore., at 8.2 percent.
Bloomberg News
ECONOMY
Consumer confidence higher in August
The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumers assessment of current economic conditions hit the highest level this month since July 2001. The business research groups overall consumer confidence index, which takes into account Americans views of current conditions and their expectations for the next six months, rose to 122.9 in August from 120 in July.
Americans spirits have been lifted by a healthy job market. Employers added a robust 209,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate has dropped to a 16-year low of 4.3 percent.
The Conference Board found that 34.5 percent of respondents saw business conditions as good the highest percentage since January 2001. Similarly, 35.4 percent saw jobs as plentiful, the most since July 2001.
Economists pay close attention to the numbers because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.
Associated Press
Also in Business
The maker of the Rubiks Cube wants to stop a yo-yo maker from selling an alleged knockoff. Rubiks Brand has sued Duncan Toys and the retailer Toys R Us to halt sales of a puzzle cube that Duncan calls Quick Cube, which Rubiks said copies the worlds best-selling puzzle game. According to the complaint filed Monday night in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Duncans 3X3 cube mimics the features and overall appearance of the Rubiks Cube. The suit said that this amounted to trademark infringement and unfair competition and that Toys R Us was also liable because of selling Duncans cubes.
Galvanize, a for-profit software coding school that has raised $63 million in venture funding, plans to lay off 11 percent of its workforce, the company said Tuesday. The five-year-old start-up said the downsizing will affect 37 people at its Denver headquarters, effective Friday. Galvanize has about 350 employees. The layoffs come as Galvanize shifts its focus to teaching online students and serving corporate clients, the company said in a statement.
Alibaba-backed Best Inc. on Tuesday raised its initial public offering size by one-third to $1 billion. The company founded by Johnny Chou, a former Greater China president of Alphabets Google, said it planned to list its American depositary shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BSTI. Alibaba is Bests biggest shareholder, with a 23.4 percent stake, followed by founder Chou, with 14.7 percent.
From news reports
Coming WEDNESDAY
8:15 a.m.: Payroll processor ADP reports how many jobs private employers added in August.
8:30 a.m.: Commerce Department releases second-quarter gross domestic product.
While the publishing industry frets about the state of literature, readers keep surging to book festivals in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and dozens of other cities. These people have no time for despair the poetry slam starts in 20 minutes, and its already standing room only in the Civil War pavilion. Clutching their book-themed totes, they sit in dank conference rooms listening to fantasy writers in sequined capes. They wait in winding lines to tell a doctor that her cancer memoir got them through a dark year.
Dont tell these folks that books are dead.
Hundreds of book enthusiasts stand in line for a book signing during the 15th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival in 2015. (Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)
Even in battle-fatigued Washington, far more than 100,000 people are expected to attend the Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday.
Under the leadership of first lady Laura Bush, the National Book Festival was born just three days before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It returned the next fall and then again and again, growing larger and more popular each time.
[How to make the most of your day at the National Book Festival]
But the awesome success of the National Book Festival and book festivals in general isnt as surprising as the fact that they exist at all. These clamoring crowds of bookworms seem incongruous with the objects of their affection. After all, we enjoy plays, movies, concerts and dances even paintings in the close company of others, but books insist upon solitude. No other art demands so much time apart, alone, in silence. Coming upon someone with a book unawares, we know instinctively that something intimate is transpiring: Do Not Disturb.
Author Roxane Gay will be at the National Book Festival in Washington on Saturday. (Jay Grabiec)
What a wonder, then, that these book lovers should rise from their comfy chairs, abandon their nooks and swarm together in celebration like cicadas emerging from the ground to meet their literary mates.
In fact, though, our modern craze for book festivals descends from much older gatherings. An illuminating new work of history called The Social Life of Books, by Abigail Williams, describes the publics obsession with reading aloud and together in 18th-century England. Before the Civil War, millions of Americans came to hear authors traveling on the lyceum circuit. And in the 1870s, the Chautauqua movement of western New York began spreading across the country, bringing readings and lectures to people who had little access to formal education.
[When reading a book was a group activity]
Now, those of us who live for books worry about the decline of literacy, the ascension of emoji, the supremacy of video. Even the most discouraged cultural observer, though, would be heartened by the National Book Festival. The size of the crowd is exceeded only by the volume of its enthusiasm. From children clamoring to hug Captain Underpants to Capitol Hill Brahmins swooning over David McCullough, this is that rare moment when a literary event trounces the Super Bowl.
But what a remarkable moment for these authors to be thrust into the modern-day spectator sport of book celebration.
Some of them, like former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, are familiar faces, well known for accomplishments aside from their books. A few, like Diana Gabaldon, author of the best-selling Outlander series, have been propelled to celebrity status by television adaptations of their work. Many of them understand that their public persona is part of their books appeal. Descendants of that brilliant marketer Charles Dickens, they relish the attention, the selfies, the chance to meet their fans and sign copies of their books.
But some authors, even a few very popular ones, can breathe only in front of their desks. Solitude is not a drawback of their craft; its what appeals to them about writing. They find book tours exhausting, distracting, vaguely humiliating. They think plugging their work on Twitter and Facebook is a modern abomination. They engage in promotion erratically and only after a firm talking to by their publicists. Spotting these bashful authors at a book festival, you can see the strain in their smiles, a mixture of humble gratitude and recoiling embarrassment.
Leave me alone, their eyes say. I want to write.
[Video: Welcome to the festival from Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress ]
Author Elizabeth Strout will be at the festival Saturday. (Leonardo Cendamo)
That makes seeing them at an event such as Saturdays all the more thrilling that theyre willing to come, to greet us, to see whos reading their books despite their shyness. Because we cant leave our most beloved writers alone. We crave the contact, the chance to commune with these magicians who spin whole lives from mere words. I love your book! we gush, instantly frustrated by how pat that sounds, how inadequate to convey the depth of our ardor, the complexity of our feelings. How can we make Elizabeth Strout understand that we appreciate her novels more than anyone else in this crowd of 2,000 fans?
Its not just that we want our favorite authors to know we heard them. We want them to realize that they heard us, that their books explained us to ourselves in ways that feel revelatory.
And so we gather, by the thousands, rushing for seats at their readings, staring up adoringly at the jumbotrons, waiting patiently for our 60 seconds at the signing table.
Your book inspired me to become a teacher.
Your book saved my marriage.
Your book changed my life.
Ron Charles is the editor of Book World and host of TotallyHipVideoBookReview.com.
The Washington Post is a charter sponsor of the National Book Festival. This years festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
At the close of H.G. Wellss 1898 novel The War of the Worlds, the Martian invaders are all dead, having succumbed to the bacteria that infest our planet and against which they had never built up resistance. While something of a surprise ending, Wells had nonetheless prepared the reader for it with various clues, starting with his opening sentence:
No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than mans and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.
Despite the unexpected failure of what was probably just a scouting party, would Mars, a dying and depleted planet, simply abandon its plans for conquest? Wouldnt those intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic continue to regard our Earth with the same envious eyes and, slowly and surely, draw up new plans against us?
Massacre of Mankind, by Stephen Baxter (Crown)
Such is the premise of Stephen Baxters The Massacre of Mankind the phrase appears in Wellss original novel and, though a bit too long and loose-limbed, it is a highly enjoyable work of homage and extrapolation. The action, which begins in 1920, moves right along. Baxters chapters are short, sharp shocks, and he cleverly reuses many of Wellss original characters.
[He photographed Victor Hugo and Jules Verne now the spotlight is on him]
For example, the unnamed narrator of Wellss book is revealed to be Walter Jenkins, now the best-selling author of the Narrative of the Martian Wars and a sufferer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. That shrewd Cockney survivalist a.k.a. The Man on Putney Hill now bears the name Bert Cook, and his adventures among the aliens have been sensationalized in Memoirs of an Artilleryman. Miss Elphinstone the revolver-wielding heroine of the flight from London turns out to have married, but then divorced the narrators brother Frank, and she now works as a freelance journalist. Though Baxters global perspective shows us the effects of the Second Martian War on dozens of combatants and civilians, Julie Elphinstone will be his main viewpoint character.
The 1920 of The Massacre of Mankind isnt the one we know from history. General Marvin who managed to knock out one of the Martians fighting machines in the original novel has built on his popularity to become the right-wing leader of England. Arthur Conan Doyle has even written a jingoist book praising him. Most significant, Germany roundly defeated France in the Schlieffen War and is now engaged in a prolonged conflict with Russia.
In the seven years since the original 1913 invasion, Walter Jenkins has been obsessed with the possibility of a second Martian attack, much to the despair of his psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud. As befits a strong militarist, Prime Minister Marvin has duly organized a massive, well-trained army eager to blast to smithereens any of those bug-eyed monsters, long before they can set up their tripodlike fighting machines and deadly heat rays. This time, however, Mars launches not 10 but 100 cylinders, and the first 50 are essentially atomic bombs meant to clear the landing area of enemy forces.
I wont say more about the course of the invasion itself, but the end result is, as Baxter titles his books second section, England Under the Martians. After relentless mass destruction, the conquering aliens consolidate their forces within a 20-mile-wide circular perimeter in Buckinghamshire. People trapped inside this cordon must survive by their wits, many living like characters in a Road Warrior movie. Bert Cook, once again, comes into his own.
[Ray Bradbury: An appreciation for an author who will live forever]
Meanwhile, Julie Elphinstone intrepid reporter, unwilling emissary of Walter Jenkins, secret weapon of the military travels from England to France to Germany, through the sewers of London, and, finally, into the very heart of the Martian redoubt. There, Julie learns that these vampiric, bloodsucking aliens are altering Earths climate and ecosystem to resemble those of their own planet; they are even starting to manipulate human evolution, planning to turn humans into docile, Eloi-like cattle. Can things possibly get any worse for Earth? Of course they can: More Martian cylinders begin to rain down on all parts of the globe.
The author Stephen Baxter (Sandra Shepherd)
Throughout The Massacre of Mankind, Baxter regularly offers intertextual winks to readers who know their Wells. Referring to his unheeded warnings, Walter Jenkins grumbles: I told you so. You damned fools these are the very words that Wells proposed as his own epitaph. Various episodes echo elements of The Time Machine, The Land Ironclads Wellss visionary short story about tank warfare and The Island of Dr. Moreau. The great writer himself is referred to, with mock disdain, as The Year Million Man, an allusion to Wellss youthful article about future humans as eggheads with attenuated bodies and limbs. Baxter even obliquely nods to Garrett P. Servisss Edisons Conquest of Mars, an actual 1898 pulp serial written in response to The War of the Worlds, and then goes on to mention Grovers Mill, N.J., made famous as the landing site in the 1938 radio dramatization the panic broadcast of Wellss novel.
In 1995, Baxter published The Time Ships, an award-winning sequel to The Time Machine. As a science fiction writer, he obviously likes to work on a grand scale. Still, his new Wellsian pastiche contains too many battle scenes and too many characters, most of whom make only a fleeting appearance, while the big reveals dont always surprise as much as they might. Despite these flaws, at least 90 percent of The Massacre of Mankind remains a lot of fun and I havent even said anything about the humanoids from Venus!
Michael Dirda reviews books for The Washington Post every Thursday.
Designers Sarah Roussos-Karakaian and Nick Karakaian strategically placed this mirror in their basement Airbnb to not only provide an opportunity for guests to check their appearance one last time but also to reflect natural light from the only window in the space. (Kris Rogers Photography)
Its no easy feat to find an affordable apartment in Washington. Renters will scour the city streets for a decent deal, searching uptown, downtown and increasingly, underground. English basements in neighborhoods such as Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan and Shaw have become popular options for young people looking for a reasonably priced one- or two-year lease. But basement dwellings often have low ceilings, cramped rooms and little natural light, making them challenging to decorate.
We asked designers how renters can optimize these tricky spaces and make their basement dwellings feel like homes. Here are their tips:
Keep it cool: Lighter, brighter, cooler colors help the walls recede, says Jaye Langmaid, the owner of Hudson & Crane, an urban design studio in Adams Morgan. Light blues and grays can make a small room feel larger and enhance limited natural light. But dont be afraid to accent a wall in a darker color, which can lengthen an oblong room or hall. Stay away from warm colors, which may make a small space feel crowded.
A darker color on a low ceiling can make it appear higher, D.C.-based designer Shannon Claire Smith says. (Shannon Claire Smith)
Raise the roof: Shannon Claire Smith, a D.C.-based interior decorator and design blogger, says that renters have a number of ways to make low ceilings appear higher. I always have clients try to stretch the walls as high as they can, Smith says. A darker color on the ceiling makes it look like the night sky you dont know where it ends. Renters can also hang floor-length drapery panels or arrange artwork gallery-style so that it fills walls from floor to ceiling. If you dont have enough artwork to do that, a few large pieces can have the same effect.
[From homeowners to renters: A young couples stylish approach to downsizing to a one-bedroom]
Add mirrors: Decorative mirrors offer another way to create an illusion of space and light. Mirrors can help reflect what little natural light comes into a basement apartment, says Sarah Roussos-Karakaian, who co-founded the artisan contracting and design team Nestrs with her husband, Nick Karakaian. The light bounces around your space. Floor-length mirrors, too, can make a low ceiling look higher.
Look to the past: Theres nothing new about trying to make the best of a small, oddly shaped space. To find furniture that will fit down narrow stairwells and into cramped rooms, check out French, English and Japanese antiques, suggests Rachel Dougan, the founder and principal designer of ViVi Interiors. In Paris, you had really tiny alleyways and stairwells, Dougan says. These vintage pieces were made for smaller spaces to begin with . . . and theyre made to be disassembled and put together again. Dougan especially recommends campaign furniture, originally made for soldiers on the move. If you dont like the old-timey aesthetic, she says, you can always add a fresh coat of paint to an antique piece.
Lighten up: The overhead lighting in rented apartments tends to be less than flattering, designer Anna Matthews warns. She suggests buying lamps that will warm up the space. For an affordable option, try Robert Abbey; if youre willing to invest, Matthews recommends Bunny Williams. I love to put good table lamps on either side of the sofa, because it makes it feel more like a home, she says. It personalizes the space, which is so important.
Multitask: Get the most out of a small space by purchasing furniture with more than one function. Have all your furniture be multipurpose, Roussos-Karakaian says. Couches can pull out to double as beds for overnight guests, and coffee tables with built-in shelves can serve as storage space. Roussos-Karakaian also recommends wall-mounted shelves: Use them as bookcases or fill them with decorative storage baskets.
Some types of blinds, such as Next Day Blinds Honeycomb Shades, allow light to come in while still providing privacy. (Next Day Blinds)
Privatize: English basements often have ground-level windows, which may allow passersby to see inside. Solar shades or privacy blinds allow light to come in while preventing pedestrians from peeping into your bedroom. Jo Kerrigan, district manager for Next Day Blinds, recommends the brands Honeycomb Shades, which have a soft, delicate look but offer total privacy. The shades, made out of a polyester fabric, also absorb sound, making them ideal for a basement on a busy street.
[A beginners guide to window treatments]
Go green: English basements are often accessed through narrow alleyway entrances, and plants placed by your front door can help welcome guests into your home. They can also improve air quality in basement apartments, which may get hot during the day. Smith recommends the snake plant, also known as mother-in-laws tongue, a leafy indoor plant that helps purify air. (She also suggests that basement renters invest in air conditioners and humidifiers.)
Demand for wine gear is high. We asked the experts whats worth buying and what they use. Shown is the Vacu Vin Wine Saver/Stopper, sold at Crate and Barrel ($9.95-19.95, crateandbarrel.com). (Crate and Barrel)
Geoff Kruth, a rising star in the wine world who appeared in the 2012 documentary Somm, about the pursuit of the prestigious master sommelier title, is totally anti-wine gadget. Kruth, now president of the nonprofit wine professionals organization GuildSomm, explains, After more than 20 years of drinking wine nightly, I still think the best preservation method is a cork and refrigerator. That said, a quick perusal of any big-box home goods store or winery gift shop will turn up wine aerators, pourers, purifiers, automatic and electric openers, foil cutters and more, proving the demand for wine gear is high. Wine experts from Kruth in California to another master sommelier in New York helped us tackle the wine stoppers and preservers category, because sometimes, even with a good wine, you just need to put a cork in the party and call it a night.
When she founded the New York wine studio Corkbuzz in 2011, Laura Maniec was one of only 18 female master sommeliers in the world. Now Corkbuzz has three locations, including one in Charlotte, where visitors can eat, take wine classes and attend wine dinners. At all three, she uses the Vacu Vin Wine Saver/Stopper ($9.95-19.95, crateandbarrel.com, shown above). Two other experts we interviewed also praised the Vacu Vin: Madeline Puckette, founder of culture website Wine Folly, and Andre Hueston Mack, named a best young sommelier in the United States and founder of Maison Noir Wines.
VineyardFreshs pure argon spray ($29.95, vineyardfresh.com). (Vineyard Fresh)
At the San Francisco Wine School, the largest wine school in the United States, a lot of bottles get tapped for brief tastings. For preservation of those vintages, the founder and chief executive of the school, David Glancy, likes VineyardFreshs pure argon spray ($29.95, vineyardfresh.com). You spray the gas into the bottle and reseal it with the original cork or any cork, he says. Using . . . [it] in conjunction with keeping the bottles in the refrigerator extends the life of all wines.
The Model One System by Coravin ($199.95, coravin.com). (Coravin)
Another winner was the Coravin. It was noted by Mack, Glancy and Puckette, author of Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. More for the enthusiast, it allows you to taste wine without even popping the cork. You can actually access a fine wine, taste it, enjoy a glass of it and put it back in your cellar, Puckette says. I tested one about 10 to 12 months later, and its surprising how well it works. There are a number of models and colors, but the Model One System is the Coravin at its most basic ($199.95, coravin.com).
The Franmara Nickel-Plated Champagne Stopper ($7.07, amazon.com). ( /Franmara Inc. )
A favorite of Eric Hastings, E. Guigal marketing manager at New Yorks Vintus, an importer of family-owned, estate-based wines, is the Franmara Nickel-Plated Champagne Stopper ($7.07, amazon.com). Hastings, who spent 21 years managing wines on the floor in restaurants before joining Vintus, says, It has consistently provided the best seal to maintain the freshness of sparkling wine that Ive seen for two decades.
First funded on Kickstarter, the Repour ($8.99 for a pack of four, amazon.com) is gaining a following. The product is a one-time-use stopper filled with a material that reduces the oxygen levels of the half-drunk bottle to below 0.05 percent. When you open the bottle after its been under Repour, theres a little hiss, and the dissolved oxygen is gone, says Pete Holland, writer of the Wine in Common column for the Nashville Scene. It needs to open up like it does a new bottle. No surprise its designed by a chemist, Tom Lutz.
The following review appears in The Washington Posts 2018 Fall Dining Guide.
Three types of Sichuan street foods, including Dan Dan Noodles (upper left), Sichuan wontons and hot-and-numbing noodles (foreground) at Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
Q by Peter Chang
(Good/Excellent)
Go with a group. Then heed your servers advice. This is my favorite dish right now, says an attendant, her finger landing on a description of fried lotus root on a pages-long menu. Moments later, Im devouring crisp golden saucer shapes speckled with red chile and anticipating what else the kitchen one of many in the realm of chef Peter Chang has in store. Its Sunday afternoon, so of course I add dim sum to my order: See-through shrimp dumplings are a given, as are the steam-filled scallion pancakes, hot air balloons until punctured with a chopstick. A special of soft Chinese green squash scattered with filings of dried fried scallop helps crowd my table, too. This is from the chefs home in Hubei, another minder says, pointing to a dish of fish cakes on the menu. They arrive as a fan of soft ivory slices over glassy thin noodles in a sputtering broth flavored with fresh cilantro. Big and welcoming, the dining room is handsome in green and offers a sea of tables ready to receive groups. Even better, Q is serving some of the best Chinese food in the area right now.
2.5 stars
Q by Peter Chang: 4500 East-West Highway, Bethesda. 240-800-3722. qbypeterchang.com.
Open: Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily, weekend brunch.
Price: Mains $16-$28.
Sound check: 76 decibels / Must speak with raised voice.
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The following review appeared in The Washington Posts 2017 Fall Dining Guide.
Chili prawns with fresh chili sauce, garlic and snow peas. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
Q by Peter Chang gives Chinese food an elegant upgrade
(Good/Excellent)
The newest of the restaurants in the realm of Peter Chang is also his biggest and best. Devotees of the chef famous for having cooked at the Chinese Embassy and running off to open places hither and yon will be cheered to find some of his signatures, scallion bubble pancakes and dry-fried eggplant included. But Q, which is short for qijian (flagship) in Mandarin, also calls to fire eaters with whole prawns scattered with chiles and to dim sum enthusiasts with novelties such as three delicacies spring rolls. Richer than they sound, the bundles, made with bean curd, pack in pork, shrimp, bamboo shoots and more. Peking duck is a bore, but Chinese tapas rock, especially the seasonally changing small plates. With the stylish food comes a modern backdrop: carved screens and a palette of green, the color of harmony.
Carved screens and a palette of green at Q by Peter Chang. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
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The following was originally published August 30, 2017.
The Chinese design is elegant in Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
Server Caitlin Bowers with the showstopping scallion bubble pancake. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
Chinese food, elevated with fresh ideas
(Good/Excellent)
To understand the jade-colored chairs and the thousand-layer vegetable roll at the most ambitious Chinese restaurant to open in years, it helps a diner to know what the first letter in its name, Q by Peter Chang, stands for in Mandarin.
Q is an abbreviation of qijian, a reference to flagship.
Raise your hand if you havent heard of Peter Chang. Anyone? By now, devotees of Chinese food and detective work know the tale of the native of Hubei province who worked his way up the cooking ladder to become the chef of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, which he walked out of in 2003, never to return.
Braised tofu with scallion puree and prawn. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)
Since then, Chang has opened restaurants throughout the Mid-Atlantic, building toward a place where he wouldnt be just the chef, but also the owner.
Q in Bethesda, his 10th and largest establishment, is the entrepreneurs longtime dream of a restaurant that allows him to stretch as never before. Situated on the ground floor of an office building, the doors open to an expansive dining room set off by giant plexiglass light fixtures. Making subtle Chinese points are elegant carved screens and a design that relies on green, a symbol of harmony and prosperity. The palette gives me an opportunity to suggest Changs jade tofu, a block of braised tofu set in a verdant scallion puree. The dish, presented in a raised bowl kept warm with a votive, is one of the chefs many fresh ideas.
Not that nostalgia buffs will go hungry. Changians will cheer a number of holdovers from the chefs other outposts, which include branches in Arlington, Rockville and Richmond. The familiar plates include the globe-shaped scallion bubble pancake that I always order just to watch first-timers eyes pop. Best pierced with a chopstick, the beige balloon releases a cloud of steam before collapsing on its plate, after which its torn into pieces and dabbed in a side dish of dusky cumin sauce. The new restaurant also resurrects foil-tipped cumin lamb chops, pounded to flatten the meat, which is briefly marinated in soy and oyster sauces, then stir-fried in a wok with carrots, onions and dried chile peppers. Toasted ground cumin and pungent cilantro complete the shock treatment; brace yourself for some heat and the numbing effect of the Sichuan spicing.
[Chefs say a dishwasher can make or break a restaurant. So I signed up for a shift.]
Chang, who employs a Bethesda kitchen staff of nearly 20, acknowledges the enduring popularity of small plates by devoting a page of the menu to Chinese tapas. By any name, a trio of empanada-shaped pies rewards recipients with fillings of ground chicken and fresh dill. Hot & Numbing beef rolls prove an exaggeration, but theres no denying the pleasure of crumbled beef, rosemary and chiles a taco filling by way of Asia rolled up inside soft, crepelike wrappers. (Keep an eye out for seasonal offerings, too, maybe the aforementioned vegetable roll: tofu skin wrapped around yam and lotus root puree, deep-fried and arranged in pieces on a mound of firecrackers in the form of wok-warmed onions and chiles.)
Food described as hot doesnt necessarily torch the tongue. It will, however, leave your lips tingling and animate the chopsticks of heat seekers. Consider heads-and-all chili prawns, part of a collection of dishes billed as the Ultimate Spicy Challenge. Scattered with chopped red and green chiles, along with crisp snow peas and garlic, the steamed seafood looks like dynamite waiting to be detonated. While plenty racy, the combination, which also fits in tofu, is not so fiery that the sweet succulence of the prawns gets lost.
Lets Meet Here on the menu shows the restaurants lighter side; the category gathers meat dishes. (Catch the play?) Among the novelties is Fu Rong chicken, slices of breast meat whose velvety surfaces come by way of a veneer of mousselike pureed chicken. Steamed broccoli serves as a nice frame for all the ivory, finished with a delicate white sauce.
In addition to the standing menu, dim sum is offered on weekends. Stick with the usual suspects steamed shrimp dumplings, fluffy pork-filled buns and youll be satisfied. But the real pleasures are the less common little dishes. Springy shrimp balls encased in slivered almonds and three delicacies spring rolls remind us that dim sum translates from Chinese to hearts delight. The rolls are understatements, their sheer bean curd wrappers encasing shrimp, pork, shiitakes and bamboo shoots, everything moistened with a light wash of brown sauce.
Thirsty? My go-to bottle is the simultaneously rich and refreshing rose produced by Brooks Winery from Oregon, a nice bridge to a variety of dishes.
One of the few letdowns is Peking duck. Ive sampled the appetizer three times now, and the sauce-varnished model continues to elude me. The ideal involves glassy skin, succulent spiced flesh and fruity hoisin sauce. Here, the skin barely registers a crackle, the meat is tepid and the hoisin sauce, meant to be slathered on the rice pancake and bundled up with julienne cucumber and scallions, comes across as a dessert topping.
Anyone visiting around the time the place opened in May should know that the family-owned restaurant has recovered from some of its early hiccups. Along with a broader selection of dishes, the service is more solicitous (the phone gets answered now) and when you inquire about a dish, youre apt to get the kind of detail a cook might provide.
The shortage of worthy Chinese restaurants in the area makes the latest of Changs offerings especially attractive. Even as it settles in, Q is advancing the cause.
Glenda Montelongeo, Richard Martinez and his two sons are helped out of a boat after being rescued Tuesday near Tidwell Road and Toll Road 8 in Houston. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
CNN reporter Rosa Flores may have inadvertently discovered the most passionate media critic to emerge from Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday.
Flores approached the woman, identified only as Danielle, and her young daughter in a Houston shelter and began asking her about the hazards and discomfort they had encountered when the woman unloaded on Flores on live TV:
She walked through four feet of water to go get them food on the first day, the woman said, referencing her daughter. Yeah, thats a lot of s---. But yall sitting here, yall trying to interview people during their worst times. Like, thats not the smartest thing to do. (Sorry, began Flores.) Like, people are really breaking down, and yall sitting here with cameras and microphones trying to ask us, What the f--- is wrong with us? (Im so sorry. . . . ) And youre really trying to understand with the microphone still in my face. When shes shivering cold and my kids wet and you still putting a microphone in my face!
Sorry, said Flores, backing away as the woman appeared ready to burst into tears of rage.
Anchor Jim Acosta broke into the tirade. Rosa Flores, it sounds like youve got a very upset family there, he said. Were going to take a break from that.
Media coverage of disasters can be like that wild, uncertain, erratic. Stuff happens that wouldnt happen if the story didnt sprawl over hundreds of square miles and involve the lives of millions of people. When theres chaos near and far, its hard to know when an ordinary interview will turn into an act of fury.
CNN found out the hard way that disaster reporting requires a different approach. People are vulnerable and hurting; theyve lost property, perhaps family, and certainly a sense of safety and privacy, says Bruce Shapiro, director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, a Columbia University project that focuses on disaster and violence reporting. A disaster of this scale challenges all of our reporting practices, he said. Our day-to-day tool kit isnt always equal to this.
It wasnt clear how Flores approached the woman before their interview or what their pre-interview conversation had been. But Shapiro says reporters need to seek small gestures of permission from people in such circumstances. Asking for consent and explaining the purpose of an interview can restore a small measure of control to those whove lost much of theirs, he says.
(A CNN spokeswoman, Barbara Levin, responded to a question about the encounter with a statement reading, The people of Houston are going through a very difficult time. Our hearts go out to this woman and her family. Our reporter handled the situation graciously.)
While it wasnt hard to relate to the Houston womans pain and distress, sustained news coverage of disasters such as Hurricane Harvey largely has a positive effect. News reporting stimulates government relief efforts and private donations. It also inspires heroic volunteers. Some of the most heartening images of the past few days, in fact, have been those of ordinary citizens employing kayaks and other recreational vessels to rescue people from flooded homes.
[In crises such as Harvey, you want outdoorsmen on your side]
"Cajun Navy" volunteer, Tim Isom, drove through the neighborhoods of East Houston to save those trapped in their homes. He says the expression of loss on the faces of people is hard to see. (Whitney Leaming,Zoeann Murphy,Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)
News coverage also plays a vital social role in a crisis by providing information that can bind a community together. The ways and means are many: stories about heroism or human interest, warnings about ongoing hazards, weather forecasts, details about relief operations, the location of missing people. Shapiro says some New Orleanians wept when the local paper, the Times-Picayune, distributed its first copies to the battered evacuees at the citys convention center and Superdome after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Nonetheless, misreporting is a constant feature of natural disasters, too. One of the great media-fed myths of Katrina was that criminality, violence and looting swept New Orleans after the breach of the citys levees. There were apocalyptic stories about snipers shooting at rescue helicopters, roving gangs indiscriminately killing and raping throughout the flooded city, and the Superdome overflowing with dead bodies.
Almost none of it was true.
Much of the defective reporting stemmed from exaggerated or wholly inaccurate comments from official sources, including the mayor and police chief, said W. Joseph Campbell, the author of Getting It Wrong: Debunking the Greatest Myths in American Journalism.
Because official sources are often themselves shaky amid catastrophe, disaster coverage requires extra restraint and circumspection, said Campbell, a communication professor at American University. Its an occasion to be more cautious than ever, he said. A good rule of thumb might be to restrict yourself only to what you can see.
Campbell said he hasnt seen any outright phony reporting from Hurricane Harvey yet. But there might be some of the inadvisable kind. On Tuesday, ABC News reporter Tom Llamas caught some social-media pushback after he tweeted: #Breaking: Were witnessing looting right now at a supermarket in the NE part of Houston & police has just discovered a body nearby.
Some pointed out that it might not exactly be looting for desperate people to take the only available food in sight. But Llamas went on, tweeting that he had informed police of the looting, and that Coast Guard and police had responded.
More criticism followed. One website called Llamass second comment the worst tweet in history. It questioned Llamass decision to involve police and then tweet about it. Eventually, Llamas deleted his original tweet and tried to clarify his intent by saying that he was already with police at the time and mentioned we saw ppl w/faces covered going into a supermarket nearby.
ABC News had no comment; Llamas had no further tweets on the matter.
Fairfax County voters elected a candidate backed by the Democratic Party to the school board Tuesday in a special election that was cast as a test of the partys strength in the Northern Virginia county.
Karen Keys-Gamarra, an attorney and child advocate, won the at-large seat with 41,519 votes.
Chris Grisafe, a federal contractor endorsed by the Fairfax County Republican Committee, received 21,389 votes. A little more than 70,000 people cast ballots, putting turnout at about 10 percent.
Keys-Gamarra will fill the seat of Jeanette Hough, who left the board in June after her husbands job took the family overseas. Hough, who held the at-large seat on the 12-member board, was elected in 2015 with an endorsement from the Fairfax County Republican Committee and was one of three GOP-backed members.
[Transgender rights, Rebel name take center stage in Fairfax School Board race]
The board is officially nonpartisan, but candidates are often elected with endorsements and money from the local Democratic and Republican party committees. In recent years, the Democratic- and Republican-backed factions of the board have been fiercely divided over many issues, including how to accommodate transgender students, sexual education curriculum and whether to strip the names of Confederate figures from schools.
The board in 2015 voted to teach students about transgender issues in sex ed and to include transgender students and staff in its nondiscrimination policy. Both moves were opposed by conservative parents and the GOP-endorsed board members. In July, the board voted to rename J.E.B. Stuart High following a contentious, two-year process that led to heated community forums. The boards two GOP-backed members dissented. Stuart was a Confederate Army general.
[A Virginia school board votes to change name of J.E.B. Stuart High]
Those issues played an outsized role in this election, with Keys-Gamarra and her opponent staking out opposite positions. Keys-Gamarra said she backed the boards decision to rename J.E.B. Stuart High, while Grisafe assailed the board for not seeking enough community input. Keys-Gamarra also said transgender students should be able to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. Grisafe said transgender students should use unisex restrooms to avoid making their classmates feel uncomfortable.
Keys-Gamarra said she hopes she can bring more harmony to the board and to school politics.
Id like to bring healthy community discussions because I think the tenor of some of those discussions in the past has been far too divisive, she said. They have marginalized students, they have marginalized members of our community.
Keys-Gamarra, the mother of three Fairfax County schools graduates, received substantial financial backing from the Democratic Party, which donated more than $60,000 to her effort. Grisafe raised about $25,000.
State party leaders celebrated the news, drawing parallels between Keys-Gamarras win and that of Jackie Smith, a Democrat who defeated a powerful Republican this year to become clerk of courts in Prince William County, a populous swing county. Democratic strategists pointed out she prevailed even in districts represented by Republican state lawmakers.
[Forget Georgia. Virginia Democrats say victory in obscure local race signals end of Trump.]
Karen Keys-Gamarras victory tonight reinforces what Jackie Smiths win proved in April: Democrats are energized and organized, and were coming out to in droves, Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Virginia Democratic Party, said in a statement.
Grisafe disagreed, saying his loss should not be taken as evidence the party has weakened. The partys efforts in his race could help lay a foundation for a GOP victory in Novembers governors race, he said. He attributed his loss to being outspent by his opponent.
What Ive seen in the last couple of weeks is the Fairfax County Republican Party and the state party . . . coming together and coalescing like we havent before, Grisafe said. I do believe that we are much better postured through this effort going into the November election.
Larry Hogan, then Marylands governor-elect, left, stands next to Alfred W. Redmer Jr., his choice to be the states insurance commisioner. Redmer is now the subject of a complaint of illegal fundraising. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogans re-election campaign could be slapped with a $250 fine for a minor violation of state election law, an inconvenience that has erupted into a messy partisan brawl.
Hogans campaign attorney Dirk Haire, who also chairs the Maryland Republican Party, says hell ask the state prosecutors office to launch an official misconduct investigation if Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) doesnt act to block the fine, which was proposed by staffers at the state Board of Elections in response to a complaint from Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews.
Haire is also threatening to file a complaint alleging that Froshs campaign illegally charged children for ice cream at a fundraiser.
The Republican chairman of the elections board, which normally defers to staff to handle alleged election-law violations, says he and board members from both parties will offer their own concerns and input on the proposed fine at an upcoming meeting.
[How Maryland political parties are ramping up their ground games]
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)
The fine is in response to an April 2 email sent by Alfred W. Redmer, a former state delegate who serves as insurance commissioner to Hogan, that sought hosts for a summer fundraiser for Hogans re-election next year.
The Democratic Party cried foul because Maryland law prohibits state officeholders, and those acting on their behalf, from soliciting campaign donations or advertising upcoming fundraisers during the annual 90-day legislative session, which this year ran from Jan. 11 to April 10.
Elections officials were weighing whether Redmer was acting on behalf of Hogans reelection campaign, and whether his request for hosts who would raise a minimum amount of money for the event was an illegal overture or a legitimate save-the-date notice.
They learned that Redmer asked Hogan campaign officials for guidance on organizing the fundraiser, according to records provided under the Public Information Act. The campaign warned Redmer not to distribute the invitations during the legislative session, and he did so anyway.
Nevertheless, Jared DeMarinis, who heads the election boards campaign finance division, concluded that the Hogan campaign was responsible for Redmers actions. In a letter sent to the Hogan campaign, DeMarinis proposed a $250 fine, half of the maximum penalty.
[See emails and documents related to the probe]
Haire, acting as Hogans campaign attorney, retorted in an email that the election agency was misinterpreting the law. He accused Frosh, whose office had provided advice on how to interpret Marylands campaign finance law, of taking a nakedly political and legally unjustified position.
If . . . this issue either is not rapidly concluded without a violation and/or it ends up in the press, it is my intention to make a request to empanel a grand jury to consider if an indictment is warranted against the Attorney General for misconduct in office, Haire wrote in an Aug. 10 email.
After hearing the content of Haires email, House Majority Leader C. William Frick (D-Montgomery) called it bizarre and inappropriate.
At best, he is trying to bully a nonpartisan state employee who is doing his job, Frick said. At worst, he is threatening criminal actions against a fellow statewide elected official on Hogans behalf.
But Haire maintained that Frosh, a Democratic political rival of Hogan, could not have been neutral when his staff advised election officials on how the law should be interpreted.
[Why Hogan is in the doghouse with Maryland conservatives]
This is a politically contrived, non-serious effort to take illegal action against the governor, Haire said.
Elections board chair David J. McManus Jr. said the board wants to have a public discussion of the probe into Redmers email because it raises new questions about election law, especially the notion that a campaign may be fined if a staffer or volunteer does something they were explicitly told not to do.
Something that is not typical and novel is something we should still have a say in, McManus said.
If the fine against Hogan goes through, Haire says he will retaliate with a complaint about an Aug. 26 ice cream social in Baltimore organized by Froshs campaign, where children were charged $10 for half-pints. Children cannot legally give campaign contributions, Haire said, and their parents are prohibited from making contributions on behalf of another person.
My point here is, this is a waste of time for everyone, said Haire. Why are we bothering with such trivial matters?
On that point, Frosh spokeswoman Raquel Coombs seemed to agree. She called Haires allegations ridiculous.
Thursday, AUG. 31
Manassas farmers market Thursday 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Tuesday 5-8 p.m., Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St. Also Saturday 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Prince William Lot, Prince William Street, Manassas. 703-361-6599. visitmanassas.org.
Plant identification field trip Marion Lobstein teaches identification skills using Newcombs Wildflower Guide and the Flora of Virginia. Sponsored by the Prince William Wildflower Society. 9-11 a.m. Manassas National Battlefield Park, 6511 Sudley Rd., Manassas. $30, members free.
Bingo Proceeds support Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary programs and community activities. Thursday and Tuesday. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-670-4124. $10 minimum.
Woodbridge Toastmasters Club An open-house meeting. Learn effective communication and leadership skills. 7:30 p.m. Ebenezer Baptist Church, 13020 Telegraph Rd., Woodbridge. 703-898-7171. woodbridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $68 membership fee.
Honor, Courage and Commitment: Marine Corps Art, 1975-2015 The first exhibit in the Combat Art Gallery features 100 works by 22 artists. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. 703-784-6107. Free.
Tailor-Made: Vintage Fashions from the Museums Collection Unveiled Curated by Meaghan Reddick, the exhibit looks at the fashion of the first quarter of the 20th century. Through Sept. 24. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-257-8453. Free.
District Moods An exhibit of paintings by Nick Aman. Through Sunday. The Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. Free.
Sea Escapes An exhibit featuring watercolors and mixed media by Mary Rose Janya of Springfield and jewelry by Tyler Kulenguski of Annandale. Through Monday. Artists Undertaking Gallery, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. theartistsundertaking.com. Free.
Friday, SEPT. 1
American Legion dinner The public is invited to dinner with a different special every week. Proceeds support local veterans and the community. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. vapost364.org. $5-$15.
Music on Mill Reggae and rock by FeelFree. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. 6 p.m. River Mill Park, 458 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-491-1918. Free.
Saturday, SEPT. 2
Kids fishing tournament 9 a.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free, parking $7.
Yoga on the Lawn Vinyasa yoga taught by certified yoga instructor Christopher Glowacki. 9 a.m. Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-9812. pwcgov.org/ripponlodge. $5.
Pond Play A ranger will use nets to catch animals such as frogs, turtles and fish. 11 a.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free, parking $7.
Labor Day Weekend Craft Festival In addition to craft, food and ice cream vendors, the weekend includes music by Pete Baker. Noon-8 p.m. Through Monday. The Winery at La Grange, 4970 Antioch Rd., Haymarket. 703-753-9360. wineryatlagrange.com. Free.
Summer Sounds Concert Violinist Bruno Nasta performs as part of the Center for the Arts concert series. 6:30 p.m. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St., Manassas. 703-361-9800. harrispavilion.com. Free.
Movie Under the Stars Bring a blanket or lawn chair for Babe. 7 p.m. Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, 15201 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge. 703-583-1202. stonebridgeptc.com. Free.
Overnight stay at Brentsville Jail Learn about some of the people imprisoned in the 200-year-old building. 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday. Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, 12229 Bristow Rd., Bristow. 703-365-7895. $100, reservations required.
Sunday, SEPT. 3
Dale City farmers market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Dale City Commuter Lot (behind Center Plaza Shopping Center), Dale Boulevard, Dale City. 703-670-7112 ext. 227. pwcparks.org.
Bingo Hosted by nonprofit group Save a Dog, Save a Cat. Proceeds support animal rescue, adoptions, spay/neuter services and a new animal shelter. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Elks Lodge, 14602 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge. 703-975-4125. Free.
Matchbox Twenty & Counting Crows The rock bands, both formed in the 1990s, are on their A Brief History of Everything tour. 6:45 p.m. Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Dr., Bristow. 703-754-6400. livenation.com. $24-$875.50.
Monday, SEPT. 4
Bingo Proceeds support local veterans. Doors open 7:30 a.m. Games 9:15 a.m.-noon. American Legion Post 10, 9950 Cockrell Rd., Manassas. 703-369-4900. $16.
Charity bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus John Paul I Charity Fund. Doors open at noon. Games begin 2 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum.
Park West Lions Club bingo Proceeds support local sight, hearing and youth projects. Doors open weekly at 4 p.m. Games begin at 7 p.m. Park West Lions Club, 8620 Sunnygate Dr., Manassas. 703-392-0077. pwlions@aol.com. $10.
Bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus activities and charities. Doors open 6 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum.
Tuesday, SEPT. 5
Vietnam War talk Paul Galanti discusses his experience as a prisoner of war. 7:30 p.m. Freedom Museum, Terminal Building, Manassas Regional Airport, 10600 Harry Parrish Blvd., Manassas. 703-393-0660. Free.
Forest Folklore Mixed-media art and paintings by Lauren Jacobs of Dumfries, as well as wood-turning by Greg Wandless of Fairfax. Opens Tuesday. Through Oct. 2. Artists Undertaking Gallery, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. Free.
Good Dogs, Bad Cats and Weirdos An exhibit of often humorous paintings and painted objects by Charla Wilkerson. Opens Tuesday. Through Oct. 1. The Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. loftgallery.org. Free.
Wednesday, SEPT. 6
Lake Ridge Toastmasters Club Members 18 and older develop their public speaking and leadership skills. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-491-3020. contact-8913@toastmastersclubs.org. lakeridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $34-$64 membership fee.
Compiled by Sarah Lane
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT
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Prince William County
These were among incidents reported by Prince William County police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-792-5123.
GAINESVILLE AREA
ASSAULT
Limestone Dr., 7800 block, 6:24 a.m. Aug. 17. During an argument, a man assaulted a male acquaintance. A Centreville man, 48, was arrested.
MANASSAS AREA
ROBBERY
Old Centreville Rd., 7600 block, 9:42 p.m. Aug. 17. Two male juveniles demanded property from a male juvenile pedestrian, who said he did not have anything. One of the attackers punched the pedestrian in the face, and the two fled.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Dumfries Rd., 10600 block, 5 p.m. Aug. 9 to 4 p.m. Aug. 19. Cash, a cellphone, shoes and other items were stolen from a residence entered by damaging a window.
Mountwood Dr., 9500 block, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17. A laptop was stolen from a residence.
Trenton Chapel Way, 8600 block, 9:25 p.m. Aug. 19. A residence was entered through a basement door. An alarm sounded. Nothing was reported stolen.
WOODBRIDGE AREA
ASSAULTS
Aldrin St., 13200 block, 5:45 p.m. Aug. 16. During an argument, a woman attempted to stab a female acquaintance with a syringe. A Dumfries woman, 29, was arrested.
Briar Rose Lane, 1900 block, 12:27 a.m. Aug. 17. One of several men at a residence assaulted a man who went to the residence to retrieve property. The man pulled out a handgun, and a struggle ensued. The weapon was discharged. No one was reported injured. A Woodbridge woman, 23, two Woodbridge men, 18 and 20, and a Fredericksburg male juvenile, 16, were arrested.
Elm Farm Rd. and Pennington Lane, 7 p.m. Aug. 19. A male juvenile on a bike followed a female pedestrian. The boy got off the bike, grabbed the woman and began to drag her into the middle of the street. The woman yelled and got away from the boy, who fled. A Woodbridge boy, 13, was arrested.
Wimbley Lane, 12600 block, 2:58 a.m. Aug. 21. During an argument, a man took a cellphone from a female acquaintance and assaulted her. A Woodbridge man, 35, was arrested.
WEAPONS
Carlsbad Rd., 15000 block, 10:30 p.m. Aug. 20. A man threatened a male pedestrian with a firearm. The pedestrian fled unharmed.
CHILD NEGLECT
Chesapeake Dr., 3100 block, 9:50 a.m. Aug. 19. A man left a 2-year-old child alone in a residence. Police found the boy unattended outside. A Woodbridge man, 20, was arrested.
ROBBERIES
Bakersfield St., 14500 block, 6:45 p.m. Aug. 16. During an argument, a man hit a male acquaintance in the face and robbed him of a cellphone. A Woodbridge man, 32, was arrested.
Horner Rd., 1300 block, 10:55 p.m. Aug. 20. Two men held a man sitting in a vehicle at gunpoint and robbed him of property.
Longview Dr. E., 1300 block, 2:50 a.m. Aug. 19. Two gunmen removed a male cabdriver from his vehicle, assaulted him and demanded property. The driver yelled for help. The two fled in the cab. A man, 19 and a male juvenile, 17, both of Maryland, were arrested.
THEFTS/BREAK-INS
Hatchway Ct., 12400 block, 12:33 a.m. Aug. 21. Two men attempted to open a window of a residence. They fled when a resident closed the window.
Putnam Cir., 13000 block, 10:30 p.m. Aug. 20. An attempt was made to enter a residence by breaking a window with a brick.
Manassas
No reports were received from Manassas police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-257-8000.
Manassas Park
No reports were received from Manassas Park police for this edition of Local Living. For information, call 703-361-1136.
Officials put out a sketch of a man who they allege broke into a Sterling, Va., apartment and stole women's clothing. (Loudoun County Sheriff's Office)
Officials in Loudoun County released a sketch Wednesday of a man they allege broke into a Sterling, Va., apartment and stole womens clothing.
The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office said the composite sketch shows the alleged suspect. The incident happened Aug. 23 just before 9 p.m. when a witness reported seeing an unknown man inside an apartment in the 1200 block of Chase Heritage Circle near South Sterling Boulevard.
The man then fled through an open sliding glass door.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 30s. He stands around 5-foot-10 and has short black hair. Officials said he was wearing all black at the time of the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to call 571-258-3375.
A 60-year-old health-care worker has been accused of inappropriately touching a patient at a hospital in Woodbridge, Va.
Police in Prince William County said they arrested and charged Frederick Yeboah of Woodbridge with sexual battery and other charges.
The incident happened between Aug. 21 and Aug. 24 at the Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, on Opitz Boulevard, where Yeboah was working as a nurse. Authorities said that on more than one occasion, he inappropriately touched a 39-year-old woman who was a patient at the facility.
Officials with Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center said in a statement that Yeboah has been placed on administrative leave. They would not elaborate as to whether that was paid or unpaid leave.
The statement went on to say that their facility is committed to the safety and care of our patients and that they are cooperating fully with authorities.
Frederick Yeboah, 60, has been placed on administrative leave at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge, Va. (Prince William County Police)
Detectives said they believe that it was an isolated incident and that there are no additional victims.
Yeboah was arrested Monday at a police station without incident.
He is being held without bond and is scheduled to have a court hearing in October.
A man was killed Tuesday when his SUV collided with a garbage truck in Prince Georges County, police said.
Around 9:30 a.m., officers responded to the 15700 block of Livingston Road in Accokeek for the report of a collision, county police said in a statement. They found 64-year-old Grover Glass of Accokeek had attempted to turn onto Livingston Road from a parking lot when his SUV collided with a garbage truck traveling west on Livingston, the statement said.
Glass was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The occupants of the garbage truck and of another vehicle involved in the collision were not injured.
Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 301-731-4422.
A breast-feeding mother is embroiled in a court battle in Maryland after an official said she must let her estranged partner give the 6-month-old boy formula while the child is visiting him.
Amber Brown, 27, of Upper Marlboro, gave birth in February to the boy. Brown and the boys father, Corey Donta Lewis, separated shortly after their childs birth.
At a July custody hearing, Monise A. Brown, a family magistrate in Charles County, addressed a disagreement between the couple: Amber Brown wanted to exclusively breast-feed her child, but Lewis insisted the child be able to consume formula to facilitate overnight visits with him, according to court documents.
After Amber Brown explained she couldnt pump enough milk for an overnight visit, the magistrate sided with the childs father.
The magistrate stated pointedly that breast-feeding is not a reason to prevent [Lewiss] visitation, and that insisting on breast-feeding would be considered deliberate alienation of [Lewis], according to an affidavit from Jay R. Halleck, an attorney who represented Amber Brown at the hearing.
[My rights as a mom have been violated.: Mother is asked to find private room while breast-feeding in church]
At a follow-up hearing, Magistrate Mistey L. Metzgar appeared to agree with her fellow family magistrate, recommending overnight visits begin Aug. 4, according to court filings. But Amber Brown filed a request for an exception on Aug. 10, saying the childs pediatrician said the boy couldnt tolerate formula and that, during one visit, Lewis had fed him formula anyway.
It was simply more convenient for [Lewis] to feed the baby formula than to ensure the baby remained healthy, the request for exception reads.
Amber Browns request for the exception alleged a clear and improper policy in Charles County courts creating a presumption that breast-feeding is used to alienate fathers and that babies should be switched from breast milk to formula in order to accommodate overnight visitation.
Lewis declined to comment, citing the need to contact legal counsel. The magistrates in the case didnt return a request for comment on Wednesday.
In a telephone interview, Amber Brown said she tried home remedies in an attempt to produce more breast milk, including lactation cookies and herbal tea, but was unable to pump enough for an overnight visit.
Citing the American Academy of Pediatrics and other heath officials, a Maryland Senate bill that became law in 2003 indicated the state is interested in the promotion of family values and to that end encourages public acceptance of this basic act of nurture.
Jeanette Rice, Amber Browns attorney, said she was outraged by the magistrates recommendations. Ive been practicing for 20-plus years, she said. Ive never had a magistrate tell someone not to breast-feed.
[I chose not to breast-feed. That doesnt make me a bad mom.]
Custody disputes related to breast-feeding are not unheard of. A mother in Pennsylvania said a judge in 2013 ordered her to stop breast-feeding to accommodate visits with the father of her child. Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, said in court last year her former fiances custody demands would disrupt her breast-feeding schedule.
George Washington University law professor Catherine J. Ross said courts are generally tasked with defending the best interests of children, for whom breast-feeding is often considered healthiest.
Even as the legislatures and courts have tried to put parents of both genders on an equal footing, things like breast-feeding are still biologically determined, she said. And in general, we tend to think that a breast-feeding mother would be accommodated.
Amber Brown said her child remains on breast milk ahead of an October custody hearing before a judge.
We latched right away since birth, she said. Its been that way ever since.
Alice Crites and Terence McArdle contributed to this report.
A 33-year-old man who was wanted in the beating of a black man during a white nationalist and white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned himself in to a Georgia sheriffs office on Monday evening, authorities said.
Alex Michael Ramos was wanted in connection with the Aug. 12 assault of DeAndre Harris, who was beaten on the same day a man drove a car into a group of counterprotesters, killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring many more.
[Three men charged in Charlottesville attacks on counterprotesters ]
Sgt. Lawson Bittick of the Monroe County Sheriffs Office said Ramos identified himself as an unemployed construction worker, and had two addresses in Georgia. He would be extradited to Virginia, Bittick said.
Ramos was identified by police after he wrote about the attack on Facebook, according to his attorney. He called the attack defensive in a television interview, and said he is not a white nationalist.
Alex Michael Ramos. (Monroe County Sheriff's office via AP)
I was there because, pretty much, Im a conservative, he said. There were some non-racist members who were going to a free speech rally.
Two other men allegedly involved in the attack 18-year-old Daniel P. Borden of Mason, Ohio, and Richard W. Preston, 52, of Maryland have already been taken into custody.
A federal judge on Wednesday tore into President Trumps voter commission for reneging on a promise to fully disclose public documents before a July 19 meeting, ordering the government to meet new transparency requirements and eliciting an apology from administration lawyers.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Washington said the Election Integrity Commission released only an agenda and proposed bylaws before its first meeting at the White House complex last month.
But once gathered, commissioners had thick binders that included documents the public had not seen, including a specially prepared report and a 381-page database purporting to show 1,100 cases of voter fraud, both from the think tank Heritage Foundation. The group also received a typed list of possible topics to address from the panel vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris W. Kobach.
Kollar-Kotelly said the panels after-the-fact argument was incredible when it said it did not believe documents prepared by individual commissioners for the July meeting had to have been posted in advance.
You didnt completely live up to the governments representations, Kollar-Kotelly told Justice Department lawyers at Wednesdays hearing. I want to know what things are not going to be covered by the governments pledges, she said.
The exchange was the latest controversy surrounding the commission, which has roiled states with a sweeping request for the voting information of more than 150 million registered voters. Trump created the commission in May after repeatedly suggesting that millions of illegal voters cost him the popular vote against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Studies and state officials of both parties have found no evidence of widespread voting fraud.
[Trumps voter-fraud commission wants to know voting history, party ID and address of every voter in the U.S.]
Kollar-Kotelly directed the commission to detail what documents it believes are subject to disclosure ahead of its next meeting, set for Sept. 12 in New Hampshire, and how it is identifying and handling them.
Justice Department civil division attorney Elizabeth J. Shapiro apologized for what she called a good-faith error by staffers, saying the panel wrote members Tuesday informing them of disclosure obligations, mak[ing] clear there should be no surprises.
It was truly an honest misunderstanding on the part of the commission with respect to its obligations to share information, Shapiro said, based on what she said was guidance from the Office of Legal Counsel. It was not an attempt to hide anything. It fully intends to be as transparent as possible. . . . I wanted to convey our apologies and our sincere regret for that.
[Trumps voter commission hasnt even met and its already off to a rough start]
Administration officials have said 30 states have agreed to share at least some voter data, adding that the commission requested only publicly available data and would anonymize any information it released.
Many state leaders from both parties have objected to what they regard as the potential to reveal personal information, suppress voter participation and encroach on states oversight of voting laws.
Critics say Kobach has compared the commissions work to efforts to pool state data and called for collecting whatever data there is on individuals potential voting eligibility within the federal government, including information kept by the departments of Justice and Homeland Security and the U.S. Census Bureau.
[Why almost every state is partially or fully rebuffing Trumps election commission]
Shapiro said the commission has gotten off to a chaotic start, saying the panel had not known Trump planned to appear at its first meeting and learned of his intention only the night before or on the day of the session, so arrangements had to be made.
There was a little bit of unknown and a little bit of disorganization in terms of how the meeting would happen, Shapiro said, while also acknowledging staffers were aware ahead of time that one commissioner planned to make a presentation.
In an evening statement, Kobach said the court denied most of the plaintiffs demands for what he called an unreasonable amount of discovery from the commission ... including their most burdensome ones.
The federal court hearing came in a lawsuit filed by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law that is challenging the commissions compliance with federal open government laws. It is one of seven pending suits, Shapiro said, including five that have sought to block some aspect of the commissions activity.
Housing blocks in Barry Farm, most of them empty, line Sumner Road in Washington on July 5, 2017. Advocates for tenants say the citys plans to renovate the public housing complex dont include enough units that can accommodate families. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)
A years-long fight over planned redevelopment of the Districts Barry Farm public housing complex landed in federal court Tuesday as residents alleged in a lawsuit the projects design is not suited to low-income people with children.
The D.C. Housing Authority has been planning for nearly a decade to raze the dilapidated complex in one of the citys most impoverished areas and build a larger, more attractive residential community. The new complex is set to include replacement public housing units, meant for low-income tenants with federal rent subsidies, along with higher-priced, market-rate apartments and townhouses for sale.
[Residents of Barry Farms are angry they now have to move during redevelopment]
At issue is the planned mix of apartment sizes among the replacement public housing units. In the lawsuit, tenants advocates contend the new project will offer fewer multi-bedroom apartments than were available at the old Barry Farm.
They allege the city wants to reduce the number of low-income tenants with children to make the redeveloped complex more attractive to market-rate renters and buyers.
With each development project in the District, communities are displaced and new upscale housing created for higher income residents, the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs said in a statement. The redevelopment of Barry Farm will exclude more than 150 working and low-income families by decreasing the number of family-sized units, meaning apartments with two to six bedrooms.
In the gentrifying District where affluent newcomers have driven up real-estate values and spurred construction of numerous luxury residential high-rises the dearth of low-cost multi-bedroom apartments, especially four- and five-bedroom units, has been a major contributor to the citys affordable housing shortage.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington by the lawyers committee and by the major law firm Foley & Lardner, also accuses the housing authority of being slow to respond to maintenance problems at Barry Farm. It alleges authority does not want to invest money in decades-old buildings that are due to be torn down.
The plaintiffs allege the housing authority and its contractors are violating the federal Fair Housing Act and the D.C. Human Rights Act. Asked about the allegations, a spokesman for the authority said in an email the agency cannot comment on a lawsuit we havent received.
At a news conference Tuesday, tenants advocates said they want a judge to order the inclusion of more family-sized apartments in the project and compel the housing authority to improve living conditions at Barry Farm until the site is completely vacant.
The 444-unit complex, just east of the Anacostia River in Ward 8, is already about half empty, because the housing authority in recent years has not accepted new tenants, in anticipation of the redevelopment. With demolition and construction set to get underway soon, officials said, they plan to temporarily relocate about 500 people who are still living in roughly 200 apartments at the site.
The housing authority has said all Barry Farm residents are guaranteed the right to return when the replacement units are ready. Under the current plan, the redeveloped complex will not be suitable for all the displaced tenants, the lawsuit says.
Tenants advocates said by their calculation, the replacement apartments will include many more one-bedroom units than Barry Farm has now and far fewer apartments in the two- to six-bedroom range.
The District has become the sixth most segregated city in the nation, the lawyers committee said, calling it a phenomenon largely driven by the redevelopment of low-income housing for high-income residents.
And, the group added: The residents of Barry Farm who have lived in the neighborhood for decades and built a community here are being forced out with few options to stay within the District.
Affordable family-sized housing is limited in the District and is concentrated in a few neighborhoods that are economically and racially segregated.
The Gen. Robert E. Lee statue is seen at the Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Md. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
During the presidential campaign last year, Donald Trump said he wouldnt accept a salary if elected. In April, the White House said he would donate his first quarter salary to the National Park Service. And in July, the agency announced some of those funds would be used to restore a historic home at Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland.
Work is scheduled to begin next summer on property that includes a 24-foot statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee astride his horse, Traveller. The statue, built by a Confederate enthusiast in 2003, sits on a bluff about 250 feet from the Newcomer House that will benefit from Trumps donation.
[Trump will donate his first-quarter salary $78,333 to the National Park Service, White House says]
The $78,333 donation was made before Trump called for the preservation of Confederate memorials following deadly violence in Charlottesville, where white supremacists protested the planned removal of a statue depicting Lee from a downtown park.
Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the Department of the Interior, said the National Park Service, not Trump, selected the property, and that his donation will not be used to restore the statue. She said funds used to benefit the historic home adjacent to the statue should not be interpreted as a provocation of those who criticize Confederate imagery, calling any attempt to connect them absolutely ridiculous.
The president has framed his support for Confederate statues in historical terms, delighting his supporters and signaling his embrace of a racially charged cause.
Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments, he tweeted Aug. 17. You . . . cant change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson whos next, Washington, Jefferson?
The front of the Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Md. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) called for the Antietam statues removal in the days after the Charlottesville attack. Other Maryland lawmakers have made statements critical of Confederate monuments without singling out the Antietam statue.
[Democrats say Confederate monuments are now white-supremacist rallying points]
I dont believe that statues and monuments meant to glorify the Confederate cause and Confederate leadership belong on federal land and they should be taken down unless they serve the clear purpose of educating people about American history and are placed by historians in the proper context, Delaney, whos running for president in 2020, said in a statement.
When Trumps donation to the Antietam National Battlefield was announced in April, then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the president would give his first-quarter salary to a government entity. After lawyers gave the president options, he chose the National Park Service, Spicer said at the time.
Its a decision he made, Spicer said. . . . He believed . . . some great work is being done there, especially work being done to restore our great battlegrounds.
Swift said Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke thought a donation to the Park Service would be a good way to show support for the military and veterans throughout our history. Trump has donated his quarterly salary since his inauguration, giving $100,000 in July to the Education Department for a science camp.
The Department of the Interior and the Park Service worked with two nonprofit groups, the Civil War Trust and the National Park Foundation, to identify historic battlefields that had deferred maintenance projects that would benefit from the presidents donation and matching funds, Swift said.
The Park Service identified the Newcomer House, a mill used by the Union Army to care for soldiers wounded during the Battle of Antietam in 1862, as one of those projects. The National Park Service purchased that property in 2005 with the Lee statue on it.
Work on the house is expected to begin next summer, while another part of the donation will be spent on repairing a fence at the battleground.
The project selection was based solely on need and historic importance, Antietam National Battlefield Superintendent Susan Trail said in a statement.
[Trump mourns loss of beautiful statues and monuments in wake of Charlottesville rally over Robert E. Lee statue]
A small Confederate flag is seen at the Gen. Robert E. Lee statue at Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
The Lee statue was built on the property two years before it was sold to the Park Service by William F. Chaney, an investor and the heir to a concrete fortune who claimed Lee as an ancestor. It sits directly across from a sign marking the entrance to Antietam on Route 34. A small Confederate flag was recently left at the statues base.
Noting Union memorials outnumbered Confederate memorials at Antietam before the statue was built, Chaney said he sought to even that up a little bit, according to the Hagerstown, Md.,-based Herald-Mail. A dedication on the statue defends Lees legacy.
Although hoping for a decisive victory Lee had to settle for a military draw, the text of the Lee statue reads. Robert E. Lee was personally against secession and slavery, but decided his duty was to fight for his home and the universal right of every people to self-determination.
Chaney could not be reached for comment.
Confederate memorials are few and far between at Antietam. There are 96 monuments at the battlefield, according to its website. Five represent Confederate companies, but besides Lee, just one other Confederate leader has his own memorial.
Antietam marked a turning point in the Civil War. Lee retreated to Virginia after the battle, but both sides combined lost about 23,000 men. Weeks later, President Abraham Lincoln fired Gen. George McClellan for his failure to pursue the Confederate general.
[From 2005: Just in case, South rises in defense of a statue]
The Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
The front of the Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
In the wake of Charlottesville, which has prompted the removal of several Confederate statues across the country, the Park Service has been questioned about such monuments on federal land as well. At the Antietam, Gettysburg and Manassas national battlefields, the Park Service has said no statues will come down, short of legislation.
John Howard, who was superintendent of Antietam for 17 years before he retired in 2010, said the battlefield has hundreds of projects that require maintenance at any time. Antietam would be quick to accommodate a White House willing to fund a project, Howard said.
I think they were giving money to something that made him look good, Howard said of Trumps donation to the Park Service. It could have just as well have been Acadia.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie launched the first negative television commercial in Virginias general election, assailing his Democratic opponent Ralph Northam as weak on public safety issues.
The ad called Ralph Northams Risky Policies opens by asking who would keep your family safe.
Ralph Northam cast the deciding vote in favor of sanctuary cities that let illegal immigrants who commit crimes back on the street, the narrator says.
But the claim, which suggests Northam cast a vote allowing for the establishment of so-called sanctuary cities, does not provide the complicated context behind the vote.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly considered legislation in February to ban sanctuary cities, or localities that refuse to help detain and deport people who are in the country illegally.
Northam, the lieutenant governor, presides over the 40-member state Senate, and only votes when theres a tie.
[Gillespie hires former Trump aide who believes nation is on verge of civil war ]
Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment (R-James City) initially voted against the ban. It was an odd move for the GOP leader to break from his party, but it set up a tie forcing Northam to go on record on a contentious issue.
Northam voted against the bill, and Gillespies campaign promptly put out a statement condemning him for it.
The bill came for another vote, and passed with Norments support. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) vetoed the legislation.
Asked if he deliberately voted against the bill to force a vote from Northam, Norment walked away from reporters.
Complicating matters further: Virginia technically doesnt have sanctuary cities.
The definition can vary and jurisidictions have different practices for cooperating with federal immigration authorities, but Northam and Gillespie agree on this point.
Gillespie has campaigned on tougher immigration enforcement. He has said he wants to ban sanctuary cities as a way of stopping illegal immigrants from coming to Virginia.
Dave Abrams, a spokesman for Gillespie, stood by the ad. Ralph Northam cast the deciding vote in favor of sanctuary cities, and Ed supports a ban on them, he said.
Northams campaign responded to the new ad by blasting Gillespie for embracing President Trumps rhetoric and policies.
Northam understands immigration is a federal issue in need of a federal solution--asking Virginia law enforcement to bear the cost of a do-nothing Congress and increase their legal liability is not the way to protect Virginia families, his campaign said in a press release.
Northam has softened his stance on immigration since he was first elected. Early in his career as a state senator, he called for tougher enforcement against immigrants living illegally in Virginia.
Five days after roaring ashore in Texas leaving behind more than 24 trillion gallons of water, disastrous flooding across Houston and a mounting death toll that had reached at least 22 people Harvey made landfall near Cameron, La.
Houston officials described a vast rescue effort and said about 3,500 people had been brought to safety.
Houston officials described a vast rescue effort and said about 3,500 people had been brought to safety.
Mobile kitchen units, truckloads of tools and massive quantities of supplies are ready to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey, but there is one problem: Much of the material is hundreds of miles away from Houston.
The extent of the disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey and its remnants has made it impossible for relief agencies to help in some of the hardest-hit areas. The storm lashed hundreds of miles of coastline from Corpus Christi, Tex., to Lake Charles, La., flooded more than one-quarter of Harris County, Tex., home to the city of Houston and more than 4.5 million people, and inundated the Beaumont-Port Arthur area with more than two feet of rain in 24 hours. Trucks now sit hundreds of miles away, waiting for roads to become passable and for search-and-rescue teams to finish their jobs.
The scope and size of the storm is unlike anything the [Salvation Army] has ever experienced, said Lt. Col. Ronnie Raymer.
[Harvey makes landfall again in western Louisiana as rain pummels the Gulf Coast]
Trying to navigate flooded roads and an ever-changing situation as levees fail, rivers overflow and tides change makes it too difficult, even dangerous to try getting supplies in. The biggest issue is that the storm just wont let up: Tuesday and Wednesday, the Beaumont-Port Arthur area was heavily flooded and rains drenched western Louisiana.
Weve got units set up as close as we can, said Mike Ebert, a spokesman for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Many of the emergency units are in Mississippi. The mission board has deployed kitchens traveling to smaller towns, including Rockport on the Texas coast, to feed first responders. The units also contain showers and laundry facilities.
Some relief organizations cannot get supplies into Houston, where highways are flooded and authorities are still searching for and rescuing people from homes. Organizations that do not help with basic shelter needs will wait until the situation changes from search and rescue to a recovery mission to help people whose homes are flooded.
What we dont want to do right now is get our volunteers in there and have them get stranded and need to get rescued and create more problems for first responders, Ebert said.
[Where are we supposed to go? Thousands forced from their homes]
Tim Haas, manager of disaster relief at Samaritans Purse, said the organization has more than 60 volunteers in Victoria and another base of operations in the Portland-Rockport area. Three other disaster relief units 53-foot trailers filled with tools will be stationed in Baton Rouge and ready to deploy when it is possible to safely access hard-hit areas. Samaritans Purse also has generators and mobile kitchens in Baton Rouge, where it has been active since massive floods there last year. It is hoping to get a unit to a church in Santa Fe, Tex., between Houston and Galveston.
But the flooding makes meeting even immediate needs difficult to fill. A mobile kitchen capable of feeding 40,000 people a day was expected to arrive at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on Tuesday but could not get there until Wednesday, according to the Red Cross.
It can be frustrating as people are wondering: When can we get deployed? said Bill Bumpas, a spokesman for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief. Some, however, do not have to go far: One man waiting to be deployed has rescued people from rising water in his own neighborhood, Bumpas said.
The magnitude of Harvey has shocked even the most seasoned disaster workers. Because the storm devastated so many places in different ways, with varying combinations of high winds and flooding, the response will be different in each area. And because of the storms massive geographic reach and impact on the highways and roads, organizations are realizing that setting up one centralized command center will not be effective.
We also quickly realized this is going to stretch us more than Katrina did and that were going to have to begin thinking outside the box in how we move forward, especially in long-term recovery, Raymer said.
Raymer said the Salvation Army is starting to think about opening centers in different neighborhoods because Houstons sprawl was difficult to navigate even before the storm. The Salvation Army has opened shelters in the city and a command center in northwest Houston. On Wednesday, Raymer was in Rockport, which took a direct hit from Harvey when it was at hurricane strength. Raymer said that Rockport is devastated and that he did not see one undamaged building.
There are multiple levels of challenges just dealing with how you navigate Houston, how you get around town, said Haas, of Samaritans Purse. But conditions are improving ever so slightly.
The island is expanding as some floodwaters recede, said Charles Maltbie, a Red Cross spokesman. The organization has not been able to move resources assembled in Austin to Houston because of flooded roads.
But some on the ground in Houston would prefer to understand the scope of the disaster before assistance starts arriving in large volumes.
Anna M. Babin, president and chief executive of the United Way of Greater Houston, said the organizations 211 help line has had a backlog of 9,000 calls. Because the storm is still unfolding nearly a week after its initial landfall, she is urging organizations to hold off on sending materials.
People keep wanting to send us stuff and bring in trucks, and we have to say, Wait. Where are we going to put these? she said. Were still in the disaster.
Read more:
How to help Texas residents affected by Harvey
Before-and-after: Photos of historic flooding in Texas
The Cajun Navy races to help, some with memories of Katrina
In one day, Ric Saldivar lost his parents and four young relatives in the Houston floods. They were traveling to his home on Sunday when their van was swept away. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)
In one day, Ric Saldivar lost his parents and four young relatives in the Houston floods. They were traveling to his home on Sunday when their van was swept away. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)
Just before he hung up the phone with her, Alicia Contreras could hear her father frantically racing around his store, laying down newspaper and lifting the most valuable timepieces to the highest shelves he could reach.
Her father had spent almost every day, for nearly 30 years, working at Accu-Tyme, the South Houston clock and jewelry repair store he now owned. If Hurricane Harveys waters were coming for the store, he would be there to protect it.
Sweetie, I have to call you back! a frantic Alexander Sung, 64, told his 20-year-old daughter as the waters outside began to rage Saturday evening. Hed call back soon, he promised.
After days of torrential rain and fierce floodwaters, officials across Southeast Texas are just beginning to tally the deadly toll taken by Harvey, which has left 30 percent of Houston underwater and thousands of people displaced. As of Tuesday evening, officials believed that at least 22 people across Texas were dead of storm-related causes, a number expected to rise in the coming days and weeks.
Thirteen of the fatalities were in Harris County, which includes Houston and was among the areas hit hardest by the storm. That count includes Sung, whose body was found at 2:41 p.m. on Sunday, still barricaded inside his flooded clock shop.
Houston police Sgt. Steve Perez, 60, had left home around 4 a.m. on Tuesday despite his wifes pleas that he stay home in an attempt to find a passable route to his duty station. His body was recovered shortly after 8 a.m. (Handout/Reuters)
Also among the confirmed fatalities was a 52-year-old homeless man in La Marque believed to have drowned in the parking lot of the Walmart he was known to frequent, a 60-year-old who was asleep in her bedroom when an oak tree landed on her mobile home in Porter, and a 30-year veteran of the Houston Police Department who found himself trapped in floodwaters as he made his way into a rescue shift.
The officer, Sgt. Steve Perez, 60, had left home about 4 a.m. on Tuesday despite his wifes pleas that he stay home in an attempt to find a passable route to his duty station. His body was recovered shortly after 8 a.m.
He laid down his life, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who grew emotional during a brief afternoon news conference. He was a sweet, gentle public servant.
Officers stood along the chain-link fence outside Perezs home in Porter on Tuesday evening. The neighborhood, like so many others in northeastern Houston, had floodwaters rushing through residential streets.
He was a true peace officer, said Capt. Kenneth Campbell, Perezs supervising officer in the traffic enforcement division. He couldve retired a long time ago, but he didnt. He loved his job.
Rescue workers and police officials across the state privately lament that the storm probably has claimed many more lives than they have tallied. Soon enough, the dramatic boat rescues playing out live on cable news will give way to recovery missions.
Unfortunately, when the water goes down and we start going door to door, were prepared for the number of dead to go up, said Sgt. Tim Cromie of the Dickinson Police Department, which as of Tuesday afternoon had confirmed at least three storm-
related deaths in the town of 19,000. Although, we hope that it wont.
1 of 75 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Flooding in Texas continues in wake of Hurricane Harvey View Photos Houston officials described a vast rescue effort and said about 3,500 people had been brought to safety. Caption Five days after roaring ashore in Texas leaving behind more than 24 trillion gallons of water, disastrous flooding across Houston and a mounting death toll that had reached at least 22 people Harvey made landfall near Cameron, La. Aug. 30, 2017 The sun sets on downtown Houston as flood waters still surround some neighborhoods. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.
Across the hardest-hit counties, hundreds of people remain unaccounted for. In many of those cases officials hope the majority of them residents are listed as missing because power outages and dead cellphones have kept them from checking in with loved ones. But in at least some of those cases, rescue workers know, the missing will soon join the list of victims.
Among the yet-to-be-confirmed deaths are six members of the Saldivar family Manuel and Belia Saldivar, both in their 80s, teenagers Devy and Dominic, 8-year-old Xavier and 6-year-old Daisy who were attempting to flee a flash flood when the van they were riding in was submerged in water, according to Ric Saldivar, who is one of the elder Saldivars sons.
The group had piled into a family van being driven by Sammy Salvidar, 56, one of Rics brothers, on Saturday night as the nearby Halls Bayou began to flood.
As they approached the bridge at Green River Drive, Sammy saw that it was covered in water. However, according to Ric Saldivar, they kept driving, because the guardrails were still showing.
But the road dipped sharply on the other side of the bridge, he said. Suddenly, the van was floating and taking on water. Sammy Salvidar, the driver, squeezed out of a window and clung to a tree branch. No one else made it out of the van.
He was yelling at the kids to climb out of the back of the van; Im sure they couldnt reach it, said Ric Saldivar, relaying the narrative provided to him by Sammy. He could hear the kids screaming, but couldnt push the doors open. Thats what he keeps hearing in his head. And the van just went underwater and was gone.
The Harris County Sheriffs Office confirmed that it rescued Sammy Saldivar from floodwaters on Greens Bayou in East Houston. A sheriffs department spokesman told The Washington Post that deputies could not find the van and that the area was still too flooded for a search-and- rescue mission.
Flooding has prevented many county medical examiners from being able to conduct autopsies on most of the bodies they have recovered so far. As of Tuesday evening, Harris County officials had conducted only one autopsy that of the clock fixer.
Contreras said her father had worked with clocks for most of his life, learning the trade from his father, a clockmaker, when he was a 13-year-old living in China.
The youngest of five brothers, Sung followed his siblings to the United States in his 20s, then attended college and began working for clock-repair shops in the Houston area. The brothers decided to open Accu-Tyme together, but before long, Sung was its owner and primary employee.
He did enlist his daughters, Contreras and her 19-year-old sister, to help out with shifts at the store when they werent in school and to join him each Sunday to burn incense at the Taoist temple downtown. Contreras described her father as a funny but quiet man who would listen during family dinner as his daughters recounted the details of their days, teasing that their chatter was an endless recording that just keeps going and going. If either daughter came to the table quiet, he would quickly inquire why.
Whats wrong? Contreras recalled him asking with a tease. You two never stop talking, so I know something must be wrong.
Sung had spent much of Saturday checking in with Contreras, who is a junior at Texas State University, and her sister. The coming storm, he had been warned, could turn deadly. So Sung wanted to know that his girls were safe.
After checking in by text message for most of the day, Contreras finally called her father around midnight, after she finished a double shift at the Austin-area hospital where she works. He was at the shop, insisting he would be all right. He had to go. The waters were rising.
About 20 minutes later, a text message flashed across the screen of her cellphone.
I love you sweetie, Sung assured his daughter. You guys are all I have.
He promised he would call soon. The call never came.
As the night stretched on, fresh waves of rain feeding the raging floodwaters, Contreras began to worry. She and her sister sent text messages, and they called the clock shop.
They begged the police, and later their aunts and uncles, to find their father. He had not checked in for hours, and the quiet, they knew, meant something must be wrong.
Selk reported from Houston. Mark Berman, Lindsey Bever and Arelis R. Hernandez contributed to this report.
NEW MEXICO
Charges planned for teen in fatal shooting
Authorities in Clovis, N.M., intend to file first-degree murder charges in the coming days against a 16-year-old high school student accused of killing two and wounding four during a shooting rampage inside the citys library.
Clovis police said Nathaniel Jouett was armed with two handguns when he entered the facility about 4:15 p.m. Monday and killed two library employees: Wanda Walters, 61, and Kristina Carter, 48. Officials identified the wounded as Howard Jones, 53, Jessica Thrown, 30, Alexis Molina, 20, and Noah Molina, 10.
All four remain hospitalized, with Thrown and Alexis Molina the most seriously injured, officials said.
Jouett is being held in a juvenile detention center. During a news conference Tuesday, District Attorney Andrea Reeb said she will seek to prosecute him as an adult. In addition to the two murder charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, Jouett faces four counts of assault with intent to commit violent felonies, four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of child abuse, officials said.
The authorities have not disclosed a motive, though Clovis Police Chief Douglas Ford confirmed reports that Jouett was suspended from school Friday for fighting with other students. As part of their investigation, police are trying to determine whether the attacker told others he was planning the attack, Ford said. Its unclear how the shooter chose his victims.
On Monday night, witnesses described a chaotic scene as the shooter entered the library and began firing.
Lisa Baird told the Eastern New Mexico News that she observed a young man with a handgun fire several shots into the carpet in front of him and yell: Run! Why arent you running? Im shooting at you! Run!
Its unclear how many patrons were inside the library when the shooting began.
Ford said the gunman did not exchange fire with authorities and surrendered immediately when confronted.
Andrew deGrandpre
and Amy B Wang
OKLAHOMA
Bombing suspect is mentally incompetent
A former Air Force senior airman suspected of setting off a pipe bomb outside an Air Force recruiting office in Oklahoma is mentally incompetent to stand trial on federal explosives charges, a judge determined Tuesday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank McCarthy ruled that Benjamin Roden, 28, had some type of mental disease or defect, making him unable to assist in his defense. McCarthy ordered Roden hospitalized at a federal facility for further evaluation to determine whether there would be a time when he might be considered well enough to stand trial.
Whitney Mauldin, Rodens federal public defender, said two mental evaluations filed under seal with the court reached the same conclusion.
A federal grand jury indicted Roden earlier this month on charges that include using an explosive to damage federal property, using an explosive to commit felonies and possessing unregistered destructive devices. No one was hurt in the July 10 explosion in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby.
Prosecutors claim Roden turned to hate after he couldnt complete the training required to become a certified electrician in the Air Force.
Associated Press
INDIANA
Bat-wielding man fatally shot by police
A bat-wielding man was fatally shot Tuesday by officers in a confrontation outside a federal courthouse in Indiana, a day after he was escorted from the same building, police said.
Evansville police Sgt. Jason Cullum said an Evansville police officer and a federal courthouse security officer opened fire about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday on the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The Vanderburgh County Coroners Office identified the man as 55-year-old Ricky Ard of Evansville.
Cullum said Ard had visited the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building on Monday and expressed concerns about the government. The building includes federal court offices and other federal agencies. Cullum declined to discuss Ards specific concerns.
Ard returned Tuesday to the courthouse in Evansville, about 170 miles southwest of Indianapolis, armed with a bat and broke windows in the front doors of the federal courthouse, police said. A federal police officer who tried to prevent him from entering the building was struck in the face with flying glass.
A witness told the Evansville Courier & Press that the man approached an officer with the bat and that officer shot him four or five times.
Associated Press
ISRAEL
Netanyahus settlement vow upsets Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus vow to never evacuate Jewish settlements from occupied land drew outrage Tuesday from Palestinians and complicated the Trump administrations efforts to restart peace talks.
The Palestinians called on the White House to intervene, and visiting U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres challenged Netanyahus comments, reiterating the international communitys opposition to Israeli settlements.
More than 100 settlements dot the West Bank, and U.S.-led peace plans over the past two decades have called for evacuating at least some of them to make way for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Netanyahus hard-line base opposes such a move.
President Trump, unlike his predecessors, has not endorsed the idea of a two-state solution. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is leading the administrations peace efforts and was in the region last week for meetings.
At a ceremony Monday in Barkan, a settlement in the northern West Bank, Netanyahu said, There is a momentum of development in Judea and Samaria, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name.
We have returned here for eternity, Netanyahu added. There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the land of Israel. Settlements will not be uprooted.
The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for an independent state. Israel captured the areas in the 1967 Middle East war, though it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
The Palestinians say the settlements on occupied lands are illegal and undermine the goal of a two-state solution.
Associated Press
LEBANON
Negotiated evacuation of militants spurs anger
Buses carrying hundreds of Islamic State militants and their families arrived in eastern Syria on Tuesday after a negotiated evacuation from the Lebanon-Syria border, where the U.S.-backed Lebanese army deployed for the first time in years.
The evacuation agreement, the first such publicized deal reached with the Islamic State, has angered many Iraqis, who accused Syria and Hezbollah of dumping the militants on the Iraqi border rather than eradicating them.
About 600 militants were allowed to leave as part of a deal, negotiated by Hezbollah, in exchange for identifying the location of the remains of Lebanese soldiers captured by the Islamic State in 2014 and later killed. The deal also provoked controversy in Lebanon, with some voicing opposition to negotiations with the militants.
Honestly speaking, we are unhappy and consider it incorrect, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told reporters. Transferring terrorists from Qalamoun [along the Lebanese-Syrian border] to the Iraqi-Syrian border is worrying and an insult to the [Iraqi] people.
The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have defended the deal, saying it was the only way Lebanon could uncover the fate of its captured soldiers and recover their remains.
Associated Press
PHILIPPINES
Duterte: Marcos family may return some assets
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday that the family of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos has indicated a willingness to return an unspecified amount of money and a few gold bars to help ease the governments expected budget deficit.
Duterte said he was considering designating three people to negotiate with the Marcoses over the return of the assets.
He said the familys intention was relayed by a spokesman and indicated that the Marcoses were of the view that the assets to be returned had not been stolen, as alleged by political opponents.
Marcos was ousted in a 1986 people power revolt and died in exile in Hawaii three years later without admitting any wrongdoing, including accusations that he and his family amassed an estimated $5 billion to $10 billion while he was in power.
A Hawaii court found Marcos liable for human rights violations and awarded $2 billion from his estate to compensate more than 9,000 Filipinos who filed a lawsuit against him over torture, incarceration, extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
Associated Press
Niger rains kill more than 40: Nigers government said torrential rains have killed at least 44 people in the capital and other parts of the West African country. Authorities said hundreds of homes were destroyed just outside Niamey, the capital. Some neighborhoods have dug ravines to ease the damage. The government is providing emergency food assistance.
Israels envoy returns to Egypt after 8 months: Israels ambassador to Egypt has returned to his post, eight months after he and his small staff headed back home because of unspecified security threats. Cairo airport officials said David Govrin flew back to Cairo with eight staff members. They are expected to resume work from the envoys Cairo home. The Israeli Embassy has been closed since protesters stormed it in 2011.
From news services
SAUDI ARABIA
1.7 million Muslims gather for start of hajj
More than 1.7 million pilgrims marked the start of the hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday by circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Islams holiest site and performing rites that trace the footsteps of the prophet Muhammad.
The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God in Islam. Observant Muslims worldwide face in the direction of the Kaaba during their five daily prayers.
Over the years, the Saudi government has spent billions of dollars to improve the safety of the pilgrimage, required of all Muslims once in a lifetime. A stampede in 2015 during the hajj killed more than 2,400 people.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said at a news conference that 100,000-plus security personnel are on the ground in and around Mecca to secure the hajj and assist pilgrims.
Associated Press
JAPAN
Official retracts remark on Hitlers intentions
Japans deputy prime minister on Wednesday retracted a comment made a day earlier that seemed to suggest that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had good intentions.
Taro Aso was speaking at a seminar for his faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday when he said: I dont question a politicians motives; it is delivering results that matter. Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good, even if his intentions had been good.
Aso said Wednesday that the remark was inappropriate and that he would like to retract it. He said he meant that Hitler was a bad leader with bad intentions.
Aso is also the finance minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abes cabinet and served as prime minister in 2008-2009.
Aso in 2008 was criticized for comparing the tactics of the Democratic Party of Japan to those of Nazis in 1930s Germany. And in 2013, he withdrew a comment that seemed to suggest that Japanese leaders should follow Nazi Germanys example in changing the constitution.
Associated Press
BURMA
18,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh in a week
At least 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Burma and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in a no mans land at the border, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday.
Human rights groups and advocates for the Rohingya say the Burmese army was burning down villages and shooting civilians in retaliation for attacks last week by Rohingya militants.
The Burmese government blames Rohingya insurgents for the violence. Government figures put the death toll since last week at a minimum of 103.
Most of Buddhist-majority Burmas estimated 1 million Rohingya live in northern Rakhine state, where they face persecution. Burma refuses to recognize the Rohingya as a legitimate native ethnic minority.
The U.N. refugee organization on Tuesday urged Bangladesh to continue to allow Rohingya fleeing violence to seek safety.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the United States to put pressure on Burma so that its government stops pushing the Rohingya toward Bangladesh, her spokesman said.
Associated Press
Brazilian judge suspends decree allowing Amazon mining: A Brazilian judge has suspended a presidential decree that stripped protections from a reserve in the Amazon and would have allowed mining. The order, issued last week and later revised, lifted the reserve designation from a gold-rich area in two northern Brazilian states. Environmental groups said such a move could cause environmental damage and create conflicts between miners and indigenous groups.
Hungary extends state of emergency: The Hungarian government has decided to extend by six months, until March 2018, the state of emergency declared early last year because of the migrant crisis. A government spokesman said strict border controls were still needed because the threat of terrorism in Europe has increased recently.
From news services
Jeannie Rousseau de Clarens, one of the remarkable spies of World War II, died last week in France at the age of 98. Like so many intelligence officers, she had a gift for getting people to talk. But she had something else: dauntless, unblinking courage in facing the enemy.
De Clarens stole one of the vital secrets of the war Germanys plans to build and test the V-1 and V-2 rocket bombs at Peenemunde. Her intelligence encouraged the British to bomb Peenemunde, delaying and disrupting the program, and saving thousands of lives in the West, said R. James Woolsey Jr., then CIA director, at a private ceremony at the agency in October 1993 honoring de Clarens.
How did this charming, diminutive woman accomplish her mission impossible? She listened. De Clarens was a fluent German-speaker, and in 1943, she teased the first threads of information about the rocket program out of some German officers she had befriended in Paris as a translator. And then she kept pulling on the string.
I was such a little one, sitting with them, and I could not but hear what was said. And what they did not say, I prompted, she told me in 1998. I teased them, taunted then, looked at them wide-eyed, insisted that they must be mad when they spoke of the astounding new weapon that flew over vast distances, much faster than any airplane. I kept saying: What you are telling me cannot be true! I must have said that 100 times.
Ill show you! one of the Germans finally said, eager to convince the pretty, young Frenchwoman. He displayed a document from Peenemunde; de Clarens, with her photographic memory, registered every word and transmitted the information through her case officer to London.
Her code name was Amniarix, and she was part of a British spy ring in Paris known as the Druids. She was recruited by a former mathematics professor in 1941 to what he called his little outfit. She had been spying on the Germans informally since they conquered France in 1940, passing on bits of information to French contacts.
De Clarens made it all sound easy, no more than anyone would do, when I first interviewed her in 1998. I just did it, thats all. She had never spoken to a journalist before, but when I showed up (after an introduction from Woolsey), the story began to flow and continued into the early morning. I published her amazing tale, but she was happier living in the shadows, and I dont think she told the full story ever again.
She was a graceful woman, elegant as a French movie star, but she spoke in an incongruous deep voice. On one of many visits in later years, she frightened one of my daughters by demanding in that gravelly bass: If you dont get me a whiskey right away, I will be very angry with you!
What she didnt want to tell me, in that first conversation or ever, was how much she had suffered. After the British received her reports about the rocket bombs, they wanted to bring her to London to debrief her. A boat evacuation was arranged from Brittany in the spring of 1944, but she was betrayed to the Germans on her way to the beach. She spent the last year of the war in three Nazi concentration camps, each harsher than the last. When she was finally rescued by the Swedish Red Cross, she was nearly dead of starvation and tuberculosis. She never revealed to the Germans a hint of the secrets she had stolen.
When I pushed her to talk about her time in the camps, her voice became distant and irregular, as if it was physically painful to remember, and to know that she had survived when so many others didnt. After the war, the curtain came down on my memories, she said. And then, with a modesty born of deep suffering, she insisted: What I did was so little. Others did so much more. I was one small stone.
The mystery of de Clarenss story for me was where her bravery came from. Why did she do what was right when so many others were afraid to take action? She shook her head as if I was missing the point. It wasnt a choice. It was what you did. At the time, we all thought we would die. I dont understand the question. How could I not do it?
She was an extraordinary woman. Im glad she let me pull the story from her, so that others can read and remember what courage is.
Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
THE WHITE HOUSE timed its announcement of a ban on transgender recruits in the military amid a flurry of other events Friday. Hurricane Harvey was charging toward the Texas coast, and the presidents pardon of convicted former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio was stirring controversy. That the White House didnt want to call much attention to its discriminatory treatment of transgender people is understandable, because the change in policy is without logic or need and has received bipartisan criticism. It has the potential to do great harm and must not be allowed to stand.
President Trumps order directs the Pentagon not to permit transgender individuals to join the military, something he had promised in July with an announcement on Twitter that surprised not only Congress but also the military leadership. The long-term fate of transgender people currently in the armed services remains unclear; the directive gives Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority, in consultation with the secretary of homeland security, to determine if current personnel can continue to serve based on considerations of military effectiveness, lethality and budgetary constraints. On Tuesday, Mr. Mattis released a statement that while the matter is under review, the status of those personnel would remain unchanged.
Extensive review of the issue conducted by the Obama administration, including a study by the Rand Corp., found no adverse impacts to troop readiness and minor costs. Even more compelling evidence is found in the real-life experience and able service of thousands of Americas transgender veterans and active service members. More than a dozen other countries allow transgender troops to openly serve in the military without any problems.
Mr. Mattis has six months to develop a plan, so lets hope more thought and study go into his handling of this issue than the spur-of-the-moment political whim that apparently gave rise to Mr. Trumps tweet. Fridays memo seems to suggest the possibility of Mr. Trump changing his mind (The Secretary of Defense . . . may advise me at any time, in writing, that a change to this policy is warranted).
But a better bet in ending this discriminatory policy may lie in the courts or with Congress. Lawsuits, including by the American Civil Liberties Union, have already been filed challenging the policy as violating the equal protection rights of transgender service members. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), along with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), plans to propose legislation that would block the ban once Congress is back in session. The Republican lawmakers who spoke out against the policy change after Mr. Trumps July tweets, including Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), need to give meaning to their words and support that effort.
People walk along a flooded roads median during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday in Houston. (Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)
Vernon Loeb is managing editor of the Houston Chronicle.
Ive covered the news in Houston for 3 years and have already seen two devastating floods and now what is being described as a one-in-800-years flood brought on by Hurricane Harvey.
That suggests to me that something is happening here thats way bigger than the largely made-up tiff between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) about whether Houston should have been evacuated before Harvey dumped trillions of gallons of rain on the nations fourth-largest city.
Theres no denying Texas is politically polarized, with all its major cities liberal and Democratic, and the rest of the state, and all its statewide elected officials, conservative and Republican. So theres no end of discord and rancor if one wants to find reasons for blame and finger-pointing.
This drone video taken Aug. 27 shows the historic flooding in the Texas Medical Center caused by Hurricane Harvey. (Tom C. Nguyen)
Houston, meanwhile, can be its own worst enemy when it comes to flood control. A big part of its freewheeling, entrepreneurial identity is its lack of zoning, which has produced more than 600 square miles of subdivisions, strip malls and concrete prairie. Its not hard to wonder whether this vast expanse of what was once coastal plain was really the best place to build a major city.
But anyone who has lived through four straight days of torrential rain that may surpass 50 inches knows perfectly well that no zoning code, infrastructure improvements or flood control regulations could have done anything to deal with this much water inundating a major metropolitan area this quickly.
And it is an unbelievable amount of water. Not wanting to risk my car on Sunday morning, I started toward our newsroom on foot and found myself waist-deep two blocks from my home.
On Monday I ventured a mile north to Buffalo Bayou, a bucolic urban park remade thanks to $25 million from a leading local philanthropist who once worked for Enron. The park was gone, its meandering bayou now a roiling, fast-moving river that had engulfed parkways on both sides, flooded a television station and badly damaged much of the citys theater district.
On a stretch of Kirby Drive in River Oaks, Houstons toniest neighborhood, the water was chest-deep, lapping up onto mansion lawns.
Sometimes, even in our political and governmental bureaucracies, people say exactly what they mean. Not known for hyperbole, the National Weather Service tweeted after the first devastating day of rainfall, during which some parts of Houston got more than 25 inches: All impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced.
Its catastrophic, unprecedented, epic, said Patrick Blood, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Whatever adjective you want to use.
Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, went even further: This is a storm the United States has not seen yet.
What theyre talking about, whether they know it or not, or care to acknowledge it or not, is global warming. The planet is getting warmer, ocean temperatures are rising, the polar ice caps are melting, and all of the incontrovertible science of climate change is that more extreme-weather events are an inevitable consequence.
Tom Friedman in his new book calls climate change a black elephant a combination of the unforeseen black swan event with enormous consequences and the elephant in the room no one can see.
Theres really no other way to make sense of whats happening in Houston. The black elephant is here in America, just as its in Africa and the Middle East and Antarctica, whether we want to see it or not.
Just acknowledging that will help Houston recover once the rain finally stops, making the political blame game even more futile than it has already become in American politics.
For now, Abbott and Turner are working tirelessly and cooperatively to help the thousands and thousands of people trapped by the worst floods in Houstons history.
And whenever its over, Houston should use Harvey to jump-start its transition from the countrys epicenter for oil and gas to a world capital of alternative energies. If the city can turn this devastating tragedy into an existential moment of reinvention after the storm, then a decade from now we may argue that it was worth it.
As for the nation, Americans need to understand what leading scientists have concluded even if many of our political leaders pretend its not true weve just about blown through the Holocene epoch, when Earth emerged from the last ice age and became more comfortable for human life. Some climatologists have started to call our current age the Anthropocene, in which conditions on the planet have been dramatically altered by man. We have to take responsibility for what weve done, and take charge of our future.
Its clearly too late to stop the Category 4 hurricane that led to the millennial flooding in Houston. But it may not be too late to save the planet if we heed Harveys hard lesson here in Texas, a proud state that doesnt like to be messed with. It could be the perfect place to start.
PRESIDENT TRUMP assured the nation over the weekend that he is closely monitoring the disaster in Texas. We have an all out effort going, and going well! he tweeted.
No, the president and his administration do not. Since they entered office, they have tried to enhance the risk of the sort of devastation on display in Texas. Anyone watching Houston who fails to worry about how humans are intensifying natural risks, including storm surges, deluges and flooding, is ignoring the warning signs right in front of them.
Scientists are habitually cautious about attributing a single weather event to the long-term increase in global temperature that human beings have begun, and they cannot say with reasonable certainty that climate change caused Hurricane Harvey. In fact, they are still sorting out exactly how global warming affects hurricane formation. It seems likely that an increase in North Atlantic hurricanes is linked to climate change, but scientists cannot confidently rule out some other factor.
What they can say and have, emphatically, since this hurricane slammed into Houston is that Harvey was almost certainly more intense than it would have been in the absence of human-caused warming, as climate scientist Michael E. Mann wrote in the Guardian. The surge of water this storm churned up out of the Gulf of Mexico was half a foot higher than it would have been without the rising sea level, he reckoned. This storm surge not only endangered coastal-zone communities such as Galveston, but local experts report it also blocked water drainage from inland areas that heavy rains have inundated.
Warmer surface water temperatures and they have been very warm in the Gulf of Mexico lately mean more water vapor in the atmosphere. This means that when we get the right circumstances for very extreme rainfall to occur, climate change is likely to make these events even worse than they would have been otherwise, Andrew King, climate extremes research fellow at Australias University of Melbourne, explained. Wetter skies mean more intense rain.
Dickinson, Tex., residents tried to help a neighborhood underwater Aug. 28, following historic rainfall brought by Hurricane Harvey. (Whitney Leaming,Zoeann Murphy,Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)
Water below the surface is warm, too. That subsurface warmth appears to have helped fuel Harvey even as it approached land, where storms typically begin to struggle.
Houston is an example of what happens when public officials ignore experts and refuse to take natural risks seriously. As the countrys fourth-largest city expanded, replacing prairie with impermeable surfaces such as pavement and concrete, the land was rendered less and less capable of absorbing floodwater. Without proper adaptive measures, this made an already flood-prone place more vulnerable. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation found last year that those who have overseen Houstons flooding issues discounted scientists warnings as anti-development. In the coming months and years, the city may pay a high price for such shortsightedness.
Those officials had the fate of only one city in their hands. Mr. Trump has the fate of the whole world.
Philip Allen Lacovara, a former U.S. deputy solicitor general in the Justice Department, served as counsel to Watergate special prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski.
President Trumps pardon of former Arizona sheriff and civil rights abuser Joe Arpaio raises the question of whether the president may act with impunity to pardon individuals caught up in special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation of the Trump campaigns dealings with Russia. Based on my experience studying the pardon power during the Watergate investigation, I believe the answer is no.
Almost certainly, a presidential decision to preemptively pardon any of those caught up in Muellers investigation, whether former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn or Donald Trump Jr., would be effective and would spare those pardoned from prosecution, at least on the federal level.
So Trump may be tempted to use this mechanism to extricate himself from what he calls derisively the Russia thing.
But issuing pardons to his own friends, associates and relatives could be a perilous path for Trump, creating additional exposure on two levels, criminal and political both flowing from an important proposition that is often overlooked in the debate over presidential power. Our legal system provides mechanisms for probing the intent and motives behind the exercise of power. The president may have the power to grant effective pardons in the Russia investigation, but both Congress and the federal prosecutor are entitled to determine whether the exercise of that power violates constitutional and statutory norms.
The most obvious constraint is the authority of the House of Representatives to determine whether an effort to squelch an investigation into criminal misconduct by people close to the president constitutes an impeachable offense. The core concept behind high crimes and misdemeanors is abuse of political power in violation of the best interests of the nation. Thus, it would not be necessary for the House to conclude that the decision to issue pardons constituted a conventional crime. All that would be required would be to find that the motive for pardons was to protect the presidents personal interests and political future by cutting off the investigation into the misdeeds of those around him.
While impeachment remains an unlikely political prospect at the moment, so it was during Watergate until the Saturday Night Massacre dramatically changed the political landscape. A decision by Trump to pardon his close friends and associates for any complicity in colluding with a hostile foreign power could easily trigger a similar firestorm, with comparable political consequences.
But Trump should not ignore the potential criminal pitfalls of exercising his pardon power in this context. As with any other presidential power, the power to pardon is constrained by the ordinary requirements of federal law applicable to all public officials. For example, if representatives of a pardon-seeker arrived in the Oval Office with a bundle of cash that the president accepted in return for a pardon, there is little doubt that the president would be guilty of the crime of bribery.
More apt than bribery in the current context is the array of federal statutes that make it a crime to obstruct justice. Those statutes turn on the motive behind a persons action, even if the person otherwise has the power to take the action. For example, under Section 1503 of the federal criminal code, any person who corruptly . . . influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice commits a felony. If Trump were to pardon any of the figures in the current Russia investigation, his action would certainly impede or obstruct the due administration of justice, as the courts have broadly construed that standard.
It would not be difficult to imagine Mueller making the case that the motive behind such interference was corrupt. As the Founding Fathers made plain, the purpose behind the pardon power is to extend mercy to those who have offended and have demonstrated remorse. Using the pardon power to protect the presidents own interests against embarrassment or exposure is not legitimate. Rather, a crassly self-interested exercise of presidential power to impede the due administration of justice is the very antithesis of the presidents most solemn oath to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
And that is why Trump should take care to make sure that wielding his pardon power, however tempting, does not blow up in his face. An attempt to use pardons to defend his presidency may end up imperiling it instead.
Vivien Godfrey and Michael Cromartie, right, of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, in 2012 at the Library of Congress in Washington. (Rebecca D'Angelo/For The Washington Post)
There is something eternally bonding about a shared near-death experience, which is how I first met Michael Cromartie.
This was 15 or so years ago, before I had moved to the nations capital for an up-close look at power. Cromartie had called to invite me to one of the Faith Angle Forums he hosted for a select group of journalists and scholars to discuss religion in the public square. I happened to be driving when my cellphone rang.
Kathleen, you dont know me, but Ive got a fabulous invitation for you!
His enthusiasm was such that he was nearly chirping, and I do believe there was a choir of angels humming in the near-distance when suddenly another car shot out of nowhere. I was forced into the median, across two lanes of oncoming traffic and onto the grassy shoulder on the far side of the road.
Whew! Shaking and gasping for air, I realized I was still on the phone with Cromartie, who was sputtering and trying to determine what had happened. Was I all right? Yes, no, I dont know, I think so.
For the next 30 minutes or so, we chatted away, he in his office and I still sitting roadside in my car, about everything under the sun life, death, God, gratitude. When a conversation suddenly swerves from cordial hellos to Oh-my-God-that-person-almost-killed-me, one is allowed to bypass several centuries of pleasantries and cut to the chase. We also nearly died laughing, both from relief at my having thwarted death and appreciation for having forged this strange and serendipitous friendship.
Yes, of course, Id love to attend the Faith Angle Forum, I nearly shouted into the phone. How could I not?
Miguel, as I called him, delighted in retelling this story often, and each time slightly more embellished. Another decade or so and Id have been killed instantly and resurrected from the dead. The forums, meanwhile, became a gift to a handful of journalists invited to convene with religious scholars, rabbis, imams, priests, preachers and prayer leaders. Cromartie, who was vice president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of its Evangelicals in Civic Life program, felt strongly that the publics perception of journalists as unfriendly toward religion and especially toward evangelical Christians, though not unwarranted, was a reflection of the medias lack of exposure to and understanding of Americas faithful rather than willful animus.
He was, in other words, one of Washingtons relatively unknown elves who work diligently and without fanfare to make the world a better place. The forums, which were his brilliant idea, were held twice a year in Key West and more recently in Miamis South Beach. In between lectures three over three days invitees convened for lunches, cocktails and dinners interspersed with free time for carousing, bike riding or dancing. Cromartie loved to dance.
There are stories. Atheist Christopher Hitchens, who died nearly six years ago, was a chapter unto himself. There were at least two romances then marriages or pending nuptials that blossomed over the debate table. Epic tales of nightlife that will remain in the cone of silence, as well as ghost stories told one night under the spell of moonlit waves lapping against the dock.
Those were glorious, fun-filled, intellectually stimulating days that probably have benefited the country indirectly through the enlightenment of more than 220 journalists from roughly 30 newspapers, magazines and broadcast networks.
Cromartie, though ill, had promised another this fall, but when I saw him recently, it was clear thered be no more under his watch, if at all. The ravages of the cancer he had been fighting for more than two years were etched in his hollow cheeks and in eyes that betrayed a deep sadness. We pressed our foreheads together as if to connect our minds more fully, perchance to discover some elusive bit of information that would solve the riddle and reverse the course of events.
Its horrible, horrible, just horrible, he whispered.
I doubt Cromartie feared death because he was a man of enduring faith, though he may have grieved the loss of a life well-lived but not yet finished. When he died Monday morning at 67, he left a void that will be felt by hundreds of friends, admirers and, of course, his family. For them and even the greater world for which he steadily prayed the loss is immeasurable.
And, yes, Miguel, it was a fabulous invitation.
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Regarding the Aug. 26 front-page article Trump pardons ex-sheriff Arpaio:
The White House statement trying to explain the reasons behind the pardon made no mention of former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaios criminal offense. It was replete with praise for Mr. Arpaios military accomplishments and years of service, and it mentioned how old he is. Such factors are judicially irrelevant in a criminal proceeding. These factors may be relevant during the sentencing, but we will never know in this case because President Trump didnt wait for the sentencing. In fact, Mr. Trump contacted Attorney General Jeff Sessions specifically to ask him to end the prosecution of Mr. Arpaio, another example of obstruction of justice.
Mr. Trumps recent actions have sent two very clear messages:
He supports, encourages and emboldens fringe, white-supremacist groups because doing so supports, encourages and emboldens his shrinking base.
And he has utter disdain and contempt for the countrys judicial system and will unconscionably usurp its powers when it politically suits him to do so.
I fully expect deafening silence from the Republicans in Congress concerning the pardon. Their silence thus far hasnt prevented Mr. Trump from trampling on the rights and freedoms of us all. What will it take for Republicans to condemn this divisive demagogue?
Larry Dodd, Haymarket
How could discredited former national security adviser Michael Flynn and others similarly situated fail to notice their old bosss unambiguous message? President Trump just granted a pardon for an act of contempt by a personal friend and political crony. Former sheriff Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos in violation of a judges orders.
Those who may know of any incriminating information about Mr. Trump and his family now need not fear prosecution for their refusal to obey an order to speak or for speaking falsely, even under oath. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and the congressional investigatory committees may have lost their best leverage to compel the truth in the Russia investigation. If any witness against the Trump family should be convicted by a jury of Americans for refusing an official order to speak or for lying to investigators or to a jury or a congressional committee under oath, their president will pardon them.
In this matter, no truth, no consequences.
Barry Kowalski, Arlington
This column has been updated.
Last weekend in Berkeley, Calif., a group of neo-communist antifa anti-fascist thugs attacked peaceful protesters at a No to Marxism in America rally, wielding sticks and pepper spray, and beating people with homemade shields that read (I kid you not) No Hate. The Post reports how one peaceful protester was attacked by five black-clad antifa members, each windmilling kicks and punches into a man desperately trying to protect himself. Members of the Berkeley College Republicans were then stalked by antifa goons who followed them to a gas station and demanded they get the [expletive] out of their car, warning, We are real hungry for supremacists and there is more of us.
The organizer of the anti-Marxism protest is not a white supremacist. Amber Cummings is a self-described transsexual female who embraces diversity and had announced on Facebook that any racist groups like the KKK [and] Neo Nazis . . . are not welcome. The protest was needed, Cummings said, because Berkeley is a ground zero for the Marxist Movement.
As if to prove Cummingss point, the antifa movement responded with jackboots and clubs because their definition of fascist includes not just neo-Nazis but also anyone who opposes their totalitarian worldview.
And lets be clear: Totalitarian is precisely what they are. Mark Bray, a Dartmouth lecturer who has defended antifas violent tactics, recently explained in The Post, Its adherents are predominantly communists, socialists and anarchists who believe that physical violence is both ethically justifiable and strategically effective. In other words, they are no different from neo-Nazis. Neo-Nazis are the violent advocates of a murderous ideology that killed 25 million people last century. Antifa members are the violent advocates of a murderous ideology that, according to The Black Book of Communism, killed between 85 million and 100 million people last century. Both practice violence and preach hate. They are morally indistinguishable. There is no difference between those who beat innocent people in the name of the ideology that gave us Hitler and Himmler and those who beat innocent people in the name of the ideology that gave us Stalin and Dzerzhinsky.
Artist and activist Bree Newsome says that, like the rise of the Ku Klux Klan after the Reconstruction era, we're seeing a "peak moment" in racist backlash to the first black president. (Gillian Brockell,Kate Woodsome,Jesse Mesner-Hage/The Washington Post)
The United States defeated two murderous ideologies in the 20th century. So we should all be repulsed by the sight of our fellow Americans carrying the banners of either movement, whether they are waving the red flags of communism or black flags of Nazism. Yet we are not. Communism is not viewed as an evil comparable to Nazism today. As Alex Griswold recently pointed out, the New York Times has published no fewer than six opinion pieces this year defending communism, including essays praising Lenin as a conservationist, explaining why Stalinism inspired Americans, and arguing that the Bolsheviks were romantics at heart and that women had better sex under communism. Can one imagine the Times running similar pieces about the Nazis?
My mother and grandfather fought the Nazis in Poland during World War II, and her family then endured the Stalinist terror that followed, when Nazi occupation was replaced by Soviet domination. So forgive me if I see little moral distinction between the swastika and the hammer and sickle. Both are evil, and their modern adherents need to be condemned especially when they dare to commit acts of violence in our midst to advance their hateful visions.
Both the left and the right have a responsibility to police their own movements. In the 1960s, William F. Buckley excommunicated the John Birch Society, widely believed then to be anti-Semitic and a proponent of nutty conspiracy theories, from the respectable right, and today, conservatives have a responsibility to do the same with the white nationalists of the alt-right.
Those on the left have responsibilities as well responsibilities few are meeting. On Monday I asked the office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for her statement of condemnation. To her credit, Pelosi issued a strong statement Tuesday, declaring, The violent actions of people calling themselves antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted. In California, as across all of our great nation, we have deep reverence for the Constitutional right to peaceful dissent and free speech. Non-violence is fundamental to that right.
Good for her. So why havent more leading Democrats done the same? After Charlottesville, the media rightly demanded that President Trump and all Republicans condemn the neo-Nazis and the KKK. So where are the calls for Democrats to condemn antifa and the brutal public condemnation for those who fail to do so? If black-clad neo-Nazis had attacked peaceful protesters at a No to Racism in America march in Berkeley, politicians in Washington would be falling over themselves to express their disgust and any who failed to do so would be vilified. But when neo-communists commit this kind of violence, they get a pass from the left.
That cannot be allowed to stand.
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President Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass sweeping tax cuts he said would unleash the economy and lead to higher wages for all Americans, leaning hard into conservative economic theories as he tries to revive his domestic agenda.
Trump, speaking at a manufacturing company here, provided few details of what the tax plan should look like, saying simply that he wants to cut taxes for companies and families and to encourage firms to move operations to the United States from places such as China.
Unlike his boisterous rallies, Trump rarely strayed from carefully worded remarks. White House officials hope the speech will energize GOP lawmakers to push a tax cut plan into law. Within minutes of its conclusion, numerous Cabinet agencies, including the departments of State and Interior, issued statements claiming Trumps tax outline would benefit virtually every corner of the economy. Trump plans to meet with GOP leaders on Tuesday to press them to move quickly.
While Trumps event was short on specifics and largely overshadowed by continuing coverage of Hurricane Harvey, it signaled a shift in his strategy for advancing his priorities on Capitol Hill.
During the failed push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Trump seemed disinterested in fully utilizing the bully pulpit provided by his office. He frequently spoke about what he saw as the disaster of Obamacare but did little to make an affirmative case for why it should be replaced with unpopular Republican-drafted legislation.
On tax reform, the White House is planning a series of pitches by Trump, building on his remarks Wednesday.
One senior Republican congressional aide said Trumps speech was exactly the kind of message lawmakers want to see the president deliver and wished he had started sooner.
I think we need presidential leadership on this issue, said the aide, who requested anonymity to speak more candidly. He needs to engage his base of support and create some urgency.
But while the White House seems to be working more closely with congressional GOP leaders on tax legislation than during the health-care debate, signs of potential tensions were evident Wednesday with Trump leaving little doubt where he would place blame if this effort also fails.
I am fully committed to working with Congress to get this job done. And I dont want to be disappointed by Congress, do you understand me? he said. Do you understand? Understand? Congress. I think Congress is going to make a comeback. I hope so.
The White House is also looking to win the support of moderate Democratic senators facing tough reelection fights next year, believing it will be more difficult for them to vote against tax legislation than it was for them to reject Republican attempts to scrap the ACA.
To further that effort, Trump brought a hammer rather than an olive branch to Wednesdays event, saying there could be political consequences for Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.), who is up for reelection next November, if she doesnt support the bill.
She must do this for you, and if she doesnt do it for you, you have to vote her out of office, Trump said.
The speech Wednesday outlined broad principles but did little to advance the debate over the specifics of what the tax plan should look like. Trump even seemed to waver on one of the few specific tax ideas he has advanced, saying that ideally the corporate tax rate would be lowered from 35 percent to 15 percent as he has previously proposed. Many GOP aides on Capitol Hill believe it will be difficult to get the rate below 20 percent.
The speech had Trumps trademark lofty promises he said numerous times the tax-cut plan he envisioned would reshape the U.S. economy and the morale of workers who will love getting up in the morning. They will love going to work.
Trump closely followed the economic vision many Republicans have tried to advance for years namely that cutting corporate taxes will grow the economy, lead companies to pay workers higher wages, spur those workers to spend more money and help grow the economy.
But budget analysts have found a large portion of the benefits from what Trump has outlined would be enjoyed by the wealthiest Americans. The Tax Policy Center estimates that 40 percent of the tax cuts would go toward the top 1 percent of U.S. earners, or those who make more than $732,000 a year.
On the corporate tax cuts, Trump echoed an argument that members of both political parties have made for years, saying that the 35 percent rate must be brought down. President Barack Obama proposed lowering it to 28 percent, and House Republicans have proposed bringing it down to 20 percent.
Lawmakers have often split when debating lowering the tax rate because they cant agree on what tax breaks to jettison to make up for the lost revenue that would come from lowering rates.
The Obama administration found that the effective tax rate paid by corporations, when factoring in all the deductions and credits they claim, averaged 20 percent in 2011 and 2012.
The big tax-rate disparity between the United States and other countries has lured American firms to relocate overseas, to places like Ireland, so they could benefit from a lower rate on their earnings. Trump has said he wants to stop this, in part, by lowering the U.S. corporate rate and removing the financial benefit from such a relocation.
Alan Auerbach, director of the Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance at the University of California at Berkeley, said some of the ideas Trump floated during the speech could boost economic growth and potentially grow wages, but it would depend on how the tax changes were designed and structured. He also said it would depend greatly on whether the tax plan would add to the government debt. Trump didnt mention his plans impact on the debt or the deficit during the speech.
Its hard to have a consensus about a policy about which you know very little, Auerbach said.
Trump on Wednesday also said that lowering the corporate tax rate would help lure trillions of dollars in overseas earnings back to the United States, further helping the economy grow. Many Democrats have expressed skepticism about this proposal, saying companies would use the money to pay senior executives and shareholders and not hire workers or make new investments.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that Democrats were open to discussing changes to the tax code but they would oppose any plan that is not squarely focused on the middle class and that would add to government debt, saying it would lead to Republicans later targeting programs such as Social Security or Medicare for savings.
This is going to be one of the biggest fights of the next three, four months, and Democrats are ready for it, Schumer said.
Republicans are hoping to pass a bill through the House Ways and Means Committee in October and then possibly through the full House of Representatives in November. The focus would then move to the Senate, where Republicans are divided on how to proceed.
Trump and his top advisers have refrained from outlining many details of any tax plan in part to give themselves maximum flexibility as they try to negotiate. Trump on Wednesday called for jettisoning tax breaks that he says benefit the special interests, but he declined to identify any of the tax deductions that could be targeted.
It all comes down to one thing and thats the same thing health care came down to, said Steve Moore, who was one of Trumps top economic advisers during the campaign. How do you get to 50 votes in the Senate?
Paletta reported from Washington.
A home is surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Monday in Spring, Tex. Experts say far too few homeowners have flood insurance. (David J. Phillip/AP)
The devastation Hurricane Harvey has wrought in southeastern Texas has brought new focus to the National Flood Insurance Program and to a pending Republican effort to restructure and partially privatize an industry that has been effectively subsidized with tens of billions of federal taxpayer dollars.
The program is set to expire Sept. 30, and no new policies can be written after that date unless Congress acts to extend it. Claims on existing policies, which can see payouts up to $350,000, are also at risk as the program approaches a $30 billion borrowing limit that experts say Harveys toll could quickly breach.
All but a tiny portion of U.S. flood policies are underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, which was established in 1968 after private insurers left the flood insurance market because of large and unpredictable losses.
[The countrys flood insurance program is sinking. Rescuing it wont be easy.]
Even before stormwaters swept across metropolitan Houston, debate on how to restructure the NFIP exposed fissures in Congress that crossed traditional partisan lines, pitting conservatives who want to scale back the government costs for the program against lawmakers from flood-prone regions wary of jacking up their constituents premiums.
We need a sustainable program, and today we dont have it, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), a staunch conservative who has pushed for privatization and other changes to provide for a self-sufficient program, said Tuesday. Ive been telling people for four years that we are one major storm away from another taxpayer bailout, and that day has come. So if anything, it creates more momentum and a greater onus on getting our bill into law.
The effort has had backing from the Trump administration, whose budget proposed eliminating the NFIPs Flood Hazard Mapping Program, saving $190 million in fiscal 2018, as well as another $8.9 billion in other savings over the coming decade achieved in part by encouraging private competition in the flood insurance market.
But Hensarlings plan to extend the program, which passed his committee in June, has yet to come to the House floor amid frustration from Republican leaders who wanted the committee to draft a more broadly palatable NFIP extension that could pass quickly on a bipartisan basis. Notably skeptical of Hensarlings efforts is House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), who represents a hurricane-prone district and has closely monitored the debate as he recovers from a serious gunshot wound he suffered in June.
[Want to be mad about government insurance? Be mad about the program that will be critical after Harvey.]
Are we really going to have a philosophical debate about what role the federal government should play in flood insurance when peoples homes are underwater? said a House Republican leadership aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe internal discussions. Its just an absolute political loser at this point.
The leaders of the Senate Banking Committee last month proposed a bipartisan bill that would extend the program through 2023 but does not include the most controversial provisions in the House bill. That bill has yet to emerge from the panel, although it could serve as a blueprint for a compromise.
The debate over the future of the NFIP stands apart from the larger question of how Congress will offer relief to Harveys victims, most of whom do not have flood insurance coverage. That price tag could rise into the tens of billions of dollars beyond insurance payouts, based on the costs of similar recent storms and early estimates from the financial industry.
Volunteers continued to brave the rain to rescue residents trapped in their homes. (Dalton Bennett,Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)
But Harvey is certain to affect the flood insurance debate, as well. Forgive the pun, but it certainly roils the water, thats for sure, said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan group that advocates changes to the NFIP.
The program owes more than $24 billion to the U.S. treasury, and most observers see little hope that the debt can be recovered from policyholders. Neither the House nor Senate reauthorization bills propose raising the programs borrowing cap, so another congressional battle could develop after Harvey claims start to be paid out.
Restructuring advocates say the hurricane represents a crisis that should not go to waste. Storms like Harvey help concentrate the mind that this is a program that is broken, and the response to a broken program is not simply to continue and expect a different outcome, Ellis said.
[Where Harvey is hitting hardest, 80 percent lack flood insurance]
Its the nature of those changes that is at issue. Hensarling said that wider privatization would mean lower premiums for homeowners, but lawmakers of both parties fear that his proposals would lead to unsustainable premium increases. Democrats oppose provisions that they think will lead private insurers to cherry-pick the least-risky properties, leaving the government on the hook for huge potential losses on the remainder.
Other criticisms tend to cross lines of party or ideology. Conservatives and liberals alike question whether taxpayers ought to subsidize some coastal dwellings often vacation homes on shore property that have been repeatedly inundated over the course of decades.
Lets ask some tough questions: Should we subsidize houses that are built in flood zones? said Michael A. Brown, who served as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President George W. Bush and was ousted in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
W. Craig Fugate, who served as FEMA director under President Barack Obama, said that although any changes to the NFIP shouldnt affect current policyholders, we ought to stop growing it.
Harvey has shaken up the debate. Many of the inundated homes in the Houston area arent located on fragile coastlines, but in suburban subdivisions that are outside the floodplains where home lenders typically require flood insurance coverage.
I suppose one might think of abandoning Houston, Texas, and just leaving it for other forms of life, but thats not realistic, said Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), who represents parts of southern Houston, serves on the Financial Services Committee and thinks that Congress should forgive the programs debt.
At some point, we have to realize that this is a United States of America and in the spirit of unity, we will have to absorb that debt, he added. This is not money that is being thrown away; its going to benefit the health and welfare of our citizens.
Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who has studied the NFIP, said fundamental tensions between those who want to keep premiums artificially low and those who want a self-sustaining, actuarially sound program are just some of the obstacles to changing it.
Theres a real split between those who would like to see the NFIP contract as much as possible and those who would like to expand it, and Im not sure that Harvey will bridge those differences, she said.
That certainly appears to be true in the House. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, called for a bipartisan NFIP reauthorization in a statement this week and said that Harvey again makes clear that Americans need access to affordable flood insurance.
But Hensarling made clear Tuesday that he has no intention of settling. To the best of my knowledge, he said, the speaker or the [House majority] leader does not wish to have Maxine Waters and the Democratic minority write this bill.
Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.
Read more at PowerPost
Here's what you need to know about the religious leader who was the focus on protests in India that left at least 36 people dead. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)
Here's what you need to know about the religious leader who was the focus on protests in India that left at least 36 people dead. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)
The guru sits in jail now, and his town is already showing the bleak signs of departing abundance. New factories have their shutters rolled down, men are complaining of unemployment, military guns are everywhere.
Sirsa, a town in northern India, headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, is reeling without its spiritual leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was sentenced Monday to 20 years imprisonment for raping two female followers.
The conviction came after a decade-long legal battle, during which victims detailed their allegations of being invited into Singhs underground residence, where they said he watched pornographic films and forced himself on them.
Minutes after the judge pronounced Singh guilty, violence erupted in Sirsa and outside Panchkula court, where Singhs devotees thronged the streets. A total of 38 people lost their lives, as rioters threw stones and torched vehicles.
Ravinder Saini watched from his roof as a government-run milk factory burned. For two days the factory was burning. No one came, Saini said.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh appears in a small village in Nepal following a deadly earthquake there in May 2015 . (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
The riots have ended, but the townspeople are fearful about their future.
Singh claimed to have more than 60 million followers. Garbed in sequined costumes and gold jewelry, which earned him the nickname guru of bling, he produced outlandish music videos. Over the years, Singhs popularity made Sirsa prosperous.
From a purely business perspective, his organization was good for me, said Pradeep Saini, a 25-year-old shopkeeper.
Singhs is hardly the only outsider sect to have found a foothold in India. In this rapidly industrializing country, alternative spirituality persists alongside increasing levels of education and increased economic prosperity, said Ronki Ram, a professor of political science at Panjab University. Sermons from religious teachers are beamed into homes on religious channels, and a number of self-styled godmen have amassed fortunes selling branded products.
People buy into religious rhetoric, Ram said, because godmen are often charismatic speakers and make their followers feel part of a fraternity.
People from all walks of life go and attend, he said. Establishment religions such as Hinduism, he said, trap lower castes at the bottom of the social pyramid, offering them no way to rise. To them, being part of the alternative religious clubs offers equality, dignity and social justice, he said. A poor man goes and finds himself in a room with a minister, and suddenly he feels, Oh God, Im not alone!
Inside the compound now sealed off to the public, Singh lived a life of luxury, surrounded by doting followers who attended to his every need. Luxury cars and lavish furniture surrounded him. The complex includes a hotel, an auditorium for sermons and a large meditation hall. His larger-than-life personality attracted rich business executives and politicians who came to seek blessings ahead of new ventures or elections.
Singh greets followers as he arrives for a news conference for the movie "MSG, The Warrior Lion Heart," in New Delhi, India, in 2016. (Tsering Topgyal/AP)
To cater to the pious, grocery shelves in the city are stacked high with the gurus branded products. Movie theaters show films starring Singh, sometimes as a motorcycle-riding superhero. Shops are plastered with photos of the rhinestone-garbed rock star baba.
It has been profitable here, said Prabhu Ram, who sat under a tree playing cards with friends. There has been employment for the men in the factories, schools for our children. Even the value of land has appreciated.
We think of this place as heaven, said his friend Parhlad Singh, who works in one of the factories run by the sect, cleaning and packing pulses, the grains common in Indian cooking. The work is good, their product is good and I am able to run my house on what I earn.
But now all of that seems in jeopardy.
Everyone fell silent, and it felt like we had gone numb, a resident named Satbir Singh said of the moment when the verdict was announced on television. Our father has gone to jail, but we hope someone keeps the organization running.
In a village less than a mile away from the Dera sects headquarters, a group of farmers sat in a muddy field smoking a hookah pipe. He provided so much employment. So much development, said Mahaveer, who uses only his first name. We all think that the accusation was false.
Shaking his head, Mahaveer said, The Sirsa district will fall back now. I feel they should release him. Earlier, this was such a desolate area. Now look at the difference. We have public transport here, two fire engines and a hospital. We have nothing else that we need or want right now. The Dera has given us every facility. We have schools to educate our children. Colleges for them to study as much as they want.
A number of godmen like Singh have held on to vast numbers of followers despite allegations of criminality. Baba Ramdev, a stomach-flexing yogi who led an anti-corruption campaign, was investigated for tax evasion. Asaram Bapu has been jailed on charges of rape and criminal intimidation. But supporters are willing to overlook crimes, Ram says, because they see their own lives tangibly improving after joining sects.
It is a social protest for a new identity, Ram said, noting that holy men are often praised for their vast and wide-reaching social programs. Singh particularly was known for huge blood-donation drives, anti-drug messages and performing mass marriages of sex workers.
I have been a follower since the beginning, said Prabhu Ram. The sentence was wrong, and harsh, he said. They have given hospitals, there are eye camps, he said. The state government, he added, would not have made all this progress.
A young woman of 18 named Pinky refuses to doubt Singhs moral character. He did so much good. He never did anything bad, she said as she washed cooking utensils in a drain alongside the road. I believe the rape charges are false, she whispered.
Doshi reported from New Delhi.
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A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Wednesday that he had received a request for assistance on a stalled Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow from a close aide to President Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, but added that the Kremlin did not respond to the letter.
I confirm that among a number of emails one from Mr. Michael Cohen came to us. This indeed happened, said Dmitry Peskov, a personal spokesman for Putin, during a telephone briefing with Russian and foreign journalists. But as far as we dont respond to business topics, this is not our job, we did not send a response.
[Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal]
The stalled deal as described to congressional investigators by Cohen, a close aide to Trump since 2007 who now serves as one of his personal lawyers, was for a licensing project between Trump and a Moscow-based developer called I.C. Expert Investment. According to Cohen, Trump signed a letter of intent with the company in October 2015, but added that the project was later abandoned for business reasons.
Peskov said that the email described a Russian company together with certain people [who] had the goal of creating a new skyscraper in Moscow city, but the deal is not moving forward, and they were asking for some recommendations and help advancing this deal.
The Washington Post's Carol Leonnig and Tom Hamburger explain the Trump Organization's efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. (Jenny Starrs,Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)
Peskov said that he had seen the email but that it was not given to Putin.
The email was sent in mid-January 2016 shortly before the first Republican Party primaries, as Trump stood out on the campaign trail for his warm rhetoric about the Russian president. It is one of a number of contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials that have become the subject of congressional inquiries and an investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III exploring Russian interference in the 2016 election
[Trumps business sought deal on a Trump Tower in Moscow while he ran for president]
Cohen has served as a personal lawyer for Trump since January. He did not have a formal role in the campaign,
Over the past few months I have been working with a company based in Russia regarding the development of a Trump Tower-Moscow project in Moscow City, Cohen wrote to Peskov, according to a person familiar with the email. Without getting into lengthy specifics, the communication between our two sides has stalled.
As this project is too important, I am hereby requesting your assistance. I respectfully request someone, preferably you, contact me so that I might discuss the specifics as well as arranging meetings with the appropriate individuals. I thank you in advance for your assistance and look forward to hearing from you soon, Cohen wrote.
The email was sent to a general inbox used by the Kremlin press service, which Peskov said receives thousands of emails pertaining to courts, law enforcement and business topics that the Kremlin regularly passes on. In a statement to Congress, Cohen said he was encouraged to write to Peskov by Felix Sater, a Russian American businessman who was serving as a broker on the deal.
President Trump finally sits down with President Putin Friday at the G-20 summit in Hamburg. (The Washington Post)
Peskov, a former diplomat who speaks fluent English and Turkish, is seen as one of several gatekeepers to Putin and regularly travels with him on official trips. He was appointed head of the presidential press service during Putin's first term in 2000, and has served as a spokesman for Putin in various roles since.
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Former Egyptian presidential candidate and human rights lawyer Khaled Ali waves as he exits a police station May 24. Ali was detained for 24 hours the day before on suspicion of illegal political work, an official said. (AFP/Getty Images)
Two months after Sabry Mohammed Said vanished, his body turned up at the morgue. He had been shot three times and severely beaten, his family said.
The 46-year-old accountant and father of five was a rank-and-file member of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement. Egyptian authorities claimed he was also a terrorist who was killed in a June gun battle with police.
But Saids daughter Sara Sabry said he hadnt been politically active in three years and had never been arrested. When relatives went to get a police report, the precinct had no record of the incident.
Now, Sabry is convinced that her father died in the custody of Egypts notorious state security forces.
They killed him because he opposed the government, said Sabry, her face somber and framed by a lime-green headscarf. Anyone in the opposition is at risk of having this happen to him these days.
President Trump greets Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi as he arrives at the White House April 3. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
Saids death is part of a spike in extrajudicial killings and other forms of state abuses that have been committed in recent months under President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, according to activists, victims and their families. They date the dramatic rise to President Trumps visit to the Middle East in May, in which he urged Arab leaders to take a tougher stance against Islamist extremists and made clear that human rights would not be a high priority for his administration in its dealings with regional allies.
State security forces have arrested dozens of opposition party members. More than 100 websites deemed critical of Sissis government have been blocked. Human rights lawyers and activists have been jailed for staging protests, and their assets have been frozen. The judiciary is being stacked with pro-Sissi appointees, lawyers and judges say.
In July alone, there were 61 reported extrajudicial killings, more than double the total over the previous six months, according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedom.
The arrest campaigns have become fiercer, and the numbers of people and groups being targeted are scary, said Asmaa Naem, 27, a human rights lawyer in the northern city of Alexandria. This is reaching even apolitical people, not just those who are politically active.
The Egyptian government did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
[Autocrats hear a clear message during Trump trip: U.S. will not lecture on rights]
Previous U.S. administrations denounced Egypts rulers for abuses and pressed for democratic reforms, often using the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid Egypt receives annually second only to Israel as leverage. President Barack Obama froze part of that aid for two years after Egypts military, then led by Sissi, overthrew the elected Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi.
President Trump, along with Egypt's Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, opened the new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology on May 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (The Washington Post)
But Trump has embraced Sissi, even inviting him to the White House, something Obama never did. Trumps trip to Saudi Arabia was widely seen as solidifying a new relationship focused on combating terrorism.
The visit has emboldened the Arab rulers that whatever violations they commit against their people are going to be accepted by the Trump administration, said Gamal Eid, executive director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. This gave Sissi the green light to increase the repression. Hes been empowered.
Early last week, the United States notified Egypt that it would slash or delay more than $290 million in military and economic aid, partly in response to a law that undermines nongovernmental organizations. We remain concerned about Egypts lack of progress in key areas, including human rights and the new NGO law, said a State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity as per diplomatic protocol.
The cuts surprised many observers and angered the Sissi government. But last Thursday, Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Sissi in Cairo. Sissis office said that Trump phoned to stress the strength of the friendship between both countries and that their conversation showed Trumps keenness to step over any obstacles facing this friendship. A U.S. official confirmed the call.
The State Department official said the administration will continue to support Egypt in defeating extremists and terrorism. Egypt should eventually get $195 million of the restricted aid slated to fight internal security threats and terrorism, U.S. officials said.
In speeches, Sissi has declared war against Islamist extremist groups, including an Islamic State affiliate based in the northern Sinai and its counterparts in neighboring war-divided Libya.
But under the guise of fighting terrorism, security forces are also cracking down on moderate Islamists and secular opponents, as well as independent media. Since taking office in 2014, Sissi has jailed thousands of members of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
With a presidential election scheduled for next year, Sissi is facing mounting criticism over rising prices and reduced government subsidies. Critics say hes clamping down on dissent to prevent a repeat of the revolts that ousted President Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprising six years ago.
They killed him
Said was visiting Alexandria when he vanished. A friend traveled there to find him, and he, too, disappeared. Sabry said her familys Cairo apartment was raided by state security agents. The family filed a case with the government and found a human rights lawyer.
For the next month, she and her family searched police stations and prisons for her father. Then, in late June, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page that Said had been killed in a clash with police.
I dropped my phone and screamed: They killed him. They killed him, Sabry said.
Two days later, the ministry issued another statement: Saids friend had also been killed in a gun battle with police, it said.
Four days after Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia, the website of an independent Egyptian newspaper, Mada Masr, was shut down. Lina Attalah, the papers top editor, initially thought it was a problem with the Internet provider. Egypt was never a country that used to block websites, Attalah said. It was never like China or Syria.
That was the start of a government campaign to censor the Internet. By early August, 133 websites had been blocked, including privately owned media, NGOs and human rights groups, activists say.
Egypt has also blocked several websites based in Qatar, including the Al Jazeera news network, as part of a Saudi-led alliance that has severed ties with the tiny nation. The countries accuse Qatar of backing terrorism, which it has denied.
Mada Masr is now publishing articles via Facebook and Twitter. But even that is under threat: A proposed law, also in the name of fighting terrorism, seeks to restrict the publics access to social media.
Before the revolution, there was little margin in which we could operate as independent journalists or human rights defenders or womens rights activists, Attalah said. Right now, this margin is becoming tighter like no other time.
Egypts parliament passed the NGO law last year, but it was shelved following international condemnation. Eight days after Trumps visit to the region, the government ratified a similar law that makes it more difficult for the groups to raise money and prohibits them from engaging in political activities that harm national security. Violators could face prison sentences of up to five years.
It means the death of civil society, said Nour Khalil, an Egyptian human rights activist.
Under Sissi, thousands of people have vanished into the states security apparatus, but until recently, most were eventually found at police stations, often after being tortured and facing charges. But now our biggest hope is to find that person alive, said Khalil, a slim, thin-bearded 24-year-old who has been detained and imprisoned, and who tracks forced disappearances.
Sending a message
Khaled Ali, a human rights lawyer and opposition politician, was detained for violating public morals the day after Trump left Saudi Arabia.
The charges stemmed from a January photo showing Ali celebrating outside a court after a government decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia was reversed.
In the photo, government prosecutors allege Ali was flashing the middle finger.
But pro-democracy activists saw a different motive for the charges, which came four months after the incident. Ali is the founder of the Bread and Freedom Party and recently announced his intention to run for president. If convicted, he faces a year in prison and a fine.
And he will be legally barred from running for president.
They are sending a message to intimidate society, Ali said.
Dozens from several political parties were arrested in May and June in late-night sweeps, including 30 members of the Bread and Freedom Party. Five are still in jail, he said.
Sissi is using terrorism as an excuse to do whatever he wants, he said. Now, hes trying to control the political scene in the name of fighting terrorism.
The members are being held on what Amnesty International described as a series of vaguely worded counterterrorism-related charges. If convicted, they could be sent to prison for five to 25 years.
There used to be harassment against us, said Naem, the lawyer in Alexandria, who is also a Bread and Freedom Party member. Now, its much more violent and apparent.
In mid-June, Naem and five other lawyers were arrested for protesting parliaments decision to hand over the two islands to Saudi Arabia despite the courts ruling against the transfer. They were charged with demonstrating without permission and fined $2,700 each. One lawyer was jailed.
A law passed in March allows Sissi to appoint judges, and he recently replaced two senior justices with pro-government ones, activists said. One of the ousted judges, Yehya al-Dakroury, issued the first ruling last year that nullified the island handover.
I no longer have trust in the judicial system, said Eid, the human rights lawyer.
Nor does he have any faith that Washingtons sanctions will pressure Sissi to respect basic freedoms or improve human rights, he said.
Increasingly, Eids world is closing in on him. He has been banned from traveling outside the country, and his assets have been frozen. And this month, his NGOs website was shut down.
Heba Farouk Mahfouz contributed to this report.
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A convoy of Islamic State fighters and their families begins to depart from a besieged enclave on the Lebanese-Syrian border. (Omar Sanadiki/Reuters)
U.S. warplanes on Wednesday blocked a convoy of hundreds of Islamic State fighters who were heading to eastern Syria under the terms of a widely criticized deal brokered by Lebanons Hezbollah movement.
The 310 fighters were traveling to the Iraq-Syria border in a convoy of buses after Hezbollah and the Syrian government permitted them to withdraw from a besieged enclave on the Lebanon-Syria border.
The deal triggered a rare outburst of public anger against Hezbollah even among some of its closest allies, notably in Iraq, which is gearing up for an offensive to reclaim Iraqi territory adjoining the area to which the fighters were relocating.
Negotiated withdrawals have been a common tactic in Syrias six-year-old war and have enabled the Syrian government to reassert its authority over many of the areas that fell to opposition control.
But this was the first publicly announced instance of a deal involving the Islamic State on any battle front in Syria or Iraq since the war against the group geared up three years ago.
The criticisms laid bare a widening rift between the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State and the rival coalition fighting the extremists that includes the Shiite Hezbollah movement, Syria and the Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq.
[Here are some of the toughest battles still to be fought against ISIS]
On Wednesday morning, the U.S.-led coalition moved to prevent the convoy from reaching its destination, cratering the road and blowing up a bridge leading to the Islamic State-controlled town of Bukamal on the Syrian border with Iraq, according to a U.S. military spokesman, Col. Ryan Dillon.
The strikes took place in the vicinity of a desert town called Hamaymah, and although front lines are fluid in that part of Syria, it is the U.S. militarys understanding that the convoy is stuck in Syrian government-held territory, Dillon said.
ISIS is a global threat, and to relocate terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not acceptable to the coalition, he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State. Our goal is to prevent this convoy from moving to ISIS-held territory to reinforce ISIS elements there.
The airstrikes did not target the convoy itself because about 300 relatives are also traveling with the Islamic State fighters, he added. A U.S. military statement subsequently said airstrikes targeted a number of individual vehicles and fighters that were clearly identified as ISIS.
The strikes and the criticisms triggered a defensive response from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who had called the deal a great victory in a televised speech on Monday.
The number of those transferred was not big: 310 tired, broken, militants who had surrendered and lost the willpower to fight will not change the course of the battle in Deir al-Zour, where there are tens of thousands of fighters, Nasrallah said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the province where the Islamic State fighters were headed. He pointed out that the fighters were being transferred from one border region of Syria to another, not to Iraq.
But the planned relocation of the fighters to a town right on the Iraqi border, where they would have easily been able to reinforce militants in Iraq, infuriated many Iraqis. In addition to sending thousands of fighters to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah has provided training and advice to some of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias fighting the Islamic State in Iraq, and it is regarded by many as an Iraqi ally.
The anger erupted after photographs showing the armed Islamic State fighters traveling across Syria in air-conditioned buses one of them marked with the words Happy Journey began circulating on social media. One commentator called the deal selfish. Another described it as a betrayal of Iraqs alliance with Hezbollah, Syria and Lebanon.
Addressing a news conference on Tuesday night, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for a public inquiry into how the deal came about.
We are fighting terrorists in Iraq, not kicking them out to Syria, he said at a news conference on Tuesday. They are terrorists: Why would one negotiate with them in the first place?
The leader of one of the Hezbollah-allied Iraqi militias refuted the criticisms. Hadi al-Amiri, who heads the Badr Organization, said that negotiating with the Islamic State could save lives and that he wished there had been a similar deal to avert the high death toll in the battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Personally, if I could have negotiated with them in western Mosul, I would have, he said in an interview in Mosul. Its better than putting our soldiers and civilians in harms way and destroying the city.
Under the arrangement negotiated over the weekend, the fighters and their relatives were allowed to leave a remote mountainous area spanning the Syria-Lebanon border for the desert town of Bukamal on the Iraqi border. In return, Hezbollah secured the bodies of nine captured Lebanese soldiers who had been kidnapped by the Islamic State in 2014, the bodies of three Hezbollah fighters and the body of an Iranian military adviser who had been decapitated by the Islamic State during a battle on the Iraqi-Syrian border earlier this month.
El-Ghobashy reported from Mosul. Mustafa Salim, also in Mosul, and Suzan Haidamous in Washington contributed to this report.
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Away from the cameras and apart from the nonstop drama of the White House, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has come to play a role unlike any other Cabinet member.
The retired Marine general has become a force for calm, order and, in the eyes of the presidents critics, quiet resistance to some of President Trumps most combative and divisive instincts.
In perhaps his greatest political feat, Mattis has maintained this air of independence without directly provoking a president who demands absolute loyalty.
The latest example came Wednesday morning when Trump vented his frustrations with North Korea after its latest missile launch.
Talking is not the answer! Trump tweeted only a few hours before Mattis met at the Pentagon with Song Young-moo, South Koreas defense minister, and delivered a very different message to reporters.
Three Cabinet secretaries have appeared to distance themselves from President Trump in the wake of his response to the violence in Charlottesville. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Were never out of diplomatic solutions, Mattis said.
On Tuesday night, Mattis seemed again to be in mitigation mode when he announced that he would be pulling together a panel of experts to provide advice on how to implement Trumps ordered ban on transgender troops.
[Transgender ban frozen as Mattis moves forward with new review of options]
Trump announced the ban last month in a series of tweets that caught the militarys top brass largely by surprise. By contrast, Mattiss statement promised an exhaustive study and also seemed to leave the door open to allowing some transgender troops who are serving to stay in uniform.
Perhaps the most striking example of Mattiss inclination to tamp down deep political divisions came in the wake of the recent violence in Charlottesville. Mattis was recorded in a video uploaded to Facebook speaking off the cuff to a small group of American troops in Jordan. Our country, right now, its got problems that we dont have in the military, Mattis told them. You just hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other and showing it.
The comments were interpreted by some as a critique of Trumps leadership.
Mattis and his top advisers blanch at suggestions that he is resisting the wishes of his commander in chief. As defense secretary, Mattis has steered away from the public spotlight, avoiding Pentagon news conferences and on-camera interviews. And he has expressed frustration with those who scrutinize his remarks for signs of disagreement with Trump.
1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Scenes from Trumps second six months in office View Photos A look at the second half, so far, of the presidents first year in the White House. Caption A look at the second half of the presidents first year in the White House. Jan. 24, 2018 President Trump speaks to a group of mayors in the East Room of the White House. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.
In his often terse public statements, the defense secretary has repeatedly noted that he is not the ultimate decision-maker on matters of military or foreign policy.
The American people elected the commander in chief, Mattis said after Trumps tweets last month on the new transgender policy. They didnt elect me. . . . He has that authority and responsibility. So that was fully within his responsibility.
Mattis is far from the only senior Trump administration official who has seemed to be at odds with the president of late. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn both distanced themselves from Trumps remarks following the Charlottesville violence for their failure to unequivocally condemn hate groups.
The president speaks for himself, Tillerson said coolly of Trumps public statements. Tillerson and Cohns comments both fueled new tensions with the White House and fed speculation that they could soon be gone from the administration.
But Mattiss deft political touch has surprised many who watched him fall out of favor with the Obama White House. As a four-star general, Mattis pushed for the Obama administration to take a harder line against Irans destabilizing behavior in places such as Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Ultimately, his aggressive style alienated the White House and the president he was serving.
[As a general, Mattis urged action against Iran. As a defense secretary, he may be a voice of caution.]
In the Trump administration he has managed to press his differences without provoking a backlash.
In many instances his opposing view seems shaped by his more than four decades of military service in the Marine Corps than any overt political disagreement with the president.
Some analysts speculated, for example, that Mattiss slow-rolling resistance to Trumps order on transgender troops may be motivated by a deeply held military bias for consistency and continuity over sudden shifts in policy.
Hes clearly saying hes not going to be a political agent of change inside the military, said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who led U.S. troops in Afghanistan and is now a professor at American University.
Others interpreted Mattiss response as an expression of respect for the oath that transgender troops took to serve.
During his confirmation hearings in January, Mattis offered unflinching support for the service of gay and transgender troops. Frankly, Ive never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with, he said in response to a question from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
Even his unscripted remarks to troops in Jordan, which were interpreted by many as a direct rebuke of Trumps response to the violence in Charlottesville, echoed an alarm Mattis has previously sounded.
This spring, Mattis was asked in a rare interview with New Yorker magazine about his biggest worries in his new job. The lack of political unity in America, Mattis replied. The lack of fundamental friendliness.
He sounded a similar theme in a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. For those privileged to wear the cloth of our nation, to serve in the United States Army, you stand the ramparts, unapologetic, apolitical, defending our experiment in self-governance and you hold the line, he told the graduates.
Mattiss public worries about the state of political debate in the United States and the climate of divisiveness reflect a long-standing concern of the military. Political infighting has stymied efforts to produce a long-term budget plan for the Pentagon that Democrats and Republicans have described as essential.
Its incredibly frustrating to the military that we cant put aside our political differences for the greater good of the country, said Kathleen H. Hicks, a top Pentagon official in the Obama administration. They dont understand it.
In Mattiss recent call for the military to hold the line until the country comes to its senses, Hicks heard a common refrain. Its what they all say to each other to pep themselves up, she said of the military brass.
Other analysts heard in the statement something darker a fundamental disconnect between the tight-lipped Pentagon chief and his president.
I think Mattis is a profoundly decent guy working for a profoundly indecent guy, said Eliot Cohen, a top official in the George W. Bush administration. That sets up a conflict. . . . The psychic tension has to be acute.
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2017 (1901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A new study makes clear that Canada has a lot of work left to do when it comes to making sure that young people struggling with mental-health illnesses and addictions are getting adequate care.
Manitoba, in particular, needs to take steps to address high number of attempted suicides. The province has the disturbing distinction of having the highest rate out of the five provinces that participated in the study, despite having the smallest population.
Youth with mental-health (issues) and addictions are really struggling to get the care they need and to have that care sustained, said James Bolton, director of research in the University of Manitobas psychiatry department.
Manitoba had the highest rate of suicide among all age groups in the provinces studied. The study suggests this may be due to Manitoba having the highest proportion of Indigenous peoples in the population among the participating provinces, noting that suicide rates are known to be higher in that group.
Bolton headed up the Manitoba section of the study, which was years in the making and looked at care and outcomes in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. It was published online Wednesday by the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction at Simon Fraser University.
While there have been previous mental-health reports national in scope, Bolton said this study is the first to really drill down into the issues and offer comparisons between provinces. Only five provinces were included, he said, because administrative health data varies province to province and the others werent able to provide it.
Its the first time weve really been able to examine the quality of mental-health services and the outcomes, he said, it provides much more detail about how many people are able to see a family doctor on a regular basis or whether they get their care in an emergency department or not.
In some positive news for Manitoba, it has the smallest percentage of patients with mental-health disorders or addictions for whom their first point of contact the first time in at least two years theyre receiving treatment for mental-health reasons is not the emergency room.
Thats encouraging, the study notes, because in most cases a crisis presentation indicates a failure of early symptom identification and treatment, which is best for longer-term positive outcomes.
Emergency room as first point of contact was one of six performance indicators that researchers settled on to be able to compare mental-health and addictions care delivery across the country. The others were: access to the same family physician; doctor followup after discharge from hospital; rates of suicides; rates of suicide attempts; and mortality of those with diagnosed disorders.
By using those indicators to cut through regional differences in health-care delivery, Bolton said the researchers have created a jumping-off point for more standardized reporting processes and thats important.
Its vital to know whats going on at the ground level within each province so we can know how to improve things at the local level, he said.
In Manitoba, the study makes it clear the province needs a better understanding of what drives suicide attempts.
We need to be mobilizing resources for the youth in our province, Bolton said.
Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen called the report concerning and troubling.
The province is expecting a consulting report back by the end of the year about the development of a provincial mental-health and addictions strategy, which Goertzen said he expects will help ensure access to the system in a more efficient way.
He said its likely that a significant part, if not all of that report will be made public.
jane.gerster@freepress.mb.ca
CARMHA%20REPORT_29%20Aug_Final
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This article was published 30/08/2017 (1901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Business groups are rallying members over fear that proposed federal tax changes designed to close loopholes for the richest Canadians may hit small business owners the hardest.
Some are calling last months release by Finance Minister Bill Morneau on changes to tax planning for private corporations the most radical change in 50 years.
The proposals will tighten up the ability of small business owners to split income among family members.
Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files Finance Minister Bill Morneaus proposed changes are a concern for business organizations.
It will address passive investment income that allows some to pay business tax on earnings rather than higher personal income tax.
It will also address the practice used by some to take income out of business as capital gains to enjoy lower tax rates.
It amounts to an attack on small business and entrepreneurialism. It is not good for the Canadian economy, said Cory Kolt, director of policy and communications for the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.
There is also concern about the speed with which the regulations are being introduced.
Morneau released the proposed changes on July 18 and the deadline for public input is Oct. 2.
It is very complex, very detailed, very confusing to a lot of people and business owners may not have a good sense of all the details, Kolt said.
What is the hurry in doing this? You are talking about something that is going to radically change how small business owners pay taxes. This is a time where we need to have a frank and open discussion about this.
Kolt said the announcement was made in the middle of summer, when many people were on holidays and preoccupied with summertime activities, and everyone is playing catch-up.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and chambers across the country are urging their members to write to their MPs to describe the impact the changes could have on their operations.
The network has never been quite so mobilized as it is for this, he said.
The announcement has kept professional business tax advisers busy over the past several weeks.
Dan Kostenchuk, a tax partner in BDO Canadas Winnipeg office, said he spent most of the past month advising clients on the changes.
Kostenchuk said he was taken aback because it was not so much a discussion paper as it was a draft of regulations that are ready to be enacted.
Its a big issue for a lot of private companies, Kostenchuk said.
The government has declared it is targeting the high-net-worth individuals. But these rules impact every single business owner across the country.
Even though they may be targeting the top one per cent, it encapsulates all businesses if you own a garage with a couple of employees, this impacts you as well.
With about 500 employees, Winnipeg-based Vector Construction cannot be considered a small business, but the family-owned operation did start out that way.
Theyre trying to correct a problem with a blunt instrument that is going to potentially cause a lot of other collateral damage, said Dave Whitmore, president of Vector Construction, which specializes in concrete restoration work around the world.
The new regulations will require a test of reasonableness when it comes to splitting income.
One of the main reasons for the ability to split income among family members is that when you are starting a business you take on a lot of risk nothing is guaranteed, Kostenchuk said.
You pay all your employees before you take a cent. There is no guaranteed pensions.
The ability to split income with spouses and adult children is one of the benefits of running a successful business.
Kostenchuk said these regulations risk creating a climate that is anti-small business and may backfire when it comes to the federal coffers because it may put a damper on the wealth-generating power of the small business sector.
In Canada we are essentially, in a lot of cases, significantly increasing rates for small business owners, whereas in the U.S. they are talking about slashing the personal tax rate, he said.
If you are someone just starting out say if you are a doctor just graduating from university you may look at going to the U.S. and make more money and pay less tax. Those things could be a disincentive.
martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 30/08/2017 (1901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Rather than tiki torches and hate, organizers are planning a rally with picnic baskets against hate.
The Winnipeg Diversity Rally Against Hate is set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the Manitoba legislature.
Its a family affair come with your picnic basket, said co-organizer Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services Association.
Supplied The Winnipeg Diversity Rally Against Hate takes place on Sept. 9 at 2 p.m.
The rally was planned after the Worldwide Coalition Against Islam Canada announced it was holding an anti-immigration rally in Winnipeg on Sept. 9. The group announced the Winnipeg rally in the days after riots in Charlottesville, Va., where white nationalists paraded with tiki torches the day before counter-demonstrator Heather Heyer after a vehicle allegedly driven by a white nationalist rammed the crowd.
In Winnipeg, the Worldwide Coalition Against Islam Canadas rally is reportedly being held at 11 a.m. in front of the CBC building on Portage Avenue with anti-fascist demonstrators expected to be there.
The Winnipeg Diversity Rally Against Hate, later that Saturday on the legislature grounds, will be a celebration of solidarity, Siddiqui said.
Members of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian faiths are planning to attend, as well as members of the Indigenous community, university students and faculty members and labour organizations. Depending on the weather, there could be more than 1,000 attendees, Siddiqui said.
There will be music and speakers and, just in case theres trouble, police and volunteers trained in de-escalating confrontation, she said.
If anarchists decide to show up, they will be drowned out in positive messages, Siddiqui said.
Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files Shahina Siddiqui, president of Islamic Social Services Association, is co-organizing the Winnipeg Diversity Rally Against Hate Sept. 9 at the Manitoba legislature.
In the United States on Sunday, peaceful anti-hate protests turned violent in Berkeley, Calif., where more than a dozen protesters were arrested.
There, a Rally Against Hate was organized to protest a planned right-wing, anti-Marxist gathering. Even though the original rally was cancelled, thousands of protesters from both the left and the right showed up, CNN reported. The crowd was orderly but robust, with protesters chanting No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA. Skirmishes occurred when several dozen left-wing protesters surrounded and shouted at a handful of right-wing demonstrators, CNN affiliate KPIX reported.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 29/08/2017 (1902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A group of LGBTTQ* men seeking asylum in Canada have found the ear of a human rights advocate the MP for their area. Although they have no status in Canada until their refugee claims are determined, they deserve to be treated with the same respect as a constituent, Winnipeg Centre MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette said.
Every human being has rights, the Liberal MP said on Tuesday at his West End constituency office. Thats when seven men from Ghana presented him with a petition containing more than 5,200 signatures calling on the Government of Canada to urge Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality.
I will table it in the House for you, said the MP, who agreed to sit with the group on Tuesday afternoon. Most wore pink T-shirts that said Ghana Pavilion on the front and LGBTQ rights now! on the back. The shirts were worn outside Folklorama pavilions, where they collected signatures for their petition.
WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Members of the Ghana Pavilion delivered their petition to Winnipeg Centre MP Robert Falcon Ouellette left, in his constituency office Tuesday.
The group wants Ghana to repeal Section 104 of its criminal code outlawing unnatural carnal knowledge which makes same-sex activity a crime punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
We ask the Government of Canada to use its diplomatic clout with the Government of Ghana to promote the respect for the human rights of all LGBTQ sexual minorities in Ghana, the petition said.
The Ghanaian groups spokesman, Sulemana Abdulai, said they chose to deliver the petition to Ouellette in person because the MPs West End office was the closest to where they are being sheltered. On Monday, they mailed copies of their petition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, other Winnipeg MPs and Manitoba Sen. Marilou McPhedran, who is also a Global College instructor with the University of Winnipeg.
McPhedran signed the petition outside a Folklorama pavilion she attended with students in the summer course she developed Emerging Issues in Human Rights that uses the city as its classroom.
Not everyone was supportive of the LGBTTQ* petitioners timing and the location. Some African pavilion organizers expressed disappointment that they used the cultural event as an opportunity to raise awareness of the discrimination in Ghana that they say forced them to flee.
When you want to advance society, you have to sometimes push people, Ouellette told the refugee claimants, who are waiting to appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
Theyre here and we have to hear what they have to say and they have very compelling stories, the MP said in a brief interview.
We have a duty as leaders in our community to uphold human rights whether theyre here or elsewhere around the world, Ouellette said.
If people are here, we have to make sure theyre safe, and that we dont put people in jeopardy.
He knows his Liberal government has been criticized for the number of asylum seekers making irregular crossings into Canada this year but defended treating the arrivals with basic human dignity and hearing them out.
I know some people have been very upset about Emerson and Quebec but, at the same time, when someones here, do you deny them basic justice?
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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Police are asking for help identifying a suspect in an attempted child abduction Tuesday evening in St. James.
At about 6:15 p.m., a 65-year-old man in the 200 block of Booth Drive reported that he and his eight-year-old grandson were walking down their apartment stairwell when a man walking the opposite direction asked them for the time.
The grandfather and grandson continued walking and the suspect began to swear at them and then chased them to the basement level, police said.
The suspect allegedly threatened the grandfather and attempted to the grab the child, but neither he or his grandfather were injured. They ran to a parking garage and notified police.
Police searched the area but could not find the suspect, described as Caucasian, 25-30 years old, about 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, with with short, wavy hair and blue eyes. He was wearing an orange shirt with a black stripe in the middle and tan pants.
Anyone with information should call 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
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This article was published 30/08/2017 (1901 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As the death toll from mudslides and flooding in Sierra Leone climbs to 1,000, one Winnipegger is coming to grips with losing most of her family in the latest disaster to hit the west African country.
Mahawa Conteh lost 14 members of her family in the capital Freetown when their homes were hit by the deluge coming down the mountain.
When you hear that your loved ones, your family, all died the same day, thats too much, Conteh said between sobs Wednesday. The Winnipegger who came to Canada in 2012 is not alone in her grief.
WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Abu Bakarr Kamara, president of the Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba, is organizing a vigil for victims of the Sierra Leone mudslides.
On Friday night, members of the Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba are holding a vigil for Sierra Leone at Knox United Church downtown at 7 p.m. To association president Abu Bakarr Kamara, the disaster has been forgotten by the news media since it happened on Aug. 14. Their focus now is on tropical storm Harvey that, by Wednesday, had killed 30 people in Texas.
In Sierra Leones capital city, the government initially reported 450 dead and 600 missing. Now church and community leaders are saying the death toll is at 1,000 and an estimated 3,000 people are homeless. Theres no insurance or anything that comes close to the Americans Federal Emergency Management Agency helping people in the storm-hit Gulf Coast region, said Kamara in Winnipeg. The association is holding the vigil, a fundraising car wash on Sept. 9 and asking Manitobans to donate to charities helping people in Sierra Leone.
People need us to help, said Kamara, who is sending money to his sister and her family who lost their home in the mudslide and are staying with cousins. He said desperate strangers who lost everything in the disaster are on Facebook reaching out to Sierra Leonese Canadians for help.
Not everyone has relatives in Canada.
Its not the first time this community in Manitoba has rallied to pray for their former home and to support local people dealing with shock and grief. Two years ago, Sierra Leone was hit by the deadly Ebola outbreak. It saw 13,500 cases of the grisly virus that killed close to 4,000 people.
Now, in the aftermath of Ebola, people with loved one in Sierra Leone like Mahawa Conteh are grieving again.
The mudslides killed her uncles, their wives and children in Freetown in a horrific manner, she said.
It was the way they died, said Conteh, who has two preschool-age children. Shes most haunted by the image of her pregnant aunt who was due to give birth this month. When they find her body, the legs were gone, said the mom who tries to wait for her husband to get home from work and take the kids so she can cry without them seeing her so upset. Kids always want to see their parents happy.
Conteh said her Freetown relatives who werent home at the time of the mudslide all survived but are now homeless and destitute.
They dont know where their house is, she said. Everything was wiped out. The place looked like a field.
She works part-time and is looking for more hours so she can send more money to help them. Its so stressful. Its too much.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion
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The recent announcement that a new diagnostic centre will be built at the Heritage Centre in Niverville has generated spirited debate.
The community-based, innovative effort to expand MRI, ultrasound, X-ray and laboratory services is modelled after Nivervilles community-built and -owned 80-resident personal-care home. This model was supported by the previous NDP government in 2011.
The diagnostic centre will help address unreasonable wait times Manitobans face for MRIs.
The effort will neither be private nor public, but a third way. This innovative, common-good model is made possible through a collaborative agreement between the Heritage Centre, the Town of Niverville and private partners.
Tommy Douglas, the father of Canadian medicare, outlined that universal health care consists of two stages. The first stage is universal access to emergent, urgent and doctor care. The second stage, which Douglas felt was most critical, was preventive care. He stated medicare is not sustainable without this second stage.
As patients, health-care providers and governments, we have failed to heed Douglass declaration.
Nivervilles third way addresses Douglass prophetic words about the second stage. By overseeing the private partners efforts to build the diagnostic centre at the Heritage Centre, our community is able to frame this third way collaboration. Included in this agreement is a public-private-partnership arrangement in which the diagnostic centre is donated to the Town of Niverville after 25 years ensuring public interest and ownership is achieved.
Some will claim the public interest is not served by receiving an old building and used equipment after 25 years.
The legally binding agreement ensures the custom-built commercial building and advanced diagnostic equipment will not only be in good condition, but have many years of remaining life when donated to the town.
This third way creatively enhances the sustainability of Canadas health-care system by addressing Douglass second plank.
The collaborative agreement calls for the creation of Heritage Life Community Health Services. This new not-for-profit entity will enable the Heritage Centre to facilitate all MRI orders. Through this unique arrangement, all MRIs will be arranged through the Heritage Centre as a third party, which is consistent with and allowed for in provincial legislation. This will provide Manitobans the option, with a doctors requisition, to self-select an MRI either in Niverville or within the public system.
Manitobans already are self-directing their diagnostic needs by travelling to North Dakota for MRI services. Having an option closer to home will result in greater economic activity for the province. Critically, it will generate new income taxes, boosting the governments ability to support our health-care system.
This third way also supports Canadas Health Act accessibility provision. MRI fees in Niverville will be based on income, assisting those facing economic barriers who wish to self-direct their diagnostic needs. MRIs will be discounted by 25 per cent for families whose income falls within Manitobas lowest income-tax bracket.
For those who qualify for a full discount at the diagnostic centre, the fee will be $750, the approximate base cost of providing an MRI in Niverville.
Manitobas auditor general recommended in spring that the current practice of third parties, such as the Workers Compensation Board (WCB), bumping patients on current MRI wait lists should stop. The Heritage Centre Board agrees. Nivervilles new diagnostic centre will allow insurers such as WCB a reasonable option to access MRIs outside the public system. This would open up some 2,500 MRI spots at Pan Am clinic immediately, reducing its 29-week wait list.
To be sure, some will state this community-based, innovative third way is a step toward United States-style health care. It is not.
Nivervilles initiative is seeded and vested in a community-based, not-for-profit social enterprise for the common good. Evidence-based outcomes in public health care make it clear more government expenditures will not address current challenges. We require greater innovation, community-based initiatives and a keen focus on medicares second stage to reimagine and improve an ailing health-care system.
This innovative initiative ensures public ownership, over time, of the diagnostic centre. It provides reasonable accommodation to Manitobans seeking self-directed diagnostic services. It offers the possibility of immediately reducing current MRI wait times. Finally, it creatively ensures economic accessibility to Manitobans through an income-tested fee schedule.
Douglas often said, Courage, my friends; tis not too late to make a better world, as he passionately campaigned for medicare in the 1960s. Nivervilles third way approach is courageous and will lead to a better world for Manitobans as we strengthen universal health care in the 21st century.
Gordon Daman is a volunteer board member on the NHHI Board of Governors, which provides governance for the Niverville Heritage Centre. The centre is a not-for-profit community owned social enterprise campus that provides various community, social and seniors housing services for Niverville and region.
Private MRIs are moving us in a dangerous direction
There is an adage: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
This certainly seems to be the case with Nivervilles recent announcement that the town hopes to partner with a private holding company and build a user-pay MRI clinic in the community.
The investors are billing it as an innovative community response for the common good. They claim when some of us pay, MRI wait times for everyone will go down. And profits and investment will be kept here in Manitoba, rather than trickling down to North Dakota.
That all sounds wonderful, doesnt it? But only if you dont think about it too hard.
Lets start with claim No. 1: according to the Canadian Foundation of Health Care Improvement, countries with both public and private health-care systems always have the longest wait times. England and New Zealand, for instance, which have both public and user-pay hospitals, have longer wait times in their public systems than medicare systems such as ours.
KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
This backs up evidence found here in Manitoba decades ago. Until 1999, cataract patients could choose to have their surgery at a private clinic by paying a user fee. While the fee was in place, Manitoba researchers found that patients whose surgeons worked in both public and private clinics had to wait 16 weeks longer 26 weeks versus 10 weeks than those whose surgeons practised only in the public system.
Turns out this was largely a staffing issue: there were only so many surgeons, and people cant be two places at once.
The same goes, of course, for Manitobas radiation technologists. These highly trained people who run the MRI machines are already in short supply.
And if demand for privately paid scans is as high as advocates say it is (and the Niverville investors are banking on), then the technologists who perform scans for the private clinic inevitably will have to come from the public system, driving up wait times for the rest of us.
That bring us to their second claim: some people are already paying south of border to jump the queue. Why not keep that money here to make a few Manitobans richer?
The answer is because their profit-driven idea will not only increase diagnostic wait times for average Manitobans, it actually will allow the provincial Tory government to ignore solutions right under its nose.
The Dauphin hospital, for instance, already has completed an addition intended to house the first MRI in Manitoba north of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Staff already have been trained. Rural residents as far as The Pas finally are set to access diagnostic services that dont require travel two days away from home. All thats needed is the machine itself, already paid for and sitting in Germany, waiting to be shipped and installed.
In March 2017, however, the whole thing was put on hold by the government, which stated its Wait Time Task Force required at least a year of further study.
You dont need to live in Dauphin, or work in the health system, to imagine what this delay is costing Manitobans like you and me, both in dollars and wait times. So why isnt the Dauphin MRI up and running?
I sure hope its not because theyre buying the Niverville investors claims we can help those with cash get diagnosed first, reward a few savvy business people and save medicare, all at the same time!
And I sure hope its not because theyre considering investing our tax dollars in supporting and sustaining a profit-driven approach to health care that will not even come close to benefiting all Manitobans.
The vast majority of us say medicare a system in which no matter who you are, or where you live, your access to health care is based on need and not the size of your bank account is our most cherished public service. Most of us say its our most cherished thing about being Canadian. Even with our systems challenges, it seems watching the United States debate about health care is enough to remind us that what weve built is precious, and worth fighting for.
The reality is that what would benefit all of us most right now is embracing solutions that are both ready to roll and addressing wait times within our much-valued universal system, as in Dauphin, or investing in more trained radiation technologists.
Lets not get sidetracked by investors whose claims are simply too good to be true.
Michelle Gawronsky is president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union.
The Sri Lankan government is anxiously trying to appease concerns in Washington and New Delhi that it is accommodating to the interests of Beijing by handing control over a strategic port to a Chinese company.
Sri Lanka last month signed a $US1.12 billion agreement to give the majority stake of the Chinese-built Hambantota port in the islands south to Beijings state-owned China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPH) on a 99-year lease.
Two weeks later, on August 14, Forbes reported that Aviation and Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva approved New Delhis application to buy a 70-percent share of the Mattala Rajapakse International Air Port (MRIA) on a 40-year lease for $205 million.
Indias MRIA bid was reported in the international press as a move to counter China. According to media reports, the Indian proposal has been sent to the cabinet for review. The airport is located in the Hambantota district, 250 kilometres from Colombo.
India considers Sri Lanka part of its sphere of influence and fears that China is trying to acquire a strategic foothold in the island. The port deal signed on July 29 was part of a privatisation program by the Colombo government and an attempt to offset debts of $8 billion due to China.
The construction of the $1.3 billion Hambantota harbour was completed under former President Mahinda Rajapakses government in 2011, at the same time as the nearby MRIA was built. Washington and New Delhi saw the project as a step by Rajapakse towards Beijing.
As part of its drive for global hegemony, the US has been pursuing a military and strategic buildup against China and wants Sri Lanka, located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, in its orbit. The Indian ruling elite, with its own global ambitions and a long-time rivalry with China, has backed the aggressive US drive.
After pressuring Rajapakse to distance himself from Beijing, Washington, supported by New Delhi, orchestrated a regime-change operation in Colombo in the 2015 January presidential election, effectively installing Maithripala Sirisena as president.
Sirisena quickly halted a number of Chinese projects, but was soon compelled to seek Chinese investment to bail out the government, which has a crippling external debt load of $65 billion. CMPHs offer to take over Hambantota port on a long-term lease was accompanied by another proposal to develop a 5,000-hectare Special Economic Zone at Hambantota, which was partly initiated in January.
The signing of the Hambantota agreement was initially planned for January, but dragged for more than six months, partly because of working-class unrest. In December, 400 temporary workers went on strike and occupied the harbour, fearing job losses if it were privatised. The government used Navy commandos to suppress the struggle. In January police and army units attacked and arrested hundreds of protestors who opposed the planned takeover of their land to facilitate the Hambantota zone.
Strike action late last month by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation union members, who feared that the privatisation of oil bunkering would cut jobs, was suppressed after the government imposed an essential services order and deployed the army.
Between February and July there were also high-profile visits between Colombo and Delhi. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India in April, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi travelled to Sri Lanka in May and Indian Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made unpublicised visits to Colombo.
In order to appease India and the US, the port agreement signed on 29 July significantly curtailed previous sweeping concessions to China. Instead of the original 80 percent stake, CMPH obtained only 70 percent. All sensitive port operations have been handed over to a second company, Hambantota Port Group Services, which will be 50.7 percent owned by the Sri Lankan government. A clause was inserted saying the Sri Lankan Navy is in charge of the ports security and no foreign country will be allowed to use its bases.
Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have not shifted from their foreign policy alignment and are developing close military ties with the US. Nevertheless, Western and Indian media reports on the port deal voiced consternation.
Professor Panos Mourdoukoutas of New Yorks Stony Brook University commented in a Forbes article: Beijing converting its loans to equity is in essence turning Sri Lanka into a semi-colony. He labelled the port deal a subtle version of the military takeover of southern Chinese ports by European powers during the 19th century.
Indian political analyst C. Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express: India no longer has the luxury of contesting Chinese strategic incursions into the subcontinent one piece at a time. He blamed Beijings strategic encirclement of India on Delhi not being more assertive, saying India should act vigorously on its frontier region development, military modernisation and regional economic integration.
The reality is that Chinese investment across the Indian Ocean marks an attempt by Beijing to wriggle itself out of the bellicose US encirclement launched under the Obama administrations pivot to Asia.
CMPH executive vice president Hu Jianhua said the company wanted to develop Hambantota as a gateway to expanding economies in South Asia and Africa, as well as to the Far East, to Europe and to the globe. Hu added that Sri Lanka would be well positioned to play a strategic role in Beijings One Belt One Road initiative to link China to Europe.
Facing potential US military intervention in North Korea, provocative US freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and tensions in the Indian Ocean region, China is seeking to protect its vital sea trading routes.
These geopolitical manoeuvrings have intensified Sri Lankas political crisis. Former President Rajapakse and the joint opposition parliamentary group supporting him have exploited the public anger against the governments privatisation program. But neither the government nor his group has any concern about the jobs and lives of tens of thousands of workers and peasants who will be affected by the privatisations.
Instead, both factions of the parliamentary establishment are fully committed to implementing the austerity measures imposed by the International Monetary Fund. They are desperately vying for power to protect the interests of the crisis-ridden ruling class, as the country is sucked into the maelstrom of great power conflict.
US President Donald Trump has again threatened to take military action against North Korea following its test firing of an intermediate range missile yesterday that flew over Japan. He warned, in a statement yesterday, that all options are on the table. Trump condemned Pyongyangs actions as threatening and destabilising and contemptuous of the UN, its neighbours and the minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour.
Trumps comments effectively negated his remarks last week and those of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggesting that talks with Pyongyang might be possible. In a highly qualified comment, the US president had told a rally in Arizona that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was starting to respect us, adding: Maybe, probably not, something positive will come out of it.
Earlier this month, Trump deliberately inflamed the extremely tense situation on the Korean Peninsula by declaring that North Korea would face fire and fury like the world has never seen if it continued to threaten the United States. Far from resiling from this unprecedented threat of nuclear war, Trump followed it up by declaring that the military options against Pyongyang were locked and loaded.
US alliesparticularly Japan, South Korea and Australiahave roundly condemned the latest missile launch, greatly exaggerating the threat posed. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe branded it an outrageous act that poses an unprecedented, grave and serious threat. The media in the US and internationally followed suit, declaring it an unprecedented provocation (the Australian) and the most aggressive step ... in almost 20 years (Financial Times).
North Koreas missile tests only further fuel an already highly dangerous situation and do nothing to defend its people from a US-led attack. But the chief responsibility for putting Asia and the world on the brink of nuclear war lies with Washington. Having systematically isolated North Korea for decades, the US under Trump, following on from Barack Obama, has greatly escalated punitive sanctions on Pyongyang, designed to cripple its economy and force it to bow to US dictates.
Fearing the consequences of capitulating completely, the Pyongyang regime is recklessly using its limited nuclear arsenal in a bid to ward off a conflict with US imperialism, the most powerful military force on the face of the planet that has attacked, invaded and intervened in one country after another over the past 25 years. Pyongyangs belligerent threats and actions, however, only play into the hands of Washington, which has exploited North Korea as the pretext to justify a massive military build-up in the Asia-Pacific in preparation for war with China.
Following yesterdays missile launch, the US joined Japan in pushing for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, which convened on Tuesday afternoon (New York time). After four hours of talks, the UN body issued a statement condemning North Koreas outrageous actions, branding them not just a threat to the region but to all UN member states.
Earlier, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, denounced North Koreas actions as absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible and declared something serious has to happen. No doubt, the US and its allies will demand even tougher sanctions on top of those imposed earlier this month that slashed North Koreas already limited exports by one third.
It is unlikely that the UN Security Council even considered a request by North Korea for a discussion on the threat posed by major US-South Korean joint military exercises, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Guardian, involving tens of thousands of troops and hi-tech military hardware. In a letter on Monday, North Koreas ambassador to the UN, Ja Song Nam, accused the US of staging a provocative and aggressive joint military exercise at this critical moment of the Korean Peninsula, where the situation is just like a time bomb.
The US and South Korea promote the fiction that their war games are strictly defensive in character. However, in November 2015, the two militaries adopted a joint operational plan, OPLAN 5015, that abandoned a nominally defensive strategy in favour of pre-emptive strikes on North Korean military and industrial targets and decapitation raids to kill top North Korean leaders.
The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported yesterday that President Moon Jae-in had pressed the military to formulate new war plans that could quickly switch to an offensive posture in case North Korea stages a provocation that crosses the line or attacks the capital region. A military source told the newspaper that the gist of the plan is the mobilisation of airborne troops and Marines to infiltrate Pyongyang to quickly bring down the North Korean regime.
The war plan envisages a major South Korean attack on North Korea without waiting for the US to assemble warships, military aircraft and massive troop reinforcements, but the Pentagon and the White House are undoubtedly intimately involved in the planning. In the event of a war with North Korea, the US automatically assumes operational control of South Korean military forces. The newspaper said the strategy envisages air and missile strikes on more than 1,000 North Korean targets, as well as the assassination of North Korean leaders.
In a provocative show of overwhelming force yesterday, President Moon ordered four F-15K fighter jets to drop eight one-tonne bunker busters near the border with North Korea. Our Air Force will wipe out the leadership of the North Korean regime with the strong strike capability if it threatens the security of our people and the South Korea-US alliance with nuclear weapons and missiles, the leader of the mission told the media.
Moreover, when Trump warns that all options are on the table that includes the fire and fury optionthe use of nuclear weapons. Last week he boasted the US was spending vast amounts on our nuclear arsenal and missile defence to ensure American predominance in a nuclear war. At the same time, the Air Force announced major contracts to develop a stealthy nuclear cruise missile and new intercontinental ballistic missiles. Earlier this month, the Air Force conducted a second flight test of a new gravity nuclear bomb.
China is deeply fearful of a war erupting on its doorstep in the Korean Peninsula. Along with Russia, it has pushed for a double freezea halt to US-South Korean war games in return for a suspension of North Koreas nuclear and missile testsas a means for starting negotiations to end the confrontation. The US has flatly rejected any halt to its joint military exercises in South Korea.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying appealed for both sides to abide by UN resolutions that call for the relevant parties to not act to provoke each other and exacerbate tensions in the region. She said Beijing believed the situation was now at a tipping point approaching a crisis.
Trumps threats of military action, combined with the rising propaganda campaign in the American and international media vilifying North Korea, all suggest that the US and its allies are preparing for war.
On Monday morning, police searched the dwellings and business premises of two men in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MWP). According to the prosecutor general they are suspected of planning the murder of left-wing politicians.
The prosecutors web site alleges that the two accused had exchanged opinions with other persons in a chat group about the political situation in Germany, in particular what they regarded as a mistaken refugee and immigration policy. They feared the emptying of private and state budgets, as well as an increase in attacks and other crimes that could lead to the breakdown of public order.
The prosecutor further alleges that the suspects had made deliberate preparations for such an eventuality. In addition to food, they had acquired ammunition for their legally procured weapons. The suspects regarded the crisis as an opportunity to apprehend and kill representatives on the politically left spectrum. The accused had correspondingly drawn up a list of names.
Based on research carried out by the Suddeutsche Zeitung and the NDR and WDR television channels, lists of names and particulars of state and federal politicians belonging to the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Greens and the Left Party were found during the police searches. Names of refugee organisations, a workers' welfare charity and trade unions were also on the list.
The Interior Ministry in Schwerin has reported that one of the accused is a police officer stationed at Ludwigslust. He faces disciplinary measures and has been suspended from duty.
The second accused, Jan-Hendrik Hammer, is a lawyer from Rostock. The 45-year-old is a member of the city parliament and vice-chairman of the organisation Independent citizens for Rostock (UFR). Malte Philipp, the president of the UFR group, expressed his surprise and shock at the searches on the UFR website. He stated that Hammer was not a member of the UFR, but had only affiliated to the organisation as a former activist for the FDP. Philipp maintained that he had not noticed any form of extremism on the part of Hammer.
According to media reports, police have also searched the private and business premises of several other persons who are not currently facing charges. These persons include a high-ranking officer in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state police.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the prosecutor's office has failed to issue a warrant for the arrest of the two accused.
In initial reactions to the searches the Left Party in particular expressed its disquiet. Death lists have been drawn up against left-wing politicians, the party noted on Twitter Thursday, and continued: The key factor for the growing violence by the right is the AfD.
In fact, responsibility for far right violence lies not just with the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), but with all of Germanys parliamentary parties, including the Left Party, which have whipped up sentiments against refugees and immigrants in recent months and years.
In this respect the Left Party has played a particularly insidious role. While occasionally mouthing social-reformist phrases, leading party members have made clear that the Left Party, like all the other parties, is quite prepared to carry out the mass deportation of refugees. Left Party leader Sahra Wagenknecht notoriously declared, whoever abuses the law of the host country, has also forfeited the law of the host, and the state administration in Thuringia, headed by Left Party state premier Bodo Ramelow, has been carrying out Wagenknechts threat in practice. Thuringia currently has one of the highest rates of deportation in the entire country.
The latest events in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also show the hypocrisy of the campaign by the German government, supported by opposition parties, notably the social democrats, against the alleged threat of left-wing extremism. The police searches of the right-wingers took place only three days after interior minister Thomas de Maiziere (CDU) banned the anti-fascist website linksunten.indymedia.org.
In order to enforce its unpopular policy of military rearmament and social attacks against the population, the ruling class in Germany is cracking down on all forms of political opposition. The police provocations at the recent G20 summit have been exploited to shift politics to the right.
The result has been to boost the far right. The latest incident in MWP is the second within a few months in which forces inside the security apparatus were involved in planning far right terrorist attacks. In April it emerged that a right-wing extremist network led by the officer Franco A was active inside the German army. The group planned to commit terror attacks in Germany and then place the blame on refugees.
The flood of reports on allegedly unprecedented violence during protests against the G20 summit in Hamburg drowned out further media coverage of the terror cell at the heart of the German army. It has since been revealed that contrary to the promises of the German defence minister, most of the Bundeswehr barracks that still carry the names of military officers associated with the Nazis will not be renamed.
This weeks searches in MWP reveal the extent to which far-right networks have penetrated the state apparatus. Only officials of the federal criminal police office and federal police were deployed during the searches. The states interior ministry reported that local police were not involved in the raids. Evidently the authorities were concerned that the suspects could be informed in advance of the searches.
For the second time this month, without any public consultation, the Turnbull government has moved to place Australia on the front line of a US-led military intervention in Asia that could trigger a wider war.
In a doorstop interview outside parliament yesterday, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop let it be known that at a recent meeting she offered Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to send troops to the Philippines, supposedly on an advise and assist mission.
Pointedly, Bishop made the offer public, despite conceding that Duterte had not yet accepted it. In most previous US and Australian interventions, the diplomatic pretence has been that the military forces were invited by the host country, which then announced the decision.
Bishop claimed that Australian troops could assist the fight against alleged Islamic State (IS)-linked forces in Marawi City on the southern island of Mindanao. In reality, Australian Special Forces would join their US counterparts, who are already on the ground in Mindanao as part of an intervention in collaboration with the Philippine military.
The US Embassy in Manila and the Philippine military revealed on June 9 that US Special Forces have been involved in the Marawi battle since it was launched in May.
Less than three weeks ago, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull gave an unprecedented pledge to join what would be a catastrophic war by the United States against North Korea.
Confronting a deepening political crisis at home, Turnbull is seeking to don the mantle of a wartime prime minister, despite widespread anti-war sentiment. As well as joining the Trump administrations belligerent stance against North Korea, he and his ministers are hyping up misleading propaganda about the involvement of IS in long-running conflicts in Mindanao.
Bishops declaration marks an escalation of Canberras involvement in the Philippines, raising the prospect of ground troops being sent to Asia for the first time since the disastrous Vietnam War. In June, Turnbull government announced the dispatch of air force surveillance planes to Mindanao.
Bishop drew a parallel with Australias role in Iraq, where some 300 regular troops are training local forces, and about 80 Special Forces soldiers are advising and assisting close to the front linein other words, actively engaged in the fighting. She made clear the same would take place in the Philippines. We would be ready to support the Philippines in the same way we are supporting Iraq in advising, assisting and training, Bishop said.
Bishop suggested that Duterte was receptive to the offer. The president heard my offer. I know the United States, likewise, made offers. I know Malaysia and Indonesia are prepared to support, Singapore are prepared to support the Philippines should they request that support.
In other words, this is a US-backed offer that Duterte is under immense pressure to accept. Bishop emphasised how intimately she was working with Washington. She said she was in constant discussion with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, about the situation in Marawi.
Once again, the war on terrorism is being used as a cover for US militarism. Washington and the Philippines military have seized upon the conflict in Marawi, which began as a battle between rival armed clans, to effectively discipline Duterte, who was shifting Manilas foreign policy away from the US and toward China.
As part of a pitch for Chinese investment and financial assistance, Duterte previously vowed to eject US military personnel from the Philippines, a former US colony. Washington, which retained a large military presence under the Marcos dictatorship, signed an agreement with Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino, to secure virtually unlimited access to military bases in the country.
The Marawi battle suddenly erupted on May 23, just as Duterte arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The military launched a raid against what it claimed was the IS headquarters in the Philippines. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana then declared military rule, compelling Duterte to return immediately to the Philippines.
With its allies in the Philippines military, Washington is using the Marawi battle to reorient Manilas geopolitical ties away from Beijing and Moscow, and firmly back into the camp of US imperialism.
Bishops comments yesterday followed an extraordinary June 29 public call by a visiting US Marine general for Australian commandos to be dispatched to the Philippines. Lieutenant General David Berger, in Australia for the biennial Talisman Sabre US-Australian military exercises, said he expected Australian forces could soon join American troops in that country.
Both of us have a long history of being an expeditionary force when needed, so we begin from a common point I think and weve operated alongside for 100 years, Berger told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He spoke of looking for stability in the region to deter bad behaviour.
Bergers remarks point to concerns in Washington about the instability of the Duterte regime, which the US and its partners have continued to shield from criticism of its murderous, fascistic activities, mostly conducted under the cover of a war on drugs.
Since Duterte took office in July last year, government figures show police have killed close to 3,500 drug personalities. Thousands more have been murdered in unexplained circumstances in poor urban areas, even according to police data. Duterte has declared he is happy to slaughter millions of supposed addicts and dismissed the deaths of children as collateral damage.
On Monday, Duterte provocatively told police they could kill idiots who violently resist arrest. This came just two days after hundreds of people turned the funeral of a schoolboy into a protest against Dutertes rampage. Kian Loyd delos Santos, 17, was shot in the head by plainclothes police in a Manila alley.
Far from opposing Dutertes brutality, the US and its allies have publicly appeased him as part of their intervention. Bishops announcement came after a brazen display of support for Duterte by the director-general of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), Nick Warner, in Manila on August 22.
Australias top foreign spy chief, who rarely appears in public, met with Duterte and Defense Secretary Lorenzana at the Malacanang presidential palace. The presidents office later released photos of Warner and Duterte smiling and using Dutertes signature closed-fist hand gesture, a symbol of his 2016 presidential campaign pledge to kill thousands of criminals.
ASIS is Australias highly secretive equivalent of the US CIA. The presence of its chief, who has also been involved in interventions in Iraq and Solomon Islands, and previously headed Australias Defence Department, is a sure sign of intense Australian intelligence and military involvement in the Philippines.
The Mindanao deployment is another front in Canberras escalating involvement in predatory US military operations globally. In May, the Turnbull government added 30 troops to the Australian contingent in Afghanistan, making a total of 300. It is now refusing to rule out an increased commitment under the Trump administrations plans to expand the US intervention there.
Parts Of The US Will See Rain And Snow, Some May See Severe Weather
An estimated 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled across the border into Bangladesh since Friday to escape the latest escalation of violence in western Myanmars troubled Rakhine state.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday that more are expected in the coming days as hundreds and hundreds remained stranded at the border, Reuters reports.
Violence erupted on Aug. 25 when Rohingya insurgents launched deadly coordinated attacks on dozens of state security stations. At least 109 people were killed during and after the the attacks, most of them insurgents, according to government figures.
The attacks occurred shortly after a sharp uptick in the deployment of Myanmar military troops to the volatile area, a move prompting the U.N. rights rapporteur to Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, to express major concern.
Rakhine is home to an estimated 1.1 million Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority that has suffered decades of persecution. In 2012, deadly riots between Muslims and the majority Buddhists forced more than 100,000 Rohingya from their homes. The state has remained strictly segregated ever since.
Bangladesh already hosts hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees and has turned back thousands more, according to Reuters. In Oct. 2016, a smaller attack by insurgents triggered a counter-terror operation that ultimately sent some 74,000 Rohingya civilians fleeing across the border, bringing with them horrifying allegations of rape, torture, murder and fire.
Read More: Reprisals, Rape, and Children Burned Alive: Burmas Rohingya Speak of Genocidal Terror
The U.N. has concluded the very likely commission of crimes against humanity as the so-called clearance operations were carried out by the Myanmar military and other armed security forces. The Myanmar governments treatment of the Rohingya has been likened to ethnic cleansing.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein said Tuesday that he condemns the recent attacks on security personnel, but urged restraint by all involved as the suspects are brought to justice. He further urged the government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to condemn inflammatory rhetoric that has proliferated in the local press and on social media since the attacks.
This turn of events is deplorable, Zeid said in a statement. It was predicted and could have been prevented.
[Reuters]
(ALLOWAY, N.J.) A New Jersey mom was high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter unattended for hours in a car seat, where she fatally injured herself, prosecutors said.
Deanna Joseph called 911 on Saturday night to report her child was unresponsive, NJ.com reported.
The child was found dead in a car parked in the driveway of Josephs home with the engine running, Salem County Prosecutor John Lenahan said. It appears the child injured herself in the car seat, he said.
The medical examiners office will determine the exact cause of death.
Joseph was charged with second-degree child endangerment. She did not enter a plea Monday during her initial court appearance, where a judge ordered that she remain in custody until a detention hearing is held Thursday. A message left Monday night for her attorney, Joseph Neal, was not immediately returned.
Court records show it is Josephs third arrest in nine years on charges related to neglect of a child.
She was arrested in 2008 after her 11-year-old and 2-year-old were found alone at home, according to a Burlington County Times report. The two children were discovered after police found Joseph on drugs in a parking lot.
The newspaper reported the children were temporarily taken into state custody. Joseph was convicted of cruelty and child neglect and sentenced to five years of probation.
Records show the woman was arrested again after being found unresponsive at an apartment in 2014. Her infant son was found bathing in inches of water nearby.
Joseph was again convicted of cruelty and neglect of a child and sentenced to a year in jail. It is unclear if she was being monitored by the child protection division of the state Department of Child and Families.
If convicted of the current charges, Joseph could face up to 10 years in prison.
The Continental GT is an incredibly important model for Bentley, having kicked off the British luxury brand's current resurgence. To wit, in 2003, the year the Continental GT was introduced, Bentley sold around a thousand vehicles. Just a decade later, Bentley was selling 10 times that many cars. You can be sure that the automaker doesn't want that explosive growth to slow down, and the new 2019 Continental GT you see here looks certain to keep customers flowing into Bentley dealerships for the foreseeable future.
If you were expecting lots of technology in this new Continental, you'll find it front and center in the cockpit. There's a fully digital dash that mimics conventional gauges on either side of a configurable screen, but the real showstopper is the 12.3-inch Rotating Display. When the car is turned off, the infotainment screen spins to hide behind a wooden veneer just a small part of the 107 square feet of wood inside but that's not its only trick. In addition to the LCD screen, there's a third mode festooned with a temperature gauge, compass, and chronometer.
2019 Bentley Continental GT
2019 Bentley Continental GT
2019 Bentley Continental GT
2019 Bentley Continental GT
The rest of the cabin is suitably opulent. There's diamond-stitched leather, a watch-like machined finish called Cotes de Geneve, diamond knurling, and bronze inserts in between the primary controls. 20-way power adjustable seats are heated, cooled, and massaging, and in-seat Active Bass Transducers are optional.
A 6.0-liter W12 engine sends 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The run to 60 takes just 3.6 seconds, and the top speed is listed at 207 miles per hour. If you were expecting some sort of electrification, you'll have to look elsewhere. A 48-volt electronics system with actuators to help keep the big coupe planted during corners is borrowed from corporate cousins Audi, as do LED Matrix headlights.
We'll see the 2019 Continental GT in person at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we'd expect it to be slightly higher than the $200,000 asking price of the current model.
Tradition runs deep at Bentley, as was eminently clear when the company pulled back the curtain on the third-generation Continental GT at its headquarters in Crewe, England. Parked near the lone preproduction 2019 GT was a voluptuous 1953 Bentley R-type Continental coupe, which was the fastest four-seat car in the world in its day.
As the execs on hand pointed out, everything from the elegant sweep of the R-types fenders to its buttoned-down high-speed demeanor inspired the original 2004 Continental GT and its nearly identical-looking 2012 successor. So, too, this newest GT, which looks so much like the previous two models you could be forgiven for thinking its a mere facelift.
Its not. Bentley design may evolve at glacial speed, but the GTs mostly aluminum skin, as well as just about everything else down to the bottom of its tire treads, is completely new.
In a reversal of the normal timeline for new-car launches, weve already gotten a sense for how the new GT will drive from time spent with the Bentley engineering development team during cold-weather testing of GT prototypes. The event in Crewe was an opportunity for company leadership to fill in the technical details on how they attacked their objective of building the best grand-touring car in the world.
In pursuit of that lofty goal, Bentley based the 2019 Continental GT on the same architecture that underpins the latest Porsche Panamera: parent company Volkswagens corporate MSB architecture. Some 83 percent of those parts have been modified for use in the Conti coupe, however. The mass-efficient MSB platform contributes to a claimed overall weight savings of between 220 and 286 pounds over the old model, depending upon equipment. At about 5000 pounds, though, the new GT still is no lightweight.
The 2019 Continental is marginally larger than beforeabout a half-inch wider and that much lower but no longer. The biggest dimensional difference is that it rides on a 4.1-inch-longer wheelbase and that the MSB underpinnings push the front wheels 4.3 inches farther forward relative to the base of the windshield, reducing the percentage of weight on the nose from 58 to 55 percent, says Bentley.
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We wriggled into one of the lushly appointed rear buckets and found it can accommodate a six-footer, but for those long drives to grandmothers estate youll still want to take the bigger Mulsanne. To keep the GTs cabin as peaceful as possible, acoustic-laminated glass is used in all but the rear window; it reportedly reduces the noise of passing vehicles by an impressive nine decibels. Underbody acoustical panels have been added to silence road noise, and the tires are fitted with special sound-absorbing liners to further diminish road ruckus.
Fancy New Suspenders
Bentley wanted the new GTs handling to be sportier and more responsive without giving up ride quality, so the new one adopts similar chassis technology to the Panamera: control arms at the front and a multilink setup at the rear, with four-corner, triple-chamber air springs; adaptive dampers; and active anti-roll bars at the front and rear. The system, called Bentley Dynamic Ride, also seen on the Bentayga SUV, continuously adjusts spring rates, shock damping, anti-roll-bar stiffness, and ride height to balance ride, handling, and front-to-rear grip. There are four driving modes: Comfort, Sport, Custom, and Bentleythe last being the ride-and-handling combination favored by Crewes engineers.
The GTs standard powerplant is again a silken twin-turbo W-12, this one based on the all-new version first seen in the Bentayga. It utilizes both direct and port fuel injection, a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers, cylinder deactivation, variable valve lift, and auto stop/start. The 12-cylinder develops 626 horsepower at 6000 rpman increase of 26 horses over the Bentaygas mill. Torque is rated at 664 lb-ft at 1350 rpm, which matches that of the Bentayga and remains flat to 4500 rpm. On the off chance that anyone buying a $200,000-plus chariot cares, fuel efficiency is said to be improved by 16 percent.
The W-12 sends its torque to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatica version of the Panameras ZF-supplied unitrather than the former eight-speed torque-converter transmission. Bentley says the DCTs quicker shifts plus the ability to crank up shift firmness in Sport mode enhances the sporty feel of the car. Theres even a launch-control feature, which should make for quite a show at stoplights.
The engines prodigious torque is funneled to the GTs Pirelli P Zero tires265/40ZR-21 fronts, 305/35ZR-21 rearsthrough a new all-wheel-drive system that directs 100 percent of the torque to the rear wheels in most driving situations. Its electronically controlled center coupler can shift up to 38 percent of the available torque to the front wheels when rear tire slip is detected, or when the Dynamic Ride system determines that it will mitigate under- or oversteer, or to help the big coupe rotate in corners. Brake-based torque vectoring is used to fine-tune traction at each tire patch.
Going Ballistic
Big horsepower and all-wheel-drive traction add up to mega performance. Bentley is claiming a zero-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph for this version of the Continental GT. However, weve already clocked the roughly 500-pound-heavier Bentayga at an astonishing 3.5 seconds to 60 mph, so the GT likely will be even quicker. Stopping the massive coupe are a set of bigger brakes: huge 16.5-inch front rotors and 10-piston front calipers plus 15.0-inch rear rotors clamped by four-piston calipers.
Not surprisingly, the new Conti will offer a comprehensive array of active-safety tech, including semi-autonomous steering capability. One safety feature you wont find on other cars: a smart LED headlight array that can split its beam down the center and direct it around oncoming carsand also those you are overtakingso that the ultrabright lighting doesnt blind other drivers. (Bentley representatives say that U.S.-spec cars will have these headlights.)
As impressive as the GTs long list of technology is, much of it is available on far less costly automobiles. What separates a Bentley from the mass-produced, proletarian hordes is presentation. A Continental GT wouldnt be worth the winged-B badge on the hood if its design, interior materials, and craftsmanship didnt leave you gobsmacked. Judging by the preproduction GT on display in Crewe, the new car does not disappoint.
Experience with other Bentley products has us feeling confident that the prototype GTs stellar exterior build quality and flawless paint will carry through to production. Like previous Bentleys, the new GTs interior is stunning. It is here, more than anywhere else, that the Continental GT stakes out its membership in the same class of luxury goods as Patek Philippe, Brioni, and Hermes.
Eight gorgeous wood veneers are available for accenting the cabin. Whats not covered in wood or polished metal is swathed in sumptuous leathernine Northern European bull hides per car, stitched together without so much as a wrinkle, every seam meticulously aligned. Those hides feel like they were rubbed with butter, and their aroma is so intoxicating it should be regulated by the DEA. For the GTs optional center-console trim, the interior design team adapted the Cotes de Geneve metal finish used inside high-end watches like Breitlings and Chopards. Of course, GT occupants ears are treated equally well: Sound systems range from a base 650-watt, 10-speaker setup to a Naim 2200-watt, 18-speaker audiophiles dream.
Watch This
The GT interiors party trick is its optional Bentley Rotating Display. Located where the standard cars 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen usually resides, its composed of three panels on a complex internal rotisserie that flips like James Bonds trick license plate. A touch of a button fills the center of the dash with either a slab of matching veneer, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, or a set of three classic-looking round analog gauges: a compass, a timer, and an outside-air-temperature gauge.
Beyond the trick display, the Continental GT offers several option packages. The base 12-way front buckets can be upgraded to thrones with 20-way adjustability and massage. Two active-safety groups, dubbed City Specification and Touring Specification, add everything from adaptive cruise to automated emergency brakingalthough the GT offers no safety tech you couldnt order on most family sedans. A Mulliner Driving Specification package ups wheel size from 21 to 22 inches and enhances the cabin with special quilted leather and several personalized trim pieces. And if an off-the-rack Continental GT is just too common, you can commission a bespoke model through the firms Mulliner customization division. They will be more than happy to oblige almost every whim.
Bentley was mum on the subject of both pricing and future variants, although the company didnt deny that the new model lineup ultimately will expand to be similar to todays. The next, grandest generation of opulent grand touring goes on sale in America in mid-2018, and we expect Bentley customers will find the new Continental GT as tasty as the best Dom Perignon in their wine cellar.
Six members of a Houston family are presumed dead after the car they were riding in was submerged in Hurricane Harveys floodwaters on Sunday. The driver of the van escaped through a half-open window and clung to a tree branch before being rescued, but he wasnt able to save the passengers, including his elderly parents and grandnieces and nephews, who range in age from 6 to 16, family members said.
The nightmare scenario began early Sunday morning, when Sammy Saldivar, 56, tried to bring six of his relatives to safety at his brothers house, as unprecedented rain pounded Houston. But the van got stuck in high water, and while Sammy was able to free himself, he couldnt rescue the others before the vehicle disappeared into the rising flood. Thats the last time he saw his parents and the four children.
Sam calls my husband and tells him, Theyre gone,' Virginia Saldivar, Sammys sister-in-law and the grandmother of the children in the van, told the Associated Press. Thats when my husband dropped the phone and started screaming.
Virginia then called Ric Saldivar, one of Sammys brothers. She was saying, mom and dad are gone,' Ric Saldivar told TIME. I keep hearing her saying it over and over. Im going to hear it for the rest of my life. Mom and dad are gone.'
Ric said Sammy lives in Missouri and was staying in Houston to take care of their parents, Bedia Saldivar, 81, Manuel Saldivar, 84, who were diagnosed with dementia. Sammy planned to stay awake overnight on Saturday into Sunday and evacuate his parents in his truck if necessary. He fell asleep, only to be awoken by neighbors alerting him to the rising waters. His truck was unreachable, but he was able to get to a van he used to drive his parents to his brother Danny Saldivars house. When that location also began flooding, Sammy set out for Rics house. Before Sammy left, Danny asked him to take his four grandchildren along: Devy Salidvar, 16, Domonic Saldivar, 14, Xavier Saldivar, 8, and Daisy Saldivar, 6.
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The Harris County Sheriffs Department has not yet confirmed that the vans six missing occupants are dead. But more than 48 hours after the car disappeared underwater, the Saldivar family is bracing for the worst. Im sure theyre gone, the way they described the van, Ric said.
Sammy is now staying at Rics house, where Ric is trying to console his brother over what happened, but to no avail.
He feels like its his fault, Ric said, no matter what we tell him.
In whats become a familiar scenario, a California bakery is facing a backlash after reportedly refusing to prepare same-sex wedding cakes.
Two same-sex couples are speaking out against Bakersfields Tastries Bakery on social media, claiming that they were turned away by the companys owner, Cathy Miller, when they told her they were seeking cakes for their upcoming weddings.
Ted G. Freitas said Miller suggested he and fiance Adam Ramos visit a different area bakery during a recent cake tasting. So the fiance and I are out cake tasting in Bakersfield for our big day, Freitas wrote Aug. 26, according to The Bakersfield Californian. And the lady helping us I have another name for her asks, So this is for the bride and groom? Uh, no it says Adam and Ted on your form! When we let her know, that its for us, she quickly, without hesitation, replies, Well Im going to transfer your order to Stephanie at Gimme Some Sugar Cakes.
Meanwhile, KGET-17 cited a second Facebook post by Eileen Del Rio, who also said that she and her fiancee were similarly denied service at Tastries Aug. 26. So we go to this bakery a week ago to sign up for tasting and choose our wedding cake. The owner met with us today to set up the process, Del Rio wrote. She went on to note the owner refused to make our wedding cake and set up our order. She wanted all our information to send to another bakery so they could make it.
In an interview with 23 ABC News, Miller didnt deny either couples claims, and stated that her Christian faith will not allow me to participate in things that I feel are wrong.
Our business is Gods business. We work for him, she said. Participating in a celebration of a same-sex marriage goes against my conscience.
She then added, I shouldnt be picked on because of my beliefs.
Bakeries, florists and other wedding-related businesses have become an unlikely battleground for LGBTQ rights in recent years. Next month, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Colorados Masterpiece Cakeshop, whose owner cited his Christian beliefs in his decision to turn away a same-sex couple who sought a cake for their wedding in 2012.
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NEW YORK, NY - CIRCA 1983: Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade circa 1983 in New York City. (Photo by PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Participants in the 25 April 1993 gay rights march, held back by a line of parade marshals, scream and yell at a number of religious counter-demonstrators along the parade route. Hundreds of thousands of gay men and women joined in the march and rally to demand acceptance and equal rights. (Photo credit should read ARYEH RABINOVICH/AFP/Getty Images)
View along 6th Avenue as hundreds of people march (and drive) towards Central Park in a Gay Pride Parade, New York, New York, June 26, 1975. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images)
JUN 25 1978, JUN 26 1978; Marchers For Homosexual Rights Gather At Civic Center Pavilion; More than 1,000 men and women participated in march from Cheesman Park to the center for their rally. The group has a platform calling for an end of alleged police harassment, leggislative support of lesbian-gay rights and an end to discrimination based on sexual preference. It also asks that homosexuals be allowed to raise children. The marchers carried signs and chanted slogans during their march, which began at about noon Sunday.; (Photo By Kenn Bisio/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
View of the gay pride parade in Boston, Massachusetts, 1977. (Photo by Spencer Grant/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - CIRCA 1979: Gay Rights Demonstrators circa 1979 in New York City. (Photo by Images Press/IMAGES/Getty Images)
A crowd of gay rights protesters, including two priests, marching in the New York Gay Day Parade. (Photo by Peter Keegan/Getty Images)
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By Angus Berwick MADRID (Reuters) - Moroccan authorities have arrested a man suspected of supplying gas canisters to a jihadist cell that carried out a double attack in Catalonia earlier this month that killed 16 people, a source from the Spanish investigation said. The cell accumulated around 120 canisters of butane gas at a house in a town south of Barcelona with which, police say, it planned to carry out a larger bomb attack. Police believe the cell accidentally ignited the explosives on Aug. 16, the eve of the Barcelona attack, triggering a blast that destroyed the house in the town of Alcanar. The remaining attackers then decided to use hired vans to mow down crowds along Barcelona's most famous avenue and later mount an assault in the resort town of Cambrils. Moroccan police arrested the man in the city of Casablanca, the source said, without giving further details. Spain's interior minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, said on Tuesday that Moroccan authorities had arrested two people linked to the attacks but declined to give details about them. Spanish news agency EFE said the second man was arrested in the city of Oujda and was a relative of one of the members of the Barcelona cell. The source did not confirm that. Zoido, speaking after a meeting with the Moroccan interior minister in Morocco's capital Rabat, said Spanish and Moroccan authorities were working closely together in the investigation. Most of the suspected attackers were Moroccan and an imam suspected of radicalizing the cell traveled there shortly before the attack took place. Six of the attackers were shot dead by police and two died in the explosion at the house in Alcanar. Four other people were arrested over the assaults, two of whom have now been released under certain conditions. (Reporting by Angus Berwick; Editing by Jesus Aguado and Alison Williams)
Theresa May has refused to rule out using cyber warfare or even taking part in military action against North Korea if it does not stop firing missiles in illegal acts of provocation.
Mrs May arrived in Japan on Wednesday morning in the midst of an escalating crisis over Pyongyangs latest missile launch, and will have lengthy discussions with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about what can be done.
She arrived with a message for Chinas President Xi Jinping, telling him in no uncertain terms that it is his responsibility to rein in Kim Jong-un.
She said China, which has the military might to remove Mr Kim from power if it chose to, must do everything it can to make North Korea desist from firing more missiles.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang launched a missile that flew over Japan before landing in the Pacific, triggering the national J-alert system which tells the Japanese population to take cover.
Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Kyoto for a three-day visit to Japan Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA
President Donald Trump has made it clear that all options remain on the table for dealing with North Korea, and during her overnight flight to Osaka Mrs May was asked four times by journalists if she would rule out joining military action against the Kim regime. Each time, she refused to address the question directly.
She also refused to rule out cyber warfare. Separately, a Whitehall source even raised the possibility that cyber warfare might already be in use, saying: If we were doing that we certainly wouldnt be telling you.
Map: North Korean missile test over japan
Mrs May said: The actions of North Korea are illegal, they are significant actions of provocation, its outrageous, thats why we will be redoubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities.
China has a key role to play in this I have said this to President Xi, I know others have as well, we think that China has that important role to play and we would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure to bear on North Korea to stop this.
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The UK is looking at the discussion around further sanctions and the sort of change that China can bring. We see China as being the key in this.
Prime Minister Theresa May is greeted by dignitaries as she arrives in Japan Credit: Getty
During her three-day visit to Japan, Mrs May will become only the second foreign leader to attend a meeting of the countrys national security council, at which she will speak to Mr Abe and his advisers.
One of the key aims of the trip is to strengthen Britains cooperation with Japan over security and defence, and Mrs May will tomorrow board the aircraft carrier Izumo, the flagship of the Japanese Navy, where she will be briefed by Japanese and British military personnel.
She said: Its an important, long-standing relationship between the UK and Japan, theyre our closest partner in Asia and Im looking forward to the opportunity to talk about a number of subjects - trade, of course, but also building on our defence and security co-operation.
The Prime Minister's visit came as the United Nations condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, demanding Pyongyang halt its weapons programme but holding back on any threat of new sanctions on the isolated regime.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said "something serious has to happen" but didn't specify what.
British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft suggested members need to look at further strengthening of sanctions.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the long and medium-range ballistic rocket launch drill on Tuesday Credit: KCNA/Reuters
North Korea said on Wednesday the launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was to counter US and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to "contain" the US territory of Guam.
Mr Kim ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North's KCNA news agency said.
"The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The Korean People's Army or KPA is the North's military.
North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad at an undisclosed location near Pyongyang Credit: AFP
Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major U.S. military presence, after President Donald Trump said the North would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States.
North Korean missile ranges
In a statement, the 15-member Security Council said it was of "vital importance" that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tensions and called on all states to implement U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang.
However, the US-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea.
North Korea's nuclear history: key moments
William Hague, the Tory former foreign secretary, said the UK should be prepared for military action against North Korea.
He told the BBC: I dont think the UK would have a major role in any military action, horrendous as it would be in any case for any military action to arise in this case, they should be prepared for that, but there is unlikely to be a military solution to this, a war in the Korean peninsula could result in millions of deaths.
It could be the worst event in the world since the Second World War.
Lord Hague said Mr Trumps fire and fury warning was a mistake.
British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Japan on an official visit Wednesday with an eye to soothing Brexit fears and pushing ahead on early free-trade talks with the world's number three economy.
May is scheduled to sit down with Toyota's chairman during her three-day tour which starts in Osaka before moving to Tokyo where she will meet with Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Britain this year.
Britain formally told the EU in March it will withdraw from the 28-member bloc, stirring fears in Japan about what the move would mean for companies with significant business interests in the country.
"We're going to ask for transparency and predictability so as to minimise the impact on (our) companies," a Japanese foreign ministry official in charge of European affairs said ahead of May's visit.
More than 1,000 Japanese companies do business in Britain, employing some 140,000 local people with many using Britain as as a staging post to do business in Europe.
Among them, automakers Toyota and Nissan have factories in Britain while tech giant SoftBank last year announced the $32 billion purchase of British iPhone chip designer ARM Holdings.
But Britain is now at risk of losing the "passporting rights" financial firms use to deal with clients in the rest of the European bloc.
That, along with political uncertainty surrounding Brexit negotiations, has spurred foreign companies that have set up shop in Britain, or established European headquarters there, to begin looking for alternative locations.
Japanese megabank Mitsubishi UFJ has said Amsterdam and Paris were favourites to be the new European base for its securities operations.
Brokerage Nomura, Daiwa Securities and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group are planning to move their main EU bases from London to Frankfurt.
- 'Best scenario' -
Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson boasted about Japan-UK investment when he visited this summer, but local firms will be looking for solid assurances from May, who is travelling with a business delegation.
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"The best scenario for us is that Britain cancels its Brexit decision," said Ichiro Hara, head of the international affairs bureau at Japan's top business lobby Keidanren.
"But if that isn't an option, we are saying we need a transitional period... to mitigate the negative impact," he told AFP.
May -- who arrived in Osaka Wednesday and is to attend a traditional tea ceremony in nearby Kyoto -- will also be discussing issues tied to global terrorism and regional security, after North Korea sharply escalated regional tensions by launching a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday.
"The prime minister is outraged by North Korea's reckless provocation and she strongly condemns these illegal tests," a spokeswoman for May said Tuesday.
"From our perspective, we are willing to continue to work with our international partners to keep the pressure on North Korea."
May is also expected to focus on pushing forward with plans for a Britain-Japan free trade agreement.
But analysts said there would not likely be much progress until Japan and the EU wrap up a nearly-finalised trade deal, and details of Brexit are worked out.
"You cannot start official talks about such an idea until Britain leaves the EU," said Osamu Tanaka, a senior economist at Daiichi Life Research Institute.
Ari Fleischer, the press secretary for former President George W. Bush, said Tuesday that President Donald Trumps response to the devastation from Hurricane Harvey was lacking one thing: empathy.
There was something missing from what President Trump said I hope hell say it later today but thats the empathy for the people who suffered, Fleisher said during an appearance on Fox News. That, in my opinion, should have been the first thing he should have said was that his heart goes out to those people in Houston who are going through this and that the government is here to help them to recover from this.
Fleisher, a contributor for the news network, compared Trumps response to Harvey in Houston with Bushs responses to a large and destructive forest fire in Arizona in 2002 and the tornadoes that devastated towns in eastern Missouri in 2003.
He said Trumps reaction to Harvey should have been more personal, and suggested that the president reference the stories of the first responders and volunteers risking their lives to rescue others.
Learn one of the vignettes, talk about somebody by name who did something, talk of course about the officer who died drowning, Fleisher said, referencing Sgt. Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the Houston police who drowned in his patrol car while on his way to assist with rescue efforts. These are the individual human stories that stir us and make us connected as Americans that when calamity hits, we help one another.
Thats what a president should talk about and he should talk about it by name of those who do it and to say thank you, he added.
Trump has been criticized for his initial responses to the storm. Over the weekend, he called the rainfall in Houston historic and unprecedented on Twitter, shared unrelated news and even bragged about winning by a lot in Missouri.
HISTORIC rainfall in Houston, and all over Texas. Floods are unprecedented, and more rain coming. Spirit of the people is incredible.Thanks! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday visited Corpus Christi, near where the storm made landfall, and Austin, where the storms emergency response center is stationed. But Fleisher said the president needed to spend more time reaching out to the community.
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He needs another moment today, though, to talk to the people of Houston and the first responders of Houston to say thank you, Fleisher said.
Trump promoted himself and sported his own campaign merchandise at events in Texas. The president commented on the crowd size while meeting with local officials about the disaster response in Corpus Christi, saying through a megaphone: What a crowd, what a turnout.
Trump made no mention of the dead, dying or displaced Texans and no expression of sympathy for them, according to Dallas News reporter David McSwanes pool report from that event. The message was services are coming and Texans will be OK.
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Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety in Houston.
A Shell gas station is underwater at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston.
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja (right) and 9-month-old son, LaDarius, after they reached high ground by boat in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate from floodwaters in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows, fleeing their home in east Houston.
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas.
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai Harrison, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon used his airboat to rescue them after their neighborhood was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Dean Mize (left) and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of the water at an underpass in Houston.
A person walks through a flooded street with a dog in Houston.
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston.
A resident of Bayou on the Bend watches the first floor flood as the Buffalo Bayou continues to rise in Houston.
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston.
People walk down a flooded street in Houston.
People wait on a flooded street in Houston.
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston.
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fired back Wednesday at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey has defended his 2013 vote against an aid package for Superstorm Sandy.
He talked about playing politics. Thats what he did with peoples lives in 2012 and 2013. He was playing politics to try to make him look like the most conservative guy in town, Christie said Wednesday on MSNBCs Morning Joe.
In an interview on MSNBC on Monday, Cruz said he voted against the $51 billion aid package because it was filled with unrelated pork a claim Christie called dead wrong. He just made it up. I mean, you know, Teds particularly good at that, Christie said. He just made it up.
A Washington Post fact check called Cruzs claim wildly incorrect, noting that the bill included funding for several relief items that didnt appear to be storm-related at first glance, such as repairs to the leaking Smithsonian Institution roof and erosion at the Kennedy Space Center that resulted from storm damage.
He knows it, Christie said Wednesday. He should just stand up now and say, You know what? I was wrong. I was wrong in 2012. It was the wrong thing to do, and now I hope that the people of New Jersey and New York are willing to let bygones be bygones and vote for relief for Texas. Ill tell you thats exactly what New Jersey people would do.
Cruz was one of several Texas Republicans to vote against the Sandy relief package. The 2013 bill ultimately passed by a vote of 62 to 36 in the Senate and 241 to 180 in the House.
A CNN reporter rescued a Texas man when the truck he was driving started sinking in floodwater in a treacherous moment caught on camera.
CNNs Drew Griffin was preparing for a live shot Wednesday in Beaumont, Texas, where the man drove into a ravine, mistaking it for a road flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey. The mans truck started sinking, and Griffin pulled him out using a rope, assisted by producer Brian Rokus and photographer Scott Pisczek, CNN said.
Jerry Sumrall and Drew Griffin. (Screenshot via CNN)
The man, Jerry Sumrall, from Winnie, Texas, said he was staying in a motel in Beaumont. Sumrall gave an impromptu, out-of-breath interview directly after the rescue and thanked Griffin for saving my life.
Harvey rainfall totals graphic
Read more from Yahoo News:
By Susan Cornwell and Steve Holland WASHINGTON/AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress started to come to grips on Tuesday with crafting a multibillion-dollar Hurricane Harvey emergency aid package that President Donald Trump suggested could be historically large, without providing specifics. On a tour of rescue operations after catastrophic flooding in Texas and Louisiana, with rain still pounding Houston and New Orleans, Trump told officials and reporters at a briefing that he was working with Congress on an aid package. "It's going to be a costly proposition," he said. "I think we'll come through ... with the right solution." He added, "But probably there's never been anything so expensive in our country's history and never been anything so historic in terms of damage." Lawmakers said it was too early to estimate the price-tag for U.S. taxpayer assistance on Harvey, which has killed at least 11 people and paralyzed Houston. Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,200 people in 2005, was the most damaging storm in U.S. history. After Katrina, and two smaller hurricanes that followed behind it, the U.S. government devoted $100 billion to relief and recovery, said the Congressional Budget Office. John Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said Harvey recovery aid will take time. "There may be several different appropriations bills," Cornyn told KTRH Radio in Houston. "What I would personally like to see is some emergency upfront funds to help with the temporary expenses, but as you can imagine, it is going to take a while to assess the losses." The head of the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee said the panel was prepared to provide the funding needed. Republican Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen said in a statement: "We are awaiting requests from federal agencies who are on the ground, and will not hesitate to take quick action once an official request is sent." Senator Ted Cruz said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, "By any measure it is going to be billions upon billions of dollars." Two senior White House officials said hurricane relief might be handled in Congress as a special emergency request, not attached to other spending legislation. Congressional leaders have not said exactly how they will handle the aid package. House conservatives may favor a standalone measure. "My sense is that they'd want a relief aid package to be a standalone that doesn't have a lot of unrelated stuff added on," said Alyssa Farah, spokeswoman for the conservative House Freedom Caucus. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and James Dalgleish)
Minutes after president says talking is not the answer to tensions with Pyongyang, James Mattis says diplomatic solutions never run out
James Mattis with South Koreas defense minister, Song Young-moo. In a scene typical of the Trump administration, Mattis contradicted the presidents views on North Korea.Photograph: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump appeared to rule out contacts with the North Korean regime in the wake of its missile test over Japan on Wednesday, declaring: Talking is not the answer.
Minutes later, however, the defense secretary, James Mattis, flatly contradicted the presidents blanket statement, telling reporters: Were never out of diplomatic solutions.
Such sharply conflicting statements have become a norm for the Trump administration, but it is unclear how they are being read by the regime in Pyongyang and US allies in the region.
Trumps declaration, delivered as usual in the form of a tweet, appeared to reflect frustration that his threats of fire and fury against North Korea earlier this month had failed to deter it from carrying out missile tests. He had recently claimed, after a lull of more than three weeks in such tests, that Kim Jong-un is starting to respect us.
Kim, however, made it clear earlier on Wednesday that there would be more ballistic tests in the wake of Tuesdays launch of an intermediate range missile, the first ballistic missile North Korea has fired over Japan. He described the test as a meaningful prelude to a well-advertised plan to send a salvo of similar missiles into the seas around the US territory of Guam.
The launch was condemned by the UN security council, and on Wednesday, senior military officials from the US, South Korea and Japan gave technical briefings on North Koreas technological advances to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
Robert Wood, the US special envoy on disarmament, said: The time for debate has long passed; those dangers are clear; and it is now time for concerted action.
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In his morning tweet on Wednesday, Trump claimed: The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!
North Korea experts pointed out that there had been no US aid to North Korea since 2008 and no substantive talks since early 2012. Some speculated that Trumps tweet could have been sparked by comments made on television overnight by the former US intelligence chief James Clapper, who said the US had limited options in dealing with a North Korean regime that has demonstrated its ability to build nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
We may have to hold our nose and we may have to consider some concessions, Clapper told CNN. Days earlier, Trump responded angrily to Clapper openly questioning his mental fitness for office.
Tuesdays test of a Hwasong-12 missile over Japan and into the Pacific 2,700km from its launching pad appeared to dash hopes that Washington and Pyongyang were edging toward talks. After more than three weeks went by following a 28 July ICBM test, the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, hailed North Korean restraint and suggested: Perhaps we are seeing our pathway to some time in the near future having some dialogue.
North Korea fires missile over Japan
North Korea experts warned at the time that the administration was misreading Pyongyang if it thought Trumps threats had deterred the regime from conducting more tests, including the planned Guam salvo. On Wednesday, analysts argued that the Tuesday test over Japan did not necessarily represent a complete rejection of talks.
They could have been more provocative, said Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. Pyongyang could have aimed the missiles to splash near Guam as it was planning.
The timing could be important. The US and South Korea are putting on military exercises and Japan just put on unilateral sanctions, and Pyongyang always responds to provocations with provocations.
She added: It has shown that Trumps fiery rhetoric has not made Pyongyang back down, but North Korea has signaled that it could be open to negotiation. It has said it was not willing to negotiate over its nuclear programme while the US is engaged in a hostile policy. So North Korea is not saying never to talks.
Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said: My sense is the North Koreans are now assessing their options about how to best to engage. I think they will want to enter talks once they feel they are entering with a position of strength.
DiMaggio, who helped organize the first official discussions between the Trump administration and North Korean government representatives, in Oslo in May, added: I think we should fully expect to see another missile test and even another nuclear test in the coming weeks and months.
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The United States has already spent almost half a billion dollars on Afghanistans mining industry with little to show, but the Trump administration still appears determined to move forward with plans to tap the countrys buried wealth.
Describing the countrys mineral deposits as potentially transformative for a country its size, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Foreign Policy that he has delivered a plan to President Donald Trump to get the Afghan economy back on its feet. The whole idea of it is to try to figure out how to make Afghanistan a self-sufficient country that can provide jobs for its people and its own budget, Ross said in an interview.
Trump, who last week announced that he would be sending more troops to Afghanistan, believes the countrys estimated $1 trillion in mineral resources can be used to repay the United States for what it has spent there. As the prime minister of Afghanistan has promised, we are going to participate in economic development to help defray the cost of this war to us, Trump said in an Aug. 21 speech at Fort Myer in Virginia.
In fact, Afghanistan doesnt have a prime minister, but that wasnt even the most concerning issue for veteran Afghanistan watchers.
Over the course of nearly 16 years of war, the United States has poured some half a billion dollars into the countrys mining industry with little to show for it. And the reasons for the previous projects failures corruption, lack of infrastructure, the incompetence of the Afghan government, and a piecemeal American development strategy all remain.
That doesnt faze the commerce secretary or his boss in the White House, who was sold on the mining idea after meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the CEO of an American metals company.
Ross, a former venture capitalist who amassed a fortune buying up companies on the brink of bankruptcy, acknowledges that the idea to develop Afghanistans mining industry is fraught with risk. I used to be in the mining business in iron ore and coal and its not an easy activity, Ross told FP. You can burn through a lot of money with not a lot to show for it.
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As part of the National Security Councils review of Afghan policy, Ross said the Commerce Department examined the possibility of building up Afghanistans mining industry. And while the industry has huge potential, in Rosss view, major questions remain.
At the top of Rosss mind: How much of what is where? The U.S. Geological Survey carried out a series of aerial surveys of Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007 that serve as the basis for the $1 trillion estimate of the value of Afghan deposits, which include copper, iron, and rare-earth elements, and Ross said he now wants more detailed information about what exactly lies beneath Afghan soil.
There are myriad questions that have to be answered for the project to come to fruition, Ross added.
Indeed, experts point to a slew of reasons as to why Washingtons hopes for a vibrant mining industry will never come to pass, including a deteriorating security environment and rampant corruption.
But the White House sees few alternatives to boosting the Afghan economy. If there are other industries, theyre a distant second, said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Today, Afghanistans export economy remains dominated by poppy production for the manufacture of opium, and with government forces controlling less than 60 percent of the country, the United Nations estimates that the total area under poppy production has increased by 10 percent compared with the previous year. But according to the most optimistic estimates, the mining industry could one day displace Afghanistans poppy production.
The Soviets first documented Afghanistans abundant reserves of iron and copper, and the country boasts a wealth of other resources: gold, silver, talc, chromite, emeralds and rubies, marble, granite, and a variety of rare-earth elements critical to the production of modern electronics. In the north, the country also has promising oil and gas reserves.
American policymakers have eyed Afghanistans mineral wealth for at least a decade as a potential path to prosperity for a country beset by poverty and civil war. And after U.S. geological surveys in 2006 and 2007 revealed the full scale of deposits first documented by Soviet geologists, the Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) began pouring money into the Afghan mining sector, with the goal of providing the government with a reliable source of revenue and growing the economy.
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the United States has spent $488 million since 2009 to build up the Afghan mining industry and to help the government in Kabul regulate its mines and issue contracts. Those investments have yielded no major productive mining projects, and the inspector general criticized that development effort in a pair of reports as poorly conceived, hampered by the incompetence of the Afghan government, and lacking a long-term strategy.
Roughly $500 million is a pretty substantial investment of foreign assistance resources, said Laurel Miller, the former acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. State Department. Despite that investment, she said, Afghanistan continues to lack the physical infrastructure, such as roads and proper rail lines, to support large-scale mining.
At the same time, the mining industry remains riddled with corruption, Miller said.
What mining does occur in Afghanistan is mostly carried out on a small to medium scale, according to William Byrd, an economist at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Much of this mining is illicit and robs the Afghan government of critical revenue.
It tends to empower power brokers, politically connected people, and in some places insurgents, Byrd, the former country manager for Afghanistan at the World Bank, told FP.
This mining amounts to what Byrd described as the industrial-scale looting of Afghanistans mineral resources. In a paper published in June with the independent Afghan researcher Javed Noorani, Byrd estimates that hundreds of millions of dollars in minerals are being mined every year exact figures are hard to come by in Afghanistan but the government receives paltry revenue from that work, collecting just $16 million in revenue last year.
Byrds research includes numerous reports of members of Afghanistans parliament operating illegal mines. One member of parliament allegedly running a chromite mine is reported to have created his own police unit and is tolerating the local Taliban in order to create the impression that the project area is insecure so that he can continue to extract freely, Byrd wrote in the June paper.
Even if the United States were able to develop the mining industry, its unclear if it would really provide the windfall expected. Since 2010, when the Defense Departments Task Force for Business and Stability Operations estimated that Afghanistans mineral deposits could be worth more than $1 trillion, commodity prices, such as copper and iron, have dropped precipitously.
The Chinese, who Trump reportedly worried were cornering Afghanistans mining market, have had their own setbacks. When the China Metallurgical Group Corp., a state-controlled conglomerate, won the bidding for the Mes Aynak mine in 2007, Beijing promised that its investment in Afghanistan would include not only a mine at the site of what may be one of the worlds largest copper deposits but also a power plant, roads, and a railway. Beijing never delivered on its promises, and 10 years later, no copper has been mined at Mes Aynak.
The bottom line on Aynak is that it is such an opportunity and its such a shame for it to sit there unexploited, Byrd said.
At best, an expanded Afghan mining industry overseen by a functioning Ministry of Mines and Petroleum could deliver within five years revenues of about $400 million to $500 million a year, according to Byrd, who quickly described that estimate as optimistic. Afghanistan currently pays about 10 percent of its annual security costs, some $430 million, with international donors covering the rest of tab.
In government circles in Kabul, Trumps mining ambitions havent sparked much conversation. Western powers passing through Afghanistan have long dreamed of opening up its mines, to little effect. One Kabul-based diplomat said the government was mostly just pleased that Trump decided against pulling out American forces and was breathing a sigh of relief that Afghanistan wont be abandoned.
A typical mining project has a lead time of about 10 to 12 years from when a deposit is identified to when it comes to production, said Michael Heydari, an economist who served as the chief of party from 2013 to 2014 of a USAID project focused on building the Afghan mining industry. Developing Afghanistans massive reserves would require large capital investments that no major mining company is willing to make in a country wracked by civil war, he said.
Those investments may eventually be made, Heydari said, but they are unlikely to take place in his lifetime. If there is such a thing, he said, come back in 50 years.
Photo credit: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Speaking at an event in Springfield, Missouri, on Wednesday, President Donald Trump sought to depict his tax cut proposal as a way to help the struggling U.S. middle class.
We are here to bring back Main Street by reducing the crushing tax burden on our workers and our companies, Trump said.
There is no more fitting place to launch this effort than right here in the American heartland, he added, calling the nearby historic Route 66 highway a vivid symbol of Americas booming industry.
The president spoke at an event at Loren Cook Co., which manufactures fans, blowers and lab exhaust systems. The companys owner donated to Trump and to various Missouri GOP officials during the 2016 campaign cycle.
We dont know much yet about Trumps plan for tax reform but based on the broad outlines released by the administration, experts say the wealthy would enjoy the greatest benefits. Millionaires in Missouri, for example, would receive an average tax cut of $190,560 in 2018, equal to 7.9 percent of their income, according to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Congressional Republicans remain at odds over what the new tax rates should look like, how cuts should be paid for, or whether its even a good idea to try to make up the lost revenue.
Trump didnt offer any specifics about his plan on Wednesday, in a move reminiscent of his unsuccessful efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
I dont want to be disappointed by Congress, do you understand me? he said, alluding to lawmakers failure to repeal and replace Obamacare. I think Congress is going to make a comeback.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned in a statement that Trump is trying to cloak his tax plan, which is really a boon for the rich, as a populist plan that will be a boon for the middle class.
If it provides huge cuts for the wealthy while leaving crumbs for the middle class, the American people will rise up against it, Schumer said Wednesday.
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Trumps tax reform event came as communities across Texas continue to struggle with the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. The president acknowledged the storm at the start of his remarks on tax reform, and described his Tuesday visit to Texas, where he met with local officials and reviewed recovery efforts.
Together, we will endure, and we will overcome, Trump said. To those affected by the storm, we will pray for you, we are here for you, every step of the way.
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Donald Trump has said "talking is not the answer" to the current diplomatic crisis with North Korea, after Pyongyang launched a missile over one of Japan's main islands, ratcheting up tensions between the totalitarian state and the international community.
"The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years," the US President tweeted. "Talking is not the answer!"
Days before, the North Korean regime had taken the unprecedented step of launching a missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The launch followed several other missile tests and rapid advances in North Korean military technology in the weeks proceeding.
On Wednesday morning, North Korean state media proclaimed the launch a "first step" toward military operations in the Pacific, and a "meaningful prelude" to containing the US territory of Guam, referring to the island as an "advanced base of invasion". Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Jong-un, who was present for the test, expressed "great satisfaction" in the launch. Mr Kim was photographed smiling and laughing during the test.
Mr Trump had threatened to rain "fire and fury" on North Korea in response to their earlier tests, but had recently toned down his rhetoric. At a campaign rally last week, he told supporters that Mr Jong-un was "starting to respect us".
And maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about," he said.
The 29 August missile launch changed that. South Korea responded by dropping eight heavy bombs near the North Korean border on Tuesday, in what it called a show of "overwhelming force". Mr Trump declared ominously that "all options are on the table".
"The world has received North Koreas latest message loud and clear," he said in a statement. "This regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour."
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A South Korean presidential spokesman said on Wednesday that President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now believe "pressure on North Korea should be raised to its limit so that North Korea will voluntarily come to the table for dialogue".
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, also pushed for "something serious to happen" in regards to the conflict. The UN Security Council has already voted to impose an estimated $1bn in sanctions against the isolated North Korean regime.
Others, however, have preached restraint. US Defence Secretary James Mattis directly contradicted Mr Trump's tweets, telling South Korean officials that "we're never out of diplomatic solutions".
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the missile launch a provocative act, but said the US will continue to seek a peaceful resolution with the North Korean regime.
The United States, he said, would pursue a "peaceful pressure campaign;" collaborating with allies and working to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table.
China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China also saw an opportunity for peace talks, though she acknowledged the crisis was approaching a critical juncture. Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called Mr Trump's rhetoric on the situation "troubling".
And North Korea, it seems, has left the door open for a peaceful resolution.
The [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will continue to watch the US demeanour as already declared and decide its future action according to them, state media said on Tuesday.
The extent of the damage in Houston from Tropical Storm Harvey remains unknown, but one video shows just what the area is dealing with.
The video above, filmed by Houston resident Exavier Blanchard, shows how quickly water levels rose outside his apartment complex in the Greenspoint area of Houston. The time-lapse footage shows waters rising well above some cars and breaching part of the buildings first floor.
Blanchard began filming at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, after Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, ravaged the Texas Gulf Coast. He set up his Nest home security camera in his second-floor apartment before police went door-to-door telling residents of the complex to evacuate.
By the time Blanchards video ends 15 hours later, several cars are fully or partially submerged in the floodwaters.
I set [the camera] up in the window a couple of days before the storm hit because I heard the area floods and I wanted to capture it on video, Blanchard told HuffPost.
I have managed to be pretty lucky when it comes to the flooding. Besides running into some standing water and closed roads on the way to stay with family in Clear Lake, it hasnt been too bad.
Harvey, whose winds were downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday, is one of the most devastating storms to rip through the Houston area. By Tuesday, it had brought a record-breaking 51.88 inches of rain since it made landfall Friday.
Although the number of deaths caused by the storm is still unclear, Reuters has reported 11 deaths and local authorities told The New York Times that there have been 19 deaths. A Houston police officer drowned in his patrol car while on the way to work on Sunday after taking a wrong turn onto a flooded street.
Blanchard is now at his parents house in the Clear Lake area, southeast of Houston. He hasnt been able to return home.
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article, Exavier Blanchards first name was misspelled.
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Steve Culver cries with his dog Otis as he talks about what he said was the, 'most terrifying event in his life,' when Hurricane Harvey blew in and destroyed most of his home while he and his wife took shelter there on in Rockport.
Ofelia Castro leads her grandchildren across a flooded street as they continue an hours long trek from their flooded house in the Edgewood area of South Houston to a relatives apartment miles away.
Aaron Tobias who said he lost everything stands in what is left of his home in Rockport. Mr. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived but he stayed there and rode it out.
Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen in Rockport.
People gather supplies out of destroyed homes to take back to a shelter near City-By-The Sea, Texas.
A destroyed laundromat is seen in Rockport.
A destroyed apartment complex is seen on Aug. 26, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey passed through Rockport, Texas.
Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham in Rockport.
Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving her apartment in Rockport.
Charlie Company of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve arrive at the Central Mall in Port Arthur, TX on Thursday night after running rescue missions in the hardest hit areas of town throughout the day.
A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help.
Rescue personnel help Hersey Kirk as she is airlifted into a rescue helicopter.
Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives in Rockport.
A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey in Rockport.
Damage is seen to a shopping center in Victoria, north and farther inland than Rockport.
Damage is seen at a business near Rockport
A damaged mobile home in Victoria.
Damage to a hotel in Victoria.
A business is damaged in Victoria.
A light plane sits upside done at Rockport Airport.
A sunken boat at Rockport Harbor.
Destroyed houses in Rockport.
Light medium tactical vehicle's (LMTV) make their way through floodwaters near Bridge City in Texas.
A car lies abandoned in Rockport.
A police officer checks for survivors among destroyed houses in Rockport.
A gas station in Victoria.
Damage to homes is seen near Rockport
A sign on a Holiday Inn hotel in Victoria.
Just got out of Rockport; no cell service there; catastrophic damage; homes, businesses destroyed. #hurricaneharvey pic.twitter.com/CJKPJOhEHZ Jeremy Schwartz (@JinATX) August 26, 2017
First light reveals heavy damage in Rockport, TX. #hurricaneharvey. pic.twitter.com/a9vVRn9iJS Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) August 26, 2017
A burnt-out house that caught fire after Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi.
A house suffers roof damage in Corpus Christi.
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Baby fever has reportedly hit the Middleton sisters!
Soon after giving birth to Princess Charlotte in 2015, Duchess Kate wanted to try for baby No. 3 right away, but it just wasn't the right time.
She wanted another almost since giving birth," a sourced revealed to Us Weekly.
But between two little ones, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and the their royal duties, it just wasn't the right time for Kate and hubby Prince William to add to the brood.
"They promised each other they wouldnt even think about having another child until they were mentally ready and it felt right," the source added.
Well ... according to sources, the time is now!
"They would love to be pregnant soon," the insider said of Kate and William.
Coincidentally, Kate's sister, Pippa, is looking to start her own family just three months after her wedding to billionaire James Matthews. After all, their neice or nephew will need a playmate!
One insider revealed the brunette beauty and her hedge fund manager husband are "are currently trying for a baby."
The insider added: "Starting a family is something theyve spoken about since long before they got married."
RELATE: Photos from Pippa Middleton's wedding day:
If Pippa and Kate did get pregnant around the same time, they can live out one of their biggest fantasies.
Its long been a dream for Kate and Pippa to be pregnant at the same time, another Middleton family friend noted. To share that would be amazing.
Because of Kate and William's recent move to London, having babies around the same time has turned into an even more enticing idea for the tight-knight sisters. Between shopping for baby clothes and pregnancy yoga classes, it sounds like these two will have a blast -- and we definitely want to see photos!
Princess Kate has proven time and time again how great she is with her two adorable tykes Charlotte and George. Do you remembered when calmed down a sweet Princess Charlotte during a tantrum? Or when she turned Prince George's frown upside down in Poland? It sounds like Pippa can lean on her big sister when it comes to parenting advice!
A Pennsylvania woman is behind bars and facing charges related to the death of her mother, who cops say she lived with even after the older woman's body was decomposed beyond recognition.
Moira Richey, 52, was charged Tuesday in Wayne County with abuse of a corpse following the death of her 80-year-old mother, whose body was found inside a bed and breakfast this past June.
Watch: TSA Calls 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Corpse Weirdest Thing At Airport Security
Pennsylvania State Troopers believe Richey a former NYPD officer, according to WNEP may have lived in the third floor room of the Harvest Inn Bed and Breakfast in Honesdale for months.
However, an autopsy was unable to determine the time of Patricia Richey's death because of her body's advanced state of decomposition.
Prosecutors allege the suspect forged her mother's name to take $1,600 from a bank after her mother's death. Richey was also charged this week with forgery and theft.
Police alleged Richey covered up the smell of her mother's body using air freshener but that, eventually, even she asked to be moved to a new room in the inn.
Read: Day Care Worker Arrested After 5-Year-Old's Body Is Discovered: Cops
When owners of the B&B demanded they see Patricia Richey, her daughter allegedly copped to her death.
Richey remains jailed in Wayne County, pending a court date.
Watch: Baby Dies in Hot Car While Mom Gets Hair Done: Cops
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Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, seen here on Aug. 28, 2017, is worried right-wing speakers at the University of Berkeley could lead to more clashes: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
The mayor of Berkeley is urging the cancellation of an event bringing right-wing speakers to the University of California, extending a debate about the border between speech and violence.
With a student group working to host right-wing provocateurs Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos in Berkeley, the liberal haven is contemplating a repeat of violent counter protests that greeted a right-wing rally this past weekend.
I dont want Berkeley being used as a punching bag, Mayor Jesse Arreguin told the San Francisco Chronicle, warning about the risk of groups using large protests to create mayhem.
A spokesman for the group putting on the event, the Berkeley Patriot, blasted the mayor's call to halt the event as absolutely abysmal.
We feel the mayor shouldnt be giving in based on the threats of violence, Bryce Kasamoto told The Independent.
In a statement, a spokesman for UC Berkeley said that the university did not invite the speakers and had no authority to halt the planned event.
We have neither the legal right or ability to interfere with or cancel their invitations based on the perspectives and beliefs of the speakers, Dan Mogulof said, adding that the safety of our communities, and the well-being of those who may feel threatened or harmed by what some of these speakers may espousealong with our commitment to Free Speech, remain at the center of our planning and priorities.
An open letter from Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ encouraged tolerating a range of viewpoints, even those that most of us would find hateful, abhorrent and odious.
The right response is not the hecklers veto, or what some call platform denial Ms Christ wrote. Call toxic speech out for what it is, dont shout it down, for in shouting it down, you collude in the narrative that universities are not open to all speech.
But in advocating for the speeches to the canceled, Mr Arreguin has taken the opposite approach. His plea marks the latest effort by Bay Area officials to balance free speech against public safety - with the latter recently winning out.
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Ms. Coulter was scheduled to speak at Berkeley earlier this year but the university canceled the talk, with then-chancellor Nicholas Dirks writing of threats of violence and warning that this is a university, not a battlefield. Students who supported Ms Coulter's speech have since sued the university. Months earlier, the university nixed a scheduled appearance by Mr Yiannopoulos after demonstrators smashed windows and ignited fires.
Prominent San Francisco elected officials mounted a concerted effort to block a right-wing rally last weekend from Crissy Field. The federal Park Service rebuffed their request, saying an organizations political stance or beliefs was not grounds to deny a permit, but the events organizer canceled the event at the last minute after blaming politicians for vilifying him.
A No Marxism in America event the next day in Berkeley proceeded and spiraled into street brawls as contingents of left-wing protesters, some of them aligned with antifascist organizations that advocate confronting white supremacists with violence, pummeled their perceived opponents.
Assessing the aftermath, Mr Arreguin on Monday told a local CBS affiliate that violent leftist factions should be classified as gangs. That prompted a derisive response from a Berkeley antifascist group.
What the mayor and the chief of police are worried about is not militias or gangs. It's the erosion and irrelevance of their power. Berkeley Antifa (@berkeleyantifa) August 29, 2017
Prior to the event, the mayor had urged counterprotestors to stay away and warned of groups that come eager for a fight. Referring to a neo-Nazi March in Charlottesville, he argued that this is not freedom of speech - This is bigotry. This is racism. This is xenophobia.
Protesters who arrive dressed as a soldier, are not interested in freedom of speech - youre interested in violent provocation, the mayor said, rebuking both antifascist and alt-right agitators.
HELSINKI (Reuters) - President Sauli Niinisto on Tuesday denied that Finland was buying new fighter jets from American planemaker Boeing <BA.N>, following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Finland is looking to replace its ageing fleet of 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets with multirole fighter aircraft in a procurement estimated at 7-10 billion euros by 2025.
"One of the things that is happening is you're purchasing large amounts of our great F-18 aircraft from Boeing and it's one of the great planes, the great fighter jets," Trump said on Monday at a news conference with his Finnish counterpart in the White House.
Niinisto, who was standing next to Trump, looked surprised but did not follow up on the comment. He later denied the deal with Boeing on his Twitter account and on Tuesday in Washington.
"It seems that on the sale side, past decisions and hopes about future decisions have mixed ... The purchase is just starting, and that is very clear here," Niinisto told Finnish reporters.
Helsinki is expected to request that European and U.S. planemakers provide quotations for new jets in 2018, with a final decision made in the early 2020s.
A government working group has listed possible candidates as Saab's <SAABb.ST> Jas Gripen, Dassault Aviations <AVMD.PA> Rafale, Boeings Super Hornet, Lockheed Martins <LMT.N> F-35 and the Eurofighter, made by Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain.
(Reporting by Tuomas Forsell; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Among thousands of displaced Texas residents are an unknown number of four-legged, furry refugees.
In a series of heart-tugging social media posts, animals in the ravaged floods left by Hurricane Harvey can be seen getting carried out, pulled out and paddled out to safety.
Read: Meet the Kindhearted Neighbors Opening Their Homes to those Displaced by Hurricane Harvey
In one particularly poignant image, an abandoned dog is seen tied to a telephone pole, surrounded by water. A news photographer rescued the pup.
HEARTBREAKING: This was Saturday. An abandoned dog left alone during the flood in TX. The photographer rescued it
( - @DailyMail ) #Harvey pic.twitter.com/UepRjSlfXK Matt Rodewald FOX 10 (@Matt_Fox10) August 28, 2017
Social media users posted other images of dogs left tied to trees and signposts and left in boats.
Two dogs left behind in a boat. Sadly a family had to evacuate their flooded neighborhood in Dickinson, #Texas without their dogs. Hope they're ok. #houston A post shared by Ed Lavandera (@edlavacnn) on Aug 27, 2017 at 9:34pm PDT
Animal control officers and civilian volunteers have been wading through the wreckage, rescuing abandoned or runaway pets.
In Chambers County, the sheriff announced Tuesday that all of the animals at the Tall Tails kennel had been rescued, along with the facility's owner. All were boarded onto a boat and ferried to safety.
Cats were herded into cages and transferred to safety via boats in Houston and outlying neighborhoods.
Rescue shelters across the country were offering temporary lodging to pets that became separated from their owners during the chaos of Harvey.
A group north of Houston, 4PawsFarm, is working with pet lovers nationwide to raise money and help collect lost animals. As of Tuesday, a GoFundMe page established by the organization had raised more than $97,000.
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Police helped herd cattle to higher ground as the storm bore down, and officials repeatedly warned evacuating residents against tying up livestock and pets.
I promise you that I will hold anyone accountable that unlawfully restrains their dog in extreme weather conditions, Roman Forest Police Chief Stephen Carlisle said in a statement.
Dogs are your family, too.
All manner of wildlife was also displaced, including squirrels, snakes, fish and alligators.
State park officials warned people to watch where they stepped and not to panic when encountering alligators and snakes. The reptiles, like the residents, are just trying to get to higher ground.
Read: Miracle Baby: Mom Gives Birth in Home During Hurricane Harvey
For those searching for lost domesticated animals, there are a number of sites online featuring photos of lost pets and the locations where they were last seen.
There also are photos of animals found, with images and phone numbers of those who have taken them in.
"Found this adorable dog," reads one post on Hurricane Harvey Lost & Found Pets. Tried calling the number on the [collar] no answer.
Watch: 90-Year-Old Couple Wades Through Deep Water After Hurricane Harvey Flooded Home
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BURLEY A Cassia County judge sent a Murtaugh woman to prison to serve her sentence after she fought with another inmate during the states retained jurisdiction program.
Olivia Munoz, 39, was convicted in January on a charge of obtaining fraudulent public assistance benefits and will serve 10 years in prison with the eligibility of parole in two years. She was given credit for serving 216 days, and she was ordered to pay $28,612.44 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Its not an easy decision to send you to prison, District Judge Michael Tribe said as Munoz could be heard sobbing on an audio recording of the sentencing hearing that took place on Aug. 22. But your behavior on the rider speaks loudly.
The retained jurisdiction program is often called a rider.
Although the Idaho Department of Correction recommended giving Munoz probation after she completed the program, Cassia County Chief Deputy Prosecutor McCord Larsen argued against it.
Shes proven that shes not interested in what society thinks, and I dont think shes interested in the law, Larsen said during the hearing. She chose to commit fraud and steal from quite literally every person in this room.
Larsen said Munoz was in a fight in June where the other woman was injured, and Munoz received six verbal and written warnings for not following rules during the program.
Tribe called her fighting behavior criminal and violent.
The goal of our office is always a safer society, Larsen said during a phone interview on Tuesday. We want people to be productive members of society and set aside criminal behavior and be good citizens.
When someone is given a chance to change their behavior and they fail and they have to be incarcerated, the taxpayers lose, he said.
Munozs public defender Timothy Schneider said during the sentencing hearing that the Department of Correction sees something good in her behavior, and she was always volunteering to help during the program.
Apparently, shes a good worker, Schneider said. And thats good because she will need it with that passel of restitution in this case.
Munoz had a job waiting for her at a dairy, and her attorney argued it would make more sense to let her get to work and pay restitution than everyone else pay to have her incarcerated.
Picking the fight was a huge mistake, Munoz said, and she later made amends with the woman.
Im really sorry for using public assistance in the way it shouldnt be used, Munoz said. I know there are people out there that need it.
Munoz was one of three sisters convicted of obtaining fraudulent welfare benefits and the second to serve a prison sentence.
Conception Mercado Lopez was sentenced to serve a prison term of one to 10 years and ordered to pay $92,499 in restitution to Health and Welfare. Teresa Martinez was put on probation after completing a successful retained jurisdiction and ordered to pay $54,659 in restitution to Health and Welfare. Both were convicted on charges of receiving fraudulent public assistance.
(Photo: kieferpix via Getty Images)
Loopholes in state laws are allowing child marriage to flourish in the U.S., despite research showing that the practice puts young people at risk of serious, lifelong harm.
More than 200,000 children under 18 were married from 2000 to 2015 in the U.S., according to a report released Wednesday by the Tahirih Justice Center, a nonprofit organization working to end gender-based violence. The vast majority were underage girls who married adult men.
America really does have a child marriage problem, said Jeanne Smoot, author of the report. It hurts children here, just as it does globally, and we are overdue to tackle it.
While most states set a minimum age of 18 to marry, they typically allow exceptions if children have parental consent, or if a judge approves the union.
In recent years, advocates have lobbied for stricter laws on child marriage, with success. In 2016, Virginia enacted a law that limits marriage to those age 18 or older, with an exception for court-emancipated minors. This year, Texas and New York passed restrictions on child marriage.
But those are the only three states that limit marriage to legal adults. Startlingly, 25 states allow children of any age to be married, as long as exceptions are met. In Missouri, for example, children who are 15 or older can marry with parental consent. Children under 15 can marry with a judges approval. From 2000 to 2014, over 800 children age 15 or younger in Missouri were married using these exceptions.
The report highlights the challenges that child brides face and how difficult it can be for them to escape a marriage if they want to do so.
The adult in these relationships typically holds all the cards and all the power, Smoot said. They know and manipulate the dependance of the child spouse, from the roof over their heads to a ride to the grocery store.
Even in cases where children enter marriages voluntarily, the long-term consequences can be devastating, said Vivian Hamilton, a professor at William & Mary Law School who studies child marriage.
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Girls who marry in their teens are 50 percent more likely to drop out of high school, and they are four times less likely to finish college, Hamilton said. For girls who marry as minors, they are 31 percent more likely to live in poverty later than those who delay marriage.
Individuals who marry young also suffer significantly more mental health problems, Hamilton added.
Child marriage can have multiple roots, said Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and girls leave arranged and forced marriages.
In some cases, children may be pressured into it because of traditional or religious beliefs about premarital sex and pregnancy. In others, parents may not be able to provide for their child, and want to offload them to someone else. They could be motivated by a dowry, or want to control a childs behavior or sexuality. They could be covering up a rape that ended in pregnancy.
From our experience, when a child is forced into a marriage, the perpetrator is almost always the parents, Reiss said. But these children are not all coming out of abusive, violent, dysfunctional homes. Its often parents who think they are doing the best thing for their child.
Reiss, a survivor herself, recently led an effort to collect comprehensive state data on child marriages. She shared her statistics with PBSs Frontline, which expanded on her research.
A big problem with allowing a child to marry is that they dont have the full legal rights of adulthood, Reiss said. Children are not automatically emancipated once married. Depending on the state, if a girl tries to leave the marriage, she may be taken into custody, treated as a runaway. It can be hard for minors to rent an apartment, or to qualify for a full-time job.
Basic steps like retaining an attorney are difficult, Reiss said.
Minors may also be at greater risk of domestic violence, due to the uneven power dynamic between a child and an adult. Women aged 16 to 24 experience the countrys highest rate of domestic violence.
We know that not knowing where one would go is one of the main reasons that battered women stay with abusers, said Smoot. Imagine a girl who may have had to drop out of high school and may only be able to work a certain number of hours under state labor laws.
The report points out that some minor children are allowed to marry adults before they can legally consent to sex. State laws governing the age of consent and the minimum marriage age are strikingly inconsistent and suggest, in essence, that at least some of the underage marriages being approved by clerks and judges are between rapists and their victims, the report notes.
Trevicia Williams, 47, knows firsthand what its like to go from child to wife in a single afternoon.
When she was 14, her mother picked her up from school and told her she was getting married that day. After a quick trip to a courthouse in Harris County, Texas, she was hitched to a 26-year-old ex-convict she barely knew.
Her mother never gave her a reason why she arranged the marriage, Williams said. As far as she could tell, her mother just didnt want to look after her anymore. But Williams had no interest in being a wife. She was determined to finish her education. After she and her new husband moved 25 miles away from her school, she rode the city bus every day to take classes.
Marriage was not something I had a concept of or really understood, Williams said.
At 15, she got pregnant. Her husband was violent and abusive, she said, and their life together was traumatic and unstable. When she was 16, he went back to prison. Thats when she found an organization that helped her file for divorce.
Williams ordeal was decades ago, but child marriages in her state did not stop. According to the report, 40,000 children were married in Texas from 2000 to 2014, some as young as 12.
Williams lobbied for a Texas bill on child marriage that passed this year. The measure, effective Sept. 1, prohibits anyone under 16 from getting married.
Children are not psychologically nor physically developed enough to endure the impact of this experience, Williams said. Child marriages hurt children. They miss out on so many valuable experiences that they can never get back.
This article has been updated with more details from the Tahirih Justice Center report.
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DETROIT Tropical Storm Harvey is likely to briefly depress already-slowing U.S. auto sales, but will eventually boost demand as damaged cars are replaced, analysts said on Tuesday.
The catastrophic flooding in Houston, the fourth-largest U.S. city, could mean 2 percent fewer vehicles will be sold in August than previously expected, according to Edmunds.com.
"In subsequent months we'll likely see a slight localized bump in sales as the recovery takes hold and people are able to buy replacement vehicles," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds, in a statement.
It was not clear how many vehicles have been damaged by the storm an estimate from Cox Automotive, parent of Kelly Blue Book and Autotrader, places the damage count as high as 500,000 vehicles.
Automakers were due to report August sales on Friday.
Before the storm, industry consultants JD Power and LMC had forecast sales for the month at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.6 million units, down nearly 3.5 percent from August 2016.
Auto loan applications in the Houston market have dropped roughly 80 percent since the storm came ashore on Friday, according to Cox Automotive's Dealertrack.
Cox Automotive said it had lowered its U.S. auto industry August sales forecast to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.3 million units from 16.6 million units.
After Superstorm Sandy caused widespread flooding in the New York metropolitan area in 2012, "we saw all of those lost sales made up in the subsequent few months and then some because of replacements for vehicles destroyed and damaged," Cox Automotive analyst Michelle Krebs said.
A sales rebound will depend on how quickly car owners file claims and the speed with which insurers process them, said Christopher Hopson, senior analyst at industry consultant IHS Markit.
"If the reaction is swift, we could start to see a pickup in sales as soon as late September or October," he said.
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Hopson said insurers' swift response after Sandy in October 2012 fueled an almost immediate sales uptick.
Auto sales in New York in November 2012 rose 49 percent versus the previous year, according to Cox Automotive.
The Houston metropolitan market is the seventh largest in the United States, and ranks third in sales of large pickup trucks, which generate significant profits for the Detroit Three automakers, Krebs said.
General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV went into August with hefty inventories of unsold pickups, and a post-storm sales bump could help clear out those trucks at higher prices.Production at plants like Toyota Motor Corp's San Antonio, Texas, truck factory and a large GM-operated SUV plant in Arlington, Texas, have been unaffected, the companies said.
However, Volkswagen AG said on Tuesday that shipments of vehicles to the Port of Houston have been delayed because the facility is closed.
Auto dealerships around Houston have been flooded or had operations disrupted, industry officials said.
Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation Inc, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, said on CNBC that 17 dealerships were closed following Harvey and that he did not know when they would reopen.
Reporting by Nick Carey and Joseph White
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Richard Velasco lifts his dog into an airboat as he and his family are evacuated from their home as water rises from heavy rains in Fort Bend County, Texas: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP
New Jersey and New York City have dispatched search and rescue teams to Texas who have experience with Superstorm Sandy.
Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall on the Gulf of Mexico coast on 25 August, has dumped up to 40 in (102 cm) of rain in some areas and flooded several parts of the Houston metropolitan area.
In 2012, the Atlantic coast of New Jersey and southern New York were slammed with Sandy and received aid and rescue help from several states and the federal government.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was particularly appreciative of the help and announced that NJ Task Force 1, comprised of police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel - are in Katy, Texas, a suburb approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) west of Houston.
"As Americans, we come together during times of crisis and today New Jerseys heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the people of Texas at this very difficult time...During superstorm Sandy, emergency and law enforcement response contingents from around the country came to our aid," Mr Christie said in a statement.
The team - part of the National Urban Search & Rescue Response System - were originally supposed to go to San Antonio, Texas but have been re-routed due to road closures.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also sending 120 emergency personnel to Texas from the Fire Department's Incident Management Team and the Urban Search and Rescue Rapid Response Team.
We are set up for all types of rescues, including swiftwater rescues. We have a compilation of tools that include boats, motors, dry suits, rescue equipment for collapsed structures, rope equipment for confined spaces, and a large compilation of Haz-Mat equipment and tools," said the Fire Department's Jack Flatley who leads the team.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also deployed the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York National Guard to Texas and Louisiana with boats, helicopters, and personnel.
Members of the so-called Cajun Navy, a group of Louisiana civilians with experience during the deadly 2005 Hurricane Katrina, made the journey to Texas with their small boats and watercraft and have made several rescues to assist overwhelmed local authorities.
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After Sandy, 20 Republican members of Congress and both Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were against the 2013 Congressional relief package for victims of the disaster in the New York and New Jersey area.
Much of the devastation of Harvey will have to wait to be assessed until unrelenting rainfall stops, but it is expected to be the costliest natural disaster in American history. Much of the damage has ocurred outside of a flood insurance zone, prompting the need for another relief package vote when Congress comes back into session in early September.
When Air Force One touched down in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, President Donald Trump seemed to have an eye on how his administrations response to Hurricane Harvey and the historic flooding it unleashed on Houston could define his already turbulent administration. We want to do it better than ever before, Trump said of the federal response during a meeting with local, state and federal officials. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years, from now as: This is the way to do it.
Trump is acutely aware of the legacy of Hurricane Katrina and how the botched federal response marked, perhaps, the low point of the George W. Bushs administration. When the Category 3 storm slammed into Louisiana in 2005, Bush was in San Diego, attending a birthday party for Senator John McCain, and he chose a flyover of the chaos in New Orleans rather than touching down. When he eventually got around to visiting the submerged city, his praise of Michael D. Brown, the hapless administrator of FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, only made things worse. His remark, Youre doing a heckuva a job, Brownie, became an enduring reminder of how out of touch Bush was at that point. Brown whose previous job before coming to FEMA was at the International Arabian Horse Association, had no real disaster qualifications save for being close friends with Joe Allbaugh, a longtime Bush aide who was the presidents first FEMA director.
Because Harvey is still pounding the Texas Gulf Coast, and because of the historic scope of the disaster, its too early to say how Trumps FEMA is doing. William Brock Long, the recently confirmed FEMA administrator, brings impressive disaster credentials to the job, including running Alabamas emergency management agency. The Gulf Coast is kind of like the top minor-league level for recruiting FEMA administrators. President Barack Obamas widely praised FEMA director, Craig Fugate, ran Floridas Division of Emergency when Jeb Bush was governor.
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Presidents, Trump included, have learned that a botched response to a disaster can be a political death sentence. Bushs painfully slow response to Katrina stood in contrast to the swift federal response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. The chaos at the Superdome, the sluggish delivery of food and water to the citys refugees, and the infighting between federal, state and local officials made Katrina an object lesson in how not to handle a disaster.
The chaos in Houston could, though, act as a springboard for Trump to improve his low poll numbers. President Bill Clintons response to the terrorist attack in Oklahoma City proved a pivotal moment in his troubled first term, as he rallied the country after the bombing that left 168 persons dead at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
While Herbert Hoover is remembered primarily for his lackluster response to the Great Depression, which led to his being swept out of the White House in 1932, he became president largely based on his widely praised leadership following the Mississippi River Flood of 1927. Hoover, a Stanford-trained engineer and mining executive, had come to national prominence for his work leading refugee relief during World War I and then in its aftermath, when President Woodrow Wilson put him at the head of Americas food-relief efforts. When the Mississippi River faced historic flooding in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge tapped Hoover, his commerce secretary, to lead the relief efforts as well as to come up with a way to prevent future flooding from overwhelming the levees along Americas longest waterway. Hoover ran for president the following year, and the self-styled Great Engineer easily won the Republican nomination and the presidency. He also had made disaster relief very much a federal responsibility. The ugly racism that marked much of the relief of the period, including black sharecroppers and even children being ordered to protect levees at gunpoint, was also part of the era.
Its probably no accident that possible presidential contenders like Senator Ted Cruz, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and, at first, refused to endorse him, has immersed himself in storm relief and is offering none of the fiscal objections he waged against Superstorm Sandy relief in 2012, when he fought granting federal aid to the affected East Coast. Any presidential objectives that Texas Governor Greg Abbott might be nursing will surely be gauged by his response to Harvey. So far, the conservative Republican has sought to lower expectations, warning the residents of the nations second-most-populous state that this new normal will last and recovery will take years.
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Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the massive rafts of fire ants floating in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. These arent your typical congregations of fire ants, either. Nature, almost comedic in its cruelty, has made it so their painful, blistering stings are much more potent than usual.
Solenopsis invicta ants, commonly known as red imported fire ants (or spicy boys in some circles), are native to South America but have spread throughout the southern United States, thanks to a number of adaptations that make them exceptionally well-suited to thrive in environments ranging from arid sand to literal floods.
One of their most terrifying adaptations, as Texans and horrified internet users have recently discovered, is their uncanny ability to link together and form a raft in which individual ants take turns above water. This ensures a colonys survival in the event of a flood, and, oh yeah, it also creates floating nightmares.
The average venom per sting delivered by S. invicta workers was around 87 percent greater, a bit short of double the dose, while rafting than when defending from the relative safety of their nests in the ground, Kevin Haight, a research specialist at Arizona State University, tells Inverse.
Floating rafts of Solenopsis invicta fire ants are even more venomous than usual.
Haight is referring to the research he published in 2006 in the journal Insectes Sociaux, which showed that these invasive ants, known for their painful stings, become even more hazardous during flood conditions.
In an experiment, Haight compared fire ants venom output before and after colony rafting by using a latex dummy hand to measure venom output and sting frequency in a colony before and after he flooded it. The difference was clear, and Haight says it made a lot of sense from a survival adaptation perspective. The ant colony, he says, is never more vulnerable than it is while rafting.
They are exposed on all sides and they cannot flee, he wrote. They are even potential prey for animals that would not otherwise be threats. For example, rafting colonies on ponds or rivers may make tempting targets for fish or other aquatic predators.
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One fire ant bite is painful enough, but if you wander into a whole raft of them, you could get a shitload of these pustules.
Unfortunately for humans, potential predators and clumsy bystanders dont look any different to ants, so if you touch an ant raft, youll probably get stung.
From the ants point of view its all a threat: death by being crushed or scattered, or death by being consumed, says Haight.
For most people, fire ant stings cause painful swelling and pustules, but for allergic individuals between one and six percent of people it can cause an anaphylactic response, which can be fatal if untreated. With that in mind, Texans and anyone in flooded areas should exercise extreme caution. This is especially true when considering how the unique conditions of a flood could expose a person to way more ants than they might expect in a single encounter.
When ants are defending their nests in the ground a person stepping on them will probably be protected by shoes, pants, etc., potentially reducing the number of stings they receive to the skin, says Haight.
However, in a flood situation, a person may be more likely to have bare skin exposed to the ants, or to have body parts other than feet and legs receive stings. In addition to all this, when the ants are rafting their colony is both entirely exposed and highly concentrated, so any threat they encounter will have the whole colony to deal with, rather than just the portion of the work force that happens to be near the ground surface as when an anthill is stepped on.
In the floods that followed Harvey, ant researchers and laypeople have taken to Twitter to express their disbelief at the size of the ant rafts floating around Texas.
Alex Wild, a curator of entomology at the University of Texas at Austin who is known for his ant photography, expressed his dismay at the photo above.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself, says Haight, is to wear long sleeves and pants, even though it might be uncomfortable. But of course, the best thing to do is steer totally clear.
The rafting ants will attempt to climb up anything solid they encounter, so people should be cautious and keep their distance if a raft is spotted.
Photos via Flickr / nile red, Flickr / euthman, Flickr / Brant Kelly
Written by Peter Hess
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UPDATE: 3:02 p.m. After a photo emerged that showed a Best Buy store selling cases of water for $42 in flood-ravaged Texas, the company has issued an apology for the pricing.
"This was a big mistake on the part of a few employees at one store on Friday," a spokesperson for Best Buy told International Business Times in a statement Tuesday. "As a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people. We're sorry and it won't happen again. Not as an excuse but as an explanation, we don't typically sell cases of water. The mistake was made when employees priced a case of water using the single-bottle price for each bottle in the case."
Original story: A Best Buy store near Houston was accused of price gouging bottles of water in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, according to a story on GritPost by Ken Klippenstein. Photos shared on Twitter allegedly of a store in Cypress, Texas, showed cases of Smart Water being sold for $29.98, while cases of Dasani water were being hocked at $42.96.
Social media users decried the apparent price gouging for vital supplies like water though it was far from the first time prices were raised in the aftermath of the disaster. More than 500 complaints were leveled against businesses about price gouging during Hurricane Harvey over the weekend, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told CNBC in an interview Monday.
These are things you cant do in Texas, said Paxton. There are significant penalties if you price gouge in a crisis like this.
Price gouging can result in fines of up to $200,000, with an additional $50,000 if the victim in question was over 65 years old. Texans reported businesses driving up prices in the wake of the disaster as companies reportedly worried about supply and demand.
I dont think as large as our country is, as large as Texas is, that supply is ultimately going to be that big of an issue, Paxton told CNBC.
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Others reported cases of water going for up to $99. A television crew from KXAN-TV in Austin attempted to stay in a hotel about 20 miles from Corpus Christi Saturday only to find prices at the establishment had been tripled. The Best Western Plus charged $321.89 instead of the standard $120 - $149 per night.
Multiple customers at a WingStop in Houston were overcharged over the weekend as well patrons noticed ambiguous charges and catering platter fees on their receipts. General manager Estebanon Barnes acknowledged the issue and said the customers were incorrectly charged.
I want to apologize to our guests who may have been incorrectly charged, Barnes said, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Were working to quickly resolve this error and ensure it doesnt happen again.
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President Donald Trump headed to Texas to confront the first major natural disaster, and biggest test yet, of his presidency as officials struggled to manage an unprecedented deluge delivered by Hurricane Harvey.
The mammoth storm dropped more than 15 trillion gallons of rain bringing catastrophic consequences to Houston, America's fourth biggest city where 6.8 million people live. More than 3,500 people were rescued by police, firefighters and National Guard troops as boat and helicopter searches continued.
Appearing at an emergency briefing at a fire station in nearby Corpus Christi, Mr Trump, wearing a "USA" baseball hat, said: "This was of epic proportion, nobody's ever seen anything like this. This is a special place, a special state."
Donald Trump raises a Texan flag at a fire station Credit: AP
Addressing first responders he added: "We want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now, as this is the way to do it. I won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that, we'll congratulate each other when it's all finished."
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Corpus Christi, Texas Credit: Carlos Barria/REUTERS
Mr Trumplater climbed up on a fire engine ladder to address a crowd and held aloft a Texan flag.
He said: "We love you, you are special, we are here to take care of you. It's going well.
"It's historic, it's epic, but I tell you, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything."
Greg Abbott, the Republican Governor of Texas, said Mr Trump was "a champion of Texas and a champion of helping us rebuild".
Damages were already estimated in the billions of dollars and rebuilding is expected to last beyond Mr Trump's current four-year term.
A group of civilian volunteer rescuers assemble whatever floating vessels they have and take to the flooded streets of west Houston Credit: James Breeden / Telegraph
Around 17,000 people were in shelters, including 9,000 in a Houston convention centre intended to hold half as many.
Hundreds of roads were blocked by high water, Houston's two main airports were shut, and 6,000 prison inmates were evacuated.
The official death toll of nine was expected to rise. With 50 inches of rain in some places, and more expected, Houston police chief
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Art Acevedo said: "I'm really worried about how many bodies we're going to find."
Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press she lost six members of her family, including four siblings aged six to 16, as they tried to escape in a van.
She said the children Daisy, Xavier, Dominic and Devy, perished along with two other adult relatives.
Houston's Office for Emergency Management was unable to confirm the presumed deaths.
BREAKING: Levees breached at Columbia Lakes in Brazoria County. Get out now, the alert reads Alli Hedges (@AllisonLHedges) August 29, 2017
Angela Sanchez, 34, told The Telegraph she and her husband and floated their three children to safety in a fridge freezer as the waters reached chest height. She said: "We ripped the door off the fridge and put the kids in it."
Her daughter Valencia, 16, added: When we finally left my sister sat in the freezer part, my brother sat in the fridge part, and I sat in the middle."
The family were forced to leave two of their dogs behind. Mrs Sanchez said: "We put them on high ground and dumped all the food from the fridge out next to them so they could eat."
Leaving now for Texas! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2017
At the convention centre in Houston Iashia Nelson said she had been a victim of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, after moving from Louisiana to Texas.
She told CNN: "It took us 15 hours to get out of there from all that water. There were six families in the house. There was a window pane and I busted it with a hammer. I got the children out and we were on t he roof. I was so scared. One girl I knew drowned and she left behind two babies. It brought back all the memories (of Katrina)."
The Cajun Navy, a grassroots group formed after Katrina, use their boats to rescue people in Houston.
Flint Theriot, a member of the group described rescuing a family including a three-day old baby. He said: "The rain was filling our boats out so hard we couldn't bail them out. It was rough. People were getting really desperate."
President Donald Trump walks with Melania Trump prior to their Marine One departure from the White House
Two reservoirs near Houston built to handle drainage water were beginning to overflow. Water was released to alleviate pressure on dams, which added to flooding.
Local officials also sent out a warning that a levee had breached and telling people to "GET OUT NOW!!"
Amid some reports of looting and armed robbery Mr Acevedo, the Houston police chief, said: "We are not going to tolerate people victimising our community. That's despicable. If you do it you won't see the sunlight any time soon."
Tuesday was the 12th anniversary of Katrina hitting the neighbouring state of Louisiana, killing 1,800 people.
Residents use boats to evacuate flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey along Tidwell Road east Houston Credit: REUTERS
The slow government response to that disaster was a hugely damaging blow to the administration of President George W. Bush.
Amid debate over whether his presence in Texas would divert resources Mr Trump avoided traveling to Houston itself.
Melania Trump, the first lady, raised eyebrows as she donned stiletto heels for the couple's departure from the White House, but on arrival in Texas she had changed into more suitable footwear.
HOUSTON A spokesman for Houstons enormous Lakewood Church, which waited days before offering to shelter flood victims, has a message for those who criticized the delay.
These are haters, Donald Iloff Jr., the church chief communications director, told HuffPost on Tuesday. Haters gonna hate.
Volunteers take donations at the Lakewood Church in Houston. (Photo: Joseph Rushmore for HuffPost)
The church, stomping ground of celebrity televangelist Joel Osteen, started catching flack on social media Monday for not offering its 606,000-square-foot sanctuary as a refuge for people displaced by Tropical Storm Harveys massive flooding.
Front of @JoelOsteen's huge Lakewood Church in Houston at 11 am. Closed due to "flooding". Person who took it asked to be anonymous. pic.twitter.com/gOndOncFuC Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) August 28, 2017
Joel Osteen has a 16,000 SEAT MEGA CHURCH smack in the middle of Houston & HASN'T Opened his doors to those who need rescue?!? WHAT THE FUCK wavy. (@itswavyszn) August 28, 2017
Nice of @JoelOsteen to open his 16,000 seat mega church in Houston to floor victims. Lol jk he's not doing that. Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) August 28, 2017
Houston's Joel Osteen has a net worth over $50m and a church that holds 16,800 but this is all he's offering. pic.twitter.com/rmhdWK6ZAO Mark Elliott (@markmobility) August 28, 2017
Where's Joel Osteen? His church in Houston holds 16,800, and he has plenty of money. Open the doors and help people! Well, guess not eh! philip harris (@pharris830) August 28, 2017
I know people sometime yesterday started coming up and shooting pictures and saying, Look, its dry, its dry, Iloff said. Well yeah, yesterday it was.
Water outside the buildings 10-foot floodgate was 9 feet deep before Monday, Iloff said. Church officials feared rising water would overrun the floodgate and surge into the building.
It was not safe, Iloff said, adding, Nobody knew this was going to be a thousand-year storm.
Donald Iloff Jr., chief communications director of Lakewood Church, outside the church. (Photo: Joseph Rushmore for HuffPost)
But Tuesday morning, the church announced it would take in people who needed shelter. By afternoon, several hundred people whose homes were swallowed by the floodwaters had taken refuge inside the sprawling building.
Among those happy to have a place to go was 38-year-old Jie Zhang.
Zhang was at the shelter with her husband and two children an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-month-old baby along with her husbands parents. The whole family was rescued early Tuesday after floodwaters began pouring into their home in Sugar Land, just south of Houston, which they purchased just last month.
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Jie Zhang, 38, and her daughter Sheryl, 8, wait to be entered into the shelter at Lakewood Church in Houston. (Photo: Joseph Rushmore for HuffPost)
Water started pouring into the home Monday night, Zhang said. The whole neighborhood is flooded.
Zhang and her children retreated to the second floor, and her husband managed to flag down rescuers. She said they never imagined the water would rise as high as it did.
Thats why we had decided not to leave, she said.
The Zhang family is among thousands driven from their homes by flooding caused by Harveys record-breaking rainfall.
People bring donations to Lakewood Church. (Photo: Joseph Rushmore for HuffPost)
At least 11 people are known to have died, including a Houston police sergeant who drowned in his car. The toll is likely to climb once flood waters recede.
Meanwhile, Iloff said his church will remain open as long as its needed.
Even though we knew it was coming and we knew it was going to be bad, I dont think we knew it was going to be Armageddon, he said. Were happy to be a part of this.
Tips? Feedback? Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Twitter.
Also on HuffPost
Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety in Houston.
A Shell gas station is underwater at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston.
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja (right) and 9-month-old son, LaDarius, after they reached high ground by boat in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate from floodwaters in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows, fleeing their home in east Houston.
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas.
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai Harrison, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon used his airboat to rescue them after their neighborhood was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Dean Mize (left) and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of the water at an underpass in Houston.
A person walks through a flooded street with a dog in Houston.
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston.
A resident of Bayou on the Bend watches the first floor flood as the Buffalo Bayou continues to rise in Houston.
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston.
People walk down a flooded street in Houston.
People wait on a flooded street in Houston.
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston.
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
TWIN FALLS The week youve been waiting for is finally here.
Its when hot summer days become cool country nights filled with the smell of cotton candy, screaming carnival riders, whirling lights and applause from the grandstands.
The Twin Falls County Fair opens Wednesday and runs through Monday at the Filer Fairgrounds. Over the next six days youll find old favorites like Magic Valley Stampede Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo, The Mighty Thomas Carnival and the All Star Monster Truck Tour.
Then there are new events and features that may catch your eye.
A smoke-blowing dragon.
Quick and cute canines.
A magical farmer.
Behind-the-scenes rodeo.
And a Grammy-nominated country star.
On your bark
There are a lot of cute animals at the fair.
But these dogs will give them all a run for their money.
The FIDO 500 Mini Dog Races features speedy canines racing to the finish line for gold, silver and bronze. More than a dozen miniature purebred dogs are on the team. They all weigh between 3.5 and 19.5 pounds. Three dachshunds participate in their own specialty race called the Wiener 100 and three chihuahuas compete in the Baja Chihuahua 100. The dogs also include a hairless Chinese crested, Shiba Inu, schnauzer, Pomeranian, Australian terrier and an all-American mutt.
There are three free shows daily in the park at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
Its something new and different that hasnt been in Idaho before, said fair manager John Pit. They race for treats at the end. Its like the pig races, but its just little dogs that race.
Fire Stryker
Its like the movie How to Train Your Dragon, but in real life.
Roaming the fairground three times a day will be an 8-foot-tall, 16-foot-long dragon with realistic eye blinking, smoke blowing and wing flapping.
This will be the first time Prehistoric Adventures Fire Stryker will make an appearance at the Twin Falls County Fair. The dragon is led around on a leash by a handler. You can expect crowds to gather as people shoot videos or take photo with the colossal creature. Theres a person inside the giant dragon costume, but you wont be able to tell.
Pitz said he came across the dragon at a fair convention last year and thought it was pretty cool. He said he knew people in the Magic Valley would get a kick out of it as much as he did.
Its just something new and different, he said. We try to bring stuff in people havent seen before.
Farmer magic
Farmers make magic every harvest season. But this is a different kind of magic.
Audience members of all ages will learn from presenter Joyce Rice the important role agriculture, farmers and ranchers play in their lives. The Thank A Farmer Magic Shows website describes it as a fun, energetic, and educational show that dazzles the crowd while educating them on farming and agriculture.
Rice comes from a six-generation farm family. She attended Iowa State University and graduated in home economics education. She has traveled the world with her magic show, including an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Thank A Farmer Magic Show will be presented three times a day in the Ag Pavilion at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. This event is free.
Learning the ropes
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Have you always wanted to learn how to rope and ride?
The Magic Valley Stampede is holding its first ever Chicks n Chaps Womens Rodeo Clinic from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday. This clinic is open to women age 21 and older. The cost to attend is $75.
Chicks n Chaps educates women about the sport of rodeo. Attendees will also enjoy drinks, appetizers, a behind-the-scenes look at the rodeo and special seating to Friday nights rodeo.
The event is a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. Chicks n Chaps has raised over 1 million dollars to support women with breast cancer. All of the money raised during the event stays local.
Participants will learn from the best around.
Sankey Pro Rodeo will provide attendees with their Behind the Chutes discussion on what goes in to a rodeo performance, the treatment of livestock and will answer any questions. Sankey Pro Rodeo livestock is featured at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The business has also been featured on ESPN, USA Today, Western Horseman and Country Music Television.
Ladies Love Country Boys
There are still tickets left, but youll want to hurry and purchase yours before its too late.
Trace Adkins will perform at 8 p.m. on Sunday. Reserve seating in the grandstands is $23 and general admission on the arena floor (no seating) is $20. To purchase tickets, youll need to call 208-326-4396 or visit the Fair Office. Online ticketing is currently unavailable.
Three-time Grammy-nominated Adkins has countless top-of-the-chart hits and has sold more than 10 million albums. His hit list includes Youre Gonna Miss This, Ladies Love Country Boys, Songs About Me, Every Light In The House and Hillbilly Bone. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, a TV personality, actor, author, spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Program and the American Red Cross. He has also performed in 10 USO Tours and wrote the 2007 autobiography A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck, which chronicles his life as a former oil-rigger to rising to fame as a country music star battling personal demons.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel on Wednesday backtracked from a decision to revoke the accreditation of an Al Jazeera journalist, saying he explained that comments he made last year did not amount to support for Palestinian violence. Elias Karram, an Arab citizen of Israel, had told a Turkish-based TV station last year that his role as a journalist in Israeli-occupied territories where Palestinians seek statehood was inseparable from the "work of the resistance". In a statement, Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) said Karram clarified at a hearing on Aug. 21 that those comments did not constitute support or sympathy for violence. The GPO said that, in response to his explanation and after consultations with security officials, it had frozen for six months the lifting of Karram's accreditation and would review his news reports during that period. A spokesman for Al Jazeera in Doha, the Qatari capital where the satellite channel is based, declined immediate comment but said a statement would be forthcoming. Israel's original decision, announced two weeks ago, was condemned by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. The CPJ wrote to the GPO that it could not find "any justification for the harassment of Karram or evidence of Al Jazeera inciting violence". For many Israelis and for Palestinian militant groups that seek Israel's destruction, the term "resistance" is synonymous with armed attacks. Palestinians who support a peace process with Israel leading to statehood say the term can refer to non-violent protests, such as hunger strikes by prisoners. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to work to close down Al Jazeera in Israel, accusing it of inciting violence. Earlier this month, Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara said plans were afoot to revoke the media credentials of Al Jazeera's journalists, close its Jerusalem bureau and remove the station's broadcasts from local cable and satellite providers. Such a closure does not appear imminent, however, and an Israeli official said a legal process was still required to implement most of the proposed steps. Al Jazeera has accused Israel of aligning itself with the four Arab states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain - that have severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar over alleged support for Islamist militant groups. Qatar denies backing violent Islamists. Al Jazeera has also faced government censure in Egypt. In 2014, Egypt jailed three of the network's staffers for seven years and closed its offices. Two staffers have been released but a third remains imprisoned. (Reporting by Miriam Berger; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Mark Heinrich)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman denounced unauthorised Jewish outposts in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a day after the prime minister vowed not to uproot settlements in the territory.
International law sees all Israel's West Bank settlements as illegal, but Israel distinguishes between those it sanctions and those it does not.
Such outposts "have caused considerable damage to settlement", army radio quoted Lieberman as telling journalists.
His comments came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that settlements would not be removed, drawing no distinction between outposts and settlements authorised by the authorities.
"It is our land. We have come back here to stay here for good," he said.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, visiting the West Bank Tuesday, called Israeli settlements a "major obstacle" to peace with Palestinians, noting that they are "illegal under international law".
Lieberman also criticised a controversial settlement law that would legalise dozens of Jewish settlements built on private Palestinian land.
The Supreme Court froze the law's implementation on August 18.
Lieberman said the law would retroactively legalise 2,000 homes and buildings built on Palestinian land.
But, he said, it would also legalise "10,000 homes" built by Palestinians without permission from the Israeli authorities.
Lieberman also lashed out at Israeli extremists who carry out attacks on Palestinians, describing them as "anarchists" and "idiots" who are damaging the settlement enterprise.
Israel has seen a wave of "price tag" attacks -- a euphemism for Jewish nationalist-motivated hate crimes targeting Palestinians, Arab Israelis, their property and Muslim and Christian holy sites.
Ivanka Trump has a nickname, but its apparently not one shes called publicly.
The 35-year-old Trump daughter is called princess royal by some West Wing advisers, according to a Vanity Fair piece on her and husband Jared Kushner.
The report describes Trump and Kushner as ineffective in their roles as top advisers to the president. The oft-criticized couple has limited experience in the political world, but the two have played key roles in the goings-on within the administration.
Trump apparently earned her nickname when she sat in for her father at the G-20 summit in Germany earlier this summer an act that prompted complaints of nepotism and much eye-rolling. As Vanity Fair notes, this happening was strange and even among some Trump loyalists, the breach of protocol was too much.
(Photo: PATRIK STOLLARZ via Getty Images)
This is not a royal family, and shes not the princess royal, one former Trump adviser told Vanity Fair. Writer Sarah Ellison then notes that princess royal is a term that some West Wing advisers apply to [Ivanka], though never to her face.
The term princess royal is clearly used cheekily here. Usually, its a title awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter.
The eldest Trump daughter we cant neglect to mention the frequently unseen, but never forgotten Tiffany Trump has long been a contentious figure in this administration. Many people have implored Ivanka Trump to be a voice of reason in her fathers administration. Instead, she has been complicit and silent.
Kushner and Ivanka dont have the necessary self-awarenessdont understand how to behave when you roll into Washington as the creature of someone else, Ellison writes. Most such people take a seat a little off to the side, at least until they get their bearings.
Ivanka and Jared have indeed taken a seat. It just happens to be front and center.
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Jeremy Irons has the voice of a king or at least a kings brother, as he proved with his deliciously wicked work voicing Simbas evil uncle Scar in Disneys 1994 animated hit, The Lion King.
And if you ever noticed an ever-so-slight rasp in the famed British thesps low, sinuous vocals in the film, theres a reason for that.
Hes a smoker, so when we recorded him, he was smoking, including [during] the song Be Prepared, Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff told Yahoo Movies during a Facebook Live interview on Monday (watch above) while promoting the films new Signature Edition home release.
Minkoff then provided a reenactment of Ironss showy vocals followed by a massive puff of a cigarette. We had to edit out all of [the smoking], the filmmaker laughed.
This was the early 90s, after all, when smoking in places of employment (like recording studios) wasnt entirely unheard of especially in Europe. Irons taped his vocals in London.
And speaking of kings and their brothers, Minkoff also set the record straight on a Lion King news item that circulated last week claiming that Mufasa and Scar were not actually brothers. We talked about the fact that it was very likely they would not have both the same parents, the films producer Don Hahn, who joined Minkoff for an interview with Hello Giggles, was quoted saying.
That was a misunderstanding, they are brothers, I just want to clarify that, Minkoff told us. We did an interview and we were talking about the actual habits of lions in the wild and what they do. And we got off on a tangent, I think, and there was a bit of a misunderstanding But for sure, they are brothers.
The Lion Kings Signature Edition Blu-ray and Combo Pack is now available.
Watch our full Facebook Live interview:
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A Good Samaritans group has joined the emergency services in the Hurricane Harvey rescue effort.
Jewellery company Shields of Strength, led by company founder Kenny Vaughan, was asked by the Houston Sheriffs office to help save stranded residents on Monday.
Footage shows the company, aided by volunteers, venturing out on boats to assist trapped residents.
Unfortunately, amid the chaos, Mr Vaughan had also become stranded in Houston.
Shields of Strength venture out to rescue residents Credit: Shields of Strength
He said: "I have never, ever, ever seen anything so vast and so bad. The people are amazingly courageous. We pray for them as we rescue them, and they stop us and pray for us. This nation is a people who love one another: all religions, all colours, all kinds. Jesus built this nation, but hate and selfishness can tear it down. No selfishness in south east Texas the last two days. Please pray for us."
Mr Vaughan on Tuesday was trying to return to his home in China, Texas, where he plans to aid other rescue groups and check in on his family.
At least 1,000 people have been rescued from the Houston area by local police since the floods, while the coast guard has assisted in rescuing at least 3,000.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan will open its main border crossing with Iraq on Wednesday for the first time since 2015 now that Iraqi forces have gained control of the main highway to Baghdad from Islamic State militants, officials said on Tuesday. Iraqi troops pulled out of the Tureibil post, on the 180 km (110 mile) border, in the summer of 2014 after the militants secured nearly all the official crossings of the western frontier as they swept through a third of the country. Commercial traffic continued for a year after until Iraq launched an offensive in July 2015 to reclaim the predominately Sunni Anbar province and deprive the militants of funds raised from truck drivers forced to pay a tax on cargo coming in from Jordan. Officials have said that customs and border arrangements have been finalised, with security measures in place to ensure the 550 km highway from the border to Baghdad was safe. "The opening of the crossing is of great importance to Jordan and Iraq ... It's a crucial artery. Jordan and Iraq have been discussing reopening it for a while," Interior Minister Ghaleb al Zubi said last week. Zubi did not give a date then, but several trade and business officials have said they have been invited to an event on Wednesday to mark the re-opening that would include senior Jordanian and Iraqi officials. Since last year, the Iraqi army has regained most of Anbar province's main towns that fell to the ultra-hardline jihadist group. The vast sprawling desert province is an historic hotbed of the hardline Sunni insurgency sparked by 2003s U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which empowered the oil-rich nations Shiite majority. Iraq has also been working on securing the highway that connects Iraq's Basra port in the south to Jordan, where the Red Sea port of Aqaba has long served as a gateway for Iraqi imports coming from Europe. Although the highway has been secured after driving out the jihadists, the threat of hit-and run attacks on convoys and the army are ever present, according to security experts. There have been several attacks by militants near al-Rutba town, the last town before the border with Jordan. A senior Western diplomatic said Iraqi authorities have awarded a contract to a U.S. security company that will employ a local force to secure the highway. The source gave no further details. Jordan hopes the reopening of the route will revive exports to Iraq, once the kingdom's main export market, accounting that accounted for almost a fifth of domestic exports or about $1.2 billion a year, according to the International Monetary Fund. They have fallen by more than 50 percent from pre-crisis levels. "This will increase industrial exports and also revive the two countries' trucking industry. It's a major boost to the economy," Nael Husami, general manager of the Amman Chamber of Industry, adding transport costs would fall by nearly half. Jordanian exporters have had to use more expensive sea routes to Iraq's Um Qasr port or another land route across Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, businessmen have said. The restoration of trade links will also give a push to an oil pipeline project running from Basra to Aqaba. Prime Minister Hani al Mulki had visited Baghdad earlier this year to revive the frozen project. Jordanian officials are hopeful the crossing with Syria on its northern border can also open by the end of the year once a U.S.-Russian de-escalation zone in southwest Syria that includes the area is cemented. The International Monetary Fund recently said that prolonged conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq were weighing on the kingdom's debt-ridden economy and the opening of these export routes would boost economic growth. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alison Williams, Toni Reinhold)
Another Duggar baby is on the way!
Joy-Anna Duggar, who wed Austin Forsyth earlier this summer, is already pregnant with her first child, the two announced Wednesday. Things are certainly moving quickly for the young couple: The two tied the knot in May, less than three months after they got engaged -- but they're nothing but excited.
Were so happy and thankful to announce that were expecting a baby! Joy-Anna told People. Every child is such a precious gift from God. Im most looking forward to watching Austin as a dad and raising children together with him.
New photos show the two showing off Duggar's baby bump in a fitted purple tee.
Duggar and Forsyth married in Arkansas in front of family and friends before jetting off to Switzerland for their honeymoon. Not long later, they made their way to Israel to celebrate their first month as a married couple.
Im really looking forward to the journey of this pregnancy and all the different stages it will bring, Forsyth said. Its really exciting and I feel so blessed to be a dad! We are beyond thankful!
The "Counting On" star's rapid moves from fiance to wife to mother is nothing new for the Duggar family, where most of Joy-Anna's older siblings are already married with young children. Older brother Joseph is next in line for a family celebration -- he got engaged to Kendra Caldwell at Joy-Anna's nuptials after a few months of courting.
As flooding continues to devastate Houston and surrounding areas, celebrities are joining Kevin Hart and his Hurricane Harvey Challenge to contribute to relief efforts in Texas. The latest famous famous to join the cause is the Kardashian and Jenner clan.
In direct response to Hart's challenge, multiple members of the family announced that they would be donating $500,000 to American Red Cross and Salvation Army.
SEE ALSO: Drake, Kevin Hart, Beyonce, and more are supporting those effected by Hurricane Harvey in different ways
Houston we are praying for you! My mom, sisters & I will be donating $500,000 to @redcross and @salvationarmyus today #HoustonStrong Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 29, 2017
My sisters, mom and I accept your challenge Kev! We will be donating $500 thousand to @redcross and @salvationarmyus today #HoustonStrong https://t.co/f8iurk8dNX Khloe (@khloekardashian) August 29, 2017
Kourtney and Kendall have yet to comment on the family donation.
Since hitting land on Friday, Harvey, which is now a tropical storm, has flooded Texas with over 19 trillion gallons of water, hitting the state with devastating flooding and claiming the lives of at least nine people.
You can find out how you can help contribute to relief efforts here.
TWIN FALLS Twin Falls city Fire Chief Tim Soule was placed on paid administrative leave Aug. 29.
City Manager Travis Rothweiler said Aug. 30 he wont go into detail out of respect for Soule, but the decision wasnt connected to any criminal or illegal activity.
The city is conducting an investigation.
Three fire battalion chiefs are overseeing the day-to-day operations of the fire department.
Rothweiler said he and deputy city manager Brian Pike are available to assist with any long-term decision making.
Soule was sworn in Oct. 17, 2016 as fire chief.
The Ohio native began his firefighting career in the suburbs of Cleveland before moving on to Kalispell, Mont., and then to western Nevada, where he worked as a deputy chief in his last job before being hired on in Twin Falls.
Donald Trump, Tevfik Arif and Felix Sater attend the Trump Soho Launch Party in 2007 in New York. (Photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage)
WASHINGTON A key Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said the panel needs to seek testimony from Felix Sater, a business associate of President Trump, and may ultimately have to call the president himself in light of newly disclosed emails about a prospective Trump Tower project in Moscow that was being pursued during the early stages of last years presidential campaign.
This is a bright light in an ever growing constellation of contacts between Donald Trump and Russia, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told Yahoo News on Tuesday. In a hearing with then-FBI Director James Comey last March, Swalwell first raised questions about Saters role.
Swalwell told Yahoo News that Sater, a Russian-born convicted felon turned FBI informant, is a relevant witness who may have been a pivotal player in the relationship between Trump and the Russian government. But the committee will likely need to go further to resolve all the questions swirling about the issue, including seeking testimony directly from Trump. We dont want to be reckless, said Swalwell. But that should be on the table. My belief is we have to hear from all relevant witnesses, and it does look like he [Trump] is likely relevant.
It would be extremely rare, but not unprecedented, for a president to testify before a congressional committee. The last known instance was in 1974 when then-President Gerald Ford testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee about his pardon of his predecessor, Richard Nixon. (Before that, it hadnt happened since Woodrow Wilson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the League of Nations.) But the mere fact that a leading Democratic investigator is raising the issue illustrates the mounting stakes for the White House from the inquiries, both by Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller, into contacts he and his campaign had with Russian officials. Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said Tuesday night: We will continue to cooperate with the committees investigation to the extent that it is appropriate.
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The potential new interest in Trumps testimony was triggered by emails turned over to the House Intelligence Committee this week showing that even while he was running for president, Trump was pursuing a deal to build a giant Trump Tower in Moscow an ambitious project, envisioned as the worlds tallest building and costing well over $100 million, that was conceived and pitched to the Trump Organization by Sater. The onetime Trump real estate adviser envisioned the project as a way to help Trump win the presidential election, the emails suggest. Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it, Sater wrote in one email to Michael Cohen, then Trumps lawyer and an executive vice president at the Trump Organization. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.
Cohen, who even emailed Dmitri Peskov, the chief press spokesman for Putin, in January of last year to seek approval for the project, said this week that he pulled the plug on the project late that month because he lost confidence it would get the necessary approvals in Moscow. (Cohen is slated to testify before the House Intelligence Committee next Tuesday.) A White House official told Yahoo News that Trump himself had forgotten about the project and, while furious when recently shown the Sater-Cohen emails, insisted it proved his contention that he never colluded with Putins government because the Trump Tower Moscow deal never came to fruition.
But the newly discovered emails raise multiple questions about the accounts Trump and his aides have given about their dealings with Sater a controversial figure who was twice convicted on felony charges, once for slashing another mans face with a broken cocktail glass and a second time in a pump and dump Wall Street stock fraud involving the Genovese and Bonanno crime families. (Sater avoided prison in the later case by becoming an FBI informant on Russian organized crime and other matters.)
President Trump and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. (Photos: Getty Images)
Sater later emerged as an adviser to the Trump Organization on real estate deals, both in New York and around the world, complete with an office in Trump Tower and a business card listing him as a senior advisor to Donald Trump. But when Trump was grilled under oath in a lawsuit about his relationship with Sater, he insisted he barely knew the Russian emigre.
If he were sitting in the room right now, I really wouldnt know what he looked like, Trump testified in a video deposition for a 2013 civil lawsuit.
When Saters role arose last year as a potential campaign issue, Alan Garten, chief counsel for the Trump Organization, told reporters that Sater had been given the business card to pitch deals in 2010 but that he was never an employee and that the arrangement only lasted six months.
But those accounts are now being questioned in light of the new emails showing that Sater was still playing a role with the Trump Organization in pursuing the Moscow project in late 2015 and early 2016 well after Trump had declared his candidacy for president.
This is evidence that Sater never really stopped working for Trump, said Frederick Oberlander, a lawyer who has sued Sater and the Trump Organization. As a political matter it shows Trumps willingness to engage forever with a serially convicted felon with a background in massive financial fraud.
Sater has consistently denied allegations that he defrauded anybody in Trump Organization projects. In a statement provided to Yahoo News by his lawyer, Sater said he was not working for the Trump Organization when he pitched the project to Cohen and had the project been successful, I would not have been compensated by the company. Sater did not address why he pursued a project for which he would not have been paid. But he indicated in his statement he had not discussed it with Trump.
Michael Cohen was the only member of the Trump Organization who I communicated with on this project, he said. During the course of our communications over several months, I routinely expressed my enthusiasm regarding what a tremendous opportunity this was for the Trump Organization. Ultimately, in January 2016 Michael informed me that the Trump Organization decided not to move forward with the project.
The questions about the Trump Tower Moscow project are among many the House Intelligence Committee and its Senate counterpart are now pursuing in what many see as an agonizingly slow pace. Nearly nine months into the inquiries, neither panel has yet to hold public hearings with any of the key players in the investigations, such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and Donald Trump Jr. Nor is it clear at this point that will ever happen given special counsel Muellers parallel criminal investigation, in which those players and many others are potential targets. Swalwell said the House committee has made tremendous progress in the last eight weeks, and he expects that in September it will be operating at a pretty dizzying pace. But asked when he expected the panel will be able to wrap up its probe and reach a finding, he said, ideally before voters next go to the polls. That would mean the investigation would likely continue well into next year and wouldnt wrap up before November 2018 when voters will determine whether the House stays in Republican hands or will be taken over by Democrats inclined, like Swalwell, to cut Trump no slack at all.
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(SEOUL, South Korea) North Korea said Wednesday that leader Kim Jong Un was present as it fired for the first time a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
Tuesdays aggressive missile launch likely the longest ever from North Korea over the territory of a close U.S. ally sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 2,700 kilometers (1,677 miles) and reached a maximum height of 550 kilometers (341 miles) as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the U.S. territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said the country will continue to watch U.S. demeanors before it decides on future actions. He called the launch a meaningful prelude to containing Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases that North Korea finds threatening, and said the country needs to conduct more missile launches into the Pacific to advance the capabilities of its strategic force, according to the KCNA.
The agency said the flight test was countermeasure to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that run through Thursday. Pyongyang views the annual war games between the allies as invasion rehearsals.
In a statement, U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korea had signaled its contempt for its neighbors and that all options are on the table in terms of a U.S. response.
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Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. Tuesdays test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year 13 times, Seoul says and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Trumps first term in early 2021.
Seoul says that while North Korea has twice before fired rockets it said were carrying satellites over Japan in 1998 and 2009 it has never before used a ballistic missile, which is unambiguously designed for military strikes. North Korea also chose not to fire its most recent missile at a lofted angle, as it did in previous launches to avoid other countries, and Seouls spy service said the North launched from an unusual spot: the international airport in its capital, Pyongyang.
Some outside observers said launching a road-mobile missile from an airport runway could demonstrate the Norths ability to fire its missiles from anywhere in the country.
The launch is also another rebuke to Trump, who suggested last week that his tough approach to North Korea, which included threats to unleash fire and fury, meant leader Kim Jong Un is starting to respect us.
Tuesdays missile landed nowhere near Guam, but firing a Hwasong-12 so soon after the Guam threat may be a way for North Korea to show it could follow through if it chose to do so. Guam is 3,400 kilometers (2,110 miles) away from North Korea, but South Koreas military said the North may have fired the most recent missile at a shorter range.
North Korea will no doubt be watching the worlds reaction to see if it can use Tuesdays flight over Japan as a precedent for future launches.
Trump said in his statement that Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world, and that All options are on the table.
Japanese officials made their usual strongly worded condemnations of the launch.
We will do our utmost to protect peoples lives, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat.
The launch was also condemned by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and a number of other countries.
Tokyo said there was no reported damage from the missile. Residents on Hokkaido were warned of a North Korean missile launch by an alert on their cellphones, with loud alarms and an email that told people to stay indoors. Speakers broadcast an alert saying missile is passing, missile is passing.
Tuesdays launch came days after North Korea fired what was assessed as three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, and a month after its second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.
In an unusual move, the military in Seoul released videos of three South Korean missile tests conducted last week. They showed two types of new missiles with ranges of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles) being fired from truck-mounted launchers.
South Koreas Agency for Defense Development said the launches represented the last flight test for the longer-range missile before it is operationally deployed. Such missiles, which would be the latest additions to South Koreas Hyumoo family of missiles, are considered key components of the so-called kill chain pre-emptive strike capability that South Korea is pursuing to counter North Koreas nuclear and missile threat.
South Korea also said its air force conducted a live-fire drill involving four F-15 fighter jets dropping eight MK-84 bombs that accurately hit targets at a military field near the countrys eastern coast. Yoon Young-chan, chief press secretary of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said the exercise was conducted after Moon directed the military to display a strong capability to punish North Korea if need be.
The Norths launch over Japan shouldnt be a total surprise. Earlier this month, when threatening to lob four Hwasong-12s into the waters near Guam, North Korea specifically said they would fly over Japanese territory. North Korea in June also angrily reacted to the launch of a Japanese satellite it said was aimed at spying on the North and said Tokyo was no longer entitled to fault North Korea no matter what it launches or whether that crosses the sky above Japan.
North Korea typically reacts with anger to U.S.-South Korean military drills, which are happening now, often testing weapons and threatening Seoul and Washington in its state-controlled media. But animosity is higher than usual following threats traded between Trump and the North.
North Korea regularly says U.S.-South Korean military drills are a rehearsal for invasion, and North Koreas U.N. ambassador, Ja Song Nam, wrote recently that the exercises are provocative and aggressive at a time when the Korean Peninsula is like a time bomb.
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Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report
Baabda (Lebanon) (AFP) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Tuesday signed the country's first animal welfare bill into law, guaranteeing that domestic and wild animals will be legally protected from abuse.
The bill is the culmination of years of lobbying for the protection of animals in the Mediterranean country, the Animals Lebanon NGO said.
The group's executive director Jason Mier said it was "a great day for Lebanon" and its animals.
"With this law, Lebanon's regulations are as strict, if not stricter, than other laws in the region," he told AFP.
The law, passed by parliament on August 16, outlines requirements for keeping domestic pets, regulations for zoos and pet shops, and penalties for violations -- including jail time and fines.
It also outlaws abusing pets or owning wild or endangered animals.
The trade of rare animals is big business in Lebanon, where prized tigers and lions are often locked in cramped cages, forced to perform in circuses, and paraded by wealthy individuals as status symbols.
But animals more traditionally kept as household pets -- including cats, dogs, and rabbits -- are also often subject to abuse by unregulated zoos, pet shops, and breeders in the country.
"When we used to monitor violations (in the past), we always felt that we didn't have a strong legal basis that we could lean on," Animals Lebanon's lawyer Rania Saghieh told AFP.
"The importance of this law is that we can cover all institutions that care for and maintain animals," she said.
Other countries in the Middle East, including Tunisia and Qatar, also have animal welfare legislation, although enforcement continues to present a challenge.
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As unprecedented flooding continues to ravage Houston, TX, a special group of volunteers has come to offer some relief to the city: Louisiana's "Cajun Navy."
The grassroots collective, along with the "Cajun Coast Search and Rescue Team," made its way to Texas Sunday, ready to aid first responders as the state got slammed with the worst storm the U.S. has seen in more than a decade.
SEE ALSO: Tropical Storm Harvey is the strongest to hit the US in 12 years
"Were burning a lot of gas trying to get boots on the ground," volunteer Benji Terro told The Washington Post. "But when we help people, well, thats the point, the whole thing. This is familiar ground for us. We are from Louisiana, and we know floods."
The volunteers are part of a larger collective effort that's seen private boats used for rescue operations. They've made their way to Houston to help authorities navigate flooded areas as they seek to rescue people stranded by the storm. As of Monday, Terro said he and his cousin had rescued 40 people.
The Cajun Navy has also been communicating information about rescues through its Facebook page, which has more than 90,000 followers. The Cajun Coast Search and Rescue Team is utilizing Facebook to communicate information about rescues too. The pages are publishing the names, addresses and contact numbers of people in need of assistance.
Another group with a very similar name, Louisiana Cajun Navy, has also made its way to Texas to aid in relief efforts. This group came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to CNN.
There have been several similarities drawn between the devastation caused by Katrina and Harvey in recent days although there are significant differences between the two. Nevertheless, this group knows better than most just how difficult such situations can be.
"In my life I've been through a lot of storms including Katrina," volunteer Joshua Lincoln told CNN. "Seeing how people in Texas responded and helped us in a disaster kind of tugged at my heart. My house was flooded and I lost all kinds of things during Katrina."
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Their Facebook page boasts nearly 200,000 followers, and in recent days its been filled with postings regarding Harvey relief. A recent post is about houstonharveyrescue.com, a website to aid rescuers trying to locate people in need of rescue.
The groups have been getting plenty of love and support online, with messages of praise and thanks. "Unfortunately I have been ashamed to be an American for a while now ... but THIS makes me PROUD to be from tha' South," one person wrote. "Thank you to all Cajun Navy, and may you and yours be blessed a thousand fold for your acts of kindness and bravery!"
Another put it more succinctly: "Bless those whom help! Love shine the way!"
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso walk the red carpet at the 74th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. (Photo: Getty Images)
Luciana Barroso set the red carpet ablaze wearing a bright red strapless gown with metallic details.
On Wednesday, Barroso walked the carpet at the Venice Film Festival in Italy with husband Matt Damon, for the screening of Downsizing, a film in which Damon plays an occupational therapist who shrinks himself to live a simpler life.
Although style details are scarce, Barroso, 41, looked flawless in her dress a sheer, red, strapless gown with a glittery cinched waist and an elongated train which she accessorized with a cherry-red clutch and long, gold earrings. She also wore her highlighted hair in a wavy bob.
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso walk the red carpet in Venice, Italy. (Photo: Getty Images)
Now that Brangelina and Bennifer are phasing themselves out, Damon and Barroso, parents of four daughters ages, 17, 11, 9, and 6, are flying under the radar as Hollywoods It couple, or at least one of its most devoted.
The couple of 11 years met in 2003 at a Miami bar where Damon wound up by chance one night after a day of filming the Farrelly brothers hit, Stuck On You. I literally saw her across a crowded room, literally, Damon told Ellen DeGeneres. Eight years and four kids later, thats my life. I dont know how else our paths wouldve crossed if that didnt happen. If all those things didnt happen.
Often referred to as Matt Damons wife, for her civilian status (a quality Damon credits to the normalcy of their union), Barroso is often a style standout, whether its the hot pink Marchesa gown and gold Jimmy Choo stilettos she wore to Damons Jason Bourne premiere in 2016 or the black biker boots she wore with ripped jeans and a mesh top on date night in June.
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In another indication that local authorities are seeking to keep a tight grip on information in the wake last weeks deadly Typhoon Hato, police in Macau have arrested an elderly brother and sister accused of making false claims about deaths resulting from the storm, which killed at least ten people when it barreled into the former Portuguese colony last week and exposed huge gaps in the citys disaster preparedness.
Citing a spokeswoman for the Macau Judiciary Police, the South China Morning Post reports that a 73-year-old man and his 68-year-old sister were arrested for disseminating misleading information over the popular Chinese social media messaging app WeChat.
On Saturday, Macau immigration officials barred four Hong Kong journalists from entry, according to The Post. At least one of them was given a written statement saying that he posed a risk to the stability of internal security.
This TIME reporter was also detained by immigration officials when returning to Hong Kong after gathering information for a story on the typhoons aftermath.
Read more: A Battered Macau Struggles to Come to Terms With Deadly Typhoon Hato
The arrested siblings alleged that five bodies including a family of four killed inside a car were recovered from an underground parking lot in Fai Chi Kei, one of neighborhoods hit hardest by the storm. Local authorities, their messages said, were covering up the unreported deaths and preventing the media from accessing the site in which they allegedly took place.
The woman reportedly told police she had received the information from an online chat room on Saturday and shared it on social media the following day.
Four of the ten deaths officially attributed to Typhoon Hato occurred in underground car parks and one of those in an underground carpark in Fai Chi Kei.
Typhoon Hato was the severest to hit Macau in about 50 years. Much of the city lost power and water supply and widespread damage was done to buildings.
[SCMP]
Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday called for an extension of EU border controls in the passport-free Schengen area beyond a planned end in November.
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and non-EU Norway introduced the ID checks in 2015 and have been allowed to repeatedly prolong them at set intervals in response to a massive migrant influx.
Asked about the European Commission's plan announced in May not to continue the controls beyond November, Merkel said she would call for their extension during talks with its chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday.
"Given what the situation is at the moment, I believe we need these border controls," she told reporters.
The five countries first introduced the checks as a record wave of refugees and migrants from Syria and other Middle East countries and from Africa streamed across Europe.
Brussels initially set a goal of scrapping the checks by the end of 2016 but that proved politically untenable.
The Schengen area comprises 22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Germany has allowed in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, which put Merkel under massive political pressure from hard-right opponents and within her own conservative bloc.
The influx has slowed dramatically due to the closure of the so-called Balkan route and a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of people fleeing war-ravaged Syria in particular.
But a rising wave of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa has created a fresh sense of urgency.
The issue of migration has played an only moderate role in the German election campaign and Merkel is widely expected to win a fourth term in next month's vote.
Mexico is a hugely popular destination for American tourists as more than 9 million Americans visited the country last year, but not everyone had the vacation they hoped for.
The State Department has now issued a travel warning for Mexico, following allegations that tainted alcohol's been served at various resorts.
Read: Killer on the Beach: The Hidden Danger of Umbrellas and the Destruction They Can Cause
At the gorgeous Iberostar Playa Paraiso, an all-inclusive luxury resort not far from Cancun, the booze flows like water, day and night.
Some tourists drink so much they stagger their way back to their rooms, but is something going on beyond just drinking too much?
Jamie and Rick Valeri, tourists from Wisconsin, say they lost consciousness after drinking beer and mojitos at the resort in 2015.
They say they had three drinks on the beach and then they blacked out.
I believe that the staff at Iberostar drugged us, Jamie told Inside Edition.
She recalls very little but what she does remember is nightmarish. She says she remembers being sexually assaulted and coming to on her bathroom floor. Her husbands memory is a total blank; all he knows for certain is he had a broken hand from hitting someone.
Jamie says the incident almost destroyed their marriage.
I never worried that I would be sitting at a five star resort at the beach with my husband, and that I would not only be drugged but sexually assaulted, she said.
It was at the same Iberostar resort that another American tourist, Abbey Conner, 20, drowned after drinking at the pool bar with her brother, Austin, last January.
They were both found floating face down in a waist-deep pool.
Abbey's father, Bill, says her death and Austin's near death were caused by contaminated booze served by the hotel.
When they pulled Abbey out of the pool she was dead, he told Inside Edition.
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They're not alone; dozens of tourists in Cancun and in Playa Del Carmen say that they blacked out after consuming just a small amount of alcohol they believe was tainted or drugged at Iberostar and other resorts.
Iberostar denies serving contaminated alcohol to guests, saying it only purchases "sealed containers" obtained from "reputable and licensed distributors."
Inside Editions Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero tried to speak to a manager at the resort.
There have been some issues here at the resort, including a young woman who died after drinking in the hotel pool. Can you please explain what happened? she asked.
Please turn off the cameras because you're not authorized to film here, the manager told her.
We're just trying to get some answers for a heartbroken family, she added.
Yes, but Im not the authorized person to do so, the manager said.
Read: Unfriendly Skies: The Scourge of Out-of-Control Brawls on Planes and How Crews Deal With Unruly Fliers
Their daughter has died," Guerrero fired back. "They feel like you're serving tainted alcohol here. And they have claimed they've reached out to you and yet you have been unresponsive."
What happened to Abbey is absolutely horrific. It shouldnt have happened, Jamie Valeri said. It's ruined our lives. We will never be the same people we were when we went there.
In a statement, Iberostar said Mexican authorities inspected their resorts and found "no tainted alcohol at any of their properties in Mexico.
Iberostar says they are deeply saddened by the death of Abbey Conner. After a comprehensive investigation, they say they found no evidence she consumed tainted alcohol and no other person at the hotel reported any complaints about alcohol around the time of her death.
As far as Jamie and Rick Valeri, Iberostar says they also investigated thoroughly and could not find anything to corroborate their allegations.
Watch: Natalee Holloway's Dad Leads Investigators In New Special as Authorities Dispute Discovery of Remains
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The Mexican government has once again made it abundantly clear it will not pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite President Donald Trump's claims to the contrary.
While it won't be providing funding for Trump's desired wall, America's southern neighbor did say it would offer whatever assistance it can as Texas and other states deal with Tropical Storm Harvey.
In a statement released Sunday, Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "As the Mexican government has always stated, our country will not pay, under any circumstances, for a wall or physical barrier built on U.S. territory along the Mexican border. This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity."
This statement came not long after a tweet in which Trump claimed Mexico would pay for the wall and described it as "one of the highest crime Nations in the world."
Several minutes after this tweet, Trump sent another tweet, this time attacking Mexico (and Canada) on the issue of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
While the Mexican government clearly took issue with Trump's assertions about who would pay for the wall, it also said, "The Mexican government takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States as a result of the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and expresses that it has offered to provide help and cooperation to the U.S. government in order to deal with the impact of this natural disasteras good neighbors should always do in trying times."
Even as Trump attacked and criticized Mexico on Twitter, it still felt inclined to offer Texas and the U.S. its support amid a natural disaster, but it's not clear whether Trump will accept this assistance.
In a statement emailed to The Washington Post Sunday night, the U.S. State Department said, "It is common during hurricanes and other significant weather events for the U.S. Government to be in close contact with our neighbors and partners in the region to share data and cooperate as needed and appropriate. If a need for assistance does arise, we will work with our partners, including Mexico, to determine the best way forward."
This isn't the first time Mexico has offered to help Americans in need. In 2005, the Mexican military provided aid in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. Over three weeks, it served 170,000 meals, helped distribute more than 184,000 tons of supplies and conducted more than 500 medical consultations, the Post reported. The assistance Mexico provided helped save lives.
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who led the country during Katrina (and who's been an outspoken critic of Trump), recalled in a tweet how his country assisted the U.S. in 2005 and asked whether Trump would "let Mexicans help this time."
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A well-stocked medication go bag can be used to soothe a cut or burnor to save your life during a hurricane, flood, fire, or other emergency.
But its important not to wait until youre faced with the need to leave your home in a hurry to assemble your medication go bag, says Geoffrey C. Wall, Pharm.D., a professor of pharmacy practice at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Whether you buy a kit from a drugstore or build it yourself, Wall recommends that all households keep a medication go bag on hand. It should contain the essentials, including:
At least seven days worth of over-the-counter and prescription medications you take on a regular basis. Label the containers clearly, and include a printed-out list of everything you take and the regimen for each medication, plus a copy of your health insurance card (in case you need medical care while youre away from your home).
An antihistamine for allergic reactions, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy and generic) or loratadine (Claritin and generic).
Pain relievers, including acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and generic), or naproxen (Aleve and generic).
Stomach and antidiarrheal remedies, including loperamide (Imodium and generic) and bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol, and generic).
An antacid for heartburn, such as Maalox, Mylanta, Rolaids, Tums, or generic.
Antiseptic wipes; an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, Bacitracin Plus, Curad, or generic (use only for infected wounds); and bandages, gauze, and tape, for treating burns, cuts, and wounds.
Mosquito repellent to prevent bites, and aloe gel, hydrocortisone cream, or calamine lotion to soothe bites and skin irritation.
An eyewash solution for flushing out eye irritants.
Water-purification tablets.
Scissors.
Thermometer.
Tweezers.
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If you and your family have special medical needs, you can build a more sophisticated medication go bagfor example, one that contains hearing aids with extra batteries, an epinephrine auto-injector, glasses, contact lenses, or syringes.
Fill Prescriptions in Advance
For prescriptions you and your family members take, consider asking your doctor for 60- or 90-day refills rather than a months worth. That way, youre more likely to have extras on hand for your medication go bag. (This can also save you money.)
Always fill prescriptions on the first day you become eligible for a refill, rather than waiting until the day you run out. If you are able to obtain an emergency supply, establish a plan for rotating your go-bag supply so that it remains up to date. And remember to check medications periodically to ensure that they have not expired.
During an emergency, some states allow pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of medications without doctor authorization, Wall says. But, he adds, certainly if a known potential disaster, such as a hurricane, is predicted, make sure you have prescription meds and supplies before it hits.
You might also ask your health insurance company to assist you in obtaining enough medication and supplies to have on hand.
Storing and Maintaining Your Kit
Once youve gathered your supplies, pack the items in an easy-to-carry, water-resistant kit, and store it in a dry, cool place in your home. Keep the kit in a secure place thats easy to access in a hurry but away from kids, Wall advisesfor example, on a high shelf in your bedroom closet.
Check your emergency kit regularly, and dispose of and replace any out-of-date supplies. Throw out any damaged medications, or pills that are wet or look or smell different. They could be contaminated by moisture.
Editors Note: This article and related materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multistate settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin (gabapentin).
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2018, Consumer Reports, Inc.
By Brian Thevenot BELLAIRE, Texas (Reuters) - Shiraz Younas tried and failed three times to persuade Melanie Clampitt, an elderly amputee, to leave her house as the floodwaters rose to her front step on Sunday. She finally agreed when water covered the kitchen floor in her home of 44 years. Lifting her wheelchair, Younas and other men struggled to carry Clampitt down the street in the driving rain to his dry home, where already he had provided other flooded-out neighbors with shelter. Inside, Clampitt sobbed. Younas handed her a bottle of water. His wife, Ruckshanda Majid, knelt in front of Clampitt, removed a white medical shoe and washed and dried her foot. Later Younas carefully fitted the prosthetic to Clampitts amputated limb. It was biblical, said Darlene Villareal, awestruck by the spirit of service she witnessed in a house full of fellow neighbors, drawn together by crisis. Younas and Majid, both 40-something physicians, had never met Clampitt and some of the others they invited into their home throughout the day. Each new arrival came to reflect the great and growing diversity of Americas fourth largest city: They were Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Christian; immigrant and native; some healthy, some disabled. The oldest was 91; the youngest 4. Younas had gone door-to-door as monsoon-like rains swamped Bellaire, a quiet community 11 miles (17 km) from Houston. He implored them to come to his house, and their numbers grew until he had more than 30 relatives and neighbors, a skittish cat and a large dog. Their home served as a first-response shelter before the collection of neighbors went on to stay with friends and relatives. The couple fed their visitors and served them hot tea. They handed out towels and dry clothes. They rounded up medical supplies for Clampitt. They offered beds, couches and sleeping bags to those who would end up spending a night or two. They got friends to make room in their homes for others. A total of 17 people would sleep in Younas home on Sunday night, including Clampitt. Balaji Kavaipatti, who lives across the street, said Younas and Majid tended to his family while he scrambled to save belongings from the rising water. A situation like this brings out the real character of a person, Kavaipatti said. MORNING PRAYER Younas already had a pretty full house by the time the rains from Hurricane Harvey began pounding Houston at the weekend. Five relatives, including Younas father Muhammad, were bunking there. The couples three children brought the family headcount to 10. On Sunday, Younas had just finished the Muslim dawn prayer with his father when he looked out the window. Water from the flooded streets was fast approaching Kavaipattis home, a one-story ranch with no second floor to which to flee. That doesnt look good, the Pakistan native recalled telling his father. The news said emergency responders were slammed. The cavalry would not be coming to Pine Street. Younas had a big house, plenty of food and a vocation dedicated to helping people. So he waded across the street to Kavaipatti, his wife Anjali, their two kids and Anjalis mother, inviting them in, along with their dog Ruger. Younas' wife snapped a smartphone photo showing him ferrying one of the children across the flooded street on his back. Next stop: the home of Villareal, her husband Jim and their son Dakota, 21. Villareal was on the verge of panic to find a foot of water already in the garage and more starting to seep through the back door. Her 91-year-old mother, Arlene Hanks, had arrived at their place two days before, after being evacuated from her assisted-living facility. Younas and a cousin carried Hanks in their arms to his home. He later gave Jim, who was soaked, a change of clothes. The acts of kindness moved her to the core, Villareal said. Judy Levison was next to join the growing band of the displaced at the Younas home. The 67-year-old physician grabbed her calico cat Nala (Mustafa, a gray tabby, was missing) and soon found herself drinking tea and eating Pakistani food served by hosts she had never met before they invited her to join them. This lovely, lovely family opened their doors, Levison said. Her freaked out cat eventually relaxed and ended up lounging on Younas bed. The host did not seem to mind. Our kids have been pestering us forever for a cat, Younas explained. Three other families, totaling 13 people, likewise accepted the offer of help. Clampitt was the hardest sell. Not knowing Younas, the 77-year-old resisted his entreaties, even as water invaded her home. Others stopped by to persuade her. Another neighbor who I know well said I should go, Clampitt said. When Younas and other rescuers opened her door and water rushed in, Clampitt knew she had no choice. It was almost too late. The street was knee-deep in water and the men strained to hold Clampitt and her wheelchair steady. If she had not gone when she did, things would have gotten very difficult, Majid said. By Monday, nearly everyone had cleared out. Younas found Clampitt an emergency shelter at nearby Crosspoint Church, where she stayed a few hours before heading to a friend's home. As police and volunteers arrived to pick her up, he reminded her that bonds forged during tough times are not easily broken. You are close enough that I can check on you, Younas said. (Reporting by Brian Thevenot; Additional reporting by Marla Dickerson; Writing by Brian Thevenot and Marla Dickerson; Editing by Howard Goller)
Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday went on the offensive against "fake news" in the Israeli media implicating him in alleged corruption cases.
"The 'fake news' industry has reached a record level. The aim is to secure indictments, at whatever price and quickly, against me," he told a meeting of activists of his rightwing Likud party near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.
Netanyahu was borrowing a term coined by US President Donald Trump, a darling of the Israeli right, to denigrate the media.
The premier has come under increased pressure since a former chief of staff, investigated in graft cases involving the premier, agreed to turn state witness.
According to media reports, former aide Ari Harow has already been supplying investigators with information regarding two of the ongoing investigations.
One is based on suspicions that Netanyahu unlawfully received gifts from wealthy supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.
Also being probed are allegations that the prime minister sought a secret deal with the publisher of top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot.
Netanyahu, who has been questioned on both cases, has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday a three-month battle against Islamic State group supporters occupying parts of a southern city was in its "final stages".
Duterte gave his assessment shortly after government troops secured a vital bridge in Marawi city, allowing them easier access into areas being held by the militants.
"We are in the final stages. So let us send immediately, even air-lift, the police," to Marawi, Duterte said in the capital Manila, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) to the north of the battle zone.
Pro-IS gunmen occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines on May 23, triggering a battle that the military says has left almost 800 people dead.
The fighting, which has included a US-backed air campaign against the militants, has destroyed large parts of Marawi.
Duterte and security analysts have said the militants carried out the assault in an effort to establish a Southeast Asian base for IS.
Duterte on Wednesday warned that, even with the Marawi battle over, the militants could still launch attacks elsewhere in the Philippines, particularly in the strife-torn south where the country's Muslim minority is based.
The southern regions of the Philippines have long been troubled by armed Muslim bands including separatist guerrillas and outlaws, some of whom have gravitated towards IS.
Duterte said other southern cities with large Muslim populations, including his hometown of Davao, were vulnerable. He said Manila might also be a target.
Duterte imposed martial law across the southern third of the Philippines immediately after the militants occupied parts of Marawi to combat the security threat.
Hours before Duterte spoke, soldiers in Marawi secured the Mapandi bridge, a vital supply route which had once been menaced by militant snipers and rocket-propelled grenades.
Soldiers marched across the bridge on Wednesday in large numbers, although gunfire could still be heard nearby.
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Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said there were only about 40 militants left in Marawi, confined to a space about half a square kilometre wide.
But Padilla warned there were many buildings in that space where they could be hiding, while a local commander said fierce fighting was still to be expected.
"Every inch of the buildings that we take, they resist," Brigadier General Melquiades Ordiales told reporters who accompanied the soldiers across the bridge.
The militants have been able to withstand the military assault, which has included a relentless US-backed bombing campaign, by hiding in tunnels and bunkers.
They are also believed still to be holding hostages, including a Catholic priest.
During Mondays total solar eclipse NASA had employees and volunteers all across the country collecting data, working on experiments and recording the days events with photos and video. The Agency ran 11 different experiments all across the country and asked average citizens to report data from their location for further research as well.
All of this was then recorded by NASA satellites, photographers and videographers on the ground, in the air and in space, who all documented the entire day and now those photos are available online.
One experiment NASA ran from in the air. An airplane carrying NASA administrators as well as a camera flew before, during and after the eclipse with one of its sides angled towards the sun. This allowed photographers in the plane to capture the moment the moon completely covered up the sun from what looks like a level position. The photo from the air shows the clouds and the horizon as well as the covered sun, it was taken 25,000 feet above the coast of Oregon.
eclipse from plane
Photo: NASA/Carla Thomas
This composite photo was taken in Northern Cascades National Park in Washington state by NASA photographer Bill Ingalls. From the point where this photo was taken only a partial eclipse was visible but it made for a great photo as the eclipse progressed.
composite eclipse
Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Meanwhile in Oregon at the Oregon State Fairgrounds at the moment of totality this photo was taken. The moon is blocking most of the suns light but the gas around the sun is illuminated in white light this area of the sun is also called the corona.
total solar eclipse nasa
Photo: NASA
gas around moon eclipse
Photo: NASA/Carla Thomas
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In the moments just before and just after totality a bit of the sun peeks out from behind the moon giving it what is called the diamond ring look. The light is coming through a valley on the moon.
eclipse diamond
Photo: NASA/Carla Thomas
On the International Space Station 250 miles above the surface of the Earth the astronauts on the station were viewing the eclipse as well. They took this photo of the shadow the moon cast on the Earth.
solar eclipse from iss
Photo: NASA
The ISS was also caught on camera during the eclipse. This photo shows the station drifting in front of the sun and the moon on the day of the eclipse.
eclipse iss moon sun
Photo: NASA
NASA is still working on collecting and analyzing all of the data it collected during the eclipse. But if the photos are any indication of how much NASA was able to learn by taking photos from several levels in the sky including outer space its sure to give new insight and maybe even raise some new questions.
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BERLIN (Reuters) - German police said on Wednesday they had given the all-clear after employees of the Canadian embassy in Berlin evacuated their building because they had received a bomb threat. The Canadian embassy alerted police of the threat at around 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) but police determined it was not to be taken seriously and employees then re-entered the building, a police spokesman said. He added that police had not ordered the embassy to be evacuated. No one at the embassy was immediately available to comment. (Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Paul Carrel)
Nine days after her 22-year-old daughter, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, vanished from her familys apartment building in Fargo, North Dakota, Norberta Greywind received a call from police asking that she gather her family for some news.
Instantly, I had a bad feeling, Greywind tells PEOPLE of that moment on Sunday night, before she learned her daughter, who was eight months pregnant, was dead.
Greywind, her relatives and authorities and assorted volunteers had been searching for LaFontaine-Greywind since she disappeared on the afternoon of Aug. 19 after being asked by an upstairs neighbor to help her with sewing a dress, her family and police have said.
From the beginning, Greywind says she suspected her daughter had been harmed a suspicion that tragically proved true.
Fargo police said Monday that LaFontaine-Greywinds body had been found a day earlier by two kayakers in the Red River in Minnesota, not far from Harwood, North Dakota, outside Fargo. Her remains were heavily wrapped in plastic and duct tape.
We were terrified of what condition her body would be in, Greywind says. We had fears that she wasnt going to be in one piece.
But, Greywind says, Im just relieved that we have her.
Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind
I Knew Something Was Wrong
Not long after LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared that Saturday, Greywind says she went straight upstairs, to the apartment shared by Brooke Lynn Crews, 38, and 32-year-old William Henry Hoehn, the pair later charged in the case.
Immediately I ran upstairs and knocked on the door and asked for Savanna, Greywind recalls. [Crews] said, She came and left, and I said, How did she leave? And she said I dont know.
I knew something was wrong, Greywind says.
On Thursday, Crews and Hoehn were arrested in connection with LaFontaine-Greywinds disappearance after a newborn believed to be her baby girl was allegedly found with Crews in their apartment.
On Monday, after LaFontaine-Greywinds body was found, authorities said the suspects would also each face a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Both Hoehn and Crews are jailed without bond. They have not yet entered pleas to the charges against them. It is unclear at this time whether they have attorneys.
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From left: William Henry Hoehn and Brooke Lynn Crews
Several key details about LaFontaine-Greywinds death remain unclear, including what killed her and how she may have given birth.
Police have said they searched Crews and Hoehns apartment repeatedly in the two days after LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared, but the baby was not allegedly discovered there with Crews until Thursday.
Authorities have also said they were investigating a farmstead near where LaFontaine-Greywinds body was found, at which searchers found suspicious items that indicate it may be a crime scene.
Greywind says her family has been living at the apartment building for a year and, looking back, she remembers that a week before her daughter went missing, Crews had allegedly tried to lure her to her third-floor apartment.
[Crews] had come down a week prior to this trying to get my daughter to come upstairs, Greywind says. I feel like I have a lot of guilt for not seeing this [coming] and not protecting my daughter. I didnt think that she was in danger, I didnt think anything like [this] couldve happen.
According to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE, Hoehn allegedly told police he arrived home from work on Aug. 19 to find Crews cleaning up blood in the bathroom.
She was also holding a baby girl and allegedly told him, This is our baby, this is our family.
Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind
The area in Fargo where Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind lived with her family.
Shes All We Have Now
Greywind, who has only seen photos of the newborn while the childs identity is being confirmed, says her daughter and her daughters longtime boyfriend, Ashton Matheny, had already named their baby Haisley Jo. She was due Sept. 20.
As for what shell tell the girl about her mother, Greywind says she will say that her mom loved her and wanted her [and] we were all excited and her mom was a wonderful person [with a] big heart.
She loved everyone, she loved kids, her family she would have been a wonderful mom, Greywind says.
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In September, LaFontaine-Greywind and Matheny were planning on moving in together across the street from her family, Greywind says.
All I wanted was a life with Savanna and my baby, but they took it from me, Matheny told the Forum News Service last week, before LaFontaine-Greywinds body was found. My worlds gone, man. They took my world from me.
The newborns DNA test results should be announced later this week, police have said. Since they were not married, Matheny has not seen the baby yet.
The possibility that a young expectant mother could vanish in broad daylight from her own apartment building has rattled many, as have the questions that still surround her disappearance.
While LaFontaine-Greywinds family awaits answers, Greywind says they are leaning on one another for strength, and the newborn gives them hope.
Shes all we have now, Greywind says. Knowing we have her, it gives me peace.
President Donald Trump called Hurricane Harvey a storm of epic proportions and said he hopes his administrations response to the disaster will be regarded as a model.
We want to be looked at five years, ten years from now, as this is the way to do it, Trump said as he and his wife Melania received a briefing on the storm response at a fire station in Corpus Christi, Texas.
After visiting with local officials and volunteers in Corpus Christi, Trump is scheduled to fly to Austin for meetings with state officials. Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a Trump ally, greeted the president upon his arrival in Texas.
The trip will lay the foundation for what we know is going to be a long recovery effort, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters traveling with the president on Air Force One. Abbott said at the briefing that the Trump administrations response so far to the storm has been very effective.
Well congratulate each other when its all finished, Trump said.
Texas Deluge
A deluge of rain and rising floodwaters from Harvey has left parts of Texas immersed, forcing dramatic rescues from waterlogged homes and cars and shutting down major thoroughfares. Now a tropical storm, Harvey made landfall near Corpus Christi on Friday night as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of more than 120 miles per hour.
The storm has drifted back toward the Gulf of Mexico and is poised to regain strength before crashing ashore again, this time on the Texas-Louisiana border.
Trump on Monday promised swift emergency funding to help Texas recover from the hurricane, though Republican congressional leaders havent yet sent clear signals on how they will proceed. The full scope of damage isnt yet known with rain expected to last several more days.
The real number, which will be many billions of dollars, will go through Congress, Trump said Monday at a news conference. It will happen very quickly.
Harveys cost could reach $42 billion when including the impact on the labor force, power grid, transportation and other elements that support the regions energy sector, Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research, said Tuesday. David Havens, an insurance analyst at Imperial Capital, said the final tally might be as high as $100 billion.
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Republican leaders havent committed to a swift debate on emergency funds. A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, AshLee Strong, said Congress will wait for a formal request for resources from the administration.
Aid Debate
Texas Senator Ted Cruz is among Republicans who have previously insisted that aid for natural disasters be offset by spending cuts. He joined Trump at his Corpus Christi briefing.
Congress returns Sept. 5 from its August recess, when it will face a pileup of urgent tasks, including raising the nations debt ceiling and passing a stopgap measure to fund the government after Sept. 30. The House is only scheduled to be in session for 12 legislative days in September, which compounds its challenge. Another potential obstacle is demands by House conservatives to cut spending elsewhere to pay for Harvey aid.
Trump has sent more than two dozen tweets about the storm in recent days and he has appeared eager to get to Texas to view the damage himself. He plans to return to a different part of the state on Saturday.
Republicans are cognizant of President George W. Bushs widely criticized handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and some have urged Trump to take a more proactive approach.
Princess Diana was "The People's Princess," beloved by the whole world -- and even A-list stars were susceptible to her charms. Floored by her grace, sense of humor and megawatt smile, she made a major impact even on people she only spoke with a few times, like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who attended her 1997 funeral.
Although she died far too young at age 36, she packed a lot of life into those years. From breaking down in tears in front of Steven Spielberg to dominating the dance floor with John Travolta, Princess Diana often mingled with some of history's most famous faces. Take a look at all the memories these celebrities still hold dear today:
Hillary Clinton: Just weeks before her death, Princess Diana traveled to Washington, DC in support of the Red Cross. She met with the First Lady at the White House, where photographers snapped a lovely image of the two women looking almost like sisters: Beyond their blonde bangs and neck-length haircuts, they're both wearing large pearl earrings and feminine fitted suits.
Reuters
Upon hearing of the princess' death, Bill told press he and his wife were "profoundly saddened": "Hillary and I knew Princess Diana and we were very fond of her," he said. Hillary attended Diana's funeral by personal request of the royal family and Diana's own, who "sent a fairly strong signal that they believed that the First Lady was the best person to represent the President, the United States, and the American people," a White House official told the New York Times.
Steven Spielberg: Spielberg was graced Diana's presence during several important nights in his own career: He chatted with Diana at the international premieres of two of his biggest films, "Jurassic Park" and "Back to the Future," and he was present during a private screening of "ET" hosted for her and Prince Charles -- but things went a bit awry.
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When the movie ended, Spielberg and the other guests were quickly ushered away from the royals. Why? Because Diana had wept so much that her makeup was running all down her face. After she was properly fixed up, she requested to meet with Spielberg, presumably to compliment the movie.
Getty
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise: Some were surprised to see Kidman and Cruise at Princess Diana's funeral, but close followers of the celebrity couple knew that they'd met Diana years before. The three spoke at a London screening of their film "Far and Away" in 1992.
The celebrity couple was "devastated" upon hearing of the accident, Cruise told CNN during an appearance days after Diana's death. He shared that Kidman had previously been stalked by paparazzi in the same tunnel where the fatal car crash occurred: "They run lights and they chase you and harass you. It happens all over the world, and it has certainly gotten worse."
Getty
John Travolta: His years in the spotlight have allowed for countless incredible experiences, but there's one memory he cherishes above almost all others: "I danced with Princess Diana in 1986, I believe," he told "Good Morning America" in 2016. "That was one of the highlights of my life."
Years earlier, he described the experience on Dutch TV network Een. "I didn't know or expect to dance with Princess Diana, and it was the president's wife, Nancy Reagan, that said, 'It is her wish.' At midnight, I had to tap her on her shoulder, and I had to say, 'Would you care to dance.' She turned around and dipped her head in that Lady Diana way and we were off for 15 minutes dancing. I'll never forget it," Travolta said.
Getty
Photos of the dance show John and Diana twirling away on the dance floor as President Reagan and Nancy Reagan look on.
"I'm so honored that I was able to experience it, and I know for a fact that it was a highlight of being in the United States; it was her favorite moment," he continued. "So I feel I made her life better; she made my life better; and I'm very sorry that she's not here."
George Michael: The Wham! frontman arrived at Princess Diana's funeral alongside Elton John, who would soon perform "Candle in the Wind" for his late friend. Michael struggled to hold himself together during the emotional service, he has since said.
"I bawled my eyes out," he said a few months later, in November 1997, adding that he adored Diana. "I met her maybe a dozen times and I always had a laugh with her, and I really admired her. I thought she was so great not to be consumed by everything that had happened to her and to keep giving and giving. I thought she was a really great person -- the Elvis of compassion."
Getty
He continued, "I think she was there to remind people of their humanity. And who but the most famous person in the world could do that? Look at what it did to people when she died. It was like losing a mate that you didn't know you cared that much about until they died. People felt like they had lost a bit of humanity. It felt very raw."
Elton John: Since the world wasn't yet privy to texting or emails, the icon only learned of Diana's unexpected death when a friend sent a fax offering condolences the next morning. After agreeing to perform at her funeral, he worried he would start crying in front of the massive audience: "What was going through my mind was, 'Don't sing a wrong note. Be stoic. Don't break down and just do it to the best you can possibly do it without showing any emotion whatsover,'" he said in 2008.
Just weeks before Diana's own funeral, she comforted John at the funeral of Italian designer Gianni Versace, who had been murdered in Miami.
Reuters
John adored Princess Diana, but in the years since her death, he has indicated that he thinks she chose her inner circle poorly. "In the end with Diana, she trusted the wrong people. She didn't trust the people she should have trusted: Her true friends," he said during a VH1 interview. "I always felt the people that really felt for her and really were true to her, she just was a bit airy-fairy towards in the end."
Princess Diana didnt like Prince Charless baby name suggestions. (Photo: PA)
Royal names are always the same. They often reference monarchs of the past, so there are a lot of Georges, Henrys, and Elizabeths in British nobility.
Two royals who have slightly less common names are Princes William and Harry. Turns out this is all because of their mother, the late Princess Diana.
When Prince Charles and Diana welcomed their first son in 1982, he was christened with the name William Arthur Philip Louis. According to an interview given by the princess, this wasnt Charless choice of name.
In the interview, which would go on to form part of the controversial 1992 book Diana: Her True Story, the Princess of Wales said, I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest.
She added that Charles wanted to name their sons Albert and Arthur, and I said no. Too old!
If Charles had his way, William and Harry would be Arthur and Albert. (Photo: PA)
And heres another odd royal fact: Prince Harrys real name isnt actually Harry. He was christened Henry Charles Albert David.
Diana also let out a secret in the same interview: Charles had longed for a daughter and was disappointed that Harry turned out to be a boy. Apparently the prince told Dianas mother at Harrys christening, We were so disappointed we thought it would be a girl.
Harrys a little stuck with his name, but William is able to change his if he wishes. When a royal takes the throne and becomes king or queen, he or she can choose a regal name.
Traditionally, they stick to their given name, but there is the option to go down a different route. According to rumors, Prince Charles is set to become King George VII when he comes into power.
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On the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's tragic death, her family, friends and fans of the beloved royal have been looking back at her incredible legacy with more scrutiny than ever before.
Back on Sept. 6, 1997, millions of people had their attention firmly set on London, where Diana's funeral was taking place less than a week after her untimely death following a car crash in Paris.
SEE ALSO: Here's what happened the day Princess Diana died
Over a million people stepped out in person for the somber occasion, which included a one-minute moment of silence to honor the so-called Queen of Hearts.
One of the most notable moments from the 45-minute funeral itself was her brother, Earl Spencer's, eulogy, in which he took aim at the relentless press and media.
"She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment that she received at the hand of the newspapers," he said with a hint of anger. He also vowed to protect William and Harry.
See photos from Princess Diana's funeral:
Queen Elizabeth II reportedly refused to clap following the "pointed" eulogy, which also considered to be a kind of attack on the royal family.
Other notable names in attendance were Hillary Rodham Clinton, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John.
Elton John actually performed at the ceremony. Reports recently surfaced that John initially suggested he sing "Candle in the Wind," though his choice was deemed unacceptable for the service, so hours before the funeral, he came up with "Goodbye England's Rose" to sing instead.
The procession out of the funeral involved Diana's sons Prince William and Prince Harry -- then aged 15 and 12, respectively -- following the Princess of Wales' casket, which was covered in a royal flag, white lilies, tulips and roses and a card that read "Mummy," out of Westminster Abbey and through London.
See photos of Princess Diana with her sons:
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It was a moment that, during a recent interview with Newsweek, Prince Harry has developed a few problems with.
"My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," Harry said recently. "I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."
Following the procession, a motorcade transported Princess Diana's body 75 miles north toward her ancestral home in Althorp Park, where she would be buried.
See more photos of Princess Diana's life:
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Residents of Houston can add floating fire ants to their list of fears after Harvey: Reuters/Nick Oxford
Thousands in Houston are still stranded or displaced by the rain and wrath of tropical storm Harvey, but a floating menace may add to that despair.
People are reporting large colonies of fire ants floating on the rising waters that have destroyed homes and property, swept cars and people away, and pushed flood levels to record levels. And, just like those floodwaters, its a good idea to stay away from the ants, which are known for their painful bites.
They use the wax together on their bodies to keep the queen and other members of the colony in the middle of the ball dry so they dont suffocate, Mike Merchant, an entomology specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, told Wired.
As it turns out, individual fire ants have a slight resistance to water already, but when they band together they can create a terrifying red mass on the surface of water. Once in formation, the ants will move around to prevent individual drownings.
At least 14 people have died in the wake of Harvey, including a family of six who drowned trying to seek safety in the storm. They died after a van being used to conduct a rescue was swept away by strong currents. The bodies werent immediately recovered, since the Coast Guard had determined they wouldnt search for bodies until the water recedes. The father of the four minors who died then wasnt immediately notified of the deaths by surviving family, and he is currently in prison for violating parole.
Pro tip: Don't touch the floating fire ant colonies. They will ruin your day. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/uwJd0rA7qB Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) August 27, 2017
It looks like dirt, but it's ACTUALLY FUCKING ANTS. GODDAMN HARVEY COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST KILL THE FUCKING FIRE ANTS? #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/3zQMTtq9f3 Robert Junior Jr. (@RobertJuniorJr) August 28, 2017
Rain is still threatening much of the city, and has forced the Army Corps of Engineers to engage in planned releases of water from the citys major reservoirs. Those reservoirs have reached record water levels as a result of Harvey, and the planned releases is sending water, potentially, into residential areas.
Reese Witherspoon is signed on to a project about the life of Megan Phelps-Roper, the granddaughter of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps.
The film, titled This Above All, will focus on Phelps-Ropers life as a member of the anti-gay hate group, according to Variety. Phelps-Roper, who is the daughter of WBCs spokesperson Shirley Phelps-Roper, grew up in the church, but left with her sister in 2012 and was ultimately excommunicated from her family.
Nick Hornby, who has said her story says so much about so many things in contemporary America, will write the screenplay. Marc Webb will direct. Witherspoon is apparently set to co-produce. There are rumors she will also star in the movie.
The film will take from the 2015 New Yorker piece, Unfollow, by Adrian Chen and Phelps-Ropers upcoming memoir, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In a 2013 blog on Medium, she explained the mentality of her familys Topeka, Kansas-based group.
In a city in a state in the center of a country lives a group of people who believe they are the center of the universe; they know Right and Wrong, and they are Right. They work hard and go to school and get married and have kids who they take to church and teach that continually protesting the lives, deaths, and daily activities of The World is the only genuine statement of compassion that a God-loving human can sincerely make. As parents, they are attentive and engaged, and the children learn their lessons well.
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The 31-year-old was introduced to that hateful mentality as a child and began picketing as young as 5 years old. As an adult, she joined Twitter and began tweeting the WBCs hateful gospel, but was introduced to opponents at the same time. On Twitter she met a Jewish blogger named David, who helped change it all.
Wed started to see each other as human beings, and it changed the way we spoke to one another, she said during a TED Talk in February. It took time, but eventually these conversations planted seeds of doubt in me.
A rep for Witherspoon was not immediately available for further comment.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
President Donald Trump has run afoul of numerous Republican lawmakers of late, and others are likely fearful that they could be the latest to face his lashings via Twitter. But at least one appears to have the presidents back on the main issue to plague his young administration: Russia.
Representative Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has reportedly filed an amendment to a House spending bill that could cut off after six months Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and could block any investigations of events prior to the presidents campaign announcement in June 2015, according to The Hill.
DeSantis, who could be a Florida gubernatorial candidate next year, explained his reasoning for the amendment: "Congress should use its spending power to clarify the scope and limit the duration of this investigation," he said in a statement to Politico.
He added that Deputy Attorney General Rod "Rosenstein has said that the DOJ doesn't conduct fishing expeditions; the corollary to this admonition should be that Congress will not fund a fishing expedition."
Rosenstein appointed Mueller on May 17 and if DeSantiss amendment gets approved the investigation would thus end sometime in November. The cost of Muellers inquiry remains unclear, but the taxpayers expense was also brought up by White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway in June.
DeSantiss effort could be a sort of countermeasure to that of four U.S. senatorstwo Democrats and two Republicans. Released earlier this month, their bipartisan proposals would limit the executive branchs power to fire a special counsel. While the proposals differ slightly, both essentially call for a federal review of such a dismissal.
Ever since Trump admitted he fired former FBI Director James Comey because of the Trump-Russia investigationas well as his repeated public berating of Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himselfthere have been fears the president would find a way to can Mueller.
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DeSantiss amendment comes as details about connections between Trumps campaign and Russias meddling in last years election leak to the media and as Trumps approval rating slips.
Muellers team of investigators is trying to find out what the president knew about the meeting set up by his son at Trump Tower in June 2016 to get damaging information about Hillary Clinton, NBC News reported Monday. The president reportedly helped craft the first statement issued to The New York Times after the newspaper discovered the presidents oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had held the meeting with a Russian lawyer at the familys signature building.
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Georgia state Representative Jason Spencer warned a former colleague that people like her "disappear" in his district: Courtesy Georgia House of Representatives
A Georgia state representative has warned a black attorney that people like her go missing in his district for discussing the removal of Confederate statues.
Jason Spencer, a state representative for a southeastern Georgia district, issued the warning to attorney LaDawn Jones via Facebook.
I can guarantee you wont be met with torches but something a lot more definitive, Mr Spencer wrote, adding that people like Ms Jones will go missing in the Okefenokee.
Too many necks they are red around here, he wrote, in screen shots captured by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Dont say I didnt warn you about em.
The exchange started when Mr Spencer posted a photo of himself visiting a Confederate monument. Confederates fought to preserve the practise of slavery in the American Civil War, and their monuments have become a point of contention in the United States. The planned removal of one such statue provoked a major white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Shortly after the rally, Mr Spencer posted a picture of himself visiting the Jefferson Davis Memorial with the caption: This is Georgias history. #DealWithIt.
So a GA State Rep told one of his black colleagues she would be murdered if she tried to go to South GA to get rid of confederate monuments pic.twitter.com/qEUJkDjOHD Black Aziz Ansari (@Freeyourmindkid) August 29, 2017
Ms Jones, a former state representative herself, responded by asking if state tax dollars were going toward the memorial.
Ill deal with it but dont want to pay for it, she wrote.
The conversation devolved into a social-media showdown on the future of Confederate monuments in Georgia, with Ms Jones predicting people would tear that shit down, and Mr Spencer warning her that people in South Georgia are people of action, not drama.
Continue your quixotic journey into South Georgia and it will not be pleasant. The truth. Not a warning, he wrote. Those folks wont put up with it like they do in Atlanta. It [sic] best you move on.
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Mr Spencer told the Journal Constitution that his comments were not meant as a threat, but as a warning to Ms Jones about how people can behave about this issue.
She is from Atlanta and the rest of Georgia sees this issue very differently, he said. Just trying to keep her safe if she decided to come down and raise hell about the memorial in the back yards of folks who will see this as an unwelcome aggression from the left.
He also requested the paper include a photo of him standing next to a newly unveiled Martin Luther King Jr statue in the state capitol.
Ms Jones, meanwhile, said she would have taken the comments as a serious threat if they came from anybody else. She told the Journal Constitution that she and Mr Spencer had developed a unique relationship in the four years they served together in the Georgia House.
But, she added, if thats representative of what people in south Georgia think, then yikes.
Floodwaters in Texas continue to rise, creating conditions so severe that people trapped in their homes had no chance of being rescued overnight.
Authorities said 911 lines in Port Arthur about 91 miles east of Houston were still overloaded as of early Wednesday, and that rescues had to be stopped overnight due to the conditions.
Theres nothing we can do, Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens told local news channel KDFM. We cant take the boats out right now. The water is rising and its coming there and [theres] no way to get to them.
People began begging on social media to be rescued. One woman made her first plea on Twitter at 1 a.m. local time:
Lord please! If you have a boat please come get me & my family I'm trying to stay calm but the water is coming in at a fast rate J. (@haleeyjay_) August 30, 2017
She tweeted again about three hours later, having been told that rescues wouldnt resume until daylight. Water is now waist level & I still have not found any help this is crazy, she wrote. My phone is on 9% Im 35 Wks pregnant ! Please keep calling for me water is waist deep.
Many others tweeted out addresses of friends and loved ones:
my great grandparents are 90+.. very fragile, they need to be rescued !! 3580 lake Arthur drive in port Arthur off of jimmy Johnson PLZ RT Mackenzie Shugart (@mackenzieshug) August 30, 2017
please help my friend is stuck in her home with a family of 10. water is rising
4407 Jasonwood cd port Arthur, tx 77642 Eduardo Reyes (@e_reyes7) August 30, 2017
800 10th st.Port Arthur tx !! Please somebody please send help my 1 year old nephew is in there along with the rest of my family PLEASE HELP June26 (@_noonieee) August 30, 2017
water is now rising at our home. 4248 vassar st port arthur tx! if anyone knows of
any assistance please send them we have a 4month old baby 11/7 (@Teeeeethegee) August 30, 2017
The Jefferson County emergency management team said it had to wait until daylight to resume rescues.
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Video shows raging floodwaters by I-10 as Beaumont-Port Arthur area hit by up to 25 inches of rain overnight https://t.co/YqYWvnl9tq pic.twitter.com/zyEU7qMOfj ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 30, 2017
Even people who were removed from their homes continued to fight the elements. Photos on Twitter show floodwaters invading Port Arthurs Bob Bower Civic Center, where hundreds of evacuees were seeking shelter. People were eventually moved on Wednesday to the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center, even though police said the facility contained zero supplies.
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People in Port Arthur are resting in their shelter beds at the Bob Bower Civic Center
Flood Waters nearly reach those sleeping pic.twitter.com/djL3imXoYy Juan Rodriguez (@_JuanRodriguez_) August 30, 2017
Marcus McLellan, a public information officer for the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, told HuffPost that rescue operations were underway Wednesday morning.
Police werent able to reach people trapped in their homes because of the rising waters, but law enforcement officials were coordinating with volunteers to locate and transport people to shelter.
Were using the volunteers and their boats to get to those individuals, McLellan said. To do this on our own, we would have to have a fleet of several hundred boats. ... Thats just not feasible for a city or county to constantly have.
McLellan said hundreds of people in the county have been rescued from their flooded homes in the last couple of days, thanks in large part to the very, very valuable efforts of the volunteers.
There are just so many people, hundreds up into the thousands, that need assistance, he said. No matter how many boats we have, its going to take some time.
This article has been updated with comments from McLellan.
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Evacuation Of Pets
This image of Naomi Coto carrying her dog, Simba, on her shoulders as she was forced to evacuate her Houston home on Sunday is just one of hundreds of pictures which show the lengths that many pet owners went to to save their pets.
Locals are trying to save a colony of bats that are drowning as water reaches the top of a bridge in Houston https://t.co/HbUGj1zdRm pic.twitter.com/thvMnGoFBB CBS News (@CBSNews) August 30, 2017
A cattle drive takes to the streets of Dayton, Tx. due to #Harvey #txwx
Video via Rebekah Brand pic.twitter.com/uyg2YDG4aJ Hilary Scheinuk (@hscheinukphoto) August 28, 2017
One loud and lucky pig rescued from #Harvey high water #Fox26 pic.twitter.com/DRxGaCsVvC Greg Groogan (@GrooganFox26) August 28, 2017
A dog was saved from the flooded streets of the sun chase neighborhood in Hamshire. pic.twitter.com/AXzEWzdZes Jacque Masse (@jmasse12news) August 28, 2017
This video of Hankamer, Texas police officers saving dogs from a flooded shelter will get you through your day. pic.twitter.com/wQHYBn9JzL Adam Best (@adamcbest) August 29, 2017
UPDATE: Frankie & Bear are safe. The two dogs we saw sitting in a boat in a flooded neighborhood have been rescued https://t.co/HOX03V5Typ pic.twitter.com/oo3IDt81R2 ed lavandera (@edlavaCNN) August 29, 2017
HEARTBREAKING: This was Saturday. An abandoned dog left alone during the flood in TX. The photographer rescued it
( - @DailyMail ) #Harvey pic.twitter.com/UepRjSlfXK Matt Rodewald FOX 10 (@Matt_Fox10) August 28, 2017
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Sean Spicer may have left his dream job at the White House, but hes finally fulfilled his dream of meeting Pope Francis.
The former White House Press Secretary, who became famous enough to warrant Melissa McCarthys Saturday Night Live impersonations during his six-month tenure, met the Pope this past week when he went to Italy for a meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, America Magazine reports.
America Magazine cited a photo on the Vatican Radio Facebook page of Spicer taking a photograph of the Pope with his phone. One Facebook user commented on the photograph that Spicer was blessed to be gone from the toxic administration.
Spicer announced he was resigning as Press Secretary last month, and was replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Although he accompanied President Trump on his first trip abroad in May, which included a meeting with the Pope, CNN reported at the time that Spicer, who is Catholic, was eagerly anticipating the meeting with the Pope, only to discover at the last minute that he was left off the list of attendees.
I spent last week in Reno, Nev., attending the American Legions national convention, and I was again reminded of the power of mass demonstration. The Veterans Administration was finally established after veterans groups demonstrated for compensation after the First World War. These groups remained peaceful until law enforcement dispersed them.
The first order of convention business was to announce the re-affirmation of a 1923 resolution on law enforcement and tolerance. I am quoting it because it goes along with the preamble of the Legions constitution, which includes the words to make right the master of might:
RESOLVED, By the National Executive Committee of The American Legion in regular meeting assembled in Reno, Nevada, on August 21, 2017, That The American Legion considers any individual, group of individuals, or organizations, which creates, or fosters racial, religious or class strife among our people, or which takes into their own hands the enforcement of law, determination of guilt, or infliction of punishment, to be un-American, a menace to our liberties, and destructive to our fundamental law; and, be it finally RESOLVED, That The American Legion considers such action by any individual, groups, or organizations, to be inconsistent with the ideals and purposes of The American Legion.
The Times-News published a superb editorial about violent activists and the GOP. In fact, the harm done by demonstrations for intolerance has been amply noted. There hasnt been a lot said, however, about the violent group infiltrating the peaceful counter demonstrations, the AltFA (alt-fascism). They proclaim that they are on the side of the angels, fighting violence with violence, but they are not. Wearing black and brandishing clubs, destroying property, if not lives, is not acceptable. It is simply terrorism. Violent intimidation is wrong no matter what the cause.
Civil disobedience is carefully choreographed. Decisions are made as to where to demonstrate and even who will volunteer to engage law enforcement and be arrested. Large marches are groups who gather, produce signs and enjoy the feeling of being with like-minded people energized by their cause. All of this is done to indicate support in opposition to the status quo and for change.
Although mass demonstration is not my cup of tea, individual demonstration is. I choose to write this column to demonstrate a set of beliefs. I choose to engage politicians in discussion in order to change their mind or understand their perspective on issues. I choose to belong to organizations which to some degree reflect my values and are active in demonstrating them. I may bore my friends and acquaintances by standing on my soapbox and voicing my opinions too often, but I am passionate about many causes.
As a veteran, I am only too aware of the cost of war. There are, of course, the human casualties, but there is also the problem of restoring a civil society. Violent demonstration destroys not only property and lives, it destroys hope. War is considered a last resort because of its wide-range destruction. Violent demonstration is nothing less than localized war without a just cause and no victor.
There is strong reason for the Bill of Rights and its First Amendment. Free thought brings us closer to the solution of problems. Demonstrations can have positive outcome. The VA and civil rights legislation are two examples. I urge you to demonstrate, in every way comfortable for you, the thoughts you have on the causes you care about. Disagreement is always permissible. Violence is not.
Lyon (AFP) - Police reinforcements arrived Wednesday to take part in a fresh search of an area in the French Alps where a nine-year-old girl went missing during a family wedding at the weekend.
Another 60 police joined teams on the ground searching around the village of Pont-de-Beauvoisin where Maelys de Araujo disappeared at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on Sunday morning.
"We'll be going through every tuft of grass and every nook. The idea is to go over the whole surrounding area with a fine-tooth comb," one of the policemen told AFP without giving his name.
There are now around 150 people involved in the hunt including local police, search and rescue teams, divers and cavers who are all checking the heavily-wooded and rocky terrain for signs of the girl.
Three sniffer dogs all lost the scent from Maelys's cuddly toy at the same spot in the car park outside the venue, police have said, raising fears she had got into a vehicle and has been kidnapped.
So far, police have interviewed 140 of the 250 guests at the wedding, with partygoers from two other events in the area also being questioned by investigators.
"The unthinkable has happened. I'm devastated," Pont-de-Beauvoisin mayor Michel Serrano told AFP on Tuesday.
The parents of the girl, who have another daughter and live in a different village close to the border with Switzerland, have been offered counselling by local authorities.
Guests at the wedding have described how the party ended with people searching for the girl once her parents realised she had vanished.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 - REUTERS
South Korea is planning to send special forces units into Pyongyang in search of Kim Jong-un and his closest advisers in the event that North Korea should start a conventional war.
The plan is among the revisions being made to South Korea's revised strategy for dealing with an attack from the North.
South Korean army soldiers aim their machine guns during the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise Credit: Hong Gi-won/ Yonhap
Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, was briefed by senior officials from the Defence Ministry on Monday - one day before North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan - about revisions to the present defence of the nation.
Mr Moon told the ministry to implement reforms to the military to meet the challenges that are increasingly being posed by North Korea.
He added that the military should be ready to "quickly switch to an offensive posture in case North Korea stages a provocation that crosses the line or attacks the capital region", the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.
The prime minister also requested that the military increase its mobility as well as its ability to carry out airborne and sea landings and upgrade air defences.
South Korea's F-15K fighter jets drop bombs during a training at the Taebaek Pilsung Firing Range Credit: Getty
In the event of a conventional conflict breaking out on the Korean Peninsula, North Korean artillery is expected to bombard the South's defences along the Demilitarised Zone as well as shelling Seoul, which is less than 50 miles south of the border.
Massed tanks and infantry units, assisted by saboteurs and agents already in the South, would attempt to swiftly seize Seoul and other key cities and facilities in South Korea before the United States and, potentially, other allied nations could land reinforcements.
Under the existing US-South Korean plan for the defence of the South, known as OPLAN 5015, the two nations would aim to bring their overwhelming air and naval superiority to bear from bases in South Korea and Japan, as well as aircraft carrier battle fleets in the western Pacific.
It would take weeks, however, before large-scale reinforcements, including heavy tanks and other equipment, could be landed.
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A bomb hits a mock target at the Pilseung Firing Range on August 29, 2017 in Gangwon-do, South Korea Credit: Getty
The new South Korean plan will identify more than 1,000 primary targets in North Korea to be eliminated by missiles and laser-guided munitions - including nuclear weapons and missile launch facilities - at the same time as the conventional attack is halted.
The military has also been tasked with training special forces units that could be infiltrated into Pyongyang in order to target key members of the regime, including Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, in order to bring about a more rapid conclusion to the fighting.
Sierra Nevada Corp.s Dream Chaser prototype space plane is suspended beneath a helicopter during a captive-carry flight test at Edwards Air Force Base in California. (SNC via Facebook Live)
Sierra Nevada Corp.s prototype Dream Chaser space plane, also known as the mini-space shuttle, successfully went through its first in-the-air test in four years today at NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center in Californias Mojave Desert.
The uncrewed Dream Chaser stayed suspended beneath a Columbia 234-UT helicopter throughout todays 101-minute flight.
The point of the captive-carry test was to collect data about the aerodynamics of the winged vehicle as well as the performance of Dream Chasers guidance and navigation control software.
Im sure the team is going to learn new things today, because we have all-new avionics on board, Steve Lindsey, senior director and co-program manager of space exploration systems for SNC Space Systems, said in advance of the test during a Facebook Live video session.
Afterward, Lee Archambault, SNCs director of flight operations for the Dream Chaser program, said his team was very pleased with the results of the test.
Everything we have seen points to a successful test with useful data for the next round of testing, he said in a news release.
Dream Chaser is designed to be launched atop an expendable rocket such as United Launch Alliances Atlas 5, to carry cargo to the International Space Station. At the end of each space mission, the craft would descend to an airplane-style runway landing.
The crafts design is based on a lifting-body concept that NASA drew up in the 1990s. It measures 30 feet from nose to tail, which is about a quarter of the space shuttles length.
SNC originally proposed the Dream Chaser as a means of transporting astronauts to and from the space station, but it lost out to SpaceX and Boeing in the commercial crew program.
Instead, NASA cleared SNC to join SpaceX and Orbital ATK in the next phase of the space station cargo resupply program, which is set for the 2019-2024 time frame.
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For the past few months, SNCs Dream Chaser engineering test article has been undergoing ground checks at NASA Armstrong. A key test came earlier this month, when a truck towed the craft around Armstrongs runway at Edwards Air Force Base at speeds of up to 60 mph.
Such tow tests validated the performance of the Dream Chasers nose skid, brakes, tires and other systems.
If the next captive-carry test goes well, that will set the stage later this year for a test that involves dropping the engineering test article from a helicopter and letting it glide to an autonomous landing on the runway.
That was the kind of test that ended in a setback for the Dream Chaser in 2013. The craft made a successful descent, but it sustained damage when the left landing gear failed to deploy. A more advanced type of landing gear is being used for the current round of prototype testing.
SNCs schedule calls for an Atlas 5 to send the first space-capable Dream Chaser into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in 2020.
Sierra Nevada Corp. is headquartered in Nevada, but its space systems group is based in Louisville, Colo.
This is an updated version of a report first published on Aug. 29.
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NBCOn the first Saturday Night Live episode after each of the past two presidential elections, Dave Chappelle served as host and used the opportunity to share his thoughts about the state of American politics. The comedian returned for a third time this week after the midterms, but this time something was different.It was Chappelles first time hosting SNL since he came under fire for a slew of transphobic jokes in his latest Netflix special The Closer. And before he even took the stage at Studi
(RIO DE JANEIRO) Human rights groups in South America are alleging war crimes violations in lawsuits filed against a former Sri Lankan general who is now his nations ambassador to Brazil and five other countries in Latin America.
The suits against Jagath Jayasuriya are based on his role as a commander in the final phase of Sri Lankas civil war in 2009. They allege Jayasuriya oversaw military units that attacked hospitals and killed, disappeared and tortured thousands of people.
Jayasuriya has diplomatic immunity in the countries where he is ambassador: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Suriname. But the groups pursuing the suits hope they will compel regional governments to expel him.
Carlos Castresana Fernandez, the lawyer coordinating the effort, told The Associated Press on Monday night that suits were filed Monday in Brazil and Colombia. Petitions also will be filed in Argentina, Chile and Peru in the coming days, he said, adding that authorities in Suriname refused to accept the suit.
This is one genocide that has been forgotten, but this will force democratic countries to do something, Fernandez said. This is just the beginning of the fight.
Calls to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Brazils capital went unanswered Monday evening as did an email seeking comment.
Jayasuriyas whereabouts were not immediately known. Fernandez said Brazilian justice officials told him Jayasuriya had left Brazil on Sunday. That couldnt be independently confirmed.
The criminal suits, reviewed by the AP, were spearheaded by the human rights group International Truth and Justice Project, an evidence-gathering organization based in South Africa. The suits have three central aims: push local authorities to open investigations of Jayasuriya, remove his diplomatic immunity and expel him.
Many of the nations where Jayasuriya is ambassador have their own dark histories of military dictatorships and torture.
Fernandez, the coordinating lawyer, was one of the attorneys who worked on international cases against Argentine Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla and Chilean Gen. Augusto Pinochet. He has also helped indict many Guatemalan war criminals and organized crimemembers, including former President Alfonso Portillo.
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While lawsuits across international jurisdictions can be tricky to sort out, such moves can also pay off. In the case of Pinochet, he ended up being arrested and held for a time in England because of international suits filed against him.
The civil war in Sri Lanka, an island off the southern tip of India, raged intermittently between 1983 and 2009. Fueled in part by ethnic tensions between Sinhalese and Tamil citizens, an insurgency against the government was led by a group called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. They fought to establish a separate Tamil state in the northeastern part of the island.
The suits say Jayasuriya was commander of the Vanni Security Force from 2007 to 2009, one of the bloodiest periods in a war estimated to have killed more than 100,000 people. The U.N. estimates between 40,000 and 70,000 died in the final phase alone.
According to the suits, Jayasuriya oversaw an offensive from Joseph Camp, also known as Vanni, which the papers claim was a notorious torture site. The International Truth and Justice Project said it interviewed 14 survivors of torture or sexual violence at the camp. According to the group, victims described hearing the howls of detainees at night, which the suits contend Jayasuriya would have been able to hear.
Human rights groups have long been after Jayasuriya, but the Sri Lankan government has refused to try him or others allegedly involved in war abuses. A few years after the war ended, he retired from the military. Jayasuriya was appointed ambassador to Brazil in 2015 and the other countries were added to his purview over the following two years.
In times of crisis, human beings get together and help each other the best way they can.
That's one of the uplifting takeaways from the "catastrophic" Tropical Storm Harvey that poured 19 trillion gallons of rain on Texas, bringing floods and devastation on the southern state. The storm produced the most rain of any tropical storm or hurricane in the history of the lower 48 states.
SEE ALSO: Tropical Storm Harvey is the strongest to hit the US in 12 years
Among the acts of kindness for strangers, for animals, for local correspondents is this inspiring picture of a human chain to help rescue someone trapped in a car in Houston.
The local ABC channel posted the photo on Twitter, where it went viral, with the caption: " # Harvey has taken a lot, but it will NEVER take our humanity. We have seen so many neighbors helping each other. THANK YOU # HopeForHouston".
#Harvey has taken a lot, but it will NEVER take our humanity. We have seen so many neighbors helping each other. THANK YOU #HopeForHouston pic.twitter.com/M8aTACwHhc ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) August 30, 2017
Stephanie Edward Mata was driving her car on the other side of the flooded road when she saw the scene and started filming:
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She told Mashable a group of people spotted an elderly man trapped inside his SUV, which was sinking into the water, and were desperate to help him. But there was a catch: they didn't have a rope with them. So they resorted to forming a human chain.
"The people had no rope to get him out so they made a chain holding each other," she said. "They pulled the door open and one gentleman got ahold of him as they held on until they got him safe."
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Mata said she has no idea of what happened to the man after he was brought to safety.
"There was a cop nearby where they took him to get checked out as he was so cold," she said. "I really wish I knew what happened to him next."
Image: Stephanie mata
She also sent a picture of the SUV after the guy was saved:
Image: stephanie mata
It is indeed heartwarming to see all types of people holding hands to help someone in need.
People on Twitter noticed it, and responded to the tweet with messages of hope in front of the tragedy:
When bad things go down, honestly, you want a bunch of Texans around. #harvey #Texas Trish (@Trishmil8) August 30, 2017
Houston, you rock. Your community spirit in the face of such great loss has given me back a little hope and some faith in my fellow humans. WeAreAllTexansToday (@JamieTFox) August 30, 2017
It is just beyond moving to witness all of these people who were initially strangers who have been brought together as neighbors. J. Edward Griffin (@jcextra) August 30, 2017
I love people. 99% are just good human beings when given the opportunity. lnordstrom (@lnordstrom123) August 30, 2017
My side of town B (@Bparis88) August 30, 2017
this is THE America I remember! :) vikilin (@vikilintw) August 30, 2017
The living prof of the land of the free and home of the brave I see the bravest people here Lucas Diaz (@73Lucasdiaz) August 30, 2017
WATCH: Smiling rescued donkey is so happy to be back on solid ground
Savanna Greywind's body was found Sunday by kayakers after a week long search.
The two suspects in the death of a pregnant North Dakota woman admitted to taking the baby of the woman, though how they came to have the infant remains unclear.
Brooke Lynn Crews, 38, and her boyfriend William Henry Hoehn, 32, were both charged in the death of 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, who was 8 months pregnant. The couple gave conflicting accounts of what happened to the mother and child, according to court records released Monday.
On Sunday, kayakers on the Red River found Greywinds body wrapped in plastic and duct tape after a week-long search. What appeared to be Greywinds baby was found in the Fargo home of Crews and Hoehn, who lived in the upstairs apartment that Greywind shared with her parents.
Crews and Hoehn gave conflicting accounts of how the baby girl came into their possession. Crews told police she arranged to have Greywind come to her apartment so she could teach her how to induce labor, according to the Duluth News Tribune. She did so, Crews said, and Greywind later returned with the newborn to give it to her.
Hoehn said he returned home Aug. 19 to find Crews cleaning up blood. Crews then showed him the newborn baby and said, This is our baby, this is our family, according to his account.
Hoehn said he helped to throw out bloody towels and items in the apartment. Crews admitted she had numerous chances to give the baby to Greywinds family or authorities after Greywind became a missing person, but did not.
Crews admitted she had taken advantage of Savanna Greywind in an attempt to obtain her child and possibly keep the child as her own, the complaint stated.
While both suspects admitted the baby belonged to Greywind, police said they were waiting on the results of DNA testing to say so with certainty.
Crews and Hoehn were both charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and giving false information to police. The couple was being held on $2 million bail and did not enter a plea in court Monday.
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We will continue to pursue justice for Savanna, Fargo Police Chief David Todd said in a press conference Monday. Savanna was a victim of a cruel and vicious act of depravity.
Greywinds mother, Norberta LaFontaine-Greywind, said her daughter had texted her to say she was heading to the neighbors apartment to help model a dress for a fitting before she went missing. When her mother knocked on the door, she was told her daughter had already left.
I immediately knew something was wrong because her care is here, her mother told the Duluth News Tribune after she disappeared. Shes eight months pregnant. Her feet were swollen, so she wouldnt have taken up walking like that. There was pizza here and she hadnt eaten. She would not just leave that ladys apartment and go somewhere.
Police have yet to reveal Greywinds cause of death and an autopsy is underway to determine the details. The baby remained in protective custody with social services and was not being released into the custody of the family until DNA testing confirmed it belonged to Greywind, the father, Greywinds boyfriend Ashton Matheny, told WDAY-TV, an ABC affiliate in Fargo.
It breaks my heart, said Matheny. Theyre admitting its [our] baby.
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By Ginger Gibson and Julia Harte WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Krassi Nikov evacuated his Houston home with more than 2 feet (61 cm) of water inside of it on Tuesday after Tropical Storm Harvey devastated Texas' Gulf Coast. He now plans to collect on his flood insurance for the second time this year and rebuild. But the future of the federal government-run flood insurance program on which Nikov, 63, and other property owners in vulnerable areas depend rests with the U.S. Congress. Congress will soon be asked to renew the National Flood Insurance Program, which expires at the end of September. While a simple extension of the program has wide bipartisan support, some lawmakers are calling for broad reform. The program had received 35,000 claims from Texas by midday on Wednesday, according to Roy Wright, its administrator, who described it as a "very fast" pace. Wright said he was confident Congress would reauthorize the program, but he added that the program would only be prevented from selling new policies or renewing existing ones if it were to lapse. "It does not affect ability to accept claims," Wright said. Republicans advocating changes to the program want private companies to write the policies, which they say would result in premium prices that more accurately reflect risks. Additionally, they want the U.S. government to stop charging the program interest, with the savings to be used for flood mitigation. That could set up a difficult battle. Conservatives have voiced concerns that the insurance program has about $25 billion of debt, while Democrats say the Republicans' plan to allow private-market plans would be more expensive for homeowners. A bipartisan group of lawmakers from coastal states including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, have been pushing for changes to the program. The NFIP has been reauthorized 17 times since it was created in 1968, with the last time occurring in 2012. It has been allowed to lapse just four times. Many lobbyists believe Congress is unlikely to attempt a sweeping reform of the program before the end of September, given a busy legislative schedule that includes approving funding to avoid a government shutdown and raising the debt ceiling. Congress also faces pressure to pass an aid package to help the devastated Gulf Coast. Goldman Sachs said in a research note on Tuesday that early estimates suggested Harvey would cost "in the range of $30 billion." Instead, most observers expect Congress to pass a short-term extension of the program, ranging from three months to a year. Leaders in Congress are weighing whether to attach it to another piece of legislation such as a continuing resolution to fund the government, according to several lobbyists following the issue. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan's office said it was confident the program would be reauthorized. U.S. Representative Jeb Hensarling, a Republican who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, said in a Bloomberg television interview on Monday that he hoped his package of reforms could gain full approval before the end of next month. Hensarling wants to renew the program for five years if private insurers are allowed to write the flood policies. But a business lobbyist who consults for many large American companies and follows the issue closely said Hensarling lacked the support to get his package passed by the House when Congress left for its August recess. "I don't think they're at the point now where they have the votes," the lobbyist said. He added that trying to overhaul the program would be a distraction for federal emergency officials and the flood insurance program. "Even if there was a package of reforms ready to go, (the agencies) are not going to have the bandwidth to deal with some kind of reform package," he said. In a letter to Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sent on Monday, 100 House Democrats expressed concerns about the Hensarling package, saying they would not vote for the full package despite believing flood insurance reauthorization was crucial. "Most of these bills do not meet the goals of affordability, availability, increased mitigation efforts or improved mapping," the letter said. 'INCREDIBLY DETRIMENTAL' Jerry Howard, head of the National Home Builders Association, said the group had endorsed Hensarling's package and was hopeful the bills would pass quickly. Emily Naden of the Building Owners and Managers Association, which in Houston alone represents owners and managers of 312 million square feet of office space and accounts for 43,000 jobs, said the organization had been pushing for reforms but must prioritize avoiding a lapse in coverage. "For us, we absolutely need the program to be re-upped without a lapse a lapse is incredibly detrimental to all of our policy members," she said. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson, Julia Harte; Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Peter Henderson in Houston; Editing by Paul Simao and Peter Cooney)
By Nate Raymond
BOSTON (Reuters) - Three women from China have agreed to plead guilty to cheating on entrance exams to American universities and colleges and are likely to be deported home, according to court papers.
Xiaomeng Cheng, who prosecutors said gained admission to Arizona State University through the exam scam, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to defraud the United States.
Further plea hearings over the next three weeks are set for Shikun Zhang, who was at Northeastern University in Boston, and Yue Wang, who according to prosecutors was paid to take exams for Zhang and Cheng while at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The exam in question was the TOEFL, the English-language exam widely used to assess foreign applicants. The test is recognized by more than 9,000 colleges, universities, and agencies in more than 130 countries.
While each of the women faced up to five years in prison, prosecutors have agreed to recommend that all three be sentenced to time served in exchange for their agreement to be deported.
That process got underway immediately for Cheng, who will spend two days at an immigration detention facility before flying to China on Friday. The hoodie-clad woman even brought a suitcase to court.
The 20-year-old's lawyer, Paul Davenport, in court said she had good grades while at Arizona State and will now return "to her home country of China in disgrace and more importantly to the disapproval of her father, who I've met."
Amid a increasingly affluent population, more Chinese students have been enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, attracted by the prospect of a prestigious American education and good jobs.
Their numbers grew by 9 percent to 135,629 students in the 2015-2016 school year, according to the Institute of International Education.
Prosecutors said Wang, 24, earned nearly $7,000 taking the test in 2015 and 2016 for Zhang, Cheng and another Chinese woman, Leyi Huang, after they failed while previously taking the exam to meet their respective universities' minimum scores.
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After they were admitted, the three were issued student visas by the U.S. State Department. The four women subsequently were charged and arrested in May.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien in court said Huang, who was admitted to Penn State University, had declined a similar plea deal. Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Grant McCool)
Mumbai (AFP) - At least five people were killed as heavy monsoon rain deluged India's financial capital Mumbai, causing transport chaos and forcing schools and many offices to close on Wednesday.
The coastal city of more than 20 million people is the latest to be hit by floods that have ravaged South Asia this monsoon season, affecting millions of people across India, Nepal and Bangladesh and killing over 1,200.
Authorities in Mumbai said at least five people had died since the intense rainfall began on Tuesday, making roads impassable and briefly shutting the suburban rail network on which millions of commuters depend.
"Five people have died in the Mumbai floods. Four of them including two children died due to wall collapse in the slums and another person died due to electric shock," Tanaji Kamble, a local government official, told AFP.
Kamble said the rains had eased by Wednesday. "We are monitoring the safety situation across the city and things are returning to normal."
Cars were submerged and commuters waded through waist-deep water on Tuesday evening.
"I could not find any mode of transport and spent my night on the streets instead of trying to reach home," said 62-year-old Gangadin Gupta.
He said many people had been left stranded for much of the night until the rail network reopened early Wednesday.
- Valuables lost -
Residents of Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums and home to more than a million people, said much of the low-lying area was under water.
"Most of the shanties and houses in Dharavi were submerged in water and we lost all our valuables," said Selvam Sathya, 45.
"All of us took refuge on the first floor of different buildings and the water only started receding this morning... I lost all my belongings in the flooding."
The transport chaos forced the city's famed dabbawallahs, who take hundreds of thousands of hot lunches from commuters' homes to offices every day, to cancel their delivery.
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Many of the more than 5,000 dabbawallahs were left stranded in the city overnight, a spokesman for the Mumbai Dabbawallha Association told the Press Trust of India.
The flooding brought back memories of 2005 when around 950 millimetres (37 inches) of rain fell on Mumbai in just 24 hours, killing more than 1,000 people.
Electricity, water supply, communications networks and public transport were totally shut down during the 2005 catastrophe, which was blamed on unplanned development and poor drainage in the western city.
India, Nepal and Bangladesh all suffer frequent flooding during the monsoon rains which begin in June and last till September or October.
But the Red Cross has termed this year's floods the worst for decades in some parts of the region.
It says entire communities have been cut off and many are short of food and clean water.
The east Indian state of Bihar has been particularly hard hit, with over 500 people killed this monsoon season.
Around 1.7 million people were reportedly affected by the floods, which are now receding.
Ivanka Trump hosts a listening session with military spouses in the Roosevelt Room at the White House: Getty/Chip Somodevilla
One of Donald Trumps former business partners has claimed he arranged for the President's oldest daughter to sit in Vladimir Putins private chair during a 2006 trip to Russia.
The claim comes from Felix Sater, a one-time broker for the Trump Organisation, who pushed heavily for Mr Trump to open a Trump Tower Moscow in 2015.
In an email to Mr Trumps lawyer about the project, Mr Sater brags about his influence in Moscow, writing: "I arranged for Ivanka to sit in Putins private chair at his desk and office in the Kremlin.
Ms Trump told the New York Times it is possible she sat in the Russian Presidents chair, though she said she did not recall it. She added that she had never met Mr Putin, and had no involvement in the Moscow tower discussions other than to recommend possible architects.
The emails, however, point to a larger area of concern: Mr Trumps business dealings with Russia during the presidential campaign. Though the Trump Tower project never got off the ground, Mr Trump did sign a non-binding letter of intent for pursuing it.
More concerningly, Mr Slater bragged in his emails some of which were obtained by the Times that he could get Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected.
Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it, he wrote. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.
Mr Sater, a Russian immigrant and former FBI informant, also claimed he had secured financing for the project via VTB Bank a Russian bank that was under American sanctions at the time.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives a press conference (Reuters)
It is plausible that Mr Sater overstated his influence in Russia in order to improve the projects prospects. In one instance, the Times reports, Mr Trumps lawyer emailed Mr. Putins spokesman about the project, but used a general inquiries mailbox. The incident suggests the Trump team did not have a personal line to the Kremlin, as Mr Sater seemed to boast.
Mr Trumps possible ties to Russia are currently being investigated by committees in both the House and Senate, and by the Department of Justice. The emails in question were turned over to the House Intelligence Committee by the Trump Organisation on Monday.
To be clear, the Trump Organization has never had any real estate holdings or interests in Russia, the Trump Organization said Monday in a statement.
Donald Trump's presidency already has been one of the most controversial in U.S. history, and its ending could be just as action-packed and unpredictable as his first seven months in office.
As the 45th president deals with his stalled agenda, his sinking approval ratings and the investigations into his presidential campaign's ties to Russia, White House advisers have reportedly been warning Trump about his potential political doom: the exhaustive impeachment process that could result in his removal from the Oval Office. And he isnt doing himself many favors.
Related: Heres how Donald Trump could actually be impeached
Republicans on Capitol Hill have become a subject of Trump's daily Twitter storms, with the president repeatedly denouncing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the GOP's continued failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He has also warned others to fall in line and help pass his campaign promises or face the wrath of his 140 characters.
"It's very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President," Trump tweeted in late July. "If Republicans don't Repeal and Replace the disastrous ObamaCare, the repercussions will be far greater than any of them understand!"
His actions could spell disaster for Trump if special counsel Robert Mueller determines that his presidential campaign colluded with the Kremlin, or that the president attempted to obstruct justice at any point throughout his short tenure in politics. Either situation would swiftly encourage more Democrats to push for his impeachmentand if Trump doesn't have enough Republican allies, he could be ousted.
Several White House advisers have spoken with the president about his possible impeachment, and about how overcoming such proceedings would require friendships with the elected officials responsible for deciding whether he should remain in office, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
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But Trump might just be positioning himself apart from the Republican Party ahead of 2018, a form of "triangulation" that could help him gain friendships across party aisles during a moment of presidential crisis, former Trump campaign adviser Barry Bennett explained.
"Its right out of the Bill Clinton playbooktriangulation is something that [Clinton] perfected" during his own impeachment proceedings, Bennet told the Post. During that period, from 1998-99, Clinton managed to retain unanimous support against numerous articles of impeachment and avoided removal from office through his relationships with Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike.
But Trump is in an entirely different arena not even one year into his presidency, clashing with the entirety of the Democratic Party while continuing to denounce colleagues on his side of the aisle. If the president is unable to make inroads with influential leaders on Capitol Hill ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, impeachment seems inevitable. Is anyones guess at this point whether he can garner support from enough Republicans or any Democrats to keep power.
But when you look at the presidents Twitter feed, he doesn't seem all that concerned with making friends who will have his back in Washington.
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Canada: The Enemy Next Door
By David Nelson, CFA
Twenty-three years after President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, the United States meets once again with our closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico. The administration looks to renegotiate a treaty that many Americans feel didnt live up to the spirt and promise of the original document. Lost jobs and a widening trade deficit have prompted President Trump to demand a get tough posture. Negotiations started on August 16, but to date, most of the rhetoric has focused on manufacturing and the auto sector. While these are important issues, it is imperative that the administration address a rising threat that imperils our future.
Intellectual property sits at the top of the economic pyramid. Without it, there is no innovationand as were rapidly discovering, no customers. Increasingly, world players seem to believe the sweat and hard work of American scientists and entrepreneurs are theirs for the taking. China has long been a challenge for US corporations, with both the previous and current administrations expressing their concern to the Chinese government.
Whats surprising and often overlooked is the blatant disregard for our intellectual property rights by our friend and closest trading partner, Canada.
Canadian flag. Photo from CP Images
The only thing standing between society and anarchy is the rule of law. It extends beyond whats necessary to protect citizens, but it also provides the foundation of our economic principles. Without it, capitalismas well as the innovation and prosperity its createdwould never have survived.
Intellectual property is the backbone of capital markets
U.S. markets and industry have long been a magnet for capital, as entrepreneurs and investors have been confident their intellectual property was protectedmaking the human and financial risks worth taking. When that rule of law is compromised, capital flows slow, and eventually, that starves the very innovation and discovery that made the United States the most powerful economic machine the world has ever known.
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NAFTA renegotiations are underway, and for the U.S., its an opportunity to establish protocol and an enforceable trade document that doesnt let our partners to the north continue the theft of our intellectual property. U.S. drug companies have been on the losing end of this battle for years, as the Canadian judiciary invalidated US patents using their so-called Promise Doctrine, while most other countries upheld those very same patents.
Its no wonder the Canadian health care system is held up by the liberal media as a shining example of how to keep drug costs lower. Of course it is. What could be more efficient than stealing the drugs or in this case, letting local generics get away with reproducing brand new (often lifesaving) drugs, paying little or nothing for the discovery?
(AP)
American drug innovation is subsidizing the rest of the world
Americans are subsidizing the drug costs of much of the developed world. Are we really that benevolent, or are we just blind to the fact that our trading partners are extending their hand in friendship while picking our pocket with the other.
The U.S. is the world leader in medical research. Over the last decade and a half, the bulk of the worlds molecules have been discovered right here in the United States. Its safe to say the industry is a gateway for higher paying jobs, increasingly tough to come by in a world forever changed by global competition.
NAFTA was billed as the first treaty to focus on intellectual property rights. Since that time, the United States, a leader in drug discovery, has built a $1.2 billion trade surplus with Mexico in biopharmaceutical products, yet a $717 million trade deficit with Canada. Perhaps our friends to the south respect the rule of law just a bit more than our northern neighbors.
Americans have good reason to be outraged that they are paying more for drugs here in the United States than our counterparts in most of the free world. Trump has promised to get tough on trade negotiations. Well, the renegotiation of NAFTA is a great place to start.
The Promise Doctrine, which the Canadian government and its generic industry have hidden behind for more than a decade, has been shown to be little more than a legal charade to steal what they couldnt create internally. Its not surprising that Canadas Supreme Court finally struck down the legislation, saying it isnt good law.
This is the first trade deal for the administration. Its very important to ink the highest possible standard, as it will set the tone for future IP negotiations with China, South Korea and other trade partners that have a history of undermining our IP.
Hopefully, when NAFTA negotiations are completed, the U.S. and Canada can move forward in the spirit of true friendshipa friendship that respects each others rights and provides a working framework for cross-border trade that benefits all. America looks forward to embracing our friends to the north, but will be very tough if they remain the enemy next door.
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By James Oliphant
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump turned his populist rhetoric to tax reform on Wednesday, calling for "pro-American" business tax cuts as a way to create jobs and telling Congress that it needs to deliver.
Speaking at a manufacturing company in Springfield, Missouri, Trump called on Democrats to join his tax overhaul effort, which he said would also cut taxes and simplify the sprawling U.S. tax code for the middle class. But he offered few specifics, and tax reform will be an uphill task in Congress.
"We must reduce the tax rate on American businesses so they keep jobs in America, create jobs in America and compete for workers right here in America," Trump said in his first presidential speech specifically on tax reform, one of his key 2016 campaign issues.
Both congressional Democrats and Republicans say tax reform is needed but the Republican goal of enacting legislation this year faces a battle in Congress, which has already failed to deliver on healthcare reform sought by Trump.
Trump reiterated his longstanding call for slashing U.S. corporate tax rate to 15 percent from 35 percent at a time when lawmakers believe they could be lucky to bring it down to 25 percent.
Independent analysts and lobbyists are increasingly pessimistic that Congress can act by the end of 2017, and some believe final tax legislation could be more like a straight tax cut than a reform.
"I don't want to be disappointed by Congress. Do you understand me?" Trump said to cheers. "I think Congress is going to make a comeback, I hope so. I'll tell you what, the United States is counting on it."
Trump said business tax cuts would lead to higher wages for workers by boosting economic growth and making American companies more competitive, an argument Democrats dismiss as more of the "trickle-down" economics that they blame for leaving workers behind in recent decades.
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"If President Trump's previous tax plans are any indication, the wealthy and big corporations will be the ultimate winner," Representative Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement.
There has been no comprehensive overhaul of the tax code since 1986.
Trump singled out Missouri's Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, telling voters to throw her out of office in the 2018 midterm elections if she does not get on board with tax reform.
"So we must -- we have no choice: We must lower our taxes. And your senator, Claire McCaskill, she must do this for you. And if she doesn't do it for you, you have to vote her out of office," Trump said.
McCaskill's office did not immediately respond to queries from Reuters about Trump's remark.
FAR FROM AGREEMENT
Republicans said Trump's speech would help underscore tax reform's priority in Congress, as lawmakers return next week to grapple a number of other vital issues including the U.S. borrowing limit, disaster relief and government funding.
"We are united in our determination to get this done," House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement.
But after more than seven months in power, Trump and Republican leaders who control both the U.S. Senate and the House are still far from agreement on a tax package. Initially expected in the spring, tax reform legislation now may not emerge until as late as November, lobbyists say.
Trump set out four tax reform principles: simplicity, a competitive tax code, tax relief for the middle class and international corporate tax reform.
"Each is perfectly laudable, and achieving any one of them is doable. But achieving all four, simultaneously, in the same bill will be incredibly challenging," said John Gimigliano, who heads federal legislative and regulatory services for the accounting and consulting group KPMG LLP.
Trump owes his November election victory partly to his ability to get working-class Americans to support a range of business policy positions, including his call for cutting the U.S. corporate tax rate.
That connection makes Trump "uniquely positioned as a politician to make the case for an overhaul of the business side of the code and to frame it as being good for the American worker," said Rohit Kumar, a tax policy expert at accounting and consulting group PwC and a former senior Senate tax aide.
Trump will discuss a tax overhaul at a White House meeting next Tuesday with the "Big Six" tax reform negotiators: Ryan, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican chairmen of two congressional tax committees.
Lawmakers will have other issues to handle when they return from vacation next week, including raising the federal debt ceiling and avoiding a government shutdown.
(Reporting by James Oliphant in Springfield, Missouri, and David Morgan in Washington; Writing by David Morgan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell)
President promises federal support for ethanol to industry backer Chuck Grassley a day after reports that Trump Jr will meet with Grassleys committee
Donald Trump greets Chuck Grassley on the campaign trail last year.Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP
Donald Trump called a senior Republican senator from Iowa on Wednesday whose congressional committee is investigating his son, Donald Trump Jr, and promised him critical federal support for the biofuel ethanol, a key issue for the lawmaker.
Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee and a major advocate of the ethanol industry, announced on Twitter that he had received a phone call from Trump and had been assured by the US president that Trump was pro ethanol and was standing by his campaign promise to support the biofuel.
The phone call came less than a day after CNN reported that Trumps eldest son had reached an agreement with the committee to appear in a private session and answer investigators questions. The committee, which has oversight of the Department of Justice, is investigating a 2016 meeting that occurred in Trump Tower before Novembers election. During the meeting, Trump Jr and other campaign staff met with Russian operatives after being promised compromising information about the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
The interview with investigators could take place in the next few weeks, according to CNN.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what prompted the president to call Grassley and promise him support for ethanol a vital issue for Grassleys home state or whether the two discussed Grassleys oversight of the committees Russia probe.
In a second tweet, Grassley said that the US president knows that ethanol is good good good.
Tlkd 2 @realDonaldTrump about ethanol +he knows that ethanol is good good good ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 30, 2017
The Iowa senator did not divulge any additional details about Trumps promise or whether it represented a shift in White House energy policy. Trump, like many US politicians in the throes of presidential campaigns, was a vocal advocate of the ethanol industry while he was campaigning in Iowa, a top corn-producing state.
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A spokesman for Grassley said by email: The president called Senator Grassley and talked briefly about ethanol. It was a two-minute conversation. Senator Grassley told the president he was glad to hear him voice his support for ethanol and that he would tweet about it to the people of Iowa. Nothing more specific about ethanol policies came up. The other topics that came up were Hurricane Harvey and Ambassador Branstad in China.
Terry Branstad, a former governor of Iowa, is Trumps new ambassador to China.
Trump reaffirmed his support for ethanol producers in a speech in June in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, saying he would save your ethanol industries just like I promised to do in my campaign.
It is not clear, however, how Trump will make good on his promise to Grassley. Bloomberg reported in June that US ethanol producers were concerned that oil industry lobbyists who oppose important biofuel mandates could hold sway over Trumps Environmental Protection Agency, one of the regulatory bodies that sets important standards on the use of biofuel.
Natalia Veselnitskaya
A Russian lawyer whose work has focused on ending US sanctions on Russia and who met with Trump representatives Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort at Trump Tower in June 2016. Read further.
Sergey Kislyak
Until recently, the Russian ambassador to the US. A hub for contacts with Trump representatives including Kushner, attorney general Jeff Sessions, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and the president himself. Read further.
Sergey Gorkov
The Kremlin-connected head of Russian state investment bank Vnesheconombank. He met with Kushner during the presidential transition, but no specific policies were discussed, according to Kushner. Read further.
Dimitri Simes
President of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington thinktank, which hosted an April 2016 foreign policy speech by Trump. Trump, Sessions and Kushner appear to have met with Kislyak at the event, although both Kushner and Sessions have said any meeting was only in passing and they dont recall what was discussed. Read further.
By Tom McCarthy
Grassley has emerged as an important potential ally for the US president given his position on the judiciary committee, one of several congressional committees that is investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Last week, investigators on the committee interviewed Glenn Simpson, a former journalist and head of Fusion GPS, a private investigative firm in Washington that produced a controversial dossier detailing alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.
The dossier was written by Christopher Steele, a former British spy, and is believed to be a significant area of interest in the special counsel Robert Muellers probe of alleged Russian interference in the US election last year.
Grassley said in a town hall meeting in Iowa last week that he would consider sharing a transcript of investigators closed-door questioning of Simpson, which lasted for ten hours.
Grassley was asked about it at a town hall meeting and said he would put the matter to a committee vote.
I presume that [the transcript] will be released, Grassley said, according to an account in the Washington Examiner.
The timing of the presidents call is most noteworthy because it came just as the committees forthcoming interview of Trump Jr was publicly confirmed. A specific date has not yet been released, but investigators are expected to question the presidents son about the nature of a 2016 meeting, which Trump Jr attended after being promised he would obtain compromising information about the Clinton campaign.
The meeting was attended by Paul Manafort, Trumps then campaign manager, Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer, and Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian American lobbyist and former Soviet military officer.
The presidents son has said he was only promised compromising information about Clinton, but that he never received it. Instead, Trump Jr insisted that Veselnitskaya wanted to discuss changes to the 2012 Magnitsky Act, a law passed by Barack Obama that infuriated Russias president, Vladimir Putin, and was designed to punish Russia for the 2009 prison death of the Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
The 2016 meeting continues to be a critical area of focus of congressional investigators.
After all these months it's still unclear whether or not Donald Trump knows he's not on reality television.
Since his inauguration the man has made his obsession with ratings and crowd size very clear, and on Tuesday when he visited Texas for a briefing on Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts, he just couldn't help himself from celebrating the really great press that came out of the storm.
SEE ALSO: Hey, everyone, please shut up about Melania Trump's shoes
During the trip to Corpus Christi, where Harvey made landfall, and Austin, Texas, Donald had two face palm-worthy moments that left the world questioning why on Earth he's treating a natural disaster like an episode of reality television.
One came when he stood atop a platform outside and marveled at the crowd before him. "What a crowd, what a turnout," Trump said into a microphone.
What a crowd, what a turnout, Trump said from atop this firetruck, addressing hurricane victims. pic.twitter.com/0EdsLctHDi Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) August 29, 2017
Naturally, people saw the president taking time out from his speech on the storm to admire the crowd of people who came to hear him speak as problematic.
Honestly, what is wrong with him? This is not a thing a normal human being says. https://t.co/qDhTla2IcH Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) August 29, 2017
"What a crowd. What a turnout." pic.twitter.com/eoQ19vpQ5k Ally Hord (@hordie) August 29, 2017
So @realDonaldTrump you go to survey the Hurricane damage and you start with "What a crowd, what a turnout... This is historic, it's epic"? Roy Buckingham (@DoYouSmellFish) August 29, 2017
According to a White House pool report, reporters on-site "heard no mention of the dead, dying or displaced Texans and no expression of sympathy for them. The message was services are coming and Texans will be OK."
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Earlier during the same trip, Trump also thanked FEMA administrator Brock Long for his service, saying he "has really become very famous on television over the last couple of days."
Excuse us? Uh, yeah congrats to this FEMA administrator for getting some on-air time during a devastating and unprecedented storm that's displaced huge numbers of people. He's probably really jazzed to have gotten this fame, even though it came at a tragic cost, right? Nope.
Seriously @realDonaldTrump "very famous on television"?! This isn't a reality show! It's real life! Resign, THEN go to Hollywood. https://t.co/Bxac5ugNzg Shana (@Mountain_Ginger) August 29, 2017
Because "very famous on television" is SO important. https://t.co/ocpOlt8kb2 Dave_Huff (@punadave) August 29, 2017
Trump says FEMA administrator "has really become famous on television" since storm began Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) August 29, 2017
Every emergency manager's dream - becoming very famous on television! https://t.co/Qk4TPxs36M Kate Hutton (@k8hutton) August 29, 2017
Missed that Trump praised FEMA head as "a man who has really become very famous on television."
Everything is a reality show for him. Marina Fang (@marinafang) August 29, 2017
Twitter users agreed that Trump's fame and crowd turnout comments were completely inappropriate, especially given the negative circumstances surrounding his visit.
But with members of Trump's administrations filing in and out of the White House as though they're passing through a revolving door, it certainly isn't the first time people have drawn the reality television show comparison to his presidency.
In fact, during Trump's joint press conference with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto on Monday, he made a similarly controversial comment about ratings. When asked why he decided to pardon Arpaio during the early hours of Hurricane Harvey reportedly even before signing a major disaster declaration for the state of Texas Trump said he figured with the timing the ratings would be much higher than normal.
What will happen on next week's episode of Trump's White House? Who knows, but the ratings will obviously be tremendous.
President Donald Trump's real-life blooper reel got a new addition Monday when he mixed up two blonde female reporters at a White House news conference.
The American commander in chief was holding a joint event with the president of Finland Monday when Sauli Niinisto called on a Finnish journalist. Trump, grinning, appeared to think it was a reporter who'd already spoken.
"Again?" Trump asked, leaning into his microphone. "You're going to give her... the same one?"
Niinisto responded, "No, she is not the same lady." Trump, who recently told French first lady Brigitte Macron she was beautiful and "in such good shape," interrupted to tell her to go ahead. The journalist didafter informing him that "we have a lot of blonde women in Finland."
Her remarks instantly went viral on social media.
That wasn't the only notable part of Monday's news conference. Trump also addressed his pardon of Joe Arpaio, a former six-term sheriff from Maricopa County in Arizona, convicted of criminal contempt earlier this year because he refused to stop illegally detaining people he thought were undocumented immigrants. Trump announced Arpaio's pardon Friday night as thousands of Texans were bracing for impact from thenHurricane Harvey.
A reporter asked Monday what Trump's response was to critics of his decision.
"A lot of people think it was the right thing to do," Trump said. "And, actually, in the middle of a hurricane, even though it was a Friday evening, I assumed the ratings would be far higher than they would be normally."
Trump went on to say that he thought Arpaio had been treated "unbelievably unfairly," especially given that he's a "great veteran of the military, a great law enforcement person," according to CNN. Arpaio endorsed Trump in January 2016.
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President Trump pushed Congress to pass a still-forming tax reform bill in his first speech on the topic in Missouri on Wednesday afternoon, warning Republican lawmakers not to disappoint him this time around.
I dont want to be disappointed by Congress, do you understand me? Trump said, pointing into a crowd that included much of the states GOP congressional delegation. Do you understand?
I think Congress is going to make a comeback, the president added. I hope so.
Trump also directly called out Missouris Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, who is facing a tough 2018 reelection bid in a state that voted solidly for Trump last year. The president said she must back the tax reform plan or face punishment at the ballot box.
Your senator, Claire McCaskill, she must do this for you, and if she doesnt do this for you, you have to vote her out of office, Trump said. Shes got to make that commitment.
The president appeared far more comfortable talking about tax policy than health care reform, which he never gave a major speech about as Congress struggled and ultimately failed to repeal Obamacare. He also largely stuck to his prepared remarks, staying on message for the entire speech and refraining from criticizing any lawmakers from his own party by name. That marks a contrast from his many Twitter jabs at Republican senators over the past two weeks and his insult of Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., during a freewheeling campaign rally in Phoenix last week.
President Trump speaks about tax reform Wednesday at the Loren Cook Company in Springfield, Mo. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)
Many details of the future tax reform plan remain unclear, with congressional Republicans divided over the key issue of whether tax cuts need to be offset by spending cuts or other measures to maintain deficit neutrality. Trump didnt mention offsets in the broad outlines of a tax plan Wednesday. His plan includes lowering the corporate tax rate from 40 percent to 15 percent, allowing corporations to bring back trillions of dollars from overseas, lowering tax rates for individuals and simplifying the tax code.
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Trump made a populist pitch for his plan, saying the current tax code is unfair and privileges the wealthiest Americans, who can hire accountants to exploit loopholes. He suggested that his plan would be harder on wealthier people like himself. Maybe we shouldnt be doing this, you know? Trump joked about the plans potential effect on his personal fortune. But were doing the right thing.
But tax policy experts say the White Houses plan so far would lower taxes for higher earners, according to Bloomberg, and Democrats are already calling it Robin Hood in reverse.
Mark Meckler, the president of Citizens for Self Governance and a co-founder of the Tea Party, said he believed Trump was right to put the burden on Congress when it comes to tax reform. He added that he hopes the president and Congress come around to making the plan deficit-neutral. If theyre going to issue tax cuts, they have to cut spending, Meckler said. I dont believe the American people will find [tax cuts without spending cuts] acceptable, and I think he will find himself at odds with the American people.
The Trump administration has pushed for Congress to pass the plan by the end of the year, but has recently softened that expectation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell complained over the August recess that the president has excessive expectations for Congress, particularly around the speed with which they can push through legislation. And Congress must pass key appropriations bills, send relief to the victims of Tropical Storm Harvey and lift the debt ceiling this fall.
Earlier in the year, I said I thought wed get it done by August, and I was wrong, OK? Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters Friday. I am now going to say that Im very hopeful and I think we can get this done by the end of the year, but we will continue to revisit that.
Read more from Yahoo News:
Deanna Joseph, 39, has been charged with child endangerment: Salem County Corrections
A toddler fatally injured herself while her mother took drugs in the front seat, prosecutors in New Jersey have alleged.
Deanna Joseph, 39, was in the front of the vehicle as her two-year-old daughter sat in a car seat in the back.
"It appeared the child was confined in a car seat for an extended period of time while the mother was under the influence of drugs, and may have injured herself in the car seat," Salem County Prosecutor John TLenahan said.
After noticing her daughter was unresponsive, she called for an ambulance.
Officers found the child in the car with the engine still running, Mr Lenahan said.
The exact cause of death is yet to be determined.
Ms Joseph has been charged with second-degree child endangerment and will stand trial at Superior court in Salem.
She could face a 10-year prison sentence if convicted.
Ms Joseph was arrested in 2014 after being found unresponsive in an apartment while her infant son bathed in water nearby. She was sentenced to a year in prison.
She was also arrested in 2008 after her children aged two and 11 were found alone at home, according to a Burlington County Times report at the time.
The children were found in the house after police discovered Ms Joseph on drugs in a car park.
She was convicted of cruelty and child neglect and sentenced to five years probation. The children were taken into temporary state custody.
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By Idrees Ali and Soyoung Kim WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared "talking is not the answer" to the tense standoff with North Korea over its nuclear missile development, but his defense chief swiftly asserted that diplomatic options remain, and Russia demanded U.S. restraint. Trump's comment, a day after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan that drew U.N. and other international condemnation, renewed his tough rhetoric toward reclusive, nuclear-armed and increasingly isolated North Korea. "The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years," Trump, who just last week said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "starting to respect" the United States, wrote on Twitter. "Talking is not the answer!" When asked by reporters just hours later if the United States was out of diplomatic solutions with North Korea amid rising tensions after a series of missile tests by Pyongyang, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis replied: "No." "We are never out of diplomatic solutions," Mattis said before a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon. "We continue to work together, and the minister and I share a responsibility to provide for the protection of our nations, our populations and our interests." Top Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats will hold classified briefings for members of the U.S. Congress on Sept. 6, congressional aides said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by telephone with Tillerson and urged the United States to refrain from any military action on the Korean peninsula that would be "fraught with unpredictable consequences," Russia's Foreign Ministry said. Trump, who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States, had said on Tuesday "all options are on the table," a veiled reference to military force. Lavrov also said Russia, which wields veto power on the U.N. Security Council, believed any further sanctions on North Korea would be counter-productive, the ministry added. Japan urged fresh sanctions. In Geneva, U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said discussions were under way among world powers on what kind of further sanctions could imposed. North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific on "containing" the U.S. island territory of Guam. The 15-member U.N. Security Council on Tuesday condemned the firing of the missile over Japan as "outrageous," and demanded that North Korea halt its weapons program but the U.S.-drafted statement did not threaten new sanctions. Trump's mention of payments to North Korea appeared to be a reference to previous U.S. aid to Pyongyang. A U.S. Congressional Research Service report said that between 1995 and 2008, the United States provided North Korea with more than $1.3 billion in assistance, mostly for food and energy. The aid was part of a nuclear deal that North Korea later violated. The latest tweet by the Republican U.S. president drew criticism from some quarters in Washington. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote on Twitter: "Bar is high, but this is perhaps the most dangerous, irresponsible tweet of his entire Presidency. Millions of lives at stake not a game." Mattis and Tillerson have emphasized finding a diplomatic solution on North Korea, and have used softer tones than Trump on this and other matters. For example, days after Trump vowed on Aug. 8 to unleash "fire and fury" against North Korea if it threatened the United States, the two wrote a Wall Street Journal commentary assuring Pyongyang that "The U.S. has no interest in regime change or accelerated reunification of Korea." North Korea had threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major U.S. military presence, after Trump's "fire and fury" remark. 'KEY MILESTONE' The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency and the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted a "complex missile defense flight test" off Hawaii early on Wednesday, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said. The agency's director, Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, called the test "a key milestone" in giving U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ships an enhanced capability, but did not mention North Korea. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. North Korea routinely says it will never give up its weapons programs, calling them necessary to counter perceived American hostility. North Korea has conducted numerous ballistic missile tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, but firing a projectile over mainland Japan was a rare and provocative move. Japan pushed the United States on Wednesday to propose new U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea, which diplomats said could target the country's laborers working abroad, oil supply and textile exports. Diplomats expected resistance from Russia and fellow veto-wielding power China, particularly given new measures were only recently imposed after Pyongyang staged two long-range missile launches in July. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke by telephone and confirmed their "continuing, close cooperation" regarding Pyongyang's latest launch, the White House said. Speaking during a visit to the Japanese city of Osaka, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, to put more pressure on North Korea, echoing Trump's view. Asked about her comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that some "relevant sides," when it comes to sanctions, "storm to the front, but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back." (Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul, Philip Wen and Michael Martina in Beijing, Susan Heavey, Yeganeh Torbati, Tim Ahmann, David Alexander and Patricia Zengerle in Washington, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and William James in Osaka, Japan; Writing by Will Dunham and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Alistair Bell and James Dalgleish)
The U.S. and South Korea are to blame for North Koreas latest missile launch over Japan, and further sanctions on the regime will not ameliorate the situation, Russia said Tuesday.
In defiance of U.N. resolutions banning its missile testing and fresh international sanctions drafted by the U.S., North Korea carried out another missile test on Tuesday morning, the fourth in as many days, this time directly over Japan for the first time. The regime has already traded barbs with President Donald Trump due to its repeated missile testing and expanding range, including a direct threat made at U.S. pacific territory Guam.
That threat prompted the U.S. to rally its allies and, with China and Russia on side, impose new sanctions on the rogue state.
Anticipating more of the same to follow, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told journalists on Tuesday that U.S. actions were pushing the regime toward more tests, not halting it, state news agency Itar-Tass reported.
If we go by how colleagues from the U.S. and other western countries have acted in the past, then of course we can expect new steps towards tightening the sanctions, but this will not solve the problem, Ryabkov said. It is now obvious to everyone that the resources for influencing North Korea with sanctions have run out.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov
Fabrice Coffrini/Pool/Reuters
Ryabkov referred to the joint military exercises the U.S. is currently holding with ally South Korea. The latest Ulchi Freedom Guardian activity involved computer-simulated warfare and took place over the weekend. The drill aims to strengthen the ability to respond to an potential attack from the North and continues until the end of August. The Russian minister called it a trend of escalation, a reiteration of China and Russia's previous arguments in favor of limiting U.S. military presence in the Asia Pacific neighborhood.
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The North regularly protests U.S. drills in the region, and in his statement Ryabkov appeared to refer to Ulchi Freedom Guardian directly, taking a more sympathetic approach to the Norths tests.
Read More: After U.S. travel ban, North Korea is courting Russian tourists with new agency
We consider the joint drills that went ahead anyway, albeit in a lighter mode compared to the initial agenda, made an impact in terms of provoking Pyongyang to make the new launch. We are highly concerned by the general developments, he said.
In principle both Russia and China oppose widespread nuclear proliferation. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Chinese President Xi Jinping for a trade summit next month, where the pair will discuss North Korea. Public statements of concern aside, though, the two countries maintain a similar approach of suggesting that more U.S. disarmament in the region will help curb the Norths nuclear proliferation goals.
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By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - The British government has rekindled its industrial strategy, unveiled earlier this year to prepare the economy for Brexit, with plans to boost the country's pharmaceuticals sector via fresh investments and public-private collaborations. A government-commissioned sector report by immunologist and geneticist John Bell called on Wednesday for more funding of basic science, new incentives for manufacturing, and increased cooperation between drugmakers and the National Health Service (NHS). Bell also advocates creating a Health Advanced Research Programme to lead ambitious and long-term projects focused on cutting-edge technologies, such as using artificial intelligence in healthcare or understanding the biology of ageing. He laid out several bold targets, such as creating four UK life sciences companies valued at more than 20 billion pounds ($26 billion) within the next 10 years, attracting 2,000 new discovery scientists from around the world, and achieving a 50 percent increase in the number of clinical trials. Bell's review, which was welcomed by business minister Greg Clark and health minister Jeremy Hunt, will be followed by a 'sector deal' from the government in the coming months, acting on his recommendations with concrete commitments. The 64 billion pounds a year life sciences industry, which employs 235,000 people, is one of several sectors the government has prioritized, along with ultra-low emission vehicles, nuclear and creative industries. It is the first to see the launch of a sector report under the industrial strategy. GlaxoSmithKline, Britain's largest life sciences company, said a stronger and deeper level of collaboration between industry, government, the NHS and academia would make Britain a more attractive place for drugmakers. While Britain is today a leading center for drug discovery, its future success is clouded by the country's decision to leave the European Union, and pharmaceutical companies have called for a careful and phased transition to avoid disruption. AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said Bell's strategy should "provide a more predictable environment for future investment decisions and ensure the UK remains open for innovation as it prepares to exit the EU". Coinciding with the report, health minister Hunt also announced 14 million pounds of new funding to support 11 medical technology research centers to encourage collaboration between the NHS and industry. Prime Minister Theresa May first announced her "Modern Industrial Strategy" in January with the aim of boosting Britain's weak productivity growth and spurring investment in technology and research and development. ($1 = 0.7742 pounds) (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)
Jabalia (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted Wednesday as he visited the Palestinian enclave enduring "one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises" he had seen.
"I am deeply moved to be in Gaza today, unfortunately to witness one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises that I've seen in many years working as a humanitarian in the United Nations," Guterres said.
He later said it was "important to open the closures," in a reference to Israel's decade-long blockade of Gaza and to the border with Egypt that has remained largely closed in recent years.
Guterres made the comments at a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have fought three wars since 2008.
Israel says the blockade is necessary to keep Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the enclave, from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used to make them.
The blockade also serves to isolate Hamas.
UN officials say the enclave is fast becoming unliveable, with sparse electricity and a lack of clean water.
Guterres's comments came as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday and was due to give a speech in Tel Aviv later Wednesday before departing.
Budapest (AFP) - Civil society groups in Hungary said Wednesday they have filed a challenge with the country's constitutional court against a law targeting foreign-funded organisations that critics argue is aimed at stifling anti-government dissent.
Under the June legislation, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving more than 24,000 euros ($26,000) annually from a donor abroad must register as a "foreign-supported organisation" or risk closure.
They will also have to use the label "foreign-supported organisation" on their websites, press releases and other publications.
The tribunal must now rule on the bill's constitutionality which could lead to its annulment, although there is no deadline for the ruling which could take several months.
A total of 23 NGOs, including several human rights groups and anti-corruption bodies, sent the joint complaint Tuesday to the court protesting the "transparency" law.
The legislation is suitable "only for undermining the organisations' credibility and public trust in them", according to the document published online by several of the groups Wednesday.
"It infringes the good name of organisations... as well as the rights to freedom of speech and of association," it read.
Several organisations including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) refugee rights group and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union -- which co-drafted the petition -- say they will not comply with the new requirements.
HHC co-head Marta Pardavi told AFP she does not expect that the challenge will succeed.
"Sadly the court has been shy to deal with politically sensitive issues," she said.
The HHC also plans to continue legal challenges in Strasbourg at the human rights court, she added.
Any sanctions against NGOs will only be applied after May 2018, the deadline by which groups must submit a record of the previous year's donations.
The law, which has drawn international condemnation, is seen as marking an escalation in Prime Minister Viktor Orban's battle with Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros, who funds many of the NGOs.
Orban has repeatedly accused the 87-year-old financier of orchestrating Europe's migration crisis and meddling in Hungarian politics.
"Pro-migrant Soros organisations do not want to be transparent", Balazs Hidveghi, a spokesman for the ruling Fidesz party, told the Hungarian news agency MTI Wednesday.
DETROIT (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp said on Wednesday it should begin cleanup operations at two rail freight yards in Houston on Wednesday or Thursday but warned that areas east of the city are "still inaccessible at this time."
The No. 1 U.S. railroad said that it was using helicopters and drones to inspect areas by air that cannot yet be accessed by road.
"As weather and access to storm-damaged areas allow, we are inspecting and repairing track, bridges and signals to return to service as quickly and safely as possible," the company said in a announcement posted for customers on its website.
(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Hurricane Harvey that made landfall in Texas on Friday has caused extensive damage in the state rendering thousands of people homeless while the death toll has climbed to 30, according to the New York Times.
Amid the devastation, a professor at the University of Tampa, Kenneth L. Storey, triggered a controversy after he tweeted Sunday that the natural disaster was an "instant Karma" for Texans for voting President Donald Trump. Two days after the sociology professor's tweet, the university denounced the professor's comments in a statement. The varsity also said it had relieved him of his duties.
In his tweet, Storey wrote, "I dont believe in instant Karma but this kinda feels like it for Texas. Hopefully, this will help them realize the GOP doesnt care about them. This post was captured by several conservative websites, however, Storey apparently deactivated his Twitter account after it was widely shared.
Ken Storey deleted tweet about Karma - Copy
Photo: Twitter
The post triggered an outrage on Twitter with #FireKenStorey hashtag trending. A user tweeted Storey's comment was "sick" as young children and animals who did not vote for Trump were also affected due to the hurricane. Another user called the remark "disgusting" and highlighted how thousands of Texans were suffering.
Meanwhile, Storey, while speaking to Tampa Bay, admitted his choice of words was not right. "I care about people. I love this country. I would never want to wish harm upon anyone," he said.
However, what Storey suggested in his post is not something new. The connection between natural calamities and Karma has been drawn on several instances. However, there is no scientific evidence to justify the link, although many have invoked the Law of Karma to explain natural and other calamities.
In 2008, when Myanmar was hit by Cyclone Nargis that killed more than 80,000 people, many believed it was a karmic consequence of military rulers' brutal treatment toward Buddhist monks in the past, according to Ingrid Jordt, an anthropology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Washington Post reported.
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Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian freedom movement against British rule, also made a statement in 1934, which had triggered a debate on Karma. Nepal and and the neighboring Indian state of Bihar were struck by a devastating earthquake in 1934 and Gandhi said God had punished the people because they practised untouchability against the lower caste.
So what is the law of Karma? "It is the law of cause and effect, an unbreakable law of the cosmos. You deserve everything that happens to you, good or bad. You created your happiness and your misery. One day you will be in the same circumstances that you put someone else in," according to the Tree of Awakening, a discussion forum and social network that offers non-judgmental emotional support to people all over the world.
Alexander Berzin, who served as Dalai Lama's archivist and occasionally his interpreter, has authored several books on Karma. In an interview, he referred to "collective Karma," which predominantly refers to results of actions carried out by a group and hence the entire group will face the negative consequences as well.
According to the Study Buddhism website, a site for Buddhist teachings, Dr. Berzin said: "In the case of the dominating result of the collective karma the technical term is actually 'shared karma' (thun-mong-gi las) of a group of limited beings, this refers mainly to their shared experiencing of environmental or societal situations or occurrences when this group experiences them."
"However, we can also say that the dominating result of collective karma also refers to the environmental or societal situations or occurrences that provide the circumstances for this group to experience them."
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A bus carrying members of the Islamic State (Isil) group leaves the Qara area in Syria's Qalamoun region on August 28, 2017 - AFP or licensors
The US-led coalition has carried out air strikes to prevent a convoy of Islamic State fighters, who were being evacuated under a controversial truce deal, from reaching territory under its control in eastern Syria.
Some 300 Isil militants and 300 of their family members were being bussed from the border region between Lebanon and Syria to an Isil-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq, after agreeing a surrender.
The deal was struck between the militants and both the powerful Lebanese Shia militia Hizbollah and the Syrian government, invoking furious reaction from both the US and Iraq.
Buses carrying Isil jihadis and their families driving east from Syria's border with Lebanon Credit: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP
"To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge," Col Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led coalition, said.
"IS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution."
The coalition said in a statement it had not been party to the agreement and that any "counter-Isil words ring hollow" when Hizbollah and the Syrian regime "cut deals with and allow terrorists to transit territory under their control."
The jihadists and civilians, including children, left the border region in 14 buses and 11 ambulances on Monday, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at the outskirts of Hama province, bordering Isil-held Deir Ezzor.
The Syrian army escorted the convoy part of the way Credit: LOUAI BESHARA/ AFP
No explanation was offered for the delay.
The buses were escorted by the Syrian army from the Lebanese border only up to a halfway point in Homs, Hama province.
The US decided against a direct strike on the convoy due to the presence of civilians, including the bus drivers and relatives of the jihadists. Each bus was believed to contain at least one non-combatant.
Col Dillon had hinted at the coalition's intentions late Tuesday evening, saying the it would take action where necessary against absolutely lucrative targets.
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Lebanese officials hailed the agreement as a major victory, one that would rid the country of extremists which have plagued the Arsal and Ras Baalbek border region for more than three years.
In a speech broadcast on Monday night, Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbollah's leader, claimed credit on the movement's behalf for negotiating the deal.
Iraq victory over Isil in Mosul, in pictures
The deal marked the first time Isil has ever publicly agreed to a truce, with the group fighting to the death for its territory in Syria and Iraq.
The Lebanese army had been battling the jihadists there for a week before agreeing a ceasefire on Sunday, aimed at retrieving the bodies of nine soldiers kidnapped by Isil in 2014.
But the controversial deal has earned the wrath of the US, which is funding the Lebanese military offensive as well as supporting the fight against Isil in both Syria and Iraq.
"Irreconcilable ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across Syria to the Iraqi border without Iraq's consent," Brett McGurk, the US presidential envoy to the anti-Isil coalition, wrote on Twitter.
"Our coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling 'caliphate'.
Even Lebanese observers decried the evacuation of the fighters, who were transported "on air-conditioned buses" after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops.
Haidar al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, called the deal, which sees hundreds of extremists dumped on its border with Syria, as an insult to the Iraqi people.
We fight the terrorists in Iraq, he said in a speech on Tuesday, referring to its recent hard-fought victory over the group in the northern city of Mosul. We do not send them to Syria we kill them in Iraq.
Mr Abadi called on the Syrian government to investigate the decision to relocate the Islamic State fighters.
There should be full cooperation on the elimination of terrorism, not the evacuation of them from one place to the other, he said.
FAQ | Islamic State
Beirut (AFP) - The US-led coalition carried out two sets of air strikes on Wednesday to block Islamic State group fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, its spokesman told AFP.
Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq.
A first set of strikes hit the road leading from the Syrian town of Hmaymah to the IS-held town of Albukamal further east, said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon.
"To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge," he told AFP.
The coalition then carried out a second set of strikes that "struck individual vehicles and fighters that were clearly identified as IS" and appeared to be moving towards the convoy from Albukamal.
"If they continue to try to send people that way, then we'll continue to strike them. It could be a running tally," Dillon said.
"IS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution."
The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighbouring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.
Hezbollah fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of the deal to bus IS forces hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq.
- Civilians aboard convoy -
Jihadists and civilians, including children, left the border region two days ago, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at Hmaymah.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the convoy was looking for a "new route" to reach Albukamal after the coalition strike.
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Dillon said the US-led alliance was monitoring the convoy in real time and its last known location was near Hmaymah.
"If we are able to strike them without harming civilians, then we will do so," Dillon said.
Asked whether the presence of civilians had prompted the coalition to bomb the road instead of the convoy itself, Dillon said that would be "consistent" with protocol.
There was no immediate reaction to the strike from Hezbollah or from Syria's government.
The evacuation agreement had sparked a furious reaction from the United States, which considers Hezbollah to be a "terrorist" organisation.
"Irreconcilable #ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across #Syria to the Iraqi border without #Iraq's consent," US presidential envoy to the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk said Wednesday.
"Our @coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter #Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling 'caliphate'," he wrote on Twitter.
- Iraq lambasts deal -
It was also met with outrage in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi describing it as "unacceptable" and an "insult to the Iraqi people".
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah issued a rare written statement late Wednesday in an attempt to tamp down the controversy.
"We transferred these defeated fighters from a front where we are battling to another front where we are battling," he said.
"Our fight and our fate are one," Nasrallah said, addressing Iraqi officials.
Lebanese opponents to the deal were angry that IS fighters were travelling "on air-conditioned buses" after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops.
On Wednesday, Lebanon's president and the chief of the army hailed the "victory" against IS.
"Today, we are announcing Lebanon's victory against terrorism. I dedicate this victory to all Lebanese, who can be proud of their army," President Michel Aoun said.
After Sunday's deal, IS fighters who had surrendered led Lebanese authorities to human remains believed to belong to Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by IS in 2014.
A convoy of US forces armoured vehicles drives near the village of Yalanli, on the western outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Manbij, on March 5, 2017. - AFP or licensors
US troops have returned fire after being repeatedly shot at by Turkish-backed rebels in northern Syria, in a rare such exchange in the six-year war.
The soldiers were patrolling near an area held by the opposition fighters in the town of Manbij when they were fired on, according to Colonel Ryan Dillon, the US-led coalitions spokesman.
"Our forces did receive fire and return fire and then moved to a secure location," he said on Tuesday night. We have told Turkey it is not acceptable.
Turkey is a US ally in the conflict in Syria, where both countries have been arming and training rebel fighters.
However, Ankara has repeatedly rebuked Washington for backing Kurdish fighters in the north of the country, where they are fighting to oust Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
Manbij Military Council forces, part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), prepare to head to the frontlines on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of Manbij on March 3, 2017. Credit: AFP
There have been several clashes between the Turkish-backed rebels and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by Kurdish YPG fighters.
However, this is understood to be the first time US troops have returned fire on rebels in the area. There was reported to be no casualties.
US forces have been in northern Syria for months where they are performing a de facto "peacekeeping" role in an effort to prevent clashes between various armed groups in the region.
A relatively small number have been performing "overt patrols" in the area since March, often flying the American flag from armoured vehicles, in a bid to deter forces from targeting them.
They are also training the Manbij Military Council, a group of local Arab fighters allied to the SDF.
A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) looks at a smoke after an coalition airstrike in Raqqa Credit: Reuters
The US stepped up its patrols in Northern Syria in April after Turkey bombed YPG fighters.
Turkish-backed fighters have been in Syria since the start of Operation Euphrates Shield in August last year.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan,tThe Turkish president, said on the first day of the operation that it was aimed against both the Isil and Syrian Kurdish terror groups that threaten our country in northern Syria.
He intended for his forces to seize control of the strategic town of Manbij, but they were thwarted.
Making, selling or even using a plastic bag is now a crime in Kenya, punishable by up to four years imprisonment or $40,000 in fines.
It is the latest country to put some form of regulation ban, partial restrictions, or taxes on the use of plastic bags, joining some over 40 other nations like China, France and Rwanada, reports Reuters. Major chain supermarkets have reportedly begun giving customers cloth bags as an alternative.
The East African nations new law, effective from Monday, is the toughest the world has seen so far, even allowing police officers to pursue even those carrying plastic bags around. But Judy Wakhungu, the countrys environment minister, told Reuters that enforcement will center first on bag makers and suppliers.
Plastic trash in general have long been a scourge on the global environment, creating worsening pollution not only by their physical presence, but also by harming wildlife. Many seabirds and marine animals have been choked, strangled or stuffed to death by floating plastic bags.
Earlier this year, scientists revealed that one of the worlds most remote islands in the Pacific was lined with vast quantities of plastic.
Reuters reports that the Kenyan laws passage took three attempts over a decade, and that there are concerns over ramifications for jobs and manufacturing, as Kenya is a major regional supplier of plastic bags.
Amid tragedy, one family found a symbol of hope.
Cidalin Rojas, whose family lives in Robstown, Texas, said tragedy struck her family when two of their homes, which sat next to each other, both burned down during Hurricane Harvey on Friday.
Read: Miracle Baby: Mother Gives Birth in Home During Hurricane Harvey
The family had built the homes from the ground up.
The high-winds of Hurricane Harvey caused the fire to spread faster than usual. Rojas parents Norma Rojas & Jesus Rojas; her sister, Natali Rojas; and several more family members, lost their homes that day.
It was the saddest feeling that we have ever had, Rojas said.
In addition to the heartache, a resident of the town captured the fires on Facebook live.
The Rojas family had already evacuated to Laredo, Texas, but watched their homes burn down on social media.
Watching our home and not being able to be there and knowing it was burning in front of millions on Facebook, it was heart-wrenching, Rojas said.
The family couldnt return to the home immediately because members of the Robstown Fire Department told them it would be unsafe.
When they did return Sunday evening, they found a glimmer of comfort in the form of a Virgin Mary statue.
They got there and they were looking through the rubble and the only thing standing was the Blessed Mother, Rojas said.
Rojas said her family is very religious and puts much of their faith in the Virgin Mary.
When Rojas daughter died in 2009, they buried her in a casket surrounded by pictures of the Virgin Mary.
Finding that the statue was still standing had deep meaning for the faith-filled family.
It was just a sign of hope. It meant a lot, Rojas said. The statue was outside on the lawn in the front of the house so when all three stories came down and everything fell, I cant understand why that wasnt buried under. We truly believe that it is our personal sign that we needed.
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Read: How You Can Help the Victims of Hurricane Harvey
Some of the family members are now staying a hotel while others are staying with relatives. The family is trying to raise money through GoFundMe because they had limited home insurance.
All of these years my parents worked. They built those homes from the bottom up themselves, my uncles, my cousins, and my dad put everything into those homes, Rojas said. They lost everything.
Watch: Woman Opens Her Home to Neighbors Escaping Harvey Flooding
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With many U.S. waterways reaching their highest temperatures at this time of year, colonies of algae in lakes, ponds, and even the ocean can bloomgrow far more rapidly than normal. While most wont hurt you, algae overgrowths that may be toxic, called harmful algal blooms, or HABs, are on the rise. And that has public health officials concerned.
HABsmats of algae that typically turn water the color and consistency of pea souphave become more common and larger in size over the last few decades, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More than half of all states report having harmful algal blooms every year in at least one freshwater body, and all coastal states in the U.S. have reported toxic algae in marine waters in recent years.
HABs contain tiny toxin-producing organisms, and exposure to them may cause health problems such as skin rashes, gastrointestinal issues, and breathing difficulties. These can range from mild to severe and can be deadly to animals.
Like benign algae blooms (and it can be tough to tell the difference between the safe and the toxic), HABs are most common in late summer and early fall, which can interfere with safe swimming, boating, and fishing. Unfortunately, this peak season coincides with the time of year that many people are out recreating in surface waters, says Bryan Brooks, Ph.D., an environmental scientist at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Harmful algal blooms can form in any body of water, but theyre more common in those that receive a lot of runoff from agricultural and residential fertilizers or sewage overflows. This runoff, combined with sunlight and warm temperatures, can encourage an HAB to blossom.
Heres what you need to know now about harmful algal blooms and how to protect your familyand pets:
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Risks to People and Pets
Exposure to a toxic algal bloom can cause one or more of the following: diarrhea, vomiting, throat irritation, allergic reactions, and breathing difficulties. It can also cause rashes, hives, or blisters, especially on the lips and in areas covered by swimsuits.
People (and pets) can be exposed by swimming in or swallowing any water with a toxic algal bloom, eating seafood contaminated by an HAB, or simply breathing in the toxins, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The greatest danger in fresh water is through ingestion, says Todd Miller, Ph.D., an environmental health specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Although anyone can be sickened by exposure, children are at higher risk because they tend to spend more time splashing around in lakes and ponds, and swallow more water than adults, he says. Symptoms can appear within a few hours to a few days.
In pets, symptoms tend to be more severe and usually arise within 30 minutes of exposure. A dog that swam in water with a toxic algal bloom, for example, might seem disoriented and stumble around or experience difficulty breathing, or even experience seizures or paralysis. Some pets have died after contact with an HAB.
What We Don't Yet Know
Researchers arent sure why the blooms are becoming more common, but climate change and an increasing volume of pollution from surface runoff are possible factors.
The risk of harmful algal blooms could increase due to an expanded seasonal window of warm water temperatures, researchers wrote in the Fourth National Climate Assessment, published in 2018. They also pointed to runoff from more frequent and intense rainfall as a factor that could make toxic algal blooms worse.
Health experts also dont yet have a good handle on how often people are sickened by HABs or what the long-term health impacts might be, says Lorraine Backer, Ph.D., M.P.H., an environmental epidemiologist at the CDCs National Center for Environmental Health in Atlanta. Its an emerging public health issue that we are just now beginning to explore and quantify.
One program that may help this effort: In 2016, the CDC launched a national reporting system for public health, animal health, and environmental health professionalsdesigned to track human and animal illnesses from toxic algae exposure.
Protect Yourself From Toxic Algae
Be informed. Go to your local or state health departments website to determine whether there have been any warnings about HABs or contaminated fish or shellfish in the area. You can also check for fish and shellfish advisories nationwide.
Avoid water youre unsure of. Dont enter any water where a harmful algal bloom advisory is posted. And if unposted water is green, brown, golden, or red (HABs can occur in a range of colors); has a mat of algae, foam, or scum on top; you spot dead fish or other dead animals in or near it; or just doesnt look or smell good, stay out, Backer says. Keep pets out, too.
Take action after exposure. If you or your pet comes into contact with water that you think might contain a harmful algal bloom, rinse off right away with clean water. Thats especially important for dogsthey may continue to lick the toxins off their fur after they exit the water. Watch for any unusual symptoms and call your primary care physician if you have any questions or concerns, Backer says. If you think your pet has been exposed, contact your veterinarian immediatelythe onset of severe symptoms may constitute a medical emergency for your pet.
Report it. If you see what you think is an HAB, let your local or state health department know. Some toxic algal bloomslike the massive 2014 Lake Erie HAB, which shut down the city of Toledos water supply and sent some 60 people to the hospitalget noticed quickly. But equally hazardous blooms on smaller lakes or reservoirs often go unreported, according to Brooks.
Pay attention to messages from your water utility. Though theyre rare, there are occasional reports of HABs in drinking water. Follow advisories your local water utility may have in place, and if youre still concerned or want to take an extra step, a simple charcoal filter on your faucet can be a good backup measure, says Miller. (Learn more about water filters.)
Take steps to help prevent or limit HABs. If you live near a water body, be careful about how much fertilizer you use on your property, Backer says. And, she says, consider leaving an unmowed or naturally growing strip of land between your lawn and the water as a buffer to help reduce runoff and filter out substances that can increase the likelihood of an HAB.
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There are fears of a looming health crisis due to toxic water flooding the streets of Houston.
Read: How You Can Help the Victims of Hurricane Harvey
That water flooding into homes isn't just rain; it's mixed with sewage and chemicals, bacteria and potentially disease.
Dr. Mehmet Oz of The Dr. Oz Show told Inside Edition the water could be incredibly dangerous.
"There is salmonella, there is E.coli, there is cholera, which is potentially in these waters," he told Inside Edition. "You also have dysentery because they are walking through dirty stuff."
There has been shocking video of many people treading through the filthy floodwater.
"Any open wound with stagnant water is the perfect recipe for infection, he said. A paper cut could give you a life-threatening infection if it is the wrong bacteria.
Bacteria aren't the only danger in the water, as creatures like alligators could be lurking.
One woman shot video of a gator swimming around in her flooded backyard.
Another danger is fire ants. Whole colonies of the stinging insects have been seen floating around Houston.
Meanwhile, thousands of people continue to be rescued by air and by boat.
One teenager was up his neck in water and nearly drowned when he tried to retrieve a kayak. Rescuers threw him a rope and thankfully, he was pulled to safety.
Read: TV Reporter Helps Woman in Labor During Live Coverage of Hurricane Harvey
One mom frantically appealed for help on social media after she was separated from her baby.
Dajauh Henix posted: Please keep a look out for my baby we were separated while evacuating. Pleaseeeee.
A rescue worker saw the appeal and immediately posted a photo of the 8-month-old baby. Mom and baby have since been reunited.
Watch: Miracle Baby: Mother Gives Birth in Home During Hurricane Harvey
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Viral photos like the one of residents in an assisted living home sitting in waist-high floodwater have onlookers wondering why these and other kinds of health care facilities didnt evacuate before Hurricane Harvey made landfall.
The decision to evacuate patients is difficult, experts say, because its impossible to predict whether a storm will be devastating enough to justify the difficulty and danger of moving critically ill or fragile people.
Houstons history presents this cautionary tale: During Hurricane Rita in 2005, more than 100 people died as a result of the traffic gridlock that ensued after officials ordered an evacuation. Among the tragedies, a bus carrying nursing home evacuees burst into flames, and 24 people burned to death.
There is no national criteria for when hospitals and health care facilities are compelled to evacuate their patients, experts say, because the needs of each location and the dangers presented by each natural disaster can differ greatly. Still, widely used guidelines developed by the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit group, can help hospitals hold drills for emergencies and develop evacuation plans.
But no matter what plans they have in place, hospital administrators in the Houston area faced a difficult choice: Should they evacuate vulnerable patients, some of whom could die in the evacuation process, or should they wait out the hurricane and hope that floodwaters retreat before they are affected?
Here are a few of the logistical issues hospitals and care facilities in Houston face when floodwaters rise.
1. Where should 14,000 Houston patients go in the event of a mass evacuation?
When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012, hospital administrators managed to successfully evacuate about 6,000 patients from 36 health care facilities and fan them out across 148 care centers outside the flood zone.
But not all cities have so many well-resourced facilities nearby. In the case of Hurricane Harvey, the closest major hospitals that can receive a massive influx of patients could be up to 200 miles away, according to Chad Beebe, deputy executive director of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. He estimated that Houston hospitals have a total of 14,000 patients.
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Getting there is the first hurdle, quite literally, he said. The best bet is probably to stay and shelter in place.
As of Tuesday evening, 23 Houston-area hospitals had evacuated patients, The Houston Chronicle reported, while an additional 25 facilities were on the brink of internal disaster status. The total number of affected patients remained unclear.
Flooding forced the evacuation of St Luke's Hospital off 249. This devastation is just unbelievable. #prayingforhouston#Harvey @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/MBKtDcihKn Marla Carter (@MarlaABC13) August 29, 2017
2. Do Houston hospitals have the resources to shelter in place?
Thankfully, the billions of dollars in renovations that many of the Houston-area hospitals undertook after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 appear to be serving them well, for now. The New York Times reported that as of Monday morning, submarine doors that protect foundations from floodwater appeared to be holding up for most of Texas Medical Centers 23 hospitals in Houston. Texas Medical Center installed these upgrades to buildings on their campus after the storm killed tens of thousands of lab animals, destroyed decades of medical research and forced patient evacuations, according to The Houston Chronicle.
They learned a lot from [Allison], and they developed a flood mitigation network with Texas Medical Center, which is serving them very well right now, Beebe said. Knock on wood, its not over yet, [but] I think theyll be able to maintain in that area until waters recede.
3. How long can a hospital keep running when cut off from supplies?
While sheltering in place is probably the safest option for most patients, it wont work if a hospital doesnt have enough supplies to wait out the flood. Ben Taub Hospital, which is Houstons largest Level 1 trauma center and has about 350 patients, decided Sunday to begin evacuating some patients. However, rising water levels prevented the relocation from going forward, and the facility is running out of food.
On Monday, a hospital spokesman told The Atlantic that they had enough dry food supplies to last until Tuesday evening. After that, he said, the hospital was going to need a food drop of some kind, although all the roads that lead to the hospitals campus were flooded, with water ranging from knee-deep to waist-high.
Dr. Kathy Hebert, who worked at Charity Hospital in New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina hit, said hospital administrators may plan to have a certain amount of supplies for patients for a few days but rarely take into account the other people who may be with the patient when disaster strikes.
For an event like that, you have to feed not only all your patients but all the family members that come and smash into the room and stay there for three meals a day for five days, she said. You have to take into account not only the number of beds but multiply that maybe fourfold, for more people and all of your employees staying around the clock.
4. How can Houston hospital staff be replenished and refreshed?
Hospital staffers who, for a lack of a better term, were trapped at work when the storm hit Friday are probably pulling long shifts, sleeping little and then getting back to work nonstop. Because other workers cant get in to relieve them, theyre likely keeping their facilities running with a single crew, and the grueling pace could go on for days.
Reports from hospitals affected by Hurricane Harvey are still coming in, but interviews conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago detail just how bad things can get when hospitals lose power and the ability to communicate with the outside world. In a report for The Urban Institute based on a dozen interviews with New Orleans health care workers, Hebert writes that when the ventilators went out at Lindy Boggs Medical Center, staffers had to hand-pump manual ventilators so that four intensive-care patients could breathe. Eventually, family members were trained to take over. An unnamed hospital said it conducted emergency surgery by flashlight with little to no anesthesia. Staffers were also charged with carrying patients up and down flights of stairs when it came time to evacuate.
A nurse in Texas coordinated the evacuation by boat of a Houston hospital as she evacuated her own home. https://t.co/i4IEyWSIM2 via @WSJ Melanie Evans (@_melaevans) August 29, 2017
And when that hectic week was over and every patient had been evacuated, many of the doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers who stayed on to tirelessly care for their patients found themselves out of a job. Their hospitals had to close down for extensive repairs.
Heberts husband, a pediatrician in a New Orleans hospital, experienced something similar during Katrina.
He was at the hospital those seven days, working around the clock, she recalled. And when they evacuated the last patient, the CEO brought them all into the boardroom and said, I just want to let you know that officially today were closing the hospital, and you are all unemployed.
As the floodwaters recede and Houston begins to recover, a new set of medical problems will arise. In the chaos of evacuation, people may not have packed all the medications they need, or they may run out of what they did bring. Medical care will also become more dispersed throughout the region as hospital centers recover from the floods.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has published a map of open pharmacies ready to fill prescriptions, and there are also hotlines for people who need HIV medications, kidney dialysis services, breastfeeding help or clean water for formula.
Viruses and other infections can rapidly spread in packed shelters, and the Texas DSHS has published an illustration on how to construct a safe hand-washing station.
Regional health departments and medical societies across Texas have sent out calls for doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other medical professionals who want to volunteer as evacuated patients are brought in. Below is a request from the Bexar County Medical Society, in San Antonio, which is about 140 miles north of where Harvey made landfall.
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Dr. Kathy Hebert was working at Charity Hospital when the hurricane hit New Orleans. In fact, she had left one week before the disaster.
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Also on HuffPost
Residents embrace after being rescued from the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey in east Houston, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety in Houston.
A Shell gas station is underwater at the intersection of Wallisville and Uvalde in Houston.
Laquanta Edwards holds her 1-year-old daughter Ladaja (right) and 9-month-old son, LaDarius, after they reached high ground by boat in east Houston.
Residents use boats to evacuate from floodwaters in east Houston.
A policeman carries a young girl as her family follows, fleeing their home in east Houston.
A house and vehicles stand in floodwaters in Spring, Texas.
Shardea Harrison looks at her 3-week-old baby, Sarai Harrison, being held by Dean Mize as he and Jason Legnon used his airboat to rescue them after their neighborhood was inundated with flooding in Houston.
Dean Mize (left) and Jason Legnon carry a person to an airboat as they rescue people from their homes in Houston.
A truck driver walks past an abandoned truck while checking the depth of the water at an underpass in Houston.
A person walks through a flooded street with a dog in Houston.
In this handout provided by the Army National Guard, a Texas National Guardsman carries a resident from her flooded home in Houston.
Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home in Houston.
A resident of Bayou on the Bend watches the first floor flood as the Buffalo Bayou continues to rise in Houston.
People wait to be rescued from their flooded homes in Houston.
People walk down a flooded street in Houston.
People wait on a flooded street in Houston.
A man helps children across a flooded street in Houston.
Groups of people walk down a flooded street in Houston.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The U.N.-observed International Day Against Nuclear Tests did not get off to a flying start. North Korea continued to ignore multiple calls to end its nuclear missile development program and instead fired a ballistic missile over Japan Tuesday.
The missile test occurred as top U.N. diplomats convene in Geneva to discuss disarmament. Instead, they are confronted with an increasing threat from North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
At the meeting, North Koreas ambassador to the U.N., Han Tae Song, was defiant in the face of criticism following Tuesdays launch, the 14th time this year that North Korea has staged missile tests.
He claimed the U.S. and its joint military drills with South Korea are driving the situation towards extreme levels of explosion, forcing the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (or DPRK, North Koreas official name) to continue developing nuclear weapons as a form of deterrence.
DPRKs will continue to strengthen its defense capability with nuclear force, as of favored as long as the U.S. maintains nuclear freeze, and do not stop military drills, at the doorstep of DPRK. The U.S. pressure and provocative act will only provide for the justification for the DPRK's measure to strengthen its self-defense capabilities," the ambassador said, as quoted by Reuters.
Scud-B missile
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
According to the South Korean secret service, the launch was meant to add credibility to those capabilities. The North suggested that its Guam threat could be turned into a reality, the National Intelligence Service said at a parliamentary briefing Tuesday, according to the Yonhap News Agency. [North Korea] intended to maximize the impact of its show of force by sending the missile over Japans airspace.
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Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea specialist at Seouls Dongguk University, said the missile launch was meant as an act of provocation that would not openly cross U.S. territory. I think that the North probably made a provocative act, as it cannot fire missiles toward Guam, which means an attack on the U.S., he told Yonhap.
The missile launch puts the U.S. in a difficult position, since it represents an obvious provocation but, as nuclear nonproliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis tweeted, couldnt lead the U.S. to start a nuclear war over some dead fish.
Earlier this month, North Korea threatened to strike the U.S. territory of Guam, which lies about 2,100 miles away from Pyongyang, with four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles, the same type of rocket that was likely launched from a site near Pyongyang early on Tuesday.
The Hwasong-12, which was first successfully tested in May and is believed to be able to reach Guam, was launched from the Sunan International Airport near Pyongyang, flew over the Japanese island of Hokkaido for an estimated 2,700 kilometers (1,680 miles) and reached an altitude of about 550 km (340 miles) before breaking up in three pieces and ending up in the Pacific.
Guam Homeland Security said it detected the launch but determined it wasnt a threat, as the missile trajectory headed east rather than south toward the island.
The launch still sparked an angry reaction in Tokyo, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling the act an unprecedented, grave and serious threat to regional stability.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement that North Koreas actions showed contempt for the international community. Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world, the statement said, adding, All options are on the table without elaborating further.
Ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called for serious actions. She told reporters North Korea had violated every single U.N. Security Council resolution that weve had, and so I think something serious has to happen.
Pentagon and State Department officials have repeatedly said that while military options remain on the table, diplomatic efforts are the preferred way to deal with the North Korean threat.
New sanctions could be considered. Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved fresh sanctions targeting North Koreas export revenues from coal, iron, iron ore, lead and seafood. Adding oil and textiles to the list of sanctioned goods would further cripple the North Korean economy, according to diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters.
Guam bombers
Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger/Handout/Reuters
The U.S. could also order its bombers stationed in Guam to fly over the Korean Peninsula, as they did following North Koreas second intercontinental ballistic missile test launch at the end of July.
Having stirred up tensions further, North Korea now awaits a reaction to assess the price for continuing its tests.
In a way, its kind of a trial balloon. If we over-fly Japan, what happens? If the blowback isnt too significant, they will feel more comfortable with launching an [intercontinental ballistic missile] Hwasong-14 to a good distance to validate its performance on a normal trajectory, Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told The Washington Post.
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It looks like Melania Trump has heard the internet loud and clear.
Hours after sparking backlash on Tuesday morning for her choice in footwear while heading to Texas with President Trump, Melania landed in Corpus Christi with a noticeably different pair of shoes -- white sneakers.
The first lady paired her casual shoes with a crisp white button-down shirt with a black trousers that hit just above her ankles. She polished off her look with a pair of circular sunnies and a black hat with "FLOTUS" emblazoned on the front.
Her sneakers are a drastic change from the sky-high pair of stilettos she was rocking earlier in the day.
The former model's first look caused uproar on the internet, with many journalists calling her out for her choice of footwear as she visits a city submerged in floodwaters.
God grant me the serenity not to comment on the shoes. Ben White (@morningmoneyben) August 29, 2017
"God grant me the serenity not to comment on the shoes," POLITICO writer Ben White posted on Twitter.
Melania and President Trump were met by the state's governor Greg Abbott and other high-profile politicians upon landing. The Trumps will spend time in Corpus Christi and Austin during their trip in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
For more on Melania's controversial look, watch the video above.
RELATED: See Melania's controversial look:
Photo credit: NASA-JPL
From Popular Mechanics
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Lockheed Martin have begun to ramp up work on the next Mars lander, InSight. It's scheduled to launch next year with a mission to study the deep interior of Mars.
"The first interplanetary launch in history from America's West Coast," InSight-an acronym for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport-will launch in May 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California if all goes as planned. Currently, though, InSight is being assembled and tested in Lockheed Martin's facilities near Denver, Colorado.
"Our team resumed system-level integration and test activities last month," says Stu Spath, spacecraft program manager at Lockheed Martin, in a statement. "The lander is completed and instruments have been integrated onto it so that we can complete the final spacecraft testing including acoustics, instrument deployments, and thermal balance tests."
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed Martin
The lander will be about 20 feet long, with two solar panels unfolding like paper fans to power it once it touches down on the Martian surface. InSight's robotic arm will then plant two instruments deep in the soil: a seismometer and a heat probe. The former will be be able to detect ground movements with such sensitivity that even a shake half the diameter of a hydrogen atom will register. The hope is that detection of "marsquakes," as the agency calls them, or meteor impacts, will provide data about the planet's interior.
It's hoped that the generally static nature of the Martian interior will provide a time machine of sorts to study the formation of planets. "Because the interior of Mars has churned much less than Earth's in the past three billion years, Mars likely preserves evidence about rocky planets' infancy better than our home planet does," says InSight Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of JPL.
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The heat probe, which will come with a self-hammering mechanism, will send itself 10 feet down into the dirt to measure heat levels underneath the Martian surface.
InSight was originally slated to launch in May 2016, but a leak into a metal container meant to maintain near-vacuum conditions around the seismometer's main sensors delayed the mission. "We have fixed the problem we had two years ago, and we are eagerly preparing for launch," says InSight Project Manager Tom Hoffman of JPL. Scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet by the end of November 2018, InSight will work to make Mars that much less mysterious for the humans who will come after.
Source: NASA JPL
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Texas Instruments Inc. Sweepstakes: Enter beginning 12:01 A.M. (ET) on August 30, 2017, through 11:59 P.M. (ET) on October 30, 2017 (the "Entry Period"). Go to womansday.com/giveaways on a computer or wireless device and complete and submit the entry form pursuant to the onscreen instructions. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM AND ENTERED YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. Prizes & Approximate Retail Value: Five (5) winners will receive a TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator (ARV: $130). Total ARV of all prizes awarded: $650. Any difference between the stated ARV and the actual value of the prize will not be awarded in any form.
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8. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of these Sweepstakes is Hearst Communications, Inc., 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.
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San Francisco (AFP) - Expedia chief Dara Khosrowshahi is credited with turning the company into a global travel services behemoth, winning admiration from employees on the journey.
Uber is hoping he will steer the controversy-battered ride-sharing service along a similarly glorious route.
The San Francisco-based startup confirmed late Tuesday that Khosrowshahi will replace ousted chief Travis Kalanick.
"We are delighted to announce that Ubers board has voted unanimously to appoint Dara Khosrowshahi to be our new CEO," Uber executives said in an email to employees.
"We're really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara's experience, talent and vision."
Khosrowshahi is known as an experienced top executive, willing to speak his mind and to advocate for women getting equal pay and leadership opportunities.
His most recent Twitter post criticizes US President Donald Trump for his response to a white supremacist rally that turned deadly in Charlottesville.
"I keep waiting for the moment when our Prez will rise to the expectations of his office and he fails, repeatedly," Khosrowshahi said in the tweet, which included a link to a story about the Trump controversy.
Born in Iran, Khosrowshahi immigrated to the United States with his family as a child and became a citizen here.
Expedia shares have climbed more than five-fold during the 12 years Khosrowshahi has been in charge of the travel services internet firm.
"I don't doubt his skills and his background in finance and hospitality, which is going to be very important," said Tim Bajarin, president of Silicon Valley technology analyst firm Creative Strategies.
"The only thing we don't know is his ability to navigate some of the difficult settings around internal disciplinary issues and code of conduct that he will inherit."
- Need for discipline -
Khosrowshahi will have to address conflicts with regulators and taxi operators, a cut-throat company culture, sexism and board members feuding with investors over Kalanick.
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Kalanick was the driving force behind Uber, taking a spur-of-moment idea and turning it into the world's most valuable venture-funded tech startup.
But his brash personality and freewheeling management style, which some argue set a tone inside the company, made him a liability as well as an asset to the global ridesharing giant, and in June he stepped down as chief executive.
Good chief executives typically ramp up discipline and accountability in employee ranks upon taking charge at companies, so that will likely be among steps taken by Khosrowshahi at the Uber helm, according to Bajarin.
"He is going to have to be highly aggressive in disciplining the company to stay on message and, more importantly, to stick within whatever the codes of conduct are," the analyst said.
Khosrowshahi has consistently scored well at website Glass Door, where executives and companies are anonymously rated by employees past and present, suggesting he might able to parent workers without alienating them.
And, since Uber's board members including Kalanick agreed to offer him the job as chief, he could have backing if he butts heads with those resentful the founder was pressured to step down.
- Is it enough? -
Khosrowshahi's strong background in travel and transportation should be a benefit when it comes to guiding Uber through its next phase of growth, according to Bajarin.
Khosrowshahi's experience includes jobs managing finance and strategy, having worked in executive positions at IAC/InterActiveCorp and the investment firm of Allen & Company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Khosrowshahi, 48, was born in Tehran to a prominent family behind a conglomerate with interests in food, trade, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and more.
His family immigrated to the United States prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1978.
"Dara came to America at nine years old when his family escaped Iran on the eve of the Iranian Revolution," Uber said in its message to employees.
He attended college here, earning a university degree in electrical engineering.
Khosrowshahi proposed to his wife, Sydney, during a visit to Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, and they have four children, according to Uber.
Expedia is based in the city of Bellevue, near Seattle.
Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry considered Khosrowshahi a fine choice to run Uber, but questioned whether one person can make a difference at a troubled company.
"Dara is not a magician," Chowdhry said.
The website said traffic had increased since a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville - Getty Images Contributor
The founder of Stormfront, the internet's oldest white supremacist site, said he was trying to get the site back online after a company revoked its domain name following complaints that it promotes hatred and is linked to dozens of murders.
Don Black, a former Ku Klux Klan leader who has operated stormfront.org since 1995, said he had not received any warning before Network Solutions blocked the use of the stormfront.org name on Friday.
Stormfront.org had more than 300,000 registered users, Black said, with traffic increasing since a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
stormfront founded 1995
Popular with the KKK and neo-Nazi groups, the site included forums where users sometimes promoted white power events.
"I'm talking to my lawyers, and that's about all I can do right now," Black said. "I can switch to another domain, but it might wind up the same way."
Another major white supremacist website, The Daily Stormer, was previously shut down by the web-hosting company Go Daddy and then Google after the violence in Charlottesville.
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said the stormfront.org shutdown followed complaints it filed with Network Solutions alleging the site promotes not only hate speech, but deadly violence.
A spokesman for Network Solutions did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Users of Black's website have been implicated in more than 100 killings, according to the complaint, including 77 people slain by neo-Nazi Anders Breivik at a camp in Norway in 2011.
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"Especially in the wake of tragic events in Charlottesville and the spike in hate crimes across the country, Stormfront crossed the line of permissible speech and incited and promoted violence," said Kristen Clarke, executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Black, speaking about the shutdown during an online radio show on Monday, said his site had rules against promoting violence or any crime.
Charlottesville far-right protest
Black was a state KKK leader under former Klan Imperial Wizard David Duke, who appeared on the radio show following Black and expressed his "full support" for Black and the website.
"He was the first major site defending the rights of white people," said Duke.
Black has been involved in the white supremacy movement since the 1970s and was convicted in 1981 for his role in a right-wing plot to overthrow the government of Caribbean island nation of Dominica.
President Donald Trump responded directly to conservative commentator Laura Ingraham minutes after she appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning to criticize the lack of appointees in government jobs.
We only have had a FEMA director since June I think we can all look at these horrific pictures [of Houston flooding] and we can conclude that a Federal government does need staff. We see it acutely in need of staff, Ingraham said. This isnt the only crisis were facing. This is massive were also facing a huge crisis with North Korea.
Trump disagreed and took to Twitter to respond directly to his favorite morning show.
.@foxandfriends We are not looking to fill all of those positions. Don't need many of them reduce size of government. @IngrahamAngle Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2017
Also Read: Trump Says 'All Options Are on Table' After North Korea Missile Launch
Trump tagged Ingraham in the response that was sent out minutes after the segment aired.
On the Fox News morning show, Ingraham also said that Americans are losing confidence. The administration has over 300 positions without a nominee and Ingraham said Trumps team has a lot on their hands but needs to have people in place.
Ingraham criticized the lack of appointees in several key areas, saying, Its not ideal.
Ingraham and Trump appear to have a strong relationship and she was long rumored to join his communications team. Ingraham also praised Texans for the way the devastating storm has been handled during her appearance on Fox & Friends.
She said people need love and prayers, which she said is something the government cant provide.
Check out the video above.
Related stories from TheWrap:
Trump Says 'All Options Are on Table' After North Korea Missile Launch
Kathy Griffin Ended Friendship With Anderson Cooper After He Condemned Graphic Trump Photo
John Le Carre Thinks The Russians Have Something On Trump
- Reports say A Plus is bagging some huge sums of money from the BOST contract
- It is alleged he is angry because the Flagstaff House has denied him some other contracts
Yen.com.gh brings to you the latest news in Ghana
It is emerging that controversial musician and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Asare Obeng widely known as A Plus, rakes in a whooping sum of GHc12,000 every month from his BOST contract.
A Plus
READ ALSO: Blame President Akufo-Addo for Spintex Church attack Clergy Group
The musician turned politician, is the man currently handling contract for hauling oil for the state owned company, Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST to various parts of the country.
A source within the corridors of power has hinted Yen.com.gh that, the musicians recent attacks on the deputy Chief of Staff of Akufo-Addo's administration have some links with his BOST contract.
The unconfirmed report also suggested that the sum of A Plus' contract with BOST is close to GHc3million, a claim he has since denied.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Asiedu Nketia attacked with AK47
The two presidential staffers, Samuel Abu Jinapor and Francis Asenso-Boakye have been on the radar of A Plus, accusing them of being the most corrupt and stupid officials within the Flagstaff House.
But speaking in a media interview recently, the Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer of the NPP, Abronye DC also lashed out at A Plus, accusing him of being greedy.
He alleged that his incessant attacks on the two presidential staffers were borne out of some additional contracts he had been denied by the presidency.
READ ALSO: Interdicted SSNIT IT boss sinks further; to pay back all salaries to the state
Do you have a story to share? We are on Facebook Or send us an email at info@yen.com.gh
Source: YEN.com.gh
- Neither of the two projects yielded the desired results
- Though a "value-for-money" audit was approved, it was never carried out
Get the latest news on www.yen.com.gh
The latest financial scandal to hit Ghanas Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is the revelation of a sum of $150 million allegedly misappropriated.
Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang
READ ALSO: I take at least GHc3000 per movie - Yaw Dabo
The scandal is allegedly related to a housing project, though there was no audit to determine if there was value for cash spent.
It has been further revealed that the professor Alabiled board of trustees approved of the project in 2015.
The projects to have been executed were the Dunkonah Housing Project, which was to provide 608 housing units and the 1,760-unit Housing Project at Klagon in Accra.
SSNIT, in partnership with Regimmanuel Limited executed the projects at a cost of $250 million, of which SSNIT contributed $150 million.
READ ALSO: Fraudster names Northern regional minister as part of accomplices
Per minutes of SSNITs 279th Board of Trustees meeting, it was agreed that there was the need for a value-for-money audit for the two projects.
However, the audit was cancelled at the 288th meeting of the same board.
A new management of SSNIT later came to the conclusion that the projects were not as beneficial as initially thought. A decision was therefore taken to sell off the property.
It is alleged that even though professor Alabi claims a value-for-money audit was initiated during his time as chairman, records from meetings show it never happened during his time in office.
Use the comments section below to share your views on this story.
Do you have a story to share or you have information for us?
Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or send us a mail at info@YEN.com.gh.
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Update congrats to Kendra for winning the trip to New Zealand with me in October 2017 we still have spots available on my next trip in March 2018
Hello all!
In March this year I hosted for my very first group trip around New Zealand with Haka Tours. It was fun and epic and I decided I wanted to do some more.
Last week I announced two more adventure tours with me around New Zealand. The first trip is 12 days and goes around the South Island. This was the same trip I did with Haka Tours way back when in 2013 and its pretty much what made me move to Wanaka. Youve been warned.
From sleeping under the stars in the Abel Tasman National Park to walking beneath glacier to swimming in turquoise lakes to throwing yourself off very high places to drinking wine under the sun in pretty much the most epically beautiful country in the world, I promise its going to be amazing.
The second trip is in March 2018 next year and its a bit fancier, its for 14 days and goes around both islands.
But this week when I was catching up with Haka Tours, I realized I havent done a giveaway on here in quite a while.
Can you forgive me?
Well, you better because weve decided Im going to give one of you guys a spot on my October trip around New Zealand with Haka Tours. Wahoo! Come join me for 12 amazing days as I show you all my favorite spots around the South Island.
Here is your chance for a free trip to New Zealand (minus flights, sorry!)
The giveaway will run for the next week and end at noon Wednesday September 6, 2017 NZ time (8pm EST Tuesday Sept 5th). You can enter below on Rafflecopter. Be sure to leave me a comment below and tell me why you want to visit New Zealand! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Heres a little visual inspiration to get you excited!
Egypts top criminal court has put 56 people, mostly members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, on the terror list for harming national economy and public security.
The defendants, involved in a 2015 case, include Muslim Brotherhood business tycoon Hassan Malek.
The court ruling demanded their assets be frozen and passports cancelled. They have been also subject to travel ban.
The defendants have 60 days to appeal the ruling.
The Egyptian court in 2015 found the accused guilty of involvement in a scheme that aimed at harming the countrys national economy and security through collecting foreign currency and smuggling it abroad, state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reports.
The Egyptian government has been waging a serious war against the Islamist movement that it described as being more dreadful than the Islamic State group (IS). Authorities have banned the group after toppling member and former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi though elected democratically.
UN Chief Antonio Guterres Tuesday in Ramallah underlined the UN stance on the two-state solution to end decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict while inviting both sides to cease moves that may hinder peace building.
I want to express very strongly the total commitment of the United Nations but my personal total commitment to do everything for a two-state solution to materialize, Guterres said after meeting Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah.
I have said several times there is no Plan B to a two-state solution.
Peace talks have been laid to rest since 2014 after the Obama Administration failed to bring the two sides to consensus.
The UN and world powers have proposed the two-state solution but Palestinians have complained about Israels continued unlawful settlement in the West Bank and in Eastern Jerusalem a situation Palestinians argue erodes their dream of a state.
Israel also blames Palestinians for terrorism.
Monday, after a meeting with the UN Chief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angered Palestinians as he vowed not to remove the illegal settlements from the West Bank.
We have returned here for eternity, Netanyahu said, speaking at a ceremony in the settlement of Barkan in the northern West Bank.
There will be no more uprooting of settlements in the Land of Israel. Settlements will not be uprooted.
There is a momentum of development in Judea and Samaria, he added.
Around 600,000 Jews have established illegally on Palestinian territories.
Guterres after meeting with Netanyahu condemned the settlements adding that they are major obstacle to peace. He also urged Palestinian leaders to condemn terrorism.
Mohammed Frikha, member of Ennahdha Movement in the Tunisian parliament has pledged to sue Saudi Arabias media Al Arabiya for false news and accusations for transporting terrorists to Syria.
The Tunisian lawmaker, a businessman and owner of private airline Syphax, has stood against the media following the broadcast on August 26 of a documentary called Special Mission, which deals with networks of transportation to Syria.
The program blamed the Islamist movement and Qatar for being main sponsors of thousands of Tunisians trip to Syria to fight in the ranks of terrorist groups including the Islamic State.
Frikhas Syphax was also singled out as the charter that conveyed the Tunisian would-be terrorists.
Frikha told Turkish news agency Anadolu the revelations were false news and falsifications and aimed at spoiling the image of the Tunisian parliament and the reputation of his airline.
I will not allow myself, my company and my country to be influenced by any party, no matter how influential it is, and I strongly reject its use under a regional agenda in which Tunisia seeks neutrality, he said.
Syphax Airlines ceased operating in July 2015 as a result of economic difficulties following terrorist attacks targeting the countrys tourism sector, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.
Spanish Minister of the Interior, Juan Ignacio Zoido, paid a short visit to Rabat on Tuesday, during which he discussed with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelaouafi Laftit, means of upgrading their already fruitful cooperation against organized crime and primarily terrorism.
The two ministers hailed, at a joint press briefing, the cooperation existing between the two countries security services, citing the contribution of Morocco in the investigation of the two terrorist attacks that hit Barcelona and Cambrils lately, killing 16 people and wounding about one hundred others.
Juan Ignacio Zoido who described the Moroccan security services anti-terrorist collaboration as permanent, reliable and fruitful, said permanent contact and cooperation between the two countries services yield good results on the ground.
Spain hopes to upgrade its cooperation with Morocco, so that antiterrorism struggle be more efficient, adapted to the evolution of terrorist methods and able to anticipate new forms of radicalization, he said.
The fight against terror will not be easy and unfortunately there will be other victims, he said, adding, We are convinced that no country is immune to the terrorist threat. Only international cooperation can eradicate the plague and the help of everyone, particularly Morocco, is the key to winning this fight, the Spanish official said.
He added confidently however, We can defeat the terrorism that seeks to destroy our way of life, our freedom, our democracy and our rights.
The two Ministers of the Interior both indicated that cooperation between the two countries in security matters allowed the dismantling of several terrorist cells in Morocco and Spain.
Between 2014 and 2017, Spanish and Moroccan security services led 12 joint operations that led to the arrest of 175 people suspected of violent extremism.
Concerning the ongoing investigations on the two attacks in Catalonia, they said they are conducted in total collaboration between the two States and Moroccan experts are contributing to the investigations.
As to the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Catalonia, the Spanish official acknowledged that they are Moroccans but were raised in Spain. He recalled that 11 of the 12 terrorists involved in Catalonia attacks are of Moroccan origin but they grew up in Spain and the twelfth terrorist was even born in Spain.
Since an early age, these terrorists moved in to Spain where they grew up and received their education, the Spanish official noted.
The Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelaouafi Laftit also brought up the issue of the children of the second and third generation of Moroccan immigrants who have emerged in European countries, underscoring that they need special attention to help them escape the clutches of terrorism, in uncontrolled mosques or in the hands of some extremist imams.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
In the new Eterna challenge, called OpenCRISPR, players will design a guide RNA molecule that leads CRISPR to the right sequence of DNA for editing or binding. The RNA is the part that confers gene specificity. Its the thing that says, Go after gene A, not gene B, said Chang.
The difficulty for Eterna players is to come up with an RNA molecule that does several things, said Greenleaf. The guide RNA has to be recognized by the CRISPR-associated enzyme. The CRISPR-enzyme system has to be able to recruit biochemical activity to the targeted gene. And lastly, the activity of the CRISPR-enzyme system has to be controlled by a small-molecule drug, so there needs to be a binding pocket for that small molecule. The RNA molecule has to function so that the CRISPR system is active when the small-molecule drug is present and inactive when its not. So far, experts have not been able to create such a drug-activated CRISPR, which is why Chang and Greenleaf are calling on the community of Eterna gamers for help.
The new puzzle will be quite different from the recent challenge in which Eterna players had to design a molecule that could do a mathematical calculation for a tuberculosis diagnostic test. The CRISPR puzzle actually should be pretty easy to solve in silico, even for new players who get to the switch design levels, said Rhiju Das, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and principal investigator for Eterna.
From in silico to in vitro: an iterative process
How those Eterna-designed switches will behave in living cells is a big question. Das said the team will be asking players for different possible solutions to the same problem. Were not sure yet if there will be unforeseen problems with the Cas9 protein experimentally. Thats partially why we want as many diverse solutions as possible for the Greenleaf and Chang labs to test, even in this pilot round, Das said.
It will be an iterative process, said Greenleaf. His Stanford lab will test the first round of solutions and then return these data to the players with refinements that will guide their design work.
Were hoping for 10,000 to 100,000 players to contribute 10 solutions each. If we get that many, well indeed work to get that many synthesized and tested, Das said.
Out of the ivory tower
One of the goals of Stanfords Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes is to get people interested in science, said Chang. The Eterna game is a powerful way to engage lots and lots of people, he said. Theyre not just passive users of information but actually involved in the process.
Like other computer games, Eterna allows players to accumulate points, build expertise and advance to higher levels. The best players have a chance of having their designs implemented in the lab.
One thing that makes the project exciting, said Chang, is that it is an experiment in the sociology of science. There is a misconception of science as something that happens in an ivory tower by someone in a white coat with a long beard. And they are saying things and drawing things that nobody understands. But its not like that! Its really like a puzzle that anybody can get engaged with, he said.
Anyone interested in playing Eterna can sign up here.
In addition to the funding from NIGMS and Stanfords Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, the new Eterna challenge is being launched with collaborative support from the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California-Berkeley. Stanfords departments of Biochemistry and of Genetics also supported the work.
Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday promised that he would not seek revenge for his four-month incarceration for treason and assured that he had forgiven those who sent him to jail.
Speaking at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Tuesday during thanks giving prayers following his release, Hichilema said: Despite the injustices we have suffered, we do not hate and we forgive those who are involved in our arrest and detention.
Hichilema said if he did not forgive those who engineered his arrest he would have no credibility to claim that he was different from them.
Last Thursday, a heavily armed Zambian police blocked access to the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka where the opposition leaders supporters were gathered to celebrate his release.
A judge freed Hakainde Hichilema two weeks ago after the state prosecutor dropped charges against him of plotting to overthrow the government.
Hichilema and five others were arrested in April and charged with treason after his convoy failed to make way for President Edgar Lungus motorcade.
The southern African nation has enjoyed relative stability since its first multi-party election in 1991. But, last years election was marked by clashes between supporters of ruling Patriotic Front party (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND).
South African Health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, on Tuesday, criticized African leaders who seek medical treatment abroad.
In a speech during a WHO-sponsored conference in Zimbabwe, Aaron Motsoaledi lamented that we are the only continent, which has leaders who take care outside the continent and we must be ashamed of that.
African leaders must promote our health systems, he said, urging governments to increase funding to local facilities.
About 30 of Africas health ministers met in Zimbabwe to discuss strategies to tackle the continents public health problems.
Motsoaledi s speech, which came just after Zimbabwean veteran leader, Robert Mugabe, is seen as a direct address to the 93-year old president who flew to Singapore to seek medical attention twice this year. The continents oldest president Mugabe has been getting his medical treatments in Singapore since 2011, usually several times a year.
Flying abroad for medical care is a popular fashion for many African leaders. In 2017 alone, other leaders on the continent like the presidents of Nigeria, Angola, Benin and Algeria, have travelled abroad to seek medical attention.
While the preference for foreign medical treatment has continued for decades, Africans today are increasingly questioning this tradition.
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The headquarters of an opposition party in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, was set to fire on Tuesday, local police said.
The fire occurred at national headquarters building of Sierra Leones opposition Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), in the capitals business district.
The party leader Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray said the incident was politically motivated. He believes his constant criticism of the government has provoked a series of targeted attacks on the party.
Two men had been seen attacking the building, with one of them throwing a petrol bomb inside, he said.
A petrol bomb was thrown into my party office at Rawdon Street early this morning. They burned property worth millions including sensitive party documents.
This can only be done by members of the ruling All Peoples Congress [APC] Party who are not happy with me criticizing their failed policies. They have done that in my other office in the North in the past, Kamaremba Lamented.
The incident comes amid a frenzied and bitter struggle for power in the opposition Alliance Democratic Party.
The disaster-stricken West African nation goes to the polls to elect a new President next year.
North-South corridor's impact on Iranian tourism sector Expert
Elaborating on the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), on which Iranian and Azerbaijani sides are working hard to fully launch, a Norway-based commentator suggested that the corridor could help in boosting the Islamic Republics tourism sector."The corridor would play a key role in improving Irans tourism industry as it is capable of facilitating tourists inflow to the country," Mehrdad Seyed Asgari, a Norway-based Iranian financial analyst, told Trend.The INSTC is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.Mehrdad Seyed Asgari also touched upon the new opportunities for cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan. He said that, Azerbaijani entrepreneurs already in possession of international standards and norms know-how could assist Iran in the improvement of the quality of its tourism sector.According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Iran is the most inexpensive place to travel and invest. Nonetheless, the country ranked 93rd among 136 countries across 14 categories in the latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report by the WEF.In a bid to improve the countrys tourism infrastructure, Iran has launched several projects to build new hotels, but there is a need for bringing the quality of service to the international standards, the commentator said.Over the current fiscal year (starting March 20) Iran has launched about 950 projects, worth $9 billion, to develop its tourism infrastructure, including 500 hotels and serviced apartments, Asgari added.Estimating the shortage of knowledge and experience for improvement of the tourism services in Iran, he pointed out Azerbaijans breakthrough in its tourism sector over the past years and suggested that Azerbaijani entrepreneurs would be capable of transferring their know-how to the Islamic Republic.Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report indicated that Azerbaijan, at 71st position, was one of the most improved economies, rising 13 places in the global rankings.The expert further forecasted a bright future for the whole tourism industry in the world, as the sharp slump in oil prices, which are unlikely to surge considerably in the near future, have left a positive impact on tourism sector.According to the report, the travel and tourism industry had contributed $7.6 trillion to the global economy (10.2 percent of global GDP) and generated 292 million jobs (1 in 10 jobs on the planet) in 2016.
Parties discuss concept of zero threshold elections
By Khatia Kardava
In case of an agreement with the opposition, the "Georgian Dream" will announce zero election threshold for the parliamentary elections of 2020. The information was spread by the media last week.Several political parties have expressed their position over the issue. Some of them have rated the proposal sharply negative. They believe such a proposal would be ineffective in terms of a mixed electoral system and would threaten the country's democratic development.The majority of the opposition parties analyze the new initiative only in light of the constitutional amendments."The opposition has a demand that the 2020 parliamentary elections and all subsequent elections should be carried out according to the proportional system, the leader of Republican Party, Levan Berdzenishvili said.Member of European Georgia, Khatuna Gogorishvili, also makes it clear that the fraction demands transition to the proportional system. According to the member of European Georgia, Sergo Ratiani, with this proposal the government tries to win hearts of small parties and in the end will receive disproportionate power and usurpation of the government power.Representative of Free Democrats, Levan Samushia, suspects that this scheme will create an illusion of pluralistic environment in parliament.The stance is supported by the National Movement. Roman Gotsiridze, the chairperson of the National Movement, believes that the government wants to split the opposition with this initiative. Opposition parties are now consolidated against the ruling party regarding the constitutional amendments and the information about parties having to overcome only the natural threshold in 2020 elections, endangers the unity, says Gotsiridze.The idea of conducting the 2020 parliamentary election without threshold has been expressed in light of the upcoming meeting between the opposition and the government, which will be held in Strasbourg on September 6 by the mediation of the head of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio.The Georgian Dream is preparing for internal consultations regarding the constitutional amendments. After this, it will be clear what will be the offer of the ruling team to the opposition."We will go through the issues again. We might consider opinions of our opponents about some of the issues, but before that, of course a dialogue must be conducted. So called natural barrier is one of the topics, but we have not formed an agreed position on this topic, said Vice Speaker of Parliament, Gia Volsky.There is a preliminary agreement on all issues within the majority, but we will go through the issues once again before meeting with the opposition, stated Volsky.On August 18, the ruling party held a meeting with interested parties and urged the opposition members to submit comments regarding the constitutional amendments in a written form. Now, it is solely a realm of Georgian politicians to uphold a political culture supporting the dialogue and achievement of consensus in the best interests of Georgian Society.
President awards EUMM head
By Messenger Staff
President Giorgi Margvelashvili has awarded the head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia, Kestutis Jankauskas, with the Order of Honour. The EUMM is the only monitoring mission operating in Georgia working along the occupation line in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.Jankauskas, a Lithuanian diplomat who has been head of the mission since 2014, ended his mandate in Georgia this year.Margelashvili hosted him at his presidential palace in Avlabari and thanked him for his work.Margvelashvili said that with Jankauskas as its head, the EUMM has been very effective in Georgia.While accepting the award, Mr. Jankauskas stated that this is an extraordinary honour for him and he accepted the award as recognition of the input of every Mission member, as well as of the European Unions contribution to security and stability in Georgia and the wider region.EUMM Georgia is an unarmed civilian monitoring mission tasked with ensuring peace and stability for people who live on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line in Georgias breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).Since its establishment in October 2008, the organisation has supported the stabilisation and normalisation of the situation at ground-level following the EU-mandated six-point agreement between Georgia and Russia after the August 2008 war.The EUMMs role in Georgia is unique, and the organization does its utmost to support Georgia in a situation wherein Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgias land and continues its creeping occupation.Showing respect to the people who contribute for the Georgian peoples peace and security was an honourable display by President Margvelashvili.
@alextdaugherty
As Donald Trump pushes for lower corporate and personal income tax rates during a speech in Missouri today, a Republican group is urging Miami Rep. Carlos Curbelo to follow suit.
American Action Network, a group aligned with House leadership, is releasing mailers in 34 congressional districts across the country with the aim of reaching one million voters. In addition to Curbelo, a member of the House tax writing committee, the mailers will target Treasure Coast Rep. Brian Mast. Mast and Curbelo are likely to face competitive and expensive reelection bids in 2018.
The mailer argues that America's tax code leads to U.S. companies relocating jobs to China.
Thousands of good-paying jobs are fleeing to countries like China, the status quo is failing, and it is leaving Americas middle class behind, said American Action Network executive director Corry Bliss. Americans are ready to see meaningful, pro-growth tax reform become a reality. Thats why we are urging people across the country to call their member of Congress to pass reforms that will help create more jobs and raise wages here at home.
The nation's tax system has not been overhauled since Ronald Reagan's administration and congressional leaders like House speaker Paul Ryan and tax committee chair Kevin Brady are pushing to pass a tax overhaul by the end of the year.
American Action Network's latest push is part of a $20 million effort to overhaul the tax code.
View a copy of the mailer here.
MILTON Brad Paisley and Vince Gill sang about life and death. His daughter Stephanie, sobbing, said: He loved yall, more than words can say. The eulogy was delivered by Marion Hammer of the National Rifle Association.
For nearly two hours Tuesday, Northwest Florida mourned the death of Greg Evers, who had deep Panhandle roots and represented the area for 15 years in the Legislature until last year. A strawberry farmer, he died at 62 last week in a one-car accident in his hometown of Baker and leaves both parents, three children and three grandchildren.
@alextdaugherty
Marco Rubio has spent months pushing the White House to expand a temporary program that would allow Venezuelans who have fled Nicolas Maduros regime to stay in the United States, according to a previously unpublished letter from Rubio to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.
The letter, dated March 20, asks Tillerson and Kelly to review the existing conditions in Venezuela and consider granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Venezuelan nationals residing in the United States.
In light of the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, it is not in the best interests of the United States to deport non-violent Venezuelan nationals back to the country at this time, the letter reads.
President Donald Trump, who continues to talk tough on immigration, hasnt indicated that he is open to extending the program to another country.
Rubios position puts him in line with an increasing number of Venezuelan activists and Florida politicians from both parties who want to expand the temporary program, which currently applies to foreign nationals from 10 countries already in the United States.
Last week, Democrats Bill Nelson and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, along with Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Carlos Curbelo, voiced their support for the program, which would not be a permanent solution for Venezuelans seeking to stay in the United States.
In recent days, Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Democratic state senator and congressional candidate, along with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham, have also called for expanding the TPS program.
Temporary Protected Status will allow Venzeuelans fleeing violence to live and work here legally and contribute to our states diverse communities until it is safe for them to return home, Graham said in a statement.
Rubio has positioned himself as an important voice on Venezuela under Trump as the State Department deals with a downsized staff. He set up a meeting between Trump and Lilian Tintori, a human-rights activist married to jailed Venezuelan dissident Leopoldo Lopez, and Rubios vocal criticism of Maduro and his associates led to the Florida senator getting protection from a security detail.
Rubio and Nelson hinted as far back as 2014 that they would consider the possibility of TPS for Venezuelans, but the issue has drawn increased attention after Maduro held a constituent assembly vote with the power to redraw the nations constitution.
Read more here.
@PatriciaMazzei
Federal prosecutors had half a decade to bring criminal charges against former U.S. Rep. David Rivera in an illegal campaign-finance scheme that landed two of his co-conspirators in jail.
They didnt. And now, they will no longer be able to do so.
Tuesday marked the five-year anniversary of the last recorded act in the conspiracy involving at least $69,000 in secret money Rivera, a Republican who was then a member of Congress, was suspected to have funneled into the campaign of Justin Lamar Sternad, a ringer candidate in the 2012 Democratic primary. As of Wednesday, the statute of limitations to indict Rivera on any of the same charges as his co-conspirators will have expired.
Rivera will have escaped criminal prosecution, though the feds are still going after him in civil court.
He is now a 2018 candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, the chamber where he began his political career in 2002.
I cant really fathom how a person that has been named as a co-conspirator is out there, while I had to serve a sentence, and so did Mr. Sternad, Ana Alliegro, the Republican consultant Rivera used as a go-between to send Sternad money, told the Miami Herald in an interview Tuesday. What upsets me is that politicians dont go to jail in this state. I dont get it. They dont get reprimanded.
More here.
Photo credit: Roberto Koltun, El Nuevo Herald staff
via @glenngarvin @BrendaMedinar @harrisalexc
Undocumented South Florida immigrants whose parents brought them as children and whove been protected from deportation by a federal program known as DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals are nervously awaiting word on whether President Donald Trump will extend it or do away with it, a decision that will come within the next few days.
Everyone is scared. Everyone is talking about hiring attorneys, talking about what they could do if they lose DACA, said Ximena Bouroncle, a 26-year-old FIU psychology major who came to the United States with her parents when she was 14. The fear is always there, the fear to lose everything I have worked so hard for ever since I came to this country.
That could happen as soon as next week, when President Trump must decide whether to cancel DACA or face a lawsuit from 10 states that say the program which was established by an executive decree by former President Barack Obama is an unconstitutional abuse of presidential power. The group of Republican state attorneys generals have said they will take the matter to federal court unless the program begins shutting down by Sept. 5.
If DACA is canceled, it could mean that somewhere between 750,000 and 1 million beneficiaries of the program about 50,000 of them in Florida could be deported, many of them to countries they dont even remember.
The politics of DACA are complicated and many experts on both sides of the controversy say it could still survive. And even if it doesnt, they nearly all agree, its end will be phased in over many months, perhaps even a couple of years, so nobody is likely to face deportation next week.
But if the program is eliminated, most of the DACAmented, as the beneficiaries refer to themselves, will face severe obstacles to staying in the United States, immigration attorneys say.
Every case is different, so I cant give blanket advice, said Randy Sidlosca, a Miami attorney who has been handling DACA clients since the program began in 2012. But, generally speaking, DACA people are going to face some very tough times if the program is ended.
More here.
Photo credit: David Santiago, el Nuevo Herald
via @learyreports
Stay home.
That was an irate New York Rep. Peter King to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio after Rubio opposed a nearly $51 billion aid package for Superstorm Sandy in 2013.
Guys like Marco Rubio in Florida, with all the money that your people have gotten in Florida over the years from every hurricane that came along, and this guy has got the nerve to vote against money for New York and then come up here and try to raise money? King said on Morning Joe.
You know, he can forget it. He can stay home.
Rubio, who was then feeling out a run for president, argued that the aid package was stuffed with pork, an argument echoed by numerous other conservatives, including Texas, Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and most Texas GOP House members.
Now Texas is facing an epic catastrophe with Hurricane Harvey and the debate over aid has resurfaced.
Rubios office did not respond to a question Tuesday posed by the Tampa Bay Times whether he would seek any sort of conditions for Harvey money. In 2013, Rubio did vote for a smaller Sandy aid but thats not what was approved.
In a statement explaining his opposition, Rubio said emergency assistance funding shouldnt be derailed by efforts to find spending cuts to offset them, but we do have a responsibility to make sure this emergency spending is ultimately going to disaster relief, and not to other pet projects. Unfortunately, the Hurricane Sandy supplemental bill goes far beyond emergency relief to impacted victims and communities, which is why I voted no on final passage.
(The Washington Posts fact checker found the pork claim doesnt hold up.)
Two other Florida lawmakers opposed the Sandy money: Rep. Ron DeSantis and Ted Yoho.
DeSantis also did not respond to questions; Yoho was traveling overseas.
King says he wont seek revenge. 1 bad turn doesnt deserve another, he wrote on Twitter. I wont abandon Texas the way Ted Cruz did New York.
--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
Photo credit: Associated Press
About Me Name: Michel-Adrien Location: Ottawa, Canada Law library blogaliciousness from Ottawa since 2005. Accept no substitutes. View my complete profile
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As Michel de Montaigne would say, "Je vais au change indiscretement et tumultuairement - mon style et mon esprit vont vagabondant de meme" (Essais, III, 9, De la vanite): I go where my fancy leads me, but my fancy always leads back to the law
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The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists 11 criteria for possible alcohol-use disorder. The presence of at least two criterion indicates a possible drinking problem, and if drinking is swapped for hunting Im rapidly developing a different disorder, one often referred to as elk fever.
Even as weary firefighters around western Montana braced for predicted high winds and lightning storms Wednesday, the governors budget director announced that the state's firefighting fund will be empty by the end of the week.
About half of the fund, $30 million, was removed in July to patch holes elsewhere in the state budget. The state has already spent $44.5 million fighting fires this year.
Budget Director Dan Villa announced Wednesday that state spending would be cut even more, in part because law requires the state to find more money to pay for wildfire suppression. The governors office said they are seeking $40 million to cover the rest of this year and next years fire season.
"The state will not stop paying for fire suppression efforts across the state," the governor's office said in a statement. "The safety of firefighters, Montanans and their property is the governor's top priority."
The news came on a day when possible thunderstorms and unstable, gusty winds threatened new problems for area fires, with lightning creating sparks or winds fueling expansion.
As winds picked up Wednesday afternoon, fire managers cast a wary eye on the northwest edge of the Rice Ridge fire. A new evacuation warning was issued to some 90 more residences in the 5 miles from Tamarack Resort along Seeley Lake to Bear Grass Lane, at the outlet of Lake Inez. Residents on both sides of Highway 83 were asked to prepare for a short-order evacuation.
The warning extended to Bear Grass Lane and Loon Lane on the west side of Inez, and Camp Creek across the highway. The north and south sides of Boy Scout Road north are included for the first mile to the Fawn Creek Intersection.
Evacuation orders on Monday affected 1,028 address points, according to Inciweb.
The fire had jumped another 1,600 acres to 32,222 by Wednesday morning, with more expected during a Red Flag warning set from 1 p.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday. Low humidity and unstable, gusty winds associated with thunder cells were playing havoc with the fire.
The fire information board at Roveros in downtown Seeley Lake was discontinued Wednesday. The information board at Valley Market south of town will continue to be staffed by fire information officers and representatives of the Missoula County Sheriffs Department.
A shelter site is located in Missoula at the UCC Church, 405 University Avenue. Anyone seeking shelter may call the Red Cross of Montana at 1-800-272-6668.
The Missoula County Sheriff's office on Wednesday evening lifted an evacuation warning for the Lolo Peak fire for the first nine miles east of Lolo on U.S. Highway 12, and on the Highway 93 South corridor for roughly five miles south of Lolo. It pertains to residents living in the Highway 12 corridor from milemarker 24, near and including Arena Drive, to Lolo, and to those living along Highway 93 South from milemarker 79, near and including the gravel pit off Old Highway 93 and McClain Creek Road, north to Highway 12 at Lolo.
The fire saw minimal growth Tuesday and Wednesday morning, but dry thunderstorms moved into the area Wednesday afternoon and evening from the southwest. They brought with them the possibility of outflow winds, lightning and the potential for new fire starts. A new incident management team transitioned into place. In a video update, Special Operations Chief Mike Granger said the fire's northern edge was quiet, with nothing showing on heat radar, so it was placed into patrol status. Crews continued mop-up work along the eastern edge and scouted south in case the fire continued to burn that direction.
The fire glow seen at night is largely from spot fires just north of Carlton Creek near the center of the blaze that's shaped like an upside-down horseshoe, Granger said.
The Lolo Peak fire is the most expensive of western Montanas fires at an estimated cost of $33.8 million.
The southwest portion of the Sunrise fire on the east side of Trout Creek in Mineral County remains the most active. Winds were mostly out of the west and the fire was backing and flanking to the west against the winds.
The Trout Creek road was reopened Wednesday. Fire managers asked that the public drive slowly, not stop along the roadway, watch for fire vehicles and obey the special closure that remains in effect in and around the fire perimeter.
The burn area of the Sunrise fire remained at just under 26,000 acres before the winds picked up Wednesday evening.
The 23,000-acre Meyers fire in Granite County experienced moderate to extreme behavior with uphill runs, running, flanking fire, group torching and short-range spotting. Lightning sparked the fire on July 14 and containment remains at just 5 percent.
Projected and scattered dry lighting could result in a significant commitment for local IA (interagency) resources, Inciweb reported Wednesday evening. Large fire activity is expected to increase incrementally depending on extent and severity of the thunderstorms and associated winds.
The fire on the northern perimeter continues to move to the north and east near Zeke Meadows, and is expected to increase significantly once it becomes established on the west and south aspects of Lone Pine Ridge, immediately east of Zeke Meadows. On the southern perimeter the fire will continue to spread to the south, though slope and wind direction should check the growth to the south and west. A Forest Service structure at Frog Pond is threatened.
***
Air conditions hit Unhealthy throughout all of Missoula County on Wednesday afternoon, according to air quality specialist Sarah Coefield. That actually represented an improvement for Lolo, Florence, Rainy Lake, Arlee and Seeley Lake.
Missoula itself saw little or no change Wednesday afternoon, while the air in Frenchtown and Alberton deteriorated to Unhealthy, according to the Wednesday afternoon air quality update from Coefield, of the Missoula City-County Health Department.
The lingering smoke prompted the Health Department and Climate Smart Missoula, with the assistance of partner agencies, to provide HEPA filters to classrooms in Seeley Lake and Lolo to clean air for students.
And, the University of Montana moved its Wednesday convocation, which welcomes incoming students, indoors to the Dennison Theatre due to the smoky skies.
"The smoke is going to continue for a long time, but I'm feeling a bit more confident that (Thursday) we may see some clearing, thanks to a passing cold front, Coefield wrote. Still, she warned, "we may see conditions get worse before they get better."
The prolonged exposure to unhealthy air conditions has a cumulative effect, Coefield said, adding that the conditions could hang around for another month.
When air quality is Unhealthy it is important that you respect not only the current conditions, but also the fact that your body has been fending off the pollution's effects for a month, and is likely getting a little worn down," Coefield wrote.
Another round of budget cuts will sweep across state government this fall, cutting deeper and hitting more agencies than reductions and layoffs announced in July.
On Wednesday morning, Budget Director Dan Villa notified state agencies with general fund budgets including some outside the governors usual authority, such as the Office of Public Instruction that they have just over a week, until Sept. 8, to submit plans for how to cut spending by up to 10 percent.
The memo outlined that up to $117.9 million could be cut in the current fiscal year that started July 1, and another $119.2 million in FY 2019. Although that adds up to $236 million, Villa said current projections suggest they will only need to reduce spending by $226 million, at least to start.
That's on top of $70 million in cuts finalized in July for the current fiscal year. Most of that reduction was made by taking half of the fund the state uses to fight wildfires and using it to patch holes elsewhere in the $4 billion general fund budget. Programs that are primarily funded with federal revenue, like the Department of Transportation, or with fee collections, like Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will be shielded some from the slashes to come.
The law is very clear, Villa said. The governor has an obligation to meet that no matter how painful it may be.
Villa and Democrats blame the cuts largely on the Legislature's Republican majority for opposing tax increases. GOP leaders have said they prefer spending cuts to weather what they see as a temporary economic downturn and not a symptom of a tax system in need of overhaul. Both parties agree, however, that an unusually active fire season has complicated budgeting.
This is just incredible what were going through. As Im looking out the window, Im seeing smoke that could be cut with a knife, House Appropriations Chairwoman Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, said.
If the maximum possible reduction of $236 million is not enough to keep the state in the black, Gov. Steve Bullock would have to call for a special session of the Legislature to write a new budget for spending through June 30, 2019.
Agencies under the governor's authority submitted plans for cutting 5 percent earlier this month as part of normal budgetary precautions. Villa said those proposals could help guide cuts made by legislators should a special session be called, and if those same cuts weren't already made under the request to 10 percent. Last week, when discussing the 5 percent plans, the governors office had said they were not expecting to make any more cuts this year.
After Villa receives memos from agencies on possible places to cut, his budget team will craft a draft plan. Two legislative committees Revenue and Transportation as well as Legislative Finance will then provide feedback to the governor by Sept. 25. Bullock can take or leave their suggestions before asking agencies to implement cuts.
State programs will be hard pressed to find cuts that would not reduce services to the public or include layoffs.Those made earlier this summer already resulted in 20 part- or full-time jobs being cut; reduced hours and services at the Montana Historical Society; fewer social services for the elderly, people with disabilities and children in foster care. Those earlier cuts also left local school districts without long-awaited increases to special education funding, among other reductions.
While most agencies are required to submit the 10 percent plans, some are excluded by law. Villa said the legislative and judicial branch and the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind are exempted, but have been asked to voluntarily participate. Both branches willingly made reductions in 2002 and 2010.
Other exemptions include salaries of elected officials and principle interest on state debt. The Department of Justice, State Auditor, the Board of Regents and the Office of Public Instruction all agencies over which the governor does not directly control the budget cannot be reduced by more than the average cut made at other departments.
What caused the cuts?
Bullock, a Democrat, blamed Republican legislators and an active fire season for the budget crunch.
You'll remember that during the session, the governor's office very clearly warned that the revenue estimate adopted by Republicans was unrealistic and politically motivated, Marissa Perry, Bullock's press secretary, said in an email.
The governor's office has repeatedly bashed Republican legislators since the session ended in April for failing to support a number of new or increased taxes that Villa estimates would have brought in an additional $204 million in revenues, although some of that would have been earmarked for expanding programs. That, coupled with a disagreement over which revenue projection to use to build the budget, is why the state has had to make emergency cuts, Villa said.
Ballance disagreed that Republicans had strong-armed the governors office to accept the Legislatures higher revenue estimate. She noted that Villa, along with legislative budget leaders, negotiated a plan for cutting spending should revenue gains be slower than expected and thats exactly what happened in July.
He was in agreement at the time we signed Senate Bill 261 that those triggers were there to do exactly that, to hedge against our being wrong on the revenue estimates, she said.
Ballance questioned whether the rush to cut state spending might be too soon or too deep, still holding out hope that revenue growth recovers in 2019. Legislators had bet the states revenues would grow about 6 percent, while Villa estimates they will only increase about 4 percent.
Who is right on that? We dont know, Ballance said.
Earlier this summer, Republican leaders defended their decision to block tax increases.
The slowed growth of state revenues is largely a result of slowed oil and gas development, according to analyses by Villa and the Legislative Fiscal Division. It also could be because many financial advisers told the wealthiest Montanans to delay reporting some income and corporate gains in hopes that President Donald Trump would follow through on promises to cut those federal tax rates. Much of that income will be required to be reported in the next tax year, which could result in a collection bump.
All those are temporary dips that are best solved by cutting, not by making permanent tax increases, said Ballance and other Republicans.
Villa and Democrats have argued the challenges are not as temporary as they might seem, saying that the state needs to update its tax structure. He said the economy is doing well under Bullocks tenure citing strong entrepreneurship, wage growth and a low unemployment rate but Montanas tax system is not designed to capture revenue from growing industries or to make wealthy families pay a fair share.
Its that we have a tax system that is not really reflective of what our modern economy is, Villa said.
When asked why Bullock didnt push back on the final budget that Republicans sent to his desk, Villa said it would have been unfair to allow a government shutdown.
Actually shutting down the government is something no Montanans wanted and that was the option put before us, he said. If there is going to be any change in this, Montanans need to steer those objections toward the folks who can legally change it, he said, referencing legislators.
Its the same reason the governors office has decided to make cuts itself rather than call a special session to craft a new one with legislators: Villa said the Republican majority hasnt provided any suggestion that they would support tax increases.
Theres no point in calling an expensive special session when the outcome is going to be the same, he said.
Villa also responded to criticisms voiced by some Republicans in recent months that Bullock had asked for unnecessary spending increases or new programs that could, at minimum, be delayed until revenues improve. He argued those requests were all for services with a public benefit, such as K-12 aid, increases to the Montana University System, improving access to health care and adding employees in Child Protective Services.
If thats what theyre opposed to, (Republicans) should just say it, he said.
Villa conceded that at least some of the shortfall can be attributed to one of the worst wildfire seasons in the states history.
As of Wednesday morning, the state spent $44.5 million fighting fires and the fund will be empty by the end of the week. He said part of the spending cuts to state programs will go toward replenishing the fund with $40 million so the state has enough money to pay for ongoing fire suppression this year and next.
"The state will not stop paying for fire suppression efforts across the state," the governor's office said in a statement. "The safety of firefighters, Montanans and their property is the governor's top priority."
Ballance agreed that the unusually active fire year has complicated state budgeting.
I think thats been the one big surprise," she said. "The other issues that drive this, I dont think are as big of a surprise.
An Arlee woman is betting that customers in the Missoula area would like to be able to eat locally sourced and humanely-raised meats just as much as they like their local veggies. She also hopes her customers will financially support the efforts of ranchers in the community rather than out-of-state corporations.
Jennifer Knoetgen recently won the "new business pitch" contest at the Last Best Conference for her new business, called Mountain Meat Shares. Its based on the popular program of vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares thats used by many local farmers.
Essentially, customers pay a flat fee per month and then get a delivery of a variety box of frozen food on the first Tuesday every month. At first, Knoetgen will be selling pasture-raised chicken from Living River Farms in Stevensville, grass-fed beef from the Oxbow Cattle Co. in Missoula and pasture-raised pork from Lyon Ranch in Drummond.
I visited all the farms and saw how they raise their animals, Knoetgen said.
Knoetgen raises all the meat she eats at her own ranch in Arlee, and she is confounded when people ask her how she can eat her animals after feeding and interacting with them for so long. To her, its much worse to eat an animal whose origins are unknown and probably raised in neglected, caged conditions on an industrial feedlot or in a warehouse.
The horrors of industrial confinement meat operations are no secret, she tells people on her website. The impact to the animals, the workers, the environment and our health is known. Choosing, and it is a choice, to eat meat comes with a responsibility to know how the animals are raised.
Until recently, it wasnt possible for Missoulians to purchase locally butchered chickens because there wasnt a chicken processing plant in the area. Now chickens raised on Living River Farms can be processed at a new facility at Homestead Organics near Hamilton through a collaboration with the Montana Poultry Growers Cooperative.
Knoetgen will offer two options at first. Customers can either purchase a regular box, which will be between 5-7 pounds, for a six-month subscription of $390, which works out to $65 per month. A larger box will be around 10-12 pounds per month and will cost $720 for six months, or $120 per month. The chickens will be whole, and the pork will consist of breakfast sausage, pork chops, bacon or ham, among other things. The beef will include sirloin steaks, chuck roasts, burger or stew meat, and a host of other options.
Im really excited to have beef from Oxbow Cattle Co. because of the way they treat their soils, she said. They have a tremendous amount of integrity in the way they treat the land.
She actually conducted a market survey to find out what people wanted earlier this spring, so she believes therell be enough interest to support the endeavor. The first pick-ups begin on Nov. 7 at an office building in downtown Missoula.
Annie Heuscher, the program director at the nonprofit Community Food and Agriculture Coalition in Missoula, said she think's it's the first business model of its type in Montana that she's aware of.
"I think it's an awesome idea," she said. "It kind of solves a bunch of problems that other people trying to sell meat have experienced. She's storing all the meat rather than the customer storing it all, and it's hard to get locally sourced meat in western Montana, unfortunately. It's a really cool model."
Heuscher said right now, most customers are forced to either buy whole or half animals, which take up a whole freezer, and they may not know what to do with all the parts.
"With meat shares, you get a box with a smaller selection of things," she said. "Rather than getting the whole animal and not knowing what to do with the ham hocks, you will get a box with ham hocks and a recipe. It will be easier to use with the diversity of things they get."
The program will also allow local ranchers to get their products to market in a different way.
"We know for a lot of people it's hard to direct-market your meat," Heuscher said. "It's almost a whole other business. So for farmers and ranchers to have the opportunity to not have to do that, I think it's very interesting for the ones I've talked to so far about it."
For more information visit mountainmeatshares.com.
A Missoula County coroner is still working to identify the bodies of a man and a woman found in the basement of a Missoula home on Aug. 17 during a murder investigation.
Multiple law enforcement sources working on the case say the condition of the bodies has made it difficult to officially identify them, and that dental records and DNA need to be used to ensure they are correctly named.
According to court documents filed in the case, the bodies were found in plastic tubs filled with chemicals. Tiffanie Pierce, 23, and 26-year-old Augustus Standingrock have been charged with deliberate homicide and accountability for deliberate homicide in the deaths.
Detective Capt. David Conway of the Missoula County Sheriffs Office, who is also the coroner in the case, says he is working with the Montana State Crime Lab to complete the identification as soon as possible.
I believe that I know who these people are, but must be certain before releasing the identities, he said. The families are patiently struggling with this. As you may expect, this is an incredibly difficult situation for them.
The lack of an official identification from the coroner has not stopped people from coming to their own conclusions, with a litany of condolence posts being made on social media about a man and a woman.
That pairs vehicle was found at the Weigh Station fishing access near Bonner the morning of Aug. 17, the same day officers searched the Strand Avenue home where the bodies were found.
After speaking with family members who say they have not yet told all of the family about the potential deaths the Missoulian has chosen not to print the names of the pair because a formal identification has not been made.
Court records say deputies found bloody clothing in plastic garbage bags in the water near the Bonner boat ramp the day they found the vehicle. A mans phone and wallet were found in the car, as was a womans phone, which was also covered in blood. The rest of the car did not have blood in it, and deputies determined that whatever injury had caused the bleeding did not occur in the vehicle.
Longtime Missoula Independent publisher Matt Gibson has been named the general manager of the Missoulian, the Ravalli Republic and the Independent, three news outlets owned by Lee Enterprises.
Mike Gulledge, Lee Enterprises publishing vice president and regional publisher of the Missoulian and Billings Gazette, made the announcement during a staff meeting alongside Gibson on Wednesday morning.
Matt has a proven track record of effective leadership and is passionate about the Missoula region, Gulledge said. His strong business relationships in the Missoula community and across Montana are very impressive. I look forward to working with him in this new and exciting role.
The Missoulian and Ravalli Republic newsrooms will continue to report directly to Gulledge. Gibson will oversee advertising, circulation, production and finance at the Missoula and Hamilton news organizations and will oversee all operations at the Independent. Brad Tyer, Indy editor, will report to Indy general manager Andy Sutcliffe.
Gibson stepped down as publisher of the Independent on Wednesday to take on his new role.
He has been the publisher of the Indy, an alternative weekly newspaper and website in Missoula, since 1997 and was the owner of the publication when it was bought by Lee Enterprises earlier this year.
Gibson started his journalism career as a reporter for the Livingston Enterprise in 1990 and is a former president of the Montana Newspaper Association and a board member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia.
Im grateful for the opportunity to help lead the best news business in western Montana, Gibson said. Lee has great people in Missoula, and Im committed to the work of ensuring that the Missoulian, the Ravalli Republic, and the Missoula Independent remain the strongest, most effective and most respected news and advertising operations in the region.
Longtime Missoulian reporter Rob Chaney wanted to know if the two papers are going to maintain their editorial independence going forward.
The distinct character of the two papers is a strength that we want to maintain, Gibson said. Our audiences complement each other and our reach complements the value that we can deliver to the advertisers. So, having two different niches in the market is exactly what we want to attempt to do. People may be skeptical about that, and thats OK. But everybody needs to know that Mikes committed, Im committed, the editors are committed to running two strong, distinct (Missoula) newspapers with distinct voices, distinct audiences and distinct sales staff.
Gulledge said that when he began talking with Gibson about Lee purchasing the Independent, they both agreed that the worst thing that could happen was that the Independent not be independent anymore.
Were not merging staff, Gulledge said.
Gibson will be moving into an office in the advertising department in the Missoulian.
With the Independent and the Republic and the Missoulian together, we can do things that nobody else can do and its not even close, Gibson said. And having the opportunity to lead the effort and be a part of it is everything I want out of my career and what I want for Missoula for the craft of journalism. Were going to do some great work together.
Lee Enterprises owns news outlets across the country that serve 50 markets in 22 states. Lee's newspapers have an average circulation of 900,000 daily and 1.2 million on Sunday.
The man accused of grabbing the wheel of a Testicle Festival shuttle in early August, causing the Jeep to crash killing two passengers and injuring others pleaded not guilty Tuesday during his arraignment hearing.
James Bayford, who remains in custody on a $200,000 bail, is charged with two counts of negligent homicide and six counts of criminal endangerment from the Aug. 5 crash, which killed 33-year-old Vannessa Anderson (also known by the last name Batt) and 36-year-old Donny Barlow.
After the crash, Bayford allegedly registered 0.209 blood alcohol content on a breath test, and told a Montana Highway Patrol trooper he had been kidnapped. It was later discovered Bayford had been kicked out of the festival and put on the shuttle back to Missoula, according to court documents.
Less than two weeks before the fatal crash, Bayford was given a deferred sentence by District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps for a pair of felony charges of assault on a minor. Those stemmed from an arrest in December, when he attacked his young nephews. Last week, he denied allegations he had violated the conditions of that sentence, which included a prohibition against drinking, among others.
Bayfords next hearing in both cases is Oct. 10.
HAMILTON A year and a month after the devastating Roaring Lion fire that destroyed 16 homes and cost $11 million to fight, three of the young people whose campfire started the blaze received deferred sentences in Ravalli County District Court prompting cries of foul from several affected homeowners.
Steven Banks, Tyler Johnson and Cody Knez agreed Monday to pay 10 percent of their income each year for five years, and to perform 100 hours of volunteer community service with the Forest Service each of three years. If they complete those conditions, the charges of felony and misdemeanor negligent arson will be dropped.
The case against a fourth person a juvenile was dismissed.
The four built a campfire three days before the Roaring Lion fire erupted on a small bluff near Roaring Lion Creek.
Ravalli County Attorney Bill Fulbright called the case highly emotional with no winner. He said he tried to strike a balance between the landowners who suffered great losses and the affected landowners who disagree with the charges that were filed.
These young men desire to be good citizens and part of the community, Fulbright told Judge Jeffrey Langton. We also recognize that theyve been charged with the lowest level of criminal conduct. They had no intention or purpose to cause harm and that has to be weighed against the devastating results of the fire.
Langton said he did not have a role in the agreement, due to a legislative change in 2015.
The decision is the sole discretion of the prosecuting attorney, Langton said. The court has no authority. The term is five years unless an event triggers an earlier review.
Nearly 10 landowners devastated by the Roaring Lion fire were unhappy with the agreement and angrily questioned Fulbright's decision after Monday's hearing.
Fulbright explained that 10 percent of each defendants adjusted gross income will come to his office and he will deliver it to the landowners proportionately.
It isnt going to be much because you know who they are 18, now 19-year-olds, he said.
Several landowners remarked that the four had broken the law.
Fulbright said that when Banks, Johnson, Knez and the juvenile lighted their campfire, there was a burn ban in Ravalli County but there was no Stage One restriction by the Forest Service.
At that time there were no restrictions once you crossed into Forest Service land, Fulbright said. I had to balance the evidence we have against the damage they caused and what the fire cost, which is huge.
Fulbright said the cost of the fire would never be recovered.
I would rather see something that is a reminder of why you dont do this, he said.
Landowner Jan Moat called community service with the Forest Service a reward rather than a punishment. She said when her son was 18, he volunteered to work for the Forest Service.
He was delighted and excited to get that job. That is not punishment for an 18-year-old, she said. He was delighted to get what you are giving these kids as punishment. Maybe they should be picking up litter.
Fulbright said the Forest Service would determine their volunteer work.
Landowner Bill Haberman disagreed with the number of hours.
I think 300 hours is totally low compared with the damage that they did and the hardship that they caused to the people here and the others who couldnt come, Haberman said.
He disagreed with having three summers at 100 hours a summer.
Thats hardly over two weeks of work, Haberman said. All of us here put in a lot more than two weeks of work every summer to have our houses look the way they are. We not only lost our contents, we lost everything our feelings, our beliefs. Most of us here, as you can see, are not in our 30s. It is hard to start all over when you are in your 60s and 70s.
WASHINGTON The Interior Department inspector general's office has dropped an investigation into whether the Trump administration pressured Alaska GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan over their health care votes.
A pair of House Democrats had sought the investigation over phone calls Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made to the senators. Zinke reportedly suggested Alaska could pay a price if they crossed President Donald Trump on the GOP's plan to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.
Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office "does not believe it could meaningfully investigate the matter further" because Murkowski and Sullivan declined to provide statements or be interviewed.
Sullivan voted in favor of the GOP health repeal bill that failed in late July, while Murkowski was opposed.
Recently, a group of Republican politicians converged on Montana to address our current difficult time with forest fires.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Agricultural Secretary Sonny Perdue were joined by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte for an on-site briefing of a large wildfire south of Missoula. The group blamed this and other fires on mismanagement resulting from lawsuits by environmental extremists who have often successfully challenged proposed road-building and logging projects that they deem to be excessive and ecologically unsound.
Notably, even as they claim to be concerned about the smoke-clogged air were breathing, this Republican cadre supports a federal 2018 budget that would cut $350 million from forest firefighting and prevention programs. Furthermore, they wrongly assume that publicly discrediting climate change which they crassly try to do as a cause of catastrophic forest fire equates with adequately addressing what contemporary wildland fire science has to tell us. The truth of that science is far more complex.
Years of fire exclusion is the main culprit behind current catastrophic wildfire activity. Drought and heat play a big part. Years of fire suppression have resulted in accumulations of woody fuels that, once ignited, no longer can be extinguished during the hot summer. There is a complex interplay of many factors. Thinning and logging may or may not reduce the occurrence of wildfire: consider that heavily logged British Columbia is burning up now, one wildfire burning there being 80 miles long. Radical environmentalists have not stopped the logging in British Columbia and yet big fires still burn.
A tough choice needs to be made. In order to do so rationally, there are considerations which must be factored in to our decisions. There is always going to be wildfire. Fire-dependent ecosystems maintain stability when there are many patches of fire disturbance spread across the landscape. This helps keep both fires and fire-exacerbating bug infestations small.
To manage fire across the landscape, fires should be allowed to burn in the spring and fall when they burn with less intensity. This would allow the fires to creep around and thin the understory trees for us, rejuvenating shrubs and reducing dead fuels. Many summer fires should continue to be suppressed to protect other values at risk and reduce high-severity fire impacts.
There also needs to be an extensive program of prescribed fire that is intentionally lit in the spring but mostly in the fall. The intention should be to recreate the patchwork of open growth forest that existed long before the Forest Service began to protect the forest that it did not understand.
Now contrast these reflections with the oversimplistic rallying of the Republican obfuscation above. Smell the smoke? Making the tough choice means accepting more months of lower-intensity smoke over the course of a year, while in the long run a lot less smoke than from catastrophic summer wildfire.
Smell the smokescreen? That is from politicians spouting dumbed-down ideology while ignoring wildland fire science in their attempt to sway public policy towards support of an extractive industry that will be regulated by an underfunded and understaffed Forest Service. Dont think for a minute that these politicians themselves are dumb, and do not know the misrepresentation they are committing, or that they are somehow not responsible for a wrong-headed and over-simplistic analysis spoken in crudely insulting manners.
This is a case of an ethics burned up not in smoke but in extractive industry greed and partisan politics. It leaves no room for actual public discussion since it gives us only lies to function with. Only speaking fully and truthfully gives us a shred of a chance.
The Sunday Missoulian Opinion feature regarding California's electric car rebates does serious damage to the paper's credibility as a source of responsible journalism.
The Heartland Institute can call itself non-partisan, but it lies to do so. Its connection to the Tea Party and the Koch brothers is clear. When the writer, H. Sterling Burnett, says, "Even if one believes humans are causing climate change, subsidizing ... electric-car dreams will do little to reduce carbon dioxide," he clearly states what no responsible publication ought to give voice to.
Human-caused climate change is not somebody's personal opinion. To share editorial page space to someone holding that view is to promote ignorance and "fake news." It's on much the same level as the Missoulian's endorsement of Greg Gianforte. We haven't forgotten how well that turned out.
Journalism has a moral duty to support truth and to oppose lies, especially in an era when the president of the United States plays loose with all facets of objective realty.
Bill Ferguson,
Missoula
As his brother tells it, Sammy Saldivar tried his best to maneuver around Harvey's floodwaters.
Sammy packed his elderly parents and their great-grandchildren into a van as water rose around their northeast Texas home on Sunday.
He approached a waterlogged bridge over Greens Bayou and wanted to turn around. But his father yelled at him to keep going, his brother, Ric Saldivar, said. Even at 84, patriarch Manuel Saldivar was still demanding. The way they were raised, "Dad tells you to do something, you do it," Ric Saldivar said.
Sammy made it across the bridge only to encounter a dip in the road on the other side, Ric Saldivar said, recalling what his brother told him. Sammy lost control and the van went nose-first into the bayou with the family trapped inside.
Sammy managed to wriggle out of his seat belt and through the driver's side window. He made his way to a branch in the rushing water and held on for his life, Ric Saldivar told CNN's Erin Burnett.
The water was so deep the van bobbed up and down. Sammy could hear the children scream and cry as they tried to escape. He yelled out to them to go to the back of the van and open the door, but they never made it. The van plunged into the water as Sammy watched.
Ric Saldivar said the Harris County Sheriff's Office told him his brother was stuck in the water for 45 minutes. They still don't know where the van is, whether the current carried it away or if it sank close to where it went in. They'll have to wait for the storms to pass to look for it.
For now, all the Saldivar family can do is grieve and comfort their surviving relative.
"He's still blaming himself," Ric Saldivar said. "He was trying to do the right thing to get them out of the flood ... and it just happened."
Sammy had recently relocated from Missouri to live with his aging parents, who both had Alzheimer's, his brother said.
He was with them the morning flooding began in their neighborhood. Ric Saldivar called his brother and told him to bring the family members to his house on higher ground. Sammy stopped at another relative's home to pick up Devy, 16, Dominic, 14, Xavier, 8, and 6-year-old Daisy.
Ric Saldivar takes comfort knowing his parents died together. Belia and Manuel Saldivar would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in October. He didn't think they had much time left. But despite the ravages of Alzheimer's they were still as close as ever.
"I couldn't see one without the other. No matter who was left behind they weren't gonna last much longer without the other one."
Sammy told his brother their parents were holding hands as the car plunged into the water. It brings Ric Saldivar a small measure of comfort.
"They went to heaven holding hands."
Bill Everett is not shy about asking for help for Anaconda.
The chief executive of Anaconda-Deer Lodge County has teamed with Community Hospital of Anaconda CEO Steve McNeece to try to get critical attention paid to the area's Superfund cleanup, which Everett views as flawed and inadequate.
Everett and McNeece are sending jointly signed letters Wednesday to Governor Steve Bullock, U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, and U.S. Rep Greg Gianforte. Copies of the letters were released Tuesday.
"As you are aware," Everett and McNeece wrote, "Anaconda is ... riddled by environmental impacts resulting from the former Anaconda Copper Mining Company ore processing facilities."
The letters say that while "The Environmental Protection Agency has made a concerted effort to provide support for communities like Anaconda," the Superfund cleanup efforts have fallen short.
"In our shared opinions, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County has never been properly remediated. The dire economic consequences (of the smelter pollution) have never been addressed comprehensively, and quite frankly, Anaconda seems to have little political input. ... We need and are requesting your help."
The letters cite reports that Daines is planning on bringing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to Montana in the fall.
"Sadly, Anaconda has been left out of this site visit," the letters state. "We are respectfully requesting that Administrator Pruitt also take the time to visit Anaconda. As one of the nation's largest Superfund sites ... it is imperative that the Administrator visit ... to understand the issues Anaconda continues to experience."
The letters also refer to President Trump's proposed EPA budget cuts, saying they are "of paramount concern because current and future Anaconda residents deserve better."
The letters ask the politicians' help in getting Pruitt to Anaconda. "As the leaders of our community, we want to ensure effective environmental services for years to come for Anaconda and similar communities."
While a Pruitt visit to Montana has not yet been announced officially, Daines told The Montana Standard last week that his office was "trying to get together on dates" with Pruitt's office and that he expects the visit to happen some time in the fall.
Since no schedule for such a visit has been announced, it is not clear that Anaconda has been "left out," as the letters assert. But Everett and McNeece want to make sure that Pruitt's ultimate plans include Anaconda.
"Unrealized debilitating long-term implications continue to plague our community," the letters state.
"As the leaders of our community, we want to ensure effective environmental services for years to come for Anaconda," the letter concludes.
In 1877, Butte had barely begun its rebound from the low point in 1874 when perhaps 60 or 100 people were still skulking around the old gold c
Butte-Silver Bow County has dodged major wildfires so far this summer but Fire Chief Jeff Miller says theres only one thing that will put an end to fire season in the rest of the Montana Rockies.
It will take snowfall and I dont think a couple of inches will do it because it (fire) is so embedded, Miller said Wednesday.
Fire rules already in place in southwest Montana will be tightened Saturday to prohibit all campfires, and officials on Wednesday cautioned all hunters in the western part of the state to check fire restrictions and closures and take safety precautions.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said hunting seasons will open as planned, however. Montanas upland game season opens Friday and the general deer, elk and antelope archery-only season begins Saturday.
Here are updates on area fires:
STONE LAKE FIRE
The lightning-caused Stone Lake Fire, detected around 2 p.m. Sunday about 15 miles southwest of Wise River, was still limited to eight acres as of Wednesday morning and was 25 percent contained. The fire is located high on the ridge in whitebark pine with rock screes nearby on two sides.
Smokejumpers jumped on the fire and two loads of retardant were dropped along with several buckets of water. Eight additional local Wisdom/Wise River firefighters were flown into the area, bringing total personnel to 26. Smokejumpers from the Ross and Grouse fires were to be moved to the Stone Lake fire along with for additional smokejumpers.
MOUNT HAGGIN FIRE
Some people in the area of the Mount Haggin Fire thought it was out on Wednesday because smoke was not seen for a while, but it was still burning and "puffing," said Jordan Koppen, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
The fire was first reported Monday afternoon 1 mile northeast of Mount Haggin in steep terrain west of Hearst Lake in the Anaconda Range. It was still at 10 acres and 24 personnel were on the scene, along with helicopters, and containment was at 10 percent as of Wednesday afternoon.
Koppen said lightning is the expected source of the fire but it is still under investigation. He expected firefighters to be on scene for at least a week.
MEYERS FIRE
The Meyers Fire, sparked by lighting on July 14 about 25 miles southwest of Philipsburg near Moose Lake, grew another 1,300 acres Wednesday ato 23,603 acres and was still only 5 percent contained. Three helicopters and 285 people were on the fire, fueled in part by many standing dead trees due to beetle kill.
Despite expanding, growth was moderate Tuesday due to increased cloud cover and higher humidity. The fire moved into the old Mussigbrod fire scar to the south of the Hole in the Wall area. On other areas, crews hauled hose, pumps and equipment to make them available in higher priority areas.
The Frog Pond area remained under an evacuation order, while evacuation warnings were in effect for Moose Lake residents. There are also private residences in the area of Springer Memorial Park.
CONROW FIRE
Crews based out of spike camps were working from both directions in upper Conrow Creek on Wednesday to connect a final portion of a containment line of the Conrow Fire, 7 miles northeast of Whitehall.
The 2,727-acre fire was started by lighting on Aug. 24 and was 65 percent contained, up 5 percent from Tuesday. Engine crews will continue mop-up actions along the containment lines and helicopters will support efforts with water-bucket drops. Full containment is projected for Sept. 6, a week from now.
Butte man appointed to state board
Shawn Fredrickson of Butte has been appointed to sit on the Montana Coal Board by Gov. Steve Bullock and confirmed by the Montana Senate. The term ends in 2021.
The board considers applications and awards Coal Board Impact grants to counties, communities, school districts, Indian tribes, or other governmental units to assist them in adequately providing governmental services or facilities that are needed as a direct consequence of an increase or decrease in coal development.
Fredrickson has worked in the energy efficiency field for the past eight years. He also serves as a board member for the Butte Center for the Performing Arts and Butte-Silver Bow Burros Club.
Library plans bargain book sale
The Butte Public Library will have a Back to School Bargain Basement Book Sale Tuesday-Saturday, Sept. 5-9, at 226 W. Broadway St. The cost is $1 per bag. The sale will be held during library hours. The library is open Monday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The library offers the public a chance to buy its old, worn books and unwanted donations. If you would like to donate books for the sale or possible addition to our collections, please bring them to the circulation desk at the uptown branch.
All books will be free Sept. 11-16.
Baptist church plans revival services
The Lighthouse Baptist Church of Butte, 3220 St. Ann St., will host revival services at 6:30 p.m. Sunday-Friday, Sept. 3-8. Special speaker will be Pastor Andrew Inboden. Details: 406-723-7822.
Animal Control impounds listed
These are animals that have been picked up by Butte Animal Control. Details: call Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter, 699 Centennial, at 406-497-6528 or stop by between 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Cats:
--Six-month-old male shorthaired, gray and white, picked up Monday on the corner of Aluminum and South Dakota
--Two-week-old shorthaired, gray, picked up Monday on Bossard Road
Walking program starts Sept. 6
The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department and the Montana Arthritis Program are teaming up to provide a free six-week walking program for people of all fitness levels who would like to start or maintain a low-impact exercise program. This group offers an encouraging social atmosphere.
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 6, the group will meet at 4 p.m. at Father Sheehan Parks picnic pavilion on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays.
All campfires, including those in metal rings at recreational sites, will be banned in Butte-Silver Bow County and its six surrounding counties in southwest Montana beginning Saturday.
Most campfires, including those in private fire pits and back yards, already were prohibited in southwest Montana under Stage 1 fire restrictions. The counties include Butte-Silver Bow, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Granite, Jefferson, Madison and Powell.
Butte-Silver Bow Fire Chief Jeff Miller said Wednesday that campfires had been allowed within metal rings in certain developed recreational sites, but even that will change starting Saturday.
There arent many of those sites in Silver Bow County, he said. There might be a few in the Beaver Dam Campground and in Thompson Park, and maybe at a couple of fishing access points on the Big Hole River, he said.
But even those will areas will fall under amended restrictions because of persistent dry conditions that, combined with lightning or human factors, have fueled many wildfires across the state.
If you and your spouse go out to Roosevelt Drive and have a picnic, you cannot build a fire, Miller said. You cant have a fire in your backyard.
Smoking is prohibited outdoors except in developed recreational sites or in areas 3 feet in diameter that are clear of any flammable materials.
Miller said Stage 1 restrictions do not apply to some cities but because Butte-Silver Bow is a consolidated city-county, there are no such exemptions here.
Despite wildfires in adjacent counties, Butte-Silver Bow has escaped large fires so far.
Miller said he doesnt want to jinx us, but meteorologists have told him that summer thunderstorms with hundreds of lightning strikes tend to follow set patterns that often dodge this county.
Area thunderstorms late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning might have been an example, he said.
There were probably 100 lighting strikes last night, but where we might get 100 lightning strikes, the primary areas might get 1,000, he said.
Despite the thunder and lighting, Miller said he didnt think urban Butte got any rain with the storms. Some rural areas of Silver Bow County might have gotten some rain.
Miller also thanked the public for the lack of wildfires so far. Besides a couple of human-caused fires that were extinguished quickly, residents have been careful, he said.
I think it goes to people using good common sense and paying attention to the fire restrictions, he said.
WASHINGTON -- When John Adams wrote into Massachusetts' Constitution a commitment to a "government of laws and not of men," he probably assumed that the rule of law meant the rule of laws, no matter how many laws there might be. He could not have imagined the modern proliferation and complexity of laws, or how subversive this is of the rule of law.
Such a subversion will confront Congress when it reconvenes. Congress is nimble at evading responsibilities but cannot avoid deciding either to repudiate or to tolerate a residue of President Obama's lawlessness, one that most, perhaps all, congressional Democrats and many, perhaps most, Republicans want Obama's successor to continue.
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) requires insurance companies to insure people with "pre-existing conditions," a locution minted to avoid the awkward candor of saying, in most cases, "people who are already sick." The individual mandate, requiring people to purchase insurance, is one way the ACA subsidizes insurance companies that are mandated to engage in money-losing undertakings.
The subsidy that Congress must confront in September is the ACA requirement that the secretary of health and human services devise a program to compensate insurers for the cost of selling discounted plans to some low-income purchasers. Obama's HHS secretary created a program to disperse billions of dollars to insurers to defray the costs of the low-income purchasers who are more than half the ACA enrollees.
But -- speaking of awkwardness -- although the ACA authorizes a permanent expenditure for this, an authorization is not an appropriation, and Congress has never provided an appropriation. Come September, these payments may dramatize the increasing difficulty of discerning Republican and Democratic differences commensurate with their heated rhetoric. Democrats are untroubled by the payments because progressives believe that unfettered presidents are necessary to surmount the inefficiencies, as progressives see them, inherent in the Framers' great mistake, as progressives see it -- the separation of powers. Republicans, however, have a dilemma: Halting the payments might unleash chaos; continuing them seals Republican complicity in perpetuating the ACA.
The Constitution says: "No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law." Nevertheless, the Obama administration spent the money for the insurance subsidies, breezily arguing that it was being faithful to something higher than the Constitution -- the ACA's text. Or its logic. Or something. Republican members of the House (including Georgia's Tom Price, who now is secretary of HHS) sued to stop the payments. In May 2016, a federal judge said they were right on the merits but stayed the decision to allow the Obama administration to appeal.
Donald Trump has exceeded Obama's executive willfulness, which at least strove for a patina of implausible legality. Last month, Trump said that, absent Republican success in replacing the ACA, he might end the payments "very soon." Clearly, he thinks either spending or not spending unappropriated billions is a presidential prerogative.
The Constitution -- yes, that again -- says that presidents "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The framers, who were parsimonious with words, perhaps included the adverb for the reason Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School suggests: "The Constitution recognizes that the president can't necessarily enforce every law. But it requires a good faith effort." So, the intent of any non-enforcement matters: Is it to husband scarce enforcement resources? Or is it to vitiate a law?
Trump's unparsimonious dispensing of words has included threats to intentionally cause the ACA to "implode" by halting the unconstitutional disbursement of unappropriated money. Feldman evidently thinks this would be "non-enforcement" in bad faith because the law could no longer function. It is, however, strange to say that dispensing unappropriated funds is faithful "enforcement" of a law just because without the funds the law would collapse.
Were Trump constitutionally punctilious -- entertain the thought -- he would embrace the judge's ruling on behalf of the House members, and, obedient to his oath of office, stop the unconstitutional payments. But chaos might envelop the ACA exchanges and then the wider individual insurance market, causing many millions of Americans severe mental and financial stress. Republicans can say "let the rule of law prevail though the heavens fall," or they can say ...
Enter Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the pertinent committee. He wants Trump to "temporarily" continue the payments "through September," pending "a short-term solution" for stabilizing insurance markets "in 2018." Watch carefully as Alexander copes with a pathology of modern -- meaning, presidential -- government unanticipated by John Adams: laws that subvert the rule of law.
George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com.
(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
Friends of the Crazy Mountains was formed around a campfire chat involving a few friends. It seems when mankind is in the great outdoors, many issues get resolved. In a way, our spirits are set free because here nobody can judge us that is why preserving public access to our public land is so important. It give us freedom and a place to escape from everyday struggles. It is a public good.
The Crazy Mountains became a hot topic after Yellowstone District Ranger Alex Sienkiewicz was reassigned after he ran into opposition while trying to work on and maintain historical prescriptive easement trails, leaving public access to these historical public trails vulnerable. Since forming our group, we have shed light on west side public access issues. We are under the impression, from the U.S. Forest Service, there are negotiations going on with some landowners in reference to prescriptive easements on the Lowline Trail. What has gotten us to this point? Growing up in this area, we have always had these prescriptive easement trails. This is no longer the case. We now see "No Access" signs going up on these historical public trails as well as locked gates, creating controversy. This situation that has evolved points to two things: money and greed.
Montana is on the map now. It has some of the best recreational opportunities in the United States. Unfortunately, these opportunities are becoming increasingly unavailable to the public. We realize this comment will create an argument. Some of us who have lived here our whole life have seen and felt the impact to hunting, fishing, or just accessing our public lands to recreate. For example, our big game animals are now sought by trophy hunters, who will pay top dollar for access to harvest them. However, to the average Montanan, they are a means of necessity for food.
Much of the land in our area has been leased out, making our public lands and public access much more critical. We are running out of public places to access and recreate. The Crazy Mountains are unique. Much of the land is in a checkerboard pattern of private and public. When we start losing public access points in these areas, this increases land locking of public land, making it extremely difficult to access.
These issues arising on the trails seems to confuse the public. We are told by the U.S. Forest Service these are public trails, but when we access them, we run into "No Trespassing" signs or locked gates. This creates doubt. These are historical public trails. Many of our children and ancestors have accessed these public trails, which have been in place for a hundred years.
The U.S. Forest Service has put the public in a bad spot by using citizens as a buffer between itself and the property owners. It is apparent negotiations have not worked or seem one-sided. There should be no negotiations pertaining to historical prescriptive easement trails.
The U.S. Forest Service needs to protect the public's right to access public land, even if it means deferring to the court. We wonder will our grandchildren and great-grandchildren get to enjoy the public access many of us have had or will it continue to disappear?
We need to take action. Please contact your federal, state, and local representatives to voice your concerns.
-- Brad Wilson, of Wilsall, is the founder of Friends of the Crazy Mountains, which he says started with local residents and now has about 40 members.
MUSCATINE Some of Muscatine's historic locations and amenities will be featured on an Amazon television series, set to film next month.
"The Fireball Run," an adventure-travel series that follows 40 teams driving to under-discovered places in America, will stop in Muscatine Sept. 26. Jodi Hansen, director of the Muscatine Convention and Visitors Bureau, said residents will have a chance to show-off their city and meet some of the team members.
Hansen said producers of "Fireball Run" approached Muscatine, asking the city to be an interactive destination for the 11th season. In the new season, teams will drive from Wisconsin to South Dakota, in everything from a Ford to a Ferrari, using clues to find unique, historic and undiscovered places along the way.
Muscatine will be one of more than eight towns and eight featured destinations the teams visit along the journey. Hansen sent a list of historic locations in Muscatine for the show-runners to choose from, but cannot disclose where the teams will be once they arrive in the city.
"With nearly 11 seasons behind us, we've almost seen it all," said J. Sanchez, the series show-runner, in a press release. "However, that was not the case with Muscatine."
The show's executive producer, host and camera operator visited Muscatine at the end of July, she said, to see some of the places they'll visit in September.
"That went very well and it was really great to see an outsider's perspective of Muscatine," she said.
While she cannot detail the exact path the teams will travel through Muscatine, Hansen said about 20 teams will check-in on Iowa Avenue, between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Sept. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The teams this season include contestants, such as the original Red Power Ranger Austin St. John and actor Brian O'Halloran. Twenty teams, which are to be determined, will be in Muscatine, eating lunch and spending time downtown.
Hansen said, a committee, made up of city and business leaders, are working to turn the show's visit to Muscatine into a free event for residents, with soapbox derby cars, classic cars and family activities.
While Season 9 of "Fireball Run" is airing on Muscatine Power and Water Digital TV Public Access Channel 9, Hansen said she is looking forward to the country viewing the episode featuring Muscatine in the future.
"It's a great pleasure to have people come from all over to visit our wonderful town, with so many unique places and attractions," she said. "People in Muscatine can't be beat, and having other folks see that from the outside is great."
Hansen said sponsorships for the event are still available. "Fireball Run" also supports Child Rescue Network's "Race to Recover America's Missing Children," and teams distribute thousands of missing child posters during their trip.
More information will be available as plans are finalized, Hansen said.
MUSCATINE Sweetland United Methodist Church in Muscatine is kicking-off monthly youth group meetings next month.
TRIBE, or Teens Righteously Inspiring Believers Everywhere, is a safe place for young teens to come together, talk about God's role in their lives and be blessings to their community. The group focuses on truth, responsibility, introspection, breath and eternal life with Christ.
The youth group meets from 6-8 p.m. for a light meal followed by talk time and fun projects, every first Thursday of the month, starting Sept. 7. Sweetland Church is located at 1709 Sweetland Road, Muscatine.
Anyone with questions should call Ayla Cornett at 908-914-8240.
Regulations for operation of utility task vehicles (UTVs) in Wilton are now official. The city council Monday night approved the third and final reading of an ordinance spelling out the requirements for UTVs within city limits.
UTVs must display the state registration, although special consideration will be allowed for UTVs that are farm exempt vehicles. An annual $20 dollar permit issued by the City of Wilton will also be required. UTVs must have working headlights, tail lights, brake lights, and turn lights. Registered UTVs will be allowed on city streets from one hour before sunrise until 11 p.m., unless the vehicle is on a direct path to or from work. And proof of insurance must be with the vehicle at all times.
The council also approved the third and final reading to fill the five Park Board seats by council appointment instead of by election.
Walking the dogs
Dog owners in Wilton want a specified place to walk their dogs, Mayor Bob Barrett said. But he said the problem is some people don't clean up after their dogs. He suggested designating a park as an area where people can take their dogs. "What we need is for people to police their own dog leavings and leave the park nice for everyone else," he said.
No action was taken Monday night, but the issue may be an agenda item at a future meeting.
Founders Day rehash
Officials are hailing the Founders Day weekend as a hugely popular success. Barrett said attendance was great throughout the event, and he enjoyed being part of the play. "I think the community really enjoyed it," he said. "I think the whole town enjoyed it."
The play was directed by Becky Allgood, Executive Director of the Wilton Development Corporation. Allgood said more than 200 people attended the performance. "It got a lot of positive comments," she said.
Allgood also reported the inflatables were a big hit. "We got a lot of positive comments about that," she said. "We had an army of children."
In the aftermath of Founders Day, Ball said the town gazebo was removed Monday. "It was getting dangerous," he said. "We'll replace it with a couple of picnic tables."
In other business
The council approved payment of bills totaling $270,792.
Allgood reported the Downtown Renovation Project's facade improvement phase should begin in a week, and the housing survey should take place in October.
MUSCATINE West Middle School students have a new way to eat their vegetables. The school cafeteria installed a salad bar for students this yeara first in the Muscatine school district. It features a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, including finely chopped tomatoes, lettuce, packages of baby carrots, large cucumber slices, and thinly sliced radishes.
The salad bar is as much a function of offering better choices to students as it is about saving money, said food service nutrition supervisor Alisha Eggers. The district already had equipment for the salad bar at West Middle School, but has previously offered more expensive pre-packaged fruits and vegetables. Through a partnership between the USDA and the Department of Defense, the district can now purchase fruits and vegetables virtually at no cost, Eggers said.
This arrangement yields better quality fruits and vegetables, she said, and it may reduce food waste. The salad bar allows students to choose only the items they like, possibly reducing the number of fruits and vegetables that go uneaten.
The premade stuff we had before, they wouldnt take it because maybe it would have a radish in it, or a piece of carrot that they didnt want, said Debora Fisk, food service manager at West. If we have this here, they can customize their own salad and they like that.
For Allison Aguilar, 13, the new salad bar means she can still get her lettuce and finely chopped tomatoes, but avoid cucumber, which she dislikes.
When I first saw (the salad bar), I was kind of wondering why they had just planted it in, she said. I didnt know if it was going to be good.
Since the salad bar was introduced, Aguilar has chosen a salad every day. And she discovered she likes raw cabbage that's part of the iceberg lettuce salad mix. It is a big improvement from pre-packaged vegetables, she said.
Sometimes they put too much of something in there and you cant vary (it)you cant make it your own, with this you can, she said.
The concept of salad bars in schools isnt new. During the Obama administration, former first lady Michelle Obama championed the Lets Move campaign aimed at improving the nutritional content of school lunches and requiring schools to include more whole grains, fruits and vegetables in school lunches. Despite that push, salad bars in school lunches remain relatively rare. According to the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, an independent research institute, about 17 percent of schools nationwide have salad bars.
An associated government website, SaladBars2School, allowed school districts to apply for federal funding for that purpose, but that website is now unavailable, as are other websites associated with Lets Move. In May, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation that would roll back parts of the law, allowing schools to receive an exemption from the whole grains requirement.
Eggers said she would like to bring salad bars to every school in the district. By mid-September, the district will add salad bars at the high school and at McKinley and Jefferson elementary schools.
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 []
SAN FRANCISCO An anti-Marxist protest planned for Wednesday morning that was supposedly going to involve the blocking of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge appears to be a hoax.
A Facebook post by the newly created group Conservative Rustles, as well as an email sent to several Bay Area media outlets, announced a planned 9 a.m. rally.
The organizer, purporting to be a 32-year-old San Francisco native named John Walters Monroe, said the group would block traffic until the city of San Francisco agrees that Antifa is a terrorist organization, referring to anti-fascist activists who have counter-protested at many right-wing rallies.
But Golden Gate Bridge spokeswoman Priya Clemens said that as of shortly after 9:30 a.m., no protesters or counter-protesters had showed up at the bridge.
All clear! No ones shown up to protest or counter protest. Just Bridge Patrol, CHP and media out here, Clemens wrote in an email.
The Facebook event page created for the protest had zero people indicating they were interested in the march or planning to attend, but bridge patrol and California Highway Patrol officers nevertheless planned ahead in case anyone showed up.
Wednesdays event or lack thereof follows actions in San Francisco and Berkeley on Saturday and Sunday by right-wing groups.
The San Francisco action Saturday organized by the conservative group Patriot Prayer was initially going to be a large rally at Crissy Field but also turned out to be much ado about nothing after being canceled Friday.
A subsequent news conference planned for Alamo Square on Saturday was also canceled at the last minute. The right-wing actions prompted large-scale counter-protests throughout San Francisco, including a Peace, Love and Understanding rally in Civic Center Plaza.
Sundays event in Berkeley was mostly peaceful but had incidents of violence and police ended up making 13 arrests for offenses including assault, battery, resisting arrest, conspiracy, disturbing the peace, and being drunk in public.
Harvest Dinner at Bale Grist Mill
The Bale Grist Mills annual Harvest Dinner fundraiser begins at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9 and includes appetizers, a whiskey bar, cocktails, Mad Fritz beer and locally donated wines from neighbors. Listen to live Old Time Music by the Pickle Creek Band.
Guests will dine under the oaks with a view of the great watewheel. This is a one-of-a-kind event, farm-to-table dinner with locally raised heritage mulefoot hog, and a host of other locally grown delights. The menu was designed by Napa Valley Bistros owner and chef Bernardo Ayala, and Michael Fradelizio, who donates a heritiage mulefoot hog.
Attendance helps support the only operating historic water powered grist mill in California that is open to the public.
Purchase tickets through Brown Paper Tickets at brownpapertickets.com event number 3042391. Tickets are $125 per person and are tax deductible. For questions, contact Sandy Jones at (707) 477-6305, text or voice, or by email, spjones.223@gmail.com.
The future of the cannabis industry in Napa County and its cities is still uncertain despite the passing of Proposition 64 last year. Local leaders met again this week to discuss the possibilities during a meeting of the Napa Countywide Cannabis Roundtable.
Some members of the roundtable, including Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Belia Ramos, recently headed out to Oakland to tour cannabis-related facilities. Ramos concern after touring the facilities was that there is very little regulation when it comes to marijuana edibles.
Its mostly an industry thats left to its own devices, she said at the meeting held in Napa on Friday.
American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia echoed her concern, saying the packaging for edibles including lollipops and baked goods isnt child-proof like prescription drugs are. Instead, he said, they look appealing to children.
Paul Dohring, St. Helena City Councilman, said he was concerned about the lack of testing facilities.
If the number of testing labs doesnt increase, it could mean delays, said Conrad Gregory, director of government relations at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, one of the toured facilities. Testing will be required for everything, he said.
Harborside isnt the average dispensary, Gregory said. In addition to medicinal marijuana, the health center offers wellness classes like yoga as well as support programs for things like cancer and substance misuse. The center is already busy with limited parking at both its facilities and expects to see a new demographic of recreational users when the new law goes into effect, Gregory said. Traffic will see at least a 50 percent increase if not doubling, he said.
The potential boom in business is concerning to Calistoga Mayor Chris Canning, roundtable co-chair, who is afraid of the burden that will be put on small municipalities like Calistoga.
If retailers have to be a certain distance away from schools, preferably in a commercial location with adequate parking, there are limited opportunities in Calistoga, Canning said.
The permit process was also a concern of his since, as it was explained during the meeting, it seems that the state would like local jurisdictions to act as a filter meaning that retailers would get their permits first from local jurisdictions before attempting to receive their state permits.
Vehicle traffic and parking was another hot topic of the meeting, leading Ramos to ask Gregory if Harborside has considered having a drive-thru pharmacy. The question as to whether or not that was legally a possibility didnt seem to be answered.
Despite being well attended, only a few individuals spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Will they be issuing cultivation permits in 2018? asked Donalee Shackleford. Supervisor Ryan Gregory, roundtable co-chair, said he doesnt know yet.
Napa resident Robin Rowe also spoke, just to let her local officials know how much residents need cannabis-related facilities in the county. Rowe has an epileptic daughter who takes medical marijuana. When she needs more, Rowe is required to go into other counties to get her daughters medicine.
Were way behind the times, Rowe said after the meeting. The medicine is a lifesaver I wish theyd hurry up. By having retailers in the county, she said, taxpayers will not only save money but there will be an increase in revenue.
The roundtable will meet again on Sept. 25 to discuss public health and safety, and tax, revenue and banking issues.
The disaster of Hurricane Harvey in Texas has touched some of the youngest hearts in St. Helena. But unlike most of us, who just commiserate, Sloan Upton Albright, age 9, and his brother Kiernan, age 6, decided to do something to help.
Tuesday afternoon the boys and their friends, Ben Steffens, 9, and sisters Emily, 8, and Addie, 4, were on the corner of Kearney Street and Madrona Avenue offering Lemon Aid for Texas. They were selling glasses of strawberry and pink lemonade for 50 cents and cookies for $1.
Waving their arms and a sign, jumping up and down and hawking their wares to afterschool traffic, the kids were doing a brisk business.
They came up with the idea yesterday, the boys mother, Caroline Upton said, while watching news of the flooding.
All the children attend St. Helena Montessori School.
Caroline Upton said the money would go to the Salvation Army, or some other charity that could give a lot of aid on the ground without a large overhead. She said she was a disaster relief worker and would find the appropriate charity.
A native St. Helenan, Upton and her family now live in Calistoga. She said she and the boys helped Valley Fire refugees, with the boys helping create a play-space for the displaced children.
The boys father, Tony Albright, is head of creative services at Napa Valley Vintners. He said they also had a lemonade fundraiser for the earthquake victims in Nepal.
Im super proud of those two, Albright said in an email.
As of Wednesday morning, the kids had raised about $400.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported the following:
As the human toll and the strain on flood defenses mounted, the city of Houston moved Tuesday to open two and possibly three more mega-shelters, and the rain from Harvey officially became the heaviest tropical downpour in U.S. history.
Louisianas governor offered to take in Harvey victims from Texas, and televangelist Joel Osteen opened his Houston megachurch, a 16,000-seat former arena, after critics blasted him on social media for not acting to help families displaced by the storm.
The citys largest shelter, the George R. Brown Convention Center, held more than 9,000 people, almost twice the number officials originally planned to house there, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. The crowds included many from areas outside Houston.
We are not turning anyone away. But it does mean we need to expand our capabilities and our capacity, Turner said. Relief is coming.
We all know about budgets and how our income is distributed but how about federal, state, and municipal budgets? With the tax reform proposal in Washington reducing corporations from 35 percent down to 10 percent and the congressional vote coming up on increasing the national debt ceiling, there seems to be a conflict.
A recent Napa Valley Register front page article mentioned the $400 million tourist housing income for the county. If the TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) tax income is 10 percent then there would be $40 million for the public to have. I think that Yountville capitalizes on the TOT tax for their budget.
How many times have you seen a report on government income included in their budgets? Their income consists of taxes, fees, and bonds which require income expenses. The TOT tax depends upon room charge and occupancy. St. Helenas two hotels proposed for TOT still require occupancy. I would suggest that the City Council report how much taxes are from Las Alcobas, and the Harvest Inn over the last three months. All the proponents of the hotels are so enthusiastic about their contribution to the budget.
Again, I mention the report of Income from our government to explain their expenses and the federal need to raise the national debt ceiling.
David Garden Sr.
St. Helena
(Natural News) If youve ever gone to a supermarket and taken a free sample of one of the stores products maybe a slice of cheese or a small cup of soup, for example then chances are somebody tried to hack into your brain. Of course, hacked in this sense doesnt mean using some kind of mind reading super power that youd see in a science fiction film; rather, it is a persuasion technique that has been written about and studied by psychologists for many years.
A report published earlier this month by the American Psychological Association discussed this very concept, and how psychological persuasion techniques really can have an effect on the consumers behavior. When someone offers a free sample, its not really free. It comes with the implied expectation that if a person accepts it, he or she will feel obligated to return the favor and eventually pay for the full product, said the report, which was published on ScienceDaily.com. Thats just one of the many insights psychology has uncovered about the subtle mechanics of persuasion and how people can recognize and respond to attempts to influence their behavior. (Related: Read about how different colors can affect our moods and emotions.)
Speaking at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Robert Cialdini, a professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University, said, Persuasion is no longer just an art; its an out-and-out science. Professor Cialdini continued, Indeed, a vast body of scientific evidence now exists on how, when and why people say yes to influence attempts.
With respect to trying free samples at the grocery store, many of us have most likely experienced this feeling of guilt after walking away from a vendor. Even if you didnt end up purchasing the full product, chances are you at least gave it some thought because of this unspoken obligation you felt to return the favor. Truth be told, this is actually a psychological persuasion technique, and it is intentionally used more often than you think.
It is fair to say that the majority of persuasion techniques used today to get you to buy certain products or services use this same type of brain hacking strategy as the one described by the American Psychological Association. The website FastCompany.com has compiled an entire list of these persuasion tactics, including the scarcity principle, which states that people generally want products more when they are in short supply. This is why department stores often hang a sign on their products that says just for today, and why car companies often air commercials that say you better act fast before its too late.
Another brain hacking technique, called the Conversion Theory, states that the minority in a group of people are the most effective voices when it comes to persuading those in the majority, because those in the majority are the most likely to have joined simply because they felt there were no alternatives.
One persuasion tactic that many businesses use is informally known as the Yale Attitude Change Approach, which is based on years of research and analysis. Yale found that factors such as attractiveness and the way in which you speak can have an impact on how effective one is at persuading others.
Whether its in a grocery store or elsewhere, one thing we know for sure is that as research into persuasion techniques continues, psychology will play an increasingly significant role. Gone are the days when businesses simply went out and told consumers why their product is better than everybody elses. Today, they know how to get inside your head how to hack your brain, if you will and get you to do things that you otherwise may not have done.
Sources include:
ScienceDaily.com
FastCompany.com
(Natural News) There will come a day when political correctness destroys us all. It may not happen tomorrow, and it may not happen within the next few years, but it will happen it is only a matter of time.
In the latest example of political correctness gone awry, a member of Britains Labor Party by the name of Naz Shah recently came out against girls who have been victims of Muslim rape gangs, even going so far as to say they need to shut their mouths in the spirit of diversity.
Shah retweeted a tweet originally posted by a spoof account pretending to be leftist Owen Jones, which read, Exactly Areeq, those abused girls in Rotherham and elsewhere just need to shut their mouths. For the good of #diversity! Its hard to believe that anyone would be so ignorant and uncompassionate about such a serious issue, but apparently for some leftists, even sexual assault is to be ignored if it gets in the way of the advancement of their agenda.
But kissing the feet of Islamic extremists isnt something that is unique to Naz Shah of Britains Labor Party. Indeed, leftists in our own country have always been quick to sympathize with Muslims, even as the more radical ones continue to cut off heads and rape little girls.
Take Barack Obama for example, who truly was one of the weakest, most submissive and unpatriotic leaders that this country has ever seen. On numerous occasions, Obama rushed to the defense of the religion of Islam, in many cases even painting Muslims as victims of intolerance and bigotry. In a 2012 speech before the UN, for instance, Obama famously declared, the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.
Another example comes from just last year, when Barack Obama was asked during a town hall event why he refuses to use the term Islamic terrorism to describe the numerous foreign and domestic attacks carried out by ISIS. What I have been careful about when I describe these issues is to make sure that we do not lump these murderers into the billion Muslims that exist around the world, including in this country, who are peaceful, who are responsible, who, in this country, are fellow troops and police officers and fire fighters and teachers and neighbors and friends, Obama explained. (Related: Politically correct language control is a danger to society.)
Obama has claimed in the past that his refusal to use the term Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with adhering to political correctness, but a leftist saying that they arent being politically correct is like a comedian saying they arent being funny its just part of who they are. Obama was absolutely trying to be politically correct and he knows it.
And yet, political correctness has gotten us nowhere; as a matter of fact, there is a strong case to be made that it has actually done more harm than good. Time and time again, Democrats in Washington D.C. have sacrificed national security for political correctness, all so that at the end of the day they can call themselves compassionate, accepting and diverse.
Take, for example, the Democrats refusal to secure the southern border and their endless push to grant amnesty to 11 million illegal aliens currently living in the United States. They tell us that discarding our existing immigration laws and letting unvetted foreigners stay in our country is the fair and compassionate thing to do, when in reality, its putting thousands of innocent lives at risk. Kate Steinle, the girl who was gunned down by an illegal alien in the sanctuary city of San Francisco, may very well have still been alive today had it not been for political correctness.
And yet the liberals continue their push, in Britain, in the United States and elsewhere, to transform society into what they consider to be a fair and just utopia, when in reality, they are bringing about our destruction.
Sources include:
TheGatewayPundit.com
Breitbart.com
CNN.com
(Natural News) The Mars 2020 mission will use advanced technology to seek signs of microbial life, but has it already been discovered on the Red Planet?
NASAs upcoming Mars mission scheduled to launch in the July/August 2020 time frame will use X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy in its quest to detect biosignatures on rocks.
According to one expert, these new techniques enable exploration of the planet Mars at telescopic to microscopic scales from a mountain to a grain of sand, ScienceDaily explained. The mission will also compile time capsules of a kind, with the gathering of rock and sediment samples which will be left behind in hermetically sealed titanium tubes for analysis by a future mission with presumably even more advanced techniques.
NASA has yet to decide the landing spot for the Mars 2020 mission, which will deliver a state-of-the-art rover payload, that will provide the most scientific potential. Candidates include Columbia Hills in Guseve crater or other locations such as Northeast Syrtis or Jezero crater, both near the edge of the Isidis Planitia.
According to NASA:
The new rover will carry more sophisticated, upgraded hardware and new instruments to conduct geological assessments of the rovers landing site, determine the potential habitability of the environment, and directly search for signs of ancient Martian life.
Some argue that NASA detected signs of microbial life on Mars about 40 years ago, however, as Space.news has previously detailed.
Gilbert Levin, who was in charge of a life-detection experiment on NASAs historic Viking mission in 1976, claimed the space probes really did find signs of life on Mars. Levin has been critical of the agency ever since, stating NASA deliberately ignored evidence of life.
Natural News founder Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, detailed that Levins experiment revealed the evidence of living microbes on Mars using an on-board gas chromatograph instrument.
In the video below, Dr. Levin discusses the Viking mission experiment in more detail, which apparently confirmed, or was consistent with, the presence of life on Mars. Among other things, Dr. Levin noted that it is possible microorganisms in a frozen, dried state traveled from the Earth to Mars (or vice versa) after meteors struck and ejected them into space.
In 2015, NASA finally admitted that liquid water flows on an intermittent basis on Mars. According to Mike Adams, NASA spent years covering up the proof of water on Mars for political reasons and has yet to acknowledge the presence of microbial life there. (Related: Read more about NASA and space exploration at Space.news.)
Adams summarized his thoughts on the matter with this rhetorical question.
And if NASA has been covering up the obvious evidence of flowing water for the last few decades, we all have to ask the obvious question: What else is NASA covering up?
Sources include:
ScienceDaily.com
NASA.gov
Space.news
By William K. Black
August 27, 2017 Kansas City, MO
Like you, I learned recently that Glenn Simpson had given ten hours of testimony before a closed session of the Senate Judiciary Committee and produced tens of thousands of pages of documents to the committee. Simpson founded a company (Fusion GPS) that hired a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele to conduct an investigation of Donald Trumps ties with Russia. Newsweek reports:
Following Simpsons testimony behind closed doors, his attorney, Josh Levy, told reporters that his firm is proud of the work that Steele produced and Simpson oversaw, and that he stands by it.
Fusion GPS bills itself as a place to buy opposition research. In plain English, that means if you pay it lots of money it will produce a hit piece demonizing anyone you hate or fear. We do not know who hired Simpson to arrange the hit piece on Donald Trump. The credibility of Simpsons hit pieces is one of the most important issues for Americans. The best way to judge that credibility is to evaluate Simpsons prior hit pieces against national leaders.
I have information essential to judging Simpsons credibility in his new incarnation as the owner of a firm that exists to sell hit pieces against political candidates and elected officials. I have not seen anyone else discuss the accuracy of prior hit pieces Simpson did attacking other elected officials. I reviewed Simpsons hit piece attacking President Rafael Correa of Ecuador and I am in a uniquely strong position to evaluate the credibility of that Simpson hit piece. That hit piece proves that Simpson lacks credibility and competence particularly when he purports to rely on information provided by intelligence officials to make assertions about supposed conspiracies. Simpson is willing to feed his clients the biased and unreliable hit pieces they pay him to produce to demonize their foes.
I write as a strong opponent of President Trump. I believe that he and President Putin of Russia are two of the most corrupt leaders in the world and pose a clear and present danger to the American people and the peoples of the world. None of this causes me to embrace dishonest hit pieces. It would be a grave error for Democrats to accord credibility to Simpsons hit piece. Democrats should be using David Cay Johnstons work on Trump as their investigative roadmap.
I first became aware of Simpson as an excellent reporter for the Wall Street Journal who wrote some of the better straight news pieces explaining how lenders caused the recent financial crisis. Simpson had to meet high journalistic standards for the paper to publish his articles in that era. The commentators I have seen on television discussing the Russia/Trump investigation and dossier evaluated Simpsons reputation solely on his early work as a journalist. That is a major error. Simpson has not functioned as a journalist for years. He is in business to sell hit pieces to secret funders who wish to vilify those they believe to be their political and economic enemies. Simpson has abandoned journalistic standards in order to sell his hit pieces to secret funders. We can only judge Simpsons current credibility by examining the accuracy of his prior hit pieces on heads of state. I am in a special position to do that on Simpsons hit piece attacking President Correa.
I came across Simpson after he left the paper and went to work at a shadowy company. He co-authored a hit piece attacking Rafael Correa, Ecuadors president. The attack consisted of extreme right wing rhetoric accusing President Correa of seeking to corrupt Ecuador, aid cartels, encourage money laundering and fraud, and lead Ecuador into a warming relationship with Russia. Simpsons hit piece against President Correa provides the best evidence of Simpsons current reputation now that he is in the business of selling hit pieces based on claims that frequently do not meet even the most lenient journalistic standards.
The reason I came across Simpsons hit piece on President Correa is that senior Ecuadorian officials appointed by him asked me to help them train their staff and create systems to reduce corruption, cartels and other abuses arising from market power, money laundering, and bank and procurement fraud. I wanted to learn more about Ecuadors situation so I read Simpsons hit piece in my routine preparatory research.
The fact that President Correas government funded my training of scores of Ecuadorian officials to enhance their efforts against fraud, cartels, corruption, and money laundering and tax evasion refuted Simpsons principal attacks on President Correa. Simpson claimed that President Correa embraced corruption and money laundering. For five months when I lived in Quito, plus nearly a dozen visits over the last five years, I worked extensively with and evaluated scores of senior Ecuadorian officials who had leading roles fighting cartels, fraud, and corruption. President Correa appointed the senior leaders of each of the government agencies I worked with. These officials performed in an exemplary fashion. President Correa selected them for office because of their expertise, courage, and integrity.
I also am in a position of special expertise to evaluate Simpsons claims that President Correas punishment of a huge, powerful Brazilian corporation demonstrated President Correas abuse of power. Simpson presented the firm, and Brazils government, as paragons of virtue. In reality, the firm was the most corrupt entity in the world, and sought to corrupt all of Brazils most senior leaders and institutions.
I have several key takeaways from evaluating the credibility of Simpsons hit piece attacking President Correa. First, Simpson was dead wrong. He did not simply err on the margins. The Brazilian firm, and its government patrons that he praised, were vectors that spread elite corruption through over a dozen Latin American nations. President Correas actions, and the actions of the anti-fraud, anti-cartel, and anti-corruption leaders that he appointed to key ministries demonstrate a dedication to opposing elite fraud and corruption and exceptional success in their fields. In particular, President Correa deserves high praise for insisting on applying the rule of law to the immensely powerful and corrupt Brazilian firm that Simpson falsely praised as a paragon of virtue. Simpsons attacks against President Correa and Simpsons odes to the Brazilian firm and its government patrons were the opposite of the truth.
Second, Simpsons hit piece on President Correa did not meet even minimal journalistic standards. It was a screed.
Third, Simpsons failure to disclose who funded his hit piece on President Correa constituted a fundamental defect of integrity and credibility that should cause any responsible person not to rely on Simpsons hit pieces. Some senior executive of a corporation wanted Simpson to write a hit piece on President Correa rather than an objective report. The senior corporate officials had a powerful motive to fund such an expensive hit piece on President Correa and to make it public. That motive is almost certainly personal, opportunistic, and sleazy. Simpsons failure to disclose the corporate funder and its motives means that his hit piece is inherently unreliable because the reader cannot evaluate its biases.
Fourth, Simpsons claim that his hit piece on President Correa was based on illegal leaks of classified information to his co-author by unidentified military intelligence officers from Mexico, Colombia, and the United States constituted an inherent, serious failure of credibility and integrity. One hopes that Simpsons claim is false, but if it is true, it is even more disturbing. If military intelligence officers from many nations are repeatedly and illegally leaking classified information to sketchy firms to produce hit pieces against elected presidents, then the sketchy firms are routinely able to suborn intelligence officers. Sketchy firms can suborn intelligence officers through bribery or because the sketchy firms cause the intelligence officers to believe the sketchy firms will hire them when they retire from the government. In either case, the intelligence officers claims lack all integrity and credibility.
Any honest and competent intelligence officer who was willing to leak classified information to Simpsons co-author would have warned Simpson that his ode to the huge and massively corrupt and powerful Brazilian firm that President Correa punished for its crimes was so preposterous that it would destroy Simpsons credibility. The inherent problem, of course, is that intelligence officers who leak classified information to firms developing hit pieces are neither honest nor competent, which makes their leaks unreliable.
Simpsons hit piece on President Correa was so over the top and so much worse than his news articles that I immediately wondered who hired Simpson to write it. The hit pieces contents often failed to meet journalists minimum standards. Simpsons hit piece reads more like how an intelligence agent might report raw, unverified speculation by unidentified sources. Simpson and his co-author stated that their screed:
[I]s based on interviews with Ecuadoran officials, academics and military personnel, as well as interviews with police and military intelligence officers in Mexico, Colombia and the United States.
Simpson and his colleagues do not appear to disclose to the public who those clients are, even though that is essential for the public to judge how biased the reports are.
The non-obvious questions are why Simpson made the President Correa hit piece public and why he made it a screed rather than an objective report. Ecuador is a small nation. American businesses are not clamoring to do business there and eager to pay tens of thousands of dollars for research on the risks of doing business in Ecuador. If a major firms officers were trying to decide whether to do business in Ecuador and wanted to commission a report on the risks of doing business in Ecuador the corporate officers would not make the report public and would want the report to be objective and read objectively when they presented it to their CEO.
Simpson indicated that the hit piece on President Correa was expensive to produce. The hit piece say that the authors had to arrange many interviews in three nations and spent several weeks abroad. The authors say their research took four months to complete. The report is lengthy, about 75 pages long with 159 footnotes. A client paid very large amounts of money, not to learn about Ecuador, but to purchase a public hit piece against President Correa that would not identify the funder of that hit piece. Simpson believed that the client wanted a screed rather than an objective report. Simpson had no ethical restraints against producing a hit piece secretly funded by someone who wanted to demonize the President of a sovereign nation. A senior officer of a corporation must have approved secretly funding (directly, or indirectly through a right wing think tank) an expensive hit piece of this nature against President Correa.
The Simpson screed is particularly impassioned in denouncing President Correa for imposing legal sanctions against a specific corporation the respected Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. If you have been following the Brazilian corruption scandal, you know that Simpsons ode to Odebrecht demonstrates rank incompetence and dishonesty. If he was truthful in reporting that military intelligence officers of three nations secretly leaked him classified information, then his ode to Odebrecht also demonstrates the incompetence or dishonesty of the military intelligence officers of Mexico, Colombia, and the United States. Ecuador sanctioned Odebrecht for procurement fraud (overcharges by Odebrecht to Ecuador). Any honest report would have praised President Correa and Ecuadors government for being the first government to take effective action (beginning in 2008) to counter Odebrechts crimes and protect the citizens of Ecuador. Instead, Simpson railed in his hit piece about the supposed outrage of Ecuador enforcing the rule of law against Odebrechts public procurement fraud.
Simpsons ode to Odebrecht is absurd on its face. It makes no pretense of objectivity. It does not even present Ecuadors case against Odebrechts frauds. It presumes that President Correa must have acted illegitimately. Simpsons strongest basis for labeling Odebrecht a paragon of virtue is hilariously weak it competes successfully in some of the most transparent markets in the world including the United States. Yes, bribery and bid-rigging do wonders for a firms ability to compete successfully. Simpson was implying that elite fraud and corruption could not occur in the United States. In addition to all the usual reasons that claim is preposterous, one must recall that Simpson and his colleagues at the Wall Street Journal explained in thousands of articles how elite corporate executives in the United States became wealthy by causing their firms to engage in fraud and corruption and why U.S. markets gave only the illusion of being transparent..
Odebrecht is the sleaziest large company in the world. Its business plan was combining the creation of cartels that rigged government procurement bids and bribed senior government officials and procurement officials in order to overcharge massively the public. Business Insiders May 30, 2017 column summarizes the key points.
One name has completely disrupted politics in the Western Hemisphere, taken down at least one presidency and threatens to topple another. It has sent protesters to the streets in more than one nation, and has American officials combing through bank transactions leading to a nebulous web of offshore accounts. The name is Odebrecht its a Brazilian construction company that became an international giant over years of using bribery and corruption to secure around 100 projects in 12 countries, generating ill-gotten gains of about $3.3 billion. That $3.3 billion, however, has nothing on the impact Odebrecht will have on history. In the countries where it operated especially in Brazil and the Dominican Republic the revelation that Odebrechts corruption reached the highest levels of government has destroyed storied careers and crippled political parties. Former left wing Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was an Odebrecht casualty. She was forced to step down from office last year. Her right wing successor, Michel Temer may not survive his full tenure in office either. Recently, tapes of him encouraging bribes leaked to the public, and on Sunday Brazilians held yet another massive protests calling for his resignation. In Peru, a judge ordered the arrest of former President Alejandro Toledo, who was accused of accepting millions from Odebrecht. Another governor has been placed in preventative prison for 18 months for accepting $4 million in bribes as protesters have taken to the streets. In Colombia, prosecutors are investigating whether or not President Juan Manuel Santos 2014 campaigned received improper donations from Odebrecht. Protesters in Guatemala have also called for the resignation of their president and any other politicians involved in the scandal. In the Dominican Republic, almost a dozen officials were arrested on Monday on suspicion of involvement with the $92 million in bribes Odebrecht paid there. According to the Justice Department, the company made $163 million from those bribes.
Odebrecht optimized its corrupt and fraudulent profits through bribery, cartels, bid-rigging of public procurement to overcharge massively many government entities, and money laundering and tax evasion using offshore tax havens infamous for aiding drug cartels.
The US is investigating Odebrecht for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act because the company allegedly made million in corrupt payments from New York City and held meetings in Miami. The Justice Department complaint reads like a Bond-villains backstory. According to the Feds, Odebrecht started bribing officials around 2001. In 2006, though, things got really streamlined. The company created an entire division simply for making corrupt payments it was called the Division of Structure Operations. It had a separate computer process from the rest of the company for its communications and payments. Naturally, there was an opaque and complicated structure of offshore accounts. Payments could go through up to four levels of offshore bank accounts before reaching their final destination. To further streamline this process, in 2010 or 2011 Odebrecht bought a branch of an Austrian bank in Antigua. This is how the company managed to pay out $788 million in bribes.
Recall that Simpsons hit piece against President Correa specifically denounced him for (a) taking effective action against Odebrechts criminal overcharges of the public in procurement and (b) for purportedly not cracking down adequately on money laundering and corruption. The Odebrecht scandal demonstrates that the Simpson hit piece against President Correa exactly reversed the facts. Simpsons ode to Odebrechts supposed integrity and his denunciation of President Correas firm actions against its crimes demonstrate that Simpson lost all journalistic integrity in the pursuit of profit from his sleazy corporate sponsors. Did Odebrecht directly or indirectly fund Simpsons hit piece?
What was the goal of the secret corporate sponsor(s) of Simpsons hit piece on President Correa? Was it sleazy opposition research designed to defeat President Correa and his party in the next election? Was it to push President Obama to adopt policies more hostile to Ecuador? Was it to provide the pretext for a coup to remove President Correa from office? We should not have to guess about who funded Simpsons hit pieces. It is essential to know the funder and its motivations for the reader (or Congress) to understand and counter Simpsons biases and evaluate the dubious credibility of his hit pieces. As with any secretly funded hit piece, we should accord Simpsons hit piece zero credibility until his client and its motivations are disclosed.
Was the corporate funders goal to help Odebrecht bring a claim against the Nation of Ecuador? The Simpson hit piece celebrates the hostility of the biased arbitration panels that are designed to allow business and only business to sue governments that dare to adopt and enforce effective rules of law against business crimes and abuses such as pollution and the sale of unsafe products. The Trump administration and some Democratic candidates for the presidency have identified these kangaroo tribunals as an unconscionable surrender of national sovereignty and one of the key ways in which every major trade deal has rigged the system in favor of the most rapacious and dishonest elite corporate officers at the direct expense of the public.
Simpsons hit piece against President Correa (unintentionally) reveals the obscenity of such kangaroo (non-court) arbitration schemes. Simpson urged that the arbitrators treat the sleaziest company in the world (Odebrecht) as a tremendously respected corporation and award it damages against Ecuador that its citizens would have to pay for the high crime of Ecuador sanctioning a criminal corporation for its crimes. Simpson called the kangaroo tribunals he was openly egging on to try to bankrupt Ecuador through crippling fines for the purposes of rewarding Odebrechts crimes necessary to prevent radical populist attacks on foreign companies. Odebrecht was the one making radical elite attacks on a foreign people the relatively poor people of Ecuador. Democrats should be particularly outraged at Simpsons shilling for the Oldebrechts corrupt leaders and the kangaroo tribunals they use to extort democratic government.
Brazil did not begin to crack down on Odebrechts endemic crimes until 2014 (six years after Ecuador began its crackdown in 2008). By that time, Odebrechts crimes had caused so much economic, political, and moral damage to Brazil that it led to economic and political crises that continue to be acute today three years after Brazil began its crackdown. As a criminologist and former senior financial regulator, I want to emphasize that the speed at which government leaders counter elite fraud and corruption is critical to avoiding catastrophic harm to the public.
President Correa saved the people of Ecuador from a catastrophe. One of the three keys to President Correas plans for economic development was the rapid improvement of Ecuadors poor infrastructure. This meant greatly increased spending on public construction projects. Odebrecht was Latin Americas largest and best-known public construction firm. It stood to make enormous profits off the Ecuadorian government and people through its greatest expertise corrupt and unlawful destruction of honest government procurement. Odebrecht was not content with normal construction profits. Recall what investigators from Brazil, the United States, Peru, and the Dominican Republic have confirmed Odebrecht routinely obtained supra-normal profits through endemic criminal means. Investigators have found that $788 million in bribes produced ill-gotten gains of about $3.3 billion for Odebrecht over a 400% return on their investment.
As the Business Insider article explains, Odebrecht specialized in bribing Latin American presidents. As a criminologist who studies and acts against elite corruption, I have repeatedly warned that the biggest bang for the buck from bribery comes from suborning the most senior corporate and public officials. Odebrechts leaders understood this fact and repeatedly bribed heads of state.
Odebrechts leaders faced a seemingly insoluble problem with their normal bribery game plan when Ecuadorians elected Rafael Correa president of Ecuador. They knew that they could not bribe President Correa. Odebrechts leaders knew that if they tried to bribe President Correa he would have prosecuted them for that crime. That fact refuted Simpsons smears that President Correa was corrupt, so it never appears in his hit piece.
There was only one elegant solution for Odebrechts leaders remove President Correa from office so that they could bribe his successor. Simpsons hit piece against President Correa begins by explaining that Odebrecht had serious reasons to hope that it could drive President Correa from office.
From 1997 until Correas election [in 2007], Ecuador had six presidents, none of who served a full term in office.
Simpsons hit piece argues:
[Rafael Correas] most important promise was to end the traditional bickering and corruption that had characterized the prior governments and to usher in a new era of clean hands, honesty and accountability.
Simpsons hit piece, unintentionally, demonstrates that President Correa made good on his most important promise to the people of Ecuador which is why Odebrecht was so eager to drive him from office through its repeated libels of President Correa. President Correa had the courage to take on the most powerful company (Odebrecht) of the most powerful nation in Latin America (Brazil) and impose the rule of law on the most elite of the elites. The Brazilian government was furious at President Correas effective crack down on Odebrechts crimes. Simpson quotes this fact and asserts that it somehow proves that President Correa was acting unlawfully in sanctioning Odebrecht for its crimes. The facts prove the opposite. President Correa knew that Brazil would be furious if he punished Odebrechts crimes and President Correa still had the courage to do the right thing. That demonstrated his integrity. President Correa knew that Odebrechts leaders would have been delighted to pay him tens of millions of dollars in bribes to rig the procurement processes on hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure construction projects. Many government leaders talk a good game about integrity but are not tested in the crucible. President Correa placed himself in the crucible and faced the most intensive temperatures and pressures.
I spent months in Ecuador at the invitation of the President Correas government training staff on how to combat procurement fraud and corruption, banking fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and antitrust and market power abuses. First, President Correa would not have done this if he were corrupt. Second, I know well the leader of Ecuadors National Procurement System (SERCOP). President Correa chose Santiago Vasquez (and his predecessor Andres Arauz) to head SERCOP because they are amongst the best of Ecuadors young technocrats. They are also Ecuadorian patriots with reputations for complete integrity. Mr. Arauz served a short time as head of SERCOP, but began some of the key reforms. Mr. Vasquez has run SERCOP for several years and has implemented most of the successful reforms.
I also need to emphasize a point made by Odebrechts criminal schemes well known to white-collar criminologists who study procurement fraud and corruption. One of the most common and expensive sources of procurement abuses is a bid-rigging cartel. I encouraged SERCOP to train and work closely with Ecuadors antitrust authority to spot and sanction bid-rigging cartels. President Correa created Ecuadors first authority for the control of abuses of market power, the Superintendencia de Control del Poder de Mercado (SCPM). President Correa (who has a doctorate in economics from a U.S. University) appointed another distinguished economist, Dr. Pedro Paez, as SCPMs first Superintendent. Dr. Paez enthusiastically committed to training most of his staff in spotting, preventing, and sanctioning bid-rigging cartels. We were able to conduct multiple, detailed joint training sessions for SERCOP and SCPM staff. The related goal was for the staff of both agencies to get to know each other to make it far easier to create effective teamwork between the two agencies.
Under the leadership of this talented trio, SERCOP has risen in the World Bank rankings of national procurement authorities to the 11th best in the world the highest rating in Latin America and a higher rating than its American and Canadian counterparts. Again, none of this would have happened unless President Correa meant to make good on what Simpson described as his most important promise to the people of Ecuador integrity and clean hands. The people of Ecuador are the direct beneficiaries of the success of SERCOP under Messrs. Vasquez and Arauz and SCPM under Dr. Paez.
No country is without corruption. SERCOP lacks statutory authority over the oil industry and defense procurement. The government of Ecuador may choose to fill that statutory gap in protection against corruption.
Simpsons record in attacking another leader of a sovereign nation, President Correa, demonstrates that Simpsons hit pieces are spectacularly unreliable. In the case of Odebrecht and President Correa, Simpson was as wrong as it is humanly possible to be wrong. Worse, the reason Simpson was wrong on the substance of his dishonest attacks was that he abandoned journalistic ethics and premised his business on selling secret funders unreliable hit pieces designed to demonize their political foes. Democrats should not rely on Simpson or his hit pieces.
MELBOURNE, Florida A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly passed out behind the wheel at an intersection while driving under the influence with a toddler on board on his way to pick up another child from school in Melbourne, Florida.
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According to the Melbourne Police Department, officers were notified of a motorist who was reported to be passed out behind the steering wheel of a vehicle.
When police arrived on scene, they located a vehicle on Hibiscus Boulevard at the intersection of South Harbor City Boulevard. Police say that the vehicle ignition was turned on, in gear, and the driver had his foot on the brake.
Police also say that they observed an open container of alcohol in 32-year-old Travis Paul Taffers hand.
After the officers observed a 16-month-old child in the backseat, they reached into the vehicle, placed the vehicle park, and woke up Taffer. Police say that it appeared to them that Taffer was under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants.
During the course of the investigation, also learned that Taffer was on his way to pick up a 7-year-old child from school.
Taffer then underwent field sobriety exercises where officers determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants to the point his normal faculties were impaired. The Satellite Beach man was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI with a minor in the vehicle, driving while license suspend with knowledge, and open container. He was later transported to the Brevard County Jail.
The toddlers mother responded to the scene to pick up the child.
Each year, students in the bachelor of business administration (BBA) program at Emory's Goizueta Business School experience the high-ropes challenge courses and unique Alpine Tower at the Kaplan Mitchell Conference Center in Clayton, Georgia, as part of their orientation.
Its just a great place for us to help our incoming students transition into the BBA Program and to begin to build the skills and competencies that are the hallmark of our leadership programming, says Andrea Hershatter, senior associate dean for undergraduate education at Goizueta.
However, this semesters orientation was anything but routine, as students were able to witness a monumental event: the solar eclipse.
Approximately 15 months ago, Hershatter and fellow event organizers realized that orientation would fall during the eclipse and Clayton would be in the path of totality. The team moved quickly to lock in the date.
Additionally, the BBA Program was fortunate to secure physics lecturer Erin Bonning, director of the Emory Planetarium, to come and speak to the students during the event.
Bonning outlined the ways in which humanity has observed and thought about this phenomenon since the time of Aristotle and how it helped to prove Einsteins theory of relativity. She explained how orbits work and why solar eclipses where totality occurs over large land masses are so rare.
In preparation for the event, Hershatter and her team ordered official NASA-approved eclipse glasses and printed NASA and Goizueta logo-themed bandanas.
We were incredibly excited that this particular class, who will graduate in 2019 during Goizuetas 100th anniversary, was our eclipse class, Hershatter said. It seems like a perfect cosmic alliance to me that the 100th-anniversary class would also experience the total eclipse of the sun during orientation. That was magical.
What started out as a crystal-clear day became worrisome at about 1:30 p.m., as clouds rolled in and threatened to obscure the view. However, the cloud cover held off just enough for the BBA class to enjoy all the phases of the eclipse, and the full two minutes and 30 seconds of totality.
We were amazingly lucky that the students could experience full totality, Hershatter said, noting that just 90 seconds later would have obscured the event.
Instead, at the moment of totality, the sky was still clear. The corona flared and students were able to remove their glasses and view the glow around the moon.
When our BBAs experienced totality, there was a collective gasp and then a cheer, Hershatter said. It was an amazing, goosebump-inducing, bonding occurrence, and it was augmented by the fact that because of the clouds, we werent sure if we would be able to view it or not.
College is transformational for most students, Hershatter said. However, it is usually measured in individual memories, rather than the collective one that will stand out for the BBA Class of 2019.
It is rare to be in a moment that you absolutely know is significant at the time it is occurring, Hershatter said. This particular event was incredibly poignant while it was going on and I think it will continue to mark a meaningful touch point for their Goizueta experience that they will remember throughout their lives.
UPDATE 9/11/17: The conversation with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Emorys Glenn Memorial Auditorium has been canceled. Emory Law hopes to reschedule the Justices visit as soon as possible, and organizers will communicate those plans once a new date is confirmed.
Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, will join in a discussion with Emory Law professor Fred Smith at an event for the law school community at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, in Glenn Memorial Auditorium.
Smith is a constitutional law scholar who clerked for Sotomayor during the October 2013 term. An audience question-and-answer session will follow. Emory Law students will be allowed to submit questions in advance.
As Emory Law enters its second century of advancing the rule of law, I can think of no one more appropriate to speak to our community, says Judson Graves 75L, interim dean. We are honored to be able to welcome Justice Sotomayor to Emory.
Sotomayor was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009. President George Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York in 1991, and she served in that role from 1992 to 1998. She then served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1998 to 2009.
Prior to serving as a judge, she served as assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office from 1979 to 1984. From 1984 to 1992, she worked as an associate and then partner at Pavia & Harcourt, where she litigated international commercial matters.
Sotomayor is a graduate of Yale Law School, where she served as editor of the Yale Law Journal. She earned a B.A. from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the universitys highest academic honor. She was born in Bronx, New York.
Sotomayors memoir, My Beloved World, was published in 2013. Autographed copies will be available for purchase before and after the event.
Ticketing details
Tickets are available via a lottery to the Emory Law community. The direct link to the ticket reservation page for students is here. Individuals may register for only one ticket; tickets are non-transferable and sale/re-sale is prohibited.
Those receiving confirmation that they have a ticket will be able to pick it up at a registration table outside Glenn Memorial Auditorium on the day of the event when doors open at 1 p.m. Attendees must present a valid Emory ID to pick up their ticket.
If a ticket is not picked up by 2 p.m., the registrant risks losing it to a member of the waitlist. Those not seated at the start of the program will not be admitted.
Additional event details
This fall for the first time, the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University (Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Oxford College) will accept one single college application, streamlining the application process for high school seniors in Georgia to apply to these three institutions.
The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success Application now enables seniors to apply to any or all of the three schools, both public and private, with one admission application. The application is part of a set of free tools available to all high school students and schools to help plan for the college admissions process available through the Coalition platform.
Patrick Winter, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at UGA, says that the Coalition platform can help talented Georgia students explore their college options while simplifying the application process. We are excited to be a part of this initiative.
Paul Kohn, vice provost for enrollment services at Georgia Tech, says, "We greatly benefit from our state having three of the worlds most prestigious universities. Now that all have a shared application platform, the ease with which students can apply to our institutions and the potential for Georgia to retain its best and brightest will surely be enhanced. Together we can improve access, completion and progress toward Gov. Deal's ambitious goal of many more Georgians having a college degree."
Paul Marthers, vice provost for enrollment management at Emory, says the university sees the move as an option-expanding opportunity not just for high school students, but also for teachers and high school counselors in Georgia. The platform provides an accessible way for schools to support their students through what has become a somewhat confusing process. We want to see knowledge about college admissions and financial aid increase, and we believe the Coalition platform helps do just that.
The tools included in the Coalition platform offered free of charge to high school guidance counselors, administrators, and students move the college application process from one stressful senior year to a more progressive, developmental four-year process, where students, counselors and mentors can track a students progress throughout high school and the college application process, all in one place.
The Coalition platform is national, accepted by more than 100 member institutions, including UGA, Georgia Tech, and Emory. Coalition member colleges and universities are leaders in achieving successful outcomes for students, and doing so with strong financial aid and scholarship programs. Students from across the United States can access the tools, support, and application through coaltionforcollegeaccess.org.
This years Coalition application will go live on Sept. 1, 2017. Students should check with each institution for important application and scholarship deadlines. Emory and Georgia Tech will continue to accept the Common Application. UGA will continue to accept its institutional application.
Siheng Su, assistant professor of mechanical engineering
Siheng Su studied the development of functional nanomaterials chemical substances or materials that are manufactured and used at a very small scale for brain cancer therapy at Texas Tech University, where she earned her doctorate in mechanical engineering.
Su now brings her expertise in the biomedical field to Cal State Fullerton and the College of Engineering and Computer Science, which is developing a new program in biomedical engineering with a medical device emphasis.
Su, who joined the University this academic year as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, also holds a bachelors degree in environmental science from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.
What is one thing youd like others to know about your field?
When people think of mechanical engineering, they think the discipline is only about automobiles and machines. But actually, mechanical engineers also develop medical devices and functional biomaterials for disease diagnosis and therapy.
What inspired you to go into this field?
I chose this field because mechanical engineering provides advanced techniques to improve our health. In this area of study, I want to explore the possibilities of mechanical engineering in the biomedical field by integrating chemical and biological technologies. Its fantastic to see how these technologies can improve peoples quality of life.
What are your research interests?
My research focuses on nanomaterials manufacturing the interaction between nanomaterials and biological membranes, and the 3-D printing of artificial tissues and organs. In my research, biomaterials are manufactured, optimized and applied in disease detection, disease therapy and tissue engineering. My latest work explores injectable nature polymers (giant molecules such as protein) for tissue regeneration.
What do you hope students learn from your teaching?
I want my students to learn the fundamental knowledge found in a textbook, and also know how to think logically and apply what they learn in the classroom to solve real-world problems. In my class, practical examples are always emphasized. I also try to help students build their confidence so they can better prepare for their futures.
- Saudi Arabia is supporting terrorists in Yemen.
- Iran will not permit UN inspections of its military sites as it is not a requirement in previous deals signed.
- Iran Reaffirms commitment to honour the 2005 Nuclear deal.
The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused regional rivals Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorists in the ongoing war in Yemen.
He made this disclosure during an interview with state TV.
Before now, Saudi Arabi and Iran have continued to fight for dominance in the region and have even supported rival militant groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
"Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen and their support of terrorists in Yemen and Syria are main hurdles to improve ties between Tehran and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia should stop backing terrorists," Rouhani told state TV on Tuesday.
The Iranian President also used the opportunity to discuss the 2005 Nuclear deal and address recent concerns regarding whether UN inspectors would be allowed to inspect Iran's military sites.
"Our commitments to the world are clear ... our relations with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) are defined by rules, not by the US," Rouhani said in the televised address.
"I see it as unlikely that the IAEA will accept the request for inspections, but even if they do, we will not."
Rouhani has earlier refused to grant access to his country's military sites stating that reports obtained may find their way to the U.S. and other intelligence agencies.
President Rouhani further stated that U.S. President Donald Trump would find it difficult to tear up the deal with the UN as it had a lot of support from Europe.
"The US is in the most difficult situation in its history for creating unity against us and I think it's not possible for it to do so now," Rouhani said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-29 23:32:52|Editor: Lu Hui
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by Larry Neild
LONDON, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The tricky issue of what Britain will have to pay in its European Union (EU) divorce bill is a question that will not go away, British expert Iain Begg said in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.
Responding to the claim by the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier that Brexit talks were too slow, Begg said he had a point.
Begg is a leading EU expert at the London School of Economics European Institute and has followed the progress of the Brexit wrangle since Britain first announced the issue would be put to the nation in a referendum.
On Monday, at the start of a new round of negotiations in Brussels, Barnier called for Britain to take talks over exiting the EU more seriously, expressing concern that time was passing and progress had not been made on the terms of Britain's departure.
"We need UK positions on all separation issues. This is necessary to make sufficient progress," Begg agreed. "We must start negotiating seriously."
"Barnier has a point," he said, adding that Britain's so-called divorce bill remained a key sticking point in the negotiations, one of the key separation issues mentioned by Barnier on Monday.
"The question of the divorce bill will not go away, Britain has to adopt a position on this," said Begg.
Both Britain and the EU played down the prospect of a breakthrough in the ongoing Brexit talks as the EU insists substantial progress be made in paying the divorce bill before moving to the next phase of negotiations.
Begg said the European Council, the administrative arm of the EU, had mandated Barnier on three key separation issues -- the Irish border, citizens' rights, and the divorce settlement.
With talks with the European Council due in October, the timetable is becoming tight, said Begg.
"The payment is something I have long believed would be a sticking point," he said. "There is the amount Britain must pay, with some putting the figure at 100 billion euros (120 billion U.S. dollars), while there has been some indications in Britain it could be between 30 to 40 billion euros, so there is a big gap to bridge."
"I would have put the amount at around 40 billion euros," said Begg.
In 2013, Britain signed the EU's seven-year framework, and a case has been put forward that Britain remains legally committed to that, explained Begg.
The question is whether Britain feels it can bale out before the end of that seven-year period.
"The view has been taken that whether Britain likes it or not, it is a binding commitment," he said. "Ultimately, it will be a political decision."
"On the other side is the great difficulty for Europe if Britain does not fulfill its commitment to the framework," he said.
"For example, it could mean money promised to Poland under the framework would not be forthcoming if Britain didn't pay, or alternatively Germany may have to pay more to make up for the loss of British money. A face saving way around this would be for the framework to be played out until 2020."
Begg agreed that inevitably the Brexit negotiations were like a game of poker.
"Issues such as the Irish border and citizens rights, far from being trivial, are relatively easy things to sort out. But the money issue is more of a problem," he said.
Amit Kara, head of UK macroeconomic forecasting at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) in London, was not surprised by Barnier's comments.
"It is a case of posturing on both sides and my sense is that things would always be bad before they got better, so it should come as no surprise that we have seen acrimony and uncertainty," Kara said.
"It is clear there will be a need to give and take on both sides, but at the coal face what is needed is settling the key separation issues," Kara said.
"Whatever happens we need to avoid a cliff edge. We are already seeing signs that businesses are putting plans on hold as they wait to see what happens."
"It is also clear that a good deal for the UK will be bad for the EU, but the clock is ticking as these negotiations continue," said Kara. "It is a question of who will blink first. My sense is that as Britain is smaller and more divided over Brexit, it could be us."
Former leader of the Conservatives, William Hague, sprung to the defence of Britain's negotiation approach by attacking and blaming the EU.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Hague said that Europe's circular way of negotiating suits their side and gives Britain the runaround, increasing pressure on the British government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 08:01:59|Editor: Yang Yi
People interact with intelligent robots "Fa Mengmeng" and "Lyu Mengmeng" for legal advice at a law firm in Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 29, 2017. These two intelligent robots can provide some professional legal consultancy services for people. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 00:18:19|Editor: yan
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by Muhammad Tahir
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A vast majority of Pakistanis believe that the United States has failed in the war in Afghanistan despite using all its military power in 17 years and U.S. President Donald Trump has put more pressures on Pakistan to find a scapegoat to convince Americans.
In a major shift in his pre-election approach to pull the U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, where the U.S. forces have been involved in their longest war, Trump has agreed to deploy more troops.
Pakistanis also seemed upset at the U.S. president's ignorance of Pakistan's anti-terrorism role which claimed about 73,000 lives, including over 6,000 security personnel, since 2003 when Pakistani troops were sent to tribal regions to fight against militants, many of whom had been forced to cross the border to Pakistan due to U.S. military action in Afghanistan.
Trump had warned that his administration could no longer be silent about "Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists."
Experts in Pakistan are unanimous that the Trump's new policy for South Asia is the continuation of the policies of his predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, to use the military option in Afghanistan instead of pressing for political negotiations.
Veteran Pakistani diplomat Ayaz Wazir argued that as the United State is not winning the war in Afghanistan, it has started accusing and putting more pressure on Pakistan.
"This is a fact that Pakistan is very important and that is why Russia and China opposed pressure on Pakistan after President Trump unveiled his review for the region. Pakistan's role is more important even than the U.S. in peace and stability in Afghanistan and the U.S. should use this role," Wazir told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Senior security expert Sayed Qaiser Hussain Shah opined that Trump has admitted that the U.S. policy in Afghanistan has failed since the start of the war in 2001.
"As the U.S. new policy is mainly shifted the blame to Pakistan, the government should increase its understanding and cooperation with Russia, China, Iran and other regional countries to jointly work for peace talks in Afghanistan," Shah, who has served as Air Marshal in Pakistan Air Force, told Xinhua.
He also pointed out that Kabul also lacks a clear policy to deal with the situation and efforts for political dialogue in Afghanistan could also reduce the influence of India.
Rahimullah Yousafzai, the resident editor of The News daily, said the U.S. policy for South Asia is based on Trump's wishes, who unfortunately did not recognize Pakistan's sacrifices against terrorism.
People in Pakistan backed the government's decision to postpone the visit to Washington by Foreign Minister Khwaja Mohammad Asif in the wake of Trump's serious accusations against Pakistan. The visit was reportedly scheduled last week.
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells also had to postpone her Pakistan visit planned in this week on Pakistan's request amid tensions.
A senior Pakistani official has told Xinhua in Islamabad that the country had valid reasons to delay Asif' visit.
"It would show our weaknesses if the foreign minister visit the U.S. despite wild accusation and to discredit Pakistan's unprecedented sacrifices against terrorism," said the official anonymously.
He, however, said Pakistan would engage the United States and there could be high level contacts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next month.
The official said Pakistan is focusing on consultations with the regional countries, including China, Russia, Iran and Turkey, to jointly work for peace in Afghanistan and the region.
Pakistani political leaders, including opposition parties, have showed rare unity against the new U.S. policy and said the country would not surrender to any threats.
A series of demonstrations on Monday also condemned Trump's allegations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 01:59:01|Editor: yan
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VIENTIANE, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The construction of China-Laos railway has been in full swing, while the Chinese companies involved are gearing up for the peak construction period during the dry season in Laos.
While paying an inspection visit on Monday to the Mekong River peninsula in northern Laos' Luang Prabang, where construction conditions are harsh, General Manager of China Railway International Co., Ltd and Chairman of Laos-China Railway Company Huang Difu requested Chinese units to overcome difficulties, speed up construction of bridges, tunnels and roads at the section, and strengthen the construction of sidewalk reinforcement to ensure a smooth progress during the rainy season.
China Railway No. 2 Group Co., Ltd, which is responsible for construction of the northernmost and southernmost sections of China-Laos railway, held a site meeting Tuesday in the Lao capital of Vientiane for dry season construction.
General Manager of China Railway No. 2 Group Wang Guangzhong exhorted the company staff to join the campaign in the coming nine months of dry season for peak construction.
Wang asked his staff to take advantage of the dry season to fulfill all the set tasks to lay foundation for high-quality construction of the China-Laos railway in a timely manner.
The Lao climate is mainly tropical with dry and rainy seasons. Rainy season runs from May to October. China Railway Group Limited, Power Construction Corporation of China and other units participating in construction of the railway are mobilizing forces for the prepartion of dry season construction.
The construction of China-Laos railway started on Dec. 25, 2016 in the northern Lao province of Luang Prabang. The Laos-China railway company on March 31 launched a campaign of "a 100-day of dry season working competition."
At a gathering held Sunday in Vientiane to commend the progress achieved so far in the project, the company announced that the China-Laos railway project has entered the phase of comprehensive construction in an orderly and effective way.
According to Zhao Xiang, director general of the Laos-China Railway Company, since the launching of the competition, construction units of the project have overcome various difficulties to actively promote the implementation of the project.
In less than six months, site preparation has been completed for the construction of four stations; foundation construction of nine bridge piles have finished; 86 holes for construction of 46 tunnels have been drilled, of which 15 are key tunnels.
Lattanamany Khounnyvong, Lao vice minister for public works and transport and team leader of the railway project working group, said the campaign showed friendship of the construction units to the Lao people and their support to the project.
As an important project under the Belt and Road initiative, it will benefit peoples of the two countries and promote interconnectivity between China and Southeast Asia, Lattanamany added.
Meanwhile, General Manager Huang said many Lao government leaders after inspection visits to construction sites expressed satisfaction with the achievement of the railway construction.
He emphasized that since the railway runs along the scenic spots of Laos including world cultural heritage protection area, the construction units will make efforts to minimize the impact of construction on the environment and protect the beautiful scenery of Laos.
The 414-kim China-Laos railway links Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and Vientiane with some 62.7 percent of its tracks on bridges or in tunnels. Operating speed of the railway is designed at 160 km per hour.
The cross-border railway is scheduled to be completed in five years with a total investment of some 40 billion Chinese yuan (5.8 billion U.S. dollars).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 02:54:19|Editor: ying
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed addresses the UN Security Council Open Debate on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations at the UN headquarters in New York, Aug. 29, 2017. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said Tuesday that it is imperative to engage in strong collective action and enhance collaboration and partnerships in peacekeeping operations. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said Tuesday that it is imperative to engage in strong collective action and enhance collaboration and partnerships in peacekeeping operations.
Speaking at the UN Security Council Open Debate on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Mohammed said sustainable development "cannot be achieved in the absence of the conditions for peace."
She added that implementing all the UN Sustainable Development Goals will make an enormous contribution to the Sustaining Peace Agenda.
"We need to deepen ties with regional and sub-regional partners, the World Bank, which is drastically increasing its involvement in conflict-affected countries, and the International Monetary Fund, which is seeking to reduce the destabilizing influence of corruption, to ensure better investment in peace," she said.
"Prevention measures and peace processes must be driven by national leadership and inclusive ownership that recognize the needs and contributions of all segments of society, including women and youth as agents of development and peace," she noted.
Speaking of peacekeeping reform, Mohammed said that "we need to improve how we review peacekeeping operations, in consultation with our development and humanitarian partners, and ensure a strong human rights and gender focus."
Mohammed stressed the role of women in peacekeeping operations, noting that "women are the first to bear brunt of conflict, endure through transition and are expected to lay foundation for peace."
In all fields of peacekeeping, women peacekeepers have proven that "they can perform the same roles, to the same standards and under the same difficult conditions as their male counterparts," Mohammed said.
The deputy secretary-general pointed out that sustaining peace "understood as a process and a goal to build a common vision of a society" underlines the "comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centered" approach of the 2030 Agenda.
Looking ahead, "we must work together to ensure that peacekeeping lives up to its full potential as an essential tool for sustaining peace -- not in isolation but as part of our new, integrated approach," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 03:04:21|Editor: yan
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ASTANA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) opened a Low Enriched Uranium Bank (LEU) in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the opening of the bank is a very important event for Kazakhstan.
The LEU bank, aiming at safe, secure and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, is going to use the facility worth 150-million U.S. dollars to discourage new states from enriching the nuclear fuel.
"As a state possessing large volumes of uranium-containing raw materials, we contribute to the peaceful use of atomic energy," President Nazarbayev said at the opening ceremony.
The LEU Bank, based in Ust-Kamenogorsk in the East Kazakhstan region, will store nuclear fuel and sell it to the IAEA members if they have any problems to get it elsewhere.
"The LEU Bank will serve as a last-resort mechanism to provide confidence to countries that they will be able to obtain LEU for the manufacture of fuel for nuclear power plants in the event of an unforeseen, non-commercial disruption to their supplies," IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said on Monday.
Amano highlighted the importance of the LEU bank opening, saying, "I am confident that the IAEA LEU Bank will make a valuable contribution to international efforts to ensure the availability of fuel for nuclear power plants."
The press service of the IAEA has reported that it is going to start buying uranium in the near future, aiming to ship it to the bank in the next year.
The project was funded by donors which include the U.S., the European Union, Kuwait, Norway, the United Arab Emirates and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
The bank will host up to 90 tons of low-enriched uranium, which is enough to run a 1,000 MW light water reactor or power a large city for three years.
Kazakhstan is a leading producer of uranium, boasting more than 15 percent of global uranium reserves.
Russia already established a such bank in 2010, but Kazakhstan LEU Bank is the first one fully owned and managed by the IAEA.
A resident and his pet dog are evacuated to the Constellation Field shelter in Sugar Land near Houston, the United States, on Aug. 28, 2017. The priority at this moment was to evacuate people stranded in their houses, and the shelters across the Greater Houston have homed about 5,000 people, Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner told a press conference on Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)
by Xinhua Writers Li Ming, Huang Hexun
AUSTIN, United States, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- For 16-year-old Texas boy Richard Solis, who just survived from a deadly hurricane and lost his home overnight, the long journey of healing has just begun.
Three days have passed since Hurricane Harvey slammed his hometown, a costal town called Rockport located in the southeast corner of Texas in south United States. Solis, who is now in a shelter with his family, still felt the fear and despair when the most powerful hurricane in decades made a landfall Friday night.
"It was horrible, the door was shaking so bad that I had to hold it or it would be blown open," Solis recalled, with his voice trembling and eyes wide open.
After numerous phone calls to the local fire department and police, Solis finally got rescued with his parents and grandmother in darkness.
By the time they escaped the house, everything familiar had been devastated.
"The roof collapsed, corridors collapsed, all the stuff flew in the air, everything was like torn down to pieces," Solis said.
Joined by over other 170 residents from Rockport, Solis was evacuated by the U.S. national guard to a shelter in Toney Burger Activity Center, a stadium to the west of downtown Austin, a Texas city 320 kilometers away.
Under the dim yellow light of the stadium, seven rows of beds of military green were unfolded in the center stage, about 34 beds in a row. Piles of donated clothes were stored on one side of the grandstands.
The Hawkins family is rescued from the flood waters of Tropical Storm Harvey in Beaumont Place,Houston, Texas, U.S., August 28, 2017.(REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)
Dozens of stuff walked around, each wearing a yellow vest with a red across sign in the back.
"This is considered an evacuation shelter,this was to get people out of danger," Richard Scanlan, a long-time volunteer for the Red Cross and also the manager of the Toney Burger Shelter, told Xinhua on Monday.
More than 23,800 people are seeking refuge from the deadly storm and local flooding in 34 Red Cross and community shelters in Texas, according to latest report from the American Red Across.
"We provide them with food, medical care when they needed, spiritual help if they want to talk about the past," Scanlan said.
Volunteers worried that the dreadful hurricane experience has not only caused property damage, but also left the victims deeply scarred.
"They are all pretty traumatized, the majority of these people were pulled out of the water and they lost everything they had," Scanlan said.
Sixty-one years old Nena was staying with her sisters when the hurricane struck their house in Rockport late Friday night. She was brought to the shelter in the night of rain and wind, with nothing but her purse in hand.
"The water was deep up to my knee, and we were all sick, sick and wet." She told Xinhua Monday.
"First night I was nervous and scared because I have never been in a shelter before. These people here are so wonderful and we are comfortable, but we can not go back home. The gas and electricity are all down now," she said.
To evacuees like Nena, going home is a dream that couldn't be fulfilled anytime soon.
As Harvey downgraded from category 4, it was inflicting its damage across a wide swath of Southeast Texas, with tornadoes ripping apart hundreds of homes and businesses, killing at least nine people as flooding continues in the area.
Morgan Stanley estimated Monday that the disaster may cause a damage of 40 billion U.S. dollars in the country's economy.
Red Cross workers said there will be a long way ahead before everything goes back to order.
The evacuation shelters may be consolidated together to a larger shelter after Sept. 8, said Scanlan, adding that it will the longtime job of local county governments, state governments and city governments to do some case work and help people to find housing again.
Three days after the hurricane, Rockport residents finally saw the sun came out in the sky of Austin.
Outside the shelter, Solis stood in the sunshine next to his grandmother in a wheelchair, enjoying a moment of peace and warmth.
"I just wish everyone can get back to Rockport and everything will be all right," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 07:05:29|Editor: ying
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MINSK, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Belarusian Defense Ministry on Tuesday released the details of the West-2017 Belarusian-Russian joint military exercise that will be held in two stages.
In a press release on Tuesday, Belarusian First Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Belokonev said that at the first stage the regional group of forces joint command will finalize the troops' preparation for a combat mission isolating illegal armed units and enemy reconnaissance and sabotage groups.
The air force and air defense group will be ramped up to provide cover for crucial state and military sites, preparations for deterrence of possible aggression will be made, and cohesion, combat logistics and technical support will be drilled at that stage, Belokonev said.
He said control over troops deterring aggression against the Union State of Russian and Belarus will be drilled at the second stage in a rapidly changing environment.
Belokonev said that in 2017, 85 exercises of NATO forces are taking place near the western borders, in which about 120,000 people take part. "Belarus does not see this as a security threat, and our reaction is absolutely adequate," he added.
The joint military exercise will be held on September 14-20 at six testing ranges in Russia and Belarus and involve about 12,700 troops and 680 combat units.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 07:15:33|Editor: ying
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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the flooding and extensive damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in the U.S. state of Texas.
"The secretary-general is saddened by the loss of life and extends his condolences to the government and people of the United States of America. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery," said a statement released through Guterres' spokesman.
The secretary-general salutes the efforts of first responders and national relief teams, said the statement.
Hurricane Harvey, an unprecedented storm that swept Texas, has led to the death of about a dozen people and extensive material damage. It has no signs of abating so far.
Missile force of Korean People's Army attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Cheng Dayu)
PYONGYANG/UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) confirmed Wednesday it test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile Tuesday to counter the on-going U.S.-South Korea joint military drills.
DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the launch from a military base in the capital Pyongyang, said the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"It was conducted as a part of the muscle-flexing to counter the Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military drills the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces finally kicked off in disregard of the DPRK's meaningful and crucial warning," it said.
This was the first time for DPRK to have staged a missile test-firing from the capital itself, said the report.
"Involved in the drill were Hwasong artillery units of the KPA (Korean People's Army) Strategic Force tasked with striking the bases of the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces located in the Pacific operational theater in contingency and intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12," said the report.
The test-fire also marked the 107th anniversary of the forcible annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910.
"Officers and men of the KPA Strategic Force extended the warmest thanks to Kim Jong Un, who gave vent to the long-pent grudge of the Korean people by mapping out a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody Aug. 29, when the disgraceful Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty was proclaimed 107 years ago," said the report.
The missile flew about 2,700 km and reached an altitude of 550 km crossing the Japanese island of Hokkaido before hitting its targeted spot in the northern Pacific, according to earlier reports.
"The fired ballistic rocket crossed the sky above Oshima peninsula of Hokkaido and Cape Erimo of Japan along the preset flight track and accurately hit the preset target waters in northern Pacific," said the KCNA, adding it had not security impact on neighboring countries.
The drill saw a combination of sudden maneuvers and strike "for prompt counteraction in contingency on the Korean peninsula," said the KCNA.
It also proved "perfect" operational capacity of the missile force for an actual war and the combat efficiency of its medium-range missiles, according to the report.
China on Tuesday called on all parties involved in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to refrain from provoking each other and raising tension.
"All parties should exercise restraint and work together to maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing.
"I suggest all parties calmly and meticulously study the relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council," she said, explaining that the resolutions consist of at least two parts: to curb the nuclear and missile development by the DPRK, and to resume the Six-Party Talks.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday condemned DPRK's missile launch and threatened that "something serious has to happen."
The United States, together with Japan and South Korea, has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting for Tuesday afternoon on the DPRK issue. "We are talking about what else is left to do with North Korea (DPRK)," Haley told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.
"What happened yesterday was absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible," she said. "No country should have missiles flying over them."
She expressed the hope that China and Russia would work with the United Sates as they have done in the past.
Jonathan Allen, Britain's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, also condemned DPRK's missile launch.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 07:40:39|Editor: ying
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OTTAWA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday announced that his country will supply 45.3 million Canadian dollars (35.7 million U.S. dollar) to support projects in Jordan.
"Canada is proud to support Jordan in the exemplary work they are doing on behalf of the wider international community. We are especially proud to support projects that serve Syrian refugees and Jordanians, while advancing the empowerment of women and girls," said Trudeau after his meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, who arrived here Tuesday for an official visit.
"We will continue to work with Jordan to help ensure its continued stability and prosperity," Trudeau said.
During their meeting, Trudeau and King Abdullah II discussed the two countries' shared commitment to regional security and stability, human rights, and a more prosperous Middle East.
The two leaders also discussed Canada's multi-year commitment to address the ongoing crises in Iraq and Syria and the impact they have on the surrounding region.
This is the king's fifth visit to Canada since his ascension to the throne in February 1999.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 07:50:41|Editor: ying
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CHICAGO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Ford Motor Co. and Domino's Pizza began a test on Tuesday to use self-driving vehicle to deliver pizzas to their customers.
The Detroit based automaker is providing a self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrid car equipped with Ford's full suite of cameras, sensors, radar for testing in Ann Arbor city of Michigan state for about a month and a half.
However, the car will not be operated in autonomous mode. One Ford engineer hidden behind tinted windows will drive the car, and another will monitor input from the car's hardware.
It will not be the first experiment with advanced pizza delivery technology. Australia-based Domino's Pizza has tested delivery to customers in New Zealand via drone and self-driving robot.
"We're interested to learn what people think about this type of delivery," said Russell Weiner, president of Domino's U.S.A.
Sherif Marakby, Ford vice president, said "As a company focused on the customer experience, Domino's shares our vision for a future enabled by smart vehicles in a smart environment that enhance people's lives."
Previously, Ford CEO Jim Hackett said the company expected to launch a self-driving vehicle for commercial ride-sharing fleets in 2021.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 08:15:48|Editor: ying
Nikki Haley, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the missile launch of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York Aug. 29, 2017. The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the DPRK, demanding it immediately cease such actions. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), demanding DPRK cease such actions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 10:51:28|Editor: Yang Yi
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MOSCOW, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia's hi-tech conglomerate Rostec Corporation is ready to strengthen cooperation with China on the development of military and civilian products, its CEO Sergey Chemezov said.
"The portfolio of contracts that have been signed by Rostec's military export subsidiary and have entered into force exceeds 45 billion U.S. dollars. More than 15 percent of this amount comes from cooperation with China," Chemezov said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
Rostec not only supplies China with military hardware but also transfers technology and conducts joint research with China on tanks, warplanes and guns, he said.
Rostec is one of the largest industrial enterprises in Russia, comprising about 700 units under 14 holding companies, nine of which operate as military-industrial complexes and five in civilian sectors.
Chemezov said Rostec's large-scale cooperation with China has extended to various civil and dual-use areas, including IT, composite materials, airborne equipment, aero engines, and helicopter and aircraft manufacturing.
Rostec is expected to ink a contract with its Chinese partner by the end of 2017 to jointly develop a civilian heavy lift helicopter, he said.
The helicopter's take-off weight will exceed 38 tons and it will be adapted for round-the-clock operation in highlands and in all weather conditions, Chemezov said.
The Chinese side is expected to be the chief developer in charge of production, trials, certification and sales, while the Russian side is responsible for technological plans, he said.
Both sides are also working on a wide-body long-range aircraft. The Russian tycoon said the testing of its engine is scheduled for 2022 and its certification for 2025.
"Rostec's subsidiary United Engine Corporation together with the Aero Engine Corporation of China are developing the key components of the new aircraft engine," Chemezov said.
He also said the Russian side will be responsible for the design of the aircraft and the production of components, while the Chinese side will be in charge of the development of the fuselage and the final assembly.
Russia and China should continue to expand practical cooperation in various areas including industry, security and investment, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 10:56:29|Editor: ying
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (R) receives an interview with Chinese media in Cairo Aug. 28, 2017. Egypt is willing to further contribute to the cooperation within the BRICS framework, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi told Chinese media before his trip to China for a BRICS summit. (Xinhua/Egyptian Presidency)
CAIRO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Egypt is willing to further contribute to cooperation within the BRICS framework, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi told Chinese media before his trip to China for a BRICS summit.
"Our participation in the meetings with the BRICS countries is of great importance, especially as Egypt enjoys promising economic capabilities and provides an outstanding strategic location that can help it effectively support the BRICS community and its priorities," Sisi said here in the recent interview.
Noting that the BRICS countries contribute about 22 percent of the gross world product and make up 40 percent of the world's population, Sisi said that the group enjoys great political weight on the world stage, which gives importance to the upcoming BRICS summit.
The group of emerging economies will meet on Sept. 3-5 in southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen for the ninth summit of the bloc, which was first launched by Russia, China, India and Brazil in 2006 and expanded in 2010 to include South Africa.
The Egyptian president said he expects the summit to contribute to the further understanding of major issues concerning the developing countries as well as the political, economic and social challenges facing them.
Sisi also expressed his great appreciation of Chinese President Xi Jinping for inviting him to attend the BRICS summit, "which reflects the special bond between the two countries as well as their strategic partnership."
His participation in the BRICS summit is an opportunity for the two sides to continue consultation and coordination on various issues regarding mutual interests, the president said.
"The visit will also provide a good opportunity to follow up on the joint projects of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, taking into account the contribution of Chinese companies to several ongoing infrastructure projects in Egypt, including the new administrative capital project, electricity and energy development projects and transportation," Sisi noted.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian president said that the convening of the BRICS Business Forum, a major side-event of the BRICS summit, is a good opportunity to present the Egyptian experience of economic reform and the bold steps taken recently by the Egyptian government, highlighting the measures the government has taken to encourage investment.
Sisi stressed that the solidarity between developing countries allows them to learn from each other and implement the best and most appropriate plans for human development, production development and economic progress.
As for the role of developing countries in global economic governance, Sisi said developing countries should play a larger role in global economic governance, in accordance to their growing weight in the world economy.
Speaking about the Belt and Road Initiative, which China put forward in 2013 with an aim to revive the ancient Silk Road trade routes, Sisi said Egypt's unique geographical position allows it to be a major transit point between the East and the West, and from the south to the north through the Suez Canal axis, which is currently in the making to become a leading economic and industrial zone linking the world.
Shortly before his interview with the Chinese media, Sisi called a meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and cabinet ministers to review the progress of ongoing cooperation projects with China.
"The series of joint projects that the president reviewed reflected wide and multi-faceted cooperation between Egypt and China," Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said after the meeting, adding that all such projects and ventures indicate the continuous development of Egyptian-Chinese relations and the momentum of the bilateral relations over the past few years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 12:06:40|Editor: ying
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NEW YORK, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- German defending champion Angelique Kerber was given a shock first-round exit at the US Open, losing to Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday.
It took Osaka, ranked 45th in the world, just 64 minutes to send Kerber packing, one year after the German's triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Osaka hit hard from both sides and struck 22 clean winners in the match while Kerber, the first defending champion to lose in the US Open's first round since Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in 2005, was in a different league.
Kerber's confidence was shot to pieces in the second set and Osaka was relentless to record the biggest win of her career.
A year ago on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Osaka squandered a 5-1 lead in the final set and lost to American Madison Keys 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in a third-round match.
"When I stepped on the court and I heard all the people and I saw how big the stadium was, I got a little bit freaked out, but I tried to hold it in," the Japanese teenager said.
"I felt the same type of nerves come up 4-1 in this match, so I wanted to tell myself just to keep playing how I was playing and not let the nerves get over me as much as last year," she said.
"The experience last year helped me this year. I feel like I know that I can play with the top players now, so I don't have to be as nervous as I was today."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 12:31:52|Editor: Lu Hui
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TheUnited NationsSecurity Council holds an emergency meeting on the missile launch of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York Aug. 29, 2017. The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the DPRK, demanding it immediately cease such actions. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), demanding it immediately cease such actions.
In a statement, the council stressed that those DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world," said the statement, which was released after closed-door consultations by council members.
The Security Council demanded the DPRK not proceed with any further launches using ballistic missile technology and comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, it added.
Japan, South Korea and the United States called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after the DPRK's Monday launch.
The Security Council demanded the DPRK abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner" and immediately cease related activities.
The council further demanded the DPRK not conduct any future nuclear tests or any further provocation and abandon any other existing weapons of mass destruction.
The council called on all UN member states to "strictly, fully and expeditiously implement all relevant Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK." It reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.
The council expressed its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.
After the readout of the statement, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said all 15 Security Council members "have spoken in unison."
"The world is united against North Korea. There is no doubt about that," she told the council.
"We are all demanding North Korea stop any future missile launches; we are all demanding North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons," she said.
"It is time for the North Korean regime to recognize the danger they are putting themselves in. The United States will not allow their lawlessness to continue and the rest of the world is with us," she warned.0 Japanese envoy Koro Bessho said the statement sent a clear message to the DPRK that the international community will not accept "its reckless behavior." He urged the DPRK to respond to the call of the international community and cease missile launches. Japan will work closely with the international community to reach a comprehensive solution to the problems related to the DPRK, he said.
Chinese envoy Liu Jieyi told the same meeting that China is opposed to the DPRK's launches using ballistic missile technology. He called on Pyongyang to comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and urged all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to avoid "mutually provocative actions" that might exacerbate regional tension.
The Security Council resolution adopted on Aug. 5 provides for further sanctions against the DPRK, but also calls for the resumption of the six-party talks and pledges to seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution and underscores the de-escalation efforts by relevant parties, he said.
China opposes any chaos or war on the peninsula, said the Chinese envoy, noting that military deployment is not helpful. The deployment of the THAAD missile shield by the United States in South Korea severely jeopardizes regional strategic balance, undermining the strategic security interests of all regional countries, including China, he said.
"It will further escalate tension on the peninsula, making the issue more complicated and intractable," Liu noted.
He asked for a halt to the deployment and the dismantling of related facilities.
"China is always committed to the goal of de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula and the settlement of the issue through dialogue and consultations," said the Chinese envoy.
He urged relevant countries to work together to bring the issue back to the right track of peaceful dialogue.
Related:
DPRK's missile launch arouses international concern
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 12:47:00|Editor: ying
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MOSCOW, Aug. 30(Xinhua) -- Nord Stream 2 AG, the project company established for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, received a total of 324 million euros (about 388 million U.S. dollars) in funds from five European companies in July, Russian energy company Gazprom said on Tuesday.
"Nord Stream 2 AG borrowed funds totaling 324 mln from five European companies in July 2017 under conditions of the long-term financing agreement made among the parties in April 2017," Gazprom, Russia's state and largest natural gas company, said in a report.
Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction project will be implemented in due time despite new U.S. sanctions which allow fining European companies for participation in joint energy projects with Russia, including Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is set to run from the Russian coast along the Baltic Sea bed to the German shore, and is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of 2019. The total capacity of two strings of Nord Stream 2 is 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 12:52:03|Editor: Yang Yi
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QUITO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas was barred from leaving the country on Monday, amid an ongoing graft investigation.
Glas is accused of having accepted bribes or kickbacks from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, in exchange for granting the company lucrative public works contracts.
The travel ban was requested by Prosecutor Carlos Baca, who told a court hearing "there are eight grounds for linking Vice President Jorge Glas to the process of criminal association."
The case against Glas rests in part on the release of an Odebrecht tape recording in which his name is mentioned.
According to the former head of Odebrecht in Ecuador, Jose Conceicao Filho, the multinational company paid Glas more than 14 million U.S. dollars from 2012 to 2016.
On Friday, the legislature agreed to strip Glas of the immunity afforded by his office, so he could face trial, as Glas himself requested.
According to Glas, who was also vice president under former President Rafael Correa, a trial will give him the opportunity to clear his name.
The travel ban is also extended to four others suspected of corruption in the case. Another four suspects were given house arrest or ordered to wear a tracking device, due to their advanced age. All are former officials.
One of the suspects is former state comptroller Carlos Polit, who has gone into hiding. Authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest both at home and through Interpol.
Another suspect is Glas' uncle, Ricardo Rivera, who was arrested in June.
Odebrecht executives have been cooperating with the authorities as part of plea bargain deals.
The company has admitted to systematically bribing officials to undermine bidding procedures and win government contracts, which were then inflated to siphon off public funds.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 13:32:14|Editor: ying
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MEXICO CITY, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Mexico is open to cooperation with the BRICS countries, which comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the president of the Mexican industrial business chamber Canacintra said on Tuesday.
The potential to work with other regional blocs has taken on even greater relevance for Mexico today, as it seeks to diversify its trade alliances and export markets, said Canacintra chief Enrique Guillen.
"We are not closed to collaborating with other blocs, least of all now that modernizing has become a priority for our country," Guillen said in a statement.
Mexico would do well to forge closer ties with BRICS, as it seeks to bolster its presence within the G20 group of leading economies and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said Guillen.
BRICS is considering expanding the bloc to include other economies, such as Mexico, South Korea and Indonesia, among others. An initiative, dubbed "BRICS Plus," will be discussed at the group's ninth summit to be held on Sept. 3-5 in Xiamen, China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 13:37:21|Editor: ying
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HANOI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Over 21,700 enterprises specializing in trading or repairing automobiles and motorbikes stopped operation in the first eight months of this year, the country's Business Registration Management Agency said on Wednesday.
Specifically, 6,821 firms ceased operation for a short period of time, up 14.7 percent year-on-year, and 11,990 others did the same but for a long period of time, up 14.5 percent.
Meanwhile, 2,921 enterprises, which engaged in vehicle wholesales, retails or repair, were dissolved due to business difficulty, said the agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Vietnamese experts said that the situation was partly attributed to the fact that import taxes on automobiles imported to Vietnam from other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been slashed from 50 percent in 2015 to 40 percent in 2016, to 30 percent in 2017, and to zero percent by 2018, according to the ASEAN Free Trade Area.
Between January and August, 7,754 enterprises operating in various fields in Vietnam were dissolved, up 3.7 percent, said the country's General Statistics Office.
Meanwhile, 85,357 enterprises with total registered capital of 822,100 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 36.4 billion U.S. dollars) were set up.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 14:02:25|Editor: Yang Yi
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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday rejected the latest missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and called for efforts to bring the issue back to the right track of dialogue.
China is opposed to the DPRK's launches using ballistic missile technology and Pyongyang should comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting.
He also urged all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to avoid "mutually provocative actions" that might exacerbate regional tension.
The Security Council resolution adopted on Aug. 5 provides for further sanctions against the DPRK, but also calls for the resumption of the six-party talks and pledges to seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution and underscores the de-escalation efforts by relevant parties, he said.
All relevant parties should implement the provisions of the Security Council resolutions "in a comprehensive integrated manner," avoid any rhetoric or action that might raise tension on the Korean Peninsula, and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, he said.
The envoy said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China is a realistic and feasible formula for a proper settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses.
The idea of dual approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both de-nuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls on the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and on the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.
China opposes any chaos or war on the peninsula, said the Chinese envoy, noting that military deployment is not helpful. The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield by the United States in South Korea severely jeopardizes regional strategic balance, undermining the strategic security interests of all regional countries, including China, he said. "It will further escalate tension on the peninsula, making the issue more complicated and intractable."
He asked for a halt to the deployment and the dismantling of related facilities.
Liu also urged countries to stop using domestic legislation to impose unilateral sanctions on individuals and entities in other countries.
"China is always committed to the goal of de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula and the settlement of the issue through dialogue and consultations," said the Chinese envoy.
The de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is in the interests of all parties, said Liu. He expressed the hope that all parties concerned would work with China to take up their due share of responsibilities and bring the issue back to the right track of peaceful dialogue.
The Security Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday after the DPRK's latest launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. The council strongly condemned Pyongyang for Monday's launch and multiple launches on Friday. The council demanded the DPRK immediately cease such "outrageous actions" that violate relevant Security Council resolutions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 14:07:28|Editor: Yang Yi
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SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party as new ambassador to China.
Noh Young-min, the former three-term lawmaker, was tapped as the first South Korean ambassador to China under the Moon Jae-in government, according to the presidential Blue House.
Noh served as chief of staff for Moon in the 2012 presidential election, in which Moon was defeated by his predecessor Park Geun-hye who was impeached and stood trial for corruption charges.
Moon won a landslide victory in the May 9 presidential by-election, caused by his predecessor's impeachment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 14:22:33|Editor: ZD
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Rescuers work in southwest Houston, the United States, on Aug. 29, 2017. Tropical storm Harvey has broken the record of rainfall from a cyclonic storm in the U.S. mainland, with 132 centimeters of rain observed in the state of Texas, authorities said on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)
HOUSTON, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The metro region of Houston felt somewhat relieved Tuesday as Tropical Storm Harvey kept moving eastward, but risks of flooding still exist and the task to accommodate a rising number of people made homeless by the disaster is formidable.
The Barker Reservoir and Addicks Reservoir, the two major flood-control reservoirs for the Houston area, are spilling over into adjacent subdivisions. Officials warn that thousands of homes are at risk and have issued voluntary evacuations for at least 80 subdivisions.
By Monday night, at least 100-200 homes in adjacent subdivisions were flooded. Officials expect that more homes will be impacted throughout the week.
Outflows from the two reservoirs would eventually reach the Buffalo Bayou, a river which flows through the center of Houston.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a preliminary report from one Texas rain gauge has broken the Texas tropical cyclone rainfall record, which reaches 49.32 inches (about 125 cm), higher than the previous record of 48 inches (about 122 cm) set during tropical cyclone Amelia of 1978 at Medina, Texas.
The Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison determined that many areas of southeast Texas have received rain that is expected to come around only once every 1,000 years.
The record-breaking precipitation brought by Harvey has made many residents homeless and they have to seek shelter.
The American Red Cross estimates that more than 17,000 Texans spent Monday night in one of 45 shelters open across the state, including about 9,000 people at downtown Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center.
The mayor's spokesman Alan Bernstein said Tuesday evening that it will soon begin moving 2,500 people taking shelter at the downtown George R. Brown Convention Center to help relieve the convention center, which was prepared for just 5,000 people.
An official of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinating federal Harvey relief said Tuesday evening that the agency is getting ready to open NRG Stadium as Houston's next major shelter.
Houston's fire chief says the fire department made more than 750 water rescues on Tuesday.
Houston police reported that 14 looters were arrested in the last two days.
To deal with the security problem, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has imposed a daily curfew which originally started from 10:00 p.m. (0300 GMT) to 5:00 a.m. (1000 GMT). On Tuesday evening, Turner announced the curfew was pushed back to midnight, running to 5:00 a.m.
Under the curfew, city residents are not allowed outside. Police Chief Art Acevedo said this was partly to prevent looting and other crimes.
Texas law increases punishments for assault, robbery, burglary and theft in counties declared as disaster areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 14:52:41|Editor: Yang Yi
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SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named new ambassadors to China, the United States and Japan.
Noh Young-min, a former three-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, was tapped as the first South Korean ambassador to China under the Moon Jae-in government, according to the presidential Blue House.
Noh served as chief of staff for Moon in the 2012 presidential election, in which Moon was defeated by a whisker by his predecessor Park Geun-hye who was impeached and stood trial for corruption charges.
Moon won a landslide victory in the May 9 presidential by-election, caused by his predecessor's impeachment.
Meanwhile, President Moon named Cho Yoon-je, an honorary professor of international studies at Sogang University in Seoul, as new ambassador to the United States.
Cho was a key adviser for Moon's election camp earlier this year, and was sent as a special envoy to Europe after the president took office on May 10.
Lee Su-hoon, an international relations professor at Kyungnam University, was named as new ambassador to Japan.
Lee led the diplomatic and security division for Moon's transition team after Moon's inauguration.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 15:07:46|Editor: Song Lifang
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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed after an explosion and gun firing rocked house of an Afghan politician in eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, sources said.
The attack occurred in the morning after armed militants stormed the house of Zahir Qadir, who is also a member of Afghanistan's Lower House of parliament.
"The initial information found the attackers shot dead two security guards before one assailant detonated his explosive jacket near the building," a security official told Xinhua.
The number of attackers remained unknown, but one militant was shot and killed before reaching the building's gate, the source added.
It was not immediately known whether Qadir was at the building when the attack took place in the capital of the eastern Nangarhar province.
Security personnel have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures and several police vehicles and ambulances rushed to the site.
Both Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants have presence in the province, but no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
The attack came as the war-weary Afghans are preparing for an upcoming festival.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 15:32:57|Editor: Song Lifang
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SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The former South Korean spy agency chief was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison for his order of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) officials to meddle in the 2012 presidential election.
The Seoul High Court sentenced former NIS head Won Sei-hoon, who led the spy agency from 2009 to 2013 under former President Lee Myung-bak, to four years in jail.
He was immediately taken into custody at the court.
Two former senior NIS officials, who had been accused of election intervention, were sentenced to a suspended prison term of two and a half years.
Won was convicted of violating both the NIS act and the election law, which ban public officials from engaging in election campaign activities.
The court acknowledged that Won had ordered NIS officials to use 391 Twitter accounts to post online comments against then opposition candidates and in favor of the then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye during the 2012 presidential election.
Park narrowly defeated then main opposition candidate Moon Jae-in, who won this year's presidential by-election.
Won was sentenced by a low court to a suspended jail term, but the appeals court overturned it, sentencing Won to three years in prison.
The Supreme Court quashed the appeals court's ruling, and ordered a re-trial to the appeals court. The Seoul High Court put the former spy agency chief again behind bars.
According to the NIS internal investigation, Won was found to have ordered the operation of up to 30 illegal teams, involving Internet-savvy civilians, for smear campaign against then-liberal presidential candidate Moon Jae-in in the 2012 election.
The internal investigation result showed Won ordering the influence on parliamentary elections in 2012 and ordering money to be offered to right-leaning civic groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:03:11|Editor: Song Lifang
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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned Monday's missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as several launches on Friday, demanding the country immediately cease such "outrageous actions."
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world," said the Security Council in a president's statement, which was released after closed-door consultations by council members.
The Security Council stressed that those DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states, demanding the country comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and not conduct any further launches using ballistic missile technology.
It also requested that the DPRK should abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner" and not conduct any future nuclear tests or any further provocation.
The council called on all UN member states to "strictly, fully and expeditiously" implement all relevant Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK, reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.
The council also expressed its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive answer through dialogue.
Chinese envoy Liu Jieyi told the same meeting that China is opposed to the DPRK's launches using ballistic missile technology. He called on Pyongyang to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and urged all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to avoid "mutually provocative actions" that might exacerbate regional tension.
All relevant parties should implement the provisions of resolutions "in a comprehensive integrated manner" and avoid any rhetoric or action that might raise tension on the Korean Peninsula, and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, Liu said.
He also said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China is a realistic and feasible formula for a proper settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses.
The idea of dual approaches involves parallel efforts to move forward both de-nuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.
After the readout of the council president's statement, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said all 15 Security Council members "have spoken in unison."
Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian envoy to the United Nations, said Pyongyang must cease its program and return to the international non-proliferation regime and put its facilities under the review of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Addressing the issue through sanctions alone was not productive. The Security Council must seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:23:23|Editor: Song Lifang
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HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- An international travel expo will take place here from Sep. 7 to 9, with the attendance of 300 Vietnamese and foreign travel companies from 18 countries and regions, its organizers announced Wednesday.
Themed "Your Gateway to Tourism in Asia," the expo is attracting travel firms from various countries including China, Japan, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Britain and the United States.
In the first eight months of this year, Vietnam welcomed roughly 8.5 million international arrivals, up 29.7 percent year-on-year, with the highest growth of 51.4 percent in the number of visitors from China, followed by South Korea and Russia, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:28:26|Editor: Zhou Xin
Photo taken on Aug. 30, 2017 shows the Iraqi side of the border before the official ceremony for the reopening of the border crossing between Jordan and Iraq. The Turaibil border crossing between Jordan and Iraq was officially reopened on Wednesday, the Iraqi embassy in Amman said. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)
AMMAN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Turaibil border crossing between Jordan and Iraq was officially reopened on Wednesday, the Iraqi embassy in Amman said Tuesday.
"Following the Iraqi army's victory over the so called terrorist Islamic State and the restoration of normal life to Iraqi towns and cities bordering Jordan and as part of keenness between the two countries to boost ties, the borders were reopened," the embassy said in a statement.
The reopening of the border crossing followed the success in securing the international road between Jordan and Baghdad and this will help boost trade and economic ties between the two countries, the statement said.
"The governments of the two countries pledged to exert all their efforts to enhance further cooperation in this regard," it said.
In 2015, Iraq officially closed the Turaibil border crossing with Jordan after the Islamic State group controlled some areas on the Iraqi side of the border.
The border closure has caused losses worth hundreds of millions for Jordanian industries and the land transport sector.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:28:27|Editor: Song Lifang
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KIGALI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has signed an agreement with Rwanda's National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) to stop child labor in the tea industry.
Under the deal inked Tuesday, the UN agency will bring expertise and train staff to Rwanda's tea sector, helping the African country improve the welfare of children and mothers, said Ted Maly, UNICEF representative to Rwanda.
Maly said their work will focus on leveraging expertise and ensuring children and mothers good nutrition and health.
The deal is in line with the Rwandan government's commitment to protecting children's inalienable rights of safety, being cared and so on, regardless of their parents' economic conditions, said Sandrine Urujeni, NAEB's deputy chief executive officer.
Children involved in non-hazardous child labor represented 3.4 percent of all children aged between six and 17 in Rwanda, according to the Integrated Livelihood Conditions Survey released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda in 2016.
Between 2014 and 2016, 2,700 children were withdrawn from work of the tea sector and returned to the school, according to various stakeholders' reports.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:38:30|Editor: Song Lifang
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JERUSALEM, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday had taken a helicopter tour of Israel-Gaza border before he continued to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Guterres, who is on a three-day visit to the region, met with residents of Nahal Oz, an Israeli community near the separation fence between Israel and Gaza. Dozens of rockets hit the area before and during Israel's 2014 military campaign in Gaza.
Guterres told the residents that he believes in "creating a reliable political process" that would lead to peace. He also reiterated the UN's support to a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The tour was accompanied by Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, and Aviv Kochavi, Israel's deputy military chief.
Danon warned Guterres that Hamas, an Islamist organization that controls Gaza, has been exploiting international humanitarian aid to excavate cross-border tunnels with the goal of attacking Israel.
"Instead of working to ensure a better future for their children, Hamas has turned the residents of Gaza into hostages," Danon charged.
Guterres is on his first visit to the region since taking office in January. He met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an effort to encourage the renewal of the peace talks. The peace talks, brokered by the U.S., reached an impasse in 2014, mainly over the Israeli expansion of the West Bank settlements.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:38:32|Editor: Song Lifang
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HOUSTON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Floating colonies of fire ants are posing another threat to Houston residents who are still reeling from the catastrophic flooding left behind by Hurricane Harvey.
These venomous ants have water-repellant waxy bodies, and they link together to form a mass that may contain as many as 100,000 as they look for a dry place to survive the floods and rebuild their home.
Entomologists said such behavior of fire ants is totally normal, but an unwanted encounter with these tiny creatures may lead to life-threatening allergic reactions depending on the severity of stings.
Most people just feel a burning sensation and are left with a red patch of skin, but an allergic reaction can trigger anaphylactic shock, which can include welts and trouble breathing, entomologists warned.
Experts strongly advised people not to disturb or mess with these fire ants.
Once the first few ants sting, they would emit a kind of substance called "pheromone" to inform other ants to follow suit, experts said, noting that the best thing to do is to rub them off as quickly as possible.
"They don't come to attack you. They're just passively floating along. It's a matter of being just intelligent and evasive," Larry Gilbert, a professor of integrated biology at the University of Texas at Austin, told technology news website The Verge.
If it's impossible to avoid the path of fire ants, entomologist Molly Keck suggested creating waves to move them a few inches away.
Experts noted that the rusty color of fire ants make it easy for people to spot and take precautions.
There have been no public reports of flood victims suffering fire ant attacks as of midday Tuesday, according to NBC News.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 16:58:40|Editor: Song Lifang
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GAZA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived Wednesday in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip for a several-hour visit to check the humanitarian situation there.
Guterres and his convoy of UN vehicles entered Gaza through the Erez border crossing between the northern tip of the blockaded coastal enclave and Israel, witnesses said.
The Portuguese UN chief is not scheduled to meet with any of Islamic Hamas leaders, who have been ruling Gaza since their movement violently seized control of the territory in June 2007.
A day earlier, Ahmed Bahar, deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament, said Guterres' visit to Gaza is "unwelcome," because he expressed solidarity with Israeli hostages and neglected thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.
But later, Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a press statement that Guterres' visit to Gaza is "welcome," after the UN chief paid a visit to the families of the Palestinian prisoners during his tour in West Bank.
"He has to help end the Israeli blockade and rescue the deteriorating humanitarian situation," Barhoum said.
Local UN officials said Guterres will visit the UN headquarters in Gaza city and get a briefing from UN officials on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
He will tour Gaza and meet with Palestinian notables and the leaders of the clans in the enclave.
Guterres arrived in Israel on Monday and held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Tuesday, he visited the West Bank city of Ramallah and held talks with Prime Minister of the Palestinian consensus government Rami Hamdallah.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2017-08-30 17:15:45|Editor: Xiang Bo
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On August 23, Ambassador Lu Shaye met in the Chinese Embassy with Mr. Dan Donovan, Publisher and Managing Editor of Ottawa Life Magazine, and received his interview. The transcript of the meeting and the interview is as follows:
Lu Shaye: Welcome to the Embassy.
Dan: Thank you.
Lu Shaye: I am glad to meet you and exchange views with you on questions of common concern.
Dan: I am pleased to meet you. I've been publishing this magazine for 20 years, and I took a leave for 5 years to a very large global company called Magna International. We got operations in China. Very fascinating with the Chinese, but particularly fascinating with you, you've made a big impact since you arrived. People taking notice of you and some of your remarks which I was very interested in.
I have many colleagues in government, and in national media here and I'd like to think that I am fairly informed about China-Canada matters. But I'd like to ask you from my personal curiosity about some of your comments you made and try to understand your perspective.
So one thing you said when you were speaking to the Canadian Press was fascinating. And I was looking at your background, and you are a policy person, and you worked at the epicenter of policy in China. So my thinking would be that, I always noticed the Chinese are very precise. So when you say something, there's usually reason behind it. And the impression I got and many my colleagues in government and media got after you made those remarks was that, you are saying that in terms of relations between our countries, we have to separate trade and development vs. social issues as human rights and these types of things.
So that's the first part of the question. At some point I am curious as to why other countries when they, we go out China for example, we say you have human rights issues, and you do, but so do we. Is it a difficult thing? I sensed the frustration in you that some Canadians and government people seemed to be very judgemental when they deal with the Chinese about those things. Would that be accurate?
Long question (smile). Before you answer, respectfully, can I also add one thing for context? The reason I ask this question is, because as a Canadian, I see our government, and I used to be in government, I used to work for former Prime Minister, you know, by seeing it doing thisbut we have our problems here with our first nation people. We have a lot of problems here, we have our former supreme court justice who has said that what happened to our aboriginal people in residential schools was a cultural genocide. We are signatory to the International Treaty on Torture but we have cases of hundreds of people who have been kept in solitary confinement, one case in northern Ontario for 4 years. So if Canada is gonna ask these things, but I noticed that the Chinese and most other governments we do this to, they never respond by saying "What about you?" And is that appropriate? I am just curious of your Ambassador Shaye's frustration, but I noticed you didn't point out some of our foibles.
Lu Shaye: It's about the different cultures between China and Canada. People should be modest and respectful to others according to Chinese traditional culture. We have an old saying: Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you. It's against our will to impose our views on others. We would like to present our views, but it's up to you to decide whether to take it. We will not force others to accept something, nor will we be forced to accept something by others. Canada which belongs to western culture is so different from China that is part of oriental culture. Through my experience of dealing with westerners, I feel sometimes the westerners, thinking they are always correct, are fond of lecturing people and teaching others how to do. Maybe in western cultural origins there is dualism, black or white, insisting there's but one truth, which if I possess, and if your opinion is different from mine, you will stand on the opposite side of the truth. While Chinese are different. We don't think it's a black-or-white world. We think things can be like this and at the same time like that. Due to 500 years of capitalism development and the modernization of their economy and society, the westerners think they are superior to other nations and are qualified to teach other countries to follow suit. These are the western culture concept and western countries' way of doing things in international society that I sensed. As to the specific question of human rights issue, what China opposes is western countries' fancying themselves as preachers demanding others to do this or that. That's also why I stress many times in my dialogues with Canadian media that human rights issue should be discussed separately from economic and trade issues. Because east and west have different criterion of value on human rights issue, whose criterion should we use to judge human rights situation? Western countries' or China's? It's a question without a fixed answer. Rather than quarreling this futilely and delaying the FTA negotiation, it is better to put aside this question and focus on discussing the free trade deal. The reason I didn't touch upon human rights violation cases in past and present Canada is not because I didn't know them, but because I am not willing to drag the skeleton out of its closet based on Chinese cultural traditions.
Dan: So I have an observation. There's a view in media circles, for example, in national media circles in Canada, and certainly in the government that 2 years ago (Editor's note: it was last June actually) when the Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister visited and he was speaking about the new silk road and the development in China. He gave a press conference at Foreign Affairs (Ministry), and at one point he admonished the Canadian media. Many people felt that because Stephane Dion, our Foreign Minister didn't respond appropriately to that, and that's why he was moved. They said he was weak. Because there's a very strong Chinese foreign affairs minister in, and our minister responded very weakly to his comments, to the press. So I am just wondering if you are aware of that.
Lu Shaye: So the Canadian media thought Foreign Minister Wang Yi overreacted. But do they remember that in 2015 a Chinese correspondent who was visiting arctic region with then Prime Minister Harper wanted to raise a question at the Prime Minister's press conference, but was refused, stopped and dragged out of the scene? Is that how the Canadian side treat journalists? Is that normal?
Dan: Just share the personal view, 'cause I am trying to provide my own observation.
Lu Shaye: This is how the two sides see the relevant question differently. The Canadian side got annoyed just because Chinese Foreign Minister merely made a fairly strong response to a Canadian journalist's human rights question, whereas the Chinese journalist even didn't have the right to raise questions. Wasn't that a violation on human rights?
I have a principle when talking with media that how to raise questions is your business, but how to answer is mine. I don't interfere journalists' rights to raise questions, and at the same time, journalists are not in the position to let off steam to how I answer them. According to my observation, sometimes Canadian media, like other western media, often raise questions unscrupulously, regardless of relevant country's specific situation and interviewee's feelings. But they will fly into a rage and stamp with fury when the answers they get are not quite the same with their values and feelings. They think it's normal for themselves to criticize others and abnormal and "overreacting" for others to criticize back. Some media, public figures and politicians preach multi-culture and inclusiveness all day long, but in fact when it comes to the specific questions they forget all those and are not willing to listen to different voices and tolerate other values.
Dan: I would say that's very perceptive and it's ironic and it's very true. it's something that I am fascinated by what the Chinese are doing. It's a fair question because to do things here, you know China is doing great things in Canada, of course, and business, and otherwise. But you have to navigate these things. In China, you've build a high speed train 400 miles per hour in 3 years. Excellent example. It's incredible. Our country is the same size geographically, pretty close. But obviously your population (other)wise are 100 times more than than us, more than 100 times. So you have expertise moving people. What I mean is that China has its incredible ingenuity and is able to move people with technology and trains like no other country. It's amazing. We have a big problem with that. Windsor to Quebec City Corridor, high speed train, talked about 3 years. China can do that with their eyes closed. But in Canada, the most important people in that debate are not the people building the trains. It's not the government, and it's not the media, it's the unions. On China, on Chinese business and the human rights component, the biggest advocate of the human rights agenda in Canada towards other countries is from the unions. The big unions, they are about labor standards, what they perceive as human rights. So I am just curious when you are here, 'cause what you say makes a lot of sense to me, frankly, but when you're here, will you meet with the president of the Canadian Labor Congress? Will you meet with the head of the UFCW, will you meet with the other union leaders, very important people in our country, very very important people. Because I think they are looking to understand China more. And they would love I am sure to understand you more. And also it's in their interest to build trains. They have workers, you know what, because what you said makes a lot of sense, but when you say to the press, they get interpreted what you say, and maybe what you are saying is not what the union leaders are hearing.
Lu Shaye: China is capable of building large scale infrastructure projects. Chinese government always makes scientific and right decisions based on consideration of social and economic development, and people's welfare and fundamental common interests, and on thorough investigation of the will of the people and the need of the society. Once the decision is made, we work on it with all our strength. That's why we build large scale infrastructure projects so quickly. It took us only 3 years to build the 1400 km Beijing-Shanghai express railway. Of course there will always be opponent voices and it's our job to analyze if they are reasonable and correct. If they are not, and if they are against the fundamental and long-term interests of the majority of the people, we should not be affected by them. This is the Chinese way of doing things, but I am not in the position to transplant it to Canada. Canadians will make their own choice. At present there's no large scale infrastructure projects going on between China and Canada, so it's not that urgent for me to persuade Canadian unions. That I'm afraid is more of Canadian government's job. But if there's an opportunity, I am willing to talk with the union leaders. Canada has its own national conditions and ways of doing things, and I am not in the position to judge if it's good or bad. What I can say is that China's current system, pattern and practice are effective and in line with China's reality. Labor standards, it's one of westerners' favorite topics. In fact, they just want other countries to follow suit. If developing countries adopt west standards such as their workers' salary, working hours, etc., there will be no way for them to develop anymore. That's because developing countries haven't reached developed countries' level. It's not because China doesn't want its workers to enjoy high salary and high welfare like Canadian workers, it's because we cannot afford it at the present stage. China, though the second biggest economy in the world, has a population of 1.4 billion people whereas Canada only has the population of 36 million people. Per Capita GDP in China is only 8,000 USD, but Per Capita GDP in Canada is 40,000 USD. So it's unreasonable to talk about labor standards regardless of countries' conditions. It's only a shield certain people use to excuse themselves from screwing up the economy.
Dan: Well the first thing I'd say is I've taken the most of your time, so I am not gonna take much more. But I would like to make an observation. I think, first of all, very fascinating, and very helpful to me as we continue to write about China, and we will continue to do that. Our China series in the magazine are actually very popular, and I would encourage the Ambassador to keep speaking candidly, to people while you're here, because I think it's refreshing and helpful. When you speak, when China says something, the Canada people listen. And I think people are fascinated for example on the train thing. People hear they build that high speed train in China, everyday people here say: why can't we do that? And they look at it differently. They say here wow, if we are supposed to be this developed country, we are supposed to have all this technology, why can't we do that? So when you say that, people listen. That's the first point.
The second point is that, we feel that our magazine is very important, especially because we're in the capital. To explain only right things, to explain things from this Chinese perspective. To my people what you say, it's different way of seeing things, different way of coming at things. And I think it's a very powerful thing when you say that to people. Because it's frankly not always the tradition with a lot of countries to do that. And especially because China is so important to our economic affairs. And people in government here have preset notions about what China is or how China should behave, which sounds quite arrogant, but they do. Here's the way you've talked about these things, challenging the people here to think. You know we have trade issues with the United States. The canola market from Canada is very important to China, agriculture is very important for our people here. Softwood lumber, energyso we are writing about these things in our magazine. And Chinese perspective on these things is very very important to our readers. So when you make a comment about that, a lot of people are interested.
Lu Shaye: I quite agree with some of your views, namely, candid introduction of China's situation to Canadian people is conducive for them to get a better understanding about China. As a matter of fact, I've been taking it as one of my priorities since I arrived here. I found my several frank communications with the Canadian media have caused some repercussions in the Canadian society, with a lot of friends like you giving me encouragement, and many people, including netizens and local Canadians I met during my tours in provinces, agreeing with me. Meanwhile there are critical voices. It is quite normal to hear different opinions, which means people have listened, whereas silence means a sort of failure. As you mentioned, it is important to clarify China's position on issues of Canadians' concern, to tell the good stories about bilateral cooperation. Unfortunately, media seldom report these good stories.
Dan: The press has the tendency to do that. But I made the point that it's important that people here understand the Chinese point of view. And we are very pleased and privileged to carry it in our magazine. And I extend that invitation to you, Ambassador Shaye, that if at anytime, you would like to write an op-ed to our readers, I am happy to publish it. And I think people would be very interested in you and what you have to say. And people in foreign affairs too, they look for things, and they hope to understand the perspective. And I think the most hopeful thing I come out of here today is the very important insight into you thinking, which to me, sounds very reasonable. And we want to share that in our magazine with our readers.
Lu Shaye: I also hope to introduce and convey to the Canadian public my observations and thinkings, as well as the situation in China through your magazine. What we want to see is that through frank communication people will be able to know a real China, rather than a China in media. Of course, it's my further wish that Canadian people see China with their own eyes. I encourage more and more Canadians to go to China, for tourism, study or business. My experience with Canadians proves that people's impression on China will not be that bad as long as they have been there. "Seeing is believing", "The facts speak louder than words". China's achievements speak for themselves, and can not be obliterated. How can China develop so well if there's no democracy, human rights and freedom? If one insists that there is no democracy, human rights and freedom in China even it has made great achievements, then we can draw a conclusion that a country can develop without democracy, human rights and freedom defined by the West. The norms of democracy, human rights and freedoms defined by the West are not universally applicable, and each country determines its own goals of democracy, human rights and freedom according to its own national conditions. Therefore it is meaningless to argue over democracy and human rights issues. If there is any universal value, then as one of my Chinese friends put it, reform and opening up is the universal value. No country can develop without reform and opening up. Only we make constant reforms on systems, institutions and technologies can we keep pace with the times. If you ask me which country is the best carrying forward successful reforms, I am not bragging, I will tell you that country is China. From the year of 1978, even we can say from the year of 1949, China has been constantly seeking reforms. The purpose of the reform is not to westernise China, but to make the country more suitable for economic and social development, and to better keep up with the world trends.
Dan: Mr. Ambassador, thank you very much. I found this meeting absolutely fascinating, and it's been very helpful to the work I am doing. I really appreciate your insight, and it's not only given me some more ideas for what we are writing about, but your perspective is very very helpful. I just want you to know that with regards to our magazine, we see it as our role in this series we've been doing on China to bring forward these things, like to explain to our readers what you say. You know I am a student of history so I am aware of the incredible achievements China made. It's unbelievable. Thank you for seeing me.
Lu Shaye: It's been nice discussing with you. Thank you.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 17:29:00|Editor: Song Lifang
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TOKYO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Japan on Wednesday to hold talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe about strengthening bilateral economic ties and boosting cooperation in the fight against terrorism, among other matters.
May arrived at Osaka Airport in western Japan on Wednesday afternoon, marking her first visit to Japan since she became prime minister in July last year.
She is scheduled to travel to Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, to experience a traditional tea ceremony and hold unofficial talks with Abe over dinner.
The tea ceremony hosted in honor of May is reportedly to reciprocate Abe being invited to the British prime minister's official Chequers residence during his visit there in April.
Following an official summit on Thursday, the two leaders are expected to release a joint statement on cooperation initiatives, government sources here said.
Prior to the summit, May is scheduled to visit a Maritime Self-Defense Force base (MSDF) in Yokosuka, near Tokyo.
May's visit to Japan will conclude on Friday after a meeting with Emperor Akihito.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 17:34:15|Editor: Song Lifang
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SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday agreed to increase pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to an "extreme" level during a phone conversation following the DPRK's missile launch in the previous day.
Moon and Abe held the telephone conversation for about 25 minutes in the morning, according to the presidential Blue House. It was the fifth phone talk between the two leaders since Moon took office on May 10.
The phone conversation was held at the request of the Japanese side.
During the phone dialogue, Moon and Abe shared a view that pressure on the DPRK should be raised to an "extreme" level to induce the DPRK to come to a dialogue table, Moon's spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing.
The shared view followed the DPRK's test launch on Tuesday of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), called Hwasong-12, which flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The UN Security Council strongly condemned the DPRK's missile launch, and U.S. President Donald Trump said "all options are on the table" after the IRBM test by Pyongyang.
Moon and Abe also agreed to push for new UN Security Council sanctions against the DPRK and to make efforts towards cooperation from China and Russia during the course, the spokesman said.
China on Tuesday called on all parties involved in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to refrain from provoking each other and raising tension.
"All parties should exercise restraint and work together to maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing when commenting on the missile launch by the DPRK.
The past has proven that pressure and sanctions alone will not settle the issue. The Peninsula nuclear issue is long-standing, intricate and complex, she said.
"The only solution is to resolve the legitimate security concerns of all parties in a balanced way through dialogues. That is the way to break the vicious cycle of endless nuclear tests, missile launches and military drills," said Hua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 17:49:20|Editor: Song Lifang
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BEIRUT, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced Wednesday that his country had triumphed over terrorism.
The remarks came after an offensive launched by the Lebanese army against Daesh (IS) ended with a cease-fire agreement that saw the fundamentalists leave Lebanese territory for Syria.
"We congratulate the leadership of the army and the soldiers who have made this victory, and we bow before the martyrs that have fallen," Aoun said during a news conference at Baabda presidential palace.
"Today we announce our victory over terrorism," Aoun declared.
Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf and Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun were present at the news conference.
"This achievement in the army's march has turned the page on a painful period in our national life," Gen. Aoun said in a statement released by the Orientation Directorate.
Aoun's statement came as the army celebrated a successful offensive against Daesh after liberating Lebanon's northeast border regions from the militant group.
The operation, dubbed "Fajr al-Jourud," (Dawn of the outskirts) resulted in the death of seven soldiers and the killing of dozens of militants.
But the victory was marred by the news that nine servicemen captured by Daesh and al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front when the jihadists overran briefly the northeastern border town of Arsal in August 2014, had been killed.
The location of the captured servicemen burial site was disclosed by Daesh militants who surrendered during the offensive. The bodies were found on the outskirts of Arsal.
"Today, after you have ended the Fajr al-Jourud operation, in which you achieved a decisive victory over terrorism by expelling it from the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Al-Qaa, this dear area returns to the fold of the nation," Aoun added.
"With the conclusion of the ten-day offensive, the last vestige of militants on Lebanese soil has been eradicated," he concluded.
Daesh fighters left Lebanon on Monday bound for Syria's Deir al-Zor as part of a Hezbollah-negotiated deal, which ended the group's presence on the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Al-Qaa as well as in Syria's western Qalamoun.
Palestinians try to block the convoy of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres upon his arrival near Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, August 30, 2017. (REUTERS Photo)
GAZA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians, including family members and relatives of prisoners held in Israeli prisons, intercepted Wednesday the convoy of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in northern Gaza.
Guterres and his convoy of UN vehicles entered Gaza through the Erez border crossing between the northern tip of the blockaded coastal enclave and Israel, witnesses said.
When the convoy passed a Hamas-controlled checkpoint, relatives of Palestinian prisoners intercepted it and demonstrated before the convoy continued heading to the Gaza city.
The banners they held read: "Where are the rights of our prisoners. The rights of our prisoners are violated on daily basis."
The demonstrators also called on Guterres "to intervene and put pressure on the Israeli occupation to stop its violations and crimes against" the Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
They also condemned what they termed the silence of the UN toward what is happening in the Gaza Strip for more than ten years.
The Portuguese UN chief is not scheduled to meet with any of Islamic Hamas leaders, who have been ruling Gaza since their movement violently seized control of the territory in June 2007.
A day earlier, Ahmed Bahar, deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament, said Guterres' visit to Gaza is "unwelcome," because he expressed solidarity with Israeli hostages and neglected thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.
But later, Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a press statement that Guterres' visit to Gaza is "welcome," after the UN chief paid a visit to the families of the Palestinian prisoners during his tour in West Bank.
Guterres also met with three refugee families from the Gaza Strip and listened to them over the situation in the coastal enclave.
"He has to help end the Israeli blockade and rescue the deteriorating humanitarian situation," Barhoum said.
Local UN officials said Guterres will visit the UN headquarters in the Gaza city and get a briefing from UN officials on the situation in Gaza.
He will tour Gaza and meet with Palestinian notables and the leaders of the clans in the enclave.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:20:04|Editor: Song Lifang
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KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least eight insurgents affiliated with the Taliban group have been killed in the troubled Kunduz province over the past 24 hours, officials said Wednesday.
"Five insurgents have been killed and six others wounded, when the militants attacked a police checkpoint in Momin Dara area of Dasht-e-Archi district of the province on Tuesday, triggering a gun battle which lasted for a while," district governor Nasruddin Nazari told Xinhua.
Similarly, the security forces, in a crackdown on Taliban hideouts, have killed three militants and injured four others in Khan Abad district over the period, a local official, Qudratullah Safi, said.
Sporadic fighting has been continuing between security forces and armed militants elsewhere in the said districts, as the government forces have been fighting to wipe out militants, the officials asserted.
Taliban militants who are in control of parts of the restive Kunduz province have not commented yet.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:25:06|Editor: Lu Hui
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United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement to the media, during a visit to a UN School in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on Aug. 30, 2017. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said here on Wednesday that he dreams to see the Gaza Strip part of one sovereign Palestinian state. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)
GAZA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said here on Wednesday that he dreams to see the Gaza Strip part of one sovereign Palestinian state.
"I dream of seeing a Palestinian state live in peace and security side by side with Israel, and I dream to see Gaza as part of one sovereign Palestinian state," Guterres told a news briefing at one of the UN schools in northern Gaza.
Guterres and his convoy of UN vehicles entered Gaza through the Erez border crossing between the northern tip of the blockaded coastal enclave and Israel.
"We call on the international community to provide the needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip," he said. "The internal Palestinian split destroys the Palestinian people cause."
Guterres called for removing all obstacles to establish a Palestinian state, and stressed the importance of resolving the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"But Gaza's problems are not only humanitarian, also political," he warned.
Earlier, dozens of Palestinians, including family members and relatives of prisoners held in Israeli prisons, intercepted the convoy of the UN chief in northern Gaza.
When the convoy passed a Hamas-controlled checkpoint, relatives of Palestinian prisoners intercepted it and demonstrated before the convoy continued heading to the Gaza city.
The banners they held read: "Where are the rights of our prisoners? The rights of our prisoners are violated on daily basis."
The demonstrators also called on Guterres "to intervene and put pressure on the Israeli occupation to stop its violations and crimes against" the Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
They also condemned what they termed the silence of the UN toward what is happening in the Gaza Strip for more than ten years.
Moreover, dozens also demonstrated outside the UN school Guterres toured in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Gaza-based Palestinian Council for Foreign Relations said in an e-mailed press statement that the council condemns the inattention of the UN secretary general to the suffering of more than 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
"This inattention violates the simplest principles and goals of the United Nations," the council said. "We call on the UN secretary general to make a real visit and a real tour to Gaza and see the deep suffering of the people."
The Portuguese UN chief is not scheduled to meet with any of Islamic Hamas leaders, who have been ruling Gaza since their movement violently seized control of the territory in June 2007.
A day earlier, Ahmed Bahar, deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, or parliament, said Guterres' visit to Gaza is "unwelcome," because he expressed solidarity with Israeli hostages and neglected thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.
But later, Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said in a press statement that Guterres' visit to Gaza is "welcome," after the UN chief paid a visit to the families of the Palestinian prisoners during his tour in West Bank.
Guterres also met with three refugee families from the Gaza Strip and listened to them over the situation in the coastal enclave.
"He has to help end the Israeli blockade and rescue the deteriorating humanitarian situation," Barhoum said.
Local UN officials said Guterres will visit the UN headquarters in the Gaza city and get a briefing from UN officials on the situation in Gaza.
He will tour Gaza and meet with Palestinian notables and the leaders of the clans in the enclave.
Guterres arrived in Israel on Monday and held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Tuesday, he visited the West Bank city of Ramallah and held talks with Prime Minister of the Palestinian consensus government Rami Hamdallah.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:25:08|Editor: Song Lifang
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BERLIN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) chancellor candidate Alexander Gauland has responded with defiance on Wednesday to a hate speech lawsuit over controversial remarks he made about German parliamentarian and state minister for migration Aydan Oezoguz (SPD).
"I think that a woman who says that a German culture cannot be identified beyond the language has no place in this country." Gauland told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).
He hereby defended a recent public suggestion that Oezoguz should be "disposed of" in Turkey which prompted widespread criticism in Germany. The AfD candidate went even further on Wednesday in FAZ, opining that the SPD-politician of Turkish descent "may have to find a different country."
"I do not want to call (the original wording) a mistake..." Gauland added, describing the outrage it caused as "ridiculous".
SPD leader and chancellor candidate Martin Schulz had blasted Gauland as the "AfD racist agitator-in-chief" in response, while Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said that the statement was "racist and absolutely condemnable."
Merkel further took Gauland's comments as an opportunity to criticize CDU delegates in the regional assembly of Saxony-Anhalt for voting in favor of a AfD proposal as "politically wrong." The CDU leader has repeatedly ruled out any form of legislative cooperation with the AfD.
In the meanwhile, the former federal judge Thomas Fischer launched a lawsuit against Gauland for racist incitement.
The abuse hurled at Oezoguz was "obviously directed solely at the ethnicity of the affected person," German news website Spiegel online cited the suit.
The judicial proceedings against the AfD candidate come as his party has become increasingly engulfed by scandals less than a month before German national elections.
The Parliament of Saxony revoked AfD leader Frauke Petry's immunity on Tuesday, paving the way to legal action against her over accusations of perjury. On the same day, the AfD was reported to have handed out pepper sprays at election rallies in Rhineland-Palatinate, with a local mayor describing the initiative as "morally unacceptable."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:45:23|Editor: Song Lifang
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TEHRAN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the recent vote by Iraq's Kirkuk Province to join the imminent referendum on independence of the autonomous region of Kurdistan is "dangerous and provocative," official IRNA news agency reported.
The vote "not only won't help the recent Baghdad talks to settle two sides' problems, but also will undermine the victories of Iraq against terrorism," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying.
Iran "is against this wrong decision which violates the sovereignty of Iraq and its territorial integrity," Qasemi said, urging the Kurds to respect the constitution of Iraq.
Dialogue is the best way to deal with the problems between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region, he noted.
"Any measure which leads to new crisis in the region and in the borders of Iraqi neighbours should be avoided," the spokesman warned.
So far, Iranian state and military officials have voiced their strong opposition to the planned referendum on Kurdish independence in Iraq.
On Tuesday, the council of the ethnically-mixed Kirkuk Province voted to participate in the planned referendum on independence of Iraqi Kurdistan region.
On June 7, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani announced his intention to hold a referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region from Iraq on Sept. 25, a step which has been criticized by Baghdad and neighbouring Turkey and Iran, which have sizeable Kurdish minorities of their own.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:45:26|Editor: Song Lifang
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LONDON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese investment offers "a great opportunity" for both China and London as uncertainties remain over negotiations on Brexit, senior officials of the City of London said Tuesday.
"We welcome investment from around the world and certainly we welcome all the Chinese investors," said Gwyn Richards, the head of design and assistant director of Built Environment, told Xinhua.
In a signed article on the Evening Standard last week, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said the investment from his country to Britain is mutually beneficial and win-win for both sides, rebuffing the investment threat allegation.
Liu said that recent British media reports on the so-called threats of Chinese investment to British national security is a confusing mixture of paranoia and exaggerations about China's appetite to buy out Britain.
"That's certainly not the City's position," said Richards, "We welcome all the Chinese investors coming to us knocking on our door. Certainly we do not see it as a threat. We see it as a great opportunity for both the City and China." The City of London, a leading international financial and business services center, contributes 14 percent of London's GDP and over 3 percent of British GDP.
Sherry Madera, the City of London special advisor for Asia said China is an important marketplace considering how it is expanding internationally.
If London strives to be a global financial center in the context of Brexit, it needs to taking care of its investments seriously, Madera said.
"As evidence to that, Chinese financial investors are some of our key stake holders," said Madera.
The Asia advisor said cooperation with a diverse country like China could focus on a few "Tops" -- green finance, the internationalization of renminbi (RMB), and cooperation to create a legal system for contract possibly along the Belt and Road.
The British government from 2010 onwards has played an active role in promoting London's financial capabilities to China, one of which was in propelling the internationalization of the Chinese currency RMB.
The advisor proposed a "2.0 next generation RMB initiative" in an effort to find different ways in using RMB internationally and using London as the hub as the RMB continues to grow in the next 20 to 30 years.
Noting that London is the western end of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Madera sees the potential that London Stock Exchange could serve as a key vehicle for raising finance not only in China, but also across the Belt and Road.
"We need to grow our relationship with China, and foster really great link between the UK and China," she said.
Acknowledging that Brexit is "annoying, irritating and worrying," Medera said the City of London, along with most other stakeholders are calling for clarity for how the Brexit negotiation will be going forward.
Richards, on the other hand, seemed more optimistic. He said the City of London remains strong to the challenges of Brexit and the development schemes and discussions in the City are on full swing. Activity from Asia-Pacific investors, including China, was at its highest in five years in property investment in the City during the first half year of 2017.
"So certainly from my perspective, Brexit has not made any difference to us at the moment. If anything, we have never been busier," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 19:50:27|Editor: Song Lifang
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DJIBOUTI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- With local patients packed with a temporary clinic in the midst of Djibouti's humid weather, sweats dropped down from the foreheads of Chinese doctors, who were carefully treating villagers through traditional Chinese medicine and modern therapy.
Having suffered long illness, these villagers departed home very early on Sunday morning to stagger through rough roads heading to the temporary clinic originally a primary school in their village.
As the sun emerged to cast its warm sheen over the village, Chinese doctors from a naval hospital ship arrived to meet with local patients, bring free medical services to those who finally saw the hope of recovery.
As they had learned the news about the visit of Chinese physicians from "Peace Ark," the villagers of Doraleh, which is located in less than 10 km from the capital of Djibouti, gathered in the clinic. Children also played among those patients and their families, just eagerly waiting to see strange foreigners,the Chinese physicians.
Earlier in the morning, Chinese physicians from "Peace Ark" drove through rough roads with dilapidated houses and listless pedestrians around them.
"There are more than 1,200 people living in this village. They have no health clinic, and no foreign medical workers come here, except people from the United Nations agencies, who come here rarely to provide humanitarian support such as food and water for the villagers," said Omar Farah Bader, the young village chief who was working to maintain the order of patients.
Upon arriving, the Chinese physicians quickly put their drugs and equipment in place and started to treat the villagers who lined up for the generous help.
Those seriously ill patients took their precedence to receive diagnosis and treatment. Among them were those who walked on crutches or with the support of family members. Most of them suffered pains of low back, legs and shoulders among others.
After continuous working for five hours, about 20 Chinese physicians hurried to finish their simple lunch just for earlier returning to their intensive work, by then the temperature had been rising up to more than 40 degrees centigrade.
"You can see that Djibouti weather is very hot and humid, and a lot of people have no decent houses. They sleep on the street and so many people here are easily affected by arthritis," said Zhang Yanzhao, a Chinese doctor who alleviated patients' pain with acupuncture and cupping, traditional Chinese therapeutic approaches.
"Today there is a 12-year-old child, he is so small and perplexed by arthritis, it is difficult for him to walk," said Zhang in a sad tone.
The land in the country, scorched by the high temperatures, is most covered by sand. And due to bad natural environment and low-level economic development, most local people live a quite difficult living and many people have no access to medical service after they fell ill.
The Chinese physicians also found that eye diseases are popular seen among villagers.
Ophthalmologist Song Ping explained that cataract and conjunctivitis are very common among local people due to the windy weather, sand and strong ultraviolet ray in the country.
Within a day, 200 to 300 villagers and neighboring people came to the navy's mobile clinic. Chinese physicians also arranged a special bus to send those seriously ill patients with more complex cases to the "Peace Ark" for further treatment.
Omar said he has really been moved by the hard work of the Chinese physicians.
"The Chinese physicians have done everything here now, and the villagers will always remember them and keep this in their hearts," he said.
After a day-long medical services, the Chinese physicians had to go back to their "Peace Ark" hospital. As their vehicle was departing from the village, the villagers were waving their hands for a long time to see the Chinese physicians off, and the children were running around the car to bid a farewell to those foreigners who were no longer strangers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:00:32|Editor: Xiang Bo
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BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities are soliciting public opinion on a provisional regulation that aims to further regulate activities involving private investment funds.
The regulation focuses on risk prevention and protection of investor rights during fund raising and investment operations, the Legal Affairs Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, said Wednesday in a note regarding the soliciting of opinions.
It is necessary to issue such a regulation given the irregularities arising in the fast-developing industry in recent years, according to the office.
The regulation states that fund managers and custodians should join the industry association to submit information on fund operations and that the association should establish a mechanism to handle investors' complaints.
The public can provide feedback on the provisional regulation by visiting the office's website before Sept. 30, 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:05:33|Editor: Song Lifang
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MADRID, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was questioned over the Gurtel corruption trial in the Spanish Congress on Wednesday in a session in which he failed to give any explanations to opposition parties.
Rajoy had been cited to appear in Congress by the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), Unidos Podemos, Republican Left, and the Mixed Group (which is made up of minority parties), but offered no explanations over the Gurtel scandal during his intervention.
Rajoy's governing Peoples Party (PP) is deeply implicated in a large amount of cash for favor Gurtel case, which investigates the award of public contracts in return for bribes that the PP used to illegally finance election campaigns and other party expenses.
The Prime Minister made history when he appeared as a witness in the case in court at the end of July, the first serving Spanish leader to testify in such a way.
One Wednesday, Rajoy said there was "no impunity for corruption in Spain", insisting that Congress was not the place to discuss cases such as Gurtel.
"The irregularities are sanctioned where they have to be sanctioned: in court and in the ballot box," he added.
Rajoy said his appearance was an "inquisition" by the opposition parties which "led nowhere".
"They have the right to ask for me to appear," he said, but insisted that the opposition had only thought about "their political needs" rather than those of the country, which he said were currently "international terrorism, nationalism and the economy."
"My obligation is to govern and I will continue to do that," said Rajoy, adding that his party had approved "dozens of laws" to combat corruption.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:15:39|Editor: Song Lifang
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JUBA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A global press freedom watchdog on Wednesday called for an independent investigation into circumstances surrounding the death of U.S. journalist Christopher Allen in South Sudan.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also urged authorities in Juba to respect all journalists' status as civilians.
"We call for a credible, independent investigation into the killing of Christopher Allen so that those responsible can be held to account," CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal said in a statement.
The media watchdog said Allen, who was killed covering conflict there on Aug. 26, was deserving of civilian status.
South Sudan's army, a rebel spokesman, and the U.S. Embassy in the capital Juba confirmed that Allen was killed during the fighting between government and rebel forces in Kaya, near the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Allen had been embedded with opposition forces for two weeks, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, the rebel's deputy spokesman said.
"Taking photographs and reporting events is not attacking. It is journalistic work done by civilians, who are protected under international law," Quintal said.
Several journalists have since been killed during ongoing more than three years of violence in the youngest nation in unclear circumstances that have not been conclusively investigated, amid international condemnation.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva 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 people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:15:40|Editor: Song Lifang
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SOFIA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Tianjin Sub-Council (CCPIT Tianjin) here on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding and called for expansion of cooperation.
"Thanks to this memorandum, we can develop mutual cooperation in more areas and in more ways," Duan Yimin, Vice Chairman of CCPIT Tianjin said at the signing ceremony.
Duan, who led a business delegation from his city, said there has been a traditional friendship between China and Bulgaria, a country along the route of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Duan also said the total investment from Tianjin to Bulgaria reached over 85 million U.S. dollars, and last year the trade between his city and the Balkan country exceeded 52 million dollars.
BCCI's president Tsvetan Simeonov in turn wished a pragmatic implementation of the memorandum, and exchange of more delegations.
According to Simeonov, Chinese companies could benefit from the favorable location of Bulgaria and good conditions for doing business.
According to Bulgaria's Ministry of Economy, China is traditionally Bulgaria's largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade reaching 1.63 billion dollars in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:20:42|Editor: Xiang Bo
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BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- In 2011, the BBC published a documentary on Chinese migrants in Africa, titled "The Chinese Are Coming."
Barely six years later, Western media such as the Financial Times and Quartz now say the Chinese are leaving, alleging that overseas Chinese are returning from the continent after low commodity prices have devalued African economies.
The influx of Chinese in Africa since the early 2000s has been linked to booming trade ties and the strategy of Chinese companies to "go overseas."
But without reliable statistics, it remains debatable to categorically say migration has peaked and the trend has started to reverse.
Western media appears to have drawn this conclusion by combining the decline of trade figures with the frustrations of migrants about the business environment -- from weak currencies to exorbitant taxes and fees.
Chinese have been settling on the continent since Chinese ships first arrived at East African shores in the 15th century. They have remained for six centuries through good times and bad. Small ethnic Chinese communities have existed over 100 years in some African countries.
Since 2000, the number of Chinese migrants in Africa has risen dramatically and has been estimated at over 1 million for some years.
Even if a tiny fraction of these Chinese have packed up and left this time, there should be no concern. A decline in the number of small businessmen is a sign that China-Africa economic engagement is entering new phase.
Early Chinese construction projects in Africa did involve a substantial number of Chinese laborers. But over the years, the African work-force has gradually gained the skills required and adapted to Chinese work systems. A trend can be seen in Chinese companies hiring more local workers.
The shift makes business sense. Hiring Chinese to work overseas is more expensive than ever, with higher wages, away-from-home allowances, food, accommodation, insurance, transportation costs... just to name a few.
Across the continent, Africans typically fill more than 85 percent of the jobs on labor-intensive projects. And they are not only laborers and technicians, more are becoming managers and consultants.
Other than construction workers, small retailers were also said to be leaving. But on the other hand, African businessmen have been living in major Chinese trading hubs, such as Guangzhou and Yiwu, for some time and are able to order made-in-China products themselves.
This serves as evidence that African business communities have benefited from the economic engagement and they have learned enough to outperform the immigrants.
Nowadays Chinese entrepreneurs are encouraged to instead invest in more sophisticated sectors where they hold a comparative advantage. Retail has lost its appeal. Those who are still in the sector have seen profits dive. It is time to pack up and do something else.
It is also worthy to note that Chinese migrants have been lured to return due to opportunities in China, rather than being forced to leave due to sluggish economic growth in Africa.
Fuqing, in east China's Fujian Province, has likely produced more emigrants than other places in China. For centuries, residents of the coastal villages surrounded by hills took dangerous voyages at sea to find better places to live.
But the Internet revolution, along with improvements in rural infrastructure, has become a game changer.
People in remote villages can easily find buyers via e-commerce apps and websites. A modern logistics network also aids the movement of goods. It is not just about trade. Villagers can have access to quality healthcare and education and take part in other economic activities through online collaboration.
As China is continuously exploring new economic drivers, Africa stands a good chance of benefiting.
Chinese e-commerce guru Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba Group, made his first visit to Africa in July, centering on empowering young African entrepreneurs. Alibaba will arm African youth with skills required for e-commerce, and the company's mobile payment subsidiary Ant Financial is expanding to the continent.
When launching Alipay in South Africa, company executives said they saw "big potential in Africa."
Global consultancy firm McKinsey last year issued a report titled "Lions on the Move II," which said that despite a dip in growth in a few oil exporting countries, Africa's long-term fundamentals are strong and there are substantial market and investment opportunities on the table.
The continent is seeing a massive urbanization process and will have a larger working-age population than either China or India by 2034.
Another McKinsey report dedicated to China-Africa partnerships said Chinese companies in Africa - about 90 percent of which are private companies - could be earning revenue worth 440 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, up from 180 billion today. New opportunities lie in technology, housing, farming, financial services, transportation and logistics.
People from Fuqing, or Fujian Province at large, have long been known for their business acumen. It is hard to imagine that they would choose to leave after being on the ground for some years. Maybe it is just a pause before they find the right sector and dive back in.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:20:43|Editor: Song Lifang
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by Abdul Haleem, Manan Arghand
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sayed Sarwar Amani, a small business owner who used to live in the former Taliban stronghold in the southern Kandahar province, has since the collapse of the Taliban regime dreamed of contributing to the rebuilding process of his war-torn country and achieve self-sufficiency.
To achieve his commendable dream, a determined Amani established a small soap-making factory in 2005 in Kandahar, with a small budget and a dozen workers from the local community.
Branded with the word "ARGHAND," a name derived from the famous Arghandab River in Afghanistan's southern region, the perfumed soap, made with the essence of natural plants, nuts and the nectar of fruits including pomegranates and grapes, has so far been exported to the United States and Canada.
Amid ongoing militancy and increasing security incidents in Afghanistan, Amani, in his 50s, is still hopeful that his business with the passage of time will flourish so that he can hire more workers and find more markets for his ARGHAND soap.
Describing the soap as an "all-natural product based on a health formula," Amani stressed that his ARGHAND soap is a good solution for the beautification of all kinds of skin types.
"The price of one pack of Arghand soap, which contains four individual pieces of soap, is 14 U.S. dollars in the United States and also costs 14 Canadian dollars in Canada," Amani told Xinhua recently.
However, he noted that the price of ARGHAND soap in the local market is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"A four-soap package in the market of Kandahar city costs 320 afghani (4.6 U.S. dollars) and ordinary people can't afford to buy it," said the factory owner.
Nevertheless, he remarked that government support is essential for the factory to improve its packaging system and find appropriate markets to sell the soap at lower prices to the locals.
"Government support is essential for the factory to produce a variety of soaps with standard packaging to market the product at home and abroad," Amani maintained.
"In the beginning, I had never thought that one day my factory's products would find their way to the U.S. and Canadian markets. But my dream has been realized," Amani said proudly.
He also predicted with confidence that his factory's products would one day enter more luxury markets in the Afghan capital city of Kabul and neighboring countries.
"Maximizing minimal resources can help you to create job opportunities for some people on the one hand, and on the other, it facilitates a businessman like me to earn better livelihood and prestigious place in society," said the ambitious man.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:35:49|Editor: Song Lifang
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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Residents of Ethiopia's second largest region, Amhara regional state, have been cautioned by a local health official against an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD).
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Amhara Regional State Health Bureau official Teklehaimanot Gebrehiwot said that more than 3,000 people were infected with the disease over the past four months.
According to Gebrehiwot, the major reason for the spread of the acute watery diarrhea disease in the region is the consumption of unhygienic food and poor personal hygiene practices, which was exacerbated by the approaching major rainy season.
Gebrehiwot, however, indicated that majority of the infected individuals were treated from the disease and sent back home as the outbreak covered 62 districts in the Amhara region alone, Ethiopia's second largest northwestern regional state.
With Ethiopia's rainy season stretching from late June to early September already underway, the region's health bureau warned community members to stay vigilant to avoid the spread of the infectious diarrhea.
Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa administration had also recently cautioned its residents to remain alert against the acute watery diarrhea disease.
Addis Ababa Mayor Diriba Kuma, speaking in a ceremony highlighting the city administration's efforts against AWD last month, urged city dwellers to keep vigilant during the pick rainy season, from late June to early September.
An outbreak of AWD had caused a health scare last year in the capital Addis Ababa and other Ethiopian regions, which resulted in the death of several people prior to a collaborative government supported health campaign eradicated the outbreak.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 20:35:50|Editor: Song Lifang
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YANGON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is sending 103 outstanding students to study in China under a scholarship and stipend program.
The scholarship winning Myanmar students were bid farewell on Wednesday.
Speaking at a ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Hong Liang noted that China has actively participated in promoting the development of Myanmar's education sector, donating friendship school buildings and introducing a program of China-Myanmar friendship scholarship and stipend as part of promoting "Pauk-Phaw" friendship.
The program was introduced in 2016 to support the education development of Myanmar.
Thanking China, U Sein Win Aung, chairman of China-Myanmar Friendship Association urged students to study hard in China and take a vital role in Myanmar's educational reforms.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:04:03|Editor: Song Lifang
Security force members inspect the site of an attack in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 30, 2017. Four people were killed after an explosion and ensuing gun firing rocked house of an Afghan politician in eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, provincial government said. (Xinhua/Rahman Safi)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:01:00|Editor: Song Lifang
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JERUSALEM, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Education Minister Naftali Bennett announced Wednesday a new national program to improve English proficiency in elementary and high schools, saying Israelis must speak English well to become successful in business and life.
The plan aims at bringing the number of high-schoolers graduating with high-level English from 60% to 70% within four years, and improving the level also within elementary schools, the Education Ministry said in a statement.
The emphasis of English education program would be put on spoken English, according to the ministry.
The plan, which would cost 70 million shekels (about 19.5 million U.S. dollars), includes recruiting 1,000 more English teachers from Israel and abroad and additional teaching hours. Current English teachers will undergo workshops to improve their teaching skills.
Bennett said that not speaking English well harms Israelis prospects to succeed in life. "Not knowing English is effectively closing books in your face and shutting opportunities to interact with the world," he said at a press conference, according to the statement.
"Every girl and boy in Israel need to know how to conduct a conversation in high-level English, to write, and to read. It's not a luxury; this is a vital need in 2017," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:01:01|Editor: Song Lifang
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XI'AN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Samsung Electronics Co. signed agreement Wednesday with the government of northwest China's Shaanxi Province to expand its chip production capacity there.
Samsung will inject an initial investment of 7 billion U.S. dollars into the second phase of its chip plant in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, which will primarily produce advanced flash memory chips.
The first phase of the plant at the Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone went into operation in May 2014, with a total investment of 10 billion dollars.
The opening of Samsung's semiconductor project has attracted more than 100 supporting companies to the zone, and its expanded capacity is expected to strengthen Xi'an's role as a major semiconductor industry base.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:06:05|Editor: Xiang Bo
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BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has completed verification of the country's seawater warning levels, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) Wednesday.
Since 2012, the SOA has re-verified seawater warning levels in 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities and divided China's coastal areas into 259 warning areas.
"The verified warning levels will help prevent or reduce ocean disasters," said Wang Hua from SOA.
The seawater warning level refers to the level of coastal water that warns of potential tide disasters being met or exceeded.
China's meteorological department will issue severe weather alerts based on the warning level, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2016 shows a camp on fire during an operation of destroying all Boko Haram terrorists around the fringes of Alagarno forest in northeast Borno State, Nigeria. Nigerian troops troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion patrol team on Tuesday cleared the Boko Haram camps located at Komala, Dole, Kumshi and Moadori. The troops also killed two Boko Haram terrorists and captured two. (Xinhua/Olawale Salau)
by Olatunji Saliu
ABUJA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Looking back at the crimes he executed against humanity, Auwal Ismaaela, a self-confessed top commander of the Nigeria-based terror group Boko Haram, felt he would likely be living the rest of his life regretting the atrocities he and other fighters committed.
Although he claimed to have repented now, and willfully surrendered to the Nigerian military recently, he is, no doubt, gutted by his own past.
Ismaaela threw in the towel as government troops intensified efforts to smoke out remnants of the terror group in Nigeria.
His submission to the military was promptly followed by a confession in which the terror group commander said he played a major role in the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, a Christian-dominated town in the northeastern state of Borno in April 2014.
"It is unfortunate that I was brainwashed and misled, not only on some abductions but in the killings of my own people that were innocent," Ismaaela told investigators.
"I wholeheartedly regret my actions," he said, noting his sins were too many.
Among his many regrets, he would live the rest of his life without a right leg and a partially burned body -- the vestiges of a senseless fight against his country and compatriots.
Amid many acts of bloodletting on innocent people and destruction of properties across the length and breadth of Nigeria's northeast, Ismaaela and another repentant Boko Haram fighter named Abu Hafsat led the killing of youths and other school children in Madagali area of Adamawa State, also in the northeast region.
Between 2014 and 2015, he commanded many terror operations which led to the invasion of almost a dozen towns across Nigeria's northeast region.
Even his kinsmen were not spared the violence. In 2014, Ismaaela led his cohorts to his homestead of Madagali, where they killed some students and youths at the Central Secondary School in Sabon Gari area of the town.
"In one of the operations, I abducted my wife named Maryam," the repented terrorist said.
Maryam later bore him two kids in Sambisa Forest, Boko Haram's largest training camp in Borno State.
Before the terrorists were chased out of Sambisa Forest, the place was a "land of horror," Ismaaela recalled.
"Women were being raped, sometimes publicly. Children died from malnutrition and diseases as the living condition became harsher. As there was no food in the camp, people died every day because of hunger," he said.
Despite losing his right leg in a gunfight with troops in Konduga, another frequently attacked area in Borno State, Ismaaela did not stop fighting for Boko Haram.
He said Boko Haram's kingpin, Abubakar Shekau, gave him a tricycle with which he continued to use for various operations before he eventually surrendered.
Giving many reasons for his decision to voluntarily surrender to the Nigerian troops, Ismaaela had since realized, also, that the sermons, barbaric indoctrination and atrocities being committed in all the Boko Haram camps "were misleading."
"I willingly surrendered to the military because I was tired of the senseless killing and fight. I realized that our people have resort to stealing and all sort of atrocity contrary to the teaching and practice of Islam," he added.
Ismaaela, currently held in a military detention center in the northeast region, has vowed to cooperate with the Nigerian Military with useful information on locations and hideouts of other top commanders of the ruthless Boko Haram group.
His plea is being considered by Nigerian authorities.
People queue to register at the Saio Elementary Community School after the mudslides in Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone, on Aug. 19, 2017. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday said that more than 400 people had lost their lives in the mudslides that had occurred on Aug. 14 and that several hundred people were still missing, meaning that the death toll could still increase. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)
FREETOWN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank Group Country Manager in Sierra Leone said Tuesday that the Bank had provided 13 million U.S. dollars as part of its immediate response to the flood and mudslide disaster that killed hundreds of people in Freetown and left thousands homeless.
Parminder Brar was addressing journalists at the head office in Freetown about the financial response from the Bank.
He said earlier this month the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development approached the Bank for financial support to deal with the crisis, as well as a request to undertaking an immediate disaster and loss assessment that would inform the recovery process.
He disclosed that the Bank had deployed a Specialist Disaster Management Team in Freetown to work with the government, United Nations Agencies and local organizations in a coordinated way to assess the immediate needs in short and medium term.
The World Bank Manager said the bank was doing a multi-city hazardous assessment for three cities-Freetown, Makeni and Bo, and that the study would be completed in November this year and it would be presented to the country's president.
He noted that the initial report that the Bank had offered 500 million U.S. dollars to support disaster in the country was not true.
"On the side of the World Bank, we have offered 13 million U.S. dollars as part of the immediate response to disaster. And some people say it was reported that the World Bank offered 500 million dollars for disaster, not that, it is not the case," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:37:38|Editor: Song Lifang
Members of Bangladesh's anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion search the venue of the country's main Eid congregation in capital Dhaka with metal detectors and the dog squad for the holy Eid-ul-Azha or the Festival of Sacrifice, Aug. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Salim Reza)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:58:20|Editor: Xiang Bo
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Deng Feng (R) takes part in a training for joining the army in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2017. Deng, 24, who just graduated from Xingjian College of Science and Liberal Arts of Guangxi University, has signed up for the army twice. When he was a freshman, Deng Feng was for the first time recruited as a soldier of Guangxi Frontier Corps of Chinese Armed Police and was on service for two years. Deng Feng then left army and went back to Guangxi University until he finished his study. Upon graduation, however, Deng Feng again decided to return to the army and realize his military career. (Xinhua/Li Hanchi)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 21:51:31|Editor: Song Lifang
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KIEV, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A private helicopter crashed in Ukraine's western Ivano-Frankivsk region, killing a pilot, the State Service for Emergencies said in a statement on Wednesday.
The debris from the Robinson R22 B helicopter and the body of the pilot were found by rescuers on Tuesday in the forest area of the Carpathian Mountains, the statement said.
According to previous reports, a 53-year-old resident of the western city of Lviv who went missing on Monday was the victim of the crash.
Police have launched an investigation into the accident.
Rescue members work at the site of the train derailment at the Dortmund Central Railway Station in Dortmund, Germany, on May 1, 2017. Two persons were slightly injured in the train derailment in Dortmund, a city in Germany's state of North Rhine-Westphalia. (Xinhua/Ulrich Hufnagel)
BERLIN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) issued a warning on Wednesday that radical Islamists were increasingly planning to target railway services in Western countries.
The sabotaging of tracks and other attacks on railway infrastructure increasingly featured prominently in the plans of terrorist groups, a BKA spokesperson told the Funke media group.
According to the source, an online forum associated with the so-called Islamic State (IS) called for attacks on Western railway lines as recently as July. The widely-publicized train accident near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling was cited as a "desirable outcome." Twelve people died in the incident in February 2016.
IS specifically called for "lone wolves", who are not members of terror cells but instead act individually, to carry out such attacks because they did not require a high degree of sophistication.
The terrorist network Al-Qaida promptly followed suit in August, publishing detailed plans in a magazine for attacks on locomotives, wagons, railway stations and tracks.
"Even though there is no concrete mentioning of Germany in the magazine, such attacks are also conceivable in the German Federal Republic," the BKA representative said.
Speaking to Xinhua, German terror expert Rolf Tophoven said the BKA warning most likely reflected a "change in the modus operandi of terrorist groups as security authorities are increasingly prepared for other types of attacks."
Islamists were looking for new "soft goals" in response to the erection of physical barriers in pedestrianized zones following the Nice, Berlin and Barcelona terror attacks where vehicles were driven at high speed into crowds of people, according to the expert.
Ansgar Heveling, president of the German parliament's committee for the interior, told Funke media group that he shared the BKA's concerns.
It was undeniable that jihadi groups were looking for "new and frighteningly simple possibilities" to carry out attacks, according to Heveling.
Liu Jieyi (C), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the missile launch of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York Aug. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday rejected the latest missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and called for efforts to bring the issue back to the right track of dialogue.
China is opposed to the DPRK's launches using ballistic missile technology and Pyongyang should comply with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting.
He also urged all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to avoid "mutually provocative actions" that might exacerbate regional tension.
The Security Council resolution adopted on Aug. 5 provides for further sanctions against the DPRK, but also calls for the resumption of the six-party talks and pledges to seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution and underscores the de-escalation efforts by relevant parties, he said.
All relevant parties should implement the provisions of the Security Council resolutions "in a comprehensive integrated manner," avoid any rhetoric or action that might raise tension on the Korean Peninsula, and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, he said.
The envoy said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China is a realistic and feasible formula for a proper settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses.
The idea of dual approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both de-nuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls on the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and on the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.
China opposes any chaos or war on the peninsula, said the Chinese envoy, noting that military deployment is not helpful. The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield by the United States in South Korea severely jeopardizes regional strategic balance, undermining the strategic security interests of all regional countries, including China, he said. "It will further escalate tension on the peninsula, making the issue more complicated and intractable."
He asked for a halt to the deployment and the dismantling of related facilities.
Liu also urged countries to stop using domestic legislation to impose unilateral sanctions on individuals and entities in other countries.
"China is always committed to the goal of de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula and the settlement of the issue through dialogue and consultations," said the Chinese envoy.
The de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is in the interests of all parties, said Liu. He expressed the hope that all parties concerned would work with China to take up their due share of responsibilities and bring the issue back to the right track of peaceful dialogue.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 22:06:43|Editor: Zhou Xin
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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has called on regional leaders to work together to bring lasting peace and security in Somalia and the region.
The prime minister made the remarks during his discussion with General David Muhoozi, Special Envoy of the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
Desalegn and Muhoozi have also discussed on various issues that focused on regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the Office of the Ethiopian Prime Minister said in a statement.
Desalegn warned that insufficient support from the international community is creating huge burden on the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, which neighbors Somalia.
According to Desalegn, Ethiopia has the responsibility to voice its concern to the international community concerning the security situations in the region and the continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 22:42:01|Editor: yan
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Missile force of Korean People's Army attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Cheng Dayu)
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China said Wednesday sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) must be within the framework of the UN Security Council.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's remarks came after the UN Security Council released a president's statement, which strongly condemned Monday's missile launch by the DPRK as well as several launches Friday.
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world," said the statement.
Noting the statement reflects the consensus of the international community, Hua said, "China is opposed to any unilateral sanction or long-arm jurisdiction in accordance with one country's domestic law."
Hua said China hopes all parties will implement Security Council resolutions earnestly, comprehensively and completely.
When asked about China's communication and coordination with Russia on the issue, Hua said China and Russia share the same goal, which was, by and large shared by all other permanent members of the UN Security Council and the whole international community.
It's only that some countries may differ on specific approaches to realize the goal at this stage, she said.
China is willing to continue coordination and cooperation with Russia, to maintain peace and stability in the region and around the world, she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 22:42:02|Editor: yan
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KIEV, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has sent a firefighting aircraft to Georgia to assist it in battling wildfires in the country's mountainous region, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Wednesday.
The An-32-P plane and its crew will join the efforts to put out fires in a forest near the resort town of Abastumani in southern Georgia, the agency said in a statement.
The air support was dispatched by the order of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at the request of the Georgian side, it said.
The An-32-P plane is a firefighting aircraft, capable of carrying up to 8,000 liters of water in four reservoirs.
Wildfires have been raging in Georgia for more than a week. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, about 1,000 firefighters and rescuers are currently battling the blaze.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:07:13|Editor: yan
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ANKARA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged on Wednesday UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to "put pressure on Myanmar government" about the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims in the country, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.
In his phone conversation with Guterres, Erdogan clarified Turkey's diplomatic efforts about recent human rights violations against Rohingya in Myanmar, where hundreds of people have been killed and nearly 20,000 displaced since fighting erupted in the country's Rakhine State six days ago.
The Turkish president called for urgent intervention from the UN and international community to stop the crisis in Myanmar, presidential sources said on condition of anonymity.
The Turkish government has been pursuing diplomatic efforts from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Organization for Islamic Cooperation, as well as countries including the United States, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.
The Rohingya, one of the world's largest stateless communities, are fleeing in droves toward Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge in violence in Rakhine State between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's military.
At least 18,500 Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh since fighting erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:07:14|Editor: yan
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Defense will establish a panel of experts to provide advice and recommendations for President Donald Trump's order that bans transgender individuals from joining the armed forces, a statement has said.
The Pentagon announcement came several days after Trump issued a formal memorandum on the issue, suggesting that the policy would go into effect on March 23, 2018.
Trump's directive gave Secretary of Defense James Mattis wide discretion to determine how to handle those people already enlisted, in accordance with criteria, including military effectiveness, budgetary concerns, and law.
"Once the panel reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the President concerning implementation of his policy direction," Mattis said in the statement released late Tuesday.
Mattis, cautious about implementing the military transgender ban, added that existing policy on currently serving transgender troops would not change.
Trump announced last month the ban on transgender individuals serving the military "in any capacity" in a series of tweets that surprised Pentagon leaders, citing concerns over "tremendous medical costs and disruption" for their service.
The move is intended to reverse a 2016 plan by the previous administration that allows the military to have openly transgender recruits.
Civil rights groups and activists lashed out at the newly-announced ban, which drew bipartisan criticism in Congress. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of several transgender service members challenging Trump's policy.
A Pentagon-commissioned study in 2016 showed there are an estimated 1,320 to 6,630 transgender service members in the U.S. military.
It concluded that allowing them to serve openly would have a minimal impact on the readiness and health care costs of the 1.3-million-member military force of the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:12:17|Editor: yan
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LONDON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- This is a little known fact that eight Chinese passengers were on the legendary liner Titanic when it perished in 1912 and six of them survived.
Now a new documentary, The Six, made by a British director, is going to tell the story of the Chinese survivors.
Arthur Jones, a professional documentary director from Yorkshire, told Xinhua from his Shanghai studio Tuesday, that after he learnt the information about Chinese survivors almost two years ago from his friend Steven Schwankert, a U.S. maritime historian, he decided to make the documentary to tell the world about who the six Chinese survivors are, how they survived and why they vanished from the records.
"Out of over 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster, the six Chinese people were the only ones who never told their stories," said Jones, who has been living and working in China for over 20 years.
According to the historical evidence and accounts that Jones' team have collected, all the eight Chinese men had previously worked on cargo ships travelling between China and Europe. They boarded the Titanic in England on a single ticket listing eight names, working as stokers and staying in the third-class cabin.
When the giant ship struck an iceberg, the men tried to escape with their own survival skills. Five of the six survivors boarded lifeboats, while the sixth one was found floating on a door and luckily picked up by a lifeboat that returned to search for survivors.
However, when the six survivors finally arrived in the United States, the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act, which was in force at the time, forced them to leave the country within 24 hours. Since then the Chinese survivors were disappearing from history books.
Their absence has left some questions unanswered, including a claim that they were stowaways on lifeboats. Jones and his research team believed this rumor was out of racist background and full of injustice.
"We visited a large number of foreign archives and museums, worked with historians from the United States and China, searched and studied many evidence," Jones said. "There is no single evidence to prove the Chinese survivors were stowaways. I believe they did not do anything dishonourable."
Schwankert, the maritime historian, who is now also the film-maker of the documentary, said the Chinese survivors' story is not of cowardice as the Western media unfairly portrayed more than one century ago, but actually one of courage and of quick thinking.
"We don't accept the reports and the history as it is presented. The six Chinese men have been put into a position of injustice for more than a hundred years. We can finally tell their story rightly," he told Xinhua.
In order to trace the descendants of the survivors, Jones and his team went to the United States, Britain, Canada, Cuba and other countries.
"We do find the descendants of some of them, and they welcome us to confirm the identity of their predecessors," Jones said.
The documentary, scheduled to be released next year, has drawn investment from Chinese and foreign companies.
The British passenger liner Titanic, the largest ship afloat at the time, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, after it collided with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard the ship, and more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.
James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic has led to a huge surge of Chinese interest in the doomed liner.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:27:25|Editor: yan
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BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will introduce a number of reform measures to create a better environment for innovation and development, according to a decision at a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday.
The decision was made after pilot reforms have seen some progress in improving both institutional and market environments for entrepreneurship and innovation, and participants to the meeting agreed that it is time to introduce them nationwide.
To encourage innovation, support will increase for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, especially to help them get financing, said a statement issued after the meeting.
Stronger protection will be given to intellectual property rights (IPR) through the establishment of one-stop IPR service centers, it said.
Colleges and research institutions will be allowed to attract high-calibre talents or talents in urgent need of with a more flexible salary system.
The meeting also decided to make it easier for foreigners to apply for work permits. For foreign experts who come to work in China, both of their entrance and work permits will be handled at one stop.
Foreign students will be encouraged to seek jobs or start new businesses in China, and eligible students can apply for work and residential permits, the statement said.
To cut red tape, local offices of the State Administration of Taxation and local tax authorities should provide one-stop services, it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:42:35|Editor: yan
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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has congratulated Kenya and its Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for taking a bold step in banning the production and use of shopping plastic bags in Kenya.
Plastic bags have become one of the most damaging elements to the environment in the region, noted the East African bloc in its statement on Wednesday.
"The impact of plastic bags on our urban environment is conspicuous in our cities and towns in the region, where it can be seen that the sewerage systems are clogged and trees are festooned with plastics. In a similar manner, our inland and marines ecosystems are polluted with plastic bags," it said.
It further stated that the terrestrial and marine plastic bag pollution has a negative impact on the health of terrestrial and marine animal resources, which in turn has negative impact on human health and economic development of the region.
Banning of plastic bags would therefore go a long way towards improving the human, animal and environmental health as well as the economic development in the region.
IGAD believes the bold step taken by Kenya is going to contribute greatly to the protection of the environment and would promote integration in the environment sector in the region.
IGAD is proud to be associated with the achievements in protecting the environment in the region and commits itself to promote the Kenya's experience and other best practices in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:42:39|Editor: yan
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By Tao Jun, Dong Hua
HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Passersby in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City cannot fail to notice a huge roadside banner with its white words written in large capitalized letters against a blood-red background.
The words on the signboard read: "Dengue fever hotbed." However, few know that it was erected in mid-August after a local woman died of the mosquito-borne tropical disease.
The banner was erected near the woman's house by the Preventive Medicine Center in the city's Hoc Mon district after the 43-year-old woman in the district's Dong Thanh commune died of dengue fever several days after contracting the virus through mosquito bites.
Dengue fever has so far this year affected nearly 100,000 people across Vietnam, of whom 26 have died, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Health.
In addition to the big white phrase in capitalized letters, the sign in Ho Chi Minh City has three smaller white sentences written in lowercase stating: "Kill mosquitoes daily. Detect and destroy larvae weekly, and go to a medical station or hospital immediately for a checkup if you have a fever."
The warning is part of a nationwide war against dengue fever, which has affected those from all walks of life, from a deputy prime minister and health minister, to little boys and girls at primary schools.
On Sunday, Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Health, in coordination with the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, launched a city-wide campaign called: "Killing larvae to prevent dengue fever."
Under the campaign, which will last until the traditional New Year Festival in February 2018, preventive medical staff and volunteers have been organized into groups or teams to visit residential areas and spray chemicals and hot smoke to kill mosquitoes, and eliminate the insect's breeding grounds. The groups also persuade local residents to do the same frequently.
On Tuesday, in the city's Binh Chanh district, groups of young people in blue uniforms and green hats went door-to-door, distributing colorful leaflets detailing how to prevent and fight against dengue fever.
"I'm a member of one of 15 voluntary teams in this district. We go to every house to remind people that it is impossible to kill all mosquitoes but it is easy to reduce their populations by killing their larvae and minimizing water environments in which mosquitoes can lay their eggs," Tran Thi Kim Thuong, a second-year university student, told Xinhua on Tuesday, while holding a pile of leaflets in her hands.
After receiving a leaflet from Thuong, a white-haired man sitting on a chair in front of his house said that he is too old and weak for physical work, but he will ask his children and grandchildren to cleanse environments both inside and outside the house.
Earlier, in late July, a working group from the Health Ministry, led by Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, inspected anti-dengue fever activities in Ho Chi Minh City.
The minister went to several households in District 12, checking whether protective measures had been taken or not.
She reminded residents to minimize mosquitoes' breeding grounds by putting water-containing objects upside down when not in use, putting salt in flower vases, and raising specific fish which feed on the larvae.
In the first eight months of this year, Ho Chi Minh City recorded over 13,000 cases of dengue fever, up 28 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, the municipal Department of Health said, adding that of those infected, four had died of the disease.
Meanwhile, the capital city of Hanoi recorded nearly 20,000 cases of dengue fever infections, including seven fatalities.
In late August, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam visited the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, where he praised the efforts of medical establishments and communities in containing dengue fever outbreaks. As a result, fewer and fewer cases of infections have been reported in recent days.
"However, we still have to strengthen our efforts in killing mosquitoes and larvae. We still have to strengthen communications so that residents fully understand the ways of preventing and fighting against dengue fever," he maintained.
One new initiative this year in the war against mosquitoes has been the mobilizing of grade students.
"On Monday, our little daughter brought a paper sheet home from primary school, telling me to fill in a survey so that she could hand it to her head teacher the next day," Nguyen Thi Lan, mother of an eight-year-old pupil attending Dang Tran Con Primary School in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan district, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
The survey has four main columns, pointing out 10 kinds of water-holding objects that often contain larvae, including water tanks, wells and flower pots.
The paper also details 10 respective ways of getting rid of larvae and asks respondents to specify the number of objects mentioned they have in their houses and which ways they have, or have yet to adopt, to get rid of the larvae.
"After receiving replies from grade students' parents, schools will coordinate with preventive medical staff to take suitable measures such as spraying chemicals or hot smoke to kill mosquitoes and their larvae," the mother said, noting that her neighborhood was fumigated by the staff and cleansed by residents themselves last weekend.
Another new effort in the war against dengue fever is sending text messages to mobile phone users.
Over the past few weeks, subscribers of mobile phone operators such as VinaPhone and Viettel have received text messages calling for them to apply four measures to prevent dengue fever infections.
These include avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes, actively cleaning up waste and killing larvae, coordinating with healthcare facilities during the process of spaying mosquito-killing chemicals, and going to the nearest medical establishments for consultation, checkup or treatment when showing symptoms of dengue fever.
The Health Ministry's Preventive Medicine Department also called for people nationwide to actively cleanse the breeding grounds of mosquitoes and use mosquito nets when sleeping.
Both healthy people and dengue fever patients should use mosquito nets when sleeping, health officials have advised, because mosquitoes can bite already infected patients, carry the dengue virus and transmit it to healthy people through bites or transfer the virus to their eggs and their larvae.
Everyone should be on high alert, because to date, there are no vaccines against dengue fever, and the disease often becomes more serious when climate and weather patterns change, said Nguyen Trung Cap, a doctor at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases.
And some human activities create favorable conditions for mosquitoes to multiply, the doctor said, adding that everyday the hospital receives hundreds of people for dengue fever checkup or treatment.
A visitor views a model of the passenger liner Titanic at a tour exhibition of Titanicartifacts in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 7, 2013. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)
LONDON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- This is a little known fact that eight Chinese passengers were on the legendary liner Titanic when it perished in 1912 and six of them survived.
Now a new documentary, The Six, made by a British director, is going to tell the story of the Chinese survivors.
Arthur Jones, a professional documentary director from Yorkshire, told Xinhua from his Shanghai studio Tuesday, that after he learnt the information about Chinese survivors almost two years ago from his friend Steven Schwankert, a U.S. maritime historian, he decided to make the documentary to tell the world about who the six Chinese survivors are, how they survived and why they vanished from the records.
"Out of over 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster, the six Chinese people were the only ones who never told their stories," said Jones, who has been living and working in China for over 20 years.
According to the historical evidence and accounts that Jones' team have collected, all the eight Chinese men had previously worked on cargo ships travelling between China and Europe. They boarded the Titanic in England on a single ticket listing eight names, working as stokers and staying in the third-class cabin.
When the giant ship struck an iceberg, the men tried to escape with their own survival skills. Five of the six survivors boarded lifeboats, while the sixth one was found floating on a door and luckily picked up by a lifeboat that returned to search for survivors.
However, when the six survivors finally arrived in the United States, the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act, which was in force at the time, forced them to leave the country within 24 hours. Since then the Chinese survivors were disappearing from history books.
Their absence has left some questions unanswered, including a claim that they were stowaways on lifeboats. Jones and his research team believed this rumor was out of racist background and full of injustice.
"We visited a large number of foreign archives and museums, worked with historians from the United States and China, searched and studied many evidence," Jones said. "There is no single evidence to prove the Chinese survivors were stowaways. I believe they did not do anything dishonourable."
Schwankert, the maritime historian, who is now also the film-maker of the documentary, said the Chinese survivors' story is not of cowardice as the Western media unfairly portrayed more than one century ago, but actually one of courage and of quick thinking.
"We don't accept the reports and the history as it is presented. The six Chinese men have been put into a position of injustice for more than a hundred years. We can finally tell their story rightly," he told Xinhua.
In order to trace the descendants of the survivors, Jones and his team went to the United States, Britain, Canada, Cuba and other countries.
"We do find the descendants of some of them, and they welcome us to confirm the identity of their predecessors," Jones said.
The documentary, scheduled to be released next year, has drawn investment from Chinese and foreign companies.
The British passenger liner Titanic, the largest ship afloat at the time, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, after it collided with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.
There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard the ship, and more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.
James Cameron's 1997 film Titanic has led to a huge surge of Chinese interest in the doomed liner.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-30 23:57:50|Editor: yan
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HARARE, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- One of the two opposition parties in Zimbabwean Parliament, the MDC, has raised a red flag over the announcement by Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede that people who do not have plastic national identity cards will not be able to register as voters for the 2018 elections.
Mudede on Tuesday announced that the machine readable plastic identity cards must be used for the bio-metric voter registration (BVR), which is due to begin in October.
Many people still possess metal national identity cards which they obtained prior to the introduction of plastic cards in 2010.
Mudede said his office would roll out a three-month mobile registration program for national identity cards and birth and death certificates starting Sept. 4.
MDC's director of planning, strategy and implementation Ellen Shiriyedenga said in a statement Wednesday that Mudede's move was illegal and meant to prop up President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party by denying some people the chance to vote after failing to acquired the new identity cards.
Shiriyedenga accused Mudede of trying to usurp the responsibility of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Her party, which is led by Welshman Ncube, is the smaller of the two MDCs in Parliament in terms of representation.
Shiriyedenga also questioned whether it was feasible for the registrar-general to issue at least 3 million new identity cards in time to allow BVR to take place ahead of the elections.
"The irony is that, the main national registry offices including Makombe and Market Square (in Harare) currently do not issue more than 70 identity cards a day. It will therefore require serious prophetic powers of extensive multiplication to issue identity cards to all affected people," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:02:52|Editor: yan
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by Christine Lagat
NAIROBI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to hold dialogue with manufacturers to end stalemate over enforcement of a plastic ban.
Director General of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Geoffrey Wahungu, said that structured discussions with industry will commence soon to find an amicable solution to rows linked to a plastic ban that came into force on Monday.
"Our doors are open to manufacturers of plastic packaging materials seeking clarity on the ban that came into force two days ago. We have maintained that the ban only affects a limited component of plastic bags and have no intention to close factories that employ thousands of Kenyans," said Wahungu.
He spoke in Nairobi during a meeting with members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) who expressed reservation on the implementation of the ban.
Wahungu said the state will in future hold a series of dialogue forums with industry to shed light on the legal framework governing a ban on manufacture and use of plastic bags.
"The plastic ban that has received overwhelming support from the public is part of a national solid waste management and is not meant to stifle industrial progress in the country," Wahungu said.
He said the plastic ban exempts industrial packaging, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceutical products and large polythene bags used for garbage collection in cities.
Kenya enforced the historic plastic ban on Aug. 28 earning the East African Nation an enviable position in green stewardship.
The manufacturing sector, however, was opposed to the plastic ban, terming it a threat to job creation and income generation.
A court case filed by the manufacturing lobby was suspended last week, paving way for its enforcement.
KAM CEO Phyllis Wakiaga said investors were not opposed to the plastic ban but wanted clarification on how it will impact on businesses.
"As manufacturers, we have always supported a balance between environmental sustainability and economic growth. We look forward to fruitful dialogue with the state to clear the air on contentious issues surrounding the plastic ban," said Wakiaga
KAM Director and Head of the Legal Committee, Mucai Kunyiha, added that it is important that new terminologies that are being introduced as part of exemptions or new directives are understood uniformly by all stakeholders.
"The issue of waste is a complicated matter that needs the collaboration of all stakeholders. If a body like NEMA does not have the capacity to manage waste nationally, it is impossible for us as the business community to do it solely, as expressed in the extended producer responsibility directive issued by NEMA, just last week," Kunyiha said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:02:53|Editor: yan
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BEIJING/YINCHUAN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A two-year international winemakers contest, organized by northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, came to its conclusion on Tuesday evening in Beijing.
Five winemakers, from South Africa, Sweden, Australia, United Kingdom and the United States, won gold medals and a cash award of 100,000 yuan (15,000 U.S. dollars) each.
Another 10 were awarded silver medals and 20,000 yuan each.
FILLED WITH PERSONALITY
The Ningxia Winemakers Challenge featured 48 winemakers from 17 countries who visited the Helan Mountain area in Ningxia in September 2015.
Each candidate was randomly paired with a local winery, received three hectares of grapes in a vineyard and made a Cabernet for the competition.
The event was organized by International Federation of Vine and Wine of Helan Mountain's East Foothills, and supported by the regional bureau of grape industry development.
A similar contest was organized in 2012, with seven international winemakers.
Located between 37 and 40 degrees north latitude, the area is ideal for vineyards.
Hao Linhai, chairman of the federation, said the sandy soil, abundant sunshine and wind shielding by the mountain made Helan Mountain region a perfect place for making wine.
An expert panel, led by Ma Huiqin of China Agricultural University and Andrew Caillard, founder of Langton's wine auction house and a highly-regarded judge of international wine contests, assessed the wines on Tuesday and chose the winners.
Ma said the contest was a perfect platform for exchange among Chinese and foreign winemakers, which would inspire local winemakers.
"Wine making is like fashion design and writing. You are not likely to make good wine without communicating with others," she said.
Via this contest, various skills of people from different countries will help local wines form diverse "personalities," said Chinese winemaker Deng Zhongxiang, 33. After graduating from the wine school of University of Burgundy in 2012, Deng became a wine consultant in Ningxia.
Foreigners were more skilled with technology and in processes such as the fermentation and ageing time, skills which must be learned by domestic winemakers, said Deng.
However, he worries that foreigners may not get the "character" of local grapes so well, as they were not so familiar with the climate and grape varieties in Ningxia.
"The other day, a French winemaker asked me when the grapes should be harvested here this year," he said, adding the harvesting in the region is generally later than overseas.
With the extensive communication and exchange, the gaps between Chinese and foreign winemakers will gradually be narrowed, Deng believes.
WINERY TOURISM
Ningxia has about 40,000 hectares of vineyard, about a third of the area cultivated in Bordeaux.
Instead of building famous wine brands for the market, the region has focused on winery tourism. Nearly 200 wineries have been or are being built, with 120,000 people employed and 350,000 tourists received in 2016, according to the bureau of grape industry development of Ningxia.
The region will have a cultural center for wine, 10 resort townships featuring grapes and wine, and more than 100 column-level wineries by 2020.
A column-level winery has to own vines more than five years old and produce a grape yield between 7.5 to 12 tonnes per hectare, with other factors evaluated, such as reception capacity and sommeliers.
"I expect to turn my vineyard into a compound of countryside and recreation for wine lovers from around the world," said Yuan Hui, owner of a vineyard with a Han Dynasty (202 B.C. - 220 A.D.) theme.
Ningxia has added a new choice for foreign tourists, although wineries alone are far from enough to attract tourists, said Philipp Jorg, a judge of the contest and founder of German consultancy Degustar, who visited 70 wineries in Ningxia Last year.
"Like Bordeaux with its history, coastal landscape, and French food, Ningxia needs more that makes people feel it is worthwhile to go there," he said.
Nova Cadamatre, a silver prize winner from the United States, said the winery she was paired with was beautiful with a very traditional Chinese style.
"I highly recommend people go there, it's incredible," she said."It's small, but they focus so much on quality. And that's really what's important."
Cadamatre had intended to attend the first contest in Ningxia in 2012 before she found herself pregnant. Her son will be five years old in October.
"I hope to bring him here next time," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:07:56|Editor: yan
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HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The third Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM 3) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) concluded here Wednesday with APEC members determined to bring practical interests to their economies and people.
Addressing a press conference after SOM 3 wrapped up, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, APEC 2017 SOM chair, said that APEC members affirmed their determination to bring pragmatic and specific interests to each economy, community and business circle.
Delegates to SOM 3 focused their discussions on inclusive growth, including on Vietnam's initiatives to organize the Symposium on Promoting Economic, Financial and Social Inclusion in APEC.
SOM 3 approved three important documents, including the Framework on Cross-border E-commerce Facilitation, the Best Practices on Promoting Supporting Industries in Asia-Pacific Region, and the Monitoring Framework on the Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan, he said.
SOM 3 also touched upon preparations for the APEC Leaders' Week scheduled for November in central Da Nang city, and upcoming APEC ministerial meetings.
During SOM 3 and nearly 80 related meetings, representatives of APEC economies also showed determination in speeding up regional trade liberalization and investment through the implementation of Bogor Goals by 2020, and discussed ways of preparing for the post-2020 APEC Vision.
The related meetings covered various issues, including human resources development, small and medium-sized enterprise assistance, anti-corruption, and natural disaster response.
SOM 3 and related meetings, which lasted for 13 days in southern Vietnam, were attended by some 3,000 delegates, including ministers, deputy ministers of APEC economies, and representatives from APEC observers, international organizations and businesses.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:08:00|Editor: yan
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ISLAMABAD, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani lawmakers on Wednesday showed rare unity to strongly condemn U.S. President Donald Trump's policy for Afghanistan and South Asia, saying the American policy in Afghanistan has completely failed.
Members of the National Assembly or Lower House of the parliament who took part in a debate on President Trump's remarks last week said Pakistan is not responsible for the U.S. failure in Afghanistan.
They said the foreign policy should be reviewed, keeping in view national interests and the changing geo-political situation.
The National Assembly also passed a unanimous resolution, strongly rejecting the statement of the U.S. president about Pakistan in his new policy for Afghanistan and South Asia.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, who tabled the resolution, also rejected the claims of NATO Commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson regarding presence of Taliban leaders in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar.
The House also condemned attempts by the Trump Administration to "provide more space to India" in Afghanistan, considering it a move highly detrimental to the regional stability.
It also rejected the U.S. claims of giving Pakistan billions of dollars in aid and reminded the Trump administration that Pakistan's economy has suffered a loss of more than 123 billion U.S. dollars in the war against terrorism.
The resolution denounced complete disregard and lack of respect for Pakistan's immense sacrifices in countering terrorism.
The resolution regarded the statements of President Trump and General Nicholson as hostile and threatening.
The House expressed serious concern over increasing concentration of the Islamic State and other terrorist's networks in Afghan provinces bordering with Pakistan.
The resolution asked the Afghan government to close all "safe havens being provided" to banned groups Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jamat-ul-Ahrar and other terrorist organizations from where terror attacks are conducted against Pakistan.
The resolution demanded the United States, NATO and the Afghan Government to ensure that India is denied the use of Afghan territory to conduct terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
The U.S. president, who unveiled his long-awaited future plan for Afghanistan on Aug. 21 alleged that "Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror."
"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond," he said in a televised address.
Pakistani civilian and military leaders have already issued a strong-worded statement against Trump's allegations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:08:02|Editor: yan
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BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Education (MOE) Wednesday announced China now has a total of 12,300 vocational schools with over 26.8 million enrolled students, highlighting the importance of the education system.
Vocational schools nationwide have set up nearly 1,000 majors and 100,000 vocational training courses, recruiting an average of 9.3 million students each year, said Wang Jiping, an official with the MOE.
"China has established a vocational education system with Chinese characteristics, offering skills training for nearly all areas of the national economy," said Wang.
China has been highlighting the importance of vocational education in recent years, underlining its growing role in industrial upgrading, job creation and poverty alleviation.
In 2016, China's central government allocated 92.7 billion yuan (about 14.1 billion U.S. dollars) to local governments to support elementary and vocational education.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:38:17|Editor: yan
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by Julius Gale
JUBA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday demanded review of the mandate of the newly deployed Regional Protection Force (RPF) serving under the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMISS), saying it is not satisfied with their services.
Government Spokesman Michael Makuei said told a news conference that under the current setting, RPF offers little help to South Sudan as there is no further threat of violence in the capital Juba following last year's clashes between rival forces.
"If they (RPF) have come to assist the people and the government of South Sudan, then we will have to revisit their mandate so that they render better services to the people of South Sudan instead of patrolling, accompanying water tanks to the riverside and moving in the town with guns, which sends negative message to the people," Makuei said.
The 4,000-strong additional blue helmets were mandated by the Security Council last year to back up the existing 12,000 UN troops to protect civilians and key installations, including the airport, following renewed violence in July 2016.
But the RPF only started arriving in the East African country last month following protracted negotiations with the South Sudanese government.
Last week, fresh dispute broke out between UNMISS and the government over security clearance and mandate of the newly deployed blue helmets from Rwanda, leading to a temporary grounding of all UN planes. The row was later resolved following intervention of diplomatic missions.
Makuei said the government will decline to accept a new mandate for the RPF in December if the Security Council fails to review it.
"These forces were supposed to come at a time when Juba was not at peace, but Juba is now at peace. We will have to revisit the mandate of the RPF," Makuei said.
"By the end of the period in December, the government of South Sudan must be consulted before they talk of renewal. This idea of automatic renewal without the consent of the government is not acceptable and will not be accepted," he added.
South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that has have taken a devastating toll on the people.
Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, communities divided along ethnic lines and millions displaced since December 2013.
A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.
The UN estimates that at least 4 million people have been displaced internally and into neighboring countries, and another 7.5 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 00:53:23|Editor: yan
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by Ejidiah Wangui
NAIROBI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Whenever drought ravages Kenya, images from the northern parts of the country are those of dusty plains dotted with carcasses of livestock that succumbed to the harsh elements.
Cattle herders in these regions are the hardest hit as their only source of income is wiped out by natural calamities they have no power to control.
But amid the misery and despair, efforts to cushion these herders against the vagaries of weather have started to bear fruit.
Vera Rosauer, a communication officer at the World Bank, told Xinhua this week that the Kenya Livestock Insurance Program (KLIP), an index insurance that insures vulnerable pastoralists in the northern counties in the East African nation, has so far paid out about 5.3 million U.S dollars to over 20,000 pastoralists in the region.
"In the 2016-2017 season, due to a severe drought, KLIP had two big payouts. One in February to about 12,000 pastoral households of 2.1 million dollars and one in August to 11,500 pastoral households of 3.1 million dollars. This has helped reach about 100,000 people given the extended size of households in the North," she said.
According to the World Bank official, unlike previous interventions where responses involved mobilizing emergency relief which would arrive too late to save the animals,
KLIP provides protection starting at the beginning of a season, and if a drought strikes, payouts happen quickly to beneficiaries to allow them to buy water or food to keep the livestock alive.
"It is all about prevention, rather than cure, and speed of intervention. It is also a transparent and predictable way to provide disaster relief which leverages private sector expertise and capital," said Rosauer.
Kenya is exposed to severe droughts which strike about every three to five years. In northern Kenya, livestock represent 70 percent of households' incomes.
When drought occurs, households are at risk of losing their livestock, and their main source of food and income.
During the severe droughts between 2008 and 2011, the Kenyan economy lost heavily. The livestock sector was hit hardest.
According to Rosauer, Kenya is one of the very few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where the index insurance program has the potential to scale up to attain commercial sustainability. Ethiopia too has a similar program.
Launched in October 2015 in Wajir and Turkana where about 5,000 pastoral households were covered, the program spread tentacles in October 2016 to cover Marsabit, Mandera, Tana River and Isiolo Counties and insured about 14,000 pastoral households.
The central government, Rosauer said, pays insurance premiums for county-selected pastoralists, and private insurance companies develop the insurance policy and pay claims when they arise.
"In 2016-2017, a pool of seven insurance companies reinsured by Swiss Re provided insurance cover. The insurance only provides cover for the equivalent of five cows, and targets the most vulnerable pastoralists," she explained.
In the program, counties are broken down into zones with similar climate and soil conditions called "unit areas of insurance."
A satellite reads every 10 days the level of pasture in these zones to produce a vegetation index, which is used as a proxy for the health of livestock.
When the vegetation index falls below a pre-determined level, all the insured beneficiaries in one zone receive a payout. The payout amount depends on the degradation of the pasture.
"Payments are made primarily by M-Pesa, and by using agents developed by some banks in the northern counties," noted Rosauer. M-Pesa is the most popular mobile payment choice in Kenya.
KLIP is implemented by the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the County governments.
The World Bank has provided technical support to the government of Kenya to design KLIP in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and Financial Sector Deepening-Kenya (FSD).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 01:13:31|Editor: yan
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NAIROBI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya should borrow lessons from China's economic miracle that came to light three decades ago thanks to policy reforms and modernization of agriculture and manufacturing sectors, an expert said on Wednesday.
Alex Litu, an analyst specializing in informal economy, said in an article published by the People newspaper on Wednesday that China could offer Kenya valuable insight on how to leapfrog from an agrarian economy to an industrial one.
"The route taken by China is one which Kenya can borrow a leaf from when looking for ways to transform and grow its economy through agriculture and manufacturing," Litu remarked.
An estimated 75 percent of Kenyan population relies on agriculture for income generation while industrial take off is yet to be realized thanks to infrastructural, personnel and financing hiccups.
Litu noted that a transformed agriculture sector that underpinned China's stellar economic performance could provide inspiration to Kenya as it embarks on a transition from subsistence farming to advanced manufacturing.
"The significant improvement in agriculture helped China release labor from land to industry and service sectors," said Litu.
Kenya should take a cue from China and embark on policy reforms alongside technology adoption in order to sustain its status as a regional economic and industrial hub.
Litu hailed sweeping reforms that China undertook to realize phenomenal economic growth that spread benefits across the globe.
"Over the years, China has managed to turn around its economy by instituting certain reforms which have seen the country's economy grow exponentially into a global economic powerhouse," said Litu.
He noted that the development of a vibrant informal economy could help address poverty and unemployment crisis in Kenya.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows Turkey would thwart any attempt by a Kurdish militia it deems "terrorists" to carve out a Kurdish state in northern Syria. (AFP photo)
ISTANBUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkey would risk a serious confrontation if it launches a military operation against Kurdish militia in Syria's Afrin without reaching a consensus particularly with Russia, analysts said.
A Turkish move against Afrin would spark a sharp response under the current circumstances, Hasan Koni, an analyst on international relations, told Xinhua.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed once again last week that Ankara would not tolerate a Kurdish state in Syria, signaling a military intervention in Afrin.
Turkey deployed last week additional howitzer guns and tanks along the border with the Kurdish militia-held Afrin canton in northwestern Syria.
A military operation targeting Afrin is not much probable given that Turkey would find itself confronted by Syria, Russia and the United States, said Koni, head of the Department of Public International Law at Istanbul's Kultur University.
Russia, a staunch supporter of Damascus in Syria's civil war, has also troops in Afrin in a sign of support to the Kurdish militia, known as the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).
Turkish media reported early this week that some Russian troops and armored vehicles had recently entered Tal Rifat, a town in Afrin.
The emergence of the Russian military units in Tal Rifat came after several days of clashes between Turkey-supported rebels and the YPG around the town.
Turkey sees the YPG as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) outlawed for its decades-old armed struggle for autonomy in the country's predominantly Kurdish southeast.
Describing the YPG-controlled cantons in Syria as "terror corridor," Erdogan said Turkey would intervene if it looks as if terror could dominate the area.
"An operation against Afrin would create political risks if launched without reaching a full consensus with Russia," said Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies.
Such an operation would also negatively affect Turkey's ties with the U.S., he told Xinhua.
Despite strong Turkish protests, Washington treats the YPG as a reliable ground force against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.
The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which, with the help of the U.S. air force, has almost kicked the IS out of Raqqa, its de-facto capital in Syria.
The U.S. argues that a Turkish operation against Kurdish cantons would damage the fight against the IS by turning the YPG's attention away from the militant group.
In the western part of Syria, a huge portion of which falls under the control of the Syrian government, Russia is the dominant military force.
Turkey used to support, together with a number of coalition countries including the U.S., rebel groups fighting to topple the Syrian government.
After mending ties with Russia last summer, Turkey has pursued a policy more in line with Russia regarding Syria rather than with the U.S., Turkey's NATO partner.
Ankara, however, still refuses to cooperate with Damascus which it sees as illegitimate.
Despite Turkish criticism, both superpowers have so far stood by the YPG against a possible Turkish advance.
"The (Afrin) operation is on the table, but no full consensus seems to have been achieved so far on the issue (between Russia and Turkey)," commented Ulgen, a former diplomat.
The deployment of Russian forces in Tal Rifat is a move aiming at deterring a potential Turkish intervention, he said.
Ulgen also feels that the Russian move is a tactical one and that Moscow may change its attitude depending on a potential deal Turkey and Russia could reach on the future of Syria.
Turkey has some sway over some of the radical rebel groups in Syria's Idlib province, where it continues to provide humanitarian aid for its inhabitants.
Ankara is partnering with Moscow and Tehran in the Astana peace process to bring an end to the clashes in Syria.
According to reports by local media, negotiations between Turkey and Russia may be centered around how the radical Islamist rebels would be removed from Idlib and how the province would be handed over to the Syrian government thereafter.
In return, Turkey would have Russia's consent to conduct an operation against the YPG in Afrin.
Ozturk Yilmaz, a deputy chairman of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, recently maintained on Halk TV without elaboration that a give and take involving Afrin and Idlib is on the agenda.
"Idlib is swarming with jihadists. Turkey is currently acting as the patron of this place, while Afrin is under the YPG control," said Yilmaz, a former diplomat.
The Afrin canton, which lies to the north of Idlib, has no strategic importance for Russia, said Ulgen.
What is more important for Moscow is the impact a Turkish operation against Afrin would have on Turkish-U.S. ties, he added.
Amid the ongoing tension in neighboring Syria and Iraq, Turkey had two important visitors in the past two weeks.
Ankara first hosted Mohammed Baqeri, chief of the General Staff of Iran, for a rare three-day visit in mid-August. Iran is also a devout supporter of the Syrian government.
About a week later, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrived in Ankara for talks.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in mid-August that Russia's Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, is also coming to Ankara.
Some local media outlets said following Cavusoglu's statement that Gerasimov could arrive before Iran's military delegation left the Turkish capital. On Aug. 19, some media reports claimed that he would arrive in Ankara via Damascus in the following days.
The Russian guest, however, has not been reported to be in Turkey up till now.
The Kurds have carved out three autonomous cantons along the Turkish border during the six-year-old Syrian war. The one in Afrin is the farthest in the west, while the other two are on the eastern part of the Euphrates River.
Ankara launched a military operation into northern Syria in August last year to push the IS away from its border and block the YPG's advance toward Afrin to connect all the three cantons, an eventuality that would physically cut off Turkey from the Arab world, as Kurds in Iraq have had their own autonomous region along the Turkish border.
Turkey is particularly concerned that the emergence of an autonomous or independent Kurdish entity in northern Syria may set a precedent for its own nearly 20 million Kurds and encourage Kurdish separatism at home.
Ankara also sees the YPG presence in Afrin as a major threat, fearful that the canton may be used in the future to extend the Kurdish presence along the border up to the Mediterranean.
In such a scenario, Kurds in Syria and Iraq could, many in Ankara feel, join forces under U.S. protection to establish a single state with possibly a border on the Mediterranean.
A Kurdish state with sea lanes would no longer rely on Turkey to sell its oil.
With a military buildup on the border, Turkey may also be seeking to put pressure on the YPG in Afrin to keep it from attempting to capture Idlib with U.S. support.
By seizing Idlib, the YPG would not only increase the size of the territory under its control, but also get nearer to the Mediterranean.
This scenario is bound to remain on paper if Russia strongly opposes it, Soner Polat, a retired admiral who headed the Turkish General Staff's intelligence unit, wrote in his column in Aydinlik daily on Aug. 16.
Arguing that Turkey would become disintegrated if it remains silent, he said the country could even block this scenario on its own if it takes the issue as a life-and-death matter.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 02:03:55|Editor: yan
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VALLETTA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Malta's Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Ministry has contributed 25,000 euros (29,806 U.S. dollars) towards water supply and health care services in Libya.
Support will be given in the form of reparation of water infrastructure and health facilities, providing water treatment material, and giving material support to primary health care centers.
This donation follows an appeal to support Libya that was made on July 12 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during the launch of the Libya Budget Extension Appeal in Geneva.
The ministry said it supported the work being carried out by the ICRC and believed that the contribution should assist in the implementation of their response plan.
File photo: Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 8, 2016 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (C front) having a photo session with the delegates to the celebrations of the 70th founding anniversary of the Korean Children's Union (KCU) at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace in Pyongyang on June 7, 2016. (Xinhua/KCNA)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Wednesday that the U.S. is "never out of diplomatic solutions" following the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Mattis made the remarks while meeting with his South Korean counterpart Soon Young-moo at the Pentagon to discuss ways to address the threat posed by the DPRK.
"We continue to work together, and the minister and I share responsibility to provide for the protection of our nation, our populations and our interests, which is what we are here to discuss today," Mattis said.
On Tuesday, the Japanese government said that the DPRK fired a missile that fell into the Pacific Ocean after passing over the Japanese archipelago.
On Wednesday, Trump spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, their second conversation after the latest missile launch by DPRK. The two leaders confirmed their "continuing, close" cooperation on efforts to address DPRK's launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile this week, according to the White House.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 02:54:07|Editor: yan
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MOSCOW, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it viewed the detention and deportation of a Russian reporter by Ukrainian law enforcement officers as a "deliberate provocation."
Russia's Channel One said earlier in the day that its reporter Anna Kurbatova had been "abducted" in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
Ukrainian Security Service spokeswoman Olena Gitlyanska said later that Kurbatova will be forcibly returned to Russia for anti-Ukrainian activities.
The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement asked international human rights organizations to pay attention to the Ukrainian action against media freedom and independence.
The Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media on Twitter urged Ukraine "not to arrest & deport journalists from other OSCE States."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 03:14:22|Editor: yan
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JUBA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Wednesday denounced attack on its staff in South Sudan which resulted in injuries of two staff members, a loss of medical equipment and assets.
MSF said the ambush on Aug. 24 outside the town of Pibor forced the suspension of some of MSF's medical programs in the area.
"We simply cannot turn a blind eye to incidents like these or start believing that they are in anyway normal, despite the alarming frequency with which they have occurred," Marie Cleret, MSF Head of Mission said in a statement issued in Juba.
The convoy, consisting of an MSF vehicle, a tractor and a team of four staff members, was en route to conduct a medical assessment in a nearby village when it was ambushed by a group of armed men speaking the local language.
The medical charity said two members of the team were beaten, leaving them with minor injuries.
"The team's personal affairs were stolen, alongside MSF property, including the team's vehicle. The team was then left temporarily stranded, but was able to return to MSF's facility in Pibor later the same evening," it said.
MSF, which is the only humanitarian organization providing healthcare in Pibor, Lekongole and Gumuruk, said the latest attack represents yet another serious risk to its ability to safely provide medical care in Pibor.
"People are heavily reliant on the assistance we provide for their survival, and are already incredibly vulnerable due to the ongoing conflict," Cleret said.
Following the incident, MSF said it had no choice but to suspend part of its outreach activity in Pibor, due to the increasing insecurity of traveling by road.
This is the third attack on MSF's medical facilities in Pibor in the past nine months which has forced MSF to suspend the provision of much-needed medical care.
The attack comes just days after the charity called for the need to protect civilians and respect their access to medical care in South Sudan. Over the past 18 months, 24 MSF facilities and assets have been attacked in the country.
"MSF again calls on all armed actors to protect civilians and refrain from targeting medical facilities, which deprives people of a vital lifeline when they absolutely need it most," said Cleret.
"This incident puts the local population even further out of the reach of lifesaving medical care."
According to the UN, over 80 aid workers have been killed in South Sudan since the beginning of the December 2013 crisis, including at least 12 killed in 2017, and at least eight humanitarian convoys have been attacked already this year.
Under International Humanitarian Law, intentional attacks against humanitarian relief personnel may constitute war crimes.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks at a press conference in Damascus. (Reuters Photo)
DAMASCUS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Wednesday the military victory on the ground is shift ing the international stance toward the Syrian crisis, according to the state news agency SANA.
Assad made the remarks during his meeting Wednesday with Hossein Jaberi Ansari, Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs.
During the meeting, Assad said that the terrorist project in Syria has fallen and that there is no going back until restoring security and peace to Syria.
The president also hailed the support by Iran and other "friendly countries" to Syria in the fight against terrorism.
Assad's remarks come at a time when Western powers are prioritizing fighting the terror group of Islamic State (IS), with some voices dropping their long-standing demand that President Assad must step down, and may even accept elections in which he is allowed to stand again.
This comes as the Syrian army and allied Iranian-backed fighters have made sweeping victory against the IS militants in the Syrian Desert.
UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura said Wednesday that the IS sway is shrinking in Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 03:59:49|Editor: yan
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U.S.-led aistrikes block Islamic State fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria. (AFP Photo)
DAMASCUS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes Wednesday to block Islamic State (IS) fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, local media reported.
Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq.
The airstrikes hit the road leading from the Syrian town of Hmaymah to the IS-held town of Albukamal further east, the report cited the coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon as saying.
The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighboring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.
Hezbollah fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of the deal to bus IS forces hundreds of kilometres from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq.
U.S.-led aistrikes block Islamic State fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria. (AFP Photo)
DAMASCUS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes Wednesday to block Islamic State (IS) fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, local media reported.
Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq.
The airstrikes hit the road leading from the Syrian town of Hmaymah to the IS-held town of Albukamal further east, the report cited the coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon as saying.
The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighboring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.
Hezbollah fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of the deal to bus IS forces hundreds of kilometres from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 04:25:02|Editor: yan
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by Eric J. Lyman
SOVICILLE, Italy, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Italy's wine industry is reeling this year from what one veteran wine maker called a "terrible combination" of events, starting with an unusually cold spring, followed by record heat in the summer, all of which has been made worse by a months-long drought.
"One or two of those things would have an impact, but all three together are a terrible combination for the wine industry," Marco Rosati, technical director of Tenuta di Tracciano, a mid-sized winemaker in Sovicille, in Tuscany, said in an interview.
Rosati estimated production for Tenuta di Tracciano this year could be as low as half the 80,000 or so bottles the vineyard produces in a normal year.
Across Italy, the story is similar: winemakers from the southern tip of the island of Sicily to the Alpine regions in Italy's north report that grape vines were weakened by an unseasonal frost in April and further hurt by weeks after weeks of hot and dry weather that in many parts of the country topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for much of the month of July.
"It started to seem as if everything bad that could happen would happen," Domenico Bosco, head of the wine section for Coldiretti, Italy's main agriculture industry group, told Xinhua.
It was enough that winemakers on the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia began harvesting their grapes in July for the first time on record. In Tuscany, central Italy's main grape growing region, the harvest began in late August, around three weeks ahead of schedule. In Piedmont, the main wine growing region in the north, winemakers are expecting to start two to three weeks earlier than normal.
Though the concrete figures will not be available until after harvesting is complete in late September or early October, Assoenologi, Italy's main wine sector lobby group, estimates this year's harvest could be Italy's smallest in 60 years, down by a quarter compared to last year.
It could have been even worse: Bosco said winemakers have learned to take advantage of new technologies and experience from other hot years to reduce the negative impacts of hot weather.
Through the use of drones and satellite data, for example, they can recognize problems in the vineyard before they start to hurt production. Techniques used after the harvest can be adjusted to minimize defects extreme weather can create.
"Someone who makes wine cannot be like a farmer with a crop he can just switch from one season to the other if the situation changes," Bosco said. "A grape vine doesn't produce useful grapes for the first few years of its life, but afterwards it can be productive for 30 or 40 years or more. That means adjustments have to be made gradually."
Because of global climate change, what would have once been once-in-a-generation heat waves like the one this year are expected to become more common.
For now, the problem remains manageable. But if it continues, big changes could be required for Italy to maintain its place near the top of the list of the world's top wine growing nations.
"For this year, it's likely to be a case of quantity dropping but quality still being strong," Lorenzo Tersi, a commercial wine consultant, said in an interview. "But if it continues, winemakers will have to start looking at the possibility of switching to more heat resistant grape varieties."
For Rosati, the Tuscan winemaker, the thought of frequent years like 2017 makes him shudder.
"These grape vines will be weaker in 2018 because of this year," he said. "This year has already been extremely difficult. If this sort of thing continues in future seasons, I really don't know what we'll do."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 05:20:13|Editor: yan
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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday renewed the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel, for one year.
Resolution 2373 was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council on Wednesday afternoon, giving relief to countries, particularly Lebanon, amid fears that the United States might have blocked the renewal.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, launched a severe attack on the commander of the force, which is called UNIFIL. Haley said Friday that UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary was "blind" to the fact that massive illegal weapons were being transferred to Hezbollah. The United Nations stood by the general.
The mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon expires on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 05:25:16|Editor: yan
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STOCKHOLM, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Stephen McCaffrey, trailblazer in international water law, received the 2017 Stockholm Water Prize on Wednesday in Stockholm, for his unparalleled contribution to the evolution and progressive realization of international water law.
The prize was presented to Stephen McCaffrey by H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, at a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall during the ongoing World Water Week.
In its citation, the Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee recognized McCaffrey's "path-breaking leadership and legal scholarship in international water law. He has made a unique contribution in three specific areas: his seminal work on Treaty negotiation; his major scholarly works, including his book "The Law of International Watercourses" and; his leadership providing expert legal advice, wise counsel, training and facilitation of complex negotiations with a wide range of stakeholders."
On receiving the Prize, McCaffrey said: "I accept this very special award not only on my own behalf, but also on the behalf of the many women and men who work so hard in the field to ensure that fresh water can be brought to people in ways that do not strain international relations, but which in fact affirmatively produce win-win solutions for countries and people on the ground in accordance with law".
According to a press release from the World Water Week, Stephen McCaffrey, Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in Sacramento, California, is the single most respected authority on International Water Law. His work continues to influence scholars, legal practitioners and policy-makers and contribute to the sustainable and peaceful management of shared waters.
"Cooperation over shared waters is becoming increasingly important, as we witness higher demand coupled with growing scarcity. Stephen McCaffrey is a true inspiration for us in this area, as well as and an important guide, through his works and his wisdom", said Stockholm International Water Institute's Executive Director Torgny Holmgren.
BEIRUT, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for another year amid pressure from the United States for the UN force to take action against Hezbollah militants, local media reported.
The council unanimously backed a French-drafted resolution over the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) tasked with monitoring a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
France argued that UNIFIL had succeeded in maintaining calm in south Lebanon but the United States pushed for action by the mission against Hezbollah militants it accuses of stockpiling weapons and readying for war.
"Conditions in south Lebanon are very dangerous today. The clouds of war are gathering," the report cited a senior U.S. official as saying.
It added that UNIFIL exists to help prevent war from happening again and it is supposed to do that.
The resolution highlights that UNIFIL has the authority to "take all necessary actions" in areas where its forces are deployed and must ensure that its area of operations is "not utilized for hostile activities of any kind."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 05:45:23|Editor: yan
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MEXICO CITY, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Mexico is braced for a potential end to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) said on Wednesday.
However, the trade group added that initial negotiations to update the 1994 trade deal between Mexico, Canada and the United States appeared destined to "come to fruition."
Should Mexico decide to walk away from the talks, which began in August, it could rely on the support of the country's industrial sector, Concamin's president, Manuel Herrera, told reporters at a press conference.
"We would support any decision the Mexican government makes, because we have been, and are confident that we will be, consulted throughout the process," said Herrera.
Concamin is among numerous industry groups that are accompanying the talks in the capacity of consultants and advisers.
The first round took place in Washington on Aug. 16 to 20, and Mexico is to host the second round from Sept. 1 to 5.
U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on renegotiating the deal, saying it unfairly benefited Mexico by luring U.S. industry and jobs south of the border, where wages and operating expenses are much lower.
At a recent political rally, Trump told supporters he didn't think the talks would succeed.
"We know there is a chance that any of the three countries could walk away from the negotiation ... or even withdraw from the agreement. Mexico is ready for that scenario," said Herrera.
Since Trump announced during his election campaign that he wanted to revamp NAFTA, Mexico has said it needs to stop relying quite so much on its biggest trade partner, and is looking to diversify its export markets.
Still, Concamin's chief told Xinhua on Tuesday the NAFTA negotiating teams were coordinating well in the lead up to the second round, and he was optimistic the process could be concluded by the end of this year or start of the next.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 05:55:26|Editor: yan
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BRASILIA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian judge on Wednesday blocked a presidential decree that opened an Amazon nature reserve to mining.
The decision by Judge Ronaldo Spanholo, of the Federal District, notes any move to strip the Copper National Reserve (Renca) in northern Brazil of protected status requires congressional approval and changes to the law, not merely a presidential decree.
Last week, Brazil's President Michel Temer signed a decree that paves the way for mining at Renca, a Denmark-sized territory rich in minerals like gold, zinc, phosphate and manganese.
The decree, which was also signed by his minister of Mining and Energy, canceled the park's status as a national reserve, but called for "the application of specific legislation regarding the protection ... of native vegetation, nature (and) indigenous border lands and zones."
The park includes nine different protected zones, two of which are indigenous lands where mining is completely banned, but at least four other zones appear to be accessible to regulated mining activity.
Environmental activists said mining at the park could exacerbate existing conflicts between mining companies and indigenous groups.
Renca was created in 1984 to prevent mining activity from excessively encroaching on wildlife and indigenous communities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 05:55:28|Editor: yan
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RIYADH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump urged Saudi King Salman Wednesday in a call to find a diplomatic resolution to end the Qatar crisis, local media reported.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt had cut off diplomatic ties and imposed sanctions on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
Other countries including Libya, Yemen and the Maldives have followed suit.
Qatar strongly denied the charges against it, while rejecting a list of 13 demands put forward by the bloc for resuming diplomatic ties.
Kuwait has been trying to mediate the crisis and several top Western diplomats have toured the region to try to defuse the row, including U.S. Secretary of States Rex Tillerson.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 06:25:34|Editor: yan
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GENEVA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A World Trade Organization dispute panel said Wednesday that a number of Brazil's programs to promote domestic production of its high-tech goods and automobiles contain provisions that violate WTO rules.
The parties have 30 days to appeal the decision and Brazil must act in terms of the panel ruling within 90 days. "Otherwise, Brazil will be expected to remove its illegal tax program without delay," said the EU trade mission in a statement after the panel announced its decision.
The complaints concern a wide range of industrial stimulus programs that Japan and the European Union complained about as unfair competition.
The WTO panel said the unfair measures include tax breaks, regulatory discrimination, and local content requirements that are inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measure (TRIMs Agreement).
They also include the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement).
A further two additional programs were found to provide illegal export subsidies in violation of the SCM Agreement.
In December 2013, the EU and then in July 2015 Japan initiated WTO dispute proceedings against Brazil, targeting seven that include more than 90 legal instruments under those programs which they charged were inconsistent with WTO rules.
Panels were established in December 2014 for the EU and in September 2015 for Japan,
Both panels were staffed by the same three panelists and the chair of the panels later informed WTO members that the two disputes would follow a harmonized procedure.
The EU trade mission statement described the dispute as one of most comprehensive disputes ever launched by the EU as it noted that the dispute panel found that numerous Brazilian tax programs are illegal under WTO rules.
The ruling states that the program discriminate against EU automotive, ICT and electronic products and grant prohibited import and export subsidies to Brazilian companies.
The dispute also covered fiscal incentives contingent on Brazilian firms meeting certain export performance requirements.
The EU said Brazil is an important trade partner for the European Union.
Since mid-2012, the EU has enjoyed a trade surplus with Brazil, which can be linked to the decrease in world commodity prices.
EU exports to Brazil reached their peak in 2013 but have recently declined due to the economic slowdown in Brazil, the weakening of the real, and the Brazilians' increasing use of restrictive trade policies.
The value of exports of goods to Brazil in 2013 was close to 40 billion euros (48 million U.S. dollars).
In 2016, the value of exports was close to 31 billion euros (37 billion U.S. dollars).
The EU said transport equipment, machinery and appliances constitute the bulk of EU exports to Brazil. However, the EU said the discriminatory taxes and other barriers undermine trade prospects.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 06:50:38|Editor: yan
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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Wednesday said it was "inclined" to appeal a request by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it should eliminate industrial subsidies.
"Our inclination is to appeal, but I am not going to enter into the details of the content for obvious reasons of strategy," Carlos Cozendey, the undersecretary general for Economic and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, said at a press conference.
Earlier, the WTO issued a decision that gave Brazil 90 days to remove subsidies to the automobile, telecommunications and computing sectors, after Japan and the European Union complained of unfair competition.
Brazil now has a period of 60 days, as of Sept. 19, to decide whether to appeal.
The subsidies were in the form of tax breaks and other benefits, such as prioritizing national goods over imported ones in public-sector purchasing, that were implemented during the administration of Dilma Rousseff to boost national industry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 07:05:41|Editor: ying
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BRASILIA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF) on Wednesday threw out a motion to remove General Prosecutor Rodrigo Janot from heading investigations into President Michel Temer's alleged corruption.
STF Judge Edson Fachin said there was no evidence that Janot was politically motivated or biased, as Temer's defense team claimed.
Janot's initial investigation into charges that Temer accepted bribes and obstructed justice was blocked by the president's allies in the Chamber of Deputies, who voted against prosecuting the head of state. That means Janot will have to wait until Temer's term ends.
Accusations against Temer surfaced after disgraced meatpacking tycoons and siblings Joesley and Wesley Batista admitted to bribing government officials to overlook violations of regulations.
According to their testimony, Temer negotiated with them the payment of bribes to buy the silence of a former legislator.
Temer's defense team accused Janot of "obsessively persecuting" their client, saying Janot once said "as long as there is bamboo, there will be arrows," which they took to be a veiled threat that the prosecutor would continue to dig up dirt on Temer.
"The prosecutor appears to care little whether the target" of his investigation is "in addition to Michel Temer himself, the institution of the presidency, the institutions of the republic, Brazilian society or the nation," his defense lawyer wrote in the petition to remove Janot.
Janot is expected to announce two new charges against Temer before his term as the head of the Public Ministry concludes in mid September.
Sam Miller/The HSUS(HOUSTON) -- The Humane Society of the United States flew approximately one hundred dogs from Texas to New Jersey on Tuesday, as many communities in the area are still reeling from the deadly flooding left behind by Hurricane Harvey.
"Every single dog thats coming up will be up for adoption ... If the pilots on the plane dont try to adopt them first," Katie Jarl, the Texas senior state director for the Humane Society of the United States, told ABC News on Tuesday, adding that "everybody was falling in love with them."
Jarl said that on Tuesday they put approximately 100 dogs on a plane, provided by their partner organization Wings of Rescue, to transport the dogs out of the area affected by the catastrophic hurricane. Jarl said tomorrow they will send another hundred animals--both dogs and cats -- on a second plane out of Texas.
"Today's group of dogs went to the East Coast, and tomorrow were going West Coast, to Oregon and Washington," Jarl said, adding that they are committed to "transporting up to 1,000 dogs, that need to get out of Texas as soon as possible."
Some of the dogs headed to New Jersey were evacuated from shelters on the day of the hurricane, and others were cleared out of a shelter in San Antonio in order to make room for pets that needed somewhere to go after being displaced by the flooding.
"We know that there will be a lot of evacuees to San Antonio," Jarl told ABC News, saying that the shelter in San Antonio will be used to house family pets, where the pets "will be taken care of, and then when the Houston evacuees find housing, they will be able to come get their dogs and take them home."
Jarl said every breed and every size of dog was coming up to New Jersey on Tuesday, including some nine week old puppies.
"There is a reason that they say that dogs is a mans best friend, they were so patient with us all day, they were moved from crate to crate, from tarmac to airplane," Jarl added of the dogs. "These dogs are going to make amazing pets to the people of New Jersey, they just wanted snuggles and treats."
Some of the animals will be met in New Jersey by the St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, and it's sister shelters around New Jersey.
Our hearts are with the people and animals of Texas, and we and our partners will continue to help in the days, weeks and months to come, Heather Cammisa, the President and CEO of St. Huberts said in a statement Tuesday.
Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Teen held with gun and ammo
The teenager of Legendre Road, Ecclesville was arrested near his home. He was also charged with using obscene language and disorderly behaviour.
Police said at about 9.30pm on Sunday, members of the Rio Claro Police Station were on patrol when they saw the suspect standing in the middle of the road with the weapon in his hand.
Upon seeing the officers, it was reported, the suspect ran off into a driveway leading to his home and was chased by the police. He was held with the gun and ammunition.
PC Nazrudeen Meighoo laid the charge.
In an unrelated matter in Moruga on Monday, police seized a quantity of marijuana with an estimated street value of $48,600 and have issued a warrant for the arrest of a suspect for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. A police report stated at about 5.30 pm, members of the South Western Division Task Force searched a house at Edwards Trace, Moruga.
Police said upon arrival, a man in the building fled the house and into some nearby bushes. Police discovered a black plastic bag containing 3.6 kilogrammes of marijuana inside the house.
Nurse granted bail in child abuse case
Rachel Noel-Eute, senior legal associate for the Childrens Authority, explained to the magistrate that the authority learned of the incident earlier this month when a report was filed after injuries were sustained by the child.
She said the authority intended to remove the child from the custody of her parents once she was discharged from the hospital and seek alternative living arrangements pending a police investigation and an independent investigation headed by the authority.
The child is at the Intensive Care Unit of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope.
Olivers attorney Richard Mason in his application for bail, said his client has no matters before the court. Stroude granted Oliver bail with a surety in the sum of $100,000. As part of her bail conditions, she is to report three times a week to the West End Police Station in Diego Martin and remain 100 feet away from the child and her family at all times. The court prosecutor also requested that Oliver surrender her passport to the court.
However Mason said his clients passport was expired but promised he would present it at the next hearing.
Oliver is expected to reappear in court on October 26. Earlier this month the child, who lives with her father, was left in the care of a woman who allegedly dealt a severe beating to the toddler.
Judge stops promotion of cops
An hour before the scheduled release at 9.30 am of a number of promotions to the rank of sergeant, Justice Margaret Mohammed granted an injunction to 11 police officers ordering Williams not to take any steps to promote any of them. The officers who sought the injunction have been awaiting the Police Services promotion advisory board since 2016 for their ratings in qualifying examinations for the rank of sergeant.
They wrote letters and filed an injunction but to no avail. Last month, Justice Joan Charles ordered the board to provide the information, but even the judges order has been disobeyed. The officers had also sought the ratings of the latest batch of officers who have been promoted in order to compare the ratings.
Attorney Dinesh Rambally drafted the injunction until 2 am yesterday in preparation of an 8.30 am hearing before Mohammed. The injunction outlined the fate of the officers who are: Ag Sergeant Audie Alexander Moona, Jerry London, Curt Douglas, Rene Katwaroo, Ramweshwar Gopaul, Daryl Theophilus, Jimmy Marcano, Dirk John, Anslem Knott and Terrence Salandy.
The merit list was released on Monday. But in their lawsuit before Mohammed, they stated that due to a shortage of sergeants in the service, a number of them were called upon to act.
But way back in 2015, they were informed they would be considered by the board for promotion and they would have been given an opportunity to engage in the process.
In April 2016, a merit list was released, but their names were not on it.
Pursuant to Section 19 (5) of the Police Service Act they applied to the board to be given their ratings in the qualifying examination.
They say did not get an acknowledgement.
An attorney wrote for them, and, in July last year, he was informed that the request was forwarded to the Solicitor Generals department for consideration. In August last year, Rambally filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. In October, they were given their ratings, however, they were not given the ratings of the officers who were promoted in order to assess whether they were unfairly prejudiced.
Yesterday, Rambally argued the injunction before Mohammed in which he informed her the papers were served at the office of the commissioner. The judge granted an order of mandamus, compelling the board to provide the requested information.
Boy, 15, sent to YTC for stealing
The boy will spend the next two weeks there and it is the hope of San Fernando magistrate Alicia Chankar that he will undergo rehabilitation in a controlled environment. He is to return to court on September 12.
The boy, from Gasparillo, was taken to court having been arrested on Sunday and charged with larceny from a dwelling house.
It was the second time he was before a magistrate for larceny - the first being in February last year.
He again pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan, told the magistrate that at about 5.30 am on Sunday, police from the Gasparillo station, responding to a report, saw the boy walking out from a house.
He was arrested and in his possession were clothing, a pair cuff-links, a gold chain and a gold watch.
They items were valued at $2,500.
When questioned about why he stole the items, the boy replied, I was acting on orders from someone. The boy, Seedan said, had been placed on a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for six months when he was first arrested and charged in February last year.
Finding his origin
UK-BORN actor, Noel Clarke, 41, grew up in West London with only his Trinidadian mother, Gemma.
Although both of Clarkes parents were Trinidadian, he knew little of his family and always wanted to know his roots and to be able to share that with his children.
Clarke, through BBC and its Who Do You Think You Are programme, sort to trace his lineage, to give him some placement in the world. But what does this have to do with TT, you might wonder.
Well, not only does his quest to learn about himself take him to TT but two Trinis, writer Judy Raymond and media, communication and public health specialist Caroline Ravello centrally helped in giving the UK-based actor, writer, producer and director a sense of where he came from.
The programme which reveals a connection to the countrys first prime minister Dr Eric Williams, will be shown on BBC One tomorrow.
Raymond and Ravello got involved with the show after Raymond first worked as field producer on the Liz Bonnin [a science, wildlife and natural history presenter, who has worked on television in both Ireland and the United Kingdom] documentary in 2016.
After having done that one, Wall to Wall productions, a productions company that is sometimes outsourced to do some of the shows, contacted Raymond in April to do field work for Clarkes story. Because so much of his story was centred in south, Fyzabad to be exact, Raymond requested help and work of Ravello.
Ravello said when asked about the experience: Judy Raymond called me and asked me if I was available to work on this one. She had worked on the last one and gave me an idea of what she wanted...
The BBC gave us a lead and then you go into the field.
That could be going into the community, into records, into the National Archives, people who would have lived around, finding relatives, just a number of things. Although this was something new to the communication professional with over 30 years in the business, having done television production before as well, Ravello was able to weld together the pieces of Clarkes past.
Ravellos search took her to communities in Erin, Fyzabad, Buenos Ayres, Carapichaima and National Archives among others. But there werent all successful days for her, she recalled going to Central [Trinidad] and then to the National Archives and after having searched everything. My back was hurting me and Ella, who is one of the researchers, I wrote her and I was Ella I feel so badly, youre going to have to pay me for a day that is a total bust. I totally bust.
Nothing. It was kind of like a defeated feeling and you get up and you go again because youre searching for something and youre hoping that it is there. Ravellos search began by contacting Dr Brinsley Samaroo because he had some connection with Carapichaima. Then he placed her in contact with Dr Pooran Bridgemohan [The Associate Professor in Charge of the University of Trinidad and Tobagos Waterloo campus]. I went into the community and just started talking and the community gives you leads. BBC already had some information and you trace it. For Ravello, helping Clarke find his origin, his point of self was, Amazing.
His responses. When you see the production, sometimes you laugh with him and sometimes you feel like crying with him.
There were many surprises that he had.
He knew his mothers side of the family but never really knew his fathers side of the family, which is what the focus in Fyzabad was..You get his real reaction and the first time he meets this relative is the first time he truly meets them. Asked if this was something that could be done in TT, Ravello said, I think it would be fascinating because looking at these, if you look back at some of the episodes, youd see people who discovered their Ghanaian heritage. Wow moments.
Liz Bonnin discovered her Indian heritage as in India and those are amazing moments for us. I think history is extremely important to who we are.
We like to talk a lot in this country about Mother Trini and Mother India, apart from that rhetoric, it gives someone a sense self and balance in the world, to be connected to the world as the series does. For Raymond, the level of research put into getting the 57-minute documentary done, always impressed her. She is equally amazed, she by how little the subjects know of their family background.
One thing thats always amazes me, they always know so surprisingly little about their family background. Yet the researchers are able to find out an amazing amount of detail and come up with birth certificates and ship records and people who are indentured immigrants and that sort of thing to present to them and surprise them. Raymond said the episodes are almost carefully planned and almost scripted, so that they know exactly what information they want to reveal to the person in which interview and they know what will come as a surprise to them. There is a kind of narrative arc that they plan. It seems spontaneous because the subject is kept in the dark about these things but the director is very much in charge and knows who is going say what and give them which piece of information. Asked if TT should look at documentaries like these tracing local people and their genealogy, Raymond said the only problem with that is there is a possibility it might get sameish because a large portion of the population is of African descent and know that they are and a large percentage is of Indian descent and they know they are and then we arent that good at record keeping.
She said a lot of people in TT were a lot more mixed up than we realise but because archives are not well-kept it would be harder for others to find the information.
Because of that lack of records, Clarke did not even know some of his siblings existed, she said.
Family history is popular in the US and the UK at the moment and there are websites like ancestry.com but because records here are not necessarily well-kept people assume that it is impossible to find out...Once you know where to look and you start digging it is possible to find out, Raymond said.
More veggie meals for Restaurant Week
The decision to include more vegetarian- friendly meals came as a result of interactions with patrons who requested a wider variety of vegetarian meals, according to chef Khalid Mohammed.
The event from September 15 to 24 offers patrons a range of main courses, meats and desserts at participating restaurants at affordable prices.
An added feature this year is a mobile application that allows diners to look up the restaurants, price lists, menus and directions before heading out for a meal. Through a filtered search patrons can find any restaurant they want to visit as well as keep track of the ones where they previously dined.
The app is connected to all the events social media accounts for easy access so patrons can get around easily while using it. The app which is available via the Playstore by entering ttrw.
Before the actual Restaurant Week sampling begins, patrons will get to taste a variety of foods on September 10, at a charity fund-raiser being held in association with the Rotary Club of Port of Spain at Napa, Port-of- Spain from 6 to 10 pm.
In its fifth year, Restaurant Week which began with only 19 restaurants now has over 80 food venues joining in the celebration.
At the launch at the Hyatt Regency chef Joe Brown, owner of Jaffas, one of the participating restaurants, said Restaurant Week provides a way for bridging the gap between fast food and fine dining.
He said the week is designed for people who do not normally go out to restaurants. Co-ordinator and general manager of Restaurant Week Shira Mohammed also spoke at the launch.
Platinum sponsors of the event, Scotiabank and Alstons Marketing Company Ltd (Amco) are also offering discounts to diners during Restaurant Week.
Scotiabanks general district manager Rory Bhikkarie said the company is offering a three per cent cash back for cardholders during the week event.
AMCOs business development and spirits manager Janelle Le Loy said there will be discounts on spirits marketed by the company. For more info: trinidadandtobagorestaurantweek.
com or Facebook.
Rowley to reappoint Le Hunte
He (Le Hunte) is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Let me make that very clear. He is not a Ghanaian, he told reporters during a tour of several major infrastructural projects in his Diego Martin West constituency.
Rowleys confirmation of Le Huntes status came two days it was revealed through the Office of the Prime Minister that the career banker was a citizen of Ghana and unsuited to hold the position of Cabinet minister in this country.
Le Hunte was sworn in as a senator and public utilities minister last Thursday during a simple ceremony at Presidents House, St Anns.
He replaced Rowley, who had held the position of public utilities minister after Port-of- Spain South MP Marlene Mc Donald was fired several months ago.
Rowley yesterday cleared the air on the matter, saying Le Hunte is a TT national who was on temporary assignment in Ghana.
While he was there, he obtained in part of his residency and acceptance in the community, he obtained Ghanaian citizenship. Rowley dismissed the recent faux pas surrounding Le Huntes appointment as a communication glitch. There was a communication glitch in the handling of that development and by having that in place it offended our Constitution, he said. That is easily rectified and by him revoking his appointment to preserve his position in Trinidad and Tobago and qualify him to hold the office for which he has been selected for. Asked if Le Hunte had provided him with details about his status a a TT citizen, Rowley told reporters: I have just provided it. Pressed to elaborate, he added: I am saying it was a development that the communication which would have prevented it (appointment) from happening, the communication went awry and it has to be done over.
So, a few days of doing over and it will be all right. You couldnt provide it before you knew what happened. The Prime Minister made it clear that Le Hunte will be re-appointed So, a rectification is taking place so that we comply with the requirements of the Constitution and it is my intention to re-appoint him as soon as that is done.
That will take 72 hours or thereabouts.
Parents in last minute rush for school supplies
Book stores along High Street, San Fernando were crowded with parents and children seeking to fill their book lists yesterday with some parents complaining about the high prices of certain textbooks.
Owner of Unique Book Store, which has a few branches across TT, Len Doodnath, who spoke with Newsday yesterday said.
Maintaining targeted sales has been a challenge this year and the reason would be the uneasiness with respect to stable jobs and increase in unemployment. Doodnath explained that parents would normally prioritise items on booklists with books as the first and depending on the buying power of the parent they would purchase the more important textbooks with the rest of books, stationery and uniforms subsequently. He also went on to say that books are changed and updated according to the syllabus and that Mathematics and English books are the most sold books. Doodnath was asked about the used textbook initiative that his bookstore implemented decades ago. It was an idea born out of the economic downturn in the early nineties where an economic option for purchasing new books was provided by Unique Book Stores for parents.
Today it remains an option which parents continue to appreciate, Doodnath said.
Meanwhile, parents complained about the high prices of books. Nalini Ali, who was shopping at Nigel R Khan book store located on High Street, San Fernando said its a very difficult time. I just got a job and we have to wait for my husbands salary as well, this is why we bought books so late. I have four kids and spent over $1,200 in books. Imagine a dictionary costs $140. Mellisa Nemai, a single mother with two children, while shopping at Unique book store also said the high prices were taking a toll on her. I have spent $800 on books already and I still have to buy more, people who dont have a job and have kids I am sorry for you all. This is stress and it hurting my pockets. Another parent, Yashim Mohammed, who was purchasing school supplies at RIK bookstore, spoke of the challenges of finding a particular book. I am looking all over for one textbook and I cant find it. These books keep updating, I dont know if it is a money making scheme. Other parents lamented that the school textbook system did not provide much assistance to them because most schools recommend books that are not in the school textbook programme.
Dumas: Le Hunte faux pas points to declining governance
We are achieving that decline in governance at our peril, Dumas yesterday told Newsday.
We are allowing our institutions to be damaged and if we are not careful, eventually, they will be destroyed. If that happens we will not have a country worth the name. The appointment of Le Hunte, who was sworn in as a senator and Minister of Public Utilities, last Thursday at Presidents House, was revoked on Monday after it was brought to the attention of the Office of the Prime Minister that he was a citizen of Ghana.
However, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday revealed during a tour of of several projects in his Diego Martin West constituency that Le Hunte is a TT citizen.
The Opposition United National Congress had earlier criticised the development, describing it as sheer incompetence on the part of the PNM.
Yesterday, Dumas said he was not so interested in the Le Hunte issue as a separate matter as he is in the development as an example of the inadequate governance we have been experiencing in recent times in the country. We have had a series of what are, to me, embarrassing happenings and episodes where no one has done anything to us. We have been doing it to ourselves. Dumas listed the controversies surrounding former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar, supposed photos of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawis children at a shooting range at Camp Cumuto, the revocation of the appointment of Marlene Mc Donald as housing minister and the ongoing inter-island seabridge fiasco as examples of declining governance.
Today, it is Le Hunte and tomorrow it will be something else, Dumas said.
And, I am embarrassed as a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago that 55 years after the achievement of political independence, we should be doing this to ourselves.
That is my concern - that we are looking foolish. That we cannot point a finger at anybody else. We have to point a finger at ourselves.
Look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves, what is going wrong? Because, it is we who are doing it and damaging our institutions - the Judiciary, Defence Force, Parliament, Cabinet - all of these are major institutions in the country. Dumas observed that despite the perceived efforts by United States president Donald Trump to damage and control institutions, they are not blinking but pushing back.
He (Trump) cannot destroy the institutions because the institutions are too strong.
Trouble in Houston for Trinis
Many residents needed to be evacuated as the deadly flooding has already taken the lives of nine people. With this, Trinidadians concern for their friends and relatives has grown.
With Harvey downgrading from a hurricane, many residents who stayed at their homes thought that its impact would not be as brutal. However, some of them found themselves trapped in their houses and needed to to evacuated.
Gerard Alfred, who previously lived in Santa Rosa and now resides in Houston, was trapped in a bar during the storm last Saturday.
Alfred had initially underestimated the impact of the storm in his area. However, he later needed to be assisted to safety as he was trapped by flood waters. One of his relatives said, Were concerned and worried for his safety now that things have changed. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said yesterday, that with the fourth day of heavy flooding almost 30,000 Houston residents were estimated to seek emergency shelter and 450,000 are expected to seek disaster assistance.
The NHC later said that Harvey was moving eastward towards Morgan City in Louisiana.
They warned of its impact saying, Ongoing catastrophic and life-threatening flooding will continue across Southeastern Texas. This has Trinidadianas worried for the locals that may be residing there.
A Chaguanas resident said, Im worried and pray that the storm misses them so that no one will be displaced. Enrique Assoon, who could not contact his family in Houston, expressed deep concern for them as the flooding had become life-threatening.
He said, Im not getting any response at all from my family. Im really worried and scared for them because Ive been trying to message them on all social media platforms and I cant reach them. The locally-based family of Vincentian Lorna Thomas said that their concern grew as water levels in front her house increased.
Her niece, Marion Thomas, said after receiving a picture of flooding in Lornas front yard she had not been able to contact her aunt.
Many Trinidadians are worrying for their family living in Houston and are continuing to pray for their safety.
A cry for help
I have had to live off of my savings and I now owe my landlord rent for all of 2016 to present, said Susan Butcher- David.
I suffer with severe depression which has taken a toll on my physical body sending me in and out of the hospital all the time. I have been given a deadline by my landlord of September 30 to pay up or I will be homeless. I am making a desperate plea to the government of the Republic Trinidad and Tobago to take a genuine look at this situation, which took place at the Consulate in July 2012, and help those of us who were treated unfairly by the previous government. On July 5, 2012, Butcher-David and seven other TT Consulate employees were fired after their reported failure of an exam which then consul general Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam had said was necessary in order to re-apply for their jobs.
Butcher-David started out in 2000 as a permanent employee. Then, about two years later, she and other clerical staff were put on two-year contracts.
She said, in January 2012 she and the others were given six-month contracts with no sick leave and one weeks leave at the end of the contract. Speaking with Newsday back in June 2013, she recalled, Next came the news from...
Ramgoolam that we had to re-apply for our jobs, including sitting an exam we were never given proper information on.
They claimed we failed it and so had to be terminated. How can you be expected to pass an exam you were never prepared for? At the time of her dismissal, Butcher-David had worked at the consulate for 12 years while others among the eight had been there for 25 years.
Having been escorted out of the building in Manhattan like criminals, she said, the eight were left without an immediate source of income and no health insurance.
Whats worse, Butcher- David told Newsday, is that having turned 66 in March, she is now passed the age for employment in the TT Government. However, I served my country for 12 years. I am also a US citizen. We did not have the option to contribute to National Insurance in TT nor did the (then) government pay unemployment insurance here in the US.
Hence US citizens and Green Card holders cannot put in a claim for time away from work, Butcher-David lamented.
Having exhausted the financial help available from her and her husbands families and having reached the end of her landlords patience, Butcher-David decided it was time to issue an appeal to the TT Government.
Knowing government assistance may not come in time, if at all, she is now asking the public to help her in whatever small way they can to avoid eviction.
Butcher-David owes US $21,500 for 20 months rent; inclusive of August 2017. If you would like to help her, you can contact her via email at susan_butcherdavid@ hotmail.com or on her mobile phone at 1-347-731-0644.
British High Commissioner hosts reception for One Young World Caribbean Caucus
One Young World, a British-based charity founded in 2009, connects bright young leaders from around the world to deliver change.
The first caucus brought together young people from Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, the Bahamas and St. Lucia to discuss issues such as social entrepreneurship, the future of education, social inclusion and the Commonwealth.
During the event on Thursday last at his Maraval residence, Stew also bid farewell to this years Chevening Scholar, Mukta Balroop.
Stew congratulated Balroop on his achievement as the Chevening Scholar 2017.
In addition to expressing his gratitude to bpTT for co-funding this years scholarship, Stew commended Balroops focus on Media Law which he will pursue at Queen Mary, University of London.
He encouraged Balroop to look beyond his formal education and to allow himself to gain international perspectives from his fellow students; to understand the world from others viewpoints.
Al Rawi distances himself from Ramlogans detention
Al-Rawi said as Attorney General, he should not be busy getting involved in any matters relating to Ramlogan as the matters were in the hands of the Police Service (TTPS) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Member of Parliament for the San Fernando West constituency was speaking with reporters after a tour of the city to observe effect of the recently implemented traffic plan. He was accompanied by mayor Junia Regrello.
Al-Rawi said him distancing himself and any member of the government are for reasons which are constitutional. No member of the Executive has any business in that.
We keep a very careful distance away from the business of the Police Service and that of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. No doubt this matter has gripped the nations attention because it has been one long in the making. Meanwhile commenting on Mondays protest swim by Minority Leader in the Tobago House of Assembly Watson Duke, Al -Rawi said Duke was free to do what he wanted but that would not take away from the fact the prime minister, Ministry of Works and Transport, Chamber of Commerce and the board of the Port Authority have been in conversations regarding the seabridge issue. The issue of the seabridge and airbridge is one which is of great concern to the government of Trinidad and Tobago. The long term solution is a critical one and the government is focused on making sure we work our way through a short term, medium term and long term of solutions. During his walk through San Fernando, Al-Rawi greeted taxi drivers, traffic wardens and pedestrians. He also commended the San Fernando Mayor on the traffic changes deeming it a success.
MSJ leader: Le Hunte ought to have said hes Ghanaian
Abdulah said Government also fell short as it was mandatory to ask certain questions under the Constitution.
There are questions that must be asked such as , are you suffering from any mental illness ? Responses to these questions disqualify you under the Constitution from holding public office, so it is the Prime Minister and whoever advises him that messed up and this demonstrates their level of incompetence, Abdulah said.
Le Huntes appointment was revoked just four days after he was appointed as the Minister of Public Utilities.
Le Hunte, under Section 42(1) of the Constitution, is not qualified to be appointed a senator by virtue of his allegiance to another country. Abdulah said the Ministry of Public Utilities is important as it oversees policy with respect to water, electricity and telecommunications.
He said within two years there have been five ministers of public utilities. This is ridiculous and demonstrates that the Government does not know what is doing,he said.
Bridgemans VP to attend JSC on ferries
The Secretariat of the JSC wrote to Purdey last week via e-mail requesting him to attend.
He gave a commitment to attend one of the four hearings inquiring into the operations of the inter-island ferry service and more particularly the procurement of the cargo vessel the Cabo Star and the passenger vessel the Ocean Flower II.
The contract which had been awarded to Bridgemans was cancelled due to its failure to deliver the Ocean Flower II on time.
Purdey said he was willing to be cross examined and to provide documentation to clear his companys name.
Sources revealed that all those contacted by the JSC so far have said they are willing to cooperate except former chairman of the Port Authority board Christine Sahadeo.
The JSC e-mailed asking Sahadeo to attend one of the four hearings but she has not yet given a commitment.
The inquiry will be held over four days with hearings in both Trinidad and Tobago.
The inquiry is one of four investigations into the acquisition of the ships.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has also commissioned businessman Christian Mouttet as sole investigator to investigate the procurement process, while Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan has requested the Port Authority to provide him with a report. That report, according to Sinanan is due by this weekend.
The Integrity Commission has also been asked to investigate the issue by former transport minister Devant Maharaj.
Moroccan Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, highlighted that the Moroccan-Spanish security partnership is based on shared responsibility and mutual trust.
In a statement to the press following a meeting in Rabat with his Spanish counterpart, Juan Ignacio Zoido, Laftit underscored the solid cooperation between the two countries in security issues.
He pointed out to the legal framework governing this cooperation with the signing of multiple agreements laying down mechanisms for joint action and sustained coordination.
Such cooperation enabled the dismantling of terrorist cells operating in the two countries, he said, adding that joint sea patrols are conducted between the navies of the two countries to fight drug trafficking.
Laftit also explained that he had candid and serious talks with the Spanish minister focusing on the threats posed by terrorism, illegal migration and organized crime.
He added that Zoidos visit to Rabat is part of regular consultations between Morocco and Spain on issues of common interest.
Laftit who reiterated Moroccos condolences on the terrorists attacks that hit Barcelona lately reaffirmed that a Moroccan team of security experts is contributing to investigations in Spain.
On the surge of radicalization among Moroccan immigrants, Laftit noted that the second and third generation of Moroccans living in Europe need special attention to insulate them from extremist ideologies leading to terrorism. In this connection, he pointed to the need to oversee religious discourse in mosques and be wary of extremist imams.
The perpetrators of the terrorist attacks that hit Barcelona and Cambrils are Moroccans who were raised in Spain, acknowledged Spains Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido who paid a short visit to Rabat Tuesday for talks with Moroccan officials to strengthen bilateral counterterrorism cooperation.
Speaking at a press conference following talks with his Moroccan peer Abdelouafi Laftit, the Spanish Interior Minister recalled that 11 of the 12 terrorists involved in Catalonia attacks are of Moroccan origins but they grew up in Spain. The twelfth terrorist was even born in Spain, he noted.
Since an early age, these terrorists moved in to Spain where they grew up and received their education, the Spanish official explained.
He lauded the high level of cooperation between Moroccan and Spanish security services in the wake of the Catalonia attacks, adding that Moroccan experts are contributing to the ongoing investigations.
No country is insulated from the threat of terrorism, said the Spanish official, who stressed the need for international cooperation to counter this global threat.
In this regards, he commended Morocco for its permanent, sincere and fruitful cooperation with Spain.
Morocco is a key partner for Spain in the fight against terrorism, insisted Zoido, who pointed out to the need to gear efforts towards prevention and deradicalization.
He also underscored the pressing need of reinforcing the exchange of information between the two countries to counter terrorism and trans-border crime.
He added that between 2014 and 2017, Spanish and Moroccan security services led 12 joint operations, with the latest operation dating back to May where three IS terrorists were arrested, two in Barcelona and Salou and the third in Tangier.
Thanks to the Spanish-Moroccan close security cooperation, 175 people suspected of violent extremism have been arrested during these operations, he said.
On migration, Zoido said that cooperation with Morocco is key in thwarting mass illegal migration attempts.
Visiting Gaza for the first time since taking office as United Nations Secretary-General in January, Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he has a dream, a dream to see two states established in the Holy Land.
I have a dream. A dream to one day see the Holy Land with two states Israel and Palestine living in peace and security together, Guterres told reporters in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, at a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Guterres underscored the importance of a credible political process and actions to improve living conditions of Palestinians.
It is important to open the closures, in line with resolution 1860 he said, referring the Security Council resolution from 2009 which called for an immediate ceasefire to the fighting between Israel and Hamas and lifting of blockades for food, fuel and medicines.
The resolution was meant to defuse an intra-Palestinian conflict, which flared up when Hamas took over Gaza in 2007. Since then, Israel sought to isolate the group by restricting the movements of goods and people in and out of the strip.
In his statement Wednesday, Guterres said it was important to avoid the build-up of the militantism that can undermine the confidence between the two people.
Guterres, who toured the Israeli-Gaza border by helicopter and then crossed it by vehicle, called the conditions in Gaza, one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises he has seen during his time working as a humanitarian.
The UN chief appealed to the international community to strongly support humanitarian aid in Gaza and ordered an immediate release of $4 million from the limited resources of the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), to support the UN activities working for the benefit of the Gaza people.
The two million people living in Gaza lack access to basic services, such as electricity, food or healthcare. The real gross domestic product (GDP) is largely stagnant, unemployment is up and the infrastructure and private sector have been gradually debilitated, according to a UN report published last month.
The UN Secretary General also called for Palestinian unity, in line with the principles of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which include rejecting violence and terrorism, and recognizing Israels right to exist in peace. Division only undermines the cause of the Palestinian people, he insisted.
Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.
On May 24, the eve of the Montana special congressional election, Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs asked Republican candidate Greg Gianforte where he stood on the GOP bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. According to witnesses, Gianforte then grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him.
Now Jacobs claims that while Gianforte promised in court to finally grant him an interview, hes refused to follow through. In a statement posted on Tuesday night, Jacobs said Gianforte continues his pattern of avoiding responsibility for his actions and refusing to live up to the statements made in what I had thought was a sincere apology.
Greg Gianforte is refusing to sit down with me. This is what I sent to his spokesman after two months of going back and forth pic.twitter.com/uPKnn7HBEo Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) August 30, 2017
The slanderous statement Jacobs refers to came shortly after the assault, when Gianfortes spokesman claimed the situation only became physical as a result of aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist:
After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Gregs wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. Its unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.
Jacobss audio of the incident, coupled with the accounts of Fox News journalists, quickly proved that was not the case. Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault overnight, but ignored national calls to apologize. He finally expressed remorse at his victory party, saying, I should not have responded the way I did and for that I am sorry.
In June, the tech millionaire released a letter expressing his sincere apology to Jacobs, and promising to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists as part of an agreement that Jacobs would not file a civil claim. Days later, Gianforte appeared in court to answer for the criminal charges. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and anger-management service. CNNMoney reports that the court appearance is where the dispute over the interview began:
Jacobs was in court that day. When he gave a victim statement before the judge, he said he hoped to interview Gianforte in the future, since thats what he was trying to do at the time of the assault.
Before the end of the hearing, Gianforte addressed Jacobs directly: Im sorry, and if and when youre ready, I look forward to sitting down with you in DC.
Gianforte was sworn in on June 21. Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, started trying to schedule an interview the next day.
While Jacobs says Gianforte has reneged on his pledge, Gianfortes office claims theyve made every effort to schedule a sit-down between the reporter and the congressman.
As he has since June, Congressman Gianforte has offered to sit down with Mr. Jacobs, a spokesman said. For anyone to suggest otherwise is false. We have been honest brokers in our efforts to arrange for Mr. Jacobs to sit down with the congressman, including providing Mr. Jacobs with possible dates and times for a meeting and asking what Montana beers the congressman could bring for Mr. Jacobs when they meet. Mr. Jacobs has yet to either accept or decline our offer. Congressman Gianfortes offer to Mr. Jacobs remains on the table.
As the Washington Post noted earlier this week, the two sides disagree on what Gianforte was promising when he expressed his remorse to Jacobs before a judge:
The key to understanding this impasse lies in wording. Jacobs expressed an interest in an interview; Gianforte expressed an interest in sitting down for a meeting something that you can do without agreeing to an interview. A body slam, a false statement, not to mention the failed Republican attempt to repeal-and-replace Obamacare: These are all issues that Gianforte would presumably prefer to address off the record or not at all.
Semantics aside, it seems were still at square one: Gianforte is desperate to avoid answering Jacobss questions on the record.
Police secure the street outside the Turkish embassy during a visit by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Photo: DAVE CLARK/AFP/Getty Images
Just a few hours after President Trumps White House meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, a brawl broke out on Washingtons Embassy Row. Video showed men in black suits viciously beating protesters as police used batons to drive off the attackers, and Erdogan looked on. Nine people were hospitalized following the attack.
On Tuesday, 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, were indicted by a grand jury in D.C. for the May 16 incident. According to the AP, all 19 have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Several have also been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Two of the defendants, who appear to be civilian Erdogan supporters, were arrested in June. Members of Erdogans security detail have already returned to Turkey. Theres little chance that theyll be extradited, but they could be arrested if they return to the United States.
The indictment described the attackers as pro-Erdogan civilian supporters, Turkish security personnel, and staff members from the Turkish diplomatic delegation, and says the peaceful protesters were mostly advocates for Kurdish independence. Turkeys state news agency disputed this back in May, claiming that Erdogans guards were forced to take on the protesters because they were aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president.
President Trump has repeatedly praised Erdogan, even as Erdogan has moved to strengthen his autocratic hold on Turkey. The Trump administration condemned the attack via a statement from the State Department.
We are concerned by the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel Tuesday evening. Violence is never an appropriate response to free speech, and we support the rights of people everywhere to free expression and peaceful protest, the State Department said. We are communicating our concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms.
Rescue personnel drive through a flooded intersection in Dickinson, Texas, on Tuesday. Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Latest
Harvey made landfall again in Louisiana on Wednesday morning. Right now the storm is hammering eastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. At least 30 inches of rain have been recorded near Port Arthur, Texas.
The death toll is reportedly at 38, and its expected to rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed 24,000 National Guard troops across the state to assist with rescue and recovery operations. About 10,000 troops are beings sent from other states. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also deployed the National Guard to assist with the Harvey response.
The skies cleared in Houston on Wednesday, and floodwaters began to recede in some areas.
People make their way through a flooded street during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017, in Houston, Texas. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
The Storm
Tropical Storm Harvey broke the previous record for rainfall from a single storm anywhere in the contiguous U.S. on Tuesday, with a top reading of 51.88 inches of rain in Cedar Bayou, Texas. The previous record of 48 inches was set in Texas in 1978, and Harvey could still top the 52-inch record set in Hawaii in 1950.
Six days after first making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Harvey is finally set to let up on Houston. The National Weather Service is predicting less than an inch of rain for the city on Wednesday, and a 30 percent chance of showers on Thursday. Friday is expected to be sunny with a high near 94.
Radar update: Light to moderate rain continues to fall over the far eastern counties. Conditions will steadily improve today #Harvey #houwx pic.twitter.com/PzDvi7KAJh NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) August 30, 2017
Flood levels also receded slightly in some of the hard-hit areas around Houston. We have good news, said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, told the Associated Press. The water levels are going down. And thats for the first time in several days. The sun even peeked out in Houston for the first time in days.
While Houston gets a desperately needed break, Harvey is moving northeast, hitting far-east Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Those areas are in for another 6 to 12 inches of rainfall. Harvey made landfall for a second time at 5 a.m on Wednesday morning, arriving just west of Cameron, Louisiana. The tropical storm is expected to weaken as it moves through Louisiana. From the NWS:
Elsewhere, Harvey is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches across portions of southern Louisiana into coastal Mississippi and Alabama. Rainfall associated with Harvey will spread northward by mid to late week, with rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches spreading into portions of Arkansas and the Tennessee Valley.
Tropical Storm #Harvey made its 3rd landfall just west of Cameron Louisiana at 4 am CDT with 45 mph sustained winds https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/sTU7rbRf9d National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2017
Harvey is now pounding the area around Beaumont and Port Arthur, in eastern Texas, with close to 30 inches of rain already recorded. The National Weather Service continues to warn of life-threatening flood waters in these areas.
Small cattle drive on SH124 in BMT right now. Be careful, lots of livestock trying to find higher ground #Harvey pic.twitter.com/nPRekYWQOC TxDOT-Beaumont (@TxDOTBeaumont) August 29, 2017
As in Houston, the water overtook neighborhoods rapidly in eastern Texas. The city of Port Arthur called on volunteers with boats and instructed residents to head to their roofs and wave a white towel, sheet, or shirt to alert rescuers.
If you need rescued please display a white towel, sheet, shirt or anything to let volunteer rescuers know. CityofPortArthur (@port_arthurtx) August 30, 2017
Friends and family of some of the stranded went on social media to plead for assistance.
My aunt still has not been rescued. This is her roof window from the attic PLEASE PLEASE send help
820 Smith Rd Port Arthur, Texas 77640 pic.twitter.com/uTze7QpND6 lil sam. (@_DamnSosa) August 30, 2017
Hundreds took refuge at the Bob Bower Civic Center in Port Arthur, only to be flooded out, cots floating in the swampy water.
Bob Bower Civic Center in Port Arthur, which flooded overnight. Photo: Kevon Rayford. pic.twitter.com/QNSG1xaMR5 David Daniel (@CNNLADavid) August 30, 2017
Downpours and flash flooding are also threatening Calcasieu Parish in southwest Louisiana. Approximately 500 people were evacuated from the parishs vulnerable areas.
Calctsieu Parish Sheriff's Office and LeBleu Fire Dept personnel help evacuate residents from flooded subdivision in Iowa, La. Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/OQRMb0YZjw Patrick Dennis (@PatrickPdennis) August 29, 2017
CPSO Deputies continue to make rescues today in Northeast Sulphur pic.twitter.com/Dh4E4PBrr2 Calcasieu Sheriff (@CalcasieuSO) August 30, 2017
Water continues to rise in South Lake Charles. The west to southwest wind pushing water up Calcasieu Lake. by Sharon Robinson. #lawx pic.twitter.com/tZrrfBN40F Zack Fradella (@ZackFradellaWx) August 30, 2017
Rescue Effort Continues
State and local agencies said they along with volunteers have rescued more than 13,000 from floodwaters in Houston and the surrounding areas so far, and the effort will continue in the coming days.
No rain but the evacuations continue in parts of Houston. @cbsdfw with @cbs11doug in SW Houston. #HoustonFlood pic.twitter.com/lkU4MblgOg Stewart McKenzie (@CBS11Stew) August 30, 2017
Were still trying to get to folks and again, like we said yesterday, dont give up on us, seek to higher ground we will get to you, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. At every passing hour, we have more boats getting in the water.
Volunteer Dustin Langley, who lives two hours north of Houston and came down with a friend to volunteer, helps a family escape their flooded apartment in Kingwood, Texas. They placed them on a boat and took them to safety. Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday following scattered reports of looting. He said the police had requested the curfew. I dont want them to have to worry about someone breaking into their home, or looting, or doing anything of that nature while they are away, Turner said.
Governor Greg Abbott has activated the entire Texas National Guard and added support from out-of-state troops, putting a total of 24,000 guardsmen on the ground to assist with rescue and relief efforts.
RIGHT NOW: Members of the National Guard racking out after rescuing many. Racking out in @MattressMack's Gallery Furniture. Pics. pic.twitter.com/RKx8jYeTGT JSR CUL (@th3j35t3r) August 30, 2017
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited Texas to survey the damage from Harvey on Tuesday afternoon. The Trumps avoided the hardest-hit areas, instead visiting a fire house near Corpus Christi, where they were joined by FEMA director Brock Long, Governor Abbott, and other Texas lawmakers. After a press conference, Trump addressed supporters outside the firehouse, telling them, We love you, you are special, were here to take care of you. He also remarked, What a crowd, what a turnout.
"We love you, you are special, we're here to take care. It's going well...thank you for coming out...What a crowd, what a turnout" pic.twitter.com/kvTSN7Ou6J POLITICO (@politico) August 29, 2017
Harvey's Death Toll
Local officials say at least 38 people died as a result of the storm, up from eight a day ago. Houston police confirmed on Tuesday that Sergeant Steve Perez, 60, drowned in his patrol car on his way to work. Police Chief Art Acevedo said Perezs father-in-law had urged him not to go in because conditions were too bad, And his response was, Weve got work to do.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the tragic in the line of duty death of Sergeant Steve Perez. pic.twitter.com/cHJxjnFgII Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 29, 2017
In Beaumont, Texas, authorities pulled a shivering toddler clinging to her drowned mother out of a flooded canal. A witness said the womans car got stuck in a flooded parking lot and she was attempting to carry the 18-month-old girl to safety when a current swept the pair away. A rescue boat caught up to them just before they slipped under a railroad trestle, where they would have been unreachable. First responders were unable to revive the mother, but the girl has been hospitalized and is in stable condition.
According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, other fatalities include 89-year-old Agnes Stanley, who was found in four-foot-deep water in a home, a 76-year-old woman found in floodwater near a vehicle, and 45-year-old Travis Lynn Callihan, who fell into floodwaters after leaving his vehicle and died after being taken to the hospital.
Tens of Thousands Displaced
At least 32,000 people woke up in in some 230 shelters across Texas on Tuesday, according to Abbott about 2,000 more than originally estimated. Houston had initially limited its main shelter, the George R. Brown Convention Center, to 5,000 people, but its already holding more than 9,000. Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city plans to open another two or three mega-shelters.
We are not turning anyone away. But it does mean we need to expand our capabilities and our capacity, Turner said. Relief is coming.
People take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Just before midnight, people began arriving in Houstons second mega-shelter, the NRG Center, which can hold up to 10,000 people. Officials said there may be 2,000 people in the conference hall by sunrise.
Evacuees are also being taken in by inland cities like San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, which opened a shelter for 5,000 people on Tuesday.
With conditions improving a bit, Turner said he wanted to see people out of shelters as soon as possible, and called on the federal government to quickly approve aid to flood victims. Im hoping that people at the federal level, at the very top, will understand this was catastrophic, Turner told reporters. We just need the red tape to be cleared. All of us have to act with a degree of urgency.
Evacuees line up to apply for FEMA aid at the Convention Center on August 29, 2017. Photo: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
After Houston televangelist Joel Osteen faced accusations on social media that his church had closed its doors to storm victims, it was designated as a shelter on Tuesday. Busloads of people showed up to the church, which was formerly the 16,000-seat Compaq Center.
Lakewood Church spokesman Don Iloff said the building was never closed, but the building had flooded over the weekend and accepting droves of people then would have been unsafe.
Evacuees arrive at Lakewood Church after its pastor, Joel Osteen, received criticism for initial #Harvey response https://t.co/SCGPSqr8Jq pic.twitter.com/MM7YuqquoB ABC News (@ABC) August 29, 2017
Some residents of Crosby, a town outside Houston, also had to be quickly evacuated Wednesday because a chemical plant was on the verge of exploding. The Arkema North American plant took on about six feet of water, shutting down power in the facility and causing the backup generators to fail. And as a result, critical refrigeration needed for our materials on site is lost, CEO Richard Rowe said Wednesday. Materials could now explode and cause a subsequent and intense fire. The high water that exists on site, and the lack of power, leave us with no way to prevent it.
Houston officials warned that there are people impersonating Homeland Security Investigations special agents, going door to door and telling people to evacuate, presumably so they can rob their homes. Officials warned residents to ask to see agents credentials, and said ICE is not conducting immigration enforcement operations in areas affected by Harvey.
Harvey's Destruction
Its too early to assess the damage caused by Harvey, but early estimates suggest it may be the costliest storm in U.S. history:
Roughly 25 to 30 percent of Harris County, where Houston and its near suburbs are located, was flooded by Tuesday afternoon, according to the Washington Post.
An aerial view of downtown Houston on August 29, 2017. Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times via Getty Images
Though the storms center is moving north, owing to the additional rain, flash-flooding will continue in the Houston area.
AFP map showing major highways and streets hit by flooding in Houston, based on crowdsourcing data collected by Matt Dempsey @mizzousundevil pic.twitter.com/dEP4XlZueO AFP news agency (@AFP) August 30, 2017
Two Houston reservoirs reached capacity Tuesday. The Addicks reservoir couldnt handle the overflow, and water poured over its spillway, inundating the surrounding neighborhood.
And the deluge continued in other areas. Kingwood, a planned community in northeast Houston, was still reeling from rising waters on Wednesday.
But its not all bad news: Mayor Turner suggested that some parts of the city would be returning to normal. The Houston Airport began limited operations again Wednesday. The Houston Astros will also return return home this weekend, for a three-game series against the New York Mets.
Heres a guide to how you can help those affected by Harvey, from giving blood to donating money to organizations providing on-the-ground relief.
Harvey will make a slow departure out of the region by the end of the week, followed by a very long cleanup. But the National Hurricane Center has a quick reminder that hurricane season is far from over:
Tuesdays missile launch near Pyongyang. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images
A day after Kim Jong-un sent a missile screaming over Japan, setting off emergency sirens across the northern part of the island, North Korean state media warned that the launch was a prelude to a military operation against Guam.
Its not clear what Pyongyang is threatening to do to Guam, but earlier this month a spokesman for the North Korean army was more explicit with his threat, saying the country was carefully examining a strike on the U.S. territory.
Guams homeland security adviser, George Charfauros, isnt getting very excited about this latest threat. As he told CNN, with ongoing joint military exercises being conducted by the U.S. and South Korea, we can expect rhetoric and activity in North Korea. And the small Pacific island knows how much North Korea likes to talk. Given its proximity to North Korea and the two U.S. military bases located there, Guam is used to empty threats.
The renewed warning of an impending Guam attack comes after President Trump responded to Tuesdays missile launch by saying all options are on the table when it comes to dealing with the North Korean regime.
The world has received North Koreas latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior, Trump said in a statement.
Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table.
He followed that Wednesday morning by tweeting that hes ready to give up on diplomatic efforts to control the country.
The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2017
Trump did not suggest what he thinks should replace talking. Fingers crossed its not something that will get millions of people killed.
This is normal. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
When progressives wish to express their darkest fears for what the Trump presidency could become, they often invoke the specter of 20th-century fascism. And, contrary to Godwins Law, the analogy has its merits. In the depths of its illiberalism, Donald Trumps style of politics owes more to foreign autocrats than to his Republican predecessors. Our commander-in-chief has praised white nationalists, political violence against those who protest him, police brutality, torture, and the use of mass murder as an anti-drug policy. He has excoriated the very concept of an adversarial press, judicial review, the legitimacy of election results he does not like, and the independence of federal law enforcement. While Trumps authoritarian instincts have, to this point, manifested far more in rhetoric than in policy, its still reasonable that some liberals feel compelled to remind their fellow citizens of where such rhetoric once took Europe.
If there is a problem with such allusions, it is not that they are inherently hyperbolic, but rather that they are unnecessarily remote. To see what racist, authoritarian tyranny would look like in the United States, liberals dont need to look to Germanys past only deeper into their own nations present.
Trump offered progressives a potent reminder of this fact when he pardoned former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio last week. Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to honor a court order. His office had made a regular practice of detaining its Latino constituents solely because they looked, to Arpaios (overwhelmingly white) deputies, like they werent legal U.S. residents. The judiciary said this was unconstitutional. Arpaio said (essentially) that he couldnt care less and then, so did the president of the United States.
The Arpaio pardon has been described as a scandal, and an attack on rule of law in the United States. And it is both those things. But beneath the recent headlines lies a bigger scandal one that does not merely expose this presidents tolerance for racist lawlessness, but that of our criminal-justice system and broader society.
Americas toughest sheriff didnt need Trumps mercy to get away with his gravest crimes, only the justice systems mindless deference to law enforcement.
This scandal has been obscured by the fact that Arpaio was only held legally accountable for his practice of racial profiling. That profiling was heinous. But conservatives can fit such an offense comfortably into the perennial, mainstream debate over the trade-offs between security and (nonwhite peoples) civil liberties. So long as we focus exclusively on the offense that Arpaio was convicted of, mainstream publications can describe him as merely controversial; and we can all pretend that the only thing standing between Arpaio and justice was Donald J. Trump.
In truth, Americas toughest sheriff didnt need Trumps mercy to get away with his gravest crimes, only the justice systems mindless deference to law enforcement, and our collective indifference to the suffering of the most vulnerable among us.
During his decades-long tenure as sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Arpaio presided over (what he himself called) a concentration camp, where low-level offenders and undocumented immigrants were subjected to daily cruel and unusual punishments. In Tent City, men and women whod been convicted of or, in most cases, merely charged with crimes like drug use, shoplifting, and working with false documents were forced to live outdoors, year-round. In the summer, they sweated through 130-degree temperatures; in winter, they shivered through frigid nights, barred, by rule, from wearing any form of jacket or coat; when it rained, water poured through holes in the tents, soaking them in their beds. Arpaio forced his prisoners to march in pink underwear, work in chain gangs, shower in boiling-hot water, and eat rotten food (the sheriff boasted about this last point). His guards forced them to suffer worse. As William Finnegan wrote in The New Yorker in 2009:
Thousands of lawsuits and legal claims alleging abuse have been filed against Arpaios department by inmatesor, in the case of deaths in detention, by their families. A federal investigation found that deputies had used stun guns on prisoners already strapped into a restraint chair. The family of one man who died after being forced into the restraint chair was awarded more than six million dollars as the result of a suit filed in federal court. The family of another man killed in the restraint chair got $8.25 million in a pre-trial settlement. (This deal was reached after the discovery of a surveillance video that showed fourteen guards beating, shocking, and suffocating the prisoner, and after the sheriffs office was accused of discarding evidence, including the crushed larynx of the deceased.)
At least 157 of Arpaios prisoners died before they got out. At least a quarter of these deaths were the result of suicide for nearly half of them, authorities provided no official cause of death whatsoever.
Arpaios reign of terror extended beyond his prisons gates. His officers subjected Latino Arizonans citizens and noncitizens alike to routine harassment and abuse. For Arpaios forces, racial profiling could involve slamming a pregnant Latina citizen into a car three times, stomach first, for refusing to follow arbitrary orders; while being tough on crime could mean forcing an innocent suspects dog back into a burning house, and then leaving the canines corpse to rot for days in 100-degree heat.
If such practices made going about the activities of daily life terrifying for Arpaios Latino constituents (especially the undocumented ones), well, that was the point. As the sheriff told The New Yorker in 2009, If theyre afraid to go to church, thats good.
In truth Arpaio was not tough on crime, in the conventional understanding of that term. Sheriff Joe preferred pursuing illegals and publicity over tracking down violent offenders. Among other deficiencies, his office neglected to investigate hundreds of reported sex crimes, even though many cases had workable leads.
The sheriffs office was tough, however, on anyone who tried to hold it accountable for its abuses. Nathan J. Robinson deftly summarized this aspect of Arpaios tenure for Current Affairs:
Arpaios lawlessness may have reached a peak of unhinged sociopathy in 1999, when, in a bid to boost his reelection hopes, he oversaw a plot to blackmail a man into trying to assassinate him. That man spent four years in jail before a jury ruled that he had been a victim of entrapment.
Arpaios myriad abuses cost Arizona taxpayers $140 million in fees for litigation and settlements. But the sheriff himself was rewarded with six terms and national fame. Had Trump declined to intervene, Arpaio would have faced, at most, six months in jail. More crucially: Had the sheriff agreed to restrict his cruelty to the boundaries of his concentration camp when a court finally made that modest request in 2011 he may have faced no criminal prosecution whatsoever for any of his deeds.
In blue Americas nightmare version of the Trump presidency, the mogul subordinates the rule of law to his own whims; uses his power to crack down on dissent; puts minorities into concentration camps; defies court orders; neglects the legitimate duties of his office; encourages police to terrorize marginalized communities; and, through it all, builds so much popular support that his political opponents are afraid to challenge him, while our cultural institutions helplessly normalize him and he remains in power for decades.
For Maricopa Countys Latino residents, authoritarian tyranny already happened here.
All this, Joe Arpaio already accomplished on a smaller scale. For Maricopa Countys Latino residents, authoritarian tyranny already happened here. And throughout Americas prisons and most disadvantaged communities, its still happening.
Arpaio was never going to face criminal punishment for overseeing a prison where inmates had their human rights routinely abused because we, as a nation, have decided that inmates have few rights that our society is bound to respect. Arpaio was comfortable subjecting his prisoners to life-threatening heat; we, as a nation, are comfortable subjecting them to the constant threat of sexual violence.
More than 80,000 people are sexually abused in U.S. prisons every year. This epidemic of rape has not been abetted by the publics ignorance, but by its well-informed indifference. That Americas approach to corrections involves leaving convicts vulnerable to sexual violence from their fellow inmates and guards is not a secret, but a fact so widely understood and serenely accepted that indirect references to it function as ubiquitous punch lines in our popular culture.
While our carceral institutions are, at least, officially opposed to subjecting prisoners to rape, the same cannot be said for torture. As of this writing, American prisons are keeping tens of thousands of inmates in extended solitary confinement a punishment that psychologists have deemed destructive to long-term mental health, and that the United Nations has declared a form of torture prohibited under international law.
This, too, is widely understood and tacitly accepted. As is the fact that the land of the free incarcerates a greater proportion of its people than any other nation on Earth and that members of historically oppressed racial groups are overrepresented among our prodigious prison population.
Meanwhile, in disempowered communities throughout the United States, police routinely violate the civil rights of those theyre meant to serve and protect. In Ferguson, Baltimore, and Chicago, the Obama Justice Department found that police regularly breached African-American residents constitutional rights. In these and countless other municipalities, law enforcement has recently made or is currently making a standard practice of subjecting the nonwhite population to stops without reasonable suspicion, arrests without probable cause, and, most infamously, the use of excessive force.
Our nation is not merely comfortable with such bastions of authoritarianism, but fiercely committed to maintaining them: The current president drew no small part of his electoral support from outrage at modest attempts to rein in the systemic abuse of African-Americans civil liberties.
Joe Arpaios lawlessness was more comprehensive and spectacular than that regularly practiced by (ostensibly) ordinary American prisons and police forces. But that does not make the latters tyranny any less real.
We are all taught that democracies give authoritarianism a foothold when they allow the rights of the marginalized to be suspended. Many of us had posters of the German pastor Martin Niemollers most famous poem on our classroom walls (First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist). But we forget this wisdom when we treat Trumps rise as an anomaly or fail to connect it to the forms of illiberalism that are very much normal in our country.
Arpaios xenophobic demagoguery lay the groundwork for Trumps just as mainstream tough on crime politics lay the groundwork for Arpaios. First they came for the prisons and dispossessed nonwhite communities; then for Maricopa County; then the White House.
As progressives monitor the Trump administration for signs of creeping authoritarianism, we must keep an eye out for signs that it has already crept into our local prisons and precincts.
And if you see something, say something.
Make tax cuts for the rich populist again. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
Virtually no one in the United States believes that taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals should be cut. In one recent Gallup survey, just 9 percent of respondents said corporations paid too much in taxes, while 67 percent said they paid too little; for upper income people, those figures were 10 and 63, respectively.
But even these numbers fail to convey the dearth of public demand for the Republican Partys tax reform effort. Voters dont merely lack enthusiasm for cutting taxes on the rich and powerful most dont even see a need for their taxes to be cut. In April, Gallup found 61 percent of Americans saying that their current income-tax burden is fair the highest that figure has been at any point since 2009. Meanwhile, even those who believe that they deserve a tax cut dont (generally) see such a measure as worth prioritizing: Last month, a Bloomberg poll found that less than 5 percent of Americans believe tax policy is the most important issue facing the country less than half the percentage that picked climate change.
And this common wisdom has much to recommend it. Americas wealthiest have already hoarded three decades worth of economic growth; Americas effective corporate tax rate is already competitive with those of other nations. Meanwhile, weve got to finance the growing costs of the baby boomers mass retirement; restore the nations decaying infrastructure; and, now, rebuild our fourth-largest city. The notion that Congress should make dramatically reducing federal revenue so as to increase the post-tax income of the one percent its top priority is so indefensible, even tea party Republicans wont argue forthrightly for their agenda. Donald Trump didnt win the White House on a promise to cut taxes for the rich, but on a vow to raise wages for middle-income workers, while cracking down on special interests (and, ya know, do all that racist stuff).
But the GOP donor class expects a return on its investment. And so, on Wednesday, the president tried to make a plan for doing their bidding sound like one for doing the American peoples.
Addressing supporters in Springfield, Missouri, Trump tried to sell his massive giveaway to the one percent as a pro-jobs, pro-worker, and pro-America tax plan. The president called for closing loopholes on special interests although he never specified which loopholes he was talking about. He argued that cutting taxes on corporations would allow them to raise wages for their workers (even though most savings from corporate tax cuts go to shareholders and CEOs, and what does trickle down to workers rarely makes it below management). In a surprising endorsement of Keynesian economics, he claimed that allowing middle-income Americans to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks would boost economic growth, because such households would go out and spend their money on products (even though his tax plan, and all of the congressional GOPs, concentrates gains on high-income households who would be less likely to spend their tax cut savings). And he insisted that cutting the corporate tax rate was necessary to attract companies to the United States and that this would redound to the benefit of workers because when businesses compete for labor your wages will go up (even though the Trump administration has pushed anti-competitive and wage-suppressing regulatory policies from its inception).
Most ambitiously, Trump tried to make rewarding corporate-tax evaders with a special, discount rate on their repatriated earnings sound populist. The president argued that Americas high tax rate and outdated, bureaucratic rules had caused large companies to hoard anywhere from $3 to $5 trillion overseas but by making it less punitive for companies to bring back their money, we could return trillions of dollars to our economy (even though virtually no one benefits from corporate tax holidays other than wealthy shareholders).
Whether this performance won any hearts and minds remains to be seen. What it absolutely did not do was give congressional Republicans any actionable guidance on how to hash out the details of their plan. There is every reason to think that the GOP will recognize that they dont have the political skill or support to execute tax reform changing the code so that taxes go up for some, down for others and will settle for deficit-financed tax cuts.
But even the latter could prove too heavy a lift. Trump gave his speech in Missouri so as to put pressure on the red states Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, who is up for reelection in 2018. But for all McCaskills political vulnerability, shes felt perfectly comfortable committing to oppose any plan that lowers taxes for people making over $1 million. And why shouldnt she? The Democratic Party might not be very popular in Missouri but neither is redistributing wealth to multimillionaires.
To pass their tax plan, the GOP is relying on an unpopular president to mobilize public support for an unpopular policy. Selling supply-side snake oil in this economy might be the most difficult con of Trumps illustrious career. On Wednesday, he didnt seem up to the challenge.
But his partys special interests just might be.
Trump models hat. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
President Trumps day trip Tuesday to storm-ravaged Texas, which saw him visit areas largely spared by Hurricane Harvey, wasnt even over before the criticism started. Despite the loss of life and utter devastation around the state, Trump managed to turn attention on himself, a Washington Post reporter wrote. Trump didnt see an inch of rain or get near a flooded street, Politico noted. Even former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, typically an ally, called out Trumps lack of empathy for the people who suffer.
But none of those perceived missteps bothered the ethics hawks at Citizens for Ethics, who are suggesting that Trump got just what he wanted out of his trip to Texas: Tons of free publicity for his USA hats.
The first photos of Trump wearing the all-caps white and red hats came from the White House, which distributed shots of Trump wearing both colors on back-to-back days.
Twice in the last four days the White House put out official photo press releases featuring Trump in a hat his campaign is selling for $40 pic.twitter.com/HcsLMwdo2r Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 29, 2017
On Tuesday morning, as he left the White House, Trump carried a white one in his hand and then he wore one during most of the Texas trip. Meanwhile, Trumps campaign website was selling them for $40 a pop.
Even removed from the hurricane, its pretty inappropriate, CREW spokesman Jordan Libowitz told CNN. He added that while Trump does not appear to be breaking any laws, hes not doing what is ethically right.
Walter Schaub, the former head of the Office of Government Ethics who resigned because of Trumps allergy to ethical behavior, weighed in too.
The presser would be more convincing if POTUS weren't wearing merch touted as the hat worn by 45thPresident-Elect Donald J. Trump, himself pic.twitter.com/kbv0KFvaS9 Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 29, 2017
Whats getting lost in the criticism over Trumps graft is just how ugly these hats are. The font is garish, and the text rendered too large for the hat. Subtlety is not a strong suit in Donald Trumps decorating repertoire. His hat blares USA because he wants people to associate him with patriotism, just as his buildings blare Trump because he wants people to associate them with his company. You can imagine him insisting to whatever poor intern designed this hat that the size of the letters had to be doubled.
Donald Trumps graphics were easy to dismiss, graphic designer Michael Bierut, who designed Hillary Clintons logo in 2015, told the design magazine Dezeen. They combined the design sensibility of the Home Shopping Network with the tone of a Nigerian scam email.
And yet, we all know how the election ended up. Bierut suggests Trump might have won not in spite of his terrible design work, but because of it. And others have speculated that the undesigned look of Trumps Make America Great Again hat was an exercise in populism that was ultimately responsible for its success.
If so, then Trump might be on his way to a second term, because these USA hats are as undesigned as it gets.
Its Gone With the Winds politically driven demonization of carpetbaggers and ex-slaves during Reconstruction that needs to be questioned even more than its glamorization of the Confederacy. Photo: Warner Bros.
To those who fear further attacks on what the president calls our history and our heritage, this news via National Reviews Kyle Smith must sound like a heavy boot falling:
A Memphis theater that screens Gone with the Wind annually announced that it is withdrawing it from future showings. At this moment that decision may look like a trivial detail from the silly-season panic attached to all art works with historically uncomfortable connotations, but Ill wager its just the beginning of what figures to be a devastating war on this film. I expect Gone with the Wind will disappear from sight within a few years.
Smith goes on to defend GWTW as precisely like the Confederate monuments that are beginning to come down all over the South, an indelible part of cinema history that errs in romanticizing slavery. But unlike those monuments, Gone with the Wind exists in a purely private space. Those who find it offensive can easily avoid it.
The public/private distinction Smith draws makes some sense. But his defense of GWTW, like the usual conservative case for keeping monuments of Confederate generals and political leaders around, misses the more contemporary function the movie (and the book on which it was based) played and still plays in promoting a Reconstruction myth that was central to the maintenance of Jim Crow.
Yes, the author of Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, romanticized slavery and painted an indelible picture of the antebellum South as a sort of lost paradise for the white planter class to which most of the main white characters belonged. But the rather hard-to-miss point of the beloved book (as recently as 2014, the second-favorite book of Americans, trailing only the Bible) and of the massively successful movie (it won ten Oscars in 1940) was that the antebellum South and the society the Confederacy failed to preserve is gone with the wind. Indeed, its made reasonably clear by the sardonic prewar remarks of Rhett Butler that Mitchell thought secession was an act of folly. What GWTW really celebrates is the new society of white survivors exemplified by Scarlett OHara who not only had to dig themselves out of the destruction and poverty wrought by the Civil War itself, but had to overcome the Reconstruction that came in its wake.
Atlanta native Mitchell was certainly aware that her citys symbol was the phoenix rising from the ashes (so designated in 1888, when Reconstruction had been finally vanquished and Jim Crow was being fully instituted). The end of the novel roughly coincides with the waning years of Reconstruction, and its final words from Scarlett OHara, Tomorrow is another day, is a faithful representation of white southern longing for redemption. Mitchell herself in a 1936 interview described OHaras postwar life as encompassing the terrible days of Reconstruction and the story carries her, and Atlanta, up to the time when the Carpetbaggers had been run out of Georgia and people could begin living their normal lives again.
When Mitchell wrote the novel (an instant sensation that was snapped up quickly by Hollywood for a much-anticipated movie) in the 1930s, Jim Crow was firmly established, as was Atlantas self-promotion as the center of a New South that preserved the best of the past (e.g., white supremacy) while looking ever forward. Some of the cruder Reconstruction mythology from the book e.g., the Ku Klux Klan righteously wreaking vengeance on an ex-slave who sexually assaults Scarlett was blurred in the movie. But the triumphant former Confederacy was evident throughout, and the premiere of the movie in 1939 became a major civic event in Jim Crow Georgia; a state holiday was declared; a parade of cast members down Atlantas Peachtree Street was held excluding, of course, its African-American actors.
Rereleases of the film especially the one in 1961, the centennial year of the Confederacy, which I vividly remember from my own childhood in Georgia coincided with the southern resistance against civil rights, deeply rooted in the neo-Confederate myths about Reconstruction. So far as I can recall, none of the white southern celebrants of the movie and book took the trouble of distinguishing fact from fiction in Mitchells depiction of Reconstruction as a calamity. By then GWTWs view of the subject itself an echo of the even more seminal account presented in the pioneering film Birth of a Nation was being taught as history, and not only in the South.
Molly Haskell rightly emphasized the neo-Confederate utility of GWTW in 2009:
[A]s with Birth of a Nation, the half-truths of the lm both encapsulated and made history: Margaret Mitchell was deeply inuenced by D. W. Grifth, and both lms portraits of Reconstruction as an unalloyed horror became the standard view, with the terrors posed by integration more potent than any political countermovement. It awaited later decades and revisionist historians like Eric Foner to set the record straight. Gone With the Winds portrait of a noble South, martyred to a Lost Cause, gave the region a kind of moral ascendancy that allowed it to hold the rest of the country hostage as the Dixication virus spread west of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Generations of canny politicians, native sons espousing conservative and racist politics, dominated Washington from Reconstruction up until Civil Rights.
The significance of GWTW as a neo-Confederate political symbol is missing from Kyle Smiths presentation of Gone With the Wind as an innocent piece of brilliant cinema and anachronistic history thats under attack by the forces of political correctness.
Smiths hardly alone: Social media has blown up with protests of the Memphis theaters action, which no one should confuse with censorship, since there are hundreds of great movies that have never been given the privilege of annual rescreenings.
Perhaps the best thing to do with GWTW is to ask anyone who shows the film to put together a prelude or postlude or maybe a little presentation for the intermission that is usually provided that interrogates the films presentation of history. When neo-Confederacy as a cultural and political movement aimed at vindicating white privilege is finally gone with the wind, perhaps then we can stop worrying about the politically driven books and movies that contributed to its power.
Photo: Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images
Google is a multi-billion-dollar advertising company, but because it controls a huge portion of the globes flow of information, its managed to represent itself as something more an elite institution dedicated to furthering human knowledge and encouraging freedom. Its parent company Alphabet funds, sometimes at a loss, scientific moonshots; one subsidiary, Jigsaw, is devoted to developing technologies that will make people in the world safer; and it funds scholarly research and think tanks, like the New America Foundation, that help develop policy for the 21st century.
But for all this (no doubt honestly believed) purposefulness, Google is still at its core a profit-seeking advertising company, and its quest to enable the flow of ideas and information seems to stop short in a couple places in particular, near information about the companys power, and the idea that Google is an anti-competitive monopoly hurting the economy.
Some context: At the end of June, Google was slapped with a $2.7 billion fine from the European Union for prioritizing its first-party services in search results (e.g., searching for email would bring up Gmail in one of the top spots). At the time of the decision, Barry Lynn, the director of the New America think tanks Open Markets program, congratulated the EU. Googles market power is one of the most critical challenges for competition policymakers in the world today, he wrote at the time. By requiring that Google give equal treatment to rival services instead of privileging its own, [EU Commissioner Margrethe] Vestager is protecting the free flow of information and commerce upon which all democracies depend.
The Open Markets group led by Lynn contains many of the most respected voices in an increasingly prominent discussion about technology and telecom monopolies, and its findings about corporate consolidation and monopolistic power have been extremely influential in turning antitrust into an important policy issue to the extent that the Democratic Party has included stricter antitrust regulation as a plank in its platform for 2018.
Lynns endorsement of the EU decision ran into a bit of a snag, however. Google is a major donor to New America, and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt chaired the organization until 2016. According to the New York Times, New Americas president Anne-Marie Slaughter spoke to Lynn a few days later and wrote in an email that New America and Open Markets would be ending their partnership.
Over email, Slaughter wrote that the decision to part ways was not based on Open Markets work, but that Lynn was imperiling the institution as a whole.
From the Times:
We are in the process of trying to expand our relationship with Google on some absolutely key points, Ms. Slaughter wrote in an email to Mr. Lynn, urging him to just THINK about how you are imperiling funding for others.
In a limp response to the Times report, Slaughter said that she had been working with Lynn over the past two months to spin Open Markets off. She did not dispute the quoted emails in the article, but said that they were taken out of context.
The sequence of events is circumstantial but highly suspicious, because Googles attempts to influence policy and regulation are far from secret. More than any other tech company, Google spends millions on lobbying and think tanks. Its particularly aggressive meddling in the halls of power has also led it down more dubious paths, like funding academics, sometimes undisclosed, to produce papers favorable to Googles policy aims.
Why then did this particular statement from Open Markets cause a rift? After all, as Slaughter points out, After more than 10 years of doing strong policy work at New America, Open Markets position is not news to Google. The difference is that, stuck with a $2.7 billion fine, Google and Schmidt are now feeling substantial tangible effects of Open Markets work. Calling Google a search-engine monopoly (and a duopoly, alongside Facebook, in online advertising) is fine for the company, so long as its just a PR problem and some slap-on-the-wrist regulatory fines to ride out.
But as the EU continues flexing its regulatory muscle, and American politicians start looking at the situation more critically, thorough study of the tech industrys monopolistic presence becomes less of a theoretical hazard and more real. Lynns contentious blog post wasnt just advocating for new rules, it was applauding punishment that a growing number of industry watchers would say that Google deserved.
Google and its cohort of market-dominant tech giants have long sold themselves as benevolent corporate stewards. Dont be evil used to be the companys unofficial motto (key words: used to be). But directly funding that sort of open criticism serves only one of Googles two main interests, which are the publicly stated goal of making information widely available, and the privately stated goal of making a ton of money. Googles technocratic altruism is now starting to affect its business, and Eric Schmidt cant have that. Its not hard to see which of Googles twin goals it loves more.
At the 21st Monetary Affairs Committee (MAC) meeting, the East African Community governors expressed concern over increased usage of e-currencies, saying they posed a threat to effective regulation of the financial sector.
The meeting held in Kampala last week had central bank heads from the region attending.
Bank of Uganda governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile said: There is likely [negative] impact of growing usage of e-currency. Its decentralized nature and multi-currency reach makes it hard to regulate. He argued: The traditional approach is no longer appropriate as e-currencies gain momentum.
E-currencies are electronically-generated on a platform called block-chain. They include currencies such as Bitcoin, which was the first crypto-currency to be created in 2009. Others are Litecoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash, and Ripple.
One of the ideas behind these crypto-currencies is to avoid the watchful eye of government and other regulators of financial institutions.
The platforms offer anonymity to users of the system. It is possible that digital currencies can be used by terrorist groups or drug dealers without anyone monitoring.
Central banks have traditionally been known as the single issuer of any countrys currency. Now, more people own and trade using digital currencies, which central banks have no control over. Bitcoin, which is now valued at $4,000 each and other crypto currencies have become more popular.
Dr Maureen Mapp, a law academic at the University of Birmingham and an expert in digital currency, said recently in Uganda that Bitcoin and other digital currencies now act as a commodity. People are buying and trading in them.
But there was a danger that data upon which these transactions are made can be hacked, and have the numbers manipulated, hoodwinking unsuspecting customers.
Quoting Breach Level Index of 2016, she said at least 1.4 billion data records were lost or stolen in 2016, showing vulnerabilities of digital data.
The biggest appeal of the digital currencies is that one can remain as anonymous as possible. This is also the biggest challenge; one can easily lose their money through fraud.
For digital currencies, you can go in, you can earn but you can also lose. When you lose, you have nowhere to go, Dr Adam Mugume, the BOU executive director of research, said.
This is different from what would happen if a bank failed. First, small depositors with Shs 3m and below are insured and they would get their money back first. The central bank is also held accountable to make sure no one loses their money.
There is high volatility in digital currencies. Bitcoin gained to around $3,000 [some time back] and collapsed the following day although it has gained again.
Stanbic bank chief executive Patrick Mweheire told reporters recently he did not think the digital currencies will replace the Uganda shilling soon but said they needed to look at the block chain in general.
We are looking at how we can digitize our processes. A lot of these [efforts] are happening in the industry, Mweheire said.
INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCES
The governors also said they had a challenge of international banks closing accounts of the local banks to avoid being fined for abating money laundering and financing terrorism.
International banks are closing our accounts or restricting the range of services which they provide to regional banks, said Mutebile.
Its about anti-money laundering and curbing the financing of terrorism. Most banks in the region effect international transactions through intermediary banks in developed countries. This affects diaspora remittances into the region as a lot of this money is sent through intermediary banks in Europe.
Big international banks are all unwilling to deal with local banks, said Mugume. It is causing a big challenge and up to now we dont have a solution.
amwesigwa@observer.ug
African legislators, academics and civil society organisations want a common law that addresses issues of transparency and accountability by the governments and mining companies in Africa.
Meeting in a continental four-day conference recently in Yaounde, Cameroon, the legislators noted that the continent is well-endowed with minerals yet this is not leading to the desired levels of prosperity, development and industrialization.
Themed The issue of political and socioeconomic integration of the African continent: The role of the Pan African Parliament, the lawmakers in the meeting sought to adopt and ratify a model law on a new development approach to natural resource governance on the continent.
One of the panelists, Dr Paul Jourdan, in a statement, said: The model mining law would give pointers that would, for example, strengthen the negotiating capacity of parliaments; ensure meaningful collaboration between key players and provide support for the required social dialogue.
Jourdan elaborated that the African Mining Vision (AMV), adopted by African heads of state during their July meeting in 2009 in Kigali, is seen as a solution to the poor governance, lack of strong institutions and weak policies in African states.
He explained that the AMV framework is currently being used in several countries such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, Lesotho and Tanzania and it provides for a transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources.
MP Anifa Kawooya (R) was one of Ugandas representatives at the conference in Yaounde, Cameroon
To Jourdan, AMV is also supporting countries to develop world-class geological survey systems so that they can negotiate with investors from an informed point of view. He said they hope to work with the Pan African Parliament to train parliamentarians on contract negotiations.
However, whereas legislators appreciated the move to have a common mining law to regulate mining, some noted that there are hurdles that need to be overcome first.
For example, Geoffrey Lungwangwa from Zambia was particularly concerned about the continued existence of some colonial land laws in Africa.
If you have a title to land, you are only confined to the surface and anything under the surface belongs to the state. That land law still prevails in our countries today and it is a contributing factor to poverty, Lugwangwa said.
He added: Many of our people are being removed from land once minerals are discovered. They are not even given shares in the mining companies. Is this really socio-economic transformation?
Lugwangwa, however, concurred that there is need to have a model law that will eventually empower local communities to have shares in the mining companies so that they are economically empowered. But to Anifa Kawooya, the Sembabule Woman MP, the diversity in Africa may not favour a uniform law.
We have different land laws and policies. Having one unified model will be complicated. There is also the issue of who owns the land where the minerals are found. The land tenure [system] in African countries is different. Some land is owned by the government, individuals, and others owned customarily. We also dont know [the amount] of our natural resources we have, Kawooya said.
For Bernadette Lahai, who comes from a diamond-rich area in Sierra Leone, exploitation and child labour are rampant in mining areas and legislators often have no information on agreements between the mining companies and the state.
Children as young as six years work in the mines. We dont want mining to affect education, she said, adding that Mining agreements are conducted between government and the mining companies, leaving MPs and the local population in the dark.
According to the African Development Bank, minerals account for an average of 70 per cent of total African exports and about 28 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The bank notes that earnings from the recent oil, gas and mineral discoveries in Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania could lead to an increase in government revenues of between nine per cent and 31 per cent in the first 10 years of production.
Legislators noted that because of the structure of Africas extractive industries, most countries remain exporters of unprocessed commodities. They proposed that Africa needs to add value to her exports so as to unlock the full economic potential of its natural resources.
In an attempt to reverse the curse of resources, the East African Legislative Assembly is in the process of adopting a mining law for the East African region.
The East African Mining Bill, 2017, will provide for a legal framework to harmonize and regulate mining operations in the region and ensure environmentally-friendly and sound mining practices.
Uganda has neither improved cotton production nor made much headway in adding value to the crop in the last decade, the auditor general has observed.
Consequently, areas that traditionally grew the crop in northern and eastern Uganda have either shifted to other crops or have had to do with low production that has hardly improved their incomes.
In a report dated December 2016, which is before parliament for scrutiny, the AG says the sectors potential for production has not been realised.
The Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), the body overseeing the sector, has had little if any impact on the fortunes of the sector, the audit noted.
He notes that actual lint production was below target by 247,381 bales, 371,636 bales, and 406,907 bales in financial years 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 respectively.
Textile investors admire organic cotton
The acreage under cotton production has not increased either. The report observes that production levels have been below official target since 2012/2013.
The cotton production levels attained were below the sector production potential, said the audit.
[There have been no] conclusive solutions to the challenges of access to production inputs by farmers which affected the output from the farmers, and the broader cotton production targets as spelt out in the CDO strategic plan.
According to the AGs report, CDO had, on average, asked for Shs 18bn between financial years 2012/2013 and 2014/2015 to implement activities such as the establishment of additional spinning capacity and support to financing of buffer stocks for cotton seed oil industries.
Government, however, could only provide an average of Shs 4.5 billion over the three financial years. Much of this money went into paying salaries.
The audit notes that while there have been interventions to push for value addition on cotton, they have remained largely on paper.
Consequently, an average of ninety-five per cent of all the lint produced in Uganda was exported without any form of value addition, and the envisaged sector earnings for both farmers and dealers in cotton products were never realised, the report said.
Cotton in Uganda was among the three Cs coffee, copper and cotton, which the country became famous for in the colonial time.
In the 1980s, the burden of war as a result of the messy politics at the time and limited government attention saw the production of the crop drop substantially.
As President Museveni signed up for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) in 2001 to enable the exportation of apparel to the United States of America, it was majorly assumed that Uganda would have an advantage because it had the best quality of cotton. However, there have been no notable exports to the USA.
In 2014, President Museveni launched Fine Spinners, a Kenyan firm, which he said would help add value to cotton. The AG notes, though, that while government spent Shs 10bn to procure buffer stocks to feed the firm, it could not utilise those it had purchased as it had delayed to put up machinery to process it.
The level of value addition to Ugandas cotton has remained very low due to non-implementation of interventions proposed in the strategic plan and the textile policy, the AG said.
The National Textile Policy of 2009 has had no impact as its provisions remain unimplemented. This trend of events is visible in export figures. Bank of Uganda says while Uganda exported cotton worth $85m in 2011, it could only manage about $31m in 2016.
And since 2014, the country has not exported any cotton liners, the central bank said. The country has not added any value to its cotton since 2010. In 2009, the country earned $180,000 in textile exports, though.
That the country can hardly improve cotton production is testament of how things especially in agriculture have degenerated with no visible changes in the last couple of decades.
Together with the EAC partner states, Uganda is mulling over an idea to ban the importation of second-hand clothes to boost local industry.
The AGs audit shows there is a lot that needs to be done to push up production and facilitate value addition before the ban is thought about.
amwesigwa@observer.ug
That Africa is poor has been said before. That it must industrialise has also become a song for elites and politicians.
But it is the way David Sseppuuya says it with relentless reasoning and emphasis on the how' that makes his new book worth your time, writes ALON MWESIGWA.
Early in his book, Africas Industrialization and Prosperity: From Esau Syndrome to Structural Adjustment Strategy, Sseppuuya makes it clear that the continents challenge has been to turn riches of nature into wealth for men.
Africa owns 30 per cent of the worlds mineral resources, but only produces one per cent of global manufacturing output, he writes. Africas share of world manufacturing at one per cent is so miniscule. It is shameful!
And there lies the reason why the continent remains poor. He sternly debunks African leaders and their apologists obsession with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures without establishing the sort of impact they have on transforming their people.
GDP shows the size of the economy but does not show transformation in the lives of the people. Angola and Nigeria [and even Uganda] are some of the countries that have recorded the highest growths in the 2000s but no prosperity.
Sseppuuya, who consults for World Bank and Bank of Uganda, accurately observes: African countries have lived through the paradox of growth with little or no prosperity to show for it.
By all measures, Africa is rich in terms of natural resources, but these have not brought about prosperity. The countries that have exploited them, including Equatorial Guinea, have become huge in statistics but their people are stuck in squalor.
He takes a jab at the easy narrative that Africans uptake of mobile phones overtaking Europe in mobile phone connections in 2013 and the story of mobile money meant that the continent was finally looking up.
He calls it an illusion, observing: A sustained peep beneath the digital figures reveals a morass of problems including widespread poverty, a large indigenous sector that sits outside the cash economy, poor educationdeindustrialization all of which reflect a distinct absence of prosperity.
Africa has sold its natural resources for what Sseppuuya describes as short-term rents in form of royalties and taxes. This cannot propel the continent to prosperity.
He said it would be better to be patient and see the best way the continent can benefit from resources than exploit them to feed advanced economies industries.
He observes that most African leaders became obsessed with nationalism after independence and closed off opportunities that would attract investment and eventually development.
He says countries such as Singapore and Taiwan understood early the importance of opening up their economies. The only problem, Sseppuuya argued, is that African leaders nationalism was too radical that they didnt want to open up for anything.
Yet apart from Singapore, no other country in the world has ever developed by just entirely opening their economies.
The most quoted 19th century German professor Friedrich List, Ha Joon Chang at the University of Cambridge and Prof Julius Kiiza at Makerere University have empirically shown that all developed countries except Singapore used some elements of nationalism to industrialise. They opened some sectors but strategically protecting others. Britain and USA industrialised by protecting local infant firms from foreign competition.
Sseppuuya, in the last chapters, acknowledges that the Washington consensus that encouraged privatisation and full opening up has not delivered anticipated results and that it was not wise to go into free trade without any form of control.
DEAD-END AGRICULTURE
If anything, Sseppuuya provides a sober assessment on agriculture. He makes it clear that agriculture is not Africas competitive advantage and it has never been. African farmers are the poorest and hungriest.
In order to solve the perennial unemployment problem and poverty, politicians have often urged youths to return to villages and till the land. Poor families have been told to work harder as the sector is the backbone of the country.
Sseppuuya fittingly rubbishes that. He says Africas rigid zeal for agriculture a low value activity is by no means a road to prosperity.
The fact that agriculture employs 70 per cent of Africans and yet accounts for just 10 per cent of GDP is a clear indication that the sector is socio-economic dead-end, he writes.
As far as employment is concerned, people find themselves in agriculture as a residual employer, not the one of first choice. As far as development goes, agriculture is a low-productivity sector on which countries should not base their transformation strategies, he said.
Compelling the youth to go into farming for future economic prosperity is retrograde. After all, agriculture is the first activity that human society ever practiced, he says.
Some African countries have turned to agro-processing as industrialisation. Sseppuuya says it is only a half-step up.
Agro-processing is only a primary form of industrialisation. It is too limited to have the kind of transformational impact that Africa seeks from industrialisation, he writes.
Africa has to manufacture itself out of poverty. There are no shortcuts. Not even the digital revolution whose impact on poverty is limited.
Sseppuuya tackles the issue of land and calls for reforms. While he identifies the fact that there is a problem that must be addressed, he falls short of telling us how.
The book does not strongly criticise the role of leaders, who actually have been the continents biggest let-down. Many leaders are obsessed with their stay in power, through patronage tendencies and have created a scenario of weak states, rich elites.
They are comfortable with the status quo and are unmoved to develop the extractive capacities of their economies.
Sseppuuyas book is a fine piece of scholarly work but can also be a blueprint for action for policymakers.
amwesigwa@observer.ug
A dancer from Congo
The fifth edition of the Batalo East Dance Fest that happened last weekend at Ndere Cultural Centre united Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Egypt and hosts Uganda.
They met for all-day battles at the event themed, Traditional Meets Urban. The festival is a celebration of dance, fusing traditional and urban dance styles.
It aims at encouraging todays youth to keep in touch with their traditional roots, while exploring an international and urban identity. Saturday featured battles in the newly constructed amphitheater, while Sunday was all about a dance theatre production done inside the auditorium.
While the Ugandan participants were the majority and enjoyed support of the home crowd, the team from Goma, Congo did not come to play. The dancers left their hearts on stage every time they came out.
No wonder they reached the finals of all the categories they entered, while Julien and Baptista won their categories. What sets the dance audience apart is that if you bring your A game, you will have their support no matter where you are from.
An experienced panel of judges had the final say on who progressed to the next stage or who eventually won their category.
Dancers went head-to-head in Afro House, Krump, Top Rock, Hip Hop and Style Yake categories.
Style Yake was quite interesting as dancers did not know what to expect only to hear a lingala beat or a very slow unknown song that called for top-notch creativity and versatility in freestyle.
The other winners of the night were Vizuri Dance Crew (battle crew) and Joshe Magezi (style yake).
barangasam@gmail.com
After months of the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC) also known as National theatre being in the news for the wrong reasons, the job of renovating the space has kicked off.
When The Observer stopped by, a lot of plumbing work was in progress and the auditorium was undergoing some refurbishment.
The works are intended to get the theatre, especially the auditorium, ready for the East African Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki Utamaduni Festival (Jamafest), set to be hosted by Uganda from September 7 to 14.
Late last year, artistes alongside other well-wishers blocked proposals to have the theatre redeveloped with a high-rise that would have housed a number of offices, restaurants and multiple auditoriums.
As artistes rejected that redevelopment plan, another one to renovate the theatre was tabled earlier this year.
Renovations meant to take place between July and September were halted after UNCC management was found to be in violation of the local content provisions of the law, and the situation surrounding relocation of the current tenants had been found unsatisfactory by the parties involved.
Finally this month, renovation works kicked off with very little disturbance as far as the theatre tenants are concerned. Much of the work is around giving the sewage system a total makeover, a facelift to the auditorium front, the reception area and fixing the sound and lights.
In the past, shows at the theatre have depended on producers hiring their own sound and light equipment in order to pull off a memorable showcase. This shameful state of affairs may be history, finally.
According to Robert Musiitwa, the publicist at UNCC, the exercise is going to be done in phases with the first phase targeting the performing areas such as the auditorium, dressing rooms, the facade and lighting.
Much as work is already on, there are concerns whether the ongoing work is permanent or just a prop meant for Jamafest.
We saw such renovations before CHOGM in 2007, but in the long run we realized the works damaged the acoustics of the auditorium, said an artiste.
Artistes worry about the theatre state goes beyond just the need for lights and a coat of paint. One of the organisers of Jamafest anonymously told The Observer UNCCs management was initially planning to hire the lights for the auditorium and then take them back after the festival week.
They said they wanted to hire the entire light system and fix permanent ones after Jamafest, the source said, adding that they are pressing management to fix permanent things because they are not sure work will continue once Jamafest is out of the way.
Musiitwa, however, said the current renovations are permanent.
Jamafest is a by-the-way; these renovations have been in the UNCC plans for long, he said.
Musiitwa said the lighting system was down and it is presently one of the priorities.
The technicalities involve light, smoke machines, among other things, and we are replacing all that because we are aware that theatre is about the scenery, the experience, he said.
Other concerns are whether the renovations will see the theatre eventually upgrade to match global theatre trends; and when will Ugandan theatre support 3D productions, on-stage digitalized backdrops, and more vibrant use of the spaces surrounding the stage?
I want an auditorium I can do things with; I want to make angels fly over peoples heads and when I hear that they are renovating, I think about that, Rashida Namulondo, one of the founders of the Afroman Spice, an all-female theatre trio that has performed at the National theatre twice, as well as in other countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and Ivory Coast, said.
Namulondo said below the main stage, there is a basement that has been used as a store for some time, but hopes will now be made accessible for artistes after the renovations.
At times, there are shows where you would want people to come from the underground, but it is not possible now, she said, adding that compared to the good theatres she has seen elsewhere, she knows there are some things UNCC cannot achieve yet, but considering that there is a ready structure, at least the basics can be done to get the performing space to the new era of performers.
Musiitwa said they are also working on the orchestra pit, which has been in a bad state for a long time. The pit allows theatre productions to work with live music.
Some of these we are doing before Jamafest, but the others will be done after the festival.
Will Ugandan theatre lovers see a fully-functional, modern theatre attracting all manner of productions and stage stars like is the case elsewhere?
Not likely with this particular renovation, but the hope is still alive. At least for now, enthusiasts still have a theatre, at all.
kaggwandre@gmail.com
Some Muslims who paid but failed to get visas to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, claim they were conned of $4,000 (Shs 14.5 million) each by some travel agents.
One of them, Hajjat Hanifah Nakalema, says she is still reeling from the shock of being told at the last minute by her agent that she couldnt travel because the Saudi Arabian embassy in Kampala ran out of visas.
Nakalema, 65, said she got the bad news on August 18, as she dressed up to go to Entebbe International airport.
She said her tour guide for the Mecca trip, Sheikh Swalleh Mubiru, who happens to be the director of World Link Hijja group, returned her passport without a visa.
We handed over our passports to Sheikh Mubiru to process our visas and take care of us in Mecca. But at the last hour, he returned our passports without visas. He said the embassy ran short of visas, which wasnt true. We were over 10 people from his group who didnt get visas yet we had paid the full amount and booked [flights] in advance to avoid inconveniences, she explained.
Some Muslims were conned by travel agents
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and brings together Muslims from all nationalities. During pilgrimage, they get cleansed of sin and get closer to God, in line with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad that a person who performs a proper Hajj will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins].
Interviewed for this story on August 23, Sheikh Mubiru said he wasnt to blame because he is just an agent for Fildausi Tours and Travel, which was responsible for processing visas.
When we get clients who want to go for pilgrimage, we hand them over to Fildausi Tours and Travel to process visas.
Then Fildausi also hands over the passports to the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs to collect visas from the Saudi Arabian embassy since its the only group in Uganda, which was licensed to do that work, he said. Mubiru claimed he, too, was shocked to receive only 15 visas out of 20 applications.
SAUDI MISSION SPEAKS
However, the assistant accountant at the Saudi embassy, Abdul Hakim Nsambi, contradicted Mubirus account, saying the Saudi mission never stopped offering visas to pilgrims.
There was no passport which was brought here and didnt get a visa. We granted over 3,000 visas to Ugandans this year. Even some visas are still available here, he said.
Nsambi said under a new Saudi Arabian policy, visas for pilgrims are channeled through the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs.
The policy doesnt allow people to get visas personally from the embassy since they dont want crowds at the embassy, as they used to be before. This is why a group of Muslims interested in taking people to Mecca came up with the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs to collect visas from the embassy on their behalf, Nsambi said.
He said since many Ugandans are still finding trouble using one organization to collect visas from the embassy, the mission is weighing the option of increasing the number of organizations collecting passports for visa processing.
Later, Mubiru apologised to all people from his group who missed visas. He said he will refund their money when he returns from Hajj.
Pilgrims are expected to return after Idi al-Adha on September 1. Muslims in the country have asked the Ugandan government to nudge Saudi Arabia to revise its policy that bars people from collecting visas personally at the embassy.
They say one agency cant collect visas for all Muslims in the country.
At about 1:40am on the morning of Tuesday, the returning officer of Kaabong district, Sarah Iyolu, declared Rose Lilly Akello winner of the hotly contested by-election for the districts Woman MP, stretching NRMs victory in by-elections thus far to six.
The other four of the 10 parliamentary by-elections held since the February 18, 2016 elections, have been won by two NRM-leaning independents; Hood Katuramu and William Wilson Nokrach (People with disabilities) and opposition-leaning independents; Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine, DP) in Kyadondo East and Lucy Achiro Otim, FDC, in Aruu North.
This string of losses by the opposition is in sharp contrast with its show of might during the 2011-2016 cycle, when opposition candidates won most of the by-elections.
Apolling official captures a voters biometric details at Meus polling station in Kaabong district during Mondays by-election, won by NRMs Rose Lilly Akello
In Kaabong, the opposition fielded one candidate, FDCs Judith Adyaka Nalibe, who finished last with 593 votes. A difference of only 256 votes is what NRMs Akello needed to defeat Christine Tubo Nakwang, an NRM-leaning independent candidate.
Akello garnered 21,814 votes against Nakwangs 21,558 votes. The seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling by the High court in Soroti that nullified Nakwangs election on grounds of voter bribery.
Nakwang slaughtered a ram for a feast and bought drinks for over 100 voters on the eve of the February 18, 2016 elections, contrary to Section 68 of the Parliamentary Elections Act 2007.
DEPLOYMENTS
Unlike in areas with noticeable opposition support where security deployment was heavy, in Kaabong there was little visible security deployment. According to Crispin Kaheru, the head of Citizens Coalition on Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU), the only visible security personnel were polling constables deployed at polling stations.
Polling officials including polling constables appeared knowledgeable about polling procedures [although] in some instances, they assisted voters to cast their vote, which is against the electoral laws, Kaheru said.
A heavy downpour disrupted counting of votes and the poor road network delayed the transmission of results from across the 19 sub-counties in the district to the tally centre at Kaabong Magistrates court hall.
According to Kaheru, by 8:30pm, full results from only four sub-counties had been received at the tally centre. Several people gathered outside the tally centre till the wee hours of Tuesday morning when election results were announced.
There was an 80 per cent voter turnout. Polling in Mondays by-election, which has been described by observers as generally peaceful and calm, started late in some areas due to the late arrival of polling officials.
There were also issues with the biometric voter verification kits especially in the rural parts of the district where a number of voters were turned away after the machines failed to read their fingerprints.
At Meus polling station in Kapalata sub-county, several voters were asked to wash their hands with soap after the presiding officer, Walter Lokiru Ngole, suspected that the machine failed to read their fingerprints because of dirt.
In other cases, some polling officials forgot the pin codes for the biometric voter verification kits.
NRM STRONG
At the tally centre in Kaabong, NRM electoral commission chief Tanga Odoi was at hand to receive his partys sixth by-election victory. He told The Observer that the victory had further proved NRMs strength.
This was a tight race between two NRM ladies and the number of votes that separated them today is what [has separated them] in the previous elections, including the party primaries, Odoi said yesterday.
There is no opposition here [Kaabong] and what the NRM needs to do is to sit with them [Akello and Nakwang] and reconcile them, he added.
According to the senior presidential press secretary, Don Wanyama, the NRM by-election victory had disproved the oppositions claim that 2016 elections were rigged.
It is a testament of how hollow the oppositions claims are of NRM rigging elections. The by-elections are testament that NRM is still a strong and popular party across the country, Wanyama said.
The NRM Secretariats communications officer, Rogers Mulindwa, said that as the party celebrates the recent achievements, it needs to work towards minimising instances that bring up independents. At least 32 of the 66 independent MPs had lost the 2015 NRM primary elections.
WEAK STRUCTURES
Internal bickering within the parties and the failure to create strong structures in the countryside is one of the factors working against the opposition.
Party structures are crucial in mobilisation for a candidate as well as assembling machinery for protection of the vote on polling day. NRM boasts of structures at the village level across the country, which is not the case with opposition parties.
The by-elections have exposed a lot of internal disorganisation in the opposition; they are not on ground, they dont have any structures and are indeed very far from taking state power, Wanyama said.
Democratic party officials and members in Kalungu
The president general of the Democratic Party (DP), Norbert Mao, said the opposition has in some instances gone into the by-elections ill-prepared.
The calibre of candidates we take to the elections is very important. Sometimes we have fielded people who are not well known, people with no connection to the community. That is what we [DP] suffered in Aruu North; we took a Kampala- based candidate who had no connection with the community, Mao said.
This could be the same case with Nalibe, the FDC candidate in Kaabong.
In some areas, it is not easy to raise a candidate. Areas like Karamoja, which are state-run areas, having a candidate there is a great achievement, said FDC spokesman Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda.
According to Ssemujju, it would be unfair to judge the opposition based on areas known to be NRM strongholds. The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Winfred Kiiza, however, argues that sometimes, the opposition sees no reason of fielding candidates in an election whose outcome is predetermined.
Ugandans are seeing no reason why they should continue voting in an election that they know are already rigged. Credibility of our elections is a big issue that has demoralised voters, Kiiza said.
But Mao thinks opposition parties need to address the issues that have kept them disunited.
To a larger extent, the opposition was united [during the 2011-2016 cycle] unlike now when opposition forces are in disarray and playing into the hands of NRM, Mao said.
sadabkk@observer.ug
Nearly 19 days after he counter-sued Bank of Uganda (BOU) for $8 million and got no response, businessman Sudhir Ruparelia yesterday wrote to the Commercial court asking for a quick judgment in his favour.
Sudhir, the owner of the defunct Crane bank, wants court to enter a default judgment because BOU failed to respond to his counter claim within the mandatory 15 days.
A default judgment is a binding judgment in favour of either party based on failure to take action by the other party. Most often, it is a judgment in favour of a plaintiff when the defendant fails to respond to summons to appear before a court of law.
When he filed his defence on August 3, 2017 against a BOU suit accusing him of stealing over Shs 400 billion from Crane bank, Sudhir also filed a counter claim against the central bank.
Sudhir Ruparelia
In the counter claim, Sudhir wants BOU to pay him $8m for breach of clause 12 of their Confidential Settlement and Release Agreement (CSRA).
The clause stipulates that, Without prejudice to the immediate forgoing should any legal or administrative proceeding of any kind ensue against SR [Sudhir Ruparelia] as defined in the agreement, the agreement stands voided and BOU shall immediately return SR the value of the settlement.
On August 10, 2007, Sudhir filed an amendment to the counterclaim and served BOU lawyers, saying that Justice David Wangutusi should find BOU culpable for unjust enrichment having taken Sudhirs money and refused to return Crane bank.
Sudhir claims BOU also went ahead to institute civil proceedings against him contrary to the CSRA. Through Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA), Sudhir said yesterday that BOU officials were supposed to respond to his counter claim within 15 days from the date of service of the amended counter claim.
BOU, the businessman said, has never filed a response.
On August 28, 2017, we carried out a search in the register at the Commercial court and established that the counter defendants [BOU] had not filed a reply to the counter claim, says Sudhirs letter to the Commercial court. To this end, the counter defendants are out of time within which to file a reply.
Sudhir said he should win the case without any fight from BOU. This is, therefore, to pray that a default judgment be entered against the counter defendants [BOU] for payment of USD8,000,000, together with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum as sought in the counterclaim, Sudhir said.
Asked why they hadnt filed a defence yet, David Mpanga, a lawyer for BOU, said they were pulled back by Sudhirs amendments to his counter claim and that the businessmans lawyers forgot to serve me.
Prodded about Mpangas assertions, Sudhirs lawyers admitted they didnt serve Mpanga but said they served BOU secretary and MMAKS who are the lead lawyers of the bank.
In response to Sudhirs request, MMAKS advocates yesterday wrote a letter to the registrar of the commercial court, accusing KAA of repeatedly refusing to serve AF Mpanga Advocates despite earlier protests. Nevertheless, the BOU lawyers insist that Sudhirs application is premature.
In his counter claim, Sudhir said that on January 27, 2017, BOU sold at an undisclosed sum, assets of Crane bank to Dfcu Bank Limited. After the assets sale, Sudhir said, central bank approached him and urged him to settle the dispute, resulting in an agreement captured in the CSRA.
Last evening, BOU filed its defence filed yesterday; saying Sudhirs narrative of the CSRA and the circumstances surrounding the failure of its implementation is selective.
BOU says Sudhirs account fails to take into account the basic fact that the counter claimant himself was in fundamental breach of the CSRA, after he refused to provide the settlement consideration in the terms of Clause 3 of the CSRA.
According to BoU Clause 3.1 of the CSRA says, In consideration of BOU and CBL [Crane Bank limited] agreeing to settle and release claims as specified in the Confidential Settlement and release agreement, SR [Sudhir Ruparelia] agrees: to pay and/or procure the payment to BOU of the aggregate amount of US $60,000,000.00 (the Settlement Consideration); and (b) to transfer to CBL {In Receivership) or its nominee the Freehold and Mailo titles.
BOU says that the take over the management of Crane Bank and placing it under receivership; and entering into an arrangement under which DFCU Bank Limited purchased the banks assets and assumed its liabilities, were all done in good faith, for appropriate cause and lawfully pursuant to express powers vested in it as regulator under the Financial Institutions Act (FIA).
dkiyonga@observer.ug
The aircraft beaming from the sky
Residents of Katabi town council along Kampala-Entebbe highway were last evening treated to a rare spectacle of an aircraft hovering in the skies beaming bright search light on the ground.
Flying low, the aircraft flew for about an hour from one corner of the town council to another with the biggest focus on Abayita Ababiri township. Many were awed and seen looking up at the aircraft as it roared from one part of the town council to another.
The use of the aircraft comes at a time of heightened insecurity in the area as a result of mysterious killings in the area. For weeks now, young women in the area have been disappearing, only for their bodies to be discovered in bushes.
The body of the latest victim, one Jalia Nalule, was found on Tuesday in a bush in Nkumba bringing the number of victims to 11 in the past one month. Most of the women have been raped before being strangled and sticks inserted in their private parts.
Residents are scared since no concrete arrests have been made despite police investigations and the fact that police and security chiefs, Kale Kayihura and Henry Tumukunde, respectively, are camping in the area.
The aircraft with strong light beams is a new development in the fight against the unidentified murderers. A number of residents wondered how the use of a noisy aircraft is the best way of fighting crime in the area.
However, police spokesperson AIGP Asan Kasingye, denied any knowledge of the use of any aircraft in combating crime in Katabi. Kasingye says the police are using what he terms as "intelligence-led investigations" to deal with the murders and other crimes in the area.
Asked if the police are being boosted by the military, Kasingye says they have not asked the army for support, adding that he isn't aware of any military involvement. According to Kasingye, in addition to the use of intelligence, the police have foot and motorized patrols.
Of late soldiers have been seen on patrol especially along the highway and Kasenyi road. Army spokesman Brig. Richard Karemire neither picked calls nor replied to SMS inquiries on army involvement in combating crimes in Katabi.
Two Makerere University officials including a registrar are in police custody on charges of abuse office and gross misconduct.
Margaret Etuusa, the deputy registrar in charge of certificates and ceremonies division and Dorothy Kabanda, an administrative assistant in the same office were arrested today from their offices at around 11am by non-uniformed policemen, who, according to our sources, are attached to Kibuli-based Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) unit.
SP Vincent Sekatte, the CID spokesperson however denied having knowledge of the development. He asked for two hours to verify the information. Charles Ssentongo, the deputy university academic registrar in charge of undergraduate admissions, who is currently the acting academic registrar confirmed the arrests.
Margaret Etuusa
In a phone interview with URN, Ssentongo said; "I am aware but the right person to speak about it is the PRO."
When our reporter insisted having been referred to him by the PRO, Ssentongo said: "I don't have more information. I only saw things happen. Maybe the academic registrar has the details."
URN has not been able to confirm the location where the duo was taken after they were arrested. URN understands that police has been carrying out in-depth investigations into the alleged misconduct and abuse office by outgoing Vice Chancellor Professor John Ddumba Ssentamu and Etuusa, on the request by the Makerere University Convocation.
In a May 31 letter Dr Tanga Odoi, the Convocation chairperson appealed to the Director for Criminal Investigations, Grace Akullo, to investigate the duo for gross misconduct.
Professor Ddumba is due to hand over office of vice chancellor this week after holding it for five years. Etuusa, a non-member of the procurement and disposal unit of Makerere, is accused of soliciting quotations for the procurement of goods, works and services that were in the 64th, 65th, 66th and 67th graduation ceremonies which was contrary to the PPDA regulations of 2014.
Etuusa was suspended in March this year on accusations of illegally hiring Exxon Contractors, a private company, to keep people's gadgets during graduation.
The company reportedly fleeced parents and graduands during the 67th graduation ceremonies at the university under the guise of securing their mobile phones and other gadgets. The company charged Shs 3,000 per gadget placed under its custody.
Etuusa petitioned the High court challenging her suspension, saying she was never given a chance to defend herself.
She asked court to reinstate and grant her an interim injunction blocking the university from pursuing any further disciplinary action against her. Court ruled in her favour and asked the university to reinstate her pending the disposal of her application.
The influx into Uganda of South Sudanese people fleeing violence one million since July last year has become the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.
It is Africas biggest human exodus since the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Despite the sheer scale, it is largely a silent crisis not covered by many major media outlets. We must not ignore this emergency.
This week, I am in Uganda to meet some of those who have recently arrived the majority of whom are women and children and to reaffirm the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to the government of Uganda in its refugee support efforts.
Those efforts are truly exceptional: refugees are not only being provided with land to build shelter and grow crops but are also granted freedom of movement, the right to work, and access to health care and education.
In addition to South Sudanese, many people and families who have fled conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are benefitting from this.
Its a unique approach that goes right to the heart of effective refugee protection, which must involve finding long-lasting solutions that enable people and families to live in safety, reestablish their livelihoods, and reclaim their lives.
FAO believes that agricultural support to build rural livelihoods is key in achieving this goal in Africa.
This is why in recent years we have implemented $3.6 million-worth of projects to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, providing them with locally-adapted and diversified seeds to grow quick-maturing, high-nutrient foods as well as with kits for livestock treatment, poultry production and micro-irrigation.
Other projects have created new income opportunities and helped address home energy issues by teaching people how to convert waste into fuel that can be burned in energy-efficient stoves.
And our flagship approach in Uganda Farmer Field Schools and Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools have been pivotal in helping integrate refugees into host communities, by allowing them to acquire new agricultural skills and know-how.
FAO is also working with Ugandas national Resilience Measurement Unit to ensure that the government can accurately assess refugees resilience dynamics, generating knowledge for action that can guide funding decisions and help ensure that support reaches the most vulnerable.
Greater donor support is needed if we are to intensify these efforts to effectively respond to the scale of this crisis.
It is vital that funds be mobilized so that refugees can provide food for themselves sooner rather than relying on food aid, and so that refugees and their host communities can have a real opportunity to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty and build a sustainable future for themselves and their families.
Jose Graziano Da Silva,
Director-general of FAO.
Some youths are an embarrassment
I didnt know that Uganda is full of opportunists until I read a story in The Observer of August 23-24, 2017, where one Faridah Mayanja, the former Lubaga South parliamentary aspirant, reportedly held meetings with some youths.
Mayanja is on the ground mobilising people to support the removal of the presidential age limit clause from the Constitution to permit President Museveni rule on.
By telling the youth that the president has done a lot of good things for the country, especially job creation, the former MP aspirant just made a fool of herself. What jobs are there for the citizens when about 70 per cent of youths are said to be jobless?
I wonder what Mayanja was thinking at this meeting as her un-researched comments have badly damaged her reputation. Why should one waste resources to organise such meetings?
Muzamil Alamiga,
Arua.
Thanks for lighting up Kampala, but...
The way Kampala Capital City Authority is lighting Kampala is amazing.
I would like to applaud the people behind solar-powered street lights across the city because these have saved the taxpayer of the monthly power bills.
Well-lit streets ensure safety of mostly pedestrians who are vulnerable to criminal gangs that usually operate in dark spots.
Although KCCA is doing a good job in the central business district, we also need lights in outskirts such as Namirembe road stretching to Munaku/Kasubi and the road that slopes down to Mapeera church.
The areas surrounding Kasubi need lights because police here is understaffed and their responsiveness is suspect.
Members living in this place have requested police on several occasions to help deal with criminals but in vain. I have never seen police patrol this area despite the increasing criminality. I hope KCCA can at least provide lights as we wait for police to do their work.
Michael Woira,
Patriotic Ugandan.
Why Museveni should resign
President Museveni has recently expressed concern about the mistake of the ever-expanding number of authorities and agencies, which are a great burden to taxpayers.
To some of us who doubted NRMs competence from the very beginning and have warned Ugandans time and again, we are now vindicated by the test of time.
Martin Luther King once noted that truth crushed on the ground will always resurrect; it is what we are seeing now.
NRM has deceptively fooled some people for some time that it is capable of leading Uganda to prosperity but the moment of truth has finally arrived. Under such circumstances, the wise thing for civilised people is to apologise and resign rather than making fresh pretense.
Claiming that he has learnt the importance of cooperatives, national airline, government businesses, lean government or national bank wont save Museveni.
The emperor is surely naked!
Kennedy Kabonge,
kabongek@yahoo.co.uk.
letters@observer.ug
In a recent memo, the president queried what he referred to as endless, unplanned and unevaluated mushrooming agencies/authorities.
The president noted that it is a mistake for us to continue funding and overseeing such wastage of our meagre resources.
Essentially, the presidents concern is existence of an unnecessarily large size of government. While the president delayed in detecting this hemorrhagic waste, he is absolutely right.
The country has lost enormous amount of resources in funding a large government. These resources, if spent wisely, could improve lives of citizens through provision of better services and creation of jobs.
At time of the release of the memo, NRM primary elections were underway in Bunyangabu, a new district carved from Kabarole.
The district, and five others, will soon elect its leadership at all levels, a woman member of parliament and constituency members of parliament. Besides political leaders who are paid fat emoluments, the district will require a vast number of administrative staff, a resident district commissioner (RDC) and a deputy.
And in addition to the district police commander and an entire district police department, the district will also be blessed with many obscure security officers whose duties will never be understood.
Bunyangabu will need to build offices, purchase vehicles for its political and administrative staff and all other operational costs. One wonders whether these expenses will add value to the lives of citizens of Bunyangabu who lack basic social services.
The rationale for creating new districts, government often argues, is bringing services closer to the people. I beg to differ.
Like the creation of agencies, the creation of new districts is a total waste, Mr President. The permanent secretary to the ministry of finance, Keith Muhakanizi, a seasoned economist, clearly pointed out this and strongly protested against the creation of more districts.
In Rwimi, one of the sub-counties of Bunyangabu district, is Rwimi health centre III. What operates as an ambulance is a motorcycle with a built cabin, donated by a non-governmental organisation to improvise and save lives.
This health centre lacks basic medicine, and NGOs have to step in. For the locals in Rwimi, what matters is not a district but whether they can access quality healthcare.
Proper medical care can be achieved not by creating a district, but by ensuring that health centres and hospitals have qualified, well-paid and motivated staff and necessary drugs and infrastructure to operate.
In the neighboring primary schools, pupils study in dilapidated buildings and lack adequate classrooms. Their survival is thanks to a Canadian NGO that provides textbooks and has helped with construction of classrooms.
The main secondary school in Rwimi also suffers similar challenges. Most of their classrooms have been built by foreign donors.
For the pupils/students and parents in Rwimi, what is of interest are decent classrooms, adequate and well-paid teaching staff and textbooks necessary for quality teaching.
To the majority of farmers in Rwimi whose crops are mostly affected by drought, the appropriate support is not a district, but an irrigation system, farm equipment and manure to increase productivity and boost their yield and subsequently improving their incomes. With increase in incomes, they can better educate their children and maintain good health standards.
Extension of services can be achieved by building and equipping better hospitals, schools and other social amenities, and staffing them with qualified, well-paid and motivated staff.
These can be done by a centralized body that is adequately funded. It is by making strategic investments in areas that improve the lives of citizens that a government can be said to impact citizens.
Nonetheless, I want to commend the president for detecting this. It will be good if reforms can be made to resize the entire government to a small but effective one. But focusing on agencies alone leaves a huge portion of unnecessary offices.
This should include reducing the number of districts; scrapping offices such as RDCs, Giso and Diso; reducing the endless presidential advisors and merging of some ministries. This will not be a simple task and will require tough decisions as many will oppose it.
The author is a lawyer and a fellow at the African Policy Centre, a think-tank at Uganda Christian University.
The government has implemented two game-changer interventions in the health sector in Uganda that deserve applause.
In 2001, after abolishing user fees or cost sharing in public hospitals, there was an exponential rise in utilization of health services.
In the recent past, President Museveni has emphasized prioritization and infrastructure for which the health sector has seen construction of new hospitals in Naguru, Kiruddu, Kawempe, Mityana, Entebbe and the Womens hospital in Mulago; as well as the renovation of Mulago national referral hospital.
This second intervention has increased the expectations of the masses for free quality health care. In sum, the hardware of the health sector has seen robust improvements, but what about the software?
Despite these investments, the current state of public health services in Uganda is appalling, in this era of Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo.
In fact, preventable and premature deaths have claimed the lives of a Ugandan too many, including prominent members of society. In December 2016, Engineer George Agaba of KCCAs planning department passed away at Mbarara hospital after a road traffic accident in western Uganda.
In the same scene as Agaba, the presidents sister, Dr Violet Kajubiri, was flown away by helicopter for further treatment.
More recently, MP Grace Kaudha Magumba died following pregnancy-related complications. The following day, a fellow medical doctor lost his wife at Jinja hospital from the same. Many wananchi have died silently and prematurely in the hands of our weak health system.
May their souls rest in eternal peace!
Recently, medical doctors from all corners of Uganda assembled in Kampala eager to follow parliamentary proceedings on the Dr Margaret Mungherera Petition.
Parliament invited members of the Uganda Medical Association to the public gallery. In sum, the Mungherera Petition seeks to increase the supply and availability of doctors after duty hours, on weekends, public holidays, in the night and in all corners of Uganda.
Indeed, we, basawo, are most interested in a healthy Ugandan population, a prerequisite with obvious economic benefits if we are to achieve and sustain our vision for a middle-income country status.
Our aim is to summarily end the common talk that the doctor is not there, whilst our key principles are equity and solidarity to reach the poorest of the poor Ugandans.
Rhetoric? In Africa, death is a thief and death of a big man makes the news. Parliament should enact and fund policies that will accelerate the reversal of unnecessary deaths of mothers in Uganda.
Indeed, it is after the unfortunate death of Hon Magumba that parliament recalled the Mungherera Petition. The Uganda Medical Association had petitioned the speaker of parliament on July 20, 2016.
This was in spite of several visits by the Uganda Medical Association to parliament to have this petition discussed before the 2017/18 national budget.
It is, therefore, not true that doctors are opportunists of the ongoing political debate on land-for-development and leadership age-limit reforms. We are bound by creed to serve all Ugandans irrespective of political affiliation.
Globally, Uganda was scored as having unfinished Millennium Development Goals business as we did not meet targets of reversing maternal mortality. These avoidable deaths are happening against impressive statistics from the Uganda Health and Demographic Survey 2016.
The UDHS 2016 shows that the number of mothers attending antenatal care during pregnancy and giving birth in hospitals has increased by leaps and bounds from 57 per cent in 2010, to 71 per cent in 2016.
Yet, Ugandas maternal mortality remains one of the highest globally at 336 women dying for every 100,000 live births annually. This figure is unacceptably high compared to the average of 239 for low-income countries and 12 for the high-income countries. What explains this contradiction?
Patriots: Ugandan doctors, nurses and midwives are the true national heroes who may never see the Nalubaale medal on Heroes day! It goes without saying that human resources for health are the software who operationalize the health system.
In West Africa, it was Ugandan doctors who took charge and finished the Ebola epidemic. However, Ugandan doctors are in short supply in public health facilities.
Therefore, the Mungherera Petition proposes a magic formula to reverse this problem by, first, filling up all the vacant posts of 1,051 doctors in public service.
Secondly, we pitch a sound business proposition to attract and retain doctors in areas with severe scarcity such as Kabale regional hospital with only six out of 24 doctors needed, or the Karamoja region whose total number of doctors may not fill a 14-seater taxi!
Third, we argue that interventions chosen by the ministry of Health to improve the supply of doctors in rural Uganda should be guided by sound research evidence, in sync with international recommendations by the World Health Organization.
Finally, our argument goes beyond salaries, and attends to effectively equipping the government facilities to handle life-saving procedures such as caesarean section for pregnant mothers with complications, or road traffic accident victims.
generalsecretary@uma.ug
The author is the general secretary, Uganda Medical Association.
In the last three months, some 19 young women have been murdered in Wakiso district, especially around Entebbe municipality, Katabi town council and Nansana municipality.
These deaths have increased in frequency over the last few weeks, and seem to be taking the shape of serial murders executed by an individual (or group) with a certain level of organisation and sophistication.
This means that the perpetrators of these murders are not likely to stop soon, especially if they are trying to make some kind of statement by operating right under the noses of the countrys many security agencies.
It is therefore, disheartening to see the police take a simplistic approach to finding the answers to these murders. Take the statements attributed to the inspector general of police, Gen Kale Kayihura, for instance.
On a visit to Nansana, Kayihura said there is strong evidence linking the murder of the married women to jilted lovers.
He also attributed some of the murders to ritual sacrifice. Security minister Henry Tumukunde has also pitched camp in Entebbe, saying he was launching his own investigations into the wanton killings that are being executed not too far from the presidents official residence.
Tumukunde, a retired major general of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, confessed that security agencies do not know if the killers are connected.
What the visits to the crime scenes by the top security officials in the country show is that three months after the first murder, security agencies are yet to make out the head or tails of the killings that have spread fear across nearly all parts of Wakiso and its vicinity.
Police seem to have picked a knack for making premature pronouncements whenever it is confronted with a complex investigation, and then working backwards to try to prove to the public that its initial theory was right.
This is a practice that police should ditch. Lives are at stake here and there are no political points to score.
Therefore, the police, and other security agencies in the country, must get their act together, work in unison and do everything within their powers to end these killings.
"you don't know me" is the equivalent to this
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lmao
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she didn't lie.
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"How are we gonna fight anyone if shes giving money to the people that are destroying us?"
Seriously, the delusion of Jenner is unreal. The GOP don't like you sis!
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seriously! Caitlyn have been donating to the GOP way before she was out.
... and along that line, why do the trans community keep inviting Caitlyn to events? She is the worst choice to become the face of the movement. I see her Insta and she joins trans group therapies or speak in events, like she has lost all credibility she has as an activist for the LGBT community.
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IA. I'm not trans but imho Caitlyn Jenner is the worst thing to happen to the trans community, ever.
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I don't know...I say trump, mike pence, transphobic people in power, and transphobic people period, would be the worst for the trans community at large...
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and of course Caitlyn had nothing of substance to say
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I hate Jenner.
I really do.
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I do too. Honestly, when I watched her interview, I had so much hope that she was opening up, going to change some of her ways... I actually 'almost' liked her. Then she continued supporting Trump and it was like, "Well, those few minutes were a lie."
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Get ha!!!!
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I totally agree that she is responsible for Trump coming up with the Trans military ban. Still hoping the generals will fight back on that one.
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Mattis isn't implementing it. go to werebel for the post!
Edited at 2017-08-30 01:39 am (UTC)
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he almost certainly will lbr, he's just waiting for the results of a panel to decide how to best implement it which is what trump's memo to the pentagon directed them to do anyway. he's not doing anything against his orders so this isn't some type of rebellion or pushback. in the meantime nothing has changed policywise pending the study.
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Are YOU done yet, ho?!
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Caitlin you told us who you supported, how you voted, what your beliefs are, we didn't just make it up so we know you pretty damn well. You had a reality show for a hot minute.
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she came off so badly on her own show, it's kinda crazy. you could tell her "concern" for the trans community was extremely shallow and only to promote her show, she had a couple of people on as "friends" who knew what they were talking about and really cared, but caitlyn was so self-centered the whole time. I wanted to cut her slack for still finding herself, but since then she obviously never grew as a person or developed any empathy.
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Go in sis.
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Ewe at Caitlin just immediately calling security
Edited at 2017-08-30 02:03 am (UTC)
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The prickly pear cactus (locally known as nopal) is ubiquitous in Mexico. Farmed in massive quantities across the nation, its a local food staple, an ancient sacred symbol, and the centerpiece of the nations flag. Now, it could be the key to the nations energy future.
In the past, the spiny outer layer of the cactus has always been a waste product, but no longer--a group of scientists in Mexican green energy start up Suema discovered a way to turn it into a completely sustainable biogas.
The pilot project dedicated to developing the cactus biogas generator began this May in the south of Mexico City in Milpa Alta, an area already famous for its cactus cultivation. The agricultural district is home to more than 7,000 acres of prickly pear fields and produces 200,000 tons of prickly pear cactus per year, about 10 tons of which--the thick and spiked outer layers--are thrown away daily. The generator is now in place at a local cactus market, where the vendors are enthusiastic about this new way to utilize the tons of cactus husks that once went directly to the trash.
This is not the first time that Mexico has garnered attention for its achievements in green energies. In 2015, it was the first emerging country to publish its emissions reduction targets for the United Nations climate accord, with the ambitious goal of slashing emissions in half by 2050. At the time, it seemed far-fetched but it would now appear that theyre making moves to make good on these promises. Last year green energy comprised 15.4% of the Mexicos energy mix, but a mere 0.1% of this came from biogas. All of that is about to change.
Related: Russia Claims To Have Invented Alternative To Fracking
Suemas new generator produces biogas by mixing cactus scraps with a special blend of bacteria and heating it to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. This model, a prototype for what hopefully will continue to develop and be made even more efficient, produces 175 kilowatt hoursenough electricity to keep nearly 10,000 low-energy light bulbs burning. When the generator reaches full capacity later this year, it will be able to process 3-5 tons a day, producing 45,000 gallons of biogas. Completing the (re)cycle, at the end of the process, the leftovers can be used for compost.
The government of Mexico City has poured nearly $840,000 into the project, and they intend to keep expanding the project until they have the cactus biogas generators installed at every one of the citys more than 300 markets with the goal of making them completely energy-autonomous and self-sufficient.
Mexicos road to renewables has not been easy. Efforts to construct wind farms in Oaxaca, which power half of massive Mexico City, have created a lot of public unrest among the locals. There have been widespread protests among civilians who mistrust the government and the energy companies, accusing the multinational energy firms of breaking promises, leading Mexican into unfair contracts, lack of transparency, and failure to consult with local indigenous communities.
The potential to create energy from prickly pears holds an enormous amount of potential to transform the public image of renewables in Mexico. The technology and the materials are home-grown, so to speak, and the process does not interrupt or interfere with existing communities, where cactus farming is already the primary source of income and way of life. It the government is able to expand the program to the size they desire, it could be a huge step to getting Mexico to their ambitious goal of halving emissions by 2050. Related: Will Oil Demand Growth Be Enough To Tackle Inventories?
While Mexican oil has seen a big uptick since the country opened its vast reserves to private interests for the first time in nearly 80 years, investing in Mexican petroleum is anything but a sure thing. Recently the Mexican national oil company Pemex was swept up in corruption charges relating to Brazilian construction firms.
The promise of green energy that cactus gas presents is a fresh opportunity in many ways for Mexico and its investors--its completely sustainable, making it impervious to the volatility that the local oil industry experiences; its funded locally, distancing it from a struggling federal administration bogged down with corruption charges and widespread public distrust; and finally, its future-forward. One look at the recent spending history of supermajors and youll see that even the powers that be in the oil industry are facing a future where fossils are not the primary source of fuel. Mexico may have vast, untapped reserves of oil, but theres one thing it has even more of: cactus.
By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com
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Nuclear energy has been moving away from power-rich countries to nations bereft of diverse power generation opportunities, all the more so after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Europe has been particularly susceptible to give heed to the nuclear panic. Germany, for instance, announced its plans to phase-out nuclear power a day after Fukushima, France went along in a matter of several months, Switzerland and Belgium have also since voted to pull the plug on nuclear. Against the background of nuclear safety technologies having reached unparalleled heights and the global community edging closer to reducing carbon emissions, it is perhaps surprising that nuclear ended up being effaced from Europes energy future. Are all the hurried phase-outs worth it?
With the election of Emmanuel Macron as Frances president and the inauguration of the Edourard Philippe-led government, the assault on nuclear energy took a new turn. Despite the fact that most Frenchmen oppose shutting down the countrys nuclear reactors, Macron seems to move in the opposite direction striving to bring down nuclear energys share to 50 percent in Frances electricity production. Right after Fukushima, Germany shut down 8 of its oldest reactors and envisages to close the remaining 9 by 2022. This happened in defiance of the governments initial plans to phase the remaining nuclear plants within the 2030-2036 interval and the Reactor Safety Commissions judgement that all functioning nuclear plants are safe and sound. Spain, Belgium and Switzerland are phasing out their nuclear reactors, too, albeit with less ambitious deadlines, while Italy, Austria, Portugal and others have reiterated their intentions to stay nuclear-free. Related: Venezuelas Oil Fire Sale To Benefit Russia, China
Frances intention to close 17 out of 58 nuclear reactors stands out as unduly ambitious aim. This would imply deactivating 17GW, roughly the aggregate of its wind and solar capacities. As both wind and solar are intermittent, France would need at least a doubling of its renewables capacities, which is quite difficult to imagine given that the Nicolas Hulot, the new Ecological Transition minister, has set a 2025 deadline. Labour market considerations will also have a bearing on energy policy issues. France has 450 000 people working both directly and indirectly in the countrys nuclear sector, whilst wind and solar, the two renewables assumed to offset the phased out capacities, employ only 20 000. Firing 100,000 workers will not go down well in a highly trade union-conscious society. Moreover, bolstering wind energy would most probably lead to huge contracts being awarded to German and Danish companies (whereas in nuclear France had a national champion), which is tantamount to political suicide.
Germanys approach to phasing out nuclear energy is not flawless, either. Angela Merkels government vowed to close all its nuclear reactors by 2022, overwhelmingly supported by the population and virtually all political parties across the national spectrum. The nuclear phase-out overlaps with coal being gradually eliminated from Germanys energy matrix (here the timeline is assumed to be 2050) and it is here that the problem arises. Berlin has set itself quite stringent emission reduction objectives it aims for a 80-95 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to a 1990 base level. Phasing out coal, a highly polluting source of energy that amounts to 42 percent of federal electricity generation, will inevitably lead to increasing imports and higher wholesale prices. New gas capacities gas is expected to play the role of the transitory energy source until renewables can be implemented without massive subsidy schemes will come online only after 2025. Nuclear energy could have furthered a swifter ditching of coal in Germany, alas, precedence was given to the latter.
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It has to be said that the United Kingdom represents a notable exception from the general Western European trend of not building any further nuclear reactors. The UK will phase out all its coal plants by 2025 yet in the meantime, in stark contrast with continental Europe, will add 14 GW new-generation nuclear capacity. Londons perseverance with nuclear energy (now around 20 percent of total electricity generation) does in no way impede the development of renewables in the UK, with wind energy expected to increase almost fivefold by 2025 from 5 GW to 23GW, wave and tidal energy gradually breaking into the cost-effective zone. By getting rid of coal- and oil-powered energy and placing its bet on gas and nuclear instead, all the while developing its renewable energy sources where profitable, the United Kingdom is making great strides in attaining a non-polluting energy matrix.
Wholesale and retail electricity prices seem not to worry politicians when deciding to phase out nuclear energy, for no good reason. In the past few years Frances electricity prices were 40-50 percent lower than Germanys, largely thanks to the fact that France had abundant nuclear capacities and did not embark upon a massive solar energy subsidization course. However, keeping electricity prices low, as it turns out, is not necessarily bad politics. Hungarys ruling FIDESZ party has made lowering electricity prices its rallying cry and positioned the Paks-II project (construction of 2 new 1200MW reactors) as an optimal vehicle to lower costs and achieve energy self-sufficiency. Turkey pursued similar objectives with the Akkuyu nuclear project, also built and financed by Russias Rosatom, with the electricity purchase price fixed for the first 15 years. If everything remains as it is now, in the early 2020s, when nuclear energy and part of coal had been eliminated, yet new equivalent capacities will be still under construction, Germany might witness a change of mind on the back of rising electricity bills.
Apart from issues related to the energy matrix of European nations, it should be noted how frail Western nuclear companies are. On the back of US giant Westinghouse filing for bankruptcy, the Trump administration seems to be more intent on reviving the coal industry than the faltering nuclear one. France, which similarly is both a nuclear technology provider and consumer, has been witnessing the decline of its nuclear national champion AREVA that was technically bailed out by the French government, failing which it would copy Westinghouses fate. Russias Rosatom, however, has a full portfolio, with reactors being built or reconstructed in a dozen of countries. Iran, Turkey, China, Egypt or India represent only the cream of the crop. Rosatoms main strength is its build-own-operate (BOO) approach, whereby it assumes most of responsibilities, whilst the buyer has but one task, to pay for it. In principle, there was no reason why the state-owned French AREVA could not have followed suit. However, it did not. Hence, Western Europe might not only lose its nuclear reactors, but also it would no longer have a company that could provide full-cycle services to customers.
By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com
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If shale plays were people, everyone would be jealous of the Permian for getting all the attention. It is the leader in overall national oil output growth, and just last year the USGS announced a new estimate for part of it, the Wolfcamp Basin, which is now thought to contain as much as 20 billion barrels of recoverable oil.
Its perhaps this new assessment that has prompted North Dakota government officials to request a new estimate for the Bakken-Three Forks formation. The last one, from 2013, estimated the recoverable reserves of crude in the formation at 7.4 billion barrels twice the amount of reserves estimated by the USGS five years earlier. Now, one North Dakota senator says, these must be higher thanks to the constant improvement in extraction technology, Inside Energys Amy Sisk writes.
Senator John Hoeven says that a new estimate would motivate oil and gas companies to continue investing in North Dakota and prompt more of them to come to the Bakken and Three Forks. Thats especially true now that even Big Oil is turning to shale, where turnaround times and returns are both faster than in large-scale projects.
North Dakota produced 1.03 million barrels of oil daily as of June, the most recent month for which there is data from the states Mineral Resources Department. There are 54 active drilling rigs in the state as of August 30, up from 33 a year ago but down from 76 two years ago. Despite the increase in rig count, production growth has been slow because of a shortage of fracking crewssomething thats becoming increasingly common across the shale patch as the industry recovers and demand for oilfield services outstrips supply.
Related: Kurdish Independence Could Deal A Major Blow To Oil Markets
Sen. Hoeven believes now is the time to act to attract the investments of big players such as Exxon. These, he says, are global companies that need to pick the places to invest in. We want their investments here, he says, as quoted by Sisk. To get new investments, the state must be able to offer oil and gas producers sustainable production. We have to continue to make the case this play is going to continue to be here a long time, 10, 20, 30, 50 years, Hoeven says.
Yet there are no guarantees. A new estimate could actually lower the recoverable reserves of the Bakken-Three Forks formation. USGS estimates rely in part on data that is collected from oil and gas operators in the play under review. The data includes new well numbers and their output rates. Given that the last two years saw a marked decline in production across the board, the chances of the new USGS coming up negative for North Dakota are real.
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On the other hand, technology has been moving quickly during these same two years, and E&Ps have become capable of getting more oil out of the ground. This could tip the scales in the direction that Sen. Hoeven and his colleagues want. According to the USGS, what will determine the need for a new assessment is the extent to which oil production in North Dakota has changed since 2013.
One other thing besides reserves should make North Dakota more appealing for oil and gas players: the notorious Dakota Access pipeline started operations in June, replacing the costlier railways, which carried as much as a quarter of the Bakken output to refineries. Now, three-quarters of North Dakota oil is carried by pipelines. With its extensive infrastructure in place, what the state needs may indeed be a little push from the USGS with new data about its recoverable reserves. As long as the data is positive.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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We have often thought that tax policy should be written by the U.S., Department of Agriculture. Who better to deal with all the sacred cows and gored oxen? As the Trump administration turns to address tax policy, eager for legislative victory, one aspect will unite Washington lobbyists. Those representing industries that presently receive a tax exception, will of course seek to retain it. Those industries lacking beneficial tax exemptions will exert considerable influence to obtain them. A cynical mind might suggest that our tax code's complexity accrues to the benefit of Congressman--perhaps even directly via campaign contributions.
Lacking halos and wings, the U.S. electric power industry is no exception. We cannot claim special information about the Trump administration's tax policies. But we can examine a few tax proposals in light of the peculiar nature of the regulated electric power industry.
Regulated industries are different from others in one key respect. They can't move. They are literally and physically tied to a particular geographic region. It is their so-called service area, where they produce and sell their vital, commodity product.
If, on the other hand, a large privately held company like Apple and its top executives and board suddenly decided to move from Cupertino, California to say Luxembourg, they could do so. Companies in non-utility industries move their factories and headquarters all the time.
But Georgia Power, for example, one of Southern Company's principal utility subsidiaries, no matter where it claimed to be headquartered would still face state regulators in Atlanta. Ditto for all other regulated utilities in the U.S. They can't seek and receive the benefits of favorable offshore (or onshore for that matter) tax havens.
You can find Leonard Hyman's lastest book Electricity Acts on Amazon
One of the most controversial changes to the tax code would be the elimination of the tax deductibility of interest payments. Regardless of intent, this reduces the attractiveness of debt financing by raising its cost. This would also discourage financial speculation and highly levered corporate buyouts for the same reason. Overall, and longer term, it could put industry on a sounder footing by carrying less debt and thus less financial risk. Related: Texas Oil Production Remains StrongBut For How Long?
If this were to happen, the fast-paced private equity industry might complain but what about America's staid electric utilities? They borrow a lot of money for operations. Debt is about 55 percent of the capital structure (how assets are financed) of the average electricity provider.
Losing the tax deductibility of interest expense would reduce utility net income via higher taxes by as much as 20 percent.
But at times like these, regulated utilities often hear that James Taylor line, "You've got a friend". That "friend" is the state public utility commission.
Regulated companies will claim that adverse tax policy changes have caused a reduction of net income. If this lowers earnings below a certain threshold, which it certainly would, the utility managers would be justified in seeking to increase customer electricity rates to compensate for the difference.
We believe the resultant rate hike would be roughly 2 percent, not a big number. But to qualify for even that modest level of rate increase, income first has to decline below a given level. Many utilities now find themselves in the somewhat enviable position of earning more than the so-called required rate of return set by regulators. As a result, the kindness of regulators in this respect in the near future may be somewhat muted.
While utilities may be voracious users of corporate debt, they are also predominantly profitable entities, wholesale power generators excepted. This makes them taxpayers. Reduce the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35 percent to the discussed 15 percent rate and industry wide net income could increase by as much as 20 percent.
Regulated companies are in theory constantly under the scrutiny of state regulators. And even the most laxed of regulators would feel some obligation to share the wealth so to speak with customers. Especially with an earnings increase of that magnitude.
Unless of course it could be proved that the utility was approaching something like dire financial straits, was failing to even earn its allowed return and thus needed to keep all the additional funds as barely adequate recompense. Related: Kurdish Independence Could Deal A Major Blow To Oil Markets
This is possible but remains a low probability outcome nevertheless. A corporate income tax reduction along the lines discussed would permit state regulators to reduce customer electricity rates by about 2 percent. The political impulse to claim credit for distributing that type of largesse is rather strong.
But there is a third possibility. U.S. corporate tax rates are reduced from 35 percent to 15 percent. But the new, lower rate is applied to a higher pretax net income. Why? Because interest expense may no longer being deductible as well. The two tax policy changes begin to cancel each other out somewhat as utilities would be paying a lower tax rate on a far higher level of income.
Given the significant debt burden of the U.S. electric utility industry and the associated interest expense, the net impact of the two potential tax policy changes would increase after tax net income by about 7 percent. We think amounts of that magnitude would likely invite unwelcome regulatory scrutiny and only modest chance that the utilities retain these savings. Passing along these tax policy related earning boosts to customers could might reduce the total electric bill by about 1 percent.
These are admittedly rough figures. But they lead to the conclusion that electric companies might benefit less than their customers from two significant proposed changes to U.S. corporate tax policy. It's an unusual outcome for such an avowedly pro-business administration.
You can find Leonard Hyman's lastest book Electricity Acts on Amazon
By Leonard Hyman and Bill Tilles
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Russias second-biggest oil producer Lukoil is studying the possible sale of its oil trading arm, Switzerland-based Litasco, fearing that the new U.S. sanctions on Russia will make it more difficult for the oil trader to raise new financing, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing industry sources.
Litascos sale could take place sometime at the end of this year, a senior industry source told Reuters, adding that this could be the first move to Lukoil selling more assets abroad to focus on upstream in Russia.
One of the reasons behind the sale idea is sanctions. The sale will also help divert a big chunk of working capital from trading activities towards upstream projects in Russia, Reuters quoted the source as saying.
Another Reuters source confirmed there were plans for a possible sale and added that Gradually, Litasco will become an independent trading house like Vitol or Trafigura.
Geneva-based Litasco was set up in 2000 as the exclusive international marketing and trading company of Lukoil, and trades Lukoils and third-party crude and refined petroleum products. In 2015, Litasco handled 3.2 million barrels per day. Last year, that figure rose slightly, with the share of Lukoil and third-party volumes roughly remaining 50/50, Litascos chief executive Tim Bullock told Reuters in an interview in February this year.
Its not clear how much money Lukoil could get from a Litasco sale, as most oil and commodity traders are not listed. According to Reuters, the book values of Litascos competitors range between US$2 billion and US$6 billion.
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Talk of a possible Litasco sale is the latest sign that the new U.S. sanctions may have created more hurdles to international companies related to Russian businesses. Due to the additional sanctions, Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo is said to have hit a snag in its plans to syndicate a US$6.2 billion (5.2 billion euro) loan it had extended to Glencore and the Qatar Investment Authority to help them fund the acquisition of a 19.5-percent interest in Russian oil giant Rosneft.
Lukoilalongside Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegas, and Rosnefthas been since 2014 on the U.S. Treasury sanctions list that prohibits the exports of goods, services (not including financial services), or technology in support of exploration or production for Russian deepwater, Arctic offshore, or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil. The latest U.S. sanctions, however, are still being studied by Western banks to fully understand the possible implications of doing business with Russia and whats permitted and what is not.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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Traders are scrambling to ship as much oil and oil products from the Louisiana coast before Hurricane Harvey hits it and disrupts loadings, Reuters reports. Oil import and export terminals in Texas were closed earlier, when the storm ravaged the state. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Texas in more than five decades.
Now Harvey is moving to Louisiana, expected to reach the coast today. In a statement from 1:30 AM CDT today, the National Weather Service warned that Harvey continues to bring threat of tornadoes, high tides, and heavy rain. Flash flooding is in the forecast for parts of southeastern Louisiana.
Louisiana and Texas together account for almost half of the United States oil refining capacity: 5.6 million bpd for Texas and 3.3 million bpd for Louisiana. Much of thissome 2.2 million bpdwas shut down in Texas last weekend. Yesterday, Reuters reported that the storm had shuttered a fifth of U.S. refining capacity, or 3.6 million bpd in both Texas and Louisiana. Now more will be taken offline.
Louisiana is home to the St. James oil trading hub, which has a refining capacity of 2.5 million bpd. Now, amid soaring gasoline prices after the Texas refinery shutdowns, traders are focusing on Louisiana, trying to get as much fuel as possible into the country before the terminals there close, too.
Related: China Creates Worlds Biggest Power Group With $271B In Assets
At least one vessel, the Ridgebury Julia, carrying oil products, was diverted earlier this week, according to Reuters shipping data, from its original destination to Corpus Christi in Texas to New Orleans.
Meanwhile, while gas prices are skyrocketing, WTI is falling due to the decline in refinery runs. The benchmark yesterday widened the gap with Brent crude to US$5.90 a barrel. At about 5 AM EDT, WTI was trading at US$46.34 a barrel, down 0.22 percent from yesterdays close.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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Russia and Qatar are reiterating their mutual interest to continue coordination in energy, in oil production, and in the gas-exporting countries forum, as well as to boost trade and economic ties, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting with his Qatari counterpart in Doha on Wednesday.
There is a growing interest in mutual increase of investments between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Qatar Investment Agency, Lavrov noted.
Early this year, commodity giant Glencore and Qatars sovereign wealth fund completed the acquisition of 19.5 percent in Russias oil behemoth Rosneft in a deal worth the equivalent of around US$11.3 billion at the time.
Both Russia and Qatar are one of the worlds biggest gas producers and exporters, and both are party to the ongoing crude oil production cut deal, with Russia leading the non-OPEC nations in the agreement and Qatar being part of OPEC.
But for nearly three months, Qatar has been isolated by its Persian Gulf neighbors, as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cut diplomatic ties with the tiny gas-rich country in early June, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism groupsa charge that Doha denies.
During his visit to Qatar today, Lavrov said that he discussed the situation with his Qatari colleagues and that Russia continues to believe that solutions should be sought via dialogue and compromise. Russia reiterated its support to Kuwaits mediation in the dispute, Lavrov said. Moscow believes that the spat should be settled within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Russian minister noted.
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Qatar welcomed Russias position on the Persian Gulf dispute, Qatars Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said after the meeting with Lavrov.
Before visiting Qatar, the Russian foreign minister was in Kuwait and the UAE earlier this week to discuss the conflicts in the Middle Eastincluding the Qatar spatand economic and trade ties between Russia and Kuwait and the UAE, respectively.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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A day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan, Tokyo is pushing the United States to encourage the United Nations to levy new sanctions against Pyongyang, including choking off North Koreas oil supplies, a new Reuters report said.
New measures could be designed to target North Koreans who work abroad or oil supplies. The U.S. is usually the nation author of all drafts of the U.N.s sanctions on North Korea. American diplomats then negotiate any potential sanctions with China, Pyongyangs main ally in international circles.
The medium-range ballistic missile, fired, according to Kim Jong-uns regime, in retaliation for South Korean military tests with the U.S., flew over northern Japan. Tokyo is seeking a strong resolution on North Korea, according to Koro Bessho, the Japanese ambassador to the U.N.
We will certainly discuss it with the United States, Bessho told reporters on Wednesday.
Beijings newest round of sanctions against Pyongyang ban only oil and gas exports from North Korea, while steady oil supplies from China to North Korea continue to prop up Pyongyang, allowing it to avert an energy meltdown, according to new reports emerging from the area.
Cheap North Korean workers still work in dimly lit factories to continue progress in weapons factories and related projects.
Still, the Chinese military has plans to defend North Korea from any ideas of regime change from the United States.
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If China believes [it is] very much necessary to send troops inside to best serve its interests, I dont see why China wouldnt do so, said Zhao Tong from the Carnegie Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy, based in Beijing.
Fresh sanctions against North Korea cover seafood, coal and iron ore coming from the country into China, which costs Kim Jong-uns regime $1 billion a year. The new measures are sure to cut deep into the impoverished country of 25.1 million people, 70 percent of whom are food insecure.
By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com
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Our company requires wood briquettes. Volume: 50 tons per month. Send the price per ton.
Trenches have been dug, heels are firmly planted, fingers are locked and loaded, ready to point at the most convenient scapegoat the war over Kentuckys public pensions has begun.
The first strike came Monday, when a state-paid consulting group, PFM, issued a report recommending drastic changes to the pension plans that cover most of Kentuckys public employees retired, active and future.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article170086847.html#storylink=cpy
Lawmakers were quick to point out that the recommendation was just that a recommendation .
Theres good ideas in there. I will say theres a lot of good ideas, some of them may be implemented, some of them may not be, Gov. Matt Bevin said in a Facebook Live video hours after the report. Theres some that, quite frankly, I dont think there will be an appetite for, even though they may be financially appropriate for us to pursue.
Legislators, the people who will vote on any pension overhaul, have expressed similar reservations about the report, which contained proposals that outraged every subset of government employees in the state.
The PFM report should be, and I think to a large degree was, not political and now youre going to introduce politics in the process, said state Rep. James Kay, D-Versailles. And there are going to be winners and losers.
So far, government workers have largely been kept in the dark about what action the legislature might take .
Members of the House of Representatives held a closed-door meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the PFM report, shutting the public out of their first discussion about potential changes that might directly affect the pocketbooks of about 500,000 Kentuckians.
Lawmakers said the meeting largely consisted of asking the consultants and state budget director John Chilton questions about the report. Among other things, it recommended raising retirement ages, freezing the pensions of most state and local government workers and pushing them into 401(k)-style retirement plans .
Going forward, a variety of interest groups are poised to battle for the votes of lawmakers.
I think were all hearing from folks, said House Speaker Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown. Look, were all concerned about it, it affects every Kentuckian. I said yesterday that this issue is not just about retired workers or retirees, its not just about current state workers or current teachers. It affects everything with regard to the state budget and it affects every Kentuckian.
Facebook pages for state government workers and retirees lit up with reaction Monday night to the consultants report and Bevins video chat. All of the groups have asked members to make their presence felt in Frankfort .
We are currently in a fight to preserve the retirement benefits so many have been promised and spent a lifetime of service earning, the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police said on Facebook. Please tell your state legislators to protect our pensions.
The Kentucky Government Retirees group posted a request Tuesday for lawyers to offer suggestions about how to proceed with evaluating and securing suitable legal counsel. The group has pledged to fight a recommendation that would take away cost-of-living adjustments given to retirees from 1996 to 2012, a change that would reduce the monthly checks for many in the state (click on image).
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article170086847.html#storylink=cpy
Kentucky's finance and administration cabinet, Frankfort, hired PFM Group to provide a performance and best practices analysis of the state's retirement plans.
PFM will analyze the plans overall solvency and liquidity, outstanding obligations, reasons for the plans current financial status, and best practices and future actions to shore up the plans, said a news release from the governors office on Monday.
The firms final report is due Dec. 31, said a spokeswoman in the finance and administration cabinet in an e-mail .
An RFP was issued in May.
PFM Group will provide the state with financial and other information relating to the current and projected financial situation on its retirement plans and advising the state on various paths forward. Reforming the states ailing pension systems is one of this administrations top priorities, said Gov. Matt Bevin in the release. The findings that will come from this pension fund audit will accurately identify our actual pension liabilities. It is our intention to shine the antiseptic light of transparency on the countrys worst funded pension system and financially secure the pension system for generations to come. Kentucky taxpayers, retirees and current employees deserve nothing less.
The $18 billion Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System, $15 billion Kentucky Retirement Systems and $94 million Kentucky Judicial Form Retirement System, all based in Frankfort, face roughly $35 billion in unfunded liabilities combined .
The PFM Consulting Group says that the many changes in recommended Monday for Kentucky's pension systems would eventually save the state more than $1 billion a year.
That's if all of them are adopted.
And some of the recommendations have been controversial.
Of course, it remains to be seen what the final result will be when a special legislative session which Gov. Matt Bevin has said he will call this fall convenes. The governor insisted on Facebook Live Monday night that any plan would be done in consultation with state workers and would protect benefits they have accrued thus far.
Of course, PFM's recommendations address other issues besides benefits (assumptions used by the retirement plans, investment practices of retirement systems, the basic approach the state takes to funding the plans, etc.)
But here are some of its more controversial recommendations:
1. Repeal retirees' cost of living adjustments
PFM recommends state and local government retirees give up the portion of their future benefit payments resulting from cost of living increases granted to Kentucky Retirement Systems members between 1996 and 2012. That would mean a reduction in benefit checks for anyone who retired before 2012, with some reductions of 25 percent or more .
2. Suspend teachers' cost of living adjustments
Recommends suspending future cost of living adjustments for teachers until the Teachers Retirement System is 90 percent funded, which is certain not to happen for many years . Teachers currently get cost of living increases, partly because unlike most other public employee retirees they do not get Social Security benefits, which do include an annual cost of living adjustment .
3. Create new 401(k) plans for most state and local government workers
Recommends freezing benefits earned so far and moving current workers into a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan for the rest of their careers . This proposal includes an optional buyout provision to encourage workers to move fully into the 401(k)-style plan. The new 401(k)-type plan would require an employee contribution of 3 percent of salary and a guaranteed base employer contribution of 2 percent of salary . Employers would also match 50 percent of additional employee contributions up to 6 percent of salary. Employees in hazardous duty jobs, such as police and firefighters, would not be shifted to the new 401(k) plans.
4. Increase retirement age for current workers
The consultant recommends increasing the age for retirement with non-reduced benefits to 65 for non-hazardous workers and teachers and to 60 for hazardous duty employees.
5. Drop some teacher benefits
Recommends ending certain benefits of teachers, including one that lets teachers use accumulated unused sick days to enhance their benefits.
6. Move new teachers into 401(k) plan
Recommends moving new teachers into a 401(k)-type plan with Social Security . This move into Social Security would increase the cost to employers. PFM says school boards could pick up this new Social Security cost.
7. Don't separate County Employees Retirement System
Does not recommend separating the County Employee Retirement System plans from the Kentucky Retirement Systems. CERS funds pensions for county and city employees as well as non-teaching school district employees, from the Kentucky Retirement Systems.
The Kentucky League of Cities and Kentucky Association of Counties want to pull CERS from the KRS umbrella, which includes other pension plans that aren't as well-funded.
well-governed
Keith Brainard, research director for the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, said risk doesn't disappear under a 401(k) plan.
"These proposals shift that risk from the state and its public employers and taxpayers and put it all on the workers. In fact, theres going to be more risk because they are no longer in a group that can manage the risk much better," he said.
Whether the moves actually will save the state money is a question being hotly debated.
Jason Bailey, executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, of Berea, said, Moving employees into 401(k)-type plans is actually more expensive and harms retirees while making it much more difficult to attract and retain a skilled workforce.
Daniel Desrochers of the Lexington Herald Leader reports, It affects everything. Whats at stake as Kentuckys pension war begins Meaghan Killroy of Pensions & Investments also reports, Kentucky hires PFM Group to analyze state pension plans Lastly, Tom Loftus of the Courier Journal looks at 7 controversial recommendations to solve Kentucky's pension crisis I predicted this mess five years ago when I wrote all about Kentucky fried pensions . Chris Tobe took my blog title to make a book out of the corruption and cover-up going on at Kentucky's pensions.One by one, the dominoes are falling on US public pensions and those with the weakest governance are being exposed. There is no place to hide, the situation is so grim that officials have to face the music and relay the terrible news to the plans' beneficiaries.Some of the recommendations make sense but others are definitely a step in the wrong direction, one that will make everyone worse off, including the state of Kentucky.In particular, scraping a defined-benefit plan to replace it with a defined-contribution plan is a really horrible idea. It shifts retirement risk entirely onto workers and leaves them all exposed to pension poverty down the road. That's the brutal truth on DC pensions , they're far, far inferior to large,DB plans.The public-sector unions and retirees should fight tooth and nail to maintain DB plans but they will need to share some of the risks attached to these plans in order to see them regain fully-funded status.The biggest problem is lack of governance. You can almagate all these plans at the state level, increase the retirement age for some and even introduce some form of shared-risk but if you don't get the governance right, Kentucky's defined-benefit plans won't survive and this will impact the state in a very negative way (both in terms of attracting qualified people to the public sector and in terms of economic activity).Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and other cities in Texas but they will rebuild that great state. Kentucky's pension hurricane has been going on for years and very few were paying attention, let alone sounding the alarm.And now, I'm afraid to say, Kentucky's pensions are finished, irrevocably changed and the future of public defined-benefit plans in that state is grim at best. Welcome to America's new pension normal.Below, a quick look at the figures behind Kentucky's pension shortfall. Like I said, the situation is grim, there's nothing much they can do to bring these pensions back from the abyss and everyone will lose as they crumble. Unfortunately, there are many other state pensions which will suffer the same fate.Tom Loftus of courier-journal reports, Kentucky pension crisis: Are 401(k) plans the solution? . I note the following passage:I will keep hammering the point that moving public sector employees to a 401(k) plan shifts retirement risk entirely onto employees, leaves them exposed to the vagaries of public markets, and ultimately many of them will succumb to pension poverty just like private sector employees with DC plans. Moreover, the long-term effects to the state of Kentucky are not good, they will raise social welfare costs and cut economic growth as more people retire with little to no savings.
This is the latest in a series of posts about the Rev. David Hughes, father of Glens Falls native Charles Evans Hughes.
Gov. Charles Evans Hughes was joined by another skilled orator -- his father -- when the governor spoke to the Brooklyn League at Clarendon Hotel in New York City about his push to outlaw racetrack gambling, The New York Times reported on April 6, 1908.
The Rev. David Hughes, a Baptist preacher who was father of Charles, was among several orators that spoke prior to the governor.
Many clergy in New York advocated in support of the governor's push to pass a law to enforce a state Constitution prohibition on gambling.
Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.
CAMBRIDGE An exhibit at the Cambridge Historical Society and Museum, Honoring Our Vietnam Veterans, calls attention to the experiences of area residents who did military service during the Vietnam War.
Deena Lowe, the societys curator, and volunteer Betsy Shiland created the exhibit and organized a panel discussion in June in response to a suggestion by one of the museums directors, Lowe said.
We wanted to show appreciation and to honor (the veterans,) Lowe said.
Shiland, who also volunteers with the local American Legion post, was liaison with the Legion.
The Legion, Capt. Maxson Post 634, let the pair search their member database for Vietnam era veterans.
Lowe and Shiland also consulted a list compiled by local historian Dave Thornton for the areas veterans memorial. Current and former residents of the towns of Cambridge, Jackson and White Creek were eligible.
Lowe and Shiland sent out more than 80 hand-addressed letters, each with a personal note to let the recipient know that the project was genuine.
The response rate was not great, Shiland said.
Although participation was open to all Vietnam War-era veterans, including those stationed in other countries such as Germany, Thailand and Cambodia, people said, `I didnt serve in Vietnam so I dont qualify, Lowe recalled.
Shiland recruited some participants through conversations at the Legions bar.
Local veterans contributed photographs, books and magazine articles, uniforms and other memorabilia.
Army veteran Lance Wang, whose service was post-Vietnam, loaned a timeline he created of the wars history, starting with the first shipment of American aid to the French colonial administration in 1950 and ending with the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington in 1982.
Dianne Wilkie, who was on the Army medical staff, sent her medals and some photographs.
Gail Sourdiffe loaned her wedding album. She and her then-boyfriend, Larry, didnt decide to marry until he enlisted, when they realized they might not get another chance, Lowe said. Their wedding was held just before he was shipped out to Germany.
The historical societys archivist, Mary Anne McAvoy, brought her Coast Guard uniform.
Dan Severson and E. J. Lybert were featured speakers at the panel discussion on June 21.
Severson served more than 20 years in the Army and later was a teacher and administrator at Cambridge Central School. He was injured in 1967 during his second one-year tour of duty in Vietnam and spent more than a year recovering. He received two Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, the Army Commendation Medal with V for Valor, and the Distinguished Service Cross.
Lybert was a military engineer who helped build roads and other facilities at the beginning of the war, Lowe said.
Attendance by veterans at the discussion was good, Lowe said, but Shiland noted that although some memories must have been painful, and the veterans seemed to cover their feelings by laughing and joking.
The war was tremendously unpopular among some parts of American society. Lowe and Shiland said theyve found no evidence of oppositon locally, but all of the guys I spoke to at the Legion had to face it at some point during their military careers.
Lowe and Shiland plan to wrap up the exhibition on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, with another speaker. However, their research will continue.
I want to get into the social effects of the war, Lowe said. I want to understand more about the use of Agent Orange (a defoliant that was sprayed on Vietnamese jungles and croplands), medals and military initials.
The historical society would also like to add a Marine uniform and Army fatigues to its uniform display.
This has been a real learning experience for us, Lowe said.
GLENS FALLS After discovering that their annual fundraising galas are both scheduled at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 in Glens Falls, The Hyde Collection and The Charles R. Wood Theater took the high road and joined forces.
The two arts organizations are cross-promoting their fall fundraisers and sponsoring each other.
They are both on the same night at the same time it wasnt intentional, said Emily Murphy, executive director of the Wood Theater in Glens Falls. We said, Lets work together and make sure we both succeed. We are both doing everything we can to help the other.
Anne Saile, interim director of The Hyde Collection, echoed Murphys sentiments.
Once we realized it, we were locked into the date. It coincides with the opening of our folk art show. And they also had commitments, she said. We looked at how to make it a good thing. And how lucky we are to celebrate two arts organizations on the same evening. Too often, organizations become competitive. We are working toward this together.
Saile continued.
We want to send a message, if you can go to both (galas), its a great thing, she said. But we know it could be a tough choice.
For the Wood Theaters gala, NY NY A Night in the Big Apple, all three floors of the theater space will be transformed into individual New York City attractions like Times Square in the lobby, along with tacos from OPablos Food Truck and street food selections by the Forged restaurant of Hudson Falls; the Bomb Shelter Comedy Club in the basement; Studio 207 Dance Club in the cabaret space; and McMahons Irish Pub in the second-floor rehearsal room.
Ours will be laid-back fun, Murphy said. Our organizations have respectively planned two unique events that together will help us reach a common goal of continuing to provide the Glens Falls community with a range of quality arts experiences.
The Hyde gala, Celebrating Our Shared Legacy, is a time of reminiscence as they honor the museums history and celebrate the opening of the exhibition, A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America. Barbara Gordon, a prominent folk art collector from whose collection the exhibition is drawn, will give personalized tours of the exhibit that is more than just paintings on the wall.
There will be figures and pieces of furniture, Saile said, adding that the exhibit at The Hyde is the collections final stop on a national tour.
As the two organizations cross-promote their major fundraising events, they are each making a donation to the other. The Hyde is donating a membership to The Hyde and other items to The Wood Theaters silent auction.
We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with The Hyde in our fundraising efforts this fall, Murphy said. We have the same goal and similar missions and we are cross-promoting and encouraging our patrons to support both.
Voters in parts of Washington County had an issue with casting their vote because of an error in the way the ballots were printed.
GLENS FALLS Vinny Roman stood in front of Cool Insuring Arena on Wednesday morning, knowing that at least 80 volunteers were inside, training to deploy to Texas to help with recovery from Hurricane Harvey.
Just when you were thinking there are not enough good people in the world, something like this happens, said Roman, the regional chief operating officer for the American Red Cross. This is a great turnout.
Like the rest of his staff, Roman was surprised by the outpouring from local residents, who are committing to spending at least two weeks in the flooded areas.
The need is so high, said Velvet Linville, a volunteer coordinator with the Red Cross. We had hoped to have at least 4,000 of our people down there, and we already have 2,000. This disaster is so great we are expecting to have a need in the coming months.
The storm is not yet over and is on its way through western Louisiana and headed toward Mississippi.
Already, about 15 people from the Albany area are on the ground in Texas, including several from Warren and Washington counties.
We will very likely be sending people down there at least through November and maybe longer, said Dan Kunzelman, the regional disaster coordinator for the Red Cross, who was helping to coordinate the training.
Abby Monica of Saratoga Springs was among those at the training. I saw an opportunity, and I wanted to take it, she said. It is a chance to help people in need.
This will be Monicas first humanitarian trip. Bernice McLellan, also from Saratoga, has been to Haiti three times on similar trips and is ready to go to Texas this time.
Karie Provenchie and her daughter, Briannah Maloney, were also at the training.
We take a lot of things for granted, Provenchie said. If we can help, then we should.
Lisa Clark, assistant director of nursing at the Washington Center in Argyle, was also at the training. She has been asked by the Red Cross to be part of the initial group.
Last year, for Hurricane Matthew, the Red Cross trained about 80 people. This year, more than 25 were at a training in Albany on Tuesday and 50 are signed up in Utica for Thursday. An additional training will be held in Utica and one other in the region, either in Albany or Saratoga Springs.
The people being trained this week will mostly be helping at shelters, although those with medical training were asked to list that.
The basic mission is taking care of people, said Angelika Klappath, a disaster program manager. And being a good humanitarian.
The volunteers had to say whether they could walk 2 miles, work in humid weather, sleep on a cot and deal with mold.
If you cannot do those things, we still have a place for you, it just might not be right away, Klappath said.
The training included a general Red Cross overview, a discussion of the disaster services cycle and, in the afternoon, fundamentals of working at a shelter.
MOREAU The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday again called on the EPA to do more to rid the Hudson River of PCBs.
The Environmental Protection Agency in June released a draft report stating that it believes the efforts to remove PCBs would restore the rivers quality to a point where the fish could safely be eaten once a week in 55 years time.
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said that time frame is not acceptable a point that the agency is reiterating in formal comments being submitted this week to the EPA.
We have the chance now to take the river and bring it back to where it should be, he said Wednesday at a news conference held at the Moreau Boat Launch.
Seggos said a project to collect 1,600 sediment samples along the river should be completed by the end of the week. He said DEC had called for sampling last year, but the EPA and GE refused and the state decided to undertake the project itself. However, they had to wait until winter was over and began sampling in June.
State officials have spent $2 million on the project. DEC has not had time to look at the data.
Seggos said he has spoken with EPA officials who are aware that DEC will be submitting additional materials when this data is analyzed.
One million pounds of PCBs were dumped in the river by General Electric before they were banned in 1977. A seven-year dredging project to remove them wrapped up in 2016.
Seggos said the Hudson River is a 180-mile-long waterway and the $1.7 billion dredging project focused only on a 40-mile section of it. He pointed out that people are fishing and recreating in the Lower Hudson communities closer to New York City.
Seggos said the DEC is prepared to file a lawsuit if necessary to fight for further dredging.
Were keeping all of our options on the table, he said.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, said she represents several communities along the river and they are not able to benefit economically from a clean Hudson River. Also, by not fully cleaning up the river, the toxins will just migrate out to sea.
The EPA is willing to let the remaining cleanup be somebody elses problem, she said.
General Electric should take responsibility for its actions, according to Woerner.
GE came here. They dumped all of these PCBs in the river and now theyre gone, she said. Its up to the EPA to hold them accountable and get the job done.
Moreau Supervisor Gardner Congdon said he recalled battling with GE to get them to clean up a sludge site in the town.
Congdon faulted the EPA for being short-sighted. He said the Hudson River is a breeding area for striped bass.
Andy Bicking, director of public policy and special projects for Scenic Hudson Inc., said as long as PCBs remain in the water, the ecosystem of the river is threatened. More than 500 people have submitted more than 2,000 comments to the EPA on its draft findings, calling on the agency to do more to remove PCBs, according to Bicking.
People have spoken with one voice. They want the river back and they want it back in their lifetime, he said. Waiting decades for recovery is not acceptable.
Richard Webster, legal program director for Riverkeeper, said to call the EPAs initial report bad science is an understatement.
What weve got is magical thinking, he said.
The river is not going to recover on its own without further assistance, according to Webster, and there is ample evidence of that.
Webster said residents have been fighting 40 years for a clean river and do not want to have to fight for another 40.
Officials encouraged residents to submit comments to the EPA ahead of Fridays deadline. Webster urged people to visit a link on its website at www.riverkeeper.org.
Mark Behan, spokesman for GE, said the EPA has called the Hudson River dredging project a historic success that will protect human health in the environment.
More than 80 percent of the PCB levels in the water of the Upper Hudson declined at every location where they were monitored and by as much as 73 percent in the first 12 months after dredging, according to Behan. PCB levels in fish are declining as well.
New York state approved and oversaw the dredging project and was instrumental in every major decision related to the project. Its criticism flies in the face of the most up-to-date scientific data from the river itself, he said in a statement.
EPA officials could not be reached immediately for comment.
FORT EDWARD A Jefferson County woman arrested last March along with a woman who police believe is major heroin dealer in Vermont and eastern New York is headed to prison.
Tykesha Williams, of Great Bend, was sentenced recently in Washington Court to 3 years in prison and 2 years post-release supervision. Williams had pleaded guilty to a count of felony third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Williams had been arrested back in March, when she was in a vehicle with 200 bags of heroin and 8 grams of crack.
Williams was with Lesley M. Fontaine, 40, of Fair Haven, Vermont, who police believe was a major heroin seller who sold drugs in Washington County on three occasions during the past year. Among the drugs Fontaine is accused of selling is the powerful painkiller Fentanyl, which police believe has contributed to overdose deaths in the region.
Also arrested at the time was Neal Wilday, who was driving the vehicle. He recently pleaded guilty to fourth-degree conspiracy and will likely receive 5 years on probation when sentenced on Sept. 15.
Fontaine pleaded guilty in July to felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance. She is expected to receive 10 years in state prison followed by 4 years of post-release supervision when sentenced.
BALLSTON SPA
Car Show The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association and Saratoga Automobile Museum will hold the 15th annual The Way We Were car show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 on Front Street. Rain date is Oct. 15.
Front Street will be blocked off from Milton Avenue past the Old Iron Springs to accommodate car exhibits and vendors. In addition to food and merchandise vendors, the show will have a Kids Zone, located by the Old Iron Springs, which will feature several free childrens activities.
The car show is a judged show and several trophies will be awarded, including Best of Show, Mayors Choice, Best Engine, Best Paint, Best Stock, Oldest Vehicle, plus the top three in specified categories. Judging begins at 9 a.m. with trophies awarded at 3:30 p.m.
The event is free to spectators; exhibitors can preregister by Sept. 30 for $15 per car; $20 the day of show. All proceeds will benefit BSBPA community activities and the Saratoga Automobile Museums mission to combat distracted driving. Dash plaques will be given to the first 400 cars registered, and the first 200 cars registered will receive car show souvenirs.
Preregistration can be completed online at ballston.org.
For more information, email bspacarshow2017@gmail.com or call 885-2772.
BOLTON LANDING
Music and More at Farmers Market Featured at the Bolton Landing Farmers Market on Friday will be music by Mark Rabin, free Stewarts ice cream and an Apple Harvest Festival. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FORT EDWARD
Rummage Sale Fort Edward Rescue Squad, 75 Schuyler St., will hold a rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
GLENS FALLS
Fellowship Meal Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 15 Nelson St., invites the community to the Womens Ministry Each One Reach One first Friday fellowship meal on Friday. We will be serving chili and corn bread.
Luncheon and DebateThe Chapman Historical Museums annual fall luncheon will be held at the Queensbury Hotel on Sept. 18. Attendees will enjoy a social hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a hot buffet and a look back at 1917 and the Womans Suffrage movement. Local actresses portraying Lucy Price, an anti-suffragist from Ohio, and Emily Nordstrom, a North Country suffragist, will debate the 100-year-old question: Should women get the vote?
The cost is $45 and paid reservations must be made by Sept. 7. Call or stop by the Chapman Museum, 358 Glen St., 793-2826.
Thrift Shoppe The Thrift Shoppe at First Baptist Church, 100 Maple St., is open from 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday. Money raised is put back into the community through many charities and organizations.
Volunteers are always needed, and anyone interested is asked to call Amy at 793-1560 and leave a message.
HUDSON FALLS
Zions Closet Zions Closet, 232 Main St., provides quality clothing, small housewares and furniture at affordable prices.
It is open from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Donations may be made only when Zions Closet is open.
LAKE GEORGE
Fish Fry American Legion Post No. 374 on Route 9L will hold a fish fry from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Chicken fingers will also be available.
The cost of the fish fry is $7.50 for adults and $4 for children; chicken fingers, $6.50 for adults, $4 for children.
LONG LAKE
Barbecue/Music/Fireworks The eighth annual Labor Day chicken barbecue at the Mt. Sabattis Pavilion to benefit the Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department will be held Saturday. Food service will begin between 4 and 5 p.m. and last until they run out.
At 5 p.m., the Fulton Chain Gang will perform a blend of modern country, classic country and southern rock. At dusk, there will be a fireworks display.
POTTERSVILLE
Benefit Garage Sale SonRise Lutheran Church will hold a garage sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church on Route 9 to benefit the Helpers Fund of Chestertown.
A variety of items will be available including household, automotive, clothing, etc. Many items come from the SonRise and Christ Church congregations. A limited number of donations will also be accepted.
Contact the North Warren Chamber of Commerce at 494-2722 for drop off information.
QUEENSBURY
Blood Drive An American Red Cross blood drive has been scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday at Aviation Mall, 578 Aviation Road.
To schedule an appointment, call 800-733-2767.
SARATOGA COUNTY
Farmers Market Coupons Saratoga County Office for the Aging Elderly Nutrition Program is distributing farmers market coupons to those who qualify; one booklet per individual.
Income eligibility for ages 61 and older for a one-person household is $1,860 or less per month and for a two-person household is $2,504 or less per month. Coupons can be picked up at the Office for the Aging, 152 West High St., Ballston Spa, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
For more information, call 884-4100.
WEST HEBRON
Outdoor Family MovieHebron United Presbyterian Church will host a family-friendly outdoor movie Friday at dusk. Bring a lawn chair and blankets to keep warm. Rain location will be inside the church. For more information, call 854-9883.
DECATUR From field demonstrations to giveaways, there was something for everyone Tuesday as thousands of people from across the country and the world descended upon Progress City USA for the first day of the Farm Progress Show.
Attendees were treated to a bevy of activities from the more than 600 vendors set up at across roughly 90 acres of exhibit space.
That's not counting the space they could explore in virtual reality at the Syngenta tent, where visitors could put on a headset to explore a field showing corn that had been treated with different fungicides.
What we are trying to do is take people that normally dont make it to a plot tour and put them in front of our products, said Nate Prater, agronomy service representative with Syngenta.
The goal is to give the wearer the experience of taking an in-person field tour so that they can see the difference in growth for corn treated with the company's fungicide. It also means people can take a plot tour in the winter, the rain or extreme heat, all while staying comfortable inside.
This is the second time the company has used the experience and overall people seem to enjoy it, Prater said.
Especially the younger generation. They like it because they understand the technology and they dont have to stand out there when it is hot, he said.
One little girl took off her headset and looked in front of her, almost as if she expected to see the field in Ohio.
You get lots of reactions," Prater said. "You tell them not to walk around because they cant see anything.
Elsewhere, Gary Birky from Indiana wasnt sure he liked to the idea behind the 360 Yield Center Sprint technology, which refuels the sprayer attachment on a tractor while the tractor keeps driving. Doing so is supposed to save the farmer time by not stopping to refill at the end of the field. A sprayer is used to distribute chemicals on crops, such as herbicides, pesticides and liquid fertilizer.
If you cant take time to refuel at the end of the field, you are farming too much land, Birky said.
He compared the procedure to refueling an airplane in the air. He said people need to stop and take a moment and a breath while they work in the fields, especially since it takes less than five minutes to refuel.
You need to enjoy what you are doing, Birky said.
Other equipment that caught Birkys eye was the Apache sprayer. Hes looking for pulsating nozzles and a nicer, less bumpy ride than his old sprayer. Birky is interested in buying a new sprayer, but he was hesitant to make the purchase until he sees higher profit margins from his crops. He mostly wanted to check out the new models and examine how they are being built.
Perhaps the biggest draw of the three-day show is the field demonstrations, which allow farmers to see equipment such as tractors and combines working side-by-side. Among the hundreds there to watch the latest equipment from Caterpillar Inc. was Chase Murray, who traveled from Missouri to attend the show. A farmer his entire adult life, Murray said he enjoyed the chance to see firsthand what equipment was out there.
You can read about the equipment all you want, but nothing beats seeing it at work in the field, he said.
Iowa-bound drivers on the Government Bridge soon will be greeted by a vibrant piece of art as they enter downtown Davenport.
The 12-by-24-foot mural at the foot of the crossing will be unveiled Thursday afternoon.
Currently shielded by a tarp, the free-standing sign resembles an old postcard that reads, Welcome to downtown Davenport, Iowa.
It features numerous city landmarks and state symbols, said Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, a division of the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, which funded a majority of the project.
About three years ago, as he grew sick and tired of the naked wall the mural now blocks, Carter approached his friend and Quad-City artist Johnnie Cluney about decorating the gateway to the city.
The fact that we had nothing welcoming people into the state and the downtown always drove me nuts, Carter said. We had a welcome sign there at one point, but for whatever reason, it went away for a really long time.
In hopes of diversifying his portfolio, Cluney, a lifelong Quad-Citian, accepted the challenge.
First of all, you dont turn down work, Cluney, 35, said this week. But I was super nervous to do this because thousands of people are going to see it every day."
If he did it right, however, Cluney, who had not drawn anything this size before, thought he could land more freelance gigs in the future.
As an illustrator for Daytrotter, the Davenport-based independent music business, Cluney is known for his colorful portraits of musicians. He has fashioned close to 10,000 of them, according to his estimates.
Drawing everything by hand, he completed the welcome sign about four months ago after working on it almost every night for six months.
Pictured in each block letter that spell out Davenport is a historic downtown landmark, including Modern Woodmen Park, Hotel Blackhawk and the Capitol Theatre, to name a few.
Cluney managed to incorporate a reference to the late Ellis Kell into his depiction of the Capitol Theatre. (The legendary musicians name is on the venues marquee.)
Viewers also will see illustrations of wild roses, Iowas state flower; an eastern goldfinch, Iowas state bird; the roller dam at Lock and Dam 15; the Mississippi River; and beer-brewing hops.
We decided right away we didnt want any corn, so I put hops on there instead because were kind of becoming this beer town, said Cluney, a former Davenport resident who now lives in Rock Island. Its cool because everyone knows me for doing Daytrotter, but this is not music-related at all.
"It gets my name out there in a different way."
And rightfully so, Carter said, endorsing the artist's work.
(Cluney's) artwork is globally recognized, Carter added. Its only fitting he has something that the community can really take some pride in.
Under the direction of Riverbend Signworks of Bettendorf, the project's general contractor, Boyd Fitzgerald Imaging Solutions of Davenport used a scanner to transfer Cluney's sketches to a computer. One Step Print Solutions of Davenport then pieced the complete digital image together with Adobe Photoshop.
Surrounding the finished product is a rustic steel frame, designed to match the look of the Government Bridge and built by Seaberg Industries in Davenport.
You cant get that at Menards, Carter said, referring to the custom frame, which does not touch the wall that supports the overhead railroad tracks.
Attached to the frame, four gooseneck-style light fixtures will illuminate the scene at night.
The job cost $43,500, Carter said, and the city chipped in $6,000 from the beautification funds of aldermen Kyle Gripp and Jason Gordon, who allocated $3,000 each.
Cluney will not see the installation in person until Thursdays ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Its going to blow my mind, he said.
Former Davenport 3rd Ward Alderman Bill Boom was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation for lying to a federal grand jury during a crystal methamphetamine investigation in 2016.
He also must serve 80 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine, Chief District Judge John Jarvey ordered during a sentencing hearing that lasted about 15 minutes in U.S. District Court, Davenport.
"I am remorseful for my actions and are accountable to them," Boom said during a short statement to the court.
He added that he will do "everything in my power" not to appear in this court again.
Boom, 66, pleaded guilty April 18 in U.S. District Court, Davenport, to one count of false declaration before a grand jury, a felony.
He resigned from the City Council the same day.
Boom's plea came more than a year after Scott County Sheriff's deputies searched his home in the 400 block of West 7th Street as part of an investigation into the sale of crystal methamphetamine by Gage A. Wenthe, 27, who was living with Boom.
Deputies seized the drug, also known as "ice," marijuana, suspected marijuana wax, an unknown white powder, drug paraphernalia, a digital scale, packaging materials and two rifles, according to investigators.
Wenthe, when questioned by deputies, admitted to being a middle man for the sale of methamphetamine and marijuana to several people in the area, according to investigators.
Boom was representing the City Council at a broadband conference in Austin, Texas, at the time of the search. He told the Quad-City Times in an interview at the time that he had no knowledge about the drugs found in his home.
He was not charged with any drug offenses.
A second man, Joseph Allen Terry, 40, was charged later that day after a search of his Davenport home turned up approximately 63 grams of "ice" methamphetamine, a digital scale, $1,375 cash and 37 hydrocodone pills. Packaging materials and drug paraphernalia also were seized.
Terry and Wenthe were both charged in Scott County District Court. Wenthe pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and possession with intent to deliver marijuana in Scott County District Court and was given a deferred sentence and placed into the Mental Health Court program.
Wenthe violated the terms of the program and was ordered in January to serve the original sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The state charges were dropped against Terry in July 2016 when he was charged in federal court.
He pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and will be sentenced Sept. 21.
According to the plea agreement, Boom testified before a federal grand jury on July 19, 2016, in connection with the investigation.
He was advised by an assistant U.S. attorney that he could face criminal penalties if he failed to testify truthfully or misled the grand jury, according to the plea agreement.
During the grand jury proceedings, Boom was asked if he was aware that Wenthe used methamphetamine prior to the search of his home on April 6, 2016. He said no, according to the plea agreement.
"There was a time when I found a syringe in his room, but he told me that that was from one of his friends that had diabetes," Boom told the grand jury, according to the plea agreement. "But every time that I suspected something, I would give him holy hell."
He also testified that he had never given money to Terry but said that he had given money to Wenthe or his relatives.
Boom admitted in the plea agreement that he knowingly made a false statement and that he knew that Wenthe used methamphetamine prior to April 6, 2016. He also admitted in the plea agreement that he had given money to Terry.
These questions and answers were material to an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in southeastern Iowa, according to prosecutors.
Boom's attorney, Murray Bell, argued Wednesday for a sentence of one year of probation, citing his client's lack of a criminal history, his service to the community, and his acceptance of responsibility for his actions.
Bell said that although dishonesty in the justice system can cause problems, Boom's actions did not interfere in prosecutors' ability to obtain an indictment against Terry.
"This one wasn't as bad as it could have been," he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Ripley said that in this case, Boom served himself and not the community. A lengthy period of probation, he argued, would send a message to the community that truthfulness is important.
Boom told the judge that he was born into meager means and has been successful in life through hard work. He said he felt a responsibility to serve his community and had tried to help Wenthe, though he said he did not know the extent of his mental afflictions.
Boom told the Times in April 2016 that Wenthe had lived with Boom for six years and that he had been taking care of the young man's health care, including making sure he stayed on a regimen of prescription drugs. He also helped Wenthe pass his GED exam and find health insurance.
"This is not an easy thing to deal with," Boom told the Times. "It's been a real struggle. I really empathize with parents who have children with these types of afflictions. I've learned it first hand."
Boom declined to speak to reporters after Wednesdays sentencing hearing.
Bell told reporters that Boom would have preferred one year of probation but that "he's happy that he didn't have to go to prison.
Mike Matson, who had considered running for Iowa governor, has now thrown his support to Fred Hubbell, one of seven Democrats running for the party's nomination for the job.
The Hubbell campaign announced the endorsement Wednesday.
Matson, a Davenport alderman and retired Army veteran, had toured the state for several weeks while contemplating a bid, but he dropped out about a month ago, citing doubts about his ability to raise enough money.
Im endorsing Fred because he has the experience to fix our budget mess and re-invest in priorities like healthcare and education," Matson said in a statement distributed by the Hubbell campaign.
Hubbell is the former head of Equitable of Iowa, a life insurance company, and the Younkers department store chain. He also has been interim director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.
Hubbell, like other Democrats in the race, has been critical of how tax incentives for businesses are being handled in the state, including the assistance approved for a data center to be built by Apple in the Des Moines area.
Matson echoed that criticism Wednesday and said he had confidence Hubbell would "get us back on track."
In his own statement, Hubbell said: "Mike Matson has dedicated his life to serving our country and improving his community. I am honored to have his support and look forward to working with him to get Iowa growing!
MANCHESTER, Iowa After touring a Manchester manufacturing plant on Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds praised a partnership between industries and education to help local manufacturers meet their production needs.
Workforce readiness is one of the biggest barriers the state faces in growing the Iowa economy, Reynolds said after visiting Henderson Products Inc. as part of her Building a Better Iowa Workforce tour.
Its so crucial (because) there is such a need for middle-skill jobs, especially welders, Reynolds said. This is exactly what we need to do if we are going to keep young people in our state and rural Iowa.
Henderson, XL Specialty Trailers and Paladin Attachments, all in Manchester, have teamed with West Delaware High School and Northeast Iowa Community College to teach welding. About 33 percent of Hendersons 330 employees are welders, according to Scott Meyers, production scheduler and manager. Thirty-three of those welders came out of the West Delaware program that prepares them to start work at $17 or more an hour.
Henderson, which makes dump bodies, snowplows, sand and salt spreaders, anti-ice systems and combination bodies for heavy-duty trucks, has markets around the country and in China.
Reynolds also talked about the need for internships to make students aware of the opportunities in their communities, because I think thats a great way to build relationships and keep our young people here in our communities.
I come from rural Iowa, so I think that is important that our rural communities are growing and seeing success, as well as some of the more urban communities, Reynolds said. If Iowa is truly going to be successful, we have to see growth in every single corner of this state. It cant just happen in pockets.
If Iowa is going to successfully compete on a national and global scale, we want to make sure we have a pipeline of talent. If we dont have employees, we cant build, and we cant meet the customers needs, the governor said.
Ensuring that talent pipeline will be the goal of Future Ready Iowa, a program Reynolds plans to launch next year. The goal is to make sure that 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce have education or training beyond high school so they can have a great career, great quality of life and, most important, we want that to be right here in Iowa.
Its one of our top priorities, and it has to be, she said, adding the state is tripling funding for apprenticeships.
Henderson Products was started in Cedar Rapids in 1946 by Ollie Henderson. It made agricultural attachments and spreading equipment. He moved the company to Manchester in 1958.
Bruce Rauner the centrist showed up Monday, signing a pair of bills that would have seen the veto pen from a true demagogue. He's been missed.
It was easy to neglect Gov. Rauner's signing of the TRUST Act and automatic voter registration, both legislative victories for historically marginalized populations. The Illinois House's bumbling but ultimately successful attempts at funding schools rightly dominated the headlines.
But, for more than a month now, Rauner has had the whiff of a Republican more interested in placating his right flank than governing. It was a strident shift rightward that, unsurprisingly, followed his hiring of most of Illinois Policy Institute's executive office. It took shape in end-of-week veto-ramas and rhetoric that fed downstate self pity.
Most of the ideologues are gone now, purged after making fools of the Rauner administration over a political cartoon published by their former employer.
Perhaps their departure ushers in a return to the social moderation that has provided the high points for an administration struggling for traction on the economic agenda front.
Critics of the TRUST Act and there were many labeled it an attempt at "sanctuary" statehood, applying a toxic term that has nothing to do with law and everything to do with rhetoric. Under the TRUST Act, local and state can't detain someone simply because of their immigration status or a federal retainer. The TRUST Act requires a legitimate crime that endangers the public, not some trumped up smear campaign against people living and working in Illinois who look or speak differently from what some deem "real Americans."
The timing of Rauner's signature is significant on several fronts far beyond the political leanings of his administration. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement is on a rampage under President Donald Trump and his absurd, racially charged nativism that last week culminated with the pardon of former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Trump's administration has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funds from cities and states that refuse to do ICE's dirty work. And the federal officials don't seem to care about the obvious damage these roundups would do to the important relationships built between police and immigrant populations.
Like everyone else, immigrants are often victims and witnesses of crime. It's imperative for social well-being that they feel safe to talk to local and state police. It's unquestionably true that any crackdown fitting the Trump administration's desires would impose a substantial chilling effect on cooperation. Victims would have no recourse. Witnesses would stay in the shadows.
In signing the TRUST Act, Rauner rejected the identity politics that's consuming the GOP and thumbed his nose at the leader of his own party.
For a day, Rauner was more independently minded Ohio Gov. John Kasich than partisan-lackey Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Automatic voter registration, too, is a big win for Illinois' underprivileged communities. Rauner's signature makes Illinois the 10th state that now registers people to vote when they interact with a government agency, unless they opt out. It also requires those agencies to forward the new voter's information to election officials to add to the rolls. Rauner is only the second Republican governor to sign automatic voter identification, which would extend voting accessible to millions of Americans, according to analysis from The Brennan Center at New York University's School of Law.
Again, Rauner's signature comes at a time when most Republican governors are pitching cynical voter ID laws, such as the one adopted this year in Iowa. These are, courts continue to conclude, self-serving attempts at suppressing the minority vote. With a stoke of his pen, Rauner rejected the fiction of widespread fraud and bolstered access to voting to thousands of Illinoisans.
It's been a rough few months for Rauner. His administration has been searching for an identity after last month's budget battle defeat. He criss-crossed the state stoking parochialism and division while crusading against Chicago Public Schools.
But on Monday, Rauner did three things that suggest all is not lost. He signaled support for school funding approved in the House, which, by and large, maintains everything against which he had railed. And he signed two important bills to which no demagogue would have inked his name.
Rauner's Monday pivot served both his and the state's interest.
There is an African proverb that says, Until lions get their historians, the true tale of the lion hunt will never be told. This is true of American history. I remember wearing silly construction paper hats to celebrate Columbus Day, but I didnt learn until college that we are celebrating a man who enslaved, raped, and killed the native people who inhabited the land he supposedly discovered.
We know President Abraham Lincoln was a hero who signed the Emancipation Proclamation and freed the slaves. We are not taught that it took six months for the final slaves to become free, on a day called Juneteenth. I learned this through Facebook, but not in school. We pat ourselves on the back for fighting the Nazis racist regime, but at the same time, we had Japanese people imprisoned in internment camps.
One of the effects of systemic racism in America is that we have stolen true American history and replaced it with white lies, but not in the sense that they are innocent. It is more than history being told by the victors because white villains are still celebrated while heroes of other skin colors are ignored.
It is time for America to tell the true story of her life. Let us put down our rifles and observe life through the eyes of the lion. Perhaps then we would understand that some parts of history should be learned, but not celebrated.
Jenica Roenneburg
Lena, Illinois
Its interesting that a lot of people who worked with the Republican Party are shocked and surprised about statements made by Donald Trump. Really? Why would Donald Trump actually want to criticize the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan after their debacle in Virginia?
If he actually had his heart in it, he would be criticizing his own base. These are the people who helped put him in office. His two favorite people, besides his family, are Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Now some in Congress wants to censure him. This isnt good enough. Donald Trump should be impeached.
He has broken enough laws and violated our Constitution. He has brought this on himself. He has to be made aware that the law isnt what he wants to be. He has given good reason for the American eagle to hang his head in shame.
People who feel this way need to take action; call, write, email your senators and representatives. Tell them that the actions of censure are unacceptable.
Ken Fordham
Eldridge
Has anyone noticed how the elitists try to keep us fighting among ourselves? Lately, it's been in Illinois, trying to blame the terrible unions and their pensions as the reason for the debt and insolvency.
It's like the old Roman adage, divide and conquer. Keep the masses confused and quarreling in order to keep the spotlight off those in power. If you're not a Democrat, you must be a Republican. If you're not a socialist, you must be a fascist. If you're not a Christian, you must be a Satanist. And if you think society can come together and act for the good of all, you must be a moron Utopian.
I read the Quad-City Times opinion column by Executive Editor Autumn Phillips about rhetoric against the media going too far. Your dream is that America will always be shocked by the jailing of people for expressing opinions.
Have you heard of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the Coptic Christian whose short video The Innocence of Muslims was initially faulted for sparking the Sept. 11, 2012 Benghazi terror attack? The Obama U.S. Justice Department found a way to jail him.
What about Dinesh D'Souza, the filmmaker who gave us Obamas America and Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party? The U.S. Justice Department went after him too. They found other reasons to prosecute, but they were just silencing political opponents. Who has President Trump silenced?
Though you believe journalists are impartial idealists, President Trump reacted to a media that is out to help the Democratic Party destroy him. Someone published David Brock and the Democratic Partys Secret Playbook to destroy the President of the United States. Two of the tactics cited are to paint President Trump as a thin-skinned loser, to tie Republicans to white nationalists, and to push positive media coverage of Democrats who call out President Trump. Did that happen?
When President Trump calls out the media they circle the wagons. If it werent for Fox News and the internet, would we know who George Soros and antifa (anti-fascists) are? Has your newspaper printed the Secret Democratic Playbook? Perhaps the media needs to stop protecting themselves and become true un-biased journalists again.
Bill Otten
Davenport
PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that an Attorney General Explanation for a proposed initiated measure has been filed with the Secretary of State. This statement will appear on a petition that will be circulated by the sponsor of the initiated measure. If the sponsor obtains a sufficient number of signatures (13,871) by November 6, 2017, as certified by the Secretary of State, the initiated measure will be placed on the ballot for the November 2018 general election. The initiated measure is entitled An initiated measure establishing a cap on the price a State agency may pay for a prescription drug.
PRESHO Ten first-time deer hunters will have the opportunity to participate in a managed youth deer hunt and camp on Sept. 23-24 at the Snake Den Lodge in Presho.
The Lyman, Jones and Tripp county Pheasants Forever chapters in partnership with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) are hosting a free event that is open to first-time youth deer hunters between the ages of 10 and 15. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Participants will learn how to select the best ammunition and firearm for deer hunting, improve shooting and firearm safety, sight in a firearm, field dress and properly care for meat. The youth hunters will be provided three meals, snacks, lodging, deer licenses, guns, ammunition, safety equipment, transportation to and from hunting, binoculars and assistance with field processing.
This youth hunt is built for kids who don't have the opportunity to hunt or who have never hunted, said Lyman/Jones County conservation officer Spencer Downey. We want to teach the kids about safety, survival and being in the outdoors; all while taking part in one of our states most popular pastimes. Its an experience they'll remember forever.
Each hunter will be paired with a knowledgeable and experienced guide. Participation is limited to ten hunters. Applicants will be selected based on application responses. Successful applicants are required to attend a pre-hunt orientation meeting on the morning of Sept. 23. Hunting will take place on Presho-area farms on Sept. 23-24.
For more information and to apply for this opportunity, contact Spencer Downey at 605.730.0774 or Spencer.Downey@state.sd.us. Application deadline is Sept. 8.
HURON - South Dakota Farmers Union together with National Farmers Union and other state organizations, unveiled an initiative to advance federal policies that support U.S. renewable energy sources.
The initiative will promote legislative and regulatory solutions to expand markets for higher blends of ethanol, like E30, and advanced biofuels.
"While the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) has been good for agriculture and rural America, it's time to put the RFS in the rear view mirror and go further for the future. Stopping at E15 does not improve the price South Dakota's farmers' receive at harvest for the corn they raise," says Doug Sombke, President of S.D. Farmers Union. "Agriculture is our states number one economic driver. When we have an opportunity to boost markets that support our number one industry, we need to take it. That's what this initiative does."
Sombke said the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) interpretation of the Clean Air Act has restricted the sale of mid-level high-octane fuel.
"National energy labs have demonstrated that high-octane blends do not impair performance in non-flex fuel or standard vehicles and that use of E30 would reduce harmful emissions more effectively than E10," Sombke explains.
Anne Steckel, a veteran energy, environment and agriculture policy specialist will be leading National Farmers Union's efforts in Washington, D.C.
"Federal-level policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have reaped tremendous gains for the farming and rural communities that grow and produce renewable, bio-based fuels," said Steckel. "NFU will continue its avid support of the RFS and pursue innovative policy solutions that expand renewable energy demand, development and infrastructure."
To learn more about South Dakota Farmers Union, visit www.sdfu.org.
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) | Glancing over a 1985 family portrait, a man is awestruck at the image of his younger self. The snapshot of his mother cradling him as his siblings welcomed back their father from a deployment captured a moment that was stronger than words.
Although he was too young to remember the moment, Maj. Jonathan Elliott, the 23rd Logistics Readiness Squadron director of operations, began his own search to retrieve this piece of heritage, which became the event that forged a stronger bond between father and son, who both served as Moody Air Force Base Airmen and Air Force officers.
We were completely unaware of the photos existence, said retired Lt. Col. Gary Elliott, a then 347th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4E Phantom II pilot from 1983-1986. When the picture was taken, my whole attention was on my family, and I didnt know we were the subject of an impromptu photo. I didnt know if the photo had ever been used in an article or the base newspaper, but it was slice of life in our family history, and we wanted to obtain it.
According to Gary, the wife of a former squadron mate, who lived in Valdosta, Georgia, sent the family a snapshot of their big framed photograph that hung on the wall at the Moody AFB Officers Club.
Determined to find it, the Elliotts asked the Moody AFB Field Club and base photo lab for a chance to reprint the photo, but unfortunately, the host wing changed, resulting in the removal of the frame from the heritage wall, derailing their plans.
However, in the summer of 2015, fate would have it that another Elliott would spearhead the continued search.
When I moved here, one of the first places I went was the (Moody AFB Field Club), said Jonathan. I was excited to finally get to see the actual picture and I wanted to get copies of it for my family. But it wasnt there, disappointingly. So, I started asking around to try to locate it. I talked with the (Moody AFB Field Club) management, the wing historian, and any civilian I crossed paths with whod been working on base long enough to have seen it.
Although everyone he asked was incredibly gracious and tried to help, Jonathan kept coming up empty while he rummaged through various storage closets and boxes of old pictures. One day in May 2016, however, that all changed. As Col. Susan Riordan-Smith, the 23rd Mission Support Group commander, gave a briefing in the First Term Airmen Center building, she saw the picture that Jonathan was searching for all along and immediately notified him.
I was shocked and relieved because it seemed too good to be true, said Jonathan. I went over to the FTAC building immediately so I could see it for myself. It was a bit surreal as well because its my parents, siblings and me.
It naturally created an emotional connection with me, and yet, the photographer perfectly captured the joy of military member and family reunited in such a way that it makes an emotional connection, even if you dont know the people in the picture, added Jonathan. It just has that iconic look.
While he was tempted to immediately tell his dad of the finding, he wanted to savor the moment for a special day. As all parties in the photo were present in Washington state in June 2017, on Fathers Day, Jonathan uttered the words I have something for you, Dad.
As Jonathan brought out a large, thin package in brown paper wrap, Gary handled what he says felt like a framed object and wondered if it might possibly be the photo.
As I unwrapped it and saw that it was, I was a little choked up, said Gary. I think the whole family was a bit emotional. They had all seen the little snapshot on a shelf in our dining room, and knew that we had searched in vain for the actual photo. Everyone was happy that Jon had been able to track it down and get one for the family. He had it beautifully matted and framed, and it was a very special Fathers Day gift!
For Gary, no gift could compare to the strong bond that he and Jonathan have forged over the years.
Sharing the United States Air Force Academy as our alma mater strengthened this bond, and when I visit him at his duty stations, he always takes me in to his unit and helps me understand the mission and his responsibilities, said Gary.
Gary is also appreciative of Jonathan wearing his old squadrons paraphernalia and highlighting his heritage which is among the many things he says brings him pride.
Two of my most proud moments of Jonathan was presenting his USAFA appointment (certificate) and administering the oath upon his promotion to major, said Gary. I put my uniform on for both of those occasions, and although its not the current style, its still Air Force blue and is a bond to Jon in his blues. Im proud to wear it, and I think Jon is proud to see me wear it.
Beyond the Air Force bond, it is still hard for me to stand for the national anthem and look at our flag without being a little choked up, and I trust Jon will always share this mixture of pride, humility, and gratefulness with me, added Gary.
To the Editor:
9/11. What goes through your mind when you think about it? Are you old enough to have memories of 9/11? Youve probably seen pictures of the Twin Towers on fire, the smoldering wreckage, the responders working on what we called The Pile. Maybe youll watch a special on TV this fall, or read an editorial or other article on 9/11.
What you may not know is what was in the air, what surrounded us at Ground Zero. When the planes hit, 24,000 gallons of jet fuel ignited 100,000 tons of debris and 230,000 gallons of transformer, heating and diesel oils. According to the CDC, this set off a giant toxic plume of fire, soot and dust. Workers were exposed to asbestos, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, PCBs, crystalline silica and other particulates. When I left Ground Zero on December 1st, these fires were still burning.
Weve already lost over 2,000 responders from 9/11-related illnesses. The death toll among responders from their work will, in just a few years, exceed the number of people who were killed during the attacks. Over78,000 people are registered with the WTC Health Program, and many of them will eventually succumb to their 9/11 illnesses.
9/11 responders are dying every day. Do not forget us. Never Forget.
Richard Rezac
Highmore
To the Editor:
Im working to support a ballot initiative by circulating a petition.
Our initiated measure is the Voter Protection and Anti-Corruption (VPAC) amendment. This amendment will reduce the influence on legislative decisions by deep pocket donors. We say never again to what the legislature did to IM-22. Repealing initiated measures shouldnt be so easy.
In recent years, inattentive government management allowed millions of dollars to be lost to individual investors and to the state treasury. Those are just the known missteps. Its also a fact that our politics is awash in money.
Recognizing this effort to be a heavy lift, we reached out to a nonpartisan group in Florence, Massachusetts called Represent.US. This organization is a 501c(4) non-profit corporation. It was specifically created to build support for initiatives that overhaul lobbying, transparency, and campaign finance laws. They dont accept money from politically-associated groups or from corporations. Meanwhile, complaining lawmakers have access to hundreds of profit-motivated model bills from corporate-supported ALEC organization.
Several well known constitutional scholars contributed to the authorship of our specific South Dakota amendment. The authors maintain that the provisions are fully constitutional and compatible with all federal court rulings.
Dave L. Wegner
Sioux Falls
HOT SPRINGS The Michael J. Fitzmaurice South Dakota Veterans Home, Director of Operations, Randall Meyers, (Command Sergeant Major Retired) was presented a flag from 153rd Engineer Battalion from Huron.
The flag was flow in Kuwait in his honor on the 4th of July.
Susan Wilcox, the Assistant Director of Nursing said Randy reached a milestone when he turned 65 and wanted him to always remember 2017.
Staff Sergeant Christina Sihrer, Assistant Operations Noncommissioned Officer of the 153rd Engineer Battalion presented the flag on behalf of the Commander of the 153rd Engineer Battalion, Lieutenant Commander Trent Bruce.
The flag was presented at a ceremony on Wednesday, August 18, at the State Veterans Home.
The South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association held its 126th annual meeting in Sioux Falls Aug. 13 16.
At that meeting, Dr. Larry Carpenter of Sturgis was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.
The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to honor an individual who has brought distinction to the veterinary profession through his/her devotion to the care and well-being of animals, support for the profession, and contributions to the community. This individual exemplifies the profession, both personally and professionally, through support of veterinary medicine, research, colleagues, and/or students and through civic participation. This individuals contributions have advanced the profession and serve as an inspiration to veterinarians and the clients he serves.
Dr. Carpenter graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine DVM in 1982 (with honor). He received a Masters Degree in Veterinary Surgery in 1991 from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He had a Residency in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Colorado from 1988-1991. He attained Diplomate Status with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1992. In 1998, he graduated from the US Army War College.
Dr. Carpenter served in the US Army 25 years, starting as a private (E1) in October 1972 at Ft Leonard Wood, MO. He retired as Director of the Military Working Dog Hospital, Lackland AFB, San Antonio TX at the rank of Colonel (O-6) in August 2003. He served as Consultant to the US Army Surgeon General on Military Working Dogs from 2000 2003.
While deployed to Haiti in 1995, his soldier team conducted Operation Mad Dog in coordination with the Haitian Ministry of Health, the UN Mission to Haiti, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Christian Veterinary Mission. Together, they set up street corner vaccination stations and vaccinated nearly 10,000 dogs and cats against rabies in Port Au Prince Haiti.
After retirement from the military, Dr. Carpenter had a small animal surgical practice, Veterinary Surgical Service PC, from September 2003 to December 2015.
Dr. Carpenter has been married to his wife, Nancy, for 46 years. They have two daughters.
In addition to his veterinary work, he serves as Secretary of the Sturgis Alliance of Churches and is a member of Christian Veterinary Mission.
The meeting also included continuing education opportunities for over 200 veterinarians and veterinary technicians, recognized outstanding accomplishments by professionals in the veterinary fields, and included the annual membership meeting.
The meeting featured Dr. Jason Sweitzer, DVM, a nationally known speaker on mental health and suicide prevention in the veterinary profession. Companion animal topics included anesthesia and soft tissue surgery.
Large animal topics included calf scours treatment and management, sheep and goat parasitology and medicine, and equine emergency and field procedures, as well as updates from SDSUs Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab.
Over the past few months, weve seen the U.S. economy improve. In July, employers added 209,000 jobs, bringing the unemployment rate down to 4.3 percent. However, wages remain stagnant and economic growth has hovered at 2 percent for the past 10 years, a full percentage point lower than the historic post-World War II average. According to the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), this has cost families an average of $8,600 in income annually. Also according to the JEC, economic growth will remain at 2 percent under our current policies.
This underscores the need for a pro-growth tax policy that creates jobs, increases our competitiveness overseas and gives our economy a much-needed jolt. Our current tax code is far too complicated it is more than 74,000 pages in length and takes Americans 8.1 billion hours annually to complete. I support the ongoing efforts by the tax-writing committees in Congress to take on comprehensive tax reform. When we return to Washington in September, we expect to ramp up these efforts. I look forward to working with my colleagues to lower the rates for South Dakota families, rein in the IRS and provide long-term certainty in our tax code.
It has been more than 30 years since our tax code was reformed. Since then, other countries have lowered their rates and become more competitive, while our tax code has barely changed. The average corporate tax rate in the U.S. is 39 percent, compared to an average of 25 percent by our foreign competitors. It is time to reform the tax code and lower the rates a plan that we know will help our economy because weve seen it work in the past.
During both the Kennedy and Reagan presidencies, we saw a reduction in regulations and taxes. In turn, the economy prospered and flourished under their respective administrations. They knew that individual citizens know the best way to spend their own money, and they certainly dont need Washington telling them what to do with it.
While I continue to advocate for comprehensive tax reform, I recognize the complexity in passing comprehensive tax reform. Earlier this year, I introduced a tax relief plan that would reduce the average South Dakota familys tax burden by about 16 percent. My plan calls for a simple 2 point rate cut across-the-board for each tax bracket. By lowering the tax rate for all, we will be able to provide direct and immediate relief to hardworking families and shake up our economy. This will result in a more prosperous economy for all Americans.
We have our work cut out for us in the coming months, and I am ready to work with every senator, on either side of the aisle, to get it done. When Americans are free to spend their money as they see fitwhether thats sending kids to college, buying a new home, saving for retirement or starting a new businessour economy will benefit. And when our economy is healthy, every American will feel the positive effects.
The rate of violent crime in South Dakota nearly doubled between 2005 and 2015, according to the FBI. While there are a number of things which can contribute to a surge like that, many agree drugs have played a significant role, impacting everything from gang activity in communities to domestic violence in the home.
The drug epidemics realities reach even beyond crime. Nationally, a baby is born addicted to opioids (drugs such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine) every 25 minutes or so. And in 2015 alone, around 52,000 Americans died of a drug overdose. President Trump has declared this a national emergency and First Lady Melania Trump has taken up the cause as well.
While South Dakota saw 15 opioid-related deaths in 2007, the number jumped to 37 by 2014, per the South Dakota Department of Health Vital Statistics. Many first responders now carry an antidote for opioid overdoses at all times.
Still, its important to note South Dakota hasnt experienced the opioid epidemic as harshly as many other states. That may be because South Dakota doctors have tended to prescribe fewer than others in surrounding states. But a recent report found prescriptions are increasing here too, reaching the highest number of opioid prescriptions ever recorded in South Dakota in 2016.
New training efforts have launched at places like Avera and Sanford to make sure doctors understand when and how to prescribe opioids, and Im working on the federal level to make sure were doing all we can to keep illegal drugs out of South Dakota. I strongly support legislation, for instance, that cracks down on Mexican drug traffickers and those who help facilitate their illicit activities at the border; this includes a vote to fully fund President Trumps border security agenda. And I am fighting to make sure local law enforcement officers have the resources and training they need.
Alongside law-and-order, I believe in redemption. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit the Keystone Treatment Center, an addiction recovery facility in Canton. The experience was indescribable. The work done there gives folks another chance at life, at a family, at hope. Its just incredible the work they do.
In June, I introduced a set of bills to better support the rehabilitation offered by places like Keystone. More specifically, the proposals look to strengthen families during drug addiction treatment and amplify efforts to prevent the child abuse and neglect that can result from drug use.
No community no family is immune to addiction. Particularly with opioids, it can often start with a simple prescription for pain medication to deal with a headache. But that same medicine you took to heal can be the drug that leads to a life-altering addiction. Know, however, that help is out there. If you or someone you care about is abusing drugs or medications, please talk to your doctor or contact a treatment center immediately. If you dont know where to turn, call the free and confidential National Treatment Referral Routing Service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Despite prosecutors objections, a judge on Tuesday allowed an expert to testify at an upcoming Rapid City murder trial that the defendant left town because of a race-based paranoia of police.
Brian Duncan, 61, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, Helen Wright, 60, in October 2015. Her body was found at Western Thrifty Inn, on East North Street, following what authorities believe was an assault by strangulation.
Duncan is set to go on trial Sept. 5-14 at the Pennington County Courthouse. He contends that Wright died of pneumonia and that he left Rapid City after finding her dead on the motel bed. He was arrested in Texas in June 2016, a month after being charged in her killing.
On Tuesday afternoon, 7th Circuit Judge Matt Brown granted Duncans request to put on the stand a psychologist who would help explain why he left the area and didnt report Wrights death. A guilty conscience isn't the only reason for flight, despite what most people think, Duncans lawyers have said.
Duncan has been diagnosed with unspecified personality disorder, characterized by paranoia. It's a condition related to his experience of racism and the treatment he has received as an African-American, Dr. William Moss said at the hearing Tuesday.
Dr. Mosss testimony would provide the jury with an informed understanding of the literature on the phenomenon of race-based fear or paranoia of law-enforcement among African-American men, specifically as it relates to flight, reads a brief submitted by defense lawyers Conor Duffy, Jeff Fransen and Ross Holberg.
This is probative of whether the Defendant failed to report the death to the police for innocent reasons, namely fear of being wrongfully accused.
Duncans flight is an issue that would help the jury determine the facts in the case, Judge Brown said in explaining how he reached his ruling.
Prosecutors earlier questioned the reliability of the psychologists diagnosis, saying there wasnt much case precedent in South Dakota. They said also that it would bring into the trial the issue of race.
This case isnt about race, Deputy States Attorney Wayne Venhuizen said. Its a homicide.
PIERRE | The Legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee dug through the latest sets of answers Tuesday regarding alleged wrongdoing at Mid-Central Educational Cooperative in Platte.
The panel returns to the Capitol today for more work. Legislative auditors said in a pair of May 19 reports they couldnt account for nearly $1.4 million missing from Mid-Centrals bank account.
The committee ground, line by line, through written responses Tuesday afternoon. They came from state Education Secretary Melody Schopp, her finance director, Tamara Darnall, and Randy Schoenfish regarding GEAR UP and other federal grant programs at Mid-Central.
Schoenfish said his accounting business audited Mid-Central for approximately 20 years. He said fiscal 2014 marked the last time his company conducted the audit. He is the father of Rep. Kyle Schoenfish, R-Scotland, who works for the accounting business.
Sen. Stace Nelson, R-Fulton, asked Tuesday that Auditor General Marty Guindon identify answers that dont correspond to what legislative auditors found.
Well make sure we have that by the next meeting, Sen. Deb Peters, R-Hartford, said. She chairs the committee.
Peters wants to know the steps involved in 2011-2012 when Mid-Central applied for the second-round GEAR UP grant. How do all the pieces flow through together? Peters asked.
The lawmakers initially focused on Brinda Kuhn of Rapid City, the fourth person who was invited to testify but declined to appear Tuesday. Kuhn wouldnt answer the committees questions, either.
She wrote the GEAR UP two grant application, legislative auditor Tim Flannery said.
Flannery said state government paid Kuhns business $288,292 from July 2008 through June 2012. He said he wasnt certain about the purposes for those payments.
Sen. Neal Tapio, R-Watertown, said Kuhn should be invited back to the committee and a little more teeth be put into the request this time.
Well look at the contracts the state has on hand, Peters replied. Im worried about our record retention.
Flannery said legislative auditors saw instances where Scott Westerhuis signed documents for both sides of transactions. Westerhuis was business manager for Mid-Central.
Westerhuis allegedly shot to death his wife, Nicole, and their four children, before setting their house on fire and turning the gun on himself. Nicole Westerhuis was an assistant business manager at Mid-Central.
The Westerhuises also were officials for several nonprofit organizations that provided services for Mid-Central. Legislative auditors found the nonprofit payrolls hooked into Mid-Centrals bank account.
The Westerhuis killings came hours after Schopp called Mid-Centrals then-director, Dan Guericke, to terminate the GEAR UP management contract on Sept. 16, 2015. Black Hills State University now manages GEAR UP in South Dakota.
Rep. Kristin Conzet, R-Rapid City, testified she wrote the original GEAR UP grant while she worked for the state Department of Education from 2003 to 2005. The state department operated the program then, she said.
I had a monthly salary as a state DOE employee, Conzet said. State government dismissed her in 2005.
I was done with DOE so I moved on to other contracts, she said.
GEAR UP ran well then, according to Conzet. She said the in-kind match came from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology during that period. I am a grant professional. I certified the whole thing, Conzet said. She said she worked with Stacy Phelps, who was director of GEAR UP operations.
Phelps, Guericke and another former assistant business manager, Stephanie Hubers, are accused of various felony crimes.
One of the original red flags for legislative auditors came in fiscal 2014. Rick Melmer and Keith Moore didnt fill out effort logs while they were on Mid-Centrals payroll as GEAR UP advisers.
They did not exist at the time we asked for them, Guindon said Tuesday. He said that was indicative of the level of internal controls at Mid-Central.
Melmer was state secretary of education in 2005 when South Dakota received the original GEAR UP approval. Moore was state director of Indian education at that time.
Peters decided the committee would send a letter asking specific questions to LuAnn Werdel. Schopp fired Werdel as Indian education director Jan. 10, 2011, on Schopps first day as secretary.
Werdel wrote an email later that day to Schopp, referring to problems in GEAR UP. Werdel copied others on the message.
Peters said Werdel didnt know about GEAR UPs second round because the state department was still running the program in 2011.
Nelson provided to committee members copies of a recording of a recent conversation he had with Werdel. He said she had information to share.
And she needs to back it up, Peters said.
The exchanges between Peters and Nelson grew louder and sharper as the clock ticked past 5 p.m. Finally, Rep. Jean Hunhoff, R-Yankton, had had enough of Nelsons questions.
For this committee to play God, we are not in the role to do that, Hunhoff told him.
Nobody in this committee is acting like God, Nelson replied.
"Kincaid Roach has been located safe," the Rapid City Police Department said in a release Wednesday afternoon. "We appreciate all of the assistance from the community and from our partners in the local news media for their efforts to help locate him."
When Rapid City public school students enter classrooms for the first day of school today, theyll be greeted by teachers who don't have an employment contract and some who are seeking higher pay for what they do.
Contract negotiations between the Rapid City Education Association and the Rapid City Area Schools stalled last week, primarily over the difference in the districts offered pay raise for senior teaching staff and the increased cost of family medical insurance premiums, according to Sue Podoll, education association representative.
Current district starting salary for new teachers is $40,000. The pay scale advances $2,000 for each year of experience to a maximum of $50,000.
Podoll said teachers and other non-classroom staff members with more than six years of experience with the district were offered a $500 per-year pay increase. Meanwhile, the family insurance premiums underwent a $1,100 per year jump. The goal for the bargaining unit is to raise the pay at least enough to cover the higher insurance costs.
Non-classroom positions include speech, language, occupational and physical therapists, librarians, audiologists and counselors.
Theyre in the bargaining unit, but theyre not deemed classroom teachers, Podoll said.
A statement issued by the school district said the RCEA requested conciliation through the state Department of Labor after turning down the districts final offer.
On Aug. 22, the district and the teachers union met with the Administrative Law Judge from the South Dakota Department of Labor to try to reach an agreement.
However, the parties were unable to do so, the district statement read.
Podoll said the district was unwilling to make any move on the salary and insurance fees.
What is so frustrating is that the school district has a very healthy insurance fund reserve, and if they werent willing to pick up the entire increase in the insurance premium, they could have met us halfway and split that increase, Podoll said.
Podoll said the cost of covering the family insurance premium increase for employees in the union roughly $350,000 to $400,000 could have been spread out among all district employees participating in the insurance plan, because this increase affects everyone, she said.
District Superintendent Lori Simon said the district and teachers union are in a waiting game after the conciliation process failed to produce an agreement.
We did go through conciliation that did not get us to where we thought we would be, Simon said in a Journal interview. Now we are in a bit of a waiting game to see if we will go to that next step.
Simon said student learning will not be affected by the impasse.
Regardless of whether that contract is settled, we have fantastic teachers. They are professionals, they are excited for the school year, and we will get that taken care of just as soon as we can, Simon said during a taping of the Journals "Storytellers and Newsmakers" podcast last week.
Podoll said teachers will now request a period of fact-finding through the Labor Department.
Regulations require the request to be made within 20 days of the start of the impasse on Aug. 23.
If teachers had decided not to request fact-finding, the district could have either reopened contract negotiations or decided to impose its last contract offer, which would include all tentative agreements previously reached by district and the RCEA.
In the meantime, teachers and other bargaining unit members will start the new school year under terms of last years contract.
During this process all of the bargaining unit members have continued to receive their salaries and benefits based upon the agreement from the previous year, the district statement said.
Podoll said teachers are excited to start the new school year in spite of the lingering contract situation.
Enrollment for the 2017-18 school year in the Rapid City district is projected at approximately 13,500 students, attending 15 elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools.
Everybody always gets pretty excited with a new school year and new kids, rah, rah, rah. It does get a little frustrating because it would be nice to start fresh without this hanging there like that little gray cloud that follows you everywhere all the time, Podoll said.
PIERRE | The legislative Executive Board voted 14-0 Monday to appoint Loren Koepsell of Sioux Falls to the state's investment council.
He is an assistant professor of finance at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. Koepsell fills the remaining three years of the term of Laura McNally, who has moved from South Dakota. She was a resident of Belle Fourche when chosen in 2015.
A key role for the investment council is managing South Dakota Retirement System funds. The funds' portfolio stood at $11.6 billion as of June 30, 2017, after starting the fiscal year at $10.5 billion on July 1, 2016.
SDRS has a board of trustees that sets policies for the retirement system. The trustees represent state government and participating cities, counties, school districts and special units of local governments across South Dakota.
The Executive Board chose Paul Bisson of Sturgis to five-year term on Investment Council in June. He succeeded David Hillard of Rapid City.
Bisson retired in 2015 after 35 years with Wells Fargo banks.
The councils new chairman is Steve Kirby of Sioux Falls, a former lieutenant governor who has a venture capital company.
Kirby, Bisson and the two other legislative appointees to the Investment Council, Loren Brass of Lennox and Jeff Nelson of Wentworth, were in the room Monday during the interviews.
So were the state treasurer, Rich Sattgast, and the state commissioner of school and public lands, Ryan Brunner, who are also members of the council.
In other action, the board chose Sen. Art Rusch, R-Vermillion, for a slot on the national Uniform Laws Commission.
Rusch fills the year remaining on the term of lawyer and former Rep. Mike DeMersseman, R-Rapid City, who qualified for lifetime status on the national commission.
I just think hed be pretty strong, Mickelson said. He added: This is a one-year deal, and then wed reconsider.
The board voted 14-0 for Rusch, who started practicing law in 1971 and has been a states attorney and is a retired circuit judge.
The other candidates were Justin Smith, a Sioux Falls lawyer who lobbies at legislative session, and Tom Simmons, who teaches at the University of South Dakota law school.
Rep. Mike Stevens, R-Yankton, said Simmons recommended that the board select Rusch.
Sen. Jeff Partridge, R-Rapid City, asked Stevens whether the subcommittee considered DeMerssemans suggestion that the board consider a lawyer from outside the Legislature.
We took that into consideration. We already had the dean of the law school on there, Stevens replied, referring to Thomas Geu of Vermillion, who serves on the national commission.
The other commission members are Rep. Timothy Johns, R-Lead, a retired judge; former legislators Brian Gosch, R-Rapid City, and Marc Feinstein, D-Sioux Falls; and Gene LeBrun, a Democratic former legislator from Rapid City, who has lifetime status.
The awful scene in Texas coincides just in time with President Trump's threat to shut down the government if he doesn't get the funding to build that Mexican border wall he's obsessed with. Speaking to a throng of true believers in Phoenix last week, Trump declared, "If we have to shut down the government, we're building that wall."
The lunacy of that avowal in the context of the Hurricane Harvey disaster should be self-evident to South Dakota's GOP trio of congressional representatives. If it isn't, they need to consider the consequences of a disabled federal government just as an unprecedented natural disaster has befallen our countrymen in Texas.
This might also be a good time to jog their memories of a local natural disaster that coincided with a politically-driven decision to close down the U.S. government when federal help was desperately needed. In October 2013, a winter storm known as Atlas swept down on western South Dakota and killed as many as 70,000 head of cattle, according to estimates at the time.
Rep. Kristi Noem, who now aspires to become governor of South Dakota, had just voted with her party to deny an extension of funding to the federal government, requiring the United States of America to shut down. It was a masterstroke of political miscalculation, as the effect here was to close the federal agencies that ranchers facing multi-million dollar losses would normally turn to for disaster assistance.
Can you imagine being a rancher caught up in this mess who called the local disaster assistance office and got this recording? "Hello. You've reached the USDA service center. Due to the lapse in current federal government funding, all employees aren't available until further notice. Thank you."
On another economic front of much interest to many a western South Dakotan, Noem's vote to strangle the federal government by denying it money to operate caused all of our national parks and monuments including Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park to close. I'm heavily enough involved in the tourism business to tell you that it killed our autumn season and did real harm to the many thousands of workers employed in the industry, coming as it did just before the holiday shopping season.
Compounding this display of federal heartlessness, dedicated Republican Noem joined with all of her colleagues in the House of Representatives to restore the pay of furloughed federal workers who were laid off during the shutdown but never said a peep about the lost wages of South Dakota's private sector workers who were effectively "furloughed" at the time.
Local memories and the current catastrophe in Texas should be enough to convince Sens. Thune and Rounds and Rep. Noem that President Trump is risking a calamity with his threats of a government shutdown.
Atlas was a micro-disaster compared to the apocalyptic result that would occur if the government were out of business during Harvey. Our representatives need to understand that party loyalty is one thing, irresponsibility is another. As Kristi Noem has probably figured out by now, we send these people to Washington to run the government, not shut it down as an act of political complicity.
Moscow court to hold hearing in Culture Ministry embezzlement case on September 7
MOSCOW, August 30 (RAPSI) The Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow has set preliminary hearing in the so-called case of restorers launched against an alleged organized criminal group charged with embezzlement of about 164 million rubles (about $2.8 million) on September 7, RAPSI learnt from the courts press-service on Wednesday.
The hearing will be held behind closed doors.
On August 28, one of the defendants in the case, head of BaltStroy Dmitry Sergeyev, received 4.5 years-long suspended sentence. According to the prosecutor, the fraud involving Sergeyev resulted in the embezzlement of 71 million rubles ($1.2 million) and the defendant himself unlawfully obtained 11 million rubles ($188,000).
On June 6, it was revealed that former Deputy Minister of Culture Grigory Pirumov and other defendants in the case paid about 163 million rubles in damages (about $2.7 million).
In March 2016, Pirumov, head of the Center of restoration Oleg Ivanov, director of the Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo, head of BaltStroy Dmitry Sergeyev and the companys manager Alexander Kochenov, businessman Nikita Kolesnikov, head of a state-owned Directorate for construction, reconstruction and restoration Boris Tsagarayev and project manager of companies Stroykomplekt and Baltstroy Vladimir Svanbek were arrested.
Kolesnikov was later put under house arrest while Kochenov was released on ten million rubles ($176,500) bail.
In November 2016, Komersant newspaper reported that some of the defendants, including Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov, pleaded guilty.
Investigators believe that in 2012-2016 the defendants embezzled over 164 million rubles allocated on restoration of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow and other objects across Russia.
In December, Dmitry Medvedev, the Chairman of the Russian Government, relieved Pirumov of his post.
ECHR lifts interim measure suspending deportation of terror suspect to Russia
MOSCOW, August 30 (RAPSI) The European Court of Human Rights has lifted the interim measure suspending the deportation of a Russian national suspected of planning terrorist attacks, whom the German authorities see as a threat to national security from Germany to Russia, the courts press release reads on Wednesday.
The applicant, whose identity is kept confidential, was born in Dagestan and resides in Germany. He complained to ECHR, in particular, that if deported to Russia he would be at risk of being tortured, placed under surveillance, detained or subjected to a forced disappearance.
An order to remove the applicant from Germany was issued yet in March of 2017; he was detained pending deportation to Russia. Higher German courts rejected his requests for interim measures suspending his deportation in July of 2017.
Nevertheless, on July 31 ECHR applied an interim measure indicating to the German authorities that the applicant should not be deported until further information from the parties is received; having obtained the requested information the court lifted the interim measure preventing the removal.
The court noted that the lifting of the measure was a purely procedural issue not prejudging its decision on admissibility or the merits of the case still pending before ECHR.
Moscow court to pass judgement in Russian hacking group case on September 6
MOSCOW, August 30 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) The Moscow City Court is to pass its judgement in the case of hacking group Shaltai-Boltai, or Humpty Dumpty, on September 6, lawyer Natalia Zemskova told RAPSI on Wednesday.
The court is to read out its decision with regard to two alleged members of the group, Alexander Filinov and Konstantin Teplyakov, whom prosecutors seek to sentence to 2.5 and 3 years in penal colony respectively.
Both defendants are charged with getting illegal access to computer information in collusion or within an organized group. Although Teplyakov has already pleaded guilty, Filinov still denies his involvement in the crime.
Earlier, the Moscow City Court has already sentenced Vladimir Anikeyev, the leader of Shaltai-Boltai, to 2 years in prison, although prosecution sought for him 2.5 years behind bars. Anikeyev has pleaded guilty to the charges.
Anikeyev was found guilty of getting illegal access to computer information in collusion.
According to investigators, from 2013 to 2016 Anikeyev and his accomplices hacked computers, cellphones and tablet computers of Russian citizens and stole their data. In some cases, they offered the stolen information for sale on the Internet.
About 65 residences up the West Fork of the Bitterroot were under evacuation orders Tuesday due to the Nelson Creek fire, while 225 East Fork area property owners were under evacuation warnings because of a 4,800-acre run by the Meyers fire.
"We wanted to be proactive and get ahead of the curve as far as evacuations go," said Shane Olpin, the incident commander for Nelson Creek fire.
The Nelson Creek fire is about three miles west of the West Fork Ranger Station near the Nelson Creek Trailhead. It was discovered Monday about 3 p.m. by the Bare Cone Lookout station, and rapidly spread to cover an estimated 80 acres.
Nelson Creek has residences that are now about one mile away from the fire, said Tod McKay, a public information officer for the Bitterroot National Forest. Theyre certainly within distance of being threatened if it gets up and goes.
Pam Nelson visited the roadblock at the corner of West Fork Road and Nez Perce on Tuesday. Her mother and her son live near Gemmel Creek and were included in the evacuation order, although neither were home when it was put in place.
Her son keeps a garage on their property filled with cars he works on and Nelson said he would be devastated if they did not allow him to empty it.
Her son and her mother may be affected this time, but Nelson is no stranger to the experience of being displaced by fire. In the 2000 fires, her home was leveled.
When I was burned out in 2000, you never forget it, Nelson said. The first thing you think is, well, Im alive, but the family mementos you lose are irreplaceable.
While the fear of losing a home remains, the circumstances for Nelson are quite different than her last experience with fire.
We had no notice in 2000, Nelson said. Flames were licking at the windows of my husband's truck and all because of a back burn.
After her home burned, Nelson and her husband sifted through the ashes to look for anything salvageable. Theyve kept a storage container with the few odds and ends left over from the fire, but havent looked at it in 17 years.
The Nelson Creek fire started from a lightning storm Friday night. Theyre borrowing helicopters and Hot Shot crews from the Lolo Peak fire, and Olpin, the incident commander, said the plan has been full suppression from the outset.
Its all hands on deck now and for the foreseeable future, because unfortunately were not seeing a break in the weather, McKay added. Every day is setting new records for dryness; our relative humidity is in the single digits, and today were throwing gusty winds and isolated thunderstorms into the mix.
These are conditions we have never seen for these dates. We are hitting critical fire weather every day.
Evacuated areas in the Nez Perce Road area include Lapwai and Fox Lanes and Bear Hollow Court.
There are 85 firefighters on the Nelson Creek fire and they are working off an established anchor point on the southern end of the fire, according to Olpin. Most resources were devoted to stalling fire growth along the southern end, which is closest to the private land and structures along Nez Perce Road.
But while firefighters worked on the southern line, the fire began to run north up the Nelson Creek drainage. Crown runs, torching and a large smoke plume were visible from the West Fork Road.
At the Meyers fire, the weather is blamed for the jump in acreage burned. The fire was started by lightning on July 13 about 25 miles southwest of Philipsburg in the Pintler Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
The fire hadnt been doing a whole lot during the last several days, and yesterday it was hot enough and dry enough and not a lot of wind, but enough that it picked up on that southwest corner and did a big run, said Greg DeNitto, the public information officer for the Meyers fire. It went up over the ridge and into the upper reaches of the East Fork of the Bitterroot River.
The fire perimeter has moved past the Ravalli/Granite county lines and over the Hole in the Wall area. About 1,700 acres are burning on the Darby/Sula Ranger District on the Bitterroot National Forest in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness and Reynolds and Lick Creek Saddle areas. A closure order is in place for East Fork Road east of Sula at the East Fork Guard Station. The evacuation warning is between Teepee Creek and Little East Fork roads.
The Meyers fire managers were a bit surprised by the run to the southwest, since most of the fire activity has been on the north and east sides, near Georgetown and Moose lakes and Frog Pond. DeNitto said theyre currently identifying options and strategies.
With this movement to the southwest, were going to be changing some of our tactics, DeNitto said. It is requiring us to move some resources around to that side of the fire.
The Frog Pond area is under evacuation orders, while Moose Lake residents are under an evacuation warning.
The Hidden fire west of Corvallis also threw up a plume Monday as it grew by about 2,300 acres in two days to 7,657 acres in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. The fire is about half a mile from the Idaho/Montana border, and is being managed but not actively suppressed. It is burning both north and south of Big Flat Creek and backing into the Colt Killed Creek drainage.
The only Bitterroot area fire that didnt make a significant run Monday and Tuesday was the Lolo Peak fire, which grew only by about 994 acres to a total of 83,878 acres. Its expected to become more active in the high country, as vegetation dries out.
According to InciWeb, the national fire information service, very active fire behavior is expected as weather conditions continue to be hot and dry, with the threat of thunderstorms and associated gusty winds."
A special display of the Fire Quilts was installed in the Interstate building at the Ravalli County fairgrounds on Tuesday.
The 12 stunning quilts from the Bitterroot Valley fires of 2000 have been show in 32 venues across the United States.
This is the first time the quilts have been shown in their entirety in Ravalli County.
In 2000, more than 360,000 acres burned as more than 20 percent of the Bitterroot National Forest was touched by fire. The Ravalli County Fair was cancelled for the first time since WWII, as the fairgrounds were host to a fire camp and relocated animals. Approximately 12,000 firefighters from around the world came to the Bitterroot Valley to battle blazes.
Local women were inspired to commemorate and honor these firefighters in a unique tribute.
Judy Mason was a civilian employee working the fire camps in the summer of 2000. She went to all seven fire camps distributing precut fabric squares in the Forest Services yellow, green and red color scheme and indelible markers, asking firefighters to autograph them.
The fire fighters signed and drew on the squares, added shoulder patches from their different firefighting units and other mementos from their experience.
Lisa Cowley, also a civilian employee working in the fire camps, gathered the squares and went to the Bitterroot Quilters Guild to recruit volunteers to sew the squares into quilts.
Quilter Pat Richie volunteered as did others in the guild.
The quilts needed to be put together and I felt they were important, Richie said.
It took nearly a year to put together the quilt tops.
I had to put every piece of fabric up on my design wall to see what we were going to do with them, she said. There were 292 blocks that came back. Thats too many for one quilt it would have been big enough to cover my barn.
Richie decided on smaller quilts with fabric between the blocks called sashing. The sashing fabric came from Tina Spiller a quilter in Colorado who hand-dyed fabric to match the blocks.
Richie added about 50 photos on the fabric of fires, firefighters and other fire images from that summer.
The photos came from whoever would allow me to use their photos, she said. The photos are scattered throughout the quilts.
Richie then added embroidered animals and fish, borders, a layer of batting, backing, and finally did the quilting sewing the layers together.
Thats no small project, Richie said. Now I have a long-arm quilting machine, but at that time I just had a small domestic sewing machine"
She didnt keep track of the yards of thread, but knows it took 10 yards of backing fabric for just three quilts.
Richie said that after she received the squares she funded the project.
I quit calculating the costs after $6,000, but it went up from there, she said.
The quilts have been displayed in Montana, Texas, Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington.
Theyve been west of the Mississippi, Richie said. The people who have asked to exhibit them would put out information before the exhibits so anyone who worked on the fires or might have given us a block could come and see them.
The first time the quilts were shown out of state was in October 2002 at the largest quilt show in the world, called the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.
Richie usually travels with the quilts, driving them to their destination in tubs.
They were in Lufkin, Texas, at a firefighters museum for three months; they extended the stay and then the quilts want to another museum in Texas, Richie said. I didnt stay with the quilts for that entire time.
Richie said she presents information and tells the story about these quilts because it needs to be remembered, she said. The reaction to seeing the quilts is always positive.
I have people come up to me and say this is my outfit, I worked on this team and this is our block, This is my name, she said. It takes so many people to keep those fire fighters on that front line, it is unreal. There are so many logistics to keeping them safe and keeping them going.
Richie said in 2000 one hotshot crew from the Blackfoot reservation had three generations of firefighters.
There was a grandfather, a son and a granddaughter out of Browning, Richie said. They signed the same square.
Although she doesnt have a favorite block, she particularly enjoys one square that has a dragon breathing fire.
If youve not seen these quilts, youll be amazed at the artwork, she said. For a fire camp, and living in tents, it's great art work. The quilts are part of the history of this county and it was one of the worst fire years weve ever had. This is bad; that was worse by about triple.
In 2000, the fires started in June by a series of storms, and burned up and down the valley.
The reality is weve been chewing smoke for over a month and it brings it all back, she said. That was over 17 years ago and there are so many people here now that dont know those fires happened in 2000.
Richie said the Fire Quilts are irreplaceable.
We dont have those 12,000 people, and could never duplicate them, she said. Theyve been appraised at $25,000. They are a neat collection.
The quilts are a tribute to families who lost their homes and possessions, to the firefighting personnel from around the globe, and to Montanans who came together to support each other in a crisis.
Sharon Renfro, Bitterroot Quilters Guild president, said the quilt squares represent pieces of lives as people from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and all over the world signed the quilt squares.
Some of them signed as incident teams. Some of them signed them as personal things, Renfro said. There are drawings on them of helicopters and of tribal images - they are just amazing.
Renfro said the quilts will not be on display anywhere else soon and Richie is searching for a permanent home for them.
These need to be handled very carefully, Renfro said. They were written in fire camps with all kinds of pens and pencils and some of them have sticks applied to them for roofs for houses.
Eight or nine of the quilts were displayed at a Missoula Quilt show and a Bitterroot Quilters Guild show but now there are 12.
I havent even seen the other three, Renfro said. Im eager to see them all together.
They are just beautiful.
The Fire Quilts of 2000 are on display at the Ravalli County Fair, Aug. 30 Sept. 2.
A year and a month after the devastating Roaring Lion fire destroyed 16 homes and cost $11 million to fight, three of the young people whose campfire started the blaze received deferred sentences in Ravalli County District Court prompting cries of foul from several affected homeowners.
Steven Banks, Tyler Johnson and Cody Knez agreed Monday to pay 10 percent of their income each year for five years, and to perform 100 hours of volunteer community service with the Forest Service each of three years. If they complete those conditions, the charges of felony and misdemeanor negligent arson will be dropped.
The case against a fourth person a juvenile was dismissed.
The four built a campfire three days before the Roaring Lion fire erupted on a small bluff near Roaring Lion Creek.
Ravalli County Attorney Bill Fulbright called the case highly emotional with no winner. He said he tried to strike a balance between the landowners who suffered great losses and the affected landowners who disagree with the charges that were filed.
These young men desire to be good citizens and part of the community, Fulbright told Judge Jeffrey Langton. We also recognize that theyve been charged with the lowest level of criminal conduct. They had no intention or purpose to cause harm and that has to be weighed against the devastating results of the fire.
Langton said he did not have a role in the agreement, due to a legislative change in 2015.
The decision is the sole discretion of the prosecuting attorney, Langton said. The court has no authority. The term is five years unless an event triggers an earlier review.
Nearly 10 landowners devastated by the Roaring Lion fire were unhappy with the agreement and angrily questioned Fulbright's decision after Monday's hearing.
Fulbright explained that 10 percent of each defendants adjusted gross income will come to his office and he will deliver it to the landowners proportionately.
It isnt going to be much because you know who they are 18, now 19-year-olds, he said.
Several landowners remarked that the four had broken the law.
Fulbright said that when Banks, Johnson, Knez and the juvenile lit their campfire, there was a burn ban in Ravalli County but there was no Stage One restriction by the Forest Service.
At that time there were no restrictions once you crossed into Forest Service land, Fulbright said. I had to balance the evidence we have against the damage they caused and what the fire cost, which is huge.
Fulbright said the cost of the fire would never be recovered.
I would rather see something that is a reminder of why you dont do this, he said.
Landowner Jan Moat called community service with the Forest Service a reward rather than a punishment. She said when her son was 18 he volunteered to work for the Forest Service.
He was delighted and excited to get that job. That is not punishment for an 18-year-old, she said. He was delighted to get what you are giving these kids as punishment. Maybe they should be picking up litter.
Fulbright said the Forest Service would determine their volunteer work.
Landowner Bill Haberman disagreed with the number of hours.
I think 300 hours is totally low compared with the damage that they did and the hardship that they caused to the people here and the others who couldnt come, Haberman said.
He disagreed with having three summers at 100 hours a summer.
Thats hardly over two weeks of work, Haberman said. All of us here put in a lot more than two weeks of work every summer to have our houses look the way they are. We not only lost our contents, we lost everything our feelings, our beliefs. Most of us here, as you can see, are not in our 30s. It is hard to start all over when you are in your 60s and 70s.
Landowner Lyn Faunce-Haberman called Fulbright a liar.
You misrepresented what youve done for the victims of this fire to that judge, she said. You told him you were in contact with us but you havent talked to us, personally, on your own. All that stuff you told the judge about having a good sense of what the victims of this case would like to have as a result of this prosecution was incorrect because you dont know.
Fulbright clarified that the definition of his job did not allow him to represent individual citizens. He said he understands landowners want him to equate what happens in the criminal case with the degree of loss.
Im ethically bound to take in to account the level of conduct, Fulbright said. If they had intentionally set to burn down Ravalli County, it would be a whole different case.
Fulbright said unhappy landowners could possibly file civil lawsuits.
GREAT FALLS A Montana man has pleaded not guilty to fatally stabbing a man at a wedding party in East Glacier Park on July 5.
William Alberto Arocha Jr. entered his plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. He is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 35-year-old Shane LaPlant.
Arocha remains free on conditions pending his trial.
A trial date has not been set. His case will be heard by District Judge Brian Morris.
Sen. Jon Tester called for a dramatic reduction in federally mandated standardized tests that he and supporters said eat up class time and waste tax dollars with little effect on student success.
Standing in the lobby of Sentinel High School in Missoula on Tuesday, the Democrat announced he would introduce the Student Testing Improvement and Accountability Act for a second time. The bill would cut the number of tests required by federal officials to just three: One in elementary school, another in middle school and a third in high school. Since the 2002 passage of the No Child Left Behind Act and subsequent iterations, schools must test students on federal standards in third through eighth and 11th grades.
When youre preoccupied with taking tests or teaching the tests, it takes away from the ability to teach kids to think critically and be successful in the world we live in today, Tester said.
Identical measures have been introduced in Congress repeatedly since 2014 but none has advanced beyond the initial committee despite a growing national movement to reduce standardized testing.
Rep. Christopher Gibson, R-N.Y., sponsored the first version of the bill. Gibson, and later Tester, carried the measure in 2015. Earlier this year, Rep. Krysten Sinema, R-Ariz., introduced the bill to the House. Tester Spokesman Luke Jackson said Tester would likely introduce the measure in the Senate when he returns to Washington.
Tester said Tuesday he thinks the time is finally right to pass the legislation.
Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Thane agreed, noting that the Every Student Succeeds Act passed in late 2015 already has loosened some requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. For instance, the power to sanction schools who perform poorly on standardized tests was shifted from federal to state officials.
Aspects of the legislation have yet to take effect as states develop plans and as new U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reviews the guidelines developed by the previous administration.
It held great promise to return local control of the educational system, Thane said of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Unfortunately, we find we continue to be burdened with repeated requests for standardized testing data.
Tester described his measure as strengthening local control by returning power to each district to decide the best manner and frequency of testing for its students. Sentinel Principal Ted Fuller lauded the intent.
The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of public education, and I think the reason for that is the founding fathers saw the importance of local control and the idea that grassroots, community-based governance, in terms of public education, was wise and prudent.
Thane said the current forms of testing required by federal officials as a way to measure compliance with national standards do not provide information that districts and teachers can use in a meaningful way to improve instruction. While its important to have the occasional dip sticking so we know where we stand in terms of our relationship to students all across the country, he said the cookie cutter tests do not adequately test the specific goals the state of Montana and each district set for themselves within the national requirements. And, he said, the results come after students leave for the summer, too late to adjust classroom strategies.
If schools were required to do less federal testing, Thane said the district could develop formative testing strategies that line up with the less formal daily observations and collaborations that the best teachers already do.
Missoula Education Association President Melanie Charlson, who taught for 22 years in the district before leading the union, said the current deluge of testing takes away from valuable instruction time.
Nearly the entire month of March is in a holding pattern in grades 3 through 8 and 11 due to that testing window, she said. Our time with students is too limited to put education on hold across so many grades for weeks at a time.
She also argued that existing law diverts tax dollars from classrooms to private companies that develop the tests, citing a common-used estimate from 2012 that puts the national cost at almost $2 billion annually.
The author of that study, Matthew Chingos of the nonprofit Urban Institute, wrote in 2015 that those costs are barely a drop in the bucket of a public education system that spends over $600 billion per year. Testing costs amount to about $34 per student, he said.
Montana offers no additional funding for state standardized testing other than what federal officials provide, which has been about $3.6 million per year in the last few years. When Montanas bill was totaled for the creation of Smarter Balanced tests, it ran about $27 per student.
Guwahati : Assam Public Works, a non-government organisation on Tuesday alleged that, a multi crore rupees anomaly was held in the ongoing upgradation process of the National REGISTER of Citizenship (NRC) in Assam and demanded a high level probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged scam.
Following the allegations, the upgradation process of NRC is likely to derail, while the Supreme court ordered to the authority to publish the draft NRC by December 31 next.
Assam Public Works president Abhijit Sarma said that, the man behind the entire anomaly is State coordinator of NRC Prateek Hajela.
According to Assam Public Works, the organisation had filed a writ petition (274/2009) before the Supreme court on July 20, 2009.
"Our allegations that 41 lakhs Bangladeshi voters in 2006 Assam voters list. As a result of the same, court's order on updating NRC been implemented in Assam under supervision of the Supreme Court. Where in the Union government allocated a sum of Rs 900 crores for the project.
The work of updating NRC in Assam had started which is still active and ongoing till
date. The NRC authority in Assam, headed by Prateek Hajela, IAS, issued work order on the basis of a single tender to 'WIPRO' for supplying IT manpower for the post of Data Entry Executive. Till date around 9000 persons have been engaged in work as Data Entry Executive in the entire state who is being paid only Rs 5000 per month," the organisation said.
"NRC authority had fixed an amount of Rs 14,500 against each Data Entry Executive per month, which is being drawn by WIPRO. However WIPRO had out-sourced the work of supply of IT man power to a third party namely ISS (Integrated Systems and Service) @ Rs 8000 against each Data Entry Executive per month and finally the employees are paid only a total of Rs 5000 per month. Keeping a share @ Rs 6,500 against each Data Entry Executive per month by WIPRO and keeping a share @ Rs 3,000 against each Data Entry Executive per month by 'Integrated Systems and Service' is totally illegal as the actual employees are getting only Rs 5,000 per month
which is far below the amount fixed as per Minimum Wages Act presently in force for skilled labours," APW said.
Meanwhile, the organisation filed an FIR before the CBI at Guwahati office on August 25 last and demanded a probe into the scam.
The organisation said in the FIR copy that, after scrutinising the entire facts of the matter, we could sense that some of the officers of NRC authority in Assam headed by Prateek Hajela, IAS, in connivance with the aforesaid companies have hatched up a conspiracy and misappropriated around Rs 177 Crores till date and caused wrongful financial loss to the Union government.
The organisation demanded an investigation be carried out regarding the aforesaid aspects starting from tender, work order etc. up to disbursement of the fund as well as payment for bringing out the truth and doing the needful as per law.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kathmandu, Nepal : The Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission (CDC) has handed over a report to the government carving out 165 electoral constituencies for the election of House of Representatives and 330 constituencies for the election of provincial assemblies.
The office bearers of the CDC handed over the report to the prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba amid a function at prime minister's office on Wednesday.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said relations between Morocco and Algeria are at a standstill and have not witnessed any evolution for years.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated because of the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara and Algerian leaders persistence to defend the lost causes of the Polisario, a separatist Front they created at the time of the Cold War, with the sole aim of weakening their Moroccan neighbor and imposing their leadership in the region.
In an interview published Monday by Jeune Afrique magazine, the head of Moroccan diplomacy lamented the lack of cooperation at all levels between the two countries.
Nasser Bourita said in this connection that no bilateral visits were exchanged for more than seven years. Coordination remains static at all levels. The Arab Maghreb Union has not convened meetings in years and remains the least integrated grouping in the continent.
The Moroccan official blamed Algerian leaders for the diplomatic and media campaigns they have been staging against Morocco since the announcement of the Kingdoms return within the African Union in January 2017. He said he was ready to work with all non-hostile countries, even if their standpoints on the Moroccan Sahara date back to a bygone era.
Nasser Bourita also brought up Moroccos membership to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), stating that the regional grouping approved in principle this membership, which is now under legal review and that technical negotiations will follow.
We are in contact with the ECOWAS Commission as we prepare for the Lome summit (scheduled for December), he said, explaining that the geographical argument put forward by those opposed to Moroccos membership was unfounded.
He insisted further that Morocco will be a valuable asset to the ECOWAS, recalling that the response of the ECOWAS heads of state to the royal letter of February 23 reflects a shared conviction that the accession of Morocco will be beneficial for all.
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Credit: Ross StewartU2 has premiered a brand-new song called "The Blackout" via a video posted on the band's official Facebook page and other social media. The track will be featured on the Irish rockers' upcoming studio album, Songs of Experience.
The video, directed by Richie Smyth, features grainy black-and-white footage of U2 performing the song in front of a small crowd in Amsterdam. The tune features mid-tempo verses and a hard-driving, melodic chorus, with lyrics that seem to be critiquing the current volatile political climate in the U.S.
"Statues fall, democracy is flat on its back, Jack," Bono sings in one of the verses. "We had it all and what we had is not coming back, Zack."
Meanwhile, U2's announced that the first single from Songs of Experience, a tune titled "You're the Best Thing About Me," will be released Wednesday, September 6. The band also will unveil full details about the album that day.
U2 has been playing another tune from Songs of Experience, "The Little Things That Give You Away," at select shows during their current The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, and also performed that song recently on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live. The band kicks off the second North American leg of its Joshua Tree Tour this Sunday in Detroit.
Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
" " An archivist has unearthed a cache of letters from Alan Turing, the brilliant British mathematician and one of the forefathers of the computer age. Bill Sanderson/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
This year professor of computer engineering Jim Miles made an unexpected discovery. Miles, who teaches at the University of Manchester, was clearing out an old filing cabinet when he saw a red file with the name "Alan Turing" written on it. Inside that file was a collection of the famed mathematician's correspondence dating from 1949 up to 1954, the year he died. All told, the file held close to 150 documents, including letters and circulars.
Turing was a mathematician and one of the fathers of the computer age. During World War II, he helped decipher German codes created by the Enigma machine. Much of his work became the basis for computer science. He's also known for proposing the Turing Test, which relates to artificial intelligence.
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Historians are excited to see more material from Turing. According to archivist James Peters, the correspondence focuses on Turing's academic life rather than his personal life. The letters include invitations to speak at various institutions and colleges on matters such as machine intelligence and codebreaking. There are also letters asking for Turing's participation or support for various endeavors.
My favorite might be Turing's response to Donald Mackay of King's College in London. Mackay, a physicist, asked Turing if he might attend a cybernetics conference in America. Turing's response was that he had already turned down the opportunity and that "I would not like the journey, and I detest America." The University of Manchester has published an index of all the letters in the file online. Turing's detestation of the US of A is in letter 107.
Turing's life, part of which was dramatized for the Oscar-winning 2014 film The Imitation Game, was ultimately tragic. He was gay at a time when having a homosexual relationship was illegal in the United Kingdom. In 1952, he was arrested for "indecency" after having a relationship with another man. He was found guilty, and the government punished him with chemical castration. Turing continued his work for two more years before he died from cyanide poisoning. While the accepted theory was that Turing had committed suicide, academics like professor Jack Copeland suggest that perhaps Turing's death was accidental. In either case, the world lost a genius when Turing died. With this collection of correspondence, we managed to get a little bit of Turing back.
Now That's Interesting From letter 89: Turing had apparently developed "good strategies for a fairly realistic form of 2-man poker."
A new red-band (Not Safe For Work) trailer for Miike Takashi's Blade of the Immortal will slash its way into your bloody heart.
IMiike's 100th film is headed for its North American * U.S. debut at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, which will be held from September 21-28. It's described as an action fantasy epic, based on the Japanese manga series by Samura Hiroaki. It's also got a lot of blood and slashed limbs.
Synopsis: Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her body-guard.
Swearing loyalty, protection and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong.
The cast includes Kimura Takuya, Sugisaki Hana, Fukushi Sota, Ichikawa Ebizo, Tanaka Min and Yamazaki Tsutomu.
Via Magnet Releasing, Blade of the Immortal will open in U.S. theaters on November 3. Watch the trailer below -- which features very large subtitles, for the evident benefit of those of us who have impaired vision -- but please bear in mind: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!!
* Updated 9/1: Premiere status corrected, thanks to commenter Pierre Corbeil.
Third Window Films continues fighting the good fight of expanding the availability of world cinema on Blu-ray with their continued commitment to sharing the catalog of one of Japan's most famous filmmakers, the legendary Kitano Takeshi. After releasing much of his earliest directorial work in the UK, they now present the worldwide debut release of his crazy sex comedy, Getting Any?
Here's the synopsis for those unfamiliar with the film:
From the acclaimed director Takeshi Kitano [Fireworks, Kikujiro] comes a bizarre, over the top and absurd comedy full of slapstick silliness and never ending gags. A great satire of Japanese society and popular cinema, Getting Any?, embraces the spirit of Kitano s early stand-up and television work and as such it offers a genuine inside look into his true personality.
The story follows the nerdy middle age Asao, a professional daydreamer, whose one and only goal in life is - as the title suggests - to get laid. Asao embarks on a series of slapstick adventures in search of fulfilling his ultimate fantasy - making wild passionate sex with a woman. His holy quest for sex lands Asao in a series of absurd situations, involving robbery schemes, big movie productions, yakuza gang rivalry wars and scientific experiments.
The first printing of the Blu-ray will come with a brand new slipcover, like all of Third Window's previous Kitano releases. The Blu-ray will be sourced from a new 2K transfer from Office Kitano, and special features include an audio commentary from author Sean Redmond and an archival interview with Kitano from the initial DVD release.
Do you miss the John Woo of old? The one deeply in love with baroquely over the top gun fire wedded to large scale melodrama and softly fluttering doves? It appears John Woo misses the John Woo of old and so he's gone and brought him back for his latest effort, Manhunt.
Woo's latest is about to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and has released its first teaser in advance of that. And while it appears this is much more a brief sales teaser than a proper trailer there is still loads in there for old fans to get excited about. Such as every John Woo cliche ever, and I say this with great fondness for John Woo cliches. Here's how the festival describes it:
From one of world cinema's true masters comes this pulse-pounding action-thriller about a man wanted for a crime he did not commit, and the sinister conspiracy behind his persecution. Manhunt is electrifying; it's classic John Woo. Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu) is a successful international lawyer from China who has long been working for Tenjin, a powerful Japanese pharmaceutical company. On the very night he announces his break with the company at its lavish 65th-anniversary party he is assaulted in his home, knocked unconscious, and wakes the next morning with a knife in his hand and a murdered employee of Tenjin in his bed. Pursued by authorities, including a police captain who begins to suspect his innocence (Masaharu Fukuyama, who also appears at this year's Festival in The Third Murder), Du begins a desperate campaign to learn who framed him and why. The answers will involve corruption, cruelty, and a pair of seemingly invincible female assassins.
With its breathless pacing, heightened suspense, and inventive set pieces, Manhunt bears all the hallmarks of its prolific auteur. What makes the film even more satisfying are the details the character development, the social critique that elevate it to a new level of artistic maturity. More than 40 years into his legendary career, Woo isn't just back. He's better than ever.
Check out the trailer below!
"Local Democracy, Community Adjudication, and Criminal Justice" | Main | More context for contemplating Prez Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio
August 30, 2017
New report spotlights concerns with background of 26 Ohio condemned scheduled for execution in coming months and years
In this post earlier this year, I reported on a significant report produced by the Fair Punishment Project (FPP) examining the background and case history of eight death row defendants in Arkansas who had approaching execution dates. That March 2017 Arkansas report from FPP was titled "Prisoners on Arkansass Execution List Defined By Mental Illness, Intellectual Disability, and Bad Lawyering," and I am inclined to assert that the FPP report played a role in a few of these Arkansas defendants getting their executions stayed.
Now FPP has turned its eye to the Buckeye State now that Ohio has gotten its machinery of death operating again, and FPP's latest report here is titled "Prisoners on Ohios Execution List Defined by Intellectual Impairment, Mental Illness, Trauma, and Young Age." Here is how this report gets started:
On July 26, 2017, Ohio ended its three-year execution moratorium and put Ronald Phillips to death. Phillips, 19 at the time he committed his crime, had the intellectual functioning of a juvenile, had a father who sexually abused him, and grew up a victim of and a witness to unspeakable physical abuse information his trial lawyers never learned or presented to a jury. Ohio intends to execute three more people in 2017 and then 23 more between 2018 and 2020. We examined the cases of these 26 men, relying on available legal pleadings, court opinions, and where accessible, trial testimony. We found that these men are among the most impaired and traumatized among us a pattern replicated across Americas death rows. At least 17 out of the 26 men experienced serious childhood trauma horrifying instances of extensive physical and sexual abuse. At least six men appear to suffer from a mental illness, and at least 11 have evidence of intellectual disability, borderline intellectual disability, or a cognitive impairment, including brain injury. Three were under the age of 21 at the time they committed their offenses, a period during which an individuals brain, especially the section related to impulse control and decision-making, is still underdeveloped. Many of these men fall within several of these categories, which compounds the impairments. We use the term at least because three of these men waived the presentation of mitigation at their trials. And several had lawyers who conducted little to no investigation at both the trial and post-conviction phase or failed to seek the assistance of psychologists and other experts, despite the presence of familial mental illness, which is often hereditary. Therefore, in those cases, we know very little about existing impairments, even though execution dates are looming. The Constitution mandates that the state restrict the use of the death penalty to only those whose extreme culpability makes them the most deserving of execution, regardless of the severity of their crimes. The individuals identified here have been convicted of horrible crimes, and they must be held to account. But the evidence suggests that Ohio has not met its constitutional obligation. It is instead planning to execute nearly two dozen individuals with substantial impairments, rather than reserving the punishment for those with the greatest culpability. Below, we describe some of the stories we uncovered while researching these 26 Ohio cases. We have grouped them by category of impairment which includes serious trauma, mental illness and intellectual disability, and youth. These distinctions, however, are artificial many of these men have heartbreaking stories falling within multiple categories. For each example of a debilitating impairment, we could have included many other equally terrifying stories about those facing a sentence of death.
August 30, 2017 at 10:18 AM | Permalink
Comments
Nothing more than the purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering
Nullaltro che limposizione, insensata e senza scopo di dolore e sofferenza
Scotus, Cooker 1977
Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Aug 30, 2017 10:39:32 AM
Claudio. I am a big fan of the Italian death penalty. I now oppose the American death penalty, and support the Italian death penalty.
Posted by: David Behar | Aug 30, 2017 11:16:41 AM
These turkeys think that Philipps should have been spared because of abuse and youth, as a constitutional matter. Yeah, right.
And their argument is a lot like Joe's: pick the "whose extreme culpability makes them the most deserving of execution" and point out some reason why the particular murderer doesn't qualify without looking at capital sentencing as a process with diffuse decisionmakers and with jury sentencing. Juries are entitled to have, for example, the opinion that Philipps, having suffered abuse, should have known better not to rape a three-year old. Etc. etc.
What utter nonsense.
Posted by: federalist | Aug 30, 2017 12:48:45 PM
DB, think to the 1.500 persons killed every year by the American police.
Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Aug 30, 2017 2:13:36 PM
it is a tale. Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mljsp0013st.pdf
Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Aug 30, 2017 2:22:13 PM
"without looking at capital sentencing as a process with diffuse decisionmakers and with jury sentencing"
The report here argues that as a whole many of the people to be executed does not meet a certain constitutional test. This is not ignoring that the selection process involves various decision-makers. I myself repeatedly note that very fact to argue that a range of people are involved in the very limited number of people who are executed in let's say CA.
There remains some overall objective criteria, even in some cases when specific juries choose to execute, that must be met. And, after a jury decides, such criteria as would something like fact-finding, might independently be examined by governors and others.
Posted by: Joe | Aug 30, 2017 8:53:32 PM
Indeed, it would have been odd if it had transpired that Englishmen alone are so peculiarly brutal by nature that they require some special deterrent from murder which nearly all the civilised countries of the world have found unnecessary in practice - in many cases for generations.
Gerald Gardiner, Capital Punishment as a Deterrent, London, Gollanz, 1956. p 56
Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Aug 31, 2017 8:48:20 AM
The real question Doug is what are YOU going to do about this, other than give publicity to the report on this blog. As a prominent, influential law professor and sometime commentator for the press, how and in which forum are you going to help those on the Ohio death row? That these cases have got so far in Ohio surely demonstrates the complete disfunction of the process - which merits an immediate moratorium leading to abolition at best, and urgent legal actions to stop the indiscriminate application of the death penalty in the cases highlighted by this report at the least. I hope we can expect to see your active representation to stop unconstitutional carnage.
Posted by: peter | Sep 1, 2017 7:16:50 AM
Capital defendants in Ohio and elsewhere, peter, have multiple opportunities in multiple courts to establish that a sentence of death for their murderous acts is unconstitutional. When those claims have been repeatedly rejected, I am inclined to consider the coming executions "constitutional," not "unconstitutional." Moreover, my knowledge of Ohio's capital laws and procedures and the quality of defense representation in the state leads me to dispute your assertion that the capital process is completely dysfunctional in the state.
I get, peter, that you think all application of the death penalty are human rights violations and an abomination. Because I do not share that view, I will get involved only on a case-by-case basis based on my assessment of the facts and circumstances of each case.
Posted by: Doug B. | Sep 1, 2017 1:20:40 PM
As a member of the Legal Advisory Council of the Report authors, it must be disappointing to many that you find it so easy to defend your own State quite so readily (complacently?) in the face of such a damning review. Mitigation is supposed to be at the heart of the death penalty system in order to differentiate the "worst of the worst" from those intellectually less culpable for their own actions (however abominable), yet the State and now you, seem unwilling to challenge the practices and rules that make that differentiation impossible to achieve. Those same practices and rules empower overzealous prosecutors and impede the work of the high quality defense attorneys you refer to. I find your views incompatible with the ethos and findings of the Fair Punishment Project - though I refrain from adding the obvious consequential remarks. It is never wrong to challenge the status quo, nor is it ever wrong to challenge a given interpretation of the Constitution in the enlightenment of modernity.
Posted by: peter | Sep 2, 2017 4:33:45 AM
Peter. Try to take it easy. I wonder how Prof. Berman can deny physical reality, and still deny the fact. All mitigating factors, including those not yet accepted by the pro-criminal Supreme Court are aggravating factors.
I hate to get repeatedly stupid. The victims of child abuse, those with intellectual disability, those with severe psychotic paranoid schizophrenia, the ones with brain damage from a traumatic brain injury, the ones with involuntary need to rape children before killing them, that you feel so much care and need to protect? The home address. We are putting them in your house.
Posted by: David Behar | Sep 2, 2017 11:59:24 PM
Claudio. Of the 1500 killed by the American police, there is a marked over-representation of white criminals, far out of proportion to the criminality of blacks. There is a reverse racial bias in police homicides. From the propaganda article of the Washington Post, owned by gay activist, Jeff Bezos, "732 were white, and 381 were black (and 382 were of another or unknown race)." This is despite that blacks commit 5 times as many crimes as whites and are one fifth of their population fraction. Many of the whites are mentally ill, and agitated.
Here is my question. Is there an excess of police homicides in lawyer residential neighborhoods, out of proportion to their fraction of all neighborhoods. No one has ever looked at that number. That question is inspired by my own lawyer neighborhood.
I also own a house in a very mixed neighborhood in a smaller town. Next door neighbors were being sought by their probation officers, who rang my bell by mistake. A bunch of low class, dark skinned people live across the street. No crime in decades. It is located on lawyer row. I even learned from police officers, there are only 6 officers patrolling the night shift of this town of 75000. You do not even need a lot of police. You just need the certain knowledge. Commit a crime in a lawyer neighborhood. You dead. Dead on the spot.
As an aside, for information purposes, Rome and most Italian large cities are now unlivable from crime. The statistics always cited by Claudio are false propaganda, and the result of the police throwing reports of crime victims in the trash. Speak to some real Italians for the reality of crime in Italy.
Posted by: David Behar | Sep 3, 2017 12:15:28 AM
peter, you are quite right to accuse me of being complacent when it comes to concerns about the operation of capital punishment in Ohio (and elsewhere). This is the result of the fact that (1) capital defendants in Ohio (and elsewhere) get a whole lot more sentencing procedure, a whole lot more defense resources, and a whole lot more appellate and clemency attention than all other defendants who have committed less serious crimes, (2) lots of amazingly talented folks within and outside the state of Ohio already spend a lot of time concerned about these particular defendants (as this FPP reveals), and (3) absent compelling evidence of innocence, "success" for these defendants results in their being locked in a cage under they die --- i.e., a slower death by law, rather than a slightly faster one.
I say none of this to disparage your concerns or the work of so many fine folks who are so distressed by capital punishment that they are willing and eager to spend so much time concerned with how the state responds to certain murders and murderers. But, in part because I can be confident that every murderer sentenced to death will get lots and lots of attention, I generally believe it makes sense for me to invest more time and energy looking into other parts of criminal justice systems that, in my view, get too little attention.
Posted by: Doug B | Sep 3, 2017 11:46:56 AM
Merely by continuing to post things about the death penalty (a major subject matter on this blog along with sexual offenses, both which attract certain comments), the author of this blog implies a certain level of concern.
Posted by: Joe | Sep 3, 2017 1:22:23 PM
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Overwhelmed by this awful world we're living in and needing some cultural distraction and social time? Look no further than this week's agenda of fun stuff to spend your spare time doing, from a Star Trek-themed dance party, to an intensive pottery class, to a Kylie Minogue drag tribute.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29
TRIVIA NIGHT WITH STREET FOOD: We've talked before about all the pub trivia nights that happen on Tuesday around town, but there's only one that happens outdoors surrounded by food trucks. That would be every Tuesday in the "barn" at the SoMa StrEat Food Park, and you can see tonight's topics (for all SIX rounds of trivia) here. Prizes include rounds of drinks from the bar, and other stuff. SoMa StrEat Food Park, 428 11th Street, 7 p.m., free
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30
CHEESE, CHARCUTERIE, & BEER: Join expert hosts Waldemar Albrecht and Vanessa Chang in a two-hour tasting class devoted to cheese and meat with an emphasis on craft beer pairings. Classes at the Cheese School may not be cheap, but they'll get you nice and tipsy and fill you with delicious cheese and charcuterie. The Cheese School of San Francisco, 2124 Folsom Street at 17th, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $85
SERIOUS SIX-WEEK POTTERY CLASS: Fans of Mel Rice Ceramica, which has a retail shop on Valencia, may want to check out this class being offered at Rice's Outer Richmond studio. It's a six-week intensive (missed classes can be made up) that includes 15 pounds of clay, glazes, firings, and three hours a week of studio time outside of class. If you're ready to get serious about a pottery hobby, you can start here. Mel Rice Studio Ceramica, 6138 Geary Boulevard bet. 25th and 26th Ave, Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting 8/30. $325
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
EMOTIONAL ARCADE 'GAME SHOW': As part of the adults-only "After Dark" series at the Exploratorium, you can check out the legendary Tactile Dome after a cocktail or two, or you can head to the Bernard and Barbro Osher West Gallery for this "experiential filming party" with Emotional Arcade. It's a "high-tech interactive installation disguised as a game show built around a deceptively simple question: 'How do you feel?'" Intrigued? Exploratorium, Pier 15, 8 p.m. (museum doors at 6 p.m.), $15 admission
STAR TREK ANNIVERSARY CLUB NIGHT: This week's edition of long-running 80s music night Class Of '84 at Cat Club celebrates the 51st anniversary of Star Trek and the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation and yes, Star Trek costuming is highly encouraged. Music will be provided by DJ's Dangerous Dan(440 Castro) and DJ Low Life (New Wave City), spinning "underground dark 80's" in the back room, and DJ's Damon (Club Gossip) and Mr Washington (YA Mamma's Basement) playing pop and rock in the front room. 1190 Folsom Street at 8th, 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., $7 (free before 9:30)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
ART OPENING: Friday marks the official unveiling, with proper lighting, of Julie Mehretu's grand, monumental dual painting that has been hanging since last week in the Third Street atrium at SFMOMA. The two canvases, which measure 27 feet by 32 feet each, were commissioned specifically for the space and mark the largest works of art ever to hang at the museum. Titled HOWL eon (I,II), they took as their initial inspiration the grand landscape painting of the West in the 19th Century. Mehretu will also be doing an artist talk on September 14, but that is sold out. SFMOMA, Third Street entrance, 151 Third Street, free and open to the public
COMIC-CON: It may not be as big as the original in San Diego, but SF Comic-Con comes but once a year to the Moscone Center and Day One, Friday, is the cheapest at $30 for one-day admission. Sean Astin and Ray Park will be signing autographs Friday, and then there's a bevy of other celebrity guests coming the other two days, including the Princess Bride's Cary Elwes, and Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols. Moscone Center West, Friday through Sunday, Tickets $30 to $80
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
FREE OUTDOOR 'GOONIES' SCREENING: In Mission Bay's answer to the SoMa StrEat Food Park, a.k.a. Spark Social SF, all are welcome to this family-friendly free movie night, sponsored by UberEats, with proceeds going to benefit UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. You're encouraged to bring blankets, but no dogs, chairs, or outside food or drink are allowed, and there's a ticketed early entry thing for the movie itself, if you register at the above link ahead of time, granting you first dibs on the Astroturf. Spark Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Boulevard North, 6:15 p.m., free
PRINCE AND MICHAEL TRIBUTE PARTY: Every first Saturday it's "The Prince and Michael Experience" at Madrone Art Bar, and that would be a night of music entirely by the Purple One and the King of Pop by DJ Dave Paul. They may not be with us anymore, but we can let them live on by singing along. Madrone Art Bar, 500 Divisadero at Fell, 8 p.m., $5
KYLIE MINOGUE DRAG TRIBUTE: Kylie fans will be out in force, assuming they're not at Burning Man, at this Mother tribute to the great Australian diva and gay icon. Hostess Heklina will be joined by the likes of Miss Rahni, Sugah Betes, Trangela Lansbury, Carnie Asada, Laundra Tyme, and more. Oasis, 298 11th Street, 10 p.m., $10
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
PEPPER TASTING: Over at CUESA's Jack London Square farmers' market in Oakland, they're doing a seasonal tasting of varieties of peppers in the CUESA classroom. Enjoy free samples as well as pepper recipes. Palm Plaza at Embarcadero West and Webster Street, Oakland, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., free
PRE-LABOR DAY DANCE PARTY: Local cult legends, the DJ collective known as Honey Soundsystem, are back for their second-to-last SF party of the year this weekend, giving people a reason to dance on this holiday weekend Sunday. They're taking over both Audio and Bergerac downstairs, with different DJs in each, and this is definitely where the party monsters not at Burning Man (or just arriving back and still ready to party) will be heading. Audio, 316 11th Street, 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., $15 in advance
An apparent San Francisco resident has announced a supposed demonstration to block the Golden Gate Bridge Wednesday morning, with fringe groups including those associated with white supremacy invited to attend.
According to the Facebook page for the event, participants (sic throughout) "will meet up where lincoln blvd intersects with highway 101 and we will march along the gold gate bridge."
"We will not let traffic pass until the city of san francisco agrees that 'Antifa' is a terrorist organization. Why should we move if you support a terrorist organization?"
The person behind the event is "apparent San Francisco resident John Walters Monroe," the Ex reports, the founder of a group called "Conservative Rustles," which is "is all about denying communist ideology in any way shape or form."
According to the East Bay Times,
When the page went up late Sunday, its invitation included outreach to members of the pro-white organization, Identity Evropa. That outreach was initially scrubbed Tuesday afternoon, but added back later with additions: The Alt Right, Identity Evropa,and other Southern Nationalist groups will be in attendance.
Identity Evropa, as you are likely aware, is the white supremacist group founded by Oakdale resident Nathan Damigo, who gained national attention following a video which appeared to depict him punching a female counter-protester at an April rally in Berkeley.
The group has not responded to an Ex query regarding an appearance in today's event. In fact, it doesn't appear that anyone is participating in the protest, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. today. As of publication time, the event page reads "0 Going 0 Interested" and "Conservative Rustles" only had eight "likes" and 18 followers. (Not to social media shame! Just saying!)
However, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transit District and California Highway Patrol aren't taking any chances.
No one has applied for a permit for an event, but were monitoring the situation, Spokeswoman Priya Clemens told the East Bay Times. Events are only permitted on the sidewalks and plaza areas. Its obviously illegal to stop traffic on (the) roadway of the Golden Gate.
In a statement sent to media, the CHP says "accessing state highways or roads to protest is not only unlawful, but also extremely dangerous because it puts protestors, motorists, and first responders at great risk of injury or death."
"While everyone has a Constitutional right to protest and assemble and we treat everyone equally, regardless of the message violence, such as throwing objects, hurting others or damaging property, is not protected speech under the U.S. Constitution."
As of this report's publication at 9 a.m., the CHP says no demonstration has materialized. We'll obviously update should that situation change.
Related: Oath Keepers Stayed Away From SF & Berkeley Rallies Because Of Potential White Nationalist Presence
Feinstein stuns San Francisco crowd: Trump 'can be a good president' via the @FoxNews App https://t.co/qUI4VNjSLe Micee (@SanMateogirl11) August 30, 2017
Senator Dianne Feinstein had a Commonwealth Club stage conversation Tuesday night at the Herbst Theater in which she discussed various topics including NAFTA, President Trump's proposed border wall, and Trump's pardoning of Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, which she called a "stupid thing to do." Ever the frowning pragmatist, though, Feinstein urged "patience" when it comes to dealing with the president, and the crowd really wasn't having that.
As KQED reports, Feinstein said, "I think we have to have some patience, I do. Its eight months into the tenure of the presidency Well have to see if he can forget himself and his feelings about himself enough to be able to have the empathy and direction that this country needs.
The sold-out crowd of about 850 people booed and hissed at this, and Feinstein went on to say, "This man is going to be president most likely for the rest of this term. I just hope he has the ability to learn and change. If he does he can be a good president."
You'll note via the tweet above that Fox News jumped all over this.
Feinstein was "in conversation" with former East Bay congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, and Tauscher said on stage that it's "a little late by my watch" for Republicans in Congress to publicly denounce many of Trump's decisions and statements but she said she might have to be a little more cautious in her statements if she were still in Congress, as the Chronicle reports.
Feinstein further made a cagey comment about how "there are things that could happen" to remove Trump from office, but added, "I dont think it would be responsible for me to talk about here."
Democratic consultant Garry South tells KQED that Feinstein sounded a bit tone-deaf when it comes to speaking to members of her own party in such a setting, perhaps ignoring the fact that the party has moved well to the left since she first took office 25 years ago. "I think its gonna raise some eyebrows among the base," he said of her comments.
Feinstein, as you may know, is 84 and up for reelection next year. When asked by Tauscher whether she was definitely running for another six-year term, she said, "Next question."
With regard to the border wall, Feinstein said, perhaps hopefully, that Hurricane Harvey may end up shifting the public's, and politicians' focus. "I think Texas takes the place of the wall," Feinstein said, per NBC Bay Area. "I think Americans would much rather contribute their money to the rehabilitation of Texas... rather than another wall on our border."
Previously: Dianne Feinstein Rocks Seersucker At Comey Hearing, Is Cheered
President Trump on Friday issued an executive order requiring Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to "review" all national monument designations made during the last three administrations that are over 100,000 acres. As San Francisco's KPIX reports, among these is Giant Sequoia National Monument, which spans 328,000 acres across Tulare, Kern and Fresno counties and the Trump administration has apparently recommended shrinking it to 90,000 acres.
Also threatened with being shrunk or removed entirely from federal protection are Berryessa Snow Mountain, Carrizo Plain, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains, and Mojave Trails National Monument.
In statements to the press on Friday, Zinke suggested that "in some cases, the designation of the monuments may have resulted in loss of jobs, reduced wages and reduced public access."
But critics and environmentalists have been quick to call this a land grab and potential gift to developers and, in the case of Giant Sequoia National Monument, the logging industry.
According to the order, "Designations [under the Antiquities Act of 1906] should be made in accordance with the requirements and original objectives of the Act and appropriately balance the protection of landmarks, structures, and objects against the appropriate use of Federal lands and the effects on surrounding lands and communities."
KPIX notes that an estimated eight million trees in Giant Sequoia National Monument are dead or dying due to drought-related bark beetle infestation and as we learned from the temple builders at this year's Burning Man, who were using wood from such dead trees donated by PG&E, wood from non-living trees is not construction grade and therefore may not even be of interest to logging companies.
The station also talks to two members of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, one of whom supports the idea of shrinking the monument because it will make it easier to manage and thereby less prone to fire. "Locking [the trees] up in a monument and doing nothing which is essentially what the Forest Service has done for the past 20-plus years is not in their best interest, says Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley to KPIX.
The Department of the Interior began taking public comment on national monuments in May. As Zinke said on Friday, "There's no requirement for public input before the designation of a monument and there's no NEPA requirement. Normally, when you do a land use project, we normally NEPA. The Antiquities Act is the exception."
In July, President Trump signed something called the America First Offshore Energy Executive Order which, similar to this latest one, calls for review of national marine sanctuaries like the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off the Northern California coast, for possible offshore drilling. That sanctuary was expanded under President Obama to include 2,013 miles of coastal waters along the Sonoma and Mendocino coastline.
Related: Trump Administration Explores Possibility Of Deep-Sea Drilling In Farallones Marine Sanctuary
Heeding calls from some on the left to condemn the documented violence of "antifa" activists on Sunday who attacked the vastly outnumbered right-wing rally-goers who showed up in downtown Berkeley on Sunday, Nancy Pelosi gave some statements Tuesday doing just that.
"People have a right to express themselves and other people have a right to respond to it. There should never be any violence involved in that," Pelosi said, according to CBS 5.
Pelosi has been attacked by the right and the alt-right for being an enemy of free speech, and for helping to squash the planned Patriot Prayer rally that had been planned for Saturday in San Francisco. But Pelosi, Mayor Ed Lee, State Senator Scott Wiener, and many others opposed the event because of the organizers past ties to white nationalists, who have taken part in his rallies in Seattle and Portland. Organizer Joey Gibson canceled the rally on Friday and gave statements suggesting that Pelosi and Lee had mischaracterized his event and attracted extremist elements to it in doing so. He further accused the city and the SFPD of a "setup" in which he and his supporters could be targeted by antifa activists for physical attack.
"I respect Trump supporters, I dont like characterizations of them that are being made, Pelosi said to CBS 5, however disingenuously. "But I do not support those who attract white nationalists, white supremacists, those who do a Heil Hitler that is what the danger of it is."
She later issued a formal statement clarifying a hard-line stance against leftists who are violent. "The violent actions of people calling themselves Antifa in Berkeley this weekend, deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted."
Echoing that on Monday was Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, who said of the black-clad activists, "I think we should classify them as a gang." As CBS 5 reported, Arreguin went on to say, "They come dressed in uniforms. They have weapons, almost like a militia and I think we need to think about that in terms of our law enforcement approach."
Previously: Patriot Prayer's Joey Gibson 'Rescued' By Berkeley Police; 13 Arrests Made During Sunday Demonstration
It's been a good long while since we heard about Supervisor Norman Yee's proposed ban on delivery robots on SF sidewalks. But that doesn't mean it's fallen by the wayside in fact, Yee's still pushing the ban after negotiations with delivery companies left him unsatisfied.
So reports the Examiner, which notes that the ban has opposition from two prominent San Francisco business groups.
One of those is the Chamber of Commerce, which argues that a ban might force robot companies out of SF. "A similar argument was made in support of the Twitter tax break," the Ex wryly notes. Small Business Commission has also voted against the proposal, first delaying a June vote "as Yee agreed to hold further negotiations." Those negotiations proved fruitless, aide Erica Maybaum tells the Ex, as we had met with the various companies who did not adequately address our safety concerns.
That led Yee to return the proposal to the SBC without any amendments this month. After an hour of debate, the Commission voted against the ban 5-1, but "supported a resolution urging the Board of Supervisors to establish a working group to study the issue in more detail."
Commissioner Kathleen Dooley, who cast the sole vote in support of Yee's legislation, said that safety is a prime concern. We may not have hard data but if anyone in this room walks around in San Francisco we see how amazingly congested the streets are. She's also worried about enforcement of regulations, as The enforcement factor in this town is the weakest link in our administration. There is just not the manpower to do that properly.
Dooley might not be wrong about that last bit: Though the city's Department of Public Works launched a pilot program requiring permits for the devices, the Ex easily determined that Happy," a robot widely advertised as making deliveries from Jack in the Box's Fisherman's Wharf location was doing so without the required permits, it appears.
I see the value of innovation for public and private good, however, lets be honest about how some emerging technologies have been operating as if no rules apply to them, Yee said in a statement sent to the Examiner.
We do not allow bicycles or Segways on our sidewalks because as a city we have prioritized public spaces for people. That same principle should apply to delivery robots its not a complete ban, what we are saying is they have no place on our already congested and crowded sidewalks.
And in the end, it's not the decision of any business groups or commissions it's up to the Board of Supervisors to determine regulations for delivery robots, as they have for other disruptive businesses like Airbnb and Uber in the past. The Board will return from their summer vacation on next week, and their Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee is expected to hold a hearing on the ban as soon as September 13.
Previously: SF Supe Seeks Ban On Robot Delivery Services
The coastal city of more than 20 million people is the latest to be hit by floods that have ravaged South Asia this monsoon season, affecting millions of people across India, Nepal and Bangladesh and killing over 1,200, source from Vietnamnews.
Authorities in Mumbai said at least five people had died since the intense rainfall began on Tuesday, making roads impassable and briefly shutting the suburban rail network on which millions of commuters depend.
"Five people have died in the Mumbai floods. Four of them including two children died due to wall collapse in the slums and another person died due to electric shock," said Tanaji Kamble, a local government official.
Kamble said the rains had eased by Wednesday. "We are monitoring the safety situation across the city and things are returning to normal."
Cars were submerged and commuters waded through waist-deep water on Tuesday evening.
"I could not find any mode of transport and spent my night on the streets instead of trying to reach home," said 62-year-old Gangadin Gupta.
He said many people had been left stranded for much of the night until the rail network reopened early on Wednesday.
Valuables lost
Residents of Dharavi, one of Asias biggest slums and home to more than a million people, said much of the low-lying area was under water.
"Most of the shanties and houses in Dharavi were submerged in water and we lost all our valuables," said Selvam Sathya, 45.
"All of us took refuge on the first floor of different buildings and the water only started receding this morning... I lost all my belongings in the flooding."
The transport chaos forced the citys famed dabbawallahs, who take hundreds of thousands of hot lunches from commuters homes to offices every day, to cancel their delivery.
Many of the more than 5,000 dabbawallahs were left stranded in the city overnight, a spokesman for the Mumbai Dabbawallha Association told the Press Trust of India.
The flooding brought back memories of 2005 when around 950 millimetres of rain fell on Mumbai in just 24 hours, killing more than 1,000 people.
Electricity, water supply, communications networks and public transport were totally shut down during the 2005 catastrophe, which was blamed on unplanned development and poor drainage in the western city.
India, Nepal and Bangladesh all suffer frequent flooding during the monsoon rains which begin in June and last till September or October.
But the Red Cross has termed this years floods the worst for decades in some parts of the region.
It says entire communities have been cut off and many are short of food and clean water.
DOON, Iowa | As August -- and, thus, summer -- come to an unofficial close in Siouxland, I'd like to share a trio of photos from one of the be
KINGSLEY, Iowa | A manure spill from a sow facility in Plymouth County reached a small creek approximately four miles northwest of Kingsley, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Over the weekend, an unknown amount of manure spilled at Kingsley Sow Facility, according to a news release from the DNR. It was found Tuesday to have reached a small, unnamed stream that has low flows and no fish.
DNR staff found low dissolved oxygen levels in the stream but found no evidence that it had reached Johns Creek, which lies about a mile downstream.
Facility manager Dave Wittry reported most of the manure was captured by a berm near the facility, the release said. Wittry told the DNR he will pump manure from the tributary and land apply it.
The DNR will monitor the cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement.
SIOUX CITY | A man believed to be suicidal climbed the Veterans Memorial Bridge Tuesday and caused a partial closure of the roadway while officers talked him down.
The Sioux City Police Department received the call around noon.
A press release said the 28-year-old Native American man was only able to climb a short distance up the arch of the suspension bridge. Officers were told he was feeling depressed and made suicidal threats.
Officers were able to convince the unidentified man to climb back down, the release said. He was transported to Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City for evaluation.
The bridge was partially closed for 20 minutes as a safety precaution.
Sioux City Fire Rescue, the South Sioux City Police Department, the Dakota County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa Department of Transportation assisted with the incident.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man faces several charges after deputies say he attempted to elude police while carrying drugs, drug paraphernalia and illegal weapons inside his vehicle.
Nathaniel Earlwin Frazier, 32, was charged early Wednesday with two counts of carrying and concealing a dangerous weapon, one count of eluding and several drug- and traffic-related charges.
According to court documents, a Woodbury County deputy began following Frazier shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday when the deputy smelled marijuana coming from a vehicle near the intersection of Fourth and Jackson streets. As the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, it ran the stop sign at Fourth and Jackson and began attempting to elude the patrol car.
The chase traveled 60 mph in a 35 mph zone over the bridge on Floyd Boulevard between Fourth Street and Dace Avenue. It then continued through various intersections. Documents say the vehicle bottomed out at the intersection of South Lewis Boulevard and Leech Avenue as it was traveling about 55 mph. It stopped near the intersection of First and Fairmount streets.
Documents say Frazier told deputies he "had a little dope" inside the vehicle, as well as paraphernalia, and that he had considered tossing it during the chase. Deputies found approximately 1.5 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1.5 grams of marijuana and another zippered bag with a "wax-like" substance inside, according to documents. Frazier was also in possession of drug paraphernalia, a pair of brass knuckles and a large knife with a blade approximately one foot in length, documents said.
His license status was barred and revoked in Iowa, documents said. Frazier also admitted to using marijuana several hours before the time of the stop.
Frazier was being held in the Woodbury County Jail on $27,000 bond.
LE MARS, Iowa | Testimony in a Plymouth County murder case scheduled to start in December will be split over several weeks to accommodate a prosecution witness's schedule.
Thomas Bibler, 34, of Le Mars, is scheduled to stand trial for first-degree murder, willful injury and going armed with intent on Dec. 19 in Plymouth County District Court in connection with the June 11, 2016, stabbing death of his sister, Shannon Bogh, 27, of Le Mars.
District Judge Jeffrey Neary on Tuesday ordered that the trial will begin as scheduled and proceed until Plymouth County Attorney Darin Raymond calls a planned rebuttal witness. The trial will then recess until Jan. 30 because the witness is no longer available to testify in December. Raymond recently notified Neary and defense attorney Billy Oyadare of the witness's unavailability.
The lengthy trial break will have no effect on potential jurors. Bibler has waived his right to a jury trial and will instead have Neary decide his case.
Bibler is accused of assaulting Bogh in her home at 591 15th St. SW with an edged weapon. She died a short time later at the Le Mars hospital.
A witness to the stabbing identified Bibler as a suspect, and he was arrested without incident in the apartment about 30 minutes after the assault. According to court documents, Bibler has told investigators he has no recollection of what happened and his mental health condition at the time of the incident is likely to be an issue at trial.
STORM LAKE, Iowa | An 18-year-old man is facing at least two charges after police say he unlawfully entered a Storm Lake home and began photographing a sleeping 12-year-old girl early Tuesday morning.
Alejandro Hernandez, of Storm Lake, was charged Tuesday night with second-degree burglary and invasion of privacy following an investigation into the incident.
At about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, Hernandez had entered a residence via an unlocked door, according to a news release from the Storm Lake Police Department. He then proceeded to the bedroom of the girl, where he lifted her bed covers and began photographing her with his phone, the release said. Hernandez fled the scene when the girl woke up.
Police located Hernandez around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at a Storm Lake apartment building and took him into custody for questioning. Later that night, they searched his apartment and seized his cellphone.
Hernandez was charged and booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on $10,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible, the release said.
This week were talking with all five of the Sioux City School Board candidates. If youd like to sit in on the Editorial Board meetings, just turn to The Journals Facebook page or the website (siouxcityjournal.com) at the appointed hour.
Monday, we kicked off the series with Jeremy Saint. Tuesday, we talked with Ron Colling and Perla Alarcon-Flory. Wednesday, we visited with Miyuki Nelson. You can view the question and answer sessions with Saint, Colling, Alarcon-Flory and Nelson on our website.
Thursday, well visit with Shaun Broyhill at 12:15 p.m. (Note that this time is 15 minutes later than the originally scheduled time.)
Feel free to send us questions, too.
SIOUX CITY | Longtime Sioux City resident Doug Waples said he will file papers Wednesday to run in November's Sioux City Council election, bringing the number of candidates who have made their intentions public to eight.
Six of those candidates had filed paperwork as of Tuesday, meaning the next one to file will ensure a primary election in October to winnow the field.
Waples will join Jake Jungers, Brett Watchorn, Nick Davidson, John Olson and incumbents Pete Groetken and Dan Moore as those who have filed. An eighth candidate, current Councilman Alex Watters, has announced his bid to retain his seat but had yet to file as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Waples, 67, has lived in Sioux City the past 45 years. He worked for several years at Guarantee Oil Co. and is now semi-retired. Waples is an honorably discharged veteran who served from 1970 to 1972.
Late last year, Waples submitted his name for appointment to the council when Keith Radig resigned, but this will be his first campaign for elected office. He said his main issues of interest include repairs to the city's roads and utility lines, citing an incident in February where a city snowplow fell into a sinkhole at the intersection of 30th and Pierce streets as an example. The sinkhole was traced to a storm sewer failure.
I think were behind on the streets and the infrastructure of the sewer and water," he said. "Whenever youve got trucks falling through streets -- yes, we need a lot of new progress in town, dont get me wrong -- but at the end of the day weve got to be able to, when new people move into town, have them feel safe on the streets."
Waples stressed that he will focus on representing the people, not City Hall.
"Youre either working for the city or youre working for the citizens. I want to be there for the citizens," Waples said.
Another candidate making his first bid for political office is 28-year-old Jake Jungers, who filed last week after being the first candidate to announce his candidacy back in March. He told the Journal Tuesday in an email that he is running this year because he believes the city needs "to create a new vision of strength and prosperity."
"We need to be able to compete with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Omaha, Nebraska," he said.
Jungers said specific issues he is focused on include enlivening the downtown area, retaining young professionals, protecting neighborhoods and investing in infrastructure.
"I want to be the voice that resonates with all, and I want to work hard to bring people in our city together for the overall common good," he said.
Jungers currently works as a service advisor at Billion Nissan in Sioux City.
Three City Council seats -- those held by current councilmen Dan Moore, Pete Groetken and Alex Watters -- are up for election this fall.
Thursday marks the deadline for candidates to submit papers to the Sioux City Clerk's Office. If seven or more file, a primary will be held Oct. 10. The top six candidates will advance to the ballot for the Nov. 7 election.
SIOUX CITY | One hundred minutes of discussion.
Sixty people gathered at the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Seventeen of those 60 people who felt strongly enough to speak out on whether the county should pass a resolution asking the Iowa Legislature to revisit a 2002 law governing oversight of hog confinements in the state.
Two supervisors who opposed the resolution; two who liked it.
One supervisor to break the tie.
Supervisor Matthew Ung paused. After a few seconds, Ung stated, "Aye," affirming passage of the resolution.
In so doing, the supervisors took another step to support county residents who want more oversight on where large hog confinement operations are built. As a result of hearing that request by many people, including 60 who signed a petition over concerns about concerns on water quality, the county supervisors two weeks ago said they would seek changes to the years-old state rules governing Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs.
The supervisors over three board meetings dating to mid-July have noted Iowa law does not allow people to halt rural farm businesses they may not like, so long as the addition matches the existing zoning.
Supervisor Jeremy Taylor on Tuesday explained his resolution for the county board to petition the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Legislature and governor to preserve the environment, while balancing the need of a vital agriculture economy piece.
"I do not believe that it is as simple as a 'not in my backyard mentality,' but there is room for compromise, transparency and a more collaborative process that does not have to necessarily be contentious," Taylor said.
Taylor and others said there was no way to know what form any future legislation on hog confinements might look like.
"It is not a success if we simply support more regulation. It has to make sense," Ung said.
State Sen. David Johnson, a former Republican turned independent from Ocheyedan, was one of the 12 members of a committee who compiled the guts of the law that governs CAFOs and how the IDNR gives oversight via so-called master matrix rules. Johnson said with so much time passing, it was time for legislators to return to the topic.
One of the biggest applause lines of the night came from Eric Nelson, of rural Moville.
"It is going to be written that war has been declared on agriculture if this resolution passes," Nelson said.
Nelson; Jon Wilcke, of Danbury; and others said they feared new state legislation could result in counties having a say in where confinements would go, creating too much confusion for Iowans.
Penny Fee, of Sioux City, said county officials need more control on CAFO placement.
"CAFO's are a blight on the beautiful land that is Iowa," Fee said.
Alan McGaffin, of Sioux City, said, "The master matrix is an extremely low hurdle for farmers to pass."
Brianne Streck, of Moville, said CAFO owners are not trying to "circumvent" state rules that govern confinements where up to 2,500 hogs are raised for food. Streck said she fears legislative changes.
"I have a 9-month-old son that I pray to God can raise hogs," Streck said.
County Board Chairman Ung and Supervisor Keith Radig said the mood in the room seemed to be "50-50" for the resolution. Radig said the lack of consensus meant it was better for county residents to speak with legislators on their own.
Radig added that he was concerned about a resolution portion that said "passage of legislation providing additional DNR review could lead to increased setback requirements, manure management filings and manure management controls applying to all facilities, no matter the size of animal units."
Ung, Taylor and Marty Pottebaum voted for the resolution, while Rocky De Witt joined Radig in the dissenting votes.
The issue first rose this summer after county resident Randy Riediger said he plans to build a hog barn structure as part of a livestock business near County Road D-12, some miles south of where he lives. Riediger will hold a large number of hogs in a 102-by-159-foot structure.
Taylor said other substantial confinements are located or planned at the rural areas near 210th and Knox, 240th and Jasper, 110th and Delaware and 210th and Osceola. Many of those are being built to supply hogs to the large new Seaboard Triumph plant in Sioux City.
SIOUX CITY The accolades keep rolling in for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City.
In its August issue, Casino Player released its 2017 Best of Gaming Awards and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City topped the charts in 10 categories including Best Overall Gaming Resort.
Each year, Casino Player, a consumer gaming publication, conducts an extensive survey of the best casinos in the country with the help of readers and gaming enthusiasts nationwide. Properties are judged on a broad spectrum of categories to determine which destinations offer the best of the best in North Americas gaming industry.
Here are all the categories Hard Rock topped:
Best Overall Gaming Resort
Best Hotel
Best Hotel Staff
Best Rooms
Best Suites
Best Players Club - Backstage Pass Rewards Club
Best Comps
Best Video Slots
Best Blackjack
Best Craps
In a release, Hard Rock Marketing Director Mike Adams praised the casinos staff for its role in earning the downtown gambling destinations latest honors.
These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication that our team shows to this property and our guests, he said. We love what we do and its an honor to know that our guests have voted us in the top place in several categories.
These wins add to the extensive list of awards Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City has won since opening in August 2014. Travelers voted Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City as one of the ten Best Casinos in the United States by USA Today earlier this year. Other awards include more than 80 readers and guest choice awards from various media outlets, the 2017 Growing Sioux City Award, the 2016 Pride of Sioux City Award, the 2015 Iowa Tourism Award for Outstanding Attraction, and three years running as a AAA Four Diamond Rated Hotel.
DES MOINES GOP gubernatorial challenger Ron Corbett says Kim Reynolds hasnt shown him much since taking the reins of state government in May from former Gov. Terry Branstad.
Corbett, who is stepping down as Cedar Rapids mayor after two terms to take on Reynolds in the 2018 GOP primary next June, said he hoped to see plans to modernize Iowas income tax system, improve the quality of waterways and address state budget woes during Reynolds first 100 days as governor, but none of that has happened.
She didnt come in as a rookie governor, said Corbett, noting that Reynolds touted her close working relationship with Branstad as his lieutenant governor.
We need a new game plan for the state of Iowa and, unfortunately, in the governors first 100 days, she hasnt proposed any policy, he told reporters on the lawn outside the Capitol. Her biggest accomplishment is the reboot of the state license plate.
Corbett said Reynolds missed opportunities last legislative session to introduce a state tax overhaul plan, get a jump on deepening budget problems by making cuts early and to put in place a sustainable long-term approach to improving water quality.
Reynolds said she has been having ongoing talks with Iowans about her goals to make the states economy more competitive starting with the tax code, and to make strides in education and water quality.
Corbett said he is concerned the initiatives are being forged in the backrooms of the state Capitol.
You see, the only people that know where the backrooms are are the special interest groups, he told reporters.
Corbett also expressed misgivings about the states decision to privatize its $5 billion Medicaid program and the secret talks underway with three for-profit companies to set new reimbursement rates. He said he would like to see Medicaid run by not-for-profit Iowa companies.
Corbett said he was concerned about roughly 73,000 Iowans caught in the Affordable Care Act debate who face huge health insurance premium increases even if a federal waiver is granted for the coming year. He said those Iowans should be added to the state government health insurance pool but pay higher premiums not subsidized by taxpayers.
Corbett applauded Apple Inc.s decision to locate its $1.3 billion data center project and 50 jobs near Waukee, but said he would have pressed the company to create up to 250 jobs to receive the states nearly $20 million tax incentive package.
In response to Corbetts comments, Reynolds campaign spokesman Phil Valenziano issued a statement saying the governor and acting Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg are focused on building a better Iowa.
The unemployment rate is near 20-year lows, we have the highest high school graduation rate in the nation, and we just landed the largest private investment project in Iowa history, said Valenziano.
DES MOINES Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday she expects to decide in September whether it will be necessary to call lawmakers into special session to address a projected state budget shortfall or if she can take on financial problems using executive transfers.
Were monitoring that every single day, Reynolds told her weekly news conference. We officially close the books on Oct. 1 and so well be making those decisions in the near future.
The fiscal 2017 budget year ended June 30, but state officials in the following weeks rectify accruals, transfers, collections and other accounting before finalizing the balance sheets.
Lawmakers and former Gov. Terry Branstad, who left in May to become U.S. ambassador to China, already had to make nearly $118 million through cuts and adjustments as well as borrow $131 million from reserves before state tax collections finished on a lackluster note in June.
Reynolds says she has the authority without legislative approval to transfer up to $50 million more from reserves to cover a further shortfall. Early projections by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency indicate the projected shortfall could exceed that amount, but the governor said Tuesday its still not clear if a special legislative session will be needed.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett, a candidate for governor who faces Reynolds in next Junes GOP primary, expressed concern to reporters Tuesday that her budget officials may attempt to cook the books by using creative accounting tricks to address a fiscal 2017 shortfall.
But the governors aides flatly denied that assertion, and Reynolds said whatever steps are taken will be done in full public view.
Reynolds also defended her administrations decision to provide nearly $20 million in state tax incentives over five years to land Apple Inc.s $1.3 billion data center project and its 50 permanent jobs against criticism from Democrats, Republicans and some media outlets who say the tax breaks are too generous.
Reynolds said the Iowa incentives amount to $3.9 million annually, noting its a tax credit so if they dont perform, they get nothing.
Also, she said critics need to look at the long-term benefit the project brings to Iowa and its supply-chain companies. This is a global company that put Iowa on the world stage, she told reporters. I think it solidifies that Iowa is a tech and innovation hub.
Also Tuesday, Reynolds, acting Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe used the news briefing to urge drivers now that school is in session to use caution around buses look out for children.
Riding a school bus is one of the safest ways for children to travel to school, Gregg said, but getting on and off a bus can be dangerous. Each school bus has a 10-foot danger zone around it, making it hard to see children trying to get on or off a bus or cross a highway.
Iowa passed a law in 2012 that increased criminal penalties for passing a stopped school bus, resulting in the suspension of a persons driving privileges if convicted.
Unfortunately, even with these increased penalties, we still have drivers who disobey the law, Reynolds said, noting that in 2016, we saw 581 convictions in Iowa for failure to stop for a school bus.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.
The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.
By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
Donald Gray, 50, of Lexington Park Rosette Abelende, 48, of Piney Point Ryan Dearstine, 22, of Chesapeake Beach Ryan Groff, 26, of Huntingtown Tavaughn Weeks, 24, of Lusby Trent Fowler, 26, of Lexington Park Tyier Brooks, 27, of Lothian Tyler Goins, 25, of Lusby Previous Next
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.
Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme.
(August 30, 2017)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of August 21 through August 27, deputies responded to 1,246 calls for service throughout the community.SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT FLEES: On August 27, Deputy Williamson was dispatched to a theft in progress at Walmart in Dunkirk. It was reported that the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle heading north on Rt. 4. The vehicle proceeded to drive through Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County where he was apprehended. The suspect was identified as. Mr. Goins was charged with theft less than $100 and traffic charges.HEROIN POSSESSION: On August 22, Deputy N. Buckler observed a vehicle at the 2/4 Liquor Store in Huntingtown with a driver passed out behind the wheel. Deputy Buckler called for EMS to respond. The driver was identified as. After EMS checked out the driver Deputy Buckler located CDS in the vehicle. Mr. Groff was arrested and charged with CDS possession not marijuana (Heroin) and possession of paraphernalia.ILLEGAL DRUGS, DOP: On August 25, Deputy Barger responded to DeForest Dr. in Chesapeake Beach for a suspicious person that was damaging property. Deputy Barger located the person matching the description and began to speak to him. The person he located was stumbling around and also passed out while officers were speaking to him so EMS was called to assist. While obtaining his identification from his bag, Deputy Callison located CDS. The suspect was identified as. Mr. Brooks was arrested for CDS possession not marijuana (prescription medication), possession of paraphernalia and destruction of property less than $1,000.POSSESSION OF ADDERALL: On August 25, Deputy Parks initiated a traffic stop at Rt. 4 and Plum Point Rd. in Huntingtown. Deputy Parks was speaking with the occupants of the vehicle when a Sheriff's Office K9 conducted a scan of the vehicle and alerted to narcotics. Deputy Parks searched the vehicle and located marijuana and pills., was arrested and charged with CDS Possession not marijuana (Adderall).ILLEGAL DRUGS, SHOPLIFTING: On August 26, Deputy First Class Hardesty was dispatched to the Giant Food Store in Lusby for a person slumped over the wheel in a vehicle. Deputy Hardesty made contact with the individual to check their welfare. The driver was identified as, and the passenger was identified as. A Sheriff's Office K9 was utilized to scan the vehicle. The K9 alerted positive to narcotics. A search of the vehicle was conducted and CDS was found along with stolen merchandise from Giant. Donald Gray was arrested and charged with CDS possession not marijuana (barbituates, Benzedrine) and Rosette Abelende was charged with CDS possession not marijuana (barbituates, Benzedrine), possession of paraphernalia, CDS Administer equipment possess/distribute and theft less than $100.ILLEGAL DRUGS FOUND AFTER ARREST: On August 26, Deputy First Class Ostazeski transported a subject to the Calvert County Detention Center. Once he arrived, a more thorough search was conducted and CDS was located., was charged with CDS possession not marijuana (Oxycodone), possession contraband-place of confinement, poss/rec CDS while conf/det, CDS opiate w/o Prescription.ILLEGAL DRUGS FOUND AFTER ARREST: On August 26, Deputy First Class Rediker transported a subject to the Calvert County Detention Center. Once he arrived a more thorough search was conducted and CDS was located., was charged with CDS possession not marijuana (cocaine), poss/rec CDS while conf/det, possession contraband-place of confinement.DAMAGE PROPERTY 17-44646: On August 21, Deputy First Class Weems responded to the Harbor Island Marina Gas dock, Lusby, for a report of damaged property. The complainant stated someone broke out the glass in a window in the rear of the building. Estimated damage is $20.DAMAGE PROPERTY 17-45208: On August 24, Deputy First Class Kreps responded to Lacrosse Ct. Dunkirk, for a damaged property report. The victim stated on August 23rd they heard a loud noise around 3 a.m. When they woke up in the morning they discovered the front windshield of their vehicle had been shattered. The estimated damage is $500.DAMAGE PROPERTY 17-45626: On August 26, Deputy First Class Burggraff responded to the 1100 block of HG Trueman Rd. Lusby, Md. for a damaged property call. The complainant stated that someone forcibly broke the basement door. No property was taken.THEFT 17-45263: On August 24, Deputy First Class Kreps responded to Grovers Turn Rd. Owings for a theft complaint. The victim stated that between August 1, and August 24, (7) fiber rod rotational grazing posts have stolen from their property. The value of the stolen property is $35.THEFT 17-45232: On August 24, Deputy Spalding responded to Sandy Point Rd. Prince Frederick for a theft report. The victim stated someone stole their 4ft Silver Oxygen tank from the residence. The Oxygen tank was last seen on August 17, 2017. The value of the stolen property is $150.
On Friday Sept. 1 LOGO, in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union, will present the new documentary "Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America."
The film focuses on the battles being waged by Moises Serrano, an undocumented immigrant in rural North Carolina, to obtain his share of the American dream.
Serrano came to the U.S. with his parents when he was 18 months old. They crossed the border illegally, looking to escape the extreme poverty which plagued them in Mexico all Serrano's parents wanted was to work so they could provide a decent home, clothing and food for their children. They worked hard for many years and appear to be happy with the comfortable and safe trailer park abode which has become their family homestead.
Serrano, in his early twenties when the film was shot, has his own set of issues to deal with. In addition to looking over his shoulder wondering if immigration agents will come knocking at his door, Serrano is gay, which is a major taboo in the small, primarily white and conservative community they live in.
As filmmaker Tiffany Rhynard's camera rolls, Serrano steps out of the shadows and fearlessly announces his status not only as undocumented, but as a Queer Latino man. He speaks eloquently on campuses, in churches and to community groups about the challenges faced by illegal immigrants--some of whom fled their native countries out of fear of violence.
How do they obtain social security numbers, driver's licenses or find work in a country which does not recognize them? Why are they stigmatized and penalized for wanting the kind of decent life which others take for granted?
Several times throughout the film we see Serrano with his family. We meet his mom, a woman who's obviously graduated from the school of hard knocks. And yet she appears to be happy. Happy with her modest home. Happy for her children, who have easier lives than she did. Happy to still be in the USA.
Auteur Rhynard also introduces viewers to Serrano'a boyfriend Brandon. They're an adorably sweet couple. As they sit in their apartment they playfully argue about who's the better cook. When the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down DOMA--the Defense of Marriage Act--the couple discusses the possibility of marriage. Serrano is overwhelmed by the court's decision and can barely speak. For him the fall of DOMA represents the first time the U.S. government has acknowledged his existence.
Much of Serrano's activism centers around his fight to protect DACA--the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program which helps young people obtain work permits, driver's licenses and protections from deportations--obviously it's a program from which Serrano has personally benefited. DACA enables him to think about attending college.
When all is said and done "Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America" paints an eloquent portrait of what it means to be an illegal immigrant in the U.S. It's a film which needs to be shown on a network like CBS, where more people can see it, so that more minds can be changed. "Forbidden" tells us what we should already know--that the undocumented should not be judged but embraced and recognized as the human beings they are.
"Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America" will air on Logo several times throughout September and will be available at Logo On Demand for about a month.
For more information on how you can get involved with this cause, please visit: forbidden.logotv.com
Doctor Charmaine Johnson offered suggestions on how to eliminate bad breath at Tuesdays Coffee & Conversation program at Pride Center.
Johnson owns Premier Smile Center, 2717 E. Oakland Park Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.
Know that there are some foods that are more odor producing onions, garlic, Johnson told the morning senior group.
The tongue, Johnson said, also harbors odor producing bacteria. She recommended buying a tongue scraper and scraping the back of the tongue 10 to 13 times daily to eliminate bacteria that produces foul smells.
Another way to eliminate bad breath, Johnson said, is flossing regularly. Dental flossing stops the buildup of plaque along the gums and teeth.
Johnson also informed the group that on Oct. 12 her office would be providing dental care to veterans at no cost in observance of Freedom Day. Veterans are encouraged to contact Premier Smile Center (954-566-7479) to schedule an appointment.
Elsewhere, Pride Center CEO Robert Boo said generosity is needed as the LGBT community in Houston deals with the disaster from Hurricane Harvey.
What they really need is cold hard cash, Boo said.
To make a donation, visit www.MontroseCenter.org
Pride Center Development Director Roger Roa said the events season is near and reminded the group to sign-up for the centers e-blast.
Around 170 people signed for this weeks program.
Next weeks sponsor is Emerald Elite Home Health. For more information, contact Bruce Williams, Senior Services Coordinator at 954-463-9005, ext. 109.
The first of a four-part series.
The Florida Agenda used to publish news. Now it just makes news.
The now defunct local weekly newspaper has been out of business for nearly a year but their woes continue in bankruptcy court as its parent company Multimedia Platforms Worldwide seeks relief under chapter 11, which provides a company with an opportunity to reorganize in order to get their act together.
But their problems are going from bad to worse.
The U.S. Trustee assigned to the case is now asking that their case for reorganization be dismissed. The trustee complained that Bobby Blairs company has failed to keep its promises and recommended a straight bankruptcy, which would eliminate any chance of court approved paybacks.
Bobby Blair, the companys chief corporate officer, had sought bankruptcy protection last October. This would have allowed the company to provide their creditors, totaling hundreds of businessman and millions of dollars, an opportunity to recoup their losses.
Besides the Florida Agenda the company also published LAs Frontiers, New Yorks Next Magazine, and also acquired Columbia Fun Maps.
The listing of creditors posted by Multimedia last fall was 36 pages long, noting unpaid obligations in each of the geographic areas where the publications were distributed. Aside from scores of investors, Multimedia also admitted owing back payroll and income taxes to the government totaling more than $500,000.
The initial filing by Blairs company said they had less than $50,000 cash on hand and were nearly $6 million dollars in debt. Still, Multimedia fought the case, saying they were forced into bankruptcy because a creditor wrongfully foreclosed on a loan. At the end of 2016, a preliminary court approved settlement was reached.
A potential dismissal of the reorganization is devastating to investors, including Alan Beck, listed as one of Multimedias largest, to the tune of $458,000. The former publisher of the popular Columbia Fun Maps, told SFGN This bankruptcy has been a serious blow to many individuals and to our LGBT community and it is obvious now that gross mismanagement and greed were two of the major factors in play.
Beck noted that the publications Multimedia had acquired represented a cumulative total of 105 years of publishing from respected publications across the country.
The petition by the U.S. trustee lends authenticity to Becks charges. It accuses Bobby Blair, the sole remaining player in Multimedia of continuing negligence, charging that ten months have passed since the date of its bankruptcy filing and the Debtor has not filed a plan or single disclosure statement.
Additionally, said Damaris Rosich-Schwartz, the court appointed trustee from the U.S. Department of Justice, the debtor is delinquent in the filing of ALL monthly reports since the filing of the case last October.
Under the provisions of bankruptcy law, unexcused failures of a debtor to submit a plan or its monthly reports are grounds for dismissing the case for cause. The trustee alleges that in this case the failures are unexcused and at the record supports a finding of cause, at a minimum.
The trustee also has alleged Blair has not remained current on payments to the U.S. for trustee fees, which are required for a reorganization plan to stay in place. If it is still operational, the plan prevents creditors from seeking judgments, further relief, or making additional claims individually against Blair or Multimedia in other courts.
Judge Ray of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court has set the matter for hearing on Sept. 13. If the court elects not to dismiss the case in its entirety, the U.S. Trustee is instead asking for the appointment of a separate trustee solely to protect the remaining and best interests of the creditors.
In an unrelated motion connected to the Multimedia debacle, Blair is asking the court to release an insurance policy so he can pay costs and defend himself against an employment discrimination complaint brought by longtime lesbian journalist Karen Ocamb, a former staffer at LAs Frontiers Magazine.
Absent advancement of costs under Multimedias Directors and Omissions Policy, they say, the Defendants will be without means to defend itself in the suit.
The same company, Multimedia did a press release a year ago on Market Wire, after it went public and listed its stocks and shares on the New York Stock Exchange. It listed its company as the industry-leading multimedia, technology and publishing company that delivers content and advertising to one of the most sought-after demographics in the world -- the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) population, representing approximately 7.5 million readers and more than 4 million unique online visitors annually.
Not so much anymore.
Its stock has been de-listed and its shares are now worthless.
So were their promises, added Alan Beck, perhaps the creditor who lost the most.
Hundreds gathered at Harvey Milk Plaza in the heart of San Francisco's primarily gay Castro District to call for unity and to say no to hate on Saturday August 26.
The rally took place just as a small contingent of white nationalists were holding a "Patriot Prayer" at the city's Alamo Square Park about a mile away. Patriot Prayer was organized by Joey Gibson, who had organized the recent ill-fated white nationalist march in Charlottesville, VA.
Originally scheduled for Crissy Field, a park which lies in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, "Patriot Prayer" was abruptly switched to Alamo Square Park on Friday with little publicity--some have opined that the change was made due to high levels of recent backlash against white nationalist groups.
The Castro rally was followed by a peaceful march--people were dancing joyfully as they marched.
Classic tunes such as Lionel Richie's "All Night Long," Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" blared over loudspeakers as many sang along.
As the Castro marchers made their way towards Civic Center Plaza in the Mid-Market District, another group of marchers merged in from Dolores Street. Across the street from the San Francisco LGBT Center, the It's Tops coffee shop displayed two Rainbow Flags, one with the flag's traditional colors, the other with black and brown added--this was meant to represent people of color.
The Castro rally was organized by San Francisco drag icon Juanita MORE! The rally's speaker's included MORE!, drag artist Honey Mahogany, Roberto Ordenana of the SF LGBT Center, and Rabbi Katie Mizrahi, among many others, all of whom called for unity, for an end to the Trump presidency, and for community members to support the trans community--President Trump issued a directive banning from transgenders from military service the day before the rally. There were also calls to support undocumented immigrants, for an end to Islamaphobia, and to never back down in the fight for full LGBT equality.
"It was an immensely horrible experience to see the President defend Nazis and white supremacists," 53-year-old Elizabeth Houseman told SFGN as the Castro march was beginning. "I can't be silent while he does that. I'm happy to see so many people here--it's wonderful. I hope we're sending a message."
George Woyames, 73, a gay man, was marching with the San Francisco Labor Council.
"Because it's our lives, our rights," he said. "If we let the hate and the Nazi flag fly again, then there goes our rights. When I saw what happened in Charlotteville, that's when I said no."
Woyames noted all those who died in the World War II concentration camps. "Now we have a president who openly encourages every kind of racism and prejudice," he said. "We are all at risk."
Kristian Martinez, 42, who is also gay, said he was "disappointed" with the Trump presidency.
"It's one thing after another," he said. "We're unified against him--it makes me feel good to see this."
For her part, Honey Mahogany was thrilled by the turn out.
"There are many ways to protest and show solidarity," she told SFGN. "We need all of them. I'm really excited to be hosting this event with Juanita which allows people the option of actively participating in a demonstration that does not engage the white supremacists and further their agenda."
"More than ever people need to stand up and speak out," said Manny Sanchez, who works with Juanita MORE! "As a gay Latino man I know that silence equals death and consent. The louder are voices the more powerful we are."
The marchers reached Civic Center Plaza around 2:30 p.m., where they joined an already-in-progress rally which remained peaceful.
An Australian Catholic school allowed two transgender students to choose their own school uniforms to match their gender identity.
"I saw one of them during the day and they sort of gave me a thumbs up, so things seem to be going okay," Principal Brother John Hilet told Australian publication The Northern Star. "I spoke to the second student before the end of the day and they were very happy with how everything had gone."
The Lismore school, Trinity Catholic College, also welcomed the children to change their names on the school register.
The option was allowed after the students confided to their principal that they would prefer to wear the male uniform. Hilet told them he was open to allowing it, and discussed the change with Bishop of Lismore Greg Homeming and the Catholic Education Commission.
He told ABC News: "[The Bishops] response to me was quite clearly that this is an issue of wellbeing for these students. It is an issue of being caring, compassionate and reaching out and doing what we can to assist. I was very happy that confirmed my feelings."
Once he got their approval, he let the students know the good news.
"I said there may be comments, I can't guarantee there won't be, he told TNS. For some people it may be confronting; for other people it'll be quite 'oh well, who cares.
That being said, he also told the two students to come to him if they encountered any bullying. To all students, he encouraged them to follow basic Catholic teaching to treat everyone with respect.
Hilet told ABC News he was very quickly moved by their level of trust, faith and willingness to come forward and speak with me.
They were moved at a very deep level and at that point the only response I could think of was to treat them with compassion and reach out and do whatever I could to assist, he added. One of the things I said to the students was that it is a fundamental Catholic teaching that all human beings have an innate dignity that doesnt derive from anything other than the fact we are human and made in the image and likeness of God.
Hilet also wrote a letter to parents of the college informing them of this allowance. The letter stated:
I will address the other students about difference and respect and will point out that it is essential as a Catholic community we offer our full support to these students and that any comments seen as targeting or bullying these students will not be tolerated. I ask that you also support these students in any conversations you might have with your children.
All 60 responses were positive one parent raising concerns about bathroom usage. To solve this concern, the school allows the two transgender students to use unisex bathrooms typically restricted to staff.
In the future, Hilet claims the school is looking into gender neutral uniforms and more accessible unisex bathrooms.
"Invariably the responses have been incredibly positive, thanking the college for its openness and inclusiveness and overwhelmingly supporting the idea of a gender neutral uniform option," he said. "The one that touched me most was a mother who indicated one of her children left the school about three years ago for the same reason and at the time didn't feel confident in coming to approach me and talk to me about it. And that was sad."
Fifteen years ago, Blue Bottle founder James Freeman sold his first bag of coffee at the Old Oakland Farmers Market at Broadway and 9th. Freeman at the time was roasting his beans in a 183-square-foot potting shed and delivering them to his friends in a beat-down Peugeot wagon. Old Oakland was the first market in the Bay Area that would accept Freemans nascent roaster as a vendor. In July of 2017, a decade and a half later, Blue Bottle is the biggest name in specialty coffee with shops in America and Japan, a thriving delivery service, and a line of coffee gear fine tuned to the companys extremely high standards. But getting bigger doesnt mean you still cant come home. This summer sees Blue Bottles return to Old Oakland, across the street from the Old Oakland Farmers Market. Its a return to the beginning, a back to where Blue Bottle first got its start.
The new location, the Bay Areas 13th brick-and-mortar locale, sits on the ground floor of The Henry House. Built in 1877 by banker Ashmun C. Henry, The Henry House was a first-class hotel that was once the stomping grounds of famed, and troubled, dance sensation Isadora Duncan. I like to imagine that my office in the building, James Freeman says, is where she stayed. But I dont actually know that. Working with architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Freeman hoped to instill the space with a hint of a recent interest of his: turn-of-the-century perfume factories. Ive been fascinated by the perfume industry, he says, its so clinical and scientific, but its all in the service of pleasure.
The exterior of The Henry House boasts an impressive Italianate facadeCorinthian columns and the occasional gleam of gold leaf. Inside, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has, in the Blue Bottle tradition, worked with the materials on offer. In this, original brick walls and an exposed ceiling pair with Baltic birch cabinetry and the requisite shine of a burnished La Marzocco espresso machine and a pour-over drip bar.
Customers at the new space will have the opportunity to peer into the training process of Blue Bottle employees. The companys state-of-the-art training facility stands exposed behind a floor-to-ceiling window, the next generation of baristas learning their trade a few hundred feet from where Freeman got his start in the coffee business. We didnt need to make a cafe that was twice the size, Freeman says, and we liked that Old Oakland would be a hub of activity. Already, baristas from the recently opened Blue Bottle in Georgetown in D.C. have made the trek to learn the Blue Bottle way.
Theres been talk of a 15-year anniversary, though Freeman has always been skeptical of celebrating past successes. I like to keep looking forward, he says, but maybe well roast a special coffee, sell it on the corner. In the meantime, Blue Bottle will, inevitably, continue to grow. Given how successful weve been in Japan, Freeman says, theres definitely other countries in Asia that are calling out to us.
Ive always been uncomfortable with the size of Blue Bottle, Freeman says. Big or small, Im always a little uncomfortable with the size. But, you know, the universe will be extinguished in a few billion years, so I guess were keeping pace with the expansion.
Noah Sanders (@sandersnoah) is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in San Francisco, and a contributor to SF Weekly, Side One Track One, and The Bold Italic. Read more Noah Sanders on Sprudge.
Photos courtesy of Blue Bottle.
Tropical Storm Harvey is devastating cities along the Gulf Coast, dumping record amounts of rain that has destroyed millions in property and stranded many residents who are in need of rescue. And perhaps no city has been hit harder than Houston, Texas. The nations fourth largest city has experienced as much 43 inches of rain in some areas as of early this morning, and even more precipitation is expected in the coming days.
Amid the devastation, many Houston coffee shops have managed to stay dry enough to remain open, serving food and coffee to displaced Houstonians and volunteers, offering the use of their electricity and Wi-Fi, and acting as collection spots for local disaster relief efforts. Siphon Coffee, Blacksmith, and Inversion Coffee are among the shops still open and actively serving the community.
Today(8/29) we will open at 10am, and weather permitting will be open until 4pm. Also still accepting donations for the GRB the rest of the week! @inversioncoffee will also be doing the same! Stay safe and dry Houston! A post shared by Blacksmith (@bl4cksmith) on Aug 29, 2017 at 7:02am PDT
We will be taking donations for the shelter at the George R Brown Convention Center tomorrow. Feel free to come by when we are open and drop off these items and we will find a way to transport them there. #houston #htx #htown #harvey #hurricaneharvey #flood #houstoncoffee A post shared by Inversion Coffee & Art (@inversioncoffee) on Aug 28, 2017 at 2:15pm PDT
If you live outside of the Houston area and would like to help, Vox has a great list of national and local charities you can donate to, including the George R. Brown Emergency Center, Houston Food Bank, Galveston County Food Bank, Corpus Christi Food Bank, and Southeast Texas Food Bank.
New Orleans Harvey Relief
As Harvey continues to move inland, Louisiana is expected to take similarly heavy damage from the storm. In New Orleans, Pressed has begun accepting donations of food, clothing, toiletries and other essentials.
The response today was truly humbling. Thank you all! We will be collecting all week, so feel free to drop off between the hours of 7am-3pm. A post shared by Pressed (@pressednola) on Aug 28, 2017 at 1:12pm PDT
Other local charities include St. Catherine of Siena, The Junior League of New Orleans Amazon Wish List, Animal Rescue New Orleans, Take A Chance Animal Rescue, and Zeus Place.
If you are able, please consider giving to one of the charities listed above.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
*top image via Blacksmith
Tamper Tantrum is making its way back across the pond for another live event, this time taking place on the West Coast in San Francisco. With the help of Chemex, the European-based fortnightly podcast and lecture series created by 3FEs Colin Harmon and Has Beans Steven Leighton will take over the Github South Beach HQ on Saturday, September 9th for a full day of discussions, food, and of course coffee.
This edition of Tamper Tantrum will feature a mix of talks, interviews, debates, and an exciting activity shepherded by hosts Stephen Leighton and Katie Carguilo (Counter Culture Coffee). The morning will begin with a discussion on coffees future, featuring Hanna Neuschwander of World Coffee Research, the Director of the UC Davis Coffee Center Professor William Ristenpart, and Finca Argentinas Alejandro Martinez. The discussion will be followed up by a geeky talk from Wrecking Balls own Trish Rothgeb, an interview of Pim Techamuanvivit of San Franciscos Khin Kao, with specific focus on pushing the boundaries of tradition and the use of ingredients, and a debate moderated by Nick Cho on the use of origin stories to sell coffee.
Throughout the event, filter coffee from Sweet Bloom, Intelligentsia, Madcap, and AKA Coffee will be available to all participants. Attendees will also be able to be part of World Coffee Researchs #futureofcoffee video that will be launched on International Coffee Day on September 18th.
Tickets for the event are $85 and can be purchased the Tamper Tantrum Eventbrite page. For more information, visit Tamper Tantrums official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
*top image via Tamper Tantrum
It took her three tries, but Barn Girl finally wore down a determined Goodtogo Hanover and captured Tuesdays $20,000 Filly & Mare Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
The two mares dueled for the early lead, and when Goodtogo Hanover and Brian Zendt refused to release Barn Girl, Aaron Merriman settled her into the two hole. She pulled the pocket and attacked once again down the backside but still could not clear. Finally, when it looked as though Goodtogo Hanover might pull off the upset, Barn Girl gathered her talent and resolve in the stretch and downed her stubborn rival by a head in 1:55. Classical Annie was third.
Bill Bercury trains Barn Girl, a five-year-old daughter of Cash Hall-Turquoise Sweetie who won for the 22nd time over the past two seasons and extended her career bankroll to $511,108 for Renee Bercury.
Mike Wilder piloted four winners while Tony Hall and Merriman each enjoyed a triple on the 13-race card.
Because Wednesdays card at The Meadows is the final program of the Mountain Laurel meeting, no pool can be carried over. Therefore, the Pick 4, Pick 5 and final Superfecta all are must pay. First post is 1:05 p.m.
(The Meadows)
It would come as no surprise to trainer Ron Burke if Rockin Ron gets on a roll.
Rockin Ron heads to Saturdays $615,000 final of the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk Racetrack off of a career-best 1:47.2 win in his elimination last weekend. The five-year-old gelding will start the final from Post 4 with driver Louis Philippe Roy.
For the year, Rockin Ron has won six of 20 races and earned $243,945. He has finished off the board only twice in his most recent nine starts. He has posted two victories, four seconds and a third during that span. Prior to his Canadian Pacing Derby elimination, Rockin Ron was second to Dealt A Winner in the Roll With Joe Pace at Tioga Downs.
It does not surprise me that he went that mile, Burke said about Rockin Rons elimination performance, which was three-fifths of a second from equalling the fastest mile in Canadian history. Hes gotten on rolls before where hes won a lot of races in a row and beaten really good horses.
Since (early July) hes been consistently getting better. People forget, he beat Wiggle It Jiggleit twice last year. Hes not just a horse, hes a pretty nice kind of horse.
Rockin Ron won 11 consecutive races after joining Burkes stable in November 2015. The streak culminated with his victory over Wiggle It Jiggleit, the 2015 U.S. Horse of the Year, in the 2016 Confederation Cup at Flamboro Downs. Rockin Rons time of 1:50.1 was the fastest ever by an older pacer on a Canadian half-mile track.
A son of Real Desire out of the mare Im All A Roan, Rockin Ron has won 26 of 76 career races and earned $759,773. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, and RTC Stables.
Burke, who won the Canadian Pacing Derby in 2012 with Foiled Again and in 2010 with Won The West, will also send out All Bets Off and Check Six in Saturdays 10-horse final.
All Bets Off finished second to Keystone Velocity in his Canadian Pacing Derby elimination. Check Six was fourth in the elimination won by his stablemate Rockin Ron.
The six-year-old All Bets Off, a son of Bettors Delight out of Armbro Penelope, has won 25 of 94 career races and earned $2.58 million. Among his three victories this season was the Battle of Lake Erie in June. He will start from Post 6 Saturday with driver Yannick Gingras.
I like his spot, said Burke, who trains the horse for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino, and The Panhellenic Stable. The six hole gives Yannick options; he can go either way. I think hes got a good chance. The horse has been better and better. Im very happy with him.
Check Six, a four-year-old horse, won the Sam McKee Memorial and Dan Patch Stakes in his two starts prior to the Canadian Pacing Derby eliminations. He will start from Post 10, the outermost position, in the final and will have Tim Tetrick in the sulky.
For his career, Check Six has won 18 of 47 races and earned $1.53 million. He is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Bill Switala, and Jim Martin. He is a son of Somebeachsomewhere out of Southwind Vanna.
I thought he was disappointing (in his elimination), but when you look back at it he just got into a bad spot where he had to leave and then he had to come first up against a horse that was going a great mile, Burke said.
I like that we were able to get Timmy. Hes going to need it to be a Gong Show for him to probably win, but when you dont have a horse that stands out above all the others, and I dont think we do, there should be plenty of movement. I think you have a bunch of horses that can win.
The Canadian Pacing Derby, first raced in 1936, is the oldest stakes race in Canadian harness racing. Mohawks card Saturday also includes Champlain Stakes action for two-year-old male and female pacers as well as the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotters.
Following is the field for the Canadian Pacing Derby, in post-position order with listed drivers and trainers. Keystone Velocity was a $40,000 supplemental entry. The race is No. 7 on the card, with a 9:30 p.m. estimated post time.
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1. McWicked-David Miller-Casie Coleman
2. Keystone Velocity-Simon Allard-Rene Allard
3. Easy Lover Hanover-Doug McNair-Ben Wallace
4. Rockin Ron-Louis Philippe Roy-Ron Burke
5. Rockeyed Optimist-Brett Miller-Steve Elliott
6. All Bets Off-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke
7. Nirvana Seelster-Trevor Henry-Bill Budd
8. Dealt A Winner-David Miller-Mark Silva
9. Sintra-Jody Jamieson-Gaetan Hebert
10. Check Six-Tim Tetrick-Ron Burke
To view the entries for Saturday's card, click on one of the following links:
Saturday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack
Saturday Program Proof (PDF) - Mohawk Racetrack
Saturday Past Performances Lines - Mohawk Racetrack (courtesy TrackIT)
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
Post Time with Mike and Mike, presented by BetAmerica, is proud to announce its lineup for its Thursday's show at 10:30 a.m.
Mike Bozich has the week off, as he is celebrating an exciting time with his son, Ben, who has school orientation this week! Regular contributor and DRF Harness contributor Garnet Barnsdale will step in to co-host the show with Michael Carter.
One of the toughest jobs in the industry is being an outrider, and we have one of the toughest ladies coming on the program. Missy Rothfuss, the outrider at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino, will join the program to discuss her career and some of the experiences she has had as an outrider.
The show will speak with Batavia Downs track announcer and race secretary, Joe Zambito, as he discusses how he handles both the announcer's booth and being the race secretary in the morning. The duo will speak with Zambito about his career and how he became the prominent figure he is in western New York.
Gabe Prewitt will join the show to dive into the Kentucky Sires Stakes racing currently going on at the Red Mile. He will highlight this past weeks racing, while also highlighting the next leg of the KYSS series.
The continuing series with Running Aces announcer Darin Gagne will resume again this week, as he will discuss the happenings at the Minnesota facility.
Post Time can be heard live on its website (posttimewithmikeandmike.com) or on the archive with the BetAmerica Radio Network at (betamerica.com/BARN).
(With files from Post Time)
Wittenberg Declaration Celebrates 'Journey of Reconciliation and Unity'
Contact: Media Office , World Council of Churches, +41 79 507 6363
GENEVE, Aug. 30, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- The 44th conference of the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF) has released a "Declaration of Wittenberg: We walk towards the visible unity of the Church," a statement that culminates the week-long assembly, held 21-28 August.
The theme of the conference was "From the True Treasure of the Churches Discovering the Gospel Together."
The declaration observes both the 50 years the IEF has existed, and the 500 years that have passed since the Reformation. "Since its founding in 1967, the IEF has sought to instil in its members a yearning for unity," reads the declaration. "With joy, we celebrate the unending work of promoting bridges of dialogue and encounter, the mission to heal wounds, to reconcile and to witness together our faith in Christ."
The declaration challenges people to transform a painful history of conflict and indifference into a journey of reconciliation and unity.
"Through our own history of 50 years, we have tried to contribute to this journey and will continue to do so," the declaration continues. "But we cannot advance without recognizing each other as brothers and sisters."
The assembly agreed that, more than ever, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a common treasure, that brings churches to continuous conversion, reform and renewal. Those gathered also thanked God for the spiritual gifts they received through sharing meals, prayers, songs and ecumenical dialogue.
"Through our togetherness, we experience acute pain for not being able always to celebrate the Eucharist in communion with each other," the declaration reads. "Nevertheless our joy is great when, under certain circumstances church leaders offer eucharistic hospitality."
The assembly expressed its intention to improve ecumenical relationships by working as Christians together to foster Christian values in a secularised society, to welcome and support immigrants and refugees, and to promote justice and peace and the integrity of creation.
"In this new beginning we are convinced that visible unity in reconciled diversity is more than ever the ultimate Christian goal that our Lord prayed for," concluded the declaration. "To realise this goal we commit ourselves to explore new means, new ways, new generations, new countries."
"An extraordinary chance" for hope, Tveit reflects in Wittenberg (WCC press release 25 August, 2017)
Wittenberger Okumenische Versammlung 2017
Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace
Carla Shatz , PhD, remembers the reviews well, or rather the lack of them. It was 1997, and she and her postdocs had just discovered that a molecule ordinarily associated with the immune system played a role in shaping young, developing brains.
Related reading Seeing beyond vision: Studying how we see is changing views of decision-making, autism and neurological disease
It was a big discovery, so they tried to publish it in a major scientific journal. But the editor after consulting briefly with a couple immunologists, who told him Shatz and her team must have made a mistake rejected it.
Her postdocs got discouraged, but Shatz had a different reaction. I got angry. Shatz and her team had made a breakthrough discovery, and she was going to make sure the work got attention.
She hadnt set out to stir up trouble. Four decades ago, Shatz just wanted to know more about how the visual part of the brain wires up during development. But as she pursued that goal, she and her team made some of the past 40 years most important and at times controversial discoveries about brain wiring during developmentally critical periods. Driven by curiosity and a refusal to be bound by traditional thinking, Shatz has time and again found herself in uncharted and fertile territory.
Seeing inside the brain
Shatzs first major discovery emerged in the 1980s, not long after she joined Stanfords neurobiology faculty, and built on her earliest work as a student and postdoctoral researcher on the development of the visual system. By that time, she was already a trailblazer in one respect: In 1976, she had become the first woman to receive a PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University, and in 1978, she became one of the first women to join the basic science faculty at Stanfords School of Medicine.
In mammals with good binocular vision such as cats, the visual system is a precision instrument, organized so that light picked up at neighboring points on the retina at the back of the eye is projected onto neighboring neurons in the brains visual cortex. The brain also does an extraordinary job of separating out information from the left and right eyes, and it does these jobs so well that some assumed the organization was hardwired and took shape independent of sensory input. The finest details, these researchers thought, were explicitly preprogrammed in an animals or humans DNA.
Shatz suspected otherwise. When the brain first forms in the womb, it is not the finely tuned machine it eventually becomes. Instead, its connections are a poor approximation of what they will grow into, and, sort of like a haphazardly wired computer, it does not operate at its full potential. But as brains develop, something happens to prune and fine-tune the wiring into a precise computer that can translate light shining on the eyes into an understanding of the world around it.
Shatzs investigations into pruning and tuning led to a 1988 study in which she and Michael Stryker, PhD, injected a drug, tetrodotoxin, into the developing brain. Tetrodotoxin blocks electrical activity in neurons, and in this case, it also blocked normal pruning in the visual system.
The neurons are spontaneously active, but its not like twinkle twinkle little star, and its not like a big tsunami either.
To Shatz and Stryker, the message was clear: Although the rough structure of the visual system is programmed in our genes, the precise connections among neurons in the adult visual system are not explicitly predetermined. Instead, those connections emerge out of an interaction between genes and neural activity. Specifically, Shatz says, neural activity regulates the genes that are ultimately responsible for pruning and strengthening connections between neurons.
Those results eventually led Shatz to coin what may be the best-known aphorism in neuroscience, neurons that fire together wire together, and its corollary, out of sync, lose your link. In other words, where there is electrical activity in the brain, connections between neurons are built up, while others are pruned away.
Although that idea is now universally accepted, that acceptance did not come easily. Mostly in conversations but also in a few published studies, Shatz says, neuroscientists argued that the results were a mistake. Shatz and Stryker, these researchers argued, had probably just poisoned the brain. Tetrodotoxin is, after all, a toxin.
There were other questions as well. To produce organized visual circuits, electrical signals had to be coordinated according to the fire together, wire together aphorism, organized connections require organized signals but no one knew what was responsible for the organization. Shatz and her team still believed that coordinated electrical activity was crucial to the proper development of vision circuits, but they would need to do more to prove it.
Waves on a sea of neurons
Seeing begins when light shines on our eyes, triggering neurons in the retina to fire, which sends electrical signals into the brains vision centers.
The funny thing is, animals in the womb like those in Shatz and Strykers experiment, cannot see. They are still in the dark, and their eyes are closed. In fact, the rods and the cones in the retinas are not yet fully formed, meaning that even if light did somehow reach their eyes, it could not trigger any neural signals via electrical activity. So if vision circuits need coordinated electrical signals to develop properly, where do those signals come from, and what coordinates them?
The answer came in the early 1990s when Shatz and her postdoctoral researcher Rachel Wong, PhD, linked up with Denis Baylor, MD, then a professor of neurobiology, and his postdoctoral researcher Markus Meister, PhD. Wong was a physicist and an expert on the retina, and Baylor and Meister had been developing electrode arrays that could measure activity in around 100 neurons at a time. That made it possible to study what was going on in developing retinas.
Even in newborns without fully developed retinas, the foursome reported in a 1992 paper, intricate networks of neuron circuits had already formed across their retinas.
Those neuron networks turn out to be critical. Neurons can fire at any time, more or less at random, but without connections to other neurons, nothing interesting happens. With connections, neurons can send signals to other neurons across the retina. And with the networks that Shatz and colleagues found, something beautiful happens: One neuron fires, triggering nearby neurons to fire, forming a kind of pulse of electrical activity and then, the pulse starts to travel around the retina in wave-like patterns before fading away. Then another neuron fires at random, and the waves begin again.
The neurons are spontaneously active, but its not like twinkle twinkle little star, and its not like a big tsunami either. Its these local waves, Shatz says exactly the kind of coordinated activity a developing visual circuit needs.
Shatz moved her lab to the University of California-Berkeley in 1992, but kept up the work on what she called retinal waves. Later studies using a technique called calcium imaging revealed those waves in captivating detail, yet there were still critics. One anonymous reviewer suggested they were just witnessing spreading depression, a wave of out-of-control, exploding neurons which made little sense, Shatz says, since spreading depression destroys neurons, while retinal waves bounce around, fade away, and reemerge over days and weeks.
Other critics noted that the experiments were not done in living animals the electrode arrays were too big and heavy to make that practical. Instead, Wong, whom Shatz describes as preternaturally handy, gently removed the retinas and studied them in a dish. In 2014, researchers finally succeeded in recording retinal waves in live animals 20 years after Wong, Meister and Shatz published their first results.
Heres a diagram of electrical activity measured by an electrode array attached to retinal neurons. Each blue dot represents a neurons approximate location. The size of each red dot represents the amount of electrical activity recorded over one-half second at the corresponding neuron. The wave pictured here begins when a neuron in the top right of the array fires spontaneously, stimulating nearby neurons. Over the next 1.5 seconds, neural activity spreads out toward the center of the array. Finally, it separates into two waves that move down and to the left and right before dying out. Laboratory of Carla Shatz
Whats that molecule doing there?
In the meantime, Shatz started to wonder how exactly the brain implements its fire together, wire together and out of sync, lose your link rules, so she and her lab decided to screen mice for genes that might be involved in strengthening and pruning links between neurons. After all, she reasoned that even the fire, wire rule must have a genetic basis.
What they found was astonishing: Neurons electrical activity governed the production of a group of molecules, called major histocompatibility complex class one. MHC1 molecules are best known for their role in the immune system, and according to widely held views at the time, MHC1 was not even supposed to be in the brain under normal circumstances, let alone involved in shaping the structure of the visual system.
When the paper was rejected, Shatz felt bad for her postdocs, Roderick Corriveau, PhD, and Gene Huh, PhD. I mean, they had done really beautiful work, she says.
The team persisted, and less than a year later thanks in part to a few more experiments and an intrigued editor, Shatz says they published their study in Neuron in 1998. In 2006, her team now at Harvard identified a molecule, paired-immunoglobulin-like receptor B, or PirB, that resides on neuron surfaces and works with MHC1 molecules to drive synaptic pruning like lock (PirB) and key (MHCI). When MHC1 lands on PirB, it acts like a switch that prevents new synapses from forming and triggers the pruning of others.
It did seem a little surprising, says David Raulet, PhD, an immunologist at UC-Berkeley who provided the MHC1-suppressed mice for Shatzs lab when they were based at Berkeley. Back then, he says, we just didnt know where to put it in the context of the immunological canon.
The role MHC1 plays in healthy brains remains bemusing, if not exactly controversial, in immunological circles but no matter, Shatz says. By then, we were off.
Disease and the pursuit of basic and interdisciplinary science
Shatz had moved to Harvard University in 2000 to chair its Department of Neurobiology, where she continued to learn more about how MHC1 and PirB worked. Armed with that knowledge, she turned toward something that seemed remote at best when she first started out: disease. In 2004, Shatz and postdoctoral researcher Lisa Boulanger, PhD, proposed that MHC1 could play a role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, in which the brains ordinary pruning mechanisms go haywire.
In 2007, Shatz moved back to Stanford and, since then, her lab has shown that suppressing PirB protects against memory loss in mice that have been genetically modified to carry the human Alzheimers gene. In 2012, they showed that suppressing MHC1 could help protect the brain from the worst effects of a stroke, a finding that may inspire new treatments for a variety of neurological disorders, or at least a better understanding of them.
Carla literally changed the way we think about development of the visual system, says William Newsome, PhD, professor of neurobiology and director of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. But beyond that, it turns out that many of the mechanisms Carla discovered hold true for the development of other pathways in the brain, not just the visual pathways.
Today, neuroscientists have come to accept most of her conclusions. Shatz, a member of the neurosciences institute, is now the Sapp Family Provostial Professor and directs Stanford Bio-X, a hub of interdisciplinary collaboration on campus. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1995. In 2016, she won the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, among the fields highest honors.
Still, Shatz says, she worries for the future. Throughout her career, she says, she has benefited from interdisciplinary work. A major factor in her return to Stanford was the chance to lead Bio-X, where she could help foster and, more to the point, fund occasionally bonkers-sounding collaborations between doctors, engineers and basic scientists that might not happen any other way.
And, she says, her career benefited from the ability to focus on basic science without regard to the drugs or therapies that might result. She laments the pressure on a younger generation of researchers to translate their research into treatments as quickly as possible.
Its crazy to think that just by studying fundamental aspects of the development of the visual system, its led us to think in new ways, potentially really important clinical ways, about not just treating visual problems but possibly problems of synapse loss as occurs in Alzheimers or Parkinsons or even multiple sclerosis. You never know where basic research questions will lead.
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Though the disco ball drops in January, the shofar blows in September, marking the beginning of the new year for Jewish communities across the globe. Observed as one of the holiest days of the year, Rosh Hashanah is a special two-day celebration of what's to come.
Like the ceremonial blowing of the shofar (a ram's horn), the holiday is marked by many traditions such as candle-lighting, special greetings and prayers, and foods and dishes that hold special meaning for the coming year.
And since we are The Culinary Institute of America where food is life we're here with a new family-favorite recipe to ring in the new year, with some special ingredients that help set the tone for happy and healthy months ahead.
Honey-glazed Cornish hens with sauteed cabbage and baked apples is a fresh take on foods commonly found on your Rosh Hashanah table. The honey infuses sweetness into the new year and, paired with savory schmaltz, adds a sticky glaze atop the crisp poultry skin. Served alongside sweet, baked apples another holiday table tradition and tender cabbage, this meal is sure to start your family's year off with lots of luck and a full belly.
Schmaltz, which is simply rendered chicken fat, is a common ingredient in traditional Jewish cooking as a substitute for dairy-filled butter. Though it can be found in the kitchens of grandmothers the world over, schmaltz is gaining in popularity for its savory flavor among those who eschew dairy products.
Schmaltz can be purchased in some specialty markets, but it's a cinch to prepare with ingredients you may already have. In fact, you've likely made it before and just discarded it! (A tragedy.) One common way to "make" schmaltz is to slowly render chicken skin over low heat until it gives up its clear fat the schmaltz. Another option is to skim the bright yellow fat from the top of homemade chicken stock_also schmaltz! When hot it is a liquid, but stored in the refrigerator, the fat will become solid and scoopable. Every time you use it in place of butter or oil, your house will smell like chicken soup.
We've used Cornish game hens for this recipe, because they are perfect for individual servings at a holiday dinner. But this glaze will work perfectly with whatever poultry you prefer, like roasting chickens, turkey, or even duck. Of course, the cooking times will vary, so just roast the meat as you would normally, adding the glaze for the last 5 or 10 minutes. You can drizzle some of the leftover glaze over a platter of sliced meat, if you like.
Roasted meats and baked apples make the perfect sweet and savory combination. You'll want to choose apples that stand up well to baking, like Cortland, Golden Delicious, Jonagold and Granny Smith. Granny Smith is a great choice for this recipe, since it's a little tart, which will help balance out the sweetness of the honey-glazed hens. Of course, you want your new year to be sweet, not sour, so choose wisely.
Honey-glazed cornish hens
Servings: 8
Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (Active time: 30 minutes)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) or extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 Cornish hens or 2 roasting chickens (about 4 pounds each)
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat with the honey and pepper. Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.
Divide the onions among the bottom of two large baking dishes or roasting pans. Rub the hens all over with the remaining chicken fat, then season all over with salt. Place the hens on top of the onions (four in each pan; they should not be crowded), using roasting racks if desired. Roast the hens until they are golden brown and just about cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush each hen with the reserved honey glaze. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake the hens until the chickens are deeply browned and the juices from the hens run clear, an additional 5 minutes.
Set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Sauteed cabbage
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 bunch scallions
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
Directions
Chop scallions, reserving white and dark green parts separately.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute until the cabbage begins to release its juices, about 1 minute. Add water and cover, and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining scallion and cook, uncovered, until the water has evaporated and the cabbage is tender, about 2 more minutes.
Baked apples
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil or dairy-free butter substitute, melted
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
4 baking apples
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, and raisins, and set aside.
Core the apples. Slice the top off each apple, approximately -inch from the top, and, using an apple-corer, small knife, or spoon, gently hollow the two apples. Be sure to leave about a 1/2-inch-thick shell.
Fill the hollowed apples with the sugar mixture. Place stuffed apples in a greased baking dish and bake until the apples are slightly browned, tender, and cooked throughout, about 25 minutes. Spoon the liquid at the bottom of the pan over the apples before serving.
Nutrition information per serving of Cornish hens: 398 calories; 109 calories from fat; 12 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 236 mg cholesterol; 380 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 18 g sugar; 52 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of cabbage: 72 calories; 48 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 142 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 2 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of baked apples: 234 calories; 119 calories from fat; 14 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 26 g sugar; 1g protein.
A year-long investigation by a Cowlitz County sheriffs deputy has resulted in the arrest of a Las Vegas couple suspected of defrauding about a dozen people nationwide out of $430,000, including a local woman who lost $35,000, according to the sheriffs office.
Detective Lorenzo Gladson and Sgt. Brad Thurman obtained a nationwide extraditable warrant for Nerraj Kohli, 39, and his wife, Shweta Kohli, 36. They traveled to Las Vegas and arrested the couple at their home on Monday with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The suspects are awaiting an extradition hearing in Nevada for transfer to Cowlitz County, said Chief Criminal Deputy Charlie Rosenzweig.
The couple admitted they are in the United States illegally and apparently are natives of India, Rosenzweig said.
Detective Gladson began working the case in early 2016 when a Cowlitz County woman reported that a man called and told her that a virus would kill off all the data in her computer unless she sent him money to repair it. Rosenzweig said the investigation identified about a dozen victims nationwide, including three more in Washington: a 36-year-old from Port Angeles, a 31-year-old from Everett and a 51-year-old from Port Orchard.
The Washington cases may be combined and tried in Cowlitz County, and the couple may face federal charges as well, Rosenzweig said.
Were sure there are many more victims, Rosenzweig said.
Multiple alleged scams were involved, but the computer virus scam was the main one the couple are accused of engaging in, telling their victims to send money via MoneyGram from locations all across Las Vegas. The scams were all done by telephone, the sheriffs office said.
Some victims were also tricked into sending money out of fear of arrest if they did not pay their taxes due to the IRS. Walmart (where the money grams were cashed) surveillance photos that confirmed both of the Kohlis physically picked up the money.
The Cowlitz County victim lost $35,200 to the Kohlis scam. The victim who lost the most is from Newport News, Va., who was allegedly scammed out of $105,000, the sheriffs office reported.
The sheriffs office is declining to discuss details about how Gladson solved the case. One of the main difficulties, Rosenzweig said, was finding the suspects, because many scammers are based overseas. We were surprised they were in the United States, he said.
Gladson was assigned to the detective division a year ago, having served as a road deputy for about 10 years. Rosenzweig praised him for the persistence needed to solve this case.
It was difficult, largely because it took an incredible amount of time and you have victims all over the state and country. It took a lot of diligence and perseverance, and this is only about one of about a dozen cases he has.
Gladson was not available for an interview Tuesday.
The race to replace Todd McDaniels open seat on Kelso City Council is becoming a choice between stability and change.
During a meeting with The Daily News Editorial Board Tuesday, former Cowlitz County Commissioner Mike Karnofski touted his 20 years on the Cowlitz Economic Development Council while political newcomer Lisa Alexander argued she would bring a fresh perspective to the council.
Both candidates agreed that shelters are necessary to address homelessness but they had differing views on low-barrier shelters, which do not require sobriety for admission.
Alexander said she would not support another low-barrier shelter in Kelso like the now-closed Love Overwhelming facility, saying shelters need rules to be successful.
I watched Love Overwhelming destroy an entire area of Kelso, Alexander said. I was feeding the homeless food while they were sitting in the snow because it was closed. . Because Love Overwhelming failed these people, they were homeless and they didnt know where to go.
Karnofski, 68, said that while he does not agree with how LO operated, he would support a low-barrier shelter because the city needs a variety of shelters and services.
Homelessness isnt going to go away, Karnofski said. Theyve closed LO, but there are still people wandering around in Kelso. One of the theories of low-barrier shelters is you need to get somebody stabilized so they can get those (social) services.
Alexander added that she would like to see an inpatient treatment center for addicts that want help instead of the planned methadone clinic next to Kelso City Hall.
(Methadone) is another form of heroin, Alexander said. Youre taking one addiction and (are) given another. Ive talked to numerous people, and they have been years on methadone and cant get off it.
Karnofski pointed out that the county legally has to allow the methadone clinic, but the City of Kelso could conduct a study to find a location closer to similar services.
(The clinic) doesnt necessarily have to be in Kelso, he said. It could be any place. The county has to allow it, but I think theres potentially better locations than the City of Kelso.
Both candidates argued that improving quality of place would bring in more people and economic development to Kelso, but they disagreed on how to achieve that.
It starts with a safer community, said Alexander, 48, who is raising her grandchildren. We need better streets. We need sidewalks for our community to be able to walk and children walking to and from school.
She added that the city needs to work with the police department to make sure it has adequate resources for protecting citizens.
Karnofski said he wants Kelso to be a place where people want to spend time and raise families. Karnofski said some of his ideas include more bike trails, water access for kayaking and canoeing, and more open fields for recreation.
The candidates agreed on a few initiatives as well: expanding the Kelso airport, developing the Anchor Point industrial area at the mouth of the Cowlitz River and opposing any increase in car tab fees.
The Longview School Board Monday gave local teachers their biggest pay raise in nearly a decade while also approving an $87.5 million operating budget for the new school year.
The budget boosts spending by about $6.5 million compared to last year. The 8 percent increase in expenditures is largely due to new salary and benefits costs plus additional targeted funding from the state.
Under the states new education funding plan, the district will get a $939,000 increase in special education funding. It will also receive about $500,000 more for career and technical education and $840,000 for learning assistance programs in high-poverty schools.
Similar to the Kelso School Districts one-year pact with its teachers union, the new labor deal gives the Longview School District more time to interpret lawmakers attempt to satisfy the state Supreme Courts landmark McCleary ruling.
The new deal gives Longview teachers a 7.7 percent salary increase in local salary over the next two years. Thats on top of a 2.3 percent cost of living increase from the state.
Longview Education Association President Ray Clift said this is the first time in recent memory that teachers will see an increase in take-home pay, noting that past pay raises were eaten up by the rapidly increasing cost of health insurance.
This is a fairly significant increase, said Clift, who negotiated 10 previous labor agreements. This new agreement helped earn back some trust between teachers and the school district.
Class sizes and teacher load limits will also decrease significantly compared to last year. Maximum class sizes for kindergarten and first grade will drop from 27 in 2016-2017 to 21 in 2018-2019. In grades two and three, the maximum number of students will go from 27 to 24.
And starting this year, high school teachers are contracted to teach fewer students per class as well.
The Longview School District will tap about $1.5 million in reserves to help pay for the deal. However, thats a one-time expense that still leaves the district with a general fund reserve of about $8.9 million, or roughly 10 percent of expenditures.
Over the summer, the school board came under fire from some community members for maintaining a relatively healthy 12 percent reserve.
However, Superintendent Dan Zorn, who served as the districts lead negotiator, maintained that some of that reserve could be used to reach a new labor deal.
Business Manager Patti Bowen said the district expects additional revenue from the state to make up the difference for the pay increase starting in 2019, when a new salary schedule will kick in.
School Board President C.J. Nickerson said hes happy with the new budget and successful negotiations.
Im pleased we were able to do things for our staff that put us in a stronger position to compete, he said.
Looking forward, Nickerson said one of the districts biggest challenges will be deciphering the Legislatures plan to satisfy the state Supreme Courts McCleary ruling.
The plan hinges largely on a so-called levy swap, which increases state property taxes while lowering and capping the amount of revenue that districts can generate through local school levies.
With just one year left on a technology and capital projects levy passed in 2009, the school board needs to know what it can legally ask the community for in February 2018.
We still dont know what some of the unintended consequences are with what the Legislature has done, Nickerson said.
Update: A previous version of this story incorrectly calculated the percent of increase in budget expenditures for the new school year. The same version also gave an incorrect figure for the increase in state funds for special education.
WASHINGTON In the federal government and in most states, there are consequences when governments deprive Americans of their constitutional right to liberty through, say, wrongful imprisonment.
So why arent there more meaningful consequences when states deprive Americans of their constitutional right to vote?
Again and again, voter fraud has been shown to be virtually nonexistent. Yet in the name of eradicating this imagined scourge, state officials around the country have been systemically and aggressively disenfranchising American citizens. To prevent a handful of votes from possibly being cast illegally, officials purge thousands of eligible voters from state rolls, toss ballots and pass modern-day poll taxes.
This year alone, at least 99 bills restricting access to registration and voting have been introduced in 31 states, according to New York University School of Laws Brennan Center for Justice.
And this doesnt even capture the full extent of voter-suppression efforts, given that some changes have been done administratively rather than through legislation.
A few states have proved to be especially bad actors.
In the 2016 election, for example, Kansas threw out more than three times as many ballots as any similarly sized state did, according to a recent Associated Press analysis.
Some Kansans ballots were tossed as a result of recent policy changes. But others were eliminated because of a stupid software bug. That is, some people arrived at the polls incorrectly believing they had already legally registered, because the states online registration system had mistakenly told them so. This glitch had been happening for months before the general election, according to emails obtained by the AP.
All this occurred of course under the leadership of Kansas Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, now spearheading President Trumps election integrity commission.
Texas has likewise repeatedly tried to suppress minority (and predominantly Democratic) votes.
On Wednesday, a federal court struck down the states voter ID laws, which the judge determined had been enacted with discriminatory intent knowingly placing additional burdens on a disproportionate number of Hispanic and African-American voters.
The same court had found the states voter ID law discriminatory in 2014, and Wednesdays ruling determined that a new, watered-down version was no better. While a challenge had been working its way through the judicial system, a discriminatory law was in effect for multiple statewide elections.
Where is the justice for those denied suffrage in Kansas, Texas and other states?
Their elections are effectively tainted, but theyre also over. Nothing to be done about them now.
There should be, though.
If we want state officials to stop erring so often on the side of disenfranchising voters, we need to start punishing them for illegally denying Americans the right to vote, rather than just have courts say, Hey now, dont do that again.
The costs are much too low for public officials who, whether deliberately or mistakenly, disenfranchise Americans.
On very, very rare occasions, if a plaintiff can prove that an election was sufficiently tainted, a judge could order a new election. Also on very, very rare occasions, individuals can be charged with a criminal offense if they can be proved to have intentionally interfered with someones votes.
But for the most part, policies that systemically disenfranchise thousands of voters and possibly swing election results go unpunished.
A states bad law or administrative policy gets struck down, and officials are just forced to do things differently in the next election.
In which case, state officials might respond by introducing a new bad law, a la Texas.
One way to change the system would be for courts to more often grant preliminary injunctions against new election laws undergoing a legal challenge.
Once the damage is done you cant really adequately repair it, says Wendy Weiser, director of the Brennan Centers democracy program. Courts could recognize this and err on the side of keeping the status quo, at least temporarily.
This would address only deliberate policy changes, though, not incompetence (as in Kansas software glitch). So why not raise the possible costs to getting things wrong, to change the calculus?
Congress or state legislatures could, for example, pass laws making it easier for state officials to be held liable for monetary damages if they have illegally denied someone their right to vote. Right now these officials likely have qualified immunity from such suits, according to Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
For American citizens, voting is a sacred and constitutionally enshrined right. Its time the country, and those paid to serve the public, actually treat it as such.
Britain will be able to change trade deals after Brexit: May
Reuters, Kyoto :
Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday Britain would be able to change the terms of trade deals after Brexit even if it initially replicates trade deals that the European Union has with other countries.
On a visit to Japan, May also said Britain and the EU must focus on their future relationship, "ensuring we can get that trade deal right and also that we can form new trade deals around the rest of the world".
"Once we're outside the European Union, even if we start on the basis of an existing trade deal that a country has with the EU, it will be up to the United Kingdom and that country if we wish to renegotiate and change those terms in the future."
AP adds: British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived Wednesday in Japan for a three-day visit that is expected to focus on Brexit, trade and security.
May started her visit in Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital, where she was to attend a traditional tea ceremony and have dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Her official meetings with Abe and other Japanese officials are scheduled for Thursday in Tokyo.
Eid-ul-Azha, Hajj and sacrifice
Mufti Taqi Usmani :
Zulhijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar. Literally, it means 'Hajj.' Obviously, this name of the month indicates that the great annual worship of 'Hajj' is performed in this month, which gives it special significance. Some specific merits and rules relevant to this month are mentioned below:
The first ten days of Zulhijjah are among the most magnificent days in Islamic calendar. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam has said, "One fast during these days is equal to the fasting of one complete year, and the worship of one night during this period is equal to the worship in the 'Lailatul-Qadr'.
Every Muslim should avail of this wonderful opportunity by performing during this period as much Iba'dah (acts of worship) to Allah as he or she can.
The 9th day of Zulhijjah is called 'Yaumul Arafah' (The Day of 'Arafah). This is the date when the Hujjaj (Haji pilgrims, plural of Hajj) assemble on the plain of 'Arafat, six miles away from Makkah al-Mukarramah, where they perform the most essential part of the prescribed duties of Hajj, namely, the 'Wuqoof of'Arafat (the stay in 'Arafat).
For those not performing Hajj, it is mustahabb (desirable) to fast on this day according to their own calendar. It sometimes occurs that 9th Zuihijjah falls on different days in different countries according to the sighting of the moon. In such cases, Muslims of each country should observe 'Yaumul 'Arafah according to the lunar dates of their own country.
The fast of 'Yaumul 'Arafah' has been emphasised by the Holy Prophet, Sall-allahu alayhi wa sallam, as a mustahabb (desirable) act. According to a Hadith, the fast of this day becomes a cause, hopefully so, of forgiveness for sins committed in one year.
Beginning from the Fajr of the 9th Zulhijjah up to the 'Asr prayer of the 13th, it is obligatory on each Muslim to recite the Takbir of Tashriq after every farz prayer in the following words.
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La Ilaha Illallahu wa Allahu Akbar
Allahu Akbar wa lillahil hamd.
(There is no god but Allah and Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest and to Allah belongs all praise.)
According to authentic Islamic sources, it is obligatory on each Muslim, to recite this Takbir after every farz Salah. For women also, it is commendable though not obligatory. Whether you are performing Salah with Jama'ah (collectively) or on your own (individually) makes no difference. You must recite the Takbir. However, male Muslims should recite it in a loud voice, while females should recite it in a low voice.
The following acts are Sunnah on the day of Eidul- azha:
1. To wake up early in the morning. 2. To clean one's teeth with a miswak or brush 3. To take bath. 4. To put on one's best available clothes. 5. To use perfume. 6. Not to eat before the Eid prayer. 7. To recite the Takbir of Tashriq in a loud voice while going to the Eid prayer.
The Eid prayer has two raka'at performed in the normal way, with the only addition of six Takbirs, three of them in the beginning of the first raka'ah, and three of them just before ruku' in the second raka'ah. The detailed way of performing the Eid prayer is as follows:
The Imam will begin the prayer without Azan or iqamah. He will begin the prayer by reciting Takbir of Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting the Takbir, you should set your hands on your navel. The Imam will give a little pause during which you should recite Thana' (Subhanaka Allahumma .:.). After the completion of Thana', the Imam will recite Takbir (Allahu Akbar) three times. At the first two calls of Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after reciting Takbir (Allahu Akbar) in a low voice, should bring your hands down and leave them earthwards. But, after the third Takbir, you should set them on your navel as you do in the normal prayers.
After these three Takbirs, the Imam will recite the Holy Qur'an, which you should listen calmly and quietly. The rest of the raka'ah will be performed in the normal way.
After rising for the second raka'ah, the Imam will begin the recitations from the Holy Qur'an during which you should remain calm and quiet. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite three Takbirs once again, but this time it will be just before bowing down for ruku'. At each Takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and after saying 'Allahu Akbar', bring them down and leave them earthwards. After these three Takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam will say another Takbir for bowing down into the ruku' position. At this Takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow down for your ruku' saying, 'Allahu Akbar'. The rest of the Salah will be performed in its usual way.
In this Salah of Eid, Khutbah is a Sunnah and is delivered after the Salah, unlike the Salah of Jumu'ah where it is farz and is delivered before the Salah. However, listening to the khutbah of Eid Salah is wajib or necessary and must be listened to in perfect peace and silence.
It is a Sunnah that the Imam begins the first Khutbah by reciting Takbir (Allahu Akbar) nine times and the second Khutbah with reciting it seven times.
The way of Eid prayer described above is according to the Hanafi school of Muslim jurists. Some other jurists, like Imam Shafi'i, have some other ways to perform it. They recite Takbir twelve times before beginning the recitations of the Holy Qur'an in both the raka'at. This way is also permissible. If the Imam, being of the Shafi'i school, follows this way, you can also follow him. Both ways are based on the practice of the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam.
The Urdu and persian word Qurbani (Sacrificial slaughter) is derived from the Arabic word Qurban. Lexically, it means an act performed to seek Allah's pleasure. Originally, the word Qurban included all acts of charity because the purpose of charity is nothing but to seek Allah's pleasure. But, in precise religious terminology, the word was later confined to the sacrifice of an animal slaughtered for the sake of Allah.
The sacrifice of an animal has always been treated as a recognised form of worship in all religious orders originating from a Divine book. Even in pagan societies, the sacrifice of an animal is recognised as a form of worship, but it is done in the name of some idols and not in the name of Allah, a practice totally rejected by Islam.
In the Shari'ah of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam, the sacrifice of an animal has been recognised as a form of worship only during three days of Zulhijjah, namely, the 10th, 1lth and 12th of the month. This is to commemorate the unparalleled sacrifice offered by the Prophet Sayyidina Ibrahim Alayhis Salam, when he, in pursuance to a command of Allah conveyed to him in a dream, prepared himself to slaughter his beloved son, Sayyidina Isma'il Alayhis Salam, and actually did so but, Allah Almighty, after testing his submission, sent down a sheep and saved his son from the logical fate of slaughter. It is from that time onwards that the sacrifice of an animal became an obligatory duty to be performed by every well to do Muslim.
Qurbani is a demonstration of total submission to Allah and a proof of complete obedience to Allah's will or command. When a Muslim offers a Qurbani, this is exactly what he intends to prove. Thus, the Qurbani offered by a Muslim signifies that he is a slave of Allah at his best and that he would not hesitate even for a moment, once he receives an absolute command from his Creator, to surrender before it, to obey it willingly, even if it be at the price of his life and possessions. When a true and perfect Muslim receives a command from Allah, he does not make his obedience dependent upon the command's reasonability' as perceived through his limited understanding. He knows that Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise and that his own reason cannot encompass the knowledge and wisdom underlying the Divine command. He, therefore, submits to the Divine command, even if he cannot grasp the reason or wisdom behind it.
This is exactly what the Prophet Ibrahim Alayhis Salam, did. Apparently, there was no reason why a father should slaughter his innocent son. But, when came the command from Allah, he never asked about the reason for that command, nor did he hesitate to follow it. Even his minor son when asked by his father about the dream he had seen, never questioned the legitimacy of the command, nor did he pine or whine about it, nor did he ask for one good reason why he was being slaughtered. The one and only response he made was:
'Father, do what you have been ordered to do. You shall find me, God willing, among the patient".
The present-day Qurbani is offered in memory of this great model of submission set before us by the great father and the great son. So Qurbani must be offered in our time emulating the same ideal and attitude of submission.
This, then, is the true philosophy of Qurbani. With this in mind, one can easily unveil the fallacy of those who raise objections against Qurbani on the basis of economic calculations and depict it to be a wastage of money, resources and livestock. Unable to see beyond mundane benefits, they cannot understand the spirit Islam wants to plant and nourish among its followers, the spirit of total submission to Allah's will which equips man with most superior qualities so necessary to keep humanity in a state of lasting peace and welfare.
Qurbani is nothing but a powerful symbol of the required human conduct vis-a-vis the Divine commands, however 'irrational' or 'uneconomic' they may seem to be in their appearance. Thus, the distrustful quest for mundane economic benefits behind Qurbani is, in fact, the negation of its real philosophy and the very spirit underlying it.
No doubt, there are in every form of worship ordained by Allah, certain worldly benefits too, but they are not the main purpose of these prescribed duties, nor should they be treated as a pre-condition to submission and obedience. All acts of worship, including Qurbani, must be carried out with a spirit of total submission to Allah, irrespective of their economic, social or political benefits. This is what Ibrahim, Alayhi Salam, did, and this is what every true Muslim is required to do,
Keeping this in view, we are giving here some rules governing the worship of Qurbani in our Shari'ah according to the Hanafi School.
Qurbani can only be performed during the three days of Eid, namely the 10th, Ilth and 12th of Zulhijjah. It is only in these days that slaughtering of an animal is recognized as an act of worship. No Qurbani can be performed in any other days of the year.
Although Qurbani is permissible on each of the three aforesaid days, yet it is preferable to perform it on the first day i.e. the 10th of Zulhijjah.
No Qurbani is allowed before the Eid prayer is over. However, in small villages where the Eid prayer is not to be performed, Qurbani can be offered' any time after the break of dawn on the 10th of Zulhijjah.
Qurbani can also be performed in the two nights following the Eid day, but it is more advisable to perform it during daytime.
Every adult Muslim, male or female, who owns 613.35 grams of silver or its equivalent in money, personal ornaments, stock-in-trade or any other form of wealth which is surplus to his basic needs, is under an obligation to offer a Qurbani. Each adult member of a family who owns the above mentioned amount must perform his own Qurbani separately. If the husband owns the required quantity, but the wife does not, the Qurbani obligatory on the husband only and vice-versa. If both of them have the prescribed amount of wealth, both should perform Qurbani separately.
If the adult children live with their parents, Qurbani is obligatory on each one of them possessing the prescribed amount. The Qurbani offered by a husband for himself does not fulfil the obligation of his wife, nor can the Qurbani offered by a father discharge his son or daughter from their obligation. Each one of them should care for his own.
However, if a husband or a father, apart from offering his own Qurbani, gives another Qurbani on behalf of his wife or his son, he can do so with their permission.
Some people think that instead of offering a Qurbani they should give its amount to some poor people as charity. This attitude is totally wrong. Actually, there are different forms of worship obligatory on Muslims. Each one of them has its own importance and none of them can stand for the other. It is not permissible for a Muslim to perform Salah instead of fasting in Ramadan, nor is it permissible for him/her to give some charity instead of observing the obligatory Salah. Similarly, Qurbani is an independent form of worship and this obligation cannot be discharged by spending money in charity.
However, if somebody, out of his ignorance or negligence, could not offer Qurbani on the three prescribed days (10th, 1lth and 12th Zulhijjah) then, in that case only, he can give the price of a Qurbani as Sadaqah to those entitled to receive Zakah. But during the days of Qurbani no Sadaqah can discharge the obligation.
The following animals can be slaughtered to offer a Qurbani:
1. Goat, either male or female, of at least one year of age. 2. Sheep, either male or female, of at least six months of age. 3. Cow, ox buffalo of at least two years of age. 4. Camel, male or female, of at least five years of age.
One head of goat or sheep is enough only for one person's Qurbani. But as for all other animals like cow, buffalo or camel, one head of each is equal to seven offerings thus allowing seven persons to offer Qurbani jointly in one such animal.
If the seller of animal claims that the animal is of the recognized age and there is no apparent evidence to the contrary; one can trust his statement and the sacrifice of such an animal is lawful.
The following defective animals are not acceptable in Qurbani:
1. Blind, one eyed or lame animal. 2. An animal so emaciated that it cannot walk to its slaughtering place. 3. An animal with one-third part of the ear or the nose or the tail missing. 4. An animal that has no teeth at all, or the major number of its teeth are missing. 5. An animal born without ears.
The following animals are acceptable in Qurbani:
1. A castrated he - goat. (Rather, its Qurbani is more preferable). 2. An animal that has no horns, or its horns are broken. However, if the horns of an animal are uprooted totally so as to create a defect in the brain, its Qurbani is not lawful. 3. An animal the missing part of whose ear, nose or tail is less than one third. 4. A sick or injured animal, unless it has some above mentioned defects rendering its Qurbani unlawful.
It is more preferable for a Muslim to slaughter the animal of his Qurbani with his own hands. However, if he is unable to slaughter the animal himself, or does not want to do so for some reason, he can request another person to slaughter it on his behalf. In this case also, it is more preferable that he, at least, be present at the time of slaughter. However, his absence at the time of slaughter does not render the Qurbani invalid, if he has authorized the person who slaughtered the animal on his behalf. It is a Sunnah to lay the animal with its face towards the Qiblah, and to recite the following verse of the Holy Quran:
I, being upright, turn my face towards the One who has created the heavens and the earth, and I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. ( Al-An'am, 6:79)
But the most essential recitation when slaughtering an animal is: Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest). If somebody intentionally avoids to recite it when slaughtering an animal, it does not only make his Qurbani unlawful, but also renders the animal haram, and it is not permissible to eat the meat of that animal. However, if a person did not avoid this recitation intentionally, but he forgot to recite it when slaughtering the animal, this mistake is forgiven and both the Qurbani and the slaughter are lawful.
If an animal is sacrificed by more than one person, like cow or camel, its meat should be distributed equally among its owners by weighing the meat strictly and not at random or by mere guess. Even if all the partners agree on its distribution without weighing, it is still not permissible according to shari'ah.
However, if the actual weighing is not practicable due to some reason, and all the partners agree to distribute the meat without weighing, distribution by guess can be done with the condition that each share necessarily contains either a leg of the animal or some quantity of its liver.
Although the person offering a Qurbani can keep all its meat for his own use, yet, it is preferable to distribute one-third among the poor, another one-third among his relatives and then, keep the rest for his personal consumption.
All parts of the sacrificed animal can be used for personal benefit, but none can be sold, nor can be given to the butcher as a part of his wages. If somebody has sold the meat of the Qurbani or its skin, he must give the accrued price as sadaqah to a poor man who can receive Zakah.
The most important way of worship performed in this month is "Hajj", one of the five pillars of Islam. The Muslims from every part of the world assemble in Arabia to perform this unique way of worship. Hajj is a worship, which requires at least five days to be performed in its proper way. There are detailed rules for different acts of hajj for which separate books are available, and the present article does not aim at explaining all these details. However, some basic information about its obligation is being given here:
1. Hajj is obligatory on every adult Muslim who can afford to go to Makkah during the hajj season, whether on foot or by any other carriage. 2. If a person can travel to Makkah to perform hajj, but he cannot travel to Madinah, hajj is obligatory on him also. He can perform hajj without visiting Madinah. 3. A Muslim woman cannot travel for hajj unless she is accompanied by a mahram (i.e. husband or relative of a prohibited degree like son, father, brother etc.) If she does not find any mahram to accompany her, hajj is not obligatory on her until she finds one. However, she must make a will that in case she dies before performing hajj, his heirs should arrange for her hajj-e-badal out of her left over property. 4. Hajj is obligated only once in one's life. After performing the obligatory hajj; one is not required to perform it again. However, he can perform the nafl (optional hajj as many times as he or she wishes.)
India to assist to set up 3 eco-zones, bay-terminal in BD
BSS, Chittagong :
The Indian government on Wednesday expressed its keen interest to assist Bangladesh in establishing three economic zones in Mongla, Bheramara and Mirsarai and a bay-terminal in Chittagong.
This was disclosed by Deputy High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh Dr Adarsh Swaika while addressing as chief guest a seminar titled " India-Bangladesh Bilateral Trade and Commercial Relations: Special Focus on Waterways Connectivity and Coastal Shipping", held at Bangabandhu Auditorium of World Trade Centre, Chittagong.
Jointly organised by the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and High Commission of India in Bangladesh, the seminar was chaired by CCCI president Mahbubul Alam while Shishir Kotari, second secretary of High Commission of India in Bangladesh presented the keynote paper in it.
Dr Swaika in his speech said Bangladesh has progressed 30 percent in industrial production and the two neighbouring countries have achieved an outstanding record in economic activities, investment and mutual cooperation though 60 agreements in last two years.
CCCI president Mahbubul Alam put special emphasis on reducing wide trade gap between the two neighbouring nations.
Former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Matlub Ahmed, outgoing Assistant High commissioner of India in Chittagong Somnath Haldar, senior vice president of CCCI Nurun Newaz Selim, vice president Syed Jamal Ahmed, director Mahfuzul Hoque Shah, Member (Finance) of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Mohammad Kamrul Amin, Honorary Consul General of Japan Mohammad Nurul Islam and Professor Syed Ahsanul Alam Parvez of Chittagong University, among others, addressed the seminar.
Former Vice President of Bangladesh Federation of Chamber of Commerce & Industry Md. Helaluddin addressing the meeting of the central standing committee of Bangladesh Shop Owners Association recently.
Ctg man jailed for carrying gold
BSS, Chittagong :
A Chittagong court on Tuesday sentenced a man to six years rigorous imprisonment for smuggling gold bars through Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport (CSAIA) in 2014.
The court of Chittagong Senior Special Session Judge Mohammad Shah-e-Nur pronounced the verdict and also fined the convict Anis Chowdhury Taka 10,000, in default, to suffer two more months in jail.
Court sources said Customs authority arrested Dubai-returnee Anis with 53 gold bars from CSAIA on April 7, 2014 and filed a case with city's Patenga Thana in this connection. Police submitted chargesheet against Anis on November 22, 2014 while the court framed charges on January 4, 2016.
Anis Chowdhury, son of Saidul Hoque, hailed from Kanungupara village under Boalkhali upazila of the district.
News In Brief
Israel will allow Al-Jazeera reporter to keep working
AP, Jerusalem
Israel's Government Press Office has decided not to revoke the credentials of an Al-Jazeera reporter after summoning him for questioning about comments made in an interview in support of Palestinian "resistance."
Elias Karram was called in for questioning after the 2016 interview surfaced. But after a hearing, the GPO said Wednesday it had determined Karram does not consider himself part of the resistance and does not support violence.
Gunmen kill transgender person in Pakistan
AP, Karachi
Pakistani police say gunmen opened fire on a group of transgender people, killing one of them, in an upscale neighborhood in the southern port city of Karachi.
Police officer Aurangzeb Khattak said the shooting took place overnight Wednesday. He said passengers in an SUV first harassed the group by throwing rotten eggs at them and then opened fire before fleeing. He said one bullet struck a person who went by the name Chanda in the head, killing him on the spot.
Jordan, Iraq reopen only border crossing
AFP, Amman
Jordan and Iraq on Wednesday reopened their only border crossing, saying security had been restored three years after the Islamic State group seized control of frontier areas.
In a joint statement, the two countries' governments said the crossing, called Turaibil in Iraq and Al-Karameh in Jordan, was reopened after it was "secured... against attacks by criminal gangs".
The border crossing is part of a crucial route linking the Iraqi and Jordanian capitals, and its reopening comes after Iraqi forces managed to retake most of the territory seized by IS in 2014.
Rohingyas desperate
18,000 enter BD this time to evade attacks IOM: 4 drowns in Naf, 75 sent back, 325 detained
Staff Reporter :
Thousands of Rohingya refugees stranded at many points of no man's land in bordering areas are now in frantic efforts to trespass into Bangladesh territory despite strict vigilance.
The Rohingya civilians fleeing renewed violence in Myanmar are now staying at makeshift houses in bordering areas of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts, according to our correspondents and agencies.
They took shelter on no man's land after failing to cross the border since August 25.
And Bangladesh saw a fresh exodus of refugees after at least 89 people were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar on August 25.
Around 18,000 Rohingya refugees have fled fresh violence in Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh so far this time, with 'hundreds and hundreds stranded in no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday.
The situation across the border, which is demarcated in parts by narrow stretches of the Naf River, was 'still volatile'.
"Thousands of thousands Rohingyas have gathered on the border and are trying to enter Bangladesh," a senior Border Guard Bangladesh
(BGB) official told reporters.
BGB men on Wednesday have sent back 75 Rohingyas as they attempted to enter Bangladesh through bordering point in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar.
BGM men detained them from Shah Porir Dwip at about 5am on Wednesday as they made an attempt to trespass into the Bangladesh territory by boats, Col SM Ariful Islam, Director of BGB Teknaf Battalion-2 Lt Col SM Ariful Islam told journalists there.
He, however, said BGB men provided the Rohingya refugees with some food and medication before sending them back.
Police also detained around 325 Rohingya refugees from bordering areas since Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
Tight patrolling was enforced in the bordering area. Police and coastguards along with BGB were working to prevent the influx of Rohingyas.
Meanwhile, police recovered the bodies of four Rohingyas including two children from Shahpori Island in Teknaf upazila of Cox's Bazar on Wednesday morning.
Police with the help of local people recovered the bodies from the bank of Naf River.
Additional Superintendent of Cox's Bazar Police Afrujul Haque Putul said they might have drowned in boat capsize while trying to intrude into Bangladesh.
Sanjukta Sahany, a spokeswoman for the IOM in Cox's Bazar, on the Bangladesh border with Myanmar, released the latest figures as human rights groups and advocates for the Rohingya say the Myanmar army was retaliating for attacks by Rohingya militants by burning down villages and shooting civilians.
The official death toll in the violence was 96 as of Sunday, and the actual number is likely to be higher.
A majority of Myanmar's estimated 1 million Rohingya live in the northern part of Rakhine state, where they have faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country.
Last week, Rohingya insurgents launched coordinated attacks against police posts, setting off retaliation by government forces.
Sahany said the Rohingya crisis was not an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh but of international concern.
Some 87,000 Rohingya entered Bangladesh since October last year and now another 18,000 in just one week.
But there are already 400,000 Rohingya living in squalid camps in Bangladesh and the government has instructed its border guards to prevent another influx at any cost.
Jute sector likely to get loans at 2pc interest
Badrul Ahsan :
Considering the immense export prospect of jute sector, the government is likely to provide loans to the industry insiders at 2 per cent of interest, sources said.
They said there is a special fund of Bangladesh Bank namely 'Export Development Fund (EDF)' from where exporters who produce products using imported raw materials are getting loans at two per cent
of interest but the jute and jute goods exporters are not eligible for the loans as they make their products using local raw materials.
The Textiles and Jute Ministry has recently sought a Tk 10,000 crore export promotion fund for the jute sector so that jute and jute goods exporters can get low interest loans from the EDF fund and boost export.
In this context, the Ministry has written a letter to the Finance Ministry and the Bangladesh Bank, the sources said.
"Exporters, who produce goods with imported materials get low-cost fund but the exporters who produces goods using local raw materials are not eligible for such fund is not justifiable," the Ministry wrote in the letter.
Besides, in a recent meeting of the advisory committee on jute, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam requested the Finance Ministry and the central bank to allow a fund worth Tk 10,000 crore like the EDF for the jute sector.
Azam said exporters are getting low-cost loan facilities from the EDF worth $2.5 billion (approximately Tk 20,000 crore) but the jute sector exporters are not getting loans from the fund as the sector uses raw materials from local sources.
In the meeting, Bangladesh Jute Mills Association Secretary Md Abdul Barik Khan said the jute sector exporters should get more low-cost loans than the exporters in other sectors as jute goods exporters are using local sources for raw materials.
He said the export sectors, including readymade garments, leather, ceramics and plastics, are getting loans from the EDF at two per cent interest and all the sectors depend on imported raw materials for producing export products.
"We the jute and jute goods producers export our goods adding cent per cent value but are not getting any support from the government. If we are given low cost fund then, export of the sector would see a big boost shortly," Barik added.
The policy of Bangladesh Bank for the EDF should be changed so that not only the raw material importing export sectors but also the jute sector can get the benefit from the fund, he said.
Nasima Begum, Joint Secretary (jute) of the Textiles and Jute Ministry, on Tuesday told The New Nation that her Ministry had send a letter to the Finance Ministry and the Bangladesh Bank seeking an EDF-like fund worth Tk 10,000 crore for promoting jute sector's export.
'Though we are yet to get any feedback from the Finance Ministry, we are hopeful of getting positive response from the government,' she said.
Dhaka, Jakarta discuss Rohingya issue
UNB, Dhaka :
Bangladesh has welcomed Indonesia's willingness to engage with Myanmar to find ways for arresting the escalation of violence and finding a solution of the "protracted" problem.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi had a discussion over telephone on the issue on Tuesday, said the Foreign Ministry officials on Wednesday.
Mahmood Ali further discussed the Rohingya issue on Wednesday when newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia Rina
Prithyasmiarsi Soemarno met him at the Foreign Ministry.
He also raised the issue of the recent escalation of violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar following the attacks on Myanmar security posts on August 25 and expressed concern at the imminent influx of Muslim population from the state seeking shelter in Bangladesh.
The minister reiterated Bangladesh's readiness to assist Myanmar in addressing the security concern.
He emphasised implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Anan-led "Rakhine Advisory Commission" for a durable solution of the problem of the Rakhine State.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister also encouraged Indonesian investors to explore lucrative investment opportunities in Bangladesh and set up railway carriage and locomotive production units here.
He congratulated Soemarno for being appointed new ambassador to Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister while expressing satisfaction over the existing close relations between Bangladesh and Indonesia stressed the need for further deepening the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and other areas of mutual interest.
He also pointed out bright prospect of joint venture in the pharmaceutical sector.
The Indonesian envoy informed the Foreign Minister that the proposed MoU on cooperation between Petrobangla and Pertamina of Indonesia on sourcing LNG from Indonesia has been finalised.
Discussion for establishing direct air connectivity between Dhaka and Jakarta has reached an advanced level.
She also mentioned about Indonesia's interest to invest in the infrastructure sector and poultry and food processing industry.
The Indonesian ambassador urged the Foreign Minister to ease visa process for the Indonesian businessmen.
2 farmers killed in Pirojpur lightning
UNB, Pirojpur :
Two farmers were killed by lightning strike at Ataurkhali village in Bhandaria upazila on Tuesday morning.
The deceased were identified as Jahangir Hossain, 30, son of Moyenuddin Khan and Nasiruddin Hawlader, 32, son of Abdus Sattar of the village. Kamruzzaman Talukder, officer-in-charge of Bhandaria Police Station, said that the lightning struck them while they were working in their paddy field around 10.30 am, leaving duo dead on the spot.
Western world turns a blind eye to Rohingya issue: Analysts
Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
The state sponsored atrocity against the Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar is yet to draw due attention of the West although it has always been critical on human rights abuses around the world, said observers`.
Rohingyas are fleeing en masse to neighbouring Bangladesh in the face of terrible human rights abuses, including genocide, gang-rape and mass beating by the Myanmar's security forces in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
This began after militants launched a coordinated raid on security force facilities last week, killing at least 109 people, including dozens of security personnel.
The western world has tiptoed around the issue even if the Myanmar security forces have launched an unprecedented crackdown on Muslims in Rakhine State. It remains silent over the issue due to various strategic and political reasons, according to the analysts.
They said the western world led by the US have once again engaged with Myanmar after lifting their decades long economic sanctions against the country. The US in October 2016 lifted economic sanctions against Myanmar that had been in place for almost two decades.
The USA is carrying out an anti-Islam campaign after the 9/11 attacks. Even it is trying to brand a violent image of the Muslims after listing several Muslim nations as terrorist countries. The western world, perhaps, is turning a billing eye to the Rohingya crisis due to the US policy.
"The western nations are always vocal on human rights violations around the world. But they keep mom over the renewed atrocities on Rohingyas because of regional and global politics as well as strategic considerations. They may respond to the crisis following reactions from the US. They may wait for the US move over the issue," Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, who teaches international relations at Dhaka University, came up with the observation while talking to
The New Nation on Wednesday.
The government seems to be restive on Rohingya infiltration into Bangladesh. But it has already allowed several thousand of Rohingya refugees on the humanitarian ground. It should raise voice over the issue in global forums and engage with the global community so that Bangladesh can ease burden of Rohingya refuges.
"The global community keeps a blind eye to the issue because of its geo-political interests," said Prof Dr Tareque Shamsur Rahman, a teacher of International Relations at the Jahangirnagar University.
"We condemn the continual persecution of the Rohingya by the Myanmar authorities None can support such a destructive act."
Dr Tareque said the international community is increasingly critical of rights abuses and extrajudicial killings by the security forces in nations around the world. They are yet to respond to the situation causing frustration to us. "We cannot expect such a role from them. They should respond immediately to save lives of thousands of unarmed civilians in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine."
UNB adds: Bangladesh has welcomed Indonesia's willingness to engage with Myanmar to find ways for arresting the escalation of violence and finding a solution of the "protracted" problem.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi had a discussion over telephone on the issue on Tuesday, said the Foreign Ministry officials on Wednesday.
Mahmood Ali further discussed the Rohingya issue on Wednesday when newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia Rina Prithyasmiarsi Soemarno met him at the Foreign Ministry.
He also raised the issue of the recent escalation of violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar following the attacks on Myanmar security posts on August 25 and expressed concern at the imminent influx of Muslim population from the state seeking shelter in Bangladesh.
The minister reiterated Bangladesh's readiness to assist Myanmar in addressing the security concern.
He emphasised implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Anan-led "Rakhine Advisory Commission" for a durable solution of the problem of the Rakhine State.
PM urges US Put pressure on Myanmar to stop Rohingya pushing
UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the United States to mount pressure on Myanmar to stop pushing its nationals into Bangladesh.
"We've given shelter to a huge number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds and it's a big problem for us. So, I call upon you to exert pressure on Myanmar in this regard," she said when US
acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells met her at her office.
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
At the meeting, the US assistant secretary wanted to know from the Prime Minister whether there is any political dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar on resolving the Rohingya problem.
In reply, Hasina said: "Our foreign office is in contact with the Myanmar authorities."
Wells, also US acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, expressed the US' interest to work with Bangladesh to combat terrorism and highly appreciated Bangladesh government's initiatives for curbing the menace.
The Prime Minister reiterated Bangladesh's 'zero-tolerance' policy on terrorism. "We won't allow our land to be used for carrying out terrorist acts in other countries," she said.
The US assistant secretary highly appreciated Bangladesh's massive socio-economic development in different fields, especially the attainment of 7.24 percent GDP growth, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's able leadership.
The Prime Minister renewed her call to the US to send back convicted death-row killers of Bangabandhu who are now staying there.
While talking about Bangladesh's impressive development in different sectors under her leadership, Hasina said the main aim of her government is to strengthen the rural economy.
On promoting the private sector, she said her government has opened up all the sectors in this regard.
Noting that the country's media is enjoying full freedom, the Prime Minister said it is freely criticising the government and there is no interference from the government.
She said there are some 750 daily newspapers in the country. "We've given permission to some 44 TV channels in the private sector and 24 of them are now functioning."
Elaborating her government's various steps for ensuring women empowerment, Hasina said they have ensured women's participation in all spheres of the state. "Women have reached very high positions in all the sectors like administration, judiciary, education, Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies."
About the bilateral trade with the USA, she said the volume of trade between the two countries increased manifolds from only $ 25 million in 1996.
The US assistant secretary of state pointed out that the economic relations between the two countries have developed significantly and mentioned that US is the largest market for Bangladeshi RMG products.
PM's International Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and the US charge d'affaires in Dhaka were present on the occasion.
Chris Hollo/2017 Grand Ole OpryWhen Chris Young arrived at the Grand Ole Opry Tuesday evening, he knew hed be celebrating his latest #1, Sober Saturday Night, with his hero Vince Gill. He also suspected hed be receiving the first platinum album of his career, for his debut, Neon.
But what Chris didnt know was that Vince had something up his sleeve: an invitation to be the newest member of the Opry.
Even though the Murfreesboro, Tennessee native was marking a career high, his thoughts were still with the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
I've got a house down there that was right basically where the hurricane landed and just wiped a bunch of stuff out, he explained. I have no idea what it looks like. And in the best way possible, I don't really care, because I'm worried about people. Everybody else is OKy that I know, and all of my friends and family are accounted for, and that's kind of the most important thing.
So far, Chriss GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $300,000 to help with the aftermath of the tragedy. One-hundred-thousand of that is Chriss own money, and he plans to do more.
There's just so much stuff going on right now that people are gonna need help with, not just now, but in the weeks and months to come, he points out. And so, I just wanted to do something at least to get a jump on it. I've got other things that I'm already working on, things that are gonna take time when we can actually get down there.
Chris officially will be inducted into the Opry on Tuesday, October 17, before his seventh album, Losing Sleep, comes out that Friday.
Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Kalyan Party leader Aminur made disappeared : BNP
UNB, Dhaka :
BNP on Wednesday expressed its fear that MM Aminur Rahman, secretary general of its alliance partner Kalyan Party, was made disappeared as he remained missing since Sunday.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the allegation at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office.
Fakhrul said Aminur went missing as he came out of his Nayapaltan residence for his local
residence in Savar on Sunday.
"Kalyan Party chairman Syed Ibrahim came here (BNP office) with serious worry as he has failed to get any trace of his party's secretary general over the last three days. We're in doubt whether he was subjected to enforced disappearance," the BNP leader said.
He demanded the government immediately trace Aminur and return him to his family.
Meanwhile, Kalyan Party, one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, staged a human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the afternoon, demanding that Aminur be traced.
Speaking at the programme, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the country has now turned into a 'state of enforced disappearance'.
"The opposition leaders and activists are being made disappeared under the patronage of the government. The country can't run in this way," he observed.
Rizvi alleged that the government has long been indulging in such heinous crime only to 'perpetuate' its power.
He alleged that the government has been 'using police and Rab to implement its killing mission to suppress its opponents'.
The BNP leader urged the government to immediately find out Aminur and return him to his family.
The Undead Archives
I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Home >Police Enforcement > Checkpoints and Stops > US Border Patrol Sets Up New Hampshire Roadblocks
CAIRO Years of mismanagement by past local housing authority managers and the gross oversight failure by federal housing officials have come home to roost in Cairo and the consequences to at-risk children are varied and widespread.
Cairo Unit School District 1 faces long-term enrollment concerns with the planned demolition of Elmwood and McBride public housing developments, which Housing and Urban Development officials announced in April, and the relocation of about 400 residents, close to 200 of them children.
But there are immediate consequences as well for school-age children. For example, seven children have missed about two weeks of school because their parents did not enroll them on time. According to Superintendent Andrea Evers, the parents told the school they did not enroll their children because they are in the process of moving from Elmwood or McBride to a community outside of Cairo, and intended to enroll their children when they arrived in a new location.
But Evers said the concern is the moving process can take weeks, or months and it doesnt take a student long to fall behind, especially high school students. School started Aug. 11 in Cairo.
As of Monday, six of the seven children believed by district officials to still be living in Cairo but who had not enrolled did finally show up and do so, and are in class, she said. Evers said the schools truancy officer, social worker and the HUD officials managing the Alexander County Housing Authority in administrative receivership worked closely with parents to educate them on the need to enroll their children in school regardless of whether or when they intend to move, she said.
Kids falling through the cracks
HUD has yet to publicize a hard deadline as to when residents must be out of Elmwood and McBride, which has resulted in some confusion. Sen. Tammy Duckworths office said the senator worked out an agreement with HUD Secretary Ben Carson to allow residents 330 days from the time a resident receives his or her Tenant Protection Voucher, which subsidizes rent paid to a private landlord.
Still, HUD spokesman Jerry Brown also recently said the agency is encouraging people to move out by winter because of concerns the housing authority may not have money to repair heating systems if the boilers and pipes fail at Elmwood and McBride. Repairs can cost into the thousands, and some boilers had to be repaired last year as well, he said.
Many residents use their gas ovens to heat their homes because of the inadequate heating system. They do this regardless of whether the boilers are performing, because the heating system should have been updated years ago and does not produce enough warmth on really cold days.
In the face of mixed messages that residents have received from various local and federal officials about the relocation effort, HUD is continuing to move forward with the plan it originally outlined, with federal housing officials characterizing it as the best of imperfect solutions. However, the early months of the transition have been marred by fits and starts.
This seems to have resulted in some children slipping through the cracks in terms of their ability to start the school year off on the right foot. Evers said one of the issues parents faced who are relocating is that they did not want to spend what little money they have on buying new school uniforms for their children. Thats understandable if they intend to move soon, she said. Cairo is one of the few regional school districts with a uniform requirement.
Evers said that others in the community have stepped in to help provide uniforms for some of the children whose families did not feel like they could afford them. We try to remove those barriers whenever possible, she said.
Because of the bungled start to the relocation process, and many other reasons, theres no question that many at-risk children are paying the price for the misspending of federal dollars intended to provide adequate shelter for residents in one of the countrys poorest cities.
As well, they suffer the consequences of the longstanding bureaucratic inertia that resulted in Housing and Urban Development officials not taking adequate steps to correct these issues sooner, even though they knew about serious problems for years.
HUD provided the newspaper a Q&A in April as officials announced they would be moving people from Elmwood and McBride and not building new housing in Cairo. In it, the agency stated that housing specialists would prioritize working with families with children to allow them to finish up the school year in Cairo, and be settled in a new location by the start of the next school year.
But as of earlier this month, only 10 of about 185 families (that's the estimate HUD provided in April of the remaining families in the two complexes) had moved, though several others were close to moving and may have since that time.
Student enrollment down about 50
Evers, the school superintendent, said that overall, the districts K-12 student count is down by about 53 students compared to the close of the 2016-2017 school year in May. She said early enrollment figures put the student count at about 385 give or take a few students. We are definitely feeling it she said. The enrollment loss is 100 percent related to the housing move.
That said, the education funding reform bill months in the making that heads to the governors desk with Tuesdays Senate vote may buy the Cairo district some time financially speaking. It holds all districts harmless this year compared to last, meaning no school district will receive fewer dollars this year compared to last. And school districts in high poverty areas will actually receive more. Gov. Bruce Rauner said he intends to sign the bill.
After speaking initially with the newspaper this past week about her concerns over the half a dozen students who were not in school, Evers said on Tuesday she was relieved to see them enroll on Friday and Monday.
The schools perspective is school started Aug. 11 and every child residing in Cairo boundaries needs to be enrolled, she said. To not do so, Evers said, places children at an educational disadvantage whether they continue on at Cairo Junior/Senior High or enroll in another school district after relocating from Elmwood and McBride to a city outside of Cairo.
Evers said school officials communicated to parents in the process of moving, Whether its three days, three weeks or three months, you dont know how quickly the process is going to go. It can be a tedious, long, laborious process. Evers said that with first quarter midterms approaching, the fact that there were children not enrolled in school was a serious and concerning issue.
A growing chronic truancy problem
Evers said she's still working through whether the school district will be required to report the children who did not attend class for 10 days or so as truant in reporting school data to the Illinois State Board of Education. She said the children, not the data, are her primary concern at this time.
The school district has for years struggled with chronic truancy, which is defined under Illinois law as missing 5 percent of school days or 9 of 180 days without a valid excuse.
In 2016, the Cairo district had a 60 percent truancy rate, according to the schools Illinois Report Card, which is the states official source of information about schools across the state. The truancy rates were similar in 2014 and 2015, at 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively. Those numbers had spiked considerably from 2013, when they were at 22 percent.
Alexander County States Attorney Zach Gowin said that so far this school year, hes only intervened in one truancy case, which spilled over from the previous school year. The child is on juvenile probation for an unrelated matter, and also was considered truant last year. He was supposed to be enrolled this fall, and Gowin said he intervened when he did not show up for classes at Cairo High. The issue has been resolved, he said.
Gowin said the child was a resident of one of the public housing projects slated for demolition and has since moved with his parents and has enrolled in the receiving school district.
Gowin said that the school district goes to great lengths to address issues outside the court of law whenever possible. But he said that he and district officials have a great working relationship, and try to approach the issue of school truancy with compassion, and with the students best interests in mind. Gowin has been the state's attorney since January 2015.
Parents in Illinois who fail to enroll their children or provide alternative schooling, such as home schooling, can face misdemeanor charges for educational neglect. Illinois law also allows a county prosecutor to open a case of a minor requiring authoritative intervention in juvenile court, which is more appropriate in cases where an older child is refusing to follow the orders of his or her parents or guardians, he said. This is a civil and not a criminal matter, and Gowin said this is the only avenue hes ever pursued to address chronic truancy cases.
Gowin said that in most cases, this is more effective because it allows court intervention to address the root cause of the truancy. There may be something going on with the child behaviorally, or going on in the home that needs to be addressed in a coordinated manner by multiple agencies, he said.
As you know, some people want me to just lock up the parents or fine the parents, Gowin said. But I think the truancy is sometimes symptomatic of a greater problem, and if we just forced the kids to school without addressing the underlying problems they will be in school but it wont provide them any benefit, anyway.
MARION The latest series of volleys in the ongoing dispute between the City of Marion and the owners of the Illinois Star Centre Mall were fired Aug. 23 by lawyers for the malls owners, Illinois Star Centre LLC.
Two separate documents recorded in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Illinois seek to disqualify the citys legal representation, and addresses the citys Aug. 9 response to the Adversarial Complaint lodged July 10 by lawyers for the Illinois Star Centre LLC.
The first document comes in the form of a motion seeking to disqualify Marion's city attorney, Stephen R. Green, from representing the city in its defense against accusations of fraud leveled by at the city by Illinois Star Centre LLC.
The motion alleges a conflict of interest exists between Green and Illinois Star Centre LLC.
Court documents state that Green currently represents, and has represented in the past, Illinois Star Centre LLC, on a number of legal matters that were substantially related to the current controversy.
If this allegation is true, the documents say, it presumes that the client, Illinois Star Centre LLC, disclosed confidential information to the attorney, Green, during prior representation.
According to the motion for disqualification, this could potentially influence proceedings in the current adversarial complaint leveled against the City of Marion.
Additionally, the motion alleges irregularities in conduct by Green as a result of this conflict of interest.
According to court documents, relief sought by the motion to dismiss appears to be the request that (The) Courts should conduct the three-part inquiry to determine if a conflict exists.
Green said Monday that those allegations are totally false, and that he would soon be filing an affidavit in response.
A hearing for the motion to dismiss is scheduled for Sept. 19 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in East St. Louis.
The second document, a memorandum filed Aug. 23, comes in opposition to the City of Marions motion to dismiss the Star Centre LLCs adversarial complaint, which sought an equitable accounting from the city as it related to the financing of the Illinois Star Centre Mall and the surrounding area in Marion.
In legal documents filed Aug. 9 by Green, the city made a motion to dismiss the adversarial complaint based on allegations that complaints made by Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC were insufficient and did not comply with federal rules of civil procedure.
Additionally, in the Aug. 9 motion to dismiss, the city said requests by Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC for an accounting of the SSA#2 bonds and associated accounts, ordinances, and materials for the creation thereof, should not be granted because Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC signed a waiver with the city.
The Aug. 23 opposition memorandum filed by lawyers for the mall owners argues that an adversarial complaint does not require allegations of fraud, nor does the waiver agreement prohibit Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC from making that complaint.
In the Aug 9. motion to dismiss, Green also argued for the city that Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC did not make a single Freedom of Information Act request to the city and had not stated that a FOIA request would be insufficient.
In the memorandum, court documents state that Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC has made requests of the city for documentation, but that the city has refused to comply.
The memorandum also alleges that documents that could be obtained by Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC do indicate fraud.
(Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC) believes that the City has improperly and fraudulently used funds for purposes not authorized by Illinois Special Service Area Tax Law and for paying for public services and improvements outside of the geographical boundaries of the taxing districts established by the City, the motion states.
Additionally, the memorandum states that Illinois Star Centre Mall LLC also believes that all debts owed by the mall owners related to bonds issued have been paid, and that the city owes the mall owners a refund for overpayments.
Historic challenges facing the Illinois Star Centre Mall owners include a bankruptcy petition filed May 4 by Illinois Star Centre LLC, a failed sealed-bid auction in November 2017, in which the buyer backed out of purchasing the property during the due-diligence period, and the 2015 conviction of some of the owners, or their relatives, for a bid-rigging scheme in Madison County.
ELDORADO Community members, educators and health department officials will gather at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Egyptian Health Department in Eldorado to acknowledge International Overdose Awareness Day.
Local service providers are encouraged to attend and to bring information regarding the services they provide. The event is free and open to the public.
This marks the fourth year the EHD have hosted the event. The event will feature speakers, some of whom are health professionals and some from the community who have suffered directly as a result of the overdose or death of a loved one.
During the event, a balloon release will take place at 6:30 p.m. to commemorate the lives lost in the struggle with addiction and stand in support of the grief experienced by loved ones left behind.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2017 World Drug Report, the United States accounts for about one quarter of the estimated number of drug-related deaths worldwide, including overdose deaths, which continue to rise.
In Illinois, deaths from drug overdose continue to rise, more than doubling between 2015 and 2016, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Opioid use, which includes both heroin and the most commonly prescribed pain killers Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin is at the center of this increase.
In response, the EHD partnered with Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation to offer a comprehensive Medically Assisted Treatment counseling program to treat opioid dependence.
CEO Angie Hampton said that EHD wants to use this event to raise awareness that overdose deaths, which are many times accidental, are preventable.
Our approach is multi-fold. First, we want raise awareness to help prevent addiction in the first place. But if a family member or loved one does become addicted, we want to be able to provide them access to evidence-based services to treat their physical addiction. Third we want to provide access to support and recovery programs, Hampton said.
Hampton said the ultimate goal of their programs and all programs like it would be the total elimination of opioid-related deaths, worldwide.
Dr. Michael Blain, and his medical team at CRHP, head up the medical portion of the program that treats the physical symptoms of addiction, while EHD handles the counseling part of treatment.
What we have done is build a comprehensive, integrated, regimented program which allows people who work with us to build the foundations of sobriety in their life, Blain said.
Blain works with his patients to reduce and then eliminate their physical dependency on opioids by treating them with Suboxone.
"People working with addiction to reduce their dosage of Suboxone may feel tired, or fatigued, but nothing like the symptoms they would experience if they quit cold turkey. And it is a much easier substance for someone to wean themselves off of, Blain said.
Blain said that where an opioid like Vicodin or OxyContin would hit the receptors in the brain at full force, Suboxone comes in at half that strength, which, in most instances, allows the patient to feel normal.
Feeling normal, Blain said, along with establishing routines, is important in establishing a baseline experience for sobriety.
Addicts need schedules and regimens to help keep them focused. Some doctors say they only need to administer the drug, but I believe it should be integrated, Blain said.
Blain said that since the programs inception in 2010, several hundred people have made their way through their program, and that its success has led to referrals from all over the State of Illinois and throughout Indiana.
Most people work through the programs as outpatients, which allow them to keep normal work and family schedules. They see Blain, or one of medical team at CRHP for substance management, and attend counseling programs and support groups at the EHD.
People are also encouraged to make inquiries about the program, which will be kept confidential.
This is a silent epidemic. Some people think that addiction affects just one type of person or economic group, but all kinds of people are struggling. We get calls from people just wanting to know what their options are for family members they see struggling. All calls are welcome, Blain said.
For more information about the program at Egyptian Health Department, call 618-273-3326.
To find out more about programs at the Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation, call 800-408-7351
Gasoline prices are inching up in The T&D Region in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Prices could rise 10 to 25 cents a gallon over the next few weeks, but local motorists are generally taking the increase in stride.
Cope resident Becky Cook chose to fill up at the Murphy U.S.A. gasoline station on North Road Tuesday. Regular unleaded was $2.09 a gallon, compared to $2.19 at the Shell K across the street.
"I am at half a tank right now, but I figured I better fill up before it gets any worse," she said. "There is not much you can do but pay the price they want."
Hurricane Harvey has brought many Texas Gulf Coast refining and pipeline operations to a halt.
Nearly a third of U.S. refining capacity sits in low-lying areas along the coast from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana. In Houston and Corpus Christi, Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Phillips 66 and others temporarily closed operations.
Gulf hurricanes have caused gasoline prices to rise in the past.
Gas prices rose to $4.599 a gallon in September 2008 after Hurricane Ike struck the Gulf Coast region. Prices rose to about $3.39 a gallon after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005.
Matthew Way said the projected rise in gasoline prices is nothing compared to what people in Texas and Louisiana are having to contend with.
"Right now, I am not too worried about where we are going and where we will be," Way said. "I am glad I am here and not there."
Way expressed his thankfulness that gas prices have been as low as they have been in the last few years
"We are still among the lowest in the nation," he said.
Orangeburg's average price for regular gas Tuesday was $2.12 a gallon for regular unleaded, according to a T&D survey of 21 area gas stations.
The least expensive self-service regular gasoline sold for $2.059 cash at The Station on Charleston Highway, according to The T&D survey.
Gas prices are just three cents higher than during the Easter holiday weekend.
Prices in The T&D Region last year at this time were averaging $1.949 a gallon.
Livingston resident Ron Piatt is retired, so a potential rise in gasoline prices does concern him.
"I am making every dollar count," he said. "I am upset with the prices going up."
He does not buy that the hurricane has impacted supplies.
It is usually a phony price that somebody set out there in the oil world, Piatt said.
"There is a lot of hype," he said. "I know they do speculating. The ones that are speculating, they are causing the price to go up.
It costs you no matter where you go. I liked when they were $1.80."
Motorist Tammie Turner tried to put it all into perspective.
"We can't do a thing about Houston," Turner said. "We have to worry about South Carolina."
AAA Carolinas says the current statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $2.10. Gas prices could increase from 5 to 25 cents per gallon in the next several days, according to AAA.
Despite the potential for gas price increases and shortages, oil and gasoline inventories across the country have been sitting at high levels all season, according to AAA.
COLUMBIA Employee advocacy groups need to offer acceptable alternatives to South Carolina's pension system for public workers, because more changes are necessary to ensure there's enough money for everyone's retirement pay, legislators warned Tuesday.
Their directive came after employee representatives urged lawmakers not to abandon the traditional defined benefit system.
A transition would be "unwise and dangerous for state employees and the economy," as 401(k)-style plans offer no guarantees for retirement, Carlton Washington, director of the State Employees Association, told a House-Senate panel tasked with making recommendations for a third round of changes since 2012.
Deeper benefit cuts also would erase a key reason for taking a public job, making it even harder for agencies to fill vacancies and keep experienced employees, Washington said. He reminded legislators that South Carolina workers already earn less and pay more for benefits than their counterparts in other states, as shown by a state-paid study.
And what happens when qualified people leave public safety jobs, asked Joe Palmer, director of the State Firefighters Association.
"It is of utmost important to have experienced law enforcement," said Jarrod Bruder, director of the South Carolina Sheriff's Association. "If your son, daughter or loved one is confronted by a law enforcement officer, what kind of officer do you want us to be able to hire?"
But legislators made clear that the status quo is not an option.
"I encourage all of y'all to help us with this and figure out what would work," said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, a long-time advocate of higher pay for state workers. "Unfortunately when the winds of change are upon you, you have to flow with it or get knocked over by it."
The pension debt grew to more than $20 billion from 1999 to 2016 because of legislative decisions that enhanced benefits, legislative underfunding, investment underperformance and the reality that fewer workers now support more retirees. That liability represents the state investment portfolio's worth compared with benefits likely owed to all 558,000 people in the system, including workers and retirees, until they die.
Legislators passed a law in April designed to shore up the system by increasing contributions from both workers and their employers starting July 1. While that's supposed to be the last of six consecutive rate hikes for workers, employers' rates will rise yearly through 2022.
Employees in the state's main retirement plan now contribute 9 percent of their salaries toward pensions, while officers and firefighters in the smaller law enforcement plan contribute 9.75 percent.
Their taxpayer-supported employers will cumulatively put an additional $3 billion into the system over the next six years. Once the hikes are fully phased in, employers will contribute $827 million more into the system annually than they did before the law.
How that law affects the projected unfunded liability has not yet been calculated.
Last week, the state's investment agency announced the portfolio earned a nearly 12 percent return in the fiscal year ending June 30. That's significantly higher than recent years, thanks partly to a roll out of investment changes. That too could impact the debt.
Gov. Henry McMaster said the state must uphold its commitment to the 12 percent of South Carolinians who rely on the state pension system while also protecting taxpayers from further hikes. In a letter sent to legislators ahead of Tuesday's meeting, he asked them to consider setting a date for moving newly hired employees to a defined contribution plan, such as 401(k) retirement accounts.
Other changes, he said, could include limiting the new system to state employees.
Currently, less than 40 percent of employees in the pension system work for the state. The hundreds of other employers include city and county governments, public utilities, colleges, and hospitals.
McMaster's letter repeated what he said in April, when he signed the law but complained it didn't go far enough.
Sen. Tom Davis faulted McMaster for not vetoing the law.
"That was the leverage to get the plan reform, but he gave it away by failing to veto the bill," said David, R-Beaufort.
COLUMBIA -- Texas Parks and Wildlife has requested the assistance of S.C. Department of Natural Resources game wardens for the purpose of Hurricane Harvey search and rescue efforts.
SCDNR officers headed Thursday morning to Texas, where they will join game wardens from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, along with other first responders from multiple agencies, in searching the floodwaters for survivors.
The duration of SCDNR officers stay in Texas will be determined by the speed of recovery and ongoing needs for search and rescue, door-to-door checks, and manpower assistance.
For updates on SCDNRs efforts, keep an eye on SCDNRs Facebook and Twitter pages.
By Azernews
By Sara Israfilbayova
The Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Indonesian Port Corporation had an exchange of views on personnel training issues.
CEO of Indonesia Port Corporation Elvyn G. Masassya and his delegation have visited the Port of Baku, in Alat settlement of Baku in this regard. Director General of the Port of Baku Taleh Ziyadov informed the guests about the capacity and prospects of the Port.
The sides also discussed possibilities for personnel trainings and creation of digital port system.
The sides had signed memorandum on cooperation between the Indonesian Port Corporation and Baku Sea Port in May 2017 in the Indonesian city of Bali.
The Port of Baku is located on an area of 400 hectares (ha) of land, of which about 100-115 ha cover the area for the development of the international Logistics and Trade Zone. The northern areas around the port are reserved for future expansion of logistics, industrial, and manufacturing activity.
The Port is expected to become one of the leading trade and logistics hubs of Eurasia. The implementation of all 3 phases of construction is projected to increase the capacity up to 7,660 tons on a daily basis.
The first stage of construction of the Port is projected to be completed until late 2017. Till that period the Baku Port is expected to increase its capacity handling some 10-11 million tons of freight and 50,000 TEUs per year. The second stage will provide for the handling of 17 million tons of freight and 150,000 of containers, while the implementation of the final stage is projected to increase the capacity up to 25 million tons of freight and 1 million of containers.
The Port of Baku signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation in Singapore with SMRT International Pte Ltd and Ectivise Solutions Pte Ltd to enhance the operational effectiveness of the new Port of Baku in Azerbaijan.
The two Singapore-based companies will advise and support the Port of Baku in its efforts to introduce new technologies and innovative solutions in the Port and Free Trade Zone operations.
Profitability at the four largest UAE banks will remain solid in the next 12 to 18 months underpinned by solid interest income, despite pressure on fee and commission income, said Moody's Investors Service in a new report.
The four banks, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC (FAB, Aa3/Aa3 Stable, a3), Emirates NBD PJSC (ENBD, A3/A3 Stable, ba1), Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB, A1/A1 Stable, baa3) and Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (DIB, A3/A3 Stable, ba2), reported a combined net profit of Dh6.7 billion ($1.8 billion) in Q2 2017 supported by higher net interest income.
Aggregate net profitability was broadly flat versus the second quarter (Q2) of 2016, but fell 3.5 per cent quarter on quarter also partially driven by a decline in fee and commission income.
"Profitability was supported by higher yields on loans and stable funding costs, which drove higher net interest income, despite sluggish economic growth due to current oil prices," said Nitish Bhojnagarwala, a vice president at Moody's.
Operating expenses across the four banks were down by 6 per cent relative both to the previous quarter and to Q2 2016. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we expect broadly stable cost to income ratios as the banks continue to invest in technology offsetting cost-cutting gains.
"However, provisioning charges showed a mixed trend with ENBD and FAB showing an improving trend, while ADCB and DIB posted weakening trends. We expect a modest rise in provisioning charges in the coming quarters, driven by the sluggish economic growth," added Bhojnagarwala.
Combined deposits at the four banks declined marginally by 1 per cent to $1 trillion (around $273 billion) compared to Q1 2017. This slight drop was after solid deposit growth in previous quarters for the UAE banking system, which suggests that liquidity pressure has been easing.
Nevertheless, the oil price levels will continue to weigh on deposit growth for the next few quarters.
The banks' combined Tier 1 capital ratio improved modestly to 16.7 per cent from 16.2 per cent relative to the previous quarter.
The research is an update to the markets and does not constitute a rating action. TradeArabia News Service
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has won approval for a number of transport related projects, including the upgrade of five metro stations and construction of bicycle lanes along the roads of the city.
UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, approved the projects after reviewing their details and strategic importance during a visit to RTA offices, a Wam news agency report said.
The metro stations upgrade will meet the needs of the increasing number of Metro users, which at present totals 650,000 passengers per day. The proposed bicycle lanes will cover a length of 500 km by 2021 and is help encourage exercise and decrease the use of cars and the resulting carbon emissions, the report said.
The projects announced also include the development of the Al Khawaneej Road and an updated plan to construct walking paths along Dubai Creek, as well as a project to develop Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Road and other projects linked to the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Other projects include the development of Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Road and Umm Al Sheif Street, and the introduction of bus lanes on external roads.
During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also viewed the Dubai-Al Ain Road project, which aims to raise the capacity of the road from 6,000 vehicles per hour to 12,000, for both directions.
He also approved a project to pave the internal roads of the city, in both residential and industrial areas, starting in 2018 and finishing in 2024 with a total length of 320 km, to meet the requirements of an increasing population and local urban and industrial development.
The other projects viewed by Sheikh Mohammed include several road projects and the upgrading of local group transportation systems to keep pace with the requirements of Expo 2020 Dubai after the RTA conducted six studies, as well as 10 other ongoing projects.
The most important project related to Expo 2020 Dubai is the Enterprise Command and Control Centre, or EC3 Project, which was launched in May, as well as other road projects around the Expo site and the intersections of Dubai International Airport Road.
Sheikh Mohammed also viewed a new system, used for the first time in the UAE, to measure the dimensions and weights of trucks on the Hatta-Dubai Road, as an experiment to curb overloading of trucks.
Sheikh Mohammed met with RTA's female employees and greeted them on Emirati Womens Day. He also congratulated them for their accomplishments.
He praised the RTAs efforts to empower women and provide them with all the elements of success and professional creativity in various departments. The total number of national female employees in the RTA is around 600.
HCSO Texas/Twitter(HOUSTON) -- The Texas deputy shown in a heartwarming photo carrying two children, one in each arm, out of a Houston-area home surrounded by deep floodwaters, says, It was just me doing my job,
helping out."
This is the "job that I love doing," Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Johnson told ABC News of the post-hurricane photo, which quickly went viral. "I love helping people."
The photo of Johnson and the little boy and little girl whom he rescued, which the Harris County Sheriff's Office tweeted Sunday, quickly made the rounds on social media, showing a personal side to
the job so many Texas officers are doing day in and day out during the historic and catastrophic flooding left behind by Hurricane Harvey, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
"The neighborhood [at the scene of that photo] had flooded pretty badly, Johnson said. I was walking from house to house in the neighborhood to make sure everyone made it out OK that wanted to
get out; make sure nobody was left behind that was hurt or anything.
When he arrived at the home of these two children and their mother and father, the mother came out and said she needed help, Johnson said.
The mother was gathering belongings, Johnson said, so he told her, "'Don't worry about the kids, I'll grab the kids.' ... She was fine with that."
As Johnson walked out of the house with the children, he said, wading through the waters toward his waiting high-water rescue truck, he joked with the kids, talking about swimming and tubing,
saying if they had a tube they could probably play in the water.
"The young man in the photo, he said something to the effect of, 'It's cold,' Johnson said. "I put them on the truck ... went back, got the mother ... went back, got the father," he said.
Johnson then rescued their dog, too.
After the family was safe on the truck, Johnson said, he and his co-workers went through the neighborhood rescuing other families.
Then the deputies took all those neighbors to a gas station where buses were evacuating residents.
"They got off the truck, I helped them get down, they got on the bus. That was the last time I saw them," Johnson said of that family.
"This particular picture that you see, it wasn't that we spent a great amount of time together, it was just a photo captured while I was doing my job," he added.
"I don't want to say it was just another rescue because each one is different. It's a big moment for each family," he said. "That picture was taken in the process of me going from house to house. I
was doing this with every house and every individual for the most part."
Since Harvey tore through the Houston area this weekend -- causing deaths, forcing evacuations, creating floods and wiping out homes -- Johnson has been working 12- to 14-hour shifts conducting
flood rescues in deep bodies of water, he said.
Johnson, who has been with the sheriff's department since 2011, described this week as "work, little sleep, work, little sleep rinse repeat."
"Go out there help as many as you can, get them to safety, wish them well on their journeys, back out there again. From sun up to sundown," he said.
As for his own family, Johnson said they did not need to evacuate because the water has not flooded his home.
Johnson, who said he "never imagined" the image would go viral, says his entire hard-working district should get the acknowledgment he's getting.
"I'm getting the publicity from this photo but the guys that work with me [at Harris County Sheriff's Office district 4], they work extra hard," he said.
Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Eshraq Properties and Reem Investments have announced that they are in talks to join forces to create a mega-listed real estate company in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
A statement said: Discussions are at an advanced stage over a potential strategic investment in Eshraq (by way of subscription for new shares to be issued by Eshraq) in return for the acquisition of Reems entire business and assets (the Potential Transaction).
This transaction will create the second largest listed real estate developer in Abu Dhabi, the statement added.
Reem was established in 2005 and is considered one of the largest and most successful real estate companies in Abu Dhabi. It also owns prime development land in Abu Dhabi.
The boards of Eshraq and Reem believe that the potential transaction is expected to be beneficial to the shareholders of both companies resulting in synergies derived from integrating their operational and financial resources and as well as combining their management experience and expertise, said the statement.
The potential transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including the final agreement of specific deal terms including price as well as obtaining the required regulatory approvals, it said.
Eshraq is being advised by Shuaa Capital and Reem Investments is being advised by First Abu Dhabi Bank on the transaction. - TradeArabia News Service
Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, has announced its participation in and platinum sponsorship of the Bahrain Sustainable Smart Cities Forum 2017 to be held in September.
Now in its second edition, the forum will be held under the patronage of Bahrains Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning on September 17 and 18 at the Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa.
Diyar Al Muharraq held an agreement signing ceremony with T-Linx Technology Solutions Architects, organisers of the forum, on August 28 at the Diyar Al Muharraq headquarters at the Bahrain World Trade Centre.
The corporate agreement was signed by Diyar Al Muharraq CEO Dr Maher Al Shaer and T-Linx Technology Solutions Architects CEO Waleed Khalaf. Daneh Al Rayes, vice president of T-Linx Technology Solutions Architects, and other officials from both companies attended the event.
The Bahrain Sustainable Smart Cities Forum is an invitation-only conference that aims to bring together an expert community of academics, decision makers, researchers, practitioners, real estate developers, investors and policy makers from the urban sphere on regional and international levels. The conference will highlight the immense challenges of building a sustainable smart city.
The main topics of discussion will be: Sustainable Power & Smart Savings, Waste & Water Management, Sustainable Engineering, Sustainable Social Responsibility, and Entrepreneurship: Innovation & Sustainability amongst other prominent subjects.
Speaking about Diyar Al Muharraqs participation in the forum, Dr Al Shaer said: Conferences such as the Bahrain Sustainable Smart Cities Forum are integral to the welfare of the society and intrinsically aim to positively contribute to the economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and therefore, it is our immense pleasure to be sponsoring and participating in such an impactful forum. TradeArabia News Service
Etisalat Digital, a business unit of Etisalat, and Mobile Doctors 24-7 (MD 24-7), a top health management provider, have partnered to bring future medical care solutions to the region.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed as part of Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA) programme.
Etisalat Digital will provide digital enabling capabilities for Mobile Doctors 24-7s services. The two companies will work together to develop chronic disease management solutions that will contribute to reducing chronic patients emergency room visits, reduce the average length of stay in hospital, and reduce unnecessary hospital readmissions.
This partnership has been initiated under the DFA programme, the world's largest government-supported accelerator, which brings together top start-up businesses with Dubai Government entities, allowing them to build, test and deploy world class solutions for 21st-century challenges. Mobile Doctors 24-7 was one of 35 companies selected from over 1000 applications from around the world in the second DFA cohort.
Raouf Khalil, founder and CEO of Mobile Doctors 24-7, said: Our collaboration with Etisalat Digital will result in creative and innovative solutions using cutting-edge technologies to foster change in the healthcare system to align consumers and payers.
People should have access to ethical and reliable healthcare round-the-clock. Our full-time doctors provide ethical medical advice to patients by telling them the truth about what they need, not just what they can afford. This is the only way to ensure a proper balance between quality and cost.
Our solution to the many issues facing healthcare provision is to change consumer behaviour by providing them 24-7 access to a system that avoids unnecessary waste of healthcare resources. he added.
Francisco Salcedo, SVP Etisalat Digital said: We are pleased to partner with MD 24-7 that will help meet specific requirements of the healthcare sector. These creative and innovative solutions will use futuristic technologies to foster change in the ecosystem.
This project is in line with the formation of Etisalat Digitals long-term objectives to tap such opportunities and support the UAE leaderships objectives in enabling digital transformation in the country. This partnership was a result of the alignment with Dubai Future Accelerator that has provided a perfect platform to young companies to engage with our experts, have access to our robust network and utilize our digital technologies to build viable products and new revenue streams, he added.
The challenges put forth aim to meet Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubais vision of accelerating the future and making Dubai a test bed for emerging technologies, said Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Accelerators.
The Dubai Future Accelerators is one of the main programmes that follow the Future Agenda, the roadmap map of Dubai Future Foundation that works towards making Dubai the city of the Future. TradeArabia News Service
Bahri Ship Management, one of the six business units within Bahri, has become one of the first shipping companies to comply with the submission of EU MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) plans for the full fleet, ahead of the deadline.
At present, Bahri Ship Management operates 39 VLCCs, 23 chemical tankers, 10 product tankers, five bulk carriers, and six ROCONs. Seven further VLCCs are on order, with deliveries expected to be completed by May 2018.
To comply with the EU MRV Regulation, ship owners and operators of vessels exceeding 5,000 GT and intending to operate to or from or within the European Union must have approved ship-specific monitoring plans (MP), detailing the procedures, systems, and responsibilities in place to monitor fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and associated transport work.
The team at Bahri Ship Management worked in collaboration with industry experts at Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) for approval of its monitoring plans.
LRQA is the first group of verification bodies to receive accreditation against the international management system standard for GHG (Greenhouse Gas) validation or verification ISO 14065 to globally deliver assessment and verification services related to GHG emissions and specifically, the MRV Regulation. This is an extension to LRQAs existing accreditation to ISO 14065, under which related schemes are delivered.
HSEQs senior manager Michael Bradshaw said: As the worlds largest owner and operator of VLCCs, a leading operator of medium-range chemical tankers, and one of the top 10 break-bulk carriers in the world, we are passionate about delivering safe, environmentally efficient and reliable services to all our stakeholders. To achieve this, we are relentless in our pursuit of technical and IT solutions to deliver operational efficiency and demonstrate our commitment to preventing harm to the natural environment. TradeArabia News Service
The gas plant is being built as part of an expansion at BNGEC.
JGC Corporation, one of the leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors in the Middle East with an order book worth billions of dollars, expects to commission Bahrains $355-million Central Gas Plant Three (CGP-III) in the second quarter of next year.
The gas plant is being built as part of an expansion at Bahrain National Gas Expansion Company (BNGEC) to treat 350 million standard cu ft per day (mmscfd) of unprocessed associated gas (AG). The gas plant, which will be equipped to process wet gas, will produce LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and naphtha.
The second part of the expansion involves installation of new field pipelines and expansion of the Sitra storage facility.
JGC Gulf International, a subsidiary of the Japanese major, is responsible for carrying out the $99-million pipelines and storage expansion project, which is scheduled for completion in Q4 next year. This project is spearheaded by BNGEC, which is operated and managed by Bahrain National Gas Company (Banagas).
At present 98 per cent of the engineering works of the CGP III is complete, while procurement will be finished by the end of next month (October).The main civil works are ongoing with 80 per cent of it complete, Kenji Ito, project manager at JGC Corporation, told Oil & Gas News, our sister publication, in an exclusive interview.
Construction will reach its peak during September, October and November 2017, and pre-commissioning will start from Q1 next year onwards.
The scope of the works at CGP III includes setting up of an acid gas removal unit, dehydration unit, natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery unit, C3 and C4 treating unit, utility (water, air, nitrogen, hot oil) and offsites. The units will extract LPG products for exports from associated gas, Ito said.
For the plant, the residue gas compressor was fabricated by Siemens, Germany, the turbo expander by Cryostar, France, and the major static equipment by Wooyang HC, Korea. Wooyang also fabricated the amine absorber/regenerator, de-ethaniser, LPG splitter and de-propaniser.
For the Sitra tank and pipeline project, the storage tanks are being made by Felguera IHI, Spain; propane compressors by Mitsui Engg & Shipbuilding Company, Japan; propane and butane pump by Weir Gabbioneta, Italy; instrument air (IA) compressors and dryer units by Gardner Denver, South Korea; 38-m-high warm flare by John Zink Hamworthy Combustion, Italy; fire water pumps by SPP, UK; and fire protection system by Solas Marine Services, Bahrain.
The major civil works of the two projects were undertaken by Mechanical Contracting & Services Company (MCSC) of Bahrain, he said.
Talking of the major challenges in the execution of CGP III, Ito says the challenge is executing the project within a tight schedule.
One of the measures to cut the schedule and get the project running in 29 months was to apply construction-oriented design right from the beginning. JGC also employed 3-D modelling and created a construction database where the actual progress is seen on 3-D.
Although we are not able to divulge the details, we have adopted new construction management technologies to reduce time. Schedule control of engineering and procurement has been very successful so far.
About the cost, our design enables not only reduced capex (capital expenditure) but also aims for the lowest opex (operational expenditure). We believe Banagas valued our ability to meet client needs along with the lower capex, and also our experience in completing the first and second trains, he said.
Ito says JGC has experience executing over $33 billion worth of projects in the region, including developments valued at more than $10 billion in Saudi Arabia; $1-3 billion in Bahrain; $5-7 billion in the UAE; $5-7 billion in Kuwait; $1-3 billion in Oman; and around $10 billion in Qatar.
Referring to the field pipelines and Sitra storage expansion project, JGC Gulf sales says about 85 per cent of the engineering works, 50 per cent of the procurement and 10 per cent of the construction work are complete.
The scope of the work includes providing EPC services for the storage facilities (comprising LPG storage tanks and chiller unit) and pipelines. The expansion project provides an additional 100,000-barrel-capacity tank for butane and a 200,000-barrel-capacity tank for propane, and a new Train-Three LPG refrigeration unit.
For the pipelines section, JGC Gulf is designing and building a new AG/refinery off-gas (ROG) gathering and pipeline system from nine existing TP (transportation process) compressor stations to CGP-III. The residue gas stream produced from CGP-III will be piped to the existing headers for re-injection. It will then connect the naphtha product outlet from CGP-III to the existing pipeline to Bapco. The work also involves designing and building a new 21-km butane pipeline to the Sitra storage and export facility.
Being a brownfield project, the main challenges associated with the project was ensuring safety and timely coordination. As most of the pipeline construction work is being executed outside the plant site, close coordination is required with the client and other parties such as Bapco, Tatweer Petroleum, existing Banagas facilities and the government authorities concerned.
For the project, MCSC executed the general civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, while Felguera of Spain and Bahrains Ramsis fabricated the storage tanks. Bahrain-based Al Hassanain undertook the land reclamation and Al Ahlia Contracting Company, also of Bahrain, built the Electricity Distribution Directorate (EDD) building.
For the reclamation works, the bund-type of construction technique was used.
JGC Gulfs other projects in Bahrain include engineering, procurement and construction management on a lump sum turnkey basis of Gulf Petrochemical Industries Companys (GPIC) urea formaldehyde (UF-85) project and the EPC of Bapco refinerys enhanced fire protection system (EFPS) and the Sitra tank farm project, he said.
The GPIC project is expected to finish next year, while the Bapco project will get over in 2019, he added. TradeArabia News Service
The worlds longest and highest zip line will officially open on the UAEs highest peak, Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah, in December.
The new zip line is expected to beat the current Guiness world record zip line of 2,200 metres held by 'The Monster' in Puerto Rico.
Huawei Honor, a leading smartphone e-brand in the region, has launched its latest Honor 8 Lite in the Middle East.
Embodying the motto Beauty at your reach, the Honor 8 Lite, follows the success of the Honor 8, launched last summer, and offers the flagship smartphones eye-catching aesthetics, intelligent gleaming blue presence and high-performance at an attractive price point, the company said.
Those looking for a smooth gaming experience or wanting to be an outstanding photographer, the sleek-looking Honor 8 Lite meets the needs with snappy performance, supported by strong battery life, as well as advanced camera capabilities
The Honor 8 Lite is available at all local retailers in four colors: blue, black, gold and white. The device is priced at Dh699 ($190.2) in the Middle East. - TradeArabia News Service
Muriya Tourism Development Company, a leading integrated tourism project developer in Oman, continues to boost capacity in Hawana Salalah and Jebel Sifah with plans to invest an additional $30 million to $70 million in the development of hotel rooms and other facilities, said a report.
We are adding close to 300 rooms in Salalah in the next few years. We are talking about $60-$70 million (additional investment in both resorts), Times of Oman reported citing Ahmed Dabbous, chief executive officer of Muriya Tourism Development Company.
Currently, Muriya has some 900 hotel rooms around 800 rooms in Hawana Salalah and close to 100 rooms in Jebel Sifah.
The number of hotel rooms at Muriya properties in four and five-star categories will reach 1,000 by the end of the year, as the company adds 100 rooms in Fanar Hotel and Residences and 20 rooms in Rotana by the end of 2017, the report said.
There has been a strong demand for hotel rooms in Salalah during the Khareef season and winter with hotels even offering furnished villas outside of its property as serviced apartments for guests during Khareef season, it said.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into a management agreement with Lotte Tour Development for a Grand Hyatt branded hotel in Jeju City, Jeju Island, South Korea.
The new hotel will mark Hyatts sixth property in the country, complementing Grand Hyatt Seoul and is expected to be the second largest Grand Hyatt hotel in the world.
Grand Hyatt Jeju will make its home in the center of Jeju City, the capital and largest city of Jeju Province. Located south of the Korean Peninsula and only an hour flight from Seoul, the island has become one of the most popular destinations in Korea outside of Seoul.
In 2016, over 12 million passengers flew between Seoul and Jeju, making the route one of the worlds busiest passenger air routes. The city has experienced a surge in Chinese demand within the past decade, seeing more than 3 million tourists from mainland China last year, and welcoming over 10 million visitors annually from South Korea, Japan and China.
We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with Lotte Tour for the first time. As one of South Koreas leading multinational corporations, Lotte Tour has a deep legacy of travel and hospitality in the country, said David Udell, group president, Asia-Pacific at Hyatt. We look forward to working with Lotte Tour to create a new vision of the Grand Hyatt brand in Jeju, reflective of the islands unique environment, and providing travelers with our first-class service and hospitality.
Lotte Tour will be the lead developer of the Dream Tower Integrated Resort project in Jeju, along with Greenland Group, one of Chinas largest state-run real estate developers. The project will feature two towers as well as a retail podium.
Grand Hyatt Jeju will have 1,600 rooms, 11 food and beverage outlets, approximately 1,200 square meters of meeting space, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, two spas (Western and Korean) with a total of eight treatment rooms and two kids clubs. - TradeArabia News Service
Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG, will be leaving the company at the end of the year.
Chhatwal, who has spent the last five years of his 30-year career with Steigenberger Hotels AG, has revealed that he will be returning to India.
Having completed a Bachelor's Degree at the University of Delhi and a diploma in Food Service and Hotel Management, Chhatwal started his career with the India Tourism Development Corporation. After several operational positions in India, he studied at IMHI (ESSEC), Paris and earned a Master's Degree in 1991 in International Hospitality Management. In 2012, he completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau. Chhatwal is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (FIH).
After gaining valuable insights and experience in hotel consulting and project development, Chhatwal joined Carlson Hotels Worldwide in 1998, where he was responsible for the development of the group's brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Since 2002, he had been responsible for Corporate Business Development at the Rezidor Hotel Group in Brussels. As chief development officer (CDO) he became a member of the Executive Committee in 2007. During his tenure at Rezidor, the group grew from 150 to the current level of 435 hotels, with brands such as Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson, Hotel Missoni and Regent.
The Supervisory Board of Steigenberger Hotels will decide his successor in due time, the board said in a statement. - TradeArabia News Service
Speckled across the Wyoming landscape, from public lands to private ranches, are historic Native American sites. They may be tepee rings, graves or marks along a trail, each telling parts of a story that goes back hundreds of years, for more than a dozen tribes that once lived or traveled in the region.
For federal regulators who find one of the sites near a proposed oil and gas location, the view of a large drilling pad, a road or a well could be considered a negative consequence on the cultural site. Or it could not.
Either way, the tribes are consulted, and that consultation can delay drilling.
In the last year, this federal permitting process has troubled some residents in Converse County. Sen. Brian Boner, R-Douglas, says the Bureau of Land Management is interpreting the viewshed impact in a way it did not before, and its infringing on property rights. Its an issue he will raise at Wednesdays natural resources committee in Casper. The Petroleum Association of Wyoming will also comment on the conflict.
But federal officials from the local BLM office say theres nothing new about the way they consider these sites. Whats changed in the last few years is the way operators drill and where.
Weve been following this same process for many years, said Tim Wilson, field manager for the Casper Field Office. The reason I see that people are more aware of it is we are seeing increased permitting activity and potential drilling activity in (parts of) that Converse County area that we never saw before.
One of the difficulties with permitting oil and gas in Wyoming is that drilling isnt a vertical game anymore. Wells go down, and then they shoot out laterally, usually encountering federal minerals along the way. If a well hits federally owned minerals, there are additional regulations that kick in for the surface, even on private land.
Drilling techniques have also introduced changes for the BLM, Wilson said. A coal bed methane well up in Sheridan County is not deep and the surface area impacted by the well is not large. But with horizontal drilling, an operator may seek to place multiple wells on a large 10-to 20-acre pad, he said.
The BLM has found more Native American sites east of Casper, and the agency is required by federal law to consult the tribes for each site, he said.
For Boner, and other landowners, something as broadly defined as the viewshed from a historic Native American site shouldnt impede development if the landowner wants to drill.
Wilson sees the viewshed issue differently.
Imagine a historic downtown district in the West, he explained. If a condo were built on Main Street, that new building may change the environment and the experience of the historic district. Its an issue that comes up at trail sites in the West as well, he said.
What would the introduction of a modern feature do to the setting of the trail? Wilson said. How might that detract from what the original immigrants might have experienced?
Part of the challenge in Converse County is simply educating those new to the issue, Wilson said.
For landowners who live near the extensively developed Jonah field in western Wyoming, the federal permitting requirements are familiar, he said.
In Converse County, though it has been developed steadily for many years, a couple of factors are bringing Native American sites and development to the fore, said Kristen Lenhardt, spokeswoman for the BLM in Wyoming.
Drilling is happening in new corners of the county, she said. Techniques like horizontal drilling are introducing more people to the federal regulations, and regulators are discovering additional sites due to a larger surface impact from larger drilling pads, she said.
Of about 400 applications to drill in the Casper field office since last October, about 50 required consultation with the tribes.
There are 18 tribes that BLM contacts about Wyoming sites. About 10 tribal governments regularly respond to identify if a site is important, and if so, how, Wilson said.
Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone are common collaborators, as are the Northern Cheyenne, Crow and Sioux tribes.
And though property access for tribal members may be an issue for some landowners, others are eager for that interaction to take place, Wilson said.
They want to know the history.
Regardless, the BLM is obligated to follow the National Historic Preservation Act, and though some are concerned that viewshed is being interpreted too broadly, the BLM is not expecting a change to its process, Wilson said.
The federal regulators want to work with lawmakers and landowners to help them understand the process better, said Lenhardt.
It really is about communication. I think thats our primary focus right now especially with a lot of new people who havent had to experience this process before, she said. Any time we can have good relationships with the tribes, with operators with local government that is what we are focused on ... so we can find a way forward.
More than three-quarters of Wyoming voters are willing to pay more in taxes to fund education in Wyoming, and nearly 60 percent would accept raising the sales tax to fill school coffers, according to poll results released Wednesday by the Wyoming Education Association.
Wyoming voters put education first and are willing to pay for it to ensure our children continue to receive the high-quality education that they are currently receiving, said Kathy Vetter, the president of the education association, at a press conference.
Notably, the poll shows voters would accept raising taxes on wind energy and on mining, oil and gas. Fifty-eight percent said the same for an increase to the sales tax, which lawmakers have discussed before and at one point included in a bill that passed the House in February. Fifty-one percent of Republicans polled said a sales tax increase would be acceptable.
Only 39 percent of those polled said that an increase in property taxes would be acceptable.
The poll adds a wrinkle as legislators and the consultants they hired are in the early stages of evaluating Wyomings education system and deciding if it needs to be overhauled. The state faces a $530 million school funding shortfall in the coming two-year budget cycle, and lawmakers remain divided over how to handle the deficit.
Some including House Speaker Steve Harshman have called for cuts, the use of savings and small revenue increases. On the other side stand lawmakers, led by Sen. President Eli Bebout, who remain staunchly opposed to tax hikes and instead have called for further cuts.
Harshman and Bebout were not available for comment Wednesday. A woman in Bebouts office said he was out of the office until next week.
At a joint meeting of the revenue and school finance re-calibration committees in early June, Sen. Chris Rothfuss said legislators didnt know what the public wanted.
Would the public prefer to see cuts to education or would they prefer to see additional taxation? he asked.
Poll findings
Wyoming Education Association officials say their poll has answered that question. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they would be willing to pay something more in taxes every year to fund schools, and 32 percent said theyd pay at least $200 annually if it went to school finance. Fifty-one percent said they were more concerned about cuts to education than they were to taxes being raised too high.
Vetter said she doesnt know if the poll will sway anti-tax legislators.
I hope it will cause them to start talking to all of the voters, she said. Our sample was two-thirds Republican voters from across the state.
Lawmakers, particularly those averse to tax increases, have said that as other parts of Wyoming government face cuts, education should shoulder its share, as well. But 80 percent of voters said that even in the current budget crunch, education should not be cut.
Buck McVeigh, the executive director of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, said it was a hard stretch for him to believe that voters want to raise taxes here. He said he believes many still want to see more cuts first.
I dont know if the average, truly informed taxpayer is truly supporting paying more taxes for education when I dont believe weve seen a proven demonstration of efficiency of government, he said.
Vetter said she wasnt surprised by the polling results. The survey was conducted by nationwide Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies between July 19 and 22. The company spoke with 500 registered Wyoming voters two-thirds of them Republican by phone.
I had a feeling that the general public, the voters, truly do support public education and are willing to ensure that we continue to have a high-quality education system here in Wyoming, she said after the press conference.
Of the Republicans surveyed, 74 percent said they were willing to pay more in taxes to fund education. Sixty-six percent of all voters polled said they would either have a great deal or quite a bit of concern if the Legislature instituted further cuts to K-12 schools. Seventy-three percent said lawmakers should maintain the current quality standards (though educators have said that if cuts continue, the Legislature should consider lowering what schools have to offer).
The survey also asked voters what they thought was most important to maintain in schools. Sixty-five percent said avoiding cuts to the number of teachers was either extremely or very important, while 58 percent said the same about maintaining low class sizes.
Districts across the state have had to institute layoffs, hiring freezes or buyouts to help absorb cuts. Lawmakers have considered raising class sizes, and in March they passed a bill that repealed a 16-to-1 classroom ratio of students to teachers in lower grade levels.
When youre little, birthdays are a big deal.
Even low-key affairs, like the ones my sister and I usually had, were shimmering, sparkling dates on the calendar. Thered be cake and ice cream and a couple of friends spending the night and probably something in glittery gift wrap and everybody in the vicinity wishing you a happy birthday once they found out.
And wed be a whole year older. The next 365 days gleamed with possibility.
But past a certain point maybe 21? birthdays become just another day.
And mostly thats fine. Everybody is busy, and nobody really needs anything in glittery gift wrap. You have a nice dinner or celebratory cocktail, you have a hug from someone you love and the Earth keeps spinning around the sun.
But as you start doing these grown-up birthdays, another element comes into play: Facebook, courtesy of smartphones and our other devices.
Over the years, we age and evolve and move on. We leave our hometowns and our high school friends and then the ones we meet after that, in college or at our first jobs, and then sometimes we move across the country or the globe and we just dont get to see those people much anymore. Once, our world revolved around them; now were barely aware of their existence. And thats sad. But we accept it, because the people around us now are the most important ones in our lives. And we all know that life changes.
But one day a year, Facebook tells your friends its the anniversary of your birth, and with every quick message comes a smile. Happy birthday!
It was true for me, anyway. Im not going to try to tell you my Facebook is smothered in comments from adoring acquaintances I dont think I have any of those but the ones who reached out, even the ones I hadnt seen in years, made me happy.
I know its shallow, just scraping the surface of meaningful dialogue. I cant pretend this has brought me closer to anybody or rejuvenated a dormant friendship. The people in our day-to-day lives are the ones who hug us tight, help us feel better about a bad day, encourage our dreams and help dry our tears the really, truly meaningful stuff. And Facebook greetings cant touch that.
But all those other people? For a moment, you were in their thoughts, and they took a moment to wish you the best. You could have gone to elementary school with them, or maybe they trained you at one of your very first jobs, or maybe they were your neighbor three apartments ago. No matter what, thats not nothing. That spark of connection, of recognition, of a long-ago shared experience well, thats not nothing, no matter how superficial or brief it is.
I dont usually make resolutions birthday, New Year or otherwise but heres one for this year. Im going to get better at wishing people happy birthday, congratulating them for achievements and just letting them know Im thinking about them. Those little gestures might not be the same as long and deep conversations, but they could be fireflies flickering on a lazy late summer evening, when youre holding the hand of the person you love and the tiny, fleeting beads of light shine in the dark.
The woman killed in a wreck near Independence Rock earlier this week was traveling with her husband from Idaho to Wisconsin, a relative said.
Sharon Hasse, 67, of Wisconsin was killed after another vehicles tire blew out just after noon on Monday. The vehicle crossed the center lane and collided with her pickup, according to a Wyoming Highway Patrols crash report.
Hasses sister-in-law, Donna Soyring, said Sharon and Bob Hasse were travelling home to Gordon, Wisconsin, after visiting a friend in Idaho when the wreck occurred. Sharon Hasse died on the scene.
Bob Hasse was airlifted to Wyoming Medical Center where he was treated for a broken leg and severe facial damage, Soyring said.
Soyring described Tuesday as a very sad day here in Wisconsin.
The crash occurred on Wyoming Highway 220, west of Pathfinder Reservoir. The area lacks cell reception, but two paramedics happened upon the crash and provided care, according to the highway patrol.
A head-on collision in the same area last week killed two people from South Korea, including a child. Soonyoung Lee, 46, died when a Ford Explorer she was driving collided with a Ford F-250 truck that had drifted into her lane. Jaehyeok Seo, 3, also of South Korea, was riding in the back seat of the Explorer. He also died at the scene.
This year, 98 people have died on Wyomings highways, according the Wyoming Highway Patrol. That is up from 80 this time last year, but down from the two years prior.
Canada
Police arrest man on US most-wanted list
TORONTO Canadian police officers on bicycles chased down and caught a Laotian-born alleged drug smuggler who is on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements list of 10 most- wanted suspects, authorities said Tuesday.
Montreal police Cmdr. Miguel Alston said Katay-Khaophone Sychanta, 35, was on a park bench preparing to smoke a marijuana joint when police approached and questioned him last week.
Alston said Sychanta tried to run away along a bike path, but officers caught him and arrested him for suspected drug possession.
Sychanta was arraigned Thursday on charges of drug possession, obstructing the work of police and possessing false documents.
Sychanta was first indicted in 2005 in Michigan. According to ICE, he evaded capture on drug charges in the United States and continued to supervise a drug-smuggling organization based near Windsor, Ontario, across the international border from Detroit.
Serbia
Relief center might be spy base for Russia
BELGRADE A U.S. senator expressed hope on Tuesday that Serbia wont grant diplomatic status to the Russian staff of a controversial facility that some believe is a spy base but that Moscow insists is a disaster-relief center.
Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said that such a move by Serbia would not be in the Balkan countrys interest and would send a very bad signal.
Johnson spoke in Serbias capital, Belgrade, after talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Serbia is seeking European Union membership after years of crisis during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, but also has close ties with Russia.
I am hoping that President Vucic and Serbia resist any attempt to offer immunity to the staff of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center, Johnson said.
Mexico
Teen missing after immigration stop
MEXICO CITY The governmental human-rights commission said Tuesday that immigration agents violated the rights of a Mexican teen who was stopped at a checkpoint because they thought she was Guatemalan.
She was 17 at the time and did not have identification proving her nationality. She was pulled off a bus, interrogated by agents and released. She missed her bus and disappeared, and has not been seen since.
The rights commission said the incident occurred in 2015 in the southern border state of Chiapas, where many residents are of Mayan Indian ancestry, as are many Guatemalans.
The commission said a witness told the victims brother the agents thought she was Guatemalan. The agents said they let her go later, but she wandered off.
Also Tuesday, the federal Attorney Generals Office said it had rescued 133 migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who were being held against their will at a ranch in the southeastern state of Tabasco.
Mob beats 2 alleged thieves to death
MEXICO CITY Mexican authorities say two suspected thieves died after a mob beat them and four others in central Mexico.
Prosecutors in Puebla state said Tuesday that the four survivors are being treated at hospitals.
The six men were accused by residents of robbery and dismantling stolen vehicles.
Mondays mob violence in the town of Tlatlauquitepec was the second such incident in Puebla in three days. On Saturday, four people who allegedly attempted to steal a vehicle in the town of Tlacotepec were caught and killed by residents.
Britain
Exploding e-cigs alarm train station
LONDON British police say a scare at a busy London railway station turned out to have been caused by an electronic cigarette.
British Transport Police said in a statement Tuesday that officers responded to Euston station in north London after receiving reports of an explosion.
The station, a central hub for inter-city passenger trains that is connected to a major subway station, was evacuated while bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to help search the premises.
The police statement said the investigation is ongoing, but that the small explosion is believed to have been caused by an e-cigarette which was in a bag at the station.
A judge has slapped down efforts by Republican lawmakers to block local government from requiring private employers to provide greater fringe benefits to workers than the minimum required by state or federal law.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joshua Rogers rejected arguments that a voter-approved law setting a state minimum wage and allowing cities and counties to go even higher affects only the actual salary of employees. He said a plain reading of what voters approved also permits them to enact their own mandates dictating what fringe benefits companies must provide.
That conclusion is important because the Arizona Constitution sharply restricts the ability of lawmakers to tinker with anything approved at the ballot. And Rogers said that means the Legislature acted illegally last year in telling local governments they have no right to force employers to provide fringe benefits.
Unless overturned, the ruling paves the way for citizens to petition local governments to require private firms to provide things they may not now, ranging from vacation time and maternity leave to even employer-subsidized health insurance.
It already is having an effect.
Regina Romero, a member of the Tucson City Council, said the ruling, released Wednesday, frees her to once again pursue her bid to require employers in the city to offer paid maternity leave.
Romeros efforts had stalled after lawmakers approved the 2016 legislation pushed by Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, which forbade local elected officials from mandating any fringe benefits.
Now, Romero said, she will work with not only her colleagues on the council but with community leaders to craft a new ordinance.
She said such a requirement, part of what she calls a working families agenda, is long overdue.
The U.S. is so far behind when it comes to providing paid time off to new mothers and new parents, she said.
It is precisely that kind of local law that the Republican-controlled Legislature sought to prevent.
Mesnard said he opposed both the original 2006 initiative that set the states first-ever minimum wage at something higher than required in federal law, as well as the 2016 initiative that increased it further.
Employers now must pay workers at least $10 an hour as compared with the $7.25 figure set by Congress. That is slated to increase to $12 an hour by 2020.
Last years initiative also requires employers to provide at least three days of paid personal leave.
Having been approved by voters, Mesnard and his GOP colleagues are powerless to alter any of that. But Mesnard, seeking to limit the effect of the measure, wrote a law to redefine wages the thing that the state cannot preempt because it was approved at the ballot to include only the salaries being paid to workers.
Everything else was defined as nonwage compensation, ranging from sick pay, vacation pay and severance benefits to commissions, pension contributions and maternity leave. More to the point, his measure dictated that local governments cannot approve any forms of nonwage compensation beyond what is already required by law.
Mesnard defended the move.
The challenge becomes businesses trying to adhere to a patchwork of regulations, he said. One place they have to offer certain benefits and right down the street they dont.
Anyway, Mesnard said, the Legislature wants to create an environment thats conducive to new businesses as well as help those here to grow. That creates jobs, he said.
Rogers, however, said none of that overcomes the legal flaws in Mesnards legislation. That includes that what voters approved spells out that local governments can require not only that companies pay higher wages but also benefits.
That left Assistant Attorney General Rusty Crandell to try to persuade Rogers that the word benefits is ambiguous and can have many meanings beyond the additional forms of compensation that employers provide to their workers. For example, he argued, a benefit could mean things like the advantages and privileges given to workers.
Rogers sniffed at that contention.
He said the key to concluding what a word means is to look at it in context. That includes not only how the word is traditionally understood but also how it is used.
The most obvious and commonly understood relationship between the word wages and benefits, especially in the broader context of a labor law such as this, is that both represent two complementary parts of employee compensation, Rogers wrote. And he said the fact there are other definitions of benefits doesnt alter that.
While the meaning proposed by the state may be a permissible meaning of benefits according to a dictionary definition of the word, it is not a reasonable meaning in light of the context of the word, he said.
Drenching monsoon rains earlier this summer not only brought intense greenery and dazzling wildflowers to the Catalina Mountains. They also filled critical water-storage tanks to full capacity.
The abundance of moisture is a welcome change from limited supplies in drought years, and it means mountain residents, visitors and firefighters wont face water shortages for now.
The water tanks on the mountain are all full and the springs are flowing full-tilt, said Michael Stanley, manager of the Mount Lemmon Water District. In all, we have 2 million gallons of water stored in several large tanks.
The tanks include two in Upper Sabino Canyon, near the mountain village of Summerhaven, one in Carter Canyon and one at Loma Linda, Stanley said.
One of the tanks in Upper Sabino Canyon has 800,000 gallons and one has 200,000 with the additional 1 million gallons in other tanks.
The key to all that fluid wealth: a veritable deluge in July and early August.
We had about 16 inches of rain just in July, Stanley said. Monsoon rainfall in the Catalina Mountains varies widely from year to year, but 16 inches in a month could be near a record.
We havent had much rain the last week or so, Stanley said. But I think were in good shape.
A LUSH LANDSCAPE
With all that rain, everything is so lush in the Catalinas, Stanley said. The trees are just going crazy up there.
A recent hike in Upper Sabino Canyon and on the Aspen Draw Trail above the canyon revealed a mountain landscape that might be mistaken for the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Evergreens, aspens and maples displayed the many shades of green.
Wildflowers, including golden columbines, brightened glades with expansive clumps of blooms.
Ferns grew waist-high in some meadows, and large mushrooms flourished especially near fallen, decaying trees.
A small stream gurgled down the canyon, plunging here and there in tiny waterfalls.
On 'Gag Rule'
Roylston Would Like Legal Test
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
The judge who enjoined police from telling reporters about three Tucson murder cases expressed puzzlement Wednesday that the press had not forced his ruling into a higher court.
Judge Richard N. Roylston told the Arizona Republic that by obtaining a writ of prohibition in an appellate court, the press of Arizona might clarify a national conflict over free press and the rights of defendants to a fair trial.
The case at hand, Roylston suggested, would give the press a favorable opportunity to argue some key questions.
Roylston said the view of pretrial publicity expressed in the injunction is not his personal view but a prediction of how higher courts will rule on the issue.
"It was my feeling that the higher courts would find the news coverage of this case in violation of the defendant's rights," he said.
"I think the sooner the high courts interpret it, the better it will be for trial judges," the judge said.
A trial for permanent injunction will be filed after mid-December, when defendants have filed their answers. By then the progress of the Schmid case through the courts may make this unnecessary, he added.
However, William Small Jr., assistant publisher of the Tucson Daily Citizen, said his newspaper was not planning to pursue the case further in the courts.
"We are not going to take on another test case of the benefit of the industry. We simply cannot afford it," he said.
The purchase of the Arizona Daily Star by the Citizen is now pending anti-trust decision on federal court.
A yellow Labrador retriever puppy is the newest member of the Pima County Sheriffs Department and will be deputized as its first therapy dog.
The 4-month-old pooch who still has no name will be assigned to the Mental Health Support Team unit to team up with Detective Shawn Degan.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's department is taking nominations to name the puppy. Submissions can be left on the department's Facebook page under the "Name Our Dog" post in comments. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3.
The winning name will be revealed on the department's Facebook page soon after the contest, and the person who made the nomination will get to meet the puppy and receive some items.
Before the pup begins his duty, he must go through obedience school. He will begin classes in mid-October, which will be followed by more rigorous training, including how to enter buildings, said Sgt. Jill Isely, supervisor of the Mental Health Support Team unit.
The dog will then be trained as a therapy animal, and learn how to be a first responder to crime scenes. The training will take about a year. In the meantime, he will accompany Degan to work and get used to activity and being around people. He will get a feel for the job, but will not be deployed as a crisis response canine until he is ready, Isely said.
That should be by next April when he will respond with his partner Degan to scenes including shootings, crashes, fires and calls to mental health crisis situations. The dogs job is to help people who have experienced traumatic events calm down, said Isely.
A therapy dog can help in circumstances where vulnerable victims or witnesses are having a difficult time opening up or coping with tragedy. The dog can provide comfort, distraction and even a measure of relief at incidents involving injury or loss, Isely said.
If we determine the situation is appropriate, the dog will be brought out and victims, including witnesses, can pet the dog, sit with the dog and even throw a ball to the dog. We want to help them relax, said Isely, adding that the dog will interact with children, teens and adults.
A therapy dog can also comfort first responders at traumatic events. Studies have shown therapy dogs can bond with a person in a crisis and that interaction physically brings down the heart rate and blood pressure, said Isely, who learned about the critical work a therapy dog can do by researching the Scottsdale Police Department. Scottsdale police have worked for nine years with Fozzie, a golden retriever, who is a crisis response canine.
The Glendale Fire Department also works with a therapy dog, named Topaz. Isely said the use of therapy dogs in law enforcement is not common in the United States. I believe the use of these dogs is an untapped resource. We will start our program and then see how successful it is before we branch out, Isely said. She mentioned that therapy dogs are popular among the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Isely wrote a proposal for the Sheriffs Department to acquire a therapy dog, and Cenpatico Integrated Care, a behavioral and physical health-care provider in Southern Arizona, awarded a $10,000 grant in July for the crisis response canine program.
The puppy cost $1,000 and the grant will support the program, which includes the dogs training, veterinarian costs, kennels, and daily care and food for the first year, said Isely. The first-year expenses are the most, and then the dog will be fairly inexpensive to support, she said, adding that the department will pick up the costs, or she will apply for more grants.
This is the first time we have supported a crisis response dog program, said Greg Taylor, regional vice president of community affairs for Cenpatico Integrated Care.
The use of an animal helps people work through trauma and get back to their regular lives, said Taylor. This is a pretty progressive program that more first-responders are looking at to help people recover from trauma.
A Pima County sheriffs deputy did not fire a shot that killed a woman who was attacked and being held hostage by her brother, documents show.
Brenda Doucette, 56, was killed by a .22-caliber gunshot wound to her chest that was fired by her brother, Chancy Chamblee, 55, according to Pima County Sheriffs Department documents and an autopsy report.
Documents also state that a medical examiner said Doucette could have survived for some time and possibly been talking after being shot in the chest.
Shortly before midnight July 13, deputies responded to a residence in the 8800 block of South Alice Vail Lane, near South Sandario Road and Arizona 86, which is located near Three Points, southwest of Tucson.
Doucette called 911 and told operators that her brother broke into her home and had a gun. The operator could hear Chamblee yelling in the background that he was going to kill Doucette and making statements about suicide by cop, state documents.
The first deputy who arrived made contact with Doucettes husband and he told the deputy that Chamblee shot his wife. Two deputies approached the front door of the house and Deputy Nathan Meeboer, who has worked 2 years for the department, looked through the doors broken window.
Meeboer told investigators he saw Chamblee and Doucette sitting Indian- style facing each other and that Chamblee had the rifle pointed at Doucette, sheriffs Lt. Gilbert Dominguez told the Star in an interview in July. Meeboer fired his rifle through the doors broken window.
Deputies entered the home and found Doucette and Chamblee unresponsive. They attempted CPR, but Chamblee was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m., and Doucette was pronounced dead 10 minutes later.
According to the Pima County Medical Examiners Office autopsy findings, the gunshot wound that killed Doucette penetrated her chest, sheriffs documents state. The bullet was recovered from the body.
Doucette also had other wounds, including a gunshot wound to her upper left thigh. The investigation revealed Doucettes husband witnessed that wound caused by Chamblee. Doucette also had a head laceration. She told the 911 operator that her brother hit her on the head with a gun, causing her to bleed, according to reports.
Chamblees autopsy shows he was killed by multiple gunshots fired by Meeboer. Chamblee was shot in his left chest and had gunshot wounds to both his thighs, arms and left buttock.
Chamblee tested positive for amphetamines, methamphetamine and marijuana, according to toxicology reports.
Evidence technicians recovered 12 .223-caliber bullet casings from Meeboers rifle. The casings were recovered on and under the front porch.
Two bullet casings from a .22-caliber rifle, which investigators said Chamblee used, were found inside the home. A third .22-caliber bullet was found on the porch, and inside the house investigators found a machete, a glass vial with a white crystal substance, a bag of marijuana and two pipes. A search of Chamblees nearby home found shotguns, rifles and ammunition.
The day of the shooting deputies responded to a report of a domestic violence incident at Doucettes home, but when deputies arrived he was not there.
Deputy Ryan Inglett, a sheriffs spokesman, said Tuesday that Meeboer has returned to work. He said the investigation is ongoing and the findings will be presented to the Pima County Attorneys Office for review.
PHOENIX A federal judge will hear arguments in October over whether she should set aside the criminal contempt of court conviction of Joe Arpaio.
In a brief order Tuesday, Judge Susan Bolton vacated the scheduled Oct. 5 sentencing of the former Maricopa County sheriff. That followed last weeks pardon issued by President Trump.
But Bolton, who found the sheriff guilty of ignoring an order by fellow Judge Murray Snow, put off a separate bid filed by Arpaios lawyers on Monday to overturn her finding of guilt, a move that would legally wipe out any legal record he had ever been convicted in the first place. Bolton said she wants to hear from federal prosecutors at a hearing on Oct. 4.
The presidents pardon eliminated any possibility that Arpaio, facing a possible six months in jail, will actually do any time.
That, however, is not enough to satisfy the former sheriff who continues to insist he did not ignore orders by Snow, hearing a separate civil case, to stop trying to enforce federal immigration laws against people his deputies suspect were in this country illegally. Bolton, who heard the criminal contempt charge, disagreed, saying Arpaios nearly two dozen public statements saying he would continue to do things his way, showed a flagrant disregard for Snows order.
In seeking to have the conviction voided, Arpaios attorneys said the former sheriff never actually asked for the presidential pardon.
They said the conviction remains on Arpaios record, pardon or not. And while Arpaio cannot be punished for what Bolton found him guilty of in this case, they said that conviction could have repercussions down the road.
For example, they cited court rulings that said this conviction could be used against him at the time of sentencing if he is ever found guilty of any other crime. That could result in a stiffer sentence.
Arpaios attorneys also suggested that if Bolton refuses to budge they may appeal his conviction anyway to clear his name, something they said would be a waste of everyones time and money.
PHOENIX Saying challengers have no right to sue, attorneys for the state want a judge to throw out a challenge to Arizonas school funding plan.
In legal papers filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, attorney Brett Johnson does not directly address the contention by education officials, taxpayers and others that the lack of money from the governor and Legislature has left schools with hundreds of millions of dollars of unmet construction, maintenance and equipment needs.
Instead, Johnson is telling Judge Connie Contes she has no authority to decide if the state is providing enough money. He said whatever the state decides to provide in funding is a political question beyond the powers of the courts.
Whether and how much money can be paid out of the state treasury is clearly committed by our constitution to those acting in a legislative capacity, he wrote.
If nothing else, Johnson said challengers cant ask Contes to invalidate the school funding formula because theres no evidence they actually made a funding request of the School Facilities Board, which is in charge of doling out money.
But attorney Mary OGrady, who represents those who sued earlier this year, said that argument ignores the fact that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1994 that the capital funding scheme in place at that time violated the requirements of the Arizona Constitution for the state to provide a general and uniform school system. The high court reaffirmed that in two subsequent decisions.
She said the justices concluded courts do have the authority to make that decision.
OGrady also disputes that the challengers have to first be denied the funding by the School Facilities Board before they can ask Contes to intercede. Its not like that would do any good, she said, pointing out that the board has no authority to actually appropriate needed cash.
It simply distributes the funds the Legislature has given it, OGrady wrote, an amount that fell far below whats needed. In fact, the total appropriation this year was less than $16 million, compared with the approximately $300 million a year challengers say is needed.
Attorney Tim Hogan, who also represents those who sued, put it another way.
The School Facilities Board does not have the power or authority to deal with the shortcomings of the school finance system, he said.
What that means, Hogan said, is that anything the board does means nothing unless the Legislature and governor actually put more money into the system, something he said they have so far refused to do. And he said their refusal to act does not excuse state officials from meeting what the Arizona Supreme Court has previously ruled is the states obligation to ensure minimally adequate facilities in all of Arizonas schools.
And theres something else. OGrady said even if the School Facilities Board agrees more money is needed for construction and maintenance and even if lawmakers were to give them those dollars that solves only part of the problem.
The School Facilities Board distributes no funding at all for soft capital needs such as school buses, technology and textbooks, she wrote.
The filings come as state officials hope to avoid another court ruling finding that they are not meeting their constitutional obligations and must provide more money.
In filing suit earlier this year, challengers said the state has failed to provide the money needed to ensure that public school buildings meet minimum standards for everything from having enough classrooms to providing money for equipment. The result, they contend, is school boards are left with an unacceptable choice: divert money from other needs or allow the inadequate standards to persist.
There is a legal basis for the argument: There are three separate Arizona Supreme Court cases that spell out the states responsibility for adequate funding for buildings and facilities.
Lawmakers eventually approved the Students FIRST program short for Fair and Immediate Resources for Students Today that was supposed to ensure new schools were built when needed and existing ones were kept in repair. That included a one-time $1.3 billion expenditure to get buildings up to state standards with an additional $200 million earmarked for things like textbooks and buses. But OGrady said state lawmakers and the governor have ignored the prior Supreme Court rulings and effectively dismantled Students FIRST.
As a result, todays capital funding system is similar to, and perhaps worse than, the system declared unconstitutional, she said.
Johnson, in seeking to get the lawsuit dismissed, is arguing to Contes that the prior Supreme Court rulings merely required the state to establish minimum adequate standards. He contends there is nothing requiring that those guidelines to be updated.
Canada
Police arrest man on US most-wanted list
TORONTO Canadian police officers on bicycles chased down and caught a Laotian-born alleged drug smuggler who is on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements list of 10 most- wanted suspects, authorities said Tuesday.
Montreal police Cmdr. Miguel Alston said Katay-Khaophone Sychanta, 35, was on a park bench preparing to smoke a marijuana joint when police approached and questioned him last week.
Alston said Sychanta tried to run away along a bike path, but officers caught him and arrested him for suspected drug possession.
Sychanta was arraigned Thursday on charges of drug possession, obstructing the work of police and possessing false documents.
Sychanta was first indicted in 2005 in Michigan. According to ICE, he evaded capture on drug charges in the United States and continued to supervise a drug-smuggling organization based near Windsor, Ontario, across the international border from Detroit.
Serbia
Relief center might be spy base for Russia
BELGRADE A U.S. senator expressed hope on Tuesday that Serbia wont grant diplomatic status to the Russian staff of a controversial facility that some believe is a spy base but that Moscow insists is a disaster-relief center.
Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said that such a move by Serbia would not be in the Balkan countrys interest and would send a very bad signal.
Johnson spoke in Serbias capital, Belgrade, after talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Serbia is seeking European Union membership after years of crisis during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, but also has close ties with Russia.
I am hoping that President Vucic and Serbia resist any attempt to offer immunity to the staff of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center, Johnson said.
Mexico
Teen missing after immigration stop
MEXICO CITY The governmental human-rights commission said Tuesday that immigration agents violated the rights of a Mexican teen who was stopped at a checkpoint because they thought she was Guatemalan.
She was 17 at the time and did not have identification proving her nationality. She was pulled off a bus, interrogated by agents and released. She missed her bus and disappeared, and has not been seen since.
The rights commission said the incident occurred in 2015 in the southern border state of Chiapas, where many residents are of Mayan Indian ancestry, as are many Guatemalans.
The commission said a witness told the victims brother the agents thought she was Guatemalan. The agents said they let her go later, but she wandered off.
Also Tuesday, the federal Attorney Generals Office said it had rescued 133 migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who were being held against their will at a ranch in the southeastern state of Tabasco.
Mob beats 2 alleged thieves to death
MEXICO CITY Mexican authorities say two suspected thieves died after a mob beat them and four others in central Mexico.
Prosecutors in Puebla state said Tuesday that the four survivors are being treated at hospitals.
The six men were accused by residents of robbery and dismantling stolen vehicles.
Mondays mob violence in the town of Tlatlauquitepec was the second such incident in Puebla in three days. On Saturday, four people who allegedly attempted to steal a vehicle in the town of Tlacotepec were caught and killed by residents.
Britain
Exploding e-cigs alarm train station
LONDON British police say a scare at a busy London railway station turned out to have been caused by an electronic cigarette.
British Transport Police said in a statement Tuesday that officers responded to Euston station in north London after receiving reports of an explosion.
The station, a central hub for inter-city passenger trains that is connected to a major subway station, was evacuated while bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to help search the premises.
Its not about Harvey, its all about Donald
After shamelessly and cynically using the cover of the Harvey disaster to issue his despicable edicts on Friday night, Trump began on Sunday to boast of the great job hes doing with response to Hurricane Harvey.
I thought that even he would have the sense and decency to wait a few days. Heres a prediction: Soon, Trump will loudly proclaim Harvey to be the hugest natural disaster in all of history all of history. Then he will loudly boast that his handling is far better than any president ever responded to any crisis of any kind. He doesnt give a hoot about those people and animals suffering in Texas. Its always all, and only, about him. I extend my sincere best wishes to all of those suffering, and helping, in Texas.
Doug Williams
Foothills
Trump did a good job pardoning Arpaio
As far as I can see the only one really outraged is Rep. Raul Grijalva. The pardon was good. Surely we can pardon a sheriff who is 85, served our nation for over 50 years, and the only crime they could come up with is criminal contempt for violating a court order to stop racially profiling. Seems the only ones who disagreed with Sheriff Joe Arpaio were the ones breaking immigration law. If immigrants are here legally, then they have nothing to worry about, so stop. He was protecting the citizens of Arizona. Which, as our sheriff, should be his No. 1 job. Good job, Mr. President!
Holly Stohlmann
Northwest side
Arpaio enjoyed his power
Several years ago I went to a Republican fundraiser in SaddleBrooke honoring former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. After his talk, a questioner asked him: You are so popular, why dont you run for governor? Never missing a beat, he replied: Why would I want to be governor? As sheriff no one can tell me what to do!
Charles Rooney
West side
Fitz needs to take a break from his hatred
Re: the Aug. 26 column Getting Trump to stop is just wishful inking.
Editorial cartoonist David Fitzsimmons has been rolling out almost daily hateful cartoons about President Trump ever since he was elected even before that. He thinks he is clever and witty in his column but it is just another hateful attack. Combine that with constant attacks on the president from Tim Steller and the editorial page, and you have one really loaded newspaper full of hate and anger at the president. I thought Democrats were all touchy-feely, full of love and understanding for everybody and nonjudgmental guess not! I think Fitz and others at the Star need some anger management counseling.
David Burford
Northwest side
Its not about skin color, its about privilege
Re: the Aug. 24 letter to the editor Whites need to apologize?
The letter writer misunderstands the call for Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller to apologize. No ones asking her or anyone else to apologize for the color of her skin. Were asking her to apologize for her insensitivity and for missing the point.
No, todays white people werent slave owners but we do all benefit from the socio-economic repercussions of slavery, at the very least being given the benefit of the doubt because of our skin color. What we need to apologize for is not being white, but for not recognizing and working harder to end todays still-institutionalized racism.
Ashleen OGaea
Northwest side
A lot to learn from Art 101
You teach your students that there are eight colors in a Crayola box. You show them that by blending the colors together you can create many colors. Oh, how they love that. How is it that after we supposedly grow up, we forget that were all human beings of many colors. Why cant we still love that?
Norma Valenzuela Alday
Northwest side
Thanks for improved safety on The Loop
On North Dodge Boulevard, between the Rillito River bridge and Alvernon Way, there is a crosswalk at The Loop multi-use path. Recently the county installed a speed-table at the crosswalk, along with two signs that remind drivers that state law requires stopping at crosswalks.
My thanks to Matt Zoll (Pima County Bicycle and Pedestrian Program manager) and the County Risk Management Department for getting these items installed. The improvements work, drivers are stopping. My thanks also to drivers who stop at crosswalks for walkers and cyclists.
Randy Garmon
North side
Trump is going after the Republican Party
The obvious intent of the presidents daily bashing of Republican congressional leaders is to draw clear distinction as to his aims and theirs. His aim is to remake the Republican Party in his right-wing populist image and cause the replacement of current Republican moderate or centrist members of Congress. The sooner Republican leaders realize this and disassociate themselves from him, the better chance they will have of surviving and maintaining control of the party.
Don Persellin
Northeast side
Stegemans reasons are contradictory
Re: the Aug. 25 column TUSDs Stegeman finds another reason to vote no.
So, Mark Stegeman voted no for H.T. Sanchez because he felt that his record did not support his elevation to a job as difficult as this at that point in his career. Yet this time around, after running the unexperienced Sanchez out of town, Stegeman made it very clear that his favored candidate was Stephen Trejo, former principal of C.E. Rose K-8 school, who may I add has much less experience than Sanchez did when we hired him. (Not my opinion, just their resumes.)
Stegeman should stop voting a political game and start voting for our students and public schools.
Kristel Ann Foster
Residents of Ho Chi Minh City will have the chance to see fireworks from a well-known park at this years Independence Day, September 2.
The municipal administration has permitted local travel company Saigontourist to hold the annual fireworks displays at Dam Sen Park in District 11.
The show is scheduled to take place from 9:00 to 9:15 pm on September 2, according to a decision signed by the citys chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong.
Lighting fireworks is an annual cultural activity to celebrate Vietnams Independence Day.
Its a chance for people to enjoy their time and a great way to attract foreign tourists to Vietnam.
The activity is considered a major part in promoting the citys tourism, and a motivation for its development.
The fireworks show has previously been held at the Thu Thiem tunnel in District 2 for a number of years.
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Several questions have been raised over the purpose of a fee that drivers must pay after entering an airport in Vietnam.
At most aerodromes across the country, drivers of any four-wheel vehicle are required to pay a fee of between VND10,000 (US$0.44) and VND20,000 ($0.89) upon entering the facilities.
Statistics from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City showed that in 2014, a total of 22,400 automobiles had entered the venue on a daily basis, each of which had to pay an average amount of VND10,000.
Based on the information, the facility pockets about VND80 billion ($3.5 million) per year. The toll collection began in 2002 and still exists today.
N.T.D., a taxi driver with ten years of experience, said that sometimes passengers agreed to pay the fee, but in other scenarios, the cab driver had to make the payment.
In Hanoi, local cabbies said that they had to pay VND15,000 ($0.67) every time they carried a passenger into Noi Bai International Airport.
According to regulations, passengers are subject to a toll. But they, especially foreign travelers, do not often understand the reason and refuse to pay, Thuy, one taxi driver said.
The fee is referred to as an airport toll and is applied differently at airports across the country.
The most expensive is recorded in Phu Quoc Airport, located in the namesake island off the southern province of Kien Giang, where a standard car is charged VND15,000 and a seven-seater VND20,000.
A toll station at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Aside from the toll, cab drivers must also pay parking fees whenever they carry passengers into an airport.
According to Le Xuan Tung, director of Da Nang International Airport, the airport road toll has been in place for decades, with rates at each aerodrome listed and approved by the Ministry of Finance.
The fees are directed towards renovation of the airport and improvement of its service for passengers, Tung continued.
Meanwhile, Tran Manh Hong, deputy director of Phu Quoc Airport, explained that how the collected money is used depends on the Kien Giang Department of Finance.
The toll is submitted to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), a representative from Noi Bai Airport said, adding that there was timeframe for the toll collection to end.
Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Pham Van Hao, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), confirmed that most airports in Vietnam collect two types of fee, an airport road toll and parking charges.
The money is used to fund services, namely maintenance, repairs, and the renovation of roads within the facilities, as well as safety and order insurance, among others.
The fees are in accordance with current laws and similar to regulations at other airports in the world, Hao said.
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ABCs Chris Uhlmann has been appointed the new Chief Political Editor for Nine.
Uhlmanns named had been tipped as one of several potential candidates, following the retirement of Laurie Oakes.
Uhlmann joined ABC in 1998, becoming 7:30s political editor in 2008 for 5 years, followed by ABC News political editor from 2015.
Darren Wick, Director of News & Current Affairs for Nine, said: Chris is the right man to take on this responsibility and lead Nine into a new era, where unprecedented technological change has forced the rewriting of the rule book about how we deliver news and current affairs. He is a man of integrity, talent and possesses the hunger that drives the truly great reporters.
Chris Uhlmann said: It is a rare privilege to be asked to lead the national political coverage on the network which opened the door on television for Australians. I am joining Nine because of its long and proud news culture and I am excited by the prospect of continuing the tradition.
It is hard to leave the ABC. I do it with a heavy heart and a profound sense of gratitude. I go simply because I am seeking another challenge and believe that the time is right.
The ABC is a national treasure. It has given me opportunities I never dared dream of, is home to some of the best journalists in the world and many of my best friends. I have not forgotten that the ABC took a risk appointing me to Parliament in 2006 and remember what I said at the end of my (second) interview: I promise I wont let you down. I have tried to honour my side of that pledge and know the ABC has honoured its end of the bargain.
The roll of those I need to thank is too long for here, so I simply say I have learned something from all of you, will miss you, and I will be in touch. I will not be a commentator on what you do but I will be avidly watching and listening. Godspeed.
ABC Director, News Gaven Morris said: Chris has made a huge contribution not only to the ABC but to Australian political journalism. He leaves with our warmest and highest regards and very best wishes for his future endeavours.
Chris leaves the political coverage team in outstanding shape. It is a critical time in politics, at home and abroad, and our team has never been more strongly positioned to deliver the news, analysis and context Australians need in order to fully understand the issues and how they affect all of our lives.
The ABC has always been home to the nations most authoritative and comprehensive political reporting, and we are currently working on plans to further extend our coverage and make it even more relevant and useful to our audiences.
He begins in October.
Eurovision bosses have not ruled out a US version of the famed song contest which could potentially see a state vs. state competition.
Its an idea that has been previously floated, given the success of American Idol, but did not proceed.
ESC Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand told Eurovision Fan House there were still big hopes for the brand beyond Europe:
We have already launched an initiative in Asia, and this is done in conjunction with our Australian partner, SBS, who participates in the ESC.
We are working with them to stage a similar concept to Eurovision in Asia, essentially to have a Eurovision Asia. In addition, we also broadcast the ESC in several markets in that region, Australia is one of them, China has been on board to showcase the Eurovision Song Contest, New Zealand has been on board, and when it comes to the US we also have a deal there with the broadcaster Viacom to broadcast Eurovision in the US, he said.
We also want to see if its possible to create an American version of the Eurovision Song Contest, although we havent concluded that yet. This is a long term strategy for sure to see how far outside of Europe the brand can reach.
I just dont reckon America could do the camp anywhere near as well
Not everybody is happy about the CBS takeover of TEN.
Shareholders who stand to lose everything are considering a class action lawsuit.
Australian Shareholders Association director Allan Goldin told News Corp preliminary talks have been held with law firms about a class action.
Class actions are very difficult and whether that is a possibility or if its not its really too early to say. But sure, we are having talks, he said.
The surprise announcement on Monday will see secured creditors paid, along with a guarantors fee owed to billionaire shareholders Lachlan Murdoch, Bruce Gordon and James Packer. But smaller shareholders are expected to receive no compensation for their shares being taken over by the $35 billion ($US28 billion) broadcaster.
Shareholder John Homewood told Fairfax, It just seems to me that these administrators it is as if the poor old shareholder has been pushed out of the way of a business that for all intents and purposes was viable.
I have come to the realisation that effectively shareholders will have their equity interest just transferred over to CBS. It is really the lack of information being provided that has got me a bit hot under the collar.
ASA has written to Treasurer Scott Morrison, asking that CBS amend its offer so that shareholders did not miss out.
It is just like anything, youd prefer Australian assets to stay in Australian hands if possible, Goldin said, adding that outdated media laws made it almost impossible for an Australian to bid.
The CBS deal is yet to be voted on by creditors and passed by the Foreign Investment Review Board. Shareholders will not get a vote on the CBS takeover and have not been able to trade shares since June 13.
Help India!
By Shamsul Islam for TwoCircles.net
The most prominent ideologue of RSS, MS Golwalkar, declared Muslims and Christians as internal threat number ONE and TWO respectively. This understanding has been the core belief of RSS leaders/cadres. That was the reason that a leading RSS cadre, in-charge of Dharam Jagran Samiti, Rajeshwar Singh, few months after Modi taking over as PM of the country in 2014 declared that we will free India of Muslims and Christians by 2021. Since both Muslims and Christians constitute around 16-17% of the countrys population, it is surely going to be a Herculean task.
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However, the Hindutva individuals/leaders are working overtime to accomplish this task within the deadline. Since Muslims are the largest minority, the Hindutva juggernaut is concentrating on them. Apart from using cow, Tiranga, Vande Mataram, love-jihad and blaming extra-territorial loyalties, fake videos are being circulated to spread hatred against common Muslims and organize mobs for attacking them. Conspiracies have become the Hindutva mantra to cleanse Muslims.
The latest incident has happened in Rajasthan, which, incidentally, leads the nation in violence against Muslims and Dalits. According to an August 28 report in The Indian Express, a little over a month ago, a short video clip had gone viral on social media in the Hindu-majority Hindoli, Rajasthan. The clip shot entirely from overhead, showed an old man in a skull cap and white kurta-pyjama molesting a child. It was difficult to identify the two due to the angle of the camera as well as the poor recording quality, while there were no clues to make out the under-construction site where the attack took place. However, by late July, word had spread that the old man resembled 80-year-old Abdul Ansari and that the young child looked like a Rajput girl from the neighbourhood.
Abdul Waheed Ansari headed a family of businessmen who owned a popular shop namely Bharat Krishi Seva Kendra which dealt in seeds, pesticides, manure, and spray machines which were run with the help of his sons. Soon after video going viral, protesters, including people the Ansaris had known for long, were on the streets, demanding Abduls arrest. The BJP, Bajrang Dal, VHP and Karni Sena held separate protests, with stones being pelted at the Ansari house, damaging the familys car.
The report goes on to tell that, On July 31, the father of the girl suspected to be in the video lodged a complaint at the Hindoli police station saying he recognised her from her frock. A FIR was lodged under IPC Section 376 (rape) as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against Abdul.
According to the elder son, Shahadat Ali Ansari of Abdul Waheed Ansari, the same day, police picked up the 80-year-old for questioning at about 6 am but let him go. Later, however, a few men, four of them journalists, started spreading rumours that we had bribed the police. A crowd of about 300-400 people surrounded their house, Police returned to arrest Abdul again the same day, and he has been in jail for last 27 days.
It is despite the fact that in the first week of August it was proved that video was fake. It was confirmed by the UP police that the said the video was recorded sometime in March in the pottery town of Khurja, UP and had nothing to do with Abdul Ansari. According to the press report, the same was confirmed by the Bundi SP Adarsh Sidhu. While police are convinced now that the video is not from Bundi, Abduls troubles are far from over as the molested girl had also made a statement under CrPC 164 before the magistrate which is legally more binding on police.
So, 80-year-old Abdul Waheed Ansari continues to be in Jail despite incontrovertible proof of his innocence due to a conspiracy hatched by Hindutva communal elements. It is not difficult to know why Hindutva organisation conspired. The family runs flourishing businesses which are the largest in the area. Shahadat the eldest son lamented the fact that despite good relations with their neighbours the latter were being manipulated by crooked elements that are jealous of their wealth.
The conspiracy at Hindoli is a continuation of Hindutva organizations conspiratorial mindset. A publication of RSS (Param Vaibhav Ke Path Par) disclosed that on the eve of Partition: Swayamsevaks had posed to have adopted Musalman [sic] religion in order to gain the confidence of Delhi Muslim League for knowing their conspiracies.
What the RSS Swayam Sevaks, impersonating as Muslims on the eve of Independence, were doing was made clear by none other than Dr Rajendra Prasad who later became first President of the Indian Republic. In a letter to the first Home Minister of India, Sardar Patel, on March 14, 1948, he wrote:
I am told that RSS people have a plan of creating trouble. They have got a number of men dressed as Muslims and looking like Muslims who are to create trouble with the Hindus by attacking them and thus inciting the Hindus. Similarly, there will be some Hindus among them who will attack Muslims and thus incite Muslims. The result of this kind of trouble amongst the Hindus and Muslims will be to create a conflagration.
The murder of the father of the nation was the outcome of a Hindutva conspiracy and Muslims are the main target of Hindutva conspiracies. The only hope is judiciary and honest personnel in the law and order set-up who remain committed to a democratic-secular India.
For some of S. Islams writings in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu & Gujarati, please click here:
Political commentator Nina Schick said that when it comes down to loyalty, German car manufacturers will ultimately prefer the preservation of the European Union over a trade deal with Brexit Britain. If this is true, then this is not only dangerous to their profits, but utterly foolish.
If Brussels fails to agree a trade deal with the UK, it would not only damage German car manufacturers, but it would also hinder Belgian chocolate makers and French winemakers. What these car companies also forget is that once Britain has left the trading bloc, it will have the sovereignty to implement and agree its own trade deals with other non-EU nations.
Until Germany has left the EU itself, which is highly doubtful under its current Chancellor, German businesses will not have the freedom to trade with non-EU countries.
The EU is still hugely dependent on British markets
The most important reason why it is so careless of car industrialists to favour political unity over trade is that the EU is still hugely dependent on British markets, whereas the same cannot be said for the UK. This was one of the driving forces behind Vote Leave's campaign during the EU Referendum last year.
The Office for National Statistics confirmed in 2015 that Brussels' share of global GDP shrunk from 30 per cent to 24 per cent in 2013. This is due to non-EU countries growing at a faster pace than Europe.
In 1999-2014, Britain's exports to non-EU countries grew by 6.5 per cent, whereas its exports to the EU grew by 3.6 per cent. As a whole, UK exports to Europe declined from 54.8 per cent in 1999 to 44.6 per cent in 2014.
However, the EU sells 70 billion more in goods to the UK than Britain does to Brussels. As a result of this, the UK is running a trade deficit with the trading bloc.
This means the British Government truly has the upper hand in ongoing negotiations between the two sides.
German car specialists are right to lobby the European Parliament for a comprehensive free trade deal between both sides. But given Brussels' inadequacy of organising trade deals, they should exert more pressure on the European Parliament to complete it sooner rather than later.
It took the trading bloc ten years to agree a final deal with Canada and they have still failed to strike trade agreements with some of the largest economies in the world.
They need to be careful
If German car companies opt for political unity over economics, they need to be careful. The Eurozone crisis is likely to unfold again any time soon in Italy, which will dramatically alter future prospects of European integration. And Brussels is providing stubborn resistance to Britain's demands. They do not care about car manufacturers, so why should the latter be concerned about the EU's survival?
Either way, Britain wins, because it will be free to trade with the rest of the world, and the trading bloc will lose, as it stagnates and finally collapses.
In years to come when German Chancellor Angela Merkel finally retires, there may well be a consensus among historians that this woman fundamentally tried to unite Europe into one nation and that she destroyed the continent along the way. It is clear that Brexit is her worst nightmare as it represents the end of her dream of a "federal Europe". She is doing everything in her power to stop it from happening.
Her dream of European unity represents something more profound- Ms Merkel has been in power for too long. Since she was elected Chancellor in 2005, she has become an unstoppable force in German politics.
Many commentators referred to her as the "Iron Lady" of Germany. But even Mrs Thatcher's political lifespan was limited to eleven years. The current Chancellor seems almost invincible. With the opposition in a weak state, there is no doubt that her party, the Christian Democrats, will triumph in this year's elections. Following the events after the 2008 Recession, which proved how volatile the Euro currency was without substantial political unity proceeding monetary union, her answer to every EU problem has always been the same- further European integration.
Ms Merkel has learnt nothing from the Brexit vote
Ms Merkel has learnt nothing from the Brexit vote. Earlier this week, she reiterated that she has no regrets over allowing thousands of refugees and economic migrants into Germany unchecked.
Following the EU Referendum, she declared with former Italian and French leaders, Matteo Renzi and Francois Hollande respectively, that they want to proceed with their plans for further integration.
In recent years, Europe has been plagued with terrorist attacks caused by her refusal to reform the Schengen Agreement, which allows for the free movement of people throughout the continent.
But that does not matter to the German Chancellor because she believes EU nations cannot tackle terrorism until there is one integrated police force in the trading bloc.
There has only been one consistent theme throughout her chancellorship
With Greece and Italy on their knees, the only reason why Ms Merkel is willing to bail out these failing economies is to preserve the Euro currency, which was always the first step towards a federal Europe.
There has only been one consistent theme throughout her chancellorship, and that has been European unity.
When former chancellor Helmut Kohl died earlier this year, she addressed attendees whilst standing by an EU flag, speaking as if she is head of a unified Europe. There is no doubt this is not what Mr. Kohl would have wanted.
The beautiful thing about democracy is that it enables atrocious leaders to be held to account by the ballot, but until Ms Merkel's rivals organise themselves, this will not happen and her reign of destruction will continue.
A political commentator claims that German car manufacturers are likely to remain loyal to the European Union during the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
They have been lobbying Brussels and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to create a smooth trade deal with the UK once it leaves the trading bloc. But Nina Schick said German car manufacturers will choose to snub Britain despite Brexit Secretary David Davis's attempt to force the EU to discuss trade prior to Ireland, EU citizens' rights and the divorce bill.
Brussels will be more interested in preserving European solidarity
She told CNBC that car manufacturing has dominated the negotiations so far, as many industrialists want a satisfactory trade deal with the UK and clarity on the issue. However, she warned that they will not be the ones who have the final say on the deal and that car manufacturers will be more interested in preserving European solidarity and the Single Market.
Ms Schick refuted arguments that Britain will be able to "cherry-pick" certain aspects of the EU that it likes the most.
The political commentator's arguments come amidst panic in the German car industry that Brexit could have a negative effect on businesses. Martin Wansleben, Chief Executive Officer of the German Industry Group, said the consequences of Britain's EU exit are vague.
There are fears Brussels may fail to strike a trade deal with the UK
Former UKIP leader and LBC presenter Nigel Farage said there are fears Brussels may fail to strike a trade deal with the UK behind the scenes, adding this could have an impact on jobs. He said German car manufacturers are lobbying the European Parliament to ensure there is no disruption to trade.
Theresa May has recently stated her support for Mr. Davis's Brexit position, saying she hopes the trading bloc will be willing to discuss a trading relationship between both sides in October. As the Brexit Secretary and the EU's Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, begin the third round of negotiations this week, the Prime Minister urged Brussels to be more imaginative and pragmatic.
Her spokesperson said the UK is in a strong position to push for trade discussions to begin sooner. She added that she hopes the European Council will agree in October to bring forward trade talks sooner.
No chance of trade discussions beginning
Mr. Barnier said that this week's talks should concentrate on EU citizens' rights and British citizens living in Europe, the final size of the divorce bill and the Irish border. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said there is no chance of trade discussions beginning until Britain has met its final financial obligations.
The British Government and Brussels are facing a stalemate over the final sum of the divorce bill, which is likely to be 90 billion, and preserving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.
Much to the dismay of Mr. Davis's team, Mr. Juncker said that none of Britain's position papers on issues such as citizens' rights and Ireland were satisfactory. He said that whilst he respects the British people's decision last June to leave the trading bloc, the European Commission will not alter its current timetable. EU officials also reiterated the European Commission President's final position.
Mr. Davis said he wants to move forward with the areas which they agree on and resolve any outstanding differences. He said that his aim, a trading relationship which works for both sides, will remain his ultimate goal and that he will roll up his sleeves to complete this job. He added that technical discussions around all outstanding issues need to be resolved.
Ms Merkel announced this week that she wants to proceed with her plans for further European integration. She supports calls to establish a European Monetary Fund and to create an "economics and finance" minister. This would replace the European Stability Mechanism set up in 2012 to tackle the ongoing Eurozone crisis.
It is becoming almost a weekly event, the world dragged to the edge of a precipice by the young dictator of North Korea, and everyone is asking when will he push us all over?
Sirens over Japan
This morning Northern Japan was woken just after 6 am, not by birdsong, but by the sound of wailing sirens. In a grave and unprecedented threat, North Korea launched a Hwasong 12 missile which flew over the country to land some 700 miles off the coast in the sea. In response to Kim's continuing brinkmanship, Donald Trump said late morning before flying to a flood devastated Houston, that "all options were on the table", as Kim was a grave and growing threat to the world.
In an immediate response, South Korea sent a squadron of F15 fighters to drop bombs south of the DM Zone, while deep in the middle of the yearly round of manoeuvres with the joint US forces. Even as the dust was settling and nerves were being soothed, Kim was reputed to be preparing yet another imminent launch.
Why is he doing this?
The only man that can answer that is Kim, and he is saying nothing. Psychologically he is leading his nation to destruction, and he knows it but is probably unwilling to admit it to anyone - probably not even to himself. One, of course, is left wondering where is he getting all the money to launch these missiles? 20 this year alone, far more than his father did during his entire time in office.
Due to restrictive UN sanctions his capacity to export fish, coal, etc are now negligible, while his own country barely produces enough goods and produce to feed and clothe itself. So, where is the money coming from? He does not wish to enter into dialogue with anyone, not even his allies; who have most certainly been spooked by these continuing antics.
While having violated every UN security resolution placed on him he cares little for censure or what other leaders think, considering that he has threatened both Israel and the UK with fiery retribution at some unspecified point in the future.
The situation is now becoming critical. Every world leader knows that this state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely.
It would only take one of Kim's missiles to crash, become involved in a mid-air collision, or veer off a casually plotted course to have the most catastrophic of consequences. Punches on either side would not be pulled, no quarter would be expected or given, and the only victors the carrion crows who will be left to feed on the dead.
In 2015, the Guardian Online reported that 25% of Virgin Trains arrive late - that seems a lifetime ago in terms of train travel.
At the time, Virgin was probably and, arguably still are, one of the better operators in terms of responding to the voice of the customer. In true pioneering fashion, Richard Branson and company held their hands up and more-or-less admitted that network problems were so deep-rooted that improvements to running times, was always going to be a big ask. For example, such was the disruption to the train timetables over the festive period that Transport for London took the bold decision to waive the 11:50 congestion charge for Central London, during that time. This drastic measure was taken in an attempt to steer rail commuters onto the road because of widespread delays and disruption on the trains.
So the journey towards automatic Delay Repay for late trains begins
Virgin Trains evidently felt that the best way to appease customers was to remove the red tape. They did this by paying customers Delay Repay compensation automatically, on pre-booked tickets, for journeys on trains delayed by more than thirty minutes.
Slow moving progress on the train Delay Repayment front
This initiative, at the time, appeared to be the blueprint for redressing the balance to customers without subjecting them to further distress and inconvenience. It was anticipated that the automatic Delay Repay compensation scheme, would spread across other networks and grow in the remit. The Transport Secretary, at the time, Patrick Mcloughlin made his thoughts on the scheme clear:
"We are encouraging other operators to roll out similar schemes."
The encouragement was not convincing, by and large, other operators preferred to leave the onus on the customer to manually claim recompense for the delay.
Obviously, this approach has a "fairness for all" aspect to it. Under the Virgin Trains scheme, it was only those with pre-booked/advance tickets who received auto repayment. Commuters, who voiced their concerns in letters pages of the local and popular press, seemed to want the scheme to go further.
Recently, in July 2017 according to Money Saving Expert News website - Great Northern look to be overtaking competitors in the awareness of customer needs stakes, by not only adopting the auto-repay scheme.
They have also reduced the time period for the classification of a delay from 30 to 15 minutes plus.
Will Delay Repay compensation now take a shunt forward?
There have been various figures floating around, but Moneysavingexpert.com quote the proportion at 2/3rds - referring to people eligible for Delay Repay but, for whatever reason, do not claim it.
Whilst most operators have a target for responding to Delay Repay applications. These are aspirational and there is not a great deal of transparent reporting on these. The feedback on the platforms and trains is that it is too much hassle. Although, the online forms to claim Delay Repay are now simpler than they were. Many operators (including East Midlands Trains and Trans-Pennine Express) allow for forms to be auto-completed, to some extent, with the use of internet cookies.
The argument is strong to say that there should be no reason to claim and an automated system is a must. Especially with the increasing number of ticket barriers at train stations, these could/should be able to log a time of travel and support a system whereby all customers receive automated compensation. Surely, it's the least that train companies can do, isn't it?
A lifeguard saves a man from drowning; an elderly man feeds the homeless and a couple finds meth in a rental home and reports it to the police. These are examples of people being a Good Samaritan and doing the right thing, as a normal person would do.
However, would you believe these people were punished for doing so? For some twisted reason, they all got into trouble just for trying to be a decent human being.
Lifeguard rescued a man from drowning and gets fired
At Hallandale Beach, Florida, Lifeguard Tomas Lopez rushed to the sea when he learned that a man was drowning and was able to rescue the mans life.
However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Lopez was fired instead.
Apparently, the drowning man was well outside the jurisdiction of the lifeguard and according to company policy, anyone drowning outside its jurisdiction should be left to die.
Six lifeguards of the same company stood up for Lopez and said that they would have done the same thing. All six lifeguards were fired as well. Go figure. Nevertheless, according to CBS News, he was later honored by city officials for his actions.
An elderly man arrested for feeding the homeless
90-year-old Arnold Abbott has been feeding the homeless on Fort Lauderdale beach, with the help of two Christian ministers, for quite some time.
However, a new ordinance was introduced and made it illegal to feed homeless people within 500 feet of a residential area.
People in the area have been complaining about the foul smell homeless people brought with them.
Abbott was arrested and was slapped with a $500 fine, but this didnt discourage him from doing the right thing. He still feeds the homeless and promised to keep doing so as long as he is still alive, CNN reported.
A couple found meth in a rental home and were arrested
Michael and Channel Keeley are the landlords of a rental home where a previous tenant was arrested for possession of illegal narcotics. After the arrest, the couple went to the rental home and began cleaning it for preparation for the next tenants.
While cleaning, the couple discovered eight bags of suspected drugs inside the walls and immediately reported it to the police.
However, police authorities became suspicious of the couple and thought that the whole thing was just a ploy.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the couple was arrested for tampering with evidence and the police even threatened to take their 9-year-old son to child services. Michael and Channel spent two days in jail and posted $10,000 for bail. The charges were eventually dropped but the experience left the couple reluctant to call the police ever again.
Back 40, the new bar and restaurant in North Kingstown, Rhode Island is co-owned by former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo. The model and beauty queen partnered with her father to provide a one-of-a-kind dining experience to the locals in her hometown, Providence Journal reported.
Former Miss Universe 2012 titleholder, who was also Miss USA 2012, partnered with her father Peter Culpo, her cousin Joshua Culpo, and their business partner named Justin Dalton-Ameen to open Back 40, a restaurant that serves sumptuous meals for lunch and dinner.
The restaurant opened last Tuesday, August 29 at 20 South Country Trail, North Kingstown in the state of Rhode Island.
It can be accessible through Routes 2 and 102, the local newspaper added in the report.
Back 40 has several dining areas, including a private dining room, a lounge with 40 high tables, an area with 25 bar seats, and an outdoor patio. It is open from 11 a.m. to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday, and until 1 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday.
Wide menu selection
The menu of Culpos new restaurant is a mixture of Western cuisine, European dishes, and alcoholic beverages. Many of the foods served are created by executive chef Kim Scarano, who pairs these dishes with a complementary cocktail program. Scarano is a New Jersey native, Providence Journal reported.
The official website of Back 40 presented the food menu.
Some of the dishes served for lunch are Chicken Pot Pie Fritters, Marinated Olives, Pork Belly Skewers, Crispy Hotdogs, Crispy Calamari, Chicken Panini, and Grilled Avocado Tacos.
They also have available pastas, such as Summer Pea Risotto, Goat Cheese Gnudi, and Corn Carbonara. Special menu offerings for dinner include New England Clam Chowder, Wilted Kale Panzanella, and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.
Family-owned
Her cousin Joshua Culpo and Justin Dalton-Ameen, both co-owners of the restaurant, both have previously owned and operated another restaurant, Lulus Allston since 2014. Meanwhile, her father Peter has owned multiple bars and restaurants in Boston, including Beacon Hills The Hill Tavern, Fenways Woodys Grill and Tap, and Parish Cafe, the local news reported.
Olivia Culpo represented her home state during the Miss USA 2012 pageant, and won. She then represented the country in the Miss Universe 2012 pageant in Las Vegas, and also bagged the title. She passed on the crown to the next titleholder of the worldwide pageant held in Moscow, Russia back in 2013. She is also a renowned cello player, and was the former girlfriend of male pop artist Nick Jonas.
Donald Trump is not happy with his Secretary of State, with the president beveling Rex Tillerson is just "too establishment" in his thinking. A new report has since been released naming who could be the top name to replace the former CEO of ExxonMobil, with the White House remaining quiet about the issue in question.
Trump and Tillerson
Not long after Donald Trump pulled off the shocking upset over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November to become the 45th President of the United States it was only a matter of time before he decided on who would surround him in the White House.
As the former host of "The Apprentice" continue to nominate members to his cabinet, one name that created controversy was Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. Tillerson had no previous experience other than meeting with international officials as part of his job as CEO of ExxonMobil. Tillerson served as CEO of the oil giant from 2006 until 2016, and created his own controversy by having a more than cordial relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, while Trump was initially supportive of Tillerson, a report in Axios, and later Mediate, on August 28 tells a different story with the president looking to possibly make a major change in the near future.
Trump Reportedly Fed Up With Rex Tillerson: Rex Just Doesnt Get Ithttps://t.co/SUHt5kkRR1 pic.twitter.com/j27qAapeXY Mediaite (@Mediaite) August 28, 2017
According to Jonathan Swan of Axios, Donald Trump appears fed up with Rex Tillerson, with fellow Axios reporter Mike Allen writing that the president "has been growing increasingly frustrated with his Secretary of State." Swan reports that a source close to the situation quotes the president as saying, "Rex just doesnt get it, hes totally establishment in his thinking." Not stopping there, the report goes on to note that Trump is "getting more and more fed up with Tillerson."
One possible scenario for replacing Tillerson: U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley moves to Foggy Bottom. https://t.co/BiaxS7nzyk Axios (@axios) August 28, 2017
Possible replacement
With Rex Tillerson reportedly on the ropes, many have wondered who could take his place in leading the State Department.
In the aforementioned Axios report, former South Carolina governor and current U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is the name that is currently at the top of the list. While Trump has not spoken publicly about the issue with Tillerson, his potential departure would only continue in a long line of recent exits from the administration.
Recently former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus left the Trump team, with former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon also being asked to resign earlier this month. With the pressure mounting on the commander in chief, Trump's approval rating is sitting at just 35 percent in the most recent round of polling.
The relationship between the United States and North Korea has not been a solid one for decades. After Donald Trump decided to tweet out his latest thoughts about the issue, even more questions were raised.
Trump on North Korea
During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump made sure to take shots at many different world leaders. With the exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump was mostly critical of those who run major countries around the world, with his thoughts about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un being somewhat mixed. At times, Trump would praise Kim for how he's handled various situations, raising red flags with critics as to why any presidential candidate who speak fondly of a controversial dictator.
However, Trump would also come down hard on the country, which has only increased in the eight months since his inauguration. In recent months, the former host of "The Apprentice" has warned of possible military action against the country, which was evident after the United Nations voted to move forward with stricter sanctions on the nation. After North Korea fired a test missile near Japan earlier this week, Trump lashed out, which was seen during a tweet on August 30.
The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2017
Taking to his Twitter account on Wednesday morning, Donald Trump hit back at North Korea, hinting at a potential military involvement.
"The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Talking is not the answer!" As expected, the reaction to the president's social media post didn't go over well with his critics.
Twitter reacts
Not long after Donald Trump hit back with his warning against North Korea, those who oppose the president were quick to give their thoughts.
"If Talking isn't the answer, then what is? The death of Millions? Nuclear fallout for decades? World War III?" one tweet rhetorically asked.
You have to think things through before your Tweet. Doesn't Kelly tell you that? Impeach Donald Trump (@Impeach_D_Trump) August 30, 2017
You know NOTHING of the institutional realities of global politics. You don't know what to do about North Korea! Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) August 30, 2017
Here's a question that Every Republican Must Answer...
Why DON'T the rules apply to the Trump Administration? Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) August 30, 2017
"Here's a question that Every Republican Must Answer...Why DON'T the rules apply to the Trump Administration?" another Twitter user wondered.
"You know NOTHING of the institutional realities of global politics. You don't know what to do about North Korea!" Bishop Talbert Swan tweeted out.
Yeah. Your tactics have really improved the situation. If you want a nuclear war that is. Holly Marie Combs (@H_Combs) August 30, 2017
Yea we see negotiations is NOT your strong point, for that one needs intelligence. Susan Stone Salas (@SusanStoneSalas) August 30, 2017
You tweeting this is like a slap in the face. It's like you're condemning me to death! gyara (@gyadyne) August 30, 2017
"Dialogue is the #1 way to solve problems.,.the hitch for you is that you have to know how to speak/articulate," an additional tweet read. "Yeah. Your tactics have really improved the situation. If you want a nuclear war that is," Holly Marie Combs wrote. The backlash continued against Donald Trump as questions surrounding the issue at hand remain unanswered.
As Hurricane Harvey devastates much of Texas, Donald Trump has been giving his thoughts on social media. In addition to updates on the storm, the president has taken time to lash out over a variety of issues.
Trump on Twitter
Donald Trump has made Twitter his number one form of communication over the last two years ever since announcing his plan to run for president back in June 2015. As Trump's relationship with the mainstream media continued to unravel, the former host of "The Apprentice" relied on social media in an attempt to bypass the traditional press.
After nearly eight months in the White House, Trump has only increased his use of Twitter and social media, as his approval rating has dropped down to just 35 percent. Over the weekend, the president sent out several tweets that covered a wide range of topics, including the devastating Hurricane Harvey taking place in Texas. As seen on his Twitter account on August 27, Trump decided to give updates on the storm, while also sending out controversial messages on other topics.
We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada.Both being very difficult,may have to terminate? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
Taking to his Twitter feed on Sunday morning was Donald Trump as the commander on chief took time to address the hurricane in Texas.
"Many people are now saying that this is the worst storm/hurricane they have ever seen. Good news is that we have great talent on the ground," Trump tweeted out. In a follow-up tweet, Trump added, "Wow - Now experts are calling #Harvey a once in 500 year flood! We have an all out effort going, and going well!" At this point, the president decided to focus on other areas.
Wow - Now experts are calling #Harvey a once in 500 year flood! We have an all out effort going, and going well! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
Trump on the wall
"With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL," Donald Trump wrote, while adding, "Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other." Trump's tweet comes just days after threatening a government shutdown if Congress doesn't find the money to pay for the border wall in question.
Trump's promise to have Mexico pay for the wall appears to now be altered into the country paying back the United States over time as opposed to coming up with the funds upfront.
With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
Trump on Trade
Not stopping there, Donald Trump continued his Twitter tirade by lashing out about trade deals, while hitting back at NAFTA in the process. "We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada," Trump tweeted. Not stopping there, the president went on to question whether or not he should end NAFTA as it currently stands.
"Both being very difficult, may have to terminate?" he asked.
We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with Mexico & Canada.Both being very difficult,may have to terminate? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017
Moving forward
As Donald Trump continues to vent his frustrations, his administration is dealing with massive changes. Over the last month, Trump has replaced his chief of staff, press secretary, and other positions as the pressure mounts on the billionaire real estate mogul to right the ship.
Federal drug enforcement agents and New York state police raided an apartment building in Queens, NY this week. Chemists entered the fourth-floor apartment of a luxury waterfront building on Center Boulevard in Queens wearing protective hazmat suits. After a thorough investigation, it was discovered the apartment was being used as a Drug Den.
Brian Parker, who had been arrested twice for illegally selling prescription drugs, from New York and Victoria Koleski, from New Jersey, were both arrested on charges of possessing and distributing controlled substances.
The pair are accused of selling synthetic opioids, designer drugs like PCP, and other substances online.
Neighbors were shocked by the discovery
Neighbors who live down the hall from the drug den were shocked when they heard and saw the police knocking at the door of the apartment. One resident saw the police ramming the door down.
Residents were in disbelief when they discovered it was a drug den. Occupants of the building thought there was a gas leak, or chemical attack when they saw men in hazmat suits running to the apartment.
Investigation began after man overdosed
The investigation into the drug den began after a man from Madison, Wisconsin overdosed in May 2016. Packages of synthetic opioid were traced back to the victim's address.
Authorities said the vials they found were more potent than morphine. Invoices were traced back to a website run by Parker, reported CBS2 news.
Raw materials delivered from China
Prosecutors believe that Koleski would send and receive packages for Parker's alleged drug enterprise. Raw materials delivered from China would be received by Koleski.
Parker and Koleski would manufacture the designer drugs in the apartment and then ship them to their customers.
It is alleged that Koleski shipped approximately 218 packages of the designer drugs between June 30 and July 5 from her local post office.
Drug crisis affects entire community
Jeremy Rosenberg, a man who lives across the street from the luxury high-rise building, said that this drug crisis is affecting the entire community.
He went on to say that the selling of designer drugs on his block proves that no neighborhood is immune.
The sale of drugs, the manufacturing of synthetic opioids and other lethal illegal substances can be manufactured next door to all of us. There is no community that is immune to drugs, and there is no neighborhood too high-class or affluent to be the scene of a drug bust.
As Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Friday night, the White House decided to release details that they hoped would get lost in the news coverage. One bit of information was Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, which didn't go over well with many.
McCain on Trump
During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was able to bring on board a long list of controversial supporters who endorsed his candidacy. Whether it was the former half-term governor of Alaska in Sarah Palin, or outside supporters like former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, the former host of "The Apprentice" gained support from a wide range of individuals.
One name that supported Trump on the campaign trail was Joe Arpaio who made a name for himself as a sheriff in Arizona who took a questionable hard-line approach on the issue of immigration. Due to Trump's stance on the issue, starting with his remarks about illegal immigrants from Mexico being "rapists" and "murderers," it didn't come as a surprise for Arpaio to stand by his side. However, last month a federal judge found Arpaio guilty of criminal contempt for allegedly racially profiling those who appear to be in the country illegally. On Friday night, the White House revealed that Trump has decided to pardon the former sheriff which instantly caused backlash. As reported by Mediaite on August 26, Sen.
John McCain was not pleased.
.@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law https://t.co/2FckGtwQ2m John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 26, 2017
In a statement released late Friday night, Arizona Sen. John McCain made it clear he is not happy with Donald Trump's decision.
"No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment," McCain wrote. The senator then ripped into Trump, saying his pardon "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law."
McCain Slams Trumps Pardon: Undermines His Claim for the Respect of Rule of Law https://t.co/0CmjNMxtEG pic.twitter.com/ZE1KHWHoi7 Mediaite (@Mediaite) August 26, 2017
Fellow Arizona senator and Republican Jeff Flake made similar remarks, but took a more relaxed tone on Twitter.
"Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course," Flake tweeted out.
Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course. Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 26, 2017
Trump's response
After the news broke of Donald Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio, the president took to Twitter to elaborate further. "I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Trump tweeted, before adding, "He kept Arizona safe!"
I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017
Next up
While Donald Trump and his core supporters appear pleased with his decision, the negative attention quickly went viral on social media. As the president struggles to keep his administration moving forward, Trump's approval rating is down to just 35 percent in the most recent round of polling.
In what could be deemed an act of defiance and provocation, North Korea fired yet another missile early on Tuesday, this time over Japan's territorial waters. The missile, according to Japanese officials flew over the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido and then landed in the sea after breaking up.
According to South Korea's military, the missile was fired from the Sunan region which is near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at around 6 PM on Tuesday(21.00GMT, Monday).
Japanese military sources confirmed the incident and said the projectile broke into three pieces which then fell into the waters approximately 1,180km east of Cape Erimo.
Although the military sent out a J-alert warning system asking the people around the area to take precautions, the Japanese government did not attempt to shoot down the missile. No damage has been reported.
War games
This latest incident takes place while U.S. and South Korean forces are taking part in their annual military drills to which North Korea strongly objects. In the past, North Korea has always reacted angrily to the joint military drills by fire-testing missiles and threatening Seoul and Washington using State media, but they have never gone as far as firing a missile over a key U.S. ally like Japan. Experts say that this latest missile appears to be a recently developed intermediate-range missile.
This latest development could escalate tensions a notch higher, considering that North Korea has already been imposed with sanctions by the UN Security Council in response to missile tests it carried out last month.
Response
South Korea's Foreign Ministry in response to this latest development, made it clear that acts of provocation from its Northern counterparts will not be tolerated.
In a statement, South Korea also added that they will respond strongly and appropriately if the acts of aggression continue.
Reuter reported that Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the missile fired into its territory posed a grave danger to his country and said a firm response was in order. He also said he would be calling a meeting with the UN to pile more pressure on North Korea.
While North Korea has tested dozens of missiles over the past few months, none has ever been fired directly at a specific target like the recent missile. What culminates from this recent incident will be anxiously awaited and what action will be considered, will determine which direction this latest incident will take.
So far, there has been no comment from North Korea.
The US has decided to increase the security of its allies, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The Baltic countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). These countries have had complicated relationships with Russia. Next month, the Kremlin will begin the Zapad war games that will take place in Belarus, in the west of Russia, and Kaliningrad. NATO countries have felt uncomfortable because they believe these Military Exercises are an aggressive behavior by Russians, but the Kremlin states that this is just for defensive purposes.
Seven American F15-C fighter planes landed at Siauliai to monitor the skies of the Baltic nations. The security controls in the area by the US military have been increased since the crisis in Crimea in 2014.
The Baltic nations depend on NATO
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia don't operate their own fighter planes, and they depend on NATO for patrols. Vytautas Umbrasas, the Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister, stated that they are increasing their air police while Zapad takes place. They are also happy that there are 600 American airborne troops there. The top US Air Force commander in Europe, Tod Walters, stated that the number of fighter planes had been increased because of the training opportunities.
He preferred not to mention the Russian war games. He also said that the goal of the air policing is protecting the skies of the Baltic nations.
More details about Zapad
The Kremlin states that close to 13,000 Russian and Belarussian soldiers will take place in the military exercises, Zapad. Besides, 70 helicopters and planes, plus 700 pieces of military hardware that include artillery, rockets, and tanks will take part in the exercises.
The top US general in Europe, Ben Hodges, stated that the American allies in Eastern Europe and Ukraine are worried by Zapad. They believe this military exercises could be a Trojan horse whose purpose is to leave behind the military hardware brought to Belarus.
Russians on Zapad
A Russian state official declared that there is no basis to say that the purpose of Zapad is to invade Poland, Ukraine, or Lithuania.
The deputy defense minister, Alexander Fomin, stated that comments about a possible invasion of those countries are just myths. The United States will have three military exercises while Zapad takes place, they will be in Ukraine, Poland, and Sweden. An American armored brigade has already been deployed in Europe.
The political leadership has relentlessly committed the U.S. armed forces all over the world as part of American objectives and commitments to allies and controlling antagonistic countries like China, Russia, and Islamic terror groups. Clausewitz had in his Principles of War, laid down that war is an extension of the political aim and keeping this axiom in mind, the U.S. political leadership has positioned its Navy in all corners of the world.
This has had its repercussions and the naval force is too thinly dispersed and there is not enough time for training and maintenance activities.
The fleet is also depleted due to budgetary constraints, as many of the warships have been denied a refit and maintenance schedules have suffered. According to naval experts, serving and retired Navy officers, this has led to major problems and the four major incidents at sea this year as well as the deaths of 17 sailors can be traced to this lacuna.
There is enough evidence to show that greater commitments to give muscle to political decisions have led to systematic problems, which are directly related to long deployments, deferred maintenance schedules, and shortened training periods.
Opinion of experts
According to Bryan McGrath, a former destroyer commander who is presently deputy director of the Center of American Sea Power at the Hudson Institute, the Navys surface fleet has been in a decline for the last 15 years.
Donald Trump has increased the Defense Budget but this increase is not enough, as the Navy has an onerous task of making its presence felt all over the globe.
The Navy has 276 warships and the president has proposed a 350 ship navy, but this increase will take decades to become a reality. In the meantime, the Navy's fleet, particularly in the Pacific, will remain thinly dispersed and extremely vulnerable to accidents and other mishaps.
It is worth pondering that the Navy suffered over 30 casualties during peace time, much more than the military suffered in Afghanistan in combat in 2017.
The solution
The last two accidents prima facie show that officers on watch duty failed to act as per laid down procedures. This is a serious matter, as lives of sailors and the well-being of the warship is at stake.
Damage to a warship depletes the fleet further as well as costing millions of dollars, which drain the defense budget. What is the solution? The Navy top brass will have to put on their thinking caps and brainstorm a solution. Maybe there could be a small curtailment in the deployment and greater emphasis on training and maintenance of warships.
Several fans around the globe are now excited for the premiere of the NCIS Season 15 in September 2017. Another person is going to be added to the already long list of characters of the popular CBS show following the confirmation of Jennifer Espositos exit.
Former ER actress inked three-year deal for the CBS series
The Hollywood Reporter shared that Maria Bello is joining the adventures of Mark Harmon and his squad in the up and coming NCIS Season 15. According to the publication, the 50-year-old American actress has signed a deal to become a part of the famous TV series officially.
"We have always been big fans of Maria Bello's work and are excited to be introducing her as an agent who not only has a distinct talent, the executive producers of the show revealed to THR. They added that the former co-star of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in Mr and Mrs. Smith would be working closely with Mark Harmon, Observer reported.
Frank Cardea and George Schenck have confirmed that Harmon and Bellos characters would develop an exceptional kind of relationship in NCIS Season 15. To recall, Blasting News has previously reported that special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs would find his new love interest in the imminent fifteenth installment.
Bello, who first appeared in the fourth season, is set to reprise her role as Reagan in the fourth episode of the incoming season.
For starters, the Lights Out actress character served two tours in Afghanistan as the second lieutenant. She later quit NCIS and made a name for herself as the agencys forensic psychologist.
Disney alum also appearing in the upcoming season
Meanwhile, The Christian Post has shared that Cheryl Texiera also appears on the upcoming NCIS Season 15.
Citing a CarterMatt report, the publication claimed that the former Girl Meets World actress would play a major role in the forthcoming installment.
However, CBS has not yet divulged whether Texiera would be joining the series for good or if she would only be making a cameo appearance. Because of this, fans cannot help but speculate that the Disney alum could be Jennifer Espositos replacement; however, fans should take these theories lightly since nothing is confirmed up to this writing.
NCIS Season 15 is set to return to small screens on September 26, 2017. Aside from Mark Harmon, other artists who are expected to make a return also include Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, and Wilmer Valderrama. Stay tuned for more spoilers and updates!
Things are changing for Bam Bam Brown of "Alaskan Bush People." A lot of people aren't sure if the show will even continue and now it turns out that Bam Bam is living the Luxury Life with his new girlfriend. He quit the show even though he met her on the show because she is a producer. Now fans have figured out what he is doing.
What is Joshua Brown up to now?
It turns out that Bam Bam has moved on and is now living on a luxury yacht with his girlfriend. The Hollywood Gossip shared the details of what is going on. Joshua, who is also known as Bam Bam, has been dating Allison Kagan for a while now and these two seem to be really happy together.
Brown actually is the one who bought the boat from the previous owner in Charleston, South Carolina. This boat is 100 foot long and is named Osprey. It sounds like Bam Bam Brown has found his perfect home. Right now they are in Charleston, but the rumor is that they plan to move the boat to the Bahamas. That is not the same as Alaska at all and it looks like Bam Bam Brown is ready to really move on. His family is all in the lower 48 states right now and focused on how his mom Ami Brown is doing with her cancer battle.
What is going on with the Brown family?
It turns out that Ami Brown isn't doing very well and has shared that she may not have much longer to live. It really surprises a lot of people that Bam Bam might not want to be right by his mom over the next few months, but he could still be visiting at least.
Ami has admitted that she has stage 3 cancer, but there have been rumors that it is stage 4. The fans really would like an update on how she is doing, but she isn't telling them very much.
Everyone is really curious to know if Bam Bam is going to end up going to see his mom in the hospital or if he already has. The fact that he hasn't been around like the rest of the family really does surprise everyone.
It looks like he is moving on and doing his own thing. Living in the Bahamas would make it where Bam Bam couldn't even meet up with his family very often and it would be shocking if they decided to go clear there to visit him and his girlfriend. There have been rumors also that they are married or at least planning to get married soon.
Are you surprised to hear that Bam Bam Brown is now living on a luxury yacht? Do you feel like he is a lot happier now that he has moved on? Sound off in the comments below on your thoughts. Hopefully, "Alaskan Bush People" will come back in the future even though it hasn't been revealed yet.
"Teen Mom OG" star Catelynn Lowell is not happy with MTV over their brand new spin-off titled, "Teen Mom New Jersey." Lowell took to her social media account on Wednesday afternoon to reveal her thoughts on the newest show in the franchise, and fans were immediately intrigued by her tweets.
Catelynn slams MTV for latest 'Teen Mom' show
Catelynn Lowell originally tweeted that MTV had "some bulls--t show up their sleeves" and fans immediately began to wonder what she was referring to. Some "OG" fans thought that perhaps Farrah Abraham may be getting her own spin-off series on the network, as viewers know that Catelynn and the rest of the cast, Maci Bookout and Amber Portwood have had major issues with Farrah in the past, and do not like her.
The feud has gotten so bad that all four of the women can't sit on stage together for reunions and aftershows any longer. Farrah will sit by herself on stage and the other three will often go on without her.
New show to be set in New Jersey
However, the new show isn't about Farrah Abraham, it's actually a "Teen Mom" spin-off set entirely in New Jersey. MTV has collected a group of young mothers from New Jersey and put them together for a new reality TV series. When news hit about the upcoming show, many fans immediately began comparing it to "The Real Housewives," where all of the cast members are from the same home state, and they interact together on a regular basis, which often creates a lot of drama for the cameras.
New MTV series has 'Real Housewives' vibes
When one fan called out the New Jersey spin-off, Catelynn Lowell revealed that "Teen Mom New Jersey" was the show she was talking about in her earlier post. Catelynn called the new spin-off "super fake" and revealed that the network is trying to make the newest installment of the franchise similar to the "Real Housewives" shows.
It seems that if things go well in New Jersey, fans could be seeing other "Teen Mom" spin-offs pop up in other states like New York, California, Atlanta, and more. However, not all fans are on board with the new look "Teen Mom," and have joined Catelynn in calling out MTV over their latest endeavor.
Will you watch?
Meanwhile, none of the other "TMOG" or "TM2" stars have yet to speak out about the new spin-off, but it appears that Catelynn Lowell is not happy about the latest reality creation from the network. "Teen Mom New Jersey" begins airing on MTV this fall. Will you watch?
"Days of our Lives spoilers for the end of the week reveal that one Salem citizen's life is going to be in serious danger. According to the latest "DOOL" news, Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus) will find herself in a very dangerous situation when she comes barreling in to Club TBD during a rough time in her life. Gabi will run into the club in a hurry carrying an over-sized orange purse. She won't be thinking of anything much, but will still be distraught over learning that Chad and Abigail are planning their wedding so soon after her split with Chad.
Gabi finds herself in a dangerous situation
It looks like Gabi will be in the wrong place at the wrong time when she enters TBD and walks right into a crime scene. Who will save Gabi now that she and Chad DiMera are officially over? Chad will be busy with Abigail, Sonny, and Paul as the two couples plan their big double wedding at Saint Luke's. While Chad will likely be absent, one person who is likely to save Gabi will be her other ex-boyfriend, JJ Deveraux. Although JJ is currently dating Lani, many "Days Of Our Lives" viewers believe that he and Gabi belong together, and that the NBC soap will be putting them back together in the near future. If JJ is there for Gabi now, it seems that she may be there to help him during a difficult time that he'll be having in the very near future, according to the latest spoilers.
Bonnie and Maggie clash
Meanwhile, Bonnie, posing as Adrienne, will move into the Kiriakis mansion with Justin, Maggie, Victor, Nicole, and Brady. However, "Adrienne" will immediately begin to get under Maggie's skin. As many "Days of our Lives" fans will remember, Bonnie and Maggie have a long history. Bonnie married Maggie's husband, Mickey, when everyone believed she had died.
When Maggie returned "from the dead" Mickey divorced Bonnie and left her heartbroken. Now, she's out for revenge. She's posing as Adrienne and she's ready to seek some vengeance on Maggie for what happened between them in the past, even though Mickey is long dead.
Rafe waits for evidence
All the while, "DOOL" fans will watch as Rafe learns that he'll soon be getting evidence from his brother Dario.
Dario has skipped town after he was supposed to go to witness protection if he gave up his partner in the counterfeiting scheme. However, things went wrong and Dario left town before giving up his partner, whom "Days of our Lives" viewers now know is Commissioner Raines. Dario will likely send word that Raines was his partner in crime, and Rafe, Hope, and Eli will finally be able to arrest him and set Abe Carver free from his jail cell.
Andre's therapy sessions goes wrong
"Days of Our Lives" fans will also see Hattie, posing as Marlena, have her first therapy session with Andre DiMera on Friday. The entire situation will get out of control, and Andre will find himself locked in Bayview with John and Marlena. It seems that Hattie is getting a bit reckless, and it could lead to her demise.
Alaskan Bush People is considered as one of the most popular reality shows on TV. The Brown family is popularly known for shunning the modern society to live a simple life in their isolated homestead.
However, new reports suggest that the entire show might be fake. One of Bill and Amis children, Joshua "Bam Bam" Brown, is allegedly living on a luxury boat.
Is Joshua staying on a lavish vessel with his girlfriend?
Rumors are rife that Bam Bam Brown is living with girlfriend Allison Kagan in a new luxury boat after he left the show last season. Radar Online leaked photos of the couples lavish lifestyle that includes an expensive vessel purchase and plans to move to the Bahamas.
An exclusively-obtained document by the news outlet suggests that Bam Bam bought the boat from a previous owner in Charleston, South Carolina. An unnamed source told the news outlet that the 100-foot-luxury boat was named Osprey.
"Josh and Allison first came to look at the boat in November," the same tipster revealed to Radar Online. "He told the owner that he was in the production business."
The insider added that Bam Bam Brown even confessed to the owner his plans to travel to the Bahamas to restore the vessel since it was partly dented. Osprey is reportedly docked at the Cooper Marina in Charleston, South Carolina as of late.
The allegations came a week after the Brown family was reportedly sighted living in a posh hotel in Beverly Hills.
Photos of Billy, Ami and their children staying in an opulent mansion near the Malibu beach were also leaked earlier this month.
While these claims could possibly be true, it should be noted that Discovery has yet to confirm or deny these rumors. Therefore, avid followers of the Alaskan Bush People show should take these speculations lightly until everything is proven true and correct.
Ami Brown opens up about her fragile health
Meanwhile, Ami Brown finally shared her feelings about her battle with cancer. While everything has been very difficult for her and for the family lately, the matriarch claimed she prefers not to be anxious about her situation as she puts everything in Gods hands.
Since the stage 3b lung cancer diagnosis in June, Amis weight dropped from 128 lbs.
to 89.4 lbs. The Alaskan Bush People star kept her hopes high even after the doctor already gave her a three percent survival rate.
"Bill and the kids are very loving and supportive. They're all worried. I tell them, don't worry, Ami Brown said during the June 28 episode. "Please don't worry. Be happy... keep the faith. Good or bad, it's God's will, and we'll walk that road," the Brown matriarch went on.
Alaskan Bush People Season 7 concluded last week and recent reports suggest that the Brown family is already filming for the series eighth installment in Colorado. Stay tuned for more spoilers, news, and updates!
According to a recent article published on the Forbes website, the smartphone giant Samsung is preparing to give a final touch to its latest masterpiece. If the usual classification pattern by the Samsung is applied, the name given to the upcoming smartphone will be Galaxy J7+ or simply J7.
Features of the new smartphone by Samsung will be decreased as compared to the Note 8 or Galaxy S8, but the phone will have dual rare camera setup. However, the price of the phone will be quite reasonable and affordable to those who cannot have the 8th series by Samsung.
The upcoming phone will be the lowest cost dual rare camera smartphone by Samsung.
Expected specifications of J7+ or Galaxy J7+
A full HD resolution will be offered with 5.5 inches AMOLED display
An Octa Core processor with four cores of 1.69 GHz while the other four of 2.39 GHz
An internal storage of 32 GB (Extendable up to 132 GB by micro SD) with the RAM of 4 GB
of 32 GB (Extendable up to 132 GB by micro SD) with the RAM of 4 GB Battery is expected to be 3000 mAH
Two of the rare cameras will be 13 mega pixels and 5 megapixels respectively
and 5 megapixels respectively Selfie camera (Front camera) will be of 16 megapixels
However, if these leaked details go flatter, the display in J7 plus will be of a decreased resolution and lacking the "infinity display" as we saw in Note 8 and Galaxy S8. If you are considering to have Note 8's features in price that might be around $ 500-650, you need to revise your perception because this device will not be having a 2x zoom like we had in Note 8.
Samsung: fresh ideas and brilliant designs
Well, no matter what it may comes with but the J and A series by Samsung are known because of the fabulous value they deliver. The J and A series by the Samsung were great pieces by the smartphone giant that came with an entirely reasonable price. Moreover, until now the Samsung corporation does not seem frustrated with the designs and ideas.
The South Korean giant always came with new masterpieces whenever the speculations went viral that the company has nothing more to offer. The biggest setback for Samsung was the last year's Note 7 reversal. Note 7's mess up did tremendous damage to the company's goodwill and also the financials. However, Samsung came with Note 8 and Galaxy S8 this year to compete with iPhone 8.
In some other regions, Samsung is aiming with a smartphone named as C 10. Samsung's C series is not available in the US, but there are rumors that this smartphone also has a dual rare camera setup. Moreover, in the US the J series by Samsung - sold along the S 8 at AT&T and T-Mobile - are the GSM phones.
Sony is rumored to take to this years IFA platform with the intention of introducing its Xperia line-up of smartphones. The list includes Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact, and Xperia X1. The Xperia XZ1 will serve as Sonys flagship offering. IFA, 2017 is going to take place on 31st August in Berlin.
XZ1 spotted online
As reported by Gadgets Now, the Sony flagship was recently spotted on benchmarking website, Geek Bench. The listing provided on the website revealed significant details regarding the Xperia XZ1. The device can be seen as carrying the Sony G8541 model number.
It has also been revealed that the firm might introduce two variants of this smartphone. One will fall in the high-end category, while the other will be a considerably lower version. According to BGR, citing information offered through an unidentified leak, Sony is planning on introducing additional color options with its flagship offering. The leaked images revealed that the Xperia XZ1 would feature volume rocker buttons on its right-hand side.
Everything you should know
A dedicated camera button for that triggers pictures for both front and rear cameras are seen on the left-hand side. This is further accompanied by the power button as well. The fingerprint scanner is situated on the front panel, under the physical home button.
Sony hasnt ridden its smartphone of the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the basis of previous leaks pointed by Pocket-Lint, the Xperia XZ1 will sport a 5.2-inch full HD display with 1080 pixels. The display is further protected by Cornings Gorilla Glass 5. The handset is going to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.
Users will also be provided with a microSD card-slot option, to expand its memory up to 256GB ROM. It is also being suggested by Gadgetox that the Sony Xperia XZ1 will run Android Oreo out-of-the-box. There is no word on the pricing bit as of yet.
Several key details regarding Sonys XZ1 Compact had also recently surfaced online.
Prominent leaker, Roland Quandt took to Twitter to post details about the handset. He suggested that the smartphone will be made available in four color variants including Pink, Silver, Blue and Black. The same color variants will also be introduced with Sony XZ1 flagship as well. The company is further rumored to settle with minimal bezels this time around.
BEIJING - China's social security funds have maintained a stable balance in the first half (H1) of this year, with both revenue and expenditure seeing fast growth, the country's finance minister said Tuesday.
The total balance of social security funds stood at 7.36 trillion yuan ($1.11 trillion) by the end of June this year, said Finance Minister Xiao Jie at a five-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee that opened Monday.
Revenue of the funds increased 28.8 percent to 3.14 trillion yuan in H1, while expenditure climbed 23.8 percent to 2.47 trillion yuan, he said.
Xiao attributed the rise in both revenue and expenditure partly to the reform on the pension system of government agencies and institutions, which some provinces launched this year.
He also said that fiscal authorities have been implementing proactive policies, ensuring stable fiscal operations. In the first seven months, national general public budget revenue increased 10 percent to 11.08 trillion yuan, while expenditure climbed 14.5 percent to 11.7 trillion yuan.
Weather, other factors to determine how to proceed with Donglang building
China will plan the construction of infrastructure in Donglang as "actual circumstances" allow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday, adding that Chinese border troops are continuing to patrol and defend the area.
"We will make an overall assessment of the weather conditions and all related factors, and according to the actual circumstances complete construction plans for the Donglang area," Hua said at a daily news briefing.
China has long been constructing infrastructure, including roads, in Donglang to meet the needs of border defense and to improve the performance and living conditions for local troops and civilians, Hua said.
All Indian personnel and equipment withdrew from Donglang about 2:30 pm on Monday, Chinese officials at the scene confirmed. On June 18, the Indian troops illegally crossed into the Sikkim sector of the China-India border to stop China from building a road, triggering tensions that lasted more than two months.
The Sikkim sector, a delimited part of the China-India boundary, was defined in the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet, which was signed in 1890.
Hu Shisheng, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said stable ties between China and India are needed.
"Even though the standoff lasted about 70 days, the two mature, large countries didn't give up diplomatic efforts," Hu said, adding that the solution of the incident shows that the power of peace has triumphed.
Hu said the withdrawal has shown that India is aware of the legitimacy of China's infrastructure construction in Donglang, which is within China's sovereignty, and that India needs to reflect on its illegal trespass and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Xinhua News Agency said in a commentary it was the "correct choice" for India to withdraw, and "it is expected that India will continue its correct attitude and work with China to put China-India ties on a healthy track".
"For China and India, close neighbors and the world's two largest emerging economies, their common interests far outweigh their disputes," it said.
In another development, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ninth BRICS Summit, which will be held in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sept 3 to 5.
A look inside an Atlas Survival Shelter. The Montebello, California-based company says it expects to sell hundreds this year. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
US President Donald Trump warned that "all options" are again on the table on Tuesday after Pyongyang tested another ballistic missile in three days, this time a rare firing of a projectile over mainland Japan.
The new firing has triggered consternation on the ground, causing sirens blaring in Japanese towns, stocks to dip on Wall Street, and diplomats from Seoul and Beijing to Moscow to call for either further sanctions or more restraints.
But what can an average citizen - not president - do under the apocalyptic threat of a missile or nuclear war? Among a myriad of answers, the headline on a news story caught my attention: "Bomb shelter business booms as Trump and North Korea posture'.'
The escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula has raised the specter of nuclear attack, which has given rise to bomb shelter business booms in the US and elsewhere, according to a story from the McClatchy news agency in Washington.
Ron Hubbard, president of Atlas Survival Shelters in Montebello, California, which produces what it touts to be the "only bunkers tested against the effects of a nuclear bomb", said he expects to sell at least "1,000 big bomb shelters and tornado shelters combined" this year, compared with 10 bomb shelters in 2011.
"The rise in shelters (sales and inquires) has increased in both America and Japan", Hubbard told China Daily on Tuesday. He said there were no customers in China but a few inquiries from South Korea.
Another company, Rising S Bunkers in Murchison, Texas, has sold 67 bomb shelters this year, mostly to Japan, compared to just nine for all of 2016, according to the McClatchy report on Sunday.
Hubbard is arguably right to claim that "shelters are the only solution to the crisis and there is nothing else a person can do except take shelter if a bomb comes in".
But the question is not only how many people can afford the luxury, or how many such bunkers are enough. It is a simple one: Is it a solution that most rational people would resort to?, not to mention the nuclear fallout and the environment the lucky few survivors would have to face after walking out of their special underground quarters.
Instead of putting humans in a cage, we need to cage the beast, so that we can wander the safari park with ease.
Back to the reality on the Korean Peninsula, the root cause for the current war rhetoric of the leadership, the panic among the masses, and the impulse for some to own a shelter, is that we have seen a cycle of endless nuclear tests, missile launches and military drills.
Each party has its own legitimate security concerns. Pyongyang vows to never give up its weapons programs, or what it says is its right to take "tough counter-measures" against hostility from the United States and its allies, particularly the ongoing annual US-ROK military exercises on the peninsula.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday said that "enough is enough," while Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said: "It's troubling, because tensions are high and whose nerves are stronger, we don't know."
Beijing, which Washington has repeatedly tried to woo for more influence on Pyongyang, has attempted to come up with a suspension-for-suspension proposal, which calls for the suspension of nuclear and missile activities by Pyongyang, and the suspension of massive military exercises by Washington and Seoul.
Chinese diplomats in Beijing and beyond have said such a dual-track approach accommodates the legitimate security concerns of all parties, serves to bring the sides back to the negotiating table and would seek a balanced and comprehensive solution through dialogue and negotiation while ensuring long-term peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.
Hours after Pyongyang fired the latest test missile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing: "I suggest you think about the scenario when China calls for restraint, calmness and dialogue, while directly concerned parties keep conducting military exercises and ratcheting up military pressure, against the background of flying missiles launched by another party.
"Then, who should take the blame and who should do more?" Hua asked.
"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants," exclaimed US World War II General Omar Bradley, who once oversaw the US military's policymaking during the Korean War. "We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living."
The US is now grappling with and recovering from the natural catastrophe of Hurricane Harvey, which killed at least 11 people and paralyzed Houston. The fourth most-populous US city has opened more mega-shelters to house flooded families.
Let's forget the bomb shelters for now and go all out to prevent man-made disasters.
Zhang Yingying's father responds to doubts.
The family of missing Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying wrote an open letter on Tuesday responding to questions over the use of donations they have received. In the letter, the family addressed the 11 most raised questions by the public regarding the family's living conditions, plans and the use of funds raised.
"We will open a blog to keep the public updated about how we use the fundraising money and respond to comments on the GoFundMe page," the family wrote. GoFundMe.com is an online crowdfunding platform.
Family members indicated that they had no intention of immigrating to the United States. And some of them will return to China to save on living expenses, but they will make sure at least one of them stays in the US to search for Yingying and help with the FBIs investigation.
Zhang Yingying's boyfriend (L) and families still in sorrow
They stated that the reason for a fundraising goal of $50,000 is to hire a private investigator in the case, because the FBI has yet to have any breakthroughs on Yingying's whereabouts. They estimated the cost for such a private investigation as between $500,000 and $1 million.
Zhang, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois, has been missing since June 9. Brendt Christensen, a former graduate student at the university, has been charged with kidnapping in her disappearance. A US District Court trial has been scheduled for Feb 27.
Beijing has pointed out the urgency of resuming peaceful dialogue to end the ongoing "vicious circle" on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang fired a missile that passed over Japan on Tuesday.
The missile, fired from an area near Pyongyang, landed in the Pacific Ocean after a flight of about 2,500 kilometers, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The launch was carried out amid ongoing joint military drills between the United States and the Republic of Korea on the peninsula.
Afterward, both Washington and Tokyo urged applying more pressure to Pyongyang, and, in Beijing, the Foreign Ministry called for all parties concerned to exercise restraint and treat the situation with a cool head.
"Indeed, the current situation is approaching a tipping point toward a crisis as well as a turning point that marks the opening of a gate for peaceful talks," ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news conference in Beijing.
After the launch, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, and they agreed that now is not the right time for dialogue with the DPRK and that, instead, increased pressure is necessary.
Trump said Washington stands 100 percent behind Japan, Kyodo News reported.
In response, Hua said the peninsula issue cannot ultimately be resolved simply by imposing pressure and sanctions, and the only right way to resolve it is to address the reasonable security concerns of all parties concerned through dialogue.
"Only by doing so can the vicious circle among the nuclear tests, missile launches (by Pyongyang) and military drills (by the US and the ROK) be terminated fundamentally," Hua said.
In response to the launch, fighter jets of the Republic of Korea conducted a live-fire drill on Tuesday in the northeastern part of the country.
Zhang Liangui, an expert in Korean studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Tuesdays missile launch further violated UN Security Council resolutions.
The danger is reaching a peak, and it is also dangerous for Washington and its allies to lose patience with peacefully resolving the issue, Zhang said. It is more necessary than ever to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions, Zhang said.
This month, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution toughening sanctions on the DPRK following Pyongyangs tests in July of what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile.
China calls for the parties concerned to pay equal attention to the part of the resolution that pushes for resumption of Six-Party Talks to help ease the tension while pressing ahead with the resolutions section on sanctions on the DPRK, Hua said.
Zhu Feng, dean of School of International Relations of Nanjing University, said the crisis in August should be used as a chance to end the peninsula impasse.
Otherwise the chance for any further breakthrough will be even smaller as the situation reaches the tipping point, Zhu said.
Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
Tunnel exit on US-Mexico border with a ladder inside. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Twenty-three Chinese people, including two women, and seven Mexicans, including three women, have been arrested by US Border Patrol agents after they had came out of a tunnel near the Otay Mesa port of entry in San Diego, California.
"Out of the group of 23 Chinese nationals, 22 were from the province of Fujian, and one was from the province of Guandong," Ralph DeSio, a press officer with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), told China Daily in an email.
Their ages range from 17 to 46 years old, according to DeSio.
So far it is not clear how they made contact with the smugglers, also known as "snakeheads" among Chinese people, and how much they paid the snakeheads. The 30 people are now in border patrol custody pending further questioning.
The agents encountered several people at the site early Saturday morning. Then they searched the area and discovered a crude opening in the ground with a ladder inside.
The tunnel began in Tijuana, Mexico, more than 300 feet south of the US-Mexico border, though the authority has not yet been able to determine its length.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force, led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, is currently on scene investigating and the probe into the newly discovered tunnel remains ongoing.
While subterranean tunnels are not a new occurrence along the California-Mexico border, they are more commonly utilized by transnational criminal organizations to smuggle narcotics, according to CBP.
And while the CBP has also identified instances where such tunnels were used to smuggle people, it came as a surprise that Chinese people were involved.
Smuggling Chinese across the southern US border is more lucrative than smuggling individuals from Mexico or Central America, according to a 2016 article in the San Diego Union Tribune.
A longer journey means more arrangements the criminal organizations have to make and steeper prices - the rate per person is believed to be somewhere between $50,000 and $70,000.
Border Patrol agents in San Diego stopped approximately 663 immigrants from China over the eight-month period ending May 2016, compared with 48 Chinese nationals in the previous fiscal year.
The smuggling of Chinese into the US by sea has not been a common phenomenon over the past few decades.
The family of missing Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying wrote an open letter on Tuesday responding to questions over the use of donations they have received. In the letter, the family addressed the 11 questions most often raised by the public regarding the family's living conditions, plans and the use of funds raised.
After the Zhang's family arrived on June 17, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by the university to help the family with expenses during the search. The fundraising target was raised from $150,000 to $500,000 on Aug 3.
According to the fundraising page, about 3,300 people have contributed more than $150,000 to date. Some donors have questioned the rising goal and voiced concerns about how the money is being used.
"The fund raising target increased from 15K to 30K to 50K to 100K to 150K and to 500K in just over a month without any explanations," netizen Nina Lawyer commented on the GoFundMe page. "The fundraising purpose was changed from searching for Yingying to supporting her family without letting everyone know."
"We will open a blog to keep the public updated about how we use the fundraising money and respond to comments on the GoFundMe page," the family wrote in the letter.
They stated that the reason for a fundraising goal of $500,000 is to hire a private investigator in the case because the FBI has yet to have any breakthroughs on Yingying's whereabouts. They estimate the cost for such a private investigation to be between $500,000 and $1 million.
Family members also indicated that they had no intention of immigrating to the United States. Some say they will return to China to save on living expenses, but they will make sure at least one of them stays in the US to search for Yingying and help with the FBI's investigation.
In the letter, the family explained in detail that $900 of the funds was for visa application fees; $2,061 was for the family's travel ($390 for the mother, father, brother and aunt's train tickets from Nanping to Beijing and $1,671 for the father, boyfriend and aunt's airplane tickets from Beijing to Chicago); $50,000 was designated as a reward for any person who provides clues in the case; and $4,815 for legal fees.
"Our primary goal is still to find Yingying, and we won't use the funds for other reasons than that," the family wrote in the letter. "Living in the US is very expensive, we are trying our best to save money for searching for Yingying. Her aunt has already returned to China on Aug 28 after the mother arrived."
Zhang, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois, has been missing since June 9. Brendt Christensen, a former graduate student at the university, has been charged with kidnapping in her disappearance. A US District Court trial has been scheduled for Feb 27.
The BRICS Summit to be held in China next week will play a positive role in shaping the global system, especially in time of retreat by advanced economies such as the United States, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The report by the Standard Bank, which is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, said the BRICS have an opportunity to assume a bolder global leadership role after two years of sliding fortunes, referring to the stagnant economies of some of its members.
BRICS includes the five major emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The report said that the BRICS' heads of state will meet from Sept 3-5 in Xiamen, China, for the 9th annual summit, with their challenges in mind. "There remains clear and growing space for the BRICS to continue to nurture the enthusiasm and developing world emphasis that their formation arose to represent," said the report titled BRICS 2017 - Poised for New Relevance.
The proportionate global relevance of the BRICS has continued to rise. The BRICS' collective share of global GDP increased from 16 percent in 2009 to 22 percent in 2016. Over the past decade the BRICS have accounted for nearly 50 percent of the world's GDP growth, according to the report.
India and China are the two fastest-growing large economies in the world. The two governments on Monday announced an end of their 70-day border standoff following Indian border troops incursion into China's territory. On Tuesday, Indian External Affairs Ministry confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China.
According to a February report by the PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the top seven world economies in terms of purchasing power parity by 2050 will be, in order, China, India, US, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia and Mexico, four of which are current BRICS countries.
The Standard Bank report noted that the BRICS are still a collectively profound trading partner for developing economies in general and Africa in particular. It said the recent declines in BRICS-Africa trade must be seen with the context of a far more profound drop-off of US-Africa trade since 2012.
The report praised the functioning of the Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) as a concrete progress from past BRICS summits. NDB aims to provide an alternative
source of financial support and infrastructure financing for the BRICS and other emerging economies.
"Rhetorical and practical retreat by key advanced economies, in particular the US, from their commitment to global multilateral agreements on, for instance, climate change; as well as a recent rise in economic nationalism and protectionism provides the BRICS with the opportunity to boldly assume a new and profoundly constructive global leadership role in championing these same causes," the report said.
In a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, on Aug 22, US President Donald Trump praised himself for withdrawing the US from the "disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership" and "job-killing Paris Climate Accord".
And he said if the US cannot make a deal, it will probably terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
By Wang Linyan at The United Nations and Zhang Yunbi in Beijing | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-08-30 11:32
China on Tuesday highlighted the urgency of resuming peaceful dialogue to end the ongoing "vicious circle" on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan.
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday adopted a presidential statement by consensus, condemning the "outrageous" missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and demanding that Pyongyang cease such actions and comply with all relevant council resolutions.
The Security Council said it was of "vital importance" that DPRK take "immediate, concrete" actions to reduce tensions on the peninsula and beyond. It called on all states to implement all UN sanctions related to the DPRK strictly and fully.
Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, called on the DPRK to follow council resolutions and on all parties to refrain from any actions that might exacerbate the situation.
Resolution 2371 (2017) called for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and pledged to seek a political and peaceful solution, Liu said.
"The dual-track approach proposed by China was a relevant option for such a solution," he said, reiterating China's support for the peninsula's denuclearization and its opposition to "any chaos or war" there.
He said any military escalation - including the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems - would increase tensions and undermine the security of the region, including China's.
The DPRK confirmed Wednesday that it test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile Tuesday to counter the ongoing US-Republic of Korea (ROK) joint military drills, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the launch from a military base in the capital Pyongyang, reported Xinhua, citing the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The missile, fired from an area near Pyongyang, landed in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Hokkaido after a flight of about 2,500 kilometers (about 1,550 miles).
Afterward, both Washington and Tokyo urged applying more pressure to Pyongyang, and, in Beijing, the Foreign Ministry called for all parties concerned to exercise restraint and treat the situation with cool heads.
"Indeed, the current situation is approaching a tipping point toward a crisis as well as a turning point that marks the opening of a gate for peaceful talks," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news conference in Beijing.
US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that all options are on the table for the United States to respond to DPRK's latest test-fire.
"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table," Trump said in a statement.
Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed over the phone that now is not the right time for dialogue with the DPRK and that increased pressure is necessary, the White House said.
In response, Hua said that the peninsula issue cannot ultimately be resolved simply by imposing pressure and sanctions, and the only right way to resolve it is to address the reasonable security concerns of all parties through dialogue.
"Only by doing so can the vicious circle among the nuclear tests, missile launches (by Pyongyang) and military drills (by the US and the ROK) be terminated fundamentally," Hua said.
In response, ROK fighter jets conducted a live-fire drill on Tuesday in the northeastern part of the country.
Zhang Liangui, an expert in Korean studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Tuesday's missile launch further violated UN Security Council resolutions.
This month, the council unanimously adopted a resolution toughening sanctions on the DPRK following Pyongyang's tests in July of what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Relations at Nanjing University, said the crisis in August should be used as an opportunity to end the peninsula impasse.
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HA NOI Movenpick Hotels & Resorts Group plans to expand in Viet Nam, said its executive committee in Ha Noi on Wednesday.
As part of its Grand Tour of Asia, including Viet Nam, Oliver Chavy, chairman of the group said Viet Nam is strategically importance strategy for the group because the country is one of the regions highest growth potential hospitality market and has strong development prospects.
The group plans to open Movenpick Resort Cam Ranh with 250 rooms, 100 residences and 100 villas in 2018, in Phu Quoc with 330 rooms in 2019, in Quy Nhon, a Nang and Quang Binh in 2020.
During their visit to Viet Nam, the committee met company colleagues and local hotel owners and visited locations of upcoming properties. VNS
A trailblazer in bringing Cognitive Computing to enterprises and organisations in Viet Nam through its partnership with IBM, Five9 has been investing heavily in training, both domestically and overseas. Returning from an IBM Design Thinking Workshop in London recently, Five9 chairman Nguyen Trong Huan spoke to the press about the companys strategy for Cognitive Computing training and application in Viet Nam.
This is a technology that is not just new to Viet Nam but the world over. Can you tell us about the four months of Five9s partnership with IBM?
Understanding that human resources pose the greatest challenge in introducing this new technology to Viet Nam, and given that artificial intelligence and big data technologies are still very new even in advanced countries, we targeted training at the outset as a core activity component that we need to fast-track and concentrate our efforts on.
Only four months after signing the deal, Five9 has been working closely with IBM and other business partners to deliver many advanced training opportunities on the Bluemix system and Watson API for faculty members of colleges participating in the twinning program, and professionals from member companies in the partnership, with strong support from IBM senior experts from the US.
Furthermore, we have been holding major workshops on cognitive computing training and practice for technology students from eight different universities and institutes in Ha Noi.
In addition to training, we have also pressed ahead with education to promote use of artificial intelligence in healthcare through workshops we jointly held with local health organisations and regulatory authorities.
Five9 is reportedly the first Vietnamese firm to attend the IBM Design Thinking Workshop in London that gathered the world top professionals in the Cognitive Computing and Finance fields. Can you tell us something about this training course?
Indeed, Five9 was the first Vietnamese company to participate in this training opportunity and we have received support from IBMs top finance and technology experts in the search for our own solutions.
The IBM Design Thinking Workshop is a training program on problem-solving, understanding users and markets, and exploring new ideas, which IBM designed specifically for Five9 and the Vietnamese market.
Participants in the training were a collection of business stakeholders, customers and technology practitioners, among others, who sat down and discussed every detail relating to issues of interest and objectives, as well as approaches and ways to solve problems and put together solutions that best fit Viet Nam.
What problems did Five9 take to this Design Thinking Workshop (DTW) to find an answer for?
One particular problem statement that we brought to IBM Design Thinking Workshop this time is Credit Score using social network information. Credit scoring is a very potential yet difficult area in Banking and Finance industry. This is also a very risky area if we dont have stable and reliable solutions for it. Social network data, artificial intelligence open source and bold ideas are not enough. To prepare for the DTW in London, Five9 spent 3 months gathering information and data to be ready.
We have received tremendous and professional support from IBM and world class financial experts during the workshop. Were now focusing on deploying and testing the services to officially offer to clients in October, 2017.
I think that solving these problems will benefit a large part of the population, especially in the developing world, and allow middle-income countries, including Vietnam, access microcredit from banks and other financial institutions quickly, efficiently and at reasonable costs.
Obviously, cognitive computing presents a major opportunity for countries like Viet Nam as they seek breakthroughs in various sectors. Can you shed light on Five9s strategy to bring this to use in real life?
In the foreseeable future, Five9 will continue to build up our training base to create a quality Vietnamese workforce specializing in cognitive computing. We plan to adop DTW model firstly to our ecosystem of products to create cohension and mutual support among them. Later, we may carry this DTW model to assist other businesses in Viet Nam in recognising and solving their problems.
We will also increase co-operation with our business partners and customers to unveil various cognitive computing products. Importantly, in the very near future, Five9 will enter into a really big deal with IBM to become the first Vietnamese firm to bring an advanced technology supported cancer diagnosis equipment into the country.
With Five9s continuous efforts and valued cooperation from our business partners, we hope to put artificial intelligence systems to efficient uses in multiple fields, to help promote economic development and quality of living in the country and beyond. VNS
HA NOI The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has expressed its disagreement with certain incentive mechanisms for businesses and individuals working in special economic zones in three provinces.
These mechanisms are stated in the recently-issued Draft Law on Special Administrative Economic Units. The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has prepared the law for submission to the Government and the National Assembly.
Under the draft law, the MPI proposes many preferential policies on land and taxes to enhance the ability to attract investment capital, especially foreign-invested capital, in three special administrative -- economic units of Van on in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Bac Van Phong in the southern province of Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc in the southern province of Kien Giang.
The MoF has objected to the drafts Clause 3 of Article 16, which proposes regulations allowing domestic economic organisations and foreign-invested economic organisations to mortgage their assets attached to land at foreign credit institutions and be entitled to the transfer of land use right directly from an organisation or individual having land use right to implement an investment project as a domestic economic organisation.
The ministry proposed that the MPI remove this incentive as mortgaged assets will be recovered by the credit institution and sold to recover the debt if the borrower cannot pay the debt. Thus, by allowing economic organisations to have land use right to mortgage the loan, then if they go bankrupt, the credit institution will not be able to handle mortgaged assets.
The draft also stipulates a 10 per cent preferential reduction of land use fees for foreign invested enterprises and Vietnamese residing overseas that are allocated land to implement investment projects for construction of residential housing for purposes of sale or for sale and lease.
However, the MoF proposed that the MPI re-consider this as the reduction of 10 per cent of the land use fee only benefits the buyers, so this policy will have little impact on production and business activities.
The MoF is also opposed to the MPIs proposal to set up state funds outside the budget in the special economic zones, such as the Development Investment Fund and the Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Fund. The ministry explained the objection by quoting the Prime Minister as saying the funds should only be set up when necessary.
MoF disagrees with the idea of allowing overspending in revenue of the special economic zone as only budgets at central and provincial levels are permitted to overspend.
The ministry said the MPI should keep the special consumption tax imposed on casino and betting games at 35 and 30 per cent, instead of decreasing them to 25 per cent and 21 per cent under the proposal, adding that this is an indirect tax on types of goods and services which should limit consumption. VNS
Gary Gan, director of the Compliance program for Asia-Pacific, BSA. Photo ictnews.vn
HA NOI Bolstering intellectual property (IP) rights enforcement, including computer software, is high on the Governments agenda, as part of its efforts to uphold international IP rights commitments it has made.
The Viet Nam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA) and the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in co-operation with the Software Alliance (BSA), held a workshop titled Opportunities for businesses to explore legally and efficiently using software in Ha Noi on Tuesday.
In his opening remarks, VIPA Chairman Mai Ha said that "As Viet Nam integrates internationally, compliance with international laws becomes more imperative".
"This requires businesses, in particular, to closely adhere to laws and observe fair competition rules," he added.
On having a workshop gathering both software corporate users and software companies, Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, VCCI General Secretary, said that actually, many businesses were unaware that most current software companies like PTC, Microsoft, Autodesk, Siemens and others have various policies in place to help businesses use software efficiently.
As cybersecurity attacks targeting major Vietnamese organisations and businesses are increasing, Gary Gan, director of the Compliance program for Asia-Pacific, BSA, underscored that there was strong connection between the use of illegal or unlicensed software and malware attacks or cyberattacks.
The first advice for Vietnamese businesses is to use licensed software. This enables you to have the latest patches from the software companies, regardless of which ones you use whether it is Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk, etc. This will allow you to first of all be quick in identifying a cyberattack when it happens and able to deal with it effectively.
The director also detailed the Software Asset Management toolkit that allows companies or businesses to conduct an assessment of the software they have.
What that means is traditionally, when people think of software, they think it is the responsibility of the management or IT manager. But I would say that now with everyone using mobile phones, laptops and the internet, everyone has access to different types of software, so everyone needs to know what theyre using, how theyre using it, what risks theyre exposing themselves to, and when theres an instance of an attack, how to identify it quickly and again, be able to deal with it effectively, he said.
Addressing the workshop, Tran Van Minh, Deputy Inspector General, Ministry of Culture-Sports-Tourism, said that inspection efforts indicated that violation of ownership rights and related rights was still going on, abusing the rights and interests of both domestic and foreign rightful owners, and compromising innovation, economic-cultural-social development of the nation, and its progress of global integration.
The causes of this mostly come from a lack of awareness, understanding, and particularly a culture of adherence to ownership rights and related rights by relevant organisations and individuals, or inability to recognise the gravity of the problem, he added.
Minh also said that in 10 years of the Intellectual Property Law being in effect, from 2006 to 2016, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture-Sports-Tourism audited 541 businesses, inspected 27,602 computers, and imposed administrative fines worth VN8.61 billion (US$377.7 million).
Inspection activities took place at 55 businesses, with VN1.38 billion in administrative fines levied in the first eight months of this year alone.
Enforcement and protection of ownerships and related rights, and ownership rights for computer software in particular, are one of the biggest concerns that require special attention from businesses. Without adequate awareness, businesses may face adverse implications on their operations and challenges in their integration attempts, Minh accentuated.
In addition to being able to steer clear of legal risks, probably the most important benefit of using licensed software is that it can improve efficiency and information security for businesses.
Reports from the Viet Nam Computer Emergency Response Team from 2016 show a total of 134,375 cyberattacks, 4.2 times higher than in 2015. In the first half of 2017 alone, Vietnamese websites were victims to more than 6,000 instances of cyberattacks. VNS
HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue met with Chairman of The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) Jens Ruebbert yesterday to discuss bilateral trade and upcoming economic co-operation.
Hue praised EuroChams efforts in advocating trade collaboration between Viet Nam and the European Union (EU). The Deputy PM stressed the effectiveness of EuroChams policy suggestions, notably in increasing business competitiveness and improving corporate legal framework.
These propositions coincide with the Vietnamese governments commitment to enhancing the business environment and national competitiveness.
Namely, EuroCham published their 2017 Whitebook to detail issues affecting European businesses in Viet Nam and participated in dialogues and policy consultation with the Vietnamese government, especially during the recent biannual 2017 Vietnam Business Forum.
The Vietnamese government considers EuroCham the driving force behind Viet Nam European Union trade and investment collaboration, said Hue.
Deputy MP Hue and Ruebbert discussed issues relating to Vietnamese animal quarantine regulations, as well as rules and standards for dairy products exported to Europe, as well as pharmaceutical products and alcohol and spirits tariffs from the EU to Viet Nam in the future.
The Vietnamese government plans to instruct the corresponding departments to cut customs inspections procedures by half, as well as publicise the procedures, standards and requirements for European firms as well as other foreign businesses operating in Viet Nam, said Hue.
Hue also expressed his delight in members of the EuroChams positive attitude towards Viet Nams business environment and suggested they help provide Vietnamese policy makers with knowledge of European firms operating in Viet Nam, in order to keep the government well informed and alert of market fluctuations so as to make necessary policy adjustments.
EuroCham Chairman Ruebbert told the Vietnamese delegates that both sides should hasten the signing process of the Viet Nam EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and that EuroCham would strive to advocate the agreement before the European Council for the benefits of both sides.
The Deputy PM asserted that in the near future, the two sides should carefully revise legal procedures before reaching an agreement on the EVFTA, which means the voice of EuroCham and other European firms in Viet Nam would carry even more weight in helping Viet Nam.
Hue promised that the Vietnamese government would improve administrative procedure reconstruction, in order to cut down on production costs for businesses and reduce trade fraud and harm toward consumers.
According to Ruebbert, European firms appreciate the results of the Vietnamese governments efforts in policy improvement to establish a transparent business environment. In addition to the 2017 Whitebook publication, they expressed their interest in green and sustainable economic growth, as well as in the upcoming Vietnamese diplomatic Bluebook.
Viet Nam hopes to become the EUs largest trade partner in ASEAN with the EVFTA coming into effect in 2018, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that in 2016, year on year bilateral trade turnover between Viet Nam and the EU grew by 8.93 per cent to US$45.07 billion. The number expanded by 16.2 per cent in the first half of 2017, with expectations of reaching $100 billion worth of annual trade turnover in the near future.
Of the figure, Viet Nams exports to the EU rose 4.2 per cent, exporting mostly apparel, footwear, agro-forestry-aquatic products and computers, while its imports from the EU rose 14 per cent, including machinery, equipment, pharmaceuticals and dairy products. VNS
HA NOI The Viet NamLaos trade and tourism fair 2017 has been kicked off in the northern province of Son La on Tuesday.
The event is one of the activities being organised under the framework of the ethnic festival of Son La Provinces Moc Chau District in 2017.
The fair is a significantly political, economic and social event that contributes to the friendship and cooperation between the local people of Son La and the northern provinces of Laos.
It is also an opportunity for enterprises in Son La Province and northern Laos provinces to seek information, opportunities, potentials, customers, as well as business partners, to expand their trade relations.
It features 140 booths set up by exhibitors from Vietnamese firms and Laos Houaphanh and Luang Prabang provinces.
At this fair, there are two booths to promote the cultural and tourism products of the ethnic people in Son La Province. They introduce to visitors the potentials, advantages and the cultural beauty of the province.
The event will go on until September 4. VNS
HA NOI Asia will be a new market for Viet Nams shrimp industry in the future, said Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) in HCM City on Tuesday.
The notice was released following a VASEP report showing the countrys significant growth in shrimp exports to China, South Korea, Japan and ASEAN.
In the first seven months of this year, the countrys exports to China increased 40 per cent compared with the same period last year. It also saw growth of 35.2 per cent to Japan and 27.4 per cent to South Korea.
Taking evidence from a UN report on the outlook for global urbanisation by 2025, EU market expert Carson Blake Roper said most large cities with large populations are in Asia, which will boasts a quickly growing middle-class.
The demand for products with high protein content, especially shrimp and fish, is increasing. This region has also signed up to many new free trade agreements, which will be a foundation to push up local trade, said Carson.
Chairman of Minh Phu Seafood Group Corporation (MPC) Le Van Quang said the consumption of shrimp in Asia would rapidly increase in the next few years. During which, China would take the lead in consumption because the countrys shrimp raising area was currently narrow. A number of shrimp raising areas had been marked off to become residential areas, while diseases in shrimp had not yet been controlled causing the local output of shrimp to fall while demand is expected to increase.
The demand for shrimp in Japan and South Korea are also on an upwards trend, said Quang.
However, to meet the demand of such markets, insiders said that Vietnamese shrimp producers needed to build detailed strategies for every market. Specifically, it is necessary to pay attention to the trends and habits of consumers in order to issue specific plans to develop business effectively.
Carson said Vietnamese businesses needed to build a supply chain and cold storage system in Asia. If they did not have suitable infrastructure, it would prove difficult for them to compete with rivals and sales efficiency would be low.
Diversification of shrimp products
Businesses are urging shrimp breeders to diversify the size of shrimp for export, which is seen as a way to help them compete with rivals. Almost all shrimp farms in Viet Nam have been focusing on shrimp from 15 units to 30 units per kilogramme, however, its difficult for this size to enter EU and Japanese markets.
Quang said farms previously harvested shrimp at 30 untis per kilogramme, sometimes 20 units per kilogramme. Recently, they have been focusing on 15 units per kilogramme.
With this size, Viet Nams shrimp wont be able to enter difficult markets such as the EU and US because consumers there favour shrimp of 70-90 units per kilogramme.
Therefore, the shrimp industry must set up new development strategy, said Quang.
Shrimp processing and exporting businesses need to guide breeders to produce one-off raising techniques but harvesting them many times across different sizes to supply different markets, said Quang.
With each pond of 1,500squ.m, the breeders can raise one batch. They will harvest for the first time after 50 days at a size of 70 shrimps per kilogramme, the second time after 80 days with a size of 40 units per kilogramme and the third time after 100 days with a size of 20 units per kilogramme. With this kind of harvest, the breeders can meet the diversified demands of the market.
General Secretary of VASEP Truong inh Hoe said the countrys shrimp materials were mainly of a bigger size in the second quarter of this year leading to many exporters having to import smaller size for export processing to meet the demand of customers in the EU.
Added-value products
Chairman of Thuan Phuoc Seafood and Trade Joint Stock Company in a Nang, Tran Van Linh, said this year saw high growth in the shrimp industry, especially the export of shrimp material to China and Japan. However, if Vietnamese businesses just paid attention to shrimp exports, it would cause risks and not create added value.
Therefore, Vietnamese businesses need to improve the value of shrimp by diversifying processed shrimp products, reducing the export of shrimp materials. This is also a way to push businesses to develop clean production, including in the origin of products.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam, the shrimp industry has been put on the list of key products for export in Viet Nam. In particular, the Prime Minister has approved the southernmost province of Ca Mau to become a hub for tiger shrimp and the southern province of Bac Lieu to be a production area for whiteleg shrimp, both of which will use high-tech processing techniques.
We have plans to work with US universities to learn about the experience of producing high-quality brood stock and disease-resistant varieties. Meanwhile, localities will review and organise the production of shrimp in line with market demands of diversified sizes and diversified production to enhance the competitiveness of shrimp, said Tam. VNS
HA NOI Reduction of greenhouse gas emission is the only viable path to mitigate climate change, a German official told a conference on the global climate change pact in Ha Noi on Tuesday.
Jorg Ruger, First Secretary for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Urban Development under the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, stressed that This common goal requires significant transformation of our societies.
Through the process of updating Viet Nams national determined contributions and other projects, Germany continues its support of Viet Nam in this effort, he added.
Plans to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change in the northern part of Viet Nam were the focus of the event jointly organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Nationally Determined Contributions Partnership (NDC-P) and Germanys Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB).
Besides, participants examined climate change scenarios and impacts on the northern region and the Red River Delta, and ways to mobilise financial resources to cope with climate change.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that after approving the Paris Agreement on October 31 last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assigned ministries, sectors and localities to develop specific plans and actively integrate climate change response into socio-economic investment and development schemes.
At the same time, the PM asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to organise training conferences on the agreements implementation for localities in the north, central and southern regions, he added.
The ministry is also tasked with studying new models and approaches to tackle climate change, he said.
Jenty Kirsch-Wood, a representative from the UNDP, said that the agency has launched some important projects to support the Vietnamese Government in implementing its action plan to realise the Paris Agreement.
UNDP is committed to innovative measures that pave ways for new partnerships with stakeholders, she said. We would like to initiate work with the private sector to reduce the costs for Research & Development through the deployment of cutting edge technology that is adapted to Viet Nams unique conditions.
The northern mountainous province of Bac Kan shared its experiences in coping with climate change and building a plan to carry out the Paris agreement.
The conference, the third of its kind, was held following similar events in the central region in July and the southern region on August 18.
The Paris Agreement, which was adopted during the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) in December 2015, entered into force on November 4 last year.
It is the first legally binding document on climate change that applies to all parties. VNS
HCM CITY The city has seen positive results from its programmes on building a civilized city without waste, according to participants at a meeting held by HCM Citys Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee on Tuesday (August 29).
Party leaders at all levels and representatives of city departments, various sectors and agencies, together with officials from local authorities, attended the dialogue.
Deputy chairwoman of the citys Viet Nam Committee Fatherland Trieu Le Khanh said the city had organised hundreds of activities and campaigns, which had contributed to raising peoples awareness about environmental protection.
In recent years, the citys authorities and agencies have seen positive results from more than 1,600 programmes and campaigns on environmental protection, distributing 616,000 leaflets and 22,100 posters, and attracting more than 530,000 participants, according to Khanh.
In addition, 48 seminars on environmental protection were organised for ethnic minorities and members of various religious groups, she said.
Ninety per cent of households have registered to collect garbage, 528 residential areas were recognised as having made positive changes in environmental protection.
Many models to build a waste-free city have been implemented effectively in recent years, such as sparing 15 minutes per week to clean the environment; avoiding the use of plastic bags; sorting waste at source before it is collected; and keeping streets clean and green.
However, problems still exist, including continued low awareness of the public; littering in public places and residential areas; and residents lack of co-operation on garbage collection.
Lam Ngoc Hoa, deputy chairwoman of the citys Womens Union, said that local authorities should call on local people to contribute to building a civilized city without waste, and closely monitor the implementation of regulations and laws on environmental protection.
The citys Peoples Committee will organise a mass campaign on protecting the environment in late September to call on more responsibility from the community, she said.
A representative from District 10s labour federation said that local authorities and agencies should strengthen the monitoring of garbage collection and strictly fine violators for littering in public places. VNS
Hoang Nguyen
HCM CITY After months of anticipation, the first official food street in HCM City opened on Monday (August 28) in District 1.
At 6am, 20 food stalls were set up on the pavements along Nguyen Van Chiem Street, located between Diamond Plaza and the Youth Culture House.
Forty street vendors who once occupied sidewalks in different areas in District 1, now have a dedicated, safe place to sell food.
The vendors have been divided into two groups of 20 each, with the first group working the 6-9am shift and the second the 11am-2pm shift.
The chairman of District 1s Peoples Committee, Tran The Thuan, presents gifts to street vendors as a good-luck wish.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tran The Thuan, chairman of District 1s Peoples Committee, said 40 street vendors were chosen from low-income families in the district.
The vendors, who received training on food safety, fire prevention and sorting of garbage, were provided uniforms and name tags, according to Thuan.
Each street vendor is allowed to sell either food or drinks to customers, mainly for takeaway.
All of the food is prepared and cooked at home and is then brought to the street to be warmed up and sold.
Vo Thi Thanh, who had previously sold banh mi on Ton uc Thang Street, said she could not sleep for days because she was so thrilled that she had been given a spot on the food street.
Im so happy that I have a stable place to sell food, she said.
Nguyen Thi Minh Khanh, who owns a bun mang vit (noodle duck soup with dried bamboo shoots) food stall, said that most food vendors did not want to move from street to street.
Besides being a convenient spot for vendors, the food street is now a new destination for locals and tourists.
Tourist Martina Villa of Italy noticed a crowd on the street and, out of curiosity, decided to have a bite of Vietnamese food.
I think its really nice and makes it easier for people to choose food they like, she said.
Foodies have breakfast after a morning exercise session on HCM Citys new food street.
Challenges
However, as each shift only lasts three hours, street vendors fear they will not be able to sell as much as they had at their previous locations.
Even before, when I used to sell from 6 am to 1pm, business was good on some days and not very good on other days, she said.
Vendor Son Thi Ngoc Huong said she used to sell com tam in front of her house on Hai Ba Trung Street, but had to conduct business on the pavement as she lived on a very narrow alley.
Under the pavement reclamation campaign, Huong does not have to worry about urban watchdog officers, but she said she was concerned about her income.
A street vendor prepares nui xao bo (stir-fried macaroni with beef) for a customer. VNS Photos Hoang Nguyen
oan Ngoc Hai, deputy chairman of the districts Peoples Committee, said: It would be great if all of these vendors could have sold food over lunch time, as three hours is not that much.
Thuan, the committees chairman, said the food street was a pilot programme and the district authority would solicit feedback from the community and street vendors and make changes at a later date.
During the trial period, street vendors will not have to pay taxes or rent. At the end of each shift, they must clean their stalls and store them in the designated area so the area remains open to pedestrians.
The second food street in District 1 is expected to open in Bach Tung Diep Park next month.
The city is also looking forward to opening similar spaces in other districts to help street vendors have safe, appealing places to do business. VNS
Law enforcement representatives from Vietnamese and Cambodian localities sharing the border met in the first judicial conference in Viet Nams southern province of Tay Ninh yesterday. Photo nhandan.com.vn
TAY NINH Law enforcement representatives from Vietnamese and Cambodian localities sharing the border met in the first judicial conference in Viet Nams southern province of Tay Ninh yesterday.
The function was co-chaired by Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long and his Cambodian counterpart Ang Vong Vathana.
Long said the event represented a significant step in boosting bilateral judicial co-operation.
He noted that under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on law and justice collaboration signed by the two justice ministries in 2009, exchanges of high-ranking delegations and experts had taken place and agreements on civic justice support and extradition had been signed.
Viet Nams border provinces had also worked to promote legal knowledge, offer legal support, and settle disputes among their residents and Cambodians living nearby.
The minister urged deeper and more effective engagement in the future to meet the demand and potential of both sides, which was supported by the 100 participants.
The participants asked for the completion of internal administrative procedures for agreements on criminal justice support and transfer of prisoners, which were signed in December last year, to soon take effect.
They recommended justice agencies in Viet Nam Cambodia border provinces work together in sharing expertise and proposed legal judicial collaboration subjects be included in the MoU on co-operation between Vietnamese and Cambodian border localities.
On the occasion, the Vietnamese and Cambodian ministries of justice inked their co-operation programme for 2017-18. The justice academy under the Viet Nam Ministry of Justice and its Cambodian partner also signed a memorandum of understanding for future joint projects.
The second edition of the conference was set to take place in Cambodia in 2019. VNS
State President Tran ai Quang (R) receives Austrias outgoing Ambassador to Viet Nam Thomas Loidl in Ha Noi yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang
HA NOI State President Tran ai Quang hailed Austrias outgoing Ambassador to Viet Nam Thomas Loidl for his efforts to step up bilateral ties and introduce many Austrian businesses to Viet Nam during his reception for the diplomat in Ha Noi yesterday.
The President lauded the co-operation between the two countries in politics, diplomacy, trade-investment, development co-operation, education-training, and healthcare.
He cited the 2016 two-way trade value of US$2.8 billion, 10 per cent more than 2015s figure. Austria currently runs 28 projects with total registered capital of $138 million in Viet Nam, ranking 39th among 116 countries and territories investing in the country.
He thanked the Austrian Government for providing Official Development Assistance in the fields of railways, healthcare and vocational training. Austria-funded programmes and projects have contributed to Viet Nams socio-economic development and international integration.
President Quang also suggested Austria urge the European Union (EU) to soon sign and ratify the EU-Viet Nam free trade agreement as the document will open up new opportunities for businesses.
Ambassador Thomas Loidl stressed that Austria had over the past 45 years proven itself a very reliable partner of Viet Nam.
He agreed that the two countries should hold more high-level visits to enhance their relations while underscoring the importance of cultural co-operation.
He was glad to see the two countries collaboration at multilateral forums and thanked Viet Nam for its support for Austrias initiatives at international forums and organisations.
Meeting with Slovakian Ambassador
President Quang also praised the effective contributions made by the Slovakian Ambassador to Viet Nam Igor Pacolak during his tenure in Viet Nam, describing it as one of the important factors enhancing the friendly and cooperative ties between Viet Nam and Slovakia.
During a reception yesterday for the outgoing ambassador, Quang suggested the two sides further uphold the role of the Viet Nam-Slovakia Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation, increase the exchange of visits by ministries, agencies and businesses, and promote trade and investment to further lift two-way trade over the coming years.
President Quang recommended Slovakian enterprises invest in the fields where Viet Nam has huge demand, such as renewable energy, infrastructure, environmental protection, food processing, and food safety and hygiene.
The President hoped that the Slovakian government would continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals to integrate into the host country, thus helping to increase mutual understanding between the two nations.
Pacolak, for his part, said during his tenure in Viet Nam, the two countries had seen more than 30 visits from the deputy ministerial level upwards and signed about 20 cooperation agreements. Viet Nam currently ranks 14th in the list of Slovakias trade partners.
The ambassador thanked Viet Nam for supporting Slovakia at international forums and affirmed that the European country always supported Viet Nam an active member on the international stage. VNS
HA NOI Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the Central Military Commission for well performing its military and national defence tasks during a conference in Ha Noi on August 29.
The event saw the participation of President and member of the standing board of the Central Military Commission Tran ai Quang, Prime Minister and member of the standing board of the Central Military Commission Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Defence Minister and Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission Ngo Xuan Lich.
Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, asked the commission and the Ministry of Defence to direct the implementation of decrees and resolutions adopted by the Party Central Committee and the Resolution set by the 10th Military Party Congress.
He called further attention to improving leadership capacity of the Central Military Commission, ensuring that the army always leads the way in the implementation of the Resolution by the fourth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee on Party building and rectification, driving back degradation in political thought, moral virtue and lifestyle, and behaviors of self-evolution and self-transformation in Party rankings.
The commission was asked to well serve as a think-tank in terms of national defence and military strategies, ensuring that the army will fulfill assigned tasks and truly become a crucial force to firmly safeguard independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, as well as defend the Party, State, people and socialism.
The leader also requested directing the implementation of the law-building programme on national defence by the 14th National Assembly, including soon completing amendments and supplements to the draft Law on National Defence to submit to the legislature for approval. VNS
Tourism construction on Son Tra Peninsula could come to a dramatic halt, after the a Nang Peoples Committee met on Monday with the citys tourism association to discuss the Son Tra Tourism Area Development Master Plan. Photo vnexpress.net
A NANG Tourism construction on Son Tra Peninsula could come to a dramatic halt, after the a Nang Peoples Committee met on Monday with the citys tourism association to discuss the Son Tra Tourism Area Development Master Plan.
At the meeting, officials proposed cancelling all projects that are located in sensitive areas and likely influence security and national defence on Son Tra Peninsula. The city also proposed restricting construction to areas on the peninsual below 100m above sea level; under the status quo, construction may occur up to 200m above sea level.
The outcome of the meeting represents a serious turn away from earlier plans for major tourism construction on the peninsula.
Under a plan outlined in May 2013 and approved in November 2016, Son Tra Mountain on the Son Tra Peninsula was set to become a national tourism site and luxury eco-tourism resort complex by 2030, able to accommodate 300,000 tourists with 1,600 luxury hotel rooms.
As soon as the plan was publicised in February this year, the citys Tourism Association strongly opposed it, saying that hotels and buildings on the peninsula would threaten its biodiversity as well as social stability and national defence there.
Three months ago, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am asked the city to halt all constructions on the peninsula for further review and to allow time to collect public opinions in order to submit a final proposal for changes to the tourism development plan.
After Mondays meting, the Peoples Committee is sending their proposals to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. If he accepts the new restrictions, the massive eco-tourism resort complex will not be built.
At the meeting, deputy chief of office of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Tien said that before the plan was approved, the city granted licences to ten investors to develop 18 tourism projects providing about 5,000 rooms on the peninsula.
Tien said that after reviewing, the city decided to cancel projects located on the eastern and northeastern parts of the peninsula considered sensitive military areas.
Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, vice chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee said that buildings were only allowed below the elevation of 100m of the peninsula. Most of them were to the west and southwest of the city so that they would better connect with the citys centre as it expands in the future.
Tuan also said that the city did not plan to develop a tourism area in the eastern and northeastern parts of the peninsula because they are the home of endangered langurs and valuable herbals.
Head of the citys tourism association Huynh Tan Vinh said that the association wanted no tourist accommodations to be built on Son Tra Peninsula.
Over 15,000 people have signed a petition on preserving the peninsula, he said. Earlier, the association sent the Prime Minister its recommendation that no further tourist accommodations should be built beyond the 300 rooms currently on the peninsula.
The 4,400-ha Son Tra Peninsula, about 10km away from the north east of a Nang Citys centre, is regarded as a harmonious ecosystem between the forest and sea in Viet Nam.
According to the latest report from the centre for biodiversity research and conservation (GreenViet), more than 237 herds of red-shanked douc langurs, comprising over 1,300 individuals, are living in the Son Tra Nature Reserve on the peninsula. VNS
HA NOI Parents of autistic children in HCM City now have another option to save their children from autism: traditional medicine.
The HCM Citys Hospital for Traditional Medicine started to apply the techniques early this month after being transferred from the National Hospital of Acupuncture. The methods include acupuncture, aqua-acupuncture and electro-acupuncture, the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper reported.
Previously, the National Hospital of Acupuncture, based in Ha Noi, has applied the methods for 1,500 autistic children since 2012. Results showed 60 per cent of the children could re-integrate into the community and 20 per cent of the children could attend mainstream schools.
Ho Thi Thu Hien, of HCM Citys Thu uc District, said she spent three years taking her daughter to many hospitals and health centres with the hope of treating her childs autism, but failed.
My daughters autistic symptoms seem to be worse than before, she said.
Recently, when Hien heard about the news, she thought she had a new hope and took her daughter to the HCM Citys Hospital for Traditional Medicine.
Like Hien, Bui Duy Linh, of the Mekong Deltas Can Tho City, recently brought her son to the hospital for treatment.
Linh said he found his son having autistic symptoms nearly one year ago. In a meeting with a group of parents having children with autism, he heard about the treatment methods using traditional medicine.
At that time, only the National Hospital of Acupuncture provided the methods, so he still hesitated to take his son to Ha Noi due to financial pressure.
Now, the HCM Citys Hospital for Traditional Medicine offers the service. He took his son there.
Careful preparedness
Doctor Truong Thi Ngoc Lan, from the HCM Citys Hospital for Traditional Medicine, said before officially applying the methods, the hospital had sent doctors to study in the National Hospital of Acupuncture three years ago.
Then the hospital also started treatment for 80 children with autism. The treatment showed initial positive results, so the hospital decided to apply the methods to treat other children, she said.
Our doctors and facilities are now ready, she said.
In the coming time, the hospital plans to petition the Ministry of Health to add autism treatment with traditional-medicine methods to the list of diseases that health insurance pays for, she added.
It will help reduce medical costs for parents of autistic children, she said.
According to Doctor Nguyen Quoc Van, head of the National Hospital of Acupunctures Autism Department, autism is like a mental illness.
When a childs psychology has a problem, his body can be affected too. The child could show symptoms of hyperactivity disorder, learning disability and anorexia nervosa.
Thus, the traditional-medicine methods, including acupuncture and electro-acupuncture, will create positive impacts on acupuncture points in the childs body, boosting his blood circulation and balancing the energies of Yin and Yang throughout his body.
"When the energies of Yin and Yang in the body of the child were balanced by traditional-medicine methods, we then correct their behaviours with pedagogical methods," Van said.
Van also said the advantage of using traditional medicine methods to treat autism was to repel autism without causing any nerve damage to the child, he said.
However, parents were advised to bring their children with autism for treatment before the age of 3. It was the best time to take medical intervention to fight autism, he said.
Parents should talk with their autistic children every day, patiently teaching them communication skills and correcting their behaviours step by step. Parents should avoid causing their children any anger, he said.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability. Signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a persons ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is treatable. Children do not outgrow autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. VNS
HCM CITY Doctors from Paediatric Hospital No 2 and Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City have collaborated and successfully separated 13-month-old conjoined twins who were joined below the torso.
The twins, ieu Thi Bao Han and ieu Thi Bao An, who hail from the southern province of Binh Phuoc, were hospitalised last August and since then had undergone four skin-related surgeries.
Professor Tran ong A, advisor to the hospital, said doctors decided to separate the twins because it was life-threatening to keep them conjoined for long. It took the doctors a long time to arrive at a decision as they considered carefully all the risks associated with the major surgery and the possible after-effects.
To limit risks during surgery, 40 doctors from both hospitals were assigned to the procedure. The surgery lasted for nearly 12 hours, and was successful beyond expectation, the professor said.
The conjoined twins before the surgery. VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Vy
ang o Thanh Can, head of surgical ward of Paediatric Hospital No 2, said the toughest issue was ensuring that the twins legs would work normally after operation, as they were joined at the spinal cord and were really small. Doctors used micro-surgery tools and microscopes during the surgery.
The twins condition is stable now. They are drinking milk and have had normal bowel movement.
Professor A said that usually, across the world, most conjoined twins are joined at the chest and belly. After 1975, in Viet Nam, this is the first twins to have been joined at the anal region and spinal cord. So far, world over, there have been only 29 similar cases.
The success of the surgery is a statement of Vietnamese doctors skills and achievement internationally, he said. VNS
MINNEAPOLISSavanna LaFontaine-Greywind, who was eight months pregnant when she disappeared from her Fargo, N.D., apartment earlier this month, died from homicidal violence, authorities said Tuesday.
The 22-year-old disappeared Aug. 19 from the apartment she shared with her parents after going upstairs to model a dress for her neighbor. Her body was found in the Red River on Sunday after an eight-day search.
The couple who lived upstairs, William Hoehn, 32, and Brooke Crews, 38, were charged Monday with conspiring to kidnap and murder LaFontaine-Greywind and steal her baby, who remains in protective custody, to claim as their own.
Fargo Police announced Tuesday the preliminary cause of death, but the full autopsy report from the Ramsey County medical examiners office isnt expected for weeks while Minnesota and North Dakota investigators continue to work the case.
LaFontaine-Greywinds death has shocked the Fargo-Moorhead area, especially American Indians, as well as total strangers from across the country. Messages have poured in on social media with offers to donate money, baby clothes or other items. From St. Paul to Grand Forks, people are gathering in prayer to honor LaFontaine-Greywind, while other vigils from Winnipeg to her hometown of Belcourt, N.D. are taking place across the region.
Its hard for me to believe that she went through such a brutal ordeal, said Tarita Silk of Spearfish, S.D., LaFontaine-Greywinds aunt. We need to have some closure. We want to know what happened.
Silk described LaFontaine-Greywind as a gentle spirit and a true girly-girl who enjoyed getting dolled up with makeup and listening to music.
LaFontaine-Greywind, a member of the Spirit Lake Dakota tribe, worked as a certified nursing assistant at a West Fargo senior center, according to social media. She was excitedly anticipating the birth of her baby girl, Haisley Jo, whose due date was Sept. 20, posting pregnancy updates like a sonogram image.
Getting so close, she wrote online on Aug. 13 with a heart emoji.
It was six days later that Hoehn returned home to his apartment to find Crews, his girlfriend of three years, cleaning up blood in their bathroom, according to documents filed Monday in Cass County District Court. He told investigators she showed him a newborn baby girl.
This is our baby, this is our family, she told him, according to the court documents.
Crews gave police a different account of how she got the newborn, according to the criminal complaint.
She told investigators that she called LaFontaine-Greywind to her apartment Aug. 19 and instructed her on how to self-induce birth by breaking her own water. Crews said that LaFontaine-Greywind left, and returned two days later to give Crews the child, the documents state.
Police arrested Crews and Hoehn last Thursday after serving a search warrant. Hoehn admitted to police that he removed garbage bags containing bloody towels and his own bloody shoes from the apartment and disposed of them.
Although officers had visually searched the apartment three times, it wasnt until their fourth a complete forensic search with a search warrant that they found the newborn.
The baby girl, at Sanford Childrens Hospital in Fargo under the custody of Cass County Social Services, is believed to be LaFontaine-Greywinds, but authorities are doing DNA tests to be sure.
Police havent said whether LaFontaine-Greywinds body showed evidence of a Caesarean section or of labor having been induced. Its also unclear where she died.
After an eight-day search by hundreds of volunteers, LaFontaine-Greywinds body was found by kayakers paddling the Red River. It was wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape and snagged on a log in the middle of the river.
On the Minnesota side of the Red, just south of the spot where the body was discovered, volunteer searchers found suspicious items at an abandoned farm. The Clay County Sheriffs Office and investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are processing the unoccupied farm, which Hoehn and Crews didnt own, as a suspected crime scene.
Fargo police said they arent seeking any other suspects in connection with LaFontaine-Greywinds disappearance and death.
In addition to conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison without parole, Crews and Hoehn also were charged Monday with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, a felony, and providing false information, a misdemeanor. A judge set bail for both at $2 million cash.
The couple have been living together for about three years, according to court records of a domestic violence case against Hoehn last year. In that case, Hoehn was charged with pushing Crews into a bathtub during an argument. The incident took place in the same apartment where the couple lived when LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared.
Hoehn was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault in that case and sentenced to 30 days in jail, court records show. In 2012, Hoehn was convicted in Grand Forks, N.D., of felony child abuse. He received a sentence of one year in jail and served 130 days. In that case, Hoehn was found responsible for multiple skull fractures that his infant son sustained while in Hoehns care, according to court records.
Ashton Matheny, the father of LaFontaine-Greywinds baby, told Fargo TV station WDAY that my worlds gone, adding that the couple of six years had planned to move in together on Sept. 1 before their daughter was born.
(Staff writers John Reinan and Elizabeth Sawyer contributed to this report.)
APLINGTON One womans dream to keep a livestock auction alive came crashing down when the business caught fire early Wednesday.
It really breaks my heart, Lestrisha Wise said hours after watching flames consume the main building at Central Iowa Exchange on the north edge of Aplington. Im just kind of still in shock. I cant believe it happened.
A police officer noticed the flames around 1 a.m. Wednesday and called the fire department, said Scott Poppen, chief of the Aplington Volunteer Fire Department. Crews from Parkersburg and Ackley assisted Aplington firefighters.
Poppen said three horses were rescued, but the structure was engulfed by fire and is considered a total loss. One detached outbuilding on the site still stands.
The cause hasnt been determined, and the state fire marshal is assisting in the investigation, Poppen said.
Wise grew up with horses and bought the business, located on Hunter Street, about three years ago with big plans.
I loved the nostalgic feeling of that sales barn, and I wanted to capture it, keep that live, Wise said.
Wise put up new steel roofs and was in the process of placing steel on the sides. She built new stalls for the horses and remodeled the restaurant and the bathroom.
And the business was working out. Central Iowa Exchange hosted horse auctions on the third Saturday of each month and was adding household consignment auctions, one of which had been scheduled for today.
Wise said she would like to rebuild.
WATERLOO Black Hawk County has amended its policies to ensure employees know reasons for their firing will become public records.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the revised discipline policy to cover a change in the Iowa Open Records Law adopted by the Iowa Legislature and signed in February by Gov. Terry Branstad.
The change received relatively little attention because it was a small part of a Republican-sponsored bill that stripped collective bargaining rights from many of Iowas public labor unions.
Personal information in confidential personnel records, which included reasons for a public employees discharge, was previously exempt from the Open Records Law.
The new law requires cities, counties, school districts and other government agencies to release documented reasons an individual resigned in lieu of termination, was fired or demoted as the result of a disciplinary action.
The adopted Black Hawk County policy includes the new language, but supervisors rejected a committees recommendation to include a written notice to employees about the open records law when they face a disciplinary action.
My feeling is the employees are entitled to that information, said Auditor Grant Veeder, who served on the policy review committee. They might not see it if the only time theyre made aware of it is when theyre told they should read the employee handbook.
But Human Resources Director Deb Bunger said including the notification requirement in the policy could open the county to additional liability or a wrongful termination action should someone forget to include it. The countys legal counsel also raised that concern.
Bunger said the county still will attempt to notify employees facing demotion or termination about the possibility of the record becoming public. But it will not be part of a written county policy.
Food blogger
to be at market
CEDAR FALLS The College Hill Farmers Market will feature apples and food samples. The market is open from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the corner of West 22nd and College streets.
Food samples will come from food blogger Julie Grunklee with Good Food Connections. Also available will be musk melon, tomatoes, sweet corn and organic vegetables.
Hydrant flush
set in Waterloo
WATERLOO The Waterloo Water Works will flush hydrants Thursday in the area from Elmwood Cemetery to Campbell Avenue between Locust Street and Byrnes Park.
Customers could experience water discoloration, but the discolored water is bacterially safe.
Council makes
endorsements
WATERLOO The Hawkeye Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and its Black Hawk Assembly chapter have voted to endorse three area candidates for the Sept. 12 school board elections.
That includes Jeff Orvis for an at-large seat on the Cedar Falls Board of Education, Lon Kammeyer as a write-in for the Director District 4 seat on the Waterloo Board of Education and Melody Drewis for an at-large seat on the Tripoli Board of Education.
The council has adopted criteria for endorsement which includes completing a candidate questionnaire, interviewing and receiving the recommendation from its Working Iowa Neighbors Committee and passing a vote of endorsement at an official delegate meeting.
WATERLOO Flags at Waterloo fire stations are at half staff to honor an off-duty firefighter who died while running Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said Gregory Freshwater, 27, who was approaching his first-year anniversary with Waterloo Fire Rescue, was out for a jog at about 3:55 p.m. when he was struck by a Subaru Forester while crossing Ansborough Avenue at the Shaulis Road intersection.
The vehicle, driven by 33-year-old Daren Abbott of Dysart, was traveling south on Ansborough, and Freshwater was running east. A recreational trail runs parallel to Shaulis Road, and vehicle traffic on Ansborough doesnt have a stop sign at the intersection.
Greg Freshwater (1990-2017) HUDSON Greg Freshwater, 27, of Hudson, died Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Covenant Medical Center f
Paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took Freshwater to Covenant Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
Fire Chief Pat Treloar said Freshwater was a dedicated employee with an enthusiastic approach to his work helping the citizens of Waterloo.
The whole department is saddened. He was a great, young kid, Treloar said He was a pleasure to be around. He was just really outgoing for being so fresh on the job and being relatively young.
Freshwater came from a firefighting family. His father, Jeff Freshwater, was a lieutenant with Waterloo Fire Rescue and retired in 2012, and his uncle, Marty Freshwater, retired as a battalion chief earlier his year.
He earned two associates degrees he completed a fire science degree from Hawkeye Community College in 2016 and worked for the Marshalltown Fire Department before returning to the Cedar Valley to take a job with the Waterloo department in November 2016.
As a new firefighter, Freshwater was rotating between stations to familiarize himself with the equipment and department operations, and he was also taking on additional training.
He just started paramedic school this past week, which was impressive because hes doing that somewhat on his own. He just wanted to better himself right off the get go and to strengthen the department, Treloar said.
After the accident, Waterloo fire department personnel who responded to the call two paramedics, an engine company and the departments medical supervisor attended a debriefing, which is a typical practice following traumatic event, and they were relieved for the rest of the shift.
We got them relieved and replaced with new crews, and had them all attend the debriefing, Treloar said.
WATERLOO Although the Cedar Valley United Way officially has a fundraising goal of $3 million this year, campaign co-chair Tony Thompson had an unofficial goal and a very unofficial way of achieving it.
Were looking for $4 million, Thompson, the Black Hawk County sheriff, said. Keep in mind, we carry guns.
The audience of several dozen inside the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo on Wednesday laughed, but Thompson and his police chief co-chairs Waterloo Police Chief Dan Trelka and Cedar Falls Police Chief Jeff Olson were dead serious about bumping up CV United Ways funds, which dipped below the $3 million mark last year to $2.7 million.
In law enforcement, you see a lot of people in need, Olson said. When we get together, theres a lot we can do for those in need.
The three co-chairs this year helped kick off Cedar Valley United Ways 2017 Rally for the Valley campaign, which runs through the rest of the year.
The theme is Cedar Valley Strong, announced board chair and KWWL General Manager Jim McKernan.
Its a nice line, but what does it mean? How do we make that line come to life? How do we make it meaningful to the Cedar Valley? McKernan asked.
He explained United Ways three priorities: health, education and financial stability, and mentioned 31 percent of Iowans struggled to support themselves.
When youre in an upper income bracket and doing well, sometimes its hard to tangibly see that, McKernan said.
To illustrate the need, a video showed community leaders reading anonymous letters from Cedar Valley residents talking about how Cedar Valley United Way programs helped them get through tough times.
McKernan noted the need wasnt lessening.
We need everyones help to do this, he said. This is, dollar for dollar, as good a donation as youll make in your life in terms of community investment.
Co-chair Trelka said he has seen United Ways impact firsthand as a foster dad.
There are so many services and programs in United Way that assist (foster) children, and services offered to biological parents to help with reunification, he said. Im proud to be part of this community, but there is more to be done.
Trelka, Olson and Thompson said they will be visiting local businesses this fall to drum up the money needed to reach the $3 million goal.
All of you that have charitably given, we need you to give more, Thompson said. Lets show our strength in the Cedar Valley.
WATERLOO Flags at Waterloo fire stations are at half staff to honor a firefighter who died while exercising off duty on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said Gregory Freshwater, 27, who was approaching his first-year anniversary with Waterloo Fire Rescue, was out for a jog at about 3:55 p.m. when he was struck by a Subaru Forester while crossing Ansborough Avenue at the Shaulis Road intersection.
The vehicle, driven by 33-year-old Daren Abbott of Dysart, was traveling south on Ansborough, and Freshwater was running east. A recreational trail runs parallel to Shaulis Road, and vehicle traffic on Ansborough doesnt have a stop sign at the intersection.
Paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took Freshwater to Covenant Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
Fire Chief Pat Treloar said Freshwater was a dedicated employee with an enthusiastic approach to his work helping the citizens of Waterloo.
The whole department is saddened. He was a great, young kid, Treloar said He was a pleasure to be around. He was just really outgoing for being so fresh on the job and being relatively young.
Freshwater came from a firefighting family. His father, Jeff Freshwater, was a lieutenant with Waterloo Fire Rescue and retired in 2012, and his uncle, Marty Freshwater, retired as a battalion chief earlier his year.
He earned two associates degrees --- he completed a fire science degree from Hawkeye Community College in 2016 --- and worked for the Marshalltown fire department before returning to the Cedar Valley area to take a job with the Waterloo department in November 2016.
As a new firefighter, Freshwater was rotating between stations to familiarize himself with the equipment and department operations, and he was also taking on additional training.
He just started paramedic school this past week, which was impressive because hes doing that somewhat on his own. He just wanted to better himself right off the get go, and to strengthen the department, Treloar said.
After the accident, Waterloo fire department personnel who responded to the call --- two paramedics, an engine company and the departments medical supervisor --- attended a debriefing, which is a typical practice following traumatic event, and they were relieved for the rest of the shift.
We got them relieved and replaced with new crews, and had them all attend the debriefing, Treloar said.
EARLIER REPORT:
WATERLOO Authorities have identified the jogger who died in a Tuesday afternoon crash as a Waterloo firefighter.
Greg Freshwater, 27, was jogging in the area of Ansborough Avenue and Shaulis Road around 4 p.m. when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle, according to officials.
Freshwater started with Waterloo Fire Rescue in November 2016, and he was attending paramedic school, said Fire Chief Pat Treloar. He is the son of a retired Waterloo fire lieutenant, Jeff Freshwater, and the nephew of a retired battalion chief, Marty Freshwater.
Before coming to the Waterloo fire department, Freshwater was a firefighter in Marshalltown.
UPDATE: The victim in this incident has died. We will update this story with more details.
EARLIER STORY
WATERLOO A man out for a run was critically injured when he ran out in front of an SUV and was hit, according to Waterloo Police.
The man, who police described as in his 20s, was breathing when emergency responders arrived on scene at the intersection of Ansborough Avenue and Shaulis Road in Waterloo just before 4 p.m. Tuesday. Police did not know if the man was conscious.
Officials said it appeared the man did not see or hear a white Subaru Forester as it was southbound on Ansborough when he crossed Ansborough on Shaulis Road. The SUV hit the man at the intersection.
The man was taken to Covenant Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
A pedestrian/bicycle path runs along the stretch of Shaulis Road where the man was hit, but there are no crosswalk markings where it intersects with Ansborough Avenue. Drivers along Ansborough do not have a stop or yield sign at that intersection.
Alec Baldwin sues to 'clear his name' in movie set death
By The Associated Press Aug. 28, 2017 | 11:35 AM | FRANKFORT, KY
An independent consulting group says Kentucky lawmakers should take away some cost-of-living raises awarded to state retirees over the past 20 years as part of a strategy to keep the retirement systems solvent.
The PFM Group told the Public Pension Oversight Board that lawmakers need to make dramatic changes to keep the state's retirement systems from running out of money.
From 1996 to 2012, state lawmakers approved cost-of-living raises for state retirees receiving monthly benefit checks. The consultants say lawmakers should eliminate those raises. They also recommended lawmakers increase the retirement age to 65 for most workers, stop letting workers use leftover sick days to boost their benefits and offer a 401(k)-style plan for all new hires.
Republican state Sen. Joe Bowen noted lawmakers would make the final decision.
Kentucky's budget director says the state will need nearly an extra billion dollars every year to fix the state's public pension system.
John Chilton says the state will need $700 million per year to pay toward its pension systems for state workers and teachers. Plus, the state will need an extra $200 million to put into the state's reserves.
To find this money, lawmakers would have to make deep cuts in the state's annual operating budget. If lawmakers exclude services like public education and Medicaid, it would require budget cuts of 34.4 percent. Chilton said lawmakers could cut $510 million from K-12 education funding to soften the severity of the cuts. If they did that, it would require budget cuts of 16.8 percent.
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The bill requires approval by the full Senate and House and the president's signature before it can become law.
A recent bill introduced by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee wants Congress to declare WikiLeaks a non-state hostile intelligence service, which would open Julian Assange and the pro-transparency organization to new levels of surveillance.
The 2017 Intelligence Authorization Bill, released on Friday, approves the next years worth of intelligence operations. It contains a final clause stating that WikiLeaks should be considered a "cyberthreat."
"It is the sense of Congress that WikiLeaks and the senior leadership of WikiLeaks resemble a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors and should be treated as such a service by the United States," it said.
The bill had passed the Committee on a 14-1 vote in July. Democrat Senator Ron Wyden, the only one who voted against the bill, said his decision was due to concerns over the denouncement.
My concern is that the use of the novel phrase non-state hostile intelligence service may have legal, constitutional, and policy implications, particularly should it be applied to journalists inquiring about secrets, Wyden said in a Tuesday press release touting three provisions he was able to add to the bill.
The language in the bill suggesting that the U.S. government has some unstated course of action against non-state hostile intelligence services is equally troubling."
WikiLeaks targeted U.S. President Donald Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton, throughout the 2016 presidential campaign. It published hacked emails from Clintons campaign chairman and the Democratic National Committee that led to large-scale leaks.
"The damage done by WikiLeaks to the United States is clear. But with any new challenge to our country, Congress ought not react in a manner that could have negative consequences, unforeseen or not, for our constitutional principles," Wyden said.
In April, CIA Director Mike Pompeo used similar language to describe WikiLeaks, following a series of damaging leaks of highly-sensitive CIA and National Security Agency material.
"It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is, a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia," Pompeo said.
The bill also seeks to ban Trump from establishing a joint cyber security unit with Russia without congressional approval.
The Trump administration would be required to provide Congress with a report describing what intelligence would be shared with Russia, any counterintelligence concerns and how those concerns would be addressed.
The annual Intelligence Authorization Act requires approval by the full Senate and House and the president's signature before it can become law. No vote has been scheduled so far.
Aug 30, 2017 | By David
Here's a round-up of recent events, to keep you up to speed with what's been happening in the 3D printing world. Recently we've seen a partnership established between OrthoPediatrics and Mighty Oak Medical, 3D printed fashion being displayed at a Seoul textile exhibition, and much more besides.
1. OrthoPediatrics and Mighty Oak Medical team up for 3D printed spinal implant systems
A major new collaboration has been announced between OrthoPediatrics and Mighty Oak Medical. OrthoPediatrics was founded in 2006 and is the only orthopedic company focused exclusively on providing a comprehensive product portfolio to the pediatric orthopedic market, improving the lives of children with orthopedic conditions. The company currently markets 21 different surgical systems, in over 30 countries. The partnership with Mighty Oak Medical will allow OrthoPediatrics to take advantage of the latters advanced screw placement technology, improving its entire range of medical devices.
Mighty Oak Medical is the manufacturer of FIREFLY Pedicle Screw Navigation Guides, which are 3D printed and patient-specific at each planned vertebral level. The FIREFLY Guides have the capacity to address significant market need for a navigation solution that does not rely on intraoperative radiation. OrthoPediatrics now has exclusive distribution rights for the FIREFLY Guides in the U.S. Pedicle Screw Navigation Guides can be used with any Spinal Deformity Correction system, including the OrthoPediatrics RESPONSE Spinal Deformity System
"This distribution relationship is going to highlight the stark differences between robotic and optical navigation systems, which can cost up to a million dollars and are highly complex and radiation heavy, with the 3D printed patient-specific disposable solution of FIREFLY. In the capable hands of the OrthoPediatrics team, we believe the FIREFLY Guides' validated 99.7% accuracy, combined with ease of use, should quickly bring a safe and reliable navigation tool to pediatric facilities across the United States", stated Heidi Frey, President of Mighty Oak Medical.
2. 3D printing start-up Chromatic 3D Materials gets NSF grant, advances to Minnesota Cup finals
Minnesota-based startup Chromatic 3D Materials has recently had a couple of big successes, hopefully helping it on its way to developing the latest cutting-edge materials for 3D printing. The company received a Phase 1 grant from the National Science Foundation, as well as advancing to the Minnesota Cup finals, the largest statewide startup competition in the country.
The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts, said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSFs Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.
Chromatic 3D Materials is currently focusing on developing the next generation of 3D printing materials, with a view to improving the durability of products manufactured using the technology.
3. Stratasys teams up with PADT to launch new Lockheed Martin Additive Manufacturing Laboratory in Colorado
Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies (PADT) recently announced that it will be partnering with Stratasys on the establishment of a first-of-its-kind 3D printing lab, the Lockheed Martin Additive Manufacturing Laboratory. It will be located in Denver, Colorado, at the Metropolitan State University. The facility will be dedicated to advancing use of 3D printing for creation of composite tooling applications addressing complex design and manufacturing requirements.
The lab gets its name from global aerospace and security giant Lockheed Martin, which has provided a major grant to fund the project. The centrepiece of the 3D printing laboratory is machines and other technology provided by 3D printing experts Stratasys, including the Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer.
After being iniitially deployed at MSU Denver, the additive manufacturing curriculum will later become available for use by other academic institutions across the country. Additionally, PADT will work with MSU Denver, Lockheed Martin and other users to build a Fortus 900mc Users Group within the Rocky Mountain region.
4. Type A Machines introduces new 3D printer support and maintenance programs, adds new director to board
3D printer manufacturer Type A Machines has announced the roll-out of a range of new support and maintenance programs for its products, which include the huge Series 1 3D printer and the innovative PrintPod parallel production system. The newly released services are designed to help customers overcome issues, prevent downtime, and ensure peak operating performance, while increasing the productivity for 3D printing users and fabricators.
The services offered include a free Getting Started training for the Series 1 3D printer with a Type A Machines technician, and a Members Club loyalty program, which will cost $125 per year. For $499 per year, customers can get a Priority Service, which will provide faster assistance for when things go wrong, giving better turnaround for services and parts. For $780 a year, the Preventative Care package includes all the aforementinoed services.
Type A Machines has also announced a new addition to its board of directors. Kenneth Hap Klopp, founder of The North Face, will be joining Andrew Rutter, the companys founder, and Mitch Huitema, previously of Apple and Handspring. Klopp acquired The North Face in 1968, serving as Chief Executive Officer for 25 years until its acquisition. A highly regarded business leader, hes served on the boards and advisory boards of numerous entrepreneurial endeavors and is a frequent lecturer at major graduate business schools worldwide.
Hap is a business pioneer with extensive experience building great brands, were excited to have him on the team, said Andrew Rutter, Type A Machines Chairman and CEO. We believe his experience, and passion for entrepreneurship will be extremely valuable as we grow and mature our business.
5. 3D printed fashion on display at Seoul Textile exhibition
The 3-day international textile exhibition and preview show in Seoul is back again this year, held at the citys Coex Mall. A total of 388 companies will be exhibiting, 131 of which are from outside South Korea. 3D printed clothes will be one of the most impressive and highly-anticipated parts of the fair.
Fashion brand BlackYak developed the My Fashion Lab system some years ago, and it will be on display again at this years show. Its a clothing manufacturing system based on 3D printing technology, and it is capable of producting customized clothes for a user within an hour. Consumers first choose a 3D fashion design, which will then appears on a screen worn by a virtual avatar based on the measurements of the users body. This creates the best possible visual image of what the clothes would look like when printed and worn in real life, for customers to make a decision. After this is done, My Fashion Lab then begins its production process, using digital textile printing (DTP), followed by cutting out and sewing the cloth.
Lee In-ho, South Koreas vice-minister of trade, who supervised and tried the process himself during the opening ceremony yesterday, said, In the age of the fourth industrial revolution, textiles and the fashion industry will combine with Information & Communications Technology, entering a new era that truly centers on consumers.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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Aug 30, 2017 | By Tess
Anyone with an interest in 3D printing and cars will already know about Local Motors, the Arizona-based company that uses additive manufacturing technologies to create innovative, almost futuristic vehicles. From the Strati, which holds the honor of being the first 3D printed car, and now to the Olli, a self-driving bus, Local Motors owes much of its success to 3D printing technologies.
Recently, the company offered a glimpse into its manufacturing facility to see how it has been using the Makerbot Replicator+, a $2,500 high-performance desktop 3D printer, to quickly and efficiently produce parts for the IBM Watson-powered Olli vehicle.
We really dont have the time to wait for the parts we need, said Alex Fiechter, Local Motors Director of Product Development. We need to set the making of them in motion and forget about them while we work on other things. The MakerBot Replicator+ has been the ideal example of this set it and forget it experience for creating 3D printed parts on both the production and the prototyping side.
Local Motors currently has operations in five different cities: Phoenix, Arizona; Knoxville, Tennessee; Las Vegas, Nevada; National Harbor, Maryland; and Berlin, Germany. By setting up micro-factoriessmall, low-volume production facilitiesin these five regions, Local Motors is aiming to design and manufacture vehicles locally, following an on-demand ethos.
By opting out of large-scale manufacturing, Local Motors has made it possible to explore truly innovative vehicle designs and manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing. As the company emphasizes, additive manufacturing is a crucial part of their business, as it enables them to stick to small-batch production and to create complex, functional components for its cars.
The company behind the self-driving Olli bus says that 3D printing technologies have helped it to reduce tooling costs by 50 per cent and cut back on production times by 90 per cent. The added benefit of making parts on site has allowed Local Motors to consistently develop new and exciting vehicles at the lowest cost for maximum ROI.
As Local Motors design engineer Frederik Tjonneland explained: Theres a huge difference between using an outside part manufacturer and having that capability in-house. The convenience of being able to print a part and have it in your hand in a couple of hours is not only cheaper, but also reduces lead times and allows us to iterate that much more quickly.
In making parts for their self-driving shuttle, Local Motors engineers have been using MakerBot Tough PLA, a high-impact filament that is marketed for making durable and strong prototypes and fixtures. MakerBot says its PLA 3D printing material offers similar tensile, impact, and flexural strength characteristics as ABS plastic.
We like Tough PLA because we can thread directly into the part and mount other components to it, added Tony Rivera, a mechanical engineer at LM. In the time it would have taken to order a metal part and have it shipped here, we already finished the entire project.
As Local Motors races ahead in the automotive industry with the help of 3D printing, we at 3Ders are eager to see the Olli self-driving bus take to the streets. Earlier this year, the company announced that its Knoxville factory 3D printed its first Olli shuttle. The 3D printed self-driving bus is also being tested across the pond in Germany by Deutsche Bahn.
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Aug 30, 2017 | By Tess
Up until now, if you wanted to set your eyes upon the rare Ancient Egyptian bust of Akhenaten you would have had to bustle through a crowd at Hannovers Museum August Kestner and peer past a casing of protective glass. Now, however, thanks to 3D scanning technologies, you dont even have to make the trip to Germany to see the stunning artwork.
The bust, which was found with a limestone crown, dates back to the 18th dynasty, when Akhenaten was Pharaoh of Egypt. Speculation about the bust, found in the ruins of Hermopolis, reveal that it was probably from the late stages of Akhenatens reign, and depicts the pharaoh as a young man.
In collaboration with local 3D printing service Formwerk3D, the German museum recently undertook a project to digitally scan and capture the pharaohs ancient bust. To complete the scans, the Formwerk3D team used a variety of 3D scanning equipment, including Artecs Eva-M structured light 3D scanner, photogrammetry, and RTI.
As the digital capture team explained, the lower-resolution Artec scanner was used to reproduce the bust in real dimensions, which helped to scale the other scans. Photogrammetry was used to capture high-resolution images of the bust, which were stitched together and processed at Formwerk3Ds office.
RTI, or Reflectance Transformation Imaging, was used to capture a finely detailed surface relief (they describe it as a 2.5D model) of the bust. This method involves setting up a stationary camera in front of the object and having a bright light pass over the object, gradually illuminating every part of the bust. As the camera captures every stage of the illumination, the resulting images can be processed together to form a highly detailed surface model of the artwork.
RTI scanning
3D scanning offered the museum a way to digitally preserve the famous and delicate bust in a completely non-invasive way. As Formwerk3D says, it was able to complete all the scans of the bust in just a few hours, which meant that the Ancient Egyptian artefact could be returned to its armored casing quickly.
The 3D scans of the Akhenaten bust, like many 3D models of artefacts, can be used for a number of applications. For instance, the digital 3D model can allow for multiple researchersfrom anywhere in the worldto simultaneously examine Akhenatens bust in great detail without waiting to visit the original.
Additionally, the 3D scans will make it possible to examine details of the bust up close without risking any damage to the original artefact. Researchers are also able to make new renderings and images of the bust without having to move or alter the original bust in any way.
The museum also has the option of putting the 3D model of the Egyptian bust online, giving people everywhere the ability to view the stunning portrait without having to travel across the world.
These models can be displayed in a platform-independent manner, thus attracting visitors to the originals, says Formwerk3D on its website. In addition to purely visual presentation possibilities, these online models can be provided with written and acoustic annotations in order to always provide the correct context.
The 3D model can also be presented in the museum space as well, as it could offer visitors an interactive and in-depth way of seeing all angles of the ancient bust, all while looking at the original piece. Other possible applications include making tactile 3D prints of the bust for the visually impaired, and 3D printing miniatures of it to be sold in the gift shop.
The Museum August Kestner is getting in on a recent museum trend of capturing ancient artefacts and famous artworks using high-definition 3D scanning technologies. In Japan, an effort is being made to preserve Buddhist statues and other cultural artefacts with 3D scanning, while the technology has also helped to digitally recreate ancient monuments destroyed by ISIS in Syria.
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Rengin Soylemez wrote at 10/6/2017 2:10:53 PM:It seems as if Akhenaten and Nefertiti are merged in this statue. Certainly this could explain the relationship between these two both politically-religiously and on personal and intimate basis.Rin Steele wrote at 9/2/2017 8:56:16 AM:What about all countries that acquired these artifacts in whatever manner make 3d models for themselves and give the originals back to their home countries? .
Belen Fernandez at Al Jazeera:
This year, the inhabitants of debt-ridden Puerto Rico marked a dubious anniversary: one entire century of United States citizenship.
The island was charitably commandeered by the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, but the conferral of citizenship didn't take place until 1917 when, The Economist has noted, the move "conveniently allowed 20,000 [Puerto Ricans] to be drafted into service in the first world war the following year".
In addition to the luxury of being eligible to fight and die in every US war since, Puerto Ricans have enjoyed numerous other perks as Americans do.
In the 1940s and 50s, for example, there was a pretty cool law prescribing 10 years of jail time for anyone who said, sang, or whistledanything that could be construed as being against the US government.
Add to that a lengthy campaign of forced sterilisation of Puerto Rican women, the conversion of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques into a US military base and navy bombing range, and the suffocation of the local economy for the benefit of US corporate financial interests, and you wonder how Puerto Rico could possibly be better off independent.
More here.
The words Bleeding Kansas trigger memories from high-school history. Those who paid attention in class recall the violence had something to do with the issue of slavery in America. Robert K. Sutton brilliantly brings academic memories to life in Stark Mad Abolitionists. Furthermore, readers of this thoroughly researched and passionately recounted story will come to understand the profoundly significant history of Lawrence, Kan., and care deeply about the drama of its founding. Its a drama that involves blood, slavery, and people willing to sacrifice everything to oppose it. The story begins in late spring 1854. Boston was in an uproar, Mr. Sutton writes, because an escaped slave named Anthony Burns had been captured by his owner. Two thousand federal troops escorted Burns to a boat that would take him back to Virginia. Wealthy businessman Amos Adams Lawrence was among those who were angry. He wrote to his uncle that when he awakened one morning, he had become a stark mad abolitionist.
Lawrence quickly involved himself in the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company, an organization created to encourage and enable people opposed to slavery to move to the territory of Kansas. It was hoped that sufficient antislavery advocates would settle there to vote for it to become a free state. Far from being stark mad, Lawrence himself was a generous man of quiet temperament. Ironically, he and his family made their fortunes from buying, selling, and producing textiles, mostly made of cotton picked by slaves in the South. Sutton tells how Lawrence, as treasurer of the Emigrant Aid Company, paid a large portion of company costs, to the point where his own resources were dangerously depleted. Under his direction, a promising tract of land was found near where the Wakarusa River entered the Kansas River, about forty miles west of the Missouri line. On Aug. 1, 1854, the first settlers camped there. In recognition of Lawrences enormous contribution, the new town was named Lawrence. Early on, [t]he Emigrant Aid Company clearly had not prepared for the settlers it was encouraging to emigrate to Kansas. Many quickly returned to home, dismayed by the rigors of a community where homes initially were made from straw.
More here.
Yountville's 'A Memory of a Tree' mural in process. (Courtesy of LC Studio Tutto)
For vegetarians looking to get lucky, the LuckyRice Feast might be just the thing.
(Courtesy of LuckyRice)
A small-but-tasty organization founded by Danielle Chang, LuckyRice celebrates Asian culinary heritage through festivals, vibrant cocktail affairs, late-night markets, and other drool-worthy foodie events in cities across the country. Born in Taipei and raised mostly in California, worked in the worlds of art and magazine publishing before ultimately following her passion to start LuckyRice. Launched in New York City in 2010, LuckyRice has been steadily expanding ever since, bringing annual culinary experiences that dive much farther into Asian cuisine than your basic sushi and ramen to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Brooklyn and, of course, San Francisco.
This year's fifth annual SF event will go down at the Bently Reserve on September 8th, and there's a twist: LuckyRice will turn out an all plant-based menu with help from chefs at such powerhouse restaurants as Azalina's, Pabu, Hog & Rocks, Anzu and Rooh.
Chang "wanted to do something that, literally, gets to the roots of Asian culinary culture in the Bay Area, where I grew up, by paying homage to our commitment to feeding not just our bellies, but also our minds. Our plant-based edition of the feast honors the Bay Area's commitment to seasonality, locality, sustainability," she says.
(Courtesy of LuckyRice)
The event will tap SF's best Asian and Asian-influenced chefs to serve both traditional and contemporary creations. The lineup includes:
Babu Ji , with a salad with local Brentwood summer tandoori corn and grapes with a chaat vinaigrette.
, with a salad with local Brentwood summer tandoori corn and grapes with a chaat vinaigrette. Hakkasan will keep it authentic with Beijing dumplings.
will keep it authentic with Beijing dumplings. Ichi Sushi is getting creative with an heirloom tomato salad topped with pickled cucumbers in a miso yuzu dressing.
is getting creative with an heirloom tomato salad topped with pickled cucumbers in a miso yuzu dressing. M.Y. China is keeping us guessing with their M.Y. Veggie Bundle.
is keeping us guessing with their M.Y. Veggie Bundle. Le Colonial will bring a touch of seafood to the offering with their lobster gazpacho.
will bring a touch of seafood to the offering with their lobster gazpacho. Buffalo Theory is delighting us with pinkabet onigiri, stuffed garlic fried rice balls wrapped in nori.
is delighting us with pinkabet onigiri, stuffed garlic fried rice balls wrapped in nori. Asian Box's rice noodle roll with eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, marinated cucumber and spicy soy vinaigrette.
rice noodle roll with eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, marinated cucumber and spicy soy vinaigrette. E&O Kitchen & Bar is whipping up a dessert of lemongrass and vanilla bean sticky rice pudding.
Of course, few meals in SF are complete without a little booze. There will be Asian-inspired cocktails, Asahi beer, and wines selected to pair with the flavorful umami-packed dishes. You can also sample spirits with Asian roots: Try a Toki Highball made with Suntory Whiksy Toki, or Kikusui Sake from Mutual Trading Co.
This particular event really resonates with Chang, who admires the early devotion to food and farming from Asian-American immigrants in the Bay Area. "If you think about it, much of California's agricultural industry was created by earlier waves of Asian-American immigrants who planted peach orchards where apple computers now reside, harvested rice that is now more widely consumed in Japan than the varietals that are grown there, and have brought artisanal Asian vegetables back into the culinary spotlight."
// 7-10pm, Sept. 8 at Bently Reserve, 301 Battery St. (FiDi); tickets ($88 general admission, $150 VIP) are available at luckyrice.com.
You may never see a drop of water from Hurricane Harvey where you live, but its likely that the massive disaster will affect you, anyway. Here are four ways in which Harvey is likely to be felt by all Americans.
Higher gasoline prices. This is probably the most obvious effect. The Gulf Coast of Texas contains about 27 percent of total U.S. refining capacity, according to analysts. Putting the significant issue of damage aside, the mere act of bringing refineries back online is no simple matter. As a result, gasoline futures have been up since late last week (although oil futures in some cases are down, presumably because reduced refinery capacity means less oil will be pumped).
Air travel woes. Houstons George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the second-largest hub for United Airlines, which has canceled hundreds of flights, including many connectors by which travelers simply change planes in Houston. United also has a support center in Houston that was closed Monday, the Chicago Tribune reported. Southwest Airlines has a major presence at Houstons Hobby Airport; it airlifted about 500 stranded passengers out of the already-closed airport Sunday, CNN reported.
Damaged crops. The hurricane and record flooding have had a devastating impact on both food and non-edible crops. Texas is the nations largest cotton producer, and Harvey struck just after harvest in many areas, when cotton was being stored in fields in some cases, according to Bloomberg News. The storm will also cause damage to crops in Louisiana.
Decreased shipping. The port of Houston, the second largest in the U.S., and the port of Corpus Christi, the sixth largest, both had to suspend operations. Bloomberg notes that the two ports handled about 14 percent of all shipping in U.S. ports in 2014. Thats not a loss (even temporary) that is easily made up.
Jefferson cruises to 11AAA state title over Harrisburg in 2nd year
Head coach Vince Benedetto asks his team the same question after every game: "Can we play better?" But Saturday, "it doesn't matter because we're champions."
2017 Half Year Financial Report
Perth, Aug 30, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The directors present their report on the consolidated financial statements of Galaxy Resources Limited ( ASX:GXY ) ( GALXF:OTCMKTS ) ("Company") and the entities it controlled ("Group") during the half-year ended 30 June 2017.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
The principal activities of the entities within the Group are:
- Production of lithium concentrate; and
- Exploration for minerals in Australia, Canada and Argentina.
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
Mt Cattlin Operations
Galaxy wholly owns the Mt Cattlin spodumene project, located two kilometres north of the town of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia.
The Mt Cattlin mine operations include open-pit mining of a flat-lying pegmatite ore body. The flat-lying nature of the ore body allows mining to proceed at a reasonably constant strip ratio once the ore is uncovered. Mining is carried out using excavator and truck operations, delivering to a conventional crushing and Dense Media Separation ("DMS") gravity recovery circuit. Contract mining is used for grade control drilling and earthmoving operations (drilling, blasting, load, haul and ancillary work) for the opencut mining operation.
The crushing plant consists of a 3-stage crushing circuit producing a -6mm product from ROM ore at a treatment rate of 1.6 million tonnes per annum. The crushing plant provides feed to a fine ore bin and this fine ore bin feeds the concentrator on a continuous 24 hour per day basis.
The concentrator consists of reflux classifier, dual size steam, two stages of DMS cyclones, with mechanical attritioning of the intermediate sink product. The final spodumene concentrate is stacked on a pad adjacent to the plant area, drained and prepared for trucking to the Esperance port.
Operations at Mt Cattlin remain Lost Time Incident ("LTI") free since refurbishment and restart of production.
During the half-year, the Mt Cattlin operations transitioned into commercial production with ramp up and commissioning of the plant completed at the end of April.
Mining operations achieved full production levels during the half year, with total material movement of 802,860 bank cubic metres ("bcm") of waste and ore, including 536,587 wet metric tonnes ("wmt") of ore at an average grade of 1.05% Li2O. Mining volumes increased by 147% from the March quarter mainly due to a 222% increase in waste mining volumes. Mining activities were concentrated on the northern and western sides of the pit, and run of mine ore stocks were as planned at the end of the quarter.
Spodumene production for the half-year was 56,465 dry metric tonnes ("dmt").
The efficiency of the Mt Cattlin plant has continued to improve with concentrate production for the last 2 months of the half-year averaging 436 dmt per day, equivalent to production of approximately 160,000 tonnes per annum ("tpa"). The annualised rate of concentrate production in June was approximately 170,000 tpa.
The performance of the redesigned Mt Cattlin plant has now reached steady state operations with an average recovery of 61% achieved in June, well above the budgeted target of 50-55%. This was due to higher head grade and improved specific gravity ("SG") control, as well as improved stability in the DMS circuit.
There were four shipments of lithium concentrate during the half-year totaling 53,590 dmt, with the last 3 shipments at product grade and specifications well above contract requirements and with moisture and mica content levels well below contract requirements. Product sales achieved an average realised sales price (before royalties and marketing fees) of US$645 (A$856) per dmt of spodumene for the half-year.
With the shipment in April, Mt Cattlin completed repayment in full of all prepayments advanced by customers.
Galaxy has completed its 2016 contract off take supply obligations priced at US$600 per tonne. All shipments are now based on 2017 pricing terms of US$830 per tonne for 5.5% grade lithium concentrate, rising to US$905 per tonne for 6.0% grade product.
A technical and financial evaluation has commenced for the construction of an ultra fines DMS circuit, a secondary float re-crush circuit and a final product optical sorter that will target further increasing recoveries to between 70-75%. If implemented, construction would occur in Q1 2018.
Work continues to progress on establishing medium and long term water supply sources.
The average production cash costs (excluding royalties and marketing fees) for the half-year were US$391 (A$515) per dmt of spodumene produced. The production cash costs (excluding royalties and marketing fees) for the month of June was US$334 (A$442) per dmt of spodumene produced. It is anticipated that unit production cash costs will continue to reduce as the operation achieves further efficiencies and full production rates are maintained.
Sal De Vida
The Sal de Vida (Salt of Life) deposit is one of the world's largest and highest quality undeveloped lithium brine deposits with significant expansion potential. The JORC-compliant ore reserve estimate of 1.1 million tonnes of retrievable lithium carbonate equivalent and 4.2 million tonnes of potassium chloride (potash or KCI) equivalent supports total annual production over a 40 year period.
The Sal de Vida Project is located in north-west Argentina in what is known as the 'Lithium Triangle', home to more than 60 per cent of the world's annual production of lithium from brines in the Salar de Atacama and the Salar del Hombre Muerto. The Salar lies approximately 1,400 kilometres north-west of Buenos Aires at an altitude of 4,025 metres. The property is accessible from the city of Salta via an all-seasons road, and there is a major powerline 115 kilometres away.
The development of Sal de Vida, when completed, will include evaporation ponds, a battery grade lithium carbonate plant and a potash plant.
In 2016, Galaxy engaged Techint, one of the largest engineering and construction firms in Argentina to assist in the formal review on the economics for the Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") of the Sal de Vida Project. The revision to the DFS reaffirmed the strong potential for a low cost and long life operation. The revised DFS estimated a post-tax net present value ("NPV") of US$1.416 billion at an 8% discount rate. Sal de Vida has the potential to generate average annual revenues of US$354 million and average operating cash flow of US$273 million. Average operating costs have been estimated at US$3,369 per tonne before potash credits and US$2,959 per tonne after potash credits to produce battery grade lithium carbonate. The revised total capital cost was estimated at US$376 million. The capital costs that related to the potash plant and related infrastructure were approximately US$34 million, with operating cost credit of approximately US$410 per tonne of lithium carbonate produced. The revised DFS provided for the option of deferring the capital commitment on building the potash circuit subject to potash price market conditions at the time.
The following key milestones were achieved during the half year:
- Granted an extension of its Environmental Permit by the Mining Secretary of Catamarca. The renewal of this permit will allow the project to move towards the definitive test work phase, all the way through completion of construction to commissioning.
- In February, the Company confirmed appointments to the Development team, bringing on board industry professionals with a combined 200 years of experience with the leading global lithium producers SQM, FMC and Rockwood. This team of highly credentialed industry specialists have the expertise and proven track record of developing lithium brine projects over the past couple of decades, and cover all the major technical disciplines required for the project including processing and chemical plant operations, engineering and construction, as well as hydro-geology.
- Commenced development work for the initial production wells and planned 45 hectares of evaporation ponds, both of which will be utilised as part of the future full scale production operations. Upon completion of the topographic survey, the evaporation ponds location will be finalised. Commencing in the December quarter, the newly constructed evaporation ponds will be initially used to perform testing and optimisation work, particularly around pond liner selection. To facilitate the overall increased level of activity at the project, an existing camp facility in the area was acquired and will be refurbished to accommodate up to 80 construction and project development staff.
- Field drilling of the initial two production wells was completed. Following the completion of the first drill hole for a planned production well in early April, a second drill hole, located on SDV property in the northern basin of the lithium-rich Salar del Hombre Muerto, was completed to a depth of 300 metres. The Salar del Hombre Muerto is one of the world's leading lithium deposits and is the same location where FMC Lithium has been operating for the past twenty years.
- Pump tests on the first completed production bore (announced in April 2017) yielded encouraging results, with continuous brine flow rates of more than 25 litres per second being achieved. These results exceed the values that were assumed in the DFS as the required minimum flow rate for each well in the production phase of the project.
- The refurbishment and upgrading of the test plant for the treatment of concentrated brine was completed. New power generation facilities have also been ordered which, in the future, will facilitate continuous 24-hour test-scale production.
- Design and planning activities relating to the establishment of a temporary construction camp have been completed. The camp will incorporate numerous renewable energy systems to power and heat the facilities at its remote location in the Puna. Final approvals from relevant regulatory departments are expected shortly, and the refurbishment and establishment of the camp is expected to be undertaken in the third quarter of 2017.
Galaxy's local Argentine subsidiary has established a presence in San Fernando, the capital city of Catamarca Province and will be using this local office as a base to coordinate recruitment and other human resource initiatives in the regional community. Members of the local team were also actively engaged in field visits to surrounding communities and key stakeholders, such as that at Cienaga Redonda, which is adjacent to the planned project development site location.
In line with a long-standing commitment to the local communities, Galaxy has engaged with numerous local service providers, and the Catamarca government, to discuss and identify training opportunities for specific job vacancies that Galaxy plans to fill during the remainder of the year. Galaxy has taken proactive steps to develop a comprehensive training program for those positions to be filled once construction and operational activities commence. Training opportunities will be available for roles at the Sal de Vida Project, including laboratory technicians and various heavy equipment operators.
The Company has recently progressed its discussions with potential joint venture partners on the project to a more definitive stage, and currently has ongoing dialogue with a number of potential strategic partners and customers, for financing and offtake.
James Bay
The James Bay lithium pegmatite project in Quebec, Canada contains an ore resource stands at 11.75Mt @ 1.30% Li2O (Indicated) and 10.47Mt @ 1.20% Li2O (Inferred), and has been limited to an open-pit vertical depth of less than 100 metres. The Project is located in northwest Quebec, two kilometres south of the Eastmain River and 100 kilometres east of James Bay.
The Project is readily accessible by paved road as the James Bay Highway bisects the property 384 kilometres from Mattagami where there is an airport and mining infrastructure. The airstrip is only 15 kilometres away. The Relais Routier gas station and truck stop is located one kilometre from the property with helicopter access, fuel, motel and restaurant services.
The James Bay deposit occurs at surface, comprises of several swarms of pegmatite dykes and resource modelling indicates that the resource is amenable to open pit extraction. The topography is gently rolling to flat lying with much of it covered by muskeg. Outcrops are common, usually occurring as mounds or ridges above the surrounding plain. Surface mapping identified 15 different pegmatite swarms, each consisting of up to seven dykes. The individual pegmatite bodies are mainly irregular dykes or lenses attaining up to 60 metres in width and over 100 metres in length. The pegmatite outcrops form a discontinuous band or "corridor" approximately four kilometres long and 300 metres wide, cutting the host rock at a low angle and cross-cutting the regional foliation at a high angle. Spodumene crystals at James Bay are relatively coarse, usually more than 5cm in length and sometimes exceeding one metre.
In March, a ~31,000 metre diamond drilling program was commenced with the aim of extending the existing resource contained in numerous outcropping spodumene-bearing pegmatites at James Bay. The program's objective is a thorough and multi-facetted diamond-drilling campaign which will result in completion of the Feasibility Study ("FS"), which was suspended in 2012. The drilling work is focused on exploring and developing the lithium resource contained in numerous outcropping spodumene-bearing pegmatites and aims to almost triple the aggregate 14,000 metres of depth drilled so far on the project, with drill holes at a deeper depth and closer proximity.
The core-drilling program includes:
- In-fill drilling to substantially upgrade ore resources to reserves;
- Step-out holes to explore pegmatite extensions down-dip; and
- Drilling three to four pegmatites in areas where there are gaps, previously mapped, but never drilled.
The key milestones of the drilling program achieved during the half year were:
- 29,300m of drilling to date has been completed with the entire program is now expected to be completed by the end of August 2017. Both resource infill and resource extension diamond drilling was conducted. The drill program has shown the resource to be open at depths below -100 metres. The existing ore resource was only reported to an average of - 110 metres (maximum -200 metres) below surface;
- This drilling has delineated two new large pegmatites in the gap between known pegmatites in the western part of the mineralised zone which bring the total number of dykes in the James Bay pegmatite swarm to 33;
- Full details of these drilling results are set out in ASX announcements dated 27 June 2017, 2 August 2017 and 10 August 2017 however selected drill holes results include:
o drill holes JBL17-19 (98.80m at 1.62 %Li2O); JBL17-53 (83.19m at 1.56% Li2O) and JBL17-57 (73.90m at 1.50 % Li2O) returning exceptional results; and
o drill hole JBL17-21 (with drill hole JBL-17-20) returned a cumulative 199.60m (down hole) of Li2O mineralisation including a cumulative 21m @ > 2% Li2O and extends parts of the resource a further -75m vertically below the current resource.
The drilling at James Bay was undertaken to reinforce the scale of the pegmatite and the significant potential for further growth. James Bay's proximity to local infrastructure, including the accessible road networks, water and power supply are all natural advantages and key to the development of the Project. The Project Team will now focus on concluding the activities required on the resource upgrade campaign, in addition to commencing the work in relation to the Feasibility Study, both for the upstream mine and concentrator plant, as well as the downstream lithium conversion facility.
The current ore resource estimate at James Bay dates back to 2010, however the data that has been collected in the current drilling program will allow for an update to these resources and conversion to reserves, with the results to be included in the final FS. The relevant Environmental Studies relating to the FS will be also advanced in parallel. Metallurgical testwork conducted in 2012 used a dense-media separation ("DMS") technique, produced a lithium concentrate with grades of up to 6.53% Li2O at a 75% lithium recovery rate.
To view the full report, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/V29C55C7
To view 2017 Half Year Result Presentation, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/Y8YPAGNU
About Galaxy Resources Limited
Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX:GXY) (OTCMKTS:GALXF) is an international S&P / ASX 200 Index company with lithium production facilities, hard rock mines and brine assets in Australia, Canada and Argentina. It wholly owns and operates the Mt Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe Western Australia, which is currently producing spodumene and tantalum concentrate, and the James Bay lithium pegmatite project in Quebec, Canada.
Galaxy is advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida lithium and potash brine project in Argentina situated in the lithium triangle (where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet), which is currently the source of 60% of global lithium production. Sal de Vida has excellent potential as a low cost brine-based lithium carbonate production facility.
Lithium compounds are used in the manufacture of ceramics, glass, and consumer electronics and are an essential cathode material for long life lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as mass energy storage systems. Galaxy is bullish about the global lithium demand outlook and is aiming to become a major producer of lithium products.
Works Approval Granted for Meckering Kaolin Deposit
Perth, Aug 30, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) ( ASX:ATC ) ( A3Y:FRA ) is pleased to advise that its works approval application for a screening and loading facility at the Company's Meckering kaolin deposit (M70/1334) was granted by the Western Australia (WA) Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) on 25 August 2017.
Highlights
- Works approval granted by WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER)
- Construction of kaolin screening and loading facility at Meckering approved
- Works include ROM stockpile, evaporation pond, trommel screening unit, and loading facility
- Mining approval for Meckering previously received
- Meckering kaolin mining and processing now fully permitted to proceed, subject to funding
The works approval permits the construction of kaolin screening and loading facility infrastructure, to be located adjacent to the proposed Run of Mine (ROM) stockpile, at the Company's Meckering kaolin deposit. Positioned within Altech's granted mining lease M70/1334, the Meckering kaolin deposit is located at Leeming Road, Warding East, approximately 140km east of Perth and 8km south-east of the town of Meckering, Western Australia.
At Meckering, mined kaolin ore will be screened to a size of <12mm via a trommel screening unit. The <12mm screened ore will proceed to a housed container loading facility, where it will be fed into standard 20-foot shipping containers via a telescopic container feed conveyor. Once loaded, the shipping containers will be transported by road to the port of Fremantle, for shipment to Johor, Malaysia, the location of the Company's proposed high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant.
This announcement of works approval for Meckering follows the Company's 10 March 2017 announcement confirming the approval of a mining proposal and mine closure plan for the Meckering deposit by the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) (formerly Department of Mines and Petroleum).
Commenting on the approval of works, managing director Mr Iggy Tan said, "We are pleased to receive notification of the approval of works for the kaolin screening and loading facility at Meckering, which will provide feedstock for the Company's proposed Malaysian HPA processing plant. The Altech team has been working hard to advance all approvals required for Meckering, and this has now been achieved. This means that subject to funding, construction and mining operations at Meckering can commence.
To view figures, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/2FIFKQBU
About Altech Chemicals Ltd
Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia.
HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand will be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market.
Initial drilling at Anthill hits 105m at 1.38g/t Au
Perth, Aug 30, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Intermin Resources Limited ( ASX:IRC ) ("Intermin" or the "Company") is pleased to announce initial drilling results from diamond core drilling at the 100% owned Anthill gold project located 54km northwest of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia (see Figure 3 in the link below). The project comprises granted Mining Lease M16/531 and it is located on the highly prospective Zuleika Shear Zone which is host to numerous high grade deposits (see Figure 2 in the link below).
HIGHLIGHTS
- First pass diamond drill hole AHD1701 completed at the Anthill gold project to 226m depth on the Zuleika Shear in the Western Australian Goldfields
- Drilling intercepts continuous gold mineralisation from 48m below surface dominated by fresh, highly bleached sericite-albite-carbonate-pyrite alteration with the following results:
o 105m at 1.38g/t Au from 48m (including 41m at 2.35g/t from 73m) (see Note 1 below)
- Diamond drilling successfully confirms Anthill gold deposit structural interpretation and validates historic drilling data
- 7,000m Resource validation and extensional drill program commenced to update the historic JORC 2004 Resource Estimate of 160,000 ounces (see Note 2 below)
- Further results and the updated Mineral Resource Estimate expected in the December Qtr
Commenting on results, Intermin's Managing Director, Mr Jon Price said:
"While the initial headline intercepts at Anthill are very encouraging, the geological data from the drill core has been invaluable in confirming the structural interpretation and the most appropriate drilling orientation for the follow up extension drilling.
"The Company now looks forward to the results of the drilling campaign now underway and adding Anthill to our Resource portfolio in the December Quarter."
Overview
Diamond hole AHD1701 was drilled to a depth of 226m to validate the mineralisation model, examine the mineralisation and vein orientations and obtain specimens for metallurgical and physical properties testing. The hole successfully confirmed Intermin's geological model whereby mineralisation consists of a discrete steeply plunging quartz stock work zone developed within a folded and altered pillow basalt unit within the Zuleika Shear.
Combined with historic drilling, the stock work zone is interpreted to be roughly circular or funnel shaped in plan, dipping to the northeast and is about 100 to 150m in diameter. The mineralisation has intense sericite-albite-carbonate-pyrite alteration, is bounded by a contact with metasediments to the west and the basalt host rock is intruded by an irregular Archaean dolerite body. The host rock is intensely weathered to 70 to 80m depth and there is a surface layer of soil and lateritic mineralisation 1 to 8m thick. Mineralisation is continuous from around 20m depth to the depth limit of drilling at around 200m.
All gold assay results from hole AHD1701 have been received with drill hole collar details and significant downhole intervals included in Table 1 (see link below). The hole was designed to intersect stock work veins at high angles and has been drilled partly down dip of the broad mineralised envelope. The orientation of the drill hole and mineralisation intersected has not provided a basis for the estimation of the true width intervals. Strong visible gold has been noted in some sections of the core which loosely correlate to assay intervals however it is assumed that the mineralisation has high nugget effect.
Follow up
A reverse circulation ("RC") drilling program comprising 50 holes for ~7,000m commenced on the 28 August and will be completed on a 20m x 20m grid. The holes will test interpreted mineralisation to approximately 180m depth and several holes are planned to target adjacent, parallel structures with a view to expanding high grade mineralisation. A new JORC 2012 compliant resource will be calculated shortly after all the assays are received and the mineralisation interpretation is complete.
Several other prospects have been identified at Anthill (see Figure 2 in the link below) including Fire Ant (3 km north of Anthill) where an area of 1.6 Ha has been cleared and scraped for alluvial gold by prospectors. Earlier work also delineated a moderate soil anomaly in this location and within the underlying laterite horizon. Despite the obvious signs of surface gold, this area has received limited shallow drilling. Several shallow, historic RAB holes recorded low levels of probable supergene gold nearby which adds to the prospectivity. Approximately 1,000m of "new discovery drilling" will be undertaken shortly after the resource program is completed.
Notes:
1 See Table 1 on Page 4 in the link below and JORC Tables on Page 7 in the link below,
2 As announced to the ASX on 8 March and 6 July 2017, see also Competent Persons Statement on page 5 in the link below and Forward Looking and Cautionary Statement on page 6 in the link below.
To view tables and figures, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/89J504X4
About Horizon Minerals Limited
Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.
Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.
Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.
Appendix 4E and Annual Report
Melbourne, Aug 30, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The directors present their report, together with the financial statements, on the consolidated entity (referred to hereafter as the 'consolidated entity') consisting of iSignthis Ltd ( ASX:ISX ) (referred to hereafter as the 'company' or 'parent entity') and the entities it controlled at the end of, or during, the year ended 30 June 2017.
Principal activities
iSignthis Ltd is an Australian headquartered business with patented technology used to significantly enhance online payment security and to electronically verify identities by way of a dynamic, digital and automated system. The system assists obligated entities under Anti Money Laundering ("AML") and Counter Terrorism Funding ("CTF") legislation to meet their compliance requirements and to ensure rapid and convenient on boarding of their customers. iSignthis also assists online merchants with mitigating Card Not Present ("CNP") fraud and providing CNP liability shift, within the framework of the card scheme rules and applicable regulatory regimes. The consolidated entity has been granted USA, European, South African, Portuguese, Singaporean and Australian patents and has patents pending in several other key jurisdictions including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada, Brazil and India. The Company is licensed by the Central Bank of Cyprus as an EEA authorised eMoney Institution, offering card acquiring in the EEA, Australia and New Zealand.
Review of operations
The loss for the consolidated entity after providing for income tax amounted to $5,700,062 (30 June 2016: $9,235,217).
Revenue including other income during the period amounted to $1,371,192 (2016: $443,881), which included interest of $126,003, sales from operating activities of $666,305 and R&D tax concession of $578,884.
Operating expenses for the financial year were $7,071,254 (2016: $9,679,098). Employment benefit costs amounted to $2,618,551 (2016: $2,035,354), due to an increase in the number of employees throughout the financial year. Corporate expenses amounted to $1,031,525 (2016: $831,674) resulting from continuing operations. These fees are made up of consultancy, accounting and other professional services. Share based payments during the period amounted to $979,347 (2016: $4,834,907) which represented a total of 15,000,000 unlisted options issued to advisors of the company in consideration for services provided and a total of 1,796,750 performance rights issued to employees in accordance with the company's employee incentive scheme.
Financial position
The net assets of the consolidated entity decreased by $4,333,469 to $5,410,364 as at 30 June 2017 (2016: $9,743,833). The consolidated entity's working capital, being current assets less current liabilities was $4,152,721 at 30 June 2017 (2016: $8,509,398). During the period the consolidated entity had a negative cash flow from operating activities of $5,337,210 (2016: $3,893,501).
As a result of the above the Directors believe the consolidated entity is in a strong and stable position to expand and grow its current operations.
Significant changes in the state of affairs
On 10 February 2017, the consolidated entity issued 10,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares upon the exercise of unlisted options at an exercise price of $0.04 (4 cents) per option raising a total of $400,000.
There were no other significant changes in the state of affairs of the consolidated entity during the financial year.
Matters subsequent to the end of the financial year
No matter or circumstance has arisen since 30 June 2017 that has significantly affected, or may significantly affect the consolidated entity's operations, the results of those operations, or the consolidated entity's state of affairs in future financial years.
Likely developments and expected results of operations
The past financial year has seen continual growth in operations and advancement of the core services offered to merchant customers. Key operational staff and systems are located in Melbourne and Cyprus and continue to build brand awareness, a pipeline of new business opportunities and integration of existing customers to enable processing of transactions and generating revenues.
Additional revenue streams are now available via a payment facilitation agreement with the National Australia Bank and an eMoney Institution license issued by the Central Bank of Cyprus. iSignthis is therefore now an EEA authorised institution allowing it to offer settlement services (card acquiring) to its existing and new merchant customers. These services now provide a full range of revenue generating services which include customer verification (identify and verify the customer as required by AML law), the Processing of payments (payment gateway) and the settlement of payments to the merchant (Acquiring).
Every effort is now focused on growth. We continue to hold a significant first mover advantage in regards to the delivery of a truly online customer identity service. We now strive to deliver an outstanding product to existing customers, expand our customer list and deliver increased revenues in the 2018 financial year.
To view the full report, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/4U5293PG
About iSignthis Ltd
iSignthis Ltd (ASX:ISX) (FRA:TA8) is a hybrid monetary financial institution and also a RegTech leader in remote identity verification, payment authentication with deposit taking, transactional banking and payment processing capability. iSignthis provides an end-to-end on-boarding service for merchants, with a unified payment, electronic money and identity service via our Paydentity(TM) and ISXPay(R) solutions.
By converging payments and identity, iSignthis delivers regulatory compliance to an enhanced customer due diligence standard, offering global reach to any of the world's 4.2Bn 'bank verified' card or account holders, that can be remotely on-boarded to meet the Customer Due Diligence requirements of AML regulated merchants in as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Paydentity(TM) has now onboarded and verified more than 1.5m persons to an AML KYC standard.
iSignthis Paydentity(TM) service is the trusted back office solution for regulated entities, allowing merchants to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, and focus on growing their core business. iSignthis' subsidiary, iSignthis eMoney Ltd, trades as ISXPay(R), and is an EEA authorised eMoney Monetary Financial Institution, offering card acquiring in the EEA, and Australia.
ISXPay(R) is a principal member of Mastercard Inc, Diners, Discover, (China) Union Pay International and JCB International, an American Express aggregator, and provides merchants with access to payments via alternative methods including SEPA, Poli Payments, Sofort, PRZ24 and others.
Probanx Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of iSignthis Ltd, provides API based access to CORE Banking solutions, SEPA Core, SEPA Instant and SEPA business scheme, for neobanks, banks, credit unions and emoney institutions, and provides a bridge to the Eurosystem's Central Bank of Lithuania's CENTROLink service.
Distribution of company announcements to the professional platforms, finance portals and syndication of important corporate news to a wide variety of news aggregators and financial news systems.
China has invited Egypt, Kenya, Tajikistan, Mexico and Thailand as guest countries for the upcoming BRICS summit but clarified that the invitation is not an attempt to expand the group under its BRICS Plus approach. China will host the BRICS summit in Xiamen city from September 3 to 5 in which leaders of the five countries will participate, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
We need to have some further explanation about the BRICS Plus to help people better understand the rationale of this idea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing, addressing the media about BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.
Wang has been floating the BRICS Plus approach from March this year sparking speculation that Beijing is mooting the expansion of the emerging economies bloc.
Explaining the BRICS Plus approach, Wang said the member countries have been inviting different countries during the annual summits of the group and referred to Indias decision to invite leaders of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic) for last years Goa summit in which Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal are members.
Referring to the Goa summit, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping also attended the dialogue with BIMSTEC leaders and respected and supported the initiative of Prime Minister Modi.
That dialogue was very effective, he said, replying to a question seeking explanation about Chinas BRICS Plus concept whether it has support of all other members as the group takes decisions on consensus.
Wang also referred to Russia, Brazil and South Africa inviting their neighbouring countries when they hosted the BRICS summits.
So actually this has been a practice that we have for number of years and this time, inspired by the experiences of previous BRICS leaders meeting, we have invited some countries for dialogue, he said, referring to the invitation to the five countries.
Our practice is little bit different, we are not just inviting countries in our neighbourhood, but also countries from all around the world that are interested in BRICS mechanism, altogether five countries have been invited, he said.
I want to stress that this is the arrangement for this year, doesnt mean that these five countries will always will be invited to BRICS meetings in future, he said.
Chinas invitation to the five countries has been supported by the leaders of the four other countries including India, Wang said.
We have given a name to this practice of inviting non-BRICS countries, that is BRICS Plus, but as to how many countries that are going to be invited as Plus countries, it is not a fixed number, he said.
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Over 13,000 people have been rescued by the Federal and local agencies in Houston and the surrounding areas in the state of Texas since the catastrophic storm Harvey flooded the area, the heaviest tropical downpour in the history of the United States.
Meanwhile, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has imposed a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. until further notice to prevent property crimes like burglaries and looting.
Since midnight Sunday, more than 2,300 calls have poured in to the Houston Fire Department, including 400 calls for rescue on Monday afternoon, Houston officials said. Four people have died as a result of the catastrophic storm.
Even as darkness fell and the water level kept rising, the emergency officials in Houston continued fielding calls overnight from the flood-stranded Texans. Thousands have been rescued so far, many are still waiting to picked up.
Houston has been crippled by catastrophic flooding of dams, levees and volunteers scrambled to save the latest wave of tropical storm Harveys victims amid word that a veteran Houston police sergeant drowned on his way to work.
Sergeant Steve Perezs body was recovered early Tuesday.
The floodwater breached a levee in the county south of Houston.
Local rivers swelled to a major flood stage, county spokeswoman Sharon Trower said.
The Brazos River is being pounded, and all of that water is coming down from the tributaries and creeks into the river, Trower said. All the roads around us are flooded. We dont have any evacuation routes to tell people to take.
U.S. President Donald Trump met with officials in Austin and Corpus Christi and avoided the hardest-hit parts of Texas so that the rescue efforts are not hampered. The President wanted to be very cautious about making sure that any activity doesnt disrupt the recovery efforts that are still ongoing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
Mumbai witnessed heavy showers since last 72 hours which has disrupted normal life in the city. Weather man has predicted more rainfall so people are not going to get any respite soon. Tuesdays rainfall was severe which caused inconvenience to people. Employees were asked to return home in the afternoon by employers to avoid commuting woes. Several suburban trains were running late and many services were discontinued thereby causing severe hardships to commuters. Due to heavy rains, Maharashtra government had declared a holiday. Even schools remained shut. Many flights were cancelled due to poor visibility. People had taken shelter in temples, mosques to protect themselves from rain. They were offered food by trustees. Mumbai received 331.4 mm rain on Tuesday, which was the heaviest after the July 26, 2005 record of 944 mm, which caused the worst havoc in decades in the financial hub of the country.
People were advised to avoid beaches and promenades, which impacted the 5th day immersion of Ganesha idols. BMC had appealed to citizens to refrain from stepping out of their house unless it is really necessary. Due incessant rains darshan of Lalbhaugcha Raja had to be halted. To avert any mishap, Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other agencies remained on high alert. Navy had opened food canteens to serve food to the needy persons. Tuesdays heavy rains had claimed 19 lives and 16 people were injured.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray appreciated the work done by BMC when heavy rains lashed the city.
Even if you spend crores, you cant bring Mumbai above sea level. Shiv Sena is answerable to Mumbaikars and not the Opposition, he said.
Chief PRO, Northern Railway said, Sixteen trains commencing on August 30, 31 and September 1 cancelled due to operational reasons and heavy rains in Maharashtra.
Dr Deepak Amrapurkar of Bombay Hospital on Tuesday got down from his car near Prabhadevi and decided to walk back home, since than he is missing. His relatives searched for him till 5 am on Wednesday morning. Several rumours are doing the rounds that Dr Deepak Amarapurkars body has been found, but none of them are true. Neither the Bombay Hospital nor the BMC has confirmed the news.
Mumbai is resorting back to normalcy as water level has receded in many parts of the city. Suburban train services, the citys lifeline depended upon by over 6.5 million commuters partially resumed on Wednesday morning on all the three lines Western, Central and Harbour.
The Western Naval Command had made arrangements to provide shelter to Mumbaikars who were left stranded after heavy rains lashed the metropolis yesterday. WNC has made arrangements to provide shelter to stranded Mumbaikars at Colaba, Worli and Ghatkopar, the spokesperson said. Shelters are being provided at Sagar Institute Colaba, INS Trata Worli, INS Hamla Marve and Material Organisation Ghatkopar, a Navy spokesperson said.
They opened community kitchens and food counters at various locations in Mumbai to provide relief to commuters stranded in torrential rainfall. Community kitchens providing food opened at Churchgate, Byculla, Parel, CST, Worli and Tardeo, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Mankhurd, Chembur, Malad and Ghatkopar, he added.
The Patna High Court on Wednesday upheld the life imprisonment awarded to former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin by a Bihar district court for giving an acid bath to two brothers and murdering them 13 years ago, a lawyer said.
The High Court also rejected Shahabuddins plea challenging the sentence awarded by the Siwan District Court on December 11, 2015.
Additional District Judge of Siwan Special Court Ajay Kumar Srivastava sentenced Shahabuddin and three others to life imprisonment in 2015.
Justice Srivastava had termed it as the rarest of rare case. The criminal-turned-politician, who was a Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, was convicted on charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.
According to the police chargesheet, the victims were kidnapped at Shahabuddins behest and drenched in acid before being murdered.
Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi.
By John Stone
Despite Karen Ernsts repeated insistence that Voices for Vaccines - who recently got up a petition against Jenny McCarthy on Change.com - is an independent parent-led organization speaking up for the vaccine program, the evidence that it was started by the Atlanta based non-profit partner of the Centers for Disease Control, Task Force for Global Health, to promote their joint policies is overwhelming. John Stone (UK editor of Age of Autism) reports:
A few days ago I wrote about vaccine program advocate Prof Dorit Reiss, her unconventional views about agency capture, and her links with Voices for Vaccines an administrative project of Task Force for Global Health a partner organization to the Centers for Disease Control and Emory University in Atlanta. The first response to my article was from Karen Ernst a Minnesota based officer of Voices for Vaccines :
Voices for Vaccines has as its fiscal agent The Task Force for Global Health. They take in our donations and cut checks for us. Many non-profits who are too small to handle their own 501(c)3 status use fiscal agents in this way; it's quite common. We have absolutely no access to their money, nor do we benefit from their money. Voices for Vaccines is not tied to any pharmaceutical corporation or to any government organization. Thus far, all of our donations have been small and have come from individuals. Thus, the dots you have connected paint an incorrect picture.
Ernst was again engaged the other day with Steve Schneider's article Big Pharma's faking a "grass-roots" campaign to keep Jenny McCarthy off "The View" in Mark Crispin Miller's News from the Underground blog noticed that a Change.com petition against McCarthy was being promoted by Voices for Vaccines, St Paul, Minnesota. Ernst was first to respond once more :
Im one of the two moms who runs VFV. Your blog post is curious to me, seeing that you are an academic. It seems you consulted Barbara Loe Fisher for her anti-vaccine conspiracy theories about who we are, but you never bothered to actually consult us.
I am the person who started the petition. I have been in contact with exactly zero people who work for pharmaceutical companies or who work in the government about the petition. At best, your headline is misleading. The rest of your blog post is inaccurate. Youve misrepresented our relationship with our Scientific Advisory Board and our fiscal agent.
For the record the current Voices for Vaccine website states:
Voices for Vaccines was re-launched in early 2013 after two young parents, Karen Ernst and Ashley Shelby, volunteered to lead the organization in rallying parents of immunized children to combat vaccine misinformation and increase immunization rates. In 2010, Shelby and Ernst founded the blog Moms Who Vax, which offers resources on vaccine information, commentary, and first-person stories from parents who immunize. They are currently working to develop a new organization, the Minnesota Childhood Immunization Coalition.
The name Voices for Vaccines rang a bell but I could not immediately find any pre-2013 references on Google. The web archive was rather more helpful, however, with the earliest page holding any text dating from 13 May 2008 (passages in bold are my emphasis):
Note: Previous posts in the Protocol 007 series include: Protocol 007: Merck Denies Fraud, But Feds Seek New Mumps Vaccine as Cases Spread Protocol 007: Feds Urge Judge Not to Dismiss Mumps Vaccine Suit Mumps Protocol 007: Merck Scientists Accuse Company of Mumps Vaccine Fraud that Endangers Public Health By Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill Scrawled on a single sheet of paper, an FDA inspection form appears to back whistleblower allegations that pharmaceutical giant Merck committed fraud to convince the government its mumps vaccine still works. The bigger question appears to be: Why didnt the FDA do anything about it? The document below, obtained by Age of Autism under a Freedom of Information Act request, is dated August 6, 2001. The FDA inspector who showed up that day at Mercks vaccine laboratory in West Point, Pennsylvania, noted raw data is being changed with no justifications. Spreadsheets used to determine questionable results and retesting clinical samples for [redacted] has not been validated, the inspector adds. Faking data to hide the real lab results is at the heart of the claim by two former Merck scientists, who filed suit under the federal whistleblower statute. Virologists Stephen A. Krahling and Joan A. Wlochowski say they witnessed the fraud firsthand when they worked at the Merck vaccine laboratory in West Point between 1999 and 2002, and were pressured to participate. Ironically, the fact the FDA investigated after Krahling triggered the inspection is being cited by the drugmaker in its effort to dismiss the suit. They [the whistleblowers] are asking the court to muscle the FDA out of the way and decide on the science, Merck attorney Eric Sitarchuk told a federal judge last week, according to a report by Law360. It's precisely that problem that's why [a whistleblower] case can't be based on the alleged falsity of a label describing the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The suit was unsealed in federal district court in Philadelphia last summer, soon after the Justice Department, which had been studying the allegations for more than a year, declined to intervene on the whistleblowers side. As we reported then, the alleged fraud was a multi-year effort to hide the fact that the mumps vaccine is no longer anywhere near as effective as Merck claims and may have led to scattered mumps outbreaks around the country. The fraud was dubbed Protocol 007 and widely known and approved within the companys vaccine division, according to Krahling and Wlochowski. In federal court last week, a lawyer for the whistleblowers argued that Mercks deception meant the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars on a vaccine that didnt work as promised. The mumps vaccine is a component of Mercks MMR-II mumps, measles and rubella shot. It is the only mumps vaccine currently available in the United States.
Merck could face huge financial penalties and even lose its U.S. license to manufacture the vaccine if found guilty.
Why would Merck go to the extreme extent of falsifying and manipulating the data it they didn't themselves believe this would have affected the government's purchase? asked Gordon Schnell, an attorney for the whistleblowers. All we need to show is that Merck concealed information to keep the government purchasing hundred of millions of dollars of the vaccine.
Merck says the suit is without merit and the mumps vaccine is safe and effective, but it has not specifically denied its employees engaged in the conduct alleged by the whistleblowers arguing instead that they have no standing to sue. That may be because the documentary evidence is quite strong, including an instruction sheet on how to commit the fraud, allegedly written and distributed internally by the company scientist in charge of the project: Objective: Identify a mumps neutralization assay format [testing procedure] that permits measurement of a greater than or equal to 95% seroconversion rate in MMRII vaccines.
Protecting 95 percent of those who get the shot against mumps is the standard required for continued government approval of the vaccine. According to the whistleblowers, the only goal all along was to reach that number in whatever way possible.
Merck set out to conduct testing of its mumps vaccine that would support its original efficacy finding, according to the lawsuit. In performing this testing, Mercks objective was to report efficacy of 95 percent or higher regardless of the vaccines true efficacy. The only way Merck could accomplish this was through manipulating its testing procedures and falsifying the test results. Krahling and Wlochowski participated on the Merck team that conducted this testing and witnessed firsthand the fraud in which Merck engaged to reach its desired results. Merck internally referred to the testing as Protocol 007.
Krahling had alerted the agency to what he said was a frantic scene: his bosses were changing test results that showed the mumps vaccine wasnt working; destroying garbage-bags full of evidence to keep the fraud from being exposed; and lying to FDA regulators who came to the lab.
The fact the FDA investigated, but took no apparent action in the face of such evidence, raises another question: What didnt the FDA do, and why didnt it do it? Strangely, the agency appears to have come back to the plant several times after it was originally summoned by Krahling, but focused instead on comparatively innocuous production violations.
Merck & Co. Inc. has been cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for failing to follow proper sterility and testing procedures at its vaccine plant in West Point, Montgomery County, according to federal inspection reports, Linda Lloyd reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer on January 9, 2002, five months after the visit triggered by Krahling.
U.S. regulators, who inspected the plant in August and again during the fall, found many quality-control problems, including leaking ampules during drug packaging, flawed documentation for rejected drug batches, and workers who did not follow proper sterility procedures, those records say.
The original August 2001 inspection was clearly the one triggered by Krahling that led to his whistleblower suit. The article notes, FDA inspectors visited Merck's West Point plant on Aug. 6 and returned several times between Aug. 27 and Oct. 29.
The article quotes the handwritten findings that raw data had been changed in lab notebooks and questionable spreadsheet results had not been validated. The FDAs actions, however, focused on quality control issues that led the plant to voluntarily interrupt its production lines while they were being addressed. Merck spokesman Christopher Loder told the Inquirer the problems had been identified during a routine inspection, which doesnt match the events surrounding the August 6 FDA visit after being alerted by Krahling.
The scenario raises the possibility that the agency essentially ignored the deeper problem evidence that one of the vaccines being manufactured at the plant simply didnt work as advertised, and fraud was being committed to hide the truth and instead slapped the firm with violations that could be described as routine.
Even so, the voluntary production stoppage may have been behind shortages in Merck vaccines that developed in 2002 and 2003, according to the whistleblowers.
The suit says testing on the mumps vaccine began in 1999, led by Senior Investigator David Krah and his second-in-command, Mary Yagodich. Mercks Executive Director of Vaccine Research, Alan Shaw, approved the testing methodology, the suit says. (The FDA notice above about test results being "changed with no justifications" is addressed to Shaw.)
Krahling said he complained about the fraud to Emilio Emini, Vice President of Mercks Vaccine Research Division, and brought actual testing samples and plaque counting sheets to demonstrate to Emini the fraudulent data that Krah was directing. Emini agreed that Krah had falsified the data, the suit said, but defended some aspects of the work.
Emini promised to conduct an internal audit of the mumps testing. Emini ordered Krahling not to call the FDA. Immediately after the meeting [a Human Resources representative] approached Krahling and again threatened that he would be put in jail if he contacted the FDA.
Shortly thereafter, Krahling was transferred to another lab, and soon left the company; Wlochowski was also transferred and left the next year. (In 2005, Emini became Executive Vice President of Vaccine Research and Development at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. He is now Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Vaccine Research at Pfizer.)
At the court hearing last week, a lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department told the judge that the fact the department had not intervened on behalf of the whistleblowers should not be used as reason to dismiss the case. She rejected Mercks claim that private citizens shouldnt be allowed to bring a whistleblower suit over fraud against the FDA.
The Justice Departments continued interest in the case, contrasted with the apparent lack of action by the FDA when alerted to the alleged fraud, raises the specter of a potential conflict between departments in the Executive Branch. It might explain why Justice did not initially intervene but seems to be quite public in keeping the option open. Most whistleblower suits that succeed eventually gain Justice Department backing, people familiar with the process say.
One anomaly in the FDAs August 6 inspection form stands out: the signature line. Two FDA employees are listed. The first was unsurprising, Debra Bennett, a field-based CSO (or consumer safety officer), the FDA staff charged with inspections and investigations. The second seems more unusual: Kathryn Carbone, a senior scientist from the FDAs Office of Vaccine Research and Review. Back in August 2001, Carbone would have been well aware of the political dynamite involved in allegations of scientific fraud involving the MMR vaccine. On March 8, 2001, just a few months before, she was a panelist in the Institute of Medicines safety review on MMR and Autism and was followed on the agenda by none other than Dr. Andrew Wakefield.
Meanwhile, as we reported in June, the National Institutes of Health, like the FDA and CDC part of the Department of Health and Human Services, appears to have tipped its hand over concern about the mumps vaccine. Just as the whistleblower suit was unsealed last year, health officials awarded almost $2 million to a research team at the University of Georgia.
The goal: Find a much better mumps vaccine, in a hurry. The fact that outbreaks had occurred in populations with over 95% coverage of two-dose [mumps] vaccine strongly suggests that the current vaccine is not effective, according to project information filed by Biao He, a researcher at the University of Georgia who received the $1.8 million grant.
We also noted that scattered mumps outbreaks this year possibly underreported by the CDC are reinforcing longstanding concern that Mercks mumps vaccine is failing far more often than it should. The outbreaks appear to be following a three-to-four-year cycle in which a new cohort of immunologically susceptible persons is exposed but lacks full vaccine protection.
The current outbreak appears centered in college-age students. While mumps is generally benign when contracted in childhood, it can be much more serious when caught later. In males it can be excruciatingly painful and even lead to sterility.
If vaccine failures are involved in the current outbreak, that would also undercut Mercks statement that there is no safety issue involved with the alleged fraud.
--
Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill are editors of AgeOfAutism.com and co-authors of The Age of Autism Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-made Epidemic.
Note: As if to prove Nancy's point, yesterday we got this comment from Ken Reibel, "Autism News Beat" blogger, and mocker extraordinaire. Imagine belittling families whose kids are sick, injured, maybe have died. Ken enjoys such sport. Don't be like Ken. Be human. "I think a Vaxxed clown car would be more appropriate."
By Nancy Hokkanen
On August 25 the VaxXed bus arrived in Minneapolis, bringing Polly Tommey and driver Anu Vaidya for a second round of interviews memorializing peoples adverse reactions to vaccines. The number of interviewees signatures on the big black RV
Craig Egan, Karen Ernst and Patsy Stinchfield view the VaxXed bus. (Photo by TEAM TMRs Rogue Zebra.)
is more than 6,400.
During the 8-hour stop at Minnehaha Falls Park, Tommey and Vaidya were welcomed by dozens of appreciative vaccine injury victims and their families, along with local natural health practitioners and health freedom advocates. Visitors talked and networked by the bus and under a gazebo, distracted occasionally by brief showers and for a short time by an impotent handful of misguided protesters.
The peripatetic Tommey, a compassionate autism mum, had allowed herself only a brief break following her internationally-publicized Australia trip with Dr. Suzanne Humphries. Among the complications and corruptions: the Australian Prime Ministers wife chairs a pharma corporation thats collaborated with Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline.
The official VAXXED YouTube Channel is home to Polly Tommeys VaxXed bus interviews. As with other stops, Tommey live-streamed interviews on VaxXeds Facebook page and using the Periscope app.
How does Polly continue this emotionally challenging archiving of vaccine injury testimonies? Each sad report makes me more motivated to keep going, said Tommey. The next story is what keeps me going. How dare you hurt that person; how dare you kill that mothers baby... That pain, its a knife right to the heart... I look into the eyes of these other parents, and I see it; it makes my heart weep every single time. We have to stop people in pain.
Vaidya has driven about half of the roughly 40,000 miles on the VaxXed bus. Like the autism parents he meets, he has become an insightful analyst of his voluminous readings and firsthand observations. At a certain point, anecdotal evidence actually builds on itself and becomes a large enough data set to be scientifically relevant at which point you should be developing scientific studies and actually research it, Vaidya said. So to disregard anecdotal data is to say that you dont even want to think about a hypothetical scientific discovery. Which is anti-science.
Protesters at VaxXed bus in Minneapolis 8-25-17. (Photo by TEAM TMRs Rogue Zebra.)
Some Minnesota VaxXed interviews were done earlier, off the bus, such as a conversation with a doctor who formerly was staunchly pro-vaccination. Dr. Bob Zajac is a board-certified pediatrician and father of eight with 15 years in child development and special education. A self-described former bully about vaccines, he began noticing that chiropractic patients were healthier than his. When I started reading vaccine inserts, I was blown away at what had been studied or not studied It changed my life when I saw vaccines having a higher injury rate than expected.
Without violating patient confidentiality, Dr. Zajac talked about two undeniable cases of vaccine injury in his practice. Hard to admit that I struggled with recognizing that really happened to my patient it opened up my eyes. He now reads an hour a day about vaccine issues, and acknowledged the amount of information gathering done by parents: Once your child is injured by vaccines, youll never stop researching it.
Organizers of the Minneapolis VaxXed stop withheld its Mississippi River stop location publicly because of troublemakers. One was Craig Egan, a miscreant with suspect funding who boasts online about his national stalking of the bus and its grieving visitors. Nonetheless he and a handful of protesters appeared brandishing a few signs (such as the inapplicable Mutant and Proud), but left after some sprinkles of rain. Someone even attempted to shut down the VaxXed event by calling park police, though event organizers had a permit.
"I wonder why Craig Egan and the rest of his trolls are trying to intimidate families who have vaccine injured children? asked Wayne Rohde of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota. He has no heart or conscience for understanding others who are living and struggling with disabilities."
Another empathy-challenged intruder was Karen Ernst of the faux consumer group Voices for Vaccines, who showed up to
Karen Ernst of Voices for Vaccines and Craig Egan laugh it up while vaccine injury victims, families and advocates visit the VaxXed bus in Minneapolis 8-25-17. (Photo from Egans site.)
lurk and smirk. Though the VaxXed bus is a travelling monument recognizing health damage and deaths caused by vaccines, photos taken that day indicate she found the gathering amusing. Her disturbingly inappropriate affect is profoundly disrespectful at an event commemorating the sick and dead, their caregivers, and their mourners.
Adding insult to vaccine injury, Ernst approached the bus with Patsy Stinchfield, a long-time Childrens Hospital nurse, media favorite and (per Linkedin) Infection Preventionist whos pushing to add a third MMR shot to childrens vaccination schedules. I was shocked to see Patsy Stinchfield attend with a paid troll who has made serious violent threats to the VaxXed crew, said Patti Carroll of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota. This supposed professional took part in harassing people who were telling their vaccine injury stories.
Rather than listen to victims health realities or suggest medical treatments, Nurse Stinchfield patronized them by proposing what amounted to irrelevant alternate facts. Stinchfield actually tried to suggest alternative diagnoses for them without knowing anything about their medical history, which vaccines were received, or what their health status was at the time of the vaccine injury, Carroll said. This is a perfect example of the callous disregard shown by the medical establishment toward those who are harmed by vaccines."
That same day the self-serving Stinchfield apparently made a YouTube video with Egan, who to all but the cognitively dissonant appears at times emotionally unstable. Also that day, Minnesota officials declared that states measles epidemic ended. Though the Internet abounds with Stinchfields quotes about measles, she is suspiciously quiet regarding Minnesotas epidemic of mumps in vaccinated people whose etiology likely hearkens back to vaccine failure and the Merck whistleblower Protocol 007 lawsuit in Pennsylvania.
To victims of iatrogenic injury, being perversely subjected to cruel harassment by a pharma-friendly nurse should warrant professional repercussions. "Why does Patsy Stinchfield berate and ridicule parents of vaccine-injured children, who are waiting in line to share their story? Rohde asked. That is not professional; that is not what a caring medical practitioner would do. Maybe the state medical board should review her actions.
As a VaxXed driver Vaidya has interacted with a variety of protesters at the bus whove been misinformed about Tommeys intent, and/or dont realize the evidentiary value of the myriad vaccine injury recordings. What were out here to do is these stories; its not about making a big public statement, said Vaidya. And so situations like today where we have people show up that are protesting, it just doesnt make any sense the argument being that since its anecdotal, it should be disregarded. In describing evaluation of scientific evidence Vaidya cited historical examples such as Galileo and Babylonia, adding, The truth of the matter is that most discovery science has started from an anecdotal perspective.
Why is Minnesota such a hot-button stop for the VaxXed team? Because its a financially entangled hub of vaccine promotion, home to:
- Merck researchers Dr. Gregory Poland and Dr. Robert Jacobson, at Rochesters Mayo Clinic;
- pharma-funded faux consumer groups Immunization Action Coalition and Voices for Vaccines, whose members publish scientific inaccuracies and malign vaccine injury victims online, and whose board members have financial conflicts of interest;
- CIDRAP, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota; in fall 2012 director Michael Osterholm angered many by suggesting influenza vaccinations need an extensive, expensive Manhattan Project revamping;
- America's Health Insurance Plans' Vaccination and Immunization Working Group member Dr. James Nordin, whose hot-button studies include flu shots, Tdap and HPV vaccines during pregnancy (why?); wheezing in asthmatic children after nasal vaccination (now withdrawn); and race/ethnic disparities after vaccination (think #CDCwhistleblower).
- former ACIP member and measles alarmist Kris Ehresmann, the states infectious disease division director who has an autistic son.
With so much pressure from vaccine promoters, Minnesota is also home to:
- ever-increasing numbers of educated parents of vaccine-injured children working to prevent others injuries;
- including a disproportionately large population of Somali immigrant families whose children suffer a high rate of autism caused by the MMR vaccine;
- established health freedom activists united with other groups across the state, nation and internationally;
- organized pushback maintaining one of the strongest vaccine exemption policies in the U.S., including a philosophical exemption.
Though the VaxXed crew is performing a crucial public outreach service by archiving medical experiences for posterity, they do not receive state or federal funding. The VaxXed website provides a wealth of vaccine safety information; one important file is downloads of the CDC autism/MMR files released by CDC senior scientist Dr. William Thompson.
Davenport, Iowa was the next stop for the VaxXed bus, followed by stops in Missouri and then safely back to Texas. The buss home base is about 200 miles northwest of Houston, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall.
To help bring an end to vaccine injuries, Tommey advises everyone to report their families vaccine injury observations online. Join us on social media; join our team, Tommey said. And go out on their social media, and go out on everywhere, because we have to. We have to shout, and the best shouting is out on social media these days. Contact us; if anybody wants to be an ambassador, they just contact bella@vaxxed.com.
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Aiken, SC (29801)
Today
A clear sky. Low around 35F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..
Tonight
A clear sky. Low around 35F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker has been elected chairman of the board of governors of IATA, effective June 2018.
The rotating one-year term will commence at the end of IATAs 2018 annual general meeting in Sydney and will continue until the end of its 2019 meeting.
Outspoken Al Baker, known for his tough business stance with rival carriers and aircraft manufacturers, will succeed current IATA board of governors chairman Goh Choon Phong, chief executive of Singapore Airlines.
Qatar Airways flights are currently having to reroute in the Middle East Gulf because of a a trade embargo imposed on Qatar by its neighbours Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.
The carrier has also dropped plans to acquire up to a 10% stake in American Airlines. In a statement, Qatar Airways said that taking into account the latest public disclosure of American Airlines, the investment no longer meets our objectives.
Al Baker said of his IATA appointment: I am honoured to have been chosen by my fellow board members to head this important body, at a time when the industry faces numerous challenges on a multitude of levels.
He added: "For more than two decades I have lived and breathed aviation, and I look forward to working alongside the Board of Governors to champion passenger rights and improve security standards across the industry, as well as continuing to promote the rights of freedom of flight for all."
IATA represents some 275 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.
A statement from Qatar Airways said that Al Baker is "one of the most recognisable figures in international aviation".
It continued: "His vision and commitment enabled the development of Qatar Airways from a small regional carrier into a major global airline in a span of just 20 years. Under his leadership, Qatar Airways has become one of the worlds most highly-respected airlines, competing on a scale very few airlines achieve."
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August 29, 2017
ALEPPO, Syria In a bid to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey to their homes, the Turkish government has been making considerable efforts to reconstruct and rehabilitate the destroyed Syrian areas that were liberated during Operation Euphrates Shield, a cross-border military operation launched by Turkey in partnership with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Aug. 24, 2016, against the Islamic State (IS) in northern Syria.
The Turkish efforts focus mainly on the reconstruction of the city of al-Bab, located in Aleppo's northeastern countryside, 38 kilometers (roughly 24 miles) from the FSA-held city of Aleppo. The FSA managed to wrest control of the city from IS on Feb. 23, as part of Operation Euphrates Shield.
The local council in al-Bab receives substantial support from the Turkish government, which pays the salaries of its employees, including heavy equipment such as pickup trucks as well as the necessary operating expenses to remove the rubble of destroyed buildings and clear blocked roads.
The city has been given a face-lift. According to a statistical report by the information office of al-Babs local council, which Al-Monitor secured a copy of, the population of al-Bab has reached 150,000 people.
Before IS took control of al-Bab on Jan. 14, 2014, the citys population stood at about 200,000 people, including more than 50,000 displaced from the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, which were then under the Syrian regimes shelling.
Ammar Nassar, the information office director, told Al-Monitor, The local council aims at developing all service sectors in the city for the well-being of the citizens as well as to encourage the thousands of the city's citizens living in Turkey to return home.
Since its formation [in March], the local council has made major achievements: The rubble was completely removed from the city; the water and sanitation networks that were destroyed were repaired; and artesian wells were also drilled in several locations inside and in the outskirts of the city to get safe drinking water. There are also plans to drill more wells to solve the problem of water scarcity, Nassar said.
The city of al-Bab would get its water supply through a pipeline from the Euphrates River, stretching all the way from the station of the Khafsa village, southeast of al-Bab. Since the Syrian regime forces took control of the station in Aleppo's eastern countryside on March 7, driving IS out, the regime made sure to cut off the water line toward the FSA-held city of al-Bab, causing a major water crisis.
Meanwhile, IS had turned most of the citys schools into military headquarters and weapons caches. The heavy bombardment by the FSA, the international coalition and the Turkish aircraft against IS fortifications and sites led to the destruction of most schools.
Education in the city of al-Bab is a top priority for the Turkish-backed local council; the increasing population in the city means more children need to go to school.
Ahmed Karaz, the head of the local councils education office, told Al-Monitor, Ten schools out of 30 have been reconstructed and rehabilitated. There have been considerable efforts to build more schools to accommodate more children. Four hundred new teachers were trained and appointed to this effect.
On Aug. 23, the local councils education office held a training session for teachers in cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Education. In April, the education office in al-Bab started receiving teachers applications. Teachers will be paid 500 Turkish liras ($150) as a monthly salary from the Turkish government. The Turkish government has also provided schools with furniture, stationery as well as school bags.
The Turkish government has also renovated Al-Hikma Hospital, providing additional medical equipment so that it can continue to offer temporary services for patients until the large hospital Turkey is building on the citys outskirts is completed. The construction works began in August and the hospital is scheduled to open in early 2018, Nassar noted. The hospital will have 200 beds and will serve the entire city of al-Bab.
In addition, the Turkish government is planning on compensating the residents of al-Bab, whose houses and shops were destroyed. The local council has set up committees to examine and assess the damages.
On Aug. 2, a Chamber of Industry and Chamber of Trade were established. The local council, with the support of the Turkish government, also installed towers to strengthen GSM signals for cellular networks in al-Bab, in an effort to improve the city's communication services.
The Turkish government is working to reduce the influence of the FSA factions in the city and have the police and the general security forces be responsible for maintaining security. Turkey provided about 1,500 policemen with medium and light armor and weapons to carry out their duties.
It seems Turkey wants to convey a positive image in the city of al-Bab and the other newly liberated areas about its presence there. With all its support, the Turkish government is greatly helping and encouraging Syrian refugees to return home and paving the way for a longer Turkish presence in the area, should it be able to achieve economic stability there.
August 30, 2017
RAMALLAH, West Bank Hamas and Egypt are moving forward quickly on projects to aid the Gaza Strip. A delegation from the National Islamic Committee for Social Solidarity, along with officials from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, will work with experts from both countries to oversee funding.
A solidarity committee source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The Emirati-Egyptian committee will fund projects in the Gaza Strip and oversee them [at a total] of $15 million a month, paid by the Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan Foundation [in the UAE] for humanitarian work." The source noted that several sectors will be targeted, such as health (buying medication and treatment abroad), housing (building residential apartments) and electricity.
Hamas political bureau member Salah Bardawil told Al-Aqsa TV on Aug. 22 that 17 projects have been approved and the UAE will offer the aid through Egypt.
Egypt and Hamas recently developed an understanding by which they will build a security buffer zone on Gazas borders, indicating growing cooperation. Hamas also has been open to overtures from dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, who is close to Egypt and the UAE.
Conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties, split the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2007. Now, Fatah led by PA President Mahmoud Abbas controls the West Bank, and Hamas administers operations in the Gaza Strip. Abbas and Dahlan were once close associates but now are sworn rivals.
Under the new arrangement with Hamas, the UAE will offer Gaza a package that includes mainly inaugurating a power generation station that will take 18 months to build, at a cost of $100 million. A launch date has not been set. The aid will also include funding to restore and maintain the Rafah land crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Palestinian Legislative Council member Majed Abu Shamala, who heads the National Islamic Committee for Social Solidarity, told Al-Monitor, We have agreed that Egypt will play a key role to facilitate the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip, just like the case with the industrial diesel." He was referring to Egypt allowing trucks carrying industrial diesel to supply Gazas power station in June. Only a few technical measures have to be resolved before work can begin, he said.
Egypt will firmly support the Gaza Strip with its essential needs," Abu Shamala said. "The National Islamic Committees mission is to spare Gaza the stage of collapse, especially after [Abbas] imposed sanctions on it, burdening all life aspects. We are working with the UAE and Egypt to avoid further ripples of the catastrophic situation resulting from Abbas arbitrary measures against Gaza.
The Egyptian regime is seeking to restore calm in the Sinai through the security cooperation with Hamas and to return Dahlan to the Palestinian political arena, all the while trying to foil Abbas measures against Gaza.
Animosity flared between the PA and the UAE after Dahlan was dismissed as Fatah leader in 2011 and escaped to the UAE to live. Abbas refused Emirati mediation to try to halt legal measures against Dahlan before he was dismissed and to reunite Fatahs ranks.
Abu Shamala blames Abbas for the suffering in the Gaza Strip, since Abbas collects tax money and does not spend the funds of international aid on the Gaza Strip. Abu Shamala said, We will call on Arab states supporting the PA to force it to offer services to Gaza, just like it does in the West Bank.
The UAE-Egyptian committees work appears to be upping the stakes in the Qatar crisis. The UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and of being hostile toward Egypt. The UAE would like to quash Qatar's influence in Gaza, even though Qatar has long been a financial supporter. Qatar played a major role in supporting Hamas by funding social, health and economic projects. In January, Qatar paid around $12 million to alleviate the power crisis in Gaza and build large residential projects like Hamad City. It also paid the salaries of Hamas employees and made other humanitarian donations.
Khaled al-Batsh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a member of the social solidarity committee, denied claims that the UAE-Egyptian committee might seek political favors against Qatar in return for the UAEs aid to the Gaza Strip. The Emirati aid is important, but not huge. It is not a way out of the Gaza Strip crisis, which will only end when the [consensus] government reassumes its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip or when a national unity government made up of all Palestinian factions is formed," he told Al-Monitor.
The dispute between the UAE and Qatar is strictly internal, and we are open to any state that wants to help the Palestinian people.
Batsh also said the UAEs support for Gaza has nothing to do with the recent rapprochement between Hamas and Dahlan. The UAEs support is related to the Gazans situation, rather than such understandings. The funds to help Gaza will be courtesy of the Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan Foundation after security understandings are signed between Hamas and Egypt," he said.
The National Islamic Committee for Social Solidarity was formed in 2011 and includes representatives of five Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip: Fatah (Dahlans party), Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The committee provides humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without regard for political disputes among factions.
August 30, 2017
Almost 21 months ago, Qatar expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia by recalling its ambassador to Iran after hundreds of Iranians attacked Riyadhs diplomatic facilities in Tehran and Mashhad in response to Sheikh Nimr al-Nimrs execution. Yet on Aug. 23, Doha announced that its ambassador would "return to resume his diplomatic duties" in Tehran. Undoubtedly, this move was indicative of the Saudi/United Arab Emirates (UAE)-led blocs failure to pressure Doha into aligning more closely with its fellow Sunni Arab states.
To the contrary, the Qatar crisis has pushed the emirate closer to Iran. Unless the 12-week dispute in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) gets resolved, the GCC can feel quite confident about Qatar pursuing deeper ties with Iran for its geopolitical benefit throughout the highly divided region. If the quartet (Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) maintains its blockade on Qatar, it would be difficult to imagine Doha not becoming further invested in closer ties with Tehran out of mere necessity. Over the past 12 weeks, Iran has played a crucial role in enabling Qatar to function as a sovereign state without capitulating to the Saudi/UAE-led bloc. As the only nonquartet country sharing a maritime border with Qatar, Iran has been pivotal in terms of enabling the Arabian emirate to meet food import requirements following the Saudi-Qatari border closure. Shortly after the Saudi/UAE-led bloc cut off ties with Qatar, Iran opened its airspace to approximately 100 more Qatari flights each day that previously crossed the quartet countries.
Now that Qatar has adjusted many of its import/export routes since June 5, which Doha paid an economic price for doing, it is doubtful that the emirate would readjust them even if the GCC resolved its dispute, which is itself unlikely. Turning back to Saudi Arabia for food imports would only subject Qatar to Riyadhs leverage in the future.
Tehrans civilian leadership under President Hassan Rouhani has invested in initiatives aimed at convincing the smaller GCC members that Iran is a peaceful neighbor committed to the security and prosperity of all Gulf states. The Qatar crisis has afforded Iran the opportunity to tell Arabs that it is Saudi Arabia, not Iran, that threatens Middle Eastern countries sovereignty. The crisis has also helped Tehran challenge the narrative that Irans foreign policy is sectarian. Tehran is focused on improving relations with Sunni actors in the Middle East, recently including Turkey and Hamas in addition to Qatar, despite differences in regional crises, namely Syria. Indeed, closer Qatari-Iranian relations could help promote a Sunni-Shiite dialogue in the region, especially given Doha and Tehrans relations with a host of nonstate actors in regional hotspots where diplomatic channels are necessary for resolving conflicts.
Between the resolution of the GCCs 2014 rift and the ongoing Qatar crisis outbreak, Doha put some distance between itself and Iran largely to secure better relations with Riyadh. For example, in addition to pulling its ambassador to Tehran last year, Qatar also joined the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen in March 2015 one year before designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization while maintaining the firm stance that President Bashar al-Assads departure from power was a prerequisite for peace in Syria. The Arabian emirate was also one of the original 34 members of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, unveiled by Saudi Arabias then-Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in December 2015.
Yet at this juncture and with Kuwaiti mediatory efforts proving futile, Qatar is preparing for a post-June 2017 foreign policy chapter in which it has severed ties with three GCC members. As Qatar charts a new course in the beleaguered Middle East, Iran has reason to be confident that the emirate will seek closer and more cooperative relations with it, unless the quartet restores relations with Doha.
Since Qatars economic and geopolitical rise, Doha has maintained a pragmatic, nonideological and highly flexible foreign policy. Qatar shares the worlds largest natural gas field with Iran, and its nonrebellious Shiite minority is deeply integrated in the emirates political establishment and economy. As such, Doha has cooperated closely with Tehran in the past while never viewing the Iranian threat through other GCC states lenses. This different threat perception of Iran is an underlying cause of the GCCs dispute. The unsurprisingly negative response to Qatars decision to return its ambassador to Iran from the GCC states illustrates further frustration on the quartets part as the bloc contends with its failure to pressure the emirate into changing its foreign policy based on demands that included severing ties with Tehran. Qatars move only reinforces a perception in other Arabian Peninsula countries that Doha is not committed to the GCCs collective security and it embraces state and nonstate actors who threaten the security of other GCC members.
What remains to be seen is how the Donald Trump administration will respond to Qatar sending its envoy back to Tehran. Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani joined dozens of other Arab/Muslim heads of state in Riyadh three months ago for the Arab Islamic American Summit, where Trump called on Washingtons allies to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East. To be sure, Qatars ambassador returning to Tehran marks a setback to the White Houses quest to isolate Iran regionally.
Ultimately, Washington will likely realize that with the Qatar crisis remaining unresolved, Doha has few options but to strengthen relations with Iran out of mere geopolitical and economic necessity, assuming that the emirate does not pay the humiliating cost of capitulation to restore ties with the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Essentially, the Trump administration must come to terms with the fact that the GCCs dispute has fueled divisions between Washingtons key Sunni Arab allies that have benefited Irans foreign policy agenda.
In 1981, Saudi Arabia led the initiative to form the GCC. Although establishing a common currency and a customs union and investing in scientific research, among other initiatives, were aims of the GCC, it would be disingenuous to claim that any cause other than establishing greater collective security against the nascent Islamic Republic was the main reason behind the GCCs creation. Thirty-six years later, one of the councils founding members sees the gravest threat to its sovereign integrity and prosperity coming from fellow GCC states, not the Persian Shiite power across the Gulf. In the upcoming future, odds are good that Dohas foreign policy will reflect this perception absent any unexpected resolution of the GCC dispute.
August 30, 2017
In his first televised interview since being inaugurated for a second term, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed his American counterparts effort to kill the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
In response to a question about his assessment of US President Donald Trump, Rouhani, whose government reached a deal on Irans nuclear program with the six world powers in 2015, said Aug. 29, This is a hard question. Americans themselves and their politicians cannot answer that. Even Mr. Trumps fellow Republicans cannot answer that. Noting shaky US government policy, Rouhani added, This can be in our interest in that the US is experiencing the hardest time in building a consensus against Iran.
While the US president is reportedly pressuring the intelligence community to find Tehran in violation of the nuclear agreement so he can consequently abrogate the JCPOA, Iranian officials are in talks with the Europeans and hope that they will stand up to Trump. In this regard, Rouhani cited French President Emmanuel Macrons opposition to reviewing the deal, noting, During the past decades, whenever the US wanted to form [a] consensus against us, it has been able to do something against Iran with the help of the European Union and its friends and allies. But today, this is not possible for the US. Thus, we can say that America is experiencing the hardest time, and Iran is experiencing the best conditions.
In reaction to a recent trip to Vienna by Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, for a meeting with Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rouhani stated, We made promises regarding NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] Safeguards, the Additional Protocol and the JCPOA, and we have no other commitment. It is regulations that determine our relations with the IAEA, not US pressure. I dont think that the IAEA does anything under US pressure, but if, hypothetically, this happens, we will not accept anything by force.
In a signal to Saudi Arabia on possibly improving bilateral relations, Rouhani said, We believe that [the resumption of Iranians making] the hajj is a good sign to see how we can resolve issues with Saudi Arabia. If our pilgrims come back satisfied and Saudi Arabia acts within the framework of religious and international regulations, I believe we would have better conditions for settling any issue.
Riyadh cut ties with Tehran in early 2016 after Iranian protesters, furious over the execution of dissident Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, stormed Saudi diplomatic facilities. In the months prior to the rift, tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia had been running high because of their opposing positions on regional issues, including the Yemeni conflict and the Syrian war.
Also on Aug. 29, a short video was released of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's response to a road map devised by John Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations, for Trump to use to abrogate the nuclear deal. Zarif stated, Lack of wisdom and radicalism have a relationship to each other, and these two are considered the outstanding examples of irrational policies, whose failure has been proven.
Zarif further stated, I have read Boltons plan, which apparently failed to reach the White House directly. This plan would definitely be a great defeat for the US and would lead to more isolation of America on the international stage. He added, This is not the first time that Bolton has appeared on the scene. Boltons policy was previously pursued in the early 2000s, and the Americans witnessed its outcome.
Zarif emphasized, If his policy had been successful, America wouldnt have needed to come to the negotiating table 10 years after pursuing [Boltons policy] and reach an agreement with Iran. He then clarified, Bolton founded the policy of rejecting Irans [uranium] enrichment [plan], and pursued it for 10 years, and the outcome was that the number of Irans centrifuges rose to 20,000 from 200. Boltons achievement was 19,800 centrifuges, and it was this that made Americans come to the negotiating table.
August 30, 2017
A pair of Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth jets were due to reach Israel the last week in August, adding to the other five fighter jets in a new squadron being created at an Israel Defense Forces air base in the south. At the last minute, before the planes were to take off from Fort Worth, Texas, the IDF announced on Aug. 30 that the Americans were delaying the planes delivery due to more tests. This news set off a wave of rumors fueled by a number of reports in international media that the new F-35 is a fighter plane rife with glitches and problems. In addition, rumor has it that its real-life operation capabilities are disappointing compared to the manufacturer's promises.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has hurried to smooth any ruffled feathers. Everything is fine, and there is no malfunctioning that is relevant to us, a high-level IAF source told Al-Monitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The manufacturer found a trivial mishap in the fuel pipe of model B planes, while our planes are model A. But the manufacturer wanted to be sure that the model A's dont have the same problem, so he asked our approval to delay the arrival to next week. Of course, we agreed.
On Aug. 14, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel had resigned as IAF commander, after five years in that position. Eshel was one of the most esteemed IAF commanders in recent decades. He also led the process for acquiring the F-35s. Eshel flew the jet many times and fell in love with it. The IAF is the first force outside the United States to put F-35 jets into service. Everyone is keeping an eye on the operational experience that the stealth jets are starting to accumulate in the Middle East.
In a farewell interview with Haaretz, Eshel addressed the issue of problems with the stealth. Not everything is perfect, he said. There are some things you only learn on your feet. This happens with every plane that we add. But when you take off in this jet from Nevatim [IAF base], you cant believe it. When you ascend to around 5,000 feet, the entire Middle East is yours at the cockpit. It is unbelievable what you can see. The American pilots that come to us didnt experience that because they fly there, in Arizona, in Florida. Here they suddenly see the Middle East as a fighting zone. The threats, the various players, are in short range as well as in long range. Only then do you grasp the tremendous potential this machine has. We already see it with our own eyes.
More than half a year after the first pair of stealth jets landed at Nevatim, in the Negev, the IAF is beginning to understand what it has acquired. Despite a rather vague statement by the outgoing air force chief that not all the characteristics of the new stealth plane match the manufacturers catalog, enthusiasm in Israel over the F-35 is not letting up, and perhaps even the opposite.
From the Israeli perspective, the F-35 jets constitute a jump of an entire technological generation from fourth generation to fifth generation in fighter jet technology and capabilities. Still, it is important to emphasize that integrating such an airplane into an air force takes quite a long time. The IAF reckons that it will take a few years to completely understand the stealth jet's capabilities. The IAF has not even begun the process of installing and integrating the numerous Israeli weapons systems destined to become an integral part of the jet.
With all that is on the table, Israel is happy. This jet brings us everything weve dreamed of doing, in one package, said another senior air force source, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Its all concentrated on one table for us. As we all know, the F-35 can reach places in a way that others cant. But in addition, it integrates high-level operational capabilities as well as the ability to read and analyze a battle map. The earlier, fourth-generation jets are excellent at maneuvering and activating sophisticated weapons systems, but they are not able to collect intelligence and independently analyze battle movement. The F-35 can do all this by itself in real time, with only one pilot sitting in the cockpit. We have never had such an operational capability until today. Until now, attack aircraft were operated independently of air support aircraft. The former waited to receive analysis of the battle picture that came from the latter. But in the F-35, everything is on the same platform, and this is no less than amazing. When you connect that to several aircraft, you receive strategic capability for the State of Israel.
Many European countries are looking wide-eyed at the goings-on in Israel involving the F-35. In the United States, the jet does not encounter really turbulent, volatile operational scenarios, as planes do in Israel on a daily basis. A top air force officer speaking on the condition of anonymity remarked to Al-Monitor, The Americans have a large space with little friction, while we have a small space with a lot of friction.
In addition to the complicated map of the various enmities and conflicts in the Middle East, another factor has entered the equation in the last two years: the heavy Russian presence in the region. This presence includes missile batteries, the worlds most sophisticated radar system, and numerous types of combat and bombing planes crowding the scene. The stealth jet has been flown in this environment in recent months. The IAF tries not to divulge too many details about its findings, but Israeli sources make sure to clarify that the F-35 meets all the IAF's expectations.
According to IAF sources, while the Russians are currently able to identify takeoffs from Israeli bases in real time, the F-35 stealth can go places without being seen. This has created a situation in which the IAF is adapting itself to the F-35 instead of adapting the jet to the air force. The goal, they say at the IAF, is to use the F-35 to upgrade the fourth generation jets that will fly around the F-35.
The backbone of Israel's air force still consists of veteran F-15 and F-16 jets. Some have been flown for dozens of years. The F-35 makes them much better, and we are intensively working on this synergy, a source among the top brass said on the condition of anonymity.
The bottom line is that even if the F-35 has glitches (which it does), and even if it does not completely live up to the manufacturers promises (which it doesnt), the IAF is more than happy with its capabilities so far. The term air superiority, on which Israels national security has been based for generations, takes on an entirely new meaning by virtue of this fighter jet.
August 30, 2017
A photo of Knesset member Ariel Sharon in September 2000, surrounded by border police officers and a single journalist, who happens to be the author of this article, hangs in the offices of several senior officials of Shin Bet and the Jerusalem police force. Sharon and the officers are gathered at the entrance to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, as it is known to Muslims. Riots erupted in Jerusalem's Old City in reaction to Sharon's visit to the site. Some claim that his visit led to the eruption of the second intifada (2000-2005), but facts show that the visit was not the sole cause, or even the main cause, of the outbreak of violence. Nevertheless, his visit certainly provoked unrest in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Almost 17 years have since passed. On Aug. 29, two years after Knesset members were banned from visiting the Temple Mount for reasons of security, Yehuda Glick of Likud and Shuli Mualem of HaBayit HaYehudi ventured there, the first parliamentarians to do so during a trial period agreed to by the police and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Glick has spent decades fighting for the right of Jews to visit and pray on the Temple Mount, despite the opposition of most rabbis based on certain tenets of Jewish law. He almost paid for it with his life in a failed assassination attempt in October 2014. The perpetrator was an East Jerusalem Palestinian who was killed a day later by the Yamam counterterrorism unit when they tried to apprehend him at his home.
Glick told Al-Monitor that his motives are completely different from Sharon's. Sharon wanted to demonstrate possession and sovereignty over the site, while I am going up there in total humility, Glick said. I'm very pleased to see Muslim worshippers in the mosques and Jewish visitors in the square. The average Muslim worshipper is not opposed to visits by Jews, but I understand them. This is the last Muslim stronghold in Israel.
Yoav Horowitz, the chief of staff in the prime minister's office, had called Glick on Aug. 24 to inform him of the decision to allow Knesset members to visit the site one day a week. Glick was initially outraged by the restriction, but after a conversation with Netanyahu, he accepted what he called clarification by the prime minister. This was not lip service, he was told, nor was it an attempt to pre-empt a Supreme Court ruling on the issue expected to be issued in two weeks. Glick said that Netanyahu told him, I want to restore the right of Knesset members to visit the site.
Netanyahu's plan for the visits was accepted after lengthy discussions among the highest echelons of the police and Shin Bet about visits as a matter of principle. Some security officials argued that all visits by politicians should be banned, citing past experiences with Sharon and certainly with Glick, who is very much a red flag to Palestinians. One senior defense official told Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity that this position was criticized "internally and externally" for being what he termed hysteria.
The position argued by Yoram Halevy, the chief of the Jerusalem Police, ultimately won out. He contends that visits by Jews to the Temple Mount should actually be encouraged, since it would give the police easier access to the site for its own needs, as their presence would be required. It was also argued that as long as the visits were low key and avoided provocation, they would convey a sense of normalcy and quiet organizations dedicated to fighting for the site.
Halevy has advocated this position for many months now. Just last year, he initiated contacts with several right-wing Jewish organizations and activists. This has earned him their cooperation and kept them from engaging in provocative actions and incitement.
This decision to allow members of the Knesset to go up to the Temple Mount was made about one and a half months after the July 14 attack at the site that left three Israeli Arab perpetrators from the town of Umm al-Fahm and two border police officers stationed at the entrance dead. After the attack, Israel set up metal detectors at the entrances, but these were eventually removed in response to international pressure.
According to the same defense source, the basis for the decision and the planned overall policy is a desire to maintain several basic principles of the status quo, particularly a ban on Jewish prayer at the site. This was implemented by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan immediately after Israel captured the Old City in 1967 in the Six-Day War. The Israel Defense Force's chief rabbi, Shlomo Goren, vehemently opposed the decision and was quite upset about it.
The ban on Jewish prayer has often resulted in strange and extreme situations, like the arrest of people for just seeming to mumble or to sway in motions reminiscent of Jewish prayer. While the number of Jews attempting to pray on the Temple Mount despite the prohibition has been shrinking, the number of Jewish visitors to the site has actually increased. This year, their number is expected to reach 25,000, as opposed to just 14,000 in 2016.
The most significant measure in restoring calm and increasing visits by Jews, and by tourists in general, was the banning of activities by the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. The faction has been fighting against Jewish visitors for years, under the banner Al-Aqsa is at risk. The movement's leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, has been calling for an all-out struggle to save the mosques on the Haram al-Sharif.
Members of the Mourabitoun (men) and the Mourabitat (women), organizations named after an early Muslim movement that fought heretics mourabit means defender (of Islams holy places) tailed Jewish visitors closely and tried to limit their movement, often by jostling and insulting them. These two groups and the Northern Branch, which supports the groups, were outlawed in November 2015, and after that, the mood at the site changed beyond recognition. On Aug. 15, Salah was arrested again on suspicion of inciting violence during a sermon he preached at the funeral of the three attackers from Umm al-Fahm.
Arab Knesset members from the predominantly Arab Joint List have reacted in a low-key manner to their Jewish colleagues' recent visit to the Temple Mount and have declined to go there. Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi told Al-Monitor, This was an act of provocation by the right, for which the prime minister is responsible. The compound and the mosque are sites of Muslim prayer only. We own the site, and the mosque is ours. According to him, by allowing Knesset members to ascend the mount, Netanyahu was sending an aggressive and threatening message to the Palestinians, Jordan and the international community, and in doing so, pressing for conflict.
That said, Al-Monitor has learned that at least two Arab members of the Knesset have approached the prime minister's office through a third party, hoping to get permission to go up to the Haram al-Sharif on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer, beginning Sept. 1. Their request is under consideration.
August 30, 2017
While Turkey remains silent over claims that two Turkish nationals working for the national spy agency MIT are being held by Kurdish rebels, a news agency with access to the group known as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has published fresh allegations about the affair.
Firat News reported that the two men were in charge of running a network of spies in Iraqi Kurdistan to monitor the PKKs activities. Turkish authorities have been pushing for their release without success, Firat claimed.
The PKK leadership is based in the Qandil Mountains on the Iran-Iraq border but maintains a presence in Makhmur and Sinjar. It also moves unhindered in the Sulaimaniyah region, which is controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the second most influential party in Iraqi Kurdistan.
According to the agency, the pair carried diplomatic passports and reported directly to the head of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan. They supposedly had his blessing to either abduct or assassinate senior PKK figures. Firat News reported they were captured by the PKK together with several of their local informants on Aug. 3 in the Dukhan area of Sulaimaniyah. On Aug. 28, a senior PKK leader asserted that two Turkish intelligence officials who were plotting to kill senior PKK leaders were in PKK custody. Despite Turkey's silence on the news carried by the unabashedly pro-PKK outlet, the prevailing consensus is that the Turkish government would have denied the men were being held by now if the reports were false.
Should the claims prove to be true, the assassination plot would not be the first of its kind.
MIT has been linked to the 2013 murders in Paris of three Kurdish women, including Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the PKK.
Omer Guney, a Turkish man who was the only suspect detained in connection to the killings, died last year of a brain tumor in Paris just days before his trial was supposed to start. Agence France-Presse spoke with a French judicial source, who said that the investigation had pointed to involvement by MIT members in the triple murder. Investigators were unclear on whether the MIT agents had acted "with the backing of their superiors or "without the knowledge of the secret service in order to discredit or harm the peace process."
The murders coincided with the launch of the latest round of peace talks between the Turkish government and the PKK, prompting speculation that Turkish deep state operatives bent on sabotaging them had orchestrated the carnage in Paris.
Fidan played a central role in now collapsed talks, meeting numerous times with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan at his island jail and with PKK commanders in Oslo. Prosecutors said to be loyal to Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric who is accused of plotting last years failed coup, accused Fidan in 2012 of bogus connections to terrorists. Gulen, a die-hard Turkish nationalist, was bitterly opposed to any overtures toward the PKK.
The controversy has reinforced the view that Fidan, who is among Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans most trusted confidants, was targeted for pushing for peace with the PKK, and therefore would have never sanctioned the Paris job. By the same reasoning, it seems unlikely that he would have ordered intelligence operatives to kill PKK leaders in Iraqi Kurdistan. But Cemil Bayik, the PKKs top commander in the field, has repeatedly claimed that Fidan was in on just such a plot.
Iraqi Kurdish officials who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity dismissed the idea that MIT had planned any murders. They confirmed, however, that a pair of Turkish nationals had been apprehended by the PKK on Aug. 5, saying that an unspecified number of Kurds on MITs payroll had infiltrated the guerrilla organization and been sent to Qandil. The Turks were probably working for MIT, one of the Iraqi Kurdish officials said.
Last week, Turkey booted out the PUKs Ankara representative, Behroz Galali, apparently over the PUKs failure to resolve the affair. His expulsion led to the unveiling of the story by Iraqi Kurdish media outlets a full three weeks after the alleged Turkish spies were reportedly nabbed.
August 30, 2017
BAGHDAD Mazen Nayef, the leader of Basra's Sabaean Mandaean community, told Al-Sumaria News on July 23 that Iraqi authorities recently denied the community's request to build a house of worship, despite legally owning the land where it would be built. The Mandaeans fear that this will lead to further marginalization of the community and its culture.
As part of a campaign against the Mandaeans in Iraq, videos and rumors about the community's purported use of magic and sorcery have spread like wildfire. Consequently, the leader of the Sabaean Mandaean community in Iraq, Sheikh Satar Jabar Helou, said Aug. 16 that his community has nothing to do with witchcraft.
Mandaeism is the oldest unified religion known to humanity. It originated in Mesopotamia, specifically the city of Ur and the coastal areas near the Mesopotamian marshes. The Mandaean belief system, according to the Mandaean Associations Union, is monotheistic, with Adam being "the first Mandaean who received the religious instructions directly from God."
Before the US invasion in 2003, Iraq's Mandaean community was estimated at 70,000, but many emigrated due to rampant kidnappings and displacement. Today's population in Iraq is around 10,000, while many live in Iran.
In April 2017, Iraqi customs authorities at the Shalamjah border crossing prevented the entry of copies of a Mandaean religious text, The Great Book, Ginza Rba, which is the group's source of commandments and teachings.
The members of the community cannot practice their rituals in public," said a Sabaean Mandaean from Diwaniya, on condition of anonymity. "They are forced to do so indoors and in private. At the same time, they find themselves compelled to engage in Muslim rituals, in order to avoid any misunderstandings. Only a limited number of Mandaeans remain in Diwaniya in light of the ongoing emigration of their community.
Some parties and religious groups have an agenda to displace minorities in order to turn Iraq into a purely Islamic state, said author Nazar Yasser al-Haider, a Sabaean Mandaean residing in the United States.
Such actions against the community make Mandaeans feel marginalized and persecuted based on their beliefs, as if they were second-class citizens in Iraq, said Haider. These actions are a violation of the Iraqi Constitution, which guarantees freedom of belief, protects religious minorities and allows them to practice their religion.
Regarding Iraq's dwindling Mandaean population, Haider said, The extremist environment is culturally and ideologically forcing minorities to emigrate, and there are armed groups that adopt the policy of minority displacement in order to seize their property.
Riyad Bankani, a Mandaean and academic who emigrated to Canada, told Al-Monitor over the phone, The most important challenge facing Mandaeans is the security chaos that some extremists exploit. [The extremists] threaten the Sabaeans to abandon their belief and their non-proselytizing, peaceful religion, which only preaches coexistence and never forces people to embrace it.
Mandaeans do not proselytize. They also do not allow conversions and forbid Mandaeans from marrying outside their religion. These factors have further contributed to the decline in Mandaeans.
Bankani said the instability of Iraq's political system makes it "difficult to implement laws that protect minorities," including a 2012 law, known as Law No. 58, which protects one's right to worship freely.
Parliament established the Endowments of the Christian, Yazidi and Sabaean Mandaean Religions Diwan in 2003 to provide services to religious minorities.
The Sabaean Mandaeans are represented by one deputy in parliament and have one seat on the Baghdad provincial council.
Mandaean member of parliament Harith al-Harthy said Aug. 4, Mandaeans are being harassed and pressured by certain figures to leave Iraq.
Iraqi journalist Alaa al-Hamidi, who specializes in covering minority rights, told Al-Monitor, Only dozens of Mandaeans remain in Iraqi provinces. One of the daily dilemmas faced by members of religious minorities, especially Sabaeans, is the National Identity Card Law, which discriminates between Iraqis based on religion and belief.
Article 26 of the National Identity Card Law, according to Hamidi, "encourages the Islamization of [youth] minorities when a parent converts to Islam, which constitutes a threat to religious freedom. He added that not one school in all of Iraq is dedicated to the young generation of Mandaeans.
Selim Khamisi, 70, a Sabaean who works in the gold trade in Babil province, where only dozens of Mandaeans remain, told Al-Monitor, The fear of security instability and the increasing sectarian strife in Iraq has made us practice our religious rituals, such as prayer, fasting and baptism, in relatively isolated places and out of sight.
Khamisi said the communitys demands to obtain land to establish a Mandaean cemetery were "completely ignored" by local authorities.
Mandaeans have settled in over 20 countries around the world, with an estimated global population of 150,000
Prior to activating laws and addressing the Mandaean communitys material needs in Iraq, it is necessary to promote a culture of respect and tolerance for different beliefs and to combat religious discrimination.
August 30, 2017
WASHINGTON Critics and defenders of the nuclear deal with Iran are equally in the dark about President Donald Trumps intentions ahead of the next congressionally mandated deadline to certify Tehrans compliance Oct. 15.
The arrival of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly a month ago, combined with the subsequent departure of Trumps chief strategist Steve Bannon, his bombastic deputy Sebastian Gorka and several hawkish National Security Council officials aligned with Bannon, have reduced access to the president for those advocating outright abandoning the deal. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, has imposed strict protocols, requiring that any information going to the president be submitted first for review by White House staff secretary Rob Porter. Kelly has also stopped the Oval Office open-door policy, limiting who can gain access to the presidents ear.
A senior White House official told Politico that Kelly's goal is essentially that the president has to get good briefings, he has to get good intelligence. The official said, We have to be putting him in a position to make good decisions.
Indeed, former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton this week complained in an article outlining his plan for quitting the Iran nuclear deal that he had been denied permission to present his proposal to Trump.
I offer the Iran [proposal] now as a public service, since staff changes at the White House have made presenting it to President Trump impossible, Bolton wrote in National Review. Although he was once kind enough to tell me come in and see me any time, those days are now over.
According to Bolton, Bannon had asked him in late July to draw up a game plan for how Trump could exit the nuclear deal. Boltons plan calls for the United States not only to pull out of the agreement and reimpose unilateral US sanctions on Iran, but also to provide bunker-busting bombs to Iranian foes such as Israel. Bolton also encourages resistance to the current regime through support to ethnic minorities, including the Kurds and Baluchis, as well as the democratic Iranian opposition such as the Peoples Mujahedeen of Iran, formerly a State Department-designated terrorist group.
But even as Iran deal critics and regime-change proponents find themselves stymied in their efforts to access Trump, more pragmatic foreign-policy hands and Iran deal proponents are far from confident that their views will prevail. Washingtons European allies are similarly uncertain about how Trump will proceed, even as they insist that their commitment to the 2015 deal remains firm.
Things are getting worse, Richard Nephew, a former member of the US nuclear deal negotiating team, told Al-Monitor. According to his discussions with US government contacts, Trump has become stuck in his view that the deal needs to go, that Iran is cheating on it, and that we need to have the appropriate response.
Nephew, now with Columbia University, said he estimates that there is a 50/50 chance decertification will happen in October. But even if Trump does recertify Irans compliance, confidence that he will stick to the agreement over time will remain low, inhibiting the economic relief and international investment that Iran feels entitled to under the deal.
In a clear warning to Washington, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said this week that the 28-member bloc would defend the Iran deal from possible US efforts to gin up phony and politicized claims that Iran is not complying with the accord.
So today, two years on, compliance with the deal is certified by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] not by one single individual country, Mogherini said in a speech to EU ambassadors Monday. And we will have to repeat it time and again in these months to come everywhere.
Mogherini added, I was glad to hear at the beginning of this month from the re-elected president of Iran, [Hassan] Rouhani his personal commitment to continue to implement their part of the deal.
There is no alternative to the Iran nuclear agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron told French ambassadors Tuesday. In the context of what we are living through, the 2015 agreement is what allows us establish a constructive and demanding dialogue with Iran.
France will not support or acquiesce to [the Iran deals] cancellation, Frances ambassador to Washington Gerard Araud said Tuesday on Twitter.
As pdt @EmmanuelMacron said today : there is no alternative to the JCPOA. France will not support or acquiesce to its cancellation. https://t.co/Ijfk1sOySv Gerard Araud (@GerardAraud) August 29, 2017
France is also indicating to the Trump administration that it would be willing to try to negotiate a follow-on agreement with Iran that also addresses the countrys ballistic missile program, presumably under the condition that the United States not exit the existing deal.
Macron indicated Tuesday that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) could be supplemented by work for the post-2025 period (and) by an indispensable work on the use of ballistic missiles," French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne told reporters at a briefing today. "This work could be the object of future consultations with our partners.
The next IAEA report on Irans compliance with the JCPOA is expected to be distributed to member states of the IAEA board Friday, said Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association. The next IAEA board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11 through Sept. 15, shortly before world leaders head to New York for the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly. Trump is expected to address the gathering Sept. 19.
Iran and Russia have also reportedly requested that a ministerial meeting of the seven nations that negotiated the deal be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. If it occurs, it would mark the first meeting between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The State Department did not indicate whether Tillerson would be open to attending such a meeting, which does not appear to have been formally scheduled yet.
Nephew said the one foreign leader he thought could possibly influence Trump on the merits of the Iran deal was Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the former US negotiator isnt sure whether Putin is highly motivated to do so.
Nephew said, The one question that does kind of remain is there an international leader out there whose views [Trump] trusts who is in a position to convince him otherwise? The only name I heard was Putin.
Russia is indeed urging the US administration to stay in the deal, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said this week.
Russia is currently working on persuading the US leadership to keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Ryabkov was quoted as saying by Sputnik on Tuesday. We are focusing our efforts on convincing our partners in the US government that they need to fulfill their duties under Irans nuclear deal.
In the meantime, officials who work on Iran issues expect they may have to cancel any social plans they have made for the evening of Oct. 15.
August 29, 2017
It is the 27th decree Turkey has implemented under a state of emergency since the failed coup attempt last year, but make no mistake, this one's a doozy. The expansive changes enacted are coming much faster than expected after the hotly contested voter referendum in April that authorized an executive presidency.
The decree, which took effect Aug. 25, carries significant adjustments in intelligence and security bureaucracies, allows thousands of police and judiciary personnel to be recruited and indicates other hefty changes such as abolishing the Prime Ministry could be on the way.
Decree 694 substantially alters 12 critical laws, including those regarding state intelligence services, judges and prosecutors, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) personnel, military academies and foreigners.
In the basic law regulating intelligence affairs and state civil servants, the words "prime minister" are replaced by "president," signaling that all the prime minister's powers in these critical areas have been transferred to the president.
There are several other critical changes introduced by Decree 694. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT), which until now was an undersecretariat attached to the Prime Ministry, is now attached to the presidency, giving that office absolute power over MITs entire gamut of administration and operations. The MIT chief can only be investigated and questioned with the permission of the president. The future of intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, who is frequently rumored to be on the verge of resigning, is now solely up to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Also from now on, the president will chair the National Intelligence Coordination Board, which used to be chaired by the intelligence chief.
Intelligence surveillance and investigations of personnel in the Ministry of Defense and the TSK were carried out by the MIT until 2011. The MIT was then not allowed to investigate anything to do with the TSK. That inevitably became the intelligence weakness that allowed Gulenists, who are blamed for the coup attempt, to penetrate TSK ranks. The MIT now has the unprecedented power to investigate any military person and unit at any time and can dismiss any of its staff with two weeks' notice. Before, dismissal was a nightmarish bureaucratic procedure that could take months for all the paperwork before a case even made it to the courts.
This is just the beginning of the transformation of the state to an executive presidency. Something that didn't escape notice was that Erdogan started with the MIT and expanded the powers of the agency to internal security. Turkey has thus entered an era when the intelligence sector will have extraordinary influence in state governance and internal and foreign politics.
Regarding military promotions, colonels and generals will be able to be promoted without fulfilling the previously required service duration at their current ranks. This arrangement could encourage competition between officers and make them work harder by linking promotions to merit, but it could also politicize promotions by allowing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to advance officers it favors over senior officers awaiting promotions.
Another interesting feature of Decree 694 is an exceptional method of trying to solve the desperate need for pilots by the Turkish air force. Some 200 pilots who have resigned from the air force and joined private air companies will now be receiving compulsory return to military service orders. Those who do not comply within 15 days will risk losing their flying licenses. Earlier attempts at attracting these pilots back to military service did not work well, so the issue was forced. When the retired military pilots return to duty, civilian airlines will make up the deficit by hiring foreign pilots.
With this comprehensive decree, the military judiciary system is being totally eliminated. Military judge and prosecutor classes have been abolished and the entire TSK legal process is to be handed over to civilian courts and prosecutors.
One potentially positive aspect of the decree concerns the undergraduate- and graduate-level military education system, which will now allow civilian methods to be used and will increase the number of civilian instructors instead of relying primarily on officers. But it is still not clear if the National Defense University system, which looks promising on paper, will work in reality.
Another novelty introduced is the possibility of extraditing or exchanging foreigners sentenced in Turkey with other countries upon the request of the foreign minister and approval of the president, who will have the final word. This will enable Turkey to use foreigners detained in Turkey for diplomatic bargaining.
Another important aspect of the decree is that it rearranges the General Security Directorate (national police) by allotting it 32,014 new posts.
Decree 694 is not a simple state of emergency legal diktat. Rather, it is the first major move toward an executive presidency one that bypasses the parliament by introducing amendments to 12 existing laws without going through parliamentary approval.
This unexpected acceleration of radical changes in the state structure which were not expected until after October signals an important reality: Erdogan has exhausted his patience waiting for the transition to an executive presidency and wants to achieve without further delay the bureaucratic transformations that will be the pillars of his presidency.
The question that arises now is how successful Turkey will be in building new populist political institutions and transforming existing ones.
August 30, 2017
US-led forces today bombed the route traveled by Islamic State (IS) fighters withdrawing from the Lebanese border under a cease-fire deal with Hezbollah, leaving them stranded in territory controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces.
Some 300 fighters and their families were being bused to Syrias IS-controlled Deir ez-Zor province near the border with Iraq under the agreement reached earlier this week. The airstrikes took out a small bridge and cratered the road through Syria, while also taking out another group of IS fighters on their way to meet the convoy.
The coalition was not party to any agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and [IS], Col. Ryan Dillon, a coalition spokesman, said in a statement. Russian and pro-regime counter-[IS] words ring hollow when they cut deals with and allow terrorists to transit territory under their control.
Dillon said the airstrikes did not hit the convoy itself, in accordance with international law, but had successfully halted the advance of IS fighters heading east between Hamaymah and al-Bukamal. The bombed road leads to the Iraqi border and the strategically important city of Qaim in the Euphrates River Valley, where Iraqi security forces are planning an offensive to clear the area.
[IS] is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution, Dillon added. This is just further evidence of why coalition military action is necessary to defeat [IS] in Syria.
Lebanese Hezbollah struck a deal to evacuate the fighters and their families in exchange for the bodies of nine Lebanese soldiers captured by the group in 2014. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah defended the transfer, saying his forces would be the ones fighting the militants in Deir ez-Zor just as they had along the Lebanese border, but the United States and other critics of the deal worried about the militants potential to reinforce other fronts.
Irreconcilable [IS] terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across Syria to the Iraqi border without Iraq's consent, Brett McGurk, the State Departments anti-IS envoy to Iraq and Syria, tweeted Aug. 30.
In the northwestern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, where the anti-IS fight moved to after an eight-month campaign to liberate Mosul, the Iraqi security forces have cleared 85% of the city more than 360 square miles in just 10 days of fighting.
Military commanders told Reuters on Aug. 30 that Iraqi forces are clearing Tal Afar block by block, as hundreds of militants have fled to al-Ayadiya, a small town nearby. The Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units, which receive backing from Iran, have also participated in the Tal Afar fight.
Elsewhere, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces face a tougher fight to retake IS self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, in northeastern Syria, where as many as 2,500 fighters are holding out in the Old City despite dwindling supplies and where some militants are relying on drugs such as amphetamines to keep themselves going.
From Slovakia to Ukraine to Birmingham, Alabama, Likely AI is trying to change the way social media marketing is done.
The startup the only international participant in Innovation Depot's Velocity Accelerator program was first conceived as founder Jozef Marko, 22, and his cousin Lukas Ruttkay had finished college and began working on an algorithm after finishing college. They moved to Ukraine because of its low cost of living and started applying to accelerator programs to get seed funding. Velocity was the first acceptance they got, and that made the decision easy.
The app is designed to increase the amount of interactions on a given image posted to social media. Artificial intelligence as well as an algorithm scans the photos for features that yield the most likes and gives you a score for each photos the highest score will yield the most likes.
"What's interesting is that you can crop the photos, change them, or add filters, then scan them again, and you can see how the difference influenced the popularity," Marko said.
Of course, different social media presences need different algorithms. For now, Likely AI is designed primarily for a general social media influencer, or an account with credibility among a specific audience. They hope their next version of Likely AI will be bought by social media marketing or advertising agencies. Eventually, they hope to expand their offerings even to offline advertising, with algorithms that can tell you which image will capture the most attention even on things like billboards.
Both Marko and his cofounder have backgrounds in mathematical informatics, which is the study of the mathematical foundations of computer science.
"We have this kind of data scientific background," Marko said. "We can figure out these creative algorithms to measure the popularity. For example, the algorithm will check the objects, it will check the ratios and colors."
Likely AI recently released its Apple and Android apps, and are currently in a marketing push. The founders are still figuring out pricing they expect different prices for different kinds of users, or different prices depending on the size of different accounts but everyone, for now, can get a 14-day trial. They promise that following Likely AI's scores will lead to an increase of engagement of at least 10 percent.
Part of the package of the Velocity Accelerator spot is being able to work out of the space until the end of the year. After that year's up, Marko said he's not sure where Likely AI will be.
"We are open to anything," Marko said.
Birmingham fund invests in cookie chips
Birmingham's consumer packaged goods investor and operator Fenwick Brands has announced its latest investment: HannahMax Cookie Chips, a thin bite-sized snack cookie. Joanne Adirim, a mom and pastry chef, developed Cookie Chips in 2012. The cookie chips are made with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, coloring, preservatives, GMOs or trans fats.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
Cracker Barrel recalling baby outfit for choking hazard
A baby outfit sold exclusively in Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores has been recalled after a baby boy put a detached button in his mouth. No injuries from the outfit has been reported, but Cracker Barrel is recalling Fabri-Tech's infant shortall romper, which is red and white checkers and has a toolbox on the front and two buttons at the top of the straps that button over the shoulders.
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Baxter Inc. completes $270 million Opelika expansion
Gov. Kay Ivey was in Opelika today as Baxter Inc. celebrated the completion of the company's $270 million expansion. The expansion doubled the plant's square footage and will lead to a doubling of its workforce. Ivey said an Alabama business' success and expansion are worth celebrating."I don't want businesses in Alabama just to survive, but to thrive," she said. "I'm thankful Baxter continues to invest in our great state, and I'm proud that their products made right here in Opelika help to save and sustain lives around the world."
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Longevity pay for Birmingham employees coming?
Longevity pay for long-term city of Birmingham employees could be back in the fiscal year 2018 budget.The incentive will cost an estimated $1.1 million and impacts employees, including police officers, who have worked for the city for at least seven years, according to the office of Birmingham Mayor William Bell.
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Opelika, Auburn talking about shared skate park
Auburn and Opelika could be collaborating to build a skate park. The Opelika Auburn News is reporting that the two cities have been talking about the project and are currently looking at funding a park, which would cost about $400,000.Among issues still to come would be finding a convenient location for the park between the two cities.
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Jack's raises $157,000 for Kids to Love
Jack's Family Restaurants announced its employees across all 143 locations have raised $157,779 in customer donations for Kids to Love Foundation. The fundraising came as part of the eight-week long "Show Some Love" Campaign hosted by the restaurant. CEO Todd Bartmess said the donation is a "testament to the dedication we and our customers have to the communities across our footprint."
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How much the highest-paid women in Alabama earn
The top 2 percent of Alabama female earners make an average of $124,000 a year. Alabama's average of $124,000 for the top 2 percent of female wage earners is the 10th lowest in the country. The highest 2-percent of male wage earners in Alabama make $330,000 a year. That's $206,000 than the highest-paid women.
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Most Harvey victims on hook for repairs
Homeowners suffering flood damage from Harvey are more likely to be on the hook for losses than victims of prior storms - a potentially crushing blow to personal finances and neighborhoods along the Gulf Coast, the Associated Press reports. Insurance experts say only a small fraction of homeowners in Harvey's path of destruction have flood insurance.
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Is this really the 'most delicious' pizza in Alabama?
California has a mac-and-cheese pizza, and Illinois has a pizza topped with scrambled eggs, chorizo and home fries. But you'll find the "weirdest, most delicious" pizza in Alabama at Slice Pizza & Brewhouse in Birmingham, according to Cosmopolitan magazine.
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Chick-fil-A, Moe's signs make traffic interesting
It all started in July, when Chick-fil-A promoted a new, limited-time special for summer on its reader board outside the Airport Boulevard location just west of University Boulevard in Mobile. When Ashleigh Valluzzo, co-owner of Moe's Original Bar B Que, saw Chick-fil-A's sign one afternoon, she couldn't resist ribbing them a little for stepping on Moe's toes with a barbecue sandwich option.
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I-65 southbound closed after sign falls onto road
The driver of a tanker truck was killed in a fatal crash after losing control of the truck and hitting a portion of Interstate 65 on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Mobile Police Department. All lanes on Interstate 65 southbound and northbound at Airport Boulevard have been closed after a signage structure on the interstate collapsed onto the roadway and multiple other vehicles.
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Judge rejects Sarah Palin suit against NY Times
A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a defamation lawsuit by Sarah Palin against The New York Times, saying the former Alaska governor failed to show the newspaper knew it was publishing false statements in an editorial before quickly correcting them. The written ruling by Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said the lawsuit seeking unspecified damages "fails on its face to adequately allege actual malice."
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TVA lowers lakes, expects heavy Harvey rain
With the remnants of Hurricane Harvey expected to move into north Alabama on Thursday, preparation is already underway for heavy rain in the region. The Tennessee Valley Authority announced plans Tuesday to begin lowering lake levels in areas that could be affected by Harvey. That includes north Alabama lakes such as Guntersville, Pickwick Wheeler and Wilson.
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Americans bullish on economy
American consumers give today's economy the highest grade in more than 16 years, according to the Associated Press. The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumers' assessment of current economic conditions hit the highest level this month since July 2001.
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Whole Foods overall prices still high
Whole Foods shoppers may be premature in cheering Amazon.com's steep price cuts on staples like bananas, avocados and beef, according to one analysis published by Reuters Tuesday that suggested the premium grocery chain has not yet shed its "Whole Paycheck" reputation.
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Stocks ended Tuesday's trading day mixed
Stocks ended Tuesday's trading day mixed, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading the way and the Dow Jones industrial average lagging, Business Insider reports. Financials slumped after concerning results from quarterly earnings from two major players.
A raid at a northern Shelby County home Tuesday turned up an elaborate hydroponic marijuana grown and about 25 pounds of the illegal drug.
Andrew D. Boyd, 52, was taken into custody and charged with several felony crimes. At the time of his arrest Tuesday, he already was awaiting trial in Tuscaloosa County also on drug charges.
The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task force carried out the search warrant at Boyd's home in the 5000 block of Double Oak Lane, said task force commander Lt. Clay Hammac. The raid, he said, was the result of a short-term narcotics investigation that stemmed from information obtained in other cases and from other law enforcement agencies.
The search of Boyd's home and attached structures turned up 59 marijuana plants, which were seized. The hydroponic grow equipment - which uses water rather than soil to grow the product - was destroyed on site, Hammac said. The home is in close proximity to a school.
In all, the investigators seized 20 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $61,800 on the streets.
Court records show Boyd was arrested in January by an Alabama State Trooper after he was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 59 in Tuscaloosa County. The trooper, according to charging documents, smelled an odor of marijuana but Boyd denied having any inside the vehicle. The trooper asked Boyd to lift the center console arm rest, at which point he found a wide-mouth canning jar filled with a green, leafy substance. More marijuana was found under the driver's seat.
He is still awaiting trial in that case, which has been forwarded to a grand jury for indictment consideration.
Boyd was booked into the Shelby County Jail Tuesday on charges of trafficking in marijuana, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held on $1.021 million bond.
Hammac lauded the hard work of the task force narcotics investigators and said illegal drugs remain a serious problem. "Regardless of where folks stand on the issue of marijuana whether it's for medicinal or recreational use, the fact remains that in the state of Alabama it's illegal," he said. "And as long it remains illegal, we will continue to enforce those laws."
"What we need to identify is there is a relaxed cultural perception about marijuana use and casual drugs. Most young students, most high school students, feel like marijuana is completely harmless and innocent,'' he said. "What we have seen is that it's only a matter of time before that translates into experimentation of something far worse."
Investigations are underway in Birmingham after a woman was shot three times inside her Southside apartment, and a man was shot while driving on Interstate 65 near downtown.
The first shooting happened at Pawnee Square apartments off of 29th Street and Niazuma Avenue. Birmingham police said the victim was shot three times - in the chest, the abdomen and the groin. She was rushed to UAB Hospital where authorities said she was in critical condition. Later in the afternoon, she was reported to be in stable condition.
A neighbor said the shots woke him up, but it wasn't until later he realized what they were and what had happened. He said the woman and the man live together in the apartment, and said he had to call the police just last month after he heard the woman screaming for help.
The male suspect was still on the scene when police and firefighters arrived and he was taken into custody. Police have not identified either, nor have they announced any formal charges.
The female victim's parents were on the scene later, and were heading to hospital after speaking with police about what happened.
A short time after the Pawnee Avenue shooting, a man reported he was shot while driving on I-65 near Third Avenue. Details were sketchy on that shooting but the victim's Audi Q5 SUV was found in the parking lot of Innovation Depot on First Avenue North.
It wasn't immediately clear whether he was taken to UAB Hospital by ambulance or by private vehicle. He apparently sought help inside the business, and workers there were talking with police.
The victim's injuries aren't believed to be life-threatening. There is one bullet hole in the driver's door of the SUV, which was towed from the scene to be processed for evidence.
This story will be updated as more information is released.
Alabama hospitals are preparing to take in patients evacuated from hospitals in areas affected by Tropical Storm Harvey in Texas.
Birmingham Fire Chief Charles Gordon said today that in a conference call with the VA, city officials were told possibly 100 to 150 patients will be flown to the city.
"The VA is coordinating the transport of those patients from Houston to Birmingham, but those patients will go various hospitals throughout the Birmingham area," Gordon said. "The most critical patients will go to UAB."
Birmingham is one of the cities in discussions with the National Disaster Medical System to receive patients, according to a Wednesday morning statement from UAB Hospital.
"UAB Hospital and UAB Highlands Hospital have been preparing for several days in anticipation of receiving potential patients," said UAB Hospital spokesperson Katherine Stephen.
The hospitals haven't received any patients as of yet, she said.
Hundreds of patients in Houston-area hospitals have been evacuated due to flood waters. As of Monday morning, San Antonio Fire Department firefighters had transferred about 800 hospital patients from Houston and other areas affected by Harvey, the Associated Press reported.
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Michael Birrer said the cancer center is accepting patients currently being treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center system.
The Houston-area hospital is closed due to flooding.
"As the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey unfolds, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center wants the citizens of Texas, and in particular our colleagues and their patients at Houston hospitals, to know they remain in our thoughts and prayers," Birrer said in a statement. "We realize that hurricanes do not recognize nor respect cancer care. As such, we are ready to step up and help. Continuity of vital health care is a challenge during natural disasters, particularly with a storm as significant as Hurricane Harvey in an area as large as the Houston region. In times like this, cancer care providers are a single team and we welcome partnering with all of our flood affected oncologists to help deliver the very best to our patients.
"The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center will do whatever we can to work with cancer patients displaced from the storm or otherwise unable to be in the Houston region for tests or treatment," he continued. "We will arrange for the immediate appointment and, if necessary, admission for any patient in the MD Anderson Cancer Center system, as well as other hospitals affected by the storm and flooding for whom care has been disrupted. Please contact us at 205-934-5077 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. central."
Mobile
The University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute is accepting cancer patients who can't make it to Houston for treatment due to flooding.
"Our thoughts are with those in Texas suffering after Hurricane Harvey, Mitchell Cancer Institute Director Michael A. Finan said in a statement. "We understand storms here, and one thing is certain: Now is the time for us to help our neighbors. I have asked our physicians, advanced practice providers and clinical staff to do everything they can to open up their schedules to any and all patients from the Southeast who are either undergoing active treatment, are scheduled for follow-up or scans, or are scheduled for an opinion at MD Anderson Cancer Center or other affected hospitals in the region of flooding. I am confident that if we were affected with such a storm in south Alabama, our neighbors would be reaching out to help us and our patients. We want to do the same for those suffering now."
The super PAC connected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to financially back U.S. Sen. Luther Strange's election efforts.
According to a report from Breitbart News, the Senate Leadership Fund has infused Strange's campaign with $2.5 million for the six-week run up to the Sept. 26 GOP primary runoff against Roy Moore.
Breitbart's executive chairman, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, is backing Moore in the race.
The funds would appear to again give Strange a staggering financial edge over Moore, who raised about $456,000 for the primary through July 26 - the latest figures available from the Federal Election Commission.
The SLF spent at least $4.2 million backing Strange in the primary, according to a report, when he finished second to Moore.
In the primary, the SLF spent the majority of its money on attack ads against U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who finished third. In the last couple of weeks of the primary campaign, the SLF also took aim at Moore.
That's in addition to money raised by Strange himself, which totaled almost $3 million through July 26.
The Strange money advantage has not translated so far into votes. He finished six points behind Moore in the primary and in four post-primary polls, Moore has led in each - although two have been within the margin of error so essentially is a statistical tie.
An analysis by Delta Insights indicated that Strange and his supporters spent $30.24 per vote while Moore spent $1.77.
Moore - as well as Brooks in the primary -- has railed against McConnell's influence in the race. In a press release Tuesday, Moore said that "Luther Strange is a proven yes-man for Mitch McConnell."
An Alabama-made Standard Missile-6 successfully intercepted a target off the coast of Hawaii early Wednesday, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced.
The SM-6, built by Raytheon at its facility on Redstone Arsenal, intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target after being fired from the USS John Paul Jones. It's the second time an SM-6 missile has successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target.
MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves described the test as a "key milestone."
"We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone in giving our Aegis BMD ships an enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase," Greaves said. "We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves."
The U.S. operation comes amid a series of high-profile missile tests by North Korea. U.S. officials said they consider such tests acts of provocation that threaten American bases in Japan and Malaysia.
The SM-6 and Standard Missile-3 are produced at Raytheon's $75 million, 70,000-square-foot facility on Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal. The facility opened in 2012.
SM-6 is an extended range anti-air warfare missile that provides over-the-horizon capabilities against fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles.
Teenaged alt-right figure Nicholas Fuentes, who gained attention (and scrutiny) after attending the white supremacy rally in Charlottesville earlier this month, is no longer affiliated with the Auburn-based Right Side Broadcasting network, which aired his controversial "America First", confirmed RSBN CEO Joe Seales.
"RSBN prides itself in our diversity, as we are a company loaded with folks from all different backgrounds," Seales said in an email to AL.com. "Nick was just taking things a little too far into right field for us."
The separation, which Seales termed as "mutual" when it was first reported last week by Media Matters, occurred right after Fuentes, 19, revealed that he went to Charlottesville to support those protesting the removal of a statue honoring Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a public park.
It was "honestly a mutual decision based on both of our interests," Seales told Media Matters. "We brought the issue up of Charlottesville being a huge distraction and not falling in line with some of our core beliefs--and ultimately all of us decided was best we ended the show."
The show was essentially an interminable rant by Fuentes, who consistently spewed white supremacist, misogynistic and racist views.
Also after Charlottesville, Fuentes said he was transferring to Auburn from Boston University, after receiving physical threats on campus.
He said he wanted to "rally the troops [at Auburn] in terms of this new right-wing movement."
In May, Fuentes was admitted to Auburn for the fall 2017 semester but "did not confirm his enrollment," according to the university. If he wants to attend the Spring 2018 semester, he must re-apply. The deadline is October 1.
"Auburn University is a more wholesome campus," Fuentes told the Plainsman. "It has better weather and better people. And ultimately I think it will be friendlier territory."
"I'm ready to return to my base, return to my roots," he was also quoted as saying, "and see what I can do down there."
In a statement, the university said:
"As a public university, Auburn does not consider political views as a criterion for admission. However, we seek students, faculty, and staff who uphold the fundamental values of fairness, individual worth, character and academic excellence. We stand strongly against those who advocate hatred, bigotry, racism or violence."
Back in March, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos singled out Mobile County Public Schools for failing on school choice, and Superintendent Martha Peek invited her to come visit. Thursday, Peek gets her wish.
DeVos will spend a big part of Thursday touring educational institutions in the Mobile area, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne. DeVos' destinations include a public elementary school.
According to information released Wednesday by Byrne's office, Byrne will host DeVos' tour. It wasn't immediately clear whether Peek's invitation was a factor: A Byrne spokesman said the congressman formally invited DeVos to visit Mobile shortly after she was confirmed, and has repeated the invitation in several private conversations.
Peek was not immediately available for comment. Rena Philips, director of communication for Mobile County public schools, said Byrne's office had contacted the system about the visit and school officials helped with location and scheduling.
School system leaders were "delighted" that DeVos would be visiting Council Traditional School, Philips said.
"As a National Blue Ribbon school with a college-preparatory curriculum and a pre-International Baccalaureate program, Council is one of many wonderful choices that Mobile County Public Schools offers its students," Philips said. "We hope that Mrs. DeVos will enjoy her time with the teachers and students."
Byrne is a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, and the issue of workforce training is also reflected in DeVos' itinerary.
Three stops are planned:
ACCEL Day and Evening Academy, which has just begun its first academic year of operation as Alabama's first charter school.
The AIDT Maritime Training Center, a facility that operates a variety of job-specific training programs for industries including shipbuilding and the Mobile area's growing aerospace sector. Alabama Industrial Development Training is a division of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
Council Traditional School, an elementary school that is part of the Mobile County Public School System's magnet school program.
DeVos has been a controversial figure in education, at least in part because of her advocacy of charter schools, voucher programs and other school choice initiatives. According to a report this week in the Pensacola News-Journal, she spent two days this week touring schools in Florida without visiting any public schools. That prompted criticism from Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna, who said, "It's obvious that the secretary and our federal government have very little respect for our traditional public school system ... And it's insulting that she's going to visit the capital of the state of Florida, to visit a charter school, a private school and a voucher school."
According to a Miami Herald report, DeVos praised Florida as "an innovator in approaching education and meeting the needs of students."
In June, DeVos spoke before a Senate appropriations committee on President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 education budget, which included cuts of more than $9 billion, or 13 percent.
DeVos based her March criticism of the Mobile public school system on a report from the Brookings Institution. At the time, Peek criticized the report as "a bunch of political garbage" and said she was "shocked that the United States Secretary of Education would reference a website review" without taking a closer look at the academic merits of the Mobile system.
With its rows of identical cottages, country houses and immaculately trimmed lawns, the Oxford countryside is quintessentially English. Syrian writer Zakaria Tamer and his wife Nadia may have spent more than two decades here, but upon entering their house one is catapulted into the heart of Damascus.
Amid a deluge of the most delicious Levantine food, the conversation quickly turns to the current situation in Syria.
At 86, Tamer is energetic and alert. He speaks in bursts of musical Damascene dialect that feels almost at variance with the studied simplicity of his literary language for which he has become renowned in the Arab world and beyond.
Born in 1931 in Damascus, during the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon, Tamer had to leave school at age 13 to support his family. He worked as a blacksmith in a workshop but never abandoned his passion for literature, cultivating relationships with members of the literary scene in Damascus and Beirut.
The Palestinian poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi an early admirer of his style encouraged Tamer to submit his stories to Yusuf al-Khal, then editor-in-chief of the Lebanese literary magazine Shir (Poetry), who eventually agreed to publish Tamers first collection of short stories The Neighing of the White Stallion in 1960, which catapulted him to fame.
This was followed by nine other collections of short stories, two books of satirical essays as well as numerous collections of short stories for children, a literary output that spans more than five decades.
His early stories often address the plight of the individual and his or her struggle against social constraints, religious tradition, patriarchy and authoritarianism. In his latest period, the range of themes addressed has expanded to include a closer focus on the evolution of gender roles, female sexuality and the persistence of authoritarianism.
READ MORE: Syrias civil war explained from the beginning
With success came an entry-level position as an editor at the Syrian Ministry of Culture, followed by appointments at several Syrian literary magazines such as al-Mawqif al-Adabi (The Literary Stance) and al-Marifa (Knowledge). When pressed on how he can reconcile his working in the institutions of the Syrian state with the scathing criticism thereof found in his stories, Tamer is unapologetic.
We shouldnt judge those artists who are still in Syria in the same way as those who are outside. Speaking openly in favour of the revolution from Syria is no laughing matter.
We shouldnt make the mistake of confusing state institutions with the regime. In Syria, everything belongs to the regime: newspapers, publishing houses, magazines. But writing for them doesnt mean being pro-regime. I write anywhere I am published without censorship: I am responsible for what I write, or dont write; not for where I write it.
Eventually, his not-so-concealed critical stance came back to haunt him. In the May 1980 issue of al-Marifa, Tamer published an editorial with excerpts from Abdel-Rahman al-Kawakibi, a 19th century pan-Arab intellectual from Aleppo who had directed his invectives against the Ottoman rulers.
What is this desire for a poor miserable existence, for a false serenity when your life is nothing but toil and hardship? Are you proud of this patience of yours, or do you get a reward for it?
Didnt God create you free, with nothing but light and wind weighing upon you, yet youve insisted in enduring nothing but injustice against the weak and oppression by the strong?
The reference to Syria under then President Hafez al-Assad the current presidents father was not lost on the regime, and Tamer was dismissed as editor-in-chief of al-Maarifa.
WATCH: Inside Syrias War Arms and Resistance in Jobar
The second half of the 1970s in Syria witnessed widespread episodes of violence between government forces and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, which culminated in the siege of the west-central city of Hama and the killing of thousands by Assads forces in February 1982. Despite extensive state surveillance and censorship, up to the beginning of the 1980s, intellectuals had managed to carve out spaces for discussion.
These, however, disappeared with the consolidation of the Assad regime, limiting the choices for intellectuals to sycophancy, imprisonment or exile.
Jobless and increasingly isolated, Tamer chose the latter, moving to the United Kingdom with his wife and two sons in 1981. Until demonstrations started in 2011, he would return regularly to his beloved Damascus.
I used to go back every summer, and the last time was in 2011. But now things have changed dramatically for me due to my taking a public position for the revolution. Those like me are arrested immediately at the airport and, as we see in many reports, are treated with unbelievable ferocity.
In 2012, at the age of 82, Tamer felt he had to take a public stand in favour of the Syrian peoples revolution against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. For him, it was the normal progression of his lifetimes work against any form of tyranny.
An apple tree cannot yield wheat. This is why it was totally normal for me to support the revolution, as Id been on the side of the people since the beginning of my writing career. If Id betrayed the revolution, Id have betrayed all my previous writings. But Im in Oxford, and we shouldnt judge those artists who are still in Syria in the same way as those who are outside. Speaking openly in favour of the revolution from Syria is no laughing matter.
READ MORE: Talking love and revolution in war-torn Syria
From exile, Tamer resorted to social media to reach as vast an audience as possible, creating a Facebook page called al-Mihmaz (The Spur), where he has been publishing very short stories and brief comments in his characteristically corrosive, satirical style.
If you oppose the regime, you have to strike at its heart, reason why in my posts I concentrate my vitriol on President Bashar al-Assad and the army. All orders come from the president, who uses the army as his own tool to stay in power, making it into an enemy of the Syrian people. This, after all, has been Syrias history for decades.
The Syrian Army has traditionally been the number one enemy of the Syrian people: first, it killed any form of democratic politics in the country after independence in 1946; then came a series of coups detat until Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1970. Even during the colonial period, the French used the Syrian army against the people.
In his writings, Tamer spares no one. I support the idea and ideals of the revolution, not the Syrian opposition, who are as bad as the regime. The leaders of the opposition abroad are called clowns, peacocks, wolves, snakes and hyenas constantly speaking on international satellite channels in the name of the revolution, while jet-setting in five-star hotels and profiting from the suffering of the Syrian people.
One post on al-Mihmaz reads: Most of the Syrian shops are closed because of the war raging between the regime and the people, but the shops outside Syria are witnessing unprecedented days of glory. They are so many they cannot be counted, their doors are open day and night, and their ideas, opinions and principles are all for sale or for rent.
Another provocatively asserts: What is the difference between [Syrias foreign minister] Walid Muallem and an opposition that struts in hotels, restaurants, cafes, embassies, airports and satellite TV channels? None. Both are obedient and submissive.
OPINION: Can refugees return to Syria, as many want them to?
Still, Tamer has no doubt that the main aim of the revolution should be to remove Assad. Its a tyrannical and repressive regime. As someone who knows it from the inside, I think itd be an offence to humanity to let such a regime continue to exist. This isnt something new, as the presidents father was arresting women and children in the 1980s. Hafez al-Assad treated Syrias as his familys property: once his first-born son Basil died [in a car crash in 1994], he groomed his other son Bashar to succeed him, as if Syria were Tsarist Russia.
On the constant coverage in Western media about the threat of an Islamist takeover in Syria, Tamer tries to add some historical perspective to the discussion.
First of all, we shouldnt confuse religious expressions like the hijab with extremism, as these are two different things. I think the [Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian armies debacle in the] June 1967 [Arab-Israeli] war represented the defeat of the idea of Arab nationalism. Following that, the Islamists took over the Arab street and, step by step, society. So this isnt a recent development, as the Syrian street has been Islamic or, at least, outwardly Islamic and pious for a long time. But Arab nationalism had at least a vision for the future; Islamists, instead, in all their literature have nothing about improving peoples life, about social justice.
Im not afraid of Islamists: if they come to power and dont have anything to offer, theyll be obliged to leave. I dont care about religion, sect or anything else. Anyone can rule Syria, but not this regime.
READ MORE: Jobar: Death is a central part of their daily lives
As so many who know the situation in the country intimately, however, Tamer has grown increasingly disillusioned with the future.
The current situation in Syria is hopeless, but this wasnt the case at the beginning. So why didnt the West support the revolution then? Why do we have such a strong Islamist presence now, when apart from Hizb ut-Tahrir members there werent many Islamists in Syria who believed in the Caliphate in the past? Now we do have them due to the support of regional powers. No one came to the rescue of the ordinary people. In the end, the Syrian regime has very loyal allies, whereas the Syrian people have imaginary ones.
There wont be stability in Syria for the next 50 years. The countrys fate is unknown.
Franco Galdini is a freelance journalist and analyst specialising in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Alessandro Columbu is an Arabic language tutor at the University of Manchester. He is completing a PhD on Zakaria Tamers short stories at the University of Edinburgh.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya are fleeing for their lives as the Burmese military engages in a scorched earth policy against Rohingya civilians. My organisation, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, has confirmed more than 1,000 deaths so far, but the figure is probably much higher. More than 10,000 homes have been burned or destroyed, as have shops and businesses. The military is systematically going from village to village, looting and destroying everything. They leave nothing behind. There is nothing for Rohingya to return to.
The question I am asked over and over again by my Rohingya brothers and sisters in Burma is, how can this be allowed to happen again?
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, has described what is happening now in Rakhine State, Burma as predicted and preventable. History is repeating itself, but on a more horrific scale.
Last October, attacks on police stations by a new armed Rohingya organisation, now calling itself the Arakan (Arakan is another name used for Rakhine State) Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), triggered a major military operation in which hundreds were killed, villages were destroyed, and mass rape of Rohingya women took place. The United Nations described what took place as possible crimes against humanity, and the Human Rights Council established a Fact Finding Mission to investigate. The government of Burma is refusing to allow them into the country.
It was always feared that more attacks by ARSA would lead to a new offensive by the military, and that is what happened on August 25. As in 2016, the military offensive is not targeting ARSA, it is targeting civilians, with mass killings of civilians and destruction of civilian property.
We had hope that when a new government led by Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2016, things would change. Instead, she kept all the laws and policies which oppress us in place. She even kept in place restrictions on aid to Rohingya living in camps since their homes were destroyed by attacks in 2012. Those restrictions kill children and leave others stunted and malnourished.
READ MORE: Rohingya Even a baby was not spared by the army
One positive step by the government was the establishment of a commission chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. However, it excluded any Rohingya from being members and had a limited mandate, not being allowed to look at human rights violations last week. At times, it seemed like a delaying tactic and was used as an excuse by the government for delays in changing policy and refusing to allow in the UN investigators. Last week, it did put forward some positive proposals, which the government accepted.
The situation of the Rohingya in Burma can be resolved if the political will is there. It won't be easy but it can be done. by
However, at the same time as Aung San Suu Kyi was talking about implementing the recommendations, her office and government were doing the opposite of what the report recommended, using social media and state media to whip up fears and tensions against Rohingya. Her government has even gone so far as to imply the UN and other international aid agencies are helping what the government called extremist Bengali terrorists. Stirring up pre-existing allegations some Rakhine nationalists have made in this way puts aid workers at risk of attacks and risks stopping delivery of life-saving aid to vulnerable people, including tens of thousands of children.
When the military launched its operation against us in October 2016 instead of trying to protect us, Aung San Suu Kyis government launched a propaganda offensive defending the military and denying human rights violations were happening. Flashing Fake Rape signs were on her Facebook page and website. The UN later confirmed the most horrific details of mass rape of Rohingya women.
Aung San Suu Kyi used to be our only hope for changing policies and attitudes towards the Rohingya. With that hope gone, we looked towards the international community for help, but they also failed us.
Despite the establishment in March of the investigation by the UN into possible crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese military against Rohingya, and possible crimes against humanity and war crimes against other ethnic groups, no pressure has been put on the military. In fact, the opposite has happened.
OPINION: Regional actors should take a stand against Myanmar
In Europe and Asia, Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military, is given red carpet treatment as an honoured guest. The EU has an arms embargo against Burma, but European companies are still supplying the military with other equipment.
As the international community is trying to sell him equipment instead of trying to prosecute him for violating international law, it is no surprise that he has now confidently ordered a new offensive against my people. Within Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi protects him. He knows he can act with impunity and my people pay the price.
As this new military offensive continues we will start to get many more horrific eye-witness testimonies of atrocities committed by the military of rape, torture, babies and children being killed. All, as the UN human rights head has said, were preventable.
A major change in approach is needed by the international community if we are ever going to stop this cycle of violence against the Rohingya. The government of Burma needs to be told that international support and finance is conditional on a major change in policy towards the Rohingya. Propaganda and incitement of hatred and violence against Rohingya must stop, discriminatory laws and policies must go, the recommendations of Kofi Annans commission must be implemented immediately and in full.
Policy must change towards the military must change as well. A visa ban should be in place for military personnel, instead of red carpet visits. There must be engagement, but it must be critical engagement on human rights and democracy, no more training and cooperation between militaries. Sanctions should be considered against military owned companies. When the UN fact-finding mission makes its report in March next year, its recommendations to hold those responsible for violence accountable, and ending impunity, must be acted upon.
The situation of the Rohingya in Burma can be resolved if the political will is there. It wont be easy but it can be done. The only alternative to action is letting us be killed. Letting Rohingya be killed has been the approach of the international community so far. There is no sign of that changing.
Tun Khin is the current president of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, which has been a leading voice for Rohingya people around the world. He has briefed officials on the continuing human rights violations committed against Rohingya populations in the US Congress and State Department, British Parliament, Swedish Parliament, European Union Parliament and Commission, the UN Indigenous Forum in NY and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Earlier this week, North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile, dubbed the Hwasong-12, over Japanese territory another in a string of recent provocations aimed at further enhancing the capabilities of its missile delivery systems.
In late July, Pyongyang conducted its first ever successful test of a longer range intercontinental ballistic missile with hopes of demonstrating to the United States and its East Asian allies Japan and South Korea the credibility of its growing nuclear deterrent. The regime of Kim Jong-un subsequently threatened that the next step was to land a series of missiles near the waters of Guam, a US territory with significant military assets, in the Pacific. There is also growing speculation that the North may conduct its sixth nuclear weapons test in the coming months, as tensions continue to boil with its confrontation with US President Donald Trump and his administration.
With all of these troubling incidents, there can be a tendency to dismiss the most recent test over Japan as another reckless action that while provocative should not be overplayed. This is especially true seeing as the incident took place alongside US-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Guardian war exercises a time that is always tense and often results in provocations from Pyongyang. It is also true that the missile launch is not a game-changer and does not fundamentally alter long-standing deterrence and defensive readiness efforts between the US and its allies. Moreover, there continue to be no realistic and positive military options to definitively reduce or eliminate North Korean advances.
Despite this, this weeks test represents an acute escalation that demands a strong and united response from Washington and its allies. Arguably, this weeks test is the most significant provocation from North Korea, aimed at US allies, since its shelling of the South Korean island Yeonpyeong in 2010. The previous North Korean launches over the past few months have been lofted at a high altitude and fell short of Japans territory (although some did land in the exclusive economic zone waters near the country). This was a rational act of caution by the Kim regime, which wanted to avoid a potential altercation with or harsh response from Japan and its US ally. Indeed, the North had not tested a delivery system over Japan for seven years (its last test in the form of a satellite launch in 2009 drew outrage from Tokyo).
READ MORE: North Korea tensions: All the latest updates
But it appears that North Korea has now calculated that it can get away with tests over Japan which can provide Pyongyang with additional valuable intelligence on the progression of its missile capabilities. Some analysts may be tempted to see Pyongyangs action as a less aggressive move considering its more provocative threat to Guam. After Trump hinted somewhat carelessly about a massive military response to such a move, the North perhaps opted to proceed more cautiously (while still saving political face) through the over flight of Japan. Indeed, Japans own newly minted foreign minister, Taro Kono, hinted at such a possibility this week.
A subdued retaliation may embolden North Korea to make more frequent tests over Japanese territory, a highly risky scenario that could result in a tragic accident and potential Japanese casualties. by
Despite sharing a rational strategic objective not to escalate tensions into a potential conflict with North Korea, the US and its allies need to make it clear to the leadership in Pyongyang that they cannot establish a new normal by testing over Japan. A weak response will hurt regional deterrence efforts and undermine constant reassurances of US security guarantees to Japan and South Korea. Moreover, a subdued retaliation may embolden North Korea to make more frequent tests over Japanese territory, a highly risky scenario that could result in a tragic accident and potential Japanese casualties. Finally, a de facto acceptance of North Koreas tests over Japan may force the hands of an anxious Tokyo to consider more closely the option to intercept any future missiles despite the considerable risks involved.
How can the US and its allies proceed following the test? The reality is that, despite undesirable hard military options, Washington, Tokyo and Seoul do still possess several options in their toolkit and must develop a united sense of policy coherence to strengthen deterrence against Pyongyang and demonstrate that certain actions will not be tolerated.
First, all sides were right to press harder diplomatically through the United Nations Security Council. While there is room for tougher multilateral sanctions against the North especially those that curb oil imports and penalise foreign banks that deal with the regime such efforts are unlikely to succeed in any meaningful way as Russia and China, both permanent UNSC members with vetoes, are resistant to such ideas. Moreover, both Moscow and Beijing remain incensed with the US imposition of unilateral sanctions earlier this month on some Russian and Chinese entities that are linked to North Korea. This leaves the opening for stronger diplomatic efforts including the potential for additional secondary sanctions to punish those who do business with Pyongyang.
OPINION: Should you be worried about North Korea?
A robust and frank engagement with China on the costs of its hesitancy to turn the screws on North Korea is also needed. But these diplomatic moves alone will not be sufficient. The US and its allies need to strengthen deterrence through demonstrating a firm and unambiguous signal of their resolve. In the medium-long term, this may involve the deployment of additional missile defence batteries in Japan and South Korea. In the short term, the US should consider brandishing its most sophisticated nuclear and conventional capabilities as a warning to the North. An example could be an overflight of the Korean Peninsula by some of its nuclear-capable bombers and the permanent repositioning of other (non-nuclear) hardware to South Korea and Japan. The US and its allies should also step-up covert activities to destabilise the Norths programmes and indicate the option to up the stakes via psychological warfare a deep concern for the Kim regime. The risks of a weak response and muddling through are too great.
J Berkshire Miller is the director of the Council on International Policy and is a fellow on East Asia for the EastWest Institute.
The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
An Argentinian courts investigation in to Federico Garcia Lorcas murder may help Spain reconcile with its tragic past.
Gina Benevento is a former UN diplomat living and working in Madrid as a strategic communications consultant.
It was a moonless night in the countryside outside Granada, Spain in 1936. A coded execution order came down: Give him coffee, lots of coffee!
Antonio Benavides, part of an irregular volunteer firing squad, obliged. I gave that fat-head a shot in the head, he reportedly boasted later.
This is one account of the death of the famed Spanish poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca. There are many others. After all these years, the circumstances surrounding Lorcas death and the whereabouts of his remains continue to be one of the great mysteries of Spains recent history. But after 81 long years can will the truth finally emerge?
In response to a request by the Spanish Association for the Recuperation of Historical Memory (ARHM), an Argentinian judge, Maria Servini de Cubria, agreed to investigate the death of Lorca in August 2016.
Lorca is the most famous face of a Spanish phenomenon little known in the rest of Europe: desaparecidos (disappeared). In 2014, an investigation by the United Nations Working Group for Human Rights revealed that between the Spanish Civil War (19361939) and the end of Francos dictatorship (19391975), an estimated 114,226 Spaniards disappeared.
In a recent ranking of countries with the greatest number of disappeared, Francos Spain came second only to Cambodia under Pol Pot.
[The Argentinian courts decision to investigate] is important for Spain, for the Spanish victims, because they have found a court that is listening to them, Lydia Vicente, executive director of Rights International Spain, told me. Judge Servini de Cubria is applying international law and norms, which are disregarded by Spanish courts.
The same Argentinian court has long been trying to help families of the Franco regimes victims to get closure. In 2013, hundreds of Spaniards turned to Cubrias court for help in uncovering crimes committed during the war and the subsequent dictatorship by using an international human rights law.
Argentina is pinching holes in the dark closed ball of Spanish impunity. by Lydia Vincente,
In 2014, Judge Cubria ordered some of General Francos former ministers to face justice as part of the investigation. She issued arrest and extradition warrants invoking universal jurisdiction, a legal doctrine that authorises judges to try serious rights abuses committed in other countries. Spanish courts denied the warrants, but activists supporting the victims have nevertheless defined the move as historic.
Last year, thanks to the Argentinian court, the first-ever court order to exhume the bodies of Spanish civil war victims was issued and a mass grave in a cemetery outside Madrid containing 22 bodies was opened.
And last month, in an emotional and widely publicised event, Ascension Medienta, a 91-year-old woman who had spent her life and savings searching for her fathers body, was finally able to bury him.What joy, what joy! Now I can sleep peacefully, she exclaimed after receiving the news from her lawyer.
Argentina is pinching holes in the dark, closed ball of Spanish impunity, says Vincente.
81 years of impunity
So why did the Spanish courts fail to prosecute these historic crimes, including Lorcas death, after so many years? Because, in 1977, Spain passed an Amnesty Law, ostensibly to protect its fledgling democracy after four decades of military dictatorship. This law prohibited individuals from being tried for crimes committed between 1936 and 1975.
Of course, laws can be changed, if there is will. But the 39-year silence enforced by the military dictatorship eventually morphed into a collective el pacto del olvido (pact of forgetting) in Spain. Amnesty turned in to amnesia. In international law, Spain has come to be known as an example of the Oblivion model: a memory law model based on the denial of any investigation, prosecution or reparation related to crimes committed during civil wars or other crucial historical events.
The Argentinian courts investigation into Lorcas death is only the latest effort from outside to force Spain to act. In 2014, Pablo de Greiff, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice and reparation, urged Mariano Rajoys Conservative government to repeal the amnesty law and request courts to investigate crimes of Francoism. His call was left unanswered.
The UN said it clearly. Our democracy is robust and stable enough to do this, to heal our wounds. Because we are a democracy, we owe it to the victims, to all of us, says Vicente.
Official admission of guilt
In 1936, angered by the global interest in the death of Lorca, Franco dismissed any involvement in his assassination. The writer died while mixing with rebels, he declared. Francos assumption was that bad rebels were responsible for the death of the renowned poet. But the rebels he was referring to were, in fact, Republicans: supporters of the democratically elected government Francos fascist forces finally succeeded in overthrowing.
And far from being innocent, documents from a 1960s inquiry into Lorcas death, released in 2015, showed that Francos administration had actually given official orders for his assassination. These documents are now with Servini de Cubrias court in Argentina, according to Maximo Castex, one of the lawyers working on the case.
As Ian Gibson, the prime biographer of Lorca who has seen the documents, recently wrote: [These documents] demonstrate that it was not a street killing. He was taken out to be murdered.
These documents are the first ever evidence of Franco-era officials involvement in Lorcas death. And by default, they prove the complicity of the regime in thousands of other disappearances. The importance of these documents and the investigation that is now taking place in Argentina is hard to overestimate.
Enforced disappearance is a technique of terror, utilised by oppressive regimes to silence all opposition.
And enforced disappearance is one of the most serious crimes that exist in criminal law: It starts with illegal detention accompanied by torture, leads to murder and concludes with the hiding of the body.
Spain continues to delay or refuse requests by Argentine courts for documentation and extradition regarding forced disappearances. UN bodies have insisted that Spain must cooperate with Argentinian courts, pointing out that it must either extradite or prosecute a basic principle under customary international humanitarian law. Yet, the government of Spain has done neither.
OPINION: Searching for Garcia Lorca
And now, with the change of government in Argentina from leftist Christina Fernandez Kirschner to centre-right Mauricio Macri, Argentinian courts which once forcefully prosecuted and imprisoned Argentinas own war criminals have started to go quiet.
A request to extradite Rodolfo Martin Villa, former Minister of the Interior under Franco, for homicide and crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship crimes which took place within the framework of a predetermined, systematic plan to eliminate all political opponents was overturned only a few days ago in Buenos Aires.
So, Spains desaparecidos, including Lorca, may not be able to find justice in Argentina either.
They were all Lorcas
Forgive me, my country! For my blood is now walking on your asphalt. These lines were written by Omar Hazek, a young Egyptian poet who came to prominence during the Arab uprising.
Hazek dedicated this poem to two people: Khaled Saeed, a 28-year-old Egyptian man, whose death in police custody helped incite Egypts revolution, and Lorca.
Hazek saw an obvious link between Lorca and Saeed. Born 60 years apart, they were both innocent victims of brutal regimes.
As someone who strongly identified with the oppressed of the world, Lorca remains a global icon. The discovery and proper burial of his body would capture the imagination of the world. And it could finally force Spain to confront its past.
Lorcas body is believed to be buried somewhere along a road between two small villages near Granada. But along this road, and many other roads all over Spain, thousands of other bodies are buried, too. Nearby on a commemorative stone one can read: They were all Lorcas.
And they all deserve justice.
Gina Benevento is a former UN diplomat based in Jerusalem, now living and working in Madrid as a strategic communications consultant.
The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
At least 18,500 Rohingya Muslims, many sick and some with bullet wounds, have fled into Bangladesh over the past six days amid renewed fighting in western Myanmar.
The figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday came amid increasing concerns by the international community.
Foreign governments and organisations fear Rohingya villages are being subject to collective punishment after an armed group on August 25 attacked police posts and an army base in Rakhine state.
The attacks in which at least 110 were killed were claimed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group which was formed by Rohingya living in Saudi Arabia after a bout of serious communal violence in 2012, according to the International Crisis Group.
READ MORE: Fire and destruction as Myanmar army targets Rohingya
In the days following the attacks, the Myanmar army has burned down areas of Rakhine state and fired on civilians, according to rights groups and witnesses.
Scores have reportedly been killed. Al Jazeera has been unable to verify the death tolls.
While Rohingya Muslims have largely fled to Bangladesh, Rakhine Buddhists have mostly sought sanctuary in towns and monasteries to the south and east of the fighting.
As of last night, 18,500 people have come across from Myanmars Rakhine state, Chris Lom, the IOMs Asia-Pacific spokesman, told the AFP news agency.
Lom said exact figures were difficult to obtain because many of those who have made it into Bangladesh might not register with local authorities.
We also know there are people stuck at the border but we do not know how many, Lom said.
Bangladesh, which already hosts some 400,000 Rohingya who have fled Myanmar over the years, has vowed to block new arrivals and has deported some of those it has caught trying to make the crossing.
They are in a very, very desperate condition, said Sanjukta Sahany, who runs the IOM office in the southern town of Coxs Bazar near the border.
The biggest needs are food, health services and they need shelter. They need at least some cover, some roofs over their heads.
Sahany said many crossed with bullet injuries and burn injuries, and that aid workers reported that some refugees gave a blank look when questioned.
People are traumatised, which is quite visible.
The UN, while condemning the attacks by ARSA, has pressured Myanmar to protect civilian lives without discrimination and appealed to Bangladesh to admit those fleeing the military counteroffensive.
Northern Rakhine has been under lockdown since October last year when a previously unknown group of Rohingya fighters ambushed a series of border posts inside Myanmar.
That prompted a massive military response, leading to some 87,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, bringing with them harrowing tales of murder, rape and burned villages.
Fires burning
The UN believes the Myanmar governments response to the crisis may amount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Satellite data recently accessed by Human Rights Watch show widespread fires burning in at least 10 areas in Rakhine.
Myanmar authorities say Rohingya extremist terrorists have been setting the fires during fighting with government troops, while Rohingya have blamed soldiers who have been accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings.
Fighter jets bomb checkpoint near Sanaa, causing a car with five victims to careen into a petrol station and explode.
An air raid on a checkpoint of the Houthis outside the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, has killed at least five civilians in a taxi and two armed personnel manning the site, witnesses say.
The Reuters news agency said Wednesdays bombing in the Masajed district, about 10km west of Sanaa, caused the car to veer into a nearby petrol station, setting it ablaze and complicating rescue efforts, they said.
A Saudi-led military coalition has launched thousands of air raids against the armed Houthi group which controls Sanaa and much of Yemens north.
The coalition intervened in a civil war in March 2015 to restore to power Yemens overthrown internationally recognised government.
The coalition made no immediate comment on the reported air attack.
The war, which began in 2015, has killed at least 10,000 people and unleashed hunger and disease in the country that even before the conflict was one of the Arab worlds poorest.
On Saturday, the coalition took responsibility for an air raid a day earlier, in which at least 14 people including children, were killed, blaming a technical mistake.
Federal court halts decree signed by President Temer allowing the Renca reserve to be scrapped for commercial use.
A Brazilian court has suspended a recent government decree that would open a huge Amazon reserve to commercial mining after the initial decision sparked outrage from environmentalists and political opponents.
The federal court in the capital, Brasilia, said in a statement on Wednesday that it had partially granted an injunction to immediately suspend any administrative act aimed at scrapping the Denmark-sized reserve, known as Renca.
The order from Judge Rolando Spanholo suspends possible administrative acts based on the decree, which was signed by President Michel Temer last week.
READ MORE: Brazil scraps Amazon reserve to allow mining
Spanholo said that the government had failed to consult Congress, as required under the constitution, and that the decree would put at risk the environmental protection (of Renca) and the protection of local indigenous communities.
The centre-right governments lawyer immediately said it would appeal the verdict.
The Renca reserve in the eastern Amazon is home to the indigenous Aparai, Wayana and Wajapi tribes as well as vast swaths of untouched forest, covering more than 46,000 square kilometres.
Renca contains important reserves of gold, manganese, iron and copper which until now have been available only to relatively low-level state-owned mining. Illegal miners also operate in the area.
More than two-thirds of the Renca area that lies in Amapa state is subject to conservation controls or protections for indigenous areas that would limit mining, leaving only 31 percent open to research and exploration, according to a 2010 government report.
Temer says that opening up the gold and mineral-rich area to mining is part of his programme to boost Brazils weak economy.
The government insists that vital areas within the reserve, including where indigenous people live, will remain off limits.
However, campaign groups like Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), celebrities, and Brazils influential Catholic hierarchy, have pushed back in an unusually broad-based campaign for Latin Americas biggest country.
Pressure is working, Greenpeace said on Twitter after the court ruling. We mustnt stop.
OPINION: Amazon The final frontier?
Moira Birss, from the non-profit organisation Amazon Watch, had also condemned the decree by the Temer administration.
The Amazon is extremely crucial to the global climate, Birss told Al Jazeera last week. Deforestation and destruction of even small parts of the Amazon have a major ripple effect for the entire global climate.
Temer, who came to power a year ago after the impeachment of his leftist predecessor Dilma Rousseff, is attempting to enact austerity cuts and market reforms aimed at loosening up Brazils stagnant economy.
In July, the president had sent a proposed deforestation bill to Congress seeking to cut preservation areas of the Jamanxim National Forest in the Amazonian state of Para by 27 percent or about 350,000 hectares.
Earlier in August, Brazils Supreme Court ruled in favour of indigenous groups after the Mato Grasso state sought compensation for land that had been declared tribal reserves.
Investigation launched into raid in Herat that resulted in the deaths of women and children besides Taliban fighters.
An investigation has been launched into air raids targeting a Taliban base that resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians, including women and children, in the western province of Herat, according to Afghan officials.
The raids, targeting a prison and command base run by the fighters in the Bakhtabad area of Shen Dand district, also hit nearby houses late on Monday evening, Jilani Farhad, Herat provincial spokesman, told Al Jazeera.
We have sent an investigation team into the area to find out the damages it has caused.
Farhad said the raids were most likely carried out by Afghan forces, but media reports suggested it was the US forces who conducted the raids.
READ MORE: Pakistan in the crosshairs of Trumps Afghan strategy
Responding to media reports, Farhad said it will be clear in a few days after the investigation is over on Wednesday.
At least 16 Taliban fighters were also killed, he said.
The US Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) have not yet commented on the incident.
It comes a week after US President Donald Trump reversed the US stance on Afghanistan and authorised a troop build-up.
In his new policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, Trump did not specify troop levels.
READ MORE: Timeline US intervention in Afghanistan 2001 to 2017
Earlier this month, hundreds of Afghans took to the streets in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, protesting the alleged killing of 16 civilians in a similar US air raid.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, at least two security guards were killed after two suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on parliamentarian Zahir Qaders house in Jalalabad.
Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said both suicide bombers detonated suicide vests full of explosive outside Qaders house.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Rights experts say Egypts blocking of some 130 websites looks more like repression than counter-terrorism.
UN human rights experts have raised grave concern over a widening assault on freedom of expression in Egypt, condemning the blocking of scores of news websites and the unlawful detention of journalists.
Some 130 websites may have been banned by the Egyptian government on allegations of supporting terrorism and spreading lies, David Kaye and Fionnuala Ni Aloain said in a statement on Wednesday.
The blocking appears to be based on overbroad counter-terrorism legislation and a lack of any form of transparency, the UNs rapporteurs said, adding that most of the websites were banned without warning.
Limiting information as the Egyptian government has done, without any transparency or identification of the asserted lies or terrorism, looks more like repression than counter-terrorism, they said.
READ MORE: Al Jazeera slams Egypts treatment of Mahmoud Hussein
The sites shut down or blocked in Egypt include that of news organisations, such as Al Jazeera, Mada Masr and Al Watan, as well as the websites of human rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.
The latest crackdown began in late May when authorities blocked access to 21 websites. At the time, anonymous security sources told local media that all the banned sites contain material that support terrorism and extremism as well as publish lies.
Some financial newspapers have also been banned, including Al-Borsa, which generally avoids politics and reflects the views of a largely pro-state business community.
Kaye, the special rapporteur on freedom of expression, and Aloain, the special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, said the situation of journalism, freedom of expression, and access to information in Egypt has been in crisis for many years.
It takes many forms, including the unlawful detention and harassment of journalists and activists, they said, urging the government to release all detained journalists.
Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Hussein is one of many journalists imprisoned in Egypt. He has been detained without charge since December 2016.
Hussein has repeatedly complained of suffering mistreatment in prison and denial of legal rights.
Earlier this month, RSF, a global press freedom group which describes Egypt as one of the worlds biggest prisons for journalists, said it was yet to obtain an explanation for the reason behind the blocking of its website.
Several outlets, including Masr Al Arabia and Mada Masr, have also submitted requests to government ministries and media regulators asking for a reason, but have had no success, RSF said.
Censored online media are trying to keep their content available to Egyptian readers via VPNs, a software that enables users to bypass blocking by masking their IP address and appearing not to be in Egypt.
However, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), an Egyptian NGO, said on Tuesday that 261 websites providing VPN services were now inaccessible in the country.
Last week, the United States informed Egypt it would withhold $290m in official assistance because of its failure to make progress on respecting human rights.
The UN Security Council unanimously condemned North Koreas firing of a ballistic missile over Japan as an outrageous threat and demanded that the country not launch any more missiles and abandon all nuclear weapons and programmes.
In a statement, the Security Council said it was of vital importance that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tensions and called on all states to implement UN sanctions on North Korea.
The council also expressed its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution.
OPINION: N Korea is not Soviet Union and Trump is not Kennedy
The Security Council stresses that these DPRK [North Korean] actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states, said the statement, issued after closed-door talks at UN headquarters.
The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability.
However, the US-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea.
Diplomats say China and Russia two veto-wielding council members typically only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible UN sanctions.
China is working with other members of the Security Council on a response to North Koreas missile launch, the Chinese foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Wang Yi spoke just hours after the UN condemnation and Japans UN ambassador suggested that a new sanctions declaration could come next.
Wang said China which is North Koreas only major ally was now working with other members of the Security Council to discuss the recent developments of the situation.
He said that based on the consensus of Security Council members, we are going to make a necessary response to the recent test launch of the missile.
But Wang did not specify whether a fresh set of sanctions was looming.
Whether there will be new measures going forward, that should be discussed by the Security Council and consensus needs to be formed, he said.
Punishing sanctions
The Security Council earlier this month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea that could cut by a third the countrys $3bn annual export revenue after it staged two long-range missile launches in July.
North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes.
Al Jazeeras Mike Hanna, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York, said that while China North Koreas close ally and neighbour approved the statement, it had also criticised ongoing joint US-South Korea military exercises which North Korea sees as a threat.
So while agreeing to condemn North Korea and also agreeing to enforce previous UN sanctions on that country, China making very clear as well that [they believe] there are other duties that some of the Security Council member states could exercise to help defuse the situation within that region, he said.
But generally, a clear signal of Security Council unity and a very important signal that China has confirmed it will help enforce the execution of sanctions already in place, and this is the critical issue.
Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on Wednesday for more weapons tests targeting the Pacific Ocean.
Tuesdays missile launch likely the longest ever from North Korea over the territory of a close US ally sends a clear message of defiance as the US and South Korea conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
INFOGRAPHIC: North Korea explained in graphics
Kim expressed great satisfaction over the launch that he called a meaningful prelude to containing Guam, which is home to key US military bases that North Korea finds threatening, the agency said. He also said the country will continue to watch US demeanours before it decides on future actions.
Kim also said its necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future.
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the US territory of Guam if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile travelled around 2,700km and reached a maximum height of 550km as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The KCNA said the flight test was a countermeasure to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that run through Thursday. Pyongyang views the annual war games between the allies as invasion rehearsals.
In a statement, US President Donald Trump said North Korea had signalled its contempt for its neighbours and that all options are on the table in terms of a US response.
OPINION: Should you be worried about North Korea?
Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the US. Tuesdays test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year 13 times, Seoul says and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Trumps first term in early 2021.
Victims gather in a Srinagar park to remember their loved ones, some of whom have not been seen for decades.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir In a central park in Kashmirs Srinagar, relatives of the disappeared gather for a day of remembrance and mourning.
Some burst into tears as they hold photographs of their lost loved ones, some of whom have been missing for years and whose fate remains unknown.
It is the International Day of the Disappeared and these families have one simple question: are their loved ones dead or alive?
They have waited years for any sign of them.
They have visited graveyards, morgues, prisons and torture centres, but found no trace of their missing kin.
The families were brought together by Parveena Ahanger, a 55-year-old woman whose own teenage son disappeared in 1990.
Ahanger heads the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and tells Al Jazeera that the group will continue to protest and appeal to the international community until they are informed about their missing relatives.
We want to ask the government what they have done to our sons, Ahanger says. Have they been killed in fake encounters or are they buried in unknown graves?
The APDP says that at least 8,000 people have gone missing in enforced disappearances by Indian government forces since 1989.
IN PHOTOS: Enduring the effects of partition in Kashmir
Zareefa Bano, from Kupwara district, was nine months pregnant when she last saw her husband in 1990. Ghulam Rasool had herded his cows into a forest. He never returned.
Who knows about the disappeared? says Bano, a wrinkled-faced mother of two daughters.
She travelled more than 130km from her village home to Srinagar with her 26-year-old daughter, Zahida, who was born days after Rasool disappeared.
I never saw him, says Zahida. Life is very difficult without a father in the family. My mother cannot do all those things which our father would have done. We have been broken all these years.
We cried so much our tears have dried
Abdul Aziz Pirs only son, Farooq Ahmad Pir, was a college student when he disappeared in the summer of 1994. Pir says his son was detained by the army and never returned.
Pir, who looks older than his 60 years, has not stopped searching for him for the past 23 years.
We have cried so much all these years that our eyes have now become dry, he says.
Officials in Indian-administered Kashmir deny charges they are involved in capturing young men from their families.
Paul Vaid, Jammu and Kashmir police chief, tells Al Jazeera that the question about their whereabouts should be asked to Pakistan.
Those who were killed on border, I cannot say anything about them. But many people went to Pakistan and other countries, he said, implying the missing had left to join groups fighting for the separatist cause.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.
Separatist groups have been fighting since 1989 for the Indian-administered portion to become independent or merge with Pakistan.
Nearly 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.
Back at the park, 65-year-old Rehti Begum reflects on her quiet life in Chaki Kawoosa village of Budgam, before her only son went missing.
Begum said Muhammad Ramzan was detained in 1994 by the army. He was never seen again.
There is no one around with whom I can share my pain, she says.
Her husband died months after their son disappeared and she has since worked odd jobs.
She searched for Ramzan for two decades, even as age took a toll on her health.
I went to every village, every mountain, every police station and every jail, but I could not see a glimpse of him.
Indictments charge 19 defendants with attacking people protesting against the US visit of the Turkish president in May.
A grand jury in the US capital has issued indictments for 19 people, including 15 identified as Turkish security officials, for attacking protesters in May 2017.
The indictments, announced on Tuesday, charge the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who were protesting against the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 17.
All 19 are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Sixteen of the defendants had already been charged on June 13; Tuesdays indictment adds three new defendants, all Turkish security officials.
All but two of the 19 remain at large. Two Turkish-American businessmen were arrested in June for their roles in the daylight attack on protestors and face an initial court hearing on September 7.
Of the other 17, two are Canadians, and the rest are Turkish nationals.
Video of the protest showed security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of protesters with their fists and feet.
Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled up on a pavement. Another wrenched a womans neck and threw her to the ground. A man with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face.
After police officers struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt.
OPINION: Post-referendum Turkey Renewed conflicts, new allies
On the day of the violence, police detained two members of Erdogans security detail but released them shortly afterwards. Two other men were arrested at the scene one for aggravated assault and the other for assaulting a police officer.
American officials strongly criticised Turkeys government and Erdogans security forces for the violence; the Department of State summoned Turkeys US ambassador to complain. The Turkish Foreign Ministry then summoned the US ambassador to protest the treatment of the detained security guards.
Turkeys official Anadolu news agency said at the time that Erdogans security team moved in to disperse the protesters because police did not heed to Turkish demands to intervene.
The Turkish Embassy claimed the demonstrators were aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president. The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defence and one of them was seriously injured.
In June, Erdogan also hit back at the allegations, accusing US police of having allowed terrorists to protest 50 metres from me during his US visit.
Erdogan claimed Kurdish PKK fighters and members of what Turkey calls the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) were united in protest against him.
Why would I bring my guards with me to the United States, if not to protect me? he said in a speech in Ankara, adding that he will fight the charges politically and judicially.
Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, said in June that the charges send a clear message that the United States does not tolerate individuals who use intimidation and violence to stifle freedom of speech and legitimate political expression.
At least 15 people killed and several missing in Ibb and Taiz governorates after intense downpours cause flash flooding.
At least 15 people have died in parts of central and southern Yemen after heavy summer rains triggered flash flooding, sweeping away dozens of cars and wrecking homes in the crisis-hit country, according to local officials and residents.
Torrential rains destroyed several homes in Jibla, some 6km from the central city of Ibb, with at least five people confirmed dead and several others still unaccounted for, Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday, citing reports by local residents.
Hours earlier, monsoon rains flooded a vital road linking Yemens third largest city of Taiz with al-Maqatira district, killing at least 10 people, said the government-run news agency Saba, quoting an unnamed official. Another eight people were missing and feared dead.
Mohammed al-Rumim, a journalist based in Taiz, told Al Jazeera that the bodies of 10 people had been recovered with search efforts for the missing still ongoing well into the evening.
Aid agencies such as the Red Cross and the World Health Organization have only been able to deliver food and medical supplies to Taiz via small side roads after Houthi fighters laid siege to the city of more than 200,000 people.
We havent seen rainfall like this in 20 years, Ali al-Kubati, a resident of al-Maqatira, told Anadolu news agency.
Trucks and cars have been swept away by the floodwaters and several people have lost their lives, he said.
READ MORE: Cholera death rates soar in rebel-held areas of Yemen
Al Jazeeras weather presenter Rob McElwee said parts of Yemen enjoy a rainy summer but heavy downpours landing on areas with no drainage and rubble could explain the flash flooding and mounting death toll.
Large parts of Yemen have been reduced to rubble after a Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries launched a military campaign against Houthi rebels in March 2015 whom they see as a proxy for Iran after the fighters seized vast tracts of territory, including the capital, Sanaa.
The war has killed at least 10,000 people, displaced another two million and unleashed hunger and disease in the Arab worlds poorest country.
Aid organisations have warned that the rainy season could exacerbate a cholera epidemic that has infected more than half a million people and killed nearly 2,000.
Saudi Arabias decision to close its embassy in Doha stops many residents from performing the pilgrimage this year.
Doha, Qatar For the last 35 years, Mohammed Shafiq, a Qatari resident from Pakistan, has been working hard to finance his once-in-a-lifetime trip to Mecca.
But his dream of performing the Hajj this year is fading fast.
In June, Saudi Arabia, which oversees and manages Islams two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, along with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar.
The quartet withdrew their ambassadors in protest over Dohas alleged interference in their internal affairs and its support of terrorism. Qatar denies the allegations.
They also imposed a land, sea and air blockade, making the task of procuring Hajj and Umrah visas nearly impossible.
READ MORE: Hajj 2017 Why, when and how?
I want to go on Hajj but I am not allowed, Shafiq told Al Jazeera.
The Saudi embassy is closed so how am I supposed to go? I am an old man [this could be my last chance] and maybe I will die tomorrow.
With only hours left before the start of the pilgrimage, Shafiq says his only other option is to travel through Pakistan.
But for someone who has lived in Qatars capital, Doha, for so long, he thinks it is unfair he should pay to travel so far to a country so close.
READ MORE: A step-by-step guide to Hajj
Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims worldwide are expected to make at least once in their lifetime if they are able to. More than two million people from around the world have converged this year for the pilgrimage.
Last month, Saudi Arabia said Qataris wanting to perform this years Hajj would be allowed to enter the kingdom, but imposed certain restrictions including that those arriving by plane must use airlines in agreement with Riyadh.
They failed to clarify their position on how expatriates could perform the pilgrimage and refused to establish consular services for the duration of the Hajj, an offer that the kingdom extended to its regional rival, Iran.
Qatari authorities subsequently accused Saudi Arabia of politicising Hajj and jeopardising the pilgrimage to Mecca by refusing to guarantee their pilgrims safety.
INFOGRAPHIC: Hajj 2017 An in-depth look at the sacred journey
Qatars National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) said in a statement that the Hajj cannot be used for political and personal calculations or mediations, rather, it is a right guaranteed by international agreements on human rights and Islamic law.
Jumah al-Kuwari, the head of the Doha Group Transport Company for Hajj and Umrah, told Al Jazeera that Saudi Arabias refusal to communicate with its neighbour had wreaked havoc with travel plans.
The Qatari Ministry of Islamic Affairs would coordinate the pilgrimage with the Saudis, but since the crisis started, no one would answer. Many residents who were accepted got their passports back without a visa, he said.
Most pilgrims sign up to Hajj companies which takes care of their food, transport and accommodation. But, because of the Gulf crisis and restrictions on travel, these companies are unable to make the necessary arrangements.
So, as about two million Muslims from around the world begin the Hajj pilgrimage at Islams holiest sites, Qataris and expatriates in Doha will have to wait on Saudi Arabia to ease their demands if they are to go next year.
Iraqi PM terms Hezbollah- and Syria-backed deal to send fighters to countrys border area an insult to Iraqi people.
Iraqis have denounced a Hezbollah and Syria-backed deal allowing fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group to evacuate a Syrian-Lebanese frontier region towards the Iraqi border.
Hundreds of fighters started leaving the area on Monday, heading by bus for Syrias eastern province of Deir Az Zor, which borders Iraq and is the only Syrian province still under ISIL control.
Haider al-Abadi, Iraqs prime minister, said on that Tuesday the deal was unacceptable and an insult to the Iraqi people.
He said Iraq was battling the fighters, not sending them to Syria.
READ MORE: Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in fear after Arsal
Iraqi forces, who retook Mosul from ISIL in July after a nine-month battle, are fighting the last pocket of fighters in the northern province of Nineveh.
Abadi has said Iraqi forces expected to announce victory in the city of Tal Afar within days.
That would see ISIL dislodged from all but a few scattered Iraqi towns including several close to the border with Syrias Deir Az Zor.
Iraqi social media users expressed outrage at the evacuation deal, which came a week into a Lebanese army offensive against ISIL and a joint Syrian army-Hezbollah operation against the group on Syrian territory.
In a video posted on Facebook, activist Stephen Nabil called it an injustice.
He said it would allow hundreds of fighters to deploy along an insecure border, close to three Iraqi desert towns still under ISIL control.
These are not normal people, and we know what a single car [bomb] or one suicide bomber can do in Baghdad, he wrote.
On Monday, an ISIL-claimed bombing in the Iraqi capital killed 11 people.
Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi analyst, called the evacuation deal unjust.
The selfish ally is throwing Daesh from Lebanon into Iraq, he said in a Facebook post, using an Arabic acronym for the group.
They know that Iraqis destroyed their second biggest city [Mosul] so that Daesh fighters would not escape and Iraqs neighbours would not be harmed.
Lebanons victory over ISIL
In the meantime, Lebanons President Michel Aoun officially declared victory over ISIL on Wednesday.
Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Beirut, said that Aoun had several reasons to wait a few days to declare victory despite the ceasefire being announced on Sunday.
Even after the armed operation was over the army still had to go into the areas it had cleared to make sure there was no weaponry left behind, Jamjoom said. They had to make sure the places were safe potentially for civilians to return.
Lebanese soldiers are now stationed at the border area where ISIL was, which is around 300 square kilometres.
The other reason was the sensitivity of this issue, Jamjoom said, explaining that the army did not want to appear callous to the families of the nine Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by ISIL and declare an outright victory.
Eight of the nine bodies were found and believed to be of those soldiers, but the government is waiting for DNA testing which will take several weeks before confirming to the public, Jamjoom said.
Non-binding resolution calls on government to consider cutting off NATO supply lines through South Asian country.
Islamabad, Pakistan Pakistans lower house of parliament has unanimously passed a resolution calling on the government to consider suspending supply lines to the US-led NATO mission in neighbouring Afghanistan in response to recent US accusations that the country is harbouring armed groups.
The National Assembly regards President [Donald] Trumps and General [John] Nicholsons [the top US military commander in Afghanistan] statements on Pakistan as hostile and threatening, said the resolution, passed in the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday.
On August 21, in a speech announcing the US strategy in Afghanistan and South Asia under the new administration, Trump singled Pakistan out for particular criticism.
We can no longer be silent about Pakistans safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond, said the US president at the time.
READ MORE: Pakistan in the crosshairs of Trumps Afghan strategy
A day later, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that Washington would consider cutting aid to Pakistan, increasing the use of drone attacks within its territory and stripping the South Asian country of its status as a major non-NATO US ally.
On Saturday, US General Nicholson said Afghan Taliban leaders were being given sanctuary in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar.
Pakistan denies that it offers sanctuary to any armed groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, and the government and military have rejected Trumps strategy in earlier statements.
The government, in turn, has demanded that US and Afghan forces take action against Pakistani Taliban groups it claims are operating from Afghan territory. That demand was reiterated in Wednesdays resolution.
Call for US cooperation review
The resolution also urged the government to review all cooperation with the United States, including the use of air and ground supply routes by NATO troops in Afghanistan.
While the US-led military alliance has developed alternative supply routes to Afghanistan, the bulk of its logistical and military supplies are still routed through Pakistan.
The document also called on the government to consider the postponement of any visits by US delegations to Pakistan or by Pakistani delegations/officials to the USA.
OPINION: US must challenge Pakistans duplicity on Afghanistan
On Sunday, Pakistan postponed a planned trip to Islamabad by Alice Wells, the acting US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. A planned trip by Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has also been put on hold.
Pakistani diplomats, meanwhile, have been holding a flurry of meetings with regional allies, mainly China, to shore up support for the countrys position that it has been fighting the Taliban and does not offer sanctuary to any armed groups.
On Monday, Deng Xijun, Chinese special envoy on Afghan affairs, met Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad.
Pakistans efforts towards eliminating the scourge of terrorism should be fully recognised by the international community, Xijun said, according to a statement.
OPINION: The China-Pakistan corridor A fate-changer?
The meeting followed a three-day trip by Janjua to Beijing to meet top Chinese officials immediately following the Trump policy announcement.
The resolution also called on the government to formulate economic policies to deal with any situation arising out of the absence of US [financial] assistance.
Pakistan has been one of the top recipients of US civilian and military aid in the last decade. This year, it is due to receive $742.2m in assistance from Washington.
While strongly worded, the resolution passed by the lower house of parliament is not binding on the government.
Separately on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met top military and civilian officials in the capital to discuss Trumps policy announcement, a statement from his office said.
Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Islamabad. He tweets @AsadHashim.
Human rights groups have urged the international community to hold the Syrian government and opposition armed groups accountable for the tens of thousands of people who have disappeared during the countrys long-running civil war.
The call was made in a statement marking the International Day of the Disappeared on Wednesday.
Amid the brutality and bloodshed of the Syrian conflict, the plight of those who have vanished after being arrested by the authorities or detained by armed groups is a tragedy that has been largely ignored internationally, said Philip Luther, Amnesty Internationals research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Tens of thousands of families have been desperately trying to uncover the fate of their missing relatives, he added.
READ MORE: The endless wait for Kashmirs disappeared to return
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), 75,000 people have been subjected to enforced disappearance by the Syrian government since the conflict began in 2011.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that a failure to address the issue means that more of the disappeared would likely be tortured or executed with each passing day.
Syria will not be able to move forward if negotiations fail to adequately address the horrors of detention and disappearance, said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRWs Middle East director.
The group said that as part of any transitional process, international backers of negotiations to end Syrias civil war should include the formation of an independent body to investigate the cases of thousands of disappeared Syrians.
The rights organisations also called on Russia and Iran, the most prominent backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to pressure his government to immediately publish the names of all individuals who died in Syrian detention facilities.
Furthermore, the government must be pressed to inform families of the deceased and to return the bodies to their relatives, the groups said.
The organisations also called on backers of non-state armed groups, such as Turkey and the United States, to make them reveal the fate of detainees in their custody and allow humanitarian agencies access to their detention facilities.
It is estimated that more than 2,000 Syrians are held by opposition groups and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group.
Many families who have lost loved ones due to forced disappearances suffer psychologically and may face months or years without learning of their relatives fate.
Kingdoms policies in Yemen and Syria described as main hurdles to improving ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused the countrys rival Saudi Arabia of backing terrorists in the Yemeni civil war, according to state TV.
Saudi Arabia and Iran compete for influence in the Middle East, where they support rival groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
Saudi Arabias intervention in Yemen and their support of terrorists in Yemen and Syria are main hurdles to improve ties between Tehran and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia should stop backing terrorists, Rouhani told state TV on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Key facts about the war in Yemen
In September 2014, Iran-allied Houthi fighters took control of Yemens capital, Sanaa, and proceeded to push southwards towards the countrys second-biggest city, Aden.
In response to the Houthis advances, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states launched a military campaign in 2015 to defeat the Shia fighters and restore Yemens government.
Nuclear deal question
In his address, Rouhani also discussed the 2015 nuclear deal and said that Iran would honour it.
However, he dismissed the idea of inspections at its military sites, reportedly floated by the United States, saying they were not required under the deal with world powers.
Our commitments to the world are clear our relations with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) are defined by rules, not by the US, Rouhani said in the televised address.
I see it as unlikely that the IAEA will accept the request for inspections, but even if they do, we will not.
READ MORE: Iran and world powers clinch historic nuclear deal
He was responding to news media reports that Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, last week met IAEA chief Yukiya Amano and discussed accessing Iranian military sites in order to ensure Irans compliance with the deal.
The accord saw international sanctions eased in exchange for stringent controls on Irans nuclear programme and closer IAEA inspections.
The inspections are designed to prevent nuclear material being moved from nuclear centres to other areas, including military bases.
The IAEA has repeatedly reported that Iran is in compliance with the deal.
Difficult situation
Rouhani said Iran had the support of Europe and other signatories, and added that US President Donald Trump would struggle to muster support for tearing it up.
The US is in the most difficult situation in its history for creating unity against us and I think its not possible for it to do so now, Rouhani said.
Despite the pushback, the deal remains under threat.
The US has strongly criticised recent Iranian missile tests and imposed new, non-nuclear sanctions prompting Rouhani to hint in mid-August that Iran could easily walk away from the deal within hours if forced to do so.
Haley responded that new US sanctions against Iran relate to Irans support for worldwide terrorism and other destabilising actions in the region.
She said Iran could not use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage.
Trump is due to notify Congress in October about whether Iran is adhering to the deal.
In a visit to Qatar, Russias foreign minister welcomes Kuwaits mediation efforts to end the Gulf diplomatic dispute.
Doha, Qatar Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed Moscows support for Kuwaits mediation efforts to defuse a three-month long diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.
Lavrov made the comments in Qatars capital, Doha, on Wednesday, at the end of a three-nation tour of the region that also included stops in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
We welcome all initiatives to resolve the Gulf crisis, and we support the Kuwaiti efforts in that direction, Lavrov said during a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdelrahman Al Thani.
OPINION: GCC crisis Why is Kuwaiti mediation not working?
Kuwait has been acting as a mediator since June 5, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt announced they were severing relations with Qatar and imposing a land, sea and air blockade against it, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
The four countries have not provided any evidence for their claim, and Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations as baseless.
Lavrov, who will visit Saudi Arabia and Jordan in September, said the only way to resolve the crisis is through negotiations and dialogue between all parties.
For his part, Qatars foreign minister said that his country was the only side in the dispute that responded to Kuwaits efforts positively.
Our goal is to resolve this conflict and end the blockade, not just sitting at the table for the sake of negotiations only, he said.
Major implications
Ibrahim Fraihat, a Qatar-based political analyst, described Lavrovs visit to Qatar as a major development in the Gulf crisis and an attempt by Russia to increase its political influence in the oil-rich region, which has traditionally been under Washingtons political and military umbrella.
Fraihat argued Russia was adding its weight behind Kuwaits mediation efforts in a bid to fill a regional vacuum created by the United States lack of clear policy in helping to end the dispute.
OPINION: The crisis of regional order in the Gulf
Russia is stepping in because the Americans have failed to exercise their historic political leverage with all parties in order to bring the parties to the negotiation table, added Fraihat, a professor at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies in Doha.
Russia enjoys excellent and diverse ties with all the parties, he said, adding that Lavrovs visit may have major implications in the future.
Economic cooperation
Lavrov, who also met the Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, said his trip was aimed at enhancing the economic and political ties between the two countries.
He said his country is looking forward for more cooperation with Qatar in the areas of economic investments, especially in the oil and gas sector.
OPINION: The energy factor in the GCC crisis
The talks also focused on a host of other regional issues, including the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, according to Qatars foreign minister.
Both foreign ministers called for unity between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah and the need to resolve the conflict based on the Arab peace initiative and the two-state solution.
Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports
Jets carry out two sets of air raids to block ISIL evacuees from reaching area held by the group near Syria-Iraq border.
A US-led coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group says its fighter jets have blocked a convoy of the groups fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, and also struck a number of their comrades travelling from the other direction to meet them.
The attacks on Wednesday were aimed at derailing a deal for ISIL fighters to leave their enclave on the Lebanon border, along with their family members, for areas the armed group holds on Syrias eastern frontier with Iraq.
The evacuation deal, brokered by Lebanons Hezbollah and the Syrian army, sparked a furious reaction from Iraq and the United States.
Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said moving hundreds of fighters towards the Iraqi border was unacceptable and an insult to the Iraqi people, while US officials said ISIL fighters should be killed on the battlefield.
READ MORE: ISIL evacuation deal angers Iraq
The first set of attacks on Wednesday took place east of Humeima in southeast Syria, said Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the coalition.
To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge, he told AFP news agency.
Coalition military forces conducted airstrikes in #Syria to prevent the transport of #ISIS terrorists to the borders of our Iraqi partners. pic.twitter.com/HLVonJz1P4 Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) August 30, 2017
Dillon said the coalition understood there were civilians aboard the buses, and would only bomb the convoy if fighters could be separated from the civilians.
Describing ISIL as a global threat, he said, relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution.
Later, coalition fighter jets also bombed ISIL vehicles heading towards the convoy from the Syrian town of Albukamal.
Only way
The buses, which left the Lebanese-Syrian border two days ago, were now stuck in territory held by Syrias government, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group monitoring the countrys conflict via a network of contacts on the ground.
There were about 300 fighters and almost as many family members, including children, on the buses being evacuated, according to Hezbollah, which defended the evacuation deal saying it was the only way to find out the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers ISIL had kidnapped in 2014.
The deal also involved ISIL surrendering Hezbollah and Syrian army prisoners and bodies in eastern Syria.
Hezbollah had fought a week-long offensive against ISIL on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended on Sunday with the announcement of the evacuation deal.
READ MORE: Lebanon finds suspected remains of ISIL-held soldiers
ISIL is on the back foot in both Syria and Iraq, losing swaths of its territory and its most important towns and cities.
In Syria, the US-led coalition is backing an alliance of Kurdish and Arab armed groups in the north which are assaulting ISIL in the city of Raqqa.
The Russian-backed Syrian army and allied armed groups have meanwhile seized most of the central desert from ISIL, and are advancing eastwards to relieve the armys besieged enclave in Deir Az Zor.
Police using surveillance camera footage to investigate incident that began with harassment and ended with a murder.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the estimate of Pakistan having 150,000 transgender citizens as being made in the 2017 census. That figure is from a 2015 government health ministry estimate.
Pakistani police say armed men opened fire on a group of transgender people, killing one, in an affluent neighbourhood in Pakistans city of Karachi.
Aurangzeb Khattak, a police officer, said the shooting occurred overnight on Wednesday. He said passengers in a 4WD vehicle first harassed the group by throwing rotten eggs at them and then opened fire, resulting in the death of Chanda Sharmeeli.
We are investigating the murder of victim, and from what we can understand so far, is that this was a personal argument gone too far, he told Al Jazeera.
It doesnt seem like there was a history of animosity.
Khattak said shell casings from a 9mm pistol were found at the scene and that investigators were using surveillance camera footage to trace the 4WD vehicle and arrest the culprits.
Kami Sid, the countrys first transgender model and a fellow of Sharmeeli, told Al Jazeera that the men in the car were drunk and forced the murdered person to sit in the car with them.
READ MORE: India LGBT group parades for their rights
And as anyone who is being forced to do something, she [Sharmeeli] retaliated and was shot for it, she said, adding that most likely the assailants were from important families.
Its time a lesson is learnt, people from big families cant just get away with everything. This society may have found tolerance, but there is no acceptance for the transgender.
The body has been identified and handed over to the family.
Transgender people are known as Khusra or Hijra in Pakistan. In conservative South Asia, where sexual relations outside marriage are taboo and homosexuality is illegal, they are often treated as sex objects and often become the victims of violent assault.
Last week, provisional results from Pakistans census showed that at least 10,418 people identified themselves as transgender in the countrys first official population count since 1998.
According to a government health ministry estimate made in 2015, however, that number is closer to at least 150,000.
Current census
Advocacy group Trans Action says that number is closer to at least half a million.
The current census marks the first time that transgender Pakistanis have been counted as a separate gender.
Transgender citizens were granted full inheritance rights by the Supreme Court in 2012, and the right to vote a year earlier.
On one side, you have the Supreme Court rulings where transgenders are to get passports and CNICS, and on the other hand, police stations dont even have a special help desk for them, Rana Asif Habib, president of the Initiator Human Development Foundation (IHDF), told Al Jazeera.
Most transgenders cant even file police reports because they dont have identification, and when they go to police stations they are teased ridiculed.
In June, the country issued its first third-gender passport to a transgender activist from the northern city of Peshawar.
In 2009, Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to legally recognise a third gender, allowing those identifying as neither male nor female to obtain national identity documents.
Additional reporting by Alia Chughtai, follow her on twitter @AliaChughtai
Without the recurring funds to back it up, UF has agreed to hire 12 new mental health counselors over the next three years.
At a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday afternoon, President Kent Fuchs said reducing the student-to-mental-health-counselor ratio was pressing. He asked the board for their support.
Until UF finds constant funding for the incoming 12 employees, it will use nonrecurring sources to cover the cost.
Were doing this in advance of getting new resources with the hope and aspiration of getting resources in the future to pay this recurring expense, Fuchs said. Were pleased to move forward now just because its so important.
Adding the counselors will decrease the ratio from one counselor to 1,400 students to one counselor to 1,253 students.
Carolyn Imes, a 19-year-old UF international studies sophomore, said she has not gone to the Counseling and Wellness Center because her friends had bad experiences there. Instead, she seeks outside counseling with her own doctor.
Imes said increasing the number of staff would be good for accessibility, but she hopes they would be well-trained.
I think the training is just as important as the number of people who work there, she said.
At the board meeting, members also debated block tuition for UFs Levin College of Law. Provost Joseph Glover said most other law schools follow the block format, instead of UFs format of paying by credit.
With our current way of charging students to attend the Levin College of Law, we look rather peculiar, Glover said. And that is important when youre trying to recruit students and important for your national reputation.
Dean Laura Rosenbury said there would be a slight increase in tuition for students in the college because the block system assumes 90 credits instead of UFs normal 88, but she said tuition is still much lower than other schools.
Trustee member Mori Hosseini said the Florida Board of Governors would not accept any increase in tuition.
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I am not willing to vote if I know it will cost our students more than what they are paying, Hosseini said.
The board agreed to approve the block plan, which will move to the Florida Board of Governors for further approval, as long as the wording is changed to make it tuition-neutral, meaning there is not a change in price.
The board also agreed to a wage increase for members of the United Faculty of Floridas UF chapter, which the union still needs to ratify. The board agreed to a 3 percent merit pool and a 2 percent equity increase, meant for faculty who do good work but are not paid as much as their peers.
The Data Science and Information Technology Building and the Music Building both had their funding apportioned. The data science buildings budget increased to a total of $100 million to make up for the $25 million they requested last year but did not receive, said UF spokesperson Janine Sikes. The budget for the music building stayed the same but had the amount given each year adjusted.
David Quillen, a trustee, said he wanted to make sure the music building would be completed and asked for clarification about the commitment to the building.
It doesnt matter to me whether we move the money around from year to year as long as we get to the end, he said.
Dear Dennis,
On Tuesday at 5:15 p.m., University Police told you to leave campus after a student accused you of harassing her, and maybe its time you take this as a lesson.
You see, Dennis, Ive seen you prancing around Turlington Plaza in your booty shorts, and I was perfectly fine with you expressing your First Amendment right that was, of course, until I saw you took it too far. You crossed the line when you decided that screaming at people you dont even know for no particular reason was OK.
I have nothing against you, I just think this might be a good time for you to come to terms with how uncomfortable you make women and students feel overall.
If you have no idea what Im talking about, this might be because youve never considered how your consistent preaching has made the more than 50,000 students here feel. Hint: Its not great.
For one, when you try to get in front of our faces for no reason, it makes us feel incredibly uncomfortable. I get that you have this life mission of speaking to each and every one of us and getting your message across, but your method of doing so is nothing less than straight-up awkward.
We didnt come to Turlington Plaza to listen to you scream at us about operating systems and other things we couldnt care less about, and, in fact, some of us try to bypass Turlington completely to get away from all of your shenanigans most days.
Youre allowed to dance, and, technically, youre even allowed to yell, but you shouldnt be allowed to go around calling women names, regardless of if you might think that it makes them feel good. Because as a woman no, forget that as a person who attends UF who has had to listen to you for the past two years, Im relieved that youll be away from us for some time.
But Dennis, my friend, this isnt the first time this has happened. No, itd be silly of me to think youd have given up that easily. According to Alligator archives, you were banned back in 2012 for making a threatening statement. Havent you learned something in the past five years about screaming in public?
If youve made it this far, Dennis, I commend you, for its often hard to face the truth when it stares at you through a glowing screen. You also might be fighting the urge to say that all youre trying to promote is peace. As someone who has occasionally seen you do this, I am proud of you when you do so.
However, peace isnt accomplished through screaming at college students. Its made possible when you get rid of the threats and inappropriate language.
I hope being banned for a while will give you some time to reflect on what youve done. As for me and most of the students here, we hope you understand why this is necessary, and if you do decide to come back, come back truly peacefully.
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As Ronald Reagan once said, Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
Maybe this hiatus will allow you to learn how to more effectively communicate. I hope it does, because if what youre after is peace, Im all for it.
By the time youre allowed back on UFs property, I will have graduated, and, most likely, live somewhere else. In fact, most of us will, which might be a good thing for you, Dennis, because now you get a fresh start. I hope you think about this seriously and make the change to be more well-equipped with your words and actions.
Sara Marino is a UF journalism senior. Her column appears on Wednesday.
See also: Bolton and Gorka both say they are locked out of the White House
As an Israeli who supports Trump and attended Trumps inauguration to celebrate his win, I read with a heavy heart the reports leaking out of the White House that Sebastian Gorka did not resign but was forced out of his position as a security advisor to the President by General H.R. McMaster and General John Kelly.
Mr. Gorka is the seventh Trump loyalist McMaster has forced out in recent months from the Presidents National Security Team. All have been attempting to carry out President Trumps campaign promises to combat Iranian and radical Islamist terrorist threats, and to support Israel and the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Gorka was the third Trump loyalist forced out since General John F. Kelly, an old military colleague of McMaster, was appointed to be the chief of staff and reportedly encouraged McMaster to make any staffing changes he deems necessary.
If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it is a duck. Maybe it does not sound yet like a purge and an ideological coup, but it is starting to look like one, engineered by Generals McMaster and Kelly. It is designed to eliminate President Trumps national security agenda of support to Israel, opposition to the Iran deal, and determination to name and combat radical Islamist terrorism.
On Friday, in a letter reported by the Federalist, Sebastian Gorkas explained his resignation by expressing his unhappiness with the direction that the Trump administrations foreign policy has taken as signaled by the Presidents recent speech on Afghanistan. Gorka stated:
"Regrettably, outside of yourself (President Trump), the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will 'Make America Great Again' have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan.... The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a critical element of your presidential campaign has been lost.
On Sunday, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Gorka offered harsh criticism of McMaster's stance towards Islamists saying:
McMaster sees the threat of Islam through an Obama administration lens, meaning that religion has nothing to do with the war we are in. He believes and he told me in his office that these people are just criminals.
A source close to the White House said that after Bannon was forced out, anti-Bannon factions began erecting bureaucratic roadblocks to undermine Gorka internally.
Yahoo News reported that Kelly revoked Gorkas security clearance, making it difficult if not impossible for him to continue his job. Other news outlets reported that Kelly has been restricting access to Trump as McMaster's detractors are trying to reach the president.
In his short term at the National Security Council (NSC), General McMaster has fired or forced out from the National Security Team, including the NSC, strong pro-Israel and anti-Iran officials such as Steve Bannon, K.T. McFarland, Adam Lovinger, Rich Higgins, Derek Harvey, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, and now Sebastian Gorka.
General McMaster quickly removed Bannon, the engineer of much of President Trumps pro-Israel, anti-Islamist terrorism agenda, from the Principals Committee of the NSC. McMaster also removed K.T. McFarland, a veteran pro-Israel national security professional in the Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administrations and a key member of the team of Iran deal opponents originally gathered by Trump. Lovinger, a pro-Israel national security strategist from the Pentagon, was returned to the Pentagon with his security clearance revoked.
McMaster also fired Iran hawk Rich Higgins, the NSCs director of strategic planning, after Higgins wrote a memo about personnel opposed to President Trumps foreign policy agenda in the NSC. McMaster also fired Derek Harvey, a senior director and expert on the Middle East and one of the best intelligence analysts on Iraq, after Harvey prepared a list of NSC Obama-era holdovers to be fired for leaking national security information to the press. Instead, other conservatives were fired, such as Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a strong opponent of the Iran deal, who tried to intensify efforts to counter Iran in the Middle East and controlled officials opposed to the presidents policies.
As replacements for those fired, McMaster appointed individuals who are friendly with Obama-era ideologues who blame Israel for Palestinian terror, encourage negotiations with Hamas and are obsessed with the plan for Palestinian statehood.
As David Steinberg from PJ Media wrote, Indeed, one is hard-pressed to identify a member of the NSC brought in by McMaster with a history of aligning with President Trump on Iran or with his Mideast policy or by his willingness to treat Islamic doctrine as the root cause of terror and related Mideast strife.
But such nominations are not surprising if one understands McMasters own beliefs. He advised the president to certify that Iran is in compliance with the Iran deal, saying that Iran is merely violating the Iran deals spirit despite German intelligence reports that Iran is cheating and Trumps promise to tear up or strictly enforce the Iran deal and punish violations. Iran has refused to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into the Parchin nuclear facility or to interview Irans nuclear scientists, and has repeatedly tested intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Following the Obama administrations practices, McMaster opposes using the term radical Islamic terrorism saying that the term isnt helpful for U.S. goals because it does not help the U.S. in working with allies to defeat terrorist groups.
Moreover, the general said that Jihadists terrorists arent true to their religion and terrorist organizations like ISIS represent a perversion of Islam and are thus un-Islamic
In addition, just before Trumps visit to Israel, McMaster erroneously publicly claimed that the President would recognize Palestinian Self-determination and refused to state that the Western Wall, one the holiest Jewish sites, and the last remnant of the walls around the Second Jewish Temple, is in Israel and insisted that Netanyahu could not accompany Trump to the site after failing to convince the President not to visit there.
President Trump must wake up and realize the damage that Generals Kelly and McMaster are inflicting on his policies and on those who have been loyal to his ideology. President Trump should know that Israeli history is littered with heroic generals on the battlefield who were weak appeasers in national security when they became prime ministers, such as Israeli chiefs of staff Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak. He should realize that just because they are generals they are not necessarily the right advisors to implement Trumps tough-minded agenda.
Shoula Romano Horing is an Israeli born and raised attorney. Her blog: www.shoularomanohoring.com
In general, the only view that liberal and conservative commentators share today is perturbation about the country and its future. For liberals, the shocking anomaly in our national life has the name of a man: Donald Trump. For conservatives, the matter is a little more frazzled. Some of them decry the leftist intolerance and violence visible on college campuses and elsewhere. Quite a few elected Republicans and certain talking television celebrities, commonly characterized as conservative, nonetheless, share the Lefts abhorrence of the President. They may include Kim Jong-un and the Antifa goons with Mr. Trump in the list of humanitys miscreants. But the intentions, utterances and deeds of those calling themselves the Resistance are not what most bothers them.
The renowned Dr. Charles Krauthammer, arguing on camera against Laura Ingraham, pronounces the Presidents remarks at his press conference on the Charlottesville, Virginia melee a moral disgrace.
The specification is Mr. Trumps insistence that at Charlottesville, there was violence on both sides. To say this was a dastardly abrogation of duty, even though the Doctor himself acknowledges it to be true (Yes, there was violence on both sides.). It is true, but not the point. It is not the point because all the leaders in this generation, all except Trump, recognize the unique importance and evil of white racism in American society. And so, if there was a faction in the streets of Charlottesville that stood for racism, it is immoral to criticize another faction opposing it.
It makes no difference what the other faction did, or what part it played in the mayhem. It makes no difference that the Unite the Right demonstrators had a permit, affirmed by a court of law. It is immaterial whether all of those protesting the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue were actually Nazis or Klansmen. It does not matter that the President had denounced the Nazis and the Klan in his second statement, and specifically the one who murdered a woman with his car. Trump must be deemed to have taken all that back when he said there was violence on both sides. And it makes no difference whether the bloody confrontation was, in effect, engineered by calculating politicians, who restrained the police from intervening to prevent violence. All Krauthammer knows is that there were elements harkening back to Jim Crow on the scene, and so it is a moral disgrace to talk about anyone else.
Of course, moral disgrace is one thing, and moral imbecility another.
In his exchange with Laura Ingraham, Krauthammer to some extent continues the argument of a recent column, in which he rejoices that the guardrails of our democracy had held against the imminent threat to it: President Trump. The more famous comment on guardrails was the 1993 Wall Street Journal editorial, contributed by Daniel Henninger, in which the author laments the relentless destruction of social norms that he thinks began with the mayhem at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention. Krauthammer does not mention this writing of twenty-four years before, but then, he is in no real way indebted to it, despite the similarity in titles. Henningers editorial lamented, among other things, the decline of self-restraint, the rules that for a long time had governed behavior, the transformation of the countrys institutions and its codes of personal behavior.
Krauthammer very nearly sets this thesis on its head. Krauthammers first guardrail is one that protects transgenderism in the army. The Presidents decision to terminate such, originally announced by twitter, Krauthammer finds uniquely impulsive and chronically irrational. On Fox News, he had characterized the decision as bizarre. According to Krauthammer, then, there is then nothing bizarre, impulsive, or irrational about men who suppose themselves to be women (and v.v.) from serving in the armed forces. It is Trumps decision that allowing them imperils fighting effectiveness that merits those adjectives.
I dare say that a tweet does not constitute an order, as certain generals observed, and that actual orders have been issued since the tweet. It is also apparent that in our time, senior commanders in all the service branches are cowed by the Left, and more fearful of being attacked as racists, Islamaphobes, or homophobes than they are of their commander in chiefs ire. The adverse reactions of Boy Scout leaders and police chiefs to the Presidents remarks before meetings of their organizations are two more guardrails in Krauthammers account. Addressing the Boy Scout Jamboree, it seems that the President interspersed admirable advice about finding a lifes endeavor that you really enjoy with partisan appeals and attacks on his enemies, delivered in his inimitable style. It is no doubt irrelevant that those in attendance reacted to what Krauthammer calls the Presidents wildly inappropriate confection with wild enthusiasm and cheers of USA! USA! Krauthammer knows what is good for the young Boy Scouts, and the Boy Scout leaders know what is good for themselves. Whatever guardrail protected their moral tradition has long been bulldozed by the gay rights agenda, and they dare not incur the leftists wrath by being associated with a leader who is not afraid of them.
As to the Presidents suggestion that the police be less than scrupulous in preserving homicide suspects from bumping their heads when shown to their place in the back of the patrol car, certainly we understand Krauthammers revulsion at this ugly sentiment with its thuggish undertone. It is just that another guardrail, the one deterring public instigation of deadly violence against police officers, had broken down first, even to the extent of Trumps predecessor receiving at the White House representatives of Black Lives Matter and such kindred spirits as the Reverend Al Sharpton. Perhaps for this reason, the ugly and thuggish utterances of a Chief Executive actually on the side of the police and against the criminals, occasion some relief. That is, they occasion relief among the officers themselves. The Presidents remarks make nervous their commanders, who must be politicians, worried about further attacks by the cop-hating left if they fail to dissociate themselves from Trump.
Most extraordinary is Krauthammers praise for the Republican senators who sabotaged the ObamaCare replacement bill, after promising their constituents that they were for ridding the nation of this health care abomination. That represented the success of some valued guardrail because it frustrated Trump, whom Krauthammer judges to be untutored in health care issues and motivated by self-aggrandizement. The merits of ObamaCare and the promises by which candidates elicited the votes of citizens all pale in significance beside the eternal truth that if Trump wants it, he should not get it, and whatever prevents him from getting it is a guardrail of democracy.
The guardrails to which Henningers editorial refers are those of personal conduct, preventing the young, above all, from falling into the abyss of dysfunctional and failed lives. But if we are concerned with the guardrails that preserve American liberal democracy, they are surely the rule of law, preserving the individual liberties codified in the Bill of Rights and elsewhere, the separation of powers in the government, and the requirement that power be derived from the consent of the governed.
It requires no arduous scrutiny of the present scene to see the ruptures in the guardrails that protect our way of life, portending a change to a new way of life. The individual liberty most vital to democratic politics, freedom of speech, is under ever more successful assault. And let no one make the sophistical argument that it is not a First Amendment violation without specifically governmental repression. Governmental repression is involved, for all practical purposes, if vicious mobs are left to roam free, shutting down by violence any discourse of which they disapprove. Nor is the forced removal of those wishing to speak against the mob, in order to avoid violence (what just happened in Boston), any less a repression.
The vilification of the Republic and its creators, brutal desecration of monuments, and physical attacks on the defenders of the nations traditions, now spread like a communicable disease. This does suggest a failure of guardrails, or maybe a problem in epidemiology. The President and his willingness to say what leaves Dr. Krauthammer aghast, is the only significant opposition to the menace. In that sense, and just at this moment, the President would appear to be the guardrail, however imperfect. Let the Krauthammers of the world offer us a better one (and stop pretending that Nazis and Klansmen are the primary threat) if Trump causes them such indignation.
For at least the last nine years, Sean Hannity of the Fox News Channel has been telling us that journalism in America is dead. During Obamas first campaign, Sean was a lone voice warning anyone who would listen about what Obama actually was: a radical leftwing ideologue. But folks didnt listen, and so we got eight wasted years and a deeply divided America.
On August 18, the Washington Post ran To curtail hate, James Murdoch must clean house at Fox News by Jennifer Rubin. She accused James Murdoch, son of Rupert and CEO of 21st Century Fox (which owns Fox News) of hypocrisy, and added: Murdoch seems blissfully unaware of -- or in denial about -- his familys role in creating the Trump phenomenon, fueling the rise of a xenophobic, racist demagogue and continuing to fan the flames of his noxious populism, which has brought us to where we are.
If Ms. Rubin has a vendetta against Fox it may be because shes acquitted herself poorly there. Here is a video of Bill OReilly taking her to the woodshed for being utterly unprepared to appear on The Factor. A few weeks later, Tucker Carlson had Rubin on his Fox show (video) where she was again silly and unprofessional. Perhaps its the Post that needs to clean house.
Ms. Rubin is a blogger. Her blog at the Post is Right Turn and her bio-line says it offers reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Its difficult to see whats conservative about her perspective. She appears quite comfortable throwing around the Lefts usual cheap charges of hate, racism, xenophobia, and immorality. Rubin does not have the demeanor of a serious analyst. Amazons Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Post, might want to consider keeping her off TV. Or maybe he could find a blogger whos an actual conservative. One only has to look at Rubins blog headlines to suspect that shes a rabid anti-Trumper.
Its doubtful that there is any other news story where the anti-Trump media has been as nakedly obvious as in the ruckus over President Trumps remarks about the August 12 incident in Charlottesville. The anti-Trumpers criticize the president for speaking of both sides; of supposedly making an equivalency of the neo-Nazi, KKK, white-supremacist side of the skirmish and the alt-left, Antifa side. But if one wants an evenhanded report of what Trump actually said in the aftermath of Charlottesville, then one must tune in to Fox News.
In Are President Trump's new Charlottesville remarks enough? (9 min. video) on the August 14 edition of Foxs Special Report, Mollie Hemingway sat on a panel with three men and pushed back against the narrative:
Its like were living in an alternate reality here. People are [] not listening to what Donald Trump actually said on Saturday and theyre not reading the actual full comments that he gave, where he was explicitly denouncing bigotry and violence, where he called on people to come together. And the fact is there actually is a violence problem on both the left and the right. In recent years Americans have seen violent protests everywhere from Portland, Berkeley, Ferguson, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Brooklyn, Baltimore. All throughout the country people have experienced these violent protests. There was an assassination attempt against Republicans by a totally mainstream, progressive, leftist activist. And there is a problem on all sides and people need to come together to denounce all of those things and not tar the entire Democratic Party as being part of the leftist violence and not tar the entire Republican Party as part of the rightist violence.
Ms. Hemingway demonstrated that she was one journalist who wasnt buying the medias received wisdom, and she won that debate handily. And then the next night on Special Report (7 min. video), Laura Ingraham sparred with Charles Krauthammer on the both sides issue and how the MSM has got it all wrong, and again, the lady came out on top. Krauthammer is usually a very solid analyst, but when he spoke of whats in his heart, he stepped in it. Miss Laura immediately shot back: You can read a heart, wow, you really are a PhD.
The anti-Trump media wants to be taken seriously as analysts but without doing much analysis, (except for psychoanalysis). Were expected to accept whatever these people say as the assessments of sophisticated, highly moral, and wise people, not the partisan rants of those who want to bring down a president or at least slow down his agenda.
The method of the anti-Trump media is to report their assessments without showing the steps that got them there. They trot out their final judgments but not the supporting detail. If they did report more of the facts, theyd have to defend their conclusions. So in the anti-Trump media were treated to judgments without much in the way of argument.
The president was right to refer to both sides. The alt-right had a permit to demonstrate, the alt-left did not have a permit. The alt-left could have stayed away from the demonstration, but instead chose to attend and mix it up with the alt-right. The mayor of Charlottesville could have deployed police to keep the two groups apart, but that doesnt seem to have been a priority for him.
The anti-Trump media dont seem to know how to think about these events. So heres a question for them: What if the car incident with its death and injuries hadnt happened, what kind of story would the press be reporting then? If they were honest, theyd write of two radical extremist groups who got into a rumble. And theyd have to lay most of the blame on the alt-left side, as they had no permit to be there. If the alt-left had stayed away, wed have had a non-story story.
If the anti-Trump media werent so busy trying to ruin Trump, they might report that both sides in Charlottesville, the neo-Nazis and the Antifa, are rather similar. They might even ask whether Antifa is fascist, as it certainly uses the violent street tactics of Blackshirts and Brownshirts. That both sides could be fascist would be too much for the MSM to wrap its head around. That both sides are more alike than theyd like to admit is inconvenient for the narrative. If one side is worse than the other, so what; both groups are repellent, un-American bands of outlaws, and are national embarrassments, especially in the pathetic way they fight.
After faring so poorly on The Factor, Rubin must have rejoiced when OReilly left Fox News. But FNC had already been cleaning house, dropping Greta van Susteren, Megyn Kelly, and suspending Charles Payne and Eric Bolling. (By the way, the new shows with Tucker Carlson and Martha MacCallum are terrific.)
Changing the thrust of Fox News would be a monumentally bad business decision for James Murdoch. CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, and the networks have a monolithic sameness that is all lockstep left. Fox is the alternative, and about the only one, which is why FNCs been #1 for so long. Without Fox News, America would be much farther down the road to fascism. The establishment media needs to emulate Fox News and start reporting both sides.
Jon N. Hall of Ultracon Opinion is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Even as Hurricane Harvey once again demonstrates the essential nature of public safety agencies, few Americans know that the Democrat political machine has been systematically robbing local police, fire and health care services throughout the nation of lawfully mandated funds, intentionally depriving local people throughout the nation of essential first responder services.
Government derives much of its moral authority to tax from its obligation to provide public safety, health and education. Yet as public-sector pension plans create ever-greater demands upon local and state financial resources, The Democrats machine funnels so much tax revenue into the corrupt bargain the party made with unions that states and municipalities must rob local public services of funds in order to give their constituents outrageous salary increases, bonuses, benefits and what is called other pay. There are two types of demands for this money: salary increases and pensions. Even while revenues increase, the demand for public pensions and salaries has grown so fast that it has outrun the increases in tax revenue. And rather than stabilize pensions or go to 401K type plans, municipalities and states have chosen to violate the Constitution and cut back on essential government public services.
The growth of public sector pensions is rarely discussed by the mainstream media, since the big four public sector unions; the SEIU, AFSCME, NEA and AFT, who collectively have four million members, donate virtually all of their campaign money to Democrats at the local, state and national levels. For example, in Washington the four big unions give 99% to 100% of their national campaign donations to Democrats. This is why school funding, which supports the two largest unions, is a sacred cow to Democrats nationwide. There are no Republican-supporting public sector national unions.
They donate campaign money to politicians in D.C. in order to keep the flow of federal program money to the states and localities. Federal money goes to employees, who kick back a portion to the union, which kicks back a portion to the D.C. pols that keep the money flowing. While the amounts of money involved in the financial support of public sector unions are never reported by the mainstream media, they are astronomical.
The Census Bureau reported that from 2014 to 2015 the total membership for state and local public pensions increased from 19.7 million to 20.4 million, while the number of pensioners receiving payments increased from 9.6 to 9.97 million in that one year. California alone has 5.75 million people receiving public pensions. Nationwide, public unions received $286 billion (more than one-quarter Trillion dollars) in 2015.
This money comes from tax revenues, but increasingly now from bond issuance: a temporary way to kick the can of pension cost down the road. These amounts are not trivial; in 2012 public pensions had an unfunded liability of $4.6 Trillion. And its crucial to keep in mind that theres an additional $3.7 trillion of muni bond debt, much of which was incurred to pay pensions. Chicagos credit rating is currently at junk bond status, while the CPS (Chicago Public Schools), who also use bonds to pay retired teachers and make up for funds shifted from taxes to pay pensions, also has a junk rating. These ratings make borrowing much more expensive, and Chicago and Illinois and other areas respond by cutting more from public services as well as raising taxes. The Census report also stated that for every public pensioner there are 1.5 people working, a very dangerous ratio. This demand for local and state tax revenue places a greater burden on localities than they can afford.
Tragically, in the past ten years localities have cut back on providing essential local public services in order to finance public employee pensions, some of which reach one-percenter amounts. The city of Stockton, CA filed for bankruptcy in June 2012 when the city was forced into bankruptcy through gross misappropriation of funds. These public funds were not taken by private individuals or corporations, but by the so-called dedicated public servants themselves, who apparently felt that any amount of money that goes into their municipalitys coffers is their own personal property.
The story of the Stockton, CA fire engines is very revealing. In 2012, the city had two fire engines, but because of the misappropriation of maintenance funds, bankruptcy Judge Klein stated in his Opinion that they became so run down that every time they went out on a call they had to be accompanied by a wrecker. Just by coincidence, in 2012, the Fire Chief Ronald Hittle received regular pay of $131,848, but received other pay of $118,241 in one year. At the same time rank and file police officers were laid off to pay those exorbitant salaries leading to an increase in violence in the city, and the murder rate had soared.
Similarly, when Detroit filed the largest city bankruptcy case ever, Judge Rhodes noted: the City is unable to provide basic municipal services such as police, fire and EMS services to protect the health and safety of the people here.
In Flint, Michigan, a Democrat-controlled city, the reason the residents were poisoned with lead and other contaminants was that the city was motivated to save money by switching the source of drinking water to a heavily polluted river.
In Illinois, the most heavily Democratically controlled and corrupted state, the home of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the abuse of public services by the public pension systems has reached historical proportions. In the state capital, Springfield, the local Democrat government cut the police budget by 15% in order to pay pensions. This situation was created by the fact that 100% of the property taxes paid by residents, which is intended to go to police powers services, was diverted to pay pensions. In ten of the biggest cities in Illinois, including Chicago, 100% of the property taxes go solely to pay pensions, none of the property tax revenue goes to public services. This has led to cutbacks to such things as street resurfacing, giving the neighborhoods pothole ridden streets.
This theft of public funds is mandated by IL Statutes which say the State pension fund in Springfield can seize state grant money, without limit or restriction, from any municipality which does not fully contribute to the pension fund by Dec. 30 of any given year. County treasury funds can also be seized without restriction.
Illinois has $15.9 billion in unpaid vendor bills, and the interest alone increases $20 million per day, yet the Democrat controlled legislature shut down the Illinois State govt. for two years rather than make any changes. $2.9 billion of these unpaid bills are for health care: seniors on Medicaid are deprived of medication so those making over $100,000 a year in a pension arent deprived of one cent of their annual raise. In Illinois, the highest pension goes to retired university administrators and professors: the highest is $564,000. As a result, college students have half of their tuition go to fund pensions. In California the highest salaries, over 40 of which exceed one million per year, go to university public servants.
The trend is clear and very disturbing: public services go unfunded to exorbitant pensions and salaries are maintained.
Five days after taking office, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13767, which authorized the building of a wall on our Southern border and other measures to increase the number of immigration officers to defend our borders against illegal crossings. This authorization for a physical wall has a cost, estimated by the Department of Homeland Security, of over $20 billion. However, Congress has not yet taken action to fund this project or the envisioned increase in immigration enforcement personnel. To say that Trumps commitment and authorization to build a wall has ignited extreme controversy would be an understatement. Some pundits are claiming that we are on the brink of civil war, and that polarization is in no small measure because of the wall which was the centerpiece of Trumps campaign and his legislative initiatives.
This authorization follows earlier legislation passed as a bipartisan measure, the Secure Fence Act, in October 2006. That legislation, depicted by Harry Reid and other Democratic Party leaders, as the brainchild of the extreme right wing of the Republican Party, nevertheless received 26 Democrat votes in the Senate with only 17 opposed. Obviously, opposition to the act was more extreme than the act itself. The need for restraining the flow across our porous borders was and is an undeniable reality, and commitment to a high cost project covering about 700 miles was properly deemed necessary.
Further, we had a two-tiered fence rather than a wall, augmented with some hi-tech surveillance equipment. Even this commitment was considered by many to be an economic albatross and Republican Sen. Fay Hutchison (R-KA), in 2007 at the urging of the Department of Homeland Security, offered an amendment to the Secure Fence Act giving DHS wider latitude in deciding the extent of fencing versus electronic surveillance would be appropriate. The amendment passed.
This controversy over a wall is not unique in the annals of history. Israel has built a wall longer than 700 km to keep out Palestinian Arabs now living in Judea and Samaria (often called the West Bank). To supporters of Israel, this wall is deemed an essential defense against terrorism. But for the manic opposition, the wall is portrayed in a bogus way as Israeli apartheid. Further, an underground wall to protect Israel from Gazan terrorists coming through tunnels is also being erected. And a third wall to prevent overwhelming Syrian migration is also in the works. Hungary has also erected a razor wire wall to protect itself from being overwhelmed by refugees, and, in 2008, Poland re-erected a wall on beaches shared with Germans in order to prevent German nudists from flooding the more modest Polish beaches. (Walls do not always pertain to matters of life and death.)
Throughout history, many notable walls have been erected. Hadrians Wall was constructed by the Roman emperor between the North Sea and the Irish Sea and was about 80 miles long. It protected Britain from the barbarians who lived to the north. The Great Wall of China, built in the 14th century, runs about 4500 miles and is 15-30 feet high.
In addition, there is fencing or a wall between India and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Bangladesh, and India, part of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, part of the China-Hong Kong border, and the Hungary-Serbia border.
However, Trumps projected wall has generated controversy not only because of practical questions about the effectiveness of the wall, the cost of the wall, the length of the wall, and the relative merits of a wall vs. a fence vs. technological surveillance vs. barriers. Rather, the wall is controversial because it has become symbolic of deep ideological and social rifts between rival politicians, commentators, and so-called activists (i.e., underminers of law and order) and our newly elected President.
This practical and symbolic controversy has its best parallel in history in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem by Nehemiah. That wall had originally been destroyed, along with Solomons Temple (the First Temple) by the Babylonians in the early 6th century BC. Babylonia in turn was conquered by Persia, and the Persian king Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem with a group of men to rebuild the wall.
When Nehemiah arrived, he met incredible opposition by the non-Jewish locals -- the Ashdodites, the Ammonites, the Arabs, and the Horonites -- led by Tobiah and Sanballat. Not only that but he was even opposed by Jews living in the land who had managed to remain despite the earlier Babylonian invasion. The poorer Judeans living in the area near Jerusalem were suffering debt and economic exploitation by certain wealthier Jews, as well as being beleaguered by a hostile non-Jewish population (groups named above). The building of the wall, and heightened opposition to the wall by the locals only added to their socioeconomic burdens.
They were being crushed from above by their own rulers, and horizontally by local Jew-hating tribes. The poor Jews cried out a list of oppressions to Nehemiah as they complained about his wall controversy which only added to their burdens. Even today, about 2600 years later, reading their list of oppressions should tear at the heart of any reader of the book of Nehemiah (chapter 5). Nehemiah listened to their pleas and insisted that the debt burden and tax burden of the Jewish people be reduced or eliminated altogether by their rulers. And Nehemiah prevailed. He was a leaders leader, and carried the prophetic imprimatur of a holy God to support his mission.
Nehemiahs enemies did everything they could to prevent the building of the wall. They relentlessly mocked his workers. In todays climate we see endless mockery of Trump by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and even, though in a less vitriolic way, Jimmy Fallon. They belittled his work by depicting the work as inadequate and superficial. They were in a constant rage at the work. The opposition to Nehemiah invited him to meet with them and work with them; yet in reality they meant him harm, and Nehemiah wisely saw through their strategies.
The opposition hired prophets of doom who were predicting terrible outcomes for Nehemiah and his rebuilding project. Are not the so-called reporters of the mainstream media -- Don Lemon, Wolf Blitzer, Jim Acosta, Joe Scarborough, Shepard Smith, etc. -- and mouthpieces of the Democratic Party establishment modern counterparts of the prophets of doom hired to predict failure and to utter vicious curses upon Trumps projects, ideas, and ideals?
High level peer pressure was put on Nehemiah. Many of the Jewish nobles in the area were related to the oppositon by intermarriage into the family of Tobiah, one of the leaders of the Ammonite opposition. Thus, even the Jews in the locality were connected with the non-Jewish elite. Today, the deeply entrenched elite, fondly called the swamp or the sewer by the so-called deplorables and Trumptards, led by John McCain, Mitch McConnell, and Lindsey Graham in the Senate and Paul Ryan in the House, are examples of those committed to denying Trump his agenda.
Despite the relentless opposition to Nehemiah, we read So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Yet, the Scripture, filled with holy realism, also states, Tobiah [leader of the opposition] sent letters to frighten me. The enemy will never publicly admit that it has been overshadowed, let alone defeated.
May it please God, the readers of this article, and the American electorate, the wall on our Southern border will be built, the opposition will lose confidence, and their never-ending fearmongering will continue to be mocked and spurned.
See also: "An Ideological Coup against Trump?"
John Bolton and Sebastian Gorka both say they have been placed on lists forbidding them access to the White House, apparently to ensure that their views will not reach the president's ears. Gorka is no longer welcome there, as MSNBC gleefully reported:
Former presidential deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka is no longer welcome at the White House, according to internal Secret Service emails obtained by MSNBC. ... [I]nternal Secret Service emails suggest Mr. Gorka has been deemed persona non grata at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. "Over an hour before The Federalist broke the news reporting Gorka resigned, there was already an order from the White House security system not to let Gorka into the building," MSNBC host Chris Hayes reported Monday evening. The order appeared in an email sent at 6:45 p.m. Friday to the Secret Service Joint Operation Center and again in a separate notice 30 minutes later both obtained by MSNBC regarding Mr. Gorka's White House status. The initial email said that Mr. Gorka had been added to the White House visitor system's "do not admit" list, and the second message said that Mr. Gorka likely still held a physical entry pass, as his status was revoked while he off the premises, Mr. Hayes reported. "We spoke with two former White House staff members who said an email like this is not remotely normal, saying they had never seen a directive like this for an employee who was voluntarily departing," Mr. Hayes said.
Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton, a campaign adviser who never received a presidential appointment, likewise has been exiled from any contact, as The Hill reports:
Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton says he is no longer able to see President Trump. "I requested a meeting with him and I was turned down," Bolton told Politico. In a piece published Monday in the National Review, Bolton expanded on his inability to see the president. ... "Although he was once kind enough to tell me 'come in and see me at any time,' those days are now over." Bolton had previously been eyed for some administration positions, including secretary of State and national security adviser. In his op-ed, he wrote that former chief strategist Stephen Bannon had asked him to "draw up" for Trump a "game plan" for the Iran nuclear agreement, but he has not been able to present it to the president.
When a military coup takes place, one of the first things the plotters do is take control of television and radio broadcasting to make sure that the ears of the populace never hear dissenting voices pointing out the downsides. Something analogous appears to be happening now from the leaders of this ideological coup, Generals Kelly and McMaster, against the counter-jihad and nationalist advisers who have had the ear of President Trump since his campaign.
Views expressed during the campaign now apparently are forbidden.
Of course, this coup is perfectly legal, with no military personnel intimidating officials into compliance with the force of arms. No tanks on the White House lawn. Rather, evidently, it is the force of President Trump's respect for military leaders that is at work. His ears must not hear the perspectives he so forcefully supported during the campaign.
Whether this new alignment of advisers is permanent remains to be seen. President Trump's most famous catchphrase, after all, is "You're fired!" In the meantime, we the people watch the "presidential palace" and worry about what the military leaders installed there have in mind for the future of the Republic.
Governor Terry McAuliffe's efforts to evade responsibility for the shocking violence at Charlottesville just got even more implausible. He and local authorities were warned, and yet allowed, if not forced, the two violence-prone parties into such close proximity that violence was a near certainty.
Josh Meyer reports in Politico:
The Department of Homeland Security issued a confidential warning to law enforcement authorities three days before the deadly Aug. 12 Charlottesville protest rally, saying that an escalating series of clashes had created a powder keg that would likely make the event "among the most violent to date" between white supremacists and anarchists.
The warning issued to state and city officials was clear that the violence in Charlottesville would come, as President Trump was widely criticized for saying, from "both sides." As quoted by Politico, the DHS assessment issued three days ahead of the Charlottesville incident read, "Anarchist extremists and white supremacist extremists online are calling on supporters to be prepared for or to instigate violence at the 12 August rally."
This raises more serious questions about the culpability of Charlottesville and Virginia public officials, who appear to be engaged in a game of semantics about whether a "stand down" order was issued to police that day, leading to escalation of the violence between left-wing Antifa and neo-Nazis.
Even before the report of this devastating DHS warning, it was clear that Virginia public officials played a role in the passivity of the police on the scene, where multiple accounts reported violence breaking out, yet there were no early arrests, and there was a lack of standard public safety protocols, seeming almost to encourage the expected violence.
The culpability seems to go high up the chain. A statement issued by Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe on the day of the Charlottesville violence announced (emphasis added):
We have maintained close contact with the Virginia State Police, the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other state and local officials on the ground in Charlottesville, and I agree that the situation in Charlottesville warrants an emergency declaration by me, in order to aid City and County law enforcement in their efforts to restore public safety and order in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding area. In the days and weeks leading up to this event, my Administration engaged in extensive planning and preparation to ensure that the rally in Charlottesville could be held in a safe and lawful environment.
The DHS report further supports the notion that Charlottesville and Virginia state officials are attempting to whitewash their culpability about their plans and orders. City officials in a power and blame squabble have leaked memos that fail to even mention "Antifa" in their ideologically driven negligence. The leftist public official slackers in Charlottesville have hired a politically connected Obama appointee under Eric "Fast and Furious" Holder to conduct an "independent" investigation.
Politico quotes retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gagliano:
It is unconscionable that with so much advance notice of the declared intentions of extremist groups from the left and right vowing to descend upon Charlottesville that law enforcement was not better prepared.
Victims and their lawyers should be swooning about lawsuits against McAuliffe, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the City of Charlottesville under legal doctrines of negligence or "state-created danger." There may also be federal civil rights violations ripe for a Department of Justice investigation if Jeff Sessions acts quickly to preserve evidence.
Charlottesville has been used for political purposes to attack Donald Trump and conservatives as racists. The false narrative even underlying those claims appears to be worse than originally suspected.
Thomas Lifson adds:
McAuliffe has been acting like someone with something to hide.
He praised the local authorities for a "magnificent job," as the rest of the nation reeled from the horrific, even lethal violence that resulted from the police channeling the two groups together into a tight space. He falsely claimed that local authorities were "outgunned." The state police denied his assertion that weapons caches were secreted around the city, in effect calling him a liar. When asked to denounce Antifa, he took the approach that earned President Trump hysterical denunciations: blaming both sides but, unlike the president, refusing to name names.
Despite denials of a "stand down" order, it has become obvious, even to the ACLU, that police were kept from doing their jobs, and violence was allowed to unfold before the nation, as the media did their job of blaming conservatives and President Trump for the actions of neo-Nazis.
Clash between protesters and counter protesters. Police says "We'll not intervene until given command to do so." #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/UkRDlNn2mv ACLU of Virginia (@ACLUVA) August 12, 2017
A disgraceful episode in American history is likely far more disgraceful than people yet understand. That federal investigation needs to be thorough and speedy.
I wonder if anyone at the FBI actually smirked when offering a silly rationale for denying a document request related to Hillary Clinton's handling of her email server. (Remember? She used BleachBit to permanently delete 30,000 emails that may be official records, among various other potential felonies.)
Someone at the Bureau actually thought claiming there was a "lack of public interest" in the subject would not evoke peals of laughter.
FBI HQ.
Stephen Dinan writes in the Washington Times:
Hillary Clinton's case isn't interesting enough to the public to justify releasing the FBI's files on her, the bureau said this week in rejecting an open-records request by a lawyer seeking to have the former secretary of state punished for perjury. Ty Clevenger has been trying to get Mrs. Clinton and her personal attorneys disbarred for their handling of her official emails during her time as secretary of state. He's met with resistance among lawyers, and now his request for information from the FBI's files has been shot down. "You have not sufficiently demonstrated that the public's interest in disclosure outweighs personal privacy interests of the subject," FBI records management section chief David M. Hardy told Mr. Clevenger in a letter Monday. "It is incumbent upon the requester to provide documentation regarding the public's interest in the operations and activities of the government before records can be processed pursuant to the FOIA," Mr. Hardy wrote.
Quite obviously, the FBI has been so thoroughly politicized (thanks, James Comey!) that it cannot be trusted. This is both a tragedy and an actual crisis. The path toward banana republic status just got a lot shorter.
It took her 48 hours, but House minority leader Nancy Pelosi finally issued a statement condemning the violence against peaceful demonstrators that took place in Berkeley on Sunday.
Here's the statement in its entirety:
Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts. The violent actions of people calling themselves antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted. In California, as across all of our great nation, we have deep reverence for the Constitutional right to peaceful dissent and free speech. Non-violence is fundamental to that right. Let us use this sad event to reaffirm that we must never fight hate with hate, and to remember the values of peace, openness and justice that represent the best of America.
"We must never fight hate with hate"? Show me the signs at that Berkeley demonstration that supported the KKK. Show me the Nazis. Show me the demonstrators who showed up in helmets and shields. Show me any indication that white supremacists were there. Show me the demonstrators who chanted "white power" or "blood and soil."
And referring to the Antifa violence as "hate" is ignorant. Hate is an emotion. Antifa doesn't do emotion. Its attacks are planned and carried out with almost robotic efficiency.
Recall that before the demonstration, Pelosi characterized the rally-goers as "white supremacists." No mention of that in her statement condemning Antifa, but she still hinted that the demonstration was based on "hate."
Nancy Pelosi is attempting to smear the right-wing demonstrators who were brave enough to show up to protest communism in the most liberal enclave in America as white supremacists and Nazis. Her wishy-washy condemnation of Antifa is not believable. The fact that it came 48 hours after the fact shows that her response was cold and calculated.
Not exactly the "mea culpa" the demonstrators deserved.
A Washington, D.C. grand jury indicted 19 people in connection with a protest against the regime of Turkish president Recep Erdogan during his visit to America in May.
Sixteen of those indicted were Turkish "security guards" who attacked demonstrators, injuring several.
The Hill:
The indictments before the Superior Court for the District of Columbia were made public on Tuesday by the Justice Department. The defendants, 16 of whom were charged in June on criminal complaints, were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence. Many of the 19 were also indicted on additional charges including assault with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault. The charges stem from Turkish President Recep Erdogan's visit to Washington in May to meet President Trump. Guards for Erdogan attacked protesters near the embassy in a brawl that was caught on video. The Turkish Embassy defended the guards at the time, saying they were acting in self-defense and claiming the protesters were aligned with a terrorist group from Turkey. But Washington's police chief said the attack was unprovoked. Nine people were taken to the hospital after the violent skirmish, but none were seriously injured. Two of the defendants were arrested in June following the incident, but the rest of the defendants are currently at large.
Sending a couple of dozen thugs to beat up protesters was overkill. But that seems to be the way Erdogan is consolidating his power exactly what the demonstrators were protesting.
Here's a video of the melee that played a prominent role in the indictments:
In fact, I can't recall a similar attack by government thugs on those protesting a regime in America, and certainly not in the numbers Erdogan employed to attack peaceful demonstrators.
The Turkish president was obviously concerned about the effect back home of people demonstrating against his ever growing power. But unlike demonstrations in Turkey, where he can easily scotch coverage, he doesn't have that kind of power in the U.S. The overreaction of his "security guards" ended up looking much worse than any anti-Erdogan demonstration ever could.
Southeast Texas is suffering under the worst hurricane and its aftermath in recorded history. Meteorological science was able to predict the likely severity of the storm, so thousands of people were able to be prepared, to evacuate where predictably necessary. This is a catastrophic natural disaster of unimaginable proportions, a once-in-500-year storm.
So what is the left fretting about? Melania's shoes! So out of touch with real-world events, so morally compromised by their own hatred of Trump, they reveal their own callow, shallow selves. All morning, they were mocking Melania for wearing high heels as she boarded Air Force One for the flight to Corpus Christi not all of them, of course, but enough to make a stink.
Robin Givhan at the WaPo has embarrassed herself by dedicating an entire column to Melania's shoes. Did her shoes matter to a single person in Texas whose home was flooded, who was trapped on a flooded highway? Thousands of people have lost their homes! Their recovery from this hurricane will take years and years. And these frivolous loons are actually typing away about Melania's shoes!
Of course, she got off the plane in sneakers, but the left had already spent hours attacking her. So deluded are these moonbats that they are incapable of recognizing class when they see it. Melania is a woman of taste and grace, like Laura Bush and unlike a couple of other women of the White House. She is always dressed appropriately for whatever event at which she is present.
The fact that anyone on the left bothered to complain about Mrs. Trump's shoes today, while the citizens of southeast Texas are under siege as never before, is a sad commentary on the small-mindedness of what passes for the self-appointed intelligentsia of the D.C.-media complex. It is much more destructive than the military-industrial complex ever was. It is intentionally undermining the nation as founded. All those talking heads who show up on cable news programs to "diagnose" Trump as "unfit," "unhinged," "unstable," "demented," etc. should know that to the outside-the-Beltway average American citizen, they are the people who are unfit, unstable and demented.
From this day forward, Melania's shoes will remain a symbol of her class and their unbearable superficiality.
Sen. Marco Rubio has called on President Trump to extend Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans currently residing in the U.S. It makes sense, of course, because their country is a socialist hellhole.
WASHINGTON Marco Rubio has spent months pushing the White House to expand a temporary program that would allow Venezuelans who have fled Nicolas Maduro's regime to stay in the United States, according to a previously unpublished letter from Rubio to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. The letter, dated March 20, asks Tillerson and Kelly to "review the existing conditions in Venezuela and consider granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Venezuelan nationals residing in the United States." "In light of the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, it is not in the best interests of the United States to deport non-violent Venezuelan nationals back to the country at this time," the letter reads.
Effectively giving Venezuelans refugee status is a mixed blessing, in that refugees in general aren't really refugees, but prospective welfare recipients. Once word gets around that the door is open on such matters, the human waves begin, and the smuggling networks make billions while the taxpayers shell out. Would Venezuelans be part of that? It's unknown. On the other hand, if there are people who deserve the title of refugee as a result of events over which they have no control, Venezuelans certainly qualify.
So here is a rundown of the pros and cons of extending Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans already here in the U.S.:
Venezuelans here amount to a standing rebuke to the failures of socialism, much as the Miami Cubans did in ages past. Many of them are even the sort of people who will vote Republican if they naturalize.
Venezuelans here now are generally the cream of the crop, the remnants of Venezuela's once prosperous middle class. They are literate, civilized, cogent with U.S. values, and employable. They are people who can use flush toilets and do not treat women on a par with barnyard animals.
Compared to the other four countries whose nationals got recent Temporary Protected Status, Venezuelans look like a surer bet. The hellholes whose nationals can stay here as TPS recipients include El Salvador, Haiti, Yemen, and Somalia, all of whose refugees have become major welfare recipients. El Salvador pretty much considers TPS a U.S. aid program.
There are unlikely to be any terrorists among the Venezuelan refugees, as has been the problem with Middle Eastern migrants rolling into Europe.
There are cons, too:
While the U.S. has generally scarfed up the bulk of Venezuela's middle-class immigrants, there are quite a few down the pipeline who are not middle-class, but former Chavista voters. Extending TPS could effectively incentivize a welfare class from Venezuela to move here.
The move could provide relief to the Venezuelan government, which will, just as leftist El Salvador has, encourage its nationals to migrate in order to reduce domestic pressures for reform.
Americans in general are tired of bringing more refugees in any time there is a problem.
Given what Venezuela has become, it's hard to imagine President Trump saying "no" to the Venezuelans, considering that Haiti and Somalia get this TPS privilege. If he does say "yes," it will be worth it to watch how this goes for insight on what's really going on in Venezuela.
"Vile" (to quote Chelsea Clinton) leftist comedienne Kathy Griffin is back, and she's not sorry for what she did.
Three months ago, Griffin posed for a photo holding what appeared to be the bloody severed head of President Donald Trump. The photo went viral on May 30 via TMZ and caused a sensation. The repulsive stunt was too much even for a lot of Griffin's left-wing fan base, which had become accustomed to and supportive of her long history of crude antics. (On New Year's Eve 2012, for example, Griffin simulated performing oral sex on co-host Anderson Cooper during CNN's live Times Square ball-dropping coverage video here.)
In June 2017, as a result of the Trump bloody severed head photo, Griffin was fired from her annual New Year's Eve co-hosting job at CNN, lost bookings for her live comedy act, was investigated by the Secret Service, and went from the belle of the ball to persona non grata temporarily, as it turns out.
Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper, CNN, December 31, 2011.
A lot is at stake. Griffin is reportedly one of America's most successful comics and recently paid $10.5 million for a 13,000-square-foot mansion in the elite Bel Air section of Los Angeles, next door to the property owned by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
After she tweeted a spontaneous tearful cell phone video apology the day after the bloody Trump photo went viral (the tweet and video were soon deleted), Griffin changed gears and, with the help of feminist lawyer Lisa Bloom, held a press conference attacking President Trump and playing the victim. Since then, she has been keeping a low public profile.
Now, in a pitch for a full-blown second act, on the eve of a world tour (the "Laugh Your Head Off" tour), and with President Trump now perceived by her fan base as a Nazi sympathizer with declining popularity and mounting calls for his removal from office, Griffin, sensing vindication, is doubling down. She's enlisted the help of magazine writer Yashar Ali to put her back into the marketable mainstream and the good graces of the American public.
Yashar Ali Hedayat.
Ali, in case anyone has forgotten, is the "journalist" whose 900-word article in the Huffington Post on August 4 citing no sources and containing no quotes managed to take down Fox News host Eric Bolling, based simply on vague allegations that Bolling had sexted a graphic photo of male genitalia to three female colleagues years earlier. Four weeks later now, Bolling is still suspended from his FNC hosting duties and under internal investigation by a left-leaning law firm hired by Fox to investigate employees accused of sexual harassment. Bolling's status in limbo was confirmed by a Fox News rep on August 25. Odds are that he will never return to Fox News. With Bolling's figurative scalp in his bag, Ali's role now appears to be a serious effort to resuscitate Griffin's career.
Kathy Griffin with Trump severed head.
Ali (full name Yashar Ali Hedayet) does his best in his 4,000-word NY Magazine article to represent Griffin's whining, I'm-a-victim point of view. He claims that Griffin "reached out" to him long before the Trump photo controversy, looking for someone to discuss politics with. (Ali uses the trendy term "reached out" six times in his article.) Ali/Hedayet would know about leftist politics: not exactly an impartial journalist by trade, he has a background as a fundraiser and staffer for high-level Democrat politicians. His article implies that he was present at Griffin's house one day before noon in "late June" (approximately June 21, according to my calculation), when she entered her home office still dressed in her pajamas after a late night and made a comment to Ali after reading several of President Trumps' recent tweets.
Why are people still expecting me to apologize and grovel to a man that tweets like this?" Griffin vented to me. "I'm a comedian; he's our [f------] president.
As of Wednesday, August 30, at 4 A.M. EDT, a search of "Kathy Griffin" using Google.com, with results limited to pages posted online during the previous 24 hours, returned more than 140 different news story references to Ali/Hedayat's NY Magazine article.
Peter Barry Chowka is a widely published author and journalist. He writes most frequently these days for American Thinker. His website is AltMedNews.net. Follow Peter on Twitter.
Fostering fear and division in Tower Hamlets: the Christian child and her Muslim carers
The Times scoop became a big talking point: a five-year-old, white, native English specking Christian girl had been placed with a Muslim foster family by Londons Tower Hamlets council. What problem with that? If the vulnerable child needed help and help was forthcoming, what matter respective religions? The council surely vets foster parents and made an informed choice.
Maybe not.
The girl spent four months with her substitute family. She says the family did not speak English in the home, encouraging her to speak Arabic. Her primary foster carer veiled her face in public. When placed with a second foster family, also Muslim, the girl spoke of regularly eating meals on the floor. The girl was scheduled to return to the first foster carers, but a council worker heard her complain of having had her necklace removed and not returned. The necklace featured a cross-shaped pendant. The girl claimed the family had refused to let her eat carbonara prepared by her family because it contained bacon.
The girl is now back with her family, living with her grandmother on the orders of Judge Khatan Sapnara the Mail tells readers on its front page, the judge is a Muslim; a fact the Times repeats on page 6 in a lengthy profile on the woman who arrived in the UK as child from her native Bangladesh. Judge Sapnara told the council to seek culturally matched placements for children. She also made a stand for free speech. Tower Hamlets tried to block the Times story but failed when Judge Sapnara made it clear she would not stand in the way of the freedom of the press to report, within the law and in a responsible manner, in respect of this case.
The Mail adds that the girls family had pleaded with the council to let her live with her grandmother. The girl begged not to be returned to the Muslim family. By page 17, Sarah Vine is telling readers about the value of a grannys love. But taken in isolation, without us knowing why the child was in care at all, why grandma was overlooked in favour of foster parents and what the foster parents hope to gain from their role, opinion rides roughshod over fact. But Vine tells us that Tower Hamlets advertises foster carer allowances of 313 and 253 a week. Thats a nice little earner, says Vine.
Easy money? On the Tower Hamlets website we read:
If you are interested in becoming a foster carer you will need to meet with a social worker many times to talk about yourself, your family and your experiences of looking after children. Some people find the idea of this daunting, but our social workers are highly experienced and will do everything they can to help you feel reassured during this process. You will also need to have police and medical checks and will need to ask employers, friends and families to give references.
And Vines undersold the job: Fostering fees and allowances up to 474 per week (per child in placement depending on age). But, yes, the payments for a five-year-old are as she says. Fostering is a cottage industry. Why the public sector is turning child care into a job creation opportunity is not touched upon. And it costs:
In the 2013/14 financial year an estimated 2.5 billion (gross expenditure) was spent on the main looked after childrens services in England. The majority of expenditure (55%) was on foster care services (around 1.4 billion, 55%) and childrens homes (around 0.9 billion, 36%).
So much for the money.
Whats wrong is when Vine says the real scandal is that social services would rather pay someone, irrespective of whether or not he child will be miserable, than find a home where someone wants to offer the one thing that has no price: a mothers love.
Eh? Surely is can be argued that the strict Muslim women was offering just that: a place where the child would be treated like one of their own. Moreover, where is the childs mother? Is she able or capable of offering the kid of love Vine seeks? Lets not pretend a mothers love is the ultimate nurturer of life and love.
Also troubling is that the story is presented as one of child abuse. The child was refused food. The child was with strict adults. The child was upset. The child sobbed. Everything is presented to make readers suspicious of adults. The childs view is pure and passes challenged. Weve not heard from the Muslim women at the centre of the story. The overriding impression from reading this story is that when society revolves around child protection, everyone who works with children is cast as a suspect.
Anorak
Posted: 30th, August 2017 | In: Broadsheets, Key Posts, News, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
(ANSA) - Paris, August 29 - A European strategy is needed to solve the migrant crisis, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said after a Paris summit between the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Libya, Niger and Chad.
"We also need a commitment by all EU states", the premier said after a summit that agreed on the need to sort economic migrants from refugees in sub-Saharan Africa with the help of the UN, which will also help improve conditions in Libyan migrant camps.
Macron said the cooperation between Italy and Libya that has seen a drastic fall in migrant numbers thanks to a crackdown on NGO rescue ships was a "perfect example". Some 35 refugees are set to arrive at Fiumicino today thanks to the humanitarian corridors project promoted by the Sant'Egidio Community.
There will also be a technical meeting at the interior ministry with the Italian association of municipalities, ANCI, on evictions of squatters and finding them alternative lodgings in properties seized from the mafia, among other things.
The meeting comes after last week's controversial eviction of some 800 Eritrean refugees from a Rome building they had occupied for four years.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday "Libya is a fragile State and must be strengthened". She said "control of the coasts in Libya is needed and Italy is giving important contributions". Italy has forged a deal with Libya to turn back migrant boats and has also cracked down on NGO rescue ships to stop migrant traffickers. In Paris the European leaders vowed to make radical changes to the way migration is managed by giving greater support to front-line countries such as Italy.
Managing migration and fighting human trafficking "is a challenge that concerns everyone and that no-one can meet on their own" said French President Emmanuel Macron after Monday's summit in Paris involving the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Niger, Chad and Libya. A follow-up summit with the same format will be held in Spain in late October or early November to monitor progress, while Macron said a special task force is already operational to oversee the implementation of commitments on the ground. The idea of sending equipment and soldiers to African countries to assist with identification has also been legitimised. Taking joint action "is a moral requirement but also a principle of action and effectiveness" the 39-year-old leader said. Macron also said he is in favour of a "profound reform" of the Dublin treaties regulating asylum in the European Union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also called for changes to the Dublin system, which currently puts southern Mediterranean countries of arrival at a disadvantage. "A distinction needs to be made between economic migrants and genuine candidates for refugee status," said Merkel on the eve of elections in Germany.
The idea is to identify migrants who are entitled to asylum in Niger or Chad "in order to ensure their safety as quickly as possible", Macron explained. This procedure will be carried out in safe areas under the supervision of the UNHCR on the basis of "closed lists", he added. This will prevent "women and men from taking ill-advised risks in an extremely dangerous area and subsequently in the Mediterranean", Macron continued. The plans include greater cooperation on security and justice and in some cases also a military presence to prevent migrant flows towards Libya from swelling further. Spain highlighted the need to "create development" in source countries, "eliminate the trafficking syndicates" and control "our borders and our coasts".
(ANSA) - Rome, August 30 - The foreign ministry on Wednesday denied an Associated Press report that Rome backed an accord between Tripoli and Libya militia previously implicated in migrant trafficking in order to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean. "The Italian government does not negotiate with traffickers", foreign ministry sources told ANSA, issuing a "strong denial" of the report. "There is no accord between the traffickers and the Italian government", the sources said. On Tuesday AP said: "Under a deal backed by Italy, Libya's struggling government in Tripoli has paid militias implicated in trafficking to now prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean to Europe, one reason for a dramatic drop in the traffic, militia and security officials told The Associated Press."
Spain to take helm of EU naval operations in Med Eunavfer MedSophia changes command, 40,000 rescued since 2015
(ANSAmed) - MADRID, AUGUST 30 - Spain will on Thursday take command from Italy of the European Union's Operation Sophia, which fights human smuggling in the Mediterranean. The handover ceremony will be held on Thursday morning at the Taranto naval base in southern Italy.
Spain will direct the naval operations of the vessel Cantabria under the command of Rear Admiral Javier Moreno Susanna. The EU force has 11 ships and six aircraft. EFE reports that, since the beginning of the operation in 2015, over 100 alleged smugglers have been captured and 40,000 people rescued. (ANSAmed).
BEIRUT - The US-led military coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) said Wednesday that its aircraft had bombed a convoy carrying hundreds of ISIS fighters and their families through regime-held territory towards the ISIS eastern stronghold of Deir Al-Zor.
The fighters had been evacuated from an area along the Syria-Lebanese border. Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the American-led military coalition in Iraq and Syria, has strongly criticized the agreement between Lebanonn, Syria and the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah militia to evacuate these fighters. "Earlier today, we did conduct strikes to crater the road and we destroyed a small bridge to prevent that convoy from moving further east," Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the American-led military coalition in Iraq and Syria, was quoted by the New York Times as saying. "We will take action where necessary; those would be absolutely lucrative targets," he added.
Colonel Dillon did not disclose exactly where the airstrikes had taken place.
The top US.envoy for the international coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, tweeted Wednesday that ISIS "terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across #Syria to the Iraqi border without #Iraq's consent." McGurk added that the anti-IS coalition will help ensure that "these terrorists can never" enter Iraq.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi goverment had always protested about the transfer of the jihadists to eastern Syria.
The agreement had led to a ceasefire on Sunday after a week of fighting.
In exchange, Lebanon will get back the corpses of nine soldiers taken hostage and then killed by ISIS.
Jordan, Iraq reopen border crossing
(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, AUGUST 30 - Jordan and Iraq reopened their border crossing on Wednesday after two years of closure to give a boost to bilateral trade between the two countries.
The border region was captured by the Islamic State in 2015 following a series of suicide bombing attacks and subsequent closure of the border due to military operations.
Jordan's minister of interior Ghaleb al Zubi attended the opening ceremony along with top officials from the army and ministry of transport.
Iraqi authorities said they have secured the international road linking al Anbar province with the borders and promised sustained protection to traffic moving between Jordan and Iraq.
Diplomatic sources said a US security company has been contracted to run the border region.
Jordan hopes the reopening of the borders will boost trade ties, which mount to 1.2 billion and would re-launch an ambitious project to link southern city of Basra with port Jordan port city of Aqaba.(ANSAmed).
Macron relaunches Europe-Africa axis on migrants President to travel to Burkina Faso shortly
(by Paolo Levi) (ANSAmed) - PARIS, AUGUST 30 - French President Emmanuel Macron intends to extend his strategy to create an "integrated axis" to tackle the migration challenge to Burkina Faso, it emerged on Tuesday.
Macron told ambassadors at the Eliseo palace that he would visit Ouagadougou "shortly" as part of efforts to create "an integrated axis between Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe". His comments followed the summit on migration in Paris on Monday involving France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Niger, Chad and Libya. The 39-year-old president also announced the appointment of a high-level diplomat to coordinate "negotiations linked to migration" and an "operational group" to make regular assessments of the situation "in close contact" with the EU and the African Union. "Receiving migrants is a human duty, a matter of dignity and loyalty to what we believe," Macron said.
However, it is also "a considerable challenge for all the countries of Europe, which are weakened by the increase in irregular flows", he added.
Thus the distinction between refugees and economic migrants, which Macron insisted "does not in any way contradict the need to protect the life of everybody". Monday's summit saw the announcement of migrant identification centres run by UNHCR and IOM in Niger and Chad to establish who is entitled to apply for international protection in the EU. The idea of deploying soldiers and equipment to African countries to assist in identification was also discussed. Not everyone in Paris is convinced by the solutions, however.
"Immigration: Europeans and Africans at a loss for answers" ran the headline in Le Figaro, which also recalled the divisions on migration policy between western and eastern European countries.
However, Macron insisted that the plan agreed on Monday "will make us more humane and more effective at the same time".
"This action will take time, it will be difficult, but with measures that are concrete and precise and which have now been decided, and with clear funding, I believe it represents an essential response to our challenges," he said. The French president also confirmed his intention to extend a hand to Tripoli and Rome. "Italy and Libya are waiting for stronger cooperation that we must accept and that is already having an initial effect, particularly with the strengthening of the action of the coast guard," Macron said.
The head of state also mentioned for the first time the fight against "Islamic terrorism", which must remain a top priority.
To this end a conference on terrorism funding is to be organised for the start of next year. (ANSAmed).
Priority for those awaiting housing for decades - Rome mayor Raggi addresses housing emergency amid evictions
(ANSAmed) - Rome, August 30 - Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said after a meeting on evictions and the city's housing crisis Wednesday that "the positon of the city council is very clear, we must give priority in the housing emergency to those who have been waiting for a home for decades".
Raggi was greeted by women from the pro-squatting Movement for the Struggle for Housing who shouted at her: "We're all fragile, we've got nothing, the poor are all fragile. Shame (on you)." Last week police evicted hundreds of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers from a building near Termini Station they had been squatting in for years.
The migrants clashed with police when they were cleared out of a nearby square, where they had camped for four days.
Aid agencies and leftwing politicians said the migrants should not have been evicted, and subsequently moved on, without alternative lodging being provided.
(ANSAmed) - ROME - United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression David Kaye and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism Fionnuala Ni Aloain on Wednesday raised grave concerns with the Government of Egypt over its ongoing assault on freedom of expression.
The human rights experts expressed particular alarm over reports of the expanding list of websites shut down or otherwise blocked by authorities for 'spreading lies' and 'supporting terrorism', according to the state-run news agency MENA.
''The situation for journalism and freedom of expression and access to information in Egypt has been in crisis for several years,'' the experts noted. ''It takes many forms, including the unlawful detention and harassment of journalists and activists.
''Denying access to websites of all sorts, but especially news sites, deprives all Egyptians of basic information in the public interest,'' they said, warning that around 130 websites may have been blocked so far.
The Egyptian authorities have reportedly blocked access to the websites of at least 21 news agencies, including well-known sources of information as MadaMasr, RASSD, Al Watan, and Huffpost Arabi, as well as the websites of human rights organizations such as Reporters without Borders, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, and the Alkarama Foundation.
However, the Special Rapporteurs added that the lack of public record and transparency about the blockings, and the lack of prior or subsequent notification, make it difficult to verify the total number.
''Limiting information as the Egyptian Government has done, without any transparency or identification of the asserted 'lies' or 'terrorism', looks more like repression than counter-terrorism,'' they said.
The experts also noted that the authorities have not provided any evidence to prove that blocking websites would be legal under international human rights law. ''We want to take this opportunity to also remind the authorities of our grave concern for the rights of all those detained based on their writing or their work in public space,'' they concluded. (ANSAmed).
The new route by the Worlds Best Airline will be served with an Airbus A320 aircraft.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker said: We are delighted to launch direct service to Kyiv, a much-anticipated addition to our global network. This new route will connect businesses in Kyiv and across Ukraine to new business partners from around the globe, while also appealing to leisure travellers, offering them the opportunity to experience this charming city. Kyiv is just one of several new European destinations launched by Qatar Airways this summer, including Prague and Skopje, opening new gateways across Eastern Europe and linking these cities to our extensive global network of more than 150 destinations.
Chief executive officer of Kyiv Boryspil International Airport, Pavlo Riabikin, said: We are pleased to welcome the Qatar Airways inaugural flight here to Boryspil. We hope that this will mark the beginning of a long-term mutually beneficial partnership. Developing cooperation with the best airline companies in the world is a matter of fundamental importance for us. Yesterdays arrival heralds a further step in qualitative development of the main airport of Ukraine.
The flight from Kuwait International Airport was received at BIA by a BAC delegation led by Chief Commercial Officer, Ayman Zainal.
This inaugural flight is the beginning of what we hope will be a long and fruitful relationship between Wataniya Airways and BAC, which will, at the same time, enhance tourism and trade between our two countries, said Zainal. We consider the airline to be a part of the wider BIA family and stand ready to provide it with the support and assistance it requires to offer the best possible passenger experience to its customers.
Wataniya Airways Vice Chairman Riyad Al Saeed added: We are delighted about our newly added destination, Bahrain, to which Wataniya will fly daily at competitive fares. Bahrain is the first GCC country that Wataniya Airways has touched down in since our launch. The other four destinations we currently fly to are Najaf, Baku, Tbilisi and Sarajevo, and we have plans to launch further services in the future.
By Andrea Bottega and Erasmo Indolino
In the first article of this three-part series on Singapores start-up ecosystem, we discussed the factors behind the city-state emerging as a preferred base for international entrepreneurs. In this second article, we look at the opportunities that Singapore offer young overseas entrepreneurs.
The city-state as a start-up hub
With the Singapore government regularly rolling out new initiatives to attract start-ups, the reasons for establishing a base in the city-state are many. No wonder, the country has the sixth-highest percentage of immigrant founders in the world, with immigrants making up 35 percent of start-up founders compared to a global average of 19 percent.
Access to capital
The continuous inflow of investment and wealth into Singapore over the last two decades has led to a concentration of angel investors, venture capitalists, and private equity firms. In 2011, Singapore-based venture capital and private equity firms registered a total of S$26.5 billion (US$ 19.4 billion) in assets under management. These cash rich industry participants are actively seeking to make equity investments in new ventures. For those who prefer debt financing, three of Singapores largest banks (OCBC, DBS, and Standard Chartered) offer special lending schemes and banking services focused exclusively on start-ups.
The Singapore government provides a wide range of financing schemes and grants to encourage the development of entrepreneurship in the country. These government-backed funding and assistance options for start-ups can come in the form of equity financing schemes, cash grants, business incubator schemes, and debt financing. Within certain preferred sectors, the government may also subsidize the labor costs of a new business. These benefits are available to local as well as foreign-owned businesses.
Attractive tax system
Singapore has one of the worlds simplest and most rational tax system. It levies no tax on capital gains or on dividends received from a business. This makes the country particularly attractive to entrepreneurs who want to incorporate and build a new business. Singapore uses a tiered tax system for both personal and corporate taxes. New firms receive significant tax breaks during their first three years reducing their tax rate to 0% for the first S$100,000 of income. The corporate tax rate is capped at 17%. In addition, the Singapore government offers several tax incentive schemes designed specifically for start-ups. For example, qualifying start-ups receive full tax holiday on certain portions of their taxable income for the first three years of incorporation. Similarly, corporate profits are not double taxed when they are passed to shareholders as dividends. In other words, dividends are distributed to shareholders tax-free. Finally, Singapore charges one of the lowest value added tax rates in the world.
Intellectual property protection
Singapore government has passed intellectual property (IP) protection regulations that are considered models by other industrialized nations. The country is a signatory to major IP conventions and treaties, such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty, Paris Convention, Berne Convention, Madrid Protocol, Budapest Treaty, Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and World Intellectual Property Organization. As a result of its IP protection policies, Singapore has become a venue of choice for businesses seeking to manage their IP assets. The World Economic Forum (WEF), the Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the Political Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) all rank Singapore as the top IP destination in Asia. Start-ups with breakthrough ideas can come to Singapore and be assured that they will receive the full economic benefit from their novel ideas.
Talented and dynamic workforce
Another advantage of Singapore is the access to a highly qualified workforce. The country has been ranked first in BERIs Labour Force Evaluation Measure for the last thirty years. Singapores immigration policies on foreign talent are one of the least restrictive such policies in the world, and the country is ranked second on IMDs list of most attractive environment for highly skilled foreigners. The city-state has now overtaken Silicon Valley to become number one in the world for start-up talent. Singapore clinched the top spot for talent due to its strong performance in access to quality talent and cost, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report and Ranking 2017.
FinTech
Financial technology (Fintech) is a sunrise industry that Singapore has actively embraced in recent years. Without a doubt, the Governments efforts have been integral in the development of the local Fintech scene. The country is now seen as one of the top Fintech hubs in the world, with strong government support regularly cited as a factor for its success thus far. Much has been done by the government. On the regulatory front, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) set up the regulatory sandbox framework for financial institutions (FIs) and others to test their Fintech innovations in a more free, safe and controlled environment. On the development side, MAS organised the Singapore Fintech Festival, the worlds first large-scale gathering of various Fintech players.
The Government has also launched the Fintech Office, a one-stop shop to develop the sector. The crucial element of funding is not forgotten as MAS is committing S$225 million over the next five years to attract FIs to set up their innovation labs in Singapore. Beyond the regulatory sandbox, there are other tax incentives promoting innovation, research and development and intellectual property management. These incentives also seek to attract new technologies into Singapore. These initiatives underscore the MAS vision and demonstrate its commitment to transform Singapore into a Smart Financial Centre a place where FIs are encouraged to embrace innovation, forge collaborations with Fintech players and experiment with the latest technologies.
Fintech has been identified as a key factor for Singapore to remain a regional financial hub. Fintech players have the potential to offer novel solutions for FIs, in terms of their internal operations, as well as the way they serve their customers. Singapore has set the pace in its trailblazing efforts to nurture the Fintech industry at the start of this global race, and if it can continue to enhance its hunt for talent, technology and funding, the future would be bright in this sunrise industry.
In the third and concluding part of this series, we will discuss the role of venture capital (VC) funds in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation in Singapore.
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An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017
An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017 introduces the fundamentals of investing in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, concentrating on economics, trade, corporate establishment, and taxation. We also include the latest development news for each country, with the intent to provide an executive assessment of the varying component parts of ASEAN, assessing each member state and providing the most up-to-date economic and demographic data on each.
How to Set Up in the Philippines
In this issue of ASEAN Briefing magazine, we provide an introduction to the Philippines as well as analyze the various market entry options available for investors interested in expanding to the island nation. We also discuss the step-by-step process for setting up a business entity in the Philippines, highlighting the various statutory requirements for overseas investors. Finally, we explore the potential for Singapore to serve as a viable base to administer investors Philippine operations.
The engine trims available are 350cc, 500cc, 535cc and 411cc.
Combined production from all the three facilities is expected to touch 825,000 units in the FY 2017-18 an increase of 20 per cent over the last fiscal.
With its new plant at VallamVadagal in Tamil Nadu, Royal Enfield claims that its production capacity is expected to increase to 8,25,000 units per year by FY 2017-18.
Royal Enfield has started production at its third plant in VallamVadagal, Tamil Nadu, which is located around 50km from Chennai. This is the third manufacturing unit of the bikemaker in India after the two in Thiruvottiyur and Oragadam, both near Chennai. Spread over an area of 50 acres, this facility is expected to roll out 3,00,000 units per annum. The production at this plant isnt limited to that of domestic motorcycles, it will be utilised for producing bikes for overseas markets as well. The combined production from all the three facilities is expected to touch 825,000 units in the FY 2017-18 an increase of 20 per cent over the last fiscal.
Royal Enfield had aquired the land in 2014 and the new plant will play a vital role in its expansion as sales for its motorcycles is increasing with every passing month and with export markets also witnessing more demand. The new manufcaturing plant was built in a record time of 15 months. Over a period of 6 years, Royal Enfields sales have gone up by 55 per cent and the demand continues to remain strong. In FY 2017-18, RE plans to invest Rs 800 crores towards the Vallam plants capacity expansion, new products and platforms and technical centers in Leicester, UK, and Chennai, India.
Royal Enfield is known for its retro and touring motorcycles which include the RE Bullet, Thunderbird, Classic and Continental GT. The engine trims available are 350cc, 500cc, 535cc and 411cc. Last year, Royal Enfield launched the adventurer tourer bike, the Himalyan which will soon be relaunched with fuel injection to comply with BS-IV emission norms. They will soon be launching a higher capacity parallel-twin engine that is expected to take on the likes of Triumph and Harley-Davidson. Earlier this month, Royal Enfield also became Indias 4th most valuable automaker, making its parent company Eicher Motors the countrys most valuable 2-wheeler manufacturer.
Source: ZigWheels.com
McDonald's had on August 21 terminated franchisee agreement for the 169 outlets in north and east, operated by CPRL.
McDonald's on Wednesday ruled out any settlement with its estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi for north and east regions. Photo: AFP
Mumbai: US-based fast food major McDonald's on Wednesday ruled out any settlement with its estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi for north and east regions before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
Subsequently, the NCLAT issued notices to both the parties over their cross petitions directing them to file replies, and posted the matter for the next hearing on September 21.
"Without going into the merit...We find that there is no chance of any settlement," observed NCLAT Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.
NCLAT was hearing the appeals filed by McDonalds and Vikram Bakshi against each other. "In the meantime, respective respondents may file a reply within a week and rejoinder a week there of," the tribunal said.
NCLAT had last week asked both the parties to decide by Wednesday, whether they would consider settling dispute on their own or not.
During the proceedings, Counsel representing McDoanld's questioned the conduct of Bakshi in running the JV firm, Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), which operated 169 outlets in north and east.
"Substantial sum of money has been siphoned off (from CPRL) in last weeks," submitted senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar appearing on behalf of McDonald's.
However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Vikram Bakshi, said that they are ready to settle the matter but McDoanld's is not. "They have removed him (Bakshi) unilaterally and they are not prepared to settle the matter. We are ready for settlement," said Singhvi.
This was countered by Sudipto Sarkar, counsel representing directors of McDonald's and said that question of settlement does not arise because of Bakshi's conducts. "Settlement is not possible. Conduct of appellant (Bakshi) leaves much to be desired. (Like) insisting on board meeting despite court order," he said.
McDonald's had on August 21 terminated franchisee agreement for the 169 outlets in north and east, operated by CPRL.
As part of the termination, CPRL has ceased to use McDonalds's name, system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others within 15 days of the termination notice.
Last week, McDonald's had moved the appellate tribunal challenging the orders of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) which has reinstated Bakshi as the Managing Director of the JV firm CPRL.
Bakshi was ousted from the post at the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013, following which he approached the NCLT in September the same year. He has been at loggerheads with McDonald's over management of CPRL.
Govt cancelled Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes as part of drive against black money and tax evasion.
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday said it has received Rs 15.2 lakh crore worth of scrapped Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, a revelation that the central bank had earlier refused to make public on various grounds. This is for the first time since November 8 last year that the top bank has come out with data on note ban.
As much as 99 per cent of the junked Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes have returned to the banking system, RBI said.
The central bank, of late, has said it will soon release lower denomination currency notes, as it was deeply felt that the government should bring back Rs 1,000 notes, an idea it had earlier flatly rejected. However, if recent reports are anything to go by, the government has hinted at its plans to bring back Rs 1,000 notes in their new avatar.
The central bank has already released into the banking system the new Rs 200 notes which is expected to bridge the gap between Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes. Along with Rs 200 notes, new Rs 50 denomination notes were also issued to fulfill the conditions of remonetisation that promises enough cash supply.
Earlier, the RBI while citing various constraints had refused to give out the exact number and worth of specified bank notes whose legal tender status was withdrawn 'abruptly'. RBI governor Urjit Patel had also failed to present any exact figure before Parliament's Standing Committee of Finance. Patel had said that the counting of illegal tenders was still going on.
Patel had even went a step further and told the panel that it was lack of counting machines that has delayed the process and he expects, soon, the central bank will come up with exact numbers on demonetisation. Earlier, the RBI had even rejected RTI pleas seeking details on demonetisation citing 'national interests'.
On November 8 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 'overnight' ban on Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes in a television address, thus giving no or less time to black money hoarders to dispose off their currency stocks. Modi had said the step was being taken with an aim to curb the large scale counterfeiting of Indian currency notes. He had also said the move will put an end to diversion of unaccounted funds for political donations.
Former Finance Minister says note ban was a scheme to convert black money into white.
Mumbai: Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday lambasted the decision of demonetisation made by the Reserve Bank of India on November 8 last year.
Chidambaram blamed the central bank for loss of 1 per cent of total currency in circulation before demonetisation. According to what Chidambaram is saying, the country has lost around Rs 16,000 crore worth of currency notes or money of the same amount due to demonetisation.
An angry sounding Chidambaram 'vent' his thought saying it was shameful on RBI's part for undertaking such a loss incurring exercise, "With 1 per cent demonetised notes not returning back, shame on RBI which had recommended demonetisation," he said.
The scrapped Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes formed more than 86 per cent or around Rs 16 lakh crore worth of total currency in circulation at the time of demonetisation. It caused chaos in country and threw people in long queues outside banks and ATM machine booths.
Chidamabaram while referring to remonetisation claims that 99 per cent notes were legally exchanged. "If demonetisation was a scheme designed to convert black money into white," he asks.
While some expressed concern for their fans by sharing helpline numbers, others saw the funny side in the situation.
Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone were among those who tweeted.
Mumbai: Mumbai faced heavy downpour on Tuesday, bringing the perennially busy city to a rare halt.
Mumbaikars were reminded of the fateful 26 July deluge in 2005 when the rain gods went berserk on Tuesday.
While several people pointed out how the flooding saw exaggerated media coverage considering there were much more intense floods in Bihar and other parts of India recently, our Bollywood stars based in Mumbai can perhaps be forgiven for not tweeting then.
Most of the celebrities took to Twitter asking their fans to be safe and even shared helpline numbers for those who could be stranded.
From Dilip Kumar to Priyanka Chopra, most of them expressed their concern for fans in the situation.
May Allah keep all of you safe. #mumbaiRains. I've been told the authorities are doing their best to make it easy for you. God bless. Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) August 29, 2017
BMC helpline 1916. Police Helpline 100..Home is the safest.. for most. Find shelter and give shelter. Be safe Mumbai #mumbairains PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) August 29, 2017
While I do this,alerts showing up on my phone about the rains in Mumbai.Please stay safe and take care everyone. Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) August 29, 2017
I saw the Mumbai police braving the rain and helping people I was also helped to reach home by some people that's why i say#mumbaimerijaan. Varun PREM Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) August 29, 2017
Heard about the heavy rains in Mumbai!!! Please be safe.. And PLEASE make some room for stray dogs and cats in your buildings & compounds! Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) August 29, 2017
Guys please be careful https://t.co/m0mw63ESm1 Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) August 29, 2017
Not just that, many of them had to actually face a tricky situation when their cars got stuck in the waters.
Anupam Kher, Mahesh Bhatt and R Madhavan shared videos and pictures on social media to reveal how their cars got stuck in the waterlogged roads.
My car got stuck in heavy rains. Called a friend. He & his daughter came to my rescue. Now I am in his house. #StaySafe #HelpfulMumbai pic.twitter.com/YIoMcvwojb Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) August 29, 2017
Bhatt went on to say that generous strangers had to actually pull them out of their car and that two of his sisters almost drowned in the flood.
"We were pulled out of our car just in time by generous strangers." ( Khar West , Mumbai. 4:30 pm ) pic.twitter.com/XfxOiE4uXn Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) August 29, 2017
Wake up Mumbai !! This is the worst monsoon 'nightmare' !!! Just spoke to 2 of my sisters. They almost drowned in Khar West. Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) August 29, 2017
However, some celebrities also saw the funnier side in the chaotic situation with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan sharing light-hearted tweets apart from the serious ones.
T 2531 -
" Mumbai real estate prices hit an all time high -
Every building is now sea facing."~ from Prasoon Pandey pic.twitter.com/YIHFScHmY4 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 29, 2017
Happy National Sports Day.
Todays sport of choice is swimming. Enjoy! #MumbaiRains Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) August 29, 2017
Even Twitteratti were at their hilarious best and even trolled Sidharth Malhotra for his recent tweet where he tried to promote his film A Gentleman while expressing solidarity with the people of Punjab and Haryana post the violence in the aftermath of the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Aur bhai @S1dharthM movie kaisi chal rahi hai ? #Haryana aur #Punjab ka kitna collection hua ?? Singhlacious (@pritpalsodhi) August 29, 2017
How Sidharth Malhotra is expecting his mumbai fans to come and watch his movie #AGentleman #MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/OiqNnAR4XY Swagshank (@zZoker) August 29, 2017
Sidharth Malhotra: To all the people of Mumbai, please stay safe in #MumbaiRains. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove Alte go (@A_SantoBangali) August 29, 2017
The actor, who is currently busy promoting his film Baadshaho, seems to have already started the prep for Tanaji.
Actor-director Ajay Devgn has decided to leave no stone unturned to give an enormous cinematic experience to his audience with his next film Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior. Buzz is that the actor also plans to simultaneously shoot the film in Marathi.
In the film, Ajay will be taking up the role of an unsung warrior from Indian history Subedar Tanaji Malusare, who fought alongside Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj.
I dont know how great that is as a business strategy to shoot the film in both languages (Hindi and Marathi) but we are looking at it. Its a risk because Ive been told that even in the interior areas, there is an audience for the Hindi version. So, strictly speaking, we dont need to do the film in Marathi but I would still love to do it, said Ajay.
The actor, who is currently busy promoting his film Baadshaho, seems to have already started the prep for Tanaji.
He says, A lot of prep is going on because its a scale production, which you wouldnt have seen earlier. A lot of graphic work is going on, which is not done in India. Usually people do it after the shoot but we have to do it in both the pre and post production stages like how its done abroad.
The way we are designing the film is completely different. Its also a strong story of a real hero, he added.
After courting his most recent controversy on Twitter, the actors wife has asked him to either behave or get off the site.
Rishi Kapoor is no newcomer in the world of controversies. However, after his latest Twitter controversy wherein he posted an indecent photo of a minor child and had a police complaint filed against him, the veteran Bollywood actors family says they have had enough of him and these moot episodes. In fact, Rishi has been given an ultimatum by his wife, the no-nonsense Neetu Kapoor either he behaves himself on the social media platform or shuts down his account.
A prominent member of the Kapoor family spills the beans. Chintu uncle has embarrassed the hell out of Ranbir (Kapoor) who is just the opposite of his father opposite in temperament and attitude on social media. None of us has ever had the guts to tell him to stop. After every embarrassment caused by Chintu uncle, Ranbir and (his sister) Riddhima would plead with Neetu aunty to put a stop to the excesses on Twitter. But Neetu aunty would shrug in resignation, reveals the member.
But now, the member adds, Neetuji has finally taken charge. Neetu aunty feels Chintu uncles drunken tweets may land him in jail one of these days. She has given him an ultimatum. Either he shuts down his account or she will filter, monitor and moderate each one of his tweets, the member says, adding, He is left with little choice. He will have to comply. Neetu aunty is the only person hes scared of.
The plum role in Race 3 earmarked for Katrina has now gone to Jacqueline purely on Salmans recommendation.
There was a time when Jacqueline Fernandez saw Katrina Kaif as a kind of role model what with both of them being outsiders with no gyaan of the rashtra bhasha. A more critical commonality is Salman Khan.
While Katrinas proximity to the superstar Khan is a part of movie folklore, Jackkie has recently been making every effort to get into Salmans good books. Her attempts to ingratiate herself to the mega-star include visits to his residence in Bandra to meet his family (this is a ploy adopted by many heroines who want to star opposite Salman).
All the social niceties paid off when the affable Jacqueline landed the female lead opposite Salman in Sajid Nadiadwalas Kick. Since then she has been hungering for more roles with the superstar. It finally happened when she landed a part in the Remo DSouza dance film, in which Salman was to play the lead. But then the unexpected happened. Salman decided he was too old to play a dancing star. He decided to do another film with Remo Race 3, produced by Ramesh Taurani.
At this point, Jacqueline was not part of the translocated package. One hears Katrina was the number one choice for the female lead opposite Salman in Race 3. But then, in this whirligig of grand illusion known as Bollywood, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip.
The plum role in Race 3 earmarked for Katrina has now gone to Jacqueline purely on Salmans recommendation. We hear Salman felt morally obliged to compensate not only Remo but also Jacqueline after the dance film they were doing together was shut down. So Salman being Salman, cart-lifted the entire team to an alternative project, flood-relief style. Hopefully, this development wont do much to aggravate Katrinas friendship with her Sri Lankan rival.
A day after standoff ends, Modis China visit for Sept 3-5 Brics announced.
New Delhi: A day after both Indian and Chinese troops withdrew from the standoff site at Doklam, India officially announced the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China from September 3 to 5 for the Brics summit, which is being held in the Chinese city of Xiamen, as a chastened and now-cautious China said it would take into account all relevant factors, including the weather before deciding on road construction in Doklam.
Indias Navy Chief Adm. Sunil Lanba was, meanwhile, quoted by PTI as saying that China was very shrill in its (earlier) media comments on the (just-ended) Doklam standoff, but that India had kept quiet and that worked. Bhutan on Tuesday welcomed the resolution of the situation at Doklam, saying it hoped this contributes to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity and status quo along the borders of the three countries in keeping with all the existing agreements.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development, including road construction. We will take into consideration all relevant factors, including weather, to make relevant construction plans in accordance with the situation on the ground. She added that Chinese border troops will continue to station and patrol the Doklam area. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty with historic conventions. In New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said: At the invitation of the President of the Peoples Republic of China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Xiamen in Chinas Fujian province during September 3-5, 2017 to attend the 9th Brics summit. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will pay a state visit to Myanmar from September 5-7, 2017 at the invitation of H.E. U Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. This will be Prime Minister Modis first bilateral state visit to Myanmar. During the visit, the PM will hold discussions with state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest and also call on President U Htin Kyaw. Apart from his engagements in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, he will visit Yangon and Bagan.
In its statement, Bhutan said on Tuesday: Bhutan welcomes the disengagement by the two sides at the faceoff site in the Doklam area. We hope this contributes to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity and status quo along the borders of Bhutan, China and India in keeping with the existing agreements between the respective countries.
The timing of the MEAs statement on Mr Modis visit to China clearly indicates that the visit may have been linked by New Delhi to some resolution of the standoff in view of Beijings earlier belligerence. Decks appear to have been cleared for the visit the moment an agreement was reached by the two countries to end the standoff that had lasted for more than two months.
Mother of convict, Arputham Ammal, had requested for a 30 days leave to Perarivalan for hisfather's treatment.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for two weeks.
Meanwhile, one of the convicts in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, A.G. Perarivalan, was granted parole on August 24.
The mother of the convict, Arputham Ammal, had requested the Central Prison in Vellore to grant 30 days leave to Perarivalan, for the treatment of his father Gnanasekaran.
The request was earlier rejected by the Deputy Inspector General of prison, Vellor Range, stating that he is not eligible for ordinary leave under Rule 22.
However, the Additional Director General of police had remarked among other things that an ordinary leave can be granted on the condition that life convict Perarivalan should be provided with strong police escort during the period of leave.
Since Perarivalan's arrest just days after the assassination, he has spent over 26 years in custody, much more than he has lived outside.
His mother Arputham Ammal had filed several petitions with the Chief Minister's special cell, seeking the release of her son on parole to meet his aged, bed-ridden father.
The government had claimed that ULFA (I) is at an unprecedented low in terms of arsenal and firepower.
New Delhi: The training camps operated by the dreaded Paresh Barua faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-Independent) in Myanmar house more than 500 militants including women cadres youth comprising both men and women, confession by a militant who surrendered to the security forces on Sunday evening has revealed.
The governments claims that the ULFA (I) is at an unprecedented low in terms of arsenal, firepower and sheer numbers flies in the backdrop of the latest revelations.
The numbers are all the more significant as the militants are trained in the jungle guerilla style of warfare which believes in hit-and-run tactics.
The surrendered militant Naba Baruah, alias Barud Asom, 27, has told the security forces that the biggest ever congregation of about 500 ULFA (I) cadres that he saw during his four-year-long stay in the Taga ULFA base was during the celebration of Bohag Bihu or the Assamese new year in mid-April this year.
While Paresh Barua and other militant leaders including some from other Northeastern states danced to the traditional sway of the Bihu beats, there were many rings of security for the leadership, he is reported to have told his interrogators.
In Baruahs training batch alone in 2013 there were about 35 fresh recruits who were trained by five instructors for four months. At the same time there were other training camps scattered around the China-Myanmar border and in Myanmars Sagaing Division that had little or no communication between them. One such camp is called the Arakan camp.
AK 81 is popular with ULFA (I) cadres.
A vast array of sophisticated weapons are available in the hands of the cadres which included AK-81, AK-47, AK-56, etc of which the sophisticated AK-81 is easily the favourite, Baruah is reported to have said adding that such Chinese-origin consignments continue to come to the ULFA (I) bases on a regular basis.
These deadly weapons are believed to have been manufactured in the China-Myanmar border regions that are controlled by the Wa insurgents and are usually have a star mark.
Intelligence reports since last year had been underscoring that recruitment to the ULFA (I) are on the rise especially from the Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts. While youth are increasingly getting access to basic and higher education, a deplorable state of affairs on the availability of employment avenues continue to haunt the state as also other states in the region.
Moreover, the prolonged negotiation process between the government and the Arabindo Rajkhowa-led pro-talks ULFA faction failing to make any headway is also leading to a lot of disgruntlement amid fears of a threatened Assamese identity.
ULFA (I), led by Paresh Barua and Dr Abhizeet Asom, the latter suspected to be an UK-based doctor, is steadfastedly opposed to the governments ongoing talks with the Rajkhowa-led ULFA faction, and operates from training bases in the China-Myanmar border and in Myanmars Sagaing Division.
In 2011, the Indian government started negotiations after Bangladeshi security forces in that country arrested several top leaders including Rajkhowa and handed them over to India.
Another 500 ULFA cadres are staying in nine designated camps across Assam and who had come overground thinking negotiations with the government for a solution would be an ideal option.
ULFA was formed in 1979 in Sivasgar with complete sovereignty and independence of Assam as its avowed goal. In the decades of violence that followed, an estimated 12,000 people are believed to have lost their lives.
In light of past experiences, three NDRF teams had been prepositioned in Mumbai at strategic locations, says DG.
Mumbai: Speaking on the mitigation measures taken post the Mumbai floods, Sanjay Kumar, Directorate General, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said on Wednesday that ten of their teams are on standby in Mumbai and ready to be deployed, if need arises.
In light of the past experiences, three NDRF teams had been prepositioned in Mumbai at strategic locations, the DG informed.
Further, two of their teams were deployed after yesterday's weather forecast, and five additional teams were rushed from their battalion headquarters in view of water logging, heavy rains and high tide situations.
"Those ten teams are still on standby in Mumbai watching the situation, and as per requirement and in consultation with local authorities, we'll further review the situation and deploy it ( NDRF teams), and if need be, any operation can also be carried out," Kumar told ANI.
He also added that the teams are fully equipped to carry out operations in heavy rains, flood-like situations, in water-logged areas and even during nigh time.
Meanwhile, the heavy flooding that disrupted the daily life of Mumbaikars yesterday, also put a break to local greengrocers' business. A day after the flash flood, the otherwise busy vegetable market of Dadar was deserted on Wednesday as the sellers sat awaiting customers.
However, the Deputy Director General (DDG) India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the rain has reduced in the past 8 to 10 hours and the situation is likely to be the same for a few hours more.
Eight police officials will be questioned by a Special Investigation Team of the CBI.
Sources said the eight police officials will be questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI which is probing the matter. (Representational image)
New Delhi: The CBI on Wednesday brought eight Himachal Pradesh police officials, including Inspector General of Police (IGP-Southern Range) Zahoor H Zaidi, to its headquarters in the national capital for questioning in the custodial death of an accused in the sensational gangrape and murder case of a schoolgirl in Shimla in July. The agency, sources said, may conduct lie-detection test on the arrested police personnel as they are allegedly hiding facts related to the case.
Sources said the eight police officials will be questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CBI which is probing the matter. Inspector General of Himachal Pradesh Police Zahur Haidar Zaidi and seven other policemen were arrested by the CBI on Tuesday in connection with the custodial death of Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal. Singh, who was a suspect in the rape-and-murder of a minor school girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla in early July, was among six people arrested by the local police. He was allegedly killed by a co-accused at the Kotkhai police station in July.
The CBI, which was later handed over the probe into the case by the Himachal Pradesh high court, has already questioned several people before arresting Zaidi, a 1994-batch IPS officer. The arrested accused were produced in the competent court in Shimla on Tuesday which sent them to the CBI custody till September 4. The Class X student had gone missing on July 4 and her naked body was recovered from Haliala forests in Kotkhai on July 6.
The CBI has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a superintendent of police and an additional SP and a seputy SP, and taken over the investigation of both the cases, the CBI had said earlier.
Shahabuddin and his henchmen were found guilty of abducting and killing two brothers Girish and Satish by pouring acid on them.
A three-judge bench of the high court rejected Shahabuddins petition, challenging the the Siwan District Courts judgment on December 11, 2015. (Photo: PTI/File)
Patna: The Patna High Court on Wednesday upheld the life imprisonment awarded to former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin and three others in the 2004 acid attack case.
A three-judge bench of the high court rejected Shahabuddins petition, challenging the the Siwan District Courts judgment on December 11, 2015. The bench said that the court finds no merit to interfere in the conviction awarded by the trial court.
The trial court, in its verdict, had pronounced Shahabuddin and his three men Rajkumar Sah, Sheikh Aslam and Arif Hussain guilty under sections 302 (murder), 364 A (Kidnapping), 201 (providing false details regarding the case) and 120 B (Criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.
Lawyers representing Shahabuddin had pleaded that the trial courts verdict be quashed as his name had not figured in the initial FIR. Sources said that Shahabuddin's lawyers are now planning to move the Supreme Court for relief in the case.
Shahabuddin and his henchmen were found guilty of abducting and killing two brothers Girish and Satish by pouring acid on them.
The incident had occurred on August 16, 2004, when three sons of a local businessman Chandkeshwar Prasad were picked up from their house and was taken to Pratappur, the native village of Shahabuddin where acid was splashed on two of the victims.
Rajiv Roshan, the third brother somehow managed to escape from the scene of occurrence but was later killed on June 16, 2014 three days before he was to appear in the court as a witness.
Shahabuddin who was earlier declared Type A history sheeter by the state police has around 39 criminal cases pending against him. Besides being convicted of murdering two brothers in 2004 Mohammad Shahabuddin has been held guilty in eight other cases. Sources said, until November 2014, he had around 38 criminal cases pending before magistrate and sessions court in Siwan.
Shahabuddin who is currently lodged in Tihar jail is also facing trial in connection with the murder of senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.
The accused, pointing a gun at the policemen, tried to escape but one of them, subsequently identified as Surender, was caught.
A hunt was launched to nab the second suspect, who was arrested on Tuesday on the basis of a tip-off. (Photo: PTI/Representational)
New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Tuesday said it has arrested a man from south-west Delhi's Chhawla area for allegedly committing robberies and snatchings.
The accused, Sahil Dagar, 22, was arrested on Monday, Shibesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), south-west Delhi, said.
A woman had lodged a complaint at the Chhawla police station on August 13, wherein she alleged that two bike-borne miscreants snatched her gold chain and fired at her as she tried to thwart their attempt.
Around 11 am the same day, the police intercepted the duo on a scooty at Najafgarh.
The accused, pointing a gun at the policemen, tried to escape but one of them, subsequently identified as Surender, was caught, the DCP said, adding that his accomplice, Sahil, managed to flee.
The gun was seized from Surender's possession, he said.
A hunt was launched to nab Sahil, who was arrested on Tuesday on the basis of a tip-off, the officer said, adding that the stolen scooty was also recovered from him.
Sahil's father was a transporter, he said, adding that the accused fell into bad company in childhood and started consuming drugs.
"He used to spend his pocket money of Rs. 30,000-Rs. 40,000 on drugs. When he ran out of money, he took to street crimes to get money to buy drugs. He was first arrested in a case of snatching when he was 16, but came out of the remand home early," the DCP said.
The accused was also arrested subsequently in connection with robberies and snatchings, he added.
The high court, while modifying the death sentence, enhanced the life sentence to 25 years and an additional five years for destroying evidence.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, refused to review its November 2016 order awarding 25 years imprisonment to Vikas Yadav, for the honour killing of Nitish Katara, who was in love with Vikass sister.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra dismissed the review petition of Vikas Yadav in the chamber as no merits warranting reconsideration of the order. Last year the court, while strongly deprecating honour killings, has upheld the award of 25 years sentence to Vikas Yadav.
The Delhi high court, while modifying the death sentence, enhanced the life sentence to 25 years and an additional five years for destroying evidence. In his plea for review Vikas Yadav said that considering the fact that he had been incarcerated in jail for the last 15 years, the court should be sympathetic and reduce the quantum of sentence.
The apex court, while dismissing Vikas Yadavs appeal, said that the sentence of additional five years under IPC Section 201 (for causing disappearance of evidence) would run concurrently and not consecutively as ordered by the Delhi high court. It will mean that he will undergo 25 years in jail. Yadavs acquaintance, Sukdev, was awarded 20 years sentence and he did not seek review.
The apex court had said, from the findings recorded by the high court, that it is clear the crime was committed in a planned and cold blooded manner with the motive that has emanated due to feeling of some kind uncalled for and unwarranted superiority based on caste feeling that has blinded the thought of choice available to a sister a representative of women as a class. The apex court pointed out that the high court, in its judgment of conviction, has unequivocally held that it is a case of honour killing and the said findings, apart from being put to rest, also gets support from the evidence brought on record.
The court said, The circumstantial evidence by which the crime has been established clearly lead to one singular conclusion that the anger of the brother, on the involvement of the sister with the deceased, was the only motive behind the murder. One may feel my honour is my life but that does not mean sustaining ones honour at the cost of another.
It said, Freedom, independence, constitutional identity, individual choice, and thought of a woman be it a wife or sister or daughter or mother cannot be allowed to be curtailed, definitely not by application of physical force or threat or mental cruelty in the name of his self-assumed honour.
The police was told that Mr Jolly had stolen the cash from the cash counter of food court in the domestic airport.
A case was registered at the domestic airport police station on July 25 and investigation was initiated in the matter. (Representational image)
New Delhi: The Delhi police arrested a manager of a food court at Arrival Forecourt Terminal-1, domestic airport for misappropriating Rs 5 lakhs, said the police on Wednesday. The accused Sonu Jolly, 46, is a resident of Uttam Nagar.
On July 24, one Satish Kumar Jha, manager, India Retail and Hospitality Private Ltd (IRHPL) filed a police complaint alleging that his operation manager Mr Jolly had escaped with more than Rs 5 lakh in cash.
Mr Jha told the police that Mr Jolly had stolen the cash from the cash counter of food court in the domestic airport. A case was registered at the domestic airport police station on July 25 and investigation was initiated in the matter.
During the course of investigation, a raid was conducted at the Uttam Nagar residence of Mr Jolly at Uttam Nagar and also at his possible hideouts, but the accused was found absconding. Furthermore, a technical investigation was conducted and his presence on social media was also checked.
In the meantime, Mr Jolly was spotted at Budh Vihar area in New Delhi and a raid was conducted accordingly. According to a report, the police has identified 10 homes and conducted raids on them where Mr Jolly could be possibly hiding.
The police picked up Mr Jolly from his friends house in Budh Vihar where he was hiding, Sanjay Bhatia, deputy commissioner of police (IGI airport) said. Initially, the accused, who has an MBA degree, denied his involvement in the case, but later accepted to misappropriating Rs 5,12,000.
On detailed interrogation, Mr Jolly disclosed that he had deposited an amount of Rs 3,60,000 in his ICICI bank account and some of the money was used to buy television set refrigerator and mobile phone among others. The police confiscated them too. The police recovered cash worth `10,000 from Mr Jollys possession, Mr Bhatia said.
LI MIN/CHINA DAILY
The International Monetary Fund recently said China's average GDP growth in the next two years is expected to be 6.4 percent- higher than the earlier forecast of 6 percent. But a higher GDP growth is expected because of "the government's reluctance to rein in 'dangerous' levels of debt", the IMF said while also predicting China's growth will be 6.7 percent this year- also higher than the earlier forecast.
Given its reputation and influence, it's unprofessional of the IMF to take such a long time to correct its erroneous low forecast of China's economic growth, especially because the country's economy has grown by 6.7 percent to 6.9 percent for eight quarters.
It's difficult to accurately forecast GDP growth considering the multiple and complicated variables that influence each other, but the IMF's earlier forecasts suggest it was unnecessarily pessimistic about the Chinese economy.
A high debt level, a variable the IMF has emphasized, can influence China's economic performance, but it remains a disputable index which China's financial regulators and economic sector have also paid great attention to.
It is necessary to emphasize the significance of this index and devise ways to prevent the risks it might bring. But the IMF's assertion that China's non-financial sector's debt will exceed 290 percent of GDP in 2022 and that it has already reached a dangerous level are exaggerations, which could mislead public opinion. Despite the hullabaloo over a possible "hard landing" of the Chinese economy in the past two decades, it continues to be strong.
It is somewhat true that China's debt level is high, but we should analyze the index using the global prism. When an economy grows at an exceedingly fast pace or has reached a certain development stage, its debt level will be high. Even the developed economies of today, including Great Britain and the United States (and later Japan and the Republic of Korea), have all had high debt levels at some stage of their economic development. And only if we see China's debt from this perspective can we analyze the level of China's debt.
Besides, China's is a special case, as its economy is still centered on indirect finance. In 2014, former chairman of China Banking Regulatory Commission Shang Fulin said the ratio of indirect finance in China is as high as 80 percent, while that in other G20 countries is between 25 percent and 35 percent, while in the US it is less than 20 percent.
A high indirect finance ratio results in many repetitively calculated debts- a typical example being the huge amount of circulatory loans. It is difficult to clearly calculate what percentage of this contributes to China's 236 percent debt in 2016.
The Chinese government, unlike what the IMF said, is not reluctant to control the soaring debt level in order to expand its economy to a certain level by 2020. Instead, it pays great attention to debt control.
Over the past two years, the government has been carrying out supply-side structural reform, and one of its top priorities is deleveraging, because it can help manage M2 (a measure of money supply) as well as the business sector's debt ratio.
The debt ratio of China's public sector is less than 50 percent, which is a safe level. Moreover, the administrative authorities have never tried to hide the problem of rising debt among enterprises. Taking the efforts to prevent financial risks to a new level, the recent National Central Finance Conference announced the establishment of a Financial Stability and Development Committee under the State Council, China's Cabinet, with the aim of boosting the real economy, deepening financial reform and tightening financial supervision and risk prevention, including keeping the overall debt level in control.
President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, too, have emphasized State-owned enterprises' deleveraging and strictly controlling local government debt.
The government's prudent attitude toward the debt level is in line with the IMF's economic philosophy, but the IMF's views on the government's attitude toward debt is biased and too pessimistic.
Hence, we should regard the IMF's remarks as a prewarning, but we don't have to be too worried about it.
The author is the director of the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics.
Banerjee has also called for an end to the indefinite shutdown that has been continuing for the last two months in the Darjeeling hills.
Kolkata: Describing the first round of dialouge with all political parties for peace in Darjeeling as positive, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made it clear on Tuesday that consideration of the separate statehood demand for Gorkhaland was beyond her governments authority. Ms Banerjee has also called for an end to the indefinite shutdown that has been continuing for the last two months in the Darjeeling hills.
The leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) attended the peace talks along with other political leaders. After chairing the hour-long meeting at Nabanna, the state secretariat here, Ms Banerjee said: It was a positive and cordial meeting, which means the beginning of a dialogue. We are happy the dialogue has ultimately got under way after 78 days.
Elaborating details of the peace talks, Ms Banerjee said: The discussion was good with those who attended the meeting today. The hill parties GJM, GNLF and JAP raised their demand of Gorkhaland, which is their prerogative. They can air their voice. It is a democratic setup. Raising their demand at the start of the meeting, they said Gorkhaland is the aim of their movement.
The chief minister went on: But we clearly told them we would not discuss the issue as it does not fall under our purview and we cant do anything on it. They also spoke about the bipartite meeting with the state government. They asked us to recommend their Gorkhaland demand to New Delhi, which has jurisdiction. But we never made such a recommendation earlier, and we will not be able to make any such recommendation now.
Ms Banerjee added: What we can discuss is restoration of peace and normality in the hills as we want to resolve the issue. Dialogue is a continuous process which has just started. The scope of not-talks has ended. We will meet again in the second week of next month. The next meeting will be held at 3 pm on September 12 in Uttarkanya (in Darjeeling).
Ms Banerjee said: All of us have unanimously agreed in favour of the restoration of peace. All political parties can discuss it among themselves. Let them take some. The dialogue must continue. We have appealed to all to end the bandh in Darjeeling. Binay Tamang, who led the five-member GJM team at the talks, later condemned the explosions in Darjeeling. Along with JAP leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri, he also called for the restoration of peace in the hills.
Community hopes new privacy act will end Article 377.
New Delhi: India's transgender community hopes the recent Supreme Court judgement on privacy will not just strike down a law against homosexuality, but also change mindsets on gender identities and sexual choices.
Days after the court said the right to privacy was a fundamental, community members expressed hope it would lead to the end of Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality.
Transgender beauty queen from Manipur Rohit Khumanthem hoped people's attitudes would change too.
"Acceptance by society is the first step towards the community's empowerment. And for that, people must believe that transgenders are humans like them," Khumanthem said.
An aspiring lawyer, hoping to fight for the rights of underprivileged women and children, Khumanthem said there was need to spread awareness about the community.
"People must know who we actually are and how we live our daily lives. They have to be sensitised. Only then will they start accepting us," she told PTI. The 22-year-old was here to participate in the recently held 'Miss Transqueen India 2017', the country's first beauty pageant for transgenders.
Founded by Reena Rai, the event not only aimed at giving the community a platform to showcase talent and beauty, but also to create a forum for advocating their concerns.
Looking at the recent landmark judgement pronounced by the apex court, Rai believed a dignified life for the transgender community was no longer a distant dream.
"If one goes by the Supreme Court's judgement, the community might soon be able to get proper education and employment and live a dignified life," she said.
Under its verdict making privacy a fundamental right, the Supreme Court, however, clarified that since the challenge to Section 377 was pending before another bench of the apex court, it would leave the constitutional validity to be decided in an "appropriate proceeding".
Rai added key to achieving the goal was "a change in mindset". "Change will not come until there is acceptance from us. No matter what the Supreme Court decides, if there is no end to the day-to-day discrimination we inflict on the community, change will not happen," she said.
Eliza, born Abomcha Ngangom, believed the process of empowerment had begun, but social ostracism came in the way of progress.
The transgender, who also took part in the beauty pageant, recalled how her parents used to worry over her fondness for "girly things" when she was a child.
Now a beautician running a successful parlour, Eliza said she was "tortured" by her family after she visited a women's beauty salon in Class 8.
Many stressed they were hopeful about the future. "We have had to struggle right from the time we came out about our sexuality. We have had to fight not just society, but also our parents," said Namita, a 26-year-old transgender make-up artist.
But members of the community today were not just beggars or sex workers, she pointed out.
"They are becoming inspectors and principals," she said, alluding to K Prithika Yashini, India's first transgender sub-inspector, and Manabi Bandyopadhay, the first college principal from the community.
About 1500 people from the community took part in the pageant, the first of its kind here. The winner, Nitasha from Kolkata, will now represent India in the Miss International TransQueen in Thailand.
India issued two statements during the day, in which it underlined the value of bilateral diplomacy.
It is a positive development that the Doklam military stand-off between India and China which began on June 16 has ended. Running hostility of this kind between nuclear powers that are influential world economies can seriously compromise regional stability, with consequences for the international system as well.
The denouement resulted from sustained diplomacy over two-and-a-half months, which New Delhi had gone out of its way to moot. This was in the face of bizarre, aggressive megaphone diplomacy conducted by Beijing through its state media outlets, backed with unseemly belligerent noises from the Chinese foreign office and the Peoples Liberation Army, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and is under the direct supervision of President Xi Jinping. But it should be appreciated that Beijing didnt shut the door on traditional diplomacy.
In their own very different ways, the two governments made the announcement on Monday. Neither used the expression mutual withdrawal.
India issued two statements during the day, in which it underlined the value of bilateral diplomacy.
Initially it spoke of expeditious withdrawal, leaving room for doubt whether the Chinese too had withdrawn and ended the road-building. This was the case as Beijing officially spoke only of Indian withdrawal and continued to assert its sovereignty over Doklam.
This was clearly to assuage its public opinion, which was fed a strong dose of chauvinistic propaganda for weeks.
The second Indian statement underlined its verification of China having taken away its road-building equipment. In the interest of total transparency and credibility, New Delhi should arrange a media visit (not just the official media) to the affected area, with appropriate briefings.
The standoff location is disputed territory between Bhutan and China. India came to the forefront to honour its old treaty commitment and subsequent state-level understanding with Thimphu to come to its aid in the event of any shadow over its sovereignty by an aggressor. This commitment has been demonstrably kept.
Thimphu too admirably kept its nerve all through the Doklam crisis and played the part of a perfect ally in the face of blandishments and implied threats from Beijing. India should show signs of recognition of this in its bilateral relations with Bhutan.
The Chinese aggression in this particular disputed area also posed a strategic threat to India. In light of this, we should proactively seek to implement the 2012 recorded understanding with Beijing which recognises the disputed nature of Doklam with a view to the formal demarcation of the boundary in the area.
Beijing eventually withdrew probably due to the need to smoothly conduct the Brics summit in China next week and remove uncertainties over the Chinese Communist Partys 19th congress in November. But with a tricky neighbour like China, India must be always prepared.
Japan has been worried that the United States has so far declined to arm it with powerful new radar, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) ast week delayed the Guam strike plan, but warned it could go ahead depending on Washington's next move. (File Photo)
Honolulu: The United States (US) Missile Defence Agency and the Navy successfully conducted a missile defence test off the coast of Hawaii, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The test, scheduled well in advance, was done from the USS John Paul Jones and comes a day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan.
The test, using Standard Missile-6 guided missiles, intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target.
North Korea said its missile launch was to counter US and South Korean military drills, and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to contain the US territory of Guam. The launch was condemned by the United Nations as an outrageous act.
The MDA said the test gives the naval component of the missile defence system higher ability to intercept ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.
Japan has been worried that the United States has so far declined to arm it with powerful new radar, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Japan is seeking a land-based version of the Aegis ballistic missile defence system, operational by 2023, as a new layer of defence to help counter North Koreas missile advances.
Washingtons UN ambassador Nikki Haley said North Korea has violated every single UNSC resolution.
United States: Washingtons UN ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that something serious has to happen following North Koreas missile test over Japan.
Its unacceptable, Haley said. They have violated every single UN Security Council resolution that weve had, and so I think something serious has to happen, she added, giving no specifics.
Washington and Tokyo called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, set to convene at 2100 GMT (5 am on Wednesday, Singapore time) to discuss the crisis.
The United States, along with Japan had called for an emergency security council meeting.
We are going to talk about what else is left to do, Haley continued, saying that no country should have missiles flying over a nation of 130 million people like Japan.
New sanctions on North Korea could be discussed, the US envoy said.
I think we have a lot to talk about today. So with all of our partners, what we hope is that China and Russia continues to work with us, like they have in the past on North Korea but I think enough is enough, Haley declared.
US President Donald Trump earlier warned that all options remain on the table to handle the crisis implying Washington has not ruled out a military strike.
The test launch by the isolated but defiant nuclear-armed nation was seen as a major escalation and triggered an angry response from Tokyo.
North Korea defended its right to take tough counter-measures in response to what it calls US aggression despite repeated calls from Washington for it to come to the negotiating table.
Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world, Trump said, in a statement released by the White House.
Nawaz Sharif will celebrate Eidul Azha with his wife and sons on September 2, and will come back to Pakistan on September 5.
Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday left for London to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who has been diagnosed with throat cancer, amid speculation that he might not return due to the ongoing corruption and money laundering cases against him.
Nawaz Sharif reached Lahores old airport from his residence Jati Umra amid strict security. All routes to the airport were sealed, and security agencies were on high alert. Cellular phones of the staff that was appointed on duty were taken as well.
Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Asif Kirmani also reached the airport along with others to see him off. Nawaz Sharif met Shehbaz at state lounge before departing.
Nawaz Sharif will celebrate Eidul Azha with his wife and sons on September 2, and will come back to Pakistan on September 5. The PML-N will also conduct a rally in west London during his visit.
According to Sharifs close aide senator Pervaiz Rashid, the former Premier will stay in London for at least 10 days.
However, he may extend his stay for more days depending on Begum Kulsooms health, he said. Rashid, however, dismissed the rumours, saying Sharif loves his country.
Meanwhile, doctors were waiting for the results of some important skin and other tests of Kulsoom Nawaz, and her chemotherapy will begin within a few days.
Riyadh, Tehran cut ties months later, after execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia sparked attacks on diplomatic missions in Iran.
Predominantly Muslim Malaysia sends some 27,000 pilgrims to perform the hajj every year. (Photo: AP)
Mecca: More than two million Muslims from around the world will start the hajj pilgrimage at Islam's holiest sites Wednesday, a religious duty and an epic multi-stage journey.
This year sees pilgrims from Shiite Iran return after a hiatus following a diplomatic spat between the Islamic republic and Sunni arch-rival Saudi Arabia.
It also comes with the Gulf mired in political crisis and Islamic State group jihadists under pressure in Iraq and Syria.
Saudi authorities have mobilised vast resources in hope of avoiding a repeat of a deadly 2015 stampede that left nearly 2,300 people dead, including 464 Iranians.
Riyadh and Tehran cut ties months later, after the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia sparked attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
The pilgrimage also comes amid a diplomatic crisis between a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries and Qatar, accused of supporting extremist groups and being too close to Riyadh's arch-rival Tehran.
A blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5 has seen sea and air links shut down, preventing many Qataris from making hajj, although Riyadh relaxed entry restrictions across its land border with the emirate two weeks before the pilgrimage.
The colossal religious gathering comes with IS under pressure having lost swathes of territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria. But the group continues to claim attacks in the Middle East and Europe.
Saudi authorities say they are ready for any eventuality.
Interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki said more than 100,000 security personnel had been deployed at various sites along the hajj route.
- 'New emotions every time' -
After donning the simple garb of the pilgrim, the faithful gather in the esplanade of Mecca's Grand Mosque with its seven minarets.
There, they perform a ritual walk seven times around the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a heavy silk cloth embroidered with Koranic verses in golden embroidery.
The shrine is the point towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Pilgrims then head for Mina, five kilometres (three miles) further east, where hundreds of thousands of people will gather before setting off on Thursday at dawn to climb Mount Arafat, the pinnacle of the pilgrimage.
Tidjani Traore, a public service consultant from Benin, said he was preparing for his 22nd pilgrimage at the age of 53.
"Every time, there are new emotions," he said. "There are new innovations for organising and hosting the pilgrims. Now, for example, the tents are air-conditioned."
Saudi authorities have placed misting fans on the esplanade of the Grand Mosque to take the edge off the intense heat.
On the eve of the first rites of the pilgrimage, the walkways thronged with people and the smell of musk wafted through the air.
Sitting in the shade of trees or reinforced concrete bridges, the faithful waited patiently for the next call to prayer. Others continued their march, protected by a prayer mat or a small umbrella fixed on the head with an elastic band.
Several times throughout the day, well-run teams of employees, mostly Asian, cleaned the esplanade with jets of water.
As the hour for prayer arrived, a young woman sat at a table in an ice cream shop and prayed, her hands crossed on her knees.
A few paces from the Kaaba, Egyptian pilgrim Fatiya Taha could not hide her joy.
At 67 the oldest in her group, she sat in her wheelchair in Islam's most holy spot.
"I've been looking forward to this pilgrimage for four years," she said.
New Delhi announced Monday that both countries were pulling back their border forces, while Beijing said only that India had withdrawn.
Beijing: China said Wednesday it hopes India will "learn lessons" following the end of a months-long military stand-off in a strategically important disputed area in the Himalayas.
The two nations resolved the deadlock over the Doklam area claimed by both China and Bhutan, an ally of India, just days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend a BRICS summit in eastern China.
"Of course we hope the Indian side will learn lessons from this incident and prevent similar things from happening again," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news briefing on the upcoming BRICS summit, which includes both nations as well as Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
New Delhi announced Monday that both countries were pulling back their border forces, while Beijing said only that India had withdrawn "all its border personnel and equipment that were illegally on the Chinese territory".
The stand-off began on June 16 and sparked what some analysts said was the worst crisis in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
India does not claim Doklam for itself but is closely allied with Bhutan, which it regards as a buffer against rival China to the north.
India and China have a long history of mistrust and went to war in 1962 over the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Wang said "it's only natural" for two major countries to have "some problems in our interactions".
"We hope that China and India will join hands and work together for the rejuvenation of Asia," he said. "On the border face-off caused by India's trespassing, that has been settled."
The foreign minister did not say whether Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi would hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit next week in the port city of Xiamen.
"The first thing is whether the leaders have the willingness to meet," Wang said.
"If there's a willingness from the leaders participating (in BRICS), the Chinese side will try to make it possible if our schedule permits."
Pakistan's Foreign Minister said the National Assembly rejects US' claims regarding presence of Taliban in Quetta and Peshawar.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif presented the resolution against the new US policy on South Asia during a session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. (Photo: AFP/File)
Islamabad: Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution dismissing United States President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy and his allegations of Islamabad supporting terrorism.
Presenting the resolution against the new US policy on South Asia during the session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said the National Assembly rejects Trump's recent policy statement as well as America's top general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson's claims regarding the presence of Taliban in Quetta and Peshawar.
"The House denounces the complete disregard of Pakistan's sacrifices by the US," Geo News quoted Asif as saying, adding that the National Assembly stands with the armed forces of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism.
According to the report, the resolution calls on the government of Pakistan to consider postponing any visits by US officials and vice versa as well as suspension of cooperation with US particularly ground/air lines of communication through Pakistan.
The resolution advises the government to formulate economic policies to deal with any situation arising out of absence of US assistance and instigate a diplomatic initiative to inform the international community of repercussions on the region of the failed US Afghan policy.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah called for having a Joint Session of Parliament after Eid so that a strong response can be given to the US policy.
Criticising Pakistan's poor relations with most of its neighbours , Shah said that the country's neighbours are hurling threats at them.
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar said the issue of US' continued criticism on Pakistan will not stop by mere resolutions and condemnations and needs a major overhaul of the entire narrative towards the US.
He was in favour of not take the path of confrontation and bringing arguments based on facts and reason.
President Trump while announcing his south Asia policy earlier this month, described Pakistan as a country that continues to offer safe haven to "agents of chaos".
"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations," Trump said as he cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to swiftly end America's longest war.
"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," he said.
He demanded that Pakistan should "stop offering safe haven to agents of chaos" as he presented his policy for the 16-year-long war in Afghanistan in his first formal address as the commander-in-chief.
While inviting India to provide more economic assistance and development to Afghanistan, Trump discarded his previous criticism of America's longest war as "a waste of time and money".
After Trump's allegations against Pakistan for allegedly harbouring terrorists, China and Saudi Arabia came to the country's defence in separate statements and asked that the world acknowledge Islamabad's contribution in the fight against terrorism.
On Friday, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked military outposts in the villages of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung. The violent clashes left 12 members of the security forces and more than a hundred of militants dead. The State Counsellor Office Information Committee told media not to use the word "insurgents". More than 4,000 non-Muslim residents (mainly Buddhists and Hindus) have been evacuated from the area. More than 2,000 Rohingya Muslims managed to reach Bangladesh, which has refused them entry.
Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Government of Myanmar has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a terrorist organisation. The armed group carried out bloody attacks on 25 August against 30 military outposts.
The State Counsellor Office Information Committee also issued a Statement saying that the media should refer to ARSA as Bengali terrorists and not as insurgents.
Armed with sticks, knives and home-made bombs, ARSA militants attacked military outposts in the villages of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung in the western state of Rakhine.
The violent clashes left 12 members of the security and other government officials, including an immigration officer. About 104 militants also died.
ARSA claimed responsibility for the attack on its Twitter account, calling them "defensive actions" against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims by government forces.
"Burma has been ramping up military in Arakan state since last few weeks in order to derail the 'Kofi Annan Commission Report and Recommendations' by triggering an unrest in the state," ARSA said on its Twitter page. "Therefore, we have tried our best to avoid any potential conflict meanwhile."
The group accused the "military and security forces" deployed in two areas of carrying out "raids; committing killings, loot[ings] in many Rohingya villages across the townships; and molesting Rohingya women."
According to United Nations estimates, at least 800,000 Rohingya Muslims live in Myanmar. However, the government and most people in Myanmar do not consider them as one of the countrys 135 ethnic groups. Instead, they are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and for this reason have been denied citizenship even though they have lived in the country for generations.
On 24 August, Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary general and chairman of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, released the latters final report.
Established a year ago, the Commission was tasked with investigating violence and discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim minority and proposing solutions to end ethnic-religious tensions.
In the report, the Commission advises the Government of Myanmar to achieve social progress by encouraging investment and providing basic services in Rakhine.
Key points include checking Rohingya's citizenship, issuing national registration cards, reducing tensions, and engaging in reconciliation through direct talks between communities.
The document also mentions the need for border security, bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh, and greater anti-drug action. Another point to note is the call for the closure of refugee camps.
The following day, Myanmar's de facto leader State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi firmly condemned the attacks on security forces, saying that violence was the result of the reports release.
The government had been aware of the risk of the attacks to coincide with the release of the commissions final report yesterday and had issued instruction to relevant Union ministers, she said in the statement issued by her office.
It is clear that todays attacks are a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine state, she added. We must not allow our work to be derailed by the violent actions of extremists.
The latest clashes, the bloodiest in five years, have worsened the humanitarian crisis. The Myanmar government has evacuated more than 4,000 non-Muslim residents (mainly Buddhists and Hindus), whilst more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border into Bangladesh.
Fearing a new Rohingya exodus, Bangladesh has refused entry to new refugees and warned those already on its territory not to help others cross the border.
On Sunday, Bangladesh police detained and deported about 90 miles Rohingya to Myanmar. On Saturday, it had intercepted 70.
Over the week-end, international media have reported the shooting by Myanmar soldiers of civilians, especially women and children, as they tried to cross the Naf River, a natural border between the two countries.
The latest acts of violence are likely to fuel even more ethnic tensions between the Buddhist majority and the Rohingya.
Since sectarian violence broke out in 2012, more than 140,000 people have fled the region.
According to the United Nations, more than 80,000 Rohingya have found refuge in Bangladesh since the crisis of last October. At that time, an armed group (presumed to be ARSA) had attacked some outposts. Some nine policemen were killed, provoking a harsh reaction by the Burmese army.
According to the UN, it is very likely that many crimes against humanity were committed during the security operations. However, the Myanmar government has repeatedly rejected such allegations.
After the boycott of 2016, tens of thousands of faithful are expected from Iran. Shiite pilgrims against the interference of politics in the region. Because of the tensions between Riyadh and Doha, only a few dozen people from Qatar. Al Qaeda and Isis a "potential threat".
Riyadh (AsiaNews) - In order to ensure the security of Muslims throughout the world who are taking part in the major pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), the Saudi authorities have allocated over 100,000 members of the security forces.
The massive deployment is in response to the ever-increasing threat of assaults as in this period, even though there have been no specific alerts or threats from jihadist groups so far, not even the Islamic State (IS, formerly Isis) which targeted the country in the past.
The most important annual gathering of Muslim faithful will bring more than two million people from all over the world to the Saudi nation. This year, unlike the past year, there will be tens of thousands of Iranians who in 2016 could not take part in the Hajj because of the divisions between Tehran and Riyadh.
The crisis was triggered by "a massive stampede" that caused the death of at least 2,300 people, of which 464 were Iranian pilgrims. The event has caused strong tensions between Iran (the most important Shiite Muslim nation in the world) and Saudi Arabia (guardian of Sunni orthodoxy), resulting in the lack of participation - for the first time in 30 years - of the faithful of the Islamic Republic, Hajj.
A long and laborious diplomatic effort between the two nations reopened the doors of Mecca to the Iranians. There are at least 86,000 people who took part in the major pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. Among them is the 54-year-old Abbas Ali, who is said to be "happy to see so many Iranians here [in Mecca]" and adds that "political issues should not interfere in religious affairs, especially in the Haji." "We should not stop coming here - he concludes - because we are all Muslims."
If the tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, at least in terms of the pilgrimage, seem to have been resolved, the ongoing crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia that began in June has in fact reduced the presence of faithful from Doha. According to the latest information, only a few dozen Qataris have crossed the border to participate in the Hajj, confirming a widening fracture. An official of the Qatar National Committee for Human Rights reports that "last week between 60 and 70 people crossed the border"; A figure far below the 12,000 faithful who, last year, took part in the major pilgrimage.
The Saudi authorities look closely at security issues with targeted intelligence. According to the Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Turki, in the recent past special departments have dismantled several militant cells based in Mecca and Medina. And the defeats suffered by the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq have not reduced tension and the security levels, as the "potential threat" of terrorist groups remains strong.
The authorities have placed checkpoints and metal detectors at the airports and the entrance to the holy places of Islam, even though the ministry spokesman himself states that "there have been no specific threats so far." "We are paying the utmost attention [to security and public order] he concludes - to every possible alert, even if we do not disseminate communicate them to press.
He became famous for the images of his burns. Please look at me again, he told a UN conference in 2010. He led his fight overseas despite great suffering.
Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) Sumiteru Taniguchi, a survivor of the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki who was known as anti-nuclear activist, died of duodenal papilla cancer today.
He served as a representative of Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Sufferers Organisations, since 2010. After 1949, he became a leading figure in the anti-nuclear campaign.
A US military motion picture film of him taken during hospitalisation and released by media in 1970 made him known worldwide. A colour photo from the film captured him lying on his stomach in hospital showing his terrible back burns, his skin scarlet.
In 1945, when he was a boy, Taniguchi barely escaped death from the atomic bombing. During his life, he talked about the suffering he endured, about the destruction of his skin and the intense pain that led him to beg his doctors to kill him.
He was discharged from hospital in 1949, and immediately joined other survivors to push for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Despite the debilitating back pain, he travelled overseas more than 20 times to talk about his experience.
In 2010, he represented atomic bomb survivors at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference at the UN headquarters.
On that occasion, he displayed the famous picture of himself and called out to the audience, I am not a guinea pig, nor am I an exhibit. But you who are here today, please dont turn your eyes away from me. Please look at me again.
When a UN treaty banning nuclear weapons, a long-cherished dream of atomic bomb survivors, was adopted in July this year, Taniguchi said in a video message, "The treaty is useless if each country does not make efforts to abolish nuclear weapons."
Another representative of Nihon Hidankyo, Terumi Tanaka, told reporters that he is very sad to hear of Taniguchi's death. He said Taniguchi devoted his life to the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, whilst going in and out hospital frequently.
It is estimated that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed around 210,000 people by the end of 1945.
Yesterdays launch a response to the US-South Korean joint military exercises. Trump: All options are on the table. The UN Security Council condemns the launch as "outrageous". No further sanctions. China and Russia also criticize the US for increasing tensions.
Seoul (AsiaNews) - The launch of the missile yesterday crossing the skies of Japan is just "the first step" for a military operation in the Pacific that will target Guam as well, according to some articles and comments appearing on the North State Agency, the Kcna
Quoting leader Kim Jong-un, it states that yesterday's exercise was "like a royal war", "the first step in a military operation of the KPA [the Korean People's Army] in the Pacific and a significant prelude to contain Guam ".
Guam is the US air and naval base for reconnaissance aircraft in Korean skies and ships currently involved in joint military exercises with South Korea in the Pacific. Over the past few weeks, Pyongyang's leader had already threatened to hit Guam.
Kcna also said that yesterdays launch is a direct response to these joint exercises. Pyongyang sees the annual exercises as a "preparation" for the invasion of the North.
The launch made yesterday is perhaps the longest-range to date and was condemned by many countries in the world, including Russia and China, historic allies of North Korea. US President Donald Trump said that "threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the isolation of the North Korean regime in the region and among all the nations of the world." And he added that "all options are on the table".
Yesterday afternoon, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting and unanimously condemned the launch, calling it "outrageous." No further sanctions were passed. China and Russia, while backing the statement of condemnation, wanted to point out that the recent escalation of tension also stems from the US attitude that led to the UN unilaterally adding sanctions.
China has repeated the demand that US and South Korea eliminate the Thaad anti-missile defense system.
by Nirmala Carvalho
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The archdiocese of Mumbai (Maharashtra) has decided to open schools and parishes to give shelter and welcome to citizens displaced by the flood. The decision was taken yesterday by Card. Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop, to respond to the humanitarian emergency caused by the heavy monsoon rains that have been battering all over South Asia for months.
Through his office, the cardinal has outlined a list of structures that will remain open day and night, scattered around every corner of the megalopolis with 20 million inhabitants. Speaking to AsiaNews he reports that "heavy rainfall and extreme climatic conditions in Mumbai have disrupted road and rail transport and local traffic. People are blocked. That is why I have asked all the churches, schools and institutes of the Archdiocese to offer shelter to everyone, regardless of caste or faith. "
After the Cardinal's appeal, the reception machine was activated in every facility. At the Holy Name School, next to the Archbishop, more than 45 people were accommodated, exhausted after days outdoors. The diocesan pastoral center of Bandra opened the doors at nine in the evening, and already 17 people were waiting. Fr. Fitzgerald Fernandes reported that "people continued to arrive all night. A couple came from Gujarat and sought shelter here. " At the basilica of Our Lady of Mount, always in Bandra, some workers found a place to lodge in the presbytery. At the church of St. Joseph, another 170 displaced were accommodated. The archdiocese reports that hot meals, breakfast, dry clothes, blankets and bed sheets, bath towels for washing are provided to all.
Mumbai, India's main industrial hub located on the west coast, is completely submerged by water. This flooding is due to heavy rainfall, but also to its geographic position and the obsolete drainage network. The whole city is blocked, schools are closed, flights canceled. The King Edward Memorial Hospital's medical staff was forced to evacuate the pediatric ward, flooded with water. On social media, the authorities have also appealed for prudence, inviting residents not to go out on the street.
The monsoon is causing a real humanitarian crisis across the southern part of Asia. The most affected countries are India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where the most up-to-date data speak of at least 1000 deaths. According to the United Nations, approximately 41 million people are affected by the natural disaster that is hitting the region.
Monsoon rains are a natural phenomenon that occurs every year. But on this occasion, perhaps due to the effects of climate change, the precipitation was much more abundant. In just a few days 100 millimeters of rain fell in the city of India. According to experts, this is an alarming level, which fears the recurrence of the 2005 disaster, when more than 1,000 deaths were counted.
Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - "This position cannot come from someone seeking peace." Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has condemned the claim to the legitimacy of the settlements reiterated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which excluded the possibility of an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank.
"This is our land," Netanyahu declared yesterday, "We came back here to stay there once and for all. We will not eradicate more settlements from the land of Israel. "
Israeli colonies in Occupied Territories are considered illegal under international law and the international community does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over them.
On December 23, the UN Security Council condemned these settlements by resolution 2334, passed thanks to the abstention of the then outgoing Obama administration. However, Israel has made no effort to apply it.
Under the Netanyahu government there has been a considerable increase in Israeli colonies. To date, at least 600,000 Israeli citizens live in over 130 settlements built by Israel since 1967, the date of commencement of occupation. At the end of March, the government approved the construction of a new official settlement in Shiloh.
Seattle has a reputation for being the unofficial coffee capital of the states (a little coffee company by the name of Starbucks got its start there ring a bell?). But asides from that coffee giant, Seattle has a plethora of ma-and-pa roasteries that are putting out some seriously top-notch products. Created with the idea to bring Seattles finest to the rest of the country, Bean Box curates a range of coffee subscription services, from tasting samples to full bags, all delivered to your door on a monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly basis.
What Is Bean Box?
Hailing from Seattles always-bumping coffee scene, Bean Box is one of the most diverse coffee subscription services on the market. Offering up different boxes for whatever your taste, Bean Box delivers coffee right to your doorstep and always ships within 48 hours of roasting to ensure maximum freshness. One of our favorites is the monthly sampler box, a curated mix of the Bean Boxs team four favorite roasts du jour. Picky about your roasts? Test out the specialty with a coffee of the month club. Pick your preferred roast preference - including light to dark, espresso, and decaf and Bean Box will ship out the most interesting new flavor theyve been fawning over. Essentially, its a coffee lovers dream some of the best roasters in the country sending you your own customized shipment of coffee, and the cherry on top - almost right to your coffee maker.
Unboxing Bean Box
Within two days of ordering, Bean Box was sitting on my doorstep, awaiting my return from work. Each of Bean Boxs coffee boxes are neatly packaged in a thin brown box, stamped with Bean Boxs motto your next favorite coffee on the outside so I knew exactly what was waiting for me as soon as I spotted the box. Inside, the coffee was perfectly wrapped in tissue paper, particularly, just enough tissue paper to feel the rush of excitement of opening a gift, but not enough packaging to be a nuisance to throw out.
All the beans are packed in air-tight brown bags that keep the freshness of the newly-roasted beans as long as possible. All bags are resealable, so even after that initial cup, you can reseal for freshness.
The Review
I have to admit Im a bonafide caffeine addict, so I didnt really see too many ways having a box of fresh coffee delivered to my door could be anything but wonderful. But Bean Box really surpassed my expectations. The Seattle-based coffee subscription company is focused on not only sending along freshly roasted beans but curating an entire coffee drinking experience, whether youre a highbrow coffee snob or if you just like a good morning pick-me-up.
I received Bean Boxs coffee sampler - a mix-and-match box of what the folks at Bean Box are fawning over this month. Designed for the person who likes to try a little bit of everything, I received four bags of beans ranging in flavors, from a darker java to a cream and sugar roast from Slate Coffee Roasters.
Though I didnt get to test one out, Bean Box is best known for their coffee of the month club. Rather than the usual of the month club standard of just sending the same product to each subscriber, Bean Box curates the monthly coffee selection to your taste buds. You prefer light roasts? Theyll send you a new light roast bag every month. A dedicated espresso drinker? Your shipment will arrive with a fresh new bag of espresso beans. Even the decaf drinkers arent left behind Bean Box roasts a new blend of decaf of the regular. This is great for the person who knows what they like and doesnt want any unexpected surprises showing up at their door. You can also opt for the All Roasts option, which brings the best of whatever is being roasted that month.
Still not sold? Bean Box offers a whole selection of other subscriptions and gift boxes depending on your taste. Bean Box curates subscriptions dedicated to espresso beans, offers up single-origin samplers, and stocks a full range of deluxe coffee gift box for the next time youre up for a promotion.
The only thing I found missing in my experience with Bean Box was a more personalized tasting notes option. In a move to reduce packaging, Bean Box only includes short highlights on the coffee in the box, with further information on the roastery and the actual flavor profiles on Bean Boxs website. This is a little annoying for those of us who want to learn about the coffee, but really the two-minute detour to the website isnt too big a hassle if its in the name of the environment. On each bag, Bean Box includes suggested tasting notes and a few tidbits of background on the roast. All notes are written by the team at the roastery, with tasting notes added in by the coffee addicts over at Bean Box. On that note, I wouldve appreciated a bit more of an educational spin to help me learn more about my coffee preferences. Maybe Im a nerd, but I think a palate test at the beginning of your experience or blank tasting notes so you can fill them in as you try could go a long way.
One unique angle that Bean Box offers is Bean Boxs commitment to the full coffee experience. With each box comes not just coffee, but artisanal treats to pair with your brew. Maybe its just my sweet tooth talking on my behalf, but the couple packages of Rip van Waffel Amsterdam waffle cookies that were tossed in with my first box made the coffee taste that much better.
I appreciated that Bean Box factors shipping and taxes into the initial price of the subscription. Its no fun getting to the checkout stage and finding shipping and taxes will rob you of an additional $10-15 dollars. With that in mind, Bean Box is up front with their pricing what you see is what you pay.
That being said, Bean Box really considers all forms of coffee drinkers when they think up their subscriptions. Whether youre a coffee nerd who wants to try out new blends, or if youre just someone if youre looking to make your morning coffee a little less painless by having it delivered, Bean Box can curate your subscription to your needs. No worries if youre one for meticulously- made pour over coffee or if you opt for a more humble drip coffee, Bean Box can turn your daily coffee up a notch. Thats what makes Bean Box a really approachable subscription service you dont have to be a coffee snob to enjoy each box, you just have to enjoy coffee.
Cost
Coffee Sampler: $21/month on pay-as-you-go, $19 if you prepay for 6 months, or $18 if you prepay for a year.
Coffee of the Month Club For 1 box a month: $23/box on pay-as-you-go, $21/box if you prepay for 6 months, or $20 if you prepay for a year. The Coffee of the Month subscription also offers options for those who want fresh bags on a bi-weekly basis or weekly basis (hey, if you love your coffee you love your coffee).
How to Subscribe
Subscribing is painless log on to Bean Boxs website, select your subscription type, and bada bing bada boom. From the website, you can also opt for how long you want your subscription to last. Regular subscriptions will cost $21-23 but, if you know youre in it for the long haul, the monthly fee is only $19 if you prepay for 6 months, or $18 if you pay for the year.
Managing Your Subscription
Whether you want to skip a shipment (at no charge!) or change your plan, all account updates can be made via Bean Boxs website. Received the box as a gift? You can log in by entering the box number and your postal code and opt to extend your subscription or order more bags of your favorite coffees. All account management can also be done by giving Bean Boxs customer service line a ring, or shooting the team an email or a live chat.
You can also
Find gifts for loved ones
Redeem Bean Box points
Skip a week
Change your plan
Switch up your shipping address
Reorder your favorite bags and other accessories
Is Bean Box worth It? The VERDICT: Promising Investment
If you cant make it through the day without a good brew, Bean Box is definitely up your alley. You cant really beat having some of the most interesting beans and roasts the world has to offer showing up on your doorstep just a few days after roasting. Even though all roasting is done in Seattle, Bean Box is able to bring in a surprisingly diverse selection of coffees. The tasting sampler offers a great opportunity to taste not just a range of dark to light roasts, but try out some really unique flavors. Considering it rings in at around $20 a month, its a really cost-friendly way to make your morning coffee so much more interesting.
BeanBox Competitors
Deals, Coupons and Promo Codes
First time ordering with Bean Box? Newcomers are all offered an initial 10% discount as a welcome-to-the-family gift. Bean Box also works on a loyalty system: for every purchase you make, you receive points. The more points you get, the more money you save on future purchases. The point system is generous too: 10 percent of every purchase goes towards future purchases.
Mars the best place to work in Australia
Mars has been named the best large company to work at in Australia in the 2017 Great Place to Work ranking.
Taking out the category for companies with more than 1, 000 employees, Mars Australia was recognised for its employee perks which include massages, snacks, fitness centres, boot camps and pet friendly offices.
Mars Petcare General Manager, Barry OSullivan, said Mars is not new to the top 20 of Great Place to Work, but a top five ranking is a major milestone.
Even more so when for the first time we have been rated against like-sized peers in the new Enterprise Employer category, OSullivan said.
We have never made our ambition to be one of the best workplaces in Australia a secret.
Mars was not the only food company to make the top five list, Campbell Arnotts came in fourth in the over 1, 000 employee category.
Best places to work in Australia over 1, 000 employees 2017
Mars Australia Mecca Brands Hilton Campbell Arnotts Marriott Hotels & Resorts Australia
Mars Australias winning benefits
Some of the benefits Mars Australia employees receive include:
Comprehensive health & wellbeing programs
Pet friendly offices
Flat structure
On-site perks such as: Snacks during the day Mailing services Massage therapy Travel services Fitness centres & boot camps Educational forums on mental health, nutrition and stress management
Mars Australia brands include M&Ms, Skittles, Masterfoods, Dolmio, Milky Way, Extra, Royal Canin, Pedigree and Whiskas.
The Great Place to Work rankings are published annually by global research and consulting form, Great Place to Work.
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Murray Goulburn sells Kiewa Country Milk to regional VIC dairy group
Murray Goulburn dairy co-operative has sold the Kiewa Country Milk brand to regional Victorias Kyvalley Dairy Group.
The acquisition price has not been disclosed.
Kyvalley Dairy Group is located in Kyabram in northern Victoria. It is owned by brothers Wayne Peter and David Mulcahy. The Mulcahy family has been part of the Australian dairy industry for 160 years.
Kyvalley Dairy Group currently employs over 120 staff and supplies fresh milk products to the Asia Pacific region. The group has also been a supplier to the A2 Milk Company since 2002.
Peter Mulcahy said Kyvalley Dairy believes in the Australian dairy industry and is investing in its future.
With the purchase of Kiewa Country, we are continuing our support of local communities, Mulcahy said.
Chief Executive Officer of Kyvalley Dairy, Alistair McCredden, said the acquisition will support job growth in regional Victoria.
As a family owned fresh milk business this purchase provides an opportunity to relaunch a cherished brand and continue jobs growth in regional Victoria, McCredden said.
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(David Hewison/Bigstock.com) (David Hewison/Bigstock.com)
The Australian Government has repeated that people who move to the country and break the law will be forced to leave and they are doing so in unprecedented numbers.The latest figures show that 2,847 foreign born criminals have been deported since 2014 on the grounds that their activities meant they had breached their visa conditions.Immigration Minister Peter Dutton admitted that there has been a crackdown on criminals being allowed to stay, up 1,200% and said that he was not ashamed of taking such action.While many of them (1,115) were serious criminals involved in violent acts, the figures show that 24 were foreigners whose visas were cancelled on national security or organised crime grounds and 841 white collar criminals.'People who come to our country as visitors, as non-citizens, need to abide by the law. That's the condition of their visa. I've said very clearly that 99% of people come here, do the right thing, abide by the law as a tourist, as a worker and then they leave our shores,' said Dutton.'The reality is for those people that don't, that is those people who are committing crimes against Australians, I've ramped up the number of visa cancellations by about 1,200%,' he pointed out.'We're going to continue to ramp those up to numbers as high as we possibly can because we do keep people safe and frankly I think we're saving future victims, future kids who may fall prey to these paedophiles and others and I think it's work that must be done and work that we're actually really committed to,' he added.Under changes to migration laws in December 2014 Dutton now has greater powers to cancel the visas of foreign born people who fail to meet minimum character standards, or who have been convicted of an offence involving a jail term of more than 12 months.Being a member or associate of an organisation reasonably suspected of being involved in crime is also sufficient for Dutton to cancel a visa on the grounds of failing to meet character standards.
(tashatuvango/Bigstock.com) (tashatuvango/Bigstock.com)
As Australia gears up for more major changes in visas and citizenship application standards, it is suggested that it is wrong to suggest that migrants take jobs from young people.For several years various employment groups, industry associations and the Government has claimed that too many skilled workers from overseas mean fewer jobs for Australians.But a conference in Melbourne has heard that if it was not for immigration, Australia's population would be ageing faster than it is.Migration is transforming the age profile of the labour force, with young migrants, predominantly in their 20s, accounting for 80% of the growth in the workforce in the past five years. Employment grew by 730,000 people between 2011 and last year and, of this, 600,000 were migrants arriving in that period.Demographer Peter McDonald of the University of Melbourne told the Melbourne Institute Economic and Social Outlook Conference that there would have been no increase at all in the number of workers younger than 55 over the past five years.'All the workforce growth would be at ages 55 years and over. The migrants coming in at a young age change the age structure of the labour force. Most of the other growth is older women increasing their participation rates, while the population is increasing at older ages,' he told the conference.He argued that older and younger workers most of the time are not substitutes, they're complements. 'Younger workers have the hi-tech skills while older workers have the experience. It's a good thing to have the mix,' he added.McDonald pointed out that the main issue with unemployment is those who have been without a job for an extended period and migrants are not in the same labour market as people who don't have jobs.'There are some areas where there is competition between migrants and non-migrants but the main picture is not that. Unemployed Australians are largely people who are very low-skilled. They are early school dropouts. Sometimes they get jobs in a boom period, when labouring jobs increase, but most of the time they stay out of the workforce,' he added.Hewever, professor Barbara Broadway, told the conference that tougher standards for visas should be welcomed. 'Tests measuring the aptitude of workers applying for visas under skilled migration schemes should be standardised across Government and employer sponsored programmes,' she said.'This would even out discrepancies between the systems and a perception that overseas workers being sponsored by an employer face a lower bar. An employer sponsor uses a different test compared to the Government and it's difficult to defend. It's too easy for employers to sponsor migrants because the test is pretty slack,' she explained.She added that unemployment rates, particularly among local, low skilled workers, could be addressed by changing the policy settings.
Commercial activity on Aug. 21, source: Geotab
Heavy flooding from what is now Tropical Storm Harvey has disrupted commercial fleets in the Houston area, as corporations and fleet management companies have begun reaching out to their employees and fleet drivers to ensure their safety and assess damage to fleet vehicles.
The storm has closed major roads, frontage lanes, and exits, which has forced fleet managers to curtail or halt operations.
Commercial vehicle activity has fallen by 88% in the Houston area among fleets using Geotab telematics, according to data released by the telematics provider, which created a time-lapse map showing the sharp drop-off from Aug. 21 to Aug. 28. There are Geotab devices in approximately 52,000 vehicles in Texas, including 8,000 vehicles in the Houston area.
"It's crucial that we do everything possible to help our customers protect the lives and safety of their drivers in the affected areas as we continue to face the outcome of this storm," said Neil Cawse, Geotab's CEO. "Geotab is working closely with our partners to provide relevant data so that commercial and emergency fleets are able to travel safely and respond urgently to the victims of Hurricane Harvey."
Flooding has struck more than 500 roadways in southeast Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Commercial fleet activity on Aug. 28, source: Geotab
Several of the large fleets based in Houston closed their operations ahead of the storm, said Mary Sticha, Element Fleet Management's senior vice president of operational excellence.
"We have reached out to both Element employees and customers in the Houston area," Sticha said. "The primary interest, appropriately, is the safety of those on the ground. Most of our customers, as well as Element, closed their operations ahead of the storm. Given this and the communication challenges, many do not know the impact to their fleets yet. Obviously many vehicles are impacted based on the national news. It will be many more days before people know for sure."
Marvin McClain took a flight into the AustinBergstrom International Airport on the evening of Aug. 29 because both Houston airports were closed to assess the American Red Cross fleet.
"I don't know if any of our units were damaged and will do an assessment when I get down there to determine that," said McClain, director of enterprise fleet for the organization. "So far, it seems most were moved out of harm's way, but we have a couple of units that stopped pinging two days ago whose status we need to verify."
McClain will discuss his response to the disaster at the Automotive Fleet Leasing Association's annual conference that begins Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. AFLA leaders hope to raise funds to support McClain's efforts, said Bill Elliott, AFLA's executive director.
Photo of a flooded Houston on Aug. 27 Courtesy: U.S. Coast Guard.
UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service and Amazon have all had to shut down local facilities and service to and from the Houston area until Harvey clears out later this week, according to a USA Today report.
As of today, more than 500 zip codes in Texas and several in southwest Louisiana are not able to receive deliveries from UPS or FedEx and both companies have set up service alert pages showing which areas are without service. UPS posts service alerts here and FedEx posts theirs here.
FedEx posted a statement on its website saying that the company's "top priority is the safety and well-being of our team members. Although contingency plans are in place, some service delays and disruptions can be anticipated for inbound and outbound shipments in Texas and Louisiana."
UPS has been able to secure its operations and will fully assess the storm's impact on their operations when associates can safety re-enter the area.
"We do develop contingency plans," said Matt O'Connor, a UPS spokesman. "We did secure our facilities."
Fleet vehicles damaged during flooding must usually be taken out of service and shipped to a salvage auction, depending on the extent of the damage. Cox Automotive, which owns Manheim auto auctions, expects that about 500,000 vehicles will be scrapped as a result of the storm, reported CNBC.
Editor's note: Steven Martinez, Web Editor of TruckingInfo.com, contributed to this story.
Photo courtesy of Sixt
During the first half of 2017, the Sixt Groups total revenue increased 5.7% to $1.33 billion compared to $1.26 billion during the same time in 2016. Consolidated operating revenue (excluding revenue from returned leasing vehicles) went up 6.3% to $1.17 billion, according to the company.
Sixts revenue for the vehicle rental business unit came to $927.4 million, an increase of 6.4%. Foreign operations rose 12.3% to $495.3 million due to an increase in measures targeted at growing sales and marketing in Western Europe and the U.S., according to the company. The share of foreign business in operating revenue continued to climb up 53.4% compared to 50.6% during the first half of 2016.
Despite high expenditures for expansion measures and new mobility services, Sixts earnings before taxes increased 25.3% to $112.2 million compared to $89.5 million during the same time in 2016, according to the company.
For the first six months of 2017, Sixt added around 121,400 vehicles to its rental and leasing fleet with a total value of $3.75 billion. This is compared to 115,900 vehicles with a total value of $3.35 billion in the first half of 2016.
"With an operating return on revenue of nearly 10% during the first half of the year, Sixt has demonstrated yet again that we are presumably the most profitable international vehicle rental provider in the world, said Erich Sixt, CEO of Sixt SE. Outside of Germany, we are benefitting significantly from our growth initiatives, such as the successful launch of corporately-owned operations in Italy. Shifting tourism flows in the Mediterranean region, to countries such as France and Spain, have also been beneficial. All in all, our outlook for the current fiscal year has become substantially more optimistic."
Sixts Management Board updated its outlook for the full year 2017. The Board now projects an increase in consolidated earnings. In 2016, earnings were $238.6 million. Sixt also expects growth of the consolidated operating revenue, which was reported as $2.32 billion in 2016.
Photo courtesy of Highland Hotel
The Tennant Group has announced that its fall 2017 roundtable meeting will take place Sunday Oct. 1 to Tuesday Oct. 3 at the Highland Hotel in Dallas.
The Tennant Group Round Table is a select number of car and truck rental operators that meet twice yearly to exchange information in an effort to improve their company's efficiency and profits.
The format for each meeting is determined by the members. Previous discussion items have included fleet management, local market development, daily operating controls, vehicle insurance, personnel and training, current legislative issues, and accident and damage recovery.
Members are owners or general managers of independent or franchised car businesses, according to Jim Tennant, the chair of the Tennant Group Round Tables. But Tennant extends an invitation to eligible owners to attend the meeting as a guest.
The room block at the Highland Hotel expires Friday Sept. 1.
If you would like to attend as a guest or have questions about the event, contact Jim Tennant at Jim@tennantgroup.com or 707-287-1311 or Lori Tennant at ltennant6@gmail.com or 561-617-0729.
It was a door-to-door check in Manatee County on Wednesday morning.
About 60 homes damaged in Centre Lakes neighborhood
FEMA assistance not likely for victims
Red Cross offering hotel vouchers to flooding victims
RELATED: Residents cleaning up after weekend storms
State leaders turned their attention to residents who were devastated by the more than 12 inches of rain that fell over the weekend in parts of the county, flooding their homes.
Florida's Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon went into some of the affected homes in the Centre Lake Neighborhood to assess the damage.
"All those relief programs have different thresholds before they kick in and that's what we are trying to understand now," he said. "What's the magnitude across the state, and if it's going to get to the point where they qualify for any state or federal programs."
Over 60 homes were damaged in the Centre Lakes neighborhood alone. Jon Holliday's family is renting one of them, and without flood insurance, he estimates they are out $18,000.
"Any assistance would be great, but right now we've had no assistance, right now everything's being charged to credit cards," he explained.
Koon says it is possible that the residents could get state assistance through a small business loan, but FEMA assistance is not likely.
The Red Cross is offering hotel vouchers to flooding victims, and the county is teaming residents up with local organizations to help with the cleanup.
Beaumont native and Cleveland Indians right fielder Jay Bruce has launched a fundraiser for local victims of Hurricane Harvey, and plans to donate up to $100,000 to the cause.
All donations made to Cleveland Indians Charities through Sept. 10 will be directed to help victims of this week's flooding, the team said online. Bruce and his wife, Hannah, who grew up in Hamshire-Fannett, will match up to $100,000 of those donations.
"Beaumont is where I'm from. It's the community that raised me, and in my opinion, it's a huge reason why I'm in the position I'm in today," he said. "I feel like I have a platform to help."
The West Brook graduate, whose family still lives in the area, including in the flooded Green Acres neighborhood, said he hopes to draw attention and resources to Southeast Texas.
"Houston is obviously in a terrible, terrible situation, and they're getting a lot of exposure to media and people helping, and I'm so glad to see that," he said. "But on the other hand, Southeast Texas is getting absolutely hammered, and not quite as much exposure, and being from here, I can chip away at that a little bit."
Bruce said he's still in the process of determining exactly how the money will be doled out to the region, but said he wants to be sure the money goes to help rebuild in the long term.
"It's going to take a while to rebuild to get back to normal, it might even be a new normal," he said. "People are going to need help building their lives. I would like to help touch and affect as many people personally as much as I can."
"It's going to take some planning and some clarity to figure out how that's actually going to happen, but we want every dollar to go to the community," he said.
"I wish I could be there personally," Bruce said, speaking by phone from New York Tuesday, "but I want to do what I can from a distance."
Donate to the fundraiser here.
Cherokee Nation is in the midst of constructing the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah, Okla.
Here's what you should know:
1. The facility will include 180 exam rooms, imaging services, 10 new cardiac, lung and kidney specialists and an ASC.
2. The ASC will have five surgical suites and two endoscopy suites.
3. The whole facility is a joint venture between Cherokee Nation and Indian Health Service. Cherokee Nation believes the facility will open in 2019.
4. IHS will pay $80 million annually for at least 20 years for staffing and operational costs. Cherokee Nation is paying $200 million to cover the center's construction costs.
Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine gastroenterology division physicians Avi Ketwaroo, MD, Richa Shukla, MD, Yamini Natarajan, MD and Jordan Shapiro, MD, met with U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas.
Here's what you should know:
1. The meeting was arranged to support the American Gastroenterological Association's effort to connect constituents with AGA members.
2. The gastroenterologists discussed increasing National Institutes of Health research funding, the importance of colonoscopies and the ACA.
3. The AGA encourages its members to meet with elected representatives. For more information, click here.
Under HIPAA, patients are granted the right to access their medical data, but some find this data hard to access, confusing to interpret or harmful to the patient-physician relationship.
In fact, this right to access has sparked a recent debate in the healthcare arena as to why patients would even want to see their data, which can be thousands of pages long, or if they even should have full access.
According to the law, patients can request to view or get a copy of their health records from covered entities, which include health plans, most healthcare providers and healthcare clearinghouses. Patients can also ask to have corrections made to their health information and find out who has seen their records since providers may share patient data with insurers or other physicians.
To access their complete medical data file, patients must put in a formal request and pay costs of copying and mailing. Then, providers have 30 days to comply. The 21st Century Cures Act takes this a step further and requires the EHR to be translated into patient-friendly language, which some like Epic CEO Judy Faulkner allege creates a barrier to getting the medical record to the patient.
Although patients can legally access their data, a recent ONC report found many aren't, citing confusing patient portals with incomplete or missing information.
Some hospital executives say the specific wording physicians use in patient chart notes may jeopardize the patient-physician relationship, or, in the case of mental health, the notes may be too sensitive to share with a patient.
So, the question remains: Should patients have full rights to their medical data? Becker's Hospital Review asked five health industry executives for their opinions on this issue.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Daryl Kallevig, CIO of Aitkin, Minn.-based Riverwood Healthcare Center. "The patient really owns their medical record. We are just the custodians of it. Physicians and clinicians document in notes things they would hope patients may never see [like] mental health patients or a drug-seeking patient that comes into our emergency room. Providing a patient with a [censored] medical record is something that needs to be done from a patient safety perspective. [Another] perspective I think [is important] is the relationship between the patient and physician. If they've had an ongoing relationship for a number of years, would that patient or that physician want to see that compromised by a statement in a medical note?
There has to be discretion in what is released to the patient. If it is perceived it can harm the patient in any fashion, it shouldn't be released whether that harm is emotional, psychological or whatever."
Thomas Pappas, executive vice president of business strategies at The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health and former CEO of Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare's Pennsylvania branch. "I come from the health insurance side of things. The patient owns the data ownership is fundamental. Access to data is where the problem comes in. The hospital and/or the doctor are the custodians of the data. There's ownership, there's the custodian, and then there's where the data resides. Epic and Cerner, who handle electronic health data systems, are not prone to releasing data because they know how critically important it is."
Keith Safian, CEO of Safian and Co. and former president and CEO of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.-based Phelps Hospital. "An EHR company is a 'carrier' and has no rights to any content, much like a radio station does not own a song they play on air. The hospital or physician practice and its staff create the data, store the data, are required by law to protect that data, so in that vein, the hospital/physician owns it.
Patients should have unlimited access to their data, but since they did not create it and are not responsible for maintaining it, they do not own it. For example, if a patient owned it, he or she could demand a hospital or practice destroy 'his or her' medical record, which a hospital cannot do for many reasons."
Grant Geiger, CEO, New York City-based EIR Healthcare. "The patient owns their data, but the physician office and facility owns the record. These tenets have been in place for decades. However, as we embrace a digital world and 94 percent of all hospitals now use [a] certified EHR, this equation is shifting. And tomorrow, as we [look] beyond the EHR and we think about the adoption of [internet of things] functionality in hospitals, we all need a fresh look at this relationship.
With the introduction of IOT and passive monitoring of patients, we need new guidelines and regulations in place for the future of healthcare. We are going to collect more data from patients in the next five years than we have in the past 10. The patient should always own their data, but it's no longer going to be on a piece of paper and we need to start thinking that way."
Mike Kijewski, CEO and co-founder, Encinitas, Calif.-based MedCrypt. "Patient healthcare data should be accessible and transportable by patients, providers and payers alike they all have a role in 'owning' patient data. Patients can't be as engaged if they don't have access to their healthcare data and records. A healthcare free market would allow patients to choose providers who use software systems that make their healthcare records accessible. However, patients are not easily able to choose their healthcare provider based on the [EHR] the provider uses, especially when two [EHR] vendors together have [roughly] 50 percent market share today.
The federal government allows citizens to access data via [Freedom of Information Act] requests. Banks make customers' transaction records available to them. Healthcare IT companies need to give patients access to their own healthcare data."
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey's destruction numerous healthcare organizations quickly responded with donations, volunteers and equipment to support disaster relief efforts across Texas.
Here are seven health systems that announced philanthropic responses.
Note this is not an exhaustive list. Hospitals and health systems are in alphabetical order. The list will be updated to reflect new responses.
1. Ascension, based in St. Louis, accepted evacuated patients at its various hospitals in Austin, Texas, including Seton Medical Center, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas and Seton Northwest Hospital. Additionally, Ascension is collecting donations through its Seton Fund to aid relief efforts.
2. Catholic Health Services in Rockville Center, N.Y., donated $100,000 to a special collection, organized by the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which was established to assist storm victims.
3. Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tenn., deployed an air ambulance and two flight crews to assist disaster relief efforts.
4. HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tenn., donated $1 million to the American Red Cross and will match employee donations to the HCA Hope Fund, an employee assistance organization, up to $1 million.
5. Providence St. Joseph Health in Renton, Wash., made a systemwide donation to the American Red Cross, sent medical supplies to organizations participating in relief efforts and will match all contributions dollar for dollar from its health system's caregivers to the Red Cross.
6. Sutter Health in Sacramento, Calif., donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross Gold County Region.
7. University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and UAB Highlands Hospital opened their doors to patients evacuated from Texas hospitals.
Henderson County law enforcement in North Carolina is notifying residents of scam phone calls where a person claims to be collecting payment for Hendersonville, N.C.-based Park Ridge Health, according to a WLOS report.
"The scammer has pretended to be someone from Park Ridge Health calling," Park Ridge Hospital Communications Director Victoria Dunkle told the TV station. "And, in one case, we do know they pretended to be someone from Life Alert calling, trying to get information from the recipient of the call."
The scam phone calls are made using a "spoof" system that results in the healthcare organization's number showing up on caller ID.
Ms. Dunkle said in the report hospital officials have made efforts to ensure patients' personal health information has not been compromised by these calls.
Henderson County authorities recommended people with questions about medical billing information or expenses owed call the healthcare organization's billing office, according to the report.
Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System reported operating income of $73 million in fiscal year 2017, a 46.2 percent year-over-year decrease from $135.8 million.
UK Health System's operating revenue increased from $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2016 to $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2017, partially reflecting increased income from its Jan. 1 acquisition of Hays (Kan.) Medical Center.
At the same time, the health system saw fiscal year 2017 operating expenses increase 29.1 percent year over year to $2.1 billion. UK Health System partly attributed rising expenses to its addition of HaysMed.
UK Health System ended fiscal year 2017 with $99.8 million in net income, dropping from $127.2 million achieved in fiscal year 2016. The health system saw its operating margin more than halved in fiscal year 2017 to 3.4 percent, compared to 7.8 percent recorded in fiscal year 2016.
Becker's Hospital Review reached out to UK Health System for further information on its financial report. This article will be updated once information becomes available.
Four of the top vendors hospitals use to attest to the meaningful use program are Allscripts, Cerner, Epic and Meditech, according to June 2016 ONC data.
Here are 20 hospitals and health systems that posted job listings seeking EHR and IT expertise in the past two weeks.
Allscripts
1. Children's of Alabama (Birmingham): Seeks a senior applications analyst
2. Colquitt Regional Medical Center (Moultrie, Ga.): Seeks an assistant director for clinical informatics
3. NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City): Seeks an IT system engineer
4. Southeastern Regional Medical Center (Lumberton, N.C.): Seeks a technical security analyst
5. St. Joseph Health (Irvine, Calif.): Seeks a senior IT analyst
Cerner
1. Banner Health (Phoenix): Seeks an IT clinical systems consultant
2. Huntington Hospital (Pasadena, Calif.): Seeks a clinical informatics analyst
3. Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles): Seeks a clinical systems administrator for imaging applications
4. Providence Health & Services (Renton, Wash.): Seeks a senior applications analyst for pharmacy lab
5. Seattle Children's Hospital: Seeks a senior systems analyst
Epic
1. Cooper University Health Care (Camden, N.J.): Seeks a lead application analyst
2. NYU Langone Health (New York City): Seeks a clinical analyst
3. Penn Medicine (Philadelphia): Seeks an application analyst
4. Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.): Seeks a clinical applications analyst for patient safety
5. University of Utah Health Care (Salt Lake City): Seeks an application systems analyst
Meditech
1. Canton-Potsdam (N.Y.) Hospital: Seeks a clinical applications support specialist
2. Manchester (Conn.) Memorial Hospital: Seeks a health information management specialist
3. Stamford (Calif.) Hospital: Seeks a data integrity analyst
4. Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.): Seeks an applications analyst
5. Valley Children's Healthcare (Madera, Calif.): Seeks an application analyst for IT apps and programming
HHS issued a limited waiver of HIPAA sanctions and penalties during Hurricane Harvey, which HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, declared a public health emergency in Texas Aug. 26 and Louisiana Aug. 28.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule cannot be suspended during emergencies. However, the HHS secretary may waive certain provisions to allow covered entities to share patient information to assist in disaster relief efforts and patient care.
"Often questions arise about the ability of entities covered by the HIPAA regulations to share information, including with friends and family, public health officials and emergency personnel," the HHS bulletin reads.
Here are five provisions for which Dr. Price waived HIPAA sanctions and penalties.
1. The requirements to obtain a patient's agreement to speak with family members or friends involved in the patient's care
2. The requirement to honor a request to opt out of the facility directory
3. The requirement to distribute a notice of privacy practices
4. The patient's right to request privacy restrictions
5. The patient's right to request confidential communications
The waiver applies to areas in Texas and Louisiana through the emergency period defined by Dr. Price. The waiver applies for up to 72 hours after a hospital implements its disaster protocol. Once the public health emergency declaration terminates, a hospital must immediately resume complying with HIPAA provisions for patients still under its care.
Click here to view the full bulletin.
Samsung has launched two fitness-focused smartwatches and a pair of wireless earbuds that work with its voice assistant Bixby, reports CNBC.
The Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch, the Gear Fit 2 Pro fitness band and the IconX 2018 wireless Bluetooth earbuds mark the company's biggest stab at the health and fitness industries yet. Its previous attempts involved a fitness app called S Health and a few wearable devices, reports CNBC.
But, the company's wearables weren't as successful as its competitors, such as Apple and Fitbit. Samsung held 5.5 percent of the wearables market share in the first quarter of 2017, compared to Apple's 14 percent.
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Blair, Neb.-based Memorial Community Hospital & Health System President and CEO Tim Plante is stepping down, effective Sept. 30, according to a Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise report.
Here are five notes:
1. Mr. Plante served as the organization's leader since July 2016.
2. He is leaving to pursue other opportunities with Omaha, Neb.-based CHI Health, which owns a 40-percent stake in MCH&HS.
3. During Mr. Plante's tenure, the organization renovated Blair Clinic and removed its home health and hospice services.
4. Prior to joining MCH&HS, he was associate vice president of patient care services at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Wash.
5. MCH&HS will name an interim leader until a permanent replacement is found.
Lou Shapiro has been CEO of New York-based Hospital for Special Surgery since 2006. After leading the organization for over a decade, he knows the 154-year-old hospital has to keep both eyes toward the future and outline long-term plans for success.
Under Mr. Shapiro's leadership, HSS has grown its reputation as an international leader in musculoskeletal procedures. It attracts patients from around country and the world, performing 30,000 surgeries per year.
Earlier this year, he distributed a company playbook to every one of HSS's 5,000 employees titled Your Personal Guide: Roadmap to 2020. He talked with Becker's about how he plans to stay competitive in an increasingly consolidated healthcare landscape and what it means to grow better instead of bigger.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: First of all, why was it important to you to distribute this roadmap to every employee?
Lou Shapiro: The output of an organization is the byproduct of all the people in that organization rowing in the same direction. You have to be committed to the organization's success and be all in. If people feel an ownership of the plan and feel that they understand what the organization is doing, and feel that they have an important role in it, you will have success.
We walk the talk. We've created an energy that emanates from all 5,000 people who are part of the HSS family, committed to what we're trying to do here, which is being the best in what we do. Everyone is inspired by that and they feel a sense of ownership in fulfilling that obligation of purpose. To do that you need to communicate frequently with people and work together, and as we rolled out the strategic plan I felt it was very important for everyone to feel ownership of that.
Q: The idea of "growing better" is emphasized heavily in the handbook. What does this mean and how exactly do you plan on doing that?
LS: In an environment moving from volume to value, the hypothesis at the core of our strategy is bigger isn't better. The only thing that's better is being better. I'm not implying that it's bad, I'm implying that the jury's still out on whether bigger means better or if bigger just means bigger. There's a lot of organizations that aren't the best at what they do, or aren't better than a lot of others in the marketplace, so they're investing in being bigger as a way of trying to have influence in the marketplace or get economies of scale so they can make investments. In some cases organizations are trying to use their scale to make improvements through their system, but I think the jury is still out on that. Time will tell.
The underlying notion here is that we will be successful as long as we are better than anyone else who does what we do. It doesn't matter if we're bigger that's not going to help us be distinctive in the marketplace. This organization is leveraging its distinctiveness in its space and is focusing on winning as a result of the value we provide and as a result of being better. That's cornerstone No. 1 of what we're doing.
Q: The playbook also highlights the importance of regional and market expansion. Can you tell me what plans HSS has for this kind of growth? .
LS: It's very important that anything we do with our name on it has the same caliber care as if people came to the main campus. We are building our delivery system throughout the regional market organically nothing overly sophisticated. Our market strategy is about delivering HSS caliber care closer to where people live and work so not everyone needs to come into the city for care.
In the case of our collaboration with Stamford (Conn.) Health, we previously built a de novo outpatient center there, and our collaboration with them is built around the development of inpatient care at the new hospital they've built. It's the same concept though, emphasizing the same characteristics that made us successful at our main campus: people, culture, medical staff development.
Q: It's made clear in the playbook that the HSS Innovation Center is central to the hospital's vision for the future. What exactly is the HSS Innovation Center and why is it important?
LS: HSS has a very long history of innovation, including the modern knee replacement. The hypothesis for the Innovation Center is that HSS is the largest musculoskeletal institution probably in the world, certainly in the U.S., and it has an academic medical center foundation. That means we not only take care of patients but have significant teaching programs and research. So the goal of the Innovation Center is to partner our scientists and clinicians to identify knowledge that can be exported to the marketplace without patients needing to come here for care to benefit from it.
Today HSS gets paid for what we do, and we want to leverage our knowledge so we get paid for what we know. The knowledge is a result of what we do and the volume of our care. Historically that knowledge has been used to get better you do the same thing over and over again, you learn from that and you get better, but we want to deploy it to the marketplace through innovations in technology, care delivery and science.
Q: Can you tell me a little more about the HSS Global Ventures project?
LS: HSS Global Ventures is about exporting our knowledge to the world through partnerships with other organizations who want to build HSS-like delivery systems in their market. It's really our focus for out-of-market growth. Our partners could be another health system or any other organization that wants to bring the HSS value proposition to their community. We're doing that either through long-term advisory relationships like we have in Brazil and South Korea, as well as places where we are building new facilities where we feel like we have the right partner we and can replicate what we're doing here.
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University of Virginia Health System played a key role in caring for people injured during a white nationalist torchlit march Aug. 11 and a "Unite the Right" rally Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Va.
The health system, also in Charlottesville, cared for roughly 30 people affected by the events. Most of the patients treated had experienced trauma from an incident Aug. 12 in which a person drove a car into a crowd, says Tom Berry, director of emergency management at UVA Health System. All patients treated at UVA Health System were discharged by Aug. 21.
Mr. Berry recently discussed with Becker's Hospital Review how UVA Health System prepared for and responded to the rally. He also offered advice for other health systems in areas where similar rallies are planned.
Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: How did the health system prepare for the rally?
Tom Berry: We did intelligence collection. It was primarily unclassified information that really anybody could pick up through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and websites. I also talked to Charlottesville police a lot because they were getting intelligence through the law enforcement channels, some of which was from the state fusion center, which is part of the Virginia State Police. So that was one part of how we prepared because that helped me and my team understand what the situation was and what the threats were. And that helps as you go through the rest of the preparedness or the planning process.
I also had probably seven or eight small working groups, and they were the ones doing the planning, the coordination and the work to prepare. And those small working groups were organized in general terms around clinical operations, logistics and what I would call plans/communications.
Additionally, I had two meetings that included our incident management team one was two weeks out and one was one week out. Those meetings contained about 60 people not only from across the system but also our partners in the community and in the region like the Charlottesville Fire Department, which oversees rescue, as well as Charlottesville-based Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital and also emergency medical services. I didn't see those as really a planning/coordination meeting as much as information sharing. It was an opportunity where experts from across the health system and in the community had a chance to share what they were doing to prepare.
The fourth piece of the preparedness phase was coordinating with the local, regional and state entities. I was integrated with the University of Virginia meetings with the college president, and I was talking to the Virginia Department of Health. It was really me sharing my plans with UVA, the department of health representatives, our sister hospital Martha Jefferson, Charlottesville fire officials, Charlottesville police, university police and the local emergency manager.
Q: What was it like to go through the preparedness process?
TB: I joined UVA Health System in 2007. Before that, I had spent 22 years in the U.S. Army, and I worked in the medical task force kind of environment, but always closely aligned with the deployed units, not necessarily in hospitals. From a hospitalization and medical treatment and medical transport perspective, I would say many of the concepts we developed in our plans and in our response were very similar to how you would respond to a mass casualty situation in a humanitarian or even in a hostile fire kind of situation.
Q: What was preparedness like on the hospital grounds?
TB: We started on Aug. 8 looking for opportunities to what I call decompress the hospital, meaning let's try to discharge patients safely and then look for ways to make sure the emergency room and inpatient areas have capacity. We start Aug. 8 and on Aug. 12 we're as decompressed as we possibly can be to absorb a large volume of patients.
Hospital officials also looked at the operating room schedule, especially for Aug. 12, and ultimately decided to cancel elective surgeries that day. We still did emergency and transplant surgeries.
Q: What was staff morale like during the weekend events?
TB: With technology the way it is, everybody could see what was happening on Twitter. People could go on the periscope and see the live feeds or Facebook live feeds, so not just in our command center where we see that and hear it on the radio. We started to notice as things were building Aug. 12 that employees, team members and visitors were becoming anxious because even though it was happening downtown and we had restricted access and heightened our security in the building, when you're seeing that stuff on TV it immediately translates to anxiety and "Am I safe?" So we countered that with frequent huddles that originated from our command center. But then it was kind of a ripple effect where leadership took the information from the command center and they disseminated that to the employees, patients and visitors.
We also had our employee assistance program experts on call as part of the plan. They work with employees on a daily basis on various types of things but have the ability to do crisis intervention, including counseling and other efforts. So what I did is pull them in and say "Hey, I just think you need to circulate throughout the hospital, make sure people are OK, communicate what you're hearing in the command center huddles and just reassure people and then bring information back to the command center that you may think is relevant so we can apply other options as necessary."
Q: What is your advice for health systems that may be in similar situations?
RB: Charlottesville is not a real small town, but it still has that small town feel so a lot of times people think [these kind of violent events] won't happen here. But I think after this incident people realize it could happen in Charlottesville. So communities whether they're small, medium or large I think can all benefit from going through the planning process. I said throughout the planning process phase and the preparedness phase it's not the plan we end up posting on our website, it's the process. It's making sure you have the networks and the relationships [with local entities] so when it does happen you're not developing those on the fly. It could happen anywhere and the planning process is much more important than the plan.
Prince William County Police on Monday arrested a nurse accused of inappropriately touching a patient at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge, according to The Washington Post.
The police leveled multiple charges against Frederick Yeboah, including sexual battery. The incident allegedly occurred between Aug. 21 and Aug. 24. Police believe the matter was an isolated occurrence and that there are no other victims.
"Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center is committed to the safety and care of our patients," said the hospital in a statement emailed to Becker's. "We are cooperating fully with authorities. The individual has been placed on administrative leave."
Mr. Yeboah was arrested without incident and is slated to appear before court in October.
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HHS has established a 250-bed federal medical station at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston to assist those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Members of HHS' National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will staff the medical station, which is expected to be operational Wednesday.
"We are committed to supporting state and local agencies in meeting the healthcare needs emerging from this devastating storm," said HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD. "The federal medical station we are setting up and staffing in Houston will provide vital care to Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey, and we stand ready to devote additional resources as needed."
HHS has deployed 500 personnel to assist those affected by Hurricane Harvey and has 1,300 more on standby.
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Tropical Storm Harvey has devastated southeastern Texas and surrounding Gulf regions, with historic rainfall totals that have led to severe flooding and at least 30 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to The New York Times.
Many hospitals and other regional medical facilities have been forced to take emergency measures to combat the effects of Harvey and protect their patients. Listed below are four recent developments as of Wednesday.
1. Closures. The following hospitals are currently closed:
-University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and its outpatient clinics are closed through at least Friday, according to the Houston Chronicle. However, patients who regularly receive care at MD Anderson are welcome to travel to Baton Rouge, La.-based Ochsner Medical Center, Baton Rouge Medical Center and Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center for treatment, according to The Advocate.
-Several sites in the Memorial Hermann network are closed, including its 149-bed Memorial Hermann Sugar Land facility, according to the hospital. Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital First Colony, Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center at Summer Creek and Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Spring are also closed, according to The Houston Press.
-The 49-bed Quentin Mease Hospital in Houston is closed, according to The Houston Press
-Texas Children's Hospital has closed outpatient clinics at its main campus, Woodlands and West Campus sites, though inpatient units at all three hospitals have been operational throughout the duration of the storm.
2. Restricted access. The following hospitals are operating under restricted access, meaning there are no visiting hours:
-Ben Taub Hospital in Houston
-Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston
3. Evacuation. Nearly 20 hospitals have evacuated a total of 1,500 patients. Ben Taub Hospital, one of Houston's largest safety-net hospitals, has abandoned plans to evacuate patients after attempts to do so were hampered by a series of delays and flooded roads. Sunday it announced its intention to evacuate its 350 patients, then lowered the scope to 60 patients Monday, according to the Houston Chronicle. It began evacuating its first five patients Monday evening, though only three reached their transfer destinations. Two patients had to return to Ben Taub after their ambulances encountered impassable roads.
4. Supplies. Ben Taub previously announced it was set to run out of food by Tuesday night, but received a partial food delivery Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. Local providers have also been clamoring for blood donations, which were already in short supply before the storm.
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Oklahoma City-based Integris Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma in Tulsa eluded an Aug. 31 contract termination Tuesday.
Under a new two-year agreement, BCBSOK policyholders will retain in-network access to Integris' facilities and more than 600 physicians. The contract extends in-network status to BCBSOK policyholders purchasing coverage on the state's individual market, which will be effective at an unannounced date.
"Reaching an agreement was always our goal," said Bruce Lawrence, president and CEO of Integris.
Reports of stalled contract negotiations between Integris and BCBSOK first surfaced in mid-July.
Numerous media anchors, elected officials and public health officials have encouraged Hurricane Harvey survivors to get a tetanus shot. Experts believe these appeals are spurred by the myth that exposure to floodwater can increase an individual's risk of contracting tetanus, according to STAT.
Here are six things to know.
1. While floodwater can carry multiple contaminants from sewage to industrial chemicals, floodwater exposure alone does not increase a person's risk of catching tetanus.
"It's this old wives' tale. It's a myth," Michael Osterholm, PhD, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research in Minneapolis, told STAT.
2. The myth is likely spurred by the fact that being in floodwaters does increase one's risk of puncture wounds, as these waters can carry debris. Individuals working on flood cleanups also have increased risk of experience a puncture wound, which serves as an entryway for tetanus to enter the body.
3. Tetanus is caused by the spore-forming bacteria Clostridium tetani, which can be found in soil, dust and manure. When the spores enter the body, which can often occur after a puncture wound, the bacteria produce toxins that can cause multiple health complications, including painful muscle contractions in the jaw, headache and pneumonia. While 10 percent to 20 percent of cases are fatal, the condition is rare. The U.S. sees about 30 cases annually, according to STAT.
4. While the CDC does not recommend tetanus shots for those who have been exposed to floodwaters, the agency does recommend individuals participating in flood cleanups be up to date on their tetanus vaccinations.
5. Dr. Osterholm expressed concern that widespread tetanus vaccination efforts would cause a superfluous diversion of resources and incite undue alarm. Dr. Osterholm added that increases in tetanus cases haven't occurred after past natural disasters when there wasn't a widespread effort to vaccinate.
"As we looked at this more closely, in fact, even though punctures surely can occur, there's absolutely no evidence that people are at more risk," Dr. Osterholm told STAT.
6. Kathleen Schrank, MD, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Miami, told the publication people do get panicky regarding the risk of tetanus after a natural disaster, though the fear is generally unwarranted.
"So they go seek care for it and that overwhelms the local clinic or urgent care centers or health departments at a time when they need to be focused on much more likely threats," Dr. Schrank told STAT. "If you do develop a wound in your skin that develops an infection, yes, by all means go get medical care for it I don't want to see people ignore [real] things. But the tetanus need is going to be minimal."
More articles on infection control:
Study: Antimicrobial nursing scrubs ineffective at limiting bacterial contamination
37 sickened in multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to pet turtles
APIC: 6 tips for infection prevention after a hurricane
Nursing scrubs with antimicrobial properties do not prevent bacterial contamination in healthcare settings, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
For the study, researchers from Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Hospital examined 40 nurses who wore three types of scrubs for three consecutive 12-hour shifts. Nurses either wore traditional cotton-polyester scrubs, scrubs with silver-alloy in its fibers or scrubs treated with a combination of antibacterial materials. The nurses, who all worked on medical and surgical intensive care units, did not know which scrub type they were wearing.
Researchers took cultures from the nurses' scrubs, patients and the environment before and after each shift. They found no difference in contamination levels between the three scrubs.
Of the 120 shifts studied, researchers found new contamination on scrubs during 39 shifts, and bacterial contamination occurred during 19 shifts. Of these 19 cases, three occurred among nurses caring for patients with known drug-resistant bacterial infections. Staphylococcus aureus including MRSA and methicillin susceptible S. aureus was the most commonly transmitted pathogen.
Study authors cited the low-level of disinfectant capabilities in the scrubs' fabric, combined with repeated exposure in a short timeframe, as the likely reason the clothing was ineffective against bacterial contamination.
More articles on infection control and clinical quality:
CDC: Nearly two-thirds of heart attack patients skip recommended rehab
37 sickened in multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to pet turtles
Infant's race influences quality of NICU care, study finds
Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, Mich., is the first hospital in the state to acquire the Mazor X system, according to the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Here are three takeaways:
1. Metro Health has been focused on minimally invasive surgery in recent years and the integration of Mazor X is another step in advancing its minimally invasive spine program.
2. Mazor X uses a 3D simulation of a patient's spine, allowing the surgeon to develop a plan prior to the procedure. During the time of the surgery, the system provides computer analytics for additional precision guidance.
3. Metro Health was the first hospital in Michigan to adopt Mazor Robotics' Renaissance guidance system.
Simon Coveney TD (second from left) with (left) NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham, Chief Executive Ann McGregor and Paul Murnaghan, BT Business NI, in Belfast. Photo: Kelvin Boyes
Northern Ireland business is at a critical point in making its voice heard in the debate over Brexit, the Republic's Minister for Foreign Affairs has said. Fine Gael TD Simon Coveney told businesspeople they could wield influence on Brexit negotiations, during an event hosted by the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Belfast yesterday.
But the Chamber's president Ellvena Graham also urged the Minister to encourage politicians in Northern Ireland to get back to powersharing for the benefit of the economy.
Mr Coveney said: "The voice of business is vital in the debate on Brexit and dealing with its impact on Northern Ireland.
"And we are at a critical juncture now in terms of making that voice heard."
The Minister said the best position for the continuation of seamless cross-border trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic was for the UK to stay in the customs union and single market.
Mr Coveney commented: "Our current border arrangement has been a vital part of our shared peace, just as it has been a critical facilitator of Northern Ireland's 3.6bn of exports to Ireland annually.
"This is more than a third of all Northern Ireland exports. The best way to ensure we preserve the kind of border arrangements that have served us so well is for the UK and Northern Ireland to remain in the customs union and single market."
The Minister added: "Businesses in Northern Ireland should not underestimate their influence at this time. I'm pleased to have a chance to hear the views of leading businesswomen and men in Northern Ireland, but I hope these views also resonate in Belfast, London and Brussels over the coming weeks."
The Minister was making his first address to businesses in Northern Ireland since taking the Foreign Affairs job earlier in the summer.
Ellvena Graham said businesses in Northern Ireland faced a "challenging time". "Because many of our businesses export to Ireland, or operate on an all-island basis, many firms here are rightly concerned about the impact of Brexit and, as a Chamber, our priority must therefore be around protecting the all-island market and supply chain.
"The free movement of goods - and also people - across the border is essential to the success of Northern Ireland's economy."
She added: "For too long now, our members have had to work with a non-functioning NI Executive which makes it very challenging for business and wider society.
"I ask that Minister Coveney does all that he can to encourage our politicians to come to an agreement and get back to work for the good of the Northern Ireland economy."
Meanwhile, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker delivered a fresh rebuke to Prime Minister Theresa May over the handling of Brexit, and said official papers setting out the Government's positions were not satisfactory.
A study estimated the deficit for hospitals covered would have been lowered by a quarter if money paid in profits had instead been spent on patient care
Private firms with contracts to build and equip NHS hospitals have made 831 million profit over six years, according to new research.
A study by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) found the NHS will pay around 80.8 billion over the life of the private finance initiative (PFI) contracts, 92% of which are run by just eight companies.
The report by the think tank, which analysed Treasury and Companies House data on PFI schemes between 2010 and 2015, estimated the deficit for hospitals covered by the study would have been reduced by a quarter if the money paid out in profits had instead been spent on patient care.
The Government said less than 3% of the NHS budget was spent on PFI.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously called for an end to the schemes and the party's Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy warned that debt owed on the contracts was "crippling" hospitals.
Analysis of 107 PFI contracts for which full data was available found pre-tax profits of 831 million for the companies behind the deals , while 480 million had been paid out in dividends to their investors, the CHPI said.
The pre-tax profit margin on repayments from two NHS trusts, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals and County Durham and Darlington, was 38% over six years.
And NHS repayments over the next five years will generate 873 million in pre-tax profits.
The health service has a total of 125 PFI schemes - an alternative to public borrowing for major building projects that see NHS trusts make annual repayments over the length of the contracts, which have an average term of 31 years.
Eight firms are equity owners of the bodies set up to manage 115 of them, with investment firms Semperian (24) and Innisfree (19) and Barclays (16) operating the most, according to the CHPI.
The report's authors concluded: "The Government should reconsider its use of the Private Finance Initiative and consider using public borrowing to fund new capital investment in hospitals.
"This is likely to be much cheaper and will mean that less money for patient care will be wasted in payments to shareholders, which is particularly important when the NHS is going through the most austere decade in its history."
Writing in the Guardian, Ms Creasy said: " If Theresa May is serious about taking on the unacceptable face of capitalism, she could save Britain a fortune if she goes after the legal loan sharks of the public sector.
"For decades, governments of both main parties have used them for the simple but ultimately short-sighted view that it keeps borrowing off the books - helping reduce the amount of debt the country appears to have, but at great longer term expense.
"It's now painfully clear that the intended benefits of private sector skills to help manage projects have been subsumed in the one-sided nature of these contracts, to devastating effect on budgets."
Health minister Philip Dunne MP said: " Of the 125 PFI contracts reviewed in this report, 118 were negotiated by the last Labour government, which saddled the NHS with a crippling 80 billion of debt and costs our hospitals nearly 2 billion a year to service.
"This Government has refused to sign up the NHS and taxpayers to such appalling deals like Labour did, and has instead committed to increase the NHS budget by at least 8 billion per annum in this parliament."
Ford has become the latest manufacturer to unveil a scrappage scheme
Ford has become the latest manufacturer to unveil a scrappage scheme - but its offer extends to non-Ford and petrol vehicles.
Up to 7,000 will be available off the price of a new car or van in return for certain older vehicles.
The move follows similar scrappage incentives from Vauxhall, BMW, Mercedes and other manufacturers.
The Ford scheme aims to remove the most polluting older cars from roads, and of course dangle a sales incentive in front of potential customers.
Ford's offer is open to all cars registered before December 31, 2009.
It offers 2,000 off applicable trade-ins, plus up to an extra 5,000 customer saving depending on model.
The Ford scrappage programme will run to the end of the year and is effective for registrations from September 1 to December 31, 2017.
"Ford shares society's concerns over air quality", said Ford UK boss Andy Barratt."Removing the most polluting vehicles will have the most immediate positive effect on air quality, and this Ford scrappage scheme aims to do just that."
Alternatively-fuelled vehicles are growing rapidly.
The Giants Causeway has topped a newspaper poll of most overrated attractions
It's our only World Heritage site - and it was voted the most popular tourist destination in Northern Ireland last year.
But it seems that not everyone has been bewitched by the massive stretch of staircase-shaped rocks known as the Giant's Causeway.
Indeed, the site of the 40,000 or so interlocking hexagonal basalt columns recently got a resounding thumbs down in a snap survey of the world's must-see sights.
And when social media users were asked to name "the most overrated and underwhelming tourist attraction" they had ever visited, they gave the internationally famous landmark the "most negative mentions".
The stark criticism has been deftly batted away by Alastair Walker, site manager for the Giant's Causeway, which is run by the National Trust.
Describing it as "one of the most popular and iconic visitor attractions in the world, welcoming over 944,000 visitors from 184 countries" last year, Mr Walker said its success speaks for itself.
"The Giant's Causeway has consistently been graded as a five-star visitor attraction in the Tourism Northern Ireland Tourist Attraction grading scheme since the new Visitor Centre opened in July 2012," he said.
"It has also been named the UK's Best Heritage Attraction at the British Travel Awards for the past two years and is nominated again this year.
"These awards are the largest consumer poll in the UK and are awarded solely on public votes."
Referring to feedback, Mr Walker said the Giant's Causeway "consistently scores over 95% in terms of overall visitor satisfaction and enjoyment".
Alderman Norman Hillis, of the Causeway Coast & Glens Council, said he was "absolutely outraged" to hear the stinging negativity about "such a marvellous place".
"Can a million people be wrong? Because that's how many visitors we're expecting to come to the Giant's Causeway this year," he said.
"It's unique, it's absolutely stunning and I honestly can't believe how anyone could say it's underwhelming or overrated.
"What I love about it is the fact that it's all-natural; you're getting the raw beauty of the Causeway Coast and some of the photos are magnificent.
"People come from all over the world to see it. Every time I myself go to visit it, I'm bowled over by its beauty."
He added: "It has so much to offer that we know people are leaving Dublin for day-trips just to see the Giant's Causeway."
His sentiments were shared by his Causeway Coast and Glens Council colleague Barney Fitzpatrick, who also extolled the landmark's virtues.
"It's been there for hundreds of years and people have been visiting it for hundreds of years; I can't see that changing," he commented.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion but most people who visit are pleased that it's something they've seen at least once in their lifetime.
"There were over 900,000 visitors last year alone, which speaks volumes, and the majority go away satisfied with the experience."
Councillor Fitzpatrick added: "There's a lot more to the Giant's Causeway than looking at volcanic rocks - there's the exhibition centre, not to mention the mystery, magic and legend surrounding it."
The Irish Times said it had received "hundreds of responses" to its social media survey.
It said the Giant's Causeway topped the list of disappointing global attractions, followed by the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum, Paris; the Manneken Pis statue in Brussels; the Little Mermaid sculpture in Copenhagen, and The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
Scientists from Queen's University, Belfast have come up with a new test which can identify potential cases of meningitis in a fraction of the current time. (PA)
Scientists from Queen's University, Belfast have come up with a new test which can identify potential cases of meningitis in a fraction of the current time.
Standard tests for meningococcal disease - which can lead to meningitis and blood poisoning - can take up to 48 hours for results to come back.
But a diagnostic tool created by experts at the Queen's campus and The Belfast Trust can provide results within an hour.
Researchers said the test could prevent children with meningococcal disease being wrongly sent home - potentially saving dozens of lives every year. It could also prevent children being admitted for treatment unnecessarily.
If medics suspect a child has meningococcal septicaemia they administer antibiotic treatment straight away - a study by the organisations found that of 105 babies and children treated for suspected meningococcal septicaemia, only a third were later found to be infected, meaning two-thirds received treatment unnecessarily.
The new diagnostic test - Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) - was assessed in a two-year study alongside the standard NHS tests. Researchers said the LAMP diagnostic tool proved to be as efficient as the standard test in returning accurate diagnosis.
Dr James McKenna, clinical scientist and lead researcher in developing LAMP, said: "The LAMP test enables doctors to efficiently diagnose meningococcal septicaemia within an hour.
"The LAMP diagnosis could significantly reduce the number of patients taking medication unnecessarily as well as preventing needless anxiety to patients and their families."
Dr Tom Waterfield is leading a new study at Queen's University in collaboration with the Paediatric Emergency Research UK and Ireland to assess the practicality of testing being undertaken by a clinician in a hospital environment.
He said: "We know that scientifically the test is effective, but we now need the evidence base to confirm whether it is feasible for clinicians to carry out this test as part of their role before an informed decision can be taken.
"As part of this study, we will evaluate the feasibility of clinicians using the LAMP test in a hospital setting by assessing any potential barriers and ease of use."
The findings come as health officials have urged students to get vaccinated to protect themselves against meningitis before starting university.
The devastation of the flooding last week in Northern Ireland continues to take its toll, after a bridge collapsed in the Desertmartin area.
A bridge on the Iniscarn Road was said to have "caved in" late on Monday night.
DUP Mid Ulster Councillor Anne Forde said it was likely the road would remain closed for some time and some farmers and homeowners were likely to be facing a detour to reach their property.
"We think the rain last week washed away the sand which undermined the ground beneath the bridge and it has collapsed," she told the Belfast Telegraph.
"It is certainly very lucky it did not collapse with anyone on it over the past few days."
The councillor said she believed the bridge, a former railway crossing, would have to come down and a new one constructed, which was likely to take some time.
"I will be meeting with the Department of Infrastructure officials and request that they prioritise repairs," she added.
"This is a farming area and the road would be well used by many farmers and people living in the area.
"There will be people cut off and some will have an extra 15 or 20 minutes added to their journeys."
Department of Infrastructure engineers are working to assess the damage throughout Northern Ireland after heavy rain flooded many areas.
The department said that agencies including the PSNI, Fire Service and NI Water as well as rivers, roads and local government teams were continuing to work on the clean-up operation and hoped to release more information soon. More than 100 people had to be rescued from cars and houses due to sudden flash flooding in Donegal, Tyrone and Derry last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Derry City and Strabane District Council has said 270,000 in emergency aid has been handed out to affected residents.
BY JONATHAN BELL
There are fresh fears over the future of the health service in Northern Ireland as emergency departments and GPs struggled to cope over the bank holiday weekend.
The concerns come as NHS staff and patients brace themselves for the impact of 70m proposed cuts in the health service budget here amid a political vacuum and absence of a health minister.
However, waiting times for unscheduled care over the bank holiday reveal the health service is already plunging deeper into crisis, even before winter pressures and the looming cuts are imposed.
According to official figures, the average waiting time in a number of A&E units yesterday morning was almost six hours.
And a doctor working in the already beleaguered GP out-of-hours service said there were up to 70 people waiting for a call back at any one time on Monday night.
Antrim GP Dr Allen McCullough said: "There were continually 50 to 70 calls awaiting triage throughout my shift and the overall activity showed at least 200 cases active on the system in all areas of Dalriada Urgent Care.
"Call back from patients ringing was about four hours for routine, and we were trying to call back urgent cases as soon as possible within an hour."
Dr McCullough also said he had been told that staff at the emergency department at Antrim Area Hospital were advising of a seven-hour wait for treatment and recommending patients leave and see their GP the following day if possible.
The Southern Trust also came under fire after a South Down MLA claimed the A&E services were "gridlocked" and that "there was no GP cover in Banbridge or Craigavon" on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the South Eastern Trust was asking people to stay away from the Ulster Hospital's emergency department unless necessary to relieve pressure on the hospital yesterday morning.
The difficulties experienced by NHS staff to meet demand over the bank holiday weekend come as 70m is due to be slashed from the health budget.
The number of community care packages and non-urgent surgical procedures could be cut to help save money.
It is also proposed that the number of staff working in hospital wards will also be dramatically reduced.
The situation has prompted the British Medical Association (BMA) and Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to call for urgent action to tackle the crisis.
Janice Smyth, director of the RCN in Northern Ireland, said: "If we don't see action taken very soon, we are going to see services collapse all over Northern Ireland.
"The health service is in urgent need of transformation and these cost-cutting measures are just more of what we have seen before that has actually resulted in a gross shortage of nurses. We need to be looking at measures to try and attract and retain staff, not drive them away." Dr Alan Stout, deputy chair of the BMA's GP committee, said: "We understand that the pressures are there in the health service, with or without the political instability.
"However, the political instability highlights the need to have leadership, direction and decision making.
"The health service needs change, and very, very quickly - at the moment the health service spends 49% of the Northern Ireland block grant and by 2025, if we continue to deliver health services as they are at the moment, it will require 80% of the block grant."
Meanwhile, the Alliance Party met with the South Eastern Trust yesterday to discuss the impending cuts.
The party's health spokesperson, Paula Bradshaw, said: "It is no exaggeration to state that the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland is going through an unprecedented crisis, which only can be addressed through a transformation process." The Department of Health was asked for comment but did not respond.
A four year jail sentence for a Romanian man found guilty of blackmailing a Coalisland teenager who later took his own life, has been criticised by an MLA as not reflecting the suffering he caused.
Ronan Hughes was 17 when he died in 2015 after being blackmailed online. Yesterday a Romanian man, Iulian Enache (31), was sentenced to four years in prison, but under Romanian law will serve three years, meaning that with time already served he will walk free on October 29, 2019.
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He pleaded guilty last week in a court in Timisoara, Romania, to blackmailing Ronan Hughes and producing/distributing indecent images of a child.
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SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone praised the efforts of the PSNI and Romanian police, but said the four year sentence did not reflect the suffering of the Hughes family.
"I'm glad someone has been convicted of this crime but the family have been left with literally a life sentence," he said.
"Ronan took his life as a consequence of the pressure he had been put under and the blackmail. I and many others would have wished the sentence was much more strict and heavier than it was."
Child safety expert Jim Gamble - a former PSNI officer and former chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre - called the conviction "a pivotal moment" for police working to bring online predators to justice.
"This a really strong message for individuals who prey on children online that when the police collaborate they will be identified, located and held to account," he said. "I'm wary of the sensation that can be generated around this, the Hughes family will be reliving the trauma of this with every headline.
"This is a really pivotal moment, without sensationalising this we need to get the message out that the police can track those individuals who try and use the anonymity of the internet to prey on children."
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Whatsapp Ronan Hughes took his own life in 2015 after being blackmailed online
He acknowledged the sentence didn't fit the crime, but said it remained important that "something had been done to identify this predator and hold him to account".
"The very fact that he's been identified means that when he's released he will be monitored to the degree that he cannot hurt another child in this way."
Mr Gamble also urged parents to discuss the case with their children.
Commenting on the conviction yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector James Mullen, from the PSNI's Criminal Investigation Branch, said: "This has been a tragic case and first and foremost in our minds are the family of Ronan Hughes who have lost a son and a brother. We must never forget that."
He said the two year investigation had been "complex and protracted" and thanked Romanian Police, Europol and the National Crime Agency for their help.
He added: "A four-year prison sentence is no compensation for the loss of Ronan Hughes - a young man who had his whole life ahead of him - however, there can be no doubt that the sentence means others will be spared the pain and loss experienced by the Hughes family at the hands of Enache."
DCI Mullen urged anyone experiencing anything of a similar nature, such as receiving inappropriate images or links, to contact police or tell a trusted adult. "You will not get into trouble," he said. "This tragic case highlights that police will do all they can to pursue these online criminals who are preying on our communities."
A businesswoman who helped set up one of Northern Ireland's most successful food firms has been described as a valued ambassador to the industry, following her death at 49.
Lorraine Hall, who lived in Dromore, Co Down, established dried nuts and fruit company Kestrel Foods in Portadown with her husband Michael in 1996.
It's understood Mrs Hall's death was sudden although she had previously suffered from cancer.
The couple have two teenage children, Esmee (19) and 15-year-old Thomas.
Mrs Hall's funeral will take place in St Malachy's Parish Church in Hillsborough on Friday.
Kestrel Foods is best known for the Forest Feast brand of snacks and is a successful exporter to more than 30 countries.
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A message on the company's website described her as "the creative force behind our award-winning Forest Feast & Acti-Snack brands".
"A loving wife to Michael and devoted mum to Esmee and Thomas, Lorraine was someone who left a positive impact on everyone she met. Lorraine will be sadly missed by the entire Forest Feast family but her vision and values will always remain at the forefront of our business."
Mrs Hall attended Victoria College in Belfast before gaining a Masters degree in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh.
In her spare time, she was a keen supporter of Swim Ulster and its sister organisation Aquasprint.
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Swim Ulster paid tribute to her dedication to the sport on its Facebook page.
A spokesman said: "Lorraine attended the Aquasprint finals each year and was also well known for officiating poolside at many of our competitions.
"All at Swim Ulster wish to express their deepest sympathy to husband Michael, daughter Esmee, son Thomas, and to Lorraine's close family. Lorraine was a valued member of Swim Ulster and her club, and will be very much missed."
As it built up its exporting interests, the company benefited from the support of economic development agency Invest NI.
Its chief executive Alastair Hamilton said: "We were deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Lorraine Hall this morning. Lorraine was a valued ambassador for the Northern Ireland food and drink industry and was central to the growth and development of Kestrel Foods. We offer our deepest sympathy to Michael and the entire family circle."
The firm employs around 70 people and reported sales of 14m in its last accounts.
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Mr and Mrs Hall had been recognised for their success in building up the business and were nominated for the all-Ireland EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014.
Rob Heron, EY partner, said: "It was with great sadness that we learned of Lorraine Hall's passing. Lorraine, with her husband Michael, was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme in 2014. She was a valued member of our alumni."
Northern Ireland schools are having to deal with a cut in pupil funding.
The BBC is reporting that primary schools are having to deal with a cut of 56 per pupil while secondary schools are facing a 15 reduction.
The Department of Education has been asked how many pupils will be affected and how much the cut is in total. It has yet to respond. However, latest government statistics show that there were almost 330,000 pupils in primary and secondary eduction.
A teacher at a Belfast primary school said the cut equalled around 30,000, but added pressures meant he was having to work with a 55,000 deficit for the coming year.
Jackie Wallace, principal of Stranmillis Primary School, said that was equivalent to two teachers' jobs.
"And that is not sustainable," he told the BBC.
"The children in the school are already working in classes of 30 and we cannot cut any more teachers from our school.
"If the funding does not come then either children are going to suffer, or as in our own school - and many others like - us we will refuse to implement the budget cuts and our budget deficit will grow."
Back in April school leaders in Northern Ireland protested that they are at a crisis point over funding with some principals saying they were being forced to consider refusing to adhere to their budgets.
Mr Wallace added: "We do not have sufficient funds to continue to provide the high level education that our country has always provided for our children."
The Department of Education has been asked for a comment. It did tell the BBC an increase in the number of primary school-aged pupils was partly to blame.
The parents of a terrorist bomb-maker who infiltrated the British military have said they are horrified by his criminality.
Last month Ciaran Maxwell was jailed for 18 years at the Old Bailey for supplying bombs to dissident republicans.
The former Royal Marine from Co Antrim stashed anti-personnel mines, mortars, ammunition and 14 pipe bombs - four of which were later used - in 43 purpose-built hides at eight locations in Northern Ireland and England.
Teresa and John Maxwell told broadcaster UTV's Up Close programme: "We utterly condemn what Ciaran has done. We are in deep shock and cannot comprehend it.
"We fully supported his decision to join the Royal Marines and were so proud when he achieved it.
"We have only known Ciaran as a loving son and a loving father who had a very bright future ahead of him. This makes what he did so difficult to understand.
"From an early age Ciaran was taught the difference between right and wrong and he crossed the line. The extent of his criminality is devastating and horrifying.
"We were completely in the dark about what Ciaran was doing and still ask ourselves why.
"Ciaran is our son but he is responsible for his own actions and he has been held accountable."
Bomb-making materials were found in barrels and buckets buried in the ground as well as an adapted PSNI pass card, a PSNI uniform and a police stab-proof vest.
The 31-year-old, who is originally from Larne and was with 40 Commando based at Norton Manor Camp in Taunton, Somerset, at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between January 2011 and August last year, possessing images of bank cards for fraud and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
The Old Bailey heard that the father-of-one researched targets and discussed plans to attack police stations and officers.
His plot, however, was foiled when members of the public stumbled across his weapons' hides by chance.
DNA evidence found on parts of the haul led them to Maxwell, who was on the national database due to his alleged involvement in an unrelated assault case.
The judge said some of the ammonium nitrate recovered in Northern Ireland could have been used to make an explosive larger than "the notorious Enniskillen bomb", the Poppy Day bombing in 1987 which killed 11 people and injured 63 others.
The SDLP is proposing a motion for the Lord Mayor of Belfast to reject an invitation to Donald Trump's White House for next year's St Patrick's Day celebrations.
SDLP councillor Brian Heading is proposing the motion for next week's council meeting.
He said the decision was "not simply about the economic decisions" of President Trump for business to disinvest in overseas territories but based on his divisive actions since taking office, specifically his refusal to clearly condemn white supremacists during the Charlottesville disturbances.
He said: "President Donald Trump is a man who has attempted to ban travel access to an entire religion, mocked the disabled and bragged about the sexual assault of women. Since his election he has given succour to bigots and racists under the guise of the alt-right movement. Democrats across the world should have no fear of calling the fascists of that movement out for what they are.
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This city has had a long and proud association with a series of US presidents who have sought to galvanise our peace process on the basis of respect for the diversity of our society. We should not let that be tarnished by rushing to the sound of clicking cameras with a President who opposes the basic values of our peace.
"As Belfasts first citizen, the Lord Mayor should reflect those values. Thats why were proposing our mayor decline any invitation to champagne socials at the Trump White House. The important business of enhancing our relationship with Irish America can be done outside of the White House and without the influence of a President who has already encouraged businesses to disinvest in Ireland.
This motion is basically calling for a boycott of one of our closet allies - the United States of America Jim Rodgers
However, UUP councillor Jim Rodgers described the motion as "foolish" saying Belfast was in no position to turn down meetings with the "world's most powerful man".
"Normally the lord mayor only gets a couple of minutes with the president but you do get time with his key advisors. They are the people that tell him the road to go down and this motion won't do any good for our image in Belfast," he told the BBC Stephen Nolan show.
The former Lord Mayor and High Sheriff of Belfast said he and his party in no way supported the divisive comments of Mr Trump and his supporters.
"It is not the individual, it is the office that is key here," he said.
Mr Rodgers said he believed the motion would pass, as too did Brian Heading.
"This motion is basically calling for a boycott of one of our closet allies - the United States of America," added Rodgers.
"It is dangerous, it could have serious repercussions and that's what my worry and my party's worry is. We want to continue to forge closer links to every country in the world - you need jobs in Belfast, we need jobs in Northern Ireland and I don't want to see that thrown away by some stupid silly motion.
"It is the hardest thing in life sometime to make friends with people but it is very easy to make an enemy and we don't want to make enemies with anyone in the United States including the current president."
Earlier this year it was revealed former first ministers Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness invited Donald Trump to Northern Ireland, assuring him of a warm welcome.
An Historical Enquiries Team document clears the father of IRA victims' campaigner Willie Frazer of any terrorist involvement.
In the document obtained by the Belfast Telegraph, the HET "categorically states" that it has found "no evidence or intelligence" that the part-time UDR man was involved in loyalist paramilitary activity.
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Bertie Frazer was accused in a Ministry of Defence (MoD) document published last weekend of involvement in a double murder in South Armagh.
Sunday World revealed details of the MoD report claiming the UDR man was part of a bogus checkpoint at which two Catholics returning from a GAA match were slaughtered.
Colm McCartney (22) and Sean Farmer (32) were shot dead near Tullyvallen on August 24, 1975.
Bertie Frazer was killed by the IRA six days later. Today is the 42nd anniversary of his death.
The MoD report, which will feature in a legal action brought by the families of loyalist victims, names him as one of the Catholic men's killers.
It also links him and at least 25 other security force members to the UVF's infamous Glenanne Gang, which it says was involved in more than 130 murders.
However, correspondence from the HET - which had been investigating Bertie Frazer's murder - stands in conflict with the MoD paper's claims.
In a letter dated August 29, 2012, a HET officer wrote to Willie Frazer: "I can state categorically that the HET review process has found no evidence or intelligence to suggest that James Albert Frazer was a member of, or associated with, any paramilitary organisation, loyalist or otherwise.
"The HET has found no evidence or intelligence to suggest that James Albert Frazer was involved in any terrorist activity."
The Frazers had themselves raised the issue of rumours of their father's alleged paramilitary involvement with the HET.
The senior investigating officer wrote: "One significant issue for your family is that of your father's perceived character and you have asked that this be specifically addressed as it is not reflected in the HET report.
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"I am pleased to address this now but I would like to point out that the reason that this is not dealt with in the HET report is, quite simply, that your father's character has never been subject to suspicion."
Willie Frazer last night said his family had raised the issue with the HET because a nationalist politician had claimed that local UDR men were involved in the 1975 double murder.
He said: "My father was a well-known UDR man and we lived just two miles from where Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer were killed.
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"So we felt it was being implied that he was involved in the murders, especially since the IRA shot my father dead less than a week later.
"We raised it with the HET because we wanted the matter cleared up.
"They checked it out and came back and said there was never any question of believing he was involved with terrorism. We as a family have nothing to hide."
Willie Frazer stated that his father had been at home on the night of the double murder.
"He is not here to defend himself, but we are not going to stand by and let his good name be tramped into the muck," he said. "My father hadn't a bad bone in his body. I have eight brothers and sisters and they are all upset about this, especially my youngest sister."
Willie Frazer said that his solicitor would be asking the MoD for a copy of the document and he called on the Sunday World to publish it.
"Let them put it out there in the open and whatever's in it, I'll take on the chin. If his name is being blackened, it is only right that we can at least look at the material," he said.
"I've had death threats from republicans long before this, but they've increased in recent days with those making the threats saying, 'Your Da's a killer'.
"These allegations have no foundation. The Mid-Ulster UVF was behind the shooting, my father played no role in it."
Mr Frazer said that, after his father's death, his mother had received hundreds of Mass cards from Catholics. He offered to meet relatives of Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer to reassure them "that Bertie Frazer played no part in their murder".
Paula Bradshaw MLA (Alliance), Steven Agnew MLA (Green Party), Gerry Carroll MLA (PBP), Nicola Mallon MLA (SDLP) and Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Fein) join president of Conradh na Gaeilge Dr Niall Comer and Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein to call for an Irish language act. Picture: Philip Magowan / PressEye
Gerry Adams has said there will be no restoration of the Stormont institutions unless there is an Irish language act.
The Sinn Fein president was speaking at an event in Belfast which saw his party alongside the SDLP, Alliance, Greens and People Before Profit come together to call for an act.
For the first time elected representatives from the five parties have come together with Conradh na Gaeilge to display their support for stand-alone legislation in the form of an Irish language act. Overall they represent 50 of the 90 MLAs.
Irish has been one of the sticking points between the DUP and Sinn Fein since the collapse of devolution in January.
DUP leader Arlene Foster has met with representatives from the Irish speaking community in recent months.
Speaking at the event organised by Conradh na Gaeilge, which represents Irish speakers, in Belfast on Wednesday, Gerry Adams said: "The British Government and unionist parties have failed to fulfil their commitment to an Acht Gaeilge and to the full implementation of the Good Friday and St Andrew's Agreements.
"Implementation of these matters must be a bedrock of any future Executive. Equality must be a bedrock for any future Executive.
"The rights of Irish speakers must be recognised and respected.
"Acht Gaeilge is a right, like a Bill of Rights, marriage equality and the rights of families to coroners inquests.
These basic rights are protected in England, Scotland, Wales and the rest of Ireland. It is time they were extended to citizens living in the north.
SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said her party also supports a standalone Irish Language Act.
She said: Irish language speakers have been kicked, insulted and diminished by particular politicians for far too long. No minority community should have to face being treated like a punch bag because of the intolerance of others.
Legislative protection for languages exists in Scotland and Wales, if the DUP continues to oppose the principle of an Irish Language Act, they need to say why speakers here should be treated differently than in other areas.
Dr Niall Comer, Conradh na Gaeilge president added: The message from todays event is very clear. There is widespread, cross-party, majority support for a stand-alone Irish language act.
"Conradh na Gaeilge has been consistently meeting with all parties, five of which now support the community call for a stand-alone Irish language act that support translates into 50/90 MLAs and an historic majority support within the Assembly for the first time.
"Given this majority, we now call on those who continue to oppose a stand-alone Irish language act to reflect on their position and to acknowledge that the time for change is now. Conradh na Gaeilge would like to thank the parties for their support to date but calls on them to continue to stand together for and with the community as the Stormont talks recommence."
However Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said obligations made under the Belfast Agreement have been fulfilled.
We never made any commitments to an Irish Language Act. If Gerry Adams believes that others have made commitments in subsequent agreements, then he should take that up with them, he said.
I was disappointed, but not surprised to see others allowing Gerry Adams to act as a spokesperson for them today.
I believe that equality and respect should be shown to all communities, not merely used as words to attempt to break one community or another.
An Irish teenager who raised more than 700,000 (650,000) for specialist cancer treatment in Texas made it to hospital after a 15-hour wait due to Hurricane Harvey.
Shauntelle (Shan) Tynan (19), from Co Carlow, is living in Houston, Texas, with her family as she undergoes treatment in her battle against a rare cancer, multi-system Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
She arrived in hospital after a 15-hour wait due to the extreme flooding in the US city after the historic storm left her stranded.
Her mother, Leona Tynan, said her admission to hospital came as a relief, as Shauntelle desperately needed a blood transfusion.
Shauntelle had a bad infection and had neutropenic fevers over the last few days, according to her mother.
"We have a great network of support here in Houston and all our friends pulled together, making calls trying to get Shan transport.
"Fortunately, when the floods started to recede earlier, our friend Danny made a call and his friend Charles was able to get Shan to the hospital before we began to flood again," Ms Tynan told the Irish Independent.
"She is now at Texas Children's (Hospital) with my mother-in-law and is receiving morphine and fluids while they await her blood work.
"I am at our apartment with her younger siblings trying to keep them occupied and happy until the storm passes.
"It has been a very surreal weekend and we never imagined seeing the amount of flooding we did. We are lucky everything worked out but for many, including close friends, they have lost homes and cars and all their possessions."
Rescue services had urged people to get on top of their houses to avoid becoming trapped in attics and to wave sheets or towels to draw attention to their location.
Flood damage from Hurricane Harvey may equal that from 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in US history.
Hurricane Katrina resulted in more than $15bn in flood insurance losses in Louisiana and Mississippi that were paid by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a federal programme that is the only source of flood insurance for most Americans.
Theresa May has called on China to act over missile tests by North Korea (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
China must do more to stop North Koreas nuclear missile launches, Theresa May said as she refused to rule out British military action to stop the rogue state.
Landing in Japan just 36 hours after Pyongyang sent a missile over the north of the country, the Prime Minister insisted the UK would be re-doubling its efforts to curb the regimes weapons testing programme.
Mrs May has gone ahead with the visit, which will focus on trade and security, despite the launch of a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which landed in the Pacific Ocean.
She said: We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think that they are significant actions of provocation.
I think it is outrageous. Thats why will be working with our international partners, as we have done previously, but we will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities. China has a key role to play here in terms of the pressure they can bring on North Korea.
Kim Jong Uns nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were already on the agenda for the three-day visit, which begins in Kyoto.
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Mrs May will attend a meeting of the Japanese National Security Council on Thursday, with former Australian premier Tony Abbott the only other foreign leader to have been given the honour.
The Prime Minister refused to rule out future British military action against North Korea or cyber warfare after being quizzed by reporters four times on the issue.
Mrs May said: I think what I have made clear is what the UK is looking at and what the UK is doing and that is looking at pressure on North Korea, which is discussions about further sanctions and its about the sort of change that China can bring. I think they are a key player in this. We would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure on North Korea to stop this.
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As well as talks with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on boosting security and defence co-operation, Mrs May will be pushing for progress on an ambitious trade deal ready for when the UK quits the European Union.
The PM wants to use the trade agreement being finalised between the EU and Japan as the basis for a future pact with the Britain.
She will attempt to reassure Japanese businesses that the UK will not fall off a cliff edge when it quits the EU.
Mrs May said: When we leave the European Union, theres obviously a number of trade deals that the EU has with other countries and we are looking the possibility of those being able to be brought over into trade deals with the United Kingdom. What Japanese businesses and other businesses have asked us to look at is this issue of the certainty going forward of not having a cliff edge.
A 15-strong delegation of UK business leaders, along with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox are flying out for the visit and will attend the UK Japan business forum in central Tokyo, where the PM will make a speech.
About 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Burma and crossed into Bangladesh, with hundreds stranded in no man's land at the border, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Sanjukta Sahany, a spokeswoman for the IOM in Cox's Bazar, on the border, released the latest figures as human rights groups and advocates for the Rohingya said the Burmese army was retaliating for attacks by Rohingya militants by burning villages and shooting civilians.
The Burmese government blames Rohingya insurgents for the violence, including the arson. The official death toll in the violence was 96 as of Sunday, but the true number is likely to be higher.
A majority of Burma's estimated one million Rohingya live in the northern part of Rakhine state, where they have faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country.
Last week, Rohingya insurgents launched co-ordinated attacks against police posts, provoking retaliation by government forces.
Ms Sahany said the Rohingya crisis was not an issue between Burma and Bangladesh but of international concern.
Ali Hossain, Cox's Bazar district's senior government official, said resources are under huge stress with 87,000 Rohingya entering Bangladesh since last October and now another 18,000 in one week.
"I have already informed the government's high-ups about the trouble we are facing here," he said. "This is a very complex situation."
In another development, police said a boat carrying an unknown number of Rohingya capsized in the Naf River, leaving at least four dead.
The boat was trying to enter Bangladesh through Shah Porir Island in the Bay of Bengal when it sank, said police official Main Uddin.
He said rescuers recovered four bodies and "most probably" many others were missing.
"Our search is on. We don't know how many were on the boat," he said.
Bangladesh's border guards have turned back 171 Rohingya after detaining them at different border points over the last two days, said Colonel SM Ariful islam.
He said border guards provided food and medicine before pushing them back, but it was not clear what happened to them later.
Burma refuses to recognise Rohingya as a legitimate native ethnic minority and has denied citizenship and rights to most of them.
AP
Japan's deputy prime minister has retracted a comment that seemed to suggest that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had good intentions.
Taro Aso was speaking at a seminar for his faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday when he said: "I don't question a politician's motives; it is delivering results that matter. Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good, even if his intentions had been good."
Mr Aso said that remark was "inappropriate" and he would like to retract it and regretted having caused a misunderstanding.
He said he meant that Hitler was a bad leader with bad intentions.
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a US-based Jewish human rights organisation, denounced the comment as "downright dangerous".
An official at the centre, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, said: "When will the elite of Japan wake up and acknowledge that they have a 'Nazi Problem'?"
Mr Aso is also the finance minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet, and served as Japan's prime minister in 2008-9.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said after Mr Aso retracted his statement that the deputy prime minister "should make his own explanation when the time comes".
Mr Aso in 2008 was criticised for comparing the tactics of the Democratic Party of Japan to those of Nazis in 1930s Germany.
And in 2013 he withdrew a comment that seemed to suggest Japanese leaders should follow Nazi Germany's example in changing the constitution.
AP
The test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, according to the North Korean government (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more weapons tests targeting the Pacific Ocean, a day after his nation for the first time flew a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan.
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch - probably the longest ever from North Korea - over the territory of a close US ally sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
Mr Kim was present for intermediate range missile launch over Japan, the agency said.
He expressed "great satisfaction" over the launch which he called a "meaningful prelude" to containing Guam, which is home to key US military bases that North Korea finds threatening.
He said it is "necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future".
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the US territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
South Korea said the missile travelled 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
President Donald Trump said North Korea had signalled its "contempt for its neighbours" and that "all options are on the table" in terms of a US response.
He said that "threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world".
Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the US.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year - 13 times, Seoul says - and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Mr Trump's first term in early 2021.
Officials on Guam said the threat level did not change and people in the territory were safe.
Guam homeland security adviser George Charfauros said the latest "sabre-rattling" did not come as a surprise since the country in previous years has increased its rhetoric and threats around annual war games that are currently under way between the US and South Korea.
AP
Wildfires in Oregon and Montana have also prompted evacuations (Tom Story/Inciweb via AP)
A wildfire in northern California has destroyed 10 homes and is threatening 800 more, authorities said, with a number of people forced to evacuate.
The blaze that began on Tuesday near the town of Oroville is among a series of wildfires burning across the US West, including in and around California's Yosemite National Park.
A popular road into the park has been closed and nearby towns evacuated.
The latest wildfire is about 20 miles east of Oroville Dam, the nation's tallest.
Tens of thousands of residents downstream fled when the dam's spillways crumbled earlier this year and led to fears of catastrophic flooding.
Months later, a wildfire about 15 miles south of the dam destroyed 41 homes in July.
Wildfires in Oregon and Montana have also prompted evacuations.
AP
The world is in a volatile state, suffering from crises like North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria and even Brexit. All of these problems are exceptionally complex and require the attention of a steady hand and skilful diplomacy. At the very heart of the international system lies the United States of America, which, with its enormous military and economic superpower status, has the capacity to contain, or mitigate, or solve, these global problems.
However, at the centre of the American system is the president, whose role it is to give effective leadership abroad on behalf of the American people. Unfortunately for the US (and, indeed, the rest of the world) there is a major problem and that is that the current president, Donald Trump, is so dysfunctional and inept that the current international crises are being made worse.
Without a competent American president, the whole system is in danger of sliding close to a very dangerous cliff edge.
The difficulty with Trump is that he is incompetent and incapable of managing the complex governance of the US. It is not that he is ideologically to the Right or that he is a racist. Indeed, it might be a relief if he actually held some political beliefs and had some discernible and predictable political agenda.
The fact is that he is not capable of governing in an efficient, or effective, manner.
Take his latest outrageous decision to pardon 85-year-old former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, convicted of ignoring a court order to stop detaining Hispanics on suspicion of them being illegal immigrants. His actions were deemed illegal, as it amounted to racial profiling of Hispanic people.
The pardon has rightly outraged American public opinion and, notably, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, who is by no means a cuddly liberal politician.
He said: "Law-enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States."
This scandalous decision follows on from his disastrous comments about white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. After the death of an innocent anti-fascist protester, Heather Heyer, during a lawful public demonstration, he publicly stated that many sides were to blame for the violence. After severe criticism from politicians - including his own Republican Party supporters in Congress - he specifically condemned the white supremacists, but again repeated shortly afterwards that there was blame on both sides.
What marks out this incident is his incapacity to appreciate that what he was saying is politically damaging and divisive in racially polarised America. Everything points to his inability to be a competent politician.
Virginia is only the tip of the iceberg. Since his election, there has hardly been one political decision that he has taken that could be regarded as a success.
His attempts to reform Obamacare have failed on a grand scale. Twice he tried and twice he failed to get a new, reformed medical care Bill through the Senate that his own Republican Party controls.
He has publicly criticised and humiliated his own attorney-general, the highly respected ex-senator Jeff Sessions. And, if Sessions were to resign, he would have a serious problem getting a replacement through a wary and suspicious Congress.
In addition, his serial sacking of top presidential aides has become like a soap opera. His administration appears to be split into warring factions and has become a public laughing-stock.
His relations with the media remain hostile and counterproductive. The media were, of course, negative and hostile towards him during the election campaign, but his failure to make peace with them after his election has been a major failing.
His recent announcement that he will not withdraw American military personnel from Afghanistan is a huge policy reversal, given that he promised to do so during his campaign.
The fact is: Trump is not a politician. Unlike his predecessors, Trump has never held a public office, such as Governor or Senator. Given his lack of experience, it is no wonder that he is not up to the job and that his administration is chaotic. Therefore, in the Oval Office in the White House is a man who is grossly inexperienced in public affairs, but holds the most powerful political office in the world.
He reminds me of the drunk on a Friday night in the pub, who buttonholes you and tells you how the world should be run.
The problem here is that the drunk has been elected and has sobered up, but is incapable of carrying out the task of governing.
It would not be surprising, given the level of public anxiety about President Trump and his shambolic administration, that he might be forced to resign. Alternatively, impeachment lurks ominously in the background over his election campaign's alleged Russian connections.
His future is doubtful.
Princess Diana died after a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997 (John Stillwell/PA)
As a nation marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Belfast Telegraph pays a very special tribute with our commemorative supplement.
The 24-page publication, Remembering Diana - Her Life and Legacy, recalls her memorable visits to Northern Ireland and her iconic style.
Don't miss the touching accounts of how she won hearts across the divide here, as well as her enduring influence on Kate, William and Harry.
Only available free inside the Belfast telegraph on Thursday, August 31
College student, Ann, told her professor that she was offended by a passage in a classical literature book. I didnt feel good reading it. It stirred up some difficult feelings so the book should be banned.
Ann doesnt want to work through her discomfort or learn something about herself. Instead, she chooses to believe her subjective feelings represent reality. Based on her negative emotions, the book should be banned from the literature course.
In years past, this would not have been considered a legitimate request. The professor would have asked Ann to look deep inside and discover why she was so uncomfortable. Does she need to address a hard issues in her past, has she been sheltered from a diversity of experiences, is Ann able to tolerate a story different from her own? Could the class discuss their various subjective reactions to the material? This is called critical thinking.
But today, Ann is part of movement of students who are constantly offended because they feel something to be true. They reason with their emotions. and dont want to feel uncomfortable. The mantra is, If I feel something to be true, it must be true.
This is scary and dangerous because our feelings are subjective and not always trustworthy. Just because you feel something, doesnt make it true. I may feel like it is a rainy day but the sun may be shining!
Words become offensive based on whose standards? And who judges the right and wrong of words and decides to punish people? Yes, we need to follow laws and make sure we are not discriminating to people. But when we start policing speech because we dont like the opinions of others, we are in trouble. Dissenting points of view should be tolerated and civil discourse is needed for people to work through differences.
What happens to Ann when she is faced with an employer who does something to offend her? Is she going to tell him and risk losing her job? And is the employer going to say, Oh Ann, I am sorry you were offended. If you felt offended, then it must be true? In the workplace and in real life, there are no safe spaces. Offense will come your way on a regular basis. The key is to respond appropriately, not just react.
First ask, is this offense something I must respond to because it violates my moral conscious? If so, plan your response in a respectful and civil way. If the offense is simply something you dont like or a difference of opinion, have a discussion with the person instead of reacting. Try to talk through differences and understand the perspective of the other person. If the offense triggers something in you from your past, work through it rather than expecting people to never offend you.
The Bible has several guidelines to help us deal with offense:
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22-Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
Proverbs 19:11Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Yes, you will be offended and you will also offend others if you live your life with other people. So dont be so quick to judge, think before you react, and learn to overlook offenses that are related to something that just feels bad. Im not saying compromise your values, rather stop reasoning with your emotions.
An increasingly repressive climate for free speech and a lack of transparency and accountability in government will mar the moment as Malaysia celebrates 60 years of nationhood on Thursday, according to rights advocates and local corruption watchdogs.
The multi-ethnic nation of more than 30 million people has grown into one of Southeast Asias most vibrant economies since Aug. 31, 1957.
But one party, the United Malays National Organization, has dominated local politics throughout the past six decades and tightened its grip as leader of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition by restricting free speech and arresting government critics, observers said.
Freedom of expression in Malaysia is under extreme scrutiny, siding [with] the interests of the powerful whilst silencing the voices of human rights defenders, K. Shamini Darshni, executive director of Amnesty Internationals Malaysia branch, told BenarNews.
The atmosphere of repression has deepened since Prime Minister Najib Razak came under a cloud of corruption allegations tied to a financial scandal known as the 1MDB affair, according to rights activists. They say his government has used various laws to lock up people who have raised questions about the allegations connected to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), or have called on Najib to resign over them.
The Malaysian government has responded to corruption allegations by throwing respect for rights out the window, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), said when it reported earlier this year that the climate for rights in Malaysia had deteriorated markedly in 2016 through increased arrests of government critics, expanded restrictions on peaceful assembly and other measures.
By bringing a slew of prosecutions against those expressing dissenting views or peacefully protesting, the government is seriously undermining democratic institutions and the rights of all Malaysian citizens, he said.
HRW said Najibs government was resorting to laws such as the Sedition Act, the Official Secrets Act (OSA), and the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) to go after people who had criticized him over the 1MDB affair, where billions of dollars allegedly went missing from the state investment fund he founded in 2009 to spur development in Malaysia.
As long as the political leadership is corrupt, laws are only selectively applied to a few, Akhbar Satar, president of Malaysias chapter of Transparency International (TI), told BenarNews.
Law dating to colonial era
The Sedition Act, enacted by British colonial rulers in 1948 to combat communists, was amended by Malaysia following race riots in 1969. The law defines sedition broadly and places limits on free speech, particularly over sensitive political issues, according to a report by the Center for Independent Journalism, Malaysia.
In 2015, parliament amended the act again by authorizing the government to impose stricter punishments of up to 20 years in prison for people convicted of seditious speech.
The amendment also allowed state authorities to obtain a court order to censor publications and websites deemed to be inciting hatred among the majority-Muslim nations various ethnic groups and religious communities.
The Sedition Act is not just for Muslims; it is for the protection of all Malaysians. It is aimed at preventing any person who promotes feelings of hostility between persons or groups on the grounds of religion whether the religion attacked is Christianity, Hinduism, Islam or any of the other faiths Malaysia is proud to be home to, Najib said in justifying amendments to the law in April 2015.
We will not and cannot stand for the incitement of racial or inter-ethnic conflict. We have come too far to harm the progress that we have made. And that is why the government decided to keep the Sedition Act and amend it to make it a better and more suitable law, he added.
At the time, his government was being criticized both at home and abroad for sweeping up scores of opposition politicians, journalists and activists under suspicion of seditious speech.
On the eve of his countrys 60th Independence (Merdeka) Day, the prime minister called on his countrymen to unite and support his government as it faced general elections, which are due by June 2018 at the latest.
In the spirit of independence, now is not the time for us to break ranks, Najib said, according to Channel NewsAsia.
In the era of this governments administration, there is no greater gift to the people, in the true meaning of independence, than a government that has the ability to deliver on its promises, he added.
For many more Merdeka celebrations
The prime minister has been criticized over reports that nearly U.S. $700 million linked to the state investment fund 1MDB were deposited into his private banks accounts during the run-up to the previous general election, in 2013.
He has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, saying that the large sum of cash was a donation from the Saudi government and not used for personal gain.
However, the PM sacked an attorney general who was probing allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement around 1MDB, as well as a deputy prime minister who had publicly criticized Najib about the matter.
Just last week, a high court dismissed an attempt by opposition leader Rafizi Ramli, vice president of the Peoples Justice Party, to overturn his conviction and 18-month sentence under the Official Secrets Acts for leaking part of a classified auditors report on 1MDB.
Over the 45 years the OSA has been in force, we have witnessed how the law has been used as an effective means of ensuring that information on the government is kept secret, said Cynthia Gabriel, executive director of the Malaysian NGO Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).
She called for greater transparency and accountability in Malaysian government in the coming years, as well as an end to impunity for officials suspected of corruption, saying this was crucial if Malaysia hoped to achieve the status of a developed nation.
As she looked ahead to Independence Day, Darshni, the head of Amnestys national chapter, said Malaysia must demonstrate strong political will when it comes to making human rights [gains] and stand for justice and truth for many more generations, for many more Merdeka celebrations in the future.
Philippine troops cross the Mapandi bridge as the government moves to retake Marawi city from militants linked to the Islamic State, Aug. 30, 2017.
Philippine security forces launched a final push Wednesday, 100 days after fighting broke out, to retake the war-ravaged southern city of Marawi from militants linked to the Islamic State (IS).
A column of tanks rolled in over Mapandi bridge, considered the gateway to Marawi city proper, leading dozens of troops in full combat gear into neighborhoods long held by the gunmen.
Loud explosions and exchange of gunfire could be heard at the distance, as military ambulances wailed in the background to take wounded soldiers to safety.
Days earlier, the military pushed the militants from the main mosque in the area and from a strategic police station where they had been holding out since taking over much of Marawi on May 23.
We cannot say how many days we can finish the fight, but as far as we are concerned, we are only about 500 meters to the lake from this point, Gen. Milquiades Ordiales, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, told reporters who were allowed to cross the bridge for the first time since fighting erupted.
Ordiales said the militants led by Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon, the acknowledged IS leader in the Philippines, and backed by the local Maute militant group and foreign fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East were fighting back.
We are on the last and final push. The gun fire is normal here every day because every inch we take, the enemies resist, he said.
Two months to reach this bridge
Ordiales described Mapandi bridge as a critical infrastructure where the military could block the militants supply route. Earlier, a contingent of marines died during an intense battle to retake the structure.
Not far from the bridge, houses belonging to some of Marawis affluent businessmen have been destroyed. Black smoke rose from structures in the distance.
Military spokeswoman Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay reported heavy fighting in Banggolo, Marawis commercial district, only two blocks from the Mapandi bridge.
Some sniper rifles can reach up to two kilometers, she said.
Soldiers tried to block militants from tracking their movements by installing a large blue tarpaulin spanning the bridge. Sentries fired rounds into militant positions after receiving coordinates from drones flying overhead.
All our logistic supplies run through here. Its very important for us to get this bridge so that our supplies will reach the front line, Ordiales said.
You know, from the start, we took about two months to reach this bridge. Upon reaching the area, it took us one week to cross this street and we have so many casualties, he said.
In Manila, military chief Gen. Eduardo Ano said soldiers had encircled the terrorists.
Our main goal is no way in and no way out for them, Ano said.
Since the start of the fighting, 617 enemy fighters and 133 soldiers have died along with 45 civilians, according to the government.
Military officials said they do not know how many hostages are being held, although President Rodrigo Duterte earlier estimated the gunmen were holding as many as 300 people.
Neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore offered anti-terror cooperation to prevent the flow of militants across their borders following calls from IS-linked propaganda media for fighters from around the region to travel to Marawi. The United States and Australia have provided intelligence support to the government troops.
Brig. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, commander of the militarys 1st Division, said more than 600 soldiers who were wounded had gone back to the frontline.
They dont want to just stay at the hospital. They want to take part in liberating Marawi, said Bautista, who was also in Mapandi.
Soldiers march next to a painted tank in Marawi city, after security forces entered a heavily damaged militant stronghold, 100 days after fighting broke out, Aug. 30, 2017. (Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews)
Soldiers stand outside a building, blocks away from heavy fighting as security forces launch a final push to dislodge militants from Marawi, Aug. 30, 2017. (Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews)
Troops in full combat gear walk through neighborhoods in Marawi, on the 100th day of fighting to recapture the city from IS-linked gunmen, Aug. 30, 2017. [Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews]
Damaged buildings and mangled vehicles line a street in Marawi, 100 days after IS-linked militants from Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group seized the city, Aug. 30, 2017. (Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews)
Only the walls remain standing on these buildings in Marawi City, Aug. 30, 2017. (Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews)
Marines walk in a column in Marawi as Philippine troops launch a final push to retake the war-ravaged city from IS-inspired gunmen, Aug. 30, 2017. (Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews)
Houses near Mapandi bridge are heavily damaged after 100 days of intense fighting between government troops and IS-linked gunmen in Marawi City, Aug. 30, 2017. (Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews)
Marines escorted by a V300 infantry fighting vehicle cross Mapandi bridge, a key installation in the fight for Marawi, 100 days after IS-inspired gunmen seized the city, Aug. 30, 2017. (Froilan Gallardo/BenarNews)
One hundred days after militants linked to the Islamic State seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, troops and tanks crossed a strategic bridge Wednesday into neighborhoods long held by gunmen, as heavy fighting continued blocks away.
Journalists accompanying the soldiers captured new images of the damage to the once-vibrant Muslim city of 200,000 people on Mindanao Island.
We cannot say how many days we can finish the fight, but as far as we are concerned, we are only about 500 meters to the lake from this point, Gen. Milquiades Ordiales, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, told reporters who were allowed to cross the bridge for the first time since fighting erupted.
We took about two months to reach this bridge. Upon reaching the area, it took us one week to cross this street, and we have so many casualties, he said.
In Manila, military chief Gen. Eduardo Ano said soldiers had encircled the terrorists.
Our main goal is no way in and no way out for them, Ano said.
Since the start of the fighting, 617 enemy fighters and 133 soldiers have died along with 45 civilians, according to the government.
Box Elder gets three picks, holds lead the majority of the game before losing to Lehi in final seconds
Heading into the 5A state tournament quarterfinal game against Box Elder High School, Lehi High School had completely dominated nearly...
After an 18-year run in Goose Creek and unforeseen challenges presented by COVID-19, Dreamalot Books has gradually but decidedly gained a steady foothold in the Moncks Corner community as a welcoming haven of second-hand books for both area bibliophiles and those traveling in from Myrtle Read moreThe 'happy place' for used books: Dreamalot Books emerging as a go-to hot spot in Moncks Corner
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, top candidate for the upcoming general elections of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, August 29, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]
BERLIN - German chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has defended her position and welcome policy for refugees in a yearly summer interview in Berlin on Tuesday.
Merkel announced her intention to combat illegal refugee trafficking, as well as the causes for migration.
The steps she demanded against organized traffickers, more development aid as well as humanitarian housing in Libya were of the "same spirit" as the aid for refugees in the summer of 2015.
Merkel said that the fact that she had decided to keep the border open for refugees was an important and correct decision in an "exceptional humanitarian situation."
According to Merkel, measures are needed to find long-term solutions and sustainable structures. These measures had to be "guided by the fact that we cannot simply isolate ourselves and simply continue on," the chancellor emphasized.
Europeans could only live in prosperity and security "if we look at the bigger picture and deal with our neighborhood and their economic development," she added.
Merkel reiterated her criticism of EU countries, which opposed the "fair distribution" of refugees in Europe.
"It cannot be that Europe only shows solidarity when it helps some of them," she said, adding that countries like Italy and Greece, where most refugees and illegal migrants are currently arriving, should not be left alone.
Pum Lefebure, co-founder and CCO of Design Army, Washington returns as a speaker to the London International Awards' Creative LIAisons programme, having chaired the 2016 Design & Package Design Jury and spoken to approximately eighty-five young creatives at last year's LIAisons.
Pum Lefebure, co-founder and CCO of Design Army.
Its always great to be back to speak at Creative LIAisons, says Lefebure. I love that LIA is giving back to our industry by using award entry fees to fund the young professionals from around the world to come to Las Vegas. With an intimate setting, they learnt from the best in advertising and design. In return, I learned as much from them as they did from industry leaders. The youth is our future of creativity and its our job to inspire them to thrive in our ever-changing industry.
Lefebure, a member of The One Clubs Board of Directors, was featured prominently in H&Ms 2016 Shes A Lady campaign, which put the spotlight on successful and trendsetting women shifting gender paradigms throughout numerous industries.
We are happy to have Lefebure in Las Vegas this year. Shes been wonderful in the past as a juror, jury president and speaker, says Barbara Levy, president of LIA. All of our 2017 speakers have one thing in common. They all believe that the investment that LIA makes in Creative LIAisons is an invaluable investment in the future of the industry. In an era when award budgets are being cut, due to less revenue, LIA is proud that we can continue to provide the industry with this fully funded programme; the opportunity to bring together the world's brightest minds from all corners of the globe in order to inspire, educate and exchange ideas with creatives in the top of the industry.
Creative LIAisons will be held at Encore/Wynn, Las Vegas from 4-7 October 2017. For more information, click here.
In South Africa, mental illness is a far bigger issue than most people believe. One in three South Africans will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime according to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). Despite this high number, only a quarter of those suffering from mental illness will either seek or receive treatment.
quinntheislander via pixabay
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental illness as a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Mental disorders include depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism.
The problem facing South Africa, and countless other countries, is that there are many people suffering from mental illness that is not even aware of it. This is particularly true for women in the rural areas of South Africa, as they are not even aware that there is a thing like mental health and what it means to suffer from mental illness, explains Graham Anderson, chief executive officer of Profmed, a medical aid exclusively for graduate professionals.
One of the most common forms of mental illnesses worldwide is depression. The WHO estimates that over 300 million people suffer from depression worldwide and that it is one of the leading causes of disability. As much as one in six South Africans suffer from depression, according to SADAG.
Interestingly, the WHO also indicates that depression is more prevalent among women than men. Anderson explains that similar to men, women suffer from various mental illnesses in certain time periods of their lives, like postpartum depression.
It's chemical and it's real
The most important thing is to understand that mental illness is a chemical condition, it is very real. Mental issues need to be treated properly and you need to take the correct medication. The proper diagnoses and treatment can successfully control many mental issues that are common throughout the world, says Anderson.
Anderson explains that if left untreated, mental illness can lead to a number of other serious issues. Because people live with a mental issue that is not being properly treated, this could cause some people to seek refuge in alcohol and drugs, just in order to cope with it. This is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Mental illness is not like getting a cold or high blood pressure. It is a recognised disease that can be prevented. Once you have it, or you think you have it, you must seek medical treatment, says Anderson.
There have been many innovations in the treatment of mental illness. Medication is still the most common way to treat mental illness, but consulting a psychologist could also help to treat many forms of mental illnesses. If you find that youre not coping mentally with life, theres no shame in seeking help. We know far more about the brain today than ever before and continue to make new discoveries, concludes Anderson.
If you are experiencing any issue that you think could be the start of a mental problem, see your family doctor immediately, who can then recommend a therapist depending on what you need.
Jeweller, gemologist and entrepreneur Janine Binneman, the name and face behind Janine Binneman Jewellery Design , is using her thriving Cape Town business to empower women. Acutely aware of her role as a small business owner in creating job opportunities, she focuses her recruitment efforts on employing females whom she then trains and mentors in the craft of jewellery manufacturing.
As Women's Month draws to a close, Binneman shares the design inspiration behind her ready-to-wear and fine jewellery creations, and her journey to success from humble beginnings as a one-woman show.
Tell us about your journey into jewellery design.
My journey was quite unusual. I was working in Italy when I did my portfolio to study graphic design; I was adamant that I wanted to be a graphic designer. The head of the art dept in Stellenbosch, a friend of my moms, suggested I would be better suited as a jewellery designer. I was not impressed but was told I could cross over if I was not happy after six months.
I am forever grateful for this shove in the right direction. I have loved making jewellery ever since and honestly could not imagine being this passionate about graphic design. Lesson: listen to those in the know!
What inspires your designs and how would you describe your aesthetic?
My biggest inspiration is travel just to be taken out of my normal surroundings makes me see things I am normally too busy to notice. I have just been abroad and a whole new range has been inspired by flowers that I saw, smelt and felt. My ready-to-wear aesthetic is playful and often includes personalised and inspirational text. I really thrive on working with my clients and telling their story in jewellery.
My fine jewellery is heavily inspired by vintage design. I love rich detail that highlights the incredible beauty of the unique gemstones we use in our pieces often these gems have been found on my travels!
How has your business grown since its inception?
The business has grown tremendously. Originally I was a one-woman show, now my team comprises five rock star women. I have trained and mentored four female goldsmiths who have gone on to open their unique businesses since the inception of JBJD. I believe 'empowered women empower women'.
What has been the toughest business lesson youve had to learn during your entrepreneurship venture?
Never quit, never complain and never stop hustling. Hard work and passion can only be successful.
What do you love most about your job?
I love the interaction with my clients, the energy exchange is exhilarating! If that is not enough, I then have the total joy of designing playing with ideas, metals and gemstones. I dont think there is a better job out there for me.
How do you think consumers could be encouraged to purchase more locally-made goods?
Consumers need to understand that SMEs are people who create job opportunities, sending money back into our communities and keeping commerce local. We have incredible talent in SA and the support of our consumers is priceless. Every time a piece of jewellery is bought from us, you help us pay school fees, dance classes for our kids and you help us pay salaries.
What are your thoughts on the local creative scene at the moment?
We are living in very exciting times. The creative scene in SA is booming, there is so much diversity, individual voices and perspectives. We have a can do attitude in SA, creatives believe that the impossible is very possible. We had Madiba who showed us how it was possible to create change beyond belief.
In the spirit of Womens Month, what advice do you have for other budding female creatives?
You have infinite possibilities! Work with other women, ask, challenge, inform, exchange and collaborate. You are not alone. Empowered women empower women.
Connect with Janine Binneman Jewellery Design on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
A new study from Juniper Research has found that Visa and MasterCard's distinct evolutionary strategies in digital payments will underpin the success of a market expected to increase from $3.8 trillion globally this year to more than $5 trillion by 2020.
The new report, Strategies for Payment Providers: Opportunities, Risks & Competition 2017-2021, pinpointed MasterCards two-pronged approach. The company is developing partnerships with third party wallets from players such as Apple and Samsung, while also introducing its own API-based wallet.
It also argued that Visas attempts to reduce friction in online payments through the implementation of one-click login (Visa Checkout) will increase conversion rates and overall online customer spend.
Best-in-class payment providers
Meanwhile, the study identified best-in-class players across the digital payments ecosystem, placing the following companies at the head of their respective Juniper Leaderboards:
Digital Wallets: PayPal
PSPs (Payment Service Providers): First Data
Telco Payment Providers: Vodafone
The research claimed that PayPals decision to enable in-store, NFC payments using HCE (Host Card Emulation) was a potential game-changer for the US digital wallets space, enabling the company to leverage its strength in online payments. It also highlighted First Datas strengths in integrated payments; the company processed nearly 90 billion transactions in 2016, and commended Vodafone for the continuing success in payments via its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Flexible, localised solutions needed
The research also defined a series of key strategic approaches for players across the digital payments market. For example, it argued that PSPs need to be able to offer merchants a range of options, including hosted payment pages and API integration, thereby allowing them to choose how much control they wish to exercise over the process.
According to research author, Dr Windsor Holden, To succeed in an increasingly competitive environment, it will be essential for PSPs to provide merchants with an array of flexible, localised solutions with transparent pricing structures.
Estate Delivery, the first of the franchises to be launched by Estate Food Services South Africa (EFS) has sold more than 15 franchises in less than three months since its launch.
Ian Allenden via 123RF
The service ensures that daily essential household items are delivered to the customers home on a daily basis, making use of preferential suppliers and brand names, such as Sasko, Sunbake, Parmalat and Clover. Estate Delivery says it offers a back to basics service, creating a personal relationship between the customer and the franchisee. The result of this is that the customer trusts that their products will be handled with care, says the company.
In addition to grocery deliveries, it offers a postal and courier service and also plans to launch an online shopping website that will offer the public "more than groceries".
The holding company, EFS, will be launching four new franchise brands before the end of 2017, all in the food industry. Furtherfmore, it plans to launch 50 new franchise brands in 2018. EFS also operates its own media house, radio station, publication company and a factory that will be responsible for the building of the food trucks, trailers, carts and kiosks in the near future.
The franchise development director, Pieter Boardman is currently aboard exploring more franchise opportunities that will be redeveloped for the South Africa market. The focus of EFS is the creating and developing of entrepreneurs, concludes Boardman.
New GfK research reveals how brands can connect with people in townships by aligning with their values
The top personal value that motivates consumer behaviour in South Africas townships is a strong sense of social duty rather than the search for personal opportunity that drives consumers in other segments of the market. Thats according to GFK Consumer Life, a longitudinal survey GfK conducts in 25 countries, including South Africa, each year.
The research drawn from face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of 1,000 South Africans reveals that township consumers attach a high importance to social responsibility. They aim to help themselves in a way that will help their neighbours and peers at the same time.
Furthermore, they have a deep pride in their culture and value their roots even more intensely than South Africans in other segments of the market.
Other key findings from the study include:
Nearly half (49%) of township consumers regard television programmes as a trustworthy source of information, compared to 40% of South Africans overall.
Some 34% consider radio to be trustworthy, compared to 27% of South Africans overall.
Around half (51%) accessed the Internet in the last 30 days.
Fifty-three percent own a smartphone and 73% of 15- to 24-year-old township dwellers.
Township consumers spend an average of R420 per person per month on airtime.
Says Rachel Thompson, Insights Director at GfK South Africa: To be successful with township consumers a brand must show that it understands their heritage and shares their code of ethics.
Marketing tactics need to be localised to the needs of township residents and their pursuit of social responsibility.
For example, we found that when a township consumer makes a purchasing decision about personal care, he or she is motivated by a desire to be a good role model for younger members of the community rather than by personal vanity, says Thompson. Brands must show how they can add value to consumers lives by providing them with products and services that resonate with their emotional needs.
Experiences, not possessions
Overall, 44% of South African consumers agree that experiences such as holidays and travel are more important than possessions. Township consumers agree, though the experiences they seek are time at church and with the radio or television rather than holidays or meals out. These activities present an opportunity for brands to impact peoples lives by offering relevant and exciting experience benefits.
Authenticity is an increasingly important value for South Africans, and for millennials in particular. Once again, its value that township consumers share. This implies that marketing activations need to be authentic and community-based, says Thompson. All South African consumers love to tell their neighbours about their experiences. Brands can succeed by creating a buzz and supporting it through local radio.
Social networking goes digital in townships
With the high level of trust in television and radio programmes among township consumers, there is a great opportunity for brands to support in-person activations through editorial content on radio and TV. High smartphone and Internet penetration reveals that digital can be a useful channel for reaching this market, especially for younger people.
Although Internet penetration is lower than the rest of SA, township consumers who access the Internet spend more time online. They do not feel that this is a waste of time or that people share too much private info online they share information more readily than other South African market segments.
Most people in the township have built communities where information is readily shared, so they dont perceive a risk in sharing data online, says Thompson. In a sense, theyve been doing social networking offline for their entire lives and see digital platforms as a natural extension of their usual behaviour.
For more township marketing insights, download the full report here: http://www.gfk.com/en-za/insights/report/connecting-with-the-township-consumer/.
Private rhino horn owner John Hume recently held South Africa's first online rhino horn auction , a major event in the ongoing fight by private rhino owners to be able to sell legal horn stocks. But in a statement released on Hume's behalf it was admitted that there were very few bidders for the 264 horns.
The auctions result is a setback to achieve a legal, commercial trade in horn to replace poached horn in supplying demand in the main markets. Humes official statement tried to put a brave face on it, saying he had triumphed and that a legal and sustainable supply has been established. He stills hopes to attract more buyers horn will still be available for private sales as long as permits are available.
The auction website had been translated into Vietnamese and Chinese in a bid to attract more bidders. Vietnam and China are the main markets for rhino horn supplied currently by the huge level of poaching of rhinos in South and southern Africa.
But with very few bidders taking part and one presumes little horn sold, it has done little to decisively advance the cause of establishing a legal, regulated market that both John Hume and Pelham Jones, chair of the Rhino Owners Association (PROA) believe can replace poaching, and provide funds to promote the breeding, protection and ultimate survival of rhinos.
Theres confusion over what comes next, made worse by the inconclusive result of the online auction, which has neither put a nail firmly in the coffin of legal trade nor shown a massive domestic demand that would put pressure on the government or provide economic incentives for more auctions or private sales.
This is the worst of both worlds and will only encourage further poaching, as demand shows no sign of lessening.
Controversy remains
The situation does not help clear the mess of a three way fight between private owners who favour trade, the government which seems not to know or want to say what it wants to do, and the strong and vocal lobby totally opposed to trade. Groups such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust, for example, are against trade mainly on ethical grounds.
Keith Somerville
The biggest block to the success of the auction was that horns legally purchased cannot be exported legally for sale. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species or CITES, bans this. Without lifting the ban or changing their regulations, CITES members like South Africa, China and Vietnam cannot trade any horn. Vietnamese or Chinese buyers can buy horn in South Africa but cannot take it out of the country.
Earlier this year, South Africas Constitutional Court definitively overturned the 2009 government ban on the domestic trade in rhino horn. The decision caused confusion over how horn would be sold, what permits were needed and whether the department would provide the permits. The ability of the government to develop a viable regulatory system for horn is also in question.
The department set conditions on issuing permits for Humes sale, which he agreed to comply with fully. Only permit holders can sell to other permit holders. The permit does not allow international trade. Part of the conditions was that the department must have access to the auction to do the necessary monitoring.
This would appear to be a first step in providing some sort of regulatory framework for domestic sales. It meets South Africas need to be seen to be complying with the 40-year-old CITES ban on the international commercial trade in rhino horn, but at the same time obeying the court order that domestic sales be permitted.
Confusion over what happens next
Earlier this year the South African government published draft legislation on horn sales that would allow owners of horn (South African or foreign) to take two horns out of the country as personal property but not for commercial sale and as long as the owners had the proper permits. The department then held consultations with interested parties, including private rhino owners, but the proposed legislation has not been released for consideration by parliament.
Molewa and the department havent said anything about next steps. They have however released a statement affirming South Africas commitment to CITES regulations. This puts emphasis on the fact that commercial international trade on rhino horn remains prohibited. The department denied that the new draft regulations were meant to circumvent CITES but they did confirm that it would allow limited horn exports.
This has set alarm bells ringing that a pseudo trade could develop, with foreign buyers coming to South Africa, buying horn legally, then taking it out of the country after. Monitoring what happens then would be impossible.
There is no single solution or silver bullet to put an end to poaching, but the present impasse will only make things worse.
There are people who are being killed in Durban. There are people who are being ill-treated and their only crime is being poor, and that they want to stay in places that are closer to town, said Thapelo Mohape from Abahlali baseMjondolo based in KwaZulu-Natal.
Housing activists gathered at Khayelitshas Isivivana Centre on Tuesday night. Photo: Thembela Ntongana
He was speaking at a meeting of about 200 people held in Khayelitshas Isivivana Centre on Tuesday night, 29 August. Activists from across the country gathered to highlight the difficulties that land and housing activists face.
The meeting, titled Dying for a Home in the City, was organised by the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education and Ndifuna Ukwazi.
At the core of the gathering today is that we see our brothers and sisters dying and being killed at the hands of the state for demanding what should be rightfully theirs, explained SJC general secretary Mandisa Dyantyi. We find ourselves in a situation where people whose ancestors were born in this country are being excluded from the benefits and the land that this country has to offer.
Mohape said, We know very well that the apartheid government deprived black people of the right of living next to the city. Now that we as black people want to move to the cities post apartheid, our very own black government is the one that is shooting and killing us.
Mohape lives in a shack. He said activists in Durban are being threatened by politicians on a daily basis. They think people who stay in shacks cannot think. They decide for us, he said. We have a housing problem in Durban not because houses are not being built but because houses are being sold by councillors to people with money.
Mphumeleli Mdunga from Izwelethu community in Khayelitsha, who is part of a large land occupation that started in May, spoke about the threats that they received from officials including councillors. One activist who was at the forefront of the occupation, Mthunzi Ras Zuma was shot dead on 28 May. Even when one of us died we decided as a community that we will not back down. We will not let anyone die in vain because we are without housing. We need places to stay.
The system accommodates those with money not us poor people. We report to the police [but] we are ignored, said Mdunga.
Labogang Malakaje from the Slovo Park Community Development Forum in Johannesburg, spoke about his communitys struggle to get government to provide decent living conditions. He described how they had to protest. In 2007 we won. They said they will give us electricity, build us housing and provide us with sanitation.
At the time Malakaje said the state only offered to build houses for 360 people. The remainder of the community would be moved 15km away. The community then took the national and provincial governments to court. They won the case last year, he said. We are proud that they will now build for 3,700 people, he said.
Siyabonga Mahlangu from the Inner City Federation, also in Johannesburg, said that in the context of fighting for land the time for theory is done. It is time for practical.
We need to fight for what is rightfully ours. We should be able to go and stay in cities where we work. Our government fought for their freedom not ours. We need to fight for ourselves now, he said. We cannot afford to be scared to die, said Mahlangu.
For domestic worker Sheila Madikane from Sea Point on Cape Towns Atlantic Coast, the fight was different. She had not occupied land but was being evicted from a place she had stayed in since 1987. She won her eviction case on 25 August 2017. Madikane said she has been fighting to live in Sea Point along with other domestic workers for more than 15 years. She is part of Reclaim the City. Land for people not land for profit is what we want. We were evicted but we never moved. We are in pain. We are in need of places to stay.
You rent a room in Sea Point for R2,500 [but] no visitors [are] allowed. [There is] no space to even cook. We are looking after their kids year-in and year-out. We only see our families for three weeks at the end of the year but we have no places to stay where we spend most of our time, she said.
Nongoma local municipal Mayor Albert Mncwango welcomed the investigation by the KwaZulu-Natal agriculture department into an alleged R200m in drought aid that never materialised. In addition to the R200m budgeted in the 2016/17 provincial budget, the R114m reprioritised during the 2015/16 budget also never arrived at the municipality, Mncwango said in a statement.
"The tax payer needs to know what has happened to this money... Anyone who is found to have acted in a corrupt and unethical manner must be punished.
"Public funds are the horses they want to ride to the land of their dreams, but we cannot allow this to happen when our people are suffering."
Unfulfilled promises
Mncwango said the rural municipality was the hardest hit by a severe drought in the province where people lost their livestock and most dams ran dry.
"The people of Nongoma were promised that dams will be built and that they will be compensated for the loss of livestock, but none of this has materialised even though huge amounts of money was set aside by the provincial government for drought relief.
"The citizens were promised that fields would be fenced, but even this has not happened so far. This makes us believe that we were being misled into believing that people will be assisted by the provincial government."
KwaZulu-Natal agriculture department spokesperson Khaye Nkwanyana referred all inquiries to the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs. But the KwaZulu-Natal department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs spokesperson Lennox Mabaso, in turn, referred News24 to the agriculture department.
Mabaso said they could not comment as the investigation was being undertaken by the agriculture department.
Source: News24
Read this report on News24Wire.com.
The White Paper for South African Migration was released on 28 July 2017 by the Department of Home Affairs. It aims to improve the management, security and influx and out flux of foreign and local nationals within South Africa and the current regimes thereof.
Not only will foreign nationals who are sojourning and those who wish to sojourn in the Republic be affected but also South African citizens who work abroad must also take note of important changes.
Whether you have foreign workers in South Africa, South African workers abroad or deal in any capacity with these changes, there is now a unique window to get your house in order and contribute to this important development in emigration law.
Points-based system
The Paper proposes that a points-based system be put in place for migrants who hold skills, potential investments and/or have business interests within the Republic. Thus, we are adopting a more strategy based and flexibility approach. This system may be adjusted, considering the qualifications, experience, capital availability and willingness of the transfer of skills from foreign nationals.
Expats with scarce skills will be required to transfer their unique skills and experiences to citizens of South Africa. This will further fill the skills gap within the labour market and decrease the scarcity of the needed skills. The Critical Skills list will be reviewed to ensure that scarce skills arent over-capacitated.
This will make it far easier for the correct expatriates to access long-stay visas. Furthermore, expats immediate family may apply as one unit and will thus enable the family members to conduct work and study without needing to apply for alternative visas. This is a large positive compared to current where accompanying family members are not allowed to work unless married to a South African citizen.
Toothbrush test is coming
It further proposes Marriage Clearance Certificates to be issued to foreigners whom intend to enter into spousal relationships with citizens. This regime is only to ascertain the status of the marriage and to ensure that respective foreigners are not married in their home countries.
The process hereof is yet to be identified, but as in the American movies, this will be where they put you in different rooms and check that you know the colour of your spouses toothbrush, who sleeps what side, is the pillow hard or soft and how you feel that your mother-in-law interferes in the marriage.
Permanent residency to be replaced
Permanent residency is proposed to be replaced with longer-term visas in order to dismiss the misunderstanding that expats may have in terms of progressing to citizenship by only taking into consideration the number of years they have spent in the country. The progression is thus aimed at expats who hold the necessary qualities of which will contribute to the South African economy.
Accordingly, the point-based system will further monitor on whether a person may qualify for short- or long-term residency and will result on whether they may apply for permanent residency and/or citizenship. Consequently, process of residency and citizenship will be deemed to be delinked.
South African citizens
Although the White Paper focuses solely on the Migration to South Africa, it does however further mention that citizens in the Republic whom intend to emigrate for a period longer than three months will be mandated to apply for registration as per the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). This is to ensure that strong ties are maintained together with the development agenda for the country, but we can see that SARS will probably also be very interested in this database.
Immediate actions
Although the White Paper focuses solely on the future, there are three immediate takeaways:
The University of Africa, a private university within JSE-listed ADvTECH, is on track to start producing new authorities on leadership on the continent and is calling for candidates from across Africa to join the programme.
The PhD in Leadership in Africas Development is a work-based PhD programme. We expect practising executives to bring their experience and insights, with the aim of bringing into harmony the discord that currently exists in the borrowing of management concepts from elsewhere and inserting them into local African settings, says Prof Mandi Rukuni, Professor Extraordinaire at the University of Africa.
Beyond the benefits for individual executives who participate, the programme has a broader aim to develop African management theory from the research and theoretical formulation of the practical experience and wisdom of African executives.
Professor Rukuni, who also heads the Barefoot Education for Africa Trust, and is one of the top global leaders in the field of African management, says the programme was developed after more than a decade of leadership training, during which he realised that there was a need for the mostly American theories to be informed by local societal culture.
I started designing courses in line with this realisation and, as time went by, started mentoring senior executives across the African continent. This made me realise that there is both the existence of much tacit knowledge and a need for high-level research. The result is this work-based, research-driven PhD. It includes a large dose of peer learning and a multi-disciplinary interrogation of leadership.
Launched at The University of Africa in 2015, the PhD Programme is now coming into its own, with the capacity to accept more candidates into the programme.
The impact of the programme in coming years will make a significant difference on the continent. We are all used to international management theories but we now seek to capture African management and leadership theory in a body of work that will hopefully one day culminate in formal African management theory. Currently, most local executive leadership development and training programmes require substantially more in the line of African management principles - especially those principles scientifically tested with local data and evidence. We also need African professors in management to author more relevant textbooks.
There is sufficient evidence from published literature that it is a global experience that societal culture does impact on organisational culture and vice versa. This PhD programme therefore draws on leadership theories from the US, Europe, Japan and elsewhere, and requires that students test these theories on their explanatory power in Africa, with the epistemological agenda to test the theories for the African setting. They are also required to bring in additional theses from African concepts, philosophies and experience.
September colloquium in Lusaka
The programme will host a colloquium in Lusaka on 14-15 September 2017. Those interested in registering for the programme are required to hold a Masters Degree from a registered and accredited university or higher education institution, have relevant management experience of more than five years and must submit a pre-proposal for selection. The proposal should indicate the proposed research area or topic, the background and context to the topic, a problem statement, a literature review of at least 15 published research articles, and an indication of the methods envisaged. Candidates are expected to complete the programme within 3 years.
For more information, visit www.universityofafrica.net/SitePages/Post-Graduate%20Studies.aspx.
The services sector, tourism, in particular, is one of the major contributors to Africa's economy through such functions as providing foreign exchange and employment. It is, therefore, crucial that governments and the private sector are increasingly working together to grow the sector which accounts for approximately 7.8% of the African GDP.
Livio Monti via 123RF
We believe that business opportunities and investment potential within Africas tourism sector are significant. Its a vast market that holds promise for businesses looking for new markets, said President and CEO of Corporate Council on Africa. Florizelle Liser was addressing the ongoing 41st Annual World Tourism Conference in Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday.
Growth of intra-African tourism
Sharing the same platform, UNCTADs Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi said intra-African tourism - due to its non-seasonality and characterised by conference, medical, education, and business tourism - is growing fast tourism, providing more sustainable support to the hotel industry. Over the past 10 years, intra-African tourism grew from 34% to 44% of the total number of tourists in Africa, with a projected growth of 50% over the next 10 years, said Kituyi.
The role of online travel
In this light and in todays globally digital world, tourism related businesses are striving to position themselves on the online map. The travel sector is one that has, over the years, evolved in its online presence, notably from the mid-1990s. Today, most travelers for both business and leisure plan their trips, book their hotel stays and flights online.
In a report published earlier this year by Jumia Travel, highlighting Kenyas hospitality trends, 96% of primary travel searches in the country are done online. 44% of them are made less than a week before check-in, while 25% of the customers search and book a hotel room online the same day. Globally, the number of bookings made on the internet stand at 148.3 million while the percentage of same day hotel reservations via smartphone stand at 65%.
Also speaking at the three-day Kigali conference - under the theme Unlocking Africa's Potential Through Tourism - Jumia Travels Country Manager Cyrus Onyiego, noted that the convenience brought about by the availability and accessibility of services online at the travellers comfort, has been a key contributor to this evolution that has made a vivid impression on the travel industry.
By enhancing travellers options, online travel is changing tourism trends in the region. Thus, adopting unique and seamless models such as online payments will help relevant players including travel agents, hotels, and even government ministries to give tourism consumers personalised experiences, while maintaining strong margins.
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Business and Arts South Africa's announcement of the 44 finalists for the prestigious annual BASA Awards is especially significant this year as the ceremony celebrates two decades of business and arts partnerships in South Africa.
That BASA has not just survived but has thrived over 20 years is testament to the power of public-private partnerships in South Africa. The Department of Arts and Culture remains a critical partner, as do the corporates that believe in the value of the arts and the creative sector in our society, comments Michelle Constant, CEO of BASA.
This year the Awards, partnered by Hollard & Business Day, reveal an array of talented partnerships, with strong contention in all 11 categories.
As always, the diversity and range of the finalists proves that the shared value of arts-business partnerships plays a vital role in bringing arts to many different communities around the country. BASAs own partnership with Hollard proves how successful arts-business collaborations can be.
Hollards partnership with BASA is testament to our belief that fostering collaboration between business and the arts enables better futures - for artists, through the exposure the Awards generate, for business, through the creativity engendered by the process of working together, and, for society as a whole, through the conversation and engagement around the beautiful works that are produced, says Hollards CMO, Heidi Brauer.
In fact, for Hollard the BASA partnership is a natural extension of the companys Better Futures campaign, which demonstrates how Hollard makes a positive and sustainable difference through the business they do and the way they do business. We are proud to partner with BASA in their milestone year, and anticipate this will be a radically different event as the Awards pay tribute to the disruptive nature of art.
The Awards, audited by auditors Grant Thornton, are judged by media specialist and radio DJ Kojo Baffoe, CEO of the Field Band Foundation Nicky Du Plessis, heritage specialist and entrepreneur Dali Tambo, journalist Christina Kennedy, Theresho Selesho, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Boondoggle South Africa, Mandie van Der Spuy, arts advisor and BASA Board member, and Ismail Mohamed, CEO of the Market Theatre Foundation. The Awards are chaired by restauranteur, BASA Board member and Marketing Specialist Dr Gianni Mariano, who does not have a vote.
What stands out with the finalists this year is the positive impact the partnerships have had on communities. For example, Anglo Americans partnership with Drama for Life brought to fruition the meaningful Unravelling HIV/AIDS Through Real Stories project. Each finalist is involved in a project that not only means something but is also changing lives in a real and tangible way. The projects were not simply to win awards but to make a meaningful impact, which they do, says judge Kojo Baffoe.
This year has also seen more innovation in the partnerships making it a tougher decision for the judges to pick only four finalists for the Innovation Award. It is very easy to simply throw money at projects and sit back and pat yourself on the back for having contributed. It is more difficult to think innovatively. The partnerships this year have significant legs and a strong element of sustainability covering a diverse range of genres, explains Baffoe.
Another noticeable change in the entries this year is the balance between large corporates and multinationals on the one hand, and smaller firms plus non-profits on the other, all partnering with arts bodies and institutions on projects. This is encouraging in that it demonstrates support for the arts over a cross-section of the South African corporate world and civil society. It perhaps signals a growing realisation that partnering for good goes beyond goodwill and corporate social responsibility - it can add lustre to all participants, large or small, says judge, Christina Kennedy.
The challenge remains to get small businesses to engage in arts partnerships. As a judge, this stood out for me most the entries from smaller businesses and business sectors that have traditionally not used the arts to bolster their commercial and social strategies. I believe this is an indicator of progress that BASA has made in both the business and arts worlds, remarks Theresho Selesho.
The Cultural Tourism Award, supported by Nedbank, was introduced as a category last year replacing the previous Art and Environment Award. It recognises business support of arts and culture projects, which contribute towards the sustainability of this increasingly important sector. There are three extremely strong contenders vying for the award this year.
What particularly impressed me were those partnerships that didn't necessarily involve a vast sponsorship amount, but where in-kind support and a coalescing of mutual interests reaped major rewards for both entities' brands and beneficiaries, says Kennedy of the contenders who stood out for both the Sponsorship In Kind Award and the First Time Sponsor Award.
The other BASA awards honouring worthy winners are: Increasing Access to the Arts Award, Beyond Borders Partnership Award, Long Term Partnership Award, Media Sponsorship Award, Strategic Project Award and Development Award.
This year, the judging process was simplified because of the growth in entries, I was looking for projects that would surprise me and were simple in the way they opened up the arts to a wider audience, advanced the arts organisation and achieved their strategic business objectives. There were a number of great nominations that managed to achieve this in a simple yet innovative way that resonates, Selesho explains.
Winners of the 20th Annual BASA Awards, partnered by Hollard & Business Day, will be announced at an event in September.
Having been at the launch of BASA two decades ago, I was present when it raised the prospects of business holding hands with the arts to forge a creative partnership the cultural sector in SA. Twenty years later, this partnership stands strong, says BASA Chairman Andre le Roux. Looking back, I didnt know I would be serving an organisation that has had an amazing impact on the arts in Southern Africa, with an arsenal of projects that corporate SA and government can be proud of.
THE 20TH ANNUAL BASA AWARDS, PARTNERED BY HOLLARD & BUSINESS DAY, FINALISTS ARE:
Innovation Award
Anglo American South Africa & Drama for Life for Unravelling HIV/AIDS Through Real Stories Project
Friends of Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) Marianne Fassler and breinstorm BA - for The Evidence of Things Not Seen exhibition and Visible Tones online and social media public participation project
Paramount Group & The Ichikowitz Family Foundation for #IAMCONSTITUTION Campaign
Quality Beverages & Eddy Cassar Public Relations and Promotions for The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival
First Time Sponsor Award
Top Seven (Pty) Ltd T/A Benon Lutaaya & Bag Factory Artists Studios for Young Female Residency Award
Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd (ENVASS) for iThemba Tower
Flanagan & Gerard Investments (Pty) Ltd & The Coloured Cube for Springs Mall Artwork Project
GE Africa Innovation Centre & CulArt Productions for Paragon Architects and GE Sub Saharan Africa for GE Africa Innovation Centre Localisation and Industrial Design
Increasing Access to the Arts Award
Friends of Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) Marianne Fassler and breinstorm BA for The Evidence of Things Not Seen exhibition and Visible Tones online and social media public participation project
Mathews and Associates Architects cc & Cool Captial for Cool Capital #saadjies
Rand Merchant Bank & ASSITEJ SA for Kickstarter Creative Arts Project
SA Taxi Foundation for SA Taxi Foundation Art Award
The Forum Company & Turbine Art Fair for Turbine Art Fair presented by The Forum Company
Beyond Borders Partnership Award
BNP Paribas (Incorporated in France) & Black Tie Ensemble Trust t/a Gauteng Opera for BNP Paribas Dream Up Project for Gauteng Opera Academy
French Institute South Africa & Dance Forum for DANCE UMBRELLA 2016: TOYI TOYI
Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa for Africa Architecture Awards
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited for Henri Matisse: Rhythm and Meaning Exhibition
Long Term Partnership Award
M-Net and DStv & The Cape Town Carnival Trust for The Cape Town Carnival
PPC Ltd for PPC Imaginarium
Rand Merchant Bank & Mzansi Youth Choir Foundation for RMB/Mzansi Youth Choir Collaboration Collaborating for a Creative Economy
Sasol & Association of Arts Pretoria for Sasol New Signatures
Media Sponsorship Award
ABSA & Parts & Labour for Drawings in the Sky
DeskLink Media / Creative Feel & Vuyani Dance Theatre for Joys of Sharing
M-Net and DStv & The Cape Town Carnival Trust for The Cape Town Carnival
New Pan Hellenic Voice & Artsvark for Arts Podcasts
Strategic Project Award
GE Africa Innovation Centre & CulArt Productions for Paragon Architects and GE Sub Saharan Africa for GE Africa Innovation Centre Localisation and Industrial Design
Johannesburg Development Agency for My-Alex - Youth Perception of Place
Nando's Chickenland (Pty) Ltd & Yellowwoods Art for Nandos Artists Society
Rand Merchant Bank & Mzansi Youth Choir Foundation for RMB/Mzansi Youth Choir Collaboration Collaborating for a Creative Economy
Small Business Award
CN&CO for CN&CO&TheArts
Mathews and Associates Architects cc & Cool Capital for Cool Capital #saadjies
Sinnovile Fabrics T/A Blue Label Yarn for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
Sponsorship In Kind Award
Air France & French Institute South Africa for Henri Matisse: Rhythm and Meaning Exhibition
Classic FM South Africa (Pty) Ltd & The Buskaid Trust for The Buskaid Soweto String Ensembles Annual Concert in the Linder
De Rust Wine Estate for Hope@PaulCluver
Event Alchemy & Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa for On The Move
Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company & The Naledi Theatre Awards for The 2016 Naledi Theatre Awards
Development Award
MTN SA Foundation & NWU Gallery for Art Safari for Kids
Rand Merchant Bank & ASSITEJ SA for Kickstarter Creative Arts Project
Rand Merchant Bank & Drama for Life for Drama for Life Mvuso Schools and Community Education Project
Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA)& Puku Childrens Literature Foundation for Puku Afri-kids Story Festival
Cultural Tourism Award, supported by Nedbank
Cape Town Tourism for Maboneng Township Arts Experience
Gooderson Kloppenheim Country Estate Hotel & The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative for My Body My Space Public Arts Festival 2016
Joburg Property Company & Gallery Momo & The Trinity Session for Council Chamber of Totems Public Art Competition
About BASA (NPC): Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) is an internationally recognised South African development agency with a suite of integrated programmes implemented nationally and internationally. BASA encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts, securing the future development of the arts sector in South Africa and contributing to corporate success through Shared Value. Business and Arts South Africa (NPC) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of the Department of Arts and Culture and the business sector as a public/private partnership. For more information on Business and Arts South Africa contact us on 011 447 2281 or visit our website: www.basa.co.za
For more information regarding the BASA Awards, please contact Teboho Sandamela az.oc.asab@ohobet 011 447 2295
Jennie Beck, CCO or chief client officer at Kantar Media Mena, spoke at this week's Pamro Conference on the challenges of TV audience measurement or TAMs in Africa and how the rapidly developing African TV infrastructure may turn this on its head, creating new measurement opportunities.
Beck began by admitting that while she predicted a recovery in Nigeria's market and in ad revenues across the board at the last Pamro conference, crashing commodity prices and continuing pressure on ad budgets have prompted a rethink on TAM in Africa.
That said, Beck pointed out that while it is a specific continent market, we shouldn't speak of anything 'across Africa' as each country is separately run and tackled. Their is no one-size-fits-all approach.
So, for the successful introduction of TAM measurement in any particular country, we need to remember that it would simply not be affordable without significant and growing TV revenue. That's why we need to make sure there's a cost-effective methodology, available and right for the market, along with industry commitment and buy-in from advertisers, media agencies and broadcasters alike.
Tackling the TV landscape
Beck says a good first step is identifying who has access to a TV set and who has one in their household. This alone is difficult as there are different ways of answering the question and some don't ask it at all. Their stats show the lowest penetration in Mozambique at 15%, going up to roughly 90% in SA.
Jennie Beck - going through TAM and it's development in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Cc @Kantar_Media #PAMRO2017 pic.twitter.com/OSXHXREi5U Oresti Patricios (@Orestaki) August 29, 2017
Another key consideration is that the digital switch-over is making painfully slow progress at best in the largest markets in Africa. It's only been implemented in nine of those currently and completion in SA has been rescheduled yet again, now for the end of 2018. Beck pointed out the conflict here between either getting it done quickly through existing partners, or the slower route of wanting to control the process yourself. Ultimately, the digital switch will result in more channels, especially in the realm of free-to-air TV, while also increasing competition in the paid-for segment, resulting in better competition in the broadcast media overall.
Next, Beck pointed out that there is significant reach, but we need to look at how it is being monetised. A forecast of Kenya and Nigeria, for example, will highlight different trends, with Kenya's steady curve ideal for the TAM passive measure with Nigeria showing more bounce.
Looking at TV planning data then, Beck pointed out that it's not necessarily a case of starting from scratch. Some return path data or RPD exists, either through set-top boxes or panels, but this is largely proprietary data not available to the public.
Taking this all into consideration, what's important in Africa? Beck says the answer lies in a cost-effective, flexible measurement system - especially given the current bounce in TV ad spend. In addition, it must be independent, transparent, high quality and cover as much of the market as possible. Keep in mind the big differences across the various markets - we need to respect those individual requirements and it must meet an unequivocal need within the industry so that it is paid for continuously. That's important because it's the main trending currency so it works universally and allows for even-handed buying, selling and planning.
Measuring live and time-shifted viewing
Beck called this an opportune time to introduce the set meter. It's low-cost and monitors content viewed 24 hours per day at device level, not at a person level. It is scalable as it's quite simply self-installed hardware that's plug-and-play in your TV's USB slot. As this is a passive form of measurement it means fewer operational challenges, as well as the ability to measure both live and time-shifted viewing, with the data processed overnight or in real-time. It's currently in beta testing and works with two main content detection techniques -
Audio detection , which offers better granularity and matches to a reference library without broadcaster involvement, or
, which offers better granularity and matches to a reference library without broadcaster involvement, or Audio watermarking through software, which requires broadcaster commitment.
On the topic of industry commitment, Beck said many broadcasters say they want TAM measurement but are reluctant to put anything into practice. It needs to be a conversation held in each market and adapted to the state of each specific market. Even the most resistant broadcasters still need that competition data to stay alive.
So, are we there yet?
Not quite, says Beck. We need to hub all the data processing in one place across the multiple markets, work with pay-TV providers to collect the data and use RPD across the various markets, while also working together to find funding for a set-meter model and to watermark participating channels.
"The collective is the only way to eradicate fragmentation," she ended. Without a joint industry committee and focus on audience instead of platform we are not going to get there, we need to pull together.
Magnus Anshelm, MD of the MMS joint industry committee in Sweden, spoke of an advanced hybrid model for the total video currency for TV and online video at Pamro 2017, as the future is here.
Magnus Anshelm, MD of MMS.
Tasked with launching and developing TV currency, online video currency and total video currency, covering all TV and video content across devices, Anshelm looks at synergies between TV and video for different target groups. He shared the relevance of this for countries in Africa. If content is king then context is queen, started Anshelm. "You know what kings and queens do together, so that's a good starting point," he joked.
Firstly, he provided a snapshot of the TV-viewing landscape in Sweden in 2017. It's consumer-driven, and the consumer spends increasing amounts of time online watching video, as the infrastructure and ad spend is there. In terms of devices, there's an average of 9 per household with 17 screens in his house of just 3 people.
This really opens up consumption where the amount of actual TV set households is decreasing. It's proof that consumers watch the content they're interested in at any time, anywhere, on any device.
Interestingly, Anshelm says they're not taking the return path data or RPD step, instead doubling their TAMS panel size, linked to a streaming meter to catch and overlap linear with online viewing on every device mapped in the household. Census data is then also divided by device, then linked to online panels from Kantar as the core, complemented by a Nepa panel for reach. How it works is thus: People in the TAM panel get a questionnaire and the actual and claimed viewing is then correlated. Anshelm explained that the glue then, unique to the market, is a special copy code from the ad server over all platforms.
He said this may not seem relevant to Africa just yet, but it will be. He feels the industry could build the model together using RPD data, especially if it is linked to house router meter data, or using ad server data.
A final word from the panel
This #WomensMonth, we go behind the selfie with Laura Owings Rawden - head of Locomedia communications agency and chair of Safrea.
Is there a better city to freelance in? Rawden getting some fresh air between clients on the promenade.
1. Where do you live, work and play?
Cape Town, and where the Wi-Fi and coffee is good. Often Red Sofa Cafe in Vredehoek, which has both.
2. Whats your claim to fame?
Having been a successful freelancer for over 10 years, and now sharing that experience and passion as the chair of Safrea, where I can put it to use helping improve the industry and fight for fair pay and practices.
3. Describe your career so far.
I started out as a microbiologist working in a laboratory before being recruited by ABC News in NYC as a health and science journalist. Proof that you never know where your career will eventually take you! Working there, I discovered a deep passion for news and the communications industry. I then moved to Europe to pursue a master's degree in international media and journalism, before landing in Amsterdam and launching their first English-language news magazine. Along the way, I've worked as a broadcast news writer, radio presenter, magazine and book editor, and PR rep. Now I run Locomedia, a small agency that specialises in content, PR and social media strategy.
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
Good, strong coffee first thing in the morning drunk in bed while playing with my eight-month old boy. I'm also a huge fan of good wine, absorbing fiction, dark chocolate and Llandudno beach.
5. What do you love about your industry?
I love the fact that the freelance industry is growing and that we're talking about it now as the 'future of work'. The traditional 9-5 just isn't working for those of us in media. As an industry, we're always facing layoffs and downsizing, and freelance opens a lot of doors that wouldn't be there if we were all forced to fight for the few full-time jobs out there.
That said, the freelance market, especially in SA, is growing with many highly skilled and incredibly experienced professionals, so it's getting more competitive in a good way. Freelance is no longer seen as someone in a bikini with a laptop, sitting under a palm tree. Its being respected as a career that people work hard to grow and maintain through quality work and professional attitudes.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
As a freelancer, every day is different. But I am a slave to routine in that I start all days sorting the inbox, then tackling my day's to-do list. I always end the work day with a list of priorities for the next day, so I always know where my focus is when I arrive at the office.
7. What are the tools of your trade?
A laptop with Word, a good smartphone and a reliable Wi-Fi connection and coffee!
8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
I'm currently obsessed with the new news round-up site Piqd. It brings together exceptional news and storytelling from all genres, with commentary from experts who are deeply connected to the issues. It goes beyond saying 'this is a great story you should read' to saying why a story is relevant and what makes it stand out. Their daily digest is a must-have newsletter.
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
News aggregators are the worst. The trend in the industry toward repackaging old content and selling it as new is seriously damaging the relationship storytellers have with their audience. It's borderline plagiarism and we have real talent out there that's just waiting to write good new stories.
10. What are you working on right now?
I've just joined a startup to help with their PR and comms strategy. Their focus is the local wine industry, growing awareness of the great wines produced in SA and how accessible they are. Stay tuned!
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
#fakenews. Sadly, it's thrown around a lot more than it should be, and rarely when it should be.
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
When trying to fall asleep, or driving in the car.
13. Whats your secret talent/party trick?
I wish I went to parties. (See above: Baby boy).
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
A little of both. I love a good ol' fashion book and newspaper, but I'll never give up my iPhone.
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. Love it or hate it, it's still the best way to communicate with audiences.
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
Work hard, don't give up and join an organisation like Safrea that keeps you connected to like-minded professionals who can support and encourage your career.
Simple as that. Click here for Safreas press office, here to visit their website and interact with them on the following social platforms: Twitter | Facebook
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
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Make social content channel relevant
All marketing must be channel relevant within Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Marketers have spent a ton of money on high-quality video creative already, so it makes sense they would want to just rework it for Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Unfortunately, that approach is usually ineffective. Instead, brands need to edit and adapt creative assets to work within social media channels, which might mean adding additional images, layering in new motion graphics, or generating additional video content that is better suited for a social environment. Due to the enhanced targeting capabilities on these channels, brands shouldnt just send the same message to their entire target audience. By combining existing and new assets, brands can craft personalized video ads, which create resonance for your brand, said Jeff Fagel, CMO, Eyeview.
Micro-segment content
Social media users expect relevancy. Technology exists that enables brand marketers to easily create many permutations of an ad to make it relevant for micro-segments. For example: an SUV ad for users in Florida might feature sand, while the same ad for users in Maine might feature snow. You can go much deeper than this on the personalization front, presenting different offers to different customers based on what you already know about their preferences, said Fagel.
Dont pay for engagement, pay for sales
Whether or not usage of the main Facebook app will continue to decline among teens is still a question mark, but all of this focus on comparing Snapchat vs. Facebook has obscured the fact that each are racing to prove that they are valuable tools for producing tangible business results. Its time to stop paying for views and engagement, and start using digital video advertising as a sales tool. Marketers should focus on platforms and partners that guarantee their hard-won budgets will be spent on proven business outcomes, said Fagel.
Use data to craft creative
The industry is craving personalization, but it will take a fundamental shift in how campaigns are set up and executed to truly deliver on one-to-one creative, said Fagel. [Campaign] themes that work well in one channel dont always translate well to another. Instead of doing more of the same, start with data on your audiences and their preferences and habits and use it to inform creative. This results is more impactful advertising that results in stronger outcomes.
Create ads that work at :05, :15, and :30
Typical advertising stories were built for 30-second TV spots how do you translate the goal of that original ad while keeping it relevant at a much shorter length? You have to use the first few seconds wisely. Carefully consider how you will grab the viewers attention at the beginning of an ad. You have to factor in that most users will have the sound turned off, and then determine how that might change your approach, said Fagel.
Union Minister of Industry U Khin Maung Cho responded to questions about the Bilin township factory on August 28, after MP U Tin Ko Ko Oo pressed for details. The MP said local reports indicated recent activity on the site pointed toward a restart of operations.
The Mon State Pyithu Hluttaw MP told parliament that local residents reported seeing a water purifier being installed on the 105-acre factory site, as well as a mini market being constructed in staff quarters. U Tin Ko Ko Oo said when residents approached the staff at the factory for insight on future operations, they were not given any information.
We want to know what kind of arrangements the ministry has secured in its contracts with private companies [for the factory]. It would be great for the local residents if [the factory] is successful. If not, there could still be losses, he said. We dont know whether we should work toward making it a successful project, because right now we dont know what is in the contract. Thats why we are asking the government to reveal it for the sake of transparency.
Minister U Khin Maung Cho said the company renting the state-owned factory is trying to build a small sugar machine that can grind 300 tonnes of sugarcane per day. The company has also signed contracts with India and China to buy 16 machines for the sugar mill section and 11 machines for the juice section, he added.
According to the planned schedule, the machines will be installed by mid-October, allowing trial runs to start the second week of December. The company intends to hire 50 staff to run the factory, he added.
The sugar factory and plantation in Mon States Bilin township has been seen an ill-fated series of renters with the prospect of brining jobs and industry to the area, but never delivering. The 105-acre factory and 1,325-acre sugar plantation were leased to the Shwe Thanlwin Highway Company in 2011 with a ten-year lease. However, just one year into the contract, the company said the premises needed major renovations. The following year, the company returned the factory to the ministry without undertaking any construction work.
The ministry then leased the factory to AIG Company for K50 million per year, but when the company proved unable to pay its staff, buy sugarcanes from local farmers or pay the electricity bill, the factory again returned to the state.
In November 2015, Super One Dragon Company took over the rent at a price of K25 million per year, according to the ministry.
Boosting ethnic voices in media is a necessary element of national reconciliation and will contribute to de-escalating conflicts, said participants in a panel discussion about the role of media in peace-building.
The conference, held jointly by the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) and Burma News International (BNI), which Mon News Agency is a member of, took place in Yangon on August 29.
U Thiha Saw, secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, said that around 50 ethnic media organizations have joined the diversifying news landscape over the past two years. He added that conflicts across the country will be better addressed as more official and professional ethnic media outlets develop.
Nan Paw Gay, chief editor of KIC News, another BNI member, noted that many political, cultural and institutional barriers continue to hamper a vibrant news environment.
There have been some changes, and improvements in transparency [compared to] under the previous administration, she said. But there are still many challenges. We cant say the media industry has been completely developed. As everyone knows, there are still restrictions, lawsuits and arrests made against the media. Sources are also arrested.
She added that the existing media law does not go far enough in protecting journalists, and cited a low awareness about the provisions of the law. She urged the press council to travel widely throughout the states and regions in order to discuss the legal framework with journalists so they are aware of the regulations.
U Zin Linn, BNIs editorial consultant, also called for the government to help boost ethnic media development.
We will get more information due to better inclusion of ethnic voices in the peace process and national reconciliation process. It will be easier to find the solution [to conflicts]. By looking at this connection, we want to earnestly request those who are supporting media development, including the Ministry of Information and the UNESCO, to make broader connections and to uplift the role of ethnic media, he said. Ethnic voices are crucial in todays [negotiations for] peace and national reconciliation.
The conference was attended by the Ministry of Informations deputy director-general Daw Thida Tin, who gave one of the welcoming addresses. Members of the press council, UNESCO, European Union, Yangon Region MPs, members of the Institute for Peace and Social Justice and of the press also took part.
PR Newswire
OCEAN VIEW, Del., Aug. 29, 2017
OCEAN VIEW, Del., Aug. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Global Doors and Windows Market is forecast to exceed USD 137 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.
Positive construction spending and renovation in existing constructions are expected to drive industry demand. Rising population would support the global door and window market share for new constructions serving residential, commercial and commodity requirements. Commercialization, improving government & state finances and public funding in emerging economies such as Indonesia, Thailand, and India will further enhance business growth.
Introduction of latest technologies such as use of uPVC instead of aluminum and wood would propel the demand for these systems owing to its lower weight, fully recyclable property, lesser maintenance, and thermal insulation. UK doors and windows market size is expected to grow at 4.7% CAGR, owing to the regulatory reforms promoting the use of energy efficient insulations to minimize carbon footprints. Rising awareness among the people and regulatory bodies may negatively impact the uPVC door and window market share over the forecast timeline.
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Substandard housing in emerging markets will bring in huge investments in the trending smart homes and quality housing in the coming years, which will provide a stable growth platform for the industry over the forecast timeline. Moreover, the residential construction market growth will draw consistent demand for the industry. India is set to witness strong increases, which can be traced largely owing to the rise in middle class income and more rapid industrialization. Carpenters and craftsmen still do much fabrication at building sites, due to a lack of standard product sizes.
Wood profiles are comparatively more environmental friendly than aluminum and uPVC counterparts, which are also featured with attributes such as better aesthetics, longer life cycle, better insulation, lesser carbon emissions, optimized waste generation, and high performance. However, owing to its high costs, the cost sensitive construction industry and other consumer applications may not witness significant adoption rates.
Technology innovation, integrated with security sensors for safety concerns would fuel the demand for new profiles over the forecast period. Infrastructural development in emerging economies would draw huge demands for doors and windows market share over the forecast timeframe. Increasing constructions in healthcare, education, and retail sector would offer potential growth opportunities from 2016 to 2024.
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uPVC has developed into the preferred material for door and window profiles due to its lightweight, recyclability and low maintenance.
Wood door and window market size accounted for over 28% of the overall revenue in 2015 and would grow at 5.7% from 2016 to 2024. High thermal resistance, aesthetic looks and easy availability of timber would support the growth over the forecast period.
Residential doors and windows market size was valued at more than USD 45 billion in 2015. Increasing expenditure on construction activities to improve residential, infrastructure, and aesthetic beauty in the developed economies of Europe and North America are expected to support the future growth of the industry.
The Chinese government has issued various laws to minimize the use of wood, which has played a significant role in the development of uPVC profiles. Rising awareness regarding benefits of uPVC and lesser maintenance would trigger its use in the new residential construction market.
Major players are Andersen, Atrium, Corialis, Eurocell, Masco, Pella Corporation, Reynaers and YKK Corporation. Focus on new product development and mergers & acquisitions, to enhance regional presence and product portfolio are the key strategies applied to retain window and door industry share.
Browse key industry insights spread across 315 pages with 386 market data tables & 16 figures & charts from the report, "Window And Door Market Size By Material (uPVC, Wood, Metal), By Application (Residential [New Residential, Improvement & Repair], Commercial [New Commercial, Improvement & Repair]), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Poland, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 2024" in detail along with the table of contents:
https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/window-and-door-market
Chapter 4 Window & Door System Material Insights
4.1 Global window & door system market revenue share by material, 2015 & 2024
4.2 uPVC
4.2.1 uPVC window & door system market, 2012 - 2024
4.2.2 uPVC window & door system market by region, 2012 - 2024
4.3 Wood
4.3.1 Wood window & door system market, 2012 - 2024
4.3.2 Wood window & door system market by region, 2012 - 2024
4.4 Metal
4.4.1 Metal window & door system market, 2012 - 2024
4.4.2 Metal window & door system market by region, 2012 - 2024
Browse Full TOC @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/window-and-door-market
Browse Related Reports:
Door And Window Automation Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Germany, UK, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Application Opportunities, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Growth & Forecast, 2016 2024
https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/door-and-window-automation-market
Read our Insightful Blog on Window Automation Market @
https://www.gminsights.com/blogs/window-automation-industry-trends
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.
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SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc.
Member of Parliament for Mochudi East Isaac Davids decision to ditch the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) could cost him his parliamentary seat before the end of this year, Botswana Guardian has established.
Davids, who was a member of Botswana National Front a contracting partner of the UDC, early this week defected to Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Davids has not stated his reasons for ditching the BNF.
This publication has gathered that a BNF Mochudi East Branch meeting held on Tuesday this week resolved to petition the MP. The aim of the petition is for the MP to return the UDC seat. The meeting, which according to sources discussed the matter at length, resolved that the process of engaging electorates in Mochudi East be in full force by next week.
We want to be done with the process within two months. We have agreed to spearhead the process of the petition as the BNF since we were the ones asked for votes on his behalf. We will get the voters roll that was used during the 2014 general election so that we target those people who voted, said a source who attended the meeting.Once complete, the petition is expected to be handed over to the Speaker of the National Assembly Gladys Kokorwe. Half the number of people who voted in 2014 is needed to sign the petition.BNF Mochudi East Branch Chairman Moagi Molebatsi confirmed in an interview that the Tuesday meeting resolved to petition the MP. Molebatsi said they owe it to the electorates because the MP has failed to notify them about his decision.
That seat is for UDC and not him. We owe it to the electorates to do something. We knocked on their doors, gave them sleepless nights that with the UDC they would not go wrong. As the branch leadership the Tuesday meeting authorised us to start the process.
We would need to collect at least 4000 signatures and we are determined to do so, said Molebatsi. The chairman is also confident that the constituents will heed their call. Most of the people who voted him are UDC members and Bakgatla and with the voters roll we will not fail to achieve our mission, Molebatsi revealed.
However, the unprecedented petition might not see the light of day in the absence of a law that prohibits floor crossing. BDP MPs rejected a Bill to that end by then Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Lebonaamang Mokalake some years back.
Independent Electoral Commission Principal Public Relations Officer Osupile Maroba expressed doubt that the petitioners would succeed given that Botswana laws are silent on floor crossing.
He explained that with the current arrangement, electorates have no powers when their leaders move from one party to the other. He wondered under which law Parliament would be requested to act even if the petition is taken to Parliament.
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In its bid to turn horticulture into a profitable and money spinning business, Botswana Horticulture Council (BoHoCo) will host a National Horticulture Field Day and conference in Lobatse next month.
The field day is organised in collaboration with South East Horticulture Farmers Association (SEHOFA) and Maradu Farm. BoHoCo has successfully negotiated with a local insurance company to insure horticulture products.
Currently, Botswana farmers are losing millions in damages caused by natural disasters as insurance companies do not provide any cover for horticultural products. The theme for the business minded event is, Horticulture, green diamond discovered.The objectives of the field day include but not limited to knowledge exchange, technology acquisition, market intelligence and skills acquisition. The events will be held on 22nd- 23rd September 2017.The events provide an opportunity for networking, education and discussion for those working in the horticultural industry and businesses which support it. Speaking to Botswana Guardian, BoHoCo chairman, Boikaego Phole said they invited the Ambassador of the European Union to Botswana and SADC, Alexander Baum to perform the official opening of the event.
He revealed that in its quest to contribute to the development of horticulture production and associated value chain businesses; his Council has embarked on a campaign dubbed Discovering Botswanas Second Diamond.
This campaign entails luring stakeholders to collaborate with BoHoCo on identified endeavours aimed at developing horticulture. One such identified stakeholder is EU Commission.
Phole said subsequent to a number of engagements between the two, EU Commission has since shown interest to collaborate with BoHoCo from the year 2018 onwards in a strategy to revamp horticultural production and marketing. It is in recognition of this envisaged partnership that the Ambassador was invited.
Negotiating insurance
Phole said another interesting stakeholder is an insurance company that he declined to name. Negotiations are at an advanced stage and a Memorandum of Understanding between BoHoCo and the insurance company is being worked on and will be concluded soon.
Phole said the Insurance Company is developing a new insurance package that should adequately cover the farmers interests. The whole objective is to come up with an insurance cover with favourable terms and conditions at fairly affordable premiums. The insurance company is scheduled to present the new insurance cover to the conference attendants on September 23rd.
Phole said one of the biggest challenges that have bedevilled potential growth in the horticulture industry is lack of appropriate and consistent market, the Botswana Horticulture Market notwithstanding.Efforts to transform the horticulture market have been ongoing and given the pace at which things are moving, it is envisioned that a conclusion favourable to most farmers will be reached before 23rd September, said Phole.
Another objective of the campaign is to forge collaborative partnership with relevant stakeholders such as service providers, input suppliers, financial institutions, training institutions with the ultimate objective of lowering production costs.
This will enhance competitiveness of end products and hence increase profitability in the sector. Although the campaign is still ongoing some lucrative deals have already been struck.
Phole said through their respective regional organisations, farmers are urged to find a way to participate in the field day, conference and all other pertinent platforms. Terms and Conditions for one to represent others in the negotiations do exist.
Government parastatal, Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency (PEEPA), is likely to hunt for a new Chief Executive Officer, following the end of contract for Kgotla Ramaphane sometime last week, BG has learnt.
Botswana Guardian can confirm that Ramaphanes contract came to an end on the 12th of August and Director-Public Services Outsourcing, Ishmael Joseph has been appointed in an Acting capacity, leaving out the current Deputy CEO Tiny Diswai-Moremi.
According to close sources who remained anonymous, the Board of Directors, led by Tally Tshekiso, has been dragging its feet in giving recommendations to the appointing authority (Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration) well on time to act on the matter. The Board had always known the mans contract was coming to an end and they have just been sitting on it until the last hour. It was only last week on Ramaphanes last days when a letter was written to the Ministry that the CEOs contract has come to an end, reveals the source.
When reached for comment on the contract of the outgoing CEO and plans around it, Chairman Tshekiso indicated that he did not feel safe to do telephonic interview with a stranger. When further pursued to arrange for a meeting, the chairman quickly dodged the request and declined saying that he was busy and engaged.
Pressed further, he explained that the appointing authority was working on the issue and that the Permanent Secretary could be contacted for further clarity. It is a very confidential matter. The appointing authorities are working on it and I will leave it to them. I do not want to discuss it, he said.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Kebonye Moepeng could not comment on the matter when reached for comment, but referred all inquiries back to the PEEPA Board Chairman. I am on leave, kindly contact the Board chair on the matter. He is the right person to talk to, she said.
Furthermore, those closer to the developments at the organisation, which is housed in Fairgrounds business area had highly thought the Board would at least appoint Diswai-Moremi who has been deputising the outgoing gentleman.
Diswai-Moremi, a sibling to the Minister of Basic Education Unity Dow has been Ramaphanes right hand lady in charge of the office during his absence throughout his tenure. Ramaphane holds an MBA from Stirling University in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Botswana. Before his appointment to the CEO position at PEEPA, Ramaphane was responsible for Performance Monitoring within the Agency where his responsibility was to advise Government on corporate governance.His highly decorated CV includes a number of high profile positions in the corporate world such as leading organisations like Botswana Railways and Botswana Technology Centre to success.
Amongst Ramaphanes successes
In 2012, PEEPA handled the merger of the Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) and the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) to form the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).
He also presided over the merger of Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) and the Rural Industries Promotion Company (RIPCO) to form the Botswana Institute of Technology, Research and Innovation (BITRI), as well as Botswana Savings Bank (BSB) and Botswana Postal Services (BPS).
PEEPA also embarked on regulatory frameworks which culminated in the establishment of a number of regulators such as the Competition Authority (CA) and the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) in its current form to include other sectors hitherto excluded under the jurisdiction of Botswana Telecommunications Authority.
The next major project for PEEPA was the separation of assets when Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited was being privatised. Bofinet was formed and BTCLs Initial Public Offering launched in 2015.Ramaphane leaves at a time when amongst other developments, the process to establish the energy and water regulatory authority (BERA) is at an advanced stage.
Air Botswanas privatisation processes had already kick-started, with the Ministry of Transport and Communications having put out the expression of interest to the interested investors in the market.
Of Govt parastatals and CEOs contracts
Lately, it has become so common for the appointing authorities to not consider renewing/extending the contracts of the parastatal CEOs and some leave under controversial circumstances.
MVA
It all started with Motor Vehicle Accident Fund CEO Cross Kgosidiile in January 2016 who had been with the Fund for 10 years. MVA was one of the best performing parastatals compared to other loss making entities that gobble from the government coffers. Under Kgosidiile, the fund underwent a number of changes and accomplishments including winning three awards for Deloittes best company to work for, best parastatal to work for and the standard excellence achievers award.
He also oversaw major legislative changes to the parastatal, which have broadened its mandate and coverage. At the time of his departure, speculations were rife that the appointing authority did not renew his contract as he was linked to one of the opposition political parties.
BTO
Thabo Brian Dithebe followed in August 2016, having served for almost two years at Botswana Tourism Organisation after taking over from Myra Sekgororoane.
Dithebes alleged resignation stemmed from Marketing Manager, Jillian Blackbeards constant efforts to supersede his authority.
It was claimed that shed often create initiatives that shed take directly to the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama without the knowledge of Dithebe.
BITC
In February 2017, the man at the helm of the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, Letsebe Sejoe parted ways with the parastatal. At the time, Sejoes contract had also come to an end but nonetheless, the media reports were rife that he remained the golden boy for the Board of Directors.
The Boards decision to renew Sejoes contract was unsuccessful as the appointing authority, Vincent Seretse of Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry turned it down.
Following the establishment of BITC in 2012, Sejoe was appointed as Chief Operations Officer and later confirmed by the Board as substantive CEO in 2014.
Botswana Railways
Botswana Railways Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Ntwaagae exited the parastatal before his term could come to an end. Ntwaagae, who was allegedly under pressure, left BR with a whole month left in his contract, which was expected to expire by the end of March 2017. Ntwaagaes departure followed a train derailment that had happened on 22 February between Lobatse and Gaborone.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has not yet set a target for the number of eligible voters to register next year.
IEC has set between September and November next year for the registration for the 2019 general election. IEC Principal Public Relations Officer Osupile Maroba told this publication that the secretariat is yet to meet and discuss the issue and other related matters. Owing to the new amendment to the Electoral Act, there will not be supplementary registration as it has been the norm, a development that opposition parties have roundly condemned, arguing that it would disenfranchise many Batswana who could not register earlier. The IEC announced that it would conduct registration from September 3 to November 11, 2018 for those eligible to vote in the 2019 general election.
The Commission said the decision to call for registration was largely due to the amendment of the Electoral Act, which deleted Section 8 of the Electoral Act. Section 8 of the Electoral Act provided for supplementary and continuous registration of voters. Maroba said the IEC would have to consider the voting population when it set itself the target.This would inform us what could be the possible number for us to register. The Secretariat would have to come up with an Implementation Plan which informs them on how to handle the registration process, he stated.
Maroba also revealed that as for campaigns to sensitise the public, this would have to be dealt with next year. Maroba said this is because the cost has to be included in the Commissions budget which would be availed next year. He explained that the IEC would kick-start the campaigns once they have been budgeted in the next financial year.
He expressed hope that even though supplementary and continuous registration has been discontinued in line with the amended Act, the Commission would be able to register as many eligible voters as possible.
In the build-up to the 2014 general election IEC set a target of 1.2 million eligible voters to be registered, a number that could not be realised.
Francistown High Court Judge Lot Moroka will deliver his judgement next week Thursday in a case in which Botswana Congress Party(BCP) wants the use of Electronic Voting Machines in the 2019 general election to be declared unconstitutional.
This is a matter of national importance as it defines the democracy of the country, Moroka said on Wednesday after listening to arguments from both counsels for BCP, Gabriel Komboni and Matlhogonolo Phuthego and Thato Mojaji of the Attorney Generals Chambers.Moroka said the ruling cannot be made haphazardly as it needs time. With the countrys democracy hanging on a knife edge, the State is desperate to kill the EVM case by having it dismissed on a technicality.In the legal action before court, BCP has cited the Attorney General (AG), Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Secretary to the IEC respectively. On Wednesday Komboni applied for condonation while the AG lawyers filed for dismissal of the case on grounds that BCP has filed late.
Komboni pleaded with court to consider their condonation saying the nine-day delay was a result of failure to find an expert coupled with lack of resources. Komboni said that BCP has prospects of success in this matter.
He said that in terms of the rules, there are three possible orders that the judge could make. The first one will be to dismiss action, extend period of filing or his Lordship can make an order that the court will see fit in such a circumstance, Komboni said. He however ruled out dismissal saying that it is a drastic action or alternatively a nuclear weapon which should be reserved. The attorney then submitted that the matter involves technical issues which can only be explained better by experts. The say of experts is critical as EVMs are gadgets that can be tampered with, he said. Countering the argument the AGs averment that the State would suffer prejudice if procurement of the machines is delayed and the public is not adequately tutored on their use, Komboni said:
There is no evidence that the public is craving the use of EVMs. In fact there is a serious distance from public. Prejudice has not been demonstrated. He pleaded with the judge to grant comdonation.
Section 32 of the Constitution states that voting should be given by a ballot, Komboni said elaborating that a ballot is defined by the Oxford dictionary as voting secretly by writing on a piece of paper. He said that the electronic device which the state is so eager to purchase does not provide proof of paper in case people demand a recount. He said that the right to vote can only have a meaning if there is certainty that a vote has been cast and there is proof. Komboni said this verification must be open to the public and the courts to challenge votes if the need arises. He said in the absence of ballot papers to physically check this will be denied. It offends against the public nature of elections, Komboni said emphasising that elections still remain the right of voters to ask for recount and if the EVMs are used then that right is rendered irrelevant if there is no paper trail. He said that the plaintiff had received a letter from IEC dated 21st August 2017 which notifies time of general voting period. He said the letter reads: This serves to inform you that IEC has appointed a period for general voter registration from 3rd September to the 11th November 2018. The notice has been published on the Government Gazette dated 7th September.
He said that is the only period that the voters will have. He said that under the new arrangement, those turning 18 on the 11 November will by virtue of cancelling supplementary registration, be denied an opportunity to vote. This is a clear violation of the constitution.However, Phuthego pleaded with court to dismiss the BCPs application, arguing that their answering affidavits were not properly filed before court. He said that BCP has only decried that EVMs are susceptible to hacking yet they have not produced proof before court.
Phuthego said that it is not proper for BCP to bring the matter before court and later cry shortage of money and experts. He said by so doing the state stands to suffer prejudice as they do not know when the BCP will have raised enough money as they are saying they are waiting for this and that.
Application for condonation should be dismissed with costs, he said.
Efforts by Umbrella for Democratic Change to solve the political crisis within Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) may be headed for a dead-end given the latest developments.
Ndaba Gaolathe, who leads one of the BMD NECs, stood his ground on Tuesday night that UDC leader Duma Boko and his NEC should conclude the matter this coming Thursday (August 31st) while rivals, led by Advocate Sidney Pilane called for postponement of their appearance to September 4th and 9th.
Gaolathe, joined by his entire NEC, reiterated his factions stance on Tuesday night at Oasis Hotel during his presentation before the UDC jurisdiction. At the same meeting, Gaolathes NEC pulled a shock surprise on Pilanes NEC when it brought Matshekge Hill School congress Electoral Board Chairman to testify. Andrew Koziba Kgakgamatso who is also Mmopane- Lentsweletau Branch Chairperson, gave his side of the story which played in favour of Gaolathes faction, a factor that is believed may have prompted the request for deferment by Pilanes NEC. A detailed report was also presented at the hearing while structures making up the NEC gave oral evidence during the meeting that lasted until midnight. Meanwhile, Botswana Peoples Party was for the third time in a row, still not part of the meeting. BPP has maintained that it would not be part of the UDC meetings that are attended by Botswana Congress Party until remaining issues of the UDC are ironed out. This rich statement is said to be what could burst the bubble of establishing a new party - something that the UDC leadership is desperately trying to avoid. According to the letter seen by this publication, Pilanes BMD NEC, which was scheduled to appear before the UDC on Wednesday night requested a postponement to the 4th and 9th of September 2017. Pilane-led NEC Secretary General Gilbert Mangole confirmed that they requested a postponement. We requested the postponement because some of our NEC members would not be in.
We gave them a period that we would be available in which we would be able to attend. We are still committed to solving the matter that is why we do not want to appear before the jurisdiction in installments, said Mangole dismissing claims that this is a delay tactic.
Mangole, who is also MP for Mochudi West ,revealed that they have plenty of evidence, documentary and oral, which would establish the truth and more beyond any doubt. He said they would be delighted to adduce it should the occasion ever arise. UDC Head of Communications Moeti Mohwasa confirmed the postponement of the Wednesday hearing but declined to shed more light stating that it is an internal matter.
According to insiders this could be another tactic by Pilane-led NEC to frustrate their rivals with the sole aim of pushing them to leave the BMD and form a new party. Gaolathe has stated on several occasions that forming a new party is an option but would be the last one to consider.
The aim is to register the party next month, a matter that may be legitimised by Gaolathes calls to have UDC settle the impasse by the 31st of August 2017. Following the communication by Advocate Pilanes faction for postponement, Gaolathes NEC met Wednesday night to consider the next move should the UDC heed Advocate Pilanes NEC request. Gaolathe-led NEC Secretary General Dr Phenyo Butale confirmed that they are meeting but declined to share what would be discussed. He said as the legitimate BMD NEC they have to meet from time to time if the need arises.
The ball is now in Bokos court to weigh the excuse for postponement by Advocate Pilanes faction against the timeline set by Gaolathe.
The central bank is buoyant that the domestic economy will grow at a much faster rate this year, citing some notable improvements in some sectors, despite mining, the bellwether of the economy growing at a slower pace.
Bank of Botswanas bullishness is perhaps emanating from the fact that, crisis-lending institution, International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently upgraded the countrys growth forecast for the year from 4, 1 percent to 4, 5percent.
The forecast is even higher than the 4, 2 percent that was predicted by Finance and Economic Development Planning minister, Kenneth Matambo. At a press briefing this week, the banks Director for Research and Financial Stability, Dr. Tshokologo Kganetsano said they are upbeat that the economy will be in a much better shape than a disappointing past year.
He cited a number of sectors which are likely to lift the economy towards the last four months of the year. The agricultural sector, which was contributing about 40 percent to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before independence, is likely to add more value this year, on the backdrop of above-normal rains which were experienced early this year and late last year.
The farming and rearing sectors contribute less than 5 percent to national GDP due to a number of factors. There is also a stable supply of water and electricity which will also support other sectors, Kganetsano told the Press at a meeting to announce the bank rate decision on Tuesday.
The energy sector has in the past few years pulled back the economy on the backdrop of non-completion of major power projects such as Morupule B power station, leading to loss of production. The mineral-led economy is also buoyant that the recovery of major economies such as US and China will boost the domestic market. This is important because these markets are where most of our diamonds are destined. Not even a widely reported tiff between Botswana and China over the failed visit by Dalai Lama will dampen the economys mood. Botswana and Chinas trade relations have increased over the years, diamond sales included. Deputy Governor, Dr Kealeboga Masalila said diamonds are polished and cut all over the world and as the central bank they cannot expect any drastic fall in diamonds destined to China, based on the recent reported standoff between the two countries over the visit of Dalai Lama, which was cancelled at the last minute. Diamonds are the single biggest export for Botswana. The economy is already off to a good start, if figures from Governor Moses Pelaelo are an indicator for the economy going forward. GDP expanded by 3, 9 percent in the 12 months to March, compared to a contraction of 1, 8 percent in the same period last year.
The improvement in growth reflects a 5, 9percent increase in non-mining activity, while mining sector output contracted by 10, 3 percent in the 12 months to March 2017, said a statement read by Pelaelo. Despite strong growth forecast this year, there are fears that South Africas weak economic performance could potentially affect the domestic economy. South Africa is Botswanas biggest trading partner. Ahead of a highly-charged elective conference for the ruling ANC this December, the Jacob Zuma-led country has been thrown into an economic and political quagmire, which has led to the economy being downgraded to junk status
Pilikwe village Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse has lodged a complaint with the director of Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) Isaac Kgosi against harassment by members of his organisation.
In a letter dated August 11, 2017, the youthful Seretse who was appointed the village chief two years back says that he is under investigation for stealing by servant. He states that residents of Pilikwe- a village in the Central District - have been interrogated by DIS agents over the said crime, which he says is nothing but fabrication by a rival camp in the village to discredit him.
He says the agents have identified themselves as people from the Office of the President. The aforementioned camp, which I believe is behind the case, is strongly connected to your subordinate, (name known to this paper), whom I suspect uses his position and influence to support and strengthen the cause of the rival camp.
As you might know, he is from Pilikwe and it cant be surprising that he might have a personal interest in the tribal politics of our village, says Seretse in his letter to the spy boss. According to sources in Pilikwe, sometimes early last year, the Bogosi leadership went to Morupule Coal Mine to ask for donation of tiles for the loobo (shelter) at the Kgotla. The mine agreed and gave them the tiles valued at around P15 000.
One of Dublin's most exclusive hotels is up for sale with a price tag of 87m.
The Gibson in the Docklands, Point Village has a four-star rating with more than 250 bedrooms.
Irelands Got Talent has been announced today as part of their new autumn/winter schedule.
Despite the rumours that Walsh had a disagreement with the station of a contract fee, he sits on the panel as the suspected head judge.
Joining him as fellow judges are TV personalities, Denise Van Outen, Jason Byrne and Michelle Visage.
Byrne is of course a well known Irish comedian, Van Outen, a british actress who is most known for hosting Channel 4s Big Breakfast but who is Michelle Visage?
If youre not a fan of Rupaul's Drag Race or followed Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, you may not recgonise the name.
Visage is an American singer, television host, radio DJ, author, and television personality - largely known for her sassy personality and opionated ways.
She began her career as a member of the female vocal trio Seduction. After the band's separation, Visage became the lead singer for The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. in 1992.
Visage later became a co-host for the VH1 talk show, The RuPaul Show opposite her bestie, RuPaul.
This led her to the role she is most famous for, her judging position on the popular reality show, RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as its spin-off RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.
Shes known as LGBTQA icon and lets just say it has Irish fans very excited.
The biggest star of #IrelandsGotTalent will be @michellevisage and I, for one, will be tuning in. pic.twitter.com/SlHDXIU055 Aoife Ryan-Christensen (@thatdanishgirl) August 30, 2017
Think @GotTalentIRL will be absolutely incredible, come on it has @michellevisage as a judge how can it NOT be!! Barnsey (@officialbarnsey) August 30, 2017
Heres hoping she delivers the same sass we love her for on Drag Race.
Shantay you stay, Michelle.
Communications Minister and unaligned Independent TD Denis Naughten has rejected claims the new alcohol bill could potentially force small shops to close - despite qualifying his own support for the legislation, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith.
Speaking at an event in Dublin, the Roscommon TD said while the planned law change "would put a financial burden on them [small shops], I don't think it would put them out of business".
Mr Naughten said he agrees with his cabinet colleague, Health Minister Simon Harris, that "there are very serious public health concerns in relation to alcohol" and that "I'm as conscious on those as anyone else".
However, asked if he is fully supportive of the bill now that Mr Harris has said he will amend the small shops issues and seek to have it passed into law by Halloween, he added:
"Everyone in Leinster House, I think, is supportive of the bill, and all of us acknowledge we have a huge problem with alcohol in this country.
"There are issues with the bill itself. I haven't seen the detail of the amendment Simon is proposing and that may very well resolve those issues, but what is important is that the legislation that is brought in one meets its intentions and two that it's practical and feasible to actually implement it.
"There have been proposals in the past that haven't been practical or feasible. I think the move Simon is making to this is positive and probably addresses this, but I haven't seen the detail of it."
While Mr Harris on Monday insisted the new bill must pass before Halloween when he re-introduces it to the Oireachtas in the coming weeks with an amendment to address concerns raised over the cost it could impose on small shops, it remains unclear whether the legislation will garner enough support.
A number of Fine Gael senators have called for a meeting with Mr Harris to discuss the as yet unpublished amendment, while rural TDs in particular have previously expressed concerns over the proposed law change's implications.
A new support network has been launched to support children of Roman Catholic priests.
Coping International is working to support families across the globe and has launched a new website to help people connect.
The group says it is in response to decades of neglect and abuse.
Psychotherapist and founder Vincent Doyle outlines their aim:
"The issue is that children have been hidden, children have been fathered, children have been stigmatised, isolated and manipulated. That's the issue," he said.
"From Coping's perspective we don't want anything to distract from that."
Britain stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan as it faces an increased threat from North Korea, Theresa May told her counterpart as she arrived in Kyoto.
In a second day of talks on Thursday, the Prime Minister and Shinzo Abe will "explore" fresh sanctions against the rogue state, No 10 said.
Mrs May has called on China to step up its action against Pyongyang and refused to rule out British military action to stop its illegal weapons testing programme.
But Beijing went on the offensive, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying claiming critics "only pay attention to sanctions and pressure, and ignore peace talks".
She added: "You will reap what you sow. The parties directly concerned should take responsibility."
Downing Street said the length of the time Mrs May and Mr Abe spent together on the first day of the three-day trip was "unusual" and showed the "strength and continuing positive relationship" between the pair.
The premiers met at the Omotesenke tea house in Kyoto, where the tea-making ceremony dates back to a man called Sen no Rikyu, the 16th century founder of the tradition.
Mrs May, wearing a red dress and white jacket - the colours of the Japanese flag - removed her trademark leopard print pumps before emerging at the back of the tea house side by side with Mr Abe, who pointed out the moss in the garden.
"Very attractive, very calm," Mrs May said.
The leaders, flanked by interpreters, sat on a low bench behind the table while on the opposite side of the room, the master of ceremonies and his two assistants sat on the floor.
After a banquet that included "salted entrails of the sea cucumber", Mrs May and Mr Abe boarded a high-speed bullet train to Tokyo.
Discussions over the course of the day focused on North Korea but also touched on Brexit.
Mrs May landed in Japan 36 hours after Pyongyang sent a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which landed in the Pacific Ocean.
A No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister told Prime Minister Abe the UK stood shoulder to shoulder with Japan in the face of North Korean aggression."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more weapons tests targeting the Pacific Ocean, a day after his nation for the first time flew a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan.
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch - probably the longest ever from North Korea - over the territory of a close US ally sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
Mr Kim was present for intermediate range missile launch over Japan, the agency said.
He expressed "great satisfaction" over the launch which he called a "meaningful prelude" to containing Guam, which is home to key US military bases that North Korea finds threatening.
He said it is "necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future".
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the US territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
South Korea said the missile travelled 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
President Donald Trump said North Korea had signalled its "contempt for its neighbours" and that "all options are on the table" in terms of a US response.
He said that "threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world".
South Korean army soldiers work near K-9 self-propelled howitzers during a military exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, today.
Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the US.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year - 13 times, Seoul says - and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Mr Trump's first term in early 2021.
Officials on Guam said the threat level did not change and people in the territory were safe.
Guam homeland security adviser George Charfauros said the latest "sabre-rattling" did not come as a surprise since the country in previous years has increased its rhetoric and threats around annual war games that are currently under way between the US and South Korea.
AP
Theresa May has insisted the UK is making the running in Brexit negotiations amid fresh criticism from Brussels.
The Prime Minister said her Government had been "coming forward with the ideas", but key Brussels players including Michel Barnier and Guy Verhofstadt continued to express frustration about the UK's approach.
The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Mr Barnier said the guidelines set by Brussels were designed for "serious and constructive negotiations" but there needed to be "clear UK positions on all issues".
Mr Verhofstadt, the senior MEP leading Brexit work for the European Parliament, said there was "slow progress" in the talks and suggested it would be "very difficult" to move onto discussing the future trade relationships unless there were breakthroughs in the negotiations.
Brexit Secretary David Davis is due to return to Brussels on Thursday at the end of the latest round of talks with Mr Barnier's task force.
Updating MEPs on the latest developments, Mr Verhofstadt said: "We need from both sides position papers on every issue before you can really start a negotiation. If only one party around the table is putting in a position paper and the other party is not responding then it is very difficult to start a negotiation."
Mr Verhofstadt played down UK hopes that talks on trade could begin after an assessment in October of whether sufficient progress had been made on citizens' rights, withdrawal arrangements and the financial settlement.
"If it goes very slow, as it is the case for the moment, it will be very difficult to say that there is sufficient progress when we are in October," he said.
Speaking in Japan at the start of a mission aimed at forging post-Brexit trade links, Mrs May defended the work done by the UK.
She told the BBC: "We have been publishing a series of papers over the summer, there will be more papers to come, where we are setting out the key issues that both sides need to address, the options that we have, the ideas we have, of how to deal with those.
"It's the United Kingdom that has been coming forward with the ideas and with the clarity about the future."
And she said she was still prepared to walk away from talks without a deal.
Asked if she still believed no deal is better than a bad deal, she said: "Yes, I think that is right. But if you talk about the point at which we leave the European Union, we want to ensure that at that point we do have a deal and that we have a deal that is the right deal for the UK."
But Mr Verhofstadt claimed that a "no deal scenario" was "not an option anymore".
"At a certain moment, everybody was talking about - also in Britain - 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. All this is no longer in the air for the moment."
Former Tory leader Lord Hague told BBC 5 Live that the election result "weakened the British government's negotiating position" and Brexit may now be "softer than it might have been".
"So Britain will get a worse deal as a result of the election. I think there is no question about that.
"And of course we can't blame the voters for how they vote. The voters have voted to leave the EU, and then not to have a government in a strong position to negotiate the exit."
Update 5.12pm:The US-led coalition says it has struck an Islamic State convoy coming from militant-held territory in Syria to meet IS evacuees being transferred under a controversial deal.
US officials have criticised the transfer of hundreds of militants and civilians who are heading for an IS-held area near the Iraqi border, saying the extremists should be killed on the battlefield.
Col Ryan Dillon said the airstrike hit vehicles identified as belonging to IS that were travelling from IS-held territory toward the convoy.
Coalition officials say they are not bound by the evacuation agreement brokered by Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, and may strike the evacuees themselves.
An earlier coalition airstrike destroyed a small bridge and left craters in a road, hindering the movement of the evacuees.
There are about 300 militants and almost as many family members on buses being evacuated under the deal, which ended the IS presence along the Lebanon-Syria border.
Earlier:A convoy of Islamic State fighters evacuated from the Lebanon-Syria border under a controversial agreement is being closely monitored, officials say.
Col Ryan Dillan, a spokesman for the US-led alliance against the militants, said "we are monitoring their location in real time".
He added that the coalition "will not rule out strikes against IS fighters being moved".
He said the coalition has already bombed a small bridge to obstruct the convoy.
Syrian opposition activists say the convoy, which left the Lebanon-Syria border on Tuesday, is still in government-controlled territory in eastern Syria.
The IS militants were allowed to evacuate in buses following a Hezbollah-negotiated deal that will see them to go to IS-held territory near the Iraqi border.
Col Dillan said: "We are not party to any agreements that were made by the Lebanese Hezbollah and Isis or the (Syrian) regime."
Regional lender Heritage Bank has reported a 34.3% increase in loan approvals from $1.78bn to $2.39bn across the 2016/17 financial year.In the banks financial results released Monday (28 August), Heritage revealed that almost 50% of these approvals were coming through the broker channel.Total consolidated assets also grew by 11.1% to reach $9.38bn over the financial year.We have been on a deliberate growth trajectory, as we look to build our loan book, retail deposits and assets. That growth will be critical for us in reshaping the business and investing more in our digital capabilities in coming years, both in the front-end and in the back office, said CEO Peter Lock.The bank will continue to build its presence outside of Queensland, he said.Heritage is a strong brand and our customer-owned status means we have a fantastic value proposition that resonates with banking consumers.The banks chairman Kerry Betros pointed out that Heritages level of mortgage loan arrears greater than 30 days was just 0.32% as of 30 June 2017.Compare that to the latest available Standard and Poors Performance Index (SPIN) industry figure of 1.16%, as at May 2017. We sit at one third of the industry average, which illustrates the continued strength of our loan book and the robustness of our credit practices, he said.Pre-tax profits grew 10.2% from $51.1m to $56.3m at Heritage while post-tax profits rose 9.6% from $36.1m to $39.6m. Accounting for one-off structural items such as the sale of Heritages financial planning business, the adjusted pre-tax profit sat at $52.8m an increase of 3.3% from the previous year.
Bucks County schools help Give a Christmas reach local families in need
In its 64-year history, the Give-a-Christmas drive has raised $5.26 million to help thousands of families at the holiday season.
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...
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Threatened languages and how people relate to them
Traditional African dance at the Babungo Kingdom in Cameroon.
By JEFF GOOD
Associate professor of linguistics
Reprinted from The Conversation
Jeff Good, associate professor of linguistics
The world is going through an unprecedented period of language endangerment. Some experts predict that half of the worlds languages will disappear within a century, with urbanization and the increasing use of major world languages diminishing smaller languages chances of survival. The death of a language can be a significant loss for speaker communities who view their language as a key part of their heritage. This has led to revitalization efforts, especially in parts of the world dominated by settler societies, such as Australia, Canada and the U.S. But the link between language and identity can differ greatly from community to community and is especially complex in societies dominated by multilingualism. Since 2004 I have been working with my colleague, Pierpaolo Di Carlo, and other collaborators to understand the language dynamics of a region of Cameroon known as Lower Fungom. Cameroon is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Around 300 languages are spoken by its approximately 20 million people. These include colonial languages such as English and French, as well as hundreds of local languages. Lower Fungom is especially remarkable for its degree of linguistic diversity. In an area of around 100 square kilometers, roughly the size of the city of Paris, nine local languages are spoken by 12,000 people. The languages of Lower Fungom, like so many others, are endangered. The ways that people use these languages are also endangered. Multilingualism is woven into the fabric of Lower Fungom society, as it is in much of Africa. What is especially remarkable is the sheer number of languages spoken by each individual in Lower Fungom. A survey conducted by Angiachi Esene Agwara, a Cameroonian collaborator, found there to be no monolinguals in Lower Fungom. The average adult is able to speak or understand around five to six different languages. Most are learned without any formal schooling and are acquired through family relationships, friendships or for work.
Shift to major languages
All over the world, the dominant trend is for small speaker communities to shift to major languages such as English, Spanish or Chinese. But in Lower Fungom, individuals are actively learning both local languages, as well as socioeconomically powerful ones. We have been investigating what motivates people to become multilingual in Lower Fungom. From a Western perspective, a striking finding is that languages are not strongly connected to deep identities, such as ethnicity. In a country like France, speaking the French language is an integral part of what it means to be French. In countries like Australia and the U.S., immigrants are expected to master English if they want to become citizens of their new countries. In Lower Fungom, we found something different. Each village is viewed locally as having its own language. A linguist might classify some of these languages as dialects, but for those living in Lower Fungom, a distinct way of talking is a key marker of an independent village. Villages are an important part of local life and the means through which individuals can access resources, such as food and shelter, and achieve personal security. Speaking a language is the clearest way for an individual to signal that they are part of a village community and that they should be allowed access to its resources. Being multilingual is a kind of insurance policy. The more languages a person speaks, the greater variety of resources they can claim access to.
Language saves man from drowning
Family-owned Yorkshire timber importer, Duffield Timber, has marked its 60th anniversary in style.
As well as unveiling a complete refurbishment of its timber showroom, alongside other investment, the team and their families have celebrated 60 years of business with a race day at Ripon Racecourse.
The business was founded in 1957 by Robert Duffield, and through three generations, has grown to become a leading player in the U.K. timber industry. In addition to its own mill facilities, the business serves both trade and the public with an array of specialist hardwood timber.
Duffield started out as a small wood yard on the bank of the River Ure in Ripon, selling fencing, posts and rails. Now celebrating its diamond anniversary year, Duffield employs over 40 members of staff at its state-of-the-art 7-acre site in the village of Melmerby, near Ripon.
Earlier this year, Duffields re-investment programme saw the merchant complete a 1 million renovation of its sawmill facility. In addition, only last year, the timber importer unveiled its Joinery & Woodworking Centre - the largest of its kind in the U.K. The latest work involves a showroom refurbishment, as well as a new Cladding and Decking Centre.
The refurbished showroom contains an increased range of flooring, doors, hardwood samples as well as to-scale oak structures. Inside the new Cladding and Decking Centre, customers can find various profiles and species of wood; these include Oak, Western Red Cedar, Larch, ThermoWood, Balau, Iroko and more.
Howard Duffield, Managing Director of Duffield Timber, said: Id like to say a massive thank you to all our staff and customers - past and present - for their commitment through an incredible 60 years. Being a family-owned company only makes this milestone even more momentous - the race day was the perfect way to celebrate.
Democrats largely prevail in SJ, but reversals loom in two townships
Democratic incumbents held on to many seats, but GOP challengers made inroads in two large townships
Vandana Sikka, wife of former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka, resigned as Chairperson Infosys Foundation, USA, said the software major on Tuesday.
Sikka resigned as the company's CEO on August 18 and as its Executive Vice-Chairman on August 24 after joining three years ago in 2014.
"We thank Vandana Sikka, as she decides to move on from the organisation. We acknowledge her contribution in leading the Foundation's initiatives over the last two years and five months," said the company in a statement here.
The Foundation's US arm will continue to focus on its mission to inspire children, young adults and educators to become creators of technology.
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For the first time in a decade, information technology (IT) reported a sequential decline in their employee strength in the April-June 2017 quarter. The combined headcount of the countrys top 15 listed IT was down around 3,000 employees, compared to the number at the end of March this year.
is looking to have a 40 million tonnes steel capacity and exploring opportunities to acquire assets in India and abroad, its Joint Managing Director Seshagiri Rao said on Tuesday.
"Our mission is to become a 40 MT steel company and also we want to explore downstream units not only in India but abroad also. We have been examining various targets...The company has been exploring opportunities. We have been examining various opportunities overseas," Rao, who is also the Chief Financial Officer of the JSW Group, told PTI.
The Sajjan Jindal-owned is in talks with Algeria's Cevital Group to acquire its Aferpi steel mill in Italy for USD 100 million, according to sources.
However, when asked about the development with regard to Italian mill acquisition, Rao said, "It is very very difficult to comment at this stage. Nothing is final."
Rao further said, "We will continue to evaluate (various proposals of acquisition) and if the opportunity is right, then we will take call."
He said the company in the past had done some acquisitions of iron ore mines and also plate and pipe mill and was not averse to good proposals.
JSW Steel, the flagship company of JSW Group, is India's leading primary and integrated steel producer and has a production capacity of 18 MTPA with plants located across six locations in South and West India, namely, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
The Sajjan Jindal-owned company is in talks with Algeria's Cevital Group to acquire its Aferpi steel mill in Italy for USD 100 million (about Rs 640 crore), sources said.
The private steel maker had earlier tried to acquire the mill in 2014, when it was known as Lucchini. The Algerian conglomerate Cevital, however, acquired Lucchini and renamed the it Acciaierie e Ferriere di Piombino (Aferpi).
Aferpi's activity involves production of a wide range of quality and special steels, with different shapes and sizes for rails, wire rod and bars for railway, automotive, earthmoving vehicles, energy, fastening, springs and welding.
A team of doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) performing a complicated surgery to separate a pair of conjoined twins from Odisha has completed 30 per cent of the surgery and the condition of the twins who are joined at the head is stable.
"First phase of the multistage surgery was successful. It means 30 per cent of the surgery is complete. However, the second phase which is extremely important is yet to be performed," a doctor, part of the medical team treating the twins, told IANS.
Doctors from the neurosurgery, anesthesia and pediatrics departments met early Tuesday to discuss the matter, he added.
The medical team treating the twins comprises 40 members, including a top surgeon from Japan.
"A new bypass technique was used for the first time on the twins conjoined at the head," said Deepak Gupta, paediatric neurosurgeon at AIIMS, part of the team.
The surgery for separation of conjoined twins Jaga and Balia is being performed in two stages. The first stage began at 9 a.m on Monday and was scheduled to take seven hours. However, the procedure took nearly 20 hours due to medical complications.
The two-and-a-half-year-old craniopagus twins, or fused at the cranium, were brought to AIIMS on July 14, from Milipada village in Kandhamal district of Odisha.
One of the major concerns during the operation was to prevent blood loss and handle intra-operative complications, which was successfully taken care of, said an AIIMS doctor. "The surgery was uneventful and there was no major blood loss or intra-operative problems."
According to doctors, ahead of this complicated surgery, the twins had to undergo numerous tests.
While conjoined twins are known to occur in about every 2,00,000 births, craniopagus twins are rarer still, accounting for about only two per cent.
The Odisha government has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the surgery at AIIMS.
Earlier, the twins had undergone medical check up at at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The lead photograph in this article has been changed to make it more relevant to the story.
The Army currently deploys more soldiers on non-combat administrative and supply chain duties than in the trenches in wartime.
Birgunj : Nepalese men carry children on their shoulders as they wade through flood waters in village Ramgadhwa in Birgunj, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. An official said torrential rain, landslides and flooding have killed dozens of people in Nepal
Google has just announced for eight more Indian languages Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Urdu. Prior to this, it only supported Hindi as an Indian language in . It is interesting to see how would this move lead to innovation for digital marketing and brands?
As many as forty two children were killed in last 48 hours in Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, which is already under scanner for deaths of over 70 infants at the Gorakhpur hospital in a week in the month of July.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday said he will soon launch another round of agitation in Delhi for the appointment of Lokpal, Lokayuktas and for farmers' rights as the Prime Minister is "not serious about rooting out corruption".
In a letter to Narendra Modi, Anna Hazare said the next letter will inform him about the date and venue of demonstration.
Hazare, who led the India Against Corruption movement in Delhi in 2011, said despite the Centre passing the bill in 2013 and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders supporting it then, the fact that the law could not be implemented over three years showed Modi's apathy.
"In the last three years, I wrote to you several letters regarding the appointment of the and Lokayuktas. You did not even reply," Hazare said in a four-page letter. "This shows you are not serious about rooting out corruption."
He added that the apex court had also slammed the Centre for its apathetic attitude towards it and asked how the country would become "corruption free" if the Prime Minister does not act.
"Interestingly, even the states with your party's government have not yet appointed Lokayukta. It clearly shows the difference between your words and actions. Is this not the insult of the President who signed the Bill into a law and the apex court?"
On farmers' issues, the activist said many farmers in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Maharashtra and other states had been demonstrating over their demands, but the government was not serious.
"You don't have sympathy for the farmers, this has become evident in the past three years. It's sad that you don't care for the farmers the way you do for the industrialists," he told Modi.
Hazare said there was a need to implement the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report that speaks of food security and getting the farmers the right price for the produce.
Demanding that political parties be brought under the Right to Information Act, he said the Supreme court had also called for this.
"For the sake of well-being of farmers and the country, I have decided to begin the demonstration in Delhi," Hazare said.
China today remained non-committal on the issue of stopping road construction in Doklam, a day after Indian and Chinese troops ended 73-day standoff that was triggered by China's move to build a road in the border area.
"In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving the living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development including the road construction," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
India and China yesterday ended their standoff in Doklam by withdrawing their troops from the area, just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.
When asked if China will continue with building the road in the area, Hua said, "we will take into consideration all relevant factors, including the weather, to make relevant construction plan in accordance with the situation on the ground."
Hua reiterated that Chinese border troops "will continue to station and patrol the Doklam area. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty with historic conventions."
She also parried a question whether China is in consultation with Bhutan, which has protested the Chinese troops' road building in Doklam.
"So far we have resolved the issue of illegal trespass of the Indian troops," she said.
When asked whether China halted the work on a road in Doklam to end the standoff so that the BRICS summit could be held, Hua said, "Peaceful resolution of the issue through the diplomatic channels serves the common interests of all relevant parties."
"It shows the sincerity and responsible attitude of China as a major country," Hua added.
Welcoming the end of the standoff, senior Chinese scholars said major lesson out of border tensions is that China and India should be sensitive towards each other's concerns to avert future conflicts.
"I am very glad to hear that finally the two governments demonstrated their maturity and far reaching and farsighted decision to peacefully end the conflict," Hu Shisheng, Director of the official China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told PTI.
Hu said China and India should be sensitive to each other's concerns.
Rong Ying, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow of the China Institute of the International Relations, which is affiliated to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the resolution of Dokalam standoff showed maturity and resilience of India-China bilateral relations.
"This is by far the most the serious incident between the two countries on the boundary. Ten weeks of very serious and grave situation. So the fact that both sides through the diplomatic means solved it in a peaceful (way), I think it should be definitely welcomed," said Rong, who served as a diplomat in the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.
(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.)
MUMBAI: More than 1,000 people have died in floods across South Asia this summer, and as sheets of incessant rain pummeled the vast region on Tuesday, worries grew that the death toll would rise along with the floodwaters.
Swiss president Doris Leuthard will pay a three-day visit to India beginning Wednesday during which both sides will hold extensive talks on entire gamut of bilateral relationship including on ways to ramp up trade and investment ties.
Leuthard will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.
In the talks, the Indian side may raise the issue of black money stashed by Indians in Swiss banks.
"India and Switzerland enjoy robust economic ties, with Switzerland being seventh largest trading partner and eleventh largest foreign investor for India.
"Both countries share common views on many major global issues. The upcoming visit will provide an opportunity to both sides for holding wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, global and regional issues of mutual interest," the MEA said in a statement.
Leuthard will be accompanied by senior government officials and a large business delegation of leading Swiss companies.
Swiss Presidents have visited India on three occasions earlier in 1998, 2003 and 2007.
Besides Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, members of the council of ministers including the minister for external affairs will also call on the Swiss president separately.
Modi had visited Switzerland in June last year during which the country had announced its support to India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
The two countries had also resolved to strengthen cooperation in combating tax evasion and black money.
Modi, then, had said combating the menace of black money and tax evasion was "shared priority" for both the countries.
The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded a compensation of Rs 75.26 lakh to the kin of a jeweller who was killed in a road accident in November 2010.
MACT-Alibaug member VM Mohite in his recent order directed the two respondents -- the owner of the car Amit Devkar from Ahmedabad and the insurer Royal Sundaram Alliance Ins. Co. Ltd --- to make the payment along with an interest at 9 per cent per annum from the date of application.
Advocate SE Darandale, appearing for the claimants, stated that the deceased Laxman Mane (48) was operating the Shree Gopinath Jewellers.
His annual income was Rs 5.46 lakh and gave Rs 30,000 to the family, the was told.
On November 21, 2010 Mane was travelling from Gujarat to Sangli in a car along with his friends. While they were on the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, the car dashed into a cement parapet wall of the bridge and went down the bridge killing him along with four others, the Tribunal was informed.
Darandale contended that the car's driver lost control over of the vehicle and therefore the accident was caused due to his negligence. The driver also died in the mishap, he said.
A case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act was registered, said Darandale.
His kin claimed a compensation of Rs one crore along with 12 per cent interest per annum.
Advocate SB Joshi, appearing for the car's owner and S Y Bartake, appearing for insurance grounds, contested the claims on various grounds, which were rejected.
Mohite ordered that the two respondents should give Rs 75.26 lakh compensation to the claimants, who are residents of Sangli district of Maharashtra.
(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.)
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!)
Arguing that trade talks take time and should have win-win outcomes, Australian Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism Steven Ciabo has declined to give a timeframe for the next round of negotiations on the proposed India-Australia free trade agreement.
Addressing the press here on Tuesday, Ciabo said trade deals are not zero sum games and both sides should focus on a mutually beneficial outcome.
Contrary to the Centre's claims, biometric and demographic details of 1.17 billion Indians might have been shared with the foreign vendors of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday revealed in its annual report that Rs 15.28 lakh crore, or 99 per cent of the Rs 15.44-lakh-crore scrapped currency notes, had come back to the central bank between the governments demonetisation decision and June 30, 2017.
The rural development ministry has reportedly sought an additional allocation of Rs 17,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Emploment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), over and above the budgeted Rs 48,000 crore for 2017-18, as the work provided under the scheme has exceeded 54 per cent of the approved budget.
With almost all denotified notes returned to RBI, can we call government's scheme a success? Most of the experts lauded government's landmark policy as soon as the RBI revealed that 15.28 lakh crore, or 99 per cent of the Rs 15.44-lakh-crore scrapped currency notes, had come back to the central bank.
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a scheme under which farmers will be compensated if the market price of a crop falls below its minimum support price (MSP). Though its a praiseworthy attempt, the Mukhyamantri Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (CM's Price Deficit Financing Scheme) doesnt cover millions of farmers many of whom held protests for months to get remunerative prices.
The Japanese soldiers jumped out of the jeeps, unloaded the antitank missiles and dropped to the ground. Within minutes, they aimed and fired, striking hypothetical targets nearly a half-mile away.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his country's ability to contain Guam, state media said on Wednesday, a day after Pyongyang for the first time flew a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan.
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch, likely the longest ever from North Korea over a close US ally, sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct annual military drills.
The Korean Central News Agency said the launch was a "muscle-flexing" countermeasure to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint exercises that conclude tomorrow.
Pyongyang views the drills as invasion rehearsals and often conducts weapons tests and escalates its rhetoric when they are held.
The KCNA report said the missile was an intermediate- range Hwasong-12, which the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over the launch that he called a "meaningful prelude" to containing Guam and said North Korea would continue to watch the US Demeanor before it decides future actions, KCNA said. The US Territory is home to key US military bases that North Korea finds threatening.
Kim also said it's "necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future."
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 2,700 kilometers (1,677 miles) and reached a maximum height of 550 kilometers (341 miles) as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
US President Donald Trump said North Korea had signaled its "contempt for its neighbors" and that "all options are on the table" in terms of a US response. Trump said in his statement that "threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world."
Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. Tuesday's test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year 13 times, Seoul says and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Trump's first term in early 2021.
Seoul says that while North Korea has twice before fired rockets it said were carrying satellites over Japan in 1998 and 2009, it has never before used a ballistic missile, which is unambiguously designed for military strikes.
The North still claimed today that its recent launch "had no impact on the security of the neighboring countries." Some outside observers said launching a road-mobile missile from an airport runway could demonstrate the North's ability to fire its missiles from anywhere in the country.
Yesterday's missile landed nowhere near Guam, but firing a Hwasong-12 so soon after the threat may be a way for North Korea to show it could follow through if it chose to do so. Guam is 3,400 kilometers (2,110 miles) away from North Korea, but South Korea's military said the North may have fired the missile at a shorter range.
North Korea will no doubt be watching the world's reaction to see if it can use the same flight path for future launches.
Japanese officials made their usual strongly worded condemnations of the launch.
"We will do our utmost to protect people's lives," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. "This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat." Tokyo said there was no reported damage from the missile. Residents on Hokkaido were warned by loudspeakers, phone alerts and an email that told them to stay indoors.
The launch was also condemned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and a number of other countries.
By last Friday afternoon, most of Ubers eight directors had gathered in San Francisco for a board meeting. Their agenda was simple: Pick a new chief executive for the ride-hailing company. What unfolded over the next 72 hours was anything but straightforward.
For the past 16 years, whenever the United States has been faced with the reality of a failing war in Afghanistan, it has blamed Pakistan. Efforts to bring freedom to the valleys of Afghanistan, this narrative claims, have been thwarted by a double-dealing ally that takes American aid while supporting its enemies.
The mental health of has been under scrutiny since he began running for president. Now 28 Democratic Congress members have signed on to a bill, introduced in April, that could lead to a formal evaluation of his fitness.
Indias equity fund managers have stepped up buying even as benchmark indices have fallen more than 3 per cent in August. So far this month, equity schemes have bought shares worth nearly Rs 14,000 crore, the highest monthly buying tally for the year.
In a noble cause, Aamir Khan has donated Rs 25 lakh to the Chief Minister's Relief fund for a smoother relief operations for Bihar floods victims.
He has also urged his fans to help the victims.
A cheque of Rs. 25 lakh was sent by 'Dangal' star through courier and was received at the office of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
This is not the first time the actor has donated such a big amount to a state.
Earlier this month, Khan donated the same number of amount to the flood victims in Assam and Gujarat.
Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal took to Twitter to thank Aamir Khan for the generous contribution.
Over one crore seventy lakh people have been affected by the floods in Bihar. The death toll has mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.
22 lakh people of the district Darbhanga have been affected by the floods.
Power Sub-Station-Poria in Darbhanga district has been flooded, electricity in many villages has been affected badly.
According to the locals there, Power sub-station has been flooded for the last 15 days due to which power supply has hit badly.
District Magistrate of Darbhanga, Chandrashekhar has given the assurance that the alternative arrangements are being being in 1-12 villages and the situation will get better in next one or two days.
The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal
Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Responding to the allegations that favoritism was shown in giving Yash Bharti Awards during his tenure, Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said that the Yogi Adityanath-led government too should favour its own people for the Yash Bharti awards.
Reports say that Yash Bharti awards that carry a one-time payment of Rs 11 lakh and a lifetime monthly pension of Rs 50,000 were awarded to people close to Samajwadi Party between 2012 and 2017.
Addressing a rally in Azamgarh here, Akhilesh said , "They are saying that Samajwadi Party has given Yash Bharati Award to some of their people. I would like to say that even you should favour your own people and give the awards, nobody is stopping you."
Further critisising the BJP-led government, Akhilesh said "We gave Rs. 11 lakh and 50 thousand monthly pensions, your government is at Centre too, you ensure at least Rs 1 lakh monthly pension to Yash Bharati Awardees."
Yash Bharti Award is the highest Award of Government of Uttar Pradesh, Instituted in 1994, it is awarded to those personalities whose contribution is remarkable in the field of literature, social work, medicine, film, science, journalism, handicrafts, culture, education, music, drama, sports, industry and astrology.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday seized 3045 narcotic substance codeine-based cough syrup bottles of Phensedyl worth Rs. 3,88,238 (approx) near India-Bangladesh border in Murshidabad district's Baharampur area.
The bottles were to be smuggled to Bangladesh where these cough syrups are banned and their sale is punishable.
The BSF has seized over 700,000 bottles of Phensedyl worth about Rs. seven crore in the last four years.
The customs headquarters in Shillong seized 29,600 bottles of Phensedyl in February this year from a truck bearing a Nagaland license plate near Thangsalai village last year.
The government had taken a major step to ban the manufacturing of codeine-based cough syrups, which were earlier easily available at the chemist shops.
These syrups, which were being sold under brand names Corex, Phensedyl, Rexcof, had become a major menace as many youths became addicted to them.
Although codeine-based cough syrups are effective in suppressing cough and cold their misuse emerged as a major problem.
The active ingredient codeine is a narcotic belonging to a class of chemicals called opioid.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)". The MoU was concluded in July this year.
India and Israel will make contribution of four million US Dollars each for the Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for five years. The Innovation Fund will be governed by a joint Board which will consist of four members from each country.
The MoU envisages promotion of bilateral Industrial R&D and Innovation cooperation in the fields of science and technology by extending support to joint projects for innovative or technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes.
Such projects will lead to affordable technological innovations in focus areas of mutual interest such as water, agriculture, energy and digital technologies.
Institutional support in building up consortia including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions from India and Israel will be enabled through these collaborative projects.
The activities supported by the joint fund would increase the techno-economic collaboration between the two countries by investing in jointly developed technology projects and collaborations based on technological innovation. It would leverage the complementary strengths of Israel and India to encourage Israel-Indian joint projects that capitalize on both the and global marketplace. It would provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects that convert "know-how" into "show-how".
It is expected that this will foster and strengthen the eco-system of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in India and will contribute directly to the Start-up India programme.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Canada's leading business schools will present MBA opportunities as a part of the multi-city MBA Showcase Tour in Bengaluru on 25 November 2017. This tour began in Delhi and covered Kolkata, Chandigarh and Mumbai. This is the third edition of the only Canadian MBA fair organised by the High Commission of Canada in India in association with the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC).
The MBA showcase tour will provide an excellent opportunity for young professionals, entrepreneurs and students aspiring for a foreign management degree. It will enable them to meet with representatives of Canadian institutions and learn about Canadian MBA programs. Over the course of this event, attendees can take part in interactive sessions on a range of subjects such as admissions, visa procedures, and career opportunities.
Canada is internationally recognized for a competency-based teaching approach with credentials that are globally recognized for providing a world-class education. The delegates representing Canada's elite MBA programs as well as representatives from the High Commission of Canada in India will be available to interact with MBA aspirants.
Interestingly, Indian students are increasingly seeing Canada as a destination for a high quality education at an affordable cost, in a safe, welcoming and multicultural environment. Over 25,000 study permits were issued to young Indians in 2014. This is a six-fold increase from 2005 and represents the attractiveness of Canada as a study destination for young Indians. Canada has been receiving record numbers of study permit applications in 2016.
The participating universities include: University of Alberta (Alberta School of Business), York University (Schulich School Of Business), Carleton University (Sprott School Of Business), Concordia University (John Molson School Of Business), Lakehead University, Saint Mary's University (Sobey School Of Business), Ryerson University (Ted Rogers School Of Management), McMaster University (DeGroote School Of Business), University of Manitoba (Asper School Of Business) and Thompson Rivers University.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday advised India to draw lessons from the Doklam incident and said India should prevent such incidents in future following the end of the 71-day military stand-off in a strategically important area near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan trijunction.
"We hope the Indian side will learn lessons from this incident and prevent similar things from happening again," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news briefing on the upcoming BRICS summit, which includes both nations as well as Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
Wang also said it was natural for two big nations to have differences, but they needed to set them aside and work out a solution in the long run.
This statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry comes two days after India and China agreed to end their stand-off in the Doklam Plateau by reaching an understanding to not let their long standing differences become disputes.
"We hope through the efforts from both sides we will maintain healthy and stable momentum of growth. This is in the interest of not only Indian and Chinese people, but also meets the aspirations of the international community," Wang said at a press conference on the preparations for the BRICS summit next week, which will be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Both India and China are big countries. It's only natural that there are some problems in our interactions. What is important is that we put these differences at an appropriate place," Wang said.
Wang stated, "We hope China and India will join hands and work together for the rejuvenation of, for development of our region and contribute our share to the greater development."
Indicating of finding a solution in the long run, Wang said, "And under the principles of mutual respect and following the consensus of the leaders, we need to handle and manage them properly. In the meantime, with our engagement through a different mechanism, we need to work out a solution in the long run."
At the invitation of the President of China Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Xiamen in China's Fujian province, during September 3-5 to attend the ninth BRICS Summit, said a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement on Tuesday.
The India-China stand-off at Doklam, near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan trijunction, had been going on for more than two months and the situation arose after China started constructing a road in the area.
India objected to the road construction after the Chinese troops ignored Bhutanese protests, triggering a face-off on June 16.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress party on Wednesday appreciated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meet with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM) delegation and hailed the initiative by the Trinamool chief to combat unrest in the hilly area.
Congress leader Om Prakash Mishra said that at a time when Darjeeling has been on a boil, Banerjee's move of lending a ear to the woes of the GJMM leaders will bring respite and end the Darjeeling impasse.
"All parties, Central government, state government and the GJM have equal stakes. So now the consultation process, which has now started, should be further strengthened. It is unfortunate that the Darjeeling hills are so troubled and there is still no respite. So now that a move has been initiated, we appreciate it," Mishra told ANI.
A delegation of the GJMM leaders met Mamata yesterday and submitted a memorandum demanding a judicial inquiry into the deaths caused due to police action.
The meeting was also attended by other hill parties like the Gorkha Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Jan Andolan Party (JAP).
Accord to reports, Banerjee said that the meeting was held on a positive note and was cordial.
"It's the beginning of a dialogue process. We are happy we have been able to sit across the table. We have requested them to withdraw the strike since it's causing a great hardship to the people," Banerjee said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's fastest growing online insurance marketplace Coverfox on Wednesday announced the appointment of Premanshu Singh as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.
Premanshu's appointment is part a of planned leadership transition, as he succeeds Varun Dua, who has moved on to set-up a new online general insurance company.
He is a strategic thinker and an expert in scaling-up businesses. He will spearhead and lead the strategic growth at Coverfox across critical areas including strategic planning and development, partner management and customer engagement, driving engagement through new touch points and overseeing transformational customer experiences while including newer products with attractive and customized price points.
His primary focus will be on sustained viability and charting a suitable course for the future.
Premanshu brings to Coverfox more than a decade's experience across sectors namely FMCG, technology and start-ups. His understanding of the dynamics of working across MNCs and start-up environment/ecosystem allows him to approach and solve complex business problems from both sides of the ecosystem.
Premanshu, has pursued MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad, his last stint being at Practo as the Vice President Marketing of the company. He has led senior level roles in strategic planning, marketing, sales and business development at leading corporates such as Johnson & Johnson, SMSGupShup, People Interactive, Shaadi.com, Webaroo Technologies and ITC Ltd.
He co-founded a2zbaby.com in 2011, an ecommerce store wherein parents can find products of their choice for their kids. He is also an active Angel Investor, Coverfox being one of his early investments.
"I am pleased to welcome Premanshu to Coverfox family, said Devendra Rane, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Coverfox.com. Premanshu is one of the early startup specialist and Thought Leader in the industry. He brings valuable experience as a leader, learner and someone who has his ears to the ground and feet on street approach. His illustrious track record and value system make an ideal choice for an organisation of our size and repute. He is aligned with our vision of using technology to take insurance to the last mile. We could not think of a better person to help support Coverfox through its next exciting chapter of growth. I wish Premanshu a successful innings at Coverfox."
"Insurance is still in its nascent stages in India but a market growing at a very fast pace with exponential growth prospects. Coverfox has set-up newer benchmarks and milestones in the within the online insurance space with their service commitments, product portfolio, partnerships, ever evolving technology and investment in creating customer experience. I've long admired the company's enviable brand positioning and am glad to be a part of the Coverfox Team. I look forward to working with the team and creating more innovative products as per the need of the customers and lead in this space," said CEO Coverfox, Premanshu Singh.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In 2010, Damir started his youth career with the Croatian first division club NK Karlovac only to move to German club VfL Bochum a season later. Since 2015, the Germany-born Croatian has been playing in Slovenian PrvaLiga representing NK Rudar Velenje.
"Coming to India and playing for FC Pune City in the Indian Super League is an exciting prospect for me. Having played in Europe for most of my professional career, this will be a new challenge for me," expressed Damir.
After acquiring his signature, FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel said, "Damir comes to us on back of a very good season in Slovenia. He is strong and powerful and will offer a towering presence at the back. He is comfortable passing and tackling with both feet and will complement Rafa perfectly.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday heard a plea filed by an NGO seeking to make marital rape a criminal offence. The matter has further been adjourned for September 4.
Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves appearing for the petitioner NGO RIT foundation, during his arguments read out judgments of United States Court, European Union Court and Nepal Supreme Court, which have criminalised marital rape.
Petitioner's lawyer told the court that "in 2001, Nepal Supreme Court said husband can rape wife after marriage is to deny independent existence to women as marriage is not meant to turn women into slaves".
Meanwhile, acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal also pointed out judgment of Philippines Supreme Court which had said, "sexual intercourse with use of force is criminal even in a marriage."
The other NGO HRIDYA representing men expressed apprehension that if marital rape will be criminalised there would be chances of alleged misuse of gender laws.
A court on August 28 had allowed the intervention application by NGO, Men Welfare Trust.
The NGO representing the Men Welfare Trust is opposing the plea on the ground that the issue will affect a large number of men, who are vulnerable in getting victimised by women, who at times file false rape and domestic violence.
Earlier responding to the plea seeking marital rape should be criminalised, Centre filed an affidavit and submitted that any legal change needs to be ensure that marital rape is properly defined as it may destabilise the institution of marriage.
Centre, in its written submission, reiterated that there needs to be broad base consensus on what constitutes marital rape 'since what may appear to be a marital rape to a wife may not appear to others'.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior diplomatic observer said that 'Discrediting Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry' at this juncture has only complicated the situation and will not help Pakistan to project a better image of itself before the Trump administration in the wake of the latter's criticism on terrorists finding refuge on Pakistani soil.
"Discrediting Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry at a time when he is dealing with a very difficult situation is no service to Pakistan," the Dawn quoted a senior diplomatic observer from Washington. "It will definitely not help promote Pakistan's cause."
"The embassy was already finding it difficult to do so in today's hostile environment and the letter (from Abdul Basit) has further complicated the situation," the observer added. In the letter, Basit lambasted Chaudhry's tenure as foreign secretary over a number of policy gaffes made during his time in office.
"The more I think the more I am convinced that you have been the worst foreign secretary ever," Basit wrote in the letter, a copy of which has been circulating on social media.
Pakistan foreign ministry was rocked by a controversy after a letter written by Abdul Basit,ex- high commissioner to India, has been leaked on social media in which he undermines former foreign secretary and current ambassador in Washington Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry's diplomatic credentials.
The letter has emerged at a time when Pakistan is confronted with critical foreign policy challenges of reviewing its relations with United States.In the letter dated July 5, 2017, Basit launched a scathing and unprecedented criticism against Chaudhry for his performance as foreign secretary.
Showing his bitter differences with Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Basit accused Chaudhry for failing to project a better image of Pakistan before the Trump administration and the American public.
Basit has substantiated his claims by citing the setbacks Pakistan had suffered on the diplomatic front in Ufa Joint Statement and Pakistan's 'humiliating defeat' at the UN Human Rights Council when Chaudhry was serving as foreign secretary.
Basit,who was once considered for the post of foreign secretary,declared that Aizaz was unfit for the delicate job of diplomacy.
In Aug 21 speech, President Trump also outlined a new South Asia strategy, which seeks to coerce Pakistan into supporting US goals in Afghanistan. It also envisages greater Indian role in Afghanistan, stoking Pakistan's worst fears of being sandwiched between two hostile borders.
The speech led to dozens of articles and statements in the US media, criticising Pakistan and blaming it for fanning violence in Afghanistan. The developments pushed the Pakistani embassy in Washington to the front row of Islamabad's efforts to present a better image of the country before the American public.
Basit, in the letter, further suggested that he "strongly feel that it is in Pakistan's interest that you should immediately be removed from Washington D.C."
"If not so, you should not be given extension beyond your superannuation on February 27, 2018. May Allah help Pakistan when people like you with weak and dubious credentials are at such important positions," Basit concluded.
Basit also sent a copy of the letter to the Director of the Foreign Secretary's Office (FSO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For the uninitiated, Abdul Basit had requested, in July, for a premature retirement from the service, as he was set to retire in April 2018.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 2nd edition of great Northeastern Momo Festival held in the city of Guwahati caught the attention of momo lovers from all across the city and other parts of the region.
Momo or more famously known as Dumplings has travelled the farthest of all foods and is relish the most by foodie all across the country.
An exquisite array of varieties of momos such as chocolate momos, chicken momos, steamed momos, smoked momos, schezwan momos, tandoor momos etc to name a few make people from all across the region go drool over the luscious snacks.
Organized under the initiative of Vas incorporated, the momo fest came as a part of the social cause.
Speaking to ANI, Amit Singh, Partner, VAS Incorporated said, "Whatever fund will be generated from this festival will be donated for the Assam flood relief victims. Few NGO's are also associated with us such as Soch, All in Sanitary etc".
"All in sanitary is basically working to provide sanitary napkins to all the women residing nooks and corners of the villages in Northeast and we are helping them to do so. And also through Soch we are collecting essentials like blankets, clothes, and ration to help the flood affected victims of Assam", added Singh.
Momos of different taste, flavours and dimensions from different parts of Guwahati city and from the neighboring states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya, Bhutan, Darjeeling were at display.
"It's really very nice and the ambience is rocking accompanied with live music. I am a momo lover so I am very excited and exploring and tasting all kind momos of different taste.
It feels amazing to be a part of it", said Priyadarshini Medhi.
During the three day festival panel discussions on child rights, rising trends of suicide among youths was also held. Culture programmes formed an essential part of the event.
Other programmes included doodle art, painting workshops, magic show etc.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 13,000 people have been rescued by the Federal and local agencies in Houston and the surrounding areas in the state of Texas since the catastrophic storm Harvey flooded the area, the heaviest tropical downpour in the history of the United States.
Meanwhile, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has imposed a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. until further notice to prevent property crimes like burglaries and looting.
Since midnight Sunday, more than 2,300 calls have poured in to the Houston Fire Department, including 400 calls for rescue on Monday afternoon, Houston officials said. Four people have died as a result of the catastrophic storm.
Even as darkness fell and the water level kept rising, the emergency officials in Houston continued fielding calls overnight from the flood-stranded Texans. Thousands have been rescued so far, many are still waiting to picked up.
Houston has been crippled by catastrophic flooding of dams, levees and volunteers scrambled to save the latest wave of tropical storm Harvey's victims amid word that a veteran Houston police sergeant drowned on his way to work.
Sergeant Steve Perez's body was recovered early Tuesday.
The floodwater breached a levee in the county south of Houston.
Local rivers swelled to a major flood stage, county spokeswoman Sharon Trower said.
"The Brazos River is being pounded, and all of that water is coming down from the tributaries and creeks into the river," Trower said. "All the roads around us are flooded. We don't have any evacuation routes to tell people to take."
U.S. President Donald Trump met with officials in Austin and Corpus Christi and avoided the hardest-hit parts of Texas so that the rescue efforts are not hampered. The President wanted "to be very cautious about making sure that any activity doesn't disrupt the recovery efforts that are still ongoing," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.
"The Coast Guard is continuing to receive upwards of 1,000 calls per hour," CNN quoted U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Mike Hart, as saying.
Today alone, the Coast Guard has rescued over 3,000 people. "That includes both air rescues and rescues using boats."
Hart said the Coast Guard total includes rescues in Houston, but also in outlying cities and subdivisions outside of Houston, as well as in surrounding counties, including Brazoria, Galveston and Matagorda.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Divorced in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and deprived of her passport, a Hyderabadi woman, Sabera Begum, is now stranded in Dubai after her husband divorced in 2011.
Speaking to ANI, Sabera's brother Peer Mohammed said that she had applied for Indian passport renewal in the Indian embassy in UAE, but a letter was sent to her stating that she is not eligible for citizenship of India.
"My sister used to stay in old city of Hyderabad in 1983. She was married to a UAE and she got nationality of UAE. From then she used to come to India on that passport itself but in 2011 my sister's husband divorced my sister Sabera and her UAE nationality was also ended. So, my sister applied for Indian passport renewal in Indian embassy in UAE, later Indian embassy sent a letter to Minister of Home Affairs for preliminary enquiry but they have not done any enquiry and sent a letter stating she is not eligible for citizenship of India. It's nearly five years we are continuously visiting Delhi but there is no response," he added.
He further said that even the Telangana government's IT cell has written a letter to the Indian embassy to repatriate her.
"Even Telangana government IT cell has written a letter to Indian embassy in UAE to repatriate her but they have said we need letter from central government. I have met a local leader, who wrote a letter to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh," he said, adding that I request MEA Sushma Swaraj to bring my sister back to India as soon as possible.
According to reports, Sabera married Albalochi in Hyderabad in 1984 and she went to Dubai along with her husband. She has two sons and a daughter who were born in Dubai.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has granted a medical visa to an ailing Pakistani baby, after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj responded in affirmative to the request of the baby's mother on Twitter.
Sushma Swaraj had said that India would grant a medical visa to the newborn Pakistani.
"We will give medical visa for his treatment in India," Swaraj tweeted.
Hours after the tweet by the Minister, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad informed on Twitter that the visa was granted.
"Dear Rohaan, your visa has been issued and dispatched to Lahore today itself. All the very best," the Indian High Commission said.
The mother of the ailing, Mehwish Mukhtar, had requested a medical visa for her son on Monday.
When I hug my child, he smiles. He know he is safe with me. I want to save him, I really do. Help in visa #HelpBabyRohaan @SushmaSwaraj Mehwish Mukhtar (DJ) (@djmehwish) August 28, 2017
"My son needs treatment. Why [does] he suffers. Request issuance of urgent medical visa," Mukhtar had written in a twitter post.
Earlier, in a special gesture on the occasion of India's 71st Independence Day, Sushma Swaraj had announced that the Ministry will grant medical visa in all bonafide cases pending with them.
Swaraj took to Twitter and said, "On the auspicious occasion of India's Independence day, we will grant medical visa in all bonafide cases pending with us. @IndiainPakistan".
Shabi's world turned upside down when reports surfaced that the Navy has recommended to the defense ministry that she be discharged from service.
Shabi, who was born as a male and known as M.K Giri, told ANI in an interview that when the (navy) found out about her sex reassignment surgery, no one had objected or discriminated her.
Sabi joined the Marine Engineering Department of the Eastern Naval Command seven years ago.
Although uncomfortable in the body she was born in, it took her a while to muster the courage to come out as a transgender. And when she did, the doctors in the Navy refused to help her.
In 2016, after waiting for a while, she contacted doctors in Vizag and was later diagnosed with 'Gender Identity Disorder.'
She realized she has no choice then to take leave for twenty-two days and go for a sex reassignment surgery in Delhi.
Post her surgery, she came back to the naval base in Visakhapatnam where she was forced to reveal her sex change operation after she suffered a urinary tract infection.
Despite her sex change, she alleged that she was kept in a male ward with three soldiers standing guard 24x7.
"I was kept in a psychiatric ward for six months and was mentally harassed. The doctors tried to prove that I was mentally unfit to serve in the Navy but they failed," she claimed.
After being discharged from the Navy psychiatric ward on August 12, she resumed her service as a woman though it took a while for people around her to get used to the fact that she is a woman now.
Now, after the Indian Navy reportedly sent her case to the Ministry of Defense, seeking advice on the future course of action, she confronted her Divisional Officer (DO).
She said, "He confirmed it. When I requested to speak to the Commanding Officer, I was told he is not interested in talking to me."
She was obstructed to speak to the media by her DO, threatening her that she will be dismissed from her service since 'women cannot work in defense service.'
According to the Indian Navy policies, there's no place for a 'transgender' but she vowed to fight against such policies.
She insisted that, "I will go to the Supreme Court if I have to and fight for my rights. I am extremely upset at the decision of the Navy to discharge me and will take all legal options possible.''
"I have not lost my potential and still able enough to work in the Navy. I can still pull the trigger of a gun to shoot the enemy, why am I not fit enough to serve my country? I am as much a citizen of India as anyone else."
"I have the same rights as anyone else. I am considering writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek justice," she asserted and questioned: "How can a 'man' the Indian Navy deemed fit for the job suddenly be declared unfit because of an organ change?"
India is yet to catch up on the inclusion of the transgender individuals in the defense forces.
While countries like Canada, Israel, Netherlands, Australia, UK, New Zealand, Sweden and Germany have ensured to include transgenders in their forces.
On the other hand, last week, US President Donald Trump banned transgenders from serving in the military.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's Greenply Industries Limited and the United States-based Aristech Surfaces LLC have inked an agreement to distribute and market niche range of 100 percent acrylic solid surface sheets under the brand name Avonite in India.
The US Commercial Service, the official arm of the U.S.Department of Commerce hosted the launch in Kolkata and New Delhi recently.
The launch in Kolkata was hosted by Jonathan Ward, Principal Commercial Officer, Consulate General of the United States and in New Delhi at the Taj Mahal Hotel by Patrick O. Santillo, Minister-Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Embassy of United States, Delhi.
Subir Palit, Country Head, Greenply Industries Limited, Harsh Upadhyay, Associate Vice President and Head Development, Greenply Industries Limited and Mr. Paul Jones - MD, EMEA & India, Aristech Surfaces were also present on the occasion.
Aristech Surfaces LLC is the largest global manufacturer of continuous cast acrylic sheets and is headquartered in Florence, Kentucky. Greenply Industries Limited is a market leader in plywood and allied products in India.
Rajesh Mittal, Managing Director, Greenply Industries Limited, said, "Greenply is currently operating primarily in the structural products category of interior infrastructure segment. We expect that with robust sales efforts and strong initiatives in branding and trade relationships the existing portfolio will maintain a healthy YoY growth in range of 15 to 18 percent."
Jones said, "While the solid aurface product has been present in India for close to two decades, the quality of fabrication has been the Achilles' heel in the growth of the segment. The finish and quality of fabrications done in India are nowhere near to the standards followed worldwide and especially in Europe, USA and Middle East."
Greenply and Aristech are planning to create a network of fabrication partners across the country and equip them with best-in-the-class machinery and technology along with adequate technical training and skilling of work force to ensure that the end products are at par with international standards when it comes to fabrication.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Soon after former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram taunted the demonetisation scheme asking if it was designed to convert black money into white, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the former finance minister had 'no understanding of the objective of demonetisation'.
Responding to a question posed by a reporter regarding Chidambaram's taunt, Jaitley, while addressing a press conference here, claimed that the former Finance Minister was confusing demonetisation to be an exercise to confiscate money.
He, however, hit back at Chidambaram by saying that he took 'no steps to fight black money during his own tenure'.
"He has no understanding of the objective of demonetization. He is confusing it to be an exercise to confiscate money. It was rolled out to give digitization a nudge, eliminate black money and end the anonymity of ownership of cash," said Jaitley.
Chidambaram had asked whether demonetisation was a scheme designed to convert black money into white.
The senior Congress leader "shamed" the Reserve Bank of India for recommending demonetisation.
"Rs 16000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 1544,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which 'recommended' demonetisation," Chidambaram tweeted.
Commenting on the figures regarding demonetisation as published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) earlier today, Jaitley opined that while it highlights a 17 percent decline in the volume of cash, attempts are being made to sustain this momentum during remonetisation as well.
"India is predominantly a high-cash economy, and this needs to be altered. Demonetisation was rolled out not to confiscate money, but to take India further towards realizing the goal of being a cashless economy. For this, it was important to integrate formal and informal economy, reduce the quantum of cash, increase taxpayers, tax base, encourage digitization and give a blow to black money," said Jaitley.
"There has been significant expansion of direct and indirect tax base. There has been a 25 percent growth in the personal income tax returns received. Those dealing in cash were compelled to deposit money in banks, thus ending the anonymity of ownership. With the ownership established, it will also be easier to keep a check on tax evasion, and carry out raids as required," he added.
Analysing the ongoing economic reform, Jaitley opined that "each step has facilitated a much needed cash squeeze and will formalize the economy in the long run, including the introduction of compulsory bank accounts, transfer of government subsidy directly into the ban accounts of beneficiaries, check on foreign money, round tripping through treaty misuse, benami property, shell companies, compulsory PAN card requirement for cash expense, demonetisation and the latest Goods and Services Tax (GST)".
Re-iterating the cash squeeze that has posed to be a threat for terrorist elements in the like of Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh, Jaitley claimed that the shortage of currency has resulted in a shortage of 'stone throwers' for the Separatist.
"For the first time, the RBI has scrutinized each note, which has helped them differentiate fake notes from the authentic ones. The cash squeeze is evident, since these terrorist elements are finding it difficult to mobilise support for them. Without enough cash notes, it is difficult to gather stone throwers as before," said Jaitley.
Speaking on the way forward, Jaitley stated that the next step would be to put an end to black money used in elections, adding that the final stage of proposals is being deliberated.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sindh representative political party, the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), under their independence movement, held an international conference, represented by Balochistan, the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Pashtunistan, and the China-Occupied Xinjiang and called on the international community to support and acknowledge the oppressed historic nations' right to national independence.
These nations said that they have been languishing under the 'theocratic and fascist' Pakistani occupation for more than seven decades in the conference titled 'The independence of the oppressed subjugated historic nations; the precursor to unity of mankind, Peace and Human Development' at the Frankfurt Press Club, Germany on Tuesday.
The prime purpose of this conference was to gather the oppressed subjugated historic nations chained in the forced federation of Pakistan on a single platform and to formulate a unified roadmap to persuade the international community to support and acknowledge the oppressed historic nations' right to national independence.
This conference was attended by various Baloch, Pashtun, Kashmiri (PoK), Uyghur (Chinese Occupied XinJiang) leaders, Afghan and European intellectuals and human rights activists.
Pir Riaz Afghan (PFM Afghanistan), Liao Ran (Political Consultant), Dolkun Isa ( Uyghur Congress), Roohul Amin (Pashtunistan Freedom Movement), Claudia Heidelberg (German Human Rights Defender), Sardar Shaukat Kashmiri (Chairman UKPNP), Munir Mengal (President Baloch Voice Association), Noelle Charpentier (French Human Rights Defender and Intellectual) and others were among the speakers of the conference.
Presiding the conference, JSMM Chairman Shafi Burfat addressed the historic need of the resolution of "national question of the chained historic nations" around the globe which, according to him, is hindering the collective evolution of human civilisation, intellect and societies in this 21st century era. He elaborated the political economic scenario of the Post-WW-II and Post-Cold War Era World's so called "Liberal Order" which has been incapable of resolving the serious historic questions of national independence of the oppressed nations, nuclear proliferation, radical Islamic extremism and terrorism, poverty, asymmetric material development of the humanity, global conflicts and confrontations, climate change etc.
He elaborated the history and causes of the regional conflicts in South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Chinese plateaus and claimed the "unresolved national question" in these regions to be the fundamental cause of unrest and arms race. He analysed "the unnatural, unhistoric existence of the theocratic fascist state of Pakistan" to be "the global and regional sponsor of radical Islamic terrorism" and the enforcer of "cruel subjugation, oppression, occupation, exploitation and slavery over the historic secular Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun and Kashmiri nations."
He also criticised the international community's negligence of the quadrilateral evil scheme of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran to impose their Utopian Pan-Islamic World Order over the world and international community's incapability to deal with the nuclear threats posed by Pakistani and North Korean nukes to the world.
Burfat illustrated the atrocities of Pakistani fascism on the people of the oppressed nations chained into its forced federation and demanded the United Nations and the international community to acknowledge their right to national independence and the use of "right to self-determination" under the U.N.'s supervision. He called upon for the alliance of the oppressed subjugated nations and raise their voice in front of the international community, the U.S.A., Germany, the U.K., France, Canada, India, Israel and other civilised nations of the world to attain moral, political and diplomatic support for their common cause of independence from the theocratic fascist state of Pakistan.
Speakers belonging to Balochistan, the PoK, Pashtunistan, the China-Occupied Xinjiang addressed the participants on the situation of human rights violations and the fascist atrocities of Pakistani and Chinese Imperialisms over the occupied nations of the region.
Afghan, German and French intellectuals showed their concerns about the need of the "resolution of national question around the world", grave human rights violations and oppression of historic nations by Pakistan and their strong support for the alliance for independence movements of the region.
The Conference also decided to formulate an alliance of the oppressed subjugated nations chained in the forced federation of Pakistan to plan a joint roadmap in the pursuit of their national independence; an organising committee was unanimously agreed upon for the formation of the alliance.
The conference demanded the United Nations and the international community to impose economic sanctions upon Pakistan and disintegrate its forced federation to free historic secular natural nations chained into it.
The conference also passed following resolutions:
1. This conference demands the international community to acknowledge the Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Kashmiri, Saraiki nations' right to independence and use of right to self-determination. We also appeal the United Nations to conduct the referendums, under its own supervision, for the establishment of the separate identical independent states of all the historic nations subjugated by multinational states across the world.
2. This conference demands an immediate removal of the Pakistani military cantonments from Sindh, Balochistan, Pashtunistan and Kashmir.
3. This conference demands the formation of the U.N.'s special Enquiry commission on the assassinations, abductions, enforced disappearances, detentions, killings and dumping the mutilated bodies of Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun political activists by the Pakistani Fascist spy agencies ISI and MI. The ISI, MI and Pakistani military personnel involved in such crimes must be tried in the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
4. This conference demands the acknowledgement of the Sindh's Right on the waters of River Indus.
5. This conference demands the international acknowledgement of Sindh, Baluchistan, Pashtunistan and Kashmiri nations' right on their mineral and natural resources, lands and seas.
6. This conference demands the end of Punjabi occupation over the sea ports and sea waters of Sindh and Balochistan.
7. This conference demands an immediate end to Pakistani military's operations, atrocities, human rights violations and state torture in Sindh, Balochistan, Pashtunistan and Kashmir.
8. The so-called "Two Nation Theory" that provided the basis for the partition of Indian Subcontinent in 1947 and creation of Pakistani Federation had been exterminated by the secession of Bengal (Former East Pakistan and Now Bangladesh) in 1971. Therefore, all the subjugated historic nation that are chained in the forced federation of Pakistan must be set free.
9. This conference demands the U.N. to bring all the culprits of Bengali Genocide of 1971 (Pakistani Military Generals who massacred 3 million innocent Bengalis) to justice.
10. This conference appeals the international community to declare Pakistan "The state sponsor of Radical Islamic extremism and terrorism" as it has been financing, supporting and safe guarding the international terrorists like Al-Qaida, Taliban, Haqqani Network, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Jamaat-Ud-Dawa and others.
11. This conference also demands the international community to take a serious note of Pakistani state's nefarious designs of establishing a wide web of extremist madrassas (Islamic schools) across Sindh and Balochistan to distort the image of their secular independence movements and their historic cultural heritage of secular humanitarian values.
12. This conference demands international community to stop Pakistan from its conspiracies to divide Sindhi nation on ethnic and lingual lines to restrict its process of social evolution and national unification.
13. This conference demands international community to take a serious notice of Pakistani state's covert support for the forced conversions and marriages of Sindhi Hindu Girls.
14. This conference demands international community to assure the safety and rights of Hindu, Christian, Shia, Ahmadi,Sikh religious minorities in Pakistan and stop the state backed persecution of them on the charges of blasphemy.
15. This conference demands the U.N. and the international community to stop Pakistan from mortgaging and selling the lands,ports and seas of Sindhi and Baloch nations to China in the name of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
16. This conference demands the U.N. Security Council and the international community to impose economic sanctions on Pakistan on the account of its crimes against humanity, atrocious oppression of oppressed subjugated nations chained in its forced federation and covert support for Islamic extremist terrorism.
17. This conference expresses its full support for the U.S.A.'s current stance on the problem of Radical Islamic terrorism and its sponsorship by Pakistan in South Asia. Therefore, we appeal the U.S.A., Germany, the U.K., France, India, Israel and entire international community to disintegrate Pakistan, for the abolishment of the radical Islamic terrorism and the establishment of global peace is impossible without the national independence of the historic secular Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Kashmiri nations chained in the forced federation.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to vote for mayoral elections, at least eight Karnataka MLCs, contesting for a ministerial seat, gave false residential addresses, claimed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) report.
The report also found that these MLCs had given misreported information to the Karnataka Legislative Council to claim lakhs of rupees as travelling allowance by submitting fake bills.
Eight members of the Legislative Council, including RB Thimmappa of the Congress, have been found to have falsified data in order to be able to vote for the Bengaluru mayoral elections last year.
Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Raghu Achar, N S Boseraju, S Ravi (all Congress), C R Manohar and Appaji Gowda (JD-S) and M D Lakshminarayana (Independent) are the eight MLCs.
On the basis of complaint filed, BBMP council leader Padmanabha Reddy seeking disqualification of eight MLCs, Election Commission had initiated an investigation in regards to the matter.
Talking about Timmapur, who was to be admitted in the council of ministers under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had claimed TA/DA in the council with Bagalkot as ordinary address.
"If we consider the address given to the Constitutional Authority (Legislative Council) is true, then he has submitted false information that he is ordinary resident in Bengaluru to get inclusion in the Bengaluru electoral roll (sic)," the report stated.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A law student was allegedly gangraped and killed on Friday night on a bus in the Madhupur district of Bangladesh.
The student was going back home after an exam in the bus when five people gangraped and later killed her, The Daily Star reported.
The police have arrested five staffers of an inter-district bus on charges of killing and gangraping.
When her brother could not reach her, he filed a complaint with the police after which a team raided the Madhupur bus station early yesterday and arrested the culprits.
She gave 5,000 Bangladeshi Takas and her mobile phone to one of the accused and pleaded to be let go, the investigating officer said.
However, the accused did not pay heed to her plea and committed the crime after taking all her belongings.
The court official said that three of the accused have already confessed to the crime before the senior judicial magistrate.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The latest real-estate research report by Magicbricks, titled PropIndex for April-June 2017 quarter reveals a positive outlook for the realty market in India in the coming months. According to the report, real estate sector in India may see a strong turnaround in 2017 as 55percent of the 750 localities across 14 major cities witnessed an average price increment of 2.8percent in April-June 2017 quarter. At the city level, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore had a perceptible increment in weighted average price.
Hyderabad realty market moved up by 2percent, while Bengaluru and Chennai by 1percent each. The localities that witnessed an incremental price hike in the April-June quarter account for 52percent of property searches and 54percent of properties listed on Magicbricks, hence indicating a trend that important localities from both demand and supply perspective across India witnessed a price increase.
"Our latest Magicbricks PropIndex for April-June 2017 reveals that the quarter has remained positive as 55percent of the 750 localities that we cover, witnessed an average price increase of 2.8percent. This is in contrast to our previous Magicbricks PropIndex for Jan-Mar 2017 that had stated that the overall realty market scenario remained weak. The Apr-Jun PropIndex also suggests that user driven markets, which did not see significant price increments during the boom period and also had lesser issues due to project delays, are doing relatively well. Among the 14 Indian cities, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru have emerged as the performing markets," said Sudhir Pai, CEO, Magicbricks.
Magicbricks PropIndex also revealed encouraging signs of price increment in affordable and lower-mid segments that comprise 65percent of the 750 localities. While 55percent localities in affordable segment had price increment, it was 56percent in the lower-mid segment. Of the 14 cities covered, nine cities on average had price increment across 60percent localities in lower-mid segment. Marginal price movement in both these categories marks the return of consumer interest and transaction activity and also augurs well for the industry.
Magicbricks PropIndex also stated that price level in other cities were practically stagnant or witnessed minor variation. In North, Greater Noida had the highest quarterly price decline followed by Ghaziabad, Noida, Delhi and Gurgaon. Pune and Thane in western India had marginal price decline while other cities like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Ahmedabad either had marginal price increment or were stagnant.
In terms of budget segments, 63percent premium localities across most cities had price decline. This was more prevalent in the north Indian cities of Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida, where more than 75percent premium localities, had price decline. Premium segment in Pune as well witnessed price decline across more almost 67percent localities.
PropIndex also stated positive price movement in the Under-Construction (UC) property segment. Price of UC properties across 61percent localities was either stable or saw a marginal increment. In comparison, price of Ready-to-move (RM) properties declined in 47percent localities and was stable in only 2percent localities.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit today donned uniform for the first time after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices R.K. Agrawal and A.M. Sapre on August 21 set aside an order of the Bombay High Court which had denied him bail.
He was released from the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai on August 23 after which he had reported to his Army unit.
A team of Military Police and Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Army had taken him to a military station at Colaba in South Mumbai.
Six people were killed in a bomb blast on September 29, 2008 at Malegaon, a communally sensitive textile town in Nashik district of north Maharashtra.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Manipur Governor Dr. Najma A. Heptulla has said that Manipur needs to showcase its cultural wealth to the outside world, at Raj Bhawan in Imphal.
The Governor addressing the Sankalp Parva "Sankalp se Siddhi" function organised by the Song and Drama Division, Imphal Centre, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India further encouraged and suggested the artistes of the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy and the Manipur University of Culture to perform more frequently outside the state.
She said that the Sankalp Parva is an initiative under the 'Sankalp Se Siddhi' movement which is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reforming the nation under the "New India Movement by making - poverty, filth, corruption, terrorism, communalism and casteism Quit India."
During the function, the Governor along with the other dignitaries and the participants pledged for building a New India - clean, free from poverty, corruption, terrorism, communalism and casteism.
The Governor said that the Sankalp Parva is an important function as it is being heralded as a 360 degree programme to make India modern by 2022.
"Today's youth should understand what price our forefathers' had paid in achieving freedom of India," the Governor said.
Lauding an artiste who performed the song "Ae mere watan ke logon" during today's function, the Governor said she became nostalgic during the rendition of the song.
Arts and Culture Minister L. Jayentakumar said the reasons for establishment of a culture university and Manipur State Film and Telveision Institute in the State is the unique cultural identity of Manipur despite its limited size and resources.
He also said that Manipur needs helping hands from the Union Ministry of Finance in order to exploit the talents of our youth.
Praising the rich tradition and culture of the State Governor Heptulla said, "I love Manipur. There is so much of dance and music here. That's life."
As part of the function, artistes of the Song and Drama Division, Imphal Centre performed several cultural items including a group song Vande Mantaram, Lai-haraoba, Cheirol Jagoi, Lavani Dance and Dhol Chollom.
Director for song and Drama Division, Anurag Mishra was also present on the occasion.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a move to strengthen Indo-Russian strategic relations by promoting collaboration in the textile sectors, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and SRTEPC organised an India Pavilion at the textile and light industry expo, the 49th International Textillegprom at Moscow, from August 29 to September 1, 2017.
In commemoration of the completion of 70 years of bilateral ties between India and Russia, the delegation from India, headed by the Minister of Textiles, Government of Karnataka, R M Lamani and Secretary Ministry of Textiles, Anand Kumar Singh marked the largest participation till date, with 95 companies showcasing their products at this global platform.
The prime objective of the participation is to realise the complementarities between the textile industries of India and Russia, and the CIS region in general. They will have structured B2B interactions to explore opportunities for partnerships.
"There is great potential for enhancing trade relations between India Russia. The textile Industry from India is well represented at the expo, which showcases the range and quality of India's Textile industry. The Government of India will provide all help for the promotion of investment in this sector," said Anand Kumar Singh.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged that "something serious has to happen" to punish North Korea for violating UN sanctions after it test-fires missile over Japan.
"What happened was absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible," Haley said, reported the Independent.
Haley further said that the no country should have missile flying over them.
"It is unacceptable; they have violated ever single UNSC resolution that we had. So I think something serious has to happen," she said.
She further hoped that China and Russia would continue to work with the Security Council to discuss what to be done about Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.
The United Nations Security Council was expected to meet today to hold discussion on the same.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that "all options are on the table" after Pyongyang escalated tensions by firing a ballistic missile that passed over Japan.
"The has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear: this regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour," Trump said in a statement.
"Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the . All options are on the table," he added.
North Korea on Tuesday launched ballistic missile which reportedly passed over Japan and broke into three pieces and fell1,180 kilometers from Cape Erimo into the waters off Hokkaido.
In the wake of recovery of remains of the parts of missiles, the Japanese Government warned the people in northern Japan to prepare for a potential incoming missile from Pyongyang.
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday called the launch of ballistic missile by North Korea as "an unprecedented, grave and serious threat" that damages the peace and security of the region.
Abe added that Tokyo had lodged a firm protest with Pyongyang on the same and added that the government would take "full steps" to ensure the safety of it nationals.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, [India], August 30, (ANI): India's northeast is blessed with breathtaking natural beauty. It is best described as the virgin land, untouched by modernizations that have engulfed the world. It also has an equally diverse selection of cuisines. Most of the dishes are made of locally sourced ingredients and therefore make for a wonderful change of taste for food lovers across the country.
Recently, the Naga Food Festival in the capital introduced Delhi resident to exotic flavours of Naga cuisine. Food lovers and gastronomes savored the authentic and exotic flavours of Naga cuisine at the festival organized the premises of Madhya Pradesh Bhawan.
The food festival was organized by the Nagaland government in collaboration with the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Manipur. The event acted as a platform for states to unite and strengthen their cultural ties.
Abhishek Singh, Resident Commissioner of Nagaland house, Delhi told to ANI, "There is lot of misconception about NE states and especially about Nagaland because very often this smaller state they come in news only for negativity people think it there is violent and they have misconception about the kind of people and the food they eat without realizing that there are good things about every region. So Nagaland is very rich in its organic produce, rich in its cuisine and the meat that is eaten the pork with bamboo shoots and other dishes is relish by anyone who have tried it. Added to that our music and culture is also different and common".
"It is a small step that we have started and depending on the response will have many such events once the winter sets in. We will repeat many more such events and planning to host similar events in Nagaland house and collaborate with other states as well," he added.
Ranging from the specially cooked pork with bamboo shoots, sticky rice cooked in various ways harvested from the Naga Hills, steamed fish cooked with bamboo shoot and Naga spices or 'Akha Khulo' to salads, chutneys which are prepared using the famous king chilly or 'bhut jolokia' and the locally grown green herbs remained a hit among residents. The organically-grown fresh pineapples also attracted people.
Speaking to ANI, Linda Newmai, known social activist from Nagaland said," Taking food to another state bhawan is a unique idea it's an exchange of culture, tradition, food. As personally for me I have been staying here in Delhi for more than a decade but still I look for my own food everywhere and every corner where I get ethnic food I search for it".
"Most of my friend's who are not Nagas they also enjoy I take them around. So this time the kind of event organized for promoting Naga food is a very good idea and I would like to thank the Nagaland house officials also", she added.
Khandula from Himachal Pradesh who was relishing the exotic food said that every state has their own food nutritious and healthy in their own way and Delhi is the capital where we can explore, we can eat and try other food. The food is really good and healthy and I came to know about the cuisine of Nagaland and would love to explore more other cuisines of the region.
"It's good if such kind of event happens more as different states will come together and it will be good to explore even for the youths", she added further.
Moreover, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland are one of the few states to have ventured such step of unification under 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat'.
Subba Roy, Secretary to the Ministry of HRD said," We have seen that earlier few states have carried out cuisine festival engagement and people have not only relish the food but for many it has been a very pleasant discovery. Like the organic food that has been offered here coming from Nagaland is a major revolution. It's healthy and made with such attention to detail. So every state has its own variations of the same forms".
The event was inaugurated by Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Neiba Kronu and was also graced by Narottam Mishra, Minister for Water Resources along with few other dignitaries from both the states.
It is worth mentioning that on August 19 the cuisine of Madhya Pradesh was served in Nagaland House Delhi and residents and other guests got the flavour of Madhya Pradesh cuisine. On September 4, the cuisine of Manipur will be served in Nagaland House.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said that its ballistic missile test, which passed over Japan comprised "the first step of the military operation of the [Korean People's Army] in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam."
As per the Sputnik, the North Korean state media reported that Kim was reportedly present on the site for the Hwasong-12 missile launch on Tuesday.
As per reports, Kim projectile the Hwasong-12 to his threatened multi-salvo attack on Guam, which is a US territory located approximately 3,430 kilometers southeast of the Korean region.
The North Korean media also reported that the missile was launched to counter the joint US-South Korean military drills that took place a week ago.
North Korea on Tuesday morning fired an unidentified missile from near the capital Pyongyang, which flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
Meanwhile, South Korea air force staged a live-fire drill at the Taebaek Pilsung Firing Range that demonstrated Seoul's ability to destroy Pyongyang leadership.
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North Korea has threatened the United States by saying that the second step of its military operations involving the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile will be directed at the U.S.Pacific island of Guam.
The North Korean missile Hwasong-12 launch over Japan's northern Hokkaido island was "the first step of the military operation of the (North Korean military) in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam," North Korean state media warned Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump has warned Pyongyang that "all options are on the table" after state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong- Un presided over the dawn launch on Tuesday of the "ultra-modern rocket system," the first missile ever fired from the capital Pyongyang. Till date,Kim Jong-un has authorized more than 80 missile tests since taking power almost six years ago.
Tuesday's launch has further escalated tensions between North Korea and the United States and its allies, Japan and South Korea as it was North Korea's first ballistic missile to fly over Japan.
North Korean officials told CNN in Pyongyang that Kim was "very satisfied with the performance of the missile."
Guam governor's office said in a statement there is no change in the island's threat level.
"We knew, based on North Korea events in previous years, that with the joint exercise between the US, South Korea, and its Allies, we can expect rhetoric and activity in North Korea," CNN quoted George Charfauros, Guam Homeland Security Adviser as saying.
"It is important to remember that the U.S. Department of Defense capabilities are more than competent and stand ready to defend the US, its territories and allies."
Guam is home to a U.S. military base that includes a submarine squadron, an airbase and a coastguard group and is armed with the U.S. Army's missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, the same system recently installed in South Korea.
One is Andersen Air Force base, from which the US has been staging B-1 bomber flights over the Korean Peninsula, often in response to North Korea's missile tests.
Guam is capable for an integrated bomber operation as it has nuclear-capable bomber trio B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 bombers fighters.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe both now believe "pressure on North Korea should be raised to its limit so that North Korea will voluntarily come to the table for dialogue," South Korean presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun said in a statement Wednesday.
United National Security Council held an emergency session late Tuesday afternoon to discuss the next steps.The 15 Security Council members has unanimously adopted a statement condemning North Korea's "outrageous actions" in launching the missile over Japan and launching three missiles last Saturday. The statement called North Korea's launchings "not just a threat to the region but all U.N. member states.
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Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah has said that the party would move the Supreme Court to make them a private party in connection with the Article 35A case.
Abdullah on Tuesday further said that defending the provision cannot be an "anti-national" act, extending the NC's campaign for safeguarding Article 35A of the Constitution to the border district of Rajouri.
"The Conference will appeal the Supreme Court to make us a private party in the 35A case. We will fight to save Article 35A," Abdullah added, while addressing the party workers in Darhal in Rajouri.
Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Abdullah wondered why questions were being raised at the Conference for opposing the "clandestine moves" of repealing Article 35A, which serves as a Constitutional guarantee to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for preserving their distinct identity and dignity, irrespective of religion or caste.
"As long as the National Conference flag is fluttering high across Jammu and Kashmir, Article 35A will remain a part of the Constitution," he asserted.
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The Opposition launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demonetisation after Reserve Bank of India released its report on the same.
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram asked whether demonetisation was a scheme designed to convert black money into white.
The senior Congress leader "shammed" the Reserve Bank of India for recommending demonetisation.
"Rs 16000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 1544,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which 'recommended' demonetisation," Chidambaram tweeted.
Continuing his attack, he wrote, "RBI 'gained' Rs 16000 crore, but 'lost' Rs 21000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize."
He further asked whether 99 percent of notes were legally exchanged.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said India can never forgive Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for this anti- act.
"99.9% of the notes back in the banking system. 100s died in queues. The poor suffered the most. All this for what?" he tweeted.
"Lives & livelihoods lost, the Economy got a shock, workers lost their jobs. India can never forgive Modi govt for this anti- act (sic) he said in a series of tweet.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday highlighted that about 89 million notes of Rs. 1000 rupee currency did not come back to the system out of a total of 6700 million notes that were in the system as on November 8.
The apex banking system in its annual report stated that only 1.3 percent of Rs. 1000 notes didn't return after the Centre's demonetisation exercise.
RBI, in its report said that the cost of printing notes doubled to Rs. 7,965 crore in FY17 from Rs. 3,421 crore in FY16 on account of new currency printing after the note ban.
However, RBI said that it pumped in 2380 crore notes totalling Rs 5.54 lakh crore in the two months post demonetization between November 9 to Decemeber 31.
Earlier on November 8 last year, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government announced its demonetization drive, wherein, currency denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes were stopped as legal tender.
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The Pakistan Government has reportedly voiced its fear that Afghanistan may block the transportation of goods to member states of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and European countries.
Islamabad is now looking to explore the alternative of connecting to the Central Asian states via land routes as they are carrying out a USD 57 billion economic corridor project with China.
Earlier, a possible trade agreement between Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan was dismissed after Pakistan refused the Afghanistan's demand of including India as well.
Pakistan dismissed it saying that India could not be part of the deal unless it improved diplomatic ties.
However, Pakistan and Afghanistan have not accepted the Convention on the Contract for International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) so far, while other ECO member states are party to the agreement.
Until Pakistan does not accept the CMR and the regulatory framework, the transportation of goods by Pakistani vehicles via land routes to the ECO member states and European countries will not be permissible.
The ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organisation which was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities.
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Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution dismissing United States President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy and his allegations of Islamabad supporting terrorism.
Presenting the resolution against the new U.S. policy on South Asia during the session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said the National Assembly rejects Trump's recent policy statement as well as America's top general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson's claims regarding the presence of Taliban in Quetta and Peshawar.
"The House denounces the complete disregard of Pakistan's sacrifices by the US," Geo News quoted Asif as saying, adding that the National Assembly stands with the armed forces of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism.
According to the report, the resolution calls on the government of Pakistan to consider postponing any visits by US officials and vice versa as well as suspension of cooperation with US particularly ground/air lines of communication through Pakistan.
The resolution advises the government to formulate economic policies to deal with any situation arising out of absence of US assistance and instigate a diplomatic initiative to inform the international community of repercussions on the region of the failed US Afghan policy.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah called for having a Joint Session of Parliament after Eid so that a strong response can be given to the US policy.
Criticising Pakistan's poor relations with most of its neighbours , Shah said that the country's neighbours are hurling threats at them.
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar said the issue of US' continued criticism on Pakistan will not stop by mere resolutions and condemnations and needs a major overhaul of the entire narrative towards the US.
He was in favour of not take the path of confrontation and bringing arguments based on facts and reason.
President Trump while announcing his south Asia policy earlier this month, described Pakistan as a country that continues to offer safe haven to "agents of chaos".
"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations," Trump said as he cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to swiftly end America's longest war.
"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," he said.
He demanded that Pakistan should "stop offering safe haven to agents of chaos" as he presented his policy for the 16-year-long war in Afghanistan in his first formal address as the commander-in-chief.
While inviting India to provide more economic assistance and development to Afghanistan, Trump discarded his previous criticism of America's longest war as "a waste of time and money".
After Trump's allegations against Pakistan for allegedly harbouring terrorists, China and Saudi Arabia came to the country's defence in separate statements and asked that the acknowledge Islamabad's contribution in the fight against terrorism.
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The Joint Investigation Team chief Wajid Zia, tasked with investigating money-laundering allegations against the Sharif family in the Panama Papers case, has appeared before the National Accountability Bureau Lahore as a witness and submitted documents regarding Sharif family's 'corruption'.
Zia has recorded his statement before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on Tuesday regarding Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.References against Sharif family and Ishaq Dar will be lodged by NAB in the accountability court by September 10.
Although anti-corruption watchdog NAB did not officially provide details of the meeting to the media, a source said that Mr Zia recorded his statement before the NAB Rawalpindi.One of the references is regarding Al-Azizia Steel Mill, while the other two relate to the London flats and 16 offshore companies, owned by the Sharif family. One reference will also be filed against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to reports, NAB (Lahore and Rawalpindi) will finalise the references against the Sharif family by August 31. The references will be sent to the NAB headquarters, where the board will scrutinise them from Sept 1-7.
Sources said that after the Sharif family's refusal to record statements before NAB, it was decided that all statements made before the JIT would be used by the bureau in the four references that were to be filed in accountability courts, in line with the Supreme Court orders, the Dawn reported.
During his meeting with NAB investigators, Zia provided verified statements of Nawaz Sharif, his children Maryam, Hussain and Hassan, as well as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Earlier, Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the Supreme Court, who is overseeing the NAB proceedings against the Sharif family, had allowed investigators to record statements of JIT members who had investigated the Panama Papers case.
The Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office and ordered an accountability court to open references against him and his family, and other respondents.
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People living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir primarily see themselves as being of Kashmiri origin and not Pakistanis, a 'Citizen Public Opinion' survey conducted of the region has revealed.
Responding to a question on which of the following identities they would attach themselves with, 73 percent said Kashmiri, while 27 percent said they would prefer to be referred to as Pakistani.
A majority of the people participating in the survey in PoK said they would be in favor of getting support from China to resolve their national identity.
In reply to another question as to which one of the following countries' support they would seek to resolve their 'national question', most opted for China, while 21 and 18 percent of the participants opted for Saudi Arabia and the United States respectively.
The survey was collected from a rich, random, representative and diverse range of public opinion of about 10,000 people spread across 32 sub-divisions of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Representatives of the local administration, judiciary, Members of the Assembly, lawyers, academics and the general public took part in the research and supported it in public interest. Comparisons were also made with other surveys in terms of analysis, observations and qualification. The field work took five years and two months, including a dedicated two years in aggregate. It took almost nine months to sift through the accumulated data and come out with a meaningful analysis.
In all, three questions were asked on the enduring 'national question' of Jammu and Kashmir; two on governance; three on the state of the economy and two on social policies. Each interviewee was offered choices and options and not limited to those choices.
For instance, when the participants were asked whether they believed in the integrity of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed in October 1947, three months after the partition of the Indian subcontinent (84,471 square miles), 97 percent (9,700 persons) of them replied in the affirmative, while two percent (214 persons) said no and one percent (75 persons) said they did not know.
Thirty-nine percent of the respondents (3,887 persons) said that they would look to China for support on the issue of "national question" of Jammu and Kashmir. The other countries that found favor were Britain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates. The United States featured third in the list of countries that would be considered for support on the issue. Looking to Pakistan or Pakistan and India or India, Pakistan andChina together was not considered as viable options.
Seventy-one percent of the respondents (7,122 persons) said Muslims can co-exist with non-Muslims in Kashmir, while twenty-eight percent (2,775 persons) said such a possibility was unfeasible.
Forty-seven and thirty three percent of the respondents rated the current state of administration in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as "Bad" and "Weak" respectively. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents to the survey (9,781 persons) said it was important to have a contract on services and responsibilities between the citizen and the state.
Twenty percent of the respondents (1,987 persons) said that for the region to have a viable economic policy, it was essential to first ensure opening of trade routes throughout the divided state and beyond; secondly to have one's own currency (public treasury/fiscal policy) and thirdly to have and conduct research and ownership of resources. Seventeen percent said ensure opening of trade routes throughout the divided state and beyond; have and conduct research and ownership of resources and have one's own currency (public treasury/fiscal policy).
Forty-seven percent of the respondents favored a 50:50 public and private ratio of participation and partnership in the economy; while 15percent opted for a 60:40 ratio. Thirty-eight percent favored a 70:30 ration of participation and partnership.
Sixty-eight percent (6,782 persons) of the respondents said that natural resources should be opened for privatization, while thirty percent (3,021 persons) replied in the negative.
Ninety-nine percent of the respondents (9,858 persons) said that there should be equal rights and responsibilities amongst citizens irrespective of caste, creed, color, ideology or religion.
The 'Citizen Public Opinion' Survey was crowd funded by citizens of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and involved a proposition to each interviewee to voluntarily contribute to the expenses involved in conducting it.
Over 85 percent of the interviewees were asked these ten questions face-to-face and in a local language (Pahari or Urdu), without actually showing them the form unless they specifically requested to see it. The form remained in English and was never translated into any other language. About 1,995 of the 10,000 respondents or 20 percent were students and questions and answers were fielded and sought in the local language. Six of the interviewees submitted their opinion online, while two returned the form after a few days. Ninety percent of the respondents (8959 persons) were males and1041 (10 percent) were females.
This was because PoK as a society continues to remain relatively conservative in comparison to Western Europe. Women by and large are not visible in public life and randomly sampling them could have created perception problems for the researchers in spite of best intentions.
The women who took part were interviewed at courts, hospitals, social welfare organizations, banks and educational institutions.
Fifty-four percent of the respondents were in the 16-30 years age group; 24 percent in the 31-45 years age group; 16 percent in the46-60 years age group and six percent in the 61-plus age group. Twenty-fivepercent (2465) and twelve percent (1236) of the respondents belonged to thebusiness/retail environment or the government servant category respectively. In all, 27 broad categories of people were interviewed which covered perhaps every occupation that exists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
It was concluded that the status, identity, governance, economy and society of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continues to remain in legal limbo even after the withdrawal of the British colonials in 1947. It was also concluded that the legislature, judiciary and executive is presently ill-equipped to take appropriate steps to work in conjunction with local citizens to improve matters from where they are at now.
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Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for London on Wednesday to meet her ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing cancer treatment there.
"Mian Sahib is leaving the country for London on Wednesday (today) to see Begum Kulsoom, who is receiving treatment for throat cancer [lymphoma]," The Dawn quoted Senator Pervaiz Rashid, as saying.
However, he rejected the rumours related to Nawaz fleeing to London to avoid the case against him with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"Why would Sharif choose to stay away from the country where he is loved the most by the people? The circumstances today are not the way they were in 2007, when dictator Musharraf was ruling here. Even at that time, Sharif had wanted to return to the country, but he was not allowed," Rashid added.
Nawaz Sharif will stay in London for at least 10 days.
"He may extend his stay for more days depending on Begum Kulsoom's reports," he said.
However, the opposing Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf does not believe that Sharif is likely to return to Pakistan to face the NAB cases.
Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz has been campaigning for Kulsoom for the National Assembly-120 by-elections, due to which she had to cancel her planned visit to London.
Earlier, former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari had said that fleeing the country would not help ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revive his image.
Speaking at a meeting with Pakistan People's Party leaders on Sunday, he also asked Sharif to not run away from the country and face the cases against him.
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The Sri Lanka Government on Wednesday released 76 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture.
On Aug 10, the Sri Lankan Navy had apprehended four Tamil Nadu fishermen along with a country boat near Punkudi Island.
Meanwhile, also on Aug 10, 12 Indian fishermen had been sent to remand till August 23 by a Sri Lankan court.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapady K. Palanisamy, in a letter, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and secure the release of 64 fishermen from Tamil Nadu lodged in a Sri Lankan jail and 125 detained mechanised boats.
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The Delhi police will likely submit the additional status before the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, which was sought for in the last hearing.
Alongside, the court may also hear on BJP leader Subramanium Swamy's demand for CBI enquiry in the case.
Earlier on August 19, Delhi's Patiala House Court pulled up the Delhi police for delaying the de-sealing of the hotel suite, in which Sunanda Pushkar was found dead.
They have also asked the Police as to why has it taken two months to inform the hotel that they would need more time.
On other hand, the Leela hotel told the court that Police had sent a letter to the hotel, the other day that Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) will have to visit the hotel again on September 1 to collect further evidence, and hence the room can't be de sealed yet.
Courts of Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma, has taken note of Police submission that the CFSL expert team will have to visit the Leela hotel on September 1 and collect evidence.
The lawyer representing Leela Hotel told the court that the room has been sealed since 2015, and no evidence has been collected so far.
Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, was found dead at a suite in a five star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Vladivostok from September 5-7 to participate in the third Eastern Economic Forum in Russia.
Swaraj's visit reflects the importance attached by India to emerging opportunities in the Russian Far East, and to its strategic partnership with Russia.
During her visit, she will participate in the opening ceremony of the forum on September 6 as well as hold bilateral meetings with the Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Governors of some of the Far Eastern Regions, among other engagements.
The high level Indian participation in the Vladivostok Forum follows the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Guest of Honour at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2017.
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U.S. authorities have indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, for attacking protesters who held demonstrations outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Washington DC on May 16, 2017 against the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
All 19 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, with a bias crime enhancement," CNN quoted the District of Columbia Attorney's Office statement.
In June, Washington DC Police Chief Peter Newsham said that "there's no indication at all that the protesters were a terrorist group."
The Turkish embassy claimed that the protesters were affiliated with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), which is a designated terror group in Turkey, the US and Europe, and has been engaged in a 30-year conflict with the Turkish government.
U.S. officials have strongly condemned the attack but Turkey argued that the security guards have diplomatic immunity.
Relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained over Washington's support of Syrian Kurdish forces battling the so-called "Islamic State." Turkey said the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds are an arm of the PKK.The Turkish security officials left the country before they were charged.
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Spain's Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said that the security services in Morocco had arrested two people in connection with the twin attack in Madrid.
"Thanks to permanent contact and collaboration between the two countries, Moroccan security services have carried out two arrests here in Morocco linked to the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils," Zoido said, who was visiting his counterpart in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, reported DW.
The two men were arrested separately, one in the city of Casablanca and the other in the city of Oujda of Morocco.
The death toll in the terrorist attacks in Spain reached 16 on August 27 after a woman died in the intensive care unit of Barcelona's Hospital del Mar.
More than 100 people were injured after a vehicle ploughed into the pedestrians at Barcelona's famed Las Ramblas boulevard tourist area.
One of the suspects involved in the Barcelona attacks was found dead in a car three kilometers from where police officers tried to stop him by firing at the vehicle he was in.
The ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Earlier, Spain's Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido stated that the terror cell behind Spain's deadly twin attacks cell was believed to have consisted of at least twelve persons.
The Spanish High Court had earlier this week, ordered two of the four suspects detained in connection with the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils to be sent to jail.
A third suspect, Salh El Karib, had to remain in police custody for 72 more hours for the pending further investigation.
The fourth suspect, Mohamed Aalla, was released on certain conditions.
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Two bodyguards of Afghanistan's Member of Parliament (MP) Zahir Qadir's were shot dead after an explosion at his house in Jalalabad.
An explosion was heard in Jalalabad in the Nangarhar province on Wednesday morning followed by gun shots, Tolo News reported.
The Governor of Nangarhar province has confirmed about the casualties.
The blast reportedly took place in PD 1 area of the city, close to MP Zahir Qadir's house, a spokesman for the provincial governor Attaullah Khoghyani said.
Further details are awaited.
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Condemning North Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile that passed over Japan on Tuesday, the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) warned Pyongyang not to launch any more missiles and abandon all nuclear weapons and programmes.
Terming the incident "outrageous," the UNSC stressed that these actions are not just threat to the region, but to all the UN member state.
The statement issued by the UNSC further said that Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DRPK), by conducting such launch, are deliberately undermining regional peace and stability, causing grave security concerns across the .
"The Security Council, resolute in its commitment to the denuclearized Korean Peninsula, emphasizes the vital importance of immediate concrete action to reduce tension in the Korean Peninsula and beyond," said the statement of the UNSC.
The councils also demanded the DRPK to comply with resolution, by suspending all activities related to ballistic missile programmes.
The council also expressed "its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution."
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said that its ballistic missile test, which passed over Japan, comprised "the first step of the military operation of the [Korean People's Army] in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam."
As per the Sputnik, the North Korean state media reported that Kim was reportedly present on the site for the Hwasong-12 missile launch on Tuesday.
As per reports, Kim projectile the Hwasong-12 to his threatened multi-salvo attack on Guam, which is a US territory located approximately 3,430 kilometers southeast of the Korean region.
The North Korean media also reported that the missile was launched to counter the joint US-South Korean military drills that took place a week ago.
North Korea on Tuesday morning fired an unidentified missile from near the capital Pyongyang, which flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
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The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas at Bagan, Myanmar. The MoU will be signed during the visit of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Myanmar during 6-7 September 2017.
Implementation of the project will further strengthen India's enduring ties in culture and religion with Myanmar. It will also generate immense goodwill for India among the people of Myanmar due to the religious significance as well as the touristic significance of the project.
It will also contribute to India's development partnership with Myanmar. Bagan is one of the premier tourist attractions of Myanmar. It will be an opportunity to showcase India's expertise in the restoration and conservation of monuments not only to the people of Myanmar but also to the tourists from other countries.
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Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could gain 91.90 points at the opening bell on firm Asian stocks.
Overseas, Asian stocks gained after US President Donald Trump's measured response to North Korean missile launches and comments from Kim Jong Un suggested geopolitical tensions will ease off. North Korea's latest missile launch jolted the US stock market yesterday, 29 August 2017, but major indexes pulled back from those early losses and mostly finished higher as the weakening dollar gave technology and industrial companies a boost. North Korea had fired a ballistic missile over Japan yesterday, 29 August 2017 in an act the latter called an unprecedented, grave and serious threat.
Consumers confidence in US strengthened in August to the second highest level since late 2000, a survey released showed. The consumer confidence index rose to 122.9, up from 120 in the prior month, the Conference Board said.
US oil prices yesterday, 29 August 2017, settled at their lowest level in more than a month as refinery outages in the wake of Hurricane Harvey continued to spark fears of diminished demand for US oil.
Back home, Ministry of Finance said that excluding the taxpayers who have registered with the GSTN in August 2017 and the composition dealers, total number of tax payers who were required to file the returns for July 2017 is 59.57 lakhs, of which, as on 29th August, 2017, 38.38 lakh returns have been filed, which is 64.42% of the total number of returns, which are to be filed for the month of July 2017. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) tax was introduced on 1st of July, 2017.
The total revenue of GST paid under different heads upto 29th August, 2017 is Rs 92283 crore. The total CGST revenue is Rs 14894 crore, SGST revenue is Rs 22722 crore, IGST revenue is Rs 47469 crore (of which IGST from imports is Rs 20964 crore) and cess is Rs 7198 crore (of which Rs 599 crore is compensation cess from imports).
Key benchmark indices dropped over 1% yesterday, 29 August 2017 as sharp drop in European stocks and subdued Asian stocks weighed on sentiment on the domestic bourses. The Sensex lost 362.43 points or 1.14% to settle at 31,388.39, its lowest closing level since 22 August 2017.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 1459.64 crore yesterday, 29 August 2017, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1391.33 crore yesterday, 29 August 2017, as per provisional data.
Among corporate news, Tata Power announced after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017, that its 100% subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), increased its generation capacity by 337% in the fiscal year ended March 2017 (FY17) as compared to the fiscal year ended March 2016 (FY16). TPREL generated 1440 million units (MUs) that from renewable energy sources (wind & solar) in FY17 as compared to 329 MUs in FY16.
TPREL is the primary vehicle through which Tata Power's investments in renewable energy capacity are driven. TPREL proposes to grow its capacity through organic and inorganic means over the next few years. TPREL completed commissioning of 100 MW wind farm at Nimbagallu, Andhra Pradesh and 50 MW Rojmal Phase-II in Gujarat and 15 MW solar plant in Belampally, Telangana in last quarter of FY17, Tata Power said in a statement.
HCL Technologies said that it has opened a new delivery center in Gothenburg, Sweden. The new centre will be a key hub in HCL's global delivery network, providing cutting edge transformational IT services as part of the global shares services model. In addition, the Gothenburg office will also become HCL's global headquarters for its mainframe services and automative centre of excellence. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017.
Reliance Industries proposed to make an offer for issuance of non-convertible debentures (NCDs series B) (2nd tranche) on private placement basis on Friday, 1 September 2017 aggregating Rs 2500 crore, to be listed on the Stock Exchanges. The net proceeds of the issue will be utilised inter-alia for refinancing of existing borrowings and for any other purpose in the ordinary course of business. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017.
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Key benchmark indices trimmed gains in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex gained 264.31 points or 0.84% at 31,652.70. The Nifty 50 advanced 92 points or 0.94% at 9,888.05. Today's rally was led by index heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC and HDFC Bank. Positive global stocks boosted sentiment on domestic bourses.
Domestic stocks saw a gap-up opening triggered by mostly positive Asian stocks. Key indices held firm till early afternoon trade.
The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 1.45%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 1.35%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
The broad market depicted strength. There were over two gainers against every loser. On the BSE, 1,789 shares rose and 679 shares fell. A total of 132 shares were unchanged.
Capital goods stocks rose. BEML (up 1.8%), Bharat Electronics (up 2.65%), L&T (up 1.13%), Punj Lloyd (up 0.53%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) (up 0.79%) and Siemens (up 0.18%) gained. ABB India (down 0.4%) and Thermax (down 0.98%) fell.
Pharma shares rose. Cadila Healthcare (up 2.04%), Cipla (up 0.26%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 0.53%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.17%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 0.65%), Alkem Laboratories (up 1.31%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 0.72%) and Wockhardt (up 1.72%) gained. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.73%) fell.
Lupin rose 0.36%. Lupin announced that its Japanese subsidiary Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co., announced the listing of the NHI (National Health Insurance) drug price for Bipresso (generic name: Quetiapine Fumarate) extended release 50mg and 150 mg tablets for the treatment of depressive symptoms associatedwith bipolar disorder. Based on the agreement between Astellas and Kyowa made in February 2017, Kyowa will distribute, sell and promote Bipresso Extended-Release Tablets exclusively in Japan. The announcement was made during market hours today, 30 August 2017.
Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals fell 3.13% after the company reported net loss of Rs 2.88 crore in Q1 June 2017, compared with net profit of Rs 3.53 crore in Q1 June 2016. Jenburkt Pharmaceuticals' total income fell 21.4% to Rs 18.10 crore in Q1 June 2017 over Q1 June 2016. The result was announced during market hours today, 30 August 2017.
Tata Elxsi rose 1.06% after the company said it partnered V-Nova to provide high performance end-to-end video delivery. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 30 August 2017.
Tata Elxsi has already integrated V-Nova's technology within the set-top-box (STB) of a satellite TV operator in Europe, enabling rapid deployment and immediate benefits.
Overseas, European stocks were trading higher as investors tried to oust any nerves surrounding North Korea tensions and took advantage of the positive sentiment seen overseas. Most Asian stocks edged higher after US President Donald Trump's measured response to North Korean missile launches and comments from Kim Jong Un suggested geopolitical tensions will ease off.
In economic news, Japan's retail sales growth slowed in July as shoppers spent less on clothes and cars. Retail sales rose 1.9% in July from a year ago but still slower than a revised 2.2% increase in the year to May.
US stock benchmarks yesterday, 29 August 2017 staged a recovery from heavy selling earlier in the session that came after a North Korean missile test over Japanese airspace rattled investors and sent Wall Street trawling for assets perceived as safe. North Korea had fired a ballistic missile over Japan yesterday, 29 August 2017 in an act the latter called an unprecedented, grave and serious threat.
In economic news, consumers confidence in US strengthened in August to the second highest level since late 2000, a survey released showed. The consumer confidence index rose to 122.9, up from 120 in the prior month, the Conference Board said.
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Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) will be watched. With reference to the news item titled, "Greenko eyes Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai power business for $2 billion," R-Infra clarified that it is engaged in various initiatives to unlock value in its existing businesses, including inter alia the Mumbai power business, roads and transmission, and to thereby significantly reduce its overall leverage. The company shall make appropriate disclosures on the occurrence of a disclosable event. The company is not aware of any information that has not been announced to the exchanges which could explain the aforesaid movement in the trading.
With regard to the proposed initial public offering of units by Reliance Infrastructure InvlT Fund, sale of cement business and divestment of Mumbai power distribution business, the company has made the necessary disclosures to the stock exchanges from time to time, R-Infra added. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017.
Tata Power announced after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017, that its 100% subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), increased its generation capacity by 337% in the fiscal year ended March 2017 (FY17) as compared to the fiscal year ended March 2016 (FY16). TPREL generated 1440 million units (MUs) that from renewable energy sources (wind & solar) in FY17 as compared to 329 MUs in FY16.
TPREL is the primary vehicle through which Tata Power's investments in renewable energy capacity are driven. TPREL proposes to grow its capacity through organic and inorganic means over the next few years. TPREL completed commissioning of 100 MW wind farm at Nimbagallu, Andhra Pradesh and 50 MW Rojmal Phase-II in Gujarat and 15 MW solar plant in Belampally, Telangana in last quarter of FY17, Tata Power said in a statement.
Kesar Terminals & Infrastructure said that on 29 August 2017, the operation of Inland Container Depot (ICD) and Rail Transportation of Containers from the Private Freight Terminal [PFT] of KMLL served by Powarkheda (PRKD) station, near Itarsi railway Junction has started by dispatching first lot of export cargo through 45 container of 40 FEU each, from the Multimodal Composite Logistics hub of Kesar Multimodal Logistics (KMLL) - the subsidiary of the company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017.
KSK Energy Ventures said that its board of directors at a meeting held on 29 August 2017, considered and approved issue of securities subject to the approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 August 2017.
PI Industries turns ex-dividend today, 30 August 2017, for final dividend of Rs 2.50 per share for the year ended 31 March 2017.
Shreyans Industries turns ex-dividend today, 30 August 2017, for final dividend of Rs 1.50 per share for the year ended 31 March 2017.
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In one of the biggest reforms of the Indian Army post independence, over 57,000 of its personnel will be redeployed in a bid to increase the "tooth to tail" ratio of the force, the government said on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also holds the Defence portfolio, announced that the first batch 65 measures out of 99 in the report of a committee led by Lt Gen D.B. Shekatkar (retired) will be implemented by the end of 2019. The decision was taken by the Defence Ministry on Tuesday, and Cabinet was informed on Wednesday.
The Minister said implementation of these "far reaching" recommendations will start immediately.
This will include restructuring of systems continuing since the British times, like reorganising Signals and Engineering corps and Ordnance units, merger of some units and shutting of all military farms, as well as postal establishments in peace areas.
"Mandate of this committee was to make recommendations for enhancing combat capability and re-balancing of defence expenditure of the armed forces... to increase the teeth to tail ratio," he said.
Tooth to tail ratio is a military term that refers to the amount of military personnel it takes to supply and support (tail) each combat soldier (tooth).
"The net effect of this is, as to various different functions in the army, as per the changed environment, how is it to be best utilised. And there are several far-reaching recommendations, for example do we need the military farms at all? Do we with today's technology need a separate postal department? With regard to technology, how the different signals establishments, how their functioning is to be carried on..." Jaitley said.
"This will lead to redeployment of 57,000 officers, JCOs and ORs for various other functions where their requirement in Army is," he said.
Jaitley said the move had nothing to with border related incidents with China, in reference to the over 70-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam that ended on Monday and another scuffle between the troops in Ladakh on August 15.
"Given the sensitivity of the issue involved, it is not appropriate for me to comment. The External Affairs Ministry has already made a detailed statement and that is the government's official position," Jaitley said.
The reforms will lead to shutting down of 39 military farms across the country, some of which have already been shut, and the land will be returned to the Defence Estate Office which will then reallocate land to Army units as per existing sanctions and sizes, said sources.
The reforms will include 'optimisation' of signals establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.
Sources said the restructuring of Signals unit will depend on requirements of the operations.
Repair echelons in the Army will include base workshops, advance base workshops and static or station workshops in the field Army.
The ranks in Ordnance will now include vehicle depots, ordnance depots and central ordnance depots apart from streamlining inventory control mechanisms. Reforms also include better utilisation of supply and transport echelons and animal transport units.
Sources said at peace stations, transport work will be outsourced to civilian operators, while at forward locations, Army will continue to do it.
Heavy military vehicles will continue to be with the repair depot.
There would also be enhancement in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the Army, and improvement in "efficiency" of the National Cadet Corps, as per a government statement.
The Union Government had set up the committee under the chairmanship of Lt. Gen. Shekatkar (retd) to recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces on May 20, 2016 and it submitted its final report in December 2016.
--IANS
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A Goa police station's decision to curtail Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at its premises to five days, instead of seven or 11 days as has been the custom for decades, has won appreciation from people in Goa's second biggest town Margao.
According to Police Inspector C.L. Patil, celebrating the festival for fewer days means more focus on actual policing duties, like safeguarding apartments of those who have left for their native villages on account of the festival and keeping law and order in check.
"Curbing the number of days of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the police station premises would mean more efficient policing, more policemen available for real policing work, like beats, keeping watch on closed homes and apartments and maintaining law and order," Patil told IANS on Tuesday.
Celebrating the popular Ganesh Chaturthi festival and installing the deity at police stations for 11 days is a popular custom in Goa.
The practice is also followed in some police stations during Christmas when fancy, decorative cribs with idols of baby Jesus in a stable are depicted.
In the recent past, the ostentatious presentations during religious festivities at police stations have been criticized in some quarters.
When Patil was posted to the Margao Town police station in 2015, he had cut down the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at the station from 11 to seven days, a move which drew protests from police personnel who saw it as a break in long-established tradition.
"Ganesh festivals have been organised in our police stations for decades because once upon a time, due to lack of transport, our personnel could not visit their homes for the festival and instead they would celebrate at the police station itself," Patil explained.
"We would be serving people better if there were no festivals organised in our police stations. A police station is a secular place where people from all walks of life and religions visit to address their grievances," he said.
He said the practice of hosting a Satyanarayan Puja, an annual ritual involving the worship of Lord Vishnu, at the police station had been stopped.
At his police station especially, the officer claims, there is shortage of space even for police sub inspectors to work and to host such festivals means even lesser space for executing day-to-day police duties.
On Tuesday, Patil's decision to do a minimalist version of immersion parade of the deity (after five days of worship) before peak traffic hours, without crackers and loud noise, instead of the whole music-dance shindig as was the practice in the past, has not gone unnoticed.
"The police Ganesh immersion procession is indeed a very decent one. No power-packed music, no abusive fireworks... Truly worth appreciation," says Savio Coutinho, a former chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council. Margao has a population of nearly one lakh.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major reform for the Indian Army, the government has accepted the first batch of 65 recommendations of the Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar (retd.) headed committee which will result in redeployment of 57,000 personnel for roles to increase the "tooth to tail" ratio.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also holds the Defence portfolio, announced that first batch 65 measures as per the committee report will be implemented by the year end.
These include optimisation of signals establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.
It will also include closure of all military farms and army postal establishments in peace locations.
Jaitley said the committee had given about 99 recommendations and the government, in consultation with the army, had been going through these recommendations. "And the first batch of 65 recommendations has been accepted by the government yesterday (on Tuesday)."
"This will lead to redeployment of 57,000 officers, JCOs and ORs for various other functions where their requirement in Army is. It is a far-reaching change.
"Mandate of this committee was to make recommendations for enhancing combat capability and re-balancing of defence expenditure of the armed forces... to increase the teeth to tail ratio," he said.
Tooth to tail ratio is a military term that refers to the amount of military personnel it takes to supply and support (tail) each combat soldier (tooth).
Jaitley said the Defence Ministry took the decision on Tuesday and the Union Cabinet was apprised of it on Wednesday.
The minister said concerned orders will be passed and these all have to be operationalised by end of 2019. "Operationalisation begins now," he said.
The net effect of the move, as per the minister, will be on different functions in the Army, as to in the changed environment of economy, technology, combat capability how is to be best utilised. And there are several far reaching recommendations
"Do we need the military farms at all? Do we with today's technology need a separate postal department? With regard to technology now the different signals establishments, how their functioning is to be carried on..." Jaitley said.
The Union Government had set up the committee under the chairmanship of Lt. Gen. Shekatkar (eetd) to recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces on May 20, 2016 and it submitted its final report in December 2016.
--IANS
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Expressing concern over the recent lynching of five youths from a minority community in two separate incidents for being alleged cow thieves in West Bengal, the CPI-M on Wednesday accused the state's Mamata Banerjee government of endangering secularism and communal amity by impeding democracy.
"These kind of incidents are happening because of the state government. Since they came to power in 2011, democracy has been under attack. When democracy comes under attack, communal amity and secularism are endangered," Communist Party of India-Marxist State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told media persons here.
Mishra said the Trinamool government has created such an enviromennt, that "people are unable to stand up for their rights, they don't even have the right to speak out for communal amity".
In June, three Muslim youth were lynched after a mob accused them cattle smuggling at Durgapur village under Chopra Police Station of North Dinajpur district.
Two Muslim youth were beaten to death for transporting cows in pick-up vans on Sunday by a mob on suspicion of cattle smuggling at Jharsalboni area near Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district.
On the Chopra incident, Mishra said a police probe has found that leave alone cattle smuggling, the victims were "not even carrying cows".
Referring to the Dhupguri happening, he said the two youths were carrying cows of another person who had a valid licence for cattle trade.
The CPI-M Politburo Member said in both cases, the Rashtriya Sawamsevak Sangh propaganda machine "justified the killings by calling them cow smugglers".
"The RSS has become more active in these areas during the present regime.
"These kind of incidents were unheard of in West Bengal in the past. These incidents are a matter of deep concern," he said, and appealed to the people remain alert during Eid ul-Adha which will be celebrated on Saturday,
Mishra also asked the state government to take preemptive measures so that the people could celebrate the festival peacefully and due pomp and gaiety.
He also urged the people not to fall into the trap of provocation and called upon the leftist and secular people to join the protest against the recent happenings by organising meetings and street corners.
Mishra also attacked the Chief Minister for barring immersion of Durga Puja idols on Muharram's 10th day on October 1.
Banerjee has announced that the Durga Puja immersion would be allowed on Dussehra/Dashami, September 30, but not on October 1 as Muslims would observe Ashura, a day of mourning in the month of Muharram on that day. However, the immersions would be resume on October 2 and could take place till October 4.
--IANS
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Aviation industry major Bird Group on Wednesday said that it has expressed its interest in buying Air India's ground handling subsidiary.
"We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation evincing our interest in buying the Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL)," an authorised spokesperson of the company told IANS.
"We have also suggested to the government to consider selling the subsidiaries separately, so as to get the maximum capital out of the sale, so that the proceeds can be used to pay off the massive debt accumulated by the airline."
According to the spokesperson, AIATSL is a "natural choice" for the company which is also engaged in providing ground handling services.
Bird Group was founded in 1971 with interest in travel technology, ground handling, aviation, hospitality, luxury retail and education services.
At present, it offers ground handling services at seven domestic airports.
The Bird Group's interest in AIATSL was disclosed by Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey on the sidelines of an industry event held here on Wednesday.
On June 28, the Union cabinet gave its in-principle approval to divestment its stake in Air India, whose debt has mounted to over Rs 50,000 crore besides huge losses.
Subsequently, a ministerial group was formed to look into the modalities of Air India's divestment process ---- Air India-specific Alternative Mechanism -- and is being headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
The group has been mandated to guide the strategic divestment process and to decide on key issues such as treatment of AI's debt and hiving-off of its assets.
The demerger and strategic divestment of three profit making subsidiaries, the quantum of divestment and the universe of bidders will also be taken up by the ministerial group which is headed by Jaitley.
Currently, Air India's portfolio of subsidiaries include Air India Engineering Services, Air India Transport Services, Alliance Air, Air India Express and the Hotel Corporation of India. It also has a ground handling joint venture AISATS.
The airline which is under massive debt burden of Rs 50,000 crore had posted an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-16. For the last fiscal (2016-17), the company is expected to report an improved operating profit margin.
The flag carrier had got a new lease of life on April 12, 2012, when the then UPA government had approved a Rs 30,000 crore turnaround (TAP) and financial restructuring plans (FRP) package spanning up to the year 2021.
After the cabinet's in-principle approval for Air India's divestment, budget passenger airline IndiGo expressed its interest in participating in the stake sale.
The budget airline said it is interested in Air India's international operations and that of its low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express.
In an unrelated development, "Air India-specific Alternative Mechanism" is slated to meet later in the evening on Wednesday.
--IANS
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Congress leader on Wednesday said the Modi government was mulling to disband the Green Tribunal (NGT).
"We are going through difficult years and the dissolution may have disastrous results," said the former Environment and Forests Minister who set up the quasi-judicial body.
Ramesh, who launched his book Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature at the Heritage Club in Shillong, Meghalaya on Tuesday night, said the government was treating the environment as a regulatory burden and not a societal obligation.
"They do not see it as something that is essential for India's present and its future. They see the environment as a bottleneck in the ease of doing business," he said.
Ramesh had already filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the changes brought in by the Finance Act 2017, modifying the terms of appointment and functioning in various statutory tribunals including the NGT.
"Dilution of the independence of the NGT is a direct dilution of the fundamental right to a clean environment and a balanced ecosystem," he said.
On the long-pending uranium project in Meghalaya, the Congress leader said the government cannot brush aside the proposed mining project.
"We should try to marry economic growth and environmental protection but there will be cases, instances and conflict between the two and when there is conflict we must make conscious choices," he said.
Moreover, he said, "The solution (to uranium mining) lies in political courage to take the tough decision required to protect the environment and not just build dams, highways, power stations and factories as it does not constitute towards sustainable development."
Meghalaya is the third uranium-rich state in the country after Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. The state accounts for 16 per cent of India's uranium reserves.
The proposed open-cast uranium mining in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district has been hanging fire since 1992 after several groups expressed fears of radiation impact on human health and environmental degradation.
The Uranium Corp of India Ltd (UCIL) had pegged Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah project in Meghalaya for Rs 1,100 crore. The ores are spread over a mountainous terrain in deposits varying from eight to 47 metres from the surface in and around Domiasiat, 135 km from Shillong.
The UCIL plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes a day.
Slamming an article published in a Goa Church magazine on the Panaji by-poll eve, comparing contemporary Goa and India to Nazi Germany, the BJP on Wednesday hit back, terming the criticism unfair and that Nazism was popular in Germany since the population then was almost 100 per cent Catholic.
Addressing a press conference here to specifically respond to the criticism by Goa's influential Roman Catholic Church, BJP MLA and official party spokesperson Nilesh Cabral also said, that the Church needed to tone down the language used in its official magazine "Renovacao", in which an article also made unflattering remarks about ruling political leaders likening them to dogs.
"Similar Nazism was at that time popular in Germany, where 100 per cent almost Catholics (were) supported by the Church. So what are they trying to say. What are they giving in this magazine?"
"What is Nazism? Who were Nazis? Hitler was part of that. At that particular (time) Germany was almost 100 per cent... 90 per cent Roman Catholic, which is there in Goa," Cabral said.
However, his claims about Germans' religious orientation in the Nazi era seemed to be factually inaccurate. According to the official census in Germany in 1933, over 62 per cent of the population in the year that Hitler took over as the Chancellor, was Protestant, while 32.5 per cent were Catholic, while 0.7 per cent followed the Jewish faith.
The article published in "Renovacao" -- a pastoral bulletin of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman -- on poll eve had urged Goa voters to vote against communal forces in order to halt the march of "nationwide fascism".
"In 2012, everyone thought in terms of having a corruption-free Goa; this thinking continued till 2014, but from then and increasingly everyday what we are witnessing in India is nothing but a constitutional holocaust. Corruption is very bad, communalism is worse, but Nazism is worse than both.
"Anybody who read William Shirer's 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich' or Alan Bullock's 'A study of tyranny' or Hitler's own 'Mein Kampf' will find an extraordinary identity between the growth and rampage, of Nazism in Germany in 1933 onwards and India in 2014," it said.
Cabral however said, that Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, whom he described as a "good man", should ensure that the magazine which operates from the Bishop's House here, should not contain polarising content.
"They should tone down these articles. If you go through the article it makes (me) boil," said Cabral, who is a Roman Catholic himself.
He said that he would write to the Archbishop to complain about the contents of the magazine and urge him to ensure that the articles are properly vetted.
--IANS
maya/vd
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a MoU between India and Israel on an R&D and technological innovation fund which will see both countries contribute $40,00,000 each annually for five years.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Memorandum of Understanding on "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)" was concluded in July 2017.
"The Innovation Fund will be governed by a joint Board which will consist of four members from each country," the government said.
The MoU also envisages promotion of bilateral Industrial R&D (Research and Design) and innovation cooperation in the fields of science and technology by extending support to joint projects for innovative or technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes.
"Such projects will lead to affordable technological innovations in focus areas of mutual interest such as water, agriculture, energy and digital technologies," the government said.
Institutional support in building up consortia including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions from India and Israel will be enabled through these collaborative projects.
The government also said that the activities supported by the joint fund would increase the techno-economic collaboration between the two countries by investing in jointly developed technology projects and collaborations based on technological innovation.
"It would leverage the complementary strengths of Israel and India to encourage Israel-Indian joint projects that capitalize on both the national and global marketplace," the government said.
The MoU would also provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects that convert "know-how" into "show-how"," the government added.
--IANS
aks/him/vm
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Nagaland Chief Minister, T.R. Zeliang, on Wednesday called on President Ram Nath Kovind on the Naga political issue and stressed the need to resolve it before Christmas to bring peace and development in the region.
"Permanent solution to the protracted Naga political issue has been pending, despite ceasefire with political dialogue since the last two decades... It is long overdue," Zeliang told Kovind.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues and lone Nagaland Lok Sabha member Neiphiu Rio.
"Once the pending Naga political issue was resolved, it would open the door towards Southeast Asian countries not only for NE region but the nation as a whole. The nation as a whole will witness the Act East Policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in reality," he said.
The delegation also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and submitted a memorandum for restoration and immediate sanction of relief while also apprising him of the damages caused by unprecedented rain and landslide in the state.
The Centre's interlocutor for Naga peace talks R.N. Ravi had said the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isac-Muivah) are inching closer to a solution to the Naga insurgency problem.
"We are close to a solution and bringing the Framework Agreement to a conclusion, and therefore wanted to have one more round of consultations with the Naga civil society," Ravi said.
On August 3, 2015, the central government and the NSCN-IM signed the Framework Agreement. However, neither side released its details.
The separatist group has been in talks with the government since 1997 after the signing of a ceasefire agreement.
--IANS
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Alleging criminal negligence leading to the death of around 300 children in two premier government hospitals in Jharkhand, the Congress on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Raghubar Das and the sacking of the Health Minister.
The party also demanded a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting High Court judge and called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into "serious deficiencies in the health infrastructure" in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states.
"Ranchi and Jamshedpur districts in Jharkhand are passing through dark times," AICC in-charge of the state R.P.N. Singh said.
"The downright callousness of the BJP-led Raghubar Das Government is responsible for the death of 164 children in the past four months in Jamshedpur only."
Singh added that out of the 164 deaths in Jamshedpur, 60 took place in the last month itself.
The Congress leader pointed that in the state capital Ranchi, 133 deaths had been reported in the past 28 days.
"This means almost 300 children have died in the two biggest government hospitals -- Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur -- of the state. So, you can understand what would be the situation in the rest of the state."
Singh said that his party would continue its protest to mount pressure for ensuring accountability.
The party has lodged a complaint against Das, Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi and senior health authorities.
It also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand and sought a report in six weeks.
Taking note of the Congress protest, the Jharkhand High Court also took cognizance of the issue and asked the Civil and Sessions Judge to visit the hospital and submit a report, Singh said.
He added that even the Jharkhand Governor has commented on the need to control such incidents but the Chief Minister has not said a word about this tragedy or visited any of the hospitals.
He raised questions over non-functional incubators in Jamshedpur and pointed out that the hospital authorities were keeping three-four infants in a single incubator despite the fact that one incubator was good enough to take care of only one infant.
"Six ventilators in the Pediatric Ward were dysfunctional. Cramping of kids also led to high rate of deaths," the leader said.
He also raised questions over the deaths of 81 children in the BJP-ruled state of Rajasthan and three deaths in Chhattisgarh apart from Gorakhpur.
-- IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alleging criminal negligence leading to the death of around 300 children in two premier government hospitals in Jharkhand, the Congress on Wednesday demanded resignation of Chief Minister Raghubar Das and sacking of Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi.
The party also demanded a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting High Court judge and called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into "serious deficiencies in the health infrastructure" in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states.
"The downright callousness of the BJP-led Raghubar Das Government is responsible for the death of 164 children in the past four months in Jamshedpur only," AICC in-charge of the state R.P.N. Singh said.
He said that out of the 164 deaths in Jamshedpur, 60 took place last month itself.
Similarly, the Congress leader pointed, in the state capital Ranchi, 133 deaths had been reported in the past 28 days only.
"This means almost 300 children have died in the two biggest government hospitals -- Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur -- of the state."
The party has filed a complaint against Das, Health Minister and senior health authorities with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand and sought a report in six weeks.
Taking note of the Congress protest, the Jharkhand High Court also took cognizance of the issue and asked the Civil and Sessions Judge to visit the hospital and submit a report, Singh said.
"No single reason can be attributed to the deaths at RIMS, they have taken place due to several reasons. The age of children who died was from newborn to 10 years," a RIMS doctor told IANS, preferring anonymity.
In fact, the death of children in large numbers is not something new for the RIMS administration. If the monthly data is taken into consideration, the total number of children dying in June stood at 69.
Given the poor state of health services in Jharkhand, on Tuesday, Governor Draupdi Murmu also expressed concern over the death of children.
The Health Department officials, however, seem woefully unaware of the reasons for high casualties in the RIMS and MGM hospitals. They tend to shrug off their responsibilities, saying people, particularly children, fall ill in large numbers during the rainy season.
"People from several districts are admitted for treatment in RIMS. The number of patients is much more than it can effectively handle. This is one of the main reasons for high casualties here," he said.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The state-run Haryana Roadways suffered a loss of nearly Rs 14 crore before and during the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape, a minister said on Wednesday.
Haryana Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar told the media that the losses arose as buses remained off the roads due to tension in some districts of the state.
He said bus services in the state had resumed except in Sirsa, where curfew had been imposed around the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters complex.
He said no buses of Haryana Roadways, private operators or of other states were damaged during the violence that followed Ram Rahim Singh's jailing. Also Read: Mix of religion, welfare and politics that is Ram Rahim Singh's Dera
The minister, who also holds the portfolio of Jails, said Ram Rahim Singh was being treated as an ordinary inmate and no additional facility was being provided to him.
Panwar said stringent security measures had been put in place in the jail.
At least 38 people were killed and 264 injured in violence following the conviction of the sect chief by a CBI special court in Panchkula on August 25.
The sect chief was on Monday sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
CLOSE
India has suggested diverting a portion of the peacekeeping budget to the under-funded peace-building activities because there can be lasting peace only with development and political solutions.
Criticising UN peacekeeping, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Tanmaya Lal called on Tuesday for reforming the operations to align them with peace-building objectives and finding political solutions to conflicts -- a view shared by UN experts and several countries, including the US.
"There is an obvious lack of appropriate investment into the political dialogue and a huge mismatch between resource allocation for peacekeeping and peace-building," he told a Security Council debate on peacekeeping and sustaining peace.
While this problem was acknowledged, only lip service was paid finding the resources, he said.
Lal noted that only meagre resources are now available for development programmes and peace-building is allocated less than one per cent of the funds set aside for peacekeeping.
The 2017-18 UN budget for peacekeeping operations is $7.3 billion.
Therefore, he said: "We may consider whether allocation of an appropriate percentage of funds from the peacekeeping budget to activities related to peace-building and sustaining peace in those situations could be an option to move forward to achieve sustaining peace in the various intra-state conflicts we are facing."
"The long extending peacekeeping missions that go on for decades and elusive political solutions remind us the need to focus on long-term investment in sustainable development or institution building and inclusive political processes," he added.
While peacekeeping operations rely on the deployment of troops contributed by member-nations to try to physically prevent conflict, peace-building and finding political solutions require civilian developmental, diplomatic and institution-building resources.
Lal welcomed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's idea of ensuring greater cooperation between different departments of the UN, in particular bringing together the department of political affairs and peacekeeping operations for closer internal coordination, to effectively carry out its role of ensuring peace and security.
The Chair of Advisory Group of Experts on UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review, Gert Rosenthal, pointed out that organisationally the responsibilities for peacekeeping and development were split between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly.
"While there is considerable overlapping in carrying out these functions, generally the traditional 'pillars' of peace, human rights and development do operate in the proverbial 'silos' we all sadly have become accustomed to," he said.
"Peacekeeping missions alone cannot produce lasting peace," US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley said.
"They can help create space for peace to take hold, but they must be a part of a larger strategy of coordinating the resources of the UN to prevent conflict to begin with and to address its causes," she said.
Haley called for "a larger strategy of coordinating the resources of the UN to prevent conflict to begin with and to address its causes".
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that the Security Council should set realistic, up-to-date mandates that also have the flexibility to evolve over time.
"Looking ahead, we must work together to ensure that peacekeeping lives up to its full potential as an essential tool for sustaining peace, not in isolation, but as part of our new, integrated approach," she said.
Lal also drew attention to a major challenge to peacekeeping which has changed its very nature -- armed conflicts taking place within a country often involving non-state actors and international terrorist networks.
A member of the UN's High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, Youssef Mahmoud, acknowledged this fact. He said: "Given that the drivers of instability tend to be transnational in origin and effect, the analysis should assess the drivers of peace and conflict from a regional perspective."
(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday took suo moto cognizance of a verbal spat between doctors inside the operation theatre at a Jodhpur hospital -- the video of which has gone viral.
A division bench headed by Justice G.K. Vyas, while terming the incident a serious one, has ordered a detailed inquiry.
In the video, two doctors can be seen fighting and hurling abuses at each other inside the operation theatre at Umaid Hospital while performing an emergency C-Section operation on Tuesday.
The doctors seen in the video are gynaecologist Dr Ashok Neniwal and anaesthetic Dr M.L. Tak.
"The lady shown in the video was operated on around 11 a.m. and both the lady and the girl child she delivered are fine," Dr Ranjana Desai, superintendent at Umaid Hospital, told IANS.
On reports stating that the woman lost her baby, Desai said that there was another operation that was conducted just 20-30 minutes later by some other doctors where the child was stillborn and "most probably things got mixed up".
However, such behaviour by doctors is unacceptable, unethical and unprofessional, she said.
At the High Court in Jodhpur, the district collector told the bench that the state government has already set up a committee of three senior officials to probe the matter.
The court, though, was not satisfied and ordered the inclusion of the metropolitan magistrate also in the committee as a judicial member.
The court directed the collector to submit the report on September 4.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Outgoing Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Wednesday said that a draft policy on operating drones and other low-flying objects similar to it would come up by September to ensure aerial security across the country.
"The government is working on a draft Drone Act that is taking shape. The act will focus on flying of drones and other low-flying gadgets similar to it instead of putting a total ban on such objects considering aerial security. We have put standard procedure and the act will come out in public domain by September," Mehrishi told IANS a day before demitting his office.
The Home Secretary also said that the government's move to make Drone Act came in the wake of possible terror attacks by using such low0flying objects that were seen on many occasions in the past at sensitive locations.
Mehrishi, 1978-batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, will on Thursday hand over the charge of Home Secretary to senior IAS officer Rajiv Gauba, who is currently working as Officer on Special Duty in the ministry.
--IANS
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Two foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals, including that of consumer durables manufacturer Dyson International, have received regulatory clearances, an official statement said on Wednesday.
According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry statement, a proposal from Dyson International to carry out single brand retail business in India was approved by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on August 29.
Another proposal belonging to MM Retail Private was given a "post facto approval" for FDI pursuant to direction from the Reserve Bank of India for conducting single brand retail trading.
--IANS
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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea of meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi challenging his arrest in connection with a money laundering case.
A bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul sought a response from the central government and the ED and posted the matter for further hearing on September 13.
Qureshi was arrested on August 25 by the Enforce Directorate in a case which the agency had registered in 2016 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged illegal forex dealings and tax evasion.
According to the financial crimes probe agency, Qureshi was being investigated for allegedly remitting funds through hawala channels to Dubai, London and a few other destinations in Europe.
The ED said that during the course of investigation, certain facts had emerged that constituted omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high offices in collusion with Qureshi, whereby massive illegal money transactions were carried out.
The agency also said that the records collected from the Income Tax Department had revealed that Qureshi took huge money from different persons for obtaining "undue favours from public servants" after exercising his personal influence.
Qureshi, who is in Enforcement Directorate's custody, said pleaded he had been illegally detained by the agency. He told the court that the ED had arrested him directly when he was called for questioning and was not informed about the grounds of arrest.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US city of Houston has declared a night-time curfew as it battles the impact of Hurricane Harvey, media reports said.
The storm has dumped record rainfall, leaving large parts of the city underwater, homes destroyed and at least 15 people reported dead, the BBC said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the curfew was needed to head off looting in America's fourth biggest city.
The curfew will run from midnight to 5 a.m. for an indefinite period. Relief volunteers, first responders and those going to and from work are exempted.
Turner said the curfew would help prevent "property crimes" against evacuated homes, and was in force "only to prevent potential criminal acts".
City officials have reported instances of looting, armed robberies and of people impersonating police officers. Thousands have fled their homes in search of emergency shelter amid severe flooding, the BBC report added.
President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey the damage brought by Harvey, calling the storm "epic". He will not be visiting Houston. The White House said he did not want his visit to disrupt the emergency response.
The rainfall in Texas set a new record for the continental US, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday. Around 52 inches of rain has been recorded since Friday.
--IANS
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday said the referendum on independence of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan was "unconstitutional", and rejected the Kurdish attempts to include the ethnically-mixed province of Kirkuk in the referendum.
"The referendum in Kurdistan is unconstitutional and has no legal value. It is incorrect and cannot be unilaterally approved," Abadi said at a press conference after his weekly cabinet meeting, Xinhua reported.
"Iraq is stronger when we are together... The only option is dialogue until we solve all outstanding problems by cooperation," Abadi said in the televised press conference.
The decision of the Kirkuk provincial council's participation in the Kurdish referendum on independence is "unacceptable and a wrong decision," Abadi added.
Earlier in the day, Kirkuk provincial council voted with majority for the participation in the referendum slated for September 25.
Altogether 26 out of the 41 council members attended the provincial council session. 24 voted in favor of the decision and two abstained, according to Ahmed al-Askari, head of the Kurdish-led Brotherhood bloc.
The vote to join the referendum was carried out upon the request of 23 Kurdish members, Askari said.
"Today is a historical day. Kirkuk is an inseparable part of Kurdistan," he told reporters after the session.
Meanwhile, the Arab and Turkoman council members boycotted the session, as their communities in the oil-rich Kirkuk province oppose joining the Kurdistan region.
On March 28, Kirkuk's council voted to raise the Kurdish flag alongside the Iraqi flag on the building of the provincial council despite the withdrawal of Arab and Turkoman council members, who argued that the move is a pre-decision that Kirkuk is part of Kurdistan.
Four days later, the Iraqi parliament rejected the decision of Kirkuk's provincial council, after 186 lawmakers of the 328-seat parliament voted in favor of hanging only the Iraqi flag on Kirkuk's buildings.
Disagreements between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government have been intense for years, as the ethnic Kurds consider the northern oil-rich province of Kirkuk and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin as "disputed areas" and seek to incorporate them into the Kurdish region, which has been fiercely opposed by Arabs and Turkomans as well as the Baghdad government.
On June 7, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani announced his intention to hold a referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region from Iraq on Sept. 25, a step which has been criticized by Baghdad and neighboring Turkey and Iran, which also own sizeable Kurdish minorities.
The referendum is viewed by some regional and international officials as a threat to both Iraqi and regional security, which puts Barzani under heavy pressure of postponement.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian arm of global e-tailer Amazon on Wednesday tied up with Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) to allow local start-ups to sell their products on its online platform.
"As part of the tie-up, Amazon India will work with KBITS to educate, train, and enable select start-ups to sell their products to Amazon customers across the country under its Launchpad programme," an official statement said here.
The US-based e-commerce giant's flagship programme (Launchpad) makes it easy for Indian start-ups to launch, market, and distribute their products to millions of customers the world over through a dedicated store.
The state government has set up a start-up cell as a one-stop shop to assist start-ups on regulatory environment, networking with industry bodies and academic institutions.
The cell, operated by KBITS, provides the 'Start-up Karnataka Booster Kit', with a collection of software tools and services to enable start-ups to avail of marketing support and showcase their products to intended customers.
"The state is partnering with Amazon India to provide a platform for start-ups to enter the e-commerce space. With rich experience and understanding of consumers, its Launchpad can facilitate the local start-ups take advantage of the digital economy and e-commerce," said Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge at 'Elevate' tech event here.
KBITS will also share a database of product start-ups with the cell and the Launchpad team on monthly and quarterly basis to help them leverage Amazon's expertise, infrastructure, and marketing tools and deliver their products to its customers worldwide.
"Our Launchpad is an opportunity for Indian start-ups to access a nationwide customer base. Through its programme entrepreneurs, innovators and creators from across the state can leverage our marketplace to increase their business and get access to global markets," said Amazon India Vice-President Manish Tiwary.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kazakhstan on Tuesday called on the signatories to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to make every effort to get the agreement into force.
"We urge those states that have not yet signed or ratified the treaty to do so without delay," Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov and CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo said in a joint statement in Astana, reports Efe.
"It is high time to bring the CTBT into force. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations," the officials said.
The CTBT was approved by the UN General Assembly in 1996 and aims to ban all nuclear tests under any circumstances.
To date, the agreement has been signed by 183 nations and ratified by 164, but it will not come into force until the United States, China, Egypt, Israel, Iran, India, Pakistan and North Korea support it.
On December 6, 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution highlighting the need to sign and ratify the CTBT. This resolution was supported by 172 countries with only two voting against - the US and North Korea.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 23-year-old businessman who was kidnapped on Tuesday night has been rescued following a shootout between the police and the kidnappers here and two persons have been arrested, police said on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rishi Pal said Nithish Arora was kidnapped from Rohini of north-west Delhi and was rescued within an hour.
"One of the kidnappers tried to fire at the police party and they retaliated, injuring one of the kidnappers," Pal said.
Police said that one pistol along with two live cartridges were recovered from the accused, who have criminal history.
On Tuesday, Arora was going home from his factory in Kundli Industrial Area when the accused rammed his car from behind.
As Arora got out of his car an argument broke out between him and the accused, following which the accused kidnapped Arora in his own car, police said.
After enquiring about his details so as to ask for ransom, the accused gagged Arora and put him in the boot of his own car.
Pal said that just before the argument, Arora was luckily talking to a friend over phone who overheard the conversation and alerted his family.
The family then called the police and they tracked down his location using electronic surveillance.
"Police party reached the spot within minutes and found the accused changing a flat tyre of the car," Pal said.
When the accused found themselves surrounded by police they fired at police and police also returned fire in which one of the accused person was injured, the DCP said.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday started a three-day visit to Japan aimed at sustaining economic ties between the two countries after Britain's exit from the European Union and strengthening military collaboration following North Korea's provocations.
May will meet with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday in Tokyo during her first official visit to the East Asian nation, Efe news reported.
May is expected to assure Abe in the upcoming meeting that Brexit will not have a negative impact on Japanese companies operating on British territory.
According to the Japanese media, both leaders are expected to sign a deal to strengthen economic cooperation and discuss future bilateral trade agreement, which could be negotiated once London formalizes its exit from the EU.
Approximately 1,000 Japanese companies operate in Britain, employing around 160,000 people, and Japan Business Federation Keidanren has expressed fears that Brexit will have a huge negative impact on their activities.
Mitsubishi UFJ, Nomura Securities and Daiwa Securities, three of the biggest Japanese financial companies, have announced plans of moving their European headquarters or some of the offices from London to cities like Amsterdam or Frankfurt.
Japan had made a series of requests to Britain regarding Brexit, including its continued membership in the customs union and the European single market, as well as a free entry of EU workers.
While Britain is engaging in the formal Brexit negotiations set to be complete by March 2019, Abe and the EU leaders are in the final stage of negotiating a free trade agreement, which could further complicate matters for May.
Apart from economy dominating the agenda, Abe and May are expected to discuss the latest weapons tests of North Korea, with the latest missile flying over Japanese territory on Tuesday that has fuelled tension in the region.
They are expected to issue a joint statement to boost partnership in defence, call for the new international sanctions on Pyongyang and ask China to increase pressure on North Korea, Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported.
May's agenda includes a tea ceremony in the eastern city of Kyoto on Wednesday, a visit to the naval base of Yokosuka on Thursday and an audience with Emperor Akihito on Friday.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deaths of children and infants at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur continued to mount, with more than 40 deaths reported in the last 48 hours.
Local and national TV reported that 42 children have died in the hospital, three weeks after over 60 children, including infants, died in a span of five days.
Officials at the hospital confirmed the deaths but said it was "not due to paucity of medicines, doctors or oxygen" as had allegedly been the case when more than 60 children died in a span of a week earlier this month.
Principal of the medical college, P.K. Singh said the deaths were routine in August as the acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is at its peak in the month.
Talking to IANS, the principal said that between Sunday to Monday midnight, 25 children had died, with seven succumbing to AES. The remaining 18 died due to other complications like infections, pneumonia and other causes.
Singh said that a total of 344 "on bed patients" were admitted in the ward. Of the 25 deaths, 10 had taken place in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and 15 in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU).
Doctors inform that many children come to the hospital in "extremely critical condition" from Bihar, Nepal as well as other districts of the state, where it is "nearly impossible to reverse their condition".
The BRD medical college attracted global attention when more than 60 children, including infants, died at the hospital within a span of a week earlier this month. The deaths reportedly happened due to disruption in the oxygen supply by the vendor who was not paid for several months. The charge however was denied by the state government.
AES has become a scourge in many districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. According to a report by the Directorate of National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP), 26,686 cases of encephalitis were reported in the state between 2010 and August 2017.
Of this, 24,668 cases were of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and more than 2,000 of Japanese Encephalitis (JE). Out of the AES patients, 4,093 died between 2010-17 period, 308 JE deaths were also reported between the corresponding period.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a five-time MP from Gorakhpur, says he has launched a battle against the diseases. He has also stressed that besides vaccination, cleanliness is the best way to keep the vector borne disease out. Under the 'Swacch Bharat' campaign, the Chief Minister says a lot was been done in Uttar Pradesh's AES affected areas.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a finding that could make the process of removing salt from seawater easier, faster and cheaper than ever before, researchers have discovered that carbon nanotubes of a certain size act as the perfect filter for salt -- the most abundant water contaminant.
Currently, desalinisation is too expensive and energy intensive for large-scale feasibility.
The study, published in the journal Science, showed that carbon nanotubes are better at desalinisation than any other existing method -- natural or man-made.
Filtering water is tricky because water molecules want to stick together.
The "H" in H2O is hydrogen, and hydrogen bonds are strong, requiring a lot of energy to separate. Water tends to bulk up and resist being filtered. But nanotubes do it rapidly, with ease.
A carbon nanotube is like an impossibly small rolled up sheet of paper, about a nanometer in diameter.
For comparison, the diameter of a human hair is 50 to 70 micrometers - 50,000 times wider.
The tube's miniscule size, exactly 0.8 nm, only allows one water molecule to pass through at a time.
This single-file lineup disrupts the hydrogen bonds, so water can be pushed through the tubes at an accelerated pace, with no bulking, the study said.
To conduct the research, Meni Wanunu, Associate Professor of Physics at Northeastern University in Boston and post doctoral student Robert Henley collaborated with scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
In addition to being precisely the right size for passing single water molecules, carbon nanotubes have a negative electric charge.
This causes them to reject anything with the same charge, like the negative ions in salt, as well as other unwanted particles.
"While salt has a hard time passing through because of the charge, water is a neutral molecule and passes through easily," Wanunu said.
The finding offers a novel system that could have major implications for the future of water security.
--IANS
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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said there should be no over mohalla clinics and urged Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal to sort out objections over the matter across the table.
"There should be no with mohalla clinics. It involves the health of two crore Delhiites. The Lt Governor must clear file immediately now," Kejriwal tweeted.
His remarks came after as many as 45 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs reached the Lt. Governor's office to meet him over the issue of clearing the mohalla clinic file which is stuck for months.
"Public suffering due to delays. LG should call all officers and sort it out. I am prepared to come with my ministers to Raj Niwas (LG's residence) if LG wants," he added.
"Let the Lt. Governor sort out all objections across the table rather than files moving up and down. My sincere request," the AAP leader said.
The MLAs are still at the Lt. Governor's office saying that they would not leave until Baijal calls the officers and clears the file.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deaths of children in hospitals across the country including in Gorakhpur, and accused his government of having no value for life. It said Modi wants to "take forward the Gujarat pattern of deaths" - hinting at the 2002 riots.
The party also hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded his resignation over the rising deaths of children at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur, saying "Yogi is turning the state into Rogi (ailing)".
"BJP is trying to prove that there is no value for life in democracy. There is only value for bahumat (majority) and lokpriyata (to become popular) and later forget the people. This is true for Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Jaipur, where children have died. But the chief ministers in these states are being protected," said Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar.
"Modiji wants to bring the Gujarat model in the country. He wants to prove it right..There is no value for 200, 300, or 500 deaths, when even after 2,000 deaths (2002 Gujarat riots) the government can stay..and also run the government. Probably, he wants to take forward the pattern in the country," he added.
"Whether it is Vyapam or Haryana Chief Minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) or Rajasthan, these things have gone on," he also said.
Babbar pointed out that earlier 60-70 children died in three days in Gorakhpur medical college, now again 150 children have died.
"At BRD Hospital children are not given treatment and the doctors are trying to protect the guilty. They are trying to cover up the deaths of children. This government did not learn any lesson from the earlier deaths," said Babbar.
"Modi government spoke about New India. I think in this New India there is no value for life," he added.
Babbar also hit out at Adityanath for his remarks - "hope it doesn't happen within two years that the government would take care of all the newborn brought to the hospitals".
"what can be more abominable remarks than this..when you hear such words from a chief minister. Is he the CM of a state? Is this the remark of a CM?" he asked.
Another Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said he hasn't heard such irresponsible and inhumane words from anybody else referring to the Chief Minister's remarks.
"It is the duty and responsibility of the government to give treatment to the children. We condemn such remarks.
Asked about CM's resignation, the party said they had demanded it earlier but added in a sarcastic note that there is "no tradition of resignations" in BJP.
"There is no tradition of resignation in BJP. Had it been so, it should have come after Vyapam, PDS scam in Chhattisgarh, Haryana. They are now saying in Haryana the High Court judge was responsible for the violence and not the government. There is no democracy, there is only dictatorship," said Tiwari.
--IANS
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One person was arrested in West Bengal's Kalimpong district on Wednesday in connection with a blast outside Kalimpong police station on August 19 that killed a civic volunteer and injured two others, a senior officer said.
"Bijoy Chettri was arrested from Kalimpong early on Wednesday morning," Kalimpong Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh Yadav told IANS.
The blast in front of the police station took place within 24 hours of an explosion in the heart of the hill town of Darjeeling on the 69th day of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha sponsored indefinite shutdown in the hills.
The intensity of the blast killed civic volunteer Rakesh Raut while a Home Guard and a Seema Sashastra Bal trooper were injured.
Police had earlier said "high intensity explosives" were used in the Kalimpong blast and lodged a case against multiple GJM leaders including party chief Bimal Gurung.
--IANS
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition parties on Wednesday lashed out at the government after the RBI's annual report revealed the low efficacy of November 8 demonetisation, with the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called it a "big scam" while the Communist Party of India-Marxist called it an "anti-national act".
Former Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said only one per cent of the junked notes had not returned to the RBI which he said was a "shame".
Chidambaram said 99 per cent of the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes had been legally exchanged and asked if the Modi government's decision was "designed to convert black money into white".
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said the cost of printing new currency was more than the money gained by the Reserve Bank of India.
"Rs 16,000 crore out of demonetised notes of Rs 1,544,000 crore did not come back to the RBI. That is 1 per cent. Shame on the RBI which 'recommended' .
"RBI 'gained' Rs 16,000 crore, but 'lost' Rs 21,000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve a Nobel Prize," Chidambaram said sarcastically.
He said: "99 per cent notes legally exchanged! Was a scheme designed to convert black money into white?"
Rs 16000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 1544,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which 'recommended' demonetisation P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 30, 2017
RBI 'gained' Rs 16000 crore, but 'lost' Rs 21000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 30, 2017
99% notes legally exchanged! Was demonetisation a scheme designed to convert black money into white? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 30, 2017
The RBI said on Wednesday that of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore taken out of circulation, Rs 15.28 lakh crore had returned to the system by way of public deposits.Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala sought Modi's apology on demonetisation, saying it had dented India's credibility and the corrupt made windfall gains while 104 innocent people lost their lives in the "disaster".
Surjewala took jibes at the Prime Minister through tweets while referring to his Independence Day speech in which he said black money of Rs 3 lakh crore had been unearthed after demonetisation.
He also referred to Modi's past speech with a headline -- "Give me 50 days, burn me alive if I am wrong".
Accusing Modi of obfuscation, Surjewala said figures given by the RBI had again exposed the government.
Surjewala said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's prediction that demonetisation will reduce Gross Domestic Product by two per cent had proved true and the Indian economy "suffered due to this massive folly".
"Reality-RBI data released today proves only Rs 16,000 crore of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore money in circulation came back. Of this, Rs 9,000 crore still stuck. Perspective: This Rs 16,000 crore is just 1 per cent of the total notes demonetised. Rs 21,000 crore spent to recover Rs 16,000 crore!" Surjewala tweeted.
Rewind: Modiji's obfuscation exposed once again. On Ind. Day, PM claimed to have unearthed 3 Lakh Cr black money post #Demonetisation. 1/n pic.twitter.com/4McUB9fNyE Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Reality-RBI data released today proves only 16000Cr out of the 15.44 Lakh Cr money in circulation came back.Of this,9000 Cr still stuck.2/n https://t.co/hSeu58X2DH Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Perspective:This 16000Cr is just 1% of the total notes demonetised. , 1% ! 21000 Cr spent to recover 16000 Cr! 3/n Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Utterly failed #Demonetisation is nothing but a disaster in which 104 innocent people were killed while 'Corrupt' made 'Windfall Gains'. 4/n Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Demonetisation Scam,not only dented institutional sanctity of RBI,but also credibility of India abroad.PM should apologise to the nation 5/n Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Dr Manmohan Singh predicted that #Demonetisation will reduce GDP by 2% and it did. Only the Economy suffered due to this massive folly! 6/n Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
#DemonetisationDisaster stands exposed before the nation. PM Modi must own responsibility & apologize. My statement-: pic.twitter.com/KoUVaueFeT Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 30, 2017
Is not the RBIs revelation on #DeMonetisation pointing to a big scam? I feel it was totally a flop show https://t.co/2GMc6ThFNB Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 30, 2017
99.9% of the notes back in the banking system. 100s died in queues. The poor suffered the most. All this for what? https://t.co/cwnfHEGWD1 Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) August 30, 2017
Lives & livelihoods lost, the Economy got a shock, workers lost their jobs. India can never forgive Modi govt for this anti-national act. Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) August 30, 2017
Mamata Banerjee said on Twitter and Facebook: "Is not the RBI's revelation this evening on demonetisation pointing to a big scam? I feel it was a total flop show."CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Modi government cannot be forgiven for demonetisation.
"99.9 per cent of the notes back in the banking system. 100s died in queues. The poor suffered the most. All this for what? Lives and livelihoods lost, the economy got a shock, workers lost their jobs. India can never forgive Modi government for this anti-national act," Yechury said on Twitter.
"Boasts on end to black money, terror and counterfeit currency have all fallen flat. Despite RBI's delays, the truth is out," he added.
According to the RBI annual report for the last fiscal, 89 million pieces of the banned Rs 1,000, totalling Rs 8,900 crore, had not been returned, out of 6,700 million such notes. This amounts to 1.3 per cent of the Rs 1,000 notes in circulation before demonetisation.
Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution rejecting US President Donald Trump's new policy for South Asia.
The Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the "hostile and threatening" statements made by Trump as well as by US top commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Nicholson on the presence of the Taliban in Quetta and Peshawar, Dawn online reported.
"The House denounces the complete disregard of Pakistan's sacrifices by the US," said Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif as he tabled the resolution against the new US policy during the Parliament session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
The resolution rejected Trump's statement earlier this month that billions of dollars in aid were spent on Islamabad, stating that Pakistan's economy had suffered a loss of more than $123 billion.
The Lower House also condemned Washington's call for increased Indian involvement in Afghanistan due to "(India's) known support to terrorists and destabilising policies in the region", the daily reported.
The resolution stated that the call for an Indian role in Afghanistan's development is "detrimental to regional stability" and added that it was premised on a "failure to understand existing ground realities and challenges in the region".
Calling Trump's statement "hostile and threatening", the National Assembly urged the government to consider postponing any visits by US officials and vice versa as well as suspension of cooperation with US -- particularly ground/air lines of communication through Pakistan.
It called on the government to draw up and inform the US and Afghan governments of a blueprint for the return of Afghan refugees to their home country in a dignified but specified time frame.
Moreover, the resolution advised the government to formulate economic policies to deal with any situation arising out of the absence of US assistance and commence a diplomatic initiative to inform the international community of repercussions on the region of the failed US Afghan policy, the report said.
Lawmakers also demanded the government to reiterate Pakistan's determination to strengthen border control measures and demand cooperation and similar action from Afghanistan and international forces in Afghanistan.
Moreover, the resolution expressed concern over the increasing number of the Islamic State and other terrorist networks in Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan and called on Afghanistan, US and its allies to close borders to leaders of groups carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
Speaking earlier, Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah proposed calling a joint session of Parliament after Eid so a "strong" response can be given to the US policy, Geo News reported.
He blamed the country's foreign policy "failure" over the past four years on the government's decision to not have a dedicated separate Foreign Minister.
--IANS
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The Patna High Court on Wednesday upheld the life imprisonment awarded to former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin by a Bihar district court for giving an acid bath to two brothers and murdering them 13 years ago, a lawyer said.
The High Court also rejected Shahabuddin's plea challenging the sentence awarded by the Siwan District Court on December 11, 2015.
Shahabuddin and three others were sentenced to life imprisonment by Additional District Judge of Siwan Special Court Ajay Kumar Srivastava in 2015.
Justice Srivastava had termed it as the "rarest of rare case". The criminal-turned-politician, who was a Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, was convicted on charges of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.
According to the police chargesheet, the victims were kidnapped at Shahabuddin's behest and drenched in acid before being murdered.
Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi.
--IANS
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Pulsar Suni, prime accused in the actress kidnapping case, on Wednesday revealed that the so-called "madam" linked to the case is none other than Kavya Madhavan, actress and wife of arrested superstar Dileep.
The abduction of the actress in February this year was carried out by Suni. A week after the incident he and all the accomplices in the crime were arrested.
Dileep was arrested on July 10 after the police probe team was able to get evidence to link the actor with Suni.
Suni, while being taken for further probe and also to various courts, has revealed that there was a 'madam' also involved in the case.
On Wednesday, while Suni was taken to a court here he was seen shouting to repeated questions from the media about who the 'madam' was.
"My madam is Kavya," Suni told the media.
The probe police team has earlier taken statements from Kavya and her mother related to the case.
On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court refused bail for the second time to Dileep after the police team informed the court that the probe is still in progress.
With the revelation of Suni, actress Kavya is likely to be in a spot of bother.
--IANS
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Russia warned on Tuesday that new sanctions and the use of force against North Korea's regime would be a path to catastrophe, after Pyongyang launched a missile that flew over Japanese territory before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
"I think we have to fight with all our strength against this option. If this ends in war, nobody will ever ask who is responsible. We will face a totally new reality and the tragedies will be countless," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told journalists in Astana, Efe reported.
The UN Security Council, which is scheduled to hold a session in New York on Tuesday, must conclude that measures calling for the use of force are categorically unacceptable, Ryabkov said.
"Sanctions do not produce results. That is why the mechanism of political regulation of the Korean Peninsula's nuclear problem is important. This means intolerance toward new provocations from Pyongyang, but also toward a military escalation by the US and its allies in the region," the deputy foreign minister said.
Russia and China have offered a road map involving the "double freezing" of both North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, and US military activities in the area, Ryabkov said.
The UN Security Council meeting was urgently requested by the US, Japan and South Korea after the launch of the missile.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump and they agreed to put more pressure on Pyongyang.
This was the 13th launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea so far this year.
The first launch occurred on July 4 and led the Security Council to approve a package of new sanctions against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime.
The latest missile, launched from the vicinity of the North Korean capital, is the first since 2009 to have flown over Japan, travelling more than 2,700 km and falling into the sea about 1,180 km off Cape Erimo, which is located in the northeastern end of the Japanese archipelago.
The new weapons test came after Pyongyang on Saturday launched three short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan and tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month.
--IANS
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Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left for London on Wednesday to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz amid rumours that he may not return to the country due to the current political situation and ongoing corruption and money laundering cases against him.
Sharif departed via an Emirates flight, which will have a transit stay of a few hours in Dubai before leaving for London. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif saw the former Premier off at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport, Dawn newspaper reported.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid, a close aide of Nawaz Sharif, dismissed rumours that he might not return to the country soon, considering the current political situation and the cases he is involved in with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"Why would Sharif choose to stay away from the country where he is loved the most by the people? The circumstances today are not the way they were in 2007, when dictator Musharraf was ruling here. Even at that time, Sharif had wanted to return to the country but he was not allowed," said Rashid, adding that the former Premier would stay in London for at least 10 days.
"However, he may extend his stay for more days depending on Begum Kulsoom's reports," Rashid said.
The opposing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson said that they do not believe that Sharif is likely to return to Pakistan to face the NAB cases.
"There are chances that Sharif may not return to the country to face NAB corruption references in which he cannot evade punishment," Fawad Chaudhry told the newspaper.
Sharif should not have been allowed to leave the country without joining the NAB investigation, Chaudhry said.
Sharif's sons -- Hussain and Hassan -- and daughter Asma are already in London. However, Maryam Nawaz, who is busy running the campaign for her mother in the Lahore NA-120 by-polls scheduled for September 17, has cancelled plans to visit her.
The Sharif family said it would join the NAB investigations after a decision on their review petitions against the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.
NAB had earlier announced that it would file four references against the Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar soon after Eid-ul Azha.
--IANS
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Model-turned-nun Sofia Hayat says contrary to rumours, she is not doing an item song in the forthcoming film "Aksar 2".
"There have been rumours about it (the song). My friends are calling me and asking about the song. If the makers would have asked me, I would have loved to do it. I'm keen on doing an item number as I haven't done it," Sofia said in a statement.
The suspense-thriller stars Gautam Rode, Zareen Khan and Abhinav Shukla.
Directed by Ananth Mahadevan, the film is set to release on October 6.
"Suspense and mystery need to be deviously woven into the plot. The unpredictability of the characters and situations keeps the audience guessing. Our attempt is to keep them on the edge of their seat throughout 'Aksar 2'," Mahadevan had said earlier about the film.
--IANS
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A TRS worker on Wednesday attempted self-immolation at a party meeting in the presence of a Telangana minister.
The incident occurred during a meeting of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at Tandur in Vikarabad district near Hyderabad.
Peeved over being ignored in the party, former president of party's Tandur town unit, Ayub Khan poured kerosene and set himself afire at a meeting of party workers in the presence of Transport Minister Mahender Reddy.
Other party workers doused the fire but Khan sustained 60 percent burns. He was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad, where his condition is stated to be critical.
The TRS worker resorted to the extreme step during a meeting convened by the minister to sort out differences among party workers.
Khan was upset over the leadership ignoring those who participated in the movement for a separate Telangana state.
After the incident, Khan's supporters staged a road blockade, demanding justice.
--IANS
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The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by North Korea, demanding it immediately cease such actions.
In a statement, the council stressed that those actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states, Xinhua reported.
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that N. Korea is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world."
The Security Council demanded North Korea not proceed with any further launches using ballistic missile technology and comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, said the statement, which was released after closed-door consultations by council members.
Japan, South Korea and the United States called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Korea's Monday launch.
The Security Council demanded North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner" and immediately cease related activities.
The council further demanded not conduct any future nuclear tests or any further provocation and abandon any other existing weapons of mass destruction.
The Security Council called on all UN member states to "strictly, fully and expeditiously implement all relevant Security Council resolutions concerning North Korea." It reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.
The council expressed its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.
--IANS
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The US has given Pakistan "peanuts" and not "billions of dollars" in aid, said the country's former Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday as he lambasted US President Donald Trump's new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.
Ridiculing Trump for saying that the US has paid "billions and billions of dollars" to Pakistan, Khan called on the Pakistani government to conduct an audit of US aid received in the last 10 years to "expose" American claims, Dawn newspaper reported.
"It's not billions of dollars, it is peanuts," the former Interior Minister said while speaking in the National Assembly. He said that Pakistan was not responsible for the failure of US and its allies in Afghanistan.
Khan said that the Coalition Support Fund paid by Washington is for the services rendered by Islamabad in the fight against terrorism.
"The US drags its feet during the payment of the military fund, Khan said adding, "If our bill (for military services) is $500 million, they (the US) sit on it for months... and end up giving us $200 million.
"They have ruined our roads, our airspace, our country, but are not ready to pay for the expenses."
"Put your money where your mouth is," Khan said, adding that the US has been able to point fingers because Pakistan did not keep a proper record of American assistance.
The former minister said that all the institutions should be united and speak the same language in responding to the new US policy, adding that a statement based on arguments should be prepared in which the allegations of terrorist networks and inordinate US aid are addressed.
Khan said that it was a positive step that the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells was rescheduled. The diplomat should visit, he said, "but we should first say we want to wipe the slate clean regarding the allegations levelled against us".
He said that a way forward should be cleared by the Foreign Ministry: "You (US) give us the evidence, we will clear (the matter)", adding that the biggest destabilising factor in Afghanistan is the US plan to impose "totally irrelevant country" India on Afghanistan, the report said.
For once, President Donald Trump could complain justifiably of an unfair press. American media experts roundly criticised his Afghanistan speech last week, even those not just eager to find another fault, repeated age-old analyses without any more workable solutions. Unless they mean, just get out. There are wider lesson in all this, both about international relations generally and about our challenges, which need examination.
With reference to the report, Indias Houston: Heavy rain paralyses Mumbai; flights, trains hit (August 30), the city is virtually an island. When heavy rains coincide with high tides, it leads to disaster. No power on earth can control tides. The citys geography is intertwined with its structural history reclamation.
Journalists in New Delhi have seldom been such a divided lot. On Sunday, a Rajasthan-based Hindi newspaper, Rashtradoot, reported that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah had blamed the Central Bureau of Investigation judge for the violence in Panchkula. On Tuesday, Congress leader Manish Tewari, during the partys official briefing, said Shahs comments against the judge, as per the newspaper report, were made during an interaction with journalists, who cover the BJP. Tewari said the newspaper stood by its report and the BJP was yet to deny it. When a reporter, who covers the Congress for a private news channel, tweeted Tewaris comment, a reporter, who covers the BJP for the same channel, vehemently denied it. The BJP beat reporter tweeted that Shah made no such comment and that the Rashtradoot journalist, who filed the report, wasnt present at the venue. The BJP later said the newspaper report was factually incorrect.
In the last six months, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has chalked up win after win in state and local elections, reflecting a continuation of the Narendra Modi wave that began with the 2014 general election. In response to continuing electoral embarrassment, leaders of the Congress Party, including most recently Jairam Ramesh and Mani Shankar Aiyar, have admitted that the party is facing an existential crisis and needs introspection.
At least 30 people were killed in two separate landslides triggered by incessant rains in northwest China, officials said today.
Seven people were killed and two injured in a landslide in northwest China's Qinghai province.
The landslide hit a village in Machin county in Qinghai's Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture leaving nine people buried.
All the buried have been found. Seven were confirmed dead, and one was seriously injured while another sustained minor injuries, state-run Xinhua agency reported.
The county government dispatched more than 600 rescue workers, and evacuated around 90 herders as well as about 1,200 cattle.
The local fire department sent a fire engine and 13 fire fighters to carry out rescue operation.
The landslide has also blocked a national highway and a river. Rescuers are clearing the road.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Monday's landslides at China's Guizhou province rose to 23 and 12 others are missing.
"So far, rescuers have pulled 31 people out of the debris, 23 of whom were already dead," rescuers said.
More than 2,000 people have been mobilised to search for the missing.
The landslide hit Zhangjiawan Township, Nayong County affecting 34 households. More than 600,000 cubic meters of rock and mud hit a village.
The province has seen continuous rainstorms over the past week as a result of two recent typhoons - Hato and Pakhar.
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Some 70,000 people in Frankfurt will have to leave their homes this weekend in one of the biggest such evacuations in post-war Germany, police said today, after an unexploded World War-II bomb nicknamed "blockbuster" was uncovered.
The operation on Sunday will allow for the safe defusal of the 1,400-tonne British bomb, which German media said was nicknamed "Wohnblockknacker" (blockbuster) during the war for its ability to wipe out whole streets or buildings.
The unexploded bomb was discovered yesterday during building work a stone's throw from the Westend Campus of the Goethe University Frankfurt, police said in a statement.
Officers are guarding the site and there "is currently no danger".
Police said the bomb in question was a HC 4000, a so- called high capacity bomb used in air raids by British forces.
"Due to the large size of the bomb, extensive evacuation measures must be taken," police said.
The Wismarer street where the ordnance was found is close to the city centre and just some 2.5 kilometres north of the main Zeil shopping area.
More than 70 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs are regularly found buried on German land, legacies of the intense bombing campaigns by the Allied forces against Nazi Germany.
One of the biggest such evacuations to date took place last Christmas, when another unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of their homes in the southern city of Augsburg.
Another 50,000 residents had to leave their homes in the northern city of Hanover in May for an operation to defuse several WWII-era bombs.
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An astronomical Rs 15.28 lakh crore, or 99 per cent of the junked 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, have returned to the banking system, the RBI said today, prompting the Opposition to question the efficacy of demonetisation in curbing black money.
The Reserve Bank, which has so far shied away from disclosing the actual number of junked currency deposited after the November 8, 2016, decision, said in its Annual Report for 2016-17 that only Rs 16,050 crore out of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore of the old high denomination notes have not returned.
While the counterfeit currency made up for a minuscule number, RBI post-demonetisation spent Rs 7,965 crore on printing new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 and other denomination notes, more than double the Rs 3,421 crore spent in the previous year.
The Opposition was quick to pounce on the data to attack the government, with former finance minister P Chidambaram wondering if demonetisation was "a scheme designed to convert black money into white".
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley vehemently defended the note ban decision, which sucked out 86 per cent of the currency in circulation, curbed economic activity and put common man at much inconvenience, saying the move was not intended to confiscate money but to bring it into formal channels and tax them.
The move, he said, was aimed at flushing out black money, eliminating fake currency, striking at the root of terror financing, converting non-formal economy into formal one to expand tax base and employment and giving a big boost to digitisation of payments to make India a less-cash economy.
With the return of the money, the owners have been identified, he said, adding that the tax department is scrutinising 18 lakh bank accounts with unusual deposits post note ban that do not match with previous income profile.
To Chidambaram's criticism, he said "people who had not taken a single step during their tenure against black money have not understood the intent behind demonetisation".
"The government had expected all the specified bank notes (of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) to come back to the banking system to become effectively usable currency," the finance ministry said in a statement.
As on November 8, 2016, when the note ban was announced, there were 1,716.5 crore pieces of Rs 500 and 685.8 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 in circulation, totalling Rs 15.44 lakh crore.
While it was widely expected that those holding black money may not be able to deposit them in banks during the 50- day window provided, the RBI said just 8.9 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 notes or 1.3 per cent of the scrapped ones have not returned. It, however, did not give a specific number for the old 500 rupee notes.
On counterfeits currently, it said a mere 7.1 pieces of Rs 500 note per million in circulation and 19.1 pieces of Rs 1,000 notes per million were found to be fake in its survey.
Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said his party would move a privilege motion against RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "misleading a parliamentary panel by not revealing the number of notes returned".
Asked about the then attorney general Mukul Rohatgi's statement in the Supreme Court that the government had expected Rs 10 or 11 lakh crore to be returned, Jaitley said those were "speculative" statements.
"Subject to future corrections based on verification process when completed, the estimated value of specified bank notes (SBNs) received as on June 30, 2017, is Rs 15.28 trillion," the central bank said.
After the note ban, old notes were allowed to be deposited in banks, with unusual deposits coming under income tax scrutiny.
A collateral damage as a result of rise in printing and other cost was dividend the RBI paid to the government.
The central bank said its income for 2016-17 decreased by 23.56 per cent while expenditure jumped 107.84 per cent.
"The year ended with an overall surplus of Rs 306.59 billion as against Rs 658.76 billion in the previous year, representing a decline of 53.46 per cent," it said.
Chidambaram in another tweet said: "RBI 'gained' Rs 16,000 crore, but 'lost' Rs 21,000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize."
"Rs 16,000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 15,44,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which 'recommended' demonetisation," he said.
The government replaced old Rs 500 notes with new ones, but no replacement for Rs 1,000 notes has been made. Instead, a new Rs 2,000 note was introduced post cash recall.
According to the RBI, there are as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes, both old and new in circulation as of March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2016, there were 1,570.7 crore Rs 500 notes in circulation.
As many as 328.5 crore pieces of new Rs 2,000 notes were in circulation as on March 31, 2017.
Besides new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, the RBI has circulated new Rs 200 notes last week.
Former RBI deputy governor R Gandhi is of the view that demonetisation will have a long-term impact, saying expectations of various quarters that sizeable portion of the demonetised currency will not return have not been fulfilled.
While stating that Rs 15.28 lakh crore have already come back, the RBI said the government has allowed District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) to deposit the scrapped notes accepted by them from their customers during November 10-14.
Also, the RBI is in discussions with the government on acceptance or otherwise of those notes held by citizens and financial institutions in Nepal.
The report further said that during 2016-17, the number of suspicious transaction reports filed by banks and other financial intermediaries with the Financial Intelligence Unit "witnessed a quantum jump".
Banks, financial institutions and intermediaries reported as many as 4.73 lakh suspicious transactions in 2016-17 compared to about 1.06 lakh in the previous year.
The trail of deposits of the scrapped notes into bank accounts may provide valuable information to the revenue authorities in tracing unaccounted money, it added.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Australia today said Adani Group's USD 16.5-billion Carmichael coal project is moving ahead albeit slower than what it would have liked.
Australia's Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo said the Adani Group has completed the process and the project would be beneficial for all the stakeholders.
"It is certainly moving forward... I have been made the point that there have been aspects of that investment that have taken much longer than I would have liked or government would have liked. That is the statement of fact but there is a process to be followed," he told reporters here.
Adani will start work on its Carmichael coal project in Australia in October and is expected to ship the first consignment in March 2020, the company has said after the controversy-hit project cleared two major legal hurdles.
The group has for more than five years battled opposition from green groups who say any expansion of the port will cut into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The port is to be used for exporting coal to India.
The group has so far invested AUD 3.4 billion on the Abbot Point port and preparatory work for the Carmichael coal mine.
The company decided to move forward on the project after it cleared two more legal hurdles last week with a Brisbane court dismissing appeals filed by environmentalists and a traditional landowner against the venture.
The minister also said that "there is a talk that Adani" might seek funding under Northern Australia Infrastructure facility (NAIF).
Free Trade Agreement:
Talking about the long pending FTA, the Australian minister said officials of both the countries are talking regularly on the pact.
"We have really strong trade and investment ties notwithstanding there is an FTA in place. But I am confident that if we can put in place a good quality deal, that will help further in solidifying the relationship," Ciobo said.
However, no dates have been fixed to resume the next round of negotiations, which started in 2011. So far nine rounds of talks have been held on the FTA, officially dubbed as Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CECA).
When asked about the reasons for delay, he said that "trade negotiations are always challenging" and trade ministers of both the countries are pursuing their national interests.
"We both are committed for constructive discussions to produce a high quality deal," he said, adding that trade deals are not zero sum games and a good quality deal facilitates trade and investments.
The bilateral trade between the countries increased to USD 14.12 billion in 2016-17 from USD 12.16 billion in the previous fiscal. The trade is highly in favour of Australia.
The Australian minister said trade surplus or deficit is not a good measure for a good quality trade and investment relationship.
Both sides were expecting to conclude the negotiations by December 2015 but there were differences in areas like duty cut on dairy products and wines.
Last month Australian media quoted Ciobo as saying that India has adopted a "reasonably protectionist bent" for its agricultural products in FTA talks.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of AIADMK leaders today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the backdrop of crucial political developments in Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, however, said the meeting was aimed at developing a cordial relationship with the centre, and that the southern state's political affairs were not discussed with the Union minister.
The party delegation had also met Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Arun Jaitley yesterday.
The move comes in the wake of the recent merger of the two factions of AIADMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisami and O Pannerselvam (OPS) respectively.
"We are meeting the Union ministers to maintain a friendly relationship with the centre and seek the pending funds and projects," Thambidurai, who headed the delegation, said.
He maintained that there were no discussions on the political developments in the state.
Before the merger of the warring factions of AIADMK, OPS' supporter and Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan had quashed speculations about the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi meddling with the internal affairs of the AIADMK.
However, the emergence of T T V Dhinakaran as a common rival with the support of around 23 AIADMK MLAs and the continuous visits of party leaders from the merged factions to various Union ministers have kept the rumour mills running.
Meanwhile, the opposition DMK in the state, is pushing for a confidence vote after 19 MLAs supporting Dhinakaran withdrew support to the chief minister.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even as overseas investors pulled out funds after almost seven straight months of pumping in dollars, the stock markets may not see too much of a downside as domestic liquidity remains resilient, say experts.
"We are in the first leg of a correction, and this could extend a while longer, but with limited downsides, as investors remain optimistic about the implementation of structural reforms in land, labour and capital," Geojit Financial Services chief market strategist Anand James told PTI.
Noting that USD 2 billion fund outflows by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) is only a temporary phenomenon, James said "with the US rate hike roadmap becoming less clear, and with no major FDI destinations emerging, India should remain a favourite among global investors".
"To this end, we see the present pullout by FPIs as only temporary. However, we will continue to watch signals from China, as commodities have recovered, and the past few months have registered solid PMI numbers," he added.
Overseas investors have so far pulled out a massive USD 2 billion from equities this month, unnerved by slowdown in the manufacturing and services sectors and the muted corporate earnings.
FPIs have pumped in over Rs 1.4 trillion into the domestic equities in so far this year. In Q1 of the current fiscal alone they pumped in USD 20 billion, taking their ownership in the domestic equities to 24.9 per cent or USD 388 billion.
According to Centrum Wealth Management executive director and CIO (equity) Kunj Bansal, the markets have gone up in a linear fashion from last December. Since then, the signs of a slight change in direction were seen only in the third week of this July.
"So, barring the volatility seen after hitting the life-time highs early August there has not been any meaningful, or a greater than 5 per cent correction since then," Bansal said.
"One can attribute the recent volatility to foreign funds pulling out after almost seven straight months of pumping in dollars, but we may not see too much of a downsides because domestic liquidity is resilient.
"There is a segment of HNIs who may have been left out in the one-way rally and some institutions having dry powder which are waiting to buy. Having said that, one cannot predict the global factors such as the Fed taper plan or any geopolitical risks that may cause a cross-wind for our markets as well," Bansal added.
However, he also noted that while it would be difficult to predict FPI fund movements in the short-run, the relatively stable currency, banking and settlement systems and supportive processes that are part of our markets should keep the smart money flows live.
On the earnings front, the experts are of the opinion that as the next two quarters are the festive ones and should give a better picture to evaluate how earnings will pan out for the year.
Also assuming that these would be without any broader disruption as was seen in the first quarter owing to GST rollout would be driven more by stock level performance.
Sensex has climbed down 2.8 per cent from 32,575.17 on August to 31,646.46 today. Similarly, the Nifty which scaled a new high of 10,101 on August 1 has also corrected 2 per cent to 9,884.40 today.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ANAROCK Property Consultants has acquired real estate broking firm LJ Hooker's India business Redwoods as part of its strategy to provide integrated real estate solutions to clients.
The size of the deal is however not known.
The deal is set to close with immediate effect with ANAROCK absorbing all employees of Bengaluru-based Redwoods.
ANAROCK was established by Anuj Puri, the former chairman of property consultant JLL India.
In April, global property consultant JLL sold its India residential brokerage arm Jones Lang LaSalle Residential to Puri, who later renamed it as ANAROCK Property Consultants.
"Redwoods' acquisition is in line to our overall business strategy to become India's leading residential real estate solutions company. It will help us augment our operations across key southern markets," Puri, Chairman of ANAROCK Property Consultants said.
The acquisition would give ANAROCK unparallelled competitive advantage to offer custom-made real estate solutions, he said.
"With a strong presence and unique multi-pronged approach, ANAROCK is decoding unmatched value for both B2B and B2C clients," Puri said.
ANAROCK aims to redefine housing brokerage and other related services by offering integrated solutions through a hybrid model of online and offline convergence.
The company launched its operations in June 2017 and is well on its way to cross Rs 100 crore of revenues this year. It is targeting Rs 250 crore of revenues in 2018.
ANAROCK will increase headcount to 1,000 by year-end from the current 750.
The company operates in all key property markets -Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and has global presence in Dubai.
ANAROCK group's key strategic business units comprise residential business- broking & advisory services to clients; investment business- debt, equity and mezzanine funding and research & consulting business.
Its investment arm has built a revolutionary business model of bulk-purchasing residential apartment inventory through a proprietary investment fund.
Redwoods has expertise in fund management, deal structuring, fund syndication, joint developments and unique transactions. LJ Hooker has grown to become Australia's best-known real estate brand.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Andrew Garfield will be honoured at this year's Zurich Film Festival.
The 34-year-old actor will receive the Golden Eye Award, a lifetime achievement honour at the 2017 film extravaganza, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Garfield will present his upcoming film, "Breathe" at the fest, along with actor Andy Serkis, who makes his directorial debut with the real-life drama.
"Following on from his masterful performances in 'Hacksaw Ridge' and 'Silence', Andrew Garfield's powerful and enthralling turn in 'Breathe' reinforces him as one of the true stars of his generation.
"We are delighted to welcome him to Zurich and present him with our Golden Eye award at this year's Festival," said Zurich Film Festival co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri.
Veteran actor Glenn Close will also be honoured at the fest and will receive the Golden Icon Award.
The festival runs September 28 to October 8.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even as Mumbaikars bore the worst brunt of the rain fury that brought the city to a grinding halt, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, whose party runs the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), today said the civic body had done a "commendable job" in the given circumstances.
Amid allegations that the country's richest municipal corporation failed its citizens, who battled waterlogging and waded through waist-deep water to reach their destinations yesterday, Thackeray referred to the deaths of children at a Gorakhpur hospital in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
At a press conference, the Sena chief said instead of rushing to fix responsibility for the city coming to a standstill, one should talk about the lessons learnt from the Gorakhpur episode and ways to avoid its recurrence.
"The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has done a commendable job because of which, in spite of the city receiving about 300 mm of rainfall at some places (yesterday), there is no waterlogging today and the city is back on its feet in a day," Thackeray said.
Raking up the Gorakhpur incident, he said, "The of 60 children dying in a hospital there has been washed away in the media reports on the rainfall in the city and the mayhem it caused. I pay my condolences to the children who died an unfortunate death and pray that such incidents do not take place in the future.
"Instead of debating who is responsible for the city coming to a virtual standstill, one should talk about the lessons learnt from the (Gorakhpur) episode and how to avoid such incidents in the future."
His comments are likely to raise hackles of the BJP, the senior partner of the Sena in Maharashtra and central governments.
The megalopolis received around 320 mm of rain yesterday, the heaviest on a single day since the July 26, 2005 record of 944 mm, which paralysed the city within a few hours.
The torrential rain plunged the city into chaos as water swamped houses and submerged roads and railway tracks, leaving thousands of people stranded at various places.
Thackeray said the BMC would hold health camps across the city starting tomorrow to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
The Sena chief also said the civic body would study the World Health Organisation's (WHO) norms and prepare a set of guidelines which would educate the people about the preventive medicines to be taken to keep water-borne diseases at bay.
"There will be BMC doctors and workers at the health camps and medicines will be provided in accordance with the symptoms. The effect of the preventive medicines will depend on the health of an individual, the time he spent wading through water etc.," Thackeray said.
Referring to yesterday's deluge that rekindled the memories of July 26, 2005, he said nine-km-long clouds were hovering above the city.
"The impact would have been much more severe had there been a cloudburst," he added.
Hitting out at the opposition parties, who alleged anomalies in the desilting works, Thackeray said those who claimed that nullahs were not desilted properly should go down the drains and check it for themselves.
"It is incorrect to say that the nullahs were not cleaned properly. They should go down the drains themselves and show us if they find silt. Yesterday, everyone, including the mayor, MLAs, BMC employees, Shiv Sainiks, helped the people immensely. However, we can fight nature only to a certain extent," he said.
BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, who was also present at the press meet, said there were fewer incidents of waterlogging, compared to the previous year.
"The Mithi river's lengthening and deepening was done appropriately and hence, there was no flooding this time," he added.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde (NCP) held both the BJP and Sena responsible for "allowing Mumbai to sink".
"Uddhav Thackeray had assured that the city would not get waterlogged this monsoon. What happened to his tall claims? Where have all the thousands of crores spent on the desilting works gone?" he asked.
"None of these parties has helped the people. It is the citizens who came to the rescue of their fellow citizens at the time of need," Munde said.
The NCP leader demanded a probe by a retired high court judge into the "thousands of crores" spent on desilting the nullahs of the city.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Australian assistant minister for trade, tourism and investment Keith Pitt today held a meeting with Coal India chairman Suthirtha Bhattacharya on business possibilities in coal and mining industry.
"We had a meeting with Coal India chairman and it was a cordial and productive meeting," Pitt told PTI without disclosing details of what transpired in the meeting.
Coal India also did not divulge details of the meeting.
He said Australia can help India in enhancing productivity and effienciency in mine management.
Pitt was on his maiden visit to the city. He is part of the about 170-member Australian delegation to India which is on a five city tour from August 28.
Pitt is leading the mining delegation and will hold a B2B metting tomorrow on the mining sector.
He supported the Adani's Carmichael coal project in Australia which proposes to invest USD 16.5 billion and is likely to begin work from October.
"We support such large investment," he said adding it would boost bilateral trade.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 10 civilians were wounded in an air strike carried out by joint security forces in eastern Afghanistan today, authorities said.
Logar Province spokesman Salim Saleh said two separate military operations were underway in Logar, one in Baraki Barak district and a second in Puli Alim, the provincial capital.
"We have heard about civilians being killed, but can't confirm right now while an investigation is underway," said Saleh. He added: "As of now I can only confirm ten civilians wounded and transferred to hospital."
Gen Esmatullah Alizai, provincial police chief in Logar, also confirmed the air strike and said it was carried out by international security forces. Alizai said there were casualties among both insurgents and civilians but noted the investigation was ongoing.
Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement that at least 20 civilians were killed in the air strike and that it was carried out by US forces.
Logar is one of the dangerous provinces in eastern Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents have been more active in recent months and insurgents have launched coordinated attacks as well as used suicide bombing and roadside bomb attacks against the Afghan security forces in different parts of the province.
Also today, two suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on a lawmaker's house in eastern Nangarhar province, killing two security guards, a provincial official said.
Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said both suicide bombers detonated suicide vests full of explosives outside of parliamentarian Zahir Qader's house in Jalalabad, the provincial capital. One guard was wounded in the attack, he said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Nangarhar province is one of the most dangerous regions of Afghanistan, where both the Taliban and Islamic State group affiliates operate. It also borders neighboring Pakistan and has been the scene of heavy fighting in recent years.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Mumbai civic body's transport wing BEST has moved in to fill the void created by suspension of suburban train services due to heavy rains by operating over 100 extra buses.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has been operating the extra buses since yesterday to ferry commuters stranded at various places, an official of the civic undertaking said.
"We ran 109 extra buses on important routes yesterday and today too, we are running additional buses on the Colaba-Thane route," BEST spokesperson Manoj Varade said.
The suburban train network, which carries over 65 lakh passengers a day, is the lifeline of the financial capital. BEST provides support to the transport network with a fleet of nearly 4,000 buses.
Meanwhile, thousands of people who were stranded overnight in offices and other places made their journey back home after train services on the western and central railway were restored.
Services on the Western Railway resumed around midnight last night, while trains on the Central Railway's (CR) mainline section between CSMT and Kalyan started this morning. However, the Harbour line, also run by the CR, still remained suspended.
However, many preferred to stay back in offices and resumed duty today.
Pramod Harlalka, a sub-broker, who could not go home in neighbouring Thane district's Bhayandar yesterday, said he will resume work after the stock market opens.
Slamming the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for "poor disaster management", Harlalka said, "It seems the tall talks of the BMC has been washed away in rains. There was no system in place to tackle the situation and we were left at God's mercy.
"Now I would not be going to my home today, as stock market will open in a while," said Harlalka who have his office in Kalba Devi in South Mumbai.
Harlalka, who has his office in Kalbadevi in South Mumbai, also alleged hotels overcharged diners who thronged them last night.
A few Mumbaikars said the Maharashtra government should have declared an official holiday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday advised people to step out of their homes only if there is an emergency.
"Since the chief minister did not declare a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, people will have to go to their offices. Those who were stranded will have to either go home and return quickly for work today or stay put and continue working," he said.
"A little imagination on the part of the government would have spared a large number of office-goers of this ordeal," said S Balakrishna, a social worker.
Bank holidays are declared by Central/state governments under the Act.
Yesterday, nearly 300 mm rain in 12 hours paralysed the maximum city. Religious places, municipal schools, railway stations, offices and corporate parks turned into temporary homes for people who were stranded.
The road traffic has started getting normal.
"Traffic from Bandra Worli Sealink towards airport is moving now. However, south-bound traffic is still very slow due to water-logging at Vakola," the Mumbai police tweeted.
The BMC has cancelled the leaves given to its staffers and asked them to report for work.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP in-charge of north east Ajay Jamwal today exuded confidence that the party would form the government in Nagaland, which goes to the poll next year and provide a corruption-free government to it.
"Corruption free and equally developed states in the country is Modiji's (PM's) goal," he said.
Jamwal, who was addressing a meeting of the state BJP executive, council and mandal presidents here, said a government led by the party in Nagaland would take the central government's welfare schemes to the grassroots and put the state on the path of development and progress.
Jamwal, who has completed his month long tour of the state, said it lacks good roads and infrastructure development in all sectors, especially education, power and health care delivery systems. He doubted whether the welfare schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the people of Nagaland.
The BJP workers and leaders in the state have to work hard not only to clean the dirt on the streets as part of Swacch Bharat but also change the mindset of the people so that they support the party to form the government and bring about development.
BJP secretary (organisation) in-charge of Nagaland, Ananta Narayan Mishra claimed that the 14 states where the party is in power, including in neighbouring states of (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) of Nagaland and the five others where it is in coalition are witnessing uninterrupted development in all spheres.
Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu claimed that "The party is gradually gaining acceptance and the general understanding of the policies, vision and ideology of the party is widening throughout the state ... The people of Nagaland have realised that BJP is the best alternative to both NPF and Congress.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least eight people, including civilians, were killed and 29 injured in the latest bout of growing sectarian unrest in the Central African Republic which has prompted warnings of genocide, the UN said today.
"Over the past week, there were several reports of clashes" around the central town of Bria, some 450 kilometres (280 miles) north east of the capital Bangui, the UN's humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said.
"There are reports of at least eight deaths, including civilians, and 29 injured on recent fighting" on the Bria to Yalinga highway, it added.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the latest violence but Bria was the scene earlier this month of clashes between a majority Muslim rebel group and a predominantly Christian militia, called the anti-Balaka, which left at least 13 people dead.
A UN expert report last year noted Bria lies at "the heart of eastern (diamond) production" and illicit diamond trafficking in the area, as armed groups joust for control of natural resources and greater regional influence.
Central African Republic, a former French colony with a population of 4.5 million and one of the world's poorest nations, was pitched into a civil war between Muslim and Christian militias in 2013 after President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by the Seleka, factions of a rebel coalition.
The latest unrest follows a week after UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien told a closed-door Security Council meeting there are early signs of genocide in the country, according to diplomats.
He has also urged more troops and police to bolster the UN peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn country.
The United Nations maintains some 12,500 troops and police on the ground to help protect civilians and support the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was elected last year.
According to O'Brien, there are now some 600,000 displaced people in the country, while he also warned of violence targeting humanitarian actors on the ground, forcing them to drop many of their duties.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet today approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F).
According to the MoU, which was signed last month during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Jewish state, the countries will make a contribution of four million USD each for the fund annually for five years.
The fund will be governed by a joint board which will consist of four members from each country.
"The MoU envisages promotion of bilateral Industrial R&D and Innovation cooperation in the fields of science and technology by extending support to joint projects for innovative or technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes," a government statement said.
Such projects, it said, will lead to affordable technological innovations in focus areas of mutual interest such as water, agriculture, energy and digital technologies.
Institutional support in building up consortia, including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions from India and Israel, will be enabled through these collaborative projects, the statement said.
The activities supported by this joint fund would increase the techno-economic collaboration between the two countries by investing in jointly developed technology projects and collaborations based on technological innovation, it said.
It would also provide a comprehensive set of support tools to encourage joint projects that convert "know-how" into "show-how", the statement said.
It is expected that this will foster and strengthen the eco-system of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in India and will contribute directly to the Start-up India programme, it said.
The Cabinet also approved the MoU between India and Myanmar for the conservation of earthquake-damaged pagodas at Bagan in Myanmar.
The pact will be signed during Modi's visit to Myanmar during September 6-7 2017.
"Implementation of the project will further strengthen India's enduring ties in culture and religion with Myanmar. It will also generate immense goodwill for India among the people of Myanmar due to the religious significance as well as the touristic significance of the project," the statement added.
Bagan is one of the premier tourist attractions of Myanmar.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mid and large sized cars, luxury vehicles, hybrids as well as SUVs are likely to cost more as the Cabinet today cleared the issuing of Ordinance to raise the GST cess on them to a maximum of 25 per cent, from 15 per cent at present.
Car prices had dropped by up to Rs 3 lakh following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1 and the ordinance is being seen as an attempt to rectify the anomaly where rates of certain common use items had gone up but luxury cars were costing less under the new regime.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the ordinance, or an executive order, will amend the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 to raise the maximum rate of cess.
However, he added, the actual cess on different classes of vehicles and as to when it will be implemented is to be decided by the GST Council.
Headed by Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, the Council is to meet in Hyderabad on September 9.
The Ordinance, which is issued to enact a law or amend an existing legislation during times when Parliament is not in session, will now be sent to the President for promulgation.
The amendment would have to be approved by the Parliament within six months. The next session of Parliament is likely in November/December.
Jaitley said the objective of a taxation policy cannot be to make luxury items cheaper, and essentials costlier.
"If at all relief is to be given, it has to be given to a common man's item rather than a luxury item. So a person who can afford Rs 1 crore for a vehicle can also afford Rs 1.20 crore," he said.
Under GST, which replaced over a dozen central and state levies in the biggest tax reform since independence, cars attract the top tax rate of 28 per cent. On top of this, a cess of 1 to 15 per cent is levied for the creation of a corpus to compensate states for any loss of revenue from implementation of GST.
After the introduction of GST, the total tax incidence on motor vehicles (GST plus compensation cess) has come down when compared with the total tax incidence in the pre-GST regime.
The highest pre-GST tax incidence on motor vehicles worked out to about 52-54.72 per cent, to which 2.5 per cent was added on account of Central Sales Tax, octroi etc.
Against this, post-GST the total tax incidence came to 43 per cent.
Presently, large motor vehicles, SUVs, mid-segment cars, large cars, hybrid cars and hybrid motor vehicles attract a cess of 15 per cent on top of 28 per cent GST.
Small petrol cars of less than 4 meters and 1,200 cc attract a cess of 1 per cent, while small diesel cars of less than 4 meters and 1,500 cc engine attract a cess of 3 per cent.
An official said automobiles that currently attract 15 per cent cess would see the rate going up to 25 per cent.
The GST Council had in its August 5 meet recommended that the central government move legislative amendments required for increasing the maximum ceiling of cess leviable on motor vehicles to 25 per cent from present 15 per cent.
Jaitley said pursuant to GST implementation price of vehicles had "substantially come down", whereas the smaller vehicles remained untouched.
Raising the cess requires an amendment to the Schedule of section 8 of the GST (Compensation to a State) Act, 2017.
There are 12 different categories of automobiles and two categories are impacted by this decision to hike cess. "These hikes are not across the board," Jaitley said.
Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the categorisation of cars has not changed. Cars on which there was a excise duty of 27 or 30 per cent, those were luxury cars.
"There is no intention of increasing rate on any other car other than those which were put in luxury category and had very high excise duty and VAT," Adhia said.
On whether the government will look at lowering rates on items of mass consumption going forward, Jaitley said the GST Council is "sensitive", but the expenditure requirement of states and optimum level of taxation has to be kept in mind.
"I think one has to study a pattern over several months before you have any knee jerk reaction," he said.
Justifying decision of GST Council on hiking cess post GST roll out, Jaitley said the object was GST could never be intended to make cigarettes cheaper.
"It would be a mindless policy if we did that," he said, adding only after implementation it could be made out where the "shoe-pinches".
The GST Council had hiked cess on cigarettes on July 18 to take away an estimated Rs 5,000 crore annual "windfall" manufacturers could have reaped from lower GST rates.
Sridhar V, Partner, Grant Thornton India LLP said: "While the ordinance sets right the anomalies which crept in while the rates were finalised for the passenger car segment in early June, the additional 10 per cent cess will have a dampening impact on the otherwise increased demand expectation for luxury cars and SUV, which in recent times have been picking up.
"The government is expected to come up with more clarity if it intends to have a couple of more levels of cess within the overall cess of 25 per cent.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cambodia's strongman premier handed out cash to hundreds of pregnant garment factory workers today, launching a policy charm offensive on an industry that has often clashed with his government over working conditions and pay.
Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, faces a key test at national polls next year with the main opposition party gaining in popularity amid mounting anger over corruption and inequality.
During a speech to more than 10,000 garment workers today, he announced a raft of new benefits for employees, including a commitment to annual pay rises.
The monthly minimum wage for garment workers, currently USD 153, "won't be lower than USD 160" in 2018, he said, adding "the salary will be increased every year".
Employers will be ordered to pay for health insurance while all garment workers will receive free medical check-ups and treatment at state-run hospitals from January.
He also promised a guaranteed pension for the workers from 2019 and said they could travel on public buses for free for two years.
Political analyst Meas Ny said Hun Sen saw the garment sector as a vote bank which was sympathetic to the opposition.
"It is a new strategy to capture their support back," he told AFP.
Hun Sen, 65, has ruled Cambodia for 32 years, tolerating little dissent and skillfully wielding the courts against his opponents.
He portrays himself as the only man who can guarantee peace and stability in the war-ravaged nation but detractors say corruption and rights abuses have become endemic under his rule.
At the end of his speech, Hun Sen donated USD 5 to each worker attending the gathering and personally handed an envelope of cash to hundreds of pregnant women.
More than 740,000 workers provide the backbone of Cambodia's USD 7 billion textile industry, which supplies brands including Gap, Nike and H&M.
They have been at the forefront of labour protests or strikes for higher wages and have faced several crackdowns by Cambodian authorities.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to inform it whether the messages sent on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) can be read as evidence after the Supreme Court's judgement declaring the right to privacy a fundamental right.
The court raised the question while hearing a petition by controversial businessman and meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi challenging his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
According to the ED, Qureshi was arrested on the basis of BBM messages exchanged between him, former CBI chief A P Singh and several persons accused in other criminal cases.
A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Nazmi Waziri asked the counsel representing the Centre and the ED, "We would like to know, can we look into these BBM messages after the Supreme Court's nine-bench privacy judgement?"
"Whether these private messages would be admissible as evidence. Privacy has been held as integral part of article 21 (life and liberty) of the Constitution. Please examine, as we would like to know it," the bench asked.
It issued notice to the government and ED on the petition and sought their response within five days and listed the matter for September 13.
"In view of the submissions of the counsel for the petitioner that he has not been informed of grounds of his detention in terms of constitutional imperative under Article 22, it is necessary to issue notice," the bench said.
During the hearing, advocate R K Handoo, appearing for Qureshi, contended that he was illegally detained by the ED. He claimed Qureshi was arrested after being called for questioning and was not informed about the grounds of arrest.
Central government standing counsel Anil Soni, who also appeared for ED, said there was due compliance of constitution mandate regarding informing a person about his arrest.
The bench, however, said a person cannot be taken into custody without telling him the grounds and giving him an effective legal aid.
"Information is not just to make a person read the grounds of arrest. You have to give him a copy of it," the bench said and asked the Centre and ED to show the records pertaining to the arrest on September 13.
"You cannot deny liberty to someone without grounds. We are afraid that this may take us to dark ages. It is negating the constitutional mandate.
"This is our prima facie view, so you have to show us the files. First, courts have to uphold constitutional mandate. There are rights which you cannot take away. That is why we want you to go through the privacy judgement of the Supreme Court," the bench said.
Qureshi was arrested on August 25 and sent to five-day custody of the ED by a trial court the next day for thorough investigation in the case against him and others.
The agency had claimed that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case."
It had also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-I.
As per ED, Qureshi was arrested late night on August 25 here under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after "he was not cooperating in the probe".
Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by ED which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, it has said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI chief Singh has also been named.
The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an I-T prosecution complaint, it said.
The records collected by the ED from the Income Tax Department in the form of BBM messages, have "revealed that Qureshi has taken huge amount of money from different persons for obtaining undue favours from public servants after exercising his personal influence", it has said.
It added that there were also BBM exchanges between Qureshi and Singh, which are being probed both by the ED and the CBI as part of their separate criminal investigations.
In this way, the ED said, Qureshi "obtained huge amount of money and it was obtained in the name of government servants/political persons holding public offices and the said public servants illegally either obtained the money for themselves or through their kin."
The agency said an analysis of the BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Qureshi and his associates revealed that hawala operators were also used to transfer bribe money (belonging to government officials) to foreign locations like Paris and the UK.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today staged protests at various places in Chhattisgarh against the recent deaths of cows in large numbers at three state-aided shelter homes in two districts.
Around 200 cows died between August 16 and 18 at the gaushalas run by BJP leader Harish Verma and his relatives in Durg and Bemetara districts.
Starvation and lack of care are alleged to be the reasons behind their death.
Around 185 Congressmen, including 10 MLAs and one MP, were arrested while they were marching with some stray cows towards the official residence of Chief Minister Raman Singh here, police said.
They were later released unconditionally, according to police.
The Congress workers wanted to release the cows in front of the CM's house in Civil Lines area as the mark of the protest.
Placards and posters carrying messages against the deaths of the cows in the three cowsheds of Bemetara and Durg districts, were hanged on the necks of the cows.
"The BJP leader (Verma) had siphoned off funds to the tune of crores sanctioned to his cow shelter homes that led to the death of around 500 cows due to starvation and lack of management at his facilities," Congress' state spokesperson Gyanesh Sharma said.
The agitators were stopped near OCM chowk and collectortate chowk here where barricading was done.
"A total of 185 Congressmen, including 23 women, were arrested under preventive measures. However, they were later released unconditionally," Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Agrawal told PTI.
Congress state unit chief Bhupesh Baghel, Rajya Sabha MP Chhaya Verma and MLAs Satyanarayan Sharma and Dhanendra Sahu were among those who were arrested.
Besides, workers of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh, an outfit floated by the former state chief minister Ajit Jogi, also staged a protest in front of the Raipur Collectorate over deaths of the cows.
Besides Raipur, protests were also staged in some other district headquarters, including Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and Bilaspur, the Congress spokesperson said.
Similar protests will be staged in Gariaband, Janjgir-Champa, Kawardha and Bijapur districts tomorrow (August 31) while in Dantewada, Kanker and Durg (urban) on September 1, Sharma said.
The Raman Singh government has come under a sharp attack from the opposition Congress over mass death of cows at three state-aided cow shelters- Shagun Gaushala in Rajpur village (Durg), Phoolchand Gaushala in Godmarra village and Mayuri Gaushala in Rano village (Bemetara).
According to the state officials, over 200 cows died in these gaushalas between August 16 to August 18 due to "starvation and lack of care".
While Shagun Gaushala was being run by the BJP leader, the two others cowsheds were being operated by his close relatives, including his wife.
So far five persons, including Verma, have been arrested in connection with the deaths. The state government has set up a one-member judicial commission to probe these deaths.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China is building a modern and regionally powerful navy with a limited but growing capability for conducting operations beyond the country's shores, a congressional report said.
Chinese navy ships in recent years have begun to conduct operations away from China's home waters, including the broader waters of the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and the waters surrounding Europe, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Consistent with these goals, observers believe China wants its military to be capable of acting as a force that can deter US intervention in a conflict in China's near-seas region over Taiwan or some other issue, or failing that, delay the arrival or reduce the effectiveness of intervening US forces, Congressional Research Service said in a recent report.
China is building a modern and regionally powerful navy with a limited but growing capability for conducting operations beyond China's shores, the report said.
The CRS as the name indicates is an independent and bipartisan wing of the US Congress, whose experts prepares reports and research materials for US lawmakers on issues of their interest for them to take informed decision.
Prepared by experts, these are not considered as an official policy of the US Congress.
In its report, dated August 18, the CRS said additional missions for China's navy include conducting maritime security (including anti-piracy) operations, evacuating Chinese nationals from foreign countries when necessary, and conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
"The issue for Congress is how the US Navy should respond to China's military modernisation efforts, particularly its naval modernisation effort. Decisions that Congress reaches on this issue could affect US Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the US defense industrial base," it said.
Although many of China's long-distance naval deployments have been for making diplomatic port calls, some of them have been for other purposes, including conducting training exercises and carrying out antipiracy operations in waters off Somalia, it said, adding that China is now looking at military bases overseas.
Its first such military base has been established in Djibouti.
"In March 2017, it was reported that China might deploy a contingent of Chinese marines to the commercial port at Gwadar, Pakistan, to help maintain security at that port," CRS said.
The report said some observers are concerned that a combination of growing Chinese naval capabilities and budget- driven reductions in the size and capability of the US.
Navy could encourage Chinese military overconfidence and demoralise US allies and partners in the Pacific, and thereby destabilise or make it harder for the US to defend its interests in the region.
The three-day dharna by Congress in protest against the death of "164 children" in 4 months in state-run M G M Hospital here was concluded today.
The party demanded a judicial enquiry into the crib deaths and filed a police complaint against Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das and others.
A senior official of East Singhbhum district had admitted that at least 144 infants died at the hospital between June and August 27 and a departmental probe has already been initiated.
Addressing the agitators, senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay lambasted the chief minister and Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravasni, for not visiting the hospital after the crib deaths were reported.
Alleging that 133 children also died in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences of Ranchi in last one month, he wondered if those were hospitals or slaughter houses.
Describing the chief minister himself as 'dengue', Sahay demanded his immediate resignation.
"We can handle the dengue mosquitoes and save lives of people but it is difficult to tackle the arrogant Das-dengue," the former union minister said adding that this could be tackled only when he would be ousted from power.
While claiming that 27 per cent of state's population were affected by malnutrition, Sahay alleged that the state government has stopped UPA government's health card scheme for BPL families.
BPL families would get treatment to the limit of Rs 30,000 with the health card but the scheme was stalled since the BJP government came to power, Sahay alleged.
He also claimed that commission system was the major cause behind the deaths of children, lack of medicine and oxygen in hospitals.
AICC spokesman Ajoy Kumar said Congress has started gathering the details of death of children from all hospitals of the state and file a PIL in Jharkhand High Court soon.
On Monday, Kumar had lodged a police complaint against Das, Chandravasni, and others, over the death of children in M G M Hospital.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today sought to placate Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who withdrew from the assembly poll contest demanding that the state party unit issues are resolved.
Singh, who is camping in Delhi since yesterday, however, did not get time from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, whom he wants to meet to air his grievance.
Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel today met Singh and sought to mollify him in the face of an impending crisis in Himachal Pradesh ahead of assembly elections slated a few months later.
Sources said that Singh met Patel at his residence for half an hour.
Last week, the six-time chief minister told a number of Congress legislators in Himachal Pradesh that he would neither contest polls nor lead the party if the present set up in the party's state unit led by PCC chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu did not change.
It may be recalled that Singh was made the PCC chief in 2012 ahead of the state assembly polls replacing Kaul Singh Thakur and Singh is now again seeking removal of Sukhu.
The Congress, which is caught up in a piquant situation is trying to win over Singh while also keeping the party together and united ahead of assembly elections.
The party does not want things to deteriorate further that could hamper the party's prospects at the hustings.
Virbhadra Singh, who led the party to success in the last elections, is the party's best bet to lead it in this election even though it faces an uphill task from the BJP which is raring to reclaim the state in the midst of recent poll victories.
With party vice president Rahul Gandhi away to Norway, the matter may well be resolved only after his return, the sources say.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here has directed a chargesheet be filed against 12 persons, including gangster Anil Dujana, in the Rajiv Tyagi murder case.
Additional district sessions judge D C Singh had yesterday ordered the filing of the chargesheet under relevant sections of IPC and fixed the next date of hearing to September 14.
According to government counsel Jitender Tyagi, fertiliser trader Rajiv Tyagi was shot dead at Chapar village in 2012 after he refused to give extortion money to the accused.
His brother Sanjiv Tyagi, who had filed a complaint in the case, was also shot dead in 2013, the lawyer said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court today reserved its order on a plea of a woman, who claims to be late Sanjay Gandhi's daughter, seeking registration of an FIR against two adoption homes here for allegedly destroying evidence and concealing the identity of her biological parents.
Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon is likely to decide in October the plea filed by Priya Singh Paul, who has sought a direction to the Delhi Police to investigate the matter and find out about her biological parents.
In the plea, Paul has alleged that the adoption homes, through which she was given for adoption, had violated specific rules and provisions of adoption and concealed the identity of her biological parents from her.
"The investigation be conducted and my biological parents be found and these agencies and the concerned officers be booked under relevant provisions of law for violating provisions of adoption rules and for destroying the evidence of my natural parents," the complaint addressing SHO, Civil Lines police station in central Delhi, said.
She said she had approached the court with the plea after the police did not take any action on her complaint.
At a press conference here last month, Paul had said she had moved the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for a ban on the film 'Indu Sarkar' alleging that a wrong impression was being created about her "father" Sanjay Gandhi.
Earlier, in an inquiry report filed by the police, it was submitted that as per the records of the foster care home, an abandoned child was found and given to an adoption agency which had later given the child to a couple.
It had further said that the identity of the woman's biological parents was yet to be established.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Super League (ISL) franchise FC Pune City today announced the signing of defender Damir Grgic to strengthen their squad's defence line.
The Croatian will make his debut in the Indian Super League with FC Pune City in the 2017-18 season.
After acquiring his signature, FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel said, "Damir comes to us on back of a very good season in Slovenia. He is strong and powerful and will offer a towering presence at the back. He is comfortable passing and tackling with both feet and will complement Rafa perfectly."
In 2010, Damir started his youth career with the Croatian first division club NK Karlovac only to move to German club VfL Bochum a season later. Since 2015, the Germany-born Croatian has been playing in Slovenian PrvaLiga representing NK Rudar Velenje.
"Coming to India and playing for FC Pune City in the Indian Super League is an exciting prospect for me. Having played in Europe for most of my professional career, this will be a new challenge for me," expressed Damir.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, is in Pakistan and that country is creating hurdles in getting him back to India to face the law here, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said today.
Mehrishi said the government is taking all required action so that Ibrahim could be brought back to India.
"Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan. That country has given him shelter. That country is also putting hurdles in bringing him back to India to face the law," he told PTI here.
Mehrishi will demit office tomorrow.
The home secretary said the "attitude" of Pakistan was not in conformity with international law and it is working against India in Ibrahim's case.
"Whatever action is required, we are taking. We will get him. The process is on. But the attitude of the Pakistan government is not in conformity with the international law. Pakistan is working against India. The legal process is on. We will get him at an opportune time," he said.
Ibrahim is the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case in Mumbai in which around 260 people were killed, and more than 700 were injured.
He fled India post the bombings and is hiding in Pakistan at present.
In April, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated there was no doubt that Ibrahim was still in Pakistan. During the last 10 years, India has sent several dossiers to Pakistan in this regard, naming Ibrahim as the accused in the Mumbai blasts case.
In 2011, P Chidambaram, the then home minister in the UPA government, had also said that Ibrahim was based in Karachi. He had said that India would continue to push its case to bring to justice the people who had planned terror attacks in the country.
India has for long been advocating an extradition treaty between SAARC countries in order to ensure quick action against those involved in terrorist activities.
Both India and Pakistan are members of SAARC.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after heavy rains wreaked havoc in the country's financial capital, the civic chief today blamed extreme weather conditions for waterlogging on roads and railway tracks, saying the municipal machinery worked fine in the hour of crisis.
The megalopolis received around 320 mm rain yesterday, the heaviest on a single day since the July 26, 2005 record of 944 mm, which paralysed the city within a few hours.
The torrential rain plunged the city into chaos as water swamped homes, and submerged roads and railway tracks, leaving thousands of people stranded at various places.
"The weather condition was extreme....The city witnessed excessive waterlogging. However, the civic machinery was in place and worked properly," Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta told reporters.
He said the city received 320 mm rainfall on Tuesday.
At 23 places, over 200 mm rainfall was received. The civic body's plan to tackle the situation and rescue the people worked quite well, Mehta claimed.
He said over 30,000 employees were pressed into service to handle the situation. "They removed excessive water (from roads and rail tracks) and provided shelters to the stranded people who could not travel home," the civic chief said.
Mehta said the MCGM operated a total of 229 pumps to flush out water, while 420 people stranded on 12 trains were rescued by the fire brigade from four locations in the city.
The BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) operated 3,146 buses and ferried 30 lakh passengers during the downpour, Mehta said.
Talking about the work done by the civic staff in providing overnight shelter to the stranded passengers, he said, assistant commissioners of the respective wards provided 69 night shelters in the vicinity of railway stations where around 5,000 people spent the night.
He said various agencies worked in coordination to tackle the yesterday's situation.
"The police, NDRF, IMD, HAM Radio, Navy came forward and extended their help while the Coast Guard, Army, Air Force were kept on stand by," Mehta said.
He appealed to citizens to seek medical assistance in case they experienced symptoms like fever or vomiting.
The civic chief said the MCGM had repaired 561 roads, cumulatvely stretching up to 138 km, ahead of the monsoon this year.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Civil Lines Zone in north Delhi is set to be renamed as Mukherjee Nagar Zone as the NDMC House today proposed to rechristen it since the eponymous area, which came under its old jurisdictional limit, has now fallen into a new civic zone.
Recently, Keshavpuram was carved out as a new zone while City and Sadar-Paharganj zones of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation were merged into a single entity.
After the redrawing of the boundaries, the Civil Lines area now falls under the Keshavpuram Zone.
"Since the Civil Line area does not fall under its eponymous zone anymore, the name of the zone is not suitable. And, Mukherjee Nagar falls within the jurisdiction of the zone, so, it will be appropriate to name it after that area ('Mukherjee Nagar Zone')," reads the resolution passed by the NDMC House.
The 104-member House of the BJP-led corporation also resolved to name the joint City and Sadar-Paharganj zone as 'Chandni Chowk Zone' after the historic area in Old Delhi.
The NDMC has a total of 104 wards spread over six zones.
Before the redrawing, the zones were -- Rohini, Civil Lines, City, Sadar Paharganj, Narela and Karol Bagh. After redrawing also, the total number of zones remains the same.
In response to another private member resolution, the House proposed that the mayor be authorised to decide whether Ramlila Maidan can be alloted free of cost to religious and social organisation for hosting programmes which are in the interest of the society.
The proposals will have be approved by the municipal commissioner before coming into effect.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court today dismissed the DMK's plea DMK seeking a direction restraining police from preventing its leader M K Stalin inspecting desilting work on water bodies, saying the party DMK had attempted to convert the court into a political platform.
The DMK had filed the plea seeking a direction forbearing police from preventing or interfering with Stalin's visit to inspect desilting activities at various water bodies in the state last month.
Justice M S Ramesh dismissed the petition seeking to call for records pertaining to the July 26 impugned order of police in Salem, quash it and direct them to release Stalin, the leader of the Opposition in the assembly, and other party office-bearers and cadres.
Stalin had in a statement said he was detained by police on July 27 when he had attempted to participate in a human chain protest over NEET issue prior to inspecting desilting work of a lake. The lake is in Edapaddi, Chief Minister K Palaniswami's constituency. Stalin was released later.
The judge said that in view of the fact that Stalin and party office-bearers had been released from temporary detention, the prayer sought for needed no further orders.
"Accordingly, the writ petition stands dismissed," he said.
The matter relates to the petition filed by DMK legal wing secretary R Girirajan that Stalin was stopped at a toll plaza within Coimbatore district as he was on his way to Salem to inspect desilting of the Kacharayan lake.
The petitioner said police had informed them that Stalin was detained as he had intended to participate in a 'human chain protest' against NEET, which was in contravention of the July 26 order.
He alleged that police had misused the prohibitory order of the human chain protest to execute the arrest and prevent Stalin and party office bearers from visiting the lake.
The judge said that in view of the fact that the statement had come from the leader of the opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, it could not be ignored.
"It is in this background that this court, with discontention, is constrained to observe that the petitioner has attempted to convert the high court into a political platform by filing the present petition with contradictory averments."
Public Prosecutor Rajarathinam submitted that Stalin and other DMK office-bearers had attempted to participate in the protest at Edappadi, in contravention of prohibitory orders and therefore, detaining them was within their legal powers.
He also said soon after detention, Stalin and others were released and hence the prayer in the present writ petition had become infructuous.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"Dr Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet" has been renewed for another season at Animal Planet.
The show centres on Dr Jeff Young and his staff at Planned Pethood Plus as they take care of animals in need.
The series will have its fourth season premiere on September 30, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Produced by Double Act, "Dr Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet" is Animal Planet's most-watched series of 2017.
In the new season, Jeff and his team will travel to international locations, including Mexico and Romania to provide medical services to animals in need.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A draft policy on operating pilot-less low flying objects will come up next month to ensure security in country's air space, Union Home Secretary said on Wednesday.
Mehrishi also said security forces should exercise maximum precautions while using China-made gadgets in sensitive installations.
"We are working on a draft Drone Act, which will focus on regulating the use of drones and similar low flying objects instead of putting a total ban. It should come out in public domain by September after which comments will be taken from stakeholders," he said here.
Asked about action against "erring" NGOs, during his two-year tenure which comes to an end tomorrow, the home secretary said there is a law (Foreign Contribution Regulations Act), which has to be complied with by everyone.
"Merely because it was not looked into earlier, does not mean that those not following law can take foreign funding illegally," he said.
When asked whether there was "pressure" from the US after an American NGO, Compassion India, was put on "prior- permission" category by the home ministry last year for alleged violation of law, Mehrishi said "pressure" was a very strong word, but "yes, the US had asked us to look into it".
Commenting on Pakistan, the home secretary said the country is a "rogue state, a terror state" and everyone will realise it slowly.
Asked about the possibility of hacking or leak of government data or information through the use of Chinese equipment or technology by security forces, Mehrishi said that such problems happen with a lot of countries but "we need to be more cautious about the use of Chinese technology and equipment.
Commenting on the threat of Middle-East terror group ISIS in India, the home secretary said the group is a threat but response by Indians to their call has been lukewarm.
Referring to the porous Indo-Myanmar border, Mehrishi said
there is a need to have border outposts (BoPs) on that border and have border checking.
"Presently we don't have border checking there. There is free regime under which people living along the border can travel up to some distance without any travel documents. But it does not mean that we can have an open border there," he said.
In fresh trouble for Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the ED has registered a case of money laundering against him and others on the basis of an FIR filed by the CBI recently.
The probe agency officials said the criminal case was registered against the minister under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will probe the alleged 'proceeds of crime' in the case.
Jain and others associated with him in the case will be summoned by the ED to record their statements. It will also identify his properties and that of other accused which could be attached under the PMLA.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier said that Jain, who is Delhi's health minister, could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he is a shareholder.
It had registered a case against him, his wife and four others on charges of money laundering.
CBI sources had said that Rs 4.63 crore was allegedly received through Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo-Metal Impex Pvt Limited in 2015-16.
They had said Jain and his wife were allegedly holders of one-third of shares in these companies during the period.
During CBI questioning, the minister and his wife could not explain the source of Rs 1.62 crore -- approximately one- third of the funds received by the companies during 2015-17, they had said, adding Jain was examined twice by the agency while his wife was quizzed once.
The CBI has alleged that Jain had control over these companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding one-third of shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.
The probe agency had also claimed that these were shell firms used for parking money in the form of investments in equity shares in connivance with Kolkata-based shell companies.
"This apart, before becoming a public servant, he was allegedly involved in laundering Rs 11.78 crore during the years 2010-12 through these companies as well as other firms also based in New Delhi," the CBI had said.
The funds were allegedly used to purchase over 200 bighas of land in Auchandi, Bawana, Karala and Mohammed Mazvi villages in Delhi between 2010-16, CBI sources had said.
The Aam Aadmi Party, however, had refuted the CBI's allegations and said that reports of Jain's involvement in shell companies and benami land deals were "baseless".
"The CBI is planting a fictitious amount of Rs 1.62 crore as income for Jain. AAP challenges the CBI to substantiate the charge through some solid evidence. It is a lie, they should prove it," the party had said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The usual buzz in the markets in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is missing, ahead of Eid-ul-Zuha, one of the two holiest festivals of Muslims, with the trade bodies attributing the slow business to political uncertainty in the state and implementation of GST.
There is no rush of customers in the markets in Srinagar for Eid shopping. Shops selling Eid special items like ready made garments, clothes, shoes, and eatables like bakery products and sweets are doing little business, says member of a trading body.
The sale of sacrificial animals is going on at many places in the city, but very less than normal.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president Mushtaq Ahmad Wani attributed the slump in the business to political uncertainty over threat to Article 35A of the constitution.
"There is no rush, no business. People of the valley are withholding their money because there is uncertainty over the issue of Article 35A," Wani told PTI.
He said another reason for the decline in the business is the implementation of Goods and Services Tax.
"No goods are coming in to the valley because of the GST. It will take some time to streamline the new tax regime. Then the business of handicrafts is down, exports are down and tourism is also down," the KCCI president said.
Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) - an amalgam of various manufacturing and trade bodies in the valley - chairman Mohammad Yaseeen Khan said the business activities in Kashmir have slowed down after the devastating floods of 2014.
"The business has gone down after the 2014 floods. What we are seeing on Eid is not even normal business. Demonetisation, GST and now this political uncertainty over Article 35A has added to our woes," he said.
Khan said other factors, like less number of tourists arriving here, has also marred the business.
"The tourism is nowhere. There is uncertainty and people keep thinking what will happen next, like will there be an agitation like the last year (over threat to Article 35A)," he said.
He said there is only about 10-15 per cent of business happening in the valley.
"Few months before when there was no GST or the issue of Article 35A, the business was about 30-40 per cent. But now there is only about 10-15 per cent," he said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the Eastern region at 1700 hours today : CCM4 BIZ-INFOSYS
Kolkata : IT major Infosys today said that it would submit the plan for its proposed Kolkata centre to the West Bengal government after completion of the land registration process.
CES2 OD-BUFFALOES
Cuttack : The sudden death of a number of buffaloes during the last four days at a village in Odisha's Cuttack district has baffled veterinary surgeons who are yet to find out the exact cause.
CES3 WB-PARI-TECHNICIAN
Kolkata : A Bollywood technician has died after allegedly coming in contact with a live wire at the outdoor shooting of Anushka Sharma-starrer 'Pari' in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, police said today. CES4 WB-YUNUS-MICRO
Kolkata : Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate and the founder of Grameen Bank Mohd Yunus has said his Grameen Bank model has now reached nearly 300 million borrowers across the world.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition parties, which attended the 'save composite culture' meeting here, today alleged that fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution were in "danger".
The save composite culture meet was earlier held in Delhi on August 17.
The second edition of the meeting here saw the participation of leaders of eight political parties, including the Congress's Anand Sharma and Digvijay Singh, the CPM's Sitaram Yechury, the CPI's D Raja and the NCP's Tariq Anwar.
Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who led the meeting, said, "Efforts are on to divide the multi-linguistic and multi-cultural country. The composite legacy of thousands of years is in danger."
Referring to killings on the suspicion of beef transportation, he said, "The government is duty bound to protect the weaker section of the society and prosecute the offenders."
He dubbed the violence after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim recently as an example of "civil anarchy".
"I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that violence in the name of faith would not be tolerated. But if violence takes place after this, I will be deeply hurt," Yadav said.
"The meet is not against anybody but for commoners and the Constitution," he told reporters, who asked if the exercise was aimed at uniting the non-BJP parties to take on the NDA in the 2019 general elections.
He parried a query on whether the meet was a prelude to stitch an alliance of different political outfits for the general elections.
The opposition leaders underlined the need of protecting the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
They alleged "the communal harmony is being disturbed for electoral gains".
The leaders also touched upon the killing of five farmers in police firing during the cultivators' unrest in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district in June and castigated the BJP state government over it.
Yadav has plans to hold such meets in other BJP ruled states as well.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan is collecting data of its nationals who are suspected of waging jihad abroad along with terror groups, a senior official said, amid fears of blowback from them especially after the defeat of the Islamic State in parts of Iraq.
About 100 Pakistanis have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State since the rise of the dreaded terror group in the Middle East, a media report had said.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior was told on Tuesday that National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has begun the process of compiling the data.
The authority had completed the task of data compilation on suspected militants who had fought in conflict zones such as Yemen, Iraq or Syria, NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani was quoted as saying by the Dawn news.
"We are in the process of having the data verified from federal and provincial departments," he told the committee during a briefing on the status of implementation on the National Action Plan (NAP) to counter terrorism and extremism.
The verification process would help shift those who went to these areas to earn a livelihood from those who posed an actual threat.
The aim of the exercise was to minimise the blowback on Pakistan as the Islamic State (IS) fighters are returning to their native countries after the group's defeat in part of Iraq.
Ghani detailed measures to choke terrorists' financial networks, saying that a task force had been established under the authority to coordinate efforts in this regard.
However, the number of such militants was not immediately available.
Progress on updating the list of those individuals who were placed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 was also shared with the committee.
The bank accounts of around 5,000 of the more than 8,000 individuals on the list had been frozen, he said, while they could no longer be issued passports or gun licences.
Ghani revealed plans to develop a mobile phone app to assess hate speech, where local authorities could upload any suspected speech on the app, which would relay it to the authority for vetting.
He also apprised the committee of a national policy to counter violent extremism, which had been approved by the government.
Iraqi forces reseized second city of Mosul from IS in July after a nine-month battle. They are now fighting the last pocket of jihadists in the northern province of Nineveh.
The government has received bids for 7 per cent stake in India's largest power producer NTPC, which will fetch about Rs 9,100 crore to the exchequer.
At the end of the two-day offer for sale (OFS), the government retained over-subscription it had received from institutional investors after retail investors bid for only 73 per cent of the quota allocated for them.
The government had planned to sell over 41.22 crore shares, or 5 per cent holding, through the two-day OFS, with an option to retain a similar portion in case of over- subscription.
On the opening day yesterday, institutional investors bid for 46.35 crore shares against 32.98 crore shares offered to them, according to stock exchange data.
Today, retail investors bid for 8.45 crore shares against 11.58 crore shares on offer.
Officials said the government decided to retain over- subscription, and after adjustments a total of 7 per cent stake was sold in the OFS, garnering Rs 9,100 crore.
The shares were offered at a floor price of Rs 168 apiece.
Shares of NTPC closed marginally lower at Rs 168 on the BSE.
The government has so far this fiscal raised over Rs 8,800 crore through disinvestment in six companies, including selling stake in L&T through Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), and one share buyback.
This is against Rs 72,500 crore targeted to be raised in 2017-18 through stake sale in PSUs.
The total sum includes Rs 46,500 crore from minority stake sale, Rs 15,000 crore from strategic disinvestment and Rs 11,000 crore from listing of PSU insurance companies.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate and the founder of Grameen Bank Mohd Yunus has said his Grameen Bank model has now reached nearly 300 million borrowers across the world.
"After changing lives of over 9 million people in Bangladesh and generating 100,000 dollars in US, our Grameen Bank experiment has been able to benefit an estimated 300 million borrowers across the world including Brazil", Yunus told reporters after delivering the 'Arijit Mukherji Memorial Lecture' at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, here last evening.
Yunus said micro-credit turned into an alternative investment fund to help fight unemployment.
To a question if people in West Bengal were not ready to take risk taking ventures as entrepreneurs, he said "I don't look at it that way. The mentality to start own ventures is there, everywhere in world including Bengal. But you have to be with them (the young unemployed)."
"There is this ocean of money all around. Poor people just want a sip of that money and we should reach it out to them," he said adding even rich people become defaulters in bank loans "but conventional banks still reach out to the rich."
To a question about the fall of ponzy firms in Bengal, Yunus said, "While there can always be fly-by-night firms in a system and laws and legislation to check their activities, if you refer to the micro-credit concept mooted by us, it never collects money from depositors."
Yunus did not comment on effects of GST on start-ups in the country and how demonetisation was impacting the common man since it was introduced in last November.
"I am not familiar with the situation in India with regard to these two issues," he said to related questions.
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With eight Himachal Pradesh police officials including an IGP in CBI net over the custodial death of an accused in rape-and-murder of a minor school girl in Shimla, the state government today came under fire from the opposition here.
The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India (CPI-M) lashed out at the government and alleged that 'politicization' of police and administration was responsible for spurt in heinous crime like rape and murder. The party alleged that criminals and anti-social elements are being shielded.
Former state secretary of the party Rakesh Singha demanded that the staff on duty in the Kotkhai police station on the intervening night of July 17 and 18-- when Suraj was killed in the lockup--be provided adequate security as their lives were under threat.
The ABVP also staged a demonstration in front of office of Deputy Commissioner and demanded resignation of the chief minister.
BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur also held the chief minister responsible for alleged conspiracy in the investigation of the case.
He also demanded resignation of the HP CM over the custodial death of an accused in the rape case.
"Whether Virbhadra Singh intended to give justice to 'Gudiya'or was trying totamper with evidence toshieldthe guilty," he said.
Thakur further expressed doubt if Himachal government "used" the state police to remove the evidence of in the case.
He said, "the Gudiya case is a blot on Himachal and the state government was trying to save the accused instead of punishing the guilty.
"Sadly, instead of sharing the grievances of the family of the deceased, wife of the chief minister pressurized them for not conducting a CBI inquiry into the matter."
"Virbhadra Singh has hurt the dignity of the office of the chief minister and hence he has no right to be the head of this beautiful, peaceful state," he said.
The BJP MP alleged that the chief minister is busy "setting" things for himself in Delhi to save his political future.
"Now, it is the right time that the CM should resign and president's rule should be imposed in Himachal Pradesh," said Thakur.
Inspector General of Himachal Pradesh Police Zahur Haidar Zaidi and seven other policemen were arrested by the CBI yesterday in connection with the custodial death of Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal.
The CBI today brought the eight Himachal Pradesh police officials, including the IGP, to its headquarters in New Delhi for questioning in connection with the case.
Singh, who was a suspect in the rape-and-murder of a minor school girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla in early July, was among six people arrested by the local police.
He was allegedly killed by a co-accused at the Kotkhai police station last month, triggering a massive public outrage.
The CBI, which was later handed over the probe into the case by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, questioned several people before arresting Zaidi, a 1994-batch IPS officer, the then IGP (South) Manoj Joshi, the then Deputy Superintendent of Police, and six other police officials, the probe agency officials said.
The arrested accused were produced in the competent court in Shimla yesterday which sent them to the CBI custody till September 4.
The Class X student had gone missing on July 4 and her naked body was recovered from Haliala forests in Kotkhai on July 6.
"The CBI has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a Superintendent of Police and an Additional SP and a Deputy SP, and taken over the investigation of both the cases," the CBI had said earlier.
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Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers welcomed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the isolated territory today by demanding he work to lift the Israeli- Egyptian blockade of the strip and save it from a humanitarian crisis.
In a statement issued upon Guterres' arrival, Hamas also demanded he approve relief and development programs and pressure Israel about the Palestinian prisoners it holds.
Guterres is on his first visit to the region since taking office at the beginning of the year. His meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders are aimed at encouraging the resumption of peace talks.
Prior to arriving in Gaza, he took a helicopter tour of the Israel-Gaza border with Israeli officials, visited a tunnel Hamas dug into Israel to carry out attacks and met local residents living along the volatile front.
Guterres was accompanied by Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, and Aviv Kochavi, Israel's deputy military chief. Danon warned Guterres that Gaza's Hamas rulers have been exploiting international humanitarian aid to dig the tunnels aimed at harming Israel.
"Instead of working to ensure a better future for their children, Hamas has turned the residents of Gaza into hostages," he said.
"At the same time, the Israeli residents of the border communities have stood strong in the face of terror threats, as they build prosperous communities and help further develop the region for the betterment of the next generation."
Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel's destruction, has ruled Gaza with an iron fist since seizing control of the coastal area in 2007.
It has since fought three wars with Israel, firing thousands of rockets into its territory and digging a network of elaborate offensive tunnels. Hamas has largely observed a truce with Israel since the last battle, in 2014, though more radical groups in the territory have carried out occasional attacks.
Egypt and Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza after the Hamas takeover that has crippled the local economy. In recent years, Egypt has also cracked down on the once-vibrant tunnel trade along the border. Israel began construction of an underground anti-tunnel barrier along the border last year.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tropical Storm Harvey today made a second landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border, five days after making the first causing widespread destruction in which 30 people have died and tens of thousands rendered homeless.
Harvey, which made its first landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Friday night near Corpus Christi, made the second landfall, slamming into the Louisiana coast near the Texas border.
The coastal cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur got pummelled with 26 inches of rain in 24 hours - and it was still raining. Port Arthur, a city of about 55,000, was in exceptional danger because water from Beaumont is expected to flow towards it, CNN reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that some parts of Louisiana have seen more than a foot of rain, and the flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the Lake Charles region as the rainfall is expected to continue.
New Orleans was put under a tornado and flash flood watch until tomorrow.
Houston has received more than 42 inches of rainfall so far.
Authorities in Texas's most populous city and energy hub, Houston, have imposed a nighttime curfew. "There are some who might want to take advantage of this situation, so even before it gets a foothold in the city, we just need to hold things in check," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
The curfew - midnight to 5 AM - was announced after police arrested a crew of armed robbers hijacking vehicles, and officials warned residents of people impersonating Homeland Security investigators.
There also were fears of looting as thousands of houses lay partially submerged and abandoned.
Following five days of heavy downpour, a large part of Texas remained submerged, homes flooded and schools and other public offices shut.
Thousands of emergency rescue team officials have continuously been on their toes, helping people affected by the catastrophic deluge, which President Donald Trump has called "epic" during a visit to the state yesterday.
Houston has received rainfall that averages the amount it receives in an year. Weather department officials said parts of the state were expected to receive more heavy rainfall.
At least 30 people have died in storm-related incidents, officials said, fearing the toll could rise since there were reports of people lost following the torrential downpours.
More than 13,000 people have been rescued from flood waters and other devastation caused by Harvey in Houston and surrounding areas, authorities in Texas said.
One Indian student has died after he nearly drowned in a swollen lake in Texas. More than 100,000 Indian-Americans living in and around Houston have also been badly hit by the monstrous hurricane.
The Indian-American community has rallied themselves around to help people in distress. Indian businesses and places of worship were providing shelters to the displaced.
Sunil Thakkar, a radio jockey by profession, was using his station to provide directions to people to safer places.
"This unprecedented disaster had many volunteers working till three o'clock in the night, monitoring requests, assessing the situation and coordinating assistance," said Achalesh Amar, a community leader.
He described the Greater Houston area, where nearly 200,000 Indian-Americans live, as a "ghost town."
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency - its most severe flood alert - last night, The Washington Post reported.
A reservoir west of downtown Houston spilled overdue torecord-shatteringrainfall. Officials in Houston were still unable to determine the extent of the tragedy.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Harvey is one of the largest disasters America has ever faced and warned against expecting anything resembling recovery any time soon, or a return to the way things were.
"We need to recognise it will be a new normal, a new and different normal for this entire region," he said.
Houston was still conducting emergency operations, with multiple road closures and no access to area hospitals for ambulances.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hasbro, owner of the "Transformers" brand, has filed a lawsuit accusing Warner Bros and DC Comics of trademark infringement.
The suit claims that the DC "Bumblebee" - a teenage girl with the power to shrink - could easily be confused with the Autobot "Bumblebee," reported Variety.
'Bumblebee' character, set to star in the first "Transformers" spin-off, which is due in theaters at Christmas 2018.
The company is now seeking to stop the sales of Bumblebee toy, which is part of the DC Super Hero Girls line of action figures.
DC Comics and Warner Bros. Announced the DC Super Hero Girls franchise in April 2015 as a partnership with Mattel. The TV series began airing in October 2015. The series features younger versions of DC superheroes, including Batgirl and Harley Quinn, as they attend high school.
Hasbro filed for a trademark on the "Bumblebee" name on July 15, 2015, and the trademark was registered on December 22, 2015.
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The Madras High Court today directed the Coimbatore collector to appear before it tomorrow in connection with the dumping of waste from neighbouring Kerala in a private property in the district without approval.
Justice N. Kirubakaran passed the order on a petition from one S Ramaswamy of Chettypalayam, Coimbatore Taluk.
The judge said, "It is reported in the media that chemical waste, e-waste, and medical waste are transported from the state of Kerala and illegally dumped in the border district at Tamil Nadu causing pollution."
The judge said the authorities should have acted on the media reports.
"When a serious issue is raised which causes pollution and health hazard the authority should act with responsibility ...," said the judge and directed the collector to appear before the court on August 31 and file a report.
The petitioner submitted that plastic sacks were frequently dumped on a vacant land adjacent to his residence.
It was found that the land-owner had leased out a portion of his land to one Abdul Ali of Podanur and both of them were involved in transportation of harmful materials like medical and other wastes, he alleged.
No approval was obtained from authorities for the purpose of dumping the waste, he submitted.
A representation was handed over to the Tahsildar seeking immediate action. It was also brought to the notice of the executive officer, Chettipalayam Town Panchayat.
The tahsildar directed the land owner and the lease holder to stop the illegal act of dumping of harmful materials failing which they would be prosecuted under the provisions of CrPc.
As no further action was taken, the petitioner gave a representation to the collector who, he alleged, had not given proper response following which the court was moved.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bombay High Court has directed the Mumbai Police to inform it about the steps taken to check illegal slaughter of cattle and the sale of beef in the city.
A bench of Justices RM Savant and SS Shinde yesterday also directed the Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP), Zones I and III, to file their respective affidavits listing down the "action plan", or the steps that they propose to take to clamp down on such illegal slaughter houses or meat shops.
The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by a city resident alleging that "beef was being sold openly in areas such as Nagpada, Agripada and Dongri" in the city.
The petitioner, one Arun Kabadi, claimed in his plea that even though he had made several complaints to the police in this regard, they had failed to take action.
Kabadi's lawyer Raju Gupta told the court that in March this year, another bench of the HC directed the DCPs of zones I and III to take cognisance of the petitioner's complaints, and to take "appropriate action" against the illegal meat shops. The bench had also asked the police to take help of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) Health department to check the alleged illegal sale of beef in the above areas.
"However, the police has failed to take the requisite steps and many meat shops and slaughter houses continue to operate without valid licenses. Several of them also continue to sell beef despite the ban on the same by the state government," the petitioner said.
The police, meanwhile, told the court that since the March order, it had imposed fines on 53 meat shops that were found to be operating without valid licenses in the areas mentioned by the petitioner.
The petitioner, however, sought that owners of these mean shops must not merely be fined under the BMC Act, but that they also be "booked by the police under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for the illegal slaughter and sale of beef".
The bench then directed the DCPs to file their respective affidavits by September 12.
"We want you (the police) to take prompt action. You ought to be proactive and ensure that all these illegal businesses are stopped immediately," the bench said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response of the government and the Enforcement Directorate on businessman Moin Akhtar Qureshi's plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case.
A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Nazmi Waziri issued notice to the government and the ED, asking them to file the reply within five days.
The controversial meat exporter, Qureshi, was arrested on August 25 and sent to five-day custody of the ED by a trial court the next day for a thorough investigation in the case against him and others.
During the hearing, advocate R K Handoo, appearing for Qureshi, contended that he has been illegally detained by the ED. He claimed Qureshi had been directly arrested when he was called for questioning and was not informed about the grounds of arrest.
Central government standing counsel Anil Soni, who also appeared for ED, said that there was due compliance of Constitution mandate regarding informing a person about his arrest.
The bench, however, said a person cannot be taken into custody without telling him the grounds and giving him an effective legal aid.
"Information is not just to make a person read the grounds of arrest. You have to give him a copy of it," the bench said and asked the Centre and ED to show the official records pertaining to the arrest on the next date of hearing on September 13.
The agency had told the trial court that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case."
It had also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-1, owned by one D S Anand.
According to the agency, Qureshi was arrested late night on August 25 here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after "he was not cooperating in the probe".
(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 Allahabad High Court today sought an explanation from the principal secretaries of the forest and home departments on the delay in constitution of the Tiger Protection Force (TPF) in Uttar Pradesh.
The court's Lucknow bench also expressed serious concern over the construction of a broad-gauge railway line through the Dudhwa National Park.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and D S Tripathi asked the petitioner to make the Railways an opposite party in the petition.
In a PIL filed by S K Mishra, on which the court gave its order, the petitioner alleged that in 2009, Rs 93 lakh was sanctioned, but till date the TPF had not been constituted.
It was said that 112 posts were sanctioned, but the appointment process was yet to start.
On the other hand, the director of the Dudhwa park told the bench that a suggestion was given to the Railways to construct the line outside the park or through the buffer area, but no heed was paid.
The director told the court that the broad-gauge line was constructed till Sitapur and soon, it would be started in the park.
It was said that due to the already existing metre-gauge railway line, two tigers, as many elephants and 38 deer were killed.
The court asked the petitioner to add the Railways as a party in the petition and fixed September 9 as the next date of hearing.
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The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the AAP government on a plea seeking framing of guidelines relating to arrest and summoning of any person to a police station.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankaran issued notice to the government and sought a status report in this regard within two weeks on a petition alleging police harassment while threatening arrest.
The court put up the matter for further hearing on October 10.
The petition, moved through advocates Nikhil Borwankar and Varsha Ranjan, sought a direction to the Delhi Police to refrain from arbitrarily summoning any person to the police station over telephone unless exigent circumstances exist, which is recorded by the officer in writing.
It also sought a direction to the agency to frame rules and the time-frame regarding inquiry into allegations against an investigating officer in an extant probe.
The petitioner claimed that despite joining investigation on various dates in a domestic violence case, his attendance was never officially recorded and he had to resort to filing of documents and obtaining receiving of the contemporary dates in order to prove his attendance.
"After the investigating officer (IO) refused to record his attendance, he apprehended arrest on the pretext of failure to join the probe and, therefore, moved trial court for anticipatory bail and got the relief," the petition said.
During the hearing of the bail application, the IO submitted that the petitioner was not joining the probe, it said.
Later, the petitioner filed a complaint with senior police officers about the alleged conduct and threats extended to him by the IO and claiming that he had misled the court.
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The Delhi High Court today expressed unhappiness over the delay in the probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar in 2014 and sought to know the status of investigation so far.
A bench of Justices G S Sistani and Chander Shekhar referred to the fact that the incident took place in January 2014 and said more than three-and-half years have elapsed and nothing concrete has emerged so far.
Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a five-star hotel in south Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
The court's remarks came after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain submitted that Delhi Police was not treating BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's plea as an adversarial one and the investigation was being conducted with "utmost diligence".
The ASG also said that the investigation was now at the fag end and a final conclusion will be arrived at soon.
He contended that transfer of investigation at this stage to any other agency would only delay the ongoing probe.
The law officer, representing the police, told the bench that senior police officers were present in the court and were carrying the complete case diary for its perusal.
The bench then observed that it was not fair to "look into or monitor the investigation", but would "certainly like to know where the investigation stands as of today."
"We want to know as to what happened till date. It's almost over three years but nothing concrete has come up as of today," the bench said, adding that "certainly it (the probe) cannot be unending".
It, however, clarified that the monitoring of the probe was not under the domain of the judiciary and the court was not inclined to give any direction to that effect.
The bench stated that they did not to pre-empt the outcome of the probe and thus could not comment as to whether either a charge sheet or the closure report would be filed.
"We are only concerned about the substantial time taken in concluding the investigation and thus, concerned about the delay," it observed.
Swamy, who has filed a petition seeking a court-monitored CBI-led special investigation (SIT) probe into Pushkar's death, said he was not seeking exclusion of Delhi Police from the SIT.
The BJP leader said various reports have suggested that Pushkar's death was unnatural but delay in getting the scientific report was an attempt to sabotage the probe.
Swamy tried to link the death of Pushkar with some IPL controversy and asked the court for an investigation.
Meanwhile, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor's stepson Shiv Menon, submitted that he appreciated the stand of the ASG on behalf of the police.
Pahwa also submitted that the court should peruse the case diary to ascertain the progress made in the probe.
The bench replied that they would decide about it only after the ASG peruses the report and makes his submissions about the time-frame by which it would be over.
Pahwa contended that Menon had sought his impleadment as a party in the matter because he thinks that nobody would be more concerned than him about his mother's death.
The counsel further contended that he (Menon) had a right to get a copy of Swanmy' petition and other documents as he is the son of the deceased.
The bench agreed to Pahwa's contention and asked advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, who along with Swamy has filed the petition, to supply him the copies.
The ASG said that the delay, if any, was not at the individual level of police officers but rather due to the delay in getting the scientific reports.
During the hearing, the law officer offered that police officials be given some time in a chamber hearing to apprise the bench about the intricacies of the case as he did not wish to discuss them in an open court.
The bench then asked the ASG to peruse them and inform it after two weeks about the status of the probe into the death.
The bench said the ASG was a responsible officer of the court and he shall guide them.
"If you have some different report on the development in the probe after two weeks, it's okay. Otherwise, we will look into it. Before we get into it, we will wait for two more weeks and see what you have come up with," the bench added.
The court then fixed the matter for September 21, when the ASG will inform the court on the progress and give his opinion on how much more time the investigating agency shall take to conclude.
Swamy and Bhandari have alleged that "inordinate delay" has been caused in the probe "which is a blot on the justice system".
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tropical storm Harvey continued to batter Texas today with rain and floods leaving atleast 20 people dead and submerging homes and turning streets, highways into lakes.
Thousands of emergency rescue rescue teams officials remained in their toes, helping people affected by the deluge. Weather official said parts of state are expected to receive rainfall again.
The remnants of deadly Hurricane Harvey menaced Texas and Louisiana, while a reservoir west of downtown Houstonspilled overdue torecord-shatteringrainfall.
Even as officials struggled to determine the storm's true impact, its scope appears to be staggering.
Officials said that as much as 30 percent of Harris county's 1,777 square miles of area was underwater yesterday.
Officials in Houston were unable ro to determine the extent of the tragedy caused by the one of the most destructive storms in US history, authorities said it had hit close to home as the first responders are facing seemingly endless flooding.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo yesterday said that a 60-year-old police officer drowned on Sunday while on duty in the flooded area.
Authorities recovered his body shortly after 8 AM Tuesday, an emotionalAcevedo told a conference.
Police officers in the city have rescued more than 3,500 people so far amid Harvey's flooding.
The storm's full impact remains unclear, as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said officials are "still trying to assess" the number of missing people.
At least 20 people have died in storm-related incidents, officials said while warning that the toll could go couldrise as they are pursuing reports of people lost in the torrential downpours unleashed since Friday, officials said.
Of the confirmed deaths yesterday, atleast eight were in Harris County, which includes Houston.
Houston continued to reel under catastrophic flooding coupled with heavy rainfall, eve as people stocked up essentials or trudged through water in search of shelter.
The National Weather Service reported that Houston has already received more than 42 inches of rain due to Harvey.
Some parts of Louisiana have also seen more than a foot of rain, and the flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the Lake Charles region as the rainfall is expected to continue.
New Orleans is under a tornado and flash flood watch until tomorrow.
In Texas, one of the two massivestorm water reservoirs to the west of downtown Houstonbegan spilling over, despite the US Army Corps of Engineerseffortsto release the wateras the level in the reservoirs swelled.
The Army Corps of Engineers said that water was spilling out from around the dam gates of the Addicks Reservoir, and officials also said they expect the Barker Reservoir, to the south of Addicks, to also begin overflowing some time today.
Near the Barker dam, helicopters were attempting to rescue families, while some people spent their morning hopping onto jet skis and into boats to help as well.
Officials in Brazoria County, south of Houston, alsowarnedthat a levee there had breached its danger level.
The tropical storm continuedgrindingtowards the northeast, with its center expected to be just off the upper Texas coast through last night, the National Hurricane Centersaid.
The storm is likely to moveinland on the northwestern Gulf Coast today.
Governor Greg Abbott said Harvey is one of the largest disasters America has ever faced and warned against expecting anything resembling recovery any time soon, or a return to the way things were.
"We need to recognise it will be a new normal, a new and different normal for this entire region," he said.
Forecasters said more than a foot of additional rain is still expected to fall through Friday over parts of the Texas coast, and Louisiana. The National Weather Servicewarnedof potential flooding in southern Mississippi as well as southeastern Louisiana.
President Donald Trump along with First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Corpus Christi last morning as he hailed the people of Texas for their efforts.
During a briefing in Corpus Christi, he said," This is historic, it's epic what happened, but you know what, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything."
The president is scheduled to visit the state capital of Austin.
His spokeswoman told reporters on Air Force One that Trump will visit "a different part of the state" on Saturday, while he hasalso discussed visiting Louisianaon the same day.
The Department of Labor on Tuesday announced that it had approved an initial USD 10 million grant to help with the cleanup efforts in Texas.
Trump on Monday declared "emergency conditions" in Louisiana, and not long before that, federal authorities had warned Harvey could forcemore than 30,000 peoplefrom their homes by the time skies are expected to clear later this week.
Life across Texas is severely affected due to Harvey with hundred of schoolsshutting downand thousands of peoplepiling into sheltersin Houston and other places.
The George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston had taken in 9,200 people as of last morning, Charles Maltbie, a regional disaster officer for the Red Cross, said.
He said the number is nearly double the center's capacity of 5,000.
The convention center is the evacuation site for all air evacuations and bus evacuations are being diverted to other shelters around the city, he said.
Mayor Turner said that city officials have identified other "mega shelter locations" that will be set up to house people, though he did not name these facilities.
Brazos Fort Bend County Judge John Hebert warned on Monday night that more than a hundred square miles along the river could flood as the river has swollen to unprecedented heights.
"They can guarantee we'll have a record flood in for Fort Bend County," he said.
The Fortbend county is home to thousands of Indian-Americans, majority of whom had to leave their homes for safe shelters or be with their friends or community members in safer areas.
The Brazos River, which runs through the county, home to more than 7,16,000 people, has been swelling as the runoff from the storm collects in its banks.
The National Weather Service models showed the river rising to 59 feet by yesterday, topping its previous record of 54.7 feet.
Authorities issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for parts of that area and warned that anyone who ignores mandatory evacuation orders will not be aided by first responders when the waters rise.
But with virtually all the main thoroughfares already closed because of high water, many of the affected residents saw no way out.
Around 6,200 people are currently staying in shelters, having been evacuated from their homes as floods devastated the area and it is thought that a further 30,000 people could need to be given emergency accommodation.
Rescue shelters are reportedly overflowing and officials are desperately seeking alternative venues to house people who have been displaced.
The region received 30 inches of rain in just two days and had a year's worth of precipitation dumped on it in the space of one week.
Harvey is the most powerful storm to hit Texas in the past 50 years.
Meanwhile,flights "are limited to humanitarian flights and first responder support for Hurricane recovery," authorities of the two airports in Houston said.
United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines each said that they've airlifted supplies into or out of the city since Hurricane Harvey hit on Friday.
With those limited exceptions, Houston's two airports -- George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport remained closed for passenger travel.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued flight restrictions over the greater Houston area.
These restrictions cover 1,200 square nautical miles over the city and are intended to keep airspace clear for search and rescue flights, the FAA said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 24-year-old Indian student has died after he nearly drowned in a swollen lake in the US state of Texas where Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc.
Nikhil Bhatia, a student at the Texas A&M University, was rescued from the Lake Bryan, where he along with another Indian girl Shalini Singh had gone swimming, on Saturday.
Bhatia succumbed to his injuries today while Singh continues to be in a critical condition, according to the Consulate officials, who were in regular touch with the family members in hospital and in India.
Bhatia, originally from Jaipur, along with his friend Singh, 25, from New Delhi, was pursuing Master in Public health were both brought to the local hospital in a critical condition.
According to their friends and some witnesses, the two were swimming in the lake. A sudden current of water pushed them deeper and the students noticed that they were in distress and flagged down nearby police officers.
Bryan Police officers were able to rescue and provide CPR to the victims until medics arrived, according to Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson.
It wasn't immediately clear why they were swimming during severe weather.
Consul General of India in Houston has been monitoring their medical needs and situation closely. According to the consulate office, Bhatia's mother Dr Suman Bhatia has already arrived and was assisted by consulate office amidst devastating flood situations here after receiving her at Dalals airport.
Around 13 million people were battling "catastrophic" flooding and torrential rains in the storm-ravaged Texas where Hurricane Harvey has wreaked havoc, turning streets into raging rivers and claiming at least nine lives.
Meteorologists have forecast that the historic rainfall will dump up to 50 inches by tomorrow.
Heavy rain bands were expected to move in over the Houston area overnight, which will continue the catastrophic and life-threatening flash-flood emergency in the area.
At least 200 Indian students stranded at the University of Houston due to the flooding after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas were being evacuated to safer places, authorities have said.
The students were being provided food and other supplies by the Indian-American community in the area.
India's Consul-General in Houston Anupam Ray has been in touch with the students and monitoring the evacuation process.
Hundreds of Indian students, who were stranded in their homes and ran out of food, are being helped by the consulate.
Ray said members of the Indian graduate students' organisations had reached out to him through Facebook last night. Despite all roads being inundated with water and closed for traffic, Ray personally went to the apartment complex where more than 250 Indian students were stranded.
According to local community leaders, at least 100,000 of Indian-Americans live in and around Houston area have been badly hit by the hurricane.
Harvey, one of the most destructive storms in US history battered Texas for the fifth day on Wednesday claiming 30 lives and left thousands homeless even as Houston's mayor declared a nighttime curfew to prevent looting and opportunistic crimes.
Thousands of emergency rescue teams officials remained on their toes, helping people affected by the deluge. Weather official said parts of state are expected to receive heavy rainfall again.
At least 30 people have died in storm-related incidents, local officials confirmed. The toll could rise as they are pursuing reports of people lost in the torrential downpours unleashed since Friday.
Officials in Houston imposed an overnight curfew to guard against opportunistic crimes as Tropical Storm Harvey continued to deluge southeast Texas, CNN reported.
Authorities announced the curfew - midnight to 5 AM - after police arrested a crew of armed robbers who were hijacking vehicles, and officials warned residents of people impersonating Homeland Security investigators. There also were fears of looting as thousands of houses lay partially submerged and abandoned.
Harvey was gearing up for another landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border. With this landfall expected, the devastation and misery could intensify, it said.
More than 13,000 people have been rescued from flood waters and other devastation caused by Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston and surrounding areas, federal and local authorities in Texas said.
One Indian student has died after he nearly drowned in a swollen lake in the US state of Texas where wreaked havoc.
More than 100,000 Indian-Americans living in and around Houston have also been badly hit by the monstrous hurricane.
The Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency - its most severe flood alert - yesterday night, The Washington Post reported.
The remnants of deadly menaced Texas and Louisiana, while a reservoir west of downtown Houstonspilled overdue torecord-shatteringrainfall.
Officials in Houston were unable to determine the extent of the tragedy caused by one of the most destructive storms in the US history, authorities said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Harvey is one of the largest disasters America has ever faced and warned against expecting anything resembling recovery any time soon, or a return to the way things were.
"We need to recognise it will be a new normal, a new and different normal for this entire region," he said.
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US and the most populous in Texas, was still conducting emergency operations, with multiple road closures and no access to area hospitals for ambulances, after Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on Friday night.
Harvey has since lost its intensity, leaving behind a trail of destruction that could take years to overcome.
The National Weather Service reported that Houston has already received more than 42 inches of rain due to Harvey.
Some parts of Louisiana have also seen more than a foot of rain, and the flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the Lake Charles region as the rainfall is expected to continue.
New Orleans is under a tornado and flash flood watch until tomorrow.
The Indian Air Force will allow its Hindon base to be used for flights operating to tier-2 and tier-3 cities under the government's regional connectivity scheme, civil aviation secretary R N Choubey said today.
"This is being done to overcome slot constraints at the Indira Gandhi International Airport," Choubey said at an ASSOCHAM event here.
The civilian operations from the IAF air base, in Ghaziabad on the outskirts of Delhi, are likely to start during the winter schedule, which comes into effect from the last Sunday of October.
The government is in talks with airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited on reworking a rule which disallows two airports within a radius of 150km.
The government's regional connectivity scheme also known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) aims at making flying affordable for the masses by capping airfares on selected short routes -- such as from Delhi to Shimla -- at Rs 2500 per hour of flight.
Airlines that are awarded routes under the scheme are offered government subsidy and in return need to set aside 50 per cent of the seating capacity at discounted fares.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today alleged hundreds of children in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand have died due to medical negligence in government hospitals, and demanded the resignation of the two chief ministers, along with a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge.
UP Congress chief Raj Babbar said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was "guilty" of the death of hundreds of children in Gorakhpur and demanded that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath be sacked immediately.
He said there was no value of life in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'New India', "where only getting a majority matters".
He said while the Congress has been demanding Adityanath quit, he has failed and children are continuing to die under his very nose.
"There is no tradition of resignations in the BJP," said Babbar, adding, otherwise chief ministers of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand would have quit.
"There is no value of life in Modi's 'New India'. Modi government's new mantra is bring a majority and take away the life of people. Yogi is trying to make Uttar Pradesh 'rogi' (sick)," Babbar said.
Congress spokesperson R P N Singh alleged that after the recent deaths of over 60 children in Gorakhpur, there have been 61 more deaths in Adityanath's constituency.
"We saw 61 children dying in past 72 hours in Gorakhpur. This is repeat of a similar tragedy in Gorakhpur where 60 children had died (earlier)," he said.
Yesterday, the former principal of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College Dr Rajiv Mishra and his wife Dr Purnima Shukla were arrested over the child deaths at the college's hospital earlier this month.
The issue has acquired a political hue with the BJP government in UP drawing flak from the opposition over the deaths in Gorakhpur, which Adityanath had represented five times in the Lok Sabha.
Singh said due to "gross complicity" and "utter negligence", more than 200 children have died in the same BRD hospital in Gorakhpur this month alone.
"Notwithstanding the shameful tragedy which we saw when 64 children died due to shortage of oxygen, the sheer complacency of the BJP government under Adityanath continues," he said.
Singh alleged that in every BJP-ruled state, children are dying due to utter callousness of the state governments.
"We demand the immediate resignations of Jharkhand CM Raghubhar Das and UP CM Adityanath on account of Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Gorakhpur deaths," said Singh.
"We demand the health ministers of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh be immediately sacked, pending a judicial enquiry.
"We also demand the prime minister should look into the serious deficiencies in the health infrastructure in BJP-ruled states. The women and child development ministry should immediately release more funds to Jharkhand to tackle this extremely important issue," said Singh, who is Congress in- charge of Jharkhand.
"In Jamshedpur, 164 children died in past four months and in Ranchi more than 133 children have died in past 28 days," he claimed.
Almost 300 children have died in the two biggest government hospitals in Jharkhand, he alleged.
The Congress party, he said, has filed a complaint with the NHRC which has issued a notice to the chief secretary in Jharkhand seeking a report in six weeks.
"Our protests in Jamshedpur continue, due to which the High Court has also taken cognisance and asked the civil and sessions judge to visit the hospital and give a report. What is more shocking is that the chief minister has not spoken a word about this tragedy or visited the hospital, despite it being in his home district," Singh said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Abnormalities from inbreeding and difficult pregnancy may have played a role in the mysterious extinction of the woolly rhino that roamed the Earth during the last Ice Age, a study suggests.
Researchers from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in The Netherlands examined woolly rhino and modern rhino neck vertebrae from several European and American museum collections.
They noticed that the remains of woolly rhinos from the North Sea often possess a 'cervical' (neck) rib - in contrast to modern rhinoceros.
The study, published in the journal PeerJ, on the incidence of abnormal cervical vertebrae in woolly rhinos, strongly suggests a vulnerable condition in the species.
Given the considerable birth defects that are associated with this condition, the researchers argue that it is very possible that developmental abnormalities contributed towards the eventual extinction of these late Pleistocene rhinos.
In modern animals, the presence of a 'cervical rib' (a rib attached to a cervical vertebra) is an unusual event, and is cause for further investigation, researchers said.
Though the rib itself is relatively harmless, this condition is often associated with inbreeding and adverse environmental conditions during pregnancy.
Frietson Galis, one of the authors of the study, has previously found a remarkably high percentage of these neck ribs in the woolly mammoth.
"This aroused our curiosity to also check the woolly rhino, a species that, like the woolly mammoth lived during the late Pleistocene and similarly died out," said Alexandra van der Geer, one of the authors of the study.
"Our work now shows that there was indeed a problem in the woolly rhino population," van der Geer said.
The absence of cervical ribs in the modern sample is by no means evidence that rhino populations today are healthy. Museum collections are based on rhino specimens that were collected at least five decades ago, researchers said.
Rhinoceros numbers are dwindling extremely fast, especially the last two decades, resulting in near extinction for some species and the total extinction of the western black rhinoceros, they said.
"Our study suggests that monitoring the health of the vertebrae in rhinos has the potential to timely detect developmental errors that indicate the level of extinction risk," said Galis.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and the European Union stressed on the need to deepen deliberations on the applicability of international law to cyberspace and set norms of responsible behaviour of states.
During the fourth India-EU cyber dialogue here yesterday, the two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyberspace, enabling economic growth and innovation.
Led by Sanjay Kumar Verma, an Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian delegation had the representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the National Security Council Secretariat, the CBI, the Department of Telecommunication, the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre and the NIA.
The EU delegation was led by Herczynski Pawel, Director for Security Policy, European External Action Service, who was accompanied by representatives from European External Action Service and officials from the EU Delegation in New Delhi.
"India reaffirmed that the existing principles of international law are, in general, applicable in cyberspace and that there was a need to continue and deepen deliberations on the applicability of International Law to cyberspace and set norms of responsible behaviour of states," a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
It also emphasised the significance of various regional, international and multilateral initiatives, particularly those initiatives where UN plays a key role, to continue the debate on these issues as well as in cyber capacity building.
The two sides reaffirmed that the bilateral cyber dialogue provided a strong foundation for existing and future cooperation.
Areas of discussion included domestic cyber policy landscape, cyber threats and mitigation, internet governance, mechanism on bilateral cooperation and possible cooperation at various international and regional fora.
The Indian delegation also made a presentation on the 5th Global Conference on Cyber Space to be held in New Delhi on November 23-24, 2017.
Both sides agreed to hold the next India-EU Cyber dialogue in Brussels in 2018.
The Second Japan-India Cyber Dialogue was also held here on August 17, that saw discussions on domestic cyber policy landscape, cyber threats and mitigation, mechanism on bilateral cooperation and possible cooperation at various international and regional forums.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a heartwarming gesture, many Indian-Americans living in safer Texas neighbourhoods are helping many Houstonians still stuck by Hurricane Harvey by opening their homes and distributing fresh food, medical and essential needs.
The entire neighbourhoods of the fourth-largest city in the US and the most populous in Texas have been flooded leaving residents homeless and hapless. While government agencies were working round-the-clock in relief efforts, the Indian community also rallied together to pitch in with whatever help they could in terms of food, shelter and rescue operations.
"I have organised 1500 meals from the Dawoodi Bohra Masjid to be delivered to the needy and dispatched 100 volunteers," Abeezar Tyebji, a resident said.
Indo-American Chamber of Greater Houston and local restaurant Madras Pavilion have been sending over 500 meals to the convention centre where the evacuees are housed.
Heartwarming stories poured in from all quarters highlighting the efforts made by the community and over 100 volunteers working to help those in distress.
Preeti Kankikarla, a young professional, was living with her 65-year-old mother in a ground floor apartment. As the water level rose dangerously, she called the SEWA International Houston hotline and volunteers reached her home and helped them move to a first floor apartment.
Many Indian business organisations and places of worship have also opened their doors to shelter those who have been displaced. Indian restaurants and families have been providing packets of fresh Indian food.
Achalesh Amar, an active member of the community, described Houston as a ghost town, where many volunteers are working till 3 AM, monitoring requests, assessing the situation and coordinating assistance.
Other Indian organisations like Hindus of Greater Houston, India House, India Culture Centre, the Indo-American Charity Foundation, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston and the Indo-American Political Action Committee have decided to coordinate the relief efforts of the Indian community through SEWA International.
"A system for pre-registration for volunteers has been set up for cleanup work after the water levels subsides," SEWA International Houston Chapter's President Gitesh Desai said.
Volunteers of BAPS Charities also prepared and distributed food to around 120 students of the University of Houston and also to local people. According to them, they will be preparing food in coming days also. They are working with local state officials in Houston, Sugar Land, Missouri City and League City for any essential needs.
The rescue operations are also initiated by Indian students studying in various institutions in the area.
According to Partha Sarathi Chaterji, a student of IIT in Houston, all students helped each other in the rescue operations during the floods.
Emergency contacts and other information on availability of boats to reach safe places were shared on social media, he said.
Various Indian restaurant chains also offered free food during the difficult times. Many doctors and nurses also used social media to reach out a helping hand.
Dinesh Purohit, owner of Cafe India & Bollywood Chowpaty Chaat, Sugarland provided dry baby food, milk, water, cooked meals.
Many Indian-origin doctors including, Minni Malhotraare Bhavana Rao, Sunil GopalKrishna are offering free consultation in the area.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
IT major Infosys today said that it would submit the plan for the proposed Kolkata centre to the West Bengal government after completion of the land registration process.
The company which got 50 acres of land at Rajarhat in the state shortly after the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011 for setting up of its maiden project here, did not proceed further as the government under the leadership of chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not agreeable to recommend the SEZ status to the centre as wanted by Infosys.
The chief minister said that the state government would provide fiscal incentives instead but would not agree on the SEZ status.
After a hiatus of five-odd years, Banerjee yesterday said at the state secretariat "the company would be coming to the state without the SEZ status. They will invest Rs 100 crore here on a 50-acre land in Rajarhat".
"Infosys has agreed to start construction of its development centre in Kolkata which will have a capacity to seat around 1000 people. We will submit the plan for the proposed centre to the government as soon as the land registration process of complete", the company spokesperson said.
A senior Infosys executive told PTI "there is no point on hanging on to the same issue (read SEZ) as it benefits none.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A revolutionary court in Iran has sentenced six reformist social media administrators to up to five years in jail, their lawyer told the ILNA agency today.
Ali Mojtahedzadeh said the six group admins on the Telegram messaging app who were free on bail after their arrest in March were sentenced in court, without giving the date of the verdict or the charges.
"According to the verdict by Branch 15 of the revolutionary court, Mr Nima Keshvari and Mr Ahmadnia received five years, Mr Naghdi and Mr Jamshidi four years, and Mr Sobhan Jafari received three years in prison," he said, without giving all their first names.
Mojtahedzadeh told the reformist labour agency that a sixth defendant, named Bagheri, was not in court for the verdict, apparently a two-year jail term.
The lawyer said he would not be able to file an appeal until he received a copy of the 60-page verdict.
Iran's conservative-dominated judiciary arrested 12 social media admins supporting reformist and moderate President Hassan Rouhani's camp ahead of the country's May election, on security and obscenity charges.
"Some of these people have been arrested on national security charges and some... For committing crimes against public decency and publishing obscene content," deputy judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie said in April.
Rouhani, a moderate who won re-election, has criticised the arrests but has little power over the judiciary.
Social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are blocked in Iran but users exploit widely available privacy software to access them.
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Comedian Kathy Griffin has taken back her apology for posing with a bloody mask of President Donald Trump in May, saying the whole thing was "blown out of proportion".
Griffin faced backlash for her photoshoot where she imitated Trump's decapitation, which many felt was out of line.
The 56-year-old comedian later apologised for the photoshoot but in an interview to Australian morning show "Sunrise" recently, Griffin backed down on her apology.
"I'm no longer sorry. The whole outrage was BS. The whole thing got so blown out of proportion and I lost everybody (sic)," she said.
The comedian then rattled off the names of those who spoke out against her, including political leader Chelsea Clinton and actor Debra Messing and the CNN, which fired her from her usual New Year's Eve hosting gig after the controversy.
"I have been through the mill. I didn't just lose one night on CNN. My entire tour was cancelled within 24 hours because every single theatre got all these death threats. These Trump fans are hardcore."
When "Sunrise" host Samantha Armytage pointed out that Clinton and Messing were not Trump supporters but still criticised her photoshoot, the comedian shot back, "No, you're full of crap. Stop this."
"Stop acting like my little picture is more important than the actual atrocities the president of the United States is committing. I'm on a mission to tell people honestly that if it happened to me, as big-mouthed and obnoxious as I am, it can happen to you.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Kerala Tourism Department is getting ready to woo more tourists during the forthcoming Onam festival through special packages and programmes under its 'Responsible Tourism' (RT) initiative.
Titled 'Nattinpurangalil Onam Unnam, Onasammanangal Vangam' (Let's have Onam feast in villages and get Onam gifts), the initiative is aimed at introducing the traditions of the festivities to foreign and domestic tourists.
Talking to reporters here, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the department would provide tourists an opportunity to know Onam, its celebrations, enjoy 'Onasadya' (feast), watch 'Onakkalikal' (festival games) and take part in them.
"The programme will have Onam packages for tourists by integrating small enterprises being run by the local community and responsible tourism units," he said.
It would also give an opportunity for interested families to welcome tourists to their homes and treat them to an Onam feast, he said.
About the features of the project, he said the model was designed to promote and encourage home meals, local tea shops and hotels and at the same time encourage travellers to spend on organic vegetables, khadi textiles, local produce, handicrafts and food items.
"We are launching the project on a pilot basis during this Onam season and planning to extend it in the coming days. It can provide sizeable income to tourism entrepreneurs as well as small merchants and traditional artistes," the minister added.
Tourism Secretary P Balakiran said the 'RT' initiative would help tourists to experience the feast and other festivities of Onam at local homes other than hotels and commercial establishments.
"The packages would help foreign and domestic tourists to see and experience Kerala's tradition and legacy," he said.
The packages - Onam Village Tours and Onam Life Experience - range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,000.
The tourists would be seen off with assured Onam gifts.
The 'Responsible Tourism' project is being implemented in accordance with the government policy of ensuring income and living to natives in and around the tourism sector.
The government has already set aside Rs 4.5 crore for the initial phase of the project.
'Thiru Onam' falls on September 4 this year.
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The Kremlin today insisted the arrest of top theatre and film director Kirill Serebrennikov over alleged embezzlement of state funding was not about politics or censorship of the arts.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists: "In this case you should not waste your breath talking about some kind of politicisation, censorship and so on. Such discussions are absolutely inappropriate and have nothing to do with purely financial questions."
The Kremlin spokesman was giving his first in-depth comment on the case.
Serebrennikov, creative director of the Gogol Centre theatre in Moscow who has also staged productions at the Bolshoi theatre, is under house arrest after being charged last week with defrauding the state of 68 million rubles (USD 1.15 million) in funding for a theatrical project, for which he could face a decade in jail. He denies any guilt.
Peskov said the charge showed simply that "state funds need to be accounted for."
The case has caused an uproar in the arts world in Russia and beyond, with many linking it to Serebrennikov's criticism of increasing state censorship of the arts.
Peskov, however, dismissed the support Serebrennikov has received from colleagues in the theatre.
"The support from colleagues... Is very understandable, but probably you should not link this support directly to those questions that investigators have for Serebrennikov," he said.
One of Russia's best known actresses and philanthropists, Chulpan Khamatova, who once made a video supporting Putin's election campaign, spoke out against his arrest at an awards ceremony today.
"My colleague, my friend, is under house arrest, in my view completely unjustly and unlawfully. I am very afraid," she said.
A court has detained Serebrennikov under house arrest in Moscow until October 19, despite numerous offers of bail from his supporters including the sister of billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
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Libya's coastguard has rescued almost 550 migrants this week in four separate operations west of the capital Tripoli, navy spokesman General Ayoub Kacem said today.
Libya has been a springboard for illegal migration to Europe, especially Italy, since becoming engulfed in chaos following a 2011 revolution that toppled and killed its longtime ruler Colonel Moamer Kadhafi.
Tens of thousands of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe each year on overcrowded and flimsy boats run by unscrupulous people traffickers.
Kacem said the latest rescue operations took place on Monday and yesterday off the coasts of Sabratha and Sidi Bilal, ports west of Tripoli.
Two separate operations off Sabratha brought to shore 252 migrants from African and Arab countries, including women and children, said Kacem.
A total of 290 migrants, all African, were rescued in two other operations off Sidi Bilal, he added.
A total of 125,000 migrants have so far crossed the Mediterranean by boat this year while an estimated 2,400 have died en route, according to UN figures.
The vast majority of arrivals have landed in Italy, which lies a mere 300 kilometres (186 miles) from Libyan shores, before travelling on to other EU members.
Italy has sent naval vessels at the request of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord to assist Tripoli in intercepting migrants, on a mission disputed by rival authorities in eastern Libya.
On Monday, African and European leaders meeting in Paris backed proposals to screen asylum-seekers in Africa as a way to prevent thousands from undertaking perilous sea journeys.
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Local militants have gone into hiding after successful interventions by security forces on the anti-militancy front, Kashmir IGP Muneer Ahmad Khan said today.
He, however, said foreign ultras were now trying hard to make their presence felt in the Valley.
"(Because of) the successes which the security forces got in which top commanders of Lashker (Lashker-e-Toiba) or HM (Hizbul Mujahideen) were eliminated, the militants have gone into hiding and are looking for other ways to survive.
"They have gone into hiding and we have reports that they have gone to higher reaches. They used to freely roam in buildup areas, which has now stopped. They have now given space to foreign militants, whether of Jaish (Jaish-e-Mohammad) or any other group," Khan said.
The IGP was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a cleanliness drive at the police control room complex here.
The top cop said one or two groups of Jaish were still operating in south Kashmir and fringes of Srinagar district, even after the death of three ultras in Pulwama encounter on August 26.
Asked whether the security forces were on high alert after the Pulwama attack, the IGP said the forces have to always remain alert.
"There is no high alert, but after the Pulwama incident, we have to remain more careful. As a human body goes into slumber, we, regularly, have to tell our jawans and officers to remain alert. It is part of our drill," he said.
On reports that militants have stopped using mobile phones to avoid getting traced, Khan said mobiles or not, militants would be neutralised.
"We are facing militancy since 1990. There was a phase when there were no mobiles, still militants were neutralised. Now, there is a phase wherein mobiles are there and militants are getting neutralised. The work does not stop. If one thing closes, another opens up and we work on it," he said.
On being quizzed about non-registration of FIR on a complaint filed by an editor of local daily 'Kashmir Monitor' against Baramulla MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig's wife for allegedly threatening to kill him, the IGP said, "I will have to check it."
The editor had recently lodged the complaint at Kothi Bagh police station against the parliamentarian's wife for allegedly threatening him over an editorial on Baig in the daily.
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The University of the Arts London today announced a collaboration between the UK and Indian students on a project aimed at finding creative solutions to social problems in Mumbai.
After running successful workshops in London and New York in the past, UAL's Modual: Mumbai project next month plans to deliver a collaborative digital leadership experience to an Indian audience.
"At UAL, we believe creativity is borderless. We are really excited to be enabling this unprecedented partnership between London and Mumbai's emerging creative talent, which will generate profound cultural and technical exchange while simultaneously creating new possibilities for positive social impact," said Fred Deakin, UAL's Professor of Digital Arts and leader of the project.
Modual is a collaborative workshop exploring creativity, positive change and innovation as part of which 10 students from London will fly out to work for two weeks with 20 Indian students to develop a range of innovative social enterprise projects focusing on creative solutions for local issues.
It will be held at the British Council in Mumbai, which is also providing partnership alongside some local social enterprises like UnLtd India.
Modual: Mumbai, which will run between September 4-15, will include the students pitching their final workable projects to an audience of industry leaders and investors to turn into a business model.
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Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar today visited the tent city of Mina near Mecca and interacted with the Indian pilgrims who have assembled here to perform Haj.
All 1,70,000 Indian Hajis have gathered in Mina before setting off tomorrow to climb Mount Arafat, the pinnacle of the annual Haj.
Akbar, who is leading the government's Haj goodwill delegation, was wearing the simple white garb of the pilgrim and was accompanied by Indian Ambassador to Saudi Ahmad Javed and Consul General Md. Noor Rahman Sheikh.
"Deeply grateful to PM @narendramodi for sending me on his Haj goodwill mission. In Jeddah now. Heading for Mecca Sharif shortly," Akbar tweeted.
Akbar also called on Dr Muhammad Saleh Benten, Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah.
"MOS @mjakbar visited a hospital in Makkah established to assist the medical requirements of Indian Hajjis," the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson tweeted.
The Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which capable Muslims must perform at least once, marking the spiritual peak of their lives.
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One person died of swine flu and related complications at a state-run hospital here, a health official said here today.
The 45-year-old man succumbed at the state-run Gandhi hospital yesterday, the official said.
It is the only H1N1 death this month so far, he said.
Seven persons are undergoing treatment at the hospital at present, the official added.
A swine flu bulletin issued by the Telangana government yesterday said 165 positive cases of swine flu have been reported in the state since the beginning of this month.
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Defence Secretary James Mattis has signed a memorandum that allows transgender troops to serve in the military while he studies an order by President Donald Trump banning them from US forces.
His announcement comes barely a week after Trump signed a memorandum that banned recruiting transgenders in the US military, as he reversed a decision taken by his predecessor Barack Obama.
"Once the panel reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction. In the interim, current policy with respect to currently serving members will remain in place," Mattis said in a statement yesterday.
"I expect to issue interim guidance to the force concerning the president's direction, including any necessary interim adjustments to procedures, to ensure the continued combat readiness of the force until our final policy on this subject is issued," he said.
The Department of Defence, he said, has received the Presidential Memorandum, dated August 25, 2017, entitled "Military Service by Transgender Individuals".
The Pentagon will carry out the president's policy direction, in consultation with the department of homeland security, Mattis said.
"As directed, we will develop a study and implementation plan, which will contain the steps that will promote military readiness, lethality, and unit cohesion, with due regard for budgetary constraints and consistent with applicable law," he said.
He said the plan will address accessions of transgender individuals currently serving in the United States military.
The focus must always be on what is best for the military's combat effectiveness leading to victory on the battlefield, he added.
"To that end, I will establish a panel of experts serving within the departments of defence and homeland security to provide advice and recommendations on the implementation of the president's direction, the Pentagon chief said.
Panel members will bring mature experience, most notably in combat and deployed operations, and seasoned judgement to this task, Mattis added.
Meanwhile, as many as 140 American lawmakers yesterday urged Trump to reverse his order banning transgenders in the military.
"Implicitly, your ban denies the value of transgender service members, and it questions the professionalism of those who serve beside them. Our Armed Forces have grown more equal and more inclusive over time, often in the face of strident opposition," the Representatives wrote.
Among the signatories were Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
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US-based fast food major McDonald's today ruled out any settlement with its estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi for north and east regions before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
Subsequently, the NCLAT issued notices to both the parties over their cross petitions directing them to file replies, and posted the matter for the next hearing on September 21.
"Without going into the merit...We find that there is no chance of any settlement," observed NCLAT Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.
NCLAT was hearing the appeals filed by McDonald's and Vikram Bakshi against each other.
"In the meantime, respective respondents may file a reply within a week and rejoinder a week there of," the tribunal said.
NCLAT had last week asked both the parties to decide by today, whether they would consider settling dispute on their own or not.
During the proceedings, Counsel representing McDonald's questioned the conduct of Bakshi in running the JV firm, Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), which operated 169 outlets in north and east.
"Substantial sum of money has been siphoned off (from CPRL) in last weeks," submitted senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar appearing on behalf of McDonald's.
However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Vikram Bakshi, said that they are ready to settle the matter but McDonald's is not.
"They have removed him (Bakshi) unilaterally and they are not prepared to settle the matter. We are ready for settlement," said Singhvi.
This was countered by Sudipto Sarkar, counsel representing directors of McDonald's and said that question of settlement does not arise because of Bakshi's conducts.
"Settlement is not possible. Conduct of appellant (Bakshi) leaves much to be desired. (Like) insisting on board meeting despite court order," he said.
Meanwhile, Bakshi has also filed a petition against McDonald's citing violations by McDonald's in implementation of the orders passed by the NCLT.
When contacted, Bakshi told PTI: "As is evident from the unlawful acts being perpetuated by McDonald's Corporation by not upholding the NCLT judgement and allowing me to function as
MD we have moved NCLAT."
McDonald's had on August 21 terminated franchisee agreement for the 169 outlets in north and east, operated by CPRL.
As part of the termination, CPRL has ceased to use McDonald's name, system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others within 15 days of the termination notice.
Last week, McDonald's had moved the appellate tribunal challenging the orders of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) which has reinstated Bakshi as the Managing Director of the JV firm CPRL.
Bakshi was ousted from the post at the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013, following which he approached the NCLT in September the same year. He has been at loggerheads with McDonald's over management of CPRL.
Bakshi in his petition has requested the tribunal " To modify the Final Judgement passed by the NCLT to the limited extent of directing the buy-out of shares of either the Appellants (Bakshi) or Respondents (McDonald's)in Respondent No. 1/Company at fair market Value".
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In a relief to medical aspirants, the Kerala government today said it would furnish surety to banks for extending the Rs six lakh guarantee to students wishing to get admitted in private self-financing colleges.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held between government officials led by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K M Abraham and bank authorities, a release from the Chief Minister's office said here.
Abraham held talks with bank authorities in the wake of the Supreme Court's August 28 ruling that allowed the medical colleges to charge students Rs 11 lakh as annual fee, including Rs six lakh as bank guarantee.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday said the court order had caused anxiety among students and parents and their concern was understandable and government would do everything possible to help the students.
"The government is with the students and their families who are suffering due to the Supreme Court verdict," he had said.
The Chief Minister had also said the government had already appealed to banks not to insist for collateral security, margin money and third party guarantee while giving the bank guarantee to students.
Both Congress led-UDF opposition and the BJP in the state have been attacking the CPI-M led government over the medical admission matter, alleging it had colluded with the private college managements.
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Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi today scotched rumours that he would be the next Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, saying he would be going to his home town Jaipur tomorrow on his retirement.
"I will be going to Jaipur tomorrow noon," he told PTI when asked whether there is a possibility of him becoming the next governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said he has no information on the possibility of present governor N N Vohra putting in his papers ahead of the completion of his second term a few months later.
Mehrishi, a 1978-batch Rajasthan cadre officer IAS officer, will demit office tomorrow.
There have been speculations that Mehrishi may be appointed as governor.
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Several hundred Buddhist nationalists, including monks, rallied in Myanmar's largest city to urge stronger action against insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority for attacks on police last week.
The attacks in Rakhine state in western Myanmar have spiraled into chaotic violence, with more than 100 dead and villages torched.
At least 18,000 Rohingya have fled the violence and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in a no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said.
The army, responding to last Thursday's attacks, launched what it called clearance operations against the insurgents, but advocates for the Rohingya say they are attacking and burning Rohingya villages, shooting civilians and causing others to flee.
The government blames Rohingya insurgents and their sympathizers for the continuing violence. Government figures put the death toll since last week at a minimum of 103, including 12 members of security forces, 77 people described as insurgents and 14 civilians. There were reports of additional deaths yesterday.
Rohingya advocates fear the death toll for civilians is much higher.
Most of Myanmar's estimated 1 million Rohingya live in northern Rakhine state. They face severe persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, which refuses to recognize them as a legitimate native ethnic minority, leaving them without citizenship and basic rights.
Longstanding tension between the Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists erupted in bloody rioting in 2012. That set off a surge of anti-Muslim feeling throughout the country.
Wirathu, a Buddhist monk and leader of the anti-Muslim movement who is known for virulent sermons, told yesterday's protesters in Yangon that only the military can control the situation in northern Rakhine.
He criticised the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi for not responding quickly to the army's call Tuesday for a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which could declare a state of emergency in Rakhine and give the military absolute authority to enforce it. The military holds a majority on the council, which was created by the 2008 military-drafted constitution.
"Only the military's commander in chief can protect the lives and the properties of the people," Wirathu said. "The military is the only one that can give a lesson to tame the Bengali terrorists."
Myanmar nationalists use the term Bengali for Rohingya because of a belief they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, even though many families have been in Myanmar for generations.
Wirathu also denounced international aid groups that the government has accused, without evidence, of giving assistance to the Rohingya insurgents. The allegations have circulated widely on social media.
The Information Ministry yesterday said that 45 homemade bombs were detonated and seven villages, one security post and two neighborhoods in the township of Maungdaw were burned down on Sunday and Monday.
Maungdaw, in the northern part of Rakhine state, is a center of the violence, though villages over a much wider area were also hit.
Sanjukta Sahany, a spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on the border with Myanmar, said the Rohingya crisis was not just an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh but of international concern.
At the United Nations, the Security Council got an emergency, closed-door update Wednesday on Myanmar, at Britain's request. The council didn't issue any statement as a whole, but British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said members condemned the violence and called on all the parties involved to de-escalate tensions.
The UN refugee organization on Tuesday urged Bangladesh to continue to allow Rohingya fleeing violence to seek safety. It said it was ready to help Bangladesh with assistance for the refugees.
Ali Hossain, Cox's Bazar district's top government official, told The Associated Press that its resources were under huge stress after some 87,000 Rohingya entered Bangladesh since October last year and another 18,000 since last Friday.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the United States on Wednesday to pressure Myanmar so its government would stop pushing Rohingya toward Bangladesh, her spokesman said.
Hasina made the request during talks with Alice Wells, US acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said Ihsanul Karim, Hasina's press secretary.
The insurgent raids last Thursday were deadlier than an attack by the militants on three border posts last October that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counterinsurgency operations against Rohingya communities.
Human rights groups accused the army of carrying out massive abuses, including killing, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.
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The British Council here has launched a new English improvement course to be taught through interactive online classes.
Named as myEnglish, the course has been developed for individuals who wish to improve their current level of knowledge of written and spoken English.
"The flexible online course comprises multiple modules that will be delivered by British Council teachers with internationally-recognised English language and online teaching qualifications and experience," said Alan Gemmell, OBE Director, British Council India.
The programme offers nine courses, available at three language levels for participants at different levels of language proficiency.
Each course will be conducted over a period of six weeks, with a total duration of 50 hours of study per course.
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Nepal's Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara today held talks with Pakistani envoy Mazhar Javed and underlined the need for air connectivity between the two South Asian neighbours.
The Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahara said this when Pakistani Ambassador to Nepal Javed called on him.
The two "discussed matters relating to bilateral relations, mutual interests and cooperation," according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.
The foreign minister stressed the need for connecting both countries via air route, calling for "making initiations from both sides towards that end."
During the meeting, Nepal and Pakistan have underlined the need for holding regular bilateral consultations and using it as a means of further consolidating bilateral ties, the statement said.
Stating that Nepal and Pakistan have cordial relations since long, they stressed the need for taking the bilateral relations to a new height.
The Pakistani Ambassador informed Mahara that Islamabad would give top priority to the issue of connecting both countries with air route.
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Nero played the fiddle while Rome burnt is how one can describe the handling of the Dera Sacha Sauda related violence that left 38 dead, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged today as he attacked the Manohar Lal Khattar government.
The Khattar government had failed to perform its "raj dharma" and people have lost faith, so it must step down, Hooda alleged.
The Congress leader claimed that the Dera Sacha Sauda episode was the third major issue that had been mishandled by the Khattar government.
The previous two incidents he said were the self-styled godman Rampal issue, in which the latter's armed followers clashed with police leaving six dead in Hisar in November 2014 and the violence which broke out during Jat reservation stir that left 30 dead.
Hooda alleged that the Khattar government's handling of the Dera situation can be equated to "Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned".
While 32 people died in Panchkula in the violence that broke out after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday, six people died in violence in Sirsa, where the sect headquarters are located.
However, the state has been peaceful after the sentencing of the Dera chief in the rape case.
"When there were intelligence inputs, why did the government fail to act and how did the government allow such a large build up of people in Panchkula, which resulted in loss of lives and damage to property and even media crews were attacked," Hooda said addressing a conference here.
The two-time former CM alleged that government failed to perform its constitutional duty. The court had to intervene and come hard on the government, he said.
"The government failed to perform its "raj dharma", otherwise the situation could have been avoided.
After the sentence was pronounced, the situation was handled, my question is why it could not have been handled in the same way on Friday, he asked.
"This government created this situation thinking it will help its votebank. Now, people of Haryana have lost faith in them. The courts have rapped them. In a democratic set up, when people give up their faith in the government, it should step down on its own on moral grounds," he said.
However, if this government does not go on its own, it should be dismissed and President's rule imposed in the state, he demanded.
On the government saying that a "clerical mistake" in issuing prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC led to the huge gathering of Dera followers in Panchkula, Hooda said, "anybody who has even little knowledge of law will not buy this argument".
This is a lame excuse and for this they suspended DCP Panchkula (Ashok Kumar) making him a scapegoat, he said.
"It is political procrastination and lack of foresight on the part of the government that they failed to anticipate the scale of trouble, putting common people to grave inconvenience in Haryana and Punjab," he said.
75 people have died due to police bullets in three years of their rule, never before so many people would have died during the tenure of nine Chief Ministers put together due to police bullets, he said.
Hooda said during his time also situations threatening peace and public order in the state including on Rampal, Dera and Jat reservation front arose, but the Congress government did not allow peace to be threatened.
Asked should Dera Sacha Sauda be banned, Hooda said he will not like to comment since the matter is sub-judice.
Asked to comment on the sentencing of the Dera chief in a rape case, Hooda said, "I don't comment on judicial pronouncements".
Replying to a question on reports that there was pressure of the then government on CBI officers to go soft against the Dera chief, Hooda said "this is absolutely baseless. In fact, CBI was given a free hand, which is why charge sheet was filed in 2007".
To another question on Dera chief wielding clout as politicians from many parties used to visit his Dera, Hooda said, "when I was the chief minister for 10 years, I never visited the Dera even once".
Hooda, who visited Panchkula today, said there is anger among local residents.
Asked that it is being said that from those killed in Panchkula violence, no one was a local resident, Hooda said, "they (those killed) were humans and citizens of this country. This is most absurd statement".
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Scientists have discovered a new method to convert dried tree leaves into a porous carbon material that can be used to produce high-tech electronics.
Researchers from Qilu University of Technology in China used a multi-step, yet simple, process to convert phoenix tree leaves into a form that could be incorporated into electrodes as active materials.
The dried leaves were first ground into a powder, then heated to 220 degrees Celsius for 12 hours. This produced a powder composed of tiny carbon microspheres.
These microspheres were then treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide and heated by increasing the temperature in a series of jumps from 450 to 800 degrees Celsius.
The chemical treatment corrodes the surface of the carbon microspheres, making them extremely porous.
The final product, a black carbon powder, has a very high surface area due to the presence of many tiny pores that have been chemically etched on the surface of the microspheres.
The high surface area gives the final product its extraordinary electrical properties, said Hongfang Ma of Qilu University of Technology, who led the study published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.
The researchers ran a series of standard electrochemical tests on the porous microspheres to quantify their potential for use in electronic devices.
The current-voltage curves for these materials indicate that the substance could make an excellent capacitor.
Further tests show that the materials are, in fact, supercapacitors, with specific capacitances of 367 Farads/gramme, which are over three times higher than values seen in some graphene supercapacitors, researchers said.
A capacitor is a widely used electrical component that stores energy by holding a charge on two conductors, separated from each other by an insulator.
Supercapacitors can typically store 10-100 times as much energy as an ordinary capacitor, and can accept and deliver charges much faster than a typical rechargeable battery.
For these reasons, supercapacitive materials hold great promise for a wide variety of energy storage needs, particularly in computer technology and hybrid or electric vehicles.
The supercapacitive properties of the porous carbon microspheres made from phoenix tree leaves are higher than those reported for carbon powders derived from other bio- waste materials, researchers said.
The fine scale porous structure seems to be key to this property, since it facilitates contact between electrolyte ions and the surface of the carbon spheres, as well as enhancing ion transfer and diffusion on the carbon surface.
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Mumbai's famed 'dabbawalas' today cancelled their delivery of over two lakh tiffins to office goers in the city in view of the disruption of suburban rail services.
Dabbawalas, who had ventured out on their task yesterday, returned home only this morning after being stranded at railway stations.
"The over 5,000 'dabbawalas' who deliver around two lakh 'dabbas' (tiffins) a day won't be able to do so today as they returned only this morning after being stranded at railway stations," Subhash Talekar, spokesperson of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association told PTI.
"We will resume our services tomorrow," he said.
The tiffin delivery men use suburban trains to ensure the lunch boxes reach their destinations on time.
The three railway lines - Western, Central and Harbour - that link 70 stations, ensure that the lunch boxes travel from the farthest northern suburbs to the business areas on the southern tip of the city within a maximum of two hours, Talekar said.
The tiffin delivery men, most of who come from villages around Pune, are from the Maratha community.
On August 9, the 'Dabbawalas' took a day off to join the Maratha reservation rally here and to express solidarity with the movement for demanding reservation to Maratha community in jobs and education.
The dabbawallas pride themselves on the 'deliver on time' motto, irrespective of Mumbai's heat or heavy rains.
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Talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir are a possibility but these have to take place without any conditions, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said today.
Mehrishi, who is demitting office tomorrow, also refused to blame the Haryana government for its alleged failure in handling the law-and-order situation after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief saying it was not proper to judge any situation sitting in Delhi as law and order is a "live and dynamic situation".
On the possibility of talks with the separatists, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh has made it clear "many, many times" that the central government was open for dialogue in Kashmir.
"We want to talk," he said.
"I don't think that any talks can take place with pre- conditions," Mehrishi told PTI in an interview while replying to a question on whether the Centre was inclined to hold talks with the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir without any conditions.
He said there was "no doubt" that Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir through various ways including funding militants.
"Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism, Pakistan is ensuring infiltration to Kashmir and Pakistan is funding terrorism in Kashmir," he said.
Asked about the alleged alienation of Kashmiri youths, Mehrishi said alienation is a "concept of Delhi media" and the real issue for Kashmir is terrorism and radicalisation.
"Radicalisation and terrorism are the main issues, which we are dealing with. As one chief minister had said 95 per cent people in Kashmir want peace. The youths in Kashmir have the same aspiration, like any youth in rest of India, of good education, good job and a good life," he said.
The home secretary said the probe conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the terror funding to Kashmiri separatists has its desired impact and it has been reflected in the activities of separatists and stone throwers.
Referring to the ongoing NIA probe on terror funding, he said the agency was carrying out a "free and fair" investigation and it will be taken into its logical conclusion.
"Action will be taken against all those who are found guilty as per law," he said.
Asked to comment on the recent violence in Haryana after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Mehrishi said law and order situation is "live and dynamic situation" where administration and police deal with human beings and only a person in the field can make an assessment about a situation on how to handle it.
"It is neither advisable nor possible and it is foolhardy to judge handling of a situation sitting here in Delhi," he said.
"No officer wants a deterioration bad of law and order situation in his area. No chief minister wants deterioration of law and order his state," he said.
Asked about the recent stand-off between Indian and Chinese forces in Dokalam and Ladakh, the home secretary said the Indo Tibetan Border Police, which comes under the home ministry, is not deployed in Dokalam but in Ladakh only.
"But stand-off like situation in Ladakh keep happening. There was no extra ordinary situation," he said.
Asked about activities of alleged Hindu terrorism, he said terrorism should not be linked with any religion.
"Terrorism is terrorism. It should not be linked with any religion. No religion allows terrorism. Those who indulges in terrorism in the name of religion is only bringing bad name to religion," he said.
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Odisha Finance Minister S B Behera today asked banks to sanction credit to the priority sectors in order to achieve the target envisaged in the annual credit plan prepared by the Reserve Bank of India.
Behera also suggested the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) to hold credit workshops for sector like MSME, Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Textile, Housing and Higher Education at periodic intervals.
On the Banking scenario in the state, he said that State Bank of India have made operational banking correspondents in 488 unbanked Gram Panchayats.
Some other banks have indicated their consent to open 65 brick and mortar Branches and employ 182 Banking correspondents before December, 2017, so that 50 per cent of the 1474 unbanked Gram panchayats will be covered, he said.
Addressing the 148th SLBC meeting here, Behera said that during the current financial year, the annual credit plan target is fixed at Rs 60,000 crore for priority sector lending.
"This sector caters to the segments like agriculture, small and micro enterprises which support economic activities, generate income and also surplus and are worthy of receiving retail credit from the bank," he said.
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In a relief to Pakistan's former dictator Pervez Musharraf, the Balochistan High Court today dismissed an application challenging his acquittal in the killing of Baloch nationalist Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in an army operation in 2006.
Bugti, who led a tribal campaign to win political autonomy for resource-rich Balochistan and a greater share of profits from the province's natural resources, was killed in a military operation on the orders of the then president and army chief Musharraf in the restive province on August 26, 2006.
Musharraf had ordered the crackdown in Balochistan in late 2005 after being targeted by a rocket attack while visiting the southwestern province.
An anti-terrorism court in Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta last year had acquitted Musharraf and two other co-accused in the case - ex-provincial home minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani and Qaumi Watan Party chief and member of National Assembly Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao.
The application had been filed by the Baloch nationalist leader's son, Jamil Akbar Bugti, in 2016, challenging the verdict of an Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) in Quetta that acquitted the 74-year-old former military dictator and others in the case.
A divisional bench of the Balochistan High Court (BHC), comprising justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove, dismissed the application challenging the acquittal and maintained the judgement of the ATC, Dawn reported.
"We are not satisfied with the judgment," Jamil Bugti's counsel, Advocate Sohail Rajput, told reporters outside the court.
"We will challenge the BHC dismissal of our application in the Supreme Court," he said.
The death of the Baloch chieftain had sparked angry protests in parts of the country.
Jamil Bugti had named Musharraf, former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, former governor Balochistan Owais Ahmed Ghani and others in his father's case.
Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Facing impeachment following elections in 2008, Musharraf resigned as president and went into self-imposed exile in Dubai.
The ex-army chief is facing a slew of court cases after returning from five years of self-exile in Dubai to contest the general elections in 2013 which he lost.
He is also facing trial in high treason case for abrogating the constitution in 2007 and illegal detention of judges same year.
Musharraf has also been charged in connection with the 2007 assassination of prime minister Benazir Bhutto and the killing of a radical cleric in Islamabad in a military crackdown.
He again left Pakistan in March last year after the government lifted a travel ban on him.
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Pakistan's National Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution condemning President Donald Trump's "hostile and threatening" statements against the country and opposing his move to provide more space to India in Afghanistan in the new Afghan and South Asia policy.
The resolution passed by the lower house of Parliament also rejected the recent statement by Gen John Nicholson - the top US commander in Afghanistan - about alleged presence of Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan.
"The National Assembly of Pakistan rejects the unacceptable targeting of Pakistan by President Trump in his statement on Afghanistan and South Asia," read the resolution.
"NA also rejects claims of General Nicholson, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) commander in Afghanistan, regarding existence of Taliban shuras in Quetta and Peshawar."
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif read the resolution in the House, denouncing the US policy to give a formal role to India in Afghanistan.
"The House condemns attempts by the US administration to provide more space to India in Afghanistan and considers it a move highly detrimental to regional stability and complete failure to understand existing ground realities and emerging challenges in the region," it said.
It also rejected Trump's claim of giving Pakistan billions of dollars in aid and complete disregard to appreciate the sacrifices given by Pakistan.
It said that Pakistan's economy has suffered a loss of more than USD 123 billion while it lost more than 70,000 people in the war against terrorism.
Asserting that Pakistan's nuclear weapons were safe, it said, "as a responsible nuclear weapons state, Pakistan has in place a robust and credible command and control system..."
It termed Trump's statement "hostile and threatening" and urged the Government to consider the postponement of diplomatic visits between Washington and Islamabad, suspension of cooperation with the US, specifically the provision of ground and air lines of communication through Pakistan and draw and inform the US of a blueprint for the dignified return of all Afghan refugees.
Separately, Senate or the upper house of Parliament unanimously adopted "Initial Response to the US President's Afghan-South Asia Policy statement" report after two days of discussion including an in-camera deliberation.
It called on the government to convey the concerns of Pakistan and its people to the US, and bound the foreign minister to present a fact sheet to Washington to make them aware of country's contributions in the 'war against terror'.
Calling upon the government for a regional diplomatic initiative to coordinate its response, it said Pakistan should formulate its own South Asian policy that should be comprehensive as peace cannot be compartmentalised and segmented.
The report said that military escalation in Afghanistan will destabilise Pakistan and the region and would have negative consequences for Europe as well.
The House urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure that the territory of either state should not be used for terrorist activities against each other. Kabul was also urged to check hideouts and sanctuaries of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operating freely in Afghanistan.
It said that Pakistan should maintain its principled stance that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and should continue pursuing a politically negotiated settlement with the Afghan Government in the lead.
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Guardians of students of B D Memorial School at Narendrapur in the southern extreme of the city agitated since yesterday over an alleged steep fee hike despite promise by the school authorities not to do so.
A section of the guardians blocked traffic on the main road in front of the school demanding rollback of the hike. They had also similarly demonstrated yesterday, the police said.
The demonstrators were later persuaded to withdraw the blockade following talks with the school administration, the police said.
The father of a student of class eight in the CBSE-affiliated B D Memorial School, said, "The authorities suddenly asked for additional payment of Rs 18,000 as development fee for September in the Secondary section."
Principal B Chowdhury said the parents had been informed about the fee hike beforehand and the hike was meant to better facilities.
The hike consisted of tuition fees, expenses for multimedia and others to provide students quality education and the parents had been informed beforehand about the hike.
However, the school authorities will sit with the guardians to discuss the matter soon, the principal said.
The institution is one of the three B D Memorial branches in the city.
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Model-actor Paris Jackson paid a heartfelt tribute to her father, King of Pop Michael Jackson on what would have been his 59th birthday.
The 19-year-old star took to her Instagram to share a throwback picture of herself embracing her father, who passed away in 2009.
"Birthday wishes to the love of my life, the one person who showed me what passion truly was, the one that gave me solid morals to live by and how to dream. I will never feel love again the way I did with you. (sic)," she captioned the picture.
Paris also thanked her father, writing, "You are always with me and I am always with you. Thank you for the magic, forever and always. (sic)"
Jackson passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 50.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here today discharged former minister and Samajwadi Party leader Gayatri Prasad Prajapati in a cheating case, but he won't walk free as he is facing several other charges, including rape.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Ritesh Sachdeva discharged Gayatri in the cheating case on the basis of compromise between the two parties.
The court passed the order allowing an application moved by the informant Rakesh Prajapati.
The informant had lodged an FIR with Gautampalli police here on March 21, alleging that he had given Rs 6 lakh to Gayatri for sake of service to his maternal brother.
But he did not get any job and when the informant demanded back the money, Gayatri threatened him with dire consequences. The police had submitted charge sheet after investigation.
Moving an application on August 1, the informant said that he had not given money to Gayatri but to his aide Bhairav Prajapati and now he got back the money. Hence he did not want to continue the case.
Considering that the case was compoundable at the hands of the informant, the court discharged the accused from the case.
Gayatri was arrested on charges of rape after an FIR was registered with the Gautampalli police station here on February 18 on Supreme Court directive.
The complainant, a corporator, had alleged that she was repeatedly raped by the accused. She had alleged that Gayatri had also tried to molest her daughter.
A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court framed charges against Gayatri and six others in the case.
The woman corporator, aged 35, of Chitrakoot had accused Gayatri and his aides of gang-raping her and sexually harassing her minor daughter at the official residence of the minister in Lucknow for two years continuously.
Gayatri was granted bail by a district court on April 25, though it was subsequently cancelled by the Allahabad High Court on a petition by the state government.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Ram Nath Kovind will visit the holy town Tirupati-Tirumala on September 1 and 2 during which the Andhra Pradesh government will host a civic reception for him.
The president will arrive in Tirupati at 3 pm on September 1 and proceed to Tiruchanoor to worship Goddess Padmavati.
Governor E S L Narasimhan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will receive and accompany the president.
Kovind will then proceed to the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences and inaugurate a hospital building, a senior official of the General Administration Department here said.
The state government will felicitate the president at the civic reception at the Sri Venkateswara Arts College.
He will lay the foundation stone for the B R Ambedkar Skill Training Academy and give away sanction letters to beneficiaries of 'Stand-Up India' programme, the official said.
The president will then attend a state dinner at 7.15 pm at the Silparamam and from there proceed to the Tirumala Hills.
After an overnight stay, Kovind will worship Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala on the morning of September 2.
He will depart for New Delhi by a special aircraft from Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta at 9.20 am, added the official.
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The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), headed by MP Raju Shetti, today announced snapping of ties with the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, while accusing the NDA of failing to honour its promises made to the farmers.
The decision to pull out of the NDA and the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) in the state was taken during a state-level executive meeting of the party here.
However, since the SSS has only one MP and no MLA in the state, the decision will not destabilise any of the governments.
"We had supported the NDA and Mahayuti before the 2014 elections, as it promised the minimum support price for crops. However, in all these years, they have failed to honour their promises," Shetti said.
"At the insistence of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, we had become a constituent in the NDA and later, a part of the Mahayuti, but with certain riders and conditions.
"However, over the last three-and-a-half years, we have been disillusioned as all the promises made to the farmers by the Centre and the state government in the election manifesto have failed to see the light of the day," he added.
Shetti said the SSS had committed a "grave mistake" by extending support to the NDA.
"Since we had committed a grave mistake of lending support to these governments, I conducted an 'atmaklesh' (inflicting pain on oneself) yatra and now, we have decided to snap the ties with both the NDA and Mahayuti," he said.
"However, we have decided to part ways as we do not want to compromise on our principles and on the farmers' cause," he added.
Shetti said the reason behind joining the NDA was simple as the SSS, which agitated for the farmers on the streets, wanted to be part of the decision-making body (government), so that 'acche din' (good days) could be brought for the farmers.
"We waited for three-and-a-half years. We were patient. But, when we realised that the objective with which we had joined politics was not being fulfilled, we could not sit idle," he added.
Shetti argued that since the government had failed to give MSP equal to 1.5 times the input costs and a total farm loan waiver), the SSS had decided to pull out of the NDA and Mahayuti.
"Narendra Modi, who was the NDA's prime ministerial candidate, had promised in his campaign speech at Miraj in Sangli (in Maharashtra) to give the minimum support price as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. However, the farmers have been disillusioned and betrayed," he said.
He added that several discussions took place on the issue in Parliament, but they were inconclusive.
"When some of our associates went to the Supreme Court and filed a writ petition, questioning why the promises made in the election manifesto were not honoured, the government filed an affidavit stating that MSP equal to 1.5 times the input costs could not be given," Shetti said, adding that it showed that the ruling dispensation had betrayed the farmers.
He added that the SSS drew the society's flak for not pulling out of the government, but it was patient enough and gave time to the governments to act on their promises.
"In the last three-and-a-half years, due to the policies of the government, the farm loan burden as well as farmer suicides increased, the agricultural growth became negative and the import of agriculture produce from other countries went up," he said, adding that the farmers were still waiting for the subsidy on drip irrigation and the power connection promised to them was also yet to come.
Shetti alleged that the government even tried to "sabotage" the farmers' agitation in Maharashtra, demanding a total farm loan waiver.
He said to press for the two demands -- MSP and farm loan waiver -- the SSS would hold a farmers' agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in November, where over 150 organisations from across the country would take part.
He added that an SSS delegation would meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon and communicate the decision to him officially.
Earlier this month, the SSS had expelled Maharashtra Minister of State for Agriculture Sadabhau Khot, who was a party MLC, for "anti-party activities".
For the last several months, the outfit had been hinting at snapping the ties with the government over the farmers' issues.
"We have now decided that we will keep a safe distance from all the political parties, will intensify the farmers' agitation and will fight only for the farmers," said Shetti.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP has drafted senior leaders Ram Madhav, Narendra Singh Tomar and Mangal Pandey to shore up the prospects of the party as it set its eyes to take on the ruling TRS in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
They have been made in-charge of the party in five Lok Sabha constituencies each, and the Assembly segments that come under them, Telangana BJP President K Laxman said during a media interaction here today.
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya, the lone BJP MP from Telangana, has been made in-charge in two Parliament seats, he said.
Telangana has a total of 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly segments, and elections are due in 2019.
Ram Madhav is a party General Secretary, Tomar is Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, while Pandey is former Bihar BJP president and currently Health Minister in the Nitish Kumar government.
Laxman said the BJP state unit is taking inspiration from the party's impressive performance in the last Assembly elections in States such as Uttar Pradesh and Assam to come to power in Telangana.
He also announced that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would address a public meeting in Nizamabad on September 17 to be organised by the BJP state unit to celebrate 'Telangana Liberation Day' (or Hyderabad Samsthan Liberation Day).
Laxman, in fact, would be kicking off a week-long 'Telangana Vimochana Yatra' from Friday primarily to mount pressure on the TRS government to officially celebrate September 17 as "Hyderabad Samsthan Liberation Day".
He said during the agitation for separate Telangana state, which picked up momentum after 2004, the TRS had also demanded observation of official celebration on September 17.
In fact, during the run-up to the elections in 2009 and 2014, the TRS head and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao stated several times that the non-observation of official celebration on September 17 had been the "conspiracy of the combined state (undivided Andhra Pradesh)", he said.
Chandrasekhar Rao had also said that when the TRS comes to power, it would officially celebrate September 17 as 'Telangana Liberation Day', he said.
"But, after coming to power in 2014, obviously buckling under pressure of the MIM, who are actually the descendants of Razakars, who committed heinous crimes on the people of Telangana during the liberation struggle between 1945 and 1948, the TRS government took a 'U-turn' and put the issue on backburner," Laxman alleged.
Razakars had fought against Hyderabad integrating into India and wanted the Nizam rule to continue.
"It is obvious that the TRS government has shelved the issue, intimidated by the MIM and of course for vote-back politics," Laxman claimed.
The BJP believes celebration of September 17--the party has been demanding it since 1998--is an issue close to the hearts and minds of the people, inextricably linked to the self-respect of the people and a "historical imperative".
As part of the yatra, Laxman would visit "all those historical places which were witness to the brutality of Razakars and valour of the martyrs".
"The objective of the tour is three-fold: to expose the chicanery of the TRS government; to press the demand of official celebration of Telangana Liberation Day on September 17 and to revive the memory of Hyderabad liberation struggle and pay tribute to the martyrs," he added.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Romanian man has been handed a four-year jail sentence for using indecent images to blackmail a Northern Irish teenager who then took his own life, court officials said today.
Iulian Enache, 32, was found guilty of tricking schoolboy Ronan Hughes into sharing intimate photos of himself via a webcam in October 2015.
Enache then threatened to distribute the pictures online unless Hughes, aged 17 at the time, paid him a hefty ransom.
When Hughes failed to meet the deadline, the Romanian sent the images to others.
The teenager shot himself shortly afterwards.
Arrested in October 2016, Enache last week admitted to charges of blackmailing and of producing and distributing indecent images of a minor.
His sentence cannot be appealed, the tribunal in the western Romanian city Timisoara said today.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the Onam festival, a controversy is brewing over steps to erect a statue of demon king Mahabali, the mythical ruler around whom festival lore revolves, in the premises of a temple in Kerala.
The Travancore Devaswom Board's move to set up a bronze statue of Bali, modelled on a painting drawn by a Travancore king, adjacent to Trikkakkara Vamanamoorthy Temple in Ernakulam district, has been opposed by devotees and right wing outfits.
According to devotees, it is improper to install the mythical ruler's statue near the lone shrine in the southern state dedicated to Lord Vamana, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who as per legend, is supposed to have sent the demon king to the netherworld.
Defending the plan, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, president of TDB which manages the shrine, said though Bali was an 'asura' ruler, he was an hardcore devotee of Lord Vishnu and there was nothing wrong in installing his statue in the temple premises.
The statue would be made after melting the bronze vessels in the collection of TDB, he said.
"First of all, we are building a bronze statue and not an idol. It is being built not within the temple compound but in an adjacent plot owned by TDB. So there is no impropriety in building the statue," Gopalakrishnan told PTI.
Noting that people have many misconceptions about the character of Mahabali, he said the demon king was known for his noble mind, devotion to Lord Vishnu and initiating welfare measures for his subjects.
He said Bali was generally pictured in a distorted way, as a man with a moustache and a pot belly. The statue was an attempt to give an ideal representation of him, based on the painting by the Travancore king, he said.
"The Board plans to organise an in depth presentation of the mythical story and the characters of Mahabali and Vamana at the temple during the Onam days. We hope it will clear doubts and misconceptions of devotees over the issue," he said.
The statue's foundation work was complete and a total of over Rs 35 lakh is expected for the rest of the work, he said.
Hindu Aikya Vedi leader E S Biju said they were not against Mahabali and were extending solidarity to devotees opposed to installing the statue in the temple premises.
"Bali was a people-friendly ruler and devotee of Lord Vishnu, according to legend. So there is nothing wrong in installing his statue. But devotees have objection to setting it up in the ground of the temple, dedicated to Lord Vamana. We also support them," he told PTI.
The leader also alleged that the Board was taking unilateral decisions in this regard and devotees had already approached the Devaswom Ombudsman against the TDB's move.
The issue gained attention in the wake of RSS mouthpiece 'Kesari' kicking up a controversy last year questioning the legend behind Onam, arguing that it marks the celebration of birth of Vamana and not the homecoming of demon king Mahabali.
Popular belief in the state has it that Mahabali's homecoming in the Malayalam month of Chingam to see his subjects is celebrated as 'Thiru Onam' annually, which falls on September 4 this year.
As per mythology, Onam, the harvest festival, is connected with demon king Mahabali, under whose reign everyone lived in happiness and equality.
Envious with his popularity, the 'Devas' (Gods) sought the help of Lord Vishnu to get him banished into the netherworld.
But before going down, Mahabali secured a boon from Lord Vishnu to visit his subjects every year on 'Thiru Onam' day.
The demon king's annual visit is celebrated by Keralites, who decorate their front yards with floral carpets, wear new clothes and prepare a sumptuous feast.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A former South Korean spy chief was jailed for four years today for leading an online smear campaign against the man who is now president, Moon Jae-In, during the 2012 election.
Won Sei-Hoon, who led the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from 2009 to 2013, orchestrated an illicit smear campaign to sway voters in favour of the then-ruling conservative party, the Seoul High Court said.
South Korea only fully embraced democracy in the 1990s and its intelligence services have long been accused of interfering in elections in favour of the incumbent authorities.
Moon lost the 2012 poll to Park Geun-Hye but was elected earlier this year after her impeachment over a corruption scandal.
He has vowed to reform the NIS to prevent it meddling in domestic politics and focus it more on collecting and analysing intelligence on North Korea and foreign affairs.
Won had violated the political neutrality of the NIS by "spreading pro-government opinions through online postings", the Seoul High Court said in its ruling.
Two other former NIS officials convicted of colluding with Won were given suspended sentences.
Wednesday's ruling was the latest stage in a long-running legal saga.
Won was first convicted in 2014 but only given a suspended sentence. Both sides appealed and the high court imposed a three-year term, only for the Supreme Court to overturn that decision and send it back for re-hearing.
New evidence emerged in the meantime, the high court said, resulting in the longer penalty.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the festival of Bakrid, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an RSS affiliate, has appealed to Muslims to sacrifice bad habits and not goats.
"Animal sacrifice during Bakrid is a bad practice like Triple Talaq. People should boycott those advocating sacrifice on the day. Giving 'kurbani' during Bakrid is 'haram' (not approved) in Islam," MRM Convenor (Awadh Prant-UP) Syed Hasan Kausar told reporters here.
If anyone wanted to give sacrifice, he should "shun his bad habits and cut a (symbolic) goat cake," on Bakrid, which will be celebrated on September 2, he said.
Kausar said that there were a number of superstitions among Muslims about animal sacrifice and added that those who get better eduction would "understand Islam".
Meanwhile, MRM co-convernor K A Khurshid Agha advocated a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"As per Quran, prayers can not be offered at a disputed place, so how can the Babri mosque be constructed at the disputed site at Ayodhya," he said.
Earlier this month, the Manch had announced that it would launch a countrywide campaign to persuade Muslims against sacrificing cows on Bakrid with a special focus on Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar.
MRM leaders met Islamic scholars associated with the organisation in New Delhi at an event presided over by senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar where a resolution was passed against cow slaughter.
Agha said that Muslims were confused about "how to follow the path of Allah" and said they should come up against animal sacrifice.
The organisation has also planned a "march" from Lucknow to Ayodhya from September 11 to garner support for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
During the march, which will reach Ayodhya on September 17, the MRM will organise programmes at every third kilometre to apprise and convince people about the construction of a temple.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Patrick Stewart will be honoured at this year's San Diego International Film Festival.
The 77-year-old actor will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Excellence in Cinema, reported Variety.
Stewart will be bestowed with the honour on October 5 at the Variety Night of the Stars Tribute at the Pendry Hotel in Downtown San Diego.
With a career spanning almost six decades, the legendary actor is known for roles such as Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" series and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the "Star Trek" film franchise.
Stewart was recently seen reprising his role as the powerful telepath in the X-Men epic "Logan".
The 16th edition of the annual film extravaganza will screen 117 films, including the world premiere of "Dismissed," directed by Benjamin Arfmann and the US premiere of "Thelma," the Norwegian film helmed by Joachim Trier.
The festival will run from October 4-8.
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Actor Sandra Bullock has donated USD 1 million to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The 53-year-old Oscar-winning actor has pledged the whopping amount to the people who have been affected by tropical storm in Houston, Texas, reported E! .
"I'm just grateful I can do it. We have to take care of one another," Bullock said in a statement.
The donation by the "Gravity" star, who owns a house nearby Austin, will benefit the American Red Cross in its ongoing effort to help those impacted by the flooding and destruction along Texas' Gulf Coast.
Apart from Bullock, Hollywood stars such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Nicki Minaj, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Chris Brown and T I have also contributed money to the relief work.
A Houston native, Beyonce told a local newspaper, "My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help.
"I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St John's in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can."
Comedian Kevin Hart also launched his own Hurricane Harvey Relief Challenge, calling on fellow stars to doante USD 25,000 to assist Texas residents rendered homeless or without electricity in wake of the natural disaster.
Stars such as Miranda Lambert, Hilary Duff and Eva Longoria took to social media to send love and prayers.
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An unfazed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today ruled out his resignation after meeting BJP chief Amit Shah, saying that his government had acted with "restraint" and he was satisfied with its work.
There will not be any change (in leadership), he told reporters after submitting a report to Shah on the violence in Haryana following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh last week.
Khattar was responding to a query on speculation that the BJP top brass might replace him amid the opposition's charge that his government mishandled the Dera episode, resulting in large-scale violence.
At least 38 people were killed, mostly in police firing.
He said his government had acted with "restraint" as its first target was to ensure that the self-styled godman appeared before the court in Panchkula in Haryana.
The BJP government has been accused of mishandling the matter by allowing lakhs of dera followers to assemble in Panchkula before the Dera chief was to be sentenced, sparking a wave of violence following his conviction of rape.
Justifying his government's action, Khattar said had something happened before the controversial sect head appeared before the special CBI court on August 25, Gurmeet Singh might have used that as an "excuse" for not turning up in court.
"We acted with restraint. We achieved our aim," he said.
Asked about the demand for his resignation, he shot back, "Anybody can say anything... We are satisfied with our work. Whatever we did was right. There will be no change."
To a question on his party courting the Dera head for political support, Khattar said political parties sought everyone's cooperation.
"But there is never a condition for such support that somebody breaks the law. Nobody is above the law," he said, claiming that his government had no deal with the Dera chief, as was being alleged.
The force used by the state police was minimal, he said, adding that it also showed no laxity against those indulging in violence.
He also rejected reports of a "VIP treatment" given to the Dera head after he was convicted, saying he was temporarily put up in a guest house as arrangements were being made in the jail.
Convicted of raping two of his women followers, the Dera chief was on Monday sentenced to 20 years in jail.
(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 Supreme Court today agreed to hear next week the Centre's plea seeking transfer of various petitions challenging the validity of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) pending before various high courts to the Delhi High Court.
The government mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and said that 21 petitions challenging the validity of the Act were pending before the high courts across the country.
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh told the bench, which also comprised Justices Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar, that all these matters should be transferred for adjudication before the high court here.
To avoid multiplicity of litigation on the issue, all these matters pending in the high courts including those of Bombay and Karnataka, should be transferred here, he said.
The bench agreed to hear the plea on September 4.
The RERA came into effect on May 1, a year after it was passed by both Houses of Parliament. The validity of this Act has been challenged in various high courts by several petitioner, including the builders and promoters of real estate firms.
Recently, the Bombay High Court had asked the Centre and the state to file their responses on the petitions challenging various provisions of the Act.
As per the Act, developers, projects and agents had till July 31 to mandatorily register their projects with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Any unregistered project would be deemed to be unauthorised by the regulator.
Under RERA, each state and union territory will have its own Regulatory Authority (RA) which will frame regulations and rules as per the Act.
RERA covers both new project launches and the on-going projects which have not been completed or the occupation certificate not received.
It makes it obligatory on the part of the builders not to book, sell or offer for sale, or invite persons to purchase any plot, apartment or building in any real estate project without registering the project with the authority.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Supply of good quality produce through public distribution system can be achieved by scientific intervention on grain storage, the Country Coordinator, Biodiversity International, Delhi, N K Krishnakumar said today.
This was important as the 40 ton of reserve grain stock cannot feed more than two consecutive years of drought in the changing climate scenario, Krishnakumar said.
He suggested exploration of genetic technologies as new tools in this area.
He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on scientific approaches in preventing grain losses organised in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
ICAR Deputy Director General (Agricultural Engineering), K Alagusundaram shared his research experiences on grain storage at Canada, Delhi and Tiruchirappalli and said bulk storage of grain could minimize losses compared to bag storage methods.
Through Food Corporation of India, 60-72 ton of grains are stored which at the current minimum support price works out to around Rs.One lakh crore, Alagusundaram said.
Placement of trained entomologists in FCI godowns to save these stocks is the need of hour, he pointed out.
TNAU vice-chancellor, Dr. K. Ramasamy emphasized the need for scientific storage of foodgrains to achieve price consistency and uniform distribution all through the year.
An exhibition and practical demonstration to 600 farmers on use of insect traps will be held tomorrow.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Psychiatrist Is In
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!)
Chinese tech giant Lenovo, which sells handsets under 'Lenovo' and 'Motorola' brands, has sent a detailed response to the government outlining the measures taken by it to ensure data security for its customers.
The company - which termed security of customer data as a "key priority" - was among over 30 smartphone manufacturers that Ministry of IT and Electronics had written to on August 12 seeking details of safeguards adopted by them to protect customer data.
"Yes, we have already responded. Security and safety is a key priority for us. We work with governments as needed and comply with local regulations in all the markets we operate in," Lenovo India Mobile Business Group (MBG) Country Head Sudhin Mathur told PTI.
According to an IT and Electronics Ministry official, a dozen handset makers have sent in their responses, while some players have sought more time. The last date for submitting responses was August 28.
The objective of the entire exercise was to ensure that required data security measures are being taken with regard to hardware and software in mobile phones.
The IT ministry had cited international and domestic reports about data leaks from mobile phones, and said devices and preloaded software and apps will be under scrutiny in the first phase.
Motorola has also launched two new devices -- Moto G5S and G5S Plus -- priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999, respectively.
The Moto G5SPlus with dual rear cameras is available exclusively on Amazon and Moto Hubs, while Moto G5S is available at mobile retail stores.
"The Moto G series is our most successful range. We have sold over 7 million units of various Moto G phones in India till date," Mathur said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sharp differences have emerged among various hills parties and the GJM on whether to continue the shutdown in the hills which entered its 77th day today over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday held talks with political parties of the Darjeeling hills at the state secretariat in Kolkata and requested them to withdraw the indefinite shutdown.
But the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which is spearheading the shutdown, had said a decision would be taken at the party's central committee meeting after discussion in the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC).
Last night, GJM supremo Bimal Gurung had said in an audio message that there is no question of withdrawing the shutdown until and unless talks begin on the issue of a separate state.
"There is no question of calling off the shutdown until and unless the state government begins dialogue on the one point agenda of Gorkhaland. So many people have died. We have some duties and responsibilities towards the people of Darjeeling," Gurung had said.
"If the state did not agree to discuss the issue of Gorkhaland, then the hill parties should have walked out. We will inform about our stand after discussing the matter in our central committee," he had said.
A senior member of GMCC told PTI today on condition of anonymity that members of GMCC are divided on whether to withdraw the shutdown as many hill parties feel that the two- and-half-month-long shutdown has not borne any fruit.
"What use is the shutdown when we have achieved nothing in these 77 days of it? This weapon (of shutdown) is not working as it has been used on so many ocassions," he said.
The GJM took out rallies in various parts of the hills during the day demanding restoration of Internet services, which remain suspended in the hills since June 18 and an immediate withdrawal of police forces from Darjeeling.
Some political party activists dressed in traditional Nepali attire also took out rallies and raised slogans in support of Gorkhaland.
GJM activists and NGOs were seen distributing foods among the local people like other days as food supply has been severely hit by the prolonged shutdown.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With over Rs 15 lakh crore of junked currency coming back into the banking system post demonetisation, the government today said a "significant portion" of it could be black money.
The tax authorities have found undisclosed income of Rs 17,526 crore and Rs 1,003 crore has been seized so far, the finance ministry said in a statement.
"A significant portion of SBNs (Specified Bank Notes) deposited could possibly be representing unexplained/black money," the finance ministry said in a statement.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the objective of was to shift India from a predominantly high cash economy.
"We intended to give a blow to black money and... Expand the tax base of the country. It is obvious that post demonetisation, the direct tax base has already started expanding substantially," he said.
The RBI in its Annual Report for 2016-17 said that 99 per cent of the junked 500 and 1,000 rupee notes has returned to the banking system. An estimated Rs 15.4 lakh crore worth old 500 and 1000 rupee notes were demonetised on November 8.
The minister said government has taken steps to squeeze out cash from the system and his next step would be stop use of black money in elections.
Demonetisation, he said, has left terrorists and separatists in Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir cash starved.
Jaitley said note ban has compelled people to deposit money into bank accounts.
"So more tax payers, bigger tax base, both in direct and indirect tax, more digitisation, lesser cash in the system, integration of the formal with the informal economy.
"This was also one of the principal objects as far as was concerned. And I think there is far greater evidence now that that has started moving in the right direction," Jaitley said.
As per the annual report, while the counterfeit currency made up for a minuscule number, RBI post- spent Rs 7,965 crore on printing new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 and other denomination notes, more than double the Rs 3,421 crore spent in the previous year.
Jaitley also dismissed the impact of demonetisation on GDP. He said it was only a "transient impact" and when more money comes into the system, it impacts the formal economy.
Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg tweeted, "With RBI disclosing the numbers of returned notes today and the measure having been successfully implemented, debate should be over."
Jaitley vehemently defended the note ban decision, which sucked out 86 per cent of the currency in circulation, curbed economic activity and put common man at great inconvenience, saying the move was not intended to confiscate money but to bring it in formal channels and tax it.
The move, he said, was aimed at flushing out black money, eliminating fake currency, strike at the root of terror financing, convert non-formal economy into a formal economy to expand tax base and employment, and to give a big boost to digitalisation of payments to make India a less-cash economy.
With the return of the money, the anonymity associated with cash has gone, he said, adding the tax department is scrutinising 18 lakh bank accounts with unusual deposits post note ban.
To former finance minister P Chidambaram's criticism of the demonetisation move, Jaitley said, "People who had not taken a single step during their tenure against black money have not understood the intent behind demonetisation."
"The government had expected all the SBNs (old 500 and 1000 notes) to come back to the banking system to become effectively usable currency.
"The fact that bulk of SBNs have come back to the banking system shows that the banking system and the RBI were able to effectively respond to the challenge of collecting such a large number of SBNs in a limited time," the ministry statement said.
The effective currency in circulation today is only 83 per cent with full remonetisation having taken place, it added.
The statement said transactions of more than 3 lakh registered companies are under the radar of suspicion while 1 lakh companies were struck off the list.
The government has already identified more than 37,000 shell companies which were engaged in hiding black money and hawala transactions.
Around 163 companies which were listed on the exchange platforms were suspended from trading, pending submission of proof documents.
The Income-Tax Directorates of Investigation have identified more than 400 benami transactions up to May 23, 2017 and the market value of properties under attachment is more than Rs 600 crore, the statement added.
South Sudan sought to defend today the killing of a US journalist who was shot dead last week while embedded with rebel fighters.
Christopher Allen, a 26-year old reporter who had previously worked in Ukraine and Turkey, was shot in the head during a battle between the South Sudanese army and rebels in the southwestern town of Kawa on Saturday.
"The killing of Christopher Allen was not targeted," said information minister Michael Makuei, denying reports that government soldiers had deliberately killed him. "But anybody on that side is usually a target," he added.
Allen had been embedded with rebels from the SPLA-IO in order to report on South Sudan's civil war, ongoing since late 2013.
The government has made it increasingly difficult for journalists to access the conflict, which has been characterised by widespread murder, rape and displacement of civilians.
Makuei claimed Allen had been denied a visa "because of his hostile reports" and had therefore entered the country "illegally". It is unclear whether Allen had indeed reported from South Sudan in the past.
"If Allen entered South Sudan illegally then he is a criminal," said Makuei. "Had he not died we would have apprehended him and take him to the court."
He added "it's unfortunate. We regret his death."
Makuei also said there was "nothing that could indicate he was a freelance journalist" and said that if Allen was reporting "on the activities of the rebels then definitely he was a rebel."
Colonel Paul Lam Gabriel, an SPLA-IO spokesman, disputed Makuei's version of events saying Allen was wearing a clearly marked press badge and carrying a camera when he was killed.
"Allen was targeted. The person who shot saw him very clearly," he said.
Yesterday, Allen's body was handed over to officials from the US embassy.
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The Sri Lankan government today came out in defence of a former Army Commander accused of committing war crimes during the brutal civil war against the LTTE, saying every death in the three-decade long conflict cannot be treated as a human rights abuse case.
Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the government was prepared to probe any specific charges made against the military and Commander Jagath Jayasuriya.
Senaratne, who is also the Health Minister, said the accusations against Jayasuriya were of a general nature.
"Every death which occurred during the civil war could not treated as a case of human rights abuse as we were conducting a war against terrorism," he added.
The Army spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne said the allegations were baseless.
The International Truth and Justice Project, a human rights group had filed war crimes charges in Brazil and Colombia against Jayasuriya, who was the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil.
He was also accredited to four more countries in the Latin American region.
The lawsuit filed in Brasilia and Bogota on Monday alleged that General Jayasuriya bore individual criminal responsibility as the Commander of units that committed repeated attacks on hospitals, acts of torture and sexual violence, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings.
Jayasuriya was commanding the Sri Lankan Army's Wanni brigade in the north of the country where conflict raged during the last phase of the war with the LTTE.
He later succeeded war wining commander Sarath Fonseka as the overall Army chief.
As recognition for their services towards ending the 30 years long armed conflict some senior military personnel were given plum diplomatic postings, including Jayasuriya who was appointed as Sri Lanka's ambassador to Brazil.
Sri Lanka faced UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions for alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the conflict.
Sri Lanka's human rights record, particularly over the impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been the subject of international condemnation.
The UNHRC demanded accountability mechanisms to probe rights abuses blamed on both the LTTE and the government forces that ended in 2009.
Sri Lanka is averse to setting up of an international hybrid court with local and foreign judges to investigate the alleged war crimes committed by the government troops and the LTTE in the last phase of the conflict.
Relatives of the missing Tamil people allege that the Lankan state - particularly its army, navy and police - were behind most of the disappearances.
According to the government figures, around 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the civil war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
The LTTE, which led the separatist war for a separate Tamil homeland, was finally crushed by the Lankan military in 2009 with the death its supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
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Actor Stephan James is in negotiations to feature in Barry Jenkins' adaptation of "If Beale Street Could Talk".
The 23-year-old actor may play the Tish's fiance, Fonny, who is falsely accused of a crime in the '70s-set love story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The story is based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, which revolves around Tish, a newly-engaged Harlem woman who races against time to prove her lover's innocence while carrying their unborn child.
Jenkins, who won the Oscar for the best adapted screenplay for "Moonlight" this year along with co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, is working closely with Baldwin's estate to write the screenplay for the film.
Production begins in October.
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to Russia next week to attend the third Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
Swaraj will travel to Russia at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here.
During her visit from September 5 to 7, Swaraj will participate in the opening ceremony of the Forum on September 6 as well as hold bilateral meetings with Trutnev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Governors of some of the Far Eastern Regions, among other engagements, the statement added.
Sitharaman, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, will be accompanied by a business delegation.
During her visit from September 5 to 8, Sitharaman will participate in the high level India-Russia Business Dialogue as well as have bilateral meetings with Russian Ministers, including the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.
She will also participate in a panel discussion and preside over the launch ceremony of the 'Russia Desk' in Invest India during the Forum.
The ministers' visit "reflects the importance attached by India to emerging opportunities in the Russian Far East, and to its strategic partnership with Russia," the statement said.
The high-level Indian participation in the Forum follows the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Guest of Honour at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will travel to Colombo tomorrow to attend two-day Indian Ocean Conference, the Ministry said here today.
During the visit, Swaraj will be calling on the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a statement from the External Affairs Ministry said.
"She will also have a separate meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister," it said.
The two-day conference is being jointly organised by the India Foundation, the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore, and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Colombo, the Ministry said.
Swaraj will address the inaugural session of the conference.
"The theme of this year's conference is 'Peace, Progress and Prosperity' and will involve participants from more than 35 countries. The first edition of the Indian Ocean Conference was held in Singapore in September 2016," it said.
There will be ministerial representation from Bangladesh, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Vietnam and the conference will also be attended by senior officials from the USA, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Germany, Kenya, South Korea and Afghanistan among others, India Foundation had said in a statement.
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In a sensational claim regarding yesterday's downpour, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that "nine-km-high" clouds were hovering above the city and the impact would have been severe had they burst.
Lapping up Thackeray's remarks, which he made at a press conference, political parties across the spectrum asked the Sena chief to clarify his statement as a cloudburst could have posed a serious risk to the lives of thousands of citizens.
Referring to yesterday's deluge that rekindled the memories of July 26, 2005, Thackeray said, "nine-km-high clouds were hovering above the city yesterday. The impact would have been much more severe had there been a cloudburst".
Responding to his remarks, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, "Thackeray should have substantiated his comments because when talking about a cloudburst, you are talking about the safety of thousands of residents. Such stray remarks cannot be taken lightly."
Taking a dig, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said it was "unfortunate" that the Sena president was "measuring" clouds at a time when he should have been measuring the width of potholes.
"When Uddhav Thackeray says there were nine-km high clouds hovering above the city, he should have given their length and breadth as well. Such remarks show the desperation and helplessness of the Thackeray family. He has no answers when everybody says this was not a natural, but a man-made disaster," Sawant said.
NCP leader Dhananjay Munde sought to know why did the government not warn citizens beforehand if there was a massive risk to their lives.
"We did not hear about this cloud in the last eight days from the IMD. This shows that Uddhav Thackeray is only playing diversionary tactics from the real issue, which is the troubles of the common people and the failure of administration," the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council said.
"However, if what he said is true, it is a glaring loophole in the arrangements done by the government. Why were people not informed beforehand about the risk to their lives? Why was their future allowed to be dependent on fate?" Munde questioned.
There is no room for family rule and graft under the AIADMK regime, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today said, apparently taking aim at jailed party chief V K Sasiakala and her deputy and nephew TTV Dhinakaran.
Palaniswamy and the leaders of the unified AIADMK have been locked in a turf war with the sidelined Dhinakaran and are opposing the involvement of Sasikala's family members in the party and government affairs.
"The government of Amma (Jayalalithaa) is a fort that protects the poor and there is no room for family rule," he said.
His comments come amid the rebellion by 21 MLAs, loyal to Dhinakaran, who had met state Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on August 22 and expressed lack of confidence in the chief minister, a day after factions led by Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam merged.
Dhinakaran has sacked a number of ministers, including Palaniswami, from various party posts.
Addressing a government function in commemoration of the centenary of late chief minister and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran at Vandalur on the city outskirts, Palaniswami also said "there is no place for graft" and "anarchy" in the regime.
Sasikala is serving a prison sentence after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam regime is firm on the ouster of Sasikala and her family from AIADMK and have convened a meeting of the party's general council on September 12 where the issue is expected to be taken up.
Heaping praise on MGR for the welfare measures taken up by him, Palaniswami said "those who believe us will not be let down and we will not allow such a situation come about", recalling a yesteryears Tamil film song of the late stalwart.
The function was attended by deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and officials, among others.
The state government is holding district-wise functions to celebrate the centenary of MGR, a matinee idol turned politician, who ruled the state from 1977 to 1987.
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A Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) worker allegedly attempted suicide by setting himself on fire at a party meeting in front of state Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy in Tandur town of Vikarabad district today, the police said.
"One Ayub Khan after delivering a speech at the meeting came down from the dais and suddenly doused himself with kerosene and set himself ablaze. He has been shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad," a senior police officer said, adding that the exact cause behind the extreme step is not known immediately.
Further probe is on.
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For the second time in two days, US President Donald Trump spoke over phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula after the North launched a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan.
"The two leaders confirmed their continuing, close cooperation on efforts to address North Korea's launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile that overflew Japanese territory earlier this week," the White House said.
Trump ruled out talks with North Korea during the second phone call with Abe in two days.
The phone calls came after North Korea increased the crisis with the test launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japanese territory yesterday.
However, Defence Secretary James Mattis told reporters the US was still looking for diplomatic options to resolve the Korean crisis as he welcomed his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo at the Pentagon.
"We're never out of diplomatic solutions. We continue to work together and the minister and I share responsibility to provide for the protection of our nation our populations and our interests, which is what we are here to discuss today," Mattis said.
"And look for all the areas we can collaborate - there is already very strong collaboration, we always look for more, we are never complacent," he said.
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UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted today as he visited the Palestinian enclave enduring "one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises" he had seen.
"I am deeply moved to be in Gaza today, unfortunately to witness one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises that I've seen in many years working as a humanitarian in the United Nations," Guterres said.
He later said it was "important to open the closures," in a reference to Israel's decade-long blockade of Gaza and to the border with Egypt that has remained largely closed in recent years.
Guterres made the comments at a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have fought three wars since 2008.
Israel says the blockade is necessary to keep Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the enclave, from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used to make them.
The blockade also serves to isolate Hamas.
UN officials say the enclave is fast becoming unliveable, with sparse electricity and a lack of clean water.
Guterres's comments came as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and yesterday and was due to give a speech in Tel Aviv later today before departing.
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UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed "great concern" over the flooding and extensive damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, one of the most destructive storms in US history, that claimed 20 lives.
The tropical storm has affected an area the size of Spain in the southern United States, and which is likely to worsen in the coming hours as the rain continues.
Guterres is following the developments in Texas "with great concern," the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson said.
"The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life and extends his condolences to the Government and people of the United States of America," the spokesperson said. "He wishes those injured a speedy recovery."
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US and the most populous in Texas, was still conducting emergency operations, with multiple road closures and no access to area hospitals for ambulances, after Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on Friday night.
Guterres, who is currently in the Middle East on an official visit with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, added that his thoughts are with all the victims and the first responders.
Earlier in the day, the UN chief tweeted that he was "shocked" at the images of the devastation.
"Shocked at the images of #HurricaneHarvey's devastation. My thoughts are with all the victims and the first responders," he said in the tweet.
The storm is presenting a "nightmare scenario," according to the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and bringing "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding.
Clare Nullis, a WMO spokesperson told journalists in Geneva that rivers are rising and the disaster is "far from over."
"Harvey has caused so much rainfall that the National Weather Service has had to update the colour charts on its graphics in order to effectively map it," Nullis said.
A new colour category has been introduced for rainfall totals above 30 inches or 76 centimetres, Nullis said.
Although the storm is no longer classified as a hurricane, it is moving slowly and generating heavy rainfall.
"The priority for now is to save people's lives and get them out of harm's way," Nullis said.
The UN disaster risk reduction office today extended condolences to the families and friends of the people killed, and said the destruction caused by Harvey is already in the millions of dollars.
"Hurricane Harvey has revealed how exposed even high- income countries are when building takes place on a grand scale along coastlines exposed to tropical storms. There is no doubt that along with failings in risk governance, climate change is intensifying the cocktail of man-made risk to an unprecedented degree," said UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Robert Glasser.
He noted the impact of displacement caused by flooding - the most common natural hazard - and stressed the importance of building outside of flood plains.
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The UN Security Council has denounced North Korea's latest missile test unanimously demanding that Pyongyang halt the program after a rocket was fired over Japan into the Pacific.
The 15-nation body maintained its unity yesterday after Kim Jong-Un's latest provocation, with China and Russia agreeing to sign up to a statement condemning his isolated regime's action.
But the US-drafted statement, while noting that the test contravened several previous Security Council resolutions, will not immediately lead to new or tightened measures against Pyongyang.
Still, diplomatic sources told AFP that the speed with which the members had reacted underlined their determination to remain united.
"The Security Council stresses that these DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states," said the statement, issued after closed-door talks at UN headquarters.
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability," it said.
The Council demanded that North Korea -- already the target of six rounds of UN sanctions that have done little to quell Kim's nuclear missile ambitions -- obey all existing resolutions.
This would mean the North "abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities."
Pyongyang must not "conduct any further nuclear tests or any further provocation; and abandon any other existing weapons of mass destruction in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."
Finally, the body "welcomes efforts by Council members, as well as other states, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.
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Uttar Pradesh's flood woes continued as the toll rose to 103 while the situation improved further in Bihar with water receding from several areas and no report of any deaths today.
The flood situation in Assam and West Bengal too improved significantly and the number of deluge-hit people went down.
Torrential rains and subsequent flooding claimed at least 10 lives in Mumbai and the neighbouring districts of Palghar and Thane since yesterday.
Nine people were washed away in separate incidents in the city, while two lost their lives due to drowning in adjoining districts of Palghar and Thane. Another man was killed when a wall came crashing down on him in Mumbai's Ghatkopar.
The toll in flood-related incidents in Bihar remained unchanged at 514 and people have started returning home as the waters were receding.
Though 116 relief camps continued to operate, the number of people staying there dwindled to 61,495 as compared to 1.38 lakh yesterday, a state Disaster Management Department report said.
However in Uttar Pradesh, over 27 lakh people were affected by the deluge in the eastern parts of the state as raging waters of rivers emanating from Nepal caused havoc in vast swathes of land.
Citing a report compiled till yesterday, the relief commissioner's office here said around 60,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps in the affected districts.
"The toll in the floods has reached 103 in the state, where 3,133 villages in 24 districts are inundated," it said.
Army choppers, NDRF and PAC (flood) personnel continued relief and rescue operations round the clock in the severely affected areas of the flood-hit districts of the state.
The flood situation in Assam continued to improve as the number of deluge-hit people in the state has gone down to around 79,000 in five districts against yesterday's figure of over one lakh.
The third wave of the devastating flood has so far claimed 74 lives in the state. The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood-related incidents stood at 158.
Currently, 217 villages and nearly 10,500 hectares of crop areas are still inundated, the Assam Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.
Authorities are running 45 relief camps and distribution centres in four districts, where 14,117 people have taken shelter, it said.
West Bengal, which is yet to fully recover from the floods triggered by torrential downpour, is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places of sub-Himalayan parts of the state till tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in the six districts of northern West Bengal was improving with no major rainfall reported from anywhere in the area.
So far, floods have claimed 152 lives in the 11 districts of northern and southern parts of the state while over 10 lakh acre of agricultural land was inundated.
"The total loss has been estimated at around Rs 14,000 crore," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
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The US-led coalition has carried out an air strike to block Islamic State group fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, its spokesman told said today.
"To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge," Colonel Ryan Dillon told AFP, adding that the coalition had conducted an air strike.
Hundreds of IS fighters were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq.
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The Trump administration said today it was necessary that Islamabad take "decisive action" against militant groups based in Pakistan, after the National Assembly unanimously condemned US President Donald Trump's "hostile and threatening" statements against the country.
"We value our cooperation with Pakistan and want to see it continue," a State Department spokesperson told PTI.
But, the spokesperson added, Trump has been clear that "we are looking to the Pakistani government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region."
"It is vital to US interests that Pakistan prevent terrorist sanctuaries," the spokesperson said.
The comments came as the National Assembly passed a resolution opposing Trump's move to give more space to India in Afghanistan in his new strategy for the war-torn country.
The National Assembly also condemned Trump's "hostile and threatening" statements against Pakistan.
Since Trump called out Pakistan when he outlined the new strategy for South Asian on August 21, Pakistan-US ties have headed south.
Pakistan, which has accused the US of making unjustified allegations against it, has cancelled at least three senior level meetings with Trump administration officials.
The State Department, however, said Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with their efforts in the region.
"As Secretary (of State Rex) Tillerson said, 'We are ready to work with [the Pakistanis] to help them protect themselves against these terrorist organisations'," the spokesperson said.
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The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) will equip patrolling police teams in Kolkata and its neighbourhood areas with sound limiter devices this Durga puja to stop sound pollution.
"This is aimed at curbing sound pollution as we often hear from the cops about difficulties in measuring sound exceeding the specified 65 decibel limit at puja pandals and immersion processions," WBPCB Chairman Kalyan Rudra told PTI here today.
He said 720 sound limiter gadgets, which can immediately measure the sound level at a spot, would be handed over to Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar, Barrackpore police commissionerates.
"The members of the police team will also be trained by WBPCB experts on how to handle the gadget," he said.
Over 3,000 community Durga pujas - big, medium and small - were organised in the city last year, according to a member of Forum for Durgotsav, a platform of Durga puja committees.
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Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today flew off the handle when questions were posed to him on the monsoon preparedness of the party-ruled Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), a day after heavy rains virtually clogged the city.
Faced with a barrage of questions at a press conference here, an irked Thackeray told the reporters to "stop the rains yourself".
Latching onto Thackeray's comments, city BJP president Ashish Shelar asked him to "shun arrogance and apologise" for the chaos caused by rains yesterday.
Earlier, fielding the query of a reporter, the Sena chief said, "....You stop the rains then...Tell me what should I do. Do not think that you have the sole monopoly over Mumbai. We do serve the people, which is why they vote us back to power."
Thackeray was asked to explain the causes behind the city getting water-logged every year and people dying in monsoon, despite the saffron party being at the helm of the MCGM for the last 25 years.
The reporter sought Thackeray's reaction, asking him about the MCGM's claims that it spends crores to ensure that the city does not get flooded, that desilting works are completed on time and pothole-ridden roads are fixed.
In response, Thackeray said, "Shiv Sainiks are much more in touch with the common people than you (media) are.. Our workers went to homes of people (to help them), but you did not."
Responding to Thackeray's outburst, Shelar said, "Instead of speaking in an arrogant tone, you should humbly apologise to stranded people and rectify your mistakes."
Referring to the Sena chief's statement that the administration can fight nature only to a certain extent, Shelar questioned if it was limitations of those in power rather than limitation against nature that led to the flooding.
"Will you (Thackeray) answer where did Dr Amrapurkar go missing?" he questioned.
Dr. Deepak Amrapurkar, a renowned gastroenterologist of the Bombay Hospital, went missing near the Elphinstone Road station following heavy rains which lashed the megapolis. According to eyewitnessses, he fell into a manhole, the ppolice said.
The BJP leader also questioned what would happen to the families of those, whose homes got inundated with water yesterday.
"Where were those in power hiding (when Mumbai was flooded)? The BJP MLAs, corporators were out on streets helping people as part of their duty," he said.
The Shiv Sena is under fire after Mumbaikars suffered a double whammy of the inundated roads and disruption of the rail along with vehicular traffic yesterday.
Thackeray and MCGM Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had said that the civic body had done a commendable job in the given circumstances.
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A consortium led by Bain Capital and including Apple Inc has offered a revised last-ditch bid for Corp's prized memory chip unit worth about 2 trillion yen ($18.2 billion), a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Apple, a key client for Toshiba, is a new member of the consortium, which also includes South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc
The source declined to be identified as the talks were private.
The revised bid, first reported by Japanese broadcaster NHK, comes as sources say talks between and a Western Digital Corp-led consortium that has offered 1.9 trillion yen ($17.3 billion), have stalled.
Sources familiar with the matter said the two sides are unlikely to reach a deal by their self-imposed deadline of Thursday due to bickering over the size of Western Digital's potential future stake.
NHK said that under the new proposal, Bain and would both hold 46 percent each of the unit.
Toshiba said it could not comment on the chip sale process. Representatives for Bain and Apple were not immediately available for comment.
The Japanese conglomerate has been trying to sell the unit for months in an attempt to cover the impact of billions of dollars in liabilities linked to US nuclear arm Westinghouse.
- A British man has been extradited from Germany after being accused of launching cyber attacks on the networks of Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays banks this year, the National Crime Agency said on Wednesday.
Daniel Kaye, 29, from Egham, west of London, is accused of using an infected network to attack the banks' systems.
He was handed over to officers of National Crime Agency in on Wednesday and will appear in court in London on Thursday.
Kaye is also facing a charge that he endangered human welfare with an alleged cyber attack against Lonestar MTN, Liberia's biggest internet provider, the agency said.
The charges follow an investigation by the agency and Germany authorities.
(Reporting by Parikshit Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams)
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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Bird Group on Wednesday said it is interested in buying state-owned carrier Air India's ground-handling business, making it the second company to formally show interest in bidding for a part of the ailing airline.
Bird Group, which handles ground services at seven airports in India and operates hotels in the United Kingdom, has expressed interest to the civil aviation ministry to bid for Air India Air Transport Services Ltd, it said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet in June approved plans to privatise Air India after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep the debt-laden carrier afloat.
A ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has been appointed to look after the sale process of the flagship carrier, which has six subsidiaries - three of which are struggling to turn a profit - with assets worth about $4.6 billion.
Bird Group, which also operates car dealerships, has "requested for a separate disinvestment of the Air India subsidiaries" in order to unlock value, a spokesperson said in the statement.
The carrier could be sold in parts to make it attractive to potential buyers, government officials told last month.
Last month, InterGlobe Aviation's IndiGo, India's largest airline which flies four of every 10 passengers, said it was keen to buy Air India's international arm and low-cost division Air India Express.
Founded in the 1930s and known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot, Air India is saddled with a debt burden of $8.5 billion and a bloated cost structure. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.
Once the nation's largest carrier, its share of the booming domestic market has slumped to 13 percent as private carriers such as IndiGo and Jet Airways have expanded.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Malini Menon and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Commerce Ministry said it has launched anti-dumping investigations into hydrogenated butyl rubber from the United Sates, the European Union and Singapore.
The products are mainly used to produce heat resistant material, according to the ministry.
(Reporting by Meng Meng and Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Michael Perry)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Corrects Aug. 25 story in paragraph 11 to show monthly averages for DME Oman were about 20 cents a barrel, not $3 a barrel, above Platts Oman-Dubai; removes incorrect graphic.)
By Florence Tan and Rania El Gamal
SINGAPORE/DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq's proposal to change the way it prices crude oil in Asia faces resistance from refiners who fear that longer lead times between pricing and deliveries will expose them to more risk.
Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO surprised traders this week by seeking feedback on plans to switch its Basra crude benchmark in Asia to pricing based off the Dubai Mercantile Exchange from January 2018, dropping quotes based on assessments by oil pricing agency S&P Global Platts.
The move would affect the price of about 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil supplies to Asia, mainly shipped to India, China and South Korea.
"The change is significant and will be watched very closely by not only Middle East producers but everyone involved," said Oystein Berentsen, managing director for Strong Petroleum in Singapore.
The new method would price Basra crude using the monthly average of DME Oman futures two months before the oil loads. Other Middle East producers like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran price their oils based on the loading month.
This means Iraqi crude loading in October would be priced off DME's futures contracts in August. This poses a risk to buyers, who would only be notified by mid-September whether they had successfully bid for a cargo, making it hard for them to hedge against price changes in advance.
"We are not supportive. They need to fix their (supply) programme first, before trying to change the benchmark," said a senior crude buyer at an Asian refinery. He declined to give his name because he is not allowed to talk to media about market specifics.
The different timing on the pricing compared with other producers also makes it difficult to compare values among crude grades, traders said.
Some buyers were concerned that almost 80 percent of the crude used to price DME Oman futures goes to China, reflecting the economics and fundamentals of just one Asian buyer.
"Moving right away to DME Oman is very ambitious. I think it will cause a few hiccups because technically it's going to be very hard," said Adi Imsirovic of Britain's Surrey University Energy Economics Centre.
SOMO has not commented on its motivation for the changes. Switching to DME could extract higher prices for SOMO. Monthly averages for DME Oman held about 20 cents a barrel above Platts Oman-Dubai assessments between March and July this year.
Some traders support the move. Knowing Iraq's crude prices two months before delivery allows traders holding Basra cargoes without fixed destinations more time to decide where to sell their oil, based on regional price differences.
Whether SOMO will go ahead with the move has yet to be determined as the company is expected to resolve issues raised by customers, a source familiar with Iraq's plan said.
Iraq may change the benchmark but maintain the current pricing period for now, which means the crude would still be priced based on the same month it loads.
SOMO did not respond to a request for comment.
Platts, which dominates the global pricing of physical oil, declined to comment on how it would respond to the potential defection of the second-biggest producer from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
(Reporting by Florence Tan in SINGAPORE and Rania El-Gamal in DUBAI; Additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Tom Hogue)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Suvashree Choudhury and Neha Dasgupta
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indians returned almost all of the estimated 15.4 trillion rupees ($242 billion) in high-currency bills removed from circulation in a shock move late last year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its annual report out on Wednesday.
A total of 15.28 trillion rupees was returned to the central bank through lenders, a number that could renew scrutiny about the effectiveness of the measure announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November.
By rendering 500 and 1,000 rupees illegal in one stroke and imposing restrictions on how the money could be returned to lenders, Modi had been intending to make it difficult for hoarders of undeclared wealth, or black money, to exchange their undeclared cash for legal tender.
But it seems that nearly all of it was returned by individuals, implying that there was a very small amount of unaccounted money held in cash by those seeking to conceal it.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitely however stressed that the exercise was not just aimed at unearthing unaccounted wealth but also about improving digitisation, getting more people under the tax net, and curbing terrorist financing.
"The real object of demonetisation was formalisation, attack on black money, less cash currency, bigger tax base, digitisation, a blow to terrorism," Jaitley said.
"And we do believe that in each of these areas, the effect of demonetisation has been extremely positive."
According to official data, direct tax collection went up 19 percent during April-July from a year ago, while digital transactions have also seen a sharp rise - but still remain quite small compared to cash.
In a separate statement, the government said the transactions of more than 300,000 firms were under suspicion post demonetisation, while 37000 shell companies were identified as involved in hiding black money.
Economists say the measure has had a positive impact, including bringing in cash into the banking system, and hence lowering the cost of loans, even as significant parts of the economy were disrupted.
"While this shows that demonetisation exercise has not yielded a large one time gain, it has led to financialisation of dormant savings and helped bring down lending rates," said A. Prasanna, economist at ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Ltd in Mumbai.
Modi's so-called "demonetisation" bill contributed to the growth easing to its slowest pace at 6.1 percent in January-March, its slowest pace since late 2014 as large parts of India's economy was dependent on cash transactions.
Jaitley said the impact was temporary, adding that a greater number of banking transactions will help the economy recover quickly.
Although opposition parties tried to make a big issue out of disruption caused by demonetisation, it has failed to dent the appeal of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has since scored key electoral wins, including a victory in Uttar Pradesh.
($1 = 64.0150 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Suvashree Dey Choudhury; Additional reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Rafael Nam and Alison Williams)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(SAF), a proprietary venture capital fund of Russian conglomerate Sistema JSFC, is planning to increase the corpus of its fund to $120 million, from $50 million, by roping in other investors.
(India's largest online mall) Paytm Ecommerce Private Ltd has launched an app with a mission to become partner of brands and offline retailers, enabling them to set up stores online, ahead of this year's festive season.
The company has refreshed its new app featuring 1,000 brand stores and 15,000 brand-authorized retailers selling over 65 million products.
has enabled customers to browse these brand stores on their app and place an order, which will then be delivered by their nearest brand-authorized local retailer.
The Paytm Mall app will also feature a new home screen, which is easier to navigate and discover products. Customers and businesses can also enter their GSTIN number while placing an order, and receive the necessary details on their respective invoices that can be used to claim tax credit later.
In order to offer a trusted shopping experience across the country, Paytm Mall has guaranteed branded products across 19,000 pincodes. Customers can now buy genuine products controlled and acknowledged by the brand and receive warranty, servicing, installation and other necessary support similar to an offline brand store shopping experience.
"We believe working with a million retailers in a much bigger purpose than creating one single, large online retailer. We invite shopkeepers and brands looking to build technology-integrated businesses to partner with us. We are on a mission to create India's largest trusted retail ecosystem," said COO - Paytm Mall, Amit Sinha.
"Indian consumers can now shop for genuine products from a mall bigger and better than any other. Our mission is to build the trusted shopping platform where consumers can buy genuine products and get them delivered from their neighborhood brand authorized local retailer," he added.
Paytm Mall is equipping brand-authorized retailers with by opening Brand Stores on its mall. These stores allow brands to control inventory, promotions and return and replacement policies, expanding their reach to nearly every city in the country. This has helped millions of customers to have access to online brand stores and the largest and most comprehensive catalog to shop online.
Fast food chain McDonald's today informed the NCLAT that settlement of dispute with Vikram Bakshi, its joint venture partner for north and east India, is not possible.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which had last week asked both the parties to consider settling the dispute among themselves, has ordered them to file replies on cross petitions filed against each other, within a week.
During the hearing, the counsel for McDonald's said that the settlement of dispute with the franchise partner was not possible.
Posting the matter for next hearing on September 21, NCLAT Chairman Justice SJ Mukhopadhyay said: "We find no scope of amicable settlement."
The tribunal had last week asked both the parties to decide by August 30, whether they would consider settling dispute on their own or not.
McDonald's on August 21 terminated franchisee agreement for the 169 outlets in north and east that were operated by Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), the joint venture (JV) with Bakshi.
As part of the termination, CPRL has ceased to use McDonalds's name, system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others within 15 days of the termination notice.
Bakshi was ousted from the post at the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013, following which he approached the NCLT in September the same year. He has been at loggerheads with McDonald's over management of CPRL.
He was reinstated as the MD of CPRL by NCLT on July 14 following which McDonald's approached the tribunal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinet today resolved an issue pending for 24 years on the determination of equivalence of posts in government and posts in PSUs, PSBs for claiming benefit of OBC reservations.
In PSUs, all executive level posts such as board level executives and managerial level posts would be treated as equivalent to group 'A' posts in Government. This will be considered Creamy Layer.
There are six categories specified for identifying Creamy Layer (a) Constitutional/Statutory post (b) Group 'A' and Group 'B' Officers of Central and State Governments, employees of PSUs and Statutory bodies, universities, (c) Colonel and above in armed forces and equivalent in paramilitary forces (d) professionals like Doctors, Lawyers, Management Consultants, Engineers etc. (e) Property owners with agricultural holdings or vacant land and/or buildings and (f) income/wealth tax asessee.
The said parameters would apply to officers holding equivalent or comparable posts in PSUs, banks, insurance organizations, universities, etc.
Junior Management Grade Scale-1 and above of Public Sector Banks, Financial Institutions (FIs) and Public Sector Insurance Corporations (PSIC) will be treated as equivalent to Group 'A' in the Government of India and considered as Creamy Layer.
For clerks and peons in PSBs, FIs and PSICs, the Income Test as revised from time to time will be applicable. These are the broad guidelines and each individual Bank, PSU, Insurance Company would place the matter before their respective board to identify individual posts.
The main aim behind the equivalence of posts is to ensure that the children of those serving in lower categories in PSUs and other institutions can get the benefit of OBC reservations, on par with children of people serving in lower categories in Government.
Those employees with Rs 8 lakh per annum will be excluded from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This amount was earlier Rs 6 lakh per annum. The income limit has been increased as per the increase in the Consumer Price Index.
The Government has already introduced in Parliament, a bill to provide Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.
It has also decided to set up a Commission, under section 340 of the Constitution, to sub categorize the OBCs, so that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved wide ranging reforms in Indian army to enbace its combat capability and efficiency. It also decided to promulgate an Ordinance to enable the levy of up to 25 percent compensation cess on luxury vehicles.
The first phase of the reforms will see redeployment and restructuring of about 57,000 military and civilian posts. It will result in the optimisation of Signals Establishments by including Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments. Restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include Base Workshops, Advance Base Workshops and Static/Station Workshops in the field Army.
The decision is based on a set of recommendations made by a Committee of Experts under the Chairmanship of Lt Gen (Retd) (Dr.) DB Shekatkar to the defence ministry. The committee's mandate was to recommend measures for enhancing of combat capability and rebalancing defence expenditure of the armed forces with an aim to increase "teeth to tail ratio".
The Committee of experts had submitted its report to the Ministry in December, 2016, which was considered by the Ministry of Defence and 99 recommendations were sent to the armed forces for making an implementation plan. The Cabinet has cleared 65 of these recommendations.
These reforms will be completed in all respects by 31 December 2019.
Meanwhile, the Ordinance to amend the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 will see the maximum permissible rate at which the Compensation Cess can be levied on luxury cars to go up from 15 percent to 25 percent. The issue regarding the increase in effective rate of Compensation Cess on motor vehicles will be examined by the GST Council in due course.
The Cabinet also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Israel on "India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F)". According to the MoU, signed in July, 2017, India and Israel will make an contribution of $ 4 million each for the Fund, both equivalent amount, annually for five years.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda is all set to launch packaged Himalayan drinking water - Divya Jal - ahead of this Diwali. The bottling will begin in Patanjali's factories at Haridwar and Lucknow.
Ramdev's spokesperson SK Tijarawala has reportedly said that Divya Jal would be available nationwide over three to six months. Patanjali Ayurveda has set the sales target at Rs 1,000 crore for 2018-19. In India, the market for packaged drinking water in 2016 was estimated at Rs 7,040. Bisleri alone supplies 24 per cent of total demand.
Market Research Euromonitor recently said that between 2016-21 bottled water will grow 19.8 per cent by volume. In terms of value, bottled water will grow 16.5 per cent, which is more than three times that of carbonates which are estimated to grow 4.2 per cent between 2016-21.
With the launch of Divya Jal, Baba Ramdev may pose a tough challenge to existing packaged water providers such as Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Parle Bisleri and Tata Gobal Beverages. But, this is not the first time when Ramdev has challenged FMCG giants. Coca-Cola sells Kinley and PepsiCo sells Aquafina.
In the last couple of years Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda has made very aggressive investment to manufacture essential food times. From food items to beauty care, Patanjali sells almost everything under Ayurveda banner.
Patanjali Ayurved also plans to enter the restaurant business dominated by McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Subway in India. The new venture will leverage the popularity of the Patanjali brand in the already crowded restaurant market.
Earlier, it was reported that the yoga guru would launch 'swadeshi' line of clothes for men, women and children. Patanjali has set an ambitious sales target at Rs 5,000 crore for the first year. The report suggest that Patanjali will open 250 exclusive store in April 2018, but the clothes will also be available in Big Bazaar among other retail outlets managed by state-run Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
The Reserve Bank of India disclosed in its annual report on Wednesday that it had launched a nation-wide survey to estimate the density of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs).
According to the RBI, during 2016-17, 762,072 pieces of counterfeit notes were detected in the banking system, of which 95.7 per cent were detected by commercial banks. Detection of counterfeit notes was 20.4 per cent higher than the previous year.
Barring Rs 100, the detection of counterfeit notes increased across denominations - notably, 500 and 1,000 - during 2016-17. As per the survey, the result showed the rate of FICN detected per million pieces of notes at 7.1 pieces for 500 denomination and 19.1 pieces for 1000 denomination.
"At the Reserve Bank's currency verification and processing system, during 2015-16, there were 2.4 pieces of FICNs of Rs 500 denomination and 5.8 pieces of FICNs of Rs 1000 denomination for every million pieces notes processed; which rose to 5.5 pieces and 12.4 pieces, respectively, during the post-demonetisation period. As compared to 2015-16, 12 clusters for Rs 500 denomination and 14 clusters for Rs 1000 denomination showed statistically significant higher rate of FICN detection during the post-demonetisation period. This implies a signifi cant pick-up in the rate of FICN detection at the Reserve Bank level in the post-demonetisation period as compared to a year ago," the report said.
The RBI is also working with the government to maintain a data on fake notes. It said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has designed a uniform proforma for collection of Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) data.
In fact, a web-enabled software for uploading data on FICN detected by banks and law enforcement agencies has been developed. The Reserve Bank has confirmed it is facilitating implementation of the system in collaboration with NCRB.
The RBI also disclosed that the number of suspicious transaction reports filed by banks and other financial intermediaries with the central government's Financial Intelligence Unit. Interestingly, it has witnessed a massive jump.
Come September and the Indian Institute of Ahmedabad, (IIMA) gets a new director - in-charge, Errol D'Souza. His appointment has been welcomed by many. Some infact see this as on important effort to help the school strengthen its niche in having programmes that push for management applications beyond business, which was one of the core goals of its founding team of Vikram Sarabhai, Ravi Matthai and Kamala Chowdhary since it was set up, at the end of the day, as an Indian Institute of Management.
This is even as the IIMA clarifies that Prof. Errol D'Souza has been appointed as Director-in-Charge for a duration of six months or till the appointment of the regular Director, whichever is earlier.
A note share by the school announcing the appointment, giving details about the new director, who is the professor of economics, and the dean of faculty, at the IIMA, says he "studied Economics and Statistics at the University of Mumbai where he was awarded the Kashinath Trimbak Telang gold medal for obtaining the first rank in in his M.A. (Economics) degree. He obtained his Ph.D. as a University Grants Commission National Research Fellow from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi."
It also says, "He has held appointments such as the IFCI Chair Professor at the University of Mumbai, India Chair Professor at the University Sciences Po in Paris, as a Visiting Professor of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, as an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, and as a Visiting Professor at the Turin School of Development of the ILO." And there is more: "He has worked on academic committees of the University Grants Commission and the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and has been associated with the Planning Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India in various capacities, including as a Member, Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy." And, that is not all and the list goes on for the professor, who "is engaged in research in the areas of macroeconomics, development finance and public policy."
Some seek to know if there is now a reason to believe that the school will now also consider a campus in Delhi. Views are divided on this. Though who believe a status quo is better , argue that it is better many go from Delhi to Ahmedabad rather than have the institute set up campus in a city, already flooded with institutions.
After IndiGo's parent InterGlobe Aviation showed interest in buying Air India's international operations, airline services provider Bird Group has emerged as the second private player interested in acquiring Air India's ground handling subsidiary AIATSL.
"Bird Group has written a letter with an expression of interest in Air India," civil aviation secretary R N Choubey told reporters at an ASSOCHAM event.
When contacted, a spokesperson of Bird Group told PTI "we have written to the government with an interest in Air India's ground handling arm (AIATSL) because that sits well with our own business model."
Elaborating further, he said the Group has urged the government that when it moves forward with the process of disinvesting Air India, it should divest the subsidiaries separately.
Air India has several subsidiaries including Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL), Air India Charters Limited, IAL Airport Services Limited, Airline Allied Services Limited and Air India Engineering Services Limited.
Bird Group's aviation companies provide varied services from general aviation services and ground handling to cargo management.
"Our expression of interest has gone for AIATSL. We are already in this business," he said, adding "we don't want to buy the company as such. We want to be a bidder. And if we are the highest bidder for what we see the value in it, we will take over."
"What we have told the government is that when you start the process of disinvestment of Air India, please look at disinvestment in the subsidiaries separately to unlock maximum value and we will be keen to bid for one of the subsidiaries, that is the AIATSL," the spokesperson said replying to questions.
"We are waiting for the disinvestment structure from the government. We can't talk about the value in the company at this stage as we have to see its financials, the liabilities and also what are the possibilities," he said.
The Union Cabinet had given its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries in July this year.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today indicated that an expeditious decision would be taken on Air India disinvestment, with at least two parties having formally expressed interest in buying stake in the national carrier.
A group of ministers, headed by Jaitley, is working on the modalities of the strategic disinvestment of debt-laden Air India, which has been making losses for long.
"These decisions are to be taken expeditiously but in their normal course," Jaitley told reporters in response to a query about the Air India stake sale process.
The Union Cabinet had in June given in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of the carrier and its five subsidiaries.
(with PTI inputs)
Airtel might soon launch a smartphone priced at Rs 2,500. The telecom major will take a direct shot at competition from Reliance Jio with this new ultra-cheap smartphone. Last month Reliance launched the JioPhone which is priced at Rs 1,500; an amount which can be refunded after a period of three years. However, the device is not commercially available right now.
The feature phone market rekindled after a decade of inactivity when Mukesh Ambani launched the cheapest 4G feature phone, which the company claimed would offer the buyer unlimited voice calls. The attractive offer was one of a kind in India until Idea-Vodafone started talks about an 4G ultra-cheap smartphone. Now, Airtel seems to be working towards a 4G smartphone based on Android and
A report from The Economic Times claims that the device by Airtel will probably launch before Diwali this year. According to the report, "Airtel is talking to some handset manufacturers to bring in a smartphone around Rs 2,500, which will have a bigger screen, better camera and better battery performance than what a feature phone could offer," a senior industry executive aware of Airtel's plans said. The executive also claimed that the talks are at a very nascent stage.
The smartphone is expected to run on Android operating system where the user will be able to download most of the apps available on the Google Play Store. Unlike JioPhone, which is basically a 4G feature phone, this device is expected to be a cheap smartphone with bundled 4G services. The open operating system on this 4G smartphone will also follow net neutrality norms.
If Airtel manages to pull this off before Diwali or even announce the device before JioPhone goes on sale next month, the Mukesh Ambani led company might face a stiff competition as the user will just have to pay an extra Rs 1,000 and in turn will get a 4G smartphone instead of a 4G feature phone.
After the launch of JioPhone even Idea-Vodafone came up with a plan to launch a smartphone at a price of Rs 2,500. The launch of Reliance Jio's ultra-cheap feature phone has triggered yet another market war in the telecom sector.
The incumbent telecom operators are eyeing at India's massive 500million strong feature phone user base. Leaving JioPhone without competition in the cheap 4G phone segment, could prove to be detrimental for all other major players.
An image taken from the Quinney College of Natural Resources' Bear Rehabilitation Camera. http://qcnr.usu.edu/bear_cam
MILLVILLE One of Cache Valleys newest residents has moved into his temporary Millville home.
A young, orphaned bear cub, about seven months old, was moved into the Millville Predator Research Facility earlier this month, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR). The cub is one of six at the facility. All are expected to stay there until late this fall, when they will be released. Until then, a <a href=http://qcnr.usu.edu/bear_cam target=_blank>live webcam</a> has been set up so everyone can watch the bears themselves.
According to a video posted by the DWR to its Facebook page, the newest bear cub was sedated so a checkup could be performed. He received fluids, had his blood drawn and had his temperature monitored before entering the facility.
<iframe style=border: none; overflow: hidden; src=https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUtahDWR%2Fvideos%2F1916817744995895%2F&show_text=1&width=560 frameborder=0 scrolling=no width=560 height=683></iframe>
The Predator Research Facility will be hosting an <a href=http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/calendar/entertainment/event_19e5ed28-8c3e-11e7-a0f7-5cb9017bdf7c.html target=_blank>open house</a> on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. where the public is invited to tour the grounds.
Courtesy of the Cache County Jail
LOGAN A 36-year-old Arkansas man accused of traveling to Logan to have sex with a teenage girl made his initial appearance in court Tuesday morning. Jeremiah S. Wood is charged with two counts of rape and two counts of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies. Also sexual exploitation of a minor and seducing a minor over the internet, both second-degree felonies, and dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
Wood was arraigned in 1st District Court, standing next to Wayne Caldwell, his defense attorney. They asked for a preliminary hearing to be set, when Judge Brian Cannell will rule if prosecutors have sufficient evidence to bind the suspect over for trial.
Wood was arrested August 16. He is being held in the Cache County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Sheriffs Lt. Mike Peterson said Wood allegedly traveled to the area in May. He met up with the teenage girl from Hyrum at the Days Inn, reportedly checking in under a false identity. He had been communicating with her for over a year, exchanging pornographic photos.
The case is a joint effort between deputies and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
During Tuesdays court appearance, Judge Cannell scheduled the preliminary hearing for September 14.
<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
Samsung joins a number of global heavyweights in setting up chip plants in China, as the nation aims to become a semiconductor superpower in the expanding digital economy. Photo: Visual China.
Samsung Electronics Co., the worlds biggest memory chipmaker, agreed to invest $7 billion in a factory in northwest Chinas Shaanxi province, getting on board with the countrys microchip investment push.
The investment over three years will expand the South Korean tech giants chip production plant at the Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone. Samsung signed an agreement covering the investment with the Shaanxi provincial government on Wednesday.
The expanded plant will meet growing demand for the NAND flash memory chips that power everything from smartphones to connected appliances, the Shaanxi government said in a statement, without mentioning the amount of capacity to be added.
Samsung joins a number of global heavyweights including Taiwans TSMC and U.S.-based GlobalFoundries in setting up chip plants, often called fabs, in China, as the nation aims to become a semiconductor superpower in the expanding digital economy. Some 17 new fabs have been recently announced to be built over the next two years, according to industry tracking firm TrendForce.
As a manufacturing hub, China is already the worlds largest consumer of microchips. But the country imports the majority of those chips from big global designers like Qualcomm and Intel, which earn big profits from their sophisticated intellectual property.
Beijing has earmarked billions of dollars to develop the nations microchip sector in a bid to move up the value chain. Local governments are also offering their own incentives to lure new investors.
Samsung invested $10 billion in 2012 to build the existing chip plant with a monthly capacity of 100,000 units of NAND flash chips. It was then Samsungs largest overseas investment.
The project attracted more than 100 supporting companies to the industrial zone and helped build a complete semiconductor supply chain in Xian, according to the government statement. The Shaanxi government said it plans to build up a 100 billion yuan semiconductor industry cluster based on the Xi'an Hi-Tech zone.
Samsung first revealed its Xian investment plan in early July and said in a regulatory filing Monday that its board approved the first $2.3 billion tranche of the investment.
As a leading player, Samsung accounted for nearly 40% of global NAND flash memory chip revenue in the second quarter this year, according to the latest data from London-based researcher IHS.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
The Chinese-flagged ship detained by Ecuadorean authorities in mid-August on suspicion of illegal possession and transportation of protected species off the Galapagos Islands belongs to Fuzhou Honglong Ocean Aquatic Products Co., a private company registered in Fujian province, separate sources told Caixin.
The vessel, Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, was caught by Ecuadorean authorities on Aug. 13 off the Galapagos Islands with about 300 tons of marine species on board, including 6,600 sharks and other endangered species, according to the Ecuadorean Environment Ministry.
An Ecuadorean court on Sunday sentenced the 20 fishermen on board to jail terms ranging from one to four years and a collective fine of $5.9 million for illegally transporting protected species.
The environment ministry said the Chinese ship was fishing in the Galapagos marine reserve. The islands, about 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuadors Pacific coast, inspired British naturalist Charles Darwins theory of evolution.
Authorities of southern Chinas coastal province of Fujian confirmed to Caixin Wednesday that the detained vessel is owned by Fuzhou Honglong Ocean Aquatic Products, registered in Fuzhou, the provincial capital.
In a phone interview with Caixin, a Honglong staff member said his office was not familiar with the companys overseas operations, without commenting on the ownership of the boat.
In response to questions from Caixin, the Ecuadorean embassy in Beijing cited the countrys foreign affairs ministry as saying that the fishermen violated Ecuadors Integral Criminal Organic Code for crimes against wild flora and fauna.
Wang Yaming, an oceanography professor at Shandong University, said penalties in the case would vary depending on whether Ecuadorean, international, or Chinese law applied. For instance, some shark species that are listed as protected in Ecuador are not protected in China.
Liu Yudan, a marine law professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, said the key is to confirm where the ship was detained to determine jurisdiction.
The Galapagos National Park, the plaintiff listed in the case, hasnt responded to Caixins question on the matter.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
A previous version of this story gave the incorrect reason that Ecuadorean authorities detained the Chinese-flagged ship off the Galapagos Islands.
| BY Ricki Green |
Googles Creative Agency Team has launched its unique creative competition called The YouTube Skippys where four creative agencies ~ The Monkeys, WiTH Collective, Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy ~ battle it out to be crowned winner, letting the work speak for itself.
Each agency was given the same brief, this year from Movember and asked to create a video ad, which runs on YouTube with an equally targeted and weighted media plan. Then the view-through rate, average watch-time and organic view count is measured for each piece.
Rather than being judged by a panel of industry experts, the winner will be selected purely based on the performance of the work on YouTube. All entries will be put to market with an equally targeted and weighted YouTube media plan and work will be measured against view through rate, average watch time and organic view count. The creative which grabs and retains peoples attention the best will be crowned the winner.
Says Ross Jauncey, creative development lead, Google Australia: YouTube is a platform built for attention, it allows us to better understand which creative Australians are choosing to watch.
These videos are live now and will run through to September, with the winner to be announced at Brandcast on 26 September.
Says Nicole Hetherington, creative director, WiTH Collective: The team wanted to come up with an idea that would stop viewers in their tracks. And I think a dog with a moustache, who immediately apologises for sleeping with its best mates sister is bound to do just that. But what I particularly love about the idea is that its not only funny, but very emotional; really driving home the Movember message: Grow a mo to stop a mate dying too young.
Says Toby Harrison, chief strategy officer, Ogilvy Sydney: Taking part in the Skippys has been a tremendous privilege. Firstly, to be able to work with the Movember foundation and assist in what is a brilliant cause, has been both energising and rewarding in equal measure. Additionally, it has been an incredible learning experience.
| BY Ricki Green |
Watermark Creative is one of Australia and New Zealands most respected agencies in the creative sector. This month the team celebrates an admirable 26 years in business made possible by the diverse talents of its people and their successful collaborations with marketeers, advertising, brand and design agencies.
Watermark Creative is celebrating 26 years with the launch of a new website: https://watermarkcreative.co/.
Watermark Creatives three directors are all creatives in their own right Phillip Small, Dean Proudfoot and Dave Way. With studios in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, the business is structured to draw on individual strengths. Watermark Creatives teams are recognised for their ability to harness the richness of working collaboratively and it is this point of difference that sets them apart.
Says Phillip Small, director of Watermark Creatives Sydney office: The business communitys acknowledgment that creativity is now a commercial imperative has radically shifted perceptions about creativitys application. Thats a pretty exciting opportunity for everyone in the sector as were seeing creativitys incredible reach and diverse expression positively impacting everyday products and services not only commercially, but socially and culturally.
As a creative business, its great to see a more trusting relationship with creativity emerging, but more importantly its an amazing experience for us to be able to facilitate the creative development of each artist that chooses to be part of our collaborative structure.
Says David Way, Watermarks Auckland based director: Weve learned that we have a unique ability to express ideas and stories and that this is something that transcends technology and medium. Today, brand storytelling and experiences are playing out in exciting spaces. Similarly, where we began with acrylic paints and air brushes, digital sculpting and augmented reality is now the status quo.
Way points out that commercial artists are fast understanding the value and versatility of their skills in a quickly fragmenting market. He says that Watermark Creative is passionate about providing a highly collaborative studio environment that fosters creative individualism and encourages people to stretch beyond their capabilities to produce effective work that adds value to client campaigns.
Says Way: Were focused on providing an environment where people can be nurtured creatively and grow independently within the business. There are too many forms of expression for an individual to master. The key is finding people that get it and do amazing things with their talent. Of course, if you share a vision with your team, as we do, then their skills can help realise your vision and theirs. It is this future that is really exciting.
While launching a new website and celebrating seven recent award nominations at this years NZ Best Awards to be announced on October 6, Watermark Creative is also bearing a refreshed name moving on from Watermark Ltd.
The new site showcases the extensive portfolio and talents executed by the agency from large advertising campaigns using multiple artists, to beautiful packaging projects created by individuals, animated TVCs involving teams from storyboard artists to final art, and the agencys fast growing expertise in interactive apps.
Says Small: Brands are looking for different ways of communicating their unique message. As passionate artists and commercial illustrators, we are continually developing creative strategies to add value to brands.
Says Way: With a strong interest in creative technologies weve been able to grow this side of the business. Moving forward with interactive and emerging technologies were in a unique position to handle projects with a broad range of visual treatments using our growing team of talented illustrators.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at 9:15AM
It seems like an unlikely partnership but its been in the works for a while. Amazons CEO Jeff Bezos first broached the idea to Microsofts CEO Satya Nadella about having their digital assistants work together around a year ago. And it looks like we might see that happen soon. In the near future, later this year to be exact, wed just have to utter the words, Alexa, open Cortana or Cortana, open Alexa to be able to work with both platforms. According to both companies, this integration will benefit both users of the respective digital assistants. Amazon users will get better access to Cortanas deep integration with Office Suite just from talking to Amazons smart speakers. Microsofts AI will get access to Alexas 20,000 skills and make it easier to shop on Amazon.com.
As mentioned, the two digital assistants are expected to start talking to each other later in the year. Alexa on Cortana will be coming to Windows 10 PCs first and then later on to the Android and iOS apps. At first glance, it seems this could be seen as Microsoft and Amazon trying to gain an advantage in the digital assistant space. But both CEOs claim they are willing to work with Apple and Google to integrate Siri and Google Assistantif both companies are open to that, that is. We cant say thatll be in the cards in our future, especially with Apple and Google being particularly protective of their properties. But we have seen stranger things happen.
Source: Engadget
One of the Rebels got out of the car and went to the front door of the house, where he told Pattman he'd been told he wasn't allowed "to come here, come inside or speak to you."
He was reportedly lining up to enter a Liberal preselection race in the event Bennelong MP John Alexander decides not to recontest his Sydney seat at the next election, but last week Fairfax Media reported Dr Hendy might stand for the Senate.
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"If [the cold air] rises just a bit above the surface and it moves into a warm layer then it can't rise any further because it's colder than the air above it," Mr Taggart said.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car
I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
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PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Reel World George Grants a Grant If youre an aspiring local screenwriter with a brilliant idea for a science fiction or fantasy film just burning a hole in your head, you have until midnight on Thursday, Aug. 31, to submit your work to the George R.R. Martin Screenwriter Grant. Submissions must be for a feature-length film or the pilot episode of an original television series. You need to send in a complete story treatment (maximum five pages) and the first five pages of the script for evaluation. One winning submission will be chosen to receive a $5,000 grant to complete work on the finished screenplay, courtesy of famed Santa Fe author George R.R. Martin. This fourth annual grant competition is sponsored by the New Mexico Film Foundation. For more information, or to fill out a submission form, go to nmfilmfoundation. org/ grants/ grrm- grant/ .
To Read a Film While we wait for the Tale Writers Screenwriting Conference to return to New Mexico, organizers have partnered with New Mexico Women in Film to create a Stage Reading series. New Mexico screenwriters are being invited to submit a variety of script formats and genres to the fine folks at the New Mexico Film Foundation. A team of judges will select the best works to be performed live on stage by professional directors and actors later on this year. This is an excellent way to see how your dialogue and characters play out in the real world. The first stage reading will be for feature films. All you need to do is send the first 10 pages of a completedor soon to be completedscreenplay in any genre. You have until 5pm, on Thursday, Aug. 31, to submit your work for consideration. There is no fee to submit, but you must be a New Mexico resident. For more info on the Stage Reading series, go to talewriters. org/ stage- readings/ .
Sing Along Movies on the Plaza summer series continues this Friday, Sept. 1, with a screening of the animated musical Sing. Released last Christmas, the film follows a group of starry-eyed animals who audition for a singing competition at a run-down theater. Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlet Johansson, Jennifer Hudson and Seth McFarlane are among the voice cast. The screening is free and open to the public and starts at sunset (about 8:30pm). Show up to Albuquerques Civic Plaza a little early, and you can catch some local food, beer and music as part of ABQ Food Fridays. View in Alibi calendar
Allianz has agreed to snatch up a Nigerian insurer in a move that gives it a greater foothold in Africa.
The German insurance giant said it has signed a binding agreement to buy 98 percent of Nigerian insurer Ensure Insurance Plc. from its core shareholder Greenoaks Global Holdings Ltd.
Neither side is disclosing financial terms. The transaction is expected to close at the end of 2017, after which Ensure will become a member of Allianz Group.
What Allianz is getting in the deal: Ensure provides life and non-life insurance services and booked more than $13 million in gross premiums written for 2016.
Allianz said in its deal announcement that it sees Africa as a major future growth market. With the acquisition, it will be doing business in 17 countries across the continent. Nigeria is a particularly strategic country in which to do business, however, as it is fast-growing, with a population of more than 180 million citizens. It also has the continents largest GDP.
Coenraad Vrolijk, regional CEO Africa for Allianz SE, said in prepared remarks that Nigeria is one of Africas most dynamic economies and that full access to its market marks a major milestone for Allianzs long-term growth strategy on the continent.
He said expansion in Africa also involves particular emphasis on hiring and developing local talent.
Source: Allianz
After 7 years in production, the current Dacia Duster has been replaced by an entirely new generation.
Unveiled online ahead of its public premiere that will take place on September 12, at 11:10 CET (5:10 am EST), during the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the budget SUV carries an evolutionary design, which should help it continue the success of its predecessor.
Changes include the extended grille, flanked by wider headlights with incorporated LED DRLs, a modified front bumper with a silver skid plate made from a scratch-resistant material and new creases on the bonnet. The new Dacia Duster also comes with black wing arch trims, new taillights that are similarly shaped to those of the Jeep Renegade, aluminum roof bars, 17-inch wheels and a new exterior color, called Atacama Orange.
Dacia says that the windscreen has been brought forward by 100mm (3.9in), and is more steeply raked, which frees some additional space in the cabin. However, images with the interior design have yet to be released, but the automaker describes it using words such as completely redesigned, quality-feel, and new equipment.
Those interested in the 2018 Dacia Duster should wait a couple of weeks to find out about its underpinnings, engine lineup, and safety gizmos, because the Romanian automaker will likely release them during the German event.
PHOTO GALLERY
MINI has taken the wraps off its new Electric concept.
Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Electric concept was designed to appeal to city dwellers and offers a window into how pure-electric day-to-day mobility might look in the years ahead.
Looking like a futuristic MINI Cooper, the concept features a unique grille which is flanked by LED headlights and a sporty front bumper with simulated air intakes.
The racy styling continues further back as designers installed flush-mounted door handles and fiberglass side skirts. There are also distinctive 19-inch wheels which have aerodynamic inlays that were created by using a 3D printer.
The rear end is slightly more conventional as it boasts a tailgate-mounted spoiler and a fiberglass diffuser. MINIs British origins are also on display as the concept has bespoke LED taillights with Union Jack accents.
Motivation is provided by an electric powertrain which uses a powerful motor. Theres no word on specifications but MINI says the concept is responsive and delivers a go-kart feeling.
The fact that the concept looks nearly production ready shouldnt come as much of a surprise as the company reaffirmed its commitment to launch a new electric vehicle in 2019. As BMW AG Chairman Harald Kruger explained, The MINI Electric concept offers a thrilling preview of the all-electric production vehicle.
Photo Gallery
Natural disasters have a tendency to bring out the best and worst of humanity and Hurricane Harvey is certainly no different.
While countless people have donated to disaster relief, a number of stores in Texas have been gouging customers who are desperate for supplies.
In an interview with CNBC, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state has already received more than 500 complaints about price gouging. A number of these involved gas stations drastically increasing their prices while people were attempting to flee the area.
Paxton says some stations were charging between $4 and $10 a gallon. This is significantly higher than the statewide average which is $2.19 according to AAA.
Some stations were even greedier as the Attorney Generals office told Jalopnik they were able to confirm a Houston convenience store was selling gas for $20 per gallon nearly ten times the statewide average.
Gasoline isnt the only item subject to price gouging as the Attorney Generals office has received complaints of stores charging $99 for a case of water. Some hotels have also been reported for charging three to four times their usual rates.
Store owners might be trying to make a quick buck by they face serious consequences if caught. In Texas, price gougers face a fine of between $20,000 and $250,000 for every incidence of price gouging during natural disasters.
Video
Photo: Colin Dacre
A Penticton male has been arrested, after allegedly stealing a cashbox from a store in Penticton last week.
The man, 23, ran into a business on Lakeshore Dr., in Penticton on Aug. 22, and managed to get away with a cashbox before being tracked down by Penticton RCMP.
"He fled on foot, police flooded the area, located the suspect and he was arrested at 8:45 p.m.," Sgt. Andrew Baylis said.
He was later released with a promise to appear in court. The cashbox was also located and returned to the unidentified small business.
Photo: Penticton & District Community Arts
A free popup art event will be held downtown Penticton Wednesday night and all youth are welcome to attend.
The event, for anyone 25 and younger, will be held at 456 Main St., from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The popup gallery is meant to provide young people in the community a sense of inclusion, according to Vaelei Walkden-Brown, executive director at Penticton & District Community Arts Council.
"Honestly it's because of the fact that Penticton has one youth suicide a month is really unacceptable and we feel that through the arts we can help facilitate a positive change in the community and by creating a place where young people can express themselves and find a sense of community and belonging," Walkden-Brown said.
The event is part of the Arts Rising Festival in Penticton Sept. 21 to 24 and is in partnership with the YES Penticton Youth Project. All the work that is created on Wednesday night by the artists will go on display during the Arts Rising Festival.
"It's just encouraging the people to create whatever they are inspired to create and if they dont finish their work that night it's fine because the final deadline for submissions is until Monday Sept. 18," Walkden-Brown said.
Artists are encourage to bring supplies, but there will be materials available for use at the event.
Alanna Kelly
Kelowna Museums have partnered with Metro Community to create an installation where homeless people were given the opportunity to express their own personal experiences.
Metro Community gave homeless people disposable cameras for them to provide creative input and a place to record their stories in an installation called SEE:kelowna.
I photographed the tree, because a lot of times you just want to rest and most of the times people ask you to move on, move on, and you never have time to just relax, so a lot of times that tree was a sanctuary," said Diane. "And under a bridge on Marshal street, you have to kind of shimmy under it but (I) slept under there Christmas Eve, trying to detox."
SEE:kelowna stories and photographs may not be what comes to mind when people think of the Okanagan Lifestyle.
Amanda Snyder, Curatorial Manager said they were asked to record their daily lives and their experiences living in the city.
The result is an artistic interpretation where the viewer gains personal insights into the realities of people experiencing homelessness through a museum display and website, states a press release.
The public was invited to the opening celebration at the Okanagan Heritage Museum on Tuesday from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
SEE:Kelowna project was made possible with funding from the City of Kelowna Sesquicentennial grant program.
I feel very honoured, because before I felt so alone," said Diane.
Photo: CTV Laura Letts-Beckett
Following the death of his wife, Peter Beckett asked a friend if Google Earth showed a live feed of every corner of the planet, specifically the area where his wife drowned, the court heard Tuesday.
Beckett was charged with first-degree murder one year after Laura Letts-Beckett drowned near Shelter Bay, south of Revelstoke, in August 2010.
Following her death, Beckett stayed at Ron and Mary Hawkins' house, who were friends of the couple.
During that time, one conversation stood out to Ron.
He did ask me what you can see on Google Earth, Ron said. I started to show him some places in England where we go on holiday ... he said, 'what can you see at Shelter Bay?'
He said, 'is it being recorded or filmed all the time, or is just a single shot?'
Ron explained to Beckett that the satellite images shown on the program are taken once every several years. When asked how Beckett responded to this information, Ron said, I think he felt comfortable by that.
Ron's wife Mary testified that Letts-Beckett couldn't swim and was afraid of the water.
She said she wouldn't ride in a boat without a life jacket, Mary said.
The night Letts-Beckett died, she was not wearing a life jacket, but a dry one was found in the Beckett's boat by police.
In a statement to police 10 months after the death, Mary said Beckett had told her that Letts-Beckett had taken off the life jacket because she was too hot.
Several days before the death, the Hawkins spent several days with Peter and Laura, taking a day trip to nearby Mica Dam.
The visit had a different feel to it, nothing you can actually put your finger on, but it was different than the other visits we had, Mary said.
The scheduled four-week murder trial is currently in its second week.
Photo: Google Street View
A West Kelowna business has been fined by WorkSafeBC, due to faulty equipment which led to an employee losing most of her right arm earlier this year.
The penalty of $6,279.52 was imposed on Nature's Oven Foods on Jul. 20 by WorkSafeBC. According to the incident report, the worker had her arm drawn into the dough mixer machine on Mar. 19.
"WorkSafeBC's investigation found that the guard on the dough mixer had been modified from its original design by the addition of a hinged opening in the guard that was large enough to allow access to the interior while the mixer was in operation", the report stated.
The report added that Nature's Oven Foods "failed to ensure its machinery was fitted with adequate safeguards", and "failed to provide workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary".
Through inspection reports obtained from WorkSafeBC, Castanet has learned that Nature's Oven Foods has had two serious injuries resulting in amputation since early 2016.
The company has been issued nine orders by WorkSafeBC in 2017. As of Aug. 23, four of those orders are still outstanding.
"Were working with WCB to achieve WorkSafe procedures, and WorkSafe compliance with WCB", Arnie Kouwenhoven said, owner of Nature Oven Foods.
Kouwenhoven added that Dumas will be returning to work as soon as she is capable to come back.
Two months after the accident, the victim, Anja Dumas was recognized in the House of Commons by Dan Albas, MP for Central Okanagan - Similkameen - Nicola.
Albas explained Dumas' role in baking the Canada cake on Canada Day in West Kelowna, which she began doing several years ago and has earned her praise from former Premier Christy Clark.
"She is a fighter", Albas said in Parliament on May 29. "And she has said she looks forward to receiving a prosthetic and to continue making the Canada cake for years to come".
"I'm personally inspired by Anja's optimism in the face of adversity", Albas added. "She represents the best of us".
Help for Legion after theft Summerland - 11:30 am
Photo: Paulette Breault Paulette Breault submitted this stunning photo of the sun trying to shine through the smoke.
UPDATE 8 p.m.
The mystery ash has made it to the North Okanagan.
The white and grey ash can be seen on cars and floating to the ground.
While not confirmed, many speculate the ash is from the wildfire near Winthrop, Wa., which is raging only a few kilometres from the Canada-U.S. border.
It's raining ash in the Central Okanagan.
Castanet has heard from several readers commenting that ash is falling in West Kelowna and Peachland.
One woman said the ash was falling like snow. We are covered in it.
The question is: where is the ash coming from?
Castanet is trying to find out.
Photo: The Canadian Press In this Sept. 10, 2016, file photo, Oren Eisenberg gets painted by his partner before pedaling away with thousands of other nude bicyclists in the annual Philly Naked Bike Ride in Philadelphia.
The wheels are in motion for Philadelphia's next gathering of naked bicyclists.
Organizers of the Philly Naked Bike Ride said Tuesday the ninth annual event will take place throughout the city's streets Sept. 9.
Around 3,000 riders are expected to pass by sites including Independence Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps while training as Rocky.
Ride organizers say participants can go as bare as they dare. Last year some riders wore nothing at all or sported body paint while others wore underwear.
Los Angeles artist Matt Deifer is among those who'll be in Philadelphia to paint the naked cyclists before they pedal away.
The ride is to protest against dependence on fossil fuels, advocate for the safety of cyclists and promote positive body image.
Photo: The Canadian Press Kathy Griffin is taking back her apology for a photo in which she held up a fake severed head of President Donald Trump.
Kathy Griffin retracted her apology for a gory image of a fake Donald Trump head, saying anger against her was overblown and should be directed at Trump and his administration.
A feisty Griffin, interviewed Tuesday on Australian TV in advance of an international comedy tour, slammed the president and his actions as she reversed course from her tearful mea culpa in May.
"So the picture happened, the outrage was ridiculous, I made an apology, and now in light of all the crazy stuff that he (Trump) and this administration are doing..... He's unhinged," she said on the morning show "Sunrise."
The comedian condemned Trump's pardon of former Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio and the president's call for a ban on military service by transgender people. She also referred to Trump as a "fool," among other derogatory terms.
One "Sunrise" host pressed her on whether it was out of line to pose for photos and a video with a mask of Trump covered in tomato sauce to simulate blood from a severed head. Griffin pushed back.
"Stop acting like my little picture is more important than talking about the actual atrocities that the president of the United States is committing," she said.
Griffin said she lost friends and work, and received death threats during the uproar.
She had quickly apologized in a video in which she called the Trump image "disturbing" and also during a tearful news conference, but was fired from her most high-profile job as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve Celebration. Comedy gigs were cancelled.
It didn't take long for her to realize that what was happening to her could be the basis of laughs, Griffin said during a satellite interview, and she decided to embark on the "Laugh Your Head Off" tour.
She's also on "a mission to tell people, honestly, if it happened to me, as big mouthed and obnoxious as I am, it can happen to you," said Griffin.
Griffin spoke this week by satellite to "Sunrise" and another Australian show, "The Project," to promote her upcoming appearances there. She'll also be on stage in Europe and elsewhere.
Photo: The Canadian Press Volunteer Judy Segar carries donated blankets for victims of the flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey at a shelter opened at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, Tuesday.
Joel Osteen opened his Houston megachurch to those seeking shelter from floodwaters Tuesday after social media critics slammed the televangelist for not offering to house people in need while Harvey swamps the city.
Among those who came to Lakewood Church a 16,000-seat former arena that was the longtime home of the NBA's Houston Rockets was Jack Bullman. The 56-year-old Long Pine resident sat with a baby blue towel hanging around his neck, trying to dry off and get warm.
"Usually a hurricane comes by and you get hit with the surge and the rain, but here it's lingered so long there's no doubt that it will be catastrophic," Bullman said, adding that he had just rebuilt last year after another flood. "All that hard work, right down the tubes."
Bullman was evacuated from West Houston Medical Center, where his mother was in intensive care after having a stroke. With floodwaters coming, the hospital spent two hours finding a place for him to stay, then gave him a ride to the church.
The church had announced on Twitter late Tuesday morning that it was receiving people who need shelter. Osteen announced the move himself shortly after, adding in a tweet that he and wife Victoria Osteen "care deeply about our fellow Houstonians."
The move followed a day of online criticism from those who claimed the church closed its doors while other places of worship, including several mosques, opened theirs to people who needed help.
A fleet of panel trucks, Mercedes coupes, SUVs and pickups descended on the church. Out came bags of donations - jackets, strollers, bottled water, pants, dresses, stuffed dolls, sheets, pillows - that volunteers piled in a mountain in the church's lobby
Photo: The Canadian Press
Torrential monsoon rains paralyzed India's financial capital Mumbai for a second day Wednesday as the streets turned into rivers and people waded through waist-deep waters.
On Tuesday, the city received about five inches of rain and it's already hamstrung infrastructure collapsed. Public transport stopped and thousands of commuters were stranded in their offices overnight.
Commuter trains shut down, buses were half-submerged under water and even the deluged airport had to divert flights to other cities. By Wednesday morning, most trains were running but traffic remained chaotic.
According to the Meteorological Department, more heavy rain was expected Wednesday and the local government asked all schools and colleges to shut down for a day.
Every year the city struggles to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about its poor planning.
Heavy rain warnings have also been issued for other parts of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital. A heavy rainfall alert has also been issued for parts of Maharashtra's neighbouring states of Goa and Gujarat.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Houston's mayor has faced questions about his decision not to order an evacuation of the notoriously flood-prone city ahead of Harvey's arrival, even as overflowing reservoirs led several suburbs to move people out.
Instead, Mayor Sylvester Turner remained resolute Tuesday in his advice to residents since the storm made landfall Friday: hunker down at home.
Massive flooding from Harvey forced thousands of rescues that overwhelmed emergency responders. The George R. Brown Convention Center nearly doubled its expected capacity of 5,000, with people seeking refuge from the waist-deep waters that had neighbourhoods resembling lakes.
"I want to say this again, because I guess it's been missed, but you cannot evacuate 6.5 million people within two days," Turner said Tuesday, referring to both the city and its surrounding areas. "That would be chaotic. We would be putting people in more harm's way."
Experts said evacuating during a hurricane is a complicated decision with major ramifications, and none who spoke to The Associated Press second-guessed Turner. Harvey intensified quickly into a Category 4 hurricane Friday, leaving the mayor and others a tight timeframe to safely move out a large number of people.
"This is all the information that's coming into the mayor, and he's got to go, 'Oh my God, what am I going to do?'" said Susan Cutter, the director of the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute at the University of South Carolina. "They're damned if they do, damned if they don't."
A study by the state of South Carolina this year estimated that the time needed to evacuate the Charleston area ahead of a similarly sized hurricane would be 27 to 30 hours at its fastest, if traffic lanes in both directions were used.
Moving people from an inland urban centre like Houston the city alone is about three times larger than Charleston would require at least 36 to 48 hours, experts said. But Harvey took only 56 hours to intensify to a Category 4 hurricane.
Madison Erhardt
After getting the go-ahead from city council Tuesday night, developers say they hope to start building two highrise towers in downtown Kelowna in just a few months.
The One Water Street towers will stand at 1187 Sunset Dr.
They will stretch 29 and 36 storeys high, and go up in what Russ Watson of North American Development Group calls an unbelievably quick timeline.
Watson said the towers will be built in phases, with the lag time in between the first and second tower dependant on how quickly units in the building sell.
He hopes construction will start on the first tower this winter, and will take about two-and-a-half years to finish.
The second tower wont take quite as much time, and depending on how quickly they start building, Watson says the entire project could be done in four years.
A major feature of the two towers will be the three-storey podium they both sit on, which will feature about a quarter mile of retail space on the ground level of Sunset Drive, Clement Avenue and Ellis Street.
Watson said nearly all of that retail space along with most of the rooftop amenities that will sit on the podiumwill be completed with the first tower.
Watson said the developers have had preliminary conversations with a few restaurants interested in the space, but has also spoken to several smaller businesses as well.
We have a definite vision of what kind of commercial we want to see here, he said. It will be services that will benefit the residents, he said, specifically mentioning a large grocery store he wants to see in the building.
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Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced the district-level end-of-course results from the second year of TNReady on Wednesday, noting that 102 districts more than three-fourths of districts with high schools increased the percent of students now scoring on track or mastered in high school English, and 61 districts showed an increase in students who are meeting course expectations in high school math. Overall, 54 districts increased the percent of on track or mastered students in both high school math and English.
In addition to this growth in students who achieved proficiency, districts also reduced the percentage of students who scored in the lowest performance level, which is called below. This shows that even while students have not yet reached proficiency, they are still advancing to higher performance levels. Nearly every district reduced the percent of high school students scoring as below in English, and about two-thirds of districts with high schools reduced the percent of students scoring at below in both high school math and English. Across the state, 10 districts reduced the percent of students performing below course expectations in every individual TNReady end-of-course subject which shows high school students across all content areas and grades are growing out of the lowest performance category. Those districts are: Fayette County Public Schools, Lenoir City Schools, Roane County Schools, Rutherford County Schools, Arlington Community Schools, Collierville Schools, Germantown Municipal School District, Sullivan County Schools, Sumner County Schools, and Williamson County Schools.
These encouraging results show that our students are rising to meet the more rigorous expectations of our standards, Commissioner McQueen said. Seeing substantial improvements at this scale will take time, but we know the strong instruction our educators focus on every single day is most important to students long-term success. We are committed to holding all of our students to high expectations while supporting them on the path to get there.
TNReady is the statewide assessment administered to all students in grades 3-11. It is a more rigorous assessment compared to past state TCAP tests and is fully aligned to Tennessees academic standards, which are based on what students need to know and be able to do each year to ultimately be prepared for college and their careers. TNReady scores fall into one of four achievement levels: mastered, on track, approaching, and below. These categories aim to help teachers and parents easily understand if students are ready for the next step in their academic journey and identify which students may need additional support which are the goals of state assessments.
Earlier this summer, Commissioner McQueen announced that at the state level, Tennessee high school students improved across all subject areas English, math, science, and U.S. history on TNReady end-of-course exams. This improvement means that thousands of additional students are meeting course expectations.
On the majority of the end-of-course exams, Germantown Municipal School District out performed all other districts in the percentage of students performing in the on track and mastered categories. In high school science, 89.6 percent of Germantown students met course expectations, while 71.9 percent did the same in high school English, 65.2 percent did in U.S. history, and 55.4 percent did in high school math. In all cases, those were the highest scores in the state.
Five additional districts out-paced all others in individual subject tests by having the highest percentage of students score on track or mastered: Bradford Special School District, Kingsport City Schools, Bristol City Schools, Trousdale County Schools, and Clay County Schools. There were 129 districts with high schools in Tennessee in the 2016-17 school year.
This years results build on the first year of TNReady end-of-course assessments from 2015-16, where high school students set a new baseline for achievement based on educator-developed expectations that better ensure all students are on track for success in postsecondary and the workforce. In addition to overall growth, 2017 end-of-course results show some encouraging performance from Tennessees historically underserved student groups. In particular, all student groups students with disabilities, English learners, economically disadvantaged students, and Black, Hispanic, and Native American students improved on TNReady end-of-course exams in English. In the district-level end-of-course results released today, the public can also view information on how individual student groups performed in each district and on each subject test.
For example, in high school English:
64 districts improved the percent of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students who scored on track or mastered,
79 districts saw the same improvement for economically disadvantaged students,
57 districts had more students with disabilities scoring on track or mastered , and
11 districts improved the percent of English learner students scoring on track or mastered
In the coming weeks, districts will receive family and educator reports on the TNReady end-of-course exams to distribute to their families and teachers. Teacher evaluation data will also be available for educators over the next few weeks. This fall, the department will finalize scores and release the TNReady results for grades 3-8 at both the state and district level. For all grades, including high school, school-level TNReady data will be available when the state report card is released in late fall. Districts may choose to release their school-level end-of-course data earlier at their discretion.
For more information about TNReady and the results, including additional data as well as information on the 2017-18 assessment, please visit the departments website at TNReady.gov. For media inquiries, please contact Sara Gast, director of strategic communications and media, at Sara.Gast@tn.gov and 615-532-6260.
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...
Dateline: England
Police in Essex are looking for a couple who destroyed an 800-year-old coffin by placing their child inside for a photo. The sandstone relic was on display at the Prittlewell Priory Museum in Southend-on-Sea. The Southend Echo reports the coffin was knocked off its stand on Aug. 4 when someone lifted a child over the Plexiglass barrier surrounding it. The incident was captured on the museums security cameras. The family was recorded leaving the museum immediately after the incident. The stone sarcophagus was found on the priory grounds in 1921. Inside was a skeleton believed to be a senior monk. The priory itself was founded in the 13th century. Once it is repaired, the coffin will be entirely encased to keep tourists out. You can put all the risk assessments in place, but you really dont expect people to try to get into the artifacts, conservator Claire Reed told The Guardian.
Dateline: England
A teenager in England figured out he could be charged 99 pence (about $1.25) for ordering absolutely nothing at McDonalds using one of the fast food chains new automated kiosks. A Twitter user named Ariwho describes himself as a scene kid and pretentious thinkpiece writershared photos of his order and the resulting receipt. I just spent 99p for nothing at McDonalds, Ari wrote. Originally the teen planned to order a cheeseburger without pickles, but soon realized the ordering station gave him the option of eliminating every ingredient. So, Ari ordered a cheeseburger with no pickles, no onions, no ketchup, no mustard, no cheese, no bun and no beef patty. Ari ended up with a 99p charge and an empty bag. This tweet actually cost me money to make, Im gonna be pissed off if it doesnt blow up, he wrote in his tweet. Aris tweet has received more than 150,000 likes and 70,000 retweets.
Dateline: England
A group of firefighters who rescued 18 baby pigs from a burning barn celebrated by eating them. Back in February, members of the Pewsey Fire Station saved the 18 pigsas well as two sowsat a farm in Milton Lilbourne. Farm manager Rachel Rivers promised shed soon send along a thank you gift. Six months later, she delivered a collection of sausages made from the meat of the pigs the firefighters had saved. The grateful public servants held a barbecue. Naturally vegetarian and animal rights activists were upset by the ironic turn of events. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Director of International Programs Mimi Bekhechi told the BBC that the group would be sending packages of Linda McCartney vegan sausage to the firemen. Rivers, who saw plenty of online backlash for the gift, said the owners of the free-range farm were surprised by the reaction. This is just what we dowe are not an animal sanctuary.
Dateline: New Zealand
Authorities in rural New Zealand are baffled after an entire freestanding bathroom was stolen from a campsite at the Te Moana Gorge. The $5,000 toilet unit went missing between Aug. 10 and Aug 14, leaving only a concrete pad and the underground waste chamber beneath it. Initially, authorities believed the toilet might have been blown away by a storm, but a closer inspection revealed that the bolts holding the small outhouse building down had been removed. Its a baffling theft considering how distinctively marked the toilet is and that it was surrounded by a chain fence and bollards, Timaru District Council group manager Tina Rogers told reporters. Were stumped as to why someone would go to the not inconsiderable effort to steal the toilet. ... It isnt even a self-contained unit that could be easily put to another use. According to New Zealands Newshub.com, Police are investigating, but still have nothing to go on.
Dateline: Florida
Police in Kissimmee say the suspect in an auto theft was easily nabbed by officers when he stopped to take in the recent solar eclipse. According to the Orange County Sheriffs Office, 22-year-old Jocsan Feliciano Rosado was spotted by OSCOs Auto Theft Unit when he parked a recently stolen vehicle at a Harbor Freight store on Osceola Parkway. Rosado went inside the hardware store, purchased a welding mask to safely view the solar eclipse and returned to the parking lot. According to a post on the Sheriffs Office Facebook page, As Rosado was standing in the parking lot next to the stolen car, with the welding helmet on and looking up at the eclipse, deputies swooped in and made an arrest. Rosado was charged with third-degree grand theft. He never saw it coming, the department wrote. That only happens every 99 years.
A United Airlines plane is towed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. The airport has been closed due to Hurricane Harvey. (David J. Phillip / AP)
United Airlines was preparing Wednesday to resume some passenger flights in and out of Houston, and the city expected to reopen its airports before Thursday.
The Houston Airport System said it planned to resume limited domestic airline passenger service at 4 p.m. Wednesday as the city continues to deal with the impact of Hurricane Harvey and devastating flooding.
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United plans to operate three flights into Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport from Chicago, Newark, N.J., and San Francisco on Wednesday and three flights departing Houston for Chicago, Newark and Denver, said airline spokesman Charlie Hobart.
Chicago-based United will stick to a limited number of flights between Houston and other United hub airports on Thursday before starting to fly some regional routes Friday, Hobart said.
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Customers should still expect to see cancellations this weekend, especially on regional flights, and it's too soon to say when the airline's operations will be fully back to normal, he said.
"We're assessing the situation, and we'll make that determination based on the situation on the ground," he said.
American said it plans to begin operating some passenger flights out of Bush Airport on Thursday.
At Houston's William P. Hobby Airport, American plans to resume some flights Friday while Southwest Airlines has suspended flights through noon Saturday.
Delta Air Lines is awaiting word from Houston authorities on when the airports will reopen before announcing its timeline. "As soon as it reopens, we'll plan to begin scaling up operations," said spokesman Michael Thomas.
Thousands of flights have been canceled in the wake of the storm, including 1,142 at Bush and 331 at Hobby on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @laurenzumbach
In this Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, file photo, Gov. Jerome Powell attends a Board of Governors meeting at the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington. Powell spoke in Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. (Andrew Harnik / AP)
Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell told an audience of bankers in Chicago on Wednesday that the Fed wants to lift some of the rules imposed on bank directors after the financial crisis, but he said the move won't pave the way to new banking disasters.
After the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession, regulators imposed layers of new rules on banks in an attempt to shore up public confidence in the financial system and keep banks from infecting the global economy again. But bankers have balked at the extent of the regulatory requirements, and after a review of the new rules, the Federal Reserve introduced changes last month that have been criticized for being too lax.
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Defending the proposals before the banking audience at the Chicago Fed, Powell said, "We do not intend that these reforms will lower the bar for boards or lighten the loads of directors."
The Fed started reviewing post-crisis regulations in 2014, Powell said. "We found that many boards have significantly improved their practices," he said. He added that banks now must hold onto more capital than previously and capital can insulate banks from trouble in risky situations.
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Meanwhile, he said, "we consistently hear that directors feel buried in hundreds or even thousands of pages of highly granular information to the point where more important strategic issues are crowded out." He said proposed reforms will bring regulation of bank directors closer to the pre-crisis approach.
gmarksjarvis@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @gailmarksjarvis
A man prepares dinner at his home surrounded by floodwater near Lumberton, Texas, on Aug. 31, 2017. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
As Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters course through residential communities in parts of Texas and Louisiana, homeowners are bracing for another type of torrent: Expensive repair bills.
Exacerbating this already infuriating and escalating problem, however, is the fact that private insurance companies will not be paying for most of the residential flood damage. What's more, the federal plan that acts as homeowners' flood insurer of last resort is staggering under $25 billion in debt and is scheduled to expire in late September.
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Should that federal insurance program lapse, or collapse, then millions of households including those located on or around Chicago-area flood plains risk getting wiped out in another deluge.
This is a crucial time for government and private insurance interests to join forces and find a way to fix and modernize the country's deeply flawed flood insurance system while making coverage more affordable.
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Right now, industry estimates predict Harvey could inflict around $25 billion in insured losses. But the entire amount of property lost will be far in excess of that figure, insurance and business experts caution.
For publicly traded property casualty insurance companies including Allstate, Travelers, Chubb and Progressive Harvey's economic impact will hurt but "should be manageable," writes Brett Horn, a Morningstar senior equity analyst, in a report this week.
The same is expected to be true for Bloomington-based State Farm, a privately held mutual insurance firm with a national reach.
Neither Northbrook-based Allstate nor State Farm is making damage projections, but both firms have lots of policyholders in Harvey-ravaged areas, and the companies already have deployed thousands of claims specialists.
Basically, their customers' homes are insured against wind damage caused by Harvey while waterlogged automobiles are covered by auto policies with comprehensive damage insurance.
But when it comes to residential flood damage, the private insurance sector is off the hook.
The industry has long argued it cannot afford to pay for the extensive and expensive damage that come with severe floods. It's an argument that helped spawn the government's own plan under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.
Despite its longevity, the program's reach is limited, providing coverage for only 5 percent of all U.S. households.
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For example, only 1 out of every 5 people living in the Houston-area carry the government flood coverage, according to state insurance authorities.
In Illinois, the numbers are also on the low side. Among millions of households, only 41,000 policies are in force, with a high concentration of those in suburban Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties, reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the insurance effort.
Residents in those counties recently dealt with the ramifications of intense flooding. Many know the pain of having their lives disrupted and the cost of putting their worlds back together.
Limitations aside, the federal insurance program does help people recover. But it also has the potential to do much more.
Unfortunately, the current effort is reeling from some of its own flood-related troubles. The program is $25 billion in debt to the U.S. Treasury and is soon set to expire.
As the Tribune recently reported, there are over a dozen bills in Congress addressing the reauthorization of the flood insurance plan.
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It's essential that Congress and the Trump administration craft a new federal flood plan that's better than the current iteration.
What that exactly means will have to be hashed out. Ideally, it becomes a financially viable insurance plan that's also affordable and accessible to a greater number of communities at risk of flooding.
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Yes, easier said than done.
Yet one significant step toward accomplishing these goals is luring private carriers back into the flood insurance business and get a little private enterprise going. Insurance experts say some major companies are interested in this business sector, provided the circumstances are right and the numbers can work.
One good start may be lowering or getting rid of outdated regulatory barriers that limit private carriers from participating in a federal flood insurance plan or getting into it on their own.
You don't have to be an insurance expert to notice the devastating personal and financial impact adverse climate conditions are having throughout the country and world.
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Perhaps by coming up with new and better ways to insure against severe floods, we can do more about the weather than just talk about it.
roreed@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @reedtribbiz
Paul England pilots his boat through floodwaters in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey in Port Arthur, Texas, on Sept. 2, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)
With southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana beginning what's expected to be a long recovery from Harvey, Chicago-area companies are stepping up to assist with relief efforts, donating supplies and money.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated donations from corporations across the country had surpassed $100 million by Thursday, six days after Harvey made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
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Corporate America contributed more than $1 billion to relief efforts in the first six months after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005 and $141 million after Superstorm Sandy hit the Eastern Seaboard in 2012, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
Many Illinois-based companies have contributed to Harvey recovery efforts.
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Abbott Laboratories: The north suburban health care giant and its foundation, the Abbott Fund, are giving $1 million in grants, health care and nutrition products. The company said it is donating $900,000 to the American Red Cross, Americares and Direct Relief. It is distributing $100,000 worth of health care and nutrition products, including Similac infant formula, PediaSure, Pedialyte and Ensure.
AbbVie: The North Chicago-based pharmaceutical company is donating $1 million to the Red Cross, Americares, Direct Relief, Feeding America, Heart to Heart International and Texas Children's Hospital. It's also matching employee donations made to many relief organizations.
Boeing: The airplane-maker on Tuesday committed $1 million to the Red Cross. Chicago-based Boeing, which employs about 4,000 people in Texas, also said it will match employee contributions made to the Red Cross for relief from the storm.
Caterpillar: The Peoria-based heavy equipment manufacturer donated portable generators by the pallet to the Red Cross, meant to power feeding kitchens and other shelters. The Caterpillar Foundation also donated $300,000 to the Red Cross and is matching employee and retiree gifts to the relief effort.
CA Ventures: The Chicago-based real estate investment and development firm made a $5,000 donation to the Red Cross for relief efforts.
Conagra Brands: The Chicago-based packaged food-maker said it has dispatched more than a dozen trucks loaded with products such as Snack Pack pudding, Slim Jim meat snacks, Chef Boyardee canned pasta and Hunt's tomatoes to relief workers and those in need of food through Feeding America. The company sent four additional truckloads of Banquet fried chicken and other foods for large group meals at shelters and soup kitchens, and has donated more than $200,000 to relief organizations.
Constellation Brands: Known for beers like Corona and Modelo, the company, whose beer business is headquartered in Chicago, said it is is donating $100,000 toward relief organizations and also matching employee contributions up to another $100,000.
Cushman & Wakefield: The commercial real estate brokerage said it has committed to donating a combined $50,000 to the Red Cross and a fund for affected employees. The Chicago-based firm also will match up to $50,000 in employee contributions.
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Discover Financial Services: Riverwoods-based Discover said it will pledge up to $500,000 to the Red Cross through a cardholder donation matching program. The credit card company will match donations dollar-for-dollar and hopes to raise more than $1 million. The company is waiving transaction fees on all credit card donations to the Red Cross.
Draper and Kramer: Employees of the Chicago-based commercial real estate investment, development and finance firm had donated $6,000 through Wednesday afternoon. Including a company match, Draper and Kramer said it has raised $12,000 for the Salvation Army's relief efforts.
Exelon: The Chicago-based energy company and its Constellation unit said they will together donate $150,000 to the Red Cross. The Exelon Foundation will match employee donations to Harvey relief efforts up to $5,000 per individual. Constellation has about 400 employees at its Houston offices, some of whom have seen their homes damaged or destroyed. The Exelon Foundation plans to give grants to those employees.
Glenview State Bank: The seven-branch privately held bank tweeted a photo Wednesday of workers holding a $5,500 check for Red Cross relief efforts. Employees and ownership pitched in to make the donation.
MB Real Estate: The commercial real estate firm's employees are donating to the Red Cross, and the company will match up to $5,000 total. Meanwhile, owners of the office building at 1 N. LaSalle St., where many tenants bring their dogs to work, have donated to Texas animal rescue organization Austin Pets Alive, according to MB. The building's ownership group includes MB executives.
McDonald's: The Oak Brook-based fast-food giant is donating $1 million to the Red Cross and offering a $250,000 employee match program. Franchises in the region are donating thousands of bottles of water to the Red Cross and Houston-area restaurants that are open are serving first responders for free.
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Miller-Coors: The Chicago-based has brewer shipped 350,000 cans of drinking water to Texas.
Mondelez International: The Deerfield-based maker of Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers, among other products, is matching employee contributions to the Red Cross and other relief organizations.
United Airlines: Chicago-based United flew relief missions into Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, its second-largest hub, providing emergency supplies. It is teaming up with the Red Cross and other organizations by providing up to 3 million bonus frequent flyer miles to customers who donate to relief efforts, pledging to match the first $200,000 raised. Including the company match, United said it had raised more than $1.4 million through late Wednesday morning. , United CEO Oscar Munoz pledged up to $1 million of his own money to help affected employees.
Walgreens: The Deerfield-based pharmacy chain is donating food and medical equipment, including blood pressure cuffs, glucometer strips, catheters and transport wheelchairs. Walgreens teamed with United to transport first aid and medical supplies on a Tuesday relief flight from Chicago to Houston. The company also committed to a $200,000 donation to Red Cross relief efforts. Walgreens on Tuesday began offering the option of making donations at its checkout counters, and the company said customers had contributed more than $5 million as of midday Friday.
Waterton: The real estate investment and property management firm said it will donate $50,000 to the Red Cross. Chicago-based Waterton owns two apartment communities in Houston.
Most of those advertising plastic surgery services on Instagram are not board-certified plastic surgeons, according to a study from Northwestern Medicine being published Wednesday in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. (Burke/Triolo Productions/Getty Images/Brand X)
Consumers might want to look beneath the surface of Instagram posts about smaller noses, bigger breasts and flatter tummies, based on the results of a new study.
Most of those advertising plastic surgery services on the social media platform are not board-certified plastic surgeons, according to a study from Northwestern Medicine being published Wednesday in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.
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In fact, the study found some of the top posts on Instagram came from dentists, spas and even a hair salon.
"I see examples of patients who've been botched by providers who were inadequately credentialed, and patients who were misled by false advertising or social media," said Dr. Clark Schierle, senior author of the study and a Northwestern Medicine plastic surgeon.
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"Sometimes, if things seem too good to be true, they just might be," said Schierle, a faculty member at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
The study looked at results for 21 hashtags related to plastic surgery, including #plasticsurgery, #facelift, #breastimplant, #boobjob, #liposuction and #brazilianbuttlift. In all, those 21 hashtags had nearly 1.8 million posts, but the study's authors whittled those down to the top nine posts for each of the hashtags for their research.
They found the largest number of posts came from foreign surgeons. The next largest number more than 26 percent came from doctors such as dermatologists, gynecologists and general surgeons who were not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Any licensed medical doctor can legally perform cosmetic surgeries, though the doctors' levels of training may vary.
Meanwhile, board-certified plastic surgeons accounted for only 17.8 percent of the top posts. Four of the posts were from dentists, four were from spas with no associated physicians and one came from a hair salon.
Schierle said the study should serve as a "wake-up call" for board-certified plastic surgeons. "We're losing the information war, and (we're) being drowned out by these other players," Schierle said.
Dr. Peter Revenaugh, director of facial, plastic and reconstructive surgery at Rush University Medical Center, said the study highlights something not often examined in medical literature though he said the results don't surprise him.
"It's a reasonable take, in that consumers need to be aware that there are people out there that may not be super trained in something they're doing," said Revenaugh, who was not involved in the study. "It is something with a little more risk than buying a car."
Some, however, say consumers shouldn't necessarily worry about going under the knife with providers who aren't board-certified plastic surgeons. Doctors who aren't plastic surgeons may get additional training to perform cosmetic surgery and can be certified by other organizations.
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The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, for example, says doctors it certifies must first complete a one-year fellowship training program in cosmetic surgery, in addition to a residency in a related discipline. Cosmetic surgeons focus on enhancing people's appearances, while plastic surgeons often focus on repairing problems, though they may also perform cosmetic procedures.
"There are a lot of great surgeons in the world, and they're not all plastic surgeons," said Dr. Joe Niamtu, a board member for the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, a separate organization.
Niamtu said some cosmetic surgeons have more experience with certain procedures than some plastic surgeons. He said he's done about 20,000 cosmetic surgeries over his career. He attended dental school, did a hospital internship and then spent four years doing a hospital residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
"It boils down to your training, your experience and your outcomes," he said.
The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery cautions that patients should do their homework when it comes to choosing someone to do a procedure.
lschencker@chicagotribune.com
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McDonald's has inked a multiyear deal with French technology consulting company Capgemini Group to speed up its digital innovation and improve customer experience. The deal also will bring as many as 600 new jobs to the area.
McDonald's has put technology at the top of its priority list over the past year, investing in its "Experience of the Future" model, which includes installing order kiosks and Bluetooth-enabled table service. The fast-food giant also is rolling out mobile ordering, curbside check-in and a delivery partnership with UberEats.
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McDonald's lost its first chief digital officer, Atif Rafiq, to Volvo last year, and said at the time that his "departure provides an opportunity to further align our structure as we accelerate the digital experience our customers want."
Capgemini, which has an existing Chicago office on West Wacker Drive, said it will open a new Global Digital Retail Center here to bring in support staff for the partnership and allow it to grow its North American operations.
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Capgemini has about 1,600 workers in the Chicago area and said it will add 400 to 600 workers as part of the center opening. About 100 McDonald's tech workers will become Capgemini employees as part of the deal.
sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @SamWillTravel
There is an old road in Japan that runs from Wakasa Bay to the city of Kyoto known as the Saba Kaido, or Mackerel Road. For centuries, the road was used to carry fresh mackerel roughly 50 miles south from the sea to the former imperial capital during the time of the Tokugawa shoguns. Because there was no refrigeration, the prized fish were salted to preserve them for the journey. It's been said that if one transported the fish in a single trip, without sleeping, the brilliant blue fish arrived in Kyoto fresh and perfectly seasoned.
The art of curing is an ancient technique, born of necessity and found the world over. The process is simple: Combine salt, sugar and/or smoke to gently draw moisture from a food to preserve it over an extended period. Curing was especially instrumental in preserving more delicate foods, like fish.
Almost lost with the dawn of modern preservation methods such as refrigeration and canning, curing is making a comeback and in a big way. Restaurants and chefs everywhere are touting cured meats, house-smoked specialties and homemade sausages. And, increasingly, cured fish.
"We're taking preserving techniques and starting to love the flavor," says Marcus Samuelsson, founding chef of New York's Aquavit restaurant. He notes that the increasing popularity of regional cuisines, such as Swedish, are opening eyes to the possibilities with cured fish. Also, with the increasing popularity of sushi, people are starting to welcome different textures with their fish outside of cooking. "We're getting used to it."
The process is simple. Curing fish takes very little active time and can be completed in a fraction of the time it might take to cure other meats. Since it requires no special equipment, it's just as easily done at home as it is in a restaurant.
And the possibilities seem endless. A quick online search yields recipes calling for not only the more traditional gravlax and smoked salmon or trout, but also fish you might never have considered curing, including halibut, mahi mahi, striped bass and even tai snapper. The flavorings include classic dill, grappa and even kombu. Try curing fish with a tasso rub for Cajun-style flavor or take inspiration from a cocktail, combining rum and mint for a mojito-style cure.
Though almost any fish can be cured, make sure the fish is fresh and of the best quality. Be sure to buy from a reputable seller the act of curing will not make a bad fish better or safer to eat. Salmon, in particular, should be bought previously frozen salmon is anadromous, living in both salt and fresh water, and can pick up worms that other ocean fish don't; though curing can kill bacteria, only proper freezing can kill these parasites.
Keep the fish refrigerated at all times, even after it is cured. Home curing works to "denature" the protein in the fish, in essence cooking it, but should not be counted on to render it safe left at room temperature.
If you're new to curing fish, start with a basic, traditional recipe, such as gravlax.
Unlike the earliest versions of gravlax, in which the fish was buried in the sand by fishermen to cure ("grav" meaning grave, and "lax" meaning salmon), modern methods are much simpler.
A fillet is coated with a basic blend of salt and sugar, with dill and liquor sometimes added for flavor. The fish is then wrapped and refrigerated until it is firm to the touch, generally two to three days. Follow the recipe exactly; if the measurements or timing are off, the fish might over-cure, rendering it too salty and tough, or it may under-cure, leaving the fish raw in places.
Wrap the fish, making sure to place it in a rimmed container before refrigerating to catch any juices that might drain out. Feel the fish for firmness to gauge the progress, and flip the fish if called for (some larger fillets are halved and sandwiched before curing; flipping redistributes the cure). The fish will be done when it is firm throughout; the timing will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet and type of fish.
After you've cured your first fish, experiment a little. Keep the basic cure ratio (salt and sugar) the same, but substitute a different herb or liquor to vary the flavor.
Substitute chives for the dill in gravlax and brush the fillet with gin instead of aquavit. The chives are a nice complement to the salmon, the notes of onion and garlic apparent but not overly assertive.
As moisture is drawn from the fish, the flavor concentrates. Because of this, cured fish is best used as an accent, adding but one flavor to a larger harmony in a dish.
The chive-cured gravlax is excellent on a bagel with cream cheese but works equally well diced into a composed salad or perhaps shaved over a simple warm pasta. Toss bright red cubes of the gravlax with avocado and quick-pickled onion, dressed with a bright sherry vinaigrette as a take on ceviche. Or stir a little gravlax into a bean or lentil dish to give it extra depth.
For a more creative cure, try a ginger-lemongrass cure on a sable, or black cod, fillet. The fresh, clean flavors of ginger and lemongrass are a perfect complement to the rich buttery notes of the fish; tossed with crushed pink peppercorns, the final cure gives the fish a bright, delicate tang.
Try the sable sliced thin and served on its own as a sashimi course. Combine it with a seasoned panko mix and fry it like crab cakes, served with a lemon aioli. Or toss it with a salad of peppery greens for a contrast in flavors and texture.
As you become more comfortable with the curing process, continue to branch out.
Ken Oringer, chef-owner of the restaurants Clio and Uni in Boston, cures and dries sea urchin as one would tuna or mullet roe in Italian bottarga. He grew excited when he discussed the possibilities of cured fish, rattling off possibilities including a tuna belly prosciutto. "It you've got the time, it's amazing cured!"
Masaharu Morimoto, chef-partner of Morimoto Napa and Morimoto NYC, cures yellowtail for a "yellowtail pastrami" that he serves with togarashi spice as a coating. He says it's one of the most popular dishes on the menu.
Samuelsson also cures yellowtail, which he uses in the mini tacos he serves at his restaurant, C-House, in Chicago.
Like many other cured foods, cured fish are sometimes smoked to complete the process or add flavor, as with smoked salmon and trout. Smoking lends a nice depth of flavor to fish a richness similar to that of meat.
For quick-smoked trout, submerge a half-dozen trout for several hours in the refrigerator in a brine flavored with a little garlic, shallot and bay leaf. Drain the trout and dry them on a rack overnight in the fridge to form a pellicle (a sticky surface to which the smoke will adhere). The next day, hot-smoke the trout over alder or applewood chips for about an hour until cooked through. If you don't have a smoker, the trout can be smoked using a converted charcoal or gas grill, or smoke indoors using a stove-top smoker or converted roasting pan.
The trout are rich, with a wonderful depth of flavor, and are perfect added to a breakfast hash or cold pasta salad. Flake the trout and use it in a dip, or make a quick rillette, combining the flaked trout with butter, capers, a little lemon juice and cracked black pepper.
Perhaps try adding the smoked fish to a sandwich. Chris Phelps and Zak Walters of Salt's Cure in West Hollywood mention doing a club sandwich with house-smoked black cod as a slight twist on the classic turkey version.
Sometimes the fish isn't cured all of the way, but a similar seasoning mixture is added instead to infuse with flavor and only partially denature the fish as with a marinade.
Michael Cimarusti, chef-owner of the restaurant Providence in Los Angeles, recently mentioned the Mackerel Road as he explained some of the common Japanese quick-curing methods he learned while working in Kyoto.
In the back of the restaurant's kitchen, he removed a beautiful piece of halibut he'd quickly cured in salt. After an hour, the salt is rinsed from the fish, which is then refrigerated until it forms a pellicle. The halibut is then quickly seared in a hot pan and set aside to rest and cool before serving. The quick curing allows the fish to be cooked to a lower temperature, making for an extra-moist piece that flakes into large, luscious chunks.
Fresh, and perfectly seasoned.
noelle.carter@latimes.com
Phil Vettel reviewed Ruxbin in July, when he noted a redesigned, mature setting that meshed nicely with chef Edward Kim's precise cooking and understated, French-influenced style. The restaurant will close permanently Sept. 10. (Sean Leidigh/WGN-TV)
Ruxbin, one of Chicago's most acclaimed neighborhood restaurants, is closing Sept. 10. In an email sent to the Tribune, the closing is being labeled a "sabbatical," and executive chef and owner Edward Kim promises to eventually get back to opening "something" after a break that could last a year or more.
The news comes as quite a shock, as the restaurant underwent a massive redesign in January, which stripped the space of its quirky reclaimed-material design by Davide Nanni. It was replaced by a sleek and sophisticated design by Gil Melott of Studio6F. In his three-star review of the updated restaurant in July, Phil Vettel noted that the "mature setting meshes nicely with Kim's precise cooking and understated, French-influenced style."
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The tiny Noble Square restaurant opened in 2010 to a flurry of rapturous praise, including best new restaurant nods from Bon Appetit and GQ. The positive press continued, and this year Kim was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Great Lakes.
Even before construction took place in January, Ruxbin's menu had changed dramatically since first opening. What had once been a spry restaurant where the average table turned in 90 minutes transformed into a more thoughtful one where meals routinely lasted three hours. "When we first opened up, we were like a rock concert," Kim said last December. "Now we're a little more like jazz."
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No mention has been made of Kim's other restaurant, Mott St. Calls have been placed to the owners, and we will update when we receive more information.
Ruxbin, 851 N. Ashland Ave., 312-624-8509, www.ruxbinchicago.com
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @nickdk
A handful of great films have so little wrong with them, they're like aliens to our world pristine, triumphs of inevitability, magically right in terms of intent and technique and impact.
Most films that touch greatness, however, are different. They're messy. You can find a hundred things not quite great about them, and even entire scenes that don't come off, yet the filmmaker's ideas and visual intuition become one, and the film's limitations slide right off the greatness of it. However old or young you are when you first encounter those ideas and that intuition, things change in your moviegoing life.
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That's how it was for me at 16, when I first saw Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." It came out in 1977, a few months after George Lucas' "Star Wars." I enjoyed "Star Wars." It was against the law not to. I saw "Star Wars" four times that summer. Everyone did. It was designed for easy, carefree consumption and Atari-style revisitability. More quarters, another round.
"Close Encounters" was different. I wonder how first-time viewers in 2017 will respond to Spielberg's supremely optimistic alien visitation narrative now that it's back in theaters for a week, in a 4K digital remastering financed by Sony Pictures. For kids and teens raised on "Transformers" movies (produced by Spielberg, among others, to his discredit), "Close Encounters" is like a new or very old filmic language.
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The movie takes its time. The scenes of Indiana power company lineman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) falling apart, stricken and obsessed by inchoate visions of Wyoming's Devils Tower National Monument, while his family wonders what the hell is wrong with him these are pretty wrenching. The 4K reissue interpolates a scene (a good one) from that domestic-frenzy section of the movie, cut from the original version but included in later editions, where Roy has locked himself in the bathroom and crouches in the shower, fully clothed. His wife Ronnie (Teri Garr, the late '70s era's go-to for puzzled, distraught wives of neglectful husbands communing with higher powers) rescues him, temporarily. But one of the knocks against Spielberg's script concerns how Roy happily skips out of his ordinary Midwestern life with wife and kids to join the human race's select few in a rendezvous with extraterrestrial destiny.
Spielberg himself acknowledges he'd never have written the "Close Encounters" script the way he did if he'd been a father then. Back in '77, and again this week, when I saw the film in full for the first time in decades, that part stuck in my craw. But the final 30 minutes of the movie, along with its first hour, remains a sublime and brilliantly imaginative experience, a blend of childlike wonder and technological wizardry. Douglas Trumbull's optical effects (they tried a bit of proto-digital computer imagery, but it didn't work) make Roy and the audience forget all about the family left behind. That's how great that section of "Close Encounters" is: For better or worse, it turns you, the viewer, alongside Roy, into a preoccupied, vision-driven auteur, and you can forget about that noisy, mundane domestic life in Muncie.
The middle section of "Close Encounters" remains problematic. It takes a long time for Spielberg to establish Roy's devolving old life, and the scenes of him wreaking havoc around the house, pulling plants out of the ground, throwing bricks through his kitchen window, remain slightly off, somewhat uncertain in comic tone. These scenes give way to the phony nerve-gas evacuation sequences out in Wyoming, designed to gin up the menace where there isn't much.
What I love about "Close Encounters" has nothing to do with graceful plotting or complex depictions of a marriage at a breaking point. It has everything to do with visual scale. When the mothership comes 'round the mountain, and composer John Williams' five-note leitmotif becomes an intergalactic jam between humans and aliens, audiences in 1977 weren't so much giddy and having a ball in the "Star Wars" vein. This was bigger, grander stuff, more mysterious and transporting. I cannot say what a 16-year-old me, in 2017, would think of the movie, or the serene happiness of its climax. In the movie's wake, so many alien visitation scenarios in darker, more frightening moods have made the realm of the fantastic routine. ("Terminator 2" recently came back to theaters in a digital restoration, this time in 3-D. I'm glad the "Close Encounters" reissue isn't in 3-D; visually, all the necessary dimensions were there to begin with.)
Nevertheless, Spielberg's vision persists. It contains passages that are perfect: Roy's first encounter, by the train tracks, is as good as popular moviemaking and spell-casting gets. Messy as it is, it means more to me than "Star Wars" ever did, and the 4K remastering wisely does not include that studio-ordered boondoogle of a "special edition" climax (circa 1980), where we see the inside of the mothership, and it's nothing special. This 4K version looks terrific, but the movie still looks handmade, not machine-retooled. The various optical strategies matte paintings, composites, models and miniatures galore, plus a bit of puppetry for a key alien in the finale are everything young, happily abducted Barry (Cary Guffey) said they were: "Toys!" The best toys the movies could give us.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune
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"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" 4 stars
MPAA rating: PG (for some intense sci-fi action, mild language and thematic elements)
Running time: 2:15
Opens: Friday for a one-week theatrical run
[ RELATED: Sony Pictures trailer for the 40th anniversary reissue of "Close Encounters" ]
[ From 1977: Gene Siskel's Chicago Tribune Spielberg interview ]
[ The Tribune's Michael Phillips reviews "Bridge of Spies" (2015), directed by Steven Spielberg ]
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
In October a number of Chicago-made independent TV pilots are competing at the New York Television Festival, which gives aspiring show creators real access to established producers and other decision-makers. Like indie films, indie TV pilots are produced without the support (or money) of a studio or TV network. They are made on spec and few advance beyond that stage. But there are always exceptions. And hope springs eternal each year at the festival.
The Chicago entries will screen here in town next week, including "Starving Artists," a comedy with loads of potential and a catchy theme song from local improvisers Aasia LaShay Bullock (an alum of the Second City mainstage) and Dewayne Perkins (a member of the stellar improv team 3Peat, which returns from its summer hiatus at iO Theater this fall).
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Playing versions of themselves and more or less just clowning around, the pair manages to be straight-faced and tremendously silly at once. The closest analogy in terms of chemistry between its two leads currently on TV might be "Broad City" (back for a fourth season Sept. 13). African-American performers haven't had many opportunities at Comedy Central or other networks as of late, but Bullock and Perkins are so completely ready; all they need is a producer to help refine their concept and flesh out their ideas.
The pilot (a compilation of three short webisodes) is not a fully formed proposal for a show, but it doesn't matter that can be fixed because something wonderfully fizzy happens when Bullock and Perkins share the screen, with their easy repartee and goofball energy. That dynamic is enough to build a show around, and I wouldn't be surprised if a producer saw something in this pair worth backing.
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Episode 1 has them seeking out a token white friend and the whole thing is staged as a parody casting session, with Bullock and Perkins sitting behind a table talking to a roomful of hopefuls.
"This audition will be very difficult but with some hard work, some focus and a little bit of magic," Bullock says, letting slip a sardonic smile, "one of you could walk out of here with two super cool black friends." So let's get started, Perkins instructs: "Spread out and practice clapping on the two and four."
Including "Starving Artists," eight pilots will screen Tuesday, courtesy of the Midwest Independent Film Festival. Another promising entry is the dramedy "Drive Slow," about a middle-class African-American high school senior on the South Side sweating out a college essay that asks him to describe "how his environment influences his worldview." Chicago musician Rhymefest shows up in a cameo.
What the pilot lacks in nuance and actual storytelling, it makes up for in the kinds of frank conversations it depicts among black Chicagoans on the South Side in particular about the city itself. We haven't seen that anywhere on TV (although Lena Waithe's forthcoming series "The Chi" for Showtime aims to reverse the trend).
Sitting on a rooftop deck somewhere in Chicago, "Drive Slow" presents a group of friends funny, to-the-point and good screen company as they ponder the dreaded college essay. "They want to hear about your terrible South Side upbringing and how life always disappointed you so they can feel better about accepting you into their very expensive school," one of them says.
But I didn't have a terrible South Side upbringing, comes the reply. To which he is told: "You're a writer, right? So make one up."
The 10-minute pilot is from writer-director Terrence Thompson, who told me if he gets the opportunity to make a fully fledged series, he'd like it to have more comedy and hang out moments closer in tone to the movie "Superbad."
"I want to show black youth just being themselves," he told me. "Watching a lot of teen television like 'Degrassi' and not really seeing myself ever being reflected was the start of it. Me and my friends would always talk about it what if we did have a television show about the things that we go through?"
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Chicago-shot indie TV pilots competing in this year's New York Television Festival will screen locally 6 p.m. Tuesday courtesy of the Midwest Independent Film Festival at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. Go to www.midwestfilm.com for more information.
nmetz@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Nina_Metz
[ RELATED: When political satire whoops! reinforces ideas it means to skewer ]
[ Review: Dynasty team's talent carries the day at iO Theater ]
[ Former Chicago comedian brings Second City skills to 'Shrink' ]
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)
As young adults head off to college and into close quarters with others in dorms, cafeterias and classrooms, health advocates urge students and their parents to consider a new vaccine that may not be on their radar.
The meningitis B vaccine, federally approved in late 2014, can protect against most B strains of the disease, which account for about 50 percent of all meningitis cases in young adults.
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Meningitis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that starts with flu-like symptoms of fever, fatigue and body aches. Teenagers and college students living in close quarters are high-risk groups for the disease. It can be spread by sharing things like cups, utensils, cigarettes and lipstick.
It can be treated with antibiotics if caught early, but can escalate quickly to swelling of the brain and spinal cord. While only about 1,000 people in the U.S. get meningitis each year, it leads to death in 10 percent to 15 percent of cases and can cause permanent brain damage, hearing loss and loss of limbs.
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"It takes so little to be protected against it and the effects of meningitis are just so devastating, so why risk it?" said Jill Thompson, director of strategic initiative at Generate Health, a St. Louis regional coalition of organizations and advocates working to improve health.
The coalition has created a toolkit to help area college and universities educate students about meningitis, which includes sample letters to parents and students, informational graphics and social media tools.
"We do a lot to keep all those working in the immunization field up to date with this ever-changing field," Thompson said, especially in the area of meningitis.
Many families are just becoming familiar with the combination meningitis vaccine which protects against the A, C, W and Y strains. It involves a shot around age 11 and then a booster dose after age 16.
Missouri legislation took effect before the 2015-2016 school year requiring every public university student living on campus to get the combination vaccine.
Starting last school year, students entering the eighth and 12th grades in Missouri are also required to have the vaccine. Illinois started requiring it for sixth- and 12th-graders in 2015.
Now the separate meningitis B vaccine has been added to the mix. Because it is new, no laws yet require it, but Missouri legislation passed last year requires all public higher education institutions to educate students about the strain and the vaccine available to prevent it.
The Generate Health initiative is urging all students, not just those living on campus, to get both types of vaccines.
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"If we can save lives or prevent any disabilities, I think we need to do what we can," said Deborah Artman, an instructor at St. Louis University School of Nursing who is helping lead the initiative by Generate Health.
Artman said she is requiring her public health nursing students this fall to create a student awareness campaign about the new vaccine.
Outbreaks involving the B strain occurred on five college campuses from March 2013 to February 2016, according to the National Meningitis Association. These outbreaks, at Santa Clara University, the University of Oregon, Providence College, Princeton University and the University of California, Santa Barbara resulted in two deaths. One student lost both feet, and some suffered neurological effects.
A University of Missouri student was sickened by the strain in February 2015.
Over the past 10 years in Missouri, 154 people of all ages have been sickened by meningitis, according to state health department data. Of those, B strains were found to cause 34 cases, but the strain was unknown in 40 cases.
Currently, two brands of meningitis B vaccines are available. Both involve a course of two doses. One requires a third dose if a person has been exposed to an outbreak or has other chronic conditions.
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While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states all preteens and teens should get the combination vaccine, it has yet to issue as strong a recommendation for the B strain vaccine. More research is needed to determine how long its protection lasts.
The guiding federal agency states those ages 16 to 23 may get the B strain vaccine, preferably between the ages of 16 to 18. But those who may have been exposed to an outbreak or have conditions such as a damaged spleen should get it.
Insurance companies may or may not cover the cost, which can range from $125 to $160 per dose if paying out-of-pocket.
Thompson said pediatricians are already suggesting the vaccine when teens come in for their annual appointments.
"It's a deadly disease, and we want to protect our kids," she said.
RELATED STORIES:
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Meningitis survivor shares painful story, urges others to get vaccine
The overwater bungalow - that iconic symbol of the paradisiacal tropical vacation, standing in clear blue water on stilt legs - turns the big five-oh this year. The thatched huts, often outfitted with such luxury amenities as plunge pools and glass floors to better see the fish below, are a staple on the bucket lists and Pinterest boards of aspirational travelers the world over. Yet their origin lies in a surprisingly prosaic exercise in problem-solving.
Back in the '60s, three tanned, party-hearty California kids - Hugh Kelley, Don "Muk" McCallum and Jay Carlisle - left their 9-to-5s in pursuit of their tropical dreams in French Polynesia. Opening hotels on Moorea and Raiatea, the trio was dubbed the Bali Hai Boys, after the mystical island in James Michener's novel "South Pacific."
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Carlisle, now in his 70s, reminisces about those days:
"Our Hotel Bali Hai on Moorea thrived with its beachfront property, but Hotel Bora Bora on Raiatea struggled," he says. "It didn't have any beaches." A serious problem, indeed. "Inspired by the vernacular thatched-roof fishing huts," he goes on, "Kelley derived the idea of building bungalows on concrete stilts out on the bay, providing direct access to the lagoon. We drilled down by hand; there were no electric drills or anything. We did all of the work." That was in 1967.
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The trio assured the government that the stilted bungalows wouldn't damage the environment. "We built small docks that extended out into a flat place in the lagoon and attached them to pylons, " Carlisle said, "The coral grows around the pylons and attracts the fish."
They built three bungalows "with Plexiglas on the living room floor so you could see the reef below." That feature soon became known as "Tahitian TV," a must-have in any overwater bungalow.
People liked the bungalows, so the Bali Hai Boys built six more. And then another three. Then other hotels in the region started copying them. Even though the originals were never luxe, they ignited a revolution in posh hotel architecture, and French Polynesia became synonymous with tropical glamour.
Today, with the other men's children, Carlisle oversees the Club Bali Hai Moorea Hotel, the smallest and last of their properties. (McCallum now lives on the U.S. mainland, and Kelley died in 1998.) The hotel remains quite rustic, and Carlisle insists that he has no plans to change that.
The other original resorts are long gone, but in their place is a global industry of overwater bungalows.
"By my last count, there were 165 total resorts in the world with close to 9,000 overwater bungalows," says Roger Wade, who runs OverwaterBungalows.net.
The true overwater bungalow tends to have one thing: turquoise, swimming-pool-esque waters. They can't be exposed to waves and tides. At the Four Seasons Bora Bora, the South Pacific boasts what is consistently rated as the world's best.
"We've taken the overwater bungalow philosophy introduced by the Bali Hai Boys and have introduced the next level of design, comfort and luxury," says hotel spokesman Brad Packer. Each bungalow provides two outdoor living areas, one for sunning and one for dining, soaking tubs built for two, and glorious views of Mount Otemanu at every turn.
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That said, you'll find the preponderance of overwater bungalows - two-thirds - in the Maldives. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia have them as well.
Resorts closer to the United States have been feverishly developing overwater bungalows over the past few years, with Jamaica, St. Lucia, Belize and Mexico all offering the overwater experience. And some, according to Wade, are on par with those in the South Pacific, including Jamaica's new Sandals Royal Caribbean and the El Dorado Maroma in Mexico's Riviera Maya. Both are luxurious, offering infinity pools, outdoor showers, two-person Jacuzzis and, of course, the glass-floored living room to view the tropical fish. The main difference, Wade is quick to add, is that while these new Caribbean bungalows are set in very clear bays, their waters don't compare with the crystalline lagoons of the South Pacific or the Maldives.
Other destinations have what Wade describes as "eco-resorts" that take the overwater concept to rivers and lakes. You'll find them in Guatemala, Panama, even Honduras. "They're not quite the same," Wade says. Meaning, they don't have the beautiful, clear waters that make the South Pacific bungalows so alluring. Nevertheless, they offer the sublimity of being suspended overwater.
According to Wade, the demand for overwater bungalows shows no signs of diminishing. "Resorts have popped up in Qatar," he says, "even Africa has a couple, in Kenya and Mozambique."
There aren't any in the United States - yet. In the meantime, with the 50th anniversary in full swing, including special anniversary packages being offered by hotels around the world, Carlisle admits that the Club Bali Hai Moorea Hotel is not noting the occasion.
"I didn't even know about the anniversary," he says. "I guess we're not doing anything special."
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No need. They did that 50 years ago.
If You Go:
Where to Stay
- Club Bali Hai Moorea Hotel
BP 8, Maharepa, Moorea 98728, French Polynesia
011-689-40-56-11-67
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clubbalihai.com
The Club Bali Hai Moorea is the Bali Hai Boys' fourth hotel, dating to 1982, and the only one still remaining in their island empire. It's definitely rustic, even a little dated, but that's the way Jay Carlisle, who still oversees the operations, likes it. The overwater bungalows here are the least expensive in the South Pacific. Rooms from $260 per night.
- Four Seasons Bora Bora
BP 547, Motu Tehotu 98730, French Polynesia
011-689-40-60-31-30
fourseasons.com/borabora
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The epitome of honeymoon happiness, these luxurious bungalows include plasma TVs, WiFi, marble bathrooms and jaw-dropping vistas of the gin-clear lagoon or Mount Otemanu. Some have a private plunge pool and glass floor panels offering aquarium-like views of tropical fish. The 50th anniversary package, including $2,200 in resort credit on stays of six or more nights and a "make your own mai tai" kit," is valid through the end of the year. From $855 per night.
- Sandals Royal Caribbean
Mahoe Bay, Montego Bay, Jamaica
011-1-876-953-2231
sandals.com/main/royal/rj-home
This newly opened, all-inclusive resort for couples has luxurious overwater bungalows that include a glass floor for up-close fish viewing, soaking tub for two, over-the-water hammock, private infinity pool and private butler service. From $3,080 per person per night.
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- El Dorado Maroma
Carretera Federal Cancun Tulum Km. 55.3, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
011-52-984-206-3-470
eldoradosparesorts.com
Another all-inclusive, adult-only resort, these Riviera Maya overwater bungalows (also called Palafitos-Overwater Bungalows) have glass-bottom floors, private infinity pools, outdoor showers, indoor Jacuzzis for two and a deck with supreme sunset views over the water. A personal concierge will help you arrange beachy activities. The resort also has an overwater spa and overwater grill and wine bar. From $665 per person per night.
Kennedy is a writer based in Arlington, Virginia. Her website is barbaranoekennedy.com. Find her on Twitter: @bnkennedy10.
After several years of accusations and court filings in two cities, the divorce trial of Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandi Jackson will begin next year in Washington, D.C. (Kori Rumore/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune Graphics)
Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has renewed his attempt to subpoena former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy in his acrimonious divorce from onetime Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson.
Court papers filed in Washington, D.C., late Tuesday by Jackson's attorneys ask D.C. Judge Craig Iscoe to force McCarthy and two other men to submit to depositions.
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The papers state that McCarthy, his former business partner, Richard Simon, and former Chicago police Officer James Love "have been identified as persons having knowledge of the circumstances that led to the estrangement of the parties, financial issues raised and allegations made in this matter."
In January, Jackson first dropped a bombshell by attempting to subpoena the former superintendent in a Cook County court. That request was shelved when the two brokered an awkward peace later than month, but now that the divorce case is being fought in D.C., where Sandi Jackson lives, the request has been renewed.
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McCarthy who was angered by the original attempt to put him under oath in the Jackson divorce "has no relevance" to the divorce but will submit to a deposition if the judge orders it, said the former top cop's Chicago attorney, Morgan Stogsdill, of the Loop law firm Beermann, Pritikin, Mirabelli, Swerdlove.
Tuesday's filing came just days after Sandi Jackson's lawyers attempted to have her estranged husband's Chicago attorneys thrown off the case. Attorneys Brendan Hammer and Barry Schatz are accused of "highly disingenuous conduct" and of creating a media "circus" around the divorce, Sandi Jackson's attorneys wrote in court filings. Jackson, who was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder before he and his estranged wife served federal prison time for misspending campaign funds, has given lengthy interviews outside court in Chicago that made headlines.
And Sandi Jackson's attorney, Chandra Holloway, added in a filing last week that Jesse Jackson Jr. is already well represented by a D.C. law firm and does not need help from lawyers in Chicago.
But Hammer told Inc. that Jackson "feels strongly" that he should be represented by his Chicago team. He declined to comment on the renewed attempt to subpoena McCarthy.
kjanssen@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kimjnews
Riot police stand before Antifa members and counterprotesters during a No To Marxism rally on Aug. 27, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. (Amy Osborne / AFP/Getty Images)
There is a disturbing silence from leaders of the Democratic Party over those gangs of black-masked leftist thugs shutting down free speech and beating people to the ground with clubs at Berkeley.
We've seen such leftist violence before, and we saw it again just the other day at a protest in Berkeley, when the city police backed off and the thugs who call themselves antifa swarmed peaceful protesters of the right.
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It's all over the internet, young men of the hard left in black masks, black gloves, armed with clubs, hunting down prey who dare speak their minds.
What's striking about all this is the silence.
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There has been no concerted media effort to pressure Democratic politicians to denounce Democratic muscle. So Democratic politicians have been relatively silent, as have many of their loyal pundits. A few pundits of the left have even compared the thugs with American soldiers hitting Omaha beach, a ridiculous attempt to legitimize the violence.
This is all corrosive and dangerous. And in a loud political year, the silence of Democratic politicians explains so very much.
Because silence is consent.
And in this silence you may hear something terrifying: The rule of law breaking down.
When politicians aren't pressured to declare themselves, they don't. Most Republican and Democratic pols are transactional personalities who hate taking a stand until after consensus is formed. They'd rather wave a moist finger in the air to see which way the wind blows.
This business of political muscle and politicians can be found in the history of Chicago politics too. Any alderman would condemn violent street crime to get journalists off their back. But if you asked them to condemn specific street gangs or Outfit crews by name, asked them to call out thugs who provide them political leverage in the precincts, they'd look at you as if you'd sprouted six heads.
Now, it's not just a Chicago thing. Political street violence is a national thing. The thugs of the left have shut down free speech at college campuses, at political protests and they do so at will. Cops in Democratic-run towns now either stand down or step back. And the hunting begins.
Conservatives see the danger to the republic, but so do a few liberals who have been bold enough to warn against the hard, violent left. Alan Dershowitz, the former Harvard Law professor, is one.
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"Do not let the hard left, the radicals, represent the Democratic Party," Dershowitz warned recently. "There is an alt-left and we cannot deny it. The alt-left are radical people who want to deny us free speech, who want to close the campus to conversation, who want to stop people from having dialogue, who want to use violence
"Antifa is not our friend. They will not help us win elections. ... I do not want to give a pass to the hard radical left, which is destroying America, destroying American universities, destroying the Democratic Party," Dershowitz said.
The easy parallel to antifa and Berkeley is the properly horrified reaction of most decent Americans to the white supremacists and Nazis rallying recently in Charlottesville. The rally was ostensibly about protecting Confederate history, but in effect, with Nazis and the Klan there, it became the theater of white tribalism.
It resulted in the death of a counter protester, Heather Heyer, struck by a car driven in rage by a mad and angry thug of the right.
And President Donald Trump's ridiculous equivocation after Charlottesville chastising extremists but also saying that among them were some "fine people" cost him dearly. He was loudly condemned by many, including me.
But at least at Charlottesville and after there was a common understanding, among most journalistic elites, among political elites of both parties, that Nazis and white supremacists would be loudly condemned.
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Not so with antifa at Berkeley. Leftist thugs seem to be a protected class, as far as Democrats bosses and much of the Washington media are concerned. Until quite recently, antifa was described not by name, but merely by the neutral term "counter protesters."
Counter protesters?
Such weakness and partisan favoritism breeds cynicism, and the rule of law breaks down.
Berkeley happened just as the deadly hurricane hit Texas, and just as Trump pardoned his ally Joe Arpaio, the notorious former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.
Arpaio had been convicted of a misdemeanor for violating a court order seeking to stop his office from discriminating against Latinos in a war against illegal immigration that has overwhelmed Arizona. He's become something of a hero to the right, even though he was a lawman openly defying a judge.
There is an easy argument that Arpaio represents the weakening of the rule of law. He was a sworn lawman, yet brazenly ignored the courts. But that's a political slogan. Slogans are too easy. And they don't get to the thing itself.
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Because long before Arpaio was sheriff, the borders with Mexico had been corrupted. Republican big business wanted cheap and compliant Mexican agricultural labor. Democrats wanted a new dependent class of compliant constituents.
Federal immigration laws were already a joke. And when the rule of law is mocked by the political elites, it breaks down. History tells us that men like Arpaio enter the breach.
So ask yourselves: With leftist antifa thugs becoming increasingly violent, and mealy-mouthed Democratic politicians hesitant to denounce potentially useful political muscle, who steps into the breach?
I hope it worries you a bit. It worries me, too.
Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast: http://wgnradio.com/category/ wgn-plus/thechicagoway.
jskass@chicagotribune.com
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Maris Lipsey, reading Elgin High School's dress code on her smartphone, is one of several students questioning District U46's dress codes, which can vary by school. (Rafael Guerrero / Courier-News )
During her years at Elgin High School, junior Maris Lipsey said she has seen the student body become more united. She calls it a "unified EHS."
So when new principal Krystal Thomas began enforcing a stricter dress code this school year such as no leggings, slide-on sandals and tank tops Lipsey said everyone immediately felt the impact.
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"Telling us we're too revealing, a distraction, it lowers your self esteem, and we already have a lot of that at Elgin," Lipsey, 16, said. "I can see it in the girls, and it's been concerning for the guys, too."
As a new school year begins, School District U46 officials said they will be looking into the policies this fall.
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In Elgin, the dress code prompted an online petition, requesting a change. As of Tuesday, the Change.org petition intended for Thomas and U46 CEO Tony Sanders had more than 1,000 signatures.
Among the arguments in the petition is the belief dress code enforcement is biased toward what girls wear. "Wearing these articles of clothing is supposedly 'distracting,' but if students have good grades and get to class on time they should be allowed to wear whatever they want," the petition reads.
Dress code controversies are nothing new, especially in the era of social media. Hashtag movements such as #imnotadistraction are used by students and others to voice their opinions on their respective dress codes and weigh in on incidents somewhere else. High schools in nearby districts have been scrutinized over dress code enforcements, such as a Maine South High School senior being told her portrait was inappropriate because the sweater she wore did not go above the shoulders, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
"Guys can basically wear whatever they want as long as it doesn't promote drugs or alcohol," Lipsey said. "For girls, we have to make sure our clothes aren't too tight, we don't stand out, that we're not too revealing or appealing to men. It's basically telling us to hide ourselves."
Dress codes in schools have over the decades shifted from unfairly targeting boys to girls, said Jo Paoletti, a retired professor at the University of Maryland who has researched areas like fashion changes, gender studies and dress codes. When boys were at the center of dress code controversies in the 1960s and '70s largely revolving around long hair and hairstyles it was mostly because adults wanted them to conform amid an era of activism.
"For the girls, it's about controlling how revealing (their attire) is, where with boys' dress codes, it is more of conforming to a standard appearance," she said.
Schools tend to be "reactionary" with their dress codes, she added.
Unfortunately for schools, fashion changes frequently and administrators then face the dilemma on how to classify clothing that wasn't trendy before or thought of as regular attire, Paoletti said. Given principals will not all think alike about clothing, dress codes will more than likely vary by school.
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"Are leggings pants or are they something to be worn under something else?" asked Paoletti. "As far as I can tell from walking down the street, most wear them as pants."
Some students in U46 are calling for policies that apply evenly to all secondary schools. During a recent U46 school board meeting, student Jane Magnoni spoke in support of a dress code she helped craft with Bartlett High School Principal Mike Demovsky last year that promoted equality. The school, too, had stricter enforcement in place last school year. Bartlett's dress code allows for more leniency and attempts to eliminate gender bias, she said.
But after working with Demovsky, Magnoni said she now sees a set of rules that should be adopted districtwide.
"I spent a lot of time dedicated to this cause writing, researching, interviewing and speaking," the Bartlett junior said. "In the end, it was a huge success. (Bartlett High School) has since implemented the new dress code and it is seeing great results so far."
Casey Pearce, the board's student representative and Bartlett High School student, gave the new dress code thumbs up. During Monday's solar eclipse, Pearce had a chance to view it outdoors in the warm, muggy conditions. Pearce told board members that the dress code allowed her to wear clothes that made it more comfortable to stand outside in the summer.
At the meeting, Sanders said he was aware of the discussions regarding Elgin High School's dress code and would be taking it up with his student advisory council. "I think that would be a good place to at least start having the conversation and figure out a way to roll it out districtwide," he said.
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District spokesperson Mary Fergus said there is no timeline as to when a decision would be made, but anticipates the topic to come up when Sanders meets with his council in September. At Elgin High School, Fergus said Thomas is in the process of reviewing the dress code and how it has been enforced before. Fergus added the principal was enforcing what was already written years before.
The district's dress codes were written to be gender-neutral, prevent harassment and distractions, Fergus said, but welcomes those skeptical to weigh in.
"We see those (concerns and observations) as valid points and good questions, and we want to use them as we review the dress codes," she said.
raguerrero@tribpub.com
Chicago shelters and rescue groups are opening their doors as Houston animal shelters try to clear space for all the pets stranded by Hurricane Harvey.
The groups are taking animals, mostly dogs and cats, that were already in Houston-area shelters before the storm hit Friday. That will free space in Houston for animals rescued from the flood zone. They can stay in the area and hopefully be reunited with their owners.
The Anti-Cruelty Society said it expects to receive its first animals in the next few days and will try to place them in homes here.
"We are actively recruiting,'' said spokeswoman Colette Bradley. "People are willing to help and it's so fantastic. Offering their home up is a wonderful way to help the pets directly impacted from the storm in Houston.''
The organization is working "on the ground'' in Texas with several agencies, including Wings of Rescue, which airlifts animals to safety, and the Humane Society of the United States.
It also needs volunteers in Chicago to move the dogs and cats from the airport to the Anti-Cruelty Society's River North facility, at 169 W. Grand Ave. After a health check, it will be time to find homes.
The organization is "especially" looking for families able to take care of larger dogs, she said. "They need their exercise."
Bradley was not sure exactly how many animals it will receive but said the facility could accept hundreds.
"We're not anticipating that we can't handle it,'' Bradley said. "We always have space."
The capacity is about 700 animals, but there are usually 200 to 300 animals -- "small mammals" -- living at the facility at one time. "It goes in cycles," Bradley said.
PAWS Chicago also is working with shelters in Houston, according to founder Paula Fasseas, who plans to fly to Houston on Saturday.
PAWS hasn't gotten any animals from Texas yet, but they received 40 dogs Tuesday night from a shelter in Nashville that wanted to free up space to accept animals from Texas, Fasseas said.
The organization has three vans, with volunteers and medical teams, "ready to go'' to Texas. But many areas are still dangerous and Fasseas said she doesn't have a time line yet.
PAWS hopes to help as many as 100 pets, many of which will likely have had owners that, because of their flooded homes, cannot take care of them.
The rest would be pets that were in shelters before Harvey hit. They will not be taking any pets whose owners are looking for them.
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"We could easily bring in from 60 to 100. We've got the space for that," Fasseas said. "They need help and we're going to continue. This is going to be a huge influx. When these waters go down, we're anticipating a lot of homeless animals and people giving up pets."
PAWS has two adoption centers in Illinois, a main facility in Lincoln Park and another in the north suburbs.
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PAWS also has a medical center on Chicago's South Side, where the pets will go first to be examined. "Right now we are setting up crates, like a triage area,'' she said.
Many of the dogs and cats could have ringworm or heartworm, which will need to be cured before they can be adopted. They also will be vaccinated and sprayed or neutered.
Those interested in volunteering and fostering can sign up by visiting their website.
"This is going to be a long-term partnership,'' Fasseas said. "We anticipate they'll be needing our help for a while and we'll be there to support them."
Rosendo Hernandez, right, and Carmen Montanez hold a sign with photos of the alleged victim's of Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara outside of the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on July 20, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A retired Chicago police detective who has repeatedly kept silent when questioned about his alleged misconduct will soon have to testify about his role in a decades-old murder case or face potential jail time, a Cook County judge ruled Wednesday.
Judge James Obbish called testimony by Reynaldo Guevara "essential" to the post-conviction proceedings of two inmates who accuse the former detective of physically abusing them into confessing to the brutal 1998 stabbing deaths of a Bucktown couple.
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"He has to testify," Obbish said. "He has to testify truthfully."
The decision puts Guevara in a dilemma. If he continues to remain silent despite Obbish's order, he could be held in contempt of court and potentially jailed. But if he does break his yearslong silence in the face of abuse allegations, his attorney cautions, he could be vulnerable to charges of perjury.
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Attorneys for Gabriel Solache and Arturo Reyes, the two inmates, want the judge to throw out their confessions, a step that could lead to their release after nearly two decades behind bars.
Prosecutors say they need Guevara's testimony to prove both confessions were given voluntarily. The state's attorney's office has secured a grant of immunity for Guevara, ensuring that he would not be subject to criminal prosecution if he testified truthfully.
But on Wednesday, Guevara's attorney, Will Fahy, voiced strong suspicions about prosecutors' motives, saying Guevara has reason to fear they are setting a "perjury trap" forcing his testimony only in order to accuse him of lying on the stand, a crime that would not be covered by the grant of immunity.
Any inconsistencies with Guevara's decades-old statements about the murder case could open him up to accusations of perjury, said Fahy, who noted that State's Attorney Kim Foxx openly criticized Guevara before taking office late last year. In addition, Fahy alluded to the case of disgraced former Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge, who was convicted of perjury after denying allegations in a lawsuit that he knew about the torture of criminal suspects.
"There's something else at play here," Fahy told the judge.
Assistant State's Attorney Alan Spellberg strenuously denied that his office had any ulterior motives.
"The evidence we need to prevail is Detective Guevara's truthful, complete and accurate testimony," he said. "We are not trying to set him up for any future perjury prosecution."
Obbish agreed, saying that if Guevara doesn't answer questions as ordered, "the court would then have to take appropriate measures to enforce its orders."
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Obbish noted that Solache and Reyes' convictions rested largely on their statements to law enforcement, including Guevara. The former detective's testimony is particularly necessary because Guevara, who also speaks Spanish, acted as an interpreter when the Spanish-speaking Solache confessed to a prosecutor decades ago, Obbish said.
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"In Mr. Solache's case, there are only two people in existence who know what Mr. Solache said" Guevara and Solache himself, Obbish said.
Guevara could be called to the witness stand as early as Oct. 17.
Multiple convictions linked to Guevara's investigations have been thrown out in recent years. Most recently, the murder convictions of Roberto Almodovar and William Negron were tossed in April after the state's attorney's office announced it could no longer support the case against them. That case rested on witness testimony that was obtained in large part by Guevara.
In 2009, Juan Johnson was awarded $21 million in damages after serving more than 11 years on a murder conviction that was overturned after a 2004 retrial. Witnesses at the retrial said Guevara had bullied them into saying Johnson was the killer.
In yet another Guevara-related case, Armando Serrano and Jose Montanez were convicted of a 1993 murder on the testimony of a witness facing four felony charges. He recanted in 2004, claiming Guevara had fed him the story. Charges against Serrano and Montanez were dropped last year at the request of the state's attorney's office, then headed by Anita Alvarez.
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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @crepeau
A police detective investigates a crime scene at a gas station in the 5900 block of South Morgan Street early on Aug. 26, 2017. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
A man fatally shot at a South Side gas station in Englewood over the weekend has been identified as a South Holland man, according to authorities.
Matthias Bowen, 35, was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. Saturday at Stroger Hospital after being shot Friday at a gas station at 5901 S. Morgan St., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Bowen died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, the medical examiner's office determined following an autopsy Sunday.
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People in a Chrysler 300 pulled up next to the man, got out of the car and opened fire, hitting the man in the head, police said.
Bowen, of Robin Lane in South Holland, was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital.
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Police were trying to determine if the shooters took the victim's car.
Bowen was one of at least 32 people shot, seven of them fatally, over the weekend.
The West Chicago Public Library board rejected an effort to remove the book "This Day in June," a book about a gay pride parade, from the library's children's section. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
On a recent trip to the West Chicago Public Library, a 3-year-old girl found a children's book featuring illustrations of a gay pride parade and asked her mother what it was about.
The mother, Michaela Jaros, was surprised at the content of the book and thought it wasn't age-appropriate. She filed a complaint with the library, and her husband, Kurt Jaros, asked the library board if the material could be removed or moved out of the children's section.
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Once the incident was reported on the website of the conservative Illinois Family Institute, "The whole thing blew up," Jaros said.
At a library board meeting to discuss the issue Monday night, a crowd packed the meeting room and spilled into the hallway. A library official said more than 150 people signed up to speak about the matter, and the vast majority supported keeping the book, "This Day in June" by Gayle E. Pitman.
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After much debate, the board voted 6-1 to keep the book in the library's collection, with Trustee David Reynolds casting the sole dissenting vote.
"This was a very hot topic," said Maria Dalianis, a West Chicago resident and advocate for keeping the book as a show of tolerance and diversity. "Our position is you can't address just one segment of the population. It's a book about the gay pride parade. It's pretty darn innocuous.
"Whatever is in the library, it's the parents' responsibility to monitor their children and decide what's right for them," she said.
Kurt Jaros said his wife would prefer to let her children discover books in the library on their own with her ultimate oversight.
"My wife doesn't perceive that she should have to be a helicopter parent," he said. "She feels like the library is not providing a safe place for children to explore children's books."
Jaros is executive director of Defenders Media, an alliance of evangelical ministries that advocates for a Christian worldview. He is also host of a conservative Christian podcast.
"At the very least, this book should be moved to the parental section," Jaros said. "I don't think we see other children's books showing these sorts of images."
The book includes drawings of same-sex couples embracing and holding hands, and Jaros said he believes the book is "ultimately about sexuality."
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Library Director Benjamin Weseloh said the book is primarily made up of colorful drawings of a gay pride parade. At the back of the book is a parent's guide that explains terminology and ways to discuss the topic with children.
"This is not sexual in any way," he said. "In my opinion, that's being read into it."
The library has just one copy of the book, which came out in 2014, Weseloh said, but there is suddenly renewed interest in it because of the controversy.
On the website of the publisher, Magination Press, the author is quoted as saying: "When I wrote this story, I wanted Pride to be featured as realistically as possible. I wanted to see drag queens, guys in leather, rainbows, political signs, the Dykes on Bikes everything you would see at Pride. ... There's something very powerful about allowing something to be portrayed authentically because it teaches children in an indirect way to be as authentic as they can."
Both sides saw the controversy as part of a broader cultural debate over intolerance.
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The Illinois Family Institute, a nonprofit Christian group based in Tinley Park, wrote an article before the meeting, urging people to attend in opposition to the book, which it called "propaganda" aimed at children.
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Self-identified librarians from around the country posted on the group's Facebook site, calling the group "hateful" and "homophobic."
Institute author Laurie Higgins responded by saying the group's critics were trying to bully its members, and that institute members think homosexuality is wrong but abhor violence and hate.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has named the Illinois Family Institute as one of 917 "hate groups" nationwide for what it calls the institute's "anti-LGBT" stances.
The institute has vehemently denied this, with members arguing that they love all people but oppose policies that favor gay people. The group's website features an essay challenging the SPLC's "hate map," derisively calling the group "Scaring People for Loads of Cash" and saying it is merely trying "to silence us and make us a marginal voice in the culture."
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @RobertMcCoppin
First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro briefs reporters about a shooting on a subway platform along the CTA Red Line near the 200 block of South State Street on Aug. 17, 2017, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
A 24-year-old man on parole for a gun conviction was charged Wednesday with attempted murder in a shooting at a CTA Red Line subway station in the Loop two weeks ago, according to Chicago police.
Kornell Strenger, of Chicago, is scheduled to appear Thursday at a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for the Aug. 17 shooting that left a man wounded in the ankle and left arm at the Jackson Boulevard station.
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Police have said the gunman targeted the victim when firing into a northbound train about 7:45 p.m., though no motive has been disclosed. The gunfire caused other passengers to panic and scramble for cover.
At the time of the shooting, Strenger was on parole after serving prison time for a gun conviction, Cook County court records show.
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In January 2015, Chicago police searched a car he had been riding in and found a loaded blue steel Beretta handgun and two plastic bags of marijuana, according to his arrest report.
Strenger pleaded guilty later that year to possession of a weapon by a felon. He was sentenced to four years in prison and released on parole in December 2016, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
Strenger had previously been convicted in 2012 of a felony charge of attempted aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 30 months of probation and community service, court records show.
Officers on the night of the shooting could be seen searching the area with weapons drawn after it occurred, and subway trains were temporarily rerouted.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JeremyGorner
Kiara Jones, 14, disappeared from the West Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side on Aug. 8, 2017, according to police. (Chicago Police Department)
Chicago police on Sunday updated information on a 14-year-old girl who disappeared from the West Woodlawn neighborhood in early August.
Kiara Jones was last seen Aug. 8. She's missing from the 6600 block of South Vernon Avenue, and Chicago police have issued alerts asking for the public's help four times since she disappeared. She may be in the area of 71st Street and Bennett Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood. On Sunday, police said she also might be in Maywood or Arlington Heights.
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Kiara is black, with a medium complexion, and has brown eyes and black hair. She is about 5-foot-9 and about 168 pounds, according to police. When she disappeared, Kiara was wearing a black-and-white crop top, cut-up jeans and flip-flops.
Anyone with information about Kiara is asked to call 911 or contact Area Central detectives at 312-747-8380.
An Uber sticker is displayed on the front windshield of a parked car in Chicago on Wednesday, June 22, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
An alderman who has long been a champion of the taxi industry once again raised the idea of requiring drivers for ride-sharing companies to be fingerprinted, citing a long-overdue city report on the issue.
Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, moved the fingerprinting proposal through the Transportation Committee he controls on Wednesday, but whether it gets a full City Council vote next week is far from certain. Legal issues surrounding his plan and the timing of when he introduced it could stall or derail the idea, which Beale has long pushed amid resistance from Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
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Under Beale's plan, all ride-share drivers would have to be fingerprinted and photographed when applying for a city license that allows them to work for companies like Uber and Lyft.
His proposal also would limit surge pricing during unforeseen emergencies, like snowstorms or public transportation breakdowns, to 150 percent of the average regular rate during the previous seven days. The measure arose from an incident earlier this month when the CTA's Red, Brown and Purple lines came to a halt for three hours. Uber and Lyft fares skyrocketed at the time, and the companies eventually issued refunds.
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In June 2016, Beale backed off from a fingerprint requirement when Chicago's ride-sharing company regulations were first approved, in exchange for the creation of a task force that would take six months to study that issue and others related to the companies and taxi industry.
"The results of the study is six months past due," Beale said after Wednesday's committee meeting. "For some reason beyond me, that study has not been released."
The city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is supposed to issue a formal report, Beale said. He declined to say whether he expected it to recommend fingerprinting even though he was on the task force.
"I believe that this is the right thing to do for the public safety and for the well-being of the people," said Beale, long an ally of the taxi industry, whose drivers must be fingerprinted as part of their background checks. The alderman maintained fingerprinting is the only way to make sure drivers are who they say they are.
Uber and Lyft in the past have threatened to pull out of Chicago if fingerprinting is required. But Beale discounted that threat. "Then they're going to walk away from billions of dollars who does that?" he asked.
In statements Wednesday, Uber said fingerprinting "can discriminate against minority communities" and Lyft said it was "disappointing and counterproductive for Ald. Beale to introduce this ordinance without consulting anyone."
Nevertheless, Beale said that a council vote might have to wait until October because of legal problems related to the required procedure for raising the fingerprinting issue.
He also dismissed a question about whether the vote taken Wednesday violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The agenda with his amendment wasn't posted by the city clerk until Tuesday afternoon, well short of the 48 hours required under state law. A clerk's office spokeswoman said the agenda was posted when the office received it.
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Even if he clears the potential legal hurdles, the Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department threw some cold water on his plan. A spokeswoman said the agency is awaiting a University of Illinois at Chicago study on the fingerprinting issue and is working with the industry on new standards for surge pricing.
In other committee action Wednesday, the License Committee advanced a proposal that would ban the sale of liquor or wine containers holding less than 25 ounces or beer containers holding less than 41 ounces from package goods stores from midnight until closing time. The restriction would not apply to packages with multiple containers, like six-packs or cases.
Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, the measure's primary sponsor, said the overnight sale of single-shooters or single-shots harms businesses because they result in loitering that leaves potential customers "intimidated" from entering stores.
"The problem is in the overnight hours, if somebody is purchasing a single-shooter or a single serving of alcohol, chances are they are not going home to drink it," Hopkins said. "They are going to drink it on the public way. They're going to drink it in the alley. And then they are going to panhandle or hang out in front of the facility and purchase another one."
Several business representatives and residents showed up to back the proposed ordinance, which likely will be voted on by the full council next Wednesday.
Another proposal, to require stricter regulation and higher fees for businesses that boot cars under contracts at private parking lots, stalled at License Committee. Aldermen were concerned about a provision to raise the booting fee charged by those companies to $170 from $140.
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hdardick@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @ReporterHal
Gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker speaks Aug. 17, 2017, at the Democratic Chairman's Brunch in Springfield. Pritzker and his running mate, state Rep. Juliana Stratton, will embark on a campaign bus tour Wednesday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.
Topspin
Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker and running mate state Rep. Juliana Stratton on Wednesday are scheduled to launch a six-day, 22-stop bus tour across the state.
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The trip is being dubbed the "Think Big" bus tour and will include opening new campaign field offices in Peoria, Belleville and Chicago.
Day one begins with a kickoff event at 1:30 p.m in the South Loop, before the bus heads to Ottawa and then Peoria. Other stops along the tour include Gurnee, Warrenville, Robbins, Decatur, Bloomington, Marion, Springfield and Taylorville.
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In a statement, Pritzker said the trip was a way to "continue building on our robust, statewide grassroots movement."
Pritzker's campaign spent $9.3 million in the second quarter of the year and has been airing TV ads for months. He's given his campaign $21 million.
"This campaign is about bold ideas that will move our state forward, and Juliana and I look forward sharing our vision to create jobs and grow our economy with Illinoisans in every corner of the state," he said. (Rick Pearson)
What's on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel's public schedule wasn't available.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner will visit several Downstate schools to speak with sudents.
*Five City Council committees are set to meet.
*Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs will hold a morning news conference at the Thompson Center to ask lawmakers to override Rauner's veto of The Life Insurance Reform Act.
From the notebook
*Brady officially in: Two months after Illinois Senate Republicans picked him as their next leader, Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington formally took on that role Tuesday.
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The Senate made it official shortly after voting to send a landmark school funding bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner. Brady took part in talks with other legislative leaders that led to the agreement.
Brady replaces Christine Radogno, who stepped down in late June in the days before the historic state budget impasse ended. In a short speech, Brady said he has "big shoes to fill."
"She would have been proud of today's moment, us coming together to pass historic education funding that will help every child and student in this state," he said.
Brady ran three consecutive unsuccessful campaigns for governor, becoming the Republican nominee in 2010 before eventually falling to Democrat Pat Quinn. In 2014, Brady ran in the primary election eventually won by Rauner.
Brady has served in the state Senate since 2002 and before that held a seat in the Illinois House from 1993 to 2001.
What we're writing
*AG Madigan sues to enforce Chicago police reform; Emanuel pledges cooperation.
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*Senate advances landmark school funding bill; Rauner expected to sign it Thursday.
*Emanuel defends CPS property tax increase.
*Chicago's grateful top cop to get kidney Wednesday from donor son.
*Arne Duncan named co-chair of effort to make sure neighborhoods benefit from Obama center.
What we're reading
*Exec pleads not guilty to racking up millions in company expenses with escort.
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*Amazon wish lists and other ways Chicagoans can help victims of Hurricane Harvey.
*Wisconsin's Green County makes a delicious destination for cheese fans.
Follow the money
*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.
Beyond Chicago
*Trump visits Texas as party of Hurricane response.
*Damaged oil refineries releasing hazardous pollutants.
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*Sarah Palin lawsuit against The New York Times rejected.
*Sean Spicer meets the pope.
ISLAMABAD Despite seemingly stalled peace talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban, officials say the intelligence chief speaks by telephone with militant leaders nearly every day about the country's constitution and political future.
In addition, Afghanistan's national security adviser has conversations with the Taliban every other month, officials familiar with the efforts said.
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The Associated Press has seen documents describing the conversations between the Afghan officials and the Taliban leadership in both Pakistan and the Gulf state of Qatar, where they maintain an office.
While Afghan officials said neither side was ready to agree to public peace talks, the documents revealed details of the issues discussed, including the Taliban's apparent willingness to accept Afghanistan's constitution and future elections.
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A senior Afghan security official, who had taken notes on the details of talks, rifled through a black leather-bound book until he came to a list he called "Taliban talking points."
The Afghan security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the Taliban wanted certain amendments to the constitution although not immediately. They also envisioned an Islamic system of governance in Afghanistan, he said.
Among the Taliban's demands, according to the official:
They accepted education for boys and girls at all levels, but wanted segregation by gender.
Women could be employed in all fields, including defense and the judiciary, and they could serve as judges at all levels except the Supreme Court. However, the Taliban wanted constitutional guarantees that a woman could not be president.
Special courts should be established to oversee thousands of cases that allege land was taken illegally by the rich and powerful in the post-Taliban era. Many of the land owners are former warlords who are now in the government. The Taliban wants the land returned to those from whom it was taken.
Elections could be held after an interim government is established, with no one affiliated with past governments allowed to serve in the interim administration. The Taliban said all sides could keep areas currently under their control until voting is held.
Afghan army commandos train at the Shorab military camp in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Aug. 27, 2017. (Massoud Hossaini / AP)
Afghanistan's Intelligence agency had no comment about the contacts with the Taliban. Officials familiar with the conversations said intelligence chief Masoum Stanikzai has near daily telephone conversations with Taliban leader Abbas Stanikzai, who is not related to him. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
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National Security adviser Mohammed Haneef Atmar's office refused requests to comment on reports of his contacts with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
"I am confident that these are sincere terms from the Taliban with the qualification, of course, that in the areas they control they will determine the outcome of the elections because I have heard variants of them put forward by a range of people from or close to the Taliban," said Anatol Lieven, professor at Georgetown University's campus in Qatar and the author of "Pakistan: A Hard Country."
But the path to substantive and public peace negotiations is difficult, he said.
"Apart from anything else, it is difficult to imagine the existing elites (in Kabul) surrendering power and patronage to a neutral government, let alone one that in future would inevitably have to include the Taliban," Lieven said.
The Taliban came to power in 1996 after pushing aside the U.S.-backed mujahedeen fighters who defeated Afghanistan's Communist government. The mujahedeen then turned their weapons on each other, killing thousands of civilians and destroying entire neighborhoods in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Their rule also was marked by widespread corruption.
Under the Taliban, officials imposed a repressive interpretation of Islam that denied education to girls, drove women from the workforce and established harsh punishments like public executions and flogging similar to those carried out in Saudi Arabia. The only countries to recognize the Taliban government were Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
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After harboring militants from al-Qaida who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban from power, but the militants have waged an insurgency against the Afghan government since then. The U.S. and NATO have sent thousands of troops to the country in the past 16 years to help the Afghan military fight the Taliban and other militant groups.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new strategy in Afghanistan and South Asia. He said American troops would "fight to win" by attacking enemies, "crushing" al-Qaida, preventing terrorist attacks against Americans and "obliterating" the Islamic State group, whose affiliate has gained a foothold in Afghanistan as the U.S. squeezes the extremists in Syria and Iraq.
But his definition of a win in Afghanistan notably did not include defeating the Taliban. "Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan," Trump said.
Although Trump insisted he would not talk about numbers of troops, he hinted he would embraced the Pentagon's proposal to boost troop numbers by nearly 4,000, augmenting the roughly 8,400 Americans there now
Lieven said he was hopeful that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster could use the increase authorized by Trump as well as the threat of an increased presence by India "as a way to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table," using their own talking points as a start.
But the Taliban told AP they were not interested in talks.
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A member of the Afghan government's High Peace Council, Abdul Hakim Mujahed, who also served as the Taliban's representative at the United Nations during their rule, said there is deep mistrust on both sides.
Mujahed said it is also unlikely the Taliban will enter talks without a guarantee of an eventual troop withdrawal.
"They have moved away from demanding immediate withdrawal but they want a discussion with the Americans on a timetable," he said.
Law enforcement officers surround a hotel where suspects who were believed to be involved in the shooting of police officers were located on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. One law-enforcement officer was killed and two others wounded when a gunman carrying a high-powered rifle shot through the door of his hotel room, then leapt out over a balcony and led police on a brief chase.
He was captured minutes later when he crashed and was wounded by responding officers Wednesday.
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Hotel guests were trapped in their rooms for most of the day as police methodically cleared the area and confirmed no other gunmen stayed behind in the hotel room.
Deputy Robert French, a 21-year veteran of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, died from a gunshot wound to his side, Sheriff Scott Jones said.
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"It was an extremely dynamic, horrific series of events," Jones said.
The day began with a routine investigation by a car-theft task force involving officers from multiple agencies. Investigators suspected a car-theft ring was being run out of a Ramada Inn in an unincorporated neighborhood of Sacramento.
Two women who got into a stolen vehicle were chased for 20 miles before being apprehended in Elk Grove, south of Sacramento. Arresting officers learned they were staying at a room in the Ramada Inn.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Deputy Robert French, 52 (Sacramento County Sheriff's Department)
When officers knocked on the door, a gunman opened fire through the door and walls, striking two California Highway Patrol officers before turning to the balcony, shooting French, who was outside monitoring the back door, and fleeing.
He was found with a rifle and high-capacity magazine, which are illegal to purchase in California, sheriff's Sgt. Tony Turnbull said.
The names of the wounded officers were not released. Jones said they were taken to a hospital and expected to survive.
Dozens of heavily armed officers from around the region searched the hotel for hours before determining that there were no other suspects inside.
It's unclear why the suspects responded so aggressively when police arrived, Turnbull said.
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"Maybe that will come out in the investigation. Maybe we'll never know," Turnbull said. "Either way, it's irrational."
Jeff Marshall, who lives near the hotel, said he heard gunshots and then tires squealing and saw a gray Dodge speed by his home, going the wrong way down a busy street as vehicles and pedestrians scrambled to get out of the way.
"It was like the wild West," Marshall said.
The sheriff described French, 52, as a well-known, well-respected officer assigned to patrol the county's northern areas. He trained new officers and was a "go-to guy for advice and counsel, not just career advice but tactical advice and things like that," Jones said.
French is survived by his live-in girlfriend, adult children and grandchildren and a sister.
"Words aren't going to make an appropriate appreciation of him as a man or his career," Jones said.
HOUSTON Joel Osteen, Houston's celebrity televangelist, pushed back against accusations that he closed off his 606,000-square-foot megachurch amid a flooding crisis that has displaced thousands of residents.
"The idea that we wouldn't receive people - we've been here in this community for 60 years," Osteen told Chris Cuomo Wednesday on CNN's "New Day," adding that: "We've always been open . . . How this notion got started, that we're not a shelter and we're not taking people in is a false narrative."
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Lakewood Church spokesman Don Iloff said the building itself had been flooded during the weekend, with water getting close to spilling over the facility's floodgate. Taking in a crowd of storm evacuees over would've been unsafe, although Iloff maintained that the church's doors were never closed.
"This is crazy. People are saying we've locked the church," he told The Washington Post. "The church has been open from the beginning, but it's not designated as a shelter."
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Water had receded by Monday, and the building was designated as a shelter Tuesday, Iloff said. Media footage showed evacuees with bags in tow arriving at the church as several vehicles lined up outside.
By Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of volunteers waited in line to check into Lakewood Church to help organize blankets, clothes, diapers and other supplies to be shipped off to nearby George R. Brown Convention Center, where displaced residents have flocked over the past few days.
The church had 100 air mattresses set up in an upstairs room, according to Iloff's wife, Jackelyn, who said she didn't know how many people the church had taken in. There was a medical area with volunteer nurses and doctors ready to help with everything from small cuts to insulin needs.
Storm evacuees will be housed on the second floor, Iloff said, because placing people on the first floor would still be too risky.
"We would be hesitant to put anybody on the first floor as long as there's rain coming. . . . We got two more days of rain," he said.
Darrell Clingman and his 11-year old twins, Tyler and Haley, came to Lakewood Church after an Army vehicle evacuated them from his neighbor's home in Riverstone, about 25 miles southwest of downtown Houston. Clingman, whose wife was at an out-of-town wedding, arrived with his wallet and a couple wet book bags of clothes.
In the midst of evacuating, Clingman hadn't heard the uproar about Houston's largest church.
Osteen was criticized Monday on social media, where people accused him of keeping his church closed during a time of need.
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"Joel Osteen, as a Pastor you have a huge obligation to show the love of Christ at this very moment. OPEN THE DOORS," a fellow megachurch pastor, Greg Locke of the Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, tweeted Monday.
Pictures showing the church's entrance and parking lot without any sign of flooding also surfaced Monday afternoon. Those were taken after water had receded, Iloff said, adding that photos taken from inside and outside the church the day before show significant flooding.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Osteen and his wife, Victoria, said: "We are working diligently with the city of Houston to mobilize our many volunteers at shelters around the city as well as various other points of need in and around the Houston area. In addition, we are working with Samaritan's Purse on major relief efforts."
Iloff pushed back at critics who say the church should've let people in sooner.
"The problem with that building is it's prone to horrific flooding. . . . If that building starts to flood, it floods in an instant," he said. "If we had people on the first floor, you'd be writing a whole different story. I'm telling you, it'll be horrific."
Over the weekend, Iloff said a handful of maintenance staff manning the building were instructed to help people looking for shelter. He said only three people made it to the church over the course of the storm. Church officials announced Monday that the facility will be a collection site for distributing supplies such as diapers, baby formula and baby food to Houston-area shelters.
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City officials also have expressed interest in turning the church into a command center, though Iloff said he still does not know what that would entail.
Osteen echoed Iloff, saying in an earlier statement that the church is "prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity." The 1.9-million-square-foot George R. Brown Convention Center swelled beyond its capacity Monday night, ABC affiliate KTRK reported.
The megachurch facility, formerly the 16,000-seat Compaq Center that was home to the Houston Rockets, was sold to Lakewood Church for $7.5 million in 2010, according to the Houston Chronicle.
When Tropical Storm Allison hit in 2001, Lakewood Church, then still in its former building in northeast Houston, took in thousands of displaced residents, the Associated Press reported.
"We've always been willing to do this," Iloff said. "It's just we're in a different building now, and it has different challenges."
Local congregations have played a crucial role during times of disaster, said Jamie Aten, founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College in Illinois. One example was Bethany Church, which used its facility as a distribution center during a flooding crisis last September in Baton Rouge.
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"Many times, they're the very first on the ground providing care to those affected," Aten said, adding later: "The buildings that churches have are just one resource. The real resource are the people and their ability to serve. The hope they offer is the real resource, even more so than buildings."
A panel of U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges heard arguments Monday in Seattle over how broadly President Trump's travel ban can be enforced, and seemed inclined to uphold exemptions that let U.S. residents' relatives continue to arrive from banned countries.
The judges, Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez, who will issue their opinion later, will not decide whether the ban is legal. That question, one the same judges considered this year in a decision that suspended the ban, is left to the U.S. Supreme Court to take on when it hears arguments over the issue in about six weeks.
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Instead, the judges are looking at who falls under the ban. They prodded lawyers from the Trump administration and the state of Hawaii, which has sued, about how immigration law applies to Supreme Court orders on who is exempt from it.
Trump originally signed the ban in January before it was blocked in federal courts. It was then modified and struck down again before the Supreme Court resurrected a limited version of it.
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The ban, which went into effect on June 29, prevents travel to the U.S. by nationals of Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Iran for 90 days. Separately, it stops all refugee resettlement for 120 days. But the Supreme Court said that it can't apply to anyone who has a "bona fide" relationship to a person or entity in the U.S.
Deputy Assistant Atty. Gen. Hashim Mooppan argued that the court should strengthen the ban by removing exemptions for people with specific relatives, such as grandparents, in the U.S. Currently, banned nationals can still travel if they have a grandparent in the U.S.
Gould, who like the other judges is a President Clinton appointee, seemed skeptical of the idea.
"How can the government take the position that a grandmother or a grandfather, or aunt or uncle, of a child in the U.S. does not have a close familial relationship? Like, what universe does that come from?" he asked.
Paez also seemed to not buy what opponents have derided as the "grandma ban." He asked why the government accepted in-law parents as legitimate U.S. connections but not grandparents.
"Could you explain to me what's significantly different between a grandparent and a mother-in-law, father-in-law?" Paez asked. "What is so different about those two categories? One is in and one is out."
But the judges were less critical of the refugee ban, which has blocked most refugees from resettling in the country since the it went into place this summer. Refugees who have family members in the U.S. can resettle. They include about 900 who were allowed in since July.
But travel ban opponents say the ban still blocks 24,000 refugees who have been given formal assurance that the U.S. government would allow them to resettle under a 110,000-person refugee cap that President Obama put in place before he left office. Trump's ban slashed that number by more than half to 50,000. The cap runs through the fiscal year that ends in September.
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Mooppan said in court that such formal assurances did not count as "bona fide" connections of refugees to the U.S. or to a resettlement agency.
"The refugee assurance does not create any relationship between the resettlement agency and the refugee. It's a relationship between the resettlement agency and the government," which contracts out to the agencies to help immigrants settle in the U.S., Mooppan said.
In less than an hour of arguments, the judges also questioned Colleen Roh Sinzdak, an attorney from the law firm Hogan Lovells who represented the state of Hawaii. At one point, Sinzdak attempted to point out to the panel that courts had previously found the travel ban to be illegal, but Hawkins cut her off.
"We're not here on the merits," he said. "We're trying to shape a remedy that will satisfy the United States Supreme Court so when they hear the case in a couple of months on the merits, they can make an appropriate decision."
Aside from a handful of examples such as people who have university admission and employment offers in the U.S. and those residing in the U.S. who have mother-in-laws abroad the Supreme Court in June did not define what counts as a bona fide U.S. connection. The lack of clarity has led to a series of lawsuits.
After the Supreme Court decision, the Trump administration issued guidelines saying that family connections included only people with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sibling, fiance or fiancee, or a parent-in-law in the U.S.
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And while thousands of refugees had been approved for resettlement, the administration said a relationship to a resettlement agency by itself did not constitute a bona fide U.S. connection for those immigrants.
Then last month, a federal district judge in Hawaii ruled that exceptions had to be made for grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and brothers- and sisters-in-law. The judge, Derrick K. Watson, also disagreed with the Trump administration about refugees. He ordered that refugee agencies could count as bona fide connections and cleared the way for more refugee travel.
The Trump administration appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which placed a hold on the judge's ruling on refugees until the 9th Circuit could consider the case. In the meantime, lawyers have started filing briefs on the travel ban's constitutionality to the Supreme Court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Oct. 10.
jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com
Twitter erupted with fury Tuesday after a television reporter tweeted from Houston that he had informed police about looting he observed at a grocery store while covering Hurricane Harvey. Angry tweets accused the reporter, Tom Llamas of ABC News, of "ratting out" desperate, starving people. Llamas later said he had been misunderstood.
Were the reporter's critics right? Should we conclude that people taking food from an empty store during an emergency are not committing a crime? That's exactly what we should conclude they are not lawbreakers but it's important that we understand exactly why.
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Let's start by considering our own instincts. If I was trapped and my family was starving, I would grab the food; I suspect most readers would too. Already our instincts tell us, then, that the moral situation in which we find ourselves is different when a disaster has struck. I believe, very deeply, in the importance of strong property rules. In an emergency, however, we should interpret the rules differently.
The problem is familiar to law students. It arises in courses on torts, contracts and (of course) criminal law. A well-known example in the Model Penal Code posits a hiker who, trapped by a blizzard, breaks into a cabin and eats the food to survive. The hiker has taken both food and shelter without the permission of the owner. By choosing to violate a property rule rather than starve to death or die of exposure, the hiker has selected the lesser of two evils. This is one form of the defense known as "necessity," and is generally considered to mean that there is no crime.
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But let's be clear about why this is so. In the Model Penal Code example, there's a life-threatening emergency, but there's also something else. When the hiker stumbles upon the cabin, it's empty. Thus we might say formally that high transaction costs make it impossible for the hiker to negotiate with the owner for the food and shelter that he needs. The same then would be true of the people left hungry in Harvey's flooding. Key to our conclusion that they're not looters is that the stores from which they are taking food are unattended empty.
So now imagine a different case: When the hungry people arrive at the flooded supermarket looking for food, the owner is standing in their path. He is an ornery sort. He listens to their pleas but says no. They demand food anyway. He brandishes a shotgun and says that he will defend his property. If they overpower him and take the food anyway, is the case the same?
Plainly it isn't. For one thing, they have added assault to the crimes with which they might be charged. Pilfering food when you're hungry is one thing; injuring someone to get it is another. In other words, the defense of necessity weakens as the crime becomes more serious.
But if this is so, then suppose a scenario where the owner isn't present (meaning there can be no negotiations), but he later discovers the looted food store and finds out who took his goods. No crime has been committed. Does that mean that no tort has been committed? If we suppose that there would have been negotiations had the owner been present, then a court could indeed require that those who took the food must pay a reasonable price later on. If we don't believe this, then it's not clear why the hungry shouldn't be permitted to fight their way past the ornery owner and take the food over his objections.
(And before you answer that the hungry should indeed be able to fight their way past the store owner, imagine that refugees from the storm show up at your door and demand to share your house, under the rule of necessity. If you say no, should it be legal for them to fight their way into your house and take it over? Shelter is a necessity too.)
Another way to put the point is that although the law allows property rules to be violated in cases of emergency, rules protecting the individual are treated differently. Moreover, although charity is a moral obligation it is rarely a legal obligation. We should love our neighbors. We should share with them to the extent that we are able. But with rare exception the law will not force us to share, even when sharing is the right thing to do.
The distinction is far from abstract. After Harvey, police have arrested a number of residents for armed robbery that is, taking what they need (or want) by force. This is as it should be. But the police have also promised to arrest "looters," and reportedly have already put some behind bars. If the supposed looters were simply trying to feed their families in an emergency, then they're like the hiker in the Model Penal Code example. I trust the prosecutors will order them turned loose.
Bloomberg
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Stephen L. Carter is a law professor at Yale University. He is the author of "Civility" and "Integrity."
The Chicago Stock Exchange, which was founded more than a century ago, is being bought by an investor group led by a Chinese company. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year, but first needs approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (M. Spencer Green, AP)
Did you know that a Chinese company owns Armour hot dogs? As China's economy grows, investors there have climbed the food chain to acquire valuable American brands such as AMC Theatres, New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel and Smithfield Foods, parent of Armour, which was founded in Chicago in 1867.
Currently on the shopping list for China is the Chicago Stock Exchange. An investment group led by Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group struck a deal last year to buy CHX Holdings, the Chicago exchange's parent, for $20 million. The deal is trapped in U.S. regulatory limbo and needs to be approved.
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There is nothing frightening about the prospect of a Chinese-led group buying the Chicago Stock Exchange, despite the nervousness being expressed by some officials in Washington. Foreign investment contributes to the U.S. economy, just as it benefits the acquiring country. Foreign money is a vote of confidence. Often it means U.S. job creation: Global investors sink their money into American companies because they see growth potential. The purchase of the Chicago Stock Exchange, a tiny player in the U.S. financial markets, would help that Chicago-based business expand.
Certainly, deals involving China require special scrutiny because the communist government is a geopolitical competitor and, in some respects, an adversary of the United States. So after Chongqing Casin sealed its purchase agreement, regulators and other officials in Washington went to work. One powerful government entity, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which investigates deals on national security grounds, approved the Chinese-led acquisition of CHX last December.
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In early August, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is responsible for investor protection, also signed off on the purchase. That wasn't the last word, however. In a rare move, SEC commissioners put final approval on hold, pending further review. The SEC gave no reason for that action, but some members of Congress are clear about their unease: They don't trust the Chinese government. They suspect Beijing will find a way to use this deal to play games with the U.S. financial markets. To cheat investors? Plot economic terrorism? Suspicions run deep. "When you take into account the risk of cyber-market manipulation and the gamut of concerns we have with China you certainly have to be wary of this acquisition," Rep. Robert Pittenger, a North Carolina Republican, told The Wall Street Journal.
There are legitimate reasons to scrutinize foreign acquisitions. But remember, that's why CFIUS vetted the deal. The committee, which includes representatives from the Treasury Department, Defense Department and other agencies, is no rubber-stamp operation. It has blocked other transactions, but found no reason to prevent this one. Neither did the SEC staff investigation, which signaled that proper oversight will be in place to protect against trading mischief. We think that's correct: Financial markets are heavily regulated. They also are self-policed by sophisticated investors who won't tolerate weak controls. If the Chicago Stock Exchange is vulnerable to manipulation, customers will go elsewhere.
So back to the point of this acquisition: to reinvigorate a storied Chicago institution. The 135-year-old exchange needs capital to grow. Chongqing Casin, which has interests in real estate and other businesses, would lead a group buying 49.5 percent of CHX. American investors would take the rest. CHX Chief Executive John Kerin told the SEC that none of the Chinese buyers are controlled by their government.
The new owners would invest up to $23 million in CHX. Their strategy calls for the Chicago Stock Exchange to focus on listing emerging growth companies from China and the U.S. That's exciting because as China grows, more companies there will want to sell shares to American investors. With its Chinese connection, CHX will have the advantage. And when Chinese firms list on the Chicago Stock Exchange, they may set up offices here and hire Chicago professionals to help manage their businesses. Globalization in action.
More Chinese money is coming to the U.S. More can come to Chicago, as soon as the SEC approves the acquisition of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Commissioners, sign off on this deal.
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Demonstrators opposed to same-sex marriage hold up signs before the same-sex marriage ruling outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harrer / WP-Bloomberg)
I have learned that God does not approve of me.
A group of more than 150 evangelical leaders from across the country released a lengthy statement Tuesday declaring, among other things, this: "WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness."
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That's a fancy way of saying that if you think lesbian, gay and transgender people are just fine, you're a sinner.
So I'm a sinner. And if you read the full statement referred to as the Nashville Statement, as that's where the evangelical group was meeting you'll find that I get off easy compared to the LGBT community at large. They are sweepingly condemned.
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"WE DENY that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous relationship."
"WE AFFIRM that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God's original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing."
"WE DENY that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception is consistent with God's holy purposes in creation and redemption."
That some evangelical Christians and certainly some of other faiths hold these views is not news. But the Nashville Statement is significant both because of the large number of influential evangelicals involved and because many of those religious leaders have either worked closely with President Donald Trump or serve on his evangelical advisory board.
Some of the names include: Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council; James Dobson of Focus on the Family; and Richard Land, head of the Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina.
The statement came from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which met during the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission's annual conference. A press release from the council quoted president Denny Burke saying:"The spirit of our age does not delight in God's good design of male and female. Consequently, confusion reigns over some of the most basic questions of our humanity."
I agree with that last part, but not in the way Burke would like me to agree. It seems some of the most basic questions of our humanity would involve how we treat each other, and penning a fourteen-article statement declaring LGBT people and their allies sinners doesn't strike me as a particularly kind gesture.
I'm not a theologian. I'm not even a particularly good Catholic, if we're being honest, but I do believe Jesus preached an important concept: Love.
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Love is something most people can get behind. I'd argue it's something that makes us human and, when embraced, makes us the best versions of ourselves.
The love Jesus encouraged is often distorted in ways that, in my mind, run afoul of what the man was talking about. The Nashville Statement is one of those distortions, a declaration that some love is acceptable and some love isn't, that some people are acceptable in the eyes of God and some aren't.
I don't buy that. I'll never buy that, and if that means I get kicked out of the club, so be it.
I'm not going to tell anyone what they should believe or what God wants or what makes someone a good Christian. But I will gladly tell you what I believe, and I'll do it in the form of the Chicago Statement, since that's where I happen to be.
I'm not going to break things into articles or use any formal "AFFIRM" or "DENY" language. I'm just going to keep it simple:
"I believe God gave humans the ability to learn and grow and expand their understanding of each other and the world. The Nashville Statement says that being gay or lesbian or transgender is an offense to God. I believe it's an offense to God to not acknowledge that all humans are different, to ignore the fact that telling LBGT people that they're sinners, that their identity is wrong, that they're somehow imperfect, is wildly and dangerously damaging, not to mention a sin in and of itself.
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"I believe we do a disservice to God if we ignore that LGBT youth are three times more likely to consider suicide than straight teens and that the suicide rate in the transgender community has been found to be as much as 10 times the national average. I think it's unconscionable for anyone to not see the psychological harm that bigotry disguised as religious doctrine does to LGBT youth and adults.
"I don't think anyone who has ever met a gay teenager kicked out of his house because of who he loves, left homeless and alone, told he no longer belongs, could look at the words in the Nashville Statement and say: 'This is what God wants. This is what Jesus would want us to do.'
"It isn't. It's not love. It's quite the opposite. And I don't care if, in the eyes of some, that disqualifies me from belonging to a religious group or from staking a claim to eventual salvation.
"Because if making other humans feel less than human is a requirement for entry into heaven, I think I'll keep my soul with me, buried in the dirt."
That's the Chicago Statement. Feel free to sign on, if you like. Maybe send it to someone whose humanity was denigrated by the Nashville Statement.
Or just call me a sinner like the statement says I am.
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Either way, I'll be in good company.
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @RexHuppke
Gov. Bruce Rauner has stabbed his supporters in the back. His support for Illinois Senate Bill 31 (aka "sanctuary state" legislation) is a betrayal of those who expected from him a different direction for Illinois. His treachery will not be forgotten.
Rauner's supporters expect blistering incompetence and bold, in-your-face corruption from state Democrats. Rauner has joined them. He's an enemy of lawful governance. He spits in the face of law-abiding citizens. He teaches children that law need neither be heeded nor respected. He reinforces and aids those who willingly, openly defy immigration law. He has cheapened both citizenship and the voting privilege.
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Ironically, he delivers the state further into the hands of the corrupt incompetents (i.e., House Speaker Michael Madigan's Democrats) who've delivered Illinois to the doorstep of bankruptcy and ruin. Still Democrats will not think fondly of him at the next election; they'll consider him a great fool as do his former supporters.
When challenged, Rauner has backpedaled and quibbled about "the system" being broken while becoming one of the major "breakers." In this matter, Rauner is withdrawing Illinois from the Union as did the Southern states in the 1860s. He, the servant of the people, is picking and choosing which laws he'll respect.
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Should not Illinois citizens have the same prerogative? May we now reject any law (at any level) we find inconvenient? All law is limiting, coercive, inconvenient to at least some.
"Entropy" is defined as decline into disorder. Its synonyms include such words as degeneration, collapse, decomposition. Should Illinois be added as a synonym?
Congratulations, Gov. Rauner, you've become another godfather of anarchy.
Les Lopinot, Oswego
Cedar Bayou in southeast Texas has reported a storm total rainfall from Hurricane Harvey of 51.88 inches as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, and light rain was still continuing there. This is a record for the continental U.S., and the 50-state record is only 0.12 inch greater: 52.00 inches in Hawaii in August 1950.
Harvey, now a tropical storm, is forecast to make a second landfall in the U.S., in southwest Louisiana early Wednesday. (It first came ashore early Saturday, then meandered back southeastward over the Gulf of Mexico.) From Louisiana, the storm moves northeast and away from the waterlogged Texas/Lousiana coastal region later Wedneday and Thursday.
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Locally, pleasant temperatures continue with a slight chance of a thunderstorm late Wednesday night.
An Aurora man convicted in May for sexually assaulting a child he knew has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison.
Kane County Circuit Judge Donald M. Tegeler Jr. Wednesday sentenced 31-year-old Angel Gallegos-Ortiz, of the 300 block of Blackhawk Street, to 21 years in prison, according to a press release from the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.
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A Kane County jury May 17 convicted Gallegos-Ortiz of three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, Class X felonies.
Kane County prosecutors presented evidence that between August 2013 and April 2015, Gallegos-Ortiz sexually assaulted the child, who was younger than 13 years old, according to the press release.
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In addition to the prison term, Gallegos-Ortiz must register for life as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act.
La Moore spends some time with her son Don. Moore volunteered at the Beautiful U Ministry Resale Shop in Elburn. (Beautiful U Ministry)
With three children of their own, Liz and Bill Hough of St. Charles still had a passion and interest for helping others in need especially children.
At one time, Liz worked on the west side of Chicago as a social worker where she "grew a hunger for helping low-income individuals, orphans and the homeless."
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First, the couple began to foster children in their home. Receiving calls to mentor pregnant teenagers, the Hough family got matched with a pregnant teen.
"We instantly hit it off," Hough added.
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Soon the mother-to-be moved in with the family.
After giving birth to a boy, Jayden, the mother left him with the Houghs who adopted him, "knowing we would love and care for this little, baby boy," she added. "It was bittersweet, but we were privileged to adopt Jayden."
A year after Jayden was born, Hough said, "We had a large uptick in the number of phone calls looking to place pregnant teens."
"I realized that there was nowhere else for these pregnant teens to go," Hough added.
Single moms who are trying to better themselves and take care of their babies often face insurmountable stumbling blocks, she said.
In 2010, Hough founded Beautiful U Ministries, a nonprofit aimed at providing at-risk pregnant teens with a family environment through satellite homes.
The group operates five satellite homes where pregnant moms experience life as a family, something that pregnant moms may not have ever experienced themselves.
It costs about $300 a month to house a mother in a satellite home, Hough said.
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"Each year, the ministry takes in between eight and 10 pregnant moms in five satellite homes," she said.
For its first three years in existence, the ministry was funded by private donations.
In 2013, the nonprofit opened a resale shop named Beautiful U Resale in part to raise money, but also to give its young moms an opportunity to work in the shop to gain job skills and experience.
Located in downtown Elburn at 112 N. Main St., the resale shop sells antiques, clothing, furniture, housewares, books, toys and seasonal decor.
About 40 volunteers rotate through working shifts at the shop including Amy Schmidt who first became involved with the organization shopping in the store for items for her home daycare.
Learning more about the organization and what it does in the community, Schmidt began volunteering for the organization in 2013.
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Now Schmidt, who volunteers every other Saturday, said she does it because the organization is focused on helping the women find success.
Once a young mother herself, she said, "We are not just focusing on helping them to the end of their pregnancy. The new moms are actively learning parenting skills and life skills such as budgeting and cooking."
Serving as a host for a satellite home, Schmidt said, there are many things the clients need to learn.
"The things we take for granted and think everyone knows how to do is really not true. People can make it to 26 years old and have no idea how to preheat an oven," she said.
To meet the increased demand for additional housing, in the last year the group has begun to also raise money for a transitional living center.
"The need is incredible. I average two to three calls per week" to place young pregnant moms, Hough said.
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Cathy Janek is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
A Chinese delegation visited Metea Valley High School in Aurora as part of a trip to learn about U.S. career and technical education programs. Aug. 30, 2017. (Sarah Freishtat / Beacon-News)
A Chinese delegation got an inside view of an Aurora high school's technical education programs, looking at where supplies for culinary classes come from and browsing documents in a mock-auto shop.
The delegation, including about 20 presidents, vice presidents and senior lecturers from six career and technical colleges in Guangzhou, visited Metea Valley High School as part of a trip to learn about curriculum and teaching in technical programs in United States high schools, translator Derrick Zhang said.
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The visit was also a chance for Metea Valley students to interact with visitors from a different country and with a different culture, and for those studying Chinese to brush up on their language skills, said career and technical education department chairwoman Kathy Wonsowski, who helped organize the visit.
"You're getting people from across the world who are interested in what's going on here," she said.
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This is not the first time Chinese representatives have visited Aurora. A separate delegation visited Metea in 2011. In July, a different group of municipal, county and provincial officials from China's Zhejiang Province came to the city.
This time, several Metea students studying Chinese visited with the delegation. They discussed how classes in the United States relate to college and how students can select the classes they take, senior Samantha Ho said.
Delegation members seemed surprised the students hadn't taken all of the classes they were visiting on their tour, she said.
A Chinese delegation came to Metea Valley High School in Aurora as part of a trip to learn about technical education methods. (Sarah Freishtat/The Beacon-News )
Arjun Sundararajan, a senior, said members of the delegation seemed surprised he speaks a bit of Chinese. He started taking the course because his friends said it was a good class with a good teacher.
"I'm a tall Indian kid," he said. "They don't expect a tall Indian kid to speak Chinese."
Senior Iris Xu said the delegation members seemed to expect her to speak the language, but she had to ask the members to speak slower so she could understand them. Xu's parents speak Chinese and she is taking the course to learn how to read and write the language and to learn about the culture, she said.
Wonsowski said students weren't prepped for the visit, so there would be no preconceived ideas. She hoped students would be curious about the delegation and see that what might seem important to Americans is not necessarily what the delegation members are focused on, she said.
"I don't think students realize from a global perspective how much they have," Wonsowski said.
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Delegation members found some aspects of their visit unexpected, including the teaching materials used at Metea and the lab environment of some classrooms, Zhang said. They found the instructors professional, and the methods they used to convey meaning to their students were effective, he said.
The delegation will be visiting area community colleges and community college boards as well as Chicago Public Schools, where they are focused on the administration and policy side of career and technical education, Zhang said. They are in the Chicago area for two weeks, and will also travel to Washington, D.C., for a week to learn about federal policies and study technical education competitions, he said.
"The United States has a very advanced career and technical education, and just superior employment for the students who graduate with (career and technical education)," Zhang said.
The delegation hopes to come back to Metea, he said.
A Metea Valley High School student talks with members of a Chinese delegation as they tour the Aurora school. (Sarah Freishtat/The Beacon-News )
sfreishtat@tribpub.com
Twitter @srfreish
Four students were sent to the hospital after a freon leak at Yorkville High School Wednesday. (Tony Scott/The Beacon-News )
Four students were taken to area hospitals after a Freon leak Wednesday at Yorkville High School.
Shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday, a foggy haze fell on two of the high school's first-story classrooms, Kristine Liptrot, spokeswoman for Yorkville Community Unit School District 115, said.
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The entire school was evacuated, with 52 students and staff receiving medical evaluations and four students being taken to hospitals three to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora and one to a facility in Sandwich, Liptrot said.
Liptrot said they showed symptoms from being in rooms affected by the leak, but did not elaborate on what those symptoms were.
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All four students were treated at the hospitals and released to their parents.
Firefighters arrived at the high school at 2:04 p.m. and transported the last patient out at 3:01 p.m., she said. About 20 minutes after arrival, officials determined the building was safe, including the classrooms where the haze had been, Liptrot said.
Fire officials determined a coil in a rooftop air conditioning unit was leaking the freon, causing the haze, she said.
Superintendent Tim Shimp said in an email that he'd been at the hospital to support the students and their families. He did not immediately respond to further questions.
Yorkville police and Bristol-Kendall fire officials could not immediately be reached. Liptrot said the response also involved fire departments from Little Rock, Sandwich and Oswego.
hleone@tribpub.com
Twitter @hannahmleone
America's diversity: North Koreans are a prime example of the human herd instinct. The people exhibit absolutely no individuality. That is the great thing about Americans. Our mix of races creates such diversity.
Stop drag racing: I see Aurora wants to do special things about DUI drivers, hire extra people to help. Can we do something about drag racers going up and down (the) street all hours of the day and night? Some are going 90 miles per hour. I am not exaggerating. I've seen motorcycle racing down the center lanes with traffic on both sides. How long do we have to put up with that kind of stuff?
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Fed up Republicans: I am calling to alert all Republicans. We sent President Trump to the White House because we like his message and agreed wholeheartedly. For seven months, we have watched him try to get things done and Republicans in the House and Senate can't even get the repeal of Obamacare. Here they have both the Senate and Congress and a president who will sign the repeal and nothing is being done. Now, they are taking a month vacation as we are being threatened by North Korea. Did they go home to look for new jobs? Because they will certainly need new jobs in 2018 because we Republicans are fed up.
Give cops credit: In response to the article Aug. 10, "Clueless to Cops." Really? Your girlfriend has neighbor problems. How dare those cops respond to an accident, to a fire, a domestic dispute, a child lost and a hundred other important calls. I guess they weren't too clueless if the neighbor went to jail for 10 years. What they didn't notify you what was happening with the neighbor so that made them clueless? God forbid you ever need these dedicated first responders. Will they be clueless when they come to your emergency?
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Learn to drive: I would like to say have you ever been driving down the street and you have someone in a mid-sized car wanting to make a right turn and you are behind them and they swing out like they are driving a semi- truck? Where did these people learn to drive? You don't have to swing your car out to make a right turn. It is not a semi-truck. It is not an 18-wheeler. Learn how to drive. I have seen quite a few accidents because people don't know the correct way to make a right turn and made a big swing to make a turn. You need to go out and get some driving lessons.
Trump is scary: This president scares the heck out of me. He is like an accident waiting to happen. Since when does a president have to hire a general to keep him cool? I don't know, but I do know this president is going to cause us a lot of pain and heartache. We need to get him out of there. He is a counter nut job to (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Un not right: For anybody who is not taking the threat of North Korea seriously, just take a look at the leader, Lil' Kim and that haircut. You can tell that boy is not right.
North Korean threat: Right now, North Korea's threat amounts to someone with a handful of fire crackers challenging a person with a box full of grenades. If they don't have the backup they had in 1950, they are sawing the limb off they are sitting on.
Guaranteed insurance: What is an honest person to do if national health insurance is not there or if they are not covered at work and too young for Social Security and Medicare? It looks like the only alternative for guaranteed medical and dental care is an extended sentence in jail.
No Trump fan: I would like to ask who let Donald "Beetlejuice" Trump out and forgot to put him back. This man is senile. He is a nut case. He needs to be put back in his cage.
Fund Planned Parenthood: So Trumpcare went down for defeat once again only because of the never ending Republican opposition to funding Planned Parenthood. Some moderate Republicans objected to that aspect of the bill. The polls have always shown that a large majority of Americans support funding Planned Parenthood. It is time for the Republicans to get with the program and drop the Planned Parenthood rider then we can get rid of Obamacare once and for all.
Transgender term: I understand before the term "transgender," groups wanted to refer to their gender as "crossover" but the automotive industry beat them to it.
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Editor's note
Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.
Police said they encounter numerous challenges when investigating robberies, including surveillance footage that may not always be useful. (Pioneer Press file)
Staring into his computer screen, Jeff Burgess said he was mesmerized by both the quality of a video showing a suspected bank robber who recently has targeted businesses in Buffalo Grove and other areas, and also by the fact that the suspect hasn't been apprehended.
"You couldn't get a better picture," said Burgess, president of Northbrook-based BCDVideo, which makes and services video-recording servers. "You can see the scar on his cheek. This guy's got incredible skin."
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The dilemma also is becoming increasingly more common for FBI agents, who often have to navigate various technological issues during investigations, said Garrett Croon, a special FBI agent out of Chicago.
On the one hand, the high-definition video that Burgess watched of the suspected bank robber entering a Fifth Third Bank in Rosemont on July 22 clearly shows identifying features of the man, even though an arrest has not been made in the case, Croon said.
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Agents in the FBI's Chicago office have said they suspect the same man of robbing five other banks in the northwest suburbs dating back to January, including one reported at a Chase Bank, 175 McHenry Road, in Buffalo Grove on June 30.
But on the other hand, many banks and businesses in the area don't have modern surveillance technology in their buildings, a factor that may motivate robbers to commit a crime, Croon said.
"We still have banks that hand us VHS tapes," Croon said.
Even with high-definition footage, police still can encounter challenges when working to make an arrest in cases of bank robberies, he said. But the quality of footage provided by businesses often also can be mixed, further challenging investigations, he said.
Employees at numerous Buffalo Grove-based banks, gas stations, jewelry stores and tobacco shops declined to comment about what kind of surveillance they use or if their system functions properly. But area police note many businesses can take additional steps to try and deter crime, even if they don't have modern surveillance technology.
Ed Wojcicki, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said building owners should first look to prioritize upgrading security technology.
"If you're going to buy one, buy a good one," Wojcicki said. "Don't cut a corner there."
But obstacles do remain. Meghan Hansen, outreach officer at Buffalo Grove, said top-flight surveillance equipment often can be expensive, but she noted how prioritizing security equipment could help deter crime long term.
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"We understand that not everybody has the kind of money," Hansen said. "But we always want people to do the best they can."
At his Northbrook-based business, Burgess said some businesses are starting to make those surveillance upgrades and more likely will do the same as the costs to install high-definition video start to decrease.
But businesses also can rely on other methods, such as keeping up a camera even if it is not attached to a functioning recorder or advertising how the building is under surveillance even if it isn't, Burgess said.
"It's the cheapest alarm system in the world just throw an ADT sticker in your window, even if you don't really have it," Burgess said.
But even with high-definition footage, police still often need the cooperation of witnesses and residents to see the footage and help identify potential suspects, Wojcicki said.
"The picture's only as good as someone identifying the person in it," he said.
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RWachter@PioneerLocal.com
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
After years of harshly bad-mouthing the state's economy, Gov. Bruce Rauner has pivoted in the past couple of weeks as the campaign season has heated up.
"I'm proud since I became governor," he said recently, "we have recruited and added around 120,000 new jobs to the state of Illinois."
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"But," Rauner said, "we should be growing at four or five times that rate. But we have red tape and restrictions, regulations on our businesses. I have advocated change that, so far, Speaker Madigan has resisted."
The governor has repeated the 120,000 new jobs figure at least a couple of times since then and has tossed in the reference to House Speaker Michael Madigan as well.
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And, indeed, using nonfarm jobs data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, over 120,000 net jobs have been added in Illinois since February, 2015, the first full month of Rauner's term in office.
But most of those jobs were gained in 2015, when 83,400 jobs were added. In the 19 months starting in January of 2016 through July of 2017, just 41,900 jobs were created in Illinois, according to IDES data. Of those, a mere 19,600 jobs were added in Illinois during the first seven months of this year.
The situation is much bleaker if you look at the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics' numbers.
According to BLS, Illinois added just 40,002 jobs from February, 2015 through July, 2017.
But, according to BLS, Illinois has lost a whopping 29,877 net jobs from January, 2016 through July of this year. Take out July's horrible preliminary report (which is often revised), and Illinois only added a paltry 530 jobs between January of 2016 and June of 2017.
It almost goes without saying that Rauner's political opponents will be sorely tempted to blame those lagging indicators on the two-year state budget impasse. The impasse's negative impacts really kicked into gear starting in the second half of Fiscal Year 2016, which would be January, when the slide began.
Rauner inherited an economy that, according to the same Illinois Department of Employment Security data he uses, added 61,500 jobs in 2013 and 84,600 in 2014, before Rauner was inaugurated, only to slow to a crawl in the past 19 months, despite a tax cut that took effect at the beginning of 2015. So far this year, the "Trade, Transportation and Utilities" sector has lost 9,300 jobs.
Illinois' gross domestic product was almost $792 billion in 2016, according to the federal government's Bureau of Economic Analysis. Could a state government's budget troubles really have an impact on an economy that size?
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Well, S&P Global Ratings Managing Director Gabriel Petek said in a statement back in February that Illinois' "distressed fiscal condition and dysfunctional budget politics now threaten to erode the state's long-term economic growth prospects."
In January of this year, another credit rating agency, Moody's, published a report which claimed Illinois' "political gridlock is imposing significant economic costs."
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >
The uncertainty created by the budgetary chaos almost certainly took a toll on the economy. And then there were all the layoffs at Illinois' public universities due to lack of state funding, which were amply documented in the media 1,500 or so by the end of May.
Rauner's opponents will have a point if they pounce on him for damaging the economy. He didn't create the crisis on his own, but he's the governor and governors wear the jacket.
And that's a big reason why he needs to get his own house in order as soon as he possibly can.
As you probably already know, the governor fired his most loyal staff members over a month ago and replaced many of them with staff from the far-right Illinois Policy Institute. Those folks haven't worked out very well. Rauner has lurched from one self-created public relations crisis to another ever since he purged his staff. A controversy over an Illinois Policy Institute cartoon, of all things, lasted more than a week.
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The governor pushed out four of those PR folks last week, but he'll need to replace them some competent, experienced professionals if he wants to get back on track. I'm not sure if he can ever explain why he's not at fault for these lousy job numbers, but he surely won't be able to do that with his current team.
And maybe a new team could help him figure out what to do about these problems. So far, things are not getting better on his watch.
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
There are several ways to look at the situation involving Roger Agpawa and his quest to become mayor of Markham.
You could say Agpawa is a winner, and you'd be right. He was the top vote-getter in April's three-way race to succeed David Webb Jr. as Markham mayor.
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He won the election, which makes him a successful campaigner. You could say he has the will of the people on his side. Citizens of Markham chose Agpawa to lead the south suburban city of 12,500 residents.
"I was elected by the people of the city," Agpawa told me by phone Wednesday. "I am mayor-elect. The election results were certified."
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On the other hand, there's the view of Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx. On behalf of the people of the state of Illinois, Foxx sued to prevent Agpawa from taking office. In Foxx's view, Agpawa is ineligible to serve.
Agpawa can't be mayor because state law says convicted felons can't hold municipal office in Illinois, Foxx's office argued in court. A judge agreed.
No one disputes that in 1999 Agpawa pleaded guilty to a federal mail fraud charge as part of a medical insurance scheme.
You could look at Agpawa as a reformed criminal who has become a model citizen. He's overcome a mistake in his past, turned his life around and gone on to pursue a career in public service as fire chief of Country Club Hills.
He previously was Markham's deputy fire chief for many years and continues to serve as the city's court administrator, a part-time role that involves oversight of inspections and ordinance violations, he said.
Agpawa's story has several interesting quirks. One is that Illinois law says a town cannot hire candidates to be rank-and-file firefighters if they have serious felony convictions. However, no such law applies to the hiring of fire chiefs.
Sometimes, Illinois laws make no sense.
In the challenge of Foxx's suit preventing Agpawa from taking office, attorney Burt Odelson argued that state law regarding eligibility for municipal office is similarly nonsensical. A convicted felon can serve as governor, state representative or senator, or in Congress, so why can't Agpawa be mayor?
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"Conviction and disposition shall not entail the loss by the defendant of any civil rights," Odelson argued in a court filing, saying another state law contradicts the one barring felons from holding local elected offices.
"He argues that his ability to hold public office is a civil right," Odelson said in the court filing.
The judge, however, rejected those arguments.
"The court cannot 'interpret' completely new provisions into existence," Judge David Atkins wrote in his ruling, adding the Legislature intended one set of eligibility requirements for statewide and federal offices and another, more stringent standard for local offices that receive less scrutiny.
In addition to being a successful campaigner, an election winner and the choice of citizens, you could view Agpawa as a champion of civil rights.
That view would gain weight if Agpawa's appeal is successful. The Illinois Supreme Court may ultimately settle the question because recent changes to the Election Code haven't yet been brought before the state's highest court. This case could change that.
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The Election Code previously said convicted felons were ineligible to appear on ballots. Then the code was changed to say they couldn't be sworn into office. Theoretically, a felon could run for office, win an election and resolve any issues with his felony conviction in the weeks between the election and the time he is sworn into office.
Trailblazer that's another possible way to look at Agpawa. He's the first to test the constitutionality of the Election Code changes. If the law is found to be unjust, history might regard Agpawa as a hero and champion of justice.
You could take the view Agpawa has every right to challenge the law. You could root for him to prevail, or wish him the best in his legal fight. Those are valid sentiments.
However, there are other, less-positive views of Agpawa that are more in line with the state's attorney's suit seeking to prevent him from taking office.
You could take the view that he was selfish for seeking an office he was ineligible to hold. Why run in the first place? Was it ego, or hubris?
Another view is that it was deceptive or misleading for Agpawa to campaign at all. One could say he did a disservice to the citizens of Markham for leading them into thinking he could serve as their mayor when the law said otherwise.
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You could say it's presumptous for him to hand out business cards that identify him as mayor-elect of Markham.
Maybe he's not so much a hero as an opportunist who strategized it might be quicker and easier to have a court declare him mayor than to convince the Illinois General Assembly to change the law and allow convicted felons to hold municipal office.
You could take the view that Agpawa is not so much a maverick, but more of a scofflaw.
Agpawa could have gone another route and pursued a pardon. Since his conviction was in federal court, it would require a pardon by the president. The governor is powerless to pardon someone in Agpawa's situation.
Still, a presidential pardon is not out of the realm of possibility. It would resolve the question of Agpawa's eligibility, and it's a remedy recognized as part of the legal process.
Perhaps Agpawa's situation is like the parable of the blind men and the elephant. The story tries to make a point about drawing conclusions based on partial information.
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In the story, the blind men have never before encountered an elephant. They try to describe it by touching it, but each man only touches one part of the elephant.
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One man touches the trunk and says the creature is like a snake. Another man touches the ear and says it's like a fan. A third man touches a leg and says the beast is like a tree trunk. Another man touches the tail and says it's like a rope.
They're all correct, but each is only able to perceive part of the truth.
All the views of Agpawa are correct to some degree. No single view, however, completely captures the complexity of his situation.
He's both the person chosen to represent Markham as its mayor, yet ineligible to hold the office. Longtime city council member Ernest Blevins is serving as mayor pro tem.
Agpawa is entitled to seek justice through the courts. Questions about his eligibility will remain unresolved until his appeals are exhausted.
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tslowik@tronc.com
Twitter @tedslowik
Gov. Bruce Rauner, right, speaks with Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) on the Senate floor after the chamber approved a landmark education funding reform bill Tuesday. From left are Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Westchester); Rep. William Davis (D-East Hazel Crest), the bill's sponsor in the House; and Sen. Donne Trotter (D- Chicago). ( Rich Saal/AP )
As Illinois lawmakers approved and moved forward on K-12 education funding reform, a new provision in the legislation divided Elgin-area legislators and educators.
On Monday, the state House voted 73-34 in support of Senate Bill 1947, the compromise bill of the original Senate Bill 1. Tuesday, Illinois Senate agreed with its counterparts, approving the bill 38-13, with Gov. Bruce Rauner intending to sign the bill.
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The evidence-based funding model remained intact in the new version, enabling the state to commence payments to public schools. The funding model, championed by many school district leaders and deemed essential to continue operating through the entire school year, is intended to fix what many believe is the most-outdated education funding system in the country.
"This was truly a historic day," School District U46 CEO Tony Sanders said Tuesday, after spending Monday and Tuesday at the State Capitol.
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However, the new version also had an added provision. A $75 million tax credit program for private school tuition assistance for low-and-middle-income families triggered opposition among primarily Democrat lawmakers.
Individuals and businesses could receive a tax credit for each dollar they donate to scholarship funds intended for private schooling. The number allocated to the program is $75 million. Under the provision, students could qualify for these scholarships if they fall below a certain household income total.
In the Elgin area, state Reps. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) and Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) voted against the measure over the inclusion of the $75 million program.
Moeller said she supported the original Senate Bill 1 and was pleased to see the key components of it in the new version. But the pool of money for private scholarships included in the deal was hastily thrown in, she said.
"There was little discussion on it, no public hearings, no opportunity for the public to weigh on it before we went for a vote," she said Tuesday. Moeller also was against the idea of having parochial schools benefit from a state program, calling it a "slippery slope."
"I'm concerned about anything that may take resources away for public schools," she said. "And right now, we don't know where those $75 million will come from."
While Crespo said he had some issues with other new items in the packaged deal such as easing requirements on physical education and driver's education at least those had been vetted by committee in previous legislation.
Where the money for the program will come from remains to be seen, Crespo said. When lawmakers crafted the long-awaited state budget earlier this year, there was no $75 million set aside for tax credits. "We were looking for nickels and dimes to make it balanced," he said.
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"Are we going to choose to cut something to the tune of $75 million (next year)?" Crespo asked. "That was one of my biggest concerns."
Sanders, meanwhile, said, "If vouchers or tax credits, if they're good public policy, they should withstand the light of day and public hearings and lots of debate. But this just came out of nowhere."
Regardless, Monday and Tuesday's votes were victories for schools in Illinois, said the CEO. No longer would school districts have to make "difficult decisions" as to whether schools could stay open all school year, he added. U46 officials have at times questioned the fate of the second half of the school year.
Long-overdue payments from the state would be fulfilled. Currently, Illinois owes District U46 $11 million in unpaid categorical payments in areas such as special education, transportation, and bilingual services, officials said.
"Even though it wasn't everything I thought it would be, I hope it will improve student outcomes across the state," Sanders said. After Tuesday's vote, he posted on his social media pages, "The formula has been fixed. I'll take the 90 percent I like and start focusing on how we support kids better."
Seth Hanford, the head of schools at the private Elgin Academy, said it was too early to discuss the long-term impact the scholarship program will have on his school, which serves almost 300 students from preschool through high school.
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But with 40 to 45 percent of Elgin Academy students receiving need-based aid, any financial aid is welcome, he said. Currently, Elgin Academy provides about $1.5 million in need-based aid.
"The more good school options that exist in any community, the better that is for that community and that includes private and parochial," Hanford said.
He continued: "I understand U46 is committed in doing a good job with a full range of kids and I admire their efforts. We in some ways serve similar communities, in some ways we do not...But we are all committed to serving kids from anyone in the Elgin area."
Other school districts weighed in on the K-12 funding formula changes. In St. Charles School District 303, Chief Financial Officer Seth Chapman said it was too early to project how much additional revenue the new version would give to 303; under Senate Bill 1, they projected an additional $15,000.
Just more than 6 percent of 303's budget comes from state aid, not counting Teachers Retirement Systems payments, Chapman said.
However, it will be welcome relief for 303 and others to get paid for late categorical payments. Chapman said the state owes District 303 about $2.5 million from late payments. They have resorted to using cash reserves to keep pace.
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"The passing of this from one perspective is good for all districts because we haven't been able to get payments," he said. "Under the evidence-based model, we would be able to get these payments."
raguerrero@tribpub.com
Far too many Illinois residents are not receiving legal services that they qualify for, due to a shortage of legal aid social services attorneys. According to the recently released Legal Services Corporation Justice Gap report, low-income Americans received no or inadequate legal help for 86 percent of their non-criminal legal problems, including domestic violence, divorce, child support, veterans' benefits, disability access, housing conditions and health care.
In fact, in DuPage County, 7.5 full time legal aid attorneys service the needs of 66,000 residents living in poverty; that is one attorney per 8,800 low-income individuals!
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This shortage of pro bono attorneys not only affects the number of low-income or disadvantaged people served, but also the disposition of justice. Studies consistently show that the outcome of contested matters often turns on whether a low-income or disadvantaged person has representation.
Since 2011, Pro Bono Network has been working tirelessly to fill the gap in legal aid representation by expanding the pool of attorneys representing those who cannot afford legal services. The network recruits, trains, places and supports lawyers who want to use their legal education.
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These include attorneys who are on career breaks due to caring for family, have retired or are solo practitioners.
An open house that will help interested attorneys learn more will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. Sept. 7 at the Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St. For more information or questions, email sheila.pont@pro-bono-network.org.
Linda Rio Reichmann
Pro Bono Network executive director
Adam Frisch keeps calm waiting for all ballots to be counted in CD-3
This is not an exhaustive list. Please feel free to add your favorites. Not a pretty picture! The similarities are too striking to ignore. The commonalities suggest the potential to act primarily out of emotion with little consideration of the consequences. In my view President Trump presents the greater danger to act out in response to perceived personal insult. Former UN Ambassador Bill Richardson stated that North Koreans think differently, they take everything very personally. Well, perhaps Kim and Donald are really brothers!
Though the title of this comment belies logic and science, it is certainly in keeping with the current anti-logic and anti-science ethos which dominates the Trump administration. Consider the data:
I Speak for the Bees
Dear Alibi,
August 19 was National Honey Bee Day, a day of celebrating one of the most important and widespread pollinators of our food and flowers. And we need to do more to protect honey bees and all of our pollinators.
Honey bees pollinate many of the foods we eat, from blueberries to almonds. In New Mexico, beloved foods such as tomatoes are pollinated by honey bees. Unfortunately, millions of honey bees are dying off due to neonicotinoids, a pesticide extremely lethal to bees. Without honey bees, there will be big consequences for our environment and our food supply: No honey bees means no food.
This summer, you can help protect bees by hosting a bee-friendly Bee-Bee-Q or picnic. Its the perfect way to end the summer: Join with friends and family to enjoy delicious foods made possible by bee pollination and cook with recipes shared by chefs from the Bee Friendly Food Alliance, all while helping to save the honey bees.
By Dezan Shira & Associates
Bilateral trade between China and Russia has skyrocketed this year and is expected to reach US$80 billion by the end of 2017, an increase of over 30 percent year-on-year. The Russian Ambassador to China, Andrey Denisov, told the media that This year, for six to seven months, growth of trade turnover amounted to around 30 percent. If we keep this momentum, then by the end of the year our trade will reach US$80 billion and even slightly more.
According to the General Administration Customs of China, trade turnover between Russia and China in January-July this year increased by 25.5 percent in annual terms to US$46.82 billion. At the end of 2016, this indicator grew by 2.2 percent in annual terms to reach US$69.52 billion.
The growing trade corridor between the two countries has been motivated by four factors: the sanctions imposed by the EU upon Russia, the relative weakness of the Ruble, Chinas OBOR ambitions, and mutual investment in integrated IT technologies, such as blockchain and 5G.
RELATED: Chinas Silk Road Development Criteria: Its Only OBOR If Were Involved
Russia is a key part of Chinas OBOR plans, says Chris Devonshire-Ellis of Dezan Shira & Associates. Without Russia on board there is no OBOR, its as simple as that.
The trade relationship between China and Russia can be expected to develop significantly further. China is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, a Central Asian trade bloc that also includes Kazakhstan to Chinas west, Russia, and Belarus, which borders the EU. When finalized, it will have the effect of bringing Chinese goods, duty free, to markets across Russia and to the very borders of the EU itself.
Beijing is also working with Moscow in building a high-speed freight rail link between the two cities, which should be operational by 2019. China and Russia are also exploring the development of the Northern Sea Passage, an Arctic route that, when feasible, will considerably reduce maritime transit times between China and Europe. Not surprisingly, northern European countries such as Finland and the Baltic nations are already putting infrastructure development plans to cater for this, including a projected Arctic Corridor that would see rail extend from Helsinki up to Kirkenes on the Arctic Ocean.
As part of its Russian strategy, China has also been busy in assisting Eastern European nations get up to speed with technological developments, and in particular with the coming launch of 5G and related e-commerce technologies. Both China and Russia are some way ahead of the EU in the development of this. China has been making overtures to Europes 16 eastern nations to examine better collaboration and cooperation between them, Russia, and China itself.
The basic need is plain to see. Chinas middle class consumer base is currently some 500 million, while about one billion Chinese have access to online shopping. With wealth and disposable income in China set to continue to rise over the coming years, Chinese consumers will be purchasing far more online, and that includes from Russia and the EU. We can see this trend developing as Chinese urban disposable income continues to rise over the next decade and beyond:
This is why China and Russia have been leaping ahead in getting prepared for this: China will both manufacture and be a major consumer purchaser and a large bulk of that will be conducted online. The two countries are synchronizing IT based e-commerce technologies and increasingly requesting the EU do the same, purely in order to facilitate such trade. Some smart nations like Estonia have already taken up the call, while others, such as tiny Moldova are starting to position themselves on the EAEU side of the fence to also offer border access to EU trade the country shares a long border with Romania and has a Black Sea Port.
China and Russia are also getting together on standardization, including over logistics and transportation issues such as rail containerization. Underscoring their IT superiority, the two countries also rank first and second, respectively, as the worlds best IT developers. Chinese programmers outscore all other countries in mathematics, functional programming, and data structures challenges, while Russians dominate in algorithms, the most popular and competitive arena. This has very specific implications as the world moves into a more IT-driven universe and with special attention to e-commerce and the new supporting businesses that developments such as 5G and Blockchain will bring.
The China-Russia plans may go further still. Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have openly discussed the possibility of uniting Eurasia and developing something known as the Great Eurasian Partnership. This concept brings together the members of the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Co-Operation Organization, and ASEAN as a huge free trade bloc:
Although it will take decades to achieve, such initiatives do mean that China and Russia are going to be collaborating on both trade and development in deeper and more complex ways in the coming years. Russia, in many respects, will be both Chinas trade corridor to and from Europe, as well as a trade, cargo and transportation facilitator between the two. Both countries are prepared to fund this to make this happen, and both can be expected to see their respective trade figures increase dramatically. Entrepreneurs should be assessing the China-Russia trade corridor potential.
About Us Dezan Shira & Associates maintain offices throughout China and have a partner firm in Russia. We can assist with market research, due diligence, corporate establishment, tax advisory, and on-going business services such as accounting and payroll in both countries. Please contact us at either china@dezshira.com or russia@dezshira.com or visit our website at www.dezshira.com
Establishing a Foreign Business in Russia In this issue of Russia Briefing, we explain the basics of business set up for foreign investors, from trademark registration, representation, trading mechanisms, and manufacturing. With low corporate tax rates, Russia is set to become the most dynamic of the trade corridors opening up to Asia.
China Investment Roadmap: the e-Commerce Industry
In this edition of China Briefing magazine, we present a roadmap for investing in Chinas e-commerce industry. We provide a consumer analysis of the Chinese market, take a look at the main industry players, and examine the various investment models that are available to foreign companies. Finally, we discuss one of the most crucial due diligence issues that underpins e-commerce in China: ensuring brand protection.
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Ukraine is holding negotiations with Poland over a possible creation of a joint museum space within the framework of the cross-border cultural cooperation, the Ukrainian government said Tuesday.
The project envisages holding joint exhibitions, training courses for art restorers and roundtables for museum workers in Ukraine's western city of Lviv and Poland's eastern city of Lublin, said the statement on the government website.
The establishment of the joint museum space is aimed at preserving Ukrainian and Polish common cultural heritage and promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries, the statement said.
The cost of the project is estimated at 1.7 million euros (about 2.04 million U.S. dollars).
A troupe of artists from China's renowned Huangmei Anhui Opera Theater gave a performance of the classic play "Marriage of the Fairy Princess" on Sunday during one of Greece's most prestigious cultural festivals.
Spectators at the old oil mill of Elefsina, the main venue of Aeschylus Festival, were treated to singing and dancing and the plot of a centuries-old tale.
The festival takes place 17-km southwest of Athens in the city where ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus was born 2,500 years ago. It was here the Chinese artists presented a masterpiece of one of China's most important opera styles in the past two centuries.
Sunday's show was one of the highlights of the 60 theatrical, dance and music performances, visual art exhibitions and other art events included in the festival's program this summer, organizers said.
It was staged as the two countries celebrate the China-Greece cultural exchanges and culture industry cooperation year in 2017.
After the twinning of Elefsina and China's Haicheng city in 2014, it is the fourth consecutive year the Greek festival has hosted a Chinese cultural production.
"Anhui Huangmei Opera's performance in Greece represents a culture exchange and interaction between the East and the West," said Dong Qing, president of the Association of Anhui Arts.
"Huangmei opera is one of the five main operas of China. We are very proud to introduce this to the world on behalf of Anhui Province and China," leading actress Yuan Yuan told Xinhua.
Huangmei Anhui Opera Theater troupe has promoted China's traditional artform worldwide with great success, and the 28-year-old actress said she felt honored to be part of this history since she was 8 years old.
Among the Greek spectators who enjoyed the performance was Elefsina Mayor Yorgos Tsoukalas.
Speaking to Xinhua, he expressed eagerness to further enhance ties between his municipality, one of Greece's main industrial zones, and China.
"After Elefsina was chosen as European Cultural Capital, we want to come in closer contact with other civilizations...The Chinese civilization is one of the most important in antiquity and modern times and from this point of view, we are trying to learn from the Chinese theater and Chinese peoples' views in the past and today," Tsoukalas said.
Elefsina has been declared European Capital of Culture for 2021.
"Our festival is a festival with a 43-year-long history which has preserved its values and is constantly improving...Our aim is to make culture a way of living for the people of Elefsina," Konstantina Marougka, the festival's spokesperson added.
Elefsina focuses on deepening its ties in particular with China, one of the greatest ancient civilizations, Marougka underlined.
As part of the Aeschylus Festival this year, Elefsina is also hosting an exhibition of Chinese opera costumes until Sept. 9.
A mighty road bridge across the famous Firth of Forth in Scotland, built mainly with steel supplied from China, will be open to traffic on Wednesday.
The new bridge is expected to become a new landmark for Scotland, standing alongside a second road bridge and the iconic 19th-century Forth rail bridge which was recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Shanghai-based ZPMC (China) was contracted to supply around 75 percent of the high-quality steel needed for the new crossing, Britain's biggest bridge contract so far this century.
The new Queensferry Crossing is the world's longest three-tower cable stayed bridge and also the largest infrastructure project in Scotland in a generation.
Costing 1.75 billion U.S. dollars, the bridge and its approaches stretch for 2.7 km and have taken six years to build.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described the design, engineering and construction as amazing and said that, alongside the two other bridges, the crossing will be a tourist attraction and a beautiful addition to the Scottish skyline.
The Scottish government had faced criticism for not sourcing steel for the bridge from Scottish or British suppliers.
But Transport Scotland confirmed that no steel companies from Scotland or the United Kingdom had bid to supply materials for the Queensferry Crossing contract.
More than 15,000 people have worked on the construction site since 2011, clocking up over 18 million hours of work in the process, with thousands more indirectly employed through the project's supply chain.
Around 50,000 people are expected to walk the new bridge this weekend ahead of the official opening on Sept. 4 by Queen Elizabeth II, who opened the first 2.5-km suspension road crossing in 1964.
The Scottish government says the new bridge is expected to lead to a stream of new business looking to acquire land and property in the surrounding areas. It will also help advance tourism opportunities.
A tourism strategy is due to be unveiled later this year which will seek to tap into the three bridges as a unique setting and world-leading visitor destination.
Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown, said, "It will be with a real sense of pride that all those involved with this project will witness traffic crossing the bridge this week. The challenges of this location have been well-documented and the real heroes are those who have braved the elements in sometimes horrendous conditions to finish the job."
Project director David Climie said, "I've worked on projects across the globe and I can safely say that this has been one of the most challenging but also the most rewarding."
"Until you've actually been out on the bridge during severe winds it's hard to appreciate the task at hand of delivering such a complex project," he said. "Experts from across the globe have marvelled at this achievement."
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Apple Inc's online services support WeChat payment from yesterday under a tie-up between the US technology giant and Tencent, China's top dot-com firm with almost 1 billion users.
Apple users can purchase apps and subscribe to online music by bundling App Store and WeChat payment accounts. In China, around 963 million people use WeChat, a popular instant message and picture sharing tool.
Apple will continue to be committed to offering customers across its ecosystem a variety of payment options that are simple and convenient, the firm said in a statement.
The WeChat payment tie-up is expected to allow Apple to boost revenue from services, which may help the company to offset sales decline of iPhone and iPad in recent quarters in China, industry insiders said.
Apple has increased investment in China by setting up new research hubs data centers and more Apple Stores.
The Thai government yesterday approved the supervision contract of the first phase of the Thailand-China railway project after approving the design contract last Tuesday, paving the way for the two countries to sign them early next month.
The cabinet approved the Construction Supervision Consultant Services Agreement with a budget of 3.5 billion baht (US$103 million), which has been increased from some 1.6 billion baht earlier provided.
Thailand and China are going to sign these two contracts during Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's visit to China, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said yesterday.
Prayut is set to attend dialogs between leaders of BRICS members and emerging economies and other developing countries on the sideline of the BRICS summit to be held early next month in China.
"Signing these two contracts are necessary for the beginning of the construction," Kobsak Pootrakool, vice minister at the Prime Minister's Office told media after the cabinet meeting.
As for the increased budget, Kobsak explained that new works, mainly keeping the construction site safe, have been added into the supervision contract of the project.
The first phase of the railway, a 253-km high speed railway running from Bangkok to the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, was approved by the Thai cabinet in July with an estimated 179 billion baht in funding.
A planned second phase will run from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai on the Thai-Lao border and to join hands with the China-Laos railway to form the artery railway from Bangkok to Kunming in southern China.
Sections of the planned cross-border railway outside Thailand are already under construction such as the China-Laos railway.
Intelligent voice technology is used in toys developed by Iflytek.
Innovation is acknowledged as a primary force for promoting economic development. Consequently many countries globally seek innovative technological, industrial and mechanistic breakthroughs. The positive impact of innovation irrefutably proven, it is a concept that leads China's development.
Anhui Province, located in central-eastern China, is an important part of the Yangtze River Delta. The construction of the "Belt and Road" and the Yangtze River Economic Zone have brought Anhui, at the crossroads, rare and abundant development opportunities.
Many people associate Anhui with Huangshan Mountain's breathtaking scenery, delectable cuisine, or the long history of papermaking. However, upon paying a visit to Anhui their foremost impression is of bold innovation.
Leader of Technological Innovation
How is innovation apparent in Anhui's science and technology? The answer is plain to see at the Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China. Located in Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone, the institute's focus is on developing high-tech R&D and cultivating high-level talents. It is integral to advancing the University of Science and Technology of China to a world-class research university.
On display in one of the Institute's halls are examples of Anhui's independent innovative technologies and products. They include the first Chinese independent R&D platform for the interactive robot, the large-sized liquid crystal display panel, the graphene based composite, microturbines, nano-water purification technology, insulin capsules, the Chery aluminium electric vehicle, and the JAC iev6s electric SUV.
In August 16, 2016, China launched world's first quantum experimental communications satellite Mozi, which can achieve quantum cryptography communication between space and Earth. The control center of the experimental quantum communication system is at the Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China.
On June 16, 2017, China was the first to achieve the 1,000-km level of space-Earth two-way quantum distribution of entangled photon pairs. This broke the previous, longstanding international 100-km level record, as announced by Pan Jianwei, chief scientist on quantum experimental satellite and vice president of University of Science and Technology of China. This experiment also brought plaudits from international experts in this field who hailed it as "world-leading."
In addition to the quantum scientific experiment, Anhui has also contributed many other unique scientific achievements. They include the opening of the Shanghai-Hefei section of the world's first quantum cryptography network. The world's thinnest 0.15 mm information displayed touch sensor has also gone into mass production. Moreover, Tokamak at the Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has achieved the world's first minute-level steady state high constraint mode operation. And the world's first intelligent interactive robot that provides customer service has been developed and put into operation.
Innovation is the primary force driving development. According to Chinese Regional Innovation Capacity Report 2016, Anhui has maintained its ninth ranking in China as a whole and pole position in central China for five years running. In the first quarter of 2017, among all industrial enterprises above designated size, Anhui's hi-tech industry added value reached RMB 103.83 billion, an increase of 14.4 percent, and the production value of its strategic emerging industries reached RMB 272.36 billion, a 22.7 percent increase.
On January 10, 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology officially authorized Anhui's construction of the national comprehensive science center in Hefei. This is the second of its kind to receive official government approval, the first having been built in Shanghai. The decision signifies Anhui's important position in the national innovation configuration; and also the importance of its role in representing China in the competitive global technology and cooperation market.
From Technology to Industry
Innovation is the point of intersection between technology and industry. Heightening the industrialization of technology has been a huge obstacle to innovation.
To accelerate the industrialization of artificial intelligence (AI), integrate various resources, to set up an industrial platform, Anhui Information Investment established the first AI presentation hall in Anhui. Named "China Speech Valley," it is located in the Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone.
"Left-click the mouse and speak, and so vocally surf the Internet and key in words." Cui Zijing, marketing director of Anhui MiMouse, demonstrated the company's intelligent voice mouse to reporters in the 1,000-sq meters "China Speech Valley" experience center. Upon his saying, "Welcome to Anhui," the corresponding Chinese characters were immediately displayed on the screen in Word. Cui then said, "I want to watch In the Name of People." The URL of this soap opera immediately appeared on the screen. Whether for purposes of surfing or keying in through voice identification, the mouse functions both accurately and fast. It is also compatible with English, Russian, Japanese and other languages. By January 2017 sales of the mouse had reached more than RMB 40 million.
The intelligent voice and AI trades are strategic emerging industries. Enterprises in these lines are mainly start-up companies, and highly innovative. But they have limited ability to adapt to market competition. "The absence of any policy to support this platform makes it difficult for these innovative start-ups to succeed." Yu Yanxing, the representative of the start-up Anhui Samxvm Information Technology Co., Ltd., introduced China Speech Valley and its focus on supporting intelligent and innovative business incubation. China Speech Valley provides services for enterprises in the zone through setting up various resource-sharing platforms that improve their cooperation and development. It has also become an important stage for enterprises to promote their products and invest in the market.
"For innovative start-ups, industrialization is much more important than technology itself. So the evaluation index for enterprises in the zone is not expertise or advanced technologies, but rather their market share," CEO of Anhui Information Investment Qi Dongfeng said. Qi went on to say that in order to facilitate enterprises' more rapid entry into the market, before a product is released a professional mentor team, comprising CEOs of technology companies or investment experts, provides them with guidance. Meanwhile, during the marketing process China Speech Valley holds and participates in many science and technology exhibitions to expand the exposure of R&D products. It also proactively builds various resource-sharing platforms that promote them on the market.
Technology must be applied to products, which shall be developed into industries. And single enterprises must converge into integrated zones. "The China Speech Valley experience center not only helps enterprises to deal with marketing difficulties, but more importantly, utilizes the central model effects to promote industrial agglomeration, so attracting more and more artificial intelligence-related industries to China Speech Valley," Qi Dongfeng said.
In the future, China Speech Valley will incubate more than 1,000 companies and cultivate a number of giant enterprises, so forming a strengthened AI industrial chain. At the same time, China Speech Valley will utilize the benefits stemming from an industrial cluster. The industrial scale is expected to reach RMB 100 billion.
Leading the Era of AI
On February 3, 2017, the New York Times published an article on AI development trends in China and the U.S., giving high praise to the leading technology of Iflytek Co., Ltd. Liu Qingfeng, chairman of Iflytek, proudly announced that from intelligent voice to AI, Iflytek has the world's most advanced algorithms, and this is putting the company at the forefront of the sector.
"Nobody in China had explored the intelligent voice industry when we first started. Our company incurred losses during the first four years, and by the fifth year our profits just about covered the loss," Liu Qingfeng said.
Looking back over the 18 years of progress, Vice President of Iflytek Xu Yulin told the reporter, "Innovation and persistence have been our most precious resources." Xu recalled that Iflyteki had been offered, but rejected many chances to turn a quick profit.
Having progressed from an 18-member team and experienced an 18-year expansion, Iflytek has become a world-class intelligent voice enterprise with a market value of more than RMB 40 billion. Its products now cover 27 languages, and those in Chinese and English constitute the global No. 1. This Chinese brand has achieved worldwide recognition.
In 2014, as the artificial intelligence era approached, Iflytek proposed a "new superfly brain" plan. The aim was to make robots able not only to listen and speak but also understand and think, so to create a Chinese intelligent cognitive engine. This will lead to the future application of intelligence to domestic tasks, education, customer service, healthcare, and other areas. And in 2015, Iflytek redefined the criteria for human-computer interaction in the Internet of Things era and released the AIUI a human-computer interactive interface that represents a milestone in the AI industry. Furthermore, in 2016, the rapid growth of users and start-up teams related to the Iflytek AI platform led over a million people to mass entrepreneurship and innovation.
On April 26, 2016, President Xi Jinping visited an exhibition on Anhui's innovative scientific results. He also watched the Iflytek intelligence voice and AI presentation. Xi highly commended their achievements and encouraged them to focus on R&D. He also hoped that Iflytek would maintain its leading role and simultaneously apply the core technologies to everyday life.
Xu Yulin acknowledged this as great encouragement to Iflytek. "This will inspire us to make more R&D efforts to bring the people better service." Xu also mentioned that Iflytek is promoting many new applications for the education, finance, medicine, information security and other fields.
As in April 2017, the Iflytek platform had acquired one billion users and provided services for 300,000 start-ups. The number of interactions now stands at 3.5 billion times per day. This implies that the AI ecology centering on Iflytek is under construction.
Artificial intelligence in future will not be competition between technologies, nor competition between enterprises, but competition between ecologies. "Faced with opportunities and challenges, Iflytek is confident of becoming a world-class giant IT enterprise," Xu Yulin concluded.
Mexico is open to cooperation with the BRICS countries, which comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the president of the Mexican industrial business chamber Canacintra said on Tuesday.
The potential to work with other regional blocs has taken on even greater relevance for Mexico today, as it seeks to diversify its trade alliances and export markets, said Canacintra chief Enrique Guillen.
"We are not closed to collaborating with other blocs, least of all now that modernizing has become a priority for our country," Guillen said in a statement.
Mexico would do well to forge closer ties with BRICS, as it seeks to bolster its presence within the G20 group of leading economies and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said Guillen.
BRICS is considering expanding the bloc to include other economies, such as Mexico, South Korea and Indonesia, among others. An initiative, dubbed "BRICS Plus," will be discussed at the group's ninth summit to be held on Sept. 3-5 in Xiamen, China.
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Three intellectual property rights (IPR) courts have concluded the proceedings over 33,000 cases in the past three years, according to a report submitted to the top legislature Tuesday.
These cases include more than 8,000 concerning highly technical issues such as patents, new species of plants, layout designs of integrated circuits and computer software, according to the report from the Supreme People's Court.
Chief Justice Zhou Qiang presented the report to the ongoing bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. Top legislator Zhang Dejiang attended the session.
The three courts were established in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in late 2014 following a resolution from the NPC Standing Committee.
They have handled landmark cases including granting punitive damages to trademark infringements and covering applicants' counsel fees in the compensation.
The courts also employed 61 technology investigators to assist judges in 1,144 cases, said the report.
The report called for an appellate mechanism for IPR cases at the national level and more IPR courts.
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Chinese prosecutors have confirmed the arrest of a young man who was photographed molesting his foster sister recently at the Nanjing South Railway Station.
Screen shot of Duan (1st left) sitting with his family at the Nanjing South Railway Station [File photo: Weibo.com]
Nanjing's railway transport procuratorate has announced the 18-year old, identified only by his surname Duan, is going to face child molestation charges. Further investigations are also underway.
On August 12, 2017, pictures appeared online showing Duan putting his hands inside a girl's dress and on her breast in a crowded waiting room at Nanjing South Railway Station. This sparked outrage, as the girl, who a witness has described as between 10 and 12 years old, showed no signs of struggle, reportedly referring to Duan as "brother."
On August 15, Nanjing railway police announced the arrest of Duan, and confirmed the girl is his foster-sister, who is - in fact - under 14 years old.
Under the law, Duan could face a minimum of five years in prison.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked for an improved poverty reduction campaign through regional collaboration.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (C), who attended the meeting Tuesday, said east-west collaboration needs to be strengthened in accordance with the poverty reduction target.[Photo: Xinhua]
In a written message to a meeting on east-west collaboration for poverty reduction, the premier said China's poverty relief campaign is going through a critical stage and government agencies should keep up the fight for progress.
In the past year, results have been seen as the government increased help for developed eastern regions and underdeveloped western ones to cooperate by providing support in funding, personnel, technology and industrial development, he said.
Li demanded more works to bring growth to poor region.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, who attended the meeting Tuesday, said east-west collaboration needs to be strengthened in accordance with the poverty reduction target.
The two sides should expand cooperation to more sectors with more innovative measures, he said.
Eastern regions will make more room for industrial development while the western regions can quicken pace of poverty eradication, said Wang.
China has set 2020 as the target year to complete the building of a "moderately prosperous society," which requires the eradication of poverty.
To achieve the target, China needs to bring more than 10 million people out of poverty every year, meaning nearly one million people per month or 20 people per minute.
Staff members at Shanghai medical institutions should keep detailed records on the physical condition and medical treatment of patients who may be victims of domestic abuse, the city's health authorities said.
"If evidence of family violence is found during treatment, staff members should take prompt action, arrange for security personnel to isolate the person and report the incident to the police," the Shanghai Health and Family Planning Commission said in a recent notice.
"Medical staff members should actively work with the police to collect related medical documents," said the notice, which was published on Aug 22.
If cases are not reported and lead to serious consequences, the person directly responsible may face punishment, it said.
Earlier this month, a netizen uploaded a video showing a man beating his father in a hospital.
According to the online news portal The Paper, the father, 86, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had been in the hospital since Aug 11. The man often hit his father in the face, kicked his legs or stabbed his mouth with a spoon handle, the report said.
"Every one will become old one day. It's absolutely unacceptable to see a man treat his old father in such a rude and violent way," an anonymous netizen said.
Many netizens said the son should be severely punished for his behavior. Police said he has been detained for 10 days and was fined 500 yuan ($76). His father was taken care of by other family members.
The health and family planning commission also required local medical institutions to strengthen public education and improve awareness about family violence.
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Flash
Tehran police chief denied that the deadly knife attack in a passenger terminal in the south of Iran's capital, Tehran, on Tuesday afternoon was a terror attack, Mizan Online News Agency reported.
The attacker stabbed three men following an argument with them and there was no terrorist intention in the assault, Sardar Rahimi told Mizan.
Earlier reports said that the man had attacked the people for unknown reasons.
One man was killed and two others were injured in the knife attack in the Southern Bus Terminal of Tehran at 16:30 local time (1200 GMT) on Tuesday, the report quoted a deputy for emergency operation of Tehran as saying.
Sardar Rahimi also confirmed the casualties, saying that the police have arrested the attacker and the investigations are underway.
Flash
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, top candidate for the upcoming general elections of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, August 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
German chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has defended her position and welcome policy for refugees in a yearly summer interview in Berlin on Tuesday.
Merkel announced her intention to combat illegal refugee trafficking, as well as the causes for migration.
The steps she demanded against organized traffickers, more development aid as well as humanitarian housing in Libya were of the "same spirit" as the aid for refugees in the summer of 2015.
Merkel said that the fact that she had decided to keep the border open for refugees was an important and correct decision in an "exceptional humanitarian situation."
According to Merkel, measures are needed to find long-term solutions and sustainable structures. These measures had to be "guided by the fact that we cannot simply isolate ourselves and simply continue on," the chancellor emphasized.
Europeans could only live in prosperity and security "if we look at the bigger picture and deal with our neighborhood and their economic development," she added.
Merkel reiterated her criticism of EU countries, which opposed the "fair distribution" of refugees in Europe.
"It cannot be that Europe only shows solidarity when it helps some of them," she said, adding that countries like Italy and Greece, where most refugees and illegal migrants are currently arriving, should not be left alone.
Flash
A photo of Zhang Yingying released by the police [File Photo]
A new trial date has been set for the suspect in the kidnapping of Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying in the U.S.
It was rescheduled from September 12th to February 27th during a pretrial hearing in Illinois District Court on Monday.
On Aug. 23, defense attorneys involved in the case filed an appeal to the court asking to postpone the start date for trial, stating that they require additional time to prepare.
After considering opinions from both sides involved in the case, the appeal was approved by the judge, though it was stated that there's a high probability the federal government will bring in additional charges in the future.
Suspect Brendt Christensen will remain in custody ahead of the start of his trial. Defense lawyer Thomas Bruno said, "As the attorney for the defendant, we are always concerned about reviewing what the government's evidence would be, and vigorously and zealously protecting the rights of the defendant. So we have a duty to research the law, review the evidence and determine whether or not the defendant is being treated fairly."
In the meantime, Steven Beckett, a notable local criminal lawyer, said both sides need enough time to prepare for the trial and it's common for a federal judge to delay the final date of the trial.
Beckett said the lawyers need more time to go through evidence and documents detailing the case.
"If you were the defense lawyer, as I said before, you'd want to entertain your own experts to have them look at that evidence and see if they agree with the conclusion that the government experts made. That all takes time."
He also said there is a strong possibility that this could become a death penalty case.
Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was last seen getting into a black car driven by 28-year-old Brendt Christensen on June 9.
Police arrested Christensen on charges of kidnapping 26-year-old Zhang on June 30, but her location remains unknown.
Based on the facts unearthed during the ongoing investigation, the FBI said it believed Zhang is no longer alive.
Christensen was indicted on July 12 by a federal grand jury on a criminal charge related to Zhang's abduction. He has been in custody since then.
The father of the missing Chinese scholar has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to direct all available Federal law enforcement and investigatory resources to help find his daughter.
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Flash
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party as new ambassador to China.
Noh Young-min, the former three-term lawmaker, was tapped as the first South Korean ambassador to China under the Moon Jae-in government, according to the presidential Blue House.
Noh served as chief of staff for Moon in the 2012 presidential election, in which Moon was defeated by his predecessor Park Geun-hye who was impeached and stood trial for corruption charges.
Moon won a landslide victory in the May 9 presidential by-election, caused by his predecessor's impeachment.
Kilamba, c. 2012 Anyone who has been to Luanda knows that the city lacks housing. The hotels are extremely expensive, and researchers h...
Reactions to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's latest provocation have followed the age-old script:
Pyongyang insisted it was exercising its legitimate right to "self-defense" by firing a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday. For the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan in particular, it was an exceedingly provocative gesture not seen in almost a decade. So much so that Japan activated its J-Alert system in northern areas, conducted drills to test its anti-ballistic missile system PAC-3; ROK President Moon Jae-in personally ordered live fire drills to exhibit his country's "overwhelming" fire power, with an officer counter-threatening the DPRK leadership with "extermination"; and US President Donald Trump repeated his previous warning that "all options are on the table".
Despite the widespread condemnations, from the United Nations, Japan, the ROK, the US, China, Russia and other countries, the DPRK appears defiant as ever, threatening to fire more missiles into the Pacific.
The story has been unfolding exactly the same way as on each past occasion, and the outcome seems set to be the same: Pyongyang and its critics continuing wrangling over the chicken or the egg causality dilemma, with the former refusing to give up its nuclear pursuit and the latter remaining hopelessly divided over what to do.
If Pyongyang's latest provocation has exposed the helplessness of the international coalition against its nuclear and missile programs, the worse may be yet to come.
One fundamental reason for the international community's inability to curb the DPRK's dangerous adventure has been the contradictory agendas of those that ostensibly have shared interest in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. If the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system is the first wedge driving the fragile coalition apart, another, more damaging one seems on its way as Seoul and Washington reportedly engage in talks on deploying additional "strategic assets" on the ROK soil. Seoul has already confirmed corresponding talks between ROK and US militaries.
Pyongyang's continuous provocations may serve as a catalyst for the potential deployment of additional but controversial and divisive "strategic assets". But like THAAD, US strategic weapons can do little to prevent the feared civilian losses when a war with the DPRK breaks out. However, they can seriously undermine the precious, though already weak, global consensus on the denuclearization of the peninsula, as combined with THAAD, they will constitute a potential, substantial threat to Chinese and Russian national security, and inevitably invite strong reactions from both.
When that day comes, Pyongyang's nuclear/missile programs may turn out to be of secondary concern to the world.
Robust energy industry-related relations among BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa complement producers and exporters on one side and importers and suppliers on the other, creating a perfect atmosphere for win-win deals that could bridge the demand-supply gap among the bloc members, analysts said.
For example, Russia and Brazil are oil exporters and producers, while India, China and South Africa are net importers.
Russia is looking to export its oil to importers outside the European Union. Emerging economies like China are seeking to import oil for energy security. China is willing to seize opportunities arising from Russias needs, they said.
So, energy deals between such countries could help make BRICS stronger, said Li Li, energy research director at ICIS China, a consulting company that provides analysis of Chinas energy market.
China and Russia have already forged a variety of oil and gas ventures and undertaken investments in recent years.
These include the Yamal LNG project located in the Arctic region of Russia, the world's first integrated project for polar natural gas exploration, development, liquefaction and transportation.
In many ways, Yamal signifies future possibilities in the key energy industry for BRICS countries.
The project is expected to begin operations this year and much of Yamal's output will be supplied to China and other Asian countries, according to Novatek, the natural gas producer in Russia responsible for the Yamal project.
China is already the world's largest energy consumer, producer and net importer. Its total oil imports in the first six months of this year reached 212 million tons, according to the General Administration of Customs.
China has always regarded Russia a priority partner for cooperation in investments, Li said.
"China has been a top buyer and strategic partner of Russia's abundant oil and gas resources, and the country's financial support from institutions, including the China Development Bank, also helped deepen bilateral cooperation."
Yamal is not the only bright spot.
Gazprom, Russia's largest natural gas producer, has a 30-year deal with China National Petroleum Co under which Russia will start supplying gas to China through Siberia at the end of 2019.
Dubbed the "Power of Siberia", the new pipeline, part of a China-Russia supplementary purchase and sale contract, has a planned annual capacity of 38 billion cubic meters, Gazprom said.
According to Wang Jun, general manager of the Russian unit of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, the world's largest refiner, Russia has abundant energy resources, and Chinese oil and gas companies' are providing necessary technology for exploration and development, which makes the two countries a perfect match for energy cooperation.
Russia, with its political stability and low risk to resources, should be taken as a key strategic region for Chinese companies, he said.
According to Li, in addition to Russia, China has been actively nailing various energy cooperation agreements with other BRICS members, providing support in infrastructure construction, technology and export of capital goods.
In South Africa, for example, Sinopec announced in March that it will pay some $1 billion for a 75 percent stake in Chevron Corp's South African assets, like its subsidiary in Botswana, in an attempt to secure its first major refinery on the African continent.
The acquisition is believed to take further advantage of the energy behemoth's downstream experiences to turn the site on the African continent into a more profitable storage terminal.
Demand for refined petroleum in South Africa has been increasing at an average annual rate of nearly 5 percent over the past five years, thanks to a growing middle class. Such demand is currently estimated to be around 27 million metric tons, Sinopec said.
"Sinopec used to focus mostly on the domestic market, but now it has been expanding abroad, with its ample expertise and experience, interfacing more with the global market," Li said.
"China's oil and gas companies have been more active in chasing refinery assets worldwide in recent years, in an attempt to further reshape their asset portfolios while exporting their technologies."
This is also consistent with the country's Belt and Road Initiative, taking China's new refinery technology and management experience abroad and better strengthening the country's connectivity with the world, she said.
State Grid Corp of China, with its abundant expertise and experience, also has big plans to play a key role in the clean energy industry in South America.
The company, which runs the majority of the nation's electricity distribution networks, had landed ultra high-voltage electricity transmission projects in Brazil.
According to Li Lequan, deputy director of State Grid International Development Co Ltd, SGCC's subsidiary for global operations, the ultra high-voltage electricity transmission projects in Brazil mark a major breakthrough in China's "going global" strategy in the field of UHV technology.
Han Xiaoping, an analyst at Beijing-based cnenergy.org, said the technology makes it possible to transmit large amounts of power over long distances.
Given Brazil's vast and varied geography, this is exactly what the country needs, he said.
Han said the UHV line will signify Brazil's, as well as South America's, first "electricity superhighway".
"State Grid's UHV technology will also make the company a global leader in the power plant, as well as the distribution grid construction market," he said.
Zhou Dadi, a senior researcher at the China Energy Research Society, said China's advanced technology in power transmission, power transformation, nuclear energy and renewable energy can help countries, including India, to develop low-carbon energy alternatives.
Zhou said there is immense potential for energy cooperation among the five BRICS countries. They should maximize such potential, he said.
He also cautioned that thorough research of other countries' economic situation, foreign investment policy and state of the domestic energy industry is needed to ensure win-win cooperation.
A clerk counts Chinese 100 yuan banknotes at a branch of a foreign bank in Beijing Jan 4, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]
Since the early 1990s, some China watchers internationally have, one after another, predicted a scenario in which the Chinese economy would experience a major recession, although it never happened. Now they seem to have found new ammunition for their argument: the country's rising debt.
Following the downgrading of China's credit ratings in May by Moody's, which cited the possibility of the country's continually rising debts, the International Monetary Fund warned this month that China's credit growth was on a "dangerous trajectory".
"International experience suggests that China's credit growth is on a dangerous trajectory, with increasing risks of a disruptive adjustment," the IMF said in a report. The IMF called for "decisive action" from China and suggested it press on with reforms to cut its debt levels.
Indeed, such warnings deserve serious attention from policymakers since China does face the challenge of debt reduction. But it is crucial that China should not be misled by such a doomsday argument and cut its debt levels in haste only to jeopardize economic stability.
If stable economic growth cannot be maintained, it will in return affect the country's drive to cut debt levels.
"The IMF's conclusion, although it deserves our attention, is out of line with China's real situation," said Yu Yongding, an economist of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "We should not adopt its suggestions."
Given its high deposit ratio, Yu told China Daily that the nation is very resilient in coping with its debt problem. If it rushes to solve its debt problemwhich has been accumulated over a long duration of decadesin a hasty manner, it may risk dampening economic growth.
"We have taken a series of measures to solve the debt problem and they have been quite effective," he said.
According to the Ministry of Finance, China's government debt-to-GDP ratio is 36.7 percent in 2016, lower than most major industrialized and emerging-market economies.
The National Development and Reform Commission said this month that China's overall leverage levels had dropped by the end of 2016, compared with the end of the third quarter of 2016. It also said that by the end of June, the asset-to-liability ratio of major industrial enterprises had dropped to 55.9 percent from 56.7 percent a year earlier.
Yu said that once economic growth slows, leverage levels could go up. Therefore, China must well handle the tempo of debt level reduction so that efforts to cut debt levels would not be carried out too hastily to affect overall economic growth.
Financial policymakers should also be more tolerant toward enterprises with high debt levels if their operation remains on track, Yu said.
Against the backdrop of leverage cutting, some enterprises, thanks to their high debt levels, cannot continue to get access to bank loans and are forced to the brink of bankruptcy. "If their operation remains largely sound, they may only face the challenge of a temporary liquidity shortage. Banks should continue to extend loans to them and, as their operation goes back on track, they would gradually step out of difficulties and become solvent," he suggested.
In this way, such enterprises would be able to gradually cut their debt levels after their operations improve, contributing to debt reduction and overall economic stability, he said.
Employees remove cockpit window covers from an Embraer SA E195-E2 aircraft during the 53rd International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, in Paris, France. [Photo/Agencies]
China will need 1,070 regional jets with 70 to 130 seats over the next 20 years, making it the third-largest regional aviation market after the United States and Europe, according to the latest report released on Tuesday by Brazil-based aircraft manufacturer Embraer SA.
From 2017 to 2036, demand for regional jets in China will account for 17 percent of the total. Last year, there were 137 such aircraft in operation in China, said Embraer SA, the third-largest aircraft manufacturer after Boeing Co and Airbus Group SE.
Currently, Embraer accounts for 61 percent of global deliveries in the 70 to 130 seats jet segment, followed by Bombardier Inc of Canada and Russia's Sukhoi, respectively taking 31 percent and 4 percent of the market.
"In the next decade, the number of middle-class families in China is expected to grow to 300 million from 100 million, and most of them will come from second- and third-tier cities. The urbanization in smaller Chinese cities is expected to drive their demand for aviation transportation," said Arjan Meijer, chief commercial officer of Embraer.
Meanwhile, Meijer added that high-speed trains will connect about 80 percent of the provincial capital cities in China, and regional flights are expected to help to cover those areas that high-speed trains cannot.
For the regional aviation market in China, China Southern Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Hebei Airlines, GX Airlines and Colorful Guizhou Airlines now take the leading positions in their operations.
For China Southern Airlines, regional routes account for 9 percent of its total domestic routes. Last year, the carrier transported 4.88 million people on its regional flights, up 3.9 percent year-on-year.
With Urumqi as one of its hubs, China Southern operated regional flights in 18 cities within the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. In 2016, it carried nearly 30,000 short-haul regional flights in the region.
Zhang Yubin, deputy manager of marketing at China Southern Airlines, said the operation of regional flights has been an indispensable part of the carrier.
"The regional aviation sector in China also faces some challenges, given its high operating costs, the low utilization ratio of regional aircraft and the impact of railways."
"Besides, major airports have tight flight schedule resources, which will have an impact on the integrated network construction of major and regional flights," Zhang said.
However, the government has issued favorable policies to boost the development of regional aviation. During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), China plans to build 43 new regional airports.
Last year, the Civil Aviation Administration of China provided 1.02 billion yuan ($155 million) in subsidies to the regional aviation sector. CAAC said the establishment of new airlines should be strictly controlled, and it also said the government will support the establishment of new regional airlines.
Deal could be first among handful to trim overcapacity, number of SOEs
China's major power generator China Guodian Corporation and coal producer Shenhua Group proposed a merger of their coal power assets, setting up a joint venture company worth 54.4 billion yuan ($8.24 billion), the tie-up of which is believed to create world's largest utility provider by capacity. So far, the cabinet has approved the plan.
Guodian will have the controlling stake and invest 29.1 billion yuan of thermal power assets in the joint venture while Shenhua will invest 25.3 billion yuan of thermal power assets into the new company, both sides said in separate filings.
The merger is believed to be the first of a handful of mergers in China's power industry, as the Chinese government is trying to cut industrial overcapacity and trim the number of State-owned enterprises.
Li Jin, chief researcher with the China Enterprise Research Institute, said the Shenhua-Guodian tie-up is a typical merger of the upstream and downstream sectors, providing a model for the whole thermal power industry.
"Some SOEs in the energy and power sectors and heavy industry currently see much overcapacity," he said.
"Future mergers in thermal and nuclear power, which are weighing their options, could also resort to the upstream-downstream merger, to create more global powerhouses and avoid restructuring redundant industries."
The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission on Monday announced the merger between China's largest coal miner Shenhua Group and energy producer China Guodian Corp.
The merger, which has sorted out key issues such as power production and post-merger operations during previous discussion, will likely create an energy behemoth with combined assets estimated to be in the range of 1.73 trillion yuan to more than 1.8 trillion yuan.
Li said mergers and restricting are believed to continue taking center stage and accelerating in SOE reforms.
Xiao Yaqing, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, said earlier this year that the government needs to speed up reform in the coal power generation, heavy equipment manufacturing and steel sectors.
Experts expect SOE mergers to happen in the heavy equipment manufacturing sector after mergers have taken place in the coal power and steel industries.
Zhang Jinxin, head of the Center for China Mergers & Acquisitions Research under Beijing Jiaotong University, said SOEs in heavy industry require structural reform, which will fend off repeated construction, building redundant projects and cut-throat competition.
Companies that might get involved in the next round of mergers might include China First Heavy Industries, Harbin Electric Corporation and Dongfang Electric Corporation, he said.
The announcement concludes months of speculation about the merger, which was first reported in June.
Those interested in the current situation of the healthcare industry in China no longer need to depend on statistics collected manually, fearing that the data would not be up-to-date. With the help of big data and artificial intelligence, AI, a digital map can offer everything about the medical field.
In just one click, the digital map offers users all the information related to the medical industry within a specific region in China, including different types of medical enterprises, innovative demonstration areas, high-end talents in the area, the latest medical products, as well as the financing condition in each medical field.
The digital map launched by Firestone Inventing, a consulting company specializing in the medical industry, is the first product in China to present statistics about the healthcare industry by itself. Using big data and AI techniques, the data are updated automatically, which greatly liberates the labor forces and improves the accuracy of information.
The product was first launched in Changping district in Beijing on Tuesday. The database stored in the map demonstrated that by now, there are 2,393 medical-related enterprises in the area. Among them, 1,269 manufacture medical equipment, 845 offer medical services, while 196 produce bio-pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, up to 69 professionals have been attracted to the region, 10 of which are listed among China's "1000 Talent Plan".
"With the help of the digital map, Changping district will attract financing and high-end talents to the healthcare industry, building the area into an ideal place for medical scientific innovation," said Su Guiguang, vice-director of Changping district.
In 2016, the State Council launched "Healthy China 2030", a guideline that suggested that by 2020, the total volume of the healthcare industry in China will surpass 8 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion), and the figure is estimated to reach 16 trillion yuan by 2030. The healthcare industry has become a strategic pillar industry and a large amount of capital is flowing into the sector.
"The digital map based on location services, was invented to help the government adjust its industrial chains and realize accurate positioning. In this way, local authorities can carry out more scientific guidelines and attract capital and talents based on the guidelines, boosting the development of the healthcare industry in China," said Yang Hongfei, chief executive officer of Firestone.
According to the company, the product will be applied to every area in China soon.
Zhang Yidan, an analyst specializing in the medical industry at Beijing-based research company Analysys, said that using big data, the processing efficiency and malleability of information are improved to a large extent, which is beneficial to both the investors and the enterprises related to the field.
"The investors may find it easier to make their decisions, while the enterprises can make wiser strategic plans. In this way, the digital map will boost the development of medical industry in China," she added.
SHANGHAI - China's technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sectors saw 59 IPOs in the first half of 2017, according to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on Tuesday.
The figure was almost the same as the second half of 2016, when 58 TMT companies went public.
The IPOs raised a total of 25.8 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) in H1, PwC said.
A total of 27 were listed on the Growth Enterprises Market (GEM) Board in Shenzhen, raising 9 billion yuan, while 19 went public on the Main Board, collecting 10.8 billion yuan. Another 12 TMT IPOs were listed on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Board and one on an overseas market.
The report also showed that the average price-to-earning (PE) ratio in the A share market almost halved in June this year from the end of 2015.
"IPOs in the TMT sector maintained a high number as many companies seeking IPOs in the second half of 2016 were only given green light this year as China sped up the approval of IPOs," said Gao Jianbin, PwC China TMT partner. "In addition, SMEs and start-ups in the sector remained active, and this has also helped raise the number of public listings in China."
A man with a baby carriage walks past an outlet of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Banks should realize that reshuffle of industry will come soon, says expert
Many commercial banks in China have highlighted retail banking as a business transformation strategy as they faced challenges from the booming fintech sector and tightening financial risk regulation in the first half of 2017, according to their interim results announcements.
For Bank of China Ltd, the fourth-largest commercial lender by assets in China, personal banking contributed 40.2 percent of its comprehensive income related to domestic commercial banking, up 30 basis points from the same period last year. Among new domestic yuan loans totaling 460 billion yuan ($70 billion), personal loans accounted for 58 percent.
Liu Qiang, executive vice-president of BOC, said: "Among various banking businesses, personal banking requires less capital and plays a significant role in hedging against economic cycles.
"We'll deepen our reform of personal banking by building a personal banking product system, developing the cross-channel coordination ability, and making greater efforts to acquire customers."
The BOC is not alone in further implementing a retail banking strategy. The number of personal clients of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, the nation's largest commercial lender by assets, increased by 16.86 million in the first half, and its personal financial assets totaled 12.67 trillion yuan. ICBC's net profit rose 2 percent year-on-year to 153.7 billion yuan.
China CITIC Bank Corp Ltd also devoted a larger part of its credit resources to retail banking. During the first six months of this year, the Beijing-based national joint-stock commercial lender recorded incremental loans worth 213.17 billion yuan, of which 82 percent were personal loans. Retail banking accounted for 31 percent of its operating income during the period, up from 25 percent a year ago.
Wu Qing, director of the comprehensive research office of the Research Institute of Finance at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said: "The gap in financial performance has enlarged among commercial banks.
"Although some expanded rapidly by almost 30 percent in regard to total assets, more banks posted single-digit growth in net profit. This should raise the alarm, making all senior banking executives, especially the chairperson of each bank, realize that a reshuffle of the banking industry will soon take place. They have to further maximize their own bank's advantages to find their niche market. For those banks that lack core competence or whose core competence is diminishing, their outlook will be gloomy even though some of them still have a large market share for now," Wu added.
Leaders of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, are scheduled to meet in Xiamen, a resort city in Fujian province, from Sept 3 to 5.
Earlier in August, BRICS commerce ministers also reached agreements at a meeting in Shanghai to boost trade, investment, e-commerce and cooperation in intellectual property rights.
Here are 10 cases of Chinese companies exploring BRICS markets beyond their home market this year, which can offer a glimpse of business dynamics in this bloc. Let us take a look.
No 1 Gezhouba discloses its plan to buy Brazilian water utility
A man passes by the headquarters of China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on Dec 24, 2014.[Photo/VCG]
Construction conglomerate China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd announced on March 30 that its subsidiaryChina Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment Co Ltdwill spend up to $200 million to acquire 100 percent stake of Sistema Produtor Sao Lourenco, a water supply company in Brazil, China Daily reported.
Gezhouba added that it would also be able to acquire the operational rights of the water supply program in Sao Paulo state.
The water system, once completed, will serve 1.5 million local residents, according to the Sao Paulo state government's official website.
Catherine Simon, chairman and CEO of French technological consulting firm Innorobo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In Catherine Simon's smartphone, there are hundreds of pictures of robots, most of which were took by her at the World Robot Conference 2017 (WRC 2017) held in Beijing last week.
As chairman and CEO of French technological consulting firm Innorobo and a speaker at the main forum of WRC 2017, she said she wants to find more time to visit the robotics exhibition in her busy schedule and to understand Chinese robotic companies better.
"It's amazing to see so many new Chinese robotic companies that I have never heard before here, especially the service robotic ones," Simon said in an interview with chinadaily.com.cn on the sideline of WRC 2017.
She moved from booth to booth at the exhibition, taking pictures, trying to make sense of robots that interest or confuse her and evaluating which Chinese company might be ready for Europe.
"The design of this robot is very strange for Europeans," She said when a humanoid robot dancing at the show got her attention.
She pointed to it and said, "big head and thick armsit is too chunky".
Simon believed it will be difficult for this kind of robots to enter European market.
"It is because of the design. A typical French humanoid robot usually has graceful figure. Sometimes the problem is just with the shape of the plastic cover, while the inner technology is fine."
Having worked in the robotic field for 10 years, Simon has realized a closer understanding should be reached between Chinese and European companies.
"When you ask Chinese people to think of robotics in Europe, most of them only consider Germany. However, besides Germany, every European country has its own unique advantages in robotic field."
Simon said Europeans also need to change the old image of China in their mind.
"China, having been more like a supplier or subcontractor in the past 20 years, is described as manufacturing giant, big market or lots of money in Europe. But China is not just a manufacturer, there is innovation here and many companies are actively developing robots with their own technological advantages."
When Simon saw the exhibition hall was crowded with families fascinated with robotics, she believed China has some strength beyond money and market size.
"These people have the will to adopt new technologies to improve their way of life, while in Europe, we have certain fear of robots like robots will steal our jobs or robots will take control of our humanity."
With the transformative power, supports from government, market, money, open attitude and people's willing to cooperate in a win-win strategy, China has everything it takes to become a great leader in the technology transformation and robotics transformation, Simon said.
"I think China also has the extraordinary potential of leading new way of globalization of the world," she said.
She said that a French robotic company CEO also attending the WRC 2017 told her what is happening in China is incredible and he will come back and find the right partner.
"He said the only problem is Chinese companies' will to cooperate is too strong sometimes. There are too many companies and too many contacts, so they do not know which one is the right one," Simon said.
"It takes time for French companies to make cooperation that they need to tell which company is like the flying star that will disappear and which one can be their long-term partner. If I visit a company once, I just start knowing it. I might need to visit it two, three, or four times."
In China, what we have experienced is some companies want us to sign first and then to get to know each other, but we want to know each other first, understand each other first and then think about signing an agreement and start making business, Simon said.
She believed the cooperation can bring benefits for both Chinese and French companies.
"Sometimes there are Chinese robotic companies being accused of violating intellectual property rights. It is a pity and they actually do not need to do that," Simon said.
"What I see is the first version of the product might be a copy, but the second version becomes better than the original one because the Chinese company can get a huge amount of consumer feedback from the market."
Simon said if there is a long-term cooperation agreement between companies, they can share intellectual property and consumer feedback.
"The European market is relatively small and fragmented. From the consumer feedback of Chinese market, we can improve the product together. It's a win-win collaboration."
Ant Financial Services Group, operator of China's largest e-wallet Alipay, announced on Wednesday it will roll out a local commerce feature to better connect merchants and customers using big data analysis.
The 'Life Account', embedded in the Alipay app, allows its 520 million users to search nearby merchants, receive discount coupons, make appointments and conduct payments, said Fang Fei, an Alipay director overseeing the new function.
It also helps business and social entities tap into their key clients by identifying their location and consumption preferences, she told a packed audience lined up to sign up for the service in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
Life Account is unveiled at a time when most companies have adopted WeChat's Public Accounts and Mini Programs as avenues for digital marketing and customer relations management. The social media tool now has 963 million active users who chat, tip, and settle traffic fines over the app.
But Alipay requires real-name registration for all its users, which Ant regards as an advantage over rival services to avoid false and redundant marketing endeavors.
In a trial run from the beginning of this year, China Telecom has attracted 60 million online followers to its official Life Account who bank on the virtual platform to get location-based discount information and proceed to conventional business inquiries such as mobile phone top-up and subscription of broadband services.
According to Zhao Yajie, the carrier's product director for internet cooperation, the Life Account handles the work equivalent of 3,000 offline service halls and saves up to 10,000 human labor.
Major international brands from fast-food chain KFC, cruise line Royal Caribbean International, to travel service Agoda have already signed up for the service, Ant said.
GUIYANG -- Peng Dajun, resident of Nayong county in southwest China's Guizhou Province, has not yet recovered from the powerful landslide Monday morning.
"I ran outdoors when I heard the sound of falling rocks and felt strong tremors. My house was leveled to the ground before I looked back," he recalled.
The landslide has left 17 people dead, eight injured as of Tuesday afternoon, with 18 still missing, local authorities said. Peng's wife is among the victims.
The landslide occurred at about 10:40 a.m. Monday in Zhangjiawan Township, affecting 34 households. More than 600,000 cubic meters of rock and mud fell 200 meters and hit a village.
"I was about to start cooking when I heard a big bang and saw mud flying around and trees down, I was very frightened," said 49 year-old villager Zhang Faqun, whose house would have been destroyed had it been 10 meters closer to the mountain.
The landslide area is over 5,000 square meters, and falling rocks and the rain have added the difficulty of the rescue operation.
Over 2,000 people, including police, firefighters and medical staff are at the scene. More than 90 emergency vehicles, 20 life detectors, 17 diggers and eight drones were used in the rescue operation.
"It has been over 30 hours and I still have not slept," said local official Li Wei, who has four of his family buried under the mud.
He has been involved in the rescue work from the beginning and is visiting residents to confirm the identities of the victims.
The provincial, city and county governments have allocated 2.5 million yuan (379,100 U.S. dollars) as relief fund. The governments have also sent relief, including tents, quilts and rice. A total of 195 people have been evacuated.
On Tuesday, a landslide hit a village in neighboring Yunnan Province, leaving three people dead and five injured, authorities said.
The landslide occurred at 9:45 a.m. in Yingpan village in the city of Zhaotong.
Guizhou and Yunnan have seen continuous rainstorms over the past week as a result of recent typhoons.
Veterinarians perform an ultrasound test on a dog in May at a pet hospital in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Provided to CHINA DAILY
More students in China are choosing veterinary medicine as a career thanks to rising salaries and the growing demand for animal care, according to industry sources.
Up to 10,000 students graduate with majors in the field every year in China, but the country is still short more than 1 million vets, said Xiong Fuqiang, deputy Party chief of Nanjing Agricultural University's veterinary medicine school.
"Few students, especially female students, wanted to become vets in the past due to a heavy workload, low salary and bad working environment. But we have had good applicants in the past two years, and more than 60 percent of them are female."
He said that the average starting salary for veterinary graduates is 4,000 yuan ($606) a month, and in three years their earnings can surpass 10,000 yuan, higher than the salaries of many other majors.
Zhao Yanbin, vice-president of the school, said more Chinese families are willing to spend money on their pets, including expensive medical treatment.
"Animals share more than 90 percent of the same diseases with people. They also have diabetes, heart disease and liver failure," he said. But Zhao said medical expenses for petswhich are subject to less regulation"can be double those for people."
An MRI for pets can cost 2,500 to 3,000 yuan, while dialysis costs about 10,000 yuan.
Xiong said Nanjing, with 8 million people, had almost no pet hospitals before 2006, but now it has more than 100. He estimated the pet care market in China will keep increasing by 30 to 35 percent yearly.
"A small pet hospital, which has fewer than 10 employees, can make more than 10 million yuan a year," he said. "A pet hospital affiliated with our university receives at least 40 pets a day."
Zhang Fuhong, 39, a veterinarian who graduated from Shandong Agricultural University, started his professional career in 2012 and now owns a pet hospital in Liaocheng.
"It's not a very respectable job in many people's eyes," Zhang said. "But it's very easy to find a job if you study to be a veterinarian."
Xiong said some veterinary medicine graduates don't end up providing direct medical services, instead opting for jobs as civil servants or veterinary medicine researchers, aggravating the country's shortage of veterinarians.
"Compared with doctors for people, veterinarians need to treat different kinds of animals and a wide variety of diseases," Xiong said. "To some extent, they must have more professional knowledge and need more practice."
He said that veterinary medicine schools in the country should be equipped with more laboratory equipment and students should have a chance to gain more clinical experience to help ease the shortage.
The demand for practitioners shows no signs of slowing.
The number of pets in China has increased by 12 percent every year for 10 years, Beijing Youth Daily reported in March. China has become the world's third-largest pet market, just behind the United States and Japan, with the sales of supplies for dogs and cats reaching 172 billion yuan in 2016.
Xin Wen contributed to this story.
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Meng Guangbin, a national delegate candidate to the 19th CPC National Congress,has been dubbed the "Lei Feng Shoemaker" for his kindness and work ethic.[Photo by Zhou Huiying/chinadaily.com.cn]
Meng Guangbin runs a shoe repair shop in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
In the past 29 years, he has mended over 120,000 shoes for free and donated more than 30,000 yuan.
The 54-year-old shoemaker arrived in Harbin from Dongping county, Shandong province, in 1988 and since then devoted himself to his business. During the past three decades he has won many honors including being named one of the 10 Outstanding Volunteer of Heilongjiang, one of the 10 Persons Who Move Harbin and the May 1 Labor Medal.
He has also been dubbed the "Lei Feng Shoemaker" for his kindness and work ethic.
In 1998, he became the first rural migrant worker to become a Party member province.
"I have been following the example of Lei Feing, a social paragon known for his unselfishness and devotion to the Communist Party of China, since I was a teenager," said Meng. "After joining the Party, I fortified my faith that to serve the people is my duty, especially those who are in extreme need."
The tomb of ancient playwright Tang Xianzu has been discovered in Jiangxi province, archaeologists announced on Monday. A cluster of tombs was discovered in Fuzhou at the end of last year, after the buildings of a plant built in the 1950s were leveled.
According to Xu Changqing, head of the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, a total of 42 tombs were found, including 40 from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Archaeologists also found six epitaphs, including several believed to be written by Tang himself.
They believe a tomb identified as M4 contained Tang and his third wife Fu, while his second wife Zhao was buried in tomb M3.
"The epitaphs can help us learn more about the calligraphy, art and literature in Tang's time," Xu said.
Tang, born in 1550, was a Chinese playwright best known for four plays dubbed the Four Dreams. His masterpiece Peony Pavilion tells of a romance between an official's daughter and a poor scholar. A play adapted from this story has been performed for international audiences.
Tang died the same year as English playwright William Shakespeare, and the coincidence has drawn comparisons between the two.
Shakespeare's hometown Stratford-upon-Avon has become a tourist destination in England. A Tudor-style two-story terrace where he was born was preserved, and welcomes groups of international visitors every day.
In April, the government of Fuzhou donated statues of Tang and Shakespeare to Stratford-upon-Avon, which showed the pair standing shoulder to shoulder.
Diana Owen, chief executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who took part in the ceremony, said that although the playwrights lived 6,000 kilometers apart and never met, they both created works that had a great effect on the world.
In China, however, there was no specific place to commemorate Tang Xianzu. Before the discovery of his tomb, an empty tomb was built in the People's Park in Fuzhou in the 1980s.
"This discovery is significant, because it tells us more about Tang's life, his family tree and relationships with other family members," said Mao Peiqi, vice-chairman of the Chinese Society on Ming Dynasty History.
"Besides, by learning about the status and lives of Tang's family, we can learn about education, culture and agriculture in the Ming Dynasty as well as the development of society," he said.
The Fuzhou city government plans to build a tourist area at the site. "Then Tang's fans and academics interested in his works will have a place to go," said Wu Fengchu, director of the Center for International Studies of Tang Xianzu in Fuzhou.
Xinhua
China's top court has decided to set up more courts to hear intellectual property cases and deal with the increasing number of such disputes, which could help improve technology innovation.
Three IP courts were created - in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province - in 2014 under judicial reforms encouraged by the central leadership, but more such courts are needed, according to a report by the Supreme People's Court disclosed on Tuesday.
The report has been submitted to the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for review.
"We're accumulating case hearing experience of the three IP courts and preparing to set up more such courts at the right time to satisfy people's increasing legal demand for professional IP trials and to boost our country's technology innovation," said Zhou Qiang, president of the top court.
But the exact time of the expansion and how many new courts are expected to be set up was not released in the report.
Du Ying, an IP professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics, applauded the idea, saying the new IP courts can take some of the burden from the current courts.
As to how many new courts should be established and where they should be set up, she suggested the country should take the number of IP disputes a region hears a year into consideration amid further research.
"Now, several courts have built tribunals especially for hearing IP cases for the rapidly rising number of such disputes, among them courts in the cities of Chengdu, Wuhan and Suzhou, which I think can be as a key reference of the new IP court's distribution," she added.
Chen Yongwei, a researcher at Peking University Center for Market and Network Economy, gave a thumbs-up to contributions of the three IP courts since they were set up. He said, "The more professional IP hearings are, the better it will protect IP rights."
From the end of 2014 to June, the three courts accepted 46,071 IP disputes in total, of which 33,135 were concluded, the report said, adding that the number of foreign litigants selecting Chinese courts to try their IP cases also increased.
Meanwhile, the three courts established a new system, hiring 61 technical investigators as their expert advisers to help judges understand technical knowledge in IP disputes, it said.
"The move is effective to improve efficiency and accuracy. After all, not all judges in the IP courts have technical backgrounds," said Wang Junlin, an IP lawyer in Beijing.
But Wang and Chen said efforts to cultivate IP judges or legal professionals also are urgently needed.
"Talent is a major force for both the current IP courts and future ones to improve quality of IP case hearings," Chen said.
China plans to use its experience in green projects like Saihanba- the nation's largest man-made forest - to build similar forest farms in ecologically fragile regions to fight desertification, the National Development and Reform Commission said.
The Saihanba Forest Farm, 150 kilometers from Beijing in Hebei province, forms a natural barrier between the capital and the sandstorms that often blow in from the north. Since foresters began replanting trees, forest coverage in the area has soared from 12 percent in 1962 to 80 percent in 2016.
"The successful practices adopted in Saihanba have provided experience for remote and sparsely populated regions to increase green coverage," He Lifeng, director of the commission, said on Monday at a seminar in Beijing that focused on learning from the Saihanba experience.
In addition to its tree coverage, the forest farm has developed in a sustainable way, with economic growth relying on tourism, tree seeding, wind power generation and logging - with the green sectors bringing in 100 million yuan ($15.1 million) in 2016, outweighing the revenue from past logging operations, data from the commission showed.
So far this year, more than 355,000 tourists have visited Saihanba, according to Tian Yawei, office director of a company promoting Saihanba tourism.
The forest farm also supplies 137 million cubic meters of clean water to areas around Beijing and Tianjin annually, and discharges 550,000 metric tons of oxygen a year.
"Large-scale forest farms are expected to be built in ecological fragile regions," said Zhang Jianlong, head of the State Forestry Administration.
In decades to come, large-scale forest farms may improve the ecological system and provide a better environment for economic growth and people's surroundings, Zhang said.
"The success of forest projects like Saihanba is the major reason China's forest resources are growing faster than any other country's," said Shen Guofang, a forestry expert and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
He said other forest projects could learn from the practices at Saihanba and adopt scientific methods for planting and cutting trees. In addition, governments need to provide support, including preferential policies and financial aid, to guide the sector's healthy growth, he said.
Liu Jinyin (left) broadcasts online while his father cooks at home in Sankuaishi village, Southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug 21, 2017. Liu, 26, is the only young person in the village who chose to stay in the countryside instead of moving to a city. Earlier this year, Liu learned about livestreaming and launched his account on a platform to broadcast stories of people's daily lives in the village. Within six months, he attracted 86,000 followers and earned 80,000 yuan ($12,000). [Photo/IC]
Xiangyanghong 01, China's elite science ship, began its journey around the world Monday on the country's first maritime research that integrates oceanic and polar research. [Photo/chinanews.com]
Xiangyanghong 01, China's elite science ship, began its journey around the world Monday on the country's first maritime research that integrates oceanic and polar research.
Under the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), the research will focus on resources, the environment and climate in its six segments, and will mainly be conducted in the southern hemisphere, according to Li Tiegang, major researcher at the SOA.
In the fourth segment, the ship will join Xuelong, China's ice breaker, in the country's 34th Antarctic mission, Li said.
The voyage is significant for China to discover new growth points in a number of sciences, as well as to increase the influence of the country in terms of oceanographic research, said Lin Shanqing, deputy director of the SOA.
Starting in East China's Qingdao, Xiangyanghong 01 will cover around 35,000 sea miles in its 260-day mission, and is scheduled to return to Qingdao on May 15, 2018.
XI'AN - Chinese online retailer JD.com plans to roll out a drone that can carry packages weighing as much as 200 kilograms for long-distance deliveries.
Developed by the Beijing-based company, the new drone VT1 with a hybrid gas-electric engine is 3.4 meters long and can cover a 200-kilometer radius, according to JD.com.
JD.com said the new drone was in testing. The drone service will transport goods between distribution stations rather than to customers directly.
Xiao Jun, vice president of JD.com, said the VT1 could carry heavier parcels and travel over a longer time. The drones will not be affected by traffic congestion and can improve delivery efficiency and save logistic costs.
JD.com started conducting trial deliveries using drones in 2016. Smaller drones are being used in the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province and the city of Suqian in Jiangsu Province.
From June to July 31, the delivery drones, which can carry items weighing between 15 kg and 30 kg, have flown more than 800 times and traveled over 4,000 km in Xi'an, according to the company.
JD.com announced in May that it planned to invest 20.5 billion yuan (3 billion U.S. dollars) over the next five years to build a logistics hub in Xi'an.
A new e-commerce offshore centralized purchasing center was set up to better promote trade between Chinese enterprises and those from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in Hefei, Anhui province, on Tuesday.
Focusing on the trade of white household appliance, the center aims to cover the whole process that the cross-border e-commerce requires.
White household appliance refers washing machines, refrigerators, etc. Currently, Anhui is one of the leading white household appliance manufacture centers in China with famous brands including Royalstar and Meiling.
According to Feng Jianfeng, CEO of Osell, also the operator of the center, many foreign distributors and buyers still follow the traditional way of purchasing on the international market. Although they wish to transfer and update to the e-commerce way, the lack of information and resource hold them back.
The center, however, aims to help foreign distributors and buyers to connect to the local suppliers as well as provide personalized service the buyers need to finish the purchase process. The buyers will be able to search, compare and negotiate with target suppliers through the website.
It will offer services on finance, logistic, customer clearance and other aspects that may be involved in the business process, saving time and efforts of the buyers. And buyers are also welcome to set up offices in the center to get a direct service.
Cezary Filipowicz, president of Rota Group, a Polish channel distributor, said during the interview that more Polish buyers wish to import goods from China, especially after President Xi Jinping visited Poland in 2016. As a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Poland expects to promote trade between the two countries. He also hopes that the center could open the channel connecting to Chinese suppliers.
Another point is the center is small and medium-sized enterprises friendly. In the past, considering the cost, local suppliers may not accept small orders from abroad. Now the center will act as a platform gathering together those orders from small and medium, or even micro, sized companies as a big one and send to suppliers.
"The center will help us with quality control, paper work and other services we need in China," said Djunaidi Lie, CEO of an Indonesian home shopping company Paloma Shopway. "The most important aspect is that it can provide reliable suppliers that may be hard for us to find by ourselves."
By connecting foreign companies with Chinese suppliers, Yi Qing, executive president of Osell, said this will also help Chinese enterprise go out in the future. "Chinese brands should be not only those that are born and grow up in China, but also those that are acquired by Chinese companies," he said. "And we hope the center is a start and channel."
Guangzhou seizes 245 kg of drugs, arrests 38 suspects
By ZHENG CAIXIONG in Guangzhou | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-08-30 17:19
Guangzhou customs seized a total of 245.3 kilograms of different kinds of drugs after cracking 47 drug smuggling cases by August 29 this year.
And 38 suspects, including a number of foreigners, have been detained after three major drug smuggling gangs were busted, according to Zheng Jun, deputy director of the Bureau of Anti-Smuggling of Guangzhou Customs.
"Customs departments in this Guangdong provincial capital have strengthened Sino-foreign cooperation in the fight against drug smuggling this year, and that has dealt a heavy blow to the drug smuggling activities that used to be active in the southern Chinese region," Zheng told a news conference on Wednesday.
"But we will never relax our vigilance (in fighting the crime)," he said.
Customs officers from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport alone investigated three major drug smuggling cases since the beginning of the year, Zheng said.
In June, an African passenger who had swallowed a total of 100 small bags of drugs was detained when he arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport from Dubai.
The man, who later discharged a total of 1.97 kilograms of drugs from his body, admitted to using his body to smuggle drugs. It is, so far, the largest drug smuggling case which involved using human bodies to smuggle drug.
Meanwhile, customs officers detained two African suspects alleged to be key members of a major drug smuggling ring in June.
A special task force was immediately set up to further investigate when three young Chinese women were detained after ice drug was discovered in their luggage. The women suspects told law enforcers that they were just helping to bring the luggage across the border.
After further investigation, the two foreign suspects were later detained in Foshan and Guangzhou respectively.
Twenty-five criminals at large wanted some beer fun, but ended up being captured by police's facial recognition system during the 27th Qingdao International Beer Festival from Aug 4-27.
During the 24-day event the system captured and recognized 2.3 million facial images, reporting more than 190 suspected faces. Police made a second check and confirmed 25 of them were escaped criminals.
With the help of facial recognition technology, police also seized 19 drug addicts, caught 5 pickpockets on the spot and drove away 32 with prior pick pocketing records, assuring smooth operation of the beer festival.
"It was the first time that we used facial recognition system in such a big event and a total of 18 high-definition cameras were installed at four entrances at the beer festival," said Wang Jianshun, director of the police branch.
At 8 pm on Aug 12, when a local suspect tried to enter the beer festival, the facial recognition system showed his facial image had 98 percent similarity with a person on the wanted list.
The police was puzzled at first after the suspect provided personal information of his cousin, who had similar looks like him. After further investigation and enquiry, the suspect, who allegedly organized prostitution and was wanted by police since 10 years, finally confessed. He told police he had never thought to be captured in such a huge crowd at the beer festival.
PARIS - The leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Italy vowed on Monday to strengthen support for African countries in an effort to stem illegal migration.
The leaders issued a joint statement Monday evening following a meeting in Paris on migration, in which they were joined by their counterparts from Niger and Chad, along with head of Libya's United Nations-backed government and the foreign policy chief of the European Union.
"Migration is a transnational phenomenon that cannot be tackled by a single state, but requires a high level of coordination within Europe and between European and African countries, which requires a long-term response to development," the statement said.
WASHINGTON - Most of the United States' special envoys will be abolished and their responsibilities reassigned as part of the State Department overhaul, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Congress on Monday, including envoys for climate change and the Iran deal.
Special envoys for Afghanistan-Pakistan, disability rights and closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center will be eliminated under the plan.
But President Donald Trump's administration plans to keep envoys for religious freedom, fighting anti-Semitism and LGBT rights, despite speculation from critics that it would seek to downgrade those priorities.
Lawmakers of both parties, think tanks and even the diplomats' association have long called for absorbing some of the countless US envoys and special representatives into related offices, to help reduce redundancies across the State Department's notoriously unwieldy bureaucracy.
While State Department officials stressed that changes to the flow chart don't necessarily signal a change in priorities, in some cases the policy implications are clear.
Elimination of the Guantanamo closure envoy dovetails with Trump's plans to keep the prison open. The president has pulled the US out of the Paris global climate deal and threatened to do the same with the Iran nuclear deal.
Of 66 current envoys or representatives, 30 will remain, a cut of 55 percent. Nine positions will be abolished outright. Twenty-one will be "integrated" into other offices, five merged with other positions, and one transferred to the US Agency for International Development, the government's foreign aid arm.
In each case, the envoys' staff and their budgets will be absorbed by the office taking over their functions. That shift will free up significant funds that Tillerson can draw upon as he restructures other parts of the agency, said a State Department official, who wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.
For example, merging the cyber envoy into the broader Economic and Business Affairs bureau will boost the latter's budget by $5.5 million.
"Today, nearly 70 such positions exist within the State Department, even after many of the underlying policy challenges these positions were created to address have been resolved," Tillerson wrote in a letter to Congress.
The anticipated cuts have driven down morale among diplomats, as Tillerson has acknowledged, playing into concerns that Trump's "America First" approach means the US will stop promoting human rights or helping the most vulnerable global populations.
The Trump administration will keep envoys or at-large ambassadors for women's issues, hostages, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and Holocaust issues.
There will no longer be special envoys for the Arctic, Syria, Myanmar, Libya, Haiti, Sudan and South Sudan, though regional offices will assume those portfolios. The envoy for six-party talks in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, currently vacant, won't be filled.
Associated Press
(China Daily 08/30/2017 page11)
Lee Chao-hui said he felt lucky to have rented an office at a Taiwan entrepreneurship park in Fuzhou, Fujian province, just before the deadline.
"When the park was attracting investment in 2015, many people from Taiwan came to start their businesses here," the businessman from Taiwan said. "Those who came too late found there was no room left to rent."
Lee runs a healthcare company that has production and research bases back in Taiwan. He decided to set up a marketing office on the mainland in 1991 to expand his business.
He cited multiple reasons for the park's popularity, including a rental fee exemption for offices in the park during the first two years.
Also, employees can apply for apartments for rent, each ranging from 40 to 50 square meters and priced at 8 yuan ($1.20) per sq m on a monthly basis, much lower than the average market price.
The park is located in the Fuzhou area of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone. The zone was approved by the State Council in 2015 and also involves Pingtan county and Xiamen in Fujian province.
As the nearest province to Taiwan, the Fujian zone mainly promotes cross-Straits trading, financial cooperation and human resources exchanges.
With five parks, including operations focusing on cross-Straits culture and creativity, porcelain production, and entrepreneurship, the zone has attracted more than 200 Taiwan-funded projects, according to the management committee of the Fuzhou pilot free trade zone.
Lee said the pace of life on the mainland is much faster than that in Taiwan.
"We tend to think carefully before taking action, while, here, everything is changing so fast that you have to do it now before you are well prepared," he said.
The idea of entering the healthcare industry came from his and his daughter's cracked skin during winter, he said. He began to work on plant-extract skin products.
The market on the mainland is broad and has great potential, he noted, adding, "I expect our sales revenue to surpass 1 million yuan next year."
Before moving to Fuzhou, Lee had worked in Shanghai as a manager at Yonghe King, a Chinese fast food restaurant chain, and invested in real estate after his resignation.
"I have lived in several cities. Many of the habits and customs here are similar to Taiwan," he said.
Now he is looking forward to the upcoming job fair to recruit more graduates to his company.
As for current demand, he said he hopes to get more support to increase marketing channels.
Every few months, the local government holds routine meetings with the province's Taiwan residents to learn about their needs and seek advice on further improvements.
"It's good to have your voice heard," he said.
Government statistics show the zone had attracted 1,411 Taiwan-invested companies by April, contributing 90 percent to the total number of new Taiwan-funded businesses that have settled in the province since 2015.
A sales clerk sorts out pineapple cake made in Taiwan at a supermarket in the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone.Song Weiwei/xinhua
(China Daily 08/30/2017 page5)
The Chinese edition of Writers [Photo provided to China Daily]
Latest release The Chinese edition of Writers, a collection of short plays by American author Barry Gifford, 71, was recently published by Nanjing University Press, based in Jiangsu.
The book, comprising 13 plays, paints portraits of famous writers at vulnerable moments in their lives.
For example, Writers depicts Ernest Hemingway drunkenly setting explosive trip wires outside his home in Cuba and Albert Camus conversing with a young prostitute while staring at himself in the mirror of a hotel room.
In the book, Gifford also conjures up scenarios for other literary icons, including Marcel Proust, Charles Baudelaire and James Joyce.
Gifford has also worked with filmmaker David Lynch developing screenplays for several of Lynch's works.
The author has published more than 40 works, which have been translated into 28 languages.
China's National Symphony Orchestra plays in Seoul, Aug 26, 2017. [Photo/chinaculture.org]
A concert marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea was held at the Seoul Arts Center on Saturday.
More than 100 musicians from China's National Symphony Orchestra joined hands with their South Korean counterparts, staging a musical feast for over 2,000 audience members from both China and South Korea.
Conducted by Yang Muhai, the Chinese orchestra, one of the best of its kind in China, played both Chinese and Eastern melodies including Hope by Chinese composer Guan Xia and Pictures at an Exhibition, a suite of 10 pieces composed for the piano by Russian musician Modest Mussorgsky, which was later orchestrated by French composer Maurice Ravel in 1922.
A scene from 'Gone With The Wind' [Photo/CGTN]
A movie theater in the southeastern US state of Tennessee has decided to discontinue its annual screening of "Gone with the Wind" after receiving complaints over the film's racial content, local media has reported.
The Orpheum Theater in Memphis said that the 1939 classic romance film will not be shown during its summer series in 2018.
The theater's recent screening of the film on August 11, one day ahead of a rally by white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, generated a number of online complaints.
Some patrons and commenters criticized the film's depiction of black people as a glorification of slavery in America's southern plantations.
"As an organization whose stated mission is to 'entertain, educate and enlighten the communities it serves,' the Orpheum cannot show a film that is insensitive to a large segment of its local population," said Brett Batterson, president of the Orpheum Theater Group, in a statement.
A scene from 'Gone With The Wind' [Photo/CGTN]
The cancellation has prompted a mixed response, with fans of the Oscar-winning film decrying the decision as "censorship" and others voicing support and understanding.
"This is a beautiful classic and to ban it is a show of small minds. The South has far to go to catch up with the rest of the world. Shame on the decision makers here," one person wrote on the Orpheum Theatre's Facebook page.
Another said, "I applaud your difficult but proper decision to cut 'Gone With The Wind' from your film choices. Most in our culture have moved on and I hope those angered can find other ways to watch the film while remaining supporters of your important and unique business."
At the 12th Academy Awards in 1940, Gone with the Wind set a record for Academy Award wins and nominations.
Hattie McDaniel won the Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a slave named Mammy, which made her the first African-American to receive an Academy Award.
Fenghuang in Hunan province. [Photo/Xinhua]
The 1st Fenghuang Arts Year Exhibition will be held in Fenghuang in Hunan province on Sept 22.
The event will have five sections, including new media arts, contemporary Chinese ink paintings and new handicrafts.
A total of 200 art pieces by 19 artists from China, France, Italy and Switzerland will be featured. A forum on international arts will also be held.
Zhang Xiaoling, curator of the exhibition, said the event aims to enhance the communications among different regions and cultures. At the same time, promote the spirit of contemporary Chinese art.
Ancient buildings in Fenghuang have been temporarily transformed into galleries with a modern style for the event.
As the hometown of many veteran Chinese artists, such as Chen Shizeng and Huang Yongyu, Fenghuang is known for its unique artistic atmosphere and rich cultural history.
A painting showed at the exhibition, Aug 25, 2017. [Photo/cri.cn]
A six-day exhibition featuring 150 pieces by artists from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia got underway in Beijing on Aug 25.
The showpieces included paintings, calligraphy, sculptures and seal cuttings. About 200 officials and representatives from the embassies of the five countries attended the opening ceremony.
Traditional Chinese martial arts are adored by many Chinese fans, including hostel founder Daniel Huang from Taiwan. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Every day from 9 am to 5 pm, Liu Yi is busy at work as a human resources specialist in a State-run company in the Chinese capital. The demands of his job, which includes preparing regular career assessments, is much like that of many white-collar workers in the country.
But out of the office, the 28-year-old leads a life that few of his colleagues know aboutthe Beijinger is a serious Chinese martial arts practitioner. He specializes in the Three-Emperor Cannon Fist technique.
"Nowadays, fewer young people love what they do. They seldom cherish things because they believe nothing truly belongs to them," says Liu.
"The Cannon Fist has become an integral part of my life."
Liu started training in traditional martial arts at age 5. He now spends at least two weeknights honing his skills. On weekends, he meets his 53-year-old master, Wang Qi, to learn new techniques at the Temple of Heaven.
In an effort to "co-making the future", a total of 6,300 young people from the United States and China take part in the 2017 China-US Young Maker Competition, with its finals held in Beijing over Aug 7-11. [Photo provided to China Daily]
In January, when Zheng Xuefen visited his grandmother, in her 70s and suffering from diabetes and hypertension, he noticed how difficult it was for her to remember to take her medication, let alone differentiate the various pills.
"I wanted to design a machine to help," says Zheng, a 20-year-old freshman from Zhejiang Industry and Trade Vocational College in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.
His answer: a "Domestic Automatic Medicine Machine" that helped his grandmother take her pills properly. Seven months later, Zheng, together with his team, decided to enter his machine in the 2017 China-US Young Maker Competition.
His team didn't make it to the top 10, but they won an award for excellence.
"It's a bit of a pity, but I'm satisfied with the result. I've learned a lot," says Zheng, an electronic information engineering student.
Launched in 2014, the competition is now in its fourth year. Themed "Co-making the Future", this year's event rolled out in May in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. It attracted more than 6,300 participants from China and the United States. The finals were held in Beijing from Aug 7 to 11.
This year's projects focused on sustainable development in fields such as education, environment, health, energy and transportation.
Sun Hongbin, the chairman of the judging panel, expressed his delight at seeing such a variety of projects created by young makers, and their concern for global issues.
About 300 finalists formed 70 teams and competed in the 24-hour hackathon in Beijing.
From the bloody airport and metro terrorist attacks in Brussels in March to a truck driver plowing through shoppers in a Christmas market in Berlin in December, 2016 was a year of sorrow and anger for Europe as the European Union suffered more deadly attacks following the bloody incidents in Paris in 2015. And contrary to what many people believe, the EU has not seen absolute peace even in the months following the Berlin attack. In fact, safety in the EU is becoming even more worrisome.
Following Paris, London, Manchester, Stockholm, Brussels and Antwerp, Barcelona in Spain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and other European cities have hit the headlines because of the lethal attacks they have suffered or the terrorist plots that have been unearthed there. This means more European cities have become the targets of terrorists, who now seem more inclined to use trucks and vans to mow down people to spread terror.
Admittedly, the number of deaths in terrorist attacks in the EU has by and large been lower than those in the attacks in Paris, Nice and Brussels in the past two years. And some of the potentially deadly attacks, such as the ones in Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, have been thwarted because of the intensified and better coordinated efforts by EU member states.
But despite those relatively comforting facts, terrorism and terrorist cells seem to be growing in Europe, especially in Western Europe. The EU was designed as a peace project and, to a very large extent, it has fulfilled that mission. But the frequent terrorist attacks, which compromise people's safety, are contrary to the EU founding fathers' goal of achieving common development, prosperity and safety.
Since globalization has turned the world into an interdependent whole, the EU can no longer claim to be the only economy that accords priority to economic integration. It can claim the credit for hoisting the idea of interdependence on global leaders, though.
But if people's safety continues to be compromised in the EU, the consequences will be alarming for the bloc, as investors, tourists and students all will start looking for safer destinations. Data show the number of tourists to France has been declining since 2015. The attacks have also affected tourism in Switzerland, because some people prefer to package their visits to the two countries (as well as others) together.
Until now, the flow of foreign investment into Europe has not been affected much. But if this worrying trend continues, the situation may deteriorate.
This is a battle that the EU leadership and member states must fight to win. The leaders must put up a joint front and take concerted actions to root out terrorism from Europe. And the governments, armies and police forces of the EU member states must fulfill their responsibilities to protect every soul in the bloc.
EU member countries' armies and police forces do conduct patrols, and take preventive measures before and during important events and gatherings, and global cooperation to safeguard people has indeed intensified. But a lot more needs to be done.
The author is deputy chief of China Daily European Bureau. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-14 is pictured during its second test-fire in this undated picture provided by KCNA in Pyongyang on July 29, 2017. KCNA via Agencies
Just three days after the abortive launch of a number of unspecified projectiles, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired what was believed to be a ballistic missile that flew over Japan on Tuesday morning, prompting an emergency phone call between Japanese and US leaders that ended with a vow to put more pressure on Pyongyang.
Whatever be its intended message, Pyongyang's latest provocation is in clear violation of United Nations resolutions, which could put it in a more difficult position.
It will not be easy to reason Pyongyang out of its nuclear and missile programs, especially because the DPRK, of late, has been reiterating it must press ahead with them at all costs. Divergences among stakeholding countries have given the DPRK ample breathing space to continue its nuclear/missile adventure. Pyongyang obviously believes that will not change.
But Pyongyang would commit a grave mistake by refusing to see that each of its new provocations is alienating it further from the international community. The UN Security Council has passed a number of resolutions aimed at nullifying the DPRK's nuclear/missile adventure because it perceives in it a big threat. The latest, Resolution 2371, which imposes the harshest sanctions on the DPRK, indicates a higher level of consensus on that threat.
However, it would be unfair to dump all the blame on Pyongyang alone. Washington, Tokyo and Seoul each has its own fair share in creating what Pyongyang sees as a threat to its very existence.
Beijing has been consistent in calling for due respect for Pyongyang's security concerns, and for the US-Japan-ROK alliance to provoke the DPRK no further. It has rightly called for "dual suspension"Pyongyang suspends its nuclear/missile activities while Washington and Seoul suspend their large-scale military drills- to break the deadlock, which none of the three has responded to.
But Beijing's latest warning that tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached "tipping point" should not be taken as one meant just for Washington and its alliesPyongyang deserves no cover for continuing to throw cold water on the international community's efforts to denuclearize the peninsula.
Considering the longstanding, unchanged script of the protracted drama, the "tipping point" may not necessarily materialize any time soon. More likely than not, a short interval of relative ease will follow, until Pyongyang launches another ballistic missile, or conducts another nuclear test.
The international community may remain helpless while Pyongyang steadily strengthens its capabilities, but Pyongyang will find the screw of sanctions tightening- until the threat gets too real, too devastating to be tolerated, or the sanctions too severe to endure.
Robots made by young people compete at the Robotic Challenge Junior 2017: Robot Hunter in Hong Kong, China, Aug, 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
With innovation playing an increasingly important role in economic growth, the standardization strategy has become a powerful force promoting industrial upgrading and spurring nascent industries. The more "Chinese standards" are recognized internationally, the more powerful technological support they will provide for the transformation of Chinese manufacturing from "Made in China" to "Designed in China".
The launch of the Fuxing (Rejuvenation) high-speed train, as an example of high Chinese standards, on June 26 between Beijing and Shanghai is a case in point, as China has total intellectual property rights over the train, which can run at speeds of up to 400 kilometers an hour. It runs at 350 km an hour on the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway, though.
Its research and development involved 254 major industrial standards in fields such as communications, electronic and electrical technologies, and fire safety- and 84 percent of those belong to China.
If the Harmony, the most widely used high-speed train with an operating speed of about 300 km an hour, projects China's strength in terms of price and speed, the Fuxing reflects China's competitive edge in quality, technology and innovation.
The Harmony bullet train is the fruit of cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises, but uses different standards. For instance, the train's driving system is different from other bullet trains, and the number of seats per carriage varies from model to model. The lack of uniform standards in the train makes maintenance and handling emergencies difficult.
The Fuxing doesn't have this problem, as it uses uniform standards for maintenance, operation and service. So it is only a matter of time before the Renaissance trains replace the Harmony trains.
The International Standardization Organization and International Science Organization have so far accepted 367 Chinese proposals as international standards, many of which are in the key industrial fields of high-speed train, nuclear power and telecommunications, which are seen as the "golden keys" with which Chinese enterprises can unlock the global market.
But among the nearly 30,000 ISO/IEC international standards, only 1.27 percent of them have been made with China in the lead. So there is still a long way to go for China's innovations to make a mark.
- WORKERS' DAILY
A coordinator checks a purchase record book in a restaurant of Weixian country to ensure food safety on May 10. [Photo by Yang Shiyao/ Xinhua]
CHINA'S FOOD PRODUCTION has been increasing since the abolition of the agricultural taxintroduced more than a thousand years ago- in 2004. But food imports, too, have increased steadily and significantly in recent years. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Monday:
After hitting an all-time-high of 621 million metric tons in 2015, China's food production seems to be overshadowed by the simultaneously increasing food imports, which have not just imposed extra financial burden on the country but also somewhat blunted the competitiveness of Chinese agricultural products in global markets.
The increase in food imports has a lot to do with China's price protection policy for domestic food procurement, which is aimed at helping farmers get proper prices for their products and ensure food security. The designed prices have been higher than the global average since 2011, prompting the government to procure costly homegrown food products for storage while buying from overseas markets to meet people's consumption demands.
That is not all. The shrinking of fertile land means food has to be shipped in from more distant places and more fertilizers and pesticides have to be used to stabilize production. This could compromise the fertility of large swathes of land and pollute the air and water.
China need not worry too much about food shortage. In the worst-case scenario, there would be a temporary halt in food supply. And since one person on average needs about 150 kilograms of food per year, China will need only one-third of its annual food production, or 210 million tons, to meet the basic food needs of the people in an extreme case.
So with the risk of starvation marginalized, the focus of China's agricultural policy should shift from food production to soil preservation. Letting land lie fallow over a certain period while maintaining its fertility is technically feasible.
Farmers in many European Union countries are asked to allow 10 percent of their land to lie fallow and plant catch crops during that time to maintain the vitality of the soil. China can take the same path and subsidize rice farmers to maintain their water conservancy facilities since rice is a staple food in China.
The outside of China Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center is open to the public in Xiamen, Fujian province on Aug 29. The 2017 BRICS Summit will be held right here from Sept 3 to 5. [Photo/VCG]
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of BRICS. With the theme, "BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future," China will host the 9th BRICS Summit in East Chinas coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province, from Sept 3-5, in its capacity as chair of the influential bloc comprising five countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This is the second time China will host the event after 2011.
It is hoped that the Xiamen summit will bring together the leaders of all the member countries, including President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Michel Temer of Brazil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Xi Jinping of China. It is important to note BRICS countries have entered a second "golden decade amid mounting global challenges, as well as increasing uncertainties and instability in the international landscape. As such, it can be expected that the leaders of the five countries will make greater progress in their cooperation adhering to the multilateralism principle and basic norms for international relations.
Since the first summit in 2009, the BRICS group, home to 43 per cent of the worlds population with a combined GDP of over USD 16 trillion, is playing an integral role in shaping global economic policy and fostering a healthy exchange of ideas and innovation within the bloc. The BRICS countries have been seen as an engine of world economic growth. Together, the five countries have been the source of more than half of global growth in the past 10 years. As per the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping, "The BRICS countries are the champions of the emerging countries and developing countries. They are important members of the G-20."
Cooperation among BRICS nations is an innovative practice that has surpassed the outdated mentality of political and military allies and built the partnership with mutual trust and benefits. A few words from President Xi deserve to be quoted here: "As long as we follow the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results, and work together to build a closer BRICS partnership, we will surely have the second golden 10 years for BRICS cooperation." Xi said this on July 28 while meeting with heads of the delegations for the 7th Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues.
However, the 9th BRICS summit is taking place against the backdrop of deteriorating China-India relations following the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Donglang area of the Sikkim sector of the China-India border. It is expected China and India, as major countries with great influence in BRICS, should boost mutual cooperation despite some friction.
As two big neighboring countries, India and China are the two most vital powers within the BRICS countries. Both countries are now members of basically all international organizations and institutions and significant investors in almost all regions of the world. The two countries are the second and seventh largest world economies, respectively, ranking second and first in terms of growth rate, and first and third in terms of contributions to world economic growth.
From the Indian perspective, it is expected that Modi will hold a detailed bilateral discussion with Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit to normalize heated relations with China that benefit the people of both countries.
The two leaders last met in the BRICS leaders meeting on the sidelines of the G20 meetings in Hamburg on June 7. They complimented each other's nations roles in furthering the objectives of the BRICS group and the fight against terrorism. Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under Xi's chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the groups upcoming 9th summit a success.
President Xi also appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.
Its really encouraging that the efforts to improve relations between the two countries is embodied by the two leaders extending their hands of friendship at every available opportunity and there is hope that such exchanges will lead to greater understanding and even better trade and bilateral ties.
Undoubtedly, the upcoming 9th BRICS summit will be a great platform for India, where its voice will be heard by all countries. It can be said that India needs BRICS more than China does. BRICS has provided a platform for India to become an international rule-maker.
Besides, India can use BRICS to strengthen its relations with stronger economic actor China, if it wants to attract Chinese investment via the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It will also be better for India to maintain its strategic partnership with Russia, Brazil, South Africa and other developing nations through BRICS.
To confine oneself in a cage or build walls is certainly no way out. Surely, cooperation and mutual trust between India and China will serve the interests of the region. Its better for the two countries to reap some early harvest benefits in resolving their decades-old vexed border issue.
A Chinese proverb says, "When brothers are united, their sharpness can break metal. As the two countries are neighboring powers, as well as members of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and G-20, it is hoped both sides will focus on cooperation and manage well such existing problems as the boundary issue, uphold a positive attitude to address emerging issues of the bilateral ties and set a vision for China-India relations.
To sum up, it can be hoped China and India will re-energize the BRICS mechanism, polish the color of BRICS, and strengthen the position of the bloc as the representative of emerging economies. The two countries must join hands in a durable friendship to rejuvenate an Asian Century.
Rabi Sankar Bosu is the Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club in West Bengal, India.
PRINCE CHARLES AND PRINCESS DIANA OF WALES ATTEND A CHARITY BALL AT WENTWORTH HOTEL AND TAKE TO THE DANCE FLOOR IN SYDNEY,AUSTRALIA,28 March,1983. [Photo/VCG]
Everyone remembers where they were when they heard about Diana. Her death was one of those ultra-rare news stories - the JFK, 9/11 category.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Paris car crash that ended her life; killed aged 36 in extraordinarily ordinary circumstances by a speeding drunk driver.
The emotional incontinence that swept Britain following her death is now almost a little embarrassing.
It is probably the sea of floral tributes left by members of the public that have remained burned into the collective memory; what is less well-remembered is the ugly, mob-like atmosphere that quickly infected the crowds that gathered in London from the date of her death to her funeral.
Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. [File photo]
China assumed the BRICS' chair on Jan 1, 2017, and will play host to the upcoming 9th BRICS Summit. The year of China's chairmanship also marks the beginning of the second decade of BRICS cooperation.
For the city of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province, this year is one of "double happiness", as it will host the BRICS Summit less than two months after its Gulangyu Island was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
We earnestly hope that BRICS cooperation will bring us good luck. But only good luck is not enough to achieve success; it needs great efforts, too. And true to their word, China and other member states have lent firm support to BRICS to not only strengthen its structure but also to help it deliver vigorous, better results. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a news conference during the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Beijing in June, the BRICS cooperation mechanism, beating the odds, has shown strong vitality during the past 10 years.
Among the endeavors BRICS has undertaken in recent years is one to make the global financial system fairer, so that it can help developing countries overcome their development challenges and boost their economic growth. And to help such countries meet their financial needs, BRICS established the Contingent Reserve Arrangement with an initial capital of $100 billion in 2014, the New Development Bank in Shanghai in 2015, and the NDB's African Regional Centre in Johannesburg early this month.
Despite the challenging anti-globalization trend in some major economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have propelled the world economy forward. Together, the five countries accounted for nearly a quarter of the global GDP and contributed more than half of global growth last year. Their different national conditions, development models and cultures have not prevented the BRICS member states from drawing upon their strengths to engage in cooperation. This has prompted the idea of "BRICS Plus", that is, inviting more developing and emerging countries to join the grouping and expand its reach and influence.
During the BRICS Seminar on Governance in Quangzhou, Fujian province, on Aug 17-18, many academics and business leaders from developing countries exchanged ideas on governance. Zhang Weiwei, director of China Institute of Fudan University, who chaired a panel discussion on "increasing communication for cultural prosperity", said the panelists reached a consensus that every country should be free to choose its own governance mechanism and style, and that China has established a governance system that suits its national conditions.
The panelists also said BRICS is confident of better reflecting the common interests and collective will of the developing countries in fields such as finance, business and education.
According to collective Chinese wisdom, "seeking common ground while reserving differences" is a harmonious way of balancing diversity and unity. This principle has been a feature of China's history and culture. In the same spirit, China is willing to share its experiences in governance and reform, which have helped it propel economic growth, both at the domestic and global levels, in order to deepen cooperation with other BRICS members and developing countries, and promote confidence building.
BRICS members are expected to have a greater impact on the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of global governance. And they will take more measures to safeguard the interests and benefits of all developing countries and emerging market economies, and give them a greater say in world affairs so as to maintain peace and stability, and boost development across the world.
The author is assistant director, China Institute, Fudan University.
In 1981, a Chinese work of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) was translated into English and published in the US. The Washing away of Wrongs: Forensic Medicine in Thirteenth-Century China is widely regarded as presenting the first treatise on forensic medicine in the world.
Song Ci, well-known as the father of forensic medicine, is believed to have originated forensic crime scene investigation in 1235.
An English version of his life story -- Final Witness, The Story of Song Ci -- was recently published by the ACA Publishing Ltd.
The author of the book in Chinese, Wang Hongjia, attended a grand promotion of the book at the Beijing International Book Fair on Aug 25. Its English translator, James Trapp, expressed his best wishes via a video message.
I didnt know much about the work, but I was deeply attracted the moment I opened it, said Wang Feng, deputy-director of the office responsible for the China Book International initiative.
She said readers all over the world can learn more about China and its culture and people through such books.
Trapp, who worked at the British Museum, is an expert on Chinese culture. He said his family members were deeply attracted by the book and read through the manuscript before it was published.
Forensic medicine was relatively advanced in Song Cis times. Actually, he himself was a real model of investigators, said Wang Hongjia.
The illustrations in the book are also full of life, Wang added. They are from Dai Dunbang, the character designer of Water Margin. Water Margin is one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.
Group photo of medical aid team [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
As of July this year, 307 children with congenital heart disease had been saved through a medical aid project for children with congenital heart disease in Yunnan, founded by the China Overseas-Educated Scholars Development Foundation (COSDF).
The project is a public welfare program that the COSDF administers.
In 2012, Robert Charles Detrano, professor of cardiology at the University of California, volunteered to treat children with congenital heart disease in an impoverished area of Yunnan by using his own retirement income. The COSDF stepped in and offered to support Detrano and his team. The medical aid project for children with congenital heart disease in Yunnan started then and continues today.
In 2014, COSDF carried out routine training in congenital heart disease diagnosis and treatment for 0-6 year old children in order to improve the diagnostic rate at the population source. Up to the end of 2016, over 200,000 children were screened for the disease, and thousands of cases of the disorder were diagnosed. Almost 4,200 doctors from 11 states in Yunnan took part in the training.
In May this year, the medical aid project for children with congenital heart disease in Yunnan was named a 2017 supported project by the central finance department.
US President Donald Trump receives a briefing on Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts with Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) at the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas, US, August 29, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]
HOUSTON - President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey damage from the first major natural disaster to test his leadership in a crisis, as record rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey lashed Houston and tens of thousands of people fled deluged homes.
The slow-moving storm has brought catastrophic flooding to Texas, killing at least 12 people and paralyzing Houston, the America's fourth most populous city. Damage was expected to run well into the tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest US natural disasters.
City officials were preparing to temporarily house some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area as the flooding entered its fourth day and authorities found themselves running out of space in cramped shelters.
The Mayor of Houston imposed a 10 pm to 5 am curfew.
Nearly a third of Harris County was under water, an area 15 times the size of Manhattan, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper. Forecasters warned the rain would continue through Thursday, badly straining the dams and drainage systems that protect the low-lying US energy hub.
Harris County officials warned residents to evacuate as they released water from overflowing reservoirs to alleviate pressure on two dams, a move that would add to flooding along the Buffalo Bayou waterway that runs through the area.
Residents within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of a chemical plant in Crosby were also ordered to evacuate due to the rising risk of an explosion.
Trump, speaking in Corpus Christi near where Harvey first came ashore last week as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in more than 50 years, said he wanted the relief effort to stand as an example of how to respond to a storm.
"This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this," Trump said of Tropical Storm Harvey as he met with state and federal officials for a briefing at a Corpus Christi fire station.
The president said he was pleased with the response so far, but it was too soon to take a victory lap.
"We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that.... We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished," he said.
After Corpus Christi, Trump was headed to the state capital Austin to meet with officials. Houston was not on his itinerary because much of it is impassable.
Harvey has drawn comparisons with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans 12 years ago, killing 1,800 people and causing an estimated $108 billion in damage.
Former President George W. Bush was widely criticized for his administration's handling of the response to that disaster, taking a heavy toll on public support of his administration, and Trump clearly was aiming to avoid a similar reaction.
Among the 12 confirmed fatalities as of Tuesday evening was a family of six and Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the force who apparently drowned while attempting to drive to work on Sunday, Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters.
Acevedo said in an emotional press conference that Perez' family had urged him not to leave the house because of the dangerous flooding but the 60-year-old policeman told them, "We have work to do."
Some 3,500 people have been rescued from high waters in the Houston area with police, firefighters and National Guard troops continuing to try to locate those marooned in high waters.
Large numbers of civilians also formed ad hoc rescue groups, many using boats to pluck neighbors from flooded homes.
Reuters
Liu Jieyi (R, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses the UN Security Council Open Debate on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations at the UN headquarters in New York, Aug 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
UNITED NATIONS - China on Tuesday called for a holistic approach to UN peacekeeping, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of host countries.
Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said the global organization has different priorities and focuses in the four stages of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peace building and sustainable peace, which are interconnected and must be managed in a holistic manner.
"The fundamental way to maintain enduring peace and common security is to abide by the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, work together to build a community of shared future for mankind, promote a global governance system featuring broad consultation, joint efforts and shared benefits, and practice a new security concept that is common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable," he said in an open debate at the Security Council about peacekeeping missions.
The most important consideration in resolving inter-state disputes is to commit to the UN Charter's purposes and principles and basic norms governing international relations, and safeguard nations' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The Security Council must incorporate the above-mentioned principles in its work and discourage tension, said the Chinese envoy.
In addressing internal conflicts in nations, the Security Council must observe the principle that all countries are sovereign and equal whose internal affairs should not be interfered with, respect the will and leadership role of countries concerned, provide constructive assistance so that they can find a way to advance the political process and facilitate reconciliation by taking into account their particular national conditions, he said.
Conflict prevention must aim at maintaining peace and stability, said Liu. Targeted measures must be taken on the basis of the types and root causes of the conflicts.
UN peacekeeping operations must formulate explicit, viable and focused mandates in keeping with the specific countries' situations while taking into account the myriad factors facing the needs and the security environment of the host countries, he said. Liu also stressed the need to have periodic reviews and to adjust the missions in a dynamic manner.
Peace building should set the strengthening of political security and development capacity as its overall goal so as to promote the transition of conflict situation toward development and reconstruction, he said. "Peace building should respect country ownership, advocate accommodation and democratic consultation."
Sustainable peace and sustainable development are mutually reinforcing and independent and peace relies on development as its foundation, said Liu. The United Nations should enhance investment in development field, he said.
China is an active contributor to UN peacekeeping missions with 2,514 blue helmets working in nine regions, said Liu. China is willing to work with the international community to forge a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and promote the new security vision of universal security and common prosperity, he said.
UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), demanding it immediately cease such actions.
In a statement, the council stressed that those DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.
The council said the DPRK, by missile launches and rhetoric, is deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world.
The council demanded the DPRK not proceed with any further launches using ballistic missile technology and comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, said the statement.
Security footage shows Wei Qiujie at a hotel in Sapporo.[Photo: youth.cn]
A DNA test of the skeletal remains of a young woman confirmed that they belonged to Wei Qiujie, a Chinese teacher missing in Japan's northernmost region Hokkaido since July 23, according to the Chinese consulate-general in Sapporo on Wednesday.
A local fisherman found the remains on a beach in Hokkaido's Kushiro city on Sunday morning. An autopsy revealed that she had died of drowning, the local police said.
"When I saw the body, I immediately thought it was the [missing Chinese] woman whose image has repeatedly been shown on TV," the fisherman, who called the police immediately, was quoted by local media as saying.
The beach is not a place where tourists visit - let alone foreigners, but local fishermen collect kelp washed ashore there.
Wei, a 27-year-old primary school teacher, arrived alone at Hakodate from Fujian province on July 18. She checked in at a guesthouse in Sapporo on July 20, having paid in full ahead of her five-day stay. Changing her schedule, she left Sapporo for Lake Akan near Kushiro on July 22 and departed the picturesque hot spring resort the next day - the last time she was seen. Wei was scheduled to return to China on July 25.
Wei left behind a hand-scrawled note with her belongings at the Sapporo guesthouse where she had stayed, saying thank-you and bidding farewell to her family. On August 28 Japanese TV network ANN revealed the whole letter, in which Wei said she did not want to exert herself anymore and she loved her family and friends.
Wei's father, Wei Huasheng, came to Sapporo on July 28, looking for his daughter. He told Hokkaido police that there was nothing unusual about her before she left (China), according to Japanese media. He left behind his DNA sample before returning to Fujian. Hokkaido police had launched a massive search for Wei throughout the prefecture, asking local residents for help.
Hokkaido media reported that Wei's family is expected to go to Kushiro soon.
The Chinese consulate-general in Sapporo has been assisting the family and local police in the search.
NEW DELHI - As many as 42 children have died at a government hospital in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a top health official said Wednesday.
The deaths took place at Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur in the past 48 hours.
"Of the 42 deaths, seven are due to encephalitis, while the rest are due to other pediatric diseases," Dr P.K. Singh, the medical college's principal, told the media.
Some local media reports, however, said that there have been 61 child deaths at the hospital in the past 72 hours, though there has been no official confirmation.
More than 70 infant deaths were reported from the same hospital just three weeks ago, from various causes, including oxygen shortage.
The hospital, the biggest in state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's constituency, attends to hundreds of patients from neighboring Bihar, other districts of Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal.
"The situation may worsen because of heavy rains and floods in Nepal, Bihar and large parts of Uttar Pradesh as more and more children are being brought to the hospital daily," a doctor said.
Editor's note: President Xi Jinping will attend the 9th BRICS summit slated for Sept 3 to 5, in the eastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen. It will be Xi's fifth time to attend the annual summit. Here we walk down memory to capture Xi's ideas and suggestions about BRICS at previous meetings. Come with us.
July 28, 2017
The 7th Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues
Beijing, China
President Xi holds a group meeting with officials who were in China for the 7th Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on July 28, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]
Attending the 7th Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues on July 28 in Beijing, Xi stressed that China proposes the international community to make joint endeavor in promoting world economy onto a sustainable development path, and advancing economic globalization.
He also said that as long as the members follow the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation and build a closer BRICS partnership hand in hand, those countries will surely embrace the second golden decade of BRICS cooperation.
Indian PM to attend BRICS Summit in China next month
Xinhua | Updated: 2017-08-30 17:49
NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in China next month, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.
"At the invitation of the President of People's Republic of China, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Xiamen in China's Fujian province during September 3-5, 2017, to attend the 9th BRICS Summit," the ministry said in a statement.
Last year, the BRICS Summit was held in India's coastal state of Goa.
Massive Rainfall Makes Hurricane Harvey One of Most Epic Storms in U.S. History 30 August, 2017 by Victor Wilson , |
As the full toll of Hurricane Harvey is still yet to be tallied, the storm has already been referred to as an "epic" storm that "has no rival" in terms of rain volume discharged by a single storm in U.S. history - as reported by the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday. Christian ministries have actively responded with support for those in need.
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center released Tuesday afternoon rainfall numbers with Cedar Bayou, an area near Houston, topping 51 inches from the storm. Mary's Creek, another area southeast of Houston, had received record-level rain at over 49 inches as of Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
"In terms of sheer volume of rainfall over a limited area, Hurricane Harvey was record-breaking. By my estimate, never before has a single rainfall event produced such a deluge anywhere in the U.S.," wrote John Nielsen-Gammon, the regents professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, in Fortune on Tuesday.
Some areas of this storm are experiencing a rainfall event so massive it is to be expected only once every 1,000 years, stated The Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Twitter.
Residents in parts of the city are gearing up for more flooding as The U.S. Army Core of Engineers has stated additional homes may be impacted by floods as it releases water from two Houston dams overwhelmed by the rain over the past several days.
Meanwhile, other residents on Tuesday praised the appearance of the sun, a welcome sight after rainstorms had blanketed the city for days.
"I've never been this happy to see the sun," wrote Instagram user jpinstah.
Another user said, "The sun will rise tomorrow and Texas will recover stronger than ever."
Christian ministries and churches have been active responders trying to help support those in emergency need. On Saturday, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team released a statement as the ministry moved into action to lend help.
"Though we all anticipated the impact of Harvey, there's no way to overstate the ferocity of a storm like this," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, in a statement.
"We're praying for those who have been devastated by the hurricane, and we'll be there to offer the hope and comfort of Christ to those who are hurting."
As of Wednesday morning, more rain is expected for Texas and Louisiana as the storm continues moving along the Gulf coast.
Australian psychologists have released a guide encouraging parents and teachers to support teaching students about gender identity and gay marriage.
The Christian Post reports that the guide comes at a time when Australia is considering legalizing same-sex marriage with a postal survey next month which will gauge support one way or the other.
The Australian Psychological Society is urging support for same-sex marriage and gender transition, even among societys youngest members.
The guide claims that, contrary to some beliefs, children are not harmed by being in same-sex families or being taught about LGBT issues.
"Another misconception is that some people worry that children will be harmed in same-sex families, and believe that children do better when they have both a mother and father. This is not true, but also irrelevant to the marriage equality debate. Whats important is to have a family that loves and cares for you (regardless of their gender or sexual orientation)," says the guide.
The guide further encourages parents and teachers to tell children that it's okay to question one's sexual orientation (i.e., who you are attracted to) or one's gender identity, and that there are many different ways for people to 'be' in the world."
Many parents, however, are concerned. They have warned that if same-sex marriage becomes the law in Australia, it could lead to school programs in support of the LGBT agenda becoming compulsory.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: August 30, 2017
In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught. Senegalese forestry engineer, Baba Dioum
When I left university, I was a budding conservationist armed with good intentions, theoretical head knowledge, and an enthusiasm to change the world. I then entered a real world where human hearts were not so easy to sway. After firsthand experience in a variety of contexts, I was left wondering how to negotiate that space between understanding facts and inspiring a sacrificial love which is powerful enough to change our ways. It is not a simple step, but our Christian faith can help this conversation, and possibly the whole planet, in a big way.
My introduction to practical marine conservation began in the tropical waters around Madagascar and the Maldives. Here I dived into the rich world of the coral reef and came to delight in the familiar charactersterritorial fish protecting their anemone, eels poking their heads out from caves, and graceful turtles surfacing nearby to breathe. In this busy picture-postcard scene, the reef-building coral are quite easily overlooked. It can be difficult to appreciate the rock-like structures for what they are: animals supporting an ecosystem under extreme threat.
If you watch a reef for long enough, or have the pleasure of a night-time snorkel, you will see small flower-like animals emerging all over the coral's surface. Coral is not just a hard skeletonit is a colony of animals called polyps. Each polyp lives within its own calcium carbonate cup, which it builds by drawing minerals from the seawater. The animals emerge under the protection of night and use their tentacles to snatch passing food from the water around them. This feeding behavior only supplies a fraction of what they need. The bulk of their fuel is collected during the daytime from a relationship with colorful single-celled algae called zooxanthellae. These tiny organisms live within the polyp's body tissue, converting energy from the sun into carbohydrates.
Today, increasingly dire headlines announce concern for this relationship between coral and zooxanthellae in Australias Great Barrier Reef. Coral are suited to live in a very particular range of water conditions. When a coral is shocked or stressed by a sudden change in these conditions, it loses its zooxanthellae in a process called bleaching. Using aerial surveys, scientists have estimated that the latest temperature increase in Australian waters has left more than two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef bleached. If the zooxanthellae do not return to the polyps in time, the coral will starve and die, leaving behind lifeless white skeletons.
This bleaching affects not only the coral and a huge array of reef species, but also coastal communities, who depend on healthy reefs for sustenance, income, protection from storm energy and, for island states, the very sand they live on.
Healthy coral can withstand this lean period without their zooxanthellae if conditions quickly return to normal. However, many coral communities are not in good health. They face a myriad of local pressures like overfishing, poor water quality from construction, waste, and nutrients from nearby agriculture. When coral are weakened, even small changes in the water temperature or pH can act as the final straw for the important animal-algae relationship. These fluctuations are ultimately linked to ocean-wide processes and even to the Earth's changing atmosphere. The complex connections between land, ocean, and atmosphere are fascinating to study but impossible to restore without global cooperation.
Great Barrier Reef scientists now believe that this ecosystem can only be restored if many choose to change their lifestyles in consideration for other species, as well as people suffering in different countries and future generations. Cooperation must work on multiple levels from large-scale government support and energy change in industry down to households and churches using sustainably, ethically sourced products and individuals living aware of their carbon contribution, which includes wasting less food and cutting down on red meat, to name a few. Yet, with a problem this daunting and far removed from most of our everyday lives, how do conservationists inspire change?
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The Making of a Disciple
In 2008, environmental education experts Joe Heimlich and Nicole Ardoin found that psychologists have difficulty explaining a clear relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour. Each of us are physical beings bound to a context: a specific time, place, culture, and set of values. We are not all motivated by the same things, and we are not equally capable of changing our routines. Different communities live under very different pressures, and some peoplelike the coralare struggling for their very lives.
Heimlich and Ardoin's review also found that awareness of the issues and solutions are key steps along the road to action but that this knowledge alone is not enough. Beliefs are important for motivating behavior change. These include our responses to questions like: Do we believe that we are able to change and make a difference? Do we feel responsibility for and connectedness toward those suffering? Who do we believe has control over the events in our life?
While scientists may wish a simple knowledge transfer will inspire change, I am reminded of the relational way of Christian disciple making. After spending 24 years in pastoral ministry, the writer, speaker, and discipleship teacher Greg Ogden noted in his book Discipleship Essentials, that Jesus own disciple-making pattern "was to be intimately involved with others and allow life to rub against life."
The Power to Change
Christians are not strangers to working with the complexities and resistances of the heart. Robert Sluka, a marine biologist working for the Christian conservation organization A Rocha, first introduced me to this synergy between environmental education and faith. Addressing a room full of secular conservation scientists in Cambridge, United Kingdom, he said, In a way, you are evangelists too! You have a message you believe is important, knowledge you believe should change how people live, and you face obstacles as you try and help the people you are approaching.
As Ive read about environmental education, I have been drawn to think of Jesus as the perfect teacher and changer of hearts. God fully entered into our context and gave us, by his love, the ultimate motivation to change our lives. Further, Jesus' winsome examplehis humility, compassion, and sacrificeteach us how to reach out relationally to those around us. As a conservationist, this insight shapes my approach to community projects. As a Christian, it goes even further than this.
Christians have witnessed a real change of hearts and lives, both in the Bible and also personally. Knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah should have been enough to inspire radical behavior change in the disciples, and yetalmost cringingly from our perspectivewe can see how long it took for that head knowledge to become a conviction of heart which gave them the courage to change their lives and proclaim that truth to others.
Mercifully, God sent the Holy Spirit to take hold of their hearts and strengthen them for all that lay ahead. He thoroughly transformed themand it changed the world! His Spirit now drives us forward every day, helping us overcome all the potential stumbling blocks to which our hearts cling to resist change.
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The Gospel for Conservation
My ultimate encouragement to stay in conservation science rests in my hope for the church. If we, as his church of transformed and Spirit-empowered hearts, engage with the needs of a groaning creation, can we show his will and goodness here on earth as it is in heaven?
I look to Margaret W. Miller as an example of belief in action. Miller is a Christian coral ecologist, who works in Florida and faces the discouraging task of conserving coral reefs in a polluted world. She works with reefs wherelike the Great Barrier Reefincreasing bleaching events have left large areas of coral severely compromised. She laments that throughout her career, much of what we observe them doing in the world is dying.
Every day she stubbornly continues in her work. Her efforts to help the coral reproduce even go as far as coral midwifery and coral gardening, which involve assisting egg fertilization, nursing young colonies, and spreading fragments to new areas. She believes that this work is an important extension of her discipleship, because a healthy reef's fruitfulness and examples of interdependence demonstrate God's provision for all. The task at hand is a very humbling and scary prospect, but she continues in this field because of her understanding that God loves his creation and wants ecosystems to flourish and function in the way he intended. This idea gives the system an intrinsic value as God's creation. It also connects us to God's command to care for the vulnerable and marginalized of his creationin this case, his coral ecosystems and the human communities who depend upon them.
As I reflect on this as a Christian and a conservationist, I've been challenged by words I say quite often. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven I am quick to pray but slow to let it sink in. Am I really willing to be the hands and feet through which God works for his restored creation to be glimpsed, even partially, here in our world? When Jesus brother James described Abraham, he said, You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (James 2:22).
In this hyper-connected world, with so much news at our fingertips, the overload can stop us from acting. So very often I let my environmental concern be momentary and head-based. I read an article, feel sad for a moment, wish I could change things, and then scroll on to news items that are going to affect my life more directly. Yet it is the equivalent of telling a naked, starving neighbor to go in peace; keep warm and well fed (James 2:16), while making no attempt to help them. James calls Christians to move beyond empathy to action.
After returning from the Maldives, I found it easier to connect with online news about the reefs and the sea turtles with which I had personally worked. We cannot all become active marine conservationists, but as a global body formed of many different parts, let us each do what we can, investing even a little bit of time, energy, or prayers.
Above all, my time caring for just a tiny fraction of God's world has helped me to praise him and challenged the way I had separated him from his creation. Let us enjoy time in God's presence through his works and declare our identities as children of the creator God by including stewardship issues in what we pray for and talk, sing, care, and preach about.
Cara Daneel, a South African native, received her Marine Biology and Oceanography degree from the University of Cape Town. She has worked in conservation and education in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. She works as a research assistant for The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion on a communications project: Wonders of the Living World.
More than 1 million Facebook users have watched Louis Farrakhan proclaim that the living Jesus will save him from death, and that he will pay a price for his former teachings as the leader of the Nation of Islam.
Yet what seemed to some Christian outsiders like a move toward biblical repentance was, according to expert observers, actually a common tactic in Farrakhans messaging: using Christian language to apply to the African American movements own theology.
It sounds like, because he used Jesus, that hes talking about the biblical Jesus, said Atlanta preacher Damon Richardson, who was born and raised in the Nation of Islam but found Jesusthe Christian oneat 16.
Ive got pastors and friends who are sharing the video, saying, Hallelujah, praise God for this conversion, and they are not doing the research.
Farrakhan gave his remarks earlier this month at a Washington church where he has guest-preached for decades, ...
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PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity Acting Education Secretary Promoted Gov. Susana Martinez announced last week that Christopher Ruszkowski, acting secretary of education since Hanna Skandera's resignation in June, will be taking the position on permanently. In a press release published on the governor's website, Martinez said, Im confident that Christopher will bring the energy, enthusiasm and leadership needed to help New Mexicos students succeed in the classroom. But some teachers and education employees are concerned with his views on standardized testing in general and PARCC in particular. Ruszkowski has openly criticized teachers unions for not offering up more solutions to the state's education problems. He also criticized the Albuquerque Public Schools district, which he says has failed to properly implement data-driven instruction and state reforms. Ruszkowski recently met with APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy, who says she supports the new secretary's academic plans for the district. Ruszkowski first made his mark in New Mexico in April 2016, when he came to oversee the Public Education Departments research agenda, policies and academic priorities. Before that, he worked for the Delaware Department of Education. Until the New Mexico Senate officially confirms his appointment, Ruszkowski will be considered secretary-designate, which has the same authority as the education secretary.
Fluoride Decision Postponed The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Board considered a proposal last week that would have resumed supplemental fluoridation of Albuquerques drinking water. The proposal requested $260,000 in capital appropriations to pay for equipment needed to see the project through. A number of speakers both for and against fluoridation spoke to the Utility Board last week, where members voted against taking up a funding measure for immediate action. New measures cannot be considered for immediate action unless five of the seven voting members agree, under the Board's rules. Only three members voted to consider the measure, postponing the decision until Sept. 20. The US Public Health Service changed the federal drinking water standards in 2015, recommending that water systems contain 0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Supplemental fluoridation of Albuquerque's water stopped in 2011. The practice began in 1972.
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They camped out on the floor of the cavernous George R. Brown Convention Center Tuesday, their sparse worldly possessions next to them in boxes and plastic bags. They slept on towels and blankets because there weren't enough cots to go around. They fed their babies with formula donated by strangers. Their toddlers played with whatever they could find - a stroller, a smart phone. Only when they couldn't wait any more, did they venture to the overused restrooms.
At least 10,000 evacuees plucked from Harvey's flood crowded the hastily assembled shelter that was intended to house only half that number. Running short on supplies, officials relied on donations and volunteers to help feed, clothe and treat the throngs who arrived by foot, dump truck and bus.
OPEN SHELTERS: These are the shelters that are still open right now
Across the city Tuesday, in schools, churches and community centers, the scenario was repeated in ways big and small as the sheer numbers of people forced from their homes and seeking shelter - 17,000 on Monday night alone - became apparent. And by late Tuesday the need was still not fully being met.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said additional supplies were on the way for the more than 45 shelters that have sprung up across the region and that downtown's Toyota Center would also be opened to meet the demand.
"We're still waiting on FEMA and the Red Cross to provide the necessary supplies and staffing for all of the shelters that exist and those that may be needed. Everybody is being pushed," Turner said. "That's why it's important to work as a team and don't just rely on any one or two sources. It's going to take all of us to meet the needs."
He said he has asked FEMA for supplies, cots and food for an additional 10,000 people.
"Hopefully those supplies will get here as soon as possible, at the latest, we hope, no later than sometime tomorrow."
Late Tuesday, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett announced that a 10,000-bed Harris County shelter was opening at NRG Park that would accommodate families as well as their pets.
Emmett said the shelter was needed both because the George R. Brown Convention Center is overflowing with people displaced by historic flooding, and also because of logistical problems and delays he had observed working with the Red Cross at shelters around town.
"I don't want to throw anybody under the bus but the Red Cross, they couldn't get anything done," Emmett said.
Agencies overwhelmed
At the downtown convention center Monday night, officials for a time were diverting buses filled with wet and weary evacuees to other shelters. But when the need became too great, the facility began letting everyone in again, further stretching the dwindling resources it had.
Kevin Hannes, FEMA's coordinating officer for Hurricane Harvey, said the enormity of the disaster overwhelmed the agencies responsible for responding to it.
"We have to understand the enormity of this event and the inability to have access to some areas," he said. "It's a phased approach. They grow but not usually at the rate these shelters have grown. Our key was to get individuals into safety, into dry areas and get them first safe where they weren't in danger of their life then work toward those comfort things of the shelter.
"Normally all of these agencies especially the local officials and the local entities along with the Red Cross are right there, but nothing of this size has happened in our nation's history."
It was a position echoed by Red Cross executive Todd James, who said the organization had prepositioned supplies in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey's arrival, but that the damage inflicted by the storm had made deliveries of additional supplies difficult.
"Hurricane Harvey's unprecedented impact has created a great need for cots, blankets and other supplies," James said. "In this instance, we are working with emergency management officials to facilitate the delivery of supplies to shelters as quickly as possible."
At the M.O. Campbell Center in Greenspoint, the Red Cross had planned to take in 500 people, but it only had 200 cots in place by the time the water started rising Saturday night, inundating thousands of homes and apartments that had flooded just 16 months ago.
By Monday morning, more than 2,000 flood victims had taken refuge there, and the Red Cross was rationing food. No one between the ages of 10 and 75 who wasn't sick or pregnant could get a meal.
M.O. Campbell shelter manager Jerry Fennell acknowledged the Red Cross likely underestimated its initial order for his facility and then was unable to deliver sufficient supplies through the floodwater.
"They knew we were out here. They knew what our count was. They were desperately trying to get things to us, but they couldn't," Fennell said. "The orders were sitting in the trucks on the docks at headquarters, and at that point we had three to four feet of water in front of our building."
News of the problems at the facility, relayed by neighbors at the shelter, convinced Greenspoint resident Pascha Cunningham that her family would be better off sticking out the storm in her second-floor apartment, which had been evacuated Saturday.
"I refuse to let you go out there and then you get treated like that," the 39-year-old remembered telling her daughter later. "I'd rather just stay in my apartment and roll it out."
Nicola Stanley was among those who stuck it out at M.O. Campbell, but three days in, she was frustrated.
"This is a safe haven, but they just were not prepared for it," said Stanley, 45, whose townhome also flooded during last year's so-called Tax Day flood. "They need to do better. I mean, this Red Cross stuff is a joke. They're not organized."
Red Cross spokeswoman MaryJane Mudd didn't want to prematurely speculate on the struggles at Greenspoint.
"I want to learn more about what happened there," she said Tuesday.
As the need grew Tuesday, volunteers set up shelters across the greater Houston area at churches, schools, and community centers and others opened their doors for nearby residents affected by the floods.
Lakewood Church opened to evacuees late Tuesday morning after a beating on social media Monday because it wasn't yet receiving people who needed shelter.
Yonah Peterson, who is blind, and Michael McAllister were among the first 50-plus people delivered to Lakewood by six school buses.
Peterson walked in with his hand on the shoulder of McAllister, who guided him to a registration line. A volunteer outside took Peterson's guide dog, Jennings, named for the late ABC news anchor, for a walk out in the rain.
Both men looked winded. Neither had slept since Saturday. Neither had a meal since Saturday either, getting by on bagged snacks. The Coast Guard rescued them from their home near Hobby Airport on Sunday. They climbed into the back of a fire truck, a difficult task for Peterson. They spent two nights at Sterling High School, where McAllister at one point passed out due to dehydration.
Devastating news
The first wave of evacuees to reach Lakewood were outnumbered by volunteers, who poured in late Tuesday morning, numbering in the hundreds after noon.
Communications director Don Iloff said the church was waiting for the city to give it designation as an official shelter, which would help provide it with more supplies - blankets and cots - to accommodate more displaced people.
Many of the evacuees who ended up downtown brought their pets, creating another challenge for the facility.
Salise Shuttlesworth, executive director of Friends for Life, said the shelter was expecting 200 pets. At last count there were more than 400, including, among the usual cats and dogs, some rabbits, baby squirrels and a parrot.
Shuttlesworth said the animals seemed to be in good condition. On Tuesday afternoon she prepped a half dozen volunteer veterinarians and pet lovers to begin setting aside supplies to share with a new pet-friendly shelter at NRG Park.
At the George R. Brown center Tuesday, Andrew Saldivar was camped out on cots in a cluster with 18 family members when his wife called out that Saldivar's parents had just told his brother the news.
Not the news that Andrew and the 28 friends and family members he came with or the 150 he estimates he knows inside the shelter were airlifted out of his flooded Lakewood neighborhood. They had just told Saldivar's brother by phone that all four of his children and his grandparents were presumed dead after their vehicle went underwater in Greens Bayou on Sunday.
"Oh my gosh, he's not going to take that well," Saldivar said. "They're going to put him on suicide watch."
The children's father, Jason Saldivar, is finishing his term in federal prison, Andrew Saldivar said he was expecting to be released in September.
Andrew Saldivar said he's been holding his emotions together after spending two days helping with dozens of rescues around Lakewood. But the lost family members are on his mind.
"We haven't found the bodies," he said. "We need help burying all six of them." He said his family had set up a GoFundMe.
Gabrielle Banks and Andrew Dansby contributed to this report.
Editor's note: As of the printing deadline for this issue, Buddy Guy's Saturday concert at the House of Blues was schedule to proceed. But we encourage you to call ahead before traveling to the concert.
Once was the time Buddy Guy represented youth in the blues. The Louisiana native was 11 years younger than B.B. King and 19 years younger than John Lee Hooker. Compared to the masters he played with at the Chicago-based Chess label in the 1960s, he was 26 years younger than Howlin' Wolf and 23 younger than Muddy Waters.
Since the blues has no real retirement age, these men performed until they were dead. And Guy, at 81, shows no sign of carrying his career any differently. But because he's a shade younger than other masters of the form, he's become the last man standing.
More Information Buddy Guy When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: House of Blues, 1204 Caroline Tickets: $35-$90; 888-402-5837, hob.com See More Collapse
That's not to say there aren't old, venerable blues players still working weekends in Chicago, Memphis, Baton Rouge, St. Louis, New Orleans, all over Mississippi and Houston. But when B.B. King died in May 2015, Guy was left alone among players who could hold their own in a juke joint, on a cruise ship, at a European festival and at a large concert hall.
"He really, truly is the last man standing," says Jimbo Mathus, musician and blues enthusiast, who played on two of Guy's best recordings. "Nothing against anybody else, because plenty of great players are still out there working. But he's the last one who has that heritage, that lineage from the old cotton-picking days who can get people out for a big show on a Saturday night. He's a master of American art, and as far as the blues go, he's the last one. And he seemed destined for it.
"He told me he had a dream when he was a small child. He was standing in front of a huge audience. This was before he ever had a guitar or knew anything about them. He just knew he was a guy everybody was watching and listening to. So he had this prophetic dream about his whole life at this young age. Buddy Guy is like a holy man to me."
Guy's relative youth, compared to the form's other canonized masters, has caused some marginalization for a guitarist and performer whose influence on rock 'n' roll was vast. Calling a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Kennedy Center honoree "underrated" is probably overselling Guy as an underdog. But a prominent music critic once referred to him as a "blues subpatriarch," so his standing has been questioned.
If Guy wasn't on the front end of the first and second wave of blues, his youth nevertheless positioned him to have enormous sway over an impressionable group of guitar-obsessed Brits in the 1960s. He served both as portal to the past and also living proof of a decades-spanning apprenticeship system.
Guy's approach to guitar playing may have hindered his prospects as a recording artist in the '60s. He was a dramatic player, emphasizing bright bursts of distortion by setting them up with coiled silences.
In inducting him into the Rock Hall, Eric Clapton recognized the age disparity between Guy and the other blues greats. But he still referred to his hero as "earth shattering the hardcore reality of what the blues is supposed to sound and look like."
That style is audible in the playing of all sorts of '60s guitar gods: Clapton, Jimmy Page, Peter Green and particularly Jimi Hendrix, who increased the voltage of Guy's live-wire approach. Guy could run 12-bar blues like any other seasoned player, but his playing also veered into frenzied territory associated with the avant garde.
"He just had a different agenda than other cats," Mathus says, "as far as what he heard and what he wanted to do. He wanted to separate himself from the pack. Leonard Chess said his music was 'noise.' And he could get way out there even in that circle of players. But it's why he stands out."
Chess' distaste for Guy's more abrasive tone played some part in Guy's more muted renown. He saw to it that Guy's wings were clipped, preventing his freer inclinations from taking over. Which meant Guy didn't get around to making his finest recording - one on which he sounded exhilarated in reclaiming his Southern roots - until he was 65 years old. But "Sweet Tea" resulted of decades of steeping blues.
Guy's name is tightly associated with Chicago-based blues, though, like many of its other practitioners, he migrated to the city from farther south.
The Lettsworth, La., native fell under the spell of Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones, 10 years Guy's elder. Guy started working his fingers on a diddly bow and listening to music out of Shreveport and Baton Rouge before taking a shot on Chicago, where he fell in with Chess acts like Muddy Waters and also began a fruitful collaboration with Junior Wells, which is about the time Guy captured the attention of a generation of young blues-minded Englishmen.
Through the '70s and '80s, Guy never stopped performing and recording, though the recordings didn't fully represent the work of a master. Guy rebooted in 1991 with "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues," which served as an introduction for some and a reintroduction to others. His playing was full of spit and fire, though his choices from the blues/R&B songbook were full of familiarity.
But producer Dennis Herring dragged Guy to Herring's Mississippi studio, surrounded him with some young, hungry accompanists and threw some songs by Mississippi Hill Country blues great Junior Kimbrough at him.
"Sweet Tea" opened coyly, a quiet acoustic song with Guy's whispered voice murmuring "Well I done got old, can't do the things I used to do, because I'm an old man."
When that song finished, Guy flips the script with an unnerving guitar tutorial: solos, bends, drones. If it was in the neck of his instrument, he twisted it out.
"It brought him back to where he needed to be," says Mathus, who played rhythm guitar on the record. "Which is the cutting edge of his art form. That's what I always loved about him. He always played with patience and calmness. But he was completely fearless, too. He knew how to find the edge of the cliff. He's not a man who'd spin his wheels."
Guy showed up a few years later in "Shine a Light," a Rolling Stones concert film shot by Martin Scorsese. He dueted with Mick Jagger on the Waters tune "Champagne and Reefer."
Scorsese brilliantly lingers on Guy's face during a moment when the musician is neither singing nor playing his guitar. Even amid a loping song, Guy almost operates in the most comfortable slow motion. His awareness of time and tempo comes across as instinctual. He knows when to attack, and he knows when to sit back in the pocket. The moment exemplifies an innate oneness with music informed by more than six decades of playing it.
Guy, perhaps, put it best during his succinct comments on being inducted into the Rock Hall.
"I haven't made a lot of records that make a lot of money," he said. "But I make a lot of records that if you ever listen to it, something I say might fit you. Like, 'You're damn right I got the blues.'
"If you don't think you got the blues, just keep living."
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Houston area schools are preparing for the clean-up of a century as dozens if not hundreds of schools sustained wind and water damage when Tropical Storm Harvey dumped nearly a years worth of rain on the region.
But for many school districts the true toll of the storm is still unknown, as campuses remain inaccessible and surrounded by water-logged roads. The unknown toll has thrown into question when some Houston area school districts will reopen and when others will start their school years.
FREE MEALS: In response to Harvey, Houston ISD to provide 3 free meals per day for all students this school year
In the Houston Independent School District - Texas largest and the countrys seventh largest Superintendent Richard Carranza said at least 35 schools either sustained water damage or lost power during the storms.
Now Playing: A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew rescues a mother and child from rising flood waters. The Coast Guard continues to urge Texas residents to not go into the attic because rescuers from the air cannot see you. (Coast Guard Heartland) Video: JW Player
At the rest of the schools were even trying to monitor with our cameras, our cameras lost power. Theres no way to look at it, Carranza said Tuesday. Were in the process right now of trying to get some boats so we can have facilities guys go in and do assessments.
School districts across the Houston area had planned to either start classes this week or resume classes this week before Tropical Storm Harvey revealed its true power, forcing the vast majority of districts to stay closed until further notice. Houston ISD was supposed to start Monday, but announced it would postpone the first day until this coming Tuesday.
"There are a lot of unknowns we're wrestling with," Carranza said. "We know clock is ticking. By Thursday or Friday we'll have a decision about Tuesday."
Houston ISD was spared widespread devastation that crept up with the flood waters in other parts of the region.
The only schools Clear Creek ISD officials know are not heavily damaged are one being used as an emergency aid outpost and four being used as shelters. And one of those shelters, Clearbrook High School, sprang a roof leak.
School staff have simply been too busy to try to check on other buildings, said district spokeswoman Elania Polsen, as bus drivers work to ferry evacuees to higher ground and others work around the clock at school shelters.
She said Clear Creek is in a tough spot. Evacuees from nearby Dickinson and other neighborhoods cant go south to be airlifted out of Galveston, and the Red Cross cant get south from Houston to the Clear Creek area.
Assessments of our facilities have not really started and wont start until the water recedes, Polsen said. Well have a far better idea of the situation of structures tomorrow, which will be a significant factor in deciding when to open up our schools.
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD - the third largest school district in Texas - has nine disaster contractors on standby waiting to start repairing damaged schools.
Superintendent Mark Henry said two of the contractors specialize in disasters, and the other seven are going to help get schools back up and running as quickly as possible.
But some buildings in the Cy-Fair ISD will be occupied by evacuees for weeks or even months. The old Matzke Elementary, which was closed this year for renovations scheduled to begin in December, will house shelter-seekers until those renovations begin.
"One of the interesting things people dont think about is that most of the children in HISD have city of Houston to provide shelters. But for us in the county, school districts often serve as the primary government agency," Henry said. "Schools stepped in and provided services cities would normally do."
They've been collecting donations, feeding families and setting up shelters across the district, Henry said. So much help has poured in that the district has had to redirect some volunteers and supplies to other schools and areas.
Henry said the district will continue to pour resources into helping families and students get the help they need, but he's eager to get back to school and a sense of relative normalcy.
"One of the things I really believe, I believe going to school, kids getting back to school provides that normalcy children and families need," Henry said. "We're going to go back to school at the earliest possible date - but we don't know when that is yet."
The uncertainty of Hurricane Harvey sent shock waves through Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department to act quickly. They set off Wednesday, Aug. 23, and worked through the night to evacuate Corpus Christi residents to safer grounds.
Residents directly facing the eerie dangers of Hurricane Harvey were evacuated to San Antonio.
Sean Conley, assistant chief of EMS, said the department's multiple patient vehicle is used to assist the state in dire situations like Hurricane Harvey, and the main task is to assist in storm and disasters.
"Initially, it was a very smooth operation, but with the rapid development, we had that urgent request for Galveston," Conley said.
Conley said the sudden urgent call to head toward Galveston left the crew running on a brief two-three hours of rest before setting off with elderly who were taken from a Galveston nursing home to San Antonio.
"It is a volunteer effort, really. To have the bus, we agreed to support, house, repair, staff and stock it it's part of our willingness to help the state," Conley said.
The crew traveled more than 1,000 miles, starting from Atascocita and going wherever they received the call for aid.
Within two missions, Conley said they were able to move 25 people before the storm came pounding down on residents of the soon-to-be affected areas.
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Banks are waiving fees for late mortgage payments and for withdrawing cash from competitors' ATMs in an effort to help the state's displaced home-owners, flooded business owners and others affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Financial institutions will play a large role in rebuilding Houston, and they started laying the groundwork this week before many of their branches could reopen.
"They're going to do whatever they can to facilitate people rebuilding their lives," said Bob Bacon, deputy commissioner of the Texas Department of Banking.
RESOURCE: FDIC list of frequently asked questions for Harvey-affected bank customers
Chase, the largest Houston-area bank based on deposits, said that through Sept. 10 it will waive or refund late fees for mortgage, credit card, business banking and auto loans. It will also waive overdraft, monthly service and ATM fees on deposit accounts.
"We're here to help our neighbors as we face the relentless rain and flooding," Harman Johal, who manages more than 200 Chase branches in the Houston area, said in the news release.
Bank of America, BBVA Compass and Wells Fargo - the other major Houston banks - issued similar statements.
Bank of America is refunding or waiving certain fees for its consumer and small business customers. These include overdraft fees, debit card rush and replacement fees, and late payment fees on credit cards and some loans.
Wells Fargo suspended negative credit-bureau reporting, late fees, collection calls, and foreclosure referrals and sales for customers with homes in counties under hurricane warnings when Harvey made landfall.
It is also encouraging customers to contact the bank. Once learning about their situation, Wells Fargo can implement disaster relief for up to 60 days, or up to 90 days in FEMA-designated disaster areas, and offer payment options.
Wells Fargo is also waiving ATM fees for customers in the affected areas.
BBVA Compass is doing the same, and it's offering payment deferral, penalty-free CD withdrawals and discounted loans and lines of credit.
"I would encourage the customers to contact the banks," said Steve Scurlock, executive vice president of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas. "Talk to their bankers, let them know what's going on, and I think the banks are going to do everything they can to work with their customers."
But they may have to wait a few days before physically entering a bank branch. Banks have been facing the same issues as their customers - flooded roadways, damaged buildings and devastated employees.
In Harris and surrounding counties, Bacon said a large majority of banking facilities were closed Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.
Under non-emergency situations, he said, banks typically are not allowed by law to close for more than three consecutive days. But state and federal regulators can give banks permission to stay closed during disasters until conditions improve and the banks can be safely occupied.
To reopen their branches more quickly, regulators are removing some red tape involved with opening temporary locations.
Dan Bass, managing director of investment banking for bank advisory firm Performance Trust Capital Partners, said the temporary locations could be tractor-trailer-type portable buildings parked near a damaged branch.
Damaged banks are also likely to place mobile ATMs out front. Cash will be needed in stores without an internet connection, which means they won't be able to accept debit or credit cards. Bacon said he had not heard of widespread outages causing retailers to be incapable of accepting debit or credit cards.
Banks are also gearing up to help customers secure financing to rebuild homes and businesses.
"We intend to absolutely be a player in the recovery effort," said Tim Timanus, chairman and chief operating officer of Prosperity Bank. He added that the bank won't charge late fees for loan payments, overdraft fees and ATM fees to those affected by Harvey.
In a news release, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. encouraged banks to take "all reasonable and prudent steps to assist customers in communities affected by recent storms."
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency likewise encouraged national banks to consider "reassessing the current credit needs of the community and helping meet those needs by originating or participating in sound loans to rebuild damaged property."
The FDIC referred consumers to disasterassistance.gov to learn about federal assistance for survivors of natural disasters. This may include special loans for homeowners, small business owners or farmers to repair or replace damaged property.
Federal low-interest disaster loans are also available to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Those applying for loans must be in a declared disaster area, which currently includes Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Wharton and other counties.
Tim Jeffcoat, district director for the SBA's Houston office, said business recovery centers and disaster recovery centers - the latter more tailored to homeowners - will be opened throughout Houston.
He said the Small Business Administration is also providing economic injury loans to help businesses that haven't been flooded but have been affected in other ways. Maybe, for instance, they don't have customers because the roads leading to their businesses were washed away.
"So we will help them, too," he said.
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Southwest Airlines has canceled flights at Hobby Airport through noon Saturday, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Spokeswoman Brandy King said the airline will "focus on repairing the facilities and taking care of our local employees."
United Airlines has closed its hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport and suspended operations in Houston until at least noon Thursday.
RELATED: Southwest, United flights help hundreds of passengers out of Houston's closed airports
Commercial service was suspended at both airports on Sunday, and the airports remained closed Wednesday. The Houston Airport System couldn't provide a date for when the airports will open.
"There are still so many things that have to be taken care of before we can definitively say we're going to open at a certain date and time," airport spokesman Bill Begley said.
Officials are in the process of making sure the facilities are ready, the airports can be staffed at necessary levels to operate safely and that people can get to and from the airport safely.
Bush Intercontinental and Ellington have also been identified as airports where humanitarian flights can land, Begley said.
"We are actively supporting humanitarian efforts and preparing for flights that will bring much needed supplies and support for the thousands of people who have been affected by the storm," he said.
MORE: Harvey begins to push out of Houston as curfew set and new shelter opens
Henry Harteveldt, founder of San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group, a travel industry research company, applauded United and Southwest for "working to minimize the impact of the Houston airports' closures on their operations and passengers."
However, he added that there is a growing backlog of people destined for Houston or beginning their flights from Houston who have been affected.
"All airlines that serve Houston will face an enormous burden to assist those customers once the area's airports reopen," he said in an email.
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Sun and blue skies had emerged Wednesday morning across the Houston region, but a major threat in Fort Bend County continued to build.
The Brazos River, which winds its way across Fort Bend, had crested upstream. As the massive flow of water made its way toward the gulf, it continued to rise in Fort Bend, putting more neighborhoods under water.
Officials expected it to pass its record height in the county seat of Richmond sometime Wednesday evening -- and continue to swell beyond that for at least another day, sending more water south.
The mighty river would remain at an unprecedented high level in the city through Saturday, according to the most recent National Weather Service projections.
While some of those those upriver returned to their homes, mandatory evacuations in Fort Bend remained in place. Some residents here, however, had a bit of good news: the threat mid-morning Wednesday was greatly reduced for those protected by county levee systems.
Residents in dozens of neighborhoods along the river had been mandated to evacuate. Some lived in unprotected areas expected to flood. Others fled from behind levees that could be surrounded by water or -- in a worst case scenario -- be at risk of being breached.
At first, the peak height expected for the Brazos in Richmond was still well beyond the 100-year-flood that levees were designed to be ensured to protect against. But as of a Wednesday morning update, the highest river level expected was equivalent of the level for which levees were built.
The levees once considered at high risk so far were believed to have held up, but evacuation orders would remain in place, with much flooding to come for homes and streets outside of the levee-protected neighborhoods, Hebert said.
"It is still a major flood in Fort Bend County," Hebert said in a video statement. "This may be a long process, so be patient, stay where you are."
Upriver, in Waller County, mandatory evacuations had been lifted Tuesday night, Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said. Flooding there caused by the Brazos had been comparable to what was seen in 2016, exacerbated by the heavy rains.
The rural but growing county had emerged from the disaster after up to 200 rescues but without reports of any injury or death. It planned Wednesday to downgrade the level of emergency operations. Flooded roads were clearing of water minute by minute, adding to the water pushing downstream.
"We're already in recovery mode," Duhon said. "The crest is past us and now Fort Bend County is in the cross hairs."
Duhon planned to reach out to Fort Bend County to offer help.
In Simonton, the first town that the Brazos passes through in Fort Bend, much of the neighborhood of Valley Lodge was under water, as it had been in the floods of 2016, Mayor Louis Boudreaux said.
The city expected to see perhaps a slight increase in river levels as time progressed, due to still-draining rain water, but hoped the residences left dry would remain that way.
At least two complications with levees down the way in Fort Bend so far had emerged.
A new piping system in Pecan Grove had required an emergency fix by a heavy crane operator and a dive team, Hebert said.
In Sienna Plantation, downriver, volunteers and the national guard Wednesday morning worked to reinforce the levee's interior rim.
The pipe in Pecan Grove had been fixed, while the Sienna Plantation issue, so far, was not believed to be a cause for concern, according to the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management.
Sienna Plantation had struggled with getting rainwater out, Hebert said, an issue alleviated by the slowing -- and eventual end -- of rain.
The sunny skies Wednesday morning brought welcome relief. But the muddy river flowed high and strong in Richmond at around 53 feet, well into major flood stage.
It prompted continued rescues in Fort Bend County.
"We can replace property," Hebert had constantly reminded. "We cannot replace a life."
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Memorial Villages Police Department have issued a midnight curfew Tuesday night in the three Villages after reports of looting in the Houston area have surfaced.
"No one will be allowed to be on the streets after midnight," read a statement from the police department Tuesday evening. "MVPD will stop, identify and may arrest violators. The curfew will end at 0500 hours. This Curfew will be strictly enforced."
Tim Grinage of League City was out in the area Tuesday finding stranded flood victims and evacuating them to higher ground.
"The water's been devastating," Grinage said. "It's been up to people's roofs."
DICKINSON: Officers who lost everything are still helping
"I've been seeing a lot of people that everything is lost to them. They got a bag of clothes, a plastic bag full of clothes to their name and they're carrying an animal in one arm and their child in another.
"We're bringing them to shelters. It makes me feel very sad. I'm fortunate enough to be on high ground. I wish that I could do more for these people."
Grinage said he's embedded with the League City police and fire departments, using a boat donated by the Clear Lake Environmental Foundation.
He said it would be best for boat rescue volunteers to coordinate with local emergency personnel before heading out to flooded neighborhoods.
SEABROOK: Furniture store shelter set up to help evacuees from flooded Shoreacres
"There's a lot of confusion down in the deep water, with volunteers who are just going on their own with no organization, and they're missing a lot of people. So embedding's the way to go."
Those wishing to help in League City are asked to stage at Clear Creek ISD's Bauerschlag Elementary, 2051 League City Parkway.
"It makes me proud to be here in League City, helping everybody out in my community," Grinage said.
Some of downtown Houston's most iconic buildings -- some which have seen a slew of floods in their decades of life, experienced some water effects in the storms, according to an assessment by the Houston Downtown Management District.
City Hall, Jones Hall, the Alley Theater, the historic Cotton Exchange and Rice Hotel all have been impacted. The good news, downtown district spokeswoman Angie Bertinot said, is little of the damage is considered serious.
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Beaumont and part of east Texas continue to feel Tropical Storm Harveys wrath, with officials coordinating rescue and relief efforts amidst the grim likelihood more deaths and injuries will be discovered.
Local rainfall totals for the week and the last 24 hours are "off the scales," said Andy Tingler, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Lake Charles.
26.03 inches of rain fell at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport from 12 a.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday, he said. Typically, the airport gets a total of 46 inches of rain from January 1 to August 30, putting yesterday's one-day total at more than half the usual year-to-date measure.
Officials now are dealing with their share of hectic situations, as rescue efforts move from the Houston area to the east, with the U.S. Coast Guard preparing to pluck more people from rising waters.
Between 10-20 helicopters have been sent from multiple local agencies to help with relief and rescue efforts as of Wednesday, according to Port Arthur commander John Lovejoy. In addition those sent to Houston, Lovejoy said helicopters have been dispatched to areas in Beaumont, Orange, Lumberton and Port Arthur.
"Basically, we're working with air directors and first responders to identify people in need and get them assistance as quickly as possible," he said.
While helping to rescue those who can't evacuate, helicopters are also delivering food and other supplies to shelters. Lovejoy said aircrafts have landed at Jack Brooks Regional Airport to make deliveries, but are also willing to land in parking lots and shopping centers to reach those in need.
As Harvey continues to wreak havoc in Southeast Texas, Lovejoy said he expects many more helicopters to be deployed.
"The call volume is very significant, so we're trying to work through those and keep up," he said.
At least two people have died in Beaumont because of the storms, officials said.
Colette Sulcer, 41, died and her young daughter is in stable condition after the duo were swept into a canal after exiting their car along Interstate 10 on Tuesday, in a harrowing scene officials described in a news release.
After getting stuck in a parking lot, the mother ditched the car with the small child, but got swept into the canal and floated roughly a half-mile from the vehicle. A boat with two Beaumont policeman and two firefighters spotted the mother -- the child clinging to her in the rushing waters. The boat sped to retrieve them before they were swept under a trestle already topped with water.
"Responders would not have been able to save the child if they had floated under it," officials said. "Officers pulled the child and the mother into the boat."
The mother was unresponsive, though the child was despite suffering hypothermia.
Officials took turns performing CPR as the raced to redezvous with an ambulance.
"Water was still high, so a citizen helped by allowing first responders to load the mother and daughter in his truck and brought them all to a waiting ambulance," officials said.
A second death was reported Wednesday, when police found a dead man in the 7000 block of Guess Road around 7:30 a.m.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday added Jefferson, Hardin, Orange, Jasper and Newton counties to the federal disaster declaration.
Harvey is expected to slowly weaken as it moves away from Southeast Texas, but ongoing flooding and high gusts will remain through the day, according to the latest forecast from National Weather Service Lake Charles.
Winds are expected to be less than 30 miles per hour, with gusts reaching 40 in parts of Louisiana.
"We are forecasting an additional one to four inches of rain in parts of east Texas and central Louisiana. Amounts will be an inch of rain or less for southeast Texas, and southwest and south central Louisiana," meteorologist Roger Erickson said.
As the remnants of Hurricane Harvey continue to pound Pasadena with record-level rainfall, Mayor Jeff Wagner and city officials are working around the clock to deal with the prolonged devastation dealt by rising flood waters.
A tent-based medical emergency center will soon be set up near city hall. Police and a nearly all-volunteer fire department have responded to more than 1,000 calls for help and rescued 200 residents trapped by flood waters. Plans were announced to open the city's third shelter for displaced residents on Monday.
Wagner, a retired Houston Police Department officer, said he has spent little time away from the city's emergency command center that currently occupies most of the second floor of the Pasadena Police Department headquarters since Friday.
"We have been extremely busy. I worked a 26-hour shift, slept a few hours in an office and then started early this morning," Wagner said. "But, I'm not the only one. Everyone on my team has put in an amazing amount of time and energy toward rescue and recovery efforts. But most importantly, we're blessed that we haven't had any fatalities in Pasadena due to flooding. We've focused on saving lives and helping people as much as possible."
Joining the mayor at the command center is Police Chief Al Espinosa, emergency management personnel and a team of city directors and officials from the Pasadena Independent School District, which has worked with the city to offer up space in schools for shelters recently set up by the American Red Cross.
City officials report hundreds of Pasadena residents have been made homeless by flood waters. Many found shelter at Dobie High School, which was quickly overwhelmed by the number of displaced residents, not only those from Pasadena but from other cities like Pearland, and the decision was made to move the shelter to Pasadena High School on Monday.
Although nearing capacity, shelter space is also available at Golden Acres Baptist Church at 2812 Pansy. Shelter capacity is currently full at the Salvation Army facility and Dobie High School is no longer accepting residents.
"The availability of shelter space is a fluid issue because the school district will need to resume classes next week," Police Chief Al Espinosa said. "But, we still have a long way to go with this storm and we will be working with the mayor to coordinate continued rescue and recovery efforts as long as needed."
According to officials from the National Weather Service (NWS), rainfall in Pasadena could reach as much as 45 inches by Thursday.
"Over the last three days, Pasadena has seen 33.5 inches of rain and that's one of the higher totals that we have recorded in the area. Given that's almost three-feet of rain, Pasadena has certainly been hit as hard as other areas," said Dan Reilly, NWS coordinating meteorologist. "We have a tropical storm that is drifting slowly along the coast and it's producing rain on the north side that affects Pasadena and Harris County and we're looking at a period until Wednesday that could bring another ten to 15 inches of rain at a maximum. If so, that could make Pasadena's flooding problems much worse."
The storm has damaged numerous homes, cars and business all over Pasadena and the greater Houston area, causing widespread power outages and massive flooding.
"This is a very unusual, historic kind of storm in terms of the rainfall it is producing. It's going to end up equal or maybe greater than Tropical Storm Allison in some ways," Reilly said.
Shelter donations needed
For those who would like to make donations to a shelter to help displaced residents, Cristina Womack, president of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce contacted officials at city shelters and recently compiled a list of needed items.
"If you are able to provide any assistance to aid the community it will be greatly appreciated; however, please exercise caution and safety as your number one priority," Womack said.
The Pasadena High School shelter, located at 206 South Shaver, is seeking donations of cots, blankets, towels, wipes, crates and kennels for animals, cleaning supplies and newspapers for animals, trash bags and ready-to-serve restaurant food. Donations are being accepted at Golden Acres Baptist Church of diapers (size 4-5), plus-size women's clothes, lunch and canned meat products, baby bottles, infant formula and plastic grocery bags and trash bags. Golden Acres Baptist Church is located at 2812 Pansy.
The Salvation Army Shelter, located at 2731 Cherrybrook, is accepting donations of toiletries, clothes, blankets, towels, diapers and perishable foods that can be cooked on site.
The Red Cross is consolidating shelters in the Northwest region of Houston and closing the First Baptist Church shelter in Tomball. Evacuees from its shelter were moved around noon to Long Star College - Tomball on Wednesday. "It's a bigger facility with showers," said Tomball spokesman Mike Baxter. Baxter said the Red Cross had taken control of the shelter's operations on Wednesday morning. Between 50 to 100 people had sought refuge from Harvey at the church, said pastor Jason Clark.
More than a week after the Omni Houston Hotel's spa manager went missing as Tropical Storm Harvey's floodwaters poured in, her family is still looking for answers as to what may have happened to her.
Jill Renick, 48, was last heard from at 5:40 a.m. Sunday. Trapped in an elevator, she called the front desk of the Galleria-area hotel, then 911, on her cell phone, desperate for help, said Renick's sister, Pam Eslinger, 62.
Guests at the hotel on the third and first floors could hear Renick's cries from the elevator, they later told Eslinger. The staff shut off the power. About 100 guests evacuated, and water was pouring into the building.
The Omni, which backs up to Buffalo Bayou, flooded that Sunday, after downpours unleashed by Harvey. The hotel suffered major damage a completely flooded basement and water in the lobby that will keep it closed through at least October.
After authorities searched the hotel, Renick's family expected someone would find Renick, or, at least, a body. Yet, more than a week later, there's no sign of the spa manager.
Police searched at least one of the hotel's elevators and found it empty. Hotel staff told Eslinger they combed through the rest of the building.
Eslinger, and the rest of Renick's family, aren't sure what happened next.
"It's baffling to me that there is no sign of her that she's vanished," Eslinger said. "And we're going into the second week now. And nothing."
The Houston Police Department on Tuesday assigned an investigator to Renick's case, which is behing handled as a missing person.
In the meantime, Eslinger has called the Red Cross, the National Guard, Houston-area shelters and nearby hospitals. She's also checked with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences for a body that would match Renick's description.
Renick had spent the night at the hotel to help guests, in anticipation of bad weather, Eslinger said.
Hotel employees told Eslinger that Renick was awake early that Sunday morning. Between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m., Renick left her fourth-floor hotel room to go to the second floor to help guests, employees told Eslinger.
Within 10 minutes, cell phone records show, Renick was trapped and calling the front desk, Eslinger added.
The power was shut off by 6:30 a.m., she said.
"It is our understanding that a call from Jill was received by the front desk on Sunday morning," said Kristen Cadenhead, a spokeswoman for Omni, in an email. "At their request, we are not discussing the details of the call except with the family representative and law enforcement personnel."
She said the hotel conducted its own extensive search.
"When we determined Jill was missing, we immediately launched our own search of areas of the property we could still safely access despite the rising flood waters and contacted emergency responders to request assistance in locating her," Cadenhead said. "As waters receded from the building, we continued our search along with law enforcement personnel. The entire building has been searched and the Houston Police Department determined that Jill is not in the hotel or parking garage. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jill's family during this difficult time."
Eslinger still believes her sister, or her body, may be at the hotel.
Relatives and friends described Renick as friendly and caring, the kind of person who made family reunions fun, her nephew, Austin Miller, 40, said. She would never would have voluntarily left the hotel when guests were there in need, Eslinger said.
And, judging by what she left behind, it doesn't appear she had voluntarily left the building, Eslinger added.
A friend found Renick's dog, Sweet Pea, in the Omni hotel room where Renick had stayed Saturday night. A few days later, Renick's car was spotted in the Omni's flooded garage.
The uncertainty has left Eslinger, and the rest of Renick's family, desperate for answers.
"We just want to know where she is," Eslinger said.
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Hurricane Harvey's winds and floodwaters have created emergencies at chemical facilities across the Houston area, from an Exxon Mobil roof collapse at its massive Baytown complex to the risk of an explosion at a chemical plant northeast of Houston.
The incidents, which also included a shelter-in-place Monday evening in La Porte from a pipeline leak, reveal how dangerous it can be when a storm of Harvey's magnitude collides with the nation's petrochemical capital. Even the controlled, Harvey-related shutdowns of refineries and plants are resulting in the release of millions of pounds of carbon monoxide and other chemicals into the region's atmosphere - primarily through a process called flaring.
"This is an unprecedented storm, and we have taken every effort to minimize emissions and safely shut down equipment," said Exxon spokeswoman Charlotte Huffaker. "Flaring is an environmentally approved measure to safely burn hydrocarbons that cannot be processed during a unit shutdown. This is necessary so personnel can safely work on the equipment."
Several companies, including Exxon, have reported problems with storage tanks in recent days. In Exxon's case, a roof collapse triggered the release of more than 12,000 pounds of potentially toxic chemical compounds, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
However, Exxon Mobil emphasized the collapse was partial and quickly brought under control. "The tank is now stable, and there are no containment issues," Huffaker added.
Harvey aftermath: Chemical plants imperiled Hurricane Harvey's winds and floodwaters have created emergencies at chemical facilities across the Houston area, from an Exxon Mobil roof collapse at its massive Baytown complex to the risk of an explosion at a chemical plant northeast of Houston. We combined our Chemical Breakdown risk map, based on a facility's potential for harm, with the region's 100-year floodplains. Type in a Harris County address in the search bar above to view which sites with "potential for harm" fall within a two-mile radius of that address.
Northeast of Houston in Crosby, officials at an Arkema chemical plant are bracing themselves after multiple systems failed due to flooding.
Late Monday night, the facility lost power from both its primary supply and its backup generators. Employees moved highly volatile organic peroxides into back-up containers to keep them cool. If that class of chemical gets too hot, it can cause fires or explosions.
"At this time, while we do not believe there is any imminent danger, the potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire and/or explosion within the site confines is real," Arkema spokeswoman Janet Smith said on Tuesday.
The Crosby Fire Department evacuated one employee last night and 11 remaining staff members were evacuated Tuesday afternoon when the refrigeration in some of the back-up containers also started to fail. State and local authorities began evacuating residents within a mile and a half of the plant Tuesday night.
Potential for harm
It would be surprising if Arkema had not considered a scenario like this, said Sam Mannan of Texas A&M University's Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center. Companies can typically quench organic peroxides in situations like this with another chemical, to eliminate the danger.
"You'll lose the feedstock, but it's safer than letting it go into runaway mode," Mannan said.
The plant has been shut down since Friday in anticipation of the storm.
Both the Arkema plant in Crosby and the Exxon Mobil facility in Baytown were among the Houston-area sites with the highest potential for harm in an incident, according to a 2016 analysis by the O'Connor Process Safety Center and the Houston Chronicle. That analysis factored risks based on the amount and type of dangerous chemicals on site and their proximity to the public.
Arkema is working with the Department of Homeland Security and the state of Texas on a safe location for a command post to manage the situation.
In La Porte, a pipeline operated by Oklahoma-based Williams Cos. leaked dangerous chemicals Monday evening that triggered a shelter-in-place warning.
The leak was stopped that night, and no injuries were reported. Residents of La Porte, Shoreacres and Baytown were warned to close their windows and turn off their air conditioners. The Fred Hartman Bridge was closed over the Houston Ship Channel but has since reopened.
Williams Cos. officials said they will investigate the cause of the incident. The chemical that leaked, just north of the interchange between Texas 225 and Texas 146, was anhydrous hydrogen chloride, "which presents symptoms of eye, throat and nasal irritation," according to a statement issued by the city of La Porte. A federal safety guide identifies hydrogen chloride as a corrosive poison gas that "can cause serious or permanent injury." The nonflammable substance is used to manufacture "rubber, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and in gasoline refining and metals processing."
The Tulsa-based pipeline giant said the leak occurred at an "instrumentation rack" along a 14.5-mile system of 18-inch pipe that transports anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas.
Chemicals released
Nine other facilities have released some amount of chemicals due to Harvey, according to National Response Center data.
Nothing releases more emissions than the controlled shutdowns and restarts of refineries and chemical plants.
Emissions from Wednesday through Monday in the greater Houston area represent nearly 40 percent of the region's releases for all of 2016, based on pounds of chemicals, according to Luke Metzger, director of the advocacy group Environment Texas.
Roughly 2 million pounds of emissions have been released during Harvey-related shutdowns and incidents, compared to more than 5.2 million pounds all of last year.
Metzger argues these emissions are "illegal," because many exceed allowable limits.
He said the companies wait until the last minute to shut down plants, so they can collect as much money as possible, which creates more environmental hazards and emissions when the plants are shuttered more suddenly. These toxic emissions of carbon monoxide and other harmful chemicals can lead to increased cancer risks and respiratory problems, he argued.
CHEMICAL BREAKDOWN: In November 2014, four workers died at a DuPont plant in La Porte after being exposed to a toxic gas. Responding emergency workers weren't sure what was in the air. The surrounding community wasn't, either. A Houston Chronicle investigation dives deep into Houston's hidden world of explosions and toxic releases and probes the regulatory failures that put us in jeopardy. Click here to read our series.
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Anybody still blaming Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other officials for not ordering a mass evacuation of millions in the days before Harvey made landfall is either overcome with emotion or ignorance.
The emotional response is forgivable. If I'd lost my house, my car, and had to wait hours for somebody to pluck me from my rooftop, I may be tempted to blame somebody, too.
But the loudest critics aren't the victims. They're people who don't seem to understand Houston or storms or flooding very well. Not only does mass evacuation take days to complete and bring jobs, income and commerce to a screeching halt - it kills.
Take the maddening 2005 evacuation before Hurricane Rita, when miles of open highway turned into an endless Wal-Mart parking lot. More than 100 died as thousands of families became incarcerated in their cars, running out of food, fuel and hope as they languished for 20 hours.
Then add water.
Mass evacuation before Harvey would have compounded catastrophic flooding by catastrophic death.
Still, as we watch our city sinking into biblical oblivion, as we watch thousands saved in heroic but achingly inefficient rescues - house by house, family by family, boat by boat - it's only natural to wonder: could some of this been avoided?
Could something have been done better?
The answer, in a candid interview with the county's top executive this week, was yes.
Emmett, a storm veteran and moderate Republican nicknamed "Hunker Down Ed" for his oft-repeated hurricane season mantra, stands by his joint decision with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner not to order mass evacuation, saying it didn't even cross his mind.
While Turner represents 3 million Houstonians, Emmett's responsibility to reduce risk extends beyond Harris County to a population of more than 6 million whose county leaders in Brazoria, Galveston and Fort Bend may follow his lead.
Evacuating the whole region for a rain event that didn't present high winds or risk of storm surge was nonsensical, Emmett says.
But when I asked whether he considered a partial evacuation for people living in problem spots, such as low-lying apartment complexes in or near the flood plain, he offered this:
"In retrospect, you can say 'Yeah, maybe we should have done that,'" Emmett said. "But I think we're always geared up to do that if the need arises. In this case, the need overwhelmed us. I will admit to that." He cited the Greenspoint area, which had endured heavy flooding last year. He says Turner had been especially attentive to the area, making sure rescue assets were prepositioned and that the M.O. Campbell shelter was among the first set up. Similar considerations were made for flood-prone Meyerland.
Hard to predict
But he cautioned that while flooding itself is inevitable, each path is unpredictable. If, for example, Emmett had considered a mass evacuation he likely wouldn't have thought to target southeast Houston, including the Hobby area and Pasadena, because the area went largely unscathed during the worst recent flooding.
This time, though, it was deluged.
While it's true that we can never be sure where water will go, history gives us an idea. In a Friday night press conference, Emmett told people to be prepared for heavy flooding, but couldn't he have given a clearer warning to watch the water closely and to be prepared to leave as needed?
"If I had to go back and do it again, I'd phrase it differently," he told me. "I said this is going to be a bad night I should have added: be prepared to leave your home."
He went on: "I probably should have told people 'If you're in an area where your home has flooded, it's a possibility tonight. I'd consider going to stay with friends or relatives, or in a hotel," he said.
Of course, Emmett didn't force anybody to stay. And many people did leave based on past experiences. But what about critics who say Emmett should have evacuated the vulnerable, including those in nursing homes?
"That one's the easiest to answer," he said. Vulnerable people are the hardest to evacuate safely and so it should only be done as a last resort. Besides, he added, "How do you make that distinction? You can't go on the radio and say 'OK, I want all elderly, poor people to leave?'"
Emmett's candor is rare in an age filled with cover-your-butt politicians. And the lessons he's sharing may help future leaders.
In terms of long-term planning and flood prevention, there is plenty of blame to go around in all levels of government, but we'll discuss that after everybody is rescued from their rooftops.
Right now, the bottom line is that no one this time last week could have expected the historic flooding Harvey wrought, which some are calling an 800-year event. No one could have prepared for a year's worth of rain, around 50 inches, to fall within a few days.
'Lives lost in vehicles'
No one could have known that a mass of water the size of Lake Michigan would swallow the nation's fourth-largest city.
"It would have been completely ignored and probably scoffed at," Emmett says.
If we're honest, we know he's right. And we also know this: as frightening and traumatic as catastrophic flooding can be, it is usually not deadly. Emmett estimates there have been as many as 10,000 rescues in Harris County. The death toll as of Tuesday stood at about two dozen.
Flooding in the Houston area does not involve dangerous rushing water like river flooding, which prompted an evacuation order in Fort Bend this week, Emmett said.
"It's not going to rush anybody away unless they get in their car," he said. "When all is said and done, the lives that have been lost have all been in vehicles. We did tell people to stay off the roads. If they'd stayed in their homes, they'd still be alive.
Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a curfew Tuesday after law enforcement authorities said a crackdown on looters, burglars and robbers netted 15 arrests across the storm-ravaged Houston area.
Turner said the curfew, which is in effect from midnight to 5 a.m., was necessary for public safety. It will remain in effect until further notice.
Those convicted could face 20 years in prison, since sentences for looters and other thieves can be doubled because of Texas law governing law enforcement during disasters, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.
"People displaced or harmed in this storm are not going to be easy prey," Ogg said. "Anyone who tries to take advantage of this storm to break in to homes or businesses should know that they are going to feel the full weight of the law."
If looters are charged with breaking in to homes, they could face life in prison.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said he coordinated with Ogg to ensure that the judges and juries who will decide punishment are aware of suspects charged with crimes during the storm.
"We're not just in a search-and-rescue mode, we're still in a law enforcement and public safety mode," he said. "When you prey on people in these circumstance, that's despicable behavior, and we're all going to push hard to make sure you don't see the sunlight anytime soon."
Court records show that the arrests included two roving groups of four who were jailed for breaking in to businesses.
One group was arrested outside a liquor store in the 7200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in southeast Houston. A resident flagged down a police officer late Monday to report that people were breaking in to the store.
Natasha Matthews, 44, was arrested with a bag of liquor bottles, according to the district attorney's office. After seeing that an entryway had been broken in, officers also found and arrested Joseph Guillory, 53; Rochelle Brown, 54; and Shameca Poole, 39.
Four others were arrested late Monday after a deputy constable saw a suspicious pickup outside of a shoe store in a shopping center on Old Spanish Trail, court records show.
Another man, 31-year-old Jared Babineaux, was arrested after trying to use an SUV to smash into a convenience store in south Houston in an apparent attempt to steal an ATM, officials said. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Another six accused thieves were arrested by the Houston Police Department, the sheriff's office and various Harris County constables offices across the area, Ogg said.
Acevedo said police took extra steps to arrest one group of thieves late Monday.
"Our officers heard about it, they deployed in heavy rain, and they went and found them," he said. "They went in pursuit, and all of those suspects were taken into custody."
The chief was resolute despite an overworked police force reeling from the death of one of their own. Steve Perez, 60, a 34-year veteran of the Houston department, drowned in his patrol car Sunday in Harvey floodwaters.
Acevedo noted that police and prosecutors are continuing to work 24 hours a day, including sleeping at police stations and courthouses. A small staff of prosecutors with the district attorney's office has been sleeping in shifts to remain at the courthouse to file charges around the clock.
Under Texas law, punishments increase and even double for crimes such as assault, robbery, burglary and theft if they are committed in a county declared a disaster area by the governor.
Burglarizing a home, for example, normally would bring a penalty ranging from two to 20 years in prison. Now it could bring the possibility of five years to life.
Other crimes also have enhanced penalties.
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The thought of cash and Newport cigarettes may have been too tempting.
Burglars armed with a brick broke into a Walgreens near Brays Bayou, joining dozens of looters, thieves and scammers working across the Houston area in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
By midday Wednesday, more than 40 people had been arrested for looting in Houston and surrounding areas, with reports of looting stretching as far north as Kingwood and as far south as Texas City.
A citywide curfew remains in effect from midnight to 5 a.m. is helping police agencies keep the criminals at bay, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday.
"It was effective," he said. "It's going to remain in effect until we kind of get past the situations we're in."
TARGETS: Looters target Houston police officers, firefighters, union official says
Officials warned residents to beware of scammers, as well, offering services door-to-door with fake stories of being police officers or contractors hoping to help.
Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said no one was arrested for a curfew violation during the first night Tuesday.
"It provides us a tool to keep people safe," he said.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said she is working with area law enforcement agencies to ensure that anyone caught looting in the wake of Hurricane Harvey would be prosecuted under a state law that allows enhanced punishments, including the possibility of life sentences for thieves arrested for breaking into homes.
On Tuesday, she credited local, state and federal law enforcement officers who have been working round-the-clock to catch thieves and burglars breaking into homes and businesses in flooded areas and torrential downpours.
Stores hit for cash, liquor, cellphones
The Walgreens at 5300 N Braeswood Boulevard was still boarded up Wednesday after looters used bricks to break in late Monday night. A store employee said the looters could not get into the pharmacy, but were able to take money out of three cash registers and several packs of Newport cigarettes.
They left behind over-the-counter drugs, wines and expensive perfumes.
Although the curfew was in effect a day later, a Fiesta Mart grocery store in east Houston on Interstate 10 near Loop 610 had as many as 20 looters break in to steal money and cell phones.
They also ransacked the adjacent liquor store and demolished a cash register.
"Fiesta is disappointed that a small number of individuals chose to take advantage of the emergency situation to loot and steal from one of our stores," said Nelly Castillo, a spokeswoman for the chain. "This disturbing activity will delay the re-opening of this store, as we make repairs caused by the vandals. Nevertheless, Fiesta will re-open the store as quickly as possible."
North of town, the Houston Police Department confirmed reports of looting in Kingwood, but no further information was immediately available.
Scammers were also out in force. In the towns of Dickinson and Texas City south of Houston, San Leon volunteer firefighter Jody Garcia said people posing as firefighters were telling residents to evacuate their homes, then taking their possessions.
In some areas, homeowners fought back.
Garcia said he tried to rescue a Dickinson couple late Tuesday who were stranded on the second floor of a home. The man pulled a shotgun on him, instead, telling him to leave. The Dickinson Police Department was called.
'Do not exit home with firearm'
Reports also surfaced of people impersonating Homeland Security Investigations special agents, knocking on doors and telling residents to evacuate, presumably to rob their homes, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The agency urged the people to ask to see credentials. Real agents wear badges labeled "special agent," and ICE officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations wear badges labeled "ERO."
They carry credentials with their name and organization.
The agency said it is not conducting any immigration enforcement operations in affected areas during Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
In the southwest part of the county, a man in his mid 30s with a badge, a gun on his hip and a police windbreaker knocked on several doors in an elevated Missouri City subdivision to tell residents they needed to evacuate. Those people called police, who confirmed that there was no evacuation order in place. Missouri City police did not return calls about whether anyone was arrested.
West of Houston, Memorial Villages police warned residents of a man they suspect was attempting to scam residents under the false pretense of offering help, said MVPD Chief Ray Schultz.
"He had freshly made up flyers that said 'Flood Restoration,'" Schultz said. "He had an old broken carpet cleaner with him but no other supplies. While checking him out, he was found to have a criminal history and no valid ID in his possession. I am absolutely certain he was looking to victimize an unsuspecting resident."
The man was last seen in a black Ford Expedition with a temporary license plate. The chief advised to use only reputable restoration contractors, saying legitimate companies have business licenses, addresses and license plate numbers.
The chief cautioned that tense times in the aftermath of the flood can lead to tragic consequences.
"Do not challenge the individual yourself," Schultz said. "Do not exit your home with a firearm under any circumstance. We do not want any tragedies or accidents."
Chronicle reporters Jaimy Jones, Lomi Kriel, Mike Morris, David Olinger and Monica Rhor contributed to this account.
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Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has issued a community alert warning residents of fake evacuation orders.
"My office has HAS NOT sanctioned ANYONE to go DOOR-BY-DOOR informing you to evacuate from your home," Lee wrote Tuesday evening. "Should anyone knock on your door informing you to evacuate and claiming to represent my office, notify local police immediately."
It is unclear why someone would issue a disingenuous evacuation order, but doing so would open up a cruel opportunity to loot a household.
FALSE RUMORS: Houston Mayor debunks Hurricane Harvey rumors in six different languages
So far, Harris County authorities have arrested 14 people for looting.
According to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, the prison sentences for looters during times of crisis may be doubled.
"People displaced or harmed in this storm are not going to be easy prey," Ogg said in a recent news release. "Anyone who tries to take advantage of this storm to break into homes or businesses should know that they are going to feel the full weight of the law."
See photos of the destruction and flooding caused by Harvey above.
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The Houston Muslim community is opening its doors to residents displaced by Harvey's flooding.
M.J. Khan, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, recently spoke with Mic.com about turning the group's mosques into 24-hour shelters.
"This is an obligation, a religious obligation to help others," Khan said. "When you give, you don't give only to your own family. ... You give to anybody who needs help."
LATEST UPDATE: A weary Houston likely to endure catastrophic flooding through Wednesday
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston represents 21 Islamic centers in the area. Khan said all types of evacuees, including a number of families, have come to find shelter at the places of worship.
"We have mosques all over the greater Houston area," Khan said. "If you have no place to go, go to your neighborhood mosque."
Houston's NRG Center has also recently opened up as a major shelter for residents impacted by Harvey.
STAY SAFE: 'Do not go sight seeing' post-Harvey warns National Weather Service
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said victims seeking shelter should go to NRG instead of the at-capacity George R. Brown Convention Center if possible.
To see a full list of shelters in the Houston area, check out Chron.com's running list.
See photos of the destruction and flooding caused by Harvey above.
As Houston and many surrounding areas imposed a curfew overnight Tuesday, there were reports of looting around the Dickinson and Texas City area.
San Leon volunteer firefighter Jody Garcia said some people were posing as firefighters and telling residents to evacuate their homes, then taking their possessions.
Harvey's toll on the Houston region became increasingly clear Wednesday as stormwater receded and people returned to flooded-out homes and ventured out into the streets in search of missing loved ones.
A man and woman on Pool Hill Road in Fort Bend County called 9-1-1 as their car filled started to fill with water. As they talked to the dispatcher, the line went dead. Deputies found them Wednesday afternoon, but too late to save them.
A police dive team finally reached a van in Green Bayou that held a family of six -- a couple just shy of their 60th wedding anniversary and four of their great grandchildren, ages 6 to 16. The children's uncle, who was trying to drive everyone out of the flooding, reported them missing days ago, after he was rescued clinging to a tree.
"We're afraid we'll see a lot more of this as the waters recede," said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Wednesday.
The deaths brought the Houston-Galveston area's estimated death toll to about 34, though authorities said they would not officially update that number until nightfall.
Harris County flood control officials at 1:15 p.m. reported "nearly every watershed is experiencing devastating flooding."
Still, they had some good news.
With rains subsiding, officials said they do not anticipate more homes will flood in the Harris County area.
For days, officials have intentionally released water from towering reservoirs west of the city and into Buffalo Bayou, which snakes through the heart of Houston, hoping to reduce flooding upstream from the dams. So far, more than 4,000 homes near the reservoirs have flooded, mostly from water that backed up into homes upstream.
Days ago, as the rainfall peaked, water spilled over the top of the Addicks Reservoir, and officials initially predicted the Barker would also spill over. But the weather and the controlled releases into the bayou appear to have prevented that, officials said Wednesday. Both reservoirs were still high but not overflowing, they said. Still, they plan to increase the releases into the bayou, which flows east into the heart of the city and becomes the Houston Ship Channel and dumps into the Gulf of Mexico.
"We have to get this water out as soon as possible," Edmond Russo with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "These dams have to be cleared before the next storm."
Swaths of the city and suburbs remained under water as Mayor Sylvester Turner called for more aid from the federal government for the tens of thousands of people displaced by the storm.
"We still have a long way to go," he said. "We're still in the midst of these challenges and they're immense."
Rescue crews were still pulling people from flooded homes on the city's west side and Kingwood, which started flooding heavily on Tuesday because of overflow from the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston.
There were about 8,000 people at the George R. Brown Convention Center, down from 10,000. About 2,000 remained at the M.O. Campbell Education Center. The massive NRG Center was accepting evacuees. There were more than 100 other shelters across the state.
"We need a whole lot of FEMA representatives now," Turner said at a press conference.
"We need the red tape to be cleared."
Houston police, who have helped rescue more than 3,000 people during the past few days, reported midday that they had found 27 of 47 missing people. Twenty remained unaccounted for.
Good news often followed bad.
Looting was reported from Kingwood in the northeast down to Dickinson, where officials had ordered mandatory evacuations.
The airports reopened.
Many hospitals were still hampered by flooding, but were taking critical patients.
Thousands of stores reopened, but people still waited in long lines for staples like groceries and gas.
Damage continued south and east of Houston.
Major flooding in Brazoria County spread Wednesday to the eastern side of the Brazos River, where entire neighborhoods were overtaken by several feet of water in some spots.
Local officials also shut down about 10 miles of Highway 35, the main route cutting east-west through the county, between Angleton and West Columbia.
To the east, Harvey flooded nearly the whole city of Port Arthur. "Our whole city is underwater right now, but we are coming," Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman posted on Facebook overnight.
Beaumont was hit hard. Rescuers saved an 18-month old whose mother drowned in a swollen canal. Another body was found floating down a street.
Then Harvey made landfall around 4 a.m., just beyond the Texas-Louisiana border in the town of Cameron, about 50 miles east of Beaumont.
While the watersheds are still at record flood levels, many have started dropping. The forecast for the day was optimistic, too, with only a 30 percent chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms across Harris County, according to NWS meteorologist Kent Prochazka.
Chronicle reporters Brooke Lewis, Dug Begley, Jacob Carpenter, James Pinkerton and Will Axford contributed to this report.
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Harvey is gone, but the difficult task of rebuilding the Texas coast still remains.
In a joint press conference attended by Houston Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Ted Cruz and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, elected officials stressed the need to push a united message to Washington.
"I'm hoping that people at the federal level, at the very top, will understand this was catastrophic," Turner said. "We just need the red tape to be cleared. All of us have to act with a degree of urgency."
AFTER THE STORM: How to help victims of the Texas storm
Ted Cruz and Jackson Lee also agreed about working together, regardless of party.
"I want to emphasize what the senator said," Jackson Lee said. "This is a bipartisan effort. I've gotten calls from across the country from Republicans and Democrats."
The Houston congresswoman said she was reassured by Speaker Paul Ryan that they would help all of Texas equally.
"There will not be one light of difference," Jackson Lee said, recalling what Ryan told her over the phone. "There will be some talking points, I'm sure. But there will not be one light of difference in getting the funding that we need here in this area."
DISPLACED: Shelters take in wet, worried Harvey victims
To see more details about Congress' response to Harvey-stricken Texas, read Kevin Diaz's article on Houstonchronicle.com.
See photos of life at the George R. Brown Convention Center during Harvey above.
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A Texas favorite announced that it is pledging $1.65 million for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
Whataburger, the fast food chain founded in Corpus Christi in 1950, is pledging $1 million to help employees impacted by the storm by providing necessities like clothing, food, help with medical bills and other assistance. The company is also donating $150,000 to the Red Cross and another $500,000 to Texas food banks that will help those in need.
WEATHERING HARVEY: Viral Whataburger sign is the inspiration Texas needs through Harvey
"To all our family members and neighbors who were impacted by this storm's devastation, we stand with you," Whataburger Chairman Tom Dobson said in a release. "The path to recovering and rebuilding is long, but we're here for you and we'll get through this together."
Whataburger is also establishing support centers in Corpus Christi and Houston to help hurricane victims get back on their feet.
Numerous other companies, business owners and celebrities have pledged to give millions of dollars to relief funds for Hurricane Harvey victims.
HELPING HANDS: Companies that have given more than $1 million to Hurricane Harvey relief
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander is giving $10 million to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by Mayor Sylvester Turner. Jim Crane and the Astros ownership group and the Astros Foundation is donating $4 million to relief efforts.
As of Wednesday, Hurricane Harvey is believed to have destroyed 770 homes in Harris County and damaging 43,452 homes. The storm has caused an estimated $96.8 million in damage to public property in 66 jurisdictions and displaced approximately 30,000 evacuees into shelters across the state.
Emergency organizations and private groups from around the nation have come to Houston to provide relief aid to local officials in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Within Texas alone, more than 150 organizations and groups providing supplies from all over Texas flocked to Houston this week, according to a situation report provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
WASHINGTON As the Gulf Coast come to grips with Hurricane Harvey's human toll, state and local officials must also come to terms with the cost.
On Wednesday, a day after meeting behind closed doors with President Donald Trump and top federal officials, Gov. Greg Abbott predicted publicly for the first time that the federal disaster-aid price tag for Harvey will set a new multi-billion-dollar record significantly higher than Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"When you look at comparisons the population, the size, the square-mile area impacted both by the hurricane swath and the flooding it's far larger than Katrina, far larger than Sandy," Abbott said.
Federal spending on Katrina has been estimated at $120 billion. Superstorm Sandy, which hit the New Jersey coast in 2012, is estimated to have cost nearly $50 billion. Estimates on Harvey are still emerging, but a preliminary estimate from the private weather firm AccuWeather puts the potential price tag at $160 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The emerging financial toll is making it increasingly clear that Congress will need to pony up substantial disaster relief money when lawmakers return from a month-long recess after Labor Day.
Abbott said Trump assured him that Texas' recovery assistance needs will be met. He also said he and Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a fellow Republican who is a member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, are working on firming up a federal aid request, even as swift-water rescues, disastrous flooding and a massive cleanup are ongoing on in Houston.
Among those making the plea for a quick congressional appropriation is HUD Secretary Ben Carson, who told the Chronicle in an interview Wednesday that time is of the essence.
"Everybody of course has to get their two cents in," he said, "but we hope they can get it in quickly because in the past there have been long delays because of politics."
The message was reinforced by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, who held a press conference with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, one of several Texas Republicans who has come under fire from lawmakers in the East for voting against a funding package for the 2012 Superstorm Sandy that he said was bloated.
Before Harvey hit, the Trump administration had proposed an $876 million cut to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief account. Most observers believe that's not going to happen. Jackson Lee assured storm victims that the response in Congress would be a "bipartisan effort."
While no one knows what the final storm tab will be, additional disaster relief funds are likely to be part of any stopgap government funding measure Congress must pass by the end of September, the end of the federal budget year.
State and federal officials say that FEMA, which coordinates the government's response, currently holds a balance of about $3.8 billion available for the Harvey response.
But that is unlikely to go deep into the recovery.
As the rain tapers off and the water begins to recede, officials say their immediate goal is to return life back to normal for as many people as possible.
"Emergency managers around the country realize that restoring routine is the number one goal, and recovery as well," said FEMA director Brock Long. "If we can get the roadways open and get the private industry back on to restore some of that routine, as well as the schools... that's on the front of our minds, actually, on the recovery side, getting the lights back on, getting the sewer system working, bringing up the private industry bringing up the private industry is the most important thing."
Alex Amparo, FEMA recovery director, said that nearly 200,000 people had registered for financial assistance through Wednesday morning through the government web site disasterassistance.gov
FEMA already has provided over $35 million in financial assistance for relocation assistance, repairs, lost personal property and other needs.
"This is an unprecedented event. We've seen our call volume increase and skyrocket larger than ever before," Amparo said.
"What's important to understand is that our assistance is not designed to make you whole, which is why it's important to first register with your insurance company," Amparo said.
While the cleanup and rebuilding get under way, FEMA officials said that as of Tuesday night they had moved more than 1,800 families out of shelters and into some 2,000 hotel and motel rooms in five different states. "That number will continue to grow," Long said.
"Very simply, the goal is to sustain life," Long said. "Shelters obviously are not ideal."
But while a third of Harris County remains under water, state and federal officials said Wednesday that they still do not know the number of flooded homes.
"Right now it's a dynamic situation, we don't have an accurate number," Long said. "I could try and put you a number out, but I can tell you in 30 minutes it would be wrong."
Texas Department of Emergency Management statistics showed that by Wednesday morning, 21 state agencies have spent nearly $29.2 million responding to the storm so far, while Texas counties initially estimate the damage to police and EMS equipment, bridges and streets, utilities and buildings at more than $96.7 million and counting as damage assessments get underway in most areas.
So far, Harris County estimates more than $38.1 million in damages to public property, even before the floodwaters begin receding for substantive assessments to be completed in most areas.
State emergency officials said they expect those damage costs will mushroom in coming weeks as final assessments are completed and as cleanup and recovery operations begin, including debris removal, repairs to infrastructure such as bridges, utilities and buildings.
Federal officials pointed to the length and breadth of Harvey, even if its winds didn't pack the same wallop as other tropical storms.
"This particular storm was unprecedented in terms of volume of rain," said Elaine Duke, acting Homeland Security Secretary. "What's unique about this storm is the area of devastation, also the amount of rainfall, which is now measuring in some places over 50 inches, which is more than the annual rainfall. And also how long it has been. We've experienced this rainfall over a long period of time, even though the initial winds have subsided. And we expect the floodwaters not to crest for another couple of days."
FEMA officials reported that as of Wednesday over 12,400 employees from more than 17 federal departments and agencies are working together in support of the ongoing response to damages resulting from Harvey and subsequent flooding across Texas and Louisiana.
That includes more than 1,100 Urban Search and Rescue personnel who have conducted rescues for more than 2,500 survivors.
The Coast Guard also reported that by Wednesday more than 4,200 survivors and over 1,000 pets had been rescued in South Texas and Louisiana.
Abott announced that the National Guard commitment to the Texas recovery will grow to nearly 24,000 troops in coming days 14,000 from Texas, 10,000 from other states in what officials confirm is the largest such deployment in state history for a hurricane disaster.
Part of the return to normal centers on the regions vast energy and petrochemical industry.
"The very good news is we have seen no environmental issues at this point, because that critical infrastructure did act proactively in shutting down," Duke said. "So we're looking at getting those up and running to keep oil refinement and production going. But it is still a safety concern and they will be up as soon as possible."
Despite Duke's assurances, ExxonMobil reported storm damage at refineries in Baytown and Beaumont, causing the release of hazardous pollutants.
Altogether, the flooding has closed or partly shut down 14 oil refineries, taking down more than 20 percent of total U.S. refining capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Still, authorities said they are days away from reopening major ports and firing up refineries.
"It's going to have an impact, as you've already seen," said Energy Secretary Rick Perry, the former Texas governor. "Crude prices are going to go down and gasoline prices are going to go up for some period of time."
But while officials promised a robust government response in the recovery, they also said that the continued cooperation of citizen volunteers is critical to get back to a semblance or normality.
"The storm was bigger than the state," Perry said. "It was bigger than the federal government. It was bigger than any single entity. But it was not bigger than all of us collectively."
"What I would like to do is continue to ask people to find ways to volunteer," Long said. "The need to volunteer is going to take place over the next couple of years."
"The next goal is to save houses," Long added. "As the water starts to recede we've got to go in, and this is where the volunteers need to be organized, helping people muck out their houses, get the wet carpet, get the wet drywall out, make simple repairs to hopefully get people back in their houses at a very baseline level and sustain them there."
But normal will not come back any time soon.
"This is going to be an incredibly large disaster for the country," Long said. "It's going to help us reshape the ways we do business, we're going to learn from it and go on. But I think it's very important to recognize that the cost of this disaster, the economic cost to measure the disaster, versus our physical cost as the federal government family, we're not going to know a true cost for that for many, many years to come."
Said Carson: "We're there now, and we'll be there in the long run."
AUSTIN -- Mexico's offer of assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, an offer the lit up the internet after officials were quiet on whether they would take it, has been accepted.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state welcomes the assistance and has accepted the offer.
AUSTIN The Texas Supreme Court is telling judges across the state to consider disaster-caused delays as a valid reason to modify or suspend court deadlines in any case for the next month.
The high court issued the emergency order Monday authorizing judges to change or pause any and all deadlines for civil and criminal cases. The order specifies that deadlines prescribed by statue, rule or order can be suspended or changed.
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.
The federal government has for now enough disaster aid money to deal with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, but the ongoing storm appears sure to require a multibillion-dollar recovery package as did Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.
The Federal Emergency Management Agencys disaster fund currently contains about $3 billion, and top congressional aides said Monday that they have assurances from the Trump administration that it will be sufficient to deal with immediate needs such as debris removal and temporary shelter for tens of thousands of Texans displaced from their homes.
An infusion of more FEMA money will be needed soon, however, given the magnitude of the storm. The Republican-led Congress is likely to add a package of aid to a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown Oct. 1. Harvey also seems certain to require a larger recovery package as did storms Katrina and Sandy, but its way too early to guess how much will be required with floodwaters rising in Houston, people stranded in homes and the nations fourth-largest city essentially paralyzed.
The administration says it will make sure Texas gets what it needs.
What youre going to see is the national government and we anticipate the Congress are going to make the resources available to see Texas through the rescue operation, through the recovery, Vice President Mike Pence told a Houston radio station Monday.
Pence noted that given the magnitude of the flooding in the area that it will be years coming back. He said 22,000 people had already applied for federal aid but that as many as a half-a-million people in Texas will be eligible for and applying for financial disaster assistance.
We remain very confident that with the reserves and with the support in the Congress, well have the resources that we need, Pence told KHOU radio.
Congress stepped forward with enormous aid packages in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, though some GOP conservatives including then-Indiana Rep. Pence chaffed at the price tag. And White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who will be responsible for preparing any disaster request for President Donald Trump, opposed a 2013 Sandy aid package as a South Carolina congressman, offering a plan to cut elsewhere in the budget to pay for it.
Lawmakers provided $110 billion to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Katrina, thanks in part to dogged efforts by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss. The Bush administration, politically scalded by criticism over its botched response, signed off on the aid.
But New York and New Jersey lawmakers seeking help over Superstorm Sandy encountered stiffer resistance. Many Republicans opposed the full $51 billion aid package, which included a $34 billion amendment by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., that included grants for housing and other repairs patterned after the Katrina response.
Some hard feelings linger on the part of New York and New Jersey Republicans, who had to battle to win help for their Democratic-leaning states in the bitter aftermath of the 2012 election.
Despite my TX colleagues refusal to support aid in #South Jersey time of need, I will support emergency disaster $$ for those impacted, Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Texas Republicans overwhelmingly voted against the final Sandy aid bill. The states two senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, opposed the aid package along with more than 20 House Republicans representing Texas. Now, many of them are citing additional spending contained in initial drafts of the legislation as the reason.
They had funding for things as far away from Alaska that wasnt even touched by Sandy, said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, whose district is hard hit by Harvey. That was not a vote against disaster relief. That was a vote against pork-barrel spending.
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Hurricane Harvey has set a U.S record, according to the National Weather Service, dumping 51.88 inches of rain in parts of Texas. As the tropical storm moves over southern Louisiana, claims catastrophe teams are moving in to devastated cities in Texas.
AIR Worldwide reported severe damage in Rockport, Texas, where masonry walls collapsed, wood frame homes were shattered, roofs and metal siding were peeled off, mobile homes were overturned, and trees were uprooted.
According to NOAAs Storm Prediction Center, preliminary reports of 21 tornadoes were recorded in Texas from Friday night through Saturday, including one in Sienna Plantation early Saturday morning that ripped off roofs and caused severe tree damage.
In Corpus Christi, downed trees, debris and power lines blocked roadways, signs were blown down, and some roofs were at least partially torn off.
On Saturday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration as a result of Hurricane Harveys devastation across the state. In addition, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Harvey.
According to the Texas Department of Insurance, when a disaster is declared, Insurance Code 4101.002(b) and 4101.101 allows carriers to immediately use nonresident and emergency adjusters to handle claims.
By Monday, Allstate had tweeted one of its Mobile Claims Centers was staged in Austin, waiting for the all clear to deploy.
Farmers Insurance reported an estimated 500,000 policyholders 400,000 homeowners and approximately 100,000 auto and business policies in Harveys path. As of Tuesday afternoon, the insurer received more than 10,000 claims across all lines, nearly half are homeowners claims. Farmers sent 200 claims adjusters to the area, but noted more could be sent if needed. A mobile claim center was planned for set up in Victoria, Texas, this morning. Its mobile claim centers are equipped with WI-FI, satellite phones and water, along with other supplies.
In partnership with Kespry, Farmers will send in drones to assess hurricane damage. Just this month, Farmers announced a new microdrone fleet that will assist adjusters on residential roof damage claims in areas impacted by hailstorms and other severe weather events.
USAA reported its adjusters and cat response unit, Eagle 1, had moved into the Corpus Christi area late Monday. Eagle 1 is a large recreational vehicle that allows claims to be handled inside. In some cases, payments can be issued on the spot. The carrier was working with local authorities in Port Aransas and Rockport to begin working claims there.
As of Wednesday morning, State Farm had received an estimated 14,600 homeowners and 12,800 auto claims.
According to Travelers, preparation is key in gearing up for onsite cat claims handling. With a national catastrophe center located in Windsor, Conn., the insurer uses geospatial technology and advanced analytics to monitor storms and provide resources when necessary.
About six days before it [Harvey] started that approach we got out the cat playbook and we started to plan for its eventual arrival on to the coast of Texas, said Jim Wucherpfennig, vice president of Property at Travelers.
Prior to the storm making landfall, the insurer sent out 12,000 notifications to agents that included hurricane-prep tips, home inventory checklists and weather alert signups.
We contacted about 50,000 personal insurance customers via the same process and about 3000 business insurance customersbefore the event happened, he added.
Wucherpfennig said pre-planning for Harvey included booking blocks of rooms in advance at hotels in Dallas and other cities close to the hurricanes path. Resources were pre-packaged and a fuel truck was staged in Louisiana to ensure adjusters didnt have to wait in long lines to gas up their vehicles.
The company has three large claim offices located in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, with a combined 125 property adjusters and more than 300 auto adjusters. In addition, Travelers deployed 50 more adjusters to the Dallas office on Monday.
Two of the insurers catastrophe vans are stationed in Houston and another off the coast of Texas. Travelers has 300 property adjusters dedicated to handling cat losses and ready to be deployed. Wucherpfennig said the insurer was hoping they could be deployed to damaged areas sometime on Wednesday.
Many adjusters are drone-certified and have drones included in their equipment.
BoatUS could not comment on the impact to boats in the state, however, D. Scott Croft, vice president of public affairs, said Rockport and Port Aransas were hit the hardest by the hurricane.
Many locations were still in lockdown as of Monday morning, he said. The BoatUS catastrophe team is ready to assist policyholders once they gain access to the affected areas.
Also on Monday, AIR Worldwide updated its estimate of insured wind and storm surge losses resulting from Harvey, indicating a range of $1.2 to 2.3 billion. AIR reported that Harvey could make a second landfall near Houston later this week.
Reuters reported the National Flood Insurance Program has received 35,000 claims so far.
Jill Dalton, managing director of Aon Global Risk Consulting, said that Harveys impact to businesses is still unknown. Damage to business operations, employees, customers and suppliers is still being determined.
We wont know all the impacts for a long time and thats got to be really stressful for business owners, said Dalton.
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron-Canton Airport has launched a new technology that makes going through airport checkpoint lines a lot cleaner.
Working with Cuyahoga Falls-based Western Reserve Hospital, Akron-Canton Airport is the first of 9,000 airports in the world to use new, specially designed mats and skins that contain mineral crystals that keep checkpoint bins clean.
The skins are applied like stickers to the handles of the checkpoint bins, while thin, self-cleaning mats cover the bottoms of the bins.
Here's how it works: the technology uses a natural process called photocatalysis -- the opposite of photosynthesis, where plants use light to create organic matter. In photocatalysis, light hits the crystals and breaks down organic matter - contaminants in this case - creating a continuous, self-cleaning, oxidation reaction that's stronger than bleach.
Western Reserve Hospital is providing the self-cleaning skins and mats as part of the hospital's commitment to health and safety.
"This initiative reflects our commitment to support the health of our community far beyond our hospital walls," hospital President and CEO Dr. Robert Kent said in a news release. "It also exemplifies the type of community health innovation our independent physician owners seeks to execute. As many of our patients travel through CAK, we are pleased to be a partner in this effort."
The mats and skins are developed by Virginia-based NanoTouch Materials, which has supplied self-cleaning skins, mats and other surface covers to the healthcare, commercial cleaning, education and other industries for three years.
The launch at Akron-Canton Airport is the first use of the technology at an airport.
"Our employees pride themselves on holding high standards for the cleanliness of the airport, and there is a lot of hard work that goes into meeting those standards," said airport President & CEO Rick McQueen in the release. "We're proud to be the first airport to implement this product because it's one more way CAK continues to be a better way to go."
NanoTouch Materials also offers portable self-cleaning mats and other products travelers can take on the road.
"Delivering self-cleaning surfaces in high-traffic areas like TSA security improves traveler experience and public perception of cleanliness while traveling," said Dennis Hackemeyer, co-founder of NanoTouch Materials. "These mats are also a tremendous opportunity for hotels, cruise lines, airlines and travel agencies to provide a new high-value amenity in rooms, while concurrently extending their brands."
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AKRON, Ohio -- Summit County Council passed legislation to expand the Akron Energy Special Improvement District throughout the county.
The expansion will offer area businesses, nonprofits and governments extra incentive to make energy-efficient improvements to their buildings.
Organizations in Summit County's remaining 30 communities will be eligible to fund energy-efficient lighting upgrades, roof repairs, window repairs and other energy-efficient renovations through the Property Assessed Clean Energy program.
Under these laws, commercial property owners can finance improvements over time and repay them through an assessment against the property.
Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro will enter into a cooperative agreement with the Development Finance Authority of Summit County and the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council to take steps to expand the district to new communities.
Each community will choose a qualifying improvement project in each community. The expansion will begin with the communities contiguous to the Akron, as required by state law.
"The expansion of Akron's ESID will create economic development opportunities that are not only energy efficient but financially beneficial for our largest cities and our smallest townships," Shapiro said in a news release.
Summit County Council President John Schmidt said the expansion will create opportunities for area residents and businesses to save money while investing in efficient energy.
In conjunction with the plans to expand the Energy Special Improvement District, the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council announced the creation of a new PACE loan program for community property owners within the council's communities.
Through the program, clean energy financing will be available for eligible improvements that range from $100,000-$500,000.
Visit nopecinfo.org to learn more.
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AKRON, Ohio - The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office will review misconduct allegations against former Akron Police Chief James Nice and prosecute a case against his nephew, officials said.
Summit County and Akron officials said Wednesday that they asked Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley's office to handle both matters to avoid the perception of conflicts of interest. O'Malley agreed to the request, his office confirmed.
"Based on the working relationship between the prosecutor's office and the largest police department in the county, this appointment removes any concerns or appearances that could lead to questions of fairness or bias, either way, in the handling of either [matter]" Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a statement.
Nice resigned Sunday amid allegations of misconduct. The allegations include conduct unbecoming of an officer, inappropriate contact with a city employee and potential criminal misconduct, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said.
Horrigan said the potential criminal misconduct is related to remarks Nice made while discussing his nephew's case. Joseph Nice, 41, was indicted April 12 on charges of grand theft, forgery and tampering with evidence, Summit County Common Pleas Court records show. He's accused of forging a motor vehicle title, records show.
The former police chief's attorney, Michael Callahan, said Tuesday that his client was not involved in any criminal wrongdoing.
Special investigators will review the misconduct allegations against the former police chief and present evidence to the special prosecutor, Horrigan said.
"I believe it is in the public interest for me to exercise my authority to appoint special investigators to ensure the special prosecutor has sufficient resources to execute a fair and timely examination of the facts," Horrigan said in a statement. "The residents of Akron, and the men and women of the Akron Police Department, deserve no less than that."
Officials have declined to provide specific details of the allegations against the former police chief.
Akron Assistant to the Mayor and Chief of Staff James Hardy said Tuesday that Nice was accused of making derogatory comments that were racial in nature. Hardy declined to say who the remarks were directed toward.
Callahan denied that Nice made any racially-tinged comments, but he said Nice is sorry for any comments he made that may have been inappropriate.
The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Nice is also accused of coercing a female employee into a relationship. Horrigan and other officials declined to elaborate on any additional allegations.
Horrigan appointed Major Kenneth Ball as interim chief of the police department. The mayor and other city officials will follow a formal process outline in the city's charter before selecting a permanent police chief, Horrigan said.
If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - Fraud, West Washington Street: Someone forged a Chagrin Falls Village check and attempted to cash it for $27,000. It was caught by a bank Aug. 24 and no money was withdrawn. The matter is under investigation.
Theft, South Franklin Street: Police are investigating the theft of $2,850 from a home reported Aug. 22. The victim suspects that a relative may be involved.
Found Property, Waterfall Trail: An Uber driver found a wallet left in the car Aug. 23 and attempted to return it, but no one answered the door. The driver turned the wallet over to police.
Traffic Stop, Chagrin Boulevard: A Mayfield Heights man, 24, was cited for drug paraphernalia after police stopped him 8:23 p.m. Aug. 24 for driving while using a handheld cell phone. He had a pill container with residual marijuana.
Traffic Stop, Bell Street: After being stopped for not having a front license plate 1:20 a.m. Aug. 25, a Bainbridge man, 31, was caught with a baggie containing marijuana and two pipes. He was cited for drug possession and having drug paraphernalia.
Suspicious, Chagrin Boulevard: A neighbor reported a suspicious car at a construction site 4:24 p.m. Aug. 24 and a man putting scraps of lumber in his car. When confronted, the man said he was taking it from a dumpster, but did not have permission. He was told to obtain permission.
Animal Complaint, Maple Street: A caller with a bat in the house called police 9:12 p.m. Aug. 27. She was given names of exterminators to contact.
Editorial
Contempt for life itself
The Turnbull government this past Monday has thrown onto the street more than 100 asylum seekers who were brought to Australia from offshore detention for medical treatment. The government has cut their income support of about $200 per fortnight and given them a three-week deadline to move out of their publicly-funded accommodation. It is a vicious-minded ploy in which the government has brought home to Australian soil its contempt for human rights and life itself.
Since colonisation, the Australian nation state was made up of mainly Anglo/Celtic stock and for many years this was enforced through the White Australia Policy. Its imperial aim was to make Australia a bastion of the British Empire in Asia. After WW2, and the collapse of colonialism and successful national liberation struggles in many countries, the racist White Australia Policy had to eventually be abandoned as official policy although elements of it continued in practice.
The underlying aim of the immigration policies of both the Labor and Liberal Parties continued to be guided towards preserving and building up the conservative forces in Australia.
Immediately after WW2, thousands came from the Baltic states and from Germany. Many of these were collaborators with the Nazis but that did not deter Australias governments. (Not a single migrant to Australia has ever been successfully prosecuted for war crimes arising from WW2.)
This is not to say that there were not genuine refugees among those given residence in Australia. Many came from conflicts in Greece, Lebanon, Iraq, Chile and elsewhere but this did not alter the main objectives of the immigration policy.
Following the Vietnam war there came a wave of boat-people who were the remnants of the forces who fought with the South Vietnam military dictatorship and with the US invaders.
The people who are now arriving from are in the main fleeing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world where Australia, in service to US imperialism, has forces fighting in wars of occupation.
The aims of Australias present migration policy are clearly indicated by the governments decision to give preference to those with money and by the barriers being put in the way of family reunions, and in its violation of human rights laws in offshore detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru.
The aims and objectives of the migration policies of successive governments have not fundamentally changed from those of the 19th century. It is all about giving preference to those who are most likely to have conservative politics and those with money. Elements of racism still prevail. The objective remains of returning Australia to a predominantly white, Anglo/Celtic state, maintaining its servility to its US master. What has changed are the specific circumstances and the application of the policies.
Immigration has been and will continue to be a widely accepted part of Australias development. In the interests of progressive and democratic development, immigration must be free from racial and cultural bias. Australia has become a multi-cultural and multilingual society and this is also in the sights of the government.
The Human Rights Law Centre represents many refugees and asylum seekers involved in legal actions for their rights: Were talking about women who were sexually assaulted on Nauru, the centres lawyer Daniel Webb said. Men who were violently attacked on Manus. Children who were so traumatised by offshore detention that they needed urgent psychiatric care in Australia. The minister evacuated these people because he knew full well theyd suffered serious harm.
Some have filed cases on the basis that they would face further abuse, danger and harm if returned. The minister has never disputed those claims in court... instead he is trying to starve them out. He is cynically exploiting their vulnerability and trying to force them back to danger by making them destitute.
Water catchments and twisted irony
The Lock the Gate Alliance says revelations that coal mining is reducing water availability in Sydneys drinking water catchment must trigger urgent action from the NSW government to declare a moratorium on any further mining in the Special Areas of the catchment and review all current mining approvals.
The long-awaited audit of Sydneys drinking water catchment was tabled in parliament two weeks ago, but its findings have only been brought to light today. The Special Areas are parts of the catchment supposed to be kept in a pristine state to protect the citys drinking water: they are off-limits to the general public.
Lock the Gate spokesperson Georgina Woods said, We have long feared that there would be a cumulative impact on water flowing into Sydneys dams from the extensive coal mining under the catchment that is cracking creeks and drawing precious water into longwall cavities.
The 2016 Catchment Audit, tabled in parliament on August 8, warns that The cumulative, and possibly accelerated, impact of mining on flow regimes in the Catchment is likely linked to the increased prevalence of the current longwall methods of underground mining.
Its simply astounding that the government would be given a report that warns of a possibly accelerated loss of Sydneys drinking water as a result of these coal mines and take no action. Urgent action is needed before we do damage to Sydneys water supply that could last for centuries, said Woods.
There are new proposals to further extend longwall coal mining under consideration, including expanding Dendrobium mine and the high risk Russell Vale mine and these must be stopped immediately. Discharge of saline polluted mine-water into the creeks that feed Sydneys dams must also be stopped.
The NSW Coalition is failing to uphold the election promise it made prior to coming to government six years ago to protect drinking water catchments from coal mining.
There is no more time to dither: we need a moratorium on any further mining in Sydneys Special Areas and a review of all current operations.
Earlier this month people affected by the impacts of the NSW coal-mining industry held a protest rally outside the NSW Minerals Councils phoney Health, Safety, Environment, and Community awards and conference at a Hunter Valley resort.
The rally sought to highlight the twisted irony of NSW mining companies awarding themselves for their impacts on health, safety, environment, and community, and called on the NSW government to introduce cumulative impact assessments for multiple mining proposals, which remains an unfulfilled Coalition pledge.
The rally heard from people around the Hunter who suffer the cumulative impacts of coal mining on families, communities, and the environment, including Anne Maree Maclaughlin from Bulga.
Its sickening that mining companies are giving themselves awards for community health, when they are the biggest contributors to air pollution in our region, said Ms McLaughlin.
People around here have to lock their kids inside some days, the air gets so bad. These companies close our roads, they keep us awake at night, they force people out of our community. And theyre giving themselves awards for this? They must be kidding!
Carol Bennett of Gloucester spoke to the rally about the Rocky Hill project of Gloucester Resources Limited. GGRL is a member of the Minerals Council, and the proponent of the Rocky Hill open cut coal mine barely a kilometre from residential areas of Gloucester, said Ms Bennett.
That mine would smother our town with air pollution, and cause sickness and death in our community. Are they going to give themselves an award for that?
Rally organiser Bev Smiles said residents were calling on the state government to start properly assessing the cumulative impacts of multiple mining proposals.
Its been five years since the NSW government promised to ensure that the cumulative impacts of coal mining would be addressed that mines wouldnt just be considered one by one, but altogether, as they affect the people of the Hunter region who are surrounded by them, said Ms Smiles.
Since then more and more mine projects have spread across the Hunter, clearing the bush, choking the air and driving people from their homes. We are still waiting for them to deliver this cumulative impact assessment, said Ms Smiles.
Ms Smiles community of Wollar is facing extinction by the expansion of Peabody Energys Wilpinjong mine near Mudgee. The mine has been nominated for an award in the environment category at the Minerals Council event, for completing legally-required rehabilitation.
The rally concluded with a real awards ceremony to recognise the harmful impacts of mining on communities and the environment, and the harmful influence of the mining lobby over public policy.
Statistics show high jail rates
Peter Chester knows all too well that the rising rate of Indigenous incarceration breaks down communities and destroys lives. Between 2013 and 2016 the number of Indigenous people being jailed in NSW jumped 25 percent.
But Mr Chester doesnt need to be told the statistics. Five people in his family have served time or are in jail, including his ex-partner, his son, his daughter and both of his sons-in-law.
It makes them feel like theyre an animal, the board member of Sydney-based advocacy group Justice Action said. Last month, the Australian Law Reform Commission released a discussion paper on incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
That move was applauded by Community Legal Centres NSW chair Dr Linda Tucker.
Aboriginal women are the fastest growing group in NSW prisons, she said. They represent around 2.5% of the NSW population but 29.4% of women in prison.
Dr Tucker believes the imprisonment of Aboriginal women has a significant impact on the number of children in out-of-home care, on homelessness and the criminal justice system. An alternative to mandatory sentencing was needed so people arent locked up for not paying fines, she said.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) said the number of Indigenous offenders locked up in NSW could be cut by more than 500 a year if just half of those currently given a short prison sentence were instead placed on intensive correction orders.
Mr Chester argues theres a preference for imprisonment within the system. His 22-year-old daughter, Talea Harris, has been remanded in custody for nearly nine months accused of being in possession of a gun he says wasnt hers.
But facts are irrelevant until alleged offenders are given a chance to clear their name in court, Mr Chester said. When theyre caged up, some of them are frightened, some of them are angry, some are vicious, he said.
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge argues statistics show Aboriginal people are far more likely to be hassled by police, charged, locked up and refused bail than other Australians.
Theres no question Indigenous people are treated differently before the courts, he said. From beginning to end, the system is stacked and biased against them. Thats what produces these kinds of distressing figures, Mr Shoebridge said.
He argues its not only more humane but also cheaper to deal with young people like Talea Harris by giving them access to rehabilitation and education programs.
BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn agrees there must be a realistic alternative to prison.
He cites the increase in Indigenous people being imprisoned for stalking and intimidation offences, which was eight times higher in 2016 compared to 2012.
Thats due to changes in policing policy rather than any real increase in crime, Dr Weatherburn says.
We werent imposing prison sentences anywhere near as often for this behaviour just a couple of years ago and its not obvious the world is a safer place as a consequence of this change, he said.
We can put more people on community-based orders for these offences without suffering any increase in violence, intimidation and harassment.
Koori Mail
Military industrial complex rises to power
If one moment stands out as the clearest signal yet of US President Trump turning his back on supporters, it was his announcement to re-escalate American military intervention in Afghanistan.
His signature campaign promise of putting America First and ending the folly of overseas wars launched by previous administrations was shredded on prime-time television when he gave orders for thousands of more US troops to be sent to Afghanistan. The already 16-year war in that country Americas longest will now go on indefinitely longer.
The Huffington Post headlined: Trumps vague new Afghanistan strategy continues an endless war.
Not only that, but this president is refusing to give any public information on force numbers or timescale. Americas overseas wars are not just expanding under Trump; they are going secret and unaccountable.
This surge in militarism is precisely what candidate Trump said he would not do when he campaigned for votes among blue-collar workers in the Rust Belt states, vowing instead to channel US economic resources to revive forgotten communities at home. Recall his blustering inauguration speech on January 20 when he bemoaned the American Carnage, at home and abroad.
As the Huffington Post writes: When Obama was still in office and overseeing a massive troop presence in Afghanistan, Trump repeatedly bashed the operation as a waste of money and called for a quick withdrawal from the country.
Hows that for a U-turn? This is at a time when support among Trumps voter base in the Rust Belt states has plummeted. There is weakness in the heartland, reported NBC, because workers fear Trump is reneging on past commitments to revitalise their livelihoods. Their concern is that this president is too interested in giving tax breaks to corporations and kowtowing to the Pentagon.
Ironically, Donald Trump likes to portray himself as an alpha-male who is his own boss. It is abundantly clear now that Trump is a mere manikin who sits in the White House taking orders from his generals.
When Trump ousted Stephen Bannon, his staunchest ally in the White House, it was under the orders of the military figures who are now dominant in his administration. Trumps chief of staff, former Marine General John Kelly, wanted Bannon out because of his contrarian views.
When Bannon gave a surprise interview last week contradicting the militarist policy on North Korea that was the last straw. Bannon said there was no military option in solving the North Korea standoff, which flew in the face of what the Pentagon has been advising Trump, with all options on the table. Only days later, he was kicked out.
Bannon has now returned to edit Breitbart News, the nationalistic website which has in the past served as a media booster for Trump. Following the announcement on Afghanistan, Breitbart News declared: Trump reverses course and blasted his speech a flip-flop, as reported by Politico.
Bannon had been a vigorous counsel to Trump against overseas militarism and in particular about Afghanistan. He is thought to have been the primary influence behind Trumps economic nationalism of America First.
It is no coincidence that Trump decided to get rid of Bannon while huddled with military generals and intelligence chiefs at Camp David last weekend. Then three days after his departure from the White House, Trump delivers his U-turn on re-escalating the military involvement in South Asia, exactly as the Pentagon top brass had been urging.
With little or no policy achievements so far, Trump is emerging as a blowhard who is all too willing to toe the line to survive even if that means stabbing his supposed allies in the back. This is a president who has a big mouth and big ego, and not much else. All the promises to his voter base are being seen to be cruel hoaxes, perpetrated by one who is always denouncing others over hoaxes.
The rise of the generals in Trumps administration, alongside a weak-kneed figurehead president, should surely be cause for concern for its sinister constitutional implications. But disturbingly, the drift toward a military government in the US hardly causes a public ruffle; indeed, it is actually welcomed by prominent news media.
In an editorial last weekend condemning The Failing Trump Presidency, the New York Times seems to be oblivious in its endorsement of military control over the White House.
It states: One measure of the despair caused by Mr Trumps behaviour is that we find ourselves strangely comforted by things that in any normal presidency would be cause for concern Americans accustomed constitutionally and politically to civilian leadership now find themselves relying on three current and former generals John Kelly, the new White House chief of staff; HR McMaster, the national security adviser; and Jim Mattis, the secretary of defence to stop Mr. Trump from going completely off the rails.
In addition, when the five Joint Chiefs of Staff roundly rebuked Trump over his ambiguous comments on racial violence, the US media widely saw that intervention by the Pentagon as a welcome disciplining of the president.
Look at Trumps cabinet. Apart from the three generals, Kelly, McMaster and Mattis, the other key posts are run by an ex-oil CEO, Rex Tillerson at the State Department, and former Wall Street executives, Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary, Gary Cohn as national economic adviser, and Wilbur Ross as Commerce Secretary.
This combination of military and industrial corporatism at the executive level of government is a definition of a fascist state. Combine that with a malleable megalomaniac who is willing to betray his allies and voter base, and that makes for a dangerous cabal.
Trumps readiness to go to war in Venezuela, North Korea, and Iran and to give license to the Pentagon to step up its air force slaughter in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen are all signals of how far this presidency has now degenerated.
But it is Trumps brazen backtracking on Afghanistan that most transparently shows his unscrupulous character and just how much the Pentagon has taken control over this presidency.
Last November, the American people voted for a radical change, one that would deliver economic revival and jobs at home, while implementing more peaceful foreign relations.
The so-called exceptional nation the one that never tires of proclaiming its lofty democratic virtues to the rest of the world has degenerated into a military-corporatist state.
Information Clearing House
Staying silent is not an option
Two officers sought me from within a crowd at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. They seemed to know who I was. They asked me to follow them, and I obliged. Being of Arab background often renders ones citizenship almost irrelevant.
In a back room, where other foreigners, mainly Muslims, were holed for added security, I was asked numerous questions about my politics, ideas, writing, children, friends and my late Palestinian parents.
Meanwhile, an officer took my bag and all of my papers, including receipts, business cards, and more. I did not protest. I am so used to this treatment and endless questioning that I simply go through the motions and answer the questions the best way I know how.
My first questioning commenced soon after September 11, 2001, when all Muslims and Arabs became, and remain, suspect. Why do you hate our president, I was asked then, in reference to Bush.
On a different occasion, I was held in a room for hours at JFK International Airport because I had a receipt that revealed my immortal sin of eating at a London restaurant that served Halal meat.
I was also interrogated at an American border facility in Canada and was asked to fill several documents about my trip to Turkey, where I gave a talk at a conference and conducted several media interviews.
A question I am often asked is: What is the purpose of your visit to this country?
The fact that I am an American citizen, who acquired high education, bought a home, raised a good family, paid my taxes, obeyed the law and contributed to society in myriad ways are not an adequate answer.
I remain an Arab, a Muslim and a dissident, all unforgivable sins in the new, rapidly changing America.
Truthfully, I never had any illusions regarding the supposed moral superiority of my adopted country. I grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza, and have witnessed, first-hand, the untold harm inflicted upon my people as a result of American military and political support of Israel.
Within the larger Arab context, US foreign policy was felt on larger scale. The invasion and destruction of Iraq in 2003 was but the culmination of decades of corrupt, violent American policies in the Arab world.
But when I arrived in the US in 1994, I also found another country, far kinder and more accepting than the one represented or misrepresented in US foreign policy. While constantly embracing my Palestinian Arab roots, I have lived and interacted with a fairly wide margin of like-minded people in my new home.
While I was greatly influenced by my Arab heritage, my current political thoughts and the very dialectics through which I understand and communicate with the world and my understanding of it are vastly shaped by American scholars, intellectual dissidents and political rebels. It is no exaggeration to say that I became part of the same cultural Zeitgeist that many American intellectuals subscribe to.
Certainly, anti-Arab and Muslim sentiments in the US have been around for generations, but it has risen sharply in the last two decades. Arabs and Muslims have become an easy scapegoat for all of Americas failed wars and counter-violence.
Terrorist threats have been exaggerated beyond belief to manipulate a frightened, but also a growing impoverished population. The threat level was assigned colours, and each time the colour vacillated towards the red, the nation drops all of its grievances, fights for equality, jobs and health care and unites in hating Muslims, people they never met.
It mattered little that, since September 11, the odds of being killed by terrorism are 1 in 110,000,000, an extremely negligible number compared to the millions who die as a result of diabetes, for example, or shark attacks, for that matter.
Terrorism has morphed from being a violent phenomenon requiring national debate and sensible policies to combat it, into a bogeyman that forces everyone into conformity, and divides people between being docile and obedient on the one hand, and radical and suspect, on the other.
But blaming Muslims for the decline of the American empire is as ineffective as it is dishonest.
The Economic Intelligence Unit had recently downgraded the US from a full democracy to a flawed democracy. Neither Muslims nor Islam played any role in that.
The size of the Chinese economy is soon to surpass that of the US, and the powerful East Asian country is already roaring, expanding its influence in the Pacific and beyond. Muslims are hardly the culprits there, either.
Nor are Arabs responsible for the death of the American dream, if one truly existed in the first place; nor the election of Donald Trump; nor the utter corruption and mafia-like practices of Americas ruling elites and political parties.
It was not the Arabs and Muslims who duped the US into invading Iraq, where millions of Arabs and Muslims lost their lives as a result of the unchecked military adventurism.
In fact, Arabs and Muslims are by far the greatest victims of terrorism, whether state-sponsored terror or that of desperate, vile groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
Americans, Muslims are not your enemy. They never have been. Conformity is.
In this age, the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service, wrote John Stuart Mill in On Liberty. The English philosopher had a tremendous impact on American liberalism.
I read his famous book soon after I arrived in the US. It took me a while to realise that what we learn in books often sharply contradicts reality.
Instead, we now live in the age of impunity, according to Tom Engelhardt. In a 2014 article, published in the Huffington Post, he wrote: For Americas national security state, this is the age of impunity. Nothing it does torture, kidnapping, assassination, illegal surveillance, you name it will ever be brought to court.
Those who are held accountable are whistle-blowers and political dissidents who dare question the government and educate their fellow men and women on the undemocratic nature of such oppressive practices.
Staying silent is not an option. It is a form of defeatism that should be outed as equally destructive as the muzzling of democracy.
One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws, wrote Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
Barring citizens of Muslim countries from travelling to the US is a great act of immorality and injustice. Sadly, many Americans report that such discriminatory laws already make them feel safe, which itself is an indication of how the government and media manipulate consent in this country to produce the desirable results.
America is changing fast, and is certainly not heading in the right direction. Shelving all pressing problems and putting the focus on chasing after, demonising and humiliating brown skinned men and women is certainly not the way out of the economic, political and foreign policy quagmires which American ruling elites have invited upon their country.
If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they dont want to hear, wrote George Orwell.
No matter the cost, we must adhere to this Orwellian wisdom, even if the number of people who refuse to hear has grown exponentially, and the margins for dissent have shrunk like never before.
Politico
Taking Issue Rob Gowland
Trumps fire and fury
The USA is a country which these days is in a constant state of crisis. Formerly able to boast of being not just the most powerful but also the richest country on Earth, today its economy is steadily going down the tube (a fact which does not concern the tiny minority at the very top since their vast wealth is invested all over the world, wherever profits are to be made).
Trumps explicit threat to ignite a nuclear war was taken seriously elsewhere in the US and generally greeted with horror.
As signs of the domestic crisis in the US become ever more evident, increasing numbers of Americans are becoming worried about the future. Already a country marked by abnormal levels of paranoia and superstition, so many Americans are convinced that the end of the world is coming (or at least the end of civilised society) that they even have television series reporting on their preparations for Doomsday.
Signs of social breakdown are everywhere. The police, who are meant to safeguard and protect society are instead often viewed with distrust or fear. A New York policeman once famously summed up the role of the police in America as an army of occupation, and that is certainly the way the poor and the people who march in Black Lives Matter protests must view them.
Many people have stopped voting in elections, feeling that it achieves nothing of significance. In the 2016 election, half of those who did vote supported a maverick, self-seeking billionaire property developer because he ran a campaign posing as the friend of ordinary people and promising to restore the nations economy.
It was pure demagoguery, but once social democrat Bernie Sanders dropped out the only alternative offered by the major parties was a mouth-piece for Wall Street, and working people had had enough of them, thank you. So Donald Trump secured the cushy job he was after.
Politically, Trump is a fascist: racist, superstitious, ignorant and not at all averse to war. He formulates policy off the top of his head late at night on Twitter with no reference to his advisers or other experts. To the alarm of the more level-headed of his country-men, this boofhead is now in charge of the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world.
Already there are moves to revive legislation that would strip the executive branch of the power to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike. No US President, certainly not Trump, should have sole authority to initiate an unprovoked nuclear war, said Democrat Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts.
Before the 2016 election, Trump reportedly asked a policy expert why the US couldnt use nuclear weapons. Since then, he has gone out of his way to try to start a war on the Korean Peninsula. His alarming behaviour prompted Democrat Congressman Ted Lieu to introduce a bill, the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017, which, if passed, would bar the president from launching a nuclear strike without congressional authorisation. More than 500,000 people signed a petition expressing support for Lieus bill.
The DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), otherwise known as North Korea, is a country with a $17 billion gross domestic product (nominal) and a population of 25 million. Im sure it has its virtues, comments Juan Cole, who teaches Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan, but military weight in world affairs isnt one of them. It is in a league with Nepal, Gabon and Iceland economically. Population-wise it is in the same league as the Cameroons and Madagascar. The US has a population of 320 million and a GDP of US$18.5 trillion.
Despite (or because of) its small size, North Korea has been subjected to blockade and threats ever since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s. Military provocations in the form of aggressive exercises by US and South Korean forces are frequent and US nuclear weapons are based in South Korea.
To deter America from launching another Korean War, North Korea has developed its own tiny arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles with which to deliver them. The US reaction was to depict the tests as acts of aggression and to threaten nuclear retaliation. Trump proclaimed that North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire, fury, and frankly power the likes of which the world has never seen before.
The Kim Jong-un regime responded just hours after Trumps remarks, promising to hasten the tragic end of the American empire and announcing it would review plans to strike areas around the US territory of Guam, where the US maintains large military bases, with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic missiles.
Nevertheless, Trumps explicit threat to ignite a nuclear war was taken seriously elsewhere in the US and generally greeted with horror. It was labelled frightening and crazy. Journalists and advocates for responsible national security policy quickly took to social media to condemn Trumps threat and demand caution and diplomacy. Initiating the #PleaseDontKillUs hashtag and calling for dialogue, the peace advocacy group Win Without War declared, We cant let reckless behaviour lead to war.
MoveOn.org launched a petition saying Donald Trump is making us all more unsafe with every war-mongering comment, tweet, and threat, and Congress woman Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, said This sabre-rattling from the president is dangerous. We need to de-escalate tensions so that diplomacy can work. And a newly-drafted petition from MoveOn.org, which already has over 57,000 signatures, reads: Stop the insanity. Dont provoke a war with North Korea. While a nuclear North Korea is a real concern, the answer must be diplomacy-first, not a rush to a potentially devastating nuclear war.
That this threat comes between the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki underlines the presidents dangerous lack of appreciation of the horror and evil of nuclear war, said Jon Rainwater, executive director of PeaceAction. He added, Fire and fury isnt a strategy. Painstaking and sustained diplomacy of the type that led to the Iran deal is the only viable option with North Korea. It wont be easy but thats why the US needs to drop its current preconditions for talks and get down to the hard work of hammering out a settlement to this political crisis.
Carol Turner, vice chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said in a statement: It beggars belief that the US president has chosen the 72nd anniversary [of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki] to threaten North Korea with fire and fury like the world has never seen. These words mark the real possibility of a nuclear confrontation.
Siegfried Hecker, the last known American official to inspect North Koreas nuclear facilities, said prior to Trumps statement that treating Kim Jong-un as though he is on the verge of attacking the US is both inaccurate and dangerous.
Some like to depict Kim as being crazy a madman and that makes the public believe that the guy is undeterrable, said Hecker. Hes not crazy and hes not suicidal. And hes not even unpredictable. The real threat is were going to stumble into a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula.
The morning following his fire and fury remarks Trump took to Twitter to praise Americas powerful nuclear arsenal, comments that intensified the groundswell of calls to end the pro-war rhetoric and strip Trump of his nuclear-strike authority, calls that were not echoed by Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, one of Trumps evangelical advisers.
Shortly following the presidents remarks, Jeffress released an extraordinary statement declaring that God has given Trump authority to take out [DPRK leader] Kim Jong-un. Jeffress went on to say When President Trump draws a red line, he will not erase it, move it, or back away from it. Thank God for a president who is serious about protecting our country.
Jeffress has said he believes God chose Trump for the job, and he has repeatedly invoked religious authority to justify Trumps policies, including the proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.
Jeffresss North Korea comments prompted backlash on social media. The Washington, DC Catholic Worker held a vigil in front of the White House. Nuclear weapons are immoral, illegal, anti-God, anti-life, anti-creation, and have no right to exist, said Art Laffin, an activist with the Catholic Worker. He denounced spending on nuclear weapons as direct theft from the poor.
And hes not wrong.
Update: The interview source has requested that this article be taken offline, and we are honoring her wishes. If you have been the victim of sexual assault, here are some resources including a hotline you can call. You can find other stories from our Personal Experiences section here.
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Avocadoes and kale got a whole lot cheaper at the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods on Monday after its new owner, the online giant Amazon, announced discounts on a broad range of produce.
As Whole Foods is shedding its Whole Paycheck reputation for high prices, one of the other big grocers in southwestern Connecticut, Stew Leonard's, is quietly taking notice.
Whole Foods is a great store, said Stews CEO and president, Stew Leonard Jr., who visited Whole Foods newest store near Bryant Park in New York on Monday. I have a lot of respect for what [Whole Foods founder] John Mackey has created but were not changing anything. Were just going to continue to offer the best deals we can to our customers.
In the coming days, shoppers may not see big changes at Stew Leonard's, but the Norwalk-based supermarket chain has many discounts in store, its CEO said. From lobster tails at $3.99 each to untrimmed filet mignon at $7.99 a pound, the company has advertised more than 20 specials at its locations in Norwalk, Danbury, Newington and Yonkers, NY, beginning this week.
We had a good sale day Monday, Leonard said. I heard from suppliers that the Whole Foods was busier than normal. Im sure their sales have gone up.
Leonard said its store can keep many of its prices low by buying directly from local farmers and cattle ranchers in Kent, or fishermen on the lobster docks in Stonington, Maine.
Both stores lowered their prices on a selection of organic items this week, with Stew Leonard's currently offering a dozen organic eggs for $1.99 while Whole Foods large brown eggs went from $4.29 a dozen to $3.99.
Were just focusing on getting the best food and cutting out the middleman, Leonard said.
With the Amazon-Whole Foods merger, Leonard believes that the new chain will really compete against grocery stores for home deliveries, getting food from stores to peoples refrigerators.
We have tractor trailers, but for us getting food driven to your house is usually very expensive, he said.
In the early 1920s, Leonards grandfather, Charles Leo Leonard, started Clover Farms Dairy in Norwalk, delivering milk to peoples homes. Today, his grandson hopes to bring back home-deliveries in the region in 5 years' time. At its Danbury store, Stews has already partnered with the start-up company Vroom Service Now for meal delivery.
Were definitely looking at when people can go online, or order here their groceries, and have it delivered at their home at a reasonable price, Leonard said.
Applying for life insurance is not most people's idea of a good time, especially when it comes to the required medical exam. Thanks to new advances in the insurance industry, you may be able to get insurance without having to be probed or prodded at all.
Says Kirby Thomas, Customer Service Lead at LifeInsuranceToday.US, "The required life insurance medical exam of the past is going away. Multiple carriers offer insurance without an exam. Looking at it year by year, the changes are coming fast, and each carrier is looking to the left and right to see where to move next without taking on too much risk as a pioneer of tech-driven processes paired with life insurance."
Historically, the life insurance medical exam has been an important part of assessing risk and it still is for people with various medical conditions and risk factors but, in today's world, insurance companies have access to massive amounts of publicly available data that can help them calculate life expectancy with limited additional information. Examples of relevant data include your prescription drug history and motor vehicle records. Predictive algorithms on life expectancy have advanced to the point that, for many applicants, insurance companies can correctly measure risk and underwrite policies without the need for a qualifying medical exam.
This risk assessment process, known as accelerated underwriting, allows online insurance providers to respond rapidly to applicants. You begin by providing information regarding your health and relevant areas of your family's medical history, and the insurer secures your permission to access other available data. The insurer pulls this supplemental data from readily available sources and feeds this data into the predictive algorithms to calculate your offer, if any.
You may have concerns about the insurance company's ability to access your records, or find the lack of pricing transparency troubling. Insurance regulators are considering how to deal with the side effects of accelerated underwriting, and regulations may adjust in the future to accommodate the changes but, if the concept troubles you, you still have the option of dealing with an agent directly.
Why would insurance companies want to do away with medical exams for any potential client? Two reasons to save money and make the process easier and more convenient for both the insurer and the insured.
If an insurance company can make an accurate data-based risk prediction without having to pay for a medical exam, that's direct savings to the insurer. Meanwhile, insurance industry research has found that the longer it takes to process an application, the less likely applicants are to buy insurance and it can take two weeks or more to get an insurance medical exam completed and assessed.
Says Thomas, who specializes in online insurance sales, "Personally, I like the idea of skipping the exam. Currently, the limits are the face amount, as higher amounts will not qualify for the no-exam approach, and some carriers don't yet offer digital signature capability."
You can still purchase insurance online even if a medical exam is required in your case. The insurance company will assess risk based on what they know and either activate the policy once the exam results are in, or activate the policy immediately and adjust the price if warranted by the exam results.
By purchasing insurance online, you give up the personal face-to-face service of an insurance agent for the convenience and speed of an online application with a good chance of lower cost as a further benefit. Online processes allow you to easily comparison shop and find the best policy for your life insurance needs.
Thomas predicts that, "Within a decade, I believe that automated underwriting, no exam approvals, digital signatures, plus some other things will be more prevalent, and will be a reality on larger policies, as well." In the meantime, if you are in the market for a life insurance policy, why not see if you qualify for an online policy that requires no medical exam? Of course, we are assuming that a life insurance medical exam is not your idea of a good time.
You can get free life insurance quotes and apply for your top choice in minutes using our Life Insurance Quote Comparison Tool. If an exam is required, you can schedule it online.
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BRIDGEPORT With the catastrophic effects Hurricane Harvey had on Texas, some city residents made concerned calls to the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security about whether the city would be prepared for such a storm.
I think were ready, but anything could happen, said Director Scott Appleby of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Much of the Connecticut coast, including Stratford, Milford and shoreline Bridgeport, experienced devastating flooding and wind damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Appleby said the city has a plan in the event of another such storm, but that individuals and families need to create their own emergency preparedness system.
We can replace property, but we cannot replace lives, Appleby stressed.
August, September and October are typically the months when hurricane season strikes the Connecticut region, Appleby said.
The most important step a family or individual can take to prepare for emergency situations, such as big storms, is to have a plan where to go and what to do, Appleby said.
We all play a role when it comes to emergency preparedness, whether youre an individual, whether youre a business, whether youre a family, he said.
He said people should create kits filled with essential items, such as non-perishable food, extra clothing, gloves, duct tape, battery-operated radio and flashlight, a first aid kit and bottled water about one gallon of water per person, per day is what Appleby recommended.
Families and individuals with pets should prepare items in their emergency kits for them.
Citys plan
If the city were to be hit with a storm as strong as Hurricane Harvey sometime soon, Appleby said there is an extensive plan in place.
During an emergency situation, the citys website and social media pages will be actively updated, Appleby said.
In a coastal community, we have to prepare for all kinds of storms, he said.
He said the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security would spend a week or two monitoring the storm system with continual contact with the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service.
About 72 hours before the storm touched down in the area, Appleby said the city would begin voluntary evacuation, with mandatory evacuation if needed.
I know some people wont want to leave their homes, their personal belongings, he said.
He said residents who choose to stay will be provided details about the expected impact of the storm and they have to sign a waiver to remain in their home.
As the city prepared for the storm, the citys three shelters would be activated and open to residents and their pets, and the city would address recovery efforts needed for after the storm.
Know if youre in a flood zone, Appleby advised.
He said the city will sandbag areas and mobilize other flood blocks, if necessary.
South End flooding
With storms comes flooding, and the citys South End is notorious for flooding, such as during Superstorm Sandy.
Right now, were preparing projects (in areas impacted by flooding), Appleby said.
The city is working with Director David Kooris of Resilience Bridgeport to better prepare the city for major storms. Kooris, the citys former director of economic development, said the projects are focused in the South End.
Were wrapping up the planning stage (and) transitioning to the environmental review stage, Kooris said.
This review will take about another year or so, Kooris said.
We expect to be in construction in early- to mid-2019, Kooris said. With our congressional mandate, we have to be finished by the fall of 2022. And were very much on track.
He said these projects will be focused around the University of Bridgeport, the power plants and the Marina Village low-income housing development. The projects will include raising some of the roads, installing pumps and building a berm to block flood waters.
As we learned in New Orleans (with Hurricane Katrina), keeping the ocean out is one thing, but if its raining and your waters creating a bathtub behind it, thats a whole other situation, Kooris said.
He said the work is fully funded through a $52 million federal grant that was part of the emergency aid approved following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Staff writer Brian Lockhart contributed reporting.
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GREENWICH Last week, Greenwich resident Carl Higbie began his new job as chief of external affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service the federal agency that oversees millions of Americans doing volunteer service through programs like AmeriCorps.
Before his business cards arrived, he found himself helping to plan the response to Hurricane Harvey and its deadly aftermath.
Thousands of people have been rescued from flooded areas of Houston, with heavy rain continuing to fall.
AmeriCorps has been part of the emergency response in the Gulf Coast and is expected to see an increased role as focus turns from rescue toward recovery.
Potential volunteers from all over the country eager to help out, Higbie said Tuesday afternoon.
Right now we are telling people to hold in place, he said. We are going to need people but right now we dont yet know how bad the damage is when we can get started.
AmeriCorps already has a presence on the perimeter of what is being called the disaster zone in Texas, which stretches from Corpus Christi to Houston and is growing as the storm heads toward Louisiana. Higbie said about 300 agency volunteers are deployed in the area working at emergency shelters and making sure displaced people have housing, with 700 more volunteers on standby.
We didnt anticipate the water still being at this high a level for this long, Higbie said. What we dont want to do is get out there now and be in the way of the ongoing rescue effort. We will be out there soon once the water has receded.
More Information How to help The Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department will hold a fundraiser Wednesday to benefit the relief effort in the Gulf Coast. Firefighters and supporters will be outside the station at 207 Sound Beach Avenue collecting with Red Cross cans, boots and helmets from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. People can also donate donate to the department's efforts at http://www.sbvfd.com/support/. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross. See More Collapse
Higbie, a former Navy SEAL who served two tours in Afghanistan, is still in Washington D.C. at the CNCS central office. The intention had been to send him and others out earlier, but the storms severity and longevity changed plans. Higbie said he will be going to the affected area as soon as possible.
They agency will rely on local authorities to determine when it is safe for volunteers to arrive in a way that is safe and will not interfere with ongoing rescue operations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.
There are no egos here, Higbie said. We are going to be there to support their efforts and to do the best we can to help people.
Though it could be weeks until more volunteers are on the ground, AmeriCorps will likely be deployed to the Gulf Coast for the next several years, Higbie said.
When AmeriCorps responded to Hurricane Katrina there was heavy lifting for six to eight years and were still there 12 years later, he said. We will need volunteers and we will need funding for the long term after this has dropped out of the headlines of the news.
Once AmeriCorps volunteers are fully deployed in the areas hit hardest by the storm and flooding, one of the first goals will be to clear the debris, and then gut homes and buildings that are damaged beyond repair. Only then can the rebuilding begin.
The devastation from the storm has been incredibly tragic, Higbie said. After starting on the job only last week, he had not expected such a major crisis so soon but said everyone at AmeriCorps is ready to get to work.
Im glad that President Trump has faith in us, Higbie said. AmeriCorps is an incredible department. I have joined a heck of a group of people and they have done so much to make sure I hit the ground running and we havent missed a beat.
More information on volunteering and donating to the relief effort is available at www.nationalservice.gov/focus-areas/disaster-services/hurricane-harvey. The website also has links to resources available through FEMA.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy issued a statement Tuesday urging residents to donate to organizations including the Red Cross (http://redcross.org), Americares (www.americares.org) and the Houston United Way (www.unitedwayhouston.org/flood). Malloy advised people to go https://txvoad.communityos.org/cms/node/104 for a list of organizations that have been vetted by FEMA to make sure their donations go to the right place.
Past experience has taught us that the best way we can help survivors in a disaster, particularly in the first days, is to donate funds to trusted charitable organizations that are often on the front lines working in close partnership with first responders, Malloy said. These funds will help those in need as the Houston region begins to recover. We are grateful to these organizations and to the first responders for all the direct assistance they are providing to the people impacted by this storm.
The IRS issued a warning on Tuesday telling people to be aware of fake charity scams after Hurricane Harvey and to only seek recognized charitable groups.
While there has been an enormous wave of support across the country for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, people should be aware of criminals who look to take advantage of this generosity by impersonating charities to get money or private information from well-meaning taxpayers, the statement said. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, email or in-person solicitations.
The agency said people should never send cash or give out personal information to anyone soliciting a contribution.
A disaster relief page has been set up at www.IRS.gov.
kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
Red Cross and American Medical Response teams and volunteers from Connecticut have deployed, or are currently en route, to Texas to provide aid following the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey.
Regional Director Bill Schietinger for the East Region of AMR said there are teams across the country responding to requests for crews and ambulances in Texas.
Between (AMR) and our disaster response network providers, we have deployed 200 ambulances, 25 rotary and 29 fixed wing aircraft, Schietinger said.
Specifically from AMR Fairfield County, Schietinger said two paramedics and four EMTs have deployed to Texas.
The AMR CT opeartions have deployed a total of 19 care providers to assist in Texas, he said.
The AMR crews are working with state, local and national agencies to provide emergency and non-emergency transportation, Schietinger said. AMR has also provided incident management teams, non-ambulance EMS teams to assist relief efforts and communications specialists.
Aid from AMR in Connecticut began with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Schietinger said. The AMR teams from Connecticut were shuttled down for a lengthy deployment.
We kind of threw people in trucks and said get driving, he said.
David Heiden, senior director of emergency services for Red Cross, said there are several thousand volunteers for Red Cross across the country responding to Texas.
From the Rhode Island and Connecticut region, Heiden said there are more than 50 volunteers several of which are from the Fairfield County area that have deployed or are en route to Texas.
Schietinger said if deployment requests last long, AMR will rotate crews to Texas to relieve the ones that have been deployed.
Crews that go down initially are usually on anywhere from a 14- to 17-day activation, Schietinger said.
In order to get the crews down quickly and efficiently to Texas, he said the AMR crews from Connecticut were flown into San Antonio on commercial airlines and shuttled to AMR staging areas.
But Schietinger said he has to actively work to ensure these deployments dont affect the coverage provided to local communities. Nationwide, AMR has what is called the disaster response team, where employees are able to sign up to participate in assistance during situations like Hurricane Harvey.
Schietinger said once the Federal Emergency Management Agency requests assistance from AMR through the disaster response team, hell look at the schedule to see who can be sent out so it wont impact local coverage.
I have a certain amount of full-time employees and a lot of part-time employees, Schietinger said. Usually well deploy the full-time employees and the part-time employees will cover for them locally.
BRIDGEPORT The man who allegedly wielded the gun in may during a fatal Stratford drive-by shooting pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Love you, baby, several woman yelled from the back of the courtroom as Chris Concepcion, 24, of Pennsylvania Avenue in Bridgeport, waived a hearing on probable cause and pleaded not guilty before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin to murder, weapons in a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, illegally firing a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm and possession of a pistol without a permit. He asked for a jury trial.
Love you, too, Concepcion responded as he was taken away by judicial marshals.
Concepcion is being held in lieu of $750,000 bond. The judge continued the case to Sept. 26.
Police said Concepcion fired from a car driven by 24-year-old Brandyn Ford of Stratford on May 27, killing 27-year-old Andre Pettway, of Bridgeport.
Pettway had been leaving a birthday party on Garibaldi Avenue in Stratford when, police said, he was shot in the chest by a passenger in a dark-colored Hyundai sedan.
Police said neighbors on the South End street had been out enjoying the warm evening temperatures when they heard several gunshots and saw the Hyundai speed off. Pettway managed to run a short distance before collapsing in the driveway, police said.
Police said they traced the car to Ford, who initially denied there was anyone in the car with him on Garibaldi Avenue. He was charged with murder, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, risk of injury to children, first-degree reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit.
However, several days after his arrest, police said, Ford told them he was upset that hes sitting in a jail cell and the person that fired the shots was free.
Police said Ford then told them that Concepcion pulled a black handgun from his waistband, leaned out of the car and began to fire.
Other witnesses confirmed that Concepcion had been the shooter, police said.
A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
A law enforcement crackdown on looters, burglars and robbers netted 15 arrests across the storm-ravaged Houston area.
They could face 20 years in prison, since sentences for looters and other thieves can be doubled because of Texas law governing law enforcement during disasters, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.
"People displaced or harmed in this storm are not going to be easy prey," Ogg said. "Anyone who tries to take advantage of this storm to break into homes or businesses should know that they are going to feel the full weight of the law."
If looters are charged with breaking into homes, they could face life in prison.
Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said he coordinated with Ogg to ensure that the judges and juries who will decide punishment are aware of suspects charged with crimes during the storm.
"We're not just in a search-and-rescue mode, we're still in a law enforcement and public safety mode," he said. "When you prey on people in these circumstance, that's despicable behavior and we're all going to push hard to make sure you don't see the sunlight anytime soon."
Court records show that the arrests included two roving groups of four who were jailed for breaking into businesses.
One group was arrested outside a liquor store in the 7200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in southeast Houston. A resident flagged down a police officer late Monday to report that people were breaking into the store.
Natasha Matthews, 44, was arrested with a bag of liquor bottles, according to the district attorney's office. After seeing that an entryway had been broken in, officers also found and arrested Joseph Guillory, 53; Rochelle Brown, 54; and Shameca Poole, 39.
Four others were arrested late Monday after a deputy constable saw a suspicious pickup truck outside of a shoe store in a shopping center on Old Spanish Trail, court records show.
Another man, 31-year-old Jared Babineaux, was arrested trying to use an SUV to smash into a convenience store in south Houston in an apparent attempt to steal an ATM, officials said. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
After reports of the looting were publicized, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a curfew Tuesday in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. During a press conference late Tuesday, the mayor said it was necessary for public safety.
The curfew will remain in effect until further notice.
Another six accused thieves were arrested by the Houston Police Department, the sheriff's office and various Harris County constables offices across the area, Ogg said.
Acevedo said police took extra steps to arrest one group of thieves late Monday.
"Our officers heard about it, they deployed in heavy rain, and they went and found them," he said. "They went in pursuit and all of those suspects were taken into custody."
The chief was resolute despite an overworked police force reeling from the death of one of their own. Steve Perez, 60, a 34-year veteran of the Houston department, drowned in his patrol car Sunday in Harvey floodwaters.
Acevedo noted that police and prosecutors are continuing to work 24 hours a day, including sleeping at police stations and courthouses. A small staff of prosecutors with the district attorneys office has been sleeping in shifts to remain at the courthouse to file charges around the clock.
Under Texas law, punishments increase and even double for crimes such as assault, robbery, burglary and theft if they are committed in a county declared a disaster area by the governor.
Burglarizing a home, for example, normally would bring a penalty ranging from two to 20 years in prison. Now it could bring the possibility of five years to life.
Other crimes also have enhanced penalties.
The Connecticut Post article, Developer sues council member, Aug. 29, contradicts a previous article March 30, 2017, Police called to town hall zoning meeting.
The earlier article stated that police were called to Town Hall soon after the meeting adjourned. Yesterdays article stated that Councilwoman Tina Manus interrupted the Zoning Commission proceedings. The accounts of those present are that Gerard J. Kileys threatening remark, Youre not going to like what happens next, occurred after the meeting terminated.
Both articles contain inaccuracies about what the developers were seeking.
They wanted to construct 300 luxury apartments behind the Big Y. There were only vague references to future commercial use such as a restaurant.
An office building was not part of the proposal.
More importantly, what are the untrue and defamatory statements published in the Connecticut Post?
And how was Kileys business reputation tarnished as he claims? Why is Kiley bringing this suit now, five months later? He had the right to appeal the Zoning Commissions ruling in court within two weeks, which did not occur.
Kiley made a threatening statement after the Zoning Commission unanimously defeated the SHD text amendment proposal.
Instead of suing Manus, Kiley should think before making threatening remarks in a public setting.
His injury is self-inflicted.
Hes apparently a sore loser.
Manus chose to call him on his behavior.
Kiley might look to the recent Taylor Swift court case outcomes for future guidance.
Jessica Wolf
Stratford
The five elements of the plan are appropriate: fiscal discipline; revenue growth; strengthening the economic base; improving governance; and acting strategically.
Starting with the positives, even having a 25-point plan is a useful statement that the new government recognises PNGs economic challenges.
Overall, there are some positives in the plan. But politics is already circumscribing necessary actions to get PNG back onto the right economic path.
CANBERRA Papua New Guineas new treasurer and deputy prime minister, Charles Abel (pictured), has released the promised 100-day economic stimulus plan ( read it here ).
There is a focus on raising revenues as well as fiscal discipline and population policy is given priority.
The plan announces the suspension and review of some scary micro-economic policies in areas such as land, agriculture, bio-security and mining.
Some politically brave action is foreshadowed to at least temporarily reduce politicians discretionary electorate spending (PSIPs and DSIPs).
There seems to be a commitment to ongoing sensible strategic budgetary and planning processes.
And there is no mention of the absurd gold bullion bank which was raised in the Alotau Accord 2.
Unfortunately, the plan does not appropriately address the challenges and opportunities facing PNG (see my earlier article here).
Fundamentally, there is no shift towards more broad-based development. The economic base section is a disappointing mix of known resource and power project prospects and aid programs.
Even in assessing the supplementary budget, there is a missing K2.7 billion in public debt repair required that is not explained.
PNGs foreign exchange difficulties are misrepresented (rice and fuel are not the biggest drains on foreign exchange).
More will need to be done on the revenue side than is currently being revealed by the government.
I want to stay positive and to give the new treasurer a fair go. There are some positives in the plan. But there is a sense of a Sir Humphrey Appleby in the prime ministers office thwarting the new treasurers aspirations.
A one-page sheet released four weeks into government dominated by a continuation of existing policies, projects, announcements and inaccurate spin in not a great plan.
The supplementary budget, the 30 September monetary policy statement and the 2018 budget will hopefully provide a better benchmark for assessing whether the government has actually learnt from its economic mistakes of the last five years.
GEDDES Seven firefighters who died in the line of duty over the last year were honored Tuesday at the New York State Fair.
A ceremony was held at the firefighters memorial to mark Fire and Rescue Day at the fair. The names of the firefighters Arthur Brault, Ethan Cunningham, Michael Fahy, Richard Kaplan, Keith Lane, Merle Nell and William Tolley were added to the stone walkway outside of the Horticulture Building.
Two of the deceased firefighters Cunningham and Nell hailed from central New York. Cunningham, a Syracuse firefighter, died after responding to a fire. Nell, former chief of the Vernon Volunteer Fire Department in Oneida County, died of cardiac arrest while responding to a fire.
The ceremony at the fair featured several speakers, including leaders of local and state firefighters' organizations. A handful of elected officials also spoke at the event.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli lauded firefighters and first responders for their dedication.
"It is important that we remember the men and women who sacrifice to give us the quality of life that we enjoy here in this great state," he said.
State Sen. John DeFrancisco noted that the memorials at the fairgrounds haven't been in place for a long time. The Eagle Association of CNY played a pivotal role in establishing a permanent veterans memorial in the same space as the firefighters and police memorials.
The law enforcement ceremony was held Monday in the same area near the Horticulture Building.
"The message today really is we must remember those who have served as firefighters to make certain that we understand the sacrifices they made when they died in the line of duty," DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, said.
One elected official who delivered remarks at the ceremony recalled a moment when her family was aided by firefighters.
Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who visited the fair for the first time Tuesday, remembered a Thanksgiving dinner that was disrupted when her mother could not breathe because her oxygen had been depleted.
They called for help and firefighters were the first to respond. Stewart-Cousins said the first responders ensured the oxygen was replaced.
"Simple things like that remind us of how critical the presence and support of the fire services are," she said.
Firefighters honored
Here is the list of firefighters whose names were added to the memorial at the New York State Fair:
Arthur Brault, former chief of the Cumberland Head Fire Department
Ethan Cunningham, Syracuse Fire Department
Michael Fahy, New York City firefighter
Richard Kaplan, Jericho firefighter
Keith Lane, Oceanside Fire Department
Merle Nell, former chief of Vernon Volunteer Fire Department
William Tolley, New York City firefighter
Great Allegheny Passage improvements coming
The bids were opened Nov. 1 and Adam Eidemiller's was the lower of two bids received. The project will take two weeks starting within the next week.
DEWITT U.S. Rep. John Katko isn't seeking revenge.
Katko, R-Camillus, wasn't in Congress five years ago, but he remembers what happened after Superstorm Sandy hit parts of New York and New Jersey. An aid package that aimed to help affected communities was held up in Congress because a group of lawmakers, several of whom were from Texas, opposed the measure.
Their reasoning: That the legislation included unnecessary spending.
Now, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and other members of the Texas delegation are requesting federal assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which has caused widespread damage and flooding in Houston and other parts of the state.
Experts estimate that it could take years to clean up the damage left behind by Harvey. Any aid package passed by Congress will likely cost billions.
Katko indicated Tuesday that he will support any aid for Texas to recover from the hurricane. But he noted that it was "very interesting" some of his colleagues who opposed aid in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy are now pushing for funding to help Texas.
"Regardless, the politics aside, I'm going to do what's right," he said Tuesday. "I'm not going to say, 'We're gonna get you back for what you did with Sandy.' Forget it. We're gonna do what's right for the American people."
Cruz, R-Texas, and other critics of the $60 billion Sandy aid package claimed that it was wasteful spending. Multiple lawmakers claimed that only a fraction of the funding was dedicated to Sandy relief, which isn't true.
Katko is confident that Congress will pass an aid package when session resumes in September. The House and Senate are in recess until after Labor Day.
"I can't even imagine what it must be like to get 50 or 60 inches of rain dumped on you in a high flood zone like Houston is. It's tragic," he said.
For now, the focus is on the areas that have been hit hard by the hurricane. Parts of Texas have reported more than 50 inches of rain a record for the continental U.S. Flooding has forced people to leave their homes. Churches, convention centers and other large structures are being used to hold thousands of people who had to evacuate.
Boats have been used on city streets and roads to rescue people from their homes.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent New York Air National Guard personnel and equipment, including rescue aircraft and boats, to assist with the response in Texas. On Monday, New York airmen helped rescue 255 people in Houston and Katy, Texas.
Think of all the foreign criminals, illegal immigrants and other undesirable types who are allowed to stay in Britain. And then consider the case of Brian White.
He is a 21-year-old black Zimbabwean who has been awarded a place to read chemistry at Oxford University having got three A*s and an A in triple science and maths at A-level. He now faces deportation from this country.
This is not because he has a criminal record or has done anything wrong. On the contrary, as well as being highly intelligent, Brian White is evidently a very pleasant young man who would be an adornment to Oxford.
Look at what he has achieved against the odds. Abandoned as a baby, he grew up in an orphanage in Zimbabwe, a poor country (largely thanks to the depredations of its nonagenarian tyrant, Robert Mugabe) where most orphanages, we may be sure, are pretty grim places.
Brian White, a 21-year-old black Zimbabwean who has was awarded a place at Oxford University having got three A*s and an A in triple science and maths at A-level, now faces deportation
Fortunately for him, when he was about 12 he was fostered by British-born Peter White and his African wife, Thoko. He was soon adopted, and when the Whites and their two biological sons came to Britain, 15- year-old Brian accompanied them.
He is obviously an exceptional young man who, having been dealt a very bad hand of cards by life, has made the most of his opportunities. Try telling that to the Home Office, which in 2014 turned down his application for naturalisation because he did not qualify under immigration rules.
In April, Brian applied to remain under a different category so that he could take up his place at Oxford this autumn. You may think that, in the circumstances, the Home Office would have given him a quick decision, but it hasn't. The fear is that he may be packed off to Zimbabwe, where he no longer knows anyone.
This is not because he has a criminal record or has done anything wrong, writes STEPHEN GLOVER, it is because he grew up in an orphanage in Zimbabwe
Of course, I realise that any immigration system has to have a set of rules. But a set of rules which can countenance the deportation of a talented, hard-working young man who has overcome such adversity should be torn into shreds.
The extraordinary thing is that the same authorities which look upon Brian White with such disfavour take a very much more relaxed and indulgent attitude towards many foreign-born criminals.
According to statistics surreptitiously released by the Home Office recently, five foreign criminals a day are being freed from British jails on to our streets instead of being immediately booted out of the country.
In total, there are 5,728 criminals born abroad living in Britain and due for deportation. Nearly a third 1,870 have been on the loose for more than five years. We may be certain that some of them will never leave.
This is my question. What kind of system do we have that threatens to deport a brilliant, law-abiding and apparently decent young man but fails to turf out hundreds of foreign-born criminals who have never done this country an ounce of good, and don't intend to?
The answer, I submit, is that it is easy for the Home Office to target people such as Brian White who diligently play by the rules, filling in forms and tuning up for interviews in collar and tie. How much more problematic, and how unrewarding, to chase down elusive rogues who haven't the remotest wish to co-operate with the authorities.
There have been numerous other instances of the Home Office picking on blameless individuals who, in the eyes of any reasonable observer, would seem to have every right to continue living here.
In 2014, the Home Office turned down his application for naturalisation because he did not qualify under immigration rules. Pictured: A young Brian White
One such case is a 21-year-old joiner called Shane Ridge who was born and raised in Britain, and has British parents and grandparents. Yet the powers-that-be want to deport him. Why? His mother, who was born in Australia to British parents during a holiday, holds dual citizenship.
What utter insanity, and what cruelty, to disrupt the life of a young man who would seem to have as much right to call himself British as anyone living on the planet. If the rules say he should be removed, they should be changed.
Earlier this year, Irene Clennell, who lived in the UK for some 30 years after arriving from Singapore, was forcibly sent back. Never mind that she has been married to a British man for 27 years, and has two British children and a British granddaughter.
Her 'mistake' had been to spend time nursing her parents in Singapore, who are now dead. On returning to Britain, she was told that, as she couldn't prove annual earnings of at least 18,600, she would have to leave. It didn't cut any ice that she had never claimed welfare benefits here, or that her husband had worked in this country his entire adult life.
Another shameful case concerned Jason and Christy Zielsdorf, who ran a small, and doubtless invaluable, village shop in the Scottish Highlands, where they had lived for nine years. After a long and fruitless battle with the Home Office, they closed their shop in April and left for Canada to avoid deportation.
What would this couple have said, I wonder, if they had read a story a couple of months later about two Romanian fugitives who had slipped into Britain but couldn't be sent back so the High Court ruled because Romanian prison cells swere judged to be too cramped.
The extraordinary thing is that the same authorities which look upon Brian White (pictured) with such disfavour take a very much more relaxed and indulgent attitude towards many foreign-born criminals
The two gentlemen concerned are now being detained at Her Majesty's pleasure in rather agreeable open prisons. I have no doubt that on their release they will be free to pursue their livelihoods on British soil.
Some anomalies are bound to exist in any system. But there is a flabbergasting contrast between the authorities' virtual persecution of irreproachable individuals who have rightfully lived here for many years, and their indulgence of palpable scoundrels.
It is not just a question of meanness and the meanness runs very deep in the case of the orphan Brian White. It is also plain stupid to throw out people who are making a contribution to society, or seem likely to do so.
Surely it should be obvious to even the most bone-headed Home Office official that the young Zimbabwean may well achieve great things in his life, and it would be to the country's benefit if he were able to accomplish them here rather than elsewhere.
We need no less than an overhaul of our immigration system so that, wherever practicable, talented, industrious and law-abiding candidates the more so if they already live here should be preferred over idle, feckless and dishonest chancers. Is that really such a preposterous thing to ask?
It so happens that after Brexit this country will be in the perfect position to apply such standards since at long last we will be in complete control of our own borders, and free to devise such immigration rules as suit us.
We will finally be able to place a premium on those who seem likely to benefit the economy, and at the same time show sympathy and understanding for the deserving. It is the opportunity of a lifetime.
My only worry is that the new arrangements will be overseen by notoriously ham-fisted Home Office officials. Left to their clumsy devices, potential Nobel Prize winners will probably be deported while rogues and rascals continue to be welcomed to our shores.
A woman who was kicked out of her high school because she became pregnant in 1938 has finally received the diploma she couldn't get as a teenager.
Iris Weatherwax, 97, received her honorary diploma, cap and gown on Wednesday last week during an emotional ceremony at her assisted living home in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
A school official said Weatherwax told him that failing to get a high school diploma was one of the biggest regrets of her life, and the mother of four appeared deeply moved as she graduated eight decades after the scheduled date.
Achievement: Iris Weatherwax, 97, who was kicked out of her high school because she became pregnant in 1938 has finally received the diploma she couldn't get as a teenager
Finally: Weatherwax received her honorary diploma, cap and gown on Wednesday last week during an emotional ceremony at her assisted living home in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan
'Is it alright if I cry?' Weatherwax asked her son James during the ceremony, according to the The Flint Journal.
Weatherwax, a native of Davison, Michigan, didn't get the chance to finish high school after marrying Loyd, the man who became her husband of more than 30 years, and getting pregnant.
She went on to have four children in total, including James and his sister Beverly, who were with her the day she was awarded her diploma.
Family: The mother ended up having four children in total, including Beverly, who is pictured giving her mother a kiss on the day of the ceremony
Milestone: A school official said Weatherwax told him that failing to get a high school diploma was one of the biggest regrets of her life. Hers is pictured after she received it last week
Throughout her life, she held various jobs and worked at an insurance agency and as a cook.
Work: Throughout her life, Weather worked at an insurance agency and as a cook
It was her niece, Paula Clarambeau, who contacted the district to see if her aunt could be awarded a diploma.
'What got me was the school at that time said when she asked to go back they wouldn't let her,' Clarambeau told The Flint Journal.
'They said things had changed, so I said she would have graduated with flying colors because she's smart and intelligent and has done so much work in the community.'
Weatherwax, who dabbed tears from her face during the moving ceremony and ate some of a cake that read 'Congrats, Graduate', said finally receiving the diploma was wonderful.
Davison Community Schools Superintendent Eric Lieske, who handed Weatherwax her diploma and placed her graduation cap on her head, says her story shows how much education can mean to someone.
It's a hard row to hoe for parents these days coming up with a name that encapsulates the spirit of their new-born in a unique and different way.
And although the trend toward 'interesting' monikers has been around for a while, every year the mash-ups and mad misspellings just seem to get a little more extreme.
Writing for Kidspot, Australia-based baby names author Sabrina Rogers-Anderson has revealed some of the more 'creative' names doing the rounds right now, and has added a little light-hearted commentary, for a touch of gentle humour.
The bogan names expert has been horrified by some of the mad mash-ups (stock image)
KREEPED OUT BY KENDREW
This name part Ken, part Andrew is one the author is less than enamoured by.
Ms Rogers-Anderson said the strange hybrid conjured up an image of a 'vapid version of a Ken doll.'
She also added how a "Kendrew" might actually sound.
'Hello, Barbie, will you marry me?' [he says] in a creepy broken loop. Hello, Barbie, hello, Barbie.. Eek.'
TOP OF THE LAKEN
Nature names definitely don't make it to Ms Rogers-Anderson's list of preferred monikers.
'Names such as Cedar, Falcon and Lake are a bit odd as it is, but adding a random 'N' to Lake makes it worse,' she said.
Wacky spellings don't make for interesting monikers, the expert said (stock image)
WHY WILLIAM WHEN YOU CAN WYLIUMM
Of course 'interesting' spellings will always funk up the unique factor of any name.
Unfortunately, the baby names expert said, Wyliumm doesn't make the cut in any way whatsoever.
'This distorted spelling makes me consider signing up for anger management classes.
Questioning her feelings, the author asks: 'Is it normal for me to feel this upset over someone else's lack of judgement?'
Dodgy mispronunciations don't make for interesting names, no matter how strange they sound (stock image)
ALIZE, NOT YOUR AVERAGE ALICE
This one is a doozy, according to the expert. Not just because it mangles a perfectly pretty name, but also because of the way it's pronounced.
'Alize is pronounced 'Ah-lee-zay' has led Ms Rogers-Anderson to declare: 'is about as bogan as baby names get.'
Writing passionately although with her tongue firmly in her cheek about bogan baby names, the author has a new complication out, featuring the best of the best.
Other popular names she includes in The Little Book of Bogan Baby Names are Nicomachus, Harleen and Braelyn.
Unique: Many names have unusual spellings, such as Tahmykkha or Kymberleigh (stock image)
SOME UNIQUE BOGAN BABY NAMES J'Zayden Vegas Nicoachus Harleen Braelyn Jack Daniel Nashayleah Rebel Wynter Advertisement
While Ms Rogers-Anderson notes some of the names may be entirely new, there are some themes that emerge.
It appears that many of the names are often variations of more traditional names, but with different spelling and pronunciation.
The name Tamika, for example, has alternate spellings of Tahmykkha, Tameekah, Tameka-Jane, and Tammika.
Using names for places or things as a baby name is also popular, for example Vegas, Sierra-Leonie, Rocket, Khe Sanh and Narnia.
Long names with excess letters are also common, like Alycesaundra, Torianna-Sharisse, Kymberleigh, Jhamasyn and Mackennziee.
Choosing the right name for your baby could effect their chances of getting a job later in life (stock image)
And while the good-humoured writer isn't out to slam bogan stereotypes, the expert does caution strange mash-ups and misspellings can have future repercussions.
Speaking previously, Ms Rogers-Anderson said employers have told her of their aversion to hiring someone with a 'bogan' name.
'One CEO of a particularly big name company said to me 'I cannot help but look down on names that are misspelled',' the author said.
'Obviously no one will go on record, because it sounds like discrimination.'
Instagram star-turned-rapper Cardi B's single Bodak Yellow has swept the nation in unexpected ways - even finding its way into a sixth grade classroom in Harlem.
A New York elementary school classroom is making impressive academic moves thanks to the brilliance of a 29-year-old teacher who rewrote the lyrics of Bronx rapper Cardi B's top-charting single to teach her kids geography.
Educator Erica Buddington reworked the lyrics to the hit song to teach about the continents, oceans, and hemispheres on the world map.
Hip thinking: Sixth grade teacher Erica Buddington (pictured) taught her students geography using a Cardi B song Bodak Yellow, eventually improving her kids' grades
Dancing for joy: In a now viral video that Erica posted, the kids are seen laughing and dancing along to their teacher's version of the hit song, while learning at the same time
I don't dance now! I make study moves! The kids seemed to retain the information in the reworked song, thanks to the familiar tune, filled with new educational facts
The new school year had just started, and Erica knew it would be difficult to get her kids to focus.
'They were at a low proficiency and I knew I had to capture their attentions,' she said to Buzzfeed.
'They were having trouble locating places on the map,' she added.
Erica said she noticed her sixth grade class' obsession with Bodak Yellow and decided to put her own educational spin on it. She rewrote the hook to focus on the basic aspects of the globe from the number of continents and different climate zones to latitude and longitude.
After writing out the hook and a full verse she performed it for her students and they were all too eager to learn her rendition.
She opened the explicit song with a much more PG intro and sang, ' Said: you can know the globe if you wanted to'.
Then she traded the famed hook, 'these expensive, these is red bottoms, these is bloody shoes' for 'seven continents, five oceans, and four hemispheres too'.
Erica said that students love it so much they don't just sing along, they also 'beat on tables during instructions,' in class.
'It was incredible. The school year had just begun and they only knew me for two weeks before,' she said.
'They got acclimated to me and they made it happen. I was like, "Oh my God!"'
Eating it up! Erica's pupils quickly began to absorb the information after hearing the song
Sharing is caring: Empowered the positive online reception, she shared the lyrics online
Her students aren't the only ones loving it. After she taped and tweeted a video of herself performing the rap, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The video, which sees the children joyfully dancing, dabbing, and banging their hands to the beat, racked up over 51,500 retweets and over 108,000 likes.
Cardi B herself retweeted the video and exclaimed, 'I LOVE THIS I NEED THIS FOR MY IG !!!'
In another video Erica posted student is seen bopping along to the music blaring on the speakers as he fills out an empty world map on the board with confidence, all without missing a beat.
She even shared the lyrics so that other educators could be inspired and use it to connect to their students too.
The best part of all is that the song is not only fun, but it's proved efficient in helping the students grasp and retain their geography lesson.
On a recent quiz, the students were asked to label a world map and identify key terms, and their grades saw a significant improvement.
Buddington shared she even observed students whispering the lyrics to themselves to recall the facts.
Twitter users are going crazy for her video, with students, parents, and educators a like applauding Erica for her creative song remake.
Who knows what's next for Erica's classroom, perhaps Erica will release a Spanish version, just like Cardi B did this month, too.
A mother-to-be enlisted a photographer to capture the heartwarming moment her husband learned he was going to become a dad for the first time.
Chelsie Morales' husband Will was under they impression that they had won a photo session with Kara Fishbaugh of Kara Quinn Photography when they headed to Zorinsky Lake in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 22 but he was in for quite the surprise.
The heartwarming images from the shoot see Will's mouth gaping open in surprise as Chelsie happily shared the news that he is going to be a dad.
Magical moment: Chelsie Morales planned a photo shoot to surprise her husband Will with the news that she is pregnant
Sinking in: Kara Fishbaugh of Kara Quinn Photography captured the moment Will realized he is going to be a dad
Say what? Images from the shoot see Will's mouth gaping open in surprise the moment he learned that he is going to be a father
Overjoyed: Will happily lifted his wife into the air after he learned the news
When posting some of the photos on her Instagram page, Kara explained that Chelsie had reached out to her after she learned she was pregnant with the hope of surprising Will with the news.
In order to pull off the surprise, Kara had them write three qualities they admire about each other on chalkboards at the start of the shoot
Images from the shoot see Will and Chelsie standing with their backs touching as they waited to turn around and show each other what they had written.
While Will wrote that his wife is 'beautiful', 'witty' and 'smart', he was clearly stunned when he saw Chelsie holding a chalk a board that read: 'You're going to be a daddy.'
Clever idea: In order to pull off the surprise, Kara had them write three qualities they admire about each other on chalkboards
Look of love: Chelsie had a big smile on her face right before she showed Will her chalkboard, which read: 'You're going to be a daddy'
Happy as can be: After his initial shock passed, Will gave his wife a big hug
Oh baby: Chelsie said Will loves kids, so she knew he would be thrilled that they are now starting a family of their own
Beautiful scenery: The stunning photo shoot took place at Zorinsky Lake in Omaha, Nebraska
After the initial shock, Will grabbed his wife and gave her a big hug before lifting her up into the air.
'If you ask anyone that knows him, he is just amazing with kids,' Chelsie told the the HuffPost. 'If there is a baby around, 100 percent guaranteed it will take him .01 seconds to find it and ask if he can hold it.
'So I knew he would be more than thrilled once we were starting a family of our own.'
Chelsie, who who is due on February 23, found out she was pregnant four days before the shoot, and she had to patiently wait to tell her husband in order to pull off the unforgettable surprise.
Parents-to-be: The couple posed together while holding Chelsie's first sonogram photo
Baby on the way: Chelsie, who who is due on February 23, found out she was pregnant four days before the shoot
Party time: The couple also happily through confetti in a field as the celebrated together
Growing family: Will and Chelsie's Chihuahua was photographed as well
Too cute: The little pup was photographed wearing a T-shirt that reads: 'Big brother Est. 2018'
Surprise! After the shoot, the couple used the photos to share the news with their family
The mother-to-be told the outlet that Will 'went from pure shock to being completely overjoyed with tears flowing' which undoubtedly made the wait well worth it.
Other images from the shoot see Chelsie and Will happily celebrating the news that she is expecting, and they made sure to bring their dog along as well.
In one photo, the little Chihuahua is seen wearing a T-shirt that reads: 'Big brother Est. 2018', and in another Will is throwing confetti.
The couple also posed together while holding Chelsie's first sonogram photo, and will is undoubtedly overjoyed by the news.
'Not only will we have the photos to cherish forever and show our little babe someday, but we got to use them to tell our family the news as well,' Chelsie told the HuffPost.
Archie only got an A for philosophy, the silly chump, but were hoping hell still squeak into Oxford with three A stars. Fingers crossed! (cue tinkly laugh). How did Stanley do?
My heart plummets. Is there anything worse than talking to other parents in the wake of Results Day?
All those pictures of beaming teenagers leaping skywards waving slips of paper. More triumphant teens sobbing with joy as they open their results live on breakfast television. Theres no escape. Even the Radio 2 Drivetime show (to which I tuned in for some light relief) was bursting with results euphoria. Massive shout out to Emily for achieving A A B from a very proud Mum, Dad and auntie Jean.
Amanda Lynch, pictured with her son Stanley spent more than 100,000 on his education, although when his A Level results came out he got a D and an E - technically two passes
Amanda, pictured with Stanley in Portugal in 2004, said she dreamed of him going to Oxbridge and having a red-carpet entry to a career of his choice
Three cheers for Emily. And Im thrilled for her Mum, Dad and auntie Jean. But what about those of us who are not jumping for joy?
My son, Stanley, got a D (in Classical Civilisation) and an E (in English Literature) in his A-Levels this year. Technically thats two passes, but they start to feel a bit like failure when everyone else seems to have straight As and a red-carpet entry to a leading university.
Whats more, Stanleys grades werent the end result of seven years spent in a failing comprehensive, but the outcome of a private school in a smart area of London.
The cost, then, of those D and E grades has been roughly 100,000 in school fees. I even had to dip into my pension fund to see him through the last year. Any regrets? No point.
Stanley, pictured age 4 graduating from nursery, will now be hunting for minimum wage jobs on zero hour contracts following his results - which Amanda claimed were not a surprise
I admit when he was much younger that I used to indulge in day-dreams about his glittering future. Oxbridge? Definitely. But then what?
Heart surgeon? Investment banker? Archbishop of Canterbury? Anything seemed possible.
Reality gradually set in over the years, though, as his interests veered away from academic subjects, and his A-Level results were not a total surprise to either of us.
As things stand, while his friends scatter to universities throughout the UK, Stanley will be exploring the world of minimum wage zero-hour contracts in London for the short term, anyhow.
With todays teenagers suffering an epidemic of depression and anxiety due to the intense pressure to succeed academically, I feared how Stanley might react to his results.
According to Amanda, she wishes people would stop asking her about Stanley's results
So far he has shown no outward sign of mental torment (he is surprisingly cheerful), but there must be a sense of disappointment deep down that he hasnt done better.
This isnt helped by all the boastful posts on social media, a fresh wave of which were ignited with the GCSE results last week.
Id like to request a little tact from the smug parents who dont stop to think that other peoples children might not have achieved quite as highly as their own junior Einstein.
Do I sound bitter? I hope not, as Im really not. I couldnt be more delighted for all my friends children and my sons classmates who got excellent grades. These are people I know well and care about and I take genuine pleasure in their success.
My complaint lies with all the virtual strangers who think it is socially acceptable to come up and interrogate me or Stanley about how he did. And yes, Im talking about you, Mrs Nosy-Parker-at-No. 54, and you, woman-in-the-Post-Office whose name I barely know. You have zero interest in myself or my son, you just wanted an opportunity to show off about your own childs success.
She believes Britain has become a nation of show-offs when it comes to exam result day
Whatever happened to British reticence? In the past people kept quiet about a string of A star grades for fear of upsetting those whose children had performed badly. Besides, nobody liked a braggart. Now it seems we have turned into a nation of show-offs with Results Day bringing out the worst in people. It has even been used to settle old scores.
My friend Sarah received an email after AS results from an old frenemy from primary school days.
Their sons had gone to different secondary schools and hadnt remained in touch. That didnt stop her firing off an email to taunt my friend about their sons diverging paths in life.
Hi Sarah. It turns out Theo is a bit of a whizz at maths so were thinking about Cambridge. Have you got any advice about Oxbridge?
I went cold, Sarah told me. This woman would have heard, via the grapevine, that my son was threatening to drop out of Sixth Form. She knew we were at crisis point and yet she had to tell me that her son was an Oxbridge candidate.
Amanda said she is disappointed by Stanley's results but believes there is no point in saying it
She just wanted to rub my face in it. It was utterly vile. I still hide if I see her in the supermarket.
Sarah, a mother of three, is the only one of my friends whose children have also struggled academically. We are now battle-hardened veterans of lacklustre GCSE, AS and A-Level results and have swapped many a tale of Results Day trauma.
One mother was frantic because her daughter got a C grade at AS even though all her other grades were As. She burst into tears and I had to comfort her even though she knew my son had done far worse than her daughter. It was horribly insensitive.
But what upset Sarah most was that the woman would never have shown such weakness in front of anyone she considered a serious rival.
What I hate more than anything, she says is when people adopt this high-pitched cooing tone and say Oh, hes done really well! Gosh you must be so proud! Its incredibly patronising. The subtext is that theyd be devastated if their child got such low grades, but its the best that can be expected from yours.
We have both now learnt from bitter experience never to engage with Results Day hysteria. We dont ask about other peoples grades and if asked how our children did, just reply: Were quite pleased, thanks. This is repeated with a chilly smile until people get the message.
Since when did exam results stop being a private matter?
When I took my A-Levels (decades ago) there was none of this modern fanfare. We just waited for the official envelope to plop through the letterbox at home. That was as exciting as it got and everyone, parents and teenagers alike, took things in their stride. Now, Results Days have become a national event. And if, like me, you cant join in the jubilation, you end up feeling like the person people cross the road to avoid.
But nobody has died. My son has under-achieved in his A Levels but its not the end of the world and Im confident that hell make his way in life as most of us do.
Am I disappointed? A little. Could Stanley have done better? Probably, but I dont need to tell him that.
So, what of the future? For now I think Stanley is just happy that his education is over. As am I. Ive tried hovering, pushing and helicopter parenting, not to mention threats, bribes and downright pleading. Im also looking forward to a bit of a break. Goodbye school days, hello cheap last-minute holidays.
No more shrieking at him to get up in the mornings. No more rows about revision/homework/any kind of work. No more parents evenings!
Stanley is his own man and, at 18, it is up to him what he makes of his life. Over to you now, darling.
The only thing I know is that hell be finding himself a job in September. Any job will do. The most important lesson he can learn right now is to turn up for work, on time, day after day, whether he feels like it or not.
Learning you dont want to spend your life pulling pints or mixing concrete can also be informative. If he decides to apply for an apprenticeship, get vocational qualifications or even go to university in the future (once hes decided on a career), then Ill be on hand for help and advice.
For decades, university has been a rite of passage, it was for me. At university I learned to live on my own, make life-long friends, hold my liquor (sometimes) and do all the things that students do when they leave the watchful gaze of their fond parents.
But now, with the university brand devalued by its very popularity and the looming burden of a 50,000 debt, there are signs that even the middle classes are baulking at what was once an automatic next step.
So has Stanley, accidentally, made the right choice? This is what I hope: that he will take responsibility for where he is now and make the most of it. As it is, while his friends are negotiating Freshers Week, Stanley will be out in the big wide world learning to be a man. Who knows, maybe hell even gain a head start in the race of life.
So heres my own personal shout out to all those teenagers who slipped a grade, and all those who have missed out on their longed-for university course or chosen Sixth Form College.
Heres to all those whose best wasnt quite good enough. I wish them every success in negotiating retakes and finding their path in life.And as for all those triumphantly boastful parents, heres a little reminder about Results Day etiquette.
Dont boast about your childs brilliance to anyone outside of your close family.
Dont badger anyone about their childs grades, particularly if you dont know them well.
Dont say Oh dear while cocking your head in a sympathetic manner
And definitely dont say, But what are you going to DO?
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Three years after they first met at a motorcycle shop, a Queensland couple tied the knot with a hot pink dress, a sweet pregnancy reveal, and a bike.
Chris Pieper, 30, first laid eyes on his future wife Rebecca when he went to Gympie Motorcycles to purchase a new dirt bike.
Rebecca, also 30, had just been given the role of financial adviser. Chris was her very first client.
But as she was battling her nerves, he was falling head over heels.
Three years after they first met at a motorcycle shop, Queensland couple Chris and Rebecca Pier, both 30, took wedding photos with the bike that first brought them together
Chris first laid eyes on his future wife Rebecca when he went to Gympie Motorcycles to purchase a new dirt bike. She was his financial adviser and he said it felt 'meant to be'
'Her smile just made the room brighter and I had a happy feeling shoot through my body,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'It was like it was meant to be, even though we had never met or seen each other before.'
Chris signed the contract but the company's system lost most of his application, which meant he had to keep returning to the shop and communicating with Rebecca.
'Every time my mobile rang and I saw that it was Bec calling it put a smile on my face,' he said.
'If it had been some bloke I was dealing with I would've ended up telling them to bin the contract and went elsewhere, but I wanted to come see her.'
A month after he bought the bike, Rebecca decided to send Chris a message and see how he was enjoying it.
Chris signed the contract but the company's system lost most of his application and he had to keep returning to the shop and communicating with Rebecca, helping spark a friendship
Chris proposed one morning after a night shift and the couple got married on Chris' father's property in Kumbia
They began messaging back and forth and became friends, even making plans to go riding together.
But that day it rained, putting a damper on their plans. So Rebecca invited him to climb a mountain with her instead.
'He said "I'll be there in five" and I said, "Holy s**t, what have I done, I don't even know this guy,' she recalled with a laugh.
They spent the entire day together, hiking the Mothar Mountain rock pools before having lunch at a nearby pub and chatting for hours at their local duck pond.
Although there was 'very much an attraction', Rebecca at first tried to hold off on dating Chris.
'I'd only been in Gympie six months, I was just starting at the job, my daughter and I were fine, everything was finally getting back on track,' she said.
Rebecca opted to say 'I do' in a hot pink dress in a sweet non-traditional ceremony that was full of laughs and fun surprises
Chris said he fell for Rebecca's smile the day he first saw her, and that he 'had a happy feeling' shoot through his body
'But we became such good friends I couldn't stay away from him.'
They officially started dating after a few months and Chris said it was a whirlwind romance from then on.
'It was so crazy how fast we fell for each other,' he said. 'But it felt like we had known each other for ages. We both felt the same way and just went with our hearts.'
And after Chris proposed one morning after a night shift, the couple decided it was time to tie the knot.
They held their wedding on Chris' father's property in Kumbia, where Rebecca opted to say 'I do' in a hot pink dress for a ceremony full of fun surprises.
'I'd been engaged before and we've got three daughters between us, so this is anything but a traditional wedding,' she said.
'The only thing traditional about it was that my dad walked me down the aisle.'
The couple used the classic wedding shoe game to reveal to their guests that they were expecting a baby in September
And when it came time to take their wedding photos, the couple knew they had to throw in the bike that first brought them together.
'Chris loves his bike so we had to put it in the photo somehow,' Rebecca said. 'It's the bike that started the whole thing.'
The stress-free weekend was full of laughter and giggles, and one huge surprise at the end.
During the reception Chris and Rebecca were playing the classic wedding shoe game, in which they sit back-to-back and hold up either their own or the other's shoe to answer questions like 'Who is the better kisser?'.
The very last question was 'Who is having a baby in September?' and both of them happily held up both shoes in their hands.
'Everyone said "Oh my god!"', recalled Rebecca, who is due on September 25.
'I don't know how we managed to hold on to the secret for so long. I was four and half months pregnant at the wedding, but only two or three people knew.'
The couple are both excited to finally welcome home a baby boy, and Rebecca said Chris already can't wait to get his bub on a bike.
'I assume he's going to be on a quad bike fairly early with Chris.'
An Ira Civil War surgeon's letters detailing the carnage he saw and treated were so fascinating to Chris Loperfido that he decided to make a book out of them.
The book, "Death and Disease in the Civil War: A Union Surgeons Correspondence from Harpers Ferry to Richmond," will be published in October. Loperfido's subject, and the writer of the letters, was James Dana Benton, who spent most of the war as an assistant surgeon with the 111th New York Volunteer Infantry.
Loperfido was born in Auburn and spent many of his formative years in Weedsport. He started researching Benton in 2008 and originally published a book on the surgeon in 2011, but he wasn't satisfied with the way the publisher handled it, he said. A couple years ago, he started adding more detail, research and pictures to the book. He considers October's release a "second edition."
The idea came to Loperfido after he worked in the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania during the summers of 2007 and 2008. He said many of the park rangers there had written their own tomes, and that he had always wanted to write one. Since middle school, Loperfido said, he's been fascinated by the Civil War: its soldiers putting their beliefs on the line, the battle movements and more.
At Gettysburg, Loperfido said, he was told to zero in on a topic and expand from there. That topic presented itself when he came back to Weedsport in 2008 and visited the Old Brutus Historical Society, where he found a series of transcribed letters from Benton. Loperfido said he had a friend who knew Barb Benton, James' descendent who donated the letters to the society.
He met with Barb, who transcribed dozens of letters written by Benton before selling most of them, Loperfido said. Barb and her brother Paul gave Loperfido pictures and some additional information about Benton. The author said the surgeon's correspondence painted the picture of an honest and articulate man.
Loperfido, a border patrol agent who lives in Washington state, proudly noted that Barb sold the last original letter she had from the surgeon to him.
Over the course of the 42 letters Benton wrote to his parents from 1862 to 1865, he offered an unflinching view of the chaos that affected every soldier he saw on an operating table, Loperfido said.
Benton described the wounded being worked on in "field hospitals," buildings like barns and homes out of the range of artillery fire that may or may not have been occupied. Loperfido said soldiers would sometimes bake in the sun for three days waiting to get on the operating table.
Benton was also present for monumental moments in history, like the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 and the second inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln two years later, Loperfido said.
Events, locations and people mentioned in Benton's letters are given more context in Loperfido's book, which will also include a look at Civil War-era medicine and letters by Benton from before and after the conflict. Toward the end of the war, Benton was promoted as a surgeon for the 98th New York Volunteer Infantry. He established his own medical practice in Ira after the fighting was over.
Loperfido said the "medical twist" Benton provided made the surgeon's correspondence stand out from the letters of soldiers he had read, adding that medical science at the time was not anywhere near current innovations. The author believes many people are unaware of the madness that ensued after a battle, and the attempts that went into saving soldiers' lives. More soldiers died of disease during the conflict than battle wounds, he noted.
"(Benton) just gave an honest opinion of what life was like for these men on a daily basis," Loperfido said.
Radio personality Sarah McGilvray has revealed her plans to give birth fully clothed after developing a 'fear' of getting naked in the delivery room.
The Sydney on-air and program director of Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa show discovered six months ago she was expecting her first baby with her partner.
But as she prepares for parenthood, the mother-to-be said she was starting to feel uncomfortable with the thought of 'letting it all hang out' in front of a medical team.
Penning a candid post for Kidspot, she explained a conversation she had with a friend about childbirth led to her feeling self-conscious.
Radio personality Sarah McGilvray has opened up about why she plans to give birth fully clothed after developing a 'fear' of getting naked in the delivery room
'It wasn't the contractions or the length of the birth that got me. The impending pain or the fear of 'tearing' (a word that means so much more once you're pregnant),' she said.
'It was when she told me how many people were in the room when the delivery actually happened and that she was completely nude for the entire experience.'
Growing up in a 'medical family', Ms McGilvray - the daughter of a doctor - said they would speak openly about health conditions.
The mother-to be discovered six months ago she was expecting her first baby with her partner
But as she prepares for parenthood, the mother-to-be revealed she was starting to feel uncomfortable with the thought of 'letting it all hang out' in front of a medical team
And when the time comes to deliver her own baby, Ms McGilvray jokingly said she's considering wearing an oversized top in hospital.
'I saw an Armani ad the other day with the predictably sexy woman walking around in an oversized, white, men's business shirt,' she said.
'I've somehow started to convince myself this is my best chance for survival. I mean this is surely the moment to try and keep the romance alive and look effortlessly chic at the same time?' she said.
Despite her 'crippling fears', she shed light on her pregnancy, saying she was 'unbelievably grateful' and 'lucky' to have a baby on the way.
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She's only 18 years old, but already Te Manahou Mackay is a force to be reckoned with in the modelling industry.
Having opened and closed shows for the likes of Zambesi and New Generation designers at New Zealand Fashion Week this week, the Auckland-born model is also the first transgender model to walk at the prestigious event.
Here, in a watershed moment for the fashion industry, FEMAIL takes a look at the life of the first openly trans person in New Zealand to be signed by a modelling agency.
Te Manahou Mackay (pictured) is the first transgender model to walk at New Zealand Fashion Week - she has opened and closed shows so far including Zambesi and New Generation designers (pictured)
In a watershed moment for the fashion industry, FEMAIL takes a look at the life of the first openly trans person in New Zealand to be signed by a modelling agency (pictured: Te Manahou Mackay)
Ms Mackay quit school after Year 12, and she was later scouted by The Others modelling agency while at a friend's house last November - she has since moved to 62 Models modelling agency (pictured modelling for Zambesi)
Since then, it's been a whirlwind of castings, bookings, interviews and TV appearances on The Project New Zealand for the young model (pictured)
Like many models, Ms Mackay's story of being scouted is the stuff of fairy tales.
Having quit school because she didn't enjoy it after Year 12, she was scouted by The Others modelling agency last November while at a friend's house.
She later moved to 62 Models - upon which point she was signed on for her debut fashion week in Auckland this week.
Since then, it's been a whirlwind of castings, bookings, interviews and TV appearances on The Project New Zealand for the young model.
All the while she has maintained a job at an Italian restaurant close to her home - the owner of which didn't realise she was transgender until she appeared on TV.
She explained that while she is happy to be a 'role model model', she doesn't necessarily see herself as a 'spokesperson for transgender youth'
Ms Mackay's 'Manahou' name means 'new power' or 'new energy' - she is pictured on the catwalk at New Zealand Fashion Week
Speaking about her newfound fame on the New Zealand edition of The Project earlier this month, Ms Mackay said, laughingly, that while she would love to be a 'role model model' she also isn't necessarily entirely comfortable with being a voice for transgender people in general:
'It's been a lot for me mentally to be outed in a way, but I think it's character building...,' she said.
'Of course I want to be a role model to all these people, but I don't think that I have too many profound things to say. I don't think I'm cut out to be a spokesperson for transgender youth.'
'Of course I want to be a role model to all these people, but I don't think that I have too many profound things to say,' Ms Mackay told The Project New Zealand
Nevertheless, the 18-year-old - whose Manahou name means 'new power' or 'new energy' - said that modelling is her dream and has opened her up to all sorts of opportunities:
'It's a dream come true really... I've been this little girl since I was a little kid,' she told the show.
'In all of my childhood photos I'm wearing a cute little white dress and holding a bouquet - so being transgender was just the natural progression for me.
'My mum introduced me to this woman, who introduced me to this clinic, Youth Health Hub, which is based out west. I just started treatment when I was about eleven and I hopped on hormones when I was about 13 - and the rest is history.'
So far this New Zealand Fashion Week, Te Manahou Mackay has walked for Zambesi and Pania. She is also set to model for Kate Sylvester, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Huffer before the week is out
So far this New Zealand Fashion Week, Te Manahou Mackay has walked for Zambesi and Pania. She is also set to model for Kate Sylvester, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Huffer before the week is out.
'I've met heaps of really cool people, and I think that's what makes it worthwhile,' she said of her experience so far.
'I don't have any plans, I'm just following the journey and seeing what happens.'
Te Manahou Mackay is walking for New Zealand Fashion Week. For more information, click here. You can also follow her on Instagram here.
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In 2016, New Zealand bridal designer, Trish Peng, wowed the front row when she sent a model down the New Zealand Fashion Week runway in a bright red dress with a record-breaking 20-metre-long tulle train.
And this year, the 26-year-old has shaken things up again by sending a dress made entirely of fresh flowers down the Weddings Magazine runway.
The eye-popping get-up is estimated to cost a staggering NZD $20,000 (AUD $18,193) and took more than five hours to put together.
Despite the enormous cost, the showstopping number will exist for just three days out of water before the flowers die.
New Zealand bridal designer, Trish Peng, has shaken things up again by sending a dress made entirely of fresh flowers down the Weddings Magazine runway at New Zealand Fashion Week
The eye-popping get-up is estimated to cost a staggering NZD $20,000 (AUD $18,193) and took more than five hours to put together
While at first sight the dress appears to be delicately beaded and made from lace and silk, upon further inspection it's clear to see that it is made up of thousands of fresh, locally grown flowers.
Tiny white flowers make up the form-fitting bodice of the garment before it cascades into a stunning mixture of blush and cream flowers at the train - each of them entwined with rose gold foliage.
The dress also features beautifully detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves and metallic rose gold flower spray was used on the hem of the gown for effect.
Large earrings were also created with matching fresh flowers glued on.
While at first sight the dress appears to be delicately beaded and made from lace and silk, upon further inspection it's clear to see that it is made up of thousands of fresh, locally grown flowers
'This gorgeous fresh flower dress was inspired by my latest bridal collection, which is inspired by the feminine beauty of flowers,' Trish told Daily Mail Australia
'This gorgeous fresh flower dress was inspired by my latest bridal collection, which is inspired by the feminine beauty of flowers,' Trish told Daily Mail Australia.
'Each dress is named after a flower, and the show revealed three of these dresses from my new collection.
'As flowers are quite bulky we used the most dainty flower we could find in the winter season to contour the body in the right place to make it flattering for the model.'
Trish said the gown was 'the ultimate expression of bridal beauty' and was pleased with how the dress and bouquet were 'brought to life together, in a fresh and stunningly beautiful way'.
Trish said the gown was 'the ultimate expression of bridal beauty' and was pleased with how the dress and bouquet were 'brought to life together, in a fresh and stunningly beautiful way'
The gown, which took more than five hours to put together, was a combined effort between Trish and senior floristy students from the Manukau Institute of Technology in a collaboration with the National Flower Promotion Group in New Zealand
They used 12 different types of flowers to make the dress, including carnations, hellebores, roses and chrysanthemums
The gown, which took more than five hours to put together, was a combined effort between Trish and senior floristy students from the Manukau Institute of Technology in a collaboration with the National Flower Promotion Group in New Zealand.
They used 12 different types of flowers to make the dress, including carnations, hellebores, roses and chrysanthemums.
This isn't the first time the modern designer has dared to be different on the catwalk, with Trish breaking a record with her dress on the catwalk in 2016.
Trish took bridal couture to a new level at the time with her eye-popping finale piece at 2016 New Zealand Fashion Week with her closing model donning an elaborate red custom gown with a record-breaking 20-metre-long silk tulle train - the longest train to ever appear on a catwalk.
Trish took an elaborate wedding gown to a whole new level with her eye-popping finale piece at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2016
The designer, from Auckland, wowed the audience as her closing model donned an elaborate red custom gown with a record-breaking 20-metre-long silk tulle train - the longest train to appear on a catwalk
The vintage lace was embellished with hundreds of sparkling Swarovski crystals and a team of four spent 120 hours putting the elaborate creation together - the exclusive gown costing NZD $8,000 (AUD $7689)
Ms Peng also collaborated with bridal accessories designer Anna Marguerite to create a beautiful gold head piece and feature shoulder-clasp
A spokeswoman from Trish Peng told Daily Mail Australia at the time that the incredible dress was made using Christian Dior lace flown from France.
The vintage lace was embellished with hundreds of sparkling Swarovski crystals and a team of four spent 120 hours putting the creation together - the exclusive gown costing NZD $8,000 (AUD $7689).
She's a social media star whose 1.8 million Instagram followers mean she can make thousands of dollars for a single post.
But Australian social media influencer Gabby Epstein has revealed she won't tell strangers what she does for a living because she feels like she's 'not taken seriously'.
'I tell people I work in advertising, and I'd never say I'm an influencer because it's an awkward conversation,' the Gold Coast model told news.com, admitting she feels 'a bit uncomfortable' with the term.
Australian social media influencer Gabby Epstein (pictured) has revealed she won't tell strangers what she does for a living because she feels like she's 'not taken seriously
'I tell people I work in advertising, and I'd never say I'm an influencer because it's an awkward conversation,' the Gold Coast model said
For more than two years, the model has advertised brands of clothing, jewellery, and cosmetic products on her popular account.
The product placements are included in her fun-loving posts on her daily life - including sun-drenched images of her posing in a bikini in a range of exotic locations.
Her stunning images regularly rack up tens of thousands of likes.
In October 2015, the social media star told the Gold Coast Bulletin that she could earn more for one Instagram post than she would for four days of work as a model.
Over the years, the model has advertised brands of clothing, jewellery, and cosmetic products on her popular account
She previously said she earned more for a single post than she did for four days of modelling work
'I definitely earn more money from Instagram, 100 per cent,' Ms Epstein - whose favourite places to visit and photograph are Greece and Hawaii - said.
'About a year and a half ago I was travelling to Brisbane a lot for work and by the time you take out the agency's 20 per cent, GST on commission and then tax, the model is left with little.'
But while she has remained close-lipped about how much exactly she earns, those with 10 million Instagram followers can receive as much as AUD $250,000 per post, she said.
But the successful Instagram star said she knows it may not be a long-term career. 'People need backup plans, so I'm starting to invest in property and I'm launching a jewellery line'
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Epstein said the things the loved about her job the most was the 'freedom of being able to work for myself - when and where I want'.
'I can literally be anywhere in the world that I want - whether that's Italy or my living room - with a phone and a laptop and be able to work and completely support myself,' she said.
It may be nice work if you can get it, but the model acknowledged that earning a living via social networks might not be a viable income source long-term.
'I might even go back to university, because I'm very interested in psychology. But you need to have plans in place ... because this isn't for the rest of my life,' she said
'No one knows how long this [social media] will be around,' Ms Epstein told Newcorp.
'People need backup plans, so I'm starting to invest in property and I'm launching a jewellery line.
'I might even go back to university, because I'm very interested in psychology. But you need to have plans in place ... because this isn't for the rest of my life.'
Expectations were high when Richard Madeley decided to get his first hair cut in 40 years on his last day standing in for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.
Earlier in the week the veteran presenter had had his 'blonde rinse' ridiculed by viewers and today they were even more disappointed with his updated hair style.
Despite promises that the 61-year-old presenter was going to update the sweeping fringe that he has sported for his entire 30-year career, it barely changed.
Love Island star and barber Kem Cetinay had been roped in to style Richard's hair but he simply gave him a light trim and pushed his hair back from his face.
Viewers quickly took to social media to mock the outspoken host's makeover, as one said: 'LOL hair looks no different. What a waste of time.'
Richard Madeley has sported the same hair style for his entire 30-year career (left). But opted for a slight change live on Good Morning Britain (right)
Love Island star Kem Cetinay had been roped in to style the veteran presenter's hair, but gave him a slight trim and pushed his hair back off his face
Viewers were quick to mock Richard's hair style for a second day, as they commented on the fact it had barely changed despite Kem's best efforts
Others agreed, adding: '#GMB he literally combed his hair back....'
While one joked about Kem's inspiration: 'First off Richard looks no different, and second he had/has the same hair cut as @KemCetinay.'
Richard's co-hosts for his GMB stint, Ranvir Singh and Charlotte Hawkins were delighted that the newly-blonde star was getting a trim but added they were 'a bit worried' when he sat in the chair.
The former This Morning presenter who is married to Judy Finnagan, 69, wasn't fazed.
'He's got firm but gentle hands. He's going to put it in a unique style. Why am I doing this? Mad!'
Kem's girlfriend and Love Island co-star Amber Davies explained that her boyfriend was 'obsessed' with Richard's hair, reassuring everyone he was in 'good hands'.
Ranvir was on hand to dish out the compliments when the big reveal came, with Kem adding a pair of sunglasses.
She joked: 'Looking very James Bond Richard.'
Kem added a pair of sunglasses and Richard's co-hosts suggested he looked like 'James Bond' which delighted the presenter
Richard bonded with his new hairdresser Kem over their Essex roots, but he decided he wasn't going to keep the freshly coiffed look
Thrilled with his new style Richard gushed over his hairdresser: 'We discovered we've got a lot in common.
'We're both Essex boys. He's given me a little quiff, a modern Essex boy haircut.'
'He was hairdresser of the year in the UK, he was winning competitions! He's really good!'
But it was a shortlived moment for Kem as Richard quickly said: 'I don't think I'm going to keep it, but it was fun!'
He then added when he returned to the desk alongside Charlotte and Ranvir: 'You've got to give yourself up to these things. But I'm not sure the quiff is me.'
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6.30am
Gypsy star Paddy Doherty has spoken out as a new documentary shines a light on the lives of children in the traveller community.
Paddy, 58, who shot to fame on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, says he 'envies' traveller children today because they 'have the best of both worlds' and are able to mix with non-traveller people through school and social media.
But he admits they still try to maintain gender roles, with women doing the majority of the housework while men go to work and enjoy drinking with friends in the pub.
He told New! magazine: 'While the girls still cook and clean and the boys still help their daddies at work, they also play and have fun, learn and go to school.'
Paddy Doherty shot to fame on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. He later beat Kerry Katona to be crowned the winner of CBB in April 2011 and has since put in a series of TV appearances
Paddy has spoken out as a new documentary (Channel 5's Gypsy Kids, which airs tomorrow) shines a light on the lives of children in the traveller community
Nine-year-old Irish traveller Margaret [no relation to Paddy], from Birmingham, reveals her day-to-day life to cameras on a new Channel 5 show airing this week
The grandfather of 'about 23' added: 'We do try to maintain gender roles, though. My granddaughter Margaret, who's nine, always has a chamois in her hand ready to scrub the floor and she drags me home from the bar when I've had too much booze.'
It does not sound a world away from Paddy's own childhood in the early sixties, where he admits girls would learn to cook and clean 'by the age of four' while boys worked from seven.
Yet the former bare-knuckle boxer, who lives in a luxury trailer in Queensbury, Flintshire, insists gypsy children today have it better than ever as they are allowed to mix with non-travellers and marry whoever they want.
Paddy, who has been married to wife Roseanne since the age of 18, beat Kerry Katona to be crowned the winner of CBB in April 2011 and has since put in a series of TV appearances.
Speaking about life in the Irish traveller community, Paddy told the magazine: 'My granddaughter Margaret, nine, always has a chamois in her hand ready to scrub the floor'
Paddy, who has been married to wife Roseanne (pictured) since the age of 18, beat Kerry Katona to be crowned the winner of CBB and has since put in a series of TV appearances
This week, a new Channel 5 documentary will examine the lives of gypsy children, many of whom are constantly on the move and seldom go to school.
Nine-year-old Irish traveller Margaret [no relation to Paddy], from Birmingham, reveals her day-to-day life is marred by the threat of eviction on a daily basis and clashes with the local community that regularly turn violent.
Margaret, her family and those in the gypsy community she travels with are abused on a daily basis by the locals they choose to live nearby as they often set up camp illegally and cause nothing but disruption.
The most recent figures reveal more than 20,000 travellers in the UK are in the same situation as Margaret and her family.
The heir to an online fashion empire worth 2billion will tie the knot with his girlfriend this week in what looks set to be one of the most lavish weddings of the year.
Adam Kamani, 28, is the son of Mahmud Kamani, 52, who managed to turn a Manchester market stall into a vast fortune.
Adam is marrying his girlfriend Charlotte McHale, known as Charlie, in a plush wedding in Milan, Italy this week, in a lavish celebration onlookers predict could cost up to 1million.
The family have been sharing pictures of their preparations on social media, with the bride treating herself to an expensive-looking bejeweller manicure, after enjoying a huge hen party with dozens of her friends.
Pictured left to right: Adam Kamani, Charlotte McHale, Aisha Kamani, Amy Reddish and Umar Kamani. Adam, 28, the son of Boohoo's billionaire founder, is marrying his girlfriend Charlotte McHale this week
Adam works for the family business, which is now worth over 2billion after starting out as a market stall
Charlie has been sharing her wedding preparations on her Instagram page, which has over 3,000 followers.
She posted a picture of her new manicure, featuring pale pink polish encrusted with crystals.
In the run up to her big day she also kept her followers updated on her hen do, which she celebrated with a whopping 24 hens.
She captioned the picture: 'If this isn't blessings, I don't know what is..... Known some of you over 20 years and some of you 2, but I love each one of you and can't express enough gratitude for you being a part of the most perfect weekend!
Charlie had 24 hens at her extravagant bachelorette party before she ties the knot this week
'You shine as bright as all the highlighter in this pic and the ladies who pulled it all together, I love you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.. you know me so well, it was perfect in ways I never could have imagined.... you run the world.'
The groom's father Mahmud set up Boohoo in 2006 with the intention of selling up-to-date clothes for low prices.
Today, Boohoo has a workforce of 1,415, with teams in Manchester, Burnley, London, New York and Los Angeles.
It is endorsed by celebrities like Little Mix and the cast of TOWIE, and is worth an eye-watering 2.6 billion
The groom's mother Aisha Kamani, 51, has also been sharing snaps of the wedding party as they prepare for the big day in Italy.
Charlie had an expensive-looking manicure complete with crystals before her wedding
One picture saw Adam and Charlie pose in front of an expensive-looking floral wall as they cosied up to Aisha, Adam's brother Umar and his girlfriend Amy.
Adam works for his father's business while Umar is the CEO & Founder PrettyLittleThing, another hugely successful clothing brand based in Manchester.
Another picture posted by Aisha sees her wrap her arms around her soon to be daughter-in-law Charlie, with Amy posing behind Aisha.
Confirming the couple are just days away from tying the knot, Aisha captioned the picture 'pre-wedding photo', and added the hashtags #bridetobe and #kamanieverafter.
Aisha also posted a snap after a pre-wedding dinner at expensive sushi joint - and notorious celebrity haunt - Nobu, in Milan.
The groom's mother Aisha Kamani, 51, (pictured centre) has been taking part in the wedding preparations and sharing pictures with her future daughter-in-law (pictured left) with her son's girlfriend Amy (right)
The happy couple are getting married in Milan, Italy in a ceremony that is believed to be costing up to 1 million
The family has a rags to riches back story, with Indian immigrant Mahmud managing to grow his market stall into a multi-billion pound business.
Mahmuds father Abdullah went to school with Mahatma Gandhi in Gujurat, India. Abdullah moved the family to Kenya, where many Indian families had prospered under the British Empire.
Mahmud was born there in 1964, but four years later the Kamanis were forced to flee to Britain by increasing unrest and draconian employment laws that favoured native Kenyans.
Charlie has been keeping fans updated on her wedding plans via her social media pages
They settled in Manchester, where the entrepreneurial Abdullah sold handbags on a market stall to feed his family, before investing in property and founding the wholesale textile business Pinstripe, where Mahmud worked, using family connections in India to source garments.
By the early 2000s, the firm was selling nearly 50 million of clothing a year to High Street names such as New Look, Primark and Philip Greens Topshop.
The family were pictured enjoying an extravagant pre-wedding meal at Nobu in Milan
Spotting the potential in the growth of the internet, Mahmud set up his online retailer in 2006 that would deliver their own-branded fashion at rock bottom prices, starting out with just three staff and operating out of a Manchester warehouse.
Today it has a workforce of over 1,000, and celebrity advocates including everyone from Little Mix to Tallia Storm.
Little Mix have endorsed Boohoo, with Jade (second from right) wearing a gold jacket from their range
As the sun brightened up a rather grey morning in Washington, D.C., so too did Ivanka Trump's mood appear to lift.
After leaving her house with something of a gloomy look on her face early on Wednesday morning, it seems the First Daughter did something to lift her spirits, and was pictured with a wide smile on her face later in the day as she prepared to head to Missouri to join her father.
Ivanka, 35, was seen strolling across the White House lawn alongside Gary Cohn, Director of the National Economic Council, and White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, looking incredibly relaxed and carefree, grinning as she chatted with the two men who were accompanying her on the day trip.
That's better! After sporting a very gloomy expression first thing on Wednesday morning, Ivanka Trump seemed to have brightened up by mid-morning when she left the White House
All smiles: The 35-year-old looked carefree and relaxed as she chatted with National Economic Council Chairman Gary Cohn and White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter
Bright and breezy: Ivanka looked incredibly glamorous in her designer outfit
Chic: Ivanka was wearing the same Oscar de la Renta dress she was pictured in earlier that morning as she made her way to Missouri to join her father President Trump
Support system: While in Missouri, the president will speak about tax reform, with his daughter promising on Twitter he would announce plans to 'empower all Americans'
As she prepared to board Air Force One and head to Springfield, Missouri, Ivanka took to Twitter to share details about her trip, and her father's upcoming announcement.
'Joining @realDonaldTrump in Missouri today as he announces the plan for #TaxReform to empower ALL Americans!' she wrote on her official account.
Ivanka certainly looked ready and raring to go as she prepared to board Marine One at the White House, before later traveling to Missouri on Air Force One, although she was not pictured alongside her father at any point.
Upon arrival in Springfield, the mother-of-three boarded and disembarked the plane alongside Cohn and Porter, while the president was seen heading to Marine One with Roy Blunt, the senator from Missouri.
He was then greeted by Missouri Govenor Eric Greitens when he landed in Springfield.
Big news: Ivanka took to Twitter to reveal details about her trip
Arrival: Ivanka wore the same white and blue dress she had modeled earlier in the day, but added a pair of Dior sunglasses to her look
Travel buddy: President Donald Trump was joined on the journey by Roy Blunt, the senator from Missouri
Right hand woman: Ivanka stood alongside Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as her father made his announcement
Motherly: The mom-of-three was seen reaching out out to a little girl, who appeared to come over all shy at meeting the First Daughter
Smiling happily: All trace of Ivanka's rather gloomy mood earlier in the day had disappeared by the time she arrived in Missouri
But the lack of face time with her father didn't seem to bother Ivanka, who looked much happier than she had earlier on in the day.
Ivanka, who returned to the day-to-day grind as a senior advisor to her father on Monday, after spending the weekend at Camp David with her family, looked very somber as she left her house in the morning - a marked difference from the wide smile she wore on her return from her weekend getaway, and the grin she sported as she prepared to head to Missouri.
Ivanka's somewhat gloomy early-morning appearance came just days after a White House leak revealed that the First Daughter is derisively referred to as the 'Princess Royal' by aides, while her husband Jared Kushner, 36, is mocked for being a political neophyte by D.C. insiders.
Leaving the family's D.C. home shortly before 8am, Ivanka was pictured looking very glamorous - despite her straight-faced expression - wearing her hair in an elegant half-up style, while her make-up appeared to have been done by a professional.
The mother-of-three wore a chic white Oscar de la Renta dress, from the designer's Spring 2012 collection, which had a bright blue floral pattern on the front, adding a pair of nude heels from her eponymous fashion line, as well as a pair of star-shaped diamond earrings.
There she goes: Ivanka landed back at the White House on Marine One early in the evening
Good day? She still had a small smile on her face as she left the aircraft
Brand ambassador: The First Daughter was carrying a white handbag from her eponymous fashion line
Quick trip: Ivanka was in Missouri for just a matter of hours before returning to D.C.
But it looks as though even her stylish appearance couldn't raise Ivanka's spirits, and the blonde businesswoman failed to flash her signature smile at the cameras as she made her way into a waiting SUV before heading to the White House to begin work for the day.
Ivanka's less-than-positive expression will come as no surprise to many, however, as her public outing comes less than 48 hours after a series of incredibly unflattering claims were made about her and her husband Jared, and their roles within Trump's administration.
In a piece published by Vanity Fair, which examined the couple and their roles within the White House, it was also claimed that Jared and Ivanka - referred to by the publication as 'exiles on Pennsylvania Avenue' - are very unhappy with their lives in D.C. which is said to 'puncture their self-esteem on a daily basis'.
The duo, who left their comfortable lives in New York City in order to take up roles in the White House following Trump's election, were also described as being incredibly star struck by their seemingly powerful titles, yet completely oblivious as to how little influence they really have on policy.
It was also suggested that they are afraid their positions within Trump's administration will mean they are unable to return to the same Manhattan social circles which they frequented before the 2016 presidential campaign.
Chin up! Ivanka looked rather gloomy as she left her home earlier that morning
Stressed? The First Daughter wore a very somber expression, and failed to stop and wave at the cameras as she so often does
Cause and effect: Ivanka's moody appearance comes less than 48 hours after it was claimed she is referred to as 'Princess Royal' by White House aides
They are also reported to be weighed down by the investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia - with Kushner being one of the focal points of the probe.
In its story, Vanity Fair cites a number of friends, acquaintances, and officials close to the couple.
The magazine notes that while President Trump is 'emotionally dependent' on his daughter and son-in-law, they, in turn, are too weak and ineffectual to have any impact on actual policy.
Indeed, during their time in the White House there are said to have been a number of instances where Ivanka and her father have disagreed on policy - and President Trump has failed to take on-board his daughter's opinions.
First there was Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military, which came in spite of the fact that Ivanka has spoken out in support of the LGBT community in the past.
Upset: A feature published in Vanity Fair also claimed that she and her husband Jared Kushner are unhappy with their lives in D.C. which is said to 'puncture their self-esteem every day'
Poker face? While Jared, 36, also faced equally unflattering accusations - including that he is viewed as a political neophyte by D.C. insiders - he seemed unfazed as he left his home
That's better: Ivanka looked much more cheery on Monday morning, hours after returning from a weekend away at Camp David
Relaxed: The First Daughter spent the weekend with Jared and their three children, as well as her father, President Trump, First Lady Melania, and their son Barron
It was also claimed at the time that Ivanka and Jared learned of the ban on Twitter, when the president posted about the ban for the first time, rather than hearing about it ahead of time.
Ivanka is also said to have advised her father to keep the US in the Paris Accord on climate change - advice which he once again ignored, announcing in June that he was pulling the United States out of the deal.
Then there was the First Daughter's failed attempt to get Planned Parenthood to stop offering abortions in exchange for her father's agreement not to begin defunding the organization as part of a health care law that would have essentially shut down the non-profit.
President Trump's support for the health care law, which ultimately died in the Senate, led Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards to publicly criticize Ivanka, leaving her facing a bitter public backlash from people who claimed she was a hypocrite for claiming to stand up for women's rights, while also supporting her father's administration and policies.
The Vanity Fair piece, which was published in the October issue of the magazine, appeared online just hours after Jared, Ivanka, and their three children - Arabella, six, Joseph, three, and Theodore, one - returned from a weekend at Camp David with her father, First Lady Melania Trump, and their son, Ivanka's younger brother, Barron.
No paparazzi! Ivanka's shy daughter Arabella, six, hid from cameras as the family returned to Washington, D.C. on Sunday following their weekend getaway at Camp David
Sunday scaries: Despite her cheery yellow frock, Arabella seemed glum after coming back from the brief weekend trip to the Maryland retreat
Chic: Ivanka looked happy and relaxed upon the family's return, wearing an all-white ensemble of jeans and a tank, with a sweater thrown casually around her shoulders
Ivanka's mood as she left the helicopter which delivered the family back to D.C. on Sunday was markedly different to her gloomy disposition on Wednesday; the blonde businesswoman beamed with joy as she made her way across the White House lawn, carrying youngest son Theo and holding Joseph's hand.
Wearing an all-white ensemble of jeans and a tank top, with a striped sweater thrown around her shoulders, Ivanka looked happy and relaxed after the weekend away.
Even hours later, when she and Jared were pictured leaving their home to head into the office on Monday morning - shortly before the Vanity Fair piece was published online - Ivanka looked in much better spirits, flashing a small smile at photographers as she left her home.
But while Ivanka's apparent upset following the Vanity Fair feature was evident on her face on Wednesday morning, her husband Jared looked much more upbeat as he was pictured leaving their home - despite suffering the same unflattering portrayal as his wife.
Wearing his trademark navy suit and a burgundy tie, Jared happily smiled and waved at the cameras as he exited the property in the upmarket Kalorama Heights neighborhood.
Auction house Sotheby's has announced it will sell Hollywood icon Vivien Leigh's personal belongings including her 2.6million Wiltshire home, a 15,000 mirror and the actress' own signed copy of Gone with the Wind.
To mark the sale, the auction house has released never-seen-before footage from home videos of Leigh with her one-time husband Laurence Olivier.
The cinematic legends can be seen frolicking by the pool and playing with their pet dog during the footage, which offers a rare insight into one of the most talked about marriages in Hollywood history.
Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier had one of the most talked about marriages in Hollywood but went their separate ways after 20 years of marriage in 1960
A fine romance: The pair are seen gaily embracing in the footage, which offers an insight into their marriage, which began after they both left their previous partners
The rare footage, released to announce the sale of Leigh's private belongings by Sotheby's, shows Olivier and Leigh enjoying a day in the sunshine, with Olivier in his swimwear
A love affair worthy of a Hollywood movie: the home footage shows the couple relaxing in the grounds of their luxury homes. Right: Olivier goes for a dip in the couple's pool
The couple went their separate ways in 1960 but had captured the imagination of millions with their romance
Leigh, who was born in Darjeeling in 1913, was originally married to Herbert Leigh Holman before she fell for Olivier's charms
Home life: the clips show Leigh smartly dressed but happy to play with her King Charles Spaniel, who dined with his very own bib
Leigh and Oliver were wed in 1940 after a whirlwind love affair that saw them both leaving their respctive marriages.
Their own union lasted for twenty years but came to an end in 1960, just seven years before Leigh died of TB aged just 53.
The Sotheby's sale, to be held on September 26th, will include items given to the pair on their wedding day, including a goblet gifted from Katharine Hepburn, who was one of only four guests at the union, which took place at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara.
The silver cup is expected to fetch between 8,000 to 12,000.
Manor Farm House, Leigh's beloved Wiltshire home, is being sold by her grandchildren for a coll 2.6million
The Hollywood star's personal belongings and her home in Wiltshire are expected to make more than 3million when they go under Sotheby's hammer next month
A goblet (right) gifted to Leigh and Olivier by Katharine Hepburn their wedding has a guide price of 8,000 to 12,000 while a pair of Gucci high ball glasses will go on sale for 200 to 300
Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell signed Leigh's copy of her book, which is included in the September 26th sale
Jewels: A large mid 19th-century diamond bow brooch is among Leigh's personal jewellery
A gold ring engraved with the words 'Laurence Olivier Vivien Eternally' dating back to the 1940s has a price tag of 400 to 600
Leigh shot by celebrated photographer Cecil Beaton at the British Embassy in Paris in 1947
For those with deep pockets, Leigh's beloved home, in the Wiltshire village of Zeals, is the headline buy.
Manor Farm House, currently owned by Leigh's grandchildren, includes 'a six to seven bedroom manor house set around a courtyard of beautiful Medieval stone barns' and will go on sale for 2.6million.
Elsewhere in the collection, there are show-stealers galore including The Notley Mirror, an 18th-century carved giltwood mirror with a guide price of around 10,000 to 15,000.
For fans of Leigh's most famous role, as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind in the 1939 classic, there's the actress' own personal copy of the book, signed by its author Margaret Mitchell.
In the pink: A beautiful pink full length evening dress by designer Victor Stiebel is amongst the items going under the hammer
Artwork: Leigh's own artistic efforts are also included along with her palette, paints and paintbrushes. Right: A work by Winston Churchill, owned by Leigh, that comes with a 100,000 price tag
British star David Niven's signed snap of him jumping into a pool is on sale for 300 to 500
A mind reader convinced Mel B to stab Simon Cowell on America's Got Talent during a baffling routine that saw him solve the 'murder' before it happened.
Colin Cloud, from Harthill, Scotland, performed his captivating act during Tuesday night's episode of America's Got Talent.
The Sherlock Holmes aficionado, who developed a taste for deductions and mind reading after becoming fascinated with Arthur Conan Doyle's detective, had Simon, 57, sit on a bench onstage and began his act by brandishing a prop newspaper reporting on the judge's murder.
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Impressive! Mind reader Colin Cloud (pictured) convinced Mel B to stab Simon Cowell on America's Got Talent during a routine that saw him solve the 'murder' before it happened
Revenge: Mel B seemed to jump at the chance to get back at Simon during Colin's act and eagerly agreed to help the mind reader
Colin presented the routine as a chance for Mel B to get some 'revenge' on Simon following their spat last week.
Simon had cracked a joke about Mel's wedding night, saying it had a lot of anticipation but 'not much promise or delivery'.
Mel, who is in the middle of a contentious from husband Stephen Belafonte, replied with a shock smile, then threw her cup of water at Simon before walking offstage briefly.
Mel, who has obtained a restraining order against her spouse after accusing him of physical and emotional abuse, which he has denied, returned to the show soon afterwards.
But she seemed to jump at the chance to get back at Simon during Colin's act and eagerly agreed to help the mind reader.
Colin asked her to pick a member of the audience and invited the woman chosen by Mel to hop onstage.
Routine: Colin asked Mel to pick a member of the audience and invited the woman chosen by Mel to hop onstage, later prompting her to select one of five knives
Fiction: The mind reader had Simon Cowell sit on a bench onstage and at one point brandished a prop newspaper reporting on the judge's murder
While that woman made her way towards him, Colin asked the audience to think about naughty or guilty memories in their past.
At that point, the woman picked by Mel arrived onstage, and Colin asked her to take a piece of paper he handed her, read it, fill it in and fold it up without letting anyone see.
In the meantime, Colin asked Simon to help him pick a random audience member. He ashed a woman to stand up among the audience, and amazingly seemed to guess the embarrassing memory she was thinking about due to his earlier prompt.
Colin began by stating that in her memory, the woman was camping with friends and something happened with a dog.
'Am I correct in saying that you're thinking whilst you were camping this dog has bitten you on your butt?' Colin asked.
The woman, with an amazed look on her face, confirmed that it was indeed what she was reminiscing about.
Act: Colin correctly guessed that the audience member picked by Mel had elected to have Simon killed because he had stolen all her Justin Bieber CDs
Prompt: He then handed the knife to Mel, telling her 'this is your moment' and telling her: 'I would love you please to plunge that knife into Simon Cowell's chest'
Impressively, Colin appeared to correctly infer that the man sitting right in front of the woman was thinking that the exact same thing happened to him once.
The mind reader then resumed his murder-themed routine, asking the first woman picked by Mel to set her piece of paper aside and pick one of five knives, which he called 'potential murder weapons'.
He then asked Mel to come onstage and stand next to Simon, right before correctly guessing that the woman's reason for killing the judge is because he stole her entire collection of Justin Bieber CDs.
Colin then asserted that the woman had picked the white knife out of the five options, which turned out to be true.
The mind reader handed the knife to Mel, telling her 'this is your moment' and telling her: 'I would love you please to plunge that knife into Simon Cowell's chest'.
Mel gave it an energetic try, with Simon interjecting: 'OK, I'm dead!' but the knife turned out to be made out of rubber, meaning the judge was, of course, not actually murdered on live television.
Not working: Mel gave it an energetic try, with Simon interjecting: 'OK, I'm dead!' but the knife turned out to be made out of rubber
There's more: Colin then claimed he had correctly guessed the motive of the 'murder' before the routine ever began and asked Simon to scoot over on his bench
Motive: Simon thus revealed a plaque reading: 'In loving memory of Simon Cowell killed because their entire collection of Justin Bieber CDs'
History: Last week, Mel threw her water at Simon and walked offstage after her fellow judge cracked a joke about her wedding night
Colin then claimed he had correctly guessed the motive of the 'murder' before the routine ever began and asked Simon to scoot over. Simon thus revealed a plaque reading: 'In loving memory of Simon Cowell killed because their entire collection of Justin Bieber CDs.'
Mel seemed amazed, exclaiming: 'That is crazy! My Gosh!'
The mind reader went on to reveal that the white knife was the only one made out of rubber, stabbing all four others into a wooden surface.
'Why did I choose you?' Mel lamented towards the woman who picked the rubber knife.
While she seemed to enjoy the act, not all judges were won over by Colin's performance, with Howie Mandel warning the seven-minute routine was too long and sometimes hard to follow.
'I think your showmanship and your explanation has got to be better,' Simon told the mind reader. Howie appeared to agree, adding: 'I think it was long and drawn out and confusing everything was confusing me.'
Colin, who began his career as a motivational speaker, then decided to chase his dream of becoming a stage performer, is one of the candidates still in the running to become a semifinalist.
His fate now rests in the hands of the audience, who voted for its favorite participants. Results will be announced tonight during a live broadcast.
During a hot August afternoon last week, Jaime Butler sank into the couch at her grandmother's home in Cameron. She wore floral-patterned shorts, a starfish necklace and purple earrings in the shape of pinup girls that stood out against her short black hair.
She talked about racing to finish up the last of her summer reading, admitted to getting sucked into watching too many YouTube videos and showed off her collection of potted plants, her pet fish and her new puppy.
In other words, she looked and acted like a normal teenager.
But the 16-year-old is also one of 21 young people trying to make history with a lawsuit aiming to force the federal government to take action on climate change. The lawsuit claims that in promoting the burning of fossil fuels that cause global warming, the federal government has violated the youngest generations constitutional rights to life, liberty and property, according to Our Childrens Trust, the advocacy organization that provides legal and other support to the young plaintiffs.
As Butler, who is the only Navajo in the group and the only plaintiff from Arizona, put it, its about the right of her and her peers to a clean, livable environment.
They are putting more stuff into the air and ruining our water and taking advantage of all the resources and ruining the environment while trying to support energy, she said. "Even though there's a cleaner way to get energy now, they're still doing it."
If the case goes to trial in U.S. District Court in February as scheduled, the plaintiffs will face off against an administration that has made clear its open hostility to climate change action and has only done more to facilitate the fossil fuel development that is central to the cases argument.
The Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, also has made repeated attempts to block the climate lawsuit. In its latest move in June, the Justice Department filed a petition asking for an appeals court to immediately review, and potentially overturn, a judges decision in November to allow the case to go to trial. The Washington Post reported that the request, which could stop the case from proceeding, is widely considered the Hail Mary of legal procedures.
As it stands now, the appeals court is considering the petition and has ordered a temporary stay on the lawsuits proceedings until further notice.
After two years of twists, turns, stops and starts in the high-profile case, Butler said shes still glad to be involved and to be among those bringing climate change to the forefront.
I feel like we are some of the people that are leading everyone else to start noticing it, noticing it is going to be a big deal and going to impact all of us in the future in some way, Butler said. I'm really happy that our group is just bringing more attention to it.
CLIMATE SUIT ROUND TWO
Although she now goes to high school in Colorado, Butler grew up living on the Navajo Reservation and in the Flagstaff area. She spent fourth through eighth grade attending school in Flagstaff.
Butler said she agreed to join the Juliana v. United States case in large part because of encouragement from her mother, Jamescita Peshlakai. A Democratic state senator in Arizona, Peshlakai is vocal about the need for action on climate change. In 2011 she filed a lawsuit on behalf of Butler claiming that former Gov. Jan Brewers administration had an obligation to reduce greenhouse gases as part of its responsibility to protect the atmosphere. The state Court of Appeals threw out the claim in 2013.
Apart from the lawsuit, Butler had also started writing letters to former President Obama about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and then, in 2010, about the Gulf oil spill. After the sixth letter, Butler said Obama responded. Her mother must have told friends or posted the news on social media, Butler said, because the word spread and she was contacted by Our Childrens Trust.
When she was 11, the organization made a video that featured Butler speaking about climate change and the challenges of water access on the Navajo reservation. During one particular stretch of drought, she said her family had to sell their livestock when hauling water became too expensive.
After the video, Our Childrens Trust kept in touch and eventually looped back to ask about her joining the climate change lawsuit, Butler said.
So far, she said she hasnt been asked to give formal testimony, but has attended conferences, been to media events and done other interviews.
They want to make sure people understand we're real."
She said she does have emotional days when she gets freaked out and thinks the world is going to end. Last year, Butler said she had nightmares about it.
But what she thinks about more than a doomsday scenario is why people arent noticing how their own actions are causing climate damage.
If we got to the point of where we couldnt live because of ourselves, I think about that, she said. How can people completely ignore to what we're doing to the planet?
She says the same thing about Trump.
"I don't understand how Trump doesn't see how climate change is a real thing," she said. "Pulling out of the climate accord made me so angry. Just because he wanted to do that doesn't mean he should have taken our whole country out."
Among the plaintiffs, Butler said her experience growing up in a traditional Navajo family gives her a unique perspective.
I feel like how we see things, how we see the environment changing is a lot different than how a person in New York would see the environment changing, she said.
And even though shes shy, she appreciates the importance of drawing more attention to the case.
I want it to be a big deal so that a lot more people will see it and hear about it, Butler said. I want everyone to understand that little kids can do these big things to help our environment.
Editor's note: This story was changed Aug. 30, 2017, to clarify that Jaime Butler is not part of a study monitoring her psychological health.
Two California college sophomores had a Parent Trap-esque moment when they discovered that their mothers were long-lost best friends who hadn't seen each other in 16 years.
When Nissma Bencheikh, 19, and Roaya Jannatipour, 18, first met at the University of California, Berkeley, they had no idea that they shared so much more in common than their Canadian and Moroccan roots.
However to their utter astonishment, they eventually learned that they actually shared an incredibly close bond - and a shared history - through their mothers, who had once been incredibly close while both living in Canada, something which they didn't realize until after a whole year of college together.
Parent trap: College sophomores Nissma Bencheikh, 19, and Roaya Jannatipour, 18, were shocked to learn that their parents were long-lost best friends and that they grew up together
Fateful friends: The duo became roommates in their sophomore year and made the discovery when their parents met via FaceTime and connected the dots from there
Deep roots: The girls bonded at first because of their common Canadian and Moroccan roots, not realizing their connection ran much deeper in history and time
The college girls met during their freshmen year at the University of California, Berkeley and became fast friends, after being introduced by a mutual pal, initially hitting it off thanks to their similar backgrounds and common pre-med career path.
'I found out she was from Virginia, and that, coincidentally, was also Moroccan and Canadian like me!' Roaya wrote on Twitter in a thread raving about the serendipitous reunion.
From sitting alongside one another in class to hanging out during their spare time, the two were attached at the hip their freshman year.
'We sit together in our Chem lecture all semester, go to brunch, lounge on the glade, and decide to be roommates next year,' Nissma added in her own Twitter thread.
But it wasn't until sophomore year when the pals decided to become roommates and moved into their new apartment that the connection was finally made.
Roaya Facetimed her mother and thought she'd introduce her to Nissma's father who was helping them move in.
The parents chatted on the phone for a while before he began asking the girls about Roaya's father and family background.
'Oddly, he already knows what I'm about to say...he calls Roaya out and asks her dad's name. When she answers he says "I KNOW YOUR PARENTS,'" Nissma wrote.
The father explained he attended McGill University 18 years ago with Roaya's father and that the two families were not just neighbors in Montreal, but the best of friends.
'Turns out Roaya and I's families were best friends and neighbors in Montreal Canada 16 years ago,' Nissma said.
Reunited! Moroccan mothers Naima Souissi and Saida Chehbouni are long-lost best friends who rediscovered each other after 16 years when their daughters became college roommates
Happy reunion! They tearfully reunited on Monday in New York City after their story went viral
Sisters forever: The women cried and called one another sister in a long, weepy embrace
'The whole family is together!' The best friends smile with their daughters, who also became best friends, after over a decade of not seeing each other
Their mothers, Naima Souissi and Saida Chehbouni, had a close relationship. They went to college together and were pregnant at the same time.
Their friendship, however, was put on hold when Roaya's family moved from Montreal to Irvine, California, and Nissma's family headed to Virginia over a decade ago.
But thanks to that fateful Facetime call, the parents re-met each other and discovered the connection.
The moms finally reunited in New York City this week after over a decade apart.
In a heart melting video the daughters bring their mothers to Manhattan on Monday to surprise them with a reunion orchestrated by ABC.
'They went to university together, they lived down the street from each other, used to talk, used to have dinner,' Roaya explained on the moms' close relationship.
After so much time apart, the two were clueless about the get-together awaiting them in Central Park. When they finally saw each other, they laughed and cried as they embraced for the first time in 16 years.
'I missed you so much,' Roaya's mother Saida, said.
'She's like my sister. She's my best friend and my family,' Nissma's mother Naima fondly added of her friend.
The two held on to each other and repeated 'oh my god' and hugged each others' daughters.
At the end Saida exclaimed, 'The whole family is together!'
The duo lost touch without the help of the internet or cell phones but their daughters were the key to their reunion, years later, in the most unexpected of circumstances.
Little Einsteins: Roaya (right) and Nissma (left) were shocked to discover that the roommates even have baby photos with together from their childhood in Montreal
Two peas in a pod: Their mothers went to college together and were pregnant at the same time and the two played together as babies (Roaya, left, Nissma, right) in their Canada homes
Child's play: Although the girls can't remember, their best friend mothers showed them plenty of proof of their childhood games together (above)
The two friends, soon realized that they didn't just meet for the first time at university, but used to play together as babies.
But their relationship was much closer than just friendship. Roaya's mother Saida was in the delivery room for Nissma's sisters birth and even cut her umbilical cord.
'and even crazier...her mom not only cut my sister's umbilical cord at birth but also named her,' Nissma tweeted.
'This is insane. How often do you find out that one of your best friends as a young adult you actually have baby pictures with that you don't even remember?' Nissma said to ABC.
Just when it couldn't seem to be more fateful, Roaya revealed that both girls almost didn't even attend Berkeley.
'Both of us almost didn't go to Berkeley, but decided to go last minute,' she said.
'I am screaming this world is so unbelievably small!!!!' she added.
Listen up! Roaya took to Twitter to share their crazy story that gained plenty of traction
Surprise! Nissma also shared the story, revealing their Parent Trap like scenario to the internet
Heartbreak: She revealed that the families lost touch after they moved to different cities
Almost missed the mark: The girls also admitted that both of them almost chose to attend different colleges, but last minute chose Berkeley, where they became roommates
Despite the passing of years and time the parents still thought about each other, with Roaya's mother searching for her best friend, Nissma's mother, on Facebook for the last 20 years.
The girls soon learned that their mothers, Naima and Saida went to college together and were even pregnant at the same time.
Despite the coast to coast separation, fate brought the families back together, after they lost contact for over a decade.
Nissma shared to ABC, 'a best friend is a best friend even when 16 years pass,' on the parents' get-together.
'When you have such a deep profound connection with somebody, that's something no one ever wants to lose...so being able to rekindle that...it's just going to be very sentimental for them,' Roaya added.
Joy-Anna Duggar and her new husband Austin Forsyth are expecting their first child together.
The exciting news comes just three months after the 19-year-old daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar from TLC's 19 Kids And Counting wed Austin, 23, at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, in May in front of more than 1,000 guests.
'Were so happy and thankful to announce that were expecting a baby!' Joy-Anna told People. 'Every child is such a precious gift from God.'
Surprise: Joy-Anna Duggar and her new husband Austin Forsyth have revealed that they are expecting their first child together
'Eating for two': The news comes just three months after the two said 'I do'
The Counting On star added: 'Im most looking forward to watching Austin as a dad and raising children together with him.'
The Duggar family also shared the exciting news on their website, writing: 'We are so blessed to share that Joy and Austin are expecting!
'We know they will be such wonderful parents! We can't wait to meet this little one!'
Joy-Anna, who is the fourth Duggar daughter to marry, met Austin when he moved to Arkansas and started attending the same church as her family.
Like his wife, Austin was raised in a strict Christian home, and the two were expected to abstain from sex before marriage and wait until their wedding day for their first kiss.
Young newlyweds: Joy-Anna, 19, and Austin, 23, wed at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, in May after a three-month engagement
Abstinance: Joy-Anna and Austin were both raised in strict Christian homes, and the two were expected to wait until their wedding day for their first kiss
Jet setters: Following their honeymoon in Switzerland, the couple spend their one-month anniversary in Israel
The two were engaged for just three-months before they exchanged vows in front of their family and friends.
Following their wedding, Joy-Anna and Austin traveled to Switzerland for their honeymoon.
While sharing a scenic photo from their trip on Instagram, Joy-Anna wrote: 'Married life is going great, I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend. I can't wait to spread joy and the word of god to all of you out there.'
Earlier this month, Joy-Anna shared photos of herself dirt bike riding with her husband on their joint Instagram account.
I always love getting to do new things & go on new adventures with my man! #firsttimedirtbiking #loveyouforeverandalways,' Joy-Anna captioned the images.
Father-to-be: Joy-Anna said she can't wait to raise children with Austin
'New adventures with my man': The couple went dirt bike riding together earlier this month
And Joy-Anna isn't the only Duggar who has a growing family.
In the spring, it was revealed that Joy-Anna's older brother Josh Duggar and his wife Anna, both 29, are expecting a fifth child after a series of scandals, including serial infidelity and a stint in faith-based rehab.
Meanwhile, their sister Jill Duggar, 26, and her husband, Derick Dillard, welcomed their son Samuel Scott Dillard into the world earlier this month. He is the second child for the couple, who also has a two-year-old son named Israel.
Jessa Duggar, 24, shares two sons, Spurgeon and Henry, with her husband Ben Seewald, and Jinger Duggar, 23, tied the knot with Jeremy Vuolo last November.
Joy-Anna famously has 18 siblings, but when it comes to the size of her own family, she told People: 'We want as many [children] as the Lord thinks we can handle'.
A man has touched the hearts of thousands with the incredible story of how he married his first crush almost ten years after her unexpected phone call prevented him from committing suicide.
Kevin Walsh, 28, from Okemos, Michigan, shared his amazing story on Quora in response to a question asking people to name a moment in their lives that they thought could only happen in a movie.
'My first crush called me out of the blue at exactly the right moment to prevent my suicide, and then I married her a decade later,' Kevin wrote of his 28-year-old wife, Blake Moore.
Incredible story: Kevin Walsh revealed he married his first crush, Blake Moore, nearly ten years after her surprise phone call stopped him from committing suicide as a teen
True love: The 28-year-old from Okemos, Michigan, said 'I do' to Blake on September 17, 2016, nearly a decade after she saved his life when he was a senior in high school
Nearly 300,000 people have read his heartfelt Quara post, which started with him meeting his wife at a summer camp in Michigan as a young teen.
'Once upon a time I was 13 at a summer camp and the prettiest girl I'd ever seen walked right up to me and said, "Black is a good color on you,"' he explained.
Although he had no idea why she said that, they became friends and exchanged AOL Instant Messenger screen names, which he pointed how was normal for the time.
The two stayed in touch for a bit, but they eventually grew apart when they were in high school. However, he insisted Blake was always on his mind.
'I can promise you that not a day went by that I didn't think about that girl. Even now I'm not sure I can say why - something about her just stayed with me,' he said.
Incredible: When Blake joined Kevin on his work trip to Switzerland in 2016, he asked her to marry him using the same words he wrote in his journal the night she saved his life
Unforgettable: When they first met at summer camp at 13, Blake told Kevin he looked good in black. He paid homage to her first words to him by proposing with a black diamond
Kevin explained that he fell into a depression during his senior year and had resolved to take his own life, going as far as writing a note and planning on where he wanted to 'end things'.
'Somewhere between five and ten seconds before I would have committed suicide, my phone rang,' he recalled. 'I checked the caller ID - I couldn't die not knowing. It was a number I didn't recognize, so I picked up and it was her.
'I asked her what was up and she said she just felt like she had to call me. At that point it had been a year since we had spoken, and at that moment she just had to call.'
Kevin said Blake talked him out of committing suicide after she got him to admit what he was planning.
'She made me promise to call her the next day, and we hung up,' he said. 'That night I started writing the words which, ten years later, I'd propose with.'
READ KEVIN WALSH'S FULL STORY 'I can't not answer this. 'Once upon a time I was 13 at a summer camp and the prettiest girl I'd ever seen walked right up to me and said "black is a good color on you." No idea why. We chatted and became friends, exchanged AIM screen names (it was the time) and stayed in touch for a while. 'We fell off each others' radar some time in high school, but I can promise you that not a day went by that I didn't think about that girl. Even now I'm not sure I can say why - something about her just stayed with me. 'In my senior year I went through some dumb high school stuff that seemed earth-shattering at the time, and fell hard into depression. I resolved to take my own life, wrote a note and went to where I planned to end things. 'Somewhere between 5 and 10 seconds before I would have committed suicide, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID - I couldn't die not knowing. It was a number I didn't recognize, so I picked up and it was her. 'I asked her what was up and she said she just felt like she had to call me. At that point it had been a year since we had spoken, and at that moment she just had to call. Long story short, she pried, I spilled the beans and she talked me out of it. I mean she literally said "What? Don't do that." And that was that. 'She made me promise to call her the next day, and we hung up. That night I started writing the words which, ten years later, I'd propose with. 'Tl;dr: My first crush called me out of the blue at exactly the right moment to prevent my suicide, and then I married her a decade later.' Advertisement
Blake told Inside Edition that she remembers the story differently, recalling how she was on a school trip when she received a call from her now-husband.
'I think its a true example of a force in the universe intervening and connecting us,' she said. 'I get goosebumps every single time I talk about it.'
After that life-changing moment, the two stayed in touch and would frequently visit each other despite living in different cities at the time.
When Blake joined Kevin on his work trip to Switzerland in 2016, he asked her to marry him using the same words he wrote in his journal the night she saved his life.
Kevin also presented Blake with a black diamond engagement ring to pay tribute to the first words she ever said to him.
The couple, who said 'I do' five months later, is celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary on September 17.
She tied the knot in a lavish ceremony earlier this month - and Italian model Bianca Balti was still channelling bridal chic as she arrived at the opening ceremony of the Venice Film Festival today.
The 33-year-old chose to wear white again on the red carpet, looking sensational in a plunging gown that was cinched in at the waist.
The Dolce & Gabbana muse teamed the showstopping dress with a pair of towering black and silver heels, adding a black clutch bag to finish off the sophisticated look.
Italian model Bianca Balti looked sensational in a plunging white gown as she arrived at the opening ceremony of the Venice Film Festival
Wearing her brunette tresses up in a top knot, Bianca showed off her model features with a subtle make-up look, opting for a soft pink and nude colour palette.
This year's Venice Film Festival began with the premiere of sci-fi comedy Downsizing, which stars Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz and Alec Baldwin.
It's already back to business for Bianca, who wed her long-term partner Matthew McRae in a romantic ceremony in California at the start of this month.
She stunned in a bespoke ivory gown by Dolce & Gabbana featuring lace applique detailing.
The 33-year-old teamed the showstopping dress with a pair of towering black and silver heels, while keeping her accessories to a minimal
The unusual gown by Italian brand OVs was short at the front and long at the back
The model was apparently inspired by her wedding, which took place earlier this month, in her choice of frock for the star-studded event
The couple said their vows on the Harvest Lawn of The Ranch at Laguna Beach with Bianca's two daughters, Matilde Lucidi and Mia McRae, acting as bridesmaids.
And overseeing his creation bought to life was Stefano Gabbana himself who, as a close friend of Bianca's, attended the wedding.
Following the wedding, Bianca shared a series of stunning snaps from her wedding on her Instagram page.
Wearing her brunette tresses up in a top knot, Bianca showed off her model features with a subtle make-up look, opting for a soft pink and nude colour palette
The model accessorised with an elegant silver necklace, pulling the whole look together
Bianca showed off her newlywed glow as she arrived for the premiere of Downsizing
The sci-fi comedy Downsizing stars the likes of Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz and Alec Baldwin
Sharing her special day with her fans, she wrote: 'I know it's not traditional to renew vows all dressed up in white, when you already have daughters.
'But.. who cares! Life is for us to celebrate beauty and love when we feel like it! When it feels right!!!!
'I'm very thankful to have shared this special day with my babies; they had a great time and they'll remember it forever!!'
Bianca wed her long-term partner Matthew McRae in a romantic ceremony in California at the start of this month
The channel may have changed, but one thing that has thankfully stayed the same on the Great British Bake Off is the number of filthy innuendos.
New presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig more than stepped into the breach left by cheeky comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins as they smirked and giggled at naughty double entendres.
From a very forward invitation from Prue Leith to a very phallic chocolate champagne bottle, FEMAIL has rounded up the funniest innuendos from the first episode of this year's Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.
1. 'A MOIST CLUTCH'
Stacey Hart made an illusion cake that was in the shape of a black clutch bag - prompting Noel to call it a 'moist clutch'
Let's start with the double entendre that got everybody talking last night.
It came in the latter third of the show's run-time, when nervous new presenter Noel got into his stride and felt more able to start cracking jokes.
And he just couldn't resist making a comment after Stacey Hart innocently said that her illusion cake - designed to look like a black clutch bag - will be 'quite moist'.
'Looking forward to the moist clutch,' smirked Noel, leaving the nation to blush.
The filthiest Bake Off innuendo ever, already?
Bake Off viewers howled with laughter when Noel made the innuendo and took to Twitter to declare it the best innuendo of the episode
2. PHALLIC CHOCOLATE
It wasn't until Noel Fielding came over and raised his eyebrows at the very phallic Champagne bottle top that the nation realised what the moulding chocolate really looked like
The camera team expertly captured the phallic Champagne bottle top in a number of hilarious positions
Once again, it was Naughty Noel who realised that Sophie Faldo's chocolate Champagne bottle looked rather more phallic than she intended.
He didn't even need to make a comment. Just the raise of the eyebrows was all the audience needed to realise what he meant.
Props to the camera team, who captured some hilarious shots of the bottle top looking very much like a particular part of the male genitalia.
Twitter users were very amused by the chocolate phallus on Bake Off
3. 'EXPOSED BOTTOMS'
The technical challenge was to make 12 mini rolls each, which meant the bakers collectively made 114 of the tea-time treats - that's a lot of exposed bottoms!
Comedian Noel Fielding pared back his normally zany style of comedy on Bake Off but still produced some hilariously filthy innuendos
The technical challenge - to make 12 chocolate mini rolls - allowed bakers to leave the bottoms of their tea-time treats uncovered.
This provided Noel and Sandi with plenty of material for some cheeky innuendos - and they really went to town.
Sandi kicked things off by telling the bakers: 'Do not worry about leaving a bare bottom!'
Contestant Chuen-Yan then told Noel that 'we are allowed an exposed bottom'.
And of course, the Mighty Boosh comedian couldn't resist making a joke out of that.
'If there's an opportunity to keep the bottom exposed, we should all embrace that.
'I'm planning on taking my trousers off when Paul and Prue do the judging.'
4. 'A FRUITY CONCLUSION'
Sandi didn't make quite as many innuendos as Noel but she still came out with a few
Sandi was slightly more reserved than Noel when it came to making naughty jokes on the first episode of Bake Off - but she still came out with some corkers.
And her best was during the first round Signature Challenge to make a family fruity cake.
'You have two minutes to bring this to a fruity conclusion!' she told the bakers, before flashing the camera a cheeky look and asking 'And who doesnt want that?'
5. 'CAN I COME TO YOURS FOR BREAKFAST?'
Noel and Sandi found it hilarious when Prue Leith invited contestant Liam Charles over for breakfast - and he eagerly accepted
Young Liam Charles blushed and giggled when he realised that it sounded as if Prue was coming onto him
The Bake Off's youngest contestant, 19-year-old Liam Charles, found himself invited over to judge's Prue Leith's house for breakfast after he presented his illusion cake that was designed to look like a stack of blueberry pancakes.
The judges were so impressed that it prompted the very forward invitation from Prue.
And Liam didn't even hesitate before eagerly answering, 'Anytime'.
The pair's innocent flirtation saw presenters Noel and Sandi crease over with giggles, before Liam realised how the exchange must have sounded.
And it didn't go unnoticed by Bake Off viewers either, who said Prue had now replaced Paul, 51, as the newest 'flirt machine'.
Farrah Abraham sparked a flurry of excitement on Saturday as she admitted getting surgery on her vagina.
The 26-year-old mother-of-one, best known for appearing in Teen Mom, posted an image of herself posing at Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center with her doctor.
She captioned the photo: 'Loving my lady parts! #vaginalrejuvenation'
Within hours, Google searches for 'vaginal rejuvenation' had sky-rocketed.
Here, we explain the non-invasive procedure that has become so popular in the last few years.
Scroll down for video
Rejuvenated: Farrah Abraham took to Instagram on Saturday to share her vaginal rejuvenation procedure ahead of an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday
Sparked interest: Within hours of posting Farrah her photo on Instagram on Saturday, Google searches for 'vaginal rejuvenation' had sky-rocketed (pictured)
THE RISE OF THE 'DESIGNER VAGINA'
Plastic surgery in general is experiencing a boom. Last year, Americans spent a record $16 billion on procedures.
The most popular operation was Botox, a non-invasive face-tightening procedure, followed by collagen injections, another non-invasive facial operation.
Breast augmentations were the third most-popular, and easily the most popular invasive procedure.
Farrah has gone under the knife multiple times, including breast augmentations in 2010 and 2013, a rhinoplasty (nose job) and a chin implant in 2012, and a third breast augmentation in 2015.
But she is one of thousands of women - particularly Millennials - who are flocking to get work done 'down there'.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, more than 5,000 women underwent the procedure in 2013.
As of 2015, that figure was estimated to have risen to around 8,745 women.
Farrah's gone under the knife multiple times, including breast augmentations in 2010 and 2013, rhinoplasty and a chin implant in 2012, and a third breast augmentation in 2015; seen at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday
It is equally popular in the UK, particularly among young girls.
In 2015/16 more than 200 girls under 18 had the operation, known as a labiaplasty, on the NHS. More than 150 of the girls were under 15.
WHO NEEDS IT AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
The procedure is designed to 'rejuvenate' the appearance and structure of the labia (the vagina lips).
It is recommended for women with conditions including:
Pelvic Floor Disorder (PFD)
bladder and bowel problems
vaginal prolapse after a hysterectomy
tears in vaginal connective tissues
weakened pelvic muscles
issues after childbirth
Patients are promised their vagina will be 'restored' to a younger appearance.
Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center says patients can correct:
Uneven, hanging, large, or wrinkled labia minora
Pain and discomfort caused by sports and physical exertion
Odor and hygiene concerns
Decreased sensation during sexual intercourse
Multi-directional urine streams
Stress incontinence
HOW IS IT DONE?
It is about a one-hour outpatient surgical procedure designed to enhance sexual gratification by increasing friction.
Healing is quick and you can resume normal activity in a few days to weeks.
A wand type instrument attached to a laser is inserted in to the vagina. It is performed while the patient is awake and is relatively painless.
This stimulates collagen (which gives tissues tone and elasticity) production, as well as increasing fluid production by enhancing blood flow. Repeat treatments are usually required annually.
Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center uses its own method called the Exilis Ultra Vaginal Rejuvenation.
It is performed using a heated tool, in three sessions that each last eight minutes.
The center recommends spreading the sessions out over a course of three weeks.
Israeli doctors have cured a man suffering from 'tree man disease'.
Mohammed Taluli, 42, from Gaza, was plagued by the rare condition for a decade - but had been unable to find treatment.
Scared of what strangers would think about his lesion-covered hand, the recluse hid away in his own home and stopped venturing out into public.
He was fearful of any possible situation that could cause him to show his affected hand to other people, local reports say.
But now, following the operation, Mr Taluli is convinced his life will return to normal. He said: 'I have been suffering with this for nearly 10 years.
Mohammed Taluli, 42, was plagued by the rare condition for a decade - but had been unable to find treatment. But now, following the operation, he is convinced his life will return to normal
'After years of being ashamed and staying at home, unable to work and unwilling to show my hand to people, I have finally been given some hope of my life returning to the way it used to be.'
What was the operation?
Surgeons at Hadassah University Medical Center removed the lesions off of all the man's hands during an operation, Jewish Press reports.
It left him with no skin on the affected hand, as medics had to graft skin from other parts of his body to cover the wounds.
This method was chosen in an attempt to minimise the possibility of the lesions, caused by his epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV), returning.
Scared of catching the condition
Doctors were scared of catching it and wore double gloves and special masks to protect themselves - despite medical literature stating it to not be contagious.
Speaking days after the procedure, a spokesperson for the Jerusalem-based hospital said they were pleased with the progress Mr Taluli has made.
At present, his wounds from the operation look like serious burns. They are expected to heal in the coming weeks.
What the surgeons said
WHAT IS EV? EV is a rare and inherited skin disorder which creates wart-like lesions anywhere on the body. The condition is caused by infection with HPV and can create widespread skin eruptions, including wart-like lesions and reddish-brown pigmented plaques. In order to inherit the disease two abnormal EV genes, one from each parent, must be present. No serious treatment against EV has been found, yet several treatments have been suggested. Advertisement
Lead surgeon Dr Michael Chernofsky said: 'Aside from the pain, the disease is very dangerous and could easily develop into cancer.
'[Mr Taluli] eventually couldnt move the hand. He had become withdrawn and fearful of any possible situation that could cause him to show the hand to other people.'
Dr Chernofsky added: 'He kept the hand covered all the time and life was very hard for him.'
EV is a rare and inherited skin disorder which creates wart-like lesions and reddish-brown pigmented plaques anywhere on the body.
In order to inherit the disease two abnormal EV genes, one from each parent, must be present, medical literature states.
No serious treatment against the condition, which is triggered by HPV, has been found, yet several treatments have been suggested.
Often patients are given antibiotics, but occasionally there is an individual with a weak immune system that cannot defend against the virus, Dr Chernofsky added.
Looking at images of skinny women for just 15 minutes is all it takes to change a man's taste, researchers have found.
The findings, based on the response from a group of remote villagers without access to the internet, were the same for photos of plus-sized models.
It's the first study of its kind to prove that beauty ideals can change easily - even in those cultures not 'driven for thinness'.
British scientists tested the idea of image exposure in those who aren't bombarded with constant body ideals through the internet and TV.
The findings, based on a group of remote villagers without access to the internet, were the same for photos of plus-sized models
It's the first study of its kind to prove that beauty ideals can change easily - even in those cultures not 'driven for thinness' (pictured are some of the thin models shown in the study)
They visited the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua for the study, where the locals aren't accustomed to the electricity and are considered naive to the media.
Dr Jean-Luc Jucker, of Durham University, led the research, which was based on 80 participants of both genders.
What did the researchers say?
He said: 'The thin ideal is the western concept of an ideally slim... female body and its omnipresence in the mass media has a negative impact on women's health.
'Media consumption is associated with a drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and disordered eating in women of western societies.
'Furthermore, cross-cultural research suggests that the media have similar effects when they are introduced into non-western or non-industrialised societies.
'No study, however, has attempted to induce a change in female body size ideals in a population not exposed to the thin ideal and has currently no access to the media.
'Here we show experimentally that a short exposure to the thin ideal can change body size ideals in a media-naive population.'
How was the study carried out?
Participants were all aged between 16 and 78, suggesting the effects are similar for those of varying ages.
Here we show experimentally that a short exposure to the thin ideal can change body size ideals in a media-naive population Dr Jean-Luc Jucker, Durham University
Before being exposed to images of women, they were asked to create their 'ideal' body shape using computer software, New Scientist reports.
Popular Western clothing stores' catalogues were then shown to the volunteers, according to the study published in the journal bioRxiv.
Half were shown images taken from the booklets from thin women - with a UK dress size between four and six. This is a one or two in the US.
The other participants were shown photos of plus-sized female models. They had a UK dress size between 16 and 28. This is between 12 and 24 in the US.
What did they find?
Just 15 minutes after seeing the images, the villagers were asked to recreate their ideal body size on a woman using the same software.
Those who were exposed to skinny females chose thinner body shapes than their original preference. Those who saw plus-sized models chose a bigger shape.
The researchers, which included teams from Newcastle and Lincoln universities, are unsure how long the body ideal effect lasts.
However, they believe the overall impact is likely to be lasting considering that most adults are constantly exposed to such images.
A mother who suffers from a rare disease that makes her vomit up to 60 times a day claims people assume she is bulimic.
Shimmi Munshi, 40, from Bolton, Lancashire, has even been doubted by doctors over her symptoms - which are similar to the eating disorder.
One psychologist, who didn't believe her, asked if she was 'an Oscar-winning actress lying about having an eating disorder'.
She has since been diagnosed with a severe form of gastroparesis - an incurable condition responsible for her symptoms.
It stops food moving through the body because her stomach muscles and bladder are dysfunctional, causing severe pain and nausea.
After finally accepting her condition to be real, doctors fitted her with a device in her stomach and each buttock to improve her digestion.
Shimmi Munshi, 40, from Bolton, Lancashire, has even been doubted by doctors over her symptoms - which are similar to bulimia
One psychologist, who didn't believe her, asked if she was 'an Oscar-winning actress lying about having an eating disorder' (pictured with her 20-year-old son Ameen)
People assume she has bulimia
Ms Munshi, who has a 20-year-old son named Ameen, said: 'People assumed - and still assume - I have bulimia because of the illness.
'My bladder doesnt work so Ive had stimulators implanted in each buttock and wires attached to my spine to help the function of my bladder.
'My bowel does not work and I am on medication for this. They call me a bionic woman because of the machines I have inside me.'
She has since been diagnosed with a severe form of gastroparesis - an incurable condition responsible for her symptoms (pictured with her son Ameen when he was younger)
It stops food moving through the body because her stomach muscles and bladder are dysfunctional, causing severe pain and nausea
She added: 'I can feel its undercurrents every day and my stomach starts moving as if theres a baby inside.
'The thing people dont understand is that I look very healthy but I have to throw up throughout the day - even at work.
WHAT IS GASTROPARESIS? Gastroparesis is a chronic condition in which the stomach is unable to empty in the normal way. Symptoms including feeling sick and vomiting when eating, bloating, loss of appetite and weight loss. The problem is thought to be caused by a problem with the nerves or muscles controlling the emptying of the stomach. The condition cannot be cured but it can usually be controlled. Some people are able to manage the condition by changing their diet, for example by eating six small meals a day or by sticking to soft, easily digestible foods. In some cases, symptoms can be improved with medication but other people require injections of Botox into the valve between their stomach and small intestine. If all of these options fail, a patient can have a new procedure which involves fitting a pacemaker device to encourage the stomach to process food. If none of these options succeed in making the stomach process food, the patient will have to be fed through a tube. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement
'All my colleagues are surprised that I dont complain but you just have to get on with it. On the outside you can look well but inside your body is falling apart.'
After doctors failed to diagnose the cause of her sickness - which first started in 2005 - she was bedridden for a year and lost two stone.
Consultants referred her to three psychologists to rule out that she has an eating disorder, the manager at a large energy supplier said.
Current treatment
She visits St James Hospital in Leeds every four weeks to have the machinery adjusted to keep her healthy.
Ms Munshi also takes 12 tablets every day, which includes painkillers, anti-sickness medication, nerve relaxants and antibiotics.
Stomach muscles are controlled by the vagus nerve which contract to break up food and move it through the gastrointestinal tract, which connects the mouth the anus.
The movement of muscles in this tract, along with the release of hormones and enzymes, allows for the digestion of food.
Gastroparesis can occur when the vagus nerve is damaged by illness or injury and the stomach muscles stop working normally.
Food then moves slowly from the stomach to the small intestine or stops moving altogether.
People suffer in silence
Currently there is no cure for this illness. Ms Munshi said: 'People suffer in silence because it is difficult to comprehend how someone can be sick without it being an eating disorder.
'Only the people who have this know the pain and suffering they have to go through.'
A toddler went home for the first time on Tuesday after spending the first 650 days of her life in the hospital.
Naomi Hawks was born 21 months ago in Omaha, Nebraska, with a rare abdominal birth defect omphalocele.
The defect means that her intestine and liver never returned to the abdominal cavity while she was developing, and instead developed in a sac outside of her body.
The condition is associated with 25 percent infant mortality rate, which is very high, and doctors didn't think she would live to see her first birthday.
'The doctors didn't expect her to live to be one,' Naomi's mother Mandy told WCVB.
'She's amazing. She taught me what it means to be brave.'
Naomi Hawks was born 21 months ago in Omaha, Nebraska, with a rare abdominal birth defect omphalocele
WHAT IS OMPHALOCELE? Omphalocele is a rare abdominal wall defect that occurs in unborn infants. The condition causes the instines and liver, and sometimes other organs, to remain outside of the abdomen in a sac. It happens because those organs fail to return back to the abdominal cavity in the ninth week of prenatal development. The condition occurs in about one in every 4,000 birth, and is associated with a 25 percent rate of birth mortality and severe malformations. It's normal for intestines to protrude from the abdomen into the umbilical cord until about the tenth week of pregnancy. Advertisement
Naomi and her twin Hannah were born prematurely, but unlike her twin, Hannah was able to go home after a few days in the hospital.
The toddler has spent the first 650 days of her life at the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, with her parents visiting every day.
The extremely rare condition requires Naomi to breathe through a ventilator because her lungs were not fully developed at birth.
One of the most common causes of mortality during birth in children both with omphalocele is that doctors aren't able to tell how developed the lungs are.
'She really has two major problems,' Dr Andrew Macfayden from the Children's Hospital explained.
'One, her intestines are outside the body and the second is that her lungs are too small.
'Multiple occasions she has been on deaths door literally and yet she pulls through it.'
Though it's been difficult, her parents have been able to adjust to shuttling between their jobs and the hospital to visit Naomi.
'We come up here and I usually do Naomi's dressing on her omphalocele in the morning, get her dressed, get her teeth brushed, hair brushed, and then the girls play and I hang out,' Mandy explained.
They also return every night to put Naomi to bed.
'This is our normal, so we don't know anything else,' the mother said.
'We became parents because we wanted to be parents and take care of our kids. We figured out how to do it, even in the hospital.'
On Tuesday, after a 650-day stay in the hospital, Naomi was finally able to go home to live with her parents and twin sister Hannah. She is pictured with her mom, Mandy
But now that normal has changed, because Naomi was finally allowed to leave the hospital on Tuesday.
'It kind of hasn't sunk in yet,' Mandy said, ahead of taking her home.
'She's got a testimony that is just going to blow people away. Her life is already a legacy, I think.'
The family isn't done with regular hospital visits, though, as Naomi still needs support from a ventilator so her lungs can develop more.
When they are more developed doctors will consider a surgery to reverse her omphalocele. They will probably start looking at that option when she is three, Mandy said, and it could take years for them to complete the process.
Its hard to believe that the county fair is right around the corner.
But its true, and that means NAU students are back in class in Flagstaff all 22,244 of them.
Thats about 500 more than last year and 45 percent more since 2005. If its any consolation to locals worried about students putting the squeeze on local housing, the Mountain Campus added more beds in the Skyview dorm this year than there are new students. And off-campus, there are about 960 more bedrooms this fall over last.
And next fall the new Honors College dorm will add 630 beds on campus, and the Hub will add 531 beds in Southside. Throw in the Standard with 600 beds and Milltown with 1,221 beds in a few years, and, at least in the student housing niche, supply might actually begin to meet demand.
That doesnt mean housing citywide will become suddenly affordable or congestion will ease Flagstaff has a long way to go before its infrastructure catches up with recent rapid growth in the city as a whole. And NAU can be an active partner with some creative thinking. Some college campuses, for example, now open up dining halls to neighbors and put up joint student/resident housing that includes stores, academic offices and classrooms. Theres a renewed commitment at some colleges to hire high school students alongside college kids and insist on local-hire provisions for new construction and renovations.
NAU is doing its part in getting students out into the community with off-campus job placements and internship programs. Work-study is especially important on a campus with a demographic profile like NAUs many students come from families of very modest means and are also the first in their families to enroll in a four-year college. It is one of the more noble missions that NAU has been assigned by the Regents, and it's one that we hope all of Flagstaff embraces.
To NAU students, we urge you to get acquainted and involved with your new host community. Even if working a job to pay the rent, take some time to explore the mountains, take in a First Friday Art Walk, or serve up dinner at the Family Food Center. You might see your main purpose as getting an education, but becoming an educated person wont happen if you hole up on campus for four years.
And when you are in town, remember the golden rule that comes with being essentially a guest: Leave your host better than before you arrived. We understand that living away from home for the first time involves stretching the rules and flexing your new freedoms. But we suggest introducing yourself to the neighbors first thing that way you wont meet for the first time over their barking dog or your late-night party.
So welcome back, NAU students. Flagstaff wouldnt be the same without you, and we mean that in a positive way. We hope after four years youll be able to say the same about us.
Donald Trump's accusations about Islamabad prolonging the war in Afghanistan have been denounced as 'hostile' and 'threatening' by Pakistan's National Assembly.
It passed a resolution on Wednesday condemning claims by the American President that Pakistan is harbouring 'agents of chaos' and providing safe havens to militant groups waging an insurgency against the US backed government in Kabul.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif also urged the government to consider postponing any visits by US delegations to Pakistan or by Pakistani officials to the US and closing off 'ground and air lines of communication' through the country.
In a major speech outlining US policy on Afghanistan President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan for offering safe havens to 'agents of chaos' and suggested relations would be adjusted immediately
In response, Pakistani tribal protesters burn an effigy of President Donald Trump during a rally in Torkham - rejecting claims that the country was harbouring terrorists
On Sunday, Pakistan's foreign office announced that it had postponed a visit by a US acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells to discuss Washington's new Afghan policy, but at the time did not provide a reason.
Pakistani officials bristle at what they say is a lack of respect from Washington for the country's sacrifices in the war against militancy and its successes against groups like al Qaeda, Islamic State or the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan estimates there have been 70,000 Pakistani casualties in militant attacks since it joined the US war on terror after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US.
People hold an effigy of US President Donald Trump and hoist Pakistani flags skyward during a rally against the US
People burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump during a rally against the US, near the Afghan border in Chaman, Pakistan
Successive US administrations have struggled with how to deal with nuclear-armed Pakistan. Washington fumes about inaction against the Taliban, but Pakistan has been helpful on other counter-terrorism efforts, including the fight against al Qaeda and Islamic State.
The United States also has no choice but to use Pakistani roads to resupply its troops in landlocked Afghanistan. US officials worry that if Pakistan becomes an active foe, it could further destabilise Afghanistan and endanger US soldiers.
'Afghanistan, the US and its allies should close their borders to leaders of terrorist, militant groups carrying out acts of terrorism against Pakistan,' Asif told the National Assembly.
A Pakistani man shouts anti-American slogans and another holds up a placard reading, 'US President Donald Trump (is) stupid,' during a rally in Torkham, a border town along the Afghanistan border
He added that Pakistan was concerned about Islamic State flourishing in Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan.
Pakistani officials and media have also raged about Trump's calls for India's increased involvement in Afghanistan.
Asif termed an increased role for New Delhi in Kabul 'highly detrimental to regional stability' and accused India of supporting terrorism and 'destabilising politics in the region'.
In response to warnings that Washington might cut aid to Pakistan, Asif rejected the importance of American dollars, saying that Pakistan has lost more than $123 billion to terrorism since the September 11 attacks.
Any effort to isolate Pakistan would face problems from China, which has deepened political and military ties with Islamabad and invested nearly $60 billion in infrastructure in Pakistan.
The relationship between Islamabad and Washington has endured periods of extreme strain during the past decade, especially after al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US special forces in Pakistan in a 2011 raid.
A statement read in Delhi's High Court also compared proposal for changes to anti-dowry law which men's rights group claim women are misusing
India's government has rejected calls to criminalise marital rape, claiming it could 'destabilise' relationships and make men vulnerable to harassment by wives.
Delhi High Court is hearing a plea from victims and campaigners for a change in the law but in a statement read on Tuesday, Narendra Modi's administration said that it would put husbands at risk of false rape claims.
The government went on to compare the proposal to outlaw marital rape with India's tough anti-dowry law, which men's rights groups claim women are misusing to settle personal vendettas.
Narendra Modi's BJP government has rejected calls to outlaw marital rape in Delhi's High Court (photo for representation only)
A statement read in Delhi's High Court also compared proposal for changes to anti-dowry law which men's rights group claim women are misusing
'It has to be ensured adequately that marital rape does not become a phenomenon which may destabilise the institution of marriage, apart from being an easy tool for harassing the husbands,' said an affidavit.
Tuesday's statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing government also said that the country should not blindly follow Western countries that have criminalised marital rape, as illiteracy and diversity make India unique.
Sexual violence against women is widely reported. Stories abound of girls molested en route to school or at home by relatives, or of women picked up by men in cars and gang raped.
Asha Devi, centre, mother of the victim of the fatal 2012 gang rape on a moving bus, has campaigned for changes to rape law since her daughter was brutally murdered and started a trust for victims
The brutal rape sparked widespread protests across India and campaigns for a change in law
A Twitter user called Rabin commented: 'Astounding that in the largest democracy in the world we are debating which type of rape is acceptable and which isn't.'
Editor Samir Abbas, meanwhile, questioned why the institution of marriage was 'stable' when rape was allowed.
And NDTV journalist Nidhi Razdan said India could 'learn something from its neighbours'. 'Nepal has laws against marital rape, so does Bhutan', she added.
But Manoj Kumar Sahu disagreed on the issue, saying that the domestic violence act was already being 'highly misused by womens [sic] in India.'
Opinion was split on Twitter, but largely in favour of criminalising marital rape
The 2012 murder and gang rape of a 23-year-old women on a Delhi bus triggered protests, forcing the government to set up a panel to amend laws related to violence against women.
While India's parliament passed some of its recommendations, such as criminalising stalking and making acid attacks a specific offence, it did not agree with the panel's proposal to outlaw marital rape.
And people were divided on the issue on social media following the hearing.
More than 50 countries, including the United States, Nepal, Britain and South Africa, criminalise marital rape.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA As of 2013, an estimated 27,515,391 women aged 15 to 49 years experienced sexual violence in India. Of these, 2,522,817 victims were aged 15 to 19 an age group which experiences 24 per cent of rape cases in India, despite accounting for just nine per cent of the female population in the country. Since 2001, there has been a 54 per cent increase in rape reports. But its believed that rape is grossly under-reported in India due to marital rape being legal. Its estimated that women in India are 40 per cent more likely to be raped by their husband than a stranger. Experts also estimate that 10 per cent of women in India experience sexual violence of some kind. Source: Wikipedia Advertisement
In India, conservative and patriarchal norms make it difficult for victims to speak out about sexual violence by their husbands, activists say.
As a result, there are no accurate figures on marital rape.
More than 40 percent of married women aged 15 to 49 experience domestic violence, according to government data, rising to 70 percent among child brides.
Activists want India's rape law - which provides an exemption for sexual intercourse by a man with his wife if she is more than 15 years old - to be declared unconstitutional as it discriminates against married women and girls.
The court hearing before a two-judge bench continues.
Modi shocked India when Rs 500 (6) and Rs 1,000 (12) notes were withdrawn
Close to 99 per cent of the scrapped old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee currency notes have come back into the banking system, according the RBI's annual report released on Wednesday.
The Reserve Bank's annual report for 2016- 17 discloses that Rs 15.28 lakh crore of the junked currency has made its way back into bank accounts across the country, leaving out only Rs 16,050 crore in black cash that has been weeded out.
As on November 8, 2016 there were 1,716.5 crore pieces of Rs 500 and 685.8 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 in circulation, adding up to a total of Rs 15.44 lakh crore.
People were forced to declare, exchange or throw away their money
RBI said just 8.9 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 notes or 1.3 per cent of the scrapped ones have not returned.
However, the RBI did not give a specific number for the old 500 rupee notes.
'Subject to future corrections based on verification process when completed, the estimated value of specified bank notes (SBNs) received as on June 30, 2017 is Rs 15.28 lakh crore,' the RBI said.
The RBI, which had so far not disclosed the actual amount of junked currency that had been deposited in bank accounts after the shock demonetisation announced by the Modi government on November 8 last year.
Post-demonetisation RBI spent Rs 7,965 crore in 2016-17 on printing new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 and other denomination notes which is more than twice the Rs 3,421 crore spent in the previous year.
The RBI also stated that just 7.1 pieces of Rs 500 note per million in circulation and 19.1 pieces of Rs 1,000 notes per million in circulation were found to be fake in its sample survey.
After the note ban, old notes were allowed to be deposited in banks, with unusual deposits coming under income tax scrutiny.
A collateral damage as a result of rise in printing and other cost was the dividend RBI pays to the government.
The apex bank said its income for 2016-17 decreased by 23.56 per cent while expenditure jumped 107.84 per cent.
The year ended with an overall surplus of Rs 306.59 billion as against Rs 658.76 billion in the previous year, representing a decline of 53.46 per cent, it said.
The government has replaced old Rs 500 notes with new ones, but no replacement for Rs 1,000 notes has been made.
Instead, a new Rs 2,000 note was introduced after the ban. RBI said there are as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes in circulation as of March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2016, there were 1,570.7 crore Rs 500 notes in circulation.
As many as 328.5 crore pieces of new Rs 2,000 notes were in circulation as on March 31, 2017.
Besides, new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, the RBI has also circulated new Rs 200 notes last week.
Former RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi said demonetisation will have long-term impact. Expectations of various quarters that sizable portion of the demonetised currency won't return has not been fulfilled.
When the announcement was made, many people took to Twitter to vent fury.
Sagarika Gose labeled it a 'gargantuan disaster' and said: 'Lakhs lost livelihoods, wages frozen, over 100 died and eos 99% currency back? Black into white?
Shekha Guptar said: 'Figures reveal a non-secret, that as economic measure #demonetisation was a disaster. By hiding info for so long RBI further harmed its name.'
Also complaining about the delay in the results of demonetisation, Shirish Kunder said: 'Why have they released the RBI report on demonetisation now? What are they trying to distract us from?
Tejashwi Yadav added: 'They will come up with another series of excuses, defame opposition and bury their own sins.'
According to the nominated candidates for the upcoming Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union elections the JNU is all set to witness turbulent times.
For the first time in its history all parties fighting JNUSU elections have decided to field female candidates for the post of president this year.
However, the one name creating a buzz amongst voters is Rajya Sabha member and Communist Party of India leader D Raja's daughter Aparajitha Raja, who tore into the JNU administration in her nomination speech on the campus.
Aparajitha Raja, daughter of Rajya Sabha member D Raja, is creating a buzz in the campaign
A second-year political sciences and PhD student, Aparajitha hinted that JNU is witnessing testing times. 'This particular JNUSU poll is being conducted in dark times of the varsity,' she said.
Slamming the seat cut in JNU in MPhil and PhD courses, Aparajitha blamed the JNU administration for the move taken in April, in accordance with a UGC guideline.
'The move led to enforced disappearance of 1,000 students from our campus who could have been admitted to JNU, had the administration not decided to eliminate 85 per cent of seats,' Aparajitha told Mail Today.
Last year's student union elections at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi
Aparajitha, if voted to the seat of JNUSU president, also promised to start a discussion around the turmoil in Kashmir.
'The discussion on the chaos in Kashmir is lost on JNU campus. The basic debate and discussion around half-widows, disappearances needs to begin in our campus,' Aparajitha said, adding she will begin the discourse if AISF wins the JNUSU elections.
The university reduced the intake of students for MPhil and PhD programme from 970 seats to 139 this year.
Left to right: Geeta Kumari of the Left alliance (AISA, SFI & DSF), Nidhi Tripathi, ABVP, and Vrishnika Singh, NSUI
Six parties will be contesting JNUSU polls, which include coalition of three left-leaning groups All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) who have come together to contest the elections against student wing of RSS Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Even the political atmosphere can witness anguished times as Aparajitha has actively participated in contentious movements led by JNU, including the alleged anti-national sloganeering incident at the controversial event questioning Afzal Guru's hanging.
'The world is witnessing a slight rightward tilt with anti-people policies,' Aparajitha said.
Aparajitha Raja is the daughter of Rajya Sabha member and Communist Party of India leader, D Raja (pictured)
The daughter of national secretary of CPI also took to 'focussed and targeted attacks' on minorities in the recent times in her speech.
Being a woman candidate who will contest independently this time, Aparajitha argued that women, among other minorities, are still asked to prove their loyalties towards the country, which should be stopped.
The Left coalition has fielded Geeta Kumari and has promised to 'reclaim protest spaces and instill culture of free democratic protests in JNU'.
Confident of winning two seats minimum, ABVP has fielded Nidhi Tripathi, a student of JNU's special centre for sanskrit studies who has promised to restore the legitimacy of JNUSU.
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA) has pitted Shabana Ali as their presidential candidate, and will contest the polls to implement a reservation policy for students and teachers belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities.
Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has fielded Vrishnika Singh who outright rejected VC Jagadesh Kumar's idea of installing a tank in JNU campus in her speech
Slanting sheets of rain and thunder deepened the aura of gloom as we reached our destination near Bhopal after plodding through mud and slush for a few hundred metres.
A small house displayed defiant dignity even as rainwater seeped in. The expression in the tormented eyes of the five-year-old Bindiya (name changed) would haunt even the hardened cynic.
On a grim day in July 2017, she was raped by a monster masquerading as a human being.
Sexual violence against children is now threatening to be a rampaging epidemic says Kailash Satyarthi
The anger and shock of the parents were palpable. So was uncomprehending fear. The police were yet to find out who the rapist was, leave alone arresting him.
Independence
We are celebrating 70 years of Independence. We must celebrate. But we must also think and take a long look at a mirror. Even as we count our achievements and triumphs since 1947, an entire generation of Indians is being held hostage by fear.
Young girls in small towns are afraid of going to school as they might be waylaid and gang-raped.
India is home to more than 30 per cent of the world's 385 million most impoverished children
Parents in gated communities in teeming metros are terrified when their daughters, and even sons, dont come back home on time.
The fear, it seems, has become all pervasive and it has made a mockery of freedom.
Classrooms inside schools have been infected by fear as some teachers have turned predators.
Parks and play grounds near our homes still ring with the laughter of children. But they too have become hunting grounds for perverts prowling for prey. Uncles, stepfathers, tuition masters, gym instructors, bus drivers, neighbours... it is difficult to find out who can suddenly become a child rapist.
One day, it is a poor tailor who turns out to be the beast; the other day, it is a highly educated IT professional.
India is yearning and crying out for freedom from these predators. According to official National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, about 43 children are sexually abused every day in India.
If that doesnt shame us into collective action, nothing will. Over the years, I have witnessed this slow and sinister slide into what can be called the Republic of Fear.
If freedom has to have any meaning 70 years after Independence, our children and their parents must get an India that is free of fear.
Sexual violence against children is now threatening to be a rampaging epidemic. It is easy to protest against myriad forms of tyranny and injustice that still plague India.
But we suffer from a collective conspiracy of silence when it comes to sexual abuse of children. Narrow walls of social stigma cow down the victims and their parents.
It is known that the actual number of child sexual abuse cases is far higher than officially recorded ones as parents prefer to keep quiet. But the time has come to raise our voices in loud protest.
Thousands of children who spend the best part of their lives working
Crisis
As with many ills that plague India, effective law enforcement, or the lack of it, is a major crisis.
After decades of hard work and persistence by concerned citizens and activists, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) became a reality in 2012.
But is it being implemented in a manner that can reassure parents and erase their fear?
Sadly, no. Take just one example from Delhi. In April 2013, a young girl named Anaya (name changed) didnt come back home. Her poor parents begged and pleaded with the police for help.
They were rebuffed and shooed away. A few days later, she was found barely alive, brutally raped and tortured and left to die inside a house in her neighbourhood.
Two rapists were soon arrested and a trial began. Four years after the trial began, one of the accused successfully claimed to be a juvenile.
A sex worker holds a lit cigarette in Mumbai (file pic)
Four years on, the trial still goes. Helped by some of us, Anaya and her parents are struggling to build a new life. But she and her parents will remain in fear for the rest of their lives.
Abuse
Trafficking is an organised crime that is closely linked to the sexual abuse of minors.
It is estimated that close to a hundred thousand children go missing every year.
More than half are never rescued. Most become sex slaves. Almost always, it is poor children who become victims.
There are disturbing reports coming out of West Bengal and Assam of brazen gangs of traffickers preying upon poor families devastated by the floods this year.
For years, we have been struggling hard for an effective law against trafficking. We are yet to succeed.
As a society we urgently need concrete action. Law enforcement agencies and officials must become more sensitive and display compassion.
We need to devise ways to make them accountable. We need to overhaul and vastly improve post-trauma care and counselling for these children.
We must impart sex education is all schools to make children aware of the danger posed by sexual perverts.
But most important, we as parents and family members need to become friends and confidantes of children to the point they lose the fear of speaking out when they are sexually violated.
This freedom to speak out without fear is the most precious gift we can give our children as we celebrate 70 years of Independence.
Let us make India safe for children to chase their dreams.
The writer is Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation
Legal wrangle: Alice O'Connor lost 35,000 trying to buy an Italian holiday home
When Alice O'Connor put down 35,000 as a 50 per cent deposit on a new-build holiday home in Calabria, southern Italy, she was certain she was on to a terrific deal.
Then aged 51, Alice had been blown away by the views on a visit to the site of the unbuilt Jewel Of The Sea development. Back home in West Kirby, Merseyside, she had carefully checked the paperwork.
Everything looked above board. The second instalment of 35,000 would be due when the apartment was finished, and the documents claimed property prices in southern Italy were expected to triple over the next decade.
The files explained that a firm of bilingual solicitors with a London office would navigate the Italian legal system a comfort should anything go wrong.
That was nine years ago. What followed is a cautionary tale to anyone purchasing homes abroad.
Artist's impression: The Jewel of the Sea development in Italy Calabria, southern Italy, which was never finished
Under construction: Instead of sun-soaked holidays, the buyers have been left out of pocket and caught in a legal nightmare involving the mafia and a convicted IRA terrorist
To the dismay of Alice and hundreds of other buyers, the Jewel Of The Sea site has never been completed. Instead of sun-soaked holidays, they've been left out of pocket and caught in a legal nightmare involving the mafia and a convicted IRA terrorist.
Alice, like many buyers, had signed up for a tour of Italian holiday homes in her case at a property show in Blackpool. Construction on Jewel Of The Sea, marketed by a firm called VFI Overseas Property, began shortly after and her apartment was supposed to be ready in around a year.
But unbeknown to Alice, building work ground to a halt in 2008 when problems with planning permission surfaced. Years of delays followed, and when Alice expressed concern to the law firm she was reassured that work was under way.
But her hopes of ever using the property evaporated in 2013, when the development was seized by Italy's financial police.
Building work ground to a halt in 2008 when problems with planning permission surfaced. The site is pictured above in 2012
Wehen Alice expressed concern to the law firm she was reassured that work was under way
Court documents would later show that this was part of an investigation into allegations of money laundering involving the Italian mafia and IRA. It is understood that police are still investigating these allegations.
Unable to recover their deposits, Alice and 184 other buyers took legal action. They were advised to pursue their solicitor, Giambrone Law. As a UK-registered firm, it could be sued in the British courts.
Unable to recover their deposits, Alice and 184 other buyers took legal action
After two High Court cases in London 2015, a judge concluded that there had been a 'breach of trust' in the law firm's advice to buyers.
He said the law firm had not made 'any inquiry' into whether the planning permissions for the site were valid, and had 'deliberately concealed' the level of commissions it paid to VFI Overseas Property out of the buyers' deposits.
The judge found the firm failed to alert buyers 'to the risks of criminal activity in the construction industry in Calabria', which the court heard was 'a crime-ridden part of Italy'.
The judge referred to press reports produced in court, the veracity of which remain unclear, which alleged that one of the bosses of VFI Overseas Property, which was dissolved in 2014, was 'a convicted IRA terrorist'.
There was no suggestion that Giambrone Law was involved in criminal activity. Giambrone Law was ordered to cover the money that buyers had lost. The firm appealed. That meant another two years of delays until the court of appeal ruled in the buyers' favour last month.
But now the buyers are battling the law firm's insurer, AIG. All law firms of its size in England and Wales are required to be insured for at least 3 million to cover claims from clients if they make mistakes.
Viewings arranged: Alice, like many buyers, had signed up for a tour of Italian holiday homes in her case at a property show in Blackpool
Her hopes of ever using the property evaporated in 2013, when the development was seized by Italy's financial police
But AIG has so far taken the position that the buyers should be treated as one claim. That means they would share the 3 million pot of cash between them, leaving a shortfall of around 4.5 million, including interest owed on the deposits.
The judge also expressed concern that AIG had indicated as long ago as 2013 that 'only about 37,000 of the 3 million . . . remained'.
He presumed that the money had been spent on 'various settlements' relating to the unfinished development.
Alice says: 'When I heard that the mafia could be involved, I was shocked. I thought it was a joke. When we think we've won there's another obstacle.'
Stella Rawson, 74, a retired secretary from Chester, who is fighting to get back her 35,000 deposit, says: 'Instead of enjoying a peaceful retirement in the sunshine, we've ended up with a ten-year legal nightmare. It's sickening when I think about how much I've lost. But we won't give up.'
David Niven, a partner at Penningtons Manches, one of the solicitors representing the buyers, says he will pursue AIG and argue that each client has a separate entitlement to the 3 million insurance pot.
Unbeknown to Alice, building work ground to a halt in 2008 when problems with planning permission surfaced
Court documents showed that the seizure of the development by police was part of an investigation into allegations of money laundering involving the Italian mafia and IRA
'Our clients have suffered enough,' he says.
Giambrone Law ceased to trade in 2009. Gabriele Giambrone, the main solicitor at the firm, was taken off the UK legal watchdog's register of European lawyers in 2013. He has since set up a new firm to advise on Italian legal matters.
He says: 'In 2007, when the firm was still relatively new, Giambrone Law LLP became the target of a complex fraud perpetrated by skilled and devious criminals.
'We were caught in the crossfire of the organised criminals allegedly involved with the IRA and mafia. We stopped working in Calabria when our suspicions about money laundering were alerted.'
He says he has 'repeatedly asked AIG to return the deposits to the clients'.
AIG declined to comment.
l.milner@dailymail.co.uk
British authorities have asked the consumer watchdog in Spain to launch an investigation into car hire rip-offs after Money Mail submitted a dossier of damning evidence.
We acted after being inundated with hundreds of complaints from holidaymakers who claim they were swindled at car rental desks.
Readers sent in so many incriminating allegations that we passed a file containing more than 300, all of which were kept anonymous, to the Competition and Markets Authority and called on it to clamp down.
The UK regulator, which ensures car hire firms play fair in this country, pored over our dossier for a week before deciding to step in.
British authorities have asked the consumer watchdog in Spain to launch an investigation into car hire rip-offs after we submitted a dossier of damning evidence
It described our findings as 'worrying' and pledged to do more to protect drivers abroad.
Although it cannot launch a crackdown on rental desks outside Britain it does not have this power its investigators have passed our file to the authorities in Spain, the country that attracted the most criticism from our readers.
The CMA is now considering asking other European regulators to conduct investigations. Its involvement is a major boost for Money Mail's crusade to protect British drivers from exploitation, and comes as:
Britain's insurers urge drivers to 'say no' to rental desk staff who flog expensive insurance policies.
The car hire trade body in Europe admits that 'stricter' law enforcement is needed because some rental firms are 'resistant to change'.
Two unnamed firms in Spain are fined for poor treatment of customers.
Car hire comparison websites in the UK face a crackdown on hidden fees.
Over the past two months, a series of Money Mail investigations has exposed the tricks car hire firms use to rip off holidaymakers at European airports.
First, we revealed that firms are charging up to 8,400 if you damage a family saloon and haven't bought extra insurance. That report also found hiring a sat nav or child seat costs double the price of buying a new one in the UK.
Next, we published evidence that rental companies were charging customers for damage they didn't bother to repair. In many cases, customers swore blind that these scrapes never existed or that the repair price they were charged was far too high.
Finally, an undercover reporter in Malaga caught on camera the underhanded ploys staff at rental desks use to cajole customers into paying for extras that add hundreds to your final bill.
Victims of such sharp practices responded by writing to us in their droves. And the dossier we eventually submitted to the CMA contained new and serious allegations that we felt warranted an official inquiry.
They include suggestions that firms use traps and lies to sell so-called excess waiver insurance which covers the first part of any damage claim to customers who have already bought a policy from a third party before travelling.
In some cases, customers were forced to take insurance if they did not have a credit card or if the card's limit was lower than 1,000 or 2,000.
Other firms claimed the customer's credit card had failed despite bank statements later indicating no payment attempt had been made.
Rental desks also routinely told customers that the excess waiver cover they had pre-purchased in the UK was useless, when this was not the case.
They even threatened to provide a reduced level of breakdown support to families who refused to buy the firm's own, expensive policy and tried to add the 'optional' cover to customers' bills without their knowledge.
Readers accused rental firms of charging their credit cards rather than 'blocking off' a payment without making this clear.
Some found that if the pound-euro currency rate had changed by the time they returned the vehicle, they got back less than their initial deposit.
Hire firms took as long as two months to refund these deposits. Money Mail's evidence of the tactics being used to flog insurance prompted the Association of British insurers, the UK trade body, to warn against the hard-sell.
In a guide published today on Money Mail's sister website, thisismoney.co.uk, it says bluntly: 'Say no to any additional insurance they try to sell you at the desk.'
In some cases, customers were forced to take insurance if they did not have a credit card or if the card's limit was lower than 1,000 or 2,000
Anthony Wright, assistant director of the trade body, adds: 'Insurance bought in the UK works overseas as long as you follow the terms and conditions in the contract and you shouldn't listen to anyone who tells you it doesn't.'
However, he points out that car hire firms are within their rights to ask for large deposits if you don't opt for their policies. If you then suffer damages to the vehicle, the UK insurance will cover any deductions made from that deposit.
In a separate article on thisismoney.co.uk, a director of Leaseurope, the Brussels-based trade body for European car hire firms, defends the industry's record.
Richard Knubben says firms have made 'huge efforts to improve customer experience at their thousands of locations across Europe'.
But he adds: 'Further improvements can still be made as complaints have illustrated.
'Applying [higher standards] across the entire European market remains a challenge, particularly in several key holiday destinations where some rental operators have proven resistant to change.
'We encourage a much stricter and more consistent enforcement of the consumer laws for car rental contained in Leaseurope's Code of Practice.'
James MacBeth, project director for the CMA's car rental investigation, says: 'We are committed to protecting UK consumers, and work with local enforcers where concerns fall outside of UK law to achieve this.
'We've analysed many of the complaints sent to us and agree there are some worrying examples, particularly in Spain which generates the most criticism.
'We've therefore sent them to the Spanish consumer enforcement body so they can decide whether to investigate further.'
Mr MacBeth claims that measures taken by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2015, in conjunction with European regulators, to force the major car hire firms to display their prices more clearly have saved British customers 'more than 100 million'.
Under those rules, firms must include extras such as young driver surcharges and additional fuel costs in the headline price they quote when you book online.
Money Mail can reveal the watchdog is taking action to stop car hire brokers such as comparison sites using misleading pricing.
The watchdog confirmed that it had reported two Spanish car hire firms for failings, for which they now faced penalties.
However, it declined to name the firms on the basis that the sanctions are still in dispute.
At the time of going to press we were still waiting for a response from the Spanish regulator.
d.hyde@dailymail.co.uk
AstraZeneca has struck a 309m deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical
PHARMA DEAL Drugs giant AstraZeneca has struck a 309million deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical to create a treatment for Parkinson's disease.
The FTSE 100 firm has joined forces with the Japanese drugs giant to bring the Medi1341 antibody to market, with clinical trials set for later this year.
PRICES DIP House prices slipped to an average 210,495 this month, according to building society Nationwide down 0.1 per cent on July's figure.
They are 2.1 per cent higher than a year earlier, a fall from the 2.9 per cent annual growth clocked up last month.
AIRLINE DEFEAT Airline Ryanair has admitted it has little hope of stopping Lufthansa taking over parts of insolvent rival Air Berlin in what it claims is a 'conspiracy'.
David O'Brien, the airline's chief commercial officer, said: 'We have made a complaint to the German cartel office and the European Commission. We shall see what happens but we are not entirely hopeful.'
CHEAPER GOODS The average price of goods in British shops is 0.3 per cent lower than it was a year ago in a boost to millions of families, according to the British Retail Consortium.
Non-food products are 1.3 per cent lower while food prices are up 1.3 per cent.
CONFIDENCE BOOST Confidence across Britain's high-growth companies is at a record high, as firms capitalise on the weak pound to stimulate exports.
The firms, dubbed Gazelles, have been targeting new markets in Europe and the US, with more than eight in 10 saying they expect revenue growth of 10 per cent or more, up from 44 per cent last year.
EXPANSION BID Stationery design firm IG Design is ramping up its expansion plans after a strong first quarter.
The group, which designs gifts, stationery and creative play products, said its order book is yet again at record levels.
NEW LENDER Business lender Redwood Bank is open for business, four months after regulators gave it a banking licence. It is focused on Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Warrington.
SOFTWARE SALE British patent software firm CPA Global is being bought by US investment firm Leonard Green for 2.4billion.
It was yesterday unclear what impact the sale would have on CPA's 2,000 employees, who work across four continents.
An American citizen accused of operating a drug-smuggling tunnel in California has pleaded guilty after being arrested in May.
Habib Mujica, 35, spent nearly six years in a Mexico prison for gun trafficking before being arrested when he returned to the U.S. this year.
His latest charges stem from a drug-smuggling tunnel that Homeland Security investigators discovered in Calexico, California warehouse six years ago.
A California man pleaded guilty on Monday to building an underground drug tunnel between the U.S. and Mexico. Above some of the tunneling equipment
The tunnel was discovered in a Calexico, California warehouse in 2011
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Monday that Mujica pleaded guilty to conspiring to finance, construct and use the tunnel in order to smuggle drugs under the Mexican border.
Mujica says in his plea agreement that he intended to run a business called Baja Bikes as a front to conceal illegal activities.
He said that he instructed another man to use drug proceeds to rent a warehouse, rent tunnel making equipment and get started on the tunnel's construction.
He faces up to 40 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines when he is sentenced on November 27.
He also faces unrelated gun charges.
This is the moment kayakers in Norway discovered a family of polar bears raiding their camp for food.
The group were staying in Spitsbergen, an island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway, when they came across the animals.
In the video, which was captured on August 10, the kayakers find huge polar bear tracks in the mud close to their camp.
Soon afterwards, when returning to camp from the shore, they discover three bears raiding their possessions and looking for food.
For their own safety, the adventurers decide to get into their boats and observe the bears from the water.
'We were doing the dishes at the shore when a female polar bear and her two cubs were wandering into our camp,' the person filming wrote online.
'It took them about an hour to search through our bags, looking for food,' he added.
This is the moment kayakers in Norway discovered a family of polar bears raiding their camp for food
The group were staying in Spitsbergen, an island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway, when they came across the animals
In the video, which was captured on August 10, the kayakers find huge polar bear tracks in the mud close to their camp
And this is not the only close call between humans and polar bears on the Norwegian archipelago.
Last week it emerged that an Arctic tourist guide on Svalbard was fined 1,200 for scaring off a polar bear.
When a group of tourists on a snowmobile expedition spotted a bear standing still, 900 metres (2,950 ft) away, their guide decided to approach the predator to take a closer look.
The animal then fled the scene.
For their own safety, the adventurers decide to get into their boats and observe the bears from the water
'We were doing the dishes at the shore when a female polar bear and her two cubs were wandering into our camp,' the person filming wrote online
'The regulations say that it is forbidden to approach polar bears in such a way that they are disturbed, regardless of the distance,' the Svalbard governor's office said in a statement.
Located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the North Pole and twice the size of Belgium, Svalbard is, according to 2015 state figures, home to nearly 1,000 polar bears, a protected species since 1973.
Five deadly attacks on people have been recorded in about 40 years.
PHOENIX Saying challengers have no right to sue, lawyers for the state want a judge to throw out a challenge to the state's school funding scheme.
In legal papers filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, attorney Brett Johnson does not directly address the contention by education officials, taxpayers and others that the lack of cash from the governor and Legislature has left schools with hundreds of millions of dollars of unmet construction, maintenance and equipment needs.
Instead, Johnson is telling Judge Connie Contes she has no authority to decide if the state is providing enough money. He said whatever they decide to provide in cash is a political question beyond the powers of the courts.
Whether and how much money can be paid out of the state treasury is clearly committed by our constitution to those acting in a legislative capacity, he wrote.
If nothing else, Johnson said challengers can't ask Contes to invalidate the school funding formula because there's no evidence they actually made a funding request of the School Facilities Board which is in charge of doling out money.
But attorney Mary O'Grady, who represents those who sued earlier this year, said that argument proves that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1994 that the capital funding scheme in place at that time violated the requirements of the Arizona Constitution for the state to provide a general and uniform school system. The high court reaffirmed that in two subsequent decisions.
More to the point, she said, the justices concluded that courts did have the authority to make that decision.
O'Grady also disputes that the challengers have to first be denied the funding by the School Facilities before they can ask Contes to intercede. Anyway, she said, it's not like that would do any good, pointing out that the board has no authority to actually appropriate needed cash.
It simply distributes the funds the Legislature has given it, O'Grady wrote, an amount that fell far below what's needed. In fact, the total appropriation this year was less than $16 million, compared with the approximately $300 million a year that challengers say is needed.
Attorney Tim Hogan, who also represents those who sued, put it another way.
The School Facilities Board does not have the power or authority to deal with the shortcomings of the school finance system, he said.
What that means, Hogan said, is that anything the board does means nothing unless the Legislature and governor actually put more money into the system, something he charges they have so far refused to do. And he said their refusal to act does not excuse state officials from meeting what the Arizona Supreme Court has previously ruled is the state's obligation to ensure minimally adequate facilities in all of Arizona's schools.
And there's something else. O'Grady said even if the School Facilities Board agrees more money is needed for construction and maintenance and even if lawmakers were to give them those dollars that solves only part of the problem.
The School Facilities Board distributes no funding at all for 'soft capital' needs such as school buses, technology and textbooks, she wrote.
The filings come as state officials hope to avoid yet another court ruling finding that they are not meeting their constitutional obligations and must pony up more cash.
In filing suit earlier this year, challengers charge the state has failed to provide the money needed to ensure that public school buildings meet minimum standards for everything from having enough classrooms to providing money for equipment. The result, they contend, is school boards are left with an unacceptable choice: divert money from other needs or allow the inadequate standards to persist.
There is a legal basis for the argument: There are three separate Arizona Supreme Court rulings dating as far back as 1994 that spell out the state's responsibility for adequate funding buildings and facilities.
Lawmakers eventually approved the Students FIRST program short for Fair and Immediate Resources for Students Today which was supposed to ensure that new schools were built when needed and existing ones were kept in repair. That included a one-time $1.3 billion expenditure to get buildings up to state standards with an additional $200 million earmarked for things like textbooks and buses. But O'Grady said state lawmakers and the governor have ignored the prior Supreme Court rulings and effectively dismantled Students FIRST.
As a result, today's capital funding system is similar to, and perhaps worse than, the system declared unconstitutional, she said.
Johnson, in seeking to get the lawsuit dismissed, is arguing to Contes that the prior Supreme Court rulings merely required the state to establish minimum adequate standards. He contends there is nothing requiring that those guidelines to be updated.
O'Grady, however, said that argument is undermined by the constitutional language that requires the Legislature to both establish and maintain a general and uniform school system.
The state fails to 'maintain' an adequate school system if it allows its standards (and the associated funding) to become obsolete, O'Grady wrote. She said that's like pretending that buses manufactured in 1978 are constitutionally adequate or that students can be educated for jobs in a modern economy with one computer for every eight students.
Jessica Nicole Jude was arrested Monday for bringing down a Confederate statue. She is pictured in a mug shot from March 2016
Three more people have been charged with toppling a Confederate statue in Durham, North Carolina earlier this month.
Jessica Nicole Jude, Joseph Baldoni Karlik and Qasima Rohan Elise Wideman were arrested Monday and later released, according to jail records.
Each faces charges related to rioting and property damage.
Eight others had already been arrested previously on similar charges.
On August 14 protesters gathered around a statue of a soldier holding a rifle in front of an old courthouse that now houses government offices in Durham.
The protest came just two days after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, surrounding a white supremacist rally.
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A toppled Confederate statue lies on the ground in Durham, North Carolina. According to jail records, 11 people have been charged in the incident
A protester kicks the toppled statue of a Confederate soldier after it was pulled down
A diverse group of people attended the August 14th protest in front of an old courthouse
Takiyah Thompson, 22, was arrested after a press conference held by the protesters on August 15th where she admitted to attaching the rope
Takiyah Thompson, 22, used a ladder to climb onto the statue and attach a rope around its neck so it could be pulled down.
The crowd cheered as it fell to the ground. Seconds after they began kicking the crumpled bronze monument.
Thompson was taken into custody on August 15 at a press conference after she identified herself as the person who attached the rope.
During the press conference, Thompson said that her actions were justified because Confederate statues represent white supremacy.
Video shows Thompson atop a ladder as she put the rope in place
A video shows crowds pulling the bronze statue to the ground
A wave of protests across the country began after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month.
The city has already voted to remove the statue, but a judge stalled the actual removal by six months in May.
The Charlottesville incident was prompted by white supremacists, who have been protesting the planned removal of a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
One woman was killed and 19 injured when an alleged white supremacist plowed his Dodge Challenger through crowds of protesters a few blocks from the Lee statue on August 12.
Since then, protesters have defaced several other Confederate memorials in the South.
The Confederate soldier statue was one of many monuments destroyed in August
A statue of Confederate officer John B. Castleman was splattered with orange paint in Lexington, Kentucky
The paint was discovered the morning after the events in Charlottesville, Virginia
The first discovered was a statue honoring Confederate officer John B. Castleman in Lexington, Kentucky. It was discovered splattered with orange paint around 8am on August 13.
That same morning, another Confederate memorial in Tampa, Florida was discovered painted red as well.
The vandals wrote 'f*** fascists' on one of the marble slabs set up to honor Confederate soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War.
A Confederate monument in Gainesville, Florida, was removed on August 14.
In Atlanta, Georgia, a statue commemorating the end of the Civil War was splattered with red paint as well.
A bust commemorating Confederate lieutenant general Nathan Bedford Forrest in Nashville, Tennessee, was covered with a black sweatshirt, while hand-drawn signs were set up at the base, calling Forrest a 'slaver,' 'traitor' and 'klansman'.
A photo of the woman who was killed in Charlottesville sits in front of a vandalized Confederate memorial in Atlanta, Georgia
A Confederate monument in Gainesville, Florida, was removed on August 14
A rare 17th century book has been discovered after it was donated to a store in Melbourne.
The legal publication, titled 'The First Book of Judgements', was printed in 1655 and was anonymously given, according to 3AW.
While the worth of the book is unknown, it is believed it could be highly prized by law libraries across the world.
A rare 17th century book titled 'The First Book of Judgements' has been discovered in Melbourne after it was dropped in a charity bin
Staff sorting through donations to the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne came across the rare book, which had been wrapped in cardboard and bundled with other donations.
Staff from the book store told Daily Mail Australia the title was printed in 1655 by Thomas Roycroft in London and that the identity of the donor was a mystery.
An inscription on one of its pages says that it was intended to be sold at 'most stationers shops in London'.
Greg Simpson, the manager of Brotherhood Books, said the book was an old title and looked to be authentic.
'It certainly looks every bit of 362 years of age. Its printed in very antiquated fonts, and the language used is a very old style of English,' he said.
'Its bound in what appears to be sheepskin, which may be why the cover is still intact.'
Staff sorting through donations to the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne came across the rare book, which had been wrapped in cardboard and bundled with other donations
The book appears to have been printed in 1655 by Thomas Roycroft (pictured) and according to its inscription was intended to be sold at 'most stationers shops in London'
The legal reference book appears to be a record of court cases in London prior to 1655.
Mr Simpson said Brotherhood Books had received a couple of books before that dated from the 1700s, but that this could be the oldest he has encountered so far.
'We are now in the process of trying to find out more about it, contacting museums and antique book dealers, to determine its authenticity and true value,' he said.
Brotherhood Books sell second-hand publications online and reinvest the profits in programs to help the disadvantaged.
The group is renowned for uncovering rare and collectable pieces, such as a 1965 first edition of the Jame Bond novel The Man With the Golden Gun.
The manager of Brotherhood Books, Greg Simpson (pictured), said the book looked to be authentic and was printed in very antiquated fonts
The Notting Hill Carnival was branded a disgrace last night after it was revealed that 31 police officers were attacked during the two-day event.
They were slashed with broken bottles, spat at, bitten and had acid thrown at them.
In one of the worst confrontations, three PCs had bloody spit sprayed in their faces by a man claiming to be HIV positive.
The Notting Hill Carnival was branded a disgrace last night after it was revealed that 31 police officers were attacked during the two-day even
Frontline police said 'enough is enough' and called for organisers to help safeguard those who dedicate their lives protecting others.
Four people were stabbed, more than 300 arrested and dozens of weapons seized during Europe's biggest street carnival. Although there were fewer arrests than last year's record 454, a three-week crackdown had seen hundreds banned from attending.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation representing the capital's 32,000 rank-and-file officers, said at least 31 officers were attacked.
'We cannot carry on like this. It is a disgrace,' he said. 'My brave colleagues were attacked for just doing their job.
'This is not acceptable. What other event would be allowed to carry on regardless with so many police colleagues under attack?'
'There is a growing lobby calling for the carnival to be moved to Hyde Park and made ticket-only to deter opportunist criminals. Changes were first proposed in 2000 when two men were murdered. In 2008 there was a riot.
Police were slashed with broken bottles, spat at, bitten and had acid thrown at them
The Met threw a ring of steel around this year's parade. Senior officers were concerned that feuding street gangs could hijack the event, spurred by simmering anger over the Grenfell Tower disaster.
They were also concerned that the huge crowds could be targeted by terrorists. Officers seized weapons including knives, CS spray, batons and a hammer. Several panics were sparked by troublemakers spraying acid-like liquids.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other senior politicians support the carnival in its current form.
But Met Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: 'I do not believe that, when policing an event of celebration for London, it is acceptable that 31 of my officers were injured.'
Kim Jong-un was there in person to oversee the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan.
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'.
State media boasted that the test was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the 'disgraceful' Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It was part of 'a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29', the KCNA agency said, adding that the test was a 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam', the US Pacific base.
This morning, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned America will not allow North Korea's lawlessness to continue adding it is time for Pyongyang to recognise the 'danger they are putting themselves in' as the world is united against them.
Kim Jong-un views in person (shown) the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'
South Korean army soldiers work near K-9 self-propelled howitzers during a military exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea this morning
US President Donald Trump has said that 'all options' were on the table, reviving his implied threat of pre-emptive US military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be 'starting to respect us'.
The UN Security Council - which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang - said in a unanimous statement the North's actions 'are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states'.
Both the North's key ally China and Russia, which also has ties to it, backed the US-drafted declaration, but it will not immediately lead to new or tightened measures against Pyongyang.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, on Wednesday carried more than 20 pictures of the launch near Pyongyang, one showing Kim smiling broadly at a desk with a map of the Northwest Pacific, surrounded by aides.
Another showed him gazing upwards as the missile rose into the air.
The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that 'more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future' were necessary.
Tuesday's launch was a 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion', he said, and a 'curtain-raiser' for the North's 'resolute countermeasures' against ongoing US-South Korean military exercises which the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.
Wednesday's statement was the first time the North has acknowledged sending a missile over Japan's main islands. Two of its rockets previously did so, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions it claimed they were space launch vehicles.
South Korean army soldiers were pictured carrying out drills close to the border with the North amid heightened tensions between the two countries
South Korean soldiers carried out drills with K-9 self-propelled howitzers in Paju, South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his country's ability to contain Guam, state media said on Wednesday
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch (pictured) sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby
The rocket 'crossed the sky above Oshima peninsula of Hokkaido and Cape Erimo of Japan along the preset flight track and accurately hit the preset target waters in northern Pacific', it said.
South Korea's military said Tuesday that it had travelled around 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometres.
North Korea has twice previously sent rockets over the main islands of Japan, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions claimed they were space launch vehicles.
'The drill had no impact on the security of the neighbouring countries,' KCNA insisted, adding that Kim expressed 'great satisfaction' over the launch.
There would be 'more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future', it cited him as saying.
The launch, it added, was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the 'disgraceful' Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It ushered in a period of oppressive ruled that only ended with Japan's defeat in the Second World War and is resented by Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula, complicating the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul, both of them US allies threatened by Pyongyang.
With the launch, KCNA said, Kim 'gave vent to the long-pent grudge of the Korean people' with 'a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29'.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing (shown) and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyang said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile travelled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japan.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'.
TOKYO STOCKS RECOVER AMID HEIGHTENED GLOBAL TENSIONS Tokyo stocks opened higher today, recovering from the previous day's sell-off after North Korea fired a missile over Japan. Global stocks swooned on Tuesday after North Korea launched a missile over Japan, deepening geopolitical worries while sending safe-haven assets like gold higher. But Wall Street righted itself mid-session, with two of its major indices shrugging off missile-related worries and grinding out a positive result for the day, although Hurricane Harvey's impact on Texas and the oil industry weighed on buying sentiment. 'Investors bought back stocks as they are relieved to see gains in New York,' said Hikaru Sato, senior technical analyst at the investment strategy section of Daiwa Securities. 'The yen's weakness is also helping sustain buying sentiment,' Sato told AFP. Tokyo stocks opened higher today, recovering from the previous day's sell-off after North Korea fired a missile over Japan 'However, the Tokyo market is expected to remain nervous about geopolitical factors for now,' he added. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which fell to a four-month low on Tuesday, gained 0.51 percent, or 99.45 points, to 19,462.00 in the first few minutes of trade, while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.41 percent, or 6.58 points, at 1,604.34. The dollar, which fell below 109 yen following the missile launch, changed hands at 109.73 yen, compared with 109.75 yen in New York on Tuesday. A weaker yen is positive for Japanese shares as it boosts the value of exporters' repatriated profits and makes them more competitive overseas. Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, a market heavyweight, which tumbled nearly 2 percent on Tuesday, rose 1.10 percent to 31,140 yen. Sony jumped 1.54 percent to 4,265 yen and Panasonic gained 0.51 percent to 1,454.5 yen. Toyota rose 0.73 percent to 6,135 yen but Nissan edged down 0.04 percent to 1,085 yen with Honda down 0.06 percent at 3,038 yen. Advertisement
He called the launch a 'meaningful prelude' to containing Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases.
The leader was quoted as saying: 'The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam.'
This morning, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea to stop missile tests, saying Beijing has a key role to play in international efforts to prevent what she described as significant provocation by Pyongyang.
'We want to ensure that they desist this action. We see that the best way of doing that is for China to be bringing pressure to bear on North Korea,' May told reporters on her way to Japan for meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Weeks ago, Trump had warned that North Korea would face 'fire and fury' if it issued threats to the U.S.
The U.S. led an effort for new sanctions against the rogue regime that were approved by the UN Security Council.
Within hours of Kim's missile launch, South Korea had responded with an 'overwhelming show of force' by bombing a shooting range near its border to the North as part of a military drill, launching footage which contained a stern warning to Kim Jong-Un.
Response: A bomb hits a mock target at the Pilseung Firing Range in Gangwon-do, South Korea near the border to the North after on Tuesday as the South continues military drills
Living in fear: South Koreans watch file footage of a North Korean missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul after the North fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean
Seoul dropped eight Mark 84 bombs with four F15K fighter jets near Taebaek, Gangwon-do province, and released footage of the drill along with a video of its own ballistic missile tests conducted last week.
'If North Korea threatens the security of the South Korean people and the South Korea-US alliance with their nuclear weapons and missiles our air forces will exterminate the leadership of North Korea with our strong strike capabilities,' South Korean Colonel Lee Kuk-no warned in the video.
A statement from Seoul later on Tuesday echoed this sentiment, saying South Korea is 'fully ready for any threat from the North'.
'We strongly condemn the North's yet another provocation despite a grave message sent through Resolution 2371 adopted by the international community in the wake of its repeated strategic provocations,' the government said in a statement published by Yonhap news.
'We are fully ready for any threat from the North and will make unwavering efforts to protect the lives of our people and the security of our nation,' it said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, U.S., on their way to view storm damage in Texas
In the wake of the launch, Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
According to a readout released by the White House, 'The two leaders agreed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as to countries around the world.'
'President Trump and Prime Minister Abe committed to increasing pressure on North Korea, and doing their utmost to convince the international community to do the same,' according to the statement.
The rocket launched by North Korea this morning broke into three pieces off the coast of Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean, around 700 miles east of Cape Erimo, after travelling 1,700 miles in eight minutes.
Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the rocket, reportedly a mid range ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload.
North Korea's UN ambassador has blamed the U.S. for 'driving the peninsula towards an extreme level of explosion' by joining the South for war drills in the Pacific, calling today's missile test 'justified'.
Han Tae Song set to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in Geneva later today, did not explicitly refer to his country's latest test firing of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan into the sea earlier in the day.
Victorian child protection authorities received a report about a Melbourne baby two months before his alleged murder, a court has been told.
Six-month-old Chayse Dearing was found covered in bruises when emergency crews attended a Glenroy unit on the morning of June 26, 2016.
Dwayne Lindsay, 34, who was minding the baby at the time for his girlfriend, Michelle Dearing, is charged with murdering the infant.
Court documents allege child protection authorities received a report of concern in April 2016 about baby Chayse, based on transient living and drug use. However the report did not reach investigation stage.
Dwayne Lindsay, 34, (pictured) has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend's baby
Ms Dearing (pictured) said Lindsay was previously violent to her and frustrated with Chayse
Six-month-old Chayse (pictured) allegedly had drug ice in his system when he died
Chayse was found with bruising around his neck, a bump on his head, and trauma to his head and genitals.
Forensic paediatrician Geetika Badkar has told the Melbourne Magistrates Court the injuries were widespread and the child was possibly strangled and shaken.
Low levels of the illegal drug ice were also found in his system.
Lindsay, who is facing a committal hearing, claimed the injuries happened when he was spooked by a spider.
He told the child's mum he jolted, causing Chayse to roll off a mattress and hit his head on a wall heater, Dr Badkar said, recounting her discussion with Ms Dearing at the Royal Children's Hospital where Chayse's life support was switched off after two days.
Ms Dearing told Dr Badkar she smoked ice with Lindsay and friends in the lounge room in the hours before she left Chayse alone with him to go shopping.
Medical experts cited by prosecutors say Chayse's injuries were almost certainly caused by assault.
The hearing continues on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump tweeted that talking 'is not the answer' in his latest response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan.
Trump dissed prior agreements meant to entice North Korea toward normalized behavior, ripping them as 'extortion.'
He previously said that 'all options' are on the table, in language that keeps military options alive.
'The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!' Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning.
President Donald Trump tweeted that talking 'is not the answer' in response to a North Korean missile launch over Japan
His response came amid new hostile rhetoric from North Korea.
North Korean news agency KCNA called it 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam,' and brought up a 'disgraceful' 1910 treaty that led to the colonization of Korea.
Under the 1994 Agreed Framework with North Korea which ultimately broke down, Pyongyang agreed to replace its nuclear reactors, remain in a nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and accept inspections, while receiving fuel oil and assurances from the U.S.
The United Nations condemned North Korea's 'outrageous' firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, demanding that the isolated country halts its weapons program but holding back on any threat of new sanctions.
President Donald Trump tweeted that talking 'is not the answer'
North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to 'contain' the U.S. territory of Guam.
The North's leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North's KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.
'The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam,' KCNA quoted Kim as saying. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
South Korean army soldiers work near K-9 self-propelled howitzers during a military exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea this morning
Kim Jong-un views in person (shown) the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'
North Korea this month threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major U.S. military presence, after President Donald Trump said the North would face 'fire and fury' if it threatened the United States.
For its part, the U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency announced a 'complex' and successful missile defense flight test off Hawaii early on Wednesday, intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target.
The 15-member Security Council said it was of 'vital importance' that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tension and called on all states to implement U.N. sanctions.
However, the U.S.-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea.
Diplomats say veto-wielding council members China and Russia typically only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible sanctions.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing (shown) and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'
China's and Russia's ambassadors to the United Nations said they opposed any unilateral sanctions on North Korea and reiterated calls to halt deployment of a U.S. missile defence system in South Korea.
'I certainly hope that we'll be able to have a strong resolution following up this ... statement,' Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Koro Bessho, told reporters after the meeting.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was discussing the situation with other Security Council members and would make a 'necessary response' based on the consensus reached. China is the North's lone major ally.
'Any measures against North Korea should be under the U.N. Security Council framework, and should be carried out according to Security Council resolutions,' he told a news briefing.
Unilateral sanctions did not accord with international law, Wang added, a reference to sanctions imposed on Chinese firms and citizens by the United States and Japan.
Speaking during a visit to the Japanese city of Osaka, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying Beijing had a key role to play.
Asked about her comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said some 'relevant sides' were only selectively carrying out the U.N. resolutions by pushing hard on sanctions yet neglecting to push for a return to talks.
She said this was not the attitude 'responsible countries' should have when the 'smell of gunpowder' remained strong over the Korean peninsula.
'When it comes to sanctions, they storm to the front but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back,' Hua told a daily news briefing.
ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE
Tuesday's test was of the same Hwasong-12 missile Kim had threatened to use on Guam, but the test flight took it in another direction, over northern Japan's Hokkaido and into the sea.
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch (pictured) sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby
Trump, who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States, said the world had received North Korea's latest message 'loud and clear'.
'Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table,' Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Trump administration plans to name a former White House official, Victor Cha, as the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea, according to an administration official.
Cha served as deputy head of the U.S. delegation in multilateral talks with North Korea over its nuclear programme during the administration of President George W. Bush.
The North's latest test launch came as U.S. and South Korean forces conducted annual military exercises on the Korean peninsula, angering Pyongyang which sees the war games as a preparation for invasion.
South Korean army soldiers were pictured carrying out drills close to the border with the North amid heightened tensions between the two countries
The U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency and crew of the USS John Paul Jones tested a 'complex missile defense flight test' off Hawaii early on Wednesday, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said.
'We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone in giving our Aegis BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) ships an enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase,' said agency director Lieutenant General Sam Greaves in a statement without mentioning North Korea.
'We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves.'
North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under Kim in defiance of U.N. sanctions, but firing a projectile over mainland Japan was a rare and provocative move.
Tokyo stocks opened higher today, recovering from the previous day's sell-off after North Korea fired a missile over Japan
LACKING DETAIL
Reports of the launch by North Korean media lacked the usual boasts of technical advances.
The 2,700 km (1,680 miles) the missile flew before splashing down was much shorter and at a lower trajectory than that of an earlier launch of the same missile type.
'It is not clear what new North Korea would have learned from this launch that is relevant to a long-range missile,' missile expert David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said.
The shorter range points to an intended early cutting of the engine thrust or a possible mechanical problem, as the trajectory would not have been useful in simulating re-entry or heating of the missile, Wright wrote in a blog post.
Kim Dong-yup, professor at the Institute for Far East Studies of Kyungnam University in Seoul, said firing the missile from a densely populated area near Pyongyang and over Japan suggested North Korea was confident in the missile's stability.
'I do not think North Korea factored in much military meaning behind yesterday's missile launch, rather yesterday's launch was all about North Korea being stubborn,' he said.
'At the same time, North Korea is hinting that there is room for negotiation if the U.S. and South Korea end the joint military exercises.'
(Additional reporting by Jack Kim, and Philip Wen and Michael Martina in BEIJING, David Alexander in WASHINGTON and William James in OSAKA, Japan; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Michael Perry and Nick Macfie)
A country Catholic school is considering the addition of unisex toilets to cater for two students who identify as transgender.
Two pupils at Trinity Catholic College at Lismore, in northern New South Wales, were born female but now identify as male.
School principal Brother John Hilet is allowing the students to dress as boys and is also considering introducing gender-neutral uniforms and unisex toilets for pupils.
Two pupils at Trinity Catholic College (pictured) at Lismore, in northern New South Wales, were born female but now identify as male
Teachers and staff at the school with 1,110 students have also been told to call the transgender students by male names,The Northern Star reports.
The pupils had told the principal a fortnight ago they considered themselves to be boys, the newspaper said.
Parents were sent a letter about the two transgender students.
Brother Hilet said the students appeared to be happy with the proposals to address their issues.
'I saw one of them during the day and they sort of gave me a thumbs up, so things seem to be going okay,' he told the Northern Star.
'I spoke to the second student before the end of the day and they were very happy with how everything had gone.'
A Melbourne barista has been back-paid $29,061 after they were short-changed by their employer.
The barista who worked at a Campbellfield cafe discovered they had been ripped off by up to $5 an hour for three years.
The worker was paid between $17 and $19 an hour instead of $23.74 and did not receive penalty rates on weekends and public holidays.
A Melbourne barista (stock photo) has been back-paid $29,061 after discovering they had were short-changed up to $5 an hour for three years
The Fair Work Ombudsman ruled on the case Wednesday, as well as that of a Melbourne tradie.
The tradesman in Reservoir was reimbursed $8,595 after his employer failed to pay him any annual and long service leave entitlements when he resigned.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James put both businesses on notice and said any future workplace law breaches could lead to a lawsuit.
Ms James also said workers also needed to be better informed about their entitlements.
'These breaches resulted from a lack of understanding of workplace laws on the part of the two employers,' Ms James said.
'(This) highlights the importance of employers getting informed about their workplace obligations.'
The worker was paid between $17 and $19 an hour instead of $23.74 and did not receive penalty rates on weekends and public holidays (stock photo)
A U.S. Department of Justice news release says 46-year-old Thomas Sigler (pictured) was sentenced Tuesday to two years and nine months
Two Florida men, aged 46 and 56, have been sentenced to federal prison for setting a wooden cross on fire in an interracial couple's yard.
A U.S. Department of Justice news release says 46-year-old Thomas Sigler was sentenced Tuesday to two years and nine months.
56-year-old William Dennis received one year and nine months.
They had both previously pleaded guilty to civil rights violations.
Officials say Sigler, Dennis and Pascual Pietri were living in a largely white community in Pasco County, near Tampa.
A white woman and a black man moved into the neighborhood, which is when the men decided to burn a cross in the couple's yard Halloween 2012.
Cross-burning has historically been used by hate groups to intimidate black people, and it is a practice widely associated with the Ku Klux Klan.
Pietri was sentenced to three years and one month behind bars on March 23, 2016 after pleading guilty.
There was a fourth man who was part of the hate crime but he has since died.
'Acts of intimidation and violence perpetrated against people because of their race, ethnicity, color or creed are reprehensible,' Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow said according to the Bradenton Herald.
'Individuals and families should have the right to live wherever they choose, without fear. Acts of hatred such as this simply cannot be tolerated and we will investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes.'
Officials say Sigler, Dennis and Pascual Pietri were living in a largely white community in Pasco County, near Tampa when a white woman and a black man moved into the neighborhood. Cross-burning is a practice widely associated with the Ku Klux Klan
Pascual Pietri was sentenced to three years and one month behind bars
In September 2012, just before the Halloween invasion, Sigler and Dennis began regularly harassing the interracial couple with racial slurs and derogatory statements.
Shortly after the Halloween incident in 2012, Sigler physically attacked the man.
'The victims were attacked and threatened in their own neighborhood and home because of their race,' said John M. Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights.
'Such violence and intimidation has no place in our society, the Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all citizens, and will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who commit such atrocious acts of hate.'
A meningitis test which provides a result within an hour is being rolled out to patients for the first time.
The DNA test is a simple swab, taken from the mouth, which provides a result at the patients bedside.
It takes a fraction of the time of the meningitis tests used by doctors for decades, which are sent to a laboratory for up to 48 hours before a result comes back.
Medics have developed a new test which can fast track meningitis results
A traditional meningitis test involves taking fluid from a patient's spine, file photograph
The breakthrough is vital because an estimated 50 per cent of children and adults with meningitis are falsely given the all-clear and sent home from hospital. Otherwise doctors, forced to act before a test result comes back, give patients powerful antibiotics unnecessarily.
The LAMP test is hoped to be rolled out across Britain if successful for patients at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, where every child brought in will receive it.
Dr James McKenna, the lead researcher who developed the test and a clinical scientist at Queens University Belfast, said: The LAMP test enables doctors to efficiently diagnose meningococcal septicaemia within an hour.
The LAMP diagnosis could significantly reduce the number of patients taking medication unnecessarily as well as preventing needless anxiety to patients and their families.
It is estimated around 3,200 people a year in Britain contract the deadly infection, which kills one in ten victims.
It is a dangerous infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, but is often mistaken for a viral infection like the flu, because of symptoms including sickness, fever and headaches.
To test for it, doctors currently usually take a blood or spinal fluid sample from people feared to have meningitis, which take 48 hours to grow in the lab.
Without a rapid positive or negative result, patients may be sent home wrongly or given treatment because a two-day delay could mean the difference between life or death.
Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of charity Meningitis Now, said: Meningitis is a devastating disease that strikes rapidly and can leave devastation in its wake. Of those who survive, many will be left with permanent and lifelong disabilities.
We know rapid diagnosis and treatment improve the outcomes for those who contract this disease. As such we welcome all developments that will allow for quicker and more accurate diagnosis and the correct treatment to start promptly. We will follow the development of this test in clinical situations with great interest.
No harm is done to people given treatment by doctors because are not sure they have meningitis. But a study led by Queens University Belfast found two-thirds of 105 babies and children received treatment unnecessarily, and this adds to the dangerous threat of antibiotic resistance.
Those given antibiotics for no reason allow dangerous bacteria to become used to the drugs and evolve into superbugs which could drag us back to the 19th century, with people dying from cuts and broken bones as antibiotics no longer work.
The new diagnostic test, known as Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), has been assessed in a two-year study alongside the standard NHS tests.
It works faster than existing DNA tests through being fed into a machine which analyses genetic material without lab staff needed to produce a result.
Dr Tom Waterfield, is leading a new study at Queens University in collaboration with the Paediatric Emergency Research UK and Ireland to assess the practicality of testing being undertaken by doctors in hospital.
He said: We know that scientifically the test is effective but we now need the evidence base to confirm whether it is feasible for clinicians to carry out this test as part of their role before an informed decision can be taken.
A man stranded with his wife and two children on a shark-infested reef in the south Pacific had miraculously dodged a watery grave before, in the Bermuda Triangle, it can be revealed.
Bobby Cooper, 51, wife Cheryl, and children Lauren, 13, and Robbie, ten, were on a dream two-year voyage round the globe when they were shipwrecked 200 miles from the nearest inhabited island in the early hours of Monday. Only by chance was a boat near enough to save them.
But while Mr Cooper last night talked about the ordeal of facing being shipwrecked in the dead of night with his wife and children, it can be revealed that he is a survivor of the infamous Marques disaster that left 19 drowned in 1984.
Bobby Cooper, 51, wife Cheryl, and children Lauren, 13, and Robbie, ten, were on a dream two-year voyage round the globe when they were shipwrecked
They were 200 miles from the nearest inhabited island in the early hours of Monday and only by chance was a boat near enough to save them
The 88ft square rigged Marques which appeared in hit TV sailing drama The Onedin Line, as well doubling for Charles Darwin's ship The Beagle in another series was taking part in the Tall Ships race in the Caribbean when it ran into a terrible storm, and 'nosedived like a submarine' to the bottom.
Four Britons were among the dead but among the nine survivors was Mr Cooper, then just 18. The Daily Mail reported at the time that he told how he 'was ducked under heaving seas after the three-masted vessel went down in less than 45 seconds, but survived because the air in his oilskin kept him buoyant'.
After being taken to Bermuda, he phoned his parents in Stirling, Scotland, to say 'how lucky I am to be alive', while 'heartbroken that so many chums have gone'.
Yesterday Mr Cooper was making another relived phone call, this time on a satellite phone from the south Pacific to tell how his family's 50ft catamaran the Avanati was thrown by 40mph winds and high seas on to remote and barely charted Beveridge Reef, almost 200 miles from the island of Niue.
Mr Cooper said: 'The reef didn't appear on our plotter, I'm afraid. It came as a complete surprise
Mr Cooper is a survivor of the infamous Marques disaster that left 19 drowned in 1984
'It was fairly interesting. We surfed onto the reef. Bit of a navigation error. It was very violent and we grounded.
'We were then being hit by subsequent waves as they came over us, breaking over our stern.
'We got the kids up. We put them to the task of collecting whatever things they required and we assessed our situation.'
Speaking to the Times, Mr Cooper, a veteran ocean sailor who once captained a ship for Hollywood film star Errol Flynn, continued: 'We realised the boat was not sinking and that the best place to be was on board. We sat it out until the waves pushed us far enough onto the reef to be away from the breakers.'
They then set off a distress beacon, fearing help would be days' sailing away but after their call was picked up in New Zealand 1,500 miles to the south, it alerted a whale research ship, the Dona Catharina, which by chance was sheltering from the same high seas just a couple of miles away within the safety of the lagoon formed by the Beveridge Reef.
Mr Cooper went on: 'They turned on their deck lights and we could see them, we communicated with them.
'If they hadn't been there, we'd be sitting in a life raft right now, trying to keep warm and dry.'
A JustGiving page helping raise funds for the Coopers online has already raised some 19,000
As it is the family are still in the lagoon with the Dona Catharina's seven crew, waiting for the weather to improve so they can sail on to Niue. The catamaran has been hauled off the reef and anchored inside the lagoon.
Mrs Cooper's mother Karen Kerr, 60, of Doncaster, meanwhile, said her 37-year-old daughter had called to speak of her relief.
Mrs Kerr, who works in health and social care and had joined the family in the British Virgin Islands earlier in their planned two year circumnavigation of the globe, said: 'I had a brief call from Cheryl in the early hours this morning, just to confirm that they're safe and being looked after.
'They're very grateful for being alive.
'They wanted the family to have an adventure. But the boat was their home, after they sold their house to buy it.
'The seas were high and the swell was bad, it was dark.
'The children were told to grab what they could while their parents dealt with the May Day calls and bailing out. Cheryl said the worst part of the ordeal was trying to contact people in the middle of the night, with us in England on the other side of the world.
'They thought they were the only boat for many miles around.'
Mrs Kerr went on: 'Bobby and Cheryl took their kids out of school, sold their house and set off on their journey in April 2016.
'They went around the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, and into the Pacific.
'When they hit the reef on Monday they were on their way to New Zealand, where they were going to stay for a couple of months before deciding where to go next.'
Mrs Kerr said her son-in-law, originally from Scotland, had eventually settled in Palma, Mallorca. It was there that her daughter met him in a boatyard, after she left England for work on the island.
A JustGiving page helping raise funds for the Coopers online has already raised some 19,000.
The boat that rescued the family was taking part in studies of humpback whales for the Niue Whale Research Project, and is carrying on to the idyllic island when weather improves.
Picture of unknown protester at May 2017 demonstration against Turkish President Erdogan
A total of 19 people, including 15 identified as Turkish security officials, were indicted Tuesday by a grand jury in the US capital for attacking protesters in May 2017 during a US visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The indictments charge the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who had gathered on May 16 outside the home of the Turkish ambassador, awaiting Erdogan's arrival after he had met with President Donald Trump at the White House.
The case threatens to further complicate already tense relations between the two NATO allies.
Ankara strongly opposes the US decision to arm Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.
Grand jury indicted 15 bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for an attack on protesters in May
Case threatens to complicate already tense relations between the two NATO allies
Turkey views the Syrian Kurds as an extension of its own outlawed Turkish Kurdish movement and opposes any moves that could lead to the formation of an independent Kurdish state.
All 19 defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Sixteen of the defendants had already been charged on June 13; Tuesday's indictment adds three new defendants, all Turkish security officials.
Two of the defendants were arrested in June and face an initial court hearing on September 7. The rest remain at large.
Several are members of Erdogan's security detail who returned with him to Turkey, so it is unclear if any will face legal repercussions in the United States.
President Trump welcomed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, at the West Wing
However, they could end up being threatened with arrest if they return to the US and if any are still in the country, they could be expelled.
Video of the protest showed security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of protesters with their fists and feet.
Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she lay curled on a sidewalk. Another wrenched a woman's neck and threw her to the ground.
A man with a bullhorn was repeatedly kicked in the face.
After police officers struggled to protect the protesters and ordered the men in suits to retreat, several of the men dodged the officers and ran into the park to continue the attacks. In all, nine people were hurt.
Police detained two members of Erdogan's security detail but released them shortly afterward
On the day of the violence, police detained two members of Erdogan's security detail but released them shortly afterward.
Two other men were arrested at the scene - one for aggravated assault and the other for assaulting a police officer.
American officials strongly criticized Turkey's government and Erdogan's security forces for the violence; the State Department summoned Turkey's U.S. ambassador to complain.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry then summoned America's ambassador to protest the treatment of the detained security guards.
Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said at the time that Erdogan's security team moved in to disperse the protesters because 'police did not heed to Turkish demands to intervene.'
The Turkish Embassy claimed the demonstrators were 'aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president. The Turkish-Americans responded in self-defense and one of them was seriously injured."
A brave off-duty police officer who broke down the door of a burning home dressed in footy shorts and thongs to rescue an elderly couple says he's 'no hero'.
Chief inspector Brenton Charlton was on his way to work at 5.30am on Wednesday when he spotted the old brick house in Sydney's inner west completely alight.
'I could see flamed coming from the roof of the premises... I forced entry by kicking down the front door, when I got in the thick smoke was coming way,' he said.
'My training kicked in and then I went from there. I had no breathing apparatus, I just dropped to the ground and crawled in.'
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Hero: An off-duty police officer was wearing footy shorts and thongs when he broke down the door of a burning home and rescued an elderly couple trapped inside
The brave man, who has 25 years of experience in the police force, dropped to the ground and crawled inside the burning home despite temperatures of over 600 degrees
The officer was driving to work at 5.45am on Wednesday morning when he spotted the single-storey home in Sydney's inner west completely alight
Luckily for the woman trapped inside the burning home, believed to be aged 85, Mr Charlton had 25 years of experience in the police force as well as five years serving as the commander of the elite bomb and rescue squad on his side.
Shrugging off praise from reporters, the no-nonsense inspector said he was merely an 'ordinary' person caught in an 'extraordinary circumstance'.
'It was just an action that had to be taken as far as I'm concerned,' he said.
'I imagined that could have been my mother, or my wife, or my kids and family. I would expect the same done for me.'
Inspector Charlton said three tradesmen working nearby helped with the dramatic rescue. He told them to pull his body out by his ankles should he fall unconscious.
'She was in one of the rooms on the right ... it was black and dark she was probably (in) the first or second room on the right,' he said.
'From what i could make out she was suffering from shock and had taken some smoke inhalation at the time. I grabbed her and dragged her outside.'
'I'm no hero': Inspector Charlton brushed off suggestions he was a hero and said he would expect the same done for him
The small Sydenham home is pictured centre before it went up in flames on Wednesday
The blaze caused severe damage to the old home, including a partial roof collapse
After saving the woman, he was told by neighbours that an elderly man was stranded in the backyard with his clothes on fire.
He raced out back and carried the man out front over broken glass, conceding he had 'no memory' of the rescue by that stage.
The elderly couple were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where they are being treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.
Firefighters had the blaze at Sydenham under control by 6.10am but were still working on totally extinguishing the fire at 7.30am.
Superintendent Norman Buckley, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said temperatures inside the burning brick home were likely in excess of 600 degrees.
'Some of those temperatures would have been in excess of 600 degrees. A lot of furnishings, the carpets, the plastics, they generate a lot of heat.'
'I imagined that could have been my mother, or my wife, or my kids and family. I would expect the same done for me,' Inspector Charlton said
Superintendent Norman Buckley, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said temperatures inside the burning brick home were likely in excess of 600 degrees
Newtown Local Area Commander, Superintendent Gavin Wood, paid tribute to the actions of Mr Charlton and said it could easily have been a double fatality.
'The officer was on his way to work when he saw this home on fire,' Supt Wood said.
'He has literally kicked in the front door of a burning building, entered and saved this couple.
'We are fortunate to have police who see trouble, respond and without a thought for themselves save lives.
'This is a very significant act of bravery in anyone's language. I'm quite satisfied that if inspector Charlton hadn't have intervened we'd be looking at a potential death.'
The blaze caused severe damage to the home, including a partial roof collapse, and forensic officers are now examining the scene to determine what caused the fire.
Advertisement
A massive ranch in Colorado boasting a hunting lodge designed by LL Bean and multiple homes is on the market for $100million.
The Cross Mountain Ranch consists of 56,000 acres of land near Hayden, Colorado, plus state and federal lease agreements for an additional 168,000 acres.
The working ranch has grazing capacity for 10,000 sheep and 2,000 head of cattle, plus barns, outbuildings and employee housing.
But there's plenty of opportunity for play too, with streams for fly fishing, abundant elk for big game hunting, Class III and IV whitewater rapids and multiple stocked trout ponds.
A massive ranch in Colorado boasting a hunting lodge designed by LL Bean and multiple homes is on the market for $100M
The property includes multiple homes, including the main nine-bedroom, nine-and-a-half bath, 11,000 square foot main lodge
The property includes a hunting lodge designed by LL Bean and lots of big game hunting opportunities
Luxurious sleeping quarters: The main property has nine bedrooms and was the family retreat of Las Vegas real estate tycoon Ronald Boeddeker, who died in 2010
Country style: The ranch boasts multiple homes and hunting lodges which are all a-cut-above the usual rustic fare
The ranch is 20 minutes away from Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and a 45-minute drive from Steamboat Springs
Warmth: The main lodge is complete with a huge fireplace for those cold winter nights in Colorado
The area once home to the Ute Indians and now supports North Americas largest elk herd
The working ranch has grazing capacity for 10,000 sheep and 2,000 head of cattle, plus barns and outbuildings
'Cross Mountain Ranch is an incredible legacy ranch and investment,' listing broker Ken Mirr of Mirr Ranch Group said in a statement.
'On their own, components such as water rights, hunting and recreation offerings and agricultural operations make for a strong investment opportunity, but linked together, as they are at Cross Mountain Ranch, it creates a property with invaluable potential.
'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the most significant and diverse properties in the west.'
The ranch is so large that consists of two distinct ecosystems stretching across four counties.
The Upper Ranch features alpine landscapes, rich game and rushing rivers.
The Lower Ranch is the high desert portion, offering trophy hunting for elk, mule deer, and antelope.
The Yampa River winds its way through the property for 11.8 miles and the Little Snake River for 5.85 miles.
The Yampa River winds its way through the property for 11.8 miles and the Little Snake River for 5.85 miles
The Cross Mountain Ranch consists of 56,000 acres of land near Hayden, Colorado, plus state and federal lease agreements for an additional 168,000 acres
The ranch is so large that consists of two distinct ecosystems stretching across four counties
The ranch is 20 minutes away from Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and a 45-minute drive from Steamboat Springs, the famed ski resort town
The 1,200-foot-deep vertical-walled Cross Mountain Canyon, renowned for its white water and Class V rapids adjoins the ranch and one can put in just above the canyon and take out below all while staying on the property
The property includes multiple homes, including the main nine-bedroom, nine-and-a-half bath, 11,000 square foot main lodge.
The area once home to the Ute Indians and now supports North Americas largest elk herd.
The ranch is 20 minutes away from Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and a 45-minute drive from Steamboat Springs, the famed ski resort town.
Cross Mountain Ranch was the family homestead of Las Vegas real estate tycoon Ronald Boeddeker, who died in 2010.
They have been spotted juggling with stones and holding paws while asleep to stop a partner floating away.
Now otters have shown they are not just cute, but clever, after displaying a surprising talent at opening Tupperware.
It is easy for us to get into our lunchbox during the work day, but otters find it much harder, with one taking three hours to open a screw-top lid.
However a study has found they can use their paws, back legs and teeth to even unclip a box fastened at four sides and open a jar.
They do so because they learn from each other, British scientists found, which puts them among the cleverest creatures in the animal kingdom.
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Now otters have shown they are not just cute, but clever, after displaying a surprising talent at opening Tupperware
Dr Neeltje Boogert, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter, said: We know that sea otters hold paws when they are sleeping and use tools to crack open clams, and smooth-coated otters work together to round up fish when they are hunting.
Now otters have shown another fundamentally cultural trait, which is social learning. Very few animals are known to teach their young, but anecdotally this puts them among highly intelligent creatures like dolphins and chimpanzees.
We hope to use this knowledge to teach captive otters how to avoid new predators like dogs and other human threats, and how to find food in the wild, which will improve their chances of survival when they are released.
The study tested Asian otters with puzzles consisting of Tupperware containers of varying shapes filled with otter treats, including fish heads, mealworms and peanuts.
For otters, each container became harder work, ranging from a simple lunchbox with a lid to a frozen shrimp on a bamboo cane which needed to be lifted upwards and to the right to fit through a hole.
Videos of the experiment, in 24 otters taken from British zoos and wildlife parks, show them shoving the containers, trying to use their front paws, hind feet and jaws to prise off the lids.
But the solution to opening each soon spread through the otters, who hunt together and typically live in groups of four and five.
In smooth-coated otters, those that spent most time together were most likely to solve the problem together.
The solutions spread through this group, helping them get into containers in an average of 20 minutes, which showed they were copying each other.
Dr Boogert said: The order in which the young otters solved the puzzles followed the strength of their social ties. This indicates that the juveniles copied those siblings they spent most time with.
In the smooth-coated otters, although not Asian short-clawed otters (pictured), the authors found they used social learning more than a quarter of the time, with the results expected to apply to native British otters too
Just as human children often master internet tasks more quickly than their parents, the young otters were six times as fast as their parents.
In the smooth-coated otters, although not Asian short-clawed otters, the authors found they used social learning more than a quarter of the time, with the results expected to apply to native British otters too.
This is important for areas where endangered otters are being reintroduced into the wild, such as the Isle of Skye.
The Tupperware test could lead to animals being shown videos of other otters looking frightened around dogs, for example, which could teach them to be wary.
The study, published in Royal Society journal Open Science, states: Conservation organisations facilitating reintroduction programmes could benefit from using social transmission as a way of training captive-bred otters to cope with life in the wild.
Previous research suggests that animals trained on important life skills (e.g. anti-predator behaviour) through social learning have a higher survival rate once reintroduced into the wild.
The Government has lodged an emergency appeal to keep a vile baby rapist locked up after he became eligible for parole.
The 31-year-old sexual predator, who has raped children as young as one, remains in custody for the time being after the NSW Government intervened.
The appeal comes after a judge said the paedophile would pose an 'imminent' threat to children, adults and even animals if he was freed.
The NSW Government has for the first time been granted an emergency application to keep a 'high-risk sex offender' who poses a risk to 'adults, children and animals' behind bars
A successful application by the state for an Emergency Detention Order has kept him in prison, a spokesman for NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman (pictured) told AAP on Wednesday
A successful application by the state for an Emergency Detention Order has kept him in prison, a spokesman for NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said on Wednesday.
The Government will apply for an Interim Detention Order at a NSW Supreme Court hearing on Friday, after losing its first attempt despite the man posing 'a high risk of re-offending, particularly with children of either sex'.
The prisoner, who cannot be named, was last free in 2011 and living in a rehabilitation centre in Woolgoolga on the New South Wales mid-north coast.
He lived under the strictest and most severe rules ever handed to a sex offender, but has been refused re-entry to the facility due to concerns of staff.
They say the pervert revealed his desire to kill them and their families, before defiling their bodies.
Court documents outlining the man's family history reveal his father also committed sexual offences, including against his two sisters. The older daughter became pregnant as a result of the abuse.
The man has most recently been behind bars for 18 separate sex offences against children aged between one and nine, some of whom were related to him
The defendant abused his young niece when he was 20 and a judge sentenced him to four years behind bars, flagging that he would need help controlling 'sexual impulses ... towards young children'.
Upon his release he admitted to further sexual assaults, some committed when he was between 10 and 13, and was charged.
He would later write in a journal about his depraved urges, including to murder and rape women, and was described by a psychologist as being 'likely to re-offend both in an impulsive and opportunistic manner'.
The man has most recently been behind bars for 18 separate sex offences against children aged between one and nine, some of whom were related to him.
He has been eligible for parole for almost two years but hasn't been released because of a lack of suitable accommodation.
Supreme Court judge Christine Adamson this week accepted it was a difficult task to re-house the man because of 'the particular risks (he) poses to adults, children and animals'.
'He represents an unacceptable risk of committing a serious sex offence if he is not kept under supervision having regard to his past offending, diagnoses, ongoing sexual preoccupation with children and the expert opinions referred to in these reasons,' Justice Adamson said.
The Government has until 3:05pm on Friday to successfully apply for an Interim Detention Order to keep the criminal, who has raped children as young as 12 months, in prison.
They will then apply for a Continuing Detention Order which will keep the degenerate behind bars for a further five years. Further applications for CDOs can be lodged to ensure he never sees the light of day.
Alistair Jarvis, pictured, new head of Universities UK, defended the pay and conditions of senior academics
Universities have been 'scapegoated' over fat cat pay and tuition fees and need to 'fight back' at their critics, according to the body which represents vice chancellors.
Alistair Jarvis, the new chief executive of Universities UK, said institutions had been 'unfairly categorised as elite' and as 'detached from individuals, communities and day-to-day challenges'.
He claimed the criticism was the result of the 'silly season' over the holiday break and that universities appeared to be 'this summer's scapegoat of choice'.
In his first public speech since taking up the role earlier this month, he also urged universities to address 'reputational challenges' by highlighting their 'powerful and positive impact'.
His intervention comes following a string of revelations about senior pay in universities - with minister Jo Johnson calling for an end to the 'endless upwards ratchet' of salaries.
The highest-paid vice chancellor in the UK is Dame Glynis Breakwell, who earns 451,000 including benefits to head up the University of Bath.
Former Labour education minister, Lord Adonis, has called on her to resign over the pay package, while four MPs have resigned in protest from the university's advisory body.
Last month, the Mail told how Craig Calhoun, the former vice chancellor of the London School of Economics, was paid 1.7 million over four years despite it scoring just a bronze in official teaching ranks.
Meanwhile, Southampton's Professor Don Nutbeam received 252,000 as 'compensation for loss of office' or golden goodbye before stepping down at the end of September 2015.
Following the controversies, the vice-chancellor of the University of Bolton, George Holmes, who owns a Bentley and earns 222,000, caused uproar by claiming university bosses are not paid enough compared to peers in other countries.
Critics said it was inappropriate for vice chancellors to earn more than the Prime Minister's salary of 150,000 when student fees are rising again to 9,250 next month.
Mr Jarvis, who is understood to earn close to a six-figure salary himself, said: 'Universities are under intense scrutiny and in danger of being unfairly categorised as elite, aloof and detached from individuals, communities and day-to-day challenges.
'In the UK, it seems to be open season on universities. Whether it is attacks on the value of a degree, problems with the tuition fees system, senior staff being overpaid, or problems with international students, universities are this summer's scapegoat of choice.
'Whether it is open season or silly season, it has attracted the attention of some prominent commentators, who have taken time out from their summer breaks to catalogue the litany of failings in our university sector.'
The highest-paid vice chancellor in the UK is Dame Glynis Breakwell, who earns 451,000 including benefits to head up the University of Bath
Although the revelations on vice chancellor pay were backed up by publicly-available accounts, Mr Jarvis said he had seen a 'post-truth summer of misinformation'.
He added: 'Let's see if we can follow a post-truth summer with an evidence-based autumn.'
Mr Jarvis, a Kent University graduate, was previously deputy chief executive of Universities UK and prior to that director of communications and external relations at the organisation.
Before joining in 2013, he was a director at the University of Birmingham and has been a member of the judging panel for the Guardian University Awards.
His salary in his new post is unknown but it is likely to be close to that of his predecessor Nicola Dandridge, who earned 159,500.
He urged universities to show the public they can be 'forces for good in our world' by transforming lives, supporting communities and strengthening economies.
He added: 'Universities are not in crisis, they are positive and powerful institutions delivering deep and lasting value to communities in all corners of the world, but universities do have some serious reputational issues that need addressing.
'It is time for universities to address this crisis of confidence.
'We have a major challenge. Now is the moment for universities to shine and prove their value. Today, I want to issue a rally call. It is time to fight back.
'We need to respond to these reputational challenges, robustly, with evidence, promoting our values, promoting our impact and engaging with diverse range of audiences.'
The speech was made at the conference of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, held in Birmingham for higher education professionals responsible for external relations.
He said: 'Now is the time to demonstrate the huge value and positive impact of universities. Your universities need you to rise to the challenge.'
An outspoken pastor, a Chinese-Australian GP and a leading critic of the Safe Schools program are the three faces of the 'No' campaign against same-sex marriage.
Heidi McIvor, Dr Pansy Lai and Cella White are the women who featured in the first anti-gay marriage advertisement which aired on television on Tuesday night.
In the Coalition for Marriage video, Ms McIvor, a pastor at a Victorian church, shared a story of children as young as 12 being asked to role play being in a same-sex relationship.
'Kids in Year 7 are being asked to role play being in a same-sex relationship,' she said, with an aghast look on her face.
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Pictured: Church worship leader Heidi McIvor, who appears on the Coalition for Marriage's new advertisement against same-sex marriage
Ms McIvor is a married mother of two who lives in south-east Victoria (pictured with husband Julian)
Ms McIvor is a former media advisor to Family First senator Steve Fielding, who in 2009 likened same-sex marriage to incest
Ms McIvor, a mother of two, is vocal about her thoughts on same-sex marriage on Twitter. She has tweeted that 'children's rights are implicated during marriage'.
Her LinkedIn profile said she is a former media advisor to Family First senator Steve Fielding, who in 2009 likened same-sex marriage to incest.
Friends took to social media to praise her appearance in the advertisement.
Victorian man Michael Hunt commended the Christian group she is affiliated with, Sale City Builders Church for its 'ongoing political campaign against SSM'.
'In particular, I would like to commend the efforts of Sale City Builders Church members Heidi McIvor for her ad and her husband, Julian McIvor, advertising manager for the [local paper], for publishing articles opposing SSM,' he continued.
The outspoken Christian has also lobbied against abortion in Victoria (pictured)
Ms McIvor appeared aghast in the advertisement as she spoke of teenagers being asked to role play a same-sex relationship
Another woman who appeared in the advertisement is Dr Pansy Lai, is a Chinese-Australian campaigner from Sydney's north.
In the clip, she claimed controversial programs at schools had become 'compulsory' when same-sex marriage was legalised overseas.
A general practitioner and Christian from Sydney's north - whose last name was misspelt as 'Li' in the TV advertisement - Dr Lai recently founded a group called the Australian Chinese for Families Association.
She advocates against same-sex marriage and the controversial Safe Schools program, which aims to reduce bullying of gay, lesbian and transgender students.
In previous interviews about Safe Schools, the medical professional has claimed Safe Schools discriminates against Chinese culture.
She told local newspaper The Northern District Times: '(The program) is promoting views on gender and sexuality that Chinese parents find extreme'.
In a promotional video for her campaign, she said she hated bullying but opposed Safe Schools out of 'love'.
Dr Pansy Lai (pictured) is an outspoken advocate against Safe Schools, and says she does it out of 'love'
Dr Lai recently founded a group called the Australian Chinese for Families Association
'I was bullied when I first came to Australia and there were people who yelled across the playground to me and said "go back to where you came from".
'We don't want any kids to be bullied, transgender kids, kids from ethnic backgrounds, we don't want anyone to be bullied. But I'm just not sure if Safe School is the answer to that.'
In the advertisement, Dr Lai shares her concerns about programs like Safe Schools becoming more common.
'When same-sex marriage passes as law overseas, this type of program become (sic) widespread and compulsory,' she said.
The third woman in featured in the campaign is Cella White, who made headlines after pulling her children out of Frankston High School.
She told viewers her son was told he could wear a dress to school next year.
Ms White appeared on Q&A last year, where she elaborated on a story she told in Tuesday night's advertisement about her son being offered the option to wear a dress to school
It is an issue she raised on ABC's Q&A last year, claiming the 14-year-old was given the controversial option in science class.
'I have no religious affiliation, but I believe it is biology that defines what sex you are, not radical gender theory,' she said at the time.
'I did not feel comfortable with my daughter sharing rest rooms or PE change rooms with the boys who wish to identify as girls and withdrew her enrolment into Year 7 this year.
'Frankston High had told me they didn't have any transgender children so I just thought it is a funny approach for people sitting there that don't have that affliction.'
The principal of Ms White's son's former school, has since slammed her claims in comments made toThe Age.
'We checked with all the teachers, it never happened,' John Albiston said.
'I have never had any complaints that we advised the boys they could wear dresses. We didn't offer them that option.'
Daily Mail Australia approached Ms McIvor, Dr Lai and Ms White for comment.
The advertisement, which the Australian Christian Lobby claims costs $35,000 each night it airs, was seen for the first time on Tuesday night.
The 30 second advertisement features the three mothers, who argue potential adverse affects on their children if the legislation is passed.
Dr Pansy Lai says 'when same sex marriage passes as law overseas, this type of program become (sic) widespread and compulsory' during her cameo on the advertisement
Equality Campaign executive director Tiernan Brady has labelled the advertisement 'disgraceful in its dishonesty', according to a news.com.au report.
'The people behind this ad know that the Australian people are for allowing all Australians the right to marry so they want to desperately pretend this simple straightforward question is about something else,' Mr Brady told the publication.
Coalition for Marriage spokeswoman Sophie York argued against 'radical' LGBTIQ sex and gender education programs becoming mandatory in primary schools, like they had in Canada and the UK, in a statement.
'Every day across the country, on social media, in coffee shops, in mothers' groups and at BBQs, hundreds of thousands of parents are speaking to each other about the impacts of radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education programs,' Ms York said.
'Millions of Australians are now concerned about the consequences of changing the Marriage Act.'
Cella White (pictured above) explained her concern at her son's school telling him 'he could wear a dress next year if he felt like it' during her appearance in the ad
Heidi McIvor expresses her worry of how 'kids in Year 7 are being asked to role play being a same sex relationship'
The campaign has the support of the Australian Christian Lobby, which believes: 'Changing the marriage law will have consequences for what is taught in our kids' classroom.'
In an online post, the group wrote, 'If same-sex marriage becomes law, parents will not have a leg to stand on if they don't want their kids taught radical sex education, and gender ideologies.'
The advertisement is set to continue airing on national mainstream television networks and pay TV stations.
The campaign has the support of the Australian Christian Lobby, which believes: 'Changing the marriage law will have consequences for what is taught in our kids' classroom'
There has been a diverse reaction to the ad on social media with some arguing it fails to address 'real' issues of same sex marriage, instead, making it a discussion about children and the Government's Safe Schools program.
'The strange thing is that the Same Sex Marriage vote has absolutely zero to do with children, yet our supposed Christian lobbyists have somehow made it about children,' a Facebook user wrote.
Another agreed, writing: 'What has the safe school programme got to do with the SSM debate?'.
Social media users were quick to weigh in on Coalition for Marriage's new anti-gay marriage ad
A Twitter user accused the campaign of 'scare mongering' in schools, while another added how they didn't think the ad was an accurate reflection of the beliefs of the majority of voters, calling it 'humiliating.'
'Sometimes I feel ashamed to call myself Australian,' one disgruntled social media wrote.
Another pointed out the irony of the ad and its role in reminding viewers they have the option to be a 'jerk'.
A Twitter user accused the campaign of 'scare mongering' in schools, while another added how they didn't think the ad was an accurate reflection of the beliefs of the majority of voters, calling it 'humiliating'
'I love that the no campaign's slogan is 'You can say no'. Like, they know you shouldn't but want you to know you can be a jerk if you want.'
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has slammed the ad, calling it 'offensive and hurtful to LGBTI Australians and their families,' the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
'This is exactly what was predicted when Malcolm Turnbull decided to waste $122 million on a postal survey. He gave the green light to this rubbish,' Mr Shorten told Fairfax Media.
He added: 'This is not freedom of speech. This is freedom to hurt. I just want to tell LGBTI families that they are not on their own. Most people know this is total rubbish.'
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said survey forms will be posted to voters by September 25.
A video has been released showing former Cobb County Police Officer, James Caleb Elliot, shooting at an unarmed teenager eight times.
The harrowing footage shows the cop, who put in notice of his resignation a few days before the incident, chase after the 16-year-old boy through the quiet neighborhood in Georgia.
Channel 2 Action News obtained the bodycam video of the distressing episode.
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Tahirahana Williams, the mother of the victim, spoke out about the incident which saw Cobb County Police Officer, James Caleb Elliot, shoot at her unarmed teenager eight times
The shooting, which took place November 6 2016, ended with the suspect surviving a wound to the leg.
Almost a year later his mother, Tahirahana Williams, has spoken out.
She said: 'You just don't expect it to be you, but my thing is, it could be. People need to know that this happened in my neighborhood.'
The incident in 2016 began when Elliot received a suspicious carjacker call and he managed to track down the car in question.
The teen suspect can be seen running away from Elliot after he panicked when the officer approached the car with a gun
The harrowing footage then shows the cop chasing after the 16-year-old boy through the quiet neighborhood in Georgia
Once he arrived at the scene there were four young people in the supposed carjacked vehicle.
Tanya Miller, who is the lawyer for the teen's family, admitted the 16-year-old shouldnt have been in the car but that he had nothing to do with the reported carjacking that occurred three days prior.
Miller also revealed that he shouldn't have run from the officer but he merely did that because he was scared when Elliot approached the vehicle with a gun.
She said: 'He shot his service weapon eight times toward the back of an unarmed teenager. Blitz were flying through this neighborhood.'
The incident began when Eliot received a suspicious carjacker call, he then tracked down the car in question, which the teen was sitting in
Elliot approached the supposed carjacked vehicle with his gun in hand
The officer continued to walk towards the teen in the car with his gun
After the teenager ran away, Elliot proceeded to run after him firing his gun - which he says was merely a warning shot.
He fired the gun seven more times after that in the quaint Cobb neighborhood, eventually he managed to shoot the suspect in the back of the leg.
Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register, who wasn't chief when officer Elliot shot the teen, was quick to condemn the actions of his former colleague.
'We certainly don't want our officers to further endanger the public,' he said.
'Using hindsight, that was not a decision I would have made,' the Chief of Cobb County Police concluded.
After the teen ran away from Elliot he fired the gun at the back of the young boy - which he said was a warning shot
Elliot continued to chase the boy through the neighborhood
However, Lance LoRusso, Elliot's lawyer, fired back with: 'Law enforcement don't get to choose where confrontations occur therefore they don't get to choose where they use deadly force.'
'He acted lawfully, and a grand jury agreed,' Elliot's attorney said in a statement.
'He acted heroically and employed a tremendous amount of training to render first aid immediately on the scene,' LoRusso added.
Ultimately, District Attorney Vic Reynolds concluded that Elliot's action were legally justifiable because the officer believed he was chasing a carjacker - a violent felon -even if that wasn't to be the case.
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Hurricane Harvey has dumped the most rain on the continental US in history it was revealed today - as catastrophic scenes unfold in Houston with shelters overwhelmed with survivors, a curfew in place to prevent looting, dams overflowing and a chemical plant at risk of exploding.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, there are currently about 20,000 Hurricane Harvey evacuees in shelters.
Many of Houston's evacuees are crammed into the city's convention center which is now overcrowded with 10,000 evacuees - double what officials initially planned.
The George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Texas, has a capacity of up to 5,000 people, but Monday night 9,021 people stayed in the center, many sleeping on chairs and on the floor because of a shortage of cots.
Others were being sent to the Toyota Center, the arena that is home to the Houston Rockets NBA team. Houston's mayor said the convention center would remain as the primary shelter in Houston.
More people continued to flock to the city's overcrowded main shelter Tuesday as floodwaters kept rising after five consecutive days of rain that set a new continental US record for rainfall for a tropical system.
In Cedar Bayou, Texas, rains reached 51.88inches Tuesday afternoon, the record for Texas and the continental US, but does not pass the record of 52inches of rain in Kauai, Hawaii in 1950 from Tropical Cyclone Hiki. That record was set before Hawaii became a state.
The previous continental US record was 48inches set in 1978 in Medina, Texas, by Tropical Storm Amelia. A weather station southeast of Houston reported 49.32inches of rain as of Tuesday morning.
There are initial reports that at least 18 people have died from the storm and its aftermath, however, the complete death toll can't be fully counted until after the floodwaters recede.
And though the military has been limited in its ability to help in rescue and recovery efforts by weather and flooding, Air Force Major General James Witham said up to 30,000 National Guard troops could be called on to help in Texas.
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The George R Brown Convention Center (pictured) in downtown Houston, Texas, has a capacity of up to 5,000 people, but Monday night 9,021 people stayed in the center, which was opened as the city's main shelter for flood evacuees. According to Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, there are currently about 20,000 Hurricane Harvey evacuees total in shelters
Though the military has been limited in its ability to help in rescue and recovery efforts because of weather and flooding, Air Force Major General James Witham said up to 30,000 National Guard troops could be called on to help in Texas. Rescue helicopters are pictured landing on the Eastex Freeway in Houston on Tuesday
Floodwaters in Texas continued to rise after five consecutive days of rain that set a new record for rainfall for a tropical system. In Cedar Bayou, Texas, rains reached 51.88inches Tuesday afternoon, the record for Texas and the continental US. Interstate 69 (pictured) is covered by floodwaters in Humble, Texas
There are initial reports that at least 18 people have died from the storm and its aftermath, however, the complete death toll can't be fully counted until after the floodwaters recede. Pictured: people make their way out of a flooded neighborhood in Houston
A home is surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday in Houston. With its flood defenses strained, the crippled city of Houston anxiously watched dams and levees Tuesday to see if they would hold until the rain stops and meteorologists offered the first reason for hope of a forecast with less than an inch of rain and even a chance for sunshine
Slide me MOVE SLIDER TO COMPARE IMAGES: These photographs show how the I-10 between Houston and Beaumont was submerged during Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday - to the point that waves can be seen rolling feet above the asphalt
Federal and local agencies say they have rescued more than 13,000 people in the Houston area as well as in surrounding cities and counties in Southeast Texas since Tropical Storm Harvey inundated the area with torrential rain.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday his agency has rescued about 4,100 people.
Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena says they have rescued more than 3,000.
Parisa Safarzadeh, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office says her agency has rescued more than 3,000 people. Houston is located in Harris County.
US Coast Guard Lt Mike Hart says his agency has rescued more than 3,000 individuals. Hart says the Coast Guard total includes rescues in Houston, but also in outlying cities and subdivisions outside of Houston, as well as in surrounding counties, including Brazoria, Galveston and Matagorda.
On Wednesday morning, Singapore's defense ministry says as many as four of its military helicopters will start assisting in Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts.
The CH-47 Chinook helicopters are stationed in Grand Prairie, Texas, as part of a decades-long partnership between the Republic of Singapore Air Force and Texas National Guard. Singaporean airmen who train there learn how to face large-scale emergencies.
The ministry says the helicopters will be able to airlift troops, evacuees and supplies in the relief effort.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the offer in a call with President Donald Trump late Tuesday. Both leaders are set to meet at the White House in October.
Singapore made a similar offer after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
As waters continue to rise, public health officials are warning that flooding increases the risk of ills ranging from skin rashes to bacterial and viral infections and mosquito-borne disease. Pictured: A boat navigates through floodwaters in Houston
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday the Houston Police Department has rescued more than 3,500 people from flooding and Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said the city fire department had rescued more than 400. Pictured: Interstate 10 is closed due to floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday
Logan Wheat, who took these photos, headed out onto the I-10 on a boat (left). He also noted what appeared to be doomed cattle (right). He later said 'it puts a knot in my throat to know we couldn't get them out.'
Air Force Major General Witham, the director of dometic operations for the National Guard Bureau, told reporters there are currently about 3,500 National Guard troops involved in Harvey rescue efforts, including 3,000 from the Texas National Guard.
He estimated that the Texas guard number could rise to 8,000 to 10,000 in coming days, possibly joined by 20,000 to 30,000 from other states.
He said the military is providing everything that has been requested by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, although the response is constrained by the stormy weather and by flooding that limits use of roadways.
He said weather has limited the use of military helicopters over the past two or three days, so the Guard has instead used boats and ground vehicles to rescue stranded residents in the Houston area.
Besides the additional National Guard troops from other states, there are about 1,000 active-duty military forces in position to provide assistance if called up by civilian authorities, he said.
Asked whether Texas authorities recognized the magnitude of the disaster quickly enough, Witham said, 'That's debatable.' He said in some respects the need was recognized quickly. But the extraordinary amount of rainfall and flooding exceeded what state planners could have foreseen.
'So if you're looking at an event that only occurs every few hundred years, the planning that would have normally occurred for that probably wasn't here,' Witham said.
'So, in many cases, the request for assistance, not only for the National Guard but federal forces, may not have been anticipated quickly enough.'
Lt Mike Hart said Monday that the Coast Guard has been receiving more than 1,000 calls an hour, adding that Monday alone, they rescued more than 3,000 people. Pictured: Interstate 10 in Houston is covered with floodwaters
A boat travels along Interstate 10 as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey cover a portion of the highway Tuesday
As waters continue to rise, public health officials are warning that flooding increases the risk of illnesses ranging from skin rashes to bacterial and viral infections and mosquito-borne disease.
On Monday afternoon the town of Dickinson issued a mandatory evacuation order and residents near Columbia Lakes in Brazoria County were told Tuesday morning to leave immediately after a levee was breached.
Residents within 1.5miles of a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, were evacuated on Tuesday as a 'precautionary measure' because of the rising risk of an explosion, the local fire marshal's office said in a Twitter message.
More than 17,000 people have sought refuge in Texas shelters and that number seemed certain to increase, the American Red Cross said.
As people continue to flock to the overcrowded George R Brown Convention Center, Houston is planning to open a few other 'mega-shelters' for evacuees.
'We are not turning anyone away. But it does mean we need to expand our capabilities and our capacity,' Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. 'Relief is coming.
EXPERTS WARN HARVEY IS WORSE THAN KATRINA Michael Brown, the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Hurricane Harvey would bring more devastation to Texas than the historic Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, Brown explained that the scope of the flooding in Houston - where up to 49 inches of rain has fallen - is considerably worse than was seen in New Orleans and other towns in Louisiana after Katrina. 'There are several factors that make it worse than Katrina. For one there is the scope of the flooding. Harris County and the surrounding areas are so saturated. 'Also, the amount of damages will continue to grow. There will be mold and structural damages adding up.' 1,833 people died as a result of Katrina. More than 273,000 people were in shelters and more than 1million are thought to have lost their homes. The full extent of the damage caused by Harvey is not yet clear. On Tuesday, there were 17,000 in shelters and more were being rescued by the minute. Eighty-percent of New Orleans flooded as a result of the storm as levees failed. On Tuesday, the first levee in Texas was breached as the flood waters rose. New Orleans is bracing itself to be pounded by Harvey which is scheduled to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday. Advertisement
Televangelist Joel Osteen opened his Houston megachurch, a 16,000-seat former arena that was the longtime home of the NBA's Houston Rockets, on Tuesday as a shelter after social media critics slammed him for not offering to house people in need while Harvey swamps the city.
Osteen announced the effort in a tweet, saying he and wife Victoria Osteen 'care deeply about our fellow Houstonians'.
Later in the day, the Toyota Center was accepting people who could not find space at the convention center.
However the arena had only 500 cots added to its floor because the convention center will remain the primary shelter for Harvey evacuees.
Mayor Turner said Tuesday night that people will still have to go to the convention center first before going into the Toyota Center.
Tom McCasland, Houston's housing and community development director, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the Toyota Center will serve as an overflow center for people still arriving Tuesday night and early Wednesday.
It will only serve families with children that don't have pressing medical needs.
McCasland says more cots are on the way for thousands of people who didn't have one Monday night. Some people slept on towels or strips of cardboard.
He says, 'We fully expect to have everyone in a cot tonight.'
Turner said Tuesday night that because Houston police have been spread thin due to ongoing water rescues and other efforts, 50 Texas National Guard members will be stationed at the convention center to provide security.
Houston officials opened a major shelter at NRG Park that can accommodate up to 10,000 evacuees.
Darian Ward, a spokeswoman for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, said the convention center adjacent to the city's NFL stadium and the Astrodome opened at 10pm Tuesday.
Mayor Turner also said Tuesday the city has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for more supplies, including cots and food, for additional 10,000 people, which he hopes to get no later than Wednesday.
The mayor also issued an overnight curfew beginning on Tuesday night for an indefinite period amid incidents of looting, armed robberies and people impersonating police officers.
The curfew will run from 10pm until 5am and Houston is bringing additional police from other regions, Turner said in a news conference Tuesday evening.
'You cannot drive, nor be in any public place. We have had problems with armed robberies, with people with guns and firearms,' Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said.
Those who violate the curfew will be questioned, searched and arrested, Acevedo said.
The curfew comes after fourteen people were arrested for looting in the Houston area over the past 48 hours, as floodwaters from Harvey continue to devastate the region.
Officials said Tuesday night they have received disturbing reports of people impersonating Homeland Security special agents and telling residents to evacuate in order to rob their homes.
The city of Houston says people should ask anyone knocking on their doors for official badges and credentials with their name and organization. The city's statement also notes that during Harvey relief efforts, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not conducting immigration enforcement operations in the area.
vacuees take shelter from Tropical Storm Harvey in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday
Evacuees line up to apply for FEMA aid at the Convention Center which is housing people from flooded homes after Hurricane Harvey caused heavy flooding in Houston, Texas
Harvey has set what forecasters believe is a new rainfall record for the continental United States, officials said Tuesday
Harvey, swirling for the past few days off Texas and Louisiana has dumped more than 49 inches (124.5 centimeters) of rain on the region
A woman in a wheelchair carries a child on her lap as she arrives at the Convention Center which is housing people from flooded homes after Hurricane Harvey caused heavy flooding in Houston
The city also says in a tweet in both English and Spanish that it is not checking the immigration status of anyone coming into shelters.
On Tuesday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards offered to take in Harvey victims from Texas.
Edwards said he expects Texas officials to decide within 48 hours whether to accept the offer, which comes as Louisiana is also helping its own residents who were rescued from Harvey's floodwaters overnight.
About 500 people were evacuated Monday night and early Tuesday from flooded neighborhoods in southwest Louisiana, and about 200 spent the night in area shelters, Edwards said.
Meteorologists have said Harvey will spend much of Wednesday dropping rain on Louisiana before moving on to Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri, which could also see flooding.
National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said that Houston would soon get a chance to dry out and that when the storm returns to land Wednesday, 'it's the end of the beginning'.
But Feltgen cautioned: 'We're not done with this. There's still an awful lot of real estate and a lot of people who are going to feel the impacts of the storm.'
The National Weather Service predicted less of an inch of rain for Houston on Wednesday and only a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for Thursday. Friday's forecast called for mostly sunny skies with a high near 94.
President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday, and the White House said his stops in Corpus Christi and Austin were meant to highlight coordination at all levels of government and lay the groundwork for what is expected to be a lengthy recovery after the storm.
Trump traveled with the secretaries of health and human services and housing and urban development, and the head of the Small Business Administration.
People walk outside the Houston Convention Center which is housing evacuees from flooded homes after Hurricane Harvey caused heavy flooding
A woman and her child check into the Convention Center on Tuesday
Evacuees line up to apply for FEMA aid at the Convention Center which is housing people from flooded homes
A family prepares to sleep at Houston's Convention Center on Tuesday night
A man sleeps outside the Convention Center on Tuesday. As Houston's main hurricane shelter, the center was overcrowded with more than 9,000 evacuees
Evacuee Teddy Gifford, 90, waits for a medical evaluation with first responder Veronica Garza at the Lakewood Church in Houston Tuesday. Joel Olsteen and his congregation have set up their church as a shelter for evacuees from the flooding by Tropical Storm Harvey
Evacuees wait to be processed into the George R. Brown Convention Center where thousands have taken refuge, in Houston
Volunteers separate donated clothing from a huge pile at the George R. Brown Convention Center. 'I'm so proud how everyone is coming together,' said one woman in her second day of volunteering
People wait to be checked by police before entering a shelter in the George R. Brown Convention Center during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday
Evacuees fill up cots at the George Brown Convention Center that has been turned into a shelter run by the American Red Cross to house victims of the high water from Hurricane Harvey
The president raised spirits as he addressed a crowd of fans at a firehouse in Corpus Christi, telling them: 'This is historic, it's epic, what happened, but you know what, it happened in Texas. Texas can handle anything.'
He promised to take care of survivors and help with rescue efforts, saying: 'We love you. You are special. We are here to take care of you.'
'This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this,' said Trump before praising Texas Governor Greg Abbott as being 'terrific' in the face of catastrophe.
He commended the emergency services but said cautiously: 'We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished.'
The day before, Abbott had visited some of the devastated areas before he gave an update on the aftermath of the storm in a press conference.
'A Texas-sized storm requires a Texas-sized response, and that is exactly what the state will provide,' he said Monday.
'While we have suffered a great deal, the resiliency and bravery of Texan's spirits is something that can never be broken. As communities are coming together in the aftermath of this storm, I will do everything in my power to make sure they have what they need to rebuild.'
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, estimates that 30,000 will be in need of shelter by the time the storm passes and there is already an estimated $40billion in damage. The agency also estimates that more than 450,000 people are likely to seek federal aid.
The organization has around $3billion in its disaster relief fund but the sum is dwindling.
The storm has also crippled the country's oil trade, hampering 16per cent of the US's refineries, which are in the danger zone.
US lawmakers have already begun contemplating the massive rebuilding costs, leaving some Republicans in a tricky spot after they opposed federal aid when a storm devastated eastern states in 2012.
People rest at the George R Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey
People rest at the Houston convention center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday
As the Houston convention center fills beyond capacity, the city plans on opening up two or three more mega-shelters in the coming days
Malachia Medrano, 2, sleeps at the George R Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey
Flooding has damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, crippled infrastructure, washed away businesses and left the economic future of the region under a cloud.
Just how heavy a financial toll the storm will take on the southern US economy was unclear Tuesday, as the focus remained on rescue operations, many of them being carried out in the hard-hit Houston area.
But the storm, which on Tuesday was tilting toward neighboring Louisiana, has the potential to be one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, and lawmakers have already broached the subject of recovery funding.
'I believe we need to put an aid package together for $150 billion' for emergency relief and recovery from Harvey, House Democrat Sheila Jackson-Lee, whose Houston district remained largely underwater, told CNN.
That staggering amount is 2.5 times the funding approved by Congress and allocated by the federal government following superstorm Sandy, which caused widespread devastation in eastern states including New York, New Jersey and Maryland when it struck in October 2012.
Despite the clear need for federal government intervention after that storm, 179 Republican lawmakers -- including 23 of Texas's 24 House members -- opposed the Sandy Relief Act.
The snub appalled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who at the time savaged his fellow Republicans as 'absolutely disgraceful.'
Their votes are suddenly back in the spotlight, as lawmakers still on their summer recess sniped across social media.
Republican Congressman Peter King of New York called out Senator Ted Cruz of Texas by name Monday in a stinging rebuke, saying he would vote for post-Harvey aid despite fellow Republicans opposing Sandy relief.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaks during a briefing on Harvey relief efforts, Tuesday at the the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas
President Trump waves a Texas flag as he visits communities in Corpus Christi on Tuesday
President Trump and Melania Trump left the White House on Tuesday morning in less practical outfits
'NY wont abandon Texas,' King tweeted. '1 bad turn doesnt deserve another.'
A New Jersey Democrat offered similar thoughts.
'Despite my TX colleagues refusal to support aid in #SouthJersey time of need, I will support emergency disaster $ for those impacted,' Congressman Frank LoBiondo said Monday on Twitter.
Cruz, a Tea Party hero and defender of fiscal austerity, insisted he opposed the Sandy bill because it contained excessive 'pork' -- targeted government spending that benefits a lawmaker's constituents -- unrelated to storm recovery.
'Of course, the federal government has a critical role in disaster relief,' Cruz said on CNN.
'But you should not have members of Congress that are exploiting disasters to fund their pet projects, and so there will be time for all of those debates in Washington.'
One estimate, by Enki Research, already puts the Harvey damage at $42billion. But with the storm forecast to churn along the Gulf coast for at least two more days, that estimate could surge.
In Brazoria County, Texas, authorities posted a message on Twitter Tuesday morning warning that the levee at Columbia Lakes south of Houston had been breached and telling people to 'GET OUT NOW!!'
Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta said residents were warned that the levee would be overtopped at some point, and a mandatory evacuation order was given Sunday.
The levee was later fortified, but officials said they did not know how long the work would hold.
Engineers began releasing water from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs Monday to ease the strain on the dams. But the releases were not enough to relieve the pressure after one of the heaviest downpours in US history, Army Corps of Engineers officials said.
Both reservoirs are at record highs, with the Addicks even overspilled at 108ft.
The release of the water means that more homes and streets will flood, and some homes will be inundated for up to a month, said Jeff Lindner of the Harris County Flood Control District.
Homes near the Addicks Reservoir where flood water continues to rise as a result of the overflowing dam
Homes near the Addicks Reservoir which overflowed on Tuesday, sending more water down towards Houston
Abandoned cars near the Addicks Reservoir on Tuesday where flood waters continue to rise
The county is trying to determine where the water will go, Lindner said.
The bridge is on Woodforest Boulevard over Greens Bayou has collapsed and drinking water in Lake Forest is no longer safe due to a loss of water pressure.
Residents there must now boil water before drinking it and using it for cooking or brushing their teeth.
Meanwhile, major Houston prisons have been evacuated to save inmates from the floods. Six thousand prisoners have been bused to other correctional facilities across the state.
Brazoria County - a suburb south of Houston - issued this dramatic warning on Tuesday morning as the levees of the Brazos river burst in Columbia Lakes
On Tuesday, the owner of the chemical plant, Arkema SA, said in a statement the situation at its southeast Texas plant 'has become serious' and evacuated all of its staff from the facility in Crosby, Texas.
Crosby is about 25 miles northeast of Houston and in the 2010 US census had a population of 2,300 people.
'As a protective measure Harris County has evacuated all residents within 1.5 miles of the Arkema facility,' said a Twitter message from the Harris County Fire Marshal Office.
'There is a potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire at the facility, which could produce a large amount of black smoke,' the fire marshal, citing Arkema, said.
'While we do not believe there is any imminent danger, the potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire and/or explosion within the site confines is real,' the company said.
Arkema said the plant has been hit by more than 40 inches of rain, was heavily flooded and without electricity since Sunday. Back-up generators have largely been swamped.
Maintaining refrigeration for chemicals that must be stored at low temperature is key, the company said. After losing generators, workers transferred products from the warehouses into diesel-powered refrigerated containers.
But the floodwaters also compromised the back-up containers, and the company is monitoring temperature levels remotely, it said.
The Arkema plant in Crosby produces organic peroxides. It has been closed since Friday but had a skeletal staff of about a dozen in place. Other Texas chemical plants have also shuttered production because of the storm.
Mark Ocosta and his baby Aubrey Ocosta take shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center after flood waters from Hurricane Harvey inundated the city
People line up for food as others rest at the George R Brown Convention Center
An evacuee is patted down as he is processed into the Houston convention center where people are taking refuge
The evacuation center in Houston, which is overcapacity, has already received more than 9,000 evacuees with more arriving
Anglo-Swiss chemicals firm Ineos Group Holdings SA said it has been forced to shut Chocolate Bayou Works and Battleground Manufacturing Complex. INEOS Nitriles' Green Lake facility are following hurricane procedures and are temporarily shut down, spokesman Charles Saunders said.
Huntsman Corp said it has closed six chemical plants in Texas, along with its global headquarters and advanced technology center in Texas.
US public health officials warned Monday that flooding increases the risk of ills ranging from skin rashes to bacterial and viral infections and mosquito-borne disease.
The most immediate health risk is from drowning, especially for people trapped in vehicles, said Renee Funk, associate director for emergency management of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators is another threat.
'Unfortunately, we expect there will be people who die from that and people will be poisoned from it,' Funk said in a telephone interview.
But simply wading in floodwaters could cause skin rashes because so much of the water is contaminated with toxic chemicals that get washed out of people's garages and tool sheds.
'The number one thing we're concerned with in a flood is chemicals,' said Funk, who advises people to shower and wash their hands immediately after contact with floodwaters.
Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the crowded Houston convention center after Hurricane Harvey inundated the Texas Gulf coast with rain causing widespread flooding
Robert Salgado, 2, sleeps on the floor at the convention center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters
A police officer carries Jessica Lopez, left, and her brother Avelia Lopez to dry ground as people evacuate a neighborhood that was inundated after water was released from nearby Addicks Reservoir when it reached capacity due to Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday
Mosquito-borne disease is less of an immediate threat because the floodwaters will wash out most mosquito breeding sites for disease-causing mosquitoes such Aedes aegypti, which spread Zika, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever, she said.
Floods typically cause a rise in nuisance mosquitoes, such as the Culex variety, and these, too, can carry disease.
A year after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, regions in Louisiana and Mississippi affected by the flood reported a doubling of cases of neuroinvasive West Nile virus - cases in which the virus caused severe inflammation in the brain or spinal cord, said Dr Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
WHY HOUSTON IS PRONE TO FLOODS Though the most severe, Hurricane Harvey's floods are not the first to ever torture the city of Houston. Less extreme flooding was seen in 2001 with Tropical Storm Allison, in 2015 on Memorial Day and on Tax Day last year. The city is predominantly flat and sits little above sea level - 50 feet above in the center and 40 feet above in some downtown suburbs to be exact. This makes it easier for water from heavy rainfall to gather on the ground. When the bayous flood, the freeways act as an unofficial flood control system. Once water spills over them, it pours in to residential streets and rises from there. Advertisement
'A year from now, we'll have to look very closely at West Nile and other mosquito-borne viruses,' said Hotez, who is riding out the storm from his Houston home while his lab at Baylor is closed.
In the immediate aftermath of Harvey, bacterial diseases are a concern, although cholera, a scourge in the wake of many natural disasters in developing countries, is likely not a worry in Houston, he said.
'Bacterial infections are really important, such as salmonella and E. coli infections,' Hotez said.
Shelters could also pose a public health risk, said Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
'If you are in a small enclosed area in an alternate care facility and you have really bad diarrhea, it's going to be hard in these situations to practice proper infection control.'
Although forecasters had feared that another two feet of rain could fall in some places, it appeared that the outlook had improved somewhat on Tuesday. The weather service said the amount of rain falling in the Houston area would be two to three inches, perhaps a little less in Houston proper, as the storm moved east.
But southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana still would see 'relentless torrential rains', with another six to 12 inches of rain across the upper Texas coast through Friday as Harvey continues to move slowly east over the Gulf of Mexico maintaining tropical storm force winds of 45mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
It is expected to make landfall again Wednesday morning, probably in southwestern Louisiana.
Calls for rescue have so overwhelmed emergency teams that they have had little time to search for bodies. And officials acknowledge that fatalities from Harvey could soar once the floodwaters start to recede from one of America's most sprawling metropolitan centers.
More than four days after the storm ravaged the Texas coastline as a Category 4 hurricane, authorities had confirmed only four deaths - including a woman killed Monday when heavy rains dislodged a large oak tree onto her trailer home in the small town of Porter. But unconfirmed reports of others missing or presumed dead were growing.
Kathryn Loder of West University separates donated clothing from a huge pile at the George R Brown Convention Center. 'I'm so proud how everyone is coming together,' said Loder in her second day of volunteering
Highways around downtown Houston are empty as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflow from the bayous around the city Tuesday
'We know in these kinds of events that, sadly, the death toll goes up historically,' Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told The Associated Press. 'I'm really worried about how many bodies we're going to find.'
One Houston woman said Monday that she presumes six members of a family, including four of her grandchildren, died after their van sank into Greens Bayou in East Houston.
Virginia Saldivar told The Associated Press her brother-in-law was driving the van Sunday when a strong current took the vehicle over a bridge and into the bayou. The driver was able to get out and urged the children to escape through the back door, Saldivar said, but they could not.
'I'm just hoping we find the bodies,' Saldivar said.
Houston emergency officials could not confirm the deaths.
Authorities in Houston did confirm Tuesday that a 60-year-old city police officer drowned in his patrol car after he became trapped in high water while driving to work. Sgt Steve Perez had been with the force for 34 years.
Sgt Steve Perez, 60, was driving to work in downtown Houston when he found himself trapped in torrents of water
A spokeswoman for a Houston hotel said one of its employees disappeared while helping about 100 guests and workers evacuate the building.
Beaumont police say a woman has died after she and her young daughter were swept into a rain-swollen drainage canal while trying to escape their stalled vehicle.
A police statement said the woman pulled her vehicle into an office park's flooded parking lot about 3.35pm Tuesday, where it became stalled by high water. The woman then took her daughter, exited the car and was swept about a half-mile away.
Two Beaumont police officers and two fire-rescue divers in a rubber boat spotted the mother floating with the child, who was holding onto her mother. Officers pulled the child and the mother into the boat.
The child was responsive but suffering from hypothermia; the mother was unresponsive and efforts to revive her failed. The child is hospitalized in stable condition.
Harris County confirmed the storm-related death of 64-year-old Alexander Kwoksum Sung, who drowned at a clock repair business Sunday in Houston. He was found in more than a foot of debris on Monday.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences updated its storm-related deaths Tuesday night to include an 89-year-old woman, Agnes Stanley, who was found floating in four feet of floodwater in a home.
A 76-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was found floating in floodwater near a vehicle. A 45-year-old man, Travis Lynn Callihan, left his vehicle and fell into floodwaters. He was taken to a hospital, where he died Monday.
The disaster is unfolding on an epic scale, with the nation's fourth-largest city mostly paralyzed by the storm that arrived as a Category 4 hurricane and then parked over the Gulf Coast. The Houston metro area covers about 10,000 square miles, an area slightly bigger than New Jersey.
Harvey kept drenching Houston and the surrounding area. Rain fell Tuesday at about half an inch per hour over Harris County - home to Houston - and up to two inches per hour to the east.
Forecasters expect the storm to linger over the Gulf before heading back inland east of Houston sometime Wednesday. The system will then head north and lose its tropical strength.
It could creep as far east as Mississippi by Thursday, meaning New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina unleashed its full wrath in 2005, is in Harvey's path.
A family is driven out of a flooded neighborhood in Corpus Christi on Tuesday
81-year-old Ramona Bennett is carried by Texas Army National Guardsmen Sergio Esquivel (L) and Ernest Barmore (R) after being evacuated from her home in Pine Forest Village
A man is carried out of flood water in a rubber boat after being rescued by volunteers in Corpus Christi
Capt Martha Nigrelle of the US Army National Guard enjoys a chicken wing in the flood water while taking a break from saving stranded residents
Foreboding images of Harvey lit up weather radar screens early Tuesday, the 12th anniversary of the day Katrina made landfall in Plaquemines Parish.
The impact of the storm on the lives of residents in the danger zone is unfathomable. Many have no idea of the extent of the damage in their homes and are now fearing the financial torment they may now face.
Mayor Turner pleaded for help from other cities and plugged charity relief funds to care for the thousands of Houston residents in crisis.
Huge fundraising efforts are underway by the Red Cross. The New York Stock Exchange has donated $1million and Facebook has raised more than $1million as well.
Celebrities including actor Kevin Hart and Real Housewives of New York star and business mogul Bethenny Frankel have pledged more than $50,000 combined.
NFL Houston Texans' player JJ Watt raised more than $4.7million for Hurricane Harvey victims on aYouCaring page by Tuesday night.
Rescue efforts are ongoing in Texas where floods continue to wreak havoc on Houston and where almost 20,000 are taking shelter in refuges
Cars at a dealership in Houston float are almost entirely submerged in water as the flood levels continue to rise on Tuesday
An area near the Addicks Reservoir on Tuesday. Homes near the dam will be flooded for months as a result of a controlled release of its water which the US Army Corps of Engineers was forced to carry out on Monday to avoid the dam from failing
The cost of the storm will extend beyond state lines. Experts at Goldman Sachs say it is likely to reduce GDP growth by 0.2per cent. Oil prices surged as supplies became suddenly precarious on Tuesday.
The full extent of the damage is not yet clear and won't be for some time. For now, charities and volunteers are focusing on the immediate needs of the people who have been displaced.
Dallas is preparing super shelters for thousands of displaced residents. On Monday afternoon, military planes transported the first evacuees to the Lively Point Youth Center in Irving. The space has capacity for about 200 evacuees and the shelter will be run by the Red Cross and City of Irving employees.
The city's emergency management coordinator said they are planning for the shelters to run 'long term'. Evacuees and those working the shelters have and will be vetted through criminal background checks.
The City of Dallas is also planning to host more than 5,000 evacuees in a shelter at the convention center.
Over the weekend, Mayor Turner asked anyone with a boat to help with efforts. Many Texans responded bravely to his call to arms and were out in force on Saturday saving vulnerable neighbors and strangers from the floods.
'The goal is rescue. That's the major focus for the day. We want to focus on getting them out of their homes or whatever their stressful situation may be,' he said.
Hospitals asked Monday for trained nurses to volunteer at their centers, which were overflowing with patients.
As Houston struggles with the storm's aftermath, help from other states and cities is pouring in.
One Michigan-based company has donated 22,000 kayaks to help residents get around as the flood waters cease to drain.
On Monday night, 11 people had to be rescued after one private boat of volunteers capsized. They were all rescued by the Houston Fire Department and none have serious injuries.
Earlier this week, Mayor Turner came under fire for his decision not to evacuate Houston, but he said it would have caused more chaos to send millions of people on the roads without a well-organized evacuation plan.
And when the storm began on Friday, Houston was not immediately hit. It was safe from the battering winds which tore apart towns on the coast and many felt confident enough to remain in their homes.
However as the storm moved further inland on Saturday and Saturday, floods - the likes of which the city has never before seen - swept through.
A woman is wheeled in to a shelter on a stretcher in Houston after being evacuated from her home on Tuesday
Erik Peterson and his son Carlos are evacuated on a raft from their home near the Addicks Reservoir
The few grocery stores which opened were entirely pillaged on Tuesday as panicked residents stocked up in preparation for more disruption
The city woke up to a water world and many, with no alternative, swam to safety or climbed in to rescue boats.
Even in homes which are not flooded, residents are running out of food and water and some cannot safely make their way to grocery stores. Those who do make it there face snaking lines and empty shelves inside the stores.
And according to several utility companies, more than 280,000 people were without power on Monday.
Now, many are trapped in their homes with no way out. They have been left to wait for rescue boats but the situation is bleak.
With 911 operation centers inundated, panicked residents turned to social media to be saved.
They shared pictures of frightened children cowering on kitchen work tops as water covered the floors of their homes.
Oliver Simpson, 35, a father of four from west Houston, is stuck in his home with his children. He told DailyMail.com on Monday: 'It's horrible. I feel helpless - sitting with no power and just waiting to see what happens. And we have it so much better than many others.
'I have a neighbor who had a tree fall on his garage, it went across a gas line. There is a gas leak and despite calls to 911 still no one been out. That was at 4am this morning.
'To be clear, authorities are doing everything they can [there are] just many people in far worse situation than us.'
To donate to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey relief fund, click here or call 1-800-435-7669.
A man who allegedly punched a woman in the face in a New South Wales road rage incident has pleaded not guilty to assault.
Clint Matthew Pollard, 41, from Windermere Park appeared in Wyong Local Court on Wednesday, according to the ABC.
It follows the release of dashcam footage that showed a man stepping out of a vehicle to confront a woman, before striking her.
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A man who allegedly punched a woman in the face in a New South Wales road rage incident pleaded not guilty to assault in court Wednesday
Pollard, 41, fronted court charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, having reportedly handed himself into police two days after the incident.
Officers alleged the confrontation occurred at Pacific Highway and Elizabeth Bay Drive in Lake Munmorah around 12pm on July 24.
Two vehicles reportedly stopped, with Pollard and the 21-year-old woman from the other car becoming involved in an argument.
The woman, who was allegedly struck in the face, was also charged with multiple offences, including malicious damage and intentionally throwing an object at a vehicle.
Footage of the alleged incident was uploaded to Facebook and shows a man exiting a vehicle and approaching a female passenger of a ute stopped at traffic lights.
The man is then seen striking the woman, before turning and walking away.
Officers alleged the confrontation occurred at Pacific Highway and Elizabeth Bay Drive in Lake Munmorah around 12pm on July 24
A spokesperson for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia following the incident that a woman claiming to be the person struck by the man had contacted police.
They stated that police had been passed the video and were examining it.
Chief Inspector Colin Lott, from the Tuggerah Lakes Local Area Command also commented at the time calling such violence 'unacceptable'.
'Assault of any sort is unacceptable especially assault to a female... it won't be tolerated,' he said.
'(But) obviously with any video footage were only getting a snapshot of a whole incident.'
Pollard was granted bail and is scheduled to re-appear in court in October.
The Sydney inmate who notoriously filmed himself brandishing weapons and drugs inside his prison cell is back behind bars after being arrested for stealing from cars.
Carl Walton, 32, created a furore when footage emerged last month of him holding a knife, a 'slasher' razor and the drug ice inside the privately-run Parklea Correctional Centrel in Sydney's north-west.
He had been on parole for several weeks before the video was revealed exclusively by Daily Mail Australia and claimed he was trying to get a proper job to turn his life around.
After the video went viral Walton's mother said he would 'be dead' if he went back to jail, while his father warned there would be 'repercussions' for his son from other prisoners.
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Carl Walton, who filmed himself with weapons and drugs in Parklea prison, is back behind bars
Carl Walton pictured brandishing a blade in front of another inmate inside Parklea prison
Former Parklea prison inmate Carl Walton made a notorious video of himself inside his cell
Walton, from Wollongong, south of Sydney, handed himself in to police on Tuesday and was charged with one count of entering a vehicle without consent, three of destroying or damaging property and two of larceny.
He appeared in Batemans Bay Local Court, on the south coast of NSW, and was refused bail.
The onetime Bandido bikie said last month he 'messed up the system in there' for some inmates, but claimed he shared the video to highlight what he claimed to be rampant drug use in prison.
'Jail messes people up,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'I never used to touch drugs until jail, when I went in I got on this and I got on that. I couldn't escape it.'
'I've grown up through the system and it ruined my life.'
Walton also said he had met someone special girlfriend Laura 'and I want to do good by her'. Six weeks later he is back behind bars.
Walton said he had not expected the video, which prompted Corrective Services NSW to launch an investigation into Parklea Correctional Centre, would cause such a stir.
Former Parklea prison inmate and amateur filmmaker Carl Walton with his girlfriend Laura
One of the weapons Carl Walton brandishes in the video he made inside Parklea prison
'The young ones inside might thank me for it but the ones on long sentences won't,' he told The Telegraph.
Walton was released on parole in June after serving a two year, six month sentence for damaging property, driving while disqualified and resisting arrest.
He was arrested by officers from the NSW Police Force's Corrective Services Investigation Unit two days after the video became public and released pending further investigation into his use of a mobile phone in jail.
That offence carries a maximum two years in prison and a $5500 fine.
In the video, recorded in August last year, Walton claimed he was filming himself on a mobile phone given to him by a prison officer.
'Recording inside of Parklea Correctional Centre,' he says. 'On a day-to-day basis this place is a dead set joke.
'Right now I'm in my cell, I've got a mobile phone. Why have I got a mobile phone? It's because screws are bringing mobile phones into the jail.'
Inmate Carl Walton claimed he had the drug ice in his Parklea prison cell 'because I can'
Carl Walton holding a makeshift weapon in the video he made last year inside Parklea prison
Former Parklea prison inmate Carl Walton, with his girlfriend Laura, was going to get a job
He continues: 'Why am I carrying around a knife? Why does that need to be in my hand at this point in time?
'Why have I got a slasher? Why do I need to slash people?'
Walton then holds up a number of other items to the camera, including a metal strip which he says came off a television.
'That there alone will rip skin, damage ya,' he says.
He then displays a small plastic bag which he says contains the drug ice.
'Why have I got it?' he asks. 'Because I can.'
Following publication of the video, Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin met with management of the prison's private operator, GEO Group Australia, over security and safety concerns.
'This is a very serious matter,' Commissioner Severin said, announcing he was sending a public sector governor to oversee the prison.
Inmate Carl Walton infamously filmed himself brandishing a blade in his Parklea prison cell
Former rugby league player Carl Walton claimed he wanted to turn his trouble life around
Last month, Walton's father Neil, a former miner, told The Telegraph: 'He's a legend and I support what he did'.
'But there will be repercussions on him for making that video with the inmates and guards they won't be happy with him when they get out.'
Walton himself said he was desperate to get a job and turn his life around.
The onetime rugby league player has been in trouble with the police since he was 15 but was not imprisoned, for passing a valueless cheque, until early 2008.
He was imprisoned for seven years, five months with a non-parole period of four years, five months in late 2008 after being convicted of assault and aggravated robbery.
Walton's mother June Clay told The Telegraph her son had been damaged by drugs which were 'everywhere' in the prison system.
'Something good has to come out of this video, and if Carl can show how corrupt it is, we're behind him.
'I pray he doesn't go back in, he'll be dead if he does.'
Chilling pictures have been released showing the extent of the damage suffered to a Jetstar flight from Singapore.
The Jetstar Boeing 787 was forced to make an unscheduled landing after departing Singapore Airport heading for Melbourne after the plane suffered deterioration during takeoff.
Images show a severely torn tyre, a significantly damaged wing panel and snapped tubing.
The Jetstar Boeing 787 suffered delamination to tyre six during a lateral takeoff
Debris flew up from tyre, significantly damaging the wing panel above it
The flight originally departed Singapore on May 13, heading for Melbourne before crews were alerted of the damage a short time into the trip.
The plane levelled to a safe altitude as the extent of the damage was assessed, before the pilot made the decision to return to Singapore.
Upon landing, repair crews found wheel six had experienced delamination as a result of excessive wear.
This caused debris to fly up from the tyre to the wing panel, causing a large hole and resulting in an asymmetrical flap condition as the wing flaps were retracted.
Crews were alerted to the damage through a flap drive fault indication as they failed to appropriately retract.
The flap torque tube was then severely damaged and snapped off due to the failed retraction.
The flap torque tube was also severely damaged and snapped off due to the failed retraction
The Jetstar Boeing 787 (stock image) was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Singapore
The tyre suffered damage due to a lateral takeoff, that placed increased stress on tyre six.
Jetstar and Boeing have been alerted to the investigation and findings by the Australian Transport Bureau of Safety. The ATBS say flight crews conducted the appropriate failure management procedures.
A spokesman for Jetstar told Daily Mail Australia saying it was 'the first time' such an incident had occurred.
'This was the first time that we have had tyre delamination on our Boeing 787 aircraft. The tyre was inspected prior to departure and certified to operate and was below the average lifespan of our tyres,' the spokesman said.
'The ATSB report confirmed that the aircraft systems and the actions of our pilots ensured the aircraft returned safely to Changi Airport and had a normal landing.
'While the report makes it clear that checks were carried out, we use every incident to further improve the safety of our operation and have reinforced to our engineers and pilots the procedures for inspecting aircraft tyres.'
Australian drug mule Cassie Sainsbury made a surprise appearance in a Colombian court, but the hearing was abruptly called off because no one booked a translator.
Sainsbury, 22, will stand trial and face 30 years behind bars for trying to smuggle 5.9 kilograms of cocaine out of Colombia after a judge rejected her plea deal last month.
The former sex worker was moments away from a sentence reduction to six years when she claimed her family had been threatened by an anonymous drug cartel.
The explosive claim, previously unheard by Colombian prosecutors, saw her bargain thrown out the window as they were at odds with her initial statement.
Australian drug mule Cassie Sainsbury made a surprise appearance in a Colombian court (pictured during her last court appearance on July 27)
Her hearing was abruptly called off because no one booked a translator. Sainsbury, 22, was arrested at a Colombian airport in April after police found 5.9kg of cocaine in her luggage
Sainsbury's cancelled hearing was expected to see prosecutors formally announce the finer details of the drug smuggling charges she faces, News Corp reports.
Cassie's lawyer Orlando Herran told the publication the hearing was for the 'formal presentation (of) in writing documents of accusation.'
'Now we have access to proof (of what the) prosecutor has,' he said.
The case was adjourned by the judge and Sainsbury, who was wearing a pink shirt, was led handcuffed out of the Bogota court by female prison officers.
Sainsbury has been held at El Buen Pastor jail since April, when she was dramatically arrested at El Dorado International airport after police found cocaine in her luggage.
Police allege the 5.9kilograms of cocaine was hidden inside 18 packages, disguised as headphones, wrapped in plastic and covered in a 'strange dusty material'.
Sainsbury was led handcuffed out of the Bogota court by female prison officers (she is pictured during after the July hearing that saw her plea deal thrown out the window)
Sainsbury has been held at El Buen Pastor jail since April, when she was dramatically arrested at El Dorado International airport (pictured during her July hearing)
Sainsbury and her family have maintained her innocence ever since her arrest, providing various different stories to explain her being caught with the drugs.
Colombian authorities are desperate to know how and why the drugs came to be in her possession and will not budge on a plea bargain without the information.
They are also keen to find out just who was the mystery person who purchased a plane ticket on Sainsbury's behalf from China to Colombia.
However, her legal team resisted demands for her to become an informant because it could put her in life danger from the cartel that hired her.
Senior Colombian narcotics police believed Sainsbury was too far down the food chain to be at significant risk.
But corruption and violence are rife within El Buen Pastor and the blonde alleged former prostitute has already been moved several times for her safety.
She is now housed in a separate wing reserved for foreign prisoners and those awaiting extradition.
A Muslim imam has mocked devout Christians for only attending church on Sundays.
Akram Buksh, the director of a mosque at Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane, told his followers Christians were only pious once a week.
'We are not like Christians. "Ah, today's Sunday. Let's all behave ourselves and go to church",' he said.
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Akram Buksh mocked Christians for only going to church on Sundays and asking Jesus for help
'Jesus will forgive our sins.' That's not Muslim. Islam, you are not only a Muslim on Friday.'
In his sermon, the imam from the city of Logan took aim at Muslims who only attended a mosque during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
He also had some advice for wives whose husbands were reluctant to pray at a mosque, also known as a masjid.
'For those sisters whose husbands don't come to the masjid, oh dear sister, kick your husband out of the house,' he said.
In a theatrical turn, the imam put on a high-pitched voice to impersonate wives who wanted their husbands to stay at home instead of attending a mosque.
'Don't say, "Honey but your whole day at work and I don't have any time with you",' he said.
'That is not love, this is wrong.'
The imam from Slacks Creek south of Brisbane says Muslims are religious every single day
A wounded kangaroo was slashed across the neck with a knife 18 times as it cried in pain and tried to escape before bleeding to death.
Horrifying footage posted online shows a Chinese man approach the animal whose leg was injured as his laughing friend filmed on his phone.
The man, brandishing a hunting knife, avoided several attempts by the kangaroo to strike out at him as it tried to escape from the hillside in the Australian bush.
A wounded kangaroo was slashed across the neck with a knife 18 times as it cried in pain and tried to escape before bleeding to death
The man, brandishing a hunting knife, avoided several attempts by the kangaroo to strike out at him as it tried to escape from the hillside in the Australian bush
He eventually grabbed the stricken marsupial by the tail as in snarled at him, before holding it down with his foot.
The man then stabbed and slashed at the kangaroo's neck 18 times until it finally went limp and stopped crying out in pain.
Video shows him crouching next to the lifeless body like a hunter bragging about a kill.
The NSW RSPCA said it was investigating the incident, but it was not known exactly where or when the footage was filmed.
The man then callously stabbed and slashed at the kangaroo's neck 18 times until it finally went limp and stopped crying out in pain
Multi-millionaire televangelist Joel Osteen has defended his decision not to open the doors of his megachurch to Hurricane Harvey evacuees earlier.
Busloads of Texans arrived at at his 17,000-seat Houston on Tuesday after he announced that its doors were open following supposed interior flooding that kept stranded people out.
'Our number one priority is safety - this building flooded back in 2001,' he told KHOU. 'There was six [to] eight feet of water in the main auditorium.'
He told the outlet that over the weekend the church put up new flood gates and the water was just 'one foot from coming over'.
'So it was very close to being another disaster here,' he added. 'We have to have people here - our volunteers, our staff, they have problems too, they have challenges too. It's hard for them to get out.'
Responding to criticism, he said: 'Our goal is to help people and sometimes people try to put out a false narrative - they don't know you, they don't know the situation.'
Osteen said the city had asked his church to be a distribution center.
He explained: 'When the mayor said "we need more shelter", we said "man, let's go, we can do this."
'At the time he told us "let's do a distribution center", you're asking us to be a command center... anything we can do.'
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Multi-millionaire televangelist Joel Osteen (pictured at the church on Tuesday) defends the their decision
A volunteer wheels a victims of the flooding at a shelter opened at the Lakewood Church
Evacuee Edward Jones, 11, holds his step-brother Mickel Duane Batts at Lakewood Church in Houston, Tuesday
'Houstonians, Texans, are generous people, gracious people. We like to help others in need. That's what you're seeing here today people stepping up and you know and helping these people that have been displaced,' Osteen added in a separate interview.
A fleet of panel trucks, Mercedes coupes, SUVs and pickups descended on the church Tuesday. Out came bags of donations - jackets, strollers, bottled water, pants, dresses, stuffed dolls, sheets, pillows - that volunteers piled in a mountain in the church's lobby.
Across the church lobby, volunteers were starting to process people who needed shelter.
On Monday, Osteen had said in a Facebook post that the church was 'inaccessible' due to flooding.
And in a since deleted Instagram post Sunday by Lakewood associate pastor John Gray, he said: 'For the people spreading lies about my church. If WE could get there WE WOULD OPEN THE DOORS.
'As soon as the highways aren't flooded please know @lakewoodchurch will do all they can alleviate the pain and suffering of as many people as possible. Love y'all! #CantStandLiars.'
Three people who showed up at the church on Sunday spent the night there before being taken to a city shelter.
After claims were made that the church was inaccessible, video and photos emerged that suggest the building had not been inundated with water Monday, and could have taken in several hundred people.
In one video, posted on Monday night but filmed during daylight, a man is seen walking around the church, noting just a few puddles here and there.
'Looks like you can f**king open up your church right now, Joel,' he says. 'Why don't you go ahead and do it? Because you know what's happening across the freeway. People are dying.'
Evacuees rest inside Lakewood Church after the church opened its doors to flood victims
Evacuee Teddy Gifford, 90, waits for a medical evaluation with first responder Veronica Garza at Lakewood Church
Will Sutton (left), who had to leave his home, holds his 11-month son Jayden at Lakewood Church in Houston
The clip shows the man - and his friend, Eric, running around the exterior of the building, noting the lack of flooding.
'I don't think any pressview crews could get over here to drop off the victims because the traffic is horrible!' he says sarcastically after Eric points out that the traffic on the adjacent Southwest Freeway is moving fine.
'At least a centimeter of floodwater! This is horrible!' he remarks just before Eric jumps into a couple of shallow puddles.
The pair then walk up the two flights of stairs that lead to the front door of the church, calling out for Osteen.
'Has anyone seen Joel Osteen? He's flooded right now - apparently!' he shouts, before adding to camera: 'I'm tired of people telling me that he's done enough.'
Volunteer Asuleni Santiago, 11, carries donated clothes for victims of the flooding at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
Volunteers sign up to help at the shelter for victims of the flooding at Lakewood Church
At one point, they notice plush - and seemingly dry - carpets in the lobby of the church: 'Wait, I was told by so many of his followers that he was flooded in! But look at those carpets!'
He continues, mockingly: 'Can you imagine how much money you'd have to spend on those carpets to get them clean? Probably thousands of dollars! I mean, I don't blame the guy...'
In another video posted Monday, Twitter user Fan_of_fiction responded to a request for proof that Lakewood was flooded with a video showing the opposite.
'It's not flooding outside,' she wrote to accompany the clip, which was shot from the passenger seat of a car driving around the outside of the massive, $7.5 million church.
Video shot by two men (left and right) and posted on Monday showed the church's exterior untroubled by flooding. Osteen claimed on Facebook that the church was 'inaccessible'
During the course of the video, they walk up the two flights of stairs that elevate the front door up from ground level, and note that the interior does not seem flooded at all
Although the windows were rain-spattered, the road - which is on a lower level to the church's front door - was clear of water and the church seemed mostly fine.
A watery reflection could be seen on the floor in an underground parking garage entrance below the building, but it's unclear how deep - if at all - the water was.
The road outside the front of the church was fine, and the lights were still on in the building.
The following day - in response to online anger about the enormously wealthy pastor's apparently lack of care for the needy - the church released photos it claimed were of the flooding.
This aerial view shows both the underground parking garage (right) and the main entrance (left), which is elevated from the road by two flights of stairs
Those pictures showed what appeared to be substantial flooding in underground and overground parking areas and a flooded corridor - apparently in a basement.
There was also a photo of what looked like a lobby area with puddles on the floors and a deep well of water in the foreground.
However, the foreground area could have been a water feature, as it had what appeared to be spotlamps in it.
It was unclear at what time or on what day the photos were taken.
On Monday these photos were posted online showing purportedly showing Lakewood Church unbothered by flooding at 2.20pm. It claimed the parking garages were also not flooded
But on Tuesday the church released a selection of photos - including this one of the parking garage - which it claimed proved it had been flooded. But when they were taken was not clear
Along with the photos was a statement that the church would be open only as a 'distribution center' for the time being.
It would not accept refugees until other centers were at capacity, the statement said - but Osteen contradicted that on Twitter soon after.
'Victoria and I care deeply about our fellow Houstonians,' he tweeted. 'Lakewood's doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter.'
A hashtag trend started under Osteen's name as people began mocking him for what they saw a man who was happy to use Jesus to take money, but less happy to follow his teachings.
The church released these photos purportedly showing flooding indoors and outdoors, although it said the waters have since receded. It's not clear when the pictures were taken
This photo shows flooding in the church - although the area in the foreground looks like a water feature, the background shows the floor slick with water
Osteen's church was initially only going to accept people once other shelters were full, a spokesman said. But now the televangelist says it's 'receiving anyone who needs shelter'
Evacuees arrive at Lakewood Church after its pastor, Joel Osteen, received criticism for initial #Harvey response https://t.co/SCGPSqr8Jq pic.twitter.com/MM7YuqquoB ABC News (@ABC) August 29, 2017
'Never forget,' wrote Jay Dav-O, 'It took a public shaming for a man who preached Christianity to behave like a Christian.'
Sylus Rothchild went Old Testament on Otseen's behind, writing: 'You're like Noah, if he said to the animals, "Hope you can float."'
'Ironic that @JoelOsteen's religious empire is crumbling due to a biblical sized flood,' wrote another man named Joel.
'Houston Mosques open their doors to #HarveyVictims w/o having 2 been shamed n2 it like #JoelOsteen,' tweeted a user named Beth. 'Muslims more Christlike today than a Christian!'
Osteen seemed displeased by the responses and began blocking those who mentioned him, including one man who politely invited him to 'be your best self.'
But there were positive results noted, too. One user who had been putting the pressure on Osteen noted that 'countless' air mattresses had been inflated in the church's halls - and posted a picture to go with it.
Several users took to Twitter after Osteen promised to open up his church, shaming him for what they saw as reticence to do his Christian duty
This user went Old Testament on Osteen's behind, with Noah and flood imagery being common among the online mockery
This user suggested that Osteen's career as a professional televangelist would have trouble in the wake of his delayed welcoming in of flooding victims
This user said that the Muslims across Houston who were helping out the stranded were more Christian than Osteen
JPM took Osteen to task over his wealth; the televangelist has a personal worth of $40 million; his house cost $10.5 million, and the church itself more than $7 million
Osteen began blocking people who he thought were attacking him - including this man who politely said 'I'm not going to be snarky or biting... I'm just saying: Now is an excellent time to be your best self'
But there were some positive tweets. This user had been pressuring Osteen's church since Tuesday, but noted that air mattresses were being inflated inside
Earlier on Tuesday, church spokesman and Osteen's father-in-law, Donald Iloff, told CNN: 'We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need.'
However, he said that the church would not be taking in people seeking shelter until other places were full up.
'We are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity,' Iloff said.
'Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives.'
On Monday the church posted an official statement on Facebook saying that that Lakewood was 'inaccessible due to severe flooding' but a spokesman later said 'never closed its doors'
Osteen is worth an estimated $40 million - and his sprawling mansion (pictured) in River Oaks, Fort Worth is worth $10.5 million
Iloff said that at least three people went to the church before they were taken to the George Brown Convention Center.
He also released photos of the church during the flooding, including corridors knee-deep in water and a water-slick lobby.
Iloff said that those waters had already receded, however, and that it would be open around noon. He said it would also act as a donation center.
He said at least several hundred people could be housed on the building's second floor.
On Monday the official Lakewood Church Facebook page said that the church was 'inaccessible due to severe flooding.'
Osteen's Lakewood church has around 17,000 seats, and is used as a base for his TV sermons to around 25,000 people
The post began with: 'Our hearts are breaking as we see the images of the damage and destruction in our city and the surrounding areas from Hurricane Harvey.
'We are praying for everyones safety in Houston and Texas. As a community we can help each other get through this storm.
'We appreciate your prayers, both for our city and for Lakewood Church. We are working diligently with the city of Houston to mobilize our many volunteers at shelters around the city as well as various other points of need in and around the Houston area.'
Osteen also tried to raise funds for the church, although he then received a backlash from people who said he wasn't putting enough of his own $56.5 million net worth into helping
The famous pastor had come under fire on Monday after the church said floods had made it 'inaccessible' - although it later released contradictory reports saying it was open that day
Woolworths' confusing shelves continue to baffle shoppers as another misleading sign has popped up at one of their supermarkets.
A shopper at the chains Hilton store in Adelaide spotted a sign encouraging her to make it a delicious day for Dad ahead of Father's Day this Sunday right in the middle of a fridge full of pet food.
Petra Starke snapped a photo of the amusing sign and posted it to Facebook, saying hope dads into dog food!.
Petra Starke spotted the amusing sign while shopping at an Adelaide Woolworths supermarket
The misplaced sign comes days after Woolworths accidentally put pet food in the snack aisle
The latest mix-up comes days after Woolworths owned up to putting dog biscuits in the snack food aisle, which led to Sydney mother-of-three Tania Toomey accidentally feeding Scooby Snacks pet food to her children.
Ms Starke told Daily Mail Australia she saw the latest sign during her weekly shop.
I thought that it was hilarious especially given the Scooby Snacks incident.
She said the sign was double-sided, meaning it made sense on one side of the fridge but not so much on the other.
Woolworths owned up to accidentally putting the 'Scooby Snacks' in the wrong aisle
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Woolworths for comment over the latest incident.
A spokesman admitted on Tuesday that a mix-up had led to Ms Toomey accidentally buying the dog treats.
'Woolworths can confirm that a single packet of Scooby Snacks dog biscuits was accidentally placed in the biscuit aisle at the Woolworths North Strathfield store last week and subsequently purchased by a customer,' the spokesman told the Courier Mail.
Pharmacists and doctors have criticised a KiisFM radio host for complaining about having to wait for a prescription.
In a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday, Thinkergirls co-host Kristie Mercer ranted to viewers about being told she would have to wait 15 minutes to pick up her medication, according to The Courier Mail.
'I have to entertain myself because there's a 15-minute wait on getting a script. What the f***? Like, I'm sorry, what is the hold up on the process? You hand over your prescription and they're like, 'Sure, there'll be a 15-minute wait, here's your little buzzer and we'll be with you in 15,' she began the video, which received at least 60,000 views before it was removed.
KiisFM's Thinkergirls co-host Kristie Mercer ranted to viewers about having to wait 15 minutes for a prescription at a Sydney chemist in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday (pictured)
Ms Mercer (pictured) asked viewers if there was a 'magical process' going on during that time and theorized it was a tactic used to encourage customers to shop more
Chemist Warehouse pharmacist Kim Ngoc Nguyen detailed the process he must go through before handing the medication over, including checking the name, Medicare number, medical history and drug interactions (stock image)
'Like, what is happening? I can see the medicine behind you, it's like two metres away. Just grab it off the shelf and press print on the old sticker printer, slap it on and away we go. Is there some kind of magical process that's taking place back there? Because I'm very intrigued as to why it takes so long.'
Ms Mercer said she believed the wait time was a tactic used to encourage customers to wander the store and buy products they didn't intended to.
The video quickly drew heavy criticism from numerous pharmacists and doctors, including one witty comment from pharmacy assistant Litty Maloney.
'It's the whole making sure the medication doesn't kill you that takes a bit of time. That and the fact that, believe it or not, you aren't actually the most important person in the world sorry to break it to you,' she wrote.
Chemist Warehouse pharmacist Kim Ngoc Nguyen detailed the process he must go through before handing the medication over, including checking the name, Medicare number, medical history and drug interactions.
Dr Pamela Boekel told The Courier Mail pharmacists often catch mistakes made by doctors when processing the prescriptions.
She slammed Ms Mercer's view as ignorant.
Cella White (pictured) has claimed repeatedly her son was told he could wear a dress to school
A mother who claims her son was told he could wear a dress to school has been slammed by the school principal, who says it never happened.
Cella White, who appears in the controversial new ad from the Coalition for Marriage promoting a 'no' vote on the upcoming national survey on legalising same sex marriage, has shared her story on national platforms more than once.
In 2016, she told Q&A her 14-year-old son was given the option of wearing a dress to Frankston High School during a science class.
On Tuesday night, she repeated the claim in the advertisement, where she said: 'The school told my son he could wear a dress to school next year if he felt like it'.
But John Albiston, the principal of Frankston High School, where Ms White's children attended, told Fairfax Media not only did the incident not take place, but the Victorian mother never contacted the school about it either.
Ms White said her son was told he could wear a dress to school next year 'if he felt like it', but her son's school principal has slammed her claims as lies
The mother of four claimed on Q&A and on a recent ad campaigning against same sex marriage that her 14-year-old son was encouraged to wear a dress to Frankston High School (pictured), about 40 kilometres south of Melbourne
'We checked with all the teachers, it never happened,' he said.
'I have never had any complaints that we advised the boys they could wear dresses. We didn't offer them that option.'
A spokesperson for the Coalition for Marriage told Daily Mail Australia they remained confident Ms White's version of events were correct.
'We stand behind the claims made by Ms White. Her sons class was told that they could wear the uniform of their choice to school,' they said.
'This is completely consistent with the Safe Schools program as used in Victoria, which includes an entire resource devoted to students being able to wear uniforms of whatever gender they choose.'
He told SBS the issue had never been raised by Ms White with the school, despite her repeated public claims that it had happened.
'If it happened at the school you would have thought she would have rung why didn't she raise it as a concern with us,' he said.
'What she is claiming is really untrue.'
Mr Albiston also claimed Ms White never contacted the school to discuss her concerns over her son's dress code
Mr Albiston also told Fairfax he did not understand Ms White's claims in the context of the same sex marriage debate.
'Why would this so-called incident that never happened have anything to do with marriage equality,' he asked.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms White and the Coalition for Marriage for comment.
Ms White appeared with two other Australian mothers in the controversial advertisement. All three discussed the potential impacts legalising same sex marriage could have on their children, and all three made some mention of the safe schools program.
The government-sponsored program is designed to create 'safe and inclusive' environments within a school for students, families and staff who are homosexual or gender diverse.
The teenager suspected of killing two people and injuring four others in a public library in New Mexico had been searching for 'inner peace' shortly before the shooting, his pastor said.
Nathaniel Jouett, 16, started attending Living Word Church of God three months ago, and appeared to be turning his life around after contemplating suicide months earlier, said Pastor David Stevens, who is also the father of the teen's girlfriend.
Jouett is now awaiting charges for Monday's deadly rampage at Clovis-Carver Public Library.
Librarians Krissie Carter, 48, and Wanda Walters, 61, were both killed when Jouett opened fire on Monday, and four others, including a ten-year-old boy and his 20-year-old sister, were injured in the attack.
Nathaniel Jouett, 16, is suspected of opening fire at Clovis-Carver Public Library in New Mexico on Monday, killing two and injuring four others
Authorities say their work has only begun as they talk to Jouett's family and friends and comb through social media posts looking for clues as to what may have prompted the violence. Police were seen escorting Nathaniel Jouett, 16, in handcuffs into a police cruiser
In this November 2016 photo, Clovis-Carver Public Library circulation assistants Wanda Walters, left, and Jessica Thron add books to be sold at a book sale at the library in Clovis, New Mexico. In a shooting rampage Monday, Walters was killed and Thron was injured
Clovis Mayor David Lansford leads the assembly in prayer during a vigil at Central Baptist Church for the victims of Monday's deadly shooting at the Clovis Carver Public Library
Authorities say their work has only begun as they talk to Jouett's family and friends and comb through social media posts looking for clues as to what may have prompted the violence.
Police on Tuesday confirmed that the young suspect who was seen being led in handcuffs from the library after Monday's shooting was Jouett, a student at Clovis High School.
'It's just more than we can comprehend. I don't know what happened,' Stevens said. 'His mind had to snap. I don't know any other way to explain it. He was a good kid. He had straightened his life out.'
Authorities plan to charge Jouett with two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony, four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of child abuse, Police Chief Douglas Ford said.
The Associated Press generally does not identify juveniles accused of crimes. But it is identifying Jouett because of the seriousness of the crime and because authorities said they plan to file a motion requesting the case's transfer from the juvenile system to adult court.
There's no indication Jouett knew the victims, and authorities have yet to determine a motive.
The two victims killed in a New Mexico mass shooting on Monday have been identified as librarians Krissie Carter (left) and Wanda Walters
'Krissie Carter (pictured left) was an amazing mother, wife, friend and librarian. She was full of life and loved what she did,' her GoFundMe page read
Fifteen-year-old Dillan Spear, left, helps his mom Lisa Pellegrino-Spear put a purple ribbon on a light pole across the street from the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Tuesday
They also are investigating where he obtained the two handguns believed to have been used in the shooting.
Clovis Mayor David Lansford said the initial shock that reverberated through the community is beginning to wane, only to be replaced by heartbreak and a call for answers.
'It's such a senseless tragedy, and there really isn't a reason for it,' Lansford told reporters on Tuesday. 'I think when it's all said and done, you can come up with a lot of explanations.
'But I don't think anyone will ever be able to put a reason on why these kinds of things happen.'
Jouett was a sophomore at Clovis High School and appeared to be doing well after a troubled period, Stevens said. The pastor said Jouett's father had started coming to church with him.
The pastor said Jouett, who was dating his daughter, was on a two-day suspension because of a fight at school when the shooting happened.
A local pastor said Jouett had recently become a regular at the Clovis Living Word Church of God
A woman places flowers at the entrance of the Clovis-Carver Public Library in Clovis, New Mexico, on Tuesday
Jouett had said he fought back after another boy hit him, but there was nothing to indicate the suspect was overly upset about it, Stevens said.
The boy about two weeks ago helped Stevens' congregation sell popcorn at the county fair to raise money for a youth camp.
On Sunday, the day before the shooting, Jouett had an anxiety attack while at church so the pastor said his daughter took him home.
He ended up returning for the evening service and spent time later talking and playing video games with the girl.
The teens talked twice on Monday, but the pastor said there were no warnings.
The teen, Stevens said, was not known to be a regular at the library.
It was unclear how many people were in the library when the shooting started. Police stormed the building with their guns drawn and found Jouett, who immediately surrendered.
Witnesses have said the shooter seemed to fire randomly as parents, children and others hid under tables or behind closed doors.
Two people were shot dead and four more injured in a shooting at the Clovis-Carver library in Clovis, New Mexico, on Monday afternoon
The two workers killed were circulation assistant Wanda Walters, 61, and youth services librarian Kristina Carter, 48.
Another circulation assistant, Jessica Thron, 30, was injured and authorities identified the wounded library patrons as ten-year Noah Molina, his 20-year-old sister Alexis Molina and 53-year-old Howard Jones.
The three adults were in serious condition, and the boy was in stable condition Tuesday at University Medical Center in Texas, across the state line from Clovis, chief medical officer Mike Ragain said.
Library patron Nessa Aguirre said in an interview that she and her 11-year-old son were at the circulation desk when they heard a popping sound.
'I looked over and this guy shot into the ceiling, then in every direction,' she said. 'I put my son in front of me, bent down and slid across the front circulation desk.'
After hiding in an office and being led by a library worker to a hallway, Aguirre and her son found a door and fled.
One witness said she was in the Clovis-Carver public library (pictured) with her son when a man came in and 'started to shoot' into the air
According to the newspaper, one police scanner report said one victim was in a closet in the library (pictured) and needed medical attention
Her husband, Lupe Aguirre, went inside to search for his family when he heard the shots.
He saw smoke clearing from gunfire and shell casings on the floor before he was confronted by the gunman.
'He was happy,' Lupe Aguirre told the Albuquerque Journal. 'He was just laughing, smiling the whole time until he came up real close to me, and then he put on that mean look.'
The gunman ordered Aguirre to get on the ground. As Aguirre kneeled, he told the shooter someone was looking for him in an attempt to distract him.
Aguirre told the newspaper the shooter then turned around, saw a mother and child on the floor and told them to stay there or he would kill them. Then the shooter walked away in the direction that Aguirre had pointed, he said.
Gov Susana Martinez called the attack horrific and asked for New Mexicans to share their strength and support as Clovis recovers.
She also visited the wounded victims in Lubbock on Tuesday.
A man has been dramatically arrested by police after driving his car past pedestrians along Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall.
Dozens of police officers were pictured standing next to the out-of-town driver, who was ordered out of his white Holden Commodore just after 2pm on Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said the Albury man, 50, would likely be charged on summons for traffic offences after allegedly taking a wrong turn into the mall.
His arrest poses serious questions about the anti-terror bollards that were installed across the city following the Bourke Street rampage.
Dimitrious Gargasoulas, 26, allegedly drove a stolen car along the same busy footpath in January, killing six pedestrians and injuring dozens more.
A man has been dramatically arrested by police after driving his car past pedestrians along Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall
Dozens of police officers were pictured standing next to the out-of-town driver, who was ordered out of his white Holden Commodore just after 2pm
Gargasoulas allegedly stabbed his brother before stealing a red Holden Commodore and doing donuts in the middle of Melbourne's central business district.
Over 200 ugly 'anti-terror' bollards were erected across the nation - at Sydney's Lindt Cafe, Melbourne's Federation Square and Bourke Street - as a precaution in June.
But On Wednesday afternoon the driver still found a way to make it into Bourke Street Mall, bypassing the temporary barriers meant to keep him out.
It's understood the incident on Wednesday was accidental.
Myron Hall, 29, was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving last week
A man has been arrested after video showed him hanging out of his car window while speeding down the interstate, police say.
Myron Hall, 29, was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving last week in Newton County, Georgia after the video led police to suspect him in the brazen and dangerous stunt.
Hall is from Dallas, Texas, police said in a statement.
The video shows a man sitting on the window of a black Dodge Challenger while zipping past other cars on Interstate 20.
The driver weaves in and out of traffic on the interstate as he passes other cars left and right.
The video appears to be filmed by an accomplice, and was turned over to police through Facebook over a year ago, in June of 2016.
The video shows a man sitting on the window of a black Dodge Challenger while zipping past other cars on Interstate 20
It's unclear how the investigation led to Hall, and police did not elaborate.
Hall was arrested on August 23 and jail records show that he is no longer in custody.
Social media posts indicate that Hall was headed from Texas to Atlanta to pick up a car from repairs in the days leading up to his arrest.
The car, a heavily customized burgundy Dodge Challenger which he called Queen Brandy, appeared to have previously broken down in Georgia while he was showing it at a car show in July.
A school librarian that accused a principal of being a 'monster', 'saboteur' and a bully has been given an ultimatum by a New Zealand judge - apologise to the woman or pay her $100,000 for defaming her name.
The bitter dispute between librarian Faye Leov and principal Loretta Newton made local paper headlines for years, but culminated in a nine-day defamation case which ended on Tuesday.
The spat between the staff members at Rai Valley Area School - located between Nelson and Blenheim in the South Island - 'had a profound effect on their lives and careers' and 'divided their community', according to Justice David Collins.
Mrs Leov and Mrs Newton had known each other since they were children, and were working together at the school when their bitter differences developed.
The dispute between librarian Faye Leov (above) and principal Loretta Newton (right) made local paper headlines for years, but culminated in a defamation case which ended on Tuesday
Justice Collins said the two women became 'tragic victims as they sank deeper into the quagmire of their dispute'.
'Mrs Leov's commitment to the library blinded her ability to properly understand her duties and responsibilities to Mrs Newton and the board,' Justice Collins said.
'Mrs Newton, on the other hand, was firm in her determination that school staff comply with her lawful instructions.'
Their ongoing battle even led to a public meeting in 2008.
The spat stretches back to 2006 and reached a crescendo when Leov and her husband Bernard were involved in letters being sent to residents, a local newspaper and others including the Bishop of Nelson seeking information on 'a ruthless and unwell saboteur' in September 2012.
Mrs Leov and Mrs Newton had known each other since they were children, and were working together at Rai Valley Area School (above) when their bitter differences developed
The letters were sent by Susan Dunn, a writer the Leov's paid $27,000 to write a book about bullying based on Faye Leov's alleged experience working with Mrs Newton.
The letters said Mrs Newton was 'often disguised as someone doing good, [but] literally sacrificed the wellbeing of your children and numerous fine teachers to satisfy her own appetite for controlling, degrading and breaking human life'.
Mrs Newton sued the Leovs and Ms Dunn for defamation as a result.
Ms Dunn agreed to apologise for the letters, but the Leovs refused and fought the claim as they said they did not write the letters, that the facts were true and the letters contained honest opinion.
Teachers and members of the community gave evidence opposing Mrs Leov's claims about Mrs Newton.
Justice Collins concluded found the truth defence had failed, and the letters did not contain honest opinion as they were based on unproven allegations.
He ordered the Leovs to write to all the recipients of the letters, to publish two public notices and apologise to Mrs Newton with a penalty of $100,000 in damages to pay if they fail to do so.
The Leovs' lawyer said they were still considering an appeal.
Warehouse giant Costco opened the doors to its third Sydney store this week offering hugely discounted prices on a range of bulk goods and unusual products.
The supermarket's new hub, located in Marsden Park, welcomed shopping enthusiasts from 8am, with many lining up well before, according to Nine News.
However, shoppers hoping to cash-in on the deals will need to become members before they can enjoy the discounted warehouse prices.
Warehouse giant Costco opened the doors to its third Sydney store this week, and the ninth for Australia
Until September 10, customers can get their hands on a $500 discounted 65 inch Hd Sony Bravia television
Until September 10, customers can get their hands on a $500 discounted 65 inch Hd Sony Bravia television, a kilo of Swiss Style cheese for $10 and giant 1.2 litre bottles of Pantene shampoo and conditioner for $9.
It is the ninth store to open nationwide and despite its reputation for selling bulk items at discounted prices, apparently the store's staple goods are its most popular among consumers.
'Fuel, milk, eggs, bread, sugar...those are all our biggest sellers,' Managing Director Costco Australia Patrick Noone, told Nine.
A one kilo pack of Swiss Style cheese can be purchased at a $4.70 discount for $10
Customers can save $6 on giant 1.2 litre bottles of Pantene shampoo and conditioner, which sell for $9
An annual membership can be purchased by registered businesses for $55 and for $60 for independent shoppers.
Customers can make major savings on everyday products and get their hands on rare items unlikely to be found in other stores including 10kg blocks of chocolate, a giant koala teddy and 3.8 litre bottle of Tabasco sauce.
From a $6 saving on two whole chickens, 48 rolls of toilet paper for $19.50 and a 20kg pack of dog food for $25, the store delivers on an extremely wide variety of goods.
Consumers would be hard pressed to find an alternative retailer where they can purchase a 20kg pack of dog food for $25
A saving of $6 can be made on a pack of two free range chickens
Shoppers can even pick up an engagement ring with their bulk food, with a 5.43ctw diamond sparkler on offer for just under $400,000.
A toy go kart can also be scooped up, along with a giant stand-up paddle board and a dual pedal boat.
The giant new store spans across more than 13,000sq m and employs 280 staff members.
Shoppers can even pick up an engagement ring with their bulk food, with a 5.43ctw diamond sparkler on offer for $400,000
Britain could launch a cyber strike against North Korea after Theresa May refused to rule out using web warfare to target Kim Jong Un.
The Prime Minister left the door open to using a secret, hi-tech assault on Pyongyang following its missile blast towards Japan yesterday.
As she flew into Kyoto to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mrs May stepped up her condemnation of the North Korean 'provocation' and heaped pressure on China to rein in the rogue state.
The extreme tensions mean Mrs May could be forced to take part in a 'duck and cover' drill during her three day trip.
If North Korea fires another missile toward Japan while the PM is in the country, air raid alarms will sound - signalling to people outside they should lie on the ground and cover their heads.
Britain could launch a cyber strike against North Korea after Theresa May (pictured with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today) refused to rule out using web warfare to target Kim Jong Un
Mrs May took part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the beginning of her visit (pictured)
Mrs May lifted bowl of tea to her face as she took part in a ceremony in Kyoto alongside the Japanese PM today
As she arrived in Japan, the Premier three times refused to say whether Britain could use its cyber capabilities to take on North Korea, as she repeatedly avoided questions about the prospect of future military action.
She said: 'We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think they are significant actions of provocation.
'I think that it is outrageous, that is why we will be working with our international partners as we have done previously.
'We will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea, to stop these illegal activities.
'The discussions that have taken place at the UN Security Council are an important part of that.'
Mrs May said she had already told President Xi that she believes China has a 'key role in putting pressure on North Korea to stop the actions they are taking' when she met him at the G20 in Hamburg earlier this summer.
Mrs May added: 'We are working with our international partners. We want to continue to bring pressure on North Korea. We want to ensure that they desist this action,' she said.
'We see that the best way of doing that is for China to be bringing pressure to bear on North Korea.'
The Prime Minister (pictured disembarking from her official RAF plane today) left the door open to using a secret, hi-tech assault on Pyongyang following its missile blast towards Japan
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe (pictured yesterday in Tokyo) will discuss the security threat from North Korea in talks with Mrs May
Mrs May said Britain would be 'participating fully' in UN Security Council talks on the issue, which would be having 'discussions about certain sanctions.'
'This trip to Japan at this time give me a particular opportunity to sit down with Prime Minister Abe and talk to him about this issue,' she added.
Mrs May described the three-day visit, which will focus on security and trade, as a 'really important trip'.
She said: 'I'm looking forward to it, it's my first visit to Japan. It is an important longstanding relationship between the UK and Japan. They are our closest partner in Asia.
'I'm pleased that I am going to be able to spend a significant amount of time with Prime Minister Abe.
'I am being invited to attend a meeting of Japan's national security council. This is a great honour. I am the first UK prime minister to attend and only the second foreign leader to do that.'
Mrs May will take part in a tea ceremony with the Japanese prime minister in Kyoto, before joining him on the bullet train to Tokyo, where she will spend the rest of the visit.
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Train enthusiasts were treated to a paradise over the Bank Holiday Weekend as two iconic steam locomotives met for what may be the last time ever.
Thousands of people all over the country converged on Didcot Railway Centre over the Bank Holiday Weekend to get a glimpse of the World famous Flying Scotsman, at the same time as the Union of South Africa.
With the latter train due to be retired to a museum in Scotland, this could be the last time the pair will meet.
The LNER A3 Class Pacific No. 60103, the 'Flying Scotsman' and LNER A4 Class Pacific No. 60009, the 'Union of South Africa' (same class as Mallard) met for the first time since steam days in the 1960's
Didcot Railway Centre hosted the special flying visit for visitors to gaze at the locomotives side by side. It is unlikely to ever happen again
The Union of South Africa is to be retired to a museum in Scotland, so the pair of steam locomotives are unlikely to be on the rails together again
Locomotive crew carry out their duties on the two icons of the British rail as they stand side by side for probably the last time
The Union of South Africa is a LNER Class A4, sister to the Mallard, the world's fastest steam locomotive. It was built in Doncaster in 1937, and originally named Osprey.
In the 1980s, its name returned to Osprey, due to political opposition to Apartheid.
It was withdrawn from service in June 1966, but made a return to the rails to carry Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Nicola Sturgeon to officially reopen the borders railway between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank.
The Union of South Africa, built in Doncaster in 1937, was originally named Osprey, and is a sister engine to the world's fastest steam locomotive, the Mallard
The arrival of the Union of South Africa, above, was a big coup for the Didcot Railway Museum, moreso as it came at the same time as the Flying Scotsman visit
The Flying Scotsman has been dubbed the nation's favourite locomotive, and was also built in Doncaster, finished in 1923.
It holds two world records, has a top speed of 100mph, and its longest non-stop journey was 441 miles. It became known as the Flying Scotsman when it took on the Edinburgh to London route.
According to the team behind the iconic train, the next chapter in the Flying Scotsman story will be its triumphant return as a working museum exhibit, conquering yet another record as the oldest mainline working locomotive on Britains tracks.
The Union of South Africa, briefly renamed Osprey during tensions over Apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s, is a sister train to the Mallard
According to the Flying Scotsman campaign, is will return as a working museum exhibit, conquering yet another record as the oldest mainline working locomotive on Britains tracks
Ahead of the 'once-in-a-lifetime' event, Didcot Railway Centre Manager, Roger Orchard said: 'We are delighted to have been chosen by the National Railway Museum to show off their most famous locomotive in our living steam railway museum. Passengers will be able to ride behind Flying Scotsman in beautifully restored carriages from the 1930s and there will be frequent trips to watch and photograph the train as it goes by.
'We look forward to welcoming Flying Scotsman to Didcot again and to further visits in the future.'
Ann Middleton, commercial manager, added: 'It is many years since Union of South Africa visited Didcot Railway Centre. To have two Gresley locomotives together, particularly these two locomotives, is quite a coup.'
Jim Lowe, head of operations at the National Railway Museum, said: 'Following the successful restoration of the Flying Scotsman, we're delighted to be able to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see this magnificent locomotive in person.
'Embarking on a national tour, were visiting Wales, the South and South West of England and will be returning to Didcot over the August Bank Holiday weekend for the first time since the engine was restored.
'Were excited to be back and expect the crowds to be out in force once again.'
The two locomotives raise steam at Didcot early on Monday morning. The Flying Scotsman is on its first tour since extensive work was done
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Motorists using Britain's tallest bridge - the Queensferry Crossing - for the first time after its grand opening found themselves stuck in long traffic jams after a lorry broke down.
Shortly before 2am, northbound traffic was diverted from the Forth Road Bridge to the new 1.35 billion structure, which links Lothian and Fife in Scotland and opened this morning after more than a decade in the making
A long procession followed police vehicles, with many of those behind the wheel honking their horns and blowing whistles as they travelled over it.
However, by rush hour drivers were facing long delays in both directions.
The Queensferry Crossing spanning the Firth of Forth has opened to traffic in the early hours of Tuesday, but has already been hit with traffic issues
Rush-hour queues build up on the approaches to the Queensferry Crossing across the Forth Estuary on its first day of operation
Traffic Scotland tweeted this picture along with the caption: 'First breakdown on the @FRC-Queensferry. Mostly on hard shoulder but bum sticking out...slightly!'
Morning traffic crosses the new Queensferry Crossing as daylight starts to break after it opened to the public in the early hours
Shortly before 2am, northbound traffic was diverted from the Forth Road Bridge to the new 1.35 billion structure, which is Britain's tallest bridge
It is thought people simply wanting to experience the crossing for the first time were exacerbating the problem, with Traffic Scotland tweeting: 'This is not just commuters heading for work' and 'LOTS of you eager to cross & 40mph speed limit in place.'
Earlier the bridge was hit by its first breakdown when a lorry stopped at around 7am.
Traffic Scotland tweeted: 'First breakdown on the @FRC-Queensferry. Mostly on hard shoulder but bum sticking out...slightly!'
One Twitter user said: 'New #QueensferrryCrossing but no improvement in traffic. Though we were to have a better and improved crossing?'
Another added: '#QueensferryCrossing EXCEEDED my expectations. Commute 60 minutes... longer! Maybe worst ever. #veryferrycross Can't wait for return trip!'
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: 'As predicted, due to the popularity of this new bridge, there are large additional volumes of traffic on the Queensferry Crossing with drivers wanting to experience the new bridge for themselves, in addition to the normal morning commuter traffic.
The crossing is essentially an extension of the M90 motorway across the Forth with a 70mph speed limit, although a 40mph is initially in place
Linking the Lothians and Fife, the new crossing is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world
Traffic is led in a convoy as it makes its way onto the northbound carriageway of the Queensferry Crossing as it opens to traffic for the first time
'The bridge itself remained free flowing despite an early breakdown. The driver involved was able to make use of the new hard shoulder and was assisted off the bridge by our Trunk Road Incident Support Service.
'Although we are aware of delays on approach roads to the crossing, these are mainly down to the volume of traffic and drivers getting used to the new road layout.'
The need for a new bridge emerged in 2004 when inspections of the Forth Road Bridge's main cables found a loss of strength.
Construction began in 2011, with numerous records and milestones marked along the way.
Cabinet Secretary for the Economy Keith Brown was among the first to cross it.
He said: 'It's fantastic. You immediately notice coming over the new bridge - as traffic is now doing - the absence of the slap, slap, slap that you get on the existing bridge.
'It's a very smooth passage right across the Queensferry Crossing. Also, just the excitement of looking at this fantastic new structure from a new angle.
'I think it will be extremely well-received by the people in Scotland who are going to use this bridge.'
The 1.7-mile crossing has a projected life of 120 years but could last longer as it has been 'designed for maintenance' to ensure it runs smoothly for decades.
Linking the Lothians and Fife, the new crossing is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.
On Monday night a collection of vintage, modern and electric vehicles drove on the structure in a procession to mark the symbolic handover from contractors to the Scottish Government.
It was followed by a light show across the crossing to celebrate the completion of the biggest infrastructure project in Scotland in a generation.
In the early hours of Friday, the new bridge will be closed again to prepare for a public walk on the crossing and a royal visit from the Queen on Monday.
A total of 50,000 invited members of the public will have the chance to walk across it on Saturday and Sunday.
An initial 40mph limit will be in place when the bridge first opens to take account of 'driver distraction'
The 1.7-mile crossing has a projected life of 120 years but could last longer as it has been 'designed for maintenance' to ensure it runs smoothly for decades
Sun rises over the bridge after its opening. The need for a new bridge emerged in 2004 when inspections of the Forth Road Bridge's main cables found a loss of strength
Construction began in 2011, with numerous records and milestones marked along the way
Motorists will be able to drive across it after it has reopened on Thursday, September 7.
The crossing is essentially an extension of the M90 motorway across the Forth with a 70mph speed limit, although operators said an initial 40mph limit will be in place when the bridge first opens to take account of 'driver distraction'.
Mr Brown said: 'That's when you get to the real advantages, in terms of reduced journey times, and also when you have that division of traffic between the two bridges, with public transport going on one bridge and all other traffic on the other bridge.
'It's just a stunning bridge to look at, more so in the daytime. Not only is this the best bridge in the world, but it sits with two other bridges.
'A different bridge from each of three different centuries in the same location. There's nowhere else in the world I can think of like that.'
In pictures: The construction of the Queensferry Crossing
Talk of a new bridge across the Forth was first mooted in 2004, when serious structural issues were noticed with the old bridge, which had stood since 1964.
Proposals for a second road crossing at Queensferry had been made in the 1990s, but were subsequently shelved, despite preliminary work on route selection.
However, when the structural problems were discovered on the old bridge these plans were revisited, and in January 2011 were approved. It was also announced that the old bridge would remain in place, as a public transport link.
The six-year construction process began in 2011, and in August 2015 - despite not yet being completed - it became the UK's tallest bridge as it surpassed the 160 metre mark set jointly by the old Forth Road Bridge and the Humber Bridge.
In its completed form, it has far surpassed this record and stands at 207 metres.
It was supposed to be finished and opened by March of this year, but several delays due to high weather postponed this target.
This aerial view, from October 2012, shows the line of caissons, which mark the course the new Queensferry Crossing would to cross the Firth of Forth. These huge steel tubes were sunk down to the bed of the Forth and used to construct the foundations for the three main towers, which support the bridge itself, and the piers which support the northern and southern approach viaducts
The caisson used to form the foundations for the centre tower for the new bridge is positioned on Beamer Rock, which previously housed a small lighthouse which guarded the approach to Rosyth dockyard. This was removed and the rock itself was blasted to provide a suitable base for the foundations of the centre tower
The central tower, one of the three main support towers for the new Queensferry crossing, stands on Beamer Rock, a natural rocky outcrop in the Firth of Forth
This view of the new Queensferry Crossing from the north bank of the Firth of Forth shows the approach to the northern landfall under construction at St Margaret's Hope, just west of the northern landfall of the existing Forth Road Bridge
Aerial view of construction work on the New Forth Crossing from South Queensferry. The main girders which will carry the roadways for the southern approach viaduct are being extended over the support piers in the left foreground, while the three main concrete towers which will support the bridge itself are rising from the steel caissons positioned across the Forth
This aerial view shows the new Queensferry Crossing from South Queensferry includes the existing Forth Road Bridge to the right. The Queensferry Crossing incorporates a cable-stayed design, with three main single-column towers carrying the cables to support the bridge deck assembly and additional columns supporting the approach viaducts to the bridge itself, in contrast to the existing Forth Road Bridge, which is of traditional suspension bridge design
The firefighter who treated Princess Diana as she lay fatally injured in a Paris tunnel said today he was certain she would survive the crash.
Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon led the medically trained Sapeurs-Pompiers first response team and said the Princess of Wales' last words were 'My God, what's happened?'.
Moments later she lost consciousness on August 31, 1997, and died later in hospital.
Mr Gourmelon today described the scene and how he thought Diana would come through the crash, admitting he didn't recognise her at the time.
The 50-year-old said Diana soon stopped breathing, so he massaged her heart. Diana started breathing again.
The firefighter who treated Princes Diana as she lay fatally injured in a Paris tunnel said today he was certain she would survive the crash
Mr Gourmelon (circled) today described the scene and how he thought Diana would come through the crash - even though she was found without her seatbelt on
The mangled wreck of Princess Diana and Dodi's Mercedes S280. The sole survivor of the Paris crash was bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones who spent ten days in a coma
He told The Sun: 'I could see she had a slight injury to her right shoulder but, other than that, there was nothing significant. There was no blood on her at all.
Mohamed Al-Fayed aboard his 1913 yacht in Saint Tropez yesterday - he has claimed that Dodi and Diana were to announce their engagement on the day after they died
'To be honest, I thought she would live. As far as I knew when she was in the ambulance she was alive and I expected her to live. But I found out later she had died in hospital'.
He has rarely spoken about the incident - the last time was via video link during her inquest in 2007 - but twenty years on from the crash the scene is still vividly clear in Gourmelon's mind.
'I could see she was moving and talking,' he told the Mail last week.
'She spoke in English and said, 'Oh my God, what's happened?' I could understand that so I tried to calm her a little bit. She was moving her left arm which was free, but her right arm was trapped. I held her hand. I can't remember what I said to calm her down, but it was in French.'
By now a doctor had arrived and said she had to be got out of the vehicle. Says Gourmelon, now 50, 'We took her out and at first put her on a board and then on an air-bed often the fear in road accidents is a trauma to the spine, so to stop this we immobilise it,' he said.
'At that moment the doctor told us her heart had stopped beating, so we started giving her a heart massage, two of us, and her heart started beating again almost immediately. We then put her in an ambulance.
'And then the captain of my crew came and asked me if I had recognised her. I hadn't, so I looked back into the ambulance, and then I recognised her face. We would have done the same whoever she was. One thing I do remember: the two passengers in the back had not been wearing seat belts.'
This, for Diana, was highly unusual. She generally buckled up securely for every car journey, whether in the front or the back.
Mr Gourmelon saw the ambulance speed away and believed that Diana would survive, but was shocked to learn later she had perished.
CCTV image showing Diana, Princess of Wales with Dodi Fayed inside the lift at the Ritz Hotel shortly before their deaths
Driver Henri Paul is shown right, with Diana's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones in the front passenger seat. Diana can be seen in the rear seat in the last picture ever taken of her
According to toxicology reports, Mr Paul was three times over the French drink-driving limit when the car smashed into a pillar of the Pont de l'Alma tunnel
The first doctor on the scene of the fatal car accident involving Diana, Princess of Wales in Paris 20 years ago has said he gave first aid to the victims before knowing who he was treating.
French doctor Frederic Mailliez was off-duty when he drove into the Alma road tunnel on August 31 1997, a few seconds after the crash.
He wondered 'why there were so many journalists around the Mercedes as I was giving first aid'.
It was only when he turned on his television the next morning that he learned the answer, Mr Mailliez recounted in an interview with The Associated Press.
Diana was pronounced dead a few hours after the crash that occurred while she and Dodi Fayed were being chauffeured and pursued by photographers. A bodyguard was the car's only survivor.
On that summer night, Mr Mailliez, an emergency doctor, was driving along the Seine river and approaching the tunnel when he saw a smoky accident scene ahead. He stopped and went to investigate.
When he opened a door of the crumpled Mercedes, he saw four people, two of them in cardiac arrest. The other two, including Diana, were still alive.
'They were reacting, but clearly had significant injuries,' the doctor said. He immediately called for emergency rescue services and went to work without the medical equipment he would normally use in a life-threatening situation.
'I just had my bare hands,' he said.
A British man has been battered to death with a metal bar as he slept rough on the streets of Brazil, it was reported today.
Michael Steer Renshaw, 50, had been living in the country for ten years after marrying a Brazilian woman, with who he had a child, according to police.
Mr Renshaw's wife reportedly died in 2015, after which he allegedly began living on the streets of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil, after falling into alcoholism.
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Proof: The man accused of murdering Briton Michael Renshaw and another rough sleeper can be seen throwing away the bloodied metal bar on CCTV
Mr Renshaw was sleeping with two other street dwellers in the Santo Andre region of Sao Paulo when they were attacked by a man on Sunday afternoon.
CCTV images show the suspect, who police believe is another street dweller who knew the victims, arrive at the health clinic car park where they were sleeping armed with a metal bar.
Seconds later, he is seen re-emerging onto the street and throwing the weapon away before calming walking off.
Michael Renshaw, 50, had been living in Brazil for ten years, according to social media
Later, a passer-by comes across the scene and calls for help.
As well as Mr Renshaw, Brazilian Fabio Netto de Neves, 48, believed to have been a lawyer, was also killed in the attack. Another man managed to escape and on the CCTV footage is seeing running away from the scene.
Police investigator Edson Barbosa said both men were known alcoholics but that 'they were held very dear by local residents and shopkeepers.
'They didn't cause any problems. We are investigating what might have motivated this crime.'
He added that while their alleged killer is also well-known in the area, little is known about the man and police have not yet caught him.
He said: 'Talking with other street dwellers and shopkeepers, we found that the man who attacked the two victims presents almost hermit-like behaviour. He never talked to anyone and was also aggressive. So it is difficult for people to even know his name.'
He said Mr Renshaw had been arrested in 2009 for stealing food from a supermarket, but that he was living legally in Brazil after marrying a Brazilian.
Attack: The alleged killer was caught on CCTV sneaking up on the group as they slept in a car park in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Caught on camera: The attacker can then be seen walking away from the scene, where he reportedly beat a 50-year-old Brit to death
Police say they are trying to track down Mr Renshaw's ex-wife in order to release his body.
According to Mr Renshaw's Facebook page, which was last updated in August 2015, says he is a 'private language instructor' from 2006, when he is believed to have arrived in Brazil.
It also shows he studied property valuation at the University of Sheffield, married in 2004, and had a son, Raul, in 2005.
However, the social network site appears to show that his wife died after becoming ill in 2014, and that son Raul now lives with his sister in the Maua district of Sao Paulo, seven miles from where Mr Renshaw died.
In a Facebook post in 2015, Mr Renshaw wrote: 'I will never forget you my love, I will love you eternally my beautiful wife, love of my life, you can be sure I will take care of our beautiful son for eternity until we see each other in heaven I LOVE YOU
'I miss you so much my love, but you can be in peace I will take care of the family. Save a place in heaven for me by your side I love you more than everything in this world, you were the true love of my life.'
The page shows him in a relationship with another Brazilian woman in August 2015.
Britain is hoping to be able to 'copy and paste' dozens of EU trade deals as soon as we leave the bloc, Theresa May has revealed on a trip to Japan.
Ministers are offering all 40 countries that have trade agreements with Brussels the opportunity to replicate those deals so there is no disruption to business.
Mrs May said the agreements could be signed the moment Britain leaves the EU's customs union, before trade negotiators from both sides work together to improve them.
The Prime Minister is using her trip to Japan to seek to persuade her counterpart Shinzo Abe that a trade deal his country is forging with the EU could become a basis for a UK deal.
Britain is hoping to be able to 'copy and paste' dozens of EU trade deals as soon as we leave the bloc, Theresa May has revealed on a trip to Japan (pictured at a tea ceremony in Kyoto today)
Mrs May lifted bowl of tea to her face as she took part in a ceremony in Kyoto alongside the Japanese PM today
She said: 'We have been one of the member states sitting around the EU table that has been pressing the EU to move forward on this deal with Japan.
'We think this is an important deal for the EU and yes when we leave the EU, we are looking, there is obviously a number of trade deals that the EU has with other countries, and we are looking at the possibility of those being able to be brought over into certainly initially trade deals with the UK.
'That I think will give business certainty, which is what business wants as we leave. We will continue to press the EU to move forward with the Japan deal, which they have made some initial steps on but there is a way to go.'
MAY HAILS 500M DEAL FOR ASTON MARTINS TO JAPAN Theresa May has welcomed James Bond car maker Aston Martin's plans for 500million of trade with Japan. The plans were announced by the luxury car maker's boss Andy Palmer, who is travelling with the Prime Minister on a trade mission to Japan. Mrs May said the deal would help safeguard jobs at the firm's plants in the West Midlands and South Wales. She said: 'As we prepare to leave the European Union, it is vital that we build on our existing ties with friends and allies. 'Aston Martin is a prime example of the innovative and world-leading firms the UK is proud of and I'm delighted they are joining me on this important trade mission. 'Aston Martin's 500 million deal will directly benefit the Gaydon plant in West Midlands and the St Athan plant in Wales, helping safeguard existing jobs and opening new possibilities for future deals with Japan.' Over the next five years the plan involves exports of more than 400 million, the use of 70 million of components from Japanese suppliers, the launch of a new HQ, offices and an expanded dealer network. Dr Palmer said: 'We have long enjoyed a loyal following from Japanese customers and the public alike, with our new dealership in Tokyo set to become our largest worldwide by volume.' A new office in Tokyo will tap into research and technology in electric and connected cars, while also developing insights into luxury customer behaviour in Asian markets, he added. Advertisement
Mrs May's trip comes against the backdrop of the third round of Brexit negotiations in Brussels.
Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday became the second Eurocrat in two days to dismiss the UK's Brexit policy papers as Brussels digs in over its two phase approach.
The EU Commission President this morning echoed the warnings of chief negotiator Michel Barnier about Britain's refusal to engage solely on issues around the UK's divorce from the EU.
The impasse could leave this week's third round of negotiations deadlocked with an October deadline for the EU's first phase of negotiations looming large.
Theresa May is thought likely to try and lobby other European leaders in an effort to loosen the strict two phase process that is blocking Brexit Secretary David Davis from opening dialogue on the future UK-EU trade arrangements.
Reports this week have hinted at growing unease in Paris at the two-part process while German firms have also issued a call for trade talks to get underway quickly.
Downing Street played down Mr Juncker's intervention and insisted the talks were in a 'good position'.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: 'Brexiteers promised a new dawn of improved trade deals across the world. But rather than jet-setting round the globe, Liam Fox might as well be left in a room with a photocopier.
'The government's Brexit strategy now defies all logic. It is not even asking Japan for a bespoke trade deal.
'India has already told us they won't give us one. The government should not be surprised if China says the same.
'Far from bagging lots of new trade deals, the government is simply trying to cut and paste our existing arrangements.
'Its Brexit strategy has just reached new levels of absurdity.'
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A huge 115-foot railway arch in the channel connecting Russia and Crimea has been completed as the 12-mile rail-road bridge begins to take shape.
The project, which is set to be completed next year, is seen as a massive political powerplay by Vladimir Putin because Russia claims Ukraine's Crimea peninsula as its own territory after it was annexed in March 2014.
Standing at a massive 35 metres above the water, the highest point of the arch is taller than the tower of Big Ben.
The total structure weighs 6,000 tonnes and the road and rail will now be built around it as the building operation goes into overdrive over the Kerch Strait.
The Crimean (or Kerch) bridge boasts two arch-shaped spanning 227 meters, a railway weighing 6,000 tonnes and a highway weighing 1,000 tonnes. After the installation of the 35 metre arch, it will ensure a passage for ships giving vessels 185 meters of free water to pass through
The project, which is set to be completed next year, is seen as a massive political powerplay by Vladimir Putin because Russia claims Ukraine's Crimea peninsula as its own territory after it was annexed in March 2014. Standing at a massive 35 metres above the water, the highest point of the arch is taller than the tower of Big Ben
Once it is finished, the bridge will be Russia's longest, at with four lanes it is claimed it will be able to accommodate 40,000 vehicles every day.
Cars will be the first to cross it towards the end of next year and trains will use the bridge a year later in 2019.
A similar arch to the one just completed will also form part of the road section, according to the project's official website.
The ship and aeronautical signalling system is already in fully working order and engineers will make tweaks to the support structure over the next three weeks as hundred specialists come together to iron out any creases.
Roman Novikov, the head of construction company PKU which is involved in the building, said: 'The installation of arched spans is a key event in the construction season of 2017 and one of the most important stages of the project as a whole.'
Ships have already passed underneath the bridge and chairman of the board of directors at building company Stroygazmontazh Arkady Rotenberg hailed the project a massive success: 'All together - this is a unique operation.
'We gathered the best specialists who could do it, and are very grateful to them for this.'
An aerial shot of the bridge. Once it is finished, the bridge will be Russia's longest, at with four lanes it is claimed it will be able to accommodate 40,000 vehicles every day
The Russian military sought Tuesday to allay Western fears about major war games set for next month, describing them as regular drills that will not threaten anyone.
The Zapad 2017 maneuvers organised jointly by Belarus and Russia have raised NATO concerns.
Some alliance members, including the Baltic states and Poland, have criticized Moscow for a lack of transparency and questioned Moscow's intentions.
How the new Russia to Crimea bridge measures up Height: 35m (115ft) Length: 12 miles (19.3km) Weight: 6,000 tonnes Advertisement
Russia-West relations have been badly strained over Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and continuing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Amid spiralling tensions, Western worries about the planned maneuvers have ranged from allegations that Russia could use the maneuvers to permanently deploy its forces to Belarus to fears of a surprise attack on the Baltics.
Russia's Deputy Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin, rejected what he described as Western 'myths about the so-called Russian threat.'
'The most improbable scenarios have been floated,' he said at a briefing for foreign military attaches. 'Some have reached as far as to claim that the Zapad 2017 exercises will serve as a `platform for invasion' and `occupation' of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.'
Fomin said the Russian military will invite foreign observers to the September 14 to 20 drills in Belarus and Western Russia, which will involve 5,500 Russian and 7,200 Belarusian troops, about 70 aircraft, up to 250 tanks and 200 artillery systems and 10 navy ships.
Two men are lucky to be alive after an angry driver mounted the kerb and tried to mow them down following a wild brawl on a Perth street.
The victims were leaving a take away store in Welshpool in the city's south-east when two men pulled up next the them in a car on Tuesday afternoon.
The occupants became aggressive and a fight broke out between all four men, leaving the victims with bruising and swelling to their faces, police said.
Two men are lucky to be alive after an angry driver mounted the kerb and tried to mow them down following a wild brawl on a Perth street
Shortly after, the victims were walking towards a petrol station when the same vehicle mounted the footpath and drove at the victims, narrowly missing them.
Officers rushed to the scene and spoke to the victims, aged 38 and 43 years old.
'Detectives are seeking anyone with information, who may have witnessed the incident or have dash cam footage from the area to contact Police,' a spokesman said.
Police urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The two victims can be seen running for their lives as the vehicle mounts the kerb and drives towards them
A Greens councillor has been slammed for claiming cyclists who were badly injured in a car crash were 'going too fast' when a car drove into them.
Cyclist Peter Strimatis, 51, broke his wrist and scapula when he went through a car windscreen in West End, Brisbane's inner city, about 6.20am on Friday.
He was one of five cyclists taken to hospital after a sedan driving up the hill on Dornoch Terrace tried to do a U-turn as the cyclists were riding down the hill, and the car the and riders collided.
Five cyclists were taken to hospital following the Friday morning crash in Brisbane's West End
The sedan was driving up the hill on Dornoch Terrace when it attempted to do a U-turn as the cyclists were riding down the hill and slammed into them
Brisbane Greens councillor Jonathan Sri interrupted a council transport committee meeting this week to say: 'The cyclists were going too fast'.
When questioned about his accusation after the meeting, Cr Sri immediately back peddled and said his comments were 'taken out of context'.
'It makes it sound like I'm blaming the cyclists,' he told The Courier Mail.
Brisbane City Councillor Jonathan Sri (right) speaking to the media after Greens Senator Larissa Waters (left) announced her resignation in Brisbane in July
Brisbane Greens councillor Jonathan Sri interrupted a council transport committee meeting this week to say: 'The cyclists were going too fast'
When questioned about his accusation after the meeting, Cr Sri immediately back peddled and said his comments were 'taken out of context'
Cr Sri said he meant the 50km/h speed limit was too fast, and not the cyclists' speed.
Before Cr Sri interjected from the sidelines, committee chairman Adrian Schrinner said speed was not a factor in the crash.
Cr Schrinner said 'often the knee-jerk kind of comments that come out of this are misinformed they definitely were in this case'.
Fred Winter (pictured) chased down two thieves in his truck but police accused him of 'taking the law into his own hands'
A have-a-go hero grandfather who chased a pair of thieves in his truck before mounting the pavement and headlocking a shoplifter has slammed police who accused him of 'taking the law into his own hands'.
Fred Winter, 69, detained a shoplifting couple who were fleeing from a Co-Op shop with several bottles of alcohol in Mere, Wiltshire.
Father-of-five Mr Winter was flagged down by a frantic shop employee who asked him to catch the shoplifters running away up the road.
Mr Winter drove 500 yards before steering his Ford Ranger across the pavement and detaining the thieving pair - getting the man in a headlock.
The shop employee from the Co-op then called the police who dashed to the scene.
But when two officers from Wiltshire Police arrived about 30 minutes after the incident, they did not thank Mr Winter and instead he was later accused of 'taking the law into his own hands'.
Mr Winter (pictured), 69, detained a shoplifting couple who were fleeing from a Co-Op shop (above) with several bottles of alcohol in Mere, Wiltshire
Good Samaritan Mr Winter - who lives in the village and is a Parish Steward 'working for the community' - has now hit back.
He said: 'I think the attitude of the police is unbelievable - they should be praising me.
'I did not do the shoplifters any harm but I put myself in peril trying to uphold the law.
'We very rarely see the police so it was my duty to help. If I had not "arrested" them they would have got away with it never to be seen again.'
Mr Winter (above with the Ford Ranger truck he used to chase the thieves) waited around 30 minutes for police to arrive after he had detained the suspects
After police accused him of 'taking the law into his own hands', Mr Winter said: 'I think the attitude of the police is unbelievable - they should be praising me'
A force spokesperson said: 'In regards to the citizen's arrest while we appreciate the assistance of the member of the public we don't encourage the public to take the law into their hands and would always urge anyone with information on a crime to report it to police immediately.'
Wiltshire Police added that two people had been detained following a report that they had stolen items from the Co-op in Mere.
A spokesperson added: 'We attended the scene and two people - a man aged 40 and a woman aged 44 - have been invited in for interview in relation to shoplifting.'
Japan's deputy prime minister has retracted a comment made a day earlier that seemed to suggest that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had good intentions.
Taro Aso was speaking at a seminar for his faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday when he mentioned the Nazi leader in a speech.
He said: 'I don't question a politician's motives; it is delivering results that matter. Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good, even if his intentions had been good.'
Retracted: Japan's deputy prime minister Taro Aso said: 'Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good, even if his intentions had been good.'
On Wednesday, Aso said that remark was 'inappropriate' and he would like to retract it and regretted having caused a misunderstanding.
He said he meant that Hitler was a bad leader with bad intentions.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a U.S.-based Jewish human rights organization, denounced the comment as 'downright dangerous.'
An official at the center, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, said, 'When will the elite of Japan wake up and acknowledge that they have a 'Nazi problem'?'
Misunderstanding: Aso, right, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left,said he had meant that Hitler was a bad leader with bad intentions
Aso is also the finance minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet and served as Japan's prime minister in 2008-2009.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said after Aso retracted his statement that the deputy prime minister 'should make his own explanation when the time comes.'
Aso in 2008 was criticized for comparing the tactics of the Democratic Party of Japan to those of Nazis in 1930s Germany.
And in 2013 he withdrew a comment that seemed to suggest Japanese leaders should follow Nazi Germany's example in changing the constitution.
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Millionaire entrepreneur and socialite Sir David Tang, who was a friend of A-list celebrities and royalty from Kate Moss to Princess Diana, has died at the age of 63.
Leading figures from across the showbiz and business worlds celebrated his extraordinary life today, with actor Russell Crowe tweeting, 'RIP dear friend... witty, charming, intellectual, salacious, hilarious'.
Sir David recently invited friends to London's Dorchester Hotel, where he set up the China Tang restaurant, for a 'farewell party' after hearing he had a month or two to live.
Sir David Tang, who mingled with stars including Princess Diana - with whom he is pictured in Venice, June 1995 - has died aged 63
Sir David is seen in hospital with Czech model Eva Herzigova, one of the many stars with whom he shared his extraordinary life. She shared the photograph just a week ago
Naomi Campbell posted this photograph with Sir David and Guiseppe Cipriani on August 15. She paid tribute to him on social media, writing, 'We were all your students'
Sir David pictured receiving a knighthood for charitable services to the United Kingdom from the Queen at Buckingham Palace
Sir David died at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London with his wife, Lucy, at his bedside. Here the pair are pictured together at The Serpentine Gallery Summer Party on July 6, 2016
Inviting friends to the party, he wrote: 'The best way to go would be to give a party where we can see each other at least one time more, rather than at a memorial service where I shall be dead as a dodo.'
Following Sir David's death before he was able to throw his final glitzy gathering, friends took to social media to celebrate his life.
'RIP dear friend Sir David Tang, the privilege was mine,' actor Russell Crowe tweeted, describing Tang as 'witty, charming, intellectual, salacious, hilarious, loving and funny as f***'.
'He will be sorely missed as a friend and FT columnist,' tweeted Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times, for which Tang wrote a popular 'Agony Uncle' column.
Naomi Campbell paid tribute to her friend on Instagram, writing: 'There will never be another like you. Mind, body and soul, and your beyond generous spirit, bursting with this amazing infectious energy.
'We were all your students and your loss is felt by the world as knew the world. I will love, cherish and celebrate you. Salute to you!! The Man who lived life to the fullest!! May you R.I.P.'
Stephen Fry wrote: 'We all knew it was coming, but the death of the Great, outrageous, kind, brilliant, original & wholly marvelous David Tang is a rotten blow.'
Politician and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, another friend of the socialite, said he met Sir David a few years ago when they both appeared on the BBC's Newsnight together.
Mr Farage said he was a 'wonderful, colourful, larger than life character', and that he received an invitation to Sir David's party a couple of weeks ago.
'He said in the invitation that he wanted us all to say goodbye and have a drink with him - he couldn't bear the thought of us all having a drink at his memorial when he wasn't there,' he said.
'He has lived an amazing life, and all lives have to come to an end, I just wish for his sake he had made another week.'
Veteran entertainer Sir Tom Jones posted: 'A most generous, exceptional & loving friend, Sir David Tang, RIP. The stories & laughs will forever echo. Our hearts go out to Lucy & family.'
Sir David attends an after party celebrating the launch of Kate: The Kate Moss Book in London on November 15, 2012
Sir David is pictured in London on July 13 alongside Darcey Bussell for a '60 minutes with Darcey Bussell' event
Sir David with comedian and presenter Stephen Fry at Tracey Emin's birthday party, held at her studio in East London on July 3, 2011
The socialite with Princess Eugenie during a visit to Stamford Bridge, the home ground of Chelsea Football Club
'There will never be another like you': Stars pay tribute to their friend Sir David Tang Naomi Campbell paid tribute to her friend Sir David, who she is pictured with at a book launch hosted by Taschen and Burberry in London on April 19, 2016 Sir David's many celebrity friends were quick to pay tribute to the socialite. Here are some of the messages they posted. Naomi Campbell: 'There will never be another like you. Mind, body and soul, and your beyond generous spirit, bursting with this amazing infectious energy. 'We were all your students and your loss is felt by the world as knew the world. I will love, cherish and celebrate you. Salute to you!! The Man who lived life to the fullest!! May you R.I.P.' Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason: 'He was one of life's unique people who had an extraordinary network of people from all walks of life. He was a very generous, kind-hearted, spirited individual. 'Personally, I think the world is a little duller for the loss of David and at such a relatively young age.' Russell Crowe: 'RIP dear friend Sir David Tang, the privilege was mine. Witty, charming, intellectual, salacious, hilarious, loving and funny as f***'. Lionel Barber, FT Editor: 'RIP Sir, businessman, philanthropist networker supreme. He will be sorely missed as a friend and FT columnist.' Stephen Fry: 'We all knew it was coming, but the death of the Great, outrageous, kind, brilliant, original & wholly marvelous David Tang is a rotten blow.' Nigel Farage: 'He said in the invitation that he wanted us all to say goodbye and have a drink with him - he couldn't bear the thought of us all having a drink at his memorial when he wasn't there.' Sir Tom Jones: 'A most generous, exceptional & loving friend, Sir David Tang, RIP. The stories & laughs will forever echo. Our hearts go out to Lucy & family.' Advertisement
Born in Hong Kong as the grandson of well-known philanthropist Tang Shiu-kin, Sir David arrived in Britain without a word of English.
But following an education at Cambridge University, he rose to become a millionaire socialite renowned for his charity work.
In 1994, he founded the high-end fashion chain Shanghai Tang in 1994 and later sold it to luxury group Richemont.
Sir David also set up the China Clubs in Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore.
Aside from his fashion label, Tang was known for his love of cigars.
He founded the Pacific Cigar Company and was the sole distributor of all Cuban cigars in the Asia-Pacific.
When asked by the Financial Times in 2010 about how he would like to be remembered, he said: 'When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.'
Sir David was awarded a knighthood in 2008 by the Queen for his charitable services in the UK and British interests in Hong Kong, where he was born.
Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, said the 'world is a little duller' after Sir David's death.
Sir David with Jeremy Piven, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber at a London book launch hosted by George Clooney on October 1, 2015
Sir David is pictured with Prince Charles on a visit to Chinatown in London on November 1, 2007
Sir David is pictured with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, at a party in the Tower of London on September 13, 2002
The man who arrived in Britain without a word of English and became a millionaire friend to the stars Sir David, pictured at the Tower of London in 2002, was known as one of the best connected people in London and Hong Kong Born in Hong Kong as the grandson of well-known philanthropist Tang Shiu-kin, Sir David arrived in Britain without a word of English. But following an education at Cambridge University, he rose to become a millionaire socialite renowned for his charity work. In 1994, he founded the high-end fashion chain Shanghai Tang in 1994 and later sold it to luxury group Richemont. He caused a stir by opening the members-only China Club in 1991 on the top floors of the old Bank of China building in Hong Kong's financial district, expanding it to Beijing and Singapore. He opened the China Tang restaurant in the Dorchester. Sir David enjoyed a reputation as the best-connected person in Hong Kong and London. He mingled with a vast list of the rich and famous including the late Princess Diana, whom he once hosted at the China Club, and supermodel Kate Moss, with whom he was often photographed at parties. Last year he weighed in with his frank views on Hong Kong politics, lashing into the city's then-leader Leung Chun-ying over his leadership and fretting about the future of his home city under Communist rule. 'There are many more things which need fixing, and most of them could not be achieved given the standoff between the pan-democrats representing the majority of ordinary people, and the establishment, so-called, hugging most of our somnambulant tycoons, and that elephantine Communist Party in China,' he said in a speech . Sir David is survived by his wife, British-born Lady Lucy Tang, and two children from a previous marriage. Advertisement
Mr Venters, 45, who had known him for a decade, said he was informed of the death by Sir David's wife, Lady Lucy Tang.
'He was one of life's unique people who had an extraordinary network of people from all walks of life. He was a very generous, kind-hearted, spirited individual,' Mr Venters said.
'Personally, I think the world is a little duller for the loss of David and at such a relatively young age.'
Mr Venters said the socialite first came to Britain 'some 50 years ago' and arrived 'without being able to speak a word of English', according to a friend.
He said Sir David's party memorial was due to take place in the ballroom at the Dorchester on September 6, but that 'sadly he didn't quite make it'.
Sir David with his daughter, Victoria, at Royal Ascot Ladies Day on June 22, 2006, left, and with Tracey Emin at a charity event in London on March 19, 2012, right
Sir David with Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, who died earlier this year, at a dinner party at Hempel Restaurant, London, in 1997
Sir David greets Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at the launch of Fortnum & Mason: The Cook Book, by Tom Parker Bowles, also pictured
The socialite is seen with Sienna Miller at the autumn dinner and All Saints party at Petersham Nurseries in Richmond on October 13, 2011
Mr Venters explained: 'David had been unwell on and off for a period, but actually his recent illness is a relatively short (one) - this has all happened in the last four weeks.
'There was an understanding amongst his friends, and hence why he organised a memorial, that by definition he was not going to come through. It was a matter of time.'
Sir David who read philosophy at university and later law - and taught at Peking University in 1983 - was described by Mr Venters as a 'hugely intellectual man' who was 'very clever and very well read'.
Recalling one of his favourite memories of his friend, Mr Venters said: 'When I went to visit him in hospital a couple of times in the last month, the chefs would prepare freshly made scotch eggs and a jar of piccalilli.
'He would be a fierce critic if the scotch eggs were in any way inferior. I always lived in fear that one day our scotch eggs wouldn't be quite up to it.'
Sir David died on Tuesday evening at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where he had spent the last few weeks. His wife Lucy was at the bedside.
Sir David with Cherie Blair at a '60 minutes with Cherie Blair' talk by the China Exchange on Gerrard Street London on July 14, 2016
A family in Texas was left outraged after a Holiday Inn Express refused to let their three dogs sleep in their hotel room as they sought refuge from the rising floods of Hurricane Harvey.
Gillian and Phillip Parker, along with their 16-year-old daughter, Allison, and her 81-year-old grandmother, Sylvia, fled their New Territory, Texas, home on Sunday night around 10pm after receiving a mandatory evacuation order due to rising floodwater.
They drove around for hours, looking for a place to stay, and finally found an open room at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Katy, Texas.
The only probably was, however, that staff at the hotel wouldn't let the family take their three rescue dogs into their room.
Gillian and Phillip Parker, along with their 16-year-old daughter, Allison, and her 81-year-old grandmother, Sylvia, fled their New Territory, Texas, home on Sunday with their three dogs. When they finally found shelter, they were told their dogs had to stay in the car
Arrow (a shepherd lab mix), Wiggum (a chocolate lab-hound mix) and Buttercup (a yellow lab) - had to spend two nights in the family's Toyota Prius watching rain pour down around them
The family spent two nights in the hotel before finding space at a new hotel down the road late Tuesday night where their dogs were welcome inside
Instead, with nowhere to go, the dogs - Arrow (a shepherd lab mix), Wiggum (a chocolate lab-hound mix) and Buttercup (a yellow lab) - had to spend two nights in the family's Toyota Prius watching rain pour down around them.
'It's ridiculous and outrageous,' Gillian, 47, told PEOPLE. 'This is an 800-year flood. Three exits down the highway, the national guard is pulling people out of their houses. And our dogs can't come in to safety?'
The family spent two nights in the hotel before finding space at a new hotel down the road late Tuesday night where their dogs were welcome inside.
Hours later, the family decided it was safe enough to drive to Sylvia Parker's home, where they all are now staying.
Gillian said that she, her husband and daughter took turns going out to the car to stay with the dogs during the storm and taking them for walks throughout the night and through the following day.
After being evacuated on Sunday night, the Parker family finally found an open room at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Katy, Texas
The only probably was, however, that staff at the hotel wouldn't let the family take their three rescue dogs into their room
Holiday Inn Express General Manager Jim Hernandez said on Tuesday that it had not wavered its no pet policy
When asked why the family didn't ignore the hotel's request and bring the dogs inside, she said her family is made up of 'rule followers', and that they were afraid of getting 'kicked out' of the hotel.
'I don't want to lose my place in the hotel,' she said. #At this point we're so tired. And I'm afraid to leave. We hope we're safe.'
Holiday Inn Express General Manager Jim Hernandez told People on Tuesday that it had not wavered its no pet policy.
'Our hotel is a not pet-friendly hotel,' he said. 'We do offer our guests areas where they can take their pets to be kenneled. There's locations here down the street that are able to take their pets if they like.'
Gillian claimed that the kennel Hernandez referred to is closed.
The family stayed at the hotel from Sunday night through Tuesday, when a room opened up at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Houston Energy Corridor/Katy Freeway, 5.5 miles down the road.
Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Sylvia Parker's nearby home, which was apparently safe to stay in despite the rain.
Family friend Fernanda Durand has been updating followers of the Parkers' hotel saga.
Just before 3.30am on Wednesday, Durand said that the family had moved to the Marriott down the road.
Just before 3.30am on Wednesday, the Parker family were finally able to move into the Marriott down the road
'The Parkers are completely safe!!! We were offered a room at the Marriott Town Place Suites Energy Corridor,' she wrote.
She added: 'Holiday Inn never budged till 8 pm manager said he'd allow the dogs in for 1night in exchange for a positive review and pet deposit.'
Later, once they had settled at the grandmother's house, Durand updated her followers again.
'We are ALL safely at grandma's house, with the luxury of a back yard and her beautiful home,' she said.
A Holiday Inn Express spokesperson released a statement following news of the Parkers' troubles.
The statement said: 'We are very sorry that the Parker family and their pets had this experience. Providing the highest level of hospitality is at the core of everything we do and we simply fell well short of our expectations in this instance.
'We have been in contact with this hotel to address the situation and to understand why this occurred - given the hotel was accommodating pets during the flooding.
'We have also made two separate donations totaling $5,000 to Houston PetSets Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund, which is working to raise the critical funds that will be necessary for animal rescue and welfare-related efforts, as well as Rescue Bank Houston, which provides grants to the animal rescue community in the form of donated pet food, delivered through regional affiliates.
'As a company comprised of different people - many of whom live and work in the impacted areas - we are highly sensitive to the needs of those impacted during this extremely difficult time and are working diligently to best accommodate guests, and comfort those seeking relief at IHG hotels.'
Authorities in China have tightened their grip on the country's churches by ordering that children are to be banned from joining religious groups.
The ban also prohibits children from attending religious sermons and other activities in several provinces across the country.
Control on the country's churches began several years ago when places of worship were ordered to remove crosses from their buildings in Zhejiang province.
Chinese worshippers sing hymns during the Christmas Eve mass in Beijing
Chinese newlyweds take photos outside St Michael's Cathedral in Qingdao, China
Earlier this month, over one hundred churches in Wenzhou, China's Zhejiang province reportedly received a notice from government officials informing them that young people will be banned from entering churches, according to a report.
Minors are also reportedly banned from participating in religious activities.
Members of the church were told not to participate in religious activities and churches were not allowed to organise a youth summer camp.
William Nee, researcher for Amnesty International told MailOnline: 'At this point its unclear how widespread the bans on children attending church services are in China, but these alarming reports seem to be coming in from fairly diverse areas throughout the country.'
He says that the move reflects the tightening control of religion in particular Islam and Christianity under President Xi Jinping.
'China is in the midst of a religious revival and the current government seems concerned that religion could be a means through which foreign values may 'penetrate' into China and ultimately affect political stability.'
Chinese Catholics attend an 'underground' church which is not recognised by the government
China has repeatedly said that its citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief
Catholic altar boys prepare before a procession for the Palm Sunday Mass in Shijiazhuang
The Communist Party of China already stipulates that members and CCP officials can not believe in religion.
According to UCA News, the ban also promises that officials will investigate government approved churches and underground congregations who operate outside the tightly controlled Beijing-run Catholic and Protestant Churches.
While in Hunan province, Liang Guochao, head of the Education Bureau, stressed making a 'decisive effort to prevent religions infiltrating into schools and to guide students to consciously resist religious cults.'
In neighbouring Henan province, a document was issued in July reinforcing the communist policy of not allowing religions to run study classes for minors.
Nee told MailOnline: 'In an important speech on religion last year, Xi Jinping said that young people must study science, believe in science and develop a 'correct' worldview and set of values.
It could be that the government is concerned that young people going to church or religious activities may challenge their monopoly on truth and the government's ability to instill its own historical narratives and worldview through the public education system.
Chinese rural Catholics with their child pray during a mass in a church at Paowo village
A Jesus cross statue stands outside a church in Paowo village in Baoji, China
Catholic altar boys prepare before a procession for the Palm Sunday Mass
'In this speech, President Xi Jinping also re-emphasized the need for Communist Party cadres to be strict Marxist atheists, and not to find values or beliefs in religion. As a result, weve seen more cadres and government employees punished and fired government for attending religious activities.'
In 2014, there was a public outcry in China's Zhejiang province after churches were ordered to remove their crosses with some churches demolished.
Within seven months, three churches were demolished and over 360 crosses including those from Catholic churches were taken down.
Officials used the excuse of the crosses being too large and not according with government guidelines.
Jean-Claude Juncker was dismissed as a 'pound shop Bismarck' by Tories angry at his insistence on a two-stage Brexit negotiation today.
The EU Commission President faced charges of blackmail after he backed his chief negotiator Michel Barnier's resistance to talks on the future trading relationship between Britain and the EU before finalising the divorce deal.
Britain is desperate to start parallel talks on both the exit from the EU and the rules that will be put in place after.
The impasse is set to leave the third round of negotiations deadlocked this weeks.
As the third round of face to face Brexit negotiations continued today, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (file image) slammed the UK approach
Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed Mr Juncker as a 'pound shop Bismarck' over his insistence on a two-stage Brexit negotiation today
Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Sun: 'Mr Juncker's effort to extort money from us shows he is an amateur even at blackmail.'
He added: 'Mr Juncker is a pound shop Bismarck, arrogant and bullying but without the charm.'
Theresa May is thought likely to try and lobby other European leaders in an effort to loosen the strict two phase process that is blocking Brexit Secretary David Davis from opening dialogue on the future UK-EU trade arrangements.
Reports yesterday hinted at growing unease in Paris at the two-part process while German firms have also issued a call for trade talks to get underway quickly.
Downing Street played down Mr Juncker's intervention and insisted the talks were in a 'good position'.
Mr Juncker yesterday said official papers setting out the Government's positions were not satisfactory and it was 'crystal clear' that an 'enormous amount' of issues needed to be settled before talks on a future trade deal could begin.
Mr Juncker said the UK 'hesitates showing all its cards' but added: 'I did read, with the requisite attention, all the papers produced by Her Majesty's Government and none of those is actually satisfactory.
Theresa May (pictured today in Japan) is thought likely to try and lobby other European leaders in an effort to loosen the strict two phase process
Mrs May lifted bowl of tea to her face as she took part in a ceremony in Kyoto alongside the Japanese PM today
'So there is still an enormous amount of issues which remain to be settled.
BREXT NEGOTIATOR MICHEL BARNIER'S 214K SALARY EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, pictured in Brussels today with David Davis, is paid around 70,000 a year more than the Cabinet Minister The EU's top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is paid up to 214,000 a year, it has been revealed. The bumper wage would mean he pockets 70,000 more than Brexit Secretary David Davis. Mr Barnier, who is leading talks for the bloc, is an EU director general rank. This puts him on an AD15-AD16 pay grade of between 15,994 euros to 19,587 euros a month - about 18,000. Over a year he would take home up to 213,772.80 - far more than the 141,505 which Mr Davis gets. Advertisement
'Not just on the border problems regarding Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is a very serious problem in respect of which we have had no definitive response, but we also have the status of European citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living on the Continent.
'We need to be crystal clear that we will commence no negotiations on the new relationship - particularly a new economic and trade relationship - between the UK and the EU before all these questions are resolved.'
Mr Juncker added: 'First of all we settle the past before we look forward to the future.'
Mrs May's official spokeswoman played down the row and said talks so far has been 'positive and constructive'.
She said: 'We have published numerous position papers as well as future partnership papers.
'We will see where we get to on Thursday but we believe we are in a good position and we would like to move on to discuss the future relationship.'
She added: 'The talks this week are technical before we move onto more substantial talks in September.
'Our desire is to discuss both.
'We have repeatedly said that and that's what we are working towards.'
In a press conference with David Davis (left) yesterday (pictured) Michel Barnier warned 'serious' negotiations were yet to begin because of the impasse
Asked why Britain has not published a position paper on the Brexit Bill - one of three issues Brussels wants settled before trade talks - No 10 said more papers would be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
Pressed on whether the strategy would be changed if no progress is made to end the deadlock this week, the spokeswoman said: 'Let's see what David Davis has to say on Thursday.'
Lord Hague wrote in the Telegraph that only Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron can step in to help with the impasse now.
He said that the EU's strategy of trying to conduct talks only through the official team was giving 'Britain the run around and increasing pressure on the Government'.
BRITAIN'S BREXIT POSITION: THE FIVE NEW PAPERS Brexit Secretary David Davis last week unveiled five position papers due before the next round of talks. They covered: The UK's negotiating approach to goods on the market at Brexit and after
Confidentiality and access to official documents shared between London and Brussels
Future civil judicial cooperation
Proposed mechanisms for enforcement and dispute resolution once the European Court of Justice no longer has direct jurisdiction in the UK
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And he said that the time will come where governments will have to make 'serious interventions' if the talks are going to reach a deal in their interests.
Lord Hague continued: 'The danger is that the EU itself will go round in circles with no one taking the responsibility for pushing things forward.'
Mr Davis and Mr Barnier met on Monday at the start of the latest round of talks which highlighted differences between Brussels and Whitehall over the negotiating papers produced by the UK.
Mr Barnier said: 'We need UK papers that are clear in order to have constructive negotiations.
'And the sooner we remove the ambiguity, the sooner we will be in a position to discuss the future relationship and a transitional period.'
Mr Davis insisted the UK position papers produced in recent weeks - on issues including Northern Ireland and the continued access of goods to market - were strong in detail.
He said: 'They are the products of hard work and detailed thinking that has been going on behind the scenes not just the last few weeks, but for the last 12 months, and should form the basis of what I hope will be a constructive week of talks.'
A Christian girl was forced to live with Muslim carers who she claims couldn't speak English because her borough had no white foster families available.
Tower Hamlets Council in east London, where two thirds of residents are from minority groups, last night returned the five-year-old to her family after a court ruling.
The girls parents were said to have pleaded with their local council to allow the child to live with friends or relatives, but officials had opposed their plans to place her into the temporary care of her grandmother.
Tower Hamlets in London contains some of Britain's most multi-cultural areas, including Whitechapel (pictured), and only a third of residents are white British
Instead, social workers noted the British-born childs distress as she begged not to be returned to a Muslim foster home where she said she could not understand her carers because they did not speak English.
The girl was taken to her grandmothers house after a judge urged councils to seek culturally matched placements for vulnerable children.
Tower Hamlets Council has defended the way they handled the case and its lawyer Kevin Gordon told the East London Family Court yesterday that no white British foster carers were available when the girl came into the councils care
There has been a national outcry over Tower Hamlets councils decision to place the five-year-old in two Muslim households against the wishes of her family.
Friends of the childs family said she spoke English as her first language, had a UK passport and had been christened.
But during an access visit she was said to have told her mother that Christmas and Easter are stupid and European women are stupid and alcoholic, prompting questions over cultural attitudes expressed in at least one of her foster homes.
Judge Khatun Sapnara, a Muslim, told the council yesterday it was in the girls best interests to live with a family member who could keep her safe, promote her welfare and meet her needs in terms of ethnicity, culture and religion, The Times reported.
The Government has been urged to examine the case, which has seen the council place the girl in two Muslim households in the past six months (posed by model)
The judge even went as far as to order the East London council to conduct an urgent investigation.
Friends of the girls family told the newspaper they were hugely relieved by the decision to remove her from placements where everything was foreign and unfamiliar into surroundings where she would feel much more at home.
Judge Sapnara told lawyers representing the council that her over-riding concern [was] the welfare of the little girl.
She added: You would presumably accept that the priority should be an appropriate, culturally matched placement?
The hearing was told the familys wishes for the girl to be placed in the temporary care of her grandmother had been under consideration for several months.
Judge Sapnara ruled the child should be removed from her current foster care, stressing that her decision was not taken as a result of undue media involvement.
It is taken because of the evidence available to the court today, that the grandmother is an appropriate carer for the child, she said. All parties, including Tower Hamlets, supported the decision.
A date is yet to be set on when the childs future will be resolved. Until then, she will have regular meetings with her mother, supervised by council staff.
During yesterdays hearing at East London Family Court, security staff tried to remove a journalist, but Judge Sapnara ruled that the reporter be allowed to stay.
The Childrens Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said she had raised concerns with Tower Hamlets and would continue to monitor the case.
The council was criticised earlier by Ofsted inspectors who said its childrens services were inadequate.
Confidential reports seen by The Times described the five-year-old sobbing and begging not to go back to one foster mother who wore a headscarf and face veil in public. The girl claimed the foster carer had taken away her necklace, which had a Christian cross on it, suggested she should learn Arabic and had refused to allow her to eat food prepared by her birth mother because it contained bacon.
The placements were arranged by Tower Hamlets council in east London (pictured), where children's services were criticised by Ofsted earlier this year
She was left in that placement for four months before being handed to her current foster mother, who reportedly wears a burka in public to cover her face. Sources at Tower Hamlets said the placement was temporary.
Former justice minister Shailesh Vara, Tory MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said the council's decision was completely wrong
Miss Longfield said: I have spoken to Tower Hamlets council and raised a number of concerns, and have asked about the wishes of the little girl. I have asked the council to ensure that this child has the support of an independent advocate so that her views are heard at the heart of this process.
The Prime Ministers official spokesman said child safety was a priority and the Department for Education was conducting a stocktake of national fostering. She said: Councils have to bear in mind the ethnicity and religion of children when they are placing them in care, but they approach that on a case-by-case basis, which is right.
Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said councils normally tried to ensure children were placed with carers who would respect their beliefs. Clearly something has gone wrong in this case, he said.
We cant have a situation where a local authority respects all religious backgrounds except Christianity.
In my experience, Christian foster carers do all they can to respect the religious and cultural heritage of children placed in their care. Peter Golds, leader of the Tory group on the council said: This case raises some troubling questions about the suitability of at least one of our foster parents and the judgment of Tower Hamlets childrens services.
Before the court ruling, the council said: The child is fostered by an English-speaking family of mixed race. We would like to give more details but we are legally restricted.
Experts are examining satellite images in a desperate bid to find the cause of a mysterious toxic gas cloud which left hundreds of people hospitalised.
As families enjoyed a day out at Birling Gap in East Sussex a strange mist engulfed the coast, leaving many with stinging eyes, breathing difficulties and sickness on Sunday.
The beach was quickly evacuated as emergency services raced to the scene and more than 200 people were treated at Eastbourne District General Hospital, which declared a major incident.
Neodaas, a facility of the UK Natural Environment Research Council that works with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, tweeted satellite images showing a plume off the East Sussex coast
Birling Gap was quickly evacuated after a toxic smoke engulfed the beach and emergency services raced to the scene
Hospital staff were seen wearing protective clothing as they checked patients over in contamination tents. Witnesses said patients were hosed down and made to change clothes
Various theories to explain the cause of the gas include a corroded WWI gas canister, a chlorine leak in France drifting over the Channel to a tanker using cleaning chemicals an an algae bloom under the sea.
However two have been dismissed with officials saying the chemical was unlikely to have been chlorine due to the relatively minor symptoms experienced by victims.
Plymouth Marine Labs also ruled out an algae bloom saying: 'Our satellite images show no unusual algal activity to suggest harmful bloom caused the Birling Gap haze.'
Scientists are now looking at satellite images to locate the source of the chemical plume - as authorities admit they are still in the dark over the identity and toxicity of the gas.
Neodaas, a facility which provides Earth observation data and works with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, tweeted satellite images showing a plume off the East Sussex coast on Sunday.
The smoke plume is around 3.5km long, and some 10km offshore.
Plymouth Marine Labs ruled out an algae bloom saying: 'Our satellite images show no unusual algal activity to suggest harmful bloom caused the Birling Gap haze'
More than 200 people were treated at Eastbourne District General Hospital, which declared a major incident on Sunday night
Ben Taylor, from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, told MailOnline: 'The satellite image shows a plume that is either smoke or haze above the water or else something in the water, in either case being emitted from a point source and being taken with the wind or current as appropriate.
'My feeling is that it is unlikely to be from a ship, because the resolution is 10m per pixel, so we should be able to see a vessel if there was one (and the smoke doesn't look thick enough to hide one to me).
'If it is not a ship, then the likely sources are either something floating just below the surface, or else something on the sea bed.
'This could be entirely natural, but it would be odd to have an isolated rock or something there that released sediment that fast but had not eroded.
'One possibility might be a man-made container or similar that had been there for some time and has now corroded to the point of releasing its contents - this might be something lost from a container ship or even wartime chemical munitions, though it must be stressed that that would be very speculative.'
Beachy Head Lighthouse was surrounded by the eerie mist that caused worrying symptoms
Eyewitness Graham Howson from Shoreham claims he noticed a large ship about four miles off the coast heading east while emitting a thick, yellow mist.
Mr Howson said: 'I think it was a dredger and it had this thick, gunky yellow fog coming out of the back of it.
'It stood out for me because it was out of the ordinary as the mist was not dissipating, it was just lingering behind.'
Richard O'Callaghan, of the Environment Agency said: 'We are currently investigating any potential onshore sources of the pollution.
'To date we have not identified anything that could be attributed to the mist. We are liaising with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who are doing similar investigations offshore.'
Rebecca Baldock shared a Snapchat of herself and friends complaining of streaming and burning eyes. In the footage she says: 'My eyeballs, my eyeballs'
The hazy cloud appeared to drift in from the sea at Birling Gap, near Beachy Head (pictured) in East Sussex - Britain's tallest chalk sea cliffs at 530ft high
But victims of the toxic gas are angry and say they want answers over what chemical they were exposed to.
Some 24 hours after the gas first hit the beach, residents and holidaymakers complained they were being 'fobbed off' by emergency services who could not reveal what it was or where it came from.
Simon Jessop wrote on Facebook: 'It is preposterous that the south coast of Britain can be swamped by a toxic cloud and hundreds of people are left in hospital, yet the authorities are none the wiser.'
Sally Duval tweeted: 'How can we still not know what the chemical was?'
A woman is fighting for her life after suffering a heart attack inside a Sydney beauty clinic.
Emergency services responded to the Medi Beauty Group in Chippendale at 3.30pm on Wednesday following reports of a medical episode.
Paramedics treated a 33-year-old woman who was in cardiac arrest and she was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a critical condition, a NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
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A woman is fighting for her life after suffering a heart attack inside a Sydney beauty clinic
Police from Redfern Local Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to Nine News, four members of staff were taken away by police for further questioning.
It was not immediately clear if the woman was a client or an employee at the clinic, which only opened recently in the Central Park Mall.
The skincare clinic specialises in laser treatment and 'injectable forms of beauty therapy,' Nine reports.
Four members of staff from the clinic were taken away by police for further questioning
It was not immediately clear if the hospitalised woman was a client or an employee at the clinic
Robert Mugabe has dismissed claims he is a witch after speculation he poisoned the vice president of Zimbabwe with an evil spell.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, 74, had to be flown to South Africa two weeks ago after a severe bout out diarrhoea and vomiting at a rally where the Zimbabwean president was speaking.
Some top officials from Mugabe's Zanu-PF party believe the man who was seen as favourite to succeed the controversial leader ate poisoned ice cream laid on by the first family.
President Robert Mugabe who has been accused of casting an evil spell on a political rival
Robert Mugabe, who has effectively been in power since 1980, has dismissed claims he is a witch after speculation he poisoned the vice president of Zimbabwe
Doctors in south South Africa said they, 'detected traces of palladium poison which had partly damaged part of his liver', according to News 24.
But Mugabe rubbished the claims and said: 'During the armed struggle, we never had weak cadres like what we are seeing today... Now the talk of witchcraft is the order of the day.
'Some are even saying the president is a witch, how many did I kill?
'We have travelled a long journey together and why kill today?'
Mugabe rubbished the claims and said: 'During the armed struggle, we never had weak cadres like what we are seeing today... Now the talk of witchcraft is the order of the day
The premier, who has effectively been in power since 1980, said it was normal for people to fall sick.
He also hammered rival politicians in the province of Masvingo for claiming Mnangagwa was poisoned or bewitched, saying: 'This is not the Masvingo tradition that we know... So if you have your witch doctors who are telling you about being bewitched, down with your witchcraft issues.'
Zimbabwe's vice president has now returned home from neighbouring South Africa where he was flown for emergency medical care.
With Mugabe, 93, in increasingly frail health, speculation over his successor has focused on Mnangagwa, a veteran regime loyalist.
Mnangagwa's main rivals within the ruling Zanu-PF come from the younger 'G40' group which is thought to back Mugabe's wife Grace as a potential successor.
The president, who often travels abroad for medical treatment, has refused to name a successor and repeatedly denounced factionalism within the party.
Zimbabwe is to hold elections next year, with opposition parties in talks to try to unite in order to field a single candidate to oppose Mugabe.
Past elections have been tainted by violence and intimidation by ZANU-PF operatives.
The wife of President Robert Mugabe allegedly attacked 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels (pictured) with an electrical extension cord at an upmarket hotel in Johannesburg where the couple's two sons were staying
President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace arrives to visit stands at the annual Agriculture Show in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 25, 2017
It has not been a good month for the first family.
Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe appeared in public for the first time Friday since she returned from South Africa where she was accused of assaulting a model and granted diplomatic immunity.
The wife of President Robert Mugabe allegedly attacked 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels with an electrical extension cord at an upmarket hotel in Johannesburg where the couple's two sons were staying.
Grace Mugabe appeared at the Harare annual agricultural fair, smiling and stopping to chat with exhibitors as she toured stands alongside her husband, an AFP correspondent witnessed.
The Mugabes claim that the injuries were caused in a nightclub brawl, as the first lady of Zimbabwe denies assaulting the model
The first lady, who is also seen as possible successor to her 93-year-old husband, was granted diplomatic immunity by South Africa at the weekend and flew out of the country.
Engels suffered cuts to her forehead and the back of her head during the alleged August 13 assault.
She has opened a police case alleging assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Engels' lawyers this week filed a court injunction to try to annul the government decision to grant Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity.
South Africa's main opposition, the Democratic Alliance, has also approached the courts asking it to declare the immunity 'wholly without legal merit' and 'unconstitutional'.
The party is arguing that Grace Mugabe is not a member of the Zimbabwean government and was visiting South Africa on personal business.
'There is nothing in either South African or international law which renders her deserving of diplomatic immunity,' the DA said in a statement.
In 2009, Grace Mugabe was granted immunity in Hong Kong after repeatedly punching a British photographer for taking pictures of her at a luxury hotel.
Reeking of death, strewn with dirt-plastered debris, Islamic State's now-captured hideouts on the Syria-Lebanon border were the squalid homes of the desperate.
In one three-roomed lair, a rusty stove is stood next to a soiled mattress, with stains of unknown substances across the rough floor. Dirty tissues, petrol canisters and rubbish litter the ground.
'There were eight Daesh here', said a Lebanese soldier now guarding the hideout, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group.
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Hideout: ISIS fighters had been living in this concrete house near the Syrian border
MailOnline accessed the grimy shelter while embedded with the Lebanese Army, at a location called Lazzab, just half-a-mile from the Syrian border in Lebanon's northern hills.
Graffiti on the lair's dirty grey wall reads: 'Heroes of the Army/Operation Dawn of the Outskirts/ Dedicated to Ghassan Hamieh'.
Dawn of the Outskirts is the current major military offensive to oust ISIS from Lebanon's border area, and Hamieh a deceased Lebanese soldier.
The words are accompanied by the date the position was re-taken - August 21 2017 - and, 'The first intervention regiment/Third company' - the troops who achieved it.
Twisted metal wire and an area covered in dirty chequered blankets is stood next to the building, and on the other side: a filthy courtyard containing various debris, including soiled rags, and rusty metal buckets.
Dirty: A rusty stove is stood next to a soiled mattress, with stains of unknown substances
Left behind: Dirty cloths and plastic bottles are strewn across the floor of the concrete hut
Taking over: Lebanese Army troops has ousted 600 ISIS militants from a 46-square mile area in north-eastern Lebanon
Graffiti on the lair's dirty grey wall reads: 'Heroes of the Army/Operation Dawn of the Outskirts/ Dedicated to Ghassan Hamieh'
MailOnline accessed the grimy shelter while embedded with the Lebanese Army, at a location called Lazzab, just half-a-mile from the Syrian border in Lebanon's northern hills
This is just one example of the huts, caves and tunnels that Lebanese troops say ISIS fighters used as lodgings. The terrorists spent three years holed up in this patch of barren territory on the Syria-Lebanon border, after its capture in 2014.
This ISIS enclave has been little known outside the Middle East, but its dismantlement comes as the terror group loses ground across the region.
Less than a week before MailOnline's visit, the lair had been retaken from militants by Lebanese Army troops, who receive multi-million pounds in military aid, training and equipment from the British and US governments.
Lebanese soldiers used US-supplied helicopters, tanks and surface-to-surface missiles to oust 600 ISIS militants from the 46-square mile area in north-eastern Lebanon and have made rapid progress in the past week.
Army troops appeared in high spirits on Monday, waving, flicking 'V' signs for victory and posing for passing journalists. They have retaken all but 8-sq miles from IS, with army sources insisting all militants have been killed, or have fled.
'The area is 100 per cent clean of Daesh', a senior military source in Beirut told MailOnline. '250 were killed during the operation and more than 300 have gone to Syria.'
In the rough and desolate territory, only accessible by armed personnel carrier, desert buggy or 4x4, MailOnline passed encampments that troops said were former IS hideouts, where drugs and enormous weapons stashes had been uncovered.
'We felt victory when we uncovered ISIS hideouts. We are not scared of them', a Lebanese army source deployed for the anti-Isis operation in Ras Baalbeck told MailOnline. 'We were very proud and happy when fighting. We congratulated each other and searched them [the hideouts].'
Soldiers said trucks, whose remains were scattered across the scorched earth, had belonged to the terror group and were destroyed by Lebanese Army airstrikes or artillery rounds.
The terrorists spent three years holed up in this patch of barren territory on the Syria-Lebanon border, after its capture in 2014
This is just one example of the huts, caves and tunnels that Lebanese troops say ISIS fighters used as lodgings
Discovery: A member of the Lebanese Army climbs into a cave where ISIS militants had been hiding out during fighting
Findings: A soldier holds up a blanket used by fighters inside the small cave
The Lebanese Army - which has more than 3,000 troops currently deployed in the area - claimed to have killed at least 250 ISIS militants during the offensive.
The Ras Baalbeck source showed MailOnline graphic images of what appeared to be the mangled bodies of dead ISIS militants.
Their nationalities were unclear, although small amounts of non-European foreign currencies, including Syrian pounds and Iraqi rials, were found with the bodies, according to the source.
Bullets scattered the ground around the building at Lazzab, which Lebanese troops said had been cleared of mines and booby-traps. But journalists were warned from straying from tracks and areas guarded by troops due to the risk of unexploded ordnance.
'We have found a lot of landmines, of all types, and being used in a very dirty way,' the source told MailOnline. 'They [IS] put many anti-personnel mines, connected to a big barrel of explosives. We found them in IS hideouts and along the roads.'
Lebanese troops also uncovered well-stocked weapons stores and drugs as they took back IS positions.
'We found that Daesh were very well equipped - we found big weapons stores and even what we think were drones', another senior military source told MailOnline. 'We found a lot of drugs with them, of multiple types, including captagon', he continued, referring to an amphetamine popular with ISIS fighters.
Another soldier involved in clearing the terrorists' positions added: 'We found a lot of drugs with them, of all types and shapes.' He suspected that militants were using the drugs to buy weapons and to sustain long periods of activity without sleep.
Force: The Lebanese Army has more than 3,000 troops currently deployed in the area
Heroes: Lebanese Army personnel relaxes sitting on a military vehicle, with one making a 'v' for victory sign
Winners: Soldiers hold a Lebanese flag as they pose for a picture in former ISIS territory
Drug usage is forbidden in Islam, and the hypocrisy of the ISIS militants' apparent storage and use of narcotics was not lost on the Lebanese troops.
'These guys were simple criminals, and using religion as a weapon to keep people beneath them', one of the sources said.
The accounts were confirmed by photos released by the Lebanese Army, which showed stashes of weapons including rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells.
'Particularly inside posts, caves and pathways, LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] units confiscated major amounts of weapons, ammunition, explosives and military equipment...as well as medicine and stimulants', an army statement said.
ISIS had held the Lebanese territory since 2014, leaving the country in fear of terror attacks like those orchestrated in Brussels, Paris and other European cities. The army and interior security forces have foiled multiple plots against targets in the country over the past three years.
The 'Dawn of the Outskirts' operation has widely been viewed as a success in Lebanon, with nationalistic and pro-army sentiment high. The UK, which is currently rolling out an eight-year, 65million military aid programme for the country, has been key in providing training and logistical support in border security operations.
The British Foreign Office warned UK citizens in Lebanon - who include embassy staff, NGO workers and journalists - that there was a heightened threat during the army's anti-IS operation. 'Daesh and other extremists may attempt retaliatory attacks throughout Lebanon', it warned, although to date no major incidents have occurred.
IS militants not killed during the offensive were allowed to pass across the border to Syria, in exchange for information on the whereabouts of nine Lebanese troops kidnapped by IS in 2014. Authorities confirmed that remains were uncovered in a remote valley near the Syrian border, with DNA results expected to confirm the missing soldiers' identities.
The 'Dawn of the Outskirts' operation to retake the ISIS controlled areas of northern Lebanon has widely been viewed as a success in the country
Helping hand: The Lebanese Army has receive multi-million pounds in military aid, training and equipment from the British and US governments
Six other Lebanese troops have been killed during the latest offensive, and have been lauded across the country as martyrs.
Hezbollah militia and the Syrian army allowed the fleeing IS fighters to travel to the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, one of the terror group's remaining stronghold in its crumbling so-called caliphate.
Lebanese officials had to justify why IS militants were allowed to flee to Syria, where they travelled east on air-conditioned buses, instead of facing justice.
'The return of Daesh militants in air-conditioned cars to their countries is permissible because Lebanon adheres to the philosophy of a state that does not exact revenge' said General Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim in a radio interview, according to local English language newspaper The Daily Star.
The Lebanese Army also had to insist repeatedly that its anti-IS operation was not co-ordinated with Hezbollah or the Syrian army, who carried out a simultaneous offensive against militants on the other side of the border.
Washington considers Hezbollah, which has significant influence and support in Lebanon, a terrorist group. Evidence of army co-operation with them would risk the US's multi-million dollar military aid program for Lebanon.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck Guam just a day after Kim Jong-un promised to target a US military base on the island.
The US Geological Survey says the earthquake hit at 8am on Wednesday and that the epicenter was 51.7 miles (83.4km) southeast of Inarajan Village, a community of about 2,300 people.
The earthquake had a depth of 6 miles (10km) and comes amid a period of intense hostility on the Korean peninsula.
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch (pictured) sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby
A B-52 Stratofortress bomber sits on the tarmac at Andersen Air Force Base after it landed on the Pacific US territory of Guam (file image)
Kim Jong-un views in person (shown) the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, U.S., on their way to view storm damage in Texas
North Korea has repeatedly threatened to launch ballistic missiles into waters near Guam where the US has a military base.
Kim Jong-un was there in person to oversee the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan.
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'.
State media boasted that the test was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the 'disgraceful' Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It was part of 'a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29', the KCNA agency said.
This morning, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned America will not allow North Korea's lawlessness to continue adding it is time for Pyongyang to recognise the 'danger they are putting themselves in' as the world is united against them.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, on Wednesday carried more than 20 pictures of the launch near Pyongyang, one showing Kim smiling broadly at a desk with a map of the Northwest Pacific, surrounded by aides.
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'
Another showed him gazing upwards as the missile rose into the air.
The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that 'more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future' were necessary.
Tuesday's launch was a 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion', he said, and a 'curtain-raiser' for the North's 'resolute countermeasures' against ongoing US-South Korean military exercises which the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.
Wednesday's statement was the first time the North has acknowledged sending a missile over Japan's main islands.
Two of its rockets previously did so, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions it claimed they were space launch vehicles.
Adorable video footage has captured the funny moment a panda cub got stuck at the top of a tree.
The clip shows the fluffy creature unsuccessfully wriggling around the branches, trying to pull itself up onto a ledge to rest before eventually giving up and collapsing in a seated position.
The pictures and footage were taken in Chengdu, China by wildlife photographer Andy Rouse.
'Photography gives me an excuse to spend time close to what I love, and gives me money to pay the taxman,' said Andy on his website.
'I am a well-known animal hugger and aviation nutcase. I would do both if I weren't a photographer, as for me it's the experience and the relationship I have with my subject that defines my work.'
Giant pandas can grow to six-foot-long. The Giant panda is a vulnerable species which is threatened by continued habitat loss and fragmentation.
Its low population is not helped by a very low birth rate, with around one born every two years.
Adorable video footage has captured the funny moment a panda cub got stuck at the top of a tree
The clip shows the fluffy creature unsuccessfully wriggling around the branches, trying to pull itself up onto a ledge to rest before eventually giving up and collapsing in a seated position
'I have seen so many changes over the years and I just get frustrated that efforts to do something about it seem to take forever. We haven't got forever,' added Andy.
'I wish I could do something, it frustrates me that I am absolutely nobody with no real power or influence to change anything.
'Yes I can take a few nice snaps and hopefully this shows why we need to save a particular species but in my mind it doesn't really make that much of a difference.'
The pictures and footage were taken in Chengdu, China by wildlife photographer Andy Rouse
Hundred of thousands of Twitter users are reading pro-Kremlin propaganda put out by a Russian posing as a Ukip supporter, it was reported today.
The Twitter account, run by someone claiming to be called David Jones, has posted 137,000 tweets mainly slamming immigration and promoting right-wing views.
It has reportedly interacted with the far-right leader Tommy Robinson online and has been retweeted hundreds of times by right-wing Twitter users in the UK.
Ukip immigration spokesman John Bickley had to apologise earlier this year after he retweeted a cartoon posted by the account which warned 'If you want a jihadi for a neighbour, vote Labour'.
The account, which has the Twitter handle @DavidJo52951945, says it 'likes Ukip' and describes himself as a 'passionate Brexit supporter' based in Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
A Twitter account claiming to be run by someone called David Jones and living in Southampton and the Isle of Wight is suspected of being e a Kremlin-supporting account in fact run from Russia . It switched its account to private after the allegation surfaced
But analysis by a US-based data scientist indicates the account looks as if it is actually run from Russia, according to a report in The Times today.
The account's tweets have all been posted in Moscow office hours, between 8am and 8pm - meaning that it fires off its messages at 5am in the morning.
And once their first message is posted at the crack of dawn, the tweets are broadcast ever few minutes seven days a week - suggesting the account is a full time operation with more than one person behind it.
Analysis of keywords revealed a sudden increase in messages about Ukraine and Crimea in 2014 - when Russian-backed forces moved in and annexed parts of it.
The account appeared to be part of a web of thousands of accounts with similar names which promoted hashtags linked to Kremlin agendas, according to the analysis seen by the newspaper.
While the Twitter account's name - a standard English name followed by a string of digits - also suggests that it accepted a default name suggested by the micro-blogging website.
Keir Giles, an expert in Russian information warfare at Chatham House, said that if suspicions are confirmed, the account's high standard of English means it would be 'one of the most sophisticated' pro-Kremlin accounts on social media.
He said that rather than just parrot pro-Kremlin messages, the account appeared to be designed to encourage and direct right-wing views in the UK.
He said: 'To influence mass consciousness and public processes they need to bring along a large chunk of the population, but also specifically target key influencers.'
The account has been mired in controversy before after posting a racially charged cartoon
Analysis of the account's output shows that it only posts messages during Moscow office hours. It fires off tweets every few minutes seven days a week, suggesting a team is behind it
Ben Nimmo, of the Atlantic Council digital forensic research lab, said that such an account would be a 'step up' from other Kremlin disinformation operations in Britain.
But the person controlling the account strongly denied claims he was connected to Russia - branding the allegations 'made up' and 'completely defamatory'.
He added: 'I am not pro Kremlin at all, I am just a Brexit supporter'.
He has changed his Twitter account to 'private' after her hit the newspaper headlines this morning.
A spokesman for Ukip told the Mail Online they have no control over what Twitter account backs them.
He said: 'It's like King Canute ordering the tide to go away - pointless.
'I have wondered who runs this account - I have never met him. If it is posting racist or homophobic message that is not acceptable.
'I would tell our supporters to be careful what they retweet online. But we cannot control who gives us their support.'
A furious girlfriend set fire to her boyfriend's home after he tried to dump her on Valentine's Day.
Kasey Lee Schembri, 20, has been jailed after she set fire to her former partner's furniture when he told her to move out.
When her boyfriend returned to his flat on Valentine's Day last year, he found smoke coming from behind the front door - and a key snapped off in the lock.
Schembri was furious after her boyfriend tried to dump her on Valentine's Day, and decided to take revenge by setting his furniture on fire
He broke down the front door with a neighbour and managed to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived.
Schembri was arrested the next morning after the blaze at the block of flats in Cardiff Bay.
Schembri, of Cardiff, later admitted arson after the row - and was jailed for two years and two months at Cardiff Crown Court during her sentencing last week.
The blaze happened at Aquila House in Cardiff Bay - a tower block of around 100 flats - on February 14 last year.
A neighbour said: 'She was asked to leave the flat on Valentine's Day it's not a very romantic thing to do.
'She took revenge by setting fire to his stuff and cutting up his clothes and then breaking the key in the lock so he couldn't open the door properly.
Kasey Lee Schembri, 20, has been jailed after setting her ex-boyfriend's home on fire. She also cut up his clothes and broke a key in the lock
The blaze happened at Aquila House in Cardiff Bay - a tower block of around 100 flats - on February 14 last year. Above, the flats in south Wales
'The boyfriend and someone else were able to break the door down and douse the flame themselves.
'The fire could have been a lot worse if it had taken hold but fortunately by the time the firemen arrive it was out.'
The BBC is under fire today after it emerged the corporation is splashing out almost 500,000 a year on taxis.
The broadcaster was forced to reveal the eye-watering receipts under freedom of information laws.
The data shows that over three years the BBC spent more than 1.3 million of license fee-payers' money on cabs between April 2014 and April this year - equating to roughly 1,237 a day.
Journeys extend up to 45 miles away - the equivalent distance of London to Reading.
The BBC - run by Director General Tony Hall (pictured) - was under fire today after it emerged the corporation is splashing out almost 500,000 a year on taxis
The data shows that over three years the BBC spent more than 1.3 million of license fee-payers' money on cabs between April 2014 and April this year - equating to roughly 1,237 a day
The released figure may only be a fraction of the true cost however as fares wracked up by those working in 'journalism, art or literature' are exempted from disclosure.
John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Hard-pressed license fee payers will be furious that BBC staff are racking up such an extraordinary bill.
'The rest of the public sector is clamping down on unnecessary taxis and the corporation should be no different.
'The BBC has to start spending money more efficiently or sympathy for the outdated TV Tax will continue to wane.'
BBC'S TAXI FARES The BBC spent more than 1.3million on taxi fares in just three years - an average of more than 1,200 a day. In 2014/15: 512,861 In 2015/16: 411,317 In 2016/17: 431,095 Advertisement
In 2014/15 the BBC spent 512,861 on taxis, in 2015/16 this fell to 411,317 but increased to 431,095 in the last year.
A BBC insider, who asked not to be named, said: 'I know it's ridiculous, and I feel for the people complaining, but I'm not going to moan.
'I do shifts that finish at midnight - without the free taxi it would cost me half my wages to get home.
'There are some that use the service to travel a couple of miles that they could easily walk - or get public transport - but I live 30 miles away from my office, so I do rely on it.
'It's one of the few benefits that I get for working there.'
The new revelations come weeks after the BBC unveiled lavish spending on its top earners, with Chris Evans (pictured) the top earner on 2.25million a year
The million pound taxi bill revelation comes a month after the salaries of the broadcaster's top stars were published.
Chris Evans was the corporation's top earner last year on 2.25million, followed by Gary Lineker on 1.79million and Graham Norton on 899,999.
A BBC Spokesperson said: 'The BBC has strict rules around taxi use which means they are only used for essential business when public transport isn't available as a result costs brought down over successive years.
'The majority of production related travel is to get guests and contributors to studios.'
Last year it was revealed the bloated corporation, which costs fee payers 147 a year, spent more than 50,000 on cabs that were left waiting for clients with the meter running.
And around 23,000 was spent on 1,500 taxis that were never used.
A row has broken out after a Florida bar turned away two uniformed deputies during the weekend's fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
The duo, who were on their break, were due to meet a group of colleagues and partners who had booked a table at Davenport's Ale House.
Deputies Robert Bryant and Michael Honiker were turned away, although there appears to have been a misunderstanding about whether they were there to execute a warrant.
The duo, who were on their break, were due to meet a group of colleagues and partners who had booked a table at Davenport's Ale House
Danny Chopra, who owns the establishment, said he was told by a security guard that the officers were on duty
Danny Chopra, who owns the establishment, said he was told by a security guard that the officers were on duty.
He told The Ledger he had suggested the officers return during the fight to prevent causing a scene.
Chopra said: 'I just didnt want chaos in the restaurant. If I would have known I never would have done that.'
Polk County Sheriff's Office posted about the incident the following day, saying there had been a misunderstanding
The deputies had intended to join off-duty colleagues for dinner and to watch the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor (pictured)
Recounting the incident on Facebook, Crystal Nobre, whose husband is a police officer, said: 'They told them (restaurant) they had friends inside and security told them "They make people nervous!!"
'I went nuts to be honest and went off on them even saying I would personally pay the cover charge if that was the issue. (I found out that wasn't later.)
'The owner came out and tried to clear things up but too late. You turned away two guys who are here protecting us. You turned away two guys putting their lives on the line. You just lost MY business and I hope everyone who reads this.'
However Polk County Sheriff's Office has attempted to put the row in the past, saying there had been a 'misunderstanding or miscommunication'.
A prolific Twitter user known for his anti-EU and anti-immigration posts has been accused of being a Russian agent.
An account purporting to belong to a David Jones, who claims to be from southern England, churned out political commentary on a daily basis which was often retweeted hundreds of times by rightwing followers.
His Twitter profile says he is a 'passionate Brexit supporter' adding: 'I like Europe but dislike the EU. I want the UK to be a free sovereign nation. Pro UK, Pro USA.'
But a US researcher claims deeper analysis shows the account appears to be part of a network of thousands with similar names which included hashtags relating to Russian agendas, according to The Times' Media Correspondent Matthew Moore.
A prolific Twitter user known for his anti-EU and anti-immigration political commentary has been accused of being a Russian agent
The person controlling the account denied links to Russia and told The Times such claims were 'made up' and 'completely defamatory'. Last night the account was set to private, meaning only approved Twitter users can see it. MailOnline has requested further comment.
A US-based researcher - Twitter user named only as Conspirador Norteno - took a closer look at the account amid suspicion over of the number of posts appearing to be aligned with Russian aspirations to break up the European Union.
Tweets from David Jones, who claims to be from the 'Southampton/Isle of Wight' area, were all sent between Moscow business hours of 8am to 8pm, the researcher concluded, with UK followers seeing the first daily posts from 5am onwards.
The analysis is also said to have found a spike in posts about Ukraine and Crimea in 2014 amid widespread unrest in the region.
The account has a following of nearly 100,000 and has posted 137,000 tweets since being set up in 2013.
Keir Giles, a cyber and information security expert at Chatham House, told MailOnline the account was just 'one example' of other similar ones on Twitter.
He said that he had seen the tweets and it was a 'plausible explanation' to suggest that it was a Russian troll account.
Mr Giles added that it would have taken a 'superhuman' effort for just one person to have produced the huge number of daily tweets from the account.
Earlier this year, leading UKIP official John Bickley apologised after retweeting a David Jones post.
Earlier this year, leading UKIP official John Bickley apologised after retweeting a David Jones post
The tweet included a cartoon of a lorry full of people being driven by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn along with the caption: 'If you want a jihadi for a neighbour, vote Labour'.
The latest research comes just months after it was claimed that Russia had set up a propaganda factory were at least 400 people are employed to spread damaging lies about Britain on the internet.
The English-speaking internet trolls were reportedly receiving around 600 a month to post comments on websites in the UK with claims to stir readers from 'the 2014 Scottish Referendum was fixed' to 'Mr Cameron was never Mr Honesty'.
MailOnline previously reported in 2015 that Vladimir Putin had an army of professional trolls running thousands of fake Twitter and Facebook accounts to flood social media with pro-Russia propaganda.
These pictures taken by police give a look into the home of accused killer Russell Tillis before it was demolished.
Tillis, 54, from Jacksonville in Florida, is still in prison awaiting trial for the murder of Jodi Lynn Gunter.
Her dismembered remains were found in his front yard by police in 2016.
This is the house that accused killer Russell Tillis lived in before it was demolished. He is accused of killing and burying a body of 31-year-old Joni Gunter in his backyard
This is the bedroom inside the property dubbed the 'House of Horrors' in Southside
Authorities have condemned the house and it has been torn down
Weapons were found inside Tillis' house, included this selection of razors
Further weapons, such as hammers and an ax were also found in the property
Tillis, 54, (left) is still in prison awaiting trial for the murder of Jodi Lynn Gunter (right)
Pictures from the State Attorneys Office give an insight into Tillis' home, which neighbors dubbed the 'House of Horrors'.
Photos obtained by First Coast News showed cramped and untidy rooms inside the property.
Weapons, including knives, chains, chemicals and an ax were also discovered in the house.
According to a police report from Tillis' May 2015 arrest, officers were worried about entering Tillis' property to serve a warrant because it was booby trapped with the dangerous objects.
Tillis is accused of killing and burying a 31-year-old woman in his backyard
Tillis is accused of killing and dismembering Joni Gunter. Her body was found February 2016 dismembered and buried on his property
This is the house that was referred to as the 'House of Horrors' by Tillis' neighbors
A year later excavators dug up the front yard where they discovered the body.
Tillis is accused of kidnapping, killing, dismembering and burying a woman in the yard of his Southside home.
He will face trial on those charges in November next year.
Tillis, 54, has been in jail on charges of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, resisting arrest and battery of an officer since May 2015, when police said two officers were attacked with knives while they were serving Tillis with arrest warrants for violating injunctions neighbors had obtained against him.
Neighbors said the ramshackle buildings that made up Tillis' 1,880-square-foot home were nicknamed a 'house of horrors' where they heard screams some nights
Tillis' private investigator, Janis Eldridge, bought and demolished the Bowden Circle house a few months ago after city inspectors had condemned it
The inside of the house that was filled with clutter, old boxes and furniture
The kitchen in the property that has since been demolished
An 11-year-old boy endured a two-hour long surgery to remove 26 magnet balls from his penis after he inserted them.
The boy from eastern China suffered pain and bleeding after putting the chain of magnets into his penis out of curiosity.
Doctors performed a cystotomy and successfully removed all 26 magnet balls from the boy's urinary bladder.
A boy from east China inserted 26 magnet balls into his penis and couldn't get it out by himself
Doctor found that the chain of magnet balls had split into two columns and stuck at the end of the boy's urethra
According to Kankanews, the boy, whose name has not been revealed, was sent to Yuying Children's Hospital in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province.
Dr Wang Yongbiao, paediatric surgeon, told the reporter that he found the magnet balls under the cystoscopy.
'The balls are now aligned into two columns and got stuck in the posterior urethra area,' Dr Wang said.
The blockage has caused bleeding, swelling and pain to the 11-year-old.
Dr Wang further explained that the procedure to remove the balls could be tricky due to the small size of the magnets.
'Each magnet ball has a diameter of three millimetres (0.12 inches) and when they align in two rows, its width doubles up to six millimetres (0.24 inches),' Dr Wang spoke in the video.
The tiny magnet balls, also known as Buckyballs, are popular among adults and children (left). Dr Wang decided to push the balls into the bladder but it turned into a cluster (right)
Picture showing 15 of the 26 magnet balls Dr Wang had removed from the boy's bladder
The medical expert decided to push the magnet balls to the boy's urinary bladder and remove them using forceps to avoid urethral blockage.
Dr Wang attempted to use the cystoscopic forceps to take the tiny objects out one by one.
However, the 26 magnet balls turned into one big cluster in the bladder and could not be separated.
The boy had had to undergo a two-hour cystotomy to remove the magnets.
Dr Wang told the reporter that the magnet balls, also known as Buckyballs, can be dangerous to young children.
'Children can easily swallow or place the magnet balls into their body parts due to the small size. I had previously dealt with two similar cases in relating to the magnet balls,' said Dr Wang.
The 'Yes' campaign has responded to an advertisement aired by opponents of same-sex marriage with a new video of their own.
Featuring Dr Kerryn Phelps, the Equality Campaign advertisement is set to air across Australia on Wednesday night.
In the 30 second video Dr Phelps directly addresses the 'No' ad, calling claims gay marriage will have a negative impact misleading.
Scroll down for video
Featuring Dr Kerryn Phelps (pictured), the 30 second 'Yes' advertisement is set to air across Australia on Wednesday night
In the 30 second video Dr Phelps directly addresses the 'No' ad (pictured), calling claims gay marriage will have a negative impact misleading
'Sadly, some are trying to mislead us, like this ad does, by saying marriage equality will have a negative impact, including on young people,' she says in the ad.
'The only young people affected by marriage equality are young gay people who, for the first time, will have the same dignity as everyone else in our country and they deserve that.'
Dr Phelps said the 'No' ad is 'dividing the nation' while Equality Campaign was about 'uniting Australians', News.com.au reported.
An outspoken pastor, a Chinese-Australian GP and a leading critic of the Safe Schools program are the three faces of the 'No' campaign against same-sex marriage.
Equality Campaign Executive Director Tiernan Brady urged the 'No' campaign to avoid negativity and called for a respectful conversation.
Dr Phelps (pictured) said the 'No' ad is 'dividing the nation' while Equality Campaign was about 'uniting Australians'
'The next few weeks must be a campaign of respectful conversations, not angry debates, because this is about real peoples lives and their dignity,' he said.
'Lesbian and gay people are our family members, friends, neighbours and workmates and we would ask all who take part in our national conversation to remember that.'
Earlier it was revealed that Heidi McIvor, Dr Pansy Lai and Cella White are the women who featured in the first anti-gay marriage advertisement which aired on television on Tuesday night.
Pictured: Church worship leader Heidi McIvor, who appears on the Coalition for Marriage's new advertisement against same-sex marriage
Ms McIvor is a married mother of two who lives in south-east Victoria (pictured with husband Julian)
In the Coalition for Marriage video, Ms McIvor, a pastor at a Victorian church, shared a story of children as young as 12 being asked to role play being in a same-sex relationship.
'Kids in Year 7 are being asked to role play being in a same-sex relationship,' she said, with an aghast look on her face.
Ms McIvor is a former media advisor to Family First senator Steve Fielding, who in 2009 likened same-sex marriage to incest
Ms McIvor, a mother of two, is vocal about her thoughts on same-sex marriage on Twitter. She has tweeted that 'children's rights are implicated during marriage'.
Her LinkedIn profile said she is a former media advisor to Family First senator Steve Fielding, who in 2009 likened same-sex marriage to incest.
Friends took to social media to praise her appearance in the advertisement.
Victorian man Michael Hunt commended the Christian group she is affiliated with, Sale City Builders Church for its 'ongoing political campaign against SSM'.
The outspoken Christian has also lobbied against abortion in Victoria (pictured)
'In particular, I would like to commend the efforts of Sale City Builders Church members Heidi McIvor for her ad and her husband, Julian McIvor, advertising manager for the [local paper], for publishing articles opposing SSM,' he continued.
Another woman who appeared in the advertisement is Dr Pansy Lai, is a Chinese-Australian campaigner from Sydney's north.
In the clip, she claimed controversial programs at schools had become 'compulsory' when same-sex marriage was legalised overseas.
Ms McIvor appeared aghast in the advertisement as she spoke of teenagers being asked to role play a same-sex relationship
A general practitioner and Christian from Sydney's north - whose last name was misspelt as 'Li' in the TV advertisement - Dr Lai recently founded a group called the Australian Chinese for Families Association.
She advocates against same-sex marriage and the controversial Safe Schools program, which aims to reduce bullying of gay, lesbian and transgender students.
In previous interviews about Safe Schools, the medical professional has claimed Safe Schools discriminates against Chinese culture.
She told local newspaper The Northern District Times: '(The program) is promoting views on gender and sexuality that Chinese parents find extreme'.
In a promotional video for her campaign, she said she hated bullying but opposed Safe Schools out of 'love'.
Dr Pansy Lai (pictured) is an outspoken advocate against Safe Schools, and says she does it out of 'love'
Dr Lai recently founded a group called the Australian Chinese for Families Association
'I was bullied when I first came to Australia and there were people who yelled across the playground to me and said "go back to where you came from".
'We don't want any kids to be bullied, transgender kids, kids from ethnic backgrounds, we don't want anyone to be bullied. But I'm just not sure if Safe School is the answer to that.'
In the advertisement, Dr Lai shares her concerns about programs like Safe Schools becoming more common.
'When same-sex marriage passes as law overseas, this type of program become (sic) widespread and compulsory,' she said.
The third woman in featured in the campaign is Cella White, who made headlines after pulling her children out of Frankston High School.
She told viewers her son was told he could wear a dress to school next year.
Ms White appeared on Q&A last year, where she elaborated on a story she told in Tuesday night's advertisement about her son being offered the option to wear a dress to school
It is an issue she raised on ABC's Q&A last year, claiming the 14-year-old was given the controversial option in science class.
'I have no religious affiliation, but I believe it is biology that defines what sex you are, not radical gender theory,' she said at the time.
'I did not feel comfortable with my daughter sharing rest rooms or PE change rooms with the boys who wish to identify as girls and withdrew her enrolment into Year 7 this year.
'Frankston High had told me they didn't have any transgender children so I just thought it is a funny approach for people sitting there that don't have that affliction.'
The principal of Ms White's son's former school, has since slammed her claims in comments made toThe Age.
'We checked with all the teachers, it never happened,' John Albiston said.
'I have never had any complaints that we advised the boys they could wear dresses. We didn't offer them that option.'
Daily Mail Australia approached Ms McIvor, Dr Lai and Ms White for comment.
The advertisement, which the Australian Christian Lobby claims costs $35,000 each night it airs, was seen for the first time on Tuesday night.
The 30 second advertisement features the three mothers, who argue potential adverse affects on their children if the legislation is passed.
Dr Pansy Lai says 'when same sex marriage passes as law overseas, this type of program become (sic) widespread and compulsory' during her cameo on the advertisement
Equality Campaign executive director Tiernan Brady has labelled the advertisement 'disgraceful in its dishonesty', according to a news.com.au report.
'The people behind this ad know that the Australian people are for allowing all Australians the right to marry so they want to desperately pretend this simple straightforward question is about something else,' Mr Brady told the publication.
Coalition for Marriage spokeswoman Sophie York argued against 'radical' LGBTIQ sex and gender education programs becoming mandatory in primary schools, like they had in Canada and the UK, in a statement.
'Every day across the country, on social media, in coffee shops, in mothers' groups and at BBQs, hundreds of thousands of parents are speaking to each other about the impacts of radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education programs,' Ms York said.
'Millions of Australians are now concerned about the consequences of changing the Marriage Act.'
Cella White (pictured above) explained her concern at her son's school telling him 'he could wear a dress next year if he felt like it' during her appearance in the ad
Heidi McIvor expresses her worry of how 'kids in Year 7 are being asked to role play being a same sex relationship'
The campaign has the support of the Australian Christian Lobby, which believes: 'Changing the marriage law will have consequences for what is taught in our kids' classroom.'
In an online post, the group wrote, 'If same-sex marriage becomes law, parents will not have a leg to stand on if they don't want their kids taught radical sex education, and gender ideologies.'
The advertisement is set to continue airing on national mainstream television networks and pay TV stations.
The campaign has the support of the Australian Christian Lobby, which believes: 'Changing the marriage law will have consequences for what is taught in our kids' classroom'
There has been a diverse reaction to the ad on social media with some arguing it fails to address 'real' issues of same sex marriage, instead, making it a discussion about children and the Government's Safe Schools program.
'The strange thing is that the Same Sex Marriage vote has absolutely zero to do with children, yet our supposed Christian lobbyists have somehow made it about children,' a Facebook user wrote.
Another agreed, writing: 'What has the safe school programme got to do with the SSM debate?'.
Social media users were quick to weigh in on Coalition for Marriage's new anti-gay marriage ad
A Twitter user accused the campaign of 'scare mongering' in schools, while another added how they didn't think the ad was an accurate reflection of the beliefs of the majority of voters, calling it 'humiliating.'
'Sometimes I feel ashamed to call myself Australian,' one disgruntled social media wrote.
Another pointed out the irony of the ad and its role in reminding viewers they have the option to be a 'jerk'.
A Twitter user accused the campaign of 'scare mongering' in schools, while another added how they didn't think the ad was an accurate reflection of the beliefs of the majority of voters, calling it 'humiliating'
'I love that the no campaign's slogan is 'You can say no'. Like, they know you shouldn't but want you to know you can be a jerk if you want.'
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has slammed the ad, calling it 'offensive and hurtful to LGBTI Australians and their families,' the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
'This is exactly what was predicted when Malcolm Turnbull decided to waste $122 million on a postal survey. He gave the green light to this rubbish,' Mr Shorten told Fairfax Media.
He added: 'This is not freedom of speech. This is freedom to hurt. I just want to tell LGBTI families that they are not on their own. Most people know this is total rubbish.'
The Australian Bureau of Statistics said survey forms will be posted to voters by September 25.
A former soldier who was blinded by a sniper in Iraq has thanked a five-year-old girl after she did a triathlon in aid of Help for Heroes in a heartwarming video that has gone viral online.
The clip features young fundraiser Temperance Pattinson, from Darlington, Co Durham, telling Simon Brown, 38, why she decided to raise hundreds of pounds through her triathlon, despite being scared of riding her bike.
Mr Brown, from Leeds, tells Temperance that he was shot in the face by an Iraqi sniper in 2006, leaving him virtually blind. And he adds that he is lucky to have survived.
In the film, Mr Brown says: 'I got shot in the face but I was lucky. It's because of the challenges you do, and the money you raise and the support you give, that people like me can get better. So that's why people like you are our heroes.'
Temperance replies: 'And people like you are mine.'
The video has been viewed more than a quarter of a million times since it was posted on the Help for Heroes Facebook page.
The charity said it is the first in a series to be produced as part of its new Facing It Together campaign, which aims to show the differences that the charity's supporters make to the lives of veterans and their families.
A former soldier who was blinded by a sniper in Iraq has thanked a five-year-old girl after she did a triathlon in aid of Help for Heroes in a heartwarming video that has gone viral online
Temperance said she began to support Help for Heroes when she was just three.
She had seen a poppy and asked her mother, Emily, about the sacrifices made by those who put their lives on the line to protect us.
Mr Brown is one of at least 66,000 ex-military personnel with life-changing injuries and illnesses in the UK who are in need of support, the charity said.
The clip features young fundraiser Temperance Pattinson, from Darlington, Co Durham, telling Simon Brown, 38, why she decided to raise hundreds of pounds through her triathlon, despite being scared of riding her bike
Since being shot, he has endured 25 operations and hours of surgery to rebuild his shattered face.
Mark Elliott, who helped Bryn and Emma Parry set up the charity in 2007 and is current Advocacy Ambassador for Help for Heroes, said: 'It is so important that people from completely different backgrounds and ages can connect through a common cause, and that is exactly what we see here.
'Help for Heroes is a movement and its inspiration is heroes like Simon Brown.'
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Seven decades ago a whole hut of captured Axis officers descended underground during the Second World War and executed a brazen getaway in a scene reminiscent of The Great Escape.
Now the incredible story of the 84 Germans who escaped from the prisoner of war camp in Bridgend, South Wales, on March 10, 1945 has been retold after their hidden tunnel was discovered and excavated.
Scientists and historians have entered the deserted Camp 198 'Island Farm' to examine the only remnant of it, Hut 9, where the cunning plan was hatched - and a false wall was built to hide the soil they dug to form the tunnel.
Nick Russill from Cardiff-based exploration company Terradat investigates the tunnel where a whole hut of captured Axis officers descended underground during the Second World War on March 10, 1945 and executed a brazen getaway
Most of the camp was destroyed in the 1990s, but Hut 9 was preserved in its original condition by the local authorities and a false wall (pictured) constructed to hide the soil that the prisoners dug to form the tunnel in Bridgend also remains in place
In order to ensure those underground at the prisoner of war camp in Bridgend could breathe properly, a ventilation pipe was fashioned from condensed milk tins and air was blown through with a hand-operated fan
Oak benches stolen from the canteen and cut off bed legs to support the tunnel roof and prevent it from collapsing were still in place. The tunnel was recently found to be still intact and in remarkably original condition - just as it had been left in 1945
The investigation was led by Dr Jamie Pringle from Keele University in Staffordshire, who previously helped locate 'Dick', one of the three famous tunnels at Stalag Luft III in the Great Escape of 1944 that inspired the 1963 film.
Most of the camp was destroyed in the 1990s, but the local authorities preserved Hut 9 in its original condition and a false wall constructed to hide the soil that the prisoners dug to form the tunnel also remains in place.
After gaining access to the council-owned plot of land, Dr Pringle and his team found the walls still adorned with handwritten poetry referring to the 'heimat', or homeland.
The team began their investigation by scanning the surface of the ground with geophysical instruments to create a digital model of the site. By studying the model they were able to to find the tunnel's specific location.
Unlike the tunnel at Stalag Luft III, which was 33ft below ground, this one was only 5ft down. There were no listening devices in place in Camp 198, and it could be excavated by hand.
It was still intact and in remarkably original condition - just as it had been left in 1945. Even oak benches stolen from the canteen and cut off bed legs to support the tunnel roof and prevent it from collapsing were still in place.
Camp 198 was one of 1,026 POW camps established in Britain towards the end of the war to accommodate the 400,000 captured Germans that were shipped here. It housed 160 officers holding the rank of general, admiral or field marshal
Scientists and historians have entered the deserted Camp 198 'Island Farm' to examine the only remnant of it, Hut 9, where the cunning plan was hatched - and a false wall was built to hide the soil they dug to form the tunnel
The team began their investigation by scanning the surface of the ground with geophysical instruments to create a digital model of the site. By studying the model they were able to to find the tunnel's specific location
This drawing of a boat was found on the walls of Hut 9 in Bridgend. After gaining access to the council-owned plot of land, the team also found the walls still adorned with handwritten poetry referring to the 'heimat', or homeland
Dr Pringle, a senior lecturer in geosciences, was amazed by the discovery and said: 'No one ever talks about the German escapes, even though ones like this are equally impressive and just as important.
'There are lots of similarities between the escape from Camp 198 and the one that Allied soldiers executed at Stalag Luft III a year earlier.
'The project began by going to Bridgend to have a look at the site, which we found to be mainly destroyed and massively overgrown.
'However, fortunately the council preserved Hut Nine due its historical significance, which gave us the opportunity to investigate it.
'Firstly we conducted geophysical investigations to successfully detect the tunnel's subsurface position. We then used ground penetrating radar surveys to find the tunnel's specific location, as well as plenty of tree roots.
'We discovered that the tunnel was at a relatively shallow level of 1.5 metres below ground level. Careful excavation, led by Nick Russill of Terradat Ltd, eventually helped us reach the tunnel, which was remarkably intact.
'Sawn off wooden bed legs and materials from the prisoners' huts that were used to support the tunnel walls and roof were still present, just as they'd been left in 1945.'
Unlike the tunnel at Stalag Luft III - the location of the Great Escape in April 1944, which was 33ft below ground - this one was only 5ft down. There were no listening devices in place in Camp 198, and it could be excavated by hand
Inmates in Hut 9 used cans, meat tins and knives from the canteen to dig up the heavy clay soil beneath them, which they put into their pockets and disposed of outside or behind the false wall. A digital 3D model of the site is pictured above
A view of Hut 9 at the deserted Camp 198 'Island Farm' in South Wales, as seen from the guard tower. On the night of the escape the officers divided into groups, each of which was equipped with a map, homemade compass, and food
The investigation was led by Dr Jamie Pringle (left) from Keele University in Staffordshire, who previously helped locate 'Dick', one of the three famous tunnels at Stalag Luft III in the Great Escape of 1944 that inspired the 1963 film
Camp 198 was one of 1,026 prisoner of war camps established in Britain towards the end of the war to accommodate the 400,000 captured Germans that were shipped here.
It housed 160 officers holding the rank of general, admiral or field marshal, including a number of Hitler's closest advisers.
Senior figures including Gerd von Rundstedt, who was commander in chief of the German army in Western Europe, were held at Island Farm while awaiting the Nuremberg Trials.
Other notorious prisoners included Field Marshal Erich von Manstein who established the operation plans for Hitler's successful campaign in the west and the former commander in chief of the German army Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch.
They were not allowed to be put to work according to the Geneva Convention, so instead spent their days hatching escape plans.
Inmates in Hut 9 used cans, meat tins and knives from the canteen to dig up the heavy clay soil beneath them, which they put into their pockets and disposed of outside or behind the false wall.
In order to ensure those underground could breathe properly a ventilation pipe was fashioned from condensed milk tins and air was blown through with a hand-operated fan.
Pictured: Scanning the surface of the ground to create a 3D digital model of the site. The prisoners fitted electric lighting underground by tapping the camp's mains supply - and while this was going on, they sang choral songs to conceal the noise
A team member is pictured scanning the ground. As it turned out the escapees were woefully unprepared for life on the outside and every single one was captured, although never officially punished. The media blamed the guards for the escape
Stalag Luft III, the camp from which 76 Allied airmen escaped through a tunnel in occupied Poland one night in March 1944
The prisoners even fitted electric lighting underground by tapping the camp's mains supply. All the while this was going on the men sang German choral songs to conceal the noise.
Each man's identity was only known by the others in his small group in order to protect against betrayal and discovery of the plan.
On the night of the escape the officers divided into groups, each of which was equipped with a map, homemade compass, and food.
At 10pm they made their move, all 84 went underground and crawled through the suffocating 30ft long tunnel and beyond the camp's perimeter.
A few stole the camp doctor's car and fled 120 miles to Birmingham while another group got to the port of Southampton.
As it turned out the escapees were woefully unprepared for life on the outside and every single one was captured, although never officially punished.
The media blamed the guards for the escape while camp officials claimed the camp was undermanned. After the team's investigation the area is destined to become a listed monument, thus protected and preserved.
Police say a West Virginia man allegedly branded a woman with a horseshoe and a fork.
Ervin Harold of Bluefield was charged with malicious wounding and domestic assault.
Bluefield Police Detective J.B. Fox says Harold allegedly held the woman against a wall last week and branded her twice with a horseshoe and once with a fork.
Ervin Harold, pictured in both, is accused of holding the woman against a wall to brand her and has been charged with malicious wounding and domestic assault
'I was shown pictures of the branding, at which time I observed there to be a fork burnt into the victim's skin, as well as two horseshoes burnt into the victim's skin,'
Fox says Harold allegedly held the horseshoe with a coat hanger so he wouldn't burn himself.
'The suspect was able to brand her with a fork by using candle wax, according to the victim's written statement,' Fox said.
The woman sought treatment at a hospital on the same day of the incident, August 22.
Fox said he will talk to the suspect about the incident and subpoena the victim's medical records.
According to the Tribune Democrat the suspect and victim were 'romantically involved at the time of the incident, but according to the victim, have split up after this incident,' he said.
Another domestic incident with the suspect and victim occurred in March.
Harold was being held Tuesday on $10,500 bond in the Bluefield City Jail.
It wasn't immediately known whether he had an attorney.
A Florida man has been charged nearly $60,000 to cover the costs of putting out a 705-acre wildfire that he started in March.
Brian Sparks, 55, was burning old paperback books and clutter in his yard in Bryceville, Florida, when the flames got out of hand.
Florida Forest Service sent a bill to Sparks on Monday to pay for the four days of personnel and machinery used to extinguish the blaze, including airplanes and bulldozers.
He also received a misdemeanor citation for failure to obtain a department permit and reckless land burning. It's Florida law that only clean, dry wood can be burned.
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Brian Sparks was billed $60,000 for the cost of putting out the wildfire he caused in March
The man was burning books and clutter when the flames got out of hand, spreading to 705 acres
Two homes were destroyed and at least eight were damaged along with 19 barns and sheds
The fires forced mandatory evacuations, destroyed two and damaged at least eight homes, and about 19 barns or sheds were impacted. Florida Forest Service said that more than 250 houses were saved and there were no casualties.
The flames quickly spread from an initial five acres to an eventual 700. Local churches opened their doors to residents fleeing their homes.
Fire crews from neighboring counties joined with forestry workers to contain and extinguish the blaze over four days.
And while many are mad about the blaze, some neighbors were more supportive.
'Nobody lost their life. And it wasn't malicious, it was a pure accident. It's a terrible thing for sure, but everybody's alive today. That's the most important thing,' said neighbor Peter Potter.
Paul Megois, 46, is the homeowner of a house that burned to the ground and said it could have been anyone who started the fire.
'I'd like to meet him, give him a hug and move on. I can't imagine the guilt he feels. I've got no animosity toward him,' he said.
Eton College dismissed deputy head, Mo Tanweer over allegations he shared information about an exam paper, which has led to calls for stricter safeguards
Teachers who help set exams are put in an 'impossible position' where they are tempted to help their pupils cheat, a private education chief has warned.
School bosses have urged exam boards to introduce stricter safeguards in the wake of suspensions and sackings at top institutions amid allegations of cheating.
Chris King, chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), admitted a conflict of interest meant some teachers are being 'tempted to give their pupils too much help.'
The warnings come after Winchester College suspended its head of art history Laurence Wolff after he was found to have leaked exam information to students, and Eton College dismissed its head of economics, Mo Tanweer, following allegations that he had shared confidential information about an upcoming paper.
Mr King said more teachers from top private schools, who are overrepresented on exam boards, could be caught up in the scandal.
He said it was up to the boards to prevent a conflict of interest.
'We need to ensure that senior teachers who take on the responsibility for setting exams are not placed in an impossible position, and the very few who may be tempted to give their pupils too much help cannot do so,' he told the Telegraph.
He added that a meeting with exam boards to discuss the issue which he said had concerned headteachers for some time had been brought forward as an urgent priority.
Experts have called for a ban on teachers setting exams while teaching the same subject, though a chief examiner with 40 years' experience argued this would be 'completely unfeasible.'
Winchester College (pictured) suspended head of art history Laurence Wolff after it was alleged that he gave students tips on what would feature in two exam papers
Charterhouse School in Surrey has also been investigated by the exam board after it reported concerns that students were given advance warning about questions on the papers
Chief examiner for Pure Mathematics for OCR Neil Sheldon said: 'There isn't realistically an alternative to having teachers do it but there need to be very clear checks on integrity.'
The names of teaching staff who do work for exam boards should be made public, chairman of the Commons education select committee Robert Halfon argued.
The Conservative MP for Harlow in Essex told the Telegraph: 'The same teachers shouldn't be involved in the same exam boards. You can't be poacher and keeper at once,' he said, adding: 'It should be utterly transparent.'
Today it emerged legal action is being pursued after a grammar school withdrew places for a number of A-level students who failed to achieve certain grades.
Simpson Millar solicitors have initiated judicial review proceedings against the governing body of St Olave's grammar school in Orpington in south east London after two students were told they could not continue their A-level studies into Year 13.
The pupils, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to achieve Bs in any of their subjects taken in the first year of sixth form, lawyers said.
Days ago they were told they could return to the school but only to study a BTEC in health and social care.
The high-achieving school, which will start its new term on September 5, is said to operate a three-pronged policy to 'maintain its exceptional A-Level results'.
Year 12 pupils will normally have gained three Bs or higher if they wish to complete their studies in Year 13, the school's sixth form rules and regulations state.
An email sent to the school's Year 12 tutors in June said that pupils who scored a C would not be able to pursue that subject through to A-level.
If a student scored a C, they must sign an agreement that the school reserves the right not to enter them for A-level examinations in any subject in which it is considered they will not score a B or above.
Neither the school, nor the London Borough of Bromley, which is listed as an interested party, responded to requests for comment.
A hearing to determine whether a judicial review will be granted is due to take place on September 20.
If granted, the hearing will proceed that day.
Horrifying video footage shows a man beating up his own father's mistress in the middle of a Chinese street.
The man is said to have blamed the mistress for his parents' failed marriage and decided to take revenge on behalf of his mother.
The incident took place in Yuzhou City, central China's Henan province on August 27.
In the footage, the man can be seen brutally slapping the woman in the middle of the street
The son decided to teach her a lesson for becoming involved in his family's affairs
The woman and the suspect's father are thought to have planned a date
In the footage the man can be seen grabbing the woman by the hair and stomping on her as onlookers watch.
He throws the woman to the ground and slaps and punches her.
The woman and the suspect's father are thought to have planned a date and the son decided to teach her a lesson for becoming involved in his family's affairs.
He was eventually stopped when police arrived. Authorities are now said to be investigating the incident.
Onlookers can be seen watching as the man brutally beats the woman
A police spokesman said the pair were likely to resolve the matter privately
Love? The footage was taken the day before Chinese Valentines Day
According to reports, a police spokesman said the pair were likely to resolve the matter privately.
The footage was taken the day before Chinese Valentines Day which falls on the seventh day and the seventh month.
Many people commented on the video which was posted on social media site Weibo.
One user wrote: 'This man should be detained and then sentenced. The violent behaviour of this crowd is completely intolerable'
While another commented: 'How did he not fight his father?'
And one user said: 'Did no one think it was a crime?'
William Hague today admitted the election result was a 'mistake' by voters that would leave Britain with a worse Brexit deal.
The former Tory leader said Theresa May had made the right decision in calling June's snap poll.
But he said the sudden decision was followed by a poor Tory campaign.
In a rare major radio interview, Lord Hague also urged Cabinet ministers to lay off attacks on Mrs May in the aftermath of the devastating results.
He predicted her successor would eventually be someone who is not currently a leading contender.
William Hague (pictured at Wimbledon in July) today admitted the election result was a 'mistake' by voters that would leave Britain with a worse Brexit deal
The former foreign secretary told Radio 5Live's Emma Barnett: 'I don't think calling the election was a mistake. I think the result was a mistake.
'Collectively, by the people of this country. And I think there was a pretty poor Conservative campaign.
'They (the EU) know that the result of the British election weakened the British government's negotiating position. It absolutely did.
'Of course she's not in anything like as strong a position as if she'd won a majority of 60 or 100 or whatever it might have been in the House of Commons.
'So Britain will get a worse deal as a result of the election. I think there is no question about that. And of course we can't blame the voters for how they vote.
'The voters have voted to leave the the EU, and then not to have a government in a strong position to negotiate the exit.'
Mrs May lifted bowl of tea to her face as she took part in a ceremony in Kyoto alongside the Japanese PM today
Lord Hague said Theresa May (pictured today in Japan with Shinzo Abe) had made the right decision in calling June's snap poll but was let down by a contrary electorate
Lord Hague said the upshot of the result was Mrs May being trapped in a 'difficult position'.
The Government has this week insisted the Brexit talks are in a 'good position' despite public slap downs from Brussels about the UK's approach.
Lord Hague admitted: 'We'll end up having to pay more. We'll pay a bigger price for leaving, I think, because of the uncertainties of the election result.'
With the Tory conference approaching, many in Westminster believe Mrs May could face moments of acute danger as MPs plot in Manchester.
But Lord Hague said the current likely candidates were unlikely to inherit the crown.
He said: 'The next leader of the Conservative Party - whenever that happens - is probably somebody who today is 60-1 against at the bookies.
'The most likely person hardly ever gets it. I don't even know who the most likely person is really.'
Looters posing as firefighters and Homeland Security special agents are telling residents to evacuate in order to ransack their homes in a sinister twist to Hurricane Harvey.
An overnight curfew has been imposed in Houston after a spate of robberies and looting.
City officials announced the midnight to 5am clampdown after police arrested a crew of armed robbers who were hijacking vehicles and reports of thefts from some of the thousands of homes that lay partially underwater and abandoned by fleeing residents.
They warned people to ask anyone knocking on their doors for official badges and credentials with their name and organization.
San Leon volunteer firefighter Jody Garcia told the Houston Chronicle that one person posing as a first responder pointed a shotgun at two residents who were trapped in their homes and told them to leave.
US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has confirmed they will not be conducting any operations in Houston during the rescue effort.
As Houston struggles with the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, lawmakers in Texas are vowing to be extra tough on anyone caught looting after authorities reported some minor thefts and armed robberies had taken place
'You cannot drive, nor be in any public place. We have had problems with armed robberies, with people with guns and firearms,' said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.
He said the Houston Police Department was going to have to stop assisting in search-and-rescue missions to focus on 'going after criminals and keeping the good people of Houston safe'.
The police chief said: 'This is the state of Texas. We're a welcoming city, but we are not going to tolerate people victimizing, especially committing armed robberies in our community.
'We're going to catch you, and I promise you this: We are going to push hard - I've talked to the district attorney - to seek the fullest prosecution possible available for any crime that is committed.'
Floodwaters in Houston are seen on Tuesday. Officials have vowed harsh penalties for looters
These Houston residents posted this picture on Monday vowing unpleasant consequences for anyone who loots during the flood or shoots at rescuers
An Apple store in Houston had its door blasted open with a gun before it was looted, according to reports.
Prosecutors issued a statement promising that looters would face tougher penalties under Texas law for committing burglaries during a crisis.
'People displaced or harmed in this storm are not going to be easy prey,' said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. 'Anyone who tries to take advantage of this storm and break into homes or businesses should know that they are going to feel the full weight of the law,' she added.
'Offenders will be processed around the clock without delay.'
Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner said: 'Just like we can rescue you we can also arrest you - obey the curfew, don't engage in looting, let's focus on rebuilding our city.'
'You loot, I shoot,' promised one spray-painted sign in a residential neighborhood of Portland, Texas, a small city right outside of Corpus Christi on the Gulf coast.
'If I needed to shoot somebody to protect my stuff if they broke into my house, I think that's appropriate,' one mother in the neighborhood told KIII, asking not to be identified.
'We're in a state of disaster,' she said.
'When you have people that have lost everything, you need food, you need clothes, people get desperate and you go into that kind of mindset,' the mother said.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a record 51.88 inches (131.78 cm) of rain has fallen in Texas due to Harvey, a record for any storm in the continental United States
During Harvey relief efforts US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not conducting immigration enforcement operations in the area.
In Houston people coming into shelters will not have their immigration status checked.
Authorities and family members have reported at least 18 deaths from Harvey, while law enforcement agencies said more than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and surrounding parts of Southeast Texas.
The storm that first came ashore on Friday has forced tens of thousands of people to flee deluged homes and caused damage estimated at tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest US natural disasters.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a record 51.88 inches (131.78 cm) of rain has fallen in Texas due to Harvey, a record for any storm in the continental United States.
As the floodwaters continued to rise, public health officials warned about the dangers of health problems ranging from skin rashes to bacterial and viral infections and mosquito-borne disease.
The fire marshal's office also tweeted that residents within 1.5 miles of a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, were being evacuated as a 'precautionary measure' because of the rising risk of an explosion.
Neighboring Louisiana is set to bear the brunt of the tropical storm's massive downpours today, with flash flood warnings in place across the entire state.
Police have reopened the search for missing mother-of-two Tanja Ebert and expect to be scouring the rural area until Friday.
Earlier searches of the massive sheep station north of Adelaide were called off after investigators were unable to find clues of her whereabouts.
Ms Ebert went missing on August 8, allegedly following an argument with her husband Michael Burdon.
Police have reopened their search for Tanja Ebert (pictured with husband Michael Burdon) who has been missing for more than three weeks
Earlier searches (pictured) of the massive sheep station north of Adelaide were called off after investigators were unable to find clues of her whereabouts
Burdon then killed himself with a single gunshot hours after her missing persons report became a murder investigation on August 16.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray says police are conducting an extensive search and hope to have news for Ms Ebert's parents.
Police are requesting anyone with dashcam footage from Roseworthy to Mannahill between 7pm and midnight on August 8 to hand it in.
Ms Ebert (pictured) went missing on August 8, allegedly following an argument with her husband Michael Burdon
On August 18, police officers dug up multiple 'key areas of interest' on the family's property at Oulnina Park Station (pictured), north of Adelaide
They are also appealing for anyone with information or knowledge of Ms Ebert's disappearance to come forward.
'It's actually quite rare for people to commit a murder and not to tell somebody,' said Mr Bray.
On August 18, police officers dug up multiple 'key areas of interest' on the family's property at Oulnina Park Station, north of Adelaide.
Police believe Ms Ebert (pictured) may have been murdered, but efforts to find her body or evidence of her whereabouts have been to no avail
Police searching the property (pictured) are also appealing for anyone with information or knowledge of Ms Ebert's disappearance to come forward
Police are requesting anyone with dashcam footage from Roseworthy to Mannahill (pictured) between 7pm and midnight on August 8 to hand it in
The areas had been decided on following an aerial search of the area, the Adelaide Advertiser reported.
They believe Ms Ebert may have been murdered, but efforts to find her body or evidence of her whereabouts have been to no avail.
Officers then spent two days reviewing evidence before interviewing more friends and family members of the couple, who appear to have left their two sons, aged one and three, orphaned.
After an extensive examination and excavationof the outback sheep station she lived on, police called off the search for Ms Ebert's body on Friday evening
Ms Ebert is believed to have been murdered, but police have failed to find any trace of her body
Oulnina - which at 410 hectares dwarfs the size of Sydney's CBD - is north-east of Adelaide
Major Crime officer-in-charge, Detective Superintendent Bray told reporters searching for Ms Ebert had become 'frustrating', following 'significant' excavation work done on the property.
'Again unfortunately we haven't been able to find Tanja,' he said.
'It's very frustrating, we've been working hard to get a result for Tanja's parents and we would encourage anybody who has any information at all that might help us recover her body to contact police immediately so we can bring this to an end for that family.'
Mr Bray believes if Ms Ebert was murdered, it is likely the killer would have told someone what they had done.
The death of Mr Burdon, which sparked an investigation as police were present at the time he committed suicide, and the presumed death of Ms Ebert have left locals shocked.
Mr Bray believes if Ms Ebert (pictured) was murdered, it is likely the killer would have told someone what they had done
SES teams prepare to search the station at Oulnina, where the tragic young family lived
Family friend Melanie Lewis told the Advertiser Ms Ebert was an 'adoring mother' and despite the 18-year age difference between her and her husband, the mother-of-two was 'extremely mature for her age'.
'The boys adored her and were extremely clingy to her. She was a very hard worker, would give anything a go and always had confidence in her opinions of things,' she said.
Police believe Ms Ebert had been considering leaving her husband of only six months, and had perhaps intended to move to New South Wales.
Both families have been left devastated by the deaths, particularly the Burdon family, who lost the man's brother to suicide and his father to a brain tumour.
Police believe Ms Ebert (pictured) had been considering leaving her husband of only six months, and had perhaps intended to move to New South Wales
The station is home to about 6000 Merino sheep, locals told Daily Mail Australia
Just 16 people live in the dusty and isolated region where the tragic sequence of events took place, locals told Daily Mail Australia.
Police on Friday morning launched the mammoth task of searching the young couple's Oulnina sheep station for Ms Ebert's body.
At 410 hectares, the property dwarfs the size of the 280ha Sydney CBD, and by road the nearest neighbour is 37km away.
'It's a massive task. We'll do our best to find her but there's no guarantees,' Mr Bray said as a massive search team gathered including 12 SES cars, three mounted police cars and floats, two motorbikes and a helicopter.
The tragedy has devastated Outback residents along the highway spanning towards the New South Wales border.
A rescue helicopter has joined the search effort for missing Tanja Ebert
Michael shot himself on August 16 as police searched for Ms Ebert's body.
Investigators suspect he murdered her.
'There has been lots of tears and hugs and just shock,' said Mannahill Hotel publican Dianne Highet, who described herself as one of six residents of that town.
'You know, we just can't get our heads around it.... I'm hoping they find her alive and clear Michael's name'.
Ms Highet attended the couple's wedding six months ago. It was held on top of the highest peak at the sheep station, and she described it as the most beautiful ceremony she had ever witnessed.
'It's somewhere they'd get lost in. It's huge. It's vast. It's beautiful. It's a bit like the Flinders,' she described.
The couple's home was located ten minutes from the property gate, and their land is red dirt, salt bush, gullies and hills.
Ms Ebert at first adored living on the Burdon family's remote property (pictured) but it is believed she was planning to move to NSW before her disappearance
Ms Ebert, a German citizen, previously worked at the Mannahill Hotel
Hotelier Dianne Highet said Ms Ebert moved to town with one bag before meeting Michael
Ms Ebert was last seen in Roseworthy, getting out of her car at this BP service station and walking away. She reportedly left behind her two boys and personal possessions
Another scene in Roseworthy, north of Adelaide, where Tanya was last seen on Tuesday, August 8
Ms Ebert was last seen alive on August 8 in Adelaide enjoying a family outing with her husband and two young children (pictured)
The property was home to up to 6000 Merino sheep and the winds on Friday morning were bone-chilling.
LAST SIGHTING OF TANJA EBERT Ms Ebert was last reportedly seen on Tuesday, August 8 at Roseworthy, north of Adelaide. A local resident, who did not want to be named, said her disappearance was a mystery. 'We hear everything that goes on here and no one heard this couple have an argument or her storm off,' the local said. 'Whenever there is someone who doesn't belong in town we notice. 'Even when people drive off without petrol or stop by the side of the road to make a plan to we hear it. 'How do we know she actually did?!' Advertisement
Ms Highet said Ms Ebert, a German citizen, was a backpacker and 'knew how to live with a few dollars in her pocket.'
'When she came here she had one bag, then she met Michael and moved onto the station where she had everything she wanted.
'They would come to the pub with the kids and she would mingle while he looked after them - I never heard them argue.'
The Burdon family has suffered its fair share of tragedies in recent years. Michael's brother died in 1997. The Adelaide Advertiser reported the cause was suicide.
His beloved father, Peter, died after a battle with brain cancer in April 2014.
The couple's young sons are in the care of their grandmother Marlis. Reports said she was thought to have been at the property to help her son after Tanja went missing. She declined to comment.
For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14.
For further support contact Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 and MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
The U.S. government will 'evaluate' Mexico's offer of hurricane relief, according to U.S. officials weighing the offer of assistance.
As Hurricane Harvey smashed into Houston, Mexico's government offered to provide assistance.
The offer to help from Texas's Gulf neighbor introduced a sensitive subject, given ongoing tensions between the two countries over President Trump's border wall, which he has repeatedly said Mexico must pay for.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a tour of the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas, U.S., August 29, 2017. The U.S. has yet to respond to an offer of assistance from Mexico
'It is common during hurricanes and other significant weather events for the United States to be in close contact with our neighbors and partners in the region to share data and cooperate as needed and appropriate,' the State Department said, the Washington Post reported.
Foggy Bottom said it would coordinate with other agencies including FEMA to sort through offers of support, while making no commitment to accept Mexico's aid.
'In the event that federal assets are not available to meet a specific request, FEMA works with the State Department to coordinate and evaluate any offers of support from a foreign nation that may assist in meeting that need.
The nation has stepped up before to help its wealthier northern neighbor, providing troops and supplies following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Texas was once part of Mexico.
Trump said Monday Mexico would pay for the border wall 'one way or the other,' but Mexico has steadfastly refused.
'We need the wall. It's imperative,' Trump said at a Monday press conference at the White House. 'We may fund it through the United States but ultimately Mexico will pay for the wall.'
Residential neighborhoods near the Interstate 10 sit in floodwater in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on August 29, 2017 in Houston, Texas
President Donald Trump holds the state flag of Texas outside of the Annaville Fire House after attending a briefing on Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas on August 29, 2017
Carlos Sada, Mexico's undersecretary of foreign affairs, told the BBC that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had 'immediately accepted' the offer when it was made, but that it was pending federal government approval.
Abbott was with Trump Tuesday during the president's visit to the state.
Mexico office of foreign affairs said it hadn't heard back from the U.S., the Daily Beast reported. 'We still haven't received any response,' an unnamed representative said. 'We made an offer, so we're just waiting for Texas to inform us if they need anything.'
Theresa May hit back at the EU's dismissal of Britain's Brexit negotiations today by insisting it was her team 'coming forward with the ideas'.
Both chief negotiator Michel Barnier and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have dismissed Britain's Brexit work as inadequate and ignoring their priorities.
But speaking in Japan at the start of a mission aimed at forging post-Brexit trade links, Mrs May hit back at the senior Eurocrats.
The talks in Brussels are effectively deadlocked as Britain calls for parallel talks on the divorce deal and future relationship but the EU says they must be taken one at a time.
In an effort to break the impasse, the Government published a raft of policy papers in the run up to the latest round of talks
Theresa May (pictured in Japan with Shinzo Abe today) has hit back at the EU's dismissal of Britain's Brexit negotiations today by insisting it was her team 'coming forward with the ideas'
Speaking in Japan (pictured during a traditional tea ceremony today) at the start of a mission aimed at forging post-Brexit trade links, Mrs May hit back at the senior Eurocrats
She told the BBC: 'We have been publishing a series of papers over the summer, there will be more papers to come, where we are setting out the key issues that both sides need to address, the options that we have, the ideas we have, of how to deal with those.
'It's the United Kingdom that has been coming forward with the ideas and with the clarity about the future.'
Asked if she still believed no deal is better than a bad deal, she said: 'Yes, I think that is right.
'But if you talk about the point at which we leave the European Union, we want to ensure that at that point we do have a deal and that we have a deal that is the right deal for the UK.'
Mrs May dismissed Labour's new support for remaining in the single market and customs union during a transitional period after Brexit as 'yet another position from them'.
Mrs May added: 'What I set out in my Lancaster House speech is you can't be a member of the single market without being a member of the European Union and we are leaving the European Union.'
Chief negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured right with David Davis on Monday) and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have dismissed Britain's work as inadequate
Denmark's ambassador to the UK Claus Grube warned against the 'no deal' rhetoric, telling the BBC: 'I think it's better that we go to the negotiating table and we talk about things. I don't think it contributes to making a better atmosphere.
'I think you have had a long debate, it is now more than a year ago that the referendum took place.
'It's been a long, let's say, a very British debate, with a lot of wishful thinking about the future and how to get out of the EU, a lot of 'cake and eat it'.'
Mr Juncker yesterday said official papers setting out the Government's positions were not satisfactory and it was 'crystal clear' that an 'enormous amount' of issues needed to be settled before talks on a future trade deal could begin.
Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday said it was 'crystal clear' that an 'enormous amount' of issues needed to be settled before talks on a future trade deal could begin
Mr Juncker said the UK 'hesitates showing all its cards' but added: 'I did read, with the requisite attention, all the papers produced by Her Majesty's Government and none of those is actually satisfactory.
Mr Davis and Mr Barnier met on Monday at the start of the latest round of talks which highlighted differences between Brussels and Whitehall over the negotiating papers produced by the UK.
Mr Barnier said: 'We need UK papers that are clear in order to have constructive negotiations.
'And the sooner we remove the ambiguity, the sooner we will be in a position to discuss the future relationship and a transitional period.'
Police are investigating after a man was found dead inside an apartment in Sydneys southeast.
Emergency services were called to the unit on Namatjira Place in Chifley about 6.20pm on Wednesday after a woman found her 47-year-old friend dead.
Officers from Eastern Beaches Local Area Command are currently at the unit and have begun inquiries.
Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the online reporting form.
Police were called to the scene in Chifley in Sydney after a woman found her male friend dead
U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of journalists amounts to an attack on the freedom of the press and could provoke violence against reporters, the United Nations' human rights chief said on Wednesday.
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said Trump had also made worrying remarks about women, Mexicans and Muslims and went on to question the president's approach to immigration and decision to pardon former Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio.
There was no immediate response from the White House on the wide-ranging rebuke of Trump's repeated references to the 'fake media' and some of his other statements and decisions.
'It's really quite amazing when you think that freedom of the press, not only sort of a cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution but very much something that the United States defended over the years is now itself under attack from the President,' the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
President Trump is under fire from the UN's human rights chief who says his attacks on freedom of the press could provoke violence against reporters
'I have to ask the question: Is this not an incitement for others to attack journalists?' asked Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein
'It's sort of a stunning turnaround. And ultimately the sequence is a dangerous one,' he told a news conference in Geneva.
Referring to the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN, he added: 'To call these news organisations 'fake' does tremendous damage and to refer to individual journalists in this way, I have to ask the question is this not an incitement for others to attack journalists?'
Zeid voiced concern that a journalist from the Guardian had been 'assaulted in the United States most recently' but gave no details.
Trump rounded on journalists last week, calling them 'truly dishonest people' and criticizing their coverage of a white supremacist-organized rally in Virginia and the political fallout from his comments that violence there was caused by 'many sides'.
Nazi salutes, swastikas, anti-Semitic slurs and racist references to African-Americans had 'no place in the United States or beyond', Zeid said, in his first comments on the events in Charlottesville.
Trump has also made worrying remarks about women, Mexicans and Muslims, 'mocked a person with disabilities publicly' and issued a directive on a transgender ban in the military, he said.
Trump blasted 'false reporting' on Wednesday morning in the latest of a long series of presidential complaints about his treatment by the media
'The President prides himself as a taboo breaker, indeed his supporters see him as such. But at the time I expressed my feeling that this was grossly irresponsible, because it has consequences, it emboldens those who may think similarly to sharpen their assaults on these communities,' he said.
Zeid voiced deep concern at Trump's pardon of Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt in a racial profiling case that highlighted tensions over immigration policy.
'Does the President support racial profiling, of Latinos in particular, does he support abuse of prisoners? Arpaio referred at one stage to the open-air prison that he set up as a concentration camp, he later recanted said it was a joke,' Zeid said. 'Does the president support this? These actions have consequences.'
Zeid, comparing the leadership role of a U.S. president to a bus driver, said: 'I almost feel that the President is driving the bus of humanity and we're careening down a mountain path.
'And in taking these measures, at least from a human rights perspective, it seems to be reckless driving.'
Police searching for a 'human head' reportedly discovered by a group of young children have returned empty handed after searching for nearly 24 hours.
Officers placed an entire street in Belfast on lockdown after the boys reported having made the gruesome discovery last night, but after an extensive search from around 8pm on Tuesday, police have not found anything.
They searched the Greater Shankill area of the city throughout the night and throughout today after a member of the public who overheard the panicked youngsters talking tipped them off.
Officers sealed off the road in Belfast, after the boys made the gruesome discovery this morning, and are now searching the area in Greater Shankill
Police searched the Greater Shankill area of the city throughout the night and remain on the scene as the investigation continues
The head was supposedly found near an area of dense woodland and the children were heard discussing it having 'grey eyes'.
A resident told Belfast Live: 'I heard them say, I thought it was, ''it's definitely dead, I can see the eyes'', but now I'm thinking it was, ''it's definitely a head'' and I heard it wrong.
'The smaller one was kneeling down and he was showing the other two, then they got into a bit of a panic and they were talking about the eyes were grey, something to do with the eyes, and then the next minute the bus was coming up and they all ran over and jumped on the bus.'
This is the area of Northern Belfast where the children found what is believed to be a human head
A spokesman for Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that a search was underway, but said that 'no further details' could be released
The head was found near an area of dense woodland and the children were heard discussing it having 'grey eyes'
The narrow road is surrounded by a dense, wooded area, but there is a school, college and Tesco superstore in close proximity.
Detective Inspector Paul Rowland said: 'The search has now concluded and nothing has been found.
'While nothing untoward has been found on this occasion, I would like to encourage members of the public to continue reporting anything they feel is suspicious to police.'
Crossbencher Derryn Hinch is reportedly considering referring himself to the High Court over links to the United States that could disqualify him from the Senate.
Senator Hinch told the Herald Sun he still held a social security card from when he lived in the US, making him eligible for a pension.
'I plan to raise the issue with the Solicitor-General and, if necessary, will refer myself to the High Court acting as the Court of Disputed Returns,' he told the newspaper on Wednesday.
Crossbencher Derryn Hinch (pictured) is reportedly considering referring himself to the High Court over links to the United States that could disqualify him from the Senate
Section 44 of the constitution disqualifies dual-nationals and those 'entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power'.
'I paid a special social security tax for 10 years, on top of regular income tax, which makes me entitled to a pension,' Senator Hinch said.
'I did write to the US Social Security Department instructing them not to pay that pension because I was now a senator.'
Another five members of parliament, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, face a High Court test in October of their eligibility to serve as MPs.
An additional two MPs, including cabinet minister Fiona Nash, are set to be referred to the court by parliament next week.
Another five members of parliament, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (right), face a High Court test in October of their eligibility to serve as MPs
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says President Donald Trump 'won't want to avoid hugs' during his next trip to Texas, defending the president for not meeting with victims during his first trip.
Christie, who embraced President Obama during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, said the president's main mission during a brief Tuesday visit was to reassure flood-ravaged residents that they would recover.
He stressed the importance of public officials getting out in public in such situations and predicted that Trump would be getting in close physical contact with devastated survivors soon.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says President Donald Trump 'won't want to avoid hugs' during his next trip to Texas, after an initial trip where Trump met with state and local officials but stayed away from the unfolding catastrophe
'He didnt yesterday because he didnt see the people. I will tell you that when you see those people and I know him, he wont be able to avoid - and wont want to avoid - hugging and making people feel better,' Christie told CNN Wednesday.
'The fact is yesterday was a competence day,' Christie explained, referring to Trump's initial trip.
The White House said Trump didn't want to go to Houston yet to avoid disrupting recovery efforts. Instead, he flew to Corpus Christie 30 miles away, and to Austin, where he got a briefing with state and local officials and his own cabinet members who came along.
Christie responded to some of Trump's comments that may have sounded off key to some.
President Barack Obama comforts Hurricane Sandy victim Dana Vanzant as he visits a neighborhood in Brigantine, New Jersey, on October 31, 2012
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton gets a kiss from three-year-old Mercedes Williams (L), while holding two-year-old Glenn Moore Jr. 03 September, 1992. The children were at an aid station 03 September, in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, where they met Clinton who was touring the devastated areas of South Florida
President George W. Bush hugs hurricane victim Sandra Patterson whose home was destroyed September 2, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) tries to comfort Alice Cimillo whose home was damaged by Superstorm Sandy November 1, 2012 in Moonachie, New Jersey
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, joined by members of the Cabinet, arrive at the Corpus Christi International Airport, Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Corpus Christi, Texas, to receive an onsite briefing on Hurricane Harvey storm relief and rescue efforts Tuesday, August 29, 2017, in Corpus Christi, Texas
President Donald Trump speaks during a tour of the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Texas, U.S., August 29, 2017
Christie spoke about the importance of optics when a chief executive confronts a natural disaster
A car dealership is covered by Hurricane Harvey floodwaters near Houston, Texas August 29, 2017
ARE CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER?: 'Trump told Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 'We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that'
'What a crowd, what a turnout,' said to a group of about a thousand people who lined a highway to see him on his visit.
Trump told Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 'We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that. We don't want to congratulate. We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished,' Trump said at another point.
'I think yesterday he was himself,' Christie told CNN's Chris Cuomo, whose father is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo observed that Christie is a 'hug-a-holic' when asking about the president's performance meeting with Texans. Trump is famously germaphobic, but learned to shake countless hands during his run for the presidency and time in office.
Christie made his prediction of presidential hugs on CNN's 'New Day'
'What he wanted to show was the builders confidence yesterday. That were gonna come down here were going to fix it. He said Youre going to get back on your feet quickly. Were going to get it all done, Christie added.
'Remember the difference here is he wasnt in Houston. He wasnt near victims,' Christie explained.
Christie also took a shot at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a former GOP presidential primary rival who blasted 'pork' in the Sandy relief package that had been stalled in Congress after the devastating hurricane.
'I see Sen. Cruz and its disgusting to me that he stands in a recovery center with victims standing behind him as a backdrop and hes still repeating the same reprehensible lies about what happened in Sandy. And its unacceptable to me. Absolutely unacceptable,' said Christie.
A former Georgia criminal-turned-motivational speaker is on trial for allegedly strangling his mistress and then disposing of her body by burning it in a public park in Gwinnett County.
Charmane Goins, 39, was arrested in December 2014 on charges of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault stemming from the killing of 26-year-old Lauren Janay Taylor.
Taylor's charred remains were discovered by a couple walking their dog in DeShong Park on October 8, 2014.
Murder trial begins: Charmane Goins (left), 39, a reformed gang member from Georgia, is being tried for the 2014 murder of his mistress, 26-year-old Lauren Taylor (right)
Crime scene: Taylor's charred body was discovered in DeShong Park in Gwinnet County, Georgia (pictured) in October 2014
Months later, it was determined that the woman, who was living as a transient, had been strangled to death, doused with gasoline and then set alight in the middle of the night in the park.
Prosecutor Daryl Mans told the jury on Tuesday that there is DNA evidence indicating that hair found in Goins' trunk belonged to Taylor, according to reporting by Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Other evidence in the case that will be presented by the prosecution during the trial this week will include cellphone data tracing Goins' route from Rising Fawn, Georgia, where he had allegedly picked up Taylor, to a spot off of Interstate 285, where his phone was switched off.
In her opening statement on Tuesday, Goins' defense attorney Wanda Jackson pointed a finger of blame for the murder at another man, who has not been charged in this case.
Jackson told the jurors the victim had lived with that man and his wife for a month before they asked her to leave.
After Taylor's killing, the man was found reeking of gasoline and with scratches on his arms. He said the smell and the scratches were from his job.
The defense lawyer also argued that just because her client, who is married with a young daughter, had an extramarital affair with Taylor, it does not mean that he is guilty of murder.
Mentor: Goins had gone from being a gang member and convicted robber to a motivational speaker and mentor to young men in Tennessee
Goins' arrest for Taylor's murder in late 2014 was a dramatic reversal of fortune for the one-time member of the Gangster Disciples street gang, who was able to turn his life around and become a prominent motivational speaker after serving 15 years in prison for an armed robbery, reported Times Free Press.
After leaving prison, Goins opened his own restaurant. When it closed, he joined the staff of the non-profit organization Launch and became part of the Violence Reduction Initiative in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he lived at the time.
As part of the program, which was the pet project of Mayor Andy Berke, Goins spoke at high schools and churches about his journey from a convicted criminal to a mentor.
He often said he wanted to inspire young gang members to renounce violence.
During a pre-trial hearing in 2015, a Gwinnett County police detective testified that a few days before Lauren Taylor's body was found in the park, Goins had come clean to a friend about his affair and told him he needed 'to figure out how to get rid of [Taylor], reported Gwinnett Daily Post.
Unfaithful: Goins, a married dad, admitted to police that he had an affair with Taylor, whose criminal record included prostitution charges (pictured right in a 2013 mugshot)
When police initially spoke to Goins, he told them he and his wife had being paying for her hotel rooms and helped her find a job. He later admitted to an affair with the younger woman, whose criminal record included drug possession and prostitution charges.
He claimed that on October 7, 2014, he had picked up Taylor and dropped her off at a mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
After her scorched body was discovered in the Georgia park, police went through her cellphone content and reportedly found text messages from October 6, in which the woman allegedly threatened to expose her tryst with Goins to his wife.
Giant concrete planters have been installed at a tourist hotspot in Benidorm sparking claims police are trying to protect holidaymakers from potential terror attacks.
The heavyweight containers have been placed at entrances to an area known as British Square, which is packed with bars and restaurants.
Residents believe it is aimed at preventing a repeat of the deadly terror attack in Barcelona earlier this month, in which ISIS-inspired jihadists drove a van through crowds on the city's Las Ramblas boulevard.
Benidorm local Mike Skinner put photos of the planters on the Benidorm and Costa Blanca News and Information Forum on Facebook, adding that there had been 'lots of heavily armed police on patrol'.
Giant concrete planters have been installed at a tourist hotspot in Benidorm sparking claims police are trying to protect holidaymakers from potential terror attacks
The heavyweight containers have been placed at entrances to an area known as British Square, which is packed with bars and restaurants
According to The Sun, Mr Skinner said: 'Huge plants in concrete pots placed at each side of British Square in Benidorm outside Cafe Benidorm and Lucky Rocks.'
Police in Benidorm are yet to comment on the claims.
But locals have already had their say on the apparent safety measure at the tourism hotspot, which is known for attracting large numbers of British holidaymakers.
Scott Blair described the installations as a 'good move' while Ann Robson said it was 'sad but necessary'.
It comes days after a 51-year-old German woman died from injuries suffered in the August 17 vehicle attack in Barcelona, raising the overall death toll in Spain's recent attacks to 16.
Residents believe it is aimed at preventing a repeat of the deadly terror attack in Barcelona earlier this month, in which ISIS-inspired jihadists drove a van through crowds on the city's Las Ramblas boulevard
The woman died in the intensive care unit of Barcelona's Hospital del Mar, according to the regional health department.
The death raised the toll to 14 in the van attack in Barcelona's popular Las Ramblas boulevard.
Another man was stabbed to death in a carjacking that night as the van driver made his getaway, and another woman died in an August 18 vehicle-and-knife attack in the nearby coastal town of Cambrils.
More than 120 people were wounded in the attacks. Authorities say 24 remain hospitalised, five of them in critical condition.
On Saturday, an estimated 500,000 peace marchers flooded the heart of Barcelona shouting 'I'm not afraid' - a public rejection of violence following extremist attacks, Spain's deadliest in more than a decade.
Emergency workers, taxis drivers, police and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the Las Ramblas attack led the march. They carried a street-wide banner with black capital letters reading 'No Tinc Por,' which means 'I'm not afraid' in the local Catalan language.
Benidorm local Mike Skinner put photos of the planters on the Benidorm and Costa Blanca News and Information Forum on Facebook, adding that there had been 'lots of heavily armed police on patrol'
The phrase has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to violence into a slogan that Spain's entire political class has unanimously embraced.
Spain's central, regional and local authorities tried to send an image of unity Saturday by walking behind the emergency workers, despite earlier criticism that national and regional authorities had not shared information about the attackers well enough with each other.
In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI joined a public demonstration, walking in Barcelona along with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other officials. A separate anti-violence rally was held in the northern town of Ripoll, home to many of the attackers.
Eight suspects in the attacks are dead, two are jailed under preliminary charges of terrorism and homicide and two more were freed by a judge but will remain under investigation.
Joel Osteen has become the butt of many jokes online for his delayed reaction to Hurricane Harvey.
The televangelist has been widely criticized for failing to open his 17,000-seat church to flooding evacuees sooner.
The multi-millionaire preacher tweeted Monday that his church was 'inaccessible' despite photos that showed it was mostly unharmed in the hurricane.
Since then, many have been pointing out the hypocrisy of Osteen's Christianity online with hilarious memes.
One of the memes shows Osteen crying during an impassioned speech, and reads: 'Lord, I will open the church for $50 a head.'
Several memes are circulating online, making fun of televangelist Joel Osteen for his delayed reaction to Hurricane Harvey
Osteen's church wasn't opened to flood evacuees until Tuesday, and many have called Osteen's delayed reaction to the crisis un-Christian
Osteen defended his response, saying the city didn't initially ask the church to be a shelter and that there were safety concerns from a previous flood
Joel Osteen shedding tears for the people who need his help in Houston. pic.twitter.com/93qcwzEJZL Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) August 28, 2017
Many of the memes drew attention to Osteen's enormous wealth.
'Osteen is now accepting donations for Harvey relief. Here is his house, in case you were wondering where your donations went,' one meme reads, showing a picture of his lavish home.
Others were pointed out how un-Christian his delayed response to the hurricane was.
'I don't remember a scene in the New Testament where Jesus had to have his arm twisted before he'd help the sick & poor,' one meme read, including a picture of Jesus.
Osteen has been blocking many of his critics on Twitter.
He has also come out in several television interviews to defend his actions, saying he didn't open his doors immediately because the city had not asked Lakewood Church to act as a shelter and that there were safety concerns over a previous flood that happened at the church.
The building is now being used as a temporary shelter and distribution center for hurricane relief.
Joel Osteen: God be with my fellow Texans.
Fellow Texans: Can we stay at your church.
Joel Osteen: pic.twitter.com/d0SMUXdJF8 Jackson (@realJaxonStone) August 29, 2017
Joel Osteen: "Praying for everyone in Houston!"
Can we use your church?
Joel Osteen: pic.twitter.com/zTtJJgUuhD trigga trev szn (@TrevJSiemian) August 29, 2017
Twitter: Open your church for shelter, Joel!
Joel Osteen: pic.twitter.com/6oPqAlJ9O9 James Davis (@JDouglasDavis) August 29, 2017
Joel Osteen when people who funded his $56,000,000 net worth in his city are in desperate need for shelter. pic.twitter.com/zrJvmYAkvq Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) August 28, 2017
Someone said that not only do Joel Osteen and Lord Baelish (Littlefinger) look alike, they also act alike pic.twitter.com/SUYgU4Rdz3 N Y A W I R A (@GraceJustBeing) August 29, 2017
When you thought this 'man of God' (@JoelOsteen) was doing the right thing and then you see this video.. pic.twitter.com/wJCMousEuh (@IllCx_22) August 29, 2017
When the beautiful people of Houston ask Joel Osteen for the same donations they've been giving his church pic.twitter.com/hrWun5DV56 Trizz (@Tr1zz) August 28, 2017
Pastor. I dont understand why we dont just open up the church for shelter. What would Jesus do?
Joel Osteen: pic.twitter.com/IuiVnkrkgD Ryan Belk (@rbelk_94) August 30, 2017
LIVE footage of Joel Osteen while on top of the Lakewood Church during #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/13u7gEI3A9 Maestro Hot Dog (@maestrohotdog) August 30, 2017
The US-led coalition carried out an air strike today to block ISIS militants evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, the group's spokesman confirmed.
Hundreds of ISIS fighters and civilians were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a controversial ceasefire agreement and were headed to a town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq controlled by ISIS.
'To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge,' said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon, without providing further details on the exact location.
A convoy carrying members of ISIS and their families is seen in Syria's Qalamoun region on August 28, 2017 as they are transported to the eastern province of Deir Ezzor
'IS [Islamic State] is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution,' he added.
The evacuation deal was negotiated between ISIS and powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighboring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.
Hezbollah had fought a week-long offensive against ISIS on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of a deal that would see ISIS forces bussed hundreds of miles from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq.
Some 300 Jihadists and nearly as many family members, including children, left the border region two days ago, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at the entrance to Deir Ezzor province.
'We know and understand that there are civilians' aboard the buses, Dillon said.
'If we are able to strike them without harming civilians, then we will do so,' he said, adding that the coalition was monitoring the convoy's movement in real time.
Asked whether the presence of civilians had prompted the coalition to bomb the road instead of the convoy itself, Dillon said that would be 'consistent' with protocol.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that there was a delay in the buses reaching Deir Ezzor province but did not specify why.
Syrian military sources reached by AFP declined to comment.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, center, on Wednesday declared victory against ISIS in a live statement praising the Lebanese army
The evacuation agreement had sparked a furious reaction from the United States, which considers Hezbollah to be a 'terrorist' organization.
'Irreconcilable #ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across #Syria to the Iraqi border without #Iraq's consent,' US presidential envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk said Wednesday.
'Our @coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter #Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling "caliphate"', he wrote on Twitter.
It was also met with outrage in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi describing it as 'unacceptable' and an 'insult to the Iraqi people.'
Iraqi forces, who reseized second city Mosul from IS in July after a nine-month battle, are fighting the last pocket of jihadists in the northern province of Nineveh.
A statement released following Wednesdays air strike said that the coalition 'was not a party to any agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and ISIS.'
US presidential envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition Brett McGurk blasted the ceasefire deal that allowed the evacuation to take place
McGurk railed against the ISIS 'terrorists' and vowed that the coalition will stop them from entering Iraq
The press release, shared by McGurk on Twitter, further stated that 'Russian and pro-regime counter ISIS words ring hollow when they cut deals and allow terrorists to transit territory under their control.
'ISIS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with, is not a lasting solution. This is just further evidence why Coalition military action is necessary to defeat ISIS in Syrian.
After reiterating that rather than strike the convoy vehicles, the Collation instead damaged the road between Hamayamah and Abdul Kamal to prevent further transit, the statement concluded with the words: 'the Coalition will take action against ISIS whenever and wherever we are able to without harming civilians.'
The deal was even controversial in Lebanon, where opponents were angry that ISIS fighters were travelling 'on air-conditioned buses' after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops.
On Wednesday, Lebanon's president and the chief of the army hailed the 'victory' scored against ISIS in the campaign.
'Today, we are announcing Lebanon's victory against terrorism. I dedicate this victory to all Lebanese, who can be proud of their army,' President Michel Aoun said at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut.
After Sunday's deal, Jihadists who had surrendered led Lebanese authorities to human remains believed to belong to Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by ISIS in 2014.
The Lebanese army had called the fate of the soldiers a 'top concern' in its week-long offensive against the group.
A British-born joiner who received a 'terrifying' letter telling him to leave the country, has been told he can now stay, as the Home Office admits it bungled his application.
Shane Ridge, who was born in the UK to an Australian-born mother, was told he didn't have a right to be in the country after he applied for Right to Abode.
But the Home Office has today admitted, just hours after his plea on television this morning, that it forgot to identify his British-born maternal grandmother.
Mr Ridge can therefore stay in the country, with no threat of deportation, but said he was not impressed by the hasty email apology after days of stress and confusion.
Sue Ebbs with her son Shane Ridge, who was told he does not have lawful basis to remain in the UK, on Good Morning Britain today. He has now been told he can stay in the UK
Shane Ridge, with his girlfriend Jodie. He received a Home Office letter telling him to leave the UK, even though he was born here. Now a second letter admits they made a mistake
He said: 'It was a blunder on their part. They dont even sound bothered really. The amount of stress and stuff Ive been through, its horrible.
'I cant believe they are just brushing it under the carpet. Fair enough they have "sorted" it now which Im really happy about but it's a bit poor on their side.
'I cant wait to get home and give my family a big hug.
'Its blown my mind. Im just so pleased it is sorted and want to thank everyone for the amount of support I received.
'Im annoyed that after all this stress and lack of sleep and panic, all it took was someone to ring me and say "sorry we missed something out" and Im suddenly a British citizen.'
A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have now established that Mr Ridge is automatically a British citizen. We have spoken with Mr Ridge to apologise for this error and the distress caused.
'When Mr Ridge applied for Right of Abode, we did not identify that his maternal grandmother was British and that as a result his mother had settled status in the UK at the time of his birth.'
Mr Ridge was born in Yorkshire, but his mother Sue Ebbs, who has dual citizenship, was born in the UK.
Her dual citizenship wasn't enough to give him the right to stay in Britain on its own, because she wasn't married to his father when he was born.
The Home Office letter says he has no lawful basis to be in the UK, and tells him to leave the country immediately
The mother and son explained that they have not heard about the future since the letter two weeks ago. Ms Ebbs said her other children have two passports, British and Australian
Last week, the 21-year-old got a 'terrifying' letter in the post from the Home Office, telling him he had 'no lawful basis to be in the UK'.
Now, he said he is furious at only receiving a quick apology via email from the Home Office for the mistake, which left his family and friends heartbroken.
His girlfriend, Jodie Singleton, had even set up an online petition which reached more than 2,000 signatures in 20 hours, calling for Mr Ridge to be allowed to stay in his home country.
He added: 'I hadnt actually made any plans to leave my job or say goodbye to friends and family because it was all too surreal.
'I was just in denial, hoping it wouldnt happen. I didnt want to face the reality of it if it did.
'I genuinely wouldnt have known what to do. It would have truly broken me.
'I havent eaten or slept properly for the past week since I received the letter. It has been horrible.'
His mother, Ms Ebbs, a school caterer, said: 'Im pretty annoyed and relieved at the same time.
'All along I was thinking, "how is he not a citizen or why doesnt he have right of abode?"
'How quickly has this turned around? Its unbelievable how someone failing to do their job right resulted in this.
'I cant wait to get him home and have a cup of tea and some cake.
'Its been such a stressful week. Ive felt so hopeless but Im over the moon.
'In a way, Im glad I have been off school due to the holidays. I wouldnt have been able to cope - Id have broke down in front of the children.
'We havent had it in writing yet but Im half excited. I cant wait to get him home to the other children.
'Shane paid a lot of money for the forms to be rejected. It should be refunded.'
And girlfriend Miss Singleton said: 'Shane has tried his hardest in life compared to many people his age and they were throwing it back in his face. I dont know what I would do without him.
'They would be ripping us apart if they deported him, I wouldnt have any rights to stay in Australia. This was literally my worst nightmare.
'Im really happy with the news but Im still a bit shocked at the fact we have had to go to the media for the government to realise their mistake. I dont think I could cope if he were to be send away.'
Earlier today, mother and son appeared on Good Morning Britain to fight their case.
Speaking on the show, Ms Ebbs said: 'I just don't understand. My two other children have got British citizenship and Australian citizenship.
'I've a little boy at six, me and his dad are still together, so because the law has changed, he can have it.'
Calling the letter and chain of events 'bizarre', she added: 'I can't understand what's happening to my son.'
He told the show the Home Office had found him through the DVLA, but he couldn't understand the timing, having had a provisional license since he was 16.
He told the show they had found him through the DVLA, but he couldn't understand the timing, having had a provisional license since he was 16
Ms Ebbs explained if Mr Ridge had been born a year after he was, or if she had been married to his father, this conversation would not have been happening.
Because Mr Ridges parents never married, Mr Ridge does not have an automatic right to citizenship and must apply for his 'right of abode' under his fathers British citizenship.
However, the matter has now been resolved, as Ms Ebbs' mother is a British citizen, giving her settled status.
UK law states that, if a child was born before July 2006, the fathers British nationality will normally only automatically pass to the child if he was married to the mother at the time of the birth.
Applications will usually be accepted if the child would have automatically been a citizen if their parents had been married.
Last week, he said: 'It's surreal. This is the only letter I have ever received in relation to me having to leave the country. It just came through my letterbox out of the blue.
'The last bit scared me the most - "leave the UK voluntarily". I'm speechless - I don't know what I can say.
Despite six years working here, being educated here and even passing his driving test here, he was told by the Home Office that he is not a British citizen
Above with brother Liam, mother Sue Ebbs and older brother Connor. He said he had been worried about his half-siblings, as his mother is not married to their father
'I received the letter from Immigration Enforcement saying they were going to revoke my driving licence and I should leave the UK voluntarily or face a 5,000 fine.
'I'm confused and worried that I'll have to leave my entire family behind and move to a country that I don't know.
'I don't understand it because I was born in the UK. I did my GCSEs here, I've worked for six years, I pay tax and national insurance.
'Me and my girlfriend rented a house, I vote, I use the NHS and opened a bank account without any problems, ever.
'I've had my car for five months and before that, I had a provisional licence since I was 17.
'Nothing has ever flagged up that I don't have British citizenship until I went to apply for a passport last year to go on holiday with my girlfriend and my application was declined.'
Mr Ridge, who was educated in the UK, and did his GCSEs here, shown right, was left totally perplexed by the letter
His girlfriend Jodie, pictured with him and little brother Liam, five, was furious about the letter and even set up a petition
Mr Ridge successfully applied for and holds an Australian passport, which he was granted after he tried to get a British passport but was turned down.
He has travelled abroad with it, but had to have a temporary solution for returning to the UK with it when he got home, which he negotiated with the passport office in Liverpool. He says he had no idea until this letter that he was not classed as a British citizen.
The law on citizenship in Britain Currently, if you were born in the UK, you will be a citizen if your mother or father was either: a British citizen when you were born; or settled in the UK when you were born. But, if you were born before July 2006, your fathers British nationality will normally only pass to you if he was married to your mother at the time of your birth. It meant that if your parents weren't married, you must apply to register as a British citizen. Applications will usually be accepted if you would have automatically been a citizen had your parents been married. Source: gov.uk Advertisement
The letter he received last week, declares that the Home Office is working with the DVLA, NHS and banks to 'stop access to benefits and services for those with no lawful basis to be in the UK' - before writing bluntly: 'This includes you.'
It also stated that his driving licence will be revoked and that he must stop driving immediately.
Mr Ridge said: 'I applied for an Australian passport and was accepted because my mum was born there, despite both her parents being British, and therefore she has dual citizenship.
'I went to apply for right of abode myself after receiving this letter and was told by the Home Office that I need to apply for British citizenship first before I can do that.
'I just don't understand how they've just got through to me now.
'I even have a birth certificate with my dad's signature on it - he's British.
'If I cannot get dual citizenship or right of abode, or if this isn't a mistake, I don't know what I'll do.'
An Indian man stands accused of stabbing his mother to death in a fight over money, before cutting out her heart and eating it 'with pepper and chutney'.
Sunil Kuchakurni, 35, visited his mother Yelava, 65, at her home in Mahawala Vasant, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, in northern India to ask her for money.
Sunil, an unemployed alcoholic, became furious when refused cash, and so took his mother's kitchen knife and stabbed her.
Yelava Kuchakurni, 65, left, refused to give son Sunil, 35, right, money, he stabbed her
A group of people gathered outside thei house in Kolhapur, northern India after the murder
Local police say he then cut out her intestines and her heart and ate the latter after seasoning it with chutney.
Neighbours reportedly spotted him walking out of the house with blood dripping from his hands approximately an hour after they heard screams and informed the police.
He was eventually arrested under section 302 (Punishment for Murder) of the Indian Penal Code later that day.
Senior Inspector Sanjay More, from Shahupuri Police Station, in Kolhapur, said: 'He was unemployed and surviving on his mother's pension.
'He's an alcoholic and often stole money from his mother.
'His wife and three children moved to Mumbai. His mother was fed up of him and refused to give him more money.'
'Suddenly, in a fit of rage, he gagged her and then stabbed her to death. Later, he took out her heart and placed it on a plate.
Senior Inspector More added that he is now in police custody while the investigation is on going and blood samples being tested to confirm if he ate parts of his mother's body in a fit of rage.
'Some parts of her stomach and her heart were extracted and found next to the body along with pepper and chutney when we reached the scene of the crime,' he added.
'We suspect he must have eaten some of the organs but it will only be confirmed after the medical reports are back.'
Wing Yuen (pictured) is alleged to have helped run the escort agency that saw woman trafficked to the UK from Asia
A bulldog breeder ran a human trafficking gang that smuggled Asian women into the UK and forced them to work as 100-an-hour prostitutes in budget hotels around the country, a court heard.
Hong Chin, 45, managed Royal Esher Bulldogs on a country estate in Surrey while raking in profits from 18 sex workers staying in hotels around Gatwick Airport and the South East and South West, it is claimed.
Chins former partner Li Wei Gao, 44, allegedly helped to advertise women on adultwork.com while she lived near his dog kennel business in Upper Court, Portsmouth Road, Esher.
Customers are said to have paid for sex with cash after the pair used false names to reserve hotel rooms for prostitutes they controlled in Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, Dorset, Thames Valley and Cardiff.
The Old Bailey heard Chins associates Ting Li Lu, 47, and Wing Yeun, 41, helped to run the escort service between February 2013 and June 2015.
Chin, Gao and Lu are also accused of trafficking the women from China and South Korea and around the UK for sexual exploitation.
Prosecutor Dale Sullivan said: The prosecution allege that those three defendants conspired to traffick females for sexual exploitation and they did that in two ways.
Firstly, by bringing girls in from outside the UK from China and Korea, but also once they were here they then moved them from point A to point B to C and so on and so forth.
Ting Li Lu (left) is alleged to have helped run an escort agency alongside Li Wei Gao (right). A court heard prostitutes were forced to work in budget hotels across the UK
He continued: Li Wei Gao lived at Upper Court, Portsmouth Road in Esher. The address is within a country estate comprising a large manor house and smaller properties including dog kennels.
Hong Chin ran that business.
Jurors heard the defendants were charged after a human trafficking investigation called Operation Effect, which saw police identify 18 suspected sex workers staying in hotels including Holiday Inn and Airport Inn in Gatwick.
Mr Sullivan said just nine women were interviewed by police, and only five of them admitted being sex workers, despite being found in hotel rooms littered with used condoms and lubricants.
None of them referred to the defendants by the names they have given to the court, but they did refer to the aliases they allegedly used to book hotel rooms on Booking.com.
The court heard none of the suspected prostitutes provided police with written statements about their movements, working practices or finances.
Chin, of Dunstall, Burton-Upon-Trent, Wei Gao, now of Heathside, Oxshott, Lu, of Somers Road, Portsmouth, and Yeun, of Palace Square, south east London, each deny one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain.
Chin, Gao and Lu also deny two counts of conspiracy to traffic for sexual exploitation.
The trial continues.
A British used car dealer has vanished in Barbados and was last seen in a Burger King car park seven days ago.
Steven Weare, 49, from Kirkham, Lancashire, has not been seen since last Wednesday and police have launched a desperate search to find him.
The missing Brit, who is listed as a director at Fylde Motor Company in Kirkham, is understood to have been selling cars in the Caribbean.
A British used car dealer has vanished in Barbados and was last seen in a Burger King car park seven days ago (file photograph)
The Foreign Office has confirmed officials are in contact with local police and the family of Mr Weare and callers to his firm are being referred to Lancashire Police.
He had reportedly been staying at Newcastle Plantation House, in the St John area on the east of the Caribbean island, when he was reported missing on August 23.
It is reported Mr Weare is a regular visitor to Barbados and his family bought a property there several years ago.
Reports say he was last seen in the car park of a Burger King restaurant on University Drive in Black Rock, near Bridgetown in the St Michael's region.
Mr Weare was driving a silver Mitsubishi Warrior pick-up with the registration number J4000.
The missing Brit, who is listed as a director at Fylde Motor Company in Kirkham, is understood to have been selling cars in the Caribbean (pictured)
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'We are aware he is missing and inquiries are ongoing with police in Barbados to locate him.'
He was wearing a white short-sleeved button-down linen shirt, royal blue chinos and a similar coloured pair of loafers.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: 'Our staff are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Barbados. We are in contact with the local police.'
Reclaimed Creations: Sayaka Ganz
September 5 December 9, 2017, Marion Pelton Gallery
Sayaka Ganzs sculptures of birds, animals, and marine life incorporate discarded plastic objects that have become dangerous to wild creatures. Her works in this exhibition foreground the need to rethink human use and disposal of objects in a world driven by convenience. Ganz has said, "I try to give new life to discarded objects.I get my inspiration from nature and from the movement that we find in nature." She describes her reuse of the found materials as 3D impressionism: The recycled objects appear like brush strokes, separated at close proximity but visibly unified at a distance.
A resident of Indiana, Ganz grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong. She holds a master of fine arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Commissions include a series of four marine life sculptures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. The tour of "Sayaka Ganz: Reclaimed Creations" is produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C., David J. Wagner, Ph.D., curator and tour director."
This exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from the Caroline Peine Charitable Foundation/The Manhattan Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
Related events:
Recycled Art Welcome Back Night for K-State students
Thursday, September 7, 5:30-7 p.m.
KSU Family Day Open House on Sustainability with Recycled Art Workshop
Saturday, October 14, 11 a.m. 1 p.m.
Artist talk by Sayaka Ganz
Thursday, November 9, 5:30 p.m.
A pregnant woman rescued from Hurricane Harvey floodwaters by a human chain and at least two other new mothers are now stuck in Texas hospitals after giving birth during the devastating storms.
Danielle Weeks gave birth to her daughter on Tuesday morning just days after her family's home was completely destroyed in Hurricane Harvey.
She had fled the home in Port Aransas, Texas with her husband William and their home with their two toddler daughters last week before the tropical storm hit.
The family, who had been staying in a hotel in Corpus Christi close to the hospital, had tried to return home on Saturday to see what damage had been done when they learned their home, a car and their RV had been destroyed.
Danielle Weeks gave birth to a baby girl in Corpus Christi, Texas on Tuesday just days after her family's home was destroyed in Hurricane Harvey
Danielle gave birth to the couple's daughter, Loralynn, (above) in a scheduled c-section on Tuesday morning. They are calling the little girl a miracle given the tragedy that has unfolded in the wake of the devastating storm
Days later, Danielle gave birth to the couple's daughter, Loralynn, in a scheduled c-section on Tuesday morning, ABC News reports.
'As long as she is safe, nothing else matters,' William Weeks said of their new daughter.
He is calling her a miracle given the tragedy that has unfolded in the wake of the devastating storm.
The couple are still working out what they will do next once they leave the hospital.
It comes after another new mother, Alison Smith, gave birth to a girl named Adrielle on Monday after initially getting trapped in Houston floodwaters when she went into labor.
Andrea and Greg Smith, of Houston, welcomed their baby daughter Monday, after finding themselves trapped by floodwaters in Houston
A human chain made up of neighbors and firefighters formed outside the Smiths' home Sunday to rescue Andrea. The woman was 38 weeks pregnant with her first baby
Neighbors and firefighters helped form a human chain to help get Alison and her husband Greg - who are both doctors - from their apartment to a nearby dump truck to rush her to the hospital.
The couple had been planning to get to the hospital early before rising floodwaters left them stranded when Andrea went into labor on Sunday at 38 weeks.
They had come to terms with delivering the baby themselves when their rescue crew arrived. Cellphone video shot by a neighbor showed a line of people passing Andrea along until she reached the truck.
'We were soaked,' Greg told People. 'We sat on top of all these fire hoses, while firemen drove us to the hospital. They were careful to go slow and keep us safe.
Ciara Davis Lee of La Porte shared a photo on Facebook on her newborn son after she gave birth with the help of firefighters and police during the storm
Ciara, pictured here with her partner, gave birth to their son Landon on Sunday. She thanked the firefighters and police who helped her get to the hospital mid-storm
'If she were born at home, that wouldn't have been the best place for her,' Greg says. 'I'm so glad she is in the hospital.'
Ciara Davis Lee of La Porte shared a photo on Facebook on her newborn son after she gave birth with the help of firefighters and police during the storm.
'I wanted to thank the firefighters and officers that helped me get from Buc-ees to the hospital in the flood this morning while I was in labor. I did not get your names but my family and I are so grateful for your service,' she wrote.
Her baby boy Landon was born on Sunday.
She had posted on Facebook on Thursday saying: 'Hoping I don't have to change my birth plan to an at home water birth.'
South Korean special forces have plans in place to assassinate Pyongyang dictator Kim Jong-un and his key officials if the tyrant starts a war, it has emerged.
Seoul's top military chiefs have briefed South Korean president Moon Jae-in on the proposals which are said to include sending trained killers deep into North Korea to target the regime's hierarchy.
It comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula were raised yet again after Kim fired a test ballistic missile over Japan, sparking international outrage.
South Korean special forces have plans in place to assassinate Pyongyang dictator Kim Jong-un and his key officials if the tyrant starts a war, it has emerged. South Korean soldiers are pictured on a training exercise today
Seoul's top military chiefs have briefed South Korean president Moon Jae-in on the proposals which include sending trained killers deep into North Korea to target the regime's hierarchy
According to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, Moon has told his military officials to be ready to 'quickly switch to an offensive posture in case North Korea stages a provocation that crosses the line'.
This would include boosting the country's ability to carry out airborne and sea landings as part of a revisions to a strategy in the event of a 'conventional' attack by its northern enemy.
Earlier this month, it was reported that South Korea's military was drawing up plans for a 'surgical strike' to take out Kim Jong-un's missile and nuclear facilities if orders are given to remove the dictator.
Taurus cruise missiles fired from F-15 fighters would be used to destroy the facilities if President Moon Jae-in gives the go ahead in an emergency, it was claimed.
The contingency measure would be initiated by the President's Special Forces, according to reports by Seoul newspaper Munwha Ilbo.
It comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula were raised yet again after Kim Jong-un fired a test ballistic missile over Japan. He is pictured laughing with his top officials at the launch
South Korean soldiers carried out drills with K-9 self-propelled howitzers in Paju, South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his country's ability to contain Guam, state media said on Wednesday
According to reports, the project was being overseen by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Ministry of National Defense.
This morning, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed any diplomatic negotiations with North Korea, saying 'talking is not the answer,' one day after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan that drew international condemnation.
Renewing his tough rhetoric toward North Korea, Trump wrote on Twitter, 'The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!'
Trump, who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States, said in a statement on Tuesday that 'all options are on the table.'
North Korea said the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills and was a first step in military action in the Pacific to 'contain' the U.S. island territory of Guam.
The United Nations on Tuesday condemned as 'outrageous' North Korea's firing of the missile over Japan, demanding that the isolated country halt its weapons program but holding back on any threat of new sanctions.
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, ordered the launch to be conducted for the first time from its capital, Pyongyang, and said more exercises with the Pacific as the target were needed, the North's KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.
'The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam,' KCNA quoted Kim as saying. KPA stands for the Korean People's Army.
North Korea this month threatened to fire four missiles into the sea near Guam, home to a major U.S. military presence, after President Donald Trump said the North would face 'fire and fury' if it threatened the United States.
North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under Kim in defiance of U.N. sanctions, but firing a projectile over mainland Japan was a rare and provocative move
For its part, the U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency announced a 'complex' and successful missile defense flight test off Hawaii early on Wednesday, intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target.
The 15-member Security Council said it was of 'vital importance' that North Korea take immediate, concrete actions to reduce tension and called on all states to implement U.N. sanctions.
However, the U.S.-drafted statement, which was agreed by consensus, does not threaten new sanctions on North Korea.
Diplomats say veto-wielding council members China and Russia typically only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible sanctions.
China's and Russia's ambassadors to the United Nations said they opposed any unilateral sanctions on North Korea and reiterated calls to halt deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was discussing the situation with other Security Council members and would make a 'necessary response' based on the consensus reached. China is the North's lone major ally.
Living in fear: South Koreans watch file footage of a North Korean missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul after the North fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean
Response: A bomb hits a mock target at the Pilseung Firing Range in Gangwon-do, South Korea near the border to the North after on Tuesday as the South continues military drills
'Any measures against North Korea should be under the U.N. Security Council framework, and should be carried out according to Security Council resolutions,' he told a news briefing.
Unilateral sanctions did not accord with international law, Wang added, a reference to sanctions imposed on Chinese firms and citizens by the United States and Japan.
Speaking during a visit to the Japanese city of Osaka, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying Beijing had a key role to play.
Asked about her comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said some 'relevant sides' were only selectively carrying out the U.N. resolutions by pushing hard on sanctions yet neglecting to push for a return to talks.
She said this was not the attitude 'responsible countries' should have when the 'smell of gunpowder' remained strong over the Korean peninsula.
'When it comes to sanctions, they storm to the front but when it comes to pushing for peace they hide at the very back,' Hua told a daily news briefing.
Tuesday's test was of the same Hwasong-12 missile Kim had threatened to use on Guam, but the test flight took it in another direction, over northern Japan's Hokkaido and into the sea.
North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under Kim in defiance of U.N. sanctions, but firing a projectile over mainland Japan was a rare and provocative move.
The 2,700 km (1,680 miles) that the missile flew before splashing down was much shorter and at a lower trajectory than that of an earlier launch of the same missile type.
The U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency and the crew of the USS John Paul Jones conducted a 'complex missile defense flight test' off Hawaii early on Wednesday, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said.
'We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone in giving our Aegis BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) ships an enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase,' said agency director Lieutenant General Sam Greaves in a statement, without mentioning North Korea.
'We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves.'
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This unmistakeable camouflage-coloured Ferrari 458 custom designed by the flamboyant Lapo Elkann is available to purchase for 250,000 Euros at auction.
It was customized by Elkann, grandson of Gianni Agnelli, the former president of Fiat and unofficial 'king of Italy'.
As well as the one-off camouflage paint scheme Elkann also opted for peace signs on the front wings.
The one-off Ferrari 458 is available to buy at auction next month where it has a guide price of 250,000-350,000 Euros
The camouflage Ferrari 458 was designed by Lapo Elkann, whose grandfather was the driving force behind legendary Italian car giant Fiat
The Farrari 458 is fitted with a 4.5 litre V8 engine in the coupe and can reach top speeds of 202mph
The wheels were painted dark green, with camouflage calipers for the carbon ceramic brakes to match and even the engine bay was given a camouflage detailing.
Inside the car is swathed in dark brown leather with a further camouflage trim on both the steering wheel and dashboard.
The Ferrari 458 sold at a charity auction in 2016 for 1,000,000 Euros to Ron Burkle, an American billionaire investor and philanthropist who has close ties to the Clinton family.
However it is expected to fetch more than half that amount when it appears at the RM Sotheby's auction in the Italian town of Maranello on September 9.
It has a guide price of 250,000 to 350,000 Euros.
Ferrari 458's are sought-after models and reach top speeds of 202mph as well as performing 0-62mph in under 3.4 seconds.
It is fitted with a 4.5 litre V8 engine in the coupe with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The customized Ferrari sold for 1 million euros last year to Ron Burkle, an American billionaire investor
The ostentatious motor customized by Lapo Elkann will go under the hammer in Maranello on September 9
Elkann owned the supercar from 2010 until 2016. He hit the headlines in 2012 when the distinctive vehicle spluttered to a halt on a busy stretch of motorway, forcing him onto the hard shoulder.
He was caught out as he drove from Milan to Genoa and ran out of fuel close to the town of Serravalle and a break down truck was sent to pick up him and his Ferrari up.
In a separate incident the same year he was fined when he illegally parked the car on a tramline in the centre of Milan bringing chaos to the city for several hours before a tow truck removed it.
RM Sotheby's, which described the car as 'undoubtedly the most famous 458 Italia', will auction it off on September 9 in the town best known as the home of Ferrari and the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One racing team.
China is introducing new textbooks into its elementary and middle schools next month that it hopes will help make children aware of 'national sovereignty.'
These new textbooks will cover three main subjects including Chinese language, history along with moral and legal education.
It includes information on islands in the South China Sea that the Chinese government claims are in their jurisdiction.
South China Sea: This bird eye view shows the scenery of Xisha Islands
A Chinese teacher watches over schoolchildren at a classroom in Hefei (File photo)
Female solders celebrate the International Women's Day by taking part in a drill on the Yongxing Island in the South China Sea
The new textbooks will be introduced in schools starting on September 1.
According to state mouth piece the People's Daily, the books will include texts on the country's revolutionary heroes and traditions while also having sections on Chinese people's wish to defend 'national territories.'
It also shows students facts and materials it claims proves China's legitimate sovereignty over Tibet, Taiwan and the islands in the South China Sea.
According to the report, the textbooks will enhance international consciousness and look at the world with an 'open mind and open vision' and help students absorb the civilised achievements created by mankind.
Satellite view of a South China Sea land reclamation project happening on the Fiery Cross Reef
Schoolboys are taught in a Shanghai classroom (File photo)
Chinese aircraft carrier fleet operates during a training at South China Sea
China claims all territory in the South China Sea. However Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims on parts of the sea.
The South China Sea is a potentially energy rich area. China has already started to build manmade islands in the disputed area including a base.
The base on the hotly-contested Spratly Islands has been outfitted with 24 fighter-sized hangars, runways, water and fuel storage, a large port, communications equipment, fixed-weapon positions and a barracks.
This year has been a particularly tense year for the South China Sea area.
In January, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that China should not be allowed to access the islands it had built in the region.
Tillerson said: 'We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and second your access to those islands is not going to be allowed.'
He also compared China's actions to that of 'Russia's taking of Crimea'.
Tillerson's remarks caused Chinese state media to say at the time that the United States would need to 'wage war' to stop them from accessing the islands.
Malcolm Turnbull has condemned the behaviour of North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un, warning that war would be suicidal for the young leader.
The Prime Minister said North Korea was risking an unwinnable war, and bristled at a suggestion President Donald Trump was part of the problem.
Mr Turnbull called on the North Korean leader to 'come to his senses' and said China needs to use its economic clout to bring the reclusive nation into line.
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Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has condemned the behaviour of North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un, warning that war would be suicidal for the young leader
The Prime Minister said North Korea (pictured is North Korean leader Kim Jong-un) was risking an unwinnable war, and bristled at a suggestion President Donald Trump was part of the problem
Mr Turnbull called on the North Korean leader to 'come to his senses' and said neighbouring China needs to use its economic clout to bring the reclusive nation into line (pictured is a North Korean ballistic missile test)
'If the leader of North Korea continues down this provocative track, the risk of war gets greater all the time,' Mr Turnbull told A Current Affair.
'If he starts a war the reality, however, is he will lose it instantly. It would be a suicide note on his part.'
Mr Turnbull said Kim Jong-un is behaving recklessly and provocatively, and is trying to intimidate his neighbours and even the United States.
When asked what to do about two 'unpredictable' world leaders with the power to use nuclear weapons, Mr Turnbull strongly rejected the comparison.
'If the leader of North Korea continues down this provocative track, the risk of war gets greater all the time,' said Mr Turnbull (pictured)
Mr Turnbull said Kim Jong-un (pictured) is behaving recklessly and provocatively, and is trying to intimidate his neighbours and even the United States
'I think you're being very unfair to President Trump. Kim Jong-un is behaving in a manner that is illegal, dangerous, reckless and provocative.
'He is threatening the region, he's threatening the world. He has to come to his senses,' he said.
He went on to say that no one desires a military conflict, and stressed the importance of the economic sanctions in place on North Korea.
Mr Turnbull's comments come after the North Korean regime test-fired a missile over Japan on Tuesday, raising tensions in the region.
He went on to say that no one desires a military conflict, and stressed the importance of the economic sanctions in place on North Korea (pictured is leader Kim Jong-un)
'I think you're being very unfair to President Trump (pictured). Kim Jong-un is behaving in a manner that is illegal, dangerous, reckless and provocative. He is threatening the region, he's threatening the world. He has to come to his senses,' said Mr Turnbull
Mr Turnbull's comments come after the North Korean regime test-fired a missile (pictured is a Kuly test in North Korea) over Japan on Tuesday, raising tensions in the region
The test infuriated both Japan and South Korea, with the latter conducting a bombing test of its own.
President Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday night to condemn the North Korean regime.
'The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!' he wrote.
President Trump took to Twitter (pictured) on Wednesday night to condemn the North Korean regime
North Korea's latest missile test infuriated both Japan and South Korea, with the latter conducting a bombing test of its own (pictured)
North Korea (pictured is a North Korean military exercise) has already been hit by tough sanctions agreed upon less than a month ago which may be strengthened following the latest launch
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was 'now working with other members of the Security Council to discuss the recent developments of the situation.'
North Korea has already been hit by tough sanctions agreed upon less than a month ago which may be strengthened following the latest launch.
Previous sanctions have had little effect, however, and the impoverished nation has continued with its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs regardless.
Ms Suryana has been placed on a six-month good behaviour bond
He is also facing charges over damages caused that day
She fronted Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday with her partner
She took her frustration out on the novelty dessert being held by an employee
Tiara Suryana was upset by being refused third helping of bubble tea sweetener
A 25-year-old beautician has been placed on a six-month good behaviour bond after she pleaded guilty to destroying a novelty cake over a bubble tea that wasn't sweet enough.
Tiara Suryana became enraged after being refused a third helping of sweetening syrup at Sydney's Gong Cha bubble tea shop in May.
She fronted Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday alongside her partner, Fayez Saadie, who has also been charged with damages caused that day.
25-year-old beautician, Tiara Suryana (above), pleaded guilty on Wednesday to destroying a novelty cake after she was denied a third helping of bubble tea sweetener
Ms Suryana allegedly attacked a $120 bikini cake an employee was holding after he refused to give her a refund for not adding more syrup to her beverage
The employee at the centre of the bubble tea debacle, 20-year-old Chien-Liang 'Jeffrey' Liu, stood by his decision to deny Ms Suryana extra sweetener, the Daily Telegraph reports.
'We do ask customers if they want more syrup or more sugar and usually they say, 'yes please', we add it, and then they leave,' he said outside court on Wednesday.
'But for this customer, I don't know why she just kept asking for more and more and more, and we can't just give customers a triple amount of syrup.'
The incident occurred at Sydney's Gong Cha bubble tea shop (pictured above) in May
Ms Suryana allegedly attacked the $120 bikini cake that Mr Liu was holding, after he refused to give her a refund for not adding more syrup.
The cake had apparently been delivered to the store moments beforehand and was in preparation for another employee's birthday.
'It was my work colleague's birthday and we were trying to make it a surprise for her but then the woman got mad because we didn't make her drink sweet enough and then she flipped my cake,' Mr Liu explained.
The cake had apparently been delivered to the store moments beforehand and was in preparation for another employee's birthday
Mr Liu admitted to making physical contact with the disgruntled customer after she destroyed the novelty dessert, before demanding that she pay to replace it.
It is alleged her partner, Mr Saadie, became involved when he allegedly pulled appliances from the counter and smashed the retailer's mugs.
He faces charges of destroying or damaging property with value exceeding $2000, but is yet to enter a plea with the case still before the courts.
A woman pull out a loaded gun on Monday afternoon in a Novi, Michigan, Walmart during a fight over school supplies.
Two women, aged 32 and 46, reached for a notebook in the Back to School section of Walmart.
A 20-year-old woman and her mother, 51, also tried to reach for the same piece of stationary, and prompted a violent brawl, according to police.
Neither duo would back down. Two women began pulling the younger woman's hair, so her mother tried to intervene.
When the mother was shoved out of the way, she allegedly reacted by pulling out a loaded gun, telling the women to stop attacking her daughter.
A video taken by another customer shows two women who appear to be the 20-year-old and her mother emerging from the school supply aisle. In the background one of the another woman can be seen pointing at the two
Another woman who appears to have been involved comes out of the aisle with her phone to her ear saying: 'She just pulled a gun'
The fight quickly ended as customers were seen running away and police were called.
'It was a senseless act of violence all the way around,' Novi Police Detective Scott Baetens said.
A man took a video right after the fight was broken up.
The video shows each of the parties talking to Walmart employees about what happened.
A girl in a pink shirt, presumed to be the 20-year-old walks out of the school supply aisle in tears with her mother.
Behind her another woman comes out of the aisle with her phone to her ear saying: 'She just pulled a gun.'
The man walks through the surrounding aisle's trying to get more information on what happened as the store is evacuated.
He can be heard saying: 'I'm just trying to buy some stuff.'
The 20-year-old cries as her mother explains what happened to an employee
A fourth woman who appears to have been involved explains the situation to employees
The woman on the phone appears to be at the store with two children
Novi Police Detective Scott Baetens told FOX2 that the mother had a Concealed Pistol License.
Novi Police need more witnesses to come forward and they are working to get surveillance video from the Walmart.
Prosecutors hope to determine who the aggressors were and if the woman pulled the gun in self defense. All four women are facing possible charges.
'A simple assault could be just a local ordinance, a 90-day misdemeanor,' Baetens says. 'All the way up to felonious assault with a firearm, which is a felony.'
Police say the gun was loaded but no round was in the chamber. No one was hurt.
It is unclear who ultimately got the notebook.
Samim Bigzad, pictured in Margate, was saved from deportation after a pilot refused to fly him from Britain - but the Home Office will try again
The Home Office will try to deport an Afghan asylum seeker again after the pilot of a plane removing him from Britain refused to take off because he was 'crying and shouting'.
Samim Bigzad, 22, who came to the UK via Calais in the back of a lorry two years ago, is in a immigration detention centre near Gatwick today after his last minute reprieve.
On Saturday Home Office guards had taken Mr Bigzad on to a Turkish Airlines plane from Heathrow to Istanbul, where he was due to fly on to Kabul.
But witnesses said he became 'hysterical' before pilot came out of the cockpit and reportedly told guards: 'You're not going to take him, I'm not flying. Someone's life is at risk.'
Mr Bigzad - who came to the UK aged 20 to be with his father and cousin - was said to have been screaming at officials: 'I'm going to get killed in Afghanistan.'
He had been staying with a British woman, Kavel Rafferty, in Margate for four months.
She told the Independent: The last message Id had from him just said, theyve come to take me and then the phone was switched off. But then he rang that night and told me, the pilot said no. He was relieved and shocked it was a lot to go through in one day.
Samim is believed to be taken back to the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport, where he was able to call his supporters and tell him he was still in the UK.
The Home Office today refused to comment on the case but a Border Agency source said they would be trying to remove him again.
Mr Bigzad, 22, pictured, came to the UK two years ago via the migrant camps at Calais and was living close to his father and cousin in Margate
Hours before the Turkish Airlines plane took off campaigners approached unwitting passengers at the check-in desk to explain their flight was being used for a forcible deportation (stock photo)
His supporters hope the delay will help them build an appeal and 3,248 have signed a petition calling for him to stay in the UK.
The Afghan national is said to have been threatened with beheading by the Taliban because of his job at a construction company with links to the country's government as well as American firms - both enemies of the jihadists.
EU rules that give pilots the power to deny boarding Regulations issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency give pilots the power to deny boarding - and even refuse to take off. They state that captains are responsible for 'the safety of the aircraft and of all crew members, passengers and cargo on board during aircraft operations'. The EU rules add that pilots 'have the authority to refuse carriage' to anyone who 'may represent a potential hazard'. Advertisement
After arriving in the UK in November 2015 he moved to Kent to care for his father - a British citizen and former Afghan national who was tortured by the Taliban in the 1990s. His cousin Arash is also thought to live in the Kent area.
Following death threats made by phone, Mr Bigzad fled to Britain via Turkey, Greece and France before ultimately hiding in the back of a lorry crossing to Britain.
Despite his family link to the UK he was denied asylum and permission to appeal and held by the Home Office in July after a meeting at an immigration office in London.
Hours before the plane took off campaigners approached unwitting passengers at the check-in desk to explain their flight was being used for a forcible deportation in a bid to get the message passed to the jet's crew.
Bridget Chapman, who organised the trip, told the Independent's Lizzie Dearden: 'We asked people to do whatever they were comfortable with raising it with airline staff.'
'Airport security asked us to stop after a while, but by that point most people had boarded.'
Under EU aviation regulations pilots have the final say over who boards their plane as well as if or when it takes off.
The rules state that captains are responsible for the 'safety of the aircraft and of all crew members, passengers and cargo on board'.
Turkish Airlines was unavailable for comment last night.
A Home Office spokesman said their policy on which countries people can be deported to is based on a careful and objective assessment of available evidence from a range of sources including media outlets, local, national and international organisations, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, adding: We continually review our country policy to ensure it is up-to-date, so that staff can make fair and considered decisions.
Another felon's mugshot has taken social media by storm, landing him a modeling contract.
Mekhi Alante Lucky, 20, from North Carolina, has been signed with Atlanta-based St Claire's Modeling Agency.
Arrested in April 2016 for speeding and driving a stolen vehicle, Twitter account Wake Mugshots 'discovered' Lucky. The mugshot went viral on social media with the 20-year-old being dubbed 'Prison Bae'.
Mekhi Alante Lucky's mugshot has taken social media by storm, and landed him a modeling contract (pictured, April 2016)
After being dubbed 'Prison Bae' by social media users, Lucky signed with Atlanta-based St Claire's Modeling Agency (modeling for Ahmad Barber)
Since being signed, Lucky has had the opportunity to shoot with famed fashion photographers such as Ahmad Barber and Christian Cody (modeling for Ahmad Barber)
The new model has already amassed 20,000 followers since being introduced (modeling for McKayla Chandler)
The agency 'introduced' Lucky as a client last week, and he's already done high-fashion shoots arranged by the agency and amassed 20,000 followers.
Lucky's pictures went viral to his unique condition of having one blue eye and one brown.
Having irises with different colors is called heterochromia, which affects about 20 percent of the world's population.
The agency 'introduced' Lucky as a client last week, and he's already done high-fashion shoots arranged by the agency. Lucky's pictures went viral to his unique condition of having one blue eye and one brown eye (Pictured, left in November 2016, and right in December 2016)
Lucky has been arrested five times between April 2016 and December 2016. In addition to the stolen vehicles charges, the model has been booked for alleged assault on a female, alleged breaking and entering plus resisting a public officer, and twice, for a misdemeanor violations of his parole
Despite his recent string of good fortune, Lucky has had a troublesome past, being arrested five times between April 2016 and December 2016.
In addition to the stolen vehicles charges, the model was booked for alleged assault on a female, alleged breaking and entering plus resisting a public officer, and twice, for a misdemeanor violations of his parole.
In 2014, Jeremy Meeks was arrested on firearm charges and grand theft. His subsequent mugshot went viral on social media and earned him the moniker 'Hot Felon' (above)
This helped to launch a modeling career for Meeks when he was released from prison in September 2016 (pictured backstage at Philipp Plein Fall/Winter 2017/2018 in February)
Of course, Lucky is not the first felon to gain fame for his good looks.
In 2014, Jeremy Meeks of California was arrested on firearm charges and grand theft.
His subsequent mugshot went viral on social media and earned him the moniker 'Hot Felon', which launched a modeling career for him when he was released from prison in September 2016.
Meeks is currently dating Chloe Green, daughter of billionaire Sir Philip Green and heiress to the Topshop empire.
The police investigation into the alleged gang rape of a British holidaymaker in Magaluf has stalled after the woman declined to make a formal statement.
The 19-year-old Scot gave cops a photograph of one of the three men she claimed raped her on a beach near the Punta Ballena party strip hours after she was allegedly targeted.
But it emerged today she failed to follow up her initial alert with a detailed written statement.
Sources close to the investigation said detectives had gone to her hotel after her no-show at a police station as arranged but left after being told she didn't want to pursue the matter.
The Punta Ballena strip in Magaluf, where a woman says she was raped on a beach (file image)
She is also thought to have failed to go to hospital for an examination which could prove crucial in bringing a successful prosecution against the men she alleged forced themselves on her in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A well-placed insider said today: 'The fact she has not made a formal statement means the investigation is pretty much in stand-by status at the moment.
'It hasn't been shelved but it's unlikely to proceed without a formal victim complaint.
'The holidaymaker still has time to make one and can do so when she's back in her home country.'
Another insider added: 'Police don't know why she has decided for the time being not to make a formal statement and it doesn't necessarily mean she isn't the victim of a horrendous sex crime as she initially claimed.
'But arrests are unlikely to be made unless she changes her mind about making a proper complaint.'
The tourist told officers early on Saturday she agreed to go to a beach near Punta Ballena with one of the men - but was raped by him and two of his uninvited friends.
The Punta Ballena strip is the most popular part of the tourist resort (file image)
She said she had called out for help while she was being forced to have sex but no-one came to her aid.
Officers took her clothes so they could test them for DNA evidence. It is not known what the tests revealed.
The men she pointed the finger at are believed to be British, although Civil Guard officers in Majorca have made no official comment on their likely nationalities.
Police in the Costa del Sol resort of Puerto Banus are continuing to hunt for a taxi driver accused of raping another British holidaymaker on waste ground around 4am on Sunday.
She told detectives he forced himself on her after taking her to the spot where he attacked her instead of her hotel after she decided to leave friends she had been out partying with to take a cab home.
Police insiders say they are taking her complaint 'very seriously' and have described her as being in a 'state of shock' when she informed them what had happened.
No arrests have yet been made and it is understood the police investigation is being slowed down by the woman's memory lapses due to the alcohol she had consumed.
Nebraska sales and use tax affects both business owners and the public. Have you ever wondered why tax is collected or owed on some items and services and not on others? Are you up to date on current sales tax regulations in Nebraska?
NGage, in coordination with the REAP Womens Business Center, the Beatrice Area Chamber and Main Street Beatrice, will offer two sales tax information seminars on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Carnegie Conference Room, located at 218 N. Fifth St.
The afternoon session will run from 2-5 p.m. and will provide an overview of Nebraska sales tax to assist small businesses. The session will include information about construction contractor licensing and registration requirements, as well as contractor options. The evening session from 6:30-8 p.m. will be a general overview for small businesses.
Steve Drzaic, Nebraska Department of Revenue Educator, will be the presenter for both sessions.
If you are a business owner or considering starting your own business, this information is a must for you, or anyone who handles your book-keeping. There will be time for questions and answers. Please plan to attend to receive important information that applies to your business.
Call 402-228-5869 or email glennism@ngagegroup.org to reserve your spot for either session.
Albert Pearce (pictured) faces jail after failing to pay back an inheritance he was wrongly handed
An 83-year-old retired window cleaner who was wrongly handed a 300,000 'inheritance' could be jailed after failing to hand it back to the rightful heir.
Albert Pearce claimed to have blown the fortune on travel and gambling, or lost it when his car was seized by bailiffs with the cash in the boot, the High Court heard.
The pensioner, of North Finchley, London, received the money from the will of 98-year-old Julie Spalding, who died in 2008 leaving him her every penny.
The will was overturned by a judge in 2014 who found Ms Spalding did not have the legal capacity to make a legal will, but Mr Pearce was then made bankrupt after failing to hand the money over to Ms Spalding's nephew Cecil Bray, 82.
And he now faces a potential prison sentence after being accused of contempt of court by the trustee in charge of his bankruptcy.
Mr Pearce, of Holden Road, is accused of lying about blowing or losing the cash, instead retaining it in his family through a 'chain of transactions'.
'No consideration was given for these transactions; they were gifts,' said barrister, Benjamin Gray, at the High Court.
'These were transactions for less than fair value.'
Mr Pearce is contesting the contempt of court accusations.
During a previous High Court hearing in 2015, Judge Murray Rosen QC found that Ms Spalding did not have the legal capacity to make a valid will.
She had earlier promised her savings and home in Great North Way, Hendon, to nephew Mr Bray, who had given up his work to look after her in 1996.
Mr Bray was at her 'beck and call', running errands and organising her affairs as the pensioner 'called the shots' around her home.
Cecil Bray (pictured in the wheelchair) is locked in a legal battle to recover the contents of his aunt's will. Julie Spalding left her money to window cleaner Pearce but a judge later invalidated the will
But in 2005 she underwent a major personality change following a series of falls, after which Mr Bray was 'excommunicated from her life'.
He said he was 'ordered out of her house' soon after meeting his aunt's window cleaner, Mr Pearce, at her home in July 2005.
From that point onward, Mr Pearce became an increasingly important figure in her life and Mr Bray had to recede into the background due to his own failing health.
The judge rejected claims that Mr Pearce had procured Ms Spalding's final three wills by 'undue influence', saying there was no evidence of coercion on his part.
However, he said she had 'expressly agreed' that she would leave her house to Mr Bray when she died and it was right to hold her to her promise.
Mr Pearce was ordered to hand back everything he had received from Ms Spalding's estate.
At the High Court today, Mr Gray, who is representing the trustee in Mr Pearce's bankruptcy, accused him of a series of contempts of court.
Mr Pearce (pictured) claimed to have blown the fortune on travel and gambling, or lost it when his car was seized by bailiffs with the cash in the boot
He had failed to provide details of his bank accounts when required to and falsely claimed not to have given away any money in the five years up to his bankruptcy.
In fact, a 'chain of transactions' had seen sums of over 200,000 passed between various accounts.
In a bankruptcy hearing, he had 'falsely stated that he had spent all of the money he inherited from Julie Spalding on travelling and gambling', said the barrister.
'He did not. He retained the money and moved it through the chain of transactions, which were transactions at undervalue and/or defrauding creditors,' he claimed
He had also falsely asserted that, when his car was taken by High Court bailiffs in 2014, it had 'approximately 300,000 in cash in the boot', said Mr Gray.
'That was not true,' the barrister added.
The pensioner should be sent to prison for contempt of court, Mr Gray told judges Lady Justice Gloster and Mrs Justice Andrews.
The case was adjourned until October so that Mr Pearce, who appeared in person today, can try to get legal aid.
The lawsuit alleges that L'Oreal went forward with products that used the technology despite knowing that it was patented
The cream, Easeamine, is made using technology inspired by a discovery by two University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists
He was selling an anti-aging cream for $65 per tube to support his Carmelites' charity work
Dennis Wyrzykowski, 55, leads a religious charity known as the Teresian Carmelites in Millbury, Massachusetts
A former Roman Catholic monk has accused cosmetics giant L'Oreal of stealing patented technology in an anti-aging wrinkle cream that his charity was selling.
Dennis Wyrzykowski, 55, leads a religious charity known as the Teresian Carmelites in Millbury, Massachusetts.
He was selling an anti-aging cream online for $65 per tube to support the Carmelites' work with prisoners, drug addicts, and school children.
Dennis Wyrzykowski has filed a federal lawsuit against cosmetics giant L'Oreal, accusing the company of stealing patented technology in an anti-aging wrinkle cream that his charity was selling to raise money for the poor. He is pictured above in 2009
Easeamine skin cream was created using technology from a UMass discovery that adenosine could help with wrinkles. L'Oreal allegedly knew the technology was patented but went forward with its skincare line regardless
The cream, called Easeamine, is made using technology inspired by a discovery by two University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists.
They found that adenosine, a chemical compound found in the heart, can promote skin elasticity.
The lawsuit alleges that L'Oreal was aware UMass held the patent for the science and that L'Oreal had been denied patents because of their similarity to those granted to UMass.
The suit says the cosmetic company went ahead with a line of products based on the adenosine technology.
Wyrzykowski said the availability of the L'Oreal products decimated the Carmelites business.
'For me, L'Oreal pillaged the poor, that's what they did,' he said.
The lawsuit was filed in June and amended this month. It was filed by Wyrzykowski and his company Carmel Laboratories LLC, along with UMass, which developed the technology and licensed it to Carmel in 2009.
L'Oreal has asked a U.S. District Court judge in Delaware to dismiss the lawsuit. The company's attorneys argue in court documents that L'Oreal believes its use of adenosine falls outside the University of Massachusetts patents.
'While we admire the purpose of the work these two organizations are doing together, we find no merit in these allegations,' L'Oreal said in an email Wednesday to The Associated Press.
'We expressed this point of view in many conversations we had with the Teresian Carmelites and their outside legal advisers over the past two years.'
Dr. James Dobson, Jr., center, was one of the doctors who made the discovery at UMass. He is pictured above with Wyrzykowski (right)
A spokesman for the UMass Medical School said the school was not involved in drafting or filing the lawsuit, but became plaintiffs because it is obligated to protect the licensing agreement with Carmel.
James Dobson Jr. was one of two UMass scientists who made the discovery.
He said the technology is potentially worth millions of dollars.
'If you know a patent is out there and you willingly infringe on it, that really upsets me,' Dobson Jr. said.
'The Teresian Carmelites were going to use the proceeds for the poor and disadvantaged in central Massachusetts and that was a noble thing to do,' he said.
Wyrzkowski said the profit lost to L'Oreal forced him to sell property that was going to be used for a spiritual center.
The Catholic Church withdrew recognition for the Teresian Carmelites in 2008 because they no longer met the criteria to be a Catholic organization.
The group continued as a nondenominational nonprofit with about 15 current members.
'We've basically turned it into a foundation because we were no longer able to sustain what we were doing because of what L'Oreal did,' he said.
Damages sought by the lawsuit were unspecified.
Authorities in Florida today apprehended a man wanted for fatally stabbing his aunt and knifing his father 23 times in front of a young relative before breaking into his estranged wife's house.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told news outlets a Florida Highway Patrol trooper found 46-year-old Pedro Vega Jr in a truck on the side of a road early Wednesday.
According to Judd, Vega stabbed 70-year-old Pedro Vega Sr before repeatedly stabbing 59-year-old Rosa Iris Vega in a home near Davenport at around 12.30am.
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Nephew caught: Ex-convict Pedro Vega Jr (left), 46, is accused of stabbing to death his aunt Rosa Vega, 59 (right) in Florida overnight
Second victim: Pedro Jr is also suspected of knifing his 70-year-old father, Pedro Vega Sr 23 times, and stealing his white pickup truck (pictured)
The woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene, near a 4-year-old girl she was watching. The girl was found drenched in blood but was not injured.
Authorities say Vega Sr's hands, feet and face were bound with tape. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive, despite being stabbed nearly two dozen times.
Rosa Vega's house is next door to the home of Pedro Vega Jr's estranged wife in the 1600 block of Davenport Boulevard.
Judd says someone in the wife's home fired shots at Vega, injuring him in the shoulder, and possibly also in the stomach, which allowed officers to follow a trail of blood that led them to the scene of Rosa Vega's fatal stabbing.
Fugitive: Vega (left) had been in hiding at his aunt's house and was seen with Rosa Vega (right) in Winter Haven, Florida, two weeks ago
End of the road: Eight hours after the twin knife attacks outside Davenport, Florida, a highway patrol trooper found Vega Jr sitting in his father's 1999 white Dodge pickup truck
Holding nothing back: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd slammed Pedro Jr as 'evil in the flesh' and vowed to send him back to prison for the rest of his days
Shortly before 9am Wednesday, eight hours after the twin knife attacks outside Davenport, the highway patrol trooper found Vega Jr sitting in a 1999 white Dodge pickup truck, which he had allegedly stolen from his father, bleeding profusely by the side of State Road 429 in Osceola County, reported ClickOrlando.
Vega was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries and so far has only been charged with a probation violation, but additional counts related to the stabbings are pending.
The suspect has an extensive criminal record spanning 30 years, including a 1986 arrest for rape in New York, Sheriff Judd said. He also had served spent 13 years in prison for sexual battery in Florida.
In 2001, he escaped from a county jail but was recaptured.
'He's evil in the flesh,' Judd told reporters, later adding that if he survives, he would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Pedro Vega Sr is expected to survive the knife attack, despite his numerous wounds
Life of crime: Vega (pictured in older mugshots) has a long criminal record spanning 30 years, including a 1986 arrest for rape in New York. He had served spent 13 years in prison for sexual battery in Florida
The sheriff said Vega had an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a charge of aggravated battery for allegedly beating and stabbing his 46-year-old ex-wife in May.
According to Judd, Vega had been in hiding at his aunt's house and was seen with Rosa Vega in Winter Haven two weeks ago.
'The person who loved him and protected him the most was his aunt,' Judd said.
A devastated Houston Police Chief has broken down as he confirmed the death of one of his own veteran officers killed in raging floodwaters.
Police chief Art Acevedo held a news conference in Houston on Tuesday regarding the death of 60-year-old officer Steve Perez at the weekend.
Perez, a sergeant on the force for 30 years, became trapped in torrents of water on Sunday as he drove from his home to work during tropical storm Harvey to help with rescue efforts.
Houston Police chief Art Acevedo broke down during a press conference on Tuesday confirming the death of officer Steve Perez who drowned in raging flood waters
Chief Acevedo was explaining the circumstances surrounding his death to reporters when he teared up.
'Steve Perez who had been on for 34 years... left his home at 4am,' Acevedo said. 'He could not find a path and you can imagine heavy rain and dark roadways, who knows what else he saw out there.
Officer Steve Perez, 60, drowned in raging floodwaters on his way to work in Houston on Sunday
'On Monday, his chain of command was holding their regular role call when they noticed Sgt Perez was not present. We immediately began an extensive search of potential path of travel.'
He broke down as he said: 'So um, we couldn't find him.'
'Once our dive team got there, it was to treacherous to go under and look for him. We made a decision to leave officers there waiting until the morning. The dive team were out there again (on Tuesday) within 20 minutes they found him.'
Prior to leaving his home, Perez had told his wife and family he had no choice but to head out in the storm because 'we've got work to do'.
Perez left home Sunday morning over the objections of his wife and father-in-law, and tried for hours to find a safe path to work as heavy rains made many roads impassable.
At one point he called his colleagues, suggesting he would try to work from another station.
Chief Acevedo was explaining the circumstances surrounding his fellow officer's death to reporters when he teared up
Highways around downtown Houston are empty as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflow from the bayous around the city Tuesday
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner called Perez a hero as he confirmed his death on Twitter
An investigation into his death determined he had driven off an overpass that was 16.5 feet high, and drowned in the waters below.
'We have 6,500 employees and I've only been here nine months,' Chief Acevedo said.
'But I knew who Steve Perez was because Steve was a sweet, gentle public servant,' he said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Perez is survived by his wife Cheryl, a son, a daughter and his father-in-law, a Korean War veteran.
Acevedo said the department and the city will give Perez full honors. He is the 85th police officer to die in the line of duty in the United States this year, according to the Officer Down memorial page which keeps track of all law enforcement casualties across the United States.
A Boris Johnson aide has claimed he was hacked after his Twitter account fired off a series of angry tweets to the EU's chief Brexit negotiator.
Tory MP Conor Burns appeared to send three messages to Michel Barnier demanding to know how Brussels is calculating the UK's Brexit divorce bill.
But he insisted he was not behind the messages and that his Twitter and email accounts had been broken into.
Mr Burns, who is the Foreign Secretary's Parliamentary Private Secretary and backed Brexit, has now deleted the posts.
Tory MP and Boris Johnson aide Conor Burns has claimed his twitter account was hacked after it fired off a series of angry tweets at the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (file photo)
The first of the tweets read: '@MichelBarnier why don't you publish how you are calculating UK bill based on law: ie Treaty obligations and directives? Hard facts help.'
Another said: '@MichelBarnier Britain pays her obligations. Why don't you publish them based on law ie Treaty obligations and directives. Legal facts help.'
The third read: '@MichelBarnier UK pays her obligations. Why don't you publish what you think they are based on law ie Treaty obligations and directives?'
The Bournemouth West MP later announced to his 12,000 followers that the messages were not down to him.
He wrote: 'Have been out on visits since 10am this morning. Home to find both twitter and email hacked. Passwords changed.'
The incident comes as tensions flare between Britain and the EU as the two sides are locked in the third round of Brexit talks.
Conor Burns' twitter account sent three very similar messages demanding to know how the EU was calculating Britain's Brexit divorce bill - rumoured to be up to 100billion euros (92billion)
The MP quickly deleted the tweets and announced that he did not send them and that his Twitter and email accounts were hacked
Britain has published a series of Government position papers fleshing out how it plans to resolve key Brexit questions including EU citizens rights, the Irish border and a future trading relationship with the bloc.
Mr Barnier and fellow Eurocrat Jean-Claude Juncker have sneered at the papers, which they dismissed as inadequate and ignoring the priorities in Brussels.
Theresa May hit back at the criticism while on a trip to Japan today, insisting that it is the British government who is 'coming forward with the ideas'.
Negotiations between the UK and the EU are continuing in Brussels after Mr Barnier said he was concerned about the lack of clarity from Britain and insisted 'we must start negotiating seriously'.
The EU is demanding that Britain makes 'sufficient progress' in agreeing its Brexit divorce bill before they can move on to trade talks.
Brussels reportedly wants the UK to pour up to 100billion euros (92billion) as part of the settlement.
Britain is reportedly prepared to pay 36bn - but an ICM poll released yesterday found that 72 per cent of voters said a Brexit bill of 30bn or more is 'not acceptable'.
Sean Spicer is wrapping up his tumultuous White House tenure in style.
The resigned White House press secretary finally got to meet the pope on Sunday during a trip to Rome after famously getting snubbed and left out of President Trump's entourage.
And after getting a blessing form the head of the Catholic church, Spicer is being sent off with a goodbye party at the White House at his last day on the job.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirmed the former White House press secretary attended a meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, and new photos reveal the moment Spicer got to make up for the slight and have the encounter of a lifetime.
The audience was part of an annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, which gathers lawmakers from across the world.
The Vatican confirmed former White House press secretary Sean Spicer met Pope Francis Sunday and photos of the encounter have now been released
Vatican Radio posted photographs of the event on its Facebook page. One photo shows Spicer in the front row, taking photos of the pope with his phone.
Spicer, who is Roman Catholic, had been left off a list of White House officials who had the chance to meet with Pope Francis in May when Trump visited the Vatican.
Spicer announced his resignation last month, but remains on the White House payroll through the end of August.
CNN confirmed that the White House is throwing a farewell party for Spicer, whose tenure was filled with angry exchanges with the press, frequent stumbles, and internal backbiting about his performance.
It was a sign of appreciation for someone who resigned his powerful post in a huff but still offered to hang around for a transition, only to receive nearly instantaneous validation with the sudden departure of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director whose arrival prompted Spicer's sudden exit.
In this Aug. 11, 2017 file photo, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer walks up the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House in Washington. Spicer finally got to meet the Pope. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirms the former White House press secretary attended a meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Vatican confirmed former White House press secretary Sean Spicer met Pope Francis Sunday
KEEP YOUR HEAD UP: Pope Francis greets former White House press secretary Sean Spicer on the occasion of an annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, at the Vatican, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017
FINALLY A FAIR SHAKE: Pope Francis greets former White House press secretary Sean Spicer on the occasion of an annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network, at the Vatican, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017
FILE - In this May 24, 2017 file-pool photo, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Sean Spicer finally got to meet the Pope. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirms the former White House press secretary attended a meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Spicer, who is Roman Catholic, had been left off a list of White House officials who had the chance to meet with Pope Francis in May when Trump visited the Vatican. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
It was taken as a major slight when Trump left Spicer off the list for his own papal audience.
America The Jesuit Review published photos of Spicer meeting the Pope.
The pope told the gathering of legislators politicians should build bridges, not walls.
The laws that you promulgate and apply ought to build bridges between different political perspectives: even when they respond to precise ends ordered to the promotion of greater care for the defenseless and the marginalized, especially the many who are constrained to leave their countries; and when they are in order to favor a correct human and natural ecology, he said.
Trump blasted the pope during the 2016 campaign, calling him 'very political' after the Argenina-born Pope Francis said anyone who wants to build a wall is 'not Christian.'
Spicer, a devout Catholic, was reportedly furious after he got lift the first time at the last minute.
'TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON': Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer got kept off President Trump's entourage when the president met the pope, but got to meet Pope Francis Sunday anyway
At the time, as at other junctures of his tenure, he was being watched as a possible early casualty of the Trump administration.
The group that did get to go included first lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other State officials, longtime press advisor Hope Hicks, body man Keith Schiller, and Dan Scavino, White House director of social media.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner also got to meet the pope, who blessed rosary beads presented by Melania Trump.
Spicer resigned his post in late July after Trump hired Anthony Scaramucci.
Scaramucci was out within days after place a profane late-night call to a reporter.
Brandy K. Jones, 36, has been jailed for 15 years after pleading guilty to three counts of child abuse
A Utah mother who pleaded guilty to child abuse after locking up her 12-year-old son in a feces-strewn bathroom for two years has been jailed.
Brandy K. Jayne, 36, pleaded guilty in July to three counts of abuse. She has now been jailed for 15 years - the maximum penalty on such charges.
In sentencing her the judge said: 'Anything less in this case would not be in the interests of justice.'
Her 12-year-old boy was found severely malnourished weighing just 30 pounds when he was found in January with one blanket and a few empty cans of beans in the filthy bathroom equipped with a camera in the small southeastern Utah city of Toquerville.
The child, who has a twin sister, had spent the last two Christmases in the bathroom, listening to family members open presents.
At the time of her arrest, Lt. David Crouse with Washington County Sheriff's Office told KUTV that the child had likely been kept in the dark inside of the small space.
Jaynes has been sentenced to 15 years in jail after pleading to child abuse after her 12-year-old son, who has a twin sister, was found severely malnourished in a feces-strewn bathroom. She is pictured above holding the twins after their birth
The abuse was discovered after the boy's father, Russell Orin Jaynes brought him to a hospital. He was also facing a felony child abuse charge after prosecutors said he failed to help sooner
'It would be my definition of a torture room.' Crouse told the television station.
'All the light switches were tapped into the off position. A baby monitor was setup so voices could come in but not out.
'So they could give instructions to the child that was in the room.
'There was fecal matter and urine on the floor, there was open cans of food, like can of beans with a spoon in it; there was also a video camera that was capable of wifi monitoring,'
Defense attorney Edward Flint has said she had a 'total mental breakdown' that left her overwhelmed and unable to care for the boy, who has special needs.
Authorities say the boy was locked inside of a bathroom inside the home (above). Authorities have since placed the boy and two other children found living in the home into foster care
The abuse was discovered after the boy's father, Russell Orin Jaynes, brought him to a hospital.
The 40-year-old also faced child abuse charge after prosecutors said he failed to help the child sooner delayed getting the boy medical care for hours after letting him out of the bathroom.
The boy and two other children in the home were taken into foster care after the mother was arrested.
The child has been recovering from his malnourishment, however he lost some mobility in his limbs after being confined in such a small space for such a long time.
The boy now has trouble running and walking, authorities said.
Nearly a dozen immigrant workers were rescued from a forced labor ring in Northern California early Tuesday morning.
The office of U.S. Attorney Brian Stretch says many of them lived in an industrial building in Hayward, California, that lacked running water and was locked from the outside at night.
Prosecutors claim the immigrants worked at construction projects in the San Francisco Bay Area and were paid less than minimum wage or not at all.
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Federal agents and police raided a construction company and found almost a dozen immigrant forced workers
Police freed multiple people from warehouses without running water. The people were locked in at night
At least seven people were freed from the building and others were rescued from a nearby house. They were taken in vans to shelters.
Federal agents and Hayward police raided the construction business at 5am Tuesday morning.
It was a rescue operation to free undocumented immigrants from a smuggling and forced labor scheme, according to KPIX5.
'It seemed like they were in construction, wearing orange jackets and all that,' said neighbor Jeremy Vega to KPIX5. 'They were brought in on Hondas and so you would think, "Ok, they just got off work."'
The workers, who were all male, would be transported in the mornings to construction sites.
Job Torres Hernandez of Hayward was indicted last week on charges that he harbored immigrants living in the country illegally for commercial advantage.
Job Torres Hernandez was arrested and charged with alien smuggling, transportation, and concealing or harboring aliens
The workers were all male and were transported in the mornings to various construction sites
Brian Stretch (pictured) is the U.S. attorney for the northern district of California
Hernandez was arrested Tuesday and charged with alien smuggling, transportation, and concealing or harboring aliens.
Officials say the 37-year-old had at least five people concealed on his property since mid-2015.
Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
A 'depressed' schoolgirl, who died on a railway line on GCSE results day, has been described as an 'everlasting star' by her family.
Jasmine Bush, 16, was found dead on the tracks near Haslemere station in Surrey on last Thursday - sparking a police probe into how she accessed the line.
Emergency crews were called at 4pm but the girl, who lived nearby, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Today, her heartbroken family released a photo of Jasmine and revealed that she had been suffering from a battle with depression and anxiety.
Jasmine Bush, 16, was found dead on the tracks near Haslemere station in Surrey on last Thursday - sparking a police probe into how she accessed the line
A family statement, signed Ian, Nicky, Josh and Jordan Bush read: 'On Thursday afternoon, our world was turned upside down when we lost our most beautiful daughter in these tragic circumstances.
'Jasmine sadly lost the battle with depression and anxiety after two and a half years fighting, she was also diagnosed with autism and PDA disorder on the way unfortunately the help out there was limited.
'We honestly would never of thought she would do something like this it just doesn't seem real.
'The house is silent, no doors are being slammed or music playing at a ridiculous noise and we think that will be the hardest thing to get over the quietness and the hole she has left.
'Mental health is a growing issue in this generation, a lot of people just push to one side but it does exist and it does affect people in different ways.
'If you are reading this and you are suffering, there is help out there and we would advise you to take it.
A family statement, signed Ian, Nicky, Josh and Jordan Bush read: 'On Thursday afternoon, our world was turned upside down when we lost our most beautiful daughter in these tragic circumstances'
Jasmine Bush, 16, who died last Thursday afternoon, on a railway line in Surrey
'We would just like to say thank you to everyone for the messages and the flowers on the bridge.
'We know Jasmine can see them and she is an everlasting star that will shine brightly in the sky, hopefully she has realised that she was actually loved not just by her family but by friends as well.
'RIP Jaz Love you '
The youngster's family were told and officers were not treating the death as suspicious. A file was due to be prepared for the coroner.
Emergency crews were called to tracks close to Haslemere station, pictured, in Surrey at 4pm on Thursday but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene
A spokesman for the British Transport Police said: 'The person who was struck by a train yesterday afternoon near Haslemere station is believed to be a 16-year-old girl form the local area.
'At approximately 4pm officers from British Transport Police were called to the line close to Haslemere station.
'They attended alongside paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service, however the girl was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
'Work is now underway to establish how the girl came to be on the tracks and receive the fatal injuries. Her death is not currently being treated as suspicious.'
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
A man who murdered his wife and three sons will be given a memorial mass at the same church where his victims are buried.
Deputy school principal Alan Hawe killed himself after slaughtering his schoolteacher wife Clodagh and their children Liam, 13, Niall, 11, and Ryan, six, with knives and a hatchet in County Cavan, Ireland in August last year.
Now it has emerged that the savage murderer will be given a mass at St Mary's Church in Castlerahan.
Alan Hawe murdered his wife Clodagh and his three sons Liam, 13, Niall, 11 and Ryan, six with knives and a hatchet in County Cavan, Ireland in August last year
Speaking to Belfast Live, the Very Rev Fr Francis Kelleher - parish priest for the Kilmore Diocese - said: 'Everyone has a right to be prayed for. We will leave it at that.'
It comes after Alan's body was exhumed from a family plot at the church because the mother and sister of his murdered wife repeatedly requested that the victims be separated from their killer.
The priest believed to be lined to perform the mass - Fr Felim Kelly - was a close friend of Alan's and originally arranged for him to buried with his family.
Hundreds of mourners stood in silence outside St Mary's Church in Castlerahan, Co Cavan, where the family were laid to rest after a funeral mass last year. But Alan was removed from the grave after relatives complained
The priest believed to be lined to perform the mass - Fr Felim Kelly - was a close friend of Alan's and originally arranged for him to buried with his family. Pictured: The family home in Ireland
Now it has emerged that the savage murderer will be given a mass at St Mary's Church in Castlerahan tonight. Pictured: Alan and the boys he murdered
A friend of the family said the mass for the 'murdering monster' is 'distasteful, disgusting and sick', adding: 'Clodagh and the boys should be left in peace. It took long enough to have that evil b****** removed from the family grave.'
The friend also accused Fr Kelly - who was absent from a mass for Alan's victims on Sunday - of caring more for Alan than for the people he killed.
But Diocesan Secretary for Kilmore, Fr Donal Kilduff, explained that it is a custom to say mass for a parishioner.
He added: 'The anniversary mass is offered, not to glorify the deceased, but to implore God's mercy for them.'
He said the family continues to receive support from priests.
For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
The fate of beer sales in Whiteclay is now in the hands of the Nebraska Supreme Court.
An attorney for the unincorporated village's four embattled beer stores and lawyers who are fighting to keep them closed faced off Tuesday morning in a Capitol courtroom.
Arguments from the hearing along with written briefs and a 10-volume record from the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission will help justices decide whether state regulators' decision to close the stores earlier this year should stand.
A final decision could come in a month or two.
Whiteclay is a short walk from South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.
Before they closed April 29, the four beer stores in Whiteclay sold millions of cans of beer and malt liquor each year to the reservation's Oglala Lakota residents.
Lawyers for the Liquor Commission and four Sheridan County residents who oppose Whiteclay beer sales argued the commission acted within its authority when it closed the stores earlier this year, and that the beer stores' appeal is fatally flawed.
Andrew Snyder, who represents the beer stores, raised his own technical concerns with the commission's move, saying it overstepped limits on its authority that were determined through previous cases before the state's high court.
The hearing lasted about 40 minutes.
Afterward, Snyder said he couldn't make a prediction about the outcome.
Moments later, Whiteclay opponents celebrated outside. Bryan Brewer, former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, pointed to a fellow activists' sign that read "Shut Down Whiteclay."
"This has happened today," Brewer said. "I am very confident that Whiteclay will never open up again."
Footage from the front-line in Iraq could show ISIS militants surrendering to the country's armed forces following days of intense fighting in Ninieveh province.
The video circulating on social media purports to show suspected jihadis kneeling outside a desert town, which could be al-Ayadieh, patrolled by Iraqi peshmerga troops.
ISIS fighters fled to al-Ayadieh after the key town of Tal Afar, one of its final strongholds in the country, fell last week.
Today, Iraqi military officials announced they had recaptured the eastern half of al-Ayadieh from the extremists.
Footage from the front-line in Iraq could show ISIS militants surrendering to the country's armed forces in Ninieveh province
The video circulating on social media purports to show suspected jihadis kneeling outside a desert town, which could be al-Ayadieh
ISIS fighters fled to al-Ayadieh after the key town of Tal Afar, one of its final strongholds in the country, fell last week. Pictured: Iraqi forces advance towards Al-Ayadieh
Iraqi forces flash the sign for victory as they advance towards the al-Ayadieh area, north of Tal Afar
Troops, police and special forces seized full control of the city of Tal Afar, ten miles from al-Ayadieh, last Sunday.
Between '150 and 200 ISIS fighters moved with their families up to Al-Ayadieh', according to Brigadier General Andrew A Croft, deputy commander of the US-led coalition air units.
Iraqi forces had said the fighting in the area had been 'multiple times worse' than the battle for Mosul's old city, which was retaken from ISIS last month.
Hundreds of battle-hardened fighters were positioned inside most houses and high buildings inside the town, making it difficult for government forces to make any progress, army officers said.
Iraqi government troops captured the town of Mosul from ISIS in July, but only after nine months of grinding urban warfare.
But one Iraqi officer, Colonel Kareem al-Lami, described breaching the militants' first line of defense in al-Ayadieh as like opening 'the gates of hell'.
Tough resistance from the militants in al-Ayadieh forced Iraqi forces to increase the number of air strikes.
Between '150 and 200 ISIS fighters moved with their families up to Al-Ayadieh', according to Brigadier General Andrew A Croft of the US-led coalition air units
Iraqi forces had said the fighting in the area had been 'multiple times worse' than the battle for Mosul's old city, which was retaken from ISIS last month
One Iraqi officer described breaching the militants' first line of defense in al-Ayadieh as like opening 'the gates of hell'. Pictured: The entrance to Tal Afar
They also brought in reinforcements from the federal police to boost units from the army, air force, Federal Police, the elite US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and some units from the Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
Up to 2,000 battle-hardened militants were believed to be defending Tal Afar against around 50,000 government troops last week.
Military intelligence indicated that many militants fled Tal Afar to mount a staunch defense in al-Ayadieh. Many motorcycles carrying the ISIS insignia were seen abandoned at the side of the road outside al-Ayadieh.
Though the exact numbers of militants on the ground in al-Ayadieh was still unclear, al-Lami, the Iraqi Army colonel, estimated they were in their 'hundreds'.
'Daesh (ISIS) fighters in their hundreds are taking positions inside almost every single house in the town,' he said.
Sniper shots, mortars, heavy machine guns and anti-armored projectiles were fired from every single house, he added.
'We thought the battle for Mosul's Old City was tough, but this one proved to be multiple times worst,' al-Lami said.
Iraqi government troops captured the town of Mosul from ISIS in July, but only after nine months of grinding urban warfare. Pictured: Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance towards Al-Ayadiah village
Though the exact numbers of militants on the ground in al-Ayadieh was still unclear, al-Lami, the Iraqi Army colonel, estimated they were in their 'hundreds
'We are facing tough fighters who have nothing to lose and are ready to die.'
Two army officers told Reuters that no significant advances had yet been made in al-Ayadieh. They said they were waiting for artillery and air strikes to undermine the militants power.
The extra Federal Police troops that were called in said late on Tuesday that they had controlled 50 percent of the town, deploying snipers on the high buildings and intensified shelling the militants headquarters with rockets, a federal police spokesman said in a statement.
Tal Afar became the next target of the U.S.-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture of Mosul, where it had declared its 'caliphate' over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Some 70,000 people in Frankfurt will have to leave their homes this weekend in one of the biggest such evacuations in post-war Germany, police said Wednesday, after an unexploded World War-II bomb nicknamed 'blockbuster' was uncovered.
The operation on Sunday will allow for the safe defusal of the 1,800-kg British bomb, which German media said was nicknamed 'Wohnblockknacker' (blockbuster) during the war for its ability to wipe out whole streets or buildings.
The unexploded bomb was discovered on Tuesday during building work a stone's throw from the Westend Campus of the Goethe University Frankfurt, police said in a statement.
Workers in Frankfurt discovered the 1,400kg bomb while digging on a site on Tuesday
Authorities immediately sealed off the scene ahead of this weekend's disposal operation
Officials want to evacuate 70,000 people on Sunday before disposing of the bomb
This was the scene today with a tent covering the spot where the bomb was discovered
Precaution: The disposal of the bomb is planned for Sunday, September 3
Officers are guarding the site and there 'is currently no danger'.
Police said the bomb in question was a HC 4000, a so-called high capacity bomb used in air raids by British forces.
'Due to the large size of the bomb, extensive evacuation measures must be taken,' police said.
The Wismarer street where the ordnance was found is close to the city centre and just some 1.5 miles north of the main Zeil shopping area.
Large unexploded WWII bombs are regularly found in Germany forcing evacuations
Police insist it is safe leaving the bomb in the ground until Sunday to deal with it
The massive bomb was dropped more than 70 years ago from a Lancaster bomber, file photo
More than 70 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs are regularly found buried on German land, legacies of the intense bombing campaigns by the Allied forces against Nazi Germany.
One of the biggest such evacuations to date took place last Christmas, when another unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of their homes in the southern city of Augsburg.
Another 50,000 residents had to leave their homes in the northern city of Hanover in May for an operation to defuse several WWII-era bombs.
BLOCKBUSTER BOMBS 'Blockbuster' bombs, also known as cookies, got their name from the press during the Second World War through their ability to destroy entire blocks. They typically weighed either 4,000, 8000 or 12,000lbs and usually contained 50 per cent explosive by weight. Their primary was use was in causing extensive damage to buildings so that smaller 1.8kg incendiary bombs could reach their interiors. In 1943, 25,000 blockbusters were used. This increased to 38,000 the following year, before returning to 25,000 in 1945. A safe height for unleashing the 4,000lb blockbuster was said to be around 5,000ft - any lower and the aircraft risked being caught in the blast. During the Blitz the Germans created improvised blockbuster by attaching naval mines dropped on parachutes. Advertisement
The 1.8 tonne 'Blockbuster' bomb was dropped by a Lancaster on Frankfurt in a raid on 1944. Officially categorized as an HC 4000, the Blockbuster earned its nickname because of its ability to destroy whole apartment blocks.
Police confirmed today: 'Due to the large size of the bomb, extensive evacuation measures must be taken.'
It is estimated that 150,000 bombs lie unexploded beneath German towns and cities and they grow more unstable with every passing day. Dozens of people have been killed and injured in explosions in the past decades and thousands placed in danger.
In 2011 falling water levels on the River Rhine in Koblenz exposed two mammoth RAF bombs capable of causing catastrophic damage if they detonated: some 45,000 people were evacuated.
A bomb from an RAF or American Air Force plane from the conflict is discovered on average once a day across the country, sometimes as many as three times a day, costing authorities tens of millions of pounds a year.
The Allies rained 2.7 million tons of bombs on Germany between 1940 and 1944. The academic Journal of Mine Action estimates that as much as HALF of them failed to do their job.
Many of these bombs are of a type containing a vial of acetone in the fuse which was designed to burst on impact. The fluid was meant to trickle down and dissolve a celluloid disk keeping back the cocked firing pin that then ignites the TNT inside.
Those components, as well as the plastic parts of other detonators, are disintegrating at an alarming rate.
Experts warn that within a decade bombs will begin to detonate by themselves - or will be too unstable to defuse if discovered.
That would mean controlled explosions on site with colossal damage to infrastructure around and about.
Melissa Bonkoski, 38, was re-arrested Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student
A 38-year-old high school teacher who was arrested earlier this month on sexual assault charges has been locked up again after authorities received new information about the extent of her alleged sexual relationship with a male student she became 'obsessed' with.
Melissa Bonkoski, who taught earth science at Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania was charged earlier this month with eight sexual assault felonies for her alleged involvement with a student.
The victim first came forward to police after he became upset he had cheated on his girlfriend, who notified investigators after she found text messages on his phone from the teacher who apparently sounded desperate.
Based on interviews with both the teacher and the victim, authorities had uncertainty over if the relationship had progressed beyond kissing and touching.
During an August 11 interview, Bonkoski told police that she had sex with the victim, but the student at the time had only claimed that he had slept in her bed.
She was arrested and released on $80,000 unsecured bail until prosecutors had her re-arrested on Tuesday.
Authorities announced her re-arrest in light of an alleged confirmation from the teen victim, whose name is not being released, that the two did have sex for the first time in December 2016, The Philly Voice reported.
The charges against her include three counts of institutional sexual assault, three counts of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of corruption of minors and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
According to the criminal complaint, Bonkoski's history with the victim dates back to December 1, 2015.
The 16-year-old victim reportedly had Bonkoski as a teacher during his freshman year at the high school.
The two had kissed and the teacher allowed him to touch her breasts. He also stayed the night at her house, sleeping in the same bed as her, and they discussed having oral sex.
Investigators said that Bonkoski started sending 'harassing text messages' to the teen, who grew uncomfortable with the relationship.
'He was worried that he wouldn't get rides home anymore if he stopped kissing [Bonkoski],' according to the complaint.
Bonkoski reported came 'obsessed' with the student, and contacted him using a pre-paid cellphone, which she didn't think could be traced back to her.
'Whatever you do, please don't shut me out,' Bonkoski texted the student in March, according to the Daily Times. 'I'm begging you.'
Police had no trouble tracking that burner phone back to Bonkoski, in part because it was mostly used at school and at her home.
On July 11, she was brought in for a police interview, during which she admitted to the relationship, and said she 'thought she was being smart' by using the burner phone.
Her school district got wind of the charges the following day after her original arrest and administrators immediately demanded she resign.
'Upon learning of the filing of these charges, the school district asked for, and received, Bonkoski's immediate resignation from her employment as a teacher,' Anthony Costello, the district's acting superintendent, said.
According to an online profile with the school district, which has since been taken down, she had been working at the school for the past two years. Before that, she taught science in Miami, Florida and before that in West Philadelphia.
Voters do not want the president to force a government shutdown until legislators agree to pay for his border wall.
Nearly two-thirds told pollsters they'd oppose the move in a new Morning Consult poll.
A mere 28 percent of voters said they'd support a shutdown over funding for Trump's proposed wall along the territorial boundary the United States shares with Mexico. A majority, 61 percent, said they'd be opposed.
Voters do not want the president to force a government shutdown until legislators agree to pay for his border wall
Nearly two-thirds told pollsters they'd oppose the move in a new Morning Consult poll
A mere 28 percent of voters said they'd support a shutdown over funding for Trump's proposed wall along the territorial boundary the United States shares with Mexico. A majority, 61 percent, said they'd be opposed
Trump floated the idea of a government shutdown last week at an Arizona rally,
'We are building a wall on the southern border, which is absolutely necessary,' he told a crowd of cheering supporters. 'Build that wall,' Trump said, repeating their chants.
The president told them that 'obstructionist Democrats' are trying to keep him from moving ahead with his plans.
'But believe me, if we have to close down our government, we're building that wall,' he proclaimed.
House Speaker Paul Ryan immediately dispensed with the notion that a shutdown was on the horizon.
'I don't think a government shutdown is necessary and I don't think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included,' he said the next day during a news conference in Oregon.
Morning Consult's pollsters determined that Ryan was correct.
Not only were 61 percent of voters the firm spoke to against a shutdown, nearly half, 48 percent, said they were strongly opposed to one.
Congress has to pass a spending bill by Sept. 30 to prevent a government-wide shutdown of everything but essential services. They must also address the debt ceiling so that the United States does not default on its loans.
The House appropriated $1.6 billion to Trump's border wall in its appropriations package. Trump's project could run into trouble in the Senate, though, where Republicans do not hold a super-majority.
Majorities of voters told Morning Consult that they were concerned that lawmakers would shutdown the government and default on the nation's debt.
Of a shutdown, 76 percent said they were either very or somewhat concerned. A similar amount, 78 percent said they were worried about the debt ceiling.
A man who lost six family members who were trying to escape the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey in a van is speaking out about his loss.
Ric Salvidar, 53, says his brother Sammy Salivdar tried in vain to save his parents and four of the children in his family on Sunday.
Ric says Sammy successfully crossed a bridge in Houston, but once he got to the other side there was a dip in the roadway and the car sank. Sammy was able to climb out of a window, but the rest of the family did not make it out.
'He was yelling at the kids to climb out of the back of the van; I'm sure they couldn't reach it,' Ric said to the Washington Post. 'He could hear the kids screaming but couldn't push the doors open. That's what he keeps hearing in his head. And the van just went underwater and was gone.'
Samuel Saldivar tried to save his family from the floodwaters in a van. The vehicle was swept away in the flood waters, Samuel escaped but his family was trapped inside
Police released a heartbreaking photo of the van after it was found submerged in about 10 feet water on Wednesday in Green's Bayou in northeast Houston
The bodies of the six family members were retrieved from the van when it was pulled from the water on Wednesday afternoon
Rescue crews removed the van from the water after the floods receded
The bodies of the family of six were found inside the van they were in when it was swept into raging Hurricane Harvey floodwaters three days ago.
Police released a heartbreaking photo of the van after it was found submerged in about 10 feet water on Wednesday in Green's Bayou in northeast Houston.
The bodies of Devy Saldivar, 16, Dominic, 14, Xavier, 8, and Daisy, 6, were all found in the back of the van when it was pulled from the water.
Their great-grandparents - Manuel, 83, and Belia Saldivar, 81 - were found dead in the front seat.
Manuel and Belia Saldivar and their four great-grandchildren drowned while trying to escape the rising floodwaters on Sunday.
The bodies of six members of a family - including Xavier Saldivar (left), 8, and his six-year-old sister Daisy (right) - were found in their white van on Wednesday
They had just crossed a bridge in Houston when their van was swept away by strong flood-water currents. Devy Saldivar (left), 16, and her brother Dominic (right), 14, also died
Samuel Saldivar told deputies he was in his brother's van rescuing his parents and the children from their flooded home on Sunday when the van was tossed by a strong current into the bayou as it crossed a bridge.
He escaped through a window but the others were trapped.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said family members returned to the area on Wednesday once the water had receded.
They spotted the submerged van and notified authorities.
Sheriff Gonzalez said the bodies of two adults could be seen in the front seat.
The bodies of the four children were initially obscured because of the water conditions and angle of the vehicle but they were later recovered.
Their great-grandparents Manuel and Belia Saldivar (pictured), aged 81 and 83, respectively, also drowned. The driver - the children's great-uncle - survived the accident
The van ran into trouble van after it crossed a bridge and became stuck in muddy water in a wooded area. It started floating away in the current.
Sammy Saldivar managed to grab onto a branch and told the children to climb out of the back door of the van, but they were unable to do so.
Instead, it sunk quickly - taking the family with it.
Witnesses to the incident said that although there were emergency crews in the area, it happened too fast for them to respond.
Sheriff Gonzalez said it was a miracle authorities were able to rescue the driver. He said officers heard someone screaming on Sunday when they were in the area helping to evacuate.
Manuel and Belia Saldivar (left) and their four great-grandchildren (right) drowned while trying to escape the rising floodwaters on Sunday
'(Officers) spotted a man clinging to a tree. They were able to use a rope and really performed a heroic effort getting him out,' he said.
Sheriff Gonzalez said the van wasn't visible at that point and was at least 4 feet under water.
'The water was traveling at about 7 miles per hour,' he said.
The van was found downstream from where it was initially swept away, according to the sheriff.
A chaplain and the medical examiner were at the scene Wednesday, and family members were standing by as police prepared to tow the van out.
'They're very saddened, obviously,' the sheriff said. 'They're struggling with it.'
A GoFundMe account set up to help the family of the dead children was posted to Virginia Saldivar's page.
North Korean state media waited 24-hours before informing the hermit state's population of its missile test across the Japanese mainland.
The state TV service used veteran broadcaster Ri Chun Hee, who has a cult international following for her eccentric delivery style and bright pink dresses.
Wearing her trademark chima jeogori - the country's national outfit - she beamed as she triumphantly told viewers the news.
The missile was launched on Monday night and flew over Japan before crashing into the sea, making it the hermit state's longest launch yet.
Veteran broadcaster Ri Chun Hee, pictured, is used by the hermit state to announce big news
North Koreans watched footage of Monday's missile test 24 hours after the rest of the world
Footage of the missile was shown in Pyongyang to groups of people, pictured
According to CNN, North Korea does not release information of failed military tests.
During the broadcast, Hee told how Kim Jong-un 'guided an intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket-launching drill of the (Korean People's Army) Strategic Force on the spot'.
CNN broadcast an interview with student Kim Su Jong, 14, who watched the news report.
She said: 'As long as as we have our very capable Korean People's Army and the leadership of Marshall Kim Jong Un, we don't have any enemy we cannot conquer.'
Kim Jong-un was there in person to oversee the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan.
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'.
Kim Jong-un views in person (shown) the launch of North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test which flew 1,700 miles over Japan
The dictator was pictured laughing with top officials as the Hwasong-12 was unleashed on Tuesday and later warned the launch was a mere 'curtain raiser'
State media boasted that the test was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the 'disgraceful' Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It was part of 'a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29', the KCNA agency said, adding that the test was a 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam', the US Pacific base.
This morning, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned America will not allow North Korea's lawlessness to continue adding it is time for Pyongyang to recognise the 'danger they are putting themselves in' as the world is united against them.
Monday's missile test has caused a dramatic increase in tension in the region
South Korean army soldiers work near K-9 self-propelled howitzers during a military exercise in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea this morning
US President Donald Trump has said that 'all options' were on the table, reviving his implied threat of pre-emptive US military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be 'starting to respect us'.
The UN Security Council - which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang - said in a unanimous statement the North's actions 'are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states'.
Both the North's key ally China and Russia, which also has ties to it, backed the US-drafted declaration, but it will not immediately lead to new or tightened measures against Pyongyang.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, on Wednesday carried more than 20 pictures of the launch near Pyongyang, one showing Kim smiling broadly at a desk with a map of the Northwest Pacific, surrounded by aides.
Another showed him gazing upwards as the missile rose into the air.
The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that 'more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future' were necessary.
Tuesday's launch was a 'meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion', he said, and a 'curtain-raiser' for the North's 'resolute countermeasures' against ongoing US-South Korean military exercises which the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.
Wednesday's statement was the first time the North has acknowledged sending a missile over Japan's main islands. Two of its rockets previously did so, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions it claimed they were space launch vehicles.
South Korean army soldiers were pictured carrying out drills close to the border with the North amid heightened tensions between the two countries
South Korean soldiers carried out drills with K-9 self-propelled howitzers in Paju, South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his country's ability to contain Guam, state media said on Wednesday
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch (pictured) sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby
The rocket 'crossed the sky above Oshima peninsula of Hokkaido and Cape Erimo of Japan along the preset flight track and accurately hit the preset target waters in northern Pacific', it said.
South Korea's military said Tuesday that it had travelled around 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometres.
North Korea has twice previously sent rockets over the main islands of Japan, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions claimed they were space launch vehicles.
'The drill had no impact on the security of the neighbouring countries,' KCNA insisted, adding that Kim expressed 'great satisfaction' over the launch.
There would be 'more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future', it cited him as saying.
The launch, it added, was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the 'disgraceful' Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It ushered in a period of oppressive ruled that only ended with Japan's defeat in the Second World War and is resented by Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula, complicating the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul, both of them US allies threatened by Pyongyang.
With the launch, KCNA said, Kim 'gave vent to the long-pent grudge of the Korean people' with 'a bold plan to make the cruel Japanese islanders insensible on bloody August 29'.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing (shown) and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'
Tuesday's aggressive missile launch sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Pyongyang said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile travelled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japan.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said the country will continue to watch 'US demeanors'.
TOKYO STOCKS RECOVER AMID HEIGHTENED GLOBAL TENSIONS Tokyo stocks opened higher today, recovering from the previous day's sell-off after North Korea fired a missile over Japan. Global stocks swooned on Tuesday after North Korea launched a missile over Japan, deepening geopolitical worries while sending safe-haven assets like gold higher. But Wall Street righted itself mid-session, with two of its major indices shrugging off missile-related worries and grinding out a positive result for the day, although Hurricane Harvey's impact on Texas and the oil industry weighed on buying sentiment. 'Investors bought back stocks as they are relieved to see gains in New York,' said Hikaru Sato, senior technical analyst at the investment strategy section of Daiwa Securities. 'The yen's weakness is also helping sustain buying sentiment,' Sato told AFP. Tokyo stocks opened higher today, recovering from the previous day's sell-off after North Korea fired a missile over Japan 'However, the Tokyo market is expected to remain nervous about geopolitical factors for now,' he added. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which fell to a four-month low on Tuesday, gained 0.51 percent, or 99.45 points, to 19,462.00 in the first few minutes of trade, while the Topix index of all first-section issues was up 0.41 percent, or 6.58 points, at 1,604.34. The dollar, which fell below 109 yen following the missile launch, changed hands at 109.73 yen, compared with 109.75 yen in New York on Tuesday. A weaker yen is positive for Japanese shares as it boosts the value of exporters' repatriated profits and makes them more competitive overseas. Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing, a market heavyweight, which tumbled nearly 2 percent on Tuesday, rose 1.10 percent to 31,140 yen. Sony jumped 1.54 percent to 4,265 yen and Panasonic gained 0.51 percent to 1,454.5 yen. Toyota rose 0.73 percent to 6,135 yen but Nissan edged down 0.04 percent to 1,085 yen with Honda down 0.06 percent at 3,038 yen. Advertisement
He called the launch a 'meaningful prelude' to containing Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases.
The leader was quoted as saying: 'The current ballistic rocket launching drill like a real war is the first step of the military operation of the KPA in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam.'
This morning, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea to stop missile tests, saying Beijing has a key role to play in international efforts to prevent what she described as significant provocation by Pyongyang.
'We want to ensure that they desist this action. We see that the best way of doing that is for China to be bringing pressure to bear on North Korea,' May told reporters on her way to Japan for meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Weeks ago, Trump had warned that North Korea would face 'fire and fury' if it issued threats to the U.S.
The U.S. led an effort for new sanctions against the rogue regime that were approved by the UN Security Council.
Within hours of Kim's missile launch, South Korea had responded with an 'overwhelming show of force' by bombing a shooting range near its border to the North as part of a military drill, launching footage which contained a stern warning to Kim Jong-Un.
Response: A bomb hits a mock target at the Pilseung Firing Range in Gangwon-do, South Korea near the border to the North after on Tuesday as the South continues military drills
Living in fear: South Koreans watch file footage of a North Korean missile launch, at a railway station in Seoul after the North fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean
Seoul dropped eight Mark 84 bombs with four F15K fighter jets near Taebaek, Gangwon-do province, and released footage of the drill along with a video of its own ballistic missile tests conducted last week.
'If North Korea threatens the security of the South Korean people and the South Korea-US alliance with their nuclear weapons and missiles our air forces will exterminate the leadership of North Korea with our strong strike capabilities,' South Korean Colonel Lee Kuk-no warned in the video.
A statement from Seoul later on Tuesday echoed this sentiment, saying South Korea is 'fully ready for any threat from the North'.
'We strongly condemn the North's yet another provocation despite a grave message sent through Resolution 2371 adopted by the international community in the wake of its repeated strategic provocations,' the government said in a statement published by Yonhap news.
'We are fully ready for any threat from the North and will make unwavering efforts to protect the lives of our people and the security of our nation,' it said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, U.S., on their way to view storm damage in Texas
In the wake of the launch, Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
According to a readout released by the White House, 'The two leaders agreed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as to countries around the world.'
'President Trump and Prime Minister Abe committed to increasing pressure on North Korea, and doing their utmost to convince the international community to do the same,' according to the statement.
The rocket launched by North Korea this morning broke into three pieces off the coast of Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean, around 700 miles east of Cape Erimo, after travelling 1,700 miles in eight minutes.
Japanese military did not attempt to shoot down the rocket, reportedly a mid range ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload.
North Korea's UN ambassador has blamed the U.S. for 'driving the peninsula towards an extreme level of explosion' by joining the South for war drills in the Pacific, calling today's missile test 'justified'.
Han Tae Song set to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in Geneva later today, did not explicitly refer to his country's latest test firing of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan into the sea earlier in the day.
Sixteen US postal workers in Atlanta, Georgia, were arrested and charged with bribery.
The postal workers were providing special addresses where drugs could be shipped, intercepting the packages and delivering them to who they believed was a drug trafficker.
But the alleged drug trafficker was working with law enforcement as an informant and the packages contained fake drugs.
Sixteen postal workers were arrested and charged with bribery. They were providing special addresses and delivering the cocaine packages to who they believed was a drug trafficker
The arrested postal workers Cydra Rochelle Alexander, 31 Aurthamis O. Burch, 46 Kawana Rashun Champion, 35 Eleanor Lolita Golden, 54 Tonie Harris, 54 Leea Janel Holt, 38, Clifton Curtis Lee, 41 Shakeed Anilah Magee, 40 Horace Manson, 40 Olivia Marita Moore, 25 Eddie Nash, 63 Jeffrey A. Pearson, 59 Rodney Antwain Salter, 33 Frank Webb, 40 Katrina Nicole Wilson, 38 Harvel Donta Young, 39 Source: 11 Alive Advertisement
Some of the postal workers even recruited additional USPS employees to join the criminal scheme, and accepted additional money for drug packages delivered by their recruits, according to 11 Alive.
US Attorney John Horn said in a news release: 'Postal employees are entrusted to perform a vital service as they travel through our communities, often visiting our homes and interacting personally with our citizens.'
'The defendants in this case allegedly sold that trust out to someone they knew to be a drug dealer, and simply for cash in their pockets they were willing to endanger themselves and the residents on their routes and bring harmful drugs into the community.'
Paul Bowman, special agent in charge of the Atlanta area office of the US Postal Service, Office of Inspector General further condemned their behavior and said that most postal workers are 'hard-working and trustworthy individuals' but that the 'charges reflect the select few who decided to betray the trust'.
The postal workers were charged in three separate indictments that were unsealed Tuesday.
All 16 were arrested today and will appear before a federal magistrate on Wednesday, according to the AJC.com.
A robber who strikingly resembles the late rapper Heavy D held up a PNC Bank in Miramar, Florida.
The suspect is at large and his identity remains unknown.
Security camera photos show the heavy-set robber at the teller window at 3.42pm. FBI said he showed a knife and requested cash.
After he got the cash, he fled without causing harm.
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Surveillance photos show a robber left (left) who strikingly resembles the late rapper Heavy D. Both men wore dark sunglasses, were heavy-set, and sported a goatee
The robber strongly resembles the 90s rapper from Heavy D & The Boys who made the hit You Ain't Heard Nuttin Yet. Both were rotund with a dark goatee.
The suspect also wore dark sunglasses. Something was the rapper's signature accessory.
The robber particularly resembles the music legend in the music video for the hit 1991 song Now That We Found Love. Both men wore long sleeves, a hat and glasses.
But there is no confusing the identity of this man with the music legend. Heavy D died in 2011 at age 44 of a pulmonary embolism.
Anyone with information can contact the FBI at 754-703-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
The man held up a PNC bank, showed a knife and requested cash. His identity is unknown
There is no confusing the robber with the man behind the song You Aint Heard Nuttin Yet. Heavy D died in 2011 of a pulmonary embolism at age 44
Family court judge Khatun Sapnara says she might conclude that the little youngster should live with her mother's mother
A row over a five-year-old Christian child sent to live with Muslim foster carers took an extraordinary twist last night when it emerged the girls grandparents are Muslims.
The girls mother had claimed her foster care was inappropriate and a Family Court judge ruled she should be allowed to live with her maternal grandmother instead.
But court documents revealed the grandmother is a non-practising Muslim, does not appear to speak English as her first language and wants to raise the British-born child abroad against the wishes of the girls mother.
The case led to an outcry after reports that the distraught child had begged not to be returned to a Muslim foster family, who she said did not speak English.
Family court judge Khatun Sapnara says she might conclude that the little youngster should live with her mother's mother - and she said the grandmother wanted to return to her country of origin.
The judge has decided that the youngster should move from a foster placement to her grandmother's home temporarily pending further analysis of evidence.
Social services staff had assessed the grandmother as a suitable long-term carer, said the judge.
The girl's mother wanted to 'resume the care of her daughter' as soon as possible.
Judge Sapnara has released an eight-page written order she made following a private hearing in the East London Family Court on Tuesday.
That document reveals some of the background to the case and outlines stances taken by the girl's mother and social workers.
The judge said the little girl could not be identified but she has named Tower Hamlets Council as the local authority with welfare responsibilities for the youngster.
Judge Sapnara said the case had a complex history and background.
The girl's mother said her family had a Christian heritage but the judge said there was evidence that the mother's parents had a Muslim background.
The judge said the little girl was placed with foster carers on an emergency basis in March as a result of police exercising powers of protection.
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She said there had been 'no culturally matched foster placement' available at the time.
Judge Sapnara said the girl's mother raised some concerns about the appropriateness of foster carers.
She said social services staff disputed allegations made against foster carers and produced a statement addressing the 'cultural appropriateness' of the foster placement.
A guardian had been appointed to independently represent the little girl and had no concerns as to the child's welfare, said the judge.
Judge Sapnara outlined 'key issues' in the case order released on Wednesday.
The document seen by The Times claims the child was 'very distressed' and claimed she had her Christian cross taken away (picture posed by models)
She said she would have to decide: whether the little girl had suffered significant harm or was at risk of suffering significant harm; whether the youngster's mother could meet her needs; and whether other family members could offer a home in Britain or abroad.
The judge said the little girl's 'biological father' had not been 'located'.
'There is a complex history and background to the case and the mother's care of the child,' said the judge.
'The child was removed from the mother's care and placed by social services with foster carers on an emergency basis in March 2017 as a result of the police exercising their powers of protection.
'There was no culturally matched foster placement available at the time.'
The mother wanted to 'resume the care of her daughter as soon as possible', said the judge.
She had 'raised some concerns' about the 'appropriateness' of the placement but had 'at no stage' applied for a change of foster carer, the judge added.
Judge Sapnara said social services staff had carried out an assessment of the mother's mother as a possible long-term carer.
'It is positive and recommends her as a suitable carer,' said the judge.
'The grandmother has changed her position now to say that she wishes to return to her country of origin and care for the child there.
'Documents including the assessment of the maternal grandparents state that they are of a Muslim background but are non-practising. The child's mother says they are of Christian heritage.'
In April this year, an Ofsted inspection at Tower Hamlets council found widespread and serious failures in the services provided to children who need help and protection
Judge Sapnara said Tower Hamlets staff had proposed a temporary move from a foster placement to the grandmother.
She said the mother had agreed with that 'interim' move.
The judge said she was due to reconsider the case at a hearing in the East London Family Court at 2pm on October 2.
A man has been left devastated after his hoverboard caught fire and burned down the Californian mansion he lives in - while his blind father and pregnant wife were inside.
Cole Moscatel said his father's multi-million dollar home in Redlands has been 'totally ruined' by the fire and expects repairs to take at least a year.
The 20-year-old entrepreneur, who set up the Ruff Ruff Animal Service, said they 'could have died' in the blaze which started in the theatre room where the hoverboard was plugged in.
Mr Moscatel told MailOnline there was a rush to get his wife Kelsea, 24 and father Harry, 79, out of the home.
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Cole Moscatel (pictured left with pregnant wife Kelsea) said his multi-million dollar home in Redlands has been 'totally ruined' by the fire and expects repairs to take at least a year. Pictured right: Cole's 79-year-old father Harry
Wrecked: Cole Moscatel's mansion in Redlands, California after the devastating blaze. He said the fire department told him the cause was his hoverboard, which had been plugged in to charge
The family have since been moved to temporary accommodation at a resort at Newport beach following the fire on August 13.
He said San Bernardino County Fire Department told him the blaze had been caused by the hoverboard.
Speaking to MailOnline Mr Moscatel said: 'I went into the theatre room and it was engulfed in flames. It affected all the rooms in the house and the smell of smoke is still there.
'The fire destroyed the interior of the house, the theater room, down the hall from the theater room caught on fire, as well as the gym.
'The rest of the house is totally ruined by the smoke. All my clothes, my wife's possessions and my dad's have gone.
'We have lived at the house for seven years and it costs millions of dollars. I am devastated by what has happened.
'All my items, both sentimental and of value, have gone and there are certain things you can't replace. We could have died.'
The 20-year-old said he plans to file a law suit against the manufacturer Swagtron, as well as Best Buy, where he purchased the item.
Mr Moscatel told MailOnline: 'The fire destroyed the interior of the house, the theater room, down the hall from the theater room caught on fire, as well as the gym.' Pictured left: The fire from outside, which was caught on video. Right: A destroyed corridor
The 20-year-old had purchased the hoverboard for Christmas last year from Best Buy in Eastvale.
He had used it four or five times previously and had plugged it in as he was planning on taking it to the beach.
'We had an expectation to use the hoverboard for recreation purposes and then all this goes down', he said.
The 20-year-old said: 'The fire destroyed the interior of the house, the theater room, down the hall from the theater room caught on fire, as well as the gym'
He added: 'My wife is just very sad by what's happened as she's pregnant and so it's the last thing she needed. She was planning on making a baby room, but that's not going to happen now.
'It's the last thing she needed.'
Swagtron did not immediately return a request for comment.
Suddenly its possible indeed, all too easy to imagine one man starting a nuclear war. Whats a little harder to imagine is one human being stopping such a war.
For all time.
The person who came closest to this may have been Tony de Brum, former foreign minister of the Marshall Islands, who died last week of cancer at age 72.
He grew up in the South Pacific island chain when it was under administrative control of the U.S. government, which meant it was a waste zone without political or social significance (from the American point-of-view), and therefore a perfect spot to test nuclear weapons. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States conducted 67 such tests and, for much of the time thereafter, ignored and lied about the consequences.
As a boy, de Brum was unavoidably a witness to some of these tests, including the one known as Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton blast conducted on Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954. He and his family lived about 200 miles away, on Likiep Atoll. He was nine years old.
He later described his experience: No sound, just a flash and then a force, the shock wave . . . as if you were under a glass bowl and someone poured blood over it. Everything turned red--sky, the ocean, the fish, my grandfathers net.
The Rongelap Atoll was inundated with radioactive fallout from Castle Bravo and rendered uninhabitable.
The Marshall Islands close encounter with the bomb did not end with the detonations themselves, de Brum said, more than half a century later in his 2012 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award acceptance speech. In recent years, documents released by the United States government have uncovered even more horrific aspects of this burden borne by the Marshallese people in the name of international peace and security.
These included the natives deliberately premature resettlement on contaminated islands and the cold-blooded observation of their reaction to nuclear radiation, not to mention U.S. denial and avoidance.
In 2014, Foreign Minister de Brum was the driving force behind something extraordinary. The Marshall Islands, which had gained independence in 1986, filed a lawsuit, both in the International Court of Justice and in U.S. federal court, against the nine nations that possess nuclear weapons, demanding that they start living up to the terms of Article VI of the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Right now, Planet Earth could not be more divided on this matter. Some of the worlds nine nuclear powers, including the United States, have signed this treaty.
Yet others have not, or have withdrawn from it. None of them has the slightest interest in recognizing it or pursuing nuclear disarmament. For instance, all of them, plus their allies, boycotted a recent U.N. debate that led to the passage of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which calls for immediate nuclear disarmament. Most of the world, 122 nations, voted for it. But the nuke nations couldnt even endure the discussion.
This is the world de Brum and the Marshall Islands stood up to in 2014 aligned with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, an NGO that provided legal help to pursue the lawsuit, but otherwise alone in the world, without international support.
Absent the courage of Tony, the lawsuits would not have happened, David Krieger, president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation said. Tony was unequaled in being willing to challenge nuclear weapon states for their failure to fulfill their legal obligations.
And no, the lawsuits didnt succeed. They were dismissed, eventually, on something other than their actual merits. The U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals, for instance, declared that Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty was non-self-executing and therefore not judicially enforceable, which sounds like legal jargon for: Sorry, folks, as far as we know, nukes are above the law.
But as Krieger noted, referring to the recent U.N. vote calling for nuclear disarmament, de Brums unprecedented audacity pushing the U.S. and international court systems to hold the nuclear-armed nations of the world accountable may have served as a role model for courage. There might have been other countries in the U.N. [that] saw the courage he exhibited and decided it was time to stand up.
We do not yet have nuclear disarmament, but because of Tony de Brum, an international movement for this is gaining political traction.
Perhaps he stands as a symbol of the anti-Trump: a sane and courageous human being who has seen the sky turn red and felt the shock waves of Armageddon, and who has spent a lifetime trying to force the worlds most powerful nations to reverse the course of mutually assured destruction.
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Chris Christie attacked Texas Senator Ted Cruz for voting against a $50 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package.
The New Jersey governor blasted Cruz on Morning Joe for 'using reprehensible lies' to defend voting against a bill for 'political gain'.
Christie said famously conservative Cruz was lying when he called the bill pork.
He said: 'He was playing politics to make himself try to look like the most conservative guy in town.'
The Republican senator reiterated his claim about the Sandy bill Monday, saying 'two-thirds of the bill had nothing to do with Sandy.'
Christie said: 'I see Senator Cruz, and it's disgusting to me that he stands in a recovery center with victims standing behind him as a backdrop and he's still repeating the same reprehensible lies about what happened with Sandy.'
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Chris Christie said Ted Cruz was lying about the Hurricane Sandy bill being mostly 'pork'. He said the junior senator used his vote for political gain to prove he was conservative
Ted Cruz claimed the Hurricane Sandy relief bill was filled with 'pork' and that the majority of it had nothing to do with the 2012 storm
Christie called on Cruz to essentially apologize for claiming most of the bill had nothing to do with Hurricane Sandy. The 2012 storm killed 150 people and caused a total of $50 billion in property damage according to FEMA.
He told Joe Scarborough: 'He should just stand up now and say, "You know, what I did was wrong."'
'"I was wrong in 2012. It was the wrong thing to do. And now I hope that the people of New Jersey and New York are willing to let bygones be bygones and vote for relief for Texas."'
Chrisite implied he would be in favor of federal funding going to aid southeast Texas, saying: 'Were happy to be helpful now because we know what the suffering is like.'
According to the Washington Post, the bill did include aid for other 2012 disasters in addition to the hurricane that wrecked havoc on the east coast. The Post rated the claim three Pinocchios which indicates significant factual error and/or obvious contradictions.
Damage from Hurricane County is expected to cost between $48 billion to $75 billion according to Enki Research.
Cruz said that Congress 'will provide very significant resources for the people who have been damaged' by Harvey.
According to the Los Angeles Times, at least 20 Texas representatives voted against funding for Hurricane Sandy.
New York Representative Peter King, a Republican, also criticized Cruz for his vote: 'It was cruel, it was vicious, and something that I'll never forget.'
But like Christie, he said he isn't planning to vote against funding for Texas. He said: 'I wont abandon Texas the way Ted Cruz did New York.'
A $50million lawsuit has been filed against a Michigan State Trooper who tasered a teenager from Detroit who was riding an ATV.
Demond Grimes, 15, ended up crashing the vehicle and then dying from his injuries.
In a lawsuit against a Michigan State Police trooper, which was filed on Wednesday, the family describe the incident that saw their teenage son killed as 'a drive-by shooting of a child on an ATV.'
'Under no circumstance should any police officer ever shoot like a cowboy out of his vehicle, out the window,' attorney Geoffrey Fieger said as he filed the lawsuit alongside Demond's mother and father, Monique and John Grimes.
A $50-million lawsuit has been filed against a Michigan State Trooper who ended up Tasing Demond Grimes, a teenager from Detroit that was riding an ATV. The crashed killed him
Grimes didnt comply with the trooper's request to stop and so he gave chase at some deploying his Taser, striking the boy, who then drove the ATV over a curb and slammed into the back of a pickup
On Saturday evening, Grimes was killed after crashing his four-wheeled, all-terrain vehicle into a pickup truck.
According WXYZ Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw said that the incident began when troopers tried to stop Grimes for driving recklessly around 5.30pm on Saturday.
Troopers turned on their lights and sirens but the driver refused to stop.
The troopers pursued the ATV when the teen tried to drive off the road and onto a sidewalk. He crashed into the back of a pickup truck.
Grimes was just weeks away from starting the ninth grade at Michigan Collegiate High School in Warren.
The Detroit Free Press has confirmed the trooper's identity as Mark Bessner.
Bessner is alleged to have reached out the window of his patrol car and shocked the teen with a taser in order to get him off the road.
The Free Press states that it is a violation of Michigan State Police policy to fire a Taser from a moving vehicle.
The Trooper's office have not yet officially confirmed the name of the officer that fired the fatal shot, and so the lawsuit was filed against a 'John Doe' defendant.
Indicted: Toni Ann Branca, 41, an administrative assistant for Apple, is accused of embezzling $243,000 from the company using her employer-issued credit card
A former Apple staffer from New Jersey has been accused of double-billing her employer for business expenses on her company credit card and then using the resulting funds totaling more than $240,000 to buy luxury items for herself.
A state grand jury on Tuesday indicted Toni Ann Branca, 41, on a charge of second-degree theft by deception stemming from the suspected embezzlement of $243,000 from the tech giant.
As an administrative assistant for Apple, the married mother-of-two worked mostly from her $480,000 single-family home in Livingston and was responsible for arranging employee training, travel and parking for her region, according to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General.
She was authorized to pay for company expenses such as conference rooms and employee parking with a company-issued American Express credit card in her name.
It is alleged that Branca submitted dozens of duplicate requests for reimbursement of business expenses charged on her company-issued AmEx card.
Living it up: Branca, pictured with her husband Ernie with an iPhone in hand, has been charged with theft by deception for allegedly using stolen funds to shop at Gucci and Luis Vuitton
Authorities say Apple made the duplicate payments, and Branca then allegedly used the resulting credit balances to shop for designer clothing, electronics and furniture.
Between 2013 and 2016, Branca allegedly used the Apple-issued credit card for more than $110,000 in personal retail spending, including purchases at Victorias Secret, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Home Goods.
Apple launched an investigation into Branca after the company discovered numerous Victorias Secret charges on her company-issued AmEx card. After conducting an internal probe, the company reached out to the Division of Criminal Justice.
White collar criminals often believe they have found the perfect scam, but we ensure that they pay for their crimes, said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice.
As an administrative assistant for Apple, Branca was responsible for arranging employee training, travel and parking for her region. She had been with the company since 2002
The former Apple worker is an NYU graduate and a mother-of-two (pictured with older daughter)
If convicted of theft by deception, Branca could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. She will be arraigned on the criminal count at a later date.
According to Brancas LinkedIn profile, she is an NYU graduate who had worked at Apple in various capacities since 2002. She was promoted to administrative assistant in 2012.
Branca and her laborer husband, 44-year-old Ernie Branca, have two daughters together.
President Donald Trump dialed up a powerful Senate committee chairman from Iowa to talk about corn a day after his panel set a date to interview Donald Trump Jr. about his Russian contacts.
The presidential phone call was revealed by Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, known as one of the Senate's most dogged investigators, and who gave the president a sympathetic ear.
'Just had ph call from Pres Trump + he assured me he's pro ethanol +I'm free 2 the ppl of Iowa he's standing by his campaign PROMISE' Grassley tweeted.
Sen. Charles Grassley got a scoop when President Trump called him while he was touring Iowa Wednesday. Trump provided assurances about his support for ethanol, a day after the Judiciary Committee reached agreement with Donald Trump Jr. for testimony
The presidential phone call came a day after Judiciary revealed that Donald Trump Jr. had agreed to sit for a private, transcribed interview.
Judiciary investigators are seeking information about a June 2016 meeting between the president's son and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer, as well as another Russian figure with ties to Russian intelligence.
The meeting was set up after an offer of dirt on Trump rival Hillary Clinton, and was attended by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, former campaign chair Paul Manafort, and Trump Jr.
The meeting is also of interest to special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of the Trump campaign's Russia ties.
Sen. Charles Grassley tweeted about his call with President Donald Trump
Sen. Charles Grassley tweeted about his call with President Donald Trump
Sen. Charles Grassley tweeted about his call with President Donald Trump
Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Charles Grassley had a two-minute call with President Trump on Wednesday
Grassley's panel reached agreement with Donald Trump Jr. to provide testimony
President Donald Trump dialed up a powerful Senate committee chairman from Iowa to talk about corn
Gas pumps with a sign indicating the gas is containing up to 10 % ethanol are seen at Victory gas station on November 15, 2013 in Pembroke Pines, Florida
Senior investigative staff and senators may sit in on the Trump Jr. meeting. Trump's attorneys also have turned over documents to the committee. The committee previously invited him to appear in public.
Grassley was holding a series of town hall meetings across Iowa when he got the phone call.
It was revealed this week that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen sent a 2015 email to the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking 'assistance' with a Trump Tower Moscow project that later fell apart.
Grassley's office told DailyMail.com it wasn't sure what prompted Trump's call.
'Tlkd 2 @realDonaldTrump about ethanol +he knows that ethanol is good good good,' tweeted Grassley.
'When Pres Trump called me I thanked him 4his continued attention + response to hurricane Harvey @realDonaldTrump,' Grassley added in a later tweet.
Said Grassley spokeswoman Jill Gerber: 'The President called Sen. Grassley and talked briefly about ethanol' in a two-minute conversation.
'Sen. Grassley told the President he was glad to hear him voice his support for ethanol and that he would tweet about it to the people of Iowa. Nothing more specific about ethanol policies came up.'
The Senate Judiciary Committee is probing enforcement of foreign lobbyist registration laws
Ethanol is big business in Iowa
She said the other topics that came up were Hurricane Harvey and former Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad's ambassadorship in China, and that nothing in the investigative realm came up.
Nevertheless, there was speculation on Twitter that the president was trying to butter up Grassley with the unsolicited comments about ethanol.
Trump Jr. said nothing came of the meeting with Russians.
It has since been revealed that President Trump helped craft the initial White House public statements about the meeting, which said it was about Russian adoption issues and concealed the fact that it was about dirt on Clinton.
That information came out only after Trump Jr. put out his emails with a British music publicist connecting Trump Jr. with the son of a Russian oligarch touting information from a Russian prosecutor.
Longtime fitness guru Richard Simmons has lost his defamation lawsuit against American Media Inc. after the National Enquirer published a front page story last year saying he was transitioning into a woman.
The judge said Wednesday that identifying an individual as transgender may not necessarily expose them to 'hatred, contempt or ridicule' and would not be considered defamatory in nature, according to a TMZ report.
'While, as a practical matter, the characteristic may be held in contempt by a portion of the population, the court will not validate those prejudices by legally recognizing them,' the judge added.
Simmons, 69, plans to appeal to the tentative ruling, his lawyer, Neville Johnson told TMZ, after the pair received the devastating news.
Simmons previously confirmed that he is not transgender and even created a pointed list of reasons why in an ongoing explosive lawsuit with the publishing company.
The comedian has been living as a recluse for years, and the June 2016 article claimed his transition was the reason why. The magazine also published claims that Simmons had a 'boob job' and 'castration surgery.'
Simmons filed legal documents on August 20 outlining why the story is wrong, starting with the straightforward statement: 'I am a male.'
Longtime fitness guru Richard Simmons lost his defamation lawsuit against American Media Inc,' a judge ruled Wednesday
In June of 2016 the National Enquirer published this cover which claimed Simmons was living out of the public eye because he was transitioning and that he is 'now a woman'
Simmons filed his suit against the Enquirer and parent company American Media in May 2017. He is pictured in 2013 before he went into hiding
In the filing, Simmons countered the June 2016 cover story with other reasons he says he is not transgender, according to TMZ.
The filing reads: 'I am not transgender. I have never sought to obtain any medical treatment or procedure designed to transition from male to female.'
Simmons also said he has never had breast implant surgery, and he never 'consulted with any medical professional regarding sex reassignment surgery.'
The magazine's cover at issue exclaimed: 'Richard Simmons: He's now a woman!' The front page piece shows what appears to be Simmons lying down in make-up and a wig.
Simmons with his now former assistant Mauro Oliveira. Oliveira says he sold info and photos of his former boss to a story peddler, but says he never gave info saying Simmons is now a woman
Last Thursday, Simmons' legal team filed a sworn statement by his former assistant who admits he sold photos of Simmons to the magazine and gave a two-hour interview, but never gave information that would have amounted to the cover's headline.
Mauro Oliveira confessed he sold photos of Simmons dressed as a woman and gave a two-hour interview to a story broker about his former boss in May 2016.
'Although I may have said that Richard Simmons's chest looks like the chest of someone who might be on hormones as well as stating that Richard Simmons told me that he sometimes feels like someone is trapped inside his body, I never stated that Richard Simmons is now a woman, had breast implants or had a sex-change surgery,' he said in his signed declaration, according to the Daily News.
Oliveira also said when he saw the Enquirer's cover, he was 'shocked and disturbed.'
Once a familiar face on TV, Simmons has been holed up inside his Los Angeles mansion for the last 42 months aside from going to the hospital for four days in April.
Richard Simmons is seen for the first time in years on April 20, as her returns to his home in the Hollywood,CA hills after a four day hospital stay. He remained hidden under a blanket
Simmons says he takes issue with the magazine's claims that he had a 'boob job' and 'castration surgery'
His admission to hospital for treatment of indigestion is thought to be the first time he has left home in three years.
The aerobics actor had spent four days inside Cedars Sinai hospital in Beverly Hills where he was being treated for indigestion.
Even when he was seen briefly out in April, Simmons kept hidden under a blanket in the backseat of a Mercedes car driven by his long-term housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, on the way back to his LA home.
When Simmons originally filed his suit against the Enquirer's parent company, American Media defended the cover story too saying calling someone transgender is not an insult.
Simmons since addressed his support of the transgender community, while still taking issue with the report published in the Enquirer.
'I fully support transgender individuals and their struggle to achieve acceptance and equality. Nonetheless, the false and fabricated claims that I was contemplating 'castration' and have had a 'boob job' have caused me extreme embarrassment.'
They're immortalized in pop culture and ingrained in film fans minds as the ultimate, terrifying villains: Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs have been triggering nightmares for decades.
The evil characters perpetrated the most abhorrent of crimes, from skinning victims and making suits to eating human flesh.
But what many people dont know is that the men were all inspired by a real-life killer a diminutive, unassuming bachelor from Wisconsin who committed murders, and other crimes, that were just as atrocious and unspeakable as his cinematic counterparts.
His name was Ed Gein, and he was the type of eccentric bachelor who, despite being liked and sometimes pitied by local families, inspired rumors amongst local teenagers who shared what seemed like tall tales of his haunted farmhouse and collection of shrunken heads.
No one paid attention until it was too late.
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Ed Gein was known in his Wisconsin town as a harmless eccentric bachelor with a lopsided grin who did odd jobs and babysat for local children - before his murders came to light
Authorities were horrified by the filth and stench when they entered Gein's dilapidated farmhouse after he was implicated in the disappearance of a local woman
Gein had hoarded body parts after murdering at least two women and digging up graves; he made death masks, soup bowls out of skulls and even upholstered chairs with human skin
Amidst the grotesque disarray of the rest of the farmhouse, Gein kept the bedroom of his dead mother - a fervently religious, domineering force in his life - as a neat, untouched shrine
Gein was the second of two sons born to a Bible-bashing mother and alcoholic father in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The household was dominated by Augusta Wilhelmine Gein, who bullied her husband George and instilled Ed and his older brother, Henry, with fire-and-brimstone religious lectures, warning them especially against the lasciviousness of women. She moved the family to an even more rural area when Ed was about seven years old, relocating to an isolated farm in the town of Plainfield in Waushara County, Wisconsin.
Ed, who had a trademark peculiar lop-sided grin, looked up to his brother and worshiped his mother, according to crime writer Robert Keller in his new book Unhinged: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Butcher of Plainfield but had few friends. His main, but secret, other interest was in macabre literature like Tales from the Crypt and for stories of headhunters, cannibals and Nazi atrocities, Keller writes.
His mother, of course, would have been horrified at her son consuming such evil works but Eddie was able to keep that knowledge from her. Had Augusta discovered his taste in reading material and forbade him from it, his life might well have taken a different trajectory.
Sadly, however, that was not to be. Augusta discouraged her sons from having friends and warned against other people, and Ed worked on the family farm and at odd jobs after school, increasing his work load following the 1937 death of his father. He also made money from odd jobs and babysitting.
Perhaps unexpectedly for a killer, Keller writes: Ed was good with kids and he was popular with their parents, always polite, always diffident. The kids loved him and he seemed to have a real rapport with them, more so than hed ever had with people of his own age. He was particularly skilled as a story teller and would enthrall his young charges with creepy tales of South Sea cannibals and headhunters. Ed knew a lot of about the subject, of course.
Less than a decade after his fathers death, however, Ed also lost his brother in suspicious circumstances. Allegedly, he and Henry were attempting to stop a runaway brush fire in their property when they became separated by the smoke and the blaze. Ed eventually sought help; Deputy Sheriff Frank Engle turned up and a search party was assembled. Though Ed claimed hed been unsuccessfully looking for Henry for some time, Keller writes, he led the party within minutes to his brothers body.
The patch of ground on which he lay was scorched black and yet Henry appeared unharmed by the flames, Keller writes. The only marks on him appeared to be an array of peculiar bruises that may or may not have been inflicted by someone wielding a shovel.
The medical examiner declared the cause of death as accidental, however, and he was buried next to his father in Plainfield Cemetery. But death was not yet done with the Gein family.
Local youths had joked about the Gein farmhouse being haunted and containing a collection of shrunken heads, but no one paid heed to the rumors
Gein admitted to killing two women, claiming the deaths were accidental, but insisted the rest of the human remains in his house were taken from graves he dug up
A sketch of evidence in the case against Gein appears to be a death mask; he mounted several on the wall and another, in a bag, was recognized as victim and tavern keeper Mary Hogan
Gein's crimes served as inspiration for the character of Buffalo Bill, who skinned victims, in the 1991 horror film The Silence of the Lambs, starring Anthony Hopkins
The Gein family moved to the small town of Plainfield when Gein was a boy; he lived alone in their farmhouse following the deaths of his father, mother and brother
Not long after Henry was buried, Eds mother had a stroke; he took care of her lovingly sometimes crawling into bed next to her before she suffered a second stroke six months later and died on December 29, 1945.
To say that Ed was distraught at the death of his mother would be a massive understatement, Keller writes. He was destroyed by his loss, consumed by it. At the sparsely attended funeral he wailed so loudly that he drowned out the vicar. Later, at the cemetery, he stood with tears and snot running down his face as the casket was lowered into the ground. Then he said a tearful goodbye to the few family members who had bothered to show up and retreated back to the sanctuary of his farmhouse.
He continued taking odd jobs, however, and supplemented his meager income by renting out some land. He also began visiting a tavern in Pine Grove, seven miles away, that was run by Mary Hogan a stout, middle-aged woman who seemed to remind him of his mother and engendered a weird fascination in the lonely bachelor.
No one thought to finger Ed when Mary Hogan disappeared on December 8, 1954 leaving behind no trace but blood at the scene of her business. They didnt even pay attention when Ed joked: I loaded her into my pickup and drove her home. They dismissed it as the ramblings of the daft local oddball.
Three years later, however, another woman disappeared and this time there were more direct links that brought Ed to the attention of authorities. Bernice Worden disappeared from her general store, where Ed had recently been hanging around, pestering her to go out with him. Her son, who discovered the store unattended and located blood, noticed that the final receipt had been for a purchase by Gein.
The bachelor was just leaving a neighbors house after being invited to dinner when police approached him, and he soon implicated himself by insisting he had nothing to do with Bernice Wordens death even though no one had informed him the woman was dead.
That gave them reason enough to search Geins dilapidated, filthy farmhouse which they found overrun with roaches and rodents and stinking of everything from damp and filth to human waste. Sheriff Arthur Schley, who had been in his position less than a month, was the first to come upon a scene that would soon make headlines around the country: a decapitated and gutted carcass, suspended by its legs from the ceiling.
For the briefest of moments Schleys brain registered an automatic response deer, Keller writes. But then the reality of what hed seen hit him and he turned and ran, blundering into the dark. He barely made it outside before he dropped to his knees and ejected the contents of his stomach into the snow. Bernice Worden had been found.
The horrific sight, however, was far from the only grotesque discovery that authorities would encounter.
One of the officers picked up a crudely shaped soup bowl, still bearing the congealed remnants of Eds last meal, then rapidly put it down when he realized what it was the top half of a human skull, Keller writes. There were other skulls, too, including some that were hung from the posts of Geins bed as decoration.
Grandmother Bernice Worden, 58, was Gein's last victim; her decapitated corpse was found hanging by the legs in the bachelor's house and was initially mistaken for a deer
Gein had been hanging around Worden's general store in the days before killing her; her son discovered the store empty, noticed blood and realized receipts showed Gein as the last customer on the day she disappeared - prompting authorities to search Gein's house
Police investigators move a car as they search for evidence in a garage on the Gein property in November 1957; Gein had joked about transporting victim Mary Hogan in his truck but no one took him seriously
Other human trophies collected by Gein and kept in his house included a box full of noses, a belt made from female nipples, a shade pull made out of a pair of lips and a 'skin suit' made of a pair of leggings and a top piece that included a womans sagging breasts
Multiple human skulls were found in Gein's house, including several that he had hanging from his bed as decorations in the roach- and rodent-infested home
In the kitchen, one officer found a chair with oddly colored strips of leather forming the seat, Keller writes. Closer inspection proved that the leather was in fact made from strips of human skin, the underside still lumpy with chunks of fat.
Four such chairs were found in the house. So too, were other artifacts made from skin a waste basket, lampshades, a drum, the sheath of a hunting knife, a belt made from female nipples, a shade pull made out of a pair of lips. Even these paled in comparison with Geins most horrific creation a skin suit consisting of a pair of leggings and a top piece that included a womans sagging breasts. It appeared that Gein had skinned one of his victims, tanned the hide and then constructed this hideous ensemble.
Geins collection also included a box full of human noses and, perhaps most horrifically, a number of death masks, four of which were mounted on the wall.
Others, stored in bags, would end up solving the mystery of Mary Hogans disappearance; one of the masks was recognizable as the missing innkeeper.
Despite the filth and horror in most of the farmhouse, however, authorities discovered a blocked-off, dusty yet tidy area: Augustas bedroom, which had been kept by Gein as a virtual shrine to his dead mother.
The amount of human trophies found in Geins home seemed to indicate that he had killed far more people than just Worden and Hogan, and he admitted to both of these murders, though he claimed each was accidental. But Gein insisted he had not killed anyone else, and the rest of the body parts were gathered in yet another grotesque manner: he had studied death notices, looking for women of similar age and build to his dead mother, and then engaged in grave robbing. Authorities were skeptical, but Gein provided them with a list of graves he had dug up and they were found to be either empty or containing mutilated remains, just as Gein described.
The case created a media frenzy, and Gein became a household name across the country. He was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and was sent to the Central State Hospital, where he remained as his belongings were auctioned off and his farmhouse was destroyed in an arson attack; his reaction upon learning this was a dispassionate 'Just as well,' Keller writes.
Gein did so well in the mental hospital, in fact, that ten years after he was sent there, a court decided he was competent to stand trial for the murder of Bernice Worden.
His defense team waived the right to a jury trial, and the judge found him guilty but ruled that he should be returned to the Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Gein died there of respiratory failure on July 26, 1984, at the age of 78 and was buried in Plainfield beside his mother in an unmarked grave.
The butcher of Plainfield was gone but the enormity of his crimes was not forgotten. Over the years that followed he would continue to be the bogeyman that Wisconsin mothers warned their misbehaving children about. And he would continue to inspire writers and movie makers, Keller writes, citing the villains in The Silence of the Lambs and Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as examples.
But perhaps the most famous of Ed Geins fictional incarnations was Norman Bates, the cross-dressing, mother-obsessed Psycho of Robert Blochs novel and Alfred Hitchcocks classic film, Keller writes. Each of these characters, Buffalo Bill, Leatherface and Norman Bates draws on Ed Gein. And yet the atrocities committed by Gein were far more bizarre, far more extreme than those of his fictional counterparts.
Fact, in this case, really was stranger than fiction.
A new book by writer Rober Keller details the life, crimes and death of Wisconsin killer and grave robber Ed Gein
Gein also inspired the character of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho; Bates famously keeps his dead mother in his house and murders a woman in the shower
Gein spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital following his arrest before dying at the age of 78 on July 26, 1984
Gein's belongings were auctioned off while he was in the mental hospital, where he apparently thrived; about 2,000 people attended the auction
The legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales lives on in her sons, who are changing the face of the British monarchy just like their mother, her ex-personal protection officer has said.
Former Met Police officer Ken Wharfe claimed at the time of Diana's death the monarchy was 'jealous' of her popularity, but the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have followed in her footsteps carrying on her work.
Mr Wharfe, who guarded Diana for more than five years until 1993, said: 'We now know Diana did change and modernise, whether we like it or not.
Princess Diana's former bodyguard Ken Wharfe looks at flowers at Kensington Palace today
The legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales lives on in her sons, who are changing the face of the British monarchy just like their mother, her ex-personal protection officer has said
Diana Princess of Wales with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry in happier times
'What we see now today with William and Harry, in the way that they now conduct themselves as two leading royal figures, is so different from what royalty was in the 1980s.
'They are literally cardboard cut-outs of their mother's work, and 20 years on we are now speaking about their mother more than ever before.'
Since her death, the royal brothers have taken on some of their mother's charity work, from Harry raising awareness about Aids and supporting the efforts of the HALO Trust's fight against landmines, to William championing the homeless.
The former Scotland Yard officer, who has written a book, Guarding Diana, about his overseas travels with the Princess, said her modernisation was reflected not only in the way she conducted royal engagements but how she brought up William and Harry.
He said: 'She would take them to Kensington High Street, take them to the cinema. They were great regulars of Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers restaurant.'
Mr Wharfe added the experience of a trip to a local restaurant or visits to Marks and Spencer to buy frozen chips and burgers, which they would cook, was also part of William and Harry's education.
A BBC documentary saw Prince Harry Harry praising his fathers bravery in breaking the news to him and his brother at the time, adding: He was going through the same grieving process as well
The former protection officer claimed there were some within the monarchy who appeared threatened by the adulation the Princess received from the public. He said: 'The problem with Diana in this family is they could not deal with her popularity, they couldn't cope with it - basically they were jealous.'
He went on to say: 'They couldn't do it themselves and they wouldn't acknowledge just how good she was at it, this was a problem.
'Their attitude was 'this has been going on for a few hundred years let's not wreck it' - they weren't moving with the times and they couldn't honestly bring it round to say 'we've got somebody here who is changing its direction'.'
William and Harry will draw a line under their mothers death and turn their focus to continuing her legacy of charity work. Pictured is Prince William during Diana, 7 Days
When Diana died in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997 a global figure was killed who Mr Wharfe believes would still be championing causes today.
He said: 'Let's imagine for one moment she may have been working for Tony Blair who knows, that was always part of the ideal, that she'd become an ambassador somewhere, it never really reached fruition.
'But because of her popularity, because of her interests in charitable work, and notably the Aids field, and let's not forget where Harry sits now with that.
'I think you would have seen her at the forefront of international fundraising and who knows with growing maturity ... who knows where she might have been.'
Guarding Diana by Ken Wharfe is out now, published by John Blake Publishing.
An incredible photo shows two African migrants attempting to paddle to Europe on a surfboard.
The Spanish coastguard picked up the two men, among 125 migrants rescued on Wednesday, in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Another two migrants were trying to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean on a kayak, local media reported.
Every day hundreds of vessels cross through the the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Morocco in North Africa.
An incredible photo shows two African migrants attempting to paddle to Europe on a surfboard
Every day hundreds of vessels cross through the the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from Morocco in North Africa. Pictured: Migrants being rescued
Meanwhile Libya's navy says it has intercepted vessels carrying almost 700 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean in the last two days.
Colonel Ayoub Qassem said the coast guard, run by the UN-backed government in Tripoli, rescued two boats together carrying 290 migrants on Tuesday alone.
Another ship with 164 migrants on board was intercepted off the coast of Sabratha, Libya, the same day.
And with Italian help, the coast guard intercepted two boats with 88 and 134 separately on Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants have in recent years attempted to cross the Mediterranean from Libya on rickety boats in the hope of reaching Europe, and thousands have died.
Italy has recently had to deny that it supported a deal with Tripoli in which armed groups were paid to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
'The foreign ministry firmly denies that there is an agreement between Libyan traffickers and the Italian government,' an official from the Italian ministry said.
The Spanish coastguard picked up the two men, among 125 migrants rescued on Wednesday, in the Strait of Gibraltar
Another two migrants were trying to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean on a kayak, local media reported
The spokesperson added: 'The Italian government does not deal with traffickers.'
A new force in the Libyan coastal town of Sabratha is preventing people leaving, often by locking them up, sources in the area have revealed.
It has prompted a sudden drop in departures at what is usually the busiest time of year for migration.
Arrivals from North Africa dropped by more than 50 percent in July and more than 80 per cent so far in August.
Some 600,000 have made it to southern Italy by sea since 2014.
Disgraced former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer has taken to Instagram once again to show off his extravagant taste.
Mehajer, 31, who has been in the US for one week, posted a photo on Wednesday of himself wearing gold and silver Gucci sneakers, a thick diamond bracelet and a large gold watch.
A surprising accessory also being flaunted by the former Auburn deputy mayor - his diamond wedding ring from estranged wife Aysha.
'Who said gold and silver do not mix?' Mehajer captioned the image.
Mehajer and Aysha's marriage imploded less than a year after their August 2015 'wedding of the century' that illegally shut down a Sydney street.
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Salim Mehajer, who is visiting Las Vegas, has taken to Instagram once again to show off his extravagant taste, flaunting his Gucci sneakers, gold watch and wedding ring
Mehajer and Aysha's marriage imploded less than a year after their August 2015 'wedding of the century' that illegally shut down a Sydney street (pictured together)
The 31-year-old, who is on strict bail conditions, posted the picture on social media on Wednesday, one week after he landed in the US for a 'business' trip
Mehajer, who is on strict bail conditions, arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday for a 'business' trip.
He has since posted videos of him appearing to win thousands on the Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fight despite maintaining he did not travel to the party city to watch the fight.
Despite denying he was there to watch the boxer and UFC champion in the ring, the 31-year-old publicly backed Mayweather to beat McGregor - and celebrated the win with his online followers.
Mehajer's strict bail conditions were relaxed in a secret hearing at Downing Centre Local Court on Monday, so he could travel to the United States on business.
He faced punishment if he broke the rules of his relaxed bail or if he committed any other crimes.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mehajer breached his bail conditions by travelling to Las Vegas.
'Thanks Floyd... that was a last minute ditch... mind, less the online $$$,' Mehajer posted alongside photos of cash being counted out in front of him
Mehajer pictured at the Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor fight in Las Vegas on Sunday
'Work, work, work,... then travel and then repeat #InGoditrust #businessbeforepleasure' he posted alongside a photo of his passport
Salim Mehajer (pictured) has touched down in Las Vegas on a 'business' trip, after his strict bail conditions were relaxed this week
Mehajer also assured that creditors, who are pursuing two of his companies, would be paid in full in coming weeks.
'The creditors will be paid. As any development company it's asset rich and one settlement is in place, which we've already received over 110 percent of the debt cover,' he told Channel Nine.
'We anticipate to have settlement in the next two weeks and see all the creditors have been paid in full.'
Mehajer is also facing fraud charges for allegedly forging Australian Electoral Commission enrolments and fabricating addresses for friends and family.
However, the 31-year-old said that he hoped Mayweather would come away victorious in the match
Mehajer also told awaiting media that creditors, who are pursuing two of his companies, would be paid in full in the coming weeks
To travel to the United States Mehajer had his bail conditions relaxed in a secret hearing at Downing Centre Local Court
Upon his arrival he again denied he was flying to Vegas to witness the Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor fight on Sunday
Earlier this month Mehajer put up his palatial Lidcombe mansion for lease two years after it was made famous by his $35 million wedding.
The four-storey house on Frances Street, which Mehajer illegally shut down for his extravagant wedding, was advertised for lease for $2,950 a week.
The controversial former Auburn deputy mayor offered his family home hours before he faced his estranged wife Aysha in court after she slapped him with another AVO.
Neither couple turned up to Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday morning but an interim order was granted against Mehajer to protect his estranged wife.
The City Council has voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day as an official Los Angeles holiday.
Council members voted 14-1 to make the second Monday in October a day to commemorate indigenous, aboriginal and native people.
It will be a paid holiday for city employees.
Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, a member of the Wyandotte Nation tribe, pushed for the switch.
Some activists view Christopher Columbus as a symbol of genocide for native peoples.
The City Council has voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day as an official Los Angeles holiday. Council members are seen in the above February 2015 file photo
Demonstrators with the Mexica Movement marches with other demonstrators to a statue of Christopher Columbus during a protest against Columbus Day in Grand Park, Los Angeles on October 11, 2015. Some activists view Columbus as a symbol of genocide for native peoples
O'Farrell said the change is necessary due to 'Columbus' legacy of extreme violence, enslavement and brutality' and 'the suffering, destruction of cultures, and subjugation of Los Angeles' original indigenous people, who were here thousands of years before anyone else.'
Councilman Joe Buscaino was the lone 'no' vote on Wednesday.
He sided with Italian-Americans, who view Columbus Day as a celebration of their national heritage.
Buscaino sought to push through a last-minute change which would create Indigenous Peoples' Day on August 9 while Columbus Day would be replaced by a generic holiday celebrating multiculturalism.
This proposal was rejected, according to Fox 11 TV.
Buscaino chose August 9 because that is the day that the United Nations officially recognizes Indigenous People's Day.
Councilman Joe Buscaino (left) was the lone 'no' vote on Wednesday.He sided with Italian-Americans, who view Columbus Day as a celebration of their national heritage. The 15th century Italian explorer is seen on the right
LA council members decided that the symbolism of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day was too important.
'Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day is a very small step in apologizing and in making amends,' Council Member Mike Bonin, who supported the change, said.
Nonetheless, Buscaino remained defiant after the measure passed.
'With or without Columbus, Italians will continue to celebrate their sacrifices and contributions to this great country and our great city,' Buscaino said after the vote.
Los Angeles joins San Francisco and several other cities nationwide in honoring native Americans in lieu of Columbus.
Last October, Vermont became the latest state to officially change the name of Columbus Day.
Prior to LA, Phoenix, Arizona, was the largest city to officially adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day. The city council unanimously passed the measure after two local residents brought the matter to the body's attention last October
The state's governor, Peter Shumlin, signed a proclamation cementing the change in law.
The proclamation said that the change was 'an opportunity to celebrate indigenous heritage and resiliency'.
Los Angeles on Wednesday became the largest city in the country to re-name the holiday.
Prior to LA, Phoenix, Arizona, was the largest city to officially adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day.
The city council unanimously passed the measure after two local residents brought the matter to the body's attention last October.
Unlike Columbus Day, which is a day off for federal workers and state government employees in select states that do choose to observe the day, Indigenous Peoples' Day in Phoenix will be a day to celebrate contributions of the city's indigenous community.
LA and Phoenix joined a list that includes Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, Portland, and San Antonio.
Conor Oberst returns to Billings on Tuesday, Sept. 5, to play an 8 p.m. show at the Pub Station Ballroom
The show is all-ages. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $26, and Oberst is donating $1 from each ticket to support Planned Parenthood.
Oberst was last in Billings in 2008, when he played Bones Brewing with the Mystic Valley Band. He had played the Shrine Auditorium the year before with his band Bright Eyes.
Phoebe Bridgers opens the show.
Oberst has been playing in bands and releasing recordings since he was 13. Along with his own bands, hes also performed with Desaparecidos and the Monsters of Folk.
In the fall of 2015, and after more than a decade of living in New York City, Oberst returned to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Like John Lennon so famously said: Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. After canceling a tour with Desaparecidos due to serious health issues, Oberst returned home to recuperate.
I dont know if you know what Omaha is like in the winter, but its just paralyzing. Youre stranded in the house. Every night I was staying up late, making a point to play the new piano I had just bought and watching the snow fall outside the house. Everybody would be asleep and I would just go into this one room, make a fire, and play all night. In November I had a whole pickup truck full of firewood delivered and I thought, Im never going to run out of it. Before I knew I had gone through half of the firewood and I had five songs. By February I had burned through it all, and I had 15 songs. I had just spent the whole winter making fires and playing music.
His Salutations includes full band versions of the 10 songs from Ruminations, plus seven additional songs, some from an additional session at Five Star Studios in Echo Park in fall 2016. Oberst says of the Salutations sessions: "Jim (Keltner) was really the captain of the ship and the spiritual leader of the project. We leaned heavy on his fifty-plus years of musical insight to get us to where we needed to be. He brought such depth and dignity to the proceedings that made everyone else involved rise to the occasion. It was a true stroke of luck that he got involved when he did.
A white Republican lawmaker in Georgia warned a black former Democratic colleague that she might 'go missing' near a swamp if she kept advocating for Confederate monuments in the state to be removed.
Georgia state Rep. Jason C. Spencer shared a photo of himself on Monday to Facebook outside of the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Irwin County, which is roughly 30 minutes north of where he was raised.
'Passing through South Georgia on my way back This is Georgia's history. #DealWithIt.' Spencer wrote in the post, which was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Former Georgia state Rep. LaDawn Blackett Jones then responded to Spencer on his Facebook post. She suggested he get his visit and keepsake photos taken before the memorial of Davis is 'torn down'.
Georgia state Rep. Jason C. Spencer (left) warned former Georgia state Rep. LaDawn Blackett Jones that she might 'go missing' near a swamp if she kept advocating for Confederate monuments in the state to be removed
Spencer shared a photo collage (above) of himself on Monday to Facebook outside of the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Irwin County, which is roughly 30 minutes north of where he was raised
'Are state tax dollars going to this? If so I need to take a closer look at the state budget,' Jones wrote. 'I'll deal with it but don't want to pay for it.'
Spencer then responded and wrote that the memorial is 'not going' away anytime soon.
'Those folks won't put up with it like they do in Atlanta,' Spencer, who sits on several Georgia House of Representatives committees, including Games, Fish & Parks, wrote. 'It best you move on.'
Jones wrote Spencer back and told him to put his 'hoods' and 'tiki torches' away. She suggested that Confederate statues be moved to private property.
But the Republican than took the exchange with Jones in a seemingly threatening direction.
'I can guarantee you won't be met with torches but something a lot more definitive,' Spencer wrote. 'People in South Georgia are people of action, not drama.'
Jones responded to Spencer on his Facebook post and suggested he get his visit and keepsake photos taken before the memorial of Davis is 'town down'. That resulted into a heated exchange between the pair in which he warned her she might go missing
Another Facebook user interrupted their heated exchange and wrote that 'some people' will never get it.
'Atlanta is NOT Georgia,' the man wrote.
Spencer replied, 'You got that right. They will go missing in the Okenfenokee [swamp]. Too many necks they are red around here. Don't say I didn't warn you about them.'
The exchange, which has been removed from Facebook, concluded with Jones who wrote: '[Is] that what we are doing now? Desperate times call for desperate measures huh? Afraid of what is going to happen in southern [Georgia]?'
The exchange between Spencer and Jones has been removed from Facebook.
Spencer, who serves in District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and Ware counties, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that his post was not meant to be a threat, but a warning.
The exchange between Spencer (above) and Jones has been removed from Facebook
'She is from Atlanta and the rest of Georgia sees this issue very differently,' Spencer told the newspaper.
'Just trying to keep her safe if she decided to come down and raise hell about the memorial in the back yards of folks who will see this as an unwelcome aggression from the left.'
Jones told the newspaper that her relationship with Spencer was 'unique' while she served in the state legislature from 2012-2016.
'If it were anybody other than Jason Spencer, then I would be alarmed,' she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
'But we had a unique relationship in the Georgia Legislature. If that had come from anybody else, I'd take it as a serious threat.'
Spencer, who was elected in 2010, eventually issued a formal statement about their exchange on Facebook and said: 'I regret that my choice of words in warning LaDawn about the possibility of violence has been misinterpreted as a threat against her, or anyone else who would like to see historic monuments to the Confederacy removed.
'I was trying to warn her that there really are people who would harm others over the issue. In light of the recent tragic murder of a woman in Charlottesville, I believe that a certain degree of caution is necessary. I still do.'
Killer Hani Khalaf was free to live in the UK despite falsely claiming to be a Syrian refugee when he arrived in Kent hidden in a lorry
Five foreign criminals a day are being freed on to Britains streets instead of being booted out of the country, figures reveal.
Some 1,885 offenders including sex attackers, killers, robbers and drug dealers were released in the year to June after finishing their sentences.
The figure is up 10 per cent on the previous year, raising concerns that ministers are failing to get a grip on the problem.
MPs and criminal justice experts last night accused the Home Office of overseeing a shambles.
Guidelines say that criminals who have completed their sentences should be detained only if deporting them is a realistic prospect.
In reality thousands are released to be managed in the community and are then at risk of absconding and potentially putting the public in danger.
In total, 5,728 foreign-born criminals due to be deported are living in Britain. Nearly a third 1,870 have been loose for more than five years. A further 2,246 have dodged being booted out for more than 12 months but have yet to reach the five-year mark.
Of the 484 offenders freed between April and June alone, only two were deported. Another eight were given permission to stay.
The rest were challenging their deportation orders, many using controversial human rights or asylum laws, while others did not have travel documents and could not be removed immediately.
The figures come after the Mail revealed how the authorities missed six chances to kick an illegal immigrant out of Britain before he murdered a carer.
Hani Khalaf, 22, bludgeoned 62-year-old Jairo Medina to death for his mobile phone and a few pounds. The Egyptian national was free to live in the UK despite falsely claiming to be a Syrian refugee when he arrived in Kent hidden in a lorry.
The killer had previously been arrested at least six times for theft and fraud, but was released rather than deported as he repeatedly lied about his identity.
Khalaf was sentenced to a minimum of 26 years in jail as a judge suggested his case should prompt a review of the law
Judge Wendy Joseph QC said he was sent back into the community time and again and Mr Medina paid for it with his life.
Critics were scathing about the lack of progress since 2006 when Charles Clarke, then the Labour Home Secretary, was forced to resign over the failure to boot out 1,000 foreign criminals
She said: If anyone thinks it right to review it they should have an opportunity to see what the consequences were in this case.
Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said of the data on foreign criminals: These figures show that the Home Office is a shambles, and this is Theresa Mays legacy from her time as Home Secretary.
The rules are in place to remove foreign criminals once they have completed their sentences but this is incompetence on the part of the Government not to ensure they are removed.
The Home Secretary needs to explain how, of the 484 offenders released between April and June, only two were deported.
Ministers keep telling us that they want to take back control, but this just shows that this Government couldnt take proper control of a fish and chip shop, let alone a country.
David Spencer, research director of the Centre for Crime Prevention think-tank, said: There is simply no excuse for putting the British public at risk like this. Until they can be deported, foreign nationals who have committed criminal offences must be locked up, either in prison or an immigration centre.
It would be interesting to see how many of those set loose have gone on to commit further offences. This is something the Government urgently needs to get to grips with and hopefully Brexit will finally afford them the powers to do so.
Critics were scathing about the lack of progress since 2006 when Charles Clarke, then the Labour Home Secretary, was forced to resign over the failure to boot out 1,000 foreign criminals.
The latest figures show that there were 9,756 foreign inmates in England and Wales around one in nine of the total prison population.
The Home Office said that in 2016-17 it removed more than 6,340 foreign national offenders - the highest number ever. More than 37,000 have been removed since 2010.
A spokesman said: Those with no right to be in the UK should return home. We expect people to leave the country voluntarily but where they do not, we will seek to enforce their departure.
However, not all foreign national offenders can be deported before leaving custody and some are managed in the community whilst we clear legal barriers, secure documentation or overcome other obstacles to returning them.
Donald Trump thanked a long list of officials and senior aides by name on Wednesday as he began a tax reform speech but left out chief economic adviser Gary Cohn.
Cohn, whose work directly impacts tax code changes, publicly upbraided the president last week over his comments following a race-riot death in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Trump gave shout-outs to senior adviser Ivanka Trump, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon, Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and Lt. Gov. Michael Parson.
In a litany that resembled an Academy Awards acceptance speech, he also name-checked six Republican members of Missouri's congressional delegation: Sam Graves, Vicky Hartzler, William Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Jason Smith and Ann Wagner'
President Donald Trump thanked more people than an Oscar winner on Wednesday as he began his tax reform speech in Missouri
Left out of the gratitude litany was Gary Cohn (left), who worked on the tax package but also criticized Trump loudly last week for his comments after the Charlottesville racial violence
'Anybody I forgot?' Trump asked, surveying the room. 'Good, I got it.'
Mnuchin and Cohn had shared responsibilies in crafting Trump's tax overhaul plan, but only one of them merited a presidential mention.
Cohn, who is Jewish, told the Financial Times last week that after Trump claimed 'both sides' shared responsibility for the violence that broke out between neo-Nazis and counter-protesters, he felt 'enormous pressure' to quit.
'This administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities,' Cohn said of white supremacists and Ku Klux Klan mobs.
'As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post,' he said, adding that 'I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks. ... Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK.'
Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump (left), Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (center, background) and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were all name-checked by Trump
Trump's tax speech relied heavily on Cohn, who is Jewish and considered quitting this month over Trump's post-Charlottesville comments
Cohn drafted a resignation letter but ultimately decided not to submit it to the president.
The White House said later that Trump wasn't surprised by Cohn's interview.
'The president ... and Gary have spoken many times,' White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters last Friday after the Financial Times story went viral.
'Gary has not held back what his feelings are.'
White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom told Bloomberg Politics on Wednesday that the president wasn't snubbing Cohn on purpose.
'This is a little silly,' Strom said. 'Staff is typically not called out in prepared remarks, only Cabinet members.'
She didn't mention that Ivanka Trump and John Kelly were among the names in Trump's remarks.
Aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted that Trump's speeches 'very rarely mention staff.'
'It's standard practice not to call out staff,' she insisted.
Noting Ivanka's inclusion in the president's remarks, Sanders said: 'He was also recognizing her as his daughter.'
A New York lawyer is heading for a divorce with his wife of 58 years after she refused an astonishing $1 billion payout.
Harry Macklowe, 80, offered wife Linda, 79, almost half of his fortune - which totals more than $2 billion - to settle amicably, after he left her for a French woman 20 years his junior.
But Linda isn't taking the easy way out - and now Macklowe is on his way to a very public court hearing, NY Daily News reported.
Harry Macklowe, 80, offered wife Linda (both pictured in 2015), 79, almost half of his fortune - which totals more than $2 billion - rather than go to court, but she turned him down
On Wednesday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Laura Drager advised the couple that it would be better to come to an accord.
The alternative would be having their dirty secrets exposed to the world, she warned.
'I am concerned about what your expectations are for what this trial is going to be like. It is not going to be a pleasant experience,' she said.
Macklowe, whose properties include Apple's famous Fifth Avenue store and the 96-story 432 Park Ave. building, hoped to avoid that.
But Linda, a trustee of the Guggenheim Foundation, filed for divorce last June and says it'll be both her way and the highway.
Macklowe is now engaged to Patricia Landeau (both pictured in 2017), 60. She is president of the French Friends of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem
Even Drager conceded that the couple agree on practically nothing, as the reality of the impending divorce became clear.
Macklowe left his wife for Patricia Landeau, 60, president of the French Friends of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, to whom he is now engaged.
In April, he said he hoped that his offer of half his fortune might persuade her to end things amicably.
'I hope shes happy. I'm happy. I hope it's over quickly. She initiated it,' he told the NY Daily News at the time. This is serious. ... The marriage was not as good as it should have been.'
Linda was less interested in talking. 'He likes the press. I never talked to them. I have no comment,' she said.
While their lawyers debated, Macklowe told a string of jokes to the press.
In one he described a conversation between a husband and wife that began with the man saying: "'Darling, I told you, I went to the racetrack and bet on Susan.'"
'The next day, the husband returned home and his wife clocks him with a frying pan. "Darling, why are you beating me up?" the husband asks.
"'Your horse called home today,' she replies.'
As Texans begin to pick up the pieces after being left devastated by hurricane Harvey, a new tropical storm has now formed over the Atlantic Ocean and is 'steadily intensifying.'
Tropical storm Irma is currently located over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean and is expected to become a hurricane by Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory on Wednesday.
The storm is located about 480 miles west of Cape Verde Islands and is packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour, the NHC said.
As Texans begin to pick up the pieces after being left devastated by hurricane Harvey, tropical storm Irma (above) has now formed over the Atlantic Ocean and is 'steadily intensifying'
Tropical storm Irma is currently located over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean and is expected to become a hurricane by Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center
The storm is located about 480 miles west of Cape Verde Islands and is packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour, the NHC said
The present movement is west at 13 mph and the general movement is expected to continue for the next few days.
'There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect,' the Miami-based weather forecaster added.
In addition, officials said Irma poses no immediate threat to land at this moment, but it's too early to tell if Irma will hit the United States.
The storm is expected to take about a week to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Irma is now the ninth named storm this busy hurricane season.
The present movement is west at 13 mph and the general movement is expected to continue for the next few days.
In addition, officials said Irma poses no immediate threat to land at this moment, but it's too early to tell if Irma will hit the United States
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration forecasters said the Atlantic Ocean's 2017 hurricane season will likely be above normal, with 11 to 17 named storms, five to nine hurricanes and two to four major storms.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned residents that the worst of Hurricane Harvey is not over and that it will take months for the state to recover from its devastating floods.
'The worst is not yet over as far as the rain goes for southeast Texas. There's more to come,' he said at a press conference on Wednesday where he described the catastrophe as being 'far larger' than Katrina or Sandy.
Experts are calling Harvey, which has brought the heaviest rainfall in US history, the worst natural disaster the country has ever seen. Above, a home in Houston on Tuesday which is now entirely underwater
Emergency crews continued to work in Buffalo Bayou, Houston, on Wednesday to rescue stranded residents from Hurricane Harvey's flood waters
In what experts are describing as the worst natural disaster in US history, more than 30,000 people are in shelters across Texas and at least 31 people have been killed as a result of the devastating floods.
In one area of Houston alone there were another 17 deaths reported on Wednesday.
The death toll is expected to rise dramatically as the waters recede. 'I'm worried about how many bodies we're going to find,' Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said on Tuesday as he mourned the loss of one of his own officers who drowned trying to get to work.
The cost of the damage, which includes 500,000 ruined cars, is likely to total $160 billion. The Texas Department of Safety revealed on Wednesday that 48,700 homes had been impacted by the floods.
The opening episode of Great British Bake Off gave Channel 4 its highest ratings in five years.
However, it wasnt a sweet success for the commercial channel as last years opener on the BBC had 4.6million more viewers.
An average of 5.8million tuned in to watch Tuesdays episode of the eighth series after Channel 4 outbid the BBC for the contract.
When catch-up figures were included, the number climbed to 6.5million the largest audience for Channel 4 since the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Yesterday Channel 4 bosses said the figures vindicated their 75million gamble on a three-year contract.
But last years first episode on BBC1 started with an audience of 10.4million, which grew to 14million for the finale.
Fans of Britain's favourite cooking show appeared to miss Mel and Sue as new narrator and host Noel Fielding made his debut
New presenters Sandi Toksvig and Fielding proved willing to continue their predecessor's enthusiasm for raunchy humour
It was a successful debut for new presenting team Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig and Prue Leith, who replaced the much-loved Mel and Sue
Some decline had been considered inevitable, given that Channel 4 typically draws far smaller audiences.
Millions shunned the new 75-minute programme, which had 17 minutes of adverts, two new presenters and no Mary Berry.
Nevertheless, Channel 4s outgoing chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, said: The Great British Bake Offs audience proves its still one of the countrys favourite shows. I am delighted millions watched the new team put 12 magnificent bakers through their paces. Its the largest share of young audiences weve had for a show for over a decade.
Sources said there was whooping and high-fiving in the London HQ. The Bake Off ratings dwarfed the typical audience of around three million for Gogglebox, one of Channel 4s most viewed shows.
Miss Hunt indicated last week they only needed three million to break even. The shows hefty price tag was matched by the designer clothes worn by the two new presenters. Flamboyant comedian Noel Fielding wore a 260 shirt with a raven pattern from London-based Silken Favours.
Judge Paul Hollywood had previously said he would consider eight million viewers a 'slump' and a sign 'we need to change something'.
Hollywood is the only remaining member of the old Bake Off team and it was mixed reviews for his new colleagues Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig and Prue Leith, who replaced the much-loved Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins and Marry Berry.
But while some fans tried to shun their sense of guilt and celebrated the trio on Twitter, they were less than impressed with the new-look Hollywood.
Known for his harsh and stern treatment of bakers, the expert baker appeared to be a lot warmer in last night's episode and was accused by viewers of being too 'nice'.
Audiences were over the moon to see Bake Off's trademark innuendos and banter back on our screens, but were frustrated about its succession of advert breaks.
Many viewers felt they were 'rushed in' at the expense of the programme.
The new presenters were introduced to the series by looking for the tent in a giant hot air balloon, with Toksvig on the phone: 'Sorry Sue, did you say a white tent?'
Hollywood heralded the arrival of the new judge by saying: 'This year is going to be very special.
'The bakers may think they know what I want but when it comes to Prue they have absolutely no idea.'
Meanwhile Leith promised to be 'firm by fair.'
It was always going to be tough to follow in the footsteps of Mel and Sue and for many viewers, Fielding in particular did not get off to a good start.
Bake Off judge Prue was spotted enjoying a day out with friends in Oxford the morning after the debut hit our screens, with her performance attracting mixed reviews from fans
One fan tweeted: 'Noel Fielding's voice overs are disturbing me, like he's doing an impression of a 50's BBC presenter.'
Another wrote: 'I hate Noel Fieldings voice over already,' while another posted: 'I'm not even sure about the voice over man.' and another said: 'Noel sounds like he's presenting CBeebies.'
One viewer said: 'The kids don't like Noel Fielding's narration - he speaks too quietly, apparently. I'm not mega-keen, either. Still, give it time.'
But not all were left cold by the comedian's debut, one fan wrote: 'I think I've fallen in love with Noel Fielding' and another said: 'Noel Fielding is brilliant. I think I actually love him.'
Another said: 'Am i the only one that likes the new #gbbo ??? like it's basically the same plus it has noel fielding.'
Another said: 'Screw the haters, Noel Fielding will be great on Bake off, just a pity about the adverts.'
Great British Bake Off judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith examine the contestant's cakes, while new presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig watch on
Another viewer wrote: 'The kids don't like Noel Fielding's narration - he speaks too quietly, apparently. I'm not mega-keen, either. Still, give it time'
Leith was also a hit with certain members of the audience, who even said she was better than former judge Mary Berry.
One viewer tweeted: 'Unpopular opinion but I already like Prue more than Mary Berry, loving this new set up other than the ads!'
Another said: 'Sorry, Prue Leith is so, so, so much better than Mary Berry as a judge. Not even a comparison. #GBBO.'
One fan said: 'Anyone missing Mary Berry? Nah, me neither. Noel Fielding fits in well and Prue seems a very good Berry replacement #GBBO.'
Another wrote: 'Prue Leith is as good on Bake Off as Mary Berry was. There, I've said it!'
But while some fans were focusing on the performances of the new presenters, others were preoccupied with show stalwart Hollywood.
One fan wrote: 'Paul Hollywood trying to be nice on bake off when we all know he's a snake who abandoned Mary.'
Another said: 'Has someone told Paul Hollywood to be nice? It's weird. #GBBO'
One said: 'Paul Hollywood is being so nice it makes me wonder what Mary, Mel and Sue ever did to the poor guy #GBBO.'
When the show aired on the BBC episodes lasted one hour and featured no adverts.
The new presenters were introduced to the series by looking for the tent in a giant hot air balloon, with Toksvig on the phone: 'Sorry Sue, did you say a white tent?'
Paul Hollywood 'raised the bar' with his handshakes on GBBO Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood has said he only watched the last 20 minutes of the show when it made its debut last night. Hollywood, 51, told Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2 that he did not like seeing himself on TV. 'I caught the last 20 minutes of it last night. I was there so I didn't need to watch the whole thing. 'But it was great, all the reaction has been very, very positive, which is great news.' Asked about not sitting down for the full episode, he said: 'I sort of know (what it looks like) but, to be honest, I don't like watching myself on telly so I flit in and out, grab a cup of tea.' He promised: 'Next week we have biscuit week and some of the things they produce in that are spectacular.' The judge, who moved with the hit series when it left the BBC, said he had to 'raise the bar a little bit on the handshakes'. Viewers saw him give out two handshakes - his highest form of praise - to two contestants. 'I gave out two handshakes ... I was giving them out and thinking this is ridiculous,' he said. He added: 'There's a lot more people baking now than there was nine years ago. That's a good thing ... If we get people baking then Bake Off's done its job and I think it's worked over the last few years.' Advertisement
Another said: 'Screw the haters, Noel Fielding will be great on Bake off, just a pity about the adverts.'
One tweeted: 'Such is my shallowness, I've already forgotten about Mary, Mel and Sue and am on to complaining about adverts #GBBO.'
When the show aired on the BBC episodes lasted one hour and featured no adverts.
The first commercial was for online auctioning site Ebay, while other ads were for brands including Freeview, Lloyds, BMW and EE and Channel 4 shows such as Gogglebox, Celebs Go Dating and new comedy Back.
One fan wrote: '#GBBO feels way too rushed now they've squished adverts in! while another said: 'It's too bloody rushed to fit in ALL THE ADVERTS surprise' and another wrote: '#GBBO Too many adverts - rushed judging to fit more ads in - get a grip @Channel4.'
Others said they missed the history segments and external shots of animals around the tent.
One fan wrote: 'I don't know the history of mini rolls I need the history of mini rolls. I don't need adverts.'
Another said: 'Just realised that to make room for adverts, C4 have cut all the external shots. No more sheeps and squirrels. That's GBBO done for me.'
The Great British Bake Off's tradition for innuendo has not been subdued by the change in hosts, judge and channel
The Great British Bake Off returned to TV screens across the country in the first show since its switch from the BBC to Channel 4
Other viewers said the inclusion of the breaks felt strange and jarring.
One said: 'So #GBBO is back, always going to like Noel Fielding BUT adverts in bake off is just wrong and weird,' as another wrote: 'Can't get used to #bakeoff with adverts, this is too weird' and another added: '#GBBO hate hate hate all these adverts.'
However others embraced the breaks and used them as chances to eat their own cakes.
One viewer looked on the bright side saying: 'These commercial breaks are good for a quick brew and a Mr Kipling.'
Another joked: 'Loving #GBBO I made a cake in the adverts!'
Others used the time to get tasks done, with one fan saying; '#GBBO Ads? So what? Not as if we haven't got them on other progs. Go to the loo. Make a cuppa. Unload the dishwasher. Have a snog!'
Another wrote: 'I actually love the adverts during #GBBO i've managed to change my bedsheets and make a cup of tea during them. #Productive'.
Contestants create a wide range of sweets and pastry dishes, including cakes, pies and patisserie before returning judge Paul Hollywood and series newcomer Prue Leith cast a critical eye over their efforts
New presenters Sandi Toksvig and Fielding proved willing to continue their predecessor's enthusiasm for raunchy humour
As the contest changes channels, presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding welcome a new batch of cooks to the tent
The Great British Bake Off's tradition for innuendo has not been subdued by the change in hosts, judge and channel.
New presenters Sandi Toksvig and Fielding proved willing to continue their predecessor's enthusiasm for raunchy humour.
Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins frequently raised eyebrows and prompted giggles with their double entendres while the show was a fixture on the BBC.
Toksvig kicked off proceedings by telling the amateurs their time for baking a fruit-filled cake was almost up, announcing: 'You have two minutes to bring this to a fruity conclusion, and you know, who doesn't want that?'
While administering instructions for the technical challenge of chocolate mini rolls, she told the hopefuls the cakes must be 'covered in chocolate but, cheekily, do not worry about leaving a bare bottom.'
Fielding also embraced the 'bare bottom' humour by saying: 'If there is an opportunity to keep the bottom exposed we should all embrace that.
'I'm planning on taking my trousers off when Paul and Prue do the judging.'
TWO 'HOLLYWOOD HANDSHAKES' Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood stunned viewers when he offered up two coveted 'Hollywood handshakes' in the first task of the first episode of the new series. As the show debuted on Channel 4, Hollywood gave his highest praise to bakers Sophie and Steven. The hard-to-please judge was impressed with Sophie's pineapple and coconut sandwich cake, hailing it as delicious. The offered hand shocked the baker so much she said: 'I'm worried I might have peaked too soon.' As the show debuted on Channel 4, Hollywood gave his highest praise to bakers Sophie and Steven (pictured) He also offered his hand out to Steven for his bonfire night cake with toffee apples, which Hollywood described as 'beautifully baked.' Steven was so stunned he said: 'When he put his hand out, I thought he was going to hit me.' Viewers were stunned he was so liberal with his highest praise, with one writing: 'Paul needs to calm down with these handshakes. Cant just give away a Hollywood handshake.' Another wrote: 'Hollywood handshakes on episode 1?? What's going on??' Another viewer wrote: 'Two handshakes already..far too generous for the first episode Paul,' while another said: '2 handshakes already is grade inflation.' Another viewer was baffled by his generosity, saying: 'I thought Paul's handshake was like a rare golden goose...what is going on? This feels weird.' Advertisement
IT programme manager Peter failed to rise to the occasion as he got the chop in the first episode of the show not to air on the BBC.
The hit programme returned to television in its new home with different presenters and a new judge but the familiar tropes of oven-watching, cake binning and sprinting round the tent in a race against the clock.
The first episode to air since the programme parted ways with the BBC featured new presenting team Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, as well as new judge Prue Leith, who joined series regular Paul Hollywood, and the arrival of ad breaks.
Leith took over the baton from previous judge Mary Berry, while Toksvig and Fielding stepped into the shoes of Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.
The show, which is still made by Love Productions, featured the same theme music and opening sequence, as well as the same bunting-decorated tent and three-challenge format.
Essex resident Peter, 52, was the first to get the boot from the competition after his coconut cake contained too much baking powder, his chocolate mini rolls failed to impress and his cake in the shape of a bread and bread board proved to be too dry and too simple for the judges.
He said: 'I'm disappointed to be the first off, but it has been a lovely experience throughout. It was quite surreal from day one, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.
'No matter how far you go in the series, it's still great to be part of the show. And it doesn't end for me on week one, as all of the bakers are my friends now, and they are amazing in their own way.
'They are a wonderful bunch of guys and we keep in touch regularly. I will be watching them throughout of course.'
He added: 'My daughter Temi always wanted me to apply in previous years, and this year she let me know when the applications were open and really encouraged me to apply.
'Although I am the first baker to leave the tent it doesn't mean it's a bad experience. To be shortlisted from such a large list of applications and to be one of the 12 bakers to enter the tent was a huge personal achievement.'
Pictured is 'star baker' Steven's illusion cake in the shape of a BLT sandwich and loaf of bread, described by Leith as 'absolutely astonishing'
The showstopper challenge to create an illusion cake was described by Hollywood as 'the most complex showstopper challenge ever set in the first week of Bake Off.'
Pictured is Flo's watermelon illusion cake which the judges were extremely impressed with
During the episode the amateur bakers were tasked with a signature challenge of a family-sized cake using fresh fruit before a technical challenge of 12 chocolate covered mini rolls.
The showstopper challenge to create an illusion cake was described by Hollywood as 'the most complex showstopper challenge ever set in the first week of Bake Off'.
Contestant Steven's bonfire night cake with toffee apples, his proficient mini rolls and illusion cake in the shape of a BLT sandwich and loaf of bread, described by Leith as 'absolutely astonishing', landed him the title of star baker.
Now that's a showstopper! The Great British Bake Off is back on Channel 4 with all its crazy creations which ARE really cakes
By Laura Lambert, TV and Radio Reporter, for The Daily Mail
They are creations that would not look out of place in the final of The Great British Bake Off.
Yet these extraordinarily convincing 'illusion cakes', made to look like a BLT sandwich, a watermelon, a stack of pancakes and a bowl of noodles, were crafted during last night's first episode of the new series.
The fiendish task was billed as the 'hardest first showstopper' ever to be set on the hit baking show which has moved to Channel 4 and was always going to sort the wheat from the chaff.
And the triumphs of deception and baking competence were certainly matched by disasters, in the form of a black clutch bag and a loaf of bread with a snapped knife.
Marketing executive Steven was crowned the first star baker for his bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich
Merseyside grandmother Flo, 71, made a watermelon cake that would not look out of place in a greengrocer's
And 19-year-old student Liam, from North London, wowed with his fake pancakes
Indeed, while marketing executive Steven was crowned the first star baker for his bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, the challenge proved the undoing of IT manager Peter.
The 52-year-old had earlier finished bottom of the technical challenge when piping the wrong type of chocolate on his mini-rolls, and was then doomed when the sugar knife for his bread broke.
Nevertheless, the show's return was met with a positive reaction from fans, who commented that it had barely changed in moving from the BBC.
One aspect that was strikingly similar to the corporation's version was the prevalence of innuendos, including mentions of 'bare bottoms', 'a nice pair' and even a 'moist clutch'.
At one point, ex-Army officer Sophie unintentionally produced a phallic moment, when moulding the shaft of her fondant icing champagne bottle.
Following Paul Hollywood's bold claim that this year's contestants were the best bakers ever to grace the tent, Steven threw down the gauntlet with his 'Baker's Lunch' cake.
Hollywood said: 'The standard of the show is so high, but unfortunately it was Peter's turn to go.'
Health and safety inspector Kate, 19, from Liverpool, failed her test with the Greenhouse cake
Former teacher Stacey, 42, from Hertforshire, didn't get pass marks for this clutch bag cake
Indeed, both Hollywood and his new co-judge Prue Leith, who has replaced Mary Berry, looked taken aback at the creation, describing it as 'stunning' and 'perfect'.
Such was the level of trickery that Miss Leith who was not afraid to show her formidable side when faced with below-par cakes commented: 'You wouldn't think it wasn't bread.'
Meanwhile, Merseyside grandmother Flo, 71, made a watermelon cake that would not look out of place in a greengrocer's, and 19-year-old student Liam wowed with his fake pancakes.
Molecular biologist Yan, who works for the NHS, demonstrated her ability with her Asian-inspired dish, featuring fondant icing noodles and chicken ramen made from Rice Krispies.
It was not the first time Stacey, a stay-at-home mother, had faltered earlier in the episode she resorted to throwing her cake in the bin
Using her noodle: NHS worker Yan's cake has an Asia inspiration
However, at the opposite end of the leader-board, ex-school teacher Stacey left the judges stumped with her black clutch bag cake.
Miss Leith said: 'I am not certain I would know it was a handbag', while Hollywood said: 'It looks like a decorated cake rather than a handbag.'
It was not the first time Stacey, a stay-at-home mother, had faltered earlier in the episode she resorted to throwing her cake in the bin.
In an earlier round, Yan also threw her first attempt at an apple crumble cake in the bin, before starting again.
Speaking about becoming the first baker to leave the tent, Peter said: 'I'm disappointed to be the first off, but it has been a lovely experience throughout. It was quite surreal from day one, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. All of the bakers are my friends now, and they are amazing in their own way. They are a wonderful bunch and I will be watching them throughout.'
Hollywood said: 'The standard of the show is so high, but unfortunately it was Peter's turn to go.'
Last week Channel 4's outgoing chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, said the show would need to be watched by 3million people for the broadcaster to break even. The broadcaster spent a reported 75million on a three-year contract for the show, which aired for seven series on the BBC.
Harvey Proctor said he would bring a costly judicial review if the anonymous man known only as Nick is given privileged access
A former MP threatened a High Court challenge to the child sex abuse inquiry last night if it gives his fantasist accuser special legal status.
Harvey Proctor said he would bring a costly judicial review if the anonymous man known only as Nick is given privileged access.
The ex-Tory politician said it would be wrong to make the suspected fantasist a core participant when he is under police investigation.
Northumbria Police was brought into prove allegations Nick invented lurid allegations which led to claims of a Westminster VIP paedophile ring.
Mr Proctor, who has been left destitute as a result of the claims, said he would challenge any decision to take evidence from Nick.
He suggested granting special status, under which individuals can apply for legal costs, will encourage some to accuse anyone from public life in the last half century, alive or dead.
And he called on Professor Alexis Jay, who is chairing the inquiry, to undertake not to hear his claims or he will seek a judicial review.
He said the inquiry must not double guess and regurgitate the disastrous investigation of the Met or to take evidence from internet or other fantasists.
Unless Prof Jay does so, the concentration on this baseless strand will intensify the pressure on me which I have suffered for over two years, he said.
I wish to make it clear that I will refuse any attempt by the Inquiry to drag me into this Westminster strand of their inquiries whatever the legal consequences of my decision.
I will not be treated as a performing animal for this nonsensical child abuse investigation. The Inquiry has become an industry in which I have no intention of participating.
His comments came as the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) announced the terms of its work into the so-called Westminster VIP sex ring scandal.
Allegations that members of the British Establishment attended sex parties where underage boys were raped and murdered are among some of the most shocking it is considering.
They generated a wave of outrage and unanswered questions which led to the foundation of the troubled inquiry itself.
But one of the key figures behind them, Nick, is now suspected of lying to Scotland Yard detectives who once described him as credible and true.
In a landmark legal move, Mr Proctor is suing him for a more than six figures for spreading malicious falsehoods about him.
He also accuses the Metropolitan Police of bungling the inquiry, known as Operation Midland, in which he was interviewed twice.
One of Nicks most extraordinary allegations was that former Prime Minister Edward Heath persuaded Mr Proctor not to castrate him with a penknife
One of Nicks most extraordinary allegations was that former Prime Minister Edward Heath persuaded Mr Proctor not to castrate him with a penknife.
He is also being investigated over claims he made against the former defence chief Lord Bramall and former Home Secretary Leon Brittan.
An Inquiry spokeswoman said there had been significant developments in a series of investigations into the Westminster allegations since the inquiry began.
These include an external review of the Scotland Yard inquiry and a string of probes by the police watchdog into claims of corruption and cover-ups.
According to inquiry documents, a core participant can be an individual or organisation that played a direct or significant role in matters under investigation.
They can apply for legal costs and will be given special access to documents and the final report. Decisions on who is admitted will be made on a case by case basis.
The first hearing on the Westminster investigation will take place in January.
Timothy Piazza was just 19 at the time of his death in February while a student at Penn State
The lawyer for a Penn State fraternity president accused in the death of a pledge after a night of drinking and hazing argued Wednesday that his client was unaware that the student was in danger.
Defense attorney Frank Fina said during a preliminary hearing that there was no evidence that former Beta Theta Pi president Brendan Young acted maliciously the night 19-year-old Tim Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey, was fatally injured.
'He wasn't there through the whole night. He did not observe any injuries to Mr. Piazza. He did not observe anything that would lead him to believe that he was at substantial risk,' Fina told a district judge who will have to decide whether to send the case against Young and 15 others to trial.
Fina said Young's entire exposure to Piazza's drinking lasted only 12 seconds, and there are unanswered questions about how much Piazza drank and how he obtained it.
Brendan Young, a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, arrives at the Centre County courthouse
'We can't say at what point his tragic injuries were fatal that night,' Fina argued. 'And we can't identify all of the intervening events and the unknowns that contributed or even caused some of Mr. Piazza's injuries.'
Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said Young was 'in charge of the fraternity' and sent texts afterward indicating he was responsible.
She said the defendants led Piazza to hazing and excessive speed drinking, aiming to see 'how drunk they could get him in the shortest period possible.'
That behavior, she argued, meets state standards for criminal liability.
'They knew that death was a potentially serious consequence,' Parks Miller said. 'They proceeded in the face of it anyhow. That is recklessness.'
Jim and Evelyn Piazza, the parents of Timothy Piazza, 19, who died following a Feb. 2 pledge event at the Beta Theta Pi frat house at Penn State, along with their lawyer Tom Kline (left)
Authorities have said Piazza ingested a dangerous amount of alcohol and fell several times during the night of a membership bid acceptance ceremony in February.
Security cameras showed Piazza spent an excruciating night in the fraternity as members made half-hearted and even counterproductive efforts to help him.
Piazza was unconscious by the time he was discovered in the Beta Theta Pi basement the next morning, and he was found to have suffered severe head and abdominal injuries.
Two other defendants have waived their preliminary hearing.
WhatsApp is hoping to make money by moving into the customer support business.
The company has begun verifying firms ahead of the expected launch of the new system,and hopes the green check mark badges will make businesses appear more trustworthy and encourage companies to use the platform to communicate with customers.
The company has also advertised for support staff for a separate 'WhatsApp Business app for Android' where it is believed firms will be able to manage the messages.
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The company hopes the green check mark badges will make businesses appear more trustworthy, while a new Business app (pictured) will help firms manage communications.
BUSINESS ON WHATSAPP WhatsApp is starting to verify businesses accounts The company hopes the green check mark badges will make businesses appear more trustworthy and encourage companies to use the platform to communicate with customers. When talking with a business account, the message bubbles will be yellow. Unlike with regular WhatsApp messages where users can delete message, it's not possible to delete messages exchanged with these verified business accounts. Users can, however, block business accounts as they would any other user. Despite the verified status of these accounts, you can still save them in your address book under whatever name you want - the name you save will be what you see. Advertisement
TheLeaker has also posted images which it claims are from the new support app.
Getting businesses on WhatsApp is how the Facebook-owned company - which has over 1.3 billion uses but hasn't developed a business model - plans to monetize.
Unlike the verification processes on Instagram and Twitter that often awards accounts check marks simply for having a robust following and presence as a public figure, WhatsApp is giving out the green verification badge after confirming the contact number belongs to a business.
'WhatsApp is exploring ways for you to communicate with the businesses that matter to you,' the announcement reads.
'Some business accounts have been verified by WhatsApp - If you see a green badge next to a contact's name, it means that WhatsApp has confirmed that the phone number of this contact belongs to a business account.'
There are a few other differences as well.
When talking with a business account, the message bubbles will be yellow.
Unlike with regular WhatsApp messages where users can delete messages, it's not possible to delete any that have been exchanged with verified business accounts.
Users can, however, block business accounts as they would any other user.
Despite the verified status of these accounts, you can still save them in your address book under whatever name you want - the name you save will be what you see.
Unlike with regular WhatsApp messages where users can delete messages, it's not possible to delete any that have been exchanged with verified business accounts. Users can, however, block business accounts as they would any other user
If you don't have a business's phone number saved in your address book, however, the name you will see is the name the business has chosen for itself.
It's unclear if an iOS version will be developed or if businesses are already using it, but code in the original WhatsApp app suggests businesses will be able to use the new app to send automated customer support messages like they can in Facebook Messenger.
A job posting for a small business technical specialist also mentions a 'WhatsApp Business app for Android.'
Only a small group of business accounts being tested in the WhatsApp for Business pilot program have received the check marks and are operating with the aforementioned processes so far.
It also appears that WhatsApp is readying a standalone Android app for businesses, according to code analysis by WABetaInfo .
Earlier this month, WhatsApp announced it was updating its terms and privacy policy for the first time in four years as part of its 'plans to test ways for people to communicate with businesses in the months ahead.'
WhatsApp is starting to verify businesses accounts. The company hopes the green check mark badges will make businesses appear more trustworthy and encourage companies to use the platform to communicate with customers
'People use our app every day to keep in touch with the friends and loved ones who matter to them, and this isn't changing - But as we announced earlier this year, we want to explore ways for you to communicate with business that matter to you too, while still giving you an experience without third-party banner ads and spam.'
'Whether it's hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction, or getting notified by an airline about a delayed flight, many of us get this information elsewhere, including in text messages and phone calls.'
Getting businesses on WhatsApp is how the Facebook-owned company - which has over 1.3 billion uses but hasn't developed a business model - plans to monetize
WhatsApp announced it's testing a system that would let businesses talk directly to WhatsApp users for the first time in April.
The tests - which are being conducted with a handful of companies that are part of the Y Combinator startup incubator - are an important signal of how WhatsApp plans to make money from its massively popular service.
WhatsApp has not developed a business model in the three years since Facebook bought it for a hefty $19 billion.
Ahead of the new terms announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he wants the company's messaging products - WhatsApp and Messenger - to speed up their efforts to generate sales, according to CNBC.
He also told analysts on a conference call following second-quarter results that the company has to 'move even faster' on its messaging products.
WhatsApp, a pun on the phrase 'What's up?', has helped to upend mobile services by allowing users to text or call friends and family for free, without text message charges.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp announced it was updating its terms and privacy policy for the first time in four years as part of its 'plans to test ways for people to communicate with businesses in the months ahead'
In late July, WhatsApp founder Jan Koum said the app has 1.3 billion monthly users who share 1 billion videos and 55 billion messages per day.
In trying to bring businesses on board, the company is working carefully to avoid problems with spam messages, documents seen by Reuters show.
WhatsApp is also surveying users about the extent to which they talk to businesses on WhatsApp, and whether they have ever received spam.
WhatsApp last year announced its plan to develop the system, known as an application programming interface, or API, citing examples such as a user talking to a bank about a fraudulent transaction or to an airline about a delayed flight.
In March, WhatsApp struck a deal with Y Combinator, which provides training and advice to startups that show potential, to have a small number of companies take part in an early trial, according to emails and messages posted on a Y Combinator forum.
Admission to Y Combinator, founded in 2005, is highly competitive, and past participants include such companies as Airbnb and Dropbox.
The system for businesses is highly anticipated in remote places where WhatsApp is especially popular, he said.
For the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, NASA says it may soon have the capability to send astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil.
Critical milestones are on the horizon for Boeing and SpaceX, the space agency's commercial crew partners: Flight tests of their spacecraft, including crewed missions, are planned for 2018.
That's launched something of a 'new space race' at the Kennedy Space Center, officials said.
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where next year both SapceX and Boeing plan to launch manned missions to the ISS
TIMELINES To meet NASA's requirements, Boeing and SpaceX must demonstrate their systems are ready to begin regular flights to the space station. SpaceX's first flight test is scheduled for February. Boeing's is scheduled for June. Advertisement
'We have invested a lot as a center, as a nation into Kennedy Space Center to ready us for that next 50 years of spaceflight and beyond,' said Tom Engler, the center's director of planning and development.
'You see the dividends of that now, these commercial companies buying into what we're doing.'
The public-private partnership is transforming Kennedy Space Center into a multiuser spaceport.
NASA is developing the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft for missions to deep space, including to Mars, leaving private companies to send people to low Earth orbit.
Boeing is building the CST-100 Starliner, a spacecraft that will send astronauts to the space station, in a hangar once used to prepare space shuttles for flight.
Three Starliners are in production, including one that will fly astronauts next year.
'If Mars is the pinnacle of Mount Everest, low Earth orbit is base camp. The commercial companies are the sherpas that haul things there,' said Chris Ferguson, a former NASA astronaut and director of crew and mission operations at Boeing.
'It opens up a whole new world of business.'
SpaceX, which flies cargo missions to the space station with its Dragon spacecraft, has modified an old shuttle launch pad for its Falcon 9 rockets, which the company has successfully reused.
It plans to use Dragon 2, a new version of the spacecraft, to send astronauts to the space station.
Blue Origin, founded by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is building a rocket factory; it also plans to launch its rockets from Cape Canaveral.
Boeing and United Launch Alliance built a crew access tower so astronauts can board the Starliner.
BOEING'S STARLINER SPACE TAXI The Starliner is part of NASA's operational Commercial Crew mission to bring astronauts to the International Space Station. It will be launched from a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, and manned tests are set to begin in 2018. The Starliner will be launched from a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, and is part of NASAs operational Commercial Crew mission to bring astronauts to the International Space Station, allowing it to grow to seven residents The missions will be able to take up to four astronauts at a time, with Eric Boe, Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley and Sunni Williams now in training. In February, it was revealed that Boeing has hired a small company to make about 600 3D-printed parts for its Starliner space taxis. Starliners will fly from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard Atlas 5 rockets, which are built and flown by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing Advertisement
The Atlas V, one of the world's most reliable rockets, will launch the spacecraft and its astronauts.
'This is really the Apollo era for the next generation,' said Shannon Coggin, a production integration specialist at United Launch Alliance.
'This is inspiring this next generation to fall in love with space again, to really test their boundaries and us paving their way for the future of commercial space exploration.'
To meet NASA's requirements, Boeing and SpaceX must demonstrate their systems are ready to begin regular flights to the space station.
SpaceX's first flight test is scheduled for February. Boeing's is scheduled for June.
A bookkeeper for a Billings trucking company this week denied federal charges accusing her of embezzling from the firm.
Elisha Ryan Finley, 39, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a 10-count indictment charging her with five counts of wire fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutor Colin Rubich said that while working as a bookkeeper for G.D. Eastlick Inc., a Billings trucking company, Finley embezzled about $97,451. The scheme ran from about April to November 2016.
Rubich said Finley wrote about 140 checks to herself by forging the owners signature and depositing the money into a personal account that she controlled.
To hide the thefts, Finley improperly disposed of copies of the checks provided to the company by the bank as part of a monthly statement. She also altered check stubs to make it appear the checks were voided when they were not and failed to enter the checks she paid to herself in the companys books and records.
If convicted, Finley faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the fraud crime and a mandatory consecutive two years on the aggravated identity theft crime.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan continued Finleys release pending trial. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
Uber Technologies Inc has officially welcomed its new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who led online travel business Expedia for 12 years.
He joined San Francisco-based Uber's all-hands staff meeting Wednesday to take questions from employees.
'This company has to change,' Khosrowshahi said to Uber's employees during the all-hands meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday.
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Ariana Huffington posted this selfie of new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi (front row, second from right) at the firm's all hands meeting, where he was introduced by ex CEO Travis Kalanick (standing to his left).
'What got us here is not what's going to get us to the next level.'
Khosrowshahi said he plans on focusing on the core ride-hailing business to 'pay the bills' and also work on taking big shots.
According to news site Axios, Khosrowshahi put Uber's IPO timeline between 18 to 36 months from now, meaning a 2019 IPO for the company at the earliest.
Dara also said he is a believer in 'no bullshit' and 'complete transparency' according to Amir Efrati of news site The Information.
The 48-year-old CEO also told employees he wants to bring in a chairman to be my partner at the board level.
New Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi joined San Francisco-based Uber's all-hands staff meeting Wednesday to take questions from employees.
Khosrowshahi's appointment comes at a time when Uber is trying to recover from a series of crises that culminated in the ouster of its former CEO Travis Kalanick in June.
It is also a key step toward filling a gaping hole in its top management which at the moment has no chief financial officer, head of engineering or general counsel.
'The board and the executive leadership team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future,' Uber's eight-member board wrote in an email to employees that was also made public.
Khosrowshahi emailed Expedia staff that he had accepted the job of Uber CEO, albeit 'with truly mixed feelings.'
UBER'S NEW BOSS REVEALED Khosrowshahi, 48, is an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States with his parents in 1978 during the Iranian Revolution. Dara Khosrowshahi, 48, is an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States with his parents in 1978 during the Iranian Revolution. He is described by those who know him as a friendly and steady hand, savvy businessman and calming influence in situations of chaos. He grew up in Tarrytown, N.Y., trained as an engineer at Brown, and spent many years at IAC serving as Chief Financial Officer and in various operational and strategic roles. In 2005, he became CEO of Expedia, which he built into one of the worlds leading travel and technology companies, now operating in more than 60 countries. He has four children and not surprisingly loves to travel, one of his favorite trips being to the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia where his wife Sydney said yes to marrying him. Advertisement
'This has been one of the toughest decisions of my life,' he said in his email.
Over his tenure, Khosrowshahi built Expedia into the largest online travel agency by bookings and its stock price grew more than six-fold since he became CEO in 2005.
'I have to tell you that I'm scared,' he wrote in the note, which was shared with Reuters.
'I've been here at Expedia for so long that I've forgotten what life is outside of this place.'
The board had already selected Khosrowshahi as Uber's next CEO in a vote on Sunday, two sources told Reuters.
But the firm and its board had not spoken publicly on the decision until Tuesday evening Pacific Time, as contract negotiations were ongoing.
He joined San Francisco-based Uber's all-hands staff meeting Wednesday to take questions from employees, board members said in their email.
He will also over the next few weeks meet with employees around the world and with drivers.
Khosrowshahi, 48, is an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States with his parents in 1978 during the Iranian Revolution.
Khosrowshahi was introduced at the meeting by former CEO Travis Kalanick (pictured)
He is described by those who know him as a friendly and steady hand, savvy businessman and calming influence in situations of chaos.
And chaos certainly awaits him at Uber.
He inherits at Uber a high-stakes lawsuit filed by Alphabet Inc's Waymo that threatens Uber's self-driving car business, a board divided by one investor's lawsuit against Kalanick, and an organization struggling to overcome allegations of sexual harassment and executive misconduct.
On Tuesday, Uber said it was cooperating with a preliminary investigation led by the U.S. Department of Justice into possible violations of bribery laws.
Kalanick, who remains on the Uber board and was involved in hiring Khosrowshahi, welcomed his replacement.
'Casting a vote for the next chief executive of Uber was a big moment for me and I couldn't be happier to pass the torch to such an inspiring leader,' Kalanick said in a statement.
Ambitious plans to launch a 'space nation' called Asgardia already appear to be running into very Earth-like problems.
Hatched by an international group of scientists and backed by a Russian billionaire, the floating nation is set to take its first step into space later this year with the launch of its maiden data satellite.
However, the team behind the plan are having difficulties organising his new country - including how the political system will work and what currency will be used.
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The team behind the Asgardia (concept image) are having difficulties organising his new country - such as how the political system will work and what currency will be used
FIRST SPACE NATION Asgardia will be the first 'space nation'. The name comes from the city of the skies ruled by Odin from Valhalla in Norse mythology. It is described as 'a fully-fledged and independent nation, and a future member of the United Nations'. The Asgardia Project Team is made up of experts from around the globe. The project team is being led by Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, a Russian scientist and founder of the Aerospace International Research Center (AIRC) in Vienna. By creating a new space nation, the experts behind the project hope to develop future space technology free from the restrictions of state control. Alongside its announcement, Asgardia opened up applications for virtual citizenship via its website, and so far almost half a million people have pledged their allegiance. The first Asgardia satellite will launch in September this year. One of Asgardia's first projects will be the creation of a protective shield to protect humankind from space debris, including asteroids. Advertisement
The team, led by Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, billionaire and founder of the Aerospace International Research Center in Vienna, unveiled the bizarre plans at a press conference in Paris last October.
Dr Ashurbeyli said at the time he believed the space-bound private 'country' could 'offer an independent platform free from the constraint of a land-based country's laws.'
However, it seems some more human problems are getting in the way of this vision.
Dr Ashurbeyli toldWall Street Journal the biggest issue is 'self-organisation'.
'No one has ever tried organisingwhat is today 100,000 citizens from 200 countries who dont know each other and live in different places on Earth', he said.
Future Asgardians speak many different languages and also have different political systems, which could lead to political unrest.
There is also debate as to whether the new nation should accept refugees from Earth.
Out of the 300,000 that initially signed up online, only 110,000 approved the constitution and were granted citizenship.
'My task is to defend planet Earth and defend humanity', he said.
Before launching he wants the UN to recognise Asgardia as a country.
Potential inhabitants have raised concerns about the constitution and how power will be shared among the space-dwellers.
Dr Ashurbeyli said it would be a constitutional monarchy similar to those in Europe, with himself as king and a fixed term of five years.
There is also concern about how taxation will work - which according to the constitution is voluntary.
These issues are part of the team's attempt to form an independent country outside of the legal and physical bounds of our planet.
The nano-satellite will piggy back on a re-supply trip to the ISS in September according to a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing in June.
The launch of the first Asgardia satellite is planned for September, and the scientists hope the project will develop from there. When it is launched, the satellite will enter a low-earth orbit and test the concept of long-term data storage in orbit around Earth
'The primary payload is a solid state device hard drive,' Asgardia said in the application.
'The drive is loaded on the ground with data, and the data is updated once in orbit.
'A file is returned that verifies successful data transmission.'
The team is led by Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, pictured, founder of the Aerospace International Research Center
The nano-satellite will measure just 4 by 4 by 8 inches (10 by 10 by 20 cm) - roughly the size of a loaf of bread - and weigh about 5 pounds (2.3 kg).
It will come loaded with two particle detectors, mounted internally and externally, to test technologies that are key to the group's goals.
'From this data we can map the solar flux, and determine the radiation dosing that the internal electronics are receiving,' the application said.
The project aims to create a new framework for ownership and nationhood in space by creating a completely new nation, according to the project leaders.
If the nation did come to fruition it would pave the way for off-planet data and tax havens floating in space.
One of the early developments planned by the team will be the creation of a state-of-the-art protective shield for all humankind.
When the project was first announced in October, people could sign up to become a citizen on the Asgardia project website. Asgardia's website allowed the first 100,000 people to register to become citizens of the new space nation, and received half a million applications in total
This will protect the world from cosmic threats, both man-made and natural, to life on earth.
This includes space debris, solar flares and asteroid collisions, the researchers say.
There are estimated to be more than 20,000 traceable objects of man-made space junk, including old spacecraft, upper-stage rockets and final stage vehicles in near-Earth orbits.
Natural objects in space also pose a threat to life on the planet.
For example, the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which crashed over a major Russian town in 2013, injured 1,100 people and damaged 4,000 buildings.
The name comes from the city of the skies ruled by Odin from Valhalla in Norse mythology. Asgard is also the name of a fictional realm and its capital city within the Marvel Comics universe The Norse city of Asgard, from the film Thor is pictured
SPACE JUNK There are estimated to be more than 20,000 traceable objects of man-made space junk, including old spacecraft, upper-stage rockets and final stage vehicles in near-Earth orbits. Natural objects in space also pose a threat to life on the planet. For example. the impact of the Chelyabinsk meteorite which crashed over a major Russian town in 2013, injuring 1,100 people and damaging 4,000 buildings. Advertisement
'The project's concept comprises three parts philosophical, legal and scientific/technological,' said Dr Ashurbeyli.
'Asgardia is a fully-fledged and independent nation, and a future member of the United Nations - with all the attributes this status entails.'
The founder says the essence of Asgardia is Peace in Space, and the prevention of Earth's conflicts being transferred into space.
'As low-Earth orbit becomes more accessible, what's often called the 'democratisation' of space, a pathway is opening up to new ideas and approaches from a rich diversity of participants,' said Professor David Alexander, Director of the Rice Space Institute at Rice University, Houston, Texas.
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Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed more bodies from mass graves dating back to the 1936 to 1939 civil war and the ensuing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, including some still wearing rotting leather boots.
The digs in a cemetery in Valladolid come amid renewed efforts by volunteer associations and victim campaign groups to shed a light on the bloody past and bring closure for relatives still searching for family members.
Four mass graves have now been excavated near the central Spanish city and 228 bodies recovered there since work began in April 2016.
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The digs in a cemetery in Valladolid come amid renewed efforts by volunteer associations and victim campaign groups to shed a light on the bloody past and bring closure for relatives still searching for family members. Francisco Javier Ortiz is one of the volunteer members of the Association for Recovery and Research Against Oblivion (ARICO)
VALLADOLID BURIALS Work began on forensic analysis to identify the dead, after three unmarked pits containing 185 bodies were found in Valladolid in 2016. It is thought the city's cemetery could contain up to 10 similar mass graves, with the victims among the estimated 100,000 who forcibly 'disappeared' during the 1936 and 1939 civil war, and Franco's subsequent regime. Advertisement
These graves are believed to be among more than 2,000 mass burial sites thought to exist across Spain from the civil war.
The ideological struggle between right and left began 80 years ago last July.
Historians estimate as many as 500,000 combatants and civilians were killed on the Republican and Nationalist sides in the war.
After it ended, tens of thousands of Franco's enemies were killed or imprisoned in a campaign to wipe out dissent.
Julio del Olmo, one of those working on the exhumations, said: 'I hope that with forensic analysis we can find out who they once were.'
August 30 is the international day commemorating the victims of enforced disappearances.
Archaeologists in Spain have unearthed more bodies from mass graves dating back to the 1936 to 1939 civil war and the ensuing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. Here Manuel del Olmo takes part in the exhumation
The digs in a cemetery in Valladolid come amid renewed efforts by volunteer associations and victim campaign groups to shed a light on the bloody past and bring closure for relatives still searching for family members. Biologist Aida Rodriguez is a member of the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Valladolid (ARMH)
These graves are believed to be among more than 2,000 mass burial sites thought to exist across Spain from the civil war. Ms Rodriguez is helping to categorise and label the bones found
The ideological struggle between right and left began 80 years ago last July. Marta Escribano from ARMH holds a skull found during the exhumation
Flowers in the colours of the Spanish Republican flag are seen during the exhumation of a mass grave containing the remains of people killed by the late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's forces during the civil war, at El Carmen's cemetery in Valladolid, Spain, taken on August 17, 2017
The local council in Valladolid partly financed the excavation, in one of the few examples to date of authorities backing such digs.
Another similar, smaller-scale dig also took place in the village of Huesca near Zaragoza in northern Spain, at the request of a man searching for his great uncle.
Two bodies were found there, Saturnino Til and Ramon Navarro.
The Spanish Civil War was started on July 18, 1936, when a group of officers attempted to overthrow the left-wing Popular Front government in a military coup.
Historians estimate as many as 500,000 combatants and civilians were killed on the Republican and Nationalist sides in the war. Julio del Olmo said: 'I hope that with forensic analysis we can find out who they once were.'
After the civil war ended, tens of thousands more of Franco's enemies were killed or imprisoned in a campaign to wipe out dissent
August 30 is the international day commemorating the victims of enforced disappearances.
The local council in Valladolid partly financed the excavation, in one of the few examples to date of authorities backing such digs. The remains of some of the bodies are pictured
The remains of two bodies are seen during the exhumation of a mass grave, taken on August 23, 2017
This resulted in a four year tug of war between the two sides and resulted in a nation torn apart.
It left 500,000 people dead and caused an additional 450,000 to flee their homeland altogether.
General Francisco Franco led the group of right-wing nationalists who emerged victorious in 1939.
The war became known for its atrocities, with Franco purging conquered areas of any leftist opposition.
Another similar, smaller-scale dig also took place in the village of Huesca near Zaragoza in northern Spain, at the request of a man searching for his great uncle. Two bodies were found there
The Spanish Civil War was started on July 18, 1936, when a group of officers attempted to overthrow the left-wing Popular Front government in a military coup. Francisco Javier Ruiz helps with the exhumation of the pair
This resulted in a four year tug of war between the two sides and in a nation torn apart. Miguel Angel Navarro shows a bullet found during the exhumation of the grave of his great uncle Saturnino Til and Ramon Navarro shot in August 1936 by forces of the dictator Francisco Franco in Gurrea de Gallego,
It left 500,000 people dead and caused an additional 450,000 to flee their homeland altogether. This image shows some of the remains uncovered at El Carmen's cemetery in Valladolid
The remains of bodies are seen during the exhumation of a mass grave
It was a habit that continued as he ruled Spain with an iron fist as a brutal dictator for more than 30 years.
In that time he killed up to 50,000 of his own countrymen and crushed any opposition, until his death in 1975.
The war was portrayed as a struggle between democracy and Fascism.
General Francisco Franco led the group of right-wing nationalists who emerged victorious in 1939. Volunteers work at the grave that contains the remains of Saturnino Til and Ramon Navar
The war became known for its atrocities, with Franco purging conquered areas of any leftist opposition. It was a habit that continued as he ruled Spain with an iron fist as a brutal dictator for more than 30 years. Miguel Angel Navarro takes part in the exhumation of his great uncle
The grave that contains the remains of Saturnino Til and Ramon Navarro is seen before exhumation by the Association for Recovery and Research Against Oblivion (ARICO) and the Association Charata for the Recovery of Historical Memory in Gurrea de Gallego, Spain, August 24, 2017
The remains included a leg bone and foot found still wearing rotting leather boots
The Nationalist forces received munitions and soldiers from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while the communist Soviet Union and socialist Mexico offered support to the Republican (Loyalist) side.
During Franco's reign of political oppression, trade unions and opposition parties were banned and thousands were forced to flee the country.
Work began on forensic analysis to identify the dead, after three unmarked pits containing 185 bodies were found in Valladolid in 2016.
In that time he killed up to 50,000 of his own countrymen and crushed any opposition, until his death in 1975. Another volunteer helps with the exhumation of Saturnino Til and Ramon Navarro
The war was portrayed as a struggle between democracy and Fascism. The remains of bodies are seen during the exhumation of El Carmen's cemetery
The Nationalist forces received munitions and soldiers from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while the communist Soviet Union and socialist Mexico offered support to the Republican (Loyalist) side. Julio del Olmo helps with the work
People would have been tried by a kangaroo court and then executed, according to the architect leading the project in Valladolid, in central Spain
It is thought the city's cemetery could contain up to 10 similar mass graves, with the victims among the estimated 100,000 who forcibly 'disappeared' during the 1936 and 1939 civil war, and Franco's subsequent regime.
Authorities in Valladolid paid 25,000 euros (22,000) employing a professional team to examine the site. with work starting in April 2016.
Mayor Oscar Puente said: 'This is a question of national dignity and human rights rather than opening the wounds of the past.
'We could not simply look away.'
Biologist Aida Rodriguez, from the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Valladolid (ARMH-Valladolid), exhumes one of the three mass graves in the central Spanish city
Archaeologist Gonzalo Saiz holds up a human skull which was found buried in an unmarked pit in Valladolid
The city 'could not simply look away', said Mayor Oscar Puente as an excavation of the graves revealed up to 200 skeletons, with many more likely hidden below the ground
A member of the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Valladolid (ARMH-Valladolid) removes a bullet from a human skull during the exhumation of the one of the three mass graves
Archaeologist Julio del Olmo said victims were executed following judgement in kangaroo courts, or slain in small groups and tipped into the pit by truck.
He said: 'It's unforgivable that this is being done now and not then.
'Just 25 years ago the widows, who suffered the most from this loss, were alive. Now they're all dead. The only children alive are the youngest.
THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR AND GENERAL FRANCO The Spanish Civil War was started on July 18, 1936, when a group of officers attempted to overthrow the left-wing Popular Front government in a military coup. This resulted in a four year tug of war between the two sides and resulted in a nation torn apart. It left 500,000 people dead and caused an additional 450,000 to flee their homeland altogether. General Francisco Franco led the group of right-wing nationalists who emerged victorious in 1939. The war became known for its atrocities, with Franco purging conquered areas of any leftist opposition. It was a habit that continued as he ruled Spain with an iron fist as a brutal dictator for more than 30 years. In that time he killed up to 50,000 of his own countrymen and crushed any opposition, until his death in 1975. The war was portrayed as a struggle between democracy and Fascism. The Nationalist forces received munitions and soldiers from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while the communist Soviet Union and socialist Mexico offered support to the Republican (Loyalist) side. During Franco's reign of political oppression, trade unions and opposition parties were banned and thousands were forced to flee the country.
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After General Franco (above) died in 1975, a law was passed pardoning the crimes of his regime. As a result, no detailed work was carried out to find out who was buried in mass graves across the country
Archaeologist Julio del Olmo said it is 'unforgivable' that it has taken this long to examine the mass graves
Around 200 bodies have been found in the mass graves in the central Spanish city, as Spain comes to terms with the crimes committed in the civil war, and the ensuing years of the Franco regime
'That is something to which all the governments of this country have been impervious.'
Some of those discovered in the pits were wearing decayed leather boots.
Radar pulses are being used to find more unmarked mass burial sites.
Boxes containing human remains are piled in a garage after being recovered by a team examining the three mass graves
Some of the people discovered in the pits had been wearing decaying leather boots
Fernando Serrulla, forensic anthropologist member of the Aranzadi Science Society takes a saliva sample from Julia Merino for a DNA test during the exhumation
The remains of bodies have been collected during the exhumation of three mass graves in the central Spanish city of Valladolid
The bodies were found interspersed with crumbly white soil, the quicklime that was spread on the recently executed to prevent smells and prevent disease.
Even so, slaughter on such a grand scale must have reeked, said del Olmo.
So far only a handful of mass graves across the country have been dug up and documented.
Valladolid is the capital of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon in northwestern Spain. It has a population of 309,714 people and is the country's 13th most populous municipality
A human skull is found inside the mass graves, which have remained untouched for more than eight decades
Julio del Olmo, archaeologist member of the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Valladolid (ARMH-Valladolid), digs to open one of the three mass graves
Abilio Perez, a sprightly octogenarian former bar owner, tended the unmarked area above the graves alongside his wife for six decades, leaving flowers on All Saints' Day and marking off the area with four iron rods and chains.
A priest told a relative that the bodies of his wife's father and brother were dumped there after being executed by Franco's forces in the autumn of 1936. But he was told for years by authorities that nothing was there.
'We put a cross there, but it was taken away,' he said.
Archaeologist Marta Escribano exhumes one of the grave as authorities endeavour to discover more about the people killed during the civil war and under the Franco regime
One of the most extreme periods of global warming that led to the first primates appearing on Earth was caused by volcanic eruptions, experts say.
This upheaval 56 million years ago was the result of Greenland separating from Europe during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Previous studies have proposed that the ancient environmental event was caused by the release of carbon from frozen methane buried in rock.
Scientists believe that studying the disturbance could help them to understand how Earth behaves when faced with dramatic conditions within the climate today.
One of the most extreme periods of global warming that led to the first primates appearing on Earth was caused by volcanic eruptions, experts say (stock image)
THE PALAEOCENE-EOCENE THERMAL MAXIMUM EVENT The Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) produced a change in conditions on the planet so sudden that many ecosystems struggled to recover. This caused a mass extinction that wiped out 40 to 60 per cent of deep sea creatures living on the ocean floor, as well as a boom to plankton near the ocean surface. The mammals also enjoyed great success, appearing in Europe and North America for the first time. It is thought many new mammalian forms of life including horses and our own branch of the evolutionary tree, the primates, appeared around this time. Advertisement
An international team of researchers wanted to determine the source of the atmospheric carbon that led to the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) event.
During the PETM, atmospheric carbon dioxide more than doubled and global temperatures rose by 5C, an increase that is comparable with the change that may occur by later next century on modern Earth.
To identify the source of carbon during the PETM, the researchers studied the remains of tiny marine creatures called foraminifera.
Their shells shed light on the environmental conditions present when they lived millions of years ago.
By separating the different atomic masses, or isotopes, of the element boron in the shells, they tracked how the pH level of seawater changed during the PETM.
By combining this data with a global climate model, the team were able to work out the amount of carbon added to the ocean and atmosphere.
They concluded that volcanic activity during the opening of the North Atlantic was the dominant force behind the PETM.
Professor Andy Ridgwell from the University of California, who was part of the research team, said: 'While it has long been suggested that the PETM was caused by injection of carbon into the atmosphere and ocean, the mechanism has remained elusive until now.
'By combining geochemical measurements and a global climate model that my group has been developing for over a decade, we have shown that this event was caused almost entirely by carbon emissions from the Earth's interior.
'The amount of carbon released during this time was vast - more than 30 times larger than all the fossil fuels burned to date and equivalent to all the current conventional and unconventional fossil fuel reserves we could feasibly ever extract.'
The PETM produced a change in conditions on the planet so sudden that many ecosystems struggled to recover.
Layered volcanic rocks in Eastern Greenland (pictured) that are up to 4 miles thick were formed during ancient volcanic eruptions that caused the global warming event
The first mammals, like the Plesiadapis (artist's impression) emerged around 56 million years ago in the aftermath of the global warming that followed transition from the Paleocene to the Eocene
This caused a mass extinction that wiped out 40 to 60 per cent of deep sea creatures living on the ocean floor, as well as a boom to plankton near the ocean surface.
The mammals also enjoyed great success, appearing in Europe and North America for the first time.
It is thought many new mammalian forms of life including horses and our own branch of the evolutionary tree, the primates, appeared around this time.
An unexpected finding was that enhanced organic matter burial was important in ultimately sequestering the released carbon and accelerating the recovery of the Earth's ecosystem without massive extinctions.
Dr Ridgewell added: 'Studying the PETM helps us understand the mechanisms that aid recovery from global warming, thereby helping researchers reduce the uncertainties surrounding the Earth's response to global climate change.
'While it is encouraging that most ecosystems were able to adapt during the PETM, today's global temperature could be increasing at a rate that is too fast for plants and animals to adjust.'
Apple's iPhone 8 will see the replacement of the smartphone's classic home button with gesture controls, new leaks suggest.
Users will simply swipe their hands above the device for tasks such as going to the main app grid and opening multitasking.
The leaks also reveal that Apple's flagship device will have rounded corners and a flat screen that covers the front, Bloomberg reports.
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This graphic shows some of the new features rumoured for Apple's iPhone 8, which is due for release in mid-September
THE IPHONE 8: LATEST RUMOURS - No home button - Gesture controls - Flat screen that covers the front - A glass front and back with a stainless steel band around the phone - OLED screen with rounded edges - Taller display that fits six vertical rows of apps - New multitasking screen - Longer power button - Will release next month alongside upgraded iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models Advertisement
Apple plans to introduce a stainless steel band around the phone which the glass curves into, much like the casing used for the iPhone 4 and 4S.
Confirming past rumours, images of the device viewed by Bloomberg and people familiar with the gadget show Apple will release three iPhones next month.
One of these new models, a new high-end device 'packs in enough changes to make it one of the biggest iPhone updates in the products decade-long history,' Bloomberg reports.
In place of a home button on the iPhone 8, a thin, software bar will stretch across the bottom of the screen.
This bar can be dragged to the top of the screen to open the iPhone, while users can initiate multitasking using a similar gesture while an app is open.
To close the app and go back to the home screen, users can continue flicking the bar upwards.
Images show that the multitasking screen has been redesigned to appear as a series of swipeable cards rather than the 'stack' seen on current iPhones.
The iPhone 8 will have a cut-out at the top of the display for sensors and a camera, as well as a taller screen with rounded edges.
Apple's iPhone 8 will see the replacement of the smartphone's classic home button with gesture controls, new leaks suggest. Pictured is a concept drawing
Images show that the iPhone 8's dock has been redesigned to match the interface of the one on the iPad version of iOS 11 (pictured)
HOW WILL THE NEW GESTURES WORK? Apple has tested the removal of the home button in favour of new gesture controls in the iPhone 8. In its place, a thin, software bar will stretch across the bottom of the screen. This bar can be dragged to the top of the screen to open the iPhone. Users can initiate multitasking using a similar gesture while an app is open. To close the app and go back to the home screen, users can continue flicking the bar upwards. Advertisement
The iPhone 8 will have an OLED screen that is slightly larger than that of the iPhone 7 Plus (5.5"), but the device itself will be similar to the iPhone 7, people familiar with the phone told Bloomberg.
The firm is not moving to curved screens like the latest Samsung models, instead favouring a flat screen like current and past iPhones, the report says.
Symmetrical, slim bezels will cover the entirety of the device's front, cutting off the areas where the home button and ear piece sit on current iPhone models.
The front-facing camera, earpiece and facial-recognition sensor are instead housed in a small notch at the top of the screen, the image show.
'Apple has opted to not hide the notch area at the top of the screen, showing a definitive cutout at the top of apps with non-black backgrounds,' Bloomberg reports.
Images leaked last week appear to show parts taken from the upcoming iPhone 8 in unprecedented detail. This image seems to show the display of the upcoming handset
'The cutout is noticeable during app usage in the middle of the very top of the screen, where the status bar (the area that shows cellular reception, the time, and battery life) would normally be placed, according to the images.
'Instead, the status bar will be split into left and right sides, which some Apple employees call ears internally.'
Images of recent test devices reveal that the left side of the notch displays the time while the right side shows battery life, WiFi and mobile network connectivity.
Apple has opted to remove the square corners seen on current iPhones in favour of rounded ones, possibly as an homage to the shape of the very first iPhone model, which came out a decade ago in November.
The iPhone 8 will have an OLED screen that is slightly larger than that of the iPhone 7 Plus (5.5"), but the device itself will be similar in size to the iPhone 7. Pictured is an earlier leaked photo of the display that appeared on a Chinese blogging website
Images of the device viewed by Bloomberg and people familiar with the gadget show Apple will release three iPhones next month. Previous rumours have suggested Apple's release event could take place at the The Steve Jobs Theatre in September (artist's impression)
The iPhone 8's power button will be longer to make it easier to press while holding the phone in one hand, the images and people suggest.
A taller screen means that the phone will fit six vertical rows of apps, showing 24 icons on each page excluding the dock, a grey bar at the bottom of the screen containing frequently used apps.
The images show that the dock has been redesigned to match the interface of the one on the iPad version of iOS 11.
Alongside the new high-end device, Apple plans to release two new additional iPhone models.
These will use faster processors but will include the same screens as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
They will debut alongside an update Apple TV set-top box and Apple Watch models.
More than 700 million email addresses and a number of passwords have been leaked in what could be the biggest spambot dump ever seen.
The data dump is believed to have originated with a spambot called Onliner in the Netherlands.
The information was leaked after cyber criminals allowed visitors to their servers to download their database without needing a username or password.
Users of affected accounts are advised to change their passwords as soon as possible to avoid being further compromised.
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One of the largest data breaches ever has led to more than 700 million email addresses and a number of passwords becoming publicly available. A spambot has leaked more than 700 million email addresses in massive data breach
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF Australian computer security expert Troy Hunt runs the website Have I Been Pwned (HIBP). It lets you check whether your account has been breached by data leaks, including the most recent Onliner spambot leak. Users of affected accounts are advised to change their passwords as soon as possible to avoid being further compromised. You can check if your account has been compromised here. Advertisement
Australian computer security expert Troy Hunt runs the website Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), which lets you check whether your account has been breached by leaks.
You can check if your account has been compromised here.
He was the first to raise the alarm over the data dump.
The bot behind it is designed to spread malware that steals bank details and causes people's devices to transmit the virus, as well as pumping out spam messages used by internet criminals in online scams.
Mr Hunt said that the 711 millions records leaked 'makes it the largest single set of data I've ever loaded into HIBP.'
Writing in a blog post today, he added: 'Just for a sense of scale, that's almost one address for every single man, woman and child in all of Europe.
'The first place to start is with an uncomfortable truth: my email address is in there. Twice.
'Finding yourself in this data set unfortunately doesn't give you much insight into where your email address was obtained from nor what you can actually do about it.
Shown here is a a screenshot from the server being used to store the sensitive private data. The screensshot was taken by Troy Hunt, an Australian computer security expert
'I have no idea how this service got mine, but even for me with all the data I see doing what I do, there was still a moment where I went "ah, this helps explain all the spam I get".'
The leak also contained millions of passwords, which may have been collected in an effort to break into email accounts and turn them to spam.
The majority of the passwords in the latest security breach appear to have been collated from previous leaks.
Mr Hunt runs the Have I Been Pwned site, where which lets you check whether your account has been breached by leaks. Email addresses that are unaffected will result in this screen being displayed
Users whose accounts have been breached will see this screen, which also lets you check details of when the breach occurred and if your email address has been pasted publicly on sites like Pastebin
For instance, one set mirrors the more than a million passwords stolen from LinkedIn in 2012.
Although there are more than 700m email addresses in the data, the number of genuine accounts may be far lower.
Many of the addresses were duplicates and variations on a particular domain, perhaps based on previously 'scraped' data which can be automatically extracted from public websites.
Some were seemingly guessed at by the spammers by adding a prefix to a domain name, for example sales@domainname.com.
Benedictine monks of the Middle Ages - far from living a cloistered existence - refused abstinence, died in duels and even went off to war, reveals new research.
The study found examples of monks teaching works of Catholic controversy in the schools they ran, and illicit Benedictine publications being held within the personal collection of Catherine Braganza, the wife of King Charles II.
Records also show that some exiled Benedictine monks fought in the English Civil War and French Revolution, and evidence of English Government spies secretly joining the Order.
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Denis John Huddlestone (pictured), as a secular priest, served in the royalist army, presumably as a chaplain; and he was chaplain to Mr Whitgreave at Moseley Court, Bushbury, Staffordshire, in 1651, where he is believed to have sheltered Charles II
HOW DID HE FIND THE INFORMATION? The Monks in Motion project, led by Dr James Kelly of Durham University, has brought together records of English and Welsh Benedictine monks exiled in Europe, and uncovered some of their remarkable histories. He looked at books, monastery records and letters, to build up a picture of Benedictine life from 1553 to 1800, and how they were plugged into both national and international events. He hopes the database will enable others to delve into the history of the Benedictines, including their social, regional and ethnic backgrounds. By including details of those who left monastic life, as well as lay brothers, Dr Kelly has also found that the number of Benedictines during this time is more than 30 per cent greater than previously thought. Advertisement
The Monks in Motion project, led by Dr James Kelly of Durham University, has brought together records of English and Welsh Benedictine monks exiled in Europe, and uncovered some of their remarkable histories.
Personal stories uncovered include a monk imprisoned for refusing to comply with his Order's requirement for abstinence and another who joined the Order having accidentally killed his brother with a cannon ball.
'This research is noteworthy because, during their time on the continent, the monks were imbibing the atmosphere there and bringing those ideas to England', Dr Kelly told MailOnline.
'This could be something like we would expect, such as different emphases within Catholicism, but also in ways that are more surprising.
'For example, a number of the monks were heavily influenced by the rational thinking of the Enlightenment and helped transfer such intellectual trends to England', he said.
Colourful case studies from the database include Maurus William Davies who refused to comply with universal abstinence instituted at St Edmund's, Paris, and was consequently imprisoned in the granary of the monastery.
He was rescued by two other members of the community and they fled together on June 21st, 1645.
Davies returned after a change in the rules and offer of forgiveness if he would submit fully to the life, which he seemingly did, subsequently being ordained a priest to go on the mission in England.
But mystery surrounds the exact events leading to his death and it is thought likely that he was killed fighting in a duel in England on Whitsun morning June 9th, 1663.
An old prayer book, one of the original documents used by Dr James Kelly in his project which looked at records of English and Welsh Benedictine monks exiled in Europe, and uncovered some of their remarkable histories
Circa 1500, A group of Benedictine monks at study. Dr Kelly's study brings together a range of materials, including books, monastery records and letters, to build up a picture of Benedictine life from 1553 to 1800, and how they were plugged into both national and international events
The study found examples of monks teaching works of Catholic controversy in the schools they ran, and illicit Benedictine publications being held within the personal collection of Catherine Braganza (left) the wife of King Charles II (right)
'Everyone assumes that the majority of Catholic clergy from the reign of Elizabeth I at the end of the sixteenth century to the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century, came from the noble and very wealthy classes', said Dr Kelly.
HUGH HENRY STARKEY Hugh Henry Starkey, born in 1612, arrived at the English College, a Catholic seminary in Douai, France, in 1632, but later entered the English College, Lisbon, in 1636. He was expelled in 1639 for unruliness but apologised and was readmitted. He fought for the royalists in the Civil War and had a leg blown off by a cannonball, before being denied readmission to the English College, Douai. He resumed studies at Lamspringe and was professed there. He served as chaplain to Lord Bellasis. He was arrested and sentenced to death at the Oates Plot in 1679 but reprieved, and lived well in to his seventies. Advertisement
'We did discover some monks from those backgrounds but what is striking is how few came from titled families. In short, they were generally not as far up the hierarchical ladder as we had assumed', he said.
Hugh Henry Starkey, born in 1612, arrived at the English College, a Catholic seminary in Douai, France, in 1632, but later entered the English College, Lisbon, in 1636.
He was expelled in 1639 for unruliness but apologised and was readmitted.
He fought for the royalists in the Civil War and had a leg blown off by a cannonball, before being denied readmission to the English College, Douai.
He resumed studies at Lamspringe and was professed there. He served as chaplain to Lord Bellasis.
He was arrested and sentenced to death at the Oates Plot in 1679 but reprieved, and lived well in to his seventies.
Denis John Huddlestone, as a secular priest, served in the royalist army, presumably as a chaplain; and he was chaplain to Mr Whitgreave at Moseley Court, Bushbury, Staffordshire, in 1651, where he is believed to have sheltered Charles II.
He remained at Somerset House all his life after Charles II's restoration, serving as chaplain to Henrietta Maria, Charles I's wife, then Catherine Braganza.
He was always named in exemptions from banishments due to the favour he had done the King. He received Charles II into the Catholic Church on his deathbed in 1698.
'As far as surprising stories about individual monks are concerned, the incident that sticks out is the vocation story of John Mannock', said Dr Kelly.
Users can see biographical information for monks, including their family backgrounds and details of monastic life - showing that far from living quietly in exile, were very much part of contemporary life
Personal stories uncovered by Dr Kelly (pictured) included a monk imprisoned for refusing to comply with his Order's requirement for abstinence and another who joined the Order having accidentally killed his brother with a cannon ball
'Having not shown any leanings towards monasticism, the course of his life was changed while playing with his brother, when he dropped a cannonball out of a window and killed him'.
Consumed with guilt, he subsequently devoted himself to religion, becoming a monk with the name of Anselm.
'I have always wondered what sort of childhood game involved dropping cannonballs from windows', Dr Kelly added.
Author of 'The poor man's catechism: or, the Christian doctrine explained' (1752), an important text looking to put the Catholic faith not just in terms understood by the poor, but also Enlightenment ideas from mainland Europe.
The findings of Dr Kelly's study have been brought together in an open database of known Benedictines, available for scholars and the public to access.
Users can see biographical information for monks, including their family backgrounds and details of monastic life.
Dr Kelly said: 'The records provide a fascinating view into the lives of these monks who, far from living quietly in exile, were very much part of contemporary life.
'The records also show that these were men of the world, who joined the Order for a number of reasons and who were not afraid to rebel against the expected norms of society.
Records also show that some exiled Benedictine monks fought in the English Civil War and French Revolution (pictured) and evidence of English Government spies joining the Order
The Monks in Motion research project involved studying the records and collections of Ushaw College, Ampleforth Abbey (pictured), Downside Abbey and Douai Abbey, as well as records in Italy, France, Germany and Spain
'Here was a group of men who committed to an illegal way of life and exerted religious, cultural and political influence even from the continent.'
Dr Kelly's study brings together a range of materials, including books, monastery records and letters, to build up a picture of Benedictine life from 1553 to 1800, and how they were plugged into both national and international events.
He hopes the database will enable others to delve into the history of the Benedictines, including their social, regional and ethnic backgrounds.
By including details of those who left monastic life, as well as lay brothers, Dr Kelly has also found that the number of Benedictines during this time is more than 30 per cent greater than previously thought.
Dr Kelly added: 'The number of English and Welsh Benedictines was actually much higher than previous records suggested, showing that despite its illegality, there were many who were prepared to reject the establishment and enter a life that was proscribed in their homeland.'
The Monks in Motion research project involved studying the records and collections of Ushaw College, Ampleforth Abbey, Downside Abbey and Douai Abbey, as well as records in Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
Artificial intelligence could help in the search for alien life by reading tiny distortions in space-time 10 million times faster than current methods.
The space-time wobbles, known as gravitational lenses, occur when a large galaxy bends the light emitted from a more distant galaxy.
They are used by scientists to study the matter of distant galaxies, which could host star systems with planets in their habitable zones.
Now scientists have shown that neural networks - a form of AI modelled after the human brain - can analyse gravitational lenses at rapid speeds, and they could be used by scientists looking for signs of alien life.
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Researchers used images (pictured) of strongly lensed galaxies taken with the Hubble Space Telescope to test the performance of neural networks, and found they can accurately analyse lenses 10 million times faster than traditional methods
GRAVITATIONAL LENSING Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bends the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. This forms a highly magnified, though very distorted, image. This is because massive objects bend the spacetime around them, making light travel in a different path. It was first proposed by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity. Gravitational lensing can be used to study how matter is distributed in distant galaxies. It can also help scientists to understand dark matter, a mysterious, invisible form of matter that permeates our universe. Advertisement
The team used neural networks to analyse telescopic images of strong gravitational lensing, where the image of a faraway galaxy is multiplied and distorted into rings and arcs by the gravity of a closer massive object.
The distortions provide important clues as to how mass is distributed in space and how it changes over time.
'What is amazing is that [neural networks] can do this in about 0.01 second for something that used to take us many hundreds of hours,' study lead author Dr Yashar Hezaveh, from Stanford University in California, told MailOnline.
'Another interesting thing is they do this in a fully automated way: We just give the telescope images to them, and they instantaneously give us the answer.
'In the past we needed to perform various different calculations on the images, which involved a considerable amount of human-time.'
The researchers say that their neural networks could be used to study dark matter, a mysterious, invisible form of matter that permeates our universe.
It could also be used to study how the universe is expanding, and to explore the most distant galaxies of our universe.
Strong gravitational lensing gives researchers a unique opportunity to study multiple things within the same system.
In these systems, the light of a distant galaxy is bent by another, nearer galaxy, producing a highly magnified but distorted image.
The researchers used particular kinds of neural networks, called convolutional neural networks, in which individual computational units (neurons, grey spheres) of each layer are also organised into 2-D slabs that bundle information about the original image into larger computational units. Pictured is an example of one of these networks
WHAT IS DARK ENERGY? Dark energy is a phrase used by physicists to describe a mysterious 'something' that is causing unusual things to happen in the universe. 'The universe is not only expanding, but it is expanding faster and faster as time goes by,' Dr Kathy Romer, scientist at the Dark Energy Survey told MailOnline. 'What we'd expect is that the expansion would get slower and slower as time goes by, because it has been nearly 14 billion years since the Big Bang.' Coming up with an equation of state would give the researchers clues about what is making up this mysterious force. At the moment the favourite candidate is called the 'cosmological constant' which has a relatively boring equation of state. 'But, despite its simplicity, the cosmological constant is not the 'something' that scientists are hoping for,' Dr Romer said, 'a cosmological constant then messes up other parts of physics.' 'It's like a table plan at a wedding: You think you've got it all sorted out and then you notice that, because the caterers gave you a round table instead of a long one, your Dad is now going to be sitting next to your Mum's new boyfriend.' Advertisement
'As a result we see a distorted image of the background galaxy around the nearer galaxy, just like images in a funhouse mirror,' Dr Hezaveh told MailOnline.
The lensing is used by researchers as a natural telescope to study the background galaxy, since its image is magnified.
It can also be used to learn about how matter is distributed in the middle, or 'lensing', galaxy.
This is because the deflection of light happens due to the gravity of the matter present in the galaxy.
To train the neural networks in what to look for, the researchers showed them about half a million simulated images of gravitational lenses.
The networks were shown a set of examples where telescope images and the correct analysis of their gravitational lenses were presented together.
The networks then learned the mathematical procedures that relate the two together in a process called 'training'.
Once trained, the networks were able to analyse new lenses almost instantaneously with a similar precision to traditional analysis methods.
In a separate paper, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team reports how these networks can also determine the uncertainties of their analyses.
HOW THEY DID IT To train the neural networks in what to look for, the researchers showed them about half a million simulated images of gravitational lenses. The networks were shown a set of examples where telescope images and the correct analysis of their gravitational lenses were presented together. The networks then learned the mathematical procedures that relate the two together in a process called 'training'. Once trained, the networks were able to analyse new lenses almost instantaneously with a similar precision to traditional analysis methods. In a separate paper, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team reports how these networks can also determine the uncertainties of their analyses. Advertisement
Gravitational lensing (artist's impression) occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bends the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. This forms a highly magnified, though very distorted, image
'The neural networks we tested - three publicly available neural nets and one that we developed ourselves - were able to determine the properties of each lens, including how its mass was distributed and how much it magnified the image of the background galaxy,' Dr Hezaveh said.
Researchers only know of a few hundred strong gravitational lenses in the sky.
But in the next few years, new surveys from telescopes currently under construction will find tens of thousands of them.
'We won't have enough people to analyse all these data in a timely manner with the traditional methods,' study coauthor Laurence Perreault Levasseur said.
'Neural networks will help us identify interesting objects and analyse them quickly. This will give us more time to ask the right questions about the universe.'
Scientists involved in a $100 million initiative to search for alien life have detected 15 mysterious signals coming from a galaxy 3 billion light-years away.
These signals, known as fast radio bursts, are a new batch of radio emissions emanating from a source dubbed the repeater the first FRB ever known to repeat.
According to the experts with Breakthrough Listen, the discovery confirms the source is in a newly active state, and marks the first time FRBs have been detected at higher frequencies.
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Scientists involved in a $100 million initiative to search for alien life have detected 15 mysterious signals coming from a galaxy 3 billion light-years away. The animation shows 14 of the 15 bursts in succession, illustrating their dispersed spectrum and extreme variability
FAST RADIO BURSTS Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are radio emissions that appear temporarily and randomly, making them not only hard to find, but also hard to study. The mystery stems from the fact it is not known what could produce such a short and sharp burst. This has led some to speculate they could be anything from stars colliding to artificially created messages. The first FRB was spotted, or rather 'heard' by radio telescopes, back in 2007. But it was so temporary and seemingly random that it took years for astronomers to agree it wasn't a glitch in one of the telescope's instruments. Advertisement
Breakthrough Listen, backed by Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, and billionaire Yuri Milner, has been gathering data with the Green Bank Radio Telescope in West Virginia, Lick Observatorys Automated Planet Finder on Mt Hamilton in California, and the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia.
While it remains unknown whether the 15 newly detected pulses are signs of intelligent alien life, or instead stem from natural processes in the distant universe, the scientists do known that these radio emissions left their host galaxy long before multi-cellular life even existed on Earth.
The signals come from a source known as FRB 121102, which became the first FRB to have its location pinpointed after scientists in a 2016 study traced it to a dwarf galaxy 3 billion light years away.
When the 15 pulses left this dwarf galaxy, the entire solar system was just 2 billion years old.
The new FRBs were spotted this weekend by a team led by UC Berkeley Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Vishal Gajjar, who accumulated 400 TB of data on the object over a period of 5 hours.
The researchers observed the entire 4 to 8 GHz frequency band, searching for signals across a broad range of frequencies, with a characteristic dispersion, or delays caused by the presence of gas in space, according to Breakthrough Listen.
On Saturday, August 26 at 13:51:44 UTC we initiated observations of the well-known repeating fast radio burst FRB 121102 using the Breakthrough Listen Digital Backend with the C-band receiver at the Green Bank Telescope, the team wrote in The Astronomers Telegram.
Observations were conducted over 10 30-minute scans.
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is one of the key backers of the Breakthrough Listen project, as is Professor Stephen Hawking
The new FRBs were spotted this weekend by a team led by UC Berkeley Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Vishal Gajjar, who accumulated 400 TB of data on the object over a period of 5 hours, using the Green Bank Telescope (pictured)
And, in doing this, the researchers found for the first time that the FRBs can emit at much higher frequencies than previously known.
In their observation, the team noted the appearance of several bursts that peaked in brightness at frequencies above 6 GHz.
The brightest, they say, occurred at around 7 GHz.
FRB 121102, or the repeater, was first detected in 2012.
Then in 2015, scientists saw it again, making it the first FRB seen to repeat.
Subsequent research identified a cradle of young stars 2.4 billion light years away as the source of the mysterious fast radio bursts detected on Earth.
STUDY: ALIEN EXPLORERS COULD BE BEHIND MYSTERIOUS FRBS Mysterious signals coming from distant galaxies could be evidence of deep-space explorers billions of light-years from Earth, a new study has claimed. Researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics claim a solar-powered transmitter using sunlight cast on an area twice the size of Earth could generate enough energy to be 'seen' by far away viewers. And, a water-cooling system would allow a device of this size to withstand the extreme heat. The researchers argue that the most plausible use for this tremendous amount of power would be to drive interstellar light sails. The light sail would rely on a steady beam from the transmitter. While this would always be pointed at the sail, observers on Earth would see it as a brief flash, as the sail, its host planet, its star, and the galaxy all move relative to us. This would cause the beam to sweep across the sky, only pointing at Earth for a moment. Advertisement
But, the mechanism that generates these signals still remains a mystery.
Scientists have posed all sorts of explanations, from outbursts from rotating neutron stars to energy sources from alien deep-space explorers.
This past spring, the Breakthrough Listen ream released their initial results from their first year of observation.
After combing through petabytes of data, the Breakthrough Listen team has ranked 11 events considered to be most significant but so far, theyve found no convincing signs of intelligent life.
The team also submitted a paper analyzing nearly 700 stars across all spectral types, which they say acts as a launch pad for deeper investigations to come.
Russia says its sixth-generation fighter jets will be capable of space travel and could be operated without a pilot.
The new interceptor, currently being designed to replace the MiG 31, will be a spiritual successor to its older sibling.
It will feature far more advanced armaments and capabilities, according to claims made by its manufacturers.
But it could be a while before we see the aircraft in action, with experts predicting they won't be ready until at least 2035.
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Russia says its sixth-generation MiG-41 fighter jets will be capable of space travel and could be operated without a pilot. Pictured is a MiG-31 aircraft
RUSSIAN LASER AIRCRAFT This is not the first grand claim made for the new high altitude fighter. Russia says it plans to implement lasers on its sixth-generation MiG-41 aircraft. The lasers will be able to physically destroy attacking missiles' homing heads. Military adviser Vladimir Mikheyev said: 'Roughly speaking, we'll be able to burn out"'the eyes" of missiles that "look at us".' Advertisement
The jet will not be just a modernisation of the MiG-31 Ilya Tarasenko told Russian TV, according to reports in the UK Defence Journal.
The MiG CEO says it will be an entirely new machine with 'the ability to operate in space, new weapons, new speeds, new operational range.'
In an interview aired on Zvezda TV yesterday, Mr Tarasenko added: 'The development is at the stage of finalising the image of the plane.
'It will be a gradual transition from MiG-31 to PAK DA.
'It will be an entirely new plane, where entirely new technologies to operate in the Arctic zone will be utilised.
'This plane will safeguard the whole border of our homeland.
'Later, the project will become unmanned.'
There is little information available about the plane other than that it is planned for development.
No official data has been released detailing the plane's capabilities.
But this is not the first grand claim made for the new high altitude fighter.
Russia previously said it will deploy powerful lasers on its jets to destroy enemy missiles.
The lasers will be able to 'burn' enemy homing systems on attacking missiles, according to the Russian defence industry.
In the hope of destroying enemy missiles, Russia says it will deploy powerful lasers on its new sixth-generation fighter jets. The lasers will be able to 'burn' enemy homing systems on attacking missiles, according to the Russian defence industry (artist's impression)
The news comes just two months after the US army successfully hit an unmanned target using a high-powered laser mounted on a Apache AH-64 helicopter
LASER WEAPONS Laser systems have been on the Apache since 1984 when it first entered service. However, they were low-powered and could only guide air-to-ground missiles. The test was the 'first time that a fully integrated laser system successfully engaged and fired on a target from a rotary-wing aircraft over a wide variety of flight regimes, altitudes and air speeds,' defence company Raytheon said. The weapon is almost silent and invisible which makes it particularly hard for enemies to detect and will be on the battlefield 'sooner rather than later'. The US military is increasingly looking into laser weapons and there has been a 30-kilowatt laser on the USS Ponce - an amphibious transport dock ship - since 2014. Advertisement
Speaking to Russian news agency, TASS, Vladimir Mikheyev, the Adviser to the First Deputy CEO of Radio-Electronic Technologies Group (KRET), said: 'We already have laser protection systems installed on aircraft and helicopters, and now we are talking about developments in the field of powered lasers that will be able to physically destroy attacking missiles' homing heads.
'Roughly speaking, we'll be able to burn out 'the eyes' of missiles that 'look at us.'
'Naturally, such systems will be installed on sixth-generation aircraft as well.'
While Mr Mikheyev is optimistic about the laser aircrafts, it could be a while before they are deployed.
Experts speaking to National Interest said that the sixth generation aircraft is still in the stage of conceptual design.
Vasily Kashin, a Russian defence analyst at Moscow's Higher School of Economics (HSE) told The National Interest that the sixth generation aircraft would be 'at best deployed by 2035-40.'
HELENA A former Montana legislative candidate has signed a settlement agreement admitting that he accepted illegal campaign services from a corporation.
Pat Wagman has agreed to pay $19,599 by Oct. 1 as part of the settlement with Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan signed Friday.
The former state Senate candidate is one of nine Republicans former commissioner Jonathan Motl accused of taking contributions from the National Right to Work Committee during the 2010 GOP primary elections.
Only one of the nine cases is unresolved, that against former state House candidate Terry Bannan.
The rest have either been settled or resolved by a court order against a candidate. One went to trial, where a jury found that former Rep. Art Wittich coordinated his campaign and took illegal contributions from the anti-union group.
Snapchat is the most popular dating app among young singles, a new study has revealed.
The app that thrives on disappearing messages is better for flirting and therefor the go-to for singles, especially younger ones - It was discovered that 55 per cent of singles prefer Snapchat while only 45 per cent prefer Instagram.
However, the
Additionally, the study looked at user's interests and found that Snapchat flirters are into cuddling while Instagrammers like hiking.
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The app that thrives on disappearing messages is better for flirting and therefor the go-to for singles, especially younger ones - It was discovered that 55 percent of singles prefer Snapchat while only 45 percent prefer Instagram
WHAT THE STUDY SHOWS Overall, it was found Snapchat is preferred, but the numbers vary when adjusted for age - Singles over 35 prefer Instagram, it was found. In the 18 to 24 age bracket, 57 percent were discovered to prefer Snapchat while only 43 prefer Instagram. The 25 to 34 age bracket has similar stats, 52 percent favor Snapchat while only 48 prefer Instagram. For singles ages 35 to 44, however, only 47 percent were found to prefer Snapchat while the majority - 53 percent - are on team Instagram. For users 45 to 55, Snapchat and Instagram were favored by 42 and 58 percent, respectively. The oldest age bracket -55+ - had the largest group of Instagram flirters with 63 percent preferring the app and only 37 favoring Snapchat. Advertisement
Dating app clover determined singles' social media preferences by analyzing data from three million users on its app.
The team was able to see which platform the singles on their dating app prefer for flirting by seeing which handles they included in their Clover profiles.
Overall, it was found Snapchat is preferred, but the numbers vary when adjusted for age - Singles over 35 prefer Instagram, it was found.
In the 18 to 24 age bracket, 57 percent were discovered to prefer Snapchat while only 43 prefer Instagram.
The 25 to 34 age bracket has similar stats, 52 percent favor Snapchat while only 48 prefer Instagram.
For singles ages 35 to 44, however, only 47 percent were found to prefer Snapchat while the majority - 53 percent - are on team Instagram.
For users 45 to 55, Snapchat and Instagram were favored by 42 and 58 percent, respectively.
The oldest age bracket -55+ - had the largest group of Instagram flirters with 63 percent preferring the app and only 37 favoring Snapchat.
Overall, it was found Snapchat is preferred, but the numbers vary when adjusted for age - Singles over 35 prefer Instagram, it was found
These stats don't necessarily mean users don't use both platforms, but it does indicate which they prefer for dating purposes alone.
It was also found that singles who use Snapchat said they're looking for long-term relationships while those who use Instagram are looking for a date.
As part of the study, Clover also compared the interests of those who prefer Snapchat versus those who favor Instagram.
While the top interest for Instagram flirters was discovered to be hiking, it's cuddling for those who prefer Snapchat.
Other interests of the Snapchat group are: sports, bonfires, gaming, movies, tattoos, and laughing.
For Instagram, they were: live music, reading, coffee, photography, art, and food.
As part of the study, Clover also compared the interests of those who prefer Snapchat versus those who favor Instagram. While the top interest for Instagram flirters was discovered to be hiking, it's cuddling for those who prefer Snapchat
It's no surprise Snapchat was found to be the most popular for dating, especially among young singles.
71 percent of Snapchat users are under 34 years old, and 45 percent are between the ages of 18 and 24.
Additionally, the app is used by 41 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds in the US.
On Instagram 90 percent of users are under 35.
While Instagram has more young users, it may be the function of Snapchat that makes it good for dating.
The app's method of communicating through diapering messages caused it to be labeled a 'hookup app' and 'X-rated' early on.
While Snapchat has evolved to have many different uses and features from media content to event coverage, some dating apps have tapped the app's features for their own platforms.
It was also found that singles who use Snapchat said they're looking for long-term relationships while those who use Instagram are looking for a date.
Earlier this year, Bumble launched a BumbleVID, which allows users to create a story of 10-second videos that deletes after 24 hours.
'We've changed the rules of the dating game for two year - Now we're changing the experience of using dating apps,' the company said when it announced the new feature in January.
'We're excited to announce our upcoming feature, BumbleVID, where you will be able to upload 10-second videos to your Bumble account and bring your profile to life!'
Like on Snapchat, Bumble also lets users draw on the videos and will offer location tags and filters.
In February, there was speculation Tinder is looking to add a similar feature as well after the company acquired Wheel, an app that lets users send each other short Snapchat-style video clips.
'What we were doing with content was all about connecting a young demographic around creating content together,' Wheel founder Paul Boukadakis, who joined the Tinder team, told Business Insider.
While Snapchat has evolved to have many different uses and features from media content to event coverage, some dating apps including Buble and Tinder have tapped the app's features for their own platforms
The study also looked at the schools and jobs of Snapchat and Instgram fliters on the dating app.
Popular schools the Snapchatters have attended include: University of Houston-TX, Michigan State-MI, Minnesota State-MN, and Southern Illinois University-IL.
Jobs of those same users were: Barista, Dental Hygienist, Security Guard, Secretary, Journalist, Nurse, Fitness Worker.
For those who prefer Instagram, they've attended: School of Visual Arts-NY, Berklee College of Music-MA, Cornell University-NY, Art Centre College of Design-CA, University of San Diego-CA.
The jobs they're held include: Art Director, Graphic Designer, Lawyer, TV Producer, PR, Software Developer, Freelancer.
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A test version of a spacecraft resembling a mini space shuttle was carried aloft over the Mojave Desert by a helicopter Wednesday in a precursor to a free flight in which it will be released to autonomously land on a runway as it would in a return from orbit.
Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser craft was lifted off the ground at 7:21 a.m., at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was carried to the same altitude and flight conditions it will experience before release in a free flight.
A control team sent commands to the wingless vehicle and collected data before the helicopter brought it down at 9:02 a.m., the company said.
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Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser craft was lifted off the ground at 7:21 a.m., at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, California
'Everything we have seen points to a successful test with useful data for the next round of testing,' director of flight operations Lee 'Bru' Archambault said in a statement.
A second captive-carry test is scheduled this year and if it is successful, a free flight test will follow.
The Dream Chaser is being developed to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station without a crew aboard.
The version flown Wednesday is for tests in the atmosphere.
The version that will be launched into space is still in development.
The Dream Chaser is being developed to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station without a crew aboard.
A control team sent commands to the wingless vehicle and collected data before the helicopter brought it down at 9:02 a.m., the company said.
With the addition of life-support equipment, a Dream Chaser could transport a crew of seven.
Last month, Sierra Nevada selected United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket to launch the first two Dream Chaser cargo missions, which are scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2020 and 2021.
Those missions will land at Kennedy Space Center.
'Fans disconsolate after retirement of NASA's shuttle fleet can take heart: The next generation in reusable space vehicles is set to debut,' NASA has said.
A second captive-carry test is scheduled this year and if it is successful, a free flight test will follow
The craft has been undergoing extensive tests at NASA's Langley
NASA says the 'guiding principles' for the craft are 'Fly frequently, travel safely, land on (most) runways, and operate economically'.
It plans to use the craft, called Dream Catcher, as a cargo-carrying aerospace workhorses routinely launching to low-Earth orbit for space station resupply and crew transfers.
In January 2016 SNC was one of three companies awarded contracts to ferry cargo from 2019 through 2024 to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Dream Chaser photographed at dawn on the NASA Armstrong Research Center runway. The craft has been undergoing a series of tests at the base's runways.
Under the terms of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, and as part of a Space Act Agreement, SNC is able to use agency wind tunnels for Dream Chaser studies and experiments.
That's where Langley came in, mounting a Dream Chaser scale model in its Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel for extensive aerodynamic data gathering, which was subsequently added to the spacecraft's performance database.
Although a quarter of the size of any of the now-retired space shuttles, Dream Chaser can carry as many as seven crew members.
Although there is but one basic spacecraft airframe, there are two system variants optimized for either manned or unmanned missions.
SNC says the Dream Chaser can be reused 15 or more times, more than any other current operational space vehicle.
A 28-foot model of the HL-10 lifting-body reentry vehicle is shown being mounted in NASA Langley Research Center's Full Scale Wind Tunnel to determine its low-speed static stability and control
Shown alongside the shuttle Atlanta in this artist's impression, the Dream Chaser will return
The company also touts the spacecraft's flexibility in remote sensing, satellite servicing, and even 'active debris removal,' otherwise known as space-trash cleanup.
A second round of Dream Chaser flight tests at NASA's Armstrong Research Center is slated to continue through the end of the 2017 calendar year.
The test campaign will help SNC validate the aerodynamic properties, flight software and control system performance of the Dream Chaser.
It is being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract beginning in 2019.
The data that SNC gathers from this test campaign will help influence and inform the final design of the cargo Dream Chaser, which will fly at least six cargo delivery missions to and from the space station by 2024.
How the Dreamchaser Will work: Each craft can be reused 15 times.
Last year NASA announced Sierra Nevada Corp. will join SpaceX and Orbital ATK in launching cargo to the International Space Station.
These flights, yet to be finalized, will run through 2024, and marks a second chance for the Nevada-based company, which is developing a mini shuttle called Dream Chaser.
Sierra Nevada competed for NASA's commercial crew contract, but lost out in 2014 to SpaceX and Boeing.
ThisThe other companies use standard-shaped capsules.
Like SpaceX, Sierra Nevada plans to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Artist's concept of an HL-20 at a space station.
The spacecraft will be able to land back on Earth, like the shuttle, and bring back science experiments and other items from the station.
Now, only SpaceX can return goods.
Other cargo ships are filled with trash and burn up on re-entry.
THE HISTORY OF LIFTING BODY 'FAT SHUTTLES' A 28-foot model of the HL-10 lifting-body reentry vehicle is shown being mounted in NASA Langley Research Center's Full Scale Wind Tunnel to determine its low-speed static stability and control The new spaceplane stage has been set by decades of NASA work done at Langley Research Center on horizontal-landing, or HL, lifting bodies. Sporting a design reminiscent of the upward-flexing pectoral fins on breaching manta rays, HL vehicles feature rudimentary wings. As the craft settles through Earth's atmosphere from orbit the chubby, cigar-like fuselage generates lift from more air pressure on the bottom than on the top. Flying Wingless First championed for flight testing by NASA engineer H. Dale Reed in the early 1960s, the HL concept went through a number of design changes and improvements, eventually resulting in a series of experimental piloted aircraft. The Northrop HL-10 referring to the tenth design evaluated by Langley engineers was built to assess specific structural refinements. Langley laboratories and wind tunnels hosted a variety of early studies on scale models before any full-scale craft were constructed. The HL-10 would be one of five 'heavyweight' lifting body designs flown at NASA's Flight Research Center (now known as Armstrong Research Center) from July 1966 to November 1975 to demonstrate a pilot's ability to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle. The information the lifting-body program generated contributed to a database crucial to the genesis of the space shuttle program. A New Kid Spurred by the Soviet Union's development of its subscale, unmanned BOR-4 a testbed for the country's would-be Buran space shuttle by the 1980s Langley had set to work on a HL-10 successor, known as the HL-20, or 'Personal Launch System (PSL).' By 1990s, a 29-foot full-size, non-flying HL-20 model was built by the students and faculty of North Carolina State University and North Carolina A & T University to study crew-seating arrangements, habitability, equipment layout and how best to enter and exit. Although never flight-tested, the PSL did ultimately deliver: its design would be the basis for development of Sierra Nevada's Corporation's (SNC) Dream Chaser. Advertisement
Sierra Nevada Corporation has delivered its Dream Chaser spacecraft to Edwards Air Force Base ahead of its 2019 missions to supply cargo to the International Space Station.
It is being prepared to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract beginning in 2019.
Recent launch accidents by SpaceX and Orbital prompted Nasa to pick a third vendor, for increased flexibility.
Orbital launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, until a launch explosion in 2014.
SpaceX experienced its own launch failure last summer
Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser 'shuttle' will join SpaceX and Orbital ATK in launching cargo to the International Space Station.
The spacecraft will be able to land back on Earth, like the shuttle, and bring back science experiments and other items from the station.
NASA awarded its first commercial resupply contracts in 2008.
The first flight was in 2012.
The latest contract calls for a minimum of three flights by each of the three companies.
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Packing up and moving into a new abode can be tedious to say the least.
Just ask the inhabitants of this Chilean land mass, where the concept of 'moving house' is taken quite literally.
Chiloe, the second largest island in Chile, located in the southern Los Lagos region, faces harsh weather and changing tides, which means that from time to time, properties have to be lifted up and dragged to a new location.
Chiloe, the second largest island in Chile, faces harsh weather and changing tides, which means that from time to time, properties have to be lifted up and dragged to a new location
Reasons for moving houses in Chiloe are environmental in nature, either due to rising tides, erosion or damaged farmland - but it has roots in pagan mythology related to escaping 'cursed' land.
It's a group effort, known as a minga, and involves neighbours coming together to carry out the labor-heavy task, which often takes several days.
According to its firm-held tradition, no money changes hands and no-one is paid for their work, according to Atlas Obscura. It is done on the basis that the favour will one day be returned.
First, the minga is announced and a date set, with families touring the island to ask for help on the big day.
It's a group effort, known as a minga, and involves neighbours coming together to carry out the labor-heavy task, which often takes several days
Oxen are used to pull the one-storey abodes to their new location on tree-trunk rollers, which sometimes involves crossing land as well as sea
In this case, flotation devices are attached to their base and they are placed on the beach at low tide, then floated to their new destination when the tide rises again by way of tow boats
The homes are either emptied of furniture and windows, or such articles are secured and moved while still inside.
Oxen are used to pull the one-storey abodes to their new location on tree-trunk rollers, as villagers cheer them on from the sidelines.
Sometimes, the houses are even required to cross strips of the ocean. In this case, flotation devices are attached to their base and they are placed on the beach at low tide, then floated to their new destination when the tide rises again by way of tow boats.
Once the move is complete, celebrations break out across the island - a spectacle which has started attracting tourists in recent years.
The homes are either emptied of furniture and windows, or such articles are secured and moved while still inside. Pictured are wooden slats on which the homes are transported
Reasons for moving houses in Chiloe are environmental in nature, either due to rising tides, erosion or damaged farmland. But it has roots in pagan mythology related to 'cursed' land. Many houses are built on stilts to protect them from the sea
But things have been on shaky ground for Chiloe lately. Its once thriving local fishing industry is suffering deeply with the spread of a toxic algal bloom sweeping the shores.
Simply referred to as the 'quiet catastrophe' by local fishermen, Chile's worst-ever red tide of toxic algae last year prompted the government to declare an emergency zone along the southern coast.
As for the mingas, some hope their unique appeal will continue to lure tourists to the island and give the economy a much-needed boost.
According to its firm-held tradition, no money changes hands and no-one is paid for their work. It is done on the basis that the favour will one day be returned. Pictured is an old undated photo of a traditional minga
Finding a cheap air fare can often feel like a skill.
And, because some people are better at it than others, a new company is hiring them to help the less savvy save money.
The LA-based start-up, called Farefetch, is a third-party initiative that launched in June and allows seasoned travellers to profit from finding good deals for others.
Ticket to ride: Bargain-hunters can reportedly earn up to 750 on a single transaction on new LA-based start-up, Farefetch
Already boasting a team of 1,000 'fetchers', who operate on a freelance basis, these bargain-hunters accept challenges from busy (or unskilled) users desperate for a deal.
Customers simply input their flight details into the app-based platform, before sending them to the agents on-hand.
The first person to find a fare cheaper than the budget limitation wins the job.
Then, once both parties agree to the terms of the sale, the 'fetcher' buys the tickets on the client's behalf - and receives the financial difference within 48 hours.
Founder and CEO, David Drizin, is convinced that Farefetch will become a new online hit
'We connect travelers searching for the best flight deals with farefetchers - a community of travel-savvy individuals who fetch the best fares. Travelers save, farefetchers earn,' a representative told MailOnline.
'Some farefetchers can make more than 750 on a single deal. It depends on the type of ticket they're instructed to book and the deals they can apply.'
However, while it promises a lucrative potential, it comes at the expense of flexibility for travellers.
HOW DOES IT WORK? After signing up, farefetchers are added to the company's email list. Travelers request a flight with a total desired price. All farefetchers then receive an email with details. The first farefetcher to claim it, gets it. Farefetcher tells them how to book the flight. If the booking price is lower than requested, the farefetcher gets paid the difference. The Farefetcher is paid within seven days, but usually 48 hours. Advertisement
Specifically, users can't cancel or modify their bookings - even under extenuating circumstances.
Extras such as baggage and in-flight meals may also not be included.
But founder and CEO, David Drizin, is convinced that Farefetch will become a new online hit.
'I believe when two people benefit greatly from a mutual partnership, it draws them back looking for more ways to do business together,' he says.
'Instead of travelers taking time searching through websites for the best fares, they will now have the travel-booking-savvy friends they always wished for, helping them access airfares that are usually too challenging for them to find on their own.'
It is considered a stunning natural wonder.
But, despite being billed as one of Northern Ireland's essential sights, Giant's Causeway has been rated the most overrated attraction by underwhelmed tourists.
A poll, conducted earlier this month, found the collection of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns were deemed the least impressive by disgruntled sight-seers.
A let-down? Countless tourists cited the Northern Irish spot as an underwhelming experience, with some claiming it was 'just a small gathering of rocks'
The survey, undertaken by the Irish Times, asked Twitter users a simple question: 'What is the most overrated and underwhelming tourist attraction you have ever visited?'
And, while the National Trust property remains popular with attendees, the ecological phenomenon was the most-cited, with hundreds of responses.
One said it was 'a very long walk for a small gathering of rocks,' while another added: 'I was so disappointed. Nothing giant about it.'
A third chimed-in: 'My expectations were huge. I was seriously disappointed'.
Previously, TripAdvisor reviewers have described Giant's Causeway as 'incredibly underwhelming', with one adding: 'The locals can't understand why anyone goes to see it and they all hate the monstrosity of a new "visitor centre" that has been foisted upon them, as did we.'
Another said: 'After seeing thousands of pictures/videos of the Giant's Causeway in magazines and on TV, imagine my bemusement to see a very small mound of geometric rocks and to realise that "this is it".'
Money talks: A number of TripAdvisor reviewers have also criticised the National Trust for charging people to see the ecological attraction
That said, some of the world's more thrilling tourist attractions also found themselves being derided in the Irish Times poll.
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, was branded underwhelming with one respondent saying: 'I walked by her umpteen times. Her sad face combined with its tiny size just didn't live up to the history books.'
Meanwhile, the Empire State Building was described as being 'full of dopes taking selfies like cattle', while Niagara Falls was branded 'a bit trashy'.
Other famous sights that have been lambasted include Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, which may be a pillar of cultural heritage, but was described by one TripAdvisor reviewer as 'just a concrete pillar'.
Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa was slammed for being 'wonkey' [sic] - the precise reason most people flock to see it - while the Sphinx in Egypt was the subject of a conspiracy theory, with one attendee suggesting that photographers 'use Photoshop to blow it up' in size.
Sierra Leone has been revealed as the country with by far the fastest-growing tourism industry in the world.
According to the United Nations World Travel Organization, which has released its latest Travel Barometer, the coastal African destination saw the number of arrivals grow by a whopping 310 per cent in 2016.
Next was Nepal, which saw 39.7 per cent more visitors trickle in than the previous year, almost neck-and-neck with Iceland, which saw a 39 per cent rise.
While some countries on the list, compiled by The Telegraph, are already busy and well-known, Japan and Iceland for example, other countries currently have some of the lowest visitor numbers in the world.
Liechtenstein, for example, is the second least-visited country in Europe - pulling in only 69,000 last year - but is also the ninth fastest-growing tourist spot.
Here, MailOnline presents the top 12 countries on the list, and how they've earned their sky-rocketing popularity.
With Game of Thrones not expected to return until 2019, new film Outlaw King hopes to capture an audience eager for more epic battles and warring kingdoms.
Based on the real life historical tale of Robert the Bruce - the warrior King of Scots - on set pictures show the first day of filming in Linlithgow, Scotland on Monday.
Starring Hollywood star Chris Pine as the king, alongside Monarch of the Glen actor Alastair MacKenzie, the Netflix film hopes to fill the void after the HBO series finally comes to an end.
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War games: Based on the real life historical tale of Robert the Bruce - the King of Scots - on set pictures show the first day of filming of Outlaw King in Linlithgow, Scotland on Monday with actor Alastair MacKenzie (centre)
Alastair, who played Archie MacDonald on the popular Scottish BBC drama, was spotted riding in on a black steed draped in a black robe surround by his fellow soldiers today.
In another, armour-clad actors were seen riding horseback while Scottish director David Mackenzie gave instructions.
While more on-set pictures show an actor holding a crossbow wearing chain mail preparing for combat.
Horseback: Armour clad actors were seen riding horseback while Scottish director David Mackenzie gave instructions
Preparing for battle: An actor with a shield draped over his shoulder and long bow attached to his horse prepares for another take
Sharp shooter: More on-set pictures show an actor holding a crossbow wearing chain mail preparing for combat
Real life tale: Alastair, who played Monarch of the Glen star Archie MacDonald, was spotted riding in on a black steed draped in a black robe surround by his fellow soldiers today
Another captures an actor with a shield draped over his shoulder and long bow attached to his horse.
Clad in rudimentary battle gear, the Scots were famously grizzled warriors fighting clan and clan against the English invaders.
Robert lived from 1274 until 1329 and the film will cover wars with the English, pacts with the Irish, raids of the North and the conflict with King Edward II.
Taking instructions: Robert lived from 1274 until 1329 and the film will cover wars with the English, pacts with the Irish, raids of the North and the conflict with King Edward II
Real life Game of Thrones: Set in the bitterly cold Scottish highlands, the film tells the story of King Robert who battled against the King of England facing devastating odds
Action! More images show the an actor with sword at his waist preparing to shoot a scene set in a forest
Battle scenes: Clad in rudimentary battle gear, the Scots were famously grizzled warriors fighting clan and clan against the English invaders
Stranger than fiction: The Netflix film will feature the seventh battle where the English king is finally pushed back into his own country
Set in the bitterly cold Scottish highlands, the film tells the story of King Robert who battled against the King of England facing devastating odds.
He is famous for the legend of his encounter with a spider, having been defeated six times on the battle field by the English and forced into retreat.
Hiding in a cave and close to giving up his quest for freedom from English rule, the king watched a spider attempt to spin its web across the mouth of the cave failing six times.
Hectic schedule: Filming at Linlithgow Palace continued on Tuesday
Smoking: A number of extras gathered to film a scene where a car appeared to be on fire
Busy day: The crew went on to gather for a boat scene
Bliss: The summery weather proved to be an added joy for the filming day
When the spider, on the seventh attempt, succeeded in its attempts, Robert took heart and resolved to battle on.
The Netflix film will feature the seventh battle where the English king is finally pushed back into his own country.
More images show the an actor with a sword at his waist preparing to shoot a scene set in a forest.
A-list: Stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chris Pine were not on set
Talented cast: Florence Pugh, Callan Mulvey and Billy Howle are also set to star in the project
Background: A large group of extras were needed during each scene
He's the shock jock who is no stranger to a 'radio war'.
But Kyle Sandilands was informed by his Kyle & Jackie O Show newsreader Brooklyn Ross on Wednesday his latest stoush may be against supposed 'friend' Ben Fordham.
The 46-year-old was told the Australian Ninja Warrior host made wisecracks about him on his 2GB radio show, after Kyle described him as a 'fan girl'.
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Frenemies? Kyle Sandilands was informed by his Kyle & Jackie O Show newsreader Brooklyn Ross on Wednesday his latest stoush might be against his 'friend' Ben Fordham
'You know how he's on that old people's talk back radio station, 2GB,' Brooklyn described of Ben. 'He had a go at us, he was discussing the radio ratings.'
'Hang on! I don't understand why Ben would have a go? He's been masquerading as a friend of mine and then having a go on his show. Is that what he's doing?' said Kyle.
'You guys went out to dinner just recently, didn't you?' asked his co-host Jackie O.
'Hang on! I don't understand why Ben would have a go? He's been masquerading as a friend of mine and then having a go on his show. Is that what he's doing?' said Kyle
'You know how he's on that old people's talk back radio station, 2GB,' Brooklyn described of Ben. 'He had a go at us, he was discussing the radio ratings'
Kyle responded: 'Not only did we go out to dinner, but he was...' until censors beeped out his string of expletives.
'He was fangirl-ing me, Bruno, you can attest to that!' he continued.
'Oh my God, yeah, I was sitting next to them!' offered Bruno.
'He was like, "Kyle and Jackie, you're brilliant. Bruno you do a good job,' he added.
Jackie attempted to calm her co-stars down and said they should listen to exactly what Ben had said during his radio show before they made a judgment.
Shocked: Kyle responded, 'Not only did we go out to dinner, but he was...' until censors beeped out his string of expletives
'If you want to know what the Kardashians are up to, just tune into Kyle & Jackie O tomorrow morning, they'll have that covered for you,' Ben had started his report.
'There's a free plug Kyle, and Jackie O, and Bruno, their producer over there who's always listening out for ideas,' he continued.
'Although he doesn't seem to convert any of them the following morning, because they're always talking about the Kardashians, and whatever Kyle's up to in the bedroom, which is not a hell of a lot these days,' he finished.
Bruno jumped in to give his reaction to the report: 'I wanna hate it, but it's kind of true.'
'Hey, you can't fight the truth!' offered Kyle, while Jackie added: 'How can you argue against that?'
'Hey, you can't fight the truth!' offered Kyle, while Jackie added: 'How can you argue against that?'
'The only thing wrong with that is they obviously don't have any ideas over there, they don't do anything,' declared Kyle.
'Claiming that I listen to his show, that's defamation,' stated Bruno. 'I don't want to be associated with that, I'd never listen to 2GB.'
'Isn't Ben Fordham too young to even be on that station?' queried Kyle. 'He's only 40! Everyone else is like 80 something.'
Dubious: Kyle was told the Australian Ninja Warrior host made wisecracks against him on his 2GB radio show, after Kyle described him as a 'fan girl'
'Do you want to do this war [with Ben], Jackie? I'm so warred out,' offered Kyle.
'I'm not feeling this war, to be honest. We've had too many wars,' she said.
'Outsource it to Brooklyn or something,' said Kyle. 'I've always been the Night King with all these wars. Maybe it's time you got on the dragon and took care of this one.'
He's the conservative host of the popular Channel Seven morning show Sunrise.
And David Koch was left red faced during Wednesday's show when his co-hosts Sam Armytage, Natalie Barr and Edwina Bartholomew were discussing a sexual act with actress Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jada was on the show to promote her latest film Girl's Trip, and was drawn by Sam to discuss a scene in the film where actress Tiffany Haddish hilariously demonstrates the 'grapefruit technique'.
'We've been teaching Kochie about this': David Koch was left red faced during Wednesday's show when his co-hosts Sam Armytage, Natalie Barr and Edwina Bartholomew were discussing a sexual act with actress Jada Pinkett Smith
Sam, who told Jada that the scene was one of Natalie's favorites, asked the actress what husband Will Smith would make of the scene, to which she replied: 'That's one of my favourite scenes as well, but you know that technique has been around for a while.'
Nat, who admitted to Jada that she 'didn't know where to look' when she first saw the scene, also revealed that she had googled the technique for more information.
Risque: Jada was on the show to promote her latest film Girl's Trip, and was drawn by Sam to discuss a scene in the film where actress Tiffany Haddish hilariously demonstrates the 'grapefruit technique'
'Don't google it, don't google it,' Edwina interjected, waving her hands at the camera.
Sam, who said that she didn't know that the technique had existed for some time, then revealed that she had been teaching David about the risque move.
'We didn't know this and the crew didn't know we'd been teaching Kochie about this,' she said before slightly backtracking.
'We didn't know this and the crew didn't know we'd been teaching Kochie about this,' Sam said, before slightly backtracking
'Well, not teaching him, but we've been telling him to google it,' she quickly added.
The camera then panned to Kochie who offered an embarrassed expression as he stood alone in the studio.
Amid much giggling, Jada then admitted that it was in fact Will who introduced her to the concept.
'It's been around for a minute and Will was the first one to tell me about it years ago,' she said.
Jada added: 'Ten years ago and I was like 'are you trying to tell me something.'
Kourtney Kardashian is relishing the last few days of summer.
The star, 38, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a cheeky photo of herself sunbathing on a balcony, with her pert behind and flat stomach on full show.
'tip of the day: don't forget to stretch,' she captioned the photo.
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'Don't forget to stretch': Kourtney Kardashian took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a cheeky photo of herself sunbathing on a balcony, with her pert behind and flat stomach on full show
Flower power! The 38-year-old stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday in a statement sweatshirt and edgy heels
Relaxing in the sunshine, Kourtney's raven black locks were slicked back over her head as she rocked a ripped crop top and gold bikini bottoms.
The reality star rocked a large pair of sunglasses and a bracelet as she topped up her tan.
Kourtney was also spotted out on Tuesday cutting a super edgy figure in a black 'Daisy' sweatshirt and edgy high heels.
The star had her hair styled into a sleek top knot as she stepped out with her daughter Penelope and son Mason.
Family time! Kardashian was spotted with her daughter Penelope and son Mason
Hair today! The reality star rocked a sexy and sleek top knot
Mommy mode: Kardashian guided her daughter outside by the hand
Kourtney's been practically flooding her social media feed with a plethora of bikini snaps.
On Monday, the girlfriend of Younes Bendjima, 23, posted a very fetching image where she was showing off her flat tummy while reclining on a pink flamingo floaty with a friend.
The reality TV maven looked to be in excellent shape with toned legs and a sculpted torso as she modeled a skimpy silver string bikini.
Hot mama! The reality show showcased her flat belly in a white tank top and black trousers
Child's play: Her children stocked up on some new toys
Don't sweat it! Kourtney cut an edgy figure in her sweatshirt and sporty trousers
The sister of Kim and Khloe captioned the image: 'Float photos are so overrated.'
This is not her first float photo this month. In mid August she was belly down on a multi-colored swan floaty in her swimming pool. Her backside was the focus as she wore a small bikini.
On Sunday she uploaded a smoldering photo of herself on the water in a backless metallic-studded black one-piece and black sunglasses.
Daddy's new ride: That same day, Kourtney's ex Scott Disick, the father of her three children, was spotted driving around in a brand new Aston Martin
Having a blast! Mason grinned in delight as he played around with his latest addition to his toy collection
New KK: Kardashian started the week off right with this photo of herself in a silver bikini; it is not known when the image was taken
Fun in the sun: Also in the image was a female pal who could have been Larsa Pippen
Naughty girl in the water: This is not her first float photo this month
More to see: In mid August she was belly down on a multi-colored swan floaty in her swimming pool
That picture was taken during her July trip to Saint-Tropez with her boyfriend Bendjima, who incidentally happens to be a decade and a half Kourtney's junior.
Earlier on Saturday she'd posted another photo of herself on a boat, lounging in a skimpy black bikini top and pale green miniskirt and resting her head in her hand.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and mother of three captioned the photo - which offered up a breathtaking view of the sea behind her - simply: 'mood.'
Getting attention for this: Her backside was the focus as she wore a small bikini
Side view: Ms Kardashian uploaded a couple of swimsuit photos to Instagram on Saturday, including this one taken during her July holiday to Saint-Tropez
WASHINGTON The Interior Department inspector general's office has dropped an investigation into whether the Trump administration pressured Alaska GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan over their health care votes.
A pair of House Democrats had sought the investigation over phone calls Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made to the senators. Zinke reportedly suggested Alaska could pay a price if they crossed President Donald Trump on the GOP's plan to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.
Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office "does not believe it could meaningfully investigate the matter further" because Murkowski and Sullivan declined to provide statements or be interviewed.
She was left stunned on Tuesday after learning that American broadcaster CBS plans to buy embattled network Channel Ten, live on-air.
And Studio 10 host, Sarah Harris, was grilled about the possible $250 million buyout deal - specifically what it means for the free-to-air broadcaster going forward.
During an appearance on the Kyle and Jackie O show on Wednesday, the media personality was asked about everything from a possible network name change to budget cuts.
Tough questions: Studio 10 host, Sarah Harris, was grilled about the possible $250 million buyout deal between CBS and Channel Ten - specifically what it means for the free-to-air broadcaster going forward
'Will it still be called Ten?' co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson asked.
Sarah replied: 'That's what we're hearing so far.'
Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands said renaming the network is necessary: 'I think that's a mistake, it should be changed to CBS immediately - freshen it up.'
New name? 'Will it still be called Ten?' co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson asked
However Jackie O disagreed explaining: 'Channel Ten is what we grew up with.'
In June, Channel Ten went into voluntary administration following months of financial troubles however Sarah said there have been no obvious budget cuts within the company.
'Honestly hand on heart, we didn't see any changes or budget cuts,' she said.
No drastic changes planned: Sarah replied: 'That's what we're hearing so far'
'It's all sort of happening behind the scenes with the suits and the people that are paid lots and lots of money.'
She added that expected changes will likely include 'seeing more Australian content.'
CBS announced Monday morning they would buy Network Ten just months after it was announced the company went into voluntary administration.
He was recently forced to hit out at 'materialistic' trolls who mocked his 'desperate' public appearance at Poundland.
But Alex Beattie seemed to have moved on from the furore, as he partied with a bevvy of fans at Club Ark in Manchester on Tuesday night.
The Love Island star, 22, appeared to be in great spirits as he happily posed for photos with a gaggle of enthusiastic scantily-clad revellers.
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Having a whale of a time! Alex Beattie seemed to have moved on from his Poundland furore, as he partied with a bevvy of fans at Club Ark in Manchester on Tuesday night.
The model and former personal trainer cut a dapper figure in a green checked shirt and tight-fitting jeans.
He layered a simple grey T-shirt underneath and finished off his look with a pair of black suede tasseled loafers.
Despite being branded 'desperate' for his recent public appearance at Poundland, it seems the trolls hadn't put Alex off attending nights out.
But first, let me take a selfie: The Love Island star, 22, seemed to be in great spirits as he happily posed for photos with a sea of scantily-clad revellers
Looking good: The model and former personal trainer cut a dapper figure in a green checked shirt and tight-fitting jeans
Keeping it casual: He layered a simple grey T-shirt underneath and finished off his look with a pair of black suede tasseled loafers
Locking lips: While Alex met his fans, two clubbers were spotted getting amorous right behind him
The Love Island star was confirmed for a meet and greet at the Wednesbury branch of the discount store last week - but was forced to defend the gig after his followers scoffed at the unusual location.
The model, whose ex Montana Brown recently bagged a lucrative fashion deal with Pretty Little Thing, took to Twitter after becoming the butt of several jokes.
He wrote: 'Honestly chill out. Meeting people who are excited to see you means all the same to me regardless of the location. Don't be so materialistic.'
His comments were in response to tweets such as 'Maaaaaate', 'I'm actually doneeeee I saw this and was like ???? a whole Poundland meet and greet sksksksk he's not rated'.
In high spirits: Despite being branded 'desperate' for his recent public appearance at Poundland, it seems the trolls hadn't put Alex off attending nights out
Snap-happy star: Alex happily obliged his fans, smiling for a photo with a male clubber
Topped up his tan: He showed off the results of weeks spent sunbathing in the Love Island villa in Mallorca
Hitting out: The 22-year-old model, whose ex Montana Brown recently bagged a lucrative fashion deal, took to Twitter on Thursday after becoming the butt of several jokes
'Hilarious imagine you just wanna go shop and they're doing a meet and greet', 'fail your exams, don't worry, become a love island celeb and do big appearances at major events'.
Writing on Twitter earlier in the day, Poundland shared: 'The Love Island celeb who'll be visiting on Friday is... ALEX BEATTIE!'.
The much-loved bargain retailer even ran a contest alongside the impending visit with customers for a chance to bag an 100 voucher to use in store if they guessed correctly.
Oh dear: The Love Island star was confirmed for a meet and greet at the Wednesbury branch of Poundland last week - but was forced to defend the gig after his followers scoffed at the unusual location
It's not about the money: The model, whose ex Montana Brown recently bagged a lucrative fashion deal with Pretty Little Thing, took to Twitter after becoming the butt of several jokes
His upcoming public appearance comes after it was reported that he was 'thrilled' to have signed with online retailer Boohoo men for a six-figure sum, as he looks to establish himself as a successful male model.
Alex is thrilled to sign with Boohoo men hes always wanted to model and this opportunity couldnt have come at a better time, an insider revealed.
While the rest of Love Island finalists have remained firmly loved-up, Alex's relationship with Montana crumbled at the first hurdle.
Taking to Twitter prior to her outing, Montana announced that she and her onscreen beau had broken-up, writing: 'Alex and I have decided to split.
Making our relationship work on the outside has been hard. He hasn't been the same since coming out of the villa. Despite this we are still close and I will always support him.'
Unimpressed: . He wrote: 'Honestly chill out. Meeting people who are excited to see you means all the same to me regardless of the location. Don't be so materialistic'
They spend most of their time apart working on acting projects.
But on Monday Chris, Liam and Luke Hemsworth were reunited, enjoying a reunion dinner at restaurant Via Veneto in Santa Monica, California.
The three genetically-blessed brothers went casual for their outing, leaving the venue separately after their meal.
The family that eats together, stays together! Chris, 34, dressed down for the dinner in shorts and a white T-shirt which showcased his bulging arm muscles at Via Veneto in LA
Chris, 34, dressed down for the dinner in shorts and a white T-shirt which showcased his bulging arm muscles.
His siblings Luke, 36, and Liam, 27, were also similarly attired in graphic T-shirts and trousers.
Despite their fame, the Hemsworth brothers aren't above mocking each other on social media.
Family outing! Siblings Luke, 36, and Liam, 27, were also similarly attired in graphic T-shirts and trousers.
Earlier this month Liam shared a hilarious happy 34th birthday message for Chris on Instagram.
The Hunger Games star shared a shirtless photo of Chris, writing in the caption: 'Love you ya massive jerk!'
The photo on Instagram was of his older brother playing the Norse god superhero in a scene from one of the Thor or Avengers films.
The snap showed a shirtless Chris enjoying a dip in the water, however, Liam has photoshopped in a rubber duck and sponge on his head.
'Love you ya massive jerk!': Earlier this month Liam shared shirtless photo of big brother Chris in a hilarious happy birthday message
Close: While the brothers spend the majority of their time apart on different acting projects their close bond is apparent
That's cheeky! In 2015, Liam shared a graffitied copy of Chris' Vanity Fair cover to Instagram, captioning the photo: 'Really great cover bro!'
'Happy birthday Chrisso! Love u ya massive jerk ;) xox,' Liam captioned the cheeky photo, also adding the hashtags #bathtime and #rubberducky.
While the brothers spend the majority of their time apart on different acting projects their close bond is apparent.
In 2015, Liam shared a graffitied copy of Chris' Vanity Fair cover to Instagram, captioning the photo: 'Really great cover bro!'
Jokers: Despite their fame, the Hemsworth brothers aren't above mocking each other on social media
Talented family: Brothers Chris, 34, Luke, 36, and Liam, 27, are all actors in Hollywood
Meanwhile older brother Luke , 36, who stars in Westworld, told Page Six in May the brothers used to get very physical when they were playing as kids.
'We were never really intentionally hurting each other but our games would be physical and usually involve swords and pieces of wood,' Luke said.
'Inevitably someones fingers or face would get hit.'
She has had plenty of experience when it comes to parenting, having raised three children with husband Peter FitzSimons.
And Today host Lisa Wilkinson, 57, has extended some sage advice to fellow mother Victoria Beckham, who this week expressed her sadness ahead of her son Brooklyn's departure for college on Friday.
'I've got three words for you Victoria: They never leave,' Lisa told 9Honey this week.
'I've got three words for you Victoria: They never leave': Today host Lisa Wilkinson, 57, has extended some sage parenting advice to fellow mother Victoria Beckham
Lisa added that she felt empathy for Victoria during the undoubtedly emotional time, but admitted that she feels anything but distant from her own kids.
'They like being at home, like hanging out with their mum and dad,' she said.
Earlier this week, doting mother Victoria took to Instagram with a teary-eyed photo of herself posing with her 18-year-old photography prodigy son.
Bonded: Victoria maintains a very close relationship with her famous children
'They like being at home, like hanging out with their mum and dad': Lisa added that she felt empathy for Victoria during the undoubtedly emotional time, but admitted that she feels anything but distant from her own kids (pictured with husband Peter FitzSimons)
Famous family: Lisa Wilkinson has previously graced the red carpet with her daughter Billie (right)
'We are all so proud of you Brooklyn. Amazing A level results and off to college,' she cooed in the caption.
'We love you and we will miss you,' she continued, adding the hashtags #yesiamcrying and #emotional.
Brooklyn, who boasts an impressive resume of published work, will attend Parsons School of Design in New York City, where he will study photography.
'We love you and we will miss you': Earlier this week, doting mother Victoria took to Instagram with a teary-eyed photo of herself posing with her 18-year-old photography prodigy son
Speaking to GQ earlier this month, Brooklyn confessed he was a little worried about moving out of home.
'I'm nervous, and my mum's upset about me leaving, but it's really exciting. I kind of live in the moment,' he said.
'I don't think people in New York will annoy me, and I feel like when I go there, I'll meet lifelong friends. Stuff like that.'
She happily announced that she will welcome her first child with husband Jason Finnegan into the world in December.
And former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji looked every inch the glowing mother-to-be as she flaunted her growing baby bump in a Closer magazine shoot.
The Hollyoaks actress, 26, beamed as she flaunted her figure in pink sleepwear before cosying up her husband of two years Jason.
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Glowing: Former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji looked every inch the happy mother-to-be as she flaunted her growing baby bump in a Closer magazine shoot
The brunette beauty seemed utterly content and smiled serenely as she cradled her tummy in the sweet shoot.
Rachel - who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2009 - is due to give birth to her first child on December 27 and she and Jason 'can't wait.'
And she's been turning to her co-star and new mum Jennifer Metcalfe for advice, after successfully hiding her bump for six months.
Posting a snap of Jason, who she married in 2015, fondly holding her bump, she announced her pregnancy, writing: 'We can't wait to be parents.'
Parents-to-be; The Hollyoaks actress, 26, beamed as she cradled her bump with her husband of two years Jason
Sweet: She shared this snap from the shoot, writing: 'Delighted to say that Jason and I are expecting our first child! Baby Adedeji will be due 27th December'
Wedding bells: X Factor 2009 star Rachel Adedeji has married her partner Jason Finegan in a romantic ceremony in Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire in 2015
The brunette beauty portrays Lisa Loveday in the long-running Channel 4 soap and has praised the wardrobe team at 'Hollyoaks' for disguising her pregnancy so well on set.
She explained: 'Lisa is a very vibrant character and doesn't wear many clothes! But the team has been brilliant in allowing new clothes to fit Lisa's personality.
'Instead of hot pants and a bra, it's hot pants and a loose top!'
Rachel has been relying on her co-star Jennifer Metcalfe - who gave birth to her first child Daye in June - for advice on motherhood and they're even planning a holiday together with their babies once Rachel has welcomed her little one into the world later this year.
Mum to be: Former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji has announced she is six months pregnant, and revealed Hollyoaks co-star Jennifer Metcalfe has been giving her parenting advice
Talent: Rachel came ninth in the 2009 X Factor competition, seen here being comforted by mentor Danii Minogue
Loved up: Rachel - who placed ninth on the sixth series of the show - has documented her love story with Jason on her Instagram account over the years
Big day nerves: The star took to Twitter to share her excitement at the time
Speaking to Closer magazine, she explained: 'Jen has been amazing - I couldn't ask for a better friend. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was like, 'Jen, what do I do?!'
'She's an amazing mum and seeing her and Greg with Daye is just adorable. We've been talking about holidaying together once my baby arrives.'
And clearly excited at the prospect of motherhood, Rachel said she feels 'ready' to be a mother.
Speaking through talent agent Jason, she told told The Mirror: 'I feel ready to be a mummy.'
Making a splash: The happy couple celebrated the big day with a honeymoon in Indonesia last December
Back in the day: The beauty has come a long way since her debut on national TV as a fresh-faced 17-year-old
'I have great family and friends around me and I'm really looking forward to bringing a baby Adedeji into this world!'
Read the full interview in this week's issue of Closer, on sale now
And Jason added: 'We are both really excited, nervous of course but we both feel ready. A Christmas baby!'
Rachel tied the knot with her partner Jason back in 2015 in Buckinghamshire and took to her Twitter page just before she walked down the aisle to thank people for their wishes.
She wrote at the time: 'Can't believe the day is finally here. In the next few hours I'll be a blushing bride. Thank you to everyone for your wishes. Xx (sic).'
The star, who placed ninth in the competition, completed her look with a silver beaded belt and a matching tiara, looking every inch the princess.
The happy couple celebrated the big day with a honeymoon in Indonesia last December.
Looking smitten as they cosied up for a series of social media snaps, they went on safari during the trip and visited an idyllic waterfall.
Read the full interview in this week's issue of Closer, on sale now.
He rose to fame playing notorious nightclub owner John Ibrahim in Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
And Firass Dirani, 33, certainly looked tough-as-nails as he posed shirtless for a sweaty post-workout snap this Tuesday.
Taking to Instagram Stories with his saucy image, the hunky actor bared his chiselled six-pack and bulging biceps as he posed in a dimly-lit gym.
'Clean living': irass Dirani, 33, certainly looked tough-as-nails as he posed shirtless for a sweaty post-workout snap this Tuesday
Adding an even racier touch, the House Husbands star slyly pulled his gym shorts down to reveal a generous glimpse at this well-honed V-line muscles.
With his piercing green eyes obscured behind a curly tuft of hair, Firass simply captioned the image with the words: 'Clean living'.
Making no secret of how he stays in tip top shape, Firass regularly shares pictures of himself working out on Instagram.
If you've got it, flaunt it! Making no secret of how he stays in tip top shape, Firass regularly shares pictures of himself working out on Instagram
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, The Osiris Child actor revealed that he takes a holistic approach to working out.
'Exercise for me personally is so important not just for my job as an actor, but for my brain and how clear I can think.'
'I know that a lot of people can struggle to get motivated or are mentally struggling but I promise exercise and eating good will make everything better not just your body but your mind,' he said.
'I promise exercise and eating good will make everything better not just your body but your mind': Speaking to The Daily Telegraph , The Osiris Child actor revealed that he takes a holistic approach to working out
Firass recently enjoyed time away from the small screen to star in Australian sci-fi flick The Osiris Child.
Also starring in the futuristic film is Kellan Lutz, 30, who rose to fame in the Twilight set, and Daniel MacPherson, 35.
The film, directed by Shane Abbess, is set in a futuristic world ravaged by the effects of 'interplanetary colonisation'.
She's the PR maven who is set to reaffirm her commitment to husband Oliver Curtis.
And news of her second engagement appears to be making Roxy Jacenko feel all warm and fuzzy.
The fashion forward publicist flaunted an elegant necklace featuring the initials of her family on Wednesday.
Close to her heart! Roxy Jacenko flaunts new necklace that bares the names of husband Oliver, son Hunter, three, and daughter Pixie, six
The 37-year-old took to her Instagram story to share a short video of her unwrapping the subtle bling from Melbourne designer Shannakian Fine Jewellery.
The simple silver piece featured the letter O for Oliver, P for daughter Pixie, six, and a H for son Hunter, three.
The video showed Roxy's opening the small black box that held the necklace.
Clearly excited with her new purchase, she simply captioned the clip: 'deliveries,' augmenting the sentiment with an emoji with love hearts in its eyes.
Meanwhile, Roxy recently revealed her new 'lob' at the hair salon after getting her trademark extensions taken out by her hairstylist.
Elegant: The simple silver piece featured the letter O for Oliver, P for daughter Pixie, six, and a H for son Hunter, three
'Short hair is a thing': Meanwhile, Roxy recently revealed her new 'lob' at the hair salon after getting her trademark extensions taken out by her hairstylist
'Short hair is a thing,' she captioned an Instagram picture on Tuesday, adding a wink face emoji.
Taking a mirror selfie while her stylist Jake Plenzich worked his magic, Roxy looked hardly recognisable with her shorter hair.
After her visit to the salon, the businesswoman took to social media to flaunt her new do.
Showing off her new luggage purchase, the mother of two seemed pleased with her new shoulder length hair.
Fresh: After her visit to the salon, Roxy took to the social media to flaunt her new do
Signature style: Roxy's known for her long mermaid style locks
The last look: Roxy had her beloved hair extension in while appearing on Today Extra on Monday to discuss her troubled marriage to husband Oliver Curtis
Roxy had her beloved hair extension in while appearing on Today Extra on Monday to discuss her troubled marriage to husband Oliver Curtis.
Speaking about how she and her husband were 'heading for divorce' in the lead-up to his 12-month jail sentence for insider trading, the Sweaty Betty CEO revealed she turned to the gym as a distraction.
Last month after Oliver's release, he proposed to Roxy for the second time.
She's the first celebrity contestant on The Block, and an Australian model.
And on The Block Wednesday, Wombat, 38, and Sticks, 31, asked Elyse Knowles for 'nude' photographs.
The lovable larrikins propositioned the blonde bombshell as part of a joke, as they tried to find objects to auction off as part of a challenge on the show.
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The Block's nude photo scandal: Sticks, 31, and Wombat, 38, proposition glamorous model Elyse Knowles, 24, (pictured) for a 'pin-up' picture of herself
'We should go to Knowlzy, "hey Knowlzy, can we get a life size photo of ya? Pin-up?," Sticks said to Wombat as they drove around Melbourne.
Wombat then suggested they should ask her for a 'date' to auction off.
'A date with Knowlzy, supermodel,' Wombat said.
Just a joke! Pictured are Sticks (L) and Wombat (R)
Bombshell: She's the first celebrity contestant on The Block, and an Australian model
On the phone to Elyse, they asked her if she'd be willing to do a nude photo shoot.
'What we're thinking is maybe a nude photo shoot or,' they said, trailing off.
Elyse - who was with boyfriend Josh Barker, 28, at the time, cracked up laughing, before telling the boys 'negative!'
During Wednesday's episode, the teams had a challenge to find objects and experiences to auction off for the charity, Sacred Heart Mission.
A good cause: During Wednesday's episode, the teams had a challenge to find objects and experiences to auction off for the charity, Sacred Heart Mission
The team that raises the most money at the auction pocketed $5,000.
Wombat and Sticks ended up winning, after raising a whopping $45,750, after selling items including a large spa.
During the auction, Wombat and Sticks dressed up as Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber, wearing blue and orange suits.'
It's the Tony award-winning stage musical, that had sold-out shows at Melbournes Princess Theatre earlier this year.
And The Book of Mormon is now set to come to Sydney, with posters of the musical comedy appearing on bus shelters around the city this week.
The official Book of Mormon Facebook page shared a poster photo on Tuesday, alongside the caption: 'Good things come to those who waitlist' - followed by a link to a waitlist for tickets.
Coming soon! The Book of Mormon is coming to Sydney, with posters of the musical comedy appearing on bus shelters around town this week
The Broadway hit, from the South Park Matt Stone and Trey Parker, tells the story of two Mormon missionaries and their attempts to preach in Uganda.
It has won nine Tony awards, a Grammy award and more accolades since its 2011 Broadway release.
The controversial musical explores various topics from poverty to female genital mutilation (FGM) and Matt said Uganda perfectly fit the narrative.
Hit musical: The Broadway hit, from the South Park Matt Stone (L) and Trey Parker (3-L), tells the story of two Mormon missionaries and their attempts to preach in Uganda
We chose northern Uganda because its one of those places that has every bad thing that you could read about in the paper: it has warlords, famine, Aids,' he told Time Out in 2013.
'We send two Mormon boys to a place where none of their lessons that they learned growing up in Provo, Utah, apply.
He continued: 'But Africa in 'The Book of Mormon' is really a kind of a fable, not a particular place. Its supposed to be somewhere where all these bad things are happening to people and its not their fault.
Accolades: It has won nine Tony awards, a Grammy award and more accolades since its 2011 Broadway release
Controversial: The controversial musical explores various topics from poverty to female genital mutilation (FGM) and Matt said Uganda perfectly fit the narrative
Trey told ABC earlier this year that they decided to focus on Mormons because the religion played a role in both his and Matt's childhoods.
'We grew up actually learning about Mormons because it was part of the local culture, and so we, we just knew a lot about Mormons,' he said.
'And it was also... It's just a really interesting way to look at religion in general because it's such a young religion.
Matt added: 'And there's something about Mormon culture and, like I said, the big smiles they have. It seems like they're always about to break out into song.'
When it comes to iconic characters on Australian television screens, they don't come much more beloved as Neighbours' Harold Bishop.
And Ian Smith, 78, has revealed that he hoped Harold's lasting legacy would be fans searching for a closer relationship with their own fathers or grandfathers.
In 2016, the Herald Sun compiled a list of the best Australian television characters of the last 60 years and Harold came in at a respectable number 12, between Kath and Kim's Sharon Strzelecki and Home And Away's Bobby Simpson.
Stronger ties: Neighbours star Ian Smith, 78, has revealed that he hoped Harold Bishop's lasting legacy would be fans searching for a closer relationship with their own fathers or grandfathers.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ian admitted that he was unaware of the auspicious honour but hoped Harold's legacy would promote positive family relationships.
'I'm a little proud of myself,' a surprised Ian admitted. 'He's a silly old fart but there's something in Harold that everyone likes.
'It's like the young kids come up to me and say "you're like my granddad" or "you're just like my father."
'If I can grab that and turn it into something where I can say "go and hug your father" - I never hugged my father, I only kissed him for the first time 10 minutes after he died.'
Legacy: The young kids come up to me and say "you're like my granddad" or "you're just like my father." If I can grab that and turn it into something where I can say "go and hug your father" - I never hugged my father, I only kissed him for the first time 10 minutes after he died'
As Harold, Ian became one of Neighbours longest serving cast members, moving in to Ramsay Street in 1987 and departing in 1991 when Harold was lost at sea and presumed dead.
Such was the character's popularity, Ian rejoined the cast in 1996 before switching to a recurring cast member status from 2008 to 2009. He once again returned to the show in 2011 and again in 2015 for the show's 30th anniversary celebrations.
With Harold last seen driving off into the sunset, Neighbours writers have left the character's story arc open for a return, but Ian said he was enjoying retirement too much.
Beloved: As Harold, Ian became one of Neighbours longest serving cast members, moving in to Ramsay Street in 1987 and departing in 1991 when Harold was lost at sea
'I love retirement too much,' he laughed. 'It's a pity not everyone can afford to do so. It makes you stop and have a good look at yourself.'
However, Ian added that it could be a case of 'never say never' with the acting bug still having a hold on the television veteran.
'Well we are what we are, and I'll always be an actor,' he said. 'We're all show-offs, really. It's all "me, me, me."
Will he be back? With Harold last seen driving off into the sunset, Neighbours writers have left the character's story arc open for a return, but Ian said he was enjoying retirement too much
Ian, who has seen the likes of Delta Goodrem, Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue start their careers on the iconic soap, admitted that he was often surprised with the level of success his former co-stars had achieved.
'I've had to hang my head in shame on a few occasions as I had no idea certain actors would go on to be so huge,' he said.
'I always knew Kylie was going to be a great success. I just didn't know how big. I remember seeing her in the green room on the phone talking to someone who wanted her to stand behind a product.
Future star: I always knew Kylie [Minogue] was going to be a great success. I just didn't know how big. I remember seeing her in the green room on the phone talking to someone who wanted her to stand behind a product. The way she handled that conversation was just outstanding,' he said
'The way she handled that conversation was just outstanding. She could've given lessons in it and I thought "you're going to go far"'. '
He added that the biggest surprise was Guy Pearce saying: 'The one that really surprised me was Guy Pearce.
'I'd always pegged him as just a competent young actor not the huge Hollywood star he is today. I remember my jaw dropped when I saw him in Priscilla,' he said.
With so many people in Houston stranded by the high waters caused by Hurricane Harvey, Shane Weinreis knew he needed to join the rescue effort.
Initially I hadnt planned on going just because finances arent available and its so far, Weinreis, president and diver officer of the Billings-based U.S. Water Rescue Dive Team, said Tuesday.
But then he talked to a couple of friends in Houston, including another USWRDT member who is a volunteer firefighter. And he watched news coverage documenting the unfolding tragedy.
People calling 911 and they cant even get an answer on the phone, let alone get somebody to rescue them, Weinreis said Tuesday morning. The agencies do their best, but its not enough.
His friend, the volunteer firefighter, told Weinreis that he was going on his fifth 24-hour shift. He said last night the chief finally made them come in and get a couple hours sleep.
So Weinreis and a few other team members decided to make the nearly 1,600-mile drive to Houston to lend their expertise. They left Tuesday afternoon, expect to arrive on Wednesday and plan to stay about a week.
To help with expenses, including fuel, food for the team and for the survivors, and equipment maintenance and repair, Weinreis created a Go Fund Me account. As of Tuesday, he had raised $4,585 of the $25,000 goal.
Weinreis, a former Marine, founded the nonprofit U.S. Water Rescue Dive Team in 1997. He had previously been part of both a volunteer search and rescue group in Yellowstone County and a commercial dive team
When both of those organizations ceased their work, Weinreis developed a team of his own. He and the other 15 members probably average 40 requests for their rescue and recovery skills a year.
Most are in Yellowstone County anywhere from zero to four or five a month. But in 2017, the team traveled to California and Washington for cases that involved recovery of bodies, evidence and equipment.
Were hoping not to do any recoveries in Houston, Weinreis said, adding they were asked to bring a minimal amount of recovery equipment just in case. His contact said more likely it will be rescuing people stuck in apartments and high rises who are safe at the moment but wont survive very long without some kind of assistance.
And for many thats getting them out of where they are and to dry ground, Weinreis said.
The Montana team will bring a 13-foot motorized rescue boat and a trailer filled with dry suits, protective equipment, personal flotation devices, first-aid supplies, underwater lights for nighttime operations, ropes and harnesses.
Well bring a minimal amount of actual SCUBA gear, he said. There have been some overturned vehicles, and just in case a rescuer gets submerged or something, well have the SCUBA equipment on standby if we need it.
The finale of the hit channel ten comedy Hamish And Andy's True Story drew the ire of viewers on Tuesday thanks to a storyline that dealt with an unsavoury subject.
The show featured two housemates finding themselves involved in a series of ridiculous dares, with one putting fly spray into his mouth and the other holding his friend's faeces.
Of course, viewers took to social media to voice their displeasure at the less-than-palatable segment, with many labeling the piece as 'disgusting'.
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Outrage: The finale of the hit channel ten comedy Hamish And Andy's True Story drew the ire of viewers on Tuesday thanks to a storyline that dealt with a rather unsavoury subject. But viewer indignation is not a new phenomenon
However Hamish and Andy aren't the first television stars to have fallen foul of fans with viewer outrage long being part of the Australian television experience.
Television icon Graham Kennedy came under fire from disgruntled viewers after a 1975 episode of his Graham Kennedy Show.
During a live read of a hairspray commercial Graham imitated a crow's call saying 'f**k,' which led the Nine Network to reportedly receive hundreds of complaints.
Pioneer: Television icon Graham Kennedy came under fire from disgruntled viewers after a 1975 episode of his Graham Kennedy Show. During a live read of a hairspray commercial Graham imitated a crow's call saying 'f**k,' which led to hundreds of complaints
The incident also saw Graham front the Australian Broadcasting Control Board where he had to show cause why he shouldn't be removed from the airwaves'. as a result, Graham was forced to pre-record all of his appearances.
Australian Big Brother was no stranger to courting controversy during it's on-air tenure, but the 'turkey slap' incident would have to take the cake.
Michael Cox and Michael Bric were kicked off the show after Michael cox was accused of rubbing his crotch in housemate Camilla Severi's fave while Michael Bric held her down.
Shock: Australian Big Brother was no stranger to courting controversy during it's on-air tenure, but the 'turkey slap' incident would have to take the cake. Pictured is contestant Michael Cox
The incident made it all the way to Parliament House with then prime Minister John Howard calling for the reality show to be pulled off the air.
While you may not think Play School would be the type of show that would ruffle feathers, presenters Alex Papps and Rachael Coopes changed that in 2009 when they made what appeared to be a bong.
Fans took to social media in droves to pint out the unfortunate craft concoction with one saying on Instagram at the time: 'Did I just see Alex Papps make a bong on Playschool?'
Oops: While you may not think Play School would be the type of show that would ruffle feathers, presenters Alex Papps and Rachael Coopes changed that in 2009 when they made what appeared to be a bong
What is it? Fans took to social media in droves to pint out the unfortunate craft concoction with one saying on Instagram at the time: 'Did I just see Alex Papps make a bong on Playschool?'
Presenter Doug Mulray went one better than audience ire when his Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos show was pulled from air by then Channel Nine boss Kerry Packer in 1990.
As a video of a boy pulling a kangaroo's testicles was being aired Kerry reportedly phoned the studio and said: 'get that s**t off the air.' The show was abruptly pulled and replaced with re-runs of US sitcom Cheers.
Bubbly Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage also caused a level of outrage in 2014 when she provocatively danced on a stripper pole that was presented to her on-air by co-host David Koch.
Get off: Presenter Doug Mulray went one better than audience ire when his Australia's naughtiest Home videos show was pulled from air by then Channel Nine boss Kerry Packer
Samantha told viewers the brand of her sparkling silver heels as she grabbed the pole and wrapped her leg around it.
She said: 'These shoes are the choice for pole dancers all over the country.'
Given that he courted controversy his whole life, it's no surprise that underworld figure Mark 'Chopper' Read should shock when he phoned in to daytime television show The Midday Show in 1998.
Strippergate: Bubbly Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage also caused a level of outrage in 2014 when she provocatively danced on a stripper pole that was presented to her on-air by co-host David Koch.
Host Kerri Anne Kennerley was discussing whether criminals should profit from their crimes with shock jock broadcaster Alan Jones.
The discussion was going swimmingly until Chopper himself phoned in saying: 'People who throw stones better make sure they don't live in glass houses, Alan. I never got arrested in a public toilet in London.'
With that, Kerri-Anne promptly ended the interview. The charges against Jones in London were eventually dropped and costs awarded to him.
Outlandish: Given that he courted controversy his whole life, it's no surprise that underworld figure Mark 'Chopper' Read should shock when he phoned in to daytime television show The Midday Show in 1998
This interview's over! Host Kerri Anne Kennerley was discussing whether criminals should profit from their crimes with shock jock broadcaster Alan Jones when Chopper phoned in bringing up Alan's arrest in London
Popular variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday also came under fire in 2009 for a segment of the show's Red Faces talent quest that saw five men dress in blackface as The Jackson Five.
Musician Harry Connick Jr, who was appearing as a judge on the segment gave the skit a 0 out of 10 saying: 'If they turned up like that in the United states, it'd be like hey hey there's no more show.'
Host Daryl Somers eventually apologised to Harry on air, but the skit drew widespread condemnation around the world.
Insensitive: Popular variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday also came under fire in 2009 for a segment of the show's Red Faces talent quest that saw five men dress in blackface as The Jackson Five.
She was nicknamed 'The Body' in her modelling heyday.
And Elle Macpherson showed she still has the goods in a captivating snap shared to her Instagram on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old dazzled fans with an elongated shot of her iconic legs, showing off her lithe six-foot-tall figure.
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Towering! Elle Macpherson dazzled fans with an elongated shot of her iconic legs, showing off her lithe six-foot-tall figure
The mature beauty wore a cotton slip from her namesake lingerie brand as she stood on a king-sized bed covered in a white canopy.
She covered her face with her long hair and wore a single gold bracelet as her only accessory, flaunting her deep tan.
Elle voiced she was having a 'moment' and was 'happy on the inside' in the caption.
Iconic: She was nicknamed 'The Body' by TIME magazine in her modeling heyday
The supermodel's enchanting capture elicited a positive response from her followers in the comments section, including longtime friend Cindy Crawford.
'Legs!' fawned Cindy, 51, with Elle writing her back a simple lips emoji.
Saved By The Bell actress Elizabeth Berkley, 45, was equally impressed, noting: 'Gorgeous gorgeous!'
Longevity: The Sydney-born businesswoman first made her mark on the modelling world in 1982, in a television commercial for the soft drink brand TAB
The Sydney-born businesswoman first made her mark on the modelling world in 1982, in a television commercial for the soft drink brand TAB.
The mother of two has been vocal about how her two sons, Arpad Flynn Alexander Busson, 19, and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson, 14, changed her life.
'Having children is my greatest achievement. It was my saviour. It switched my focus from the outside to the inside,' she stated in a past interview.
She said last year that her husband tries to make a baby with her every day.
And now Tammin Sursok, 34, has revealed the couple's hopes of conceiving their second child next month, more than three years after the birth of their daughter Phoenix Emmanuel.
Speaking to Hit105's Stav, Abby & Matt with Osher on Wednesday, the actress said she and hubby Sean McEwen, who celebrated their six year anniversary last week, will try for baby number two on September 23.
Baby number two! Tammin Sursok, 34, revealed her hopes of conceiving her second child next month, more than three years after the birth of daughter Phoenix Emmanuel
'I want to have another baby at 23rd of September ... we're going to try on [that date] ... that is when we're having sex to have a baby,' she said.
'There's an app and it tells you exactly what day you should have sex on, I just have to make sure I'm not mean to my husband because he's not going to want to have sex.'
On August 24, former Pretty Little Liars star Tammin and her producer hubby jetted to Bali to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
Making babies: Speaking to Hit105's Stav, Abby & Matt with Osher on Wednesday, the actress said she and husband Sean McEwen, who celebrated their six year anniversary last week, will try for baby number two on September 23
'Happy Anniversary to the love of my life @seanmcewen. Let's make more experiences and movies and humans together. I love you more than you know,' she wrote on Instagram.
The former Home and Away star is based in Los Angeles with her young family and she recently opened up about motherhood to The Daily Telegraph.
She said she tries to instill confidence in her only child, but avoids putting emphasis on her external appearance.
'I do affirmations with my daughter every day': Devoted mum Tammin recently revealed she resists focusing on her daughter's appearance and encourages her youngster to read
'I do affirmations with my daughter every day,' the former Home and Away starlet explained.
'It's about reminding her that she's strong and valuable, that she has a voice. I don't wake up and tell her, 'Oh, you're so pretty''.
In the interview, Tammin conceded that she is concerned about raising Phoenix in a society defined by strict ideals of beauty.
Moving back home to Australia? Tammin is currently based in Los Angeles but hinted about a move back to Sydney in the future
The free-spirited brunette, who is also a budding wordsmith with a popular blog, also stated that she is 'passionate about literacy and wants to encourage Phoenix to develop a love for reading'.
Tammin seemed to hint at a possible move from L.A. back home to Sydney.
Mother daughter time: The young family recently spent time in Sydney, posting a series of snaps seeming to relish in their stay
The star revealed that she wants Phoenix to feel at home in Australia.
The young family recently spent time in the harbour city, posting a series of snaps seeming to relish in their brief stay.
Meanwhile, the actress also revealed to the publication that she hopes to expand her family in the near future, explaining that she wants to try for another child in the coming year.
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Topshop heiress Chloe Green, whose father Sir Philip is worth an estimated 3.8billion, displayed a diamond on her ring finger while getting close to her unlikely boyfriend Jeremy Meeks in a series of social media posts.
The 26-year-old shoe designer sparked engagement speculation as she displayed an eye-popping diamond on her ring finger, in shots posted on Instagram pages during a trip to Malibu Beach on Tuesday, where they were spied looking extremely cosy, with Jeremy even cupping his girlfriend's cleavage before she perched on his lap.
Chloe and Jeremy, 33, have received a huge amount of backlash over their relationship, which surfaced as an affair during his eight-year marriage to wife Melissa - yet they seemed totally undeterred as they got up close on the shores with the stunner looking sensational in a skin-tight black dress.
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Up close: Topshop heiress Chloe Green, whose father Sir Philip is worth an estimated 3.8billion, displayed a diamond on her ring finger while getting close to her unlikely boyfriend Jeremy Meeks in a series of social media posts before they were spotted heading out and about
Jeremy and Chloe have been publicly parading their blossoming relationship in the spotlight, despite his marriage to estranged wife Melissa ending shortly before.
The duo have made no attempt at keeping their new-found love low-key, with Jeremy posing at Topshop's LA shop window at The Grove earlier this month before being pictured on a string of public dates shortly after - with Tuesday's romantic trip to the shore only heightening the buzz surrounding their romance.
Jeremy sent shock waves across the Internet when pictures first emerged of him kissing Chloe on a yacht in Turkey in July - yet the new images seem to allude to the couple taking their romance to the next level due to Chloe's choice of jewellery, with the one ring particularly catching the eye.
As the couple kissed and cuddled blissfully, they could not keep their hands off each other shortly before Chloe shared another clip while professing: 'I love you'.
Bling, bling: The 26-year-old shoe designer sparked engagement speculation as she displayed an eye-popping diamond on her ring finger, in shots posted on Instagram pages during a trip to Malibu Beach on Tuesday, where they were spied looking extremely cosy, with Jeremy even cupping his girlfriend's cleavage
Bling, bling! Chloe's ring was on full display alongside her huge diamond earrings and stacks of bangles
Bling, bling: The 26-year-old shoe designer sparked engagement speculation as she displayed dripping jewels, which she alternated between her two ring fingers throughout the day, in shots posted on both her and the convict-turned-model's Instagram pages during a trip to Malibu Beach on Tuesday
Cheeky! At one point in the outing, Jeremy cupped his girlfriend's cleavage in a very cheeky display - letting their romance to be known to all present on the beach
Matching looks: The couple sported matching baseball caps and equally casual ensembles as they enjoyed their beach day
'My baby': She also posted a clip herself under which she added a gushing caption reading: 'Beautiful day on the beach with my baby'
Lapping it up: As they chilled on the beach, Chloe sat on her boyfriend's lap while he reclined casually
Hold me close and don't let go: The happy couple were equally casual for their jaunt along the shore
In one stand-out snap, she draped her hands over her boyfriend's arms with her own hands inches from the camera which displayed her various diamonds.
Another video of the couple saw Jeremy driving a plush Porsche car while filming himself driving and frequently turning the camera on Chloe. She also posted a clip herself under which she added a gushing caption reading: 'Beautiful day on the beach with my baby'.
The couple's action came in the midst of their day at the beach, during which Chloe was looking sensational as she went braless beneath a black ribbed dress which made the most of her figure.
Hold me close: The happy pair could not tear themselves away from one another - with their affections plain to see
Strutting their stuff: The happy couple were proudly walking hand in hand as they continue to flaunt their romance
A good looking pair! The happy couple boasted smouldering stares as they made their way along the shore
Hapy days! Jeremy and Chloe seem to be happily adapting to life as a couple, with their chilled out display proving things are going swimmingly
Having a giggle: The happy couple clung on to one another during their fun-filled day to the beach
Equally stylish was Jeremy who went for a cargo-inspired ensemble with a vest top and matching shorts - all tied together with a pair of matching trainers and a cap.
MailOnline has contacted a representative for Jeremy for comment.
Jeremy and Chloe have just returned from a romantic holiday in Barbados, where the the pair yet again caused mass controversy with their romance.
While Chloe turned her Instagram profile private following heavy criticism over their relationship, the brunette proceeded to share various sweet selfies with the 'hot felon' in the sunshine - proving they were only going from strength to strength.
One holiday to another: Jeremy and Chloe have just returned from a romantic holiday in Barbados with Chloe, yet the the pair caused mass controversy with their romance
Happy days: The couple have been proudly flaunting their love since hooking up earlier this year, particularly when a scantily-clad Chloe joined her boyfriend at Kadooment Day in Barbados earlier this month
Lost love: Melissa (pictured) is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure
Hold on tight: In one stand-out snap, she draped her hands over her boyfriend's arms with the jewels inches from the camera which displayed her various diamonds
Playful: As they went for a spin the happy couple enjoyed a singalong into the camera
Tight: Chloe's post came after Jeremy switched off the comment section on his own Instagram page- leaving fans to only interact with his snaps by 'liking' it. The model appeared to be feeling the heat after publicly parading his romance to the Topshop heiress
The Topshop heiress captioned the snap: 'Life is to short not to laugh and smile and that's all we do... @jmeeks official. #nohatejustlove #everyonedeservestobehappy [sic].'
Meanwhile, Jeremy's estranged wife Melissa, who was left heartbroken when his affair was exposed, seemed to be feeling in good spirits just days before as she shared a selfie of her own.
Earlier this month, Jeremy switched off the comment section on his own Instagram page- leaving fans to only interact with his snaps by 'liking' it. The model appeared to be feeling the heat after publicly parading his romance to the Topshop heiress.
Where it all began: Jeremy soared to prominence when he was arrested in 2014 during a gang sweep in California, after which his mugshot was revealed on Facebook and went viral - earning him the moniker 'The Hot Felon' - and resulting in the launch of his modelling career
The start: Chloe soared to fame starring on Made In Chelsea as the girlfriend of Ollie Lock in 2011, while Jeremy's brush with crime led to his modelling debut at the Philipp Plein collection during New York Fashion Week in February
Lost love: She went on to date Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Marc Anthony, with whom she shared a 23 year age gap in 2013 before splitting a year later
Jeremy and Chloe were pictured sharing an intimate kiss in July and snuggling up together as they waited to be taken back to their 112,000-a-week yacht in Bodrum.
And while Meeks also edited his account at the time, deleting all photographs of him and estranged wife Melissa, he has now gone one step further by giving other Instagram users the inability to comment under his snaps.
Following the relationship reveal, Melissa said: I know it takes two to tango but she knew he was married. To me, thats unforgivable. My whole world has been torn apart by this. What do I tell our children? My heart is broken.
What sort of woman would do something like this to another woman? My marriage wasnt perfect but I thought it could be saved, until this happened. Of course Im angry at her. What she did is unforgivable. And Im angry at him too. What they did destroyed my entire world.
Coy: The happy star was feeling coy in one of her snaps as she giggled into the camera
Strutting her stuff: What sort of woman would do something like this to another woman? My marriage wasnt perfect but I thought it could be saved, until this happened'
Did either of them think about the children and how this will affect them? Theyre the innocent victims in this. And so am I.
Melissa is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure.
Jeremy soared to prominence when he was arrested in 2014 during a gang sweep in California, after which his mugshot was revealed on a police Facebook page and subsequently went viral - earning him the moniker 'The Hot Felon' - and resulting in the launch of his modelling career at the Philipp Plein show during New York Fashion Week in February.
Chloe's rise to fame has been a more conventional tale, as she found fame when she fell for Made In Chelsea star Ollie Locke in 2011 yet her appearance and their romance was brief. She went on to date Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Marc Anthony, with whom she shared a 23 year age gap in 2013 before splitting a year later.
One is the glamorous former wife of Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, while the other is the main antagonist in British horror film franchise Hellraiser.
But Lindy Klim, 39, and the tyrannical Pinhead's universes collided thanks to a rather bizarre video that appeared on Lindy's Instagram Story this Wednesday.
The Balinese princess, who is currently expecting her fourth child with British property developer Adam Ellis, surprised fans when she filmed herself mid-way through an acupuncture session.
A jab well done! Lindy Klim surprised her Instagram fans on Wednesday by filming herself at an acupuncture session, with the needles making her almost resemble '80s horror villain Pinhead
Lindy, who looked remarkably youthful with little to no makeup, had over a dozen needles stuck in her face in the humourous video.
She accompanied her video with three 'shocked face' emojis.
Her 'pin-faced' look will no doubt remind some fans of Doug Bradley's supernatural 'Lead Cenobite' in the Hellraiser film series.
Lindy has been dutifully keeping her fans up to date with her latest pregnancy, and on Saturday shared an Instagram post from a Pilates class with her daughter, Stella.
Pinned down! Lindy, who looked remarkably youthful with little to no makeup, had over a dozen needles stuck in her face in the humourous video
'So today I was outshone by my daughter in Pilates!' Lindy captioned the photo of herself posing between Stella and her Pilates teacher.
Earlier this month, Lindy jetted off to the Greek island of Santorini for a 'babymoon' with her handsome fiance.
Lindy flaunted her growing baby bump in a black-and-white striped bikini in a picture shared to her Instagram account.
Journey: Lindy has been dutifully keeping her fans up to date with her latest pregnancy, and on Saturday shared an Instagram post from a Pilates class with her daughter, Stella
Lindy became engaged to new partner Adam in October, several months after separating from husband Michael in February.
The pair, who share three children - Stella, Rocco, and Frankie - are believed to have a strained relationship following the split.
They have become embroiled in public mudslinging, with Michael recently accusing Lindy of creating a fake Instagram account to 'troll' his girlfriend, Desiree Deravi.
He won over the hearts of the nation thanks to his hilarious rap duos with close pal Chris Hughes.
And Love Island's Kem Cetinay is so confident in his lyrical flow that he has vowed to girlfriend Amber Davies he will strip naked in public if the pair's upcoming single doesn't reach the Top 10.
The Essex lad made the cheeky comment during an appearance with the Welsh beauty on Good Morning Britain, where they have been filling in for Showbiz presenter Richard Arnold this month.
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Big promise: Love Island's Kem Cetinay is so confident in his lyrical flow that he has vowed to girlfriend Amber Davies he will strip naked if the pair's upcoming single with Chris Hughes doesn't reach the Top 10
Teasing his new spin-off reality show with Chris, Kem revealed: 'I can't say what mine and Chris's show is all about. But it might be about a rap and if we bring out a song.'
'He thinks he's going to be top 10', Amber joked.
Kem continued, 'If I don't make the top 10 I will run down the street naked', shaking hands with Amber to seal the deal.
The pair's comments come as Kem confessed that the pair's sex lives have dried up since leaving the villa.
Teasing his new spin-off reality show with Chris, Kem revealed: 'I can't say what mine and Chris's show is all about. But it might be about a rap and if we bring out a song'
Teasing her other half: 'He thinks he's going to be top 10', Amber joked
Kem continued: 'If I don't make the top 10 I will run down the street naked', shaking hands with Amber to seal the deal'
Future hip-hop star? The cheeky chappy showed off his rapping earlier in the show when he was challenged by Richard Madeley to showcase his skills
Putting in an appearance: The pair have been growing in confidence all week long
Glamorous: Amber opted for a natural make-up look and wore her long locks down loose
The loved-up duo - who were crowned the winners of the show last month - couldn't keep their hands off one another when they were locked up inside the famous abode, but have admitted they're barely getting frisky between the sheets anymore because they're so busy.
Kem is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: 'We're just so busy now with work. We had way more sex when we were doing Love Island compared o now because we haven't got enough time.
'But Amber basically lives at mine, so when I work late I come home and get into bed with her. It's nice just sleeping next to her knowing she's there.'
The cheeky chappy showed off his rapping skills earlier in the show when he was challenged by Richard Madeley to showcase his lyrical flow.
Mocked: The pair also took part in a mock edition of quiz show The Chase, during which they were mocked mercilessly for not knowing that Mallorca - where Love Island was filmed - was part of the Balearic Islands
Awkward: Viewers took to Twitter to laugh at the faux-pas, with one fan posting, 'Howling at Kem and Amber getting a love Island question wrong on @GMB'
Quiz master: Richard hosted a mock edition of The Chase
Cringing: The pair were left red-faced after they failed to answer a Love Island question
Looking lovely: Amber was dressed for summer in a bright red T-shirt and a floral skirt
The pair also took part in a mock edition of quizz show The Chase, during which they were mocked mercilessly for not knowing that Mallorca - where Love Island was filmed - was part of the Balearic Islands.
Viewers took to Twitter to laugh at the faux-pas, with one fan posting, 'Howling at Kem and Amber getting a love Island question wrong on @GMB' and another sharing, 'Omg kem and amber are so thick. are the Canary Islands Greek'.
Elsewhere on the show, Amber touched upon Chris' comment about hating fame and taking selfies with his fans, which came as a surprise to many Love Island viewers.
Close bond: Kem won over the hearts of the nation thanks to his hilarious rap duos with close pal Chris Hughes
Speaking out: Amber touched upon Chris' comment about hating fame and taking selfies with his fans, which came as a surprise to many Love Island viewers
In the hotseat: Kem and Amber joked around behind the scenes after Kem showed off his hairdressing skills
New look: The reality star gave TV host Richard an 'Essex makeover', complete with slicked back quiff
Bold and bright: Amber accessorised her floral skirt with a chic pair of yellow heels
In the hot seat: The veteran TV star joined Charlotte Hawkins at the helm of the show
Guest host: Richard has proved popular with viewers at home
Amber said: 'I think what it is, he's not trying to offend his fans in any shape or form. Everybody loves him, he's such a nice person.
'We basically had a seven week holiday on telly, we've come out and people think they know us. He needs to take a little bit of time to adapt to it.
'He has got Liv, though, you're each other's support system. He needs to adapt to it and enjoy it. It's a life-changing opportunity.'
Keeping it casual: Amber changed into a white hoodie and skinny jeans after the show
Busy day: The pair launched The Big One Beauty salon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Looking good: Amber changed into a cream leather jacket and a pair of skinny jeans
Cutting the ribbon: Hairdresser Kem was the perfect person to open the salon
Getting pampered: Amber couldn't resist getting a quick trim at the salon
He came to prominence playing awkward Gareth Keenan in the much-loved BBC comedy series The Office from 2001 to 2003.
Although having undergone transformations for his numerous Hollywood roles since then, Mackenzie Crook's latest character in Sky Atlantic's new epic historical series, Britannia, will have fans looking twice with his incredible look.
The British actor, 45, is completely unrecognisable in new stills released from the action-packed show in which he plays the Druid chieftain Veran in the 43AD based drama which centres around the power struggle between Celts, Romans and Druids.
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Unrecognisable: Mackenzie Crook's latest role in Sky Atlantic's new epic historical series, Britannia, will have fans looking twice with his incredible transformation
The jaw-dropping photo showcased the Pirates of a Caribbean star bald, boasting prosthetic scars around his forehead and deeply sunken black eyes while dressed in cheese cloth inspired garments and a striking quilted cape of raw fabric.
Covered in black marks, his heavily weathered face is worlds away from his usually youthful bearded display on red carpets.
His amazing metamorphosis comes as he plays opposite David Morrissey and Kelly Reilly in the highly-anticipated nine-part series.
Now and then: The BAFTA-winning actor is completely unrecognisable in new stills released from the action-packed show in which he plays the Druid chieftain Veran in the 43AD based drama which centres around the power struggle between Celts, Romans and Druids
Jaw-dropping: The jaw-dropping photo showcased the Pirates of a Caribbean bald, boasting scars around his forehead and deeply sunken black eyes while dressed in cheese cloth inspired garments and a striking quilted cape of raw fabric
Unbelievable: Mackenzie looks worlds away from his character Andy in 2015's Detectorists (R)
The series - which is penned by James Bond Spectre writer Jez Butterworth - is set in 43 AD, the year the Roman Imperial Army returned to conquer the Celts.
The show sees the Celtic lands the Romans invade ruled by powerful female warriors and druids.
The Missing's David plays one of the Roman Empire's generals, Aulus Plautis, who has been given orders to overthrow Britannia by Emperor Claudius.
Thrilling: His amazing metamorphosis comes as he plays opposite David Morrissey and Kelly Reilly (pictured) in the highly-anticipated nine-part series
Conquer: The series - which is penned by James Bond Spectre writer Jez Butterworth - is set in 43 AD, the year the Roman Imperial Army returned to conquer the Celts
While True Detective's Kelly plays the fearless Kerra, the Celtic daughter of Pellenor, King of the Cantii.
Other stars appearing in the series includes Harry Potter actor Zoe Wanamaker, Outlander's Stanley Weber, Being Human star Annabel Scholey and Julian Rhind-Tutt of Notting Hill fame.
Filmed on location in the snowy fields of Czech Republic and in Wales, Britannia will air on Sky Atlantic early 2018.
Flashback: Mackenzie as Gareth Keenan in BBC sitcom The Office with Ricky Gervais (Pictured in 2002)
She shot to fame after being romantically linked to Tyga last year, during his break from now ex-girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
But Demi Rose Mawby enjoyed the company of another high-profile rapper on Tuesday, as she was spotted partying in London with Drake.
The famously busty model, 22, almost threatened to spill out of her saucy plunging leotard as she headed home from the swanky Tape nightclub - closely followed by the musician, 30.
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Tyga's so last year! Demi Rose Mawby (L) was spotted partying in London with Drake (R) on Tuesday night
Demi put on a typically titillating display as she enjoyed her night on the tiles in a very skimpy leotard, showcasing almost all of her womanly curves.
Patterned with embroidered flowers on each side, it was her ample assets and eye-popping cleavage that stole the show - left on display by the top's deep V neckline.
Keeping the look demure elsewhere, the Birmingham native paired the one-piece with simple black trousers, which cinched in at her petite waist before hugging her slender legs all the way down.
Fit to bust! Demi put on a typically titillating display as she enjoyed her night on the tiles in a very skimpy leotard, showcasing almost all of her womanly curves
Sweeping her hair into a loose ponytail, Demi seemed keen to keep a low profile as she made her way out of the club, with her hand shielding her face.
Meanwhile Canadian rapper Drake made a casual exit, in a typically trendy slate gray shirt and classic black skinny jeans.
Having dined with friends in Mayfair ahead of the night out, Drake looked completely relaxed as he headed home for the night, minutes after Demi.
Playing it cool: Sweeping her hair into a loose ponytail, Demi seemed keen to keep a low profile as she made her way out of the club, with her hand shielding her face
Trendy: Meanwhile Canadian rapper Drake made a casual exit, in a typically trendy slate gray shirt and classic black skinny jeans
It is not known whether the pair had partied together and caught up inside. MailOnline has contacted representatives of both for comment.
Demi shot to fame after being romantically linked to fellow rapper Tyga last year, during a break from his romance with Kylie Jenner.
Yet, the youngest Jenner later reconciled with the Rack City hitmaker, before they eventually split in May last year.
Taking a break: Having dined with friends in Mayfair ahead of the night out, Drake looked completely relaxed as he headed home for the night, minutes after Demi
However, it is notable Demi had caught up with Drake at the nightclub, as he is a former nemesis of Tyga.
In 2014, Tyga had kicked their feud off by telling Vibe: 'I dont like Drake as a person. Hes just fake to me', before branding him as a 'weirdo' in a later radio interview.
Drake fired back at Tyga by taking shots at his relationship with Kylie Jenner in his mixtape If Youre Reading This, Its Too Late, stating: 'You need to act your age and not your girls age.'
Good friends? It is not known whether the pair had partied together and caught up inside. MailOnline has contacted representatives of both for comment
However the Show You hitmaker confirmed the pair had cast aside their feud last January, telling Real 92.3 FM that they had 'hugged it out' at Kanye West's fashion show.
He said of their reunion: 'At the end of the day if somebody is not taking anything away from you, like family, it's not affecting your family or taking away your money, you shouldn't have a problem with somebody.'
Meanwhile Drake had headed out to party at Tape following an exciting night at BBK's first headline gig at the O2 - where he appeared as a guest star alongside Giggs and Lethal Bizzle.
Celebrating: Drake headed out after surprising fans at BBK's gig at the O2 - just two days after making impromptu performance at the Reading Festival with Giggs (above)
Drake had jetted to the gig from the famous Reading festival, where he had surprised fans once again by taking to the stage with Giggs.
Sending fans wild as they performed their collaboration KMT, the Peckham native, 34, introduced his pal by stating: 'Reading's the only festival that wanted to book me. They've always showed me mad love.
'I want to bring one of my friends out. He's travelled a long way.'
The Hotline Bling hitmaker then emerged onstage to deafening screams from the crowd, shouting excitedly: 'I came all this way, seven hours, to have this motherf****** party with you.'
Matt Vogel has made his debut as Kermit the Frog following the firing of his predecessor Steve Whitmire for 'unprofessional behaviour'.
The puppeteer - who is only the third person to helm the legendary TV character - flaunted his vocal skills to fantastic results as he took over Kermit on The Muppet's YouTube account after it released its latest 'Muppet Thought of the Week' video.
'Dreams are how we figure out where we wanna go. Life is how we get there,' he says as the frog - offering his first words of wisdom as the character and sounding just like the old Kermit.
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New voice: Matt Vogel has made his debut as Kermit the Frog following the firing of his predecessor Steve Whitmire
His debut comes a month after Whitmire - who voiced Kermit for 27 years - spoke about his sacking during an appearance on Today last month.
Whitmire appeared on the program to address claims that he had been 'difficult' and 'demanding' during his time on 'The Muppets,' while also revealing that he was caught completely off guard when learned that the company was terminating his contract.
'I was stunned. It seemed like it was five minutes of silence. I'm sure it wasn't that long. I just immediately tried to get answers. I had had no advance warning on that,' explained Whitmire, who began working with 'The Muppets' in the late 1970s.
'Nothing had ever been framed to me as a career breaking problem. In fact, we had been talking prior to that for two years about me becoming sort of a creative producer with them, working alongside the two executives who I spoke to where I would have been really a part of the day to day decision making on "The Muppets."'
It's not easy: Steve Whitmire appeared on 'Today' (above) to address recent claims that he was 'difficult' and 'demanding' during his time as Kermit the Frog
Whitmire, 58, then added: 'I was thrilled about that. I felt like at last, after 12 years with Disney, we would be able to integrate the great pact of "The Muppets," which is what I wanted to do.'
The Muppets Studio blamed 'unacceptable business conduct' for its dismissal of Whitmire.
'The role of Kermit the Frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously,' The Muppets Studio said in a statement at the time.
Shock: 'Nothing had ever been framed to me as a career breaking problem,' said Whitmire (above in 2016 on GMA)
'We raised concerns about Steve's repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback. The decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the Henson family and has their full support.'
At the same time, Muppets creator Jim Henson's son and daughter both voiced their frustrations with Whitmire.
'He played brinkmanship very aggressively in contract negotiations,' Lisa Henson, who is the president of the Jim Henson Company, told The New York Times on Monday.
She went on to say that he 'blackballed' younger performers by refusing to let understudies play Kermit at more minor events, despite the fact that he got his start with the company when he was just a teenager.
Brian Henson, the chairman of the company, said things were generally fine with Whitemire until he got off set.
'Hed send emails and letters attacking everyone, attacking the writing and attacking the director,' explained Brian.
When asked to respond to these complaints during his appearance on 'Today,' White mire said: 'Nobody likes these sharp cornered adjectives thrown at them. As I said, we were in talks to move this ahead just prior to the conversation, within three days before we had a conference call to talk about all the work we were going to be doing going forward.'
These promises of more work and a larger role are why he was so thrown off by his firing explains Whitmite.
'You better get plenty of rest because you're going to be worked really hard. So it was a huge shock,' said Whitmire.
Overbearing: 'He played brinkmanship very aggressively in contract negotiations,' Muppet creator Jim Henson's daughter Lisa (above) said of Whitmire
Whitmire also responded to complaints from Lisa about the fact that he played Kermit as 'depressed' at time.
'In terms of the character stuff, Kermit becoming stale or bitter, it isn't true in my mind,' said Whitmire.
'But the funny part of that is, I would expect the people saying that to have been my staunchest allies.'
He also admitted that there were times when he offered feedback.
'I offered notes. I don't think that makes someone difficult. It was totally an idea of trying to do what was best for 'The Muppets' in terms of receiving material and ideas and concepts that were well out of the bounds of the character,' said Whitmire.
Delete: 'Hed send emails and letters attacking everyone, attacking the writing and attacking the director,' explained Brian Henson, Jim's son
He seemed to be most hurt however with Lisa's dismissal of him as just a voice that was hired to be Kermit, and not the actual Muppet.
'It's really interesting about that. In my mind, my mentoring with Jim tells me that the minute 'The Muppets' are reduced to being roles that are auditioned for and cast, it takes all the individuality out of them,' said Whitmire.
Their longevity is completely based on their consistency, and that is just super important. Otherwise it's not Kermit or any of 'The Muppets' at all.
'That's what I've tried to push for and be outspoken about.'
And he scoffed at the notion that he made threats using his position as Kermnit's puppeteer, saying: 'That's an arrogance that's not in my body. That's just not the case. I don't make those decisions and I certainly never felt that way.'
Despite this all, he said he still would like to be back at Disney and working on the show: 'I still would like that. I don't think it's going to happen now. Yeah, I was hoping that.
'In the meantime, they were saying, you know, we're not ever going to have you back again. We refuse to offer you a chance to remedy this, which is the worst part,' said Whitmire.
'I could do whatever they needed. They were also offering me things that I called consolation prizes. They were going to honor me, give me Disney legends awards, things like that but that required signing NDA.'
He then added: 'They wanted me to frame this as I had moved on and I had retired. It was disingenuous, I couldn't bring myself to do it.'
Whitmire closed out by saying he did not want to drag the iconic characters through the mud while publicly airing his grievances, and claimed he and Hensons' children were actually in agreement on most issues.
'As I say, the reason I'm gone is because I was outspoken for the exact things they are talking about,' said Whitmire.
'At the end of the day, I'm a guy who got hired contract to contract to portray these characters however Disney told me to.
'And the very issues they are talking about are the ones I was outspoken about and have now been pushed out for.'
She is the younger sister of 90210 star Annalyne McCord.
And Rachel McCord showed her own star quality as she attended the 9/11 Movie Premiere in Hollywood on Tuesday.
The model and author, 27, put on a leggy display as she arrived hand in hand with her husband of three years Rick Schirmer.
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Legs for days! Rachel McCord showed her own star quality as she attended the 9/11 Movie Premiere in Hollywood on Tuesday
Opting for classic beauty, Rachel slipped into a plunging corset style dress, flashing a glimpse of her decolletage and skimming to the tops of her endless legs.
Spicing up the outfit, she rocked a statement necklace to the mix, wearing her hair slicked back off her face.
Making the most of her long and lean legs, her delicate crystal embellished sandals injected the perfect splash of dazzle to her ensemble.
Loved up: The model and author, 27, put on a leggy display as she arrived hand in hand with her husband of three years Rick Schirmer
She was joined by her partner of three years, putting on a loved up display as they held hands.
And Rick looked suitably dapper in a pinstripe suit and crisp baby blue shirt as they arrived at the movie premiere, a film based on the tragic and true events of the 1 September 2001 attacks in New York.
The plot follows five passengers trapped together in the lift of the World Trade Centre, following their fight to escape the carnage around them.
The film's initial release date is September 8, 2017.
Meanwhile Rachel is promoting her literary debut, How To Slay The Fame Game: Break into Hollywood and Social Media without it Breaking You, which promises to lay the foundations for celebrity wannabes to help grow their social media following.
Turning heads: Opting for classic beauty, Rachel slipped into a plunging corset style dress, flashing a glimpse of her decolletage and skimming to the tops of her endless legs
Rachel, who says she went 'from trailer parks to red carpets', is keen to use her personal experience with fame, which has seen her attend A-list events and create 1 billion social impressions in twelve months, to help others.
The model's sister, AnnaLynne shot to fame when she landed a starring role as Naomi Clark in the reboot of 90210. Rachel is not just a model, she's also the founder of the blog The McCord List.
The Atlanta-born socialite claimed she first moved to West Hollywood 'to support her sister AnnaLynne and be her biggest cheerleader.'
Spicing up the outfit: She rocked a statement necklace to the mix, wearing her hair slicked back off her face
But by 2007, Rachel managed to act in two of The Night Shift star's projects - playing 'Casting Girl #4' in the movie Sirens of the Caribbean, as well as three episodes of MyNetworkTV's American Heiress.
Rachel's last known acting gig was playing Tiffany in the 2011 straight-to-DVD romantic comedy Getting That Girl.
When the selfie enthusiast isn't in front of a camera, she relaxes with her husband of three years - 'LaunchPreneur' Rick Schirmer - and their two Chihuahuas Giggles and Munchkin.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen has wrangled the Montana Teacher of the Year program away from the state teachers union and placed it under Office of Public Instruction control.
This action comes less than a year after a pair of Montana Teachers of the Year appeared in teachers union-bought television spots stumping for Arntzens Democrat opponent.
Most other state education departments across the country run their teacher of the year programs, which are sponsored by the national Council of Chief State School Officers. The move was well within Arntzens authority and will take effect for the 2018-19 school year. But union officials who opposed Arntzens candidacy have been further rankled by the switch.
Arntzen, a Republican, notified MEA-MFT that she would be bringing the program into OPI about six weeks ago, said union President Eric Feaver. The union oversees the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation, which administered the Teacher of the Year program and other professional development and certification programs.
He declined an invitation to visit with OPI officials and a CCSSO representative about the programs switch and didnt want to hand it over in the first place.
Its kind of like asking us to train her to do our job, Feaver said.
OPI spokesman Dylan Klapmeier was hopeful the foundation would choose to join a group OPI is assembling to figure out how a new selection process will work. He said that details for a new selection process would be developed over the coming months.
Its important that they have a voice in the process, he said.
He said that the ads last fall didnt play into the decision to move the program under OPI.
I would not say that the program is politicized right now, but the superintendent has certainly expressed her opinion that she does not want it to be politicized, he said. It is certainly her intention to make sure that it is not politicized.
Klapmeier said he couldnt say if Arntzen thought the ads citing Teacher of the Year awards were inappropriate and didnt respond after saying hed check with Arntzen on her opinion.
Feaver maintained that the union never politicized the program. The TV spots supporting Democrat Melissa Romano were paid for by MEA-MFT. A pair of teachers, Craig Beals of Billings Senior High and Anne Keith of Chief Joseph Middle School in Bozeman, explain their support for Romano. Arntzen isnt mentioned.
When asked if he thought the program switch was related to the ads, Feaver said, draw your own conclusions.
Beals, the 2015 Teacher of the Year known for holding fire in his hand during in science demonstrations, said he couldnt say what motives were for switching the program to OPI control.
Thats part of the political world that Im not involved in, he said. Im just hoping the program is just as successful as its been with the Montana Professional Teaching Foundation. Theyve really turned it into a celebration of teaching in the state as opposed to a celebration of one person.
In a press release Friday, Arntzen said she wanted to elevate the program and wield it as a tool for recruiting and retaining teachers, something that rural schools in Montana increasingly struggle with. She also cited an OPI-run program having a direct line to the superintendent.
She hasnt expressed in any meetings that Ive heard that she thought it was lacking, Klapmeier said about past coordination with OPI for previous teachers of the year.
He said the new selection process will likely involve a committee with people representing diverse education interests, and that it will involve several OPI division, not political staff, to help promote continuity an agency initiative, not just out of her office.
He said that Teachers of the Year can be a valuable voice on policy issues.
She's known for her glamorous displays walking down the red carpet and attending glitzy cinematic events.
Yet, Dakota Johnson, 27, swapped her haute couture threads a laid back display as she stepped out with pals for a night on the tiles at celeb hotspot No Name Bar in West Hollywood on Tuesday.
The Tinseltown actress - who came to prominence for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey - worked an all black ensemble for the outing as she sported a pair of high-waisted figure-hugging trousers.
Stepping out: Dakota Johnson, 27, swapped her haute couture threads a laid back display as she stepped out with pals for a night on the tiles at No Name Bar in West Hollywood on Tuesday
Dakota's cigarette cut pants grazed her ankles as she left the Los Angeles venue with her gal pal in tow, wearing a pair of embellished loafers.
The daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson teamed her low-key ensemble with a satin bomber which sported eye-catching embroidery of a dragon down her back.
How To Be Single star Dakota layered the blue-lined piece over a simple white tee as she draped her suede tote over her shoulder.
Letting her trademark locks loose, she style half her tresses into a half up 'do while her fringe framed her facial features and accentuated her natural make-up look.
Stepping out: The Tinseltown actress - who came to prominence for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey - worked an all black ensemble for the outing as she sported a pair of high-waisted figure-hugging trousers
Red carpet look: Datoka, pictured at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in LA last February, always makes a statement on the red carpet
Style savvy: Dakota's cigarette cut pants grazed her ankles as she left the Los Angeles venue with her gal pal in tow, wearing a pair of embellished loafers
Her low-key appearance comes as she's has been in Georgia shooting her upcoming movie The Peanut Butter Falcon.
The Peanut Butter Falcon stars Zack Gottsagen as 22-year-old Zak, who has Down syndrome and who - in hopes of going to wrestling school - flees his nursing home.
He soon winds up with an outlaw played by Shia LaBeouf and the character played by Dakota, a nursing home employee.
Low-key: The daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson teamed her low-key ensemble with a satin bomber which sported eye-catching embroidery throughout
Bag it up: How To Be Single star Dakota layered the blue-lined piece over a simple white tee as she draped her suede tote over her shoulder
But Dakota seems to have some time on her hands after filming wrapped for the third installment of the Fifty Shades Of Grey saga.
She reprised her role of Anastasia for the last time in Fifty Shades Freed, which follows the lives of Mr Christian (Jamie Dornan) and Mrs Grey as a married couple.
But Anastasia's life is in danger when her former boss Jack Hyde vows revenge for being fired while Elena returns to plague fresh havoc on the lovebirds.
Cinemas will play the upcoming flick in February 2018 in the US.
They have been enjoying a romantic Italian getaway, fielding engagement rumours at every turn.
And pictures have emerged showing The Bachelorette star Georgia Love and her beau Lee Elliott landing in Rome at the start of their vacation.
The 29-year-old certainty looked like she was expecting to have a a very good time during the trip, beaming at her man with unbridled joy as they hauled their luggage.
Love escape: They have been enjoying a romantic Italian getaway, fielding engagement rumours at every turn
Vacay: And pictures have emerged showing The Bachelorette star Georgia Love and her beau Lee Elliott landing in Rome at the start of their vacation
Dressed casually in grey jeans and a white shirt, Georgia could not keep her eyes off Lee as they excited the airport.
She wore a pair of white sneakers with her relaxed ensemble and her man chose a similar pair.
Lee, 36, looked a little more sombre as he towed along their luggage, also dressed in casual blue jeans and a white shirt.
Ring on it? The 27-year-old certainty looked like she was expecting to have a a very good time during the trip, beaming at her man with unbridled joy as they hauled their luggage
Her man: Dressed casually in grey jeans and a white shirt, Georgia could not keep her eyes off Lee as they excited the airport
So happy! Georgia looked giddy with happiness, her hair in a high ponytail, as the loved up duo crossed a road
Deep in conversation: Georgia appeared to be nattering away with her boyfriend
He slung a green sweater over his shoulders and appeared to have a formal jacket folded onto top of his suitcase.
Georgia looked giddy with happiness, her hair in a high ponytail, as the loved up duo crossed a road.
Cool look: Lee slung a green sweater over his shoulders
Bag it: The pair shared the heavy load of their luggage as they excited the terminal
Somewhere to go? Georgia carried what looked like a garment bag
Busy with bags: Lee, 36, looked a little more serious as he towed along their luggage, also dressed in casual blue jeans and a white shirt
Ready to wed? There has been talk that the couple may soon head down the aisle
While there is no news on an engagement, the pair inched closer to a wedding of their own on Tuesday, as they witnessed a proposal in Rome.
The reality show lovebirds were privy to the amorous display in front of the Trevi Fountain, relishing the special moment during their overseas holiday.
Their own news soon? While there is no news on an engagement, the pair inched closer to a wedding of their own on Tuesday, as they witnessed a proposal in Rome
Georgia, who has uploaded a number of tourist videos to her Instagram stories from the trip, included a stop at the city's iconic Fontana di Trevi.
The media personality was overcome with emotion when she and Lee came across a couple in the middle of a marriage proposal.
'We just witnessed a proposal! Soooo special!!' she gushed in the footage's caption.
Her next snap was a shot of the newly engaged couple posing with her and Lee: 'They were from Australia and recognised us 3 seconds later! Haha congrats guys!'
Georgia and Lee have documented their time in Rome via their social media accounts, raving over their accommodation at the popular Lifestyle Suites.
The boutique hotel features expansive rooms with private balconies overlooking Piazza Navona and jacuzzi spas.
Cosy: Georgia and Lee have documented their time in Rome via their social media accounts, raving over their accommodation at the popular Lifestyle Suites
On Sunday, Georgia celebrated the twosome's one-year anniversary from the finale of The Bachelorette in a touching Instagram post.
She shared a photo of the duo at the Sofitel hotel in Singapore, where the episode was filmed and where Lee had taken her back as a surprise.
'It's been the hardest year of my life and I couldn't even dream of having been able to get through it without you,' she wrote.
They're known for having one of the strongest marriages in Hollywood.
So it may surprise some people to hear Jada Pinkett-Smith has admitted that one of the secrets to her 20-year marriage to Will Smith is admitting that their relationship isn't perfect.
'As long as you know that your relationship is not perfect, because that is when you get in trouble,' she told the Daily Telegraph.
'As long as you know that your relationship is not perfect...': Jada Pinkett-Smith has admitted that her marriage to Will Smith isn't perfect
The 45-year-old went on to say that it's relating to each other's imperfections that makes their marriage work so well.
She also revealed last month on the Loose Women panel that the secret was 'friendship.'
'We celebrate twenty this year. I think the secret is just friendship.'
Red hot! Jada rocked the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of Girls Night on Wednesday
'You have to go off and find your happiness. The hardest thing to do is being married.'
The pair share two children together, Jaden, 19, and Willow, 16, while Will has son Trey, 24, from a previous relationship.
On Wednesday, Jada rocked the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of her hit movie Girls Trip.
Flawless: She accessorised with a black coat, which she wore off the shoulder to flaunt her flesh for fans
Girls Trip has been a huge hit since its release, crossing over $100 million at the US box office
The talented actress looked stunning in a strappy red dress that showed off a large portion of her bare back.
She accessorised with a black coat, which she wore off the shoulder to flaunt her flesh for fans.
Other A-list guests at the premiered included the cast of The Real Housewives of Sydney and some beauty pageant contestants.
Before leaving the 'abusive' Church of Scientology in 2013 after 34 years, Leah Remini was expected to recruit prominent people, including her King of Queens leading man, Kevin James.
'They always tried to get me to. "Why is he not in? Why have you not promoted it to him?" I was like, "Because he's Catholic. He doesn't want anything to do with it,' the 47-year-old Emmy nominee told People this week.
'They let it go after a while, but usually you'd be expected to recruit, especially with somebody you work with for nine years.'
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King of Queens leading man: Before leaving the 'abusive' Church of Scientology in 2013 after 34 years, Leah Remini was expected to recruit prominent people, including Kevin James (L)
The Brooklyn-born, LA-raised star played a secretary called Carrie who was married to Parcel Service (IPS) delivery driver Doug Heffernan (James) on the CBS sitcom for nine seasons ending in 2007.
Leah and the 52-year-old Emmy nominee will reunite as former Nassau County police officers in the second season of Kevin Can Wait, which premieres September 25 on CBS.
'To get back and act with her again was just fantastic,' Kevin told Yahoo TV on Monday.
'It's comfort, because you know they've got you, you got them, and you kind of go back and forth and you give off each other. And it's really been amazing, and the audience reaction to Leah being here. She got a standing ovation her first night walking out.
The 47-year-old Emmy nominee told People this week: 'They always tried to get me to. "Why is he not in? Why have you not promoted it to him?" I was like, "Because he's Catholic. He doesn't want anything to do with it'
CBS sitcom: The Brooklyn-born, LA-raised star played a secretary called Carrie who was married to IPS delivery driver Doug Heffernan (James) for nine seasons ending in 2007
'She literally broke into tears; she was crying. It was really nice; it was really great to see the reception she got. I was a little upset because I think it was bigger than my reaction!'
In the first season of Aftermath, Remini and her ex-Scientologist guests accused the church of harassment, physical abuse, and statutory rape among other offenses.
'These people who are speaking to me [on Aftermath], theyre getting bullied by Scientology,' the Troublemaker author told People.
'Their children are disconnecting, their parents are disconnecting, and I just hope that I've helped even one person to not give up their lives for an ideology.'
Deja vu: Leah and the 52-year-old Emmy nominee will reunite as former Nassau County police officers in the second season of Kevin Can Wait, which premieres September 25 on CBS
Kevin told Yahoo TV on Monday: 'To get back and act with her again was just fantastic...and the audience reaction to Leah being here. She got a standing ovation her first night walking out. She literally broke into tears; she was crying'
The Church vehemently denies all of the claims, calling Leah 'the attacker.'
'Her whole anti-Scientology shtick was scripted and choreographed by her,' a Scientology spokesperson wrote in a statement.
'Casting herself in her drama as the "victim" so she could cash in on her false narrative while savaging her friends and those who helped her most of her life.'
Regardless, Remini will compete for the info series/special trophy for her docuseries at the Emmy Awards airing September 17 on CBS.
'They're getting bullied': In the first season of Aftermath, Remini and her ex-Scientologist guests accused the church of harassment, physical abuse, and statutory rape among other offenses
'Her whole anti-Scientology shtick was scripted and choreographed by her': The Church vehemently denies all of the claims, calling Leah 'the attacker'
'I'm finally at peace knowing who I am and who I want to be,' the BFF of Jennifer Lopez concluded.
'I just want to be happy and I want to help people.'
The 10-episode second season of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (which the married mother-of-one hosts and executive produces) airs Tuesdays on A&E.
'I'm finally at peace knowing who I am': Regardless, Remini will compete for the info series/special trophy for her docuseries at the Emmy Awards airing September 17 on CBS
She previously spoke about her troubles with losing her baby weight.
Yet Maria Fowler proved her body is now better than ever as she enjoyed a sun-soaked getaway in Greece on Tuesday with her Motocross ace partner Kelvin Batey and daughter Evie, who turns one next month.
The former TOWIE star looked incredible in a scanty bikini as she enjoyed a dip with her baby and her incredibly hunky beau, who could not resist lavishing kisses on her before they both enjoyed a dip with the tot.
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Locking lips: Maria Fowler proved her body is now better than ever as she enjoyed a sun-soaked getaway in Greece with her partner Kelvin Batey and daughter Evie, who turns one next month
The couple have slipped into their role of parents with ease after they were excited to welcome their first child into the world in September 2016.
At the time of the birth, Kelvin gushed on Twitter: 'Finally got my girls home after a complicated birth. So proud of the both of them and thankful things are ok now. Evie Paris Batey 25/9/16.'
'To meet my soulmate & be lucky enough to start a family with her is the best thing that has ever happened to me. nothing can compare. so happy.'
With their joy at parenthood, it was little wonder the happy family were so delighted when headed on their holidays with the dip in the pool full of laughs and love.
Taut tum: The former TOWIE star looked incredible in a scanty bikini as she enjoyed a dip with her baby and her incredibly hunky beau, who could not resist lavishing kisses on her before they both enjoyed a dip with the tot
Playing around: The stunning star was playing on a lilo in the water while displaying her stunning body
One, two, three, jump! The stunner launched herself on to a float with a bang
Maria looked incredible in her swimming costume which made her taut abs and six-pack an extremely focal element of her poolside style.
She scraped her brunette tresses into a high ponytail with her fringe tickling her lashes in length while she opted for full make-up by the pool.
The former reality beauty was sizzling as she posed and pouted by the pool before immersing herself fully into family time.
A vision: The former reality beauty was sizzling as she posed and pouted by the pool before immersing herself fully into family time
Stunner: Maria looked incredible in a monochrome bikini which showed off her generous cleavage
Let's go! Maria has previously discussed she struggled to lose her baby weight at first after she gave birth
Taut abs: The stunning star showed off her figure in all its glory for the outing
Maria has previously discussed she struggled to lose her baby weight at first after she gave birth.
She told the Daily Mirror: 'You do see some stars who lose their mummy tummies crazily quickly - posing up with a flat stomach weeks after the birth.
'That wasn't the case with me. I didn't want to go too quickly because I knew that would not be healthy. And I wanted Evie to be rooted in any exercise that I did so I would not spend much time away from her.'
Superstars: She told the Daily Mirror: 'You do see some stars who lose their mummy tummies crazily quickly - posing up with a flat stomach weeks after the birth
Perfect family: The happy trio caught the last light of summer in the Greek sun
It's been just week since the release of Patti Cake$, but the US media are already convinced that a new Australian star is born.
Some publications are convinced that Sydneysider Danielle Macdonald, 26, is 'the next Rebel Wilson.'
It was more good news on Wednesday, with The Daily Telegraph reporting the barrage of rave reviews has seen the movie's theatrical release widened.
'A true inspiration': It's been just week since the release of Patti Cake$, but the US media are already convinced that Australian actress Danielle Macdonald is 'the next Rebel Wilson'
Such good news is rare for Danielle, who moved to Los Angeles after years of being rejected for Australian acting gigs.
But judging by critical response, her role as New Jersey rapper Patricia Dombrowski in Patti Cake$ has her poised for superstardom.
In its review of the film, the Hollywood Reporter gushed: 'It wouldnt have worked at all without the right leading lady, which it found in Danielle Macdonald.'
'A star is born': Judging by critical response, her role as New Jersey rapper Patricia Dombrowski in Patti Cake$ (released in the US last week) has her poised for superstardom
Deadline were even more confident, insisting: 'A star is born.'
Even those who weren't fussed about the movie as a whole couldn't get enough of the talent's performance.
'If you see it, there may be stretches where you'll want to give up and say, "Enough already,' the San Francisco Chronicle began their review.
Glowing: In its review of the film, the Hollywood Reporter gushed: 'It wouldnt have worked at all without the right leading lady, which it found in Danielle Macdonald'
Saviour: Even reviews that weren't crazy about the film concept praised the Sydneysider, with one writing: 'Something in Danielle Macdonald's performance keeps us in our seats'
'Yet something in Danielle Macdonald's performance keeps us in our seats.'
Patti Cake$ currently has a 80% 'Certified fresh' rating on popular review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
When it debuted at the illustrious Sundance Film Festival, Danielle received a standing ovation from the adoring crowd.
Certified fresh! Patti Cake$ currently has a 80% 'Certified fresh' rating on popular review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes
It's an amazing Hollywood success story for the actress, who confessed to The Daily Telegraph this year: 'Ive never actually played an Australian or worked in Australia.'
'I knew there was opportunity out there. I had an agent out here, I was still doing classes, but nothing was happening so I also did workshops and tours in the USA.'
In Danielle's next role, she'll star alongside Hollywood A-lister Jennifer Aniston in coming of age film Dumplin'.
Veep star Reid Scott has announced he's going to be a father again.
The 39-year-old actor revealed the happy news on Tuesday that he and wife Elspeth - who already have son Conrad, two - are expanding their family.
'We're very excited,' Scott told People as he attended the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie, Home Again.
'We're very excited': Veep star Reid Scott and wife Elspeth Keller are expecting baby no. 2. The couple are seen in a photo from September 2016
'She's about halfway, so I guess we're about almost five months pregnant. We're having another little boy.'
'We're excited to make a little brother for our son,' Scott said.
'He's a chubby little guy so he keeps seeing mommy's belly, and then he looks at his own belly and says, "I have a baby too," 'the New York-born star said.
'He's going to be a great big brother. If he doesn't kill his little brother within the first six weeks, then we're going to be great.'
The couple welcomed their first child in 2015, with Scott telling Us Weekly: 'Our little man-cub, Conrad, is happy, healthy, and hilarious. What a rush!'
'She's about halfway, so I guess we're about almost five months pregnant. We're having another little boy.' Scott - pictured in January - told People on Tuesday
Expanding the family! The couple already have two-year-old son Conrad. They are pictured in January 2015 before they welcomed their first child
On his HBO comedy series, Reid portrays Dan, the deputy director of communication opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Scott and Keller wed in Los Angeles in 2014 and honeymooned in Fiji.
Scott's Veep co-stars Matt Walsh and Timothy Simons, Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki and Live Free or Die Hard actor Jonathan Sadowski were among the guests at his nuptials.
The lovebirds were engaged for a year prior to walking down the aisle.
Jessica Marais avoids online trolls by not having any social media on her phone.
The Wrong Girl actress tells Sydney Confidential that the combination of feeling 'hurt' by comments online and having a 'dinosaur phone' keep her from seeing the ravings of haters.
'I actually think that stuff is very damaging,' the 32-year-old told the publication.
No drama! Jessica Marais avoids online trolls by not having any social media on her phone. 'I actually think that stuff is very damaging,' the 32-year-old has said
'I can pretend I don't care what anyone thinks of me and I am probably better at it now than I have been, but I think I'd be really hurt if I had to scroll down lists of "I hate her voice" or "I hate her hair,"' she said.
The blonde added: 'I think I'd probably not be very happy if I had to read that stiff daily'.
It comes after she found herself the centre of controversy as the only woman nominated for a 2017 Gold Logie.
Jessica has spoken out against the drama, slamming the 'double standard' when it comes to women.
Staying away from it: 'I can pretend I don't care what anyone thinks of me and I am probably better at it now than I have been, but I think I'd be really hurt if I had to scroll down lists of "I hate her voice" or "I hate her hair,"' she said
The blonde added: 'I think I'd probably not be very happy if I had to read that stiff daily'
'There is an abundance of really talented working women in the industry and I think the fact they are less popular in terms of nominations is sad,' she told The Daily Telegraph.
Earlier this year the actress found herself at the centre of a media storm after being named the only Gold Logie nominee.
Staying out of the debate at the time, Jessica told News Corp this week there were a number of reasons she thought she was the only nominee.
Controversy: It comes after she found herself the centre of controversy as the only woman nominated for a 2017 Gold Logie
'Maybe (the lack of women nominated) has something to do with the fact we criticise one another and the fact men are often making decisions about what they think women want in the industry,' Jessica said.
The actress argued that there was a 'double standard' when it came to how the sexes were treated, with women expected to grown up and get serious.
'Whereas with men I think theres more of a Peter Pan complex and we accept that ''boys will be boys'' until theyre 80 and that makes them (be seen) as fun and cheeky and all those things,' she said.
She recently admitted to wanting more children with her partner of ten years.
But Rachel Bilson made some time for her gal pals as she enjoyed lunch with friends at Joan's On Third in the Studio City area of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon.
The actress, 35, beat the sweltering summer heat in a pair of tiny distressed denim shorts for her low-key girls' day out.
Ladies who lunch: Rachel Bilson made some time for her gal pals as she enjoyed lunch with friends at Joan's On Third in the Studio City area of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon
The former The O.C. star teamed her hotpants with a pretty patterned top in navy and maroon floral prints.
Rachel - who raises daughter Briar Rose, two, with long-term love Hayden Christensen, 36 - added a pair of nude velour slip on sandals to her lunch look.
The Nashville star chatted with friends outside of the restaurant as she waited for the valet to bring around her vehicle.
Rachel wore a pair of classic black RayBan wayfarer sunglasses over her brown eyes, appearing to go make-up free.
Leggy lady: The actress, 35, beat the sweltering summer heat in a pair of tiny distressed denim shorts for her low-key girls' day out
Natural beauty: Rachel wore a pair of classic black RayBan wayfarer sunglasses over her brown eyes, appearing to go make-up free
The beauty's light brunette locks were worn loose, and she carried a large taupe leather backpack on her shoulders.
Rachel has been in a long-term relationship with Canadian actor Hayden Christensen, 36, since 2007.
The couple met when they co-starred in Jumper, and went on to welcomed daughter Briar Rose in October 2014.
Rachel recently opened up to La Palme magazine about meeting and working with Hayden in Jumper.
She said: 'It was he most precious time. We were shooting in Italy and inside the Coliseum
'The role was fulfilling, but also everything was fulfilling as a life experience, it was one of the best times.'
Hot stuff: Hayden meanwhile was in Studio City at the same time as his stunning brunette beau cooling himself down with a refreshing ice cream
Hayden meanwhile was in Studio City at the same time as his stunning brunette beau cooling himself down with a refreshing ice cream.
Donning a pair of camo-style jeans with a loose black crew neck t-shirt, the star cut an effortlessly cool cool figure in his laid back garb.
Tucking into his sweet treat, the handsome Canadian star rocked a pair of Ray Ban Clubmasters to shield his eyes from the blaring LA sun.
Hayden was spotted amid swirling rumours that he's set for a shock comeback as Anakin Skywalker in the forthcoming Star Wars movie.
Reports suggest the actor, who played the young Anakin Skywalker who would later die on screen as Darth Vader, could appear in the Last Jedi in ghost form.
The remarkable twist would set Hollywood abuzz as the final Star Wars film gears up for its blockbuster promotional run.
Cool and casual: Donning a pair of camo-style jeans with a loose black crew neck, the star cut an effortlessly cool cool figure in his laid back garb
The big scoop: Tucking into his sweet treat, the handsome Canadian star rocked a pair of Ray Ban Clubmasters to shield his eyes from the blaring LA sun
Boho babe: The former The O.C. star teamed her hotpants with a pretty patterned top in navy and maroon floral prints
Returning to Rachel, the brunette previously discussed the possibility of adding more children to her family.
She explained: I may have another child, that's still up in the air. Im having so much fun with the one right now.
I want to be happy and content. All the life BS that happens doesnt matter.
'You want to be happy, you want your kid to be happy and you want everyone in your life to be healthy and happy.'
Rachel shot to fame playing privileged teen Summer Roberts in The OC in 2003.
Reality TV star Sasha Mielczerek must have a thing for women named Sam.
After calling it quits with former Bachelorette Sam Frost in December last year, Sasha has reportedly been spotted on a date with Nine News anchor Samantha Heathwood.
According to The Daily Telegraph on Thursday, Sasha and the new Sam were spotted on a date earlier this month in Queensland's Fortitude Valley.
Back in the game! According to Thursday's Daily Telegraph, The Bachelorette's Sasha Mielczerek (left) was spotted on a date with Nine News anchor Samantha Heathwood this month in Queensland's Fortitude Valley
The publication also reported the fledgling romance, which Sasha set up through mutual friends, was short-lived thanks to Sasha's surprisingly short stature.
'Sam has always thought he was really hot so was keen to give it a go.' a source told the publication.
'Unfortunately, the night was not a great success, mainly because Sam thought Sasha was quite short.'
The insider added: 'He looks a lot taller on TV.'
Not her type: Reportedly the romance was over before it began with a source telling the publication that Sam (pictured) deemed Sasha too short to date
'The night was not a great success': The source added that while Sam always thought Sasha was hot, she was surprised that he was not as tall as he appeared on TV
While his ex Sam Frost has moved on from the couple's break-up with new flame Dave Bashford, Sasha has continued to fly solo.
The unlucky-in-love TV personality was recently rumoured to return to The Bachelorette as an intruder on Sophie Monk's upcoming season.
The claims were quickly down though, with Sasha's rep Georgina Harrop previously telling Daily Mail Australia that the speculation was 'rubbish.'
Moving on: Since Sasha (left) and Sam Frost (pictured) split, she has moved on with new flame Dave Bashford (right)
After meeting on the first season of The Bachelorette Australia, Sasha and Sam called time on their relationship in December after an 18-month romance.
In an official statement, their decision to separate was said to be 'mutual' and the pair would remain friends.
'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,' the spokesperson said.
Leaders in banking, finance and health insurance were named Wednesday to the Montana Business Hall of Fame.
The 2017 inductees will be honored at the fourth annual Montana Business Hall of Fame Banquet Sept. 29 at the Northern Hotel. The Montana Business Hall of Fame is located at the Montana State University College of Business. This years honorees are:
Bill Coffee, president and chief executive officer of Stockman Bank. Coffee was named CEO of the Montana banking company in 2009. Stockman Bank, founded in Miles City in 1953 with an emphasis on community banking, has expanded across the state and is recognized as one of Montanas strongest banks, one of the states most active commercial lenders and the states largest agricultural lender.
Bill Johnstone, chairman of the board, D.A. Davidson Companies. D.A. Davidson has experienced tremendous growth under Johnstones guidance. The companys employee base has doubled, and key measures such as revenues, the number of clients, client assets and the number of offices have tripled. Johnstone has served on numerous boards across the state and was tapped by Gov. Steve Bullock to co-chair the Main Street Montana Initiative. He has also served on the Montana Board of Regents.
Nicki and Rick Larson founded Billings-based Employee Benefit Management Services, one of the nations first and most successful third-party administrator companies for self-funded health insurance plans, in 1980.
The company designs strategies to transform the health and well-being of individuals, organizations and communities. A Billings manufacturing company for which the Larsons designed their first self-funded health insurance plan has remained a loyal customer for more than three decades. EBMS remains one of Montanas greatest success stories in health care.
The emphasis is to look at our business leaders that have provided so much to communities across the state, have also shown a real love for the communities, said Bill Kennedy, president and CEO of the MSU Billings Foundation. This years honorees were announced at a Wednesday news conference.
Mercedes Eggleton-Garcia, vice president of MasterCard Worldwide, is the keynote speaker at the Montana Business Hall of Fame Banquet. Garcia joined MasterCard 1994 to open the Venezuela office. She moved the companys headquarters to Purchase, N.Y., in 1998 to join the Global Product Group, supporting the development and global rollout of various MasterCard payment card programs.
Two days of community events and fundraisers will take place surrounding Garcias visit. On Sept. 28, she will join Montana State University Billings chancellor Ron Larsen and task forces for dinner and will discuss fraud and security.
On Sept. 29, she will host the MasterCard Women and Business Luncheon at noon at the Double Tree by Hilton. Proceeds from the luncheon and the Hall of Fame Banquet will go toward scholarships for MSUB College of Business students.
She's Hollywood royalty as a legendary star of stage and screen.
And Jane Fonda exuded effortless glamour as she arrived in Italy on Wednesday afternoon for the 74th Annual Venice Film Festival ahead of receiving a lifetime achievement award for her work in the movie industry.
The actress, 79, looked effortlessly chic in an all black ensemble and chic Sama Eyewear sunglasses as she walked through the Venice Marco Polo Airport.
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Timeless elegance: Jane Fonda exuded effortless glamour as she arrived in Italy on Wednesday afternoon for the 74th Annual Venice Film Festival
The two-time Academy Award-winning star smiled from ear-to-ear as she walked through the terminal and to a waiting water taxi.
Jane sported a long-sleeved, silky black top and matching black jeans for her day of traveling.
The Grace and Frankie star tied a long brown, beige and white striped silky scarf around her neck, accessorizing with a chic fedora and oversized shades.
Jet-setter: The actress, 79, looked effortlessly chic in an all black ensemble as she walked through the Venice Marco Polo Airport, pulling a Louis Vuitton suitcase behind her and wearing Sama Eyewear sunglasses
Chic: The Grace and Frankie star tied a long brown, beige and white striped silky scarf around her neck, accessorizing with a chic fedora and oversized shades
Off we go! The two-time Academy Award-winning star smiled from ear-to-ear as she walked through the terminal and to a waiting water taxi
With minimal makeup aside from a hint of pink lipstick, the actress added thick silver hoop earrings to her chic European look.
The screen legend pulled along a brown leather Louis Vuitton roller suitcase by her side as she walked through the airport in brown sandals with shiny golden accents.
Jane was spotted late on Tuesday afternoon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport before her flight to Italy.
The political activist seemed to make a bit of a wardrobe change swapping out a multi-patterned scarf.
Keeping things casual: Jane sported a long-sleeved, silky black top and matching black jeans for her day of traveling, teamed with tan and gold sandals
Dazzling: With minimal makeup aside from a hint of pink lipstick, the actress added thick silver hoop earrings to her chic European look
Laters, Los Angeles! Jane was spotted late on Tuesday afternoon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport before her flight to Italy
The Venice Film Festival is one of the biggest film events of the year, following its high-summer rival in Cannes.
On Monday, workers in the picturesque Italian city were seen making finishing touches to the event's decor.
An array of A-List names are expected to attend this year's event ahead of their films' debuts - including George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence and Matt Damon.
In recent years, Venice has been a launch-pad for Oscar winners including Gravity, Birdman, Spotlight and La La Land.
The festival is kicking off the fall cinema season with drama, glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim.
Jane Fonda and Robert Redford star in the late-life romance Our Souls at Night and are being given lifetime-achievement awards by the festival.
She's expecting her second child with husband Adi Ezra last later this year.
And pregnant Bar Refaeli looked positively radiant as she showcased her beautiful baby bump in a teal bikini while relaxing in a park on Wednesday.
Laying back on the grass, the Israeli model, 31, seemed happy and relaxed as she soaked up the summer sunshine.
Bumping along: Pregnant Bar Refaeli looked positively radiant as she showcased her beautiful baby bump in a teal bikini while relaxing in a park on Wednesday
The mother-of-one wore aviator sunglasses and had her blonde locks pushed back off her face as she glowed in the swimsuit social media snap.
Bar and Adi recently returned from a romantic 'babymoon' on the Thai island of Koh Samui as they prepare for the arrival of their little one.
On Tuesday, the catwalk queen posted a sweet tribute to her husband via her Instagram page.
Alongside an arty black and white shot of the couple kissing, Bar wrote: 'You stole my heart, but I'll let you keep it.'
'Once a model': The mother-of-one wore aviator sunglasses and had her blonde locks pushed back off her face as she glowed in another swimsuit social media snap, posted on Thursday
Loved-up: The Israeli model, 31, posted a sweet tribute to her businessman husband Adi Ezra via her Instagram page on Tuesday
Oh baby! Bar and Adi recently returned from a romantic 'babymoon' on the Thai island of Koh Samui as they prepare for the arrival of their little one
The smitten couple tied the knot in their native Israel in September 2015.
Bar is a doting mother to daughter Liv, 11 months, with businessman husband Adi.
Bar - the ex-girlfriend of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, 42 - confirmed the couple's pregnancy news by posting a sweet snap of her growing bump on her Instagram page on March 28.
It was just eight months after the pair welcomed their baby Liv in August 2016.
Bar playfully wrote alongside the shot: 'Something's cooking'.
In an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly in 2015, the model admitted family is everything to her and she's planning to have a large brood.
Expanding her brood: Bar is a doting mother to daughter Liv, 11 months, with husband Adi
Family values: In an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly in 2015, the model admitted family is everything to her and she's planning to have a large brood
'I think this will be a decade of family... I come from a family of four children,' she told the publication.
'A lot of mums could read this and think, "Yeah, try having one first". Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but I'll take it one by one.'
Bar prides herself with balancing her work and personal life and added to HELLO!: 'I feel like my job is my alter ego; its a different me and I love it. Im a Gemini!
'Behind the camera, Im totally different. I dont wear make-up, I dont wear heels and Im very basic. But I love the fact I have this job and it gives me the opportunity to dress up.
Ive never done catwalk because I was never skinny or tall enough. I was more of a sexy type of model and catwalk models arent so sexy.'
Happy couple: The smitten couple tied the knot in their native Israel in September 2015
She was forced to hit back at trolls who claimed her latest pregnancy will be a 'disaster', after she revealed she's expecting a child with toyboy Alan Thomason, 34.
And Danniella Westbrook, 43, seemed unfazed by the bullies as she happily showed off her growing baby bump in a blue bikini top in Portugal on Wednesday.
The former EastEnders actress, who is also mother to Kai, 21, and Jody, 15, with ex-husband Kevin Jenkins, appeared to be in great spirits as she enjoyed a sun-soaked stroll with a male friend.
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Happy holidays:Danniella Westbrook, 43, happily showed off her growing baby bump in a blue bikini top as she stepped out in Portugal on Wednesday
The former Celebrity Big Brother star seemed to be getting into the holiday spirits as she rocked a pair of white harem trousers teamed with back flip flops.
Showing off the results of her recent face lift, she wore minimal make-up and scraped her blonde hair into a tousled ponytail.
The actress was not seen with her toyboy Alan, who she no doubt jetted to Portugal with to celebrate the recent news that they are expecting a baby.
Danniella appeared to be in good spirits during the outing, but just hours earlier she was forced to hit back at Twitter trolls in a series of messages.
Having a whale of a time: The former EastEnders actress, who is also mother to Kai, 21, and Jody, 15, with ex-husband Kevin Jenkins, appeared to be in great spirits as she enjoyed a sun-soaked stroll with a male friend
One user wrote: 'Not being rude but this has disaster written all over it! I wish you'd concentrate on you & your kids not pap pics etc.'
Danniella replied: 'So me having a child is a disaster?ok so my son is not a kid his 21 & daughter is sixteen & head girl at school so I'm obviously a bad mum! (sic)'
After another troll questioned: 'What happens to your other kids whilst you are away ALL the time?' she shot back: 'Well ones got his own house cos his an adult and ones away with her dad!!! Next question love ? Oh and they are 21 & 16!'
She also branded a third bully a 'b****' after they wrote 'God help the child' in reference to her recent pregnancy news.
Exciting: The actress was not seen with her toyboy Alan, 34, who she no doubt jetted to Portugal with to celebrate the recent news that they are expecting a baby
Backlash: Danniella appeared to be in good spirits during the outing, but just hours earlier she was forced to hit back at Twitter trolls in a series of messages
'And why is that Rene do you know me personally or my kids or my fiance ? No ya don't do you. So keep your mouth shut & stop being a b****' Danniella vented.
Her online rant comes after she proudly opened up about her exciting baby news. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror Danniella gushed: 'Its the happiest Ive ever been.'
Describing herself as a 'chavvy b***h', the former EastEnders star admitted she was fed up with being judged on her past.
She explained: 'I could win 12 Oscars and I would still be known as the cokehead girl off Eastenders.'
However, she won't be spending time worrying about public opinion as her mind is firmly on her unborn baby and her loving fiance.
Relishing her pregnancy: Speaking about the happy news, she said: 'Its the happiest Ive ever been'
She reasoned: 'I think well be good parents together. Hes got a lot of time and patience. I just think this will complete us.'
And reiterating that, she shared a positive tweet on Tuesday in which she said that 'bad times pass' and said looking after her children is her main focus.
'Life is forever changing, bad times pass & build our character. Being a mother is what keeps me going every day & drives me 2 never give up (sic)' she wrote.
Her pregnancy announcement comes just days after Danniella refuted claims she was expecting on Good Morning Britain.
The shock revelation comes just days after Danniella refuted the rumours, which are said to have originated with her friends, on Good Morning Britain, on Monday.
Saying nothing: Her pregnancy announcement comes just days after Danniella refuted claims she was expecting on Good Morning Britain
Speaking on the show, she said: 'If you believe everything you read in the papers, apparently today I'm pregnant', before adding, 'I'm just fat at the moment... because I'm happy.'
Probing further, Jeremy bluntly asked her, 'Are you pregnant?' to which she replied, 'Not the last time I looked, no!
Asking her how it felt to be plagued by constant rumours about her personal life, Danniella insisted she brushes it off, saying, 'My agent was laughing [about the pregnancy claims last night.'
Danniella stopped off the Good Morning Britain studios to discuss her recovery from addiction, her recent stint in rehab and her surgery.
She's had a busy week attending meetings and fittings at the Victoria's Secret Headquarters in New York.
And Alessandra Ambrosio proved she'd nailed jet-set style as she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday.
Making an angelic arrival, the Brazilian model, 36, showcased her toned tummy in a cropped plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants.
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An angelic arrival: Alessandra Ambrosio proved she'd nailed jet-set style as she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday
The Victoria's Secret bombshell paired her low-key ensemble with a denim jacket and comfortable black sliders.
Alessandra kept accessories to a minimum with a gold watch and sunglasses helped her to keep a low profile.
The mother-of-two wore her chocolate-colored tresses loose and went make-up free.
Alessandra was seen making a phone call while lugging her black hardshell suitcase and white oversize tote bag out of the airport.
Top of the crops: Making an angelic arrival, the Brazilian model, 36, showcased her toned tummy in a cropped plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants
Jet-setter: The Victoria's Secret bombshell paired her low-key ensemble with a denim jacket and comfortable black sliders
The beauty has been walking the Victoria's Secret runway since 2005.
Now she is known as one of the lingerie brand's hottest 'mom-dels'.
Alessandra is known for walking the Victoria's Secret fashion show just three months after giving birth to her first child in 2009.
She also walked the runway while pregnant with her second child in 2011, wearing the brand's heaviest pair of Angel wings.
Naturally gorgeous: Alessandra kept accessories to a minimum with a gold watch and sunglasses helped her to keep a low profile
'Mom-del': Alessandra is known for walking the Victoria's Secret fashion show just three months after giving birth to her first child in 2009
Alessandra raises daughter Anja, nine, and son Noah, five, with businessman fiance Jamie Mazur.
The brunette bombshell confirmed on her Instagram page on Tuesday, that she will be leading the pack when the show travels to Shanghai, China, for the first time in November.
Alessandra will be joined by the likes of Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, Taylor Hill, and Candice Swanepoel to name a few.
Mary J. Blige relaxed poolside on a sun lounger while clad in a racy red bikini at her Miami Beach hotel on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old soul queen partially bared her breasts in the cut-out swimwear, which she paired with matching crimson slides.
The nine-time Grammy winner went make-up free for her Florida excursion and rocked an edgy platinum blonde ponytail hairpiece.
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Blissed out: Mary J. Blige relaxed poolside on a sun lounger while clad in a racy red bikini at her Miami Beach hotel on Tuesday
The musician sheltered her eyes from the Florida sun with a pair of oversized shades and went make-up free for her relaxing break.
Wearing a pair of scarlet slip-on pumps, the star looked happy and relaxed as she chilled out at the hotel.
Mary's sighting came two weeks after MailOnline revealed she owes $6.5M in back taxes for the years 2008 through 2016.
Peek-a-boob: The 46-year-old soul queen - who relies on stylist Jason Bolden - partially bared her breasts in the cut-out swimwear, which she paired with matching crimson slides
Sweaty: The nine-time Grammy winner went make-up free for her Florida excursion and rocked an edgy platinum blonde ponytail hairpiece
Blige filed an Income and Expense Declaration in a Los Angeles court on August 8, after she was given a temporary order to pay estranged manager-turned-husband Martin 'Kendu' Isaacs $30K a month.
The Bronx-born R&B belter ended her 13-year marriage with the father-of-three after he allegedly had an affair with her 29-year-old protegee, Starshell (born LaNeah Menzies).
Mary was forced to postpone her concert Friday at Houston's Smart Financial Centre to September 19 due to the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey.
In the hole: Mary's sighting came two weeks after MailOnline revealed she owes $6.5M in back taxes for the years 2008 through 2016
Bitter split: Blige filed an Income and Expense Declaration in a LA court on August 8, after she was given a temporary order to pay estranged husband Martin 'Kendu' Isaacs $30K a month (pictured in 2016)
'Irreconcilable differences': The Bronx-born R&B belter ended her 13-year marriage with the father-of-three after he allegedly had an affair with her 29-year-old protegee, Starshell (R, pictured in 2012)
The hurricane has so far left 30 dead, more than 30,000 homeless and caused $160 billion worth of damage.
Blige will next take her Strength Of A Woman Tour (in support of her 13th studio album) to Arizona's Comerica Theatre in Phoenix onWednesday night before heading to Nevada.
The How To Get Away With Murder actress will next play Florence Jackson in Dee Rees' Mississippi-set forties drama Mudbound, which begins streaming November 17 on Netflix.
Stay strong Texas! Mary postponed her concert Friday at Houston's Smart Financial Centre to September 19 due to the devastating floods of Hurricane Harvey (pictured August 22)
On the road: Blige will next take her Strength Of A Woman Tour to Arizona's Comerica Theatre in Phoenix on Wednesday night before heading to Nevada
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It's one of the most high-profile movie extravaganzas in the world - drawing out global cinema's more talented and glamorous celebrities.
And Matt Damon and his stunning wife Luciana Barroso set the star-studded tone for the next couple of days, as they arrived for the screening of his movie Downsizing during the opening ceremony of the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Wednesday.
The 46-year-old American actor was suited and booted to perfection as he accompanied his outrageously attractive wife - who put on a seriously busty display in a perilously plunging scarlet gown - down the red carpet.
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Glitz and glamour: Matt Damon and his stunning wife Luciana Barroso set the star-studded tone for the next couple of days, as they arrived for the screening of his movie Downsizing during the opening ceremony of the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Italy on Wednesday
Hot couple: The American actor, 46, was suited and booted to perfection as he accompanied his outrageously attractive wife - who put on a seriously busty display in a perilously plunging scarlet gown - down the red carpet
The genetically gifted pair - who have been married for 12 years - looked absolutely incredible as they smiled and posed for photographers.
The main star of the movie Downsizing, which is a drama with a science-fiction premise and a humanist heart, Matt ensured to pull out all the stops on the red carpet.
The hunk was undeniably suave in a slick black suit, which he teamed with a crisp white shirt and bow-tie.
However, it was Luciana who stole the spotlight in her sexy gown which hugged onto the contours of her sensational curves.
Happy to be there: The genetically gifted pair - who have been married for 12 years - looked absolutely incredible as they smiled and posed for photographers
Leading man: The main star of the movie Downsizing, which is a drama with a drama with a science-fiction premise and a humanist heart, Matt ensured to pull out all the stops on the red carpet
Gorgeous: However, it was Luciana who stole the spotlight in her sexy gown which hugged onto the contours of her sensational curves
Movie star: Matt was in high spirits as he attended to his hoards of eager fans to sign autographs
Loving it: Clearly a natural at the fame game, Matt posed for cameras as well as signing away
Smitten: The pair held hands as they made their way indoors to the screening
Greetings: Matt, Luciana, Kristen Wiig, Hong Chau and director Alexander Payne all mingled outside the venue
The saucy number boasted a daringly low-cut neckline - exhibiting her ample assets before it went into the cinch in her tiny waist with added silver embellishments.
The Argentinian beauty oozed glamour as the elongated train of her dress sweeped the red carpet as she osed up a storm with her hunky other half.
The Bourne identity star met Barroso - then working as a bartender - in April 2003 while filming Stuck On You in Miami.
The couple have three daughters: Stella, six, Gia eight, and Isabella who just turned 17 this month. Luciana also has an 18-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
Front row: (L-R) Alexander Payne, Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Hong Chau got comfortable in their seats
Pass him the popcorn! Matt couldn't contain his smiles as he prepared to watch his exciting new movie Downsizing
Jury members: Ildiko Enyedi, from left, Rebecca Hall, Anna Mouglalis and Jasmine Trinca
Sensational: Downsizing's Kristen Wiig, 44, also brought the glamour to the red carpet as she worked her angles in an eye-catching dress, which flattered her figure perfectly
Mane attraction: Her short locks boded well with the number's extreme cut-out back detail
Serving face: Kristen looked gorgeous with her blush-infused make-up look and slicked back 'wet look' locks
The Venice Film Festival is kicking off with Downsizing, where Damon plays an unhappy every day man who tries to solve his problems - and help save the planet - by undergoing an experimental procedure that shrinks him to 5 inches tall.
Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz and Hong Chau also feature in the movie from Sideways director Alexander Payne.
The movie fuses Payne's wry eye for human foibles with a story that explores the power and limits of science and the threat of environmental catastrophe.
Wiig, 44, also brought the glamour to the red carpet as she worked her angles in an eye-catching dress.
Work! The layers of Kristen's dress allowed her to create some momentum as she posed for photographers
People pleaser: Kristen was clearly in a great mood as she signed autographs and mingled with fans
Gorgeous: Rebecca Hall looked absolutely radiant in her bold, peacock inspired down which worked wonders for her slender frame
In love: Hall looked sensational as she cosied up to her hunky husband of two years, Morgan Spector
Having a chat: Hall, who is a jury member this year, was spotted having a chat with other jurors - David Stratton and Jasmine Trinca
Wow: Izabel Goulart oozed sex appeal on the red carpet, as she showed off her statuesque height in a bluish grey sequinned dress which effortlessly caught the light
The figure-hugging number flattered her figure perfectly and also boasted an extreme plunging - teasing at her decolletage.
The cream-coloured number with heavy embroidery, cinched her in at the waist and also boasted an extreme side frill with an extended train.
The night proved to truly a glamorous affair with the best in the business turning out for the Downsizing screening.
Rebecca Hall looked absolutely radiant in her bold, peacock inspired down which worked wonders for her slender frame.
Hall's dress boasted a black underlay with intense purple and pink detailing working its way up a semi-sheer flared halterneck design.
Izabel Goulart oozed sex appeal on the red carpet, as she showed off her statuesque height in a bluish grey sequinned dress which effortlessly caught the light.
Striking: The Brazilian model was clearly body confident in the number as she worked her angles on the red carpet to effortlessly showcase the impressive number
Sticking to the regal theme: The photogenic star accessorised with a thick silver choker which perfectly complemented the glittering dress
Stunning: Her flawless features were enhanced with a simple slick of make-up - focusing on smokey shadow on her eyes and a heavy hand of bronzer
Striking: Her luscious brunette locks were centre parted and fell forth in glamorous, cascading curls - perfectly completing her red carpet look
Like a pro! Izabel worked her red carpet magic as she posed for photographers
What a babe! The sensational gown hugged onto the contours of her enviable figure
Fashion queen: Goulart knew her angles well as she posed seductively over her shoulder
Happy: She looked to be in a great mood as she waved to onlookers
Stunning: Izabel ensured that every camera was attended to
Model babe: Isabeli Fontana also made an impression during the glamorous opening night, in her strapless monochrome dress which boasted an elongated train
The Brazilian model was clearly body confident in the number as she worked her angles on the red carpet to effortlessly showcase the impressive number.
Sticking to the regal theme, the photogenic star accessorised with a thick silver choker which perfectly complemented the glittering dress.
Her flawless features were enhanced with a simple slick of make-up - focusing on smokey shadow on her eyes and a heavy hand of bronzer.
Her luscious brunette locks were centre parted and fell forth in glamorous, cascading curls - perfectly completing her red carpet look.
Beauty: The catwalk queen showed off her jaw-dropping features, which were enhanced with a dramatic coat of make-up including smokey shadow and pink lips
Pins on parade: Bianca Balti put on an incredibly leggy display in a soaring split white gown which featured a karate style belt at the front
Standing tall: The Italian model flaunted her statuesque frame in the number and boosted her height in a pair of strappy black heels
Tickled pink: Francesca Cavallin wowed in a striking blush-coloured gown which boasted a saucy touch with a keyhole neckline
Beautiful: The stunner complemented the dress with glossy red lipstick and mascara laden eyes
Vampy: Eleonora Carisi opted for gothic glamour in a semi-sheer lace number which pulled out all the stops
Isabeli Fontana also made an impression during the glamorous opening night, in her strapless monochrome dress which boasted an elongated train.
The catwalk queen showed off her jaw-dropping features, which were enhanced with a dramatic coat of make-up including smokey shadow and pink lips.
Bianca Balti put on an incredibly leggy display in a soaring split white gown which featured a karate style belt at the front.
The Italian model flaunted her statuesque frame in the number and boosted her height in a pair of strappy black heels.
Francesca Cavallin wowed in a striking blush-coloured gown which boasted a saucy touch with a keyhole neckline.
The stunner complemented the dress with glossy red lipstick and mascara laden eyes.
Gothic: Hong Chau also went for the dark and edgy theme in an embroidered, semi-sheer dress
Dapper: Festival host Alessandro Borghi was undeniably dapper in his navy ensemble, which he completed with a matching bow-tie and shiny black shoes
Nice! Carly Steel worked her curves in a flirty midi-dress, which had a heavy gold bodice and flared skirt
In good condition: Her blonde locks were effortlessly styles as she posed up a storm
Eleonora Carisi opted for gothic glamour in a semi-sheer lace number which pulled out all the stops, while Hong Chau also went for the dark and edgy theme in an embroidered, semi-sheer dress.
Festival host Alessandro Borghi was undeniably dapper in his navy ensemble, which he completed with a matching bow-tie and shiny black shoes.
Carly Steel worked her curves in a flirty midi-dress, which had a heavy gold bodice and flared skirt
Member of the jury, Jasmine Trinca looked regal in a glittering Victoriana-inspired dress which proved to be slightly sheer.
Trinca accessorised with a stunning blush pink clutch and showed off a large ring as she blew kisses to onlookers.
Greta Scarano went for a billowy red dress which matched the red carpet.
The Italian beauty wore her centre parted blonde locks in glamorous curls and accessorised with dangling earrings and a sensational hand piece.
The Venice Film Festival is one of the biggest film events of the year, following its high-summer rival in Cannes and on Monday, workers in the stunning Italian city were seen making finishing touches to the event's decor.
Fantastic: Member of the jury Jasmine Trinca looked regal in a glittering Victoriana-inspired dress which proved to be slightly sheer
Fashionable: Trinca accessorised with a stunning blush pink clutch
Showing the love: She showed off a large ring as she blew kisses to onlookers
An array of A-List names are expected to attend this year's event ahead of their films' debuts - including George Clooney and Jennifer Lawrence.
The festival is kicking off the fall cinema season with drama, glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim.
In recent years, Venice has been a launch-pad for Oscar winners including Gravity, Birdman, Spotlight and La La Land.
Clooney is in the running for the festival's top prize - the Golden Lion - with his latest directional venture, Suburbicon, which is due for release in October and stars Matt Damon and Julianne Moore.
Red hot: Greta Scarano went for a billowy red dress which matched the red carpet
Babe: The Italian beauty wore her centre parted blonde locks in glamorous curls and accessorised with dangling earrings and a sensational hand piece
Jennifer meanwhile is expected at the festival for the much-anticipated Mother!, which also stars Javier Bardem. The Spanish star should also be on hand alongside Penelope Cruz for the drug-lord biopic Loving Pablo.
An older generation of showbiz royalty will be well represented by stars including Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland and Michael Caine.
Jane Fonda and Robert Redford star in the late-life romance "Our Souls at Night" and are being given lifetime-achievement awards by the festival.
Actress Annette Bening is the festival's first female jury president since Catherine Deneuve in 2006.
The rest of the jury line-up include Hungarian film director and screenwriter Ildiko Enyedi, Mexican film director, producer and screenwriter Michel Franco, British actress Rebecca Hall and French actress Anna Mouglalis,
Anglo-Australian film critic David Stratton,Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, British film director Edgar Wright and Taiwanese-Hong Kong film director Yonfan are also members of the jury this year.
Wowza: Anna Mouglalis donned a striking white gown with a feathery bottom half
Looking good! Actor Alexander Payn looked undeniably handsome as he stepped out for the eagerly anticipated screening
Hand-in-hand: Matt and Luciana arrived at the Vanity Fair party following the main event
She was snubbed from November's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, despite shooting to fame as an Angel in 2005.
But Izabel Goulart didn't seem bothered about missing the annual lingerie spectacle, as she took centre-stage at the Downsizing premiere during the Venice Film Festival.
The 32-year-old Brazilian bombshell looked showstopping as she stormed the red carpet in a lavender gown dripping in decadent crystals.
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Looking good: Izabel Goulart took centre-stage at the Downsizing premiere during the Venice Film Festival
The brunette beauty looked every inch the screen siren as she posed in her blue gown, which featured a chic cowl neckline and floor-sweeping hem.
Cinched in to emphasise her tiny waist, the opulent column gown subtly showcased her lithe physique.
Izabel channeled Old Hollywood glamour in her styling, teasing her dark hair into Veronica Lake-style waves that perfectly framed her features.
She highlighted her dark eyes with dramatic bronze shimmer and plumped her pout with a simple slick of taupe lipstick.
Letting her statement gown do all the talking, the model accessorised with a decadent diamond choker.
Chic: The 32-year-old Brazilian bombshell looked showstopping as she stormed the red carpet in a lavender gown dripping in decadent crystals
Simply stylish: The brunette beauty looked every inch the screen siren as she posed in her blue gown, which featured a chic cowl neckline and floor-sweeping hem
Old Hollywood glamour: She teased her dark hair into Veronica Lake-style waves that perfectly framed her features
Izabel's outing comes after she failed to make the line-up for this November's hotly-anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
The brunette beauty was spotted eagerly attending casting calls in New York earlier this week but it seems she didn't make the cut for the annual show.
Models who did include Gigi and Bella Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio, Elsa Hosk, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel.
But undeterred, Izabel posed up a storm at the premiere for Downsizing - a satire about shrinking humans to five inches tall as a solution to over-population and global warming, opened the Venice film festival on Wednesday.
It kicked off days of screenings, parties and red carpet glamour at the world's oldest film fest on the historic lagoon city's Lido island.
Taking centre-stage: Cinched in to emphasise her tiny waist, her opulent column gown subtly showcased her lithe physique
Letting her gown do all the talking: The model accessorised with a decadent diamond choker
Ready for her close-up: She highlighted her dark eyes with dramatic bronze shimmer and plumped her pout with a simple slick of taupe lipstick
The movie, starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, tells the story of financially-strapped occupational therapist Paul Safranek and his wife Audrey who decide to be downsized - a process that is irreversible - so they can be part of the affluent 'small community' where money goes a lot further.
Safranek is attracted by the idea of starting over, leaving problems behind and doing one's bit for the planet in the process.
But unlike the noble intentions that drove scientists to find a way to fight global warming, most of the people who sign up for the irreversible procedure are lured by the promise of being able to multiply their possessions and afford luxuries - from villas to diamond necklaces - they could normally only dream of.
Working her angles: Izabel looked every inch the red carpet queen as she posed sultrily
Unfazed: She was snubbed from this year's upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, despite shooting to fame as an Angel in 2005
What a babe! The sensational gown hugged onto the contours of her enviable figure
Fashion queen: Goulart knew her angles well as she posed seductively over her shoulder
Happy: She looked to be in a great mood as she waved to onlookers
Dazzling beauty: A smile never forwent her face as she walked the red carpet
Stunning: Izabel ensured that every camera was attended to
Gorgeous: She opted for a simple slick of make-up which bought out her jaw-dropping features
In the past: She appeared in the show many times. Pictured far right in 2007 with Selita Ebanks, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Heidi Klum
Soon Leisureland - the glass-covered downsized community where Safranek and his wife decide to move - turns into a micro version of today's society, where corruption, wealth-disparity and people like Dusan Mirkovic, a party boy and smuggler of counterfeit goods played by Christoph Waltz, thrive.
Damon said films were the best vehicle to help humans empathise with each other, adding that despite its apocalyptic tone, Downsizing ultimately is an optimistic movie.
'At the end of the day there is the sense that we are all in this together ... I feel that is a very hopeful message in what is a very divided world,' the 46-year-old American actor told journalists.
Sealed with a kiss: Izabel blew kisses to everyone standing on the jetty the day before
It looks as if this lady never made it to the altar.
On Wednesday Kristen Bell was seen frantically hailing a taxi in New York City as she shot a scene for her new movie Like Father with veteran sitcom actor Kelsey Grammer.
The beauty - who in real life is married to comedian Dax Shepard - looked worried as she did her best to grab the cab while wearing six-inch heels.
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On the eun: Kristen Bell was seen frantically hailing a taxi in New York City as she shot a scene for her new movie Like Father
No cash? The beauty has no purse with her so it's not clear how she will manage to pay her fare
Bell is stunning in her low-cut, spaghetti strap white gown and pretty pearl necklace.
But it's clear she is stressed out as she stands on a busy Manhattan road to flag down a quick ride.
The beauty has no purse with her so it's not clear how she will manage to pay her fare.
On the move: Bell is stunning in her low-cut, spaghetti strap white gown and pretty pearl necklace
Uh-Oh: But it's clear she is stressed out as she fails to crack a smile while getting in the cab
A lot to manage: She has to pull up her wedding dress to get in the car
A yellow cab stops and she quickly leaps in the back seat.
Meanwhile Grammer of Cheers and Frasier fame is seen wearing a great suit and tie as he waits nearby.
The ex of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Camille Grammer can be seen holding a bouquet of flowers as he looks confused.
He then sits on a bench and looks at his cell phone. Variety reported that Kelsey plays Kristin's father.
Where is she? Meanwhile Grammer of Cheers and Frasier fame is seen wearing a great suit and tie as he waits nearby
Texting? He then sits on a bench and looks at his cell phone. Variety reported that Kelsey plays Kristin's father
The day before the Frozen actress was seen in a better mood as she shot scenes for the film in New York's Central Park.
The 37-year-old Bad Moms star looked gorgeous as she was perfectly made up.
This time she was holding her wedding bouquet.
Vision in white: Bell made a gorgeous bride on Monday as she started filming her new Netflix project Like Father in Central Park
Comedy capers: The actress was near the Boat House as she modeled her gown
An elegant updo completed her look, with her blonde locks pinned back into a bun.
Kristen posed with bridesmaids at the Bethesda Terrace and fountain in the iconic park while holding a bouquet of white flowers.
A classic pearl necklace and simple stud earrings completed Kristen's wedding look.
Blushing bride: The 37-year-old star - who is married to actor Dax Shepard - got to relive her wedding day
The ivory gown featured a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps and Kristen's locks were pinned up in an elegant bun
Big day: The actress checked her phone as she made her way through an archway
The new project was Kristen's upcoming Netflix comedy titled Like Father.
It centers around a workaholic woman (Bell) who is left at the altar by her groom-to-be.
She decides to go on her honeymoon cruise anyway and ends up reuniting with the father - also a workaholic - who abandoned her and her mother when she was five because he thought his family was a hindrance to his career.
Kristen posed with bridesmaids at the Bethesda Terrace and fountain in the iconic park while holding a bouquet of white flowers
Coming 2018: In Netflix movie Like Father Kristen will play a workaholic bride who is left at the alter by her groom-to-be
Grammer is set to take on the role of Kristen's father.
The movie will serve as the directorial debut of actress Lauren Miller Rogen.
Kristen married Dax in 2013 after a three-year engagement and the couple have two daughters, Lincoln, four, and Delta, two.
He's shot to fame thanks to his portrayal of Mike in the hit Netflix chiller Stranger Things.
And Finn Wolfhard, 14, discussed wrapping filming for the hotly-anticipated second season of the drama during an appearance at AOL's Build studios in New York City on Wednesday.
The teen actor revealed: 'It was just like going back to school!'
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In demand: Finn Wolfhard, 14, discussed wrapping filming for the hotly-anticipated second season of Stranger Things at AOL's Build studios in New York City on Wednesday
Finn was busy promoting his new horror film It, based on Stephen King's terrifying blockbuster.
The actor had nothing but good things to say about the best-selling author as he appeared with his young co-stars at the AOL Build session.
'Stephen King sent a long and really sweet email to our director, Andy (Muschietti), saying how much he loved it,' the teenager shared.
And he said Stephen also put in a good word for the movie at Comic Con in San Diego in July.
Hit: The teen actor revealed filming the second season of the Netflix thriller 'was just like going back to school!'
Hard at work: Finn was busy promoting his new horror film It with his co-stars (L-R) Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray, Wyatt Oleff and Sophia Lillis
He explained: 'He made a video saying, like, how everyone should go and see it, and how good it was, which was really cool. He didn't have to do that but her did it.'
Finn was at the Q&A with It co-stars Chosen Jacobs, Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff and Jeremy Ray Taylor.
In the movie adaptation of It, a group of seven kids are united by their horrifying and strange encounters with an evil clown, Pennywise, who kills children and terrorizes their small town.
The thriller chiller is due out on September 7.
It's been a busy few months for Finn, who appeared on the cover of New York magazine with his Stranger Things co-stars last week.
Hanging with the gang: The actor had nothing but good things to say as he appeared with his young It co-stars at the AOL Build session
Finn, along with Millie Bobby Brown, 13, Gaten Matarazzo, 14, Caleb McLaughlin, 15, Noah Schnapp, 12, and newcomer Sadie Sink, 15, all rocked matching denim ensembles as they leaped in the air for the fall preview issue.
The article covers how the young thespians realize that they are famous, but consider their day-to-day life unchanged.
'Its definitely been affected by the show a big bunch, but its not different,' said Millie, who plays Eleven. 'Im still the same person.'
'A lot of people consider us famous, but I think we all hate the F-word,' said Gaten, who plays Dustin.
'All we are is people doing our job, and our job happens to be in the public eye a lot,' he continued.
Nothing to laugh at: Based on Stephen King's bestseller, It is due for release on September 7
The cast tried to remain grounded and connected with each other on set by resorting to pre-internet activities, much like their characters living in the 1980s.
'We play cards, we play Monopoly, we play games in the school trailer. As soon as were working, were kind of like those 80s kids again,' said Brown.
The first season of the show followed a group of friends who go searching for their missing buddy with the help of a telekinetic stranger.
All while combating a mysterious monster, a strange dimension, and a covert government operation.
Season two focuses on the missing friend who has been found and has brought some excessive baggage back with him.
Pregnant Jessica Alba opted for comfort over style for her solo flight into LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The expecting 36-year-old - who relies on stylists Emily Current & Meritt Elliott - dressed her burgeoning baby bump in a black sleeveless top, matching pants, comfy slides, and a b&w kimono jacket.
The Golden Globe nominee shielded her make-up free face with black shades and she wore her signature brunette locks down around her shoulders.
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Home sweet home! Pregnant Jessica Alba opted for comfort over style for her solo flight into LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday
Maternity wear: The expecting 36-year-old dressed her burgeoning baby bump in a black sleeveless top, matching pants, comfy slides, and a b&w kimono jacket
Baby on board: The Golden Globe nominee shielded her make-up free face with black shades and she wore her signature brunette locks down around her shoulders
On Tuesday, Jessica's $1.7B Honest Company (which she co-founded in 2012) made cash donations and pledged to donate 100K of their products to local nonprofits serving victims of Hurrican Harvey in Texas.
Missing from Alba's side was her husband of nine years, Emmy-nominated producer Cash Warren, and their two daughters - Honor, 9; and Haven, 6.
The biracial couple - who met on the set of Fantastic Four in 2004 - announced they were expecting their third child (gender unknown) in a July 17 Instagram post.
'Stay strong Houston!' On Tuesday, Jessica's $1.7B Honest Company pledged to donate 100K of their products to local nonprofits serving victims of Hurrican Harvey in Texas
Unicorn-themed birthday bash: Missing from Alba's side was her husband of nine years, Emmy-nominated producer Cash Warren, and their two daughters - Honor, 9; and Haven, 6
'Outnumbered!' The biracial couple - who met on the set of Fantastic Four in 2004 - announced they were expecting their third child (gender unknown) in a July 17 Instagram post
On June 9, the Mechanic: Resurrection actress wrapped her role as Beth Flowers - 'a small town reporter with big town dreams' - in David E. Talbert's film El Camino Christmas.
The holiday crime comedy - streaming on Netflix this winter - also stars Luke Grimes, Tim Allen, Michelle Mylett, and Vincent D'Onofrio.
'I think when you start off and you're known in one career, for people's perception to be changed, they sort of need to see it to believe it,' the Pomona-born beauty told Cosmopolitan on August 21.
Channel 19: On June 9, the Mechanic: Resurrection actress wrapped her role as Beth Flowers - 'a small town reporter with big town dreams' - in David E. Talbert's film El Camino Christmas
Streaming on Netflix this winter! The holiday crime comedy also stars (L-R) Luke Grimes, Tim Allen, Michelle Mylett, and Vincent D'Onofrio
'When I was known for an action franchise or a something like that, then it was like, "That's all you can do." So then I decided to do a dance movie for young girls called Honey.
'It was the antithesis of a hardcore action heroine, which is what I was known as. And then I wanted to do comedy because I knew that that was going to be so different to the superhero people knew me for.'
As for the 38-year-old Yale grad - his sock, underwear, and undershirt clothing line Pair of Thieves is available in Target stores.
She's expecting baby number two with partner Bobby Cannavale.
And Rose Byrne, 38, sparked engagement speculation after she stepped out wearing a diamond sparkler on her ring finger in New York on Wednesday.
The X-Men: Apocalypse star, who began dating her actor beau in 2012, may be set to walk down the aisle after she was spotted wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring during a family outing.
Is she engaged? Rose Byrne, 38, sparked engagement speculation after she stepped out wearing a diamond sparkler on her ring finger in New York on Wednesday
The ring photos come nine months after she sparked engagement rumours after she was seen wearing a ring in Sydney.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Rose for comment.
The actress cut an elegant figure in a white sundress and comfortable flats, while bonding with the couple's 18-month-old son Rocco.
Blooming beautiful! Sporting minimal makeup and a chic updo, the Australian actress appeared relaxed and at ease as she juggled carrying Rocco and a toy stroller near her Manhattan apartment
Sporting minimal makeup and a chic updo, the Australian actress appeared relaxed and at ease as she juggled carrying Rocco and a toy stroller near her Manhattan apartment.
Rose and longtime beau Bobby, 47, are counting down the days until baby number two arrives after having confirmed the pregnancy news to Jones magazine last week.
'I'm a little tired but feeling good,' she said during a shoot with her brother George.
Family outing: Rose and her longtime partner Bobby were seen doting on their son Rocco
'Everyone was very sweet on set today, and you always get a little bit more attention when you're pregnant, which is fabulous.'
Rose and actor Bobby began dating in 2012 and welcomed their first child four years later.
Bobby was previously married to American actress Jenny Lumet and they share a 22-year-old son Jake.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks star Rose previously opened up about motherhood, telling Playboy magazine that she has adopted similar parenting methods to that of her parents.
Expanding brood: Rose and longtime beau Bobby, 47, are counting down the days until baby number two arrives after having confirmed the news to Jones magazine last week
'... It's funny how it manifests itself. My parents are very no-nonsense Australians: They don't like fanfare or fussiness,' she told the publication.
'They're incredibly self-sufficient and curious. I hope I'm like them in those ways. Australians are real wanderers; we're well traveled because we're so isolated. That's something I'm proud of in being an Australian.'
She previously told The Daily Telegraph that she views life differently since giving birth to Rocco.
'I'm a little tired but feeling good,' Rose said of her recent pregnancy
'You have this huge responsibility you didn't have before - there's someone you have to keep alive,' she said.
'I also like to think Rocco has brought out better qualities in me.'
Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family fame has found a new girlfriend.
The 45-year-old star is dating pediatric nurse Lindsay Schweitzer after meeting during the Big Slick charity weekend in Kansas City, according to a report from People.
'They are very happy to have met each other and are enjoying spending time together,' a source said.
New love: Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family fame has found a new girlfriend. The 45-year-old star is dating pediatric nurse Lindsay Schweitzer
Fancy introduction: They met during a Big Slick charity weekend in Kansas City, according to a Wednesday report from People
The couple is seen in two photos posted by the site.
In one they are side by side on a beach at sunset. She has on a flattering floral dress while he is in a shirt and slacks.
Both have that new love glow.
Busy lady: The beauty is often seen with her little patients on her Facebook page
Joy: 'They are very happy to have met each other and are enjoying spending time together,' a source said
In the second shot the pretty brunette wears a white shirt as she leans on the veteran actor.
In 2015 it was reported he had romanced Bethenny Frankel, who is best known for The Real Housewives Of New York as well as her brand Skinnygirl.
The two were seen together several times in New York. But they have both more or less denied they ever fell for each other.
Romantic? In 2015 it was reported he had romanced Bethenny Frankel, who is best known for The Real Housewives Of New York as well as her brand Skinnygirl. The two were seen together several times in New York. But they have both denied they ever fell for each other
Beach bunny: The reality TV darling is best known for The Real Housewives Of New York as well as her brand Skinnygirl
In 2015 she said: 'Eric Stonestreet and I are friends. Hes an awesome guy. I dont confirm or deny dating rumors and thats what Im saying And were sleeping together tonight. Hes at my apartment right now.'
In May he told Watch What Happens Live: 'I think we decided that we make much better friends, but shes a wonderful kisser.'
Eric has won two Emmys for playing Cameron Tucker on the ABC hit series Modern Family which also stars Sofia Vergara, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter.
Before that he appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dharma & Greg, ER, Malcolm in the Middle, The Mentalist, NCIS, Nip/Tuck, Party of Five, Spin City, The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Greg the Bunny, Providence, Close to Home, Crossing Jordan, Bones, Monk, and American Horror Story.
She is a globetrotting socialite who happens to be one of the most successful DJs in the world.
So it comes as no wonder a party in the desert seems so appealing to Paris Hilton.
The 36-year-old star has taken to Instagram the past few days to share several sexy snaps from the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
The blonde beauty even shared photos of herself in daring festival fashion to her seven million followers.
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Stunning : Paris Hilton posted Instagram photos to her account as she arrived to the epic Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada on Tuesday
'#PlayaWarrior': The 36-year-old socialite shared photos of herself in racy festival fashion to her seven million followers
Par for the course for the week which encourages creativity and individuality, Paris showed off sexy colorful and decorative costumes.
She captioned the photo, 'Can't wait to be back on the Playa tomorrow!'
The five photos posted on Tuesday seem to be throwback's from last year's festival where Hilton was seen wearing similar outfits.
With her hands reached toward the sky amid a dusty plume, the television personality was seen showing off her slender body in a green fringed micro skirt and hot pink fringed tank top.
Festie bestie: Paris stands on top of an art installation in an all-gold ensemble with a friend at Burning Man
A fuzzy neon rainbow stole was carefully draped over Hilton's tanned shoulders as she smiled into the sunlight.
In another image, Paris showed off her impressive form and endlessly long legs in an all-gold ensemble.
The Simple Life star sported a tiny gold bikini top, metallic gold skirt and golden chains draped over her neck.
Art pop: Hilton posed with designer Brandi Howe
Friends forever! Paris stopped for a selfie on the Playa with Matt Bellamy and girlfriend Elle Evans in their festival attire
Hilton also shared a few photos in costume with Matt Bellamy and his 27-year-old model girlfriend Elle Evans.
Paris was last seen arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday evening after a trip to Ibiza with her boyfriend Chris Zylka
Founded in 1986, the 'experiential and radical' Burning Man festival takes place every summer in the Black Rock Desert.
The festival closes on September 4 after the burning of the Man, a massive temple built out of scrap wood, lighting up the night sky on Sunday.
She was eliminated from The Bachelor on Wednesday.
And Simone Ormesher, who was sent home just hours after she touched Matty J's crotch during a group challenge, has spoken about her self-doubt on the show.
The 25-year-old told POPSUGAR she believed her and fellow former topless waitress Leah Costa, who was booted earlier from the series, were used as 'guinea pigs' on the show.
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'Am I too blonde? Are the boobs too big?': The Bachelor's former topless waitress Simone Ormesher says Matty J didn't 'accept her' for who she is
'I think we were guinea pigs in a way,' she stated.
She said that Matty J didn't accept her for who she really is and she is looking for someone more down to earth.
'I just want someone who's down to earth and who accepts me for me. Obviously Matty didn't,' she offered.
'Guinea pigs: The 25-year-old told POPSUGAR she believed her and fellow former topless waitress Leah Costa, who was booted earlier from the series, were used as 'guinea pigs' on the show
'In the house I was like, am I too blonde? Are the boobs too big? I just want someone who can be my friend as well,' she continued.
The Manchester-born reality star said her feelings for Matty 'definitely' wore off as they filmed the show, but she's 'not a quitter' so she didn't want to leave early.
She also said when she was in the house she believed her fellow hopeful Laura Byrne would ultimately win Matty's heart, because she carried herself as 'very confident'.
Eliminated: Simone was sent home on Wednesday night after her flirtatious behaviour
Out she goes: She was sent home just after she touched Matty J's crotch during a group challenge
Simone's antics during the group challenge shocked her co-stars during a game that tasked them with pinning a paper heart on their 'favourite part' of Matty J's body.
Without a second thought, Simone walked up to the blind-folded Bachelor and daintily placed it on his crotch.
'Everyone was putting it in lovely places like his ear and his neck and his eyes and his mouth and his heart,' the blonde beauty explained after the incident.
'What was she doing?': Her flirtatious antics shocked her co-stars, with Florence remarking: 'Simone was so cheeky! What was she doing... right on his little manhood down there'
Hands on experience! It came during a game that tasked the contestants with pinning a paper heart on their 'favourite part,' of Matty J's body
Explanation: 'Everyone was putting it in lovely places like his ear and his neck and his eyes and his mouth and his heart,' the blonde beauty explained after the incident
'I'm like, "Oh, p**s off" like, have a bit of a laugh with it!'
Host Osher Gunsberg then questioned Simone on her placement, asking: 'Is there anything particular (that you like about that area)?'
'Just a nice little bulge,' she replied with a smile.
Questioned: Host Osher Gunsberg then questioned Simone on her placement, asking: 'Is there anything particular (that you like about that area)?'
Matty didn't appear to be offended by the former adult entertainer's actions, laughing-off the raunchy moment.
But when it came time to send somebody home, he didn't hesitate booting Simone from the competition.
'I just wanted to say that I think you are...you're such a sweetheart, and I really hope you find someone amazing out there.'
Laugh it off! Matty didn't appear to be offended by the former adult entertainers actions, laughing-off the raunchy moment
He has often found himself playing the suave older man with a glamorous young love interest.
But far from enjoying his rakish reputation, Bill Nighy says he finds the prospect of getting intimate in front of the camera appalling.
The actor, 67, has revealed he now refuses to do sex scenes, describing them as the least erotic thing of all.
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Horrified: Far from enjoying his rakish reputation, Bill Nighy says he finds the prospect of getting intimate in front of the camera appalling
I wouldnt do them now I dont think anybody smart does them but if you had to do sex scenes that was just appalling. That was a terrible day at the office, said Nighy.
Oh God, its the least erotic thing of all unless your idea of eroticism is standing in a room with 12 electricians and, you know, seven other people and having your bum made up in between takes.
Nighy, who became well-known for playing hedonistic ageing rocker Billy Mack in Love Actually, has enjoyed on-screen romances with a host of younger actresses in recent years.
In 2014 BBC drama Turks & Caicos and its predecessor, Page Eight, Nighys character Johnny Worricker, an ex-MI5 officer, had girlfriends played by Rachel Weisz, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham Carter, who are all around 20 years younger.
Not feeling it: The actor, 67, has revealed he now refuses to do sex scenes, describing them as the least erotic thing of all. Pictured stripping off on Love Actually
Self-esteem issues: Even as a young man, Nighy, who stars in new British horror film The Limehouse Golem, said he disliked having to do sex scenes as he didnt feel attractive or at all charming. Pictured with Gemma Arterton
Similarly, Nighys love interest in 2005 film The Girl in the Cafe was 41-year-old Kelly Macdonald and in the 2014 revival of David Hares play Skylight his character has an affair with a woman played by Carey Mulligan, 35 years his junior.
Even as a young man, Nighy, who stars in new British horror film The Limehouse Golem, said he disliked having to do sex scenes as he didnt feel attractive or at all charming.
Casanova: In 2014 BBC drama Turks & Caicos and its predecessor, Page Eight, Nighys character Johnny Worricker had girlfriends played by Rachel Weisz, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham Carter, who are all around 20 years younger
He told The Times: Its always a good day when you dont have to be romantic. Even when I was young and eligible for such parts I used to hate doing them.
I could never take myself seriously. I thought you had to be charming or attractive. I didnt know at that point that what you do is act it.
As someone who didnt feel attractive or at all charming, I just felt exposed. I used to hate having to be the object of desire.
They were lucky enough to witness a couple in the middle of a marriage proposal earlier this week.
And Georgia Love, 29, and her beau Lee Elliott, 36, hinted they may be on the hunt for their own engagement ring when they paid a visit to Rome's exclusive Tiffany & Co. boutique on Monday.
While taking a stroll through Rome's designer shopping district, a casually-clad Georgia stopped to peer into the windows of the famed jewelry designer's boutique.
Making it official? Georgia Love, 29, and her beau Lee Elliott, 36, hinted they may be on the hunt for their own engagement ring when they paid a visit to Rome's exclusive Tiffany & Co. boutique on Monday
Beaming from ear-to-ear, Georgia beckoned her beloved Lee to join her as she approached the window for a closer inspection.
Lee dutifully obliged, standing close by his ladylove's side as she ogled the jewellery display.
Brunette beauty Georgia was clad in a pair of denim shorts, a floral white singlet top and a pair of sassy sunglasses.
Stopped in her tracks: While taking a stroll through Rome's designer shopping district, a casually-clad Georgia stopped to peer into the windows of the famed jewelry designer's boutique
Something caught her eye? Beaming from ear-to-ear, Georgia beckoned her beloved Lee to join her as she approached the window for a closer inspection
He knows the drill! Lee dutifully obliged, standing close by his ladylove's side as she ogled the jewellery display
Allowing her hair to hang in a loose braid, Georgia completed her casual ensemble with a pair of white sneakers and a designer satchel handbag.
Meanwhile, Lee looked laid back in a white T-shirt, moss-hued shorts and a pair of white sneakers.
Keen to document his European adventure, Lee made sure to sling his camera over one shoulder.
Overwhelmed? Georgia wore a look of concentration as she weighed up her purchasing options
Casual: Allowing her hair to hang in a loose braid, Georgia completed her casual ensemble with a pair of white sneakers and a designer satchel handbag
Laid-back: Meanwhile, Lee looked laid back in a white T-shirt, moss-hued shorts and a pair of white sneakers
Treat time! After hitting the shops, the loved-up duo treated themselves to a pair of gelato cones
While it's unclear whether Georgia did buy anything at the glitzy designer store, she did appear to make a purchase during the outing thanks to the large shopping bag she was spotted toting.
After hitting the shops, the loved-up duo treated themselves to a pair of gelato cones.
The couple giggled and chatted together as they indulged in the sweet treat while strolling through the historic city.
That's amore! The couple giggled and chatted together as they indulged in the sweet treat while strolling through the historic city
Engagement surprise! Georgia and Lee have documented their time in Rome via their social media accounts this week, having revealed that they witnessed a marriage proposal over the weekend
Georgia and Lee have documented their time in Rome via their social media accounts this week, having revealed that they witnessed a marriage proposal over the weekend.
The reality show lovebirds were privy to the amorous display in front of the Trevi Fountain, relishing the special moment during their overseas holiday.
Overcome with emotion at the sight, Georgia documented the happy occasion by sharing a clip of the proposal with the caption: 'We just witnessed a proposal! Soooo special!!'
Holding up traffic? The reality stars were seen standing in the middle of the road passing bags to one another
Giddy in love: The pair were certainly in good spirits during the amorous outing
Lee took to Instagram to celebrate their one-year anniversary on Saturday.
A photo of the couple during last year's grand finale episode of The Bachelorette, was captioned: '1 year ago today you stood across from me with that infectious smile of yours.
'And those eyes I get lost in each and every time I look into them and told me what I had been longing to hear you say...that you had fallen so madly in love with me!
'One year on and I still love hearing you say that just as much as I did that night!
Emotional: Overcome with emotion at the sight, Georgia documented the happy occasion by sharing a clip of the proposal with the caption: 'We just witnessed a proposal! Soooo special!!'
Special occasion: Lee took to Instagram to celebrate their one-year anniversary on Saturday
'We've had one hell of a ride! The highest of highs and unfortunately the lowest of lows but everything we've done, we've done together side by side!
'In the past year I've managed to fall more in love with you and could not be more excited for the next 50-60!
Concluding with a joke, Lee asked of the suit worn in the finale episode: 'But in all our time together there's still one thing I just need to know? Seriously, did my ass look big in that!?'
Going strong! While the pair have previously faced break-up rumours, they seemed to be closer than ever during their romantic Italian adventure
Indian security personnel stand guard along a road near Sonariya jail in Rohtak
An Indian court on Monday sentenced a controversial spiritual leader to a total of 20 years in prison for raping two of his devotees, days after his followers went on a rampage that left 38 dead.
The riots broke out on Friday when Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, 50, was convicted of raping the two women at the sprawling headquarters of his hugely popular Dera Sacha Sauda sect in the northern state of Haryana in a case that dates back to 1999.
"He has been sentenced for 10 plus 10, which is a total of 20 years of imprisonment," said Abhishek Dayal, spokesman for India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after the sentencing hearing.
"I have the judgement which details the sentence."
A lawyer for the victims earlier told AFP that Singh had been sentenced to 10 years in jail. In fact, he was given two consecutive 10-year sentences.
Authorities had imposed a security clampdown on the city of Rohtak where Singh is being held due to fears of a repeat of Friday's violence, when tens of thousands of his supporters set fire to cars and clashed with security forces.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence but his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is also in power in Haryana, was criticised for failing to anticipate the riots.
Police were taking no chances Monday in Rohtak, where mobile internet has been cut, roads barricaded with barbed wire and soldiers deployed to man checkpoints.
- 'Guru in bling' -
More than 100 of Singh's senior loyalists had been placed in detention as a precautionary measure, said Rohtak police chief Navdeep Singh Virk.
He said his officers would use "whatever force is required" against the guru's devotees should they again resort to violence.
"If the situation so arises that (we) need to use firearms, my officers have complete authority," the police chief told broadcaster NDTV.
A judge was flown in by helicopter to sentence the spiritual leader, known as the "guru in bling" for his penchant for bejewelled costumes.
The rape case was brought after an anonymous letter was sent to then-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002, accusing Singh of repeatedly raping the sender and several other women in the sect.
A judge asked the federal Central Bureau of Investigation to look into the accusations, but it took years to trace the alleged victims and it was not until 2007 that two women came forward and filed charges.
Utsav Singh Bains, a lawyer for the victims, said there could be dozens more cases of abuse involving women at the sect.
"We believe there are at least 48 more victims who were sexually abused and who may have been killed or are too scared to come out and testify against Ram Rahim," he told AFP by phone.
Singh also stood trial for conspiracy over the murder in 2002 of a journalist investigating the rape allegations. He denied the charge and the case is ongoing.
Followers of the flamboyant Ram Rahim Singh, who is known as the "guru in bling" because of his penchant for bejewelled costumes and customised superbikes, continue to insist upon his innocence
Over the weekend thousands of followers congregated in the spiritual headquarters of his sect at Sirsa, despite calls from police and troops for them to disperse.
Devotees eventually began trickling out one by one from the compound Sunday, under the supervision of hundreds of soldiers and riot police.
Modi said Sunday it was "natural to be worried" as the violence even briefly reached the capital New Delhi.
"Violence is not acceptable in the nation, in any form," he said in his monthly radio address.
"Those who take law in their hands or take to violence will not be spared, whoever they are."
Haryana authorities came under fire grossly underestimating the risk posed by the army of devotees after violent protests in many parts of the northern state on Friday.
Map of India locating Haryana state, where followers of religious leader Ram Rahim Singh went on a rampage after he was convicted of rape
Followers of the self-styled "godman" continue to insist upon his innocence.
India has been rocked by numerous scandals involving popular ascetics claiming to possess mystical powers.
Singh's sect describes itself as a social welfare and spiritual organisation but he is no stranger to controversy.
In 2015 he was accused of encouraging 400 followers to undergo castration at his ashram so they could get closer to god.
burs-cc/np/eb
Expedia boss Dara Khosrowshahi is likely to accept an offer to lead Uber
Uber has offered Expedia boss Dara Khosrowshahi the job of chief and he is likely to accept, according to a filing with US regulators on Monday.
"As you probably know by now, Dara Khosrowshahi has been asked to lead Uber," read a copy of a memo from Expedia board chairman Barry Diller to Expedia employees included in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Nothing has been yet finalized, but having extensively discussed this with Dara, I believe it is his intention to accept."
Khosrowshahi emerged as the leader among three finalists for the job during company board meetings over the weekend, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing two people familiar with the decision.
Uber and Expedia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ayesha Begum joined the exodus of Rohingya fleeing troubled Rakhine state in recent days as fresh violence erupted between Myanmar's security forces and militants fighting for the stateless Muslim minority
Heavily pregnant and confined to a squalid Bangladeshi refugee camp, Ayesha Begum does not regret that her husband will miss the imminent birth of their sixth child as he fights alongside Rohingya militants in Myanmar.
Begum, 25, joined the exodus of Rohingya fleeing troubled Rakhine State in recent days as fresh violence erupted between Myanmar's security forces and militants fighting for the stateless Muslim minority.
But like many, her husband stayed behind in Myanmar to join the growing ranks of Rohingya men answering the call to arms against security forces, say relatives and community leaders.
"He took us to the river and sent us across," Begum told AFP in Kutupalong camp, describing crossing the Naf River by boat with her children into Bangladesh.
"He bid us farewell, saying if I live he'd see us soon in a free Arakan (Rakhine state) or else we'll meet in heaven," she added, breaking down in tears.
The Rohingya largely eschewed violence despite years of suffocating restrictions and persecution.
That dramatically changed last October when a nascent Rohingya militant group launched surprise attacks on border posts.
Myanmar's military reacted with a violent "clearance operation" to sweep out the militants. The UN says that crackdown could have amounted to ethnic cleansing.
Despite the sweeps, violence continued as remote villages were hit by near-daily killings of perceived state collaborators attributed to operatives of the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA).
The militants struck again on a large scale on Friday, with scores attacking around 30 police posts in pre-dawn raids, killing at least a dozen security force members using knives, homemade explosives and some guns.
This time the security response has seen more than 100 people, including some 80 militants, confirmed killed and prodded thousands of Rohingya civilians to dash for Bangladesh.
But the country, which already hosts tens of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority in the Cox's Bazar area, has refused entry to any more.
Those unable to sneak in are stranded along the "zero line" border zone, where Bangladeshi officials have noticed a conspicuous absence of men among the civilians crowding the checkposts.
"We asked them what happened to their men. They said they all stayed back to fight," a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commander told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
- 'Fight or die' -
Thousands of Rohingya civilians have fled for Bangladesh, which already hosts tens of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority in the Cox's Bazar area, and has refused entry to any more
At the border Rohingya elder Shah Alam, a community leader from Rakhine state, said 30 young men from three villages in his district joined ARSA "for our freedom".
"Do they have any other choice? They chose to fight and die rather than be slaughtered like sheep," he told AFP.
The previously unknown militant group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in October and more recent strikes against Myanmar's security forces, urging fellow Rohingya to join the fight.
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi has accused the group of atrocities including using child soldiers, allegations the militants deny.
The government department directly run by Suu Kyi -- the State Counsellor's Office -- has classified the ARSA as "terrorists" and released a flurry of statements and grim pictures of civilians allegedly shot dead by militants.
But ARSA's rallying cry is being answered in Rohingya camps across Bangladesh, despite some doubts over whether their rag-tag units -- seemingly mainly armed with knives and homemade weapons -- can defeat Myanmar troops.
But one young rebel told AFP his Rohingya comrades were determined to fight on, despite the odds.
"There are hundreds of us hiding in the hills. We took an oath to save Arakan, even if it is with sticks and small knives," said the rebel, who declined to give his name, near the border in Bangladesh.
Many of those Rohingya displaced by the violence say they barely escaped with their lives.
They describe Buddhist mobs and security forces shooting unarmed civilians and burning down homes, an abuse repeatedly documented in Rakhine since the upswing in conflict.
For many, it was the final straw.
"Young people are fed up," said one prominent Rohingya activist in Bangladesh who asked to remain anonymous.
"They grew up witnessing humiliation and persecution, so the current consensus among the Rohingya community is unless you fight, they're not going to give us any of our rights."
Those unable to sneak in are stranded along the "zero line" border zone, where Bangladeshi officials have noticed a conspicuous absence of men among the civilians crowding the checkposts
Outside a camp in Cox's Bazar two young Rohingya men were anxious to join the fight, describing it as "farj" -- a religious duty -- to join the "freedom fighters" in Rakhine.
"We don't have any options. Our backs are on the wall. Even the teenagers in our villagers have joined the fight," one of the men told AFP, vowing "to cross the border on the first chance".
Just one of Hafeza Khatun's three sons crossed with her into Bangladesh last month, the older two staying back to fight.
But her youngest joined them a week later at his mother's blessing, returning to battle Myanmar's security forces "who would kill us anyway" without resistance, she said.
"They are fighting for our rights. I sent my sons to fight for independence. I sacrificed them for Arakan," she told AFP.
The US Justice Department is investigating whether Uber broke American laws against bribing foreign officials to promote business interests, the company has confirmed.
San Francisco-based Uber said it was cooperating with an investigation into possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, but did not disclose details.
The act bars paying officials of foreign governments to get or keep business.
San Francisco-based Uber said it was cooperating with an investigation into possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
It is unclear whether authorities are focused on one country or multiple countries where the company operates.
The confirmation from Uber comes after a report in the Wall Street Journal revealing an investigation was underway.
Uber has yet to confirm reports that Dara Khosrowshahi will become its next chief
News of the US probe comes as Uber appears to have found a new hand to steady the wheel at the smartphone-summoned ride service, which has skidded from one controversy to another.
Uber has yet to confirm reports that Dara Khosrowshahi will replace ousted Travis Kalanick as chief at the world's most highly valued startup.
However, Expedia board chairman Barry Diller appeared to confirm the choice in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
'As you probably know by now, Dara Khosrowshahi has been asked to lead Uber,' read a copy of a memo from Expedia board chairman Barry Diller to Expedia employees included in an SEC filing.
'Nothing has been yet finalized, but having extensively discussed this with Dara, I believe it is his intention to accept.'
Uber and Expedia did not respond to AFP requests for comment regarding the CEO choice.
Whoever takes charge at Uber will face challenges including conflicts with regulators and taxi operators, a cut-throat company culture and board members feuding with investors over Kalanick.
Travis Kalanick resigned as Uber CEO in June, prompting speculation over who would be his successor
The US government earlier this year was reported to have launched an investigation into Uber for the use of secret software that enabled the company to operate in areas where it was banned or restricted.
A software program, called Greyball, first revealed by The New York Times in March, enabled drivers to avoid detection from the transportation authorities by identifying regulators posing as Uber customers in order to deny them rides.
Dents to Uber's image include a visit by executives to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar, an attempt to dig up dirt on journalists covering the company and the mishandling of medical records from a woman raped in India after hailing an Uber ride.
District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps started Taylor Roberts hearing Tuesday when he was sentenced for his sixth DUI by rejecting a plea agreement that the judge said wouldnt have given Roberts any punishment for a May incident in downtown Missoula.
The agreement, reached in July, called for a sentence that would run concurrently to one recently imposed in Ravalli County for the Roberts' fifth DUI.
I mean, I might as well give him a hearty slap on the wrist and send him on his way, Deschamps said. This guy is a menace, hes a genuine menace.
Court documents gave the following account:
In late May, an Uber driver stopped a pair of Missoula police officers downtown and pointed out a man he'd seen staggering after getting out of a car. The officers, who saw Roberts get into a parked car and start it, approached and told him to turn it off.
Instead, Robert, 37, put the car into gear and drove into the parked car in front of him. Officer Nathan Griesse tried to open the drivers door and turn the car off, but was bitten twice by a dog sitting in the back seat.
Roberts backed into the patrol car of another office who arrived to help, and was stopped and arrested only after Sgt. Jerry Odlin pepper-sprayed him and the dog.
As part of his plea agreement, Roberts admitted to a felony charge of DUI as well as misdemeanors for obstructing an officer, careless driving and negligent endangerment.
The plea agreement in the Missoula case called for a 13-month commitment to the Department of Corrections, followed by a five-year suspended sentence.
Deschamps took issue to the line in the agreement that said all of that sentence would run concurrently to the sentence in Ravalli County, where Roberts was given a two-year term with the DOC followed by a five-year suspended DOC commitment.
The judge chose instead to have the five-year suspended portion of the Missoula sentence run consecutively, meaning Roberts will have 10 years of probation after he is released from DOC custody.
I dont much care if you go drink yourself into a stupor, but I do care if you do that and then get behind the wheel of a car and run over a peace officer, the judge said.
Roberts told the judge he intended to leave Montana as soon as he was out of the Department of Corrections.
Youre not going anywhere until your probation officer says you can, Deschamps shot back.
The group was intercepted by the Australian Border Force. Five of them had been returned to China while two, including the Papua New Guinean, were arrested and charged with people-smuggling
Six Chinese nationals and a Papua New Guinean have been detained after trying to reach Australia by boat, with two of them charged with people-smuggling, officials said Wednesday.
The men were intercepted in the Torres Strait in Australia's north.
The Sydney Morning Herald said they set foot last week on Saibai island, which would make it the first successful boat to reach Australian shores in nearly three years. Authorities in the country refused to confirm the group made landfall.
Only Monday the government trumpeted its success in preventing any migrants from arriving by boat in more than 1,000 days.
"Recently the Australian Border Force located and detained six Chinese nationals who were attempting to illegally enter Australia," a department of immigration and border protection spokesman said.
"The operation demonstrates the effectiveness of the strong presence of Australian law enforcement in the Torres Strait region."
It said five of them had been returned to China while two, including the Papua New Guinean, were arrested and charged with people-smuggling.
"They have appeared in court and been remanded in custody. As the matter is before the court it would be inappropriate to comment further," added the spokesman.
Asylum-seekers who try to reach Australia by boat are either turned back or sent to remote camps in Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, where conditions have been widely criticised.
They are blocked from resettling in Australia.
Since the tough measures were adopted, which the government says are essential to prevent deaths at sea, Australia has gone more than 1,000 days since the last asylum-seeker vessel reached its shores.
Under the previous Labor government, at least 1,200 people died trying to make Australia by boat between 2008 and 2013.
Almost 850 vessels carrying 51,798 asylum-seekers arrived between those dates, according to figures compiled by the Australian parliament.
A Palestinian woman at Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip takes advantage of the few hours of mains electricity on August 3, 2017 to bake bread
Once a day, the electricity comes on and the Ahmed household whirs into action -- even if it's the middle of the night.
Niveen starts the washing machine, her youngest son plugs in all the phones and computers to charge, her daughter runs to switch on the water heater, and her other son rushes to get his fix of television.
Such is life in the Gaza Strip, where residents have been receiving only three or four hours of mains electricity a day.
The power can come on in the heat of the day or in the middle of the night, but whenever it does, people rush to get things done.
"Tonight the electricity came at 10 pm. In a few days it will move to after midnight," Niveen, 39, told AFP. "It's no longer tolerable."
Over the past three months, the already energy-sparse coastal enclave has seen its electricity crisis worsen.
Palestinian boys at Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip play on a laptop during the few hours of mains electricity their house receives every day, on July 23, 2017
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, will see the crisis for himself when he travels to Gaza on Wednesday.
A long-running feud between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah and Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, has led to further cuts in electricity supplies.
More than two million Gazans, already dealing with a crippling Israeli blockade and a mostly closed border with Egypt, have to get by on three or four hours of mains power a day, in shifting and erratic cycles.
Umm Adel Zahour, 57, lives with her husband and eight children in the narrow alleys of Gaza City's impoverished Shati refugee camp.
When power comes, no matter what time, she and her husband rush to bake bread with an electric oven.
"I used to make 200 loaves to cover the family for days, but now I can only do around 30," she told AFP. "There is no power to keep the bread cold."
Her husband recalls a worker who agreed to work flat-out to fix some bathroom tiles while the power was on, despite searing heat.
"He tried to use every minute of it. We are trying to take advantage of every minute," he said.
- 'Depends on electricity' -
The crisis has both long and short term causes.
Israel has imposed its blockade on Gaza for a decade, arguing it needs to rein in Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars since 2008.
A Palestinian woman washes clothes during the few hours of mains electricity her house receives every day, on July 22, 2017, at Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip
Israeli restrictions on imports of materials and equipment, as well as the blockade's economic impact, have dramatically cut Gaza's capacity to generate power, rights groups say.
On top of that, key infrastructure, including Gaza's sole power station, has been severely damaged during those conflicts.
In recent months, Abbas, based in the occupied West Bank, has also sought to squeeze Gaza in order to isolate longtime rivals Hamas.
Abbas has reduced the amount of electricity the Palestinian Authority pays Israel to deliver to Gaza, pushing already limited electricity supplies to as little as two hours a day.
Despite Egypt in July beginning to import fuel into Gaza to help supply the strip's sole power station, the shortages remain severe.
While richer Gazans pay for private generators, many cannot afford to do so.
Gaza has 45 percent unemployment and more than two-thirds of the population rely on humanitarian aid.
Mahmoud al-Balawi, who owns a launderette west of Gaza City, has long given up the idea of choosing when he works.
On one recent morning, he arrived at work at 3:00 am, as that was when the power was due to come on.
"I have a lot of clothes for my customers. I want to protect my livelihood but it depends on electricity," he said.
A Palestinian tailor using a sewing machine while an assistant irons a shirt on July 24, 2017 during the few hours a day of mains electricity their workshop in Gaza city receives
"Last Friday I was with my family far away but my neighbours called to tell me the power had come at an unexpected time. I left them and went to the shop."
Balawi's company sometimes pays to run a private generator but that entails huge extra expenses.
"It's a cost that needs to be borne by my customers but most of them won't accept it," he said.
Abdullah Zaqout, also from the Shati refugee camp, has to pay for electricity to look after his sick 67-year-old father, who suffers from severe asthma.
The family need constant electricity to run his nebuliser, a kind of inhaler he uses to take his medicine.
"He needs treatment every two hours. I had to invest in a private generator."
Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on August 27, 2017
More than two million Muslims from around the world will start the hajj pilgrimage at Islam's holiest sites Wednesday, a religious duty and an epic multi-stage journey.
This year sees pilgrims from Shiite Iran return after a hiatus following a diplomatic spat between the Islamic republic and Sunni arch-rival Saudi Arabia.
It also comes with the Gulf mired in political crisis and Islamic State group jihadists under pressure in Iraq and Syria.
Saudi authorities have mobilised vast resources in hope of avoiding a repeat of a deadly 2015 stampede that left nearly 2,300 people dead, including 464 Iranians.
Riyadh and Tehran cut ties months later, after the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia sparked attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
The pilgrimage also comes amid a diplomatic crisis between a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries and Qatar, accused of supporting extremist groups and being too close to Riyadh's arch-rival Tehran.
Muslim worshippers perform prayers around the Kaaba on August 28, 2017, prior to the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage
A blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5 has seen sea and air links shut down, preventing many Qataris from making hajj, although Riyadh relaxed entry restrictions across its land border with the emirate two weeks before the pilgrimage.
The colossal religious gathering comes with IS under pressure having lost swathes of territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria. But the group continues to claim attacks in the Middle East and Europe.
Saudi authorities say they are ready for any eventuality.
Interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki said more than 100,000 security personnel had been deployed at various sites along the hajj route.
- 'New emotions every time' -
After donning the simple garb of the pilgrim, the faithful gather in the esplanade of Mecca's Grand Mosque with its seven minarets.
There, they perform a ritual walk seven times around the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a heavy silk cloth embroidered with Koranic verses in golden embroidery.
The shrine is the point towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat, southeast of Islam's holy city of Mecca on August 29, 2017, the eve of the annual hajj pilgrimage
Pilgrims then head for Mina, five kilometres (three miles) further east, where hundreds of thousands of people will gather before setting off on Thursday at dawn to climb Mount Arafat, the pinnacle of the pilgrimage.
Tidjani Traore, a public service consultant from Benin, said he was preparing for his 22nd pilgrimage at the age of 53.
"Every time, there are new emotions," he said. "There are new innovations for organising and hosting the pilgrims. Now, for example, the tents are air-conditioned."
The seven stages of the annual hajj pilgrimage which starts Wednesday
Saudi authorities have placed misting fans on the esplanade of the Grand Mosque to take the edge off the intense heat.
On the eve of the first rites of the pilgrimage, the walkways thronged with people and the smell of musk wafted through the air.
Sitting in the shade of trees or reinforced concrete bridges, the faithful waited patiently for the next call to prayer. Others continued their march, protected by a prayer mat or a small umbrella fixed on the head with an elastic band.
Several times throughout the day, well-run teams of employees, mostly Asian, cleaned the esplanade with jets of water.
As the hour for prayer arrived, a young woman sat at a table in an ice cream shop and prayed, her hands crossed on her knees.
A few paces from the Kaaba, Egyptian pilgrim Fatiya Taha could not hide her joy.
At 67 the oldest in her group, she sat in her wheelchair in Islam's most holy spot.
"I've been looking forward to this pilgrimage for four years," she said.
Most of the young migrants in Brussels dream of heading to Britain
Hundreds of migrants sleep in the shadow of high-rises in downtown Brussels, raising fears in the EU capital of a new "Jungle", similar to the dismantled camp in Calais.
Each night, the young migrants -- mostly Sudanese and Eritreans -- take over Parc Maximilien, a sliver of green space adjacent to the gritty Gare du Nord station where trains depart for Belgium's North Sea coast.
As in the French port of Calais, the dream of most here is getting to Britain.
The young men, gathered just three kilometres (two miles) from European Union headquarters, have survived a long and dangerous journey -- through North Africa, across the Mediterranean and the gauntlet of police checks set up to catch them throughout southern Europe.
But for Adam, 25, making a life in Brussels instead of London would do just fine after abandoning his native Sudan, crossing Chad and waiting for six "very tough" months in Libya.
"This is too hard. I want protection from the government (in Belgium)," the young man said on a warm August night, just blocks from where prostitutes ply their trade and drug users seek a quick fix.
"The dream is achievable here," he added.
- 'No illegals' -
Belgian authorities have offered no help to migrants arriving in Brussels
But for now, only the efforts of activists and charities cushion the indignities of being an illegal migrant.
Belgian authorities want no part in even a temporary solution for people they say are only interested in reaching Britain.
Adam, like many of the 500 to 600 migrants processed in the park by charities this month, has been caught out by Belgium's clear preference that he quickly move on.
For Theo Francken, deputy minister in charge of immigration, there is no reason to take on board "illegals ... who do not want asylum in Belgium".
Also hanging over migrants is the EU's so-called Dublin rule, an obligation that asylum seekers lodge their cases in their first point of entry in Europe. In Adam's case, as for most in the park, this was Italy.
In theory, he and his friends could be rounded up and sent back to Italy at any moment -- though Belgian authorities have yet to carry out any such operation.
Aid groups such as Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) provide medical attention and warn of police harassment.
Stephane Heymans, head of operations for the NGO, said that minors make up nearly 20 percent of the migrants and "don't know that they have special rights in Belgium".
Every night, volunteers from NGO Belgium Kitchen make their way across the park, wary of building up a crowd that could alarm residents and create even more problems.
Young men stretch out on the grass, hanging laundry from playground fences, but by dawn the Parc Maximilien will mostly return to normal, as the migrants head into the railway station or continue their journey north.
- New 'Jungle' -
That journey holds dangers, with high risks of police checkpoints along motorways, at train stations or at the busy port of Zeebrugge.
Police in the coastal province of western Flanders said they have averaged about a hundred migrant arrests per week since the start of the year.
The spectre of Calais, just across Belgium's French border, remains.
French authorities shut down the notorious "Jungle" camp there, at its height home to some 10,000 people living in dire conditions, last October.
The town still remains a springboard for migrants trying to reach Britain by stowing away on lorries heading into the Channel Tunnel.
In Brussels, a Sudanese teenager was killed in July trying to hang onto a bus heading for Britain from a busy terminal near Parc Maximilien.
"A sad first for Belgium," Medecins du Monde said in a statement.
The Senate Judiciary Committee announced that the 39-year-old Trump Jr. agreed to testify before investigators behind closed doors. No date was immediately given
Donald Trump Jr., the US president's eldest son, will take questions from a congressional committee investigating possible collusion between the Republican's 2016 campaign team and Russia, officials said Tuesday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee announced that the 39-year-old Trump Jr. agreed to testify before investigators behind closed doors. No date was immediately given.
The eldest Trump son also agreed to provide documents requested by the committee, its chairs Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Dianne Feinstein in a said in a joint statement.
The president's son-in-law Jared Kushner gave information in a similar format in July, on his ties to Russia before and after the November 2016 election to the Intelligence Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Lawmakers involved in the investigation would have liked public testimony by Trump's son, son-in-law and other aides; they can be ordered to testify but were not.
Trump Jr and Kushner, both very close to the president during the campaign, had multiple contacts with Russian people during that period. They have denied any collusion.
US special prosecutor Robert Mueller is conducting his own investigation separately that could lead to indictments.
A grand jury is reported to have been impaneled in Washington to look at evidence, and the White House has been asked for documents related to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired shortly after taking office for his undisclosed Russia contacts.
Despite the enormous natural riches that surround them, locals in a Nigeria oil hub say they have not shared in the explosion of wealth that black gold has brought the country
The people of Belema village can only be reached after a three-hour journey aboard a rickety makeshift speedboat from the nearest major town.
For 37 years their community in Nigeria's southern Rivers state has lived in the shadow of an oil pipeline transit station run by Shell's local subsidiary.
Despite the enormous natural riches that pass them by, locals say they have not shared in the explosion of wealth that black gold has brought to Nigeria.
The country exported petroleum products worth $27.8 billion (23.1 billion euros) in 2016 alone, according to OPEC, and is Africa's largest oil producer and exporter.
But Belema residents still rely on an unhygienic open-air well for drinking water, while a complete lack of medical facilities means the sick have to be ferried to Abonnema -- a boat journey of three hours.
On August 11, local reached breaking point.
Frustrated with the dire situation in the area, hundreds of people stormed the nearby Shell flow station, demanding the Anglo-Dutch oil giant leave the area over its alleged failure to improve their lives.
The occupying protesters -- 550 women and 350 men -- work in shifts to maintain a constant presence, according to local chief Evans Dabiri.
The protest raises the spectre of the militant campaign of recent years against oil infrastructure in the region that slashed output and caused chaos in the sector.
That violence was eventually tempered after successful but lengthy negotiations with the armed groups angered by the unbalanced distribution of oil riches.
- 'Shell has overstayed' -
For 37 years a community in Nigeria's southern Rivers state has lived in the shadow of an oil pipeline transit station run by Shell's local subsidiary
"Shell has overstayed their welcome here for 37 years -- and we have not benefited anything from them," Dabiri said.
"Tell us what they have done there in the past 37 years.
"We are in no hurry to leave this flow station as we will be here until Shell hands (it) over."
He explained to AFP the occupiers want the critical piece of Nigeria's oil infrastructure transferred to a local company.
At the station, women with canopies, mattresses and sleeping mats took turns guarding the site, cooking for the other protesters and entertaining themselves.
The action prompted the army to deploy 30 extra soldiers to monitor the situation, according to a State Security agent.
Shell insists it has invested in social welfare and created jobs -- efforts it says were frustrated by local power struggles.
"Legal tussles and disputes among the oil-producing communities (have) made it impossible for Shell to implement planned development projects for the communities," said Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria's (SPDC) external relations manager Igo Weli.
Shell still managed to invest 600 million naira ($1.7 million) to improve schools, infrastructure and health provision in both Belema and neighbouring Kula in the past 10 years, he added.
The community has none the less suffered from chronic neglect and been preyed upon by pirates who cruise the regions' waterways in search of boats and valuables.
- 'At the mercy of sea pirates' -
"We are at the mercy of sea pirates who lay siege on the waterways as they rob our people," said Dabiri.
The pirates, undeterred by at least six military checkpoints that dot the route from Abonnema to Belema, continue to operate with impunity.
Shell is now warning the extended occupation at the flow station could be endangering not just the protesters, but other communities in the region.
"SPDC is deeply concerned that unauthorised persons -- including women and children -- have been observed in close proximity to equipment... without the protection of safety clothing," said SPDC spokesman Joseph Obari in a statement.
He said there was a heightened risk of an oil spill or fire as a result of the protest action because engineers had been unable to prepare machinery for a long-term shutdown.
However there is growing optimism at Shell that the occupation will soon be brought to a peaceful end.
The state oil company NNPC, local leaders and Shell have brokered a deal that could lead to the reopening of the site, according to a traditional chief in the area.
"We have succeeded in reaching a truce with NNPC," said Godson Egbelekro. "Within this week there will be a joint inspection... after which we will withdraw all our subjects from the facility. Then SPDC can resume operation."
But the community's demand that the station be handed to a local company will go unfulfilled -- at least for now.
"As far as (the NNPC) are concerned, SPDC is still the company running that facility," said Egbelekro.
"There is machinery in motion for the handover of the flow station (back to Shell)."
Days of intense monsoon downpours have deluged the densely-populated city of more than 20 million, paralysing crucial local train services and leaving commuters to wade through swirling waist-high waters
At least five people were killed as heavy monsoon rain deluged India's financial capital Mumbai, causing transport chaos and forcing schools and many offices to close on Wednesday.
The coastal city of more than 20 million people is the latest to be hit by floods that have ravaged South Asia this monsoon season, affecting millions of people across India, Nepal and Bangladesh and killing over 1,200.
Authorities in Mumbai said at least five people had died since the intense rainfall began on Tuesday, making roads impassable and briefly shutting the suburban rail network on which millions of commuters depend.
"Five people have died in the Mumbai floods. Four of them including two children died due to wall collapse in the slums and another person died due to electric shock," Tanaji Kamble, a local government official, told AFP.
Kamble said the rains had eased by Wednesday. "We are monitoring the safety situation across the city and things are returning to normal."
Cars were submerged and commuters waded through waist-deep water on Tuesday evening.
"I could not find any mode of transport and spent my night on the streets instead of trying to reach home," said 62-year-old Gangadin Gupta.
He said many people had been left stranded for much of the night until the rail network reopened early Wednesday.
- Valuables lost -
Residents of Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums and home to more than a million people, said much of the low-lying area was under water.
"Most of the shanties and houses in Dharavi were submerged in water and we lost all our valuables," said Selvam Sathya, 45.
"All of us took refuge on the first floor of different buildings and the water only started receding this morning... I lost all my belongings in the flooding."
The transport chaos forced the city's famed dabbawallahs, who take hundreds of thousands of hot lunches from commuters' homes to offices every day, to cancel their delivery.
Many of the more than 5,000 dabbawallahs were left stranded in the city overnight, a spokesman for the Mumbai Dabbawallha Association told the Press Trust of India.
The flooding brought back memories of 2005 when around 950 millimetres (37 inches) of rain fell on Mumbai in just 24 hours, killing more than 1,000 people.
Electricity, water supply, communications networks and public transport were totally shut down during the 2005 catastrophe, which was blamed on unplanned development and poor drainage in the western city.
India, Nepal and Bangladesh all suffer frequent flooding during the monsoon rains which begin in June and last till September or October.
But the Red Cross has termed this year's floods the worst for decades in some parts of the region.
It says entire communities have been cut off and many are short of food and clean water.
The east Indian state of Bihar has been particularly hard hit, with over 500 people killed this monsoon season.
Around 1.7 million people were reportedly affected by the floods, which are now receding.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing opposed North Korea's latest missile test, but did not say whether a new set of sanctions was looming
China is working with other members of the United Nations Security Council on a response to North Korea's missile launch over Japan, the Chinese foreign minister said Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke hours after the UN Security Council unanimously condemned Tuesday's test and Japan's UN ambassador suggested that a new sanctions declaration could come next.
Wang said China -- which is Pyongyang's only major ally -- was "now working with other members of the Security Council to discuss the recent developments of the situation".
He added that "based on the consensus of Security Council members, we are going to make a necessary response to the recent test launch of the missile".
But Wang did not specify whether a fresh set of sanctions was looming.
"Whether there will be new measures going forward, that should be discussed by the Security Council and consensus needs to be formed," Wang told a news briefing.
The foreign minister said China opposes the missile launch, which he said violated the non-proliferation treaty.
He urged for a resumption of long-dormant negotiations and urged all parties to avoid actions that "may further escalate tensions".
"A very important part of Security Council resolutions -- which is also a consensus of the Security Council members -- is that we should continue to stick to peaceful and diplomatic means to resolve this issue," Wang said.
He spoke at a briefing ahead of next week's BRICS summit hosted by China, which also includes Security Council member Russia along with Brazil, India and South Africa.
Later on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying criticised the actions of "relevant parties" who say China should step up pressure on North Korea.
Washington has pressed Beijing to do more to rein in Pyongyang.
"They only pay attention to sanctions and pressure, and ignore peace talks... When we promote peace talks, they ignore this," Hua said at a regular press briefing.
"You will reap what you sow... The parties directly concerned should take responsibility," Hua added.
Defending his controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, Duterte claimed that people in France were presumed guilty unless proven innocent
France on Wednesday became embroiled in a dispute with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte over his deadly war on drugs as it stressed the importance of human rights and the rule of law.
The French embassy released a statement emphasising respect for human rights as it rejected comments by Duterte that people in France were presumed guilty until proven innocent.
"We have to point out that, as in the Philippines, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is at the core of the French judicial system, based on the principles enshrined in the French Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of August 26, 1789," the statement said.
"France strongly believes in the importance of the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights in all countries, including the Philippines."
In a press conference on Monday, Duterte had reacted angrily to comments by the United Nations' special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, about the alleged murder by police of a 17-year-old boy as part of the drug war.
On her Twitter account, Callamard condemned the killing as "murder" and called for an investigation, saying the boy's death should be the last.
Duterte, who frequently uses coarse language particularly against critics of his drug war, lashed out at her personally.
"Daughter of a whore, tell her! Don't she dare scare me, daughter of a whore. She's an idiot! Where is that crazy person from?"
Upon learning she was French, Duterte said people in France were presumed guilty unless proven innocent. "Even in her own place, that happens. She's an idiot," he said.
"In their place, they can detain a person almost indefinitely under the French law. And the French law says you are guilty and you have to prove your innocence. That's how it works."
Duterte, 72, easily won presidential elections last year after promising to wipe out drugs in the country by waging an unprecedented crackdown in which tens of thousands of people would die.
Since he came to office 14 months ago, police have reported killing about 3,500 people in anti-drug operations.
More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes and thousands more murdered in unexplained circumstances, according to police data.
The United Nations, the United States and the European Union have condemned alleged rights abuses in Duterte's drug war, while rights groups have warned he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.
Duterte said last year he would be "happy to slaughter" three million addicts to fix the drug problem.
After France released its statement on Wednesday, Duterte made an evening speech in Manila in which he accused French and other European governments of not understanding the Philippine justice system.
"Our revised penal code is retribution. It is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That is the basic law of the jungle. If you violate and kill, you pay with your life," Duterte said.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of mission at the French embassy, Laurent Legodec, reinforced the message of the statement and called for all deaths in the drug war to be investigated.
"Of course we are concerned by what's going on," Legodec told AFP when asked about the death of the 17-year-old.
"The best I can say is that every loss of life, for whatever reason, is always a tragedy."
The Nagasaki survivor whose burned back became a symbol of the suffering of the 1945 atomic bomb victims, has died of cancer aged 88.
Sumiteru Taniguchi, then 16, had been delivering mail on his newspaper route when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on August 9, 1945.
Taniguchi survived, but suffered terrible burns on his back and arms, and later became a prominent nuclear disarmament campaigner.
Survivor: Sumiteru Taniguchi, pictured showing a photo of himself taken in 1946, six months after the bomb in Nagasaki, died of cancer Wednesday aged 88
In January 1946, a U.S. Marine photographer visited a hospital for survivor, and took a photograph of him lying on his stomach, his back exposed.
The photograph has since been used for decades to depict the injuries suffered by those who survived Nagasaki.
Taniguchi, once considered a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize, died of cancer at a hospital in the southwestern Japanese city on Wednesday. His health had declined in the last few years from age and illnesses.
Speaking at a commemoration ceremony in 2015, he described how he had been riding his bicycle about one 1.1 miles from the epicentre of the blast on the morning of August 9, 1945.
'All of a sudden, after seeing a rainbow-like light from the back, I was blown by a powerful blast and smashed to the ground.
Mr Taniguchi, a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, shows his back with scars of burns from the atomic bomb explosion
'When I woke up, the skin of my left arm from the shoulder to the tip of my fingers was trailing like a rag.
'I put my hand to my back and found my clothing was gone, and there was slimy, burnt skin all over my hand.
'Bodies burned black, voices calling for help from collapsed buildings, people with flesh falling off and their guts falling out... This place became a sea of fire. It was hell.'
He became one of the few early faces of the bombing aftermath when US military pictures of him recovering in hospital, his entire back an agonising slab of melted flesh, were beamed around the world.
Sumiteru Taniguchi (R) with the then-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2010
Taniguchi could only lie on his stomach for nearly two years as he was treated for the burns that exposed flesh and bones. He later formed a survivors' group and subsequently led a national effort against nuclear proliferation.
In an interview with the Associated Press two years ago, he peeled his undershirt off to show his scars, to describe his painful past and tell the world the tragedy should never be repeated.
He said he wanted no-one else to have to suffer the pain of nuclear weapons.
Taniguchi, who spent about three-and-a-half years in hospital after the blast, went on to campaign for nuclear disarmament for his entire adult life, making dozens of speeches both in Japan and overseas about his experience.
'I fear that people, especially the younger generations, are beginning to lose interest,' he said in a 2003 interview with AFP.
'I want the younger generations to remember that nuclear weapons will never save humanity. It is an illusion to believe that the nuclear umbrella will protect us.'
The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 140,000 people.
The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure.
Three days later the US dropped a plutonium bomb on the port city of Nagasaki, killing some 74,000 people.
In a video message in July, Mr Taniguchi welcomed the UN nuclear weapons prohibition treaty, but expressed concerns about the declining population of the survivors, known in Japan as hibakusha.
"I wonder what the world will be like when it loses the last atomic bombing survivor," he said.
A former Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officer is facing federal charges accusing him of coercing a woman into having sex and then lying about it to investigators.
During an arraignment on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Billings, Dana Michael Bullcoming, 42, of Lame Deer, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with deprivation of rights and two counts of false statements to a federal officer.
Federal prosecutor Jeffrey Starnes of Great Falls alleged in the indictment that on Oct. 31, 2015, at Lame Deer, Bullcoming, while acting under color of law, coerced a victim into sexual intercourse with him under threat of arrest if she refused. The coerced sexual activity injured the victim, the prosecutor said.
Bullcoming, while acting under color of law, deprived the victim of Constitutional rights, including to not be deprived of liberty without due process, and the right to bodily integrity, the indictment said.
Prosecutors also allege Bullcoming lied in February 2016 when he told FBI investigators that he did not have any contact with the victim on Oct. 31, 2015, and had never in his life had sexual relations with (the victim).
If convicted, Bullcoming faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the rights charge and a maximum eight years and a $250,000 fine on the false statement charges.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan continued Bullcomings release. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
Thaksin Shinawatra fled overseas in 2008, two years after a military coup toppled him, to escape a graft conviction he says was politically motivated
Fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra hit out at "tyranny" on Wednesday via a cryptic tweet quoting a French Enlightenment thinker, in his first comments since his sister fled overseas.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who like her brother was ousted from the post of prime minister by a coup, dramatically disappeared before a court was about to deliver judgement in a criminal negligence trial.
Party and junta sources say she went to join her brother, who lives in self-exile in Dubai.
On Wednesday Thaksin broke a long public silence, issuing tweets in both English and Thai that quoted 18th century French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu.
"Montesquieu once said 'There is no crueller tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice'," he wrote on his Twitter account.
It is the first time Thaksin has used Twitter in more than two years, in an apparent swipe at the military rulers who forced him out of office in 2006 and toppled his sister's administration in 2014.
The message quickly went viral on Thai social media and was retweeted more than 4,000 times within five hours.
One striking endorsement came from Princess Ubolratana, the oldest daughter of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thaksin's youngest daughter Paetongtarn reposted her father's tweet on her Instagram page under which Princess Ubolratana wrote: "I agree!!! Su Su". (Su means "fight" in Thai).
Yingluck faced up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from politics had she been convicted by the Supreme Court last Friday. But she failed to appear, forcing the court to delay its ruling and issue a warrant for her arrest.
Thaksin fled overseas in 2008, two years after the coup that toppled him, to escape a graft conviction he says was politically motivated.
"That tweet after so long reflects Thaksin's anger," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former Thai diplomat and an academic at Kyoto University.
"I suspect Yingluck and Thaksin will continue to find a political space in Thailand (from overseas)... they want to take revenge" on their enemies, he added.
The Shinawatra political dynasty began under Thaksin in 2001 with a series of groundbreaking welfare schemes that won them votes and the loyalty of the rural poor.
But their popularity rattled the royalist and army-aligned elite, who assailed successive governments linked to the clan with coups, court cases and protests.
The period since the first coup has been dubbed the "Lost Decade", with frequent deadly street protests, short-lived governments and the return of entrenched military rule.
At least 18,500 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh since fighting erupted in Myanmar's neighbouring Rakhine state six days ago, the International Organization for Migration revealed today.
Plumes of smoke billowed from several burning villages in the worst-hit section of the state, as the violence showed little sign of abating despite security sweeps by Myanmar's police and troops.
The streets of Maungdaw - northern Rakhine's largest town - were virtually deserted as fires flickered among charred remains of houses and occasional burst of gunfire echoed in the distance.
Smoke rises from what is believed to be a burning village near Maungdaw in Myanmar's Rakhine state
Myanmar policemen carry an injured border guard police (centre) as he arrives to the Sittwe port in Rakhine State
The clashes began on Friday when militants from Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority community staged deadly attacks on police posts, prompting raids on the community and searches by troops and police.
At least 110 people, including 11 state officials, have been confirmed dead since then and thousands of Rohingya have poured across the border to Bangladesh despite Dhaka's attempts to stop them.
'As of last night, 18,500 people have come across,' Chris Lom, the IOM's Asia-Pacific spokesman said, adding an unknown number were still stuck on the Myanmar side of the border.
An estimated 6,000 Rohingya on Tuesday massed at the 'zero line' border with Bangladesh, days after the area came under mortar and machine gun fire by Myanmar security forces.
The Rohingya, the world's largest stateless minority and subject to severe restrictions on their movements, are barred from officially crossing.
Bangladeshi authorities on Wednesday toughened patrols in a bid to prevent more arrivals in a country that already hosts an estimated 400,000 Rohingya, albeit in abject conditions.
The Rohingya, the world's largest stateless minority and subject to severe restrictions on their movements, are barred from officially crossing
Myanmar police officers in rain coats patrol on a road in the etnic Rakhine village of ChainKharLi, an area close to fighting at Rathedaung township of northern Rakhine State
Rohingya have sneaked across the land border in large number or swum the Naf River which marks part of the frontier.
But tragedy befell some of them. The bodies of two Rohingya women and two children washed up on Bangladeshi soil on Wednesday, an official there said, drowned after their rickety boat capsized.
Scores more were found alive on the remote Bangladeshi island of St Martin's, according to coastguards there, after taking a risky passage on barely seaworthy vessels.
Khadija Begum, a Rohingya woman from Rathedaung, was detained on arrival by Bangladeshi officials.
'We thought it would be easier to face the sea than the (Myanmar) army,' she said.
Myanmar policemen carry an injured border guard police (centre) as he arrives to the Sittwe port
According to a statement by the Myanmar Armed Forces, at least 32 people, including 11 law enforcement officials, were killed on August 25
Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other tribal groups are also among the dead and displaced after allegedly being targeted by Rohingya militants.
Five ethnic Buddhist men were found stabbed to death earlier today in Maungdaw, which is under curfew, Ye Htut, the town's district chief said.
With information trickling out, a picture has emerged of a cat-and-mouse game between militants and security forces played out in remote hamlets, fields and forest hideouts.
The office of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said militants have repeatedly detonated homemade explosives and tried to firebomb police posts and ambush patrols.
Displaced Rakhine ethnic people from Maungdaw township arrive to the Sittwe port
Myanmar classes the militants as 'Bengali terrorists' and accuses them of setting fire both to Rohingya homes and those of other communities.
Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh have told a different story, saying their homes had been set on fire by police, troops and Buddhist mobs.
A Rohingya villager near the town of Maungdaw, speaking on condition of anonymity, said residents fled his hamlet as security forces approached and torched their homes.
'Villagers are running away. Where do we have to live now?' the villager said.
Rakhine has been beset by religious violence since 2012 but analysts say the emergence of organised militancy is a game-changer.
Displaced Rohingya reaching Bangladesh have said some men are heeding a call to arms by the militants and staying behind to fight in their villages.
The Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) claims its men launched Friday's surprise attacks on police posts, killing 11 state officials, with knives, homemade explosives and a few guns.
Rohingya refugees in a Bangladesh camp
After years in which the Rohingya largely avoided violence, the group emerged last October to carry out deadly attacks on police posts.
That prompted a months-long security crackdown by Myanmar's army which left scores dead and forced 87,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.
The Pope and the UN are among those urging Myanmar to protect Rohingya civilians from the latest violence.
With pressure mounting, a Myanmar government official on Tuesday said security forces would use 'maximum restraint' in coming days but insisted on the country's right to defend itself from 'terrorists'.
Supporters of controversial activist Kemi Seba celebrate his acquital on charges of burning a CFA banknote outside a court in Senegal's capital Dakar, one wearing a t-shirt reading: 'Down with the CFA franc'
A controversial West African activist who was arrested in Senegal for burning a bank note in an anti-colonial protest over the regional CFA franc has been acquitted by a Dakar court.
Kemi Seba, born in France to parents from Benin, was arrested at his home in the Senegalese capital on Friday following an incident on August 19 in which he burned 5,000 CFA -- a banknote worth 7.6 euros ($9.10).
He was detained following a complaint by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) on charges of "destroying a banknote" and held in pre-trial custody, appearing in court on Tuesday.
The bank is responsible for issuing the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro and used in eight West African countries in the region, six of which are former French colonies. A similar currency of the same name is used by six states in central Africa.
Following more than two hours of sometimes stormy debate, the judge acquitted him along with another supporter who was accused of handing him a lighter. The prosecution had pushed for a three-month suspended sentence.
Addressing the court, Seba said it was a "symbolic" act during a demonstration aimed at "exposing the wrongs of FranceAfrique" -- a term referring to the murky post-colonial relationship France maintains with African countries it once ruled.
The 35-year-old, whose real name is Stellio Capo Chichi, has in recent years organised many demonstrations against the CFA franc, which his Facebook page describes as "an economic and political scandal of the colonial establishment which is killing our people".
- 'Plundering an entire continent' -
Outside the court, around 100 of his supporters broke into loud cheers on hearing the verdict, shouting "Down with FranceAfrique" and "Down with the CFA franc".
Kemi Seba, whose real name is Capo Chichi, has organised many demonstrations against the CFA franc which his Facebook page describes as "an economic and political scandal of the colonial establishment"
"Those who should be in prison are those who have been starving and plundering an entire continent for centuries," said Hery Djehuty, who helps run Urgences Panafricanistes, a Dakar-based charity set up by Seba.
"It is the youth who are bringing the issue to the table, who want Africa to be able to decide its own fate, its future and its economic policy and that it not be in the hands of a third party or foreign power like France," he said.
Seba is no stranger to brushes with the law -- particularly in France where two groups he founded, Tribu K and Jeunesse Kemi Saba, were banned for "racist and anti-Semitic" ideology.
He has also acknowledged being friends with controversial French comedian Dieudonne who has been convicted for racist and anti-Semitic remarks.
Women hold up placards during the protest in Kuala Lumpur
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in Malaysia on Wednesday in support of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority after renewed violence forced thousands to flee the country.
Fresh fighting broke out in Rakhine state last week between security forces and Rohingya militants after the militants staged raids on police posts.
The violence is still raging, and at least 110 people are so far confirmed dead while at least 18,500 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Fighting in Rakhine often prompts anger in Muslim-majority Malaysia. On Wednesday about 1,000 protesters -- most of whom were believed to be Rohingya -- gathered near a major road in Kuala Lumpur calling for an end to violence against the minority.
Some of the demonstrators wept and claimed that their families were being killed, while others waved banners that read "Stop Rohingya genocide" and "Save Rohingya".
The demonstration was peaceful but about 20 protesters were arrested for alleged immigration offences.
A smaller protest was also held outside the Myanmar embassy.
"We are demanding (Myanmar) stops this violence against the Rohingya," said Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, leading the embassy group.
There are almost 60,000 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, according to the United Nations, where they form part of a large workforce of immigrants doing low-skilled jobs spurned by locals in the relatively affluent country.
Persecution of the Rohingya, reviled as illegal immigrants by the majority Buddhist population in Myanmar, has caused much anger in Malaysia and across the Muslim world.
Syrian regime forces have been battling to oust the Islamic State group from strongholds in the country's north
Fierce fighting between Syrian government forces and the Islamic State group has killed 64 combatants in Raqa province over a 24-hour period, a monitoring group said Wednesday.
The clashes come with the army pressing an advance through Raqa, in northern Syria, towards neighbouring Deir Ezzor, the only remaining province of the war-ravaged country still in the hands of IS jihadists.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the fighting had claimed the lives of 38 jihadists and 26 pro-regime combatants since Tuesday morning.
It takes to 145 the overall death toll in six days of fighting in villages on the banks of the Euphrates River in the east of Raqa province, near Deir Ezzor.
IS said in a statement on Tuesday that its members had killed dozens of regime combatants in "intense fighting lasting hours".
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that the regime was fighting to secure a foothold in Raqa province "in order to advance in Deir Ezzor".
The jihadists have laid seige to government forces and civilians in the provincial capital of Deir Ezzor since 2015.
Earlier this month, government troops and allied fighters arrived at the outskirts of Madan, the last IS-held town in the countryside of eastern Raqa province before Deir Ezzor.
But IS launched a counterattack last week that pushed the regime forces back, and fighting has since continued.
The Syria army operation in the area, backed by air support from ally Russia, is separate from the battle for provincial capital Raqa city.
The effort to oust IS from the city is being led by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.
Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, faces a key test at national polls next year with the main opposition party gaining in popularity amid mounting anger over corruption and inequality
Cambodia's strongman premier handed out cash to hundreds of pregnant garment factory workers on Wednesday, launching a policy charm offensive on an industry that has often clashed with his government over working conditions and pay.
Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than three decades, faces a key test at national polls next year with the main opposition party gaining in popularity amid mounting anger over corruption and inequality.
During a speech to more than 10,000 garment workers on Wednesday, he announced a raft of new benefits for employees, including a commitment to annual pay rises.
The monthly minimum wage for garment workers, currently $153, "won't be lower than $160" in 2018, he said, adding "the salary will be increased every year".
Employers will be ordered to pay for health insurance while all garment workers will receive free medical check-ups and treatment at state-run hospitals from January.
He also promised a guaranteed pension for the workers from 2019 and said they could travel on public buses for free for two years.
Political analyst Meas Ny said Hun Sen saw the garment sector as a vote bank which was sympathetic to the opposition.
"It is a new strategy to capture their support back," he told AFP.
Hun Sen, 65, has ruled Cambodia for 32 years, tolerating little dissent and skillfully wielding the courts against his opponents.
He portrays himself as the only man who can guarantee peace and stability in the war-ravaged nation but detractors say corruption and rights abuses have become endemic under his rule.
At the end of his speech, Hun Sen donated $5 to each worker attending the gathering and personally handed an envelope of cash to hundreds of pregnant women.
More than 740,000 workers provide the backbone of Cambodia's $7 billion textile industry, which supplies brands including Gap, Nike and H&M.
They have been at the forefront of labour protests or strikes for higher wages and have faced several crackdowns by Cambodian authorities.
Garment workers joined the opposition party's mass public rallies both before and after the disputed election in 2013.
Last week, Cambodia closed a prominent American NGO and ordered its foreign staff to leave the country, the latest salvo by the government against perceived critics.
This photo taken on June 25, 2014 shows Jordanian security forces standing guard at the Al-Karameh border point with Iraq
Jordan and Iraq on Wednesday reopened their only border crossing, saying security had been restored three years after the Islamic State group seized control of frontier areas.
In a joint statement, the two countries' governments said the crossing, called Turaibil in Iraq and Al-Karameh in Jordan, was reopened after it was "secured... against attacks by criminal gangs".
The border crossing is part of a crucial route linking the Iraqi and Jordanian capitals, and its reopening comes after Iraqi forces managed to retake most of the territory seized by IS in 2014.
The route passes through the vast desert province of Anbar, where IS maintains some of its last bastions, including the towns of Rawa, Aanah and Al-Qaim, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the border post.
The reopening of the post is a sign of increasing stability in the area and the restoration of commercial traffic will be important for the economies of both countries.
Issa Murad, the chairman of the Amman chamber of commerce, said the closure of the crossing had led to more than $1 billion in export losses and forced the closure of many factories.
Adel al-Massudi, head of international affairs at Iraq's commerce ministry, said the reopening of the crossing would namely have a "positive effect on the prices of cars".
Until 2014, Jordan was the gateway for car exports to Iraq.
Massudi told AFP he expected Iraq to resume importing goods from Europe through Turaibil and use it to export products including oil.
The post is 370 kilometres (230 miles) from Amman and 570 kilometres (350 miles) from Baghdad.
Iraq is bordered by Jordan and Syria to the west, Iran to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south.
The interior ministers of Jordan and Iraq, Ghaleb Zohbi and Qassem al-Araji, said in separate statements that the reopening of Turaibil was also a victory over "terrorism".
"The reopening of this vital crossing signifies the will to confront terrorism... and our determination to restore life to its normal course in this area," Zohbi said.
His Iraqi counterpart added: "Terrorism wanted to shut this crossing, as if to say we are ending life... but we want life and hope to persist."
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UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday made his first visit to Gaza since taking office, as international concern grows over electricity shortages and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory.
Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, welcomed the trip, calling it an "important visit," but small demonstrations also occurred.
At one protest, around 25 people held a fake coffin with a sign that said "Welcome to the largest prison in the world".
Dozens of people also demonstrated as Guterres's convoy crossed the border with Israel into Gaza, calling for action in support of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Guterres, who held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday, was to visit a school in the strip run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
Hamas called on Guterres to make "all efforts to lift the siege on the strip and end the suffering for two million Palestinians living in the largest prison in the world."
The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade for a decade, while its sole crossing with Egypt has also been largely closed in recent years.
At least 70 percent of Gazans are dependent upon international aid. UNRWA plays a major role in the strip, with the same percentage of the population classified as refugees.
Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, and Israel says the blockade is necessary to keep Hamas from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used to make them.
The blockade also serves to isolate the Islamist movement.
UN officials have however called for the blockade to be lifted, saying the enclave is fast becoming unliveable, with sparse electricity and a lack of clean water.
Before crossing into the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials gave Guterres a tour of the Gaza border area and he was shown a tunnel crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
Such tunnels, used by Hamas for attacks in the past, are a major concern for Israel.
Guterres, who took office at the start of the year, was later due to give a speech in Tel Aviv before departing following his three-day visit.
Pilgrims pray at Mecca's Grand Mosque on August 29, 2017 on the eve of the hajj
More than two million Muslims from around the world began the hajj pilgrimage at Islam's holiest sites Wednesday, a religious duty and a multi-stage spiritual journey.
This year sees pilgrims from Shiite Iran return to Mecca in Saudi Arabia after a hiatus following a diplomatic spat between the regional rivals and a deadly stampede in 2015.
It also comes with the Gulf mired in a major political crisis that has seen thousands of faithful who would usually make the journey from neighbouring Qatar stay away.
On the esplanade of Mecca's Grand Mosque, the excitement was palpable as crowds from all four corners of the world gathered for a pilgrimage that all able Muslims are required to perform at least once in their lives.
The hajj
Tidjani Traore, a public service consultant from Benin, said he was on his 22nd pilgrimage at the age of 53.
"Every time, there are new emotions," he said. "There are new innovations for organising and hosting the pilgrims. Now, for example, the tents are air-conditioned."
Wearing the simple garb of the pilgrim, the faithful waited at dawn with their suitcases for buses to take them to Mina five kilometres (three miles) to the east.
There, hundreds of thousands were gathering before they set off on Thursday at dawn to climb Mount Arafat, the pinnacle of the hajj.
In the midst of a hot desert breeze, the first arrivals prepared to spend the night in tents on the plain below Mount Arafat.
"I will spend the evening in prayer before we climb up the mountain for the dawn prayer," said a 72-year-old Tunisian woman, stretched out on a mattress.
- Tight security -
Muslim pilgrims walk and pray on Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), southeast of the Saudi holy city of Mecca, on the eve of Arafat Day which is the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on August 30, 2017
Earlier in Mecca, the pilgrims performed a ritual walk known as the tawaf seven times around the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a heavy silk cloth embroidered in gold with Koranic verses at the centre of Mecca's Grand Mosque.
The shrine is the point towards which Muslims around the world pray.
Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at Mecca's Grand Mosque on August 29, 2017
"I still have to finish the tawaf!" said a breathless Nour, 30, from Saudi Arabia as she rushed past without stopping.
Sitting on a folding chair in the middle of the esplanade, Risvana cradled her six-month-old baby accompanying her on the pilgrimage.
"I've planned everything for him," said the young mother, pointing to a bottle of water in her bag.
Saudi authorities have mobilised vast resources including more than 100,000 security personnel to avoid a repeat of the stampede in 2015 in which nearly 2,300 people were killed.
Iran alone reported 464 deaths -- the highest toll among foreigners.
A young girl looks on as Muslims pray at Mecca's Grand Mosque on August 29, 2017 on the eve of the hajj pilgrimage
Riyadh and Tehran cut ties months later, after the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia sparked attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
Iranian pilgrims were absent from last year's hajj for the first time in decades after the regional rivals failed to agree on security and logistics.
This year's pilgrimage comes amid a diplomatic crisis between a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries and Qatar, accused of supporting extremist groups and being too close to Riyadh's arch-rival Tehran.
A blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5 has seen sea and air links shut down, preventing many Qataris from making the hajj.
- Years of anticipation -
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mecca's Grand Mosque on August 29, 2017 on the eve of the annual hajj pilgrimage
Although Saudi Arabia relaxed entry restrictions across its land border with the emirate two weeks before the hajj, Qatar said only a few dozen of its nationals were able to join the pilgrimage.
This year, the colossal religious gathering comes with the Islamic State group under growing military pressure having lost swathes of territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria.
But the jihadist group continues to claim attacks in the Middle East and Europe.
For the hajj, one of the world's largest annual gatherings, tens of thousands of air-conditioned tents have been set up in Mina to house pilgrims, and more than 700 Saudi cooks recruited to feed the faithful.
On the esplanade of the Grand Mosque, authorities had placed misting fans to take the edge off the intense heat.
On the eve of the first rites of the pilgrimage, the walkways thronged with people and the smell of musk wafted through the air.
A few paces from the Kaaba, Egyptian pilgrim Fathiya Taha could not hide her joy.
At 67 the oldest in her group, she sat in her wheelchair in Islam's most holy spot.
"I've been looking forward to this pilgrimage for four years," she said.
Saudi Arabia's immigration department said women this year accounted for 46 percent of the foreign arrivals for the hajj.
Religious tourism is part of the oil-rich country's "Vision 2030" plan to boost the economy in an era of low oil prices.
A federal jury in Billings this week convicted a Pryor man of sexually abusing a minor.
The panel found Sidney Charles Decrane, 40, guilty on all three counts in an indictment that charged him with abusive sexual contact with a minor, attempted sexual abuse of a minor and attempted sexual abuse, court records said.
Prosecutors accused Decrane of engaging in sexual contact with a person in Pryor who was between the ages of 12 and 16 on May 14, 2016.
The trial began Monday, and U.S. District Judge Susan Watters will set a sentencing date.
Decrane faces a maximum two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the abusive sexual contact count.
A Muslim pilgrim takes a selfie at the Grand Mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca, early on August 30, 2017, on the eve of the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage
Arm outstretched, Abdul Rahman sweeps his mobile phone across the vista of Mecca, the Great Mosque dazzling in the sun, so his son in Tanzania can experience the pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites.
He may be thousands of kilometres (miles) away and on another continent, but thanks to his father's smartphone and video sharing app, 18-year-old Nabil might as well be standing right next to him.
"Some day I hope I can make the pilgrimage," he says on the screen, his father wearing a broad smile.
Abdul Rahman is one of the more than 1.7 million foreign pilgrims travelling to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for this year's hajj, which began on Wednesday.
For the faithful it is a deeply spiritual journey, which for centuries every capable Muslim has been required to make at least once in their lifetime.
In the age of smartphones, social media and live video streaming, it's now also an experience to be shared in real time.
"I'm showing him live... how happy we are, how lucky we are," Abdul Rahman tells AFP, showing off imo, the application he uses for video calls.
Across the holy city, pilgrims from around the world can be seen with their arms extended, showing off their surroundings to friends and family back home.
Travel agencies in charge of organising trips to the hajj are now offering packages that include mobile internet so they can avoid roaming fees.
In a shopping centre where the faithful flock to buy souvenirs, one pilgrim is scanning the images on his phone.
- Which effect to choose? -
Muslim pilgrims gather at the Grand mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca early on August 30, 2017 during the annual Hajj pilgrimage
He stops at a selfie and hesitates -- what effect to choose, black-and-white or retro? He puts it away when the call to prayer sounds and the pilgrims roll out their carpets between escalators and boutiques to pray.
Later, on an upper floor of the shopping centre, Mohammed Ismaelzad, a 26-year-old pilgrim from Mali, is looking over the images on his phone, deciding which ones to post on his Instagram or Facebook accounts.
He has photographs of Mecca's Masjid al-Haram -- the Grand Mosque that is the largest in the world -- and of the Kaaba, the black masonry cube at its centre. He has video of the Tawaf, when pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times counter-clockwise, and more pictures of the mass prayers.
They will not only provide memories of his trip, Ismaelzad says, but give others the chance to see it.
"My friends in my country... can't come here, so they can see the pictures," he says, a black-and-white keffiyeh scarf wrapped around his neck.
"They just see on TV, but with my pictures they will see another angle, like from my angle when I do the prayers."
A Muslim pilgrim takes a selfie at the Grand Mosque in the holy Saudi city of Mecca, early on August 30, 2017, on the eve of the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage
As night falls, pilgrims gather on the esplanade of the Grand Mosque to mingle, like cousins Mohammed and Abdelaziz Zahran, aged 19 and 20.
"You can see all sorts of nationalities, you mix with people, sometimes we try to talk to them," Abdelaziz says. And of course they snap pictures of their meetings on their mobile phones.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes the had of his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha on August 30, 2017
Two of the world's largest energy producers, Qatar and Russia, on Wednesday vowed to increase trade ties at a time when the emirate is facing an economic boycott from neighbouring states.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the commitment after a "lengthy" meeting in Doha with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and before that, the country's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
"We are committed to bolstering trade and economic ties," Lavrov told reporters afterwards.
He added that Moscow "attached great importance" to economic cooperation, including energy, between the two countries, a sentiment echoed by Sheikh Mohammed.
Russia and Qatar are two of the world's top four gas producing countries.
Both are also major oil producers, and last year Qatar spent billions on taking a stake in Russia's state-controlled oil company, Rosneft.
Qatar has turned to expanding its economic ties after a group of countries led by Saudi-Arabia and United Arab Emirates cut off political and trade links with Doha on June 5, initiating the Gulf's worst political crisis in years.
The bloc accuses Qatar of supporting extremism, a charge the emirate denies.
On the crisis itself, Sheikh Mohammed said there had been little change and accused Saudi and others of ignoring Qatari calls for dialogue.
"Now we have reached 90 days of the crisis we are still in the same position," he said.
"We haven't seen any change or development in reaching the end of the crisis."
He accused Saudi Arabia and its partners of ignoring "on at least 12 different occasions" Qatari calls for talks on resolving the diplomatic impasse.
Lavrov -- who has also visited Kuwait and the UAE as part of his Middle East tour -- called for all parties to find a solution.
He said the disputing countries should work with regional mediators Kuwait to resolve the crisis.
"We are convinced that there's a need to seek a solution by searching for mutually beneficial approaches through dialect," said the Russian foreign minister.
"It's in our interests for the GCC to be united and strong," he said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Supporters of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan hold a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on July 8, 2017
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday condemned the recent white supremacist rally in the United States as well as "political figures who exploit fear to win votes".
Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, the UN chief hit out at xenophobia and racism.
"The internet and social media are filled with hate speech and anti-Semitic imagery. And we hear on the streets of democratic societies the repeat of some of the most vile Nazi chants and charges.
"Just a few weeks ago 'blood and soil,' or 'the Jews will not replace us'," Guterres said, referring to neo-Nazi rallies in the US city of Charlottesville.
"Today anti-Semitism, along with racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of intolerance are being triggered by populism and by political figures who exploit fear to win votes," he added in a speech in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv.
Guterres did not mention any politicians by name.
US President Donald Trump has been criticised in recent weeks for his response to the events in Charlottesville, where a woman was killed after an avowed white supremacist rammed his car into a group of anti-racism counter-protesters.
Many of the neo-Nazi attendees expressed support for Trump and his criticism of bigotry and hatred on "many sides" has come under fire.
The Irish rock band U2 U2 is releasing the new music tracks as it tours North America to mark the 30th anniversary of "The Joshua Tree," generally considered its definitive album
U2 was set Wednesday to start releasing music from its latest album, months after deciding to go back to the studio and rethink its tone following Donald Trump's shock election.
The Irish rock legends said that "The Blackout," a track off their 14th studio album "Songs of Experience," would come out later Wednesday.
The track, however, will not be considered the lead single from the album. That will be "You're the Best Thing About Me," which U2 said in social media posts would come out on September 6.
"Songs of Experience," whose release date has not been announced, is a sequel with apparently grown-up themes to 2014's "Songs of Innocence," which reflected heavily on frontman Bono's childhood in suburban Dublin.
The latest album is set for a more conventional release after U2 acknowledged its strategy backfired in 2014 when Apple, as part of a product promotion, sent "Songs of Innocence" to all one-half billion iTunes accounts around the world -- whether users wanted to hear U2 or not.
The band, known for its advocacy of civil rights, said it completed most of "Songs of Experience" last year but decided to return to work after Trump stunned the world by winning the White House.
"Most of it was written in the early part of 2016, and now, as I think you'd agree, the world is a different place," guitarist The Edge told Rolling Stone earlier this year.
"It's like a pendulum has suddenly just taken a huge swing in the other direction," he said.
Bono, in a separate interview with the magazine, said that U2 was also trying to cut down the size of the album and saw a value in returning to the studio to fine-tune its performance.
U2 is releasing the new songs as the band tours North America to mark the 30th anniversary of "The Joshua Tree," generally considered its definitive album.
"The Joshua Tree" reached into the roots of both Irish and American music and took on a political edge, with Bono addressing political violence and US support for Latin American dictatorships under Ronald Reagan.
Employees of Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera are seen at their Jerusalem office on July 31, 2017
Israeli authorities said Wednesday they had decided not to revoke the credentials of a journalist for Al-Jazeera over comments that his work was part of the Palestinian "resistance."
Elias Karram's reports will instead be monitored for six months with the possibility of revoking his credentials later, Israel's government press office said.
Israeli authorities had earlier moved to revoke Karram's press credentials after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that he wanted to expel the Qatari broadcaster from the country, accusing it of inciting violence.
His comments raised concerns among free press advocates, with Amnesty International saying Israel's move against the broadcaster was a "brazen attack on media freedom".
Authorities said on August 16 they were moving to revoke Karram's credentials pending a hearing, which was held five days later.
The government press office distributed video of an interview last year in which the 40-year-old Arab Israeli journalist called his work an "integral part" of Palestinian resistance to Israel's occupation.
During the hearing, Karram said "he had no intention of supporting or expressing sympathy for armed resistance," according to the press office.
"The 'resistance' he spoke of was not violent, but rather through the pen, the word and the camera. According to him, 'the resistance means only media exposure to the reality of the Palestinian people living under occupation. I did not adopt, call for or incite to resistance of any kind.'"
Karram also said in the hearing that he never mixes opinion with his reporting, according to the press office.
"In light of his unequivocal remarks, the government press office has decided not to immediately revoke Karram's (press) card, and in the next six months to monitor his reports in Al-Jazeera in order to ensure that his clear statements are reflected in his actual journalistic work and were not mere words," it said.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the August 8 poll winner with 54.27 percent to 44.74 for challenger Raila Odinga and the Supreme Court will rule Friday if a re-run is needed
Kenya's Supreme Court this week completed two days of hearings during which the opposition alleged fraud it claims handed victory to President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 8 poll.
On Friday the court's seven judges will rule on whether the election should be annulled and rerun, as the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) demanded, or the vote and result should stand, as the election commission and Kenyatta contended.
The country is on tenterhooks as it awaits the result, here's why.
- How did elections go? -
Election day was calm with more than 15.5 million Kenyans voting for president, governors, senators, parliamentarians, local assembly members and women's representatives.
The overwhelming majority of international observers welcomed the successful holding of the elections.
The presidential election -- preceded by an acrimonious campaign and the murder of the IT manager at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) -- pitted incumbent President Kenyatta against Raila Odinga, who had run unsuccessfully three times in the past.
As initial votes were being counted in the early hours of August 9 the opposition cried foul, alleging hacking and rigging were resulting in a false tally favouring Kenyatta.
The August 11 declaration of Kenyatta's victory with 54.27 percent of the votes, against 44.74 percent for Odinga, was followed by two days of demonstrations and riots in the slums of Nairobi and in the western city of Kisumu, traditional opposition strongholds.
At least 21 people, including a baby and a nine-year-old girl, were killed on 11 and 12 August, mostly by police, according to an AFP tally.
Post-poll unrest killed at least 21 but has not been on the scale of the ethnic violence which left more than 1,100 dead after the disputed 2007 election
The violence, however, has fallen far short of the politically-motivated ethnic violence that left more than 1,100 dead following the disputed 2007 election.
- What does the opposition want? -
After initially ruling out taking its complaints to court, the opposition in the end asked the Supreme Court to annul the result of the presidential election, filing its petition just hours before the constitutional deadline on August 18.
Opposition lawyers denounced a "litany" of irregularities, accusing the IEBC of having falsified results during the several days it took to publish polling station and constituency tally sheets on its website.
The Supreme Court ordered the opposition lawyers be granted access to IEBC computer servers, documentation, voter identification kits and GPS data. The IEBC failed to abide by all the orders of the court yet opposition lawyer James Orengo claimed the information gathered proved the fraud allegations affecting more than five million votes.
The IEBC denied rigging but acknowledged some "inadvertent errors" that it said would not affect the outcome of the vote.
- What is at stake for Kenya? -
Opposition leader Odinga attended the court hearing in Nairobi after challenging the result which seven judges are now perusing
On Friday the Supreme Court will either validate the election and Kenyatta will be sworn-in a week later for a second five-year term or it will annul the presidential election giving the IEBC 60 days in which to organise a fresh vote.
The response of the losing party -- at the court as at the ballot -- and its supporters will be key to Kenya's short-term stability.
In that respect much will depend on the perceived quality and impartiality of the judges' ruling, which is final and cannot be appealed.
In 2013, the then Supreme Court judges were widely criticised for their rejection of Odinga's case, again alleging fraud.
Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group think tank said the current procedure has been impressive so far with sessions broadcast live on television and with opposing lawyers laying out their arguments with courtesy and clarity.
But, he warned, "even if the quality of the ruling is high, some people will be disappointed" and that can spell trouble in a country where elections routinely put pressure on ethnic and economic fault lines.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Wednesday that there was still room for diplomacy in dealing with North Korea's provocative ballistic missile launches, after President Donald Trump said negotiations were 'not the answer.'
'We're never out of diplomatic solutions,' Mattis said as he went into a meeting with South Korea Defense Minister Song Young-Moo.
'We continue to work together and the minister and I share responsibility to provide for the protection of our nation our populations and our interests, which is what we are here to discuss,' he added.
'We are never complacent.'
The comment came after Pyongyang elevated the crisis over its growing potential nuclear threat with the test launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japanese territory on Tuesday.
'We're never out of diplomatic solutions,' Secretary of Defense James Mattis (left) said as he went into a meeting with South Korea Defense Minister Song Young-Moo (right) at the Pentagon in Washington on Wednesday
Before Mattis spoke, Trump had tweeted: 'The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!'
Before Mattis spoke, Trump had tweeted: 'The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!'
North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nation's launch was a mere 'curtain-raiser,' in the face of UN condemnation and U.S. warnings of severe repercussions.
The Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile unleashed by Pyongyang represented a major escalation of tensions over its weapons programs.
The missile has the potential of reaching the U.S. military base at Guam in the Pacific.
A photo made available by the official North Korean Central News Agency allegedly shows intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket being launched during a drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Tuesday
In July, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that theoretically could carry a nuclear bomb to the continental United States.
After the latest launch, Trump said that 'all options' were on the table, reviving his implied threat of pre-emptive U.S. military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be 'starting to respect us.'
On Tuesday, the UN Security Council - which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang - unanimously condemned the North's 'outrageous' actions, calling them 'not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.'
North Korea must 'abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities,' the Security Council said.
Mattis has not been afraid to flex his independence in recent days.
On Tuesday, Mattis released a statement saying that transgender soldiers currently enlisted in the military may continue to serve while the Pentagon conducts a study of Trump's order to ban them from the armed forces.
Mattis said in a statement released Tuesday that the Pentagon, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, will develop a plan that 'will promote military readiness, lethality and unit cohesion.'
Trump surprised Pentagon leaders in July by announcing via Twitter the ban on transgender people serving 'in any capacity'.
The transgender ban reverses a plan launched by his predecessor Barack Obama that saw the military accept openly transgender recruits.
A day earlier, a video clip of the defense secretary giving a motivational speech to soldiers in Jordan went viral on social media.
Mattis has not been afraid to flex his independence. On Tuesday, Mattis released a statement saying that transgender soldiers currently enlisted in the military may continue to serve. On Monday, video emerged of him talking to soldiers in Jordan and urging them to 'hold the line'
The retired general can be seen asking the service to not let recent political divisions inside the United States distract them from their duty.
'Youre a great example for our country right now and its got problems,' Mattis told the servicemen.
'You know it and I know it. Its got problems we dont have in the military. And you just hold the line, my fine soldiers, and sailors and airmen and Marines.'
'Just hold the line until our country gets back to understanding and respecting each other and showing it,' he added.
A number of people interpreted those remarks as an implicit criticism of Trump, particularly since those comments were made against the backdrop of the aftermath of the race-fueled violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
An anti-racist demonstrator was killed and nearly two dozen others were injured when a suspected neo-Nazi rammed his car into a crowd that gathered to protest a white supremacist rally.
Trump angered many when he refused to issue an unequivocal condemnation of the white supremacists.
Instead, he said 'both sides' were to blame for the violence and that there were 'very fine people' among the white nationalist demonstrators.
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A Moscow deadline for almost two-thirds of US diplomatic staff to leave Russia expires on Friday, an exodus that starkly demonstrates the souring relationship between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
There were hopes of improved ties between Moscow and Washington after Trump's election to the US presidency last year, when both leaders showered each other in praise.
But after the US Congress approved new economic sanctions against Russia over Moscow's alleged meddling in the November election, Putin in July ordered the drastic embassy cuts in retaliation.
Putin said 755 diplomatic staff -- both Russian and American -- would have to stop work by September 1, although the US State Department has not confirmed the number.
The number of US diplomatic staff will now be capped at 455, the same number that Russia has in the United States.
"We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better," Putin said when he announced the cuts.
"But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it's not for any time soon."
Trump only reluctantly signed off on the Congress-backed sanctions, describing them as "significantly flawed" and partially unconstitutional.
"Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low," he tweeted.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Twitter the sanctions demonstrated Trump's "total weakness" and amounted to a "full-fledged trade war".
It is not clear how many of the 755 staff losing their jobs will be physically leaving the country, or how many are Russian citizens. The RBK news site cited sources saying that at least 600 are Russian.
The head of a firm servicing the Russian diplomatic corps, Alexei Izotov, said some former US embassy technical staff are applying for work and "have been added to the database".
- 'It could have been love' -
US President Donald Trump reluctantly signed off on the Congress-backed sanctions, describing them as "significantly flawed"
"It could have been love between Trump and Putin. Hope remained until the latest sanctions were passed but it seems Russian authorities have come to the conclusion that Trump is hopeless," said political analyst Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Centre.
"Neither Putin nor Trump know how to build such a relationship. They don't have a strategy or a real topic of conversation except technical questions about Syria."
While Trump has put a stop to US support for Syrian rebels, to the Kremlin's great satisfaction, he has fundamentally changed his thinking on other contested areas, digging in his heels over the Ukraine conflict, Moscow's annexation of Crimea and NATO's expansion in eastern Europe.
During a trip to Kiev last week, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis vowed to continue helping Ukrainian armed forces as they battle pro-Russian rebel fighters.
Trump himself has stressed his desire to "move forward in working constructively" with Russia, including on cyber security to prevent hacking of future elections. His own team, however, has been sceptical over any moves to draw closer to Moscow.
The United States this month complied with a demand from Moscow to stop using a Russian country house and a storage facility.
The request came as a response to a US move to close access to two compounds used by Russian diplomats last year, a move that caused much bitterness in Moscow.
- 'Total impasse' -
In another retaliatory move, Washington announced it would suspend the issuing of all non-immigrant visas in Russia between August 23 and September 1.
Visa operations at US consulates will remain suspended indefinitely.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the decision "genocide of the common people" in an interview released Monday by independent Dozhd television channel.
"The war of sanctions and counter-sanctions has got a new lease of life," political analyst Kolesnikov said, and sanctions have now become "the only way to demonstrate discontent."
Noting the current state of relations, Moscow has appointed a hawkish new ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, known as a hardliner and a tough negotiator with a deep suspicion of the United States.
"No one pays attention to Trump any more," said Kolesnikov. "All that remains is a battle between the Russian authorities and the US establishment.
"The situation is mired in a total impasse."
Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance towards Al-Ayadieh, the last active front line near the city of Tal Afar, during an operation to expel Islamic State (IS) group jihadists
Iraqi forces have recaptured half of the last town held by the Islamic State group in northern Niniveh province as fierce clashes rage against jihadist fighters, the military said Wednesday.
General Abdelamir Yarallah, head of military operations in the region, said federal police and special units had hoisted the Iraqi flag after having "liberated" the eastern sector of Al-Ayadieh town and the nearby village of Qubuq.
The army and Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary forces have been tasked with the recapture of western Al-Ayadieh, where fighting has been fierce and the jihadists are putting up "fierce resistance", said Hashed spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi.
Smoke billows as Iraqi forces retake half of Al-Ayadieh and nearby village of Qubuq from the Islamic State jihadist group
Last Sunday, troops, police and special forces, allied with the Hashed coalition, seized full control of the city of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border, with IS fighters taking refuge in Al-Ayadieh, 15 kilometres (10 miles) to the north.
Around "150 to 200 IS fighters moved with their families up to Al-Ayadieh", according to Brigadier General Andrew A. Croft, deputy commander of the US-led coalition air units supporting the Iraqi advance in northern Iraq.
After its ouster in July from Nineveh's provincial capital of Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, IS now controls only the city of Hawija, 300 kilometres north of Baghdad, and desert areas along the border with war-torn Syria.
A lot of fine fry bread rises every year at Crow Fair, remarked my friend, Carlin Bear Dont Walk, upon seeing a recent photograph of golden fry bread on my Facebook page.
During every third week in August for the past century, tourists from far and wide have trekked to Crow Fair, known as the tipi capital of the world. They come to see Apsaalooke (Ab-sah-low-ghay) men, women, and children, bedecked in brilliantly colored traditional clothing, parade through camp on prized horses. Others come to compete as dancers and drummers. In 2017, attendance exceeded 50,000, with over 2000 tipis in use, scattered along the banks of the Little Big Horn River just outside Crow Agency, Montana.
Undoubtedly, many fry bread recipes are used by various food vendors near the main arbor of Crow Fair and Im sure theyre tasty. But the fry bread that Carlin and I look forward to isnt sold commercially. He remembers it from childhood; I associate it with many family trips to Crow Fair. You might think fry bread, but we smell and hear it sizzling in large, black cast iron skillets in our dreams.
Before the big weekend of Crow Fair 2017, I spent the night nestled in the cool comfort of a BullTail tipi. Im not Crow and Im not a BullTail, but my daughter is. Carol BullTail graciously agreed to give me a fry bread lesson. My bring list included a big bowl, tongs, flour, salt, baking powder, dried milk and lard.
The Apsaalooke word for Crow Fair is baasaxpilue, or where the noise is made. On the morning of our cooking day, camp was quiet, but the water supply was low. After my quick jaunt to the Crow Mercantile, Carol emptied a gallon jug of water into a shiny, green metal pot simmering on a four-burner propane stove.
I dont have a recipe, Carol told me. She learned in the traditional way, watching and listening to her mother, who learned from earlier generations. I tried not to panic.
Melt your lard to about one inch deep in that big pan and put about half that (10#) bag of flour in your bowl.
Carol cleared a cook space on a make-shift, vinyl covered wooden surface and gave it a quick once-over with Lysol wipes. Earlier that week, the BullTail men constructed a camp kitchen and erected 14 tipis, three wall tents and an L-shaped, arbor covered with nylon tarps and cottonwood branches in the same location where theyve camped for decades.
Carol unfolded a comfortable camp chair between the stove and the counter and sat down. When shed tell me what to do next, shed add something funny and laugh. Carol is a patient teacher.
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda, she said. And about two teaspoons of salt. I improvised, but wished Id brought my kitchen tools.
You need about two handfuls of sugar and two handfuls of dried milk. Mix it good with your hands. (More laughter) Now put your fist in the middle to make a hole. Well add hot water and then cold water, so its not too hot and mix it some more.
Soon, a sticky, warm mixture began to hold together. I put in more flour with Carols permission.
Is your lard hot? I startled a bit. Id forgotten about the simmering lard. You want the dough to brown and cook through. But not too hot. You only want to turn it once.
Three camp visitors watched my lesson intently, hoping to be taste testers. One visitor suggested my finished bread was a bit dark. It was the opening I needed. It was difficult to manage both the dough and the frying. He refused an apron, but I put tongs in his hand. To his credit, he gently turned over 10 dozen pieces of fry bread in the next two hours.
Crow Fair began in the early 1900s when a government bureaucrat thought the Crow Tribe should have an event to encourage agricultural competitions, like for the biggest zucchini or blue ribbon hogs. The Apsaalooke were more interested in camping with family, renewing friendships, parading, dancing, and making fry bread.
Perhaps someday -- maybe next year, at the 100th Crow Fair -- youll be in a family camp and someone will put a piece of fresh, hot fry bread in your hand. Dripping with melted butter, honey or jam, its sweetness will drizzle down your chin. Youre sharing a precious part of their memory, mixed by patient hands of prior generations, and served with generous amounts of love.
Under a deal with Microsoft, Amazon Echo device users will be able to ask Alexa to bring in Cortana as a "guest" to tend to tasks such as booking meetings or reading work email
Amazon's Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana will start talking to each other in a first of its kind alliance of rival digital assistants, the companies said on Wednesday.
Amazon Echo device users will be able to ask Alexa to bring in Cortana as a "guest" to tend to tasks such as booking meetings or reading work email.
Meanwhile, those with devices powered by Windows 10 software will be able to have Cortana bring in Alexa for tasks such as controlling smart devices in homes or, of course, ordering items from Amazon.
"There are going to be multiple successful intelligent agents, each with access to different sets of data and with different specialized skill areas," Amazon fonder and chief Jeff Bezos said in a statement announcing the digital assistants were becoming friends.
"Together, their strengths will complement each other and provide customers with a richer and even more helpful experience."
Alexa has some 20,000 "skills" created by third-party software developers.
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella has prioritized making the company's software and services available from the broad array of devices people use to connect to the internet.
The latest version of Windows operating software was crafted with that vision in mind.
"Ensuring Cortana is available for our customers everywhere and across any device is a key priority for us," Nadella said.
"Bringing Cortana's knowledge, Office 365 integration, commitments and reminders to Alexa is a great step toward that goal."
Alexa and Cortana will begin talking to one another later this year, according to the companies.
The alliance comes in the face of competition from Google and Amazon, which have invested heavily in artificial intelligence infused digital assistants to enhance their offerings.
- Siri heading home -
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella has prioritized making the company's software and services available from the broad array of devices people use to connect to the internet
Apple this year unveiled a "HomePod" speaker as it moved to challenge Amazon Alexa and Google Home as a smart home and music hub.
HomePod, powered by Apple's Siri digital assistant, will be priced at $349 when it begins shipping in December in Australia, Britain and the United States, the tech giant announced at its annual developers conference in June.
"It's so cool, we really believe it is going to take your home music experience to the next level," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said of the new device.
HomePod will take Amazon Echo and Google Home, which have been building momentum in the market for voice-controlled speakers capable of controlling smart appliances, fetching content from the internet and more.
HomePod is designed to work with the Apple Music subscription service and can produce rich sound while tapping into the artificial intelligence power of Siri.
Apple vice president Phil Schiller said the Siri team at Apple had tuned the assistant into a "musicologist" that learns the tastes of listeners and gets songs from the internet cloud.
Amazon has dominated the category of connected speakers since 2014, when it introduced its first Echo, which responds to voice commands and allows users to order goods or rides and control-connected appliances.
Britain's Ambassador to the United Nations Matthew Rycroft, seen here after an emergency UN Security Council emergency meeting over North Korea, wants new UN sanctions against Pyongyang that would target guest workers sent mostly to Russia and China
Britain wants new UN sanctions against North Korea that would target guest workers sent mostly to Russia and China, and whose wages are a source of revenue for Pyongyang, the British ambassador said Wednesday.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously condemned North Korea after it fired a missile that flew over Japan's main islands, but it did not specify whether it would impose new sanctions.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to discuss possible new measures during talks in Tokyo on Wednesday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said.
"We think that the time is right to consider further constraints on the DPRK regime, given that the constraints that we put in place so far have clearly not yet got them to change course," Rycroft told reporters.
The council should consider "whether we could do more to prevent the flow of money coming into DPRK from North Korean nationals who are working abroad," he said.
In its latest sanctions resolution adopted on August 5, the council froze the number of work permits for North Korean foreign workers whose earnings provide hard currency for Kim Jong-Un's regime.
UN human rights investigators estimate that more than 50,000 North Koreans have been sent abroad, generating between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion per year.
Most of the laborers are working in Russia and China, employed in construction, mining, logging and textile industries, according to UN officials.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was working with other council members on a response to the latest missile launch over Japan.
It remained unclear whether the United States, which is tasked with drafting resolutions on North Korea at the Security Council, would submit a new proposal.
Washington negotiated with China, Pyongyang's ally and main trading partner, for a month to reach agreement on the latest sanctions banning exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood.
During a closed door meeting on Tuesday, Russia and China again argued that sanctions would not resolve the crisis over North Korea's missile and nuclear tests, and that talks were needed, a council diplomat said.
Japan's Ambassador Koro Bessho said Tokyo will be pushing the United States to seek new punitive measures that he suggested could build on the current sanctions.
"I don't really think we have to invent something really new but we will certainly discuss it with the United States," said Bessho.
A convoy carrying members of the Islamic State group and their families is seen in Syria's Qalamoun region on August 28, 2017 as they are transported to the eastern province of Deir Ezzor
The US-led coalition carried out two sets of air strikes on Wednesday to block Islamic State group fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, its spokesman told AFP.
Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq.
A first set of strikes hit the road leading from the Syrian town of Hmaymah to the IS-held town of Albukamal further east, said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon.
"To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge," he told AFP.
The coalition then carried out a second set of strikes that "struck individual vehicles and fighters that were clearly identified as IS" and appeared to be moving towards the convoy from Albukamal.
"If they continue to try to send people that way, then we'll continue to strike them. It could be a running tally," Dillon said.
"IS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution."
The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighbouring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.
Hezbollah fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the Lebanese border, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.
The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of the deal to bus IS forces hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq.
- Civilians aboard convoy -
A girl scout waves a Lebanese flag next to a Lebanese army soldier during a celebration after troops returned from battling jihadists on the country's eastern border with Syria on August 30, 2017
Jihadists and civilians, including children, left the border region two days ago, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at Hmaymah.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the convoy was looking for a "new route" to reach Albukamal after the coalition strike.
Dillon said the US-led alliance was monitoring the convoy in real time and its last known location was near Hmaymah.
"If we are able to strike them without harming civilians, then we will do so," Dillon said.
Asked whether the presence of civilians had prompted the coalition to bomb the road instead of the convoy itself, Dillon said that would be "consistent" with protocol.
There was no immediate reaction to the strike from Hezbollah or from Syria's government.
The evacuation agreement had sparked a furious reaction from the United States, which considers Hezbollah to be a "terrorist" organisation.
"Irreconcilable #ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across #Syria to the Iraqi border without #Iraq's consent," US presidential envoy to the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk said Wednesday.
"Our @coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter #Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling 'caliphate'," he wrote on Twitter.
- Iraq lambasts deal -
It was also met with outrage in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi describing it as "unacceptable" and an "insult to the Iraqi people".
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah issued a rare written statement late Wednesday in an attempt to tamp down the controversy.
"We transferred these defeated fighters from a front where we are battling to another front where we are battling," he said.
"Our fight and our fate are one," Nasrallah said, addressing Iraqi officials.
Lebanese opponents to the deal were angry that IS fighters were travelling "on air-conditioned buses" after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops.
On Wednesday, Lebanon's president and the chief of the army hailed the "victory" against IS.
"Today, we are announcing Lebanon's victory against terrorism. I dedicate this victory to all Lebanese, who can be proud of their army," President Michel Aoun said.
After Sunday's deal, IS fighters who had surrendered led Lebanese authorities to human remains believed to belong to Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by IS in 2014.
Only local police and an improvised army of volunteers equipped with boats were navigating the flooded streets of Cypress, on Houston's northwest outskirts
Dragging boats behind their pick-ups, volunteer rescuers from across Texas have poured into flood-stricken parts of their state to ferry to safety those stranded in the wake of Harvey's torrential rains.
Overwhelmed by catastrophic rainfall that has neighborhoods resembling lakes, local police in particular have welcomed the efforts of Texans willing to chip in.
"Knives, ropes, harnesses, water, life jackets for kids -- hopefully everything we need," ticks off Tyrel Cox. The 31-year-old employee of an offshore oil rig lost no time wavering before leaving the city of Waco for the hard-hit southeast with his father, boat in tow.
"I used to be a coast guard and I have a boat, and they were calling for people to come and help," he explained, his hands on the wheel as he watched the next convoy of a dozen cars and boats gearing up for direction from the police of Harris County, which includes Houston.
"So we came down to help."
The fourth-largest American city with 2.3 million residents, Houston has been paralyzed since Harvey struck. And in parts of its greater metropolitan area, home to six million people, authorities are still struggling to reach those in need.
No fire trucks nor ambulances roamed the streets of Cypress, a community of some 46,000 on Houston's northwest outskirts. Only local police and an improvised army of volunteers equipped with boats were navigating its flooded arteries.
Volunteer rescuers have proven a vital force in the Harvey relief effort, helping to locate and bring to safety trapped locals
"At this point we're dealing with how do we get to a large community that probably is without power; probably can't charge their phones or get on Facebook," said one officer sporting a bright yellow raincoat and police cap.
She pointed to a line of 15 vehicles and boats waiting their turn to set forth on waters cutting off access to an isolated subdivision.
"Our guys are actually spread so thin and around, they can't even get to this area," she said. "So this is going to be pretty much the community coming together with the sheriff's office, and trying to figure out what we can do."
"Yesterday I had more volunteers than people to save, and it's a good problem to have," she added with a laugh.
- 'Happy to be Texan' -
Civilian rescuers Armando Guerra (L) and Patrick Perez teamed up with two men who drove from Austin to Houston join the Harvey relief effort
Protected from the rain by a cap, Lee Dejong, 29, came with a colleague from the state capital Austin as soon as he heard floods had threatened Houston and its suburbs, where one of their friends lives.
On the hour-and-a-half journey southeast the two self-employed men bought a used boat they found on Facebook.
En route they met two more young men from Hempstead, not far from Cypress, who had a larger vehicle.
"We wanted to help," said Armando Guerra, 24. "They had the boat, we had the truck."
The four teamed up and awaited orders from Harris police on the edge of a river that had inundated a small road flanked by now-deserted elegant buildings.
Houston's western district of Clodine, saw similar scenes.
Andrew Brennan arrived with a boat from neighboring Louisiana, where Harvey made landfall again Wednesday triggering painful memories of Hurricane Katrina's deadly strike 12 years ago.
"We came down because y'all came for us during Hurricane Katrina," the boat captain said, long hair flowing beneath his cap.
"So we figured that it was only our part to come and assist with rescues.
Civilian rescuers have been taking direction from local police in Harris County, which includes Houston
"And we just hope that we can help."
Volunteer rescuers have proven a vital force in the Harvey relief effort, helping to locate and bring to safety trapped locals.
As water levels crept up the walls of their house the Alvarez family of Clodine called for help; after several hours, they were finally saved by a team of volunteers.
Still trembling, Sonia Alvarez said she expected a team of firefighters or other officials -- but instead, "just regular people" rescued her.
"That's just regular people that we went to school with and neighbors and stuff," she said. "I'm like so happy to be a Texan and a Houstonian for sure."
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a leading Sudanese activist released on Tuesday after months in detention, says defending human rights is not a crime
A leading Sudanese activist who was released after a presidential pardon said Wednesday that defending human rights was "not a crime", as he vowed to continue fighting against rights abuses.
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an engineering professor at the University of Khartoum, told AFP in an interview that it was pressure from global and local human rights groups that finally led to his release Tuesday after months of detention, during which he was put on trial on charges of spying for foreign embassies.
"Defending human rights is not a crime," Ibrahim Adam, winner of several international human rights awards, said at his home in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman.
"Human rights are being violated not only by the authorities but also by armed groups, and we have to fight all those who abuse human rights."
Ibrahim Adam, 58, was freed after President Omar al-Bashir pardoned him along with five other activists.
He was arrested in December as part of a crackdown against opposition leaders and activists in an attempt to crush widespread protests against a government decision to raise fuel prices.
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a leading Sudanese activist, hugs a woman at his home in Omdourman on August 30, 2017, the day after his release from prison following a presidential pardon
Prosecutors accused him of being among activists who were running a "criminal organisation" and engaged in "spying and intelligence activities for foreign embassies".
Ibrahim Adam and others were also accused of "publishing lies about (government forces) using chemical weapons" during fighting with rebels in the country's conflict zones.
Ibrahim Adam said the prosecution had "no evidence" against him.
"They exaggerated things and made them big. The only way for them to back out was a direct intervention from the president," said the activist, who went on hunger strike while in jail.
Ibrahim Adam, who has worked extensively on human rights issues in Sudan for three decades, has been arrested several times for his work.
The government shut down a development organisation he headed in 2009.
- 'International pressure' -
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam (R), a leading Sudanese activist, greets people at his home in Omdourman on August 30, 2017, the day after he was released from prison following a presidential pardon
Ibrahim Adam said he was held in several prisons during his nine months in detention, after initially being detained by agents of the country's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).
He said these types of detentions were reason enough for human rights defenders to continue their fight.
The "human rights situation in Sudan will improve if you scrap laws that give the authorities the right to detain people without offering any reason", said a relaxed Ibrahim Adam, dressed in a traditional white robe and cap.
"There is an institution that has a right to detain you for up to six months without offering any reason," he said, in reference to NISS.
The way forward "is to fight such laws that restrict freedom", the activist said, as dozens of men, women and university students arrived at his three-storey home to greet him after his release.
Global rights groups have often accused NISS of detaining human rights workers, opposition politicians and journalists.
NISS agents regularly confiscate entire newspaper print runs without giving a reason, particularly when they publish articles opposing government policies.
Ibrahim Adam said his release was a result of the "government's own assessment" of his case, as well as pressure from international and local human rights groups.
"Officials of almost all foreign embassies used to attend my trial sessions," he said, adding that even the United Nations believed there was no case against him.
Ibrahim Adam said it was this international pressure that made Bashir pardon him, not Washington's expected decision on October 12 on whether to permanently lift US sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.
Some global campaign groups have insisted that Washington retain the sanctions, given Sudan's human rights record.
Ibrahim Adam said the human rights situation in Sudan now "was not as bad as in the past", but "more efforts" were still needed.
"We have to fight peacefully to change the overall situation," he said.
"We have to insist that defending human rights is not a crime, and the government has to protect human rights defenders according to international conventions it has signed."
Two would-be bank robbers disguised as nuns fled the branch empty-handed
Police are searching for two would-be robbers disguised as nuns, after a failed bank heist in a sleepy Pennsylvania town.
Surveillance footage released by the FBI shows two suspects wearing long nuns' robes and black veils, with white wimples covering their hair and parts of their faces. One was also holding a gun.
Authorities say the pair entered a Citizens Bank branch in the town of Tannersville, near the northeastern Poconos Mountains, around midday Monday.
One suspect walked to the teller's window and demanded money while the other, whose face was partially-hidden by sunglasses, stood a short distance back, the FBI said.
Local television said the pair took off after an employee triggered alarm bells. The FBI said they "fled the bank empty-handed."
An FBI spokeswoman said she was unaware of any other recent plots involving thieves disguised as nuns.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised what he calls "fake news" in the Israeli media implicating him in alleged corruption cases
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday went on the offensive against "fake news" in the Israeli media implicating him in alleged corruption cases.
"The 'fake news' industry has reached a record level. The aim is to secure indictments, at whatever price and quickly, against me," he told a meeting of activists of his rightwing Likud party near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.
Netanyahu was borrowing a term coined by US President Donald Trump, a darling of the Israeli right, to denigrate the media.
The premier has come under increased pressure since a former chief of staff, investigated in graft cases involving the premier, agreed to turn state witness.
According to media reports, former aide Ari Harow has already been supplying investigators with information regarding two of the ongoing investigations.
One is based on suspicions that Netanyahu unlawfully received gifts from wealthy supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.
Also being probed are allegations that the prime minister sought a secret deal with the publisher of top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot.
Netanyahu, who has been questioned on both cases, has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
US soldiers walk at the site of a Taliban suicide attack in Kandahar on August 2, 2017
The Pentagon sharply raised its estimate of the number of US troops currently in Afghanistan Wednesday, ahead of a decision on adding thousands more under President Donald Trump's new strategy for the war-ridden country.
Pentagon Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said a comprehensive review showed there were approximately 11,000 uniformed US servicemen and women in Afghanistan, compared to the 8,400 number used since last year.
The new count, which includes temporary and covert units as well as regular forces, was made to establish the basis for an increase in troops -- possibly by around 4,000 -- under Trump's revised strategy to better support Afghan troops in the fight against the Taliban.
But McKenzie declined to say how many more troops would be added.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis "still hasn't made that decision," he said, adding: "No troops have started to flow... no deployment orders have been issued."
McKenzie said that after president Barack Obama set a ceiling of 8,400 troops for the country last July, military commanders had been hampered in their ability to deploy full units, leading to "unintended consequences".
Meanwhile, short-term and clandestine units were not included in the count.
- New strategy -
The new estimate came nearly two weeks after Trump and his top cabinet and military officials decided to increase US soldiers and airmen in Afghanistan to put more pressure on the Taliban and other extremist groups.
Few details were provided on the new strategy, however, as Mattis said he wanted a clearer view of the actual number of US forces there.
US generals have for months been calling the situation in Afghanistan a "stalemate," despite years of support for Afghan partners and an overall cost to the United States of about $1 trillion.
A US troop increase would allow the US- led coalition in the country to provide more advisors and tactical support to strengthen the Afghan army's efforts against the Taliban.
McKenzie said the new count was an effort to be more transparent, but he said the Defense Department would not be providing much information on the breakdown of the US forces, so as to maintain operational security and avoid "telegraphing" US intentions to the Taliban.
The new Afghan strategy will take a page from successful US efforts over the past two years to strength Iraqi security forces against the Islamic State group with better training, logistical support and the battlefield backup of US artillery and air strikes on enemy positions.
But in Iraq most of the action against Islamic State fighters is in dense urban settings, while the Taliban are more spread out in the Afghan countryside, a battle situation Mattis has characterized as more like Vietnam.
The belongings of Syrians who have been detained or forcibly disappeared are displayed as part of an exhibition by Amnesty International in Beirut
Syria's brutal conflict may not see a lasting solution until the fate of tens of thousands of detained civilians is disclosed, rights groups and activists said on Wednesday.
Since the Syrian war erupted in 2011, more than 330,000 people have died, millions have been displaced, and tens of thousands arrested or forcibly disappeared across the country.
"Lasting peace in Syria will be impossible without resolving the issue of detainees," Syrian activist and former detainee Fadwa Mahmoud told AFP on Wednesday.
Her husband Abdulaziz al-Kheir and son Maher Tahan disappeared in Syria nearly five years ago, and Mahmoud has not heard from them since.
"If there's 'peace' and my son and husband are still arrested -- you think I'm going to behave?" said the short woman with a curly, silver pixie haircut.
Mahmoud spoke on the sidelines of an art exhibit in Beirut organised by Amnesty International to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
The belongings of detained Syrians -- glasses, wallets and keychains -- were on display along with testimonies of the people they belonged to.
Mahmoud said she felt politicians and negotiators working on peace in Syria had not prioritised the fate of detainees.
"This issue needs to be of the first degree. We must not forget it -- those detained cannot do anything, so we must act."
- 'This should not be ignored' -
Thousands of peace activists were arrested after Syria's conflict first broke out in 2011, and many are still languishing in prisons, according to non-governmental organisations.
Amnesty researcher Diana Semaan said that uncovering details on their fate was becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day.
"It's becoming more and more challenging," she told AFP.
"If now these families don't know where their loved ones are, there's always a risk they might never know where they are."
Human Rights Watch also warned that failing to resolve the detainee issue could prevent a real solution to Syria's six-year war.
"Syria will not be able to move forward if negotiations fail to adequately address the horrors of detention and disappearance," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW.
Last year, a team of UN experts raised the alarm over enforced disappearances and called for the situation to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
"This should not be ignored. Without progress, each day that passes will likely see more of the disappeared tortured or executed," Whitson said.
HRW called on Wednesday for an independent enquiry to probe the fate of thousands of people who have disappeared in Syria's war and to identify mass graves.
"An independent institution in charge of investigating the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared, as well as unidentified human remains and mass graves in Syria, should be created immediately," it said.
The New York-based rights watchdog said the enquiry "should have a broad mandate to investigate, including by reviewing all official records and interviewing any official".
Earlier this month, the death of prominent computer scientist Bassel Khartabil Safadi was confirmed two years after his execution by the regime.
Safadi had been arrested in March 2012 in the wake of the crackdown.
Omar Bongo, a statue of whom is seen in Franceville in January 2017, died in 2009 after four decades in power, leaving his son Ali Bongo to take over
French judges have ended their investigation into the substantial assets of Gabon's late president Omar Bongo and his family, none of whom have been charged, sources close to the case said Wednesday.
French prosecutors have been investigating since 2010 whether the fortunes amassed in France by the ruling elites of three oil-rich African countries -- Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon -- were built up with money siphoned from public coffers.
The sprawling investigation saw its first trial this year -- that of Teodorin Obiang, vice president of Equatorial Guinea and the son of the president, though only his lawyers turned up in court. His sentencing is due on October 27.
In the Gabon probe, authorities last year ordered the seizing of property company SCI Emeraude, which owned a mansion in the chic 16th arrondissement of Paris and a villa in Nice on France's glitzy Cote d'Azur.
According to a 2009 report by anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, which is acting as a civil party in the case, the Bongo family owned at least 33 properties in France, most of them in expensive Paris districts.
Together the properties were believed to be worth several hundred million euros, though the full extent of the Bongo family's assets remains unclear.
Omar Bongo died in 2009 after four decades in power, leaving his son Ali Bongo to take over.
The elder Bongo, along with his late wife Edith and his daughter Pascaline, held shares in the property company and its manager has been charged, but there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the family members, a source close to the case said.
Pascaline Bongo, a former foreign minister, is alleged to have been the owner of three Paris apartments and several luxury cars bought in France. She allegedly spent some 1.38 million euros ($1.64 million) on watches and jewellery between 2006 and 2007.
Investigators are examining possible links between the current president and a Swiss company, Achimmob, which notably owns a Parisian mansion.
CODY, Wyo. The Wyoming Supreme Court has suspended the former supervising attorney for the Cody public defender's office for two years.
A press release from the Wyoming Bar Association says Nick Beduhn's suspension "resulted from professional misconduct by Beduhn in a number of client matters, including violation of Beduhn's duties of competence, diligence, and maintaining communication with clients."
The Cody Enterprise reports that the investigation into Beduhn began May 10, when his license to practice was initially suspended.
Beduhn did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Enterprise.
In addition to the two year suspension, Beduhn was ordered to pay $3,750 in administrative fees and nearly $5,500 in fines to the Bar Association and more than $1,000 in restitution to a former client.
Rain from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey falls in New Orleans, where people with vivid memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 are providing an outpouring of sympathy and donations for people in horribly flooded Texas
With memories and scars of Katrina still raw, New Orleans residents poured out love and donations Wednesday to victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, where devastation has reminded many of the epic 2005 storm.
"This is beautiful. It's been overwhelming," said Father Tim Hedrick as a steady stream of parishioners and other residents of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish drove to St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, their cars and SUVs overflowing with food and other supplies.
Hedrick, the church's 35-year-old parochial vicar, whom everyone calls Father Tim, and an army of volunteers helped unload cartons of instant noodles, drinking water, crackers, blankets, shoes, cleaning materials, even a pair of red white and blue folding chairs.
They will be stuffed into an 18-wheel tractor trailer and hauled to the deluged city of Houston and other parts of Texas, where millions of people are reeling from the largest storm to batter the Gulf Coast since Katrina barrelled ashore 12 years ago.
One of the volunteers, nanny Amy Runco, had come to the church to drop off donations of diapers and baby formula, but after mulling over how Texans and others helped her family so much when they were struck by Katrina, she stayed to help.
"I just wanted to give back after everything I went through," including living in a government-provided trailer for two years during high school while her family got back on its feet, Runco, 26, told AFP.
"Just seeing what they're going through (with storm Harvey) has brought back a lot of memories. It's rough," she said, her voice cracking.
"It just feels like it's Katrina all over again."
The scenes of giving and remembering were being repeated across New Orleans, which has found itself in sudden tragic kinship with a larger city in a neighboring state suffering similarly staggering pain and loss.
"It breaks my heart," restaurant waitress Debra Werner told AFP as she dropped off packages of rice, beans and sausage at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Elmwood.
"You bleed for those people, you know?"
Werner, 65, was forced to evacuate her inundated New Orleans home when a nearby levee failed. She struggled to hold back tears as she thought of neighboring communities and states now suffering similar fates.
Many in New Orleans of course know full well the horrors of such disaster, and they have opened their hearts and wallets to help, even as they faced the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, which has drenched New Orleans with rain, but fortunately little flooding.
- Two 'similar' storms -
Families evacuate their homes in Houston as Texas still grapples with the flooded aftermath of monster storm Harvey
Brent McCrossen heads a loose-knit group of 45 chief executives in the region determined to do good, and they rallied around helping Houston.
"Those people did everything for New Orleans," including taking in Katrina refugees, said McCrossen, who co-founded tech firm Audiosocket.
"If we sat on our hands and just sent thoughts and prayers it would be an inadequate moral response."
Together McCrossen and friends have set up food banks in four locations around New Orleans.
Many rescuers and other emergency responders in Texas -- and now in western Louisiana, where Harvey was hammering Lake Charles -- suffered through the Katrina disaster.
The two storms appear "similar in a lot of ways," said Henry Cambre, a retired chief petty officer with the Coast Guard who was taking emergency calls at its Harvey command center in New Orleans.
Cambre noted the scope of both storms, and the damage that Mother Nature wrought a dozen years ago and now.
"You feel a connection to the folks who are out there," he said.
Father Tim concurred that the two cities are now intertwined in tragedy.
But he offered a message of hope to Houston: "We have your back."
Members of Myanmar's Red Cross help a woman, who is fleeing a conflict area, upon arriving in Sittwe jetty, in Rakhine State on August 30, 2017
The UN Security Council on Wednesday discussed the violence in Myanmar where clashes and a security crackdown by the military in Rakhine state have sent 18,500 Rohingya fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.
There was no formal statement from the 15-member council following the closed-door meeting but British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said there were calls from council members for de-escalation.
"We all condemned the violence, we all called on all the parties to de-escalate," Rycroft told reporters.
The clashes began on Friday after militants from the Rohingya Muslim minority staged deadly surprise raids on police posts.
The violence has left at least 110 people, including 11 state officials, dead and thousands of Rohingya have poured across the border to Bangladesh despite Dhaka's attempts to stop them.
Myanmar's military has been carrying out sweeps for militants, with residents reporting that security forces were torching villages.
Britain requested the meeting on Myanmar, but diplomats said China was resisting stronger involvement by the UN council in addressing the crisis.
It remained unclear whether further action was planned, but the issue is expected to be discussed during the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly in September.
Rycroft said the council still supports Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel prize laureate and democracy icon who now leads the government in Yangon.
"A lot of us are hugely supportive allies of hers who have followed her progress with admiration from afar," he said.
"We look to her to set the right tone and to find the compromises and the de-escalation necessary in order to resolve the conflict for the good of all the people in Burma."
Rycroft pointed to recommendations put forward by former UN chief Kofi Annan calling for an end to restrictions on citizenship and movement imposed on the Rohingyas as a way out of the violence.
Houston is still battling to cope five days after Harvey smashed into Texas as a Category Four Hurricane
The operators of a flooded chemical plant outside Houston warned Wednesday they are dealing with a "critical issue" triggered by Harvey's torrential rains and have no means to prevent a possible explosion at the site.
As a precautionary measure officials had already ordered the evacuation of an area within 1.5 miles (three km) of the organic peroxides plant in Harris County, which is owned by French group Arkema.
Rich Rowe, president and chief executive of Arkema Inc, said in a statement that the facility in the town of Crosby northeast of Houston had been evacuated for employees' own safety following a dangerous loss of on-site refrigeration.
The company manufactures compounds with a broad array of commercial uses including plastics, pharmaceuticals and construction materials but which can combust if not cooled to the proper temperatures.
Multiple fail-safe measures had broken down as a result of the flooding, according to Rowe.
"Right now, we have an unprecedented six feet of water at the plant," Rowe said. "We have lost primary power and two sources of emergency backup power."
"As a result, we have lost critical refrigeration of the materials on site that could now explode and cause a subsequent intense fire," he added.
"The high water and lack of power leave us with no way to prevent it."
Rowe offered apologies to "everyone impacted" and that the company was working with authorities to manage the situation.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Make-A-Wish has helped a 10-year-old boy transform into a superhero and rescue several people portraying hostages with the help of Maine police.
The Portland Press Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2wCHq9z ) Sawyer Fish, of Falmouth, became the Sonic Spider Boy on Sunday morning.
He started the day by freeing police officers who were being held hostage by someone playing an evil mime. Sawyer then rescued people portraying hostages at the Portland Amtrak station. He ended the adventure at Hadlock Field, where Sawyer rescued the Portland Sea Dogs' team mascot, Slugger.
Sawyer's mother says he called Sunday the best day of his life. He has been diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy.
Make-A-Wish Maine provided Sawyer's costume. The nonprofit grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government has - for now - enough disaster aid money to deal with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, but the ongoing storm appears sure to require a multibillion-dollar recovery package as did Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster fund currently contains more than $3 billion, but FEMA on Monday said response to Harvey is "quickly drawing down" disaster balances.
An infusion of more FEMA money will be needed soon, given the magnitude of the storm. The Republican-led Congress is likely to add a package of aid to a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown Oct. 1. Harvey also seems certain to require a larger recovery package as did storms Katrina and Sandy, but it's way too early to guess how much will be required with floodwaters rising in Houston, people stranded in homes and the nation's fourth-largest city essentially paralyzed.
FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington. The federal government has, for now, enough disaster aid money to deal with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, but the ongoing storm appears sure to require a multibillion-dollar recovery package as did Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
The upcoming disaster aid package is yet another item for a packed September agenda in Washington that includes preventing a government shutdown, making sure the government doesn't default on its debt obligations, and laying the groundwork for overhauling the tax code.
The administration says it will make sure Texas gets what it needs.
"What you're going to see is the national government and we anticipate the Congress are going to make the resources available to see Texas through the rescue operation, through the recovery," Vice President Mike Pence told a Houston radio station Monday.
Pence noted that given the "magnitude of the flooding" in the area that "it will be years coming back." He said 22,000 people had already applied for federal aid but that as "many as a half-a-million people in Texas will be eligible for and applying for financial disaster assistance."
"We remain very confident that with the reserves and with the support in the Congress, we'll have the resources that we need," Pence told KHOU radio.
Democrats promise they'll help. "Republicans must be ready to join Democrats in passing a timely relief bill that makes all necessary resources available," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Last week, President Donald Trump threatened a government shutdown if he didn't get his $1.6 billion request to begin building a U.S.-Mexico border wall. But the need for disaster funding could make a shutdown showdown in September less likely since Trump may want to avoid a battle that could make him look like he's prioritizing wall funding over flood victims.
FEMA announced Monday that it is prioritizing the Harvey response and holding off on less-urgent payments for earlier disasters to husband its money to make sure there is enough for immediate Harvey-related needs such as debris removal and temporary shelter for tens of thousands of Texans displaced from their homes.
Congress stepped forward with enormous aid packages in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, though some GOP conservatives - including then-Indiana Rep. Pence - chaffed at the price tag. And White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who will be responsible for preparing any disaster request for Trump, opposed a 2013 Sandy aid package as a South Carolina congressman, offering a plan to cut elsewhere in the budget to pay for it.
Mulvaney's May budget release also proposed eliminating community block grants that are likely to be sought by the powerful Texas delegation to help with rebuilding efforts.
Lawmakers provided $110 billion to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Katrina, thanks in part to dogged efforts by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss. The Bush administration, politically scalded by criticism over its botched response, signed off on the aid.
But New York and New Jersey lawmakers seeking help over Superstorm Sandy encountered stiffer resistance. Many Republicans opposed the full $51 billion aid package, which included a $34 billion amendment by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., that included grants for housing and other repairs patterned after the Katrina response.
Some hard feelings linger on the part of New York and New Jersey Republicans, who had to battle to win help for their Democratic-leaning states in the bitter aftermath of the 2012 election.
"Despite my TX colleagues refusal to support aid in #SouthJersey time of need, I will support emergency disaster $$ for those impacted," Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Texas Republicans overwhelmingly voted against the final Sandy aid bill. The state's two senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, opposed the aid package along with more than 20 House Republicans representing Texas. Now, many of them are citing additional spending contained in initial drafts of the legislation as the reason.
"They had funding for things as far away from Alaska that wasn't even touched by Sandy," said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, whose district is hard hit by Harvey. "That was not a vote against disaster relief. That was a vote against pork-barrel spending."
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has welcomed Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (SOW'-lih NEE'-nis-tuh) to the White House for talks.
The White House says the presidents plan to discuss terrorism, Afghanistan, Russia and the Arctic, among other topics.
Niinisto told journalists before leaving Finland that he and Trump would talk about the Baltic Sea.
Trump and Niinisto plan to take questions at a news conference in the White House East Room following their talks.
The White House initially had announced Niinisto's visit for Tuesday, but later moved the meeting to Monday.
Trump is now planning to travel to Texas on Tuesday to survey flood damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.
VENICE, Italy (AP) - The Venice Film Festival is kicking off the fall cinema season with searing drama, serious glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim.
Thanks to its late-summer time slot, just ahead of rivals in Telluride and Toronto, the world's oldest cinema festival has become a key showcase for films hoping to dominate Hollywood's awards season. In recent years, Venice has been a launch-pad for Oscar winners including "Gravity, "Birdman," ''Spotlight" and "La La Land."
This year's edition opens Wednesday with Alexander Payne's "Downsizing," a science fiction-tinged drama starring Matt Damon as a man who hopes to minimize his problems by shrinking himself.
Workers give the finishing touches prior to the start of a of the 74th annual Venice International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The festival runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9, 2017. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
Other films competing for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion, include George Clooney-directed heist movie "Suburbicon"; Guillermo del Toro's fantastical "The Shape of Water"; Darren Aronofsky's secrecy-shrouded thriller "Mother!"; and Martin McDonagh's dark comedy "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Here's what to watch for at the 74th Venice Film Festival, which runs to Sept. 9:
GLAMOUR GALORE
Unspooling in one of Italy's most ravishing cities, the festival takes style and celebrity very seriously. Among the stars who will be whisked across the Venice lagoon by boat to walk the Palazzo del Cinema red carpet are Clooney, a festival favorite who has a house on nearby Lake Como.
He'll likely be joined by pal Damon, who stars in both "Suburbicon" and "Downsizing," which also features Kristen Wiig. Jennifer Lawrence is expected for the much-anticipated "Mother!", which also stars Javier Bardem. The Spanish star should also be on hand alongside Penelope Cruz for the drug-lord biopic "Loving Pablo."
An older generation of showbiz royalty will be well represented by stars including Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland and Michael Caine. Jane Fonda and Robert Redford star in the late-life romance "Our Souls at Night" and are being given lifetime-achievement awards by the festival.
GLOBAL CRISES
Several films in the lineup tackle the conflicts and divisions convulsing the world.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's documentary "Human Flow" travels to 23 countries as it tries to put a human face on the vast migrations unfolding around the world. Paul Schrader, who wrote "Taxi Driver," directs "First Reformed," featuring Ethan Hawke as a minister wrestling with his faith and the specter of environmental catastrophe.
Israel's Samuel Moaz, director of acclaimed war drama "Lebanon," returns with "Foxtrot," another story of conflict and loss. From China, Vivian Qu's "Angels Wear White" centers on sexual assault in a small provincial town.
It hasn't escaped comment that Qu is the only female director among 21 filmmakers in the festival's main competition. Debates about diversity and inclusion in the movie business are a long way from dying down.
THRILLS AND CHILLS
Once considered the preserve of B-movies, thrills have become respectable. The Venice competition brims with films that include elements of sci-fi, action and horror, including "Downsizing," ''The Shape of Water" and "Mother!"
Further jolts and shocks are promised by the Italian organized-crime series "Suburra"; S. Craig Zahler's bloody "Brawl in Cell Block 99," starring Vince Vaughn; and a 3-D version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," screening alongside a 25th-anniversary documentary about the landmark video.
A CHANGING INDUSTRY
Technology and economics are transforming the film industry, and festivals like Venice are working hard to keep up.
Festival director Alberto Barbera has said he wants the lineup to provide "a perception of the future," rather than "a snapshot of the present or a souvenir selfie of our contemporary cinema."
One big change this year is the festival's first virtual reality competition, featuring 22 films and installations judged by a jury led by director John Landis. Barbera said VR, until recently considered little more than "the latest technological gimmick," looked set to "become one of the most colossal investments" for the cultural industry.
With the way films are funded, made, distributed and watched all in flux, the taste-maker role played by festivals like Venice makes them more powerful than ever.
Schrader, who has been making films since the 1970s, said advances in technology had let him make "First Reformed" twice as fast and at half the cost of a movie made just 10 or 15 years ago.
"That's the upside of the enormous freedom we've been given by technology in film," he said. "The downside is thousands of films are getting made now that no one wants to see.
"The festivals are the new gatekeepers," he added. "We need these festival structures to process this tsunami of product."
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Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
Workers set up lighting at the Cinema Palace ahead of the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival, at the Venice Lido, Italy, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The world's oldest cinema festival, which opens Wednesday, is kicking off the fall cinema season with searing drama, serious glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
A worker walks on a rooftop as he sets up lighting at the Cinema Palace ahead of the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival, at the Venice Lido, Italy, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The world's oldest cinema festival, which opens Wednesday, is kicking off the fall cinema season with searing drama, serious glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Workers set up lighting at the Cinema Palace ahead of the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival, at the Venice Lido, Italy, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The world's oldest cinema festival, which opens Wednesday, is kicking off the fall cinema season with searing drama, serious glamour and a crop of new movies vying for attention, awards and acclaim. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Venice Biennale President Paolo Baratta, right, and Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro pose prior to the start of a of the 74th annual Venice International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The festival runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9, 2017. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A prosecutor in Minnesota says he expects to decide by the end of the year whether to charge a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot a woman who called 911 about a possible sexual assault in her neighborhood.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says his office has received e-mails and phone calls from the public pressing him to charge the officer who killed Justine Damond last month. Freeman says an investigation and review of a police shooting typically takes four to six months.
The death of the 40-year-old Australian native has drawn international attention since the July 15 shooting by Officer Mohamed Noor. Damond had called police to report a possible assault and met officers in an alley behind her home where Noor shot her.
PARIS (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron has made the fight against "Islamic terrorism" in Syria and Iraq the top priority in his foreign policy agenda.
Speaking Tuesday to French diplomats gathered at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Macron called the Islamic State group "our enemy."
"Restoring peace and stability - Iraq then Syria - is vital priority for France," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses French Ambassadors at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Aug. 29 2017. Macron said the fight against "Islamist terrorism" especially in Syria and Iraq is the first priority of his foreign policy. (Yoan Valat, Pool via AP)
He proposed creating a new contact group including the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to help handle negotiations with Syria. He didn't give more details about the exact role and composition of this group, saying the main players of the Syrian crisis would be involved.
The group will first meet at the United Nations in New York next month.
Macron also announced the organization in Paris of an international summit "against the financing of terrorism" at the beginning of next year.
In Libya, a key country in Africa's unstable Sahel region, Macron said only a political process will help "eradicating terrorists." He vowed to help Libya's neighbors, especially Tunisia, to protect those nations against the risk of destabilization.
On French territory, Macron confirmed that he plans to lift a state of emergency that has been in place since deadly November 2015 attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris. At the same time, he pledged to harden permanent security measures to fight Islamic extremism and other threats.
The state of emergency expires Nov. 1.
Macron recalled France's commitment toward the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers - an agreement President Donald Trump has threatened to pull the U.S. out of.
"There's no alternative" to this deal, Macron said, calling for a "constructive and demanding" relationship with Iran.
The French president praised a new European-African plan to grant asylum to migrants in Chad and Niger before they try dangerous, illegal sea crossings, calling it "more human and more effective" than any policies tried in the past.
He insisted that taking in refugees "is a question of dignity and loyalty to what we are," but stressed the importance of sending home illegal migrants who don't qualify for asylum.
Macron announced he is naming a new ambassador to oversee migration issues and said his government would step up European-African cooperation efforts to stop migrant smuggling.
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Angela Charlton contributed in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron addresses French Ambassadors at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Aug. 29 2017. Macron said the fight against "Islamist terrorism" especially in Syria and Iraq is the first priority of his foreign policy. (Yoan Valat, Pool via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - It appeared to be a case of all blondes look alike for President Donald Trump, at least during a White House news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (SOW'-lih NEE'-nis-tuh).
Trump at one point turned to Niinisto and encouraged him to choose another journalist to ask a question. But Trump seemed puzzled by Niinisto's choice during the Monday press conference.
"Again?" Trump asked. "You're going to give her the same one?"
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto listens as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump apparently thought Niinisto had called on the same woman he had called on earlier during the news conference.
Niinisto explained that the person he picked is "not the same lady" and that both women "are sitting side by side."
Trump's mix-up prompted someone in the audience to remark, "We have a lot of blonde women in Finland."
CHEYENNE, Wyo. A 25-year-old Wyoming mother accused of killing her 16-month-old baby has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.
KGAB-AM reports Sabrina A. Sawicki appeared in court on Monday, denying charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
An autopsy determined the boy died from "abusive head trauma" consistent with "shaken baby syndrome."
Sawicki remains free on a $50,000 bond. Her trial is scheduled for November 7.
Court records say the baby was taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center on April 24 and then flown to Children's Hospital Colorado where he was taken off life support on April 27.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) - Legia Warsaw has been fined 50,000 euros ($60,000) for a fan banner criticizing UEFA.
The Polish champions must also close the north stand of its stadium, where the trademark pre-match displays are made by fans, when it next plays at home in the Champions League or Europa League.
UEFA intervened in response to Legia fans displaying a giant banner of a UEFA badge with a pig and the slogan "And the 35,000 fine goes to..." at a Europa League game this month.
That related to UEFA's fine for displaying a political banner commemorating the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 before a Champions League qualifying game.
In recent seasons, Legia fans repeatedly provoked UEFA with giant pre-match banners.
Legia also hosted Real Madrid in an empty stadium last season after fan violence.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A man wanted in connection with the beating of a black man in Charlottesville on the day of a white nationalist rally turned himself in to authorities in Georgia and will be extradited to Virginia, officials said.
Alex Michael Ramos, 33, surrendered Monday evening at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Sgt. Lawson Bittick told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Ramos faces one count of malicious wounding in the attack on DeAndre Harris, which was captured in photos and video that went viral. The Aug. 12 attack by a group of men left him with a concussion, abrasions and contusions across his body, as well as a head laceration that required staples, a knee injury and a fractured wrist, according to his attorney.
This image provided by the Monroe County Ga., Sheriff's Office shows Alex Michael Ramos, who turned himself Monday evening,, Aug. 28, 2017, in Monroe County, Ga. Ramos has been charged in connection with the beating of a black man during violent clashes in Charlottesville the day of a white nationalist rally on Aug. 12, 2017. Ramos faces one count of malicious wounding in the attack on DeAndre Harris, which was captured in photos and video that went viral. (Monroe County Sheriff's office via AP)
Ramos agreed to be extradited to Virginia during a hearing Tuesday, said Kathy Barfield, deputy clerk of the Monroe County Magistrate Court.
Bittick said Ramos is an unemployed construction worker, and he didn't know if he had obtained an attorney.
In an interview with Atlanta TV station WGCL, Ramos said that he hit Harris once and that others beat him with sticks and shields. He called the incident "a defensive attack."
Ramos also said he is not a white nationalist.
"I was there because, pretty much, I'm a conservative. ... There were some non-racist members who were going to a free speech rally," he said.
Harris, a 20-year-old special education instructional assistant, attended the rally with friends to show his opposition to the white nationalist groups, his attorney, S. Lee Merritt, said.
A member of Harris' group began arguing with a white supremacist over a Confederate flag, Merritt said in a statement. Harris intervened just as the white supremacist attempted to spear his friend with the flag's pole, the statement said.
Harris tried to retreat but was pushed to the ground by a man holding a shield with the symbol of a white supremacist group, and the group of men swarmed him, beating him with blunt objects, according to the statement.
Another man accused in the beating, Daniel Borden, 18, of suburban Cincinnati, appeared by video Tuesday and declined to waive extradition to Virginia, where he also faces a charge of malicious wounding. Hamilton County Magistrate Michael Bachman set bond at $100,000 and scheduled a Sept. 29 hearing.
Attorney Greg Berberich has said Borden's family expects him to be exonerated.
Merritt said he intended to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against all parties responsible for the attack in the coming weeks.
Ramos and Borden were identified through the efforts of journalist and activist Shaun King, who has been posting photos and video of the assault on social media and offered a reward, Merritt said.
"With information including affiliated organizations, clear photographs, and recordings, it is disappointing that the combined efforts of federal and local agencies have failed to lead to either the identification or arrest of additional suspects," Merritt said in the statement.
Meanwhile, a Ku Klux Klan member charged with firing a gun during the rally remained in Baltimore County pending extradition.
Randy Mentzell, the county Department of Correction's commitment manager, said she didn't know when Richard Preston, 52, would be transported to Virginia.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Film remakes of "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" fell apart because John Steinbeck's son and daughter-in-law impeded the projects, the writer's stepdaughter told jurors in federal court Tuesday.
Waverly Scott Kaffaga alleges that long-running litigation over the author's estate has prevented her from making the most of Steinbeck's copyrights at a time when marquee names such as Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Lawrence were interested in bringing some his masterpieces back to the screen.
"The catalog has been dirtied by these legalities," Kaffaga said. "The whole Steinbeck canon has been put into doubt."
FILE - This undated file photo shows American author John Steinbeck, winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for his novel "The Grapes of Wrath." Film remakes of "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" fell apart because Steinbeck's late son and widow impeded the projects, the writer's stepdaughter told jurors in federal court Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo, File)
Kaffaga, daughter of the late author's third wife, Elaine, is suing the estate of stepbrother Thomas Steinbeck, who died last year, and his widow and their company.
The lawsuit follows a decades-long dispute between Thomas Steinbeck and Kaffaga's mother over control of the author's works.
Thomas Steinbeck has lost most rounds in court, including a lawsuit he and the daughter of his late brother, John Steinbeck IV, brought that spurred Kaffaga to countersue in the current case.
A judge already ruled the couple breached a contract with Kaffaga. Jurors must decide if Thomas and Gail Steinbeck interfered with deals and should pay up.
Attorneys for Kaffaga did not name a price in court, but Gail Steinbeck said they previously asked the judge for $6.5 million plus punitive damages.
Gail Steinbeck's lawyer said she never intentionally interfered in deals she and her husband would have benefited from and that would have served their interest promoting the Nobel Prize winner's legacy.
An attorney for Kaffaga said Gail Steinbeck caught wind of projects and then threatened movie makers that she and her husband had legal rights to the work and also cut secret side deals without notifying Kaffaga.
In one instance, Thomas Steinbeck secretly signed a $650,000 deal with DreamWorks to be an executive producer on a film remake of "The Grapes of Wrath," the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that starred Henry Fonda on the silver screen that won two Oscars.
Producers and directors later dropped the remakes because they feared litigation by the Steinbecks, Kaffaga's attorney Susan Kohlmann said in her opening statement.
Kohlmann put Gail Steinbeck on the witness stand early in the case and displayed emails that she wrote suggesting that a reported remake of "East of Eden" starring Lawrence would be "litigation city."
Another email Gail Steinbeck wrote after her husband lost a related court case in New York suggested litigation wouldn't end until "I draw my last breath."
Steinbeck laughed off that comment in testimony, saying, "Oh, that was silly."
Defense attorney Matthew Berger noted that Kaffaga was never adopted by John Steinbeck and was not one of his heirs. He said Thomas Steinbeck was a co-owner of his father's copyright and received royalties.
Gail Steinbeck estimated conservatively that her husband received $120,000 a year in publishing royalties from the author's work - and as much as $200,000 in some years.
Berger said Kaffaga's claim had no merit and she wasn't entitled to any damages because most movies optioned are never made and that estimated revenue from unproduced projects was speculation.
Berger suggested Kaffaga was using Thomas' inheritance to sue his widow.
Waverly Scott Kaffaga, stepdaughter of author John Steinbeck, leaves federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. Kaffaga says that film remakes of "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" fell apart because the author's late son and widow interfered with the projects. She told jurors in Los Angeles federal court that long-running litigation has prevented her from making the most of Steinbeck's copyright. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)
Gail Steinbeck, widow of Thomas Steinbeck, the son of author John Steinbeck, leaves federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. Waverly Scott Kaffaga, the late author's stepdaughter, not shown, says that film remakes of "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" fell apart because the author's late son Thomas and Gail Steinbeck interfered with the projects. Kaffaga told jurors in Los Angeles federal court that long-running litigation has prevented her from making the most of Steinbeck's copyright. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is criticizing President Donald Trump's decision to pardon a controversial Arizona sheriff, calling it "a stupid thing to do."
The San Francisco Democrat was asked about the pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio at a lecture in San Francisco.
Feinstein said Trump's pardon sent a message to police departments around the United States "that racial profiling is OK."
United States Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
On the topic of a border wall with Mexico, Feinstein said she believes Americans would rather send aid to Texas flood victims than pay for a border wall.
The friendly conversation touched on many subjects, but the 84-year-old did not say whether she'll seek re-election next year.
She drew boos, however, when she said Trump will likely serve out the rest of his term.
United States Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., left, speaks with Ellen Tauscher at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
United States Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
United States Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., gestures while speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is assembling a panel of experts to discuss the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving in the U.S. military.
President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, but he gave Mattis the authority to decide those already serving.
Mattis says in a statement released Tuesday that the Pentagon, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, will develop a plan that "will promote military readiness, lethality and unit cohesion."
He says, "Panel members will bring mature experience, most notably in combat and deployed operations, and seasoned judgment to this task. "
The White House had said Friday that transgender people would be allowed to continue serving until Mattis had completed such an analysis.
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistani police say gunmen opened fire on a group of transgender people, killing one of them, in an upscale neighborhood in the southern port city of Karachi.
Police officer Aurangzeb Khattak said the shooting took place overnight Wednesday. He said passengers in an SUV first harassed the group by throwing rotten eggs at them and then opened fire before fleeing. He said one bullet struck a person who went by the name Chanda in the head, killing him on the spot.
Khattak said shell casings from a 9 mm pistol were found at the scene and that investigators were using surveillance camera footage to trace the SUV and arrest the culprits.
Transgender people are known as Khusra or Heejra in Pakistan.
NEW YORK (AP) - Republicans from New York and New Jersey are pledging unconditional support for those devastated by Hurricane Harvey. But their resentment lingers.
But as historic floods wreaked havoc across the Gulf Coast, Northeastern Republicans recalled with painful detail the days after Superstorm Sandy ravaged their region in 2012. At the time, Texas' Republican lawmakers, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, overwhelmingly opposed a disaster relief package they argued was packed with wasteful spending.
The debate delayed the passage of the Sandy relief package by several weeks. And five years later, another powerful natural disaster has exposed lingering resentment that underscores regional divisions in a deeply divided Republican Party grappling with crisis.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. The Republicans of New York and New Jersey are pledging unconditional support for those devastated by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. But their resentment lingers. As historic floods wreaked havoc across the Southwest on Tuesday, Northeastern Republicans recalled with painful detail the days after Superstorm Sandy ravaged their region in 2012. At the time, the Texas congressional delegation, led by Cruz, overwhelmingly opposed a disaster relief package they said was packed with wasteful spending. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"It was cruel, it was vicious, and something that I'll never forget," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told The Associated Press on Tuesday. He said Texas Republicans held up the 2012 bill as part of "a political ploy against the Northeast."
"Having said that," King added, "I don't want the people of Texas to suffer."
King's comments were representative of several New York and New Jersey Republicans interviewed by the AP who said they were still angry, but would not employ the tactics of their Texas colleagues as Congress awaits an expected Trump administration request for billions of dollars of assistance. It may take weeks or months to survey the damage, but early estimates suggest Harvey could be one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history.
"We're not going to hold it against those poor Texans who need our help what their representatives tried to do to us back five years ago," said Rep. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y. "This is an American crisis and we come to the aid of our fellow Americans."
It's still unclear how the conservative Texas delegation will approach disaster funding when it affects their region. Natural disasters back home typically transform Congress' fiscal conservatives railing about the deficit into fans of federal spending.
Several Texas Republicans did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Cruz's office said it was too soon to say whether he could pledge unconditional support to a massive disaster assistance package. In recent days, he has defended his opposition to a $51 billion Sandy relief bill he said was filled with "pork."
The current disaster highlights stark differences between two wings of the Republican Party: more moderate Northeastern Republicans, a group from which President Donald Trump hails, and those across the South and Southwest, who often adhere to a rigid conservative ideology even, apparently, in times of crisis.
"When regions face serious disasters causing extensive damage, the federal government has an obligation to assist with assets to address the emergency," Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said. "Sen. Cruz strongly supports this role of government, but emergency bills should not be used for non-emergency spending and that unfortunately is what made up nearly 70 percent" of the Sandy relief bill.
The Congressional Budget Office found that the $51 billion Sandy relief package was distributed relatively slowly, but virtually all of the funding was related to the storm or to prevent future disasters.
"I don't want to revisit who did or didn't vote for the legislation then," said Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J. "I think it's needed now, and I'll be voting for it when we return to Washington."
Lance, like other Northeastern Republicans interviewed, disagreed with the Texas delegation's insistence five years ago that federal spending for disasters should include corresponding budget cuts elsewhere.
"The overarching lesson is that we have the responsibility nationally to be involved in these situations. And that one never knows where the next natural disaster will occur," he said.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., was a state senator back in 2012 when Sandy hit.
"People's lives were hanging in the balance," he recalled, turning his attention to Texas. "I am fully, completely committed to do whatever I can ... to assist."
Zeldin added, "Regardless of whether you're a fellow New Yorker or a Texan, we want to be as helpful as possible."
Congress stepped forward with enormous aid packages in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Sandy, though some GOP conservatives - including then-Indiana Rep. Mike Pence - chafed at the price tag. White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who will be responsible for preparing any disaster request for Trump, opposed the Sandy aid package as a South Carolina congressman, offering a plan to cut elsewhere in the budget to pay for it.
Lawmakers provided $110 billion to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Katrina. The George W. Bush administration, politically scalded by criticism over its botched response, signed off on the aid.
But New York and New Jersey lawmakers seeking help over Sandy encountered stiffer resistance.
King said he was speaking out now to "put down a marker" for Cruz and others who stood in the way of Sandy relief five years ago.
"If there was another natural disaster," King said, "we're not going to tolerate what he did the last time."
MADRID (AP) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy defended his record in government Wednesday as he appeared before lawmakers to answer questions about alleged corruption scandals linked to his ruling Popular Party.
Rajoy said he had already dealt with this subject many times in parliament and saw no reason why he should have to do so again. He accused opposition parties of trying to stage an inquisition and challenged them to introduce a no-confidence bill.
Rajoy testified in court in July about the main corruption scandal affecting the party, a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme that helped finance the group. It was a first court appearance for a Spanish prime minister in office.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni attend a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, Aug.28, 2017. The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain are meeting Monday with counterparts from Libya, Niger and Chad to discuss ways to curb illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Rajoy, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, has moved from denying the allegations outright to saying he was never aware of any illegal dealings with the party's finances.
He began his 35-minute appearance Wednesday with a speech against terrorism and in solidarity with the victims of the attacks around Barcelona earlier this month that left 16 people dead.
He praised his government's work in getting Spain's economy out of severe recession and called for unity among lawmakers to deal with the threat of secession from the powerful northeastern region of Catalonia.
Addressing the issue of corruption, Rajoy said there was "no impunity in Spain," and that cases are pursued and tried in court. He also called for a code of conduct for funding all parties, not only the governing Popular Party.
Leading opposition Socialist spokeswoman Margarita Robles called Rajoy a premier "under suspicion." She said it's been shown that Rajoy put up with the allegedly illegal financing of his party and said, once again, in his appearance Wednesday failed to clear up anything.
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This story corrects that the death toll in recent attacks stands at 16, not 15.
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Associated Press writer Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report.
BANGKOK (AP) - Several hundred Buddhist nationalists, including monks, rallied in Myanmar's largest city on Wednesday to urge stronger action against insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority for attacks on police last week.
The attacks in Rakhine state in western Myanmar have spiraled into chaotic violence, with more than 100 dead and villages torched.
At least 18,000 Rohingya have fled the violence and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in a no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said.
Supporters of nationalist Buddhist monks display banners during a protest rally demanding to give wider powers to Myanmar military to crackdown on Muslim Rohingya militants in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, Aug. 30,2017. At least 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. (AP Photo)
The army, responding to last Thursday's attacks, launched what it called clearance operations against the insurgents, but advocates for the Rohingya say they are attacking and burning Rohingya villages, shooting civilians and causing others to flee.
The government blames Rohingya insurgents and their sympathizers for the continuing violence. Government figures put the death toll since last week at a minimum of 103, including 12 members of security forces, 77 people described as insurgents and 14 civilians. There were reports of additional deaths Wednesday.
Rohingya advocates fear the death toll for civilians is much higher.
Most of Myanmar's estimated 1 million Rohingya live in northern Rakhine state. They face severe persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, which refuses to recognize them as a legitimate native ethnic minority, leaving them without citizenship and basic rights.
Longstanding tension between the Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists erupted in bloody rioting in 2012. That set off a surge of anti-Muslim feeling throughout the country.
Wirathu, a Buddhist monk and leader of the anti-Muslim movement who is known for virulent sermons, told Wednesday's protesters in Yangon that only the military can control the situation in northern Rakhine.
He criticized the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi for not responding quickly to the army's call Tuesday for a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which could declare a state of emergency in Rakhine and give the military absolute authority to enforce it. The military holds a majority on the council, which was created by the 2008 military-drafted constitution.
"Only the military's commander in chief can protect the lives and the properties of the people," Wirathu said. "The military is the only one that can give a lesson to tame the Bengali terrorists."
Myanmar nationalists use the term Bengali for Rohingya because of a belief they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, even though many families have been in Myanmar for generations.
Wirathu also denounced international aid groups that the government has accused, without evidence, of giving assistance to the Rohingya insurgents. The allegations have circulated widely on social media.
The Information Ministry said Wednesday that 45 homemade bombs were detonated and seven villages, one security post and two neighborhoods in the township of Maungdaw were burned down on Sunday and Monday.
Maungdaw, in the northern part of Rakhine state, is a center of the violence, though villages over a much wider area were also hit.
Sanjukta Sahany, a spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on the border with Myanmar, said the Rohingya crisis was not just an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh but of international concern.
At the United Nations, the Security Council got an emergency, closed-door update Wednesday on Myanmar, at Britain's request. The council didn't issue any statement as a whole, but British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said members condemned the violence and called on all the parties involved to de-escalate tensions.
The U.N. refugee organization on Tuesday urged Bangladesh to continue to allow Rohingya fleeing violence to seek safety. It said it was ready to help Bangladesh with assistance for the refugees.
Ali Hossain, Cox's Bazar district's top government official, told The Associated Press that its resources were under huge stress after some 87,000 Rohingya entered Bangladesh since October last year and another 18,000 since last Friday.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the United States on Wednesday to pressure Myanmar so its government would stop pushing Rohingya toward Bangladesh, her spokesman said.
Hasina made the request during talks with Alice Wells, U.S. acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said Ihsanul Karim, Hasina's press secretary.
The insurgent raids last Thursday were deadlier than an attack by the militants on three border posts last October that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counterinsurgency operations against Rohingya communities. Human rights groups accused the army of carrying out massive abuses, including killing, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.
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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Wirathu, center, a leader of nationalist Buddhist monks, renowned for his anti-Muslim sermons, speaks during a rally of Myanmar Buddhist nationalists who demand wider powers to Myanmar military to crackdown on Muslim Rohingya militants, in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, Aug. 30,2017. At least 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. (AP Photo)
Wirathu, a leader of nationalist Buddhist monks, renowned for his anti-Muslim sermons, arrives at a rally of Myanmar Buddhist nationalists, who demand wider powers are given to Myanmar military to crackdown on Muslim Rohingya militants in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, Aug. 30,2017. At least 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh in less than a week, with hundreds stranded in no man's land at the countries' border, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday. (AP Photo)
Members of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority wait to enter the Kutupalong makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. Violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine state has driven thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, along with a smaller exodus of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. (AP Photo/Mushfiqul Alam)
Members of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority cross a barbwire fence to return to Myanmar, at Ghumdhum, in the Myanmar- Bangladesh border, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. Violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine state has driven thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, along with a smaller exodus of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. (AP Photo/Mushfiqul Alam)
Members of the Myanmar Red Cross wait at the boat landing for residents fleeing western border areas, Tuesday, Aug.29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
Members of Myanmar Red Cross carry an injured police officer who fled from the Maungdaw to an emergency vehicle as he arrives, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
Members of Myanmar's Red Cross help an injured police officer who fled from the unrest in Maungdaw as he arrives by boat, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
Fleeing from the unrest in Maungdaw region, Buddhist Rakhine residents arrive by boat, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
Members of Myanmar Red Cross help a disable woman who fled from unrest in the Maungdaw region as she arrives at the boat jetty, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
Fleeing Buddhist Rakhine residents arrive by ship from the unrest in Maungdaw region at the jetty, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Recent violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State has driven thousands of Muslim ethnic Rohingyas fleeing toward Bangladesh for safety, but less noticed is a smaller exodus of Buddhists from the Rakhine minority. (AP Photo)
After tornadoes tore through Atlanta in 1996, a Red Cross truck pulled into Charlie Magees neighborhood and offered food and comfort in the face of the destruction.
It was a symbol of hope and better days ahead, he said. I said someday I would pay it forward.
Now, more than 20 years later, Magee is following through with his promise. Over the weekend, the Laramie resident made the 18-hour drive to Texas in a similar truck. Hell be helping in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on his first deployment as a Red Cross volunteer. In the coming days, he will deliver food and supplies to people in the affected area.
Magee is one of at least seven Wyomingites who traveled to Texas Gulf Coast to lend assistance.
Hurricane Harvey reached land on Friday and caused extensive damage to Corpus Christi and nearby communities. Floodwaters in Houston-area streets continued to rise Monday, stranding residents and rendering hospitals unsafe.
As of Monday afternoon, 10 people were reported killed in the Category 4 storm and authorities continued to rescue residents stuck on rooftops or wading through waters.
Spencer Pollock, executive director of Wyoming Red Cross, has been working out of the nonprofits Houston headquarters since Thursday. Hes been working to coordinate fundraisers, government organizations and visits from elected officials.
Staff in the Red Cross headquarters were evacuated to a tornado shelter three times on Sunday, Pollock said. Workers there have had to wade through knee-high water outside the facility. He estimated that hed slept maybe six hours since arriving in Houston.
Other Wyoming residents are working across the state. Kaleigh Good, the nonprofits disaster program manager for central Wyoming, is working in Austin to coordinate community resources. Sylvia Raumaker from Teton County will be working as a shelter manager for displaced people.
Pollock said that Red Cross emergency deployments generally last two weeks.
But based on the magnitude Im guessing well all be here for at least three, he said.
Wyoming is well-represented among the Red Cross, he said. Two of the 10 members of the leadership team are from Wyoming.
Magee, the driver of the Emergency Response Vehicle, was staged in Austin on Monday afternoon waiting for final directions. It has been difficult for responders to get into the affected areas because the roads are flooded, he said. He expected to travel to Corpus Christi or Houston on Tuesday.
GENEVA (AP) - A new United Nations report chronicles swelling violence by Venezuelan security forces over four months this year, appealing to the main U.N.-backed human rights body to address the matter.
The 36-page report by the U.N human rights office adds personal accounts, attacks on journalists and other details to preliminary findings that the office released Aug. 8 citing "systematic use of excessive force" during anti-government demonstrations.
U.N. rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein urged President Nicolas Maduro's government Wednesday to ensure independent investigations of abuses by security forces, plus armed groups and protesters.
Zeid said investigations begun under now-ousted chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz during the April-to-July period covered should remain "visibly impartial."
The report urges the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council to address the matter in its next session, beginning Sept. 11.
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) - A former presidential candidate in Rwanda is under investigation for forgery and tax evasion, police said Wednesday, a day after detectives searched her home in the capital, Kigali.
Diane Rwigara is being investigated on suspicion of forging signatures during her efforts to qualify as a candidate, police spokesman Theos Badege said. Police and revenue officials also are investigating her family's business over allegations of tax evasion, he said.
"Investigations are still going on, but it's not true that we arrested Rwigara," Badege said, denying reports that Rwigara was in custody.
Rwigara has not commented on the allegations, but she has said she has been targeted over her criticism of President Paul Kagame's government and its human rights record in the East African nation.
Kagame won re-election on Aug. 4 with over 98 percent of the vote, though human rights groups long have accused the government of targeting and harassing the opposition.
Rwigara was disqualified as a candidate after allegedly failing to collect enough supporting signatures ahead of the election. According to electoral laws, independent presidential candidates are required to present 600 signatures, with at least 12 from each of Rwanda's 30 districts, in order to run for president.
Rwigara turned in signatures of some people who had been long dead and others who belonged to a rival political party, according to Rwanda's electoral commission.
Rwigara is the daughter of the late Assinapol Rwigara, a tycoon who fell out with Kagame before his death in a car accident in 2015.
Kagame has been de facto leader or president since the end of Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A Dutch judge has extended by two weeks the detention of a suspect arrested last week for alleged involvement in a threat that forced the cancellation of a concert in Rotterdam by an American rock group.
Rotterdam District Court tweeted Wednesday that an investigative judge granted prosecutors' request to continue holding the 22-year-old suspect for a further 14 days.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was arrested in the town of Zevenbergen, 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Rotterdam, hours after the concert by Los Angeles band Allah-Las was cancelled. The cancellation followed a tip about a possible terror threat that was sent to Rotterdam police by authorities in Spain.
Police have not released details about the exact nature of the threat.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The language from North Korea on Wednesday is as familiar as it is chilling, a declaration to the world to expect more missile tests. But there are important clues about North Korea's ambitious push to send its missiles farther into the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to make them an accepted part of life in the region, as leader Kim Jong Un expands the weapons program he sees as his country's best chance of survival against encircling enemies.
By firing a missile over Japan and putting the Asia-Pacific, including Guam and its major U.S. military base, on notice for more tests, North Korea may have won itself greater military space in a region dominated by enemies. It's still too early to see if Kim can create new rules without crossing a line that the United States won't tolerate.
Here's a look at the possible meaning of Kim's comments carried by state media after North Korea sent a missile potentially capable of carrying a nuclear bomb over Japan on Tuesday:
People watch a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. By firing a missile over Japan and putting the Asia-Pacific, including U.S. territory Guam, on notice for more and more ambitious tests, the North has won itself greater space for more weapons tests Washington and Seoul see as provocative. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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WHAT NORTH KOREA SAID
Because North Korea's "current ballistic rocket launching drill ... is the first step of the military operation ... in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam, (which is an) advanced base of invasion, he (Kim) said that it is necessary to positively push forward the work for putting the strategic force on a modern basis by conducting more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future."
WHAT IT MAY MEAN
This refers to North Korea's attempt to strengthen its weapons capabilities and use them to test its bargaining power against the United States. To this end, North Korea is signaling that it may soon turn the Pacific Ocean into its own ballistic missile training ground and make its launches over Japan an accepted norm.
This might have been Kim's plan all along as he sought what to do next after North Korea's weapons development reached a point where it could test intercontinental ballistic missiles meant to reach deep into the U.S. mainland. North Korea threatened earlier this month to fire a salvo of Hwasong-12s - the same missile it sent over Japan on Tuesday - to create "enveloping fire" near Guam.
The U.S. territory of Guam is home to key military bases and strategic long-range bombers that North Korea finds threatening. Still, it's unclear whether the North will ever act on its threat to fire missiles at the "advanced base of invasion." This could risk triggering a military retaliation from the United States if something goes wrong. But the threat and the subsequent launch Tuesday may have won North Korea space to stage more weapons tests because anything less than targeting Guam would draw a sigh of relief from the United States.
"There were times when even a short-range ballistic missile launch drew a heated response and sanctions from the international community, but the world didn't do anything about North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launches on Saturday" ahead of Tuesday's longer launch, said Du Hyeogn Cha, a visiting scholar at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "North Korea will try to do the same with midrange ballistic missile launches in the Pacific, making them part of the new normal."
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WHAT NORTH KOREA SAID
Kim Jong Un "sternly" said that "the drill conducted by the (North's) Strategic Force is a curtain-raiser of its resolute countermeasures" against joint military exercises being conducted by the U.S. and South Korea.
WHAT IT MAY MEAN
Before Tuesday's launch, it appeared North Korea was backing away from its threat to fire missiles toward Guam. Some took this as a sign that it was willing to talk and wouldn't let things get too tense during the annual joint military drills between Washington and Seoul that run through Thursday.
Tuesday's events killed such optimism. Most experts now say North Korea will likely continue its torrid pace of weapons tests until it perfects ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, and that it probably won't show serious interest in talks before then.
Kim is clearly seeking a real nuclear deterrent against the United States and likely believes that will strengthen his negotiating position when North Korea returns to talks. And if it does, North Korea will likely demand a halt of the U.S.-South Korean drills and perhaps the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula in any talks involving a moratorium on its missile launches, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert from Seoul's Dongguk University.
North Korea condemns the annual U.S.-South Korea war games as rehearsals for an invasion, and Washington and Seoul faced calls to postpone or downsize this year's drills to ease tensions.
There might also be a simpler reason Kim attributed Tuesday's launch to the drills.
China, North Korea's only major ally, has been calling for a "dual suspension" in which the North stops its nuclear and missile tests and Washington and Seoul halt their military exercises to lower tensions and lead to talks. By publicly linking the launch to the drills, Kim is attempting reduce the possibility that Beijing supports more punitive measures against North Korea at the United Nations over the launch, Cha said.
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WHAT NORTH KOREA SAID
Kim Jong Un said his nation has drawn a lesson "again that it should show action, not talk, to the U.S. imprudently denying the (North's) initiative measure for easing the extreme tension" and stressed that it will continue to watch America's demeanor toward the North and decide its future actions accordingly.
WHAT IT MAY MEAN
The problem here is that Washington won't be very interested in displaying the kind of "demeanor" that North Korea is likely to want.
A U.S. military solution to North Korea's missile tests is also unlikely. Making a highly difficult intercept of North Korean missiles would be a tough call because failure would seriously dent the credibility of the expensive U.S. missile defense system.
So the question is whether North Korea will put some checks on itself as it seeks to expand its weapons tests in the Pacific. Some experts believe the next North Korean launches will be bolder unless Washington makes serious concessions.
But Hwang Ildo, a professor at Seoul's Korea National Diplomatic Academy, disagrees, saying North Korea probably won't risk infuriating the United States. He says the North Korean threat toward Guam is more about winning greater freedom of military action than about deterring flyovers of U.S. bombers or stopping the U.S.-South Korean war games.
"The North's intention was to push the boundaries of its military presence farther from the Korean Peninsula and Japan and into the wider Pacific, and they practically drew the line at Guam with their missile threat," he said.
A visitor walks by a TV screen showing a local news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Seoul Train Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. By firing a missile over Japan and putting the Asia-Pacific, including U.S. territory Guam, on notice for more and more ambitious tests, the North has won itself greater space for more weapons tests Washington and Seoul see as provocative. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Officials in Bosnia say they have detained one person suspected of affiliation with Islamic extremists and terrorism.
Police said Wednesday they searched a house and detained an unnamed individual in the wider Sarajevo area on the orders of the state prosecutor's office.
The prosecutor's office said the operation targeted homes associated with extremist groups and people fighting in Syria and Iraq to "find weapons, ammunition and explosives and bring in some people for questioning."
The statement said the premises were believed to be linked to a man "who had been deported to Bosnia from Austria."
Police did not say if anything was seized during the search.
DRESDEN, Maine (AP) - A Maine company is partnering with television host Andrew Zimmern for a special line of spice blends.
The Portland Press Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2vrgvxz ) Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants has already developed and released five of the seven new blends for Zimmern's website. Gryffon Ridge owner Christine Pistole drew inspiration for the blends from Zimmern's worldly travels.
The Dresden-based spice house features seasonings like Kentucky Table, Cattle Drive Gusto and Soul of the Caribbean. Each blend comes with recommendations for pairings. Pistole's 2-ounce jars sell for $10 each.
Pistole says working with Zimmern is an exciting opportunity.
Gryffon Ridge opened their doors in 2009. The company boasts a collection of 55 unique culinary blends along with more than 100 spices, herbs, salts and chilies.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
BRUSSELS (AP) - NATO said Wednesday that it will send three experts to observe military exercises between Russian and Belarus next month but alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg wants the two countries to allow broader monitoring.
Russia and Belarus say the Zapad 2017 exercise, which runs from Sept. 14 to Sept. 20 not far from the borders of NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, will involve less than 13,000 troops. Under international rules, the two should allow wider access to monitors if troop numbers exceed that figure.
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the three experts will attend "Visitors' Days" in Belarus and Russia, after they were invited to attend.
But she said that international rules permit monitors to have much wider access, like "briefings on the exercise scenario and progress; opportunities to talk to individual soldiers about the exercise; and overflights of the exercise."
The rules governing military exercises are enshrined in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's so-called Vienna Document.
Stoltenberg is calling for the Vienna Document to be revamped, and believes he can muster enough support to ensure that unannounced war games, or snap exercises, can be watched with "snap monitoring," or that small, multiple maneuvers under different commands be recognized as one big exercise, loopholes he says Moscow is exploiting.
"It's especially important now, because tensions are higher than they used to be. There is more military activity, more exercises and therefore it's even more important that we avoid incidents and accidents or misunderstandings," he told The Associated Press on Friday, in Orzysz, Poland.
Stoltenberg was in Orzysz to thank some of the 1,200 U.S.-led battlegroup, based near Russia's Kaliningrad region and Belarus, for their service. NATO has a total of around 4,500 troops based in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to keep Russia at bay.
NATO allies are concerned that Moscow might leave military equipment behind in Belarus when the exercises are over, perhaps to use later should President Vladimir Putin want to send troops quickly across the border, as he did in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014.
Russia's Deputy Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Alexander Fomin, has rejected what he described as Western "myths about the so-called Russian threat."
"The most improbable scenarios have been floated," he said Tuesday. "Some have reached as far as to claim that the Zapad 2017 exercises will serve as a 'platform for invasion' and 'occupation' of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine."
Fomin said the Russian armed forces will invite foreign observers to the maneuvers, which will involve 5,500 Russian and 7,200 Belarusian troops, about 70 aircraft, up to 250 tanks, 200 artillery systems and 10 navy ships.
But Lungescu said the invitations are no substitute for real observation under the Vienna Document.
"Russia and Belarus are instead choosing a selective approach that falls short. Such avoidance of mandatory transparency only raises questions about the nature and purpose of the exercise," she said.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez "deserves a presumption of innocence" heading into his upcoming corruption trial.
Speaking Wednesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, the Republican governor said the 63-year-old New Jersey Democrat should have an impartial trial before a jury of his peers. The former U.S. attorney says the job of the federal prosecutor is to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Opening statements in the Menendez trial are scheduled for Sept. 6.
Menendez and Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen are charged with multiple fraud and bribery counts. Prosecutors say Melgen donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Menendez's political campaign and legal defense fund, and paid for expensive trips for the senator in exchange for help with business disputes.
Both men have denied there was any bribery arrangement.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Uber's new CEO told company employees Wednesday that the ride-hailing company must change, and what got it to this point won't get it to the next level.
Dara Khosrowshahi, who was CEO of Expedia, spoke at Uber's San Francisco headquarters three days after the company's board offered him the job. His official start date was not disclosed, although he tweeted a picture of his Uber employee badge Wednesday.
Khosrowshahi led Expedia from 2005 and helped build it into one of the largest travel-booking sites in the world. Analysts say his experience is a good match for the troubled Uber, which is trying to change a culture of rampant sexual harassment and faces allegations of corporate espionage and of trying to thwart inspectors from cities that wanted to regulate it.
FILE - In this July 13, 2012, file photo, Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. New Uber CEO Khosrowshahi will begin work with an employee meeting Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, at the company's San Francisco headquarters. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
The company gave a few details of Khosrowshahi's speech in a series of tweets. He said that culture has to come from the bottom up. If it comes from the top, people don't believe it.
He also said bringing in a chairman "to be my partner at the board level - driving agenda and rhythm of the board" is important.
Uber must focus on its core business, pay the bills and "take big shots" to build for the future, he said, according to the tweets.
Khosrowshahi will meet with small groups of employees and spend time with drivers in the coming weeks, the company said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Brown-Forman Corp. said Wednesday its first-quarter net income rose sharply as the maker of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey reported strong sales growth across its broad portfolio of brands.
Buoyed by more favorable foreign exchange trends, the Louisville, Kentucky, company raised its full-year earnings-per-share projection to a range of $1.85 to $1.95. It reaffirmed its outlook for underlying operating income growth of 6 percent to 8 percent.
The growth was driven by continued gains for Jack Daniel's products, along with sales growth for the company's key bourbon, tequila and vodka brands.
FILE - In this March 4, 2011, file photo, a bartender begins to pour a drink from a bottle of Jack Daniels at a bar in San Francisco. Brown-Forman Corp. said Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, its first-quarter net income rose sharply as the maker of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey reported strong sales growth across its broad portfolio of brands. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
"We continue to foresee growth potential for our brands, most notably in American whiskey, and accordingly, we intend to invest against this opportunity with ever-improving prioritization, competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency," said CEO Paul Varga.
Underlying net sales grew by 5 percent in the U.S., while those sales surged by 19 percent in emerging markets, led by double-digit increases in Mexico and Poland, its two largest emerging markets, the company said. Those sales were flat in developed markets outside the U.S.
The strong dollar had been a drag on Brown-Forman's earnings in recent quarters, but the company said Wednesday it benefited from more stable foreign exchange that spurred improving consumer demand in the first quarter. Foreign markets account for slightly more than half of the company's sales.
The company also was moving beyond difficult year-over-year comparisons that had been influenced by its sale of the Southern Comfort and Tuaca brands to Sazerac.
Brown-Forman reported net income of $178 million, or 46 cents per share, in the first quarter ending July 31. That's compared with $144 million, or 36 cents per share, a year ago.
Quarterly net sales minus excise taxes rose 9 percent, to $723 million.
The company pointed to strong sales for many core brands.
Brown-Forman also benefited from strong growth among its super- and ultra-premium whiskey brands, including Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel and Gentleman Jack. Those brands fetch higher prices.
Underlying net sales for the entire Jack Daniel's lineup rose 6 percent in the quarter.
Woodford Reserve had a 16 percent gain, while another key bourbon brand, Old Forester, also posted double-digit growth. The company's tequila brands also surged ahead, with Herradura posting 18 percent growth while el Jimador was up 13 percent. Finlandia vodka had a 6 percent increase.
In another favorable development, wholesalers had more inventory on hand in the first quarter than a year ago, meaning they purchased more of Brown-Forman's products.
In morning trading, shares of the company added $1.74, or 3.4 percent, to $52.94.
A CVS customer wants to end a short-lived, federal lawsuit that hit the drugstore chain in a sensitive area: The prices it charges for prescriptions.
The customer accused CVS Health Corp. of conspiring with pharmacy benefits managers to charge insured patients more for some generic medicines than people who pay cash. The lawsuit filed earlier this month also said the chain wasn't telling customers about the potential savings they could gain by paying cash.
A CVS spokesman had called the accusations baseless and said his company doesn't overcharge patients.
The customer's attorney filed a short notice last week asking that the case be dismissed. It offered no explanation.
A similar lawsuit filed against CVS rival Walgreens is still pending. Walgreens also has denied the allegations and promises to fight them.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Hundreds of Puerto Ricans took to the streets of the island's capital on Wednesday to protest austerity measures as anger builds over an unrelenting economic crisis that has hit the working class especially hard.
Protesters clutched posters decrying austerity measures including new taxes, increases in utility bills and looming furloughs and cuts to a public pension system facing nearly $50 billion in liabilities.
"They're taking advantage of us poor workers. We did not steal. We are not corrupt," read one poster held up by 70-year-old Eva Feliciano, a retired government worker who said she sometimes cannot afford to buy the groceries she and her husband need.
Demonstrators march to protest austerity measures in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, August 30, 2017. Protesters clutched posters decrying austerity measures including new taxes, increases in utility bills and looming furloughs and cuts to a public pension system facing nearly $50 billion in liabilities. The crowd converged at the offices of a federal control board created by U.S. Congress last year to oversee Puerto Rico's finances. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) - PUERTO RICO OUT - NO PUBLICAR EN PUERTO RICO
Protesters shielded themselves from a blazing sun as meteorologists warned of a heat index that could reach 110 degrees. The crowd converged at the offices of a federal control board created by U.S. Congress last year to oversee Puerto Rico's finances. The board earlier this week sued Gov. Ricardo Rossello for refusing to implement measures including a 10 percent cut to a public pension system that officials say is running out of money and furloughs that are supposed to go into effect on Friday.
Puerto Ricans have joined the governor in rejecting the board's demands.
"The measures that are being approved affect everyone in Puerto Rico," said Luis Pedraza, leader of a union that represents some 20,000 workers in the public and private sector.
He warned that if people don't protest, they will be hit with additional measures to generate more money for bondholders demanding payment amid multimillion-dollar defaults as Puerto Rico tries to restructure a portion of its $74 billion public debt.
Joining the protest were dozens of workers from the island's public power company who launched a 24-hour strike that forced the agency to temporarily close its offices. Among them was 39-year-old Christian Garcia, who said his family has cut back on TV, internet and grocery shopping amid the crisis.
Nearby, several retired police officers held up posters demanding the government pay their pensions in full. Currently, police officers and teachers in Puerto Rico do not receive Social Security and depend solely on the crumbling public pension system.
Diego Figueroa, who retired in 2003 after working 35 years at the island's police department, defended the creation of the federal control board and said it is sorely needed.
"It is lifting the veil on millions of acts of corruption committed against the people of Puerto Rico," he said, referring in part to previous administrations that borrowed millions of dollars to cover ballooning deficits. "We demand respect for a people that is suffering."
The island of 3.4 million people is struggling with a 10 percent unemployment rate and a decade-long recession that has sparked an exodus of nearly 450,000 people to the U.S. mainland.
A protester carries a sign that reads in Spanish: "We defend our pensions for a dignified retirement." during a march against austerity measures to the offices of a federal control board created by U.S. Congress last year, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. Protesters are decrying new taxes, increases in utility bills, looming furloughs and cuts to a public pension system. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) PUERTO RICO OUT - NO PUBLICAR EN PUERTO RICO
Demonstrators march to protest austerity measures in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, August 30, 2017. Protesters clutched posters decrying austerity measures including new taxes, increases in utility bills and looming furloughs and cuts to a public pension system facing nearly $50 billion in liabilities. The crowd converged at the offices of a federal control board created by U.S. Congress last year to oversee Puerto Rico's finances. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) - PUERTO RICO OUT - NO PUBLICAR EN PUERTO RICO
People protest austerity measures as they march to the offices of a federal control board created by U.S. Congress last year, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. Protesters are decrying new taxes, increases in utility bills, looming furloughs and cuts to a public pension system. The signs read in Spanish: "This debt is illegal. It has to be burned," left, and "Audit now!" (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) PUERTO RICO OUT - NO PUBLICAR EN PUERTO RICO
LONDON (AP) - Motorists and gawkers jammed onto Scotland's new bridge over the Firth of Forth, anxious to see the new expanse on its first full day of operation.
Cars began trying out the Queensferry Crossing beginning at 2 a.m. By rush hour Wednesday, delays in both directions hampered movement on the new 1.35 billion pound ($1.74 billion) bridge that links the Lothians and Fife.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown says that travelers will notice the "absence of the 'slap, slap, slap' that you get on the existing bridge."
Traffic flows on both carriageways of the Queensferry Crossing this morning after it opened to traffic for the first time, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Queensferry, Scotland. The new bridge, which crosses the Firth of Forth, is the world's longest three tower cable-stay bridge. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)
The new crossing - the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world - will be closed again on Friday so some 50,000 pedestrians can cross it over the weekend. Queen Elizabeth II will visit the new expanse on Monday.
NEW YORK (AP) - Charities are stepping up their donation requests in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which has devastated South Texas and on Wednesday hit southwestern Louisiana. At least 18 people have died, and countless residents are displaced from their homes.
While the urge to donate clothes and other supplies is natural, money is the quickest, most effective contribution most people can make during times of disaster, charities and philanthropy experts say. And donating directly through a website gets money to a charity faster than a text donation, even though the text might seem easier.
Here's how to make sure you are giving in a way that matters the most.
Michael Reznor, center, holds his son while he is fitted for a life vest as he and his family are evacuated from their apartment among floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Kingwood, Texas. Reznor's wife Ashlyn Reznor looks on at right. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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GIVE TO ESTABLISHED RELIEF AGENCIES
GuideStar's website has a database that lets you vet charities . You can find information on a charity's expenses, assets and revenue, as well as its programs.
Stacy Palmer, editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, also suggests looking at a charity's website for information on how it will use donations. And look through local news reports for information on a charity's work, or contact the local United Way and the local Community Foundation - in this case Houston's.
It's up to you whether to go with a local charity that might know the area better, or a national charity that has wider reach. Palmer says "both kinds of organizations have their place right now."
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TEXTING TO GIVE?
It might be tempting to make a donation through text and have the phone company charge it on your phone bill. It's easy, and it might feel as though it's the quickest way to get money to a charity.
But Palmer says that's not the case, as charities have to wait for the phone companies to release the money.
The quickest way to give is to go to the charity's website and donate directly, using a credit or debit card. That said, relief agencies will need money beyond first few days or even weeks, so if the ease of text donations appeals to you, tap away. To donate $10 to the Red Cross via text, send a text message saying "REDCROSS" to the number 90999.
Apple users in the U.S. can also donate to the American Red Cross through the company's iTunes and app stores. Amounts range from $5 to $200, and you can't use store credit.
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TIMING
Donations often pour in immediately after disaster strikes but peter out during the long recovery process. While there are a lot of immediate needs, Palmer says, "charities are going to need support on the long haul."
Consider saving some of your money so you can donate again in a few weeks or months. Better yet, set up a recurring donation to support your chosen charity over time.
Some charities will say when they have raised enough for a particular disaster and use any extra money for their general fund, Palmer says. This isn't bad.
"One of the things this disaster shows is that it's important to have resilience," she says. "It's smart to just give and say that it can be used wherever it's most needed."
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CROWDFUNDING
Group fundraising services such as GoFundMe let people raise money for friends, families, neighbors or themselves - as well as for charity. As always, do your homework before giving to a stranger or cause online.
GoFundMe has a special page for Hurricane Harvey pleas for charities, individuals and families. GlobalGiving, a crowdfunding site for charities, is trying to raise $2 million for local relief and recovery efforts.
Remember that donations are tax-deductible only if they go to a registered non-profit or charity. Otherwise, they are generally considered gifts.
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HOLD OFF ON MATERIAL DONATIONS
Donating food, clothing and household items can complicate and even hinder relief efforts, experts say. After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, for example, reports cited relief agencies not knowing what to do with the piles of clothing and other unsolicited items pouring in.
The U.S. Center for Disaster Information says such donations "require transportation - which is expensive and logistically complicated - and a pre-identified recipient on the ground who will receive the shipment, pay customs and other fees, sort and distribute the items."
Unsolicited goods, the agency says , are "never required in early stages of response, and they compete with priority relief items for transportation and storage."
It doesn't mean there will never be a time or place for such donations - check with relief agencies as time passes. And a few charities have announced immediate needs for material donations; the Houston Humane Society has set up an Amazon wish list for the most needed items.
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CONSIDER SPECIAL NEEDS
Seniors, the disabled, children and even pets are particularly vulnerable during disasters. Consider donating to charities that focus on their needs.
The Texas Diaper Bank , for example, says diapers (whether for babies or adults) are not provided by disaster relief agencies. Again, these charities need money - not boxes of diapers you picked up at Costco.
Portlight Strategies helps people with disabilities, older adults and their families recover after disasters.
To help animals, check the San Antonio Humane Society, which has set up an emergency fund for pets and strays, or the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals . And the Houston Humane Society needs money, too.
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CHECK OUT MATCHES
Facebook says it will match every dollar raised through its service, up to $1 million, for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund. The money will support local recovery and rebuilding efforts. U.S. Facebook users are getting a message at the top of their news feed on how to donate.
Google, meanwhile, is matching $1 million in donations to the American Red Cross. To donate, go to http://www.google.org/harvey-relief . The company also matched donations from employees and said Tuesday it donated $750,000 between its nonprofit arm, Google.org, and employee contributions to organizations such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children.
Some companies, such as the Walt Disney Co., are also matching employee donations.
Incarnate Word Academy (IWA) 7th graders in Brownsville, Texas, unload a truck of donated bottled water Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, as IWA hopes to fill an 18 wheeler trailer with community donated supplies to its final destination in Houston where Hurricane Harvey devastated Houstonians. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP)
Kathryn Loder of West University separates donated clothing from a huge pile at the George R. Brown Convention Center. "I'm so proud how everyone is coming together," said Loder in her second day of volunteering. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Volunteer rescue boats make their way into a flooded subdivision to rescue stranded residents as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
VIENNA (AP) - An Austrian court has rejected a Spanish extradition request for a Ukrainian oligarch suspected of money laundering and membership in a criminal organization, saying there was insufficient evidence for the application.
Court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn said Wednesday that the accusations against Dymitro Firtash were "not sufficiently put in concrete terms" and an Austrian request for more details has not been met.
Salzborn says Austrian prosecutors can appeal the decision to a higher court. A U.S. extradition request remains pending.
Firtash was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in 2012 for allegedly paying off officials through U.S. banks in a failed attempt to secure titanium mining rights in India worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He has business ties to President Donald Trump's ex-campaign manager, Paul Manafort.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - A lesbian couple are receiving a public apology and $10,000 in damages from a county clerk's office in West Virginia where they were disparaged when applying for a marriage license last year, the couple's attorneys said Wednesday.
Amanda Abramovich and Samantha Brookover sued Gilmer County Deputy Clerk Debbie Allen and Clerk Jean Butcher, saying Allen told the couple while processing their application that they were an "abomination," what they were doing was wrong and that God would "deal" with them.
As part of the settlement, the clerk's office has agreed to issue a public apology in a news release that also will announce the monetary settlement and include a promise to refrain from such treatment in the future, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Mayer Brown law firm, the two groups that filed the suit, said in a statement.
The lawsuit alleged the clerks violated the couple's equal-protection rights under the constitution, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling upholding the rights of same-sex couples to wed.
The couple also alleged that when Brookover's mother complained to Butcher about the treatment by her deputy clerk, Butcher said they deserved it and the next same-sex couple that sought a license would get the same or worse from her office.
The clerk's statement will promise that "all people seeking services and doing business with the county will be treated courteously and with respect regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," Americans United said.
"Our clients, they absolutely wanted to make sure it doesn't happen again," said Eric Rothschild, senior litigation attorney for Washington-based Americans United. The group didn't hear from anyone else with similar complaints after filing the suit in April in the Northern District of West Virginia, he said.
Butcher said Wednesday that she didn't know about the apology and settlement and referred calls to the county's outside lawyer, who didn't immediately respond to telephone messages.
Judge Irene Keeley dismissed the case Wednesday after both sides filed a joint stipulation saying they had reached a settlement agreement.
The Latest on protests and debate about Confederate symbols around the U.S. (all times local):
11:35 p.m.
The city commission of a suburb in Florida has voted to erase the names of Robert E. Lee and two other Confederate generals from the city's streets.
Protestors march outside Hollywood, Fla., City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, demanding that the city strip the names of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood from city streets. (AP Photo/Terry Spencer)
The Hollywood City Commission voted 5-1 late Wednesday to remove the names of Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood from residential streets that hopscotch through the Fort Lauderdale suburb.
Mayor Josh Levy said he voted for the change because it will erase symbols of bigotry and oppression. The streets will be renamed later.
Commissioner Peter Hernandez walked out before the vote but said he opposed the change because it will lead to other streets being renamed.
More than 200 supporters and opponents had packed the commission chambers and the adjoining lobby.
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6:45 p.m.
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has called on leaders in the Florida community of Hollywood to strip the names of three Confederate generals from its streets.
The Fort Lauderdale Democrat told the Hollywood City Commission on Wednesday that getting rid of the names of Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood won't fix racial injustice, but it is a just step.
The commission is expected to vote on the proposed changes later Wednesday. Supporters and opponents packed the commission chambers and its lobby.
The commission gave preliminary approval to the change by a 5-2 vote last month. Change supporters say the city should not honor military officers who fought against the U.S. to preserve slavery. Opponents say the three generals were honorable men who fought bravely and that removing their names would be erasing history.
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6 p.m.
The mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, is apologizing for a statement he issued about the city's response to a white nationalist rally that he says "impugned" the reputation of the city manager and police chief.
Mike Signer addressed reporters after an hourslong City Council meeting Wednesday. He apologized for the statement posted on Facebook, as well as other actions and communications, saying he had "overstepped" the bounds of his role.
Signer's Facebook post asserted he'd been largely shut out of security preparations for the Aug. 12 rally, which descended into violence. One person was killed when a car plowed into a group protesting against the event.
The City Council said in a statement that it had accepted Signer's apology and did not ask for his resignation.
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3:30 p.m.
The University of North Carolina has rejected a request by white nationalist Richard Spencer to speak on its flagship campus at Chapel Hill.
Spencer is a leader of the white nationalist movement and attended demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, that erupted into deadly violence in mid-August.
Chancellor Carol Folt wrote to the campus community Wednesday that she declined a request for Spencer's National Policy Institute to rent space so he could speak. The statement didn't indicate when Spencer wanted to speak, but Folt said she discussed the public safety risks with state and local police.
In the aftermath of Charlottesville, hundreds gathered last week for a largely peaceful rally at the Chapel Hill campus to demand removal of a Confederate soldier's statue there. Separately, protesters also toppled a Confederate statue in nearby Durham.
The University of Florida recently denied a request for Spencer to speak there.
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2:15 p.m.
A group of black lawmakers, pastors and advocacy groups have called for the removal of a Jefferson Davis statue in the Kentucky Capitol.
The Capitol Rotunda includes five statues of famous Kentuckians. They include former President Abraham Lincoln and Davis, the only president of the Confederacy.
The Kentucky chapter of the NAACP and others have twice tried before to have the statue removed, but were unsuccessful. The Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission governs the statues. Its members are appointed by the governor.
Democratic State Rep. Reginald Meeks says it's time to "put aside the politics of the past" and remove the statue. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, has said the statue is an important reminder of the state's history.
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1:40 p.m.
Police in the city of Hollywood have arrested a pro-Confederacy protester after he appeared to charge toward another group of demonstrators ahead of a vote on whether to strip the names of three Confederate generals from local streets.
Hollywood police jumped on 21-year-old Chris Tedino of Miami Wednesday afternoon as he took steps toward the protesters. He was carrying a Confederate flag.
Officers quickly wrestled Tedino to the ground, then carried him away from the area in front of the city hall, where commissioners are expected to vote later Wednesday afternoon. A crowd of about 100 was in the area, and Tedino was the lone pro-Confederate supporter.
It could not be immediately determined what charges he could face.
Hollywood is a suburb of Fort Lauderdale and commissioners there gave preliminary approval last month to renaming streets named after Confederates Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood.
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10:11 a.m.
A Florida suburb is poised to remove the names of three Confederate generals from its streets.
The city commission in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Hollywood is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to rename streets named after Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood. Forrest was a founder of the Ku Klux Klan after the Civil War.
The commission gave preliminary approval to the change by a 5-2 vote last month.
Change supporters say the city should not honor military officers who fought against the United States to preserve slavery.
Opponents say the three were honorable men who fought bravely and that removing their names would be erasing history.
Several Southern cities have removed or are considering removing statues honoring Confederate leaders.
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) - Authorities on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of starting an illegal campfire believed to have ignited a growing Northern California blaze that destroyed 10 homes, damaged five others and threatened hundreds more.
The wildfire sparked Tuesday near the town of Oroville, a region already hard-hit by fire and a massive evacuation earlier this year caused by damage to sections of the nation's tallest dam.
It's one of many wildfires burning across the U.S. West, including blazes in and around California's Yosemite National Park that have closed a popular road into the park, shuttered the iconic Wawona Hotel and evacuated nearby towns. About 58 homes near the park were destroyed earlier this summer.
A tree continues to burn from a wildfire along Lumpkin Road near Oroville, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The wildfire is among a series of wildfires burning across the U.S. West. (Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record via AP)
The fire near Oroville, about 70 miles north of Sacramento, had consumed nearly five square miles (13 square kilometers) and was 10 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Three more communities were evacuated, and firefighters struggled to contain the fast-burning flames Wednesday as temperatures surged into triple digits. The U.S. West is struggling with heat that is making the battle against wildfires difficult.
Plus, record rains earlier this year that ended California's historic drought has produced to more vegetation, which is fueling the fires.
"Taken all that together, it's real tough out there," Cal Fire spokesman Jeremy Rahn said.
Cal Fire investigators arrested John Ballenger, 29, of Oroville, on suspicion of starting an illegal campfire. He was taken to jail, and records don't show whether he is represented by an attorney.
"All campfires pose a risk of escaping," Cal Fire spokesman Darren Read said. "A campfire should never be left unattended and must be extinguished completely before everyone leaves."
The wildfire is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Oroville Dam. Tens of thousands of residents downstream fled in February when the dam's spillways crumbled and led to fears of catastrophic flooding. Waters receded before they breached the dam, and water officials said repairs are 20 percent complete.
Months later, a wildfire about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of the dam destroyed 41 homes.
Meanwhile, some two dozen fires are burning in Oregon, leading more 4,500 evacuations. The area burning in the state is roughly equivalent to half the state of Rhode Island, and the largest fire is only partially contained after lightning ignited it in mid-July.
Smoke from all the blazes has converged on Portland, several hundred miles away, and has obscured the iconic view of Mount Hood and triggered air quality warnings.
In Montana, authorities have ordered about 1,000 homes and businesses to evacuate near Seeley Lake, a popular destination for boaters, anglers and hikers about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Helena.
In Glacier National Park, smoke from wildfires has led officials to close the historic Lake McDonald Lodge for the season. Earlier this month, the backcountry Sperry Chalet shut down because of the same fire.
A fire truck working on a wildfire drives past downed power lines along Lumpkin Road near Oroville, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The wildfire is among a series of wildfires burning across the U.S. West. (Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record via AP)
A school bus sign hangs upside down as an emergency crew working on a wildfire drives along Lumpkin Road near Oroville, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The wildfire is among a series of wildfires burning across the U.S. West. (Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record via AP)
In this Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 photo, smoke rises from a wildfire behind the Fish Camp General Store near Yosemite National Park in Fish Camp, Calif. The wildfire is among a series of wildfires burning across the U.S. West. (Brian Wilkinson, Sierra Star via AP)
In this Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 photo, U.S. Forest Service hand crew out of Fresno, Calif., walks toward a small spot fire at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, Calif. The wildfire is among a series of wildfires burning across the U.S. West. (Brian Wilkinson/Sierra Star via AP)
In this Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, photo, smoke from a wildfire west of Sisters, Ore., blankets the Deschutes National Forest. Firefighters in southern Oregon on Tuesday, Aug. 29, gained a toehold on a fire burning near the coastal town of Brookings but new evacuations were ordered after a flare-up on a different complex of lightning-caused fires in a remote area near the California border. (Fedor Zarkhin/The Oregonian via AP)
HONOLULU (AP) - The U.S. military shot down a medium-range ballistic missile during a test off Hawaii, officials said.
The Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai Island launched the target missile late Tuesday. Sailors aboard the destroyer USS John Paul Jones tracked it with radar and fired an interceptor missile to shoot it down.
The test comes amid North Korea's ballistic missile tests and rising tensions between the U.S and the North. Earlier Tuesday, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan, a close U.S. ally, that landed in the Pacific Ocean. President Donald Trump said "all options are on the table" in response to the test.
This Aug. 29, 2017 photo provided by the Department of Defense shows a medium-range ballistic missile target is launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The U.S. military has shot down a medium range ballistic missile during a test off Hawaii. The Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai Island launched the target missile late Tuesday, Aug. 29. Sailors aboard the destroyer USS John Paul Jones tracked the target with radar and then fired an interceptor missile to shoot it down. The test comes amid ongoing North Korean ballistic missile tests. Earlier Tuesday (Latonja Martin/Department of Defense via AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his country's ability to contain the U.S. territory of Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases.
The Hawaii test gives Navy ships enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their last stage of flight, said Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves, the director of the Missile Defense Agency.
"We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves," he said in a statement.
The destroyer fired a Standard Missile-6 or SM-6 interceptor. It's the second time that particular type of missile has successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said.
In June, the John Paul Jones failed to shoot down its target missile in a similar test off Hawaii. A Standard Missile-3 Block IIA jointly developed by the U.S. and Japan failed to intercept its target. An earlier test of the same interceptor in February succeeded.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville's mayor is denouncing a statement against same-sex marriage that evangelical leaders named after the city.
On Tuesday, Mayor Megan Barry tweeted that the "Nashville Statement" is poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city and people of Nashville.
More than 180 evangelical leaders have signed the statement, which was released after the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission annual conference last week in Nashville.
Among 14 beliefs listed, the statement also takes a stance against transgender people. It says Christians shouldn't simply agree to disagree on homosexuality and transgender issues.
In response to Barry's tweet, Coalition for Biblical Sexuality President Denny Burk wrote that the group was simply following a longstanding Christian tradition of naming doctrinal statements after where they were written.
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:
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Aug. 29
The Dallas Morning News on how Houston needs assistance after providing help during Hurricane Katrina:
Twelve years ago this week, the city of Houston responded with heroic life-saving actions to the near drowning of New Orleans. This as-big-as-Texas effort earned Houston this newspaper's Texan of the Year designation for 2005.
In the days after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29 of that year, more than 1,800 residents died and millions were left homeless.
For the sake of those traumatized survivors, Houston met the challenge with the largest shelter operation in the nation's history. More than 150,000 of the approximately 250,000 evacuees would eventually make Harris County their permanent home.
Perhaps Houston's director of building services in 2005, Issa Dadoush, said it best as evacuees stumbled off buses and into the mega-shelter created within the Astrodome: "These are Americans. They're our neighbors. If not Houston, who else?"
Not only did Houston provide emergency aid to the survivors, the city got them into permanent quarters as quickly as possible so they could resume some semblance of a normal life. School assignments for the children and job placements for the adults.
To get the work done right, "we" became far more than government. The extraordinary effort depended on churches, companies, nonprofits and tens of thousands of ordinary people waiting for that first convoy of fearful survivors who had huddled for days in the New Orleans Superdome.
In response, Houston became the heart of Texas. From those who served the first hot meals to those who made return trips to New Orleans to pluck even more survivors from nursing homes and deserted streets.
Now it's the rescuer in need of rescue: Houston, its suburbs and the many smaller southeast Texas towns and surrounding counties lay devastated by Hurricane Harvey.
While the catastrophic causes are different, the similarity between images out of hurricanes Harvey and Katrina are chilling. With southeast Texas rainfall measured in feet, not inches, and a grim landscape of homes seeming to sink into a quicksand of floodwaters, it's no small miracle that the death toll thus far is small.
When Houston opened its arms to Katrina's victims, its leaders noted that the county, local cities and other key agencies and corporations had worked together for years to brace for catastrophe. That planning is proving to be no less vital now that it's Houston that's at risk of drowning.
Any sense of normalcy in southeast Texas is months, if not years, away as a hurricane that first blew through the small coastal tourist town of Rockport has grown into a multi-billion-dollar state disaster.
What's most immediately needed is a few of our state's trademark August days: hot, dry and sunny.
But no rain totals will drown out the resilience, resourcefulness and good old Texas neighborliness that earned Houston the 2005 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year designation.
As former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said when his city welcomed the Katrina survivors: "We will rebuild, one life at a time."
As Houston begins that task again, this time on behalf of its own residents, our thoughts and prayers remain with our big-city neighbor to the south.
Online: https://www.dallasnews.com/
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Aug. 27
The Washington Post on President Donald Trump scaling back national monuments:
The minute President Trump entered the Oval Office, President Barack Obama's environmental legacy was in danger. The clean air and water regulations and the land protections he established, all without Congress's assent, were as fragile as some of the precious habitat they were meant to protect.
Yet Thursday brought indication that Mr. Trump may unravel the environmental achievements of more than one president. The Post reported that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent recommendations to the White House that include scaling back some of the most prominent national monuments created in the past three decades. Unsurprisingly, Bears Ears National Monument, which Mr. Obama created at the end of his presidency, is top on the list for downsizing. But also on the chopping block is the nearby - and utterly spectacular - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which President Bill Clinton established in 1996. Some monuments that are not set to shrink could nevertheless lose some protection. More fishing could be permitted in sensitive marine monuments, for example.
The details are secret, which is a problem in itself. What is clear enough is that an extensive tour of southern Utah and consultation with local tribes, who pushed for preservation, did not impart on Mr.?Zinke the proper awe for the natural wonders he is now endangering. In June the secretary issued an initial report on Bears Ears that did not suggest restraint in rolling back the national monument.
Narrowly interpreting the law under which national monuments have been established, Mr. Zinke indicated that only isolated "rock art, dwellings, ceremonial sites, granaries" in Bears Ears deserve national monument protection, arguing that it was appropriate only to "identify and separate the areas that have significant objects." This is not how presidents have used the law since the days of Teddy Roosevelt, who set aside more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon. Presidents for decades have preserved spectacular, irreplaceable and integrated natural landscapes, not just one butte or cliff dwelling at a time.
When we asked the Interior Department for more information, a spokeswoman pointed to sections of Mr. Zinke's report that called for Congress to establish other sorts of protections for the land he would withdraw from Bears Ears, perhaps declaring some of it a national recreation area. If Congress wants to move Bears Ears' boundaries or establish different levels of protection on the land, it can do so. The president should not withdraw protections before that happens. The same goes for Grand Staircase, a breathtaking area of the country that was saved the indignity of having a coal mine drilled into it only because of Mr. Clinton's actions 20 years ago.
Some of those pushing to reopen these lands see them as just another place to graze or mine. They are wrong. These places are unique. Grand Staircase's jutting rock formations tell a geologic story over hundreds of miles. Bears Ears' rust-red landscape is replete with streams, buttes, natural arches and Native American artifacts. Landscapes of this scale and spectacle are unique and irreplaceable. The nation owes it to future generations to preserve them.
Online: https://www.washingtonpost.com/
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Aug. 30
The London Evening Standard on North Korea's nuclear threat:
None of North Korea's neighbors want to see the collapse of its repressive regime, whatever they say in public. That's the dirty secret behind all the diplomacy surrounding the current crisis. The last thing China wants is a unified, pro-western Korean nation on its doorstep - with US troops stationed on the other side of the Yalu River on its border. That's a prospect Mao Zedong went to war to prevent
67 years ago, when China was far weaker than it is today.
They would never dare say it but Japan too is wary of a strong, united Korea, given the long history of distrust and destruction between the two.
Even the South Koreans baulk at the idea of spending vast sums bringing their impoverished cousins into the 21st century. It's only the poor North Koreans themselves, half of whom live in extreme poverty, and all of whom exist in a climate of fear and servitude, who would benefit from the fall of the socialist dictatorship founded by Kim Il Sung in the 1940s.
That is why the world is so frustrated by the unpredictable and potentially genocidal behavior of his grandson Kim Jong-un.
If the tyrant was happy to stay behind his barbed-wire borders and only threaten his own people, the world would leave him alone.
But his ballistic missile launches and nuclear bomb tests, and the development of the technology to put the two together in an intercontinental weapon that could hit the west coast of the U.S., makes that impossible.
Portrayed as the wild-eyed aggressor, Kim Jong Un is really acting defensively. Like his father and grandfather before him, he sees the acquisition of this 70-year-old technology as the key to his survival and that of his family's empire - noting the fate of Colonel Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein when they failed to develop deliverable nuclear weapons.
The key to solving the crisis is to persuade him that far from securing his regime this will bring about his downfall. That won't be easy, but is possible. The deal with Iran to pause its weapons program is the model. That would enable the rest of world to leave North Korea alone, and avoid the question of what would happen if it no longer existed.
Online: https://www.standard.co.uk/
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Aug. 28
The Houston Chronicle writes an open letter to President Donald Trump, highlighting the city's economic contributions and asking for funding:
Dear President Donald Trump,
While we write this letter, the trees are still bending in near gale-force winds and floodwaters are rushing out of bayous into our homes and neighborhoods. But you should know that the bayous are what attracted the Allen Brothers - two ambitious developers from New York, not unlike yourself - to found Houston in the first place.
In the 19th century, the bayous were a byway for cotton traders. But now they converge at the Houston Ship Channel, the core of our national oil and gas industry.
Hurricane Harvey made first landfall near Corpus Christi, and Houston is still enduring the worst of this ongoing disaster, so it is only appropriate that you're visiting our sister city to the south today for your speech. We're glad you're there, and they need your help, too.
But before you leave, Mr. President, and move on to your next speech in Missouri, please take some time to learn about Houston. Schedule a helicopter tour or a flyover in Air Force One so that you can grasp the full range of destruction that has beset our neighborhoods, businesses and, importantly, refineries. The sheer scale of our city, and its role in the international energy economy, can only be seen from a bird's-eye view.
Houston is no flyover country. We're the energy capital of the world and responsible for a quarter of U.S. petroleum refining and more than half of all jet fuel. In fact, you have an expert on the topic in your cabinet - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil.
We're the Fort Knox of oil and gas, and you risk losing untold wealth if the federal government doesn't muster the resources necessary to help our city repair, rebuild and ensure resilience against the next inevitable storm.
Our city has been pushed to the brink, and the crisis still isn't over. Homes continue to fill with floodwaters, and thousands seek shelter from a storm of biblical proportions. The number of deaths continues to inch higher, and countless families are finding themselves homeless, their neighborhoods lost to the rising waters.
While millions hunker down, other fellow Houstonians are putting their bodies and souls to the ultimate test.
Think of the doctors and nurses working without rest, the sheriff's deputies and rescue workers venturing into neighborhoods overwhelmed by waist-high waters, the volunteers who bring comfort to shelters and weekend warriors whose kayaks became a lifeline for stranded families.
As hours without rest turn to days without sleep, these heroes find within themselves a drive - a compassion - that they never knew existed.
Mr. President, these men and women are the soul of our sprawling and diverse Houston. When you speak this morning in Corpus Christi, you have the opportunity to help empower their last reserves of energy so they can endure until the final raindrop falls and the bayous return to their banks.
Ronald Reagan once joked that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
That isn't a joke you hear during a storm.
Now, more than ever, we need help from the government. We need to know that our politicians in Washington, D.C., are working just as hard as our first responders.
You've never hesitated before to use the power of your bully pulpit to rally for your cause, nor were you ever one to mince words when promising to fight for the coal miners of West Virginia or steelworkers of Pennsylvania - now you can harness that passion to fight for Houston.
Even for a man prone to hyperbole - we all have our rhetorical tics - it is hard to overstate the massive scale of the ongoing disaster.
A nation is waiting to hear an impassioned plea on behalf of the charities that will help our families in need, like the Houston Food Bank, the Texas Diaper Bank, and the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, which Mayor Sylvester Turner established as a central clearinghouse.
You've already told reporters that we can expect rapid action on relief funding, and Democrats and Republicans alike will no doubt agree that an unprecedented storm like Harvey will require a major effort. Calls to offset this emergency spending with cuts elsewhere must be cast aside. Deficits are a debate for another day, and bluster about shutting down the government must end.
Now we have to help a great American city, an economic engine, get back on its feet.
But it can't end with relief and rebuilding. Houston also needs the resources to harden ourselves against the next inevitable storm.
This means funding for new flood infrastructure - Mike Talbott, former executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, estimated the cost at $26 billion.
Coastal storm surge protection also has to be part of any plan. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, a major backer of your presidential campaign, knows all about that.
Our city still lives in the shadows of great politicians like U.S. Reps. Tom Ball and Albert Thomas, who built the flood and bayou infrastructure that transformed Houston from a swampy town into a 20th century energy metropolis. We're still waiting for a politician with the strength and dedication to build the sustainable cityscape that brings us into the 21st century - and that includes an honest recognition of global warming. We have no doubt that you can be that man if you choose to be.
Mr. President, our worry is that this attention from the White House will recede along with the floodwaters. Several of your tweets during the storm - promoting a friend's book? - left us concerned that you're easily distracted from the task at hand. And all too many of your speeches have revealed a startling gap between what appears on the teleprompter and what lies in your heart. Last week we saw a tempered address on Afghanistan erased by a hateful tirade in Phoenix. How long until reassuring rhetoric from Corpus Christi gives way to a less inspiring tone?
"We will get through this. We will come out stronger. And believe me, we will be bigger, better, stronger than ever before. The rebuilding will begin, and in the end, it will be something very special," you told reporters on Monday.
If we truly want to come back stronger than ever, then the federal government has to step up with funding and leadership, and the buck stops with one man: President Donald J. Trump.
Online: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
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Aug. 28
The Orange County Register on household debt levels:
The United States' lengthy economic recovery and low unemployment rate seem to be promising signs, but cracks in the foundation reveal some concerns for the future.
While the official unemployment rate has hit a 16-year low, at 4.3 percent, the "U-6" underemployment rate, which includes those who would like to work full-time, but have been forced to take part-time jobs, remains stubbornly high at 8.6 percent.
In addition, Americans continue to be plagued by stagnant wages, the rising cost of living, ever-higher taxes (especially here in California), and mounting debt. In fact, household debt has reached a new record, surpassing the levels achieved during the Great Recession, according to the latest Federal Reserve Bank of New York quarterly report. Total household debt now stands at $12.8 trillion, up $552 billion from a year ago, with significant increases in student loan and auto loan debt.
The news is not quite as dire as it appears at first blush, however, since the figures do not account for population and economic growth since the recession.
"Total debt was 67 percent of the nominal gross domestic product in the second quarter, down from as high as 87 percent in 2009," the Wall Street Journal reported.
Then again, we are well into a rather long, albeit mild, recovery - not in the depths of a severe recession. We would much rather be in a position of greater financial strength before the next economic downturn inevitably hits.
Since the recession, student loan debt, which now tops $1.3 trillion, has been second only to mortgage debt (currently $8.7 trillion). Auto loan debt ($1.2 trillion) has also surpassed credit card debt ($1 trillion) during this time, though credit card debt has set a new record as well, surpassing the previous mark from April 2008. Moreover, the portion of credit card balances delinquent after 30 days jumped to 6.2 percent from 5.1 percent during the same period last year.
"This record should serve as a wake-up call to Americans to focus on their credit card debt," CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz told MarketWatch. "Even if you feel your debt is manageable right now, know that you could be one unexpected emergency away from real trouble."
This is a particular concern, given that 78 percent of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck, up from 75 percent last year, according to a recent CareerBuilder study. That includes nearly 10 percent of those earning at least $100,000 a year.
"Living paycheck to paycheck is the new way of life for U.S. workers," CareerBuilder spokesman Mike Erwin told CBS News. "It's not just one salary range. It's pretty much across the board, and it's trending in the wrong direction."
Moreover, just 46 percent said their debt was manageable, and 56 percent felt that they would always be in debt.
And, as a separate MarketWatch article noted, millennials are even resorting to financing to pay for discretionary purchases like luxury sheets, Peloton exercise bikes, fancy blenders, guitars and music festival tickets.
The housing industry is certainly not out of the woods, either. A Federal Housing Finance Agency stress test of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac found that the government-sponsored enterprises, which were completely taken over by the federal government during the last recession, could require up to a $100 billion taxpayer bailout in the event of another such "severely adverse scenario."
So while the economic skies may appear clear in the immediate vicinity, storm clouds are starting to loom. Americans should watch their pocketbooks and do what they can to plan accordingly. Our governments should likewise plan their budgets appropriately, and refrain from adding to citizens' already substantial burdens.
Online: http://www.ocregister.com/
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Aug. 30
The Chicago Tribune on the stalled Chinese-led purchase of the Chicago Stock Exchange:
Did you know that a Chinese company owns Armour hot dogs? As China's economy grows, investors there have climbed the food chain to acquire valuable American brands such as AMC Theatres, New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel and Smithfield Foods, parent of Armour, which was founded in Chicago in 1867.
Currently on the shopping list for China is the Chicago Stock Exchange. An investment group led by Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group struck a deal last year to buy CHX Holdings, the Chicago exchange's parent, for $20 million. The deal is trapped in U.S. regulatory limbo and needs to be approved.
There is nothing frightening about the prospect of a Chinese-led group buying the Chicago Stock Exchange, despite the nervousness being expressed by some officials in Washington. Foreign investment contributes to the U.S. economy, just as it benefits the acquiring country. Foreign money is a vote of confidence. Often it means U.S. job creation: Global investors sink their money into American companies because they see growth potential. The purchase of the Chicago Stock Exchange, a tiny player in the U.S. financial markets, would help that Chicago-based business expand.
Certainly, deals involving China require special scrutiny because the communist government is a geopolitical competitor and, in some respects, an adversary of the United States. So after Chongqing Casin sealed its purchase agreement, regulators and other officials in Washington went to work. One powerful government entity, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which investigates deals on national security grounds, approved the Chinese-led acquisition of CHX last December.
In early August, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is responsible for investor protection, also signed off on the purchase. That wasn't the last word, however. In a rare move, SEC commissioners put final approval on hold, pending further review. The SEC gave no reason for that action, but some members of Congress are clear about their unease: They don't trust the Chinese government. They suspect Beijing will find a way to use this deal to play games with the U.S. financial markets. To cheat investors? Plot economic terrorism? Suspicions run deep. "When you take into account the risk of cyber-market manipulation and the gamut of concerns we have with China . you certainly have to be wary of this acquisition," Rep. Robert Pittenger, a North Carolina Republican, told The Wall Street Journal.
There are legitimate reasons to scrutinize foreign acquisitions. But remember, that's why CFIUS vetted the deal. The committee, which includes representatives from the Treasury Department, Defense Department and other agencies, is no rubber-stamp operation. It has blocked other transactions, but found no reason to prevent this one. Neither did the SEC staff investigation, which signaled that proper oversight will be in place to protect against trading mischief. We think that's correct: Financial markets are heavily regulated. They also are self-policed by sophisticated investors who won't tolerate weak controls. If the Chicago Stock Exchange is vulnerable to manipulation, customers will go elsewhere.
So back to the point of this acquisition: to reinvigorate a storied Chicago institution. The 135-year-old exchange needs capital to grow. Chongqing Casin, which has interests in real estate and other businesses, would lead a group buying 49.5 percent of CHX. American investors would take the rest. CHX Chief Executive John Kerin told the SEC that none of the Chinese buyers are controlled by their government.
The new owners would invest up to $23 million in CHX. Their strategy calls for the Chicago Stock Exchange to focus on listing emerging growth companies from China and the U.S. That's exciting because as China grows, more companies there will want to sell shares to American investors. With its Chinese connection, CHX will have the advantage. And when Chinese firms list on the Chicago Stock Exchange, they may set up offices here and hire Chicago professionals to help manage their businesses. Globalization in action.
More Chinese money is coming to the U.S. More can come to Chicago, as soon as the SEC approves the acquisition of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Commissioners, sign off on this deal.
Online: http://www.chicagotribune.com/
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is poised to have roughly 15,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the coming months, as defense officials on Wednesday finally acknowledged the actual number of American forces in the country after long camouflaging the total in misleading accounting measures and red tape.
Senior Defense officials for the first time said there are about 11,000 U.S. forces currently deployed to Afghanistan - thousands more than the 8,400 that were allowed under the previous administration's troop cap. Military officials have long quietly acknowledged there were far more forces in the country than the cap allowed, but commanders shuffled troops in and out, labeled many "temporary," and used other personnel accounting tactics to artificially keep the public count low.
The officials, however, refused to provide similar details for Iraq and Syria, where there also are thousands more than the Pentagon publicly admits.
FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2017 file photo, a U.S. Marine takes part during a training session for Afghan army commandos in Shorab military camp in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Despite seemingly stalemated peace talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban, officials familiar with the efforts say the country's intelligence chief has exchanges by telephone nearly every day with leaders of the militant group. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini, File)
Chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said that while the same "principles of transparency" will apply in Iraq and Syria, those countries have their own interests. There have long been political sensitivities within the Iraq government about the number of American troops on the ground, and those concerns raise questions about whether the Pentagon will be less candid about force numbers there to avoid conflicts.
Based on troop caps instituted by the Obama administration, the number of U.S. forces in Iraq has consistently been reported as 5,262, but officials say there are actually more than 7,000. And there are at least 1,500 U.S. troops in Syria - three times the 503 that the Pentagon will acknowledge. White said details on troop numbers in Iraq and Syria would be announced in the future.
The troop numbers announcement comes as the Pentagon is preparing to deploy several thousand more Americans to Afghanistan, in order to expand the training and advising of Afghan forces and beef up counterterror operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida-linked groups in the country. Officials have said the U.S. will send as many as 3,900 more troops to the war - which would bring the number of publicly recognized troops there to about 15,000. The officials were not authorized to discuss the future deployments publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.
Lt. Gen. Frank McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said providing more truthful numbers "is an attempt to actually clarify a very confusing set of reporting rules that has the unintended consequence of forcing commanders to make readiness tradeoffs as they deploy their forces."
As an example, Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, noted earlier this year that when Obama ordered the cut in troops to 8,400, commanders had to hire contractors to do jobs that American forces would normally do. So, an aviation brigade that deployed to Afghanistan was able to bring its helicopters, pilots and staff, but the mechanics had to be left behind at Fort Riley, Kansas. The contractors hired to replace the mechanics, Nicholson said, cost "tens of millions of dollars" and hurt the unit's overall military readiness.
White and McKenzie said there have been no final decisions about future deployments to Afghanistan, but those should be coming soon. Others have said that some small numbers of troops have moved into the country from nearby within the region, but there have not been any new deployment orders for forces based further away, such as the U.S.
Officials said that once Mattis makes his decision, a few hundred troops could be ready to deploy quickly - within days, while others could take several weeks to get into Afghanistan.
In the close to 16 years since the United States went to war in Afghanistan, the number of American troops initially grew in spurts, as U.S. leaders wavered about how much focus to put on the war. President Barack Obama came into office saying he would give the war there the attention it required, and the number of American troops on the ground spiraled by mid-2010 to 100,000.
Over time, as the public grew weary with the wars, Obama began to steadily withdraw troops. By March 2015, there were fewer than 10,000 there and Obama announced plans to drop the number to 5,500 by the end of 2016. He later agreed to a compromise that set the cap of 8,400 through the end of his presidency.
Since taking office President Donald Trump has moved to give his military commanders more control over the day-to-day operations of the wars. Allowing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to determine troop deployments is one example of that.
BALTIMORE (AP) - In a story Aug. 28 about legal challenges to President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people joining the military, The Associated Press erroneously described the Washington-state based Gender Justice League. It is a transgender rights group, not a gay rights group.
A corrected version of the story is below:
The Latest: Seattle case challenges transgender military ban
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's ban on transgender individuals joining the military
BALTIMORE (AP) - The Latest on lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people joining the military (all times local):
12:50 p.m.
A soldier based in Washington state and two young men who hope to enlist are among those challenging President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people joining the military.
The three joined the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign and the Gender Justice League, a Washington state transgender rights group, in suing the government in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday. They argue that ban violates the equal protection, due process and free speech guarantees of the Constitution.
The ACLU filed a separate case in Maryland on Monday.
One of the Seattle plaintiffs is 33-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Cathrine Schmid, who has served for more than 12 years and is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of the city. The others are Ryan Karnoski, a 22-year-old transgender man who lives in Seattle, and a transgender high school student from Corpus Christi, Texas.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - A test version of a spacecraft resembling a mini space shuttle was carried aloft over the Mojave Desert by a helicopter Wednesday in a precursor to a free flight in which it will be released to autonomously land on a runway as it would in a return from orbit.
Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser craft was lifted off the ground at 7:21 a.m., at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was carried to the same altitude and flight conditions it will experience before release in a free flight.
A control team sent commands to the wingless vehicle and collected data before the helicopter brought it down at 9:02 a.m., the company said.
Sierra Nevada Corp's "Dream Chaser" test spacecraft is prepared to be lifted by a helicopter for a test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The test version of a spacecraft resembling a mini space shuttle was carried aloft over the Mojave Desert by a helicopter in a precursor to a free flight in which it will be released to autonomously land on a runway as it would in an actual return from orbit. Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser craft was lifted off the ground at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base and was carried to the same altitude and flight conditions it will experience before release in a free flight. (Matt Hartman via AP)
"Everything we have seen points to a successful test with useful data for the next round of testing," director of flight operations Lee "Bru" Archambault said in a statement.
A second captive-carry test is scheduled this year and if it is successful, a free flight test will follow.
The Dream Chaser is being developed to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station without a crew aboard. The version flown Wednesday is for tests in the atmosphere. The version that will be launched into space is still in development.
With the addition of life-support equipment, a Dream Chaser could transport a crew of seven.
Last month, Sierra Nevada selected United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket to launch the first two Dream Chaser cargo missions, which are scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2020 and 2021. Those missions will land at Kennedy Space Center.
The Dream Chaser is a type of craft known as a "lifting body" in which aerodynamic lift is generated by its shape rather than wings like those of a conventional aircraft. Tail fins angling upward at the rear of the craft provide control.
NASA proved the lifting body concept by flying a series of wingless aircraft at Edwards in the 1960s and '70s.
The Dream Chaser is 30 feet (9 meters) long, about one quarter the length of a space shuttle.
Sierra Nevada is headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, and the Dream Chaser is being developed by the company's Louisville, Colorado-based Space Systems business.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Santa Fe's public school students have been given permission to skip an annual presentation of Spanish colonial culture and history that honors a 17th century conquistador, in deference to Native American and non-Christian students who may find the performances disrespectful.
Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica Garcia briefed local tribal leaders Wednesday on the decision allowing students to opt-out of watching dances depicting a costumed Spanish royal court that promotes the Santa Fe Fiesta, a week of community events that culminate in a tribute to conquistador Don Diego de Vargas.
De Vargas reclaimed Santa Fe in 1692 years after the Spanish were driven out of the region in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt of indigenous people against colonizers that killed 400 Spaniards.
The fiesta's ceremonial "entrada" - or arrival - of de Vargas on Santa Fe's downtown plaza has been met in recent years with protests by activists who say the event obscures cruelty inflicted on Native Americans as the Spaniards stamped out resistance to their rule.
A "fiesta court" of costumed Spanish colonial soldiers and royalty will visit schools starting Thursday.
Garcia says it has become clear that some Native American and non-Christian students feel uncomfortable during the brief performances at schools.
"It's a celebration for some kids," Garcia said. "For others, it may not feel that way to them."
A memo about respect for cultural and ethnic diversity from Garcia to school staff says alternative activities must be provided for students who opt-out of watching the fiesta performances at schools.
It suggests teachers use the time to highlight aspects of New Mexico history and cultures, providing an online reading list that touches not only on Spanish conquest and Native rebellion but also on early Jewish settlers and buffalo soldiers who served with all-black military units in the 19th century.
Dean Milligan, president of the nonprofit that organizes the Santa Fe Fiesta, declined to comment on the school district's decision. He said the Santa Fe Fiesta's school presentations are light on history and focus on dancing and music.
"It's more to invite them (students) down to the plaza to get together with the community and their friends throughout the city," he said.
Elena Ortiz, a Santa Fe resident and tribal member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, praised the school district's decision. She said she resented the fiesta court presentations when she was a child and had tried to prevent her daughter from participating but could not previously get permission from school officials.
"My daughter was not allowed to excuse herself," said Ortiz said. "I would pull her out of school when I found out" that the performances were taking place.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - A Cameroon presidential decree says Cameroon has dropped charges and released civil society leaders and several others who were arrested and jailed amid unrest and protests in the country months ago.
Amnesty International said Wednesday it welcomed the government's decision to release two Anglophone activists and others who spent more than six months in jail after arrests for protests over the official use of French in the English-speaking part of the country.
The rights group said the activists should not have been arrested or held for helping to organize peaceful, non-violent protests that began last year. Cameroon's Anglophone population held months of protests against what they called discrimination by the majority French-speaking population.
The decree Wednesday said the president made the decision to pacify concerns in various regions.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Charlene Holloway stood in the cavernous rotunda of Kentucky's state Capitol on Wednesday and gazed at the imposing 15-foot-tall marble statue of Jefferson Davis, the first and only president of the Confederacy.
She was there with more than 100 other people for a rally to renew calls for the statue's removal, weeks after the deadly rally of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia. But while most people focused Davis' racist past, Holloway thought of her great-great-grandmother, one of 15 slaves at a home in Christian County where she was "forced to have children" by her white owner.
"I'm very upset that a statue (is) here that depicts racism, bigotry, hatred for people of color, a statue that believes in dehumanizing people," she said.
Charlene Holloway, right, and Gracie Lewis stand in front of a statue of Jefferson Davis in the Kentucky Capitol on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. The women were some of the more than 100 people who attended a rally on calling for the statue's removal. Holloway says she is the descendant of a black slave and her white owner. (AP Photo/Adam Beam)
Wednesday's rally was the latest attempt to remove the statue that has sat in Kentucky's Capitol since 1936, just behind a statue of another famous Kentuckian, Abraham Lincoln. The two statues reflect Kentucky's complicated history during the Civil War. The state never joined the Confederacy, but was filled with Confederate sympathizers who set up a shadow government for a time in the western part of the state.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the state legislature also rejected ratifying the amendments to the U.S. Constitution that banned slavery and guaranteed black people the right to vote. The legislature finally ratified those amendments in 1976, more than 100 years after the Civil War ended and a decade after Kentucky became the first southern state to sign its own state-level civil rights act in 1966.
"It's been a mixed bag," said Raoul Cunningham, president of the Kentucky chapter of the NAACP, said of the state's history.
The NAACP and other groups have tried twice before to remove the statue from the Capitol, including in 2015 in the aftermath of the racially-motivated murder of nine black people at a South Carolina church. That year, the Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted 7-2 to keep the statue, but to provide it with more historical context.
In 2015, when he was the Republican nominee for governor, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said the statue should be removed and placed in a museum "not on government property." But recently, Bevin has said removing Confederate symbols would be "a very dangerous precedent" because "we basically have revisionist history and pretend it didn't happen."
"The governor's cause for concern is misplaced," Democratic state Rep. Reginald Meeks said. "Revisionist history is in the very marble and stone of these monuments. Governor, in the presence of all that is good and sacred in this honorable hall, you have the responsibility as a man of God and a parent to raise above the politics of the past and to lift our commonwealth to a higher moral state."
The Historic Properties Advisory Commission governs the statues in the Capitol, and its members are appointed by the governor. Earlier this month, Bevin cited the commission's 2015 vote when asked if the statue should stay.
"No one individual should be making these decisions," he said. "We've got to remember where we came from, we've got to know who we are. We better have a sense of vision of purpose as to where we are going and we should be very thoughtful with respect to what we think of as the right symbols to show that."
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The longtime U.N. peacekeeping operation in Lebanon was extended Wednesday with new directions to conduct more patrols with Lebanese forces and report when peacekeepers run into roadblocks in Hezbollah strongholds in the country's south.
The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the plan for the mission known as UNIFIL, extending it another year after a flurry of negotiations over U.S. and Israeli desires to do more to keep Hezbollah from gathering illegal weapons.
The two countries sought a more muscular approach for UNIFIL to tackle what they say is a blatant, unauthorized arms buildup by the militant group in southern Lebanon. Some other nations, including Lebanon, didn't want major changes in a peacekeeping force seen as playing an important role in the area's decade of relative stability.
In the end, the U.S. and Israel emerged pleased with what they saw as important changes, while other nations noted that the mission's overall mandate hadn't changed.
"The status quo for UNIFIL was not acceptable, and we did not accept it," said U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has made a priority of scrutinizing the effectiveness and expense of U.N. peacekeeping missions. She said the changes will help ensure UNIFIL "has the power and the will to do its job."
For example, she said, Hezbollah sometimes bars peacekeepers from entering certain areas. Now, UNIFIL is being asked to provide "prompt and detailed" reports on where and why its troops were stopped.
Now a 10,500-member force with a $489 million budget, UNIFIL was originally created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops after a 1978 invasion. The mission was expanded after a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah so that peacekeepers could deploy along the Lebanon-Israel border, to help Lebanese troops extend their authority into their country's south for the first time in decades.
But this year, the annual exercise of renewing UNIFIL became unusually fraught.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised his criticisms of the mission personally - and publicly -with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a joint news conference Monday, and Haley and UNIFIL's commander openly clashed last week. The commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, told The Associated Press there was no evidence of the arms traffic and stockpiling that the U.S. and Israel describe in Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. Haley said his remarks show Beary is blind to a "massive flow of illegal weapons."
Lebanon, which rejects the claims that Hezbollah is stashing weapons in the south, called Tuesday for renewing UNIFIL's mandate unchanged. Its U.N. mission didn't immediately respond to a request for comment after the vote. Neither Lebanon nor Israel is on the 15-member Security Council.
Council members largely wanted to keep UNIFIL as-is, said French Deputy Ambassador Anne Gueguen, whose country was in charge of drafting the renewal resolution. France didn't want to put "the delicate balance" of southern Lebanon into question, Gueguen said.
"UNIFIL, of course, can do better and can do more, but no one within this council can imagine, for one second, the environment (of stability) existing there without UNIFIL," she said.
Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, whose country is among the biggest contributors of troops to UNIFIL, said it was important not to blur lines between peacekeepers' duties and those of Lebanese forces.
"Promoting confusion in that regard undermines UNIFIL's operation and strips the Lebanese authorities of their own sovereign prerogatives," Cardi said. He said his nation was concerned about the changes but accepted them for the sake of Security Council unity.
The secretary-general has stressed that under UNIFIL's mandate, it is primarily the Lebanese military's responsibility to ensure the south is free of unauthorized weapons.
On Jan. 1, 2019, two additional District Court judges are scheduled to go to work in Yellowstone County. Our county, the busiest judicial district in Montana, could use at least six more judges right now, but two is what the Legislature approved. Two can make a significant difference in speeding up the justice system.
District judges and their office staff are state employees. But counties are responsible for providing the court space. When Yellowstone County added its sixth district judge nearly a decade ago, the County Courthouse was full already. There wasnt space for a sixth courtroom, so there are only five courtrooms and one smaller hearing room for the six judges to share. That sharing gets more complicated as more cases are filed and each judge has a growing caseload.
The Yellowstone County Courthouse is so full that the Sheriffs Office was relocated to the round building a couple of blocks east many years ago. Last week, the sheriff moved to a different building on Second Avenue North. The County Extension Office has moved across the street to the Old Chamber of Commerce building.
Where will two more judges work?
Count officials are exploring reasonable options. Because of the time needed to complete moving and remodeling, a decision must be made within 60 to 90 days, according to County Finance Director Kevan Bryan.
Last week, County Commissioners toured the Stillwater Building across Third Avenue North from the County Courthouse. That is the old federal courthouse, which now is privately owned. EEC, the Billings firm managing Stillwater renovations, has abated the asbestos contamination that was a major factor in the federal government abandoning the building.
Rather than moving six judges, courtrooms, staff, the District Court clerk and County Attorneys offices out of the courthouse, officials are looking to relocate county administration. Moving county commissioners, the finance department, clerk and recorder and auditor offices would open up the fourth floor for necessary court expansion.
The offices now on the fourth floor would fit into the third floor of the Stillwater Building, with room to spare for storage and future office needs.
The commmission has directed staff to explore the possibility of purchasing the third floor. That floor is mostly a shell, so the interior can be built to accommodate the countys office needs.
The round building that the Sheriffs Department vacated is another possibility. The county already owns the property and the administrative offices could be squeezed into it. The downside is that the building (originally a savings bank) needs a new HVAC system, and the round design is inefficient. It would provide no space for future office expansion.
There would need to be a professional appraisal of the Stillwater Buildings third floor before the county can even consider a purchase. By law, the county cannot pay more than the appraised value. If it's affordable, the Stillwater Building would be the countys best long-term option.
For years, county officials have been expecting some expense for court expansion. They know that funds are limited, so it is important to get the best value for the taxpayers money: Adequate space that allows government services to operate without wasting time or energy.
CLEVELAND (AP) - An Ohio police officer who shot an unarmed driver after a high-speed chase earlier this year will not be charged.
A prosecutor says a Medina County grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict Strongsville Officer Jason Miller in the March 7 shooting of 37-year-old Roy Evans Jr.
Police dispatch logs show the chase began about 20 miles south of Cleveland and ended 14 minutes later after Evans' van went across spike stripes laid across a highway.
Dashcam video shows Miller shooting Evans within seconds after opening his door. Officers told authorities Evans wouldn't follow orders and appeared to reach for something.
Evans' girlfriend and her three children also were in the van but were not harmed.
Strongsville police say they are conducting an internal review of the case.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has issued emergency waivers allowing states from Maryland to Texas to ignore some clean-air requirements for gasoline. The move is intended to ensure an adequate fuel supply despite disruptions caused by Harvey.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the waivers issued Wednesday will help ensure an adequate supply of fuel throughout the South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
In a letter to governors of the affected states, Pruitt said the shutdown of nearly a dozen refineries and extreme weather conditions that have prevented fuel-barge movement in the Gulf Coast region justify the waiver. The designated states receive significant gasoline supplies from Gulf-area refineries.
Vehicles drive through floodwaters in the aftermath of Harvey, in Friendswood, Texas on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that "the worst is not over" for southeastern Texas as widespread flooding continues. (Kevin M. Cox/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)
The waivers are effective immediately and continue through Sept. 15 at least.
Affected states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
The EPA and the Energy Department are monitoring fuel disruptions caused by Harvey and "will act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas," the EPA said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the EPA waived some fuel requirements in Texas to allow off-road diesel fuel to be used in on-highway vehicles involved in emergency response and disaster recovery. The agency also has waived requirements for low-volatility gasoline for 13 counties around Atlanta, Georgia.
Stan Meiburg, a former acting deputy administrator at the EPA, said similar waivers were issued after Hurricane Katrina and other disasters. The waivers are time-limited, "and often just the knowledge that flexibility existed helped to stabilize markets and allow normal operations to resume more quickly," he said.
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Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this story.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan officials on Wednesday denied being in regular talks with Taliban leaders, in response to an AP report based on documents showing that the intelligence chief speaks by telephone with militant leaders nearly every day.
National Security Adviser Mohammed Haneef Atmar issued a statement saying the Afghan government seeks peace but that all negotiations are handled by the High Peace Council. Atmar did not respond to questions sent by email before the story was published, which his office requested when he was first contacted for comment.
In a separate statement, Afghanistan's intelligence service denied its chief had contacts with Taliban leaders.
The AP report was based on documents describing the conversations that a senior Afghan security official showed the AP. The talks were held with Taliban leaders who were in Pakistan and the Gulf state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain an office.
In those documents the Taliban set out talking points that would seem to recognize the constitution and elections, a potential breakthrough in longtime peace efforts.
The Taliban talking points called for an interim government, with both sides holding on to the territory they controlled until polls could be held. While accepting women in schools and the workforce, they rejected the idea of a woman serving as president or on the Supreme Court.
The document also revealed a Taliban demand for special courts to oversee thousands of cases alleging that land was taken illegally by the rich and powerful in the post-Taliban era. Many of the landowners are former warlords who are now in the government. The Taliban wants the land returned to those from whom it was taken.
While Afghan officials said neither side was ready to agree to public peace talks, the documents revealed details of the issues discussed.
The Taliban also denied talking to representatives of Afghanistan's government. When the group was contacted by the AP prior to the article being published they refused to address specifics, saying only that they were not interested in talks.
NEW YORK (AP) - A former U.S. Military Academy at West Point cadet who sought judicial relief from what she described as a sexually oppressive culture that included crude chants during campus marches was told Wednesday by an appeals court to seek help from Congress instead.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling cited past court decisions, some decades old, in saying "civilian courts are ill-equipped" to second-guess military decisions regarding the discipline, supervision and control of military members.
Circuit Judge Debra Ann Livingston wrote that the former cadet, identified only as Jane Doe, couldn't pursue damages from two former superior officers she claimed ignored or condoned a sexually hostile culture before her alleged 2010 rape by another cadet. She requested and was granted an honorable discharge two years after entering West Point with 200 women in a class of 1,300 cadets. She later graduated from a civilian college.
In her 2013 lawsuit, the woman alleged that the men, a lieutenant general and a brigadier general, created a culture that marginalized female cadets, subjecting them to routine harassment and pressure to conform to male norms.
The 2nd Circuit said it did not "discount the seriousness" of the woman's allegations nor their potential significance to West Point's administration.
"As the Supreme Court has made clear, however, it is for Congress to determine whether affording a money damages remedy is appropriate for a claim of the sort that Doe asserts," the court said.
Dissenting Circuit Judge Denny Chin said the lawsuit should proceed, noting West Point promotes itself as one of the nation's top-ranked colleges.
"While West Point is indeed a military facility, it is quintessentially an educational institution," Chin said. "When she was subjected to a pattern of discrimination, and when she was raped, she was not in military combat or acting as a soldier or performing military service. Rather, she was simply a student."
The lawsuit sought unspecified damages, claiming West Point's leaders failed to protect women or punish rapists after accepting women in 1976. It said West Point officials openly joked with male cadets about sexual exploits and faculty members routinely expressed sympathy with male cadets over a perceived lack of sexual opportunities, urging them to seize any chance.
Female cadets coped with a misogynistic culture that included cadets marching to sexually demeaning verses in view and earshot of faculty members and administrators, the lawsuit said.
It said West Point officials required mandatory annual sexually transmitted disease testing only for female cadets, saying diseases harmed women more than men and it was the responsibility of women to prevent their spread.
A spokeswoman for lawyers for the officers declined comment. West Point didn't comment.
A spokeswoman for Yale Law School, representing the ex-cadet, said the woman was disappointed and didn't know if she will appeal.
Sandra Park, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, said the judges stretched the meaning of prior court rulings to cover service academy cadets.
"It raises a question whether students in effect are waiving their constitutional rights when they decide to join a military academy," she said.
Flying over the Houston area most days is a postcard of America: crisscrossing highways, skyscrapers, hulking shopping plazas, oil refineries, big houses, cattle pastures. Then there's the view after Harvey.
"I had an idea, but once you can get up there and actually physically see it, the water is never-ending," said David Phillip, an Associated Press photographer who has called Houston home for two decades.
Phillip got a bird's-eye view this week after Harvey dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain in and around the nation's fourth-largest city. His photographs show rows of suburban streets turned into canals and brownish floodwaters creeping up to rooftops. In one photo, a mansion's long cul-de-sac driveway resembles a drawbridge over a moat.
Interstate 69 is covered by floodwaters at the San Jacinto River bridge as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey caused the river to overflow Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Humble, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Phillip was taken aback by water submerging the Interstate 69 bridge over the San Jacinto River.
"It makes you pause and think about it. This is my home. It has been for 20 years. It's tough to see your friends and neighbors and people in the community go through that," he said.
Phillip hasn't stopped often since Harvey made landfall Friday night. He started in Galveston and by Sunday was driving the wrong way down Houston's flooded Interstate 610, normally one of the busiest sections of highways in the U.S. Later he was on board a rescue boat when it struck something, flipping him backward and out of the boat.
The propeller got his leg before Phillip was pulled from the water, leaving a bruise. He lost his glasses and ruined a camera lens.
Phillip, who is 51, is no stranger to photographing major storms, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the water from Harvey recedes he sees familiar devastation. "Everything, generally, 4 feet down is taken out of every house." Streets in Houston are now becoming lined with couches, hardwood flooring, baseboards and pianos.
He called covering Harvey more personal than previous storm assignments. Phillip said Wednesday was his first day he could travel the roads freely again, and in the neighborhood of Meyerland, he found homeowners tearing out drywall and trying to salvage belongings.
"People have had to break windows of neighbors' homes to get to their second floor while swimming through floodwaters. Crawled through windows. Swam to be picked up," Phillip said. "Everybody has a survival story."
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Water flows over the spillway at Lake Houston Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Water is released from Lake Conroe Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Conroe, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
C.E. King High School's football field is covered by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Interstate 69 is covered by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Humble, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Water is released from Lake Conroe Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Conroe, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A home is surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A burned out home is surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is urging the countries embroiled in a regional dispute with Qatar to find a diplomatic resolution.
The White House says Trump discussed the issue Wednesday in a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia's King Salman.
The diplomatic crisis began in June, when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties to Qatar over allegations that it was funding extremists and was too close to Iran. Qatar has denied funding extremists. Trump has tweeted that Qatar funded terrorism.
Trump told King Salman that a diplomatic resolution would fulfill a commitment - made when Trump visited Riyadh - to maintain unity while fighting terrorism.
The president and the king also discussed Harvey. King Salman offered condolences to those who lost loved ones.
DETROIT (AP) - A Detroit-area man accused of being a vigorous supporter of the Islamic State group was sentenced Wednesday to nearly four years in prison for a weapons crime, dodging the government's plea for a longer punishment to protect the public.
Sebastian Gregerson was a "soldier" for IS, a violent Islamic militant group and would have committed terrorism if he hadn't been arrested last year, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken said while seeking a five-year sentence.
But Gregerson's attorney said the government had greatly overstated its case. Gregerson, 30, pleaded guilty in March to possessing unregistered destructive devices.
FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Midland County Sheriff's Office in Midland, Mich., shows Sebastian Gregerson, of Detroit. Gregerson accused of being a vigorous supporter of the Islamic State group has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a weapons crime. Prosecutors asked for a five-year sentence Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, repeatedly emphasizing his support for IS, a violent Islamic militant group, in writings and secretly recorded conversations. (Midland County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
"I don't know how dangerous you are. But I know your conduct to date has not created an action or event that could be called dangerous," U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow said.
Gregerson was sentenced to 45 months in prison. He'll also serve a nine-month sentence at the same time for a separate gun crime.
The FBI used an undercover operative to get close to Gregerson in 2016. Corken said he acquired 15 knives, 700 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, tactical gear and training manuals during the previous years.
She said Gregerson's Facebook postings under a different name, emails and secretly recorded conversations revealed his allegiance to IS and praise for attacks in Paris and Orlando, Florida.
"It is chilling," Corken told the judge.
Gregerson declined to speak in court. Defense attorney David Tholen said there's no evidence of him targeting anyone for attack. He accused the government of "cherry-picking facts" and looking at his client with "tunnel vision."
"Mr. Gregerson and everyone in the United States is entitled to unpopular speech," Tholen said.
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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap
In a story Aug. 31 about a deadly shooting at a New Mexico public library, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by Clovis police, erroneously reported the age of one of the victims. Alexis Molina is 21, not 20.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Doctors call victims of New Mexico library shooting heroes
Doctors treating two of the victims wounded in a shooting at a New Mexico library are calling them heroes because they were more worried about their loved ones making it to safety than themselves
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press
Alexis Molina took a bullet to the chest, just above her heart, and was shot once in each leg as a gunman opened fire inside a public library in New Mexico. But trauma surgeons at the Texas hospital where she is recovering said Thursday that all she could think about was making sure her little brother was safe.
The doctors told reporters that Molina, 21, is expected to make a full recovery, and they described her and fellow library patron Howard Jones as heroes.
Jones, who was at the library with his granddaughter, was shot in the arm. The bullet traveled from his forearm along his radial nerve before lodging in the back of his arm, the doctors said.
Dr. Sharmila Dissanaike, assistant medical director of the trauma center at Lubbock's University Medical Center, said she was able to talk with both Molina and Jones after they were stabilized. They were not worried about their own futures but more about their loved ones making it to safety, she said.
"They really are heroes. They both saved the lives of other young people who were in that library," Dissanaike said, without going into detail.
Gunfire erupted inside the Clovis-Carver Public Library on Monday. Two library workers were killed as parents, children and others hid under tables or behind closed doors.
In addition to Molina and Jones, another library worker was shot in the arm and Molina's 10-year-old brother was injured. The doctors said all four were expected to recover.
Alexis Molina still has a bullet lodged in her leg and the trajectory of the bullet that nearly missed her heart caused other injuries, the doctors said.
"It's a miracle that she's alive," Dissanaike said.
The suspect, 16-year-old Nathaniel Jouett, was ordered to remain in custody during a detention hearing Thursday. Prosecutors argued that he posed a threat to himself and others.
Jouett's lawyer, Jennifer Birmingham, did not oppose the request.
Jouett has been charged with first-degree murder, assault, aggravated battery and child abuse stemming from the shooting at the library in Clovis, a rural community near the Texas state line.
Prosecutors said suicide notes were found at the teen's home, and the youth's pastor also has said Jouett contemplated suicide several months earlier.
Prosecutors say they will seek to have Jouett, a school sophomore, tried as an adult. They planned to file paperwork formalizing the request Friday.
Jouett told investigators he had been thinking "bad things" for some time and initially planned to target his school because he was angry, court documents said.
He was on a two-day suspension from Clovis High School and the pastor, David Stevens, has said that Jouett said he had fought back after another boy hit him.
The teen said he didn't know why he went to the library and that he didn't know the victims, records say.
Jouett's father called Clovis police when he discovered two handguns missing and reported his son missing, but the shooting had already happened.
Asked by investigators what Nathaniel Jouett was thinking during the shooting, he said, "I was mad."
According to court documents, Jouett saw a woman lying on the ground as he was escorted away and later asked an investigator why no one had helped her. The investigator asked him to think about it for a moment.
Jouett answered, "I feel awful. I don't like hurting people."
The teen also said during the interview that no one liked him and he had thought he would kill himself or "kill a bunch of people," the court records said.
Jouett told investigators he did not want to tell his family, his girlfriend or his friends at the Living Word Church of God about what he had been thinking of doing because he "knew it was wrong," the records stated.
The Associated Press generally does not identify juveniles accused of crimes. It is identifying Jouett because of the seriousness of the crime and because authorities plan to prosecute him as an adult.
The Kremlin has confirmed that President Donald Trumps personal lawyer reached out to them during the 2016 presidential campaign, seeking help for a business project in Russia.
In a statement to the House Intelligence committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, Mr Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen said the presidents company pursued a project in Moscow during the Republican primary.
He said the plan was abandoned for various reasons.
Michael Cohen is Donald Trump's lawyer (Alex Brandon/AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Wednesday that they received Mr Cohens email, which was sent to the press offices general email address.
Mr Peskov said it was one of many emails that the Kremlin press office gets since its email address is available online and that the Kremlin did not reply to it.
Aug 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Wednesday.
DEBT ISSUANCE
Romanian debt managers may announce debt issuance plans for September. In August, they sold 3.63 billion lei ($946.79 million) worth of bills and bonds.
CEE MARKETS
Central European stocks and currencies mostly fell on Tuesday, led by Warsaw and Budapest on widespread risk aversion after a missile test by North Korea revived concerns over its tense relations with the United States.
JUDICIAL OVERHAUL
The United States embassy expressed concern on Tuesday that a proposed judicial overhaul by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader will affect the independence of the justice sector.
The embassy said in a statement that the rule of law "requires a strong and independent judiciary, as well as independent prosecutors who can pursue criminal conduct without political interference or limitations on the lawful administration of justice."
PRIME MINISTER
Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said late on Tuesday he has refused to have his salary wired to a bank account or have a credit or debit card because he did not believe banks deserved the card maintenance fees. Agerpres
ROSIA MONTANA
Tudose also said his cabinet will try to withdraw the application to have the former gold mining town of Rosia Montana declared a UNESCO World Heritage site because that would mean important gold reserves could no longer be exploited. Agerpres
The former cabinet filed the UNESCO application before it left office. Massive street protests prompted parliament in 2014 to shut down a plan by Canada's Gabriel Resources to use cyanides to mine about 314 tonnes of gold and 1,500 tonnes of silver in the town of Rosia Montana.
Gabriel is seeking $4.4 billion in damages from Romania for losses related to its long-stalled Rosia Montana project in international courts.
AIRPORT
The state Oradea airport in western Romania will take out a 15-year loan worth 6.7 million lei ($1.75 million) to build a new terminal and upgrade its existing one. Ziarul Financiar
ROMANIANS
Romania's population fell by 122,000 people in 2016 to 19.6 million, largely because of long-term migration, data from the national statistics board showed. Agerpres
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Nurses at CHI St. Alexius Health voted against representation by the Minnesota Nurses Association during two days of voting this week.
Angela Grosz, a registered nurse with St. Alexius, said more than 300 nurses voted and the results were very close, though the Minnesota Nurses Association would not release exact numbers.
Nurses initiated the process because we wanted a seat at the table where decisions about patient care are made, Grosz said in a statement. Nurses believe coming together and speaking with one voice is the best way to advocate for our patients. Nurses are stronger than ever after this campaign and will continue the fight to make sure our patients receive the best care possible.
Chettie Greer, another St. Alexius nurse, previously said she and her fellow nurses went into the profession wanting to help people at the bedside.
It feels like were getting pulled more and more away from that, she said of the setting since the hospital implemented cost-saving efforts.
St. Alexius is an affiliate of Catholic Health Initiatives. About 120 employees have been laid off from the Bismarck hospital over the course of the past year and a half.
Grosz called the vote a setback but said the process has brought the nurses at the hospital together. She thinks this will help them in continuing their fight for bettering patient care practices.
"This isn't the end of the road," she said.
We believe that having the flexibility to work directly with each other, free of a third party, allows the staff at CHI St. Alexius Health to best serve our community and deliver the best possible care to our patients," Kurt Schley, CHI St. Alexius Health president, said in a statement about the vote. "We appreciate the opportunity to continue our direct working relationship with our registered nurses, and we look forward to working together as an organization to continue our faith-based mission as a quality health care provider for Bismarck.
Grosz said whether conversations with management will take place or changes for the better of patient care will be made as a result of the nurses' efforts remains to be seen.
RNs previously voted in 2000 on whether or not to form a union in the right-to-work state.
BEIRUT, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Lebanon has identified the bodies of six of its soldiers found along the Syrian border in an area held by Islamic State until three days ago, sources in the president's office said.
The Lebanese army launched an offensive this month which ended with Islamic State militants leaving their last foothold along the border on Sunday.
Since then the army has found 10 bodies in the area. DNA tests confirmed that six of those belonged to Lebanese soldiers, the sources and local media reported on Wednesday.
Islamic State militants had for years held territory along the border, and captured 10 Lebanese soldiers in 2014 when they briefly overran the town of Arsal, one of the worst spillovers of the Syrian conflict into Lebanon.
The militants and their families left the border area on Sunday under a ceasefire deal.
The agreement included IS militants identifying where they had buried the soldiers' bodies, Lebanese army chief General Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday.
"I had two choices: either I continue the battle and not know the soldiers' fate, or I submit to the situation and find out. Their souls are my responsibility," he told reporters.
It was not immediately clear if all six belonged to those captured in 2014, however - one of the bodies discovered is believed to belong to a soldier killed in the recent fighting.
Of the 10 captured in 2014, one was killed shortly after and footage of his execution was published by the militants.
Another is believed to have joined Islamic State. His whereabouts is unknown. (Reporting by Sarah Dadouch; Editing by John Davison and Raissa Kasolowsky)
By Claire Milhench
LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Romania's investment fund Fondul Proprietatea is in talks to sell all its stakes in the Romanian subsidiaries of utility companies Enel and Engie, managers of the fund told Reuters.
The $2 billion fund is managed by global investment manager Franklin Templeton, and some 69 percent of the portfolio consists of unlisted, mainly state-owned companies.
The fund's shares trade at a discount to its net asset value, so to reduce this discount Fondul is seeking to sell some of its company stakes rather than wait for the Romanian government to revive stalled listing plans.
Altogether, Fondul's stakes in the Romanian units of Italy's Enel and France's Engie - equivalent to 12-24 percent of the subsidiaries - accounted for 19.2 percent of the fund's net asset value at end-June and were worth about $509 million.
"Some of these distribution companies, which are subsidiaries of multinationals, are unlikely to be individually listed," Johan Meyer, co-chief executive, Romania at Franklin Templeton Investments, and co-portfolio manager for the fund, said in an interview on Tuesday.
Fondul has appointed Ithuba Capital as sole financial adviser for a potential sale of the Enel and Engie holdings, with Meyer saying discussions were "ongoing" with a number of interested parties.
He said there was investor appetite for utility companies as they generate a decent yield, adding it was possible there would be an announcement before the end of the year.
Enel and Engie did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Fondul has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Electrica, a Romanian electricity power supply and distribution company, to offload its 22 percent stake in Electrica's subsidiaries for some $193.46 million.
"The next step is for Electrica to get shareholder approval," said Meyer, adding that subject to this, he expects to make the sale by end of October or beginning of November.
The fund is also looking to sell potentially all of its 49 percent shareholding in Romanian salt producer Salrom, and has appointed UniCredit to look at various options.
On the listings front, Meyer urged the government not to miss a "golden window of opportunity" to benefit from strong global risk appetite, following repeated delays to the planned listing of Romania's biggest power producer Hidroelectrica.
Fondul would like to sell up to a quarter of its 20 percent stake in the company, and Meyer argued a successful listing could lead to a healthy IPO pipeline, but the government needed to strike while the iron was hot.
"Investors may look at something but if they can't invest they will go on to the next thing, and they may not have that cash available in 12 months' time," he said.
Marius Dan, investor relations director at Franklin Templeton Investments, said the mandate for the banks appointed to execute an IPO had been extended to next August. "We think it's the ideal moment to list, given the macro backdrop in Romania, the profitability of the company, and there is significant demand for IPOs coming out of Romania." (Reporting by Claire Milhench; Additional reporting by Stephen Jewkes and Geert de Clercq; Editing by Adrian Croft)
By Alexandra Ulmer and Marianna Parraga CARACAS/HOUSTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - U.S. sanctions on the finance boss of Venezuela's oil company PDVSA have led to some exports to the United States being blocked as banks and investment funds refuse to provide letters of credit to potential buyers, three financial sources said. U.S. businesses are barred from dealing with a sanctioned person or company and one of the sources said the sanctions on PDVSA's Finance Vice President Simon Zerpa were deterring some businesses from investments with the company as so many of its transactions are linked to the finance department he leads. A Venezuelan oil shipment to the United States was blocked this month as lenders refused to provide letters of credit to PDVSA customers, the sources said. Letters of credit, issued by banks, guarantee to a seller that a buyer will pay a specified amount on time when a shipment is accepted. Without a letter of credit, shipments cannot be delivered and the shipper does not get paid. Blocking letters of credit for PDVSA oil chokes off cash that is desperately needed in the OPEC nation. Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., commonly known as PDVSA, is the financial motor of President Nicolas Maduro's leftist government, and it is operating within one of the deepest economic recessions Venezuela has ever experienced and widespread political unrest. In one instance, U.S. refiner PBF Energy was unable to get a letter of credit for a Venezuelan crude cargo to be received at a U.S. port. The Suezmax tanker Karvounis has been anchored in the U.S. Gulf for more than a month. It partially discharged its cargo on Aug. 23 in New Orleans, according to Thomson Reuters vessel tracking data. A trader close to the deal said PBF Energy ultimately agreed to a prepayment, removing the need for a credit letter. It was unclear what would happen with the rest of the cargo. Some U.S. customers can import without a letter of credit if they pay up front. In July, the United States imposed sanctions on 13 senior Venezuelan officials, including the head of Venezuelas army, the national police chief, the director of elections, and Zerpa. At the time, a U.S. official warned that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was readying tougher measures that could be part of a "steady drumbeat" of responses to the Venezuelan crisis. The most serious potential future step would be financial sanctions that would halt dollar payments for the countrys oil, starving the government of hard currency, or a total ban on oil imports to the United States, Venezuelas biggest customer. This month the United States imposed its first economic sanctions on Venezuela, banning debt trades for government-issued bonds and bonds issued by PDVSA. The problem could spread to more cargoes if banks refuse to extend credit to companies that have a commercial relationship with PDVSA, the sources said. The sources said foreign oil companies funding projects in Venezuela and financial entities negotiating with PDVSA were avoiding signing agreements that could involve Zerpa. Major oil company China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has pulled back from funding some operations at its joint venture in Venezuela, a source at PDVSA said. Neither PDVSA nor the Information Ministry responded to requests for comment. Zerpa was not immediately available to comment. "PDVSA will face additional trouble just by keeping a sanctioned individual as CFO," said Jorge Piedrahita, chief executive of broker-dealer Gear Capital Partners, who has been involved with Venezuelan debt for many years. "Even the Russians and China's Development Bank should be worried about signing something with him as they can be subject to collateral damage from sanctions just by association." A close Maduro ally, Zerpa, 34, rose to prominence by leading the bilateral Venezuela-China fund through which Caracas borrows from Beijing and repays loans in oil and fuel. Venezuela has borrowed over $60 billion from China, earning Zerpa the nickname "Zerpa the Chinese." Two additional financial sources said having Zerpa as the company's head of finance had made it impossible for U.S. entities to assist PDVSA in debt refinancing, even before the U.S. economic sanctions. Even basic activities, such as a conference call with bondholders, are now essentially unthinkable, the sources said. Sanctions against Zerpa are having a knock-on effect on Wall Street, affecting imports of food and medicine to Venezuela made through funds headed by Zerpa, according to Delcy Rodriguez, president of Maduro's new legislative assembly. "This wasn't done to affect Venezuelan officials but rather the entire population," Rodriguez said on Monday. Zerpa has held several high-profile posts including heading Venezuela's state economic development bank Bandes and off-budget investment fund Fonden. Opposition lawmakers have said he is an example of how the late Hugo Chavez's "21st century socialism" has allowed unprepared political figures to wield power over financial deals. "I have a negative opinion of him because of the way he handled the Chinese fund," said opposition lawmaker Angel Alvarado, describing Zerpa as Maduro's "finance tsar." U.S. pressure could force PDVSA to remove Zerpa from his post, at least on paper. However, PDVSA has had issues in the past that have led investors to tread cautiously with Venezuela. "In part, the sanctions codify an already existing situation in which PDVSA and the Republic have little to no access to international financial markets due to the combination of political risk, unsustainable policies, concerns about legality of new issues and reputational risk from providing funds to the Venezuelan government," investment firm Torino Capital wrote in a report to clients after Friday's sanctions. (Additional reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Corina Pons in Caracas; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Dan Flynn and James Dalgleish)
By Natalia Zinets and Dmitry Solovyov
KIEV/MOSCOW, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Ukraine's state security service (SBU) will deport a Russian journalist whom Kiev accuses of spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, days after barring two Spanish journalists from the country.
Ukraine and Russia are at loggerheads over a Russian-backed separatist war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people in three years. Kiev accuses Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the region, which Russia denies.
"The Russian propagandist Anna Kurbatova will be forcibly returned to Russia," said Olena Gitlyanska, the SBU spokeswoman, in a Facebook post.
"At the moment, the necessary documents are being processed for her official deportation. It will be the same with anyone who allows themselves to discredit Ukraine."
Russia's main state TV station Channel One said Kurbatova had been grabbed by unknown assailants near her home, bundled into a car, and driven away.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the move a "deliberate provocation" by the Ukrainian security service and nationalist radicals.
The move was condemned by a representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the conflict in eastern Ukraine and counts both Ukraine and Russia as members.
"I call on #Ukraine not to arrest & deport journalists from other OSCE States #AnnaKurbatova," Harlem Desir, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, wrote on Twitter.
Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, wrote on social media that OSCE member states should speak out to condemn Ukraine's behaviour.
Contacted by Reuters, the SBU's Gitlyanska declined to answer questions on whether and how Kurbatova had been detained. Channel One said Kurbatova had previously received threats from people who did not like her reports.
The SBU said on Tuesday it had barred two Spanish journalists over their coverage of the war in the Donbass region -- a move media groups decried as an attack on free speech.
A massive leak of journalists' personal data in 2016 added to concerns that Ukraine is reneging on promises to improve transparency in the wake of a 2013-14 pro-European uprising.
Kurbatova is listed on Myrotvorets, the same Ukrainian website responsible for the data leak, as a reporter who spreads anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
On Tuesday, Zakharova called Myrotvorets "a direct threat to journalists' safety," accusing it of stirring up hatred. (Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Keith Weir and Hugh Lawson)
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A raid involving U.S. troops in Somalia has caused a rift between the precarious U.S.-backed government and a powerful clan that says innocent farmers were massacred, months after President Donald Trump approved stepped-up operations there.
The U.S. Africa command, Africom, has acknowledged that U.S. forces participated in a ground operation in support of Somali troops in the village of Bariire last week, and says it is investigating reports of civilian deaths.
It did not reply to further questions from Reuters about the incident, the second mission in Somalia this year in which it has acknowledged the participation of U.S. ground troops. A Navy Seal was killed in a raid in May.
Last week's raid took place in an area that had been occupied by al Shabaab Islamist militants but was recaptured by government forces earlier in August.
Residents from the Habar Gidir clan, a powerful group spread across southcentral Somalia, said some villagers had weapons, but only to protect themselves from a rival clan. They said the villagers had nothing to do with militants, who had been driven away before the government forces and U.S. troops launched their raid on Friday.
"It was after morning prayers when I heard gunshots. I jumped over a wall made of iron sheets and the boy went out through the small gate," said Muktar Moalim Abdi, 47, whose 13-year-old nephew was killed in the raid, about 50 km (30 miles) from the capital.
"They told me the boy was shot as he tried to take cover under the banana trees," said Abdi, one of 10 relatives of the victims that spoke to Reuters along with three witnesses of the raid itself. Their statements give the most detailed public account yet of last week's raid.
The relatives and witnesses were not able to say conclusively whether U.S. forces present during the raid had opened fire, or whether all the shooting was carried out by the Somalis that the Americans were accompanying.
The Somali government's initial account described those killed as Islamist fighters, although within hours it issued another statement acknowledging that civilians had reportedly been killed.
A government commission set up to investigate is due to report on Thursday. Somali officials have meanwhile declined to comment further.
Somalia has been in a state of civil war since 1991. It now has an internationally-backed government, supported by African peacekeepers, battling al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-affiliated militia which has attacked civilians in neighbouring states.
It is one of half a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Libya, where Washington acknowledges conducting military operations against militants.
In March, Trump gave the U.S. military in Somalia greater authority to carry out strikes and raids, including without waiting for militants to attack U.S. allies. Ramped up operations followed, with Africom reporting eight U.S. airstrikes from May to August this year, compared to 13 for the whole of 2016.
In the case of last week's raid, a veteran Western expert on the security situation in Somalia said it seemed likely that the U.S. troops had "been drawn into local clan dynamics" by whoever supplied their intelligence.
"The real question is, what was the source of the intelligence and why did they believe it?"
U.S. officials acknowledge that developing the intelligence needed to pursue al Shabaab takes longer than in, say, Iraq or Syria, where the U.S. military devotes vastly more resources. Somalia's complex tribal dynamics are also a complicating factor.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Somalia as an "economy of force" effort for the U.S. military, meaning fewer resources were available there than on other battlefields.
GUNFIRE IN THE MORNING
Mohamed Hassan Amin said he and his pregnant wife survived because they ran outside and hid in a banana grove when the deadly gunfire began. They initially thought it was an attack by the rival clan and were relieved to see armoured vehicles, which they thought meant the African peacekeeping force and government troops had come to keep them safe.
"My friend said, it looks like AMISOM and Somali forces came to rescue us," Amin told Reuters by phone. Then, the Somali troops spotted them and surrounded them at gunpoint, he said. About a dozen white soldiers were present.
"The white men told us to lie down. A translator helping one asked 'how long have you been militants?' We replied that we had never had links with al Shabaab."
At that point, Somali troops who had previously met the farmers recognised them and told their colleagues to release them, he said. They were told to help collect the dead and injured, he said.
Among the dead were two 13-year-old boys and a 15-year-old, said survivors. Abdi Mohamed, 50, the uncle of one 13-year-old, said his nephew was an orphan working as a shepherd.
Abdi, the uncle of the other, said his nephew was initially only injured but bled to death. Mohamed Osman Aden, the farm owner's nephew, said the third child was 15.
A clan elder who spoke to Reuters on Friday had given younger ages for the boys.
All three witnesses said no one from the community had fired at the soldiers. Reuters could not independently verify their accounts.
Before the raid, the men had already had four meetings with the soldiers and African Union peacekeepers, said farm owner Ahmed Hassan Sheikh Mohamed. The government wanted the villagers to disarm, but they were reluctant because of their long-standing feud with a rival clan.
Mohamed said the government troops who had driven al Shabaab fighters from the area earlier in August had told the villagers they no longer needed weapons. The villagers put eight guns into storage, but kept one gun in the hands of a watchman, who did not shoot when the soldiers approached.
"Who could fight armoured vehicles?" Mohamed asked.
Since the raid, survivors and relatives have been permitted to travel to the capital to make their case, without being arrested as suspected al Shabaab fighters.
PUBLIC ANGER
At the Diplomat hotel in downtown Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, scores of relatives of the dead occupied every plastic chair, spilling into the corridors and parking lot, sitting on the ground and murmuring angrily.
The bodies were not buried, but were brought to the capital. They are being kept in a refrigerated container taken from a lobster truck and stashed in a nearby garage.
"We do not enjoy keeping the shrinking, wrinkling dead bodies of our brothers and uncles in a fridge for a sixth day. But more painful would be to bury the dead body of your innocent brother as a militant," said Mohamed Osman Aden, a nephew of one of the dead men.
The refusal to bury a body is a powerful and deeply distressing protest in Muslim culture, which demands that burial take place within 24 hours of death.
The families want blood money - traditionally 100 camels, worth about $100,000, for every dead male. More than that, they want an apology.
"We shall bury them if the government admits they were innocent farmers. If not, we shall keep them in the garage because we never bury militants," said Aden.
If the clan is not placated, it could rob the government of a powerful ally in the important Shabelle region, site of some of Somalia's most fertile farmland.
The clan have already been angered by a U.S. airstrike that killed at least 10 members of their pro-government militia last year, and by a death sentence for another clan member who killed a minister that he mistook for a militant.
A split with the government could mean their militia cools relations with Mogadishu at a time when Western allies are trying to bring anti-Shabaab forces closer together.
"The whole problem is the Somali government which brought in and allowed the U.S. to massacre our people," shouted Halima Mohamed Afrah, the aunt to one of the men killed in Bariire.
"The government should openly say over the media that they killed innocent farmers. Admit it, compensate us and then take the killers to court ... if these conditions are not met ... Blood should be shed for blood."
(additional reporting by Feisal Omar in Mogadishu, Katharine Houreld and John Ndiso in Nairobi and Phillip Stewart in Washington; writing by Katharine Houreld; editing by Peter Graff)
By Beh Lih Yi
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rohingya refugees voiced fears on Wednesday that family had been killed back home and homes torched as they protested against the worst violence to grip northwest Myanmar in at least five years.
Some 1,200 mostly Rohingya Muslims - holding placards that read 'Stop killing Rohingya' - took to the streets of Malaysia's capital to appeal for an end to the violence.
"Dead, they are all dead, they were shot," said a 20-year-old Rohingya demonstrator, who gave his name as Niamutullah.
"I have not been able to contact them for two days," he said as he shook his head and covered his face with his hand.
More than 18,000 Rohingya, many sick and some with bullet wounds, have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after a series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state led to clashes.
"My younger brother and sisters were crying for me when I spoke to them two days ago: 'Where do we go? We don't have any place to go," Anamul Hassan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation minutes before he was arrested by the police.
The 20-year-old, who fled to Malaysia 12 years ago, said he believed his family home had burnt down and that his siblings were now on the run.
About 155 demonstrators were arrested as Malaysian police stopped the protest. Police said one man tried to set himself on fire with petrol.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is home to nearly 60,000 refugees and asylum-seekers of the Rohingya minority, who suffer persecution in mostly Buddhist Myanmar.
Some protesters pleaded with the police, showing their refugee identity cards, as they were taken away.
The treatment of about 1.1 million Rohingya in Myanmar is the biggest challenge facing national leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries.
At least 109 people were killed in the recent violence in Rakhine, most of them militants, but also members of the security forces and civilians.
The violence marks a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has simmered since October, when a similar, but much smaller, series of Rohingya attacks on security posts prompted a fierce military response. (Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi, Editing by Katy Migiro and Lyndsay Griffiths. 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 Ron Bousso
LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Gasoline exports from Europe across the Atlantic are set to surge in coming days as traders plug supply gaps after Tropical Storm Harvey crippled refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Nearly one quarter of U.S. fuel output was knocked out since Harvey made landfall on Friday in Texas, where several large refiners are located.
Outages that could last for weeks led to a sharp rise in gasoline and diesel futures prices in the United States and Europe, opening several arbitrage opportunities.
Traders have tentatively booked this week nearly 40 tankers -- the equivalent of about 1.5 million tonnes of gasoline -- out of Europe to carry gasoline on the transatlantic route, including destinations such as New York, Mexico and Brazil, according to shipping data and traders.
That compares with an average of about 500,000 tonnes of gasoline exported e week from Europe to the United States and Latin America.
Freight rates between Europe and the United States for a 37,000 tonne refined product tanker doubled over the past week to about $16,000 a day, according to shipping brokers.
High shipping costs and uncertainty over the impact of Harvey on trade flows meant traders were still reluctant to lock in the cargoes, several traders said.
Traders in Asia have also scrambled to buy oil products to ship to the United States and Latin America.
The U.S. Gulf Coast refining hub has in recent years become a major supplier of fuels such as gasoline and diesel to overseas markets such as Brazil, Mexico and Europe.
(Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar; Editing by Edmund Blair)
By Emma Pinedo
MADRID, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Spain posted 40 vacancies at its National Drug Agency on Wednesday to reinforce evaluation and monitoring of medicines ahead of Britain's exit from the European Union which will likely lead to the European regulator leaving London.
The European Union wants the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is a one-stop shop for approving and monitoring the safety of drugs across Europe, to leave London after Brexit.
The health ministry plans to hire 40 staff this year to reinforce the 493 employees who monitor medicines in Spain, it said. More staff would also allow Barcelona to better compete as one of 19 European cities that have lodged official applications to host the EMA, the ministry added.
Spain's decision to boost staff at a national level comes after the European agency initiated a business continuity plan earlier this month to deal with the uncertainty and workload implications linked to Britain's withdrawal from the EU.
The European Commission will assess the European city candidates to host the EMA by September but the final decision rests with EU leaders who will try to reach a consensus deal at their next summit in October. The winner is expected to be announced the following month.
The EMA is a prized asset for the host country, employing nearly 900 staff with an annual budget of $360 million. It attracts 36,000 experts a year to London for meetings. (Writing by Jesus Aguado; Editing by Sonya Dowsett and Ken Ferris)
By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Alexander Ershov
LONDON/MOSCOW, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Russian oil major Lukoil is considering selling its Swiss unit Litasco because new U.S. sanctions on Russia will make it harder for the Geneva-based energy trader to raise new funds, industry sources said.
Lukoil's chief executive, Vagit Alekperov, later confirmed the company was considering selling Litasco, Interfax news agency reported. He gave no details other than to say Lukoil's board would decide on the matter in November.
A senior industry source told Reuters Litasco could be sold later this year, possibly as a first step towards divestment of other overseas assets by Lukoil to enable Russia's second largest oil producer to focus on tapping fields in Siberia.
"One of the reasons behind the sale idea is sanctions. The sale will also help divert a big chunk of working capital from trading activities towards upstream projects in Russia," the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to discuss the possible sale in public.
Lukoil controls refineries in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands.
The sources did not say how much Lukoil might raise by selling Litasco, one of the largest global energy traders. Most trading houses are not publicly listed and the book value of rivals range from $2 billion to $6 billion.
The sale of Litasco would provide more evidence of how the latest U.S. sanctions have complicated lending to Russian companies -- state and private -- and even hit overseas entities only indirectly connected with Russia.
Banking sources told Reuters last week that Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo had encountered problems syndicating a loan to mining and commodities trading group Glencore and Qatar's wealth fund to fund their purchase of a stake in the Russian oil major Rosneft because of the new U.S. sanctions.
The sanctions, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Aug. 2, were Washington's strongest action against Moscow since 2014, when it first took steps to punish Russia over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and Russian support for separatists in east Ukraine.
Lukoil, which is a private company co-owned by its management without any ownership by the state, has been on the sanctions list since 2014 but it is not barred from selling assets.
MAJOR TRADING HOUSE
The new sanctions were in part a response to conclusions by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The sanctions dashed hopes of a rapprochement between Moscow and Washington.
Set up in 2000, Litasco has been one of the most successful traders of Russian oil in the past decade. It focuses on selling Lukoil's crude and products worldwide, serving its refineries in Europe and adding value through trading.
Third-party contracts have increased substantially over the past few years as Litasco's footprint expanded into the United States, Asia and Africa.
Litasco traded 3.2 million barrels per day of oil and products in 2016, its chief executive told Reuters this year, putting it on a par with rival trading houses such as Mercuria and Gunvor and behind only the world's top three trading houses -- Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura.
"Gradually, Litasco will become an independent trading house like Vitol or Trafigura," said a second industry source, confirming plans for the sale.
But oil trading -- where a standard-sized cargo with crude costs over $50 million -- is a capital-intensive business which requires trading houses to have tens of billions of dollars of credit lines readily available from dozens of global banks.
The sanctions have since 2014 complicated new capital-raising by Russian firms and the new U.S. measures have thrown lending patterns into disarray, with lawyers from big Western banks trying to establish what is still permitted under the latest restrictions. (Additional reporting by Olesya Astakhova,; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Three Central Dakota Humane Society staff members will be traveling to Kansas City, Mo., this week to help pets that have been affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Mandy Schaaf, volunteer and special events coordinator, said she and two other staff members are leaving Thursday morning in an SUV, which will be pulling a horse trailer packed with supplies for animal shelters and pet owners.
These volunteers will meet in Kansas City, where, on Friday, they'll pick up about 15 dogs from Louisiana shelters to bring back to Mandan for adoption.
"This is pretty unusual the only time weve ever done this before was with Hurricane Katrina," said Schaaf, explaining they will not be taking pets displaced by Harvey but, instead, will pick up animals that are currently available for adoption from Louisiana. "Then other pets from that area that were displaced could come into the shelter."
Thousands of Texas residents and pets have been evacuated from flood waters since Harvey hit the Texas coast. The Louisiana SPCA has moved 30 dogs and cats to Atlanta to make room for animals displaced by Harvey, according to the Times-Picayune.
The Central Dakota Humane Society is a no-kill animal shelter located north of Mandan. The shelter will be closed Thursday through Monday while staff members travel to Kansas City.
For more information on CDHS, visit www.cdhs.net.
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Japan pushed the United States on Wednesday to propose new United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea, which diplomats said could target the country's laborers working abroad, oil supply and textile exports.
The United States traditionally drafts resolutions to impose sanctions on North Korea over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. It first negotiates with Pyongyang ally China before involving the remaining 13 council members.
The Security Council condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a medium-range ballistic missile over northern Japan on Tuesday, but did not threaten new sanctions. Pyongyang said the launch was to counter U.S. and South Korean military drills.
Japan's U.N. Ambassador Koro Bessho said Tokyo would now like a "strong resolution" on North Korea.
"We will certainly discuss it with the United States," Bessho told reporters on Wednesday.
The United States mission to the United Nations was not immediately available to comment.
A push for new sanctions is likely to counter resistance from veto-wielding powers China and Russia, diplomats said, particularly given new measures were only recently imposed after Pyongyang staged two long-range missile launches in July.
On Aug. 5 the council unanimously adopted sanctions that could slash by a third the Asian state's $3 billion annual export revenue by banning exports of coal, iron, lead, and seafood and prohibiting countries from sending any more North Korean laborers to work abroad.
'TIME IS RIGHT'
Typically China and Russia only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible U.N. sanctions. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
However, some council diplomats argue that new measures are needed because this was the first time North Korea had fired a weapons missile over Japan, differing from a 2009 launch over Japan that Pyongyang had forewarned about and said was a rocket carrying a communications satellite into orbit.
"The time is right to consider further constraints on the DPRK regime, given that the constraints that we have put in place so far have clearly not yet got them to change course." British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said on Wednesday, using the acronym for North Korea's formal name of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"One other thing we could look at is building on the cap on foreign laborers in (the Aug. 5) resolution ... to see whether we could do more to prevent the flow of money coming into DPRK from North Korean nationals who are working abroad," he said.
Some diplomats estimate that between 60,000 and 100,000 North Koreans work abroad. A U.N. human rights investigator said in 2015 that North Korea had forced more than 50,000 people to work abroad, mainly in Russia and China, earning between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion a year.
Diplomats have said Pyongyang's textile exports, supplies of oil to the government and military and the country's national airline could also be targeted by any new U.N. sanctions.
Textiles were North Korea's second-biggest export after coal and other minerals in 2016, totaling $752 million, according to data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Nearly 80 percent of the textile exports went to China, according to Chinese customs data.
Any new sanctions would build on eight resolutions ratcheting up action against Pyongyang over five nuclear tests, four long-range ballistic missile tests and dozens of medium-range rocket launches. The past three substantial resolutions have taken between one and three months to negotiate. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)
LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell staff have returned to a major oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico in preparation to restart production one week after its shutdown due to Hurricane Harvey, industry sources said on Wednesday.
A small team was airlifted to the Perdido platform and is currently assessing conditions to understand when production can be resumed, the sources said.
Perdido, operated by Shell, was shut down on Aug. 23 ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival. The hub, the second deepest in the Gulf of Mexico, normally produces around 100,000 barrels per day of oil and gas. (Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by David Evans)
ANKARA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Turkey has complained to the United States over the indictment of Turkish security guards involved in a brawl during President Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington this year.
On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, over the brawl between protesters and Erdogan's security personnel in May.
"We are protesting in the strongest terms that a biased indictment is accepted. Our reaction to the topic has also been conveyed to the U.S. ambassador to Ankara," the Turkish foreign ministry statement said.
Eleven people were hurt in what Washingtons police chief described as a brutal attack on peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence during Erdogan's visit. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
SAO PAULO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Brazil will request that state development bank BNDES transfer about 100 billion reais ($31.6 billion) to the National Treasury so the federal government can avoid breaking a budget law, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.
The move would follow a similar 100 billion real transfer late last year, one of several measures taken by President Michel Temer's administration to curb a growing budget deficit.
The request was first reported by newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo on Wednesday. The Finance Ministry press office said the exact amount to be transferred was still under discussion.
The measure is needed to avoid breaking a constitutional rule forbidding the government from issuing more debt than the amount of capital spending planned for the year, a prospect that seems increasingly likely in 2018, Estado said.
BNDES is reluctant to agree, according to the report, saying the funds will be needed as demand for long-term loans accelerates during an economic recovery. The funds will be included in a budget proposal to be sent to Congress on Thursday, the newspaper said.
BNDES workers' association said such transfers to the National Treasury are illegal and weaken the bank.
Media representatives for BNDES were not immediately available to comment.
Reuters had reported on Aug. 23 that BNDES was in talks with government officials over the return of about 80 billion reais to the Treasury.
Since 2009, Brazil extended several long-term loans to BNDES to help fund heavily subsidized credit, which has weighed on taxpayers.
The government intends to phase out those subsidies in the coming years by setting a market-based benchmark rate for the development bank. The bill is expected to be voted in the Senate in the coming days.
Brazil is grappling with lower-than-expected tax revenues as it recovers from its deepest recession on record and is now working to approve easier fiscal targets in Congress and avoid crippling spending cuts. ($1 = 3.1650 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; editing by Paul Simao and David Gregorio)
By David Alire Garcia and Adriana Barrera
MEXICO CITY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A coveted deepwater oil project that Mexico's state oil company Pemex wants to develop with a partner will require some $10.7 billion in investment and could eventually add 174,000 barrels of new output per day, a senior regulator said on Wednesday.
Top oil sector regulator Juan Carlos Zepeda told Reuters in an interview that the auction to pick a partner for Pemex's Nobilis-Maximino deepwater project will likely coincide with a previously scheduled deepwater auction set for Jan. 31.
The first commercial barrels from Nobilis-Maximino are seen by 2024, with peak output of 174,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and 265 million cubic feet of natural gas per day coming online in 2026.
Zepeda leads the National Hydrocarbons Commission, the upstream regulator that both runs the auctions and supervises new contracts.
"Presumably, the (Nobilis-Maximino) contract will be identical to the Trion contract," said Zepeda, referring to the deal inked between Pemex and Australia's BHP Billiton to develop the nearby Trion deepwater project, also located in the Gulf of Mexico's Perdido Fold Belt.
BHP Billiton won the rights to be Pemex's Trion partner last December, beating out Britain's BP.
A sweeping energy reform finalized in 2014 ended Pemex's decades-long production monopoly while simultaneously allowing the company to enter into first-ever joint venture partnerships in a bid to attract more investment and reverse a 13-year output slump.
Estimated reserves in Nobilis-Maximino are about 502 million boe compared with 485 million boe in Trion.
Nobilis-Maximino is also closer to the U.S.-Mexico maritime border, which would likely make building transportation infrastructure faster and cheaper.
Zepeda said production costs for Nobilis-Maximino should average about $27 per barrel, less than Trion's roughly $30 per barrel.
Exploration expenditures so far allocated by Pemex for Maximino-Nobilis total about $1 billion, covering six exploration wells and three delimitation wells already drilled.
Pemex executives have previously said the firm expects its partner to include past investment in the joint venture's cost structure, so the Mexican oil giant would not have to put in additional capital until the partner reached that threshold.
Equity partners for Pemex on three other joint ventures, or farm outs, are set be selected in October, two onshore projects and another in shallow waters, and Zepeda said still more are planned.
"We should expect to launch new partnerships, farm outs this year," he said. "Some may be awarded this year and others in the first semester next year." (Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Adriana Barrera; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Today (August 31), the world commemorates the 20th death anniversary of Diana Princess of Wales. Princess Diana appeared on the British socio-political landscape when news of her romance with Britains heir to the throne Prince Charles broke and her fairy-tale wedding which was watched by millions across the globe in real time.
It was also a time when Britain was going through a period of depression with its economy in tatters and austerity measures taking their toll on the public. British society was in a state of socio-political tumult.
A time when Britains Iron Lady Ms. Margret Thatcher, also known as, Thatcher The Milk Snatcher for her role in overseeing the abolishing the government programme providing free milk to school children, was Prime Minister.
A time the British establishment literally killed Irish freedom fighter Bobby Sands - making no effort to prevent his death when he went on a hunger strike to highlight the plight of the Irish population.
It was a time when Britains unemployment stood at 2.5 million, a time when striking workers forced the British government to withdraw plans to close down the countrys coal mines which would have led to thousands more workers being out of employment and literally thrown into the streets.
It was a time when British society was disunited, divided and in disarray. With two female leaders the Queen and Prime Minister Thatcher, who had left their youth far behind them, were distant, cold and out of touch with the masses of their country.
It was into this bleak scenario the youthful, down-to-earth, beautiful, young and vivacious Diana appeared on the scene -- a breath of fresh air sweeping across a broken nation.
Though Diana herself had hardly done anything to inspire such inspiration the fairy-tale wedding was a welcome distraction to the nation.
But fairy tales unfortunately, are merely tales and cover darker secrets. And so it was with Diana and her fairy-tale marriage to the heir apparent of the British throne. The fairy-tale marriage unravelled in a glare of ugly publicity, when Diana learned her prince charming was two-timing on her with an old flame -- Camilla-Parker Bowles by name.
Though emotionally devastated, Diana was a hands-on mother to her two sons, as revealed in Prince Williams interview on the BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days,
She also gave a human touch to the British monarchy normally cold and distant from its subjects. She walked among her people, stopping to chat with the old and aged. Visiting schools where students from underprivileged backgrounds studied, helped fund charities to help victims of landmines and those suffering from the AIDS virus. She visited the slums in India with the iconic Mother Theresa.
Diana also stood apart from other royals as she threw herself into the charities she helped fund and found. Not one to sit back and simply help collect funds needed to help the charities in their field work, Diana visited the sick and the suffering rather than avoid them. Legendary photos show Diana embracing AIDS patients.
She literally showed the world it was safe to interact/embrace persons suffering from AIDS in an era when the victims were shunned by society.
She went fearlessly into lands being cleared of landmines wearing an armoured vest bearing the legend Halo Trust. She walked among those risking their lives to clear the landmines.
And wherever Diana went, the press was sure to go. The publicity she received helped raise the millions needed for the causes she championed. Diana and the press needed each other. Anything Diana did was newsworthy and the press hunted her.
And so it was on August 31, 1997 chased by a pack of pressmen, Diana died in a horrific car crash which shocked the world and devastated her countrymen. Even today, 20 years after her death, an unsavoury recording made by a close associate is being made public.
Though Diana almost single handedly popularised Britains fading conservative monarchy with her humanism, the royals paid her back by stripping her of the title Her Royal Highness when she divorced her cheating husband. Another instance of a woman punished for the infidelities of a man. The cheat remained heir to the throne while Diana was publicly humiliated.
The life and spirit of Diana Princess of Wales was aptly summed up in Elton Johns musical oration at her funeral, A Candle in the Wind and we call on the media to let Diana who was also referred to as the Peoples Princess to Rest In Peace.
Abortion cannot be considered as a human right as claimed by some, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said over the weekend.
Some claim that abortion is a human right. Right to kill is not a human right. Human rights are there to save lives not to end them, cardinal said at a service in Thewatte Basilica on Sunday.
Even the previous government tied to ease the abortion laws and now we here that this government is also out to do the same. Catholic Bishops Conference which issued a statement on the matter has been criticized by some, he added.
Cardinal Ranjith said all children are born according to Gods will and no one is born outside his will. He said even those who are differently-abled keep their parents together and play a role in ensuring well-being of their families.
Apeksha IVF Directors Dr. Champa Nelson and Deepal Nelson receiving the Merit Award in the Service Sector category of the Achiever Awards 2017 for Industrial Excellence at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo
Apeksha IVF and Research Centre, Ratmalana, was recently recognized with a National Level service sector Merit Award at the CNCI Achiever Awards 2017 for Industrial Excellence.
President Maithripala Sirisena was the chief guest and gave away the awards at the mega ceremony which was organized by the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) for the 16th time at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo.
The core concept of Apeksha IVF is to provide high quality fertility treatments to all couples in ethical manner at an affordable price. Apeksha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kasturba Medical College, University of Manipal for knowledge sharing. Apeksha IVF trains gynecologists and scientists to provide a better service for such couples.
The cabinet yesterday approved to provide a Rs.150 per kilogramme subsidy for pepper growers until the pepper prices reach the levels seen early this year.
As reported in Mirror Business this week, the Primary Industries Ministry had proposed to the cabinet to provide a Rs.200 per kilogramme subsidy per kilogramme of pepper.
However, the cabinet had only approved a Rs.150 per kilogramme subsidy.
The subsidy will be in effect until the market price of pepper reaches Rs.900 per kilogramme. Currently, pepper is trading between Rs.700-800 per kilogramme.
Oversupply from large-scale pepper producers such as Vietnam and Cambodia are pushing the pepper prices down in the global market.
NDTV. 29th AUGUST, 2017-Mumbai gasped in waist-deep water today, lashed by what weathermen believe could be the worst rain since July 2005, when the city was devastated by floods. Citizens were advised to stay in unless absolutely necessary or go home early after the city received, in three hours, nine time more rain than average.
Incessant rain flooded low-lying areas of Indias commercial capital and paralysed train services, with many stranded at stations. Poor visibility hit flights. Thousands waded through water to reach home and children were sent home early from school.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he has spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and assured all possible support. Urge the people of Mumbai and surrounding areas to stay safe and take all essential precautions in the wake of the heavy rain, he added.
It isnt a panic situation but only step outside your house is absolutely necessary, said Aditya Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena party controls the citys civic body BMC.
With the rain and the high tide overloading an ageing drainage system, people could be in for worse floods. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been called in.
The Maharashtra government ordered offices to allow employees to leave early. All schools and colleges in Mumbai will remain closed tomorrow, said Education Minister Vinod Tawde.
After a continuous downpour, most of Mumbai was submerged by afternoon. People were advised to avoid beaches and promenades, which will impact the ritual immersion of Ganesha idols, an annual event.
This is not a river, but a road, an NDTV correspondent said, standing in water at Lower Parel in central Mumbai. At Elphinstone, cars and bikes peeped out of flood-water.
North Bismarck Walmart was evacuated for the second time in two days after another bomb threat was received, according to Bismarck police.
A Walmart employee called 911 at about 6:21 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a phone call from an unknown male claiming someone planted a bomb in the store. Police arrived and searched the store, but did not find anything.
Police cleared the area at about 6:45 p.m.
An initial bomb scare was reported at Walmart Monday night, but no bomb was found after a search of the store.
Both incidents remain under investigation.
India and China have ended a months-long military stand-off at a disputed border area in the Himalayas with their troops almost completing a pull-out by Monday evening.
The breakthrough over the confrontation at the Doklam plateau was reached after diplomatic talks, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said.
Chinas Foreign Ministry said only Indian troops were withdrawing, but New Delhi made it clear that both countries were pulling back their forces.
We had earlier in the day announced that following diplomatic communications, expeditious disengagement of border personnel of China and India at the face-off site was ongoing, the Indian statement said.
The process has since been almost completed under verification.
The thaw comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming trip to China for a summit of the BRICS group of nations.
The row over the mountainous area located near the borders of China, India and Bhutan began in mid-June. Doklam, an uninhabited plateau is claimed by both China and Indias ally Bhutan.
China had attempted to build a road through the disputed area but India responded by sending troops to evict the Chinese militarys workers.
New Delhi sent its forces in support of Bhutan as well as to halt the road construction, which it said posed a serious security concern to its territory.
Over the past few weeks, Beijing in a series of angry statements repeatedly asked India to unilaterally withdraw from Doklam. India had insisted on a mutual pull-out. In its statement, China said it would continue to exercise its sovereign rights in the area.
Chinese troops will continue to patrol and garrison in the area, it said, adding: In light of the changed situation, the Chinese side will make the necessary adjustments and deployment according to the situation at the scene.
Indian strategic analysts said that although by its statements Beijing was claiming victory in the dispute, the opposite was true. Indian analyst Brahma Chellaney said China had sought to save face by projecting the mutual withdrawal deal as a unilateral Indian pull-out.
Having claimed Doklam to be its area, China cannot publicly accept mutual withdrawal. Yet, under the deal, thats precisely what it accepted, Chellaney wrote on Twitter.
He said the Doklam stand-off was triggered by the Peoples Liberation Armys move to build a road and change the status quo, but ultimately, that bid had been unsuccessful.
DPA, 29th
AUGUST, 2017
The Foreign Affairs Ministry today rejected reports that Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil, Jagath Jayasuriya fled that country following war crime charges.
Ministry Spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said Ambassador Jayasuriyas tenure had ended and that he was scheduled to return to the country on Wednesday.
The Ambassador, who was appointed in 2015 till 2017 is simply returning at the completion of his tenure, she said.
On Monday, several groups of South American Human Rights activists led by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) filed a war crimes lawsuits in Brazil and Colombia against the former Sri Lankan Army General, Jagath Jayasuriya.
The ITJP is a Human Rights group based in South Africa and headed by Yasmin Sooka.
Sooka had said in March that there was no way General Jayasuriya could claim that he didnt know that torture routinely occurred in his camp.
There were purpose built underground torture chambers, equipped with manacles, chains and pulleys for hoisting victims upside down. If the detainees could hear each other screaming at night from adjacent buildings, so could he, she said.
Yasmin Sooka was a member of the panel of experts appointed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on the alleged Human Rights violations that had taken place during the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
Celebrating two years since its launch, LOFT1024 is proud to record over 12 startups that have lifted off successfully after taking space at this site.
Located in the heart of Colombo, LOFT1024 is an incubator for accelerating creative techie ideas. LOFT1024 facilitates setting up operations with fully equipped and ready-to-occupy workspaces and complementary support services. This two-storey building is aesthetically furnished with desks, chairs, beanbags, warm lighting and an industry-related library.
I was pleasantly surprised at the show of interest and how the concept was appreciated, said Dinesh Saparamadu, CEO of LOFT1024. Today, we have had several companies that started off here and have now moved on to bigger and better opportunities in their respective fields.
One of the main reasons for starting LOFT1024 was to encourage startup companies working here to collaborate and develop useful and beneficial synergies between them, added Saparamadu. Looking forward, we will be looking at synergies between startups and other hSenid companies that will benefit both sides.
Kasun Udara Dissanayake, Founder/CEO of Kasper Global Pvt Ltd., says that starting off at LOFT1024 was definitely a great idea. Apart from knowledge-sharing with likeminded persons at the premises, his team had ample space and the perfect ambiance to concentrate on his business and focus on what was important. All minor details were taken care of and all we had to do was concentrate on our business strategies and structure, said Dissanayake.
Dissanayake moved into LOFT1024 in January 2016 because of the location and ease of access to his clients. He avers that as a startup, it was also a major cost saving as the plug and play option was suitable for his operation. Kasper Global Pvt. Ltd., is an IoT based consumer electronics manufacturing company with clients such as Vega Innovations Pvt. Ltd. and Singapore-based WiZLogix Pvt. Ltd.
Dinushka Devasurendra started off at LOFT1024 in December 2015. He took up space for his five-member team and built up Global Frontiers Pvt Ltd., a project management and business development operation. It was a very good start for us, he says. The staff who managed LOFT1024 ensured that we and our visitors were well taken care of at any given time. I also feel that there is an element of luck in this building as every startup has had good vibes from here.
The services provided at LOFT1024 are private and open-plan workspaces that can be customized, six individual rooms that can accommodate up to seven people each, a common area that can accommodate up to 10 individual desks, free Wi-Fi, Board room and Meeting room with projectors and screens, a common area, reception services, 24 x 7 Security.
By Dylan Baddour, Sandhya Somashekhar, Mark Berman (c) 2017, The Washington Post Aug 29, 2017 -
HOUSTON - The remnants of Hurricane Harvey pelted Texas on Monday as forecasters warned that the soaking rains would continue for days and major flooding would spread to neighboring states.
Texas officials said that at least nine people had died statewide as a result of the storm, as floodwaters continued to turn streets into waterways and gush into buildings Monday, a full two days after Harvey made landfall. Authorities expect the death toll to rise as rescue efforts go on and as more rain, rising rivers and surging floodwaters pummel the Gulf Coast. President Trump late Monday pledged swift action by the federal government to provide relief to states affected by Harvey, and he is scheduled to visit Texas on Tuesday.
Recovery will be a long and difficult road, and the federal government stands ready, willing and able to assist in that effort, he said during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. First responders and good Samaritans took to boats to rescue stranded residents, with authorities warning that more than 30,000 people across the region could be forced from their homes by the time skies are expected to clear later this week.
We are not out of the woods yet, Elaine Duke, the acting Homeland Security secretary, said during a Monday briefing in Washington. Harvey is still a dangerous and historic storm. Fears also grew beyond Texas, with particular concern centering on flood-prone Louisiana, where forecasts have called for as much as two feet of rainfall in some areas. Trump on Monday declared emergency conditions in Louisiana, evoking memories of Hurricane
Katrina in 2005.
As if to underscore those fears, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers early Monday began releasing water from two Houston dams to relieve pressure from the downpour, which has deposited as much rain in a few days as the region averages in an entire year. Most of the damage in New Orleans wrought by Katrina occurred when levees burst, allowing waters to inundate the city.
Every major waterway in the city spilled over its banks. Gullies overflowed. Even neighborhoods far from a creek or bayou flooded. The hardest-hit areas were in the south and southeast, the downstream end of the waterways.
But the southwest will be the next theater for catastrophe. The Brazos River, which runs through Fort Bend County about 20 miles west of downtown Houston, has been swelling as the runoff from the storm collects in its banks. National Weather Service models showed the river rising to 59 feet by Tuesday, topping the previous record of 54.7 feet. Authorities issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for parts of that area and warned that anyone who ignores mandatory evacuation orders will not be aided by first responders when the waters rise. But with virtually all the main thoroughfares already closed because of high water, many of the affected residents saw no way out.
Kim Adoubeif, 60, was among about a dozen residents of the Greatwood subdivision who stood in the rain atop a levee on the Brazos River on Monday to gaze at the water and ponder their fate. She said she checked online traffic maps and couldnt find a route to safety.
Every way out, there are roads that are flooded, she said, holding an umbrella against the rain. So we might not even find a way out.
Some who did evacuate ran into difficulties Monday as they tried to reach shelters. In north Houston, for example, rescuers who picked up people forced out of their drenched homes brought them to a fire station to be transported to the M.O. Campbell Center, a school gym and activity center that had been converted to a shelter. But when the shelter reached capacity, its doors were shut, and at least 300 people were stranded at the fire station.
The horror stories led authorities to urge patience and persistence on the part of residents needing help.
Ninewells Hospital, Sri Lankas leading private hospital specializing in Women and Child Care, achieved a remarkable milestone recently in their success story in fertility services.
The Ninewells Fertility Center recorded a 60 percent conversion rate into pregnancies in the month of July; surpassing the average international standard of 40 percent.
Speaking about their achievement, Ninewells Hospitals Fertility Center General Manager Tharanga Weerasuriya said: Ninewells is pleased to have achieved this unprecedented conversion rate in fertility treatment; transcending the norm. From the beginning, our center has consistently maintained a success rate of about 40 percent in IVF treatment and over the past few months this rate showed steady progress to achieve a success of 60 percent in July.
The success of our center can be attributed to the cutting edge technology and methodologies available in our facility and the team work of our staff; ranging from clinicians to embryologists to the nursing sisters, who have done their utmost to ensure that the treatment we offer and the environment it takes place is conducive for such procedures.
Fertility related complications are common among women in Sri Lanka and many resort to fertility treatment to help them conceive. The Ninewells Fertility Center, founded in 2004 under the guidance of Dr. Rohana Haththotuwa, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, has become a flagship centre in the fertility segment in Sri Lanka and the adjacent region. Since its inception, Ninewells has advanced to be an up-to-date fertility center delivering excellent results and is backed by international guidelines and specifications which govern fertility centers in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
The Ninewells Fertility Center is located in the North Wing of the hospital and comprises of a state of the art IVF laboratory with cutting edge modular laboratory facilities. The setting is designed distancing it from the remaining areas of the hospital and the clients are offered a relaxing atmosphere, the required privacy and an assuring psychological environment. Their embryologist, technicians and nursing staff have successfully completed their local and foreign trainings in order to improve and maintain the quality of care given to the clients. The centre is frequently audited and is ranked high by industry specialists and embryologists from the United Kingdom and world over.
The 20th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Singapore Business Council (SLSBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
The SLSBC was inaugurated in 1997 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with the objective of promoting trade, investments, tourism and services between Sri Lanka and Singapore.
Shamil Mendis, Chairman and Managing Director, Spear International (Pvt) Ltd. was re-elected as the President of the Council for the year 2017-2018.
Rohitha Mendis, Managing Director, Prudential Shipping Lines (Pvt) Ltd, Prajeeth Balasubramaniam, Managing Director, Blue Ocean Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, and Upali Bandaranayake, Director, Valdhue and Walker (Pvt) Ltd were elected as Vice Presidents of the Council.
A Baur & Co. Ltd, Aitken Spence Cargo (Pvt) Ltd., Just in Time Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., MAC Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Ovearseas Realty (Ceylon) PLC and Prima Ceylon Ltd.were elected from the membership to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council.
Seated from left :
Kamil Weerasekera (Treasurer) Creoz Multimedia (Pvt) Ltd, Asgar AM Musajee (Vice President) M.M. Noorbhoy & Co (Pvt) Ltd, Rizan Nazeer (President) Transtrade International, Ambassador Designate of Thailand Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Vichai Chartsuwan , Lionel Fernando (Vice President) Benjarong (Pvt) Ltd, Lalith Kumarage (Secretary) Alucare (Pvt) Ltd
Standing from left :
Rohan Elgiriyewithana ( Committee Member) Chanlanka International, Shahen Perera (Committee Member) Jetwing Travels (Private) Limited, Aasim Mukthar (Committee Member) Lanka Exhibition & Conference Service (Pvt) Ltd, Athick Afeez (Committee Member) Gamo Collections, Rienzie Fernando ( Committee Member) Roots Global (Pvt) Ltd, Venura Fernando (Committee Member) Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited, Priyantha Kolonnage ( Committee Member) Pyramid Wilmar (Pvt) Ltd.
Royal Thai Embassy stands ready to give support and facilitate Sri Lankan businessmen
The 17th Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Thailand Business Council was held at the Waters Edge, Battaramulla recently. It was held under the patronage of President of the Council Rizan Nazeer.
Ambassador Designate of Thailand to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan said in her speech The Royal Thai Embassy would like to express its deep appreciation for the works done by the SLTBC and its able executive board, to promote trade and investment between the 2 countries throughout the past two decades. I look forward to furthering the existing excellent relations with the Business Council to further win-win economic relations.
My posting in Sri Lanka is at very opportune time when the 2 close friends Thailand and Sri Lanka bound closely by historical and cultural and religious ties have significantly been moving closer to the other in economic field closer than any time in our modern relations on the way to become strategic partnership.
In 2016, Thailand and Sri Lanka governments set a target to triple trade value between the two countries from presently 500 million USD to 1500 million US dollars by 2020.
With this ambitious trade target set by the Governments, and with my strong economic background, it is not by chance that I have been assigned to be Ambassador to Sri Lanka today. Thailand Week with the first Thai Trade Fair was organized in less than 1 month after I landed here. My mission is clear from day 1.
On investment side, there is no set target. With the Thai investment value jumping 10 times from 70 million US dollar in 2015 to 700 million US dollar in 2016, mainly through the investment by Siam City Cement in Insee company, there is no reason not to expect much more investment from Thailand.
Just one very concrete example was another historic day in our economic relations as the Joint letter of Intent was signed between Sri Lankan BoI and Rojana Industrial Estate to establish Milleniya Export Processing Zone in Kalutara District. This EPZ- Sri Lankas first industrial zone in over a decade - will attract 500 US$ in its initial two phrases, expecting to create 10,000 new jobs through 100 manufacturing operations, and the number of manufacturers operating there is expected to double at later stage when the EPZ is expanded from the initial 400 acres to 1000 acres. It is hoped that the approval and construction of infrastructure normally 5 years - would be completed in one year and the project ready by end 2018.
With these important facts and figures, let me share with you my mission as Ambassador of Thailand to Sri Lanka.
First, I have got a clear signal to seek ways and means to upgrade our bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership. The political will from both sides is clear; the tricky part is to walk the talk.
I can share with you that Thailand has already submitted a draft Mo on Strategic Partnership to the Sri Lankan counterpart. We identified in the draft MoU a number of areas of mutual interest. The next step is to develop certain form of Plan of Action.
But even during the development phase of this Plan of Action, line agencies have been working closely together. One example by early September the Ministry of Primary Industry is going to sign a cooperation MoU with the Bank for Agriculture and Cooperatives and Kasetsart University, with a view to developing the primary industries in Sri Lanka through capacity building and knowledge sharing, and to exploring the possibilities of obtaining credit lines to support the entrepreneurs engaged in exports and imports related to primary industries.
Second, I have been instructed to follow up with the Sri Lankan side on Thai - Sri Lanka FTA negotiations. I have been in close contact with the Ministry of Commerce, which is responsible for this FTA negotiations.
Third, I set as my mission to identify areas where Thai and Sri Lankan businessmen can trade and invest. The areas of agriculture and processed food, gems & jewelry, electronics, automative parts, rubber, hospitality including hotel management, alternative energy, are some of the areas floating between both sides.
At this juncture, I have just come back from Thailand few days ago, after series of meetings with a number of leading trade associations and companies. Let me take this opportunity to tell you 3 frank feedbacks from my discussion with the Thai business side.
First, Sri Lanka is a small country, with small population when compared to other South Asian countries. FDI, and particularly PPP, cannot be attracted with the sheer number of population here. A number of Thai investors I talked to need careful feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis before committing on any projects.
I pointed out to the Thai businessmen, and they agreed, that the competitive edge of Sri Lanka lies in its strategic location. Sri Lanka has rightly positioned itself as maritime hub for South Asia, and this point offers strategic interest to the Thai business sector.
That is why after 2 months of posting here I have chosen my first B2B project with the theme of logistics. I brought a number of Sri Lankan companies to logistic trade fair called TILOG - LOGISTIX, as well as to Laem Chabung, our biggest
port. Very soon I will lead Embassy staff to visit Hambantota Port and Airport, to have a better appraisal of its potential, especially as a jewel crown in One Belt One Road project.
Second, with its small consumer base Sri Lanka has been positioning itself as gateway to South Asia through its bilateral FTA networks with South Asia. While this positioning is welcoming, investors might already compare the incentives and advantages offered here in Sri Lanka with those offered by neighboring countries with much bigger population base. Therefore, investors are looking for cost effective labor cost, ease of doing business, easier tax structure, stronger incentives in short more business friendliness and confidence.
But GSP+ scheme is different, as we are talking about the access to the EU market, something that most other countries in South Asia cannot offer. We yes I mean you and me - need to sell this point more - how GSP+ can be better utilized for a win-win benefit for Sri Lanka and a third country like Thailand.
Third, one Thai company gave me a homework, and I would appreciate if anyone here could help me do this homework. The homework is how can Thai investors work with their counterparts in Sri Lanka to access market in Great Britain, probably through Commonwealth scheme, now that Brexit is becoming a reality. Brexit is making a big transformation to trade between Asia, Thailand included, and Europe, and my homework is how Sri Lanka can play a role in this transformation.
Last but not least, I welcome your inputs, recommendations and suggestions on how the Royal Thai Embassy could help promote trade and investment.
Please be assured that the Royal Thai Embassy stands ready to give support and facilitate Sri Lankan businessmen in promoting greater economic activities between the two countries.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday assured that the government will come up with some tax concessions next month.
The Premier made this statement at a ceremony organized by the ministry of housing to distribute housing loans to 1100 families in the Colombo District at Temple Trees last evening.
We will come up with a package of tax concessions next month. Those investors who provide employment to people will be given tax concessions under this package, the Premier said.
The country was deeply in debt when this government took over. However, today we have managed to control the debt. We have managed to control the countrys debt to some extent through the Hambantota Port agreement. Sri Lanka will be in a position to pay off its debt by 2020. What we have done during the past two years is taking the country out of the debt trap, he added.
He said the government had been able to generate 150,000 jobs during the past two years.
Minister of Housing Sajith Premadasa said over 2 million families in the country are either without a house of their own while there are others who have not been able to compete the construction. This government has already commenced work on more than 450 Uda Gamas and the government will be able to complete 500 Uda Gamas by the year 2020, he said.
Further, he said the governments in the past did not focus on housing needs of the people. Previous regime only focused on giant development projects. These projects put the country in a debt trap. The housing problem could have been solved if the funds spent for giant development projects were spent on housing instead, Mr. Premadasa added. (Yohan Perera)
Video by Buddhi
By The Editorial Board (c) 2017, The Washington Post
Aug 29, 2017 -
President Donald Trump hinted for weeks that he might pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. When he finally did so on Friday, the White Houses official statement lauding Arpaio failed to mention the charge for which Trump had granted clemency: a criminal conviction of contempt of court for defying an order to halt racial profiling.
Whatever the White House may say about Arpaios selfless public service, the presidents decision is a slap in the face to Latinos and undocumented immigrants and a gift to Trumps farthest-right supporters.
Despite Trumps suggestion that Arpaio was convicted for doing his job, a federal judge found the former sheriff guilty of contempt when he refused to cease rounding up suspected undocumented immigrants on the basis of appearance alone. But Arpaios abuse of his authority as sheriff went well beyond racial profiling.
With pride, he detained inmates in inhumane conditions and humiliated them in the name of deterring crime. And like Trump, he rose to national prominence by casting doubt on whether Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Trump did not consult with the Justice Department before pardoning Arpaio. Indeed, the former sheriff had not even applied for a pardon through the long-standing Justice Department system. Perhaps thats appropriate: The departments guidelines state that pardon applicants should show remorse and atonement for their actions. Arpaio has shown none. (He is now pushing for the federal court to vacate its verdict against him.)
A pardon was Trumps second choice. Last spring, the president reportedly asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions whether the Justice Department might be able to drop the then-ongoing investigation of Arpaio. When Sessions informed Trump that such a request would be inappropriate, the president settled on clemency instead.
The presidents authority to bestow pardons is nearly without restraint. But granting clemency for a defendant convicted of contempt of court speaks to the same disdain toward the judicial system that Trump has displayed in his attacks on so-called judges. (Arpaio has taken a similar approach, decrying his conviction as a political witch hunt.) And Trumps discussion with Sessions recalls his suggestion to then-FBI Director James Comey to drop the bureaus investigation of Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser. This pardon is not only a mark of Trumps inclination to inflame rather than bind up the nations wounds. It is also a warning of his lack of respect for the independence of the courts and of law enforcement in a country governed by the rule of law -a worrying characteristic in a president facing an ongoing special counsel investigation. But Trump should take the outraged response to Arpaios pardon from across the political spectrum as a warning, too: a sign of the resistance he will encounter if he chooses to issue further pardons, particularly in the Russia affair, on the basis of political concerns rather than those of justice.
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The North Dakota Supreme Court ruled the McKenzie County Commission overstepped its authority in its discipline of a sheriffs department lieutenant over the wishes of the sheriff.
We recognize a sheriffs failure to take disciplinary action against a deputy in a sheriffs office may impose potential financial liability on a county; however, we have found no authority permitting the board to take disciplinary action up to and including termination against a deputy in Sheriff Schwartzenbergers office in this case. Rather, under our law, the authority for that discipline lies with Sheriff Schwartzenberger and not the board, the judges wrote in the unanimous opinion.
The high court's ruling overturns the district courts earlier denial of McKenzie County Sheriff Gary Schwartzenbergers request for a writ to prohibit the commissions placing of Lt. Michael Schmitz on unpaid administrative leave following allegations of bullying and an independent investigation of the sheriffs office. Schmitz's employment was later terminated by the interim sheriff for an unrelated disciplinary reason.
At this same time, the commission had petitioned the governor for the sheriffs removal from office, a months-long proceeding which was recently dismissed by the governor on Aug. 4.
In their reasoning for the reversal, the supreme court judges said nowhere in the commissions 56-page personnel policy does it give the commission authority to impose disciplinary action in the sheriffs office.
The parties have cited no provisions in McKenzie Countys personnel policies and employee handbook, and we have found none, the courts opinion read.
Therefore, the judges ruled the commission may not restrict or remove a sheriffs authority, as another elected official, to fire or discipline an employee within the department.
It clarifies the relationship that hes in charge of his personnel, said Schwartzenbergers attorney Michael Geiermann, and the commission-approved personnel policies will only apply as long as they dont interfere with his operation of the department.
Schwartzenberger is facing criminal charges for unauthorized use of a county credit card. His attorney in that matter, Tom Dickson, said the supreme courts ruling confirms what Schwartzenberger has been saying all along, that he has authority over his department.
Dickson said whether or not that will have any bearing on the criminal case will be up to the North Dakota Attorney General's office.
On August 21, Union home minister Rajnath Singh made a cryptic remark about the Doklam standoff: "There will be a solution soon and I am sure China will make a positive move."
I had dwelt at length on his statement in a previous article.
Lo and behold! Exactly a week later, the Doklam disengagement has been completed. Forget the spin in the Chinese media that had reported the withdrawal was unilateral - and from the Indian side, a top PMO official told me the disengagement was mutual and that the Chinese have removed their road-building equipment as well as troops from Doklam and restored status quo ante.
Interestingly, one Indian official has been at the forefront of the 70-day-long Doklam standoff: national security advisor Ajit Doval, who - ahead of his official visit to China last month - was described by Beijing's media as "the main schemer" behind the Doklam crisis.
Not a permanent disengagement. Photo: Reuters
But for the iron-strong stand taken by Doval in opposing China's construction of a tactical road in Doklam at the India-Bhutan-China intersection, India would have yielded a facile strategic victory to the Chinese, which would have troubled India for generations to come.
Doval was given a free hand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NSA worked closely with the ministries of external affairs and defence during the entire standoff period.
With the successful denouement of the standoff, Doval's profile has gone up further, his second consecutive major personal achievement after the 2016 surgical strike.
Now that the Doklam dispute is over (for the time being), here is how the next few days are going to unravel for the three parties involved: India, Bhutan and China.
India:
New Delhi may have won the first round but it must be mindful that this implies the Doklam episode is all but over.
The Chinese would inevitably adopt a hard stance against India, most probably by the summer of 2018. Beijing may well create many, not one, Doklam-type situations and may re-trigger the crisis to deliberately rock Modi's boat when he is busy preparing for next general elections, which may well be advanced to the last quarter of 2018.
The famous Shakespearean quote, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" could be rephrased in China's context as "Hell hath no fury like the Dragon scorned".
After all, the Chinese Dragon has been scorned by India like never before. No other nation has been able to put China in its place in the past many many years as India has done.
Therefore, China won't sit back idly for long and would inevitably hit back hard. For now, from the Chinese perspective, India can exult in the Doklam glory and think that its 1962 scars have been removed to some extent but the Chinese would not take it lying down.
If a militarily-much-inferior nation like Pakistan has been brazenly talking of delivering "a thousand cuts" to India, then China - a near-superpower - is obviously capable of wreaking much more mayhem.
When, where and how the Chinese do it are questions which, as of now, are in the womb of time.
Bhutan:
Bhutan is perhaps chuckling over the Doklam denouement because it was ostensibly a party to the dispute alright, but without any stake.
Bhutan would have remained unaffected if the Doklam episode were to end in a different manner. It would be interesting to see how Bhutan plays its cards in the India-China game of thrones in the near future, considering that Thimphu has, of late, been warming up to Beijing in many ways - with the Chinese influence in Bhutan increasing by the day.
China:
China may have played ball with India over the Doklam episode largely because of many factors like the BRICS summit it is going to host next week.
But it can't be expected to keep quiet. Significantly, there has been no official assurance, verbal or written, from China to India that it won't resume the construction of the Doklam road ever again.
If interested in some of the area's best salsa or sitting front bleacher at a wild cow milking event, Almont is the perfect destination this Labor Day weekend.
The Morton County town is celebrating its 59th annual Labor Day Reunion.
Were so excited about our events this year and hope to see as many people come out as possible," said Dawn Olson, event co-chairperson. "We hope to have a successful year and open the door for next year, our 60th."
The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday with a community appreciation picnic at Prairie Rose Park, to thank everyone for contributing to playground equipment updates.
Almont has always had a park but, until recently, it had very little playground equipment and the little it did have shouldve been condemned, Olson said. It was dangerous.
More than $30,000 was raised through grants and community fundraisers to outfit the park with new slides, swings and monkey bars.
"We now have beautiful playground equipment," Olson said.
Hot dogs, chips and ice cream will be provided by the Almont Park and Playground Committee and the Almont Historical Society, but picnic attendees are encouraged to bring beverages and a dish to share.
Saturday features the salsa contest as in chip dip, not dancing and silent auction, beginning at 6 p.m. at the legion hall.
A panel of judges will determine a winner in each of three categories hot, mild and anything goes based on the salsa's aroma, appearance, consistency and flavor. A People's Choice Award also will be presented.
Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in their best Mexican attire.
"It's an official contest with rules to follow," Olson said. She chuckled before adding, "It's very serious."
Ranch rodeo action begins at 5 p.m. Sunday, a half mile east of Almont on County Road 137. Calcutta begins at 4 p.m.
"This is not your typical rodeo event," Olson said. "Teams of two will be competing in goofy, funny events."
Wild cow milking, steer mugging, trailer relay racing, steer loading and riding the hide are just some of the events professional teams will compete in on Sunday.
Amateurs will try their hand at the same events during Monday's 2 p.m. rodeo performance.
"It'll be fun to see neighbors, friends and family members compete," Olson said.
A street dance featuring music by The Cody Charles Band, a local country music group that once opened for Joe Diffie and Confederate Railroad, is scheduled for 9 p.m. Sunday on Main Street. Alexis Bachler, of Almont, is the opening act.
A parade, street races and inflatables on Main Street precede Monday's variety program, "The History of Communication in Almont," scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the school gym.
"The program will feature skits, music and historical facts about how communication has changed in Almont over the last 110 years," Olson said.
A Labor Day button can be purchased for $3, allowing access to the variety program and chances to win door prizes.
"We've tried really hard to bring in a variety of food vendors," Olson said.
Waffle sandwiches, taco in a bag, wraps, smoothies, kettle corn, hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, pie and ice cream will be available for purchase.
"Theres something to do every day, something to do for every age," Olson said.
For more information, call 701-843-8824 or 701-843-8730.
Hurricane Harvey's disruption to Gulf Coast refineries is not showing any impact on North Dakota's oil industry, according to Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. But it's early, he admits.
Lack of impact now doesn't mean an impact isn't coming. It just depends on how long the refinery outages last, Kringstad said.
"As of right now, it doesn't appear to be having any immediate effect, at least so far," Kringstad said. "The big unknown is how long the refining centers on the Gulf Coast are going to be impacted."
The extent of the refinery outages should become more clear in coming days as companies assess damages to the facilities, he said.
The longer the refineries take to resume operation, the greater the likelihood of congestion occurring at the nation's oil hubs, which could work its way back to North Dakota, he said.
If North Dakota starts to fill the impact, he said, oil companies would look for alternate marketing strategies, such as shipping by rail to different hubs.
The nation's second largest oil producer, North Dakota generally produces about a million barrels of oil per day.
Tessa Sandstrom, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Petroleum Council, also said no impact is apparent as far as markets, although some companies report more difficulty in getting repair parts for oil-field equipment.
FARGO Preliminary results of an autopsy on Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, the Fargo woman who disappeared while eight months pregnant, show that she died from homicidal violence, police said Tuesday.
Fargo Deputy Police Chief Joseph Anderson said no other information about the autopsy could be released because it would compromise the investigation. Many of the facts of this case wont be known to the media or the public until released at the trial, he said.
Police have not divulged any information on whether the baby was born naturally, whether it was induced early, or taken from LaFontaine-Greywind violently.
The 22-year-olds body was found in the Red River eight days after she went missing. Authorities recovered it on the Minnesota banks, so her autopsy is being conducted by the Ramsey County Medical Examiners Office in St. Paul.
Family members said on Tuesday that funeral arrangements have not yet been made because of the uncertainty about when the body will be returned to the family.
Tarita Silk, the womans aunt, said the funeral will likely take place on the Spirit Lake Reservation near Devils Lake. LaFontaine-Greywind was a member of the Spirit Lake tribe and grew up on the reservation. Her father is a Spirit Lake member, while her mom is a member of the Turtle Mountain Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Abandoned farmhouse
LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared on Aug. 19, after going upstairs in her north Fargo apartment building to help a neighbor who, according to family, asked her to model a dress that the neighbor was sewing. She was not seen again until her body was discovered.
On Thursday, police entered the neighbors apartment by force, arrested one of the tenants, Brooke Crews, and found a healthy newborn baby girl that is believed to have belonged to LaFontaine-Greywind. That same day, police arrested Crews live-in boyfriend, William Hoehn, at his place of employment. But LaFontaine-Greywind remained missing despite intensive searching.
Kayakers came across her body in the Red River on Sunday night. About the same time, volunteer searchers uncovered what police said were suspicious items at an abandoned farmhouse nearby in rural Clay County. The Clay County Sheriffs Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducted an extensive search of the property.
On Tuesday, Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist said the searches of the abandoned farmhouse have been completed, but no information is yet available about what was found.
Theyve gathered materials, and now theyre looking at them, he said. At this point, we dont have any answers.
The farmhouse is located at 1575 90th Ave. NW in rural Clay County, just east of the Red River, about 9 miles north of downtown Fargo. The property owner, William Borgen of Moorhead, said the farmhouse has been unoccupied for 15 to 20 years. His family farmed there for 30 years, and he bought the property about a decade ago. He retired from farming three years ago. He still hunts there, as does Sheriff Bergquist, who is a friend.
The property encompasses about 200 acres and includes about 140 acres of farmland, which is rented. Borgen said he had removed several buildings on the property, but had left the house in hopes that its presence would discourage people from trespassing. But he said the house has been somewhat destroyed by vandals and people taking copper and other items of value.
Borgen said hes occasionally found people living on the property in vehicles.
Baby in protective custody
The two suspects, Crews and Hoehn, were formally charged on Monday. They were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and providing false information to police. Both are being held at the Cass County Jail on $2 million bail. Crews attorney, Steven Mottinger, declined to comment on the case Tuesday. Hoehns attorney, Stormy Vickers, did not return a phone message.
The baby found by police in the suspects apartment remains in the protective custody of Cass County Social Services.
The suspects told police that the child belonged to LaFontaine-Greywind. However, DNA tests are being conducted to determine whether she and her boyfriend, Ashton Matheny, are the parents. Fargo police Lt. Jason Nelson said on Monday that results of the tests may not be available until next week.
Matheny said he attended a shelter hearing about the child on Tuesday, but would not say what happened at the hearing. North Dakota law requires that a shelter hearing take place within 96 hours of a child being placed in shelter care to determine whether a child should remain in shelter care. Its possible the child was placed in shelter care until custody can be awarded.
The policies of Cass County Social Services prohibit the agency from releasing any information about children under its care.
Events continue to be held in memory of LaFontaine-Greywind. Three memorials are planned for 8 p.m. Wednesday: one at the North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck, another at the White Shield community on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, and a third at Nickeus Park in Jamestown. Ceremonies were held on Tuesday in Grand Forks and on Monday in Fargo, Belcourt, N.D., and Sisseton, S.D.
Others are honoring her memory in diverse ways, including selling T-shirts and window decals with some or all of the proceeds going to the family.
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition in Fargo is selling red light bulbs for $5 and asking the public to light them at their homes for eight nights, the number of nights she was missing. The color red is used to recognize indigenous women who go missing or are murdered. The red bulbs can be purchased at the groups office at 4211 12th Ave. N.
Cases of variant influenza in humans that may have originated in swine underscore the need for keeping ill humans and animals at home, North Dakota State Veterinarian Susan Keller says.
The state Health Department believes two people a North Dakota child and an out-of-state resident may have contracted a strain of influenza from swine at the North Dakota State Fair.
A North Dakota child tested positive for variant influenza A H3N2v, determined through what Jill Baber, an epidemiologist at the North Dakota Department of Health, says is very specific, accurate genetic testing on the strain. After such a test is confirmed, Baber says health officials go through a long, detailed survey to try to find likely places in which the strain could have been contracted.
The child had no known contacts with people suffering from influenza, and the only contact the child had with swine was at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot. A second case, involving an out-of-state visitor to the fair, also has been confirmed with similar findings, Baber says.
Baber, who coordinates the departments influenza program, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says swine strains of influenza have not been demonstrated to pass from human to human. Were that to happen, it would be considered a pandemic influenza, she says, adding that there is no indication of that.
Keller, however, explains that its not possible to say for certain where cases originated without doing more comprehensive testing among the humans and swine in attendance at the State Fair. No pigs at the State Fair were confirmed to have the strain of influenza, she says. While several pigs were taken home during the fair due to illness, none appear to have had influenza, she explains.
Different forms of influenza are known to mutate constantly and to pass among humans, swine and birds, Keller says. That can make it difficult to know where particular cases originate.
Influenza is anything but black and white, she says.
Baber says its possible more people have contracted the strain but have either had no symptoms or not enough symptoms to warrant visiting a doctor. Only the state and the CDC can perform tests that show animal strains of influenza.
Variant strains of influenza that originate in swine tend to be less severe than human strains, Baber says. The people most at risk of developing severe symptoms are people with weakened immune systems. Other people may have contracted the strains but do not exhibit symptoms sufficient to go to a doctor or to get further testing.
Keller says its important to take precautions to protect humans and animals at any time. Signs at the State Fair warn people to avoid the barns if theyre ill, as they can pass their germs to livestock and vice versa. She advises admiring animals instead of kissing them, even if that photograph of a kid up to the nose of a pig sounds adorable. Parents should keep children in strollers from touching animals, she says.
Baber adds that its a good idea to wear gloves when working with animals.
If you want to live in this world and you like animals, you take whatever precautions are reasonable and practical, Keller says.
She says there are no major health issues among swine or humans from the variant influenza recently discovered. Health and veterinary officials will continue to monitor the situation, but no further testing has been ordered by the Health Department or the CDC.
Im not worried about this one at all, Keller says.
An effort to help Charlottesvilles image and its businesses recover from the violent and fatal Aug. 12 white supremacist rally will include ads, hashtags and publicity campaigns emphasizing that the city stands for love.
But members on the campaign design team warned that the words must be backed by actions that address minority community concerns.
Efforts at repairing the citys image include a three-tiered marketing plan that includes the phrase Cville Stands For Love and using #standforlove on the internet through the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The idea is to get the slogan and hashtag to go viral, said Susan Payne, of the Blue Ridge Group, an advertising agency based downtown.
Payne said shes heard of businesses taking loans to make payroll costs and wait staff tips dropping from $200 to $20 a night.
The goal is to take the bad images of Charlottesville weve all seen and replace them with good images in the newspapers, Payne said. There are many businesses suffering from the images, and we want this to go viral to help change that.
But addressing the concerns of the disadvantaged and minorities needs to be an equal priority, members said. As proof, they pointed to angry responses from residents at recent town hall meetings and the takeover of the City Councils Aug. 21 meeting.
There are a whole lot of people who dont want to go back to Charlottesville pre-Aug. 12, said businesswoman and team member Yolanda Armstrong Harrell. If we dont get some reconciliation, we are going to prolong the pain and we are going to prolong the hurt. If you have people tearing us apart on social media because they dont feel like their concerns have been addressed, the effort is going to have an enemy within.
The campaign committee, known as the Charlottesville Recovery Team, includes Payne, Harrell, Mayor Mike Signer, City Councilor Wes Bellamy, City Manager Maurice Jones and Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, as well as local business leaders.
To help spread the message, the recovery team includes representatives of Washington, D.C., public relations firm Powell/Tate, the same company hired by the city amid the July 8 Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and Aug. 12 Unite the Right rallies.
Another member is the international advertising firm Edelman, which handles a variety of social initiatives and clients such as Barilla pasta, Arbys and United Airlines.
Changing negative images to positive images is difficult, and no one does it better than Edelman, Payne said.
Tom Tom Founders Festival Director Paul Beyer is also on the committee. He said the festivals September events will focus on bringing community together and back to Emancipation Park, the site of the Aug. 12 rally.
Its an opportunity for Tom Tom to fulfill some of its mission, he said. Its an opportunity to bring the community together to reclaim the park.
The summers events have taken a toll on local businesses as the citys reputation has suffered by images of racism. On May 13, white supremacists surprised locals with an unannounced gathering in what is now called Emancipation Park. On July 8, the Ku Klux Klan held a planned rally in Justice Park.
On Aug. 12, after a federal court fight over its location, the Unite the Right rally was held in Emancipation Park but quickly devolved into violent chaos that ended with a car being driven into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 35 others.
Two Virginia State Police helicopter pilots who had been observing the events that day died hours later when their helicopter crashed in Albemarle County.
Committee members said that leadership also must come from city officials who need to communicate the Cville Stands for Love theme for it to seem authentic.
After the rally, councilors were besieged at their next meeting by upset and angry residents. A leaked memo and the responses to it have documented the planning and tensions between city officials and councilors particularly Signer.
On Wednesday, the City Council is to hold a closed-door session regarding the performance and discipline of an elected official.
Bellamy and Signer said unity in the city government is not a problem.
There is no rift among city councilors, said Bellamy, who was seated next to Signer at the meeting. Were good. The city manager is good. The police chief is good. Sometimes we dont agree, but that doesnt mean we hate each other.
Uniting the community is a good thing, Signer said, but it must be diverse and it must be authentic.
Bellamy agreed.
People want action. They feel like theyve been talked blue in the face, he said. They dont want to have another feel-good, kumbaya moment. They want real solutions.
Payne said getting the publicity campaign to help improve the economy should be done at the same time as reconciliation initiatives.
We need to be nimble and work on three aspects at the same time: a period of healing for the community, healing our image and reconciliation in the community, she said.
President Trumps outspoken defense of Western civilization in his July 2017 Warsaw speech was a pointed reminder that one troubling characteristic of our time is the ongoing assault on the very idea of the West, says Samuel Gregg in this weeks Acton Commentary. This is most vividly manifested in the relentless use of physical violence by jihadists determined to terrorize us first into acquiescence and, eventually, submission.
Nor, however, is there a shortage of efforts to dismantle Western culture from within. Sometimes this occurs through focusing on real evils committed by Westerners, such as slavery, while studiously ignoring or denigrating the Wests impressive achievements. On other occasions, the Wests deepest roots are condemned as inherently oppressive, burdensome legacies bequeathed by dead, white, logocentric men.
The full text of the essay can be found here. Subscribe to the free, weekly Acton Commentary and other publications here.
Al Jazeera: Haifa in 'Northern Occupied Palestine' | Main | Report: Al Jazeera Airs False Testimony on IDF Child Killing
August 30, 2017
Journalist: The Palestinian Authority is Destroying the Judiciary
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is working to destroy the judiciary, according to an Aug. 28, 2017 Gatestone Institute report by the Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh.
Toameh said that a new piece of legislation aims at amending the law of the judicial authority so that [PA President Mahmoud] Abbas and his government would be able to tighten their grip over the work of the courts and judges.? The proposed law would allow Abbas and other top PA officials to interfere with a Palestinian judiciary that was at least nominally independent.
Palestinian judges, attorneys and activists are planning protests against the law. The chairman of the Palestinian Judges Forum, Osama al-Kilani, declared, The new bill will place the judicial authority under the tutelage of the executive authority.?
Similarly, a statement from an association of Palestinian lawyers warned: This will put an end to the independence of the judiciary.?
The Palestinian Basic Law stipulates that only the Palestinian Legislative Council can introduce changes and amendments to existing laws. However, the legislation supported by Abbas would allow the executive branch to dismiss judges and would make the prosecutor-general subordinate to the head of the PA.
As Toameh noted, this latest bit of autocracy follows an authority crackdown on journalists. Recently, Abbas approved a Cyber Crimes Law that gives his security forces expanded powers to silence his critics on social media.? According to Toameh, this legislation was passed secretly and without consultation with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate or the Palestinian Legislative Council.
It is yet another sign of how state building has gone awry in PA-ruled lands. When its not busy bankrolling antisemitic sermons by PA officials or increasing payments to imprisoned terrorists, the authority is dismantling many of the key components widely acknowledged to be essential for a free, prosperous and democratic society.
Yet, as CAMERA has recently highlighted, the media continues to ignore growing PA repression. Indeed, the passage of the Cyber Crimes Law and the attacks on the judiciary have been omitted in recent coverage by major U.S. news outlets, such as USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and elsewhere.
Posted by SD at August 30, 2017 12:16 PM
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Rajiv Bansal is the interim CMD of Air India and government will soon appoint a 'regular person' as the new head of the national carrier.
New Delhi: The government will be taking steps to appoint a "regular person" to the post of Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, civil aviation secretary R N Choubey said here on Wednesday.
He said this on the sidelines of an event organised by ASSOCHAM when asked about additional charge of Air India CMD being given to Additional Secretary and financial advisor in the petroleum ministry Rajiv Bansal for a period of three months.
"It was an interim arrangement and the government will certainly be taking steps to post a regular person as CMD of Air India," Choubey told reporters.
The change of guard at Air India has happened at a time the Union Cabinet has approved privatisation of the national carrier and a group of ministers is preparing a strategy to chart out the future course of action.
Bansal replaced Ashwani Lohani who was promoted as Chairman, Railway Board in the aftermath of several train derailments.
Hong Kong: David Tang, a flamboyant and outspoken socialite and entrepreneur who founded the Shanghai Tang fashion brand, has died. He was 63.
The Financial Times newspaper, for which he wrote a popular tongue-in-cheek advice column, reported Tang's death in a story Wednesday. Tang had fought a long battle with cancer and died Tuesday night at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London with his wife Lucy at his bedside, the newspaper said.
"David Tang was a remarkable man of many talents whose charm, erudition and wit were ever present," the article quoted the newspaper's editor, Lionel Barber, as saying. "He will be sorely missed."
The Hong Kong-born, British-educated Tang was a businessman who also operated private clubs and restaurants and held exclusive distribution rights to Cuban cigars in Asia. Tang was knighted in 2008 for his charitable work in both Britain and Hong Kong, the same honor his grandfather, businessman and philanthropist Tang Shiu-kin, also received.
He was planning to throw a farewell bash on Sept. 6 at London's luxury Dorchester hotel after learning he only had a few months left, according to Ewan Venters, chief executive of luxury department store Fortnum & Mason.
"Personally, I think the world is a little duller for the loss of David and at such a relatively young age," Venters said.
He also caused a stir by opening the members-only China Club in 1991 on the top floors of the old Bank of China building in Hong Kong's financial district, expanding it to Beijing and Singapore and also opening the China Tang restaurant in the Dorchester.
Tang was best known for starting the Shanghai Tang luxury brand in 1994, which pioneered the use of Chinese retro design themes as fashion motifs, and later sold it to the Swiss luxury goods company Richemont.
Tang enjoyed a reputation as the best-connected person in Hong Kong. He mingled with a vast list of the rich and famous including the late Princess Diana, whom he once hosted at the China Club, and supermodel Kate Moss, with whom he was often photographed at parties.
In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, he was asked how he came to know so many notable people. "You mean how did they know me," he shot back with a laugh.
He has famously recounted how he sent off to school in Britain at the age of 13 barely able to speak a word of English. But he ended up graduating with a philosophy degree and cultivated an arch British accent.
Last year he weighed in with his frank views on Hong Kong politics, lashing into the city's then-leader Leung Chun-ying over his leadership and fretting about the future of his home city under Communist rule.
"There are many more things which need fixing, and most of them could not be achieved given the standoff between the pan-democrats representing the majority of ordinary people, and the establishment, so-called, hugging most of our somnambulant tycoons, and that elephantine Communist Party in China," he said in a speech .
Tang is survived by his wife, British-born Lady Lucy Tang, and two children from a previous marriage.
NTPC commissioned 3,845 mw capacity and added 2,190 mw to its commercial capacity during 2016-17.
New Delhi: State-owned NTPC today said ithas signed a term loan agreement for Rs 3,000 crore with ICICI Bank for partially funding its capital expenditure.
"A term loan agreement for Rs 3,000 crore was signed with ICICI Bank Ltd on August 29," NTPC said in a statement.
The loan which has a door-to-door tenure of 15 years will be utilised to part finance the capital expenditure of NTPC, the company said.
NTPC commissioned 3,845 mw capacity and added 2,190 mw to its commercial capacity during 2016-17.
The installed capacity of the group is 51,671 mw as on July 31 and has over 28,000 mw of capacity under construction.
Mumbai: Slamming those who criticize demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that those never fought against black money are confusing people and the objective of demonetisation was not to confiscate money.
Addressing the media at the release of RBIs Annual Report on 2016-17, Jaitley elaborated on the major objectives of the demonetisation move that was introduced in November 2016.
Object of demonetisation was that India is predominantly high cash economy therefore that scenario requires to be significantly altered, he said. He also added that the integration of the formal economy with the informal economy was also one of the objectives.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress hit out at the NDA government and at the central bank for the note-ban move. Citing the RBI report, former finance minister P Chidambaram said, "RBI 'gained' Rs 16000 crore, but 'lost' Rs 21000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize.
Jaitley hit out at the Congress and other critics by saying that post demonetisation, evidence of cash squeeze was visible in both Chattisgarh and Kashmir. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modis words from November 8, 2016, he said that the aim of demonetisation was to curb black money and rise of terrorism using counterfeit money.
Stressing on the benefits of demonetisation, he said that it was obvious that the direct tax base has expanded substantially after the move. He also said that there was lesser cash in circulation in the system and hence, lesser black money.
The finance minister also said that the government will keep a strict tab on black money used in elections. My next step is going to be to put an end to black money used in elections, said Jaitley.
MM Retail Pvt Ltd also got a post facto approval for FDI pursuant to direction from the RBI.
New Delhi: The commerce and industry ministry on Wednesday said it has approved two foreign direct investment proposals, including that of Dyson International, in the single brand retail sector.
Dyson International got an approval to carry out single brand retail trading of 'Dyson' branded products in India, it said in a statement.
The investment envisaged in the range of 5 million to 10 million British pounds.
MM Retail Pvt Ltd also got a post facto approval for FDI pursuant to direction from the RBI.
The finance ministry will decide on Thursday whether the August 31 deadline for linking Aadhaar and PAN will be extended.
New Delhi: The finance ministry is likely to decide on Thursday on whether to extend till year-end the deadline for linking PAN with biometric identifier Aadhaar, a source said on Wednesday.
The cut-off ends tomorrow. The Aadhaar matter is before the Supreme Court with next date of hearing posted for November, and the deadline for Aadhaar linking for availing of social sector schemes has been extended till December-end.
"The government will decide tomorrow if the deadline for PAN-Aadhaar linking will be extended," the source said.
Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act says every person with PAN as on July 1, 2017, and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar must intimate his Aadhaar number to tax authorities.
However, those categorised as non-resident Indians as per income tax laws, people who are not citizens of India, those above 80 years of age and residents of Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir had been exempt from the requirement.
The tax department had on July 31 stated that "unless a finding is made that Aadhaar is constitutionally not valid, tax return filers will need to link their PAN with Aadhaar by August 31, 2017".
Incidentally, December 31 is also the deadline for people to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar. Tax filers however were allowed to file their annual income returns by August 5 without linking their Aadhaar with PAN. They were to just quote Aadhaar or acknowledgement number for having applied for Aadhaar.
It had further stated that "income tax returns filed will not be processed should tax filers fail to link Aadhaar and PAN on or before August 31, 2017".
The government earlier in the day told the Supreme Court that it is extending deadline for quoting Aadhaar in welfare schemes till December 31. The deadline was September 30.
The deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar previously was July 31, but was extended to August 31.
Mumbai/Delhi: The demonetisation of high denomination currency notes announced in November 2016 appears to have failed to achieve its desired results as the provisional data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday showed that around 98.96 per cent of the banned notes came back to the banking system.
In its annual report for 2016-17, the central bank disclosed that Rs 15.28 lakh crores out of Rs 15.44 lakh crores of banned currency notes were deposited as on June 30, 2017. However, the RBI pointed out that these figures are provisional and could change after the verification of numerical accuracy and authenticity of the deposited notes.
Provisionally, all that the government had gained due to demonetisation turned out to be Rs 16,050 crore, which have not returned to the banking system. Out of this, Rs 8,900 crores was said to be in the denomination of Rs 1,000.
It said the total expenditure incurred on security printing stood at Rs 7,965 crore for the period July 2016-June 2017 as against Rs 3,420 crore incurred in 2015-16 an increased cost of Rs 4,545 crore on account of remonetisation or issuance of new notes.
After deducting the expe-nditure for printing new notes, the net gain from the mammoth demonetisation exercise boils down to Rs 11,505 crore.
Following the report, the Opposition quickly poun-ced on the data to attack the government, with former finance minister P. Chidambaram wondering if demonetisation was a scheme designed to convert black money into white. RBI gained Rs 16,000 crore, but lost Rs 21,000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize, he tweeted.
P Chidambaram hits out at RBI; SP leader to move motion against RBI governor
Criticising the Reserve Bank of India, on whose recommendation the government said the demonetisation was ordered, former finance minister P. Chidambaram tweeted: Rs 16,000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 15,44,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which recommended demonetisation.
Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said his party would move a privilege motion against RBI governor Urjit Patel for misleading a parliamentary panel by not revealing the number of notes returned.
In a statement, the finance ministry said on Wednesday that the effective currency in circulation today is only 83 per cent with full remonetisation having taken place. It said that with over Rs 15 lakh crore of junked currency coming back into the banking system post demonetisation, a significant portion of it could be black money.
A significant portion of SBNs (Specified Bank Notes) deposited could possibly be representing unexplained/black money, the finance ministry said. The tax authorities have found undisclosed income of Rs 17,526 crore and Rs 1,003 crore has been seized so far, the finance ministry said in a statement.
Interestingly, the RBI report also highlighted the significant growth in the number of counterfeit currency notes detected by various banks.
During FY17, 7,62,072 pieces of counterfeit notes were detected in the banking system, of which 95.7 per cent were detected by commercial banks. Detection of counterfeit notes was 20.4 per cent higher than the previous year.
Former RBI deputy governor R. Gandhi is of the view that demonetisation will have a long-term impact, saying expectations of various quarters that sizeable portion of the demonetised currency will not return have not been fulfilled.
While stating that Rs 15.28 lakh crore have already come back, the RBI said the government has allo-wed District Central Coo-perative Banks (DCCBs) to deposit the scrapped notes accepted by them from their customers during November 10-14.
Also, the RBI is in discussions with the government on acceptance or otherwise of those notes held by citizens and financial institutions in Nepal. The report further said that during 2016-17, the number of suspicious transaction reports filed by banks and other financial intermediaries witnessed a quantum jump.
Kajol has patched up with her long-time buddy Karan Johar and Ajay may have mellowed down as well. Unlike his wife who has a very active social life among her industry circles, Ajay does not have many Bollywood friends whom he needs to please. Kajol and Karan had fallen out during the release of Shivaay, which coincided, with the release of Karans Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Now, to avoid one more clash, Ajay has pushed his film on the battle of Saragarhi, which he was to make as the second instalment of Son of Sardar. The same battle is supposed to feature on the Karan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan collaboration. However, Ajay says that he has no issue with Karan Johar proceeding with his film with his friend Akshay in the lead, even if the film is on the same subject.
A source close to Ajay informs us that Ajays film on the subject is under research, as Ajay wants to make a comprehensive film on the battle between 21 soldiers of the British Indian Army and 10,000 Afghan tribesmen, which took place on September 12, 1897. Raj Kumar Santoshi had already started the same project with Randeep Hooda in the lead, but the film is now in the backburner. Sources close to Salman however confirm that he has backed out of producing the film. It will be interesting to see if Karan actually proceeds on the project without Salman.
Mumbai: Actor Ajay Devgn has denied that he walked off from the sets of 'The Kapil Sharma Show' after the host Kapil Sharma cancelled the shoot reportedly at the last minute.
According to reports, the 48-year-old actor, who was going to promote his upcoming film 'Baadshaho' on the show, was angry with Kapil.
"Shows have been cancelled quite a number of times. I really don't know what happened exactly. But reports said that we left the sets in anger. We did not leave in anger. We left as he had not reached the sets till then. He's a friend.
"When I'll talk to him next, we'll get to know what was wrong. Kapil must have had some problem. But I really don't know. So, if there is anger or not, I can't really answer your question," Devgn said when asked about the reports.
The actor was in the capital to promote the Milan Luthria-directed film.
When a reporter said even Shah Rukh Khan was miffed with Kapil, Devgn dismissed the claim.
"There is nothing like what you are making it out to be. Nobody has boycotted going to his (Kapil's) show. Shah Rukh has not issued any statement. There is nothing like that. We are colleagues. All of us want to do a better job. There's good faith whenever we meet," he said.
The film is slated to release this Friday.
Mumbai: After directing Shivaay last year, Ajay Devgn is back with yet another rustic film, Baadshaho, directed by Milan Luthria. In a candid chat with Deccan Chronicle, Ajay talks about his role in the film, working with Emraan Hashmi, Golmaal Again, his upcoming production ventures and much more. Excerpts:
How did the idea of Baadshaho come about?
We were shooting Kachche Dhaage in Rajasthan and people used to tell us stories. During the time of Emergency, there was a princess who had a lot of gold and the government asked to seize that gold. They dismantled the palace and acquired the gold, but it never reached the concerned authorities. It was a very interesting thought which fascinated us. Around a year back, I thought of discussing it with Milan and make a film on it. This heist is the backdrop of the film around which there is a story of six badasses. Rajat Arora has written it nicely. He writes amazing dialogues. At times, we have to chalk off a few of them since he writes too many of them for a scene.
Why this title Baadshaho?
The word Baadshaho is really famous in Punjab. It was Milans idea to keep this title. There are six people in the film who are like a king in their own ways.
How was it working with Milan Luthria and Emraan Hashmi yet again?
I have a comfort zone with Milan Luthria and Emraan Hashmi as we have worked together before. Whenever I hear stories, I try not to repeat them. I played the role of an underworld don twice, once in Company and other one in OUATIM but there was no similarity in both the characters. When we work with same people, we try and do different things. I dont like to repeat genres. After Baadshaho, I am doing a full-fledged comedy Golmaal Again.
Seems like period films arent working these days, your take?
But films like Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, Rustom worked. It is about a good film, be it any genre. The films you have mentioned werent good films, but the ones I mentioned to you were good films, hence worked.
Do you feel that Indian films are more content-driven films?
Our films are progressing a lot, I feel. Filmmakers are making content-driven films these days. There are no smooches in Baadshaho. In fact, there is not much action too, but there is drama and thrill in it. I have always tried to do different kind of films. I did Zakhm way back since I liked that kind of cinema. However, people have started doing human interest stories now and I am happy about it. I feel romance is fading away in our films. Emotions are more on the surface, the depth is reducing, but I try and not to do vulgar films, keeping kids in mind.
What are your next projects?
I am producing Taanaji, Capsule Gill and a film with Sanjay Dutt and Farhan Akhtar in the near future. I can claim that the visual effects which people have seen it in Shivaay, they will witness 10 times of it in Taanaji. It is a period film and I feel that it will be the mother of all, even bigger than Baahubali franchise. We are currently busy with the pre-production of the film and will go on floors in March 2018. I had even announced Battle of Saragarhi long back, but it will take another two years to make it.
Your thoughts on Golmaal Again
Golmaal Again will be madder and bigger than the previous ones. It was great working with Parineeti Chopra and Tabu. They both are very talented. Golmaal is like a family to me.
Seems you dont have any issues in doing multi-starrer films
I have confidence in my roles. I dont understand why people fear to do multi-starrer films. Whenever I have done such a film, I have always stood out, be it Company or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
Directed by Milan Luthria, Baadshaho releases on September 1st, 2017 and stars Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Ileana Dcruz, Esha Gupta and Sanjay Mishra in the lead roles.
Thiagarajan Kumararajas Aneethi Kathaigal has created waves among the people ever since its inception. From assembling a cast with actors from different industries to roping in the best technicians, the Aaranya Kaandam director has outdone himself. Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil and Samantha play the lead roles.
The latest addition to the star-studded cast is Gayathrie of Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom fame. Speaking to DC, she says, I am paired opposite Vijay Sethupathi in the film and I will start shooting for the movie from September 10. I will not be able to divulge any information about my character, but it is going be pivotal to the story.
The actress is eagerly waiting to join the sets. Recently, Bagavathi Perumal (Bugs of NPNK) told me that he had worked with Thiagarajan Kumararaja before. I was told that he is a task master and never gets satisfied, until he gets the perfect shot. He is also extremely particular about the dialogues and would go for an umpteen number of retakes to achieve it! she reveals.
Gayathrie has wrapped up the shooting of Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren and is currently working as an assistant director in Balaji Tharaneetharans Seethakathi. I have a guest role in the film and my long-pending Puriyadha Pudhir is all set to release on September 1, she concludes.
In a bid to quickly cash in on actress Oviyas popularity, producers are in a hurry to release her long pending films as well. Cheeni is one such movie, which has Oviya and newcomer Sanjeevi as the leads.
The film, directed by Rajdurai, is lying in the cans for a long time even after its completion. Without missing the opportunity, the films producer, Madurai Selvam, has finally managed to release it in theaters by changing the title as Oviyaava Vitta Yaaru.
Speaking to DC, Madurai Selvam says, The film has Oviya in the role of a TV reporter and an elephant called Seetha plays a crucial character. The elephant, which was named as Seetha by late legend MGR, belongs to TVS family.
Three more contestants of Bigg Boss are also a part of the film Kanja Karuppu as a folk artiste, Vaiyapuri as the PA of Radha Ravi and Snehan has written the lyrics. He also reasoned out on why Oviya was not part of the promotions As she is in a contract with Bigg Boss show, shes not permitted to be associated with any public event till the show is over.
One may recall how Oviya had problems with Karuppu in the show. Now, after Kalavaani, Oviya and Karuppu are coming together in the film OVY!
A new study has found smoking marijuana affects a user's elbows, shoulders and knees when walking.
Researchers from the University of South Australia conducted the study that included 44 participants in their twenties, the Daily Mail reported.
The participants were divided in two groups - pot smokers and non-users. The team conducted:
* Screening tests
* Walking and balance tests
* Clinical neurological examinations of movement
Those who smoked marijuana were found to have "stiffer shoulders, more flexible elbows and quicker knees, which move faster than those of non-users, while walking", the report revealed.
Even though it is not clinically detectable, the findings suggest cannabis use affects the way a user walks. Further examination is needed to determine why.
However, the team found no significant difference between neurological functions and ability to balance in both groups.
"The changes in walking were small enough that a neurologist specializing in movement disorders was not able to detect changes in all of the cannabis users," study author Verity Pearson-Dennett told PsyPost.
Adding, "The main takeaway message is that use of cannabis can result in subtle changes in the way you move."
These results come at a time when the United States (US) has legalised marijuana in many of its states.
It's hard to believe two young teenagers would be so cruel to an animal. But that's exactly what happened.
Shocking video footage shows a teenager trying to set an innocent dog on fire, using an aerosol can and a lighter, the Metro reported. Another was filming the awful act.
The girls aged 13 and 14 from North Carolina have not yet been charged with any crime. Since the video hit social media, many have expressed concern an anger over the incident.
Police officers are investigating the incident. "At this point I have no idea what led up to the act. I just know what we saw with the video," Sgt. David Posten, with the Guilford County Sheriffs Office is quoted as saying by the Metro.
However, it has been reported that the dog has been taken away and currently being cared for the Guilford County Animal shelter. Luckily, it escaped major injuries.
The BJP leader, who hails from Pune, said that people stranded in areas such as Fort, and at Mantralaya can rest or stay in his official residence 'Dnyaneshwari' (Photo: PTI)
Mumbai: Maharashtra Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat has appealed to people stranded in south Mumbai for unavailability of transport following heavy rains, to take shelter in his official residence for time being.
In his appeal made through Facebook, the BJP leader, who hails from Pune, said that people stranded in areas such as Fort, and at Mantralaya can rest or stay in his official residence 'Dnyaneshwari', located at Malabar Hill, till the situation shows improvement.
The heavy rains that pummelled the financial capital yesterday has severely affected the vehicular and local railway traffic, leaving thousands stranded in various suburbs.
The rains resulted into suspension of traffic on the Central, Harbour and Western lines of suburban trains, used daily by lakhs of people staying out of the city for commuting.
The vehicular traffic was seriously hit too due to flooded roads.
Though the situation showed some improvement today, many roads and routes to suburbs are still closed.
Te pensioners daughter was at her bedside when she died at 7am, and that the body was still on the bed at 3.30pm. (Photo: Pixabay)
A UK hospital left a patient dead in her bed on a ward for eight and a half years.
Other people in the ward were horrified as the corpse lay ignored in sweltering heat for the entire duration of time.
One of the patients visitor Helen Rega, said that the pensioners daughter was at her bedside when she died at 7am, and that the body was still on the bed at 3.30pm.
Helen went on to add that she though the dead deserved a bit more dignity and respect and feels that the daughter must be very disturbed on knowing her mum was left there for all that time in the sweltering heat.
An orderly from the Univeristy Hospital of Wales in Cardiff blamed shortage of staff during weekends for the patient being left the way she was.
The employee went on to add that it was not surprising as it happened at a weekend when there were staff shortage and the body would have probably just stayed there if the bed was not needed by someone else.
Christian numerologist David Meade has warned that the mysterious planet Nibiru is about to smash into Earth. (Photo: Pixabay)
The world as we know it might end in a fiery collision in a matter of weeks.
The story as published in The Daily Mail says that a conspiracy theorist has made the huge claim.
According to The Daily Mail, Christian numerologist David Meade has warned that the mysterious planet Nibiru is about to smash into Earth.
According to him, the apocalypse will take place between September 20-23 and he says that the clues are written on pyramids and in the Bible.
He went on to add that it is strange that both the Great Sign of Revelation 12 and the Great Pyramid of Giza both point us to one precise moment in time September 20 to 23, 2017.
Meade thinks that Nibiru, also known as Planet X, will become visible in the sky around mid-September before it collides with Earth.
Meade had earlier made a September prediction using verses from the Bible and now claims that his prediction is backed up by markings on the pyramid.
He said that the pyramid faces true north with only 3/60th of a degree of error and is located at the centre of the land mass of the Earth and the east/west parallel that crosses the most land and the north/south meridian that crosses the most land intersect in two places on the Earth one in the ocean and the other at the Great Pyramid.'.'
Two tunnels set in the Great Pyramid will point to significant celestial objects after September 20, the conspiracy theorist claims.
According to Meade, the Descending Passage will point to the star Regulus also known as the 'King' in the constellation Leo, and the Ascending Passage will point to Jupiter known to the Jews as the 'Planet of the Messiah'.
David's prediction is mostly based on the Bible passage Isaiah, Chapter 13 9-10, which says, 'See, the Day of the Lord is coming a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
'The Stars of Heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the Moon will not give its light.'
Despite a lack of evidence for the hidden world, which NASA has previously stated is an 'internet hoax; many people believe it is real.
Nibiru, and is sometimes referred to as Planet X, has been predicted to end the world several times since 2003.
The scientific community does not agree Nibiru exists.
'Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax,' NASA has said previously. 'Obviously, it does not exist.'
Following the intervention of Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi in the case of Oman national Ahmed marrying a teenager from the old city, the police has handed over the investigation to an ACP rank official.
Hyderabad: Following the intervention of Union minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi in the case of Oman national Ahmed marrying a teenager from the old city, the police has handed over the investigation to an ACP rank official. This is the first time the police has handed over investigation of a case relating to woman trafficking to an ACP. Falaknuma ACP Mohd Tajuddin Ahmed is now the investigation officer in the case.
Moreover, serious sections of IPC and other laws have also been invoked in the case. The police say they are seriously tackling women trafficking cases following instructions from DGP Anurag Sharma. We are invoking all serious sections in such cases including the new rape act and buying women for slavery in all cases of women complaining about cheating after offering huge amounts. For minors, Pocso and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act are also being invoked, said DCP, south, V. Satyanarayana.
In the recent case involving the marriage of a 16-year-old-girl with a 65-year-old Omani, the police invoked Pocso, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, cheating, rape and other IPC sections. In another case of a Dubai national marrying a 30-year-old woman, the police invoked Section 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) and Section 493 (Cohabitation by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage and to cohabit or have sexual intercourse with her) of IPC.
Mailardevpally inspector P. Jagaadeshwar said the complaint attracts the Sections and hence they had registered a case. We are showing zero tolerance towards cases of women trafficking in the garb of marriage. A large part of our jurisdiction has poor migrants from other states and brokers are trying to exploit their poverty, Mr Jagaadeshwar said.
Women activists said that the police earlier invoked only cheating clauses in cases of woman being cheated by foreign nationals while in cases of minor girls being married off the police registered cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act. The police approach has changed in the last two cases reported this month. We appreciate it but at the same time we want the police to break the broker network in the city. Otherwise, they will go to adjoining districts and continue their trade, said Jameela Nishath of the Shaheen Women Resource and Welfare Association.
The ongoing Doklam standoff between India and China has to be seen in the larger context.
New Delhi/Beijing: After three months of standoff at Doklam India has agreed to expeditious disengagement of border personnel but not going to reduce the guard along the Indo-China border.
Disclosing that India showed its maturity by agreeing to deescalate the situation and China has also indicated its understanding, security sources engaged in diplomatic negotiations told this newspaper that possibility of China resorting to some other mischievous acts on other frontiers cannot be ruled out.
Informing that border guards have been asked to remain alert and vigilant to the activities of China, security sources said that there are indications of China continuing with its malicious campaign against India because of their internal political compulsions.
Earlier, spokesperson of external affairs ministry in a statement said, In recent weeks, India and China have maintained diplomatic communication in respect of the incident at Doklam. During these communications, we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests.
On this basis, expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site in Doklam has been agreed-to and is ongoing.
Pointing out that status quo in Doklam would be maintained, security sources said that both the countries have also agreed to continue their routine patrolling in the areas.
Refusing to divulge more on resolution of the standoff, security sources however said that it was a win-win situation for both the countries.
MEA Press Statement on Doklam Disengagement Understanding pic.twitter.com/fVo4N0eaf8 Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 28, 2017
The move of resolving the standoff comes ahead of the Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Beijing for the 9th annual BRICS summit.
Meanwhile, China said it was "pleased" that India had agreed to withdraw troops from a disputed border with Bhutan following a months-long standoff in the Himalayas.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed that Indian troops and equipment had pulled back while "Chinese troops continue to patrol on the Chinese side of the boundary".
Chunying said, "China continues to exercise sovereignty. China will make adjustments according to the situation."
Asked if the Chinese statement means that China has not made any concession, officials in New Delhi said expeditious disengagement implies withdrawal of both parties because a unilateral withdrawal by India would not have needed or required an agreement with China.
The military standoff which began in mid June with Indias opposition to Chinas road construction in Doklam, a disputed tri-junction point between India-Bhutan-China basically belongs to Bhutan but allegedly claimed by China as its territory.
Doklam is a few kilometres away from Indias strategically important Chicken neck passage, which connects mainland India with its northeastern part.
Small incursions and troop stand-offs are common along other parts of the contested 3,500-km (2,175-mile) frontier, but the recent impasse was marked by its length and the failure of talks to resolve the dispute, raising fears of a wider escalation as both neighbouring countries compete for influence.
The Nathu La Pass on the frontier between the Indian state of Sikkim and Chinese-controlled Tibet, was the site of a fierce border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in 1967.
(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: A day after both Indian and Chinese troops withdrew from the standoff site at Doklam, India officially announced the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China from September 3 to 5 for the Brics summit.
In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: In order to meet the needs of defending the borders, improving living conditions, China has long engaged in infrastructure development, including road construction. We will take into consideration all relevant factors, including weather, to make relevant construction plans in accordance with the situation on the ground. She added that Chinese border troops will continue to station and patrol the Doklam area. We will continue to exercise our sovereignty with historic conventions.
In New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said: At the invitation of the President of the Peoples Republic of China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Xiamen in Chinas Fujian province during September 3-5, 2017 to attend the 9th Brics summit. Subsequently, the Prime Minister will pay a state visit to Myanmar from September 5-7, 2017 at the invitation of H.E. U Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. This will be Prime Minister Modis first bilateral state visit to Myanmar. During the visit, the PM will hold discussions with state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest and also call on President U Htin Kyaw. Apart from his engagements in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, he will visit Yangon and Bagan.
Sunanda Pushkar was found dead at a suite in a five star hotel in South Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014. (Photo: File | PTI)
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked police to inform it about the status of probe into Sunanda Pushkar's death.
The high court said it will look into the matter if police fail to get anything new in the matter within two weeks.
Replying to the court, the Delhi Police said there was no delay on their part and said that technical investigation was not completely in their hands as AIIMS and some foreign agencies were also involved.
Lawyer Subramanian Swamy said if investigating agencies conclude that death is due to poison then it doesn't matter what type of poison it was.
Swamy added that forensic investigation by USA FBI and other agencies are just delaying the investigation.
DMK leader M K Stalin said President Ram Nath Kovind has agreed to his party at 11 am on Thursday. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)
Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin on Wednesday said Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has "failed to discharge his duties" and stated this as the reason for planning to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday.
Stalin, while talking to the press, said Governor Rao is indulging in politics, adding, "We have been saying since the beginning that the Union Government is behind everything happening in Tamil Nadu."
This comes after Governor Rao told the Opposition leaders that he can't intervene in the issue of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rebels as the 19 MLAs "continue to be party members".
In a joint appeal, four Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have urged Governor Vidyasagar Rao to summon the Assembly immediately and order Edappadi K Palanisamy to seek a vote of confidence and resolve "the crisis in the ruling party" after 19 rebel MLAs withdrew support to the Chief Minister.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Opposition party Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader, Thol. Thirumavalavan said, "In response to our demand (convene vote of confidence), Governor Rao said he is unable to act as rival MLAs are still in the AIADMK."
Talking about the meeting with the President, Stalin said, "The President has agreed to meet us at 11 am tomorrow and we will meet him with our allies."
Although earlier on Wednesday, TTV Dhinakaran said both the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam are spreading "false information about us that is why they have been meeting Union ministers."
Stalin further said if no action is taken against Tamil Nadu Government even after meeting the President, then they "will consider legal action".
Earlier on Monday, the AIADMK passed four resolutions, according to which the decisions made by party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran would have no legal impact as his appointment was announced null on August 10.
The four resolutions are:
- Decisions made by Dhinakaran will have no legal impact as his appointment was announced null on August 10
- Party mouthpieces - the Namadhu MGR magazine and Jaya TV - will be retrieved legally
- To call for a General Council meeting (date not finalised)
- To strengthen the party to be capable to run for another 100 years and to celebrate the MGR centenary in a big way
The resolutions were made at the AIADMK headquarters.
The AIADMK meeting at Chennai's Royapettah was held on Wednesday. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam were present in the meeting.
The meeting discussed the issue of 19 (allegedly 22) legislators giving a letter to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao withdrawing their support to Chief Minister Palanisamy and wanting a new Chief Minister.
Originally, the AIADMK was divided into two factions - one led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam and the other by Sasikala.
The Election Commission (EC) had recognised only these two factions at the time of RK Nagar constituency bypolls. However, it was postponed because of money play - bribing the voters.
Later, a third faction emerged under Palanisamy as it developed differences with the Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction.
On August 26, Dhinakaran said all those MLAs supporting him will teach a lesson to those who want to evict Sasikala.
Over the last few days, many MLAs of the AIADMK have pledged support to Dhinakaran taking the strength of his camp to 21.
The anger within the EPS over its merger with the Panneerselvam camp was evident as the MLA publically chided the Chief Minister for his decision.
While the DMK and the Congress have been urging the Tamil Nadu Governor to direct Palanisamy to prove his majority in the House, no decision on the same has been taken yet.
Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is expected to return to Tamil Nadu shortly, after which he is likely to ask Palanisamy to take a floor test.
This would be the second time in six months that the State Assembly would witness a floor test, if it happens.
TTV Dhinakaran flayed K Palanisamy and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam for betrayal, hankering after posts and being self-centred. (File photo)
Chennai: Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday said a decision would soon be taken on the next course of action to ease out Chief Minister K Palanisamy from his post.
Asserting that those who "betrayed" the party would not be spared, Dhinakaran, commanding the support of 21 of the 134 ruling party MLAs, said he would consult legislators in a day or two and decide the next course of action.
Days after his 19 loyalist MLAs petitioned Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to oust Palanisamy, he said, "We will select a good person, somebody who does not harbour thoughts of betrayal."
Stating that his faction was confident that Rao would take a good decision on the representation by MLAs seeking the chief minister's ouster, he quoted a proverb which meant that those with patience will eventually win.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai, he flayed Palanisamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for "betrayal," "hankering after posts" and being "self-centred".
He categorically said that the feud in the party would end only if the duo is removed from their respective posts.
Claiming that only 77 legislators had taken part in a recent party meet chaired by Panneerselvam and Palanisamy, he said the government no more commanded majority.
The meet had adopted resolutions against the Dhinakaran and the ruling faction had claimed that an overwhelming majority of MLAs had attended it.
Harping on his "sleeper cell MLAs," in AIADMK refrain, Dhinakaran said it was not uttered for the sake of the media and reiterated that more MLAs would declare support to him 'one by one.'
On the ruling faction convening the General Council and Executive Committee meetings on September 12 in Chennai, he said only Party General Secretary VK Sasikala had the authority to do so and in her absence, himself.
"If they convene the meet, it is not valid and you will realise it."
Earlier, several party functionaries appointed by him, including former Minister Parithi Ilam Vazhuthi who was named Organising Secretary called on Dhinakaran at his Adyar residence in Chennai.
Mumbai: Just before the first light of dawn at 4:30 am, office goers stranded at their workplaces - which got converted into makeshift dormitories for the night - made their way to the Churchgate station in south Mumbai to reach
home.
Shortly after the suburban train services resumed after the rain fury, Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) witnessed scenes resembling any evening when offices shut for the day and commuters flock to return home.
People started trickling out on the streets and made their way to the two primary train terminuses - CSMT on Central Railway and Churchgate on the Western Railway.
After the heavy downpour subsided overnight, commuters were seen crowding these stations, in expectation of taking a train back home and resting peacefully on a day virtually declared as an unofficial holiday by the state administration.
The place of work turned into place of stay or a dormitory for the office goers and almost all the offices, especially those of state-run institutions that dominate the south Mumbai area, hosted employees for the night.
Discussions about the night spent away from home, the adjustments which had to be made and the odd body ache were common as people descended on railway stations in the commercial district.
With no information on easing of rail traffic forthcoming, there was anxiety on what fate awaits. It transpired to be a mixed bag. While the Western Railway services were up albeit in a limited manner, it was status quo on Central Railway's both Main Line and Harbour Line till 7:26 am when the first train chugged out for Kalyan from CSMT.
Predictably, there was disappointment and a few irate women passengers entered the station master's office in the heritage Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
"People are trying to enter station master's offices at various stations including CSMT asking for services to resume at earliest. We have deployed additional force where necessary," a Government Railway Police official said.
A few hundred people had to be pushed back and the station manager's office had to be cordoned off.
Outside, in the Nagar Chowk precinct, every passing vehicle was being waived at and asked for a lift.
"I have been stuck at office since last evening and now have to pay extra to get back home to Thane," said a 40- something woman who works for a state-run bank and paid a hefty Rs 200 per seat for the 35-km journey till neighbouring Thane.
However, not everybody was as lucky as her and the crowds kept swelling. Some blamed the lack of coordination between the railways and BEST undertaking which runs local public transport buses.
"If CR knew that services cannot be resumed by morning, why did not they deploy additional buses as the rains have stopped and roads were clear?" asked an irate insurance employee.
In what seemed like an ad-hoc arrangement, BEST deployed a few buses to ply from CSMT to suburban Ghatkopar, through the Eastern Freeway, with priority to ferry women.
For some, it was a long haul with train services being stuck near Ghatkopar but for the lucky ones, the wish to return home was unfulfilled as another challenging day dawned.
New Delhi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaving for the Brics Summit in China on September 3, speculation is rife that the much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle and expansion of his council of ministers could take place before he leaves. Other than representatives of the NDAs new ally, the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), representatives of Tamil Nadus ruling AIADMK and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party could also find a place in the Union council of ministers.
While Maharashtra politics is abuzz with rumours that the NCP is holding back-channel talks with the BJP, whose ties with the Shiv Sena are said to be on the brink of collapse senior NCP leader and former Union minister Praful Patel has categorically rejected such rumours.
West Bengal is also abuzz with rumours that former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, who has been sidelined within the Trinamul, could join the saffron fold and find a place in Mr Modis Cabinet.
Rejig to affect 24 ministries
Railway minister Suresh Prabhu had offered to resign after a spate of rail accidents recently, but he had been asked by the Prime Minister to wait. With a key coordination meeting between the RSS and the BJP due to take place in Mathura from September 1 for three days, which is likely to be attended by BJP president Amit Shah and some senior leaders, there is also a possibility that expansion and reshuffle could take place after Mr Modi returns from his visits to China and Myanmar.
Speculation is rife that BJP vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe could be among the new faces in the government, while health minister J.P. Naddas name is doing the rounds as the partys Chief Ministerial candidate for the next Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. Senior minister Kalraj Mishra has, meanwhile, crossed the unofficial age bar of 75 years.
Around two dozen ministries could be affected by the reshuffle and expansion, sources said.
Verbal spat broke out between two doctors at an operation theatre in a hospital at Jodhpur in Rajasthan. (Photo: Screengrab | ANI)
Jodhpur: Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday said that the incident at Jodhpur's Umaid hospital has tarnished the image of the city and medical world.
The court directed Jodhpur collector to take strict action against those responsible and gave him time till September 4 to inform what action has been taken.
On Tuesday, the operation theatre of Jodhpur's Umaid hospital turned into a virtual battle ground when a verbal spat broke between two doctors operating on a pregnant woman.
In a video captured by a staff member inside the operation theatre on a mobile phone, both the doctors were seen arguing loudly, calling each other names and even threatening each other while conducting an emergency surgery on a pregnant woman.
#WATCH Rajasthan: Verbal spat between two doctors in OT during the surgery of a pregnant woman in Jodhpur's Umaid Hospital (29.8.17) pic.twitter.com/eZfHHISQGB ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2017
The emergency operation was underway due to the low heartbeat of the foetus, which is when the incident took place.
Both doctors kept fighting even as one was involved in the surgery, the video showed. When one of the doctors the obstetrician finally delivered the baby at a hospital in Rajasthan, it didn't survive.
The argument erupted between doctors Ashok Nainwal and ML Tak during an emergency caesarean surgery scheduled because of the feeble heartbeat of the foetus. It appears to have started when Dr Nainwal, the obstetrician, questioned whether the patient had eaten before the operation. The anaesthetist, Dr Tak, reportedly tried to have a junior doctor carry out tests, which Dr Nainwal did not agree with.
You stay within your aukat (limits)," Dr Nainwal, in green scrubs and surgery attire, is seen screaming at the anaesthetist.
It quickly degenerated into shouting and name-calling. A nurse and another doctor are seen trying to stop them and remind them that a surgery was underway.
The Principal of Sampurananda Medical College, AL Bhat, has said he was informed about the "viral" video, where two of the doctors were quarreling and using indecent language inside the operation theatre.
"This is condemnable and a disrespect of the operation theatre," Bhat said.
He informed that both the doctors have been removed from their post.
Bhat also revealed, "A committee has been established to look into the matter and based on this committee's report, a strict action will be taken against them."
Condemning the whole incident, Prinipal Bhat also said they have recommended the government to take this matter seriously.
The onlookers have said that the intensity of the fight was such that the doctors would have beaten up each other.
Amidst the spat, the doctors standing inside the operation theatre kept looking on, as mere spectators.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Honeypreet Insan appealed to CBI Court that she be allowed in Court and also inside the jail as a helper but jail authorities didn't allow. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)
New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, after a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, on Wednesday said all the reports have been handed over to him and added that the situation in Punjab and Haryana is normal at the moment.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Khattar said they have provided the BJP president with all the viable reports on the Ram Rahim violence that left at least 32 people dead after he was found guilty for raping two of his followers in 1999 and the case was registered in 2002.
"We have worked with restraint in this whole situation. Our main motive was to create peacefulness before and after the verdict, and that's all we concentrated on," Khattar said.
Khattar said the environment is peaceful now and that there is nothing to be concerned about, adding, "We are still alert and are making sure that the law and order is maintained in the state."
"We have taken necessary actions and followed the court's order. No one is above law, and everyone has to adhere to the laws," Khattar said.
"Honeypreet Insan appealed to CBI Court that she be allowed in Court and also inside the jail as a helper but jail authorities didn't allow," he added, while talking about convicted godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim's adopted daughter.
On Monday, the sentence against rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was declared by a special CBI court.
He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison as he was announced guilty of raping two women in a 2002 case. The jail term for the two cases is concurrent, making it an effective term of ten years.
Ram Rahim was convicted on charges of rape on August 25 by the Special CBI Court.
The rape case was registered by the CBI in April 2002 against the self-styled god man after allegations of sexual exploitation of two women followers. The then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had received an anonymous letter from a Dera Sadhvi that she was being raped by Ram Rahim.
Following Ram Rahim's conviction on Friday, his 'bhakts' went on a rampage in Haryana's Panchkula and Sirsa, and Punjab, Haryana and their neighbouring states have, since, been on the edge.
The U.S. Department of Education is contemplating changes to its signature Civil Rights Data Collection for the coming school year, including asking districts for new information on computer science and internet connectivity, while scaling back requirements for collecting Advanced Placement test data.
The department wants to stop asking districts for data on Advanced Placement performancehow well students do on the tests. But it would keep in place AP participation datahow many kids take the tests.
Thats raised eyebrows among some advocates for educators, civil rights groups, and the College Board, the nonprofit that administers the exam. Theyre worried that looking only at participation in the courses will gloss over whether students, including historically disadvantaged groups of kids, are mastering college-level work. (More on their concerns below).
The CRDC tracks everything from school suspensions to early-childhood education to access to advanced coursework. Both of President Barack Obamas secretaries of educationArne Duncan and John B. King Jr. pointed to the civil rights data collection to highlight resource disparities between high- and lower-poverty schools.
The department is mulling other changes to the collection too, including removing chronic absenteeism from the data set, because the information is gathered through another data set, EDfacts.
And the agency would like to collect some new information, especially when it comes to computer science education and internet access. For instance, the feds want to know how many computer science courses are offered, the number of computer science classes taught by certified teachers, and how many kids are enrolled in Advanced Placement Computer Science.
They also want to ask school districts about their technological capabilities, including Wi-Fi in classrooms, how many schools have fiber optic connections, and whether students are allowed to take Wi-Fi enabled devices home with them to complete classwork. Kids in rural areas have had a tough time accessing broadband, according to this great series by my colleague, Ben Herold.
The revisions to the CRDC didnt orginate with the Trump administration. The department first pitched the change to AP and other aspects of the CRDC back in December of 2016, when the Obama administration was still in office . The feds reached out to the education community for thoughts on the changesand on the CRDC in generaland got more than a thousand comments . Dozens of commenters at that time asked the department not to make major changes to the CRDC, but didnt specifically mention AP.
Last month, the agency, now controlled by the Trump administration, released a new document that reiterated its interest in nixing the collection of AP performance data . The agency wrote that the performance data is extremely burdensome for districts to collect in a reliable way.
The agency asked for a new round of feedback, and gave advocates until Aug. 21 to respond. A decision on the changes will be made once the department completes the required review process.
More than half a dozen commenters wrote in to question the change to Advanced Placement data collection. For instance:
The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund says access to AP isnt enough; students need to actually be mastering the material:
The Department should continue to collect data on student performance on AP exams, because it is imperative that these classes are not only accessible but also equipping students with the instruction and support needed to be successful in the courses.
The National Education Association, a 3-million member union , had a similar take:
NEA disagrees with the assessment that the collection and reporting of AP exam results is burdensome and continues to believe that the removal of AP exam results is problematic. Just as access to schools is an incomplete indication of a quality education, so too is access to AP courses an inadequate demonstration of excellence. Schools should be transparent about both inputs and outputs. The removal of AP exam data eliminates this transparency and obstructs progress.
And the College Board , which administers the exams, also had some concerns. Participating in an AP class is helpful, wrote Jason D. Rohloff, vice president for policy and government relations, in a comment submitted Aug. 21. But success in the courses is the real predicator of how a student will do in college:
While AP participation data is important to assess student access to collegelevel AP courses, particularly for students of color, lowincome students, English-learners, and students with disabilities, AP performance data for these students is critical to help schools identify achievement gaps and where additional resources could be helpful. Research shows students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams earn higher GPAs in college and are more likely to complete college on time. Therefore, collecting and analyzing AP performance data is important to help schools identify needed interventions to help more students earn successful scores.
And when the idea of scrapping the performance data was first pitched in December, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center expressed concerns:
We are concerned that the Advanced Placement exam participant results table has been proposed for retirement from the 2017-18 CRDC. It is important for community members to know how particular groups of students performed on the exams and not just whether they had access to AP courses. Having such information allows public stakeholders, as well as school administrators, the ability to observe inequities in outcomes, not just opportunity, and respond accordingly to meet the challenges students may face - through provision of additional resources or other locally determined solutions. Therefore, we recommend reinstating the Advanced Placement Exam Participant Results Table in the CRDC collection
Other commenters, including the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights , a big umbrella organization, wrote in to reiterate the importance of keeping the universe of data the same as it is currently.
Most of the comments that mentioned the AP testing data were in favor of keeping it. But other commenters, who wrote more generally, praised efforts to scale back existing questions schools must answer about their students as new questions are added to the collection. State and district leaders have said the data collection can be burdensome for schools, especially smaller schools without staff dedicated to the effort.
We encourage you to continue collaborating with local districts to streamline the data collection process and invest in tools to support their work, wrote Kristen Amundson, the president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education. The CRDC reveals disparities and inequities that cannot be solved by enforcement alone.
Want more? You can check out the comments submitted this summer for yourself here .
Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Hyderabad: The AP government has withdrawn NTR Vaidya Seva cover for poor patients who avail medical treatment in Hyderabad hospitals. But the medical treatment of legislators, Legislative Council members and government employees in Hyderabad hospitals including the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences continues to be covered by the AP government.
Nims medical superintendent N. Satyanarayana said, We are not rendering services to BPL patients as the AP government stopped NTR Vaidya Seva in Hyderabad hospitals. The VIP ward is continuing to cater to MLAs, ex-MLAs and MLCs from Andhra Pradesh. NTR Vaidya Seva is the AP version of the previous Arogyasri scheme.
He said the hospital had not received orders to stop services to the AP VIPs and government employees. He said the medical bills of AP legislators was being reimbursed by the AP Legislative department. It is estimated that around 12 lakh people with BPL cards, who are covered by NTR Vaidya Seva, live in Hyderabad. They, and the beneficiaries in AP, are deprived of treatment in Hyderabad hospitals. Asked about this, AP Legislature special secretary P.P.K. Ramacharyulu said, MLAs and former MLAs pay their bills when they get treated in Hyderabad hospitals and the Legislative Secretariat reimburses them. We have been receiving several bills from Hyderabad hospitals including Nims. The reimbursement is entirely different from NTR Vaidya Seva for BPL families and for state government employees. We cant compare them.
It is the same Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust that runs the scheme for BPL families that clears the bill for treatment for law makers, following which the money is reimbursed by the legislative department.
Paediatric cardiac care, cancer cleared
NTR Vaidya Seva Trust chief medical auditor Dr B.V. Satish Kumar said, The AP government issued a GO to stop services in Hyderabad hospitals for BPL families. But the scheme has been continued for AP government employees.
He said that on August 9, a circular had been issued to cover treatment for cancer (medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology) and paediatric cardiac surgeries (cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery for children of 18 years and below) under NTR Vaidya Seva and Arogya Raskha (above BPL) patients. We have asked hospitals in GHMC limits having these services to empanel with the trust.
It may be three months before the Rs 200 notes are dispensed from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), as the 1,500 ATMs in the city will have to be recalibration as per the dimensions and value of the new currency.
Hyderabad: Though the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released Rs 200 denomination notes on August 25, people are unlikely to get them before next week as they have not yet arrived at banks in the city.
However, it may be three months before the Rs 200 notes are dispensed from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), as the 1,500 ATMs in the city will have to be recalibration as per the dimensions and value of the new currency.
M.S. Kumar, general secretary of the Bank Employees Federation (Telangana), said that based on their experience in recalibration of ATMs to accommodate the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes released after the demonetisation, that it may take some time for the Rs 200 notes to be dispensed from ATMs.
ATM agencies began the recalibration process for the Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes in the last week of November last year. The process was completed by January-end this year. Some agencies have not received payments from the banks for the recalibration, and a few ATMs are still not functioning, he said.
He said that the new Rs 200 notes had not reached banks yet, but they were available at RBI counters. Except for RBI counters, no bank has the new currency note; we are expecting them on Monday. People can visit RBI counters for the new notes. They will have to wait for a week if they want to get them from commercial banks, he said.
A car is seen piled over another, presumably after being drifted by floodwater during Tuesdays heavy downpour in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)
Mumbai: Seven persons, including a two-year-old girl, died and six others injured in Tuesdays downpour. One of the deceased was identified as Priyen (30), a lawyer by profession, was found lying unconscious inside his Santro car near Gandhi Market Wednesday afternoon. At least seven others, including a renowned gastroenterologist attached to Bombay Hospital, went missing during flooding and are feared dead. An agency report said the number might be at 10.
The gastroenterologist, identified as Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, is suspected to have fallen into an open manhole at Lower Parel after he abandoned his car and decided to walk near the Elphinstone Road railway station on Tuesday.
He was carrying an umbrella with him, which was later found near the manhole. The police has registered a missing persons complaint, and the fire brigade has launched a search operation to trace Dr Amrapurkar.
ACP Sunil Deshmukh said, We are not sure if the man that fell in the manhole was Dr Amrapurkar, because another person can also carry a similar umbrella. We only found an umbrella there, and three agencies are looking for him. Every manhole is being searched.
BMC officials in G South Ward said that the search for him is underway. Frequent rain is slowing the process, a civic official said. Although the rains have reduced somewhat, the damage from the torrential downpour on Tuesday has hit the city hard.
One of the deceased, identified as Priyen, was found lying unconscious inside his Santro car near Gandhi Market on Wednesday afternoon. Priyen was rushed to the civic-run Sion Hospital by the police after locals alerted them but he was declared dead on arrival. The Sion police has registered an Accidental Death Report and is investigating the case.
Mumbai polices control room received over 270 complaints of tree fall and 70 other distress calls, which were directed to the local police stations and help was sent.
Hyderabad: The state government has warned its employees not to go on mass leave on September 1 as they are planning to do to demand abolition of the contributory pension scheme.
Union leaders that owe allegiance to the ruling party are the ones conveying the governments warning to employees, asking them not to go on leave and instead hold protests during the lunch break.
However, the 1.25 lakh employees who are covered under the new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) are keen to strike work by going no a days leave, despite threats by the state.
The other 2.25 lakh employees covered under the old pension scheme have decided to extend moral support to the strike by wearing black badges and taking part in lunch-hour protests.
Staff: Protest will lead to confrontation
Employee leaders who are now part of government, namely Mr G. Deviprasad (chairman, TS Beverages Corporation), V. Srinivas Goud (TRS MLA), and TNGOs president K. Ravinder Reddy have been assigned the task of convincing employees to withdraw their leave applications.
PS employees said that these leaders are telling the employees that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is angry with the mass leave plan, which will dent the image of the TRS government being an employee friendly government by announcing higher salary hikes, payment of PRC arrears, special increment to employees during the past three years.
The staff is being told that going on mass leave will lead to a confrontation with the CM and the TRS government, which will harm the interests of employees in the long run. The government has made it known that it will not grant leave, will cut their salary if they are absent and enter a negative remark in their service record, which will affect increments, transfers and promotions.
Undeterred by these threats, president of the CPS employees union, Sthitha Pragna, insists on the workers' right to strike.
With 17 new cases confirmed on Tuesday, the number of swine flu cases registered between August 1 and August 28 has risen to 165.
Hyderabad: With 17 new cases confirmed on Tuesday, the number of swine flu cases registered between August 1 and August 28 has risen to 165. There has been an increase in the number of swine flu cases due to the dip in temperatures and the infection spreading through contact. As many as six patients are undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital, an 8-year-old among them.
Experts say that treatment at home for patients even with less viral load is not possible because isolation will not be total.
Dr R Reddy, senior health official, explained, The patient needs to be monitored every three hours in the first two days. After that once the viral load is reduced, the patient recovers but must still be kept under observation as rest is required for the body to bounce back.
Dr Suman Bhatia was home when the phone rang early in the morning. It was a call from a US hospital, with a message that shook the Jaipur lecturers world.
Her son, Nikhil, who studied in the US, was in the hospital, she was told.
He had been rescued from a lake hit by Hurricane Harvey in Texas on Saturday but was in a critical condition.
Dr Bhatia left for the US as soon as she could. But he did not survive, Nikhils cousin, Kushal Bhatia, said.
As the news of his death spread, gloom shrouded their house in the Mansarovar area, where the senior lecturer in a city government-run college lived alone. Nikhils father, Pradeep Bhatia, is a defence personnel currently based in Udaipur.
A student at the Texas A&M University, Nikhil was rescued on Saturday from Lake Bryan, where he had gone for a swim with a 25-year old Indian woman, Shalini Singh.
The hurricane caused the water to swell, almost drowning the two. They were taken to a hospital. Nikhil did not survive, while Singh is still critical.
Kushal described his cousin as a topper with a brilliant mind and a noble personality.
No one ever imagined that Nikhil, who was riding high on success, would meet such an abrupt end, he said.
Nikhil, who completed his schooling from Jaipurs St. Anslems Pink City Senior Secondary School in 2011 and did his B.Tech in Vellore, had recently graduated from Texas A&M University in Water Management and Hydrological Science.
Kushal said the family was making all efforts to bring the body back to India at the earliest.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has called for a meeting of AIADMK MLAs on Thursday at the Secretariat.
The event that will be watched keenly as it comes just three days after nearly 50 legislators of the party skipping a key meeting at the party office in Chennai.
Sources said communication has been sent to AIADMK legislators asking them to assemble for a meeting at the Secretariat. The meeting is likely to discuss the convening of the General and Executive Council of the AIADMK on September 12.
His comments came as a high-powered ministerial delegation led by finance minister D. Jayakumar is camping in New Delhi and meeting several union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman.
Since the Chief Minister and his team have lost their majority in the legislature party, they are resorting to every possible step to remain in power through manipulation, Dhinakaran claimed. He also said the General Council meeting called on September 12 was not valid since only General Secretary (V.K. Sasikala) can convene it.
The AIADMK leader, whose appointment as deputy general secretary was termed illegal by party office-bearers on August 10 and reiterated on August 28, claimed that his support in the legislature party has been increasing day by day. He also punched holes in the EPSOPS camp theory that they have the support of 122 MLAs when 21 legislators of the total 134 belonging to the party have openly come out in favour of him.
How do they enjoy the support of 122 MLAs? 21 MLAs are in Puducherry and another 22 did not turn up for the Monday meeting and 3 legislators from alliance partners have not extended their support to them. The Chief Minister is trying to mislead everyone by misusing his power. Our MLAs and cadre want him to be removed from the post of Chief Minister, he said.
Dhinakaran also made it clear that the legislators supporting him want Palaniswami to be removed because he betrayed the AIADMK and V.K. Sasikala by joining hands with rival O. Panneerselvam who had termed the government led by him corrupt.
To a question whether he thought BJP was behind the machinations, Dhinakaran said there was no point in blaming external forces when their own Chief Minister was at fault. How can I blame others? When someone in my family takes the wrong path due to (bad) friendship, I would only advise my family member rather than blame the outsider, Dhinakaran said, squarely laying blame on Palaniswami for spawning the rebellion by joining hands with Panneerselvam.
However, Dhinakaran had in the past openly accused the BJP of fomenting rebellion against him and threatening AIADMK leaders. His uncle, M. Natarajan had gone one step ahead by accusing BJP of trying to saffronise the Dravidian party.
Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Sudarshan Nachiappan, who is also the returning officer for the organisational elections countrywide, held talks with DCC and KPCC leaders here at Indira Bhavan on Wednesday.
He asked KPCC president M. M. Hassan to finalise the states schedule by Sept 25. DC had reported earlier that the KPCC was keen on a consensus rather than elections that can cause rifts ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Nachiappan held talks with Mr Hassan, general secretaries Thampanoor Ravi and Sooranad Rajasekharan, secretaries Pazhakulam Madhu and Jaison Joseph and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki DCC presidents.
Returning officers from all the 14 districts also attended the meeting. He apprised them that the party was going through a lean phase and have to regain its lost glory.
Veteran leaders are clinging on to booth committees for several decades. They have to be removed, and newcomers and youth leaders brought to the party to revive the old charm. A comprehensive change has to be brought to the party, said Mr Nachiappan.
"Revive Congress" leaders comprising Dr Mathew Kuzhalnadan, R. V. Rajesh, D. V. Vinod Krishna and Ajis Ben Mathews demanded him that at least 50 percent fresh faces should be brought into the PCC, of which strictly 30 percent should be former Youth Congress state office bearers and district presidents below 45. As per the AICCs plan, by October first week the new AICC president will be appointed where current vice-president Rahul Gandhi is expected to take over his new role.
Chennai: Embattled AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami of trying to gain the support of the BJP Government at the Centre by feeding disinformation about him and legislators supporting him.
With his strength in the AIADMK Legislature Party depleting fast, Edappadi Palaniswami has dispatched senior ministers to New Delhi to feed misinformation about us. They know that they are into forgery activities and they want to gain the support of the Centre by giving false information about me and my team, Dhinakaran told reporters at Adyar residence.
Extreme weather events with very heavy rainfall have brought two major cities to their knees. While Mumbai is floating in misery, Houston in Texas, Americas fourth largest city, has become a labyrinth in water thanks to its inhibited drainage and overflowing reservoirs. Climate change presages extreme events like this but the fact remains that growing cities face threats like never before thanks to lax building and zoning regulations. They are thus prisoners of mindless expansion. A cyclonic storm and a few days rain were enough to bring the Maximum City to a standstill, while Hurricane Harvey threatens to flood a huge swathe of land across to New Orleans in the US. Beyond Mumbai, flooding has already claimed over 500 lives in India this monsoon. Its the curse of modern life that disaster preparedness is one of the indices to judge the safety of life.
Urban living is becoming a nightmare at times of climate disasters as we saw when Chennai got 50 cm rainfall in a 36-hour period two years back. Its the frenzy of real estate in a city like land-starved Mumbai that drives it towards disaster as water channels and mangroves are taken over without a care for its environmental impact. The immediate problem, of course, was caused by the inefficiency of storm water drains, which are seasonally desilted and cleared of rubbish and plastic waste manually. At high tide, freshwater floods dont drain into the sea, thus choking roads and railway tracks. The planning and the maintenance of drains, many of which are legacies of the Raj, are crucial to let the water flow out. These are the most neglected aspects of administration in corrupt behemoths like city civic bodies. The BMC, the countrys richest, is shamed by the damage its city has suffered in rain.
A spirit of collective generosity is to be seen in disaster-hit cities and Mumbai, in particular, has been known to be wonderfully resilient in recovering from crises, be it natural disasters or acts of terrorism. But the point is normal life is disrupted every year by seasonal rainfall, indicating that these failures are largely man-made. The administration is seen to be incapable of handling the abnormal. Frequent disasters remind us that managing them are a necessary evil. Its no excuse to say that even the worlds better planned and zoned cities are hit by extreme rainfall events. The fact is they recover sooner and the normal is a far better administered city than is the case in India, despite all the civic taxes that people pay. The price of bloated inefficiency of India is frightening and nowhere is it made more obvious than in the manner in which Mumbais citizens suffer in wading through waist-deep water to their soggy homes each monsoon.
SCOTUS Blocks Order to Redraw Texas Voting Districts
The U.S. Supreme Court stayed an order that would have forced legislators to redraw two congressional districts in Texas, pending a decision about whether the boundaries discriminate against minorities.
Justice Samuel Alito, Jr. issued the one-page order in Abbott v. Perez, giving the plaintiffs until Sept. 5, 2017, to respond. Meanwhile, the Court will review next session a lower court decision that said Texas lawmakers "intentionally deprived" voters in "an impermissible racial gerrymander."
"The Court concludes that the racially discriminatory intent and effects that it previously found in the 2011 plans carry over into the 2013 plans where those district lines remain unchanged," Judge Xavier Rodriguez wrote two weeks earlier.
'Taint' of Discrimination
Rodriguez's 107-page opinion ordered Texas lawmakers to redraw the districts in time for the 2018 elections. A three-judge panel had reviewed the district boundaries in 2011 and drew temporary maps ahead of the 2012 elections.
But after a subsequent legal challenge, the same court concluded the legislature "engaged in no deliberative process to remove any such taint and intentionally furthered and continued the existing discrimination in the plans." It underscores a problem that has challenged Texans for generations.
According to the Texas Tribune, Texas is becoming less white each day. The changing demographic creates headaches for Republicans because Hispanic and black voters are predominantly Democrats.
'Unnecessary Confusion'
Minority and civil rights groups that sued the state celebrated the lower court decision, but the state petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for relief.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the High Court to stay the order regarding Congressional Districts 27 and 35. Those maps stretch from central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico and along a path from Austin to San Antonio.
"The maps are lawful and constitutional, and a stay is vital to avoiding unnecessary election confusion while the Supreme Court reviews this case," Paxton said.
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Walsh, who is 22 weeks pregnant, suffered burns to her hand, as she tried to remove the burning smartphone from her bed.
A Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone exploded earlier this month and caused burns to a pregnant woman, with doctors stating that she will be scarred for life.
The victim Kathleen Walsh, 25, and her partner Daniel Collict, 29, were at home on August 29 when a Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone caught fire all of a sudden, just next to the victim who was sleeping on the bed.
Walsh, who is 22 weeks pregnant, suffered burns to her hand, as she tried to remove the burning smartphone from her bed. The device also caused a hole in the mattress, before the couple put out the fire using a bucket of water.
It sounded like someone had lit a rocket. There was a really loud bang. The battery on Kathleens charging phone had set alight. It was glowing and melting into the mattress. We took the dog, opened all the windows in the house to keep it well ventilated and turned everything off, poured a bucket of water onto the mattress to cool the springs and drove to the hospital, boyfriend Daniel Collict stated.
If she had been sleeping straight in her conventional position the phone would have been right by her side. You could see from the smoke damage of her t-shirt that could have been so much worse. There was even smoke damage to her pillow.
According to a report from the Daily Star, the woman is being treated and doctors have stated that she will have to live with scars for the rest of her life.
Collict stated that Samsung has already been contacted and the company is investigating. While one Samsung representative offered a replacement phone, one lady working for the South Korean firm called up to couple to apologize.
Samsung in its statement stated, There are no known safety issues with Galaxy S5 devices. Samsung takes all customer queries extremely seriously and this incident is currently being investigated and our customer services team is in direct contact with the customer regarding the matter.
Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Washington: The provocative missile launch by nuclear-armed North Korea poses a grave threat to the world, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Japanese and South Korean ministers and reaffirmed commitment to continue putting pressure on Pyongyang.
"They agreed the launch was an escalation of North Korean provocations and showcased the dangerous threat posed by the country to the United States, Japan, the ROK (South Korea), and countries around the world," the state department said yesterday.
Tillerson spoke to his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Taro Kono and Kang Kyung-wha respectively on separate phone calls to discuss North Korea's launch of a missile yesterday that flew over Japan.
During the phone calls, Tillerson reaffirmed with the two ministers the strength of the US alliance with their countries, as well as the ironclad commitment to their defence.
"Tillerson agreed with the two ministers to continue close coordination on efforts to increase pressure on North Korea to show the regime that its repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions will only result in condemnation and isolation from the international community," it said.
Senator Edward J. Markey, top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, denounced the launch of a ballistic missiles over Japan and said that there are new indications that Pyongyang may be preparing for its sixth nuclear test.
Markey, who returned last Thursday from leading a Congressional delegation to Korea, Japan, and the China-North Korea border, urgently called on the Trump administration to pursue a bold new strategy of sharply intensified economic pressure and resolute military defence and deterrence in undivided alliance with South Korea and Japan to address the threat.
He has been a leading voice in calling for direct negotiations with North Korea and is working with colleagues on the foreign relations and the banking committees to develop a legislative response that will provide the policy guidance as well as legislative mandates and authorities to put such a strategy into effect.
"This week's new North Korean testing activity highlights the need for The United States to immediately pursue a bold, realistic strategy in close concert with our allies in Korea and Japan, and working cooperatively with China, to negotiate an immediate freeze on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile testing," Markey said.
"There is no military solution for a North Korea with nuclear weapons, so we must immediately and directly negotiate with Pyongyang for agreement to refrain from nuclear and ballistic missile testing in exchange for confidence-building measures from the United States to reassure the North Korean government that our military forces in the region are there only to deter and defend, not to attack," he said.
Senator Pat Toomy said Kim Jong-un is a menace whose threats to the United States and its allies further underscore the need for tougher economic sanctions.
North Korea's latest ballistic missile test is a clear provocation and risks destabilising the entire region, said Democratic Whip Steny Whip.
We will not be intimidated by the reckless actions of a dictator who enslaves his nation, he said.
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis will host an enhanced honour cordon welcoming South Korea's Defence Minister Song Young-moo at the Pentagon on Thursday.
United States: Washingtons UN ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday said that something serious has to happen following North Koreas missile test over Japan.
Its unacceptable, Haley said. They have violated every single UN Security Council resolution that weve had, and so I think something serious has to happen, she added, giving no specifics.
Washington and Tokyo called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting, set to convene at 2100 GMT (5 am on Wednesday, Singapore time) to discuss the crisis.
The United States, along with Japan had called for an emergency security council meeting.
Read: North Korea test fires ballistic missile over Japan, escalates tension
We are going to talk about what else is left to do, Haley continued, saying that no country should have missiles flying over a nation of 130 million people like Japan.
New sanctions on North Korea could be discussed, the US envoy said.
I think we have a lot to talk about today. So with all of our partners, what we hope is that China and Russia continues to work with us, like they have in the past on North Korea but I think enough is enough, Haley declared.
US President Donald Trump earlier warned that all options remain on the table to handle the crisis implying Washington has not ruled out a military strike.
The test launch by the isolated but defiant nuclear-armed nation was seen as a major escalation and triggered an angry response from Tokyo.
North Korea defended its right to take tough counter-measures in response to what it calls US aggression despite repeated calls from Washington for it to come to the negotiating table.
Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world, Trump said, in a statement released by the White House.
Hundreds of Rohingya are thought to have been killed during a brutal campaign by Myanmar security forces in Rakhine (Photo: AFP)
Bangkok: At least 18,500 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh in the last six days since renewed fighting broke out between militants and the army in neighbouring Myanmar, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday.
"As of last night, 18,500 people have come across," from Myanmar's Rakhine State, Chris Lom, the IOM's Asia-Pacific spokesman, told AFP.
Lom said exact figures were difficult to obtain because many of those who have made it into Bangladesh might not register with local authorities.
Bangladesh, which already hosts some 400,000 Rohingya who have fled Myanmar over the years, has vowed to block new arrivals and has deported some of those it has caught trying to make the crossing.
"We also know there are people stuck at the border but we do not know how many," Lom added.
Northern Rakhine has been under lockdown since October last year when a previously unknown group of Rohingya militants ambushed a series of border posts inside Myanmar.
That prompted a massive military response, leading to some 87,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, bringing with them harrowing tales of murder, rape and burned villages.
The UN believes the Myanmar government's response to the crisis may amount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
A new round of fighting erupted six days ago after Rohingya militants staged another series of surprise raids on police posts, leaving at least 110 confirmed dead and prompting a new exodus of refugees. Muslim Rohingya have largely fled to Bangladesh.
Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have mostly sought sanctuary in towns and monasteries to the south and east of the fighting.
Seoul: North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nation's provocative launch was a mere "curtain-raiser", in the face of UN condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions.
The Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile that Pyongyang unleashed on Tuesday represented a major escalation of tensions over its weapons programmes.
In recent weeks it has threatened to send a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam, while President Donald Trump has warned of raining "fire and fury" on the North.
After the latest launch Trump said that "all options" were on the table, reviving his implied threat of pre-emptive US military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be "starting to respect us".
The UN Security Council -- which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang -- said in a unanimous statement the North's "outrageous" actions "are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states".
Both the North's key ally China and Russia, which also has ties to it, backed the US-drafted declaration, but it will not immediately lead to new or tightened sanctions.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the North's ruling party, on Wednesday carried more than 20 pictures of the launch near Pyongyang. One showed Kim smiling broadly at a desk with a map of the Northwest Pacific, surrounded by aides.
Another showed him gazing upwards as the missile rose into the air.
South Korea's military said Tuesday that it had travelled around 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometres.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited Kim as saying that "more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future" were necessary.
Tuesday's launch was a "meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion", he said, and a "curtain-raiser" for the North's "resolute countermeasures" against ongoing US-South Korean military exercises which the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.
Wednesday's statement was the first time the North has acknowledged sending a missile over Japan's main islands. Two of its rockets previously did so, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions it claimed they were space launch vehicles.
Independent analysts posted images online suggesting that Kim's map showed an intended flight path of 3,200 kilometres, implying that the missile may have fallen 500 kilometres short. A South Korean defence official told AFP they were still analysing the North's images.
- 'Enough is enough' -
Tuesday's missile overflight triggered consternation in world capitals and on the ground, with sirens blaring out and text message alerts in Japan warning people to take cover.
"Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a statement. "All options are on the table."
At the Security Council emergency meeting US ambassador Nikki Haley warned that "enough is enough" and that tough action had to be taken.
"It's unacceptable," Haley said. "They have violated every single UN Security Council resolution that we've had, and so I think something serious has to happen."
But despite Washington's rhetoric, US officials privately echo the warning by Trump's now former chief strategist Steve Bannon -- that a pre-emptive strike against the North is impossible given its capacity to inflict massive retaliation on the South.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a briefing Wednesday that Beijing would make a "necessary response" to the launch, but said consensus would be needed on any fresh set of sanctions.
Pyongyang last month carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range, but the Pentagon said Tuesday's launch was judged not to have represented a threat.
Any missile fired by the North at Guam would have to pass over Japan, and analysts told AFP that Pyongyang appeared to have chosen Tuesday's trajectory as a "half-way house" option to send a message without crossing a red line.
Nevertheless Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was nevertheless visibly unsettled, dubbing the launch an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat."
KCNA said the launch was timed to mark the 107th anniversary of the "disgraceful" Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, under which Tokyo colonised the Korean peninsula.
It ushered in a period of oppressive rule that only ended with Japan's defeat in the Second World War and is resented by Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula, complicating the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul -- both of them US allies.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif presented the resolution against the new US policy on South Asia during a session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. (Photo: AFP/File)
Islamabad: Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution dismissing United States President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy and his allegations of Islamabad supporting terrorism.
Presenting the resolution against the new US policy on South Asia during the session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said the National Assembly rejects Trump's recent policy statement as well as America's top general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson's claims regarding the presence of Taliban in Quetta and Peshawar.
"The House denounces the complete disregard of Pakistan's sacrifices by the US," Geo News quoted Asif as saying, adding that the National Assembly stands with the armed forces of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism.
According to the report, the resolution calls on the government of Pakistan to consider postponing any visits by US officials and vice versa as well as suspension of cooperation with US particularly ground/air lines of communication through Pakistan.
The resolution advises the government to formulate economic policies to deal with any situation arising out of absence of US assistance and instigate a diplomatic initiative to inform the international community of repercussions on the region of the failed US Afghan policy.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah called for having a Joint Session of Parliament after Eid so that a strong response can be given to the US policy.
Criticising Pakistan's poor relations with most of its neighbours , Shah said that the country's neighbours are hurling threats at them.
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar said the issue of US' continued criticism on Pakistan will not stop by mere resolutions and condemnations and needs a major overhaul of the entire narrative towards the US.
He was in favour of not take the path of confrontation and bringing arguments based on facts and reason.
President Trump while announcing his south Asia policy earlier this month, described Pakistan as a country that continues to offer safe haven to "agents of chaos".
"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations," Trump said as he cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan, backtracking from his promise to swiftly end America's longest war.
"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," he said.
He demanded that Pakistan should "stop offering safe haven to agents of chaos" as he presented his policy for the 16-year-long war in Afghanistan in his first formal address as the commander-in-chief.
While inviting India to provide more economic assistance and development to Afghanistan, Trump discarded his previous criticism of America's longest war as "a waste of time and money".
After Trump's allegations against Pakistan for allegedly harbouring terrorists, China and Saudi Arabia came to the country's defence in separate statements and asked that the world acknowledge Islamabad's contribution in the fight against terrorism.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ruled out any talks with North Korea, which fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday that flew over Japan, forcing people to seek shelter.
The missile flew over Hokkaido island before crashing into the northern Pacific Ocean. This is the first time North Korea has fired what is thought to be a ballistic weapon over Japan.
The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer! Mr Trump tweeted.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nations provocative launch was a mere curtain-raiser, in the face of UN condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions.
The UN Security Council which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang said in a unanimous statement the Norths outrageous actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.
Both the Norths key allies China and Russia, which also has ties to it, backed the US-drafted declaration.
Pakistans parliament on Wednesday denounced the statement made by US President Donald Trump and said the whole nation was on one page against the US new policy.
The National Assembly passed a resolution condemning Mr Trumps hostile and threatening statements against the country and opposing his move to provide more space to India in Afghanistan in the new Afghan and South Asia policy.
Foreign minister Khawaja Asif read the resolution passed in the House, denouncing the US policy to give a formal role to India in Afghanistan. The House condemns attempts by the US to provide more space to India in Afghanistan and considers it a move highly detrimental to regional stability and complete failure to understand existing ground realities in the region, it said. It also rejected Mr Trumps claim of giving Pakistan billions of dollars in aid.
This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. It is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.
In a gesture that promotes communal amity, a group of Muslims here has gifted a sound system to a Hindu temple after the device was stolen a few days ago.
Local Muslim Teohar Committee donated the sound system to Abhaydata Hanuman Mandir, located on the Indore Road, on Sunday.
"Thieves broke into the temple and stole the loudspeaker about five days back. A police complaint was also lodged. Some Muslim brothers donated a new sound system on Sunday. I thank them on behalf of the temple committee," said Deepak Uprit, a priest of Hanuman Mandir said.
The shrine's donation box was also stolen, but it has been recovered by police.
Committee president Shahid Khan said he noticed there was no sound of devotional songs coming from the temple and came to know the sound system was stolen some days back.
"I was not hearing any sound of devotional songs for the past few days. I came to know that sound system of the temple was stolen and inquired whether they had got a new one or not. Then, we bought a new sound system and gifted it to them," he added.
The committee managing the temple expressed gratitude to the minority community for their gesture.
"We were considering purchasing a new sound system, but in the meantime, the Muslim Teohar Committee donated us a sound system. Their gesture is really praiseworthy," Hanuman Temple Committee member Manoj Patel said.
Harda Police Station inspector Deepak Aathnere said the temple committee had complained about the theft about four days back.
"We have registered a case. The donation box has been recovered, but we are still searching for the sound system," he added.
Flights under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) from Delhi may take off from the nearby Hindon air base from this winter due to slot constraints at the Indira Gandhi International airport here.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has given its green signal and the Hindon air base will soon host a civilian enclave, Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said on Wednesday.
Only flights under the RCS or UDAN scheme would be allowed to use the airbase, which is around 35 km from the capital and is in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, for operations.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is now in talks with the GMR, the operator of Delhi airport, to get its nod for allowing a second airport which is within 150 km of the existing airport.
"The Hindon Airbase will be opened up for regional flights from winters as Delhi airport Delhi has no slots. The base located towards Ghaziabad will be used only for regional connectivity will have civilian enclave. Talks are on with GMR and we are very hopeful," Choubey said.
At present, Indian carriers operate flights to around 20 defence airfields that have a civil enclave or passenger terminal like the IAF bases Gorakhpur and Bikaner and naval bases like Goa's Dabolim and Vishakhapatnam.
Mumbai also has no new slots and it is likely to be kept out of the second round of RCS bidding.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and four of his ministerial colleagues would contest the by-polls for the states Upper House, circumventing the direct election route.
Adityanath apart, the BJP central election committee on Wednesday nominated the two Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, besides ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raz, for the September 19 by-polls.
Deccan Herald reported on July 29 that the saffron party was poaching SP and BSP MLCs to pull them out of their Upper House seats for the Chief Minister and others.
The six-month period for the five BJP leaders to become members of either of the Houses would end on September 19. The BJPs strategy is to save the Chief Minister and others the trouble of contesting Assembly polls and instead allow them to focus on governance.
SP members Jaswant Singh, Ashok Bajpayi, Sarojni Agarwal and Bukkal Nawab quit the Legislature Council though their tenure would end only in 2021. The membership of BSPs Jaiveer Singh posed a tricky situation since his tenure would end in less than a year.
However, the Election Commission which notified the by-polls for the four vacant seats on August 29 and kept September 5 as the deadline for filing nominations- decided to hold the elections for the fifth seat as well. The results would be announced on September 19 at the end of the election.
The BJP will now have to hunt candidates for Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, respectively represented by Adityanath and Maurya who would quit their seats after becoming MLCs. Elections should be held to both the seats within six months from the date of quitting of the two MPs.
In an unusual order, Rajasthan High Court has asked two IAS officers to pay the benefits of deemed reinstatement and arrears of salary to the legal heirs of the employee from their pensions, whom they dismissed without following the due process of law.
A single-judge bench of Justice SP Sharma directed the state government to recover damages for the illegal termination of a Rajasthan State Handloom Development Corporation (RHDC) employee from the pension of retired IAS officer Umrao Salodia and Damodar Sharma. The bench directed that the recoveries be made within four months. The order came 16 years after the injustice meted out to the employee and 11 years after his death in 2008.
The order came on a petition filed by Sashi Mohan Mathur who had worked in the post of probationary junior assistant at the Rajasthan State Handloom Development Corporation from October 11, 1991, and remained on probation till 1996. However, owing to false charges of embezzlement of Rs 52,588, he was retrenched and dismissed from service by the then charge of the RHDC, IAS Umrao Salodia and managing director of the corporation Damodar Sharma on October 17, 1997.
Mathur approached high court in 2002 but he passed away in 2008. Later his wife continued to fight the legal battle. The court found appellant authority guilty for not following the law and a bench of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma directed that Mathur be treated as being employed and his arrears recovered from the pension and other postretirement benefits of Salodia and Sharma.
It is to be recalled that former IAS Umrao Salodia was in the news for converting to Islam after he was not appointed the chief secretary to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in 2016.
Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Wednesday refused to accept the Oppositions demand for a floor test in the Assembly.
The governor said that the 19 rebel MLAs, who withdrew their support to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, were still with the AIADMK.
The governor gave the intimation when the Opposition parties like Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the CPI, CPM and the Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi (MMK) met Rao and submitted a memorandum seeking a floor test.
The Opposition parties claimed that the ruling AIADMK has lost the majority after 19 legislators, supporting ousted AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, withdrew their support to the chief minister.
When we met him in the morning (Wednesday), the governor told us that he cannot take any decision with regard to our plea since the 19 MLAs, who submitted individual letters, are still with the AIADMK, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said soon after the meeting.
According to the VCK leader, the governor told him that it was an internal crisis of the AIADMK and he cannot intervene.
Rao also told the Opposition leaders that since none of the 19 rebel MLAs were expelled from the party and as they have not joined any other party, it cannot be considered that Palaniswami has lost the majority.
Meanwhile, CPI leader R Mutharasan, who also met the governor, said the Opposition leaders have decided to meet the President on Thursday over the issue.
Expressing shock over the governors refusal to take a decision on the letter given by his legislators, Dhinakaran said that he would consult legal experts to chalk out the further course of action.
Infosys founders participating in the Rs 13,000 crore buyback offer does not give any wrong signal to shareholders, the IT giant's former CFO V Balakrishnan has said.
Infosys on Monday had said that some of the members of the promoter and promoters group of the company have communicated their intention to participate in the proposed buyback.
"One can have some concern only if founders sell their holding in normal circumstances. Buyback is another form of dividend which is tax efficient in Indian context and hence the founders participating in that does not give any wrong signal to shareholders," Balakrishnan told PTI.
He was replying to a question whether founders participating in the buyback offer would send a wrong signal that promoters are taking a bleak view on the companys future.
"Buyback is a pro-rata right given to all shareholders and if exercised by all of them will ensure the economic interests levels of all shareholders remaining at same levels," he added.
Infosys plans to buy back 11.3 crore shares at Rs 1,150 apiece. The founders and their families between them hold some 12.75 per cent (29.28 crore shares) of Infosys.
The promoters' keenness to participate in the buyback comes within days of upheaval at the Infosys board, which first saw CEO Vishal Sikka quiting citing slander by founders. Over the next few days, Murthy-and Co installed fellow founder Nandan Nilekani as the chairman.
Balakrishnan also said that it looked unusual that the Infosys board announced a buyback offer just prior to CEO's resignation.
"Under that circumstances, for outsiders like me that the board announced buyback just prior to CEOs (Sikka) resignation is very unusual," he said.
Balakrishnan noted that even when the founders were running the company, they never looked at controlling shareholding to exercise control on the company.
They depended on their performance and track record to sway hold on the company and strongly believed as long as performance is good and shareholders value is enhanced, the shareholders will support them, Balakrishnan said.
Also, founders have made it very clear that their only interest lies in protecting core values of the company and do not have any interest in running the company, he pointed out.
"They never talked about the CEO, the company performance or its strategies and they never meddled in the affairs of the company. Exercising a shareholders right to information cannot by any stretch be termed as meddling in affairs," he argued.
Asked whether Panaya deal report will ever be made public, Balakrishnan said, "I think the disparagement clause is standard one whenever a senior management personnel leaves the company. Unless we see the actual clause I will not be able to comment.
Having said that such clause does not restrict the companys ability to publish the investigation report or seek accountability and take action if they find any wrong doing."
300817 UN REP PRAISES BOUGAINVILLE
By Aloysius Laukai
The representative for the UNITED NATIONS in PNG, JULIE BUKIKUN today praised the people of Bougainville for supporting Bougainville women leaders to associate with their womenfolk throughout Bougainville.
She was speaking at todays double celebrations to commemorate Sixteen Years since the BOUGAINVILLE PEACE AGREEMENT was signed and todays signing in Port Moresby by the Governor General the Bougainville Referendum Charter of which the UN has been supporting.
MS BUKIKUN said that Bougainville was the only place in the Pacific that has women members of the parliament.
She also acknowledged the work of Bougainville women in uniting and organizing forums like todays celebrations.
She said that the UN will continue to support Bougainville women to continue to organize themselves to create Peace and unity and prosperity throughout Bougainville.
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Local militants have gone into hiding after successful interventions by security forces on the anti-militancy front, Kashmir IGP Muneer Ahmad Khan said today.
He, however, said foreign ultras were now trying hard to make their presence felt in the Valley.
"(Because of) the successes which the security forces got in which top commanders of Lashker (Lashker-e-Toiba) or HM (Hizbul Mujahideen) were eliminated, the militants have gone into hiding and are looking for other ways to survive.
"They have gone into hiding and we have reports that they have gone to higher reaches. They used to freely roam in buildup areas, which has now stopped. They have now given space to foreign militants, whether of Jaish (Jaish-e-Mohammad) or any other group," Khan said.
The IGP was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a cleanliness drive at the police control room complex here.
The top cop said one or two groups of Jaish were still operating in south Kashmir and fringes of Srinagar district, even after the death of three ultras in Pulwama encounter on August 26.
Asked whether the security forces were on high alert after the Pulwama attack, the IGP said the forces have to always remain alert.
"There is no high alert, but after the Pulwama incident, we have to remain more careful. As a human body goes into slumber, we, regularly, have to tell our jawans and officers to remain alert. It is part of our drill," he said.
On reports that militants have stopped using mobile phones to avoid getting traced, Khan said mobiles or not, militants would be neutralised.
"We are facing militancy since 1990. There was a phase when there were no mobiles, still militants were neutralised. Now, there is a phase wherein mobiles are there and militants are getting neutralised. The work does not stop. If one thing closes, another opens up and we work on it," he said.
On being quizzed about non-registration of FIR on a complaint filed by an editor of local daily 'Kashmir Monitor' against Baramulla MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig's wife for allegedly threatening to kill him, the IGP said, "I will have to check it."
The editor had recently lodged the complaint at Kothi Bagh police station against the parliamentarian's wife for allegedly threatening him over an editorial on Baig in the daily.
The Centre on Wednesday decided to reassign the jobs of 57,000 officers and men of the Indian Army in an effort to have better teeth-to-tail ratio in the force.
The tooth-to-tail ratio is a military term that refers to the amount of military personnel it takes to supply and support (tail) each combat soldier (tooth).
While an army with a high tooth-to-tail ratio will have more personnel devoted to combat, the soldiers will lack the support provided by the tail.
Its the job of military planners to strike a balance between the teeth and tail.
The defence ministry has now set in motion a reform process in the army in accordance with the recommendations of a high-powered panel, headed by Lt Gen D B Shekatkar (rtd), that submitted its report in December 2016.
The panels aim was to suggest ways and means of reducing the defence ministrys revenue budget. Departmental analysis found that salary and pension consumed bulk of the defence ministrys budget, leaving little money for military modernisation and infrastructure build up.
The first phase of the reforms involves redeployment and restructuring of approximately 57,000 posts of officers, junior commissioned officers, men (other ranks) and civilians.
Out of 99 recommendations of the panel, the government has accepted 65. They will be implemented by the end of 2019 to improve the combat capabilities of the army. It would lead to redeployment of 57,000 officers, JCOs and men for various other tasks, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said after the Cabinet meeting.
Freeing of additional manpower is important for the army with the defence ministry making it clear to the military that purchase of new hardware doesnt necessarily mean recruitment of new people and the services will have to look for manpower from their ranks.
The restructuring include closure of military farms and army postal establishments in peace locations.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet Committee on Security agreed to shut 39 military farms and procure the dairy products for the troops from the market.
The defence ministry asked the armed forces to optimise the signals establishments to include radio monitoring companies, corps air support signal regiments, air formation signal regiments, composite signal regiments and merger of corps operating and engineering signal regiments.
The repair branches like base workshops, advance base workshops and static workshops will be restructured.
Similarly, the ordnance wing would be restructured to include vehicle depot, ordnance depot and central ordnance depot, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Outgoing Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Wednesday objected to linking religion with terrorism, saying there is no colour to terror and it is not right to describe it as saffron or any other colour.
Mehrishi, who will demit office on Thursday, also said Pakistan was fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir, but dismissed the theory that Kashmiris feel alienated as a concept of the Delhi media.
Mehrishi, who was appointed two years ago, will be succeeded by senior IAS officer Rajiv Gauba.
It is speculated that Mehrishi may be appointed the election commissioner. There were also talks about him being appointed the governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
He, however, dismissed such speculations, saying he is heading to his home in Jaipur on Thursday.
Stressing that there is no colour to terrorism, the 62-year-old bureaucrat said, I object to the use of the term Hindu terror or saffron terror. There is no colour to terror.
Questions were posed to him about the Supreme Court granting bail to Lt Col Srikant Purohit, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, which is described as a Hindutva terror case.
Mehrishi said it is for the courts to decide on whether the accused is innocent or guilty.
Terror is terror. You cant connect it to any religion... Those who indulge in terrorism in the name of religion are only bringing a bad name to religion, said Mehrishi.
A special court today directed the CBI to hand over certain documents to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and others in connection with a nearly Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against him.
Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal passed the directions after the CBI submitted that the documents could not be handed over to the accused persons as per directions of the court, since the investigating officer was busy in some other case.
Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others had earlier told the the court that they have not received various documents filed along with the charge sheet.
The court today also sought the agency's response on the pleas moved by the couple, who have not been arrested so far, seeking exemption from personal appearance.
The court put up the matter for further hearing on October 31.
Besides the couple, who were present before the court during the day's proceedings, the other accused in the case include Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia.
The court had granted them bail on May 29 after they appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against them by the court.
The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case related to the matter and is currently in judicial custody.
The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.
The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having the statements of around 225 witnesses and containing 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.
Chauhan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the disproportionate assets case.
The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.
On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but "simply" transferring the petition "in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".
A Sikh shrine in Punjab denied a mourning father the use of holy book for his sons last rites because it suspected the boy to be a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda.
The incident exposed the fissure between the Sikh religious establishment and the Dera.
The 15-year-old boy accompanied his elderly relative to Panchkula last Friday, where he died of bullet wounds to the back of his chest when police fired to disperse Dera members who rioted in the aftermath of Baba Ram Rahim Singhs sentencing.
The Sikh community has been crossing swords with the Dera Sacha Sauda, which faces boycott from the supreme Sikh religious body -the Akal Takht.
Kaka Singh, a Dalit, urged the Gurdwara for the holy book to recite the hymns for his son Loverpreets last rites. The shrine denied him the book since it emerged that Loverpreet was shot in the riots at Panchkula and was an alleged Dera follower.
Loverpreet had been to meet his relatives in Rajasthan who were believed to be Dera followers. They were eager to be in Panchkula on the day of judgement.
Kaka Singh said members of his family are baptized Sikhs and are entitled to use the holy book.
Following intervention from the local Sikh leaders, the Gurdwara management relented and the family could perform the prayer ceremony.
The mourning father said the local Gurdwara in his village in Muktsar did not make an announcement on the public address system about his sons passing.
Not too long ago, management of a Sikh shrine in Sector 7 in Panchkula denied the holy book to perform the last rites of a decorated Army veteran on the grounds that he took part in Operation Blue Star.
The US military shot down a medium-range ballistic missile target off the coast of Hawaii early today, in a successful test of a missile interception system Japan is seeking to bolster its defence against North Korea.
The test was performed by the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) and the US Navy from the USS John Paul Jones, a guided- missile destroyer, just one day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan.
Using Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) guided missiles, the test intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii by using the USS John Paul Jones's onboard AN/SPY-1 radar.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nation's provocation was a mere "curtain-raiser," in the face of United Nations condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions.
The MDA said the test gives the naval component of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System "enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase."
"We will continue developing ballistic missile defence technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves," MDA Director Lieutenant General Sam Greaves said in a statement.
The test marks the second time that an SM-6 missile has successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target.
The United States and Japan have been working together since 2006 to develop a variant of the Standard Missile-3, a ship-launched missile that operates as part of the Aegis system. Japan is seeking a land-based version as well.
300817GOVERNOR GENERAL SIGNS CHARTER
By Aloysius Laukai
The Governor General of Papua New Guinea his excellency SIR BOB DADAE today signed the REFERENDUM CHARTER for Bougainville in Port Moresby.
The Charter now paves the way for Bougainville to speed up its preparation the REFERENDUM that the two Governments had set a target date to work towards.
AND the target date is JUNE 15th 2019.
This was announced by the Secretary for the Referendum Office, MR. JAMES TANIS in Buka today.
MR. TANIS announced during the gathering in Buka that the Governor General has signed the Charter at 2 PM this afternoon.
He said that Bougainville needs to celebrate another history in the walk for Peace and Unification throughout Bougainville.
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Caption of the women at the celebrations by Aloysius Laukai
As per government orders, Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) will be conducting an extended mop-up round on Thursday, August 31 to fill up surrendered medical seats.
Candidates who have qualified in NEET, have already verified their documents and have not been allotted any seats in the previous rounds held by KEA or any other agency is eligible to take part. Candidates who have been allotted dental seats are eligible to take part for medical seats. However, those who have already been allotted medical seats cannot take part in this round.
A total of 20 medical seats are available for this round. Out of this, six general merit seats are in government medical colleges. Details of the seat matrix are available on the KEA website.
Candidates are advised to report to the KEA office in Malleswaram by 9.30 am. The allotment will be conducted between 10.30 am and 1 pm. They should compulsorily bring Demand Drafts for the fee amount. Only net banking facility is available at KEA. A list of banks where DDs can be availed is uploaded on the website, along with contact numbers and working hours.
KEA will also be conducting an extended mop-up round for dental seats which are cancelled or are vacant on September 6. Details of the same are available on the website (http://kea.kar.nic.in/).
Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted fresh searches in continuation with its ongoing investigation against Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.
The searches were conducted at 10 premises in Bengaluru, Chennai and New Delhi. Sources confirmed that searches were conducted at the houses and offices of individuals with close links to Shivakumar.
Simultaneous searches were conducted at the house of Vijay Mulgund, secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, B S Sridhar, private secretary to Shivakumar, Vishwanath Reddy, a retired IAS officer, and YogeeshHonnur, both close associates of the minister.
Mulgunds house in Rajajinagar was searched by the sleuths apart from residences of Sridhar and Honnur in other parts of Bengaluru.
Apart from these, the taxmen searched the premises belonging to a certain T Anil Jain in Chennai. Jain is into power-related business.
Sources in Chennai said that the office premises located on Armenian Street near high court, a private school in Adyar area, an organisation in Anna Nagar and a building in Bazulla Road in T Nagar were searched by the authorities.
According to sources, Jains company had bagged a power project from Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd.
I-T sleuths also conducted a survey at three premises in Delhi. These premises belong to companies that are into energy-related businesses. Sources said that further probe will be conducted after verifying the documents secured from these premises.
Earlier this month, the I-T department had conducted searches at 60 premises, including Shivakumars house in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru. Shivakumars brother and Member of Parliament from Bangalore Rural D K Sureshs house was also searched.
The raids were conducted at a time when Shivakumar was hosting around 40 Congress MLAs from Gujarat at Eagleton Resort in Bidadi on outskirts of Bengaluru to avoid `horse trading in the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat.
The searches that started on August 2 concluded on August 5. I-T department sources had stated that a total of Rs 15 crore cash was seized from various premises, including from two houses situated in upmarket Safdarjung Enclave in Delhi.
Later, Shivakumar had appeared before the I-T sleuths on August 8 and submitted documents. He had again appeared before the officials on August 18.
Nandan Nilekani, who has just taken charge as non-executive chairman of IT behemoth Infosys, will not be taking any salary during his second stint at the company.
Vishal Sikka, who held the position of executive vice-chairman of IT behemoth for a week, had offered to take just $1 as salary per annum.
Nilekani, who is also a co-founder of Infosys, will not be taking any remuneration on his own behest, according to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, director and newly appointed head of nominations and remuneration committee (NRC). Kiran was appointed the head of NRC of the IT major after resignation of Jeffrey Lehman as the director of the company last week.
Nandan Nilekani will not receive any remuneration as per his request, Kiran, who is currently abroad told DH through an email response.
The companys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, during his second stint at the company as executive chairman during 2013-14, took home just Re 1 as annual salary.
On its part, Infosys has not filed information of Nilekanis salary with any of the stock exchanges it is listed. The company is listed on five stock exchanges globally Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Euronext London and Euronext Paris.
According to the company, it is waiting for shareholders approval before making terms of Nilekanis appointment public.
When contacted, the company said, The terms of Nilekanis appointment will be mentioned in the postal ballot, when the company seeks shareholder approval.
The various institutional investors that DH spoke to also stated that they were yet to hear anything in this regard from the company.
In his earlier stint as CEO and MD of the company, in 2006-07, Nilekani earned a gross remuneration of Rs 51,35,076, as per the annual report of the company.
Nilekanis predecessor, R Seshasayee, took home a pay package of Rs 1.92 crore in the fiscal 2016-17, while cash component of companys CEO and MD Vishal Sikkas salary was Rs 16.01 crore in 2016-17, down from Rs 48.73 crore in 2015-16.
Nilekani is currently valued in excess of Rs 11,000 crore, as per data available with Forbes website.
The neighbourhood has always been important in Indias foreign policy. Despite this, Indias relationship with its neighbours is less than comfortable. In fact, given how the strategic space is shrinking for India in South Asia, its time for India to take a relook at its neighbourhood policy.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, he talked about a neighbourhood first policy. He raised expectations that the most powerful nation in South Asia was set to chart a vigorous new path in its neighbourhood. Modis invitation to all heads of states in the region to his swearing in ceremony even gave a glimpse of such a path.
Subsequently, Modi visited most of the neighbouring countries, barring the Maldives which was in political turmoil. Some of his visits created enthusiasm initially but, unfortunately, so far his government has not been able to qualitatively change Indias relations with our neighbours, nor has it been able to check Chinese ingress into South Asia. This situation only highlights the complex neighbourhood India has to deal with.
Modis visit to Nepal in 2015 was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 17 years. It created bonhomie between the two countries and it was hoped that the face of India-Nepal bilateral relations would change with the NDA in power in Delhi. Soon, though, the internal dynamics of Nepali politics asserted itself and Nepals political elite made attempts to marginalise its large Madhesi population, resulting in a deterioration of bilateral relations.
This was a surprising development, especially when the Nepalese themselves say that all their politicians are under the influence of India. Obviously, this is not the whole truth. There are other powers that have in recent times become either equally or somewhat more influential than India.
In Sri Lanka, the coming to power of the Sirisena government was seen as some kind of an advantage for India. This perception was created because of the ever-increasing closeness of the previous Rajapaksa regime to China. Ultimately, though, the Chinese have not only managed to secure their interests, but have even extended it further. By converting Sri Lankas debt to China into equity in the Hambantota port, the Chinese have made their presence almost permanent. Besides, the Chinese also have a strong presence in the Colombo port city project. This is happening at a time when two-thirds of the trans-shipment business of the Colombo port is dependent on India. Clearly, India is not using this leverage to its advantage.
It is said that India is at present enjoying its best-ever relationship with Bangladesh. But the Chinese have tried to create disruption in this relationship, too, by various means. When Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh sometime back, he went there with a massive cheque book.
The Chinese government offered to invest $24 billion, and the Chinese private sector chipped in with investment offers of $13 billion. Whats noteworthy is that ChinaBangladesh military cooperation was not included in the deals that were made public during Xis visit. That remains separate, and big. Bangladeshs purchase of two submarines from China is likely to affect the maritime security environment in the Bay of Bengal.
Relations in limbo
Nobody expected any major breakthrough in the bilateral relationship with Pakistan despite the many overtures that Modi made to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The latters unceremonious removal from power has only further complicated India-Pakistan ties. With the worsening of the relationship with China, most recently over the Doklam issue, India is likely to see a greater security challenge emerging from Pakistan.
The Chinese are also testing Indias long-term friendship with Bhutan through the Doklam crisis. The political environment in Bhutan has been changing since the introduction of democracy in that country, and China is possibly trying to capitalise on it.
Indias neighbours call New Delhi big brother. Their anti-India domestic narratives are often woven around a so-called India doctrine, a convenient concept that is used to vilify it by accusing it of harbouring hegemonic aspirations. In fact, this has been used to justify greater Chinese presence in South Asia, which has undermined the role of India as a net security provider not only in South Asia but also in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Clearly, there is an urgent need to take a relook at Indias neighbourhood policy. The changing political and security environment in South Asia now requires greater pro-activeness on the part of New Delhi. Its possibly the lack of a proactive approach that has resulted in the present political chaos in the Maldives and in Sri Lanka finding itself unable to get out of a Chinese stranglehold even if it desires to. A similar fate may befall Nepal.
India has tried policies such as the Gujral Doctrine earlier, only to be mistaken as a mark of New Delhis weakness. Our policies and engagements with our South Asian neighbours must send out the message that they should desist from doing anything that endangers the South Asian security environment.
(The writer is Associate Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses, New Delhi)
Vijay K Gokhale, a senior diplomat, just got a new feather in his cap even as he prepares to sign off as Indias ambassador to China.
Gokhale, an officer of Indian Foreign Service of 1981 batch, played a key role in India-China negotiations to resolve the face off between Indian Army and Chinese Peoples Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan.
It was his last major task in Beijing as his tenure as Indias envoy to China is coming to its end.
He will soon take over, as the Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters in New Delhi.
Since 2003, the Special Representatives of India and China have been leading bilateral negotiations to resolve the long-pending boundary dispute between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi are at present Special Representatives of the two governments for boundary negotiations. But soon after the face off started in Doklam Plateau, China told India that it was out of the purview of the Special Representatives.
Beijing argued that the Sikkim Section of the boundary was already settled and Doval and Yang were mandated to negotiate only on the disputed stretches of the border.
Beijing also declined to acknowledge the July 18 meeting as the one between the Special Representatives of the two nations for the boundary negotiations.
Rejecting Beijings plea, New Delhi insisted that while the status of Sikkim as an integral part of India had been settled, the boundary of Sikkim had to be demarcated by the Special Representatives of the two nations.
However, to resolve the face off expeditiously, New Delhi assigned Gokhale to lead the negotiations forefront of the negotiations with the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chinese Government in Beijing.
Senior officials at the Embassy of India in Beijing and at the MEA headquarters in New Delhi were to his support.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who was Indias envoy to China earlier, oversaw the negotiations from New Delhi. He also led New Delhis efforts to reach out to US, Japan and other nations and to explain Indias stand on the issue of the face-off with China.
Doval led the coordination between Prime Ministers Office, MEA and Indian Army. Gokhale stood his ground in the negotiations in Beijing.
He conveyed to the officials of Chinese Governments Ministry of Foreign Affairs that New Delhi had to send troops to stop construction of the road by the Peoples Liberation Army personnel in western Bhutan as its agreement with Thimphu had required it to do so.
He finally made his Chinese counterparts agree to suspend construction of the road in exchange for the withdrawal of troops by Indian Army.
Flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme from Delhi may depart from the nearby Hindon airbase from this winter due to slot constraints at the Indira Gandhi International airport here.
The Indian Air Force has agreed to allow the airbase for civilian use and it would soon host a civilian enclave, Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said on Wednesday.
After years of struggling under austerity imposed by European partners and a chilly shoulder from the United States, Greece has embraced the advances of China, its most ardent and geopolitically ambitious suitor.
While Europe was busy squeezing Greece, the Chinese swooped in with bucket-loads of investments that have begun to pay off, not only economically but also by apparently giving China a political foothold in Greece, and by extension, in Europe.
Last summer, Greece helped stop the European Union from issuing a unified statement against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. This June, Athens prevented the bloc from condemning Chinas human rights record. Days later, it opposed tougher screening of Chinese investments in Europe.
Greeces diplomatic stance hardly went unnoticed by its European partners or by the US, all of which had previously worried that the countrys economic vulnerability might make it a ripe target for Russia, always eager to divide the bloc. Instead, it is the Chinese who have become an increasingly powerful foreign player in Greece after years of assiduous courtship and cheque-book diplomacy.
Among those initiatives, China plans to make the Greek port of Pireaus the dragon head of its vast Belt and Road Initiative, a new Silk Road into Europe. When Germany treated Greece as the eurozones delinquent, China designated a recovery-hungry Greece its most reliable friend in Europe.
While the Europeans are acting towards Greece like medieval leeches, the Chinese keep bringing money, said Costas Douzinas, head of the Greek parliaments foreign affairs and defence committee and a member of the governing Syriza party.
China has already used its economic muscle to stamp a major geopolitical footprint in Africa and South America as it scours the globe for natural resources to fuel its economy. If China was initially welcomed as a deep-pocketed investor and an alternative to the US it has faced growing criticism that it is less an economic partner than a 21st-century incarnation of a colonialist power.
If not looking for natural resources in Europe, China has for years invested heavily across the bloc, its largest trading partner. Yet now concerns are rising that Beijing is using its economic clout for political leverage.
Douzinas said China had never explicitly asked Greece for support on the human rights vote or on other sensitive issues, though he and other Greek officials acknowledge that explicit requests are not necessary. If youre down and someone slaps you and someone else gives you an alm, Douzinas said, when you can do something in return, who will you help, the one who helped you or the one who slapped you?
The Trump administration, recognising it has a geopolitical and economic challenger, recently intervened to help lift a US deal over a Chinese competitor and the Greeks seemed happy to play one power off the other.
EU officials are concerned that China is buying silence on human rights issues and undermining the blocs ability to speak with one voice. Analysts say China targets smaller countries in need of cash, among them Spain, Portugal and others that suffered in the financial crisis. Hungary, where China is pledging to spend billions on a railway, also blocked the EU statement on the South China Sea.
Over the summer, German Chancellor Angela Merkel tightened rules to limit takeovers of German strategic assets, a move aimed at Chi-nese state-backed firms. As Merkel put it after Greeces vote blocking the condemnation of Chinese human rights violations, Europe has to speak with China in one voice. She added that Chinas economic might allows it to pressure weaker European nations. Seen from Beijing, she added, Europe is an Asian peninsula.
In January 2015, Greek voters shook Europe by electing the radical leftist Syriza party and its leader, Tsipras. He had campaigned to end the austerity measures of the EU and halt privatisations like the port of Pireaus. Boisterous protesters spilled into Athens, waving Syriza flags and denouncing the European power centres, Brussels and Berlin.
But it was Beijing that became quietly nervous. Chinas years of laborious and expensive spadework in Greece suddenly seemed imperilled, especially its investments in Piraeus. Immediately after Tsipras took office, Chinese ambassador Zou Xiaoli became the first foreign official to pay him a visit. Zou pressed Tsipras to honour the previous Greek governments commitments to privatise Piraeus, according to several people with knowledge of the meeting.
Back in Beijing, Chinese officials expressed displeasure, and state-run media ran articles questioning Greeces friendship with China. Less than a week later, the Chinese premiere, Li Keqiang, telephoned Tsipras to make sure there were no more misunderstandings.
In response, Tsipras and his deputies announced an upgrading of relations between Greece and China. Within weeks, three Chinese frigates arrived in Piraeus port. At a ceremony, Tsipras affirmed Greeces intent to serve as Chinas gateway into Europe.
A kind of neocolonialism
Along more than 20 miles of coastline outside Athens, a forest of cranes at the Piraeus port load and unload thousands of containers from China and around the world. An ultramodern floating dock is scheduled for arrival in November from China. A planned new Chinese-financed passenger hub is also in the works.
China has transformed Piraeus into the Mediterraneans busiest port, investing nearly half a billion euros through the state-backed shipping conglomerate COSCO. It hopes to make Piraeus the entry point to Europe under its Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese goods would travel along a new network of railways and roads radiating up through central European nations, with the prized destination being Germany, where China invested $12 billion last year alone.
In the middle of the port, Chinese, Greek and EU flags flutter in front of the headquarters of COSCO, which now controls the entire waterfront through its 67% stake in the port. Its a kind of neocolonialism without the gunboats, said Douzinas with a chuckle.
COSCO has brought around 1,000 jobs to the area, but it has outfitted cargo docks with cranes made in China, not in Greece, and expanded the docks with building materials from China. And as Greece struggles through record joblessness, the company has used subcontractors to hire around 1,500 workers, mostly on short-term contracts, at wages far below what unionised Greek dockworkers are paid.
Yet, Greece needs any jobs, and leaders are counting on more Chinese investment. Fosun International Holdings, a Chinese conglomerate run by Guo Guangchang, often referred to as Chinas Warren Buffett, is spending billions of euros with a consortium with Greek and Arab investors to convert an abandoned former airport on the seaside outside Athens into a posh playground three times the size of Monaco for moneyed tourists. The project, Hellenikon, is part of a bigger plan to bring over 1.5 million Chin-ese tourists to Greece during the next five years.
Tsipras has swept aside regulatory hurdles, clearing two large refugee camps installed in the former airport, and quashing attempts by members of his own party to delay construction because of concerns the project might pave over ancient archaeological sites. That also has been unstuck, said Dimitri B Papadimitriou, the Greek economy minister.
News / National
by Stephen Jakes
Heal Zimbabwe Trust has reported that Zanu PF activists in Manicaland-Nyanga South ward 19 recently assaulted an MDC-T activists accusing him of campaigning for his sister."A group of Zanu PF youth led by Luke Fore on the 30th of July assaulted an MDC T activist, Malvern Chigwanda at Sedze Primary School. They accused him of campaigning for his sister an independent candidate, Judith Chigwanda who is contesting in the local government by election that was slated for 26 August 2017," said the trust."Malvern Chigwanda sustained injuries on the head and is currently admitted at Nyanga Hospital. A police report was made at Nyanga Police station but no arrest has been made."
Prime Minister Narendra Modis government on Wednesday appointed former Central Bureau of Investigation director R K Raghavan as Indias High Commissioner to Cyprus.
Raghavan headed the Special Investigation Team that probed the 2002 riots in Gujarat. His appointment as the envoy to Cyprus was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs in a press release issued on Wednesday.
He will succeed Ravi Banger, an officer of the Indian Foreign Service of the 1982 batch, who has been appointed as Indias envoy to Colombia.
Raghavan, an officer of Indian Police Service, headed the CBI from January 4 , 1999, to April 30, 2001. He was the chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed SIT to probe nine major cases related to the riots. The SIT gave Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, a clean chit in the Gulberg Society massacre case.
The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has notified 600 sq km of area housing 107 villages as an eco-sensitive zone for the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) that nudges three districts.
The August 22 gazette notification comes almost 16 months after the publication of the draft notification, seeking comments from people on the proposal to create an eco-sensitive zone around the reserved forest.
The 600.7 sq km area around the park houses 72 revenue villages and 35 forest villages. The forest, spread over an area of 1,027.53 sq km, nudges three districts Ramanagara, Chamrajnagara and Mandya. It is also a part of the Mysore elephant reserve.
The notification prohibits 10 commercial and developmental activities in the eco-sensitive zone, while restricting 30 other activities, official sources said.
The prohibited activities include commercial mining, establishing polluting industries, hydroelectric projects, production of hazardous substances, discharge of untreated effluents and setting up of solid waste disposal and incineration units.
Banned
Other banned activities are setting up of commercial livestock and poultry units, new saw mills, brick kilns and a complete stop to the commercial use of firewood.
The regulated activities would include commercial hotel business. No new commercial hotels and resorts are permitted within one kilometre from the boundary of the protected area.
However, small temporary structures could be allowed for eco-tourism if they are in conformity with the tourism master plan.
Some of the other regulated activities are construction, felling of trees, vehicle traffic at night, infrastructure build up and use of polythene bags. The state government will also have to prepare a zonal master plan.
A 12-member monitoring committee, headed by the Resident Commissioner, Mysore and having the three local MLAs among the members, has been constituted for effective monitoring of the eco-sensitive zone for the next three years.
Any commercial proposal related to any of the 30 restricted activities, has to be first approved by the monitoring panel. It would also have to submit an annual action taken report to the Chief Wildlife Warden.
Exactly a month back, the green ministry came out with a draft notification on a proposed eco-sensitive zone around the Nagarahole tiger reserve in Mysore and Kodagu districts.
Out of 39 protected areas in Karnataka, only Bandipur Tiger Reserve has a defined eco-sensitive buffer zone.
MoEF enlarges
Compared to the draft, the MoEF has increased the ESZ area around CWS by 42.1 sq km. This is similar to what MoEF had done in case of Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.
In the draft notification, the state had proposed an area of 558 sq km of ESZ with an extent of 100 metres to 15 km around the boundary. In the final notification, the total geographical area of the ESZ has been declared as 600.7 sq km with an extent of one km to 14.5 km around the boundary of CWS.
The MoEF has also included two forests around CWS - Muneshwara state forest and Chunchi West reserve forest - under the ESZ.
RSS functionaries on Wednesday told top state BJP leaders not to induct into the party or provide tickets to those facing criminal charges, the corrupt, the rich just for the sake of funds.
Following the partys national president Amit Shahs directions during his recent visit to Bengaluru, RSS from now on will play a major role involving itself with affairs of the BJP in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
The full quorum of the 12-member core-committee, headed by state president B S Yeddyurappa, held a three-hour interaction with RSS functionaries at the latters headquarters Keshava Krupa in Bengaluru. BJP national general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal and the state functionaries V Nagaraj, Thippeswamy were present.
According to sources, RSS instructions were quite clear cut - party first and personalities later. The functionaries said leaders should not use their influence to get tickets to their supporters. Priority should be given to party loyalists while giving tickets and only after consultation with party central leadership, local units and the RSS.
Shah had recently warned the state leaders that he expected visible progress in the performance and improvement in the partys image in the coming weeks failing which he will be forced to crack the whip. He had also told the leaders that they seek the guidance of the RSS on a regular basis.
On Wednesday, the RSS functionaries also told the BJP leaders to involve OBCs and the Dalits on a larger scale, a factor that worked positively for the party in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
Yeddyurappa is said to have sought the support of the RSS to make its Nava Karnataka Nirmana Ratha Yatra the biggest ever in the state. The plan is to have a special designed Ratha to criss-cross all the 224 assembly constituencies in the state during the course of the two-month long yatra and expose the misdeeds of the Siddaramaiah government.
Later in the day, director of South Indias leading music company, Velu of Lahari Recording Company joined the BJP in the presence of Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
A 55-year-old manager of a co-operative bank, believed to have committed suicide on August 16, was actually strangled by a real estate agent who had borrowed Rs 1.05 crore from him. The suspect roped in three of his associates to make the murder look like a suicide, police said.
Muniyappa, of Matadahalli in RT Nagar, was found dead in his car near Malagala underpass, West Bengaluru. A poison bottle was found next to his body and the death had all the trappings of a suicide. His wife, however, suspected foul play and filed a complaint of murder at the jurisdictional Kamakshipalya police station.
The first clue in the murder investigation came when police learnt that Muniyappa dealt in arbitrage loans borrowing money at low interest and lending it at a higher rate. The second clue was that Muniyappa had loaned Rs 1.05 crore to Tilak Bandi Kempegowda (36), a real estate agent, loan mediator and broker from Sunkadakatte, since 2014. Police also learnt that Kempegowda had neither repaid the principal nor the interest.
Muniyappa was under pressure as he had to pay Rs 22 lakh as interest every month to his lenders. Fifteen days before the murder, he quarrelled with Kempegowda and demanded that he repay the money. He even threatened to commit suicide if Kempegowda failed to repay.
Hatched a plot
Kempegowda allegedly hatched a plot to murder Muniyappa and pass it off as a suicide. He roped in three people Pradeep alias Bully (25), Mahesh alias Appi (24), who both work at his poultry farm near Hindalgere, and Abhilash Gowda (25), an auto-rickshaw driver from Hegganahalli.
Kempegowda and Pradeep bought an insecticide named Action 505. On August 15, Kempegowda called Muniyappa to Mariyappanapalya, saying he wanted to repay part of the loan. Muniyappa drove there. Pradeep got in his car and asked him to drive to Kempegowdas guest house in Byatarayanadoddi.
Meanwhile, Mahesh and Abhilash bought syringes, gloves and socks, and reached the guest house. Once Muniyappa arrived there, they all tied him up and poured the insecticide down his throat. Muniyappa, however, spat it out. Pradeep then strangled him with a rope. The trio stuffed the body in Muniyappas car and drove to Malagala where they abandoned the vehicle and fled.
Their scheme was, however, undone by the post-mortem report which concluded that Muniyappa had asphyxiated to death. Police reviewed a staggering 600 GB of CCTV footage to nail the suspects.
Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy on Wednesday said the eight MLCs who are accused of fraudulently claiming travel allowance while being registered as voters in Bengaluru city will have to face disqualification if they are found guilty.
Shankaramurthy was reacting to a DH story that an internal probe by BBMP found MLCs - R B Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Raghu Achar, N S Boseraju, S Ravi (all Congress), C R Manohar, N Appaji Gowda (JD-S) and M D Lakshminarayana (Independent) - submitted false information to vote in the Bengaluru Mayoral election last year.
This is a first-of-its-kind instance in India. There is no precedent. I must be careful because whatever decision I take will have a bearing on the entire legislature. Disqualification of the MLCs will have to be the final result if their wrongdoing is proven, Shankaramurthy said, adding he will take a decision as early as possible.
However, Shankaramurthy said he may have to consider exonerating the MLCs if they volunteer to return the money they claimed as allowance.
One MLC - I cant say who - has given in writing that he is ready to return the money, he said.
The advocate general has advised Shankaramurthy to take a decision after getting an opinion from the Election Commission. Accordingly, Shankaramurthy has asked Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Kumar Jha to meet him. Also, Shankaramurthy will refer to the Prevention of Corruption Act and anti-defection law before arriving at a decision.
This apart, all eight MLCs are learnt to have written to Shankaramurthy, claiming they had not done anything wrong. They have also sought the chairman's permission to initiate a breach of privilege motion against BJP leader Padmanabha Reddy, the complainant.
A cohort of seers on Wednesday reiterated their demand for minority religious status for Lingayats, readying one more representation that will be submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Seers from several influential Lingayat mutts gathered for a decisive meet organised by Jana Samanyara Vedike-Karnataka at Basava Bhavan in the city, where it was declared that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are not the same. In fact, the seers dug out a copy of the 1881 Imperial Census of India where Lingayat finds a mention and another 1893 publication where Veerashaiva is listed as one of the 38 sub-sects under Lingayat.
There is a provision for the Central government to declare Lingayat as a separate and minority religion. The previous UPA government in 2014 accorded minority status to Jains under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 and National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004, the forum said in a statement addressed to the chief minister.
Kannada actor Chetan Kumar also joined the chorus. Let there be no doubt that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are not the same. Veerashaiva is a sanatana dharma in which discrimination on caste lines still exist, coupled with superstition and prevalence of middlemen such as priests. The followers of Basavanna do not subscribe to that, he said. The meeting was briefly disrupted when a person in the audience took exception to Kumars comment on BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa.
Panchamasali Peeta seer Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami, Bylur Nishkala Mantapa Nijagunananda Swami, Mysuru Basava Jnana Mandira seer Sharane Mata Basavanjali, Bidar Basava Kendra seer Mata Akka Annapurna, Tumakuru Koratagere Basava Mahalinga Swami, former Bangalore University Vice Chancellor N Prabhu Dev among others were part of the meeting.
News / National
by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe police have summoned organisers of a peaceful protest which had been planned for this morning outside the South African embassy over Pretoria's decision to grant President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace, diplomatic immunity.Information obtained by indicates police visited the offices of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) offices before asking officials to accompany them to the charge office at Harare Central police station.Police are said to be reluctant to authorise the peaceful protest, according to officials, fearing to embarrass the First Lady on the same day that Zanu-PF is holding a solidarity march for her after she escaped arrest in South Africa for assaulting a model Gabriella Engels.Speaking to News24 while at the police station, Davis Mukusha, a Nera official who is one of the organisers, said it appeared police wanted to stop the peaceful protest which had been slated for 10:00 to 1pm at the South African embassy in Harare.By 10:30 the protest had not started as officials were still in talks with police. "A while ago they came to our offices and tensely cautioned us against marching or else there will be consequences," Mukusha told News24.Nera officially advised police of the planned demonstration on Monday this week. But police documents seen by News24 indicated police wanted the organisers of the protest to make a fresh application, citing the Public Order Security Act.According to the documents, Nera needed to notify authorities at seven days prior to the protest. But Nera said they intended to defy the police's directive.A handful of people waited the start."We are seeking clarification on the response they just gave us this morning," said Mukusha."But that won't shift goalposts. We are going to the embassy with or without the clearance in 30 minutes." More to follow.
By Jeff Tollefson and Amy Maxmen
25 August 2017
(Nature) Multiple researchers who received grants from the US Department of Energy (DOE) say that they have been asked to remove references to climate change and global warming from the descriptions of their projects, they say.
In one case, a lab official at the DOEs Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, asked an ecologist to elide references to climate change from her grant proposal to satisfy US President Donald Trumps budget language restrictions. The scientist, Jennifer Bowen of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, posted an e-mail from the lab official to Facebook on 24 August.
I have been asked to contact you to update the wording in your proposal abstract to remove words such as global warming or climate change, wrote the official, project coordinator Ashley Gilbert of the PNNLs Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). Bowens project will examine how environmental stressors, such as climate change, affect the ecology of saltwater marshes.Gilberts office told Nature that she was unavailable for comment, and a PNNL spokesperson referred questions to DOE headquarters in Washington DC. Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes declined to answer questions about the situation, but said that there is no departmental-wide policy banning the term climate change from being used in DOE materials.Bowen could not be reached for comment on the matter. But Jonathan Sanderman, a biogeochemist at the Woods Hole Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and co-principal investigator on the marsh project, confirmed that the e-mail came from Gilbert. Sanderman speculates that PNNL officials are worried the grant will get zeroed out if someone sees that it lists climate change.
Not the only one
Bowen and Sandermans project is among 14 that were announced on 23 August as winners of research grants from the EMSL and the Joint Genome Institute, which is managed by the DOEs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.Another grant winner from that group, ecologist Scott Saleska of the University of Arizona in Tucson, confirmed that he, too, had received a request from a DOE official on 24 August to remove references to climate change from his projects description. Saleskas study focuses on the effects of decomposing plant material on permafrost, and his teams abstract highlighted the implications of this process for climate change.The White Houses 2018 budget proposal for the DOE Office of Science proposes scaling back or eliminating support for many climate-research programmes and research areas, such as climate feedbacks. But the document also emphasizes the need to study how carbon cycles through ecosystems a category that encompasses Bowens, Sandermans and Saleskas projects.Saleska says it appears that DOE programme managers are being careful to make it clear that they are, in fact, following the presidents budget directive. What else can they do? he asks. Saleska says that he is more concerned that research priorities are being set by political ideology that is at odds with scientific knowledge.Sanderman also lamented the fact that scientists are being forced to change the way they talk about their work. But if thats what it takes to keep science going for a couple of years, we will I guess play along, he adds.
News / National
by Staff reporter
Brothels are multiplying in Zimbabwe's second largest city, with concerned city fathers mulling a campaign to clampdown on the menace.A survey by the Southern News found that numerous town houses in downtown Bulawayo have been converted into brothels or "lodges", as owners seem to capitalise on the apparently lucrative oldest profession.Also, old and dilapidated flats in the city centre have are open for bookings by sex workers, referred by an MDC lawmaker as "pleasure managers".The survey also unearthed that most old hotels are also capitalising on sex workers by providing "short time" accommodation, with room rates ranging between $5 and $7 per hour, while overnight accommodation is pegged at between $20 and $25.And the rising trend seems to have irked one of the city fathers, who has vowed to leave no stone unturned in addressing the matter.Bulawayo's ward one councillor, Mulandu Ncube, is one of those people waging a difficult war against brothel owners in the central business district, demanding they be ejected from the city.He argues the move is part of efforts to cleanse Zimbabwe's second capital."I live in town and I have watched over the last few years as the number of brothels fast increase and I have received several complaints from residents demanding council to act," Ncube said."I felt it was time something is done because this is not good for us as a city and people," he added.He, however, did not specify the action he will take in ejecting the brothels from the city.The oldest profession continues to thrive in Zimbabwe despite the worrying cases of HIV/Aids pandemic, which is killing an estimated 2 000 people every week.A 2012 Zimbabwe Demographic And Health Survey estimated national HIV prevalence rates at 15 percent, meaning that they estimated 12 percent infection rate for men, and 18 percent for women.However, these numbers are based on data from pregnant women at antenatal clinics, which are notoriously unreliable in estimating nationalHIV prevalence rates, because the subset of the population used, pregnant women, are not statistically representative of the general population.No follow up testing is done if more than 10 percent of samples show a positive result after the initial test.As a result, false positives are not eliminated from the survey results.Zimbabwe continues to suffer a severe socioeconomic and political crisis, including the "brain drain" of Zimbabwe's health care professionals.Elements of a previously well-maintained health care infrastructure are crumbling.Zimbabwe's HIV crisis is exacerbated by chronic food insecurity.Sub-optimal nutrition increases the vulnerability of individuals with compromised immune systems to life-threatening opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis."Of course, our sisters are being forced into prostitution because of the unfriendly economic environment and the continued closure of industries here, but we can't be turning our city into a haven of prostitution."The increase in brothels is a clear sign that it's now a new business in town, which I think is second from the business of churches," Ncube said.Ncube, who is also the MDC youth provincial chairperson, said he has since compiled a report in which he seeks to address the matter with relevant stakeholders.He, however, could not be drawn into revealing where he was going to hand over the document."I am done with the report in which I have compiled the details concerning this fast rising trend. The entire town is almost being turned into a sex haven."As a result, I will be soon presenting it on a relevant forum, as we pave way for necessary steps to be taken," he said.
15 Hindi TV Actresses & The Countries That Search Them The Most On Google
News / National
by Staff reporter
OPPOSITION leader Welshman Ncube, who broke ranks with Morgan Tsvangirai in 2005, has hinted at the possibility of factions that emerged out of the main labour-backed MDC coming together to form a stronger, united party.Speaking during an interview with Skyz Metro FM here last week, the former secretary-general of the then united MDC party, who now leads the smaller MDC formation, said conversations were already in full swing to revert to the original MDC, formed in 1999."The principle of an MDC Alliance implies that the coming together is work in progress. (The) first prize is to see the various components that were once a united MDC coming together," he said."There will continue to be conversations to create a single MDC, trying to put the humpty dumpty together."Hopefully, we will succeed in doing that," Ncube said.Ncube, along with Tsvangirai's then deputy, Gibson Sibanda, led the first split of the MDC in 2005, accusing the former prime minister in the inclusive government of between 2009 and 2013 of being a dictator.In 2014, the party split again, this time with secretary-general Tendai Biti packing his bags, along with other senior party officials, as they also accused Tsvangirai of having dictatorial tendencies.Fears are that the party could split once again, with leaders in the southern part of the country breaking ranks with Tsvangirai over his alleged unilateralism.For long, Thokozani Khupe has been unhappy with being sidelined by Tsvangirai after the MDC leader handpicked Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri to deputise him, along with Khupe.With Tsvangirai going into bed with seven other leaders in the MDC Alliance consummated on August 5 to confront Zanu-PF and its leader, President Robert Mugabe in the 2018 polls, a bloated coalition with three vice presidents or deputy presidents could be in the offing as Tsvangirai tries to accommodate all the influential figures who are part of the pact.In the event that the alliance proceeds to form the next government after the 2018 polls, Khupe, Moyo and Bhebhe could be pushed further down the pecking order to accommodate MDC Alliance principals.In their letter to Tsvangirai, the trio argued that the MDC leader should urgently have dialogue with them as well as the party's membership in the spirit of devolution of power as enshrined in the Constitution."We accordingly implore you to provide the structures with the copies of the alliance agreement coupled with the detailed explanation of the contents of the alliance agreement," reads part of the letter."So stark are the differences in the MDC that they are snubbing party functions and urging the structures in the southern region to snub the weekend rally citing safety concerns, raising fears that the party could disintegrate once more."The former Industry minister in the inclusive government said while they had their own differences as opposition parties, they could not forever live in the past."That we have had disagreements in the past is a matter of public record and the details of those disagreements are equally in the public domain but we cannot be forever be prisoners of history."We need to be able to move forward, we need to address the challenges that confront us as a nation, which demand that we not only learn from the past but unite in order to address the future," he said.Ncube said having worked together on various platforms like the inclusive government and the constitution-making process, among others, was enough to prove they can successfully reunite."The very fact that we have been able to work together during the inclusive government tells me that we have sufficient common ground to work together and more importantly, the fact that we managed to have conversations, which resulted in the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) which now has resulted in the Alliance agreement."I think we are in agreement that we made our mistakes and could have done things differently," Ncube said, while he acknowledged "we now need to do those things differently".However, the respected lawyer said while forming a single MDC was something under serious consideration, the issue of a grand coalition was on top of the agenda at the moment."The alliance is more than the original components of the MDC. It has other players and partners who were not part of the original MDC and deliberately, we are trying to be as broad as possible and as inclusive as possible trying to bring all the parties we believe have something to add to the MDC alliance," he said.Tsvangirai was selected to lead the MDC Alliance on August 5.The pact includes the People's Democratic Party, led by Biti; the MDC led by Ncube; Transform Zimbabwe, headed by Jacob Ngarivhume and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats led by Mathias Guchutu.
The Moto X4 is expected to make its first public appearance at an event in the Philippines as suggested by a promo image posted on Facebook by the company
The Moto X4 will be the next smartphone from the Lenovo-owned company. We have been hearing a lot of leaks and rumours regarding the launch of the new Dual-Camera smartphone. According to new information circulating the internet, the Moto X4 might launch on September 2.
The Moto X4 is expected to make its first public appearance at an event in Philippines as suggested by a promo image posted on Facebook by the company. There is no specific information about the X4 in the promo image. But then it says hellomoto X at the bottom, which indicates that the company might reveal the X4. Previously leaked images were posted on Google+ and suggested that the device may feature a dual-camera setup.
As far as specifications are concerned, the Moto X4 might feature a 5.2-inch Full HD display and run on Qualcomms Snapdragon 630 platform. The rear camera setup might feature a 12MP main shooter with f/2.0 aperture and dual-pixel autofocus paired with an 8MP sensor for clicking ultra-wide pictures.
The leaks suggest that front camera will be a 16MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and 4K video recording capabilities. The handset will come with a 3000mAh battery with support for Turbo Charging technology. The device is also said to offer IP68 water and dust resistance.
Motorola recently announced the Moto G5S and G5S Plus in India. We spent some time with the Moto G5S Plus. You can read our first impressions of the G5S Plus here.
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Design street fair Sept. 9 and 10
Photo by Joy Jin [enlarge] This installation by Ankrom Moisan Architects called CON[TEXT] was part of the 2016 Seattle Design Festival Block Party.
Design in Public and community groups are organizing a street fair to celebrate how design affects our lives Sept. 9 and 10 in Occidental Park at 117 S. Washington St. in Seattle.
The 2017 Seattle Design Festival Block Party will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. It kicks off the festival, which runs Sept. 9-22 at different venues around the city.
The fair lets the design community and the public interact through installations, performances and activities centered around the festival's theme: Design POWER. The festival schedule is at http://designinpublic.org/.
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) The largest container ship ever to reach the U.S. has docked in Virginia.
The French-owned CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Norfolk on Monday from Asia after setting another record as the largest ship ever to traverse the newly expanded Panama Canal.
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News / National
by Staff reporter
ZIMBABWE and South Africa have agreed to establish clinics along major highways to cater for cross border truck drivers within the region so that they can access HIV health related services.South Africa' Health minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said diseases 'know no borders' hence it was key to strengthen health care services to fight the high disease burden in the region.Minister Motsoaledi said this on yesterday in Victoria Falls during the signing ceremony of a five year cooperation agreement which seeks to tackle regional health challenges."We need to put up cross border clinics along the major highways so that cross borders like truck drivers can access HIV services. This is an HIV and AIDs cross border initiative that can help us fight HIV within the region ."The initiative should enable truckers from the region to access health care services at any of these clinics regardless of which country they are from."You are aware that Zimbabwe is the gateway to the rest of Africa in terms of trucking routes so these clinics would ensure that patients get treatment, help them on issues of HIV among other issues," he said.The five-year cooperation agreement which tackles issues of health, research and regulation comes after the lapse of the one that was signed in 2009.Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe' Health and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa concurred the specialised medical care such as having clinics along highways was key in the fight against HIV."South Africa and Zimbabwe are really interlinked in many ways so the health, research and regulation agreement will really go a long way in addressing challenges faced by the two countries and the region."Truck drivers are a key population that are at a greater risk of HIV infection so having clinics along highways will then ensure that services are readily available, " he said.Minister Mostoaledi noted that the agreement's key priority areas were prevention, control, management of communicable diseases and conditions, regulations and access to pharmaceuticals and vaccines."The agreement also seeks to address issues of specialised medical care and health facilities including patients referrals, laboratory, forensic pathology and blood transfusion services. Human resources development and management also."Malaria and Tuberculosis are among other diseases the two countries seeks to collaborate on."There is no way that one country can fight malaria alone because mosquitoes do not need passports to cross from Limpopo to Beitbridge so there is need for the health departments between the two countries to collaborate."Tuberculosis in the mines is a problem and most mines are in South Africa but workers come from the region so we need to find a way that all patients get treatment services in South Africa if we are to end the scourge," added the South African Health Minister.Minister Parirenyatwa also noted that the issue of treatment, management and referral of patients between the two counties was really key especially in TB and HIV.The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing World Health Organisation regional committee for Africa which is underway.At least 40 health ministers are attending the meeting which is being chaired by Minister Parirenyatwa.
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BETHEL, Alaska (AP) The Federal Aviation Administration has called off an Alaska electric cooperative's plan to build a wind turbine near Bethel.
KYUK-AM reports the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative found out on Friday it will not be able to build the turbine off Bethel's BIA road.
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SEATTLE The boatyard at 3201 Fairview Ave. E. has sold for $7 million, according to King Couty records.
The seller was The Boatyard LLC, which acquired the property in 1997 for almost $4.4 million.
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News / National
by Stephen Jakes
KWEKWE Magistrate Livard Phelimon has acquitted eight residents who had been on trial after they were arrested last month and charged with public violence for allegedly protesting against corruption within the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).The eight Kwekwe residents, who were represented by Clifford Chinamatira of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had been on trial since 17 August 2017 after they were arrested by ZRP members on 26 July 2017 and charged with public violence as defined in Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) after they allegedly protested against corruption within the ZRP during a demonstration staged by some Kwekwe commuter omnibus operators in the Midlands province capital.As the commuter omnibus operators' protest was aimed at exposing organised police corruption, the ZRP members reacted violently and attacked some innocent and non-violent civil citizens, including those who were not even part of the protest.However, Magistrate Phelimon this week set free the Kwekwe residents after ruling that the evidence presented in court during trial was not reliable as it all came from some ZRP members when it was common cause that the Kwekwe residents were arrested in connection with a demonstration against alleged corruption allegedly committed by law enforcements agents.In addition, Magistrate Phelimon ruled that the state failed to adduce evidence from an independent and impartial source.First to be acquitted at the at close of the state case on Monday 28 August 2017 were Richard Mapfumo, Progressive Magombedze, Witness Moyo, Munemo Alafios, King Seremwe and Aaron Mutesanwa before Richard Manga and Takudzwa Wellington Ushe were acquitted on Wednesday after a full trial.Only four Kwekwe residents who were charged separately with the eight residents for allegedly participating in an unlawfully gathering as defined in Section 37 of the same Act will stand trial, which commences on 07 September 2017.
Lockheed Martin is closing in on an international deal for F-16 fighter planes, and has offered to eventually build all the jets at a proposed plant in India if it wins a bigger order to supply the Indian Air Force, top Lockheed executive Randall L Howard told Reuters. The US defence firm and Sweden's Saab are in a two-horse race to equip the Indian military with at least 100 single-engine jets that have to be produced locally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make-in-India' programme. Howard, who leads F-16 business development, said Lockheed is offering to make India the sole F-16 production centre, so eventually it will make the planes not just for India, but also for other countries. Lockheed is closing its F-16 production line at Fort Worth in Texas and will supply new orders from a new facility at Greenville, South Carolina. But the plan was to eventually build the planes in India, Howard told Reuters. "Our next customer, which we believe to be very soon ... we will produce those aircraft out of that (Greenville) facility," he said. "As you look beyond that, the opportunity for India is to then move all of that into India and that's what's being proposed ... to have a single production line in India that would service the new production requirements of global demand, the global market." The government is set to issue a formal request to Lockheed and Saab over the next few days to provide information about their plans to design, develop and produce combat jets in India (See: Lockheed, Saab soon to get Indian requests for information) The planes will be produced under a new 'strategic partnership' policy under which the foreign aircraft maker will collaborate with an Indian firm to develop a world-class indigenous aeronautical base that India has struggled to build for decades. Lockheed has picked Tata Advanced Systems as its local partner, while Saab has not yet announced its Indian collaborator to produce the Gripen E aircraft that it has offered to the air force. Howard said the plan to relocate the F-16 plant to India enjoyed the support of the US government after initial concerns it would conflict with President Donald Trump's 'America First' campaign under which he has pressed for companies to invest in the United States and create jobs. Howard said winning the Indian contract worth billions of dollars will protect thousands of jobs at Lockheed in the United States as well as at dozens of components suppliers, since the Indian facility will come up gradually. "We will start with an assembly, you can't go from ground zero, from a standing stop to full production in a week. You have to phase it in," he said. India's Air Force is running short of hundreds of aircraft as its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme is dogged by delays and quality issues. Modi's government last year cleared the purchase of 36 Rafale combat jets from France's Dassault Aviation, scaling back a plan to buy 126 planes, leaving the Air Force scrambling for replacements.
India will be issuing a request for information (RFI) next month to Lockheed Martin for its F-16 Block 70 and Saab for its Gripen E, for manufacturing single-engine fighters in India. The ministry of defence will a RFI to US firm Lockheed Martin and Swedish Saab to produce single-engine fighters in collaboration with a private company in the India, DefenseNews reported Monday. The move is taken to accelerate the Make in India initiative under the strategic partnership model in which the two companies will be asked to submit offers detailing the single-engine fighters' air power capabilities. The submitted offer also has to include ''India-specific technology transfer, domestic solutions for the program and the offer for building an ecosystem for the program in the country,'' said a senior Indian Air force official, according to DefenseNews. ''We have chosen both F-16 Block 70 and Gripen E because both single-engine fighters are fully upgraded, fully tested and are in full use,'' the air force official added. Both Lockheed Martin and Saab will be given three months to respond to the RFI, which will then be evaluated by an IAF expert committee and the final selection will be made early next year, he added. Likewise, an expression of interest, or EOI, will be issued to domestic companies in the next three to four months, which will in turn tie up with overseas original equipment manufacturers to build around 120 single engine fighters, initially costing around $18 billion under the strategic partnership model, a MoD official noted. India's government unveiled the SP policy in May, which allows major private defence companies to be nominated as entities to manufacture major defence platforms in partnership with OEMs. Under this policy, nominated private entities will build submarines, helicopters, single-engine fighters and armoured vehicles and battle tanks in India in the next 20 years. (Also see: Lockheed offers to make India F-16 export hub if it bags IAF order)
The Donegal Democrat has been informed of the following deaths:
- Annie Travers, Laghey
- Peggy Rodgers, Meenacrieve, Annagry
- Ned Coyle, Downings/Glasgow
- Paul Trayers, Sessiaghoneill, Ballybofey
- Jim Price, Binnion Avenue,Letterkenny
- Peter Boyle, Arduns, Gweedore
- Nuala Molloy, Main Street, Killybegs
- Patricia O'Brien, Lower Dunmore, Falcarragh
- John Gavigan, Dundrum and Altnagapple, Ardara
Annie Travers, Laghey
The death has occurred of Annie Travers, nee Gallagher, late of Greagh Barr, Laghey.
Her remains will be reposing at the home from 6pm on Wednesday evening with removal at 7pm to arrive at St. Bridgets Church, Ballintra at 7.30pm.
Funeral Mass on Thursday at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu if desired to Aras Mhic Shuibhne Patients Comfort Fund, c/o any family member or Martin Gallagher funeral director, Laghey, 086 354 7875.
Peggy Rodgers, Meenacrieve, Annagry
The death has taken place in Dungloe District Hospital in her 100th year of Peggy Rodgers, Peggy Briney Sheain, late of Meenacrieve, Annagry.
Removal from Mc Glynns Funeral Home at 6.30pm on Wednesday evening, August 30th going to the Star of the Sea Church, Annagry for 7pm, to repose overnight. Funeral mass on Thursday morning, at 11am with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
Ned Coyle, Downings/Glasgow
The death has occurred of Ned Coyle, formerly of Rapplagh, Downings.
His remains reposing at his brother Michaels residence. Funeral on Thursday morning August 31st, going to the Church of St John the Baptist, Carrigart for Requiem Mass at 11am, followed by interment in Meevagh cemetery. Family time from 11pm to 11am.
Paul Trayers, Sessiaghoneill, Ballybofey
The death has taken place of retired Garda sergeant, Paul Trayers, Sessiaghoneill, Ballybofey and formerly Curragh, Cloonminda, Glenamaddy, County Galway.
Remains reposing at his late residence. Funeral leaving his home at 10.40am on Thursday, August 31st, for requiem Mass at 11am in St. Mary's Church, Sessiaghoneill, with interment afterwards in the adjoining churchyard. Family time from 11pm to 10am and on the morning of the funeral.
Jim Price, Binnion Avenue,Letterkenny
The death has occurred of Jim Price, late of 10 Binnion Avenue, Circular Road, Letterkenny.
Remains reposing at his late residence. Funeral from there on Thursday, August 31st, at 12.15pm, going to St Eunans Cathedral for 1pm funeral mass, followed by interment in New Leck cemetery.
Family time from 11pm to 11am and on the morning of the Funeral. Family flowers only, donations in lieu if desired to the Donegal Hospice c/o any family member.
Peter Boyle, Arduns, Gweedore
The death has taken place of Peter Boyle, Arduns, Gweedore.
Remains reposing at the family home. Funeral Mass in St. Marys Church, Derrybeg on Friday morning, September 1st, at 11am followed by burial in Magheragallen Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu to the Gweedore Day Centre. Rosary both nights at 9pm. House private from 10pm to 10am.
Nuala Molloy, Main Street, Killybegs
The death has occurred of Nuala Molloy, Main Street, Killybegs.
Remains reposing at the residence of her niece Patricia Flaherty. Removal tomorrow Thursday at 6 30pm to St.Mary's Church Killybegs for 7pm. Funeral Mass on Friday at 11am with burial afterwards in the local cemetery. Family time for 11pm to 11am please.
Breedge Montgomery, Tirlaughan, Carrigart
The death has taken place of Breedge Montgomery, Tirlaughan, Carrigart.
Reposing at her late residence. Removal on Thursday, August 31st, to the Church of St John the Baptist for Requiem Mass at 1pm followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. House strictly private please, except to neighbours and friends.
Patricia O'Brien, Lower Dunmore, Falcarragh
The death has taken place in Cregg House, Sligo of Patricia O Brien, daughter of Frank O Brien, Lower Dunmore, Falcarragh.
Her remains arriving at her late residence Lower Dunmore tomorrow, Thursday 31st August at approx 3.30pm.
Funeral mass on Friday, September 1st at 12 noon in St Finans Church, Falcarragh with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
Rosary tomorrow night, Thursday 31st August at 9pm. House private from 11pm and on the morning of the funeral.
Family flowers only please, donations in lieu if desired to Cregg House, Sligo c/o any family member or Carton Funeral Directors, Falcarragh.
John Gavigan, Dundrum and Altnagapple, Ardara
The death has occurred of John Gavigan, Dundrum, Dublin and formerly Altnagapple, Ardara.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated in The Church Of The Holy Family Ardara on Friday morning, 1st September at 10am.
If you wish to have a death notice included here, email us at editorial@donegaldemocrat.com. Please include a telephone number for verification.
It literally takes your breath away when you see a helicopter in the sky over Fort Rucker in Enterprise. The sound. The engineering. The precision. Theres nothing accidental on these aircraft. The Black Hawk, the Apache, the Chinook they are workhorses. Symbols of excellence in so many ways.
A salute to our U.S. Military who put their lives on the line for our freedom. A wave to the American patriotism as these birds are used to protect our troops and this great country from harm. A bow to the United State of America for American ingenuity and the advances it brings to our world, and a gesture of respect to the workers who build and maintain these aircraft with their hands and their hearts.
Thats especially true this Labor Day holiday.
Today is about celebrating workers and the generations of men and women who have moved mountains to get us to this place in history. We want to say thank you because we know it has not always been an easy task. For the typical Alabamian, especially those at Fort Rucker, the goal is simple. Go to work, create an outstanding product, be proud of what you do, come home and take care of your family and loved ones. But everything costs more these days. Its harder to find a career than just a job. Its tougher to take care of your kids when theres so much standing in the way.
Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed.
We applaud you for technological advancements like keeping the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks flying high and mighty in the skies. We are grateful they are serviced right here in the Heart of Dixie. We are honored of the job you do at Fort Rucker and that youve been doing it for decades. Your hands are the ones that are trusted to work on every aircraft the Army flies. Theres something to be said about that statement.
A lot of the employees working at Fort Rucker are second, third or even fourth generation. Their families have had a front row seat to witness progress in the aviation industry. They have provided an undeniable service to the thousands of students who pass through this base each year. We know each other as we attend the same churches, our kids are enrolled in the same school, we all shop at the local grocery stores.
And its not just the mechanics, avionic techs and sheet metal mechanics we have to thank. Support clerks who take care of the records, QDRs, clerical supply personnel who keep the base up and running, test pilots all of you are patriots and deserve more holidays than just Labor Day to commend you for a job well done. Fort Rucker is the prime helicopter training facility in the world for the U.S. Military. Its said that every Army helicopter pilot has stepped on this base at least once in his or her combat boots. Your work has touched the lives of millions of people.
All of this makes the workers at Fort Rucker some of the best examples of what Labor Days truly means. Your dedication is a nod to American ingenuity. Your helicopters are flying symbols of the men and women on the ground who built them, maintained them and made sure its safe for the U.S. Military to fly them. Your achievements are the examples for everyone in this great country to follow.
In Alabama and around the country, many workers and their families will gather today to share a meal and some time together. Thats why this holiday exists to recognize the accomplishments that American workers have made to the advancement of this Country. Its a very small thank you for the very big job that you do.
In Enterprise, proof of those successes can be seen flying overhead as helicopter after helicopter takes off and lands at Fort Rucker. Just look up and youll see the very best of what America has to offer, right here in the Heart of Dixie.
From all of us at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, we wish you and your families a Happy and Safe Labor Day!
The City of Dothan and Houston County have agreed to apply for the 2016 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.
If approved, the city would retain $18,515.23 of the grant funding. A majority of the funds will be used to purchase an illicit drug disposal incinerator and a mobile fingerprint capture device with equipment, software and training. The City of Dothan will be responsible for purchasing and maintaining the equipment on this grant.
At this time we travel to Panama City in order to properly dispose of drug evidence, said Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish. "By us having an incinerator of our own this will save our department time and money. All drugs seized can properly and safely be destroyed here.
The benefits of the department having its own mobile fingerprint system includes expedition of the investigation progress, Parrish said.
During the recent shooting on McKay Street occurred last week, the victim did not have any identification on him, Parrish said. In order to properly identify the victim we had to call in the Federal Bureau of Investigations. With the help of the FBI's mobile fingerprinting device, we were able to find out who the victim was. If we are approved for this grant, in the future we can properly identify suspects and victims ourself.
Houston County would receive $4,921.77 in grant funding, to be used for new equipment for the Houston County Sheriffs Office. The county will be responsible for purchasing and maintaining the equipment on this grant.
If approved, our funds will go towards two additional in-car cameras, said Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza. In-car cameras are a huge benefit to our deputies. It is very important to have permanent documentation. The cameras allow each incident taking place to be documented, which helps to eliminate any questions or concerns.
The application is due by Sept. 5, and notice of application status should be available by October. If approved for the grant, the equipment will be received by both departments by November.
We have been very lucky to receive this grant in the past, Parrish said. If approved, the equipment will benefit both departments tremendously.
News / Press Release
by Obert Chaurura Gutu
Tobaiwa Mudede, the Registrar - General, on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, announced that beginning from Monday, September 4, 2017, his office will roll out a three - month national mobile registration exercise for national identity cards, birth and death certificates in preparation for voter registration. More importantly, the Registrar - General announced that metal national identity cards are being phased out and that only those people with machine - readable plastics IDs will be able to register as voters.The MDC sincerely hopes that this three - month mobile registration exercise shall be equitably distributed throughout the country's urban, rural, peri - urban and commercial farming areas. On numerous occasions, Zimbabweans, particularly those who live in urban areas, have complained about the long delays in queues for voter registration, which state of affairs has unfortunately contributed to voter apathy in these areas. The planned national mobile registration exercise should, thus, be designed in such a manner that no eligible person would fail to obtain the new machine - readable national ID. Millions of Zimbabweans, in both rural and urban areas, are still holding onto their metal national IDs and it is, therefore, incumbent upon the Office of the Registrar - General, to make sure that this exercise is efficiently and effectively rolled out countrywide.It is a notorious fact that Tobaiwa Mudede has previously been linked with allegations of aiding and abetting the Zanu PF regime's vote rigging shenanigans. Perhaps rightly so, Zimbabweans somehow believe that there could be a sinister motive behind the Registrar - General's planned move to roll out the national mobile registration exercise at this juncture. The MDC shall remain vigilant to ensure that Mudede and people of his ilk are not allowed to hoodwink the toiling masses of Zimbabwe by designing and facilitating an election rigging exercise under the guise of a national mobile registration program. The Zanu PF regime, together with Tobaiwa Mudede, cannot be easily trusted. They have a chequered record that makes the majority of the people extremely suspicious about the exact intentions of the planned national mobile registration exercise.We would also like to call upon Zimbabweans, particularly the youth, to make sure that they obtain the new machine - readable national IDs. The 2018 elections offer the suppressed and impoverished masses of Zimbabwe a unique opportunity to boot the insipidly corrupt and hopelessly incompetent Zanu PF regime out of power for good. The future of our great country is firmly in our hands and never again should we allow the renegade and despotic Zanu PF regime, fronted by Robert Mugabe, to usurp our basic and fundamental human rights as well as to loot and plunder our God - given natural resources.MDC: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
Just a few months into his presidency, Donald Trumps historical legacy remains to be written, but innovation is sure to wind up in the lead paragraph: Trump is the first U.S. commander in chief to routinely speak directly to the people via social media.
Pundits will likely argue the pros and cons of that for decades to come, but there is no doubt that communication between the White House and the world has changed forever.
It was inevitable. And in time, its likely to be seen as advancement. It has certainly helped in crises around the world.
In recent years, the social media platform Twitter -- Trumps stream of choice -- has played an important role in dissemination of information in political revolutions in Egypt, Iran and Tunisia.
Theres another edge to that blade; in recent weeks the U.S. Department of Justice came under fire for seeking records of more than a million users from an internet service provider in an attempt to identify people active in a protest against the president.
However, at this moment social media is helping expedite vital assistance, rescue and recovery efforts in Texas, employed by both official workers and ad hoc volunteers such as an initiative dubbed the Cajun Navy because its made up of private citizens with personal watercraft from neighboring Louisiana and other states. Even many stranded residents who still have phone battery power and data access are using a smartphone app called Zello to communicate with rescue workers.
Just how bad the aftermath of Harvey will be remains to be seen, although predictions anticipate that the devastation will exceed that of Hurricane Katrina.
We imagine that without the innovation of social media and smartphone applications, the human toll would be far greater.
Several residents who participated in a recent quality of life survey believe race relations in Dothan can improve and noted the citys government should be a catalyst in the changes.
Almost 54 percent of the more than 900 people surveyed by Troy University earlier this year affirmed a notion that the Dothan city government should make greater efforts to improve race relations among citizens. A full 17 percent strongly agreed with the sentiment.
Some city commissioners had various ideas on how the local government could approach the issue, citing education, customer service and more efforts to build relationships across the city.
Kevin Dorsey, commissioner for District 1, emphasized improved customer service could bridge the gaps between racial experiences the study revealed.
I think we need to explore in the customer service part because whats going on in the world we live in now, everythings based off reviews, he said. Before you go to a restaurant, you sit in the parking lot. You want to see how many stars it got. You want to see the reviews. I think moreso now, in this new millennium, thats big.
District 3 Albert Kirkland said he believes efforts through education could address some problems.
Education is going to be a big part of it: keeping the kids in school get an education, he said. Not everyone is going to college, so our technical schools and all that need to be pumped up. A mechanic can make $80,000 a year if hes certified.
District 5 Commissioner Beth Kenward suggested city officials must visit other districts to get a good pulse of what is happening in Dothan and lead by example.
We in leadership can be more public about getting out of our own bubble, she said. I dont spend all my time in District 5. I really try to get into other neighborhoods and other districts, just being able to cross-promote things from all different communities.
For us to be able to be out in support, whether its a minority charity or anything like that, I think thats a positive. For us to do things that are maybe out of our comfort zone is setting a really good example for our community.
Kenward said the Blueprint Dothan organization created last year serves as a prime example. The group of community leaders and residents were tasked to create plans for bettering the city, and a redesign of the Dothan Police Departments website resulted as the first major product. The website provides information about the DPDs community interaction programs and greater access to the department, improving communication.
That was one of the primary goals was to be able to improve race relations and be able to talk honestly without Facebook getting in the way, she said. (It) really taught us a lot about one another because it was people from all different socioeconomic backgrounds, all different levels of leadership in the city, different races, different religions even, so thats one step in the right direction.
The quality of life study, unveiled earlier this month, presented mixed results in terms of race relations and its impact on quality of life in Dothan.
About 60 percent of the 911 residents who responded to the question believe that race relations in the city are good, excellent, or outstanding. Furthermore, about half of the residents believe whites and minorities have equal chances of getting a job for which they are qualified, while 27.2 percent neither agreed nor disagreed with the sentiment.
In contrast, only 41 percent of survey respondents believed prejudice against minorities has decreased in the last generation. More than half also believed more efforts can be taken to improve the issues, including the 53.9 percent that believe the citys government can take additional steps to address racial problems.
Dale County Commissioner Steve McKinnon has a new mission getting all 67 Alabama counties to speak with one voice.
McKinnon was recently elected the 2017-2018 president of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, a statewide association representing the states county governments.
The commissioner said his role is helping the counties form a consensus about issues facing them, and acting to forward their shared interests in the Legislature. The ACCA has been a powerful advocate for county governments, helping them promote legislation beneficial to counties and getting legislators to reconsider potentially harmful legislation.
It puts me in a position to help all the counties, McKinnon said.
An example of the commissions positive influence was the passage of a bill in the Legislature that automatically re-enrolled county jail inmates in Medicaid once they are released from prison, he said.
When Medicaid recipients are in the county jail, the responsibility for their medical treatment shifts from Medicaid to the county. In the past, when inmates were released, they had to go through a lengthy process to re-enroll.
This led to many inmates who went to jail because of behavior related to mental health issues not getting the medication they needed to remain stable, resulting in them returning to jail, McKinnon said. Because their access to needed medication is now seamless between jail and the outside, these individuals are less likely to reoffend.
The agenda for the association for the coming year has yet to be determined, but McKinnon thinks further efforts to secure funding for road maintenance are likely.
Its rare that county commissioners from the southern part of the state are elected president of the association, McKinnon said, adding that the last president from this part of the state was Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver, who served more than a decade ago.
Prior to being unanimously elected as ACCAs President, McKinnon served as ACCA Vice President and as an active member of various Association committees, including the Finance and Taxation Steering Committee and the Nominating Committee.
McKinnon was appointed to the Dale County Commission in 2009. He was re-elected in 2010, 2012 and 2016.
This disaster has really hit me hard, said Dothan Salvation Army Capt. Chris Bryant, referring to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on southeast Texas. Thats not surprising; Bryant served in Texas before being transferred to the Wiregrass area.
These are people I know. The pictures they are posted on social media, well they just dont do this justice. The rainfall has already reached more than 52 inches, and during Hurricane Katrina the amount of rainfall was around 25 inches. It is just heartbreaking.
Since last Friday, thousands of Texas residents have and will continue to suffer from the damage of Hurricane Harvey. However with the help of several agencies like the Salvation Army, those affected will not be forgotten.
At this time the Salvation Army has rolled out more than 72 emergency vehicle units, said Bryant. More units are scheduled, as well as more volunteers. Right now we have hundreds of volunteers and representatives with the Salvation Army from all over, in the water and on the ground searching for victims that need to be rescued. I am currently waiting on my orders to go, and I feel very sure volunteers from our location will be called during the next few weeks or so. We, like other Salvation Army locations, are dedicated to helping those who need a hand up, and that is what these people need. They need our help.
All focus has been turned to rescuing those stranded due to Hurricane Harvey, Bryant said.
So many individuals want to donate items to help, and that is great, Bryant said. However at this time, there are no designated areas for the items to be stored. That is why for those who want to help our friends in Texas and Louisiana the best thing that can be done at this time is to make a monetary donation to a local charity. Those charities will in turn help the victims once the rescues are completed. There is no way to deliver any items right now; the interstate has been shut down.
Monetary donations made through the Salvation Army will serve two purposes.
The funds that are donated to us will not only be used to help the victims affected by the devastation from Hurricane Harvey, but the items purchased to help the victims will come from their area. This not only helps the victims, but it helps that areas economy.
According to Bryant, the Salvation Army has volunteers and representatives all over the state of Texas and a portion of those individuals will travel to Louisiana. Those in the disaster areas will provide meals to thousands and help in any way possible.
We do more than just provide meals during a disaster, Bryant said. This disaster situation is not something that will be fixed in a week or a month. It will take years before the victims recover from this devastation and we are going to help anyway we can.
Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation to the Salvation Army may do so by visiting helpsalvationarmy.org.
Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in Wiregrass Pride, a special print edition of the Dothan Eagle, Aug. 25, 2017
As healthcare evolves, planning for technology that doesnt even exist can be a challenge.
But when a new medical complex on the Health Center South campus opens in 2018, the plan is for the building to provide all the capability doctors may need for decades to come.
As we see the changes happening in Dothans community as well as the medical world, I think were excited to be able to be part of trying to raise the bar for healthcare in our community, said Dr. Sebastian Heersink, the managing partner for Health Center Development LLC. The plan is to be synergistic with the hospital system and practices there. Its not intended to be anything other than making patient care better.
The $25-million complex broke ground in May and was conceived by Heersink and his father, Dr. Marnix Heersink. While the new facility is separate from Eye Center South, the state-of-the-art medical complex is a forward-thinking approach the Heersinks have become known for.
Where most of us live in the three- to five-year plan, they live in the 15- to 20-year plan, said Diane Jasperse, the Eye Center South administrator.
When Dr. Marnix Heersink completed his residency in ophthalmology in Philadelphia, he brought his surgical skills to Dothan. The region wasnt exactly known for the latest advancements in cataract and eye surgery techniques. He and Dr. John Fortin opened an ophthalmology practice in 1980 in downtown Dothan. They moved the practice in 1982 to a building at the intersection of Fortner Street and Ross Clark Circle a building constructed in 1974 as an interior decorating business. A small outpatient surgical center was added to Eye Center South in 1984.
Since then, Eye Center South has been renovated five times and the surgical center has been expanded from two to eight operating rooms. A renovation completed in 2009 enlarged the building and gave it a new look designed by a Dutch architect, a nod to the Heersinks ancestry.
Another renovation in 2016 increased the number of operating rooms from six to eight. Theres also another four operating rooms ready to come online once the demand is there and the state approves their use. Beyond that, the surgery center, now called Surgery Center South, has capacity for up to 18 operating rooms.
Surgery Center South is used for more than just eye surgeries and by doctors from outside the Eye Center South practice. The surgical center is also used for colonoscopies, endoscopies, plastic surgery and other outpatient procedures.
Eye Center Souths growth hasnt been restricted to Dothan, according to Jasperse. The practice now has offices in Andalusia as well as Panama City, Destin and Tallahassee, Florida, and Albany, Georgia.
Through partnerships with other medical specialists, Eye Center South also offers services in plastic surgery, dermatology and hearing loss. The practice even leases space to other providers not affiliated with Eye Center South the Southern Institute of Dermatology, the Southern Institute of Plastic Surgery and Spa Novus.
While it may get confusing, this multi-specialty approach is necessary as healthcare evolves, both Jasperse and Sebastian Heersink said.
Theres a lot of consolidation in medical practices, Jasperse said. Ophthalmology, for one, has always been very fragmented. However, if you look across the country right now you will see there are a lot of practices coming together hoping to get the economies of scale and the efficiencies of being in a bigger group.
Sebastian Heersink said changes in medicine and in technology have been dramatic even in just the last six years since he returned to Dothan. Eye Center South, he said, participates in clinical trials for new equipment and has always worked to keep up with advancements.
Were excited to be a part of that progress in medicine, he said. What we do today is unrecognizable compared to what they did 25 years ago.
But the Baby Boomer population is aging and there are always concerns about having enough doctors to provide the services needed. As older doctors start to slow down, having younger doctors to fill the void is important, Heersink said. When it comes to recruiting doctors, Dothan is competing with every other community in the country.
That, Heersink said, is where a state-of-the-art facility could make a difference.
It all comes back to patient outcomes and patient care with all the stuff that we do, Heersink said. We want to give patients and also surgeons the best experience and the best environment that we possibly can to make the overall experience even better.
The new building under construction on the Health Center South campus will be considered Class A medical office space, which means it will be top of the line in everything from the fastest fiber optic internet to energy efficiencies. It will even have a Tesla charging station. And it will be modeled after the same Dutch architecture of the current building. In other words, the facility will make an impression.
With as much as 140,000 rentable square feet, Jasperse expects the new complex will likely house 12 to 14 different practices. Areas of shared space and equipment such as an MRI that can be used across specialties will help doctors keep their expenses down.
Its a long-term investment, but one Heersink said is needed for the community and patients.
We dont even know what the technology is going be used for, but we want to have the infrastructure to support whatever it ends up being, Heersink said. The exciting part is we dont know what the futures going to be, but we get to be a part of not just living it but helping, hopefully, to shape it a little bit.
The idea is the doctors who lease space in the new medical complex will use Surgery Center South, creating a more seamless transition from clinic space to surgical space and where they will have a team of nurses, nurse anesthetists and technicians to work with them.
Nobody is successful individually as a physician, Heersink said. It takes a whole team to get those optimal patient outcomes. Just because we have great technology, if we dont have the team who knows how to set up, use it and make it run, it doesnt help. Were trying to make it so the surgeons who use the center dont have to worry about having a quality team.
Some of the advancements adopted on the Health Center South campus are small details surgical equipment attached to ceilings rather than rolled around on carts and high definition monitors for more precise viewing during procedures. But those small details like a Tesla charging station can have big impact.
It shows the outside world that were committed to bringing new and better things to the area, Heersink said. Its a small thing, but its a signal that were trying to be as progressive as we can. Small things like that show that were trying to raise the bar. Were stepping out and standing tall and trying to be the best we can be.
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"There is no doubt that the elections are going to take place in the first half of next year. Time is, therefore, of essence if we are going to put in place mechanisms that will help us win the election," the ruling party's secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo told officials at a one-day workshop on voter education and voter registration held at their headquarters last weekend."And for us as Zanu-PF, there is no other option, but to win this election by a margin that leaves no doubt that we are the dominant political party in this country."With not even one democratic reform in place there is nothing to stop Zanu PF rigging next year's elections. Nothing! As for whether the regime hold the election in the first half of next year or latter; it is all academic. Zimbabwe could have had free and fair elections if the reforms had been implemented, voter registration started promptly soon after the last elections, etc. On the other hand, Zimbabwe will still fail to release a verifiable voters' roll, etc. even if elections are held late next year."They think they are taking the opposition by surprise but then, they're fooling themselves," was the wishful response from MDC-T spokesman, Obert Gutu."The MDC Alliance is now on board and we are on a roll. In fact, more opposition political parties will very soon be coming on board. Zanu-PF is finished; they are like a dead man walking," Gutu told the Daily News.Everyone who is anyone agrees that Zanu PF rigged the July 2013 elections. Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were warned by SADC leaders not to contest the elections with no reforms because Zanu PF was set to rig the vote."If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!" SADC leaders warned MDC leaders in June 2013; according to Dr Ibbo Mandaza, who was there.It was only after Zanu PF had rigged the elections that Tsvangirai & co. acknowledged their folly and, to make amends, vowed not to contest any future elections until the reforms are implemented. Mugabe knew the opposition were just paying lip-service to boycotting elections; the tyrant knew MDC sold-out on implementing reforms during the GNU and he knew they would do so again.When Zanu PF refused to implement even one token democratic reforms, it was a rea killer-punch to Tsvangirai and friends given their "No reform. No election!" party resolution. But by offering a few gravy train seats to any opposition candidates who contest the elections regardless the lack of reforms, Mugabe knew Tsvangirai and friends will contest the elections.Everyone in the know knows that without reforms Zanu PF will rig next year's elections with or without an opposition grand coalition."We are also acutely aware of the fact that this vapid and rabid regime is arm-twisting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) so that they help the regime to rig the election," continued Obert Gutu."We have gathered intelligence to the effect that the Zanu-PF regime might actually want to abandon the BVR (biometric voter registration) process."How naive can one be! Unreformed ZEC is in all but name a department of Zanu PF committed, above all, to ensure there is no regime change.Zanu PF has dragged the process of buying the BVR kits and now with less than a year to voting day, the voter registration has not even started. There is no doubt the regime has no intention of releasing a verifiable voters' roll for next year's elections. The regime stubbornly refused to release a verifiable voters' roll at least one month before voting day as is required by law and has refuse to do so to this day. The voters' roll was the smoking gun to many Zanu PF vote rigging activities in the 2013 elections. History is set to repeat itself."If we go into elections next year, we are going to lose; the elections are done!" to paraphrase SADC leaders' June 2013 warning.Ever since the country attained her independence Zanu PF has rigged all the past elections. After 37 years of rigged elections it is insane to contest the flawed elections and expect a different result. There is no excuse for anyone to participate in any way in next year's flawed elections; by participating people give the process the modicum of credibility.Both Zanu PF and MDC, Baal's army of priests, are determined to see next year's election go ahead with no reforms. The challenge is to make sure every Zimbabweans knows that the elections will, once again, be rigged and they should have nothing to do with the process other than continue their demand for reforms to be implemented first.SADC leaders are certain to reject next year's flawed elections as a shame and loud demands for reforms before the elections will confirm to all the ordinary people did not approve of the illegal elections.If the elections go ahead with no reforms in place and the elections are rigged; the political and economic consequences of such an outcome will be disastrous for the nation. This time we will not leave one single stone unturned in seeking out those who dragged the nation into these flawed elections; the prophet Elijah had Baal priests killed, we must make sure their political careers is terminated."Zanu PF is finished!" boasted Obert Gutu, ignoring the warning of yet another rigged election. Well, if Zanu PF is NOT finished, you and your opposition friends will be!
Honda is set to join the electric car ranks, confirming it will display a battery-powered concept car at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show alongside the European debut of the CR-V Hybrid.
The Japanese car maker has released few details of the vehicle, other than confirming it will be called the Honda Urban EV Concept and issuing a single image of its digital instrument cluster in the midst of a charge cycle.
Key to the new vehicles size is the use of the term urban, pointing to a compact vehicle suited to the narrow streets of European cities.
Joining it at Frankfurt will be the CR-V Hybrid Prototype, and although Honda has been equally cagey with its first image, showing little more than a hybrid badge mounted to the front guard, a version of the CR-V Hybrid has been previously unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year.
European buyers will also be able to check out a diesel-powered version of the Civic hatch, however it, plus the CR-V Hybrid, are unlikely to make their way Down Under due to Hondas lack of success with both powertrain systems previously.
- For more information visit our Honda showroom
Mini has previewed its plans for an all-electric version of its modern-day Cooper hardtop with the unveiling of the new Mini Electric Concept.
Set to get a public airing at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show, the compact new two-door is said by Mini to offer a window into how pure-electric, day-to-day mobility might look in the years ahead.
Combining many of the classic Mini design elements and proportions used by the third-generation of the modern-day Cooper hardtop together with newly developed cues conceived around the new four-seaters battery propelled driveline and the optimization of its aerodynamic properties, the Mini Electric Concept is meant to provide the first tacit clues to the size and appearance of the BMW Group owned car makers first series production electric car due out in 2019.
The systematic electrification of the brand and product portfolio is a mainstay of the BMW Groups Number One Next strategy, said BMW chairman, Harald Kruger, adding, The Mini Electric Concept offers a preview of the all-electric production vehicle.
Kruger, who has also announced plans for an electric version of the BMW X3 as part of a program that will see the BMW Group electrify exiting models alongside its offerings from its dedicated i electric car brand, hints at larger electric car plans for the Mini brand in coming years, saying, Mini and electrification make a perfect match.
Billing its latest concept car as a pure design exercise, Mini has released no details to the Mini Electric Concepts driveline, power output, battery capacity or chassis set-up, saying only, The responsive drive system, sublimely judged suspension tuning and use of aerodynamic add-ons produce driving dynamics very much in the Mini mould and a fine operating range. It all comes together to make the MINI Electric Concept a highly attractive, zero-emission solution to the current challenges facing personal mobility in our cities and their surroundings.
However, officials from the traditional British car maker suggest the production version of the new car will borrow electric drive technology from the newly facelifted BMW i3, with a front-mounted electric motor providing direct drive to the front wheels and a lithium ion battery pack mounted within its centre tunnel and underneath the rear seat in the place taken up by the fuel tank on combustion engine versions of the Cooper hardtop.
Further details remain scarce, though Drive has been told to expect an overall range in the region of the 94Ah version of the rear-wheel drive i3, which delivers a claimed 300km range between recharging on the current European test cycle.
The Mini Electric Concept is not the first time Mini has dabbled in electric car development. It unveiled the Mini E in 2008 as part of an extensive global test program aimed at evaluating technology and gaining driving data in the run up to the establishment of BMWs i brand. Fitted with a 150kW electric motor and large 35kWh lithium ion battery, some 600 Mini Es were deployed in selected cities within China, France, Germany, England and the United States on a lease program that ended in 2011.
Knowledge gained in the development and running of the Mini E fleet was then subsequently used in the conception of the later BMW 1-Series ActiveE.
Mini also recently launched the Cooper S E Countryman All4 a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid fitted with the same driveline as the BMW 225xe capable of offering zero emission running on electric power for short distances.
The Mini Electric Concept retains many of the Cooper hatchbacks traditional design cues, including a blanked off version of its hexagonal-shaped grille, round headlamps, upright glasshouse, floating roof and hatchback style rear end. They are combined with new elements Mini says have been conceived to smooth airflow and improve its aerodynamic properties, including a new front bumper assembly, more heavily flared front wheel houses and complex sills underneath the doors featuring an air breather within its leading section and a winged element at the rear ahead of the rear wheel houses.
The Mini Electric Concept is a quintessential Mini compact, agile, simply the ideal companion for everyday driving, said Adrian van Hooydonk, the BMW Groups Senior Vice-President of Design. At the same time, it conveys a whole new take on the concept of sportiness. Indeed, aerodynamics and lightweight design arent just important in the world of motor sport; they are also essential factors for maximising electric range.
The cars surfaces have a sense of precision and contemporary clarity about them that lends added impact to the cars efficient character. Plus, striking accents and vivid contrasts give the exterior that distinctive MINI twist.
Although BMWs i brand has invested heavily in carbon-fibre production for its i3 and i8, the Mini Electric Concepts body incorporates cheaper glass fibre within its new aerodynamic elements. Riding on 19-inch wheels, its exterior also uses components created via 3D printing in a move van Hooydonk believes could open up a new market for customisation.
For more information, visit our Mini showroom.
The leader of Volkswagen's wolf pack is making a return.
The German carmaker has announced a second-run of 250 Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg editions after the success of the first release at the start of 2017.
Pricing for the special edition wagon remains at $54,990 before on-road costs.
This time around, the Wolfsburg special edition will feature updated tech such as a 9.2-inch infotainment screen with gesture control, electric adjustment for the front seats with memory functions, two Apple compatible USB ports and manoeuvre braking which is emergency braking in drive and reverse at speeds between 1.5-10km/h.
These features build on the Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg's list of standard equipment which includes 19-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather upholstery, LED daytime running lights, auto tailgate, adaptive chassis control and Wolfsburg badging among others.
In a nice surprise, only two options are available, a $2000 panoramic sunroof and a $700 blue or grey metallic paint.
Power for the Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg edition comes from the brand's 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine that is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic which delivers power to all four wheels.
Volkswagen claims a boot space of 650L in normal configuration or 1780L with the back seats folded down.
For all the latest Volkswagen information, visit our showroom.
Louth hoteliers have expressed serious concern about the significant drop in British visitors during the first seven months of the year.
The latest CSO figures announced yesterday show a decrease of 6.2% in trips from our largest market compared to the same period last year.
Martin Daly, Chair of the Louth branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), said the recent recovery in tourism is now under threat as a result of Brexit, with fewer people from Britain visiting Ireland due to the significant drop in the value of Sterling and increased economic uncertainty.
He notes that Ireland is extremely reliant on visitors from Britain, which accounts for over 40% of overseas visitors.
'Tourism in Louth in particular relies heavily on the UK market, so any fall off in numbers gives cause for serious concern.
'While the drop in visitors from Britain has been offset by increases in other markets, such as North America and the rest of Europe, we are seeing a significant slowdown in tourism growth so far this year.
'An additional concern is a weakening in visitor numbers from Northern Ireland that is also occurring. These are worrying trends both for the national tourism industry and our local economy.'
So far this year visitors from the rest of Europe are up 4.3% while visitors from North America are up 17.4%, resulting in an overall increase in overseas visitors of 3.1% compared to 12.7% for the same period last year.
'Tourism has received a welcome uplift in recent years which is being felt on the ground here in Louth, where it is a major contributor to our economy, generating 56 million and supporting 2,600 jobs.
'However, we cannot afford to take this recovery for granted.'
Mr Daly says the growth has been underpinned a number of direct actions from the Government, including the 9% tourism VAT rate and the zero rate travel tax.
He states that the tourism VAT rate in particular has been of vital importance to the industry.
'It has brought our VAT rate into line with other European destinations with which we compete and continues to deliver enormous benefits to the exchequer by making us more attractive as a tourism destination,' he says.
While Mr Daly says that hoteliers in Louth are optimistic about the potential for continued growth that tourism can bring to the local economy, he states the industry has some pressing challenges which underline the fragility of the sectors recovery.
'As the latest figures show, there is no denying that our industry faces significant risks associated with Brexit. Unfortunately regional tourism is likely to be hit hardest as the UK market has the widest regional seasonal spread of visitors.
'We are calling on the Government to take the necessary steps to protect Irish tourism and to avoid any changes in policy that would weaken our sectors ability to deal with these risks.
'The 9% VAT rate for tourism accommodation, in particular, is vital in underpinning and sustaining the continued growth of the sector.
'The cuts to tourism marketing funding and product development during the downturn should also be reversed.
'Current low levels of investment cannot be sustained without putting our tourism brand at risk and limiting the capacity of Irish tourism to achieve sustainable growth.'
'A substantial increase in marketing support is required to shore up our UK market and further diversify into key growth markets such as continental Europe and North America.
'This should be aligned with a greater drive to attract more visitors to the regions and to extend the tourism season', he concluded.
Brisbane will soon boast a new co-working space with the launch of The Cove in Newstead at the end of September. According to owner and director Courtney Norris, the experience has been designed to encourage creatives to be brave in business while eliminating their Monday blues.
Norris told Dynamic Business that Brisbane has always boasted creative, innovative and business-minded individuals but that previously, many have had to move abroad or head interstate to nurture their ideas and successfully grow their businesses. Fortunately, she explained, times have changed: Brisbanes business landscape has evolved, with more capital available to local talent to encourage them to keep their roots firmly here, including initiatives run through the Brisbane City Council to assist startups with funding.
Nevertheless, Norris said Brisbanes co-working offerings havent been geared towards startup founders and other business owners who dont want a standard corporate space and who not only have an eye for functionality and design but want a cool space where they can be surrounded by their peers and host clients for after-work functions. She added, I could see there was a need in Brisbane for a more boutique, premium co-working space with the services of a great hotel and thats how the idea for The Cove was hatched!
Since the launch of its website and social media presence, Norris said The Cove, which can accommodate 55 individuals, has enjoyed healthy interest especially from within the creative industries due to the design of the environment, which has a professional-space-meets-private-club feel. She points out, however, that no industry is favoured over another.
I dont want to be pigeonholed, she explained. We want entrepreneurs from different industries to join our community because they can see the genuine business benefits of our co-working offering. Were in discussions with a number of people in Finance, Accounting, Law, Medicine and other service orientated industries, and were taking Letters of Intent from interested parties who wish to have first option for a specific office or desk, so it is first in best dressed! From my experience, the diversity of fields that will be represented amongst our members will add to our success and provide opportunities for members to work together organically.
Norris said The Cove will offer its members a range of services, including access to accounting and legal advice as well as IT support, business concierge (e.g. office services, travel arrangements and event planning) and a mentorship program featuring a curated group of successful business leaders who will be revealed at the official opening of The Cove.
Members will also be able to participate in a wellness program, which Norris said is vital to the overall offering at The Cove. She explained, I have attended numerous leadership conferences and it is evident that finding the right balance between work and well-being is a struggle for any individual but particularly startups and small business operators. We are mindful of the important role that wellness practices can play in the success of a business when theyre incorporated into an entrepreneurs everyday life. Sleep deprivation, poor eating, high stress levels can defeat the smartest and brightest. Our wellness program will encompass, mediation, exercise, nutrition and beyond! Our first weekly wellness events will be COVE X ELEVEN ROOFTOP, where we have teamed together with this leading Brisbanes open-air venue and local fitness providers for wellness activities at sunrise.
Asked what sort of culture she is hoping to nurture at The Cove, Norris replied: One that stimulates our members to be brave in their business decisions and to seek out opportunities to work together. I want this space to inspire our members and eliminate Monday blues!
- T. S. Eliot
Thoughts After Lambeth
"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
Your Guide To The Latest Samsung Gear
Here's Everything You Need To Know About Samsung's Latest Gear
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
Samsung is finally back with a new Note. Go ahead and make all the exploding battery jokes you want, but theres a reason Samsung emerged from last years scandal relatively unscathed. Yes, they handled it the way all companies should handle PR disasters - by owning up to it, initiating a recall, and offering discounts to affected owners - but, they also had a solid line of products to sustain them while they dealt with a monumental screw-up.
Year by year, Samsung has refined their products, making incremental improvements and learning from their mistakes. Now in 2017, Samsung has one of the most exciting product lineups of any tech manufacturer. And it goes well beyond their phones, which are arguably the best on the market. Samsung has built an ecosystem of supplementary gadgets that expand the functionality of these core devices in unique ways - from fitness tracking to VR-gaming to 360 video. Heres your guide to 2017s Samsung offerings.
Galaxy Note 8
Note fans rejoice! The Note 8 is here. It features the Cadillac of screens with its 6.3 Infinity Display and the trademark S-Pen that inspires its cult-like devotion. The S-Pen lets you send live messages, take notes from the lock screen, and quickly create GIFs or translate text. The Note 8 also boasts dual 12MP rear cameras (a telephoto and a wide angle) that both benefit from OIS and can take simultaneous photos. Like all of Samsungs newer phones, the Note 8 is IP68 water and dustproof (also includes the S-Pen) and has an expandable memory slot if the default 64GB isnt enough for you. If the smaller 3300mAh battery avoids the explosive qualities the Note 7s had, this should be one of the best phablets, if not the best, on the market - dedicated Bixby button notwithstanding.
$929.99 at Samsung.com
Galaxy S8 / S8+
No matter how many cool features you pack into the Note 8, itll still be too big for some users. Luckily, Samsung released a fantastic set of smartphones earlier this year with the S8 and S8+ that feature plenty of overlap with the Note 8. The Infinity Display looks stunning on both of these phones, offering much more screen real estate than on comparably-sized devices like the iPhone 7. And if screen size is your dealbreaker - the S8+ is only 0.1 smaller than the Note 8. Both models feature Samsungs jaw-dropping camera, which has a ton of DSLR-style features, gets great low-light pictures with its f1.7 lens and shoots 4K video like its nothing. About the only thing to complain about with the S8 line is that physical Bixby button Samsungs dedicated to and a poorly placed rear fingerprint scanner. But those complaints havent stopped this phone from being one of the most highly-recommended of 2017.
Galaxy S8 is $629.94 at Amazon.com
Galaxy S8+ is $674.99 at Amazon.com
Gear 360
This years update to Samsungs 360-degree camera has a lot to like. For starters, its a little lighter and doesnt require its own tripod anymore since the bodys been redesigned to stand up by itself, however users can still attach the base to a tripod or a mount for precise shooting. Against all logic, Samsung lowered the specs on this camera, and somehow made the stitching more accurate and the videos higher-res - which just reconfirms that megapixel count does not guarantee a good image. This years Gear 360 also ditches NFC - which is bound to annoy some, but honestly, Bluetooth and wi-fi should cover most of your needs and the new USB-C port on the camera lets you use your phone to top it up if you start to run low on battery. Stream live content in 4K or get those sweet panoramics or Tiny Planet shots everyone seems to love and give your vacation photos the extra wow factor.
$174.00 at Amazon.com
Gear VR w/Controller
Despite years of development, VR is still very much in its nascent phase, but Samsung has made some strides towards its maturity with this years Gear VR headset. Still very much a VR-lite system, this version now comes with a handheld controller that makes navigating in a virtual world much easier. Wearing it for long periods of gaming or binge-watching is doable thanks to a ton of foam padding that makes the headset pretty comfortable. It works with most Samsung devices going back to the S6 line and the Note5 and has a handy port adapter so both Micro USB and USB Type-C devices can plug in. It can still be a cumbersome thing to set up, especially the first few times, but if youre interested in dabbling into the world of VR, Samsung provides a nice, easy entry point.
$99.99 at Amazon.com
DeX
One of the more exciting things Samsung did this year was to develop the DeX workstation, an ingenious solution for turning your powerful smartphone into a PC-like workplace. Writing emails, formatting text or multitasking on a smartphone - even one with a massive display - is taxing to say the least. With DeX, you can just drop your phone into a dock, connect a monitor, keyboard and mouse and start using your apps on a desktop interface. The majority of your apps, including Microsoft Office and Googles apps will work in DeX mode.
$94.99 at Amazon.com
Gear S3 Classic Watch
The Apple Watch may get all the glory, but Samsungs no slouch in the precarious world of smartwatches. One huge thing Samsungs wearable has going for it is that it looks and feels like a traditional watch. Its bezel works wonderfully as an intuitive input device, which makes navigating menus a breeze. And unlike Apple, the S3 smartwatch uses standard 22mm watch straps, giving you far more choice when it comes to swapping out your band. Feature-wise, it has everything youd expect - GPS, a heart-rate monitor, accelerometer, a super AMOLED always-on display, Samsung pay, wireless charging and IP68 water and dustproofing. No one has designed the perfect smartwatch yet, but Samsungs definitely come the closest.
299.99 at Amazon.com
Gear S3 Frontier Watch
The main difference between this watch and the Classic is that the Gear S3 Frontier has LTE connectivity, so it doesnt require a separate phone to drive it. This means you can make calls, send texts and pay for things using just the S3 as long as its connected to a data plan. The Frontier also has wider knurled ridges on the bezel and a silicone strap that gives it a more rugged vibe. Besides those distinctions, the Frontier and the Classic are nearly identical. Both have the same 380mAh battery, super AMOLED screen, and run a much-improved version of Tizen OS.
$327.93 at Amazon.com
Samsung Wireless Fast Charge Convertible Stand
Wireless charging capabilities is pretty much a minimum requirement for smartphones being manufactured post-2017 (right, Apple?). But not all charging pads are created the same. Lots of third party charging pads can take forever to get the job done. Thats why youre better off going with an OEM in this case. With Samsungs Wireless Fast Charge Convertible Stand works up to 1.4x faster and you can alternate between a stand and pad positions, making it easier to use your phone while it charges. And, you can use it for any Qi-compatible devices, which is most mobile devices. The leather-like material its bound in also gives it a more premium feel than its non-convertible alternatives.
$51.99 at Amazon.com
Galaxy S-View Flip Cover
As beautiful as they are naked, you definitely want a case or cover for your Note or S8 phones. Theyre mostly glass and they will crack, chip or break if you drop it. And thats fine - these devices dont sell for their durability, but all the same, youll want a little insurance against the clumsiness that befalls us all from time to time. The S-View Flip Cover does everything you need a case to do. It protects the glass front and back, has a built-in kickstand which youll be grateful for on your next long-haul flight, and lets you interact and see the front display through the case itself.
Galaxy Note 8 Flip Cover available for $59.99 at Samsung.com
Galaxy S8 Flip Cover with kickstand available for $28.76 at Amazon.com
Galaxy S8+ Flip Cover with kickstand available for $29.85 at Amazon.com
Samsung's EVO microSD Memory Card
256 GB available for $179.99 at Amazon.com
Expandable storage has been one of Samsungs most-beloved features in their Galaxy line of devices (with the exception of the S6). And that makes sense, 64GB isnt very much internal storage - not when gaming apps can run several gigs on their own and your phone has a camera that shoots 4K video. No, youre definitely going to want a microSD card to avoid having to erase media off your phone. And this ultra high-speed 256GB card adds 4x the storage to your device while being fast enough to shoot 4K footage with. Youll also get a handy adapter so you can fire up the microSD card into your computers standard SD card slot for effortless file transfers.
64 GB available for $27.84 at Amazon.com
128 GB available for $58.00 at Amazon.com
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How To Choose The Best Condom
How To Choose The Best Condoms For You
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
Condoms are generally ruled as a necessary evil. While they protect us from the dangers of STIs - or a male yeast infection - and help with pregnancy prevention, they also mute a large part of the sensations that make intercourse so great. Hence, the age-old dilemma.
For many, sex with condoms has been accurately likened to showering with a raincoat on. Sure, sensations arent totally blocked, but theyre certainly reduced. As a result, many chose to forego preventative measures by foolishly opting to go in naked, and as most know, the risks include winding up with a surprise baby or an incurable disease.
Although we can understand (weve all been there), the facts point to using protection as the best policy when sleeping around. (According to Planned Parenthood, condoms make sex 10,000 times HIV-safer than not using them.)
Its also important to note that just because the person youre seeing isnt at risk of getting pregnant, for whatever reason, it doesnt reduce the need for a condom. Prevention is a shared responsibility and should be treated as such. If youre in a trusted or long-term couple, you'll want to work out a clear prevention strategy, but the basic rule is you should offer to pay for half (or at least contribute) to her method of choice such as the pill.
Theres always a chance that shell prefer to foot the whole bill or maybe you feel inclined to do so yourself, but either way, talking it over will eliminate misunderstandings or failed expectations. After all, sex and relationships are all about trust and communication.
This all said, condoms make up a huge industry and the options for getting your mojo on are better than ever, with companies continually working to come up with innovative ways to increase pleasure and minimize risk. Here, weve compiled what we think is important to consider when choosing a condom, and rounded up some of the best models out there. Enjoy!
Contents
Types of Condoms
Before you make a decision and purchase a pack of condoms, youll need to think of what purpose youd like them to fulfill. Here are some of the most common uses.
Condoms For Everyday Use
HEX Condoms
Ideal for a more sensitive and more intimate sexual sensation, the HEX condom by Lelo boasts a 250 interconnected hexagon structure to allow for body warm to be transmitted between partners for a closer, more comfortable feel. These ultra-thin yet uber-strong condoms are perfectly smooth on the outside and textured on the inside.
$34.90 for pack of 36 at Lelo.com
Durex Invisible Ultra-Thin Ultra-Sensitive Lubricated Latex Condoms
Durex is one of the largest condom manufacturers on this planet and has been enjoyed by millions of sex-havers everyday for over 80 years. On average, the Ultra Thin Feel Condoms are 20% thinner than the standard Durex rubber, providing the most authentic sensation from a brand-name condom.
$10.10 for pack of 16 at Amazon.com
Okamoto Crown Skinless Skin
If anybody knows a thing or two about condoms, it has to be those who have sex professionally. According to online testimonies, these super thin yet strong condoms from Japan are the choice prophylactic among adult actors thanks to its world-renowned bareback feel.
$7.99 for pack of 36 at Amazon.com
Kimono MicroThin
If reliability is your main concern, the Kimono MicroThin wont let you down. At the top of most Best Condom lists, the Japanese-made Kimono MicroThin condom exceeds U.S. and International Standards for strength, meaning it won't tear when you least expect it. An added benefit: theyre vegan-friendly.
$16.99 for pack of 12 at Amazon.com
Condoms To Spice Things Up
Glyde Flavored Condoms
Most flavored condoms are more of a distraction than anything else, but here's an option that we've actually come to enjoy. Glyde condoms are ethically made, vegan, fair trade, and feature 100% organic fruit flavors. Essentially, its more organic than most fruit juices in supermarkets. Available flavors include: blueberry, wildberry, vanilla, black licorice, and strawberry. If oral sex with condoms isnt quite your thing, Glyde also offers non-flavored condoms, including their ultra, maxi, and slim-fit sizes.
$7.99 for pack of 10 at Amazon.com
Beyond Seven Studded
In addition to being one of the thinnest on the market, Beyond Seven Studded condoms provide maximum sensation courtesy of three generous inches of raised studs which make for optimal textural stimulation. Most studded rubbers on the market come nowhere close to three inches, meaning with Beyond Sevens superior stud lengths, you can bet shell feel the difference.
$9.38 for pack of 50 at Amazon.com
Trojan Charged Orgasmic Pleasure Condoms
For those who like it extra hot in the bedroom, Trojan makes a great condom that contains traces of ginger, maca and an amino acid called L-Arginine to promote blood flow, which naturally increases body heat. On top of that, the Charged condoms are ribbed along the shaft and again at the head for extra sensation.
$26.37 for pack of 30 at Amazon.com
Condoms To Last Longer
Skyn Extra Lube Condoms
According to reviews, if youre allergic to latex, Skyn manufactures some of the best non-latex condoms currently on the market. All condoms from Skyn are made with a polyisoprene (non-latex) material, so users don't have to worry about getting an allergic reaction in the heat of the moment. Skyns Extra Lube condom contains 40% more lube than their other models, which means you shouldn't have to worry about applying anything extra.
$16.09 for pack of 24 at Amazon.com
Durex Performax Intense Premium
One of the first to create a condom using benzocaine, Durex is definitely an industry leader. Their Performax line contains 5% of the numbing agent, which is heat-activated to turn from a cream-like substance within the condom into a liquid substance that applies itself easily in action. With Performax Intense, to goal is to prolong male orgasm time and to shorten hers with an added ribbed and dotted texture. Intense also has a slight, added scent, rather than the standard, odorless option.
$7.78 for pack of 12 at Amazon.com
Lifestyles Everlast Intense Condoms
Designed to slow down the pace and draw out the wearers orgasm while increasing the others pleasure, the Everlast Condom is equipped with delay lubricant and studded with over 400 raised dots. It also comes lubed up in the brands signature UltraGlide lubricant, so that the fun can keep going on and on.
$24.97 for pack of 10 at Amazon.com
Best Feeling Condoms
Lifestyles SKYN Polyisoprene
Durex is one of the largest condom manufacturers on this planet and has been enjoyed by millions of sex-havers everyday for over 80 years. On average, these Ultra Thin rubbers are 20% thinner than the standard Durex condom, providing the most authentic sensation from a brand-name condom.
$10.91 for pack of 24 at Amazon.com
One Condoms
One Condoms are made of Sensatex, marketed as a safer, smoother and clearer form of latex, and come in a slew of textured styles and sizes to fit the widest penile demographic. Legend is for larger penises. Zero features a 25% thinner condom for increased sensation. Tantric Pleasure features a roomier base and tip for added comfort. One Condoms are most awesome because a portion of every purchase goes to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts in Africa. Oh, and their circular packets and sturdy tin packaging beat every other basic rubber any day, says Holder.
$14.82 for pack of 40 at Amazon.com
Billy Boy
Billy Boy condoms are big in Germany and hand-dipped using what the company calls "superior" latex, but it's the variety of sizes and sensations that makes these guys stand out or, rather, up. Special Comfort features a roomier design for added sensitivity. Special Contour has a cock ring at the base to help him stay harder longer. Beaded features textured nubby bits for added insertion sensation. Plus, the packaging is nothing short of adorable (for a condom) and features an extraordinarily excited penis cartoon, and each style is available in fun, bright colors and even flavors, says Holder.
$30.12 for pack of 100 at Amazon.com
Condoms For Anal Sex
Trojan Supra
A friendly option for those with latex allergies, the Trojan Supra condom is Americas thinnest non-latex condom. Made from latex-free, ultra-thin polyurethane, Trojan Supra boasts the rare benefit of hand-in-hand compatibility with oil-based lubricants, which tend to be much longer lasting than water-based and is actually the recommended lube for anal sex.
$9.37 for pack of 6 at Amazon.com
Caution Wear Classic Condoms
Just because you're going off roading, doesn't mean you need anything too extravagant. As a matter of fact, you might both appreciate a little less added sensation if you're new to anal sex. The Caution Wear Classics are parallel sided, transparent and lubricated with a smooth, silicon-based lube. A great starting point.
$4.99 for pack of 12 at Amazon.com
All-Natural Condoms
Trojan NaturaLamb
Never heard of natural skin condoms? Not surprising, although they're one of the oldest methods for pregnancy prevention. Traditionally made from a thin layer of sheep secum (part of the intestine), its thin, malleable and shares a great likeliness to going bareback. Its porous nature, however, means that it doesnt protect against STIs, meaning that natural skin condoms are not recommended for non-couples. Here, the Trojan NaturaLamb is a latex-free, luxury condom thats one of the best on the market, which explains its slightly elevated cost. Some advice? Apply water-based lubricant for optimal comfort.
$31.57 for pack of 10 at Amazon.com
Sir Richard's Pleasure Dots Condoms
These condoms arent latex-free, but they are free of all the other chemicals commonly found in condoms namely spermicide and parabens. The Sir Richards line is complete with all the twists and tricks youll find with other more mainstream brands, like ultra thin, textured and extra large. A favourite according to readers? The Pleasure Dot Condoms pack a welcome added touch that will be appreciated, without being abrasive.
$13.99 for pack of 12 at SirRichards.com
Condoms Perfect For Your Size
Trojan Bareskin Magnum
If you are generously endowed, the Magnum Bareskin condom is one of the best products available for the most natural feel. It's the thinnest condom in the Magnum line (20% thinner, to be exact) and boasts a new contoured shape as well as premium lubricant for added comfort and sensitivity.
$7.47 for pack of 10 at Amazon.com
Caution Wear Iron Grip Condoms
If you have a smaller penis, don't be fooled into thinking you can't still have great sex. That said, getting a condom that fits you just right is essential to getting comfortable and enjoying every minute of intercourse instead of stressing about your condom falling off. The Iron Grip latex condoms from Caution Wear are designed to fit snug due to their parallel shape and smaller width.
$6.64 for pack of 36 at Amazon.com
TheyFit Condoms
No penis is exactly the same shapes and sizes differ drastically from one to the other. TheyFit condoms understands this and offers 95 different condom sizes (14 different lengths and 23 widths) to ensure a tailored fit. Since these are only available online, the company ensures 100% anonymity with discreet packaging.
Coming soon at TheyFit.com
The Female Condom
FC2
Although equally effective, the female condom could take some getting used to. It's a different feel and applying it means a bit of a role reversal, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. A nice thing about the FC2 is that size is irrelevant and it's made from nitrile, which is three times stronger than latex. Can also be used with all lubes.
$12.99 for pack of 3 at Amazon.com
The Key Factors To Consider When Choosing A Condom
Size: This is obviously probably the most important element to consider when buying a condom. Shoot too big and it will be likely to slip off, yet too small and it will squeeze in an unpleasant way and could break. Thankfully, there are a lot of models made to suit a variety of sizes, from very small to very big. Snugger fit condoms are great for smaller members, while larger ones can find comfort in king size condoms.
Note: If you dont know your size, pull out a ruler and check out our Giant Guide To Penis Size to see how you measure up.
This is obviously probably the most important element to consider when buying a condom. Shoot too big and it will be likely to slip off, yet too small and it will squeeze in an unpleasant way and could break. Thankfully, there are a lot of models made to suit a variety of sizes, from very small to very big. Snugger fit condoms are great for smaller members, while larger ones can find comfort in king size condoms. If you dont know your size, pull out a ruler and check out our Giant Guide To Penis Size to see how you measure up. Material: Most people are ok with the typical latex condom, but now theres a greater variety of options for those with latex allergies or for those who simply prefer a different feel. Especially if you have a steady partner, discussing and finding the options that suit both of you is important, and a good act of respect and communication. Alternatives include polyurethane condoms, polyisoprene condoms, natural skin, and FC2 condoms. More on this later.
Most people are ok with the typical latex condom, but now theres a greater variety of options for those with latex allergies or for those who simply prefer a different feel. Especially if you have a steady partner, discussing and finding the options that suit both of you is important, and a good act of respect and communication. Alternatives include polyurethane condoms, polyisoprene condoms, natural skin, and FC2 condoms. More on this later. Thickness & strength: Some condoms are made thinner to provide more sensitivity (i.e. more sensation), but these are also more fragile and more probable to snapping in action. On the other hand, thicker condoms ensure safer sex, even when it gets rough. In general, condom thickness varies between 0.044 and 0.114 mm, with the average being somewhere around 0.07 mm (according to condom-sizes.org).
Some condoms are made thinner to provide more sensitivity (i.e. more sensation), but these are also more fragile and more probable to snapping in action. On the other hand, thicker condoms ensure safer sex, even when it gets rough. In general, condom thickness varies between 0.044 and 0.114 mm, with the average being somewhere around 0.07 mm (according to condom-sizes.org). Texture: A lot of condoms out there come in a variety of textures, like studded or ribbed. Although these options could provide some added excitement to your sex life, dont assume your partner shares the same preference as you especially since if youre the one wearing the condom, theyll be the ones feeling it most.
A lot of condoms out there come in a variety of textures, like studded or ribbed. Although these options could provide some added excitement to your sex life, dont assume your partner shares the same preference as you especially since if youre the one wearing the condom, theyll be the ones feeling it most. Flavor: Sometimes paired with a matching flavored lube, flavored condoms should also be treated with similar reservation as textured condoms. If it helps, compare flavored sex paraphernalia to a perfume or cologne its an intimate addition to the senses that could be off putting for someone who prefers going au natural.
Sometimes paired with a matching flavored lube, flavored condoms should also be treated with similar reservation as textured condoms. If it helps, compare flavored sex paraphernalia to a perfume or cologne its an intimate addition to the senses that could be off putting for someone who prefers going au natural. Climax control: These are condoms made with a tiny amount of benzocaine, a local anesthetic designed to delay orgasm by slightly numbing the nerve endings on the penis. Usually recommended for those with premature ejaculation anxieties, especially since its a discreet and easy-to-use solution that only affects the wearer.
These are condoms made with a tiny amount of benzocaine, a local anesthetic designed to delay orgasm by slightly numbing the nerve endings on the penis. Usually recommended for those with premature ejaculation anxieties, especially since its a discreet and easy-to-use solution that only affects the wearer. The female condom (FC1 & FC2): Like it sounds, female condoms are like regular condoms, except theyre worn by women. They are just as effective in avoiding pregnancy and in protecting against STIs, fitting inside the vagina like a bag to trap sperm and keep it from entering the baby-making zone (mainly, the uterus). They can also be used for anal sex, and the second generation female condom is made of a latex alternative called nitrile great for those with latex allergies.
How To Measure Yourself
If trial and error makes you cringe, you can measure yourself before going shopping and take the guess work out of the whole ordeal.
Youll need:
A ruler, string, or measuring tape
Pen
Paper
When your penis is erect, wrap the measuring tape or string around your penis to measure girth. Measure around the thickest part of your penis for the best measurement. Then measure length, from the base of the penis to the very tip. (If youve got some abdominal fat or a prominent pubis, press into your pubic bone with the measuring tape or string to get the most accurate length.) If youre using string instead of a tape measure, mark the end of the string and then line it up against a ruler to get your final measurements, says Holder.
Pro tip: If your penis girth is less than 4.7 inches, look for condoms that are made for a snugger fit. If your girth is between 4.7-5.1 inches, regular condoms should be OK. And for girths larger than 5.1 inches, try a larger size condom. If youre still not sure and want a little more guidance, input your measurements into convenient online condom calculators like this one, says Holder.
Related Readings:
How To Put On A Condom
Best Lubricants
Sex Toys For Men
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Weve seen this movie before
Last month, disinfectant dispensing equipment that chlorinates the drinking water supply of Flint, Michigan ran dry, allowing untreated water to be distributed to city residents. According to documents obtained by MLive reporter Ron Fonger, a plant worker attributed the mistake to water plant staff members who are severely over-worked and under-paid:
A Flint water plant employee last month warned his supervisors that a lack of knowledge and potential burnout among employees are contributing to mistakes at the citys water treatment plant. A report filed after a disinfectant dispenser was allowed to run dry at the plant July 26 attributes that incident to operator error a worker having been unable to refill or replace the chlorine tote, according to the document obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act. I am not trying to make excuses for what happened, but I have put in my daily (summaries) in the past that due to lack of knowledgeable staff and employees (who) are working way to (sic) many hours, fatigue will set in and stuff like this happens, the report says. The employee also reported working seven days a week for two months with no days off, including many double shifts.
This situation is the sort of thing that led the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to issue a violation to the water plant for significant deficiencies earlier this month:
Flints water system has multiple significant deficiencies, according to a new violation notice from the state Department of Environmental Quality, the most recent in a string of harsh critiques about the troubled operation. The weaknesses are detailed in an Aug. 11 letter and notice of violations from a DEQ engineer to City Administer Sylvester Jones, and the most serious problem areas include source water, financial, distribution system, and management and operations. The city has failed to select a long-term water supply source The citys failure to do so resulted in legal action by the DEQ, a summary of the problems and recommendations says. The lack of a long-term source agreement has prevented the city from moving forward with several important initiatives, including infrastructure improvements, establishing water rates, securing outside funding for critical projects, ensuring reliable delivery of drinking water, and recruiting/hiring water department staff. The city also failed to provide details about maintenance and replacement programs and standard operating procedures for hydrants, valves, meters and galvanized service lines, the report says.
The failure of the Flint City Council to sign off on a long-term contract with the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) the Authority that came out of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department when Detroit was going through its bankruptcy certainly has created uncertainty in the water plant, uncertainty that may be contributing to high turnover of plant staff and difficulties in hiring new staff. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver is ready to sign the contract but members of the City Council are dragging their feet, in part as a snub to Gov. Rick Snyder:
However, Flint City Council members are balking at the deal. Council President Kerry Nelson doesnt think its in the best interests of Flint residents. He also doesnt like that the governor supports the deal. Were in this situation because of our governor, Nelson told reporters Monday night. Now hes taken a stand and saying this is best for Flint. Well you said that before and we got poison water.
It is estimated that the deal will save Flint over $7 million a year.
However, this is a minor political point which overlooks the true problem with Flint: it doesnt have the funds to fully staff its drinking water plant with qualified people who are paid a decent wage. Why? Because Emergency Management has failed Flint.
I have been saying for years (since 2011, precisely) that Emergency Management is a model that will not work to solve the intractable problems that have led to financial crises in our states former urban manufacturing hubs. Emergency Managers are armed only with tools of DEstruction, not with tools of CONstruction. They can only cut. Cut spending. Cut budgets. Cut union contracts. And on and on. And when they are finished and the reins to the city are returned to the local elected officials, few of the systemic problems that led to the financial crisis have been solved. The municipalities still face the issues of serving a large geographic area with a diffuse population and a cratered tax base which hamstrings the local government with not enough funds to run the city the way it should be run.
So thats where Flint finds itself today. When the State of Michigan declared the financial emergency was over in Flint, they gave control back to the elected officials and had saddled them with a poisoned drinking water system and a crisis that has now been all but proven to have actually killed people. And Flint is still struggling to pay its bills as well as its employees.
Its time to get the failed law off the books in Michigan. Its a failure and its failures have been proven time and time again. It seems that only Republicans in our state legislature are unable see that.
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(Photo: REUTERS / Finbarr O'Reilly)Israeli Arab Christian boy scouts play bagpipes during an Easter Monday parade in Tel Aviv's Jaffa neighborhood, April 21, 2014.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Tuesday it was stepping up efforts to encourage military enlistment by Christian Arab citizens, a community long closer to the larger Muslim minority in identifying with the Palestinians.
Israel's Christian Arabs number about 160,000, some two percent of the Jewish state's eight million people, and the expected number of conscripts - now about 100 - will rise in coming months, a senior military officer said.
"We intend to appeal to the Christian population of conscription age (17 and 18) and will send them call-up notices to volunteer for service," Lieutenant-Colonel Amir Hai told reporters in a telephone briefing on Tuesday.
Being mostly Palestinians themselves, Israel's Christian Arabs have traditionally stood alongside the Muslim community on Israeli-Palestinian issues. The Muslim minority comprises about 20 percent of the population and men of conscription age are largely exempted from military service.
Hai said that all branches of the military, including elite units, would be open for the volunteers as long as they are suitable for the demands of the task.
"No (unit) will be closed to (Christian conscripts) ahead of time, unless there is criteria that limits the recruit's ability to serve," Hai said. Only males will currently be called, although females were welcome to volunteer too, he added.
"I welcome this important, historical step ... for the Christian community to be a member of Israeli society, equal in rights and duties," Father Gabriel Nadaf, head of the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum, told Army Radio.
NO LARGE NUMBER EXPECTED
Israeli Jews are obliged to serve in the military at age 18, with men serving for three years and women for two. The vast majority of ultra-Orthodox Jews are exempted on religious grounds, a divisive issue in Israeli society.
Other minority groups that are called up for service are Israeli Druze Arabs and Bedouin Arabs.
Sammy Smooha, professor of anthropology and sociology at Haifa University and a leading expert on Israel's Arabs, doubted the proportion of Christians in the military would not change.
"The increase sounds impressive because the numbers are so small so far. I don't anticipate this will rise much further. There are greater numbers of Christians going for civilian national service options," he said.
He described those enlisting as a fringe phenomenon driven by concern at the persecution of Christians in the Muslim Middle East and a desire for social advancement in Israel.
Nadaf, an outspoken and controversial proponent for greater integration of Israel's Christians into Israeli society, said they wanted to be fully viewed as citizens of the Jewish state.
"We are not Arabs. We are not Palestinians. We are Israelis, citizens of this country and we see ourselves as loyal to this country and its institutions as any Christian living in any other place in the world would," he said.
(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Although cryptocurrencies have been studied and argued for a long time, they are just now becoming known as financial tools t
(Photo: REUTERS / Finbarr O'Reilly)Dressed-up Israeli Arab Christian women walk to join an Easter Monday parade in Tel Aviv's Jaffa neighbourhood, April 21, 2014.
The case of a person claiming asylum as a Christian in the United Kingdom who was expected to least know the authors of the Gospel according to officials has gained media attention.
An Israeli Arab who claimed asylum in Britain after saying she was a Christian convert had "no idea" what Easter was about, a UK High Court judge has said in an ongoing case.
Justice Nicholas Mostyn said the woman had also been unable to name any of the evangelists - gospel authors Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Press Association reported.
He said the woman's claim to have converted to Christianity was "hard to believe," after he heard her case at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
Judge Mostyn said he had looked into the legal issues relating to the woman's children as he outlined background to her asylum claim in a written ruling on those issues.
The judge said Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd had refused the asylum claim of the woman, an ethnic Bedouin, and she had launched an appeal against that decision.
The judge said reasons why Home Office officials had refused the woman's asylum claim had featured in evidence in the case relating to her children.
"The official has demonstrated why in numerous respects the (woman's) credibility is fatally compromised," said Mostyn.
"For example, he demonstrates that the claim that the (woman) had become a Christian convert is hard to believe in circumstances where she does not know the name of any of the evangelists, and has no idea what Easter is for or about."
The woman had said she was not safe in Israel and made allegations about members of her family.
She said she had been "grossly mistreated" by her father and brothers and that such behavior was endemic in her culture.
And she said Israeli authorities turned a blind eye to "honor violence" meted out to Arab citizens.
UK Home Office officials had concluded that there was "ample legislative protection" for women in danger in Israel.
The judge said he had analyzed issues concerning what should happen to the woman's children who are seven-year-old twins living in Britain.
He said he had decided that the children should return to Israel with their mother if her appeal against asylum refusal failed.
(Photo: REUTERS / Soe Zeya Tun)Rohingya Muslims attend a wrestling festival at Kyaukpannu village in Maungdaw, northern Rakhine state, June 6, 2014. Since international aid groups were forced out of the Rakhine area in February and March, members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community who relied on them say basic health care services have all but disappeared. Worst affected are those in Northern Rakhine State (NRS), home to most of Myanmar's 1.3 million Rohingya who are stalked by sickness and malnourishment and as yet untouched by reforms under a semi-civilian government which took power in 2011.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has expressed alarm at the violence and the incitement to further violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
The violence has taken place since attacks on security forces in three northern townships of the state on Aug. 25.
Zeid urged all sides to renounce the use of violence and called on State authorities to ensure they operate in line with their obligations under international human rights law.
"I utterly condemn the violent attacks on security personnel, which have led to the loss of many lives and the displacement of thousands of people," Zeid said in a statement on Aug. 29.
"Unfortunately, what we feared appears to be occurring."
In the latest round of violence, 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled in less than one week after the military launched a brutal crackdown in response to an attack by militants on border posts.
The response by the Myanmar military which serves an overwhelmingly Buddhist State, over the last year has been one of collective punishment, including mass killings and the destruction of entire villages.
"Decades of persistent and systematic human rights violations, including the very violent security responses to the attacks since October 2016, have almost certainly contributed to the nurturing of violent extremism, with everyone ultimately losing," said Zeid.
"This turn of events is deplorable. It was predicted and could have been prevented."
High Commissioner Zeid also expressed concern that more than 8,700 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since the attacks, adding to the tens of thousands who have been arriving in Bangladesh since October 2016.
He appealed to the international community to help Bangladesh cope with the refugee influx.
The High Commissioner warned all sides against further fueling the violence.
He also called on the political leadership to condemn the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to hatred that is proliferating, including on social media.
Zeid also expressed concern about claims by the State Counsellor's Office that international aid workers were complicit in or supporting the attacks.
"Such statements are irresponsible and only serve to increase fears and the potential for further violence," he said.
"I am extremely concerned that the unsupported allegations against international aid organizations place their staff in danger and may make it impossible for them to deliver essential aid."
AUNG SAN SUU KYI CRITICIZED
Writing in an editorial page of London's Independent newspaper, Basit Mahmood criticized Aung San Suu Kyi for her stance on the Rohingyas.
"The adoption by the international community of Aung San Suu Kyi as the Oxford educated savior of Burma has not only failed to live up to expectations, but instead proved to be counterproductive."
"Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi has accused Rohingya fighters of burning down homes and using child soldiers during a recent surge in violence in troubled Rakhine state, allegations denied by the militants themselves," wrote Mahmood.
He said an administration that refuses "U.N. investigators and the world's media access to a state where it is believed genocide is taking place; a de facto leader who accuses aid workers of helping terrorists; and an office that accuses women of fabricating stories of sexual violence.
"All of this isn't happening under the watch of a mad dictatorship in an impoverished corner of the globe. These are the actions of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
High Commissioner Zeid said the perpetrators of the attacks on security personnel must be brought to justice, as must those who have been attacking the civilian population.
All this must occur with full respect for international human rights law. State authorities should issue clear instructions to security forces to refrain from using disproportionate force, minimize damage and injuries and respect the right to life.
Those who use excessive force must be held accountable. Zeid also called on the authorities to facilitate humanitarian access to the affected areas.
"The State has a duty to protect those within its territory without discrimination," Zeid said.
Theres plenty more to state chiefs hiring agreements and contracts than just base pay. Those documents are chock-full of sweeteners and performance incentives, as well as hard-nosed details about duties andin at least one casethe tacit suggestion that the superintendent needs to stay healthy.
An Education Week review of state superintendents contracts, offer letters, and benefits packages also provides insights into the evolving nature of state chiefs jobs in the Every Student Succeeds Act era and some of whats needed to lure candidates. The review was part of a 51-state analysis of state superintendents salaries.
The vast majority of state chiefs serve at will, and their job duties and pay are dictated in state statutes, some of which havent been updated in years.
But, amid disputes among state school boards, legislatures, and governors over policy direction, at least 10 state boards have decided to outline in superintendents contracts and hiring letters broad definitions of the chiefs roles and tack on incentives that can attract top applicants. Longevity can be an issue. The average state chief now serves about two years due to the increasingly political and high-profile nature of the job.
If you can get the board and the chief on the same page at the beginning with a shared set of expectations, you can probably stretch out that tenure, said Kristen Amundson, the president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education.
Explicit Goal-Setting
Some states contracts are explicit about goal-setting and rewards.
Ohio, for example, offers its state chief $20,000 in incentives to, among other goals, boost test scores and graduation rates.
Sweetening the Pot In addition to their base pay, some of the nations 51 state superintendents receive incentive bonuses and perks as part of their employment packages and agreements. In some cases, agreements also go into greater detail about state chiefs duties and responsibilities. Among the highlights: Georgia
Richard Woods receives $20,000 in travel allowance, more than double his predecessors travel allowance of $9,400. Hawaii
Christina Kishimotos detailed contract provides for, among other things, a reserved parking spot, a car allowance, and incentive pay, with no specific dollar figures attached. Unlike the contracts for her two predecessors, it also spells out the competencies and primary responsibilities of the state chief. That includes building an understanding of complex organizations and how to produceeducational reform and Hawaiis culture and values. Kentucky
Stephen Pruitts contract requires a complete annual medical examinationand a letter to the board from his physician. The contract says the provision is due to the unique nature of the job and to assure the board that the commissioner has the continued physical fitness to perform his duties. Louisiana
John White was originally promised in his 2012 contract with the state that, if he gets a positive evaluation each year, he will get a 6 percent pay increase. But months later, the board and White amended the contract so that he only gets the pay increase if state employees and the states public school teachers also get a raise. He has never received the raise. Maryland
Karen Salmon can get up to $35,400 in incentive pay if she boosts graduation rates and test scores, closes the states achievement gaps, and improves the states juvenile schools. Ohio
Paolo DeMaria is set to receive a performance bonus of $20,000 next month for his leadership, communication and policy making in his first year in office. Source: Education Week
Maryland chief Karen Salmon is eligible for up to $35,000 in incentives15 percent of her payfor boosting the states graduation rate, closing achievement gaps, and improving thestates juvenile-detention center.
But Salmon has taken issue with those provisions since taking the job last year.
Ive asked for them not to award me that money, Salmon said. Instead, she said, she should be provided incentives on the success of policy implementation, such as the states new accountability system and assuring that local districts follow state law. I dont think I can directly impact academics in local districts. I cant wave a magic wand over the state and everything all of a sudden gets better.
Hitting the Road
In other states, superintendents are provided hefty travel allowances.
Georgias state superintendent, Richard Woods, for example, gets a $20,000 annual car allowance to visit with the states 181 districts. Its a reflection of the traveling and community outreach hes expected to do according to the state constitution.
Superintendent contracts in some states have taken center stage in recent months as state chiefs institute controversial policies and as state board members and politicians move to oust them.
Louisiana Superintendent John White is under fire from recently elected Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards for turning in an accountability plan to the U.S. Department of Education that many of the states district superintendents and principals disagree with. Last month, Edwards said that he thought White is serving in his job illegally and will consider suing. In order to continue in the job, the governor said White also must be reconfirmed by the Louisiana Senate.
Whites contract provides for a $275,000 salary and annual 6 percent raises if the states teachers also get a raise (an amendment added by the board months after Whites hiring in 2012).
The contract also says that at its expiration, White will serve on a month-to-month basis, a clause many of Whites opponents, and now the governor, have taken issue with. The board isat a standstill on whether to hire a new chief or renew Whites contract.
Meanwhile in Alabama last month, the state board of education, using a clause in its contract with the superintendent, sprang a surprise evaluation on Michael Sentance, barely a year into the chiefs job, after district superintendents complained about his leadership style and policy direction.
I have traveled all over the state to visit schools and colleges and talk with educators about their perspectives and concerns, Sentence said in a statement earlier this month. My schedule is sometimes taxing, and I cannot make all the events that I may want to do. Such is the nature of public life. But I try to reach out and talkand perhaps, more importantly, listen.
Copious Detail
Hawaii provided a contract to its new chief, Christina Kishimoto, that is 11 pages long. That compares with a contract that was just four pages under former chief Kathryn Matayoshi.
The new contract details an arbitration process in cases of disputes with the board, allows for incentive packages of an unspecified amount, provides for a reserved parking spot, and lists dozens of what the state superintendents priorities should be in the coming years.
That includes building an understanding of complex organizations and how to produce ... educational reform and Hawaiis culture and values.
But contracts are not all about duties and compensation. In one of the more unusual provisions, Kentuckys state chief, Stephen Pruitt, is subject to an annual medical examination because of the unique nature of the job. The wording is blunt.
The board shall be notified in writing by the examining physician whether the commissioner continues to have the continued physical fitness to perform his duties, the contract says. And this notification shall be confidential.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage criticized traditional education while unveiling a new vocational school, describing classroom teachers as a dime a dozen.
The Republican governor made the comments this month at a company-workforce-development center, called the Cianbro Institute. The new center in Pittsfield offers classes such as shop and home economics.
LePage said mentoring offered at the center will be more than just teaching out of a book.
Lois Kilby-Chesley, the president of Maines largest teachers union, said she disagrees with the governors dime-a-dozen statement, especially since Maine is struggling to fill teaching positions.
Shrimp farming's recovery postponed again?
For a fourth straight year, predictions of a strong rebound in world shrimp output failed
Output at former top exporters remains up to 50% below peak levels. New, emerging producers cannot grow as quickly as before without risking disease outbreaks
Despite new, sustainable disease management methods, output will be no higher in 2017 than two years ago
With no apparent way of boosting stocking densities back to early 2010 levels without risking disease outbreaks, new suppliers may need to emerge from Africa or Latin America
At almost every conference since 2013, shrimp industry executives confident predicting that within two or three years, output will finally exceed its early 2010s peak output. Within months, output stagnates and projections are revised downwards. The same thing happens next year and this has again occurred in 2017. At almost every conference since 2013, shrimp industry executives confident predicting that within two or three years, output will finally exceed its early 2010s peak output. Within months, output stagnates and projections are revised downwards. The same thing happens next year and this has again occurred in 2017.
Leading the way in shrimp sector disappointments is Thailand. Robins McIntosh, CP's senior vice-president for agribusiness announced at August 2016's The Aquaculture Roundtable Series (TARS) conference in Phuket, Thailand, that his company had developed a means of flushing accumulated wastes that harbor EMS pathogens. He predicted a 25% Thai shrimp output increase for 2016 (to 300,000 tonnes) and 20% in 2017.
By January 2017's Global Seafood Market Conference in San Francisco, USA, McIntosh said that EMS and EHP still dogged Thai shrimp farms and 2016 production was only 250,000 to 260,000 tonnes. He scaled back his 2017 output estimate from 350,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes --but worse was to come.
Blaming heavy rains, Q1 2017 Thai shrimp production defied its predicted even this conservative output rise and came in 6% below what was produced a year earlier. Then, in an early June interview with Undercurrent News, Preerasak Boonmechot, managing director of Thai Union's shrimp division estimated 2017 output in the 260,000 tonne to 275,000 tonne range far below the 350,000 tonnes forecast several months earlier. Moreover, Boonmechot let the cat out of the bag, blaming, "ongoing disease issues" for another disappointing year.
Having once produced 600,000 tonnes of shrimp annually, it will be the fourth consecutive year that Thai output remains below 300,000 tonnes. Moreover, Thailand is hardly alone in being unable to boost stocking densities back to old levels. China's even sharper shrimp production decline is why world shrimp output will be probably around 3.80 to 3.90 million tonnes in 2017, even though industry sources projected 2017 output to exceed 4.5 million tonnes just two years ago.
In China's case, domestic shrimp supplies and consumption are on a collision course. On one hand, China's shrimp consumption jumped from 0.76 million tonnes in 2005 to 1.06 million tonnes in 2010 and 1.70 million tonnes in 2016. On the other hand, Global Seafood Marketing Conference panelists estimated that China's output of white leg shrimp declined by 150,000 tonnes in 2016 far more than the cumulative annual output increase of expanding shrimp producers such as India and Ecuador.
Since 2010, China has suffered cumulative shrimp output declines totalling 500,000 to 700,000 tonnes. Moreover, the quality of Chinese production was impacted as much as the quantity: To avoid late grow-out period mortality, Chinese growers harvest them early, leading to a shortage of large size shrimp.
To bridge this yawning gap between Chinese shrimp supply and demand, 'official' imports skyrocketed from 2011's 53,000 tonnes to total 200,000 tonnes in 2015 but the actual amount is more than double this volume.A January 2017 Undercurrent News report uses Vietnamese customs data to show that in 2016, Vietnam exported 270,000 tonnes of shrimp to China and this does not show up in official Chinese statistics. To bridge this yawning gap between Chinese shrimp supply and demand, 'official' imports skyrocketed from 2011's 53,000 tonnes to total 200,000 tonnes in 2015 but the actual amount is more than double this volume.A January 2017 Undercurrent News report uses Vietnamese customs data to show that in 2016, Vietnam exported 270,000 tonnes of shrimp to China and this does not show up in official Chinese statistics.
At least 160,000 tonnes of this shrimp came from Ecuador, with India supplying most of the rest. It was then re-exported into China via black market channels.
In 2017, Chinese traders will smuggle in well over 300,000 tonnes of Indian and Ecuadorian shrimp. When smuggled shipments from Vietnam are added to 'official' shrimp imports, the real 500,000+ tonne import volume swamps Chinese shrimp exports, which have slumped down to around 200,000 tonnes. This means that the world shrimp market has lost a large, important supplier: Formerly a leading exporter, China is now the world's second largest net shrimp importer after Japan.
With collective Chinese and Thai shrimp output slumping by more than a million tonnes from levels taken for granted five years ago, it is very difficult even for rapidly expanding producers such as India and Ecuador to bridge the resulting supply deficit especially now that their own output is no longer growing rapidly.
As production rises and new ponds accumulate pathogen rich waste faster than was expected, Indian shrimp producers face a mounting number of health challenges. Three years ago, analysts believed India would be producing over 600,000 tonnes annually by 2017, not the half million tonnes now hoped for. At May 2017's Aqua Aquaria India, CP's McIntosh noted "While India is expected to produce 500,000 metric tonnes of shrimp in 2017, the average rate of farm [shrimp] survival is only 50%. Productivity [growth] is reducing year on year, with the produce being hit by white spot syndrome [WSSV], which is the single largest pathogen affecting shrimp farming in India."
Similarly, after expanding output by seven times and exports 10 times from 2000 through 2015, Ecuador finds it too cannot undertake yesteryear's rapid output increases. Ecuador finds that diseases and mortality take off when stocking densities are raised to a fraction of levels taken for granted in East Asia. From the heady 10%+ growth of previous years, Ecuador's shrimp output and exports have increased approximately 4% annually in 2015 and 2016.
It was initially hoped 2017 Ecuadorian shrimp production and exports would grow by 7% to 9% and total p to 406,000 tonnes. More recently however, a sharp drop in finishing weights (due to heavy rains earlier in the year), cold night time temperatures and a larvae shortage arising from a late 2016 vibrio outbreak are constraining earlier optimistic forecasts. Export shipments now look set to rise 4% to 5%, from last year's 372,600 tonnes into the 387,000 to 392,000 tonne range.
On one hand, former top exporters China and Thailand can only produce 50% to 60% of the shrimp volume they once did. On the other hand, top world suppliers India and Ecuador can only grow their production at single digit rates. At the same time, smaller shrimp exporters such as Indonesia and Vietnam, while not suffering such catastrophic output declines, have stagnant, below peak output constrained by stocking density limitations.
Moreover, when conventional means of boosting stocking densities were tried, top shrimp importers including America, Australia and the EU rejected shipments for having too many antibiotics or banned, unsafe supplements.
No doubt technical solutions to the EMS, WSSV, EHP and other stocking-density related problems dogging shrimp growers will eventually be found but after five years, we don't know exactly when this will happen.
Hence, it might be a good time to ask an important question: Do the risks and returns of establishing new shrimp farming operations in untouched frontier areas ranging from Africa to Brazil to Myanmar exceed the additional earnings to be gained from boosting already high Asian shrimp stocking densities? The longer it takes to re-establish growth in stocking densities, the more meaningful this question becomes.
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United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Patrick Allen JONES, Petitioner-Appellant v. UNITED STATES of America, Respondent-Appellee No. 16-3458 Decided: August 29, 2017
Before SMITH, Chief Judge, COLLOTON and KELLY, Circuit Judges. Counsel who presented argument on behalf of the appellant was Robert H. Meyers, AFPD, of Minneapolis, MN. Counsel who presented argument on behalf of the appellee was David Genrich, AUSA, of Minneapolis, MN.
In 1998, Patrick Jones was convicted of battery of a law enforcement officer pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 940.20(2) (1998). In 2004, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 922(g). He was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) based on the court's finding that Jones had been convicted of multiple prior violent felonies, including his 1998 Wisconsin conviction for battery of a law enforcement officer.
In 2015, Jones filed a motion under 28 U.S.C. 2255 to vacate or correct his sentence following Johnson v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2551 (2015), which invalidated the ACCA's residual clause. Id. at 2551; Welch v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 1257, 126468 (2016) (holding that Johnson is retroactive in cases on collateral review). Jones argued that many of his prior convictions were not violent felonies after Johnson, and thus that he should be resentenced without the ACCA enhancement. The government argued that even after Johnson, Jones still had four qualifying violent felonies under the ACCA's remaining clauses, see 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(2)(B)(i) (force clause) & (ii) (enumerated crimes clause), and therefore was not entitled to resentencing. The district court denied Jones' 2255 petition, finding that Jones had three prior convictions for violent felonies, including two burglary convictionswhich qualified as violent felonies under the enumerated crimes clause and one battery conviction pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 940.20(2)which qualified under the force clause. The district court issued a certificate of appealability on the question of whether a conviction for battery of a law enforcement officer in Wisconsin constitutes a violent felony, and Jones timely appealed the denial of his 2255 petition on that basis.
We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2253, and we review de novo the district court's determination that a Wisconsin conviction for battery of a law enforcement officer is a violent felony. See United States v. Schaffer, 818 F.3d 796, 798 (8th Cir. 2016).
The ACCA mandates a 15-year minimum sentence for any defendant convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) who has three prior convictions for a violent felony. 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(1). Under the ACCA's force clause, a crime is a violent felony if it is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(2)(B)(i). [P]hysical force means violent forcethat is, force capable of causing physical pain or injury to another person. Johnson v. United States (Curtis Johnson), 559 U.S. 133, 140 (2010). Physical force might consist, for example, of only that degree of force necessary to inflict paina slap in the face, for example. Id. at 143.
The question here is whether a conviction for battery of a law enforcement officer under Wisconsin Statute 940.20(2) necessarily involve [s] the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another. United States v. Ossana, 638 F.3d 895, 900 (8th Cir. 2011) (quoting USSG 4B1.2(a)(1)). In answering this question, we look to only the elements of the crime at issue, and [h]ow a given defendant actually perpetrated the crimewhat we have referred to as the underlying facts or means of commissionmakes no difference. Mathis v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 2243, 2251 (2016) (internal quotation and citation omitted); see also Yates v. United States, 842 F.3d 1051, 1052 (7th Cir. 2016). Section 940.20(2) reads:
BATTERY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS. Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm to a law enforcement officer or fire fighter acting in an official capacity and the person knows or has reason to know that the victim is a law enforcement officer or fire fighter, by an act done without the consent of the person so injured, is guilty of a class D felony.
Wis. Stat. 940.20(2). The parties do not appear to dispute that 940.20(2) is indivisible and therefore subject to the categorical approach. See Mathis, 136 S. Ct. at 2249, 2253 (statute that enumerates various factual means of committing a single element, rather than one that lists multiple elements disjunctively, is indivisible and therefore subject to the categorical approach).
In Wisconsin, bodily harm is defined as physical pain or injury, illness, or any impairment of physical condition. Wis. Stat. 939.22(4). Jones argues that the range of conduct capable of causing bodily harm under this statutory definition encompasses conduct that falls short of violent force as defined by Curtis Johnson. In determining whether a conviction under Wisconsin Statute 940.20(2) constitutes a crime of violence, we must consider not just the language of the relevant statutes, but Wisconsin courts' application of those statutes. See Curtis Johnson, 559 U.S. at 138. If Wisconsin interprets 940.20(2) to criminalize conduct that does not amount to violent force, then a conviction for battery of a law enforcement officer in Wisconsin is not categorically a violent felony for purposes of the ACCA. See id. at 13843; United States v. Eason, 829 F.3d 633, 64142 (8th Cir. 2016).
Though Jones is correct that Wisconsin's statute may be interpreted as defining bodily harm broadly, Jones has not identified, and we have not found, a case in which a Wisconsin court affirmed a conviction under 940.20(2) based on conduct that fails to rise to the level required by Curtis Johnson. Instead, Wisconsin courts have consistently interpreted the statute to require violent force akin to a slap in the face. See State v. Rowan, 814 N.W.2d 854, 856 (Wis. 2012) (defendant resisted a police officer who tried to restrain her and seriously injured the officer's hand); State v. Helnik, 177 N.W.2d 881, 882 (Wis. 1970) (defendant struck an officer in the face and attempted to free himself, and later bit another officer); State v. Doerr, 599 N.W.2d 897, 899 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999) (defendant kicked officer in the shin); see Warrichaiet v. Jansen, 441 F. Supp. 2d 989, 992 (E.D. Wis. 2006) (defendant punched officer in the eye and tried to break away).
In arguing that 940.20(2) criminalizes conduct falling short of violent force, Jones relies primarily on State v. Higgs, 601 N.W.2d 653 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999). In Higgs, the defendant threw urine on an officer that in fact caused pain to the guard when it got into his eyes and nose. Yates, 842 F.3d at 1053 (discussing Higgs, 601 N.W.2d at 65859). As noted by the Seventh Circuit, conduct resulting in the actual infliction of pain necessarily comes within the language of Curtis Johnson, which said that it is enough if the force is capable of causing pain. Id. Higgs therefore does not establish that conduct less than violent force is sufficient to sustain a conviction under Wisconsin Statute 940.20(2).
Finally, Jones argues that, because the statutory definition of bodily harm includes illness, a person could be convicted under 940.20(2) merely for attempting to give an officer a cold. However, as discussed above, Wisconsin cases provide no realistic basis to conclude that courts would find such low-level conduct sufficient to support a conviction under the statute. See United States v. Bell, 840 F.3d 963, 966 (8th Cir. 2016) (Although the theoretical possibility that a state may apply its statute to conduct falling short of violent force is not enough to disqualify a conviction, a realistic probability will suffice.). The simple fact that the word illness is included in the definition of bodily harm is insufficient to render the statute overbroad. See Yates, 842 F.3d at 105253.
The judgment of the district court is affirmed.
FOOTNOTES
. All the court's references to Wisconsin's battery statute are to the 1998 version under which Jones was convicted.
. The residual clause brought crimes that otherwise involve [ ] conduct that presents a serious potential risk of physical injury to another within the ACCA's definition of violent felony. 18 U.S.C. 924(e)(2)(B)(ii) (2015). The Supreme Court invalidated the clause as unconstitutionally vague. Johnson, 135 S. Ct. at 255758.
. The Honorable John R. Tunheim, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
. Jones does not challenge the determination that his burglary convictions qualify as violent felonies.
KELLY, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America PlaintiffAppellee v. Curtis Robert MCGHEE DefendantAppellant No. 16-3578 Decided: August 29, 2017
Before SMITH, Chief Judge, COLLOTON and KELLY, Circuit Judges.
Curtis Robert McGhee pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1153 and 113(a)(6), and was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He began his first term of supervised release on January 30, 2013. On January 26, 2015, McGhee's probation officer filed a petition to revoke McGhee's supervised release, alleging that he committed four violations of his release conditions: failing to reside and participate in a residential reentry center; engaging in conduct constituting simple assault in violation of tribal law; engaging in conduct constituting aggravated assault in violation of tribal law; and consuming alcoholic beverages. He admitted to the first and last of these, and the other two were dismissed. He was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment and eighteen months of supervised release.
McGhee's second term of supervised release began on February 24, 2016. On June 28, 2016, his probation officer filed a petition to revoke supervised release, alleging that McGhee failed to notify her ten days prior to changing his residence. McGhee admitted the violation. The district court concluded the advisory Guidelines range for the violation was six to twelve months of prison, but sentenced McGhee to eighteen months of imprisonment and eighteen months of supervised release. McGhee appeals, arguing that the district court committed procedural error in imposing his sentence and that the sentence is substantively unreasonable.
We review a district court's revocation sentencing decisions using the same standards that we apply to initial sentencing decisions. United States v. Miller, 557 F.3d 910, 91516 (8th Cir. 2009). Under this standard, we must first ensure that the court committed no significant procedural error, such as improperly calculating the sentence under the Guidelines, failing to consider relevant 18 U.S.C. 3553(a) sentencing factors, imposing a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the reasons for the sentence imposed. Id. at 916. Where, as here, the defendant did not object to procedural sentencing errors before the district court, they are forfeited, and therefore may be reviewed only for plain error. Id.
McGhee argues that the district court committed procedural error because it failed to consider the sentencing factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a) as required by 18 U.S.C. 3583(e). McGhee acknowledges that during the sentencing hearing, the district court stated: I am required to take into account not only the sentencing guidelines but the statutory factors set forth at 18 United States Code 3553, and I am doing so. McGhee contends this citation was insufficient, however, because the district court did not actually identify what any of these factors were or on which factors it relied upon for sentencing.
But [a] district court need not mechanically list every 3553(a) consideration when sentencing a defendant upon revocation of supervised release. United States v. White Face, 383 F.3d 733, 740 (8th Cir. 2004). Rather, [a]ll that is required is evidence that the court has considered the relevant matters and that some reason be stated for its decision. Id. If a sentencing judge references some of the considerations contained in 3553(a), we are ordinarily satisfied that the district court was aware of the entire contents of the relevant statute. Id. (quoting United States v. Adams, 104 F.3d 1028, 1031 (8th Cir. 1997)). Here, the record demonstrates that the district court was aware of its obligation to consider the 3553(a) factors and that it actually did consider some of these factors, including the nature and circumstances of the offense, McGhee's history and characteristics, and the advisory Guidelines range. See id. Accordingly, the district court did not commit plain procedural sentencing error.
Once we are satisfied that the sentencing decision is free of significant procedural error, we consider the substantive reasonableness of the length of the sentence under an abuse-of-discretion standard. Miller, 557 F.3d at 916. A court abuses its discretion if it fails to consider a relevant factor that should have received significant weight; gives significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor; or considers only the appropriate factors but in weighing those factors commits a clear error of judgment. Id. at 917 ( alterations and quotation marks omitted) (quoting United States v. Mousseau, 517 F.3d 1044, 1048 (8th Cir. 2008)).
McGhee first argues that his revocation sentence is substantively unreasonable because the district court improperly gave significant weight to the two dismissed alleged violations of his first term of supervised release when it stated: [McGhee] call[ed] U.S. Probation to report that he had been arrested in Lower Brule for assault and had been so intoxicated that he didn't know what happened. As a general matter, however, when imposing a revocation sentence, a district court may consider conduct underlying an arrest even where the related charges have been dismissed, subject only to the same procedural limitations that apply to other types of information the court may consider in imposing a sentence. United States v. White, 840 F.3d 550, 553 (8th Cir. 2016) (per curiam). McGhee gives no reason why the conduct underlying his dismissed alleged violations was improper or irrelevant for the district court to consider here. Accordingly, we conclude the district court did not give significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor.
McGhee next argues the district court failed to consider factors that should have received significant weightnamely, the relatively minor nature of his violation and his overall improvement on supervised release. McGhee points out that during his second term of supervised release, there were no reports of him drinking, committing crimes, or causing problems in the community; he called his probation officer while on supervised release; and he had found employment. However, the court did discuss these considerations with McGhee's counsel at the revocation sentencing hearing, and referenced some of them directly when explaining its reasons for the revocation sentence it imposed. Accordingly, the district court did not fail to consider relevant factors that should have received significant weight. See United States v. Miles, 499 F.3d 906, 909 (8th Cir. 2007) (explaining that the district court did not fail to consider relevant factors where the record demonstrated it heard argument from the parties on those factors, even though it did not provide a lengthy explanation addressing each one).
Because McGhee identifies no other error in the imposition of his revocation sentence, the judgment of the district court is affirmed.
FOOTNOTES
. The Honorable Charles B. Kornmann, United States District Judge for the District of South Dakota.
PER CURIAM.
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Harlow College's assistant principal is proud that a higher proportion of young people are starting apprenticeships in the town than anywhere else in Essex.
Department for Education figures have shown a 14 per cent rise in people taking an apprenticeship in Harlow which is seven times as high as the national average.
In 2015/16, 820 people started a course, up from 720 the year before, which is one of the biggest increases in the country.
Ann King, assistant principal of the Velizy Avenue college, said: "Demand for apprenticeships is strong and we continue to recruit apprentices providing local people with an excellent career opportunity.
"Many young people are also seeing apprenticeships as a real alternative to university, as they get a chance to earn and learn at the same time."
Ahead of Public Health England opening a science campus in the town, Harlow College is keen to expand in developing STEM subjects.
The college recently opened their 11million Harlow Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Centre.
Robert Halfon, town MP, has also supported development of apprenticeships.
Ms King added: "Harlow College is committed to delivering high quality apprenticeships.
"We have made a significant investment to grow provision in line with Government targets."
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee v. Michael Lee LONG, Jr., Defendant-Appellant No. 16-3397 Decided: August 29, 2017
Before WOLLMAN, COLLOTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges. Counsel who presented argument on behalf of the appellant was Al J. Arendt, of Pierre, SD. The following attorney appeared on the appellant brief; Randall B. Turner, AFPD, of Pierre, SD. Counsel who filed a brief and presented argument on behalf of the appellee was Kirk W. Albertson, AUSA, of Pierre, SD.
Michael Lee Long, Jr., was convicted by a jury of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1153 and 113(a)(3); one count of simple assault, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1153 and 113(a)(5); one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9), 924(a)(2), and 924(d); and one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A). The district court sentenced Long to 30 months' imprisonment on the assault with a dangerous weapon count, 6 months' imprisonment on the simple assault count, and 30 months' imprisonment on the prohibited person in possession of a firearm count (prohibited-person count), to run concurrently with one another, and to a mandatory minimum 120 months' imprisonment on the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence count, to run consecutively with the other counts. Long appeals from the district court's denial of his motion to dismiss the prohibited-person count and its denial of his motions for a new trial and for a mistrial based on alleged violations of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). We affirm.
I. Background
On an evening in May 2015, Cynthia Jones-Bear Robe was riding in a vehicle returning from St. Francis, SD, to the town of Rosebud, SD, which is located on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Her daughter, K.J., was driving the vehicle, while K.J.'s boyfriend Robert Kills In Water rode in the back seat. They stopped at the Paul Mart gas station and convenience store, for Jones-Bear Robe to buy cigarettes. While Jones-Bear Robe was standing in line, Long came into the store, entered the checkout line behind her, and made a derogatory remark to her about purchasing individual cigarettes. She stated that she did not want to speak to him, left the store after making her purchase, and returned to her vehicle.
Jones-Bear Robe called the police from inside her vehicle to report that Long was harassing her. She exited her vehicle to record Long's license plate number and then returned to the passenger seat of her vehicle. Long, expressing anger that Jones-Bear Robe was reporting him to the police, opened the vehicle's passenger door, pulled a gun out of his pocket, pointed it at Jones-Bear Robe's head, and threatened to shoot Jones-Bear Robe and K.J. At Jones-Bear Robe's instruction, K.J. put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated; Long was hit by and rolled under the open passenger door.
Long then opened fire on the vehicle, with the witnesses at trial giving different accounts of the number of shots he fired. Jones-Bear Robe testified that he might have fired two, three, or four shots. The police dispatcher who took Jones-Bear Robe's call testified that Jones-Bear Robe had said that Long fired twice. The supervisor at Paul Mart testified that she did not hear any gunshots, saying that the cement walls in her office may have accounted for this fact. The cashier at the store testified that she heard one loud sound, like two cars colliding. Kills In Water testified that he heard four gunshots. K.J. testified that there were four shots, two of which hit the vehicle.
On the first day of Long's trial, the government received and provided to defense counsel a report prepared by Sergeant Daniel Reynolds of the Rosebud Police Department, one of the officers who responded to the incident at the Paul Mart, which included statements from two additional witnesses, Jennifer Young and James Bordeaux. Young testified that she was preparing to purchase gasoline outside the Paul Mart during the incident. She testified that she heard three gunshots, and that she had told Reynolds at the scene that she heard a gun going off, without specifying the number of shots. Reynolds testified that Bordeaux, whom the parties were unable to locate, had told Reynolds that he saw a vehicle reversing quickly and heard a single noise, which he thought was a car backfire. Young identified an additional witness from the surveillance video, but the parties were unable to contact her in time for her to testify at trial.
Long moved for a mistrial, or in the alternative for a continuance, on the ground that the government's failure to disclose Reynolds's report violated his Fourteenth Amendment rights under Brady, arguing that the statements by Young and Bordeaux supported his theory that he acted in self defense by firing a single shot at the vehicle to prevent it from running over him. The district court denied the motion during the trial and denied Long's post-trial motion for a new trial. D. Ct. Order of July 13, 2016, at 13-18. It concluded that information within the possession of officers of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement Services was not within the government's control for purposes of Brady, relying on its previously decided case, United States v. Stoneman, No. CR 09-30101-RAL, 2010 WL 2710477, *1-2 (D.S.D. July 8, 2010). D. Ct. Opinion & Order of July 13, 2016, at 15-16. It concluded that the late disclosure of Young's statement did not prejudice Long because she testified at trial and was cross-examined by Long. Id. at 16-17. It also concluded that Bordeaux's unavailability did not prejudice Long because his statement was at best, neutral evidence for Long, and because any prejudice to Long was remedied by his opportunity to recall Reynolds and elicit hearsay testimony regarding Bordeaux's statement. Id. at 17-18.
Long also moved to dismiss the prohibited-person count, arguing that his underlying tribal-court conviction for domestic violence was obtained without counsel and thus could not qualify as a predicate conviction under 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(33)(B)(i). The district court initially deferred ruling on this motion pending counsel's arguments at the pretrial conference. D. Ct. Opinion & Order of May 6, 2016, at 9-11. The government presented evidence at the pretrial conference that Long had pleaded guilty to an offense of domestic abuse under Rosebud tribal law in June 2011. Long stated that his counsel in that case, Lisa White Pipe, was not a licensed attorney or a law school graduate. Long's district court counsel stated that he had been unable to find White Pipe's name in the State Bar of South Dakota Membership Directory. The government stated that it had not been aware that White Pipe was not law trained, but agreed that it had been unable to find her name in the Membership Directory. The government did not dispute that White Pipe had in fact been Long's representative. After Long offered to elicit White Pipe's testimony that she was not a licensed attorney, the court stated that it would consider the motion. The court denied the motion the following day, citing United States v. First, 731 F.3d 998 (9th Cir. 2013). D. Ct. Order of May 10, 2016.
II. Discussion
A. Right to Counsel for Predicate Offense
We review de novo the district court's denial of Long's motion to dismiss the prohibited-person count. United States v. Smith, 171 F.3d 617, 619 (8th Cir. 1999). Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9), it is unlawful for any person who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to possess a firearm in or affecting interstate commerce, or to receive a firearm that has been shipped in interstate commerce. Section 921(a)(33)(B), however, provides:
(B)(i) A person shall not be considered to have been convicted of such an offense for purposes of this chapter, unless
(I) the person was represented by counsel in the case, or knowingly and intelligently waived the right to counsel in the case; and
(II) in the case of a prosecution for an offense described in this paragraph for which a person was entitled to a jury trial in the jurisdiction in which the case was tried, either
(aa) the case was tried by a jury, or
(bb) the person knowingly and intelligently waived the right to have the case tried by a jury, by guilty plea or otherwise.
Adopting the reasoning set forth in United States v. First, the district court concluded that this statute did not bar the use of Long's domestic abuse conviction as a predicate for the prohibited-person count. In First, the Ninth Circuit held that, to give meaning to the phrase knowingly and intelligently waived the right to counsel in the case, the right to counsel must refer to the right as it existed in the predicate misdemeanor proceeding, rather than a uniform federal meaning containing a Sixth Amendment floor. 731 F.3d at 1003. Because the defendant had only a right to retained counsel at his underlying tribal-court conviction, the Ninth Circuit held that his lack of appointed counsel did not bar the conviction from serving as a predicate offense under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9). Id. at 1001-03, 1009.
We agree with the Ninth Circuit that the phrase right to counsel in 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I) refers to the right to counsel as it existed in the predicate misdemeanor proceeding. Id. at 1003. We find Long's arguments to the contrary unpersuasive. Long argues that if Congress had intended the result in First, the subsection of the statute regarding the right to counsel would, like the subsection regarding the right to trial by a jury, have included such qualifying language as in the case of a prosecution for an offense for which a person was entitled to court-appointed counsel in the jurisdiction in which the case was tried. Appellant's Br. 13. We disagree, for the same reason given by the Ninth Circuit in Firstnamely, that the phrase in the case still serves to qualify the right-to-counsel provision even if the jury-trial provision is qualified more clearly. 731 F.3d at 1004. Long argues that the Ninth Circuit erred in relying on this court's decision in Smith, 171 F.3d at 621-22, but the Ninth Circuit made clear that it drew support from Smith only insofar as that case considered state law in interpreting the phrase right to counsel in 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I). First, 731 F.3d at 1005. We also reject Long's argument that the Ninth Circuit misinterpreted the legislative history of 921(a)(33). The court stated in First: If anything, the words in the case served to engross the right to counsel by referencing the state right to counsel provisions, which can only exceed the federal constitutional minimum. 731 F.3d at 1007. In contending that this statement supports his position rather than the government's, Long fails to address the Ninth Circuit's separate conclusion that when, in 2006, Congress added tribal offenses to the definition of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under 921(a)(33)(A), it was aware that it was allowing convictions obtained without constitutional protections to qualify as misdemeanors capable of triggering prosecution under 922(g)(9). Id. Finding none of Long's arguments to the contrary persuasive, we will follow the approach set forth in First and consider Long's right to counsel as it existed at his tribal court proceedings.
The Sixth Amendment guarantees indigent defendants, in state and federal criminal proceedings, appointed counsel in any case in which a term of imprisonment is imposed. But the Sixth Amendment does not apply to tribal-court proceedings. United States v. Bryant, 136 S. Ct. 1954, 1958 (2016) (citation omitted). Under the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, a criminal defendant in tribal-court proceedings is entitled to appointed counsel when a sentence of more than one year's imprisonment is imposed. 25 U.S.C. 1302(c)(2). Because Long was sentenced to 365 days' imprisonment, with 305 days suspended, in the underlying tribal-court proceeding, any right that Long had to appointed counsel could have come only from Rosebud tribal law.
The Bill of Rights set forth in the Constitution of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe provides that the tribe shall not deny a criminal defendant the right to have the assistance of counsel for his or her defense including the right to have counsel provided subject to income guidelines. Const. and Bylaws of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, art. X, 1(f). The Law and Order Code of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe allows both professional attorneys and lay counsel to practice in tribal court. Law and Order Code of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe 9-2-6 (Every person appearing as a party in any judicial procedure before a Tribal court shall have the right to be represented either by lay counsel or professional attorneys and have such counsel and attorneys assist in the preparation and presentation of his case. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe shall have no obligation to provide or pay for such lay counsel or professional attorneys and only those persons who have first obtained admission to practice before the Tribal Courts shall appear therein.). It further provides that both professional attorneys and lay counsel must represent indigent defendants upon appointment by the tribal court. Id. 9-2-7 (Any person admitted to practice before the Tribal Court will accept and represent indigent clients without compensation or without full compensation when directed to do so by a Judge of the Tribal Court.).
Long has presented no evidence that his counsel at the tribal-court proceeding was not admitted to practice as lay counsel in the tribal court, arguing only that Ms. White Pipe is not a licensed attorney. Because lay counsel are admitted to practice before the tribal court, we conclude that Long was represented by counsel in the tribal-court proceeding within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(33)(B), and that his conviction there thus constituted a valid predicate offense under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).
B. Evidence Disclosed During Trial
We review for abuse of discretion the denial of Long's Brady-based motions for a mistrial and for a new trial. United States v. Tyndall, 521 F.3d 877, 881 (8th Cir. 2008). [T]he suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution. Brady, 373 U.S. at 87. [T]he individual prosecutor has a duty to learn of any favorable evidence known to the others acting on the government's behalf in the case, including the police. Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 437 (1995). Brady is violated if three requirements are met: The evidence at issue must be favorable to the accused, either because it is exculpatory, or because it is impeaching; that evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either willfully or inadvertently; and prejudice must have ensued. Tyndall, 521 F.3d at 881 (quoting Morales v. Ault, 476 F.3d 545, 554 (8th Cir. 2007)). The evidence is not material and no prejudice can be shown unless there is a reasonable probability that the verdict would have been different if the evidence had not been suppressed. Id. A mid-trial disclosure violates Brady only if it comes too late for the defense to make use of it. Id. at 882.
We need not decide whether the tribal law enforcement officers in this case were acting on the government's behalf such that Reynolds's report was in the government's possession, because the information contained therein was not exculpatory, and even if it was, Long suffered no prejudice. Young appeared at trial and was cross-examined by Long, during which Young testified that she heard three gunshots, clarifying her earlier statement to Reynolds. The district court permitted Long to elicit hearsay testimony from Reynolds regarding the unavailable Bordeaux's statement. To the extent that Bordeaux's statementthat he saw a vehicle moving quickly in reverse and heard a single noise, which he thought was a car backfiringwas exculpatory, Reynolds's testimony mitigated any prejudice that resulted from the disclosure of Reynold's report at the beginning of the trial. Cf. United States v. Almendares, 397 F.3d 653, 664 (8th Cir. 2005) (holding to be adequate the trial-time disclosure of evidence that a witness identified an alternate suspect, where defense did not recall witness but cross-examined another witness regarding the identification). Long presented no evidence that the testimony of the additional witness identified by Young would have been exculpatory had she been found in time to testify at trial. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Long's motions for a mistrial and for a new trial.
The judgment is affirmed.
A misdemeanant like Michael Long is forbidden to possess a firearm only if he was represented by counsel in the case in which he sustained the misdemeanor conviction, or if he waived the right to counsel in the case. 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I). It is undisputed that Long did not waive the right to counsel and that he was not represented by a lawyer in the case. The court concludes, however, that because Long was represented in the case by a nonlawyer, dubbed a lay counsel by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, he was represented by counsel in the case. I believe that this conclusion is inconsistent with the meaning of the word counsel in the statute, so I would reverse Long's conviction for possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.
When the Supreme Court recognized the individual right to keep and bear arms in the Second Amendment, the Court said that its opinion should not be read to cast doubt on the longstanding prohibition on the possession of firearms by felons. District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 626 (2008). In 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9), Congress extended the prohibition to persons who have been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. When it established that prohibition, however, Congress included certain procedural safeguards that must be satisfied before a conviction qualifies. If the misdemeanor defendant was entitled to a jury trial in the jurisdiction in which the case was tried, then he is a prohibited person under the firearm statute only if the case was tried to a jury or if he knowingly and intelligently waived the right to have the case tried by a jury. Id. 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(II). And a convicted misdemeanant loses his Second Amendment rights only if he was represented by counsel in the case, or knowingly and intelligently waived the right to counsel in the case. Id. 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I).
Long was convicted of a misdemeanor in a Rosebud Sioux tribal court. He did not waive a right to counsel in the case, so the key issue here is whether Long was represented by counsel in the case.
The ordinary meaning of counsel in the legal context conveyed by the phrase represented by counsel is a lawyer. Webster's defines counsel as a lawyer engaged in the trial or management of a cause in court. Webster's Third New International Dictionary 518 (1993). Black's Law Dictionary says that counsel means [o]ne or more lawyers who represent a client, and in turn defines lawyer as [o]ne who is licensed to practice law. Black's Law Dictionary 352, 895 (7th ed. 1999). Courts ordinarily use the term in the same way. See Zanecki v. Health All. Plan of Detroit, 576 Fed.Appx. 594, 595 (6th Cir. 2014) (The problem, then, is that Mark Zanecki was impermissibly acting as the estate's counsel, and [a] nonlawyer can't handle a case on behalf of anyone except himself.) (alteration in original) (internal quotation omitted); Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures Corp., 322 F.3d 918, 924 (7th Cir. 2003) (Muzikowski cannot represent the NWLL because he is not a lawyer Because NWLL has not appeared by counsel, we dismiss it as a party to this appeal.) (citation omitted); Fernicola v. Eannance, 25 Fed.Appx. 68, 69 (2d Cir. 2002) (Although 28 U.S.C. 1654 provides that [i]n all courts of the United States the parties may plead and conduct their own cases personally or by counsel , this does not empower a pro se nonlawyer litigant to represent his or her child.) (alteration in original).
The court does not really dispute that represented by counsel ordinarily means represented by a lawyer, but concludes that the modified phrase represented by counsel in the case implies a different meaning here. The natural meaning of the modified phrase, however, is simply that the person was represented by a lawyer in the criminal case that resulted in the conviction, not represented by a lawyer in some other context. Many people are represented by counsel in connection with their business affairs, estate planning, or civil litigation. The statute makes clear that a misdemeanant is a prohibited person only if he was represented by counsel in his criminal case.
The court relies on the second clause of 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I), which provides that a misdemeanant has a qualifying conviction if he knowingly and intelligently waived the right to counsel in the case. The suggestion is that in the case would be superfluous here unless it implied that the second clause referred to right to counsel as defined by the Tribe in its constitutional provision concerning right to counsel. Waiver of a right to counsel under the second clause is not at issue in Long's case. But insofar as the two clauses should be read in pari materia, the phrase in the case does not justify interpreting counsel to mean a nonlawyer in both clauses.
Absent a plain indication to the contrary, we assume that Congress intended a uniform national definition of statutory terms. United States v. Storer, 413 F.3d 918, 921 (8th Cir. 2005). We should therefore assume that counsel carries the ordinary meaning of lawyer in all jurisdictions where misdemeanants might be prosecuted. The phrase in the case in the waiver clause requires the court to determine whether the defendant waived the right to a lawyer in the case in which he sustained the misdemeanor conviction. If federal law or the prosecuting jurisdiction provides the right to a lawyer in the case, and the defendant waives that right, then he has been convicted of a qualifying offense. But where, as here, neither federal law nor the prosecuting jurisdiction provided the right to a lawyer, there could be no waiver that would satisfy the statute. To read more into the phrase in the case would dilute the procedural protections that Congress included when it added a new category of prohibited persons under 922(g)(9).
When Long was convicted of a misdemeanor in the tribal court, he was not represented by a lawyer in the case. Therefore, he was not represented by counsel in the case within the meaning of 921(a)(33)(B)(i)(I), and he shall not be considered to have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence for purposes of 922(g)(9). For these reasons, I would reverse Long's conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and remand for resentencing. I concur in Parts I and II.B of the court's opinion, and join the decision to affirm Long's three other convictions.
FOOTNOTES
. The Honorable Roberto A. Lange, United States District Judge for the District of South Dakota.
. Jones-Bear Robe testified that Long followed her out of the store and continued speaking to her, but the store's surveillance footage shows that Long did not leave the store immediately after Jones-Bear Robe. The footage captured the events inside the store and at the gas pumps, but not in the area where Jones-Bear Robe's vehicle was parked.
WOLLMAN, Circuit Judge.
Gente
Rocio Flores sobre Rocio Carrasco: "Es la que me ha parido no?"
"JPY is soft, down 0.2% from Tuesdays close following an impressive bearish outside reversal off a fresh multimonth high. The broader tone remains dominant as we note the absence of any material response to the release of stronger than expected retail sales for July. A continued fade of this weeks risk-off move favors near-term weakness in JPY."
After plumbing depths of 108.2 today after a sudden bout of sharp risk off, USD/JPY was able to recover strongly back up into its recent trading range just beneath the 110 level. Such a big turnaround was seen as the pair tracked risk conditions and road on the coattails of US stock markets which soared later in the North American trading session.
Another nuclear test may be priced into JPY
There can be no doubt that moves caused by sharp emotional reactions can generate particularly good trading opportunities.
Black Monday, when Chinese Stock markets crashed and the trading was halted in New York was a prime example of this as most of the losses were erased after the initial crash.
Today was not nearly on such a scale but the same principle applied as investors leapt at the chance to buy the USD after it had fallen so fast betting that the overreaction was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction which was unlikely to be sustained.
Either markets had already priced in this new aggression from North Korea or didnt think it fundamentally changed the current landscape on the Korean Peninsula as stocks actually finished the day in many cases higher than they started it. Economists at Nomura released a very interesting article on Tuesday in which they focused on the fact that nuclear acts rather than more conventional military behaviours are what spooks markets.
In this article, they float the possibility that USD/JPY may already have priced in another test which would limit downside in the pair,
"After recent media reports, the risk of another nuclear test by North Korea may be already priced in, at least partially. Thus, the reaction of USD/JPY to a nuclear test would not be prolonged, while responses from the US administration would be important. If tensions rise further and JPY keeps appreciating solely owing to geopolitical risks, verbal interventions from Japanese authorities would likely be forthcoming."
Trump will certainly be disappointed that North Korean aggression seems to have returned unabated.
It was a major win for his fledgling administration when Kim Jong Un backed off his threats over Guam, but with this latest test he may be running out of options as his aggressive, saber rattling rhetoric appears to be falling on deaf ears.
Just a heads up.... there aren't any "states" in Canada.
Australia, India and the US have "states" whilst Canada has "provinces."
Please get this important fact straight.
In regards to immigrating to Canada, have you checked the Government of Canada website?
Try Googling "immigrate to Canada" and see what you come up with. You will want to look at sites that have "gc.ca" as part of the address.
An intense debate about the role of foreign students in the UK has been going on for some time and what their status will be regarding visa requirements after Brexit.Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she is determined to keep students within her tens of thousands net migration target, but there are growing calls for student immigration to be separate from general immigration.Concerns have been raised that it is too easy for foreign students to stay in the UK once their period of education has ended and there is also a debate about the value of the fees that they pay to universities.However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has admitted that it has underestimated the value of tuition fees to universities and colleges from overseas students by up to 2.1 billion a year.It also said that the number of students overstaying illegally after the end of their studies has been over estimated and that 97% do leave when their visas have run out.This confusion is one reason behind the decision to order a review of student immigration and visas. The document from the Advisory Migration Committee is not expected to be published until next year.The real picture has emerged as officials now have access to data which records actual leaving figures from ports and airports rather than the International Passenger Survey (IPS) which was based on what people said they were doing.For example, when non-European Union former students were departing the UK in 2015 and 2016 some 28% told the IPS they were unsure how long they would be out of the UK or that they intended to return within 12 months.Now exit checks data suggest the proportion of non-EU students who actually returned is much lower at around 6%, meaning there may have been an underestimate of long term emigration.The new figures for 2016 show that only 4,600 international students overstayed their visas, overturning previous estimates that the number was closer to 100,000.Higher education organisations are hoping that the review will clear up any confusion regarding the number of overseas students, how many stay after study and how much they contribute to the economy. It is the first time that research of this kind has been commissioned.Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, said that the detailed examination of the net benefits of international students is good news for the sector. This is an opportunity to build on the considerable evidence that shows that international students have a very positive impact on the UK economy and local communities, he added.
Losses to Texas $100 billion agriculture industry had not even begun to be tallied Tuesday, with farmers and ranchers still unable to get out to find stranded livestock or survey how many acres of grain, rice and cotton was destroyed by Harveys once-in-a-millennium downpours.
Texas A&M University agricultural economist David Anderson said it was too soon to even ballpark the monetary extent of the damages.
I havent even tried, he said. Its going to be a big number.
Texas leads the nation in production of cattle, cotton, sheep and goats and hay, and it also produces a sizable amount of wheat and corn. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 54 Texas counties declared a disaster area contain more than 1.2 million beef cows, or about 27 percent of the states herd. Anderson said that was a conservative census, as 14 of the counties only have estimates.
According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas rice producers had already harvested about 75 percent of the crop, but storage bins may have suffered extensive wind and water damage. Port closures interrupted exports of agricultural products from across the Midwest.
Wheat, soybean and corn exports all ground to a halt last week as Texas ports prepared for the oncoming hurricane, the TDA said in a statement. Texas is responsible for exporting almost one-fourth of the nations wheat and a significant portion of U.S. corn and soybeans.
USDA Meteorologist Eric Luebehusen said about 14 percent of the states cotton was ready for harvest, and much of it was in the storms track. Anticipated damages might already have affected futures prices, with cotton prices for December delivery rising some 3 percent to above 70 cents a pound.
Somebody told me they were out driving those cotton pickers like race cars, said Steve Kolle, a Victoria-area rancher who said hed been able to account for all of his 600 head of cattle, and so far on his ranch had only found one destroyed barn.
But with harvest time workers already working around the clock at the United Agriculture cotton gin in El Campo, some 70 miles southwest of Houston, there just wasnt capacity to process more, coop general manager Jimmy Roppolo said. That meant a lot of the cotton that was rushed to the mill still got soaked waiting out in the lot.
The gin so far has processed about 100,000 bales, he said, but he estimated there was still another 100,000 bales, or about half the crop, out soaking in submerged modules if not in the field. If none of that was salvageable, itd mean about $35 million in lost crop for that cooperatives region alone. What was able to be harvested would likely be stained and tangled with broken seed, significantly lowering its value, Roppolo said.
It put a definite damper on spirits that were running high just before the storm. U.S. Cotton growers in general have been struggling against foreign subsidies and a lack of farm bill supports available to other crops. Theyd hoped to come out ahead with bumper yields.
We were heading for a record crop, we were hoping this would have gotten them out of the hole, Roppolo said. If Mother Nature had just given us another week, wed have been in a heck of lot better shape.
It was unclear what relief would come from crop insurance or from separate insurance coverage that the gin had, he said.
Richard Thorpe, president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, in a statement said the association was working with state and local response agencies to coordinate relief and support efforts, and does have Special Rangers in the region to assist producers.
However, many areas are still experiencing flooding, making it difficult for ranchers and response teams to safely assess the impacts to cattle herds, he said. As the rain and flooding subside later this week, cattle raisers will be able to better assess their needs and TSCRA stands ready to assist.
Tom Andy Vestal, a professor and extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, said the states storm recovery resources included his agencys nearly 160 personnel activated across a 300-mile swath of Texas. Shelters and staging areas in 36 counties were taking in hundreds if not thousands of pets as well as cattle, horses, goats, sheep and hogs. Strike teams of agricultural agents were at the ready in Waco and the Rio Grande Valley, and other teams were readying to go to Brazoria County, where more than 500 animals were already under shelter, and the San Patricio County fairground, where they were staging an animal supply point.
Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.
As soon as they can get in there, thats what our problem is, he said. Our livestock industry organizations reported that the vast majority of their producers are unable to get out and do an observation. We know that there will be tens of thousands of water gaps, which are the fences that cross tributaries, streams and rivers. And those water gaps will be gone, so the fences will be gone. And many of those water gaps are along public highways and county roads.
That meant high danger of stray livestock meandering out on roads and creating hazards to motorists, especially at night.
And its a huge public safety issue, he said. We had this issue during Hurricane Ike and were going to have it again.
He said the priority now was moving cattle and other livestock into confined areas. Next would be soliciting donations of money, hay and feed to take care of animals while the ranchers were out repairing fences.
The good news was that ranchers that got donations after the wildfires that swept through the Panhandle in March were now eager to help out their inundated colleagues. So too were industry folk as far away as Australia.
As a matter of fact, about Friday of last week those folks up in Canadian, Texas, and Pampa, Texas; they called me right here in my office just saying, OK, were ready to return the favor to the rest of Texas. How can we get material down to support the livestock industry on the Gulf Coast? he said. Theyre ready to go. So are a lot of people across the country. Im getting calls from as far away as Australia.
lbrezosky@express-news.net
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. RACHEL H., by and through her parents, PlaintiffAppellant, v. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, State of HAWAII, DefendantAppellee. No. 14-16382 Decided: August 29, 2017
Before: Raymond C. Fisher, Richard A. Paez and Jacqueline H. Nguyen, Circuit Judges. Jay S. Handlin (argued), New York, New York, for PlaintiffAppellant. Kaliko'onalani D. Fernandes (argued), Holly T. Shikada, and Gary S. Suganuma, Deputy Attorneys General; Clyde J. Wadsworth, Solicitor General; Douglas C. Chin, Attorney General; Department of the Attorney General, Honolulu, Hawaii; for DefendantAppellee.
OPINION
Rachel H.'s parents brought suit on her behalf against the Hawaii Department of Education, alleging she was denied a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This alleged denial did not stem from any substantive failure to include any particular special education service in her individualized education program. Rather, Rachel's parents argued their daughter was denied a free appropriate public education because of a purported procedural error, specifically, not identifying the anticipated school where special education services would be delivered in light of a planned move to a new school district. Because we hold the IDEA does not require identification of a particular school in every instance, we affirm the district court's summary judgment for the Hawaii Department of Education.
I.
Rachel has Down syndrome, but this has not stopped her from spending her entire educational life fully included with typical students in a general education setting. In 2012, Rachel was finishing ninth grade at a private school paid for, in part, by the Hawaii Department of Education (Department) under a settlement agreement with Rachel's parents. In May of that year, the Department held an individualized education program (IEP) meeting to determine the special education services Rachel would receive in the upcoming school year. During the meeting, Rachel's father urged the Department to continue paying for Rachel's tuition at the private school, but the Department declined. Although agreeing that Rachel qualified for numerous special education services, including one-on-one adult support, the Department's offer of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) provided that her IEP would be implemented on a public school campus.
At the time of the May 2012 IEP meeting, all parties involved understood that the public school campus offered by the Department was Kalani High School. However, neither Rachel's IEP nor the prior written notice of the proposed changes formally identified the anticipated school where Rachel's tenth grade IEP would be implemented.
Rachel's parents did not sign the May 2012 IEP. A few months later, Rachel's father informed the Department that the family was moving to Kailua, approximately 20 to 30 miles from Kalani High School. Consequently, according to Rachel's father, Kalani [would] under no circumstances be Rachel's local public high school given the distance from the school to their new home. He again demanded to enroll Rachel in private school at public expense.
The Department did not accede to this demand. On July 30, 2012, it wrote Rachel's parents that the May 2012 IEP was not specific to Kalani High School. Instead, the IEP was based on [Rachel's] current strengths and needs. Accordingly, the Department asked for the family's new address in Kailua so the location where Rachel's IEP can be implemented can be determined. Until [the family's] move, Rachel could attend Kalani High School if her parents wished. The Department also informed Rachel's father that, should he enroll her in private school, such enrollment would be considered a unilateral placement at parents' expense.
The Department never proposed a new IEP meeting in light of the family's move. Nor did it ever identify a school in Kailua that could meet Rachel's special education needs. It did, however, repeatedly ask for the family's new address. Rachel's father ignored these requests until January 2013, when, in addition to giving the Department the family's new address, he filed a due process hearing request on behalf of Rachel, arguing that the Department had denied Rachel a FAPE by not identifying the anticipated school where Rachel's IEP would be implemented. He did not raise any substantive challenge to Rachel's IEP. In response, the Department argued it had complied with the IDEA's requirements and that Rachel's IEP could be implemented on a public school campus.
An administrative hearings officer concluded that the May 2012 IEP had offered Rachel placement at Kalani High School and that the July 30, 2012 letter had not amended that offer to include any public school in Kailua. Instead, he viewed the July letter as a first step in determining which school in Kailua could serve Rachel's needs while continuing to offer Kalani High School as an option in the interim. After Rachel's parents filed this action in federal court for review of the hearings officer's decision, the district court affirmed, reasoning that an IEP need not necessarily identify a specific school where it would be implemented to comply with the IDEA. Rachel timely appealed.
II.
Congress enacted the IDEA because many children with disabilities were excluded completely from any form of public education or were left to fend for themselves in classrooms designed for education of their nonhandicapped peers. Bd. of Educ. of Hendrick Hudson Cent. Sch. Dist. v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 191 (1982). To remedy this problem, Congress offered states federal money and, in exchange, required states to provide a FAPE to all children with qualifying disabilities through the provision of special education services. See 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(1). These special education services must be outlined in an IEP, the centerpiece of the statute's education delivery system. Endrew F. ex rel. Joseph F. v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist. RE1, 137 S. Ct. 988, 994 (2017) (quoting Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305, 311 (1988)). Each IEP is crafted by a team of the individuals most critical to a child's success, including parents, teachers, and school officials. See 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B). Their task is to develop a comprehensive plan that is tailored to the unique needs' of a particular child. Endrew F., 137 S. Ct. at 994 (quoting Rowley, 458 U.S. at 181).
A complete IEP that is fully compliant with the IDEA must be in place at the beginning of each school year for all children with disabilities. See 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(A). The IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances. Endrew F., 137 S. Ct. at 999. To accomplish this goal, the IEP team must consider a child's current levels of academic achievement, describe how a child's disability affects his or her ability to perform, and set measurable goals of academic progress for the upcoming year through the provision of special education services. See 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i). As relevant here, an IEP must contain the projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications described in subclause (IV), and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications. Id. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VII) (emphasis added).
This appeal concerns the meaning of location in 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VII). If, as Rachel's father argues, location means the specific school where an IEP will be implemented, then at the beginning of the 201213 school year the Department failed to have in place an IEP that identified an anticipated school in Kailua, Rachel's new home town, where special education services would be delivered. If, on the other hand, location does not mean the specific school, then the district court correctly affirmed dismissal of Rachel's claims. We hold location does not necessarily include the specific school where special education services will be implemented. We therefore affirm.
The IDEA does not define the term location. See 20 U.S.C. 1401. When interpreting a statute, the court begins with the statutory text and interprets statutory terms in accordance with their ordinary meaning, unless the statute clearly expresses an intention to the contrary. I.R. ex rel. E.N. v. L.A. Unified Sch. Dist., 805 F.3d 1164, 1167 (9th Cir. 2015) (quoting United States v. Neal, 776 F.3d 645, 652 (9th Cir. 2015)). Here, the ordinary dictionary definitions of the term location do not reveal what Congress intended by the term in this context. See Location, American Heritage Dictionary 1029 (5th ed. 2011) (A place where something is or could be located); Location, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014) (The specific place or position of a person or thing.); Location, Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1327 (2002) (a position or site occupied or available for occupancy (as by a building) or marked by some distinguishing feature ). These definitions generally define location as a specific place or position. In the context in which the term is used in 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VII), this could plausibly refer to a specific school, a specific classroom, or a specific type of classroom or educational environmentsuch as a regular classroom, a special education classroom or a resource room. The ordinary meaning of the term location therefore does not resolve the question presented here. We therefore turn to the tools of statutory interpretation employed to give meaning to a statute's ambiguous terms.
The United States Department of Education (USDOE), charged with enforcing the IDEA, also has not defined the term. See 34 C.F.R. 300.445. Nor has it officially interpreted its regulations concerning the term location as used in 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VII) and 34 C.F.R. 300.320(a)(7). In unofficial commentary, however, the USDOE has given the term location a meaning inconsistent with holding it always includes a particular school.
Shortly after the location requirement was added to the IDEA, the USDOE responded to commenters' requests to clarify that location means the general setting in which [special education] services will be provided and not a particular school or facility. Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, 64 Fed. Reg. 12,406, 12,594 (Mar. 12, 1999). The USDOE responded, [t]he location of services in the context of an IEP generally refers to the type of environment that is the appropriate place for provision of the service. For example, is the related service to be provided in the child's regular classroom or in a resource room? Id. This statement, especially when read in the context of the request from commenters to which it was designed to respond, strongly suggests the USDOE did not interpret location to require identification of a particular school. See T.Y. ex rel. T.Y. v. N.Y. City Dep't of Educ., 584 F.3d 412, 420 (2d Cir. 2009) (concluding the USDOE's commentary indicate[s] that the term location does not mean the specific school location, but the general environment of the overall program); see also R.L. ex rel. O.L. v. MiamiDade Cty. Sch. Bd., 757 F.3d 1173, 1190 n.8 (11th Cir. 2014) (concluding particular site selection for an educational placement is likely within the state's discretion to choose); White ex rel. White v. Ascension Parish Sch. Bd., 343 F.3d 373, 37980 (5th Cir. 2003) (concluding the term location was primarily administrative and did not give parents the right to be involved in site selection); Abney ex rel. Kantor v. District of Columbia, 849 F.2d 1491, 1492 n.1 (D.C. Cir. 1988) (An IEP is not location-specific; the place at which an IEP is implemented may change without the IEP itself changing.); cf. A.K. ex rel. J.K. v. Alexandria City Sch. Bd., 484 F.3d 672, 681 (4th Cir. 2007) (not considering the USDOE commentary and concluding location, in some circumstances, means the anticipated school where special education services will be delivered). We conclude the USDOE's understanding of the term location as meaning type of environment that is the appropriate place for provision of [a special education] service is persuasive for at least two reasons.
First, the USDOE's interpretation is almost identical to a statement in the legislative history of the location requirement, which Congress added in 1997. See Pub. L. No. 10517, title I, 614, 111 Stat. 37. A Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee report said the amendment was needed because:
The location where special education and related services will be provided to a child influences decisions about the nature and amount of these services and when they should be provided to a child. For example, the appropriate place for the related service may be the regular classroom, so that the child does not have to choose between a needed service and the regular educational program. For this reason, in the bill the committee has added location to the provision in the IEP that includes the projected date for the beginning of services and modifications, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services (emphasis added).
S. Rep. No. 10517, at 2122 (1997). Thus, like the USDOE commentary, the legislative history suggests Congress intended the term location to mean the appropriate educational environment for the delivery of a specific special education service.
Second, the USDOE's interpretation is consistent with other IDEA provisions. When a student transfers to a new school district within the same academic year, the new district may use the old IEP until the new district adopts the previously held IEP or develops, adopts, and implements a new IEP that is consistent with Federal and State law. 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I). Accordingly, the IDEA's transfer procedures allow a new district to adopt an old IEP without changes. This procedure supports the USDOE's interpretation of location as the appropriate environment for delivery of a special education service. Otherwise, this subsection would suggest that a new school district could adopt an IEP without changing the previously designated school, which might well be outside the new district and over which the local educational agency lacks authority.
Contrary to the USDOE's interpretation, Rachel's father provides three arguments for why the term location must always require identification of the anticipated school where special education services will be delivered. None is persuasive.
First, Rachel's father argues K.D. ex rel. C.L. v. Department of Education, 665 F.3d 1110, 112627 (9th Cir. 2011), holds location means the anticipated school where special education services will be delivered. We disagree. The word location does not even appear in K.D. See id. Instead, that case concerned whether a local educational agency must identify the specific classroom where special education services would be provided under Union School District v. Smith, 15 F.3d 1519, 1526 (9th Cir. 1994), as part of its formal offer of placement. K.D., 665 F.3d at 1127. K.D. held there was no requirement to identify the specific classroom where special education services would be provided. See id. Because a specific school was identified in K.D.'s IEP, there was no need to consider whether the IDEA required such identification. See id.
Second, Rachel's father argues the USDOE's interpretation of location would strip the term placement of meaning. Not so. The USDOE's interpretation of location concerns the environment in which a particular special education service will be provided. See 64 Fed. Reg. at 12,594. Conversely, the term placement means the general educational program of the student. N.D. ex rel. Parents Acting As Guardians Ad Litem v. Haw. Dep't of Educ., 600 F.3d 1104, 1116 (9th Cir. 2010). In other words, the term location is narrower. For example, the educational placement of a student might be regular classes with a one-on-one aide and modified testing. See 34 C.F.R. 300.115(b)(1). Conversely, the location of a special education service, such as modified testing, might be in a teacher's office. One need not interpret location as meaning an anticipated school for there to be a difference between it and the term placement.
Lastly, Rachel's father argues that permitting an educational agency to not always identify a particular school at which services will be provided would deprive parents of children with disabilities of basic information concerning an offer of a FAPE. Cf. A.K., 484 F.3d at 681. Although we agree that having a local educational agency identify the school where special education services will be delivered makes sense and may even be required in some circumstances, we do not agree the IDEA requires such identification in all instances, as we have explained.
When a student with an existing IEP transfers to a new district within the same state, the new district must provide such child with a free appropriate public education, including services comparable to those described in the previously held IEP, in consultation with the parents until such time as the local educational agency adopts the previously held IEP or develops, adopts, and implements a new IEP that is consistent with Federal and State law. 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I). Here, had Rachel's parents provided the Department with their new address, [t]here [is] no question that [s]he would have had a place, K.D., 665 F.3d at 1127, in a school andaccepting Rachel's father's interpretation of the July 2012 letter as truea public one at that. That public school must have provided Rachel a FAPE in a manner that was consistent with her existing IEPi.e., the one created with Kalani High School in mind. See 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I). But instead of undergoing a normal registration process with the educational agency in Kailua, Rachel's parents decided to treat a purported technical violation of the IDEA as allowing them to unilaterally enroll their daughter in private school at public expense without identifying a single special education need her existing IEP failed to meet simply because the existing IEP did not specify Kalani High School and thereby limit the IEP to that location. Because the IDEA does not require educational agencies to identify a specific school in every IEP, this gambit must fail.
We emphasize that knowledge of a particular school, classroom, or teacher may well be relevant to allowing parents to participate meaningfully in the IEP process. See, e.g., A.K., 484 F.3d at 681 (With the IEP not identifying any particular school (because the IEP team had not discussed the issue), the parents were left to fend for themselves to determine whether any private day school in their areaincluding the five ACPS applied towould be a satisfactory fit. This is not how the IDEA was designed to work.). Parents may need this information, for example, to evaluate whether a proposed IEP satisfies the IDEA because of a particular special education need caused by a child's disability. See, e.g., Smith, 15 F.3d at 1525 (holding the absence of other autistic children and the lack of training for teachers on working with autistic children, among other deficiencies, made a particular school inappropriate). In such circumstances, a local educational agency's failure to specify a school may violate the IDEA. Furthermore, even where the IDEA may not require identification of a particular school, it may still be wise to do so in the IEP, especially when providing this information would advance the essential purpose of this important law. Nothing in our holding is meant to suggest otherwise. See A.K., 484 F.3d at 68082.
Rather, we hold an educational agency does not commit a per se violation of the IDEA by not specifying the anticipated school where special education services will be delivered within a child's IEP. This does not mean school districts have carte blanche to assign a child to a school that cannot satisfy the IEP's requirements. T.Y., 584 F.3d at 420. Nor does it mean that not identifying a school can never result in a denial of a FAPE, especially when a child's disability demands delivery of special education services at a particular facility. We hold only that the IDEA does not procedurally require every IEP to identify the anticipated school where special education services will be delivered.
III.
Rachel's father argues that even if the IDEA does not require a local educational agency to identify a particular school in every instance, Rachel's predetermination claim still survives because the July 2012 letter indicated Rachel would have to attend a Kailua public high school without holding an IEP meeting and without considering whether any particular public schools in Kailua could meet her needs. A school district violates the IDEA if it predetermines placement for a student before the IEP is developed or steers the IEP to the predetermined placement. K.D., 665 F.3d at 1123. We conclude that did not occur here.
Rachel's May 2012 IEP said her needs could be met on a public school campus. As of May, the parties understood the IEP would be implemented at Kalani High School, although the IEP itself was not specific to Kalani High School. Thus, as a result of that May 2012 IEP processwhich has not been challengedthe Department concluded Rachel's needs could be met on a public school campus, and Kalani High School was the presumed school at that time. Accordingly, even if the July 2012 letter definitively said Rachel would be sent to a public school in Kailua, this would be a simple adoption of her May 2012 IEP in a new school district. This is precisely the procedure outlined in 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I). As stated above, 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I) provides that when a student with an existing IEP transfers to a new district within the same state, the new district may use the old IEP to offer a FAPE until it either chooses to adopt the old IEP in full or develops a new one with parental input.
AFFIRMED.
FOOTNOTES
. 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(IV) says an IEP must include a statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the child(aa) to advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals; (bb) to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with subclause (I) and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and (cc) to be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this subparagraph.
. Because we conclude the USDOE's commentary is persuasive under Skidmore v. Swift & Co., 323 U.S. 134, 13940 (1944), we do not consider whether the USDOE's commentary is entitled to greater deference. See E.M. ex rel. E.M. v. Pajaro Valley Unified Sch. Dist. Office, 758 F.3d 1162, 1174 (9th Cir. 2014).
. In supplemental briefing, Rachel's father appears to have abandoned any argument that Smith is dispositive of this case. To the degree Rachel's father maintains that Smith is dispositive, we disagree. Smith could not have interpreted the term location because it was decided three years before Congress added the location requirement to the IDEA. Instead, Smith interpreted the term placement now codified at 20 U.S.C. 1415(b)(3) and (b)(6)(A). See Smith, 15 F.3d at 1526. In so doing, it held an IEP that identified an inappropriate school could not, nonetheless, provide a FAPE because a different school not identified and never offered could have met the needs of a child with disabilities. See id. Thus, the court held a local educational agency must make a formal offer of placement in order to satisfy IDEA requirements. See id. It did not hold that placement meant a particular school. See id.
. Because Rachel's IEP called for its implementation on a public school campus, offering the special education services and modifications outlined therein in a Kailua public school would have simply followed the procedure outlined in 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I), even though the special education services and modifications in Rachel's May 2012 IEP were designed with Kalani High School in mind.
FISHER, Circuit Judge:
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PORT ARANSAS This beach island community lay prostrate Tuesday no internet or phone service, no running water or electricity and a dawn-to-dusk curfew. Days after Hurricane Harvey lashed the Coastal Bend with winds nearing 130 mph, Aransas Pass residents labored under a frontier isolation, knowing next to nothing about the fate of others down the road or across Redfish Bay.
Yet they were on their feet and volunteers were starting to arrive with water, brooms, shovels and a neighborly spirit that brought Jeanne Jonas to tears.
A crew from Church Unlimited descended on her one-story home, where a thick layer of mud covered the floor and the furniture was set out to dry, to help clean it up.
Its just like I saw a spirit coming toward me. It shows you that really, there is a God, said Jonas, 68, a New Braunfels resident. These people came from nowhere to help us and its wonderful.
Roughly 30 members of the nondenominational church, which has 11 campuses throughout South Texas, cleaned up the parking lot outside the IGA supermarket on Alister Street, the towns main drag. By afternoon, they were running a distribution hub for at least 2 tons of bottled water.
At least eight in every 10 homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, Port Aransas police Lt. James Stokes said. There have been no storm-related fatalities reported, and so far no arrests, including for looting, which remains a concern for some throughout the region.
Just how many residents Harvey left homeless was unknown, but Stokes called it a significant amount. He couldnt say where they could go but hoped they would have families to fall back on.
Utility poles had been bent by high winds or pushed to the ground for miles along the road into town. Up to 90 percent of homes had taken some damage, police estimated. Some were completely shattered, not far from others left intact.
Retired Austin construction company owner Arthur Serrano, 58, was relieved to see a group of the church volunteers at his home, which had been inundated by 6 feet of water and had a gooey, smelly layer of mud on the garage floor.
Well, I just want to say, it almost makes me cry, Serrano said. When they drove up and said, Hey, were here to help you, and then we all got together and we said a prayer, I had to fight the tears because so much here looks insurmountable and were thinking we had weeks of work ahead of us.
At the grocery parking lot, church members Jason and Courtney John helped unload the water and other supplies, basics ranging from snacks and canned food to diapers, baby formula and paper plates for delivery wherever needed. Making people aware was still an issue.
People are driving up, getting the things they need, but were trying to spread the word, Courtney John said. Just driving by, people dont understand whats going on.
As if to amplify the point, people in a passing truck turned to stare at the volunteers, not sure of what to make of the scene.
Come get some stuff, guys! she cried.
Movement was difficult and information about the outside world was hard to come by.
We havent had television or internet or cellphones or any kind of social media, phone calls, any of that kind of stuff for several days, Stokes said, noting that it hadnt hurt his police departments ability to do its job. We are slowly starting to get those capabilities back, but they are very spotty and hit and miss at this point, so we havent been able to get anything consistent.
Residents and those who own weekend homes streamed into town to inspect the damage. Pete Lozano, 64, of San Antonio arrived Monday the first day people were allowed to come back to check the retirement home he owns with his wife, Ludi.
What theyre going to need is a whole lot of disaster aid to rebuild this community, said Lozano, who once coordinated evacuations for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The recovery, for now, consisted of painfully small steps picking up boards, throwing out ruined clothes and sweeping debris into piles. Madelyn Haas, whose mothers jewelry store was inundated by 4 feet of water, worked with other church volunteers at Serranos home.
She wasnt bothered by the muddy work.
It doesnt really matter. Im feeling good that Im helping, said Haas, 33, of North Padre Island.
Another volunteer, Bill Robinson, planned to help out until teachers report at Flour Bluff Primary School, where he is an assistant principal. Clutching a pair of hammers and a nail puller, he said folks would help him if the tables had been turned.
Im here by choice, said Robinson, 57, of North Padre Island. If I had a choice, I could be anywhere I want. This is where I want to be, helping out people with our church and serving alongside our brothers what Jesus would want us to do: help each other.
sigc@express-news.net
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ROCKPORT Engulfed in a raging storm, they huddled in their mobile home and listened as, one by one, the wind broke the tie-downs that secured it.
There were 10 tie-downs. When they heard the fifth snap, Shane and Angela Marsh fled. They watched from their Nissan Sentra as their house was lifted off the ground less than 10 minutes later.
It rolled one, two three, Shane Marsh said, showing with his hands how the house had flipped. Hit these trees and then exploded.
Now all thats left is a heap of rubble, unrecognizable.
Rockport, a city of about 10,000, has families that have lived there for generations but also people who were attracted to the possibility of a waterfront getaway.
Some, like Angela Marsh, move there permanently. In 2001, she left San Antonio for the breeze of the Gulf of Mexico and the feel of a small community. Some buy second homes, traveling from nearby cities on weekends.
On Friday, Hurricane Harvey began its assault on Texas. Rockport, which enacted a mandatory evacuation, was torn to shreds when Harvey made landfall nearby as a Category 4 hurricane. The few who stayed, like the Marshes, emerged to find a ghost town.
By midweek, thousands were returning with trepidation, anxious to see their homes, if only to record the damage for insurance purposes.
The Marshes have been staying at a church day care and benefiting from the charity of the nonprofits, companies and individuals that have arrived to assist.
Whatever help we can get, we can use right now, Angela Marsh said. I dont like asking for help, I dont like to do it, but right now we have no choice.
At the Ace Hardware parking lot, a group of cooks from Corpus Christi set up shop and offered free meals while the nonprofit Fuel Relief Fund was handing out 5 gallons of fuel per vehicle and filling up peoples generators.
A block-long line of cars was arriving nonstop, said Joe Lee, a team member. He expected all 4,000 gallons they brought to be given out by days end.
There were other small shops that somehow managed to open, advertising free water and other goods through makeshift signs.
At the H-E-B parking lot, the grocery chains disaster relief team had served 940 hot meals after arriving Tuesday evening, 1,200 meals for breakfast and another 1,200 for lunch, and distributed thousands of bags of ice and bottled water, said Clay Bridges, 50, of New Braunfels, who runs the Bulverde H-E-B store.
Some of the volunteers sleep in their cars, but Bridges wasnt bothered about that, saying, Its worth it. Its very gratifying.
They provided the first hot meal since Harvey made landfall for George Charos, 47, of Rockport and his friend Lydia Rosales, 41. Their trailers had been crushed, and the hotel where Rosales works was destroyed.
Angela Marsh told her husband she no longer wants to live on the coast, and he agreed. Once they get back on their feet, they plan to leave Rockport.
I dont want to go through this ever again, she said. This one time was enough.
A major inconvenience
While some homes in Rockport are beyond salvage, others appear almost untouched. Many locals suspect that tornadoes spawned by the hurricane passed through the city.
I was getting a real stomachache on our way here because I just didnt know what to expect, said Robyn Harrelson, a teacher at St. Thomas Episcopal School in San Antonio who owns a second home in Rockport.
Staring at the back of the wrecked waterfront complex Wednesday morning, she took a deep breath. From that side, it was hard to tell how her unit had fared. Harrelson opened the door with her fingers crossed, and stepped inside.
Wow, she paused, as she and her husband stared at their place. She clasped her face with her hands, tears of relief shining in her eyes.
It looked almost pristine.
Weve been blessed, Harrelson said.
The rug was soaked, and the ceiling was brown from water damage, with paint falling off in one place. Bowls and decorations had pools of water in them. But her photos of friends and family were intact. For the most part, the Harrelsons unit had been spared.
Their neighbors were not so lucky. Some of the condos were smashed. The dock outside had fallen into the water, benches and pieces of fence were in the pool, and roof shingles were everywhere. A chimney was toppled. The palm trees looked as if they had been scalped. A transformer had blown off a utility pole and exploded when it hit the street.
The Harrelsons began loading belongings into their truck and saying goodbye, at least for now, to the place theyd owned and rented for more than 25 years.
We call it a major inconvenience, Robyn Harrelson said. But for some people, the locals theyve lost their livelihood.
sfosterfrau@express-news.net
Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF
Staff Writer Sig Christenson contributed to this report.
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AUSTIN President Donald Trump was greeted by energized protesters in the state capital Tuesday, with many focusing on an immigration battle that kept some people from seeking shelter from the hurricane for fear of deportation.
No ban, no wall, the Trump regime has got to fall, chanted a group holding signs in front of the Texas Department of Public Safety, where Trump visited the state operations center after a trip to Corpus Christi to assess some of the damage from Harvey, now a tropical storm.
Inside, Trump praised officials for a coordinated response that he said has drawn international admiration.
The world is watching, and the world is very impressed with what you are doing, Trump said, adding that he would work with Congress on the costly proposition of helping the state.
Probably there has never been anything so expensive in our country's history, we've never done anything so historic in terms of damage and in terms of ferocity as what we've witnessed with Harvey, Trump said. It sounds like such an innocent name ... but it's not innocent."
Earlier Tuesday, Trump and first lady Melania were greeted by dozens of cheering supporters when they landed in Air Force One at Corpus Christi International Airport under hot, sunny skies. Abbott and other officials were at the airport to meet the Trumps, and then the entire entourage made its way 10 miles northwest to the Annaville fire department.
Trump was accompanied by U.S Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, state Rep. Todd Hunter and Brock Long, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
At the Annaville fire department, the president greeted a crowd of well over a thousand mostly supportive people, raising a Lone Star Texas flag high in the air and offering encouraging remarks to the people of Corpus Christi.
We love you. You are special, said Trump, adding, What a crowd. What a turnout.
He was in the area about two hours, then flew on to Austin.
At the state capital, tensions were on display over issues including Trumps pending decision on whether to do away with a program that gives a measure of protection to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Trump has been given a Sept. 5 deadline to begin phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by Texas and other states, which plan to proceed with legal action unless he does so.
The immigration issue, which draws strong emotions, has been highlighted during the hurricane and its aftermath.
We are a city of DREAMers & doers. San Antonians, regardless of status, contribute to our economy daily. DACA makes it possible, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg tweeted Tuesday.
Some undocumented immigrants were afraid to go to shelters because they didnt want to raise their risk of deportation, advocates have said, despite assurances from officials that they would not become targets.
Cornyn, who was with Trump in Austin, too, said he hadnt encountered such stories first hand.
Obviously, people need to be taken care of who are in harms way and whose life has been threatened and survival is in doubt, and I think that takes priority, Cornyn said.
Cruz, also part of the capital visit, said, When it comes to the loss of life and the risk of life, every asset is focused on just saving lives, and that has to be the principle focus.
Julieta Garibay, with the advocacy group United We Dream, said the protest was meant to show that the immigrant community stands in unity with victims of the storm and those in fear of losing their status under a DACA repeal
Having been undocumented for many years, Garibay was surprised to arrive at a storm shelter recently and see it surrounded by police officers. We hesitated and stopped, she said. It brings a lot of questions. We want to make sure cities open these shelters to everybody.
Abbott said Friday shelters would not be checking immigration status.
In an interview before Trump arrived in Austin, Manny Garcia, deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said that the situation has been incredibly frightening for Dreamers.
Garcia applauded Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other local officials who all have confirmed that the priority right now is to protect families and save lives not to enforce immigration policy.
The last thing we need right now is the threat of a Trump deportation force, Garcia said. There are Dreamers who are assembling cots, feeding their neighbors and preparing to rebuild their lives, their city and their state, just like every other Texan. These folks are Texan in every single sense of the word.
Also speaking before Trumps arrival, Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak, chairman of the Travis County Republican Party, said the presidents visit to show his support and get feedback about how the federal government is handling its response to the disaster is separate from the pending action on immigration.
Im sensitive to anyone who feels like they cant come forward and ask for help, said Mackowiak, while contending there is a lot of fear and paranoia that some folks on the far left are stoking.
Critics right to protest is almost unlimited in the United States. Thats one of the things that makes this country great, Mackowiak said, but he added, I would hope partisan politics and policy differences would stop at a moment of national disaster like were seeing in Texas.
The Austin protesters had strong views they wanted to air.
Ben Weatherman, 37, who held a sign saying, Evacuate Trump Now, dismissed Trumps visit as a photo op so we end up totally looking past the stupid, hateful, racist things like pardoning (former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff) Joe Arpaio.
I think that its important to realize that thats what hes coming here for. Its not necessarily concern for Texans. Its not concern for our neighbors or anything like that. Its just for the photo op, Weatherman said.
But Trump also had backers among those who gathered at DPS.
Patricia Weronick, 63, of Austin wore a Make America Great Again cap, saying she wanted to ensure Trump knew that some people are supporting him, and its not only negativity.
Jordan Floro, who evacuated his home near Houston on Monday, showed up with his family to support Trump.
Anything that Texas has asked for, he has given. He has got our back, said Floro, whose home backs up to a levee in Missouri City. If it busts, we have nothing going back to.
Of the protesters holding anti-Trump signs nearby, Floro said the diverse crowd is what makes America special.
People with different backgrounds can come together peacefully, he said.
Melanie Allen was one of the Trump supporters who was at the Corpus Christi airport. She brought her 6-foot cardboard cut-out of the president showing him with two thumbs up and managed to slip it over the fence to show Abbott while he was waiting for Trump to land. The governor laughed as he signed the Trump cut-out for her.
Allen said she keeps the cut-out, which her son gave her for Christmas, in her living room.
I believe in everything he believes in. He is truly trying to make our country great again, Allen said.
pfikac@express-news.net
Twitter: @pfikac
Thank goodness Al Beyer wasnt any better with typewriters and refrigerators. It was only after his first business went under that one of the citys most iconic restaurants was launched: Casa Rio. And his efforts would help launch todays vibrant restaurant scene along the San Antonio River Walk.
He pretty much went broke three times, Bill Lyons Jr. said of the foundering appliance store his grandfather ran out of the property the family still owns at 430 E. Commerce St. in the early part of the 1900s. He bounced back and did this without knowing one thing about the restaurant business.
Beyer was a quick study. He opened Casa Rio in 1946, and the Regular Plate cheese enchilada, chile con carne, tamal, rice and beans has been a menu fixture since day one. But theres more to the restaurant than those timeless Tex-Mex flavors. The venue, Lyons said, served as an oasis during a decade in which the citys population would grow by more than 60 percent.
Grandpa, he bought a place on the Comal River up in New Braunfels. He found so much peace on that river up there that I think he felt that this river could replicate some of that ambiance, and it really does, Lyons said. You walk on the street and take the steps down, and its like a whole new environment. There was something about the river that he thought would be attractive.
If only Beyer knew just what a success it would become.
Today, Casa Rio serves as many as 2,500 each day during its peak month of July. Images of the restaurants distinctive colorful umbrella-covered tables along the river are likely second only to the Alamo for photos that say San Antonio. But the spots celebrated stature was far from immediate.
I like to tell people who complain about this being a tourist trap, because we get that a lot, we were here for over 20 years before the River Walk became what it did. The infrastructure was here, but there werent businesses or restaurants or anything really pulling people down here, said Elizabeth Houston, great-granddaughter of Beyer and the brands marketing director. We were just a family-run little restaurant on the river for decades, and we still try to hold onto a piece of that.
Casa Rio and the River Walk, at least as we know it today, Lyons and Houston agreed, share a nearly inextricable history. And that legacy is no small contributor to what has become one of the states biggest tourism draws.
Richard Oliver, partner and community relations director with Visit San Antonio, said the city hosts 34.4 million guests every year and the River Walk is consistently one of the top draws.
Casa Rio has been an anchor to whats become the citys artery for the longest time, Oliver said. Today its 15 miles long, but back in 1946, the River Walk was in its infancy.
The River Walks path to existence was as winding as the river itself, but construction was prompted by a 1921 flood that claimed 50 lives. Those high waters swamped Beyers store, destroying much of his inventory in the process, including several Edison phonographs and recordings. The Lyons family still has an autographed photo of inventor Thomas Edison, who replaced all of Beyers damaged merchandise free of cost.
Architect and San Antonio native Robert H.H. Hugmans plans for what would become the River Walk were approved once Works Progress Administration dollars became available in 1938, with construction wrapping in 1941. Hugmans office was across Commerce Street in the historic Clifford Building.
A business that comes in there like Casa Rio, that shares the vision of the architect, theres got to be a sense of fate that there's something being built that will become bigger than it was at the time. Not very long before that, it was literally a river, Oliver said. Youve got to have an establishment or two that will serve as the foundation of something that will grow into a destination, and thats the kind of business acumen Mr. Beyer had.
Beyer, from his base at the restaurant, helped birth another city institution. With a few canoes, gondolas and paddle boats, he began shuttling tourists to destinations up and down the river.
His first dinner boat was a bunch of oil drums with a wooden frame on it and a railing around it, Lyons recalled of his grandfathers earliest efforts to put customers directly on the water. I remember one Sunday morning my parents reading the newspaper and the front page said, SS Enchilada capsizes on San Antonio River. All go down with the ship into 44 inches of water.
Beyer eventually hung up the captains hat, but the restaurant still offers river barge dining in partnership with Rio San Antonio Cruises.
Casa Rio has remained in family control for 71 years. Beyer died in 1974, but passed the business on to his son-in-law, Bill Lyons Sr., who had overseen operations for some time before that. The senior Lyons unexpectedly died from a heart attack while travelling in Chile just three years later in 1977. His wife, Bernice Bebe Lyons, despite the loss of her father and husband, would provide a steady hand as Casa Rio transitioned to her son.
The future for Casa Rio appears secure, as well. Houston and Elaine Olivier, both fourth-generation family members, are poised to keep the enchiladas coming. Theyve spearheaded discreet updates to the menu at Casa Rio (and the neighboring Schilos delicatessen, which the family acquired in 1980) including the addition of health-conscious salad options and homemade horchata and aguas frescas to bolster a decline in soft drink sales.
Houston is also the first to serve in a marketing role for the restaurant, a position created just two years ago. Shes built a robust online presence for the brand in that time, but knows the business continued longevity will be based on its roots. Customers, she said, increasingly crave an experience with history and tradition something they find at Casa Rio.
Knowing that my great-grandfather built this with his hands, its a very spiritual experience to be down here meditating on all those things, about everything that has occurred here and the people who have put so much blood and sweat into this to make it what it is. That definitely weighs on me, Houston said. The point is not to come in and rewrite the book. Theyve obviously been doing something very right for 71 years.
PStephen@express-news.net
Twitter: @pjbites
COMING TOMORROW: House was big prize in contest to boost home ownership in 1917.
Instagram: @pjstephen
Michael Jackson keeps his family "motivated".
Tito Jackson
The 'Beat It' hitmaker passed away in June 2009 at the age of 50 and his brother Tito Jackson has remembered the late star on what would have been his 59th birthday.
Speaking at the UK premiere of 'Stratton' at the Vue Cinema in London's Leicester Square, Tito told BANG Showbiz: "Michael is very very much missed and the family completely miss him. It is just a special day. Every day is a special day for us. Michael is a person you'll never forget.
"He was very special and creative. He had pure love and honesty in his heart. Just to know that keeps us motivated and push the message of love and peace."
And Tito is not the only person to leave a tribute for the King of Pop to mark his birthday.
In her own post, Michael's daughter Paris Jackson admitted she will "never feel love again" the way she did with him.
In an emotive caption, she wrote: "birthday wishes to the love of my life, the one person who showed me what passion truly was, the one that gave me solid morals to live by and how to dream. i will never feel love again the way i did with you. you are always with me and i am always with you. though i am not you, and you are not me, i know with all of my being that we are one. and our souls will never change in that way. thank you for the magic, forever and always. (sic)"
It comes after Tito previously claimed Michael's "spirit" visits him on stage.
He confessed: "All the time I feel his spirit, especially when I'm performing with the brothers on stage at a live performance. You can feel the spirit all the time, absolutely. It's a happy feeling because Michael was a warm, happy, loving person. It's a comforting feeling."
Sinitta has joked that her ex-boyfriend Brad Pitt should call her in the wake of his split from wife Angelina Jolie.
Sinitta and Brad Pitt in 1987
The 'So Macho' hitmaker dated the Hollywood hunk back in the mid-80s and now he's a single man again she says she's open to a reconciliation.
Speaking on 'Loose Women' on Wednesday (30.08.17), she said: "I am single. I am looking for a new chap. You've got to be a grown man, protective, strong and mature. I'm not just looking for appearance."
And, when panelist Jane Moore said that the Hollywood hunk is now back on the market, Sinitta said: "I like the way you're thinking ... I miss you, Brad. Call me!"
Sinitta - who has children Magdalena and Zac, whom she adopted following a heartbreaking string of miscarriages and several rounds of IVF treatment - is no stranger to staying in touch with her former flames as she has maintained a strong friendship with Simon Cowell over the years.
The 57-year-old music mogul struck up a romance with the pop sensation in the early 80s but, despite her dumping him when she embarked on an affair with David Essex, they have remained on good terms and still go on holiday together, work together and see each other regularly.
She said: "I usually do the Christmas holiday in Barbados. We go even more so now that he's with [his girlfriend] Lauren Silverman and has [son] Eric because he's Godfather to my children and I'm Godmother to Eric so it's nice. It's like this big, dysfunctional, family."
And Sinitta isn't afraid to tell him if he's packing on the pounds and has even advised him to get an exercise machine on his yacht so that he doesn't come back after his summer break looking fat in time for 'The X Factor' launch.
She explained: "I'm afraid so but it sounds so over the top but we need a running machine and a bike on the yacht because he would go on these summer boat holidays and come back 10lbs heavier and I'd be like: 'No, no, no!' "
Tommy Hilfiger was sent home from school for wearing flared trousers when he was younger.
Tommy Hilfiger
The 66-year-old fashion designer - who founded his eponymous brand in 1985 - has admitted he has always had an interest in fashion and when he realised his music and reading ability were not his strong points he decided to gain credibility for his sense of style, which only saw him dismissed from school for the day to change into "normal clothes".
Speaking to the Telegraph newspaper, the creative mastermind said: "My music skills turned out to be as bad as my reading skills. So i decided to look the part. I grew my hair long and wore bell-bottoms to school. My high school principal sent me home and told me to put normal clothes on and come back."
However, the American mogul has since toned down his wardrobe choices and will stick to a classic chinos and shirt ensemble.
When asked about his go-to outfit, he said: "Chinos and button down shirts."
Although his head teacher didn't approve of his statement outfits in class his friends did, which inspired him to set up his own "small shop" named People's Place.
He explained: "A lot of my friends wanted to dress like me, so I decided to open a small shop. I was working nights at a gas station and i had saved $150, and a friend had another $150, so together we bought 20 pairs of jeans and sold them out of a car, then we opened a shop. People's Place. It ran for ten years."
And it was during that decade when he ran his business that Tommy received the "best education" about designing, as he would listen into his customer's conversations with one another, which helped him to understand the needs of his buyers.
He explained: "I was in the fitting room, listening to the comments, on fit, fabric, feel. Knowing what a customer likes, what they don't like, what they would never buy, what everyone wanted to buy. That's the best education in the world, because you learn to listen to the consumer, and the consumer is the boss. They will decide whether or not you are successful."
Simon West thinks there is a gap in the market for a new British action hero who is "darker" than James Bond and he hopes his movie 'Stratton' will fill the void.
Simon West at Stratton premiere
The 56-year-old filmmaker has helmed a number of action movies, including 'The Expendables 2' and 'Con Air', during his career and his latest film 'Stratton' is an adaptation of a series of books by former Special Boat Service (SBS) officer Duncan Falconer and the plot pits SBS commando John Stratton against an international terrorist cell intent on attacking London.
West approached the project with the plan to bring a "more realistic" version of 007 to the big screen and he is confident audiences will be receptive to his vision and titular star Dominic Cooper.
Speaking at the UK premiere of 'Stratton' at VUE Cinemas in London's Leicester Square on Tuesday night (29.08.17), West told BANG Showbiz: "I was looking to do a new British action hero. I've done films about action heroes and done films with British actors like Jason Statham but they are really American films and I have worked with a lot of American action heroes but I feel there is a gap in the market for another British hero. We've got James Bond, we've got Harry Potter but I think we need a third one and when I came across the books of 'Stratton', I thought this was a great resource and met the author, Duncan Falconer - who used to be a Special Boat Service officer - and I picked his brains about what necessarily wasn't in the books."
Although his aim was to create a new Bond, West insists he is a huge fan of those films and the Ian Fleming stories they are based on and he says audiences should view 'Stratton' as an alternative to 007.
He said: "I had to do something alternate to Bond because I'm a huge Bond fan and didn't want to make a copy and I wanted to do something alternate and that's what 'Stratton' is. He is a darker, more realistic version."
When asked whether he would be tempted to helm a James Bond movie in the future, West admitted you'd have to be "crazy" to turn one down.
He said: "Who wouldn't? I grew up on Bond films. They are brilliant. I can't imagine anyone turning down a Bond film. Just for the soundtrack and music alone, it's brilliant. You'd be crazy to turn down a Bond film."
West was joined at the glitzy event by cast members Cooper and Jake Fairbrother and a host of guests including Tito Jackson, TV presenter Naomi Isted and model Olivia Arben.
Prince William and Duchess Catherine will be full-time working royals from next week when Prince George starts school.
Prince William and Duchess Catherine
The four-year-old prince will begin his education at Thomas's School in Battersea, south-west London, next Thursday (07.09.17) meaning his parents will see their royal duties increased, and Prince Harry will return to work following his three-week holiday in Africa with girlfriend Meghan Markle.
A series of tweets on the official Kensington Palace Twitter account read: "The coming months will see The Duke & Duchess & Prince Harry undertake a busy autumn programme as TRH return to royal duties & engagements.
"Over the course of the autumn, TRH will visit a number of communities, charities and organisations across the UK.
"TRH will continue to highlight the important work of their patronages, & collectively focus on supporting issues surrounding mental health. (sic)"
William and Catherine have moved back to their official royal residence, London's Kensington Palace after residing at Anmer Hall on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England, for the past few years.
It is a busy time coming up for the royal couple - who also have two-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte - and it looks set to be a fast-paced introduction into education for George as a recent report claimed his new school is "slightly chaotic".
A post about the education establishment on The Good Schools Guide reads: "A big, busy, slightly chaotic school for cosmopolitan parents who want their children to have the best English education money can buy. That is what they want and, to a large degree, that is what they get."
Jeremy McConnell is set to make a reality TV comeback - but it'll have to work around his probation.
Jeremy McConnell
The former 'Celebrity Big Brother' star - who was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis earlier this month - has been given the opportunity to rebuild his life after bosses from 'Ex on the Beach' approached him about taking part in the new series but, although the heavily-inked hunk is all for the small screen project, he needs to get permission from the Probation Services in Ireland.
A source told The Sun Online: "Jeremy really wants to get back to his day job and is pursuing several TV opportunities. He's made some mistakes this year but having the chance to rebuild his career means everything to him. The only issue he has to work around is being on probation but MTV bosses are more than aware that he needs permission from the authorities to film."
The Irish heartthrob was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence a few weeks ago for attacking the former 'Hollyoaks' actress at her home in Liverpool at the beginning of March this year.
Jeremy - who has eight-month-old son Caben with Stephanie - has also been ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service and attend a Building Better Relationships course.
A three-year restraining order has also been put in place - meaning he's banned from contacting the 24-year-old actress and her relatives and even entering the road she lives on.
News that Jeremy is toying with the idea of taking part in 'Ex on the Beach' probably won't sit well with Stephanie as it's believed their arguments earlier this year stemmed from that TV opportunity.
The pair met and fell in love in the 'Celebrity Big Brother' house in January 2016 but their relationship has been rocked with rows, make ups and break ups over the past 20 months.
Louis Walsh thinks this year's 'The X Factor' is going to be "unpredictable."
Louis Walsh at the X Factor launch
The singing show's boss Simon Cowell has made some dramatic changes to the format of the forthcoming series after he was alarmed by the a drop in ratings last year and, although he insists it will still have the same "feel", judge Louis Walsh has teased that there will be a lot of twists and turns that the audience aren't expecting.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz on the red carpet ahead of screening and Q&A of the first episode in London on Wednesday (30.08.17), he said: "I know Simon has made changes but it is still going to be 'The X Factor'.
"It's not like the old predictable 'X Factor', Simon doesn't want it to be predictable, we never know what he's going to do."
And, although he's swapped some things around this year, the 57-year-old music mogul made the decision to keep the judging panel - comprised of himself, Louis, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger - this time around because they work well.
Louis, 65, explained: "These are the best people I have ever worked with professionally. They care and I love them more than anything. I wouldn't want anybody else this year. When Simon told me and Sharon that we were back, we said we wanted Nicole, we wanted her more than anything else."
And though they got their own way, Simon was forced to bring in his 'Britain's Got Talent' judge Alesha Dixon temporarily while Nicole was tied up with other things.
The Irish music manager explained: "Alesha was a great guest judge and she would be great on 'The X Factor' if she ever wanted to leave 'Britain's Got Talent'.
There were rumours to suggest that pop diva Mariah Carey had been approached for a judging role this year but Louis has poured cold water on that and has teased that the 'Hero' hitmaker would just hold them up with her poor time keeping skills.
He said: "Imagine waiting for her today - we would all be looking at our watches!"
I am a proud Chattanoogan. I was born in 1940, and as early as I can remember, I engaged in the culture of the South, waving the Confederate flag and singing Dixieloudly. (What other way does a Southerner sing Dixie?) As a white male, raised on the site of the battle for Missionary Ridge, I fought the grand (and horrible) Civil War almost every day. I was always Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson, and I always won. When my father told me at eight years of age that the South lost the battle for Missionary Ridge and the entire the Civil War, I was heart-broken.
I was racist until the age of 20. In 1961, I experienced a life change when a black college student described the unequal treatment toward his uncles when they returned from WWII. They had fought a brutal war against Hitler, the murderer of millions, whose regime is still symbolized by the Nazi swastika. As I began to understand what these black American soldiers faced coming home in the American South, every lying vision I had believed of separate but equal was destroyed.
I am now 77 years old. I am aware of the cost of lives from WWII and of the hate Americans felt when they witnessed Japans flag of the rising sun and Hitlers swastika. My loathing, especially for all things Nazi, is enormous. Yet today, groups of young white Americans wave the hated swastika, symbol of the most diabolical dictator ever to threaten the world, and they act as if that flag represents our country.
I pity them for their lack of knowledge of the suffering and deaths the swastika caused millions of human beings, including tens of thousands of American soldiers. I pity the young white men who call themselves KKK or who use the Confederate flag as a rallying cry. My hope for these young neo-Nazis, KKK, and other white supremacists is that they will throw off their feelings of powerlessness and their hate for those whom they have made their scapegoats, and grasp the dream that America offers all people.
I know some of what they feel, because, in my youthful ignorance, I experienced similar feelings of Southern inferiority. I felt the lack of power of the South versus the North, the Confederate versus the Union. Being defeated, we spewed hate because it made us feel more powerful. But I was a child. These are grown men waving the Confederate flag and Nazi swastika. As a recovering racist, I have a duty to reach out to other young racists to say to them that they do not have to hide their sense of inferiority by violence. I urge them to do as a young black man helped me do: to recognize goodness and humanity in persons who do not look like themselves. I know white supremacists who have had this total change of heart.
We must also help these young men to understand that they are being encouraged by one elected to the White House whose extreme need to be all powerful makes him afraid to admit any weakness. He lies with every word he speaks in order to grasp power. Winning at all costs is the base of his lying. Truth or no truth does not matter; only reaching his own selfish goal matters. His despicable behavior towards anyone who does not bow and scrape before him ruins all opportunity to lead our country as a revered American president.
Hitler surrounded himself with maniacal sycophants and deviants, and he and they led Germany to a landscape of rubble and destruction. At first, rational persons did not have the courage to stand before Hitler and tell the truth. Toward the end, they did not have the power. Now is the time for all American patriots to say to Trump: Enough! We do not accept your lies, your abuse, your tyranny. Because you cannot change, you must leave this position to which you have been unfortunately and mistakenly elevated. We will notwe must not allow this hate, this violence, this assault on our country.
Franklin McCallie
* * *
I wonder what news stations Mr. McCallie watches.
I see exactly the opposite of what he says about Trump.
Michael Mansfield
* * *
Mr. Mansfield,
I don't see, after reading Mr. McCallie's very thoughtful opinion piece, that it had anything to do with what news stations Mr. McCallie watches. It had everything to do with his 77 years of life experiences and lessons learned. Something that the 71 year old man in the White House has definitely not learned. I agree with everything Mr. McCallie had to say about President Trump. He was right on, as a matter of fact.
Your response, however, said everything about what news station you watch.
Rebecca Gentry
* * *
I agree with much - but not all - of what Franklin McCallie had to say. However, I respect his life experience and his right to express his opinions. Mutual respect can work wonders with debate.
Carl Mark Barker
* * *
Mr. Mansfield, this man lived it . He didn't see only what the news wanted him to.
Rusty Chastain
* * * Mr. McCallie, sounds like a an objective man who can see reality. I too am a proud 76-year-old born and raised Chattanoogan.
I agree with everything he says except the part about President Trump. This country was going in the wrong direction for the last eight years under the Obama administration. I wish I could express myself better on what I could see happening to this country, and it's not good. I think millions of Americans must feel the same way I do to elect President Trump. He is our salvation to bring this country back to greatness in this crucial point in time. I'm baffled that Mr. McCallie doesn't grasp the importance of someone like President Trump to lead our country. Jim Rosenbloom * * * We absolutely do have a responsibility to stand up for people who have been abused whether by the KKK, overzealous immigration officials or neo-nazis. My parents were of the Greatest Generation. I wonder how my generation will be defined. Is this our defining moment? If so, count me among those who say, Enough! We do not accept your lies. Thank you, Mr. McCallie. Verneda Carrier
* * * Mr. McCallies comments reflect my own views regarding racism. In addition I would add that right now I am more concerned about the rise of civil unrest at the hands of white supremacists and neo-Nazis than I ever was of a nuclear attack during the Cold War. During Obamas two terms, I felt a steady hand at the helm with an absence of saber rattling, steered by a leader who knew and revered the Constitution. Randy Carrier * * * We are the children of the Greatest Generation. Is what is happening now in the Age of Trump what our fathers, uncles, friends fought for in WWII? No! Mr. McCallies last paragraph is on point. Enough! We do not accept your lies, your abuse, your tyrannywe must not allow this hate, this violence, this assault on our country. Mary Hicks * * * Franklins article should be titled Ability to See Truth. I have heard the oral version of his conversion from racist to enlightened and the oral version had more of a Damascus Road quality. What set of facts one person accepts as truth may be very different from what another person sees as truth from the same set of facts. The person in the White House certainly is not helping the racial problem and is most likely aggravating it. While the white supremacists are encouraged by POTUS; unfortunately, even without him, they will not simply disappear. It seems to me that it will take a great deal more effort than help these men understand, in order to make disappearance happen. Jim Hicks * * * I, too, am a recovering racist. It's hard not to be when one has grown up celebrating Confederate Memorial Day. We were marched from our elementary school, in Concord, N.C., to the Confederate Memorial monument in front of the courthouse. We probably sang "Dixie". Unfortunately, President Trump is not recovering. Anne Curtis
Chattanooga
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F), a leading global specialty retailer of high-quality, casual apparel for men, women, and kids, has recorded net sales of $779.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, down from $783.2 million for the corresponding period of last year. The comparable sales for the second quarter of 2017 were down 1 per cent.
By brand, net sales for the second quarter increased 6 per cent to $446.6 million for Hollister and decreased 8 per cent to $332.7 million for Abercrombie over last year. In the US, net sales for the second quarter decreased 2 per cent to $470.3 million in and increased 2 per cent to $309.0 million in international markets over last year. Direct-to-consumer sales grew to approximately 24 per cent of total company net sales for the second quarter, compared to approximately 23 per cent of total company net sales last year.
The gross profit rate for the second quarter was 59.1 per cent. Net other operating income for the second quarter was $2.8 million, compared to net other operating income of $13.1 million last year. Excluding benefits last year of $12.3 million related to the settlement of certain economic loss claims, net other operating income increased $2.0 million, primarily due to foreign currency related gains. The company's marketing, general and administrative expense for the second quarter was $109.4 million, down from $111.7 million last year, primarily due to expense reduction efforts, partially offset by higher marketing expense.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F), a leading global specialty retailer of high-quality, casual apparel for men, women, and kids, has recorded net sales of $779.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, down from $783.2 million for the corresponding period of last year. The comparable sales for the second quarter of 2017 were down 1 per cent.#
The company ended the quarter with $421.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, and gross borrowings under the company's term loan agreement of $268.3 million, compared to $455.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and $293.3 million in borrowings last year.
"We are encouraged by the clear progress across all brands. Through aggressive execution of our strategic plan, we delivered our third consecutive quarter of sequential comparable sales improvement. Hollister continues to build on its strong foundation, leveraging higher levels of customer engagement to drive growth across all touchpoints, and demonstrates how the customer responds when product, brand voice and brand experience are aligned. Abercrombie showed continued improvement in the areas we expected, as we brought better balance to the assortment throughout the quarter, and continued to apply the learnings from Hollister's successes. Our focus remains on staying close to our customers and investing in our ability to meet their needs whenever, wherever and however they choose to engage with our brands," Fran Horowitz, chief executive officer, said.
"While we expect the environment to remain challenging and promotional in the second half, we expect to see benefits from the continued improvement in product assortment, our strategic investments in marketing and omnichannel, and our ongoing efforts to optimise productivity across all channels. We are confident we are on the right path to deliver enhanced performance and long term shareholder value," concluded Horowitz. (RR)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
Often described as only source of disguised employment, this sector (non-agricultural retail enterprises) is the largest one to provide employment after agriculture.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
As per a recent report of a survey conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) during July 2015-June 2016, there are 6.34 crore unincorporated non-agriculture enterprises (excluding construction). Of these, about 51 per cent were located in rural areas and the remaining 49 per cent were located in urban areas. Out of the total number of enterprises, 31 per cent were engaged in manufacturing, 36.3 per cent were in trading and 32.6 per cent in other service sector. Own Account Enterprises that do not employ any worker has a dominant share of 84.2 per cent.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
The analysis of the survey reflects true picture of retail trade in India and establishes the fact that this sector is having immense potential for giving a big push to economy, GDP and employment as well if a structured growth is ensured with support policies. Equally important is the smooth availability of formal financial assistance and technology to upgrade and modernise the existing business format, said CAIT national president BC Bhartia and secretary general Praveen Khandelwal.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
A Retail Regulatory Authority will be instrumental in devising and monitoring the retail trade, a part of this sector, they added. According to them greater emphasis must be laid to educate and raise awareness in the rural areas which has a big potential.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
The survey revealed that about 11.13 crore workers were engaged in these enterprises, out of which 34.8 per cent were engaged in trading, 32.8 per cent in other services and 32.4 per cent in manufacturing sector. About 55 per cent worked in urban areas and 45 per cent worked in rural areas.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
About 98.3 per cent of enterprises were perennial in nature whereas only 1.3 per cent were seasonal and 0.4 per cent casual enterprises. During 2015-16, the aggregate Gross Value Addition by this sector was estimated as Rs 11,52,338 crore. In urban areas, it was 70 per cent whereas in rural areas the GVA was 30 per cent.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to formulate a National Trade Policy for Retail Trade and also create a ministry of internal trade. CAIT said the vast unincorporated sector in the country consists of 6.34 crore non-agricultural enterprises, but there is no government policy or a separate ministry for these enterprises.#
The survey was conducted in 8,488 villages and 8,939 urban blocks across the country. The total number of enterprises in which the Schedule was canvassed was 1,43,179 and 1,46,934 in rural and urban areas respectively. (RKS)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
H&M, the international retailer known for fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way, is all set to open its first store in Kolkata at Woodburn Central Mall. H&M currently operates 17 stores across India. The store at Woodburn Central Mall will mark the brand's entry in East India and will be one of the 9 new stores planned for autumn 2017.
The store will be inaugurated on September 23, 2017. Presenting a wide selection of latest trends and timeless classics, H&M will offer womens, mens, teenagers and childrens apparels & accessories, footwear and lingerie.
"We are delighted to open our first store in Kolkata just in time for the festivities. We look forward to exceed customer expectations with our varied range of inspiring fashion that lets them explore their personal style," said Janne Einola, country manager, H&M India.
The H&M Group has more than 4,400 stores in 66 markets including franchise markets. India will be the new H&M online market in 2018. The other new H&M store markets in 2018 are Uruguay and Ukraine. Six new H&M online markets were opened in spring 2017 at Turkey, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia, all of which have had a good start. The H&M online store is now available in 41 markets, and with the addition of Cyprus and the Philippines, the H&M online store will soon be available in 43 markets. In parallel with the expansion, the store portfolio is being optimised as regards the number of stores, store space, rebuilds and relocations, to continually ensure that the store portfolio is right for each market. (RR)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
With a view to strengthen the connections between textile and apparel firms and suppliers, partners and experts from the cotton sector, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will host Cotton Day 2017 on September 12. The event will give enterprises an opportunity to learn about cotton demand around the world and consumption trends of various brands.
Cotton Day is being organised by the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS) and the Cotton Council International (CCI). A conference will take place at the event, along with a fashion show that will introduce Cotton USA collections of John Henry and Canifa brands. Designs of the winners of the Cotton USA Fashion Design contest will also be presented.
The domestic sector of Vietnam only fulfils 0.04 per cent of the total cotton demand of the countrys textile sector. The country imports cotton, with US accounting for over 60 per cent of the cotton imports, said a Vietnamese news agency quoting Vu Duc Giang, president of VITAS.
With a view to strengthen the connections between textile and apparel firms and suppliers, partners and experts from the cotton sector, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will host Cotton Day 2017 on September 12. The event will give enterprises an opportunity to learn about cotton demand around the world and consumption trends of various brands.#
Cotton Day is also expected to let Vietnamese companies to use the Cotton USA label on their garments, added Giang. This year onwards, CCI has been helping Vietnamese brands to use cotton imported from US to enhance the quality of their garments.
CCIs Cotton Day events have been held in various countries in Asia including Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Vietnams textile sector earned $19.8 billion from export in eight months on 2017, recording a 9.9 per cent increase over last year, despite many challenges like anti-dumping duty on fibre in India and Turkey. (KD)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
Continuing with the previous months negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped 7.5 per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $2.383 billion compared to exports of $2.514 billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.
Continuing with the previous month's negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped ...per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $... billion compared to exports of $... billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.#
In June 2017, the island nation exported textiles and garments worth $398.1 million, as against export earnings of $430.2 million in June. The fall in export earnings during the month reflects a decline in garment exports to the US and EU markets, the central bank said in its report External Sector Performance June 2017.
Continuing with the previous month's negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped ...per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $... billion compared to exports of $... billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.#
During January-June 2017, clothing exports alone accounted for $2.244 billion, down 5.6 per cent year-on-year.
Continuing with the previous month's negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped ...per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $... billion compared to exports of $... billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.#
Textiles and apparel constituted 58.62 per cent of earnings received from all industrial exports made by the South Asian nation during the six-month period, the data showed.
Continuing with the previous month's negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped ...per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $... billion compared to exports of $... billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.#
Meanwhile, Sri Lankas expenditure on imports of textiles and textile articles also decreased 3 per cent year-on-year to $1.306 billion in January-June 2017, as against imports valued at $1.346 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, the report showed. This was despite a modest growth of 1.7 per cent in June 2017.
Continuing with the previous month's negative trend, Sri Lankan export earnings from textiles and garments dropped ...per cent in June 2017. Cumulative exports for the first six months of 2017 fell 5.2 per cent to $... billion compared to exports of $... billion in the same period of last year, data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka showed.#
Sri Lanka earned $4.884 billion in textiles and apparel exports in 2016, registering a growth of mere 1.3 per cent year-on-year. Of this, clothing exports alone accounted for $4.602 billion, up 1 per cent over previous years earnings of $4.555 billion. (RKS)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk India
Chicago native Van Gordon Martin will be playing at Clyde's on Main Friday, Oct. 6. VGM's music captures the spirits of Reggae, Dub, and Classic Roots Reggae, while showcasing his unique musicianship, which was developed from his mentorship under legendary keyboardist, Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic, Talking Heads).
Their most recent offering, "Let It Grow," was released digitally via Sony Records / The Orchard on Aug. 25.
Review for Van Gordon Martin:
At the tender age of seven years, Van Gordon Martin started his musical journey.
Growing up in Chicago the musical soil was very rich and as a young boy his first job was polishing and stringing guitars in local music shop the Musicians Network. Due to his apparent musical talent Van Gordon Martin was discovered early on and later mentored by the legendary Parliament Funkadelic and Talking Heads keyboardist, Bernie Worrell. It was this background and mentoring that set the tone for Vans new musical existence. An existence that has lasted and developed for over a decade of making Van Gordon Martin and becoming veterans of the east coast touring scene.
VGM works full time with his own solo project as well as many others including; the Boston based Reggae collective Dub Apocalypse, Moroccan/Jazz/ Electronic group Club Delf, Hip Hop legend Big Daddy Kanes Live band, Paul Wolstencroft of Slightly Stoopids Organically Good Trio, The Naya Rockers and many others. VGM is also founding member of Spiritual Rez, a project witch he toured with extensively up until 2011. The Wailers, Steel Pulse, Gregory Isaacs, Toots and the Maytals, Barrington Levy, Israel Vibration, as well as a national tour with The Skatalites. In a backing band setting VGM has worked with Half Pint, Admiral Tibet , Sleepy Wonder and Puma Ptah of Thievery Corporation, Kenyatta Jr Culture, and Tousaint the Liberator.
Fast forward to the present and you will find Van Gordon preparing to tour a new record titled Let it Grow. Where once again he will share his remarkable guitar style backed by a band who transforms their instruments sounds into otherworldly sonic vibrations, while reaching new fans and places out in the musical stratosphere. Van Gordon Martin works as a musical chameleon playing many styles, while maintaining a deep love for Reggae, Dub, and Classic Roots Music.
My musical goal is to share my story, and love for guitar with the world," said VGM. "It has been always been the thing that makes me feel connected to the spirit realm. Rasta music, reggae, soul, jazz, blues, roots music - it speaks the truth.
And the truth will be spoken with a release on Sony Records / The Orchard and subsequent U.S. tour this fall.
Contact Bread and Ci
HON PM BAINIMARAMA REMARKS AT THE SIGNING OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN FIJI, WORLD BANK AND THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION
Ms Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President, World Bank,
Mr Thomas Jacobs, Country Manager, International Finance Corporation,Hon. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Attorney-General and Minister for EconomyLadies and Gentlemen,Bula vinaka.It gives me great pleasure to extend to you a very warm welcome and to say how grateful we are to Vice President Ms Kwakwa and Mr Jacobs for being here in Suva for the signing of the World Bank Establishment Agreement.Thank you for your kind words.While the World Bank Group established its physical presence in Fiji last year, today, with the execution of the Establishment Agreement, we officially welcome the World Bank Group to Fiji.Ladies and Gentlemen as you may know, out of the 11 Pacific Island countries which are members of the World Bank Group, our country has been selected as the location for the establishment of this regional office and we are honoured to host the World Bank Group. Fiji welcomes the World Bank and International Finance Corporations presence as well as other organisations that may wish to call Fiji home.The World Bank joins many other international organisations here in Fiji, and as the hub of the Pacific with connectivity to other Pacific Island countries as well as all continents that rim the Pacific except for South America, being based in Fiji is increasingly beneficial for international organisations such as the World Bank. Being based in Fiji will assist the World Bank to understand the challenges and issues faced by Pacific Island countries which will enable the World Bank to develop programs that better address these issues and in the long-run will benefit the vulnerable communities of Fiji and the Pacific.Our relationship with the World Bank Group is growing and your presence in Fiji will not only benefit Fiji but all Pacific countries, as together there are many opportunities for the development of the Pacific Region.Thank you World Bank Group for establishing your regional office here and we look forward to building a closer working relationship with you and visiting your new offices next year.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 29, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against TechnipFMC plc ('TechnipFMC' or the 'Company') (NYSE: FTI) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, and docketed under 17-cv-02368, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired TechnipFMC securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
If you are a shareholder who purchased TechnipFMC securities between April 27, 2017, and July 24, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until October 2, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.
[Click here to join this class action]
TechnipFMC plc provides oilfield services. The Company offers subsea, surface, onshore, and offshore solutions for oil and gas projects. TechnipFMC serves customers worldwide. TechnipFMC was formed through the merger of FMC Technologies Inc. and French oil-services Technip SA.
The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) TechnipFMC had a material weakness in its internal control over rates used in the calculations of the foreign currency effects on certain of its engineering and construction projects; (ii) accordingly, the Company lacked effective internal controls over financial reporting; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, TechnipFMC's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On July 24, 2017, post-market, TechnipFMC issued a press release and filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, announcing that the Company would restate its financial statements as of March 31, 2017, as these statements could no longer be relied upon.
On this news, TechnipFMC's share price fell $0.48, or 1.71%, to close at $27.56 on July 25, 2017.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.
SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- (Marketwired) -- 08/29/17 -- Appier, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced that it has secured Series C investment of USD$33 million from SoftBank Group Corp., LINE Corporation, NAVER Corporation, Singapore-based EDBI and Hong Kong-based AMTD Group. This brings the total amount of investment in the company to over USD$82 million.
Appier believes AI can help enterprises deal with today's rapidly changing business environment, helping them process enormous amounts of data to identify patterns and make intelligent decisions. The additional funds will enable Appier to expand its portfolio of AI solutions and build more functionality for enterprises who want to take advantage of recent advances in AI technology.
The new investment will also enable Appier to continue to hire global talent as it extends its engineering and artificial intelligence research capabilities beyond Taiwan, to markets such as Singapore. The company also plans to expand its presence in the many markets in which it currently operates.
"Appier believes artificial intelligence can solve many challenges faced by today's enterprise. Our platforms have helped our customers succeed in digital advertising and marketing, and we are now looking to bring AI to other parts of the enterprise. We are looking forward to partnering with our Series C investors as we embark on our next stage of growth," said Chih-Han Yu, CEO and co-founder of Appier.
Appier's first product, the CrossX Programmatic Platform, brought AI into digital marketing. Its second, Aixon, is a data intelligence platform that allows business users at a variety of enterprises to discover new customers, enrich their understanding of their customer base, and make predictions using AI. The company has doubled revenues over the three quarters since it closed Series B2 in November 2016.
"AI, combined with Big Data, IoT and other disruptive technologies, is going to create an impact on the world that will be bigger than the Industrial Revolution. We are already starting to see AI generate benefits in many parts of our lives and believe it also has a great role to play within the enterprise. Appier's approach to AI for the enterprise is unique and we look forward to partnering with them as they build exciting new AI solutions for business," said Ren Tanaka, Corporate Officer and Deputy Head of Business Unit at SoftBank Group Corp.
"Taiwan is one of the key markets for LINE, and our investment in Appier marks our commitment to invest in this market and support local startups to expand globally. We are excited to partner with Appier to explore more AI and advertising technology opportunities in our key markets," said In Joon Hwang, CFO of LINE Corporation
"Appier has enabled a growing number of brands to develop consumer-adaptive marketing solutions for the digitally savvy Asian market. We look forward to working with Appier as they apply their AI technology to other exciting areas such as predictive analytics for real-time business decision-making. Appier's development activities also synergizes well with Singapore's AI.SG initiative to power, build and augment the local AI capabilities and ecosystem," said Ms Chu Swee Yeok, CEO and President of EDBI.
About Appier
Appier is a technology company which aims to provide artificial intelligence (AI) platforms to help enterprises solve their most challenging business problems. Appier was established in 2012 by a passionate team of computer scientists and engineers with expertise in AI, data analysis and distributed systems. Appier serves around 1,000 global brands and agencies from offices in 14 markets across Asia, including Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Hong Kong, Mumbai, New Delhi, Jakarta, Seoul, and Bangkok. For more information please visit www.appier.com.
For additional photos and images, please download from www.appier.com/en/media_resources.html.
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NEW YORK, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Bureau Veritas, together with its Wireless/Smartworld specialist businesses 7layers, SIEMIC and Curtis Straus; will be exhibiting at the first Mobile World Congress Americas ("MWC Americas") tradeshow being held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, USA between September 12-14. MWC Americas will be the premier mobile industry event for the Americas and is being run in partnership with the CTIA. The event will consist of a conference program featuring high level key-notes from respected business leaders and industry specialists on topics and issues that challenge the wireless industry. The exhibition will showcase the newest technologies and most innovative products available with a strong focus on Silicon Valley, innovation, gaming and virtual reality.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549856/MWC_Americas_2017.jpg )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151216/296440LOGO )
Representatives from all over Bureau Veritas' facilities across USA will be present to provide information covering wireless, EMC/RF, OTA, SAR, safety, reliability, environmental, performance and chemical testing; certification; inspection; audit & advisory services. Specialists will be on hand at Stand N.136 in Hall North to explain the hottest topics within today's and tomorrow's smartworld - connected car certification, the new Radio Equipment Directive, LoRa compliance and Bluetooth 5 to name a few.
The 7layers team will also be available to introduce Interlab EVO, the complete test management system for laboratories, manufacturers and certification organizations whilst also covering their Interlab test platforms including the globally utilized Interlab Test Solution Bluetooth RF.
In addition, they will offer visitors to the booth the chance to explore their modern wireless laboratories covering SAR (Specific Absorption Rate), EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility), OTA (Over-the-Air), and RF (Radio Frequency), virtually. Visitors will also be able to interact & identify the complete portfolio of Smartworld services covering Smart Homes, Connected People, Connected Cars, and Smart Phones.
More Information
About Mobile World Congress Americas: https://www.mwcamericas.com/
The MWC Brochure: https://brochure.mwcamericas.com/offline/download.pdf
Attendee Registration: https://www.mwcamericas.com/register-plan/register/
About Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 73,000 employees in 1,400 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index (Compartment A, code ISIN FR 006174348, stock symbol: BVI) Website: www.bureauveritas.com
Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services division is a leading global quality assurance provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include hard goods; toys and juvenile products; soft goods; premiums; electrical and electronic products including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products.
Website: www.bureauveritas.com/cps
MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - Threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during renegotiations are encouraging Mexico to create a 'Plan B,' said the Mexican Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. According to him, Mexico needs to be prepared to the possibility of the United States walking away from the NAFTA deal. 'The best thing Mexico can do is to have an alternate, clear, pragmatic, plan to tackle something that is not our goal, but that may be the result of a process that does not go ahead. We need to be prepared for a scenario in which the United States or its president leaves the NAFTA,' Villarreal said in an interview with the El Economista newspaper. According to him, Mexico must advance in its commercial diversification with South American countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, with the European Union, the Pacific Alliance, and other Asian countries. Trump said there was little chance that the NAFTA renegotiation, currently underway between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., would be successful. The president attributed the potential failure of the negotiations to Mexico, claiming that its Southern neighbor would be hampering a new agreement. 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.
In ihrem 23.Jahr hat sich die China Yiwu International Commodities Fair (Yiwu Fair) bereits zu einer der groten, einflussreichsten und bedeutendsten Verbrauchsgutermessen entwickelt. Die 22.Yiwu Fair hat 2.200 Aussteller aus 15 Landern, 63.160 Facheinkaufer aus 171 Landern und Regionen angezogen und Umsatze in Hohe von 2,64 Mrd. US-Dollar generiert. Dies entspricht einem Wachstum von 1,8% im Vergleich zum Vorjahr.
Die Yiwu Fair sieht ihre Aufgabe darin, den KMU eine One-Stop-Handelsplattform zur Verfugung zu stellen. In diesem Jahr werden besondere Ausstellungsbereiche geschaffen, um die internationale Wettbewerbsfahigkeit der KMU zu verbessern. Hierzu gehort der "Made in Zhejiang"-Pavillon und der General Merchandise Pavilion sowie 8 weitere Ausstellungsbereiche: International General Merchandise, Mountain-Sea Island Collaborating Materials Processing Women Association, E-Commerce & Trade Services, New Retail, Pet Products, Locks, "Innovation Yiwu" Design Show und Smart Lifestyle.
Der "Made in Zhejiang"-Pavillon dient der Forderung chinesischer Marken durch die Prasentation von High-End-Produkten und -Marken, die in Zhejiang produziert werden. Daruber hinaus werden 7 mit "One Belt, One Road" in Zusammenhang stehende Aktivitaten prasentiert, darunter der "One Belt, One Road"-Salon und die "Made in Zhejiang"-Bescheinigung.
Die "Innovation Yiwu" Design Show wird die Integration zwischen kultureller Kreativitat und Design aus Yiwu und den damit in Zusammenhang stehenden Branchen prasentieren, um den "design+manufacture" Channel zu erweitern und das "design+chains" Okosystem aufzubauen, sodass die Konstruktionsdienstleistungen tatsachlich in den Produktionsprozess der KMU zur Optimierung ihrer Wertschopfungskette integriert werden konnen.
Der General Merchandise Pavilion wird hochwertige Hardware-Produkte und Bedarfsartikel prasentieren und dient dazu, den Nutzen der Yiwu Fair weiter zu steigern, Serviceleistungen mageschneidert anzupassen und die Nutzungsgebuhren der Aussteller zu erhohen.
Die "Smart Lifestyle" Zone wird die neuesten, intelligenten Hightech-Produkte prasentieren. Hierzu zahlen Industrieroboter, kompakte und numerisch gesteuerte Werkzeugmaschinen, Serviceroboter und AR/VR-Gerate. Sie dient daruber hinaus dazu, Aussteller aus gefragten und praxisnahen Bereichen wie beispielsweise intelligente Haushaltsgerate, E-Zigaretten und Drohnen anzuziehen.
Die 23.Yiwu Fair wird vom 21.-25. Oktober 2017 im Yiwu International Expo Center stattfinden. Auf dem 100.000 m2 groen Ausstellungsgelande werden 4.100 Standard-Stande zur Verfugung stehen, um Produkte aus 14 Kategorien zu prasentieren: Hardware, elektromechanische Einrichtungen, elektronische und elektrische Gerate, Bedarfsartikel, Handwerk, Buromaterial, Sportartikel und Outdoor-Freizeit-Produkte, Bekleidung und Schuhe, Strickwaren, Schmuck und Accessoires, Spielwaren, Heimtierprodukte, Kfz-Zubehor und Smart Lifestyle.
Die Ausgangssprache, in der der Originaltext veroffentlicht wird, ist die offizielle und autorisierte Version. Ubersetzungen werden zur besseren Verstandigung mitgeliefert. Nur die Sprachversion, die im Original veroffentlicht wurde, ist rechtsgultig. Gleichen Sie deshalb Ubersetzungen mit der originalen Sprachversion der Veroffentlichung ab.
Originalversion auf businesswire.com ansehen: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170929005848/de/
Contacts:
Yiwu China Commodities City Exhibition Co., Ltd.
Joshua Zhong: +86 579-85415525
zy@yiwufair.com
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/29/17 -- In the continued effort to thwart malicious attacks against consumers and enterprises, Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704) (TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced the Zero Day Initiative's Mobile Pwn2Own contest. This year's event will take place Nov. 1-2, during the PacSec 2017 Conference in Tokyo, Japan. The contest rewards security researchers for demonstrating and disclosing zero-day attacks on the latest and most popular mobile devices.
Contestants will be awarded cash and prizes during the competition for vulnerabilities and exploitation techniques against the most up-to-date patches in popular mobile platforms. This year's targets include the Apple iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8, Google Pixel and Huawei Mate9 Pro. Following the contest, vendors will have 90 days to produce patches for these bugs, instead of the standard 120 disclosure window. This reflects the integrity of successful exploits produced during the contest. As these are practical vulnerabilities with demonstrated applications, a shortened patch window helps provide quicker protection for the end user against potentially damaging bugs.
"This contest embodies Trend Micro's leadership in encouraging and facilitating the discovery of zero-day vulnerabilities," said Mike Gibson, vice president of threat research for Trend Micro. "Rewarding responsible disclosure of these bugs promotes our overarching goal of making everyone safer online. Researchers participating in the contest gain notoriety and can win a significant amount of money, and vendors are given the opportunity to patch zero-day vulnerabilities that might have otherwise wreaked havoc on their systems."
To emphasize the importance of vigilance against these threats and responsible disclosure, this year's event offers larger prizes than ever before, with a prize pool of more than $500,000USD. The contest consists of four categories including browsers, short distance and WiFi, messaging and baseband, which is returning this year. A complete list of targets and prizes are listed below:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Categories Target Cash Prize Master of Pwn Points -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Browser Chrome $50,000 (USD) 10 ------------------------------------------------- Safari $40,000 (USD) 10 ------------------------------------------------- Browser $30,000 (USD) 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short Distance and WiFi Bluetooth $40,000 (USD) 8 ------------------------------------------------- NFC $50,000 (USD) 8 ------------------------------------------------- WiFi $60,000 (USD) 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Messaging SMS $60,000 (USD) 12 ------------------------------------------------- MMS $60,000 (USD) 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baseband * $100,000 (USD) 20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the standard categories and prizes, there are add-on bonuses for executing code with kernel privileges and having the payload persist after a reboot. These bonuses will help contestants reach the coveted title, "Master of Pwn," by adding additional points to their running total from each successful exploit.
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LONDON, Aug 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Condor Gold (AIM: CNR) ('Condor', 'Condor Gold' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce new results from drilling on the Mestiza Vein Set ('Mestiza') at the La India Project, Nicaragua. A drill programme of 5,922 m has now been completed. The initial focus was on the Tatiana Vein, one of the four constituent veins; later drilling tested the nearby Buenos Aires and Jicaro veins. The objective is to convert an historic Soviet mineral resource (2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold for 785,694 oz gold) to Canadian NI 43-101 standard.
Highlights:
5,922 m completed, with drilling restricted to the top 200 m (below ground surface).
A high-grade ore shoot on the Tatiana vein is defined over a strike length of 450 m. It has mineralised true widths up to 4.6 m (averaging 2.2 m over the main mineralised section), in addition to a hanging wall vein up to 6.1 m true width (averaging 1 m)
Best results received from the most recent 2,848 m include:
oLIDC365 drill width 3.60 m (true width 3.12 m) at 13.7 g/t gold and 13.9 g/t silver from 142.6 m downhole depth.
oLIDC363 drill width 7.00 m (true width 6.10 m) at 2.90 g/t gold from 145.5 m.
oLIDC365 drill width 3.60 m (true width 3.12 m) at 13.7 g/t gold and 13.9 g/t silver from 142.6 m downhole depth. oLIDC363 drill width 7.00 m (true width 6.10 m) at 2.90 g/t gold from 145.5 m. Best results received from the 5,922 m
oLIDC 344 drill width 3.30 m (true width 2.20 m) at 28.3 g/t gold and 38.9 g/t silver from 76.70 m.
oLIDC 358 drill width 3.55 m (true width 2.30 m) at 23.3 g/t gold and 66.6 g/t silver from 160.50 m.
oLIDC 344 drill width 3.30 m (true width 2.20 m) at 28.3 g/t gold and 38.9 g/t silver from 76.70 m. oLIDC 358 drill width 3.55 m (true width 2.30 m) at 23.3 g/t gold and 66.6 g/t silver from 160.50 m. Prospect mapping has shown that the Mestiza vein system has a strike length of over 3.5 km. Historic sampling includes 41.5 g/t Au and 47.7 g/t Au up to 2 km north of the recent drilling
Mark Child, Chairman and CEO comments:
'The drill programme of approximately 6,000 m on Mestiza has been completed and drill rigs stood down. The highlight of results so far is a high-grade ore shoot in the Tatiana vein. This has a strike length of 450 m and an estimated average true width of 2.2 m. The shoot can be extrapolated approximately 200 m below surface; LIDC 344, which has a drill width 3.30 m at 28.3 g/t gold, is 60 m vertically beneath surface. LIDC 358, drill width of 3.55 m at 23.3 g/t gold, is approximately 100 m vertically below LIDC 344.
New mapping has identified a larger vein system than previously thought. The Mestiza vein set is about 3.5 km long and about 1 km wide. Surface samples of 41.5 g/t and 47.7 g/t gold are 2 km north of the recent drilling. Mapping will continue and is aimed at identifying further high grade shoots by targeting dilational bends in the veins.
Mestiza is excluded from the current mine plans in the PFS and PEA. A successful resource conversion of the Soviet-style resource has the potential to add large, high grade, and relatively shallow resources to a future mine plan, thereby increasing the annual gold production, life of mine, and project economics.'
Background
La India Project's existing NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource is 18 Mt at 4.0 g/t Au (2.31 Moz gold). This consists of seven separate resources, most of them open along strike and at depth. It includes Mestiza, which hosts a NI 43-101-compliant Inferred mineral resource of 1,490 kt at 7.47 g/t (333,000 oz gold). Here, Soviet-backed drilling in 1991 estimated a Soviet-style mineral resource of 2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold (785,694 oz gold) (See RNS dated 22nd May 2017). The bulk of the resources are contained within the Tatiana vein, the largest of the four main veins at Mestiza, which also includes the Buenos Aires and Jicaro veins to the north of, and Espinito vein set to the west of Tatiana.
Current Drill Plan
Condor commenced drilling with one drill rig on the 23rd March 2017, to test the Soviet drilling and convert the Soviet mineral resource to Canadian NI 43-101 standard (See RNS dated 31st March 2017). The first batch of assays was reported on the 22nd May 2017. A second rig was introduced and the second batch of assays was reported on the 29th June 2017.
This initial programme is now concluded, with the completion of 43 drill holes for 5,922 m in total. Table 1 lists the best intercepts above 20 g*m (grade x thickness) gold (Au). Results for LIDC361 to 377 are presented in Table 2. Assays from the last six holes are awaited.
Table 1 Best Drill Results from the Tatiana vein
Prospect Drill
hole ID From** To** Drill
Width
(m) True
Width
(m)* Au
(g/t) Ag
(g/t) Tatiana LIDC344 76.70 80.00 3.30 2.20 28.3 38.9 Tatiana LIDC358 160.50 164.05 3.55 2.30 23.3 66.6 Tatiana LIDC365 142.60 146.20 3.60 3.12 13.7 13.9 Tatiana LIDC360 40.30 43.40 3.10 2.70 14.4 29.2 Tatiana LIDC348 91.00 93.65 2.65 1.70 12.6 21.8 Tatiana LIDC346 83.80 86.85 3.05 2.30 6.79 14.1 Tatiana LIDC345 129.60 133.00 3.40 2.20 6.06 21.4 Tatiana LIDC363 145.50 152.50 7.00 6.10 2.90 0.4 * Intercepts calculated above a 0.5 g/t Au cut off. True width is an interpretation based on the current understanding of the veins and may be revised in the future. ** Depth down hole from surface
Drilling with large diameter ('PQ') core was a priority because it provided high recoveries and large sample sizes. The drill rigs have achieved this, but are only able to test the top 200 m. More powerful rigs are required to drill deeper. Therefore, the rigs have been stood down while the results are received and interpreted.
Drill results for most recent 2,848 m of the 5,922 m drill programme
New drill results (from holes LIDC361 to 377) are shown in Table 2. The drill plan (Figure 1) shows the distribution of these holes. Of note, LIDC370 cut the Tatiana Vein 40 m below surface and proved a wide zone at lower grade (5.30 m @ 1.11 g/t Au). Holes LIDC363, LIDC365, LIDC367 and LIDC369 were drilled into the heart of Big Bend, at 90 to 200 m below surface. They gave high grades, similar to others in this zone (e.g. LIDC365 3.60 m @ 13.7 g/t Au). Holes LIDC361, LIDC366, LIDC368, LIDC370, LIDC371, intersected the Tatiana Vein at 180 to 220 m below surface and gave lower grades and narrower widths. However, LIDC368 (0.55 m @ 6.10 g/t Au) shows that high gold grades do persist at depth in places. The overall pattern may reflect the base of supergene enrichment of gold at around 200 m below surface. Alternatively, the vein may pinch at depth. Further drilling is required to fully understand the system and this will require a more powerful drill rig.
LIDC372 to LIDC377 were drilled to test the Buenos Aires and Jicaro Veins. They intersected generally narrow veins and provided better information on the position of these veins. Further mapping has been conducted here, and over the Espinito Vein, to help better site future drill holes.
Table 2 New Drill Results from Mestiza Vein Set
Prospect Drill
hole ID From** To** Drill
Width
(m) *True
Width
(m) Au
(g/t) Ag
(g/t) Other Tatiana LIDC361 147.95 148.05 0.10 0.10 1.00 15.0
148.80 149.05 0.25 0.20 1.05 9.00
Tatiana LIDC362 132.20 133.25 1.05 0.90 7.01 6.00
167.80 169.70 1.90 1.60 3.66 6.95 Including 0.5 m@ 9.45 g/t Au and 7.0 g/t
Ag 172.50 174.90 2.40 2.10 2.31 0.80
Tatiana LIDC363 145.50 152.50 7.00 6.10 2.90 0.40 Including 0.4 m@ 10.55 g/t Au and 9.6
g/t Au 161.30 163.30 2.00 1.70 2.72 5.10
Tatiana LIDC364 188.40 191.00 2.60 1.99 2.45 1.40
193.60 194.35 0.75 0.57 1.18 3.00
206.40 206.85 0.45 0.34 1.57 <2.00
Tatiana LIDC365 142.60 146.20 3.60 3.12 13.7 13.9 Including 1.0 m @ 44.47 g/t Au and 35.4
g/t Ag Tatiana LIDC366 39.80 41.70 1.90 1.30 2.34 4.70
133.60 134.00 0.40 0.30 3.93 7.00
181.70 182.75 1.05 0.70 1.16 4.00
Tatiana LIDC367 55.60 56.00 0.40 0.30 5.25 53.0
85.70 87.70 2.00 1.50 3.00 10.0 Including 0.8 m @ 6.28 g/t Au and 13.0
g/t Ag Tatiana LIDC368 41.50 43.10 1.60 1.03 1.01 <2.00
105.15 105.70 0.55 0.35 6.10 5.00
198.55 200.90 2.35 1.51 2.89 8.50 Including 0.75 m @ 7.28 g/t Au and 20.1
g/t Ag Tatiana LIDC369 46.60 46.80 0.20 0.08 2.60 3.00
81.60 82.90 1.30 0.55 11.8 21.4
104.00 106.50 2.50 1.06 1.65 3.40
Tatiana LIDC370 34.70 40.00 5.30 4.59 1.11 9.70
41.50 41.90 0.4 0.35 1.48 4.00
Tatiana LIDC371 196.70 197.50 0.80 0.61 0.95 <2.00
Tatiana LIDC372 26.30 26.80 0.50 0.38 6.26 7.00
Buenos
Aires LIDC372 163.75 164.20 0.45 0.34 4.47 2.00
Buenos
Aires LIDC373 93.30 94.00 0.70 0.63 11.9 7.00
Jicaro LIDC374 33.70 34.60 0.90 0.78 0.86 6.00
Buenos
Aires 82.60 82.95 0.35 0.30 9.20 11.0 Immediately above this 0.90 m void
probably artisanal workings Buenos
Aires LIDC375 88.20 88.50 0.30 0.18 4.98 4.00
104.80 106.20 1.40 1.01 1.55 <2.00
112.35 112.90 0.55 0.40 1.05 <2.00
Jicaro LIDC376 73.85 74.10 0.25 0.17 3.25 5.00
Buenos
Aires 104.00 104.30 0.30 0.24 4.59 3.00
Buenos
Aires LIDC377
No significant mineralisation * Intercepts calculated above a 0.5 g/t Au cut off. True width is an interpretation based on the current understanding of the veins and may be revised in the future ** Depth down hole from surface
Figure 1 Map of Mestiza Vein Set Showing 4 Main Veins
https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/images/news/August_2017/Condor_Gold_8-30-2017_1.jpg
Green line in Figure 1 above is the section shown in Figure 2
Figure 2 Cross section 2050 of Tatiana Vein
https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/images/news/August_2017/Condor_Gold_8-30-2017_2.jpg
Note: The pink line in Figure 2 above represents the Tatiana Vein at Cross Section 2050
Discussion of Drill Results
Mineralisation occurs within a 4 to 6 m wide mineralised structure cutting a major unit of welded tuff with conspicuous fiamme. The structure consists of:
An early-stage broad zone of jigsaw and crackle hydrothermal breccia with drusy and comb vein quartz in the matrix. These support angular clasts of weakly silicified wall rock. This phase normally has lower gold grade.
A central high-grade quartz vein, typically 0.5-1.0 m wide, with comb and drusy quartz and minor chalcedony. Textures of the vein vary between holes, from massive silica to locally colloform banded pale green chalcedony with fine streaks of sulphide mineralization and leaching textures with moulds after calcite.
Late fault breccias contain clasts of vein and hydrothermal breccia in a sooty, black, manganiferous gouge and brick red smectite. These can contain high grade gold.
Gold mineralisation is associated with the quartz vein and fault breccia over true widths of up to 3 m. The nature of the fault breccia, with variable amounts of gold-mineralised vein clasts in a 'difficult to recover' clay gouge, leads to high grade variability across the deposit. There is also a supergene effect as suggested by enrichment in silver in some of the deeper historic holes (e.g. 0.7 m @ 356 g/t Ag from 198.1 m in LIDC030B).
A long section of the Tatiana Vein (Figure 3) plots the drill hole intercepts where they pierce the vein. It shows all historic and new drilling. Each point is described by a grade x thickness factor; this is the downhole intercept length multiplied by the gold grade. At the local scale, this shows the highly variable nature of mineralisation, but at the larger scale shows that the vein is broadly well mineralised and forms high grade shoots separated by intervening areas of low grade where the mineralised zone is thinner.
A geological model has been developed which correlates high grade gold mineralisation with bends in the vein (see 'Big Bend' in Figure 1). These bends created more open space, allowing more hydrothermal fluid circulation, resulting in higher grade. The Big Bend high grade shoot, which appears to pitch almost vertically, extends over a strike length of approximately 450 m.
The deepest drill holes, about 200 m below surface, intersected lower grades. This may reflect pinching of the vein or the base of supergene enrichment. This has only been tested in two holes at the western end of Big Bend; further deeper drilling is required to test this observation.
Figure 3 Long Section of Tatiana Indicating a High Grade Ore Shoot
https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/images/news/August_2017/Condor_Gold_8-30-2017_3.jpg
Mapping at Mestiza
Detailed mapping was initiated at Mestiza to better understand the geometry of the veins and identify new bends that may warrant drill testing. Figure 4 shows the distribution of quartz veining together with rock chip and channel assay highlights.
The dominant lithology is a welded tuff showing different facies: it includes a pumice-rich lithic tuff unit and a pumice-poor crystal tuff unit. The latter seems to be a more competent rock for vein development. The tuff is at least 200 m thick. It is underlain by a sequence of andesites and sediments.
Mapping has traced epithermal quartz veins over a strike length of at least 3.5 km in the Mestiza area. The Tatiana, Jicaro and Buenos Aires veins coalesce in the northwest and appear to combine into a single northwest-striking vein. There is also a newly discovered, parallel vein, the Tortuga Vein, which assayed up to 6.1 g/t Au in a mullock rock sample. Historic sampling of the northwestern extension of all these veins includes 47.7 g/t Au over 0.2 m, at 450 m along strike from the westernmost Tatiana vein exposures.
The Espinito Vein has been traced over a strike length of 2 km, and shows a jog in the Chaparro area (Figure 4). It hosts numerous artisanal workings and previous sampling returned up to 41.5 g/t Au over 0.5 m. A series of ENE-WSW linking structures, with a strike length of over 300 m, occur between the southernmost part of the Espinito vein and the Tatiana vein. These probably represent more dilational structures, exploited by mineralizing fluids. Historic sampling includes 17.3 g/t Au over 0.1 m.
Trenching of key areas is proposed and will be completed and reviewed prior to recommending drilling.
Figure 4 Mestiza Vein Set; geological map and selected gold assay
https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/images/news/August_2017/Condor_Gold_8-30-2017_4.jpg
Mestiza in the context of La India
Mestiza is significant for five reasons:
It already hosts a NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource of 1,490 kt at 7.47 g/t; 333,000 oz gold, although a Soviet mineral resource of 2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold for 785,694 oz gold was previously defined over the area and hence an opportunity exists to upgrade the former. This is excluded from the current Pre-Feasibility Study ('PFS') and Preliminary Economic Assessment ('PEA') at La India. The PEA (December, 2014) has an open pit and underground mining scenario using a 1.6 Mtpa processing plant recovering 1,203 koz gold over the life of mine, with the first 5 years production averaging 138,000 oz gold pa. The January 2016 Whittle Enterprise Optimisation to NPV of the above PEA materially increased the recovered gold and project economics. Using the same 1.6 Mtpa processing plant, recovered gold increased to 1,437 koz gold over the life of mine, with the first five years of production averaging 165,000 oz gold pa. All production scenarios exclude Mestiza, which is in close proximity to La India (See Figure 5). There is excellent potential to bring high grade gold from Mestiza into a future mine plan, feeding a centralised processing plant. Importantly, Mestiza hosts a relatively shallow, high-grade, oxidised resource. This is currently viewed as a combined open pit-underground mining target. The average drill depth is 112 m for the 6,000 m resource conversion drilling programme. The existing resource is open along strike in both directions and at depth. Its shallow, high grade nature suggests it could be added early on to the mine plan, enhancing the production profile and economics of the project.
Figure 5 Location of 7 resources that comprise the La India Project
https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/images/news/August_2017/Condor_Gold_8-30-2017_5.jpg
Competent Person's Declaration
The information in this announcement that relates to the mineral potential, geology, exploration results and database is based on information compiled, and reviewed, by Mr Peter Flindell, Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Member of the Society of Economic Geologists. Mr Flindell is a geologist with over thirty years of experience in the exploration of precious metal mineral resources. Mr Flindell is a non-executive director on the Board of Condor Gold plc who also provides technical leadership to the technical team in Nicaragua and has considerable experience in epithermal mineralization, the type of deposit under consideration, and sufficient experience in the type of activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a 'Competent Person' as defined in the June 2009 Edition of the AIM Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr Flindell consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears and confirms that this information is accurate and not false or misleading.
Technical Glossary
Assay The laboratory test conducted to determine the proportion of a mineral within a rock or other material. Usually reported as parts per million which is equivalent to grams of the mineral (i.e. gold) per tonne of rock Ag Silver Au Gold breccias A fragmental rock, composed of rounded to angular broken rock fragments held together by a mineral cement or in a fine-grained matrix. They can be formed by igneous, tectonic, sedimentary or hydrothermal processes. C1 C1 reserves are broadly equivalent to JORC indicated resources and have been estimated by a sparse grid of trenches, drill holes or underground workings. The quality and properties of the deposit are known tentatively by analyses and by analogy with known deposits of the same type. The general conditions for exploitation are partially known C2 C2 reserves are broadly equivalent to JORC inferred resources and have been extrapolated from limited data, probably only a single hole Chalcedony A variety of quartz formed by microscopic or submicroscopic crystals. In an epithermal environment, chalcedony is formed in low temperature and pressure conditions high in the system. Colloform banded A texture found in fine grained quartz (chalcedony) veins where crystals have grown in a radiating and concentric manner form a vein centreline to give a finely banded appearance Comb quartz A quartz vein texture describing masses of parallel long, thin crystals growing inwards from the vein margins produce a texture like that of a comb. Drusy quartz A coating of fine quartz crystals on a rock fracture surface, which may be an open space in the vein. Fiamme Fragments of volcanic ejecta, often pumice, that have been flattened by compaction to form flame-like shapes Geochemistry The study of the elements and their interaction as minerals to makeup rocks and soils Geophysics The measurement and interpretation of the earth's physical parameters using non-invasive methods such as measuring the gravity, magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, seismic response and natural radioactive emissions. Hydrothermal Hot water circulation often caused by heating of groundwater by near surface magmas and often occurring in association with volcanic activity. Hydrothermal waters can contain significant concentrations of dissolved minerals. Kt Thousand tonnes Mineral Reserve The economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Mineral Resource. It includes diluting materials and allowances for losses, which may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments and studies have been carried out, and include consideration of and modification by realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction could reasonably be justified. Ore Reserves are sub-divided in order of increasing confidence into Probable Ore Reserves and Proved Ore Reserves. Mineral Resource A concentration or occurrence of material of economic interest in or on the Earth's crust in such a form, quality, and quantity that there are reasonable and realistic prospects for eventual economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, continuity and other geological characteristics of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated from specific geological knowledge, or interpreted from a well constrained and portrayed geological model. NI 43-101 Canadian National Instrument 43-101 a common standard for reporting of identified mineral resources and ore reserves Phreatic breccias Fragmental rocks formed near the Earth's surface by the interaction of hot rock and cold water, or vice versa. Commonly occur at the top of mineralized epithermal gold systems. Rock chip A sample of rock collected for analysis, from one or several close spaced sample points at a location. Unless otherwise stated, this type of sample is not representative of the variation in grade across the width of an ore or mineralised body and the assay results cannot be used in a Mineral Resource Estimation Soviet Classification The former Soviet system for classification of reserves and resources, developed in 1960 and revised in 1981, which divides mineral concentrations into seven categories of three major groups, based on the level of exploration performed: explored reserves (A, B, C1), evaluated reserves (C2) and prognostic resources (P1, P2, P3) Soviet GKZ The former Soviet State Commission for Mineral Reserves. Stockwork Multiple connected veins with more than one orientation, typically consisting of millimetre to centimetre thick fracture-fill veins and veinlets. Strike length The longest horizontal dimension of an ore body or zone of mineralisation. Vein A sheet-like body of crystallised minerals within a rock, generally forming in a discontinuity or crack between two rock masses. Economic concentrations of gold are often contained within vein minerals. Welded tuff A fragmental volcanic rock formed by sufficiently hot volcanic ejecta that the fragments weld together Zeolite veinlets Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates found in gas bubbles within basalts and in geothermal districts. They also found in the upper parts of gold-bearing epithermal systems.
Condor Gold plc
7th Floor 39 St. James's Street London SW1A 1JD
Telephone +44-020-74932794 Fax: +44-020-74938633
For further information please visit www.condorgold.com or contact:
Condor Gold plc
Mark Child,
Executive Chairman and CEO
+44(0)20-7493-2784
Beaumont Cornish Limited
Roland Cornish and James Biddle
+44(0)20-7628-3396
Numis Securities Limited
John Prior and James Black
+44(0)20-7260-1000
Farm Street Media
Simon Robinson
+44(0)7593-340107
About Condor Gold plc:
Condor Gold plc was admitted to AIM on 31st May 2006. The Company is a gold exploration and development company with a focus on Central America.
Condor completed a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) and two Preliminary Economic Assessments (PEA) on its wholly owned La India Project in Nicaragua in December 2014. The PFS details an open pit gold mineral reserve of 6.9 Mt at 3.0 g/t gold for 675,000 oz gold producing 80,000 oz gold p.a. for 7 years. The PEA for the open pit only scenario details 100,000 oz gold production p.a. for 8 years whereas the PEA for a combination of open pit and underground details 140,000 oz gold production p.a. for 8 years. La India Project contains a total attributable mineral resource of 18.08 Mt at 4.0 g/t for 2.31 M oz gold and 2.68 M oz silver at 6.2 g/t to the CIM Code.
Disclaimer
Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
County Mayor Coppinger's surprise attempt to raise taxes does not inspire confidence that the money will be put to good use. If the hike could bear scrutiny, why not pass it with the rest of the budget instead of springing it on taxpayers afterwards?
Aside from the twin facts that property developers who build the need should pay for any required water treatment plants, and that taxpayers want to see Dr. Johnson prove his ability before cutting him a $100,000,000 check, the lack of transparency here is appalling.
The mayor's talk about "our responsibility" rings hollow to the citizens he just bait-and-switched, and I do not agree that it is our responsibility to hand enormous sums of taxpayer money to a superintendent whose tenure is measured in weeks instead of years and a school board that has proven it can't educate our children effectively.
Charles McCullough
* * *
Im a little confused. Wheres all the tax money that was promised by politicians that would result from the PILOT Agreements due to the expected growth? Heres what Jeff Morelock a former Bradley County Commissioner said a few years back. Are we going to invest in future industry here and have growth so we dont have to increase taxes, or are we going to tell industry were not interested in you coming here?
The way this area invested in PILOT Agreements the whole southeast Tennessee area should be rolling in tax dollars but it seems there a number of counties and cities in this area raising property taxes at this point. Apparently it didnt work and I will admit I'm not surprised.
Dont be surprised Bradley County if you see a property tax increase too.
Mike Lynn
Cleveland
Regulatory News:
Following the clearing of all the conditions precedent linked to the agreements signed on June 20, 2017 with Eurosic's main shareholders, Gecina (Paris:GFC) has finalized yesterday its acquisition of the blocks of shares and OSRA bonds representing 85.4% of Eurosic's diluted capital1. With this transaction, Gecina has effectively taken control of Eurosic.
This major operation represents a significant acceleration of the deployment of Gecina's strategy, building on its outstanding value creation, which will benefit in particular from the following factors:
Stronger office portfolio in the Paris Region's most buoyant business sectors: the combination of the portfolios and the sales programs that are underway will make it possible to further strengthen the percentage of offices within the consolidated portfolio (over 80%), while also ramping up its focus on central sectors (over 60% in Paris City).
the combination of the portfolios and the sales programs that are underway will make it possible to further strengthen the percentage of offices within the consolidated portfolio (over 80%), while also ramping up its focus on central sectors (over 60% in Paris City). Better coverage of the Paris office market: Gecina's presence at the heart of the city of Paris will be further strengthened, not only in Paris' central business district (CBD), but also in new sectors with strong potential on the River Seine's left bank and the CBD's eastern border.
Gecina's presence at the heart of the city of Paris will be further strengthened, not only in Paris' central business district (CBD), but also in new sectors with strong potential on the River Seine's left bank and the CBD's eastern border. Greater value creation potential for the coming years: this operation has also increased the weighting of the portfolio of development projects, with deliveries expected primarily for 2017 to 2019 and 44% of the space already pre-let 2
this operation has also increased the weighting of the portfolio of development projects, with deliveries expected primarily for 2017 to 2019 and 44% of the space already pre-let Expected acceleration in the portfolio's rotation: Gecina has launched a sales program with a minimum of 1.2 billion euros for the next 12 months 3 . These sales will cover assets from the historical scope of both Gecina and Eurosic. This rotation will make it possible to continue rationalizing the Group's portfolio around the Paris Region's most dynamic sectors, where Gecina has recently secured major lettings transactions, while maintaining the flexibility of its balance sheet.
Gecina has launched a sales program with a minimum of 1.2 billion euros for the next 12 months . These sales will cover assets from the historical scope of both Gecina and Eurosic. This rotation will make it possible to continue rationalizing the Group's portfolio around the Paris Region's most dynamic sectors, where Gecina has recently secured major lettings transactions, while maintaining the flexibility of its balance sheet. Financial structure preserved and liquidity strengthened: the operation has been fully financed, thanks in particular to 1.5 billion euros of bond issues with an average maturity of 10 years and an average coupon of 1.3%, as well as a 1 billion euro capital increase carried out in August 2017. The LTV will therefore remain below 40% following the sales program that is underway. In addition, this operation will make it possible to increase the float by nearly 10% from 51% to 55%4, further strengthening the liquidity of Gecina's securities on the stock market.
The acquisition of these blocks of shares and OSRA bonds from Eurosic's main shareholders will be followed by an alternative takeover offer and exchange offer, filed this morning, for the shares and OSRA bonds not yet held by Gecina5, which is expected to result in Eurosic being delisted6 before the end of 20177. Some of Eurosic's main shareholders have made commitments under the agreements signed on June 20, 2017 to tender nearly 9.5% of the diluted capital for the offer's exchange component, which already guarantees that Gecina will hold almost 95% of Eurosic's diluted capital following the public offering.
On August 7, Gecina received approval from the French antitrust authorities for this amicable takeover operation.
Meka Brunel, Chief Executive Officer: "By finalizing its acquisition of 85% of Eurosic's capital, Gecina has taken a historic step forward with the acceleration of its strategy, enabling the Group to continue building on and strengthen the optimization of its profitability with a total return focus, aligned with the interests of all its shareholders. Gecina's potential will be further strengthened thanks to the acceleration of its portfolio's rotation, its pipeline that is unrivalled in continental Europe and above all its stronger presence at the heart of the Paris Region, Europe's leading office market."
Gecina, living the city in a different way
Gecina owns, manages and develops property holdings worth 19.5 billion euros at end-August 2017, with nearly 92% located in the Paris Region. The Group is building its business around France's leading office portfolio and a diversification division with residential assets and student residences. Gecina has put sustainable innovation at the heart of its strategy to create value, anticipate its customers' expectations and invest while respecting the environment, thanks to the dedication and expertise of its staff.
Gecina is a French real estate investment trust (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris, and is part of the SBF 120, Euronext 100, FTSE4Good, DJSI Europe and World, Stoxx Global ESG Leaders and Vigeo indices. In line with its community commitments, Gecina has created a company foundation, which is focused on protecting the environment and supporting all forms of disability.
www.gecina.fr
Disclaimer
This press release has been prepared exclusively for information. It does not constitute a purchase or an exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or the exchange of Eurosic or Gecina securities, nor a purchase or an exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or the exchange of Eurosic or Gecina securities.
The release, publication or distribution of this press release may be restricted by laws applicable in certain jurisdictions and, as a result, any person in possession of it in such jurisdictions must seek advice concerning the applicable legal restrictions and ensure compliance with them.
In accordance with the stock market regulations, Gecina filed a proposed public takeover and exchange offer for all Eurosic securities not yet held by Gecina at this date. Gecina draft offer document contains the terms and conditions of the mandatory public offer that remains subjected to the review of the French financial markets authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers, AMF).
It is strongly recommended that investors and shareholders located in France review the draft offer document when it becomes available, as well as any amendments or supplements to this document, since it will contain important information concerning the proposed transaction.
No communication or information relating to the mandatory public offer may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction in which registration or approval is required. No action has been (or will be) undertaken in any jurisdiction (other than France) where such steps would be required. The purchase of Eurosic or Gecina securities may be subject to legal or statutory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither Eurosic nor Gecina assume any responsibility for any breach of such restrictions by any person.
This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Eurosic or Gecina in the United States of America. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America without registration under the 1933 U.S. Securities Act, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Eurosic or Gecina have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and neither Eurosic nor Gecina intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America.
Neither Gecina, or Eurosic, nor their shareholders and respective representatives or advisors accept any liability concerning any use by any person of this press release or its content, or more generally in connection with this press release.
1 At June 30, 2017, on a fully diluted basis taking into account the OSRA subordinated redeemable bonds and excluding treasury stock, representing a total of 64,732,147 shares
2 Including negotiations that are currently being finalized
3 This sales program may potentially be increased by a further 1 billion euros depending on market opportunities
4 Assuming that Norges participates in the capital increase with preferential subscription rights prorated to its interest in the Group's capital and Eurosic's minority shareholders tender 50% of their securities for the public offering's securities branch.
5 The offer, whose terms are described in a draft offer document that has been filed with today and is still subjected to review by the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), would be based on: i. An alternative takeover offer and exchange offer for Eurosic's shares, comprising: A public takeover offer under which Eurosic's shareholders will be able to sell their shares at a cash price of 51 euros per share (cum-dividend for 2017); A public exchange offer under which Eurosic's shareholders will be able to exchange 64 shares (cum-dividend for 2017) for 23 Gecina shares (cum-dividend for 2017); ii. An alternative takeover offer and exchange offer for the 2015 OSRA bonds and 2016 OSRA bonds, comprising: A public takeover offer under which Eurosic OSRA bond holders will be able to sell their 2015 OSRA bonds (cum-coupon) and their 2016 OSRA bonds (ex-coupon, scheduled for payment to 2016 OSRA bond holders on September 26, 2017) at a cash price of 51 euros per 2015 OSRA bond or 2016 OSRA bond; A public exchange offer under which Eurosic OSRA bond holders will be able to exchange 64 2015 OSRA bonds (cum-coupon) or 64 2016 OSRA bonds (ex-coupon, scheduled for payment to 2016 OSRA bond holders on September 26, 2017) for 23 Gecina shares (cum-dividend for 2017) to be issued.
6 Subject to Gecina holding more than 95% of Eurosic's capital or voting rights following the public offering
7 Based on an indicative timeline
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170829006290/en/
Contacts:
Gecina
Financial communications
Samuel Henry-Diesbach
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 52 22
samuelhenry-diesbach@gecina.fr
or
Virginie Sterling
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 62 48
virginiesterling@gecina.fr
or
Press relations
Brigitte Cachon
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 40 62 45
brigittecachon@gecina.fr
or
Theresa Vu
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 82 46 13
theresa.vu@consultants.publicis.fr
25 September 2017
Doriemus Plc
("Doriemus" or the "Company")
Allotment of Equity and Update on ASX Listing
Further to the Company's announcement on 18 September 2017, Doriemus (NEX: DOR) is pleased to announce that the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") has approved the Company's listing application.
As a result the Company has today allotted 13,461,539 new ordinary shares of 0.4 pence nominal value in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests ("CDIs") over the Company's ordinary shares to succesful Applicants under the Offer in the Prospectus.
Despatch of the holding statements to successful Applicants is expected to occur on Tuesday 26 September 2017 and subject to satsifying certain conditions precedent the CDIs are expected to commence quotation on the ASX on or about Friday 29 September 2017.
Unless otherwise stated, terms and expressions defined in the Prospectus have the same meaning in this announcement.
The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.
For further information, please contact:
Doriemus Plc
www.doriemus.com
David Lenigas (Executive Chairman) +44 (0) 20 74400640
Hamish Harris (Non-Executive Director)
Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited +44 (0) 20 7469 0930
Guy Miller
Fungai Ndoro
SpendEdge, a global procurement intelligence advisory firm, has launched three procurement research reports on the ITcategory. To help clients understand the current supply landscape of the information technology sector, analysts have covered reports such as 'Hosting Services Procurement Research Report', 'Managed Services Procurement Research Report', and 'Data Center Services Procurement Research Report'
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005512/en/
Hosting Services, Managed Services, and Data Center Services New Procurement Research Reports (Graphic: Business Wire)
Global Hosting Services Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report:
The growth of the hosting services market can be attributed to the rise in demand for Internet of Things or IoT hosting especially in the US which is the primary contributor to this market. Also, factors such as increased demand for websites from startups and rise in ownership costs of websites is expected to drive the growth of the hosting services market over the forecast period.
Looking for more insights from this report? Request a free sample report
Hosting Services Procurement Challenges:
Challenges related to maintaining the confidentiality of data.
The challenges in data migration.
To overcome the above-mentioned procurement challenges, the buyers in the hosting services market should identify and engage with after assessing their technological capabilities. This would help the buyers weed out those offering the outdated technology. Also, before finalizing the contract, the organizations need to evaluate the efficacy of proposed security measures to ensure data security.
This report is available at a discount for a limited time only: View the report snapshot before purchasing
Global Managed Services Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report:
The growth of the managed services market can be attributed to the rapid growth of industries and businesses across economies. This has further increased the demand for improving the efficiency of business processes among end-user segments. Moreover, the complexities of managing IT infrastructure has created a need to manage capital expenditure efficiently.
Looking for more insights from this report?Request a free sample report
Managed Services Procurement Challenges:
Challenges in ensuring robust security and service assurance.
Adopting advanced technology and shift to cloud-platforms.
To overcome the above-mentioned procurement challenges, the buyers in the managed services market should identify and engage with suppliers that offer an array of security services such as managed firewalls, intrusion detection, business continuity, and disaster recovery. Also, the buyers should identify and list the potential negotiation levers; this helps in ensuring that they are better equipped to leverage maximum value from their category spend.
This report is available at a discount for a limited time only: View the report snapshot before purchasing
Global Data Center Services Category Procurement Market Intelligence Report:
The growth of the data center services market can be attributed to rise in demand for such services from end-user segments such as telecom, banking, insurance, and government owing to their huge volumes of data storage and network requirements. Also, there is an increase in demand for cloud computing, mobile services, and social media analytics globally.
Looking for more insights from this report? Request a free sample report
Data Center Services Procurement Challenges:
Challenges related to adopting rapidly evolving technologies.
Ensuring the safety of data from both external and internal threats.
To overcome the above-mentioned procurement challenges, the buyers in the data center services market should adopt safety measures to ensure the safety of data. They should also adopt the procurement practice of inviting multiple bids and comparing the capabilities of service providers to cater to their specific requirements before engaging or finalizing the contract.
This report is available at a discount for a limited time only: View the report snapshot before purchasing
To view our complete portfolio of information technology procurement research reports, visithttps://www.spendedge.com/store/industries/information-technology
About SpendEdge
SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are a preferred procurement intelligence partner for Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence that helps sourcing and procurement professionals make informed decisions. These innovative procurement solutions help enterprises transform structural capabilities, improve execution efficiency, and fast-track time to savings.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005512/en/
Contacts:
SpendEdge
Shilpa Balakrishnan
US: +1 (844) 746-0600
hello@spendedge.com
New app is part of the company's vision to continue offering its unparalleled service with a global reach through the exponential power of technology -- Real-time access to the VistaJet fleet of over 70 silver and red aircraft -- Priority booking on VistaJet's one-way and empty leg flights -- Members can plan and request flights with digital visualisation -- The fastest possible bookings -- The only end-to-end booking app in business aviation
LONDON, Aug. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VistaJet, the first and only global aviation company, has today officially launched VistaJet Direct, the new digital membership offering priority access to VistaJet's one-way and empty leg flights at preferential rates.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3406fd94-1d40-4772-918f-c39f2 5c50f69
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3116b9b8-6762-4f8a-a3a1-684f9 22dcfac
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ae29f2a-29bf-492e-a5a9-89b87 dc2894c
VistaJet sets another milestone of what the future of private travel will look like, becoming the only company in its sector to offer a complete portfolio of flight solutions, with Program, On Demand and the new VistaJet Direct. Busy schedules and last-minute decisions are part of the everyday for most business travelers. The new digital membership is ideal for anyone looking for the unparalleled service and global reach only VistaJet can offer, without any upfront flying commitment.
VistaJet has made headlines through a series of revolutionary initiatives aimed at making flying private simpler than ever. Now the same ease of mind is offered with minimum commitment. A yearly membership of only $10,000 will allow customers to request bookings on all available VistaJet aircraft prior to the charter market.
Unlike some of its competitors that offer seat-only booking and no guarantees, VistaJet Direct gives customers the opportunity to have the full VistaJet experience, including sole use of a jet, a cabin hostess trained by the British Butler Institute, catering from the world's most renowned restaurants, and a comprehensive in-flight service. Once a booking is confirmed, VistaJet guarantees aircraft availability on one of its wholly-owned fleet of over 70 identically designed aircraft, providing peace of mind to its customers.
Through the app's in-built geo-location services, Members will receive a push notification to their smartphone when a flight near them or from their favorite cities is available. All they have to do is tap the notification and book. What's more, the app offers real-time fixed pricing, and the entire booking process can be completed in minutes. To make the booking process even more convenient, customers and their teams can request flights through smartphone app or desktop, being always up to date and controlling everything on their flight from catering to additional ground services.
Thanks to its strategic investment into innovative technology, VistaJet leads the business aviation sector with a pioneering end-to-end technology platform that makes the company the most technologically integrated company in business aviation.
Thomas Flohr, Chairman and Founder said:
"Today's launch is all about giving our customers, and all business travelers, as much flexibility and choice as possible. With the addition of VistaJet Direct, flying with us is easier than ever. We're always looking for new opportunities to make travel as memorable as possible, and make our customers' flight an experience they will never forget. VistaJet Direct is the fastest and most convenient way to fly VistaJet. Customers can now book a flight and access the full array of our services no matter where in the world they are, at a time that suits them."
Become a VistaJet Direct Member at: www.vistajet.com/direct AppStore Google Play
About VistaJet VistaJet is the first and only global aviation company. On its fleet of silver and red business jets, VistaJet has flown corporations, governments and private clients to 187 countries worldwide. Founded in 2004 by Thomas Flohr, the company pioneered an innovative business model where customers pay only for the hours they fly, free of the responsibilities and asset risks linked to aircraft ownership. VistaJet's signature Program service offers customers a bespoke subscription of flight hours on its fleet of mid and long range jets, to fly them anywhere and at any time.
More VistaJet information and news at vistajet.com.
Information Jennifer Tyler VistaJet International T: +44 (0) 203 617 3077 M: +44 (0) 7834 335505 jennifer.tyler@vistajet.com James Leviton Finsbury T: +44 207 251 3851 VistaJet@finsbury.com
Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Uber Technologies Inc has decided to remove a controversial feature from its app that tracked user locations up to five minutes after a trip, Reuters reported, citing security chief. The move is part of the ride-services company's efforts to fix its poor reputation for customer privacy. Uber Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan confirmed the change, which will be announced on Tuesday, the report said. The planned update will initially be available to iPhone users later this week. The company is also said to introduce an update for Android users, as well. The app feature, which was introduced last year, forced users to allow Uber to track their location even when they are not using the service, or to not share their location at all. According to the firm, the feature could help in ensuring customers' physical safety. But, it was criticized heavily as a breach of user trust by a company already under fire for how it collects and uses customers' data. The latest change will restore the users' earlier option to share their location only when using the app. Sullivan reportedly said that he and his team of about 500 have been working towards better customer privacy at Uber since he joined in 2015. The move to push customer privacy comes as the company tries to recover from a series of crises that resulted in the ouster of Chief Executive Travis Kalanick and other top executives. As per reports, Uber has finalized Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of travel-booking company Expedia Inc., as its new chief executive. 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.
LONDON, Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TripleLift, the largest native advertising platform, has been selected by BBC Advertising to power its global native monetisation solution. Native ad formats advance the objectives of the three most critical parties: publishers, advertisers, and consumers. By displaying advertising that looks and feels like the publisher content, user experience is respected, and consumers respond more favorably to both the advertiser and the publisher, a claim that has been continually proven by both quantitative study and anecdotal feedback.
The partnership creates new, native-only ad placements on BBC.com sites where TripleLift powered demand could reach BBC.com's 95.MM monthly unique users globally. "BBC.com is a publisher that brings the scale, quality, and name recognition that we are looking for as native advertising continues to grow," said Michael Lehman, VP of Supply for TripleLift. "It's important that we bring high quality names and placements to the advertisers in this competitive marketplace."
BBC Advertising has chosen to launch with a Private Marketplace (PMP) focused strategy that provides advertisers with the best control over price, quality, and availability. The comprehensive go-to-market strategy allows their sales team to directly sell this channel while also opening controlled inventory to programmatic buyers in the open exchange. The programmatic exchange delivers native scale for a publisher with significant global presence like BBC.com.
"It is important to us that our native provider has the scale to match our audience," said David Goddard, Global Head of Programmatic Trading, BBC Advertising, "TripleLift is among the most innovative SSPs providing us with buyers from every notable demand source in the US, EMEA and APAC. We look forward to working with them."
About TripleLift
TripleLift is the industry's leading programmatic native advertising platform. The company's technology allows brands to amplify their content through in-feed native ads that match the unique look and feel of thousands of publishers. Publishers leverage TripleLift's technology to create a new revenue stream through monetizing their in-feed inventory. For more information about TripleLift, please visit triplelift.com.
http://www.triplelift.com/
About BBC.com and BBC World News
BBC.com and BBC World News, the BBC's commercially funded international 24-hour English news platforms, are owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd. BBC.com offers up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features, including BBC Capital, BBC Culture, BBC Future and BBC Travel, for PCs, tablets and mobile devices to more than 95 million unique browsers each month. BBC World News television is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 433 million households and 3 million hotel rooms. The channel's content is also available on 178 cruise ships, 53 airlines, including 13 distributing the channel live inflight, and 23 mobile phone networks.
About BBC Advertising
BBC Advertising sells advertising and sponsorship solutions on behalf of BBC Worldwide's commercial portfolio across broadcast online and mobile platforms globally.
http://advertising.bbcworldwide.com/
Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/284149/triplelift___logo.jpg
Conducting real-time signals intelligence, the Hydroid REMUS 600 UUV successfully launches UAV during in-water exercise
NEWPORT, Rhode Island, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Hydroid, Inc. teamed with L3 Aerospace Systems, Sparton Corporation and AeroVironment, Inc. to successfully demonstrate the latest unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capabilities, including the launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), at ANTX in Newport, RI last month.
Outfitted with L3's Rio Nino signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection payload and a Sparton Hammerhead canister containing an AeroVironment Blackwing UAV, the Hydroid REMUS 600 (also known as the MK18 Mod 2 and Littoral Battlespace Sensing - AUV) conducted a threat mission scenario. The fully-integrated vehicle demonstrated the clandestine insertion of above water intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), including the real-time collection of information, and the launch of a UAV covertly from depth.
"ANTX is an excellent opportunity for companies like ours to demonstrate the latest concepts and capabilities. With our partners, we were able to prove that UUVs are cross domain systems," said Tom Reynolds, Hydroid's vice president of U.S. Government Business. "These technologies were very easy to integrate and we look forward to building on what we have learned from this demonstration."
ANTX is an advanced naval technology exercise that features live demonstrations, above and below water, of the latest technology capabilities.
About Hydroid, Inc.
Located in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, Hydroid is the world's most trusted manufacturer of advanced, field proven Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Our REMUS AUVs and marine robotics systems provide innovative and reliable full-picture solutions for the marine research, defense, hydrographic and offshore/energy markets.
Developed by a veteran team of engineers, Hydroid products provide a safe and reliable answer to the challenges that have hampered ocean exploration and security. For more information on our technologies, please visit www.hydroid.com.
Media Contact
Kaitlyn Rhue
Hydroid, Inc.
krhue@hydroid.com
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/561274/HYDROID_LOGO_WEB.jpg
TSX: JAG
TORONTO, Nov. 7, 2017 /CNW/ -Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the "Company") (TSX:JAG) today announced details of the Company's financial and operating results for the third quarter ended
September 30, 2017 ("Q3 2017"). Complete Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis are available on SEDAR and on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com. All figures are in US dollars, unless otherwise expressed.
Q3 2017 Financial Highlights
Focused efforts on delivering the highest profitable ounce production and company-wide expense reduction programs, despite strong Brazilian currency, have resulted in decreasing cash operating costs ("COC") to $809 per ounce sold, a 6% reduction compared to $857 in Q2 2017 and a 12% reduction compared to $924 in Q1 2017.
per ounce sold, a 6% reduction compared to in Q2 2017 and a 12% reduction compared to in Q1 2017. All in sustaining costs ("AISC") decreased 7% to $1,169 per ounce sold compared to $1,262 per in Q2 2017, up compared to $1,011 during Q3 2016, reflecting increased exploration drilling programs in 2017.
per ounce sold compared to per in Q2 2017, up compared to during Q3 2016, reflecting increased exploration drilling programs in 2017. Significantly increased operating cash flow quarter over quarter, to $7.5 million compared with $0.2 million in Q2 2017, but was lower compared with $9.4 million in Q3 2016 mainly due to lower production.
compared with in Q2 2017, but was lower compared with in Q3 2016 mainly due to lower production. Sustaining capital expenditures of $4.6 million and total capital expenditures of $5.8 for Q3 2017, compared with $6.4 and $7.5 million respectively in Q3 2016. Total capital expenditures of $18.6 million year-to-date to the end of Q3 2017.
and total capital expenditures of for Q3 2017, compared with and respectively in Q3 2016. Total capital expenditures of year-to-date to the end of Q3 2017. Free cash flow turns positive for first time in 2017 with $2.2 million in Q3 2017, based on operating cash flow less sustaining capital expenditures, compared to $2.9 million in Q3 2016.
in Q3 2017, based on operating cash flow less sustaining capital expenditures, compared to in Q3 2016. Net loss of ( $7.7 million ), or ($0.02) per share reflecting the impact of non-cash adjustments, primarily the impairment write-down on the sale of Jaguar's non-core asset, Gurupi Project, and changes in some legal and tax provisions; this compares to net loss of ( $31.6 million ), or ($0.22) per share for Q3 2016.
), or per share reflecting the impact of non-cash adjustments, primarily the impairment write-down on the sale of Jaguar's non-core asset, Gurupi Project, and changes in some legal and tax provisions; this compares to net loss of ( ), or per share for Q3 2016. Ended the quarter with a strong cash balance of $19.2 million and stable adjusted working capital. Initial $2 million instalment received from Avanco for the Gurupi Project's Accelerated Earn-in Agreement was used to make an additional $2 million payment towards reducing higher cost Brazilian bank debt.
Rodney Lamond, President and CEO of Jaguar, commented: "We continued to see improving performance throughout Q3 2017 with a focus on generating the highest level of operating cash flow in 2017, through profitable ounce production. Increased operating cash flow of $7.5 million in the third quarter allowed the company to continue to invest in sustaining capital, as committed, priority growth exploration programs and pay down debt. Cost reduction initiatives combined with strong production results from Pilar contributed to significantly improved consolidated cash costs of $809 per ounce sold compared to the first half of 2017 of $895. In particular, Pilar and Roca Grande reduced cash costs 22% and 17%, respectively, in Q3 2017 compared to Q2 2017."
"As of the end of Q3 2017, we have invested total capital of approximately $19 million year to-date 2017, with $15.2 million invested in sustaining expenditures and exploration drilling that has yielded significantly positive results. Recent drill results at Pilar are extremely encouraging and we are becoming increasingly confident in the resource upside at Pilar which we expect to report with a mineral resource update in early 2018."
"We ended the quarter with a solid cash balance of $19.2 million and repaid $5.2 million on our credit facilities which included an additional $2 million of proceeds from an initial instalment of the Accelerated Earn-in Agreement signed for the Gurupi Project. Moving forward, our first priority will be to deliver profitable ounce production and generate higher operating cash flow that can be redeployed towards higher priority near-mine sustaining and growth exploration projects, and paying down debt."
Corporate and Strategic Updates
The Company continues to advance several initiatives towards executing its growth strategy to become an annual 200,000 ounce gold producer, while also continuing to restore and grow the production profile at Turmalina from its historic levels during 2016.
Key growth exploration drilling programs completed to date at Pilar and Turmalina have generated excellent results are expected to support the sustainability of the core assets for future production. Pilar's recent strong performance and increased gold production demonstrates that the investments made over the last 12 months, to access the new higher-grade mining fronts from the BF II orebody, were necessary to drive increased production and also a key component of the Company's growth Strategy. The ounce per vertical meter profile at Pilar is very encouraging and has reached over 2,000 ounces per vertical meter.
The Company is currently exploring options and solutions to an operating agreement as a first step effort to resume operations at the Paciencia gold mine. Paciencia mine produced 66,671 oz and 59,287 oz in 2009 and 2010 respectively before being placed on care and maintenance in Q3 2012. Once an acceptable solution is found for the operating agreement, the company will begin a growth exploration drilling program to explore the down plunge extension of the main deposits near the mine.
The Company is also conducting reviews at the Roca Grande Gold Mine in an effort to solve the complex issues due to a perched water table at the RG2 orebody. This orebody has delineated over 500,000 ounces in Mineral Resources but was abandoned in 2010 due to the water issues. The sizable mineral resource was the reason the Caete Plant was built and expanded in 2010.
The company continues to advance the two key growth exploration programs at Pilar and Turmalina. Deep drilling at Pilar has successfully confirmed (announced on September 20, 2017 ) the down plunge extension of the main BFII and BF ore bodies. There are three growth exploration diamond drills working at Turmalina drilling the down plunge extensions to Orebody A and Orebody C and the company anticipates releasing drilling results within the Q4 2017.
Appointment of New Board Director
The Company also announces the appointment of Ben Guenther to its Board of Directors as independent non-executive director. Mr. Guenther is a Mining Engineer with a wide range of management and executive experience and over 40 years in the global mining industry.Mr. Guenther graduated from the Colorado School of Mines. Mr. Guenther's appointment as an independent Board member reflects the Company's commitment to best practices in corporate governance.
Financial and Operating Highlights
($ thousands, except where indicated) For the three months ended
September 30, For the nine months ended
September 30,
2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial Data
Revenue $ 26,062 $ 33,618 $ 78,606 $ 90,278 Operating costs 16,116 16,191 53,614 51,657 Depreciation 5,898 9,509 17,271 25,599 Gross profit 4,048 7,918 7,721 13,022
Gross profit (excluding depreciation)1 9,946 17,427 24,992 38,621 Loss on change in fair value of notes payable - 31,672 - 77,616 Net loss (7,664) (31,648) (18,861) (73,515)
Per share ("EPS") (0.02) (0.22) (0.06) (0.60) EBITDA1 (507) (17,802) 3,949 (41,710)
Adjusted EBITDA1,2 6,094 14,394 14,020 30,299
Adjusted EBITDA per share1 0.02 0.10 0.04 0.25 Cash operating costs (per ounce sold)1 809 645 867 713 All-in sustaining costs (per ounce sold)1 1,168 1,011 1,249 1,092 Average realized gold price (per ounce) 1,276 1,328 1,250 1,251 Cash generated from operating activities 7,509 9,353 9,583 29,314 Adjusted operating cash flow1 6,076 11,275 15,002 23,289 Free cash flow1 2,212 2,972 (7,118) 9,055 Free cash flow (per ounce sold)1 108 117 (113) 125 Sustaining capital expenditures1 4,624 6,370 15,233 19,246 Non-sustaining capital expenditures1 1,138 1,152 3,401 2,781 Total capital expenditures 5,763 7,522 18,634 22,027 1Average realized gold price, sustaining and non-sustaining capital expenditures, cash operating costs and all-in sustaining costs,
adjusted operating cash flow, free cash flow, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA per share, and gross profit (excluding
depreciation) are non-IFRS financial performance measures with no standard definition under IFRS. Refer to the Non-IFRS Financial
Performance Measures section of the MD&A 2Adjusted EBITDA excludes non-cash items such as impairment and write downs. For more details refer to the Non-IFRS
Performance Measures section of the MD&A
For the three months ended
September 30, For the nine months ended
September 30,
2017 2016 2017 2016 Operating Data
Gold produced (ounces) 20,781 25,782 62,842 71,201 Gold sold (ounces) 20,422 25,316 62,909 72,167 Primary development (metres) 932 1,353 2,666 4,371 Secondary development (metres) 922 1,182 3,292 3,545 Definition, infill, and exploration drilling (metres) 11,592 6,749 34,525 28,126
Liquidity Position and Working Capital
As at September 30, 2017 , the Company had a cash balance of $19.2M , compared to a cash balance of $20.7 million at June 30, 2017 .
, the Company had a cash balance of , compared to a cash balance of at . During the third quarter, the Company received $2M from Avanco for the first instalment of the Accelerated Earn-in Agreement signed for the Gurupi Project on September 18, 2017 . In addition to the regular repayments of financing obligations of $3.2M during the quarter, the Company used the initial proceeds from the Gurupi Avanco transaction to make an additional debt repayment of $2M for part of the high cost Brazilian debt, thus reducing the future debt servicing.
from Avanco for the first instalment of the Accelerated Earn-in Agreement signed for the Gurupi Project on . In addition to the regular repayments of financing obligations of during the quarter, the Company used the initial proceeds from the Gurupi Avanco transaction to make an additional debt repayment of for part of the high cost Brazilian debt, thus reducing the future debt servicing. Subsequent to the quarter end, the Company closed the sale of the Gurupi transaction with Avanco Resources. On closing the transaction, the Company received an additional $2 million and recorded an impairment (non-cash) write down of $5.1 million on the asset, leading to a net loss for the quarter.
and recorded an impairment (non-cash) write down of on the asset, leading to a net loss for the quarter. Significantly improved working capital quarter over quarter. As September 30, 2017 , working capital was $28.2 million compared to $11.3 million as at December 31, 2016 mainly due to a temporary reclassification of Gurupi asset as Asset Held for Sale as part of current assets. Working capital includes $6.0 million of short term payable loan to Brazilian banks which mature every six months and are expected to continue to be rolled forward. Adjusted Working Capital (excluding the temporary reclassification of Gurupi asset as held for sale) was $6 million . With the closing of the Gurupi earn-in transaction that occurred in Q4 2017, an additional $5-6 million is expected to be added to the Adjusted Working Capital.
Quarterly Operating Summary
Operating Summary Q3 2017 Q3 2016 Q2 2017 Turmalina Pilar Roca Grande Total Turmalina Pilar Roca Grande Total Turmalina Pilar Roca Grande Total Tonnes milled (t) 107,000 88,000 18,000 213,000 128,000 78,000 25,000 231,000 112,000 85,000 19,000 216,000 Average head grade (g/t) 3.10 3.77 2.89 3.36 4.36 3.51 2.12 3.83 3.37 3.16 2.15 3.18 Recovery % 91% 90% 90% 90% 92% 91% 91% 91% 91% 90% 90% 91% Financials
COC ($/oz) 749 804 1,195 809 528 726 1,249 645 695 1,033 1,439 857
AISC ($/oz)
1,168
1,011
1,262
Realized Gold Price ($/oz)
1,276
1,328
1,266 Gold ounces
Produced (oz) 9,616 9,674 1,491 20,781 16,304 7,923 1,556 25,783 10,870 7,702 1,197 19,769
Sold (oz) 9,082 9,820 1,520 20,422 15,945 7,821 1,551 25,317 10,815 6,625 1,013 18,453 Development
Primary (m) 443 471 18 932 605 741 7 1,353 504 218 102 824
Exploration (m) 11 - - 11 - 22 - 22 56 - - 56
Secondary (m) 337 518 67 922 623 284 275 1,182 292 577 120 989 Diamond drilling (m) 8,355 3,237 - 11,592 2,793 2,811 1,145 6,749 4,676 6,206 186 11,068
Q3 2017 Operational Update
Consolidated gold production decreased 19% to 20,781 ounces in Q3 2017 compared to 25,783 ounces in Q3 2016. Consolidated gold production for YTD 2017 was 62,842 ounces compared to 71,202 ounces in the first nine months of 2016.
Pilar production of 9,674 ounces in Q3 2017 compared to 7,923 ounces produced in Q3 2016; production improvements in the later part of the quarter started to reflect the advancing ore development into the higher-grade Orebodies BF II and BF.
Turmalina produced 9,674 ounces in Q3 2017 compared to 16,304 ounces in Q3 2016; however, with the mining issues encountered at level 9 during Q1 and Q2 2017, the Company is completing the review of the upper levels of the mine in Orebody A to identify areas of high-grade blocks that can be recovered. Several areas have already been identified and two mining blocks within these areas are expected to be recovered by year-end.
The Company completed 932 metres and 2,666 metres of primary development during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 , respectively, compared to 1,353 metres and 4,371 metres in the comparative 2016 periods.
, respectively, compared to 1,353 metres and 4,371 metres in the comparative 2016 periods. Ore processed was 212,000 tonnes in Q3 2017 (Q3 2016 - 231,000 tonnes) at an average head grade of 3.36 g/t (Q3 2016 - 3.83 g/t).
In Q3 2017, Turmalina processed 107,000 tonnes (Q3 2016 - 128,000 tonnes) at an average head grade of 3.10 g/t (Q3 2016 - 4.36 g/t). Increasing gold production from Orebody C, while the mining cycle is normalized in Orebody A and until access to lower Orebody C containing higher grades can be established, is expected to continue to impact consolidated grade in the short term.
Caete plant processed 105,000 tonnes in Q3 2017 (Q3 2016 - 103,000 tonnes) at an average head grade of 3.62 g/t (Q3 2016 - 3.17 g/t).
New record grade at Pilar Gold Mine ("Pilar") of 3.77 g/t Au for the quarter as mining activity increased into the higher-grade BFII ore body, resulting in 9,674 ounces of gold produced in Q3 2017, an increase of 26% quarter over quarter. September gold grade for Pilar was 4.48 g/t Au. The higher average head grade and lower tonnage reduced consolidated Cash Operating Costs ("COC") per ounce sold in Q3 2017.
Increasing grade at Roca Grande Mine ("Roca Grande") of 2.88 g/t Au contributed to gold production of 1,491 ounces, which was 25% higher compared to Q2 2017. Improved performance and operational efficiencies, including optimization of working shifts, resulted in positive operational cash flows for Roca Grande.
Total production for YTD 2017 was 643,000 tonnes (average head grade of 3.35 g/t), as compared to 644,000 tonnes processed in the first nine months of 2016 (average head grade of 3.79 g/t).
Qualified Person
Scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), Senior Expert Advisor Geology and Exploration to the Jaguar Mining Management Committee, who is also an employee of Jaguar Mining Inc., and is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects("NI 43-101").
The Iron Quadrangle
The Iron Quadrangle has been an area of mineral exploration dating back to the 16th century. The discovery in 1699-1701 of black gold contaminated with iron and platinum-group metals in the southeastern corner of the Iron Quadrangle gave rise to the name of the town OuroPreto (Black Gold). The Iron Quadrangle contains world-class multi-million-ounce gold deposits such as Morro Velho, Cuiaba and Sao Bento. Jaguar holds the second largest gold land position in the Iron Quadrangle with just over 25,000 hectares.
About Jaguar Mining Inc.
Jaguar Mining Inc. is a Canadian-listed junior gold mining, development, and exploration company operating in Brazil with three gold mining complexes and a large land package with significant upside exploration potential from mineral claims covering an area of approximately 64,000 hectares. The Company's principal operating assets are located in the Iron Quadrangle, a prolific greenstone belt in the state of Minas Gerais and include the Turmalina Gold Mine Complex and Caete Mining Complex (Pilar and Roca Grande Mines, and Caete Plant). The Company also owns the Paciencia Gold Mine Complex, which has been on care and maintenance since 2012. Additional information is available on the Company's website atwww.jaguarmining.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. All of the forward-looking information made in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements below and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators in Canada.Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "are expected," "is forecast," "is targeted," "approximately," "plans," "anticipates," "projects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "believe" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be considered to be or include forward looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding, among other things, expected sales, production statistics, ore grades, tonnes milled, recovery rates, cash operating costs, definition/delineation drilling, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of projects and new deposits, success of exploration, development and mining activities, currency fluctuations, capital requirements, project studies, mine life extensions, restarting suspended or disrupted operations, continuous improvement initiatives, and resolution of pending litigation. The Company has made numerous assumptions with respect to forward-looking information contained herein, including, among other things, assumptions about the estimated timeline for the development of its mineral properties; the supply and demand for, and the level and volatility of the price of, gold; the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based; the receipt of necessary permits; market competition; ongoing relations with employees and impacted communities; political and legal developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations including, without limitation, the impact of any potential power rationing, tailings facility regulation, exploration and mine operating licenses and permits being obtained an renewed and/or there being adverse amendments to mining or other laws in Brazil and any changes to general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking information involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including among others: the risk of Jaguar not meeting the forecast plans regarding its operations and financial performance; uncertainties with respect to the price of gold, labour disruptions, mechanical failures, increase in costs, environmental compliance and change in environmental legislation and regulation, weather delays and increased costs or production delays due to natural disasters, power disruptions, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations; uncertainties inherent to capital markets in general (including the sometimes volatile valuation of securities and an uncertain ability to raise new capital) and other risks inherent to the gold exploration, development and production industry, which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described herein. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of gold exploration, development, mining and production, including environmental hazards, tailings dam failures, industrial accidents and workplace safety problems, unusual or unexpected geological formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding, chemical spills, procurement fraud and gold bullion thefts and losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks). Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of "Jaguar Mining Inc." on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Non-IFRS Measures
This news release provides certain financial measures that do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Readers are cautioned to review the above stated footnotes where the Company expanded on its use of non-IFRS measures.
1. Cash operating costs and cash operating cost per ounce are non-IFRS measures. In the gold mining industry, cash operating costs and cash operating costs per ounce are common performance measures but do not have any standardized meaning. Cash operating costs are derived from amounts included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) and include mine-site operating costs such as mining, processing and administration, as well as royalty expenses, but exclude depreciation, depletion, share-based payment expenses, and reclamation costs. Cash operating costs per ounce are based on ounces produced and are calculated by dividing cash operating costs by commercial gold ounces produced; US$ cash operating costs per ounce produced are derived from the cash operating costs per ounce produced translated using the average Brazilian Central Bank R$/US$ exchange rate. The Company discloses cash operating costs and cash operating costs per ounce, as it believes those measures provide valuable assistance to investors and analysts in evaluating the Company's operational performance and ability to generate cash flow. The most directly comparable measure prepared in accordance with IFRS is total production costs. A reconciliation of cash operating costs per ounce to total production costs for the most recent reporting period, the quarter ended September 30, 2017,is set out in the Company's third quarter 2017 Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) filed on SEDAR atwww.sedar.com.
2. All-in sustaining cost is a non-IFRS measure. This measure is intended to assist readers in evaluating the total costs of producing gold from current operations. While there is no standardized meaning across the industry for this measure, except for non-cash items the Company's definition conforms to the all-in sustaining cost definition as set out by theWorld Gold Councilin its guidance note datedJune 27, 2013. The Company defines all-in sustaining cost as the sum of production costs, sustaining capital (capital required to maintain current operations at existing levels), corporate general and administrative expenses, and in-mine exploration expenses. All-in sustaining cost excludes growth capital, reclamation cost accretion related to current operations, interest and other financing costs, and taxes. A reconciliation of all-in sustaining cost to total production costs for the most recent reporting period, the quarter ended September 30, 2017 is set out in the Company's third quarter 2017 MD&A filed on SEDAR atwww.sedar.com.
CONTACT: Rodney Lamond, President & Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Mining Inc., rodney.lamond@jaguarmining.com, 416-847-1854; Hashim Ahmed, Chief Financial Officer, Jaguar Mining Inc., hashim.ahmed@jaguarmining.com, 416-847-1854
Alytus, Lithuania, 2017-11-30 16:01 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The consolidated unaudited sales revenue of Snaige AB exceeded 30 million EUR within the first three quarters of this year, which is slightly less if compared to the same period last year.The company's EBITDA was 1.6 million EUR (according to consolidated unaudited data) i.e. 56% less than in the same period last year. According Gediminas Ceika, the Director General of Snaige AB, this year was comprised of many challenges. "Prices of most raw materials increased, however the price of the products remained at the same level in almost all markets of the company. That influenced our results inevitably", stated Mr. G. Ceika. "Many manufacturers of refrigerators, including Chinese manufacturers, have announced on the increase of products price by the end of a year. Thus we anticipate more balanced results of or sale income and EBITDA". Snaige exported its products to more than 30 European and Asian countries within 3 quarters of this year. The company's largest markets in terms of income were Germany, France, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. While the largest increase of income, if compared to the previous year, was in Norway, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The company implemented two lines of refrigerators of new design. New refrigerators shall arrive to the shops and fascinate the customers in 2018 already. Director General of Snaige AB Gediminas Ceika +370 315 56206 Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=655447
DUBLIN, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The "Global Gene Expression Market 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.
The global gene expression market to grow at a CAGR of 10.56% during the period 2017-2021.
Global Gene Expression 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.
One trend in the market is emergence of advanced genome editing techniques and genetic screening programs. A high precision and cost-effective technique, CRISPR-Cas9, is a game-changing form of gene editing and is dispersing throughout biotech laboratories and biotech start-ups globally. It has enormous potential as it can detect mutations at the granular level in the human genome, thus creating highly sophisticated results.
According to the report, one driver in the market is decreasing cost of DNA sequencing. Since DNA sequencing is an essential step in the gene expression protocol, researchers consider the cost of sequencing as an essential parameter when designing their experiments. In the past, after the completion of the human genome project, sequencing techniques involved several trial and error methods, and thus, the resultant cost of the technique was high, resulting in huge cost burden for researchers. However, this scenario has changed drastically due to advancements in science and molecular biology.
Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is shortage of trained healthcare professionals in genomics. Gene expression techniques are highly technical in nature and care must be taken at each step to facilitate a successful experiment and generate reproducible results. It is doubtful whether healthcare professionals in the global genomics market are competent enough to make sense of the huge amount of genomic data being generated from multiple experiments undertaken globally. Priorities in national healthcare systems, access to genomic technologies, and differences in education and training systems among countries further contribute to the inconsistent understanding of genomic data.
Key vendors
Agilent Technologies
Bio-Rad Laboratories
F. Hoffmann-La Roche
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Other prominent vendors
Fluidigm
GE Healthcare Dharmacon
Illumina
Interpace Diagnostics
Miltenyi Biotec
New England BioLabs
OriGene Technologies
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
PerkinElmer
Phalanx Biotech Group
Promega
QIAGEN
Zyagen
Key Topics Covered:
Part 01: Executive Summary
Part 02: Scope Of The Report
Part 03: Research Methodology
Part 04: Introduction
Part 05: Market Landscape
Part 06: Market Segmentation By Application
Part 07: Market Segmentation By Product
Part 08: Geographical Segmentation
Part 09: Decision Framework
Part 10: Drivers And Challenges
Part 11: Market Trends
Part 12: Vendor Landscape
Part 13: Key Vendor Analysis
Part 14: Appendix
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4pj6h7/global_gene
Media Contact:
Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
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This year, seven new early childhood assistants are joining the Bright School classrooms. In the youngest grades, assistants help classroom teachers and provide more one-on-one assistance for each student in the small classes.
In junior pre-kindergarten, the new assistants are Chasity Robinson and Kayla Greco. Ms. Greco worked as a counselor in Bright Days this summer.
In pre-kindergarten, Jasmine Mathews joins teacher Katie Shirley. Ms. Mathews also was a Bright Days counselor. Patrick Honan returns as assistant for teacher Emily Hon. He was hired during last year, has been an afternoon program worker and was a Bright Days counselor this summer.
Jana Evans's new assistant in kindergarten is Abbie Cook. Amy Hutcherson, parent of first grader Braden, is Bill Greene's assistant, and Leisl Slaughter's assistant is Kortney Gordon, also a Bright Days counselor this summer.
BLACKROCK FRONTIERS INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (LEI: 5493003K5E043LHLO706)
All information is at 31 July 2017 and unaudited.
Performance at month end with net income reinvested.
One
month
% Three
months
% One
year
% Three
years
% Five
years
% Since
Launch*
% Sterling: Share price -2.4 0.3 17.9 27.9 122.9 79.5 Net asset value -0.1 5.3 21.0 35.6 118.5 82.5 MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) 0.6 5.1 21.1 15.9 81.4 48.3 MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NR) 4.4 8.1 25.7 37.4 50.0 33.7 US Dollars: Share price -0.9 2.2 17.0 0.0 87.9 52.2 Net asset value 1.4 7.3 20.1 6.0 84.0 54.5 MSCI Frontiers Index (NR) 2.1 7.1 20.2 -9.5 52.7 25.4 MSCI Emerging Markets Index (NR) 6.0 10.2 24.8 7.3 26.2 13.0
Sources: BlackRock and Standard & Poor's Micropal
* 17 December 2010.
At month end
Ordinary Shares US Dollar Net asset value - capital only: 187.17c Net asset value - cum income: 191.01c Sterling: Net asset value - capital only: 141.97p Net asset value - cum income: 144.88p Share price: 145.00p Total assets (including income): 255.3m Premium to cum-income NAV: 0.1% Gearing: nil Gearing range (as a % of gross assets): 0-20% Net yield*: 3.5% Ordinary shares in issue: 176,193,108 Ongoing charges**: 1.4% Ongoing charges plus taxation and performance fee: 2.4%
*The Company's yield based on dividends announced in the last 12 months as at the date of the release of this announcement is 3.5% and includes the 2016 final dividend of 4.00 cents per share declared on 22 November 2016 and paid to shareholders on 17 February 2017 and the 2017 interim dividend of 2.70 cents per share announced on 25 May 2017 and paid to shareholders on 30 June 2017.
**Calculated as a percentage of average net assets and using expenses, excluding performance fees and interest costs for the year ended 30 September 2016.
Sector
analysis Gross
assets(%)* Country
analysis Gross
assets(%)* Financials 31.6 Argentina 15.6 Consumer Staples 14.9 Romania 9.8 Telecommunication Services 10.8 Kuwait 9.7 Health Care 10.0 Vietnam 8.7 Energy 9.9 Kazakhstan 8.3 Materials 7.7 Egypt 7.5 Industrials 6.0 Morocco 6.7 Utilities 5.7 Ukraine 6.0 Real Estate 4.5 Sri Lanka 5.2 Information Technology 4.0 Bangladesh 4.9 Consumer Discretionary 1.5 Nigeria 4.4 ----- Kenya 4.0 Total 106.6 Eurasia 3.0 ----- Philippines 2.6 Short positions 0.0 Estonia 2.2 ===== Colombia 2.0 Oman 1.9 Slovenia 1.7 Tanzania 1.6 Pakistan 0.8 ----- Total 106.6 ----- Short positions 0.0 =====
*reflects gross market exposure from contracts for difference (CFDs).
Market Exposure
31.08
2016
% 30.09
2016
% 31.10
2016
% 30.11
2016
% 31.12
2016
% 31.01
2017
% 28.02
2017
% 31.03
2017
% 30.04
2017
% 31.05
2017
% 30.06
2017
% 31.07
2017
% Long 105.7 104.0 106.4 102.3 108.4 115.0 115.8 112.1 108.9 105.0 103.90 106.6 Short 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Gross 105.7 104.0 106.4 102.3 108.4 115.0 115.8 112.1 108.9 105.0 103.9 106.6 Net 105.7 104.0 106.4 102.3 108.4 115.0 115.8 112.1 108.9 105.0 103.9 106.6
Ten Largest Equity Investments
Company Country of Risk % of gross assets Halyk Savings Bank Kazakhstan 3.4 Equity Group Kenya 3.1 Banco Macro Argentina 2.7 Mobile Telecommunications Kuwait 2.7 MHP Ukraine 2.6 Pampa Energia Argentina 2.4 Coca Cola Icecek Eurasia 2.3 Integrated Diagnostics Egypt 2.3 Maroc Telecom Morocco 2.3 Square Pharmaceuticals Bangladesh 2.2
Commenting on the markets, Sam Vecht and Emily Fletcher, representing the Investment Manager noted:
In July, the Company's NAV rose by 1.5%, underperforming its MSCI Frontier benchmark which rose by 2.1% (on a US Dollar basis with net income reinvested). The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose by 6.0% over the same period.
Off-benchmark positioning in LT Group, in the Philippines was a significant contributor to performance over the month, rising nearly 20%. The company is a conglomerate with assets across banking, property and beverages, but the value is predominantly driven by its tobacco subsidiary, a JV with Philip Morris. The stock has done well this year as the government has clamped down on the illicit cigarette trade, shutting factories, raiding warehouses and filing tax cases against its main competitor Mighty. We believe that the stock remains undervalued and would see a substantial increase in profitability if this government initiative continues.
In Estonia, our overweight in ferry operator, Tallink Group, contributed to returns as the stock hit 8 year highs as the company released a statement saying that it is looking to attract "new core investors", including a possibility of "voluntary or mandatory takeover". Following month end, the company reported second quarter results that were above expectations, up 80% year-on-year on the back of strong passenger growth.
Positions in Nigerian banks, Zenith Bank and UBA, contributed positively to returns rising 18% and 11% respectively during the month. The two stocks benefited from the ongoing harmonization of exchange rates in Nigeria towards the NAFEX (Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Rate Fixing) rate, which continued post month end as MSCI moved the rate that they use for index calculation purposes to the NAFEX rate.
However, performance over the month was hurt by our positioning in a gold mining business operating in Tanzania, Acacia Mining. We bought this stock in June after it had fallen more than 30% after the Tanzanian government stopped the company from exporting gold concentrate and disputed the company's calculation of the amount of gold within the concentrate exported. However, post this initial acquisition, the stock declined a further 40% in July as the dispute with the Tanzanian government continued. We took this opportunity to top up our position, expecting eventual resolution between the company and government. Our holdings in Sri Lankan company Chevron lubricants also hurt performance as it fell 11% during the month on the back of weaker than expected results as the company lost market share.
The Pakistan market continued to decline, falling 7% in July on the news of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's disqualification after an investigation into his family's finances which arose following the Panama papers leaks. The decline in foreign exchange reserves shows the pressure on the Rupee from continued deterioration of the country's current account balances. We have significantly reduced our exposure to the Pakistani market during the year to under 3% as at end of July.
Broadly, Frontier Markets continue to exhibit strong GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth and low government debt levels, and represent an opportunity to invest in companies with strong cash flow and high dividend yields, on some of the lowest valuations in the world.
30 August 2017
ENDS
Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.co.uk/brfi on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on BlackRock's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 22, 2017 / Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on November 22, 2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.
To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/2093.
To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Two leaders in supersonic technology, Aerion and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to define a formal and gated process to explore the feasibility of a joint development of the world's first supersonic business jet, the Aerion AS2. Over the next 12 months, the companies will work together to develop a framework on all phases of the program, including engineering, certification and production.
Aerion Chairman Robert M. Bass stated, "This relationship is absolutely key to creating a supersonic renaissance. When it comes to supersonic know-how, Lockheed Martin's capabilities are well known, and, in fact, legendary. We share with Lockheed Martin a commitment to the long-term development of efficient civil supersonic aircraft."
"We are excited to work with Aerion on their development of the next-generation, efficient supersonic jet that will potentially serve as a platform for pioneering future supersonic aircraft," said Orlando Carvalho, Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
The MOU is the result of extensive discussions between Aerion and Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works Advanced Development Programs team. For close to 75 years, Skunk Works has existed to create revolutionary aircraft that push the boundaries of what is possible.
Lockheed Martin, known for developing the world's leading supersonic combat aircraft, the F-16, the F-35, and F-22, as well as the Mach 3+ SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, is committed to fostering new innovations and developing supersonic technologies with civil and commercial applications.
"Following our initial review of Aerion's aerodynamic technology, our conclusion is that the Aerion AS2 concept warrants the further investment of our time and resources," said Carvalho. "We are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of aerospace technology and are excited to examine the contribution we might make to working with Aerion on making aviation history."
During the last two and a half years, Aerion advanced the aerodynamics and structural design of the AS2 through a previous engineering collaboration agreement with Airbus. Through that effort, the two companies developed a preliminary design of wing and airframe structures, systems layout, and preliminary concepts for a fly-by-wire flight control system.
"We are grateful for Airbus' contribution to the program," said Brian Barents, Aerion Executive Chairman. "We could not have moved the program to this stage without their support."
In May 2017, GE Aviation announced an agreement with Aerion to define a supersonic engine for the AS2. The latest announcement with Lockheed Martin further positions Aerion as the leader in the nascent sector of civil supersonic aviation.
About Aerion Corporation
Aerion Corporation of Reno, Nevada, was formed in 2003 to introduce a new era of practical and efficient supersonic flight. Over more than a decade, Aerion has developed and demonstrated advanced wing technology in conjunction with NASA and other leading aeronautical institutions. This research includes breakthrough work in supersonic natural laminar flow, the key enabling technology behind the AS2 business jet.
The 12-passenger AS2 is expected to fly at a maximum speed of Mach 1.4 over water, and, where permitted by regulation, at speeds approaching Mach 1.2 without a sonic boom reaching the ground. Thanks to its unique supersonic natural laminar flow wing, the aircraft is expected to achieve long range (LA to Paris) and efficiency at supersonic and subsonic speeds. Once fielded, it will reduce trans-Atlantic trips by as much as three hours, enabling business leaders to fly roundtrip between New York and London in a day.
In November 2015, Aerion announced a fleet order from fractional aircraft fleet operator Flexjet for 20 AS2 aircraft. Aerion expects the AS2's first flight in 2023 and certification in 2025.
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.
More information can be found at www.aerionsupersonic.com.
B-roll available at https://www.dropbox.com/s/rtl7b3xwwe9aukl/AERION_AS2_PRESS_B-ROLL_171212rev.mp4?dl=0.
Statements in this release about future actions and the consequences of these actions or not otherwise statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" and, to the extent attributable to Lockheed Martin, are based on Lockheed Martin's current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, the potential that Lockheed Martin will enter into a binding commitment with Aerion, the nature and scope of any such commitment, Aerion's technology and the prospects of the AS2 program. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
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HONG KONG, Sept. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Cyberport (Cyberport) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) bring the largest FinTech delegation to London from 19 to 21 September to expand partnership network for FinTech industry players between the two cities. This is part of the annual ICT delegation co-organised by Cyberport and the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council.
The delegation comprises over 70 participants, including representatives from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and The Information and Technology Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the HKMA, banks, investors, professional bodies, and FinTech start ups from Cyberport. The mission aims at forging connections amongst stakeholders in the global FinTech landscape, with a view to fostering collaboration and developing business and investment opportunities, as well as promoting Hong Kong's role as the leading FinTech hub of Asia.
During the welcome dinner co-hosted with the City of London on 19 September (UK time), officials and leaders from FinTech and investment communities gathered to witness the signing ceremony of Cyberport's start-up, TNG FinTech Group and a UK company Tranglo to launch a local e-wallet in the UK, whereby expanding its "Global E-Wallet Alliance" to 14 countries, and establishing TNG as a cross-continent e-payment platform. The party also witnessed the announcement of another Cyberport start-up, Institute of Financial Technologists for the launch of its FinTech certification programme aiming to nurture more talents for the growth of the FinTech industry.
Dr Lee George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, said, "We are pleased to co-organise this FinTech delegation with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and glad to have the support from the government and various strategic partners. This is a strong demonstration of the digital tech ecosystem that Cyberport aims to build. We are committed to propelling our start ups like TNG towards global expansion, enabling Institute of Financial Technologists to equip our talents with the professional skills to transform the financial industry and adding strong impetus to the economic growth of Hong Kong. Through this mission, we will foster relationships with outstanding UK FinTech companies and investors and invite them to use Hong Kong as their base for expanding into Asia and the Belt and Road markets."
Mr James Lau, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, said, "Hong Kong is set to embrace innovation and technology, FinTech alike, making it a policy priority for building an even stronger economy, a more liveable city. With Hong Kong's rule of law, simple and low taxation system, world-class infrastructure, free flow of information and robust regulatory systems that have reinforced our position as an international financial centre, we are offering an enabling environment for FinTech to develop. Networking and fusion of ideas are particularly important to innovation industries including FinTech, and I am delighted to take part in the delegation to see strengthened collaboration on all fronts for business growth and investment opportunities."
Mr Shu-pui Li, Executive Director (Financial Infrastructure) of the HKMA, said, "The HKMA is glad to co-organise with Cyberport this mission to London to promote Hong Kong as the ideal location for FinTech opportunities. As a premier international financial centre, Hong Kong has all the pre-requisites to be a FinTech hub given its efficient and reliable financial market infrastructure, the banking and fund management hub status, and the robust regulatory and legal frameworks. Against this backdrop, Hong Kong is capable of providing a favourable environment for financial institutions, payment service providers and FinTech firms to facilitate innovative technological developments. In addition, its proximity to, knowledge on and the existing connection with the huge Mainland China market make Hong Kong a perfect springboard for FinTech firms to capture the promising FinTech prospect. The HKMA believes that Hong Kong has all the right ingredients for overseas FinTech firms, especially those from the UK, to take root and flourish."
The delegation will visit the Accenture FinTech Innovation Lab London today (UK time), meet with innovative UK FinTech companies, as well as learn from senior executives from the banking sector on how banks are transforming the financial industry landscape through the application of FinTech.
Cyberport will also moderate a thematic session on FinTech at the Think Asia Think Hong Kong Symposium organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on 21 September (UK time).
About Cyberport
Cyberport is an innovative digital community with over 900 digital tech companies. It is managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, which is wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government. With the vision to become a main force in developing the digital tech industry as a key economic driver of Hong Kong, Cyberport is committed to nurturing youth, start-ups and entrepreneurs to grow in the digital industry through the incubation programme and connecting them to strategic partners and investors, driving collaboration with local and international business partners to create new opportunities, and accelerating digital adoption amongst SME and corporates.
Cyberport focuses on building key clusters of digital technology, namely FinTech, eCommerce, IoT/Wearables and Big Data/AI to foster the development of Hong Kong into a "Smart City"; amongst which, the FinTech cluster has grown into a strong community of over 200 companies.
With a committed team of professionals providing all rounded value added services to support our digital community and an array of state-of-the-art tech facilities, Cyberport is the flagship for Hong Kong's digital tech industry.
For more information, please visit http://www.cyberport.hk
About the HKMA
The HKMA is the government authority in Hong Kong responsible for maintaining monetary and banking stability. It was established in April 1993 by merging the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking.
The HKMA's policy objectives are:
to maintain currency stability within the framework of the Linked Exchange Rate System;
to promote the stability and integrity of the financial system, including the banking system;
to help maintain Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre, including the maintenance and development of Hong Kong's financial infrastructure; and
status as an international financial centre, including the maintenance and development of financial infrastructure; and to manage the Exchange Fund.
For press enquiries, please contact:
Hong Kong Cyberport
Elsa Lee
T: +852 3166 3829
E: elsalee@cyberport.hk
Joey Chan
T: +44(0)7475606358 / +852 3166 3613
E: joeychan@cyberport.hk
HKMA
Herbert Lam
T: +852 2878 1802
E: commsunit@hkma.gov.hk
Jefferies announced that today is the firm's global trading day for Hurricane Harvey relief. Jefferies will offer investors around the world the opportunity to join efforts to assist those affected by the devastation of this event by trading with Jefferies.
As previously announced, Jefferies will donate all net trading commissions earned today from U.S., European and Asia equity, fixed income and foreign exchange trading. In addition, Jefferies as a firm will donate $1 million itself directly, and all 3,324 employees worldwide will be given the opportunity to donate to the relief effort their salary for today. These contributions will be allocated to The American Red Cross and other worthy charities with the goal of immediately sending funds to relief efforts directly involved in providing aid and recovery.
Richard B. Handler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jefferies, and Brian P. Friedman, Chairman of the Executive Committee, commented: "All of us at Jefferies are deeply saddened and concerned about the loss of life and devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey to those in Texas, including the people of Houston where Jefferies has a long and prominent presence. We hope this donation from Jefferies will quickly help to ease the suffering of those affected, and we encourage our employees and clients around the world to join our efforts to contribute on behalf of those in need."
Jefferies, the world's only independent full-service global investment banking firm focused on serving clients for over 50 years, is a leader in providing insight, expertise and execution to investors, companies and governments. Our firm provides a full range of investment banking, sales, trading, research and strategy across the spectrum of equities, fixed income and foreign exchange, as well as wealth management, in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Jefferies Group LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE:LUK), a diversified holding company.
For further information, please contact your Jefferies representative.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170830005202/en/
Contacts:
For media inquiries:
Jefferies
Richard Khaleel, +1 212-284-2556
rkhaleel@jefferies.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2018) - Great Bear Resources (TSXV: GBR) (the "Company" or "Great Bear") today announced that crews are being mobilized for the Phase 2 drill program at its Dixie Lake gold project, located in the Red Lake district of Ontario.
The 3,000 metre Phase 2 drilling program is designed to test four zones on the property: Dixie, Hinge, South Limb and NW zones. The Dixie zone was drilled by GBR in the summer of 2017, with significant gold results in all holes drilled. See news release dated September 7, 2017 and November 2, 2017 which included a highlight interval of 10.40 m of 16.84 g/t gold. The Hinge zone was drilled in 2008 and 2010 by previous operators and the South Limb was last drilled in 2004. The NW zone, located approximately 1.7 km northwest of the Dixie zone, was last drilled in 2005; mineralization similar in nature to the Dixie zone was intersected. A table of historical drill result highlights from Dixie Lake is provided in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Highlighted results from the Dixie Lake Project
Hole From(m) To (m) Width (m) Gold (g/t) Area DC-10-07 181.83 182.30 0.47 163.75 Hinge Zone DC-10-07 and 201.12 203.12 2.00 32.65 Hinge Zone DC-10-07 including 202.12 203.12 1.00 61.97 Hinge Zone DC-10-07 and including 199.30 203.12 3.82 17.22 Hinge Zone DC-08-01R 127.60 129.80 2.20 17.20 Hinge Zone DC-08-01R including 127.60 128.90 1.30 22.93 Hinge Zone DC-18-07 156.83 158.17 1.34 7.04 Hinge Zone DC-18-07 including 157.80 158.17 0.37 24.41 Hinge Zone DL-005 162.60 173.00 10.40 16.84 Dixie Zone DL-005 including 164.60 172.45 7.85 21.53 Dixie Zone DL-005 and including 170.75 172.45 1.70 82.54 Dixie Zone DL-005 and including 171.40 172.45 1.05 130.10 Dixie Zone DL-04-06 333.33 345.67 12.34 7.54 Dixie Zone DL-04-06 including 335.42 342.49 7.07 12.26 Dixie Zone DL-04-06 and including 335.42 336.88 1.46 40.27 Dixie Zone DL-89-9 49.83 52.66 2.83 15.56 Dixie Zone DL-89-9 including 51.48 52.66 1.18 30.58 Dixie Zone DL-11-05 132.2 138.5 6.3 10.78 Dixie Zone DL-11-05 including 134.7 138.5 3.8 14.76 Dixie Zone DL-11-05 and including 135.8 137.00 1.2 30.48 Dixie Zone DL-03-08 123.80 129.05 5.25 7.44 Dixie Zone DL-03-08 including 124.36 129.05 4.69 8.09 Dixie Zone DL-03-08 and including 127.19 127.76 0.57 39.70 Dixie Zone DL-03-08 and including 127.19 129.05 1.86 14.64 Dixie Zone DL-04-04 including 229.07 232.15 3.08 13.63 Dixie Zone DL-04-04 and including 230.05 232.15 2.10 18.46 Dixie Zone DL-04-04 and including 230.82 232.15 1.33 23.32 Dixie Zone DC-04-07 216.00 218.00 2.00 5.02 South Limb DC-04-07 including 217.00 218.00 1.00 9.01 South Limb
*Great Bear has verified historical drill results against original drill logs and assay certificates. Great Bear has re-sampled selected intervals of historical drill to verify results. Width is expressed as core length and does not represent true width.
Stock Option Grant
The Company has also granted an aggregate of 565,000 stock options to directors, advisors and consultants of the Company, exercisable at $0.51 per share for a period of five years.
About Great Bear
Great Bear is earning a 100% royalty-free interest in the Dixie Lake property which consists of 7,106 hectares in the Red Lake district covering a drill and geophysically defined multi-kilometre gold mineralized structure similar to that hosting other producing gold mines in the district. The project has seen over 160 drill holes to-date and has yielded high grade near-surface gold results including 10.40 m of 16.84 g/t gold. In addition, Great Bear is also earning a 100% royalty-free interest in its West Madsen properties which total 2,725 hectares and are contiguous with Pure Gold Mining Inc.'s (TSX-V: PGM) Madsen property. All of Great Bear's Red Lake projects are accessible year-round through existing roads.
Mr. R. Bob Singh, P.Geo, Director and VP Exploration for Great Bear, is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the accuracy of technical information contained in this news release.
For further information please contact Mr. Chris Taylor, P.Geo, President and CEO at 604-646-8354, or Mr. Knox Henderson, Investor Relations, at 604-551-2360.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
"Chris Taylor"
Chris Taylor, President and CEO
Inquiries:
Tel: 604-646-8354
Fax: 604-646-4526
info@greatbearresources.ca
www.greatbearresources.ca
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This new release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
We seek safe harbor
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (NYSE MKT: GORO) (the "Company") today announced drill highlights from its phase five drill campaign at its Gold Mesa exploration property located in Mineral County, Nevada. Drill highlights include 9.14 meters of 1.59 grams per tonne (g/t) gold drilled from surface. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has returned $110 million to shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery.
Gold Resource Corporation's phase five reverse circulation drill campaign followed-up on five targets previously tested at its Gold Mesa property with multiple drill holes encountering surface and near surface high-grade gold mineralization. The Company has now tested a total of eight exploration targets at Gold Mesa.
Gold Mesa Drill Highlights include (m = meters, g/t = grams per tonne) (see full table below):
Hole GMA-142
4.57m of 0.82 g/t gold, 21.34m downhole
incl. 1.52m of 1.93 g/t gold, 22.86m downhole
Hole GMA-150
13.72m of 0.50 g/t gold, from surface
incl. 3.05m of 1.74 g/t gold, from surface
Hole GMA-151
9.14m of 1.59 g/t gold, from surface
incl. 4.57m of 2.85 g/t gold, from surface
Hole GMA-157
7.62m of 0.95 g/t gold, 13.72m downhole
incl. 3.05m of 1.86 g/t gold, 16.76m downhole
Hole GMA-162
3.05m of 1.49 g/t gold, 7.62m downhole
incl. 1.52m of 2.51 g/t gold, 7.62m downhole
Hole GMA-177
6.10m of 0.79 g/t gold, 10.67m downhole
incl. 1.52m of 1.79 g/t gold, 10.67m downhole
Hole GMA-142 was drilled vertical intercepting 4.57 meters grading 0.82 g/t gold with mineralization beginning 21.34 meters downhole; including 1.52 meters grading 1.93 g/t gold beginning 22.86 meters downhole.
Hole GMR-150 was drilled vertical intercepting 13.72 meters grading 0.50 g/t gold from surface; including 3.05 meters grading 1.74 g/t gold from surface.
Hole GMA-151 was drilled vertical intercepting 9.14 meters grading 1.59 g/t gold from surface; including 4.57 meters grading 2.85 g/t gold from surface.
Hole GMA-157 was drilled vertical intercepting 7.62 meters grading 0.95 g/t gold with mineralization beginning 13.72 meters downhole; including 3.05 meters of 1.86 g/t gold beginning 16.76 meters downhole.
Hole GMA-162 was drilled vertical intercepting 3.05 meters grading 1.49 g/t gold with mineralization beginning 7.62 meters downhole; including 1.52 meters grading 2.51 g/t gold beginning 7.62 meters downhole.
Hole GMA-177 was drilled vertical intercepting 6.10 meters grading 0.79 g/t gold with mineralization beginning 10.67 meters downhole; including 1.52 meters grading 1.79 g/t gold beginning 10.67 meters downhole.
---------------------------------------------------- GOLD MESA PHASE FIVE DRILL HIGHLIGHTS Aug-17 ---------------------------------------------------- Hole # Angle From Interval Au Ag -------------------------------------------- deg Meters Meters g/t g/t ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-142 -90 21.34 4.57 0.82 8 ------------------------------------- Incl. 22.86 1.52 1.93 18 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-143 -90 1.52 10.67 0.46 5 ------------------------------------- Incl. 9.14 3.05 1.03 10 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-150 -90 0 13.72 0.5 2 ------------------------------------- Incl. 0 3.05 1.74 3 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-151 -90 0 9.14 1.59 1 ------------------------------------- Incl. 0 4.57 2.85 2 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-153 -90 4.57 6.1 0.65 11 ------------------------------------- Incl. 4.57 1.52 1.79 26 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-157 -90 13.72 7.62 0.95 3 ------------------------------------- Incl. 16.76 3.05 1.86 6 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-162 -90 7.62 3.05 1.49 5 ------------------------------------- Incl. 7.62 1.52 2.51 6 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-167 -90 3.05 7.62 0.38 1 ------------------------------------- Incl. 4.57 1.52 1.23 1 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-177 -90 10.67 6.1 0.79 1 ------------------------------------- Incl. 10.67 1.52 1.79 2 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-183 -90 1.52 4.57 0.58 0 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-187 -90 24.38 4.57 0.58 11 ------------------------------------- Incl. 27.43 1.52 1.17 24 ---------------------------------------------------- GMA-188 -90 15.24 12.19 0.28 3 ------------------------------------- Incl. 18.29 1.52 1.03 7 ---------------------------------------------------- Assays by Inspectorate America Corp., Sparks, Nevada, USA. Meters Down Hole, Not true width. Reverse circulation drilling. ----------------------------------------------------
Gold Mesa phase five drill results reported in this press release add to previously reported high-grade drill results, which included 33.54 meters grading 1.89 g/t gold, 15.24 meters grading 6.27 g/t gold, 12.19 meters grading 2.42 g/t gold, 9.1 meters grading 2.42 g/t gold, 12.19 meters grading 3.34 g/t gold and 6.10 meters grading 2.09 g/t gold (see press releases dated June 14, 2016, October 13, 2016, March 21, 2017, and June 21, 2017). The Gold Mesa property has potential for a high-grade gold open pit, or multiple gold open pits, with surface and near surface mineralization.
Mr. Barry Devlin, Vice President of Exploration, stated, "We have now completed five successful phases of shallow drilling at Gold Mesa over the past sixteen months testing eight different targets. Each phase of drilling has encountered surface and near surface high-grade gold values, at depths typically less than 30 meters below surface. Our goal now is to begin connecting portions of these eight different targets at Gold Mesa into a larger near surface mineralized zone conducive to open pit mining, as well as test the mineralization at deeper depths."
The Gold Mesa property is part of the Company's Nevada Mining Unit, which also includes the development stage Isabella Pearl Project, the Mina Gold exploration property, and the East Camp Douglas exploration property. All four Nevada properties have surface and / or near surface high-grade gold drill intercepts and potential for future high-grade open pit heap leach operations. The Isabella Pearl Project is in advanced stage design, engineering and permitting with the goal of production at the earliest possible point in time. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit covers more than 27,000 acres in south central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt.
About GRC:
Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has 56,891,484 shares outstanding, zero warrants and has returned $110 million back to shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved.
Cautionary Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC.
Contacts:
Corporate Development
Greg Patterson
303-320-7708
www.Goldresourcecorp.com
HYDERABAD, India and WILMINGTON, Delaware, November 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The Report "Nano coatings Market: By Type (Anti-fingerprint, Anti-microbial, Anti-fouling, Self-cleaning, Conductive, Anti-corrosion, UV-resistant, Anti-icing and Others); By End User (Electronics, Military, Energy, Bio-Medical & Life Sciences, Textiles, Automotive and Aerospace and Others); By Geography - Forecast (2017-2021)", published by IndustryARC estimated to reach 14 billion USD by 2021.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141106/712194 )
http://industryarc.com/Report/15134/nano-coatings-market.html
Following the rapid economic growth in Asia during the last decade, demand for Nano Coatings in APAC has risen sharply and the market is anticipated to reach $14 billion by 2021.
Growing usage of Nano coatings in healthcare as well as aerospace sector is all set to escalate the Nano coatings market. In addition to it, growing emphasis on renewable energy facilities also drives the usage of Nano coatings. EU's economy is largely influenced by the dynamics of developed countries of Western Europe, however, the scenario is changing with increasing investments in Eastern Europe. Nano coatings have been extensively used in various applications over the past few years across the globe.
Request for TOC @ http://industryarc.com/pdfdownload.php?id=15134
The key element that nano structured coatings provide protection-from ice, pollutant, UV, fire, heat, bacteria, marine life, touch and corrosion. These factors cost global industry billions in maintenance, loss and downtime each year and can pose a significant public health hazard. For example, direct corrosion costs account for 3-4% of a country's GDP worldwide. Nano coatings can significantly increase the cost/benefit ratio of products, providing cost effective solutions and improved performances. Moreover, nano materials lead to new functionalities, completely innovative characteristics and the possibility to achieve multifunctional coatings and smart coatings.
The global Nano coatings market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% during the forecast period and will reach $14 billion by 2021. As the industrial companies striving to compete on a global scale, they require to modernize their industrial production facilities. The ability of nano coatings to meet these requirements explains why they are under development for medical device applications. Nano-coatings technology has already been widely applied in hearing aid coatings. Nanoparticle coatings are being increasingly applied in protective coatings for medical electronics, biocompatible coatings on implantable devices, and lubricious coatings on medical devices. Escalating demand for automotive &transportation is propelling the growth of Nano coatings in various geographies.
Make an enquiry @ http://industryarc.com/inquiry-before-buying.php?id=15134
The market of Nano coatings has been segmented into the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World (RoW) on basis of geography. In 2016, Europe is the prominent region for Nano coatings market and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. The growth in Europe is attributed to the increasing biomedical, aerospace, automotive and manufacturing activities. However, considerable Nano coatings demand in the Americas along with Asian countries is likely to boost the overall market.
The Prominent Players in this Market Include
Angstron Materials LLC
Bluestone Global Tech
Cabot Corporation
Durham Graphene Science
GRAnPH Nanotech
Nano coatings companies through its broad range of products, product expansion and innovation have been successful in catering to a variety of customers, consequently maintaining their hold over the Nano coatings market. With various product launches, mergers, acquisitions, collaborations and other strategies, these companies are obtaining industrial gases market shares in the industry.
About IndustryARC:
IndustryARC is a Research and consulting firm that publishes more than 500 Reports Annually in various industries, such as Agriculture, Automotive, Automation & Instrumentation, Chemicals and Materials, Energy and Power, Electronics, Food & Beverages, Information Technology, Life sciences & Healthcare.
IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications of the Market. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global demand-supply gap of markets. Our strong analyst team enables us to meet the client research needs at a very quick speed with a variety of options for your business.
We look forward to support the client to be able to better address customer needs; stay ahead in the market; become the top competitor and get real-time recommendations on business strategies and deals. Contact us to find out how we can help you today.
Media Contact:
Mr. Venkat Reddy
Sales Manager
Email 1: sales@industryarc.com
Or Email 2:venkat@industryarc.com
Contact Sales: 1-614-588-8538 (Ext-101)
Hurricane Harvey and flooding associated with the storm has had a major impact on the nations blood supply. In response to the need for blood donations, nonprofit regional blood center Blood Assurance has sent and will continue sending blood supply to centers in Southeast Texas. Blood Assurance is calling on community members to make a blood donation at a local donor center or bloodmobile drives due to the increased demand.
Our hearts and prayers are with every person in Southeast Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey, said Jay Baumgardner, executive director for marketing and community outreach. Blood Assurance is humbled to be able to support those in need during this tragedy. There are many ways to help during this time, and donating blood is one of the best ways you can support the people of Texas. The need for blood donations is urgent, and we are asking members of our community to give whole blood donations today and in weeks to come.
Many blood drives in Houston and Corpus Christi areas of Texas are being cancelled due to staff and vehicles being unable to reach blood drive locations, which has impacted their ability to collect sufficient blood supply to maintain the needed blood for the hospitals they serve.
Officials are expecting rain in Houston for rest of week, and the need for blood donations and supplies will continue through the next weeks and months. Blood Assurance is requesting donations from all blood types, but particularly those with types O negative and O positive.
The AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism has also issued a request urging eligible donors across America to make and keep donation appointments as soon as possible.
Blood Assurance is one of many independent blood centers sending blood to Texas during this time. With the help from these blood centers, more than 2,000 units have been contributed but the need for additional units remains at a critical level.
Blood is being sent to support the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and the Coastal Bend Blood Center. Carter Bloodcare in Dallas, Texas is serving as a staging center to accept incoming shipments and driving them to the blood centers in need. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services is assisting with transportation of shipments to ensure blood supplies are safely delivered.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 18 years old (16 and 17 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids avoiding caffeine and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. To schedule an appointment at a donor center or blood drive near you, visit www.bloodassurance.org, call 800-962-0628 or text BAGIVE to 444999.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Highlights:
-- The overall North Bullfrog Mineral Resource estimation has expanded with the Measured and Indicated categories increasing by 30% from the 2015 Mineral Resource estimation to now account for 64% of contained ounces, as further detailed below -- 99% of the proposed mill material now in the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources categories -- The new Phase 1 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource contains 904,000 ounces of gold & 5,459,000 ounces of silver at an average grade of 0.80 g/t gold and 4.86 g/t silver in 35 million tonnes, as further detailed below -- The maiden sulphide Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources estimations were defined for the Phase I project with 89,000 ounces of gold and 343,000 ounces of silver at a grade of 1.46 g/t gold and 5.64 g/t silver in 1.89 million tonnes utilizing Ambient Atmospherics Oxidation (AAO) processing in the proposed mill facility -- Total Phase 2 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources estimations of 855,000 ounce of gold and 2,565,000 ounces of silver at 0.22 g/t gold and 0.65 g/t silver in 123 million tonnes of material
Corvus Gold Inc. (TSX: KOR) (OTCQX: CORVF) ("Corvus" or the "Company") announces updated Mineral Resource estimations incorporating all drill results through to 2017 at its 100% owned North Bullfrog Project ("NBP"). The updated Mineral Resource estimation is a two phase approach with "Phase 1" as an early stage, higher grade mix of predominantly oxide mill processing and oxide heap leach processing. "Phase 2" includes mainly heap leach mineralization. The Mineral Resources estimations (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) were based on economic constraints using Whittle software, assuming open pit mining and a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce. Figure 1 shows the locations of the projected open pits at the NBP and displays the mineralization in the defined Phase 1 & 2.
Jeff Pontius, the Company's President & CEO states, "The North Bullfrog Resource update has delivered an expansion of the Phase 1 project with an increase in mill ounces, Mineral Resource confidence and overall grade. This initial phase has approximately one-million Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources gold ounces and over five million silver ounces which outline potential for a future mining operation that we believe could be complemented by the Mother Lode project, which is located six kilometres to the southeast. Additionally, this study provides a first look at the viability of integrating higher grade sulfide mineralization into the mine plan which potentially opens the door for future resource expansion in this class of mineralization. We at Corvus Gold look forward to the integration of the Phase 1, North Bullfrog Project with the Mother Lode Project which we believe could deliver an exciting new, low cost, Nevada gold mining project."
To view Figure 1 - Locations of pit constrained, Phase 1 & 2 Resources at the NBP, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1104106a.pdf
New Resource Calculation
The new Mineral Resource estimation reflects the benefits of the drilling conducted during 2016 and 2017 which has expanded and improved the definition of the YellowJacket vein/stockwork zone, allowing the mine plan to deliver higher average grade mineralization from the YellowJacket zone in Phase 1 with high gold and silver recoveries. This new Mineral Resource has been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") using a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce. The Mineral Resources are tabulated for Phase 1, Phase 2 and Total Mineral Resources in Tables 1, 2 and 3, where they are also subdivided by mill or heap leach process.
Table 1
Phase 1, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimations for the NBP constrained by Whittle pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce
Table 1a - Phase I, Total Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 10,415 1.08 362 7.59 2,540 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 24,557 0.69 542 3.70 2,919 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 34,972 0.80 904 4.86 5,459 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 5,908 0.31 59 0.74 140 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1b - Phase I, Mill Mineral Resource (oxide and sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 5,221 1.79 300 12.72 2,136 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 5,582 1.75 314 11.86 2,128 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 10,803 1.77 614 12.28 4,264 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 49 1.90 3 18.41 29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1c - Phase I, Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 756 1.32 32 5.35 130 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 1,137 1.56 57 5.83 213 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 1,893 1.46 89 5.64 343 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 15 2.07 1 16.59 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1d - Phase I, Heap Leach Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 5,194 0.37 62 2.42 404 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 18,975 0.37 228 1.30 791 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 24,169 0.37 290 1.54 1,195 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 5,859 0.30 56 0.59 111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below
Table 2
Phase 2, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate for the NBP constrained by Whittle pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce
Table 2a - Phase II, Total Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 10,129 0.26 84 1.04 338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 113,009 0.21 771 0.61 2,227 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 123,138 0.22 855 0.65 2,565 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 58,877 0.19 367 0.48 902 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2b - Phase II, Mill Mineral Resource (oxide & sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 798 1.01 26 3.27 84 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 2,733 1.04 91 2.96 260 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 3,531 1.03 117 3.03 344 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 67 1.39 3 2.32 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2c - Phase II, Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 401 1.24 16 2.48 32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 1,402 1.18 53 1.82 82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 1,803 1.19 69 1.97 114 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 61 1.53 3 2.04 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2d - Phase II, Heap Leach Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 9,331 0.19 58 0.85 254 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 110,276 0.19 680 0.55 1,967 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 119,607 0.19 738 0.58 2,221 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 58,810 0.19 364 0.47 897 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below
Table 3
Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Total Mineral Resource Estimate for the NBP constrained by Whittle pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce
Table 3a - Total Mineral Resource, Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 20,544 0.68 446 4.36 2,878 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 137,566 0.30 1,314 1.16 5,146 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 158,110 0.35 1,760 1.58 8,024 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 64,785 0.20 426 0.50 1,042 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3b - Total Mill Mineral Resource (oxide and sulfide), Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 6,019 1.68 326 11.47 2,220 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 8,315 1.51 405 8.93 2,388 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 14,334 1.59 731 10.00 4,608 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 116 1.61 6 9.12 34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3c - Total Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide), Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 1,157 1.29 48 4.35 162 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 2,539 1.35 110 3.61 295 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 3,696 1.33 158 3.85 457 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 76 1.64 4 4.91 12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3d - Total Heap Leach Resource, Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 14,525 0.26 120 1.41 658 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 129,251 0.22 909 0.66 2,758 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 143,776 0.22 1,029 0.74 3,416 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 64,669 0.20 420 0.48 1,008 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below
The Mineral Resource estimation is based on 766 drill holes with 27,729 gold composites. Geologic volumes were defined by geologic interpretations and used to constrain the estimation. Heap leach resources were estimated by Ordinary Kriging. The YellowJacket vein and stockworks were estimated using Inverse Distance estimations. To estimate the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction, Metal Mining Consultants Inc. confined the resources to mining volumes defined by Whittle analysis using the input parameters defined in Table 4. There are no known legal, political or environmental risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources.
Table 4, Whittle Input Parameters used for the NBP Mineral Resource Estimation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mayflower Jolly Sierra YellowJacket Sulfide Parameter Unit (i) Jane(i) Blanca(i) (ii) (iii) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining Cost USD/total tonne 1.64 1.42 1.54 1.54 1.54 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Cut-Off g/t 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.35 0.71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Processing USD/process Cost tonne 1.72 1.72 1.15 11.84 25.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Recovery % 70.0 72.0 73.8 86.6 91.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ag Recovery % 8.0 8.0 6.3 74.3 57.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Cost USD/process tonne 0.5 0.5 0.45 0.45 0.45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Refining & USD/tonne Sales 0.07 0.04 0.02 0.11 0.11 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Selling USD/oz Price 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slope Angle Degrees 50 50 50 50 50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) - assumes heap leach processing of disseminated mineralization (ii) - assumes Gravity - CIL mill processing of YellowJacket mineralization (iii) -assumes Ambient Atmospheric Oxidation mill processing of Sulfide mineralization (iv) - break-even grade derived from Whittle input parameters at USD $1,250 per ounce gold price, and USD $16.50 per ounce silver price
Sulfide Resource
Sulfide Mineral Resources have been added to the NBP Mineral Resources based on previously identified materials that lie within the YellowJacket zone and 2017 drilling in the Swale and Liberator areas. The majority of the identified sulfide mineralization is along the YellowJacket zone and was previously identified as waste material. Metallurgical test work on sulfide mineralization from the Sierra Blanca, Pioneer Tuff, Rhyolite and Dacite rock types in the YellowJacket area indicate high gold and silver recoveries possible using flotation to produce a concentrate, fine grinding of the concentrate, oxidation of the concentrate using the AAO method followed by cyanide leaching of the resulting filter cake. Gold recoveries with this processing approach ranged between 87% and 94% as indicated in Table 5, which lists the gold recovery to the concentrate, the concentration ratio and the overall gold recovery from the testing (NR 17-9, June 21, 2017). Both Soda Ash and Trona were used in the tests as the neutralizing agent and the tests were conducted by Hazen Research Inc., of Golden, Colorado.
Table 5 NBP Concentrate AAO Testing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Unit Gold Recovery Concentration Post AAO CN Overall Gold to Concentrate Ratio Gold Recovery Recovery (mineralized (from (from tonne to concentrate) mineralized concentrate) tonne) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Ash ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Blanca 94% 9:1 99% 93% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Tuff 94% 14:1 100% 94% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhyolite 89% 14:1 100% 89% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dacite 88% 5:1 100% 88% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trona ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Blanca 94% 9:1 97% 91% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Tuff 94% 14:1 99% 93% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhyolite 89% 14:1 98% 87% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dacite 88% 5:1 99% 87% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sulfide Mineral Resources within the Whittle pit shells have been included in the Mill Mineral Resource tables presented earlier. Operating costs and gold recoveries have been developed for use in the Whittle analysis and are included in Table 4. The breakdown of the Sulfide Mineral Resource are listed in Table 3c.
The Company will file an updated NI 43-101 compliant technical report (the "Report") to be prepared by independent qualified persons, which will include the results of the Mineral Resource update on SEDAR within 45 days, and investors are urged to review the Report in its entirety.
Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
About the North Bullfrog Project and the Mother Lode Project, Nevada
Corvus controls 100% of its North Bullfrog Project, which covers approximately 72 km2 in southern Nevada. The property package is made up of a number of private mineral leases of patented federal mining claims and 865 federal unpatented mining claims. The project has excellent infrastructure, being adjacent to a major highway and power corridor as well as a large water right. The Company also controls 65 federal unpatented mining claims on the Mother Lode project which totals 522 hectares which it owns 100% of.
The NBP includes numerous prospective gold targets at various stages of exploration with four having the following modeled Mineral Resources (Sierra Blanca, Jolly Jane, Mayflower, and YellowJacket). In Phase 1, the project contains a Measured Mineral Resource for the mill of 5.2 Mt at an average grade of 1.79 g/t gold and 12.72 g/t silver, containing 300 k ounces of gold and 2,136 k ounces silver and Indicated Mineral Resources for the mill of 5.6 Mt at an average grade of 1.75 g/t gold, and 11.86 g/t silver, containing 314 k ounces of gold and 2,128 k ounces of silver, and an Inferred Mineral Resource for the mill of 49 kt at an average grade of 1.90 g/t gold and 18.41 g/t silver, containing 3 k ounces of gold and 29 k ounces of silver. In addition, the project contains a Phase 1 Measured Mineral Resource for oxide, run of mine, heap leach of 5.2 Mt at an average grade of 0.37 g/t gold and 2.42 g/t silver, containing 62 k ounces of gold and 404 k ounces silver and an Indicated Mineral Resource for, oxide, run of mine, heap leach of 19.0 Mt at an average grade of 0.37 g/t gold and 1.30 g/t silver, containing 228 k ounces of gold and 791 k ounces of silver, and an Inferred, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 5.9 Mt at an average grade of 0.30 g/t gold and 0.59 g/t silver, containing 56 k ounces of gold and 111 k ounces of silver.
The Phase 2 Measured Mineral Resource for the mill has 0.8 Mt at an average grade of 1.01 g/t gold and 3.27 g/t silver, containing 26 k ounces of gold and 84 k ounces silver and Indicated Mineral Resource for the mill of 2.7 Mt at an average grade of 1.04 g/t gold and 2.96 g/t silver, containing 91 k ounces gold and 260 k ounces silver, and an Inferred Mineral Resource for the mill of 67 kt at an average grade of 1.39 g/t gold and 2.32 g/t silver, containing 3 k ounces gold and 5 k ounces silver. In addition, the project contains a Phase 2 Measured, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 9.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.85 g/t silver, containing 58 k ounces gold and 254 k ounces silver, an Indicated, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 110.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.55 g/t silver, containing 680 k ounces gold and 1,967 k ounces silver, and an Inferred, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 58.8 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.47 g/t silver, containing 364 k ounces gold and 897 k ounces silver.
Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance
Jeffrey A. Pontius (CPG 11044), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that form the basis for this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Pontius is not independent of Corvus, as he is the CEO and holds common shares and incentive stock options.
Carl E. Brechtel, (Nevada PE 008744 and Registered Member 353000 of SME), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has coordinated execution of the work outlined in this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Brechtel is not independent of Corvus, as he is the COO and holds common shares and incentive stock options.
The work program at the NBP was designed and supervised by Mark Reischman, Corvus' Nevada Exploration Manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project log and track all samples prior to sealing and shipping. Quality control is monitored by the insertion of blind certified standard reference materials and blanks into each sample shipment. All resource sample shipments are sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, for preparation and then on to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, or Vancouver, B.C., for assaying. ALS Chemex's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples are forwarded to ALS Chemex and an ISO compliant third-party laboratory for additional quality control.
The Independent Qualified Person, Scott E. Wilson, visited the NBP site during 2014, 2015 and 2016. Mr. Wilson has performed data verification by examining core materials at the site, and has selected check samples to develop independent verifying assays of intervals by the Inspectorate laboratory in Reno, NV. Geologic data development processes were reviewed and observed during a site visit. All drilling geologic description, assaying data and geochemical data have been provided in a database format to Metal Mining Consultants Inc. for the purpose of estimating the resource. The Qualified Person has reviewed the News Release and approved its publication.
Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG, President of Metal Mining Consultants Inc., is an independent consulting geologist specializing in Mineral Reserve and Resource calculation reporting, mining project analysis and due diligence evaluations. He is acting as the Qualified Person, as defined in NI 43-101, for the overall technical report, and the Mineral Resource estimate. Mr. Wilson has over 28 years of experience in surface mining and is a Registered Member (#4025107RM) of Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. Mr. Wilson and Metal Mining Consultants, Inc. are independent of the Company under NI 43-101.
About Corvus Gold Inc.
Corvus Gold Inc. is a North American gold exploration and development company, focused on its near-term gold-silver mining project at North Bullfrog, Nevada. In addition, the Company controls another exploration property, Mother Lode, with gold mineralization near the NBP. Corvus is committed to building shareholder value through new discoveries and the expansion of those discoveries to maximize share price leverage in a recovering gold and silver market.
On behalf of
Corvus Gold Inc.
Jeffrey A. Pontius,
Chief Executive Officer
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding projected economics of the mine plan contained in the PEA, including mine development and operating costs and potential future productions, estimates of mineral resources, the anticipated content, commencement and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the potential to expand the existing estimated mineral resource at the North Bullfrog project, the potential for the North Bullfrog system to continue to grow and/or to develop into a major new higher-grade, bulk tonnage, Nevada gold discovery, the potential for any mining or production at North Bullfrog, the potential for the identification of multiple deposits at North Bullfrog, the potential for the existence or location of additional high-grade veins, the potential for a low cost mining operation at the North Bullfrog Project the gold and silver prices used to constrain the Mineral Resource estimates at the North Bullfrog Project, the potential development of the Mother Lode property, the potential for the Company to secure or receive any royalties in the future, business and financing plans and business trends, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements are discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com.
In addition to, and subject to, such assumptions discussed in more detail elsewhere, the forward-looking statements in this news release are also subject to the following assumptions: (1) the price of gold and silver being consistent with the prices used herein; (2) the ability to develop the North Bullfrog project in accordance with the terms of the PEA; (3) the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and authorizations necessary to implement and carry on the Company's planned exploration and potential development programs; (4) the Company's ability to attract and retain key staff, (5) the timing of the ability to commence and complete the planned work at the Company's projects, and (6) the ongoing relations of the Company with its underlying property lessors and the applicable regulatory agencies. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the Company's inability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's 2014 Annual Information Form and latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and the Company's United States public disclosure filings may be access via www.sec.gov and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.
Cautionary Note to US Investors
NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates contained in or incorporated by reference in this press release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on November 14, 2004 (the "CIM Standards") as they may be amended from time to time by the CIM.
United States investors are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards differ significantly from the requirements and terminology of the SEC set forth in the SEC's Industry Guide 7 ("SEC Industry Guide 7"). Accordingly, the Company's disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Without limiting the foregoing, while the terms "mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "measured mineral resources" are recognized and required by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards, they are not recognized by the SEC and are not permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource will ever be converted into reserves. Further, inferred resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of the inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher resource category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves" as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. The term "contained ounces" is not permitted under the rules of SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, the NI 43-101 and CIM Standards definition of a "reserve" differs from the definition in SEC Industry Guide 7. In SEC Industry Guide 7, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made, and a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis of designated reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. The mine economics presented herein and derived from the PEA are preliminary in nature and may not be realized. The PEA is not a feasibility study. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our latest reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. U.S. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any defined resource will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves.
This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.
Contacts:
Ryan Ko
Investor Relations
info@corvusgold.com
1-844-638-3246 (toll free) or (604) 638-3246
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- DIOS EXPLORATION (TSX VENTURE: DOS) is pleased to report drilling campaign planning is in progress on large-scale AU33 gold project, James Bay Eeyou Istchee, Quebec. Exploration drilling will also focus on fold nose target, a folded mineralized and magnetic tonalite sill horizon with quartz stringers, jammed in folded volcanic horizons, 8.5 km east of Heberto gold discovery.
This folded horizon drilling target is located up-ice of a group of strong gold-in-till anomalies and the Chain Lake structure goes straight through the fold nose hinge. Structures and fold nose hinges help to concentrate gold and are good places to look for gold enrichment and a gold deposit.
DIOS' personnel recently prospected two circular low-mag anomaly targets within a magnetic diorite in the fold nose area. The area is poorly outcropping, covered by till drumlins. A 10 x 10 m angular glacial boulder field was sampled (3 grabs). It is dominantly composed of angular metric boulders (proximal source) of magnetic tonalite injected by 3-5% cm quartz stringers and hosting 0.5-3% disseminated pyrite. This specific marker horizon was previously mapped up-ice (highest assay 0.8 g/t gold) in the northern flank of the fold and has a good magnetic signature. DIOS is targeting gold enrichment in the folded part of the horizon.
Heberto Gold is located in the middle of the significant gold glacial train whereas this fold nose target area is at the head of the gold train, suggesting a major gold source.
The AU33 project hosts a regional east-west striking deep structure (Chain Lake Break) along which numerous significant gold occurrences such as Eastmain Clearwater deposit and Osisko Mustang-Wabamisk gold systems are present. Along this favourable break, an area with complex cross-cutting subsidiary structures was targeted and Heberto Gold gold was thus discovered as well as other gold showings.
The CLN (Chain Lake North) gold showing, 2 km north of Heberto, was revisited recently by DIOS. Previous CLN sampling yielded values from 2 to 12.65 g/t gold. Nine grab-samples were just taken along a 75 meter strike of the mineralized altered structure. Mineralization is typically a 5-15 m wide foliated altered (biotite-rich/quartz-pyrite/potassic feldspar bands) zone within tonalitic rocks. Pyrite contents in foliated zone vary from 1 to 10 %, averaging 2-5 %. It is quite similar to the Heberto gold zone, but steeper. The CLN zone is bordered to the north by hematized epidotized magnetic tonalite. This is another very good drilling target.
In addition to Heberto Gold discovery, where 3-D studies are in progress to further delineate drilling targets, DIOS is looking forward to pursue exploration work on other AU33 gold targets. This release was prepared by MJ Girard, M.Sc. Geo 43-101 QP.
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:
DIOS Exploration Inc.
Marie-Jose Girard
President & CEO
(514) 923-9123
mjgirard@diosexplo.com
www.diosexplo.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The US Defense Secretary has made it clear that a ban announced by President Donald Trump on transgender personnel in US military will not be implemented immediately.
A directive that Trump signed on August 25 bars enlistment by transgender individuals, prohibits coverage for certain critical medical procedures, and bans those currently in the military from serving. The Secretary of Defense was given discretion to determine how to carry out that ban.
In a statement Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said that as per the president's policy direction, the Pentagon in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security will develop a study and implementation plan. The soon arriving senior civilian leadership of DOD will play an important role in this effort.
Mattis said he will establish a panel of experts serving within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to provide advise and recommendations on the implementation of the president's direction.
Based on the panel's report, Mattis will provide advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction. In the meantime, current policy on serving members will remain in place. The Defense Secretary said he expects to issue interim guidance to the force concerning the transgender personnel, including any necessary interim adjustments to procedures.
The proposed ban faces multiple legal challenges by serving trans-gender members of the armed forces.
The policy of ban on transgender people in US military was lifted by Barack Obama's administration last year.
Since that time, thousands of transgender service members have begun to serve openly. Between 4,000 and 10,000 US active-duty and reserve service members are believed to be transgender.
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Roots of Peace Seeks to Remove ALL landmines/UXOin Quang Tri, Vietnam by Earth Day 2020
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --In tribute to the 20th Anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana,Roots of Peace, a California-basedhumanitarian organization, is calling for the eradication of all landmines in Quang Tri province, Vietnam, by Earth Day 2020. Today, millions of landmines/unexploded ordnance/cluster munitions remain INVietnam, over 40 years after the war ended. Since 1975, these deadly remnants of war have killed42,000 Vietnamese and maimed or injured more than 62,000 innocent people. In partnership with MAG and Earth Day Network, Roots of Peace seeks to DEMINE and REPLANT in Quang Tri, where over 80% of the land remains heavily mined.
Princess Diana's son, Prince Harry, is carrying on his Mother's legacy. On April 4, 2017, he invited Roots of Peace Founder, Heidi Kuhn and her familyto Kensington Palace, as he called for the eradication of all landmines by 2025. Prince Harry stated, "Somewhere in the world right now, a parent is making the grimmest of choices to risk cultivating mine-contaminated land, or to let their family starve."
The demining and replanting effort will cost millions in Quang Tri to make the land safe.
Roots of Peace is calling on donors to begin the fundraising with a goal of $1 million by the end of 2017.
BACKGROUND: In September 1997, Heidi Kuhn, CEO, Roots of Peace, was deeply inspired by the footsteps of the late Princess Diana, a mother of two, as she raised landmine awareness worldwide. Her tragic death prompted Kuhn, a mother of four, to create a business model to continue Princess Diana's work for the sake of the children.
GOAL:Turning MINES TO VINES --replacing minefields with grapevines, pepper vines and orchards in battle-scarred countries. Kuhn, and her husband Gary, implemented this plan with support from Napa Valley vintners, Robert Mondavi, Miljenko Grgich, and Diane Disney Miller. They turned ideas into reality.
Now, millions offarmers are harvesting crops on former war-torn lands in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Iraq, and the Middle-East.
DONATE: www.rootsofpeace.org or text ROOTS to 91999
MEDIA CONTACT:
www.rootsofpeace.org
Heidi Kuhn, Founder/CEO
heidi@rootsofpeace.org
Cell: 415-948-9646
Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/550341/Roots_Of_Peace_Mines_To_Vines.jpg
RAWABI, Palestine, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
AppMahal, the groundbreaking Palestinian mobile application developer, announces that it has completed a $4M round of financing. Following the initial success with AppMahal - a social app discovery platform - the company launched a second and highly successful product called Sila.
(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/550355/Sila_Logo.jpg )
Sila is the first instant messaging platform aimed at answering the communication needs of the Arab world. The investment round was led by Siraj Fund Management Company, a subsidiary of Massar International, the developer of Rawabi; the first Palestinian planned city. This round attracted substantial interest from regional investors.
The capital raised will be used to rapidly expand Sila's footprint throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and will enable the company to accelerate the development of its platform, adding more key and unique features to enhance its users' experience and create a comprehensive, commerce-based eco-system.
Since its launch four months ago, the application has been received with tremendous enthusiasm throughout the MENA region. Currently, Sila has more than a million users who are communicating with friends and families in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, UAE, among others in the region. User ratings remain high, with an average of 4.6 in the Google store, further demonstrating users' high satisfaction with the product. The company's team is proud of their close interaction with Sila's users, which has enabled them to build a tailor-made platform that puts the needs of Arabic speaking consumers first.
Commenting on the investment, Mona Haddad, CEO of AppMahal Palestine said: "We are extremely excited to have completed this round of financing. The funds and support from our strong group of investors will position us exceptionally well for executing our vision of providing the Arabic speaking users with a unique experience in a platform that meets all of their needs - from correspondence with loved ones to communication with a wide variety of service providers."
Abdallah Sabat, Managing Partner of Siraj Fund Management Company, said: "The investment in AppMahal to support Sila's growth is a perfect fit for our strategy of investing in companies with high regional ambitions and strong, experienced teams. I am confident Sila is on its way to become the leading communications platform in the Arab world."
About AppMahal:
AppMahal was founded in 2014 by a team of seasoned online entrepreneurs and developers. The company's main goal is to develop highly engaging applications adapted to the unique needs of Arab speaking users, through innovative and technologically advanced solutions at the cutting edge of global trends. Its first product, self-titled AppMahal, is a social mobile platform for application discovery. It gained notable success with millions of users making it their go-to for application search. Sila is the company's second product, which is intended to become the leading social interaction and chat platform in the Arab world.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Brown-Forman Corp. (BFA, BFB), a spirit and wine company, Wednesday said it is raising fiscal 2018 earnings per share forecast range to $1.85 - $1.95 from previously expected $1.80 to $1.90, due to expected full year benefits from tax rate and foreign exchange. Further, the company reaffirmed its outlook for 6% to 8% underlying operating income growth and 4 percent to 5% underlying net sales growth. The expected underlying net sales growth would be led by premium American whiskey and tequila brands, including disciplined innovation for Jack Daniel's RTDs, as well as the launch of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Rye and Slane Irish Whiskey. The company noted that the global economy remains volatile, particularly in the emerging markets, and the competitive landscape has intensified in the developed world, making it difficult to accurately predict future results. Paul Varga, the company's Chief Executive Officer, said, 'Fiscal 2018 is off to a strong start with 6% growth in underlying net sales and 12% growth in underlying operating income, both metrics representing a nice acceleration versus the company's solid fiscal 2017 underlying results. We continue to foresee growth potential for our brands, most notably in American Whiskey, and accordingly, we intend to invest against this opportunity...' For the first quarter, net income climbed 24 percent to $178 million from last year's $144 million. Earnings per share of $0.46 increased 27% from $0.36 a year ago. Operating income increased 14% in the quarter to $244 million. Sales grew 8 percent to $929 million from $856 million a year ago. Net sales increased 9% to $723 million from $661 million last year. Sales grew 6% on an underlying basis. Emerging markets continued to improve in the quarter, with net sales up 27%. Developed markets' net sales increased 7 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- StaffConnect, provider of the world's leading enterprise mobile employee engagement platform, today announced it has earned the prestigious Silver status in the Golden Bridge Awards. Recognized in the Best Deployments and Success Stories category, StaffConnect stood-out for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte's deployment of its StaffConnect Mobile App Platform to boost employee engagement.
YMCA of Greater Charlotte had four main goals in relation to increasing the engagement levels of its vast network of 4,700 employees and volunteers. They wanted to:
Give all employees a voice by creating an open communication channel to connect them
Keep employees updated with the latest organizational goals and fundraising initiatives
Drive loyalty, retention and support among their front-line teams by keeping them informed and engaged
Partner with a provider that had communications expertise to guide them on best-practice communication and content strategy
The YMCA Greater Charlotte had evaluated other mainstream social media platforms before discovering that the key to achieving their goals was integrally connected to a new mobile-enabled technology. The StaffConnect platform offered personalization and an engaging user experience to engender support among staff, helping them do their jobs with increased convenience and efficiency. StaffConnect combines its mobile technology with a unique AppSuccess program which offered access to domain experts that partnered with the YMCA to create a winning communication strategy. This was key to gaining fast user adoption and interaction with the mobile engagement platform; and helped energize and connect their entire workforce of fulltime employees and volunteers - regardless of title or geographic location, desk-based or in the field.
"With a historic number of nominations received, the competition was especially heated for this year's Golden Bridge Awards," said San Madan, President at Golden Bridge Awards. "We congratulate StaffConnect, together with all of the 2017 Golden Bridge Awards winners, on this well-deserved and enviable accomplishment."
"We are delighted to have been singled-out by the esteemed judges of the Golden Bridge Awards and named a Silver honoree -- especially as it is in the Best Deployments and Success Stories category in recognition of superior end-client results," said Geraldine Osman, Vice President of Marketing, StaffConnect. "It is not only a testament to StaffConnect's commitment to transforming employee engagement through innovative technology, but to our progressive clients like the YMCA of Greater Charlotte who had the foresight to recognize the bottom-line importance of connecting, communicating and engaging with their distributed workforce."
The coveted annual Golden Bridge Awards program encompasses the world's best in organizational performance, innovations, products and services, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, innovations, best deployments, product management, public relations, marketing, corporate communications, international business, and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world. Organizations from all over the world are eligible to submit nominations including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups.
Winners will be honored in San Francisco on Monday, September 18, 2017 during the annual Red Carpet Golden Bridge Awards Ceremony.
Tweet this: .@StaffConnectApp Wins Silver in 2017 Golden Bridge Awards for @YMCACharlotte Deployment of MobileApp Platform https://www.staffconnectapp.com/latest/press-releases/
About the Golden Bridge Awards
Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring best companies in every major industry from large to small and new start-ups in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin-America, Best New Products and Services, Best Innovations, Management and Teams, Women in Business and the Professions, Case Studies, Customer Satisfaction, and PR and Marketing Campaigns from all over the world. Learn more about Golden Bridge Awards at www.goldenbridgeawards.com.
About StaffConnect
StaffConnect delivers the world's leading mobile employee engagement platform. The StaffConnect solution transforms the employee experience by enabling large enterprises to connect, communicate and engage their entire workforce, especially remote, non-desk employees. The customer-branded mobile app gives employees 'a voice' -- with access to company and user-generated content to increase loyalty and productivity. The cloud-hosted platform empowers employers to target that content, with analytics, to deepen engagement with everyone. From offices in London and San Francisco, StaffConnect's platform and domain expertise are supporting large businesses around the world to inspire their workforces to deliver better performance, improved customer experiences and greater shareholder value. For further information, please visit: www.staffconnectapp.com.
PR Contacts:
Sabrina Sanchez
The Ventana Group for StaffConnect
(925) 785-3014
Email Contact
Nicole Gorman
The Ventana Group for StaffConnect
(508) 397-0131
Email Contact
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- Irving Resources Inc. (CSE: IRV)(CSE: IRV.CN)(CNSX: IRV) ("Irving" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on exploration and surface rights acquisition at its 100% controlled Omu gold project, Hokkaido, Japan.
Exploration Update
Exploration at Omu has progressed as planned in spite of an abnormally wet summer. Exploration work is being undertaken by Mitsui Mineral Development Engineering Co., Ltd. ("MINDECO") under the supervision of Irving personnel. At the Omui mine site and surrounding areas, detailed soil sampling on a 50x50 meter staggered grid is expected to be completed over the next few weeks. Detailed geologic data and mineralized rock chip samples are being collected along with soil samples. A close spaced gravity survey is currently being undertaken to help better evaluate the position of potential mineralized faults. Upon completion of the gravity survey, a magnetic survey will also be undertaken to identify areas of hydrothermal alteration that is potentially associated with mineralization. Data collected during the 2017 program will be used to develop a drill program at Omu to be executed in 2018.
Across the greater Omu gold project area, stream sediment sampling has recently been completed. A total of 100 bulk leach extractable gold ("BLEG") samples, specialized samples consisting of fine silt and clay, have been collected and scheduled to be shipped to ALS Global in Vancouver, BC for analysis. Gold and pathfinder elements are analyzed by ultra-high sensitivity means allowing for effective evaluation of stream catchments for potential outcropping mineralization. While collecting BLEG samples, MINDECO staff noted and sampled mineralized stream cobbles at sample sites in many stream drainages. Upon receipt of BLEG data, Irving is planning follow-up prospecting activities to identify mineralized outcrops in prospective stream catchments.
Opening of Irving Japan Omu Office and Addition of General Manager and Chief Mining Engineer
On August 1, Irving Japan officially opened an Irving Japan Omu office in the town of Omu in Hokkaido. This office will serve as a permanent base from which Irving plans to explore and develop the Omu gold project and its other gold projects in the region.
In preparation for conducting more advanced exploration activities at Omu, Irving is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Toshiyuki Goto (B.Sc. Geology and Mining Engineering, Akita University) as General Manager of Irving Japan. Mr. Goto's highly notable career includes 25 years in operations and development of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd.'s Hishikari gold mine, the largest gold mine in Japan. Irving Japan also appointed its technical advisor, Mr. Hidetoshi Takaoka, to serve as Irving Japan's Chief Mining Engineer. Mr. Takaoka served as Chief Geologist of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. Irving will benefit from both Mr. Takaoka and Mr. Goto's vast experience to help undertake advanced exploration work including bulk sampling as well as potential future mining activities.
"We are thrilled to have Mr. Goto join the Irving team," commented Akiko Levinson, President, CEO and Director of Irving Resources Inc. "Given Irving's strategy of pursuing high-grade epithermal vein deposits, Mr. Goto's career in operations and development at Hishikari mine is extremely valuable for us. Mr. Goto plans to reside in the town of Omu where he will oversee our new office and future advanced exploration and development activities."
Further Acquisition of Surface Rights at Omui
The Company is pleased to announce that it has secured a further 0.505 sq km (50.5 hectares) of surface rights in the Omui mine area, part of the greater Omu gold project. The Company purchased from two arm's length parties a total of 0.340 sq km (34.0 hectares) for a combined purchase price of JPY7,500,000 (approximately CAD $90,000). In addition, the Company entered into a long-term lease of surface rights covering 0.165 sq km (16.5 hectares) of an area near the Omui mine for a cost of JPY1,250,000 (approximately CAD $15,000) for the initial five years. The lease is for a five-year term and can be extended for up to three additional five-year periods. These surface rights are considered critical for Irving to proceed with mining work.
Quinton Hennigh (Ph.D., P.Geo.) is the Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Dr. Hennigh is a technical advisor and director of Irving Resources Inc.
About Irving Resources Inc.:
Irving is a junior exploration company with a focus on gold in Japan. Irving also holds, through a subsidiary, Project Venture Agreements with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) for joint regional exploration programs in the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Malawi and the Republic of Madagascar. JOGMEC is a government organization established under the law of Japan, administrated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and is responsible for stable supply of various resources to Japan through the discovery of sizable economic deposits of base, precious and rare metals.
Additional information can be found on the Company's website: www.IRVresources.com.
Akiko Levinson, President & Director
Forward-looking information
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, the statement as to the expected receipt of results from various exploration and testing activities. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource exploration industry as well as Irving having sufficient cash to fund the planned exploration activities.
THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Contacts:
Irving Resources Inc.
(604) 682-3234 or Toll free: 1 (888) 242-3234
info@IRVresources.com
(604) 641-1214 (FAX)
www.IRVresources.com
ORLANDO, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- Cocina|214, Central Florida's leading contemporary Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant, announces the promotion of Isidro Alvarez to the position of Executive Chef. With more than 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Alvarez is the perfect person to hold this well-deserved position. Overseeing the kitchen staff in its entirety, he will ensure that Cocina 214's vision of producing high quality food will be executed successfully.
Located in Winter Park, FL, Cocina|214 uses fresh ingredients to make exceptional Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes and drinks from scratch. Alvarez will continue to use high quality fresh ingredients and promote local.
"Isidro's creativity, dedication, discipline and passion for Cocina's success make him the perfect fit for this position," said Lambrine Macejewski, co-founder of Cocina|214. "He is a talented chef that also has a knack for efficient kitchen management. It is the ultimate combination and he will continue to help our team grow both professionally and personally."
Before joining Cocina|214 in April 2011, Alvarez worked in a wide range of positions to gain experience in each and every kitchen staff position. His years of training with notable chef David Cordua and founder Michael Cordua of Churrascos Restaurants, in addition to working for Hilton Hotel and other restaurants, give him the knowledge and proficiency he needs to manage a kitchen staff of Cocina|214's size.
"I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to be Cocina's Executive Chef," said Alvarez. "Cocina|214 is all about making authentic, fresh and quality food, so I look forward to making sure each and every dish that comes out of the kitchen lives up to that goal."
About Cocina 214
Cocina|214 is a contemporary Mexican and Tex-Mex kitchen. The name is a combination of the Spanish word for kitchen, "cocina" and the Dallas area code, "214." The idea for opening Cocina|214 developed when two of the owners from Texas missed the Tex-Mex and Mexican food they had grown up eating. They wanted the same authentic, fresh and quality food here in Winter Park.
A 5-time winner of the "Best Mexican" category in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards and Orlando Magazine's Dining Awards, Cocina|214 provides covered outdoor seating, a spacious and sleek separate bar area and a chic main dining room. Enjoy Tex-Mex favorites at 151 E. Welbourne Ave. in Winter Park, FL or visit www.cocina214.com for more information.
Media Contact:
Alex Perez
Uproar PR for Cocina 214
Email Contact
321.236.0102
Elektrenai, Lithuania, 2017-08-30 15:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, legal entity code 302648707, the registered office address is Elektrines st. 21, Elektrenai (hereinafter - the Company). Overall number of ordinary registered shares is 635 083 615, ISIN code - LT0000128571.
The Company presents audited financial indicators for January-June period of 2017, interim report and interim financial statements may be found in the attached document.
RESULTS OF LIETUVOS ENERGIJOS GAMYBA FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2017: ACTIVE MOVES IN STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
At the end of the first-half of 2017 it's almost a year Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba has been focusing on implementing the updated strategy of the Company. The Company's sales revenue of the January-June period of 2017 are EUR 63.31 million and are 8 percent smaller than the revenue of the January-June period of 2016 (EUR 69.15 million).
Decreased power production had the biggest impact on the decrease of Company's income. In total, the Company's power plants produced 14% less power from January to June 2017 than from January to June 2016: 549 GWh and 636 GWh respectively.
This year, an early spring flood and rains at the beginning of summer filled Nemunas, so more water flowed through the units of the Kaunas Algirdas Brazauskas' Hydroelectric Power Plant. From January to June 2017, this power plant produced 241 GW of power, i.e. 19% more than from January to June 2016 (203 GWh).
Increased power production in Kaunas contributed to improving the Company's profitability indicators. Another factor that had a significant impact on the change of the Company's EBITDA was the fact that the Company's income from unregulated activity of 2017 is no longer decreased due to commercial production profit adjustment and the activity inspection of 2010-2012. These decisions of the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices, according to which income from the funds of public service obligations (PSO) and power reserve securing services was decreased, lowered the EBITDA indicator from January to June 2016 by approximately EUR 11.1 million.
The Company's profit of the January-June period of 2017, excluding interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reaches EUR 27.08 million and is 25 percent bigger than the profit of January-June period of 2016 (EUR 21.66 million).
From January to June 2017, the Elektrenai complex produced 79 GW of power, i.e. 51% less than from January to June 2016 (163 GWh). The main reason for decreased production is recent decrease of power prices on the wholesale market. From January to June 2015, in the Lithuanian prices area of the Nord Pool market, power cost EUR 37.8/MWh, from January to June 2016, it cost EUR 36.2/MWh, and from January to June 2017, it cost EUR 34.5/MWh on average.
So, when there is an option to import cheaper power, gas facilities of the Elektrenai complex have fewer opportunities to produce competitive power, but they reliably ensure the reserve necessary for the system. "We switch on the combined cycle unit, which is one third more efficient than the old ones, after a considerable increase of prices on the market. Then, by producing a relatively large amount of power, it may contribute to their stabilisation. From January to June 2017, the CCU was switched on 10 times (from January to June 2016, it was switched on 30 times) and worked smoothly," says Egle Ciuzaite, Chairperson of the Board and CEO at Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, to emphasise the reliability of the device ensuring the safety of the power system.
Since the difference between the day and the night prices is decreasing, 16% less power produced by the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant was sold on the market (from January to June 2016, 271 GWh were produced, and 228 GWh from January to June 2017); however, the quantity of sold regulatory power more than doubled (the service is needed for balancing the power surplus / shortage in the energy system). Another system service provided by this power plant, the secondary reserve power, was needed seven times from January to June 2017. From January to June 2016, this service, which is intended for ensuring the safety of the power supply, was activated as many as 40 times.
According to E. Ciuzaite, one of the most important events in the Company in the first half of 2017 is related to this power plant: the feasibility analysis of the expansion of the Kruonis PSHP by installing the fifth hydropower unit was completed. The expansion of the power plant is important for ensuring sufficient power capacities and competitive energy in Lithuania in the future, so the expansion project is included in the list of the main planned works in the energy sector.
The Company's net profit of the January-June period of 2017 reaches EUR 10.28 million and is 42 percent smaller than the net profit of January-June period of 2016 (EUR 17.79 million).
The change of the net profit of the company (if the results of January-June 2017 and January-June 2016 are compared) continues to reflect one-off effects: at the beginning of 2016, the sale of a part of the Company's business was accounted for, which increased the net profit result by EUR 16.6 million. If this factor is eliminated from the results of 2016, the net profit of January-June 2017 would exceed the result of January-June 2016 almost nine times (EUR 1.2 million).
"I am happy that if we compare the operating results and the financial results of 2017 with the results of 2016, as early as after the first six months we can see positive developments in increasing the efficiency of cost management and the Company's profitability," says the head of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba.
Valentas Neviera, Head of Communication Division, tel. +370 670 25997, e-mail. valentas.neviera@le.lt
Attachment:
https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=643680
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Bradley County Fire and Rescue professionals have been selected by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to serve as directors of a "Strike Team" that is being sent Wednesday morning to help the people that have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey, in and across Texas.
Chief Shawn Fairbanks will choose two people, boats and other equipment needed to lead a team of six professionals who are trained and proficient in swift water rescue from across the surrounding region.
These volunteers will leave Bradley County Fire and Rescue's Downtown station at 260 Inman Street at 11 a.m. for a one-week mission.
They will travel with their equipment to TEMA, headquartered in Nashville to then be sent with other units to help in the continuing mission there to help those in need.
TORONTO, 2017-08-30 15:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Borealis Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment advisory and management arm of OMERS, the Canadian-based pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees, announced today that it will now operate as OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc. (OMERS Infrastructure).
"The name OMERS Infrastructure helps the global marketplace recognize our direct connection to the more than 470,000 members of OMERS, on behalf of whom we manage a portfolio of investment assets," said Michael Rolland, Chief Investment Officer, OMERS Private Markets.
OMERS investments in infrastructure via Borealis date back to 1999, and have evolved substantially since inception. "Now active across four continents, we are one of the world's largest direct investors in infrastructure. Our offices in Toronto, London, New York, Amsterdam and Sydney, are consistently expanding our track record of successful cooperation with like-minded partners, as we seek to grow our investment footprint," added Mr. Rolland.
"A key part of OMERS investment strategy is owning and managing some of the highest-quality assets in the world. OMERS steady growth over the years, to more than $85 billion in total assets under management, reflects in large part the quality of relationships we continue to build with the global investment community. Today's name change positions us to further extend our reach, and embark on a new chapter in the OMERS story," he said.
"While the name is changing, our patient and disciplined approach that emphasizes diversified investment in large-scale infrastructure businesses and takes a long-term view remains our focus. We look forward to continuing to work the same way with our investing partners, governments, regulators, and the local communities we serve," he concluded.
The transition to the new name and to the use of the OMERS visual identity is underway and will continue throughout the remainder of 2017, including in the operations of the Global Strategic Investment Alliance (GSIA), a co-investment program developed by OMERS.
About OMERS Private Markets:
OMERS Private Markets, including OMERS Infrastructure and OMERS Private Equity, invests globally in infrastructure and private equity assets on behalf of OMERS, the pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees. Investments are focused on steady returns to help deliver strong and sustainable pensions to OMERS members. OMERS diversified portfolio of large-scale infrastructure assets exhibits stability and strong cash flows. OMERS Private Markets has offices in Toronto, New York, London, Amsterdam and Sydney. Visit www.omersprivatemarkets.com
About OMERS:
Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans, with more than $85 billion in net assets, as at December 31, 2016. OMERS invests and administers pensions for more than 470,000 members from municipalities, school boards, emergency services and local agencies across Ontario. OMERS has employees in Toronto and other major cities across North America, the U.K., Europe and Australia - originating and managing a diversified portfolio of investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information, please visit www.omers.com.
Contact: Neil Hrab, nhrab@omers.com 416-369-2418
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CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar continued to be higher against its key counterparts in the European session on Wednesday, as the U.S. private sector job growth outpaced forecasts in August and the economic growth was revised higher in the second quarter, boosting hopes for another rate hike by the Federal Reserve later this year.
Data from payroll processor ADP showed that private sector employment jumped by 237,000 jobs in August following an upwardly revised increase of 201,000 jobs in July.
Economists had expected employment to climb by 185,000 jobs compared to the addition of 178,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.
A separate report released by the Commerce Department showed U.S. economic activity increased by more than previously estimated in the second quarter.
The Commerce Department said gross domestic product jumped by 3.0 percent in the second quarter compared to the previously estimated 2.6 percent growth.
Economists had expected a much more modest upward revision in the pace of GDP growth in the quarter to 2.7 percent.
At 9:15 am ET, Federal Reserve Board Governor Jerome Powell speaks on the role of boards at large financial firms in a Conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Investors focus on US nonfarm payrolls data, due Friday, for more clues about Fed policy outlook.
Economists forecast a job growth of 180,000 in August, with a jobless rate of 4.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Moody's Investors Service slashed U.S. growth forecast for this year and the next, citing poor performance in the first half and hopes for more modest fiscal stimulus than previously assumed.
The rating agency expects the economy to grow by 2.2 percent in 2017 and 2.3 percent in 2018, down from its prior forecasts of 2.4 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.
The greenback rose against its most major counterparts in the Asian session, as worries over a North Korean missile launch appears to ease.
While U.S. President Donald Trump offered a surprisingly subdued response to the missile launch, the U.N. Security Council has condemned the missile provocation but stopped short of imposing new sanctions or other specific measures to rein in Pyongyang.
The greenback added 0.8 percent to hit a 5-day high of 1.1894 against the euro, after having dropped to 1.1984 at 12:15 am ET. The greenback is poised to test resistance around the 1.18 region.
Survey results from European Commission showed that Eurozone economic confidence reached its highest level in more than ten years in August.
The economic confidence index rose to 111.9 in August from 111.3 in July. The score was forecast to rise slightly to 111.3 from July's initially estimated value of 111.2.
The greenback that closed Tuesday's trading at 1.2917 against the pound firmed to a 2-day high of 1.2879. On the upside, 1.27 is possibly seen as the next resistance for the greenback.
Data from the Bank of England showed that the UK mortgage approvals increased to a 16-month high in July.
The number of mortgage approvals rose to 68,689 in July from 65,318 in June. This was the highest since March 2016 and above the expected level of 65,000.
The greenback spiked up to 110.44 against the Japanese yen, its strongest since August 16. The next possible resistance for the greenback-yen pair is seen around the 112.00 area.
Data from the Ministry of Economy of Trade and Industry showed that Japan's retail sales jumped a seasonally adjusted 1.1 percent on month in July.
That beat forecasts for an increase of 0.3 percent following the 0.2 percent gain in June.
The greenback hit a 5-day high of 0.9608 against the Swiss franc, following a decline to 0.9538 at 3:45 am ET. Further uptrend may take the greenback to a resistance around the 0.97 level.
Data from the UBS investment bank showed that Switzerland's consumption indicator suggests that private consumption is rising at a subdued pace in July.
The UBS consumption indicator came in at 1.38 points in July.
The greenback strengthened to a session's high of 0.7218 against the kiwi, from a low of 0.7278 hit at 12:00 am ET. The greenback is likely to find resistance around the 0.71 region.
Extending early rally, the greenback appreciated to a weekly high of 1.2569 versus the loonie. This may be compared to a low of 1.2501 hit at 12:00 am ET. Continuation of the greenback's uptrend may see it challenging resistance around the 1.28 mark.
Having fallen to more than a 4-week low of 0.7996 versus the aussie in the Asian session, the greenback firmed to 0.7926. If the greenback rises further, 0.78 is possibly seen as its next resistance level.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
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For Immediate Release 30 August 2017
Argentina Lifts Import Duties on DAP
Moscow - PhosAgro ("PhosAgro" or "the Company") (Moscow Exchange, LSE: PHOR), one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers, is considering increasing sales of fertilizers to Argentina following the decision taken by Argentinian President Mauricio Macri to cancel the 6% import duty on high-quality diammonium phosphate (DAP) from Russia.
Andrey Guryev, CEO of PhosAgro, President of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers and Chairman of the Russian-Argentine Council of Entrepreneurs from the Russian side, commented:
"The joint efforts of federal authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development, as well as the intergovernmental Russian-Argentine commission for cooperation in trade, science and technology, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry have successfully upheld the interests of Russian business on the international arena by lifting restrictive measures on the trade of high-quality Russian mineral fertilizer products. We are grateful to the Argentine authorities for the constructive dialogue and willingness to bolster mutually beneficial cooperation between Russian and Argentine companies.
"To be sure, Russian fertilizer producers are not the only winners from such a decision; Argentine farmers and their customers will also benefit from additional volumes of 300-350 kt of high-quality DAP products that are free from potentially harmful contaminants.
"Agricultural products and mineral fertilizers, which are necessary for increasing the efficiency of agricultural production, together constitute one of the most important and largest areas of trade between Russia and Argentina. The Russian fertilizer industry views Argentina and the rest of Latin America as a high-priority market, alongside the Russian domestic market. In 2016, Russian fertilizer exports to Argentina grew by 1.6 times year-on-year to 521 kt, making up 43% of Russia's overall exports to Argentina.
"The illogical situation in which high-quality Russian DAP, which is free from potentially harmful contaminants, was subject to import duties, while fertilizer containing harmful substances were allowed without being subject to duties, has now been resolved."
For further information please contact:
PJSC PhosAgro
Alexander Seleznev, Head of Investor Relations
ir@phosagro.ru
+7 495232 96 89 ex 21 87
Timur Belov, Press Officer
Anastacia Basos, Deputy Press Secretary
+7 495 232 9689
EM
Sam VanDerlip
vanderlip@em-comms.com
+44 7554 993 032
+7 499 918 3134
Notes to Editors
PhosAgro is one of the leading global vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers. The Company focuses on the production of phosphate-based fertilizers, feed phosphate and high-grade phosphate rock (P 2 O 5 content of not less than 39%), as well as ammonia and nitrogen-based fertilizers.
The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe, the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock worldwide and the third largest MAP/DAP producer in the world (excluding China), according to Fertecon. PhosAgro is also one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia.
PhosAgro has 2.1 billion tonnes of resources (according to JORC) of high quality apatite-nepheline ore. The Company's mines and phosphate rock production facilities are located in the mountainous areas of the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk region of northwest Russia, whereas its fertilizer and feed phosphate production assets are located near the city of Cherepovets in the Vologda region and near the city of Balakovo in the Saratov region of southwest part of European Russia.
PhosAgro's 2016 IFRS revenue was over USD 2.8 bln and EBITDA was USD 1.08 bln.
For further information on PhosAgro please visit: www.PhosAgro.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 30, 2017) - CKR Carbon Corporation. (TSXV: CKR) (FSE: CB81) ("CKR" or the "Company") an integrated graphite to hybrid graphenes development company is pleased to announce the supply of an industrial quantity of Aukam graphite concentrate to enable the manufacture and testing of more than 400 high performance tires by our European graphene manufacturing partner.
Recent LOI with European manufacturer of graphenes (EMG)
On July 11, 2017, CKR and a leading European manufacturer of surface engineered nano graphenes (EMG) signed an LOI to formally develop and exploit Aukam graphite, to facilitate the manufacture of nano surface engineered graphenes for large volume mass-market applications.
Successful testing of Aukam graphite continues
Characterisation and testing of the Aukam graphite by EMG shows that it is a premium quality crystalline vein graphite comparable in quality to other premium graphite sources available throughout the world.
Third party laboratory testing of the Aukam material compounded into tire treads in Europe and Asia indicates it has the necessary characteristics required to meet the demands of high performance tire treads.
CKR supplying graphite concentrate for 400 tires to be tested by Q1 2018
CKR will supply an industrial quantity of Aukam graphite concentrate to enable the manufacture of graphenes for more than 400 tires. Following further laboratory testing, the tires will be terrain track and road tested in Europe and North America during the remainder of 2017.
Testing is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter in 2018. Thereafter, and subject to third party verification of quality and certified test outcomes, detailed planning will be initiated for installation of an integrated production plant. This plant would provide nano engineered graphenes derived from Aukam graphite for the large volume tire market.
"We are very pleased that our collaboration with EMG in developing high value graphene based components from Aukam graphite is moving ahead so quickly," said Sheldon Inwentash, Executive Chairman of CKR Carbon. "Once our concentrate is delivered to EMG we will be developing graphenes for tire development and testing, the next step in the commercialization process."
The technical content of this news release was approved by Roger Moss Ph.D., P.Geo, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
About CKR Carbon Corporation
CKR Carbon Corporation is an advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. We are collaborating with a leading European manufacturer of graphenes to use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. The company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CKR.
About the Aukam Project
The Aukam property covers a past producing vein graphite deposit and associated graphite occurrences. CKR is currently undertaking technical studies to support an application for a mining license. The company maintains high safety and environmental standards and has a comprehensive strategy of social engagement.
For more information: visit the website at www.ckr-carbon.com or contact:
Roger Moss, CEO, +1 416-704-8291 E-mail inquiries: rmoss@ckr-carbon.com
For graphite product enquiries:
Arno Brand, +1 416-561-4095 abrand@boswellprojects.com
"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).
Vilnius, Lithuania, 2017-08-30 15:49 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity of the Company as of 30 June 217 was EUR 19,7 million or 1,62 per share.
Investments of the Company amounted to EUR 16.6 million at the end of June 2017. The cash and cash equivalents of the Company increased from EUR 3.1 million to EUR 3.2 million in six months of 2017.
The net profit of the Company amounted EUR 21 thousand.
Additional information:
The equity capital of INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, was EUR 19.75 million, or EUR 1.62 per share, at the end of the first half of this year. The latter figure increased 0.1 per cent from the start of the year and 2.5 per cent during the second quarter.
The company's investments in the businesses it owns totalled EUR 16.6 million at the end of June 2017 and decreased by EUR 0.1 million from the start of the year. The change reflects a gain of EUR 0.2 million in the value of investments and EUR 0.3 million of dividends paid out by Inventio UAB, which negatively impacted the value of investments. In the second quarter, positive financial results at owned businesses boosted the value of the holdings by EUR 0.6 million.
INVL Technology's cash balance increased during the first half of this year from EUR 3.1 million to EUR 3.2 million. The company had a net profit of EUR 21 000 for the six-month period. INVL Technology, which continues looking for new opportunities to expand its business portfolio, plans to conclude its phase of active acquisitions this year.
"Changes in the latest period suggest that the investments made so far in products and regional expansion are starting to provide a return. Some of our businesses did better in the second quarter of this year than in the same period last year, and we're also seeing a recovery of IT project demand in Lithuania," said Kazimieras Tonkunas, Managing Partner for UTIB INVL Technology at INVL Asset Management.
During the first half of this year INVL Technology businesses began new projects in Bangladesh and Rwanda, countries where they had actively expanded in recent years. In Bangladesh, Norway Registers Development AS (NRD AS) and BAIP UAB consortium in June signed an agreement with the country's Computer Council on the supply and deployment of software and equipment to establish a cybersecurity incident response team (CIRT) laboratory for the investigation of incidents. NRD CS will provide the technology required for project implementation. In Rwanda, NRD East Africa together with BAIP signed an agreement on expanding modernisation work at the National Bank of Rwanda.
Moreover, the Banktron mobile banking software developed in recent years by Etronika got attention this year when it was one of the 11 European solutions examined in the "IDC MarketScape: European Mobile Banking Software Solutions 2017 Vendor Assessment". This study, released by "IDC Financial Insights", is an important criterion for financial institutions to consider when making a mobile banking investment decision.
INVL Technology businesses currently have offices in nine countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Moldova, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Bangladesh. The newest offices have been opened over the last two years: Norway Registers Development Rwanda Ltd was established in Rwanda last year, while NRD Bangladesh, which began operating in Bangladesh in February of this year, represents the services of NRD Companies and other businesses owned by INVL Technology and helps implement NRD Companies projects in the regions of South and Southeast Asia.
An Advisory Committee for INVL Technology also began functioning in April this year, composed of Invalda INVL board members Alvydas Banys and Indre Miseikyte, Lietuvos Draudimas's Investment Director for the Baltic countries Gintaras Rutkauskas, and one of the owners of the E-energija group of companies Virginijus Strioga. The committee's purpose is to advise the Investment Committee of INVL Technology on investment decisions.
Business climate improvement and e-governance
NRD Companies, a global information technology and consulting group of companies specialized in governance and economic digital infrastructure development, in the first half of this year continued projects in Lithuania, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Bangladesh and other countries as well as actively participated in new tenders in countries of East Africa and South Asia. In the second quarter of this year NRD AS together with NRD CS completed a project in Bangladesh to establish a cybersecurity incident response team (CIRT).
In the first half of this year, NRD Companies had revenue of EUR 2.7 million and EBITDA of EUR 157 000. Compared with January-June 2016, revenue shrank 5.6 per cent while EBITDA increased from a negative EUR 107 000 last year. Comparing second-quarter results this year and last, revenue grew 70.6 per cent while EBITDA increased from a negative EUR 176 000 to a positive EUR 256 000.
Andmevara, which operates in Estonia and Moldova, this July completed the development of the "Presidency Gateway" information system for the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The system will simplify and speed up the organization of events related to the presidency. In the first half of this year, Andmevara had revenue of EUR 562 000 and a negative EBITDA of EUR 129 000. The company's data have been published since 1 May 2016 when control of the company was acquired and thus are not comparable. In the first half of 2016 Andmevara had revenue of EUR 190 000 and a negative EBITDA of EUR 50 000. For the second quarter of this year, Andmevara had revenue of EUR 254 000 and a negative EBITDA of EUR 107 000. In the second quarter of 2016 its revenue was EUR 190 000 with a negative EBITDA of EUR 50 000.
IT infrastructure
In the first half of this year the revenues of BAIP and Acena, which operate in the area of IT infrastructure, increased 3.3 per cent compared with the same period last year to EUR 5.2 million, while their EBITDA grew 34.3 per cent and totalled EUR 329 000. Comparing second-quarter results this year and last, the companies' revenues fell 2.1 per cent to EUR 2.75 million, while their EBITDA increased 68.4 per cent to EUR 224 000. In early May, BAIP redeemed from INVL Technology the nominal EUR 1.55 million of short term BAIP UAB bonds which were intended to ensure the participation of INVL Technology group companies in a foreign tender.
Cybersecurity
NRD CS, which operates in the area of cybersecurity, in the first half of this year participated actively in a variety of projects in this area and also developed its intellectual capital and own products in the areas of open-source intelligence (OSINT) and cyber-attack prevention sensors. The company's first-half revenue was EUR 705 000 and increased 4.9 per cent from the same period last year, while its EBITDA shrank 43.6 per cent to EUR 53 000. Comparing second-quarter results this year and last, the company's revenue increased 13.1 per cent to EUR 474 000 and its EBITDA nearly tripled to EUR 123 000.
Solutions for IT-intensive industries
The revenue in the first half of this year at Algoritmu Sistemos, which operates in the area of solutions for IT-intensive industries, was EUR 880 000, while its EBITDA was a negative EUR 14 000. The company's data have been published since 1 April 2016 when control of the company was acquired and thus are not comparable. In the first half of 2016, Algoritmu Sistemos had revenue of EUR 624 000 and EBITDA of EUR 138 000. Comparing second-quarter results this year and last, the company's revenue shrank 14.6 per cent to EUR 533 000 and its EBITDA decreased 47.8 per cent to EUR 72 000.
To date INVL Technology has invested in the Norwegian company Norway Registers Development AS with subsidiaries NRD UAB and Etronika UAB in Lithuania, Norway Registers Development East Africa Ltd in Tanzania, Norway Registers Development Rwanda Ltd in Rwanda, NRD Bangladesh Ltd in Bangladesh, and the associated company Infobank Uganda Ltd in Uganda. It has also invested in BAIP UAB with its subsidiary Acena UAB as well as NRD CS UAB and Algoritmu Sistemos UAB, all in Lithuania, and Estonia's Andmevara AS with its subsidiary Andmevara SRL in Moldova.
On its receipt of a closed-end investment company license in July 2016, INVL Technology's management was assumed by INVL Asset Management - a part of Invalda INVL, one of the leading asset management groups in the Baltics. INVL Technology will operate as a closed-end investment company until 14 July 2026.
The person authorized to provide additional information: Kazimieras Tonkunas INVL Technology Managing Partner e-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt
Attachment:
https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=643701
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SILICON VALLEY, CA--(Marketwired - August 30, 2017) - ZINFI Technologies, Inc., a company leading the definition and creation of Unified Channel Management (UCM) solutions, today announced that its channel marketing automation platform was instrumental in a recent successful initiative by TELECO, a NEC partner, to quickly and dramatically expand its customer base of telecommunications dealers.
TELECO is a technology provider based in Greenville, South Carolina that resells voice systems, video surveillance, data solutions and similar products that connect to an organization's local area network (LAN). TELECO has been distributing NEC products for 16 years through a nationwide network of dealerships. When Toshiba decided to exit the telecommunications business, TELECO saw an opening to reach out to dealers who had previously carried Toshiba products. TELECO worked with NEC to plan an email marketing campaign targeting a list of dealerships that no longer had Toshiba products to sell.
To execute the campaign, TELECO turned to the NEC partner portal -- a key component of the ZINFI channel marketing automation platform. Using the platform's email marketing tools, TELECO worked with NEC to create a series of emails customized to their target audience. TELECO sent 243 emails distributed across four release dates, generating a 50% open rate and a 16% click-through rate. TELECO quickly signed up 47 new dealers to sell NEC solutions provided by TELECO, and expects to net more dealers in the weeks and months to come.
The ZINFI channel marketing automation tool for email marketing campaigns expedited the process of planning and running the four-part campaign and tracking results. "ZINFI helped me reach a large audience in a very short period of time, with far less effort than I thought we were going to have to put in. We're very excited about the results, which continue to grow," said Gary Sarmento, TELECO's executive VP of sales.
Sarmento found the ZINFI channel marketing automation platform easy to use, but he also praised the efforts of the ZINFI support team in helping TELECO get up to speed on the partner portal very quickly. "One of the things that absolutely impressed us was, when we had a little bit of difficulty or weren't sure how to do something, the response from the support team at ZINFI was just phenomenal," he said. "Our impression of ZINFI was nothing but very, very positive."
ZINFI's Unified Channel Management (UCM) platform allows a vendor organization selling through the channel to take an integrated approach by aligning channel policies, channel programs, channel people (both internal employees supporting the partner base and employees of external partners), business process automation and channel partners to build a high-performing global channel. This unified approach to channel management requires end-to-end automation of three core sub-processes: partner relationship management (PRM), partner marketing management (PMM) and partner sales management (PSM). ZINFI's UCM platform provides automated solutions to these key components of channel management.
Recent analyst reports and rankings have recognized ZINFI's UCM platform as an industry leader unique in its ability to offer discrete channel marketing automation solutions -- including partner relationship management, partner marketing management and partner sales management -- and fully integrate those solutions in a single platform and user interface.
To read more about the TELECO's use of ZINFI channel marketing automation tools in this campaign, click here. For more information about ZINFI's Unified Channel Management platform, please visit our website at www.zinfi.com. You can also follow ZINFI Technologies on LinkedIn and at the ZINFI Channel Marketing Best Practices blog.
About ZINFI Technologies
ZINFI Technologies, Inc. the leader in Unified Channel Management (UCM) innovation, enables vendors and their channel partners to achieve profitable growth predictably and rapidly on a worldwide level. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA and founded by channel veterans with extensive global channel management experience, we at ZINFI see an immense opportunity to build high-performing sales channels by deploying an easy-to-use, comprehensive and innovative state-of-the-art SaaS Unified Channel Management automation platform that streamlines and manages the entire partner lifecycle through three core state-of-the-art SaaS applications -- partner relationship management, channel marketing management and channel sales management. In 26 countries, these three core UCM SaaS applications are locally supported by ZINFI's global marketing services team members.
Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/8/29/11G144759/Images/ThinkstockPhotos-73266748-35c6e0bcdf0aa6ad8a4d9d51129106a9.jpg
ZINFI Technologies, Inc.
Christine Chao
Email contact
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- BigRentz, the largest rental logistics company, and Rhode Island-based Construction Equipment Rentals, Inc. joined forces to help Pow! Wow! Worcester with its annual international art and mural festival in Worcester, Ma. BigRentz and CER worked with festival organizers to deliver 23 boom and scissor lifts to five different sites across the city.
The festival kicked off August 25, 2017 and runs through September 2nd. It will feature a variety of community activities, artist competitions and a fundraiser for local art programs. Approximately 29 murals will be completed throughout the city, including a wall at Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center that measures 240-feet across and 33-feet high.
"This is our first year involved with Pow! Wow!, and it's the type of event that BigRentz and our large network of rental suppliers can rally behind," said Brian Weaver, Vice President of Sales of BigRentz. "Pow! Wow! provides Worcester a valuable way to promote art and unite a community. Providing discounted and free equipment and services is a small way that we can help make sure the event is successful."
Jessica Walsh, Co-Director of POW! WOW! Worcester said, "Our festival is dependent on the support of artists, volunteers and businesses like BigRentz and CER. Their equipment and services allow our artists to safely and successfully create their works of art, which will be enjoyed by our community for many years to come."
"CER is always looking for ways to help our local communities, so when BigRentz approached us with this opportunity, it was an easy decision to get involved," stated Mike Travis, general manager of CER. "With so many moving parts, it was important for us to make sure that festival organizers didn't have to worry about equipment. With BigRentz' logistics help, Pow! Wow! received all the equipment and coordination at a great price."
Follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.
About BigRentz
With connections to over 7,500 rental locations, BigRentz is the largest equipment rental logistics company, providing customers with the right tools for all their needs. BigRentz provides aerial equipment: scissor lifts, boom lifts, forklift; dirt equipment and site services to customers in a variety of industries. Visit www.BigRentz.com.
Kevin Wilson
Email Contact
513-898-1008
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/14/17 -- Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX: ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received positive results from Phase I-2017 metallurgical testing conducted by Blue Coast Research Ltd. ("BCR") on its 100%-owned Bayan Khundii Gold Project ("Bayan Khundii") in southwest Mongolia.
Highlights
-- Metallurgical results from two master composites indicate the gold from Bayan Khundii is free milling and amenable to conventional processing techniques. -- Results for two master composite samples included: -- BK-16-03 (4.3 g/t gold): Gold recovery after 48-hours was 96% whereas the 96-hour gold recovery was 97% with a grind size of 80% passing 60 micron, 40% solids and 1.0 g/L NaCN. -- BK-16-04 (4.47 g/t gold): Received full optimization testwork, including variation on grind size, residence time, and sodium cyanide dosage (consumption) as well as assessing the impact on overall recoveries when initial gravity recovery was applied. Gold recoveries, using a target grind size of 80% passing 60 micron, ranged from 91% to 93.4% after 48-hours with overall gold recovery of 95% after 96-hours. -- Grindability studies reported a Bond Rod Mill Work Index of 17.8 kWh/tonne and a Bond Ball Mill Work Index of 16.1 kWh/tonne. -- Phase II testing, focussed on material in the 1.5 g/t to 3 g/t gold range, will continue through Q1-2018.
Phase I-2017 Metallurgical Testwork Summary
The Phase I-2017 metallurgical testing program for Bayan Khundii is the second metallurgical testing program completed to date. The initial metallurgical testwork in 2016 tested two representative, master composite samples from Erdene's initial 2015 drill program at Bayan Khundii. This 2016 testwork included 15 widely spaced drill holes in the Gold Hill and Striker Zones, testing the top 50 metres of the target areas. The results were very encouraging with 99% recovery on the high-grade sample (25.9 g/t gold) and 92% on the low-grade sample (0.7 g/t gold) using a combination of gravity and leach.
The 2017 metallurgical program has been separated into two phases (I and II) to allow for the completion of the 2017 drill program and the production of composites and master composites that are representative of, and best reflect the anticipated average grades of, the gold mineralized system. The objective of Phase I was to provide recovery data on moderately high-grade master composites, assess the recovery variability of the low-grade material to assist in determining optimal cut-off grades, provide grindability data and to complete an initial assessment on the amenability of the low-grade material to heap leach processes. The Phase II program is designed to test variability and ultimately recovery of a collection of composites followed by master composites. Phase II sampling and testing is expected to be initiated in Q4-2017 and continue through Q1-2018.
Master Composite Testing
Two master composite samples were collected from throughout the Striker Zone down to a vertical depth of 100 metres. Individual samples were collected from split drill core from more than 20 different drill holes in each sample with a total combined sample weight of 41 kilograms per composite. The head grades of the two composite samples were 4.30 g/t gold (sample BK-16-03) and 4.47 g/t gold (sample BK-16-04). As the Company advances Bayan Khundii and gains a better understanding of potential mineralized domains it will complete further testwork on lower grade material (1.5 to 3 g/t gold).
Master composite sample BK-16-03 received only leach testing, whereas master composite sample BK-16-04 received full optimization testwork, including variation on grind size, residence time, and sodium cyanide dosage (consumption) as well as assessment of the impact on overall recoveries when initial gravity recovery was applied.
Table 1. Overall Circuit Recoveries for the two Master Composites, 48 hr. leach ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Master Composite Head Grade Gravity 48 hr. Leach Combined ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BK-16-03 4.30 - 96 96 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BK-16-04 4.47 41 88(i) 92 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) % of the gold remaining in the gravity tails
Sample BK-16-03
Leach Testwork
A single test was completed on sample BK-16-03, as a single 96-hour leach test with a grind size of 80% passing 60 micron, 40% solids and 1.0 g/L NaCN. Gold recovery after 48-hours was 96% whereas the 96-hour gold recovery was 97%, indicating a 48-hour period will recover most of the available gold.
Sample BK-16-04
Primary Grind Size
As expected, the highest recovery is associated with the finest grind. An additional 4% in recovery is gained from decreasing the particle size from 160 micron to 60 micron. Gold recovery with a primary grind size of 80% passing 161 micron was 87%. A primary grind of 80% passing 60 micron resulted in an average gold recovery of 91%. Further evaluation of the primary grind size should be conducted on a lower grade composite.
Extended Cyanidation Residence Time
A single test was conducted for a total leach time of 96-hours. The material was ground to 80% passing 60 micron prior to the bottle roll. The standard cyanidation conditions used 40% solids, 1.0 g/L NaCN. Gold recovery after 48-hours was 93.4%, with overall gold recovery of 95% after 96-hours, indicating a 48-hour period will recover most of the available gold, as was noted for sample BK-16-03.
Gravity and Cyanidation Test
A combined gravity and cyanidation test was conducted to determine if the addition of gravity ahead of cyanidation would yield any additional recovery. For this work a 10-kilogram test charge was ground in a laboratory rod mill to 80% passing 60 micron. The ground charge was processed through a laboratory-scale Knelson centrifugal concentrator (MD-3). 41% of the gold reported to the gravity concentrate at a grade of 205 g/t. A subsample of the gravity tails was then leached in a standard bottle roll for 48-hours (40% solids; 1.0 g/L NaCN). Gold recovery through cyanidation was 88%. Combining the results of both tests resulted in an overall gold recovery of 92%. This is in line with the baseline cyanidation results and suggests that initial gravity separation will not increase the overall gold recovery, but could be incorporated into the Bayan Khundii flowsheet to ensure the coarsest gold is removed early in the process and minimize the amount of gold that could be caught in gold traps throughout the plant.
Variability Testing of Low-Grade Material
The Phase I-2017 metallurgical program included a study assessing the potential impact on gold recoveries with increasing depth and variation in character of the low-grade mineralized material. The work included 16 primarily low-grade composite samples that ranged in head grade from 0.37 g/t gold to 2.29 g/t gold, with an average grade of 0.75 g/t gold. Applying standard leach parameters, gold recovery of these low-grade samples averaged 85% after 48-hour leach. Two samples of Striker Zone mineralization, without any vertical constraint and with head grades of 2.30 g/t Au and 1.18 g/t gold, returned recoveries of 93% and 91% respectively. These tests targeted primary grind sizes of 80% passing 60 micron. Very low-grade material from eight composite samples with an average head grade of 0.55 g/t gold returned a recovery of 84% after 48-hour bottle roll tests at a particle size of 58.4 micron. There was some indication that the areas under younger, post-mineralization cover to the north of the Striker Zone may be slightly harder than the Striker Zone area (as evidenced by coarser grind sizes), however recoveries remained consistent supporting additional study on optimizing the primary grind size. Results from the master composite samples, and from lower grade Striker Zone material unconstrained vertically, indicate that good recoveries can be gained from sample material collected from throughout the vertical sequence, however in the very low-grade material there does appear to be a decrease at greater vertical depth which will need further study once expected head grades are established.
Heap Leach Amenability Testing
A series of coarse bottle roll tests were conducted on a composite of Striker Zone material to evaluate if the material would be amenable to heap leaching. These tests were not designed to predict ultimate heap leach recovery. They were designed as screening tests whereby similar recoveries across all particle sizes would suggest the material may be amenable to heap leaching techniques, while poor recovery in the coarser tests would suggest that conventional tank leaching would be preferred.
These tests were conducted as 72-hour bottle rolls with sodium cyanide addition of 2.0 g/L. The material for the three tests was prepared as 100% passing 6 mesh (3.35 mm), 100% passing 10 mesh (1.7 mm) and 80% passing 69 micron. Gold recoveries were 57% on the 3.35 mm material, 63% on the 1.7 mm material and 83% on the 69 micron grind size. The higher recovery associated with the finer grind size suggests that conventional tank leaching would likely yield higher overall recoveries.
Grindability Testing
Standard grindability tests were used to evaluate the energy requirement to grind material from a pre-defined feed size to a final product size. The Bond Rod Mill Work Index was recorded at 17.8 kWh/tonne and the Bond Ball Mill Work Index at 16.1 kWh/tonne. The grindability tests indicate that Bayan Khundii is moderately hard to hard.
Recommendations for Further Work
Based on the success of this second metallurgical testing program, BCR has recommended additional tests to better study the metallurgical characteristics of Bayan Khundii and further optimize recoveries. It is anticipated that the following studies will be initiated in Q4-2017:
- Additional cyanidation process development work on lower grade composites that reflect the average grade of the Bayan Khundii deposit;
- Further variability testing incorporating composites that represent the full range of head grades and depths within Bayan Khundii;
- An extended gravity recoverable gold (E-GRG) test on a sample representing the average grade of the deposit.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC")
Results for the metallurgical test program were provided and approved by Andrew Kelly, P.Eng., of Blue Coast Research Ltd., a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. All other technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Vice President Exploration for Erdene" a Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101.
All drill result samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks. Erdene's sampling protocol for drill core consisted of collection of samples over 1 metre or 2 metre intervals (depending on the lithology and style of mineralization) over the entire length of the drill hole, excluding minor post-mineral lithologies and un-mineralized granitoids. Sample intervals were based on meterage, not geological controls or mineralization. All drill core was cut in half with a diamond saw, with half of the core placed in sample bags and the remaining half securely retained in core boxes at Erdene's Bayan Khundii exploration camp. All samples were organized into batches of 30 samples including a commercially prepared standard, blank, and either a field duplicate, consisting of two 1/4-core intervals, or a laboratory duplicate. Sample batches were periodically shipped directly to SGS in Ulaanbaatar via Erdene's logistical contractor, Monrud Co. Ltd.
Background on Bayan Khundii Gold Project
In Q2-2015, Erdene conducted an initial exploration program on the southern portion of the Company's 100%-owned Khundii exploration license in southwest Mongolia where an early rock-chip sampling program revealed multiple very high-grade surface quartz veins that returned up to 4,380 g/t gold. Since that time, the Company has completed a total of 30,728 metres in 198 diamond drill holes, revealing the presence of very high gold grades, with up to 306 g/t gold over 1-metre intervals, within broad mineralized zones, with up to 131 metres of 3.9 g/t gold, including 80 metres of 6.0 g/t gold. High gold values are relatively common with nearly 20% of the 198 holes drilled to date containing one or more 1 metre samples exceeding 30 g/t gold. The Bayan Khundii gold mineralization is associated with quartz adularia veins and breccias, within veins and fractures and disseminated within the altered host rocks. Visible gold has been identified in several drill holes as irregular-shaped grains, however it is generally observed to be fine grained.
The Company has completed a comprehensive exploration program at Bayan Khundii that has included: geological mapping; soil geochemical surveys; additional surface rock chip sampling; a ground magnetic survey; gradient array and dipole-dipole induced polarization surveys.
In addition to the on-going Bayan Khundii drill program, the Company will complete regional exploration and drilling between Bayan Khundii and its Altan Arrow gold-silver project, located 3.5 kilometres north of Bayan Khundii. The Company also has recently completed a follow-up drill program at its neighboring Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project, located 16 kilometres northwest of Bayan Khundii, where it tested newly defined geophysical targets and completed step-out drilling in areas adjacent to its previously reported NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate at Altan Nar. In conjunction with the above work, Erdene will complete an exploration program in 2017 at its newly optioned Ulaan property, immediately west of Bayan Khundii and Altan Arrow (see August 22, 2017 news release).
The Bayan Khundii/Altan Arrow and Altan Nar projects have a 2% net smelter returns royalty ("NSR Royalty") in favour of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. with a buy-back option to reduce the NSR Royalty to 1%.
About Erdene
Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has four exploration licenses and a mining license in southwest Mongolia. In addition to the Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar projects, other deposits and prospects within these licenses include: Khuvyn Khar - an early-stage, copper-silver porphyry project with multiple drill targets and significant copper intersections; Nomin Tal - a narrow, high grade copper-gold discovery; Zuun Mod - a large molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit; and Altan Arrow - an early-stage gold-silver project. On August 30, 2017 the Company announced it had acquired a 51% interest in the Ulaan license, situated adjacent to its Khundii license which host the Bayan Khundii and Altan Arrow projects. In addition to the above properties, the Company has an Alliance with Teck Resources Limited on regional copper-gold exploration in the prospective Trans Altai region of southwest Mongolia. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. Erdene has 145,963,086 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 156,592,160 common shares.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by many factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE
Contacts:
Erdene Resource Development Corporation
Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO
Ken W. MacDonald, Vice President and CFO
(902) 423-6419
info@erdene.com / www.erdene.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes
HAMBURG, Germany and MINNEAPOLIS, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Acquisition will create leading international provider in the cloud supply chain
management application segments
HighJump provides Korber with a stronger foothold in the US and an advanced software platform for growth within the organization
HighJump forms a further US competence center for group-wide
digitization initiatives
International technology group Korber reinforces its Business Area Logistics Systems with the acquisition of the US-American supply chain software specialists HighJump. The acquisition has been completed with effect from August 28, 2017, after receiving approval from the relevant antitrust authorities.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549499/Korber_Supply_Chain.jpg )
HighJump specializes in the development of software solutions for supply chain management (SCM). The company is headquartered in Minneapolis, USA. HighJump has additional operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. HighJump serves over 4,000 customers across the retail, consumer products, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and food/beverage industries.
HighJump has developed a cloud-ready underlying technology platform called the "HighJump One Platform" which is consistently recognized for being one of the industry's most flexible and adaptable supply chain software platforms. On top of this technology platform the company offers globally leading software applications that provide customers with an integrated view of their entire supply chain: from warehouse management and intralogistics to transport management. The platform enables consistent visibility of all goods flows, with excellent adaptability, and the synchronization of business processes across all channels.
With the acquisition of HighJump and the software companies Inconso, DMLogic and Aberle Software, which already belong to the Korber Group, the Group underlines its claim to be the technology leader in the SCM software segment. "With the acquisition of HighJump we are really putting down a marker in the sector as we are taking a leading international position in the areas of supply chain management and cloud solutions," says Stephan Seifert, Chairman of the Group Executive Board at Korber AG. "We want to be the go-to company worldwide for our customers when it comes to providing support for their successful business development. With its experienced team of experts and its broad customer base HighJump will strengthen our long-term internationalization and growth trajectory. At the same time we are establishing another competence center in the important North American market. In this process, the expertise and experience of our new colleagues will support our group-wide digitization initiatives through mutual exchange within the Group," emphasizes Seifert.
"Only recently, with the acquisition of the US-American logistics software specialists DMLogic, we already gained an important partner for our Business Area," says Hubert Klo, CEO of the Business Area Logistics Systems. "With our new HighJump colleagues on board, we now have a very solid basis, both in Europe and the USA, to continue our dynamic growth rapidly and successfully. The company will be integrated into the Business Unit Software within our Business Area and is another perfect addition to our portfolio."
"Korber AG will be a tremendous long-term strategic and financial partner for HighJump," says Chad Collins, CEO of HighJump. "The leaders from Korber demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction, market leadership through technology and long-term business focus. This is very consistent with HighJump's business philosophy. We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues from the Business Area Logistics Systems such as Inconso, Aberle Software and DMLogic and the entire Korber Group to establish a market leading position in this ever-changing supply chain environment."
The purchase of HighJump will be from its parent company, Accellos Holdings and its primary investor, Accel-KKR, a technology focused investment firm. Both parties agreed not to disclose details of the purchase price. TrueCommerce, a cloud based business-to-business commerce network and former sister company to HighJump will continue to be owned by Accellos Holdings and Accel-KKR.
About Korber
Korber AG is the holding company for an international technology Group with approx. 11,500 employees around the world. The Group comprises leading-edge technology companies and more than 130 production, service, and sales entities. At locations around the globe, Korber combines the benefits of a globally-present organization with the strengths of highly-specialized, flexible, medium-sized enterprises that offer their customers solutions, products, and services in the Business Areas of Automation, Logistics Systems, Machine Tools, Pharma Systems, Tissue, Tobacco and Corporate Ventures.
About HighJump
HighJump is a global provider of supply chain management software that streamlines the flow of inventory and information from supplier to store shelf. With approx. 440 employees worldwide HighJump supports more than 4,000 customers in 66 countries, ranging from SME business to marquee global enterprises. HighJump's functionally rich and highly adaptable end-to-end solutions efficiently manage customers' warehousing, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, delivery routes and retail stores.
About Korber Logistics Systems
The Business Area Logistics Systems, belonging to the international technology group Korber and based in Bad Nauheim, Germany, is the leading provider of fully integrated applications for the optimization of complex internal and external logistics processes. Under the umbrella brand Korber Logistics, the Business Area provides digital solutions for smart factories (production logistics), warehouses, e-commerce, and the management of entire supply chains. In three Business Units, the umbrella brand unites the companies Aberle GmbH and Consoveyo S.A. (System Integration), Langhammer GmbH and Riantics A/S (Product Solutions), Inconso AG, Aberle Software GmbH and DMLogic LLC (Software). They offer an extensive range of products and services, from system integration to technologies for storage, palletizing, de-palletizing and conveyor systems, through to software.
About Accel-KKR
Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with over $4.0 billion in capital commitments. The firm focuses on software and IT-enabled businesses well-positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core of Accel-KKR's investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with the management teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value through significant resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR focuses on middle-market companies and provides a broad range of capital solutions including buyout capital, minority-growth investments, and credit alternatives. Accel-KKR also invests across a wide range of transaction types including private company recapitalizations, divisional carve-outs and going-private transactions. Accel-KKR is headquartered in Menlo Park with additional offices in Atlanta and London.
About TrueCommerce
TrueCommerce revolutionizes trading partner connectivity by linking suppliers, retail hubs and end consumers in one global commerce network. TrueCommerce's Global Commerce Network includes over 92,000 pre-connected retailers, distributors and logistics service providers. With flexible, integrated and fully managed service solutions, customers of any size can easily connect with any trading partner while enjoying the peace of mind of a proven service platform that reliably handles tens of millions of transactions annually without the need for any customer interaction. From the factory to the warehouse, from distributor to retail storefront, customers are able to achieve new levels of business connectivity and performance with the world's most complete trading partner platform.
Further information is available at http://www.koerber.de/en, http://www.koerber-logistics.com/en, http://www.highjump.com, http://www.accel-kkr.com, and http://www.truecommerce.com.
Contact partners:
Henriette Viebig
Head of Group Communications
Korber AG
Tel.: +49-40-211-07-422
Mob.: +49-173-66-96-857
E-mail: henriette.viebig@koerber.de
Matthias Mezele
Senior Manager, Group Communications
Korber AG
.: +49-40-211-07-364
Mob.: +49-173-75-19-148
E-mail: matthias.mezele@koerber.de
Heather K. Smith
Communications Specialist
HighJump
Tel.: +1-800-328-3271 ext. 2717
Mob.: +1-605-203-0605
E-mail: heather.smith@highjump.com
For Accel-KKR:
Todd Fogarty
Kekst
Tel.: +1-212-521-4854
E-mail: todd.fogarty@kekst.com
T.C Thompson bust by Belle Kinney photo by John Shearer Belle Kinneys name on Thompson bust photo by John Shearer Back of John Ross bust photo by John Shearer Inscription on base of Ross bust has Belle Kinneys name photo by John Shearer Additional inscriptions about John Ross photo by John Shearer Up-close view of John Ross bust photo by John Shearer Gen. A.P. Stewart bust photo by John Shearer Looking up at the general photo by John Shearer Belle Kinneys name on Stewart bust photo by John Shearer Tiffany Studios engraving on Stewart bust photo by John Shearer Riverview address where Belle Kinneys sister lived photo by John Shearer McCallie Chapel houses two of Belle Kinneys busts photo by John Shearer Bust of McCallie co-founder J. Park McCallie photo by John Shearer Bust of McCallie co-founder Spencer McCallie Sr. photo by John Shearer Copies of old newspaper clippings about Belle Kinney photo by John Shearer Mailman statue in Federal Building by Leopold Scholz photo by John Shearer Previous Next
Chattanoogans in recent days have been looking closely at the bust of former Confederate Lt. Gen. A.P. Stewart and discussing whether it should remain on the Hamilton County Courthouse lawn.
It is all part of a recent national examination of Confederate monuments regarding what they represent to different people.
If one looks even closer at least physically -- at the roughly century-old Stewart bust, he or she will find the name Belle Kinney inscribed on it along the bottom of the right part of the generals coat.
Miss Kinney -- who was formally known as Belle Marshall Kinney Scholz and was the sister of longtime Chattanoogan Mrs.
Herman (Marie) Renner was considered a talented, well-respected and accomplished sculptor. She also distinguished herself at a time when a proverbial low glass ceiling of opportunity still existed for women in most professions.
Her other works related to the history of the Confederacy include a statue of Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston in downtown Dalton and monuments to the Women of the Confederacy at Nashvilles War Memorial Building and in Jackson, Ms.
But the Confederate-related statues were actually only a small part of her overall work.
A look at old newspaper clippings at the Chattanooga Public Library and sources elsewhere reveals that she designed and created a variety of busts and other pieces of art in a number of locations.
Locally, she designed the bust to early Chattanooga pioneer and chief of the Cherokees John Ross. Sitting amid some boxwoods on the northwest section of the Hamilton County Courthouse lawn, it had been dedicated more than three decades after the Stewart bust.
Other Chattanooga pieces of art by her include busts of McCallie School founders Spencer McCallie Sr. and James Park McCallie in the entrance area of the schools chapel. Also, a bust of former Chattanooga mayor T.C. Thompson sits in the lobby area of T.C. Thompson Childrens Hospital.
She also sculpted a bust of former Provident Life and Insurance Co. head R.J. Maclellan of Chattanooga.
Outside of the area, Miss Kinneys works include two very prestigious commissions for statues of President Andrew Jackson and Tennessee pioneer John Sevier at the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
Her busts of Mr. Jackson, James K. Polk and apparently Andrew Johnson adorn the Tennessee state capitol. They were among her last works. In fact, the pre-cast Polk bust was in her studio in Boiceville, N.Y., in the Catskill Mountains when she died there on Aug. 27, 1959.
Her other prominent works include one of Col. Richard Owen of the Union Army in the Indiana state capitol in Indianapolis. This one which was done during the World War I era about the same time as the A.P. Stewart bust in Chattanooga -- had an unusual back story.
It was greatly funded by Confederate veteran groups due to Col. Owens humane and courteous treatment of Confederate soldiers imprisoned at Camp Morton in Indianapolis during the Civil War.
A bust she did of Adm. and Nashville native Albert Greaves stands at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Md. He was an early 20th century Naval leader who did some work on the testing and development of torpedoes.
Miss Kinney also did a bust of Union Civil War Adm. David Farragut in the state capitol in Nashville, as well as one to Tennessee pioneer Davy Crockett in Trenton, Tn., in Gibson County in the Western part of the state.
She also did a sculpture of Vanderbilt University Dean H.C. Tolman
And with her Austrian-born husband Leopold Scholz to whom she was married from 1921 until his death in 1946 she designed a large bronze Victory statue in the atrium of the Nashville War Memorial Auditorium. They also made some pediments for the Parthenon in Nashville during renovations to the building in the 1920s.
The couple who had met while living in Greenwich Village in New York -- also joined to design a Winged Victory figure in the Bronx, N.Y., in memory of the American and Bronx area effort in World War I. It sits atop a tall column by the Pelham Parkway in Pelham Bay Park. When it was dedicated in 1933, some 100,000 people, including New York Mayor John P. OBrien, attended the ceremony and parade.
Some sources also say Mr. Scholz helped with the two statues in Statuary Hall.
Mr. Scholz individually designed and created a bust very familiar to Chattanoogans the aluminum-cast Mailman or Postman in the Post Office entrance area of the Federal Building downtown.
Miss Kinney was born in 1890 as one of four children of D.C. and Elizabeth Morrison Kinney, who were from well-known Nashville families.
At a very young age, she showed a skill for sculpturing. A bust she did of her father in 1897 won first place in a competition at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition and was displayed in the childrens building.
At the age of 15, she began attending the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied with Lorado Taft.
Dr. Gavin Townsend, a UTC professor of art and architecture, said that Mr. Taft had studied figure sculpture at the Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts in France.
In 1886, Taft brought to Chicago the methods of French academic training, focused of course on life-sized naturalistic figure sculpture both in clay and plaster (in preparation for bronze casting) and marble, he said.
Dr. Townsend added that Mr. Taft was famous for cultivating female sculptors and had already trained several before Miss Kinneys arrival.
In 1907, while at Chicago, Miss Kinney received her first commission, a statue of Jere Baxter, the organizer of the Tennessee Central Railway. The statue now sits at Jere Baxter Middle School in Nashville.
With this work, she was on her way to a successful career spanning more than 50 years and bringing her many fans in the art community and beyond.
Among them is Dr. Townsend. Ive admired Belle Kinneys works for years, he said.
In fact, Dr. Townsend said he has argued that the bust should stay on the courthouse grounds, due in part to the fact that it is a beautiful piece of art.
The bust is a significant work by one of Tennessees great women sculptors, he said, adding that Gen. Stewart also served the United States longer than he did the Confederacy through being a college president and by helping develop the national military park around Chattanooga.
Some people, including the local chapter of the NAACP and County Commissioner Greg Beck, have called for the bust to be removed due to the fact that some find Confederate monuments and symbols offensive because of the past Southern connection to slavery. Others consider them important monuments to history and heritage.
As for Miss Kinney, her commissions seem to indicate that she was a typical white person coming of age in the late 19th and early 20th century South, who understood peoples allegiances to their homeland in a geographic and cultural sense. But all her experiences in different places and her life as an artist likely made her respectful of all people as well.
At least she showed that trait in her sculptures, including the one of Gen. Stewart. It shows a man with a distinguished look, but also one with a tall, dark and handsome quality that could be right out of Hollywood.
It and the other pieces indicate that she obviously had an admiration for the male face.
Dr. Townsend said Miss Kinney tried to place her figures in a positive light while also making them realistic.
I guess you'd call it Beaux-Arts, he said. It's a style that attempted to present figure sculpture, usually life-sized or larger, revealing their subjects in the best light: thoughtful, dignified, proud, yet sometimes with a touch of humility.
Unlike such contemporaries as August Rodin, Kinney didn't want her statues to be passionate expressions of anguish or ecstasy, or to reveal more about the artist than the subject.
While Dr. Townsend admired Miss Kinney as an artist, retired McCallie School headmaster/president Spencer McCallie III liked her as a person.
One of the few local people likely still living who could say he knew Miss Kinney, he actually posed for her as a McCallie student in the 1950s when she was working on the busts of his grandfather, Spencer J. McCallie Sr., and his great-uncle, James Park McCallie.
They were commissioned by the board of trustees at about the time the chapel was being built, recalled the younger Mr. McCallie. I was a preliminary model for my grandfathers bust, because Miss Kinney thought I had the same facial bone structure.
For a week or two I spent some hours a day frozen immobile on a chair in a corner of Davenport Gymnasium while she formed the basis for my bust. On my last day, she put my hair on it, so I could see myself in clay.
Unfortunately we did not take a picture, he said with a laugh, adding that he is not sure how she made the bust of his Uncle Park.
The two busts are located in the lobby of the chapel, their original intended location, according to Mr. McCallie.
Longtime McCallie teacher and archivist-in-residence John McCall said the busts were dedicated as part of the schools 50th anniversary in 1955, which was also the year Spencer III graduated from McCallie. A photograph of him and his father, Spencer Jr., standing next to the bust of Spencer Sr. is in that years McCallie yearbook, the Pennant.
Mr. McCallie said that a year later, Miss Kinney called him about a classmate who became the initial model for a bust of Robert Jardine R.J. Maclellan. It was being planned for the then-Provident Life and Accident Insurance Co., which later merged with Unum.
R.J. Maclellan had headed Provident from the early 1900s through 1952 and died in 1956.
The bust of him was displayed in the firms offices for years, but was later given back to the Maclellan family. Today, it is at the Maclellan Foundation offices at 820 Broad St., a foundation representative said.
Dr. Townsend said that Miss Kinney was also skilled at converting photographs or perhaps drawings into three-dimensional busts, and he thinks that is how she received the commission to do the Gen. Stewart bust. The fact she was a native Tennessean also made her a good choice among the A.P. Stewart chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, some of whom likely knew her, he added.
Besides her name on the A.P. Stewart bust, a closer look at that piece of art reveals the name of Tiffany Studios in New York where it was cast, as well as CSA on his belt buckle and some stars representing his rank on his collar. Miss Kinneys name is accompanied by the date 1917.
Although it was completed then, it was not dedicated on the courthouse lawn until April 1919. Perhaps World War I, the fact the bust and base were too heavy to put in the courthouse as originally planned, and general event planning delayed its unveiling.
Besides her busts, Miss Kinney also made a mark on Chattanooga in a personal way.
Her sister, Marie Renner, lived for years at 1312 Shady Circle in Riverview just off Hixson Pike, and she often visited her. A house still stands at that address, although it is hard to tell if it is the still-intact former Renner home, or a newer or greatly remodeled one. The Renners had lived there dating to before World War II.
Mrs. Renners husband was physician Dr. Herman Renner, who apparently had family connections to Birmingham. Mrs. Renner was his secretary at least part of the time.
He had an office at 501 McCallie Ave. in a now-razed building just across Houston Street from the current First-Centenary United Methodist Church. The building was called Renner Apartments at some point.
Miss Kinney also apparently had a studio in Chattanooga for a period. A report by the Tennessee Historical Commission in the late 1940s said some representatives visited her studio in Chattanooga to look at her bust of Davy Crockett she was working on.
Some old newspaper articles on file at the Chattanooga Public Library also talk about some other visits she made to the Scenic City. In one interview she gave to the Chattanooga News in 1933 while visiting her sister, she called sculpturing the noblest of all the arts.
Sculpture gives the history of a people, she said.
She also gave Jackson Day addresses over radio station WDOD while here in 1947 and 1952, and was the guest of honor at a 1949 luncheon at the Dutch Manor restaurant celebrating a contract signing to produce the John Ross bust.
Mr. McCallie remembered attending the dedication of the John Ross statue on the courthouse lawn in the early 1950s as a McCallie student.
At that time prisoners were still held in the top floor of the courthouse, he recalled. As the covering was pulled from the bust, a prisoner yelled out, Geronimo in a loud, hoarse voice. There was stifled laughter.
The bust of John Ross was also unveiled in 1953 at an event in the New York Times auditorium in New York before its placement in Chattanooga.
Among her other visits, Miss Kinney had also described to a reporter with the Chattanooga Times in 1939 that she wanted the bust of Adm. Gleaves to look undefeatable. And in 1946, she told the Times her bust of Adm. Farragut dealt with the most interesting subject she had ever worked on. She had also insisted it be made out of Tennessee marble, not another kind as the committee initially suggested.
Mr. McCallie said he had later contact with Miss Kinney while he was attending Vanderbilt University and she was spending some time at her home in Nashville. He remembered the encounter as being quite cordial.
She called my fraternity house and invited me to a nice dinner at one of the downtown hotels, he said. We reminisced over the making of my grandfather's bust. She was a kind, lovely person.
Where Miss Kinney was buried after her death in 1959, or whether she was cremated, cannot be found online.
Her brother-in-law Dr. Renner died in 1963. His obituary said he had retired from his medical practice 15 years earlier. Mrs. Renner, Miss Kinneys sister, must have left Chattanooga after 1963, as her name disappeared from the city directories.
Neither couple had children.
While the whereabouts of Miss Kinneys body after her passing apparently is unknown today by historians, her busts and statues representing quite a diversity of American history remain.
And that includes, at least for the immediate present, her most acclaimed local bust that of Confederate Gen. A.P. Stewart.
Jcshearer2@comcast.net
ZeTime Will Be Showcased in September at IFA 2017 in Berlin and For the First Time in the U.S. at MWC Americas in San Francisco
Following a historic crowdfunding campaign raising more than $6 million, MyKronoz, the premier watchmaking brand for the smart generation, today announced the debut of its ZeTime hybrid smartwatch at IFA 2017. The device will be on display and available for demos at IFA September 1-6 in Berlin and for the first time ever in the United States at MWC Americas September 12-14 in San Francisco. Global availability and ship dates have also been announced, with both slated to begin in September.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170830005837/en/
ZeTime MyKronoz (Photo: Business Wire)
The world's first hybrid smartwatch with mechanical hands over a TFT color touchscreen, ZeTime blends the classic design of a traditional Swiss timepiece with the most advanced features of a smartwatch. MyKronoz's proprietary 'Smart Movement' technology enables ZeTime's always-on hands to function for up to 30 days with a single charge, ensuring the primary function of the watch to tell time is always running. The hybrid device is available in size Regular (44mm) and Petite (39mm) and is priced starting at $199.90, making it both aesthetically pleasing and affordable for all.
Being a true crossover wearable with no compromises, ZeTime is a demonstration of the MyKronoz company vision. "ZeTime has already made history thanks to the support of over 30,000 backers, becoming the most-funded hybrid smartwatch and the largest campaign ever from a European company. With this launch, we are not only reimagining the experience consumers have with technology. Most importantly, we are creating a new standard in both wearable and traditional watchmaking industries. This marks a turning point for our company, and shows our commitment to become tomorrow's leader in this new generation of connected watches," says Boris Brault, MyKronoz CEO.
With ZeTime, users can control their phone's functions right from their wrist: view incoming calls, read social networking notifications, check weather forecasts, play music, take a photo, and more. The hybrid smartwatch is also equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer and optical heart-rate sensor to track activity by monitoring heart-rate, steps, distance, calories, active minutes and sleep. ZeTime will also alert users to extended periods of inactivity to encourage them to be more active. Additionally, the device is water resistant to 5 ATM.
Created to fit all styles, ZeTime's elegant aesthetic features a sleek stainless steel watch case, sapphire glass, and a variety of interchangeable digital watch faces and bands including silicon, genuine leather, carbon-fiber and more. ZeTime seamlessly connects via Bluetooth with both Android and iOS phones (Android 5.0+ or iOS 8.0 and above).
For additional product information and where to buy, please visit https://www.mykronoz.com/us/en/press/.
MyKronoz at IFA
September 1-6 in Berlin
iZone Hall 15.1, booth 182
MyKronoz will attend Showstoppers IFA 2017 on Thursday, August 31, 2017, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at South Entrance Hall, Messe Berlin Fairgrounds in Berlin, Germany
MyKronoz at MWC Americas
September 12-14 in San Francisco
North Hall Stand N. 1166
MyKronoz will attend Pepcom MobileFocus America on Monday, September 11, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Metreon City View, 135 4th Street, 4th Floor in San Francisco, California
About MyKronoz
Founded in January 2013, MyKronoz is a Swiss company based in Geneva that designs and develops wearable devices intended to improve increasingly mobile, connected and digital lifestyles. MyKronoz strives to expand and facilitate the mobile-user experience with stylish, intuitive and functional techcessories. Now present in 40 countries, carried by major retailers and partners worldwide: Orange, Auchan, Carrefour, Best Buy, Walmart, Yodobashi, HMV, MyKronoz offers a full range of connected devices spanning across four product categories: activity trackers, smartwatches, hybrid smartwatches and watch phones. With a unique DNA mixing mobile tech and fashion, MyKronoz's goal is to cater to the needs and tastes of the world's most various user types thanks to a full iOS, Android and Windows Phone compatibility at an affordable price. For more information, visit www.mykronoz.com or follow @mykronoz on Twitter.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170830005837/en/
Contacts:
Spark for MyKronoz
Katie Foley
mykronoz@sparkpr.com
Regulatory News:
Sopra Steria (Paris:SOP), a European leader in digital transformation, today finalised its acquisition of Kentor, strengthening its position in Scandinavia.
As stated in the 26 June 2017 press release announcing the proposed acquisition, Sopra Steria acquired 100% of the share capital of Swedish firm Kentor, which until now had been wholly owned by Norwegian group TeleComputing.
This acquisition significantly bolsters Sopra Steria's position in Scandinavia and will boost future growth in the region. Headquartered in Stockholm, Kentor is recognised for its expertise in consulting, systems integration and application maintenance. It posted revenue of 34m in 2016 and has 330 employees.
Kentor will be consolidated in Sopra Steria's accounts as of today.
About Sopra Steria
Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital transformation, provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of offerings on the market, spanning consulting, systems integration, industry-specific solutions, infrastructure management and business process services. It provides end-to-end solutions to address the core business needs of large companies and organisations, helping them remain competitive and grow. Combining added value with innovative high-performance services, Sopra Steria excels in guiding its clients through their transformation projects to help them make the most of digital technology. With over 40,000 employees in more than 20 countries, Sopra Steria generated revenue of 3.7 billion in 2016.
Sopra Steria (SOP) is listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment A) ISIN: FR0000050809
For more information, please visit our website: www.soprasteria.com
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170830005778/en/
Contacts:
Sopra Steria
Investor Relations:
Olivier Psaume, +33 (0)1 40 67 68 16
olivier.psaume@soprasteria.com
or
Press Relations:
Image 7
Simon Zaks, +33 (0)1 53 70 74 63
szaks@image7.fr
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- CLC President Hassan Yussuff will be in Toronto on Labour Day to speak at the Toronto and York Region Labour Council's annual Labour Day parade and to march with thousands of workers and community and union leaders.
This year, Canada's unions are marking Labour Day with the launch of a campaign calling for prescription drug coverage for all Canadians. Find out more at www.aplanforeveryone.ca.
"Today, about 8.4 million working Canadians don't have prescription drug coverage," said Yussuff. "In fact, the less you earn at work, the less likely you are to have the coverage you need. That's especially true for young workers stuck in low-wage, part-time jobs, and we want to change that."
Who: Hassan Yussuff, CLC President What: Labour Day parade, launch of Pharmacare campaign Where: Nathan Phillips Square When: September 4, 2017, 8:45 a.m. (parade leaves at 9:30)
Contacts:
To arrange an interview on or before Labour Day:
Chantal St-Denis
National Representative, Media Relations
613-355-1962
cstdenis@clc-ctc.ca
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - California is proposing a bill to clear off the legal imbalance between the investors and entrepreneurs, that could result in sexual harassment. The effort is to include 'investor' into the list of specific relationships that are prone to sexual harassment in the civil rights act. Currently the list includes employers, teachers, lawyers, social workers, real estate agents, dentists, and other professional roles. There have been an increase in the number of harassment cases against the investors. There have been allegations that when entrepreneurs seek for funding, the male dominated investors pressurized them for sex. Gender inequality, poor treatment of women etc are the other accusations. Venture Capitalist firms are strong in California and they raised $27.6 billion last year. Laws in California will be considered to be pursued by other states. 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.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2017 / Trintech, a leading global provider of integrated, cloud-based Record to Report (R2R) software solutions for the office of finance, today announced that it has been named to both Silicon Review Magazine's "50 Best Companies to Watch in 2017" and CIO Application Magazine's "Top 25 Governance, Risk and Compliance Providers of 2017." These honors continue a trend of excellence for Trintech in 2017 as the market continues to recognize the vision of Trintech and the quality of the innovative solutions it provides to its customers in the office of finance.
"We are honored to have been recognized by both publications as a leader and innovator in this space," says Teresa Mackintosh, CEO at Trintech. "Looking to the future, we are confident that recognitions like these will further provide evidence to leading finance organizations of the value of partnering with Trintech on their financial transformation journeys."
Trintech provides exceptional financial Risk Intelligent Robotic Process Automation (RI RPA) solutions that enable highly qualified finance and accounting personnel to refocus their time and effort away from manual, menial tasks to ensuring the integrity of the period-end numbers and driving the strategic growth of the organization. Trintech's Record to Report RI RPA platform, Cadency, delivers a world-class framework, addressing the entire financial close process through a single, seamless, integrated technology, eliminating the need for multiple single-point solutions. In Trintech's newest release, Cadency 4.0, it further expands its RI RPA capabilities that are proven to greatly reduce the need for risk-inherent manual data entry and adds a critical layer of control to the financial close process.
"We are seeing a strong shift in the market towards Trintech's Risk Intelligent Robotic Process Automation solutions, as leading finance organizations around the world are realizing the value of financial transformation," affirms Mackintosh. "These organizations are not only benefiting from a strong return on their investment, but they are also achieving a strong competitive advantage over their peers as their focus becomes more strategic for the organization."
Among these awards, Trintech has also been recognized as one of CIO Review's "20 Most Promising SAP Solution Providers" for 2017, and as Insights Success Magazine's "10 Most Valuable SAP Solution Providers of 2017."
About Trintech
Trintech, Inc. pioneered the development of Financial Corporate Performance Management (FCPM) software to optimize the Record to Report process. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, journal entries, bank fee analysis, reporting, governance, risk and compliance - Trintech's portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency, Trintech Disclosure Management, ReconNET and T-Recs, help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 1,700 clients worldwide - including the majority of the Fortune 100 - rely on our cloud-based software to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve governance and transparency across global financial organizations.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Kelli Shoevlin
1 (972) 739-1680
Kelli.Shoevlin@trintech.com
SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.
KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2018 / Golden Ridge Resources Ltd. ("Golden Ridge" or the "Company") (TSX-V: GLDN) is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the upcoming PDAC International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange from March 4th to 7th, 2018. Golden Ridge will be located in the Investors Exchange for the B session (Tuesday & Wednesday) at booth 2620B.
HANK PROJECT
Maiden 4,250m drill program on Golden Ridge's Hank Epithermal Au-Ag-Pb-Zn property located in BC's Golden Triangle returned highlight intercepts of: 24.15g/t Au-Eq over 4.13m (HNK-17-001), 2.60g/t Au-Eq over 60.27m (HNK-17-007), and 7.04g/t Au-Eq over 21.62m (HNK-17-009).
NORTH CANOL PROJECT
13,180 hectare North Canol Co-Ag-Zn project, located adjacent to Fireweed Zincs' Tom and Jason deposit in Macmillan Pass, Yukon. The project is highlighted by over 20km of anomalous Co, Zn, Ag, Pb and Cu in streams, including up to 906ppm Co (>99.9th percentile).
About Golden Ridge Resources:
Golden Ridge is a TSX-V listed exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties located in British Columbia. Golden Ridge currently has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the 1,700-hectare Hank gold-silver-lead-zinc property located in the Golden Triangle district, approximately 140 kilometres north of Stewart, British Columbia. Golden Ridge may earn the 100% interest by performing $1.7M of exploration work by the end of 2018.
For more information, please contact:
Golden Ridge Resources Ltd.
Mike Blady
Chief Executive Officer
Tel: (250) 768-1168
Website: www.goldenridgeresources.com
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at http://www.sedar.com/ for further information.
SOURCE: Golden Ridge Resources Ltd.
Technavio has announced the top six leading vendors in their recentagriculture seeder market in North Americareport until 2021. This research report also lists seven other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170830005119/en/
Technavio has published a new report on the agriculture seeder market in North America from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)
The agriculture seeder market in North America is growing at steady state and gaining traction due to the advances in technology. The demand for agriculture seeder products in North America is growing due to ease of operations and advent in technology. Agriculture seeders eliminate the need for manual plowing and tilling of land. Many vendors in the market have developed agriculture seeders such as planters, air seeders, and seed drills. These products replace the conventional seeding and planting technologies used by farmers.
Competitive vendor landscape
The agriculture seeder market in North America is a concentrated market with the presence of large multinational vendors and small vendors. The competition among the existing players in the market is high. However, the intensity and scope of the competition differ significantly based on the product. The competition is expected to intensify further with an increase in product/service extensions, technological innovations, and M&As. Companies with better financial and technical resources develop innovative products to attain competitive advantage; this strategy makes the competitors' products outdated and uncompetitive even before they are launched and costs are recovered. Therefore, the vendors in the market need to develop new technologies to maintain their competitiveness in the market.
Sharan Raj, an industry expert at Technavio for research on agricultural equipment, says, "Factors such as rapid advances in technology and intense competition will pose a risk to market growth during the forecast period. To sustain in the market, the vendors have to distinguish their product and service offerings through a clear and unique value proposition, or else the vendors will not survive the highly competitive environment. Additionally, they must develop higher functionality and continue upgrading to keep pace with the latest technological developments, failing which they might lose relevance in the market."
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Top six agriculture seeder market vendors in North America
AGCO
AGCO engages in designing, manufacturing, and marketing agricultural solutions. It sells its products through its brands Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra. The company operates its business through the different segments which include hay tools and forage equipment, implements, and other equipment.
Bourgault Industries
Bourgault Industries is engaged in designing, manufacturing, and distributing farm equipment. The company sells its products through a network of dealers in Canada and the US. Its offerings include air seeders, air drills, tillage, harrows and packers, and other farm equipment products. The company offers the different products to its customers, which include air seeders, air drills, tillage, harrows and packers, fertilizer application systems, grain carts, and mid-row banders.
CNH Industrial
CNH Industrial engages in designing, producing, marketing, selling, and financing agricultural and construction equipment, commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses worldwide. The company operates its business through the agricultural segment, which includes farm machinery and implements and others segment which includes construction equipment, commercial vehicles, powertrain products, and financial services.
Deere Company
Deere Company is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of construction, forestry, agricultural, and commercial and consumer equipment. It supplies replacement parts for its own products and for other manufacturers. The company operates its business through agriculture and turf segments.
Morris Industries
Morris Industries engages in the manufacturing and selling of air carts, air drills, air seeders, packer and harrow bars, press drills, and bale carriers. The company operates its business through the different segments, which include air carts, air drills, air seeder, packer and harrow bars, press drills, and bale carriers.
Seed Hawk
Seed Hawk engages in the manufacturing and distribution of seeding, planting, and tillage equipment. The company operates its business through the different segments, which include seeding system, innovations, and parts and services.
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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/20170830005119/en/
Contacts:
Technavio Research
Jesse Maida
Media Marketing Executive
US: +1 844 361 1100
UK: +44 203 893 3200
www.technavio.com
DUBLIN, August 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The "Global Automotive Four-wheel Drive Vehicle Market 2017-2021" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.
The global automotive four-wheel drive vehicle market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.34% during the period 2017-2021.
The report, Global Automotive Four-wheel Drive Vehicle 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.
One trend in the market is development of intelligent torque vectoring for AWD. The advent of technological innovations is enabling the integration of advanced systems in automotive 4WD. Torque vectoring is one such system that helps the vehicle have control over the power and torque distribution to individual wheels. This provides better vehicle stability, improved performance, and superior handling characteristics.
According to the report, one driver in the market is booming global SUV market with growing volume sales. In 2016, sales in the global automotive industry skyrocketed in almost every class of vehicles. Of all the vehicle categories and segments, SUVs and crossovers exhibited the highest sales growth. Pickup trucks also form one of the fastest growing segments with their growing popularity and increased usage for personal purposes. In the US, the sales of SUVs and crossovers increased by about 10% in the overall passenger car market in 2015.
Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is advanced 4WD increasing the overall vehicle cost. The automotive 4WD system involves the use of advanced materials, parts, and components for its development and manufacturing. The basic setup involves differentials, transfer case, rear-drive shaft, rear axle, and advanced electronics. The other important components, such as the torque vectoring system and limited-slip differentials, are some of the advanced functionalities that are used in premium and luxury segment of SUVs and sedans.
Key vendors
BorgWarner
GKN
Linamar
Magna
ZF Friedrichshafen
Other prominent vendors
American Axle & Manufacturing
Dana
Hitachi Automotive Systems
JTEKT
Key Topics Covered:
Part 01: Executive Summary
Part 02: Scope Of The Report
Part 03: Research Methodology
Part 04: Introduction
Part 05: Market Landscape
Part 06: Market Segmentation By Vehicle Type
Part 07: Market Segmentation By Geography
Part 08: Decision Framework
Part 09: Drivers And Challenges
Part 10: Market Trends
Part 11: Vendor Landscape
Part 12: Key Vendor Analysis
Part 13: Appendix
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vll25c/global_automotive
Media Contact:
Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470
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OAK BROOK, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) announces that it will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross in support of the relief and recovery efforts for families impacted by Hurricane Harvey. In addition, the company announced a $250,000 employee matching program.
"In the aftermath of this tragic storm, we are seeing the inherent kindness and character of Americans as we pull together to help all of those affected by the devastation," said McDonald's U.S. President Chris Kempczinski. "We stand ready to help those in need as they recover and rebuild."
"As local business people, we have seen firsthand how Hurricane Harvey has affected our customers, employees, and neighbors," said Matthew Kades, President of the McDonald's Owner/Operators Association of Greater Houston. "We continue to pray for the safety of each and every family affected by this terrible storm. We are confident Houston will recover from the incredible damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, and we hope this donation will help us get there a little quicker."
On the ground, local McDonald's restaurants have been assisting with relief efforts by donating thousands of water bottles to the local Red Cross and open McDonald's restaurants in the Houston area are providing free meals to first responders.
While approximately 130 McDonald's restaurants remain closed at this time, locations continue to open as conditions allow.
"Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and customers, and local teams are working to re-open restaurants as soon as possible to serve their communities," Kempczinski added.
About McDonald's
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 85 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- The original innovators of online storage auctions at SelfStorageAuction.com announced today that the company is expanding its service to meet the needs of storage facilities in Australia and New Zealand.
"SelfStorageAuction.com is now the only online storage auction service to operate outside of North America, and that is a strategic move," said the company CEO and President Jim Grant. "The availability of and demand for self storage avenues in overseas countries is nowhere near what it is in the United States, of course, but it is growing steadily. By being first in the market, we are positioning ourselves to become the dominant player in online storage auctions internationally, just as we did with Storage Battles* in the United States in 2012."
SelfStorageAuction.com also hosts online storage auctions for facilities in Canada, and expects to enter the United Kingdom market soon. Along with Grant's deep connections in the self storage industry worldwide, a key driver of this expansion was the integration of technology into the website's platform that allows it to accept any international currency from both facilities and storage auction buyers.
SelfStorageAuction.com provides a newer, faster and easier-to-use website for self storage auctions. The company has a designated International Accounts Manager and 24-hour customer service to work with facilities both at home and abroad one-on-one to maximize profit and efficiency.
SelfStorageAuction.com is a member of the Self Storage Association of Australasia (SSAA), which represents approximately 1,500 self-storage facilities across Australia and New Zealand.
About SelfStorageAuction.com
SelfStorageAuction.com offers self storage facilities the most versatile online auction platform in the industry with integration with all management software systems. Our website provides a platform that is efficient and easy to post past due liened units. Our knowledgeable and trusted staff provides first-hand experience to facilitate your auction process and obtain you the highest loss recovery possible. SelfStorageAuction.com is reinventing the online auction industry and is the first company to offer these services internationally throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and soon the United Kingdom. Call 480-900-8350 or visit our website for more information.
*SelfStorageAuction.com is not affiliated with StorageBattles.com
Media Contacts:
Vanessa Showalter
Email Contact
Genevieve Anton
Email Contact
With all the talk of Confederate statue removal, I fully expected more of the same when I read about the county mayors press conference scheduled for Aug. 29.
But instead of erasing our past, County Mayor Coppinger decided to focus on our future. The mayor displayed real leadership in advocating for more money for our schools, our infrastructure and our jail. Such leadership is rare in this time of political bitterness, when most politicians will say and do almost anything to stay in office.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for doing the right thing, not the easy thing. I urge the County Commission to follow his lead and work to Make Chattanooga Great Again.
C. Mark Warren, Esq.
* * *
I would like to express support for Mayor Coppinger's plan to maintain the current property tax millage rate. Of course, no one likes higher taxes. But, when I can see the money not being wasted, I am 100 percent for it.
The county has lagged behind in practically every phase of government. One reason for the overcrowding at the jail is our education system. Harrison needs a new elementary school, other schools need new roofs, and my end of the county needs a functional community track.
I urge Commissioner Randy Fairbanks and all the other commissioners to vote for this plan to upgrade our school system and give Superintendent Johnson what he needs to succeed.
Mayor Coppinger has been very conservative with the county money and I commend him for it. His conservative leadership will continue with the extra money generated. I am sure this was not an easy decision for him, but certainly a necessary one. Thank you, mayor.
Steve Slater
Chairman, Soddy Daisy Trojan Fund
TITUSVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2017 / Preventable hospital errors lead to the deaths of thousands of Americans annually, but lives are being saved because Parrish Medical Center (PMC) and a growing number of other U.S. hospitals are making patient safety their priority, the leader of one of America's premier healthcare safety organizations told PMC care partners this month.
Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit organization promoting "giant leaps" in healthcare quality and safety, was in Titusville on Aug. 8 to tour PMC and congratulate its board of directors and staff on being one of only 63 (of 2,600) U.S. hospitals since 2012 to earn the Leapfrog Group's patient safety 'A' grade in every grading period to date.
PMC is the sole central Florida hospital over that same period to achieve straight-A grades from The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group estimates that preventable hospital errors cost some 1,000 Americans their lives every day.
"People's lives and health are better protected in hospitals that make safety their priority," Binder told PMC board members, administration, employees and volunteers gathered in the hospital's atrium. "To earn four straight 'A' grades is evidence, for everyone to see, of Parrish Medical Center's determination to serve its patients well and safely."
The average cost of a hospital-acquired surgical site infection is $39,000, demonstrating the financial impact that is also affected by hospital safety, she said.
"Hospital safety can't be a slogan, an objective, or a desire; it has to be a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute commitment and practice because lives are literally at stake," said George Mikitarian, PMC president and CEO.
"PMC was honored that Leah Binder would come here personally to tour the hospital, and to meet the care partners responsible for not only setting patient safety as a goal, but achieving it in a manner equaled by few American hospitals," Mikitarian said.
The Leapfrog Group was formed by employers and other large healthcare purchasers to bring about significant healthcare improvements. The Leapfrog Group's Hospital Survey enables healthcare purchasers to make informed decisions on which hospitals are safest and where they can receive the highest-value care.
The Leapfrog Group assigns A, B, C, D, and F, grades based on a composite of 30 safety measures covering injuries, infections, and errors. Included in the survey are management practices that promote quality and safety; maternity care outcomes; high-risk procedure outcomes; and hospital acquired condition prevalence and medication safety.
A recent national example of the importance of hospital safety was the aftermath of the June 14 shooting in Arlington, Va., of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise. His condition, at first listed as critical, improved to fair until an infection caused him to be readmitted to the intensive care unit. The hospital in which Rep. Scalise was treated had received a 'D' grade from The Leapfrog Group.
"PMC is one of America's safest hospitals," Mikitarian said. "We're grateful to Ms. Binder for coming here personally to deliver that message to all PMC care partners."
Left to right: Aluino Ochoa, MD, president, Parrish Medical Staff; Herman Cole, Jr., PMC board chairman; George Mikitarian, PMC president and CEO; Leah Binder, The LeapFrog Group president and CEO; and Edwin Loftin, PMC vice president, Acute Care Services/CNO
For a brief video of Leah Binder being interviewed by USA Today's Jayne O'Donnell following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise: https://www.usatoday.com/search/leah%20binder/
To review the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for Brevard County hospitals: http://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/search?findBy=zip&zip_code=32926&radius=50&city=&state_prov=&hospital
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 and based in Washington, D.C., The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care purchasers, using their collective influence to foster positive change in U.S. health care. Leapfrog is the nation's premier advocate of hospital transparency - collecting, analyzing and disseminating hospital data to inform value-based purchasing. The Leapfrog Group uses national performance measures from numerous sources, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other survey methods, to twice annually survey some 2,600 U.S. general acute-care hospitals.
About Parrish Medical Center
Parrish Medical Center (PMC), a Parrish Healthcare integrated care partner, is located at 951 N. Washington Ave., Titusville, Florida. The 210-bed, not-for-profit acute care public medical center has been serving Brevard County for nearly 60 years. PMC is nationally recognized as One of America's finest healing environments. PMC has earned top rankings on The SafeCare Group's Top 100 SafeCare Hospitals since 2015. The Joint Commission consistently names PMC as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures, recognizing PMC for "exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes that are shown to improve care." The hospital has earned straight "A" safety ratings (since 2012) from The Leapfrog Group. In 2014, Consumer Reports recognized PMC as Florida's safest hospital. PMC, as compared to other U.S. hospitals, maintains top-tier national rankings for clinical outcomes, safety and patients' experiences. For more information, visit www.parrishmed.com.
CONTACT:
VERONICA DENT, APR
DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICES
321-268-6110
SOURCE: Parrish Medical Center
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2017 / Over the course of the past decade, new and lesser-known vineyards outside of Napa Valley have produced outstanding vintages that have received international acclaim at an unprecedented rate. As California's viticulture landscape begins to shift dramatically, international wine consultant Steven Zoernack shared his thoughts on the state's emerging grape regions that will come to define the industry.
A few miles from the Pacific Ocean in southern San Luis Obispo County, the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys have become home to some of the west coast's most championed winemakers. Situated in between steep volcanic peaks, the area is full of wildly varying soils and has a tradition growing Chardonnay that dates back to the early 1970s. The region has grown to be respected for the quality and consistency of its wines. Despite these successes, water scarcity and a handful of big companies who dominated the valleys for many years have made it difficult for emerging winemakers to establish brands that could achieve national acclaim. As the economic environment becomes more favorable to independent growers, local wines are earning spots on wine lists around the world. Combined with a re-energized marketing effort from the San Luis Obispo Wine Country group, Steven Zoernack foresees the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys developing considerably in the coming years.
Further south from the Central Coast is Temecula Valley, a region of rolling hills in southern Riverside County where grapes have been grown since the 1960s. In recent years, the wineries here have undergone a collective effort to focus intently on their vineyards and prioritize quality. As a result, they began to produce bottles that are competing against California's most established regions. Temecula was known for its young, on the rise, independent growers throughout the 1970s and 80s, but took a major setback in the late 1990s when Pierce's disease decimated the region's vineyards. Essentially starting anew, the vintners who stayed began replanting with varietals and clones that thrive in the valley's hot summers and low rainfall. Their dedication is paying off, and in addition to significant improvements in quality, the area is quickly becoming the country's top destination for wine country outings.
Steven Zoernack attended Boston University's School of Engineering and Fordham University's School of Economics at Lincoln Center in New York. After a thirty-year career in the financial services sector, employed by some of the most prestigious investment banks of the times including Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, Zoernack opted to follow a lifelong passion and pursue a profession in the agricultural industry as an independent wine consultant, conducting wine tastings and reviews for California's most prestigious wineries. In the coming years, Zoernack plans to branch into vineyard ownership, management and winemaking, with a focus on organic farming.
Steven Zoernack: http://stevenzoernack.com
Steven Zoernack (@StevenZoernack) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenzoernack
Steven Zoernack - | crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/steven-zoernack-2
Contact Information:
StevenZoernack.com
contact@stevenzoernack.com
http://stevenzoernack.com
SOURCE: Steven Zoernack
CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2017 / Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the fiscal 2018 first quarter, to be held Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.
Live Event Information
To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event.
Date, Time: August 31, 2017 at 11:00 AM ET
Toll Free: 877-407-9210
International: 201-689-8049
Live Webcast: http://www.investorcalendar.com/event/20005 or www.methode.com
Replay Information
The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on October 1, 2017.
Toll Free: 877-481-4010
International: 919-882-2331
Replay ID#: 20005
Webcast: www.investorcalendar.com or www.methode.com
About Methode Electronics, Inc.
Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI) is a global developer of custom engineered and application specific products and solutions with manufacturing, design and testing facilities in China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. We design, manufacture and market devices employing electrical, electronic, wireless, safety radio remote control, sensing and optical technologies to control and convey signals through sensors, interconnections and controls. Our business is managed on a segment basis, with those segments being Automotive, Interface, Power Products and Other. Our components are in the primary end markets of the automobile, computer, information processing and networking equipment, voice and data communication systems, consumer electronics, appliances, aerospace vehicles and industrial equipment industries. Further information can be found on Methode's Website at www.methode.com.
SOURCE: Investor Network
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- VVC Exploration Corporation ("VVC" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: VVC) announces that its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") took place on August 25, 2017 and that the shareholders approved the election of all Directors proposed by Management. With the exception of Scott Hill (http://ir.theice.com/governance/management/scott-hill), those elected were the existing Directors of the Company. In addition, shareholders approved all other matters presented at the AGM, including the re-appointment of MNP LLP as auditors of the Company. The aggregate votes cast at the AGM represented 40,881,101 shares or 22.5% of all issued and outstanding shares.
Following the formal part of the AGM chaired by Terrence Martell, the President of the Company, Jim Culver, updated the attendees on the status of the Company. Subsequently, Andre St-Michel, leading consultant to the Company in Mexico, and Peter Dimmell, a Director and the Qualified Person of the Company, provided reviews of the Company's Samalayuca Project. These reviews included the results of a recent ground magnetic survey used to help plan the drilling program which started on August 24, 2017 The magnetic survey shows the mineralized zones, as mined by gambusinos (artisanal miners) in the 1950's and 1960's, lie over magnetic lows which extend along strike away from the historically mined open pits. Both Samalayuca presentations will be posted on the VVC website.
In a subsequent Board Meeting, the Directors reappointed the following executive officers for VVC:
-- Jim Culver, President and CEO -- Terrence Martell, Chairman of the Board -- Kevin Barnes, Chief Financial Officer -- Michel Lafrance, Secretary-Treasurer
The Company also announces the grant of incentive stock options under its stock option plan, to officers, directors and consultants of the Company, to purchase up to an aggregate of 10,250,000 common shares, representing 5.6% of the outstanding shares of the Company. The stock options are exercisable at a price of CA$0.05 per share expiring August 30, 2026. Pursuant to the TSX Venture Exchange policies, the exercise price was fixed at the minimum allowable price. The options, granted in accordance with the provisions of the Company's stock option plan, are subject to the TSX Venture Exchange policies and the applicable securities laws.
About VVC Exploration Corporation
VVC is a Canadian exploration and mining company with projects in Mexico and Canada, including the Samalayuca copper property in Chihuahua State, and gold and silver prospects in Sonora and Sinaloa States, Mexico. The Company also has a grassroots gold/VMS prospect in the Timmins area of northern Ontario.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Michel J. Lafrance, Secretary-Treasurer
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.
Contacts:
VVC Exploration Corporation
Patrick Fernet
(514) 631-2727
pfernet@vvcexploration.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/30/17 -- Partners Value Investments Inc. (the "Company") announced today its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2017. All amounts are stated in US dollars.
The Company recorded an increase in net book value during the first quarter to $2.8 billion ($37.45 per share). The increase is primarily due to an increase in investment income earned and the quoted market prices of the Company's long-term investment portfolio. The market price of Brookfield Asset Management ("Brookfield") Class A common shares increased 8% during the quarter to $39.21 per share.
The net loss for the quarter was $75 million, down from net income of $30 million in the prior year quarter. The decrease is primarily driven by the recognition of valuation losses on the change in value of the warrant liability. Adjusting for the warrant liability valuation loss, net income for the quarter was $7 million.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited) For the periods ended June 30 (Thousands, US dollars) Three months ended Six months ended ------------------------ ------------------------ 2017 2016 2017 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Investment income Dividends $ 28,797 $ 15,452 $ 47,013 $ 30,111 Other investment income 119 2,434 1,513 3,786 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 28,916 17,886 48,526 33,897 Expenses Operating expenses (1,642) (4,879) (2,760) (6,061) Financing costs (1,007) (311) (1,788) (401) Retractable preferred share dividends (6,271) (5,979) (12,629) (12,211) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ 19,996 6,717 31,349 15,224 Other items Investment valuation (losses) gains 2,552 26,304 15,134 26,547 Warrant liability valuation gain (loss) (81,715) - (96,161) - Amortization of deferred financing costs (495) (467) (968) (883) Change in value of fund unit liability - (1,254) - (848) Income taxes (3,903) (7,202) (6,715) (13,831) Foreign currency (losses) gains (10,942) 6,140 (12,363) 24,989 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Net income (loss) $ (74,507) $ 30,238 $ (69,724) $ 51,198 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
Financial Profile and Net Book Value
The Company's principal investment is its interest in 86 million Class A Limited Voting Shares ("Brookfield shares") of Brookfield, representing a 9% fully-diluted interest as at June 30, 2017. In addition, the Company owns a diversified investment portfolio of marketable securities.
The information in the following table shows the changes in net book value:
For the period ended June 30, 2017 (Thousands, US dollars, except per share amounts) Three months ended Six months ended ------------------------- ------------------------- Total Per Share Total Per Share ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net book value, beginning of period(1) $ 2,621,685 $ 35.65 $ 2,347,968 $ 31.93 Net income(2) (74,507) (1.02) (69,724) (0.95) Other comprehensive income(2) 212,274 2.89 486,832 6.62 Dividends (5,275) (0.07) (10,899) (0.15) ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Net book value, end of period(1,3) $ 2,754,177 $ 37.45 $ 2,754,177 $ 37.45 --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- (1) Net book value per common share is non-IFRS measure. (2) The weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the three months ended June 30, 2017 was 73,543,831 (2016 - 73,546,897). (3) As at June 30, 2017, there were 73,543,831 (December 31, 2016 - 73,543,831) common shares of the Company issued and outstanding on a fully diluted basis.
The information in the following table has been extracted from the Company's Statement of Financial Position:
Statement of Financial Position
As at June 30, December (Thousands, US dollars, except per share amounts) 2017 31, 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 21,606 $ 5,544 Investments Brookfield Asset Management Inc.(1) 3,365,748 2,829,156 Other securities 756,864 612,734 Accounts receivable and other assets 7,487 20,881 ------------ ------------ $ 4,151,705 $ 3,468,315 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ Liabilities and shareholders' equity Accounts payable and other liabilities $ 195,951 $ 119,196 Preferred shares(2) 541,474 521,155 Warrant liability 241,172 139,526 Deferred taxes(3) 418,931 340,470 ------------ ------------ 1,397,528 1,120,347 Shareholders' equity Common equity 2,754,177 2,347,968 ------------ ------------ $ 4,151,705 $ 3,468,315 ------------ ------------ Net book value per common share(4,5) $ 37.45 $ 31.93 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ (1) The investment in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. consists of 86 million Brookfield shares with a quoted market value of $39.21 per share as at June 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - $32.96). (2) Represents $548 million of retractable preferred shares less $7 million of unamortized issue costs as at June 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - $529 million less $8 million). (3) The deferred tax liability represents the potential future income tax liability of the Company recorded for accounting purposes based on the difference between the carrying values of the Company's assets and liabilities and their respective tax values, as well as giving effect to estimated capital and non- capital losses. (4) As at June 30, 2017, there were 73,543,831 (December 31, 2016 - 73,543,831) voting and non-voting common shares of the Company issued and outstanding on a fully diluted basis. (5) Net book value per common share is a non-IFRS measure.
Director of Finance Appointment
Partners Value Investments Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Adil Mawani as the Director of Finance of the Company, effective September 1, 2017. Mr. Mawani is a Chartered Accountant who also acts as a Director of Finance for Partners Value Investments LP, the parent company of Partners Value Investments Inc. Mr. Mawani will be replacing Vu Nguyen as the certifying officer of the financial statements.
Note: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words "potential" and "estimated" and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements with regard to the Company's potential future income taxes.
Although the Company believes that its anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond its control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to: the financial performance of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchanges rates; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in tax laws, catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in the Company's documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.
The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
Investor Relations
647-503-6516
ir@pvii.ca
Late-breaking data evaluating Opdivo as adjuvant therapy for resected high-risk melanoma and in combination with Yervoy in previously untreated renal cell carcinoma to be presented
New analyses of emerging biomarkers in four tumor types to help inform patient selection
Research in advanced melanoma assesses potential of Opdivo plus anti-LAG-3 antibody relatlimab in patients whose disease progressed during anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy
Long-term survival and safety data to be presented for Opdivo in advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced more than 60 presentations, including seven late-breaking abstracts, from its Oncology portfolio will be featured at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress in Madrid, Spain, September 8-12. Presentations of data from company-sponsored studies, clinical collaborations and investigator-sponsored research will explore the potential role of Opdivo (nivolumab) as monotherapy and in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab); with relatlimab (formerly known as BMS-986016), a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3); or with chemotherapy in 13 types of cancer and analyses that provide insights into the potential role of biomarkers to predict patients' treatment response.
Presentations that illustrate the company's approach include the following:
Late-breaking research to be featured in Presidential Symposia from CheckMate -238 evaluating the safety and efficacy of adjuvant Opdivo in resected high-risk melanoma, and from CheckMate -214 on Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma.
in resected high-risk melanoma, and from CheckMate -214 on in combination with in previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma. Additional late-breaking presentations featuring the first disclosures of data on Opdivo in advance of surgery in squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, from CheckMate -358, and for Opdivo following induction treatment in triple-negative breast cancer.
in advance of surgery in squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, from CheckMate -358, and for following induction treatment in triple-negative breast cancer. Late-breaking updated efficacy results from an ongoing study of relatlimab in combination with Opdivo in patients with melanoma who progressed during prior anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in all-comer and biomarker-enriched populations.
in patients with melanoma who progressed during prior anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in all-comer and biomarker-enriched populations. Analyses of emerging biomarkers, including tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, LAG-3, T cell infiltration and immune cell profiles, that may help inform more precise treatment approaches. Data on the clinical impact of a fixed duration of Opdivo in non-small cell lung cancer from CheckMate -153 will also be presented.
in non-small cell lung cancer from CheckMate -153 will also be presented. Additional data evaluating Opdivo-basedcombinations that are rationally designed based on BMS' deep understanding of cancer biology, including studies of Opdivo in combination with Yervoy, and the first disclosure of data from ONO-37 on the safety and clinical activity of Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy in previously untreated gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer.
The full set of data from research investigating the company's I-O medicines includes the following:
Gastrointestinal Malignancies A phase 3 study of nivolumab in previously treated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: updated results and subset analysis by PD-L1 expression (ATTRACTION-02/ONO-4538-12) Author: N. Boku Abstract #617O Proffered Paper Session: Gastrointestinal Tumors, Non-Colorectal 1 Friday, September 8, 2:51-3:03 PM CEST, Barcelona Auditorium Two-year survival and safety update for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab (ATTRACTION-01/ONO-4538-07) Author: Y. Kitagawa Abstract #638P Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Interim safety and clinical activity of nivolumab in combination with S-1/capecitabine plus oxaliplatin in patients with previously untreated unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer: part 1 study of ATTRACTION-04/ONO-4538-37 Author: Y-K. Kang Abstract #671P Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Nivolumab in patients with advanced chemotherapy-refractory esophagogastric cancer according to microsatellite instability status: CheckMate -032 Author: P. Ott Abstract #674P Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 ATTRACTION-04/ONO-4538-37: A randomized, multicenter, phase 2/3 study of nivolumab plus chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated advanced or recurrent gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer Author: L.-T. Chen Abstract #777TiP Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 ATTRACTION-05/ONO-4538-38/BMS CA209844: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- controlled phase 3 study of nivolumab in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage III gastric and esophagogastric junction cancer Author: M. Terashima Abstract #778TiP Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Real-world productivity, healthcare resource utilization, and quality of life in patients with advanced gastric cancer in Canada and Europe Author: G. Maglinte Abstract #1112PD Poster Discussion Session: Public Health Policy and Health Economics Saturday, September 9, 4:30-5:45 PM CEST, Tarragona Auditorium Analysis of tumor PD-L1 expression and biomarkers in relation to clinical activity in patients with deficient DNA mismatch repair/high microsatellite instability metastatic colorectal cancer treated with nivolumab ipilimumab: CheckMate -142 Author: T. Andre Abstract #484PD Poster Discussion Session: Gastrointestinal Tumors, Colorectal Sunday, September 10, 3-4 PM CEST, Sevilla Auditorium Genitourinary Cancer Medical costs and health care resource use in elderly U.S. patients with newly diagnosed metastatic or surgically unresectable urothelial carcinoma using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare data Author: A. Aly Abstract #1131P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 A phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of adjuvant nivolumab vs placebo in patients with high-risk invasive urothelial carcinoma (CheckMate -274) Author: D. Bajorin Abstract #921TiP Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Impact of tumor mutation burden on nivolumab efficacy in second-line urothelial carcinoma patients: exploratory analysis of the phase 2 CheckMate -275 study Author: M. Galsky Abstract #848PD Poster Discussion Session: Genitourinary Tumors, Non-Prostate Sunday, September 10, 2:45-4:15 PM CEST, Cordoba Auditorium Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, T cell infiltration, and outcomes with nivolumab in urothelial cancer Author: M. Galsky Abstract #850PD Poster Discussion Session: Genitourinary Tumors, Non-Prostate Sunday, September 10, 2:45-4:15 PM CEST, Cordoba Auditorium CheckMate -214: Efficacy and safety of nivolumab ipilimumab v sunitinib for treatment-naive advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, including IMDC risk and PD-L1 expression subgroups Author: B. Escudier Abstract LBA5 Presidential Symposium II Sunday, September 10, 4:30-6:20 PM CEST, Madrid Auditorium Glioblastoma Nivolumab in combination with radiotherapy temozolomide: updated safety results from CheckMate -143 in patients with methylated or unmethylated newly diagnosed glioblastoma Author: M. Lim Abstract #325O Proffered Paper Session: CNS Tumors Friday, September 8, 4-4:12 PM CEST, Alicante Auditorium Head and Neck Cancer An open-label, multicohort, phase 1/2 study in patients with virus-associated cancers (CheckMate -358): safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant nivolumab in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck Author: R. Ferris Abstract LBA46 Poster Discussion Session: Head and Neck Cancer Saturday, September 9, 2:45-4:15 PM CEST, Alicante Auditorium Nivolumab vs investigator's choice in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: treatment effect on clinical outcomes by best overall response in CheckMate -141 Author: L. Licitra Abstract #1055P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Estimated costs of treatment-related adverse events for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the CheckMate -141 trial Author: M. Venkatachalam Abstract #1056P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Treatment beyond progression with nivolumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase 3 CheckMate -141 study: a biomarker analysis and updated clinical outcomes Author: R. Haddad Abstract #1043O Proffered Paper Session: Head and Neck Cancer Monday, September 11, 3:12-3:24 PM CEST, Granada Auditorium Melanoma Characterization of complete responses in patients with advanced melanoma who received the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab, nivolumab or IPI alone Author: C. Robert Abstract #1213O Proffered Paper Session: Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Saturday, September 9, 2:45-3 PM CEST, Madrid Auditorium Cost-effectiveness of nivolumab ipilimumab in first-line treatment of advanced melanoma: analysis using 28-month overall survival from CheckMate -067 Author: J. Sabater Abstract #1115P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Late physical, psychological and social consequences of ipilimumab treatment in advanced melanoma Author: A. Boekhout Abstract #1260TiP Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Real-world use of ipilimumab and nivolumab monotherapy or in combination in patients with advanced melanoma: results from a retrospective chart review Author: A. Tarhini Abstract #1250P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Regional differences in overall survival in patients with advanced melanoma who received nivolumab combined with ipilimumab or nivolumab alone in a phase 3 trial (CheckMate -067) Author: J.-J. Grob Abstract #1222PD Poster Discussion Session: Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Monday, September 11, 11 AM-12:15 PM CEST, Pamplona Auditorium Quality-adjusted survival of combined nivolumab plus ipilimumab or NIVO alone vs IPI among treatment-naive patients with advanced melanoma: a quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-TWiST) analysis Author: M. Botteman Abstract #1223PD Poster Discussion Session: Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Monday, September 11, 11 AM-12:15 PM CEST, Pamplona Auditorium Adjuvant therapy with nivolumab versus ipilimumab after complete resection of Stage III/IV melanoma: a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial (CheckMate -238) Author: J. Weber Abstract LBA8 Presidential Symposium III Monday, September 11, 5:15-5:30 PM CEST, Madrid Auditorium Thoracic Malignancies Randomized results of fixed-duration (1-yr) vs continuous nivolumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer Author: D. Spigel Abstract #1297O Proffered Paper Session: NSCLC, Metastatic 1 Friday, September 8, 4:39-4:51 PM CEST, Madrid Auditorium Efficiency of nivolumab in the treatment of second-line advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer in Spain Author: P. Gonzalez Abstract #1319P Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Three-year follow-up from CheckMate -017/-057: nivolumab versus docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer Author: E. Felip Abstract #1301PD Poster Discussion Session: NSCLC, Metastatic Sunday, September 10, 4:30-6 PM CEST, Barcelona Auditorium Nivolumab in previously treated patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC: results of a European single-arm, phase 2 trial (CheckMate -171) including patients aged =70 years and with poor performance status Author: S. Popat Abstract #1303PD Poster Discussion Session: NSCLC, Metastatic Sunday, September 10, 4:30-6 PM CEST, Barcelona Auditorium Early Assets Cross-tumor Impact of licensing and reimbursement discrepancies on patient access to cancer treatments across Europe and Canada Author: J. McKendrick Abstract #1124P Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 Anti-CC-chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) antibody mogamulizumab and nivolumab combination phase 1 study in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors Author: N. Yamamoto Abstract LBA17 Proffered Paper Session: Developmental Therapeutics Sunday, September 10, 4:30-4:45 PM CEST, Cordoba Auditorium Efficacy of BMS-986016, a monoclonal antibody that targets lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), in combination with nivolumab in patients with melanoma who progressed during prior anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in all-comer and biomarker-enriched populations Author: P. Ascierto Abstract LBA18 Proffered Paper Session: Developmental Therapeutics Sunday, September 10, 4:45-5 PM CEST, Cordoba Auditorium Initial results of BMS-986012, a first-in-class fucosyl-GM1 mAb, in combination with nivolumab, in patients with relapsed/refractory small-cell lung cancer Author: Q. Chu Abstract #1528PD Poster Discussion Session: Non-metastatic NSCLC and Other Thoracic Malignancies Monday, September 11, 2:45-4:15 PM CEST, Pamplona Auditorium Clinical Collaborations A phase 1/2 study on safety of rovalpituzumab tesirine in combination with nivolumab or nivolumab ipilimumab in small cell lung cancer Author: C. Scripture Abstract #1538TiP Poster Display Session Saturday, September 9, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8 PIVOT-02: A phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter, dose escalation and dose expansion study of NKTR-214 and nivolumab in patients with select, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumor malignancies Author: A. Diab Abstract #1212TiP Poster Display Session Sunday, September 10, 1:15-2:15 PM CEST, Hall 8
Bristol-Myers Squibb Immuno-Oncology: Advancing Oncology Research
At Bristol-Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do. Our vision for the future of cancer care is focused on researching and developing transformational Immuno-Oncology (I-O) medicines for hard-to-treat cancers that could potentially improve outcomes for these patients.
We are leading the scientific understanding of I-O through our extensive portfolio of investigational compounds and approved agents. Our differentiated clinical development program is studying broad patient populations across more than 50 types of cancers with 14 clinical-stage molecules designed to target different immune system pathways. Our deep expertise and innovative clinical trial designs position us to advance I-O/I-O, I-O/chemotherapy, I-O/targeted therapies and I-O/radiation therapies across multiple tumors and potentially deliver the next wave of therapies with a sense of urgency. We also continue to pioneer research that will help facilitate a deeper understanding of the role of immune biomarkers and how patients' tumor biology can be used as a guide for treatment decisions throughout their journey.
We understand making the promise of I-O a reality for the many patients who may benefit from these therapies requires not only innovation on our part but also close collaboration with leading experts in the field. Our partnerships with academia, government, advocacy and biotech companies support our collective goal of providing new treatment options to advance the standards of clinical practice.
About Opdivo
Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers.
Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol-Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has enrolled more than 25,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression.
In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 60 countries, including the United States, the European Union and Japan. In October 2015, the company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union.
U.S. FDA-APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR OPDIVO
OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy.
OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
OPDIVO(nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
WARNING: IMMUNE-MEDIATED ADVERSE REACTIONS
YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. These immune-mediated reactions may involve any organ system; however, the most common severe immune-mediated adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. The majority of these immune-mediated reactions initially manifested during treatment; however, a minority occurred weeks to months after discontinuation of YERVOY.
Assess patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis, dermatitis, neuropathy, and endocrinopathy and evaluate clinical chemistries including liver function tests (LFTs), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function tests at baseline and before each dose.
Permanently discontinue YERVOY and initiate systemic high-dose corticosteroid therapy for severe immune-mediated reactions.
Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. Fatal cases have been reported. Monitor patients for signs with radiographic imaging and for symptoms of pneumonitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or more severe pneumonitis. Permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 and withhold until resolution for Grade 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, fatal cases of immune-mediated pneumonitis have occurred. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 6% (25/407) of patients.
In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 6.0% (16/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.9% (13/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO: Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=12).
Immune-Mediated Colitis
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated colitis. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 (of more than 5 days duration), 3, or 4 colitis. Withhold OPDIVO monotherapy for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 or recurrent colitis upon re-initiation of OPDIVO. When administered with YERVOY, withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent colitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 26% (107/407) of patients including three fatal cases.
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of =7 stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3-5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients in that study (n=511), 5 (1%) developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis.
Immune-Mediated Hepatitis
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Monitor patients for abnormal liver tests prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater transaminase elevations. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 13% (51/407) of patients.
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal hepatotoxicity (AST or ALT elevations >5x the ULN or total bilirubin elevations >3x the ULN; Grade 3-5) occurred in 8 (2%) patients with fatal hepatic failure in 0.2% and hospitalization in 0.4%.
Immune-Mediated Neuropathies
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, 1 case of fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome and 1 case of severe (Grade 3) peripheral motor neuropathy were reported.
Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis, signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, thyroid function prior to and periodically during treatment, and hyperglycemia. Administer hormone replacement as clinically indicated and corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hypophysitis. Withhold for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hypophysitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Administer hormone-replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Initiate medical management for control of hyperthyroidism. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hyperglycemia.
In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (36/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5% (21/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (89/407) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 8% (34/407) of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, diabetes occurred in 1.5% (6/407) of patients.
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe to life-threatening immune-mediated endocrinopathies (requiring hospitalization, urgent medical intervention, or interfering with activities of daily living; Grade 3-4) occurred in 9 (1.8%) patients. All 9 patients had hypopituitarism, and some had additional concomitant endocrinopathies such as adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism. 6 of the 9 patients were hospitalized for severe endocrinopathies.
Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Monitor patients for elevated serum creatinine prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grades 2-4 increased serum creatinine. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 increased serum creatinine. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2.2% (9/407) of patients.
Immune-Mediated Skin Adverse Reactions and Dermatitis
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), some cases with fatal outcome. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 rash. Withhold for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 rash. For symptoms or signs of SJS or TEN, withhold OPDIVO and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment; if confirmed, permanently discontinue. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated rash occurred in 22.6% (92/407) of patients.
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal immune-mediated dermatitis (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations; Grade 3-5) occurred in 13 (2.5%) patients. 1 (0.2%) patient died as a result of toxic epidermal necrolysis. 1 additional patient required hospitalization for severe dermatitis.
Immune-Mediated Encephalitis
OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated encephalitis. Evaluation of patients with neurologic symptoms may include, but not be limited to, consultation with a neurologist, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Withhold OPDIVO in patients with new-onset moderate to severe neurologic signs or symptoms and evaluate to rule out other causes. If other etiologies are ruled out, administer corticosteroids and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for immune-mediated encephalitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, encephalitis occurred in 0.2% (3/1994) of patients. Fatal limbic encephalitis occurred in one patient after 7.2 months of exposure despite discontinuation of OPDIVO and administration of corticosteroids. Encephalitis occurred in one patient receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (0.2%) after 1.7 months of exposure.
Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions
Based on the severity of adverse reaction, permanently discontinue or withhold treatment, administer high-dose corticosteroids, and, if appropriate, initiate hormone-replacement therapy. Across clinical trials of OPDIVO the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in <1.0% of patients receiving OPDIVO: uveitis, iritis, pancreatitis, facial and abducens nerve paresis, demyelination, polymyalgia rheumatica, autoimmune neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hypopituitarism, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, gastritis, duodenitis, sarcoidosis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), myositis, myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, motor dysfunction, vasculitis, and myasthenic syndrome.
Infusion Reactions
OPDIVO can cause severe infusion reactions, which have been reported in<1.0% of patients in clinical trials. Discontinue OPDIVO in patients with Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with Grade 1 or 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients.
Complications of Allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO
Complications, including fatal events, occurred in patients who received allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Outcomes were evaluated in 17 patients from Checkmate 205 and 039, who underwent allogeneic HSCT after discontinuing OPDIVO (15 with reduced-intensity conditioning, 2 with myeloablative conditioning). Thirty-five percent (6/17) of patients died from complications of allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Five deaths occurred in the setting of severe or refractory GVHD. Grade 3 or higher acute GVHD was reported in 29% (5/17) of patients. Hyperacute GVHD was reported in 20% (n=2) of patients. A steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, without an identified infectious cause, was reported in 35% (n=6) of patients. Two cases of encephalitis were reported: Grade 3 (n=1) lymphocytic encephalitis without an identified infectious cause, and Grade 3 (n=1) suspected viral encephalitis. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurred in one patient, who received reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT and died of GVHD and multi-organ failure. Other cases of hepatic VOD after reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT have also been reported in patients with lymphoma who received a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody before transplantation. Cases of fatal hyperacute GVHD have also been reported. These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT.
Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications such as hyperacute GVHD, severe (Grade 3 to 4) acute GVHD, steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, hepatic VOD, and other immune-mediated adverse reactions, and intervene promptly.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
Based on their mechanisms of action, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with an OPDIVO- or YERVOY- containing regimen and for at least 5 months after the last dose of OPDIVO.
Lactation
It is not known whether OPDIVO or YERVOY is present in human milk. Because many drugs, including antibodies, are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from an OPDIVO-containing regimen, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. Advise women to discontinue nursing during treatment with YERVOY and for 3 months following the final dose.
Serious Adverse Reactions
In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (73% and 37%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (43% and 14%) or to dosing delays (55% and 28%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 44%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.6%), colitis (10% and 1.6%), and pyrexia (10% and 0.6%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 7% and dose delays due to adverse reactions occurred in 34% of patients (n=266). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were pneumonia, infusion-related reaction, pyrexia, colitis or diarrhea, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and rash. Eleven patients died from causes other than disease progression: 3 from adverse reactions within 30 days of the last OPDIVO dose, 2 from infection 8 to 9 months after completing OPDIVO, and 6 from complications of allogeneic HSCT. In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infection, and sepsis. In Checkmate 275, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrhea, small intestine obstruction, and general physical health deterioration.
Common Adverse Reactions
In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (53%), diarrhea (52%), nausea (40%), pyrexia (37%), vomiting (28%), and dyspnea (20%). The most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO (n=313) arm were fatigue (53%), rash (40%), diarrhea (31%), and nausea (28%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were asthenic conditions (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=266) were upper respiratory tract infection (44%), fatigue (39%), cough (36%), diarrhea (33%), pyrexia (29%), musculoskeletal pain (26%), rash (24%), nausea (20%) and pruritus (20%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO were cough and dyspnea at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In Checkmate 275, the most common adverse reactions (= 20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270) were fatigue (46%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), nausea (22%), and decreased appetite (22%). The most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients who received OPDIVO as a single agent were fatigue, rash, musculoskeletal pain, pruritus, diarrhea, nausea, asthenia, cough, dyspnea, constipation, decreased appetite, back pain, arthralgia, upper respiratory tract infection, pyrexia.
In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, the most common adverse reactions (=5%) in patients who received YERVOY at 3 mg/kg were fatigue (41%), diarrhea (32%), pruritus (31%), rash (29%), and colitis (8%).
Checkmate Trials and Patient Populations
Checkmate 067 - advanced melanoma alone or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 037 and 066 - advanced melanoma; Checkmate 017 - squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); Checkmate 057 - non-squamous NSCLC; Checkmate 025 - renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 205/039 - classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141 - squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; Checkmate 275 - urothelial carcinoma.
Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY, including Boxed WARNING regarding immune-mediated adverse reactions for YERVOY.
About the Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Collaboration
In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Ono), Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that any of the oncology compounds mentioned in this release will receive regulatory approval for an additional indication. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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DARMSTADT, Germany, August 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Not intended for U.K. or U.S. based media
ESMO 2017 abstract #
Erbitux: 576P, 593P, 1068P, 1579P; avelumab: 1227P, 913P, 1377TiP, 882P, 856P; M6620 (ATR inhibitor): 242PD; M2698 (dual p70S6K/Akt inhibitor): 370PD, 393P; tepotinib (c-Met kinase inhibitor): 701P
Data to showcase Merck ' s strong and diverse pipeline ranging from immuno-oncology to DNA damage response
Avelumab data validate potential in hard-to-treat cancers and highlight progress of the JAVELIN clinical development program
First stand-alone data in mTNBC for ATR inhibitor (M6620) from Merck's comprehensive portfolio in DNA damage response
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced it will present data for a number of tumor types across its rapidly evolving pipeline. A total of 23 abstracts, representing five therapeutic agents, will highlight the company's expanding scientific expertise at this year's European Society for Medical Oncology congress (ESMO 2017; September 8-12, Madrid, Spain).
Data to be presented include continued reinforcement of the role of established brand Erbitux (cetuximab) as a standard of care therapy, with quality of life (QoL) data in colorectal cancer (CRC) and real-world data in both CRC and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN); updated efficacy and safety data for avelumab in metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) among other cancers; and new data and updates from Merck's rapidly evolving pipeline, including first stand-alone data in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) from potential first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor M6620* (also known as VX-970).
"The Merck Oncology Franchise has had a momentous year, particularly with the positive regulatory milestones achieved for avelumab. The story continues to evolve at ESMO 2017 from our legacy with Erbitux to our diverse and robust pipeline which has potential novel molecules that could become new standards of care," said Luciano Rossetti, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Research & Development at the biopharma business of Merck. "The data reinforce Merck's commitment to pursuing approaches that will bring important benefits to patients and transform the way cancer is treated."
Merck's innovative approach and strategic collaborations in oncology are exemplified through the ongoing partnership with Pfizer, and the significant progress of avelumab. Granted two accelerated approvals** by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year, more recently the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending the approval of avelumab as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with mMCC. ESMO 2017 includes new data for avelumab in the treatment of mMCC, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, and 12-month follow-up data in pre-treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC. The progress of the broader JAVELIN clinical development program will also be highlighted, with updated data in hard-to-treat tumors such as metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC).
The addition of the recently acquired Vertex DNA damage response (DDR) portfolio to its own in-house DDR platform has positioned Merck as one of the key players in the DDR field. The company's broad DDR portfolio includes inhibitors for enzymes of major DDR pathways, such as ATR, DNA-PK and ATM. At ESMO 2017, first data will be presented for ATR inhibitor M6620 in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). M6620 is currently being investigated in several ongoing Phase I trials across a variety of tumor types.
Other pipeline updates will include data on the potential first-in-class dual p70S6K/Atk inhibitor M2698*; and tepotinib***, a highly selective c-Met kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Product related information contained herein is subject to local product approval and can therefore vary from country to country. For information relevant to your country, please check in with local regulatory authorities.
*M6620, M2698 and tepotinib are under clinical investigation and have not been proven to be safe and effective. There is no guarantee any product will be approved in the sought-after indication by any health authority worldwide.
***Tepotinib is the proposed International Non-proprietary Name (INN) for the c-Met kinase inhibitor (also known as MSC2156119J).
Notes to editors
Accepted Merck-supported key abstracts at ESMO 2017 are listed below. In addition, a number of abstracts with data from investigator-sponsored studies have been accepted, including abstracts related to Erbitux (not listed).
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Avelumab Poster sessions JAVELIN Lung 100: updated design of a phase 3 trial of avelumab vs platinum doublet chemotherapy as first-line (1L) treatment for metastatic or recurrent PD-L1+ non-small-cell lung cancer September 9 (NSCLC) Reck M. 1377TiP 13:15 - 14:15 Hall 8 JAVELIN MERKEL 200: Avelumab treatment in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma September 10 (mMCC). D'Angelo S.P. 1227P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 Avelumab in patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC): results from the JAVELIN Solid Le Tourneau September 10 Tumor trial C. 913P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 Potential impact of avelumab+axitinib (A+Ax) on tumor size (TS) compared with historical data of sunitinib (S) as evaluated by a modeling and simulation (MS) September 10 approach Zheng J. 882P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 Avelumab treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in the phase 1b JAVELIN Solid Tumor study: updated analysis with greater than or equal to6 months of follow-up in all September 10 patients Apolo A.B. 856P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location M6620 (VX-970) Poster session Initial results of a phase 1 dose expansion cohort of M6620 (VX-970), a first-in-class ATR inhibitor, in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in patients (pts) with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) September 10 Sevilla (NCT02157792) Telli M.L. 242PD 09:15 - 10:45 auditorium
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location M2698 Poster session Phase I dose escalation study of M2698, a p70S6K/AKT inhibitor, in patients with Tsimberidou September 9 Alicante advanced cancer A.M. 370PD 16:30-18:00 auditorium Pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers for the p70S6K/Akt inhibitor, M2698: translation from animal to human and its relevance for dosing September 11 rationale Xiong W. 393P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location Erbitux(R): Poster session Biomarker testing practices in the SECURE (proSpective obsErvational clinical practiCe stUdy in the first-line management of metastatic colorectal cancer [mCRC] with eRbitux in combination with chemothErapy) Aravantinos September 9 study G. 576P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 Quality of life (QoL) analyses in patients with RAS wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with first-line FOLFOX-4 plus or minus cetuximab in the phase 3 TAILOR September 9 trial Liu T. 593P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 ENCORE: a phase 4 observational study of cetuximab and platinum-based therapy (PBT) for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent/metastat ic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M Le Tourneau September 10 SCCHN) C. 1068P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 A survey of patient acceptance of skin toxicities from cetuximab-based September 10 therapy Tischer B. 1579P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location Tepotinib Poster session Final data from a phase Ib trial of tepotinib in Asian patients with advanced hepatocellular September 9 carcinoma (HCC) Qin S. 701P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location Anti-PD-L1/TGF- trap pathways Poster session Analysis of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta gene expression signatures (GES) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): rationale for targeting PD-L1- September 11 and TGF-beta Zhang Y. 1645P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8
About avelumab
Avelumab is a human antibody specific for a protein called PD-L1, or programmed death ligand-1. Avelumab is designed to potentially engage both the adaptive and innate immune systems. By binding to PD-L1, avelumab is thought to prevent tumor cells from using PD-L1 for protection against white blood cells, such as T-cells, exposing them to anti-tumor responses. Avelumab has been shown to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro. In November 2014, Merck and Pfizer announced a strategic alliance to co-develop and co-commercialize avelumab.
**Indications in the US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for avelumab (BAVENCIO) for the treatment of (i) metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older and (ii) patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or who have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. These indications are approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Avelumab is not approved for any indication in any market outside the U.S.
Important Safety Information
The warnings and precautions for avelumab (BAVENCIO) include immune-mediated adverse reactions (such as pneumonitis, hepatitis, colitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis and renal dysfunction and other adverse reactions), infusion-related reactions and embryo-fetal toxicity.
Common adverse reactions (reported in at least 20% of patients) in patients treated with avelumab for mMCC and patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, infusion-related reaction, peripheral edema, decreased appetite/hypophagia, urinary tract infection and rash.
About Erbitux (cetuximab)
Erbitux is a highly active IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). As a monoclonal antibody, the mode of action of Erbitux is distinct from standard non-selective chemotherapy treatments in that it specifically targets and binds to the EGFR. This binding inhibits the activation of the receptor and the subsequent signal-transduction pathway, which results in reducing both the invasion of normal tissues by tumor cells and the spread of tumors to new sites. It is also believed to inhibit the ability of tumor cells to repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels inside tumors, which appears to lead to an overall suppression of tumor growth. Erbitux also targets cytotoxic immune effector cells towards EGFR expressing tumor cells (antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, ADCC).
The most commonly reported side effect with Erbitux is an acne-like skin rash. In approximately 5% of patients, hypersensitivity reactions may occur during treatment with Erbitux; about half of these reactions are severe.
Erbitux has already obtained market authorization in over 90 countries world-wide for the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Merck licensed the right to market Erbitux, a registered trademark of ImClone LLC, outside the U.S. and Canada from ImClone LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, in 1998.
About M6620
Also known as VX-970, M6620 is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR). ATR is a key sensor for DNA damage, activating the DNA damage checkpoint and leading to cell cycle arrest. It is thought that inhibition of ATR can enhance the efficacy of DNA-damaging agents, and could potentially also be efficacious as monotherapy against tumors with high levels of replication stress induced by overexpression of oncogenes. M6620 complements our strong DDR portfolio and is currently being investigated in Phase I and II trials.
About M2698
A potential first-in-class, investigational small-molecule that is designed to inhibit both p70S6K and Akt. Both targets are part of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which is often dysregulated in solid tumors.
About tepotinib
Tepotinib is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase. Alterations of the c-Met signaling pathway are found in various cancer types and correlate with aggressive tumor behavior and poor clinical prognosis. Tepotinib is being investigated in two Phase II studies in non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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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. Merck 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.
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DARMSTADT, Germany, August 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Not intended for UK-based media
Data to showcase Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany ' s strong and diverse pipeline ranging from immuno-oncology to DNA damage response
Avelumab data validate potential in hard-to-treat cancers and highlight progress of the JAVELIN clinical development program
First data in mTNBC for ATR inhibitor (M6620) from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany 's comprehensive portfolio in DNA damage response
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced it will present data for a number of tumor types across its rapidly evolving pipeline. A total of 23 abstracts, representing five therapeutic agents, will highlight the company's expanding scientific expertise at this year's European Society for Medical Oncology congress (ESMO 2017; September 8-12, Madrid, Spain).
Data to be presented include continued reinforcement of the role of established brand Erbitux (cetuximab) as a standard of care therapy, with quality of life (QoL) data in colorectal cancer (CRC) and real-world data in both CRC and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN); updated efficacy and safety data for avelumab in metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) among other cancers; and new data and updates from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's rapidly evolving pipeline, including first data from potential first-in-class ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor M6620* (also known as VX-970).
"The Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Oncology Franchise has had a momentous year, particularly with the positive regulatory milestones achieved for avelumab. The story continues to evolve at ESMO 2017 from our legacy with Erbitux to our diverse and robust pipeline which has potential novel molecules that could become new standards of care," said Luciano Rossetti, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Research & Development at the biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "The data reinforce Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's commitment to pursuing approaches that will bring important benefits to patients and transform the way cancer is treated."
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's innovative approach and strategic collaborations in oncology are exemplified through the ongoing partnership with Pfizer, and the significant progress of avelumab. Granted two accelerated approvals** by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year, more recently the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending the approval of avelumab as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with mMCC. ESMO 2017 includes new data for avelumab in the treatment of mMCC, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, and 12-month follow-up data in pre-treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC. The progress of the broader JAVELIN clinical development program will also be highlighted, with updated data in hard-to-treat tumors such as metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC).
The addition of the recently acquired Vertex DNA damage response (DDR) portfolio to its own in-house DDR platform has positioned Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany as one of the key players in the DDR field. The company's broad DDR portfolio includes inhibitors for enzymes of major DDR pathways, such as ATR, DNA-PK and ATM. At ESMO 2017, first data will be presented for ATR inhibitor M6620 in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). M6620 is currently being investigated in several ongoing Phase I trials across a variety of tumor types.
Other pipeline updates will include data on the potential first-in-class dual p70S6K/Atk inhibitor M2698*; and tepotinib***, a highly selective c-Met kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Product related information contained herein is subject to local product approval and can therefore vary from country to country. For information relevant to your country, please check in with local regulatory authorities.
*M6620, M2698 and tepotinib are under clinical investigation and have not been proven to be safe and effective. There is no guarantee any product will be approved in the sought-after indication by any health authority worldwide.
***Tepotinib is the proposed International Non-proprietary Name (INN) for the c-Met kinase inhibitor (also known as MSC2156119J).
Notes to editors
Accepted Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany-supported key abstracts at ESMO 2017 are listed below. In addition, a number of abstracts with data from investigator-sponsored studies have been accepted, including abstracts related to Erbitux (not listed).
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Avelumab Poster sessions September 9 JAVELIN Lung 100: Reck M. 1377TiP 13:15 - 14:15 Hall 8 updated design of a phase 3 trial of avelumab vs platinum doublet chemotherapy as first-line (1L) treatment for metastatic or recurrent PD-L1+ non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) September 10 JAVELIN MERKEL D'Angelo S.P. 1227P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 200: Avelumab treatment in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC). September 10 Avelumab in Le Tourneau C. 913P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC): results from the JAVELIN Solid Tumor trial September 10 Potential impact Zheng J. 882P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 of avelumab+axitinib (A+Ax) on tumor size (TS) compared with historical data of sunitinib (S) as evaluated by a modeling and simulation (MS) approach September 10 Avelumab treatment Apolo A.B. 856P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in the phase 1b JAVELIN Solid Tumor study: updated analysis with greater than or equal to6 months of follow-up in all patients
Presentation date/time Title Lead author Abstract # (CEST) Location September 1 Sevilla M6620 (VX-970) Telli M.L. 242PD 09:15 - 10:45 auditorium Poster session Initial results of a phase 1 dose expansion cohort of M6620 (VX-970), a first-in-class ATR inhibitor, in combination with cisplatin (Cis) in patients (pts) with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) (NCT02157792)
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location M2698 Poster session September 9 Alicante Phase I dose Tsimberidou A.M. 370PD 16:30-18:00 auditorium escalation study of M2698, a p70S6K/AKT inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancer September 11 Pharmacodynamic Xiong W. 393P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 (PD) biomarkers for the p70S6K/Akt inhibitor, M2698: translation from animal to human and its relevance for dosing rationale
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Erbitux(R): Poster session September 9 Biomarker testing Aravantinos G. 576P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 practices in the SECURE (proSpective obsErvational clinical practiCe stUdy in the first-line management of metastatic colorectal cancer [mCRC] with eRbitux in combination with chemothErapy) study September 9 Quality of life Liu T. 593P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 (QoL) analyses in patients with RAS wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with first-line FOLFOX-4 plus or minus cetuximab in the phase 3 TAILOR trial September 10 ENCORE: a phase 4 Le Tourneau C. 1068P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 observational study of cetuximab and platinum-based therapy (PBT) for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent/metastat ic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN) September 10 A survey of Tischer B. 1579P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 patient acceptance of skin toxicities from cetuximab-based therapy
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Tepotinib Poster session September 9 Final data from a Qin S. 701P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 phase Ib trial of tepotinib in Asian patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Presentation Date / Time Title Lead Author Abstract # (CEST) Location Anti-PD-L1/TGF- trap pathways Poster session September 11 Analysis of Zhang Y. 1645P 13:15-14:15 Hall 8 programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta gene expression signatures (GES) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): rationale for targeting PD-L1- and TGF-beta
About avelumab
Avelumab is a human antibody specific for a protein called PD-L1, or programmed death ligand-1. Avelumab is designed to potentially engage both the adaptive and innate immune systems. By binding to PD-L1, avelumab is thought to prevent tumor cells from using PD-L1 for protection against white blood cells, such as T-cells, exposing them to anti-tumor responses. Avelumab has been shown to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro. In November 2014, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer announced a strategic alliance to co-develop and co-commercialize avelumab.
**Indications in the US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for avelumab (BAVENCIO) for the treatment of (i) metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older and (ii) patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or who have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. These indications are approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response.Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. Avelumab is not approved for any indication in any market outside the U.S.
Important Safety Information
The warnings and precautions for avelumab (BAVENCIO) include immune-mediated adverse reactions (such as pneumonitis, hepatitis, colitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis and renal dysfunction and other adverse reactions), infusion-related reactions and embryo-fetal toxicity.
Common adverse reactions (reported in at least 20% of patients) in patients treated with avelumab for mMCC and patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, infusion-related reaction, peripheral edema, decreased appetite/hypophagia, urinary tract infection and rash.
About Erbitux (cetuximab)
Erbitux is a highly active IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). As a monoclonal antibody, the mode of action of Erbitux is distinct from standard non-selective chemotherapy treatments in that it specifically targets and binds to the EGFR. This binding inhibits the activation of the receptor and the subsequent signal-transduction pathway, which results in reducing both the invasion of normal tissues by tumor cells and the spread of tumors to new sites. It is also believed to inhibit the ability of tumor cells to repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels inside tumors, which appears to lead to an overall suppression of tumor growth. Erbitux also targets cytotoxic immune effector cells towards EGFR expressing tumor cells (antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, ADCC).
The most commonly reported side effect with Erbitux is an acne-like skin rash. In approximately 5% of patients, hypersensitivity reactions may occur during treatment with Erbitux; about half of these reactions are severe.
Erbitux has already obtained market authorization in over 90 countries world-wide for the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer and for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany licensed the right to market Erbitux, a registered trademark of ImClone LLC, outside the U.S. and Canada from ImClone LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, in 1998.
About M6620
Also known as VX-970, M6620 is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR). ATR is a key sensor for DNA damage, activating the DNA damage checkpoint and leading to cell cycle arrest. It is thought that inhibition of ATR can enhance the efficacy of DNA-damaging agents, and could potentially also be efficacious as monotherapy against tumors with high levels of replication stress induced by overexpression of oncogenes. M6620 complements our strong DDR portfolio and is currently being investigated in Phase I and II trials.
About M2698
A potential first-in-class, investigational small-molecule that is designed to inhibit both p70S6K and Akt. Both targets are part of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which is often dysregulated in solid tumors.
About tepotinib
Tepotinib is an investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase. Alterations of the c-Met signaling pathway are found in various cancer types and correlate with aggressive tumor behavior and poor clinical prognosis. Tepotinib is being investigated in two Phase II studies in non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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 except in the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.
Your Contact: Martina Brunner, +49-6151-724-3959
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NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --This Fashion Week, TRESemme is kicking-off its 70th anniversary celebrations by proudly returning to the runways as official haircare sponsor for its 20th consecutive season.
This season, TRESemme is once again partnering with a team of powerhouse stylists, including TRESemme Global Hairstylist, Justine Marjan, along with leading industry experts Odile Gilbert and Holli Smith. The trio will give women insider access backstage, showcasing the work and creativity that goes into each style on the runway. Justine will also be on-hand to host an intimate celebration for the brand's 70th anniversary, where TRESemme guests will have the opportunity to toast our female founder, Edna Emme and her legacy over the past seven decades.
"I am excited to celebrate such a special anniversary with TRESemme this season. They have been helping women achieve beautiful hairstyles for 70 years and I'm honored to continue on this journey with them," said Justine Marjan, TRESemme Global Hairstylist. "TRESemme wants to help women feel their best, and together with Odile and Holli, we will help women around the world nail their look."
TRESemme will also collaborate with nine designers throughout the week to create fashion-forward looks, including: Alice + Olivia, Carolina Herrera, Creatures of Comfort, Cushnie et Ochs, Jason Wu, Jill Stuart, Jonathan Simkhai, Naeem Khan and Sally La Pointe.
Join the conversation and follow the action with TRESNYFW and at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live updates throughout the week.
CONTACT: Allison Goldberg, +1.917.639.4923, Allison.Goldberg@Edelman.com
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries. We work with 174,000 colleagues around the world and generated annual sales of 49.8 billion in 2013. Over half of our company's footprint is in the faster growing developing and emerging markets (57% in 2013). Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Our portfolio includes some of the world's best known brands, 14 of which - Knorr, Persil / Omo, Dove, Sunsilk, Hellmann's, Surf, Lipton, Rexona / Sure, Wall's ice cream, Lux, Flora / Becel, Rama / Blue Band, Magnum and Axe / Lynx - now generate a turnover of 1 billion or more.
Our ambition is to double the size of our business, whilst reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals, we have defined nine commitments, underpinned by targets encompassing social, environmental and economic areas. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan atwww.unilever.com/sustainable-living/(Link opens in a new window).
Unilever has been recognised in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for 14 consecutive years. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. Unilever has been named sector leader of the CDP's Forests programme for three consecutive years, and in 2014 led the list of Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey - for the fourth year running. Unilever was named LinkedIn's third most sought-after employer worldwide in 2013.
For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visitwww.unilever.com
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Appier, a Taipei, Taiwan-based provider of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that enables enterprises to solve their most challenging business problems, secured USD$33m in Series C funding.
The round, which brings the total amount raised to date to over USD$82m, was led by SoftBank Group Corp., LINE Corporation, NAVER Corporation, Singapore-based EDBI and Hong Kong-based AMTD Group.
The company intends to use the funds to continue to hire talent to increase its engineering and artificial intelligence research capabilities beyond Taiwan, to markets such as Singapore and to expand its presence in the many markets in which it currently operates as well as to grow its portfolio of AI solutions.
Established in 2012 by Chih-Han Yu, CEO, Appier provides the CrossX Programmatic Platform, which brings AI into digital marketing. Its second, Aixon, is a data intelligence platform that allows business users at a variety of enterprises to discover new customers, enrich their understanding of their customer base, and make predictions using AI.
The company currently serves around 1,000 global brands and agencies from offices in 14 markets across Asia, including Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Hong Kong, Mumbai, New Delhi, Jakarta, Seoul, and Bangkok.
FinSMEs
30/08/2017
Ideal, a Toronto, Canada-based provider of AI powered recruiting software, raises $3M in funding.
The round was led by Mike Durland, Michael Hyatt and Richard Hyatt, with participation from the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund.
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the AI capabilities of its virtual recruiting assistant and onboard new customers.
Led by CEO Somen Mondal and COO Shaun Ricci, Ideal provides an intelligent virtual assistant that leverages AI to automate time-consuming, repetitive tasks including candidate sourcing, resume screening, shortlisting and candidate outreach by screening and shortlisting every single candidate, learning and mimicking the expertise of top human recruiters.
FinSMEs
30/08/2017
PeakMed, a Denver, Colo.-based provider of family practice medicine using an affordable monthly-membership model, raised $5.5m in funding.
The round was led by ASI Capital, LLC, through its Healthcare Fund and Income Fund.
The company intends to use the funds to expand its offering, through new LifeCenters in Colorado Springs and Denver this fall, telemedicine technology to allow secure 24/7 communication between doctors and members through a call, email, text and even video chat, vehicles for house calls and additional staff.
Founded in 2014 by Dr. Mark Tomasulo, chief medical officer, and Jon Hernandez, CEO, PeakMed aims to improve access to care by restoring the relationship between doctors and patients while decreasing the cost for individuals and employers. Members pay a flat monthly fee for unlimited doctor visits and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week access, along with other benefits.
FinSMEs
29/08/2017
The government spent Rs 258 crore on the two schemes -- Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana, launched to promote digital payments. Around 16 lakh people received monetary prizes for adopting digital transactions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in April 2017 that the government will spend Rs 495 crore for a period of six months on two new schemes to promote the governments digital payments app, BHIM --- cash back and referral bonus.
What the government now has in mind could be a game changer as it is universal in its sweep and availability---an across the board 2 percent rebate on digital payments up to Rs 2,000. It could take the form of cashback or upfront and immediate reduction from the bill itself. Anything done by the government itself and met out of its funds is more welcome than foisting a scheme onto public sector enterprises. PSU oil companies offer 0.75 percent rebate on digital payments for petrol and diesel but that makes a dent on their profits.
Let us examine the proposal in the anvil with an example. You dine at an air-conditioned restaurant and the bill comes to Rs 1,000 plus GST of 18 percent. The total bill is Rs 1,180. As per the proposal, you would either get back Rs 36 through credit to your bank account from which you made the digital payment or it would be straightaway reduced from the bill in which case you would only pay Rs 1144 to the restaurant.
The cut off point of Rs 2,000 seems to have been carefully thought of. Most of the purchases in the humdrum of ones life are for less than Rs 2,000, be it petrol, milk or groceries. In the event, normally one should make the grade comfortably without any manipulation or maneuver if only she uses her card or Aadhaar card linked to BHIM. Indeed this would give a tremendous boost to digital payments which have started slackening after picking up dramatically during the demonetization period when currency notes were in short supply thanks to dysfunctional ATMs and the inordinate time taken in remonetization.
Those who are presented with a bill of more than Rs 2,000 need not despair. They can go Dutch for example if they are sitting in a restaurant as a group of families or friends. Split is the word used. Present two or more cards to the waiter. The cashier knows how to split the bill into as many equal or unequal units as desired. Thus a Rs 6,000 bill can be divided into Rs 2,000 each and three cards can be used to make the payment. Each one will make the grade for the 2 percent GST rebate.
But going Dutch is not generally an option at places other than restaurants. Going on a binge is usually done in a group which explains the idea of going Dutch but often an individual may have to fend for herself when the purchases are going to exceed the Rubicon of Rs 2,000. She still does not have to despair.
Splitting of income and expenditure is a practice that comes easily to Indians. Income is split so as to get into the lowest tax bracket or better still go below the tax-free threshold. Similarly, bills can be split. A Rs 5,000 bill can be broken down in to three so that no single bill is for more than Rs 2000. The shopkeeper of course has to swipe three cards or the same card three times over one after another which of course he wont mind.
And if the shopkeeper, however, turns out to be unusually petulant and refuses, the customer can always look for another shop to plan her purchases. One may therefore question the wisdom of the government in fixing a cap on purchases for qualifying for the 2 percent GST rebate because it may seem to be an exercise in futility given the ingenuity of Indians when it comes to splitting costs.
The government will have to put its foot down if splitting goes over the top, which for example would be when an expensive appliance like a Washing machine priced at Rs 15,000 is broken down into units each of less than Rs 2000. The government then ought to say, Enough is enough.
Two separate interested bidders could snap up two different parts of state-owned Air India (AI), which the government wants to put up for disinvestment. Indias largest airline by passengers, IndiGo, has already said it would be keen primarily on the international business of the ailing Air India and would additionally have a reluctant interest if AIs domestic business also comes along in a package.
Today, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said there is a second potential bidder the Bird Group. Sources said the Bird Group is interested only in the ground handling business of Air India. The Group of Ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, which was constituted to finalise the modalities of the Air India disinvestment, is slated to meet this evening.
Why are interested parties showing their keenness for only certain parts of Air India? Well, the core airline business is flanked by five different subsidiaries Air India Express, Alliance Air, Hotel Corporation of India, AIATSL and AIESL. The Air India we know today is a loss making behemoth, with a mountain of debt and a large employee base. Potential bidders are looking to purchase parts of the airline which best suit their existing businesses or future growth ambitions.
IndiGo is keen on Air Indias international operations since it is preparing to launch low cost international long haul operations and the existing infrastructure of Air India would prove to be an asset.
The Bird Group is probably looking for the ground handling subsidiary of Air India to enhance its own ground handling services.
As per the groups website, Bird Worldwide Flight Services (BWFS) is the first private, third-party ground handling company at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi. It is also the sole licensed private third party ground handling company at Cochin International Airport. It handles 700+ international and domestic flights per month at Delhi and Cochin.
Why Air India Air Transport Services (AIATSL) would be a fit is obvious: As per the AIATSL annual report for 2014-15 (the last such document available), it was providing ground handling services at 63 airports. Apart from handling 86,837 flights of Air India and its subsidiaries, ground handling is also provided for 27,270 flights of 30 foreign airlines, 4 domestic airlines, HAJ and Charter/Non-Scheduled flights.
With a pan-India presence, AIATSL is already the market leader in ground handling. During 2014-15, the first year of operations, its total revenue was Rs 707.22 crore and had a net profit of Rs 90.68 crore. In 2016-17, AIATSL is likely to post an operational profit figure of Rs 105 crore, similar to the immediately previous fiscal. It is the only subsidiary, other than Air India Express, which is not loss-making for the Air India Group.
Potential bidders for Air India are cherry picking businesses to best suit their needs since the airline has assets in terms of routes, international airport slots and bilateral flying rights as well as owned aircraft but is also saddled with Rs 48,876. 81 crore of debt (as of 31 March this year). It has been losing domestic market share to nimble private airlines despite surviving on government dole for the last many years. There has been some talk of the government writing off a large part of the debt or entirely, but this wouldnt be an easy decision to take.
Secretary Choubey did not comment on whether a significant debt write-off is on the cards but agreed that any proceeds of the sale of land parcel that Air India owns will be used towards paying off the airlines debt.
Sources had earlier indicated that senior officials of the ministry of civil aviation have sought independent studies from two aviation consultants, with suggestions on how to carve out the assets of the airline and get more bidders interested in the sale. Already, with the new consolidated policy on FDI continuing its ban on foreign investment in Air India, it is being said that foreign airlines will likely be kept out of the disinvestment process. This, in turn, would mean the process itself loses steam.
When asked if foreign airlines are indeed barred from AI stake sale, Choubey said no FDI was allowed into the airline as of now. Will the FDI cap be lifted before the sale process begins?
If the government were to indeed bar foreign airlines participation in the disinvestment process for Air India, then it can immediately rule out participation of its favourite bidder, the Tatas. Sources close to developments had said earlier that unless the Tatas are allowed to partner with Singapore Airlines in any prospective bid for the ailing Air India, they may choose not to put in a bid at all. When the government publicly expressed its intent to disinvest Air India for the first time earlier this year, it had approached the Tatas before anyone else to ascertain interest.
In the consolidated FDI circular published this afternoon, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has said that foreign airlines are also allowed to invest in the capital of Indian companies, operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services, up to the limit of 49 percent of their paid-up capital, subject to some riders.
But it has clarified that this part of the policy is not applicable to Air India. While this has been the governments stated position all along the FDI circular of 2016 uses the exact same words when dealing with FDI caps in the civil aviation sector the continued emphasis on keeping Air India out of the purview of any investment by foreign airlines has surprised industry veterans.
The statement vis-a-vis Air India shows the governments aversion to foreign airlines it could also mean that the government may want to retain majority control even after it puts the airline through the disinvestment process. Why else would Air India be treated separately from other Indian airlines even after disinvestment, unless the government wants to continue to exercise control over the airline?
To another question on why the government has appointed the new CMD, Rajiv Bansal, for merely three months, the secretary said this was an interim arrangement. He did not answer another query on why neither of the two directors of the ministry of civil aviation who are already members of the Air India board, were selected for the purpose. So either Bansals tenure will be extended beyond three months or yet another CMD will be brought in even as the disinvestment process is underway.
It is official. Demonetisation, which was touted to be a big reform and is alleged to have resulted in deaths of citizens, has failed. Though no authorities have admitted it yet, the Reserve Bank of India's data proves so.
As per the data released by the RBI in its annual report on Wednesday, of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore of notes taken out of circulation with demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on 8 November, Rs 15.28 lakh crore returned to the system by way of deposits by the public.
According to the annual report for the last fiscal, 89 million pieces of the banned Rs 1,000 totalling Rs 8,900 crore had not been returned, out of 6,858 million such notes. This amounts to 1.3 percent of the Rs 1,000 notes in circulation before the demonetisation announcement on 8 November 2016.
"Subject to future corrections based on verification process when completed, the estimated value of SBNs (specified bank notes) received as on June 30, 2017 is Rs 15.28 trillion," the RBI said in the report.
According to the central bank, some of the SBNs received are still lying in the currency chests.
"The value of the SBNs received by the currency chests has been credited to the banks account on said to contain basis. Till such time these notes are processed by the Reserve Bank for their numerical accuracy and authenticity, only an estimation of SBNs received back is possible," the report said.
Moreover, it also points out that there are notes received from district cooperative banks and other countries such as Nepal.
"As such, Reserve Bank is in discussion with Government of India with regard to the acceptance or otherwise of SBNs held by citizens/Financial Institutions in Nepal. Therefore, the value of notes in circulation is subject to adjustments to be made after the completion of the verification process of the SBNs received as also for the notes to be received from DCCBs and Nepalese citizens/ Financial Institutions," it said.
So in a nutshell, chances are the amount of notes returned to the system is likely to go up further.
However, many experts have noted that data shows the exercise was an utter failure.
If RBI figures right, then cost of DeMO exceeded gains? 99 per cent currency back? Black into white? #DeMonetisation Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 30, 2017
RBI releases Failed #Demonetisation data 15.44 Lakh Cr banned 15.28 Lakh Cr returned No windfall Gain as was claimed by PM Rachit Seth (@rachitseth) August 30, 2017
#RBI spent Rs. 79.65 billion printing new notes but only Rs 89 billion old notes didn't return. #Demonetisation is officially a failure Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) August 30, 2017
Total gains to #RBI from #DeMonetisation is Rs 16000 crore including 500 and 1000 notes. But costs in new notes and cash management higher Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) August 30, 2017
It seems the only #DeMonetisation money that didn't get back was the one used in filming "money being thrown into rivers" propoganda! uditmisra (@misraudit) August 30, 2017
After announcing the demonetisation of currency notes, it was said the government estimated at least Rs 3 lakh crore would not return to the system. This would mean an equal amount black money would get extinguished and liability of the RBI would reduce.
But with the data suggesting return of 99 percent of the money to the system, one can safely assume that the black money, instead of getting extinguished, has whitened.
Firstpost's Dinesh Unnikrishnan explains in this article, the dynamics of such a scenario.
One thing is for sure, with the crucial data now out, the government and the RBI will have to answer many uncomfortable questions.
New Delhi: The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared promulgation of an Ordinance to increase the cess on mid-size, large cars and SUVs from current 15 percent under the new GST regime.
The proposal before the Cabinet was to hike the cess rate on these cars to 25 percent.
"The proposal of imposition of higher cess has been cleared," a source said after the Cabinet meeting.
The GST Council had on 5 August approved raising cess on SUVs, mid-size, large and luxury cars that had become cheaper post GST rollout on 1 July.
But raising the cess requires an amendment to the Schedule of section 8 of the GST (Compensation to a State) Act, 2017.
The highest pre-GST tax incidence on motor vehicles worked out to about 52-54.72 percent, to which 2.5 percent was added on account of Central Sales Tax, octroi etc.
Against this, post-GST the total tax incidence came to 43 percent.
So, to take the tax incidence to pre-GST level, the highest compensation cess rate required is 25 percent.
Prices of most SUVs were cut between Rs 1.1-3 lakh following the implementation of GST, which subsumed over a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax, and VAT from 1 July. With the increase in cess, the cuts will be reversed.
Under GST, a cess was levied on demerit goods like cars, tobacco, and coal to create a corpus for compensating states for any loss of revenue from their taxes like VAT being unified with central levies like excise duty and service tax in the GST.
Cars attract the top tax rate of 28 percent. On top of this, a cess of 1 to 15 percent is levied for the creation of the state compensation corpus.
The GST Council, the apex tax rate setting body under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, may in its next meeting on 9 September decide on the date when the increased cess will be applicable.
Uber has got a new chief in Dara Khosrowshahi, the former Chief Executive Officer of travel company, Expedia. From the very public and controversy-ridden Travis Kalanick, founder and former CEO to the relatively less known Khosrowshahi, Uber is purring itself to a new lane. At least thats what the choice of the CEO points out to.
Kalanicks tenure at the helm of the startup he founded that now holds the global leading position as the ride hailing app has been stormy. Any interview or write-up on him has not failed to mention his brash behavior. Though this trait worked for Kalanick ever since he dropped out of school and started up, it hastened his downfall at Uber too. Accusations ranged from not taking sexual harassment issues with required seriousness to playing favourites so much so that the board asked Kalanick to step down as the CEO, which he did on 20 June, 2017.
What awaits Khosrowshahi at Uber, the most valued (reportedly nearly $70 billion) startup with an established market and brand attraction? He has the task to change the image and culture within the company which cost Kalanick his job.
Khosrowshahi has a good persona and, according to media reports, has a personality quite different from Kalanick. At least that is what one gathers from the media interviews, says Paula Mariwala, Partner, Seedfund and Co-Founder, Stanford Angels. Culture begins from the top. With a change in the CEO, Khosrowshahi will be able to bring about a cultural change as the board has taken that into consideration by choosing him, she said.
The New York Times quoted Shana Fisher, venture capitalist, who had earlier worked with Khosrowshahi as saying: "People dont get an excuse with Dara. They have to be good and good. Good and good. He doesnt have tolerance for less than that."
Ubers employees are loyal to Kalanick. They rooted for him and wanted him back as the CEO after he put in his papers. With Kalanick on the board, wouldnt his shadow loom large over Khosrowshahi along with loyal employees of Kalanick? But that is expected, said analysts. A founder-CEO will have employees who are emotional about working with him. That will soon die down when they realise that a new CEO is at the helm, they said.
Harish HV, Partner, India Leadership Team, Grant Thornton India LLP, does not rule out the issues that could probably arise with Kalanick on the board, but feels that the board will have to ensure that there are no obstructions in the way Khosrowshahi functions. At the end of the day, Uber is a company founded by Kalanick and he knows the key people in there and also in the business. The board will have to clarify Kalanicks position and how to handle differences of opinion, said Harish.
Kalanick founded Uber after tasting success with his first startup and selling his second one. He had become a millionaire before he set up Uber. And he has built a successful model with Uber. However, it is no longer a startup and its employees need to factor that change, said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst, Founder and CEO of Greyhound Knowledge Group, a global strategy and transformation research, advisory and consulting group. Uber has to take the leap from behaving as a startup to donning the role of a mature global company. Investors need stability, predictability to run the business of the size and scale of Uber, he said, and so it is imperative that the culture changes with a change in CEO.
The board has made its objective clear by choosing Khosrowshahi as Kalanicks successor. According to media reports and interviews with people who worked or know Khosrowshahi, he has strong values. That was a factor that got the board to choose him over other big names who were in the fray for the job. He beat out Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co and a favourite of Uber investor Benchmark Capital; and Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric Co, a favourite of Kalanick. The issue at Uber was an HR (human resources) one. Uber is on a growth trajectory and there are other issues that the CEO will have to battle like taxis and unions, said Mariwala, citing the infamous incident of Kalanick getting into a verbal duel with an Uber taxi driver.
One disqualifying factor, media reports cite, is that Khosrowshahi is not a techie. But Expedia is a tech co with customers and a platform that deals with consumers and travel.
"CEOs are not expected to be techies in the first place," said Mariwala. The back-end technology has proved to be good for Uber. Any changes on that front can be taken care of by a techie. The challenges Khosrowshahi is faced with at Uber are non-tech in nature. He has to grow the business, handle regulatory framework within the US and outside, talk to unions, etc., besides changing the company image for the better, said Mariwala. That is a big enough challenge that will consume Khosrowshahi for some time at least.
New Delhi: India's third-largest software services firm Wipro today said its shareholders have approved the company's Rs 11,000-crore buyback proposal.
Last month, the Bengaluru-based firm had said it will purchase up to 343.75 million shares at Rs 320 (US $4.95) per scrip. The total size of the offer will be up to Rs 11,000 crore (US $1.7 billion).
"The aforesaid special resolution has been passed through postal ballot and e-voting by members by requisite majority," Wipro said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The voting, which ended on 28 August, saw 99.68 percent of the votes being cast in favour of the buyback offer. Wipro was trading marginally higher at Rs 291.40 on the BSE.
Share buybacks improve earnings per share and return surplus cash to shareholders while also supporting share price during periods of sluggish market conditions.
As on 30 June, 2017, Wipro had cash and cash equivalents of Rs 5,432 crore on its books and investments of Rs 31,772 crore, totalling Rs 37,204 crore.
Among Indian IT companies, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which had a cash kitty of over Rs 43,000 crore, has already completed a Rs 16,000 crore buyback programme earlier this year.
Infosys has also announced a buyback offer of up to Rs 13,000 crore (US $2 billion) to be paid out to shareholders during the financial year 2018.
New Delhi: Actor Ajay Devgn on 29 August refuted claims that he walked out from the sets of The Kapil Sharma Show in anger, saying that he is not upset with Kapil Sharma and hasn't taken a vow to never return to the show.
There were talks that Ajay, who went to the show's set to promote his forthcoming project Baadshaho recently, left from there as Kapil didn't turn up for the shoot. Some reports said Kapil was partying till the wee hours and wasn't able to wake up on time to make it to the shoot.
Ajay admitted that he left the sets because Kapil hadn't arrived, but said he doesn't know the reason behind the comedian's absence from the shoot that day.
The actor said that Kapil has been dealing with health issues for quite some time now, but is not certain whether that was the reason behind his absence.
During his promotional visit to the capital on 29 August, Ajay cleared t air, and said that media is the reason behind most of the buzz around the story.
Asked whether Kapil has started thinking himself as a big star, Ajay said, "It's not like that. Many shows have got cancelled in the past. And he is not keeping well for quite sometime... I don't know what happened."
Ajay asserted he didn't leave the sets in anger. "We left because he hadn't reached... When I will talk to him next, I will get to know the reason," he said.
On being questioned about his alleged vow to not return on the show, Ajay quipped that it is created by the media. "Shah Rukh Khan has also not said anywhere that he will never come on the show, and neither have I. It (the statement) has been given by you guys (signalling at the media at the event)."
Ajay also said he has no complaints. "We are colleagues... Everyone is doing good work here. We will meet with love when we meet next." As far as holding a grudge is concerned, Ajay said he can't answer whether he is angry or not as he doesn't know the reason behind it.
The actor was in New Delhi with the whole cast of Baadshaho in connection with the promotion of the film which is slated to release on 1 September.
A major talking point from Game of Thrones' season 7 episode 2, was when the characters Missandei and Grey Worm made love: people were curious to know the mechanics of the act, especially since (as an Unsullied soldier) Grey Worm has been castrated. Experts gave their opinions on how Missandei and Grey Worm may have achieved sexual pleasure (Missandei mischievously, later tells Dany that she and Grey Worm did "many things"), and there were clarifications on what castration actually entailed.
By the time the Game of Thrones season 7 finale rolled around a few weeks later and the series' two protagonists, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen had consummated their relationship viewer interest was piqued by an entirely different thing: 'incest'.
Some fans couldn't care less about the fact that Dany and Jon, Westeros' latest power couple, were related. (Dany is Jon's aunt; he is her brother Rhaegar's third child. Jon is born roughly 8-9 months before Dany.) Others were disgusted. Some took issue with the way Jon's true identity was revealed in an exposition (by Sam and Bran), as he was in the act of making love to Dany. Others felt the juxtaposition of scenes from Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark's relationship with Jon and Dany's lovemaking made for an insightful reveal about what these two characters mean to each other. The reactions were strongly expressed by both sides. Newsweek even got a therapist to comment on 'why it's okay that you're okay with Jon and Dany's relationship' and explain 'genetic sexual attraction'.
In a world where sexual mores are fairly permissive where we're beginning to come around to the viewpoint that anything occurring between consenting adults is their business incest is still a no-no. It's interesting to note that discussions on incest often club it with cannibalism, as one of the 'last great taboos'.
Incest a romantic and/or sexual relationship between blood relatives has both horrified and fascinated people for centuries. Royal families practised it for a variety of practical reasons: it kept power within the family, avoided the dilution of riches/titles with 'outsiders', it ensured matches were made between 'equals', and in a class of society that set much store by their own special-ness (this last bit being essential if they were to assert their 'divine right' to rule) a way to keep their bloodlines 'untainted' and pure. Well-known cases of royal incest include the Emperor Nero, and Cleopatra (who married two of her bothers). There has been so much dynastic intra-marrying among the royal families of Europe that all the current ruling hereditary monarchs have descended from a common ancestor, Johan Willem Freso, the Prince of Orange.
Lacking knowledge about genetics and how it worked, what these royal families didn't realise was that they weren't just keeping their 'bloodlines' from being contaminated they were magnifying hereditary flaws that would otherwise have been diluted/not expressed themselves. Egypt's King Tut was believed to have suffered a variety of debilitating illnesses, because of inbreeding (DNA studies in 2010 proved his parents were siblings). Inter-marrying was why haemophilia was seen among so many of Queen Victoria's descendants, and why the Habsburg jaw so plagued the royal line for which the condition was named.
The horror of incest is a species' way of protecting itself. Apart from evolution however, there are also strong social barriers to incest not least because it is inherently difficult to separate it from child sexual abuse. As this report from 2013 states, child sexual abuse at the hands of a family member affected more people annually in the United States than gun violence, the mortgage crisis, AIDS, cancer and LGBT inequality, combined.
Also read: Game of Thrones Jon-Daenerys' relationship follows a Westeros tradition (and we don't mean incest)
And yet, incest or to make a crucial distinction, fantasies involving incest isn't an uncommon phenomenon in the arts. Classical allusions to it can be found in the works of Sophocles (Oedipus Rex), and Wagner (the Ring cycle). Modern fiction too has dealt with incestuous couples: In Flowers in the Attic, the Dollaganger siblings Cathy and Chris fall in love (while held captive by an evil grandmother); in later books, they are shown to marry and have children. We also learn that Cathy and Chris' parents too were in an incestuous relationship, being half-siblings. And one only needs to look at data from Pornhub Insights to realise that incest fantasies are popular: as per worldwide trends for 2016, 'stepmother' is the second most searched for term on porn sites. 'Stepsister' is fifth, followed by 'mom' in sixth. ('Lesbian', 'MILF' and 'teen' take the first, third and fourth spots, respectively). When the data is restricted only to the US, 'stepmother' jumps to the number one spot, with 'stepsister' at number two.
A thinkpiece in The Atlantic posited that in Game of Thrones, incest is also a metaphor it seeks to show the insularity of certain families (the Lannisters or Targaryens, for instance), their beliefs about being better than the rest of the world, and how that same insularity/myopia could lead to their downfall (Joffrey's madness could be a symptom of him being the product of incest; the 'Mad King' Aerys' insanity is certainly the product of generations of inbreeding among the Targaryens, as is Viserys' instability).
More obviously, the incest in Game of Thrones is yet another instance of its creator George RR Martin's abhorrence of moral absolutes. Unlike JRR Tolkien, who made his characters in Lord of the Rings clearly good or evil, the bulk of GoT characters occupy a moral grey zone. It is why we can feel affection for a character like Jaime Lannister, or a Theon Greyjoy, though we have seen them commit terrible transgressions and why a seemingly upstanding/honourable character like Stannis (a stickler for doing what is right) can murder his brother and burn his own daughter at the stake. Even Jon, as he admits to Theon in 'The Dragon and the Wolf', struggles to do the right thing (although he does invariably do it). It is the conflicts that Game of Thrones characters struggle with that make them so much more compelling than if they acted without an iota of self doubt, or without slipping up and making mistakes.
In setting up what is undoubtedly the most epic romance in Game of Thrones between blood relatives, GRRM raises those questions of moral absolutism again. Even incest, in GoT, happens within a context, so you look differently at Jaime and Cersei, Craster and his many daughter-wives (such as Gilly), Jon and Dany, the entire Targaryen dynasty.
And while incest is as taboo in the Seven Kingdoms as it is anywhere in the real world today, the Targaryens are exempt mainly because of their power; but also because as a race they are physically different from the Westerosi (the distinctive silver hair and purple/lilac eyes) and can be thought of as 'the other'.
Since GRRM also takes a special delight in subverting readers' expectations, perhaps he decided: oh here's a fine, perfectly matched, attractive couple that people will root for why not make that a little more difficult, by say, making them related? (That's only conjecture of course the way the story is built up, Jon and Dany's coupling is seen more as matter of destiny. For a full account of why that is, click here.)
Despite giving fans a troubling set-up, the fact is most do them do appreciate the Jon-Dany union, incest be damned. Maybe they sense, as GRRM wants them to, that what we condemn and what we condone isn't always straightforward. Or maybe it's just that they understand very well, that like the rest of A Song of Ice and Fire, the incest too, is just a fantasy.
Friday, Aug. 25 marked another special milestone in the history and tradition of Erlanger Health System as they celebrated 517 associates for their years of service, ranging from five to 50 years.
The fifty-year service award recipient was Wanda Wheeler, who has worked in many different areas of the hospital during her tenure.
There were two 45 year service award recipients, Donna White and Sandra Wright, and seven 40 years of service recipients, Jeanne Baker, Nanette Car, Dianna Geren, Darlene Groogan, Annette Pollard- Lacey, Deborah Riley and Lawrence Williams. 19 associates celebrated 35 years at Erlanger and 44 celebrated 30 years of service to the hospital.
Our employees and their dedication to the community drives Erlanger to a higher level of care, said Gregg Gentry, chief of staff to the president and CEO and chief administrative officer. We are pleased to recognize our employees for their hard work and commitment to improving the level and availability of health care to our communities. We could not accomplish our goals without our extraordinary employees.
Each year, Erlanger honors associates who have reached a five-year milestone of service to the health system. The annual service awards event is dedicated to those who have dedicated countless hours to help make Erlanger what it is today. Many of the attendees shared words of wisdom and love for their hospital and coworkers that have helped make Erlanger a great place to work.
The agitation for a separate Bodoland flared up again in Assam on Monday after the Centre allegedly stopped their monthly meetings with the movement groups on the issue. Bodo groups blocked national highways in the state for 10 hours on Monday in protest.
The Bodo movement has gained momentum at a time when the state is still healing from the wounds inflicted by the riots in 2012 and 2014.
Agitating against the Centre's 'negligence', thousands of Bodos, led by an exceptionally high number of women, renewed their mobilisations to demand a separate state for the tribe. To further the cause, Assam bandh (shutdown) has also been called on 11 September.
Pramod Boro, president of All Bodo Students Union, which has been leading the movement for four decades, told Firstpost that this is the first time women in Assam have occupied the streets in demand for a separate Bodoland.
The protesters blocked the national highways at two different junctures for around 10 hours, causing a traffic jam and delaying delivery of goods and services to various parts of Assam and other North East states.
"In Chirang district, Bodo women staged the blockade at the district headquarters Kajalgaon on NH31C, while in Udalguri district, the blockade was put up on NH15 at Orang. The distance between Kajalgaon and Udalguri is about 250 kilometres," reported The Telegraph.
Boro alleged that the Centre is delaying a solution on Bodoland. "On 26 April, a tripartite meeting was held on the issue of separate Bodoland. In that meeting, it was discussed that a meeting will be held every month to arrive at a solution. But no meetings were held later on. For some unknown reasons, the meetings were not continued," he said.
He said that Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, five Bodo movement groups and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh were present at the tripartite meeting.
The Bodo movement groups claim that BJP leaders had promised a solution to the issue during the 2014 General election, but turned their back on them after attaining power. Last year, the groups expressed their discontent and called an agitation demanding a separate Bodoland.
Gobinda Basumatary, the leader of another Bodo movement group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), told IANS: "We have been betrayed and exploited by the BJP. When the elections came in 2014, the BJP sought our support and assured us a small state within India. We supported the BJP and they came to power. But, in the last two years, no talks on the statehood issue were held."
Bodos are the biggest plains tribe in Assam. Since 1967, various groups and political parties have been demanding a separate Bodoland. The Bodoland movement turned violent after the Assam Movement (1979-1985) as it was believed that it neglected the issue of preservation of Bodo identity.
As a research paper on the Bodo movement points out: "Clause Six of the Assam Accord would give legitimacy to the imposition of the Assamese language and culture upon the Bodo people and other tribal communities of Assam. The Bodos, along with other tribal communities, resented the campaign of assimilation as they felt that they had no chance of preserving their own cultural heritage in the atmosphere dominated by the majority Assamese culture."
After decades of violent struggles, devolution of power to the Bodos was initiated after the Bodo Liberation Tigers signed an accord of peace in 2003 with the NDA government.
"Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) is a spatial unit run by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), that was created in 2003 by carving out some areas of eight districts of Assam Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang and Sonitpur," a study on the viability of Bodo movement says.
But Boro says that the BTAD failed to meet the aspirations of the people. "The BTAD passed 25 Bills related to land and revenue of Bodoland in its area. The Assam government is expected to either review the bills and send them back for rectification if any or send it to the government for assent. But the Government of Assam did none and sat on the bills. This indifference has failed the Bodos as a people," he said.
Though Bodo movement groups have demanded resumption of talks, the movement has faced resistance in BTAD itself. The irony with BTAD is that it has a larger non-Bodo population in it. A good number of non-Bodos are involved in a counter movement against the demand for Bodoland. As per a study published by International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, there are only 32 percent Bodos in BTAD area.
Jogeshwar Kalita, leader of Non-Bodo Suraksha Samiti, which is leading a movement against the Bodoland movement told Firstpost: "We will not accept the creation of a separate Bodoland for the sake of Bodo people who are a minority in BTAD area. In 2003, the BTAD was formed, but many of us kept silent in fear. But we will not repeat the same mistake again." He added that if the Centre has to create a Bodoland, then it has to be done on the basis of a plebiscite.
The anti-Bodoland movement is a strong political force in Assam. In 2014, the Naba Kumar Sarania won the sole parliamentary segment on this plank. The conflict between the Bodos and non-Bodos resulted in riots in 2012 and 2014, which left more than a 100 dead.
With the Bodoland movement once again on the rise, Assam could be forced to relive its bitter past.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the city police to inform it after two weeks the status of the probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar.
A bench of Justices GS Sistani and Chander Shekhar said so after Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain submitted that the court can look into the status of the investigation they have carried out so far.
ASG also submitted that the court could talk to senior Delhi police officials involved with the case inside the chamber as there was no laxity on part of the police in investigating the matter.
He claimed that the lag was not at the individual level but due to the delay in getting the scientific reports. On hearing this, the bench said it was not fair to look into or monitor the investigation, but would "certainly like to know where the investigation stands as of today."
"The incident is of January 2014 and we are in middle of 2017. It's almost over three years but nothing concrete has come as of today," the bench said, adding "certainly it cannot be unending".
"We have no hesitation to look into your report, but it is a bad habit to monitor the probe," it said.
Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a five-star hotel in south Delhi on the night of 17 January, 2014.
The court posted the matter after two weeks and said that by then the ASG himself should look into the status of the investigation.
"If you are with some different report on the development of the probe after two weeks, it's okay. Otherwise we will look into it. Before we get into it, we will wait for two more weeks and see what you have come up with," the bench said.
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who has filed a plea seeking a court-monitored CBI-led special investigation (SIT) probe into Pushkar's death, said he was not seeking exclusion of Delhi Police from the SIT.
Swamy said various reports have suggested that Pushkar's death was unnatural but delay in getting the scientific report was an attempt to sabotage the probe.
Meanwhile, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor's stepson Shiv Menon, submitted in the court that the investigating agency should be given a direction for a time-bound probe into the matter.
Pahwa said that Menon had moved impleadment in the matter because he did not think anybody else would be more concerned about his mother's death.
The counsel further contended that he (Menon) had a right to get copy of the petition filed by Swamy and other documents in this regard, as he is the son.
The bench agreed to Pahwa's contention and directed advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, who along with Swamy has filed the petition, to supply him the copies.
Swamy and Bhandari have alleged that "inordinate delay" has been caused in the probe "which is a blot on the justice system".
The high court had on 1 August questioned Delhi Police over the delay in finding reasons behind the death of Pushkar. The bench was not convinced with the police's submission with regard to the difference of opinion in the findings of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), both based here.
The court had also expressed displeasure over the contention in the status report that data from some of the mobile phones, seized during the investigation, have been deleted and the Indian forensic laboratories have been unable to retrieve them.
Where the Chinese are concerned, there is nothing to gloat about. The way the mutual withdrawal in Doka La is being played out in India which is being hailed as a victory by many is hugely short-sighted and smacks of a misplaced sense of entitlement. India made the same mistake in 1962 and rued it for decades after.
There is no cause for such excitement and nothing really has happened to warrant these whoops. If there has been a withdrawal that is good, but it should not be seen as a military or political triumph. To lower our guard and start thumbing a snoot at a neighbour who has never really been a traditional enemy is quite unnecessary.
Our chauvinism should not encourage us to take the Chinese threat off the table because we are interpreting the current end of the Doka La impasse as a heroic success for us. In fact, some of our reckless media have even shown the Chinese as the vanquished. In one such TV news broadcast, there was even a shot of the Indian queen on a chessboard knocking off the Chinese king with the face of President Xi Jingpin. Checkmate, game and match.
We need to wake up to reality. Beijing did not spend three months upping the ante in Doka La and spending all that money to maintain its troop upsurge for fun. It had a specific purpose and whatever that was it has not gone away. It could have been a move to establish a fifth column in Bhutan and Sikkim for exploitation at a later stage. Perhaps to test India's resolve or even assess the mindset of the 44 million people residing in the North East. By that token, it was an opportunity to check out India's military strength and get a close look at the terrain.
It would be incredibly naive of us if we saw the present situation as a sign of Chinese surrender. All this 'Hindi Chini bhai-bhai' stuff we are seeing could well be exceedingly temporary and being done to generate an amenable atmosphere for the BRICS summit at Fujian four days from now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be participating and the Chinese are canny enough to keep it all 'hail fellow well met' because their rhetoric in the run up is still mildly threatening.
Their Foreign Office spokesperson Hua Chunying went on record on Tuesday, saying, "We hope that India will respect China's sovereignty and rightful concerns and work towards a peaceful settlement."
These are still fighting words and indicate a certain ongoing ambiguity in the Chinese decision to build a road in Doka La. Dressing itself up as a peacenik for the world to see prior to BRICS is not comforting.
Rather, India kept its guard up even more and went by the statement made a day earlier by a PLO Colonel Wu Quian, who said: "China's military will remain vigilant and firmly defend its national territory."
All this, while the media in India is talking about how we won the war. What war, it hasn't even begun yet.
The Indian and Pakistani Army traded heavy fire on Wednesday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. No damage or casualty has been reported.
The Pakistani Army targeted Indian positions on the LoC in the Nowshera sector, defence ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS here.
"Using small arms, automatics and mortars, they started unprovoked shelling and firing at 10.30 am. It is still going on. Indian troops are retaliating strongly and effectively," Mehta said.
On 23 August, senior army commanders of India and Pakistan on Wednesday had held a flag meeting on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir against the backdrop of numerous ceasefire violations and agreed to institute mechanisms for durable peace and tranquility on the border.
At the meeting of Battalion Commander-level officers, the Indian side highlighted "abetment and support of the Pakistan Army to cross-border terrorism, sniping actions on the Line of Control and deliberate targeting of civil population during cease fire violations," a defence ministry spokesman said.
Jammu: Accusing the PDP-BJP coalition of "failure" on the governance front in Jammu and Kashmir, the state unit of the Congress on Wednesday said a debate was "deliberately" being generated on Article 35A to divert attention of the people from the basic issues.
"To divert the attention of the people from basic issues, there is debate being generated deliberately regarding scraping of Article 35A," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) General Secretary Vikram Malhotra said addressing a protest rally in Jammu
JKPCC staged the rally to protest the alleged failure of the government to provide "basic facilities of life" to the people of the state.
Scores of Congress workers including women activists carrying placards, sat at a 'dharna'.
Malhotra said Article 35A is subjudice and "everybody should refrain from commenting on it".
However, he said the state subject laws, which were incorporated by Maharaja Hari Singh and sanctioned by presidential orders in 1956, was introduced in the "interest of all three regions of the state, especially for Dogra community of Jammu".
"Before any further action on 35A, it should be widely debated among people of Jammu to understand its implications both for and against this Article," he added.
He expressed concern over the security situation in the state and said repeated terror attacks are claiming the lives of Army, police and paramilitary personnel every day.
"Militancy is on the rise and the state and Centre are confused and clueless about the policy on Pakistan," he said.
An argument between two doctors during a pregnant woman's surgery at a hospital in Rajasthan allegedly resulted in the death of her newborn child, CNN-News18 reported on Wednesday.
The incident took place at Jodhpur's Umaid Hospital, the biggest healthcare facility in the city. The doctors can be seen exchanging expletives during their verbal spat, while inside the operation theatre, in a video recorded by a staff member on a mobile device.
While there is no concrete medical evidence at the moment to suggest that the heated exchange resulted in the death of the newborn, experts quoted by various news channels argue that a delay during the operation, an emergency caesarean surgery, was responsible for the death.
Verbal spat between two doctors in OT during surgery of a pregnant woman in Jodhpur's Umaid Hospital kills newborn pic.twitter.com/uPsrX7iA25 News18 (@CNNnews18) August 30, 2017
According to NDTV, when one of the doctors, the obstetrician, finally delivered the baby, it didn't survive. The argument erupted between doctors Ashok Nainwal and ML Tak over the feeble heartbeat of the foetus.
The report says that the argument appeared to have started when Nainwal, the obstetrician, questioned whether the patient had eaten before the operation. The anaesthetist, Tak, reportedly tried to have a junior doctor carry out tests, which Nainwal didn't agree with.
The incident highlights flouting of various procedures and rules, starting with the presence of a mobile recording device inside the operation theatre. Whether it amounts to a case of negligence on part of the doctors remains to be seen. A committee has been set up to investigate the incident.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Nainwal said that patient in question was not under his care and that he was in the OT to treat his own patient. He said that anaesthetist was not following the proper procedures and that could've posed a threat to the mother's life, which is the reason behind the argument.
The two doctors have since been suspended.
Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistani troops on Wednesday targetted forward posts and villages in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Indian troops guarding the Line of Control retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides was going on when last reports came in.
Officials said the firing by Pakistani troops from across the border was reported in Nowshera sector of the district around 10:35 am.
There was no immediate report of any casualty. Nowshera along with other sectors in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch have witnessed a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistani Army this year.
Several thousand border residents of Nowshera sector are living in government set-up relief camps at safer places since July after being displaced by cross-border shelling.
On 27 August, five persons were injured when Pakistani troops opened fire in Shahpur sector of Poonch district.
Until 1 August, there have been 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army while in 2016, the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year, according to Army figures.
The Justice JS Verma Committee in its report on the "Amendments to Criminal Law" in January 2013 recommended, in no unequivocal terms, that the preposterous exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code should be removed. The committee went to great lengths to quote the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Declaration on Elimination of Violence against Women 1993 (DEVW) which specifically includes marital rape in the list of abuse and violence against women the European Commission of Human Rights and the laws of innumerable countries including South Africa, England and Wales, Australia, and Canada.
The written submissions of the government in front of the Delhi High Court, however, have made some bizarre arguments. In one swipe, where it seems improbable and peculiar to the government that rape can be a realistic construct of any Indian marriage, they have relegated married women to the common law days of yore, where women were considered to be the property of men either the father or the husband.
All property rights, economic rights, and of course laws regarding marriage, succession, and adoption reflect this.
This is, of course, far more pervasive in our society than we realise. Just take a look at any identity card that is issued by the government. The driving license has the prefix son/daughter/wife of, whereas, the Aadhaar card and the PAN card among other proofs of identification, equate a woman to a minor, or an incapacitated person, lacking the ability to sustain an independent identity of her own or having the legitimate power to associate her name to that of her mothers.
Hence, it is perhaps not so surprising that the government asserts a parochial and patronising role in almost all other aspects of a decent human life. The way we treat our women is ostensibly the way we treat other disfranchised and marginalised communities in India be it our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) community or our children and pensioners. Of course, gender plays a huge role here, simply because marriages in India and, in fact, any relationship between men and women are fundamentally not equal given the power equations and the prevailing status quo on oppression.
The Centres principle argument that criminalising marital rape would lead to the destabilisation of the institution of marriage" is an odd way to regulate and now proactively 'protect' an institution which is primarily problematic in India, not to mention rooted in cultural and social biases; nevertheless it's something that the state should not have a mandate to protect, except perhaps the classes which ostensibly need their protection within such an institution the women, and the children.
In an attempt to protect the institution of marriage, the State should not argue for the marriage automatically extinguishing the legal or sexual autonomy of the wife.
The other fallacious argument of the State is the presumption of harassment of husbands at the hands of their wives. The purported harm from not criminalising marital rape is completely eclipsed by a presumption against the argument, and reflects how much the State is removed from ground realities, and how badly it wants to reinforce the principle that a marriage means irrevocable consent to sexual intercourse.
There is no doubt that the law should evolve like a mature beast and incorporate checks against flagrant misuse by interested parties. However, a presumption of misuse of a law, in this case, is far outweighed by the harm caused by not having a law. A presumption of harassment of the husband cannot, and should not prevent the establishment from legitimising the right of the wife to seek justice from the criminal justice system for flagrant violations against her body.
The States argument, of what may appear as marital rape to a wife, may not appear so to others, is a conversation rooted in 'conventional morality' and completely undermines the autonomy of a class of people.
Of course, it is logically fallacious to argue that the assumption of a relationship changes the way we view rape itself. So, while an unmarried woman can be "raped" by a familiar person, the same familiarity of the relationship makes the same act not a "rape" in case of a married woman notwithstanding the fact that that any penetration that has happened without the womans consent; against her will; or, with her consent by threatening to kill or hurt her or any person she cares for, are components of the provision of rape as defined in the IPC.
The State should realise that reasons such as "poverty, illiteracy, vast diversity, and mindset of the society" cannot be used as reasons to undermine a citizens legitimate right to autonomy, the exercise of which was held to enable "an individual to attain fulfilment, grow in self-esteem, build relationships of his or her choice and fulfil all legitimate goals that he or she may set"; a right upheld by the Delhi High Court in 2009 in the context of Section 377 of the IPC.
The recent judgment on the Right to Privacy by the Supreme Court, of course, bolsters this argument by inextricably linking the Right to Privacy with the Right to Bodily Autonomy, and is right in stating that the argument of privacy can not be used "as a cover to conceal and assert patriarchal mindsets".
In failing to uphold basic human dignity within the law itself, we signal to the wider moral and just society that they are under no obligation to do so, and we turn women into the hopeless, abused characters of a dystopian novel, simply claiming, We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of the print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.
In the larger narrative of morality, society and the institution of marriage, do not forget the women.
Guwahati: "I had no option. When they died, I spent the whole night looking at their bodies and thinking where I could perform the last rites. Eventually, I put the bodies in jute bags and threw them into the water." Helplessness writ large on his face, Chandra Kanta Rabha, 45, of Jonai in Assam's Dhemaji district recounted how his heart sank as mere hours after losing his family, he had to acquiesce to this decision.
His wife Padmawati and son Raju, all of 12, died of drowning in the raging Brahmaputra on 12 August. While they could not be saved, the villagers caught hold of their bodies floating in the water and set about looking for land to bury them. Only, there was none. Dhemaji has been one of the worst-affected districts in this year's floods, said to be most devastating in more than a decade. Scores of villages across the state are submerged after three waves of flood hit the northeastern state.
In Jonai, as in many other villages of the sub-division, there's no place to bury the dead. Rabha and his fellow villagers searched for a place for hours to bury the mother-son duo, but to no avail. With a heavy heart, they concluded their only option was to give their bodies to the river that claimed their lives.
Four days before them, the villagers of Chatpara in Bongaigaon district in western Assam ferried a dead body three kilometres across the Brahmaputra to reach a hillock to perform the last rites. A resident Umme Salma, 35, had breathed her last at the nearby Chalantapara Hospital. Much like the Jonai sub-division, this village too did not have any place left for burial. Salma's husband Abu Taher and a few villagers braved the overflowing river to get to the hillock, Korea Pahar.
Bongaigaon is one of the many districts in the state that face constant soil erosion. The annual floods during the monsoon not only disrupt life but also make it difficult for the villagers to bid a respectful final goodbye to their loved ones owing to a lack of a burial ground. While the village did have a graveyard, it was washed away in the 2012 floods. To tackle this, most houses in Chatpara would bury their loved ones in their backyards. The situation was such that every house had at least five-six graves. But now even this is not feasible.
"Dig two feet into the ground and water will start gushing out. We do not have a place to live in, how can you manage land for burial!" exclaimed Mohor Ali, a resident of Chatpara. He pointed to a piece of land that was once his paddy field but now is filled with water after the first wave of floods hit the village in July.
How graveyards die
The burial ground at Korea Pahar, where the residents of Chatpara bury their dead, is also fast receding. The residents recall how villagers in Nama Chatpara, an adjoining village, started losing their graveyard a decade ago.
"The floods that hit us 10 years ago washed away the entire kabristaan (burial ground). Can you imagine? The dead bodies of our ancestors gone!" said Mukhtar Hussain, a teacher at the village school. He said six years after the graveyard was washed away, the entire village of Nama Satpara was swallowed by the floods. That's when they started using the graveyard in Korea Pahar, he said.
He poignantly described how they look at the river every day and pray for it to recede. The soil is getting softer with every passing day. Erosion has destroyed half of the villages in Boitamari [revenue circle] and the river is inching closer. Look at the road, the river will soon wash it away too, he said apprehensively.
Located 185 kilometre from the state's capital of Guwahati, Boitamari is the worst-hit area in Bongaigaon district. Chatpara presently houses more than 2,200 people after the recent flood displaced 580 families. The biggest problem in the village now is that of erosion. In the months of May and June, the rising water level of Brahmaputra had displaced 50 villages in Boitamari revenue circle.
According to Kamila Khatun, the panchayat president of Chatpara, the river has washed away 2,000 bighas of land, displacing more than 70,000 people in the last five years. She said about 60 families have been living in the 1,480 bighas of land that was allotted to set up a paper mill in the village.
More than 40 percent of Assam is flood-prone and about 25 lakh people live on seasonal islands and sandbars, located amid rivers and their tributaries. Every year during floods, the gushing rivers chip off these almond-shaped islands from the tip and deposit sediments towards the back. Simply put, the floods displace the islands bit by bit. For the state's population living in these areas, these woes are a part and parcel of their existence. Living or dead, the flood gives no respite.
The author is a Guwahati-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.
Sheriff Jim Hammond said Wednesday he plans to gradually reduce the number of prisoners at the out-moded County Jail floor by floor as an expansion gets underway at the workhouse at Silverdale. He said he would like to see the jail on Walnut Street close within five years.
County officials said it was decided to opt for the workhouse expansion rather than build a new jail costing between $90 million and $130 million.
An idea for a new smaller jail by the Courts Building on Cherry Street was also discarded, it was stated.
Officials said the jail holds about 500 inmates typically and the workhouse 1,000. The plan is to add space for some 300 more inmates at the workhouse, while focusing on programs that will keep people out of jail, including the homeless and persons with mental issues.
Sheriff Hammond said he would like to see General Sessions Court eventually move to Silverdale so that prisoners do not have to continually be transported from Silverdale to downtown. He said Criminal Court has far fewer inmates that need to be transported so it could stay put at the Courts Building.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger is relinquishing oversight of the jail to the sheriff. He said in very few locales is the county mayor over the jail. He said the eight correctional employees under the mayor will move to the sheriff's oversight and budget. He said they will stay on at the same rate of pay.
The county is entering a new four-year agreement with Core Civic (formerly CCA). The private firm has operated the workhouse for 32 years.
The per diem rate was raised from $40.08 to $42.25. County Mayor Coppinger said the main reason was that Core Civic had to raise employee pay by $2 per hour in order to keep correctional officers.
Sheriff Hammond said Hamilton County has about 400 pre-trial detainees in custody, while the number if around 150 in Shelby County and Davidson County. He said ways need to be found to cut that number here.
All agree that the current jail, which opened in 1976, "has reached the end of its useful life," a consultant said.
Thousands of miles away from Mumbai, Houston in Texas, US faced a somewhat similar situation to the one experienced by the former on Tuesday after heavy rains overwhelmed India's financial capital, its infrastructure and brought the city to its knees.
In Houston, Hurricane Harvey paralysed the fourth most populous city of the United States resulting in the death of at least 30 people and leaving thousands of people stranded and homeless.
However, the biggest difference between the two natural disasters (aside, obviously, from the scale) was the way the administration of the two countries reacted to it. As Harvey continued to pound southern Texas and parts of Louisiana, the US military including the Coast Guard and National Guard units from five states committed resources to help with rescue efforts, reported The Washington Post.
Texas governor Gregg Abbott on Monday announced the ordering of the entire Texas National Guard about 12,000 troops to assist those affected by the storm.
Apart from that, 30,000 National Guard and active duty troops were on standby to assist overwhelmed Texas authorities.
Wisened by the experience of Hurricane Katrina, the administration pressed in helicopters that landed near flooded freeways and rescued stranded people. Further, as AP pointed out, "(A)irboats buzzed across submerged neighbourhoods and high-water vehicles plowed through water-logged intersections".
According to the website, a team of volunteers joined rescue workers and managed to pull several people out from their houses to safer areas.
Thousands of affected people flocked to convention centres-turned-emergency shelters to spend the difficult days there. The citys largest shelter was overflowing when the mayor announced plans to create space for thousands of extra people by opening two and possibly three more mega-shelters.
By Tuesday when the situation had started to improve and people began returning to their homes, Houston's mayor imposed a night time curfew in the city to prevent looting of homes hit by the hurricane.
According to some reports, the city is still not out of the woods, but the city administration is confident of coping with further rainfall.
In Mumbai, however, a spell of eight hours of rain showed very little has changed since the great deluge of 2005, and the city administration was once again caught napping.
According to Mumbai Mirror, there was a warning from the Indian Meteorological Department office predicting very heavy rains coupled with high tides. Despite the warning, there was no advance planning; even schools were not closed or even forewarned.
Other emergency measures that the report suggested like keeping additional buses ready and speaking with private cab operators to provide services in case of a possible downpour were also not explored. As for shelters, it was mainly citizens and non-government entities who came to the rescue of stranded Mumbaikars.
The administration even failed to provide essential supplies of milk, vegetables, and bread available.
The city sees heavy rains almost every year, with a few downpours that result in near-flood-like situations. Despite that no permanent measures seem to be on place for the situation.
According to another article of Mumbai Mirror, twelve years after the 26 July deluge, and spending thousands of crores on pumping stations, cleaning of storm water drains, the BMC still doesnt know why Mumbai suffers in every monsoon.
After the Tuesday deluge, when the BMC came under attack from several quarters the municipal body denied its failure, calling the situation exceptional, even though the BMC, ahead of the monsoon, had promised no water-logging in the city this year.
Mumbai: The heavy rains lashing Mumbai have led to the cancellation of the visit of a senior Australian minister to the city, authorities said on Wednesday.
Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo was scheduled to visit the BSE and the BSE Institute on Thursday to promote Australia-India investment and education ties but it has been due to the "inclement weather conditions" in Mumbai, the Australian Consulate said in a release.
Ciobo was to ring the opening bell of the BSE before addressing students from the BSE Institute and meet its leadership to highlight the growing interest of Australians to invest in India, the release said.
Ciobo's visit was scheduled to highlight existing partnerships between Australian and Indian educational institutions and also interact with BSE Institute students pursuing higher studies in Australia, it said.
The minister is in India for the 'Australia Business Week in India' (ABWI), an initiative of the Australian government to expand the country's trade, investment and education ties with India.
Mumbai: After incessant downpour threw life out of gear, disrupting road, rail and air traffic, Mumbai braced for another day of hardships even as let up in rains on Tuesday night is expected to bring some relief on Wednesday. Schools and colleges have been asked to remain shut by authorities amid indications of a fresh spell of heavy showers in the megapolis.
The city and its suburbs virtually have a public holiday on Wednesday with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra
Fadnavis advising people to stay back home unless there is an emergency. "However, the essential services and critical staff in the government will be on duty on Wednesday," Fadnavis said.
Suburban train services on Western Railways resumed around midnight and those on the Central Railway are still struggling to come on track. Hundreds of people are still stranded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus waiting for the journey back home.
Mumbai's suburban train network, which carries over 65 lakh passengers a day, is the lifeline of the financial capital and halting of the services had led to severe inconvenience to many office goers who had braved the heavy rains to make it to their offices on Tuesday. Mumbai received 298 mm of rainfall over a period of nine hours on Tuesday, nine times more rain than the average, an IMD official said. The spell of heavy rains is likely to continue on Wednesday as well, he added.
Traffic on the Eastern and Western Express highways, the two key arterial roads in Mumbai, which was crawling at a
snail's pace on Tuesday, is slowly returning to normalcy. Navy helicopters are on standby in view of heavy rains
in Mumbai and its adjoining areas. Flood rescue teams and divers are also ready for deployment, a Navy spokesperson had said.
Torrential rains had pounded the metropolis throughout the day on Tuesday. The city gauged a whopping 298 mm of
rainfall, the highest in a day in August since 1997. Three persons, including two children were killed in Mumbai while a 32-year-old woman and a teenage girl died in rain-related incidents in Thane on Tuesday, police had said.
Even as the city was pummelled by heavy rains, people in Mumbai opened their homes and hearts to strangers, offering assistance to those stranded in the rains that brought the megapolis to its knees. In many offices, employees stayed back in the night as they could not catch trains and buses for getting home.
Under fire over the shoddy infrastructure in Mumbai, Shiv Sena which heads the municipal corporation, on Wednesday sought to blame rain gods for the 'natural calamity' befalling Mumbaikars. Meanwhile, heavy rains continued in Marathwada region while rivers in adjoining Raigad district were in full spate.
On Tuesday, India's richest city was plunged into disarray as rains dragged Mumbai to a standstill. Transport facilities were rendered useless as people were stranded in offices, homes and streets. The high tide also prevented natural drainage into the sea and scenes of water-logging became commonplace across the city.
The physical evidence of the rains was also backed up by the numbers as from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm, Mumbai recorded 102 mm and the suburbs notched a staggering 316 mm rainfall. The forecast for Wednesday is not much better either as "heavy to very heavy rains" are predicted for Mumbai and the entire Konkan region.
The administration expectedly caught flak for the situation in the as they were blamed for not taking any measures to solve the flooding problem which hits the city every monsoon.
But to what extent is the administration really responsible? What steps could it have taken to prevent the large-scale problems which afflict the city in the rains?
According to the experts: many.
Faulty town planning
The effect of proper planning can be seen through a simple comparison within the city, says Milind Mhaske, project director at the Praja Foundation. He points to the fact that South Mumbai received a similar quantum of rainfall as the rest of the city but saw much lesser flooding. The flooding situation got considerably worse as one goes towards the suburbs as some areas reported neck-deep water levels. Mhaske explains this discrepancy as a result of better planning in the south part of the city as compared to the north.
He further explains that the ever-increasing density of people living in the city has put a strain on its infrastructure. As developing authorities grant more building permissions, more and more people find places to live but they use the same public facilities. This results in the drainage and water management systems being thrown out of gear when faced with the monsoon.
Mhaske expressed his amazement at the sheer lack of action after the 2005 floods. He said that we have had 12 years to plan and implement policies to battle the monsoons but we have failed to do so.
The answer according to him is to grow the city outward instead of piling more citizens in the same area. He says that providing more affordable housing towards the hinterland and linking it to the south part of the city with better public transport will ease the pressure on the fragile infrastructure. He recommends pushing both commercial and government activity to the north side of the city which will encourage citizens to move outwards as well.
Micro-level actions
Mhaske is hardly alone in being surprised by the lack of action after major floods. Atul Deulgaonkar, an independent journalist and author noted that after the Chennai floods, studies had found that cloudbursts (rainfall of over 100mm in an hour) would continue to happen. Thus humans will have to live with the weather conditions as they are and be prepared to face heavy rains from time to time.
Deulgaonkar feels actions at the micro-level must take place to better combat the rains. He says that there are no shortcuts to blunt the monsoon's impact but cities must look at better water management and garbage disposal to solve these issues. In particular he mentions the fact that the storm water passes through the sewage pipelines which come under stress in the monsoon. This also leads to wastage of water. He says that the separation of the storm water pipes and sewage pipes should be taken up at the earliest.
Lack of preparation
Taking the example of Hurricane Harvey which has hit the US, Mhaske said that abundant public warnings and the presence of mitigation plans reduced the impact of the hurricane. The lack of the same in Mumbai is the reason why the city suffered so heavily despite the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a warning days before the actual event.
Deulgaonkar too flags the Texas example as one which showed planning. This led many lives being saved and weakened the impact of the hurricane.
Ineffective leadership
The lack of a leader was also acutely felt during the floods. No one from the BMC, the state government or the administration was seen as taking charge of the situation. Mhaske says that while the local government needs to take the lead, some blame also lies with the political leadership and its head, the chief minister.
Deulgaonkar mentions the pre-monsoon meetings which take place between various stakeholders in the month of April. Representatives from the state administration, the Disaster Management Authority, the Railways, the Navy and Airport authority among others take part in this meeting. The idea is to come up with a collective disaster risk reduction plan to deal with the rains. However, a lack of political and administrative will means that these meeting rarely amount to much.
Local government must step up
The good side of Mumbai was also visible in these tough times as non-state apparatus kicked into gear with corporates, ganesh pandals, gurudwaras, celebrities and common Mumbaikars offering help to those stranded away from home. Mhaske says there is a need to better integrate these actions with the government machinery. If the government could coordinate with these community centres then that could help the citizens to a much larger degree.
Mhaske also insists that the local government must be made accountable to the people. He mentions the Principle of Subsidiarity which states that decisions must be taken at the most local level. Further, there is also a need for citizens to develop a better civic sense and take ownership of the city. They must get involved in the local government and ensure that the administrators are actually held responsible.
There is also a dire need to reorient our priorities, or at least those of our leaders. A study by the Praja Foundation found that while storm water drainage was one of the leading causes of civic complaints by Mumbai citizens between 2014 to 2016, it only formed a minuscule portion (4.2 percent) of the questions asked by ward councillors at Ward Committee meetings. The highest number of questions were reserved for "Naming/Renaming of Roads/Chowks ".
Better management of the monsoons is not unachievable. However as Deulgaonkar says, shortcuts are futile and there must be long-term action. Otherwise every year, the city will grind to a halt as the rain gods make merry.
With inputs from PTI
Click here for LIVE updates on the Mumbai rains
Mumbai: Even as the country's financial capital witnessed a chaos due to incessant rains on Tuesday, the harried commuters, stranded due to non-functional railway lines and traffic snarls, blamed the administration for not taking adequate measures to ease the situation on time.
Moiz Udaipurwala (30), a media professional working in suburban Andheri, said trains came to a halt in the afternoon, as a result of which, there was no scope for him to reach his house at Reay Road.
"Though our office allowed us to go home early, there was no scope for us to leave as the trains were not operating. To add to our woes, there was a massive traffic jam on the Western Express Highway. We did not want to risk staying outdoors while it was raining. Thus, we had no option but stay back at the office," he said.
Sonali Thakker, a banking professional, alleged that the taxi drivers cashed in on the administration's failure and charged exorbitant fares.
"Firstly, it was nearly impossible to find a taxi. Those available asked for almost double the regular fare to take me from Churchgate to suburban Ghatkopar," she said.
Shekhar Sarkar, a lawyer, said he would have not had to spend the night in his office had the government taken adequate measures.
"The government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are well aware that the city faces a flood-like situation every year. Yet, no measures are taken to address the problem permanently. Had the government ensured that the railway tracks did not get submerged, thousands would have had nothing to worry about," he said.
Asfiya Contractor, a lecturer of a city college, said she left home at 8 am like any other day and had not expected that it would rain cats and dogs.
"I decided to leave my workplace as it began to pour. With no cabs and autorickshaws available and those out on the streets fleecing the commuters, I was stranded at Matunga for nearly two hours.
"After a lot of hassle, I got an autorickshaw and then got stuck in a traffic jam for another three hours while travelling a small distance from Matunga to Bandra. Each year, the rains create havoc in Mumbai and yet the BMC and state government seem to be indifferent towards the civic issues," she said.
The metropolis witnessed torrential rains throughout the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy showers on Wednesday as well.
Follow our LIVE blog on Mumbai rains
After torrential rains lashed Mumbai, Thane and other parts of Maharashtra throwing normal life out of gear, common people of Mumbai opened their homes to offer help and take in people stranded on the streets. Help poured in from all parts of Mumbai with not just people but private companies coming out to offer as much assistance as possible. From free accommodation to shuttle services, the non-state apparatus worked tirelessly to ensure help to the affected people.
The travel site for bus tickets Redbus offered to arrange for a free stay in the nearest hotel. Treebo hotels asked people to stay safe and find their nearest Treebo to stay for free.
#Help for ppl stranded in #MumbaiRains
Call redBus Hotels on 08030970888, well arrange free stay in the nearest hotel. RT to spread word. redBus (@redBus_in) August 29, 2017
Be safe in the #MumbaiRains. Head to your nearest #TreeboHotel & stay for free. Spread the word. pic.twitter.com/U7GiQ6b3Kh Treebo Hotels (@TreeboHotels) August 29, 2017
Cab aggregator Ola tweeted that they are running free shuttle services to take people to their destination.
#Mumbai We're running free Shuttle services to get you safely to your destination from these locations https://t.co/sHfGSoNAl5 #MumbaiRains Ola (@Olacabs) August 29, 2017
Ganesh pandals and gurudwaras also opened up to take in people and offer help. The organisers of Lalbaugcha Raja in Parel said that they have made arrangements to anyone who seeks shelter there. Churches like St Peter's Church and the St Stanislaus School, both in Bandra, also opened their doors, Rediff reported.
Temples, Gurudwaras, Mosques Open Doors! No1can breakthis Idea of our #India Think b4 u spread venom nexttime#MumbaiRains #MumbaiFlooded pic.twitter.com/yknE87Vij1 Arnaz Hathiram (@Milkyway1955Z) August 29, 2017
Corporate offices like Book my Bai and Radio Mirchi also offered help to the people.
@Mirchimumbai is opening doors to anyone in the Lower Parel area, we have tea, maggi and love waiting for those in need. #RainHosts pic.twitter.com/bbtruOinXU Mirchi Mumbai (@Mirchimumbai) August 29, 2017
Bookmybai office will be open to host people who are stranded in Malad west #RainHosts #MumbaiRains BookMyBai (@BookMyBai) August 29, 2017
Oyo rooms also offered free shelter at select hotels.
Stuck in Mumbai? We are offering free shelter at select hotels, call us on 9313931393 & we'll guide you to the nearest shelter #MumbaiRains OYO (@oyorooms) August 29, 2017
Apart from the commoners, celebrities like Terence Lewis offered their places to those trapped in rains.
#Rainhosts started trending on Twitter with people opening their homes to all stranded people.
Anyone near Juhu, Andheri(W) needs help, please feel free to contact me. Our doors are open for the stranded. #MumbaiRains #RainHosts Sagar Pathak (@sagarpathak91) August 29, 2017
Anyone stuck in bandra and need help, holler. Will do what I can do. Opening my DM for anyone to message. #RainHosts #MumbaiRains anvita (@anvitanath) August 29, 2017
People also circulated the address and contact information of the relief centres on social media.
While the Mumbai Police also put out their emergency numbers and tweeted timely updates about the traffic situation, the commoners also pitched in by helping the stranded people by offering to take them in and putting updates on social media. Here is the list of places where the Mumbaikars can go to to seek help or shelter.
Follow our LIVE blog on Mumbai rains
Sam Varghese (name changed on request), a Gulf-based non-resident Indian (NRI), came to Kerala with a long list of activities to be completed during the brief visit. The first task, of getting a SIM card for his mobile phone, itself proved to be difficult as the carrier insisted on a copy of the Aadhaar card. A relative came to his aid by getting a SIM issued in his name.
But he faced the same problem again when he went to the bank for updating his KYC details and to the Regional Transport Office for renewing his driver's licence. As Aadhaar continued to prop up everywhere he went, Sam finally decided to get one made.
But as Aadhaar is not issued to NRIs at present, Sam obtained one by falsely declaring himself a resident. He is not alone. Thousands of NRIs in Kerala are obtaining Aadhaar cards in this manner, unaware of the fact that they may lose their NRI status as a result, which brings them several benefits including tax exemptions.
Lawyers say filing false affidavits could also land them in legal trouble. According to the current laws, Aadhaar cards can be issued to NRIs only if they stay in the country continuously for more than 182 days. The number of emigrants from Kerala is 23.63 lakhs, according to the 2014 Migration Survey conducted by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram.
More than 90 percent of the emigrants from the state live in countries under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where the law does not permit citizenship to expatriates. This means that NRIs in these countries will have to return to the country after retiring or losing their employment unlike in the Western countries, where the expats can settle after retirement if they wish.
NRIs from the state are keen to get Aadhaar card as they feel that many of the welfare programmes, including pension, being offered by the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department could be linked with Aadhaar in the future. Therefore, the NRIs are forced to take Aadhaar even through illegitimate means.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) CEO Dr Ajay Bhushan Pandey has warned that taking Aadhaar through illegitimate means could be considered as a violation of the law and that it could land such NRIs in trouble.
Quoting from one of his recent interviews in the media, Gulte.com, a Telugu film news portal said that those possessing Aadhaar must have got the card through illegitimate means as the regulations restrain the authorities from legally issuing Aadhaar cards to them.
Pandey, however, said that it was the discretion of Indian government whether to take legal action against the NRIs obtaining Aadhaar illegally. As there is no regulation in the Act that makes Aadhaar mandatory for NRIs, the government must either exempt them or make alternative provisions for them to avail bank, railway and other services, the portal quoted Pandey as saying.
KV Shamsudheen, chairman of Sharjah-based Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust (PBWT), said the NRIs were confused as many agencies, including banks, gas companies, mobile firms and even government departments were insisting on Aadhaar for various services despite the law clearly stating that NRIs were not eligible for Aadhaar cards.
Curiously the agencies have been pushing for Aadhaar identification even after the Supreme Court directed that Aadhaar cards can be used only for providing welfare services and not as in ID tool or a requirement for general services.
Shamsudheen said that he himself had faced problems when he went to a village office in Kozhikode district for digitising his land records. The village officer refused to process his application without Aadhaar, stating that he had no intimation from authorities exempting NRIs from giving Aadhaar in revenue services.
He told Firstpost that several NRIs had approached him saying that banks were also insisting on Aadhaar number for updating their KYC. A branch of the State Bank of India in Kozhikode even threatened to block the account of an NRI if it was not linked with Aadhaar before 31 December, 2017. He produced the audio recording of the bank official as evidence.
"Though the finance ministry has exempted NRIs from quoting Aadhaar for obtaining PAN card and filing tax returns, several other departments are insisting on Aadhaar as they have not received any specific communication from the government. The government should either issue Aadhaar card to NRIs or direct agencies not to insist on Aadhaar for their services," Shamsudheen said.
The NRI said that many agencies were not even aware that NRIs were not eligible for Aadhaar card. They are applying the norm applicable to residents to NRIs as well. This is causing a lot of difficulty for the NRIs, who visit the country for brief holidays.
"NRIs were a worried lot when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) made Aadhaar mandatory for appearing for National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for MBBS and BDS courses this year. Parents of many students had to rush to the country for obtaining Aadhaar," Shamsudheen said.
Gulf News, a Dubai based daily, quoted Jossi John, 45, a finance manager in Abu Dhabi, as saying that he had to send his teenage son to India for two days in the midst of his 12th-grade exams to obtain Aadhaar because it was mandatory for him to attend the NEET.
The memoranda also urged the government to declare Aadhaar as the single identification card for election and voting purposes. This, he argued, will help the government allow online voting for NRIs. If government make Aadhaar compulsory, NRIs could vote with biometric identification sitting anywhere in the world, he said.
"The government has introduced Adhaar as single identification card in many sectors. If Election Commission can consider the Aadhaar as only identification card then there will not be any electoral malpractices, including bogus voting," Shamsudheen said.
He said that the NRIs were expecting positive changes to the Aadhaar law.
New Delhi: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday rejected the Opposition's calls for his resignation in the wake of the Dera Sacha Sauda violence, saying his government reacted befittingly to the situation.
"We acted with restraint to execute the court's orders and we succeeded in achieving our objective," Khattar said after meeting BJP President Amit Shah.
On the demands for his resignation from the chief minister's post, Khattar said, "It doesn't matter what they say, but we are satisfied with our actions. Whatever we did was right. Now there is peace in Haryana."
Khattar also gave a report to Shah on the violence that erupted on 25 August after a CBI court in Panchkula convicted self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape and criminal intimidation. After submitting the report, Khattar said that the situation is normal in Haryana.
At least 38 people were killed and more than 250 injured in the violence that spread to other parts of Haryana besides Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.
The Khattar government drew flak from all quarters for mishandling the situation and allegedly giving a long rope to Dera followers who gathered in Panchkula in their thousands.
The force used by the state police was minimal, he said, adding that it also showed no laxity against those indulging in violence.
Responding to reports that the Dera said BJP came to power in Haryana with their support, Khattar said that in a democracy, they welcome all groups but that does not mean that they break the law.
He also rejected reports of a "VIP treatment" given to the Dera head after he was convicted, saying he was temporarily put up in a guest house as arrangements were being made in the jail. He said that Ram Rahim's adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan appealed in the CBI court to be allowed inside the jail as a helper for the Dera chief but the prison authorities did not allow.
Honeypreet Insan appealed CBI Court that she be allowed in Court & also inside jail as helper but jail authorities didn't allow: Haryana CM pic.twitter.com/3sg6L6RTpL ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2017
With inputs from agencies
In one sense, the recent judgment of the Supreme Court on right to privacy is fairly straightforward. Just as it has interpreted our Fundamental Rights in the past to include the rights to education; to livelihood; to food, water, and shelter; against custodial violence; reproductive rights, among many others, it has now interpreted them to include a right to privacy.
As with any Fundamental Right, say free speech, lawyers and courts will interpret whether the right is infringed, and, if so, whether a limitation like reasonable restrictions or procedure established by law applies.
Simple enough so far, but the 547 pages and six judicial opinions raise several interesting law and policy questions. Some of these questions, which have not already been extensively discussed in the press are below (these are intended to provoke further thought, and not to be conclusive):
A Fundamental Right against private parties: Is the Right to Privacy only against the State?
Gonna get "you can't sue your wife/parents/boyfriend for invading your privacy because it's only enforceable against the State" tattooed Damsel in This Dress (@secondofhername) August 24, 2017
Granted, it may not be against your parents. But some have questioned whether the court was right to endorse the enforcement of the Right to Privacy against non-State (private) actors. But has it done this? Probably not. The different opinions do discuss at length peoples privacy rights vis-a-vis Internet companies (eg, justices Chandrachud and Kaul), and to a lesser extent, against publishers (eg, Justice Kaul). But while fundamental rights are no doubt enforceable against a State action, they can also be enforced with respect to private actions by asking the State to affirmatively act to uphold those rights. This happened in the famous Vishaka case of 1997 when the court noted a legislative vacuum on the subject of sexual harassment at workplace. This is also, for instance, what the petitioners seek in the pending Whatsapp case. Because they argue that the actions of Whatsapp infringe their privacy rights, they ask the State to protect their Fundamental Right to privacy by enacting a data protection law.
In the KS Puttaswamy and others vs Union of India and others case, the court seems to be reasoning on this basis. Justices Chandrachuds and Kauls discussion of Internet company profiling of users is largely in the context of the recommendation of a data protection law, which, in other words, is a recommendation that the State needs to safeguard users Fundamental Right to Privacy vis-a-vis private companies. It is, therefore, likely not an endorsement that the right can be enforced against private companies. In other words, it is more a suggestion that we have a Fundamental Right to a data protection regime (like we have the Fundamental Right to a law against sexual harassment at the workplace).
Justice Kauls separate discussion of publicity rights (eg, [e]very individual should have a right to be able to exercise control over his/her own life and image as portrayed to the world and to control commercial use of his/her identity) is admittedly tricky, but it may not be very problematic because: (1) he is alone in that view on the bench, so it is not binding law; (2) on a close reading, it could be understood as a discussion of the common law of Right of Privacy (not the Fundamental Right). The common law of the right of privacy applies to private persons.
Judicial overreach?
Former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, who argued part of the case, has commented that the judgment is a case of judicial overreach. In his view, since the Constitution after due deliberation does not include a right to privacy, it is not the job of the courts to write it into the document. Only the Parliament can do that.
This is worth examining. The issue tends to come up every time the court interprets the Fundamental Rights broadly. But, as mentioned above, the Supreme Court has, over the years, read various unwritten rights into the specified Fundamental Rights. The principles that the Constitution is an evolving document and that the Fundamental Rights be interpreted broadly are well-settled.
The court has, therefore, only observed these principles and interpreted existing rights (such as the right to life and liberty, and to free speech and expression) to include a particular interest privacy.
Justice Chandrachud was at pains to clarify that the judgment was not "an exercise in constitutional amendment brought about by judicial decision". So, unless the principle of evolving Fundamental Rights is questioned, the verdict does not appear to be a judicial overreach.
Having said this, there are observations of the court which makes one wonder if it is creating too much room for judicial discretion. Justices Chelameswar and Nariman both suggest that the court should look beyond the text of the Constitution (eg, [t]he necessity of probing seriously and respectfully into the invisible portion of the Constitution cannot be ignored).
But they too, do not do so to create a right without basis in the text of the Constitution. All of the judges eventually trace the right to privacy to the Fundamental Rights specified in the Constitution and the Preamble. In that sense, the exercise is one of judicial interpretation, not legislation.
Is consent outdated?
The Supreme Court has also been criticised for suggesting a consent-based privacy framework which may not be appropriate for modern, disruptive uses of data. But, except in one part of Justice Kauls individual judgment, the court does not seem to explicitly endorse a consent-based framework. In fact, Justice Chandrachuds opinion cites Yvonne Mcdermotts statement that a solely consent-based model does not entirely ensure the protection of ones data, especially when data collected for one purpose can be repurposed for another, and says it would be appropriate to leave the matter (of data protection) for expert determination.
It would also be outside the terms of the reference for the court to be recommending a particular form of data protection framework. Rather, the court can be seen as recommending the adoption of a data protection framework, the mode of which is left to the executive. To that extent, if there are any suggestions on the mode of the data protection framework, they would not be binding.
But even assuming various mentions of consent in the judgment could be taken to be an endorsement of a consent-based data protection framework, we need to assess whether consent should be done away with completely. Even some proposed replacements of the traditional "I agree" frameworks such as where the data subject controls access to her information by third parties, are consent-based. What they do is shift the onus of consent so as to be more user-centric. Moving to a pure accountability framework, where the user entrusts the State with protecting their privacy preferences, might compromise the autonomy of sophisticated users. So, rather than dispensing with consent altogether, we might instead re-imagine it in a way that promotes innovation but also preserves autonomy.
Reading six judgments to find a majority
With six different judgments, one signed by four judges and the other five individual judgments, one immediately asks what parts of each judgment are actually binding. We shouldnt forget that if an opinion is not agreed to by a majority of the judges, it is not binding on future courts.
In the famous Kesavananda Bharati case, a landmark constitutional case known to every lawyer and law student, 13 judges gave 6 differently-hued opinions on Parliaments power to amend the Constitution. As a result, some like senior advocate TR Andhyarujina even questioned whether its ultimate holding was a correct reflection of the different opinions. More recently, a related issue has also cropped up in the triple talaq case on Justice Narimans ruling on arbitrariness.
Fortunately, in the Right to Privacy case, the order of the Supreme Court, signed by all the nine judges, is fairly clear, and leads to the outcome mentioned in the beginning of this piece and reported widely.
But there are other questions on which there appears to be a divergence of opinion. One of these is whether the reasonable expectation of privacy test is appropriate for India. Justice Chandrachuds opinion for four judges seems to adopt the test but Justice Nariman seems to reject it (due credit to my colleague Gowree Gokhale for pointing this out). Other issues where the approaches vary include the nature of privacy and the permissible limitations.
The only way to properly know on what matters the decision is binding is to create a comprehensive matrix of issues and mark the views of the six judgments on each of them. Where at least five judges agree on an issue, it will be a binding holding of the case. While this may seem obvious, courts have inadvertently relied on minority opinions in the past. To rely on Justice Chandrachuds four-judge opinion (or to call it a majority opinion) without checking to see if at least one other judge agrees would be an error. (Update: The Supreme Court has held in March 2019 that the views in a leading opinion (in this case, Justice Chandrachud's opinion), even if not the majority opinion, would be binding on those points where the concurring opinions do not disagree.)
"Is every majority opinion binding? The discussion of ADM Jabalpur is interesting
This issue is related to the previous one, but it is a different analysis. Even with a majority, not everything in a judgment is a binding law. Only those parts of the discussion necessary for the ultimate decision are.
The court ultimately made four holdings three of them commented on whether its past case law was correct, and the other confirmed that the Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the Fundamental Rights. Some have argued that only the bare holdings themselves will be binding on future courts. But the court went through a great deal of reasoning to get to those holdings. According to the rule above, at least that part of the reasoning that was necessary to arrive at the holdings should be binding.
But what about some of the other discussions?
Overruling the infamous ADM Jabalpur case (the Emergency case that went against Fundamental Rights) was no doubt a welcome statement, but, legally speaking, was it necessary for the ultimate decision?
The court decided to overrule it so that there was no discord with its ultimate interpretation that Fundamental Rights evolve, that privacy is a part of them and that privacy is an inalienable right.
But was the verdict in the ADM Jabalpur case not superseded by a constitutional amendment and already implicitly overruled by the Supreme Court? Was the ADM Jabalpur case raised by the respondents counsel or a true roadblock to any of the courts ultimate holdings? More seasoned lawyers than the writer will no doubt have views both ways. But this is only an example to illustrate the issue.
A lot of the other parts of the decision are likely necessary to arriving at the reasoned conclusion that the Right to Privacy is an intrinsic part of the Fundamental Rights, because of how broad that matter is. But a deeper analysis could find more in the judgment that was not necessary for the ultimate holding. Any such parts of the judgment will only be persuasive, not binding.
Jaideep Reddy is a technology lawyer at Nishith Desai Associates. Views are personal
Beijing: China on Wednesday told India to prevent a repeat of the Doka La standoff in future, with its Foreign Minister Wang Yi advising New Delhi to draw lessons from the border incident.
However, Wang also said it was natural for two big nations to have differences, but they needed to set them aside and work out a solution in the long run.
Wang's remarks come two days after Indian and Chinese troops retreated from the face-off point in the disputed Doklam plateau, ending an over two-month long standoff.
"We hope the Indian side will learn lessons from this incident and prevent similar incidents from happening again," Wang said at a press conference on the preparations for the BRICS summit next week, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"We hope through the efforts from both sides we will maintain healthy and stable momentum of growth. This is in the interest of not only Indian and Chinese people, but also meets the aspirations of the international community," Wang said.
The standoff was triggered when the Indian Army stopped Chinese troops from building a road at Doka La in Doklam on 16 June. Doka La is claimed by Bhutan and close to India's arterial corridor, which connects its northeast region with the rest of the country.
The dispute was resolved ahead of the BRICS summit where Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping are likely to meet on the sidelines.
"Both India and China are big countries. It's only natural that there are some problems in our interactions. What is important is that we put these differences at an appropriate place," Wang said.
"And under the principles of mutual respect and following the consensus of the leaders, we need to handle and manage them properly.
"In the meantime, with our engagement through a different mechanism, we need to work out a solution in the long run.
"There is huge potential and space for greater cooperation between China and India. And such cooperation serves the interests of the two countries and people's
"We hope China and India will join hands and work together for the rejuvenation of, for development of our region and contribute our share to the greater development."
Bradley County Schools released the following report on Wednesday:
"The Tennessee Department of Education has released district data from last years TNReady End of Course exams. These are the only tests results that have been released at this time. We are expecting to receive TNReady scores for grades 3-8 in October.
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With last year being the 1year of TNReady for those grades levels, due to the suspension of testing in 2015-2016, standard setting had to occur over the summer and the State Board of Education has to approve the new cut scores for those grade levels. With the new results, Bradley Countys students in grades 3-8 will have helped to set a new baseline for future growth based on new, educator developed expectations that will better ensure all students are on track to graduate prepared for college and careers. With this new baseline, we are setting a new high bar that our students and teachers have been working toward for several years. Scores fell into one of four new achievement levels: mastered, on-track, approaching, and below. The new categories aim to help teachers and parents more easily understand if students are ready for the next step in their academic journey and identify which students may need additional support which is the goal of assessments. Along with the new achievement levels, high school families and teachers will receive new score reports to help them support their students.
"Tennessee Department of Education released state level results from 2016-2017 earlier this month. Test scores were expected to increase this year for EOC exams, and they did in most courses, as TDOE set higher expectations for all students. As we have transitioned to better academic standards over the past several years, assessments have become more fully aligned to what and how educators are teaching, and they now include rigorous questions that measure students critical thinking, writing, and problem solving skills. Students achievement scores in English, Math and US History from last year can be compared to 2015-2016 results because we now have 2 years of TNReady scores for EOCs with a much more rigorous assessment with higher levels of expectation. There was no change to the assessment in Biology or Chemistry the past few years.
"For accountability purposes in EOC exams, TDOE looks at participation rates for districts/schools to make sure we are reaching the 95% required participation rate in all subjects and subgroups. They are also looking at how effective we are overall in teaching English Language Arts (English I, II, & III combined) and how effective we are in teaching math (Integrated Math I, II, & III combined). Bradley County met the participation requirement for all subjects and subgroups in EOC exams.
"With the release of this new baseline data, we are happy to tell you that at the District level, Bradley County Schools is above the state average for the percentage of students who are On-Track or Mastered in all high school ELA and math courses as well as in Biology, Chemistry and US History. We also saw an increase in all EOC subjects except for Integrated Math I. For high school English, Bradley County had 38.8% of students on-track/mastered compared to the state average of 34.4%.
"As part of the new accountability system put in place by TDOE, we are
focused on reducing the number of students who are scoring in the lowest category, below. We are very proud of the data that shows we have reduced the number of students in this category for all students, in all subgroups, in ELA from 22.3% to 13.9%. This was a huge accomplishment and something we worked towards by providing training for teachers in Kagan Engagement strategies and Differentiated Instruction. Our most significant subgroup change was with our Economically Disadvantaged students in ELA. We reduced the number of students in the lowest performing category 14.5%. We also were able to reduce this percentage for our Special Education students and our Black/Hispanic/Native American subgroup. While this is all exciting news, we know that we have a lot of work to do to increase the number of students who are ready for college and career. While our students in ELA made positive gains, we will continue to focus our efforts on improving the quality of instruction for all students and especially subgroup of students with disabilities.
"Students in English I had 32.9% on-track/mastered compared to the state average of 29.5%. In English II, 43.1% of students were on-track/mastered which is also above the state average of 39.2%. In English III, BCS had 36% of students on track compared to 34.4% across the state. We are also seeing an improvement with ACT scores in English and Reading. As more students meet the ACT benchmark in English, this increases their opportunities when going to college, as they do not require a remedial course in English. For Accountability purposes, TDOE has a lag year with reporting ACT and Graduation Data. This is due to the inclusion of summer graduates and not having all the final data back in time for accountability. So even though we are looking at 2016-2017 test scores, we are looking at the Graduating Class of 2016 for ACT Composite Scores. The 2016 Graduating Class saw 41.4% of students with a 21 or above composite score. This is an increase from 2015 with only 33.8% of those graduates with an average ACT composite score of 21.
"2015-2016 was the first year of full implementation of Integrated Math in Bradley County Schools. This past year, 2016-2017 Students in Math I, II, and III had 30.1% of students on-track/mastered compared to the state average of 21.5. We saw a slight decrease in the number of students scoring in the lowest category, below, but not as significant as what we observed in ELA. We are anxious to begin the conversations between ELA and Math teachers to see what strategies worked in ELA that can be incorporated into Math subjects. Math I was the only subject in which we saw a decrease in the number of students scoring in the on-track and mastered category. We saw a significant decrease of 13.3% from 2015-2016 to this past year. With the addition of a new Math Instructional Leader, we will begin the work of analyzing TNReady data and comparing that to our Curriculum Maps and the TDOE Assessment Blueprints. Math II students had 38.3% on-track and mastered versus the state 21.8%. While the state saw a decrease in Math II scores, Bradley County saw and 8.3% increase and are very excited. Math III was our lowest at 25.7% on-track/mastered compared to 18.2% for the state. While this is our lowest performing group, we did see a 5.2% increase from the previous year and see that as a positive.
"The EOC assessment for Biology and Chemistry did not change for 2016-2017. BCS had 61.5% of students on-track/mastered in Biology. This is slightly above the state average of 59.3%. We
experienced a slight increase in our Chemistry scores this year with 42.5% of students achieving the proficiency level compared to the state average of 41.2%.
"U.S. History changed in 2015-2016 to an assessment that involved written responses as opposed to multiple choice. BCS had a slight increase from 35.2% of students scoring on-track/mastered to 36.9% this past year. This is significantly above the state average of 30.8%. This shift in how we have traditionally taught history to incorporate more writing has been difficult and we expect to see our instructional practices improve over time.
"Now that we are beginning to receive our TNReady scores, we will begin the process of analyzing our data and prioritizing our needs. This reflective practice will shape our instructional strategies as we refine our system strategic plan. We are still waiting for other pieces of the puzzle to be released to develop the full picture of where we stand as a district. TVAAS Growth Data has not been released for EOCs and this is another important data set that we need to analyze to see how effective our school programs are and how we might improve instructional practice and provide support to our teachers. Over the next few months we expect to receive data for our 3-8 students and our students in 2nd grade who took the new, and optional, Tennessee Assessment at that grade level. We are also waiting to receive our 2017 Graduation Rate Data and our ACT scores.
"We are pleased with the progress our students and our teachers are making. Our vision is Growing Students-Building Fututes. Our progress is evident, but we are not satisfied and look forward to meeting the challenges ahead. Once all of the data is gathered and analyzed we will have a better understanding of where we are as a district with the transition to TNReady and we will communicate that to our stakeholders, said Director of Schools, Dr. Linda Cash.
Lucknow: The flood fury in Uttar Pradesh showed no signs of abatement as one more death was reported today, taking the toll to 103, while over 27 lakh people are affected.
Citing a report compiled until Tuesday, the relief commissioner's office in Lucknow said around 60,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps in the affected districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh as raging waters of rivers emanating from Nepal caused havoc in vast swathes of land.
"The death toll in the floods has reached 103 in the state, where 3,133 villages in 24 districts are inundated affecting over 27 lakh," it said.
Army choppers, NDRF and PAC (flood) personnel continued relief and rescue operations round the clock in the severely affected areas of the flood-hit districts of the state.
Release of water in rivers emanating from Nepal and incessant rains impeded rescue work, they said.
Twenty-eight companies of the NDRF, 32 companies of PAC (flood) along with two choppers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and several army personnel were working round the clock to save lives and properties in the affected areas.
A Central Water Commission report here said the Sharda river was flowing above the red mark at Palia Kalan and near the danger mark at Shardanagar while the Ghaghra river was flowing above the red mark at Ayodhya and Turtipar in Ballia.
The Rapti river was flowing well above the red mark at Rigauli and Birdghat in Gorakhpur, while the Quano river was flowing above the danger mark at Chandradeep Ghat in Gonda, it said.
That wasn't part of TTV Dhinakaran's original plan but his Mannargudi clan with the swelling numbers in its ranks has hit two set of AIADMK leaders with one rebellion. While the government in Chennai is tottering, clearly reduced to a minority, five AIADMK MPs too are on shaky ground, unsure of an invite to Rashtrapathi Bhavan this week. They have been jostling for one cabinet and two ministers of state berths that were reportedly on offer in the NDA government.
The reason being the grand AIADMK merger that has not achieved what it set out to. While nudging the Edappadi Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam camps to shake hands, the powers-that-be did not foresee that it will lead to many AIADMK MLAs openly opting for the VRS - Voluntary Rejection Scheme. The calculation was power would be the magnet to attract even the Sasikala loyalists into the ruling group. So when as many as 19 MLAs trooped into Raj Bhavan to tell Governor Vidyasagar Rao that EPS no longer enjoyed their confidence, it caused a flutter.
But the initial reaction was 19 was a manageable number and at least half a dozen of them would do a ghar wapsi, rendering Dhinakaran's revolt impotent. But with numbers swelling to 23, the estimate now is that the Dhinakaran camp strength could go up to 32. The ruling clique can no longer ignore the writing on the wall.
Which is why there is rethink in New Delhi over whether admitting the AIADMK MPs into the ministry makes sense at this point in time. Doing so, the argument goes, would automatically mean Chennai's mess will be transferred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah's courtyard. It will be seen as much as BJP's headache as the AIADMK's.
With the final call to be taken by the prime minister, the AIADMK MPs are in the national capital to lobby with the BJP bigwigs, not giving up hope. If the prime minister goes ahead, sources suggest V Maitreyan is the frontrunner for the sole cabinet berth. However, if M Thambidurai wants to leave his Lok Sabha deputy speaker's post to become a cabinet minister, the race could get tight and even ugly given the two are not known to enjoy the best of relations. Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D Jayakumar has been lobbying hard for his 30-year-old MP son from South Chennai, Jayavardhan to become a junior minister. That is also perhaps the reason why he gave up his high-profile finance portfolio for OPS.
AIADMK parliamentary party leader P Venugopal and senior leader R Vaithialingam are the other two MPs in contention. While Venugopal is a Dalit, the latter made a case for himself by announcing that Sasikala will be expelled soon. Given his CV as a Sasikala loyalist, the U-turn was meant to buttress Vaithialingam's chances.
There are other factors as well that are contributing to an overall sense of uncertainty in the AIADMK camp. Sources say the OPS and EPS factions still have an uneasy equation with the each other, with some in the erstwhile Panneerselvam group feeling shortchanged in the distribution of goodies. For instance, Semmalai till the last minute was confident he will be inducted as health minister but it did not happen. The expectation was that OPS would bargain for four cabinet berths including himself but only Pandiarajan got it, that too with a less important portfolio of Tamil culture and archaeology. The feeling is that only OPS got a decent deal as party coordinator, deputy chief minister with plum portfolios of finance, Housing and urban development.
The realisation also seems to be dawning on the party seniors that the Tamil Nadu government is slowly slipping out of its hands. The focus is now on ensuring EPS and OPS do not lose control of the party. Which explains the hurry to get the two leaves symbol for itself and get the Election Commission to announce its decision on Sasikala's election as party general secretary. It also wants to proceed legally to wrest control of Jaya TV, that has been its visible mouthpiece for years now and is closely associated with Jayalalithaa. Sasikala's family controls it now and has described the TV channel as private property.
But there is no guarantee what could happen if the ruling camp expels Sasikala at the general council meeting on 12 September. Palaniswamy's calculation is that MLAs will desert the Dhinakaran camp and rush back. But with 35-odd legislators bunking the meeting at the party office on Monday, it is obvious the split is wide open in the party.
The DMK delegation that met the Tamil Nadu governor on Sunday requested him to order a floor test. With the opposition party planning to petition the President of India as well on Thursday, Vidyasagar Rao cannot keep a mute spectator for long. If Dhinakaran, whose sole aim is to gain control of the AIADMK, manages to hold his flock together, September may well see the end game for the Tamil Nadu saga that started on the night of 22 September 2016, when Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital.
For that long a period, Tamil Nadu too has been in the ICU.
New Delhi: A delegation of AIADMK leaders on Wednesday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the backdrop of crucial political developments in Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, however, said the meeting was aimed at developing a cordial relationship with the Centre, and that the southern state's political affairs were not discussed with the Union minister.
The party delegation had also met Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Arun Jaitley on Thursday.
The move comes in the wake of the recent merger of the two factions of AIADMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy and O Pannerselvam respectively.
"We are meeting the Union ministers to maintain a friendly relationship with the Centre and seek the pending funds for projects," Thambidurai, who headed the delegation, said.
He maintained that there were no discussions on the political developments in the state.
Before the merger of the warring factions of AIADMK, OPS' supporter and Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan had quashed speculations about the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi meddling with the internal affairs of the AIADMK.
However, the emergence of TTV Dhinakaran as a common rival with the support of around 23 AIADMK MLAs and the continuous visits of party leaders from the merged factions to various Union ministers have kept the rumour mills running.
Meanwhile, the opposition DMK in the state, is pushing for a confidence vote after 19 MLAs supporting Dhinakaran withdrew support to the chief minister.
New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said there should be no politics over mohalla clinics and urged Delhi Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to sort out objections over the matter across the table.
"There should be no politics with mohalla clinics. It involves the health of two crore Delhiites. The Lieutenant Governor must clear files immediately now," Kejriwal tweeted.
His remarks came after as many as 45 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs reached the L-G's office to meet him over the issue of clearing the mohalla clinic file which is stuck for months.
"Public suffering due to delays. L-G should call all officers and sort it out. I am prepared to come with my ministers to Raj Niwas (L-G's residence) if L-G wants," he added.
"Let the Lieutenant Governor sort out all objections across the table rather than files moving up and down. My sincere request," the AAP leader said.
The MLAs are still at the Lieutenant Governor's, office saying that they would not leave until Baijal calls the officers and clears the file.
Jammu: National Conference working president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday accused the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir of dividing the society on communal lines to hide their "governance deficit and administrative inertia".
He said that the NC will not allow the society to be divided for satiating the "nefarious agenda of communal forces".
"Jammu and Kashmir is at the cross roads of its history with internal security taking a big hit and entire development process coming to standstill. The diversionary and sinister tactics of engineering communal divide unfold a huge challenge to people who should unite and foil it by remaining united by maintaining time-tested harmony and amity," Omar said, addressing a rally at Kalakote in Rajouri district.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that the PDP-BJP should desist from dividing people on communal and regional lines in a bid to hide their "governance deficit and administrative inertia".
Omar alleged that the division in the society was being perpetrated to further the interests of those who are "thriving on divide and rule".
"The government has failed on all fronts and misgovernance has taken toll of the people across the state.
We wonder whether the state is being pushed backwards with any malafide intention," he said.
Omar claimed that the security situation was so precarious that for the first time he was constrained to forego travel on Mughal Road, alternate link between Kashmir and rest of the country which passing through south Kashmir due to threat perception.
"As chief minister for six years, I never underwent any such experience and kept moving around freely to interact with the people," he said.
The former chief minister blamed the PDP for making compromises and submitting before its coalition partner in New Delhi on every issue at the cost of state's interests and
dignity of the people.
"In hot pursuit of remaining glued to power, the PDP has bade adieu to its so-called Agenda of Alliance that envisaged resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, separatists and all other stake holders including militants, safeguarding the special status of the state under Article 370 and return of hydel power projects.
"But, on the contrary the fiscal autonomy of the state was jeopardised by implementing GST, interests of rationed population were compromised by introducing National Food
Security Act and so much so a situation has been brought wherein Article 35A of the Constitution of India is under grave threat," he said.
Tamil Nadu governor C Vidyasagar Rao and the Centre have ruled out for now intervening in the crisis in the AIADMK and directing Chief Minister K Palaniswamy to face a trial of strength in the state Assembly.
The Governor's position was conveyed to a delegation of Opposition parties from Tamil Nadu which met him at the Raj Bhawan in Chennai under the leadership of Viduthalai Chirutthaigal Katchi (VCK) and by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to a group of AIADMK leaders who met him in Delhi.
Following the development, the DMK and other Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday accused the Governor of playing a "partisan" role and "passing the buck" by refusing to convene a meeting of the Assembly for the AIADMK government to prove its majority.
First, a delegation of four parties including VCK and CPM met the governor and demanded that he direct the chief minister to face a floor test in the Assembly.
VCK leader Thirumavalavan told the media that the governor told them that he cannot intervene in the situation now as the ball was not in his court because the 19 AIADMK MLAs who had expressed lack of confidence in the chief minister were still in that party.
The issue was still within the domain of AIADMK, he told them.
"We told him the ball was in his court. The Governor said the ball has not come to his court. This reflects the position of the BJP at the Centre which is against the fall of the AIADMK government," Thirumavalavan said.
"We told the Governor that the action of the 19 MLAs amounts to their losing confidence in the government and it was his democratic duty to ask for proving the government's majority in the House," he said.
Meanwhile, a group of senior AIADMK leaders including Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai and Tamil Nadu ministers D Jayakumar and Thangamani met Rajnath Singh and discussed the political situation in the state.
Rajnath Singh is beleived to have told them that the issue was now within the ambit of "internal affairs" of the AIADMK and the Governor had nothing to do with it.
The DMK and other opposition parties instead should approach the Speaker for any remedy, he reportedly said.
Reacting to the reported remarks of the Governor, DMK leader MK Stalin alleged that Rao was behind the coming together of the two factions of the AIADMK as he was acting at the behest of the Modi government which was using agencies like the Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate to threaten AIADMK leaders.
Stalin said the Governor was playing politics.
He said the Governor should follow the precedent set by him earlier this year when he directed a floor test after former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam withdrew the support of 10 AIADMK MLAs to the government.
Stalin said a delegation of MPs comprising DMK, Congress, CPI-M, CPI and Muslim League would be meeting President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday to press their demand for an immediate floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Echoing similar sentiments, V Pugazhendi from the Dinakaran faction of the AIADMK said "terrified" AIADMK leaders were going around meeting Union Ministers to avoid a dismissal of the government.
Dinakaran himself told reporters in Chennai he still believed that the Governor would take a "good" decision on the demand of the 19 MLAs owing allegiance to him on the removal of the Chief Minister. He said he was giving time for Palaniswamy to step down on his own.
The BJP in Tamil Nadu strongly defended the role of the Governor, saying opposition parties were trying to politicise the issue.
State BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan said in Coimbatore said the Governor was a mature person and would go by what is law and Constitution and not what the opposition parties want.
IANS
Chinese electronics company TCL will launch a full touchscreen smartphone under the BlackBerry name in October a month after Apple launches its new flagship iPhone 8 and a refresh of iPhone 7 devices.
According to a report in Engadget, TCL's Francois Mahieu said the new phone would respect BlackBerry's reputation for building hard-wearing devices for clumsy international travellers who will be working in all kinds of weather.
"The main feature, beyond the full-touchscreen, is the (planned) IP67 water and dust-proofing, as well as a battery rated to last for more than 26 hours of mixed use," Mahieu was quoted as saying.
It is clear that the company would keep durability and longevity as its biggest selling points.
Mahieu claimed that a number of iPhone and Galaxy users would "make the switch" to BlackBerry come October. He said that BlackBerry's security know-how will enable TCL to deliver the "most secure Android phone in the world".
"We are there to play. We are just playing with different cards, mostly by pushing its strengths of battery life, security and durability," he said.
The device is expected to cost less than other flagships.
Telecommunications company Optiemus Infracom owns the rights to manufacture and sell BlackBerry branded smartphones in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
PTI
Chinese tech giant Lenovo, which sells handsets under Lenovo and Motorola brands, has sent a detailed response to the government outlining the measures taken by it to ensure data security for its customers.
The company - which termed security of customer data as a "key priority" - was among over 30 smartphone manufacturers that Ministry of IT and Electronics had written to on 12 August seeking details of safeguards adopted by them to protect customer data.
"Yes, we have already responded. Security and safety is a key priority for us. We work with governments as needed and comply with local regulations in all the markets we operate in," Lenovo India Mobile Business Group (MBG) Country Head Sudhin Mathur told PTI.
According to an IT and Electronics Ministry official, a dozen handset makers have sent in their responses, while some players have sought more time. The last date for submitting responses was August 28.
The objective of the entire exercise was to ensure that required data security measures are being taken with regard to hardware and software in mobile phones.
The IT ministry had cited international and domestic reports about data leaks from mobile phones, and said devices and preloaded software and apps will be under scrutiny in the first phase.
Motorola has also launched two new devices -- Moto G5S and G5S Plus -- priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999, respectively.
The Moto G5SPlus with dual rear cameras is available exclusively on Amazon and Moto Hubs, while Moto G5S is available at mobile retail stores.
"The Moto G series is our most successful range. We have sold over 7 million units of various Moto G phones in India till date," Mathur said.
IANS
Launched 20 years ago, NASA's Cassini spacecraft now has less than 20 days for its mission-ending dive into the atmosphere of Saturn.
Its fateful plunge on 15 September is a foregone conclusion -- a 22 April a gravitational kick from Saturn's moon Titan placed the two-and-a-half ton vehicle on its path for impending destruction, NASA said.
"The Cassini mission has been packed full of scientific firsts, and our unique planetary revelations will continue to the very end of the mission as Cassini becomes Saturn's first planetary probe, sampling Saturn's atmosphere up until the last second," said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
"We'll be sending data in near real time as we rush headlong into the atmosphere -- it's truly a first-of-its-kind event at Saturn," Spilker said.
Cassini's imaging camera will be off during this final descent, having taken a last look at the Saturn system the previous day, September 14.
The spacecraft is expected to lose radio contact with Earth within about one to two minutes after beginning its descent into Saturn's upper atmosphere.
But on the way down, before contact is lost, eight of Cassini's 12 science instruments will be operating.
In particular, the spacecraft's ion and neutral mass spectrometer (INMS), which will be directly sampling the atmosphere's composition, potentially returning insights into the giant planet's formation and evolution.
On the day before the plunge, other Cassini instruments will make detailed, high-resolution observations of Saturn's auroras, temperature and the vortices at the planet's poles.
"The end of Cassini's mission will be a poignant moment, but a fitting and very necessary completion of an astonishing journey," said Earl Maize, Cassini Project Manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. Launched in 1997, Cassini arrived at Saturn in 2004.
As Cassini completes its 13-year tour of Saturn, its Grand Finale -- which began in April -- and final plunge are just the last beat.
Following a four-year primary mission and a two-year extension, NASA approved an ambitious plan to extend Cassini's service by an additional seven years.
Called the Cassini Solstice Mission, the extension saw Cassini perform dozens more flybys of Saturn's moons as the spacecraft observed seasonal changes in the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan.
From the outset, the planned endgame for the Solstice Mission was to expend all of Cassini's maneuvering propellant exploring, then eventually arriving in the ultra-close Grand Finale orbits, ending with safe disposal of the spacecraft in Saturn's atmosphere.
"The Grand Finale represents the culmination of a seven-year plan to use the spacecraft's remaining resources in the most scientifically productive way possible. By safely disposing off the spacecraft in Saturn's atmosphere, we avoid any possibility Cassini could impact one of Saturn's moons somewhere down the road, keeping them pristine for future exploration," Maize added.
IANS
Scientists have "re-discovered" the largest specimen of marine reptile Ichthyosaurus on record and found it was pregnant at the time of death. The new specimen is estimated to be between 3 and 3.5 metres long and is an adult female, according to a study published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
Ichthyosaurs were a highly successful group of sea-going reptiles that became extinct about 90 million years ago. Often misidentified as swimming dinosaurs, these reptiles appeared before the first dinosaurs had evolved.
The new specimen was originally discovered on the Somerset coast, during the mid-1990s, and is from the Early Jurassic, roughly 200 million years old. However, the specimen remained unstudied until it wound up in the collections of the Lower Saxony State Museum in Hannover, Germany.
Researchers from Bielefeld Natural History Museum in Germany and University of Manchester in Britain examined the new specimen in early 2017. They identified it as an example of an Ichthyosaurus somersetensis.
"It amazes me that specimens such as this (the biggest) can still be 'rediscovered' in museum collections," said Dean Lomax from University of Manchester.
"You don't necessarily have to go out in the field to make a new discovery. This specimen provides new insights into the size range of the species, but also records only the third example of an Ichthyosaurus known with an embryo. That's special," he added.
The embryo is incomplete and preserves only a portion of the back bone, a forefin, ribs and a few other bones, the researchers said. The bones of the embryo are not fully ossified, meaning that the embryo was still developing.
CHI Memorials Rees Skillern Cancer Institute will offer a free seven-week Freedom From Smoking program that begins Sept. 7. The program helps participants learn how to beat tobacco addiction, lifestyle changes that make quitting easier, stress management, how to avoid weight gain, and how to stay smoke-free for good.
"Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, according to the American Lung Association. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 16 million Americans live with a disease caused by smoking," organizers said.
"Freedom From Smoking is an American Lung Association program that has helped more than one million Americans overcome an addiction to nicotine during the past 30 years."Classes meet at CHI Internal Medicine Group, 605 Glenwood Dr., Suite 300. The class is offered every Thursday for seven weeks from 5:30-7 p.m.The program is designed for a small group setting. Anyone who has a desire to stop smoking should call 423-495-7778 to register for a class at a location convenient to them. There is no charge for the program.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited all of Indias neighbours, barring Maldives in the past three years. His visit to Myanmar on 5-7 September will be his first bilateral State visit to the country. He had earlier visited Nay Pyi Daw in 2014 for the East Asia Summit. He will reach Myanmar after attending the BRICS summit from 3-5 September in Xiamen, China.
Modis visit has special significance as Myanmar is considered a key pillar in Indias Act East policy for greater integration with South East Asia. Though there have been fewer visits from New Delhi to Myanmar, India has hosted Myanmars top leaders in the past year after the Myanmar elections. Iconic leader and State Counselor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited India for the BIMSTEC summit in October 2016. Her four-day visit was preceded by the state visit of Myanmars president U Htin Kyaw to India in August 2016.
The other senior leader from Myanmar to visit was Myanmar Army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who paid an eight-day visit to India in July 2017. The armed forces continue to hold a dominating position in Myanmars polity despite the gradual move towards electoral democracy. The Myanmarese general called on Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During his discussions in India, the two sides agreed to scale up cooperation in counterinsurgency and trade. India has promised to support the modernisation of Myanmars armed forces. India is providing training to Myanmarese defence officials as well as some defence supplies.
India has strongly backed the Myanmar government over the Rohingya issue, which has drawn criticism from western government and human rights groups. India expressed serious concern at reports of recent violence and attacks in the Rakhine state last week. Condemning the attacks in the strongest possible terms, an official statement said: We hope that the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice and extend our strong support at this challenging moment to the Myanmar government.
Myanmar is likely to reiterate its commitment not to allow its territory to be used by insurgents for anti-India activities. In June 2015, an Indian special forces operation cleared out an insurgent camp in the border region. Though Myanmar had cooperated with India on dealing with Indian insurgents the Myanmarese government had been severely embarrassed at Indian politicians public claims that Indian soldiers had crossed the border to target the insurgent camps. The subject had come up during Suu Kyis visit last year though both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to fight insurgent activity and the scourge of terrorism.
Bilateral trade between India and Myanmar has been growing steadily reaching $1.5 billion in 2015-16. India is listed among Myanmars top five largest trading partners, with pulses and timber as the main exports to India. India is the seventh largest source of imports for Myanmar. However, India is far behind Myanmars two other neighbours, China and Thailand and does not match up to other countries like Australia, United Kingdom and Norway in making a visible presence in the Myanmarese market. The lack of basic infrastructure has hampered the border trade mechanism. Indian private sector has lagged behind in exploring the new opportunities in Myanmar as its economy has opened up to foreign investment.
At the same time, official policy in India has also to be sensitive to neighbouring countries. The governments cap on imports of pulses this year due to the record domestic production has hit Myanmar producers. Earlier this month, the government issued directives to cap the import of pigeon pea (tuar dal) to 200,000 tonnes this year as well as a reduced quota for other pulses like mung and black gram. Last year, India had imported about 7 lakh tonnes of pigeon pea. Pulses are a major export item for Myanmar and India has traditionally been one of Myanmars main export markets for pulses. The Indian import restriction has been a big blow to the countrys pulse market.
India has committed $2 billion for development assistance to Myanmar, but projects have been slow in getting implemented. The Kaladan multi-modal transport project was the first major project undertaken by the Indian government in Myanmar. The Sittwe deep water port as part of the Kaladan project is now nearing completion.
Modi will travel to Nay Pyi Taw on 5 September and will hold discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi and also call on President U Htin Kyaw. He will then visit Yangon and Bagan. The bilateral visit should serve to give a boost to political and economic ties with a strategic eastern neighbour.
Houston: President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to survey damage from the first major natural disaster to test his leadership in a crisis, as record rainfall from tropical storm Harvey lashed Houston and tens of thousands of people fled deluged homes.
The slow-moving storm has brought catastrophic flooding to Texas, killing at least 12 people and paralysing Houston, America's fourth most populous city. Damage was expected to run well into the tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest US natural disasters.
City officials were preparing to temporarily house some 19,000 people, with thousands more expected to flee the area as the flooding entered its fourth day and authorities found themselves running out of space in cramped shelters.
The Mayor of Houston imposed a 10 pm to 5 am curfew.
Nearly a third of Harris County was under water, an area 15 times the size of Manhattan, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper. Forecasters warned that rain would continue through Thursday, badly straining the dams and drainage systems that protect the low-lying US energy hub.
Harris County officials warned residents to evacuate as they released water from overflowing reservoirs to alleviate pressure on two dams, a move that would add to flooding along the Buffalo Bayou waterway that runs through the area.
Residents within 2.4 kilometres of a chemical plant in Crosby were also ordered to evacuate due to the rising risk of an explosion.
Trump, speaking in Corpus Christi near where Harvey first came ashore last week as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in more than 50 years, said he wanted the relief effort to stand as an example of how to respond to a storm.
"This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this," Trump said of Tropical Storm Harvey as he met with state and federal officials for a briefing at a Corpus Christi fire station.
Police officer among deaths
The president said he was pleased with the response so far, but it was too soon to take a victory lap.
"We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that.... We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished," he said.
After Corpus Christi, Trump was headed to the state capital Austin to meet with officials. Houston was not on his itinerary because much of it is impassable.
Harvey has drawn comparisons with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans 12 years ago, killing 1,800 people and causing an estimated $108 billion in damage.
Former president George W Bush was widely criticised for his administration's handling of the response to that disaster, taking a heavy toll on public support of his administration, and Trump clearly was aiming to avoid a similar reaction.
Among the 12 confirmed fatalities as of Tuesday evening was a family of six and Houston Police Sergeant Steve Perez, a 34-year-old veteran of the force who apparently drowned while attempting to drive to work on Sunday, Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters.
Acevedo said in an emotional press conference that Perez's family had urged him not to leave the house because of the dangerous flooding but the 60-year-old policeman told them, "We have work to do."
Some 3,500 people have been rescued from high waters in the Houston area with police, firefighters and National Guard troops continuing to try to locate those marooned in high waters.
'I just lost my house'
Large numbers of civilians also formed ad hoc rescue groups, many using boats to pluck neighbors from flooded homes.
Gloria Stilwell, 44, who described herself as a stay-at-home mom, said she agreed with Trumps assessment that Houstonians were well equipped to handle the storm.
"I totally agree with him. Texas can definitely handle it," Stilwell said as she registered to volunteer at a shelter. "I've lived here since 1980, through plenty of hurricanes. Texans have always banded together."
Nurse Lisa Ike, 39, was less impressed.
"Texas can handle anything? I just lost my house and three cars. We need help," Ike said, adding that she had not voted in the presidential election and had not yet made up her mind about Trump.
"My opinion will be made by how he handles this situation," she said
The National Hurricane Center said a preliminary report from Texas shows a record 51.88 inches (131.78 cm) of rain has fallen due to Harvey, a record for any storm in the continental United States. The gauge was in Highlands, Texas, east of Houston.
This breaks the previous record of 48 inches set during tropical storm Amelia in 1978 in Medina, Texas, the NHC said. Medina is west of San Antonio. The island of Kauai was hit with 52 inches of rain from Tropical cyclone Hiki in 1950, before Hawaii became a US state.
About 9,000 evacuees were staying at Houston's George R Brown Convention Center and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said his office had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assets to allow the city to shelter another 10,000 people.
Other shelters were set up in Dallas, about 402 kilometres to the north, for about 8,000 people, and Austin, 258 kilometres west, to take in 7,000 people. The Red Cross said it had 34,000 cots in the region and enough food for that many people.
Standing outside a makeshift transit hub in Houston, Cypress Independent School District Police Sergeant Shane Wallace said he was taking whatever offers of lodging he could get, including families opening their homes.
Were running out of space, he said.
Harvey was also drenching Louisiana 12 years after Hurricane Katrina hit the state and killed 1,800 people.
The slow-moving storms center was in the Gulf of Mexico about 150 kilometres southeast of downtown Houston by Tuesday evening.
It was expected to linger just off the coast of Texas through most of Tuesday before moving inland again late Tuesday or early Wednesday, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Harvey was expected to produce another 15 to 30 centimetres of rain through Thursday over parts of the upper Texas coast into southwestern Louisiana.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to half of US refining capacity. The reduction in supply led gasoline futures to hit their highest level in two years this week as Harvey knocked out about 16 percent of total U.S. refining capacity, based on company reports and Reuters estimates.
Riyadh: Iranians and Qataris are among the more than 1.7 million Muslims gathered in the holy city of Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage, even though the governments in Tehran and Doha are at odds with Saudi Arabia.
Despite closing the border with Qatar on 5 June as part of the Gulf countries' economic and diplomatic offensive against the gas-rich emirate, Saudi Arabia has allowed 1,340 Qataris to enter the country for the Hajj.
Doha earlier refused Riyadh's proposal to arrange charter flights for Qatari pilgrims.
The Saudi minister of Islamic Affairs, Saleh al-Sheikh, told his country's official news agency SPA that the kingdom serves all pilgrims without discrimination or exclusion on the basis of nationality, tribe or sect.
Political tensions are overshadowing the great religious event, but have not prevented 86,500 Iranian pilgrims from coming to Mecca this year after they were excluded last year following a deadly stampede during the 2015 Hajj.
Nearly 2,500 people including 400 Iranians died in the stampede, which Riyadh blamed on the Iranians, while Tehran faulted the Saudi government.
The Jeddah-based International Islamic News Agency said that the pilgrims include 25,500 people from the United Kingdom, 20,500 from Russia, 17,000 from the United States and 10,000 from France, among many other nationalities.
For the first time, the Saudi Ministry of Education has established nurseries where parents can leave their children while they perform the rituals of the pilgrimage, which lasts several days and takes place in different places.
Some 15,000 officers will ensure the safety of the Hajj and escort the pilgrims, according to the director of security, Gen. Mohamed al-Sharif.
The head of Saudi civil defense, Suleiman al-Amro, said that more than 3,000 "machines and devices" had been deployed in the holy places to respond to possible emergencies.
Besides the deadly stampede, the 2015 Hajj was also marred by a crane accident at the Great Mosque that left 100 people dead.
Houston: Harvey, one of the most destructive storms in US history battered Texas for the fifth day today claiming 30 lives and left thousands homeless even as Houston's mayor declared a nighttime curfew to prevent looting and opportunistic crimes.
Thousands of emergency rescue teams officials remained on their toes, helping people affected by the deluge. Weather official said parts of state are expected to receive heavy rainfall again.
At least 30 people have died in storm-related incidents, local officials confirmed. The toll could rise as they are pursuing reports of people lost in the torrential downpours unleashed since Friday.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner imposed an overnight curfew to guard against opportunistic crimes as tropical storm Harvey continued to deluge southeast Texas.
"There are some who might want to take advantage of this situation, so even before it gets a foothold in the city, we just need to hold things in check," Turner said.
Authorities announced the curfew midnight to 5 am after police arrested a crew of armed robbers who were hijacking vehicles, and officials warned residents of people impersonating homeland security investigators. There also were fears of looting as thousands of houses lay partially submerged and abandoned.
Harvey was gearing up for another landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border. With this landfall expected, the devastation and misery could intensify, it said.
More than 13,000 people have been rescued from flood waters and other devastation caused by Harvey in Houston and surrounding areas, federal and local authorities in Texas said.
One Indian student has died after he nearly drowned in a swollen lake in the US state of Texas where Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc.
More than 100,000 Indian-Americans living in and around Houston have also been badly hit by the monstrous hurricane.
The Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency its most severe flood alert yesterday night, The Washington Post reported.
The remnants of deadly Hurricane Harvey menaced Texas and Louisiana, while a reservoir west of downtown Houstonspilled overdue torecord-shatteringrainfall.
Officials in Houston were unable to determine the extent of the tragedy caused by one of the most destructive storms in the US history, authorities said.
Texas governor Greg Abbott said Harvey is one of the largest disasters America has ever faced and warned against expecting anything resembling recovery any time soon, or a return to the way things were.
"We need to recognise it will be a new normal, a new and different normal for this entire region," he said.
Houston, the fourth-largest city in the US and the most populous in Texas, was still conducting emergency operations, with multiple road closures and no access to area hospitals for ambulances, after Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on Friday night.
Harvey has since lost its intensity, leaving behind a trail of destruction that could take years to overcome.
The National Weather Service reported that Houston has already received more than 42 inches of rain due to Harvey.
Some parts of Louisiana have also seen more than a foot of rain, and the flash flood warnings were in effect for much of the Lake Charles region as the rainfall is expected to continue.
New Orleans is under a tornado and flash flood watch until Thursday.
Pyongyang: North Korea has said its launch of a missile over Japan was a prelude to more military operations directed at the American territory of Guam, which it called "an advanced base of invasion", a media report said.
The country's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong-un presided over the Tuesday launch of the "ultra-modern rocket system", the first missile ever fired from Pyongyang.
The news agency quoted Kim as saying that "like a real war", the latest drill was "the first step of the military operation of the KPA (Korean People's Army) in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam".
The intermediate-range missile, identified by the North Koreans as the Hwasong-12, crossed Japan's northern Hokkaido island, further fuelling tensions between North Korea and the US and its allies, Japan and South Korea, CNN reported.
The Guam governor's office said in a statement there is no change in the island's threat level.
"We knew, based on North Korea events in previous years, that with the joint exercise between the US, South Korea, and its Allies, we can expect rhetoric and activity in North Korea," said George Charfauros, Guam Homeland Security adviser.
The KCNA said the launch was in direct response to the joint US-South Korean military drills, as well as to mark the anniversary of the Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, which saw Japan annex the Korean peninsula.
Kim has also ordered more rocket drills targeting the region, the state media said.
South Korean presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun said in a statement that the country's President Moon Jae-in and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe both now believe "pressure on North Korea should be raised to its limit so that North Korea will voluntarily come to the table for dialogue".
The UN Security Council called the missile launch "outrageous", demanding North Korea cease all missile testing.
While the statement said the regime's actions were a threat to all UN member states, it did not threaten new sanctions against Pyongyang.
Russia and China said US military activity in the region was partly to blame for the increase in tensions, and urged negotiations, a BBC report said.
Arriving for a visit to Japan, British prime minister Theresa May called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying that Beijing had a key role in the international response to Pyongyang's "reckless provocation".
The launch also drew a strong rebuke from US president Donald Trump who again warned that "all options are on the table" to act against North Korea.
It was the fourth missile North Korea fired in four days Pyongyang tested three short-range ballistic missiles, one of which failed, from Kangwon province that landed in water off the Korean Peninsula.
Earlier in August, Pyongyang first threatened to fire missiles towards Guam where some 160,00 US citizens live.
Washington: So much for North Korea's restraint. So much for President Donald Trump's threats of "fire and fury."
After Pyongyang's highly provocative missile test over close American ally Japan, Trump offered a surprisingly subdued response Tuesday, pulling back from his administration's recent suggestions of a dialogue with the communist country but also avoiding a repeat of his bombastic warnings earlier this month of a potential military confrontation.
Instead, Trump's terse, written statement reiterating that all US options are being considered pointed to an administration cautiously searching for an effective policy, even as the North's test risked endangering Japanese civilians. Washington and its allies called an emergency UN Security Council meeting for later Tuesday, but looked short on new ideas for stopping the nuclear and missile advances that are increasingly putting the US mainland within range.
"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said after the North's missile soared almost 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."
The tone was far more moderate than Trump's colorful language earlier this month, when he spoke of unleashing "fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before" if North Korea kept threatening the US There were no indications Trump had any imminent intention to make good on his threat to strike North Korea.
But such has been the speed of the Trump administration's zigs and zags on North Korea policy. If Tuesday's statement seemed unusually restrained for Trump, it actually marked a toughening of his administration's most recent tone.
A senior US official said the restrained nature of the administration's recent responses was intentional, reflecting an effort by new White House chief of staff John Kelly to prevent a repeat of the rhetorical escalation that occurred earlier this month. But with Trump's focus diverted to flood-ravaged Texas, it was unclear whether he might ultimately speak or tweet about the launch in greater detail.
Three weeks ago, when North Korea responded to Trump's "fire and fury" warning by threatening to launch multiple missiles near the US Pacific territory of Guam, Trump tweeted that an American military solution to the standoff was "locked and loaded." Experts warned that the rapid-fire escalation had raised the danger of a miscalculation among the nuclear-armed powers.
The administration's more cautious approach in recent days reflects an effort to preserve modest signs of progress with North Korea that had led Trump and his top diplomat to hint at the possibility of direct talks, said the official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the deliberations publicly and requested anonymity.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "starting to respect us," Trump said at a campaign rally in Phoenix last week, adding that "maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson credited Kim's government with demonstrating "some level of restraint that we have not seen" by not conducting a missile test for almost a month, expressing hope it might be the "signal that we have been looking for," leading to a dialogue.
Even that suggestion was a surprising one for the Trump administration. On his first trip to Asia, Tillerson said North Korea must first abandon its "weapons of mass destruction" for talks to occur. But he later floated the idea that the North merely had to halt its nuclear and missile tests. The North has completely rejected both demands, saying negotiations hinge on the US dropping its "hostile policy."
In any case, the optimism generated by North Korea's temporary lull in missile activity ended last Friday, when it fired three short-range projectiles into the sea. It then raised the ante three days later by firing directly over Japan's territory, breaking with its usual practice of launching over open seas where there's no risk that a misfire would land in another country or send debris falling on populated areas.
Kim on Tuesday expressed great satisfaction with the launch and called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim called it a "meaningful prelude" to containing Guam.
The agency said the missile the North fired Tuesday was the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile it recently threatened to fire toward Guam.
But for Trump's earlier bombast, his Tuesday statement wouldn't have been particularly surprising. Democrat and Republican presidents have routinely offered the "all options on the table" terminology, even though a pre-emptive US military strike is highly unlikely.
North Korea has the world's largest standing army and a massive conventional weapons arsenal that can easily target the capital of South Korea and its metropolitan area of about 25 million people. American officials have long assessed that mass casualties would likely result.
But while US officials had been inclined to overlook Friday's launches, the launch early Tuesday in North Korea was harder to ignore.
Friday's rocket tests represented a typical North Korean response to annual, US-South Korean military drills that Pyongyang claims are rehearsals for invasion. This year's war games started last week and end Thursday.
Tuesday's launch was altogether more provocative. It was only the third time North Korea has fired a missile over Japan. The previous occasions in 1998 and 2009 used rockets purportedly for space exploration. This time, the North unambiguously tested a ballistic missile designed for military strikes and believed capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Within minutes, cellphones alerted residents on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, and loud alarms and emails instructed them to stay indoors. Speakers broadcast an alert saying "missile is passing, missile is passing."
Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan conferred by telephone, agreeing that North Korea poses "a grave and growing direct threat," the White House said. They vowed to increase pressure on the North.
"Japan's and the US positions are totally at one," Abe added in a statement, saying Trump expressed his "strong commitment" to defend Japan.
During a closed-door Security Council session later Tuesday, Nikki Haley, Trump's UN envoy, was hoping veto-wielding members China and Russia would cooperate. But Haley didn't specify what action the US its allies sought.
"No country should have missiles flying over them like those 130 million people in Japan. It's unacceptable," Haley told reporters. She added, "Something serious has to happen."
Islamabad: Pakistan is collecting data of its nationals who are suspected of waging jihad abroad along with terror groups, a senior official said, amid fears of blowback from them especially after the defeat of the Islamic State in parts of Iraq.
About 100 Pakistanis have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State since the rise of the dreaded terror group in the Middle East, a media report had said.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior was told on Tuesday that National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has begun the process of compiling the data.
The authority had completed the task of data compilation on suspected militants who had fought in conflict zones such as Yemen, Iraq or Syria, NACTA chief Ihsan Ghani was quoted as saying by the Dawn news.
"We are in the process of having the data verified from federal and provincial departments," he told the committee during a briefing on the status of implementation on the National Action Plan (NAP) to counter terrorism and extremism.
The verification process would help shift those who went to these areas to earn a livelihood from those who posed an actual threat.
The aim of the exercise was to minimise the blowback on Pakistan as the Islamic State (IS) fighters are returning to their native countries after the group's defeat in part of Iraq.
Ghani detailed measures to choke terrorists' financial networks, saying that a task force had been established under the authority to coordinate efforts in this regard.
However, the number of such militants was not immediately available.
Progress on updating the list of those individuals who were placed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 was also shared with the committee.
The bank accounts of around 5,000 of the more than 8,000 individuals on the list had been frozen, he said, while they could no longer be issued passports or gun licences.
Ghani revealed plans to develop a mobile phone app to assess hate speech, where local authorities could upload any suspected speech on the app, which would relay it to the authority for vetting.
He also apprised the committee of a national policy to counter violent extremism, which had been approved by the government.
Iraqi forces reseized second city of Mosul from IS in July after a nine-month battle. They are now fighting the last pocket of jihadists in the northern province of Nineveh.
New Delhi: Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, is in Pakistan and that country is creating hurdles in getting him back to India to face the law, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Wednesday.
Mehrishi said the government is taking all required action so that Ibrahim could be brought back to India.
"Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan. That country has given him shelter. That country is also putting hurdles in bringing him back to India to face the law," he told PTI.
Mehrishi will demit office on Thursday.
The home secretary said the "attitude" of Pakistan was not in conformity with international law and it is working against India in Ibrahim's case.
"Whatever action is required, we are taking. We will get him. The process is on. But the attitude of the Pakistan government is not in conformity with the international law. Pakistan is working against India. The legal process is on. We will get him at an opportune time," he said.
Ibrahim is the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case in Mumbai in which around 260 people were killed, and more than 700 were injured.
He fled India post the bombings and is hiding in Pakistan at present.
In April, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated there was no doubt that Ibrahim was still in Pakistan. During the last 10 years, India has sent several dossiers to Pakistan in this regard, naming Ibrahim as the accused in the Mumbai blasts case.
In 2011, P Chidambaram, the then home minister in the UPA government, had also said that Ibrahim was based in Karachi.
He had said that India would continue to push its case to bring to justice the people who had planned terror attacks in the country.
India has for long been advocating an extradition treaty between SAARC countries in order to ensure quick action against those involved in terrorist activities.
Both India and Pakistan are members of SAARC.
Cox's Bazar: The International Organisation for Migration said on Wednesday that 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled fresh violence in Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh, with "hundreds and hundreds" stranded in no man's land at the countries' border.
Sanjukta Sahany, a spokeswoman for the IOM in Cox's Bazar, on the Bangladesh border with Myanmar, released the latest figures as human rights groups and advocates for the Rohingya say the Myanmar army was retaliating for attacks by Rohingya militants by burning down villages and shooting civilians.
The Myanmar government blames Rohingya insurgents for the violence, including the arson. The official death toll in the violence was 96 as of Sunday, and the actual number is likely to be higher.
A majority of Myanmar's estimated 1 million Rohingya live in the northern part of Rakhine state, where they have faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country.
Last week, Rohingya insurgents launched coordinated attacks against police posts, setting off retaliation by government forces.
Sahany said the Rohingya crisis was not an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh but of international concern.
Ali Hossain, Cox's Bazar district's top government official, told The Associated Press that their resources were under huge stress after some 87,000 Rohingya entered Bangladesh since October last year and now another 18,000 in just one week.
"I have already informed the government's high-ups about the trouble we are facing here," he said. "This is a very complex situation."
In another development, police said a boat carrying an unknown number of Rohingya capsized in the Naf River, leaving at least four dead. The boat was trying to enter Bangladesh through Shah Porir Island in the Bay of Bengal when it sank, said police official Main Uddin.
He said they recovered four bodies and "most probably" many others were missing.
"Our search is on. We don't know how many were on the boat," he said.
Also Wednesday, Bangladesh's border guards turned back 171 Rohingya after detaining them at different border points over the last two days, said Colonel SM Ariful Islam, a director of the Border Guard Bangladesh.
He said that border guards provided them with food and medicine before pushing them back, but it was not clear what happened to them later.
Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingya as a legitimate native ethnic minority and has denied citizenship and rights to most of them.
La Paz Chattanooga, a local non-profit organization that works with the Latino community, has announced the addition of a new award to their annual Latino Leadership Luncheon, The Organization Impact Award.The Latino Leadership Awards brings together members of the community to recognize and honor Latinos and Hispanics from the greater Chattanooga area, and present them with an array of awards for career achievement and community involvement. This year, in addition to Chattanoogas Choice, Emerging Leader, Community Champion, Anne Shelton Memorial Volunteer of the Year, and Latino Leader Award, La Paz has announced they have added an Organization Impact Award.The Organization Impact Award recognizes one organization or business, that has gone above and beyond in their service to the local Latino community.The recipient of this award is chosen by the La Paz Chattanooga staff and members of the Latino Leadership Awards selection committee, and will be announced during the luncheon on Sept. 18.We are pleased to see the position several organizations and businesses have taken in their service to the Latino community and feel they should be honored and recognized for their hard work and dedication, said La Paz's Executive Director Stacy Johnson.The awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 18 from 11 a.m-1 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Tickets and table purchases, as well as table sponsorships, are available on the event website at latinoleadershipawards.org For more information regarding the Latino Leadership Awards, contact Christian Patino at cpatino@lapazchattanooga.org or call the La Paz office at 423-624-8414.
Workers at a Hixson firm began complaining of exposure to chemicals on Wednesday morning and 24 were eventually taken to the hospital to be checked out.
A Haz-Mat team was sent to Southern Filter Media, which is on Kanasita Drive near Greenway Farm.
The site was cleared around noon.
The exposure was from fumes from a plant manufacturing process, it was stated. The company makes filter bags.
Several employees felt more sick than others from the fumes, it was stated.
Google has introduced ARCore, a new software development kit for building augmented reality apps on Android. This brings augmented reality capabilities to millions of Android phones without any additional hardware like Googles Tango that uses several additional sensors. It also takes on Apples ARKit for iOS 11 that was introduced back in June. This works by tracking the position of the mobile device as it moves, and building its own understanding of the real world.
ARCore uses three key technologies to integrate virtual content with the real world as seen through your phones camera:
Motion tracking allows the phone to understand and track its position relative to the world.
Environmental understanding allows the phone to detect the size and location of flat horizontal surfaces like the ground or a coffee table.
Light estimation allows the phone to estimate the environments current lighting conditions.
In addition to identifying key points, ARCore can detect flat surfaces, like a table or the floor, and can also estimate the average lighting in the area around it. These capabilities combine to enable ARCore to build its own understanding of the world around it.
Google is also releasing prototype browsers for web developers that will allow them to create AR-enhanced websites and run them on both Android/ARCore and iOS/ARKit.
ARCore will run on millions of devices running 7.0 Nougat and above. Google has released SDK preview for Google Pixel, Pixel XL and Samsung Galaxy S8 and is targeting 100 million devices at the end of the preview. It said that it is working with Samsung, Huawei, LG, ASUS and other OEMs to make quality and high performance consistent.
Source
An eager group of seniors from Dominion Senior Living Center assembled 100 personal hygiene bags Tuesday within a two hour period for Operation: Texas Star.
The donations came from Dr. Barto and Dr. Conner with Signature Smiles and Dr. Don Reynolds. All three doctors practice dentistry in the Hixson community.
The kits included washcloths, bar soap, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss.
The kits were prepared to assist the Museum of Flight in their Operation: Texas Star efforts to get supplies to victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Patriotic car shoppers can support military veterans through a new program from Autotrader.
The website said Wednesday it will donate $1 to The Mission Continues for every red, white or blue car thats digitally saved to a users shopping list. Car shoppers can support the Autotrader Red, White & Blue initiative by creating an online account and saving vehicles listed for sale. The company, a division of Cox Automotive, will donate up to $25,000.
With this latest effort in our greater Search With a Purpose cause platform, the keys are in the car shoppers hands to make a difference with a simple click, said Jessica Stafford, vice president of marketing for Autotrader.
The Mission Continues is an organization that helps veterans who are adjusting to life at home by giving them new missions as volunteers in their communities.
Were thrilled to partner with Autotrader, a brand who believes in our veterans continued service in their communities here at home and who encourages employees and customers to join us in our efforts, said Meredith Darche, director of development for The Mission Continues. This partnership will help our veterans build camaraderie and give back in their own communities.
The Red, White & Blue program coincides with Labor Day and runs through Sept. 30.
Gasoline futures surged on Wednesday to another two-year high and crude oil was down, as flooding and damage from Tropical Storm Harvey shut nearly a quarter of U.S. refinery capacity, curbing demand for crude while raising the risk of fuel shortages.
Refineries with output of at least 4.4 million barrels per day (bpd) were offline on Tuesday, representing nearly 24 percent of U.S. production, according to Reuters estimates and company reports. Restarting plants under even the best conditions can take a week or more.
On Wednesday, Valero said that due to flooding they were fully shutting their Port Arthur refinery.
U.S. gasoline futures were up 5.5 percent at $1.8810 a gallon, having hit $1.9140, the highest since July 2015. Diesel futures advanced slightly to $1.6657 a gallon, having touched the highest since January at $1.7161 earlier in the session.
While infrastructure restarts following the storm are expected to extend into the coming weeks, on Wednesday Marathon Petroleum Corp was restarting its Galveston Bay Refinery, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Brent oil, the international crude benchmark, was down $1.07, or 2 percent, at $50.93 a barrel at 1:45 p.m. EDT (1745 GMT). U.S. crude was down 44 cents, or 0.95 percent, to $46.00.
The spread between Brent and U.S. crude hit its widest in more than two years on Tuesday, before rising slightly to $4.92.
"Certainly the spread widening out between WTI/Brent is Harvey-driven. You've pretty much sapped a major chunk of Gulf Coast refining demand," said Anthony Scott, managing director of analytics at BTU Analytics in Denver.
Gains intensified for refined products after sources on Wednesday said Total's Port Arthur, Texas, refinery had been shut by a power outage resulting from the storm.
Gasoline margins <RBc1-Clc1> climbed, as the gasoline crack spread jumped 12.5 percent to $23.45 a barrel, the highest on a seasonal basis since 2012.
"Crude is always easier to replace than products," said Olivier Jakob, analyst at Petromatrix. "If the refineries stay shut for more than a week or 10 days, it's going to be very problematic."
Harvey made landfall on Friday as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, resulting in the death of at least 17 people.
In addition to shutting oil refineries, about 1.4 million bpd of U.S. crude production has been disrupted, equivalent to 15 percent of total output, Goldman Sachs said.
On Wednesday industry sources told Reuters that Shell staff are reboarding the Perdido oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico in preparation for a restart.
Still, effects of the damages and shutdowns are expected to ripple for weeks. Explorer shut two main lines carrying fuel to the Chicago market Tuesday, and the main Colonial Pipeline to the U.S. East Coast was running at reduced rates.
The market shrugged off weekly inventory figures from the U.S. Energy Department, which reflect stocks prior to the storm.
Crude inventories fell by 5.4 million barrels in the latest week, far more than the decrease of 1.9 million barrels analysts had expected. Refining capacity utilization rose to 96.6 percent, the highest since 2005, a figure that will fall sharply due to massive shut-ins on the Gulf.
West African crude differentials were steady as strong margins countered Harvey's impact.
(Reporting by Julia Simon in New York; Editing by Chris Reese)
During natural disasters like hurricanes, investors often turn to companies that might benefit from the cleanup and rebuilding process. But its usually a mistake to chase storm stocks in search of quick profits, Wells Fargo said Wednesday.
Hurricane Harveys influence on stocks is in full swing. Generac (NYSE:GNRC), a manufacturer of generators, is up 2% this week and jumped 4% in recent trading Wednesday. Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and Lowes (NYSE:LOW) also recorded instant gains as Harvey first made its way across the Texas coastline. U.S. Concrete (NASDAQ:USCR) has soared 15% since the start of the week.
The Wells Fargo Investment Institute cautioned that while some companies will see a sales boost from emergency supplies, those products typically add little to the bottom line. Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo, said long-term investors should stick with their plan and avoid trading for quick gains related to Harvey.
We recommend that investors seek out quality companies for longer-term investment and not turn into storm chasers looking for a short-term thrill ride in the stock market, Wren wrote in a note to clients.
Also, Harvey is unlikely to impact the overall U.S. economy in a major way or for an extended period, he said. Moodys estimated that Harvey could cause $51 billion to $70 billion in damage to property, businesses and lost economic activity.
The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed that President Donald Trump's personal lawyer reached out to them during the 2016 presidential campaign, seeking help for a business project in Russia.
In a statement to the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Monday the president's company pursued a project in Moscow during the Republican primary. He said the plan was abandoned for various reasons.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday that they received Cohen's email, which was sent to the press office's general email address. Peskov said it was one of many emails the Kremlin press office gets since its email address is available online and that the Kremlin did not reply to it.
Cohen said he worked on the real estate proposal with Felix Sater, a Russia-born associate who he said claimed to have deep connections in Moscow.
The discussions about a real estate deal in Moscow occurred in the fall of 2015, months after Trump had declared his presidential bid. They ended early in 2016 when Cohen determined that the project was not feasible, according to Cohen's statement.
Cohen also disclosed that Trump was personally aware of the deal, signing a letter of intent and discussing it with Cohen on two other occasions.
Asked whether Putin had seen the email, Peskov said Wednesday that he "cannot discuss with President Putin the hundreds and thousands of various requests coming from different countries" that end up in that Kremlin mailbox.
Peskov said the press office did not reply to Cohen's email because it "does not react to such business requests. It is not our job."
Trump campaigned on improving US relations with Russia, but Moscow is disappointed in the lack of progress.
Anatoly Antonov, the newly appointed Russian ambassador who is soon to take up his post in Washington, was quoted Wednesday by the newspaper Kommersant as bemoaning "the hyper-activity of the Russophobe lobby" in the United States.
"It's no secret that dialogue with the current U.S. administration is not easy. On the one hand, the heavy legacy left by Barack Obama's team is having an effect. On the other hand, there are persistent attempts by certain forces in the Washington establishment to play the Russia card in the domestic political struggle, including indefinitely spinning insinuations about our alleged 'interference' in last year's American elections and other slanderous accusations," he said in an interview.
A Maine company is partnering with television host Andrew Zimmern for a special line of spice blends.
The Portland Press Herald reports Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants has already developed and released five of the seven new blends for Zimmern's website. Gryffon Ridge owner Christine Pistole drew inspiration for the blends from Zimmern's worldly travels.
The Dresden-based spice house features seasonings like Kentucky Table, Cattle Drive Gusto and Soul of the Caribbean. Each blend comes with recommendations for pairings. Pistole's 2-ounce jars sell for $10 each.
Pistole says working with Zimmern is an exciting opportunity.
Gryffon Ridge opened their doors in 2009. The company boasts a collection of 55 unique culinary blends along with more than 100 spices, herbs, salts and chilies.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
Royal Dutch Shell staff have returned to a major oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico in preparation to restart production one week after its shutdown due to Hurricane Harvey, industry sources said on Wednesday.
A small team was airlifted to the Perdido platform and is currently assessing conditions to understand when production can be resumed, the sources said.
Perdido, operated by Shell, was shut down on Aug. 23 ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival. The hub, the second deepest in the Gulf of Mexico, normally produces around 100,000 barrels per day of oil and gas.
(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by David Evans)
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. ??1 John? ?2:6?
As Americans weigh in on the latest race relations battle, I can only imagine how satisfied Satan is, knowing that he has once again fanned the flames of division, racism and hatred in our nation. It seems that these skirmishes continue to flare up, no matter how many years we move away from the scourge of slavery that marked our nation's past.
So as iron and stone artifacts are receiving increased focus by newspapers, cable news, and social media, what seems to be lacking, at least for those who claim to be followers of Jesus, is WWJD -- as in What Would Jesus Do?
There was a time when this slogan was routinely seen on bumper stickers, wrist bands, and T-shirts. And many continue to pose the question, WWJD, to test their actions and words. But the problem with using WWJD is that too often a person's subjective evaluation can yield multiple answers, if Scriptures are not abundantly clear.
So I've been searching the Bible for answers to how Christ's followers should respond to the calls for removing statues, flags and monuments. Rather than pragmatic or even patriotic approaches, I'm more interested in what Jesus would actually do were He here physically today. But as I considered the likelihood of a subjective response to this latest American problem, I became more intrigued with WDJS -- as in What Did Jesus Say?
If you grew up never knowing your father, but he left you a book with explicit instructions on what he valued and believed, such a document would be of great value as you encountered life's struggles.
You and I never had the privilege that the original 12 disciples had, to not only hear the words of Jesus but to also see Him live those words out day after day. So when Jesus told them, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" and the disciples then witnessed Jesus loving and forgiving those who tortured and crucified Him, they could see that what Jesus said directly impacted what He did.
So whether its Jesus or you and me, our actions are driven by our thoughts and our thoughts spill out in our words.
If you and I profess to be followers of Jesus, and we routinely ask WWJD, then what Jesus said, and He directed others to say for Him throughout the Bible, should be of supreme importance to us as we deliberate over how to respond to statues and racism, and those who are drawing lines in the sand.
So let's look at what the Bible has to say about how a follower of Jesus should respond to this latest racial skirmish.
Dealing with Anger and Conflict:
"God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9
But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. Galatians? ?5:15?
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians? ?4:31-32?
Again I say, dont get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. ??2 Timothy? ?2:23-24?
If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers dont have eternal life within them.?? 1 John? ?3:14-15?
Looking to the Good of Others:
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Dont be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 1 Corinthians? ?10:24?
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyoneespecially to those in the family of faith. ?Galatians? ?6:10?
See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. ?1 Thessalonians? ?5:15?
We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. Romans? ?15:1-2
Showing Grace, Forgiveness, Love and Unity:
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. ??Matthew? ?6:14-15?
Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. Matthew? ?12:25?
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. ? Matthew? ?22:37-39?
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each others faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ?Ephesians? ?4:2-3?
Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians? ?3:13?
"So lets stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. ??Romans? ?14:13?
"May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Romans? ?15: 5-7?
The Lawsuit Analogy
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Dont you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, cant you decide even these little things among yourselves? Dont you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isnt there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues anotherright in front of unbelievers! Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. 1 Corinthians? ?6:1-8?
Final Thoughts
This last weekend our nation was reminded of the priority of life, unity and cooperation as Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas, wreaking death and unimaginable destruction for millions of our fellow Americans. Interestingly, my blog post last week entitled Racial Strife: Finding the Antidote to the Enemy Within dealt directly with such catastrophic events that can bring our nation together and what the two step solution is for this division we are facing.
While most of us have not been directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey, our hearts, minds and prayers are with those who are struggling to survive. So as I was communicating with some friends in Texas and viewing the scenes of catastrophic destruction, the following thought suddenly struck me: Statues No Longer Matter.
When an event like a hurricane, a terrorist attack or something similar occurs, our attention is immediately brought to bear on what is ultimately important. Likewise, if we are a follower of Christ, we should understand on an even greater scale that we have opportunities to make an eternal difference in the lives around us when we chose to live as Jesus did. As you and I consider the controversies playing out over statues and monuments, may we remember the words of Jesus and the scriptures, focus our attention on eternity, and then adjust our behavior to align with Gods principles.
Mark West
Two weeks before Harvey's flood waters engulfed much of Houston, President Donald Trump quietly rolled back an order by his predecessor that would have made it easier for storm-ravaged communities to use federal emergency aid to rebuild bridges, roads and other structures so they can better withstand future disasters.
Now, with much of the nation's fourth-largest city underwater, Trump's move has new resonance. Critics note the president's order could force Houston and other cities to rebuild hospitals and highways in the same way and in the same flood-prone areas.
"Rebuilding while ignoring future flood events is like treating someone for lung cancer and then giving him a carton of cigarettes on the way out the door," said Michael Gerrard, a professor of environmental and climate change law at Columbia University. "If you're going to rebuild after a bad event, you don't want to expose yourself to the same thing all over again."
Trump's action is one of several ways the president, who has called climate change a hoax, has tried to wipe away former President Barack Obama's efforts to make the United States more resilient to threats posed by the changing climate.
The order Trump revoked would have permitted the rebuilding to take into account climate scientists' predictions of stronger storms and more frequent flooding.
Bridges and highways, for example, could be rebuilt higher, or with better drainage. The foundation of a new fire station or hospital might be elevated an extra 3 feet (about 1 meter).
While scientists caution against blaming specific weather events like Harvey on climate change, warmer air and warmer water linked to global warming have long been projected to make such storms wetter and more intense. Houston, for example, has experienced three floods in three years that statistically were once considered 1-in-500-year events.
The government was still in the process of implementing Obama's 2015 order when it was rescinded. That means the old standard rebuilding storm-ravaged facilities in the same way they had been built before is still in place.
Trump revoked Obama's order as part of an executive order of his own that he touted at an Aug. 15 news conference at Trump Tower. That news conference was supposed to focus on infrastructure, but it was dominated by Trump's comments on the previous weekend's violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Trump didn't specifically mention the revocation, but he said he was making the federal permitting process for the construction of transportation and other infrastructure projects faster and more cost-efficient without harming the environment.
"It's going to be quick, it's going to be a very streamlined process," Trump said.
Asked about the revocation, the White House said in a statement that Obama's order didn't consider potential impacts on the economy and was "applied broadly to the whole country, leaving little room or flexibility for designers to exercise professional judgment or incorporate the particular context" of a project's location.
Obama's now-defunct order also revamped Federal Flood Risk Management Standards, calling for tighter restrictions on new construction in flood-prone areas. Republicans, including Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, opposed the measure, saying it would impede land development and economic growth.
Revoking that order was only the latest step by Trump to undo Obama's actions on climate change.
In March, Trump rescinded a 2013 order that directed federal agencies to encourage states and local communities to build new infrastructure and facilities "smarter and stronger" in anticipation of more frequent extreme weather.
Trump revoked a 2015 Obama memo directing agencies developing national security policies to consider the potential impact of climate change.
The president also disbanded two advisory groups created by Obama: the interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience and the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
Obama's 2015 order was prompted in part by concerns raised by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper after severe flooding in his state two years earlier. Hickenlooper was dismayed to learn that federal disaster aid rules were preventing state officials from rebuilding "better and smarter than what we had built before."
The "requirements essentially said you had to build it back exactly the way it was, that you couldn't take into consideration improvements in resiliency," Hickenlooper, a Democrat, said Tuesday. "We want to be more prepared for the next event, not less prepared."
Bud Wright, the Federal Highway Administration's executive director during George W. Bush's administration, said this has long been a concern of federal officials.
He recalled a South Dakota road that was "almost perpetually flooded" but was repeatedly rebuilt to the same standard using federal aid because the state didn't have the extra money to pay for enhancements.
"It seemed a little ridiculous that we kept doing that," said Wright, now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' executive director.
But Kirk Steudle, director of Michigan's Department of Transportation, said states can build more resilient infrastructure than what they had before a disaster by using state or non-emergency federal funds to make up the cost difference.
"That makes sense, otherwise FEMA would be the big checkbook," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Everybody would be hoping for some disaster so FEMA could come in and build them a brand new road to the 2020 standard instead of the 1970 standard."
Even though Obama's order has been revoked, federal officials have some wiggle room that might allow them to rebuild to higher standards, said Jessica Grannis, who manages the adaptation program at the Georgetown Climate Center.
If local building codes in place before the storm call for new construction to be more resilient to flooding, then federal money can still be used to pay the additional costs.
For example, in Houston regulations require structures to be rebuilt 1 foot (30 centimeters) above the level designated for a 1-in-100-year storm. And in the wake of prior disasters, FEMA has moved to remap floodplains, setting the line for the 1-in-100-year flood higher than it was before.
___
Follow Associated Press environmental writer Michael Biesecker at www.Twitter.com/mbieseck and transportation reporter Joan Lowy at www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy
The U.N. human rights chief has denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's "repeated attacks" on three major American news organizations, saying "demonization" of the press can endanger journalists.
Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein also made his first public comments decrying racist and anti-Semitic cries by far-right groups in Charlottesville, Virginia, calling the events on its streets "an abomination" and "a nightmare."
He said he didn't initially respond because there was already a "cacophony of noise" in the United States.
Zeid, who is a Jordanian prince, said Trump's repeated criticism of U.S. news outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN was "an incitement for others to attack journalists."
"You don't have to stretch the imagination to see then what could happen to journalists," he said.
A Democratic U.S. Senator on Wednesday urged the FBI to launch a criminal probe into whether billionaire investor Carl Icahn broke the law when he called for a change in the federal biofuel program that would have enriched him personally while he was an adviser to President Donald Trump.
"It appears Mr. Icahn potentially violated the principal conflict of interest statute ... (and) abused his role as a special adviser to the president of the United States on issues relating to regulatory reform," by participating in a government matter that affects his financial interests, Senator Tammy Duckworth of ethanol-producing Illinois said in a letter to the FBI, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
Icahn, owner of the oil refining company CVR Energy, was one of the loudest critics of the federal biofuels program called the Renewable Fuel Standard. As a Trump advisor, he urged the administration to change the standard so oil refiners would be freed from having to blend biofuels such as ethanol into gasoline.
Such a move, if enacted, would have shifted responsibility for biofuels down the fuel supply chain, saving refiners hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
Icahn stepped down from his role as adviser to Trump on Aug. 18 after facing criticism that his policy recommendations could help his own investments. His office did not immediately comment on Duckworth's letter. Last month, he denied any conflicts of interest in an open letter to Trump announcing his resignation.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Gregorio)
After North Korea launched a missile over Japan, the Hermit Kingdom threatened more launches into the Pacific. The U.S., however, on Wednesday successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii.
Former Navy SEAL Carl Higbie told the FOX Business Networks Dagen McDowell on Mornings with Maria that time is of the essence in dealing with the North Korea threat.
Somethings got to be done here and the thing that people arent looking at is the fact that the Olympics are being held 35 miles south of the DMZ [Korean Demilitarized Zone] in the next, you know, couple months. What are we going to do about that and is it going to be safe?
According to Higbie, diplomatic efforts and sanctions against North Korea have been ineffective, telling McDowell, We sanctioned them, we took away essentially a third of their economy on the export-import side with coal and things like that going to China it didnt work. And the problem is the country is so poor that people are eating bugs and frogs in the street and any sanctions we put on them takes even further resources away from his [Kim Jong-uns] people and he just re-engages it to his military complex.
Due to the diplomatic efforts and sanctions failing to make headway in stopping the North Korea threat, Higbie is concerned the U.S. may be forced to consider the military options.
I cant see any other options other than militarily here.
President Donald Trump appeared to soften threats to completely terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during a speech in Missouri on Wednesday, indicating the U.S. would ultimately maintain some sort of trade pact with Mexico and Canada, even if itas not the current one.
aWe're working right now on NAFTA, the horrible, terrible NAFTA deal that took so much business out of your state and out of your cities and towns,a Trump said. aWe've got to change this deal. And hopefully we can renegotiate it, but if we can't, we'll terminate it and we'll start all over again with a real deal.a
The president has suggested that talks have been difficult between the three countries since the first round of renegotiation discussions concluded in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. He has tweeted multiple times within the past week that if satisfactory terms cannot be reached, the U.S. may terminate the agreement completely.
On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared unfazed by Trumpas comments, indicating Trump may be employing a negotiating tactic.
However, Mexicoas Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said that his country was working on a Plan B in the event that talks come to an impasse, saying he could not arule outa Trumpas threat to withdraw from the agreement completely, according to Reuters.
On Wednesday, President Trump acknowledged that aMexico is not happya, but continued on to say the agreement has benefited the countryas economy at the United Statesa expense for many years. According to the White House, since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994, the U.S. trade balance with Mexico has shifted from a surplus of $1.3 billion to a $64 billion deficit in 2016.
The next round of talks will be held in Mexico in September.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday made his first public push for comprehensive tax reform in Missouri, but even some of the administrationas staunchest supporters are starting to question if Congress will be able to accomplish one of the Republican Partyas marquee political objectives, FOX Business has learned.
Steve Moore, one of Trumpas earliest advisers on reforming the tax code and a Heritage Foundation economist, told FOX Business that permanent tax cuts may not be possible through a budget reconciliation provision. He noted a tax cut would have to be revenue neutral to be passed through that procedure and heas also been informed there is a growing consensus that cuts could be split between being temporary and permanent.
aThe thing they are talking about is some of the cuts can be permanent and others can be temporary. You divide them into two baskets, some permanent and others are temporary,a Moore said, adding that heas heard lawmakers are looking to make corporate tax cuts permanent.
Trump has always insisted that he would like to see the business tax rate cut down from 35% to 15%, and he pushed for the same goal during his speech in Missouri on Wednesday.
The process of mixing permanent and temporary tax cuts that would expire after 10 years is complex, yet it might be the only way to get any version of tax reform accomplished through a simple 51-vote majority as the clock on lawmakers continues to tick on determining how theyare going to put together a new budget by the Sept. 30 deadline.
Mark Mazur, director at the Tax Policy Center, says one of the scenarios that could play out in favor of having a permanent corporate tax cut being revenue neutral is to permanently eliminate state and local tax deductions, an idea thatas been discussed on Capitol Hill as a way to pay for tax reform.
aMaybe you have a temporary individual tax cut, permanently eliminate state and local deductions and then have a chance at permanent corporate cuts,a Mazur said.
Still, Mazur insisted that any major tax cuts will have to overcome not just reconciliation rules, but the extensive distractions which are surely set to plague Congress once they return from the August recess, including determining a budget package, raising the nationas debt ceiling and reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program that could help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
aThe folks in the administration know that September is packed with other activity thatas not tax reform and at the minimum, itas going to be a distraction,a Mazur said.
Voters also have their doubts on whether Congress will be able to pass a tax reform bill by the end of the year. In a new Fox News poll, 78% of participants say it's unlikely congressional lawmakers will move ahead with a detailed tax plan by 2018.
The president, however, reiterated on Wednesday that tax reform must be a priority and continued to press Congress to get it done, telling the crowd in Missouri, aI donat want to be disappointed in Congress!a
Other allies have faith that Congress will complete a comprehensive tax reform plan.
Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan, said in an editorial for USA Today that not only will lawmakers come through with Trumpas promise to reform the tax code, but they must do so in order to boost the economy.
aReforming the tax code is the single most important thing that Congress could do to jump-start our economy, create jobs, and raise wages for American workers. Our current code is uncompetitive, overly complex and loaded with special interest provisions that unfairly create winners and losers. This drives down capital investment, reduces productivity and causes wages to remain stagnant,a Dimon said.
Following a whirlwind tax tour by chief Republican lawmakers, President Donald Trump will take the baton as he visits Springfield, Missouri on Wednesday to begin his leg of the race to complete one of his key campaign promises before years end.
The president is scheduled to visit a company in Missouri that manufactures fans, blowers and laboratory exhaust equipment. He is not expected to give a detailed speech on specifics, but rather rally momentum for a post Labor Day tax reform effort focused on simplifying the tax code and lowering rates. Missouri will be the first stop of many for Trumps tax tour in the coming weeks.
During an interview with The Financial Times on Friday, National Economic Director Gary Cohn said Trumps agenda is going to completely revolve around tax reform moving forward.
When it comes to the content of the tax reform overhaul, Cohn reiterated some of the key principles laid out earlier this year by the White House, including the elimination of most personal deductions, with the exception of charitable, mortgage and retirement. The GOP also intends to eliminate the death and estate taxes and to slash the corporate tax rate as low as possible.
More on this... US businesses join GOP push to overhaul US tax code
Last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) rallied support at prominent U.S. businesses across the country, including Boeing (NYSE:BA), and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC). U.S. business leaders are urging action among Republicans to level the competitive playing field for American companies through a tax code overhaul.
The administration and GOP lawmakers have set an end-of-year timeframe by which they expect the tax legislation to be completed. While some believe that timeline is aggressive under any circumstance, Republicans also have numerous other challenges lying in their path. While the broad, sweeping principles upon which tax reform will be based have been set by the White House and Republican leadership, the details have yet to be fine-tuned. There is still disagreement, for example, on how significantly to decrease the corporate tax rate and whether to make the legislation revenue neutral.
Additionally, when lawmakers return from recess in September they will have a tall to-do list of must-pass items to accomplish before tax reform can be addressed. Those include raising the United States borrowing authority before the end of September and passing a spending bill before the onset of the new fiscal year in October or face a government shutdown. Neither of those debates is expected to be completely pain-free.
Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle will head to the White House when lawmakers return from August recess next week, Fox News confirmed on Wednesday, ahead of what is going to be an incredibly busy month on Capitol Hill.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), affectionately known as the aBig Foura, are scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump next Wednesday. On the agenda will be a host of must-pass items for the month of September, including raising the United Statesa borrowing authority a or debt ceiling a by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchinas mandated deadline of Sept. 29 and passing a spending bill before the onset of the new fiscal year in October. Failure to approve legislation in either of these categories could roil the markets; without an increase in the debt ceiling Congress will be unable to continue paying its bills, which include key payments like Social Security benefits, and without a spending bill, the government will shut down.
There has been speculation that, as Republicans begin a public campaign to rally support for their impending tax reform effort a also promised to be completed before yearas end a Democrats may hold one of these items hostage in exchange for leverage where the tax agenda is concerned. A statement from a senior Democratic aide on the upcoming meeting at the White House suggested Democrats are not all that eager to take an active approach to governing.
aThe Republicans are in charge, from the White House to [Capitol] Hill so the onus of governing is squarely on them. We expect to hear their proposal for getting done all that we have to get done in September,a the Democratic aide said on Wednesday.
McConnell has insisted there is azero chancea the debt ceiling wonat be raised by the September deadline, however Republicans are still divided over whether to introduce a clean bill or attach spending reforms that will attack the nationas deficit over the long term.
Meanwhile, President Trump will begin his rally for simplifying the U.S. tax code and lowering rates on Wednesday, stopping at a factory in Springfield, Missouri to discuss how tax relief could jumpstart the American economy. On Tuesday, he will meet with the key players for the GOP's tax reform proposal.
While September is going to be an extremely busy month for lawmakers, with some questioning whether it is feasible to accomplish each legislative goal by the necessary deadline, others also have hesitations about whether tax reform can be completed before the onset of 2018.
With the last week of live rounds before the remaining acts move on to the semifinals, the last 12 acts put it all on the line on Americas Got Talent. With all the decisions left up to the American voting public, there was no room for error, but some were still reaching for the middle.
Despite the stiff competition for the last remaining spots, the first half of the night was relatively uneventful. Compared to last week where technical difficulties and feuds amongst the judges ruled, it was a rather run-of-the-mill performance as acts like the the Greater Works gospel choir took the stage. The group started things off strong and delivered yet another flawless outing on the AGT stage. Although no one had criticism for them, they made sure to innovate for the live rounds and turned things into more of a performance and spectacle, and the judges took notice.
Also innovating on Tuesday were Junior and Emily. The dancing brother and sister duo crawled up from a bad neighborhood and brushes with crime to make their way to the top. Last time, judge Simon Cowell got on them about their choreography and its lack of originality. Taking that note to heart, they delivered in a huge way and ended up winning over the ice-cold judge. He called it, The most powerful and dynamic performance weve seen so far.
From there, Final Draft took the stage followed by Oscar Hernandez. The first sang, the second danced and both performances were great. However, the judges clearly wanted to prepare them each for the possibility that America wont find what they do worthy of a million dollars and a show in Vegas. Not to say theyre not talented or impressive, but the time has come to thin the herd.
A more puzzling act came in the form of the master of deduction Colin Cloud. The Scottish mentalist studied forensic investigation and uses those skills to make impressive predictions on stage. Its unlike any other act on the show, but what he called his most impressive showing yet ended up being a lengthy and confusing showcase. However, if showmanship is his only flaw, theres still time for him to improve if he makes it to the next round.
Finally, things took a turn for the unique as projection artists Oskar and Gaspar took the stage. Last time, they earned a golden buzzer from Heidi Klum when they projected a variety of outfits and images on her body. This time, they had two models take the stage and trade tattoos and other artwork through touch. It was beautiful, but Heidi felt it lacked energy. However, she admitted that her opinion may have been colored by the fact that she wasnt the star of their second outing. In the end, it was original enough for almost all the judges to agree that they wanted more from the mysterious technicians in the next round. However, its no longer up to them.
In what was clearly a bottom-heavy show, Sara Carson took the stage next with her dancing dogs. Typically shes been a controversial act as the judges are split on whether or not they like her. However, given that shes currently living in her car, the stakes couldnt have been higher for her. Luckily, this was without a doubt her best showcase yet as she not only incorporated another animal, but did some tricks that Simon said were better than a lot of the human dancers theyve seen - sorry Hernandez.
Next up was another golden buzzer winner, Chase Goehring, who made a name for himself with his fast singing, tight writing and heartfelt performances. Simon commended him on his ability to stay true to himself, even as his star rises. The whole judges panel made it clear that if he continues to follow his path, regardless of what happens on AGT, hell be a star.
Also carrying a lot of star power was the dancing group Diavolo. If there is a group thats worthy of their own regular show, its these people. Between their props, acrobatics and rhythm, theyre a force to be reckoned with on the AGT stage, and its hard to envision a world where theyre not through to the next round.
The night closed strong with a musical performance from Meet Kechi, a young survivor of a plane crash that found healing in music. All of the judges gave her gold marks, but Howie Mandel came up with the best reason to put her through - shes a Houston, Texas native, and he felt as though the people there need her. With a wish of strength for the people affected by the storm, the night of talent was over.
Fans have until 7 a.m. EST August 30 to vote for their favorites before the results are announced on Wednesday night.
Mark Hamill is about to get a big push back into the Star Wars limelight thanks to the upcoming, and inevitable, hype surrounding The Last Jedi. Now, a new image has dropped teasing his characters return and hes opening up about the bitter-sweet return.
Fans of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens will remember that Hamill was announced to return to the franchise along with co-stars Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. While his old friends played major roles in the movie, the Luke Skywalker role was reserved for more of a cameo. However, hes going to return in a big way, and fans now have their first taste of what hell look like in the movie - and its pretty dark.
Hamill posted an image from a Hungarian magazine called Cinemania Mozimania. On the cover, he can be seen in full Star Wars costume in a dark jedi suit. His expression is serious and somewhat vacant.
Theres a lot of mystery surrounding Luke, as not much is known about what he did between the end of the original trilogy and the beginning of The Force Awakens. It will all be covered in The Last Jedi, but Hamill admits he had his reservations.
A thing that felt maybe wrong about coming back was the fact that the original trilogy had a beginning, a middle and an end. But there's two ways of looking at that, he said. On the one hand, it had closure. But if you look at it another way, it's the story of how Luke went from becoming a farm boy to a Jedi and then the story ends. It would be like telling the story of how James Bond got his license to kill and became 007, and the story ends.
All fans know about Luke Skywalker from The Force Awakens is that he trained the villain Kylo Ren. Since then, he was living in exile until Rey found him and returned his lightsaber. Now, despite his reservations, Hamill is excited to show fans the story of what Luke did with his status as a Jedi master and pass the torch to the new generation.
Luke changed, I think, more than the other characters in the original trilogy, from callow farm boy to a Jedi in training to finally a Jedi master. What you're talking about is what really fascinated me. Between Return of the Jedi and Force Awakens, there's just decades of history that's unknown. So I was wondering how they're going to handle all this, he said. Now, obviously, with "Force Awakens," J.J. (Abrams) had a full plate. It was inevitable that they would push me down the line. I was sorry I wasn't able to work with any of the original actors again. But it's not about us anymore.
MARK HAMILL DONATES TO CAMPAIGN TO REMOVE DONALD TRUMP FROM TWITTER
Hamills role being that of a cameo in The Force Awakens helped draw fans attention, but it also made it so that he couldnt work with Ford or Fisher. Now, Fords character left the franchise and Fisher died earlier this year, something Hamill feels is a hurdle that the cast, crew and fans need to jump ahead of The Last Jedi release in December.
It is different. She was irreplaceable. There can never be a proper reunion anymore. It's tragic. I hate that it adds an air of melancholy to the film because it doesn't deserve it, he said. I know for a fact she would obviously want us to be having fun. She was all about laughter and enjoying the moment. We're all sort of having this communal period of grief. In a way, it sort of reflects the movies themselves, which were about triumphs and tragedies. They are about a family a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
As we all feel anguish for the loss of life and worldly goods that this latest national tragedy in Texas and Louisiana has caused, Americans everywhere are once again stepping up to help those in need.
That is except in my opinion, some like the disgraceful "minister" in Houston, Joel Osteen. He opened his massive mega church to shelter those that lost everything only after the national outcry at his "let them eat cake" attitude. Take a look at his mansion and massive yacht. Good grief, it's an oceanliner, and some of you helped pay for them and his massive $50 million net worth. Has this couple no shame? God took down the likes of Jimmy Swaggart and Jim and Tammy Baker, surely He will not allow this Elmer Gantry like disgrace to the ministry (speaking only about his personal use of money) to continue to fleece the people of Houston and those that watch his TV "show".
And we wonder why this generation of young Americans have lost faith in our churches, and why they are shutting their doors every day all across our nation.
There are good and decent clergy of all faiths that deserve our admiration and respect to be sure. Don't judge everyone of them by the selfish self serving example of the PTL network (better known as "pass the loot" network), and others like Joel Osteen. I would only hope that those of you that have given to this charlatan will now stop buying his books, and redirect your charitable giving to ministries and social outreaches that truly serve others rather than using those sincere gifts to line their own pockets.
God is love, compassion, tenderness, and redemption. Pray and give to help the kind folks that are volunteering their time, homes, and worldly goods to rescue and support the thousands that now have nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Bill Reesor
Ooltewah
A California bakery owner is stirring up controversy for reportedly refusing to make a wedding cake for two different same-sex couples because it conflicts with her Christian beliefs.
Both couples later took to Facebook to complain about their experiences at Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield.
In a post that has since been removed, Eileen Del Rio explained that she and her fiancee went into the bakery for a tasting, but when owner Cathy Miller realized the customers were two women, she referred them to another bakery, reports New York Daily News.
"She don't condone same sex marriages so [she] refused to make our wedding cake," the post read.
In a separate Facebook post on Saturday, Ted Freitas detailed a similar situation he encountered at Tastries when he, his fiance Adam Ramos, and Ramos mother were cake shopping.
Freitas wrote that when Miller found out the cake was for a same-sex couple, she stands up, walks away, and calls [the owner of competing bakery Gimme Some Sugar Cakes] to transfer us (I think she meant to say REFUSE SERVICE to us) and refer us for an appointment.
Miller told KGET shes had the policy of referring same-sex couples to her competitor for years. "That's what we've been doing for five years. I'm really hurt by this. I don't think we should be picked on because of our beliefs," she said.
In an interview with KERO, Miller said "Here at Tastries, we love everyone. My husband and I are Christians and we know that God created everyone and He created everyone equal so it's not that we don't like people of certain groups, there is just certain things that violate my conscience."
UNIFORMED DEPUTIES TURNED AWAY FROM FLORIDA ALE HOUSE DURING MAYWEATHER-MCGREGOR FIGHT
"A ceremony, when you're getting married is in the eyes of the Lord, OK, and that's a celebration of a union that God has brought together and that's a whole lot different then coming in and wanting a cookie," Miller told KGET.
Its not immediately clear if Miller has the right to deny service because of religious beliefs, or if shes breaking the law by refusing to serve people on the grounds of sexual orientation.
In California, according to AXIS Legal Counsel, public accommodations and business establishments such as bars, restaurants and retail stores are prohibited from discriminating against gay, lesbian and bisexual people under the Unruh Civil Rights Act. However, sexual orientation is not one of the protected characteristics listed under the states Business and Professions Code section 125.6, which applies to individuals and licenses to render services."
AXIS continues: "A business owners right to decline service often depends on whether the business is considered one that requires licensure to provide services, or whether it operates as a public business establishment.
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The debate over whether religious beliefs give someone the right to discriminate has been going on for years and will soon be argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The case involves the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, who was sued after refusing to make a cake for a gay couples civil union in 2012. The state courts ruled against the bakery owner, but the high court could soon decide whether business owners are allowed to cite their religious views as reasons for refusing service to gay and lesbian couples.
America's largest shopping mall operator is suing Starbucks over its tea.
Last month, Starbucks announced it would close all 379 of its Teavana stores next year. But in a lawsuit filed last week in Indianapolis, Simon Property Group says the closures are actually scheduled to take place before the end of 2017, per the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Since only two of 78 Teavana leases with Simon expire before next spring with some continuing for another decade Simon is seeking to halt the closures, arguing Starbucks is "shirking its contractual obligations at the expense of Simon's shopping centers and the dozens of communities they serve and support." While other retailers have been forced to close mall stores to avoid bankruptcy, "that obviously is not the case with Starbucks," the lawsuit alleges.
Teavana isn't even in the red, but "Starbucks simply believes it can make more money if it violates the leases than if it honored its contractual promises and obligations," Simon claims.
Starbucks tells WBAA that it's "working to resolve this dispute."
Should the closures go ahead as planned, they won't be the only big change for Starbucks.
The coffee giant will also shutter its website in October in order to focus on building "digital and mobile customer connections," including "commercial partnerships" with digital companies, Business Insider reports. (In related news, Starbucks faced another lawsuit over its "unicorn" drink.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: "Starbucks Sued by Nation's Biggest Mall Operator."
University of Montana fans now have a whole new way to show their Grizzly pride.
Montana-based Big Sky Brewing Co. released a brand new beer to celebrate the University of Montana.
Griz Montana Lager will be available through spring to commemorate the schools 125th anniversary.
ANHEUSER-BUSCH BREWERY PAUSES BEER PRODUCTION TO CAN EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER
The light blonde beer is described as crisp and refreshing. The can features a growling grizzly bear, the universitys mascot, along with the schools motto: Lux et Veritas meaning light and truth.
The brewery posted a video on Instagram announcing the officially licensed product.
What started as a business plan at the University of Montana became Montanas largest brewer. And now a beer to give back to the place it was born, the video says.
A portion of the proceeds from the Griz Montana Lager will go back to the school, supporting various campus programs including alcohol education and awareness, and transportation, according to KGVO.
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The University of Montana isnt the first college to get its own official beer. New Mexico State University also has their own brew called Pistol Petes 1988, produced by Bosque Brewing Co. of Albuquerque.
Tailgating just got a whole lot more spirited.
Salmon are kind of like onions.
No, not because they make you cry. )Hopefully salmon don't make you cry._ They're similar because you can buy onions that are grown on a farm, but you can also find and harvest onions in the wild, too. Both onions, both very different things. The same goes for salmon.
When you buy fish at the market, you will most likely see some labeled "farm-raised" and some labeled "wild" or "wild-caught." Sure, they're both salmon, but they're very different things. What is the difference, you ask? Great question.
Here's what to expect from salmon, whether you go the farm-raised or wild-caught route:
Farm-Raised Salmon
What does that even mean? Thats a good question. In the broadest sense, it means that it was raised in some kind of aquatic farming operation, not the wild. But salmon farms vary in size, location, breeding practice, and just about everything else. Farmed salmon will differ in the same way that a carrot farmed in New Jersey differs from a carrot farmed in California.
What does farm-raised salmon taste like? Farm-raised salmon is what people tend to think of when they think of salmon. Its generally fatty, mild in flavor, and a soft pink-orange hue. It has plenty of stripe-y striations of fat, which creates those big fleshy flakes that separate easily with a fork.
How do I cook this stuff? The beautiful thing about farm-raised salmon is that it can take a beating. Its a lot harder to overcook than wild salmon, thanks to that high fat content. You can cook farm-raised salmon to medium rare (maybe slow-roast it), but you can also take it further, without being concerned about the fish drying out quickly.
How do I buy this stuff? As far as sustainability is concerned, buying farm-raised salmon can be tricky because there arent rigorous standards that regulate salmon farms. If you can, ask the person selling you fish what kind of farm it came from. Salmon raised in densely populated net-pen aquacultures (large, open nets in the ocean) are generally pretty bad for the surrounding environment. Look for salmon raised in low-density net-pens (fewer salmon than in a large net-pen), which have less of an impact on surrounding ecosystems and on the salmon themselves. Closed tank aquacultures (completely cut off from open ocean) have zero impact on the environment, so we like those too. Look for sustainably-raised brands like Verlasso or Skuna Bay Salmon.
Wild-Caught Salmon
What does that even mean? Well, wild salmon, as youd probably expect, is caught in the wild. Fisherman take their boats, usually in places on the Pacific Ocean like Alaska or New Zealand, and head out to catch these fish in their natural habitat. This means that when you buy wild salmon, youre (usually) supporting smaller fishing operations in smaller towns around the world. Were into that.
What does wild salmon taste like? The reason that people buy and cook wild salmon is for its flavor. A happier, healthier, free-roaming fish delivers more salmon-y flavor and color. The color will be more intense and vibrant than that of the farm-raised stuff more red-orange than pink as will the flavor, which will be a lot more savory and complex.
How do I cook this stuff? Wild salmon tends to be leaner than farm-raised. The actual fat content can vary a lot from species to species, but in general wild-caught salmon needs to be cooked more carefully overcook it even slightly, and it can dry out and become tough and chalky. Its very important to cook wild salmon to a true medium rare, otherwise youll be chewing on a squeaky piece of dry fish.
How do I buy this stuff? Talking to your fish monger (or whoever works at the fish counter at your supermarket) will help. Ask what species of salmon are available, where they were caught, and what the fishing operation is like. King salmon (also called Chinook) is the best of the best in terms of flavor and fat, but its extremely expensive. Wild Sockeye or Coho salmon are better fish to get comfortable with. Spring for the good stuff once you have your medium-rare cooking technique down pat.
Houston-area mothers who welcomed babies during the height of storm Harvey are taking to Facebook to share photos of their hurricane babies, and thank the first responders who helped get them to safety.
On Aug. 24, Ciara Davis Lee, of Houston, took to Facebook to write of her concern about flooding.
Hoping I dont have to change my birth plan to an at home water birth, she wrote, along with the feeling concerned emoticon.
BABY BORN TO COUPLE STRANDED IN HOME DURING HARVEY
But on Sunday, Lee went into labor and required the assistance of firefighters and police officers to transfer her to the hospital.
I wanted to thank the firefighters and officers that helped get me from Buc-ees to the hospital in the flood this morning while I was in labor, Lee said, according to ABC 13. I did not get your names but my family and I are so grateful for your service.
Lee welcomed son Landon, and wrote on Aug. 29 that the family was ready to put this adventure of hurricane Harvey behind us and start out new lives as a family.
Landons birth wasnt the only one recorded in the area on Sunday, as Angel Dean welcomed daughter Trinity in Pasadena.
MOM DELIVERS BABY INSIDE AMNIOTIC SAC WHILE EN ROUTE TO HOSPITAL
Mommas little hurricane baby! Dean posted on Aug. 27. You sure came in with a bang babygirl! Im looking forward to telling you all about it when youre older!
Dean told ABC 13 that her daughters birth was truly a blessing in the middle of chaos.
While both babies were born at a hospital, a third baby, whose parents were stranded in their home by the storm, was welcomed Saturday morning minutes before paramedics could reach her.
Isabel Pena told KTVU that she went into labor after the power went out, and delivered a baby girl with the aid of her boyfriends cell phone light.
An Arkansas teen is recovering from first- and second-degree burns on his neck after his friends doused him in boiling hot water as he slept. Nickolas Conrad, a student at Sherwood High School, said the six boys who attended a sleepover at a friends house attempted the Hot Water Challenge on him, and then burnt him with a cigarette lighter, KTHV reported.
I felt this really bad burning on my neck and I woke up and I just started screaming and crying, Conrad told the news outlet. I just laid in bed crying for about two hours, and I finally got up and went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and realized that this happened.
11-YEAR-OLD SUFFERS SEVERE BURNS IN SLEEPOVER PRANK
Conrad said he returned home to his mother later that morning and the pair went straight to the hospital, where he was treated for the burns.
They told me that they poured hot water on me, and they didnt realize it was that hot but it was pretty bad at the time, he told KTHV.
Conrads injuries come weeks after an 11-year-old girl suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face and shoulders after her friends attempted the same prank. Jamoneisha Jamoni Merritt spent 11 days in the hospital recovering, and while a 12-year-old was taken into custody in connection to the prank, no charges have been filed in Conrads case.
I just want them to leave me alone, he said of the boys. Theyre not my friends anymore and theyre not going to be. Ive realized what friends are and how they act and those were never my friends.
MOM DELIVERS BABY INSIDE AMNIOTIC SAC EN ROUTE TO HOSPITAL
Conrads mother, Mickey, told KTHV she is still in shock over the incident, and is pleading with other parents to talk to their children about the dangers of online challenges.
I thought he had been in an accident and that it had been an accident, she told KTHV. But when I found out it was deliberate, its so concerning. Dont ever say, My child wont do that, and educate them.
The Sherwood police department is looking into the incident, KTHV reported.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner are in hot water for their fashion line yet again. On August 26, the sisters were blasted on social media for allegedly appropriating Mexican-American style.
In a since deleted Instagram post from the account of their Kendall + Kylie clothing line, a faceless woman could be seen modeling flowing black slacks, oversized hoop earrings, and an oversized plaid button-down shirt with the top two buttons fastened over a lace bustier.
KYLIE JENNER SELLING T-SHIRTS FEATURING KYLIE JENNER
The post immediately sparked outrage amongst users as offensive to latina women who embrace chola culture and style, which counts baggy pants and plaid shirts among its main aesthetics.
Chola style is traditionally described a specific subculture of first- and second-generation Mexican American girls influenced by hip-hop, enamored with lowrider cars, and sometimes associated with gangs, according to The Guardian. Specifically, the term chola is used to describe Mexican-American women on the West Coast, ethicist and theologian Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez told Latina.
Kendall and Kylie's image particularly struck a nerve with Twitter user Ashley Sherengo, who shared a screenshot of the photo and called out the reality stars in a post that has since gone viral.
@KendallJenner @KylieJenner will you ever come up with your own ideas? #culturevultures she tweeted. Her post has since been liked over 5,000 times and retweeted almost 3,000 times, initiating much discussion and words of support for her message amongst the Twitterverse.
What bothers me is that they don't ever come up with their own original ideas. They are always taking ideas from others and never give credit," Sherengo told Refinery29. "Aside from being unoriginal, it's definitely irritating to see these girls making money off a culture they know absolutely nothing about."
LADY GAGA DEBUTS SHORT RAINBOW HAIR BUT GETS ACCUSED OF STEALING THE LOOK
When we Latinas and Xicanas dress in flannels and big pants, we get profiled and frowned upon. But when they do it, it's fashion, she added.
While the post has since been deleted, the $145 black and white top is still for sale on Kendall and Kylie's site.
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While Kendall and Kylie have yet to make a public statement on this most recent kontroversy, many Twitter commenters concurred that, moving forward, the Jenner sisters should be more racially sensitive when making creative decisions.
As I write this some of my closest friends and their families in Katy, Texas, the place I grew up, are being evacuated from their homes. The Army Corps of Engineers is telling them the nearby Barker Reservoir will soon overflow, sending several feet of water directly into the path of their home.
The house I grew up in has flooded, cell phone coverage has been lost there. My Aunt is trapped and without flood insurance, if the water gets any higher in her home and she will have more to deal with than just some wet belongings.
Reports are stating this is just the beginning of the effects of Hurricane Harvey, with record rainfall, a place where hundreds of thousands of others once called home will soon have no place to call home, no school to take their children to in the short term and many months to rebuild. Hurricane Harvey is only getting worse, now is when we need Americans help the most. That help this time doesnt have to be limited in the form of conventional resources.
Being a Houston native, I cant stand to sit back and see volunteers being told that they cant use every type of search and rescue technology available to help our fellow Americans in need. If it was your friends and family stranded wouldnt you want the government to ensure they were using every single tool available to us in this day and age?
Volunteer pilots wanting to help shouldnt be restricted any more than volunteer boat outfits are, like the great Americans of the Cajun Navy.
So why are first responders and private volunteers being told now that they cant use drones to deliver supplies, survey the worst areas and destruction, identify victims still in need, pinpoint potential looters, and inform first responders in real-time of current environmental conditions?
Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement informing the public that they didnt want drones in the airspace, stating that drone operators will be subject to fines if they interfere with emergency response operations. Flying a drone without authorization in or near the disaster area may violate state and local laws. The Daily Beast quoted a FEMA spokesperson stating that Drones pose a potential danger to low-flying helicopters and their crews and can hinder the efforts of those who are trying to save live.
To the untrained eye and those without much knowledge of current drone tech, this may seem like it makes sense. But the idea that drones cant play a significant role in disaster relief operations is both archaic and a sign that the government still has yet to understand the full extent of what drones can really do, or at least refuses to take the time to fully integrate it.
The notion that consumer drones are going to easily run into helicopters and planes transiting to and from disaster areas has already been disproven. Even on the off chance a consumer drone did collide with a helicopter, which has yet to happen despite public misconceptions, the damage would likely be minimal. There have certainly been close calls from those, but this could be true from nearly any tech industry. While the potential for endangering other responders should definitely be addressed, it shouldnt restrict the thousands of others operating within proper guidelines. I cant imagine any professional drone operator wanting to fly even close to another aircraft.
Drones are not a burden, they are a force multiplier for first responders in these situations. As the weather gets better with Harvey, but the flooding gets worse, drones have the ability to help where rescuers physically cant. Volunteer pilots wanting to help shouldnt be restricted any more than volunteer boat outfits are like the great Americans of the Cajun Navy. There are millions of drone owners in the U.S., owners who have the types of drones that can fly thousands of feet in the air, can avoid obstacles, can travel a few miles away from the remote, and even carry supplies into hard to reach areas. We have an army of citizens who have a proficiency in drones, who want to volunteer with relief efforts right now, and provide support in the best way they can give.
Instead of banning drones out of pure laziness, the FAA should be identifying proper use boundaries so more lives can be saved using them. We should be making it a benefit to this effort, turning this volunteer drone force into something for good. Simply issuing blanket orders for no drone zones or Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) every time the FAA simply doesnt want to have to deal with drones, is not providing proper humanitarian solutions to the aid efforts needed in this type of disaster or future ones.
Commercial drones can also help Harvey response teams quickly evaluate changes in the landscape, they can help build maps for victim locations, inform rebuilding efforts and identify and restore critical infrastructure like cell phone towers. They can deliver medical supplies and clean food and water where rescuers cant. Drones can quickly help provide mobile electricity, cell phone coverage transmissions, and internet to areas who have lost it due to the hurricane.
NASA recently flew a drone into the eye of a hurricane to collect data to predict the intensity and path. Even recently, drone pilots in Louisiana spent days flying over roads, highways, and neighborhoods, assisting citizens in confirming their loved ones were safe during flooding. A veteran pilot flying an off the shelf drone saved the life of a Carolina man trapped at his residence nearly underwater during Hurricane Matthew.
Yes, there are issues where drones have done more bad than good for relief efforts. Thats why we need the FAA to fix it drones should be a major part of the discussion. Just like the Red Cross creates areas to provide medical aid and provides volunteers for relief efforts, local drone teams can be created to do the same in a safe an organized manner.
The FAA should be identifying specific drone volunteer base stations and assigning organizers within the FAAs apparatus to avoid previous mistakes. Teams could be divided by area and drone expertise including mapping, thermal imaging, photography, delivery, search and rescue. With correct communications and flight guidelines the FAA could still ensure safe measures are taken by all of those involved. Areas can be identified where helicopters are not operating, altitude restrictions can be put in place and limits can be put on the number of drones per area.
If our volunteer drone army had the opportunity to work together and know where to go to best use their expertise, these volunteers could provide many benefits to those still stuck in harmful conditions.
Just like boats driving through flooded streets, and volunteers coming in, communications between groups can help avoid disaster. They should provide guidelines for drone relief groups to operate safely within. Drone pilots in this case would have to be very careful in their efforts and they shouldnt be flying where helicopters are located. If all volunteer drone teams were deployed and were allowed to operate within specific standards, this could be easily avoided. Instead, we have a ban on drones and people are going to fly them anyway without proper communications between the groups.
As I see the disturbing images and receive texts from my trapped friends and family, I can no longer sit back and watch this. In the coming days, Im deploying to the area along with a global medical response team, and yes Im bringing a fleet of drones. If other drone pilots are out there, we can always use your help. In the words of a Houstons new hero, Sergeant Steve Perez, who passed away Tuesday trying to save others: weve got work to do.
About 200 feet. Thats the distance between the White House Portico that exits onto the South Lawn where Marine One sat waiting to usher President Trump and Melania Trump to Texas on Tuesday to view flood damage in and around Houston from Hurricane Harvey.
The distance between the doorway and the helicopter usually isnt relevant, but thanks to a tabloid-obsessed media, it is now. Thats the distance Melania Trump walked in stiletto heels to board the aircraft.
Politico wrote 890 words about her shoe choice and demanded in a since-deleted tweet that the White House release a statement condemning her choice of footwear for the short walk. Politicos playbook dedicated another four paragraphs Wednesday morning.
Anyone who references a restaurant named La Grenouille (on the upper East Side of Manhattan) should probably cool it with the insinuations the first lady is somehow out of touch on her way to visit a flood ravaged hurricane zone.
The New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair and Vogue all ran editorials about the choice of footwear and what it all means in the context of who Melania Trump is and what it means while boarding a helicopter. So many hot takes.
Slate dared to ask, What was Melania Trump Thinking With Her Hurricane Harvey Stilettos? Im no mind reader but Im going to go ahead and guess she was thinking about walking over the helicopter.
The Washington Posts Robin Givhan author of such nuanced think pieces as Hillary Clinton is owning the joke about her fashion choices and its working attempted to explain some sort of pretense in the first ladys shoe choice, saying Mrs. Trump offered up a fashion moment instead of an expression of empathy.
But perhaps even more perplexing, Givhan specifically criticized Michelle Obama in August of 2009 for being photographed dressed down and wearing shorts while on a family vacation, writing Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise. But it does American culture no favors if a first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common.
Do you have whiplash yet? The only problem Robin Givhan seems to have here is the fact that Melania Trump is not Michelle Obama.
The New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman posed the eternal question, When is a shoe just not a shoe? She also managed to include a false tweet from The Hollywood Reporter that Melania Trump actually wore the heels to tour the flood zone. Fake News alert: She did not.
She walked in them for about 200 feet. From the White House exit to the helicopter and from Marine One to Air Force One.
This was too much for Vogue as well (cant leave them out), which wrote on its website, This morning, Mrs. Trump boarded Air Force One wearing a pair of towering pointy-toed snakeskin heels better suited to a shopping afternoon on Madison Avenue or a girls luncheon at La Grenouille.
Anyone who references a restaurant named La Grenouille (on the upper East Side of Manhattan) should probably cool it with the insinuations the first lady is somehow out of touch on her way to visit a flood ravaged hurricane zone.
Vanity Fair was forced to update their hit piece after the first lady stepped off Air Force One in Texas wearing white trainers.
Heres the thing. We were inundated with lectures by this very same media machine, scolding us about random Facebook comments or tweets about either Michelle Obamas or Hillary Clintons wardrobe or appearance things that apparently revealed the dark sexism and racism of modern day American culture.
It is this very same media who now turns around and like a controlling boyfriend or catty clique of Mean Girls popping their gum and rolling their eyes lob an Are you really wearing THAT? at the current first lady.
This isnt hard stuff. Either commenting on a first lady or female presidential candidates attire is sexist on its face or it isnt. Which is it?
The main problem with all of this of course is not that Melania Trump walked 200 feet in stiletto heels to board a helicopter. Its how we know these same media outlets would have reacted had it been Michelle Obama. We would have been flooded with Beyonce gifs on social media. Twitter Moments would have celebrated the moment something like Not even a Hurricane can stop FLOTUS from owning this amazing pair of stilettos. Yas Qween slay! Pundits would have posted the picture with a stream of fire emojis.
This is the credibility hole these newsrooms find themselves in and it wont be washed away with the editorial wave of a hand and a declaration of whataboutism a magical term they somehow never thought to grace their critics with before January 20th, 2017.
Its the choice they made to worship Michelle Obamas every meme or fashion choice while ignoring her own tendencies toward opulence. Michelle Obama was in fact a very stylish, graceful first lady, but certainly not royalty. Its the choice they make now to go full apoplectic over a pair of shoes with a first lady they clearly hold in contempt.
Thats all fine and good, but then spare us your lectures about feminism and female empowerment.
Its why even Trumps harshest critics this one included roll our eyes at a media constantly lecturing us to pay attention to Russia, or Trumps business ties, while also time after time directing our attention to something as meaningless as a 200-foot walk in stiletto heels while the fourth largest city in the country is underwater.
As long as our professional media is devoting 800 words to a pair of Melania Trumps shoes, Americans are not inclined to listen a single one about real scandals facing this president.
Nike taught us that, Its gotta be the shoes. Nearly 30 years later, the media are following that advice to the point of insanity, freaking out because the first lady wore high heels on her visit to flood-stricken Houston.
Politico, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Vanity Fair all went as low as they could go -- all the way to the floor -- to attack Melania Trump. Readers were astonished at how ridiculous the media were willing to be to savage team Trump.
Heres how they decided to play footsie with Melania: Politicos Melania's stiletto sideshow, Vanity Fairs What Not to Wear to a natural disaster, and, the Timess a symbol for what many see as the disconnect between the Trump administration and reality.
Readers were astonished at how ridiculous the media were willing to be to savage team Trump.
The Posts Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan went even further. It was also an image that suggested that Trump is the kind of woman who refuses to pretend that her feet will, at any point, ever be immersed in cold, muddy, bacteria-infested Texas water. She is the kind of woman who may listen empathetically to your pain, but she knows that you know that she is not going to experience it. So why pretend?
This from Givhan who promoted a fashion designer black list for the new first lady back in January. "When it comes to dressing the Trump women, a designer's most natural vehicle for protest -- and patriotism -- is the absence of their name," she wrote.
Politico (D-DNC) writer Annie Karni agreed with the Times and pushed the standard Democrat talking point with her attack on how the first lady became another symbol of a White House that can often seem out of touch.
Even the Politico tweet was intended to de-feet the president. It was later deleted but said, There was no acknowledgement from the White House that the first ladys storm attire was at all off-key. Apparently, the hack, er crack Politico social media team was more off-key since this was removed.
Vanity Fair took to mocking Melania: Her aviator sunglasses and army green jacket say, Business, and, Lets get down to business, and, Hello, my name is Tom Cruise and Im here to give you the business. The heels scream, Whos in for brunch?
Times Styles reporter Matthew Schneier tweeted: Please God let some fashion brand be dumb enough to send me a press release taking credit for these shoes today.
Not everyone in journalism run to show their political bias via footwear. Buzzfeed world editor Miriam Elder came out strong, tweeting: Anyone talking about Melanias shoes has clearly never been to Russia or Eastern Europe in the winter get over it .
Even liberal Daily Show host Trevor Noah was disgusted by the criticism: Heres the thing, I dont know why anyone should care what anyone wears when theyre on their way to help people, Noah said.
A preview of Tennessees 2018-19 proposed sport fish and commercial fishing proclamations, along with the announcement of the permit winners to participate the 2017 elk hunt were announced at the August meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The two-day meeting concluded Wednesday and was held at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencys Region II Ray Bell Building.
TWRA Fisheries Division Chief Frank Fiss presented the agencys proposed changes to the sport fish and commercial fishing proclamations. In regard to sport fishing, a proposal would close upper Cherokee Reservoir to snagging from March 1 through May 31, except during the snagging season (April 1-15). The purpose of the closures would be to protect paddlefish from snagging before and after the snagging season.
Another proposal would reduce the area on the Elk River of Watauga Reservoir that has a hook restriction during January through April. This change would allow anglers to use all types fishing gear in this section of the river year round. The last two proposals would open delayed-harvest trout fishing areas on Doe River in Carter County and Buffalo Creek in Grainger County.
A proposal to the commercial fishing proclamation would allow commercial fishermen to harvest Asian carp from privately-owned lakes adjacent to the Mississippi River. Fishermen would need landowner permission and have to tend their gill-nets at all times. The proposal would also allow commercial fisherman to harvest Asian carp from Willow Chute and Rhodes Lake in Moss Island Wildlife Management Area.
David Roddy, Hatchery and Aquatic Nuisance Species coordinator, presented an overview of the new Florida largemouth bass spawning facility in Humboldt. Following the presentation, Fiss presented Humboldt Hatchery staff members with a Meritorious Service Award for their accomplishments. Humboldt Hatcherys Hunter Henley and Tom Pratt accepted the award on behalf the hatchery staff.
TWRA Region IV Wildlife Program Manger John Mike announced the winners of the 14 drawn permits and one auctioned permit to hunt elk on North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area or private lands in counties within the Elk Restoration Zone. The TFWC voted to increase the total number of elk hunt permits from 11 to 15 and increase the three hunt segments to seven days each. This will include seven archery permits, seven for gun (which includes the auctioned permit), and one youth permit.
Selected to participate in the archery-only hunt Sept. 30-Oct. 6 are Johnny Lankford Delaney (Chattanooga), Edgar Michael Galaway (Brighton), William C. Harris (Smithville), Jimmy E. Hilliard (Maryville), Brandon T. Metcalf (Greeneville), Matthew Douglas Meyer (Knoxville), and Larry Wayne Rosenbaum (Dickson).
Guns, muzzleloaders, or archery equipment are allowed in the Oct. 14-20 hunt. Selected to participate were James L. Blackwell (Chattanooga), Doug C. Gougher (Jasper), Kimberly Ann Mayfield (Etowah), Gary W. Ownby (Clinton), Floyd Eugene Roach (Knoxville), and Darvis Gary White (Greeneville). The seventh permit was presented to a non-governmental organizational, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation. The permit was auctioned with a bid of $13,000 was made by Alabama resident Tim Fisk. Fund-raising proceeds from the auctioned tag are designated for the elk restoration program.
The youth tag permit winner is Reed A. Johnson (Manchester). This will be the sixth year for the tag which is designated for youth ages 13-16. The TFWC voted to allow a full week for the first time this year, rather than a two-day weekend hunt. It will be held Oct. 7-13.
Josh Landrum was introduced to the commission as the TWRAs Boating Officer of the Year. He serves in a 12 county district in the Middle Tennessee. He also was recognized with a commendation for his part in saving a pair of lives after an incident involving kayaks on Percy Priest Lake.
The commission heard a report from Lacey Lane on the 2017 Tennessee Outdoors Youth Summit (TOYS). After being held the first seven years in Montgomery County, TOYS was held at the Clyde M. York 4-H Center in July. Ninety students participated in variety of hands-on classes that teach the importance of natural resources and their management.
The TFWC approved the agencys budget for fiscal year 2018-19 of approximately $90.7 million. The agencys fiscal year begins in June of each year.
The TFWC will holds in next meeting Sept. 26-27. The fishing regulations for next year will be set at that meeting.
The Constitution authorizes Congress to tax Americans to provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare. But in Washington, the professional political class has hijacked that authority to rig up a tax code that provides for the well-being of Washington, not the country.
This week President Trump is coming to Missouri to explain how he intends to change that. His visit is welcome news, and Missourians should welcome him with enthusiasm to our state. The President understands that when it comes to taxing American workers, things cannot go on as they are now.
Because heres the reality: if you live in Washington, D.C., times are good. Washingtons economy is booming. Forbes Magazine reports that the top four richest counties in America are located in the greater DC area. Those communities, home to the professional lobbyists, government contractors, and bureaucrats who run the capital, have a median household income thats more than double the state average in Missouri.
Its no mystery how that happened. The people in Washington are getting rich with our money. Under President Barack Obama, the federal government swelled to record size, and it took more and more of our money to pay for it.
Its no mystery how that happened. The people in Washington are getting rich with our money. Under President Barack Obama, the federal government swelled to record size, and it took more and more of our money to pay for it. Who benefitted? Not Missouri farmers or workers. While DC prospers, they are suffering through the weakest economic recovery in decades.
President Trump has a bold plan to change course and give working Missourians a chance to move ahead. His plan honors real work and prioritizes the taxpayers instead of the tax takers.
Step one is to make the tax code simpler. Todays code and its regulations are a four million-word mess of special interest exemptions and corporate giveaways. This complexity fuels crony capitalism and grows the power of lobbyists, while burdening American workers.
President Trump has urged Congress to reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to three, to increase the standard deduction, and to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax that kills jobs and forces many small businesspeople into paying higher taxes. These are important proposals. A simpler system with a higher standard deduction would allow working Missourians to pay less, and to spend less time trying to figure out the tax code. Last year, Americans who filled out the standard Form 1040 spent an average of 16 hours and $270 of their money just for the privilege of paying their taxes. Thats ridiculous. Its offensive. And its time to change it.
To simplify the code further, the president has asked Congress to consider limiting itemized tax deductions to just mortgage interest, charitable giving, and retirement savings. This proposal will not please the D.C. lobbyists or the many members of Congress who have carved up the tax code for their friends, but its a debate our country is long overdue to have.
The president has also proposed lowering the tax rate on job-creating businesses. Today our rate is higher than any other industrialized economy, and its encouraging businesses to move jobs overseas. American workers and American entrepreneurs can compete with anybody, anywhere if our government will stop making America a cost-prohibitive place to do business.
In the coming weeks you will hear many Senators and members of Congressin both partiesargue that reforming the tax code and cutting taxes is impossible. These are the same Senators and members of Congress who have prospered under the tax mess we have now. Dont listen to them. We can do better. And we must.
President Trump has challenged Congress to reduce the burden on the American worker and to build an economy that rewards honest work. Congress should accept that challenge and craft a bipartisan plan that makes real reductions in what government demands from our wallets. No more excuses. Its time to lead.
While the United States and many European countries continue to oppose the anti-Israel boycott movement because it imposes a double-standard and harms peace efforts, the United Nations is set to engage in full-throated BDS by the end of this year.
BDS, or Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, is a pressure-point campaign that seeks to impose conditions on the Jewish state outside of negotiations between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli government. Many of the BDS demands, including the right of return for all Palestinians everywhere, would mean the abolition of a Jewish state.
This week's first visit to Israel by Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary-General is a great opportunity for him to reverse the UNs misguided singling out of Israel for punishment.
Many of the BDS demands, including the right of return for all Palestinians everywhere, would mean the abolition of a Jewish state.
Last week, The Washington Post reported that Jordanian Prince Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights, plans to publish a blacklist of U.S. and other companies operating in the disputed territories. The blacklist is UN-sanctioned BDS.
The West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heightsthe territories in disputeare subject to the negotiating process between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. By attempting to blacklist Israel companies and U.S. companies like Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline.com, and Airbnb, the UN high commissioner is discouraging bilateral peace talks.
The UNs unilateral move prompted a sharp rebuke from the U.S. ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley, who said: Blacklisting companies without even looking at their employment practices or their contributions to local empowerment, but rather based entirely on their location in areas of conflict, is contrary to the laws of international trade and to any reasonable definition of human rights. It is an attempt to provide an international stamp of approval to the anti-Semitic BDS movement. It must be rejected.
To Haleys credit, she called out the long-standing discriminatory targeting of the Jewish state by the UN Human Rights Council that originated the blacklist plan in March 2016.
Nearly half of the U.S. states and many Europeans governmentsand financial institutionshave over the last two years recognized the dangers of BDS and its anti-Jewish nature. U.S. states have passed anti-BDS legislation that bar state business with companies that engage in boycotts of Israel.
Just last week, the city government in Frankfurt, Germany, passed an initiative to ban any municipal funding or the renting of rooms for any activities of groups or individuals who support the antisemitic BDS movement. We also instructed our city-owned companies and called upon private landlords to act in the same way, said the citys Deputy Mayor Uwe Becker.
He went further and noted that: The BDS movement does not only strongly resemble the Dont Buy from Jews argumentation of former times of the National Socialists, but the movement is built on the same toxic ground and it is poisoning the social climate in the same dangerous way.
Scores of banks in France, Germany, Austria and Ireland have terminated accounts held by BDS organizations.
All of this helps to explain why the UNHRCs BDS activity damages the conditions for peace.
What can the US and Europe do? The U.S. along with many European countries sit on the 47-member Human Rights Council. The UNs economic warfare targeting Israel and companies that trade with it should prompt a counter-attack that includes the U.S. and morally-principled countries resigning from the UNHRC.
A joint announcement at a press conference by Haley with her counterparts, including the German and British ambassadors, warning of a mass resignation if the blacklist is implemented, would be a good first move. After all, many U.S. and EU companies will be directly affected by the counter-productive and discriminatory blacklist.
Put simply, the UNHRC should not be in the business of using the tools of economic warfare to bring about precisely the result it claims it wishes to avoid: a powerful setback to the Israel-Palestinian peace process.
As Harvey made landfall and was wreaking havoc in Texas, there was another sort of destruction unfolding in Berkeley, California, this one of the human variety. On August 27th, hundreds of Antifa, the black-clad violent fascist anarchists, set like locusts upon about 20 peaceful sign-holding Trump supporters in a Berkeley park, threatening, chasing and beating them.
Yet something different happened after this typical scene of Antifa-organized violencea major American newspaper told the truth. The Washington Posts headline was shocking, not because of the subject matter, but because it actually reflected the facts of the matter on the ground: Black-clad antifa members attack peaceful right-wing demonstrators in Berkeley.
The end result of the attack was like every other Antifa riotpeople were injured, some sent to hospitals, and over a dozen Antifa were arrested.
Up until Berkeley, which was not even one of Antifas most violent actions, the media had soft-pedaled the groups violence. Reporters and journalists, inexplicably, generally refused to name them in coverage and worked to cast their violence as self-defense or action against haters or of course, the now ubiquitous fascists.
Other headlines around the country about their brutality continued to obscure the true nature of what Antifa was doing. The San Francisco Chronicle announced, Berkeley police identify 13 people arrested amid violence at right-wing rally.
The August 28 Washington Post headline and article, which bluntly laid out the truth of the violence by Antifa at Berkeley, sent a message to the liberal political and media world: that the romance was over.
The Los Angeles Times: Protests in Berkeley turn violent as counter-protesters, pro-Trump forces clash. Really? There was no clashing, unless you consider a father and son Trump supporters running for their lives a clash. Antifa didnt turn violent, they came ready to inflict harm.
CNNs coverage of Antifa has been Orwellian and even seemingly sympathetic. With a headline (eventually scrubbed) that actually noted, Unmasking the Leftist Antifa Movement: Activists Seek Peace Through Violence, they then compared Antifas rhetoric to Founding Father John Adams.
Antifa is not new. The media know who they are and what they do. They are an extension of the Black Bloc anarchists best known for their violent actions at World Trade Organization and G8 gatherings. They were a part of the now defunct Occupy movement. Their current incarnation is as laughably absurd fascist anti-fascists.
Reporters have been the subject of Antifa violence. One was arrested at Charlottesville for punching a female reporter for The Hill.
On Twitter, various journalists reported being attacked or seeing assaults by Antifa on other reporters. Also at Charlottesville, Katie Couric tweeted that she and her production team were sprayed with urine, a regular assault tactic of Antifa.
At a rally in Richmond, Virginia, one day after the Charlottesville horror, a local CBS reporter was hospitalized after being struck in the head with an object. Antifa admitted the assault on social media, which the reporter said began after the thugs ordered him to stop filming, which he refused.
Then finally, the Washington Post story, out of the blue, naming and blaming Antifa, while at the same time making it clear the right wing victims were peaceful.
In part, the media sees the message of anti-Trump Antifa as helpful to their anti-Trump narrative.
After all, were told, Mr. Trumps election signals the spread of racism throughout America. How better to facilitate that narrative than to elevate and highlight people who claim the urgent need to attack Americas growing problem with fascism?
The August 28 Washington Post headline and article, which bluntly laid out the truth of the violence by Antifa at Berkeley, sent a message to the liberal political and media world: that the romance was over.
Some didn't get the message right away. Just a few hours after the Posts story, the headline in New York Magazines "Daily Intelligencer" column was Antifa beats up Trump supporters, Fuels Right-Wingers. Their spin against Antifa wasnt that mindless, anarchic violence against innocent people was bad, it was images of defenseless Trump supporters being mobbed by their ideological nemeses lent stark visual support to the conservative narrative that antifa is a menace equivalent to white nationalism.
Yet 24 hours later, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement condemning Antifa which in part read, The violent actions of people calling themselves antifa in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted
Its arguable that medias choice to coddle Antifa came at a time when liberals believed it would help their narrative casting Mr. Trump and his supporters, as racists. That did not work, and in fact is backfiring.
The Washington Post sent a message that the party was over. At least now perhaps we can expect more in media to be honest about Antifa and its violent agenda.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday night that the Pentagon's current policy on transgender troops "will remain in place" while President Trump's directive banning transgender people from joining the military undergoes an expert study.
The move by Mattis allows transgender people to continue serving openly in the military while the Pentagon considers whether to discharge them in light of Trump's order.
In a statement, Mattis said that Trump's directive would be reviewed by a panel of experts from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
"Once the panel reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction," Mattis said.
Trump formally directed the Pentagon to implement the ban on transgender individuals joining the military last week, which he first announced in a July 26 tweet. Trump also gave the Pentagon the authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving.
"The implementation plan will address accessions of transgender individuals and transgender individuals currently serving in the United States military," Mattis said. "Our focus must always be on what is best for the military's combat effectiveness leading to victory on the battlefield."
Transgender people have been able to serve openly in the military since last year, when then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter lifted a prior ban during the Obama administration.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemned attacks by members of Antifa against conservative demonstrators over the weekend in Berkeley, Calif., calling the violence a "sad event."
"Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts," Pelosi said in a statement Tuesday evening. "The violent actions of people calling themselves antifa [sic] in Berkeley this weekend deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted."
Thirteen people were arrested and five others were injured Sunday after more than 100 black-clad, hooded protesters with masks and weapons attacked and overwhelmed the peaceful demonstrators.
"They came with black masks, they carried weapons, they were pounding people down with their fists and feet," University of California-Berkeley College Republican Ashton Whitty told Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" Monday night. "I knew I had to get out of there."
"Everything was great until Antifa showed up," Whitty added.
"In California, as across all of our great nation, we have deep reverence for the Constitutional right to peaceful dissent and free speech," Pelosi's statement continued. "Non-violence is fundamental to that right. Let us use this sad event to reaffirm that we must never fight hate with hate, and to remember the values of peace, openness and justice that represent the best of America.
Pelosi, who represents a district in neighboring San Francisco, had been criticized for not condemning the Antifa violence as forcefully as she had warned about the potential for unrest at a Patriot Prayer rally that had been planned for Saturday.
The House's top Democrat had repeatedly slammed the National Park Service as "misguided" for allowing the rally, saying she had "grave concerns" about the "public safety hazard" NPS would create by "permitting a white supremacist rally" in the middle of Crissy Field in San Francisco.
The Patriot Prayer rally was canceled and founder Joey Gibson blamed Pelosi and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee for falsely labeling the organization as a hate group and inciting extremists to violent disruption.
"How long are you going to stay silent on Antifa? Because in their silence, its almost like theyre using Antifa to their benefitto attack free speech, Gibson told Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in an interview, during which he called out Pelosi and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Gibson's supporters said the Berkeley police failed to protect the handful of right-wing supporters who showed up at the park Sunday afternoon by allowing the black-clad demonstrators to take over the city park without opposition.
Several demonstrators tried to stop the violence and helped the assault victims escape while others screamed for the beating to stop.
Berkeley's mayor, Jesse Arreguin, had previously spoken out against Antifa, saying that the group should be classified "as a gang."
"They come dressed in uniforms," Arreguin said. "They have weapons, almost like a militia and I think we need to think about that in terms of our law enforcement approach."
Fox News' Brooke Singman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" Tuesday night that "it will be many more days before the water recedes" in Houston after Tropical Storm Harvey dropped record levels of rain on America's fourth-largest city.
"Just because the water recedes doesn't mean that all the problems are fixed," Abbott told host Bret Baier. "Because of the size and magnitude of this flooding, we need to come to the sober reality that this is going to be a long-time process.
"We've been dealing with [FEMA Administrator] Brock Long all day long and he's been emphasizing the necessity that everybody come to grips with how long this is going to take in order to rebuild the Houston area because of this once in a lifetime flooding incident," Abbott went on.
Harvey was forecast to move inland Wednesday, bringing its downpours to Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri. The system has dumped up to 51 inches of rain on parts of southeastern Texas, a record for any storm in the continental United States.
Abbott praised federal and state officials for what he described as "seamless" coordination, saying "I've never seen it work as well." He also praised President Donald Trump, who came to Texas to survey the damage left by Harvey.
"Most important was the compassion and concern that I could see on the President's face and his reactions," Abbot said. "The president is very concerned about Texans and is very committed to helping us address our needs."
President Trump vowed swift federal aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey during his visit Tuesday to the flood-stricken region, where he met with local officials and tried to boost spirits -- and still took a beating in the press.
Trump seemed to reference that and other coverage Wednesday morning when he tweeted: "After reading the false reporting and even ferocious anger in some dying magazines, it makes me wonder, WHY? All I want to do is #MAGA!"
Absent any major gaffes, the first family's media critics instead took shots over everything from Melania Trump's shoes to the fact Trump did not visit the major flood zone in Houston.
It was a presidential trip to a deluged state where the president didnt meet a single storm victim, see an inch of rain or get near a flooded street, Politico wrote Tuesday of the presidents trip.
CNN reported that, Trump ... dispensed no hugs or displays of compassion to victims of the storm, whom he did not meetperhaps a symptom of the fact he insisted upon visiting the state in the immediate aftermath of the storm precluding him from visiting the most devastated region.
The White House, though, had publicly said the president did not want to disrupt local recovery efforts, which a trip to Houston could have done.
If he had gone, they would have said he was taking away from the recovery efforts, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning. "In this situation right now with some members of the media, this president can't win, it's not fair."
Case in point: The day began with snickering from reporters and comedians on social media, about the first lady's high heels -- she wore black pumps as she walked toward Marine One with the president.
Vogue covered the first ladys outfit, with the headline: Melania Trumps Hurricane Stilettos, and the White Houses Continual Failure to Understand Optics.
Why, oh why, cant this administration get anything, even a pair of shoes, right? Vogues article read.
When the president and first lady landed in Corpus Christi Tuesday, though, Melania Trump was wearing a new outfit -- and sneakers.
The first lady's office hit back. Its sad that we have an active and ongoing natural disaster in Texas, and people are worried about her shoes, the first ladys Communications Director Stephanie Grisham told Fox News via email.
The mockery went so far that it even prompted a reality check from one of the administration's toughest critics.
I dont know why anyone should care what anyone wears when theyre on their way to help people, The Daily Shows Trevor Noah said Tuesday night.
But the Daily Beast then criticized Noah, slamming the comedian for failing to mention that Trump has been plugging his own merchandise during the natural disaster.
MELANIA TRUMP'S OFFICE: OBSESSION WITH FIRST LADY'S SHOES ON TEXAS TRIP IS 'SAD'
How soon before Melanias FLOTUS hat hits stores? The Daily Beast wrote early Wednesday, also criticizing Trump for "praising his crowd size while also failing to acknowledge (or meet with) any of victims of said disaster."
GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, though, indicated he supported Trump's decision to avoid Houston.
The place he will be going to will not be Houston, so [he] will not be getting into harms way or interrupting the evacuations or emergency response in the Houston area, Abbott said on CBS This Morning Monday.
Trump tweeted Wednesday in support of Texas storm victims: "After witnessing first hand the horror & devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, my heart goes out even more so to the great people of Texas!"
TRUMP SURVEYS HARVEY DAMAGE, CALLS FOR RECOVERY 'BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE'
While Trumps trip to Corpus Christi Tuesday was dedicated to meetings with local officials and emergency responders, he spoke to storm-stricken residents, vowing to help them get back on their feet, and promising a recovery effort better than ever before.
We are here to take care of you, Trump told a crowd outside a Corpus Christi fire station before lifting a large Texas state flag. Were going to get you back and operating immediately. We want to do it better than ever before.
The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to give Columbus Day a very different name: Indigenous Peoples Day.
The council voted to replace Christopher Columbus' name on the holiday with a celebration of indigenous people, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.
Columbus Day, recognized by the government as a federal holiday, is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year.
The proposal to replace Columbus holiday was introduced in November 2015 by Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, a member of the Wyandotte Nation tribe, because of what he called "Columbus' legacy of extreme violence, enslavement and brutality'' and "the suffering, destruction of cultures, and subjugation of Los Angeles' original indigenous people, who were here thousands of years before anyone else.''
AMID CHARLOTTESVILLE BACKLASH, SOME ARE ASKING IF STATUE REMOVAL PUSH HAS GONE TOO FAR
The motion passed with the exception of one councilman Joe Buscaino who voted against the proposal. Buscaino is expected to introduce a second proposal that would schedule an Indigenous Peoples Day to take place on Aug. 9, and replace Columbus Day with "Embrace L.A. Day."
Buscaino sided with Italian-Americans against the holiday change, who view Columbus Day as a celebration of their Italian heritage.
"With or without Columbus, Italians will continue to celebrate their sacrifices and contributions to this great country and our great city,'' Buscaino said following the vote.
The history of Christopher Columbus has often been divisive as some historians claim the explorer committed atrocities against the Native Americans he encountered when he came to America.
However, the National Christopher Columbus Association which is calling for Los Angeles to keep the holiday as is insists Columbus was not responsible for genocide by the foreigners who arrived after him.
"It is a huge error to blame Christopher Columbus the man for (genocide) at all,'' Patrick Korten, a board member of the Association, told the L.A. City News Service. "He bore no responsibility for it and as a matter of fact, if you do the slightest little bit of history on the man and read his diaries, and what was said about him following the years of the discovery, it is clear that Columbus personally had great affection for the indigenous people he encountered and went out of his way to order his men not to abuse them in any fashion.''
CONFEDERATE STATUES, FLAGS AND OTHER SYMBOLS ABOUND AROUND THE COUNTRY
Indigenous Peoples Day was created as a counter-holiday to Columbus Day and, in 1994, was declared as an internationally-recognized holiday by the United Nations.
Los Angeles is the largest but not the only city to get rid of the "Columbus Day" name. The city now joins San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, Berkeley, Santa Cruz and the states of South Dakota, Hawaii, Alaska and Oregon, in celebrating indigenous, aboriginal and native people rather than the famed explorer.
Click for more from Fox 11.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Iowa Democratic congressional candidates foul mouth reportedly has gotten her barred from speaking at a local fundraiser next month.
The Des Moines Register reports that a Polk County Democratic Party committee voted not to offer a speaking invitation to Heather Ryan for their upcoming steak fry, where several members of Congress and other candidates from across the state will speak.
Committee co-chairs Kimberley Boggus and Lindsay Paulson reportedly wrote in a letter to party members that the event will include children and should be family-friendly.
The committee wants to make sure all people feel comfortable attending, including parents with young children, they wrote.
The candidate fired back on Facebook, saying in a video that shes being censored.
The party that tells women to sit down and shut up is not supposed to be the Democratic Party, she said. I may not be refined, but Im real. The polished turds that they continue to shove down our throats as politicians are still turds.
In the video, she said the reason for the local partys decision was that she called Republican Rep. David Young the candidate she wants to challenge an asshole at a recent party event.
In a campaign announcement video, the Navy veteran and businesswoman defended her penchant for profanity. She described her views as slightly left of Jesus and said she wants sensible gun reform and universal health care.
The party chairman told The Des Moines Register that the candidate could still attend the steak fry and could speak at other events.
A federal judge in Florida has thrown out a class-action lawsuit led by Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters who accused the Democratic National Committee of being in cahoots with Hillary Clinton -- but only after the DNC's legal team argued they had no obligation to adhere to a fair nominating process.
While the case is dead for now, it's also bolstered critics who say the DNC had a bias in favor of Clinton last year.
According to court documents, DNC attorney Bruce Spiva argued in the case that the party has broad discretion in how they pick their nominee.
"We could have voluntarily decided that, 'Look, we're going to go into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate that way.' They could have. ... And it would drag the Court well into party politics, internal party politics to answer those questions," he said, according to a transcript of an April 25 hearing, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The case, in which Sanders supporters sought a refund and other recourse, was dismissed Friday.
Judge William Zloch, in granting the defendants motion, said in a 28-page opinion that the plaintiffs -- including Sanders supporters who donated to the DNC -- failed to show concrete injury traceable to the DNC and its former chair, as a result of their candidate losing the nomination to Clinton.
FEDS ARREST IT STAFFER FOR WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TRYING TO LEAVE COUNTRY
The 35-page case, filed last summer, is based largely on published quotes from then-Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and hacked DNC emails that suggest she and her staff sought to undermine Sanders, a Vermont independent who joined the party to run for president in 2016.
While none of the hundreds of emails were specifically cited in the suit, published emails show DNC efforts to limit the number of primary debates -- seen as a bid to help Clinton -- and possible attack strategies on Sanders.
They were made public at the start of the 2016 Democratic National Convention last July, which forced Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, to resign.
One of the quotes cited in the case was Wasserman Schultz, a co-defendant with the DNC in the case, telling Politico in 2015, as potential candidates were emerging: "I count both Secretary Clinton and Vice President Biden as dear friends, but no matter who comprises our field of candidates it's my job to run a neutral primary process and that's what I am committed to doing."
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ UNDER PRESSURE TO TESTIFY ON EX-IT AIDE
Lawyers in the case cited parts of the DNC's charter and bylaws, which state the DNC chairperson shall exercise impartiality and evenhanded-ness as between presidential candidates and campaigns and ensure the same for the groups staff and national officers. But Zloch wrote in his opinion that the DNC viewed this commitment as "a mere political promise -- political rhetoric that is not enforceable" in the federal courts.
If you had a charity where somebody said, Hey, I'm going take this money and use it for a specific purpose, X, and they pocketed it and stole the money, of course that's different, Spiva had argued.
But here you have a party that's saying, We are going to, you know, choose our standard bearer, and we're going to follow these general rules of the road, which we are voluntarily deciding.
Spiva, a lawyer with the Washington, D.C., firm Perkins Coie, did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
This case, in short, involves allegations that the Democratic National Committee was in cahoots with the Clinton campaign and sought to tip the scales in her favor in the Democratic primary, Zloch wrote, in dismissing the case.
He also dismissed the case on other legal grounds, including one related to where some of the plaintiffs live, saying federal courts have only limited jurisdiction.
Elizabeth Lee Beck, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told Fox News that she must consult with other members of the legal to team before deciding on a possible next step.
I try to see the silver lining, she said. Like all lawyers, you do the best you can.
A swift water rescue team comprised of Bradley County Fire Rescue, East Ridge Fire Rescue, and Dallas Bay Fire Rescue personnel deployed to Texas on Wednesday to assist with on-going water rescue missions due to Hurricane Harvey.
The team is part of a Tennessee Fire Chiefs Statewide Mutual Aid System and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) deployment to Texas. Trained personnel and equipment from 20-plus different agencies, including the ones from our local area, have been combined to form seven swift water rescue teams. The teams have formed two swift water task forces that have deployed to College Station, Texas to a staging area.
The swift water teams are on an eight-day deployment to Texas and have to be self sufficient for the first three days taking food, water, and extra supplies. The team members are highly trained to perform both swift water and still flood water rescues of humans and animals and to provide basic life support (BLS) medical care to victims. All team members reported to TEMA headquarters in Nashville today where they were given briefings and immunizations due to the extremely hazardous water and conditions they are going to be operating in. They then deployed together to Texas as two task forces.
The local team is comprised of Bradley County as the lead agency using their rescue boats and personnel and East Ridge and Dallas Bay providing additional trained personnel.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is back at the populist Breitbart News and the administration's former chief of staff Reince Priebus is back at his old law firm.
Bannon and Priebus arent alone in needing to brush off their resumes after working briefly for the Trump administration; in the months after Donald Trump became president, more than one dozen high-level officials have been fired or resigned from the administration.
Read on for a look at what some former Trump administration officials are up to now.
Steve Bannon
Steve Bannon, a hardcore populist, was removed as the presidents chief strategist on Aug. 18, 2017. And it wasnt long before the former Breitbart News chief was back at his old conservative publication.
If theres any confusion out there, let me clear it up: Im leaving the White House and going to war for Trump against his opponents on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America, Bannon told Bloomberg following his departure.
Bannon returned to Breitbart as its executive chairman on the same day his ouster from the White House was announced and led its evening editorial meeting, the site said.
And he immediately began to bump heads with his old boss.
Bannon and Trump first clashed during the Alabama special election as both men initially backed different candidates. Bannon backed the beleaguered former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, and Trump campaigned for incumbent Sen. Luther Strange. Moore won.
Bannon had an even greater falling out with Trump and his cohorts when unflattering comments were attributed to him in a recent White House tell-all book, Fire and Fury. In the highly controversial book, Bannon is quoted as calling a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic.
Trump said Sloppy Steve has lost his mind, and Bannon attempted to backtrack from his comments. He said they were directed at Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman.
My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda, Bannon said in a statement.
James Comey
In less than a year, James Comey went from FBI director to college faculty.
Comey, who was unceremoniously fired by Trump in May 2017, joined Howard University as part-time lecturer.
The King Chair is part of the Washington, D.C., colleges push to provide students access to experienced, senior public service executives who developed and advanced public policy initiatives, according to a university press release.
Comey, who was sacked from his job at the FBI just two months after he announced the agency was looking into ties between the Trump campaign and Russias meddling in the presidential election, said he was honored to be at Howard.
Howard has a longstanding history of being a vibrant academic community and the perfect place to have a rich dialogue on many of the most pressing issues we face today, Comey said in a statement.
Comeys time at Howard got off to a rough start after his convocation address was overtaken by raucous protestors.
Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci was the White House communications director for only 10 days, but he caused quite the shake-up in less than two weeks.
During his tenure, the Goldman Sachs alumnus ranted about his coworkers in an infamous and crude interview with the New Yorker specifically slamming former chief of staff Reince Priebus as a paranoid schizophrenic and former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Since hes left the White House, Scaramucci has been quite active on social media including tweeting some vaguely self-deprecating images.
In August, Scaramucci tweeted a cartoon depicting a cartoonist banging his head against the wall in frustration as Trump seems to fire White House misfits at a rapid pace. A computer screen in the cartoon reads, New flash! Mooch out!! invoking Scaramuccis common nick name, The Mooch.
He also tweeted an image of a t-shirt that read, I was communications director for 10 days and all I got was this lousy shirt.
Scaramucci has also appeared on a variety of talk shows, including The View and Stephen Colberts Late Show.
Michael Flynn
Trumps former national security adviser is no longer part of the White House, but he still remains under multiple investigations for his dealings with foreign governments, particularly Russia, during the presidential campaign.
The embattled former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn resigned under harsh scrutiny in February 2017 after it was revealed that he misled the administration when it came to his ties to and conversations with Russian officials.
Since his firing, Flynn registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department in March.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Flynn was involved in the push to obtain former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons emails from Russian hackers during the presidential campaign.
Several of Flynns allies and appointees in the White House have been slowly pushed out as well.
Sean Spicer
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer could have been a star a dancing star, that is.
After Spicer resigned as Anthony Scaramucci was hired as the White Houses short-lived communications director, he reportedly turned down an opportunity to be a contestant on ABCs Dancing with the Stars.
Sources told TMZ that Spicer turned down the gig because he has an overwhelming number of commitments in the fall and because hes not a good dancer.
Since he announced he was leaving the Trump administration, Spicer has been photographed with fans at Fenway Park and is angling to appear on Saturday Night Live. Spicer was also able to finally meet the pope. The former press secretary was infamously denied the opportunity to meet Pope Francis during Trump's trip to the Vatican in May.
Spicer joined the Worldwide Speakers Group as a paid speaker.
Melissa McCarthys depiction of his press briefing performances earned him a spot in Saturday Night Live lore, but it was his role as the architect of the Republican National Committees PR strategy that earned him a reputation as one of the partys most effective and hardest-charging strategists and communicators, his bio states.
His speaking topics include: navigating crises, a conservative viewpoint, an objective look at the philosophies, people and policies making the news and the Trump administration.
Spicer has continued to consistently share Trumps tweets and messages of support for the administration on Twitter.
Spicer also made a surprise appearance at the Emmy Awards in September, seemingly poking fun at his own claim about the size of the inauguration audience.
Reince Priebus
The former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus has rejoined his old law firm, he announced on Twitter.
Priebus said he has joined the Michael Best & Friedrich, a Milwaukee-based firm, as its president and will work from Washington, D.C. Priebus worked for the firm for about 13 years before he was the Republican National Committee chairman, according to the Associated Press.
Priebus also announced that he has joined the Washington Speakers Bureau.
Trump tweeted his congratulations to his former chief of staff and called him a really good and talented man.
Were proud of you, Reince! Trump said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Just days after undergoing his first round of chemotherapy, Arizona Sen. John McCain is expected to return to Washington next week when the Senate reconvenes.
Senator McCain will return to the U.S. Senate next week as Congress begins a new legislative session and looks forward to continuing his work for the people of Arizona and the nation, the Republicans office said in a Wednesday statement.
McCain, who recently was diagnosed with brain cancer, has been home in Arizona during the August recess. He's tweeted photos of himself hiking and grilling with friends and family.
JOHN MCCAIN HAS BRAIN TUMOR, HOSPITAL SAYS
Returning to the Capitol, McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is expected to lead the debate on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a key priority for him.
It also has political implications: McCains return gives Republicans all 52 of their senators as they debate the NDAA, the debt ceiling, a government funding extension beyond September 30th and a tax reform package.
On Aug. 18, the senators daughter, Outnumbered co-host Meghan McCain, tweeted that her father completed first round radiation/chemo.
His resilience & strength is incredible, she said. Fight goes on, here's to small wins.
Fox News Mike Emanuel and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein created a small uproar Tuesday after telling a San Francisco audience that if President Trump "can learn and change," he could be a good president.
The conciliatory language didnt last long.
Californias senior senator issued a lengthy statement late Wednesday clarifying her true feelings toward the president which are largely negative.
Ive been strongly critical of President Trump when I disagree on policy and with his behavior, she said, noting she was appalled by Trumps response to the Charlottesville violence and the pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
And she sought to put her statement from the day before in context: The duty of the American president is to bring people together, not cater to one segment of a political base; to solve problems, not campaign constantly. While Im under no illusion that its likely to happen and will continue to oppose his policies, I want President Trump to change for the good of the country.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Feinsteins original remarks during an interview at the Herbst Theater.
The paper described the event as a political lovefest pointing out that Feinstein is wildly popular in San Francisco, where she served as mayor for a decade.
Toward the end of the evening, Feinstein reportedly shocked the crowd when she declined to say that Trump should be impeached and told the audience they should be prepared to see Trump complete his four-year term.
Feinstein serves on both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, both of which are investigating Russias alleged involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The question is whether he can learn and change. If so, I believe he can be a good president, she said.
The report said, the crowd reacted with stunned silence, broken only with scattered 'Nos' and a few hisses and some nervous laughter. The article said that kind of talk is never heard in Democratic circles.
Feinstein has indeed been a tough critic of Trump. She recently slammed his decision to pardon Arpaio, saying Trump's action shows a flagrant disregard for the rule of law in this country.
She has also criticized Trumps transgender military ban and called the nature of Trumps immigration policies cruel and arbitrary.
Fox News Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed the spokesman for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, demanding records related to his work for Manafort and seeking his testimony before a federal grand jury, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Jason Maloni was served Monday night with a subpoena seeking all records related to his work for Manafort since 2010. Maloni has represented the longtime political consultant only since March, so it wasnt clear why the subpoena extends back that far.
Maloni, who is president of his own public relations firmJadeRoq, based in Bethesda, Md.was told to turn over the records to prosecutors and to appear soon before a federal grand jury in Washington, the person said.
In a statement, Maloni said he would like to get the advice of counsel before commenting publicly on the matter.
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Muellers office, declined to comment.
CNN first reported that Meuller had subpoenaed Maloni. The network also reported that a former lawyer for Manafort, Melissa Laurenza, had received a subpoena. Laurenza couldnt be reached for comment.
Malonis subpoena was served about a month after federal agents working with Mr. Mueller raided one of Manaforts homes pursuant to a search warrant. That warrant was served on July 26 at Manaforts residence in Alexandria, Va., seeking documents and other material tied to foreign bank accounts and tax matters, according to people familiar with the investigation.
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One of the key figures named in the unverified anti-Trump dossier has delivered a point-by-point rebuttal shooting down more than a dozen allegations contained in its pages.
Fox News obtained a letter to the House Intelligence Committee sent Aug. 14 by the attorney representing Michael Cohen, who has served as President Trump's personal attorney. In it, he discredits the 35-page dossier, noting that without the sensational allegations contained in the document, Cohen would not be involved in the committees Russia probe.
We have not uncovered a single document that would in any way corroborate the Dossiers allegations regarding Mr. Cohen, nor do we believe that any such document exists, Cohens attorney, Stephen Ryan, wrote in the letter.
Cohen's name has been in headlines this week after an email surfaced in which he wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary about a possible "Trump Tower" in Moscow.
The dossier is a separate issue, and is known more for the salacious and unfounded allegations made against Trump. But Cohen was also named, and the letter said he vehemently denies all allegations, calling them "totally false." The letter noted that based on Cohens proffered responses to the allegations, they did not believe an interview or testimony with the committee was warranted.
The first allegation Ryan rejected was that Cohen had secret meeting/s with Kremlin officials in August 2016 in Prague, stating that Cohen had never traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, as evidenced by his passport and did not participate in meetings with Kremlin officials in Prague in August 2016. When the dossier was first published by Buzzfeed in January, Cohen tweeted I have never been to Prague in my life. #fakenews.
Ryan went on to deny allegations that Cohen had traveled to Moscow to meet with officials from the PA Legal Department in August 2016 to clean up the mess of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts corrupt relationship with pro-Russian Yanukovych regime in Ukraine and Trump foreign policy advisor, Carter Pages secret meetings in Moscow with senior regime figures in July 2016.
Ryan denied allegations that Cohen played a key role in the secret Trump campaign/Kremlin relationship, and said he was not aware of any such fictitious relationship.
Mr. Cohen has never engaged with Russians in an attempt to conceal or suppress information about Paul Manafort, Carter Page, or anyone else, Ryan wrote.
The dossier also alleged that Cohens wife was of Russian descent and that her father was a leading property developer in Moscow. Ryan denied the implication of the statement as both offensive and patently absurd, stating that Cohens wife was from Ukraine and moved to the United States when she was five years old, and that his father in law is not a leading developer in Moscow, nor does he own a dacha in Russia.
RUSSIAN ATTORNEY RIPS ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER AS 'CHEAP GOSSIP,' AMID QUESTIONS OVER ORIGIN
Mr. Cohen is not aware of any impropriety relating to Mr. Trumps relationship with Russia, nor is he aware of Mr. Trump having any improper political relationship with officials of the Russian Federation, Ryan said.
The dossier has gotten renewed attention ever since a Senate witness testified last month that the company involved in commissioning the dossier, Fusion GPS, was at the same time working with a Russian attorney on what he called a smear campaign against him.
Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital, testified that Natalia Veselnitskaya hired Fusion GPS in that effort. Veselnitskaya is the same attorney who brokered a meeting at Trump Tower with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort in June 2016.
FIRM WORKED ON TRUMP DOSSIER WHILE FIGHTING SANCTIONS FOR PUTIN-TIED FAMILY, KEY WITNESS SAYS
In an email to Fox News last week, Veselnitskaya acknowledged that Fusion GPS was hired by our lawyers from law firm Baker Hostetler to look into Browders background and connections with allegations against her client, but distanced herself from the dossier.
When I read some parts of this dossier in the media I laughed, Veselnitskaya told Fox News. What kind of idiots does one have to take Americans for to think they can believe that stupid and incompetent [and] absurd [dossier]?
She went onto slam the dossier as cheap gossip and tall tales.
Fusion GPS acknowelegded the timeline matched, but said the two were "separate" projects.
Co-founder of Fusion GPS Glenn Simpson met with Senate Judiciary Committee staff behind closed doors on Capitol Hill for hours last week to give a transcribed interview. Fusion GPS told Fox News they turned over more than 40,000 documents to the committee for their investigation, but a committee spokesperson told Fox News that nearly 7,500 pages were blank.
Donald Trump Jr. is expected to meet with that same committee next month.
Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
President Trump called Wednesday for drastically simplifying the tax code, formally kicking off his push for comprehensive tax reform and offering a preview of the hardball politics he'll employ as he tries to muscle it through.
I don't want to be disappointed by Congress, Trump said in Springfield, Mo. Do you understand me?
The president wasted little time applying direct pressure to Missouri's Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, during his visit to her state.
We must lower our taxes, Trump said. And your senator Claire McCaskill, she must do this for you and if she doesn't do it for you, you have to vote her out of office.
Trump rallied supporters as he tries to bring tax reform to the front of the agenda for Congress, as lawmakers return from the August recess next week. He called this a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver real tax reform for everyday hard-working Americans.
The White House has not yet released a detailed tax reform plan. But describing his principles for reform, Trump called for a code that is simple, fair, and easy to understand.
This enormous complexity is very unfair," the president said. "It disadvantages ordinary Americans who dont have an army of accountants while benefiting deep-pocketed special interests."
The president delivered the speech at the Loren Cook Company, a local business that manufactures fans, blowers, vents and laboratory exhaust systems.
Trump quipped that his proposal to do away with loopholes may not be preferable to wealthy people like him and the owner of the Loren Cook Company, but portrayed it as the right thing to do for workers.
TRUMP LOOKING TO COHN, MNUCHIN TO SELL TAX PLAN
And Im speaking against myself when I do this, I have to tell you," he said. "And I might be speaking against Mr. Cook. And were both OK with it. Is that right? Its crazy. Maybe we shouldn't be doing this, you know. But were doing the right thing.
The president also said hed like to ideally bring the corporate tax rate down to 15 percent from 35 percent, saying it would make us highly competitive.
Campaign politics also hovered over the visit, as displayed by Trump's shot at McCaskill -- an endangered Democrat up for re-election next year.
By expressing optimism Congress would pass a tax bill, Trump alluded to the Senates inability to pass legislation to repeal and replace President Obamas health care law.
I think Congress is going to make a comeback, Trump said. I hope so. I tell you what, the United States is counting on it.
Ahead of the speech, a White House spokesman said Springfield was chosen as the backdrop for Trumps speech because it is the birthplace of Americas Main Street, Route 66.
The aide said the purpose of the speech was for the president to speak to the American people about why tax reform and relief is needed to unrig the system and jumpstart our economy.
Some of the presidents Cabinet members and aides traveled with the president to Springfield on Wednesday, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon.
A number of Missouri Republicans also attended the speech, including Sen. Roy Blunt, Gov. Eric Greitens, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson and members of the states congressional delegation.
Ahead of the presidents speech Wednesday, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer called for Democrats and Republicans working together to craft a bipartisan package thats good for the American people.
Rather than writing a partisan bill that will benefit the wealthy and special interests, they should commit to working with Democrats, through regular order, to craft a bill in the light of day that puts the middle class and those struggling to make it first, Schumer said in a Wednesday call with reporters.
Fox News Serafin Gomez, Kristin Brown and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
Throughout the first year of his presidency and even as he campaigned for the office President Trumps rhetoric regarding North Korea has been harsh.
He warned earlier this year that Americas nuclear capabilities were much bigger [and] more powerful than that of the Asian nation. And at the end of 2017, Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror again a classification that came with additional sanctions.
On the heels of a planned, historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trumps tone softened, saying great progress has been made. But Trump ultimately cancelled that meeting, citing "open hostility" from North Korea.
From agreeing to meet with Kim to dubbing him Little Rocket Man, heres a look at what Trump has said about North Korea and its leader over time.
Back together again
After meeting with a North Korean official in the White House for more than an hour, Trump announced the June summit with North Korea is back on.
We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting.
Let's call the whole thing off
Trump announced on May 24 that he has decided to pull out of the June summit with North Korea.
"We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant," Trump said in a letter to Kim. "I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting."
"You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump said.
"I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you," he added. "In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated."
Deal or no deal?
After speaking with the South Korean president amid threats from the rogue regime to cancel talks, Trump suggested the historic summit between him and Kim might not happen after all.
If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12.
Trump said he wants the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized in an all in one manner.
I can guarantee Kims safety. He will be safe. He will be happy, Trump said. His country will be rich.
Trump also said hes noticed a change in Kims attitude recently.
I cant say that Im happy about it, he added.
Save the date
Trump officially announced that he would meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12.
We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! Trump said in a tweet.
The announcement came hours after Trump and the first lady welcomed the three Americans freed from detention in North Korea at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early on May 10.
After Trump met with the three men, he publicly thanked Kim for releasing the prisoners.
Were starting off on a new footing, Trump said.
Positive gesture of goodwill
In announcing that a date and place has been set for his much-anticipated meeting with Kim, Trump also confirmed three American prisoners have been released.
The three Americans Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song are returning to the U.S. with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump said in a tweet. The president confirmed the three men are also in good health.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORIC SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP, KIM JONG UN
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump appreciates Kim Jong Uns action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill.
Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June 2017 after he was released back to the U.S. with severe brain damage.
Good relationship formed
Trump has confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo his pick to lead the State Department secretly met with Kim in April and a good relationship was formed. He said the meeting went very smoothly.
The president also disclosed that the U.S. and North Korea have held direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for the summit.
Kim will do what is right
After Kims first reported visit to China, Trump said there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.
For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility, Trump said in a March tweet, adding that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader.
He also gave North Korea the benefit of the doubt earlier that month, saying he believes the country will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests.
When Trump delivered a speech in Pennsylvania, the crowd booed the mention of Kim, but the president stopped them.
No, it's very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because let's see what happens, let's see what happens, Trump said.
Invitation accepted
Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet, the White House said. While a time and place has yet to be determined, the two leaders are expected to meet by June.
The invitation to convene was extended by Kim.
Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached, Trump said on social media. Meeting being planned!
The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined, he later said.
Possible progress
As North Korea is reportedly willing to negotiate its nuclear weapons, Trump cautiously acknowledged possible progress.
For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned, Trump said on Twitter. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!
At a later White House news conference, Trump said he believed North Korea, which has a long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles, is sincere.
We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea, Trump said. Of the possibility for peacefully resolving the nations deep differences, he said: Itd be a great thing for the world, would be great for North Korea, it would be a great thing for the peninsula.
But well see what happens, Trump said.
Spirit of the Olympics
At the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea sent the U.S. a message through South Korea, saying it has ample intentions of holding talks with America.
During a meeting with the nations governors at the White House in February, Trump said those talks will only occur under the right conditions.
The administrations position has been that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs first before any talks can take place.
Relationship status: Its complicated
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly said he probably has a very good relationship with North Korea.
Trump also suggested that he is open to diplomacy with the country hes spent years criticizing, the newspaper reported.
I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised, Trump said.
The Wall Street Journal released the audio and transcript of the interview after Trump denied making the comments.
'Success for the world'
Trump told South Korea that he would be open to talks with its northern neighbor under the right circumstances, the White House said.
Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korea ahead of next months Winter Olympics. At a January Cabinet meeting, Trump said it was his administrations pressure on North Korea that caused the rogue nation to negotiate with the South.
"Without our attitude that would have never happened," Trump said of the inter-Korean dialogue. "Who knows where it leads. Hopefully it will lead to success for the world not just for our country but for the world, and we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens."
Whose button is bigger?
After Kim warned Trump about North Koreas nuclear capabilities, Trump hit back on social media, arguing that his Nuclear Button is bigger [and] more powerful.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' the president tweeted. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
Kim previously warned the U.S. should know that the button for nuclear war is on my table.
The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range, he said. The United States can never start a war against me and our country.
Good news or bad news?
Trump insinuated at the start of the new year that sanctions and additional pressures are having a big impact on North Korea.
Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea, Trump said. Kim now wants to talk to South Korea for the first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not we will see!
In his tweet, Trump was seemingly referring to the recent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean soldiers across the heavily militarized border into the southern country He also alluded to Kims recent comments indicating he would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be hosted in South Korea.
Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korean leaders.
With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump said in a Jan. 4 tweet. Fools, but talks are a good thing!
'Sick puppy'
While giving a speech on tax reform at a Missouri event in November, 2017, Trump digressed from the topic to call the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."
His comments drew hoots from the crowd.
State sponsor of terror
Trump re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror on Nov. 20, 2017, citing its support of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.
During a Cabinet meeting, Trump announced the designation came along with new sanctions on the murderous regime as part of the administrations maximum pressure campaign in dealing with North Korea. He said these sanctions will be the highest level of sanctions on the North.
North Korea was on the list but was taken off by the Bush administration in 2008.
Why can't we be friends?
In a series of tweets while in Vietnam, Trump said he doesn't know why the North Korean dictator would "insult" him.
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Trump said. Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
The comment came after Kim referred to Trump's speech in South Korea as reckless remarks by an old lunatic.
'Dont try us'
In Asia, Trump issued a stern warning to North Korea, saying it would be a fatal miscalculation for the country to attack the U.S. or an ally.
This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past. Do not underestimate us. And do not try us, Trump said during an address at South Koreas National Assembly.
North Korea has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness, Trump said.
'Lets make a deal'
While on his Asia trip, Trump implored North Korea to come to the table for talks on its nuclear weapons program. Trumps request for North Korea to make a deal was in stark contrast to his previous hardline rhetoric when it comes to the rogue nation.
"It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world," Trump said during a news conference alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in in November 2017.
Trump also said hes seen a lot of progress in dealing with North Korea but still called the country a worldwide threat.
In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo the day before, Trump repeated his assertion that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was finished.
Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in the last 25 years, Trump said then.
'Rocket Man' is on a 'suicide mission'
After dubbing him Rocket Man in a tweet, Trump eventually tried out the new nickname for Kim during his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly.
During his speech, Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the country so provokes him. He also said Kim was on a suicide mission.
No more talking
After North Korea said it successfully launched a missile over Japan, a U.S. ally, and into the Pacific Ocean, Trump initially had a subdued response.
"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a written statement after North Koreas missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."
The missile launch was said to be a precursor to North Koreas containment of the U.S. territory of Guam by Kim, according to state-run media.
But in a tweet, the president suggested the U.S. is finished talking to North Korea.
The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer, Trump tweeted.
The U.S. is 'locked and loaded'
Trump took to social media in August 2017 to proclaim that the U.S. military is locked and loaded in case North Korea act[s] unwisely.
'Fire [and] fury' isn't 'tough enough'
With the threat of nuclear violence growing, Trump warned North Korea on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would unleash fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.
But when tensions continued to rise and North Korea threatened to attack Guam, Trump said maybe that comment wasnt "tough enough."
"Lets see what [Kim] does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before what will happen in North Korea," Trump said.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump was "sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un can understand, because he doesnt seem to understand diplomatic language."
Kim Jong Un is 'not getting away with it'
Trump said Kim has disrespected our country greatly.
He has said things that are horrific. And with me, hes not getting away with it, Trump said. He got away with it for a long time, between him and his family. Hes not getting away with it. Its a whole new ball game.
'Strategic patience is over'
After meeting with the South Korean president in Washington, D.C., in June 2017, Trump said that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.
Frankly, that patience is over, he said.
As Trump made these comments, the U.S. was rocked with the death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who suffered extensive brain damage while being held captive in North Korea for more than a year.
There are 'worse things' than assassinating Kim Jong Un
In an interview with CBS News during the presidential campaign, Trump said he could get China to make [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly.
When asked if he was talking about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Trump shrugged.
Well, you know, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude and dont underestimate him, Trump said. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated.
'What the hell is wrong with speaking?'
Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Atlanta that should Kim want to come to the U.S., he would be accept[ed].
I wouldnt go there, that I can tell you. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners, Trump said in June 2016.
What the hell is wrong with speaking? Trump said, referencing the criticism he received for being willing to talk with North Korea. Its called opening a dialogue.
'Maniac'
During a GOP presidential debate in September 2015, Trump railed on the maniac in North Korea while answering a question about Planned Parenthood and womens health issues.
Nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting there, and he actually has nuclear weapons and somebody better start thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places. But certainly North Korea, Trump said.
You have somebody right now in North Korea who has got nuclear weapons and who is saying almost every other week, Im ready to use them, and we dont even mention it, he continued.
China needs to solve the problem
Even before he was president, Trump urged China to step in and help alleviate problems with North Korea.
North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders, Trump tweeted in March 2013.
In April 2013, Trump continued that line of thinking, adding that North Korea cant survive, or even eat, without the help of China. He then accused China of taunting the U.S.
As president, Trump has said he is very disappointed in actions China has taken regarding North Korea, particularly allowing oil to go into the nation. He also said a Chinese envoy to North Korea had no impact on Kim.
Additionally, Trump has said hes spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping regarding the provocative actions of North Korea as well as the planned meeting between Trump and Kim.
President Xi told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative, Trump said in March 2018. China continues to be helpful!
'Wack job'
In April 2013, Trump urged then-President Barack Obama to be very careful with the 28-year-old wack job in North Korea.
At some point we may have to get very tough, he tweeted.
'Negotiate like crazy'
Trump warned that the U.S. needed to do something to stop North Korea in 1999 during an interview with the late Tim Russert on Meet the Press.
"Do you want to do it in five years when they have warheads all over the place, every one of them pointing to New York City, to Washington and every one of us, is that when you want to do it, or do you want to do something now? Trump said. You'd better do it now. And if they think you're serious they'll negotiate and it'll never come to that.
He said then that if he ever became president, the first step he would take would be to negotiate like crazy to make sure that the country would get the best deal possible. Trump also predicted then that in three or four years, North Korea would have weapons aimed all over the world, including at the U.S.
Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Trump administration announced last year its plan to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children with a six-month delay for recipients. But a federal appeals court ruled against the proposal in early November, declaring the government couldn't immediately end the program.
The Executive wields awesome power in the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the ruling said. Our decision today does not curb that power, but rather enables its exercise in a manner that is free from legal misconceptions and is democratically accountable to the public.
Trump had initially set a March 5 deadline for the program and called on Congress to pass legislation pertaining to the young immigrants. But the deadline came and went, with no congressional action but several lawsuits challenging the administration's decision to end the program.
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON DACA
Federal judges in New York and Washington also have ruled against President Trump on DACA.
President Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for inaction.
Heres a look at the DACA program and why the Trump administration wants to dismantle it.
What is the DACA program?
The DACA program was formed through executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allowed certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients, called Dreamers, were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which was subject to renewal.
Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.
Individuals were able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.
Individuals also had to have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients could not have a criminal record.
It did not provide legal status.
How many people are affected by DACA?
Nearly 800,000 youth, called Dreamers, are under the program's umbrella.
Daniel Garza, president of the conservative immigration nonprofit Libre Initiative, told Fox News that DACA offers a reprieve from a life of uncertainty for innocent kids who didnt break the law.
Its rather disappointing to think they could return to a state of anxiety and fear, he said.
What did the Trump administration do?
The Trump administration announced in September 2017 that it planned to phase out DACA for current recipients, and no new requests would be granted. But a lower court order required the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for those under the DACA program, and the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to intervene.
Since the announcement, Trump had offered to work with lawmakers on a solution for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who fell under DACAs umbrella of protections. But at the same time, he has repeatedly blamed Democrats on social media for lack of a solution.
Earlier this year, Trump released his four pillars of immigration reform, which included a provision for legal status for DACA recipients and others who would be eligible for DACA status. The White House estimated that total to be 1.8 million people. The Senate rejected the plan.
Republicans and some Democrats opposed Obamas directive establishing DACA from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.
Obama spoke out on social media after the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the program, stating that it's "self-defeating ... and it is cruel" to end DACA and questioned the motive behind the decision.
Do any DACA recipients serve in the military?
Despite some rumors circulating online to the contrary, Dreamers were eligible to serve in the U.S. military since 2014 when the Pentagon adopted a policy to allow a certain amount of illegal immigrants to join.
In fiscal year 2016, 359 DACA recipients had enlisted in the Army which is the only branch to accept immigrants of this category.
Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Salvation Army is responding to the catastrophic flooding in the Houston area and providing relief to first responders and survivors. Since Hurricane Harvey will likely impact more people than Hurricane Katrina, The Salvation Army is establishing multiple staging areas throughout Texas including San Antonio, Victoria, Arlington and Houston to coordinate relief efforts.
The Salvation Army's national network of trained disaster staff and volunteers that has been deployed to Texas is providing food boxes, bottled water, cleanup kits and comfort kits. Staff and volunteers are also serving at emergency shelters and staffing emergency operations centers.
"Every team being deployed in Texas can provide food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to those impacted by this weather event," said Lt. Col. Ronnie Raymer, divisional commander for The Salvation Army in Texas. "We're uniquely positioned to provide support and relief to Houston and communities along the Gulf Coast."
The Salvation Army has deployed 42 mobile feeding units that each can provide up to 1,500 meals per day, along with two field kitchens that each can serve up to 15,000 meals per day. As of Monday, The Salvation Army has provided more than 5,000 meals, 5,500 drinks and 5,600 snacks.
"Donations from the generous public will help provide food, shelter and other valuable resources to Houstonians in need," said Lt. Col. Ron Busroe, The Salvation Army's National Community Relations and Development Secretary. "With public support, The Salvation Army will be here to help the thousands affected by Hurricane Harvey for as long as they're in need."
Response efforts to this hurricane and flooding are expected to be costly and last for years. The best way to help after a disaster is to make a financial donation.To contribute to The Salvation Army's Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy. org, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or text "STORM" to 51555.
Construction crews in Colorado made an unusual find at their construction site a rare dinosaur fossil.
The crews said they found the fossil while breaking ground on a new public safety facility in the city of Thornton, Fox 31 Denver reported.
The fossil has been identified as a triceratops skull by scientists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, who went to the site and confirmed the dinosaur remnant.
"My heart was racing. I realized it was a pretty important dinosaur find," Joe Sertich, curator of dinosaurs for the museum, told Fox 31. "This is probably one of only three skulls of triceratops found along the Front Range area."
Front Range is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains that runs through Colorado and Wyoming.
10-YEAR-OLD TRIPS INTO MILLION-YEAR-OLD FOSSIL DISCOVERY IN NEW MEXICO
Dinosaur fossils have been known to lay beneath Denver for around 150 years, but most of the city is covered by buildings or parking lots, which make fossils difficult to unearth, Sertich told KMGH.
The museum curator said that most fossil finds discovered along the Front Range area are from the Ice Age, and could be anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 years old and are typically bones from mammoths or camels.
"This dinosaur has been laying here for at least 66 million years," Sertich told Fox 31. "I'm over the moon right now about this dinosaur fossil."
Crews have stopped work on the site where the fossil was located, and new crews working to uncover more of the dinosaur remains have so far found a horn and a shoulder blade.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CALGARY, Alberta About 67,000 years ago, a gigantic mammoth chowed down on enormous mouthfuls of grass in Texas, just west of where modern-day Austin is located, according to new research.
The finding is surprising, given that the beast's remains were discovered in Waco, Texas, more than 120 miles (200 kilometers) away from the Columbian mammoth's (Mammuthus columbi) ancient picnic spot near Austin, the researchers said.
"They really weren't in the Waco area until right before they died, which is a little unexpected," the study's lead researcher, Don Esker, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geosciences at Baylor University in Waco, told Live Science. "Two hundred kilometers is within the largest distance that we've known Columbian mammoths to travel, but only just." [Mammoth Resurrection: 11 Hurdles to Bringing Back an Ice Age Beast]
Esker and his colleagues made this discovery by studying the isotopes (an isotope is a variation of an element that has a different number of neutrons in its nucleus) in the mammoth's teeth. So far, Esker has studied just one tooth, but he has plans to examine more teeth from different mammoths in the coming months.
Esker could have a lot of work in front of him. There are remains from at least 23 mammoths dating to the late Pleistocene in Waco. The prehistoric graveyard was found in 1978 by two local youngsters, Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin, who were searching for fossils and arrowheads when they discovered the fossilized mammoth bones. In 2015, President Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation, with bipartisan support, that made the site a national monument, according to the National Park Service.
It's likely, but not certain, that these fossils are from the same mammoth nursey herd, Esker said. His goal is to confirm whether these mammoths traveled together as a social group, and to learn where they traveled and what they ate, he said.
If his research reveals these mammoths gulped down the same kind of water and gobbled up the same types of food, then it's likely they did travel as a herd, he told Live Science here at the 2017 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting.
Mammoth menu
To get started, Esker analyzed the carbon, oxygen and strontium ratios in a single mammoth tooth, which helped him reconstruct "an itinerary and menu for the mammoth over the last six years of its life," he said.
When mammoths dined on vegetation, the plants' nutrients eventually ended up in their teeth. This information can reveal what types of plants the mammoths ate, because the way plants photosynthesize energy from the sun governs what type of carbon isotopes they produce: Carbon 4 (C4) indicates that the beasts ate grasses and sedges, and carbon 3 (C3) shows that they ate most other vegetation, including honey locust, Osage orange and mesquite.
"The carbon told us that the mammoth in question ate 65 percent to 75 percent warm season C4 grasses year-round," Esker said. This supports evidence from mammoth fossilized poop, or coprolites, that also revealed that Columbian mammoths ate plants containing C4.
Meanwhile, the oxygen isotopes in the mammoth's tooth showed that conditions "may have been a good deal more arid than [they are] today," Esker said.
Finally, the strontium isotopes revealed that the mammoths "spent a good deal of time eating grass growing on granite-derived soil," Esker said. The only place Esker could find with this type of soil was west of Austin, he said.
In addition to studying mammoth teeth, Esker and his colleagues plan to analyze chompers from a horse, camel and pronghorn that also perished at the Waco site. The results will show whether these animals' ranges overlapped with the mammoths' stomping grounds, Esker said. [Photos: Mammoth Bones Unearthed from Michigan Farm]
"Serially sampling teeth for isotopic analysis can be unpopular, as it does cause slight damage to the fossils," Esker said. "Nevertheless, it is an unparalleled record of an animal's life, and has much to offer us."
The research, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, was presented Wednesday (Aug. 23) at the 2017 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting.
Original article on Live Science.
A humongous "wide-necked" dinosaur one that weighed as much as two cars stomped across the landscape of prehistoric Africa during the Cretaceous period, a new study finds.
The 5-ton beast, a titanosaur (an herbivorous long-necked and long-tailed dinosaur) was tall; its head reached 13 feet (4 meters) in the air when its neck was extended. The dinosaur's remains were found in rock in southwestern Tanzania dating between 100 million and 70 million years ago, the researchers said.
It's not uncommon to unearth titanosaurs in South America, but it's rare to find the giant dinosaurs in Africa, making the newly identified creature a remarkable find, the researchers said. [Titanosaur Photos: Meet the Largest Dinosaur on Record]
Researchers named the titanosaur Shingopana songwensis, which they said was 26 feet (8 meters) long, or about the size of an orca whale. Its genus name means "wide neck" in Swahili, whereas "shingo" and "pana" are the Swahili words for "neck" and "wide," respectively, in reference to the giant's "bulbous" neck vertebra, the researchers wrote in the study. The species name honors the Songwe region of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania, where the dinosaur was first discovered in 2002, and excavated in the following years.
After analyzing S. songwensis' fossilized bones in which ancient insects burrowed shortly after the animal's death the researchers realized the dinosaur has more in common with South America titanosaurs than it does with other African titanosaurs.
"Shingopanahad siblings in South America, whereas the other African titanosaurs were only distant cousins," lead study researcher Eric Gorscak, a recent doctoral graduate of the Ohio State University and now a postdoctoral researcher at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, said in a statement.
Divisions between tectonic plates may explain these differences. Evidence suggests that northern and southern Africa were divided during the Cretaceous, a period that lasted from about 145.5 million to 65.5 million years ago.
In southern Africa, Madagascar and Antarctica split off to the east and south, followed by its gradual northward "unzipping"from South America, the researchers said. Meanwhile, northern Africa kept its land connection with South America. In addition, differences in terrain and climate further isolated southern Africa, the researchers said.
"This discovery suggests that the fauna [animals] of northern and southern Africa were different in the Cretaceous," Judy Skog, program director at the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which supported the research, said in the statement. "At that time, southern African dinosaurs were more closely related to those in South America and were more widespread than we knew."
Shingopanalikely roamed ancient southern Africa alongside Rukwatitan bisepultus, a nearly 8-ton titanosaur discovered by the same team in 2014. However, both titanosaurs were dwarfed by what is likely the largest titanosaur (and dinosaur, for that matter) on record: the 69-ton Patagotitan mayorum from South America, which also lived about 100 million years ago.
"We are still only scratching the surface with regard to understanding the diversity of organisms and the environments in which they lived on the African continent during the Late Cretaceous," study co-researcher Patrick O'Connor, a professor of anatomy at the Ohio State University, said in the statement.
The study was published online today (Aug. 24) in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Original article on Live Science.
Hurricane Harvey swept into Texas over the weekend, causing at least two fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.
The hurricane paralyzed much of the Houston metropolitan area and several counties in southeast Texas. While the worst of the storm was over by mid-day Saturday, many parts of the state remain under a flash flood wash through Wednesday. Brock Long, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, predicted that the areas affected would be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
While all major airlines are waiving change and rebooking fees for customers flying around the storm, a few are offering additional incentives for customers who donate to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
American Airlines will reward customers with 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar they donate to the American Red Cross through September 24. Customers must make a minimum $25 donation.
United Airlines has a sliding scale of miles available for customers who donate to Airlink, Operation USA, Americares or the American Red Cross through September 15. The airline will offer 250 bonus miles for donations from $50 to $99. For donations up to $249, customers can earn 500 bonus miles. And for any donation more than $250, customers can earn 1,000 bonus miles. United also said that it will match the first $100,000 it raises through this campaign.
This article originally appeared on Travel and Leisure
United CEO Oscar Munoz made headlines earlier this year following the airlines highly publicized dragging incident, but now his name is in the news for an entirely different reason.
In a letter he penned to United employees on Monday, Munoz vowed to donate up to $1 million of his personal fortune to help United employees affected by Hurricane Harvey, reports Bloomberg. According to the memo, which was supplied to Bloomberg by unnamed sources, Munoz urged his workforce to contribute whatever they could to aid in employee relief efforts, promising to match their donations up to that million-dollar mark.
AIRLINES GIVING AWAY MILES IN EXCHANGE FOR HARVEY DISASTER DONATIONS
We are all in this together, which is why I will personally match your contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million, wrote Munoz.
The Chicago Tribune further reports that United employs roughly 11,000 people in the Houston area, with Houston being the airlines second-largest hub after its headquarters in Chicago. Munoz, however, had also written in his letter that employees in Houston will still be receiving pay, despite Houstons George Bush Intercontinental Airport being closed through at least Thursday.
DO AIRLINES HAVE THE RIGHT TO FORCIBLY REMOVE PASSENGERS?
He also confirmed that the airline will continue to provide food and first-aid to employees affected by the flooding. The airline had already sent a handful of planes stocked with supplies to Houston since the George Bush Intercontinental Airport closed on Sunday, the Tribune notes.
Hurricane Harvey has not only wrought havoc on the Houston airport, but also Uniteds bottom line: According to Helene Baker, an airport analyst for Cowen & Co. who spoke with the Chicago Tribune, the airline stands to lose around $265 million in lost revenue from canceled flights in the wake of the hurricane.
Munoz, meanwhile, wrote that he understands the crisis is far from over.
We will be there every step of the way going forward, Munoz stated in his letter, reports the Chicago Tribune. And we will remain committed long after the skies clear and the waters recede in order to help our communities rebuild, stronger than ever.
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A representative for United Airlines was not immediately available to comment.
Nearly 52 inches of rain have been recorded in Cedar Bayou, Texas, the National Weather Service reported on Tuesday - a figure that broke the continental U.S. record - as Harvey continues to hit the area.
Meantime, federal and local agencies announced they had lifted more than 13,000 people out of the floodwaters in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties.
Rains in the region, near Mont Belvieu, Texas, reached 51.88 inches as of 3:30 p.m. CDT. That's a record for both Texas and the continental United States but it doesn't surpass the 52 inches from tropical cyclone Hiki in Kauai, Hawaii, in 1950 -- before Hawaii became a state.
But the National Hurricane Center says that the reading on Tuesday afternoon may be unusual because it was from a low flying hurricane hunter airplane.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday imposed a curfew beginning at 12 a.m. to ensure public safety. Police Chief Art Acevedo said violators would be stopped, questioned, searched and arrested.
Houston police have rescued about 4,100 people; city firefighters have saved more than 3,000; and the Harris County Sheriff's Office has rescued more than 3,000 people, according to officials. Meantime, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Mike Hart says his agency has rescued more than 3,000 people in Houston, but also in outlying cities and subdivisions outside of the city, as well as in surrounding counties, including Brazoria, Galveston and Matagorda.
Harvey has gained strength but has remained a tropical storm. Its winds increased from 45 mph to 50 mph.
Forecasters say heavy rains are continuing to spread over southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards offered to take in Harvey victims from Texas, and televangelist Joel Osteen has opened his Houston megachurch, a 16,800-seat former arena, after critics hit him on social media for not acting to help families displaced by the storm.
The city's largest shelter, the George R. Brown Convention Center, held more than 9,000 people, almost twice the number officials originally planned to house there, Turner said. The crowds included many from areas outside Houston.
"We are not turning anyone away. But it does mean we need to expand our capabilities and our capacity," Turner said. "Relief is coming."
Edwards said he expects Texas officials to decide within 48 hours whether to accept his offer, which comes as Louisiana deals with its own flooding. About 500 people were evacuated from flooded neighborhoods in southwest Louisiana, Edwards said.
On Tuesday night the U.S. coast guard announced that it saved 4,322 lives in the Houston area since Sunday.
In all, more than 17,000 people have sought refuge in Texas shelters and that number seemed certain to increase, the American Red Cross said.
Turner said the city has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for more supplies, including cots and food, for an additional 10,000 people, which he hopes to get no later than Wednesday.
Federal regulators say dozens of offshore oil-and-gas platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated as the storm continues to dump heavy rain.
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a statement Tuesday that workers were evacuated from 102 production platforms -- nearly 14 percent of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf.
Five of the 10 drilling rigs currently operating in the Gulf also had been evacuated as of noon Tuesday.
The bureau estimated that approximately 19 percent of the Gulf's oil and natural gas production was "shut-in," or temporarily halted, as of midday Tuesday. Offshore facilities will be inspected once the storm has passed.
The Texas Gulf is a key area for U.S. oil refineries and oil and gas production.
Homes northeast of Houston, meantime, have been evacuated after a chemical company warned of a risk of an explosion at its flooded plant.
The Harris County Fire Marshal's office said in a tweet Tuesday that homes within 1.5 miles of the Arkema plant in Crosby have been evacuated out of precaution.
In a news release, Arkema said that it manufactures organic peroxides in Crosby, about 25 miles northeast of Houston. The company says the chemical compounds must be stored at low temperatures, but it lost refrigerated storage after power went out and backup generators were inundated.
Arkema said it shut down the Crosby site before Harvey made landfall last week, but a crew of 11 had been kept onsite. That group was removed Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Coast Guard helicopters and an armada of local boaters known as the Cajun Navy are rescuing Texas residents stranded on roofs amid historic flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey.
Houstons convention center has become a makeshift refugee camp as hundreds of soaked evacuees arrive in need of food, dry clothing and a place to ride out the storm. Almost hourly, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency appear on the few television screens still working with updates about disaster-relief efforts.
The scenes playing out as Hurricane Harvey batters southeastern Texas are heartbreakingly familiar to those who fled Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 12 years ago.
"It was basically like watching everything over again, and there's nothing I can do. I can't cry anymore," Kate Quarrella Beard told the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Sunday. Beard lost her home in suburban New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit and is now anxiously waiting to see how her familys new home in Dickinson, Texas, fares.
While the exact number is unclear, around 250,000 people escaped to Houston from New Orleans after Katrina with an estimated 100,000 remaining permanently in the city and surrounding towns.
For many of these relocated residents, the nightmarish memories of Katrina came flooding back when Harvey made landfall Friday night.
Harvey came ashore as a Category 4 storm -- the most fearsome hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast since Katrina. Since then the slow-moving storm has lingered just off the coast, dropping heavy rain and causing devastating flooding in Houston.
The floodwaters have chased thousands of Houston residents to rooftops and higher ground. Overwhelmed rescuers have been unable to keep up with the constant calls for help. Rescuers were handling only life-and-death situations Sunday.
"It's just been a nightmare," Heidi Evenson, a former New Orleans resident who moved to Houston seven years ago, told the Times-Picayune. "It brings up a lot of bad memories."
Houstons Katrina survivors and lawmakers across the country are watching how local, state and federal officials respond to Harvey. Local officials have vowed to heed the lessons from Katrina and to avoid scenes like that which took place at the New Orleans Superdome in 2005 when about 30,000 evacuees spent days packed inside the storm-damaged arena with virtually no electricity and water.
The fiasco showed how ill-prepared city and federal officials were to deal with the storm.
On Friday, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa urged President Trump on Twitter to "keep on top of Hurricane Harvey" and not repeat the mistakes that President George W. Bush made with Katrina. Bush was heavily criticized for a slow federal government response to the storm, which left more than 1,800 people dead and caused $151 billion dollars in damage.
"Got your message loud and clear. We have fantastic people on the ground, got there long before #Harvey. So far, so good!" Trump tweeted back.
In New Orleans, nearly 80 percent of the citys residents evacuated days ahead of Katrina's arrival. In contrast, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner advised people to stay in their homes, saying it was not feasible to evacuate the nation's fourth-largest city.
Houston authorities urged people to escape to rooftops to avoid becoming trapped in attics, which caused more than a dozen deaths in Katrina's aftermath.
Asked if this storm could become Houston's Hurricane Katrina, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ducked the question.
"As far as the evacuations, now is not the time to second-guess the decisions that were made," Abbott told reporters in Austin. "What's important is that everybody work together to ensure that we are going to, first, save lives and, second, help people across the state rebuild. And because of the effort that we've been able to put together, I think and believe we will be very successful."
Despite the threat of losing everything to a hurricane for the second time in their lives, many of Houstons Katrina survivors remain optimistic about the future.
Raeann Barber, 37, came to Houston in 2005 after fleeing terrible conditions in a New Orleans shelter with nothing more than her nightgown. She was rescued over the weekend by the Coast Guard after her Houston apartment was inundated with water.
"One way or another, guess what?" Barber said from a cot in Houstons convention center. "To me, the Lord will make the way, one way or another."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nineteen people, including 15 Turkish security officials, have been indicted for attacking protesters during a visit to the U.S. from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a massive brawl caught on video.
Witnesses to the scuffle outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., in May claimed that members of Erdogan's security detail attacked the demonstrators. Erdogan was in the U.S. for a meeting with President Donald Trump at the time.
Two Turkish bodyguards were briefly detained after the incident. They later were set free and returned to Turkey.
The indictments charged the defendants with attacking peaceful demonstrators who were protesting Erdogan's visit on May 17. All 19 were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Several face additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Sixteen of the defendants had already been charged June 13 but Tuesday's indictment added three new defendants, all Turkish security officials. Two of the defendants were arrested in June and face an initial court hearing on Sept. 7.
The rest remain at large.
The U.S. ambassador in Ankara, John Bass, was later summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey said, over what it called "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by U.S. security personnel against Turkish bodyguards in Washington during Erdogan's visit.
"We can confirm the Turkish Foreign Ministry convoked our Ambassador to Turkey to discuss the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel on May 16," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at the time. "As we noted previously, the conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Shortly before 16-year-old Nathaniel Jouett allegedly fatally shot two people and injured four others at the Clovis-Carver City Library on Monday afternoon, the New Mexico teen was searching for inner peace, said Pastor David Stevens.
Jouett, who had contemplated suicide in the past, started attending Living Word Church of God three months ago and appeared to be turning his life around, Stevens said.
Authorities plan to charge Jouett with two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to commit a violent felony, four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of child abuse.
Clovis City Commissioner Juan F. Garza said Monday the motive for the deadly shooting rampage was unclear. Authorities said an investigation is underway.
Clovis has an estimated population of 40,000 people, and is home to Cannon Air Force Base.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About 100 black-clad activists carrying makeshift shields and clubs descended on the California college town of Berkeley over the weekend and viciously attacked a small group of peaceful protestors.
Video footage of the protest shows groups of these activists kicking and punching demonstrators who have fallen in the street, swinging batons at others and threatening to destroy the cameras of anyone documenting their mayhem.
Unlike the deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month, these assailants in Berkeley werent far-right white supremacists or neo-Nazis, but a group of left-wing counterprotestors known as Antifa.
Short for Anti-fascist, Antifa members have over the last year increasingly made their violent presence known at progressive demonstrations and counter-protests to alt-right groups and speakers across the country leaving many to question Antifas role in the leftist protest movement and to ask if the group is causing more harm than good.
Thats the big debate, Pamela Oliver, a sociology professor at the University of Wisconsin who studies collective action and social movements, told Fox News. Most people think that non-violence is the way to go and that violent, aggressive responses could backfire, that is play into the hands of white supremacists by using violence.
The Antifa movement traces its roots back to militant anti-fascists operating in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, but the emergence of these modern groups in the United States which are predominantly comprised of radical anarchists and focus more on fighting far-right ideology than on encouraging pro-left policies coincided with the rise of white nationalists following the election of Barack Obama in 2008.
Since the election of President Trump, Antifa activists have become even more active, clashing with right-wing activists and police in cities from Philadelphia to Houston to Hamburg, site of this years G-20 summit.
There have been suggestions Antifa agitators were responsible for much of the destruction in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day. And while white supremacists and neo-Nazis were certainly to blame for much of the violence in Charlottesville, they claim that Antifa groups got aggressive first.
Berkeley a hotbed of activism of on both sides of the political divide since the 1960s has been the scene of much of Antifas activities over the last year. In February, 150 black-clad protestors rampaged through the streets of Berkeley, where they caused $100,000 worth of damage and forced the University of California to cancel a planned speech by far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
Criticism of the movement has come not just from conservative politicians and far-right activists, who are the target of much of Antifas actions. Mainstream liberal lawmakers and the editorial boards of some of the countrys largest newspapers have also harshly criticized Antifa for promoting violence.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Tuesday that Antifas attacks on protestors in Berkeley deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted.
The Los Angeles Times editorial board was even harsher, calling Antifa traitors to the thousands of peaceful demonstrators who gathered in Berkeleys Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Park to counter a No to Marxism in America rally and calling the groups actions thuggery, not activism.
While Antifas group in Berkeley did not respond to Fox News request for comment, the group posted a tersely worded response to Pelosis statement saying that the California congresswoman has a lower approval than Trump and adding that they dont care what she thinks.
Antifa defends its use of violence by pointing back to the movements roots fighting fascists in Hitlers Germany, Mussolinis Italy and Francos Spain.
In the 1930s, the Nazis used violence to intimidate people, Oliver said. Antifa argues that if people resisted them then, the fascists wouldnt have gotten so big.
Despite condemnation of the movement in the wake of Sundays violence, Antifa still has numerous prominent defenders among the leftist activist community.
A visiting professor at Dartmouth University gained widespread attention for defending Antfa's use of violence during numerous television interviews.
"I think that a lot of people recognize that, when pushed, self-defense is a legitimate response to white supremacy and neo-Nazi violence," Mark Bray, the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook," said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Aug. 20. "The lesson of history is you need to take it with the utmost seriousness before its too late."
Following the clash in Charlottesville, many counter-protestors to the Unite the Right rally praised Antifa activists for protecting them from attacks by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
If it hadnt been for the anti-fascists protecting us from the neo-fascists, we would have been crushed like cockroaches, social activist and Harvard University professor Cornel West said afterwards.
Antifa has also been credited with protecting counter-protestors at the so-called Battle of Berkeley a clash at a white supremacist rally in April that has been called a test run to Charlottesville and where white nationalist Nathan Damigo was seen on camera punching a woman in the face for purportedly being a member of Antifa.
But on Sunday it was the counter-protestors themselves estimated to be about 4,000 protecting the demonstrators they were there to disrupt from the punches of Antifa. And it is this inclination toward violence and a radical ideology the same type of concerns that plague moderate right-wingers trying to deal with neo-Nazis and white supremacists that has moderate leftists wondering what to do about Antifa
There are so many different sides, it's just not a left and right issue, Oliver said. Its a really difficult situation.
The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected a defendant hospitals argument that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a surviving spouse was null and void because the spouse was not represented by a lawyer when the lawsuit was filed.
In September 2004, Ruth Hartley was admitted to Trinity Hospital in Erin, Houston County, Tennessee, for elective colon surgery. She developed complications from the surgery and died. After her death, Mrs. Hartleys husband, Denver Hartley, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several defendants, including Trinity Hospital, claiming that their negligent treatment caused Mrs. Hartleys death. Mr. Hartley was not represented by a lawyer when he filed the lawsuit.
The defendants filed motions to dismiss Mr. Hartleys lawsuit. They argued that, although a person can represent himself in his own lawsuit, no one can file a lawsuit on behalf of another person unless they have a law license. The defendants claimed that, in filing the wrongful death lawsuit, Mr. Hartley was representing either Mrs. Hartley or their adult children, so he was practicing law without a license. For that reason, they argued, Mr. Hartleys lawsuit must be dismissed.
Mr. Hartley soon hired an attorney, and he amended his lawsuit to show that he was represented by a lawyer. By that time, though, the statute of limitations for the wrongful death claim had run.
The defendants argued that the first complaint was null and void because Mr. Hartley was not represented by a lawyer, and the legal time limit had passed by the time Mr. Hartley hired a lawyer and filed an amended complaint, so his lawsuit had to be dismissed.
The trial court held that the fact that Mr. Hartley was not represented by a lawyer when he filed the lawsuit did not make it null and void, so it refused to dismiss the lawsuit. While the lawsuit was pending, Mr. Hartley died, and his daughter, Linda Beard, was substituted in his place as the plaintiff. The case went to trial, and the jury awarded damages to Ms. Beard.
The hospital appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed. It held that the claim belonged to the decedent, Mrs. Hartley, and that Mr. Hartley could not file a lawsuit on behalf of his deceased wife without a lawyer. The Court of Appeals held that the first wrongful death complaint was null and void, and Mr. Hartley hired a lawyer after the statute of limitations had run, so it dismissed the case. The Tennessee Supreme Court granted Ms. Beard permission to appeal.
The Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals. It held that the wrongful death claim did not actually belong to the decedent; under Tennessee law, upon Mrs. Hartleys death, the claim passed to her surviving spouse, Mr. Hartley. Because Mr. Hartley had the right to represent himself in his own lawsuit, the Court held, the original complaint, filed without a lawyer, was at least partially proper. The Supreme Court agreed with the trial court that the lawsuit was timely, so it reversed the Court of Appeals dismissal of the lawsuit.
To read the unanimous opinion in Linda Beard v. James William Branson and Trinity Hospital, L.L.C., authored by Justice Holly Kirby, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov.
A California man pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to construct a drug-smuggling tunnel across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Habib Mujica, 35, from Calexico, Calif., was arrested in May in connection with the tunnel upon returning to the U.S. from Mexico after he spent six years in a Mexican prison for trafficking guns, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Homeland security agents found Mujicas operation in 2011 inside a warehouse in Calexico. While he was imprisoned, Mujica reportedly told a partner to lease the warehouse and buy tunnel-building equipment like pipes, electric saws, and a forklift, according to his plea agreement. The construction of the tunnel was already underway when it was discovered, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.
MEXICAN POLICE UNCOVER MASSIVE DRUG TUNNEL LEADING TO US
Mujica also admitted he planned to run a cover business called Baja Bikes from the location.
If convicted, Mujica could face up to 40 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines. His sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 27.
A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy was killed Wednesday and two California Highway Patrol officers were injured in a shooting at a Sacramento hotel, and guests were urged to shelter in place as investigators hunted for additional suspects.
Deputy Robert French, 52, was killed in the shooting at a Ramada Inn at around noon local time, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said. He added that the two CHP officers were expected to survive.
Jones described French as a "well-respected" 21-year veteran of the department. The sheriff added that French is survived by his children, grandchildren and girlfriend.
Dozens of police cars and hundreds of armed officers have surrounded the hotel, where authorities said there may be two more suspects inside.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Tony Turnbull said all three officers were part of a task force investigating a stolen vehicle case and had come across the missing car in the parking lot of a Ramada Inn.
Turnbull said two women in the stolen vehicle led the officers on a chase that ended in suburban Elk Grove, where they were arrested. When the officers went back to the Ramada Inn and knocked on the door to one of the rooms, Turnbull said a male suspect opened fire on them with a "high-powered rifle," injuring the two CHP officers.
The man then ran out onto the balcony, where he traded fire with sheriff's deputies and shot Deputy French. The suspect then led police on a brief chase before he was injured in another exchange of gunfire and taken into custody.
Jeff Marshall, who lives near the hotel, said he heard gunshots and then tires squealing and saw a grey Dodge Charger speed by his home, going the wrong way down a busy street.
Marshall estimated he heard 12 shots.
"It was like the wild West," Marshall said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A serial killer convicted for murdering three men in 2001 is appealing his death sentence and continuing a 16-year challenge to avoid execution.
In January a federal jury in Massachusetts sentenced Gary Lee Sampson, 57, to die for the 2001 carjacking and murder of Jonathan Rizzo, a 19-year university student, the Boston Globe reported.
The killer has also received a life sentence in Massachusetts for killing 69-year old plumber Philip McCloskey and in New Hampshire for slaying Robert Whitney, his third victim.
He tricked Rizzo and McCloskey into giving him a ride with a car and then fatally stabbed both men after he directed them to a hidden area. Later, he strangled Whitney with a rope, the Globe reported.
Sampsons lawyers filed a notice of appeal against the death penalty on Monday following an unsuccessful request to toss the death penalty earlier this month.
His legal team is arguing that Sampson was brain-damaged when he fatally stabbed McCloskey and Rizzo.
The request to not execute Sampson was earlier denied by a U.S. District Court judge, Leo T. Sorokin, who said in his ruling that the killer will not be sparred as he brutally and incomprehensibly murdered Philip McCloskey, Jonathan Rizzo and Robert Whitney.
Sampson has been fighting to avoid execution for many years he was first sentenced to death in 2003. The ruling was reversed following an appeal, but it prompted a second trial where the defendant pleaded guilty. A federal jury reached a decision to sentence Sampson to death again in January.
If the court dismisses Sampsons appeal, he could take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More than 100 Dartmouth College faculty members rushed to support a controversial fellow professor who repeatedly justified Antifa's violent tactics -- despite the Dartmouth president's condemnation of the professor's support for the so-called anti-fascist group.
Mark Bray, the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook" and visiting professor at the Gender Research Institute at Dartmouth, appeared in dozens of television interviews after the Antifa movement gained national traction following deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Va. earlier in August. Bray supported Antifa's violence, dubbing it "self-defense" and a "legitimate response" to what he termed white supremacist and neo-Nazi violence.
WHY SHOULD ANYONE CONDEMN WHITE NATIONALISTS IF THE LEFT WON'T CONDEMN ANTIFA?
"I think that a lot of people recognize that, when pushed, self-defense is a legitimate response to white supremacy and neo-Nazi violence," Bray said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Aug. 20.
"The lesson of history is you need to take it with the utmost seriousness before its too late," Bray continued, adding that demonstrations are necessary to tell neo-Nazis and white supremacists "You can't make this normal."
A day after the controversial interview, Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon, troubled by Bray's support of the violent Antifa protests, condemned the professor's comments, Valley News reported.
"As an institution, we condemn anything but civil discourse in the exchange of opinions and ideas," Hanlon said on Aug. 21. "Dartmouth embraces free speech and open inquiry in all matters, and all on our campus enjoy the freedom to speak, write, listen and debate in pursuit of better learning and understanding; however, the endorsement of violence in any form is contrary to Dartmouth values."
ANTIFA VIOLENCE BRINGS NO OUTRAGE FROM DEMS, AFTER DIRE WARNINGS ABOUT RIGHT-WING VIOLENCE
Bray and more than 100 university faculty members took issue with Hanlon's condemnation and accused him of limiting free speech, Valley News reported.
"The importance of being able to organize for self defense if necessary as a last resort has to be on the table when we think of how to confront neo-Nazis and white supremacists," Bray said on Vermont Public Radio last week.
On Tuesday, a letter filed by Bray supporters claimed Bray's comments didn't violate Dartmouth's free speech and academic freedom policies and Hanlon had read a "distorted" version of the professor's comments.
"Professor Bray was exposed to violent threats, without so much as a basic effort even to warn him that the College intended to endorse the mischaracterization of his position and the implied attack on his scholarly standing by making clear he had no institutional support," the letter read.
The letter requests the statement be removed. Bray told The Associated Press he appreciates the letter.
Members of the Antifa movement allegedly attacked peaceful protesters over the weekend in Berkeley. The group of more than 100 hooded protesters, with shields emblazoned with the words "no hate" and flags identifying themselves as anarchists, busted through police lines, avoiding security checks by officers to take away possible weapons. More than a dozen people were arrested in the melee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A group of evangelical leaders who released the Nashville Statement on Tuesday -- reiterating historic Christian viewpoints toward same-sex marriage and transgender rights -- have come under fire from critics on social media and Nashville's mayor.
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), consisting of a number of evangelical Christian leaders, published a manifesto aimed at addressing issues of sexuality. It was endorsed by scholars, pastors and leaders at a Nashville conference Friday.
The spirit of our age does not delight in Gods good design of male and female. Consequently, confusion reigns over some of the most basic questions of our humanity, CBMW President Denny Burk said in the statement.
The aim of the Nashville Statement is to shine a light into the darkness to declare the goodness of Gods design in our sexuality and in creating us as male and female.
Those signing the statement include at least two prominent evangelical figures who are among President Trumps evangelical advisers: Southern Baptist pastor Jack Graham and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, the Washington Post reported.
Perkins reportedly recommended to Trump that he ban transgender people from military service, the New York Times reported.
The document includes 14 points on issues such as gay, lesbian and transgender rights, and marriage -- rejecting what the signers describe as an attitude of moral indifference toward those issues.
The first point, for example, reiterates the mainstream Christian position that marriage is between a man and a woman:
We affirm that God has designed marriage to be covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride the church, reads the point, while adding that the group is against same-sex marriage.
We deny that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous relationship. We also deny that marriage is a mere human contract rather than a covenant made before God.
The manifesto also takes a swing at transgender issues, claiming in the fifth point that the differences between male and female reproductive structures are integral to God's design for self-conception as male or female.
In perhaps the most criticized point, the coalition affirms that homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a departure from Christian faithfulness and it is not an issue that otherwise faithful Christian should agree to disagree.
The document attracted a number of critics. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry tweeted that the document is poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville.
Other Twitter users denounced the statement for alleged bigoted views.
HBOs Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani, tweeted to his 1.7 million followers: "F*** the #NashvilleStatement. F*** the evil s--- that people justify using religion.
The God I know does not support the #NashvilleStatement, wrote Black Lives Matter leader Deray Mckesson.
Moms Demand founder Shannon Watts attacked the group that drafted the document for voting for Trump and suggesting that Jesus has been hijacked.
Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, however, pointed out that the statements points are merely mainstream Christian viewpoints.
Did I miss the part of the #NashvilleStatement where any serious Christian doctrine changed in the slightest? he tweeted, adding File this one under the same category as Pope Condemns Abortion.
Crews in Texas have found the bodies of 31 victims of Harvey's wrath, and warned on Wednesday that the number of dead would almost certainly soar as water levels across much of the Houston area start to recede.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded the storm to a Tropical Depression on Wednesday night. That move comes after new details emerged about Harvey's Texas victims.
Authorities say a married couple who drove their pickup truck into Harvey's floodwaters drowned after the current from a nearby creek swept them away.
Fort Bend County Sheriff's Maj. Chad Norvell says the couple was on the phone with 911 asking for help when the line went silent. When officers found the truck, it was completely submerged.
They lived in a rural area of the county southwest of Houston and they were headed to a relative's house nearby.
The announcement of the couple's death comes after Beaumont police said a woman's body turned up Wednesday morning -- but did not release her name or the possible circumstances that led to her death.
She would be at least the second person to have died in Beaumont this week. Crews found a shivering 3-year-old clinging to the body of her drowned mother in a rain-swollen canal Tuesday after the woman tried to carry her child to safety.
In addition, officials in Harris County made a grim announcement: They were investigating 17 more deaths as potentially Harvey-related, and would conduct autopsies to determine the causes.
Montgomery County Sheriff's Capt. Bryan Carlisle said one body was found around a barricade and in standing water on Monday, while another victim tried to swim across a flooded road.
The Daily Mail reported that two volunteer rescuers were killed when their motorboat was electrocuted by submerged power lines in Greens Bayou, and two other rescuers were missing. A fifth volunteer and two journalists survived but were forced to cling to trees and branches for about 18 hours, according to the website.
"We were hanging on for dear life," photojournalist Ruaridh Connellan said. "The water smelled putrid, like stagnant sewage, mixed with everything else," reporter Alan Butterfield added.
Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to avoid driving into flooded waters, cautioning that the worst is not yet over.
It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm, he said.
He said the Texas National Guard has activated 14,000 in addition to 10,000 troops from other states to help in the ongoing recovery efforts throughout the state.
In Houston, officers located a submerged van in which six members of a family were traveling when it was swept off a bridge and into a storm-ravaged bayou.
In neighboring Louisiana, where forecasters feared Harvey's torrential rains would cause massive flooding, the governor said "things are not as bad as had been forecasted."
"We've fared much better than we feared, but our neighbors are still taking it on the chin," Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference.
A levee has breached near Gueydan, La., and the National Guard is working in the area to address the issue, according to Edwards.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 330 people were being sheltered in the Lake Charles-area, including some from Texas.
Earlier on Wednesday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said federal government agencies would help those affected for as long as needed.
"We expect a many-year recovery in Texas and the federal government is in this for the long haul," Duke said. "We will help the people of Texas for as long as they need."
She added: "This particular storm was unprecedented in terms of volume, of rain, and that's what we're focusing on now."
NATION'S LARGEST OIL REFINERY IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SHUT DOWN
Duke said while officials were monitoring the situation in Louisiana, the focus remained on the greater Houston area, which saw more than 50 inches of rain after Harvey made landfall Saturday.
Catastrophic flooding is likely to persist days after the rain stops, she added.
With at least 13,000 rescued in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties, more people were still trying to escape from their inundated homes.
FEMA administrator Brock Long said more than 230 shelters are operating in Texas, housing more than 30,000 people.
"We're also calling on other states through emergency management assistance compacts, he said. "We're still in lifesaving, life sustaining mode.
He added: "Shelters are obviously not ideal and unfortunately people are going to be there for quite some time."
"The water levels are going down. And that's for the first time in several days," said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District.
However, some neighborhoods were still in danger as a levee along Cypress Creek in the northern part of the country could fail and swamp a subdivision where some residents ignored a mandatory evacuation order.
The water in two reservoirs that protect downtown Houston from flooding was likely to crest Wednesday at levels slightly below those that were forecast, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Texas community of Port Arthur found itself increasingly isolated Wednesday as Harvey's rains flooded most major roads out of the city and swamped a shelter for victims fleeing the storm that ravaged the Houston area.
The crisis deepened in the coastal city after Harvey rolled ashore overnight for the second time in six days, this time hitting southwestern Louisiana on the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The citys mayor, Derrick Freeman, urged residents to get to higher ground and to avoid becoming trapped in attics.
The city is underwater right now but we are coming! he wrote on Facebook.
NEW ORLEANS BRACES FOR POSSIBLE HARVEY FLOODING AMID PUMP FAILURES
On Wednesday, officials at the Pentagon said the U.S. Navy is moving the USS Kearsarge and USS Oak Hill to the area to assist, which are expected to arrive next week. The U.S. Coast Guard has 35 helicopters and 6 fixed-wing aircraft conducting missions, in addition to 92 shallow-water rescue boats conducting block-by-block search and rescue efforts.
Over 3,600 people have been rescued by air and shallow-water boats, according to Coast Guard officials.
In Louisiana, forecasters warned of potential tornadoes forming in northeast part of the state and across southern and central portions of Mississippi.
Forecasters initially warned Harvey could creep as far east as Mississippi by Thursday, meaning New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina unleashed its full wrath in 2005, would be in its path. Harvey is now expected to exit Louisiana over the northeast corner of the state, affecting Shreveport.
Harvey hit Texas as a Category 4 storm late Friday night packing 130 mph winds. It made a second landfall about three hours later before it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. After the winds dropped below 73 mph, it was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has promised the citys nearly 600,000 illegal immigrants that they wont be turned over to immigration authorities if they go to a shelter or ask for help during Harvey.
Turner, a lawyer, even went a step further, saying he would personally represent any illegal immigrant who faces deportation for seeking shelter during the storm.
I dont care who you are, I dont care what your status is, Turner said Monday. I do not want you to run the risk of losing your life or [that of] a family member because youre concerned about (Senate Bill) 4 or anything else."
Texas Senate Bill 4 outlaws sanctuary cities in the state and allows state and local law enforcement officers to check immigration status. It takes effect Sept. 1.
Turner said with everyone trying to deal with Harvey, now was the time to put the [immigration] law on the shelf.
I dont care who you are, I dont care what your status is. I do not want you to run the risk of losing your life or [that of] a family member because youre concerned about (Senate Bill) 4 or anything else. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in message to illegal immigrants.
Harvey is the strongest hurricane to hit the nation in 13 years, and the worst to strike Texas since Carla in 1961.
Theres absolutely no reason why anyone should not call [for help], Turner said. And I and others will be the first ones to stand up with you."
He added, If someone comes and they require help and then for some reason [someone] tries to deport them, I will represent them myself.
Houston and several other Texas cities and counties have filed a lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 4s constitutionality.
Immigrant rights groups hailed Turners outreach efforts.
Its not the time for anyone to ask anyone about immigration status. Its a time to help people. Ira Mehlman, spokesman, Federation for American Immigration Reform
Its very important for him to deliver that message, said Mary Moreno, communications director for the Houston-based Texas Organizing Project. People were already afraid not only because of what [President] Trump is doing [about illegal immigration], but also because of SB-4, which ties the hands of police chiefs who prohibited their officers from asking immigration status.
SB-4 allows a police officer to take it upon himself to be an immigration agent, and thats created a lot of fear, even though police were already assuring people that they should come forward for help during the hurricane, she said.
Even proponents of Senate Bill 4 commended Turners efforts, saying that saving lives supercedes everything else.
We dont have any problem with his message when dealing with disaster thats life and death, and where people are in a dire situation, said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR. Its not the time for anyone to ask anyone about immigration status. Its a time to help people.
As Louisiana braced to be hit by tropical storm Harvey, which has caused death and destruction in neighboring Texas, many of the state's residents still live with the memory of Hurricane Katrina's devastating floods 12 years ago.
Harvey has already pounded neighborhoods in southwestern Louisiana near the Texas line prompting the rescue mission of hundreds of people on the anniversary of Katrina and putting key institutions on alert, fearing the worst has yet to come to the Pelican State.
Around 500 people were forced to evacuate overnight from Calcasieu Parish following heavy rains that pushed waterways out of their bank, according to parish spokesman Tom Hoefer.
He said about 5,000 residents were affected by the flooding, although not all them saw their homes flooded.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, meanwhile, told residents to remain at home Tuesday, alerting of possible threat of floods. Schools, universities and a medical school were shut down as a precaution.
A march and a ceremony to commemorate the 2005 storm was delayed until Sunday.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said authorities were responding well to situation near the states borders.
You never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us, but with the people in this room, Im confident we can handle it, he said.
The devastating flood that struck Texas, with a death toll reaching 30, according to the New York Times, has brought back memories for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, which made the landfall on the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005.
It really evoked a lot of emotions and heartbreak for the people who are going through that now in Houston, said Ray Gratia, whose home in New Orleans was flooded by Katrina.
But despite potentially worsening conditions in Louisiana, many residents were carrying on with their normal routines.
Jerry Roppolo, 65, an owner of a trendy coffee house where water frequently reaches the threshold during heavy rains, said he cant afford not to open.
Normally busy, this Tuesday the coffee house was rather empty, with Roppolo suggesting it has got to do with school closures. A lot of the parents come in on the way to school, on the way from school, he said.
Some evacuated residents from southwestern Louisiana returned to their homes Tuesday morning, collecting valuables and checking their homes for flood damage.
I wanted to get my mothers Bible out of the house and there were some things we needed our medicine, were both on medications, said David Wells, 65. I got a feeling its going to get worse before it gets any better.
Evacuations, however, continued Tuesday in rural areas outside Lake Charles. Authorities were focused on deserting the most flood-prone neighborhoods, especially near the town of Iowa. Residents living near the Mermentau River and Bayou Nezpique were told to leave by the Acadia Parish officials.
According to a spokesman for Gov. Edwards, there were no reported Harvey-related deaths in Louisiana so far.
The next few days will be the key challenge to the state. Harvey was expected to make landfall Wednesday in Cameron Parish, in southwest Louisiana, said National Weather Service meteorologists.
In western Louisiana, meanwhile, as much as 6 to 12 more inches of rain could fall.
We are starting to get down to the end of the tunnel of all this rain, said Roger Erickson, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
He warned that some coastal rivers will not be capable to drain heavy rains as Harveys winds, which could be between 40 mph and 50 mph depending on the area, are moving the storm into coastal waters and further exacerbating the flooding of the areas that already have more than 20 inches of rain.
Mike Shields, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Slidell office, projected that conditions will start improving Thursday as the storm moves further inland, NOLA.com reported.
With Harvey gone, the chances of rain will decrease dramatically to slightly above 40 percent over Labor Day weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The mayor of the city known for being the epicenter of the free speech movement is now urging a university to cancel plans by a conservative group for a Free Speech Week in September -- the request coming after recent violent clashes in the city.
Mayor Jesse Arreguin told the San Francisco Chronicle Monday he didn't want the University of California, Berkeley "being used as a punching bag" in the wake of Antifa members' attack on conservative demonstrators.
I am concerned about these groups using large protests to create mayhem," Arreguin told the newspaper.
A conservative campus group, called the Berkeley Patriot, is set to host controversial author Milo Yiannopoulos during its scheduled Free Speech Week from Sept. 24-27. The last time Yiannopoulos came to the university, his event was canceled because of violence on campus, which included the throwing of Molotov cocktails.
PELOSI CONDEMNS ANTIFA VIOLENCE IN BERKELEY AFTER CRITICISM
When asked during a subsequent interview with KTVU if it was fair for a conservative group to cancel its event when recent violence was caused by left-wing actors, the mayor said his concerns have nothing to do with the content of speech.
"If there was a far left speaker that was coming to Berkeley campus who we knew would draw extremist groups to clash, I would express the same concerns," he told KTVU.
While the mayor may want the event scuttled, school officials said UC Berkeley wasnt the one extending the invitation, and doesn't have the right to "interfere with or cancel invitations based on the perspectives and beliefs of the speakers.
BERKELEY CONSERVATIVES SPEAK OUT AGAINST ANTIFA FOLLOWING VIOLENT PROTESTS
"If the law is broken in the course of the event we will react immediately and appropriately, but we can't, based on a generalized concern, shut down speech before it occurs," UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof told KTVU. "The law and the Supreme Court have been absolutely clear on that front."
In addition to the appearance by Yiannopoulos, Berkeley Patriot is trying to convince Breitbart editor and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and conservative commentator Ann Coulter to appear during its Free Speech Week. Coulter cancelled an event planned on the campus in April amid threats of violence.
As Louisiana braced to be hit by tropical storm Harvey, which has caused death and destruction in neighboring Texas, many of the state's residents still live with the memory of Hurricane Katrina's devastating floods 12 years ago.
Harvey has already pounded neighborhoods in southwestern Louisiana near the Texas line prompting the rescue mission of hundreds of people on the anniversary of Katrina and putting key institutions on alert, fearing the worst has yet to come to the Pelican State.
ABC REPORTER SLAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA | HARVEY DUMPS RECORD RAIN ON TEXAS
MORE DANGER TO COME?
North Korea said its dictator Kim Jong Un was present Tuesday for a flight test of a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U.S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
The leader of the Hermit Kingdom has called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific an apparent threat to the U.S. territory of Guam and a possible precursor to more missiles flying over Japan.
FEINSTEIN: TRUMP CAN BE A GOOD PRESIDENT
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., stunned a San Francisco audience Tuesday when she said that if President Trump "can learn and change," he could be a good president.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Feinstein made the comments during a sold-out Herbst Theater interview. She was onstage with Ellen Tauscher, a former Bay Area congresswoman.
'SAD EVENT'
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemned attacks by members of Antifa against conservative demonstrators over the weekend in Berkeley, Calif., calling the violence a "sad event."
"Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public, no matter the ideology of those who commit such acts," Pelosi said in a statement Tuesday evening.
COMING UP ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL
2: 30 PM ET: President Trump participates in a tax reform kickoff event. Loren Cook Company, Springfield, MO. Watch live on FoxNews.com and Fox News Channel.
COMING UP ON FOX BUSINESS
6 AM ET: Tony Mancuso, Calcasieu Parish sheriff, Lake Charles, La. will be on Mornings with Maria
7 AM ET: Kathleen Blanco, former Louisiana Governor (D) will be on Mornings with Maria
8:20 AM ET - Sharon Miller, Bank Of America Head Of Small Business, will be a guest on Mornings with Maria
3 PM ET - Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway chairman & CEO, will be a guest on 'Countdown to the Closing Bell'
4 PM ET: Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Louisiana Lt. governor, will be on After the Bell
Nashville's mayor is denouncing a statement against same-sex marriage that evangelical leaders named after the city.
On Tuesday, Mayor Megan Barry tweeted that the "Nashville Statement" is poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city and people of Nashville.
More than 180 evangelical leaders have signed the statement, which was released after the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission annual conference last week in Nashville.
Among 14 beliefs listed, the statement also takes a stance against transgender people. It says Christians shouldn't simply agree to disagree on homosexuality and transgender issues.
In response to Barry's tweet, Coalition for Biblical Sexuality President Denny Burk wrote that the group was simply following a longstanding Christian tradition of naming doctrinal statements after where they were written.
The nation's largest oil refinery was shuttered Wednesday in Texas, as the mayor of Port Arthur said his "whole city is underwater" -- all while Tropical Storm Harvey continued to pummel Southeast Texas with torrential rainfall.
Motiva Enterprises said in a statement Wednesday it began the shutdown around 5 a.m. of all units at the nation's largest refinery, located about 100 miles east of Houston, due to flooding at the Port Arthur plant.
The Port Arthur refinery, which produces 603,000 barrels per day, was lashed by heavy rain and portions of the facility were flooded, Reuters reported. The company that operates the plant said a return to service is "contingent upon recession of flood waters in the area."
The plant supplies gasoline and diesel to thousands of retail outlets under the iconic Shell and 76-brands, according to FOX 26 Houston.
A rain gauge at Beaumont-Port Arthur Airport has received about 25 inches in the last 24 hours, for a total of 39.22 inches in the last three days.
Elsewhere in the Gulf City, weary evacuees at the Bowers Civic Center were overrun by floodwaters spawned by Harvey, according to Jefferson County sheriff's deputy Marcus McLellan.
At least 100 displaced people were forced to head up to bleacher seats, abandoning cots and belongings on the civic center floor, which was under about a foot of water. They were being relocated to the Carl Parker Center, city officials said.
Some residents were also taking shelter in a bowling alley.
Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman said on Facebook that rescue teams were fighting an apartment fire in the midst of the storm, and dump trucks headed to different neighborhoods across the city.
"Our whole city is under water right now but we are coming! If you called, we are coming," Freeman wrote. "Please get to higher ground if you can, but please try stay out of attics."
The city put out a plea for boats Wednesday morning, saying on Twitter "Individuals with boats are needed in Port Arthur for rescues."
City officials put out an additional grim warning, saying "If you need rescued please display a white towel, sheet, shirt or anything to let volunteer rescuers know."
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick told KBMT-TV hundreds, if not thousands of homes, are inundated with water, adding the city is "being overwhelmed with calls for service."
"There are people that are needing to be rescued and evacuated, brought to sheltering areas and given the nighttime hours, the darkness, it's impossible to wage a boat rescue and we simply don't have enough high-water vehicles that are available to us," Branick told the television station.
At least one body was found floating in floodwaters in nearby Beaumont, according to KMBT.
After drenching Texas, Harvey is forecast to drop substantial amounts of rain on Louisiana before moving on to Arkansas, Tennessee and parts of Missouri, which could also see flooding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Flooding from Harvey is expected to continue for days following the storm's final landfall in the United States.
Record-breaking rainfall has occurred in parts of Texas, including Beaumont, which has been drenched by more than 40 inches of rain between Aug. 26 and Aug. 29.
Shelters are swelling to capacity as hundreds of thousands of displaced people seek help following the storm. Water damage, mold and disease-ridden water will possibly render parts of Houston inhabitable for weeks and possibly months.
The number of people killed by the storm is also expected to rise as rescuers slowly begin to shift to the recovery phase in impacted areas. So far, Harvey has claimed the lives of at least 20 people.
Dr. Joel N. Myers, AccuWeather's founder, president and chairman, stated that Harvey will be "the worst natural disaster in American history."
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12 p.m. CDT Monday: Residents are being urged to evacuate as soon as possible from parts of the Inverness Forest Subdivision in Harris County, Texas, according to the Harris County Flood Control District.
This is due to extremely high and rising levels in Cypress Creek which may cause the Inverness Forest Levee to overtop or breach, officials said.
10:46 a.m. CDT Wednesday: Mandatory evacuations continue for Inverness Forest, a suburban Houston subdivision, as Harris County flood control officials are concerned that a levee could fail.
Officials worry that a levee failure would exacerbate the Harvey-related flooding, according to the AP.
Spokesman Jeff Lindner said if the weakened section of levee along Cypress Creek in Inverness Forest is breached, water is going to rise very quickly and very fast, and it is going to be deep.
10:21 a.m. CDT Wednesday: The Harvey-related death toll has risen to 20 fatalities, according to the Associated Press.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office confirmed that two men drowned on Monday in separate incidents.
A 33-year-old man from Conroe, Texas, was killed after driving his pickup truck past a barricade through standing water. Another man died after attempting to swim across a flooded roadway, according to witnesses.
True to form, President Donald Trump sowed policy confusion with a tweet.
Declaring Wednesday that "talking is not the answer" on North Korea, Trump's message appeared to clash with efforts by his Cabinet members to safeguard the possibility of a diplomatic solution as Kim Jong Un's military races toward mastering a nuclear-tipped missile that can reach America.
The president's morning tweet came a day after a highly provocative North Korean missile test that flew over Japan, a close American ally, potentially endangering civilians on the ground. On Wednesday, Kim called for more weapons launches in the Pacific.
"The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!" Trump tweeted.
The statement raised fresh uncertainty about the Trump administration's strategy for North Korea. How the U.S. plans address the North's growing nuclear capabilities is of increasing urgency not just in Northeast Asia, but also in the United States. Last month, the isolated, communist country tested for the first time a missile that could potentially strike the U.S. mainland.
Trump didn't spell out what he meant by "extortion," but he appeared to be referring to the $1.3 billion the U.S. has provided in aid to North Korea since 1995. Most of that has been food and fuel.
Criticism of past administrations' failures to halt North Korea's march toward nuclear weapons has been a recurrent theme from Trump. However, his comment overlooked that fact there's been virtually no U.S. aid to North Korea since early 2009. Talks also have been in limbo for years. The last formal negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang on the nuclear issue occurred in 2012.
Eliminating the possibility of new negotiations could limit U.S. options. It also risks increasing the chance of military confrontation between nuclear-armed powers.
Within hours of Trump's tweet, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis appeared to contradict him.
"We're never out of diplomatic solutions," Mattis said as he met with his counterpart from South Korea for talks on military readiness.
The U.S.-allied government supports, in theory, greater diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang. If war were to ever break out, millions of South Koreans would immediately find themselves within range of the North's large conventional weapons arsenal.
In Geneva, Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, sought to explain the president's tweet.
Trump was expressing his frustration at North Korea's "dangerous and provocative threats," Wood said. But like Mattis, he said the U.S. remained willing to discuss the North's denuclearization.
"The United States is open to trying to deal with this question diplomatically, but the other side is not," Wood told reporters.
It's not the first time Trump has complicated his administration's national security message via social media.
Last month, as aides worked to defuse tensions between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, Trump blindsided them by tweeting that Qatar funded terrorism. The gas-rich monarchy hosts 11,000 U.S. troops.
Trump also surprised officials with tweets on Russia and banning transgender people in the military.
Supporters of U.S. engagement with North Korea argue that periods when the U.S. is talking and providing aid to the country have proved the most successful in curbing its weapons development. In the past five years, without formal talks, the North's technological strides have been most rapid.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week hinted at possible direct talks if North Korea demonstrated its sincerity by stopping weapons tests. The U.S. also has been maintaining a diplomatic back channel with North Korea.
The immediate outlook for diplomacy, however, appears bleak.
On Wednesday, North Korea's Kim called for more weapons launches into the Pacific Ocean. The Korean Central News Agency said the launch that overflew Japan was of an intermediate-range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month. It described the launch as a "muscle-flexing" countermeasure to U.S.-South Korean military drills that conclude Thursday.
Trump offered a surprisingly subdued, initial response to the Japan overflight Tuesday, without any of the bombast of earlier this month when he warned the North of "fire and fury" if its threats persist. He said "all options are on the table," a standard formulation signaling Washington hasn't ruled out military action.
While the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday condemned the launch as "outrageous," there was no move to impose more sanctions.
At the disarmament body in Geneva, North Korean diplomat Ju Yong Chol said the council's statement revealed Washington's "evil intention to obliterate the DPRK's sovereignty and rights to existence and development."
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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Jill Colvin, Robert Burns and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced Wednesday that it successfully shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii in a new test of its missile defense system at sea.
The USS John Paul Jones, a guided-missile destroyer successfully launched an SM-6 interceptor missile to shoot down the target.
This test comes after a previous failed test in June from the same warship.
We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone in giving our Aegis BMD ships an enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase, MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said in a statement. We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves.
The ship detected and tracked a target missile launched from Kauai, Hawaii, "with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar, and onboard SM-6 missiles executed the intercept," the statement read.
The test comes after North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its capital Pyongyang that flew over Japan before plunging into the northern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, an aggressive test-flight over the territory of a close U.S. ally that sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.
Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
President Trump offered a surprisingly subdued response Tuesday, pulling back from his administration's recent suggestions of a dialogue with the communist country but also avoiding a repeat of his bombastic warnings earlier this month of a potential military confrontation.
Instead, Trump's terse, written statement reiterating that all U.S. options are being considered pointed to an administration cautiously searching for an effective policy, even as the North's test risked endangering Japanese civilians. Washington and its allies called an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting for later Tuesday, but looked short on new ideas for stopping the nuclear and missile advances that are increasingly putting the U.S. mainland within range.
"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said after the North's missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report
A West Virginia man pinned a woman against a wall last week and branded her multiple times with a fork and a horseshoe, police said Wednesday.
Ervin Franklin Harold, 51, has been charged with malicious wounding and domestic assault in the incident, which happened in Bluefield. He was held in Southern Regional Jail Wednesday morning on $10,500 bail.
WEST VIRGINIA OFFICER KILLED DURING PURSUIT IDENTIFIED
Cops said Harold branded her twice with a horseshoe -- which he attached to a coat hanger to avoid being burned -- and once with a fork.
It was unclear what sparked the alleged attack.
The woman was treated at the hospital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police say a West Virginia man allegedly branded a woman with a horseshoe and a fork.
News outlets report Ervin Harold of Bluefield was charged with malicious wounding and domestic assault.
Bluefield Police Detective J.B. Fox says Harold allegedly held the woman against a wall last week and branded her twice with a horseshoe and once with a fork. Fox says Harold allegedly held the horseshoe with a coat hanger so he wouldn't burn himself.
The woman sought treatment at a hospital.
Harold was being held Tuesday on $10,500 bond in the Bluefield City Jail. It wasn't immediately known whether he had an attorney.
North Korea launched what it called a successful missile in August that flew over Japan and into the northern Pacific Ocean an apparent threat to Guam, according to its state run media.
After the launch, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for even more weapons launches targeting the Pacific Ocean to advance his countrys ability to contain the U.S. territory of Guam, state media said.
The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.
Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, is tiny but its strategic location is of great importance, especially to the U.S. military.
Heres a rundown on the island and its significance.
Location
Roughly 2,100 miles south of North Korea, Guam is one of the U.S. territories closest to Asia.
Guam, which is 210 square miles, is nearly 4,000 miles west of Hawaii.
Its proximity to China, Japan, the Philippines and the Korean Peninsula has long made the island an essential position for the U.S. military.
Military importance
Reportedly called Americas permanent aircraft carrier by military commanders, Guam is home to some 7,000 U.S. service members. Its total population is more than 162,000, according to the latest census data.
The U.S. keeps a Naval base and Coast Guard station in the south, and an Air Force base in the north that saw heavy use during the Vietnam War.
While already taking up 30 percent of the island, the American military has been seeking to increase its presence by relocating thousands of Marines, who are currently based in Okinawa, Japan, to Guam.
Former Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said in 2014 that Guam increasingly has become a strategic hub for the U.S. military.
Guam has always been a central part of our plans, Work said then. Certainly, a central part of the Navys plans, but now a central part of the entire Department of Defenses plans.
Guam is also armed with the U.S. Armys missile defense system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD the same system recently installed in South Korea.
While the 162,000 Guamanians on the island rely primarily on tourism, the U.S. military is also essential to the islands economy.
Relationship with the U.S.
Though Guam was initially claimed by Spain in 1565, it became a U.S. territory in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.
Japan seized it for more than two years during World War II. But in 1950, an act of Congress made it an unincorporated organized territory of the United States.
Guam has limited self-government, with a popularly elected governor, small legislature and a non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. Residents do not pay U.S. income taxes or vote in the general election for president, but they are U.S. citizens by birth.
Guams response
Despite the growing concerns and threats, Guamanians feel reassured and protected by the military.
"I feel that the presence of the military on Guam will help us a lot," said Virgie Matson, 51, a resident of Dededo, Guam's most populated village. "They are here to protect the islands, just in case something happens."
A missile launched from North Korea would only take about 14 minutes to reach the island, Guam Homeland Security spokeswoman Jenna Gaminde told the Pacific Daily News. And if a missile would be fired, Guam residents would be notified immediately through alert sirens.
In an interview with Fox News, Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo dismissed the continuing threats from North Korea, chalking them up to the nations position of fear.
There is a defense umbrella contained within South Korea, there is a defense umbrella for Japan, there are naval assets between Korea, Japan and Guam, and there is a missile defense system of Guam that make up a multi-level defensive umbrella, Calvo said.
Calvo thanked Trump for his support in a recent phone call and said "everyone should be unifying behind our president."
"Mr. President, as the governor of Guam representing the people of Guam and as an American citizen, I have never felt more safe or as confident with you at the helm," Calvo said. "We need a president like you, so I'm just so thankful, and I'm glad you're holding the helm, sir."
Trump responded that Guam shouldn't "have to worry about a thing." He also said tourism in Guam will "go up ten-fold."
Guam Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio called Kim Jong Un the demon in the rising tensions and said threats from North Korea arent uncommon.
We know that multiple layers of defense that protect our island, along with the rest of our partners and our allies in the region, we have confidence in them, Tenorio told Fox Business.
"An attack or threat to Guam is a threat or attack on the United States," Calvo, who has been in contact with White House officials said. "They have said that America will be defended."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 33-year-old woman found with rosary beads in her throat died in a Bronx, N.Y., hospital Tuesday, according to New York City police.
Earlier Tuesday, the unidentified womans boyfriend was seen naked in the street and shouting about the devil, the New York Daily News reported.
Police officers tasered the man and took him to a hospital, the newspaper reported.
Paramedics tried to revive the woman when they arrived at an apartment in the Highbridge section of the Bronx around 5:25 p.m., WPIX-TV reported. She was found unconscious and unresponsive in a hallway, the television station reported.
North Korea said its dictator Kim Jong Un was present Tuesday for a flight test of a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over U.S. ally Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.
The leader of the Hermit Kingdom has called for more ballistic missile launches into the Pacific an apparent threat to the U.S. territory of Guam and a possible precursor to more missiles flying over Japan.
Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said his country would continue to watch U.S. demeanors before it decided on future actions. He called the launch a meaningful prelude to containing Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases that North Korea finds threatening, and said the country needs to conduct more missile launches into the Pacific to advance the capabilities of its strategic force, according to Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency.
The agency said Wednesday that the missile fired over Japan on Tuesday was the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile that the North recently threatened to fire into waters near Guam.
South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
The U.N. Security Council said it strongly condemns North Koreas launch of the missile over Japan and is reiterating demands for Pyongyang to halt its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
The U.N.s most powerful body approved the statement after an emergency meeting Tuesday on the missile test, calling North Koreas actions outrageous.
The test came less than a month after the council imposed its toughest-yet sanctions on North Korea.
The statement doesnt discuss any potential new sanctions but calls for strict implementation of existing ones. The council also says its committed to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation.
North Korea isnt on the 15-member council.
President Trump said Tuesday that all options are on the table after North Korea launched the missile over Japan, an act that instantly renewed tensions in the region just days after the regime appeared to be backing down from threats against the U.S. and its allies.
OPINION: NORTH KOREA SHOWED THE WORLD HOW IT COULD START A WAR
The world has received North Koreas latest message loud and clear: this regime has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior, said Trump in a written statement released by the White House.
Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regimes isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table, the statement continued.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The United States sent extra fighter planes to guard the Baltic skies as Russia and Belarus prepare to conduct military exercises next month, joining three other NATO monitors to observe the war games -- despite Russian officials insisting the exercises pose no threat.
Seven U.S. F-15 fighters arrived in Siauliai airfield in Lithuania this week, three more planes than the usual amount sent, Reuters reported Wednesday. The aircrafts will guard the skies over NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- none of whom have fighter jets -- as Russia gears up for the Zapad war games.
The military exercises are expected to occur between Sept. 14 and 20 in Belarus, western Russia and Russia' enclave of Kaliningrad, with fewer than 13,000 troops participating in it.
Tod Wolters, the top U.S. Air Force commander in Europe, said the increase in fighter aircrafts is a response to "training opportunities" in Lithuania.
"The air policing mission will remain as it has been. And the purpose of the air policing mission is to protect the sovereign skies of the three Baltic nations," Wolters said.
NATO announced on Wednesday it will also send three experts to observe the Zapad games, but alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he wants rules to be changed to allow broader monitoring.
"It's especially important now, because tensions are higher than they used to be. There is more military activity, more exercises and therefore it's even more important that we avoid incidents and accidents or misunderstandings," he told The Associated Press on Friday, in Orzysz, Poland.
NATO members are concerned the Russian military will leave soldiers in Belarus after the exercises are over, allowing Putin to send troops quickly across the border if he plans to invade. The Russian president deployed the same tactic in 2008 with Georgia and 2014 with Ukraine.
Russia's Deputy Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Alexander Fomin rejected "myths about the so-called Russian threat."
A continuous rotation of about 4,000 U.S. troops are being stationed in Eastern Europe and relearning Cold War-era fighting tactics to keep the Russian aggression in the region in check, Fox News reported earlier this month. The additional troop rotations were first announced in March 2016.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The home-made Nautilus submarine where journalist Kim Wall was last seen alive was scanned Tuesday, as authorities hunted for any possible hidden compartments the vessel might contain.
Copenhagen Police, who are still searching for Wall's head and the location and manner of her death, said in a statement a mobile truck scanner typically used to scan shipping containers is being brought in "on the basis of many different inquiries about possible cavities in submarines in general, and specifically also in relation to Nautilus."
The 40-ton, nearly 60 foot-long submarine, which sank earlier this month, now stands on land in a remote corner of Copenhagen's harbor.
As police started the search, a friend of owner and prime suspect Peter Madsen told the Danish BT tabloid it is almost impossible to hide something on board.
Jens Falkenberg, who told the news outlet he was involved in building the vessel, said there is no secret space on board.
"The submarine is not built or prepared to conceal something or have some secret spaces," Falkenberg told the tabloid.
In addition to the search of the sub, police said Swedish colleagues with dogs specially trained to search for corpses in the water were combing the Copenhagen coast looking for clothing and more missing body parts from Wall. That search is expected to last two days, police said.
Wall's naked, headless body was found Aug. 21 on a Copenhagen beach, 10 days after she was last seen entering Madsen's sub.
Police said earlier Wall's head, arms and legs had been deliberately cut off and a piece of metal had been attached to the torso "likely with the purpose to make it sink." Police also said marks on the torso indicated that someone had tried to press air out of the body so it wouldn't float.
A search with a plane over the coastline Monday looking for journalist's clothes, including an orange turtleneck blouse, a black-and-white skirt and white sneakers produced no results, police said.
Madsen, 46, is being held in the death of the 30-year-old Wall, and faces preliminary manslaughter and indecent handling of a corpse charges. He has denied wrongdoing, saying Wall died in an accident, and he buried her at sea.
The inventor was detained after being rescued Aug. 11 from the submarine, which police believe was deliberately sunk.
Last week, Danish Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen told the B.T. tabloid that police expect to raise the preliminary charges against Madsen to murder and indecent handling of corpse when he appears at a custody hearing Sept. 5 on whether his pre-trial detention should be extended
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Japan's deputy prime minister has retracted his comment that seemed to praise the motives of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Taro Aso was speaking at a political seminar Tuesday when he said: "I don't question a politician's motives; it is delivering results that matter. Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good, even if his intentions had been good."
Japan's government confirmed Wednesday that Aso had retracted the comment as inappropriate.
Aso in 2008 was criticized for comparing the tactics of the Democratic Party of Japan to those of Nazis in 1930s Germany. And in 2013 he withdrew a comment that seemed to suggest Japanese leaders should follow Nazi Germany's example in changing the constitution.
Jordan and Iraq reopened their only border crossing Wednesday after a two-year closure, taking a step toward stabilizing an area devastated by Islamic State extremists and allowing for a resumption of vital trade.
Iraqi and Jordanian officials celebrated the reopening as another victory over the militant group, which has been pushed back by U.S-backed military offensives in northern and western Iraq over the past year.
Ending the closure "means we have told the world we are greater ... than any terrorist group," Iraq's interior minister, Qassim al-Araji, said in a ceremony on the Jordanian side of the border post.
Reviving cross-border traffic could help bring normalcy back to Iraq's Anbar border province after years of heavy fighting to drive IS militants from its towns and cities. It would also give a boost to Jordan's sluggish economy. Iraq is a key market for Jordan, and exports dropped by more than two-thirds after the 2015 closure.
ISIS PUTS UP TOUGH RESISTANCE OUTSIDE TAL AFAR, IRAQI MILITARY SAYS
Jordanian and Iraqi officials did not set a firm date for the resumption of truck and passenger traffic across the border post, known in Jordan as Karameh and in Iraq as Trebil. The crossing sits along a 900-kilometer (560-mile) trade route linking Jordan's capital, Amman, and Iraq's capital, Baghdad.
Iraqi officials said Wednesday that the highway linking the border with Baghdad is safe, with security provided by Iraqi troops since late last year. Still, IS militants have launched several lethal attacks on troops stationed there or traveling on the highway to nearby towns.
In the future, a private international security firm, Olive Group, is to rehabilitate the highway and the crossing point, said the governor of Anbar province, Mohammed al-Halboosi.
He said negotiations between the Iraqi government and the contractor are ongoing, and that one of the remaining issues is whether the contractor will also provide security along the highway.
"I think we can move (forward) from now" with truck traffic, he told The Associated Press. "But we must make a plan ... to protect the road from any Daesh movement," he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
On Wednesday, journalists had their passports stamped by Jordanian border officials before heading to the Iraqi side.
DISPUTED IRAQI PROVINCE TO VOTE ON KURDISH INDEPENDENCE
Along the way, several disabled trucks sat by the side of the road, apparently stranded there since the closure. Iraqi border officials still weren't ready for a reopening, initially collecting passports of journalists to stamp them, but then handing back the documents and saying it was not possible at this time.
After the Islamic State group's swift territorial grabs in Iraq in 2014, the militants controlled large areas between Trebil and Baghdad, enabling them to impose taxes on cargo trucks driving through their territories. The crossing was closed by Iraqi authorities in July 2015 to deprive the militants of such income.
Iraq used to ship 10,000 to 12,000 barrels a day of oil to Jordan by truck, which sold at preferential rates. The Iraqi shipments made up about a 20th of energy-poor Jordan's daily needs.
Before the IS land grabs, Jordan exported about 1 billion Jordanian dinars ($1.4 billion) to Iraq each year. By 2016, this had dropped to 300 million Jordanian dinars ($424 million), with goods shipped via a longer route through Saudi Arabia. Exports include agricultural produce and plastics.
Hundreds of factories in Jordan closed as a result of the border closure.
Jordan's fragile economy suffered other serious setbacks, including the spillover from Syria's civil war. Jordan's trade crossing with Syria was closed in the spring of 2015, and remains shuttered.
As a result, Jordan has suffered sluggish growth of just 2 percent in 2016, below the regional average. Unemployment climbed to 18.2 percent in the first quarter of 2017, including about 35 percent among college graduates.
The leaders of North Korea's horrific prison camps encourage guards to beat prisoners to death and induce starvation, to the point prisoners appear as "walking skeletons," "dwarfs" and "cripples" in rags, a U.S. State Department fact sheet revealed.
The report highlighted details gathered from six prison camps, some of which housed as many as 50,000 prisoners, mostly detained for political offenses. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights prepared the information published Friday detailing a prisoners' daily struggle to even obtain a decent meal at the camps.
"Induced starvation is common among prisoners, who are driven to catch and eat rodents, frogs and snakes," the report said.
DEFECTORS FROM NORTH KOREA DESCRIBE CONCENTRATION CAMP, DAILY LIFE
A former camp guard, identified as Ahn Myong-chol, said inmates appeared like "walking skeletons, 'dwarfs,' and 'cripples' in rags," and about 1,500 to 2,000 of them would die of malnutrition yearly. Food is scarce in the rogue nation, with an estimated 70 percent of the population -- about 18 million people -- going hungry, the United Nations reported.
"The number of deaths from beating prisoners was so high that at one point, the guards were encouraged to be less violent." State Department report
Jun Heo, who was just a teenager when he was sent to one of the camps, previously told Fox News he would be beaten black and blue and tortured constantly. Cries and screams were a constant backdrop and prisoners were forced to perform hard labor for 14 hours straight.
Ahn echoed the reports of brutal beatings, saying he and other guards were encouraged to view the prisoners as sub-human, and strike them repeatedly as punishment, according to the report.
"The number of deaths from beating prisoners was so high that at one point, the guards were encouraged to be less violent," the report stated.
Prisoners were assigned to intensive labor such as coal mining and cement making, and they often died due to work-related accidents. An unconfirmed report also indicated a nuclear test site was being constructed in a prison, the State Department said.
NORTH KOREA FIRING SQUAD CARRIES OUT PUBLIC EXECUTIONS IN SCHOOL YARDS, REPORT SAYS
North Korea has been known to imprison its citizens for so-called crimes that include speaking badly about the regime and its leader, Kim Jong Un, distributing South Korean media or stealing rice or livestock. A report released by the The Transnational Justice Working Group in Seoul in July also uncovered public executions carried out on "criminals" in schoolyards and fish markets in an attempt to instill an "atmosphere of fear" among the citizens.
The brutalities of the regime's prison camps made international news earlier this year when American student Otto Warmbier, who was held by North Korea for more than a year, returned to the U.S. in a coma. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a political poster from a hotel in Pyongyang.
Warmbier died after suffering severe brain damage. North Korea denied cruelly treating or torturing Warmbier during his time in its prisons, claiming Pyongyang was the "biggest victim" in the incident.
The Pentagon acknowledged Wednesday that there are thousands more American troops deployed in Afghanistan than repeatedly disclosed.
The number of troops deployed to Afghanistan is actually closer to 11,000, Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White said at a news conference. The Pentagon previously said there were 8,400 troops in Afghanistan under the Obama administration's troop cap.
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered a change to how the Pentagon accounts for the number of troops serving in Afghanistan. A similar review to obtain accurate numbers of troops is pending for Iraq and Syria.
THOUSANDS OF US TROOPS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN AFGHANISTAN SOON
The estimated 11,000 soldiers in Afghanistan would not include future adjustments that Mattis may make to follow President Trumps new strategy in South Asia, Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, of the Marine Corps, said.
Military officials have long quietly acknowledged there are more troops in Afghanistan than the previous administrations troop cap permitted. Commanders shuffled troops in and out, but labeled many as temporary and used other personnel accounting tactics to keep the public count artificially low.
The Afghanistan troop announcement comes as the Pentagon reportedly prepares to send close to 4,000 more troops to fight in the war-torn country.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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In the decades since the end of World War II, reminding Germany of its Nazi past has become a temptation whenever tensions arise over current events in Europe.
So recent assertions by politicians in Warsaw that Germany owes Poland reparations for the mass atrocities and destruction the brutal Nazi occupation of the country are being met with skepticism from some, even though many Poles support the calls.
Germany says the matter of financial compensation was settled long ago, and international legal scholars agree Poland has no legal claim to compensation at this point. What's more, the demand has emerged amid rising tensions between Poland and Western European powers.
The demand has emerged amid rising tensions between Poland and Western European powers.
It doesnt weigh nearly as much as a bull but it apparently packs just as hard of a punch.
Two men sprinting down a Spanish towns streets during its animal-friendly Running over the balls event were left with serious injuries after the 660-pound resin object flattened them along the course.
One of the shocking incidents in Mataelpino, north of Madrid, was captured on camera Saturday and shows a man trapped against a fence as the 9-foot-high ball careens toward him. The white ball with a bull painted on its front which can reach speeds up to 20 mph -- then smashes into the man, forcing him to hit his head on the street.
The man is reported to have suffered a fractured skull and is still hospitalized and in a coma, while another man was released after being treated for three broken ribs and a concussion, The Telegraph reported, citing local media.
We are going to review all of our security measures and boost the information given out because people have started coming here from all over the world. We dont want this to become a tragic event, but rather something fun, Mayor Perez de los Nietos told El Pais, a Spanish newspaper.
SPANISH TOWNS BUCK TRADITION WITH 'RUNNING OF THE BALLS' EVENTS
People who are used to bulls know that they cant just stand still in front of them because they could be gored. But with the ball some people think that nothing will happen to them, but this is not the case. If they get a direct hit, it can be serious, he added.
The town started the event in 2011 as a cost-effective replacement to the traditional livestock Running of the Bulls events across Spain, and has received praise from animal rights groups such as PETA.
North Koreas latest missile test is raising serious questions on whether the U.S. military should consider shooting down future launches, officials say.
As tensions escalate with Pyongyang, officials say there is no guarantee that a U.S. defensive maneuver would be effective and that attention would likely focus on the likelihood of intercepting a missile in flight, Reuters reported.
The debate comes as North Korea sent a bold statement of defiance to the U.S. and its allies by firing a ballistic missile directly over Japan, the Pentagon confirmed Monday.
"We are still in the process of assessing this launch. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America. We are working closely with Pacific Command, Strategic Command and NORAD and will provide an update as soon as possible," the Pentagon said.
The intermediate-range missile fired over Japans northern Hokkaido island was viewed as North Koreas disregard for recent U.N. sanctions and the Wests tough rhetoric.
President Trump has insisted that all options are currently on the table for dealing with North Korea, although Washington remains reluctant to escalate an already tense situation.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said the military would shoot down any missile deemed dangerous to the U.S. or its allies, Reuters reported.
North Korea has conducted a series of test launches to develop its missile capability and recently threatened to send missiles over western Japan and into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
Ruxbin, One Of Chicago's Most Celebrated Restaurants, Is Closing In September
By Stephen Gossett in Food on Aug 30, 2017 4:10PM
Chef Edward Kim at Ruxbin / Facebook
Ruxbin, one of Chicago's most acclaimed restaurants is closing its doors next month after seven years of service. Chef Edward Kim announced that Ruxbin, in Noble Square, would be shuttering on Sept. 10. He called the closure a "sabbatical," but didn't pin down a timeframe as to when the cherished neighborhood spot might actually reopen.
In an announcement of the surprise closure on Facebook, Kim urged "no long faces" (which might be a tough sell right now) and thanked family, staff and those who've supported Ruxbin. He didn't single out a reason as to why the modern, internationally influenced fave was going away.
Kim wrote:
"In these past seven years Ive been blessed to own and run Ruxbin as the Executive Chef. Small, intimate, and cooking whatever the hell we want, its the cliche of what so many cooks dream of. Thank you for allowing me to live this dream, its been a wonderful ride from the day we opened our doors, frightened that no one would come, to long lines that would circle the block, from putting out an a la carte menu that was derided for having over-priced elotes, to pushing ourselves to bring fine dining to Noble Square. Im so proud of how much weve grown and accomplished in these past seven years, and its fair to say that there are few during our time that have been more celebrated. However, all these awards pale in comparison to the relationships that Ive built, Ive married my business partner (and had a daughter), Ive been blessed to work closely with my sister, and Ive seen dishwashers become cooks, cooks become chefs, and servers become managers and foragers. It's even allowed us to open our sister restaurant Mott St Chicago. None of this would have been possible without your patronage and support, so I want to thank you again for making this possible."
The awards and accolades that Kim mentions were indeed manifold. Ruxbin was named a best new restaurant by both GQ and Bon Appetit; and Kim was semifinalist this year in the James Beard Awards for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region. It also had one of the coolest restrooms in the city.
The restaurant just underwent a sweeping remodel and menu update this past January.
Just this Monday Kim and others hosted a benefit block party meal at his (also celebrated) Mott St. restaurant to benefit immigrant children's rights. Kim asked Ruxbin fans to share memories of their favorites dishes at info@ruxbinchicago.com. We're sure many of you have a few.
Various agencies are coordinating assistance for the 300-plus local workers suddenly without employment in the wake of a fire that destroyed a Culpeper County printing plant.
No one was injured in the blaze that destroyed the 122,000-square-foot Communications Corporation of America plant in Boston Saturday night,but a lot of workers are at least temporarily out of a job.
A bit of good news is that various local employers are stepping up with potential job offers for the many displaced workers.
Rapid Response briefings will be held for plant employees Friday at the Germanna Community College Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper from 1011 a.m. and 12 p.m.
The following agencies will have representatives on site to assist the displaced workers: Virginia Employment Commission, Enroll Virginia (healthcare), Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, Culpeper Economic Development, Germanna Community College, Piedmont Workforce Network, Virginia Dept. of Social Services and the Department of Aging & Rehabilitative Services.
Gregory Vaughn, Rapid Response coordinator for the Northern Virginia Region, said the agencies participated in a briefing Tuesday morning to discuss plans to help workers and their families impacted by the plant closure. That plan includes some upcoming hiring events.
The first part of the plan is to get all of the employees together and provide them with the information needed to assist them with their transition, Vaughn said.
Employment Commission representatives will be on site to talk with workers about unemployment benefits and the workforce center will be there as well, sharing information about the use of their facility and potential funding streams to assist with re-employment.
Vaughn reiterated that displaced workers should go online and file for unemployment benefits, but said he did not think the benefits would be dispersed any quicker than usual.
There is no expediting at this point. There is a waiting week, and it usually takes about two weeks to start receiving it, he said. If they go ahead and put that claim in now, they will be able to start that process.
Vaughn said the Rapid Response team was moving with a sense of urgency to provide all available services to the hundreds of employees of Communications Corporation of America.
Its very devastating for the families and the community because we know the ripple effect as far as the economy is concerned. Hopefully these folks will be able to get back on their feet as quickly as possible with the services we have, he said. And for companies to step up as quickly as they have is a great sign.
Marty Bywaters-Baldwin, manager at the Culpeper Workforce Center, said seven local employers had reached out to the center to express interest in offering job opportunitiessome seasonal and some permanent.
Id encourage folks to come by the Culpeper Workforce Center to learn about those, and other job leads, he said, noting the center has bilingual staff and an employment commission representative on site who can answer questions about claims. Finally, we can provide information about the WIOA programfunds through the Piedmont Workforce Network that may be able to assist certain displaced workers in going back to school for job training.
The Culpeper Workforce Center is located downtown at 201 E. Stevens St, Suite 200. The phone number is 540/212-4573.
Employees of Communications Corporation of Americaa direct mail industry that produces fund-raising mailers for various national groupsset up a private Facebook page to communicate with management about the status of their jobs. The owner of the company said Monday he planned to rebuild and possibly relocate operations while that happens. He also indicated that he might bring some employees on to help with the rebuild.
In the meantime, hundreds of local residents face an uncertain future.
Please pray for CCA, one woman posted on Facebook. My son and grandson work there and it is more than a job to them. It is a family. These people are the salt of the earth.
Some 73 feature films, of which 21 are competing for the Golden Lion award, plus 16 short films and 31 projects of virtual reality, are expected to be viewed by film fans at this year's International Venice Film Festival.
Staff members complete the setup outside of the Cinema Palace prior to the start of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, on Aug. 29, 2017. The 74th Venice Film Festival will kick off in Lido of Venice on Aug. 30 and run until Sept. 9. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)
These are some of the figures marking the 2017 edition of the festival, which is ready to kick off on Venice's Lido island Wednesday.
Surrounded by tight security measures, fans started to crowd outside the main venues of the event to watch the first celebrities' arrivals. Inside the festival village, the last preparations were being made.
Running from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9 this year, the festival will open with the screening of "Downsizing" by U.S. director Alexander Payne, featuring American actor Matt Damon in the role of a man who decides to shrink himself in order to have a better life.
Other films possibly contending for the Golden Lion included horror movie "Mother!" by Darren Aranofsky -- director of the 2010 acclaimed film "Black Swan" -- starring Jennifer Lawrence, Michele Pfeiffer, and Javier Bardem; and "The Shape of Water" by Mexican author Guillermo Del Toro.
Chinese director Vivian Qu will also vie for this year's Golden Lion with drama "Angels Wear White" telling the story of two schoolgirls assaulted by a middle-aged man in a small town by the sea.
George Clooney's dark-comedy "Suburbicon" will be another major contender. The film -- written by the famed American Coen brothers -- focuses on a middle-class man living in an American suburb in the 1950s, who turned aggressive after his home was invaded by a violent mob and his wife was killed.
Here again, Matt Damon plays the main character, accompanied by Julianne Moore in the role of his sister.
Overall, the 2017 Venice Film Festival will feature 21 world premieres in the main competition, 22 movies out of the competition -- including eight documentaries and two medium-length films -- and another 19 in the Horizons international section devoted to new cinema trends.
The international jury conferring the Golden Lion for the best film -- and other official awards -- will be led this year by American actress Annette Bening.
Alma Lou Hardin, known affectionately as "Mama Lou" passed away peacefully on Sunday August 20,2017, in LaPlata, Md. Born in Beaver Dam, Ky. on Dec 7, 1927 to Elbert and Nannie Shively, she had lived most of her almost 90 years in her beloved Kentucky. Survivors include her daughter, Nancy Gasparovic of Fredericksburg, Va. In 1946 she met Douglas Hardin, a soldier just returned from the war, and after a 6-week courtship were married and lived their 30 years together in Beech Creek, Ky., a small coal mining town depicted in "Sixteen Tons." A very active member of Ebenezer Baptist Church for almost 40 years, she served alongside her husband who was a deacon, and together they were involved in all facets of the ministry. Other than her family, she was most proud of the times she served as a missionary under the Home Mission Board of the So. Baptist Convention. Viewing is at La Plata United Methodist Church, 3 Port Tobacco Rd. on Friday, Sept 1, from 12:30 to 2:00 with Celebration of Life Service at 2:00. Burial will be at Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Drakesboro, Ky. on Sept 10 Memorial gifts can be made to Ebenezer Baptist Church, or Sagepoint Senior Living Center, La Plata, Md. Full obituary can be viewed at RaymondFuneralService.com.
Slave block should be preserved, memorialized
At age 15, I traveled to Germany with 12 fellow students from my high school. We visited there to get firsthand experience of its culture and history. Five of us visited the Dachau Concentration Camp, and what I saw changed my perspective on mans inhumanity to man.
In the classroom and growing up I learned about the Holocaust, but it was all head knowledge without proper context. It wasnt until I saw with my own two eyes the small barracks where 200 prisoners were forced to live, the gas chambers where they were murdered and the ovens they were then thrown into to incinerate that the full force of what had taken place really impacted me.
Ive lived in Fredericksburg for 34 years. I first saw the slave block many years ago and I had to stop and reflect on what it represented. I had a similar feeling that I had in Germany. Ive passed it many times over the years and have pointed it out to visiting friends.
In light of recent events, I feel compelled to weigh in. Its my humble opinion that the slave block should be preserved and memorialized. I feel this exhibit could be an effective way of teaching young people as well as reminding all of us of the dark period in our history in which it was considered acceptable to own and sell another human being.
Im just an average white guy, so if its removed, Id completely understand. But I think it should stay.
Steve Everett
Stafford
Statues controversy and old one
Recently, I was reading an article about the Taliban and its destruction of the ancient artifacts of civilization. Its objective is to erase the past and replace it with its violent, nihilistic philosophy of life.
It occurred to me that the same thing is happening now in our country. The attacks on the Confederate statues in our communities cannot wipe out the Civil War. Good or bad, it happened. Its ironic that Lincoln offered to make Lee the commander of the Union forces. Lee refused the offer because of his love of Virginia.
We can learn from this history. If we dont, as the saying goes, we are doomed to repeat it.
The majority of these riots are staged not by locals, but what I call rent-a-mobs. They show up around the country all summer long, causing as much uproar as they can. Unfortunately, they can also cause death and serious injury as they did in Charlottesville..
If the free press was really impartial, it would investigate in some depth the origin of the rioters.
Im a Yankee. When I came south in 1981, there was great outrage over, guess what? Confederate statues. Today, I go past two of those statues every day, and the only thing they remind me of is the great waste of war.
Pat Phillips
Spotsylvania
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BRICS have broad prospects for economic cooperation and will make bigger contribution to the global economy in the future, an analyst said ahead of a business forum in early September.
"There is enormous potential for cooperation in trade, investment, finance and infrastructure among the five countries," said Jiang Zengwei, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
Jiang cited factors including huge markets, rich natural resources, economic disparities, favorable policies and active businesses.
"Uncertainties and unstable factors exist, but opportunities outshine challenges."
BRICS Business Forum, a major side-event of BRICS Summit, is expected to gather a record 1,200 attendees in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province on Sept. 3 and 4, including executives from more than 50 Fortune 500 multinationals.
The meeting will focus on global economic growth, including trade and investment, financial cooperation, connectivity, and the blue economy.
BRICS accounts for 23 percent of the world economy, 16 percent of foreign trade and 12 percent of outbound investment, and contribute to more than 50 percent of the global economic growth.
With ample room for more cooperation, the five countries will generate more growth impetus for the world, Jiang said.
Over 2.65 million overseas students have returned to China as of the end of 2016, a survey showed Tuesday.
Of them, 70 percent made their return after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, according to the survey.
Jointly conducted by the Organization Department of the CPC, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Bureau of Statistics, the survey was the first of its kind since 2010.
As of 2015, the talent pool of China had more than 175 million people, who accounted for 15.5 percent of the human resources in the country.
Professionals in social work saw the biggest boost in the five years, as the number increased to 759,000, up 272 percent from 2010. Rural areas saw a 61.4-percent increase, the survey said.
The human capital investment accounted for 15.8 percent of the country's GDP, which grew by 3.8 percent compared to 2010, and the talent contribution to China's economic growth was also growing, as they contributed to 33.5 percent of growth in 2015, up 6.9 percent from 2010.
24-year old Guo Shaoyu, who lost a leg and an arm as a teenager, has launched a new bicycle trip after making a 2,200-km trek from Sichuan into Tibet in June 2017, hsw.cn is reporting.
Guo Shaoyu's latest ride began in Qinghai on August 21. His trip is taking him through Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi and Shanxi, along the course of the Yellow River.
"This is the first time I've been to Shaanxi. I feel the kindness of locals and enjoy the food here. I am planning to climb up to Mount Hua," said Guo Shaoyu.
This trip comes on the heels of Guo riding his bike from Ya'an in Sichuan to Tibet's regional capital, Lhasa, in June. His ride along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway took him 20 days and covered 2,200 kilometers.
Guo Shaoyu was born in 1993 in Liaoning. In 2008, when he was 15 years old, he accidentally touched a high voltage cable and lost his right arm and right leg.
After struggling through his recovery and post-accident depression, his parents and friends finally convinced him begin riding a bicycle, which has become a focus of his life for the past 6-years.
He now says riding is his dream, and that his struggle with depression is now over as a result.
WREN RYAN CLARY Free Access Zach and Erica Clary of Gaffney announce the birth of their daughter, Wren Ryan Clary, born August 17, 2022. Wren has a sister, Reese. Grandparents are Eric and Teresa Bennett...
Fresh fruit and veggies for Thanksgiving Free Access Families can receive a box of fresh fruits and vegetables just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays. FoodShare Cherokee provides opportunities for all residents to order fresh food boxes every...
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Story Highlights High union approval still not as high as in the 1930s to 1960s
New high of 39% of Americans say unions should have greater influence
46% believe unions will be weaker in the future
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In the U.S., 61% of adults say they approve of labor unions, the highest percentage since the 65% approval recorded in 2003. The current labor union approval is up five percentage points from last year and is 13 points above the all-time low found in 2009.
Unions have regained popularity since bottoming out at the beginning of the Obama administration in 2009. That survey marked the first and only time in Gallup's trend dating back to 1936 that support for unions was below 50%.
Historically, unions have enjoyed strong support from the American public. In 1936, 72% of Americans approved of labor unions. Union approval peaked in the 1950s when it reached 75% in 1953 and 1957. Approval remained in the 60% range throughout the 2000s, right up to the election of Barack Obama as president. After plummeting in 2009, union approval remained lower than in its heyday but began climbing.
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Democrats Twice as Likely as Republicans to Approve Unions
Eighty-one percent of Democrats approve of unions this year -- significantly higher than the 42% of Republicans who approve. This disparity is not as stark as it was in 2011 when Republican approval was 26% and Democratic approval was 78%. Democratic approval of unions has been fairly steady over time, while the approval levels of independents and Republicans have fluctuated.
Republicans' approval of unions rose since last year, possibly due to the presidency of Republican Donald Trump. Even though Trump is not an avid supporter of unions, his rhetoric about restoring U.S. manufacturing jobs and cordial relations with some top labor union leaders at the start of his term may have softened Republican attitudes about unions.
Republican approval of unions is similar to when the last Republican president, George W. Bush, left office. It is possible that Republicans may now perceive unions as less threatening because Trump is unlikely to expand their power.
More Americans Would Like to See Labor Unions Have Greater Influence
As more U.S. adults approve of unions, their interest in wanting unions to have more influence is also on the rise. Thirty-nine percent of Americans would like unions to have more influence -- the highest figure recorded in the 18 years Gallup has asked this question.
Consequently, those who want labor unions to have less influence is at a record low of 28%. Thirty percent want unions to have the same influence as today.
The "influence" response mirrors the "approval" response in that the more Americans approve of unions, the more they want them to have greater influence. When support for unions dipped in the late 2000s and early 2010s, so too did the idea of unions having more influence.
Still, Americans remain more pessimistic than optimistic about unions' future. Forty-six percent say they think unions will become weaker than they are today, while 27% say they will be the same and 22% say stronger.
Bottom Line
For the past 80 years, unions have been an integral part of the American labor force. Since 1936, shortly after Congress legalized private sector unions and collective bargaining, U.S. adults have approved -- sometimes overwhelmingly -- of labor unions. This trend has endured despite a historical decrease in union membership; Gallup's latest survey shows that 10% of Americans report personally being a union member, while 16% live in a union household.
Unions have regained the approval of the American people after dropping during the Great Recession. As more time passes since the bailout of two of the Big Three auto companies, a possible reason unions dipped in approval, it appears that unions are once again solidly popular.
There are likely limits to this approval, however. Republicans' lower approval of unions, as part of a growing political polarization on a number of issues, means that solid union support may never return to the levels seen from the 1930s to 1960s.
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China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing inaugurated a multi-storey parking facility to help alleviate parking problems, as well as to provide better air rescue services.
A helicopter is landing at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, Aug 29, 2017. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]
A launch ceremony was held on Tuesday in the hospital, after two helicopters from Beijing Emergency Medical Center and 999 Emergency Rescue Center arrived at the hospital.
The newly built parking complex is a four-storey building equipped with automatic system which allows smart-parking. Apart from the top floor for ambulance helicopters, it also has enough space for 369 vehicles.
It has the largest ground parking space of any hospital in Beijing. The parking apron on top of the building is also a 24-hour rescue platform which means emergency work can be carried out during night-time too.
With the opening up of low-attitude airspace in China, helicopters are gradually playing an important role in air medical rescue, especially during an emergency situation.
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
Wildlife officials were in the Timberhill area on Wednesday after a coyote attacked a dog while walking with its owner last week, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The coyote attacked the dog Thursday, Aug. 24, at about 7:15 a.m., said District Wildlife Biologist Nancy Taylor. A woman was walking the dog when they came within 15 feet of the coyote, Taylor said. The wild animal pounced on the dog and repeatedly bit its back leg, she said.
The woman swung the dogs leash at the coyote and was able to move the dog and put its leash on, Taylor said. The coyote followed the woman and dog back to their car, she said.
A veterinarian treated the dog, which received 13 stitches for its injuries, Taylor said. The woman was not injured.
An official from the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services division planned to join Taylor on Wednesday in the Timberhill area to investigate the coyote situation.
Taylor said people who live or spend time in the area should supervise their pets, keep them on a very short leash and not leave cats or small dogs out after dark. She suggested residents not leave any pet food or bird feeders outside. Taylor also said fruit that falls to the ground should be picked up right away, as accumulated fruit might attract coyotes.
If someone comes across a coyote, Taylor suggested the person act aggressively toward the wild animal by yelling, throwing rocks and making themselves as big as possible by waving their arms.
More information on coyotes from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife may be found here.
May 27, 1948 Aug. 24, 2017
Charles W. (Charlie) Upton, age 69, died Thursday, August 24, 2017 at Oregon Veterans Home - Lebanon after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer.
Mr. Upton was born in Paris, Texas on May 27, 1948 to Wesley and Willie Upton, of Idabel Oklahoma.
Mr. Upton is survived by his wife of 50 years, Isabel; two daughters, Donna Hempel of Eatonville, Washington and Anna (Christian) Aten of Orting, Washington; four grandchildren, Harley Morden of Haines, Alaska and Rian, Dylan, and Evan Aten of Orting, Washington; sister, Mary Sloan of Albany; and brother, William Bill Upton of Sarasota, Florida.
He was preceded in death by brother Van Curtis Upton of Albany; and sister Mona Conley of Turner.
Charlie spent twelve distinguished years in the U.S. Army. Hes a combat-wounded veteran of the Vietnam War, where he earned several medals, including the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal and Vietnam Service Medal. He was wounded by flying shrapnel when enemy fire hit the supply boat. He recuperated in a Tokyo hospital before being shipped back to the states.
Charlie grew up in Albany where he attended several schools including Albany Union High School. After the Army, he attended Linn Benton Community College where he earned an Associate of Arts Degree.
He was a member of Pastor Terry Gleasons Albany Foursquare Church.
He retired from Corvallis Rental Service in 2005 where he had worked with his brother Bill.
After retiring, Charlie became a community volunteer. He often acted as Santa Claus at Christmas Storybook Land and other community events.
However, he found his calling when he joined the National Military Order of the Purple Heart. He worked hard to build up the local chapter, serving in various leadership capacities including as Commander. Because of his hard work and dedication, Charlie was elected to the esteemed office of Department Commander, State of Oregon, Military Order of the Purple Heart. During his three years in that office he oversaw the naming of I-5 as a Purple Heart Trail and helped to name several Oregon cities, including Albany as a Purple Heart City.
He was also a member of the Albany American Legion, Post 10, and served on their Honor Guard and other committees. His volunteer resume is long and distinguished.
Charlie had many interests during his 69 years, but he lived mostly for his wife, Isabel, his daughters and his grandchildren.
There will be no memorial service.
He will be buried with honors at 10:30 a.m. on September 6, 2017 at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. All are invited to attend.
Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to American Legion, Post 10 Albany, 1215 Pacific Blvd. S.E, Albany 97321 or Honor Flight, Inc., a charity that flies aging or terminal veterans to Washington D.C. to see memorials relating to their military service. Tax deductible donations may be mailed to: South Willamette Valley Honor Flight, Inc., 2217 40th Ave., Albany 97322.
Sept. 27, 1952 Aug. 26, 2017
Michael Trapper Nesson was called home to be in the grace of God way too soon.
Michael was born to Robert and Barbara Nessen in Stockton, California on September 27, 1952.
With crime and drugs on the rise in California, Robert got the farming bug and moved his family to Paul, Idaho. Here, his family could enjoy clean air, fertile ground and good ol fashioned country living. It was also here that Robert taught his four boys how to farm and be upstanding citizens. In their second year of farming, Robert was injured in a farming accident and plans for Nessen Farms dissolved.
Mike went on to graduate from the school of hard knocks.
He married and had Michael Jr. in May of 1971.
He soon divorced and joined the USMC, following his brother, who was in the Army. Mike was Honorman High Shooter and High Physical Fitness Test.
Mike Jr. lived with his grandparents while Mike Sr. was stationed abroad in Okinawa, Japan.
On his return from overseas, Mike was reunited with his son in 1974. He was stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC in the 1st BN 6th Marines. While there, Mike met and courted Kathy K. Thede. The two were married on November 9, 1976 at his next duty station in Bangor, Washington.
Soon, Mike Jr. had a little sister; Heidi Jean Nessen was born March 15, 1977.
The family travelled across the country with Mikes recruitment including Iowa, Oregon, and Hawaii before he finally retired in 1993.
With his daughter still living at home, her education and environment growing up was very important. Mike viewed Albany as a very attractive city to raise a family (and trapping was good). Mike had wanted to be a Mountain Man from a young age; his dream was to be a trapper and live off the land.
In the end, he was able to live his dream of being a trapper. He could always tell you stories about past trapping jobs; be it a pair of baby raccoons or the three baby skunks he brought home for the grandkids to play with. If he went to the back porch to come in the house and was only wearing his underwear, Kathy knew he had just finished a skunk job!
Mike had many other jobs including UPS, Target Distribution Center, Timber by Products, and finally the USPS where he retired from after 17 years. No matter where he worked, he made lifelong friends, especially at the USPS, who he viewed as family. Even to this day, he would always say that his postal family had his back.
Mike was preceded in death by his youngest brother Douglas Nessen Sr. and both parents.
Mike is survived by his wife Kathy; son Michael A. Nessen Jr.; daughter Heidi J. Haworth; brother Dennis Nessen of Rexburg, Idaho; uncles Paul (Terri) and Fred; six grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life service will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 24 at the Eagles Lodge in Albany, 127 Broadalbin St SW.
Memorial donations can be made in his name to the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House.
AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com).
Sept. 29, 1932 Aug. 11, 2017
Norma Elaine Craven passed away peacefully on August 11, 2017 in Corvallis, where she had lived for the past 60 years.
Norma was born September 29, 1932 to Alexander and Aida Lee Wilson at the family's home in Meade, Kansas. After graduation from Meade High School in 1950, she attended Kansas State Teacher's College in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Norma was involved in many school activities, was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority, and served as Class Secretary her senior year. In 1954, she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Home Economics Education.
It was at Kansas State Teacher's College that she met her future husband, science education major Gene Francis Craven. They married the day after graduation, May 28, 1954, and began their teaching careers at Bird City Rural High School. Norma taught vocational home economics for two years before moving to Concordia, Kansas where her first daughter was born.
In 1957, Norma and Gene moved to Corvallis. During the next several years two more daughters were added to the family.
Norma gave up teaching to become a homemaker and stay-at-home mom. She loved working with children and was active in PTA and the Girl Scouts. She taught preschool for four years at the Calvin Presbyterian Church and volunteered as a Sunday school teacher at the Corvallis First United Methodist Church.
As her daughters finished high school, Norma went back to work. She worked first for two years as a secretary for the Clothing and Textiles Department at OSU, and then for two years as a secretary at the Corvallis School District Office before spending a year abroad with Gene in Penang, Malaysia.
Upon returning to Corvallis, Norma worked as a secretary for five years at Western View Middle School and five years at Jefferson Elementary School, retiring in January 1991.
In retirement, she traveled extensively with Gene, volunteered at the OSU Folk Club Thrift Shop, and was active in BP Chapter of P.E.O.
Norma was preceded in death by her husband and her brother, Louis Ray Wilson.
She is survived by her siblings James Wilson, David Wilson, Eleanor Ruedeman and Ruth Angell; daughters, Gina Huey of Corvallis, Lori Craven Krause of Raleigh, North Carolina, Cinda Craven of Santa Rosa, California and grandchildren Jeffery and Corrine Krause.
Thank you to the Corvallis Caring Place for the wonderful care and love given to our mother over the last three years.
Memorials in Norma's name can be made to the National Parkinson's Foundation or to a charity of your choice.
A celebration of life for both Norma and Gene will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 23 in the Martha Room of the Corvallis First United Methodist Church.
March 12, 1937 Aug. 28, 2017
Russell James Petersen, age 80, passed away in his home in Florence on August 28, 2017.
Russ was born on March 12, 1937 in Yankton, South Dakota, the second of two children born to Elmer and Margie (Lillie) Petersen.
He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend he will be greatly missed by all that knew him.
Russ met his wife, Nancy Bell (Hopper) Petersen, when he was a senior at Albany High School, where both worked in the cafeteria. Nancy ran the cash register and Russ, the student body president, served ice cream.
After graduating from high school, Russ entered the enlisted ranks of the United States Navy. During his initial training, he was accepted into the Naval Cadet (NAVCAD) program, and then attended Aviation Officer Candidates School in Pensacola, Florida. Russ received his Naval Aviator wings and was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy on March 1, 1957.
Russ and Nancy were married at the First Methodist Church in Albany on September 7, 1957, where they began a happy and productive life together.
Russ served 21 years in the US Navy and US Navy Reserve, and in 1976 retired at the rank of Commander.
Russ earned a Bachelors Degree from Oregon State University in 1963, a Masters Degree from the University of Oregon in 1964, became a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Oregon in 1966, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Accountancy from the University of Washington in 1971.
Russ was an educator and had a passion for both teaching and leading in higher education. Russ served as a faculty member at Duke University, Willamette University and the University of Illinois. He served as the Chair of the School of Accountancy at Arizona State University and the Chair of Accounting at the University of Iowa. He then served as the dean of the colleges of business at the University of Alabama, the University of Akron and the University of Texas at Arlington. Before retiring from his long and successful career in higher education, Russ joined Seattle University, where he ended his career with his first passion teaching accounting. Russ was an exceptional teacher who deeply cared about his students.
Russ had a passion travelling across the country with Nancy and, over the course of their lives together, the couple crisscrossed the country in many different motorhomes and travel trailers. Russ used to call the RVs magic carpets, often saying that they had the ability to carry you off to the next adventure.
From childhood, Russ had a passion for things that fly. As a boy, Russ liked to build model airplanes and enjoyed flying control line model aircraft. With advances in radio control technology, Russ became a very avid radio control modeler and, over his long life, flew his model aircraft all over the country and taught scores of people to fly both model aircraft and model helicopters. Russ was always active in the local RC model clubs and took great joy in both the flying and the fellowship. Russ was a leader and the driver behind the development of the Florence Area Radio Controlled Aircraft Association (FARCAA) and its flying site at the Florence Airport.
Russ was a gentle man, with a keen ability to see things clearly. He was a good man in tough situations and he was always the one to bring calm and clarity to difficult situations.
Russ was a friend and mentor to many. He was driven to do his best, and always maintained the highest degree of integrity in his dealings with others. Russ had the ability to lighten the mood with stories, jokes, antics and a light and joyful spirit. Russ knew the value of life and he lived his life fully.
Russ is survived by his wife, Nancy Petersen of Florence; sister, Yvonne Lundholm and husband Jerry of North Bend; son Kenneth Petersen and wife Sigrid, Boise, Idaho; daughters, Carla Leland of Florence, Kathy Jones and husband Paul, Marietta, Ohio; and the following grandchildren; Erin Foran and husband Patrick of Los Angeles, Andrew and John Petersen of Boise, Idaho, Colin Leland of Portland, Lillie Leland of Florence, Kyle and Nathan Jones of Marietta, Ohio.
There will be a memorial service at noon on Saturday, September 2 at the Willamette Memorial Park Chapel, 2640 Old Salem Rd, NE Albany. Afterwards, there will be a reception held at 34640 Mountain View Pl. NE, Albany.
The family suggests that memorial gifts in Russ honor be sent to Burnss Riverside Chapel, Florence Funeral Home in favor of either the American Diabetes Association or the National Kidney Foundation.
Jan. 2, 1939 Aug. 25, 2017
Sam Crocker, a lifelong farmer in the Irish Bend Community, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2017.
Encircled by the love and support of his family, Sam faced his last days with patience and dignity.
He was born in Corvallis on January 2, 1939 to Keith and Florence Elliott Crocker, the second of their six children. He was a lively little boy, jumping about, so full of energy and making faces in just about every photo ever taken of him in his youth.
He, along with his brother, Lanny, became vested in the family farm while still youngsters, working the fields, changing pipe, and rustling up the turkeys, a Crocker venture at the time.
He was an active student at Monroe High School, where he served as student body president and met his future wife, Flora Bates. They had four children, all of whom live in the area and most continue to farm, as do their children, a tradition passed down from his namesake and great grandfather, Samuel Crocker, all told six generations of farmers.
Sam was a man of many talents, a self-styled architect who designed the family's seed cleaning buildings and offices, he had his hand in numerous projects and relished collecting everything from rusty tractors to antique scales.
He was a terror on water skis and enjoyed summer days with his family on the Willamette River.
Sam cherished his time with the grandkids, and was devoted to teaching them the fine art of sorting nails, mechanical repairs, pruning, or just hanging out together and going to Cowboy Church.
In every aspect of his life, Sam lived a life devoted to Christianity and served as witness to the Lord Jesus, a modest man with deeply held principles. He studied the bible and was generous to those less fortunate than himself, and was an active member of Christ's Center in Junction City.
In 2013, Sam married Sandy Berschneider, whose cheerful and kind nature served to strengthen the family. Her devotion and comfort to Sam is deeply appreciated and she is loved by all.
Sam was preceded in death by his parents, Keith and Florence; and brother-in-law, Bill Volker.
He is survived by his wife, Sandy; brother, Lanny (Nancy); sisters; Arita Volker, Mary Fisher (Harold), Tamara Crocker (Randy Sell), Gretchen Humphry (Derek); sons; Matthew (Linda), and Mark; daughters; Elizabeth Brooks (Tom), Rebecca Crocker Turman (John); stepdaughter, Lauri Wright; grandchildren; Andrew, Taylor, and Carmen Crocker, John Brooks (Kelsey), Juli Larsen (Nathan), Lilllian and Maxwell Turman, and Ryland; great-grandchildren; Tommy, Henry, Kaden, Carson, Casen, Jolynn, and Justin.
Graveside services will be held at 9:30 a.m. on September 5 at Bellfountain Cemetery, 2566 Dawson Road, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at Christ's Center, 530 W. 7th Ave., in Junction City. A reception will follow at Christ's Center.
Please consider a donation in Sam's name to one of the following:
Benton Hospice Service, 2350 N.W. Professional Dr., Corvallis 97330
Christ's Center, 530 W. 7th Ave., Junction City 97448
Cowboy Church of Oregon, 530 W. 7th Ave., Junction City 97448
Monroe Methodist Church, 648 Orchard St., Monroe 97456
Please leave your online condolences at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, one of the nation's major space contractors, announced that it has launched research and development of a futuristic ultrafast transport system popularly known as hyperloop, in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on Wednesday.
Chinese company plans hyperloop traveling at 1,000 km/h
The CASIC hyperloop will be a maglev line on which a pod will travel on partly elevated tubes or tunnels at superfast speed reaching 1,000 km per hour.
CASIC is the first Chinese enterprise and the world's third, following the United States' Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and Hyperloop One, that has started developing hyperloop system. The project will benefit from the company's rich experience and expertise in systems engineering and supersonic vehicles, said CASIC.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department and the Benton County Sheriffs Office. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.
Corvallis Police Department
MONDAY, AUGUST 28
RECKLESS DRIVING: 5:49 a.m., 3600 Northwest Samaritan Drive, Corvallis. Police responded to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for a report of an intoxicated driver. Police discovered Richard K. Evans, 18, of Corvallis, had driven his car in the parking lot of the hospital and caused tire marks and gouges in the concrete. Evans had abandoned the car in the parking lot and left the hospital. Police arrested him for reckless driving and took him to the Benton County Jail.
DUII: 10:24 a.m., Southwest 35th Street and Southwest Sagebrush Drive, Corvallis. Police responded to a report of a car unable to maintain its lane. Police stopped the car and arrested the driver, Therese Wanner Price, 61, of Toledo, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Price reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.22 percent.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT: 2:37 p.m., Southwest Fourth Street and Southwest Jefferson Avenue, Corvallis. Police responded to a report of a woman, later identified as Naomi Julene Notman, 33, standing in the middle of the street yelling at cars and littering. Police arrested Notman for second-degree disorderly conduct and offensive littering.
Oregon State Police
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
DUII: 9:23 p.m., Northwest Third Street and Northwest Van Buren Avenue, Corvallis. Police arrested Tyler James Jordan, 22, for driving under the influence of intoxicants after a traffic stop. A drug recognition evaluation determined Jordan was under the influence of controlled substances.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
DUII: 1:32 a.m., Fourth Street and Southwest Jefferson Avenue, Corvallis. Police stopped a car for a traffic violation. The driver, David Carl Crowe Jr., 52, of Bend, appeared to be impaired. Officers arrested Crowe for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Crowe refused to submit to a breath test.
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: 8:41 a.m., 11th Street and Southwest Adams Avenue, Corvallis. A man reported he had parked his truck in the lot at Beaver Beginnings and the rear left window had been broken out. Nothing was stolen from the truck.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
DUII: 11:17 p.m., Fourth Street and Adams Avenue, Corvallis. Police stopped a car driving without taillights. An officer smelled alcohol in the car and arrested the driver, Jared Anthony Bowen, 34, of Corvallis, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Bowen reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 percent.
A Wilsonville man who police say had thousands of images of child sexual abuse on his cellphone pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 16 felony charges.
Authorities also allege Corey Robert Koch, 35, had several photos and videos on his cellphone of unidentified women who had been photographed in various stages of undress, without their knowledge.
Koch faces 15 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree and one count of first-degree invasion of personal privacy.
The defendant, who was being held in the Benton County Jail, appeared at his arraignment via video conference. Koch wore a black-and-white striped shirt and spoke little during the hearing. His defense attorney, Nicolas Ortiz, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf.
Deputy District Attorney Amie Matusko asked the judge to impose a bail of at least $1 million.
We have some concerns with regards to the safety of this community, Matusko said.
Ortiz requested that Koch be released on his own recognizance, meaning he would be released without posting any bail and would promise to appear for all court hearings.
$1 million is excessive and counter to the Constitution, Ortiz said.
The defense attorney said Koch does not face any Measure 11 crimes, considered the most serious in Oregon, and is not a flight risk since he is employed locally.
According to the Corvallis Police Department, detectives arrested Koch on Monday at his place of work in Philomath.
Judge David Connell imposed a bond of $1.2 million. He also ordered that Koch, if released, not have any contact with minors, not possess camera equipment and not have access to the internet.
The Police Department said the investigation into Koch began on April 13 at about 9:45 p.m., when he was arrested for peeping at a partially clad woman through a window in the 700 block of Southwest Washington Avenue. Koch was seen wearing a mask while standing outside a window, and ran when confronted by a community member. The community member chased and detained Koch until police arrived at the scene, police said.
Upon his arrest, Koch's black mask and cellphone were seized as evidence, according to police. At that time, he was charged with invasion of personal privacy and second-degree criminal trespass.
After conducting search warrants on Koch's cellphone, investigators located the images and videos of women undressing, police said. The identities of those victims and the location where those photos were taken are undetermined.
Matusko said some of the images involved upskirting, or taking photos under a womans dress or skirt without her knowledge or consent. Some of the photos were taken on staircases or in bathrooms, she said. The prosecutor said the nature of the images and how many of them were on the cellphone was quite troubling.
Also located on the cellphone during the searches were thousands of child sex abuse images, according to police. That additional evidence led to Koch's arrest on Monday.
Matusko said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has identified some of the children in the photos, but that there are more to identify.
The police investigation is continuing, and the department asks that anyone with information about the case contact Detective Greg Kantola at 541-766-6781.
Kochs case is set for a status check on Sept. 5.
Trump is a fraud but his presidency is no laughing matter. Anyone who thinks hes doing great should sober up and think about reclaiming their rational thought process ASAP.
Failing reassessment of support for the illegitimate con artist as president, these people should voluntarily yank their own voter registrations like Trump, Kobach and company did to over 1.1 million legitimately registered, minority and young voters whose registrations were likely canceled in the "Great 2016 Election Heist."
Its why Trump started a phony voter fraud investigation to divert attention from his own real efforts as election fraud kingpin along with Kris Kobach, evil mastermind of the CrossCheck vote-stealing scheme and now ironically czar charged with investigating voter fraud, plus 29 Republican secretaries of state who cooperated with the CrossCheck voter fraud misidentification scheme.
Trump and Kushners efforts to collaborate with the Russian government and intelligence could be impeachable offenses but are fundamentally less important than the massive, organized, and probably felonious suppression of legitimate votes and registrations in the 2016 election heist.
You think Im kidding? Lists of names of legitimately registered voters targeted for cancellation under this secretive program (Operation CrossCheck) were eventually unearthed. According to election fraud expert Greg Palast, 1.1 million registrations of minority and young, strongly Democrat-leaning voters were canceled to allow Trump, lacking the legal votes, to edge out Clinton, who should have gotten enough electoral votes.
Congress, stop your partisan dilly-dallying! Investigate Trump and Kobach for real world election criminality!
Chris C. Foulke
Corvallis (Aug. 28)
Former parliament housing : Boarding house at WCCB opens
Sleep and work in one room. Claudia Tewes presents an apartment in the newly renovated boarding house on Heuseallee. Foto: Martin Wein
BONN It may have taken some time, but the apartments once used by German Parliament members have now been fully modernized and are available for short and long term rentals.
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Its been 18 years since the German Parliament moved to Berlin. Finally, the apartments which were used by members of parliament have been renovated and they are once again in operation. The three apartment buildings on Heusallee 7 - 11 were built in 1965/66, and used as a home away from home for the members of parliament until 1999. In 2014, the City of Bonn handed over the buildings to the Bonn Conference Center Management GmbH.
Two of the so-called boarding houses were opened in June. There are 46 apartments near the WCCB which can be rented out for one night up to six months. The Berlin firm organizing the UN Climate Change Conference will be needing 40 of the apartments for its employees in the short term. Rental prices range from 89 to 179 euros per night depending upon which day of the week and the time of year.
Renovation of the apartments had to be in kept in line with historical preservation guidelines and the estimated cost of 4.4 million euros rose to 8.4 million euros, confirmed city spokesperson Monika Horig. At one point there had been calls to tear down the buildings, but historical protection authorities argued successfully to keep the former parliamentarian housing. It was a long process to transfer ownership of the properties from the federal to city government and on to the Bonn Conference Center Management GmbH.
Work began in 2012 to renovate the apartments and according to marketing director Christina Esser, there was still work being completed in one of the buildings just a few weeks ago. The building at Heusallee 7 had housed construction offices during the renovation process.
Apartments fitted with thoughtful details
The results of the apartment makeovers reflect the wishes of the historical preservation authorities while revealing fully modernized and functional rooms. They are noticeably designed with great thought put into the details; all have a bathroom, kitchenette, walk-in closet which can also hold suitcases, and balconies. Walls are adorned with black and white photos from the period of time when Bonn was capital of Germany. In the basement are washers and dryers, and a place for bicycles.
What stands out is the narrow bathroom doors and the heavy entry doors. Back then, there was concern about listening in on the parliamentarians. Still missing is the outdoor furniture for the spacious balconies. But they have already been ordered, said apartment manager Claudia Tewes.
For more information about the apartments and for booking, please visit the German/English website: www.boarding-haus-heussallee.com
Bonn central station : Roof work preparation means train traffic restrictions this weekend
BONN Preparations are taking place to renovate the aging roof at Bonn central station. On Tuesday, an 80-ton crane was put into place for the work. This weekend, there will be some travel restrictions.
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One more crane stands perched in Bonn city center, put in place on Tuesday for the renovation of the aging and deteriorating roof at the central train station. The approximate 80-ton crane will be especially needed for hoisting the roof construction made of steel. Under historical preservation order, the roof will be fully renovated and put in up place again.
This will all happen directly over the train platforms and tracks which will remain in operation during the reconstruction. A special mobile scaffolding will be used by the workers, and moved along the track bit by bit as work progresses. It will be built up this weekend, which will cause some travel restrictions at the Bonn central train station.
Deutsche Bahn (German Rail- DB) announced that from this Friday at 4pm until Sunday at 10 pm, the regional train RB 30 (Ahrtalbahn) will only reach the Bad Godesberg train station. Because the scaffolding has to be put in place, and there are already fewer platforms available due to the ongoing renovations, DB decided to limit the number of incoming trains. For those passengers coming from Ahrweiler who want to continue on from Bad Godesberg, they can take other trains on to the Bonn central station from there.
The crane is anchored into the ground with twelve long rods which are seven meters long. Crane operator Matthias Lutter explained, The challenge is that we have very little space here. And we cannot bump into anything. The crane set up on Tuesday will be able to reach half of the roof and a second crane will have to be installed later to reach the other half.
It was also announced that all trains from Line RB48 (Rhine-Wupper-Bahn) between Godesberg-Mehlem and Bruhl will be cancelled from Friday, September 1 at 5 pm until Sunday, September 3 because of a closed portion of the route. Passengers can use the Mittelrheinbahn 26 as an alternative.
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.
Article
Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy
The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Director General of NCC disclosed this at the ongoing 2017 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos, Nigeria. Mr Danbatta stated that the number of internet users in Nigeria has hit about 91.6 million, and also increase cybercrime activities. About N127 billion was the estimated loss to cybercrime in Nigeria in 2015; Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind the UK and U.S.
A critical factor militating against Africas economic resurgence is the weakness of its institutions.
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Nigeria ranks 169 out of 199 on the World Banks ease of doing business rankings. While we are in a middle of a revolution and the rise of what we call the networked society.
The NCC stipulates the laws of engagement that will make the cyberspace safe and ensure the confidence as well as the safety of the cyberspace.
There are benefits and risks of the use of cyberspace and both have to be properly managed,
Danbatta told the gathering. Cybercrime is a major threat to financial institutions and other internet-based businesses across the globe. In 2016, the world economy lost about $500 billion to cybercrime. In Africa, the cost of cybercrime activities to major economies are estimated as $573 million for South Africa, $500 million for Nigeria and $36 million for Kenya.Mr Bisi Adebutu of Premier Lotto also remarked that the internet has positively affected betting business in Nigeria.
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Premier Lotto has moved from the streets to the internet, we have faced certain challenges including paying those who do business with us.
Gaming is very popular on the internet and fraud is one to the challenges we have. If we apprehend an individual trying to perpetrate fraud, we block their access to us,
Adebutu noted.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp will leave her post to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Stepp, 54, will serve as deputy administrator of EPA Region 7, which covers Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebrasksa and nine tribal nations.
Cathy is a strong, trusted reformer who will serve the country well at the EPA, said Gov. Scott Walker in a statement. As DNR secretary since 2011, she has led an outstanding workforce committed to preserving and promoting our natural resources while placing a strong focus on customer service and common sense. We will miss her optimism and energy at the DNR, and we wish her success in her new role.
Stepp, a former home builder, was appointed by Walker to head the DNR in 2011. She was the first woman to hold the position. Prior to that, she represented the states 21st Senate District as a Republican from 2003-2007.
DNR Deputy Secretary Kurt Thiede will serve as interim secretary, Walkers office announced.
Stepp was a vocal critic of the agency before she was appointed to lead it. She brought a business-friendly approach to her tenure at the DNR, and frequently clashed with environmental groups.
I can very easily say that Secretary Stepp had the worst record in terms of (the seven DNR secretaries I have known) in terms of protection of the environment, said former DNR Secretary George Meyer, who now serves as head of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.
Meyer, whose DNR career spanned three decades, was chosen to head the agency by Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson. He served as secretary from 1993 to 2001, and has continued to weigh in on conservation issues.
DNR secretaries in Wisconsin have traditionally struck a balance between protecting the states natural resources while ensuring those protections dont have a negative impact on economic development and job creation, Meyer said, adding that Stepps policies favored development over natural resource protection.
As a result of that the environment has suffered under her tenure. Thats not a good legacy to leave behind, he said.
Meyer said he hopes the next person to lead the agency has a good natural resource management background and understands that long-term, to have a strong economy, you must have quality natural resources.
Stepp told lawmakers on the Legislatures budget-writing committee earlier this year that businesses no longer fear the DNR, and instead see the agency as one they can work with as they seek to comply with environmental regulations.
Fines for violations of state environmental laws fell 78 percent from 2014 to 2015, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last year. At $306,834, it was the lowest amount since 2006.
The agency works with producers to help move them into compliance when it hears of potential pollution violations, emphasizing a stepped enforcement process, Stepp said.
I promise you, we are not turning a blind eye to any of that, Stepp told the Joint Finance Committee. I think its good news that the numbers are going down.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Stepps strong work ethic, business sense and enthusiasm will be a benefit to the EPA in her new position.
She has made a positive impact on the DNR during her years as secretary by improving customer service, simplifying the permitting process and protecting our precious natural resources, Vos said in a statement.
Stepp told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month she was interested in accepting a job with President Donald Trumps administration, if it would offer a way to bring some of the reforms that we have done in Wisconsin to the national scene. Stepp campaigned for Trump at several Wisconsin rallies during the 2016 election cycle, and told the Wisconsin State Journal earlier this year that she was unaware of some of his environmental positions at the time.
Kirkuk votes to take part in Kurdish independence poll
2017 Al Jazeera -29 August 2017
Councillors in the Iraqi province of Kirkuk have voted to take part in next month's Kurdish independence referendum, in a session, however, that was boycotted by Turkmen and Arab members.
The central government in Baghdad is strongly opposed to Iraqi Kurdistan's planned September 25 referendum, which is non-binding but could lead to independence.
Kirkuk, an ethically-mixed oil-rich province is not part of the Kurdistan region, but has a large Kurdish population.
In Tuesday's vote, 22 of the 24 present councillors in the 41-member Kirkuk council voted in favour of holding the referendum, said councillor Hala Nur Eddine.
Kirkuk's provincial council consists of 26 Kurds, nine Turkmen and six Arabs.
While Baghdad says Kirkuk is "administratively dependent" on Iraq's central government, many Kurds - including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which dominates political life in the province - demands the province's incorporation into the Kurdish region.
Kirkuk's Turkmen, for their part, oppose this, insisting that the ethnically-diverse province enjoys a "special status".
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Kirkuk Governor Najm Eddine Karim described the vote as a "historic event".
"We have the right to take part in the referendum, and whoever denies this knows nothing about human rights," Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim told reporters.
But Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denounced the decision as "wrong".
"Issues are not handled like this," he told reporters following a meeting of his council of ministers.
Hasan Turan, a Turkmen lawmaker and vice-president of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, also blasted the council's decision, describing it as "unconstitutional".
The plans to hold the referendum have been criticised by neighbouring Turkey and Iran, which have large Kurdish minority populations.
The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement that the Kirkuk's council decision was "another link in a chain of mistakes" and "once more a serious violation of the Iraqi constitution".
There are also doubts about the vote among the five million Iraqi Kurds, with some calling for it to be postponed.
The US has made the same demand, saying the referendum could distract from the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group by stoking tensions between the Kurds, and Arabs and Turkmen.
The Iraqi Kurdish region was created in 1992 and calls for independence have gained impetus following a 2003 US-led invasion, which toppled former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
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Once upon a time, American politicians agreed more than they disagreed on immigration policy.
They acknowledged its moral imperative and its economic and cultural benefits, but they didnt sugar coat its challenges and deficiencies or deny the responsibility of the federal government to secure the border.
As Peter Beinart explained in The Atlantic, the time of policy consensus was not so long ago.
In 2008, the year President Barack Obama was elected, the Democratic Party platform cautioned its members about undocumented and unchecked immigrants and those who employ them. By the time Hillary Clinton had received her partys nomination, that language had been scrubbed.
Republicans, for their part, are guilty of a rightward shift.
President George W. Bush, who made passing comprehensive immigration reform the primary (albeit ultimately futile) goal of his second term, pushed back against those who called for the deportation of all people in the country illegally.
It is neither wise, nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border, he said in 2007. He added that, illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have an avenue to do so after certain requirements, like paying a penalty and back taxes and learning English are met.
Compare that to the mass deportation rhetoric that dominated President Donald Trumps campaign and his immigration directives issued earlier this year.
Still, while Trumps talk has been tough, his actions have not been as unforgiving as promised, especially when it comes to the children of undocumented immigrants.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was to be one of Trumps first victims.
DACA has shielded from possible deportation close to 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children by allowing them to obtain renewable work permits and temporary legal status.
But much to the chagrin of immigration hardliners, Trump has not rescinded the order. Hes even expressed sympathy for DACA recipients, calling them absolutely incredible kids, and maintaining that he will deal with DACA with heart.
For a man who spent the bulk of his presidency dividing and inflaming people, his hesitancy on DACA reveals a window into his humanity.
It also provides an opening for a possible deal on immigration reform that both parties should be rushing to pursue.
For a variety of reasons, including its implementation through an arguably unconstitutional executive order and a probable lawsuit by a 10 state coalition led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, DACA in its current form should not stand.
The fact that it could be so easily rescinded by a subsequent administration, leaving an entire population of immigrants in a perpetual legal limbo, speaks to the absurdity of its construction.
But its aim to help those brought to the U.S. illegally as children, but have been raised as Americans, who want to work, attend school and contribute to society is worthy.
Republican leaders could reasonably tell their base that the benefits of keeping DACA would outweigh the costs. This immigrant population is willing to work and do what is necessary to become Americans. Its also the most likely group of immigrants to assimilate into American culture, which impacts how native-born people view immigrants.
And congressional Republicans could demand in exchange stronger border security and interior enforcement.
Democrats could herald the move as a kind of victory for amnesty a favorite buzz word of the progressive left and report to their constituents that they bested Trump.
Its hard to see how this wouldnt be a win for both sides.
It would also provide some assistance for states like Texas, where around 35 percent of the immigrant population is undocumented, and state leaders see the governments inaction on immigration reform as a green light to take enforcement into their own hands.
Trumps inner circle is reportedly encouraging him to make this concession in his otherwise hardened immigration stance.
And Democratic leaders are reportedly unwilling to take such a deal.
But if they truly want to protect DACA recipients and start down the path to reform, they would reconsider.
Wouldnt it be something if Trump was the president who could bring Congress together over immigration policy? Stranger things have happened.
Lamesha Echols fought back tears as she sat on the witness stand Tuesday and recalled her 15-year-old son who was fatally shot in the back on the evening of Nov. 17.
It was the sentencing hearing in Danville Circuit Court for Aaron Pierre Thomas, who shot Sean Antuan Claiborne multiple times during an argument over a laptop computer sold for cash and marijuana.
Claibornes violent death devastated his family including his siblings and stole any hope Echols had of watching him grow up and have children.
Its just been so hard for us, Echols told Judge Jospeh W. Milam Jr. My son was only 15. He was only 15.
She looked over at Thomas and told him she forgave him, but wished things couldve been different.
Thomas, 29, was convicted for the shooting in July on charges of voluntary manslaughter, discharging a firearm in a public place and possession of a firearm by a non-violent felon.
Moments later, the judge doled out a prison sentence of three years and three months.
Thomas fired the shots in an event that defense attorney Michael McPheeters billed at the July trial as act of self defense and the defense of others.
Claiborne was shot and killed directly in front of Aaron Thomas front door obviously he was following someone to that door carrying a firearm, McPheeters said at the July trial.
[Thomas is] so scared for his life he didnt stay at his own apartment and fled to Georgia, where police found him five days later, Commonwealths Attorney Michael Newman said during the July trial.
Claibornes sister, Monique Echols, said her younger brother was everything to her. She taught him everything, including how to tie his shoes, she said.
I have nightmares, she testified Tuesday. I cant sleep.
I should not have to bury my 15-year-old brother, she added. He didnt even get a chance to finish school.
Monique Echols turned her grief and anger toward Thomas.
I dont forgive you, she said. You are not to be forgiven, and you will reap what you sow.
McPheeters called the incident a tragic event on all sides, but noted that Claiborne was wielding a gun and pointed it at Thomas and his friend.
Thomas repeatedly tried to bring peace to the situation and was defending others, McPheeters said. He was working two jobs and had no problems of violence, he said.
Mr. Thomas was the level-headed one, McPheeters said. Mr. Thomas was the one trying to bring peace.
Newman said he hoped the case emphasized that actions have consequences, and that Thomas also is to blame for not taking every step necessary to avoid having someone die.
There are mitigating aspects to the case, Newman said, but its not self-defense.
This is a difficult case, he said.
Thomas apologized to Claibornes family during his statements, but said, I had to do what I had to do to protect himself.
Milam called the case an absolute tragedy.
We dont know where his future would have taken him, Milam said, adding that there were both troubling and mitigating aspects to the case.
There is culpability here that falls on all sides, Milam said.
Though Thomas was not the instigator in the incident, you certainly ended it, Milam said.
He expressed concerns over Thomas statement that he had to do what he had to do.
We need peacemakers, Milam told Thomas.
Milam gave Thomas 10 years for the manslaughter charge, but suspended eight years and nine months. Thomas received a two-year sentence for the firearm charge, and a suspended four-year sentence for shooting a firearm in a public place.
Thomas total sentence was three years and three months, and he must pay $2,200 in restitution to the victims family.
VANCOUVER, Aug. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") is pleased to announce results from hole CC-17-28 drilled to test the extension of a large new mineralized zone recently discovered in the Venadas target area on its La Cigarra Silver project in Chihuahua State, Mexico.
The Company reports assays from hole CC-17-28 returned a series of good grading silver intercepts, extending the new discovery zone 140 meters northeast of original discovery hole CC-17-26.
The weighted average intervals are:
Hole CC-17-28
168.64 gpt silver over 7.0 meters, within
121.25 gpt silver over 12.0 meters and
92.88 gpt silver over 24.20 meters
All intervals are core length as the strike, dip and shape of the zone and thus true widths are unknown at this time.
The strength and intensity of brecciation, veining and alteration observed in hole CC-17-28 is consistent with discovery hole CC-17-26, which bottomed in veining. Textures are indicative of a variant of an epithermal hydrothermal breccia complex. The new discovery zone is contained within the project's Venadas target area 1000 meters south of La Cigarra's established NI 43-101 resource. To view a set of maps click on the following link: Las Venadas Plan and Cross Sections Maps.
Kootenay President and CEO James McDonald states, "The grades and characteristics of mineralization encountered 140 meters away from hole CC-17-26 further supports the large-scale nature and potential continuity of the new zone. We are looking forward to further drill testing of this exciting new discovery."
The results represent only the upper part of the zone, as the hole was unable to drill further due to encountering faulted rock. Accordingly, it is believed the larger and stronger part of the system remained untested by the hole. In hole CC-17-26 more than 250 meters of veining, vein breccia was encountered right to the bottom of the hole with the stronger part of the zone toward the bottom of the intercept.
The intercept is 140 meters northeast of CC-17-26 and 62 meters deeper establishing some meaningful extent to the zone in just the second hole.
New Discovery Zone Proximity:
The new discovery zone is contained within La Cigarra's Venadas target, which comprises a broad area of alteration and mineralization containing various different structures with vein-breccia, veins and veinlets, over an area measuring 500 by 800 meters. It is part of a trend of distinct mineralized structures, extending from La Borracha to the southward through the La Cigarra deposit (which includes the San Gregorio and Las Carolinas zones) into Las Venadas and further into Soledad and Los Chinos, over a distance of 6 kilometers.
Upcoming Drilling and Development:
Drilling will now move back to site CC-17-26, which bottomed in mineralization after drilling over 250 meters of veining, vein breccia. A shallower hole will be drilled from this site to finish testing the full extent of mineralization not tested in CC-17 26 and to provide a third intercept into the new zone which will aid in determining its shape needed to design further drilling. Once determined a drill program will be finalized for immediate and aggressive follow up drilling.
Sampling and QA/QC
All technical information for the La Cigarra exploration program is obtained and reported under a formal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. Samples are taken from core cut in half with a diamond saw under the direction of qualified geologists. Samples are then labeled placed in plastic bags, sealed and with interval and sample numbers recorded. Samples are delivered by the Company via courier to ALS Minerals ("ALS") in Chihuahua. The samples are dried, crushed and pulverized with the pulps being sent airfreight for analysis by ALS in Vancouver, B.C. Systematic assaying of standards, blanks and duplicates is performed for precision and accuracy. Analysis for silver, zinc, lead and copper and related trace elements was done by ICP four acid digestion, with gold analysis by 30-gram fire assay with an AA finish. All drilling will be with HQ core and has been contracted to BD Drilling from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Qualified Persons
The Kootenay technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and reviewed on behalf Kootenay by James McDonald, P.Geo, President, CEO & Director for Kootenay, a Qualified Person.
About Kootenay Silver Inc.
Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. Supported by one of the largest portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of two of its priority silver projects located in prolific mining districts in Sonora, State and Chihuahua, State, Mexico, respectively.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
The information in this news release has been prepared as at August 29, 2017. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.
This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.
SOURCE Kootenay Silver Inc.
Vancouver, August 30, 2017 - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQB: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is pleased to report interim results from drill hole WMA042 on the West McArthur uranium project ("Project") where testing of the C10 conductor package at Grid 5 continues. See earlier news of July 20 2017. A further drill hole is underway.
Drill hole WMA042 is located approximately 300 metres north of drill hole WMA035 completed in 2016, which is located on the east end of Grid 5. The drill program is being conducted by Cameco Corp. (TSX: CCO) (NYSE: CCJ)
The calculated grade of the uranium intercept, as measured by calibrated probe, is 1.34% eU 3 O 8 over 5.65 metres. The uranium mineralization is disseminated in the basal sandstone column near the unconformity and is footwall to an altered fracture zone with perched mineralization 80 metres higher in the drill hole. A wedge hole from WMA-042 is being drilled to test the optimum target location.
West McArthur Project
Cameco Option
Grid 5 Target Area
To view an enhanced version, please visit:
http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2864/28732_a1504123502475_87.jpg
WMA042 was designed to test a Stepwise Moving Loop Time Domain Electromagnetic response interpreted to represent the C10 fault and stratigraphy. Below 217.1 metres, strongly bleached sandstone is intersected to 595.7 metres and hosts two brittle fault intervals from 300.8 to 309.7 metres and 448.6 to 451.4 metres. A fault zone from 522.7 to 540.6 metres is characterized by dravitic breccias and fracture coatings. Strong pervasive brick-red hematite from 697.8 to 700.2 metres transitions into patchy hematite with pervasive fracture-controlled sooty pyrite and localized perched fracture-controlled uranium mineralization to 715.6 metres. The remainder of the sandstone column is strongly bleached and overprinted by weak sooty pyrite as a halo about a brittle fault zone from 738.9 to 743.2 metres. The fault is characterized by strong quartz dissolution (25% core loss), strong sooty pyrite, and steeply dipping fractures. Pervasive sooty pyrite overprints the basal sandstone below 772.7 metres and is associated with orange-brown oxides, local fracture-controlled brick-red hematite and disseminated uranium mineralization. Equivalent U 3 O 8 results are summarized in Table 1 (0.1% eU 3 O 8 cut-off grade). The unconformity is intersected at 782.1 metres.
Table 1:
Hole
Number Depth
From
(metres) Depth To
(metres) Length
(m) Avg Grade
(% eU 3 O 8 ) GT (m%) WMA042 704.22 707.32 3.1 0.13 0.39 WMA042 708.77 709.97 0.2 0.13 0.03 WMA042 773.07 778.72 5.65 1.34 7.55 WMA042 781.02 782.12 1.1 0.17 0.19
Cameco is carrying out the current work as part of an option to earn a 60% interest in the West McArthur project. Cameco has paid CanAlaska an initial $725,000 and has the right to earn a first stage 30% interest for a $5 million exploration program within 3 years ($1.1 million to date) on two separate target areas: Grid 1 and Grid 5. Cameco will then have the right, after a $500,000 payment, to carry out a further $6.275 million of work on the Project over the following 3 years to earn a further 30% interest and form a Joint Venture (JV) with CanAlaska.
The West McArthur Uranium Project covers 35,830 hectares (88,536 acres) commencing 15 kilometres (9 miles) west of Cameco's majority-owned McArthur River uranium mine. More importantly, the Project is immediately adjacent to Cameco's Fox Lake uranium discovery with reported inferred resources of approximately 68.1 million lbs based on 387,000 tonnes at 7.99% U3O8. The Fox lake discovery is within the Read Lake project operated by Cameco (Cameco 78.2%, Areva 21.8%). Further information on Project is available at http://www.canalaska.com/s/West_McArthur.asp?ReportID=560713.
CanAlaska president Peter Dasler comments, "I congratulate Cameco's team and their drill contractor for this significant uranium discovery on the West McArthur property. We all look forward to continuing successes."
About CanAlaska Uranium
CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQB: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7N) holds interests in approximately 500,000 hectares (1.2 million acres), one of the largest land positions in Canada's Athabasca Basin region the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium." CanAlaska's strategic holdings have attracted major international mining companies. CanAlaska is currently working with Cameco and Denison at two of the Company's properties in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska is a project generator positioned for discovery success in the world's richest uranium district. For further information visit www.canalaska.com.
About Cameco Corporation
Further information on Cameco can be found at www.cameco.com.
The qualified technical person for this news release is Dr Karl Schimann, P. Geo, CanAlaska director and VP Exploration.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Peter Dasler"
Peter Dasler, M.Sc., P.Geo.
President & CEO
CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
Contacts:
Peter Dasler, President
Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138
Email: info@canalaska.com
John Gomez, Corporate Development
Tel: +1.604.484.7118
Email: jgomez@canalaska.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking information
All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.
SPLC Should Rename 'Hate Map' to 'Groups We Hate Map'
Contact: Liberty Counsel, 407-875-1776, Media@LC.org; Press Kit
ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 30, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) admitted its fault and removed a town from its "Hate Map" this week. That map irresponsibly mixes religious organizations with violent hate groups, and this time it included the town of Amana because an unknown source alleged some people who might have been associated with The Daily Stormer met one time in a restaurant for coffee. This is one of many inaccuracies and gross over-characterizations that can be found on SPLC's map.
Amana, an innocent town, was then blacklisted by the SPLC. People living there were brought under a cloud a suspicion because of the improper, sweeping accusation of the SPLC. The SPLC makes wide generalizations and then seeks to harm those within its self-proclaimed classification of others.
In a similar manner, the SPLC targets anyone who disagrees with them on issues related to the LGBT agenda. Then it claims civil disagreement as "evidence" for falsely classifying a peaceful organization as "hateful." To do so is just as wrong and even more harmful than the SPLC's mischaracterization of the city of Amana.
Liberty Counsel has complied a comprehensive answer to SPLC's false name-calling of its non-profit Christian ministry and its pro bono work in the legal field. The SPLC continually grossly misrepresents and labels Liberty Counsel as a so-called "hate group." However, Liberty Counsel is not a "hate group" and hates no one. In addition to its many ministries, Liberty Counsel has a humanitarian relief program and had been providing help to victims of Hurricane Harvey, regardless of their beliefs, status, background or actions. In direct opposition to the SPLC's false campaign, Liberty Counsel believes in reaching out with kindness and truth to all Americans.
"As a pastor before becoming an attorney, my heart then and now is for hurting people," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "Liberty Counsel exists to help other people. Right now, we are focusing resources on helping victims of Harvey. We believe that every person is created in the image of God and should be treated with dignity and respect. We are putting those beliefs into action in Texas. This is hardly the action of a hate group! If the SPLC were intellectually honest, it should retitle its 'Hate Map' into 'Groups We Hate Map,'" said Staver.
In 2016, the Disciplinary Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, under President Obama, sharply rebuked and reprimanded attorneys for employing the SPLC's "hate group" label to dismiss a conservative advocacy group. It stated that using the SPLC's map "overstepped the bounds of zealous advocacy and was unprofessional." It continued that such behavior is "uncivil" and "constitutes frivolous behavior and does not aid the administration of justice."
Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
In the decade since I left health and human services administration and its issues behind, promising shifts in juvenile justice policy and practice have gained momentum. Perhaps the most significant development is the resolution adopted this summer by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges laying out new policy on juvenile probation and adolescent development. This is a game-changer.In its resolution, the council outlines changes to modernize probation approaches to reflect knowledge of adolescent development and behavioral decision-making. At the heart of this is spreading awareness of the science that has illuminated how different adolescent brains are from those of adults and how counterproductive public policy and practice have been -- especially if the goal is to help young people get back on track toward successful lives.Now, Instead of sanctions, incentives. Instead of standardized "conditions of parole," individualized case plans. Instead of binary "compliant or noncompliant" probation standards that trigger arbitrary returns to detention, differential responses that guide youth toward as normal a path to adulthood as possible, using out-of-home placement as a last resort.The search for effective treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders first gained national attention in the mid-1990s, when the shift away from punitive detention was exemplified by what are called "balanced and restorative justice" policies, which seek to bring all parties -- offender, victim and community -- into the response to juvenile crime. While giving victims and the community opportunities for involvement and input, these policies proactively sought to redirect offenders by guiding them to recognize and repair the harm they had caused and to increase their skills and abilities.At the same time, recognition that detention could in reality work against successful youth rehabilitation and worsen outcomes for moderate-risk and low-risk youth shifted emphasis toward community-based programs. (See my 2010 account in this space of New York State's challenges in closing youth detention facilities.) As a result of that changing emphasis, the periodic census of juvenile facilities compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice has shown declines in every state.The council's resolution points to the deepest implications of brain science since the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating life sentences without parole for crimes committed by adolescents: If we recognize that adolescents are different from adult offenders, should we not shape policies and practice to reflect their developmental stage and re-shape probation practice to reflect both the reality and the potential for successful paths to adulthood?The council "has stepped up to this leadership challenge, recognizing that it is the critical first step in propelling these systems," says Robert G. Schwartz, a visiting fellow at the Stoneleigh Foundation and co-founder and long-time co-director of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Law Project. "Just as balanced and restorative justice required significant re-tooling of policy, personnel and practice, developmentally appropriate probation will as well."No one reading this will underestimate the complexity of driving to the front line the changes outlined by the council. They are complex, requiring re-thinking of job descriptions and caseloads for probation officers, reallocating funding toward community-based services, and developing sophisticated application of risk-management approaches that recognize that few youth -- as is true of people dealing with addiction -- accomplish instant turnarounds in behavior. As Schwartz observes, the toughest challenge will be to help judges and senior probation officers move from boilerplate conditions of probation to helping a youth who has gotten into trouble meet positive expectations and goals.Fortunately, models testing these changes already exist, and many probation offices are tackling the work of transformation, often with the support of the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is supporting work in two "probation transformation" sites, in Lucas County/Toledo, Ohio, and Pierce County/Tacoma, Wash., and it is hoped that additional model counties will emerge to test and validate new practices, making the changes easier to embrace elsewhere.The council is pointing the way to important, evidence-based shifts in practice with transformative upside potential for youth who deserve the opportunity to hit the re-set button in their lives. Our communities will benefit from their success.
Democrats and Republicans in the Illinois Senate came together Tuesday to approve legislation revamping how state money is distributed to local schools, ensuring more of the state's education funding is steered toward poorer districts.Gov. Bruce Rauner plans to sign the bill into law Thursday, his office said. Doing so will authorize payments to school districts after they started their year without two regularly scheduled state checks. It also gives Chicago Public Schools the ability to further raise property taxes to help cover ballooning pension costs.The overhaul of the school aid formula represents the culmination of an effort years in the making. It often fell apart as communities across the state jockeyed for their piece of the school funding pie.Now, after partisan bickering left Illinois without a full budget for more than two years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were looking for a win -- and a way to avoid blame should schools eventually have to close their doors. The state comptroller's office said the delayed checks could be sent out within days of Rauner signing the bill."There will not be another generation of students that are subjected to inequity, the worst in the country, after this bill becomes law," said state Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat from Downstate Bunker Hill who sponsored the proposal. "It is not perfect. But is this a moment that we should all grab and we should all take ahold of and we should all celebrate together, understanding that there is work to do and there is accountability that has to take place afterwards? The answer is absolutely, without question, in my mind."The agreement and 38-13 Senate vote Tuesday came after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations among the four Democrat and Republican legislative leaders after Rauner used his amendatory veto powers to rewrite an earlier proposal.Rauner contended that version set aside too much money for CPS, often calling it a "bailout." However, the bill he now plans to enact could result in the Chicago district receiving as much as $450 million in new money -- about $150 million more than in the original bill. It also contains little to reflect the changes Rauner proposed in his veto.Even so, Rauner issued a statement saying the legislation "will bring historic education reform to Illinois children and their families." Following the vote, he shook hands with lawmakers on the Senate floor.Some Democrats said Rauner and his supporters were hoping to avoid a repeat of the budget battle, when several Republicans broke ranks and helped overturn his veto of a spending plan and tax hike."I think the governor and his allies clearly recognize that both the mood in the General Assembly and public opinion was moving against him," said Sen. Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park.Republicans countered that they were able to get items they've long sought and wouldn't have secured without the governor's veto.That includes $75 million in tax credits to help pay for tuition to private schools. In addition, school districts would face fewer requirements on daily physical education classes, and voters in well-funded districts could petition to lower their property taxes.The tax credit program spawned strong opposition among Democrats aligned with teachers unions who said it's a step toward the privatization of public education. Democratic governor candidate Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, called it "dangerous" precedent."I can't help but ask: What's next?" Biss said.Supporters said lawmakers should focus on the larger goal of the bill: to invest more state money into schools over time, with the most funding first going to the poorest districts. They also pointed to a windfall for CPS.Under the legislation, the Chicago Board of Education would be allowed to raise property taxes by an additional $120 million, Democratic legislators said. Cook County Clerk David Orr's office, however, put that figure at closer to $148 million. The new money would go into the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund.The state also would make a much larger contribution for Chicago teachers' pensions: $221 million, compared with about $12.2 million last year. That change was not written into the school funding bill but instead inserted into laws governing the state's retirement systems -- reflecting a change Rauner wanted.The property tax increase, if approved by the school board, would come on top of record-high $543 million property tax increases City Hall is still phasing in to increase contributions to pension funds for police officers and firefighters.Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union has pushed back hard against the private school scholarships tax credit and is weighing a lawsuit challenging the bill and political strategies to oppose it."I know that our attorneys are reviewing it so we can understand what our options are," CTU legislative and political director Stacy Davis Gates said of potential legal action. "Those are all things that we're exploring." She called the tax credit program "a detriment to the school district and a tax shelter for wealthy people and corporations. It's a problem."If the union successfully challenged the tax credits, the entire school funding measure would be "invalid" under a provision lawmakers inserted into the legislation. That would include the new money authorized for CPS.Previously, an Illinois Appellate Court in 2001 upheld a state income tax credit of up to $500 for parents for paying "qualified educational expenses" that exceed $250 for the education of children in K-12 private schools.The credit was challenged based on the state constitution prohibiting government money for religious purposes, including a ban on spending to "aid" or "to help support or sustain any school" that is "controlled by any church or sectarian denomination."In its 2001 ruling, the Appellate Court noted that a tax credit "does not constitute public funds" received by the government. Instead, "it merely allows people to keep more of their own money."
Gov. Matt Mead lamented the $100 million that Wyoming left on the table by choosing not to expand Medicaid, and he expressed concern for the states hospitals while discussing health care with the Star-Tribune recently.Mead echoed some of the fears that many Wyoming hospital officials have expressed for months: that congressional proposals to overhaul the health care system may have negative effects on facilities here and that the state has suffered because it chose not to allow more people to qualify for Medicaid.The idea that we did not accept Medicaid expansion and things are going to be good just hasnt turned out, he said.He said that because the state didnt expand Medicaid a proposal he supported in the past Wyoming has missed out on $100 million a year in federal aid. He added that in Wyoming, the program is currently facing a $20 million deficit.Im not going back in time, but when youre turning away $100 million a year as a state because you dont want to be part of the (Affordable Care Act), I mean, its a problem, he said.He still supported expansion but said the Legislature likely would be even less interested in the coming session, given the uncertainty coming from Washington.He thought the proposals from Congress to overhaul the Affordable Care Act were a mixed bag. While he supported keeping protections for chronically ill Americans and allowing younger adults to stay on their parents insurance plans for longer, he worried there wasnt enough in the bills to address Wyomings rural nature.Rural states are different, and I wanted to make sure we werent treated the same as a big state, he said.The ACA, theres certainly some room for improvement, he continued. But to throw it out just because its the ACA, I dont think thats a good idea.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put on hold a lower court ruling that invalidated two of Texas' 36 congressional districts.In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the high court indicated it wanted to hear from the minority groups suing the state before the state's appeal of that ruling moves forward. The high court ordered the state's legal foes to file a response by Sept. 5 to the state's efforts to keep congressional district boundaries intact for the 2018 elections.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had asked the Supreme Court to block a three-judge panel's unanimous finding that Congressional Districts 27 and 35 violate the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act. State leaders have said they have no immediate plans to call lawmakers back to Austin to redraw the congressional map. Instead, they looked to the high court to protect Texas from needing a new map ahead of the 2018 elections.Stall and delay is the favorite tactic used by Attorney General Paxton," said state Rep. Mary Gonzalez, vice chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, a plaintiff in the case. "We feel confident that once the Supreme Court has the opportunity to hear both sides that they will move forward to provide justice to all Texas voters.The AG's office, meanwhile, said they were "encouraged" by Alito's decision.We remain hopeful that the entire Court will allow Texas to continue to use the maps that were in place the last three election cycles," Marc Rylander, the AG's director of communications, said in a statement.At issue in the two districts flagged by the San Antonio-based court is whether Hispanic voters in CD-27, represented by U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, were "intentionally deprived of their opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice and whether CD-35 a Central Texas district represented by Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin is "an impermissible racial gerrymander" that was illegally drawn by lawmakers who used race as the predominant factor in drawing it.Addressing those faults in the embattled map, which Texas used for the past three election cycles, would affect congressional races statewide because boundary changes in the two flagged districts would also reshape neighboring districts.Texas and the minority rights groups suing the state were scheduled to return to court in San Antonio on Sept. 5 to fight over a new map. On Monday, the San Antonio three-judge panel advised that the Supreme Court's order did not prohibit the state and minority groups from "voluntarily exchanging" proposed fixes. A clerk indicated the court would confirm on Tuesday whether the hearing would move forward.Separately, Texas is defending its state House map, which the same San Antonio panel partially invalidated last week because of intentional discrimination behind the crafting of several legislative districts.The court had indicated that lawmakers should be prepared to also meet on Sept. 6 to consider changes to the state House map. But Paxton also plans to appeal that ruling, which said nine districts must be redrawn.Legal observers suggested not reading too much into the order beyond the courts desire to give the states argument a full review.An open question is whether the increasingly complicated legal battle will delay the March 2018 primary elections.
While traditionally a subject discussed in hushed tones, tampons have become an issue talked about in public by politicians and policymakers alike.Earlier this month, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons issued a recommendation for federal prisons to start providing feminine hygiene products for free to the nation's 13,000 female inmates in federal penitentiaries. Advocates of the recommendation say it will stop women from having to choose between spending money on tampons and pads and spending money on phone calls to their families."Right now, its just words on paper, and its only as useful as how strictly its enforced," says Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, an attorney with an upcoming book about menstrual equity. "However, whats influential about this guidance is that its the largest governmental body to weigh in on this issue."Several state, city and county government bodies have been working to achieve "menstrual equity." It's a new movement to make feminine hygiene products accessible to everyone who needs them. Advocates argue they're a necessity, not a luxury, and it's time for governments to treat them as such.The law with the biggest impact, according to Weiss-Wolf, is in New York City. There, the city council passed a law to offer feminine hygiene products for free in jails, public school bathrooms and homeless shelters. ( For more on the issue of menstruating while homeless, click here. Similarly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion earlier this year that requires pads and tampons to be provided to girls in juvenile detention. Previously, tampons weren't allowed for fear of Toxic Shock Syndrome -- a serious but rare infection caused by leaving them in too long. And the pads that were provided were notoriously poor in quality, the LAist reported Treating girls with dignity better enables them to focus on their education, self-sufficiency and rehabilitation, the motion reads In Colorado last year, legislators added an amendment to the state budget that gives free pads and tampons to women in the states prisons. Itll cost the state $40,000 -- out of an overall budget of $26.7 billion. Before the new funding, women had to prove they needed a sanitary pad, or they could buy a box of tampons for $7 in the prisons commissary.We need to make sure people under the supervision of the state -- regardless of why theyre there -- are treated humanely, says state Rep. Leslie Herod, who fought for the amendment.Herod initially asked the states Department of Corrections "to be a partner" and start offering the products for free. But, she says, it declined her request, so she decided to go through the state budget. It is unclear, however, if it'll become a regular part of the state's budget in the years to come.In terms of achieving menstrual equity, removing the sales tax on pads and tampons has been the most popular reform. This past year, four states -- Connecticut, Florida, Illinois and New York -- passed legislation to get rid of the "tampon tax," bringing the number of states that dont tax menstrual products to 14. Before the movement started to take off in late 2015, five states -- Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Pennsylvania -- already had such a law on the books, and five other states -- Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon -- simply don't have a sales tax on anything.The federal memo from the Bureau of Prisons is interesting, menstrual equity advocates say, because its coming from the Department of Justice, which is led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a politician with a conservative track record on womens health. Weiss-Wolf isoptimistic that will help make this more of a bipartisan issue.The memo, Weiss-Wolf says, "gives Republicans cover to be O.K. with it. When they see other Republicans stepping out, they will too."But at the state level, policymakers don't always vote along party lines on this. It's largely a liberal cause -- with exception: California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, vetoed a bill to remove the tampon tax, saying "tax breaks are the same as new spending." In Florida, the lawmaker who pushed for the tax exemption is a Republican.As for the politicians who still find the topic of menstruation squeamish, Herod hopes that means "then they wont fight about it."
The parallels between Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina are stark. Look no further than the severe and destructive flooding that both storms have left along the Gulf Coast and the sheer number of evacuations due in part to a respective lack of preparation.Perhaps it's because of those similarities that an "ABC World News Tonight" anchor's use of the word "looting" on Twitter to describe a scene amid Houston's floodwaters reminded many of a debate that raged 12 years ago.As Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast in 2005, two images surfaced that would fuel conversation around race and perception in the coming days, weeks and years.The controversy centered on two photos and their respective captions. One from Associated Press photographer Dave Martin showed a young black man wading through water while holding a bag and a case of soda. The accompanying description stated that he was "looting." A second photo from Chris Graythen for Getty Images showed a similar scene, but this time it was a white couple clutching bags of food. Their actions were labeled as "finding."The photos quickly sparked criticism for what many believed to be race-fueled descriptions based on implicit bias. The conversation played out across the Internet, even taking the prime-time stage when Kanye West spoke on the matter during a telethon to benefit victims of Katrina. The outrage was so memorable that five years later, the Newseum in Washington featured the photos and backlash in its Katrina exhibit.At the time, the Associated Press stood by its description, pointing to its guidelines for justification of using the word "looting" rather than "carrying." An AP spokesman told Salon that the photographer "saw the person go into the shop and take the goods, and that's why he wrote 'looting' in the caption."Getty also stuck by its description to use "finding." In a blog post days later, Graythen further explained his reasoning."These people were not ducking into a store and busting down windows to get electronics. They picked up bread and cokes that were floating in the water. They would have floated away anyhow."Graythen wrote that his description had nothing to do with race, and added that when he later saw both white and black individuals actually looting a store, he did include that in his caption.This time around in the wake of Harvey, there was no photo or mention of race. Anchor Tom Llamas simply described a situation in a tweet, later deleting the original and tweeting again, adding that the people he saw "looting" had covered their faces.Still, the added context and the absence of racially charged images did not preclude criticism. As Katrina demonstrated, the term has a loaded meaning for many people, regardless of the reality behind the situation.
Description
GIS - 30 August, 2017: The Minister for Aviation from Ghana, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, this afternoon at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. The Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of Air Mauritius were also present during the meeting. The Minister for Aviation from Ghana, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister,
In a statement after the meeting, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah said that the meeting with the Prime Minister was very cordial and focused mainly on the possibility of a joint venture between Air Mauritius and Ghana.
The Chairman of Air Mauritius, Dr Arjoon Suddhoo, said that the visit of the Ghanaian Minister for Aviation coincides with the vision of the Mauritian government as regards its Africa strategy which lays emphasis on securing strong regional partnerships to accede to the next developmental level. Ghana, he said, is seeking assistance of Air Mauritius to revive the Ghana airlines. Both parties, he added, have also agreed on a business plan for Air Mauritius to expand in Africa.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Mauritius, Mr Somaskaran T. Appavou, stated that a team of experts from Ghana and from Mauritius are presently holding talks on the way forward for the setting up of Ghanas airline. Air Mauritius, with its pool of human capital and 50 years of experience can greatly assist Ghana in this endeavour, he said.
Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah is a Leadership Development Consultant and a Public Relations Manager with a keen interest in international development, leadership and mentoring.
She has extensive experience in infrastructural development and has led several key positions in government namely Special Assistant to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Minister of State in the ministry of Water Resources, and Team Leader for the Transition Sub-Committee on Transportation. She is currently the Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure and the Executive Oversight for the Ghana AIDS Commission.
Wittenberg Declaration Celebrates 'Journey of Reconciliation and Unity'
Contact: Media Office , World Council of Churches, +41 79 507 6363
GENEVE, Aug. 30, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- The 44th conference of the International Ecumenical Fellowship (IEF) has released a "Declaration of Wittenberg: We walk towards the visible unity of the Church," a statement that culminates the week-long assembly, held 21-28 August.
The theme of the conference was "From the True Treasure of the Churches Discovering the Gospel Together."
The declaration observes both the 50 years the IEF has existed, and the 500 years that have passed since the Reformation. "Since its founding in 1967, the IEF has sought to instil in its members a yearning for unity," reads the declaration. "With joy, we celebrate the unending work of promoting bridges of dialogue and encounter, the mission to heal wounds, to reconcile and to witness together our faith in Christ."
The declaration challenges people to transform a painful history of conflict and indifference into a journey of reconciliation and unity.
"Through our own history of 50 years, we have tried to contribute to this journey and will continue to do so," the declaration continues. "But we cannot advance without recognizing each other as brothers and sisters."
The assembly agreed that, more than ever, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a common treasure, that brings churches to continuous conversion, reform and renewal. Those gathered also thanked God for the spiritual gifts they received through sharing meals, prayers, songs and ecumenical dialogue.
"Through our togetherness, we experience acute pain for not being able always to celebrate the Eucharist in communion with each other," the declaration reads. "Nevertheless our joy is great when, under certain circumstances church leaders offer eucharistic hospitality."
The assembly expressed its intention to improve ecumenical relationships by working as Christians together to foster Christian values in a secularised society, to welcome and support immigrants and refugees, and to promote justice and peace and the integrity of creation.
"In this new beginning we are convinced that visible unity in reconciled diversity is more than ever the ultimate Christian goal that our Lord prayed for," concluded the declaration. "To realise this goal we commit ourselves to explore new means, new ways, new generations, new countries."
"An extraordinary chance" for hope, Tveit reflects in Wittenberg (WCC press release 25 August, 2017)
Wittenberger Okumenische Versammlung 2017
Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace
LOS ANGELES Privacy concerns may make the mantle of big data weigh heavily on the shoulders of the public sector, but the underlying issues are the ones agencies must confront, city, county and state officials told hundreds of the roughly 450 registrants at the Los Angeles Digital Government Summit.In opening remarks, a lunchtime address and a panel discussion of positive case studies on Tuesday, Aug. 29, Los Angeles city and county executives and a privacy leader from Washington state all reminded their audiences that the future of data privacy starts now but privatizing and securing all that data will likely be a long-running process.Washington state Chief Privacy Officer Alex Alben compared it to the emergence of last centurys disruptive technology, the automobile, but told those attending his lunchtime examination of global privacy concerns that people are typically eager to protect privacy.And the next question is whats privacy, he said.Technology is always going to be ahead of the law, so does that mean we shouldnt do anything? People say if we have laws about this, its going to create a lot of conflict and confusion and youre eventually going to hamstring innovation, Alben said, noting he believes that given the magnitude of the threat already posed to residents and agencies data, it is long since time" to do something about protecting peoples data.And this, said Los Angeles CIO Ted Ross, is the context of the summit."No pressure. Because we do carry a very heavy burden, a very heavy responsibility on ourselves being information technology (IT) professionals," said Ross, one of's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers of 2017 , during his opening remarks.In Alben's presentation, which elicited more than a few chuckles from those present, he took viewers through a slideshow that was sobering and humorous but precisely cataloged the state of privacy today.Miniaturization, cloud storage, the use of cameras, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics are all initiatives with privacy concerns that agencies will face going forward, Alben said, pointing out its estimated that more than 5 million new devices are being connected to the Internet every day, contributing to a global online swell that could reach more than 21 billion by 2020.City, county and state officials alike must be mindful of the threat posed by hackers, hacktivists and criminal organizations, Alben said, recounting the devastation wrought by the Mirai botnet attack Yet even as some officials have steeled themselves against incursions from the outside, he said they have in many cases failed to extend privacy rights long not considered a right in American law to data.Challenges from Internet of Things (IoT) devices are among the biggest threats, Alben told the room, pointing out that while American law did eventually incorporate privacy in the late 19th century, it hasnt kept pace with Samsung smart refrigerators and even the flashlight apps on many smartphones, which can have access to our contact lists.Washington state has enacted a data privacy law that covers how the state will and wont use its citizens data but similar protections often dont extend to the private sectors labyrinthine privacy policies, which consumers understandably are loath to read.Tracking through Google maps, collecting biometric data, and questions of who can reasonably have the expectation of privacy will continue to resonate, Alben said.Its leading to a lot of mistrust that carries out and carries over not only in the online corporate context, but in governance as well. If you dont trust a lot of websites, why should you trust a government website? Alben asked the room.He advised those present to revisit their own agencies public records and privacy laws, to take special care with biometric data because of its literal human representation, and to loop in third parties that work for the public sector.Talk to your contractors about how theyre going to design some of these things, especially if they have to do with personal data, Alben said.Afternoon panelists in a discussion of With Great Data Comes Great Responsibility generally agreed.Dave Wesolik, IT branch manager for the Los Angeles County department of internal services, told audience members the county is moving into IoT but is mindful of its potential to be subverted.They can now attack and they can hack a car-manufacturing robot in a factory. We need to make sure were providing secure communication and our data is secure for that, Wesolik said.Mohammed Al Rawi, CIO for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, said his agency is deploying IoT partially in hopes it may change the perception of IT personnel from mere service providers.Among its deployments, county parks and recreation is using soil and weather sensors in parks to more efficiently send out arborists and even to spot forest fires.All this data gets gathered and put into the system. This can serve for early rescue and early control for the fire department. But also managers, arborists, maintenance workers will have the ability to look at the system and see whats happening real time, Al Rawi said.But theres also a dark side to data, said Hunter Owens, data scientist for the city of Los Angeles, recalling the ignoble fate of the Microsoft chatbot Tay -- which was designed to chat with Twitter users, but was quickly undermined last year by inappropriate content.Owens debunked machine learning, translating its unique vocabulary, but challenged listeners to think about the problems they want to solve with artificial intelligence and machine learning and to think for themselves.Machine learning does not mean computers are learning like people learn. At the end of the day, most of machine learning is still human learning, Owens said, calling for an end to black boxes that obscure so-called proprietary developments from even the public agencies that purchase them.We have a responsibility to our constituents and our residents to be able to justify all the decisions we make, Owens said.After the panel, Owens toldthat agencies starting to consider big data, machine learning and AI need to be keenly aware of both the challenges and opportunities presented.Yes, we can determine who is at risk of homelessness before they become homeless but we also run the chance of predicting longer prison sentences for those who may not be deserving of them, Owens said. You have to balance the desire to do good with the opportunity first, and be very clear in the trade-offs youre making with your algorithm."Ethics and responsibilities, he said, may well be up to us in the data science community.
(TNS) -- As the director of San Franciscos Department of the Environment, part of Debbie Raphaels job involves making sure the city selects the most environmentally friendly products possible in the thousands of purchasing decisions made by dozens of government departments each year.Over time, Raphael and her staff have built up a comprehensive list of green products everything from liquid cleaners to light bulbs and furniture to encourage city departments to buy more eco-friendly supplies.But theres a problem. While they may be able to highlight the greenest products available, Raphael and her team have no way of knowing in real time what city departments are actually purchasing. Blame it on old technology.I dont have confidence that the data is complete, Raphael said. Its not nimble. We dont know which departments are doing great and which ones need help.But after years of being hobbled by outdated systems, San Francisco city government is in the midst of the largest technological upgrade in its history. The result, city officials hope, will be a government that conducts business more efficiently and transparently than ever before.City Halls appetite for upgrades has arisen now because the city has both the need to modernize and the means available to do it, City Controller Ben Rosenfield said. In June, the city hired Linda Gerull as its new director of technology. Over the next few years, Gerull said there would be an explosion of new services that will benefit both bureaucrats and the public by digitizing processes currently being done on paper or in-person.Thats already started. Last month, the city switched over to an all-new, $60 million computing system that will administer its $10 billion budget, manage invoicing, purchasing and payments to over 5,000 vendors, and handle the payroll for the citys 30,000 employees.Its the backbone of the citys back-office functions, said Rosenfield, who oversaw the rollout. San Francisco, he said, is the last county in the state to embark on a major upgrade of its technological underpinnings. And thats just a start: The citys Department of Public Health is also getting new technology to track thousands of patient records.The new financial systems predecessor, which Rosenfield described as very stable, but very limited, was switched on in 1980 and hadnt seen a meaningful upgrade since 1997. Because of its limitations, Rosenfield said, city departments independently adopted bespoke financial systems for contracting, dealing with vendors and recording the funds flowing in and out of their offices.Some departments had sophisticated online systems, and others have been doing it all on paper, Rosenfield said.When its fully operational, the new system will allow 80 subsystems used by individual departments to work together.Being able to quickly access data should provide some relief to Raphael as she tracks the citys eco-friendly purchasing efforts.Raphael and her team have had to stitch together an annual report of the citys green purchases from a patchwork of disparate data. That process takes a staffer hundreds of hours each year and provides a frustratingly incomplete picture of whether the city is living up to its buy-green goals.The city has these great intentions, and we want to fulfill them, but were hamstrung by technology, she said. If we had real-time data, we would be able to ensure that every dollar of public money spent maximizes its protection of the planet and the people. The new system will allow her to do that.Rosenfield said technical kinks are still being worked out and employees are getting used to the new system, but, with time, vendors will be able to register to do business with the city, bid on projects and get paid, all online.As it is now, each city department has its own method of contracting with vendors and tracking payments, making the process of doing business with the city very uneven and overly cumbersome, Rosenfield said.Another benefit, Rosenfield said, is that the city will be able to track large amounts of data to create more detailed and better-informed budgets.Were going to have much more information on what the city is spending and with whom its spending at a much more granular level and in a much more transparent way, he said.The overhaul represents the largest information technology project in city history, but it will soon be eclipsed by an ambitious medical records upgrade under way at the Department of Public Health.The department is working to unify the digital records system for its entire health network, which treats 100,000 patients at nine hospitals, clinics and health centers. Using a single system, instead of the 50 now in use for things like clinical documentation and regulatory compliance, will allow the patient medical information to move more easily through the departments health care system and provide clinicians with better access to patient data.It is an essential tool for the organization to function as a unified network so that patient care and experience is consistent and of the highest quality, wherever the patient may be, said Dr. Albert Yu, the departments chief health information officer.Over the next 10 years, the project is expected to cost around $377 million, which includes staff training. The Health Department hopes to begin rolling out its new system in July 2019.Despite the recent improvements and big projects on the horizon, some of the citys inner workings remain deeply mired in the technological past.In November, Muni fell victim to a ransomware attack that one independent cybersecurity analyst blamed on outdated software.And the citys Assessor-Recorders Office, which tracks $2.7 billion in property tax revenue each year, is running on a computer system fraught with many inefficiencies, according to Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu.The programming language is no longer being taught, and inputting and accessing is cumbersome, Chu said. But Chu said that she expects to begin soliciting proposals for a new department system later this year.Its not really an option for the city not to be paying attention to how we modernize our property tax system, Chu said, adding that while governments dont operate with the nimbleness of the private sector, they should still work to meet citizens growing expectations for service in the modern age.People want to see a government thats responsive to them, that helps to make their lives easier, she said. Even though were not there yet, we should strive for that.
(TNS) - Devastation hit Texas with Hurricane Harvey. Rainfall will continue through Wednesday. People are stranded and waiting for rescue.With emergency call centers overwhelmed, alternative ways to find rescue have become necessary. Pages like Hurricane Harvey 2017 Together We Will Make It on Facebook have maps posted with locations of people in need of rescue, marking them green when those people are deemed safe.From their rooftops, surrounded by floodwaters, people are making their location known on these sites, and its working.On Twitter, sharing tweets of families requesting anyone in the area with a boat to come to their rescue has become a common occurrence. An account, @HarveyRescue, is working with Harvey Relief and compiling a google document of rescue requests to report to the Coast Guard.People hundreds and thousands of miles away are, in their own way, attempting to help the effort and making sure people are found.Its easy to criticize social media, but its times like this, where it brings people together in a way that can help, that the benefits of it come to the forefront.This is being considered the biggest natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina, and since then many things have changed, with technology being a major part of that change.We are used to seeing GoFundMes gain traction and help individuals and familial units, but this is one of the first times weve seen a large and concerted effort via social media for a natural disaster occurring in the United States.Theyve become such effective tools to reach people that police and government officials are using these channels as an essential means of communication, NPR reported.Officials have warned that social media should not be solely relied upon for rescue, but its agreed that when in an emergency situation, using all means available to you is always recommended.The U.S. has shown the innate ability to band together when part of the nation is in a time of crisis, and Hurricane Harvey is no exception. The outpouring of support, willingness to help and ongoing efforts are testaments to this.2017 the Fergus Falls Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minn.)Visit the Fergus Falls Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minn.) at www.fergusfallsjournal.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - The biggest rainstorm in the history of the U.S. mainland made a second landfall Wednesday on the Gulf Coast, slowly moving away from Houston and dousing southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.While Tropical Storm Harvey no longer has the power of the Category 4 hurricane that slammed the Gulf Coast late Friday it is expected to weaken as it moves north toward Mississippi and Tennessee the National Hurricane Center warned of continued catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.The Texas National Guard has made more than 8,500 rescues and 26,000 evacuations, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Wednesday.After activating 14,000 members of the Texas National Guard, Abbott announced he was seeking an additional 10,000 National Guard members from other states.The worst is not yet over for southeast Texas, he said.Already, tens of thousands of people in Houston and across southeast Louisiana have had to evacuate their homes, and the death toll has risen to more than 20, including a Houston police officer who drowned in his car while driving to work.A white van containing the bodies of four children and their great-grandparents was found Wednesday near Greens Bayou in east Houston.Virginia Saldivar said her brother-in-law, Sam, was driving her grandchildren and her husbands parents to higher ground Sunday when the current swept up the van. Sam survived by climbing out of the front seat and grabbing onto a tree limb, but the van disappeared into the water.About 85 miles east of Houston, in Beaumont, Texas, a 41-year-old mother, Colette Sulcer, and her 3-year-old daughter were swept away by high floodwaters Tuesday after getting out of their car near a flooded freeway. The child clung to its mother for half a mile before police officers and fire rescue divers spotted them in a canal and plucked them out of the water just before they went under a trestle. The mother died, but the child was in stable condition.The Sheriffs Office in Harris County, which includes Houston, said Wednesday morning that the Coast Guard was leading a search in the northeast part of the city for two civilian rescuers still missing after a boat crash.Since Harvey made landfall Friday night as a hurricane, some areas around Houston have seen more than of 50 inches of rain about what they usually receive in a year.As the rain let up Wednesday in the nations fourth-largest city, residents were cheered by clearing skies and a bit of sunshine. Restaurants and shops began to reopen.In the Montrose neighborhood west of downtown, small groups of neighbors took to rain-slicked streets in boots and sneakers to survey the damage.Even warnings from the National Weather Service in Houston and Galveston became less dire: Improving weather conditions to come, it announced after canceling its tropical storm warning and storm surge watch.But many areas still remained impassable. Main highways and other roads were washed out, and more than 10,000 people were temporarily homeless at the main shelter in the citys downtown George R. Brown Convention Center.City officials have asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cots and food for an additional 10,000 people, and officials are set to open a shelter at the Toyota Center, a downtown Houston arena.Early Wednesday, Harris County officials warned that a levee protecting the Inverness Forest subdivision in the north part of the county could fail after a portion of its base eroded. A mandatory evacuation of part of the area is in place until 6 p.m. CDT while crews attempt to shore up the levee, said Jeff Lindner, meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District.Thousands of homes west of downtown, upstream from the Barker and Addicks reservoirs, flooded after dams backed up from heavy rainfall.With some homes filled with up to 6 feet of water, residents would not be able to return for several weeks, Lindner said at a morning news conference. He was not sure if the homes would be rebuilt.When water sits in a house for weeks, the house begins to degrade and so were not sure what the condition of those homes will be when residents return in a few weeks, Lindner said. Will these homes be allowed to be rebuilt or will they be rebuilt? Thats a question that well have to look at going forward.Lindner said he did not expect additional homes to flood.The watersheds are falling, and while most of them remain well over their banks and some of them remain at record levels, the water levels are going down, he said. And thats for the first time in several days.In Port Arthur, Texas, a coastal city 90 miles east of Houston, Motiva Enterprises began a controlled shutdown of its massive plant, the nations largest oil refinery. Employees wont go back to work until floodwaters recede.Five miles across town, floodwater began to spill into a shelter for displaced residents. At the Robert A. Bob Bowers Civic Center, residents perched on cots standing in murky brown water.And the death toll kept rising. On Wednesday, Beaumont officials said a second womans body was found on the north side at 7:25 a.m.Tuesday night, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences updated its storm-related deaths to include that of an 89-year-old woman, Agnes Stanley, who was found floating in 4 feet of floodwater in a home. Another woman, 76, was discovered floating in water near a vehicle. Her name was not released. A 45-year-old man, Travis Lynn Callihan, left his vehicle and fell into floodwater. He was taken to a hospital, where he died Monday.(Hennessy-Fiske reported from Houston and special correspondent Jarvie from Atlanta.)2017 Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Some people are questioning why a general evacuation order was not given for areas that were forecast to be in harm's way from Hurricane Harvey. It is easy to say "evacuate," but then executing an evacuation is not easy in any form of the word.There have been tragedies during evacuations, see 24 nursing home evacuees die in bus fire, which happened there in Houston back in 2005. Those are relatively fresh memories for those still in authority there in Texas.The other issue is, "Do you believe the weather forecast?" There have been plenty of storms that took a different path or petered out before making landfall. Then, authorities are challenged for taking the wrong step in ordering an evacuation. Crying wolf is a charge that is lobbed when nothing materializes.For me, evacuation is like issuing a warning. I'd rather be "shot" for doing something, rather than accused and pilloried for having done nothing, recognizing that either way there are risks involved.
On Aug. 30, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder appointed David DeVries to serve as state CIO, after DeVries most recently served in that same capacity for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In addition to state CIO, DeVries new role includes directing Michigans Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
Davids efforts to modernize aging IT infrastructure and improve cybersecurity at the federal level highlight his wealth of skills and experience that make him an excellent fit for this role, Snyder said in the release. As a leader who is passionate about both people and technology, I am confident David will be instrumental in helping Michigan achieve more of its goals to be the nations best state government.
At the OPM, DeVries was instrumental in creating a stronger culture after security breaches in 2015. During his time at the U.S. Department of Defense , he helped launch electronic records systems for Veterans Affairs, and expanded cloud adoption and mobile capabilities.
DeVries replaces former Michigan CIO David Behen, who stepped down in June to take a position in the private sector as La-Z-Boys vice president and CIO . That companys global headquarters is located in Michigan. DeVries steps into a position Behen held for six years, making a significant impact upon the states IT during his tenure.
When Behen took the CIO post in February 2011 , a decade of economic turmoil had left the state with many systems in need of upgrade, and so his first few years were spent creating a new strategic technology plan, as well as identifying nearly 20 projects in need of replacement and enhanced automation needs that were matched to multiyear tech funding in the state budget. Over the years, Behen also led efforts to move email into the cloud, embark upon data center modernization, overhaul procurement and deploy a new statewide ERP system.
Behen was named one of's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in 2013 , and under his IT leadership, Michigan was one of just a few states that received an "A" grade in the Center for Digital Government's* 2016 Digital States Survey
DeVries seems likely to have a significant impact in Michigan as well. In addition to his work with the OPM and DoD, he has served as the U.S. Army special assistant to the commanding general, a role wherein he directed daily activities aimed at establishing enterprise level IT services within that organization.Government Technology
RALEIGH, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper shared his vision for the state when it comes to technology during remarks at the North Carolina Digital Government Summit Aug. 30.Among the key areas he addressed, the need for more substantial investment in education as a means of boosting the states IT workforce was a foremost topic.When we talk about a better workforce, particularly in this digital age, we have to be talking about education all the way from birth through post-high school attainment, higher education. Investments in early childhood and pre-K, Cooper said.In conversations with state officials and CEOs in the private sector, Cooper said the call for a better-educated and better-skilled workforce generally comes up with employers before issues like taxes.Employers want to know that they will have a steady stream of employees who can do the work without needing excessive amounts of training.What we have to do to get that great workforce is to invest in education in our state. And we have to make that decision of what our priorities are, the governor said, adding that when coupled with better teacher pay and investment in community colleges, the state can bolster the ranks of IT professionals.The issue of connectivity is also a major priority for the state. While efforts to expand rural broadband have been a key priority for Cooper, he acknowledged there is still substantial work to be done before the digital divide is bridged.In addition to serving as an educational tool, high-speed Internet is vital to bolstering businesses in rural areas.The problem is that we still have over 400,000 households in North Carolina without access to broadband high-speed Internet, the governor said. Many of these are in rural counties, are in poorer counties, and our small businesses that are there along with the kids that are going to a school that has broadband, but then where are they going to do their homework and where are they going to go and study?In the last budget cycle, Cooper said the proposals to support the last-mile connections for broadband have helped to expand connectivity in North Carolina. When compared to the potential benefits of high-speed Internet, he said the investment is small.We have to continue to work to expand broadband all over the state so that we can bring those opportunities for prosperity to those rural areas, Cooper said.The issue of cybersecurity also made an appearance in the governors remarks as a key priority facing state IT professionals.The constant barrage of attacks targeting sensitive state data has prompted state officials to pursue more proactive training and backups. Among the development of a proposal for a technology disaster recovery site, the governor called for more money to be spent on training and simulations.
(TNS) -- When someone looks to change career paths and get into a new industry, it can be tough.Nevada has tapped a company to help make that transition easier for those seeking work in the technology sector.Transmosis is a workforce trainer focused on developing a pipeline of skilled labor by helping job seekers address skill gaps.After years of Silicon Valley experience, Chase Norlin, CEO of Transmosis, noticed that most could break into the tech industry with a little training.You just need a couple of key things ambition and transferable skills, Norlin said. You need some basis of being able to learn new skills or can be easily adaptable.Norlin started the program in California and saw early success, for example, taking someone who was long-term unemployed to landing them a job with Google after completing training.Transmosis now offers various tech-related courses in Nevada, including cybersecurity.The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said that the long-term growth projections for the information security analyst position in the Las Vegas region is 38.6 percent, and 43.5 percent for the state, for the professional, scientific or technical industries. There are 290 people employed in this type of position in Las Vegas and 360 throughout the state; there are 80,180 nationwide.The demand for jobs there is through the roof, he said. There are not even remotely enough people currently skilled enough to get jobs in that field.The latest course which is entirely online is an almost 4-month-long virtual bootcamp, funded through the STEM Workforce Challenge Grant via the Governor's Office of Science, Innovation and Technology.Those chosen for the cybersecurity course can do so with no out-of-pocket costs for the program that runs around $5,000.With the program increasingly gaining traction, Norlin said the latest course had an overwhelming number of applicants.Weve had a record turnout with over 200 applications for the 15 subsidized spots. So, there is a lot of demand from the local population in this field. he said. Were going to double that class size to 30 because of the overwhelming response. So Transmosis is figuring out a way to get some type of subsidy for the remaining 15.Making the program even more attractive is that half of the available jobs in STEM industries dont require a four-year degree and the average wage of sub-baccalaureate STEM being around $50,000 per year, according to Transmosis. Those wages are almost 50 percent higher than those of non-STEM jobs with similar education requirements, the company said.After taking a Transmosis course in internet technology, one local participant left a fast-food job and ended up at a technology firm.I was working at Jamba Juice trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, said Zen Mori, IT technician at Las Vegas-based Full Spectrum Laser. I heard about the IT Desktop Support program and couldnt help but inquire. I couldnt be happier. Thanks to the hands-on experience and one-on-one mentorship, I am now employed full time (in the tech industry).For more information about the application process, click here
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Brock Long is suddenly becoming a household name.
As administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Long, a North Carolina native and graduate of Appalachian State University, been all over TV news. Hes headlined news conferences and been on the ground in Texas coordinating rescue and relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the worst storm to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005.
FEMAs going to be there for years, Long told CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday. This disasters going to be a landmark event.
Until two months ago, Long was virtually unknown outside professional circles. Before his confirmation this summer, he was living in Hickory and working for a national consulting firm.
A native of Newton, he earned two degrees from Appalachian State. He went on to work in emergency management for more than 16 years before he was nominated by President Donald Trump to run FEMA. He won Senate confirmation in June by a vote of 95-4 and, unlike some presidential appointments, drew praise from all sides.
New York Magazine profiled him in a story headlined: Trumps FEMA Director Doesnt Seem Incompetent.
Unlike former FEMA director Michael Brown, famously fired for his performance during Hurricane Katrina, Long boasts a deep resume.
From 2008 to 2011, he served as director of Alabamas Emergency Management Agency, where he oversaw the response to 14 disasters, including BPs Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Before that he was FEMAs Regional Hurricane Program Manager in Georgia, where he worked in emergency operations planning, evacuation procedures and response logistics.
And since 2011, Long worked as executive vice president at Hagerty Consulting, a nationwide emergency management consultant. From his home in Hickory, he worked on more than 50 projects across the country.
Theres nothing that can take the place of experience, of knowledge and the skills and ability that grow from that experience, said Lanita Lloyd, president of the U.S. Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers. Hes definitely been a friend to emergency managers across the county. They know him. Theyll feel comfortable working with him. And they trust him to make the right decisions.
Former Gov. Pat McCrory, who helped resettle Katrina refugees as mayor of Charlotte, was also said to be under consideration for the FEMA post.
Marvin Hoffman was running Appalachians graduate program in public administration when Long entered it in the late 1990s after finishing a bachelors in criminal justice at the school in Boone. Long was one of just a half-dozen people who planned to focus on emergency management.
He wanted to enter into a career he knew would be challenging, said Hoffman, who recalls Long as a serious, highly motivated student.
Hoffmans successor, Mark Bradbury, said Long has returned often to speak to students and alumni groups.
He has a real enthusiasm for emergency management, Bradbury said. He wants it done well. And hes really tireless. Always a genuine enthusiasm in a positive way.
Long told reporters Monday that more than 450,000 people are expected to seek disaster assistance and 30,000 will need emergency shelter after the flooding that followed Harvey left the Houston region a giant inland sea.
He said FEMA has nearly 5,000 staffers in Texas and neighboring Louisiana. Theyre prepared to be there for a long time.
While were focused on response right now and helping Texas respond, he told CNN, were setting up and gearing up for the next couple years.
Speaking to the the National Governors Association in July, Long said America lacks a culture of preparedness.
One of the things that keeps me up at night is this nation has not seen the devastation of a major land-falling hurricane since 2005. So sometimes I think we forget the worst.
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.
Our Civil War was a tragedy of immense proportions, snuffing out lives in both the North and South.
A far greater tragedy, one that lies at the heart of the current national debate about monuments, is that white Americans bought, traded and exploited black human beings for almost 400 years; and preserving that institution was a professed reason for the Souths secession.
Americans today reject slavery as abhorrent.
That it endured for so long can be explained only by attributing it to a communal hardening of the human heart.
Would it ever be possible to provide adequate remuneration to descendants of those so cruelly enslaved?
The fact that Congress annually refuses even to discuss the issue of reparations speaks volumes about our inability to confront our historic culpability.
Monuments and memorials to the victims of slavery and to the casualties of that tragic conflagration are appropriate in cemeteries, churchyards and museums where we can pause and ask forgiveness for grievous past failures.
As for statues honoring generals and apologists of white supremacy, place them in battlegrounds facing those fields where so much innocent blood was shed on account of this shameful and inglorious heritage.
Joe Moran
Durham
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY As the first bell on Aug. 28 rang out in traditional schools across the county, students rushed to their seats and got ready for the official start of the 2017-2018 school year.
It was fantastic, said Draper Elementary School Principal Christy Ann Bailey. It was so exciting to see the kids come back and have big smiles on their faces and to see how excited they were to be back at school.
After a summer to prepare and ready the buildings for a new generation of students, the first day went by without a hitch, according to some RCS principals.
Our students were excited to be back on the first day and our staff has been working so hard over the past few weeks and weekends to get the classrooms ready, said Stoneville Elementary School Principal Kasie Pruitt. Our campus looks great. My mowing guys did a wonderful job of mowing and putting new mulch out. The floors are shiny and sparkly. My custodians did an excellent job in getting those ready. Our campus looks great.
Administrators and teachers had also been hard at work planning out new programs, methods and goals for the new year.
At Draper Elementary, fifth grade students will soon began working on a Draper legacy research project.
They're going to be digging into the history of Draper, of how the town came to be, what industries started the town, what leadership happened to develop the community and the schools, and connecting with recent and past alumni from Draper, Bailey said. It's a really neat kind of historical journey that the fifth grade group is going to be going through.
To fuel this project, Draper is collecting old yearbooks, photographs and document memories from the community to share and explore areas history in the classroom.
Meanwhile, Stoneville Elementary made one of this years goals promoting and growing the SPLASH! program. Led by two teachers from Columbia, SPLASH! is a Spanish language immersion program with 50 percent of instruction in Spanish and 50 percent in English, according to Pruitt.
Currently, the program is offered to first, second and third grade students.
We hope to get more interest next year so we can start a new kindergarten class, Pruitt said. We didn't have a kindergarten splash class this year due to the level of interest, but we're hoping to promote it more and get more interest across the district and hopefully pull some kids into our splash program that maybe don't live in our community but would be willing to travel and participate in this great program that we have.
At Holmes Middle School, administrators have made it their goal to help the students develop their own academic, personal and behavioral goals.
According to Holmes Middle School Principal Nicole Lancaster, she and the assistant principal will meet one on one with each student to shape those goals and make a plan to reach them.
The point is we want the students, when they leave Holmes Middle School, to have an idea of a career path that they may be interested in, Lancaster said. We want them to know what their strengths are. We want them ready for Morehead High School. We want them ready to enter college or the workforce.
Reidsville High School is making a similar push to prepare students for life after RCS with the introduction of a new academy.
Rockingham County High is home to the Public Safety Academy, Morehead High hosts the Health Sciences Academy, McMichael High offers the STEM Academy and now Reidsville High will offer the Arts Academy.
In this academy, students will take specialized classes including an Adobe Visual Design class to learn digital design and a Visual 3-D Art class. The students will also take advantage of the Makerspace which includes creative technologies a poster printer and t-shirt printer.
The goal here is that if other schools need T-shirts made and things like that or posters that our students will be the ones who will create those products for the district, said Reidsville High School Principal Ann Mitchell. That's the new thing thats going along with the Arts Academy.
Students interested in taking part in one of the academies can do so by application, even if that student lives outside of that schools zone.
You can select one of the academies based on your career path and that's something that's been unique in our county, Mitchell said. We support that and support our students trying to reach their goals.
I didn't expect this topic to draw much of a crowd: "Do independent courts matter in North Carolina?"
I was wrong.
At least 150 people filled a meeting room at the Junior League of Raleigh Center for Community Leadership last night.
True, the event featured a stellar panel: The moderator was former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, leading a discussion among Patricia Timmons-Goodson, another former justice; and former Court of Appeals Judges Doug McCullough and Linda Stephens.
And the main organizer was an energetic new group called Politica NC, whose slogan is "Organizing the power of independent women."
Politica NC sprang from organizing efforts for Barack Obama and may generally promote a more liberal political view.
Not necessarily so when it comes to last night's subject. Among the speakers I mentioned, two are registered Republicans and two are Democrats. All share concerns about what is happening within or rather to our state courts.
That may have been the third reason for last night's full house and sponsors actually had to cut off registration. People are becoming more aware of our state legislature's many actions to weaken or politicize our courts.
Few are more outspoken than McCullough, who earned statewide acclaim in April for resigning.
Faced with mandatory retirement upon reaching his 72nd birthday in May, the veteran jurist, former U.S. Marine and one-time federal prosecutor stepped down more than a month early to head off a court-shrinking scheme enacted by Republican legislators and former Gov. Pat McCrory.
It stipulated that Court of Appeals judges who retired or left the bench for any other reason would not be replaced. The reason was to deny incoming Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper the chance to appoint replacements.
McCullough created a vacancy just before the law took effect, allowing Cooper to place a new judge on the court.
What's remarkable is that McCullough is a Republican. To him, something else was more important than partisan politics.
My legacy to the court is to leave it intact, a 15-member court, which I think it needs to be, he told me the day he stepped down.
What he didn't say at that time was that Republicans asked him to resign last November so that McCrory, the defeated GOP governor, could appoint a replacement on his way out of office. He declined to cooperate.
Now, in retirement, he's outspoken about political interference in the courts. Referring to states where legislatures pick judges, he told the audience, "Based on my experience with the legislature in North Carolina, if you don't rule in their favor you will be gone next term."
State Rep. Joe John (D-Wake), a former Guilford County District Court judge who later served on the Court of Appeals, distributed a four-page "Recent history of threats to judicial independence." It's a long and grim list. He was just appointed to a legislative judicial redistricting committee, which poses yet another threat. As I wrote earlier this month, Republicans aim to apply the principles of partisan gerrymandering to trial court elections in an attempt to seat more Republican judges even in Democratic counties such as Guilford, Wake and Mecklenburg. We should be more concerned about having qualified, competent judges.
Stephens reviewed the changes to judicial elections made by the legislature in the past few years, which include the elimination of public financing and spending limits as well as putting party labels back on the ballot. As a result, she said, 10 times as much money was spent in appellate court races in 2014 as in 2010.
Threats to judicial independence don't come only from the legislature but special interests that put big money into electing or defeating judges. In the federal system, the founders gave judges lifetime terms to protect them from such threats. North Carolina made an effort 15 years ago, offering public campaign funds to candidates who qualified by raising a certain amount of money in small donations only from North Carolina registered voters. Now that system is gone.
What does it matter?
"We don't want you to leave thinking this is about protecting judges," said Timmons-Goodson. "The real reason it's important is because it protects YOU."
Of course. The courts should put a check on abuses of power by the executive and legislative branches of government but also protect the rights of ordinary citizens from more powerful agencies whether that's the prosecutorial might of the state, the deep pockets of big business or public utilities, or wealthy special interests. Judges owe their fidelity to the rule of law as expressed in the state and federal constitutions and statutes. They are not there to serve anyone's political agenda or financial interests. They must be independent and impartial.
These former judges, and Politica NC, recognize the threats. We all should, and we all should demand that our elected representatives take steps to preserve and strengthen judicial independence, not weaken it.
Jen Sikes, the Politica NC "crew leader," noted that judges don't speak up for themselves even when the courts are under attack because they aren't supposed to become embroiled in political battles. So she asked members of the audience to speak up for them.
That's a good suggestion. I hope more organizations and institutions in the Triad will join the movement for judicial independence.
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Archos is a French brand with announcements that often go under the radar. The company is at IFA 2017 in Berlin, and we cant miss the massive amount of new devices that the manufacturer is introducing.
Archos is unveiling its incredibly cheap smartphone series Access along with just a bit more expensive Archos Core 50. The rugged Sense series welcomes a new smartphone and a new tablet while the star of the show is the Archos Diamond Alpha+ and its 10.1 slate sibling the Archos Diamond Tab.
Archos Access and Archos Core
The Archos Access is offered in four different sizes with either 4, 4.5, 5 or 5.5 FWVGA screen. The processor comes with quad-core CPU and is coupled with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage. The pure simplicity brings a low price of 49.99 that goes as high as 79.99 for the 5.5 Access.
Archos Core 50 has 5 IPS HD display and quad-core CPU underneath. There are two versions of this phone as well - one with 2 GB RAM and 13 MP back/5 MP primary cameras and a cheaper for less than 100 that comes with only 1 GB RAM, 8 MP main snapper, and 2 MP front selfie cam.
Since these devices are manufactured for basic users, they at least come with a colorful unibody. The Archos Access comes in black, blue or yellow, while the Archos Core 50 is dressed in either black, gray or red.
Archos Access Archos Core 50
Archos Sense
The Archos Sense 47X comes as a water-, dust- and bump-resistant device that goes for 129.99. For that price, you can get a 4.7 IPS HD screen, 1 GB RAM and 3,000 mAh battery. And all the durability, of course.
The Archos Sense 101X also flies the affordable flag with a just 199.99 price tag. It has 10.1 screen and 2 GB RAM. The storage is 32 GB, but it is expandable with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 6,000 mAh, and according to Archos, it should withstand bad weather conditions.
Archos Sense 47X Archos Sense 101X
Archos Diamond
Archos may showcase plenty of affordable devices, but they also have an update to the flagship Diamond Alpha. Coming with the name Diamond Alpha+, the smartphone has 5.2 Full HD screen. The chipset is Snapdragon 653 (a slight update from the 652 that runs the Diamond Alpha), and there are 6 gigs of RAM inside.
Priced at 399, the phone surely looks and feels high-end, but this is not a new device. Archos basically rebranded the ZTE nubia Z17 mini that appeared earlier this year.
The Archos Diamond Tab is a 10.1 tablet with impressive specs and a tempting price. There is six-core CPU coupled with Mali-T860 GPU on the Rockchip 3399 chipset. The memory combo is 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. This setup is built around the QHD+ display with 2560 x 1600 resolution for all the movie lovers. The battery of the tablet is 6,600 mAh. Buying this device would set you back just $299.99.
Archos Diamond Alpha+ Archos Diamond Tab
All devices are available in Europe from October 2017.
More than a year after the launch of Huawei Pay in China, the service might expand to Europe as well. The manufacturer filed for a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of the name Huawei Pay and of an accompanying logo.
According to a pdf at the EUIPO website that can be found in our Source link, the logo, and the name are referring to computer software and financial services, leading to the conclusion that the service may indeed arrive in Europe, instead of Huawei just securing a patent to protect the name of its in-house wallet.
Huawei Pay is a limited service in China and works with a small list of banks but hopefully, this would change once its sets foot in the EU. For now, we can just hope the service is announced along with the Huawei Mate 10 that is bound to arrive on October 16.
Source (pdf) | Via (in Dutch)
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According to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 will land in China in a couple of weeks from now. Specifically, the report notes the unveiling is set for September 13, while launch will happen on September 23.
There's currently no information on the pricing aspect, although it's reasonable to assume that the price tag would be somewhere around $1,000.
There have been rumors about China getting an Emperor Edition Note8 model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Recently, however, the phone was spotted on China's TENAA with 4GB RAM, which is even lower than the standard 6GB RAM the phone comes with on other markets. So everything is up in the air at the moment.
Via
Haiti - NOTICE : Network of false tax agents in Croix-des-Bouquets
In a note published this week, the Croix-des-Bouquets Municipal Council informs the citizens of this commune that Monet Estriplet, aka "Tisiro", the brain of a network of crooks who pretended to be agents of the as been arrested and is in the hands of the National Police of Haiti (PNH).
These fake display agents and social affairs of social affairs of the mayor's office, ransomed taxpayers on the building sites as well as individuals. To deceive their victims, these scammers using fake documents, badges and seals and a forged signature of Mayor Rony Colin...
"Tisiro" during his interrogation revealed to the police officers the names of several members of his network who are subject to arrest warrants and are actively sought, accused among others of criminal association and forgery.
The Municipal Council of Croix-des-Bouquets reminds that no agent of the town council is authorized to collect money from the taxpayers and asks the victims to file a complaint in order to rid the municipality of the forger crooks.
TB/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - FLASH : Former US Colonel arrested for attempting to bribe Haitian officials
Joseph Baptiste, a dentist and ex-retired US Army Colonel, was arrested in Maryland on charges of conspiring to corrupt senior Haitian officials as part of a $84 million Haitian port development project, to Mole Saint Nicolas, a project that involves a number of peripheral projects.
Baptiste, who served on the board of directors of a company that promoted the project, sought bribes from undercover agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations who were seen as potential investors, said federal prosecutors in Boston.
Baptiste reportedly told the undercover agents at a meeting held at a Boston hotel that he would make payments to Haitian officials through a non-profit organization he controlled based in Maryland in order to obtain the approval of the Haitian Government for the project. Also in a recorded phone call with a federal agent, he said the official would need $25,000 to approve the project.
It is alleged that after the infiltrators transferred about $ 50,000 to a non-profit organization controlled by Baptist in order to corrupt Haitian officials, Baptiste used this sum for personal purposes. He intended to ask the agents for additional money in order to use it as future payments for the corruption of senior officials within the framework of the port project.
Prosecutors said the case stems from an investigation launched in 2014 on some Haitian-American businessmen who offered to help corrupt Haitian officials in order to obtain or keep business in that country.
Baptiste could face a five-year prison sentence and a $ 250,000 fine.
SL/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - News : Zapping...
Entry to the UEH Competition
The Rectorate of the State University of Haiti (UEH) informs applicants who have already enrolled online at the entrance examination for the academic year 2017-2018 in particular that they can pay the required fees to SOGEBANK until Friday 1 September 4h00 pm https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21603-haiti-notice-registration-open-for-the-entrance-examination-to-the-ueh-2017-2018.html
PM visited incarcerated school children
Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant visited minors incarcerated in the Juvenile Reinsertion Center in Conflict with the Law (CERMICOL) of Delmas 33 and the prison of Cabaret.
Did you know ?
August 29, 1793 is a considerable historical date. Following the revolt of the slaves of the colony of Santo Domingo, on the night of August 22 to 23, 1791, freedmen, slaves and whites lived on the foot of war. It was necessary to pacify the Colony, which led to the Proclamation of General Liberty of the Slaves on August 29, 1793. The MUPANAH preserves, in its permanent collections, The bell of Liberty which is a witness-object of this memorable historical turning point.
Rebuilding the MICT structures
Monday Fednel Monchery, General Director of the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) said it had initiated since 1 month and a half a profound administrative overhaul of the structures of the Ministry in order to make it fully operational, more efficient and effective at the service of territorial collectivities. For the strengthening of communities, he promised to create a true territorial administration.
1,500 solidarity baskets and 6,000 hot meals
The Social and Economic Assistance Fund (FAES) distributed no less than 1,500 baskets of solidarity and 6,000 hot dishes to St-Louis du Nord to the inhabitants and pilgrims from all sides attending the patronal feast of the commune.
Launch of the book
Frantz Liautaud, Haitian Ambassador to Canada, and Minister-Counselor Ann-Kathryne Lassegue, attended on August 25, at the book launch "Haitian Immigration and Culture Shock: Inform to transform", organized by the Society Child Welfare in Ottawa. The purpose of this book is to "inspire positive change in the community". This book is a collaboration between Gustave Boursiquot, Marlene Chouloute-Hyppolite, Michel-Ange Hyppolite (kaptenn koukourouj) and Faudry Pierre-louis.
HL/ HaitiLibre
Haiti - Politics : The reduction of the diplomatic staff will start
The major cleaning in the diplomatic missions announced at the end of July by Chancellor Antonio Rodrigue in order to rectify the Haitian diplomatic apparatus and clean up the finances of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whose debt exceeds 1.5 billion Gourdes https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20931-haiti-flash-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-close-to-bankruptcy.html , will start on September 30th.
In a note, the Chancellor Rodrigue informs the contractual diplomatic staff of the Embassies and Consulates of Haiti around the world "[...] that it was decided to put an end to the practices of contractual diplomats, incompatible with the prescriptions of The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and those of the 1963 Convention on Consular Relations.
Consequently, the Advisers, the Consultants, who are unable to obtain the necessary accreditation for the performance of their duties, and administrative employees (EA 1, EA2, EA3) are advised that their contracts ending September 30, 2017 will not be renewed.
However, the Chancellor states that "[...] administrative and technical personnel and service personnel such as secretaries, receptionists, drivers, security agents and housekeepers are not affected by this measure, just as in Europe, contract employees have a contract of indefinite duration."
See also :
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21622-haiti-flash-moise-will-start-the-big-cleaning-of-the-haitian-diplomacy.html
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20931-haiti-flash-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-close-to-bankruptcy.html
HL/ HaitiLibre
Published on 2017/08/30 | Source
Actor Park Hae-jin has been named the winner of the Seoul mayor's award for services to the community.
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The Seoul Council on Social Welfare said Tuesday that it acknowledges Park's consistent commitment to charitable work and donations.
The award ceremony will be held at the Seoul City Hall on Sept. 5.
"Since 2011, Park has made donations worth W1.7 billion including some for the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol", Park's agency said.
Worlds largest gathering of Aussie Women in Wine to descend on London
By Andrew Catchpole
Wine Australias Women in Wine event on 26 September will see some 57 female winemakers and winery owners on hand at Australia House in London for an event that aims to help drive perception of premium Aussie wines and bring new wines to market.
The Women in Wine programme, which draws upon the third annual Australian Women in Wine Awards, represents a first foray overseas for winners of and participants in the event, looking to provide a showcase for both successful women in the industry and the wines they craft back home.
With 18 Australian regions to be represented at the event, with winemakers ranging from log-established names such as Louisa Rose at Yalumba and Virginia Willcock at Vasse Felix to new pioneers including Louise Mack of Aphelion Wines, there will be over 300 wines on show, from the breadth of Australias diverse winemaking scene.
Of particular interest on the commercial front is that 25 of those wineries showing at the event will be seeking representation in the UK, which along with the London location for the outing is designed to help reinforce the perception of Australias commitment to the British market.
Speaking to Harpers, Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australias director for UK and Ireland, outlined that while Women in Wine is primarily a celebration of the good and the great in the Australian industry, it also forms part of the ongoing programme to help position Australia in a more premium light in the UK.
People have really picked up on the theme and really get what we are doing and why we are doing it; we have been overwhelmed by the response, said Jewell.
There will be a seminar which focuses on women in the UK wine trade, with a panel including Christine Parkinson of Hakkasan, Luciann Flynn from Liberty, Ruth Yates of Corks Out and Ian Harris of the WSET (in a skirt) as a token man, plus myself.
But there will also be 25 wineries not currently represented in the UK, that have decided this is a big opportunity to come over and dip their toe in the water and see of they can find opportunities for distribution, so there is a serious commercial element too and we have contacted buyers.
Jewell says that she has been amazed by how many Australia wineries are still looking for distribution in the market since June of the past year post the Brexit vote and subsequent plunge in value of sterling, adding that despite big export growth to China and a USA poised to explode the UK is still seen as a premium shop window by Aussie winemakers.
Wine Australia is focused on driving up premium Australian sales in the UK and while the UK remains the largest importer of Australian wines by volume, a recent FX-related volume dip through 2017 has in part been countered by growth in premium sales.
The Women in Wine event, including the reveal of eight winners in categories such as Winemaker of the Year and researcher of the year, will be streamed for a global audience from Australia House in London on Tuesday 26 September at 10am in the UK
UK attendees and participants in the event have been drawn from a carefully curated list of invites. For more information, visit: https://www.wineaustralia.com
Scotch whisky applies for GI in New Zealand
By Lisa Riley
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has applied for Geographical Indication (GI) status in New Zealand.
If accepted for the regime, which has been designed to give greater legal protection to domestic and international wines and spirits and protect consumers against fakes, Scotch whisky will have protection as a registered GI in the country.
GI status, which means the description Scotch whisky can only be used on whisky produced in Scotland in accordance with UK law, was of great commercial value to the Scotch whisky industry, said the SWA, adding it gave consumers confidence in the quality and provenance of what they were buying.
Currently in New Zealand, if someone is selling fake Scotch there is the option of taking legal proceedings for breach of the Fair Trading Act, but this came with some uncertainties, the trade body said.
As Scotch whisky continues to grow in popularity, attempts are often made to try to take unfair advantage of its success, for example by trying to make and sell fakes, said Lindesay Low, SWA senior legal counsel, adding recognition as a GI would help protect against such illegal activities.
Its important that consumers have confidence in the provenance of what they are buying, which this recognition of Scotch as a GI will help to achieve.
The application for Scotlands national drink was one of the first to be listed on the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office site when the regime went live in July, according to the SWA.
The SWA, which is now awaiting the decision of the New Zealand authorities, also said it would welcome an early UK-New Zealand free trade agreement following Brexit to further improve the status of Scotch whisky in the market.
Exports of Scotch whisky, officially recognized in the laws of nearly 100 countries, to New Zealand were up around 18% last year to just under 6.3m (SWA).
GOVERNOR APPOINTS FIVE TO HCDA
News Release from Office of the Governor, August 28, 2017
UPDATE: Ige Appoints Pro-Rail Thug to HCDA
HONOLULU Gov. David Ige has selected five nominees to serve on the Hawaii Community Development Authority. They are Donna Ann Camvel, Phillip Hasha, Jo-Ann Leong, Jason Okuhama, Maeda Timson. Okuhama is being reappointed.
These nominees represent a wide range of expertise that will serve the HCDA and our communities well as they work to establish community development plans that are in the best interest of Hawaiis people, said Gov. Ige.
The appointees are as follows:
Donna Ann Camvel (Heeia District)
Camvel is a Hawaiian Studies lecturer at Windward Community College and is currently a graduate teaching assistant with the Kamakakuokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has a masters degree in Hawaiian Studies from the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at UH Manoa. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021.
Philip Hasha
Phillip Hasha: (Kakaako District) **
Hasha is currently the principal and CEO of The Redmont Group, LLC, a start-up commercial real estate company he co-founded in 2012. Hasha previously worked as finance director for Direct Support Resources, Inc. in Honolulu and Hasha Appraisal and Consulting Service, Inc. in Alabama. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Finance and an executive masters in Real Estate Development. Hasha recently received the SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and was named one of the 2015 Forty under 40 Rising Business and Community Leaders by Pacific Business News. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021.
Jo-Ann C. Leong: (Heeia District)
Leong is director emeritus of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and a professor at the School of Ocean and Earth Science & Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She was a distinguished professor of microbiology and the former chairman of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University. Leong is an elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021
Jason Okuhama
Jason Okuhama: (Kakaako District) Reappointment **
Okuhama is currently a managing partner at Hawaii Lending Specialists, LLC, dba Commercial and Business Lending, Honolulu Hawaii. Previously, he was vice president/business loan officer at Bank of America, a business loan officer with the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and assistant branch manager at First Hawaiian Bank in Kamuela, Hawaii. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021.
Maeda Timson
Maeda Timson: (Kalaeloa District) **
Timson is a long-time community advocate of Kapolei. She is currently a self-employed consultant specializing in community relations. Timson previously worked as a bank executive and public information officer for the City and County of Honolulu. In addition to previously serving on the HCDA, Timson is associated with various community organizations. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021.
The five appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
SA: Real estate developer nominated for HCDA board
* * * * *
GOVERNOR APPOINTS HAWAII ISLAND EXECUTIVE TO UH BOARD OF REGENTS
News Release from Office of the Governor, Aug 28, 2017
HONOLULU Gov. David Ige has nominated corporate executive and consultant Douglas Shinsato to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, representing Hawaii County (East).
Shinsato is co-founder of Anthill Ventures, a cross-border incubator and advisor to technology start-ups in India, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. Anthill focuses on tele-education, tele-health, sustainable food production, and cyber-security. Shinsato and his global partners focus on innovative digital technologies that aim to improve peoples lives.
Shinsato is also a member of the Board of Directors of Creative Intelligence Associates, one of Japans top branding strategy firms. The consulting firm advises clients on how to leverage or transform their branding and messaging strategies to increase customer satisfaction, revenues and profits.
Previously, Shinsato served as president for leading technology companies such as PTC Japan and as vice president-Asia Pacific for Autodesk. He was also senior partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
I am honored to be appointed to the Board of Regents. I look forward to working with my fellow Regents on behalf of the UH and its extended community, said Shinsato.
Shinsato has a B.A. and MBA from the University of Southern California and a Juris Doctor degree from the Stanford Law School.
He is married to Jennifer Lindsay-Shinsato. They have two adult children and one grandchild.
If confirmed by the state Senate, Shinsato will complete the term of the late Barry Mizuno. The term expires on June 30, 2018.
* * * * *
GOVERNOR NOMINATES REPRESENTATIVE MARCUS OSHIRO TO THE HAWAII LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
News Release from Office of the Governor, Aug 29, 2017
HONOLULU Gov. David Ige today announced that he has nominated State Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D-House District 46) to the Hawaii Labor Relations Board as Chairperson and Representative of the Public. Oshiro will be completing the term left vacant by the resignation of Kerry Komatsubara, which ends June 30, 2018, and he is also being appointed for a six-year term which ends June 30, 2024.
Marcus is a respected leader who knows and understands the issues, and he has the background and experience to step right in to fill this very important role, said Gov. Ige. This will be a new opportunity for him to use his talent and skills on behalf of the public, and I have every confidence in him.
I am humbled by Gov. Iges nomination to serve as the chairperson of the Hawaii Labor Relations Board. With the Senates approval, I look forward to ensuring our labor laws are applied fairly and consistently with the principles of collective bargaining in promoting the harmonious and cooperative relations between the parties.
Oshiro has served in the State House of Representatives since being elected in 1994. He is a former vice speaker, majority leader, and is past-chair of the committees on finance and labor. He is an active member of the community,
Oshiro earned his Juris Doctorate at Willamette University College of Law after completing his undergraduate work at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is a graduate of Leilehua High School.
Both nominations to fill Komatsubaras term and to the additional six-year term are subject to Senate confirmation.
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Ige Buys Oshiro out of House, Gets to Make Appointment
SA: The makeover at the state House of Representatives continues. The House has new leadership, including Speaker Scott Saiki, and other members of the body are moving around.
Notably, Reps. Isaac Choy and James Tokioka, critics of the new rail deal, have been kicked off the powerful Finance Committee. And a past chairman of that committee, Rep. Marcus Oshiro, has been nominated by Gov. David Ige to lead the Hawaii Labor Relations Board. Should the Senate approve his nomination by Friday, Oshiro would leave the House in late September and thatll give Ige the plum opportunity to appoint his replacement from a short list provided by the Democratic Party.
read Oshiro
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GOVERNOR IGE APPOINTS TWO THIRD CIRCUIT COURT (ISLAND OF HAWAII) JUDGES
News Release from Office of the Governor, Aug 30, 2017
HONOLULU Gov. David Ige today announced two appointments to the Third Circuit Court (Island of Hawaii) as follows:
Henry Taro Nakamoto
Henry Taro Nakamoto, 53, District Family Court Judge, Third Circuit, is appointed to the Third Circuit Court (Hilo) to fill the vacancy created by the December 2016 retirement of The Honorable Glenn S. Hara.
Judge Nakamoto has served as a Family Court Judge and a District Court Judge beginning in June 2014. Prior to his service on the bench, he practiced law at Nakamoto, Okamoto & Yamamoto where he was a partner and director, and Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel, where he was an associate. He was born and raised on Hawaii Island and practiced law there for 23 years, focusing on family and civil law. Nakamoto completed a B.A. in economics at Cornell University before earning his J.D. at Hastings College of Law.
I would like to thank Gov. Ige for giving me the opportunity to serve as a circuit court judge. I appreciate all the support I have gotten from friends and family and will strive to continue to serve the community, said Nakamoto.
Robert D.S. Kim
Attorney Robert D.S. Kim, 63, is appointed to the Third Circuit Court (Kona) to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of The Honorable Judge Ronald Ibarra in June 2017.
Kim, who is in private practice, is a litigator who concentrates in the areas of criminal defense, family law, civil litigation, personal injury litigation, and administrative proceedings. Kim has served as the West Hawaii Bar President for many years. He has extensive civil, family and criminal trial experience. Kim graduated from the University of Hawaii Hilo with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and earned his law degree at the William S. Richardson School of Law.
I am honored and humbled to be nominated to fill the position of retired Judge Ronald Ibarra. I am committed to work diligently and respectfully if I am confirmed by the Senate, said Kim.
Judge Nakamoto and Mr. Kim both understand the law and the role of a judge in ensuring fair and impartial decisions in our judicial system. They will serve the people of Hawaii well, said Gov. Ige.
The process used to select these appointees is the same process used in prior selections and will be used whenever Gov. Ige makes judicial appointments. Gov. Ige personally interviewed each candidate, received input from retired Hawaii State Supreme Court Associate Justice James Duffy, who reviewed the qualifications of the nominees and solicited feedback on each from the law community, and reviewed testimony submitted by the public. The Senate confirmation also allows opportunities for the general public to weigh in.
Both appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
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HTH: Kim appointed Circuit Court judge
SA: The HLRB position pays $120,876
SA: House panel advances HCDA board pick
SA: Senate committee gives OK to Iges PUC nominee
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LinkedIn has announced their 2017 Power Profiles which showcases the most viewed HR professionals in Australia.
These HR industry leaders are not only great at what they do, but have also invested time in nurturing their online professional identity, according to LinkedIn.
Matt Tindale, Country Manager, LinkedIn Australia and New Zealand, told HRD that these HR Power Profiles are building their brand by not only curating content through sharing relevant articles with their network, but they are also creating their own content by writing long form posts on LinkedIn.
These articles are thought-provoking and give readers industry-specific insights, he told HRD.
For example, Cassie Sellars, Head of People and Culture, Oceania at TBWA, regularly writes articles pertaining to employee engagement, workplace culture and emerging trends in HR.
The most viewed professionals in the HR industry are:
Jayne Ward, Head of Performance, Talent & Rewards, Australia Post
Ashley Spowart, Learning Lead, National Australia Bank
Veronica Sargeant, Human Resources Business Partner, RB
Katie-Skye McLeod, HR Business Partner Technology, Vodafone Australia
Anouk De Blieck, General Manager Human Resources Australia Division, ANZ
Cassie Sellars, Head of People & culture Oceania, TBWA
Jessica Bilston-Gourley, HR Business Partner Australia & New Zealand, Drager
The complete list of LinkedIn Power Profiles in Australia is available here.
Tindale added that having an active and engaging LinkedIn profile has a number of benefits for both the individual and the organisation.
For an individual, having a well-established LinkedIn profile can boost their personal brand and position themselves as a leading expert in their industry which could lead to better opportunities whether its a new job or business opportunities, he told HRD.
We know that a strong personal brand contributes to enhancing the business brand. Employees who have a strong LinkedIn profile are a huge benefit to organisations as it could translate into attracting the right talent through employee referrals, building better client relationships and developing a strong business network.
Below are three tips from Tindale on how you could build your brand on LinkedIn:
Invest time in actively posting: Dont just share articles, but add your thoughts and commentary to what is being discussed and liken it to your experience or brand.
Have an authentic perspective: If you are passionate about topics that matter to you, share your perspective by publishing long form posts and keep it authentic.
Nurture your network: Add value to your network by engaging in meaningful conversations and helping them by sharing insightful information.
(HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged investment adviser Jeremy Drake with defrauding two clients, a high profile professional athlete and the athletes wife, by deceiving them about the investment advisory fees they were paying. The SEC alleges that Drake went to elaborate lengths to conceal his fraud, including creating and sending false documents and masquerading as another person to corroborate his lies.
The SEC alleges that Drake, then with Los Angeles-based HCR Wealth Advisors, deceived the clients for more than three years, telling them that they paid a special VIP annual rate of 0.15 to 0.20 percent of their assets under management when in fact they paid 1 percent. Drakes deception led the clients to pay $1.2 million more in management fees than Drake represented. Drake personally received approximately $900,000 of incentive-based compensation based on the fees paid by the clients during the course of his deception.
According to the SECs complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Drake repeatedly lied to the clients and their representatives and sent false and misleading emails, deceptive fee reports, and other fabricated documents. The complaint alleges that in June 2016, as one of the clients demanded an explanation about the fees, Drake created the persona of Ron Stenson, who purportedly corroborated Drakes story. Upon discovery, the complaint alleges that Drake admitted to one of the clients that he had been lying and warned her that reporting his misconduct could result in bad publicity for her husband.
As alleged in our complaint, these two clients trusted Drake to manage their investments, but all the while Drake was lying to them and then tried to conceal his lies by fabricating documents and even acting as an imposter to back up his claims, said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SECs Los Angeles Regional Office.
The SEC charged Drake with violating and aiding and abetting violations of the anti-fraud provisions of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The SEC is seeking a permanent injunction, return of Drakes allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest, and penalties.
Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday reported that the 24-year-old defendant was instead committed to involuntary treatment after the court determined, based on a psychological evaluation, that he was not criminally responsible at the time of the shootings.
The District Court of Etela-Karjala has decided not to convict a man accused of shooting dead three women outside a restaurant in Imatra, South-east Finland, in December, 2016.
He is also considered dangerous, according to the psychological evaluation conducted by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
The District Court of Etela-Karjala ruled the killings as murders, thus concurring with with the prosecution that the gunman had carried them out in a way that was not only firmly premeditated but also brutal and cruel.
The women who lost their lives in the shootings were the chairperson of the Imatra City Council and two journalists working at the joint editorial office of Etela-Saimaa and Uutisvuoksi in Imatra. All three of them lost their lives immediately after being shot in the head and torso at close range as they were stepping out of a restaurant onto a pedestrian street in the early hours of Sunday, 4 December.
The gunman confessed in court to shooting the three women, but rejected the assessment that his act had been premeditated.
The facts are not in question. Its clear that my client left his residence, drove onto Koskenparras and shot these three people, Jarmo Salmi, the defence counsel of the defendant, was quoted as saying in court on Tuesday by Helsingin Sanomat.
He also revealed that his client is not intent on appealing against the decision.
Asser Kuosmanen, the prosecutor assigned to the case, argued that the premeditated nature of the shootings became evident in that the gunman prepared for the act by taking a hunting rifle and five cartridges with him for the lengthy drive from his residence to central Imatra.
The District Court of Etela-Karjala also ordered the defendant to pay a total of 180,000 euros in compensation to the victims families and to reimburse the legal costs of the plaintiffs.
Aleksi Teivainen HT
Photo: Mikko Stig Lehtikuva
Gardai are preparing a major security operation for the funeral of innocent gangland victim Antoinette Corbally-Devoy this week.
She was waked at the family home in Ballymun last night after her body was released to her family yesterday.
Innocent victims Antoinette (48) and Clinton Shannon (30) were shot dead by two hitmen armed with a handgun and a sub-machine gun, who opened fire outside her home on Balbutcher Drive earlier this month.
Up to 20 shots were fired during the attack.
The intended target of the shooting was Derek 'Bottler' Devoy (37), who dropped a young child as he made his escape from the scene uninjured.
The brother of murdered Antoinette, 'Bottler' is said to be "devastated" at her killing.
There was a discreet garda presence in the area last night as family members and close friends gathered at the home in north Dublin for her wake.
It is understood her funeral this week will be closely monitored amid fears of further bloodshed.
Bullets
Mother-of-six Antoinette was hit by some 10 bullets as she stood in the hallway of the home targeted by the two hitmen wearing balaclavas. She died almost instantly.
Two innocent bystanders were also hit in the crossfire - Andrea Corbally (18), Antoinette's daughter, who suffered a graze to her head from a stray bullet, and Brian Moran (52) who was hit in the leg.
The second murder victim - locksmith Mr Shannon - was sitting in his car when he was shot up to 10 times and struck in the chest, neck and head.
He was not involved in criminality and sources described him as a "completely innocent man".
He had driven his friend 'Bottler' to the property moments before the shootings.
Last week, the Herald revealed that two hitmen connected to the deadly Hutch mob are being blamed for the double murder.
Associates of 'Bottler' have blamed the killings on a north inner city hit team that had been planning to murder the 37-year-old career criminal.
The family of Clodagh Hawe has been left devastated after plans were revealed for a church service in memory of her husband - who murdered Clodagh and their three sons.
Clodagh (39) and her children - Liam (14), Niall (11) and Ryan (6) - were brutally murdered by Alan Hawe in their home near Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, exactly a year ago yesterday. Hawe then took his own life.
It emerged yesterday that an anniversary Mass is scheduled to be held today at St Mary's Church in Castlerahan, Co Cavan, for the killer.
A close friend of Clodagh's family insisted that they had no idea who organised the service, which is scheduled to take place just 9km from where the tragic murder-suicide took place in Ballyjamesduff.
Disrespectful
"We don't know who organised it - it's just down as 'Alan Hawe' for Wednesday evening Mass. We feel it's disrespectful to Clodagh, Liam, Niall and Ryan considering their killer was moved away from them in May.
"Whoever booked that Mass are seen by the family to condone what he did. He took their lives, no amount of prayers will save him from the fires of hell."
Clodagh's family were unavailable for comment and the friend said they "just need to be left in peace" .
The Herald contacted St Mary's Church but a spokesman replied "no comment" when asked about the service.
At the weekend, Clodagh's heartbroken mother Mary Coll spoke for the first time about the circumstances surrounding the horrific death of her eldest daughter and three grandsons.
The Coll family believes that school vice-principal Hawe's actions were premeditated and coldly planned, not the actions of someone who just suddenly had a breakdown.
After killing his wife with a knife and a hatchet, and then taking the lives of their sons, Alan Hawe used a computer to transfer money from the couple's joint account into his own account.
He then laid out details of all the couple's bank accounts and financial affairs to be found by whoever came into the house.
He also placed all of Clodagh's jewellery neatly on the bed.
Controlling
Before he killed himself, he wrote a note and stuck it to the back door. "Don't come in. Call the gardai," it said.
Clodagh's family said that the mum-of-three had been innocently researching a family holiday online, according to the computer history.
They believe the walls were closing in on Hawe - that he was about to suffer a fall from grace.
The Colls said Hawe, who was excessively "controlling" of Clodagh, was seeing a counsellor and having difficulty at work when he murdered his wife and their three sons.
"He looked like the ideal husband, but he was a controlling kind of person," Mary said.
"If I would ask Clodagh if she would like to go shopping in Dublin, she would have to run it by him first. He could be as controlling with his silence as he could be with his words."
A drugs gang waits outside a north Dublin social welfare office almost every other day to collect debts owed to them by their vulnerable customers.
The cash-strapped addicts are forced to hand over the vast majority of their meagre dole payments to the ruthless crew, who have become main players in Balbriggan and surrounding areas of the capital's northside.
"It really is a sick sight to see," a source said last night. "These drug dealers sitting on a wall waiting for the poor devils to come out and hand them cash.
"It is women as well as men. Many of these unfortunate individuals have families themselves. How can they then provide for their children?
"It is not just dole that the vultures take, it is also children's allowances. Something needs to be done."
Unrelenting
The shocking scenes have been played out on an almost daily basis at the post office at Drogheda Street in Balbriggan.
It has emerged the family-based Traveller drugs gang is becoming more powerful and, in an unrelenting cash drive, is not satisfied with taking just social welfare payments.
Sources say gardai are investigating a recent sinister incident in which the gang demanded 5,000 from an innocent family man in his mid-60s.
The debt arose from money allegedly owed by his daughter and her partner, who it is claimed both have a cocaine addiction and have been forced to move out of their home.
The partner, originally from the Tallaght area, is in hiding, while the daughter is said to be "terrified out of her mind".
Sources say the drugs gang went to her highly-respected father's home and threatened to "shoot it up and smash the windows" unless the 5,000 was handed over.
He refused, and so far there have been no reprisals, but extra armed garda patrols have been in place in Balbriggan over the past week.
"The gang decided the dole money was not enough, that the money was coming too slowly," a source said. "They figured her dad had cash so they threatened him in his family home. These fellas are the scum of the earth."
The Herald can reveal the Traveller gang is led by three brothers who have taken over the patch previously controlled by associates of jailed mobster Cornelius Price.
They have been observed driving top-of-the-range 171-reg cars even though they are unemployed.
"They are dealing everything - coke, crack cocaine, weed - they are a particularly violent crew," the source said.
They are a family-based gang with strong links to Blanchardstown and Cavan town.
They cannot be named here as most of are facing charges before the courts. The crew is also involved in stolen car offences.
The mob they have taken over from was closely linked to psycho criminal Price (35).
Reckless
He was jailed for three years after a trial in February when he was convicted of reckless endangerment of a garda at Balbriggan Garda Station over three years ago.
His associates are suspected of involvement in three gangland murders and Price is suspected of still being involved with gang operations from jail.
While not a suspect himself for any of the three killings, Price's associates are the chief suspects for the murder of Benny Whitehouse (36), who was shot dead in September 2014.
The gangsters suspected of killing Whitehouse are also the chief suspects for the suspected murders of Tallaght man Willie Maughan (34) and his Latvian partner Anna Varslavane (21), who were last seen near Price's house in the Gormanston area on April 14, 2015.
Price has never been arrested in connection with the missing couple, who it is believed were shot dead and their bodies burnt in a bonfire.
Spar worker Anna Horvat celebrates after the winning ticket was bought at the Talbot Street shop on Saturday. Photo: Collins
Ireland's newest millionaire is aware that they have struck the jackpot.
The lucky winner of Saturday's 9.4m jackpot has made contact with Lotto HQ and is making plans to collect their substantial winnings.
According to a Lotto spokeswoman, the winner is making arrangements to collect the money but has said that they would prefer to keep the win private.
They made contact yesterday and Lotto staff went through the procedure for making a claim.
A date has yet to be set for the lucky ticket-holder to visit the winner's room in the Abbey Street offices.
Mystery still abounds as to where the winner is from.
The lucky ticket was sold in a Spar shop on Talbot Street, in Dublin 1, on the day of the draw.
Due to a busy day in the area, with the Kerry v Mayo GAA replay on Saturday, staff at the shop have speculated that the winner could be from anywhere in the country.
The winning numbers were 1, 16, 17, 32, 34, 35, and the bonus number was 5.
Shop manager Ulrika Campbell told the Herald that the identity of the mystery winner could be anyone's guess, because the shop is located directly across from Connolly Station.
"We get a lot of people buying tickets here because we've had winners here before," she said.
"People think we're a lucky shop so they come in when they're passing by or getting on or off a train across the road at Connolly Station.
"So the winner could be from anywhere. It was a very busy Saturday," she added.
Daunting
National Lottery CEO Dermot Griffin has said that the claims team will guide the winner "through this very exciting process".
"Winning a jackpot of this size can be a very daunting experience," Mr Griffin said.
"We always recommend that winners seek independent financial and legal advice before they receive their prize," he added.
The winner has 90 days to collect their prize, but most jackpot winners collect their money within a fortnight, according to a Lottery spokesman.
ABINGDON, Va.Four former corrections officers at the U.S. Penitentiary Lee face federal charges after claiming they checked inmates, but prosecutors say they did not.
A federal grand jury met Monday in Abingdon, Virginia, in returned indictments against Charles Carter, 47, of Wise, Virginia; Ryan Sluss, 27, of Coeburn, Virginia; and William Marshal, 49, of Jonesville, Virginia. The three men were each charged with one count of making a false statement and using a false writing in a matter within the executive branch of the U.S. government.
The indictment returned against Jerry Shuler, 38, of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, charges him with 10 counts of making a false statement and using a false writing in a matter within the executive branch of the U.S. government.
While employed at the federal prison in Lee County, the four former corrections officers filed forms in the Special Housing Unit stating they, or other officers, had completed required checks on inmates when the checks were not actually conducted, prosecutors said in indictments.
The indictment against Shuler accuses him of falsely signing forms on 10 occasions.
Prosecutors said the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons investigated.
Rachel Carson's expose shocked the world. And we're better for it
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Two amateur bakers from Hertfordshire took to our television screens last night (August 30) in the return of The Great British Bake Off.
Yet one impressed the judges so much that he became star baker and also received a rare Hollywood handshake.
(Image: Channel 4)
Steven from Watford, wowed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with his show stopper illusion cake a cake that at first doesn't appear as a cake.
The 34-year-old with a background in marketing, made a chocolate hazelnut sponge with putter butter frosting made to look like a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
Steven also showed off his technical abilities by using a spray gun to add edible colour to the filling of his BLT cake.
While Prue thought that his illusion cake was lovely, Paul said that it was 'perfect.'
(Image: Channel 4)
He said: "That is stunning. Without a shadow of a doubt you know what that is.
"The hazelnut, the frosting, the colour and texture is all there."
Ex school teacher Stacey, 42, from Hertfordshire was also praised for her delicious illusion cake a designer handbag made from a red velvet chocolate.
The judges however said they were thrown by the colour and wouldn't be able to eat a lot of it.
Not only did the show bring new faces with it now airing on Channel 4 but also new challenges.
The amateur bakers were first asked to make a fruity cake, with Sarah opting for a Granny Smith and walnut cake whilst Steven made a Bonfire Night topped with mini toffee apples.
In a technical challenge set by judge Prue, the bakers were asked to make 12 chocolate mini rolls filled with a peppermint buttercream coated in milk chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate.
Steven and Sarah both produced mini rolls yet it was Kate who was deemed winner of the technical challenge.
Following the departure of Peter, both Steven and Sarah will be back next Tuesday (September 5) to take on more baking challenges.
You can catch up with episode one of The Great British Bake Off here.
Museum holding open house
SCHUYLER -- The Schuyler Historical Society will hold an open house Sunday and Monday at the museum, 309 E. 11th St., and Annex, 1112 C St.
Times are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday. Displays will include presses, farm primitives and many local history items.
CHS class reunion planned
COLUMBUS -- The Columbus High School Class of 1957 will celebrate its 60th class reunion 5 p.m. Friday at Dusters Restaurant, 2804 13th St.
For more information, call 402-564-1932 or 402-402-1908.
Register for med aide course
COLUMBUS -- Registration is open for a medication aide course at Central Community College-Columbus.
The class is offered in a lecture/lab format. Students must attend orientation from 1-2 p.m. Sept. 8 as well as 12 mandatory class sessions from 1-5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Sept. 11 through Oct. 6. The class is limited to the first 12 students who register and pay for a space. The cost is $372, which includes in-state tuition and fees, textbook and supplies.
For more information or to register, contact CCC Extended Learning Services at 402-562-1225; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 1225 or email brendasmejkal@cccneb.edu.
Soil health day in Shelby
SHELBY -- A Soil Health Partnership Field Day, with farmer Greg Whitmore, will be held 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 6 at Central Valley Coop, 340 Oak St., in Shelby.
The event will focus on cover crops, equipment, soil pit observations and weed management. Area growers, cover crop experts and neighbors are invited to attend. Lunch will be served for registrants.
Please register prior to the event at soilhealthpartnership.org.
Dancers marking anniversary
COLUMBUS -- Harolds Squares Square Dance Club of Columbus will host a 40th anniversary dance for Jim and Marilyn Carroll from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday at the VFW Hall.
The caller will be Bryan Bush from Cleghorn, Iowa. A meal will be served following the dance. Club members are asked to bring a salad. Spectators are welcome to stop by and see what square-dancing is about.
For more information, call 402-564-5502.
Blood drive in Schuyler
SCHUYLER -- An American Red Cross blood drive, sponsored by the Schuyler Knights of Columbus, will be held 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday at St. Augustine Parish Hall, 604 Chicago St.
Bring donor card or photo ID, and eat and drink plenty of water prior to donating.
To schedule an appointment, call Paul Doerneman at 402-352-3092 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code SchuylerNebraska.
Senior center holding fundraiser
SCHUYLER -- The Colfax County Senior Center, 12th and A streets in Schuyler, will be open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday.
The center will be serving sloppy Joes and roast beef sandwiches along with a variety of rolls, bars and pies. All proceeds will be used to defray the cost of the new heating and air conditioning system at the center.
HILDEBRAN Hildebran Town Council members discussed a variety of things during Monday evenings meeting, including the future of an aged relic of the community.
Calvin Reyes, a Hickory resident, held a presentation on the preservation of the Henry River Mill Village located in Hildebran.
We are in the process of purchasing this property and we wanted to present what our plans are, family member Elaine Namour said.
The plans for the property are only ideas at the moment. Reyes and his family, also known as the Preservation Team, hope to hear feedback from the Hildebran community.
We are not born and raised here like a lot of the families around here have been, so living here for 12 years you come to appreciate as a choice of living here the history that you have, Reyes said.
The presentations purpose was to generate conversation among council members about the future of the property.
Hearing all of the tourism talk and hearing about trying to attract younger generation families to the area, we figured this was ideal, Reyes said. (Henry River Mill Village) offers 70 acres of outdoor space, green space and also the village and the history that comes with it.
Reyes said the first step the team is taking is getting the property on the National Register of Historic Places.
I think it is vital for the protection of the actual property and moving forward, we would like to restore everything that is standing, Reyes said. That sounds crazy if you have driven by it. Its a lot, but we understand that undertaking and the one thing we have is that ambition and perseverance and we will get it done.
Council members in attendance were grateful that the team has plans to take the project under their wing and re-mold it into a nice community addition, along with being a revenue generator.
What we are running into right now is on finding utilities, Reyes said. We know there are options out there, and we will find them, but any suggestions help.
So far, Reyes said support for the teams vision has been outstanding.
We have talked to people about it and everyone seems really thrilled that something is going to happen with the village, Reyes said. For us, that is giving us the reassurance we need and that the feeling we felt when we drove on that property was real.
The HDR will have updated information about the Preservation Teams progress as it becomes available.
Landscaping
Several issues involving landscaping were discussed at the meeting, one of which concerned a 1997 contract with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
When you look back in time, I think the original agreement was in 1997 and then there was a progression of what was done at the interchange at exit 119, Thomas Drum, town manager, said.
Drum said there has been discussion of the contract reflected in minutes through the years, with the last discussion taking place in 2013.
Trying to exactly decipher what was supposed to be done and what is in the records is just not easy to do, Drum said. The first thing I thought in looking at the 1997 contract was the town was only going to be responsible for the plantings.
Drum is not sure what NCDOTs definition of plantings is, which has become problematic.
You would think its the trees, flowers and special grasses they have out there, Drum said. When you look at what is being done at this moment in time, (we) are doing everything but the plantings.
For me to easily tell you what is supposed to be done based on what is in the written record, Im having a difficult time seeing it.
Aside from the difficulty in deciphering the records, Drum presented the council with the cost of what NCDOT has requested.
To (maintain the) additional areas, it will cost around $12,800 more per year than what we are paying now, Drum said. To take care of what the state would like to see us do in the fall or early winter is a $7,500 bill.
Drum said that if council members do nothing landscaping-wise to the interchange, there is little to no action North Carolina can take.
What happens if you decide that you dont want to do it, the state will take it back under control and they will either start doing everything they wanted the town to do, or they will pull up all the grasses and flowers and just let it go to grass, Drum said.
This particular interchange had been planned to be named The Gateway to the Blue Ridge in the past.
I dont know if they really want to tear up everything they have put in there, but they have said that is an option if the town of Hildebran does not want to take care of it, Drum said.
The council members present at the meeting seemed to be in agreement as to what action they should take.
That was (NCDOTs) little project that they spun to the council saying they would put up a nice, pretty sign and that it was going to be The Gateway to the Blue Ridge and all this, Larry Lee Lowman, mayor pro-tem, said. Frankly, for all Im concerned they can take it up and mow it all.
They are the ones that planted it, let them take care of it.
Council member Brenda Banks felt similarly.
I wouldnt mind doing it if we have plenty of money, that would be fine. We cannot put that burden on the taxpayers, Banks said.
Banks also said NCDOT had planned to build signage for the town of Hildebran which never happened.
They get federal and state funding and funding from Burke County probably, so why should this little town take their money and use it for what the state and federal should be (paying), Banks said.
The council decided to table the change order to next months meeting.
Other Business
The council also approved a proclamation for National Recovery Month.
The National Recovery Month is a national observation that promotes and benefits the prevention treatment and recovery for mental and substance abuse disorders, it celebrates those in recovery and it promotes the message that recovery is possible, Cook said.
The proclamation was approved unanimously and followed with a short presentation from the Health Education Supervisor of Burke County Department of Health, Lisa Moore.
HICKORY The Hickory Police Department is investigating the theft of $300 worth of gift cards stolen at a Hickory United States Postal Service office by an employee, according to an HPD incident report.
The incident report lists seven gift cards as being reported stolen in the amounts of $25 and $50 that amount to a total value of $300, with cases of stolen gift cards dating back to May, according to the incident report.
The incidents have occurred at the post office on the 200 block of Government Avenue SW, according to the incident report.
The incident report listed the narrative of the incident as, United States postal employee stole gift cards from the mail.
No charges have been filed in this investigation, but the two crimes in the incident report are listed as obtaining property by false pretenses, and larceny by servants and other employees.
The investigation is ongoing.
LINCOLN Attorney General Doug Peterson said Tuesday he will seek a second term.
Peterson has stressed his years of legal experience, the importance of upholding the rule of law on the state and federal levels, and making Nebraska communities safer.
I am very pleased to say that we have gone a long way in accomplishing several of our goals to make Nebraska communities safer," Peterson said.
Child sexual assault is being addressed statewide. There are stronger human trafficking laws and awareness, and consumer protection issues have received attention, he said.
"We have also been successful in fighting federal overreach and working to maintain strong criminal penalties for violent crimes, Peterson said.
He made his announcement Tuesday afternoon at a campaign kickoff with his family at the Grand Manse in downtown Lincoln.
He wants to continue, he said, because his office is in the middle of some important things, and another term would allow him to keep working on those issues, such as the opioid drug crisis in Nebraska.
Peterson has been in the middle of some controversial issues. He said he does not seek out controversy, rather it comes to the attorney general's office.
Early in his term, Peterson, a Republican, went forward with a lawsuit filed by his predecessor, Jon Bruning, against the state of Colorado over legalizing marijuana.
"It is not Nebraska's position to stand idle and watch Colorado's failed experiment as it spills over to our state," he said in January 2015.
In March 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit. Then Nebraska and Oklahoma asked to be added to a case in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver filed by legalization opponents. The court ruled it didn't have jurisdiction and the states would have to seek original action.
"Now we're in discussions with Oklahoma as to what will be our next move," he said.
Peterson more recently joined with nine other attorneys general asking the Trump administration to reverse a decision to allow so-called DACA youths to retain legal presence in the United States. More than 3,000 young immigrants brought here by their parents when they entered the country illegally live in Nebraska under that protection.
Peterson stressed that DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was a constitutional issue.
"When we see the executive branch exceeds (its) authority and by doing so impacts the state, it is necessary for us to challenge the actions of the executive branch," Peterson said in July.
He said he was committed to taking politics out of the attorney general's office.
Peterson said there is still more to do in protecting Nebraska communities.
I seek the privilege to continue to be an advocate for Nebraska, and to continue to stress the importance of following the Constitution as we go forward into challenging times, he said.
Peterson said one thing that has been new for him in this office is his interaction with the Legislature, and he has had several instances in which senators have challenged him on issues.
"That continues to be something that I have to get accustomed to addressing," he said.
Peterson had prostate cancer surgery in March 2015, and is cancer-free now.
"I'm feeling great," he said.
Two versions of the same letter supposedly written in 1945 by Jawaharlal Nehru to British PM Clement Atlee are floating about on Facebook. The letter talks about a "war criminal" called Subhas Chandra Bose who had been allowed to "enter" Russia, and notes that this was "treachery" on the part of Stalin, who was a British ally in World War 2. I say two versions of the same letter because one of them should clearly have been edited (even 'Jawaharlal' was wrongly spelt). Clearly, someone had a go and produced a second iteration, which is devoid of those mistakes but manages to incorporate a howler in a small Bengali foreword!
The reaction to the recent release of the Bose files by Mamata Banerjee underlines what an emotional chord Netaji's name strikes in Bengal. It is somewhat enmeshed, unjustifiably perhaps, with a feeling of Bengali victimhood. What is noteworthy is that the name is being celebrated by legions outside the eastern state. And this is being done by people who had never quite taken to other distinguished personalities from Bengal.
Satyajit Ray for them was more of a "Bengali phenomenon" rather than Indian, a man who had "usurped fame" by "selling India's poverty" across the world (in fact a Bengali author called Pramathanath Bishi had written about this long before Nargis Dutt institutionalised this thinking).
As for Tagore, a retired judge of the Supreme Court is being able to get away with calling him a "stooge of the British". This about a man who certainly saw the beneficial aspect of British rule in India. In the essay 'Kalantar' (Within the Age), written in 1933, he sees Indian society throughout the ages as a static one which received its first jolt after the coming of the British, who brought with them the dynamism of European civilisation. He calls the British "representatives of the soul of Europe", praises their restlessness, scientific endeavour, etc. Yet in the same essay he turns a bitter critic: "Today the main pride of British administration is concerning law and order In this huge country there is little to take care of education and health everything is sunk in the huge body of law and order " He gets angrier still when he writes: "Gradually it was proved the torch of European civilisation was not to show light to the world of non-relatives but to set fire to it."
In the essay "Crisis of Civilization" the poet says: "By a turn in the fortune's wheel, the English will have to leave their Indian empire. But what India is it leaving? What godless heap of garbage? When centuries of the tradition of administration dry up, what mire of bed shall carry this intolerable fruitlessness?"
All this does not sound like a stooge of the British. Why aren't there howls of protest on Facebook?
The reason is probably this: The admiration being exhibited by some for Bose is actually a weapon to run down Nehru, and thereby debunk secularism and open the floodgates for majoritarianism and minority bashing. Praise for Bose--decidedly praiseworthy to most in Bengal and many outside the state--is a Trojan horse for targeting India's first prime minister, and all that he stood for, and the clan that followed in his footsteps and members of which currently head the principal opposition party.
No point doubting if the letter on the social media was a forged one. What matters is the spirit of campaign rather than the truth!
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Until January 17, the Musee dOrsay in Paris is showcasing the world of prostitution and many artists fascination with these women, from the mid 19th century to the Belle Epoque.
The exhibit Splendour and Misery. Pictures of Prostitution is the first of its kind in France and focuses on the different ways that artists illustrated this secret world that was often called a necessary evil. Paintings, sculpture and other media, like photography and cinematography, novel for the time, are featured.
Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931) Party scene - 1889.
The exhibit sets the scene with depictions of the various places associated with prostitution, for instance, the brothel - la maison de tolerance -- which fascinated a number of painters like Edgar Degas, Constantin Guys and the renowned Toulouse-Lautrec, an intrinsic part of Parisian nightlife in the 19th century.
The portrayal of the brothel is more about fantasy than a realistic version. The art works show a feverish brothel as well as the life of the women before attending to their clients. For the photographers who cannot gain access to these forbidden places, they compose images in which salons and boudoirs from the 19th century are reconstructed.
Prostitution extends also to the boulevards, the opera, cafes and brasseries. This aspect is less controlled than the brothels and sets the scene for a number of paintings and portraits of women that fuse melancholy and exhilaration, in particular from Edouard Manet and Vincent Van Gogh.
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec (1864-1901) Woman pulling on her stocking - 1894.
It is impossible to portray prostitution without mentioning the courtesans who immortalized their social success via painted portraits, sculptures or photographs. A success that is also glimpsed in luxurious bathrooms and private mansions. These powerful women were seen as models of success for young dancers and actresses as well as avant-garde fashion leaders for high society. They are represented in allegorical works by Gustav Adolf Mossa or Felicien Rops.
This dark yet passion-filled world inspired some key works of art by leading figures of the early 20th century like Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso and Maurice de Vlaminck.
Splendour and Misery. Pictures of Prostitution, 1850-1910 runs until January 17, 2016 at the musee dOrsay.
It has been the best feeling in my life till date. After running for nearly 800 metres and throwing the artillery shell at a deserted place, the relieved students who were earlier scared, met me and thanked me. A senior teacher of the school also expressed his gratitude for saving nearly 400 children in his school, said head constable Abhishek Patel in an interview to HT , who received cash reward award of Rs 50,000 from Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at CMs residence here on Monday.
On Sunday evening Chouhan had announced an award of Rs 50,000 for Sagar districts head constable Abhishek Patel for risking his life by running nearly a kilometre with an artillery shell to save lives of 400 children at a school, in the backyard of which, the shell was found.
Son of an assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI), the 32-year-old Abhishek Patel recounted what happed that day (Friday).
That day I was on duty on Dial 100 stationed at Surkhi police station. The Bhopal Dial 100 control room informed us about a bomb type shell lying near a school in Chitora village. We immediately rushed towards the school. When we reached there, I found the shell was very close to the school. I became very anxious as around a month back a similar unexploded explosive/shell was found at Bannad village under the jurisdiction of our police station, he said.
Patel said that time army officials had told them that if it explodes, it can cause damage within 500 metres area. I remembered it and instantly picked up the shell and ran around 800 metres, carrying it on my shoulders and threw at a deserted place, he said.
On what drove him to risk his life, Patel, who himself has two kids, said the faces of hundreds of innocent school children drove him to risk his life and remove the shell from the vicinity of the school.
My father who is posted at Banda tehsil in Sagar district as assistant sub inspector of police has been a big influence why I joined police and did what I did that day. Also my senior officials IG Sagar Range Satish Saxena and Sagar SP SK Shukla have been my inspiration, said Patel, who hails from MPs Damoh district and has been in the police service since 2007.
On cash reward announced by CM, Patel said, Award by chief minister has boosted our morale and given us satisfaction that if we work well, we can inspire others to do such good work.
Asked whether he wants to say something to youth who want to join police, Patel said they should definitely join police as it is not just a means of earning livelihood; you also get to serve your country, ensure safety of your countrymen and work for peace in the society
On Monday morning, while presenting cash award of Rs 50,000 to Patel, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also gifted flowers to Patel and praised him for his conscientiousness and courage.
The price difference between market price and support price of crops will now be deposited directly to the accounts of farmers in Madhya Pradesh.
The state cabinet that met here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, gave approval to the ambitious scheme.
According to Rajesh Rajora principal secretary, agriculture, the Madhya Pradesh government is implementing Mukhyamantri Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna (CM Price Deficit Payment Scheme) on pilot basis from Kharif 2017 to ensure millions of farmers in the state get minimum support price (MSP) of their produce and to protect them from severe fall in agriculture mandi rates
The innovative and path-breaking scheme will include payment of difference between MSP and modal mandi rates in Soyabean, Groundnut, Sesame, Niger Seed, Moong, Urad, Arhar and maize in the bank accounts of the farmers through direct benefit transfer, he said.
Under this scheme, the farmers will have be registered in the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana portal from September 1 to 30. Registrations will be done in 3000 primary agriculture cooperative institutes that purchase paddy and wheat.
A unique ID will be provided to the farmers after registration in the scheme. The counting of ideal selling price will be the average of model mandi prices of Madhya Pradesh and two states.
Earlier Chouhan in a statement had stressed that he will not let the farmers bear with any loss. He said government will get the price difference between market price and support price directly to the farmers accounts. He instructed the district administrations to maintain correct record of the crops of farmers. He said that a special campaign has been launched to solve revenue related problems of farmers.
Chouhan said the state administration was instructed to settle all cases related to undisputed land transfer, demarcation and property distribution within three months and in case of any pending cases found after the said period, the complainant beneficiary will be awarded Rs 1 lakh while this amount will be recovered from the concerned officer.
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Sending a strong signal to the bureaucracy in the state during a video conferencing with the collectors, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed them to prepare a list of corrupt employees and officers and send it to the government to ensure corruption free administration.
Chouhan told collectors on Tuesday that the list needed to be prepared so that action according to the rules could be taken for a compulsory retirement.
Chouhan stressed that such an action would also be taken at the state level.
During the video-conferencing, Chouhan listed the priorities of the state government.
Chouhan told the collectors that good implementation of revenue administration, housing schemes, welfare schemes for poor, weaker sections programmes, land lease law, ensuring corruption free governance, quality health services, good education and economic empowerment of women self-help groups, employment, doubling agriculture income and best implementation of digital India programmes were the priorities of the government.
Chouhan gave instructions for effective organising of farmers conventions between September 15 and 30, employment conclave from November 11 to 30, Swachcha Bharat Abhiyan from September 15 to October 2, tourism promotion from October 6 to 25 and financial inclusion from September 25 to October 4.
Chouhan said, A monthly progress report should be sent to the government. On this basis, an objective assessment would be done while evaluating officers performance.
Emphasising on the need to give an utmost priority to the revenue administration Chouhan told the officers for redressing all the undisputed cases till November 15.
A punitive action will be taken after the due date. Fix the date and time of the revenue courts and officers should be present in the courts. Do not depute employees on VIP duties on these dates, he said.
Chouhan also directed the superintendents of police to give utmost priority to law and order situation and to undertake effective prohibitory measures in advance in coordination with local administrative officers.
Anti social elements who harm communal harmony should be identified in advance. Take effective legal measures. Keep strict vigil on issues and incidents effecting communal harmony. Keep an eye on social media., he said.
Emraan Hashmi is not eager to be part of another instalment of Raaz or Murder franchise, and says he now wants to do films that reflect his thinking. There was a phase when I was doing whatever was being offered to me without doing any analysis. At that time, I didnt want to sit at home and keep on working. But at this moment, I am very focused on good stories, and dont want to do film just for the heck of it, said Emraan.
I am not the same person I was five or six years back. So, when people ask me if I will do Raaz or Murder, I dont think I will get into that. I would like to get into films that reflect my thinking, he added.
The actor was in the national capital to promote his forthcoming project Baadshaho along with Ajay Devgn, Esha Gupta and Ileana DCruz. Directed by Milan Luthria, Baadshaho is set against the backdrop of Emergency (1975-1977). It narrates a fictional story of six people who try to bring a change in their destiny by pulling of a heist.
Emraan says Baadshaho, which is slated to release on September 1, is a very different script. Luthria also praised Emraan for his dedication, and said that he is confident that his character in Baadshaho will the most entertaining in his career. Emraan is a mix of instinct and deep thinkinga.He doesnt show it to others, but I know that he puts in a lot of effort to prepare for the roleaI can say with confidence that character in the film will the most entertaining in his career, said the director.
From dancing with their fans to revealing tid-bits from their films shoot, the team of Baadshaho, which releases on September 1, won over the crowd on their visit to Hindustan Times House, in central Delhi, on August 29. The cast members Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Ileana DCruz, and Esha Gupta and the films director Milan Luthria were here to interact with the winners of the HT City Stars in the City contest.
Badass thats the vibe of the film, said Milan, adding that he had created a dark, edgy space here because he didnt like goody, goody cinema. Each actor spoke of what they felt was special about Baadshaho. The film is set in Emergency era Rajasthan, its plot centred round a heist.
L-R: HT City editor Sonal Kalra moderated the discussion with actors Ajay Devgn, Ileana DCruz, Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta, and Baadshao director Milan Luthria. (Photo: Amal KS/HT )
Ajay, who plays a loyal fellow named Bhavani in Baadshaho, was asked if he had any problem switching between filming this action thriller and an upcoming comedy. He replied, Youre not an actor if you stick to only one genre. Ive been very lucky whenever Ive tried to do different genres, theyve all been accepted by my audience.
Emraan Hashmi made a die-hard fans day when he gave her a hug. (Photo: Shivam Saxena/HT)
Emraan, who enjoys a crazy female fan following, made a fans day by obliging her with a hug. Asked whose feedback on his films matters to him the most, he said, Definitely my fans! Ive realised one thing: you cant make a film for your family. My familys taste is very niche. If I have to make a film only for them, we will be the only ones wholl watch it! Films are meant for mass consumption.
Emraan autographed personalised tees that his fans had got for him. (Photo: Amal KS/HT)
Emraan added, Baadshaho is not just any other heist film, which is just slick with no substance. The film that hits that sweet spot between mass and class will draw in the audience.
Ajay Devgn and Ileana DCruz answering questions asked by winners of the Stars in the City contest. (Photo: Shivam Saxena/HT)
Esha was excited about her stunts in Baadshaho. She said, Yesteryear actors such as Rekha did action, too, in their films; after a while, it just got lost somewhere. My character Sanjana is someone who will do any job that needs to be done. Ajay had announced me as the bombshell badass when my poster for the film was released!
Ileana set the dance floor on fire when she grooved to the song Mere Rashke Qamar with this fan. (Photo: Amal KS/HT)
Ileana also hit the dance floor with a fan and grooved to the popular song Mere Rashke Qamar from Baadshaho. When asked which character from the popular show Game of Thrones would she love to play, Ileana surprised everyone by confessing that she hasnt watched the show yet!
Esha Gupta shares a light moment with Baadshaho director Milan Luthria. (Photo: Shivam Saxena/HT)
After Milan revealed that Ajay and Emraan were the easiest actors to work with on the sets, Esha added that it was the camels who had thrown the most tantrums!
A fan even gifted sketches of Ajay, Emraan, and Milan to them. (Photo: Shivam Saxena/HT)
About choosing the word badass to capture the essence of Baadshaho, Milan said, I dont like goody-goody cinema. There was some resistance from the marketing team of Baadshaho when we told them [about] the title and vibe of the film. They said it might not be liked by the public and the posters would not be received well. But were fortunate not only has the response been very good, but it also has been made clear that the larger the canvas, the larger the audience.
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After witnessing a series of disturbances in its shooting schedule, Sanjay Leela Bhansalis magnum opus Padmavati is finally inching towards completion as its lead actress Deepika Padukone has wrapped shooting for the film.
Deepika, who will be seen playing the titular role in Bhansalis multi-starrer periodic drama Padmavati, has completed principal shooting of the 2017 release. A source from the sets informed, Deepika has wrapped filming for her part. The actress has reserved additional three to five days for any patchwork if required. Patch work will be shot only after Ranveer and Shahid have finished shooting their respective portions.
In a recently-conducted Twitter interaction, the Bajirao Mastani actor termed shooting for Padmavati as the most challenging role of her career. Padmavati is an upcoming Indian period drama film jointly produced by Bhansali Productions and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.
The film features Deepika as Rani Padmini, alongside Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor as Rana Rawal Ratan Singh.
Two Sri Lankan girls, friends from school days, couldnt believe the coincidence when both of them decided to dress up as Wonder Woman, for cosplay at the recently-concluded Lanka Comic Con. Their hopes of garnering praise, however, were thwarted. The day their pictures were uploaded on social media, they went viral for being trolled for their choice of character.
Amaya Suriyapperuma, a 21-year-old student of BSc Psychology, shares, When I came out of the premier of Wonder Woman in Sri Lanka, I knew that this is the character I want to cosplay, because the film didnt focus on the superhumans gender, and the character believed in fighting hate with love. On day one of Lanka Comic Con, which was also my birthday, I dressed up as Wonder Woman, and went back home feeling so happy. But the next day, just before I had to take to the stage, dressed up as another character, one of my friends sent me a meme of my picture and I was shocked. People were commenting on my skinny frame. I had never been face-to-face with cyber bullying of this scale.
Seshani Cooray, a 20-year-old architecture student, adds that the worst bit was the body shaming posts directed at her friend Amaya. Her body was being compared to mine, and I couldnt do anything, says Seshani, who in anticipation of hateful comments about skin show, had she worn the characteristic corset bustier with a short skirt, decided to cover up in jeans and a jacket.
Amaya wanted to wear a skirt and I supported her, but since I wasnt comfortable, I wore jeans. Yet, this was the reaction. I thought I will never cosplay again, but then someone told me that people not just in Sri Lanka but across the world have come out in our support and are re-tweeting our picture. When I was informed that Patty Jenkins director of the movie Wonder Woman has tweeted our picture and praised our efforts, I joined Twitter and read the post again and again to get back my confidence, adds Seshani.
Heres what Patty Jenkins tweeted, and replied when the girls showed gratitude for her support:
The look so great, strong and beautiful!!! Such amazing work and costumes. @GalGadot https://t.co/RqjbOd8bDb Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 29, 2017
You're the real thing. Out there representing with honor and a great spirit. A real amazon. You made us all proud. Thank you ! @GalGadot https://t.co/61oSbwv4xg Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) September 1, 2017
Several memes were later pulled down, but heres a sample:
A screengrab of one of the memes. (Facebook)
Another young girl, who chose to dress up as Superwoman, was also trolled for her attire. Humaiza Thassim, a 24-year-old law student, narrates her experience. I was going through chronic depression for a few years and came out of it when I started indulging in cosplay. Every time I wore the Superwoman T-shirt, I could fight depression like a super woman. But, on the second day of Lanka Comic Con when I saw memes made on my photo, I felt shattered. Some of the memes were also directed at me being a Muslim and yet cosplaying. I dont understand, what has my religion got to do with my choice to dress up as my favourite character Superwoman? I know Sri Lanka is a third world country, and Lanka Comic Con Cosplay started here just three years back, but I believe in what Wonder Woman says in the film It is easy to hate but love is more powerful, says Humaiza.
Recently, Gal Gadot re-tweeted the picture of these girls too, and complimented their look.
Heres what Gal Gadot tweeted:
Before Gadot re-tweeted the picture, Amaya had told HT that it did matter to them if the Hollywood actor showed support, Im really inspired by not just Gal Gadots portrayal of her character, in the film, but also by the person she is in real life. For me, its been an honour to cosplay Gal Gadot, that too on my 21st birthday.
After Gadots tweet, Seshani says, It has just made my day and Im thankful to all those who supported us. What I want to tell other girls is dont stop doing what you like to do just because of the fear of being trolled on social media!
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Infosys Ltd co-founder NR Narayana Murthy on Tuesday backed chairman Nandan Nilekani to fix corporate governance lapses and also hailed last weeks overhaul of the board that resulted in the exit of four members, including previous chairman R Seshasayee.
Murthy also took a direct shot at former and current board members Jeffrey Lehman and Roopa Kudva, alleging that the former said the board couldnt disclose to founders the reason behind Infosys agreeing to pay Rs 17.38 crore in severance to former chief financial officer Rajiv Bansal; the latter asked the founders to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) if they wanted to known the reason.
You would all agree that the rejuvenation of the board has begun with the resignation of Mr R Seshasayee and some other board members. However, it is still a work in progress, Murthy told investors hosted by Investec India in Mumbai.
Last week, Infosys named co-founder Nilekani non-executive chairman. Nilekanis appointment, which was conditional on the overhaul of the previous board, resulted in the exits of Seshasayee, Lehman, John Etchemendy and Vishal Sikka, who had stepped down as CEO on August 18.
However, Murthy also sounded a conciliatory note towards the current board that is being led by Nilekani and said that Infosys had already started taking corrective steps.
He said he hoped Nilekani would do the right thing with the report on an investigation into Infosyss 2015 purchase of Israeli firm Panaya Ltdan indication that Murthy hopes the full probe report will be made public by Nilekani at some point.
Last week, Nilekani had declined to directly answer whether the company would make the probe report public and instead pointed to Infosys statement, which said that he would get a full briefing on all investigations and the appropriate course of action will be decided.
I would like to reiterate my confidence in the current senior management of the company, which has several excellent people with whom I have worked. I know the company is in good hands. I wish Nandan the best of everything in his effort to bring back acche din (good days) to Infosys, Murthy said.
Having worked with Nandan for long, I know that he is a stickler for good corporate governance. As explained earlier, it is this kind of corrective and decisive action that I was looking for in the detailed report. These actions are now being taken. Therefore, we can all move forward from here. Now, we can all sleep better knowing that, under his (Nilekanis) leadership, the corporate governance standard practised by Infosys will be on par with the global best standards.
In a tweet on Tuesday evening, Nilekani, 62, who is currently in Boston, thanked Murthy for his support. Thank you, Mr. Murthy. I am looking forward to leading @Infosys with unanimous support of all stakeholders!
Indians returned almost all of the estimated Rs 15.4 lakh crore -15.5 lakh crore in high-currency bills removed from circulation in a shock move late last year, the Reserve Bank of India said in its annual report out on Wednesday.
India received a total of Rs 15.28 lakh crore rupees in banned 500- and 1,000-rupee currency bills, according to RBI.
In its annual report for 2016-17, the RBI said out of 632.6 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 currency notes in circulation, 8.9 crore have not been returned post note ban last November.
The government on November 8, banned old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in an attempt to weed out black money in the country. The old notes were allowed to be deposited in banks, with unusual deposits coming under income tax scrutiny.
The government replaced old Rs 500 notes with new ones, but no replacement for Rs 1000 notes has been made. Instead, a new Rs 2,000 note was introduced post note ban.
RBI said there were as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes, both old and new in circulation as of March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2016, there were 1,570.7 crore Rs 500 notes in circulation.
The report said the cost of printing of currency notes more than doubled to Rs7,965 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 3,421 crore in the previous year on account of new currency printing.
Besides, new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, the RBI has also printed new Rs 200 notes.
All but 1% of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination banknotes (by value) invalidated on November 8 had been returned by the end of June, according to the Reserve Bank of Indias annual report released on Wednesday.
The disclosure put to rest one of the big mysteries surrounding the exercise, billed as one of the biggest-ever assaults on black money and, according to some analysts, helped the Bharatiya Janata Party win popular support and the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls earlier this year.
The report said 98.96% of the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination banknotes that had been invalidated had been returned.
The central bank said subject to future corrections based on verification process when completed, the estimated value of the banned notes it received was Rs 15.28 trillion. This compares with the Rs 15.44 trillion of the banned notes that were in circulation as of November 8, according to data given by minister of state for finance Arjun Meghwal to Parliament on January 21.
Following PM Narendra Modis announcement of the invalidation of high-value currency notes, estimates suggested around Rs 3 trillion would not be returned because it was unaccounted or black money.
While defending demonetisation in the Supreme Court in November, then attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said around Rs 4-5 trillion would probably not find its way back into the system.
By December, though, it was clear that tax evaders had managed to legalize their unaccounted money using mules and proxies to make deposits, made high-value purchases using backdated bills and colluded with bank officials to exchange old currency.
With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showing that most of the money has returned to the system, the opposition was quick to criticise the government. The Congress party said RBIs report was proof that demonetisation had utterly failed.
Measuring the success of demonetisation on the basis of how much cash has come into the system shows an inadequate understanding, finance minister Arun Jaitley said.
Indeed, the fact that the entire demonetized money has come back shows black money has been accounted for completely. In that sense, demonetization has been a success, said R Gandhi, former deputy governor of RBI. It is now up to the tax department to do its job, he added. In January, the government decided to use data analytics to identify people whose deposits didnt match their known sources of income.
In his 15 August speech on the occasion of Independence Day, Prime Minister Modi said that more than Rs 1.75 trillion deposited in banks after demonetisation was under the scanner.
The trail of deposits of bank notes into bank accounts may provide valuable information to the revenue authorities in tracing unaccounted money, RBI said in its annual report.
Interestingly, RBIs annual report shows a spike in the number of so-called suspicious transaction reports filed by banks, financial institutions and intermediaries. Banks filed 361,214 such reports in 2016-17, up from 61,361 the previous year. This is evidence that people have been forced to deposit money illegitimately lying with them, Jaitley said in a press briefing after the release of RBIs report.
A banker who asked not to be identified said the spike in suspicious transaction reports was exclusively because of demonetisation, although he added that at least some of these could end up being genuine transactions.
Defending demonetisation, Jaitley said its major objectives -a less cash economy, digitisation, formalisation of the economy, widening the tax base, curbing terror financing, tracking black money, and clamping down on counterfeit currency -- had been met. The effect of demonetization in all these areas have been extremely positive, he added
According to RBI, the volume of cash in the system has come down by 17%. Total currency in circulation fell from Rs 17.77 trillion on 8 November to Rs 14.75 trillion on 4 August, according to the finance ministry. The invalidation also resulted in an increase in digital transactions. In a note, the finance ministry said that demonetisation had seen the number of digital transactions increase 56% between October 2016 and May, to 1.1 billion.
RBI detected 762,072 fake notes compared to 632,926 pieces a year ago. However, the total value of these fake currency notes amounts to a meagre Rs 43 crore.
The ministrys note added that demonetisation had resulted in a 24.5% increase in the number of income tax returns filed till August 5. RBIs report also sheds further light on other aspects of the demonetisation move such as its costs. The cumulative effect of the decrease in income and increase in expenditure effectively halved RBIs net profit to Rs 30,663 crore from Rs 65,880 crore a year ago. The central bank transferred almost its entire profit to the government.
Fast food chain McDonalds on Wednesday informed the NCLAT that settlement of dispute with Vikram Bakshi, its joint venture partner for north and east India, is not possible.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which had last week asked both parties to consider settling the dispute among themselves, has ordered them to file replies on cross petitions filed against each other within a week.
During the hearing, the counsel for McDonalds said the settlement of dispute with the franchise partner was not possible.
Posting the matter for next hearing on September 21, NCLAT chairman Justice SJ Mukhopadhyay said: We find no scope of amicable settlement.
The tribunal had last week asked both the parties to decide by August 30, whether they would consider settling dispute on their own or not.
McDonalds on August 21 terminated franchisee agreement for the 169 outlets in north and east that were operated by Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL), the joint venture (JV) with Bakshi.
As part of the termination, CPRL has ceased to use McDonaldss name, system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others within 15 days of the termination notice.
Bakshi was ousted from the post at the McDonalds franchisee in August 2013, following which he approached the NCLT in September the same year. He has been at loggerheads with McDonalds over management of CPRL.
He was reinstated as the MD of CPRL by NCLT on July 14 following which McDonalds approached the tribunal.
Uber Technologies Inc is pulling a heavily criticised feature from its app that allowed it to track riders for up to five minutes after a trip, its security chief told Reuters, as the ride-services firm tries to fix its poor reputation for customer privacy.
The change, which restores users ability to share location data only while using the app, is expected to be announced on Tuesday and rolled out to Apple Inc iPhone users starting this week. It comes as Uber tries to recover from a series of crises culminating in the ouster of CEO Travis Kalanick and other top executives.
Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of travel-booking company Expedia Inc is set to become Ubers new CEO.
The location-tracking update is unrelated to executive changes, said Joe Sullivan, Ubers chief security officer, in an interview with Reuters. Sullivan and his team of about 500 have been working to beef up customer privacy at Uber since he joined in 2015.
Weve been building through the turmoil and challenges because we already had our mandate, said Sullivan.
An update to the app made last November eliminated the option for users to limit data gathering to only when the app is in use, instead forcing them to choose between letting Uber always collect location data or never collect it.
Uber said it needed permission to gather data in order to track riders for five minutes after a trip was completed, which the company believed could help in ensuring customers physical safety.
The option to never track required riders to manually enter pickup and drop-off addresses.
But the changes were met with swift criticism by some users and privacy advocates who called them a breach of user trust by a company already under fire for how it collects and uses customers data.
Uber said it never actually began post-trip tracking for iPhone users and suspended it for Android users.
Its been nearly a week since the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case by a court in Panchkula, and the violence by his followers as a fallout that claimed more than 30 lives.
One is yet to see any political leader of any hue or standing condemn the modern-day Rasputin of the Sirsa-based dera, unless one missed the news in small print in some obscure corner. This adds further stink to murky tales of horror, sexual exploitation of innocent girls, and human disfigurement. It is unfortunate and a travesty of our democratic system that for personal ends our political leaders chose to be servile to this Satan in a saintly garb who was emboldened enough to threaten innocent, hapless victims into submission .
It is a quirk of our social system that the guardians of our political, social and religious institutions chose to be deaf and blind to all his misdeeds, and rather flocked to this evil mans dera, making him feel powerful. He was not only God for his gullible followers but could twist all wings of the governments by his clout or through the immense wealth that flowed from the misled sheep comprising his followers. The guardians and those running governments had willingly acquiesced to his vile misdeeds and wishes, for selfish motives and narrow political ends.
Petitions, complaints and pleadings against him went unheeded, and social unrest in areas of Punjab over his demeanour and apparel was taken casually. He was summoned to the highest temporal seat of a faith to be pardoned. Travesty, indeed of the entire moral system.
Mercifully, the agonies of the victims of this lascivious evil man were heeded by the judiciary that ordered probes by the CBI, because the state investigators could not be trusted to deliver not because of inefficiency, but due to the political and financial clout of this man. The CBI delivered, regardless of pressures on the investigating officers. All his legal and political antics to sabotage and subvert the judicial process could delay it but the Day of Judgment did come, and how.
Frenzy foreseen, not checked
What preceded it for days was an absurd, ham-handed approach to manage an expected violent frenzied situation on August 25, the day of reckoning for him. Despite intelligence reports, not much effort was made to check the large-scale movement of the dera followers towards Panchkula. The consequent build-up by the committed followers of this so-called godman not only held the peace-loving citizens of the city to ransom but also seriously affected its environs.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC were neither worded nor implemented properly. No preventive arrests seem to have been made. Presumably, the hordes had gathered to overawe the judicial system and, despite the high courts clear directions, no worthwhile efforts were made to remove these people from Panchkula. To all intent, they were expected to indulge in violent activities and vandalism.
Surprisingly, in our democratic system, various wings of governmental machinery have been pulverised by political strangleholds and officials pandering to the wishes of political masters. In this case, not only did the political will to manage a potential disastrous situation appear to be lacking, but also apparent was an unwarranted dithering in conveying clear-cut instructions to ensure that law and order be maintained by all legal means. It could have probably been worse had the Punjab and Haryana high court, on August 24, not admonished the officers and castigated the government.
Patting self for what?
The authorities concerned are all praise for themselves, for having controlled the violent situation in a matter of mere three hours. Great! At what cost! The arson, the damage to state and private properties, the holding of an entire city to ransom, and virtual panic in the adjoining areas of Chandigarh, Mohali and Zirakpur, need to be explained. Something was amiss when the frenzied mobs could make the armed police personnel run to save themselves or watch the arson. If the deputy commissioner had to run to save her life, one wonders how this self-praise should flow.
The reason is an obvious lack of clear-cut orders and effective leadership. Over 30 persons killed and large numbers injured in the police firing is it collateral damage? Mercifully, the court had issued instructions to ensure that the situation is kept under control by all legal means. This might somehow mitigate so many deaths in the firing. Otherwise, in many similar situations, each death is to be accounted for.
Net worth of action
The will and alacrity with which the forces were deployed and all measures taken to ensure that no violence ensues on the day of the pronouncement of the sentence (August 28), should have been there on the day of the judgment too. Why did not the officer who has been reported stating that shoot-at-sight orders had been issued on August 28, do so on or before August 25?
Unfortunately, those concerned appear to have abdicated their duties and let the situation deteriorate to such an extent that bringing it under control meant a heavy dose of firing and so many deaths.
While, as a precautionary measures, the curtailing of mobile internet services and SMS could be a means of containing rumuors or inflammatory exhortations, it should be resorted to sparingly. Not only does it impinge on personal liberties but also affects business.
The possibility of misuse of the internet and SMS may really not be as damaging to peace and tranquillity as being visualised, especially with the extensive minute-to-minute coverage by TV channels. If it has to be done, then it should not be for such long periods.
Punjab sought to control any potentially violent situations by a liberal use of curfew in different areas. True, it served a purpose, but imposition of severe restrictions on civil liberties and curtailing all movement is undoubtedly a harsh measure which also affects the economy. Suitable orders restricting gathering of five or more people, a ban on carrying of weapon, and other measures such as preventive arrests should normally be the course to follow. Curfew should not be the norm but a kind of last resort.
With the nouveau Rasputin safely confined, and hopefully his influence on the wane, political leaders and others who seek favours for electoral gains from such lumpen specimens should now be true to the people and also to their moral selves, and not help build such Frankensteins in future. Law and order should be dealt with by professionals without undue political interference. Unfortunately, over the years the political masters have usurped the command, leaving not much to the officers responsible. Sadly, most officers have also willingly abdicated their responsibilities, and in some cases lost their backbones too.
(The writer is a retired Punjab-cadre officer of the Indian Police Service. Views expressed are his personal.)
Gurmeet Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda was facing some serious charges. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had carried out the probe, and the possibility of the dera chief being declared guilty was known to even the layman, leave alone the administration and intelligence agencies.
It was obvious that in the event of his conviction, his followers would create law and order problem. In fact, the followers were openly threatening to create mayhem in case Ram Rahim was convicted. No special effort was required to arrive at this simple conclusion. Consequently, there was no reason for the administration to be caught off guard.
In the first place, the administration should not have permitted assembly of nearly two lakh people in Panchkula, in spite of Section 144 of the CrPC being in force. Further, there is no logical reason to misinterpret this simple law and later find an alibi in clerical error.
The dera followers had been gathering in Panchkula over a few days and had elaborate administrative arrangements. All this was allowed to take place in spite of the states experience of its failure during the Jat agitation and the added warnings from the Punjab and Haryana high court. Politicians, of all hues had been paying obeisance to the dera chief and been seeking his blessings to garner votes of his followers. So how could they now act against him!
DCP made escape goat
While appropriate steps to stall the events leading to the mayhem at Panchkula should have been taken by the district administration, the responsibility to prevent situation getting out of hand in the state was that of the chief minister. However, in the end a deputy commissioner of police from Panchkula was made the escape goat and suspended for failure to perform his duty.
A cavalcade of nearly 200 vehicles was permitted to bring the dera chief from Sirsa to Panchkula. Some of the vehicles in this cavalcade are believed to have carried petrol bombs and weapons. How come Babas private security was allowed to accompany him when the escort was provided by the state?
Finally, did the intelligence agencies know that the loyalties of the guards, which the state government provided to Ram Rahim had been subverted, as they tried to assist his escape from court?
Why wasnt army deployed in advance?
There is a need to look at the deployment and actions of state and central police. The Haryana government asked for over 120 companies of the central police. The simple question is as to why ask for companies and not the required number of battalions. In case these companies operate as part of their parent battalion headquarters, their ability to handle adverse situations would be far more effective and productive!
The real reason for demanding companies is because they get special allowances. So the imperative for proper command and control and efficient implementation of allotted task becomes secondary while the requirement of special allowances becomes paramount. Thus, there exists this convenient arrangement between the state governments and central police to milk the exchequer: in any manner. These special allowances are not sought by the army as it would impact performance if companies are deployed as independent entities.
The second issue is the inappropriate deportment, casual appearance, drill and slouchy movements on display by these policemen, which had no impact on the mob. The sight of police and paramilitary personnel running for their dear life, terrified as they were of the mob, makes for a sad visual. On the other hand, military, though similarly armed as these policemen, on such tasks, has the necessary salutatory effect and very often do not have to use force to sober down an unruly crowd.
Unfortunately, the central police have been copying militarys uniform including badges of ranks, resulting in confusion among the mob as to their true identity. Though there are rules that no one can copy any item of army uniform, but this rule is openly flouted.
The fallout of this is that the salutary effect, which military always had on unruly mobs, has somewhat diminished. It may be recalled that during the Jat agitation, one saw the sad spectacle of army columns carrying large posters to let people know that the column was of the military and not some central police. This situation needs to be corrected and if the central police organisations cannot be made to shed militarys camouflage uniform, then the military may seriously consider going back to olive green.
Need serious introspection
The other related issues are as to how Z-level security was give to one charged for rape and murder? How the intelligence agencies did not know the goings on in the Sirsa dera where a number of weapons without licence were seized later. Also why police is shooting to kill rather than incapacitate the rioters?
Finally, time and again it has been seen that the civil administration collapses at the first sign of serious trouble, be it major law and order problem or natural disasters. This aspect of functioning of the civil administration needs serious introspection.
(The writer is a former deputy chief of army staff and commentator on defence and security matters. Views expressed are personal)
DEHRADUN: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday asked the Uttarakhand government about the ropeway services, which was suggested by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as a long term measure to secure the vulnerable Kedarnath valley.
Headed by Justice Swantanter Kumar, the green tribunal questioned about the progress of ropeway services which were recommended as a potential medium of transportation replacing helicopters that were causing noise and air pollution. The next hearing is scheduled in the second week of September.
In a report on April 20, Hindustan Times published how aviation companies were flouting norms by flying low in the Kedarnath valley. Taking cognizance of the report , the NGT had issued notices to the Centre and the state government. Just before the pilgrimage in May, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspended flying permit in the area. It was revoked later after DGCA officials completed an inspection in the valley.
In its report titled Assessment of impacts on wildlife of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary due to helicopter services, the WII said to prevent noise pollution and unaccounted part of air pollution due to very frequent flying in the highly fragile environment, the option of mass transportation of pilgrim via passenger ropeways could be considered, as the same emits minimal sound and causes no air pollution.
Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who represented NGO Doaba Paryavaran Sansthan and activist Kavita Ashok, told Hindustan Times that the WII suggested both short and long term recommendations. While the government immediately took short term initiatives, we are more concerned of long term mitigation plan so that the sanctity of the fragile valley could be resumed, Bansal said.
WII director VB Mathur asserted the ropeway with all safeguards was suggested for it would neither cause air nor noise pollution.
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HALDWANI: Two passengers, including an elderly woman, were electrocuted on Wednesday morning when
a high voltage wire collapsed on a bus which was on its way from Ramnagar to Pauri.
The deceased were identified as Jhumko Devi of Bhandarkhola, Pauri Garhwal and Pooran Chand of Sult, Almora
The injured people, including Jyoti and her two-month-old infant from Dungra village in Almora, were rushed to the government hospital in Ramnagar. There were around 21 passengers in the bus at the time of the accident.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Almora, P Renuka Devi told Hindustan Times that the bus operated by the Garhwal Motor Owners Union (GMOU) met with accident near Marchula at Sult in Almora district. An old woman and a male passenger were killed due to electrocution, while the others panicked and jumped out to save their lives. The SSP added that locals residents pointed out that the wire had been hanging low.
Suddenly a wire fell on the bus. We felt electric shocks and the people started running and jumping out of the bus. We also did the same and managed to save our lives, an injured Jyoti said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to refrain from indulging in politics on mohalla clinics even as about 40 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators, demanding approval for the project, stayed put inside the L-G secretariat for hours after a brief meeting with Baijal.
In an unprecedented move, the ruling party legislators got themselves stationed in one of the conference rooms in L-G secretariat, starting a direct confrontation with the L-G office. The AAP MLAs left the L-G House around 9 pm, after staying put for about six hours, after they were intimated that Baijal would meet Kejriwal and other ministers to resolve the issue on Thursday, an AAP leader said.
The development was a reminder of the series of war of words between the office of former L-G Najeeb Jung and the AAP government over administrative jurisdiction, which ebbed after the Delhi High Court verdict in August 2016 that stamped the L-G as the city administrator.
Barring one or two instances, the relationship of the state government with Baijal has been smooth. However, things changed on Wednesday. The development was described by the opposition BJP as AAP going back to its dirty tricks after one solitary win of Bawana bypoll.
Taking to social media, party legislators led by Greater Kailash legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj shared pictures and videos from the conference room, appealing the L-G to meet them again and decide on the file.
AAP legislators alleged that the mohalla clinic project file has deliberately been kept pending with the Delhi governments vigilance department that reports to the L-G.
Just now as cover up, Vigilance sent note to Minister. And its replied in minutes to @LtGovDelhi. LG saab,Please clear the files now. If there is complaint against a hospital, will we close all hospitals in the country (sic.), said party legislator in a series of tweets, putting in public domain a copy of the reply sent by health minister Satyender Jain.
Jains letter said he was committed to ensuring not a single wrong doing would be tolerated on any account by anyone in mohalla clinics even as he requested the L-G to not stall the project due to few motivated complaints.
The party legislators demanded that all concerned ministers and officers should be called and the issue settled as the project was related to peoples welfare.
There shud be no politics wid Moh Clinics. It involves health of 2 cr Delhiites. LG must clear file immediately now. Public suffering due 2 delays. LG shud call all officers n sort it out. I am prepared to come wid my ministers 2 Raj niwas, if LG wants. Let LG sort out all objections across the table rather than files moving up n down. My sincere request (sic), Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.
As the police presence at the L-G house increased, AAP legislators alleged that it was being done to intimidate the elected representatives.
Who would have thought that MLAs would need to protest in the L-G office to get Mohalla Clinics built for the people of Delhi? party leader Atishi Marlena tweeted.
On the issue of 45 MLAs stationed in the conference room, the LG house said Saurabh Bhardwaj was to be accompanied only by four other MLAs in his delegation, as promised and confirmed by him. However, a delegation of nearly 45 MLAs assembled in front of Raj Niwas.
Bhardwaj, however, said that the refusal to meet legislators was an insult for the elected representatives.
When 43 MLAs went to meet L-G (they had taken prior appointment), he said he would meet only five. This is an insult to the MLAs. How can L-G refuse to meet the elected representatives of his state? When they insisted, he agreed to meet all of them. In the meeting when they asked him about the status of mohalla clinics file, he got angry without any reason and left. The MLAs were extremely polite and there was no reason for Baijal to get angry, Bhardwaj said.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Centre to inform it whether the messages sent on BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) can be read as evidence after the Supreme Courts judgement declaring the right to privacy a fundamental right.
The court raised the question while hearing a petition by controversial businessman and meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi challenging his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
According to the ED, Qureshi was arrested on the basis of BBM messages exchanged between him, former CBI chief A P Singh and several persons accused in other criminal cases.
A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Nazmi Waziri asked the counsel representing the Centre and the ED, We would like to know, can we look into these BBM messages after the Supreme Courts nine-bench privacy judgement?
Whether these private messages would be admissible as evidence. Privacy has been held as integral part of article 21 (life and liberty) of the Constitution. Please examine, as we would like to know it, the bench asked.
It issued notice to the government and ED on the petition and sought their response within five days and listed the matter for September 13.
In view of the submissions of the counsel for the petitioner that he has not been informed of grounds of his detention in terms of constitutional imperative under Article 22, it is necessary to issue notice, the bench said.
During the hearing, advocate R K Handoo, appearing for Qureshi, contended that he was illegally detained by the ED. He claimed Qureshi was arrested after being called for questioning and was not informed about the grounds of arrest.
Central government standing counsel Anil Soni, who also appeared for ED, said there was due compliance of constitution mandate regarding informing a person about his arrest.
The bench, however, said a person cannot be taken into custody without telling him the grounds and giving him an effective legal aid.
Information is not just to make a person read the grounds of arrest. You have to give him a copy of it, the bench said and asked the Centre and ED to show the records pertaining to the arrest on September 13.
You cannot deny liberty to someone without grounds. We are afraid that this may take us to dark ages. It is negating the constitutional mandate.
This is our prima facie view, so you have to show us the files. First, courts have to uphold constitutional mandate. There are rights which you cannot take away. That is why we want you to go through the privacy judgement of the Supreme Court, the bench said.
Qureshi was arrested on August 25 and sent to five-day custody of the ED by a trial court the next day for thorough investigation in the case against him and others.
The agency had claimed that the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case.
It had also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-I.
As per ED, Qureshi was arrested late night on August 25 here under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he was not cooperating in the probe.
Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by ED which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, it has said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI chief Singh has also been named.
The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an I-T prosecution complaint, it said.
The records collected by the ED from the Income Tax Department in the form of BBM messages, have revealed that Qureshi has taken huge amount of money from different persons for obtaining undue favours from public servants after exercising his personal influence, it has said.
It added that there were also BBM exchanges between Qureshi and Singh, which are being probed both by the ED and the CBI as part of their separate criminal investigations.
In this way, the ED said, Qureshi obtained huge amount of money and it was obtained in the name of government servants/political persons holding public offices and the said public servants illegally either obtained the money for themselves or through their kin.
The agency said an analysis of the BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Qureshi and his associates revealed that hawala operators were also used to transfer bribe money (belonging to government officials) to foreign locations like Paris and the UK.
As many as 19 dengue deaths were reported from Shaheen Bagh and Abul Fazal Enclave areas last year but little seems have to have changed on the ground in terms of preparedness to deal with the mosquito borne diseases this year.
The civic bodies counted 10 deaths and over 4,000 cases of dengue in Delhi in 2016. However, a Hindustan Times investigation showed 19 deaths in the two South Delhi localities alone.
According to municipal corporation officials, these areas, located next to the banks of Yamuna, are among the worst-hit localities in the city every year.
Although the officials claim that no case of dengue and chikungunya has been reported by the South Delhi Municipal Corporations health department in these pockets, residents claim otherwise and continue to live in fear of a dengue outbreak. They said that few cases of dengue have already been detected in their area.
Locals said that the municipal corporation has not learnt any lesson from past and has made no special arrangements for regular fogging. They said that the civic agency is still not working diligently and raises an alarm only after deaths are reported from here.
So far, fogging has happened only twice in my lane and no one has come to check mosquito breeding inside houses. The sanitation condition is equally bad here, said a resident on condition of anonymity.
The narrow lanes, no provision for proper storm water drains and high rise buildings in the area leave no scope for sunlight to reach the houses. These factors make such localites more conducive for breeding of mosquitoes.
CLAIMS AND COUNTERCLAIMS
In one such lane lives Abdul Qadir, who had admitted his daughter to Holy Family Hospital after she was reported diagnosed with dengue on Monday.
We conducted all tests suggested by doctors. Though she was discharged on Tuesday, her case has not been reported by the MCD so far, said Qadir, resident of Zakir Nagar.
Contrary to the residents claim, MCD health staff said that the residents dont allow them to come inside the house.
Half of the time we return empty handed as the people dont let us go inside the house. Not just that, they misbehave with field workers and despite repeated warnings, they dont take precautionary measures, said a field worker.
Last year, the SDMC had issued legal notices to over 450 people for waterlogging in their basements.
The buildings are not just illegal but also have 10-feet deep basements where waterlogging happens every monsoon. This year, we have identified three-four such sites and asked the owners to clean them soon. Challans will also be issued soon, he said further.
According to area councillor Wajid Khan, though the dengue breeding checkers (DBC) are making best of efforts, paucity of number of adequate number of DBC workers is proving a handicap in covering the entire area.
Still, we have assigned them in different areas ensuring that they cover all lanes at least once in a month. Also, we have one fogging machine and with this, it is not possible to cover all lanes, he said.
However, Khan accepted that being an unauthorised colony the sanitation job is not done properly by the MCD staff.
Families take efforts
Taking lessons from the past, some families have been extra careful this year and made several arrangements before the onset of the peak season.
I have installed mesh gates in my house in addition to regular gates. Also with the MCDs help, I arranged for fogging thrice in my home. I ensure that my kids dont go out to play in evenings as well, said Saqib Khan, a resident of Shaheen Bagh, who lost his 14-year-old son to dengue last year.
The residents said that due the less rainfall in city, less mosquito breeding has happened so far but situation wont be the same after few days.
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Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal said on Wednesday that no proposal or file about mohalla clinics was pending with his office even as he criticised the ruling party legislators for storming the Raj Niwas, saying it displayed conduct unbecoming of responsible elected representatives.
Replying to the allegations of the file being kept pending with the vigilance department, the L-G office said that the legislators were informed that the complaints and vigilance findings about the alleged irregularities in mohalla clinics is yet to be addressed by elected government.
Even as the AAP legislators and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to social media saying that the entire cabinet was willing to reach L-G House and to settle the issue instantly, Baijals office said that the chief minister instead chose to skip the weekly review meeting held every Wednesday at 5 pm.
The L-G, after a patient hearing of the views of the MLAs, explained the current status of the proposal and clearly outlined the progress so far. Unfortunately, the behaviour of the members increasingly became extremely rude and discourteous, a statement from the L-G office said.
Despite being given a chronological status of the entire proposal and repeatedly being told by the L-G that the proposal has been returned to the chief minister on July 5 with a request to address the complaints, the MLAs continued to behave in a belligerent manner without any interest in responding to facts and logic, officials said.
The L-G also spoke to the CM with a view to resolve the matter and explained that in a democratic government, decisions are taken on the basis of facts as per law and there is no file currently pending with the L-G office on the subject. Decision can be taken only after a proper proposal is submitted by the health minister. Laying siege to the office of a constitutional functionary is no way to resolve issues in a democratic system based on rule of law. However, the CM did not relent and did not come to the office of L-G skipping the weekly meeting of CM and L-G, it said.
A statement from the CM office, however, said that the chief minister offered to visit the L-G house along with cabinet colleagues to discuss the matter but Baijal refused to oblige.
The file seeking approval for setting up mohalla clinics was sent to L-G in May and he marked the file to the vigilance department, two months later. The vigilance department refused to share it with the minister-in-charge, Manish Sisodia, despite his repeated reminders over several days, the statement from CM office said.
The L-G office said that several complaints were received in the L-G secretariat pertaining to conceptualisation and implementation of mohalla clinics that have been set up so far. The matter is under investigation by the Vigilance Department, officials said.
A kidnapping bid was foiled in Rohini on Tuesday night and an abducted businessman rescued within an hour of the incident.
The incident, which took place around Tuesday midnight, saw two of the kidnappers being arrested after a shootout with a police team.
The kidnapped businessman was rescued safely and his car recovered within an hour of the incident. One of the armed kidnappers tried to fire at the police party. The police retaliated and one of the suspects was injured, said Rishi Pal, DCP, Rohini district.
The DCp added that the weapon used in the crime has also been recovered from the arretsed accused.
Police said that on Tuesday, the businessman Nithish Arora (23) a resident of Pitampura was returning home from his factory in theKundli Industrial Area. The incident took place after Arora crossed Singhu Border at GT Karnal Road. The accused, police said, started following him in a white Swift Car from there and they hit the rear side of Aroras car.
The trader thought it to be a case of accident and when the accused stopped their vehicle in front of the victims car, an argument ensued. However, the accused soon forced their way into the car of the victim, forced him in the vehicle and drove, said a senior police officer.
Police said that when Arora was arguing with the accused, he was talking to one of his friend over the phone. That friend overheard the argument between the victim and the suspects. Though the accused took away the phone of Arora, his friend, who had overheard the conversation, alerted the relatives of the victim who in turn informed the police.
Police immediately tracked the location of the victims car through electronic surveillance. When the police team reached the spot, they found the accused changing a flat tyre of the car. The victim had been gagged and put in the boot of his car. The relatives of the victim also reached the spot and identified the car of the victim from a distance.
The accused, after finding themselves surrounded by the police, started firing at them. The police fired back at the accused, injuring one of the suspects.
Two accused, including a man who received gunshot wounds, were arrested and the victim was rescued from the boot of the car. One loaded pistol along with two live cartridges were recovered from the criminal. The arrested criminals have previous involvements in heinous cases and are residents of Noida, said the officer.
With an estimated 10,000 tortoise of different species smuggled to China and Thailand, customs and security personnel at Delhi airport are being trained to detect reptiles and check trafficking. Customs officials said since Delhi is the biggest and busiest airport of the country, sensitization of all the enforcement agencies is being conducted to prevent wildlife trafficking.
The reptile is used to make soup and some species are smuggled as people like to keep them as pets. Most of the smuggling happens from Unnao and Bareily of Uttar Pradesh. From there, they are taken in large numbers to either Lucknow or Delhi airport. The screeners need to be trained since these animals are smuggled in check-in luggage, said a customs official.
Officials of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who scan the hand baggage of passengers, were also trained to identify the image of tortoise as it would appear in an X-ray machine.
Smuggling happens through ports also. Smugglers usually take road route to take it to Kolkata. It then lands up in Bangkok via Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia. At Chennai airport, there have been cases when tortoise were caught. But at the metro airports, seizures are negligible and reason for this could also be the untrained staff, who are unable to detect it, the official added.
Customs officials said wildlife smugglers can also be caught through profiling. The department has prepared a list of passengers frequently travelling to Beijing and Bangkok. The help of a dog squad will be taken to detect the smuggling of reptiles.
Delhi airport is mostly used as a transit point since chances of smuggling tortoise from here is less. But now, we will be extra cautious, the official added.
On Tuesday, a team of wildlife crime control bureau informed about different trends of wildlife trafficking to officials of Immigration, airport operator, CISF and customs.
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It is the kind of embarrassment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have done without, a few days before he interacts with luminaries of the Silicon Valley such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. Instead of demonstrating that India has a firm grasp of the policy conundrums that new Internet technologies pose to governments, the communications and IT ministry has had to withdraw the draft national encryption policy after a furore over its contents. The policy will now be redrafted and opened for public debate subsequently, but the document offers a glimpse into the Indian States ambition in the sphere of surveillance and it betrays the deep discomfort that policy practitioners have for encryption technologies in general. The draft seems to have been conjured without regard for Indias reputation globally and its implications for our rights as citizens.
Take three problematic elements that were proposed. After solemnly stating that the policy wishes to provide confidentiality of information in cyberspace, protect sensitive or proprietary information for individuals and businesses, it goes on to say that the government will prescribe encryption algorithms and key sizes for both citizens and businesses. Further it expected service providers using encryption technology to enter into an agreement with the government for providing such services in India. And while seeking registration, vendors of encryption products were to submit working copies of the encryption software/hardware to the government.
In other words, Indian and foreign tech firms were not only expected to sign individual agreements with the government, they were to disclose the software to the government and go on to use encryption levels decided by the Centre. This is so much beyond what businesses are expected to comply with that one wonders if any senior executives of technology firms were even consulted informally about the propriety and feasibility of such measures while the document was in draft.
Lastly, and most critically, the draft expected all citizens to store the plain texts of the encrypted information for 90 days, which meant that they were to store every email, chat and videos for three months, just in case government wanted to examine them. The government would hence not only decide encryption standards at one end, it would also expect the citizen offer personal communication on demand. Taken together, these proposals appear to originate in a weak belief in the right to privacy. The Centre must note that any policy framed from that vantage will infringe on individual liberty and provoke the kind of reactions on view. Governments may have to find other ways of seeing through societies, beyond the magic bullet of cracking encryption which citizens value.
New Delhi: Delhi students, who wish to study in government-run institutions outside Delhi, will also be eligible to avail loans under the Delhi governments Higher Education and Skill Development Guarantee Scheme.
Till now the scheme was restricted to funding for city students willing to pursue higher studies in government institutions in the capital. The decision to extend the ambit of the scheme was cleared in the Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.
The Cabinet also decided that for the 55,000 students, who had failed the class 9 exams twice through CBSE and then the class 10 CBSE correspondence exams too, the Delhi government would provide extra classes and would be allowed to retake the class 10 exams through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
LOANS EXTENDED
Under the scheme, students from Delhi who wish to pursue higher education are given Rs10 lakh without any collateral or third party guarantee. They will also be given a moratorium period of the time required to finish the course and year thereafter to find a job, before they have to start repaying the EMIs.
Earlier the loan was available only for those students who wanted to study in government institutions in Delhi.
Now, if a student of Delhi studies in any government college or government-run institution, be it IITs, IIMs, or any other institution, even other state government institutions, they will also get the loan, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also heads the education department, said at a press conference post the Cabinet meeting.
Kejriwal had first spoken of the idea in May this year while addressing government school students who had cleared the IIT-JEE (Mains) exams. The scheme has been passed in the cabinet now.
RETAKE EXAMS
Of the almost 62,000 students who had failed Class 9 twice, and were then allowed to sit for the CBSE Patrachar (correspondence) class 10 exams, almost 55,000 students have failed to clear the exams. The cabinet on Tuesday decided that these students would be allowed to retake the class 10 exams through the NIOS, which is a simpler programme.
Sisodia, said that students who had failed class 9 twice, and would have been automatically dropped out of the system, had been given an option last year to sit for the class 10 exams through the CBSE patrachar.
They had been provided with remedial classes and support material and around 7,000 of them passed the class 10; almost 2,000 in the first attempt and 5,000 after completing compartment exams.
They will be taught like regular students. There will be centres in different places, so that students dont have to travel far. There will be more centres for girls. The difference is that NIOS students will get credit, explained Sisodia.
According to the credit system, a student has to appear for only those exams that he has failed to clear previously. Even if you cleared a subject under CBSE patrachaar, the credit will get carried forward.
Kejriwal had earlier spoken of the opportunity during his Independence Day speech.
Sitting in their swanky classrooms, students of RN Podar School, Santacruz stoop over their tablet screens, brows furrowed in concentration as they try to piece together a flow chart using an application on the device. One may be surprised to know these students are not playing a virtual game, but writing a school exam. Not far away, teachers wait by a computer as it generates the questions for a test they plan to administer to the students at the Gundecha Education Academy, Kandivli. The computer software designs the entire question paper by selecting random questions at the click of a button. It also corrects papers.
The entire testing style in schools has undergone a sea change, with schools not restricting themselves to pen-and-paper tests anymore. RN Podar School, for instance, conducts many online tests to make students comfortable with the medium. Competitive exams such as Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admissions to engineering colleges are going online, said Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar. Besides online tests, Euro School, Thane also tests students on guitar playing, western dance and other extra-curricular activities. We ask students to select academic, non-academic and co-curricular clubs and they are tested on them, said Rajani Pattabhiraman, school principal.
The transition to new types of assessment has become possible thanks to the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) pattern introduced by the Union ministry of education in 2010. Schools have to evaluate students on their performance throughout the year and also assess their behaviour, life skills and other areas. The conventional pen-and-paper testing provides a unilateral analysis of a students abilities. The CCE, however, is based on the concept of multiple talents, said Neti Srinivasan, COO, Ryan Group of Schools.
An estimated 1,200 schools across the country have started offering ASSET (Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing ) conducted by a private company, Educational Initiatives, started by the alumni of IIM-Ahmedabad. It is a skill-based assessment on crucial subjects such as Maths, Science and English.
Schools are opting for it because unlike regular tests, it measures how well a student has understood concepts and not how much she knows, said Sridhar Rajagopalan, managing director, Educational Initiatives.
Many schools have made these tests compulsory. All our students from Class 3 to 10 have to appear for this test once a year, over and above other tests, said Seema Buch, principal, Gundecha Academy. VIBGYOR School, Goregaon even has additional tests for pre-school students. The pre-school bee, tests the language skills such as spelling and vocabulary of the tiny tots, said Shim Matthews, principal of the school.
However, educationists warn schools against conducting too many assessments. The government has also introduced competency tests for students to identify their learning levels in first language and mathematics, said Basanti Roy, former divisional secretary of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Schools should be careful not to saddle students with too many tests. They could get wary of appearing for too many tests in a year. Schools are looking at various kinds of assessment as its no longer only about teaching the subject matter, said Meera Isaacs, principal, Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort.
VIBGYOR High School, Goregaon
Diagnostic tests: The school asks students to appear for the ASSET exam, a diagnostic test that measures the writing, numerical and reading skills of the students. The tests help in benchmarking the students performance nationally as well as internationally
Test for pre-schoolers: A pre-school bee is conducted to test the language skills of the tiny tots of the school. It tests their vocabulary and spelling abilities
Aptitude tests: It is mandatory for students to appear for career guidance tests conducted by the school counsellors after Class 8. The module for testing is taken from external agencies and based on its results the counsellors guide students.
Euro School, Thane
Testing extra-curricular activities: Children are tested on western dance, guitar playing or skating and other activities that they have chosen. It is mandatory for students to pick academic, non-academic and co-curricular clubs and they are tested on them
Speaking and listening skills: Along with oral exams, the school also conducts aural assessments, which are designed to test the speaking and listening skills of the students
Online tests: Teachers conduct several tests online using the schools web portal and computer labs. It has also opted for ASSET
Cathedral & John Connon School, Fort
Curiosity gym: A curiosity hub or gym has been recently started for middle school and senior students. Children are asked to explore different concepts and ideas for themselves. Digital machines such as 3D doodling, image-making are provided.
Gundecha Education Academy, Kandivli
Computer generated tests: The question papers for the tests are generated using software that picks questions randomly. The tests are a surprise for both students and teachers
Utpal Shanghvi School, Juhu
Listening skills: To prepare students for competitive exams such as TOEFL and SATs, students listening skills are assessed from Class 1 itself. Depending on the grade, a sentence or an entire paragraph is read out loud to the students and they have to answer questions on it
Check point exams: In Class 6 and 8, check point exams are conducted by the Cambridge International Examinations body. It highlights the strengths and the weaknesses of the students
RN Podar School, Santacruz
Open book exams: Students are provided material in the form of case studies and they have to answer questions based on it. This requires students to apply multiple concepts to the situations
Online tests: Many online tests are given, these usually include multiple choice questions. One test is given using an application, Graphic organiser, available on iPads. Students are required to complete flow charts online
(Inputs from Aayushi Pratap and Musab Qazi)
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New Delhi The Congress said on Tuesday that the HRD Ministrys circular asking Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Central universities to organise patriotic rock shows was an insult to the countrys youth.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government seemed to have presumed that nationalism needed to be inculcated through rock bands.
If this is the vision the government has for the young people of this country, then all that I would like to say is, God help us, he told reporters.
It is a very funny circular to say the least, he added.
The Congress also accused the BJP government of subverting the mandate of the National Film Development Corporation.
It does not have the mandate to hire rock bands and send them across the country. There seems to be subversion of the very remit of the National Film Development Corporation, he said.
As part of the programme named Yeh India ka Time Hai, the government has identified certain bands which will be visiting campuses across the country and perform patriotic songs.
The programme has been organised to celebrate 70 years of Indias Independence and 75 years of the Quit India Movement this year.
Tewari said there was no problem with promoting nationalism or patriotism and that there were enough musical groups, literary societies, clubs and debating platforms available in every such institution than subverting the mandate of NFDC to hire rock bands of allegedly spurious quality to promote patriotism and nationalism.
Tewari said the government talked about ushering a New India by 2022, but India was still a democratic country and the term of this government ended in 2019.
Till the time they have already decided to subvert democracy and not hold elections in 2019, (the time frame of) 2022 does not make any sense, he added.
Nobody has a monopoly over patriotism and nationalism; least of all the government and least of all the BJP. We do not think that they either have the credentials or the moral right to lecture the Congress or any other party on patriotism and nationalism, he said.
Each year the number of students taking the Common Admission Test (CAT) and Management Aptitude Test (MAT) goes up and as chances of gaining admission to top institutes declines, they end up devoting years of study and preparation without any realistic hope for success.
However, there are other options for such students out there. If you want to be judged holistically, if you are a smart individual but bad test-taker, or if you are simply hankering for global exposure, applying abroad is your best route forward.
Applying to top institutes overseas requires a combination of factors. The first are the examsyou may take either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as most colleges accept these tests. They are less comprehensive in material covered than the CAT and are only one part of your whole application.
Students also need to prepare their professional CVs, speak to professors for recommendation letters, write individual essays for each college, and ready themselves for interviews. In the strongest applications, each of these components is well-rounded.
Students may help themselves greatly by gaining experience in their respective field through internships and work experiences. Colleges often try to look beyond the numbers, for applicantsbeyond just marks. Work experience, an understanding of ones own calibre, and plentiful involvement with social projects and campus service all go toward strengthening the applicants profile.
It is important to receive right counselling in navigating these requirements. A good counsellor can help shortlist colleges according to fit or through their suitability for individuals instead of blindly following rankings. Counselling can introduce you to programs like HBS 2+2 or YLP or even similar courses likes MIM, LBS etc. By working with an experienced mentor, you can maximise chances of admission by picking the right courses and the right schools.
Counsellors can also help write essays showcasing yourself most positively, run through mock interviews with you, and keep your focus on the final goaladmission at a top university. A mentor can also help you apply to correct scholarships and funding sources, as expenses are a major concern for all applicants. Ensure your counsellor is suggesting the best colleges for you, not their own pocket.
There are many non-Indian options for higher education. If one does badly in CAT/GMAT/GRE, they can apply to Singapore and the United Kingdoms. Many colleges do not even require GMAT scores and only ask for undergraduate marks. However, you must be careful as both countries have several sub-standard institutions that are just money spinners, not educational enterprises. But colleges like Bath, CASS, LSE, LBS, NUS, SMU, and NTU have tremendous value.
For CAT you must prepare all through the year, and be judged on one exam. Since there is only one round a year, risks are high and students eventually have fewer choices. Applying to the US/UKs top MBA programs allows for much more autonomy in the process. At the same time, you will be exposed to world-leading resources, cutting-edge facilities, global networking opportunities, and an international peer group. While it might seem scary, with the right guidance you can achieve admission to top MBA programs worldwide.
(The writer is the co-founder of Collegify, an educational institute for study abroad. Views expressed by the author are personal.)
The Madhya Pradesh government cancelled the admissions of students to medical and dental colleges through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected the states plea challenging the high courts August 24 decision on admission of non-domicile candidates.
The counselling process will start again from August 31 and according to the top courts order, a new merit list will be issued and the process has to be completed within 10 days.
We will follow the court orders. The directorate of medical education found 34 students, who had mentioned the name of other states in the NEET form, and took admission in the state quota seats in MP, DME joint director Shashi Gandhi said.
The controversy erupted over allegations that a number of candidates belonging to other states secured admission in the states medical colleges on fake domicile certificates.
The complainants moved the high court after the directorate of medical education didnt take any action despite repeated complaints about the names of outsiders students. The Jabalpur bench of the high court granted a stay over the counselling.
The high court directed the state authorities to conduct counselling, draw up the list of candidates eligible under the state quota by taking into consideration and treating as final the option and information regarding the state to which the candidate belongs as furnished in the NEET form.
It also made clear that all the information given by the candidate in the NEET form in respect of their residence shall be treated as final as per Rule 3(5) of the admission rules and thereafter the authorities shall proceed further in the matter by redrawing the merit list.
Later, the state government moved the Supreme Court, which refused to interfere with the order of the high court.
The 34 students were found in first counselling list. The number would be increased in the second and final counselling. We moved to the court before the second counselling and we are happy that we could have saved the rights of MP students, complainant and activist Vinayak Parihar said.
Last year too, the counselling process was cancelled by the high court.
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New Delhi In a world grappling with social inequality, wars and climate change, this Nobel Laureates lessons on The world of three zeroes: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero carbon emissions definitely made sense for management students. Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, economist, civil society leader and the founder of microcredit pioneering Grameen Bank, Mohd Yunus, was delivering the Arijit Mukherji Memorial Lecture at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta on Tuesday.
Professor Yunus, who invented social business and earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in alleviating poverty, is one of todays most trenchant social critics. Through the lecture he shared his insights on zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon emissions. It was time to admit that the capitalist engine had broken down. In its current form it inevitably led to rampant inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction, he said.
To save human kind and the planet, he said that there was a need for a new economic system based on a more realistic vision of human nature; one that recognised altruism and generosity as driving forces that were just as fundamental and powerful as self-interest.
About his own experience as a social entrepreneur, Yunus, who left a university job to return to Bangladesh after its liberation said he created about 50 companies not to make profits but to solve problems. Seeing the depots of diseases in the country we came up with health programmes. Battles were launched to help children overcome diseases like malnutrition, night blindness and other diseases. However, it was done in such a way that it became self sustaining.
Yunus said when people asked him how any business could survive without profits, his response was: Whats wrong with not taking the profit? Business also means exchanging money between consumers and producers in a sustainable way. If I do not take profits is it illegal? Would I be jailed?
To him, what was more exciting than making profits was creating a company to solve problems - some of his companies with a pan-Bangladesh presence had been created to solve a specific problem. It is like solving a puzzle, do you make a profit by solving a puzzle? he asked.
Yunus also said he disagreed with critics who said the purpose of any business would be defeated by giving away its most fundamental and vital incentive, the profit. If making money is happiness then making other people happy by solving problems is super happiness, he said.
On the success of his solar energy project, Grameen Shakti, Younus said when he wanted to bring solar energy to rural Bangladeshi villages which went dark at night, people tried to put him off by saying it did not make sense. We started by selling four to five (solar power) systems a month and today Grameen Shakti powers1.8 million homes with solar energy, its so popular now, he said, amid applause.
Its a big reward for IIM Calcutta fraternity to have the opportunity of listening to the subject involving poverty, unemployment, and carbon emission from no other than Prof Mohd Yunus, said Prof Uttam Kumar Sarkar, dean (new initiatives and external relations), IIM Calcutta.
Gym lovers, take note. If you want to bulk up and get in shape, stay away from painkillers. According to a new study, regularly taking Ibuprofen can slow down muscle growth. Swedish researchers found the drugs, which are one of the most widely consumed in the world, interfere with the healing process of muscles, which stops them from getting bigger following a work-out. Dr Tommy Lundberg, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, was behind the extremely interesting findings.
The team then measured certain variables, including muscle growth, strength and anti-inflammatory markers. The findings indicated that after eight weeks, the increase in muscle volume was twice as large in the low-dose aspirin group. The muscle strength was also impaired with high doses of anti-inflammatory drugs, but not to such a huge extent.
Dr Lundberg added that the researchers chose to look at the effect of Ibuprofen as it is the most well-studied anti-inflammatory drug on the market. But we believe that high doses of all types of over-the-counter NSAIDs have similar effects, the authors noted.
The new findings come after a study in June suggested that going to the gym and lifting weights could prevent against dementia. The research appears in the Acta Physiological journal.
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After being counselled by school teachers about good and bad touch, a 12-year-old girl revealed that she was raped for the last seven years by her father.
The victims friend on Monday reported the matter to the school principal, who counselled the girl but did not report it to the authorities, said Pratibha Deepak Maheshwari, who runs an NGO and helped file a case against the girls father.
A case of rape was registered against the accused at Bajghera police station. The accused works as an electrician at a mobile tower and the family is from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh.
Initially, a Zero FIR was lodged by Jaipur police as Maheshwari, who lives in Jaipur but works with her NGO Asmita in Haryana, had taken the girl along with her to protect her.
Maheshwari said that she had spoken to the Child Welfare Committee in Haryana and approached the Childline in Jaipur, which helped register the Zero FIR and also the transfer of the case to Gurgaon.
I was shocked to know that a man had been raping his daughter since she was five-years-old. This is a heinous crime and cant be brushed under the carpet. Action must be taken against the accused, said Maheshwari.
The victim told the school teachers as well as Childline officials in Jaipur that her father regularly raped her, and when she resisted, was beaten and tortured.
The victims mother was also aware of the abuse but she allegedly remained silent, Maheshwari said. The elder sister of the girl is also a victim of rape but she manages to avoid her father. The father used to rape the girl whenever she was alone in the house.
A case under section 4 of the Pocso Act, 376 and 506 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.
The information about the incident came to us through an email after which a case of rape was registered against the accused. The minor girl is being counselled by officials, said Inspector Shamsudin, SHO, Bajghera police station.
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In a first in the city, the electronic voting machines (EVMs) that will be used in the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) elections will have photos and symbols of all candidates. The elections are scheduled for September 24.
The purpose of introducing candidates photos on the ballot is to make the system more voter-friendly, said officials of the state election commission.
We have introduced this based on peoples feedback. Voters want photos of candidates on the ballots as it would refresh their memory and help them cast votes for the candidates of their choosing (without any error), said Dalip Singh, Haryana state election commissioner.
We introduced this system for the first time in the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, recently. Our aim is to make voting a more familiar process and also convenient for the electorates so that people turn out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote, said Singh.
The state election commission has also decided to introduce NOTA (none of the above) option on the ballot for the first time in MCG polls.
The photo and NOTA additions are both based on voters demands. If voters find no candidate suitable, they can opt NOTA, Singh said.
However, the election commissions plan to introduce an Aadhaar-linked voting system for the first time in the country from ward number 15 in Gurgaon has taken a back seat.
Due to unavailability of machinery such as biometric machines, manpower and time constraints, we cancelled this plan. It requires a team of dedicated officials visiting every voter to ascertain their Aadhaar number. The state (including district Gurgaon) machinery was majorly involved in the Dera Sacha Sauda case and we had to scrap the plan, Singh said.
He said that a period of 70 days, at least, is required for initiating the Aadhar-linked voting for the 22,000 voters in ward 15. We are likely to introduce Aadhaar-linked voting in the upcoming corporation elections in other cities of Haryana, said Singh.
In this process, voters will be verified with their biometric data to check duplicate votes, officials said.
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Some of the political parties contesting the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram elections Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) said that their candidates will contest MCG election on party symbols. However, the candidates from Congress are still undecided about it.
Abhay Chautala, the leader of opposition in the state assembly and senior INLD leader, said, We will contest all 35 seats on party symbols. We contested the previous elections on party symbols as well and everybody knows how horse-trading took place last year in Gurgaon, to elect the mayor and deputy mayors. Indian National Lok Dal is to hold a meeting in this regard soon with party members.
BJP candidates contested 2011 MCG elections on party symbols and they will contest this time also on the party symbols in all 35 wards, said Umesh Aggarwal, MLA from Gurgaon.
In the 2011 MCG elections, 27 independent candidates won and the joined the Congress.
Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, a senior Congress leader, said, We want to contest the MCG elections on the party symbol, unlike in the past. We are holding a meeting with senior party members shortly on this issue.
Many political leaders alleged that the demarcation of wards has not been done in compliance with norms.
The demarcation of wards was done incorrectly and only as per the wishes of the ruling party members. The opposition was not consulted and the correct procedure has been completely ignored, said Sukhbir Kataria, former Congress minister.
Nisha Singh, former MCG councillor, said, As per the Constitution of India, the MCG is an independent body of local governance but Haryana government has scuttled democracy in the most blatant manner. Timely, free and fair elections are the basic right of a citizen. This right was denied to Gurgaon residents for more than a year. MCG is being quietly buried and along with it, the Indian Constitution too.
The state government was always committed to holding the elections and this is a step in the right direction. This will boost democracy at the city level, help in making governance more accountable and enable the representatives of the people to take decisions to develop and transform Gurgaon into a better city, said GL Sharma, senior BJP leader.
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Twenty five residents of Basai village were booked for allegedly snatching the key of a police vehicle, manhandling police officers and indulging in violence near Basai bus stand. The police said that the two main accused Bobby Kataria, of Basai, and Munna, were leading a group of 20 to 25 men who had blocked the road near the bus stand to protest against the police.
Kataria had posted a live update on Facebook on August 18 alleging that a minor girl had been kidnapped from Sector 9A. The video caused a furore on social media after which the Gurgaon police investigated the case and observed that it was not a matter of kidnapping but a fight between two families.
The police were investigating the matter. On Tuesday night, Kataria, along with a group of 20 to 25 men, blocked the Basai road and started protesting against the police, alleging that they had hacked his Facebook ID.
When a team led by ASI Mahabir Singh reached the spot, the accused got into a tussle with the police and refused to vacate the road, after which they allegedly snatched the keys of the police vehicle and escaped.
A case was registered on the complaint of ASI Mahabir Singh against two accused and 20 other unidentified men under sections 323, 186,332,353,506 and 379B of the IPC.
Inspector Bijender Singh, SHO, Sector 9A police station, said that these men had blocked the road and instead of listening to the police, was inciting people against the police through social media.
Another case was registered against Kataria at Sector 5 police station while he tried to take a video of the police check post near the CRPF Chowk. While making the video, the accused alleged that the police were drunk and misbehaved with officials on duty. A case was registered against the accused on the complaint of ASI Bijender Singh.
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What drives a mother to kill her child?
A Bengaluru woman who flung her seven-year-old daughter off the fourth floor of her home , not once but twice, to make sure she died is the latest to join the ranks of moms from hell.
The list includes a Mumbai mom who tried to kill her newborn twice but was cleared by the high court on pleading insanity and a woman arrested in Missouri, USA, last week for killing her teen daughter she met 16 years after giving her up for adoption at birth.
What turns women into killer moms?
Depression, which often leads to emotional stress and mental breakdown, domestic violence, financial stress and lack of family and social support play a major role in mental breakdown.
India: Down and Out Symptoms: Feeling low, social withdrawal, low self-worth, disturbed sleep, changes in appetite (eating too much or too little), fatigue, listlessness, poor concentration, irritability, short temper. If symptoms last for more than two weeks, seek treatment. 4.5% people have a depressive disorder 58 million persons have depression Suicide 10th most common cause of early death Mental problems are the fifth highest non-communicable cause of disability, after heart disease, infections, neonatal disorders and cancers (Source: National Mental Health Survey 2015)
Clinical depression
Undiagnosed clinical depression and social difficulties is often the mitigating factor in such cases. Attendant difficulties of a hard life can often push someone with untreated clinical depression over the edge, said Dr Nimesh Desai, director, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences in Delhi.
In the Bengaluru case, police said the mother, who lived alone with her differently abled daughter after the father abandoned them seven months ago, flung the child down the terrace because she was screaming and wont quiet down.
Ive treated half a dozen cases of women who have killed their children and then tried to commit suicide themselves because they were convinced they were protecting their children from a cruel predicament. Its a mental health issue, not a social and moral one, Desai said.
In cases like this one, psychological autopsy is a must to help define what drove the mother to kill her daughter and if need be, review the murder charge.
Transference of anger
Domestic violence and financial stress may add to parental violence. In extreme cases, a mother may redirect feelings of helplessness, frustration, anger and other negative emotions against her partner, family and society to her child, who becomes a symbol of all thats going wrong in her life.
An atmosphere of intolerance and lack of social support may cause extensive helplessness and drive a woman to desperation where hurting the child becomes the only way for her to vent her frustration and unhappiness, said Dr Achal Bhagat, consultant psychiatrist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.
Postpartum depression
Postpartum disorders can take the form of blues, depression and psychosis, with the symptoms usually beginning in the first weeks of giving birth.
Depression after childbirth, called postpartum depression, affects between 15.3% and 23% in India, with one in six new moms continuing to have symptoms six months after delivery.
In a historic judgment in April, the Bombay high court acquitted a 26-year-old for attempting to kill her newborn twice, before abandoning him near a scrap heap.
She was incapable of realising the nature and consequences of her act She did not know that it was wrong, said the court accepting her counsels insanity plea.
Challenges ahead
Depression affects close to one in 20 persons in India, estimates the World Health Organisation,
, but most of these cases go undiagnosed and untreated, making suicide the tenth biggest cause of early death.
Theres a massive treatment gap for mental health problems, 90% people dont seek help or dont have access to services, said Bhagat.
The associated stigma often keeps people away from seeking treatment. Most people with depression, especially women, learn to mask and play down symptoms out of fear of being labelled mad, moody or difficult, said Desai.
Depression is an illness like any other that can be treated and managed if diagnosed, he said.
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Sixty-five-year-old SP Manchanda has been fighting a long battle for justice since his daughter Nikita allegedly died due to medical negligence during child birth in May 2009.
A resident of north-west Delhi, Manchanda filed a first information report (FIR) at the Saraswati Vihar Police Station claiming negligence by hospital staff. Since then, it has been an uphill task. He has approached every possible department concerned to get the case moving.
It is stuck in the Delhi High Court where the accused doctors went after Medical Council of India pronounced them guilty of negligence. The court stayed the matter saying a similar matter was pending in the Supreme Court on technical grounds and we should wait for the verdict in that case, Manchanda, who lost his wife last year, told HT.
The hope to seek justice for his daughter has somewhat diminished.
Even after all these years of single-mindedly pursuing the case nothing seems to have worked out. Its not easy; you are required to leave everything else and pursue only the case. Also, you need to have strong financial backing as it costs a bomb to fight the case, which is not possible for a common man, especially a working one, he says.
Rising cases
Cases of medical negligence are on the rise because people are becoming more aware about their rights and are raising a voice against suspected malpractice.
Sometimes, mistakes can be fatal. Gross medical negligence is a serious offence and punishable under the law.
When is a doctor responsible? There is damage to organs due to negligence
A wrong course of treatment prescribed because of wrong diagnosis
When the treatment chosen is not the accepted or established medical norm
An instrument is left inside the body or a wrong part is removed
A hospital runs out of essential supplies, such as oxygen cylinders etc
Allopathic treatment is provided by practitioners of alternate medicine
Prescriptions, test reports, discharge summary or receipts are not provided There is damage to organs due to negligenceA wrong course of treatment prescribed because of wrong diagnosisWhen the treatment chosen is not the accepted or established medical normAn instrument is left inside the body or a wrong part is removedA hospital runs out of essential supplies, such as oxygen cylinders etcAllopathic treatment is provided by practitioners of alternate medicinePrescriptions, test reports, discharge summary or receipts are not provided
Complaints of medical negligence have increased by 30%-40% over the past five years and each case takes at least a few years to be investigated, says Dr Girish Tyagi, member, Delhi Medical Council (DMC), which has the mandate to probe medical negligence cases. It gets 20 to 25 complaints every month. Of these, five or six are accepted for review, based on evidence, says Dr Tyagi.
Complaints are on the rise all across India. Bihar Medical Council (BMC) has received 91 complaints since 2010, of which 47 cases are still pending at the hearing stage. Of the 268 cases filed with Andhra Pradesh Medical Council, action has been taken in 38 complaints. In Kerala, situation is better with 225 out of the 267 cases having been acted upon.
Long road ahead
Those who do file a complaint, have years of struggle ahead of them. Less than 10% of doctors charged with the offence are proven guilty.
The complaint is put before an executive committee, and if there is merit, another panel, including experts from the field to which the case relates, looks into the allegation. The second panel collects proof like patient records and scans.
In DMC, once the complaint is submitted, the case is likely to come up for hearing only after two to three years.
If the committee feels that there is a case of negligence it is referred to the disciplinary committee. The disciplinary committee then has a hearing with the complainant, the hospitals and the doctors involved, after which it passes a judgment. This judgment then has to be approved by the general council of all 23 DMC members, Dr Tyagi adds.
Doctors who are proven guilty usually get off lightly, with the punishment ranging from a strict warning to permanent cancellation of license to practice, which has not happened thus far.
A doctor is not negligent when Several methods of treatment are available and the doctor chooses one
The disease is not cured
There is an error in judgment (versus wrong diagnosis) Several methods of treatment are available and the doctor chooses oneThe disease is not curedThere is an error in judgment (versus wrong diagnosis)
In the history of medical negligence cases, the highest compensation of Rs 5.96 crore has been awarded to Dr Kunal Saha in 2013 by the Supreme Court of India, for which he had to fight for close to 15 years.
The US-based Indian-origin doctor had lost his wife to medical negligence by doctors at a Kolkata hospital during their visit to India in 1998.
Institute of Medicine & Laws annual medico legal review held last year reported that Punjab, with 24% of all medical legal cases, was the top litigating state in the field of medical negligence. West Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu follow with 17, 16 and 11% respectively.
Dr. K Senthil, former President, Tamil Nadu Medical Council, said, We get some 20 to 30 cases per year, predominantly relating to alleged negligence by doctors. But in most of the cases, the complaints often disappear when asked for proof. In cases, where there is some element of proof, we do act.
Better regulation
There is an urgent need to regulate Indias pluralistic medical landscape, especially when about 80% of the countrys healthcare delivery system is managed by the private sector.
Experts are of the opinion that regulatory bodies should be held accountable.
It is mostly the state councils that hear cases and the Medical Council of India (MCI) comes into the picture only when the accused challenges the verdict or the state medical council is sitting over a verdict for long, which rarely happens, said an MCI official.
Former MCI chairman, Dr KK Talwar, says, Regulatory bodies have got diluted over the years and it is high time that these are revamped. As the public is becoming more aware, these bodies should be stricter and create a mechanism to build confidence among people.
With the loss of faith in regulatory bodies, people are moving to courts for justice. More than the backlog, it is also the prevalent belief that the investigation wont be impartial because doctors are part of the investigating team and that is driving people away. To avoid that, one should try to have these bodies chaired by some ex-judge, or someone from the social sector or some ex public servant with a social standing, says Dr Talwar.
When to go to a consumer court? Indias Medical Council Act has provisions to take disciplinary action against erring doctors. Consumer courts provide an additional remedy for getting compensated under the Consumer Protection Act.
If a doctor or hospital is not found to be negligent in a criminal case, it does not affect the case under Consumer Protection Act as gross negligence and intent to commit a crime is the parameter in criminal cases. Indias Medical Council Act has provisions to take disciplinary action against erring doctors. Consumer courts provide an additional remedy for getting compensated under the Consumer Protection Act.If a doctor or hospital is not found to be negligent in a criminal case, it does not affect the case under Consumer Protection Act as gross negligence and intent to commit a crime is the parameter in criminal cases.
Councils often tend to get frivolous complaints. Most complaints we receive against doctors are frivolous in nature and have been dismissed by the Bihar Council of Medical Registration (BCMR), says BCMR registrar Dr Sahajanand Prasad Singh.
To strengthen a case, there are certain steps a complainant must follow. The first thing is to collect the in-patient file which will have details of what procedures were done , says Dr Tyagi.
How to avoid negligence
Communication or lack of it plays a crucial role in cases of negligence. There needs to be better communication between the doctor and the relatives of a patient. If we dont tell them about expected complications theyd not understand and confuse complications with negligence, says former MCI chairman Dr SK Sarin.
Dr Sarin also stresses on the need to conduct an exit exam for MBBS doctors. We need to have basic skills test for doctors, to check their clinical acumen. Mentor-mentee relationship can also be promoted so that there is someone supervising the treatment, he says.
Lastly, a doctor should know when to seek help. A doctor must know the limitations of their knowledge and when to call for assistance , says Dr Sarin.
This is Part 3 of a series on what ails Indias public health systems. In Part 1 and Part 2, we looked at Indias public health expenditure and the doctor-patient ratio in the country.
(Inputs from KV Lakshmana in Chennai, Ruchir Kumar in Patna, Ramesh Babu in Thiruvananthapuram and Srinivasa Rao Apparasu in Hyderabad)
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Asked/Answered is a weekly feature for reader-submitted questions. Follow the blog online at www.cumberlink.com.
Does the new ignition interlock device law affect first time DUI offenders who were under the influence of controlled substances?
Yes.
On Friday, a new law that changes the penalties involved with DUI convictions went into effect.
The law aims to make the roads safer by expanding the use of ignition interlock devices for people convicted of a DUI offense.
The law provides more opportunities for people convicted of a DUI to drive on Pennsylvania roadways legally, but does so in a way to prevent them from driving while intoxicated.
Under previous state law, anyone convicted of a DUI where the blood alcohol content was 0.10% or higher, or the defendant was under the influence of controlled substances, was subject to a drivers license suspension or revocation.
Defendants convicted of a second or subsequent offense where the defendants blood alcohol content was 0.08 to 0.099% are also subject to a license suspension.
The new law allows people who have had their license suspended for a DUI conviction or a refusal to submit to a blood test when suspected of DUI to receive a new ignition interlock limited license.
The license would allow the person to drive only vehicles equipped with an ignition interlock device, which checks for the presence alcohol in the drivers system before allowing them to operate the vehicle.
Drivers must have a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device before the license can be granted.
Do ignition interlock systems detect the presence of controlled substances?
No.
Current ignition interlock systems, and field sobriety testing equipment used by law enforcement, are limited to testing for alcohol.
Companies like Draeger, which develops a host of products including ignition interlock systems, has released a field test that is meant to detect the presence of controlled substances in a person.
Unlike the alcohol test, which many call Breathalyzers, the Draeger system uses saliva from a mouth swab.
The system is in limited use in the United States and Europe, but generally has a price tag of several thousand dollars.
With the expansion of legalized marijuana, and growing concerns over drugged driving, companies have begun developing devices that operate more like traditional Breathalyzers.
That technology, however, is still under development.
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Sandra Bullock has donated USD 1 million to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The 53-year-old Oscar-winning actor has pledged the whopping amount to the people who have been affected by tropical storm in Houston, Texas, reported E! News. Im just grateful I can do it. We have to take care of one another, Bullock said in a statement.
The donation by the Gravity star, who owns a house nearby Austin, will benefit the American Red Cross in its ongoing effort to help those impacted by the flooding and destruction along Texas Gulf Coast. Apart from Bullock, Hollywood stars such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Nicki Minaj, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Chris Brown and T I have also contributed money to the relief work.
A Houston native, Beyonce told a local newspaper, My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help. I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St Johns in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can.
Comedian Kevin Hart also launched his own Hurricane Harvey Relief Challenge, calling on fellow stars to doante USD 25,000 to assist Texas residents rendered homeless or without electricity in wake of the natural disaster.
Stars such as Miranda Lambert, Hilary Duff and Eva Longoria took to social media to send love and prayers.
A 24-year-old Indian student has died after he nearly drowned in a swollen lake in the US state of Texas where Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc.
Nikhil Bhatia, a student at the Texas A&M University, was rescued from the Lake Bryan, where he and an Indian girl, Shalini Singh, had gone swimming, on Saturday.
Bhatia succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday while Singh continues to be in a critical condition, according to the Consulate officials, who were in regular touch with the family members in hospital and in India.
Bhatia, originally from Jaipur, along with his friend Singh, 25, from New Delhi, was pursuing Master in Public health were both brought to the local hospital in a critical condition.
According to their friends and some witnesses, the two were swimming in the lake. A sudden current of water pushed them deeper and the students noticed that they were in distress and flagged down nearby police officers.
Bryan Police officers were able to rescue and provide CPR to the victims until medics arrived, according to Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson.
It wasnt immediately clear why they were swimming during severe weather.
Consul General of India in Houston has been monitoring their medical needs and situation closely. According to the consulate office, Bhatias mother Dr Suman Bhatia has already arrived and was assisted by consulate office amidst devastating flood situations here after receiving her at Dalals airport.
Around 13 million people were battling catastrophic flooding and torrential rains in the storm-ravaged Texas where Hurricane Harvey has wreaked havoc, turning streets into raging rivers and claiming at least nine lives.
Meteorologists have forecast that the historic rainfall will dump up to 50 inches by Thursday.
Heavy rain bands were expected to move in over the Houston area overnight, which will continue the catastrophic and life-threatening flash-flood emergency in the area.
At least 200 Indian students stranded at the University of Houston due to the flooding after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas were being evacuated to safer places, authorities have said.
The students were being provided food and other supplies by the Indian-American community in the area.
Indias Consul-General in Houston Anupam Ray has been in touch with the students and monitoring the evacuation process.
Hundreds of Indian students, who were stranded in their homes and ran out of food, are being helped by the consulate.
Ray said members of the Indian graduate students organisations had reached out to him through Facebook last night. Despite all roads being inundated with water and closed for traffic, Ray personally went to the apartment complex where more than 250 Indian students were stranded.
According to local community leaders, at least 100,000 of Indian-Americans live in and around Houston area have been badly hit by the hurricane.
Aviation services provider Bird Group on Wednesday said it is interested in buying state-owned carrier Air Indias ground-handling subsidiary AIATSL, making it the second company to formally show interest in bidding for a part of the ailing airline.
Bird Group, which handles ground services at seven airports in India and operates hotels in the United Kingdom, has expressed interest to the civil aviation ministry to bid for Air India Air Transport Services Ltd, it said in a statement.
The Union cabinet in June approved plans to privatise Air India after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep the debt-laden carrier afloat.
A ministerial panel, headed by finance minister Arun Jaitley, has been appointed to look after the sale process of the flagship carrier, which has six subsidiaries three of which are struggling to turn a profit with assets worth about $4.6 billion.
Bird Group, which also operates car dealerships, has requested for a separate disinvestment of the Air India subsidiaries in order to unlock value, a spokesperson said in the statement.
The carrier could be sold in parts to make it attractive to potential buyers, government officials told Reuters last month.
Last month, InterGlobe Aviations IndiGo, the countrys largest airline which flies four of every 10 passengers, said it was keen to buy Air Indias international arm and low-cost division Air India Express.
Founded in the 1930s and known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot, Air India is saddled with a debt burden of $8.5 billion and a bloated cost structure. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.
Air India has several subsidiaries including Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL), Air India Charters Limited, IAL Airport Services Limited, Airline Allied Services Limited and Air India Engineering Services Limited.
Once the nations largest carrier, its share of the booming domestic market has slumped to 13 percent as private carriers such as IndiGo and Jet Airways have expanded.
(with PTI inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be out of India from September 3 for four days, was expected to reshuffle his council of ministers soon, sources said.
Modi leaves for China for a Brics summit in the port city of Xiamen from September 3-5 and will be in Myanmar for a day before returning home on September 7.
Given that the Shradh, or Pitru Paksh, considered an inauspicious period, will run from September 6 to 19, sources said it was possible that the much-awaited exercise was carried out before Modi leaves for China.
He, however, has given no indication to government or party colleagues about the timing of the third ministerial reshuffle.
Modi last expanded his team in July 2016 when he inducted 19 new faces, dropped five and promoted Prakash Javadekar to the cabinet rank. He also demoted two ministers of state by divesting them of their independent charge.
Cabinet vacancies and the return of the Janata Dal (United) to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold have necessitated a reshuffle.
Last week, rail minister Suresh Prabhu offered to resign following back-back to derailments -- at least 20 people were killed when Kalinga Utkal Express crash -- but was told by Modi to wait.
Venkaiah Naidu quit the cabinet in July to successfully contest the vice-presidential election. His urban development portfolio was given to rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar as additional charge and information and broadcasting ministry was assigned to textiles minister Smriti Irani.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley is also holding additional charge of defence after Manohar Parrikar moved to Goa as the chief minister.
Science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan has been doubling up as the environment and forests minister after the death of Anil Dave.
Two JD(U) members are expected to find a place in Modis team. While AIADMK is said to be keen to join the NDA, sources said a final call would be taken only after Tamil Nadus ruling party, riven by factional fights, puts its house in order.
BJP chief Amit Shah last week met Union ministers Birender Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Upendra Kushwaha separately, triggering speculation that the ruling party chief was consulting those whose fate could be decided in the reshuffle.
BJP sources, however, denied it, saying the PM was yet to speak on the issue.
The Opposition launched an attack on the BJP-led NDA government after a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report revealed on Wednesday that almost 99% of 1,000 and 500 notes that were banned after demonetisation had returned to the banking system.
99% notes legally exchanged! Was demonetisation a scheme designed to convert black money into white? asked former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram.
In a series of tweets, he said, Rs 16000 cr out of demonetised notes of Rs 1544,000 cr did not come back to RBI. That is 1%. Shame on RBI which recommended demonetisation. RBI gained Rs 16000 crore, but lost Rs 21000 crore in printing new notes! The economists deserve Nobel Prize.
99% notes legally exchanged! Was demonetisation a scheme designed to convert black money into white? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 30, 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in a surprise move banned 500 and 1,000 notes on November 8 last year in an attempt to weed out black money.
His predecessor Manmohan Singh had termed the drive a monumental mismanagement and a case of organised loot and legalised plunder.
The Opposition had made the hardships faced by people post note ban one of its key planks in the February-March assembly elections. However, the strategy failed to hamper BJPs prospects as it registered decisive wins in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and also went on to form the governments in Goa and Manipur.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley had told the Parliament earlier this month that note ban had squeezed terror funding in the Valley and Chhattisgarh.
Jaitley said the number of stone-pelters in Kashmir had gone down post-demonetisation. In 2008, 2010 and 2016 after Burhan Wanis killing, we saw thousands of stone pelters on streets. In last few months, there have not been more than 25-50 or 100 stone pelters, he had said.
But the Opposition targeted Jaitleys claims after the RBI report came out . Boasts of black money, terror & counterfeit currency ending, have all fallen flat, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
Despite RBIs delays truth is out. 99.9% of the notes back in the banking system. 100s died in queues. The poor suffered the most. All this for what? Lives & livelihoods lost... India can never forgive Modi govt for this anti-national act, he tweeted.
The Samajwadi Party demanded an apology from the Prime Minister and the finance minister for playing a cruel joke on the people. Hundreds of people died in queues. It demonstrated the failure of our primary institution. One cannot push the economy down for their political goals, said SPs Ghanshyam Tiwari.
A special court today directed the CBI to hand over certain documents to Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and others in connection with a nearly Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against him.
Special judge Virender Kumar Goyal passed the directions after the CBI submitted that the documents could not be handed over to the accused persons as per directions of the court, since the investigating officer was busy in some other case.
Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others had earlier told the court that they have not received various documents filed along with the charge sheet.
The court today also sought the agencys response on the pleas moved by the couple, who have not been arrested so far, seeking exemption from personal appearance.
The court put up the matter for further hearing on October 31.
Besides the couple, who were present before the court during the days proceedings, the other accused in the case include Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia.
The court had granted them bail on May 29 after they appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against them by the court.
The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case related to the matter and is currently in judicial custody.
The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.
The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having the statements of around 225 witnesses and containing 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.
Chauhan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the disproportionate assets case.
The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi high court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.
On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singhs plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but simply transferring the petition in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday rejected Oppositions calls for his resignation in the wake of the Dera Sacha Sauda violence, saying his government reacted befittingly to the situation.
We acted with restraint to execute the courts orders and we succeeded in achieving our objective, Khattar said after meeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah here.
Honeypreet Insan appealed CBI Court that she be allowed in Court & also inside jail as helper but jail authorities didn't allow: Haryana CM pic.twitter.com/3sg6L6RTpL ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2017
On the demands for his resignation from the chief ministers post, Khattar said: It doesnt matter what they say, but we are satisfied with our actions. Whatever we did was right. Now there is peace in Haryana.
Khattar also gave a report to Shah on violence that erupted on August 25 after a CBI court in Panchkula convicted self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape and criminal intimidation. At least 38 people were killed and more than 250 injured in the violence that spread to other parts of Haryana besides Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.
The Khattar government drew flak from all quarters for mishandling the situation and allegedly giving a long rope to Dera followers who gathered in Panchkula in their thousands.
Former judge of the Supreme Court Justice RV Raveendran on Wednesday declined the apex courts directive to oversee the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Hadiya Jehan case.
The girl hailing from Kochi had converted to Islam to marry a Muslim youth but Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage citing various reasons. Later, the Supreme Court refused to stay the HC verdict and asked the NIA to probe circumstances that led to her conversion and subsequent marriage.
Initially, the Supreme Court had suggested the name of Justice KS Radhakrishnan to oversee the NIA probe but later petitioners lawyers said it would be ideal to appoint a judge not belonging to Kerala. So the two-judge bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and DY Chandrachud zeroed in on Justice Raveendran.
It is a matter between myself and court. I dont want to get into details, Justice Raveendran said, confirming he has politely turned down the request. Now the Supreme Court will have to appoint another judge to oversee the probe into the sensational case.
After conversion, Akhila Ashokan alias Hadiya, a homeopathy doctor, had married a Muslim youth Shefin Jehan in December 2016. But her father had approached the high court saying his daughter was indoctrinated and forcibly converted. He also claimed that she would be sent to Afghanistan or Syria like the 21 people missing from the state. The high court had annulled their marriage saying it was a sham.
The Congress on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deaths of children in hospitals across the country including in Gorakhpur, and accused his government of having no value for life. It said Modi wants to take forward the Gujarat pattern of deaths - hinting at the 2002 riots.
The party also hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded his resignation over the rising deaths of children at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur, saying Yogi is turning the state into Rogi (ailing).
BJP is trying to prove that there is no value for life in democracy. There is only value for bahumat (majority) and lokpriyata (to become popular) and later forget the people. This is true for Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Jaipur, where children have died. But the chief ministers in these states are being protected, said Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar.
Modiji wants to bring the Gujarat model in the country. He wants to prove it right..There is no value for 200, 300, or 500 deaths, when even after 2,000 deaths (2002 Gujarat riots) the government can stay..and also run the government. Probably, he wants to take forward the pattern in the country, he added.
Whether it is Vyapam or Haryana Chief Minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) or Rajasthan, these things have gone on, he also said.
Babbar pointed out that earlier 60-70 children died in three days in Gorakhpur medical college, now again 150 children have died.
At BRD Hospital children are not given treatment and the doctors are trying to protect the guilty. They are trying to cover up the deaths of children. This government did not learn any lesson from the earlier deaths, said Babbar.
Modi government spoke about New India. I think in this New India there is no value for life, he added.
Babbar also hit out at Adityanath for his remarks - hope it doesnt happen within two years that the government would take care of all the newborn brought to the hospitals.
What can be more abominable remarks than this..when you hear such words from a chief minister. Is he the CM of a state? Is this the remark of a CM? he asked.
Another Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said he hasnt heard such irresponsible and inhumane words from anybody else referring to the Chief Ministers remarks.
It is the duty and responsibility of the government to give treatment to the children. We condemn such remarks.
Asked about CMs resignation, the party said they had demanded it earlier but added in a sarcastic note that there is no tradition of resignations in BJP.
There is no tradition of resignation in BJP. Had it been so, it should have come after Vyapam, PDS scam in Chhattisgarh, Haryana. They are now saying in Haryana the High Court judge was responsible for the violence and not the government. There is no democracy, there is only dictatorship, said Tiwari.
The government has decided to appoint transaction advisers for Air India disinvestment, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday after a ministerial group met to discuss various aspects of the stake sale.
The group, headed by Jaitley, held deliberations for nearly an hour here.
Today we discussed several issues. We have decided to appoint transaction advisers, he told reporters.
Apart from Jaitley, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Power Minister Piyush Goyal as well as senior officials were present at the meeting.
Air Indias interim CMD Rajiv Bansal and senior officials from the airline as well as the civil aviation ministry were present.
These decisions are to be taken expeditiously but in their normal course, Jaitley said earlier in the day in response to a query about the Air India stake sale process.
On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had given its in-principle for strategic disinvestment of Air India and five of its subsidiaries.
Subsequently, an Air India-specific Alternative Mechanism was set up to guide the process.
The ministerial group is looking into treatment of Air Indias unsustainable debt, hiving off of certain assets to a shell company, demerger and strategic disinvestment of three profit-making subsidiaries, among other aspects.
At least two parties -- IndiGo and Bird Group -- have formally evinced interest in Air India disinvestment and have written to the civil aviation ministry in this regard.
Air India is staying afloat on taxpayers money and the airline has a debt of more than Rs 50,000 crore.
For many people in Pennsylvania, contact with a magisterial district judge is likely the only interaction with the judiciary they will ever have.
The Haryana government in Haryana on Tuesday banned the sale and purchase of meat and meat products in Thanesar and Pehowa municipality areas and also declared Kurukshetra as a holy city.
The state government has notified to prohibit the sale and purchase of meat and meat products in Thanesar and Pehowa municipality areas completely.
Urban local bodies minister Kavita Jain said the chief minister Khattar approved the proposal to this effect and a notification in this regard has been issued. She said that in 1971, municipal council, Thanesar had approved a proposal to impose a complete ban on sale of liquor and meat.
Later in 1982, 2009 and then in 2011, proposals were passed to prohibit sale of liquor and meat, she added. The minister said that in 2014, action was taken against two hotels in Thanesar, which were found selling meat. She said that now the ban on sale of meat will be implemented strictly in Thanesar and Pehowa.
Govt sets up NBFC
Haryana government has decided to establish, Haryana State Financial Services Limited, a non-banking financial company (NBFC) for management of surplus funds. The state chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved a proposal in this regard, an official spokesperson said. The company will be established as a limited company under the Companies Act and will be registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a non-banking finance company.
The authorised capital of the company will be Rs 10 crore and the paid up capital Rs 1 crore in the first instance. The entire equity of the company will be held by the state government. The finance department will be the administrative department of the corporation.
The initial requirement of funds for establishing the company and for the salary of the core team would be approximately Rs 2 crore and this may be met through one time grant from the state exchequer.
Subsequently, the company would be self sustaining and meet all its financial requirements from the spread earned from investment and management of surplus funds of state public enterprises.
A whistle-blower employee of Air India got relief after more than two years of legal battle when the Kerala High Court cancelled his transfer on Wednesday.
LS Sibu, who worked as the officer-apron in the ground handling department of Air India at Thiruvananthapuram and was also the then regional secretary of the Aviation Industry Employees Guild, was transferred to Hyderabad in 2015.
A sexual harassment case was also registered against him.
He approached the high court saying he was being victimised and framed after he brought to the notice of higher ups the transfer of the lucrative ground handling business, carried out by Air India and Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL) at the Trivandrum airport, to private joint venture AISATS.
In the judgement order on Wednesday, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque said after perusing the entire records it was seen that the AISATS raised a complaint against the petitioner.
As the facts disclosed, the petitioner has been transferred from Thiruvananthapuram as he has become irksome to others. Therefore, this matter, which requires inquiry through the disciplinary proceedings and what cannot be achieved directly, cannot be achieved indirectly by issuing order of transfer by way of penalty.
In view of the above finding, I am of the view that without going to the other issues raised, the transfer order has to be set aside, added the judge.
The arrest of Inspector General of Police Zahur Zaidi and seven other policemen for the custodial death of a man accused of being involved in the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Kotkhai has stirred a political storm in the poll-bound state with opposition parties hitting government gunning for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the cops for the custodial death of Suraj, political parties in the hill state charged chief minister Virbhadra Singh, himself an accused in a disproportionate assets case, and his government with shielding anti-social elements.
Both the right-wing and left-wing parties attacked Virbhadra for indulging in corruption and shielding anti-social elements. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti urged the Centre to sack the Virbhadra government. We have been suspicious about the shoddy probe. The CBI has shown how the government bent backwards to shield the real culprit, said Satti.
He reminded that the chief minister holds the home portfolio and should take responsibility for the botched-up investigation. The BJP has been running a statewide Mafia hatao, pradesh bachao (Oust mafia, save Himachal) campaign against the ruling party for the last three months now. The party has staged more than 100 rallies at the district as well as block headquarters accusing the CM of patronising criminals.
The saffron party, which has 29 seats in the 68-member house, is making a concerted bid to regain power in the hill state. The six-time CM Virbhadra Singh, meanwhile, is embroiled in a disproportionate assets case besides facing factionalism within his own party.
Sources say he is now putting pressure on the Congress high command to give him a free hand in the assembly polls. He is also demanding the removal of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, considered close to AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi ahead of assembly polls. Singh, insiders say, has told the high command that it was difficult to lead the party under present circumstances.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) has accused the ruling party of sheltering criminals involved in this crime. Former MLA and CPM leader Rakesh Singha alleged that anti-social elements have penetrated the political hierarchy in the state. He also blamed the government for the shoddy probe into the Gudiya rape case. The arrest of such a senior police officer demonstrates that those responsible for protecting the Constitution committed a crime, he said. Organs of the state -- civil as well as police administration -- are being politicised and protection is being given to anti-social elements, he said.
The CM has time and again commended the role of cops posted in the Kotkhai police station, he said. Such a statement is only given under two circumstances, either he is immature or guilty, Singha alleged, adding, It seems the CM is trying to cover up his guilt, that is why he posted the pictures of some youth on his FB account.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a protest outside the police headquarters in Shimla today. Left unions have been asking the government to sack the Director General of Police (DGP).
The botched-up police probe led to CBI investigations into the Kotkhai rape case.
India on Wednesday announced an extensive restructuring of its army, an exercise that will see 57,000 soldiers being redeployed in combat roles to sharpen the forces fighting edge.
Announcing the governments decision to usher in the much-needed reforms, defence minister Arun Jaitley told media after a cabinet meeting the far-reaching revamp was aimed at improving armys tooth-to-tail ratio -- the number of personnel (tail) required to support a combat soldier (tooth).
Implementation has begun with the decision of the cabinet committee on security to close 39 military farms in a time bound manner, a defence ministry spokesperson said.
The restructuring would be completed by December 2019. The army has around 40,525 officers and 1.15 million other ranks.
The defence ministry dubbed the overhaul the first such exercise in Independent Indias military history.
The restructuring effort will involve the shutting down of all military farms and army postal units in peace stations and a revamp of different wings including logistics, communications establishments, repair facilities, ordnance depots and other administrative and support areas.
The exercise follows recommendations made by an 11-member expert panel, headed by lieutenant general DB Shekatkar (retd), on enhancing the armys combat potential and trimming its revenue expenditure.
The committee had listed out measures to bring down the budget for meeting day-to-day expenses and making more money available for weapons and equipment.
The ministry is implementing the first batch of 65 of the 99 Shekatkar panel recommendations approved by the government.
The remaining 34 relate to the air force, navy and some tri-service issues. The suggestions are being implemented nine months after the committee submitted its report.
Asked if the restructuring was being undertaken factoring in the recent Doklam standoff with China, Jaitley said, This is not specific to any incident. It had been going on much prior to Doklam.
Indian and Chinese soldiers were locked in a standoff for more than two months in the Doklam plateau that is claimed by both Bhutan and China and borders Sikkim on the Indian side. The longest border impasse between the two countries in more than two decades ended Monday.
Talking to HT from Pune, Shekatkar hailed the revamp, saying it would boost the armys combat potential, capability and endurance.
This is perhaps the first time a committees recommendations on military restructuring have been implemented, he said.
The panel made 188 suggestions of which 99 were accepted by the ministry in March. Shekatkar expressed hope that the remaining would also be implemented as they too were very significant.
Those recommendations relate to the Military Engineer Services, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Directorate General of Defence Estates, the Ordnance Factory Board and defence accounts. Shekatkar said a large chunk of money was being spent on these organisations.
The restructuring would be done in a manner that soldiers will be used for improving operational preparedness and civilians will be redeployed in different wings of the armed forces for improving efficiency, the defence spokesperson said.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed to allow the Hindon Air Force Station to be used for regional flights during winters to back up the congested Delhi Airport, aviation secretary RN Chaubey said on Wednesday at an aviation conference.
The air force station is located in Ghaziabad and will soon host a civilian enclave, Chaubey said adding that talks were on with GMR Infrastructure Ltd-controlled Delhi Airport to seek approval.
No airport is allowed operations within 150km of Delhi airport, according to a privatisation contract. Chaubey said he was hopeful GMR will agree. We have had conversations with them, he said.
The ministry is not looking at opening the old Hyderabad airport and the HAL airport in Bangalore as the new airports there are not congested.
The ministry, Chaubey said, would act on requests from airlines if they want to use a defence air field and the matter would be taken up with the defence ministry.
Air Force Station Hindon, located near Delhi, is a single runway base and is home to Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft that forms the backbone of the heavy air lift division of the Indian Air Force. Google maps show 5 Globemasters stationed at the base together with four turboprop planes and one helicopter.
The C-17 is capable of strategic delivery of up to 170,900 pounds of personnel and/or equipment to main operating bases or forward operating locations especially on short runways like those in Ladakh, near the Chinese border.
There are major airports like Pune and Goa, which have civilian flights. They coexist, said Deba Mohanty, head of New Delhi-based Indike Analytics, a research firm on defence and strategic affairs.
Chaubey said no new slots would be given at Mumbai airport in the winter season as it was already congested for the second round of UDAN, the governments flagship regional flying scheme.
UDAN or Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, which loosely translates to let the common man fly, proposes that at least half the seats on every flight should have a fare cap of Rs2,500 per seat per hour of flying.
Five airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and Air Deccan, were allotted 128 routes to fly in the first round by March, but only 16 routes have been operationalised so far.
The civil aviation ministry last week said it had relaxed the norms for UDAN to allow for greater connectivity.
The relaxations include dilution of the exclusivity clause mandating that only one airline can fly on one route in the initial years. The norms that restricted two airports in close proximity from participating in the bidding have also been relaxed.
IndiGo has announced it plans to buy 50 ATR planes, while SpiceJet has also signed a letter of intent to buy 50 Bombardier Q400 regional planes.
Air India and SpiceJet have the biggest fleet of regional planes under this scheme. Jet Airways too flies on regional routes but did not participate in the first auction round for UDAN routes.
Pakistani troops on Wednesday targeted forward posts and villages in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides was going on when last reports came in.
Officials said the firing by Pakistani troops from across the border was reported in Nowshehra sector of the district around 10.35 am.
There was no immediate report of any casualty.
Nowshera along with other sectors in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch have witnessed sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistani Army this year.
Several thousand border residents of Nowshera sector are living in government set-up relief camps at safer places since July after being displaced by cross-border shelling.
On August 27, five persons were injured when Pakistani troops opened firing in Shahpur sector of Poonch district.
Till August 1, there have been 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army while in 2016, the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year, according to Army figures
.
The Rajasthan high court on Wednesday ordered the collector of Jodhpur to include a senior judicial magistrate in the inquiry committee to probe the spat between two senior doctors at the state-run Umaid Hospital during a surgery on a woman and submit a report by September 4.
The high court took a suo motto cognizance of the incident and sought a report on the issue.
The court summoned Jodhpur district collector Dr Ravi Kumar Surpur, who informed it about a probe ordered by the state government under his supervision.
The high court ordered the collector to include the Jodhpur metropolitan chief judicial magistrate as another member of the committee so that the inquiry includes both the administrative as well judicial officer.
The committee has additional district magistrate Manaram Patel, additional principal of Dr SN Medical College Dr Rita Meena, and Umaid Hospital superintendent Dr Ranjana Desai as members.
It also appointed senior advocate MS Singhvi as amicus curiae in the case to assist the court in forming guidelines so that such episodes are not repeated.
The video, shot by nursing staff and accessed through hospital sources, showed assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology Dr Ashok Nanival who is seen operating on a patient arguing with professor of anaesthesia Dr Mathura Lal Tak using filthy language.
The video purportedly showed the two doctors shouting at each other, warning them to keep their language in check and sparring over what appears to be an ego clash.
The hospital removed the two doctors and also ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The division bench of justice Gopal Krishna Vyas and justice Manoj Kumar Garg earlier sought a factual report on the incident video of which has been circulating on the social media since Tuesday evening from the secretary of Rajasthan Legal Services Authority.
The RLSA secretary in his report told the bench the woman on the operating table when the purported video was shot was Naseem Bano, who delivered a healthy baby girl. Another woman, Anita, was also in the operation theatre for a C-Section and her newborn, also a girl, died after birth.
The court asked the secretary if the newborns death was due to the verbal spat between doctors. The secretary said that was a subject of a detailed enquiry.
One of the doctors in the video, Dr Ashok Nanival, appeared before the court as it was hearing the factual report by RLSA secretary. The HC asked the doctor to appear before the inquiry panel to present his side of the argument.
The chief ministers of BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have dug in their heels in the face of mounting criticism of their handling of recent crises in their states. Manohar Lal Khattar and Yogi Adityanath remain unfazed in the face of loud calls from the opposition parties for their resignation.
Khattar on Wednesday ruled out his resignation, saying his government had tackled the Dera Sacha Sauda violence with restraint, and he was satisfied. He made this remark after submitting a report on the incident to BJP chief Amit Shah in Delhi.
In Lucknow, Adityanath, whose administration has been blamed for negligence in the death of 60 kids in a government hospital that ran out of oxygen supply because suppliers were not paid on time, said people had developed a habit of blaming the government for everything. He was speaking in the context of the stray cattle menace while addressing an event on Startup India. If there are stray animals, it is not the governments duty to catch it and feed it, he said.
In the same vein, he remarked that the day was not far when parents will start leaving their children above two years of age with the government and ask the government to feed them. Adityanaths statement comes a day after villagers in Lakhimpur Kheri had herded stray cattle into a school compound and locked it up. They were agitated over animals damaging their crops.
Defending his governments action in the run-up to the sentencing of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Khattar told mediapersons in Delhi there was no question of his resigning on the issue.
Anybody can say anything... We are satisfied with our work. Whatever we did was right. There will be no change. We acted with restraint. We achieved our aim, Khattar said.
Thirty-six people were killed in police firing after thousands of supporters went on a rampage following his conviction by a CBI court on rape charges. Khattar said that had something happened ahead of Ram Rahims appearance before the court, he might have used that as a pretext for not showing up.
As for the Deras support to the BJP, the CM countered, There is never a condition for such support that somebody breaks the law. Nobody is above the law.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) brought Himachal Pradesh inspector general of police Zahur Zaidi and seven other policemen to New Delhi for further questioning on Wednesday, a day after their arrest in connection with the custodial death of a Nepalese man, a suspect in the rape and murder of a minor school girl in Shimla.
The CBI arrested Zaidi, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Joshi, Kotkhai police station in-charge Rajinder Singh, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Deep Chand Sharma, head constables Surat Singh, Mohan Lal, Rafiq Ali, and constable Ranjit Singh.
Zaidi was leading the special investigation team looking into the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in the Kotkhai area of Shimla in early July before the CBI took over the probe into the crime that shook the hill state and saw violent protests.
Sources in the CBI told the Hindustan Times the agency will move an application in the court for a polygraph test of the accused, especially Zaidi.
The agency, which has questioned more than 100 people, has not said anything about the role of the policemen in the death of the 29-year-old labourer, whose wife accused the police of framing her husband.
The central agency demanded additional vehicles on Tuesday evening from the state to transport all the accused, including Zaidi. The accused were produced in the CBI special court in Shimla and remanded to custody till September 4. They were also taken to the Indira Gandhi Medical College for medical examination and declared fit.
These policemen will be deemed suspended 48 hours after the arrest.
Initially, DSP Joshi was asked to investigate the Kotkhai case following which then Shimla superintendent of police DW Negi was sent to the spot on July 7, a day after the naked body of the girl was found in the forests near Halaila village.
The police constituted an SIT on July 9 after they were unable to make any headway in the case. On July 13, the SIT arrested six menAshish Chauhan (29), Rajender Singh (32), Subhash Singh Bisht (42), Deepak alias Deepu (29) Suraj Singh (29) and Lok Jung (19).
The photos of some of the men purportedly involved in the case went viral a day before their arrest. These pictures were even uploaded on chief minister Virbhadra Singhs Facebook account but later removed.
Locals, who accused the police of botching investigations and said police had not arrested the real accused, staged a violent protest at Theog demanding a CBI probe and accusing the SIT of shielding the real culprits. Alarmed by the situation, the state government recommended a CBI probe on the same day.
The case took another turn on July 18, when Suraj, one of the accused, was found murdered inside the Kotkhai police station. The police claimed he died in a scuffle with another accused Rajender Singh. Infuriated people torched the Kotkhai police station and the Himachal Pradesh high court handed over the probe of both the cases to the CBI.
On July 22, the CBI registered two FIRs, one under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the case, and the other under Section 302 for the custodial death.
After sentry Dinesh Kumar turned an approver, the CBI recorded the statements of all the SIT members. Some of the members, however, did not cooperate during the investigations.
Sources said they told the CBI that the high court asked them to file an affidavit so they would depose before the probe agency only after that. The CBI counsel then moved a separate application.
Barring ASP Bhajan Dev Negi and DSP RS Negi, all the other members of the SIT have been arrested by the CBI.
They are likely to be charged under Section 302, 201 and 120 B of the IPC, but no official confirmation is available so far.
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After weeks of behind-the-scene negotiations and shrill rhetoric from Beijing, India and China on Monday resolved the Doklam standoff, the longest border impasse between the two countries in two decades.
The way the row began, worsened and subsequently ended tested the mechanism put in place for managing border disputes between two Asian neighbours, who share a 3,800-km mountainous frontier that remains undemarcated in most places.
Doklam sets a new normal to the uneasy and troubled India-China bilateral ties. It is a stand-alone case since it has also involved a third country, Bhutan, strategic affairs expert Uday Bhaskar said. The border issue was still unresolved, he said.
New Delhi said the two sides had diplomatic exchanges in recent weeks over the situation on the Doklam plateau in the eastern Himalayas that allowed them to express our views and convey our concerns and interests.
The two countries did manage to defuse the situation that had the potential to trigger a military flare-up but they need to hit the refresh button on border issues to avoid another Doklam.
Doklam is a territorial dispute between China and Bhutan but the sparsely inhabited plateau also borders Indias Siliguri corridor, the narrow strip of land that connects the mainland to the northeast.
In line with an understanding with Bhutan, the Indian Army went into the Bhutanese territory to stop the Chinese from building a road that New Delhi said would have serious implications for Indias security.
India also said Chinas move was against an understanding the two sides had reached in 2012 that said any change in the status quo would need the consent of the third country, which in this case was Bhutan.
The Chinese, India said, had violated the 1993 pact on border peace and tranquillity.
As the two sides defended their positions, two things stood out.
China was unwilling to go by the 2012 understanding and chose to cite an 1890 treaty it signed with British India in a departure from the past.
The Peoples Republic of China, when it launched a series of border negotations, maintained a distinct distaste for colonial era boundary-making. Tri-junctions were never a flashpoint Doklam was a first but wont be the last.
The two countries are keen to expand their sphere of influence in the region.
China is flexing its muscle on the strength of its economic might. Though India has stayed away from his ambitious One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping has won over South Asian neighbours Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The US and Japan, who share a thorny relationship with China, too, sent senior representatives to the Belt and Road conference in May that India boycotted.
With China and India, the worlds economic growth engines and emerging powers, vying for a larger play on the global stage, such frictions are bound to rise.
The decade-old building on the convergences while narrowing the differences approach will be under stress.
Delhi and Beijing will have to begin the Sisyphean climb again -- with Doklam as the benchmark, Bhaskar said.
Frequent exchanges between top leaders should help. The proposals for a hotline between the two prime ministers could also get a look in.
Improved economic ties would force both sides to be more pragmatic on territorial disputes. But a section of strategic experts believe that China would continue to be aggressive.
The two countries have sufficient border mechanisms in place. The problem is that one side is seeking to quietly and repeatedly change the territorial status quo through encroachment, said Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs expert and a keen China watcher.
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The prospect of free chicken dinners for a year brought about 40 people out to the new Chick-fil-A at the corner of South Hanover Street and Noble Boulevard in Carlisle long before noon on Wednesday.
The restaurant officially opens Thursday at 6 a.m., but the campers hoped to be one of 100 adults who would receive one free meal a week as part of the grand opening celebration for the restaurant.
The goal is to really invite the local community out to spend some time getting ready, said operator Chuck Steppe.
The giveaway is a Chick-fil-A tradition that goes back more than 13 years and has resulted in more than $31 million worth of meals being given away.
People really start to show up for the campout after work, but getting to the restaurant early is the key, Steppe said. He added that he had talked to several people at an event earlier in the week who were trying to figure out how to take off work for the camping.
Behrooz Ahadi of Carlisle didnt have to take off work. The retiree lives only a few streets away from the new restaurant, and arrived at 4 a.m. as part of a group of four people who claimed the first spots in line.
The strange part is that hes never had a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
We didnt want to miss it. This is our first time for Chick-fil-A, Ahadi said.
The campers have passed the time talking to each other, using the Internet, and playing games, he said.
The campers are also getting meals from Chick-fil-A throughout the day. The breakfast gained high marks from Keith Flynn of Newville, a first-time camper who said he came for the free food and the experience.
Im the kind of guy who would go out on Black Friday and not buy anything, he said.
Music, games and food are part of the camping experience as is the chance to serve the community. Steppe said the campers will help to pack 10,000 meals in partnership with Feeding Children Everywhere, an organization that provides healthy meals for people in need. The meals will then be donated to Project SHARE.
In addition, Steppe is hosting a childrens book drive to benefit Bosler Memorial Library. New and gently used books can be dropped off on Thursday and Friday. Donated books will also be placed in a book house on the front counter of the store.
The book house is donated by the Chick-fil-A Foundation and made by men at A Better Life Ministries, a Georgia-based ministry for men dealing with addictions. The book house, as well as the centerpiece table in the restaurant, were made using reclaimed salvage materials.
These project reflect the restaurants commitment to non-profits, community organizations and schools.
One of the staples of Chick-fil-A is were not just in the community, were a part of the community, Steppe said.
As an operator, Steppe said it was important for him to be in a smaller community, and Carlisle presented a great match since his wifes family is from York County.
Were excited to be here, Steppe said. We moved to Carlisle, and have been up here since June. It seems like such a short time, but weve fallen in love with the community and the area and are just excited to call this place home.
Posted earlier on Cumberlink:
A line of nearly 40 people has formed at the Chick-fil-A at the corner of South Hanover Street and Noble Boulevard in Carlisle Wednesday.
The camp out has begun st the new @ChickfilA in #CarlislePA. There's still room if you want to camp for free chicken. pic.twitter.com/6ugQngmrjN TammieGitt (@TammieGitt) August 30, 2017
The new location is expected to open Thursday morning.
The restaurant is participating in the First 100 Campout. The camp out awards 100 participants one free Chick-fil-A sandwich meal per week for a year. The camp out is limited to eligible ZIP codes in the area, and residents must prove their residency with an acceptable document, such as drivers license, voter registration card, recent magazine issue and more.
Chick-fil-A will be the third restaurant to open in the area of the former Tractor Supply Company location at Carlisle Commons. Five Guys opened in April, and Firehouse Subs opened in May.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to release a request for information in the next two months to build single-engine fighter planes that would help scale up its combat capabilities, sources tracking the programme said.
The warplanes will be built by an Indian firm in collaboration with a foreign defence contractor under the defence ministrys strategic partnership model, which seeks to bring in high-end military technology for manufacturing cutting-edge defence equipment.
A request for information is a standard business process aimed at collecting written information on the capabilities of various suppliers.
US defence contractor Lockheed Martin and Swedish aerospace firm Saab are exploring opportunities to build F-16s and Gripen fighters in India under the project. While Lockheed has proposed to build the latest variant of its fighter the F-16 Block 70 in India, Saab has made a similar offer for its Gripen E model. Both firms claim that their upgraded variants come with advanced radars, superior avionics, new weapons, improved situational awareness for pilots, better operational capabilities and low cost per flying hour. They are currently in discussions with the IAF to understand its requirements.
The discussions we have had so far point to an IAF requirement for around 100 single-engine fighters. But we will also be looking at building hundreds more for other global F-16 customers, said Abhay Paranjape, Lockheeds executive director for international business development.
Saab has also made several presentations to the IAF on the Gripen E variant.
The IAF is also working on plans to build twin-engine fighters in the country, considering that the 36 Rafale jets on order may not meet all its requirements. International aerospace firms from America, Europe and Russia are likely to compete for the project. The IAF is also making a case for buying 36 additional Rafales.
The Trump administration is fully backing US military contractors in their quest to set up production lines for single and twin-engine fighter jets in India. These proposals (for F-16 Block 70 fighters and Boeing F/A-18 jets) will help create and maintain jobs in both countries, and demonstrate the depth of our commitment to defence cooperation, the US government said in a July report to the Congress. By February 2018, two new undersecretary-level posts will come up in the US department of defence to strengthen the Indo-American military relationship.
US firm Boeing is competing with French, Swedish and Russian firms for a project aimed at supplying 57 deck-based fighters to the Indian navy. The defence ministry is likely to issue a global tender for the project next year.
Deputy chief minister of Bihar and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi will swap bungalows with former deputy chief minister and Lalu Prasads heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Fourteen other ministers, who assumed office as part of the new NDA government in Bihar 34 days back, also got new residential address after the building construction department (BCD) allotted them government bungalows on Tuesday.
The government would now serve eviction notices on the present occupants of the RJD and Congress, who were part of the Grand Alliance government, which came to power in November 2015.
Modi was allotted the 5, Desh Ratna Marg bungalow, earmarked for deputy chief minister. Yadav, at present, occupies it. He was, in turn, allotted 1, Polo Road, which Modi would vacate.
The bungalow allotted to Tejashwis elder brother and former health minister Tej Pratap Yadav at 3, Deshratan Marg has been given to the chairperson of the Bihar legislative council.
Interestingly, however, former education minister Ashok Choudhary and Awadhesh Kumar Singh, both of the Congress, retained their government bungalows.
Fourteen other ministers were also allotted government bungalows. They include agriculture minister Prem Kumar, who was allotted 3, Circular Road; road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav (2, Strand Road), land revenue minister Ram Narayan Mandal (12, Strand Road), tourism minister Pramod Kumar (4, Strand Road), social welfare minister Manju Verma (6, Strand Road), public health and engineering department minister Vinod Narayan Jha (39, Hardinge Road), urban development and housing department minister Suresh Kumar Sharma (3, Taylor Road), labour resources department minister Vijay Kumar Sinha (22/10, Bailey Road), cooperatives minister Rana Randhi Singh (36 A, Hardinge Road), art and culture minister Krishna Kumar Rishi (16/06, Bailey Road), SC/ST welfare minister Ramesh Rishidev (5, Circular Road), backward and extremely backward caste welfare minister Brij Kishore Bind (25, Hardinge Road), animal husbandry department minister Pashupati Kumar Paras (11, Strand Road) and mines and geology department minister Vinod Kumar Singh (33, Hardinge Road).
Nitish Kumar had resigned as chief minister on July 26, dumping the RJD and Congress, to stitch a new alliance with BJP.
Ever since the CBI filed cases of corruption against Tejashwi, his father Lalu Prasad and sister Misa Bharti, Kumar was under pressure to sack his deputy. But any action against the then deputy chief minister could have evoked the wrath of the RJD, whose support was vital for Kumar, and he chose to resign.
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The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has sought an explanation from the Kerala government over Palakkad district administration order that restrained RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat from hoisting the national flag at a school in Palakkad on Independence Day.
The PMO sought an explanation from the chief secretary following a complaint made by the BJP Palakkad district president E Krishnadas saying that the district administration had flouted a citizens right to respect the tri-colour. The letter addressed to the chief secretary asked the respondent to send a copy of the reply to the petitioner and upload the same on the PMO portal.
Despite the district collectors directive, Bhagwat had unfurled the tricolour, inviting sharp criticism from the government.
It was nothing but a ploy to humiliate a tall leader. It has exposed the ruling partys fascist face, Krishnadas told the Hindustan Times adding he would explore further action after getting the chief secretarys reply.
District collector Mary Kutty had restrained the government-aided school saying it was not proper for a political leader to hoist the national flag in an aided school. The collector said the head teacher or a student representative of the school could unfurl the flag. The order was delivered at the school hours before the function.
However, Karnakiamman Higher Secondary School on the outskirts of Palakkad town went ahead with its plan. RSS and BJP had criticised the move and blamed the ruling CPI(M) for enforcing the diktat. They said flag can be hoisted by any citizen and restraining someone from this was a fascist move. Two days after the event, the collector was shunted out.
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Indias financial capital Mumbai went under after heavy rains battered the city for four consecutive days on Tuesday.
Local train services were stalled and roads were inundated, leaving commuters stranded in knee-deep waters in several areas across the city on Tuesday.
This isnt the first time life in Mumbai, or a sprawling urban landscape, has ground to a halt due to floods. The American state of Texas is currently flooded, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey that hit Houston on Friday.
While the underlying cause of the flooding may be different, the factors exacerbating these disasters are similar, say experts. The tale is the same everywhere: unplanned construction, deforestation, insufficient drainage system and poor disaster response are the major culprits.
Here are five times Indias cities found themselves facing floods after a heavy deluge:
Mumbai, 2005
Mumbai is no stranger to floods. It suffers almost every other year when there is a downpour. But twelve years ago, Mumbai drowned in 944mm of rain and over 500 people died. Mumbais civic infrastructure crumbled under the onslaught of rain and the city was flooded, with residents wading in chest-high water. Airports were shut for 30 hours, trains were cancelled, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was shut down and mobile networks were hit. Stranded residents sought shelter in colleges, offices and even in the homes of strangers.
The deluge is referred to ever since simply as 26/7 in the manner of a terrorist attack.
Srinagar, 2014
In September 2014, Jammu and Kashmirs worst floods in 60 years killed more than 200 and displaced almost a million for weeks. Major parts of the Srinagar city, including the Lal Chowk, army cantonment and Civil Lines areas were submerged. Thousands were evacuated by the army and rescue forces but many were stranded on the upper stories of their houses. All the vital roads were submerged and there was waterlogging even in the civil secretariat and Jammu and Kashmir high court. Hospitals were badly affected too.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office that year, took an aerial survey of the flood situation and later announced a special package for the state.
A flooded Lal Chowk in Srinagar during the September 2014 floods. (Abid Bhat/HT File Photo)
Chennai, 2015
A mix of flood waters and neck-deep sewage swelled in Chennai after weeks of monsoon rains resulted in a cloudburst in November-December 2015. The floods claimed the lives of 270 in one of Indias most populous cities.
As images emerged showing people being rescued through boats, the sight of three dozen airliners with their undercarriages covered by flood waters at the Chennai international airport made people wonder if it was built in the wrong place. Mobile network and landlines too were knocked out in most of the city.
A view of Chennai Airport flooded due to heavy rains. (PTI Photo)
While Chennai was not unique, experts said it was worse hit than the rest of Indias southeastern seaboard because of the development boom that has gone unchecked, including rampant illegal construction.
Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, 2017
Heavy overnight rains pounded Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, throwing life out of gear in July. The death toll touched at least 129 in the state devastated by heavy flooding since the monsoon rains began a month ago. Both cities recorded 7 and 8 inches of rainfall over the night, leaving public transport crippled due to waterlogged roads.
People stand in a queue to collect drinking water from a municipal tanker at a flooded residential colony in Ahmedabad. (PTI File Photo)
In July 2005, incessant rains across the state killed dozens and left thousands trapped. Parts of the Ahmedabad airport were damaged and several helicopters, army columns, NDRF teams were deployed for rescue operations.
Heavy rains paralyse life in Mumbai; At least three dead, waist-deep waters throw traffic out of gear
The monsoon dumped 300mm of torrential rain on Indias business capital Mumbai, causing waist-deep floods that paralysed the road and suburban train network, disrupted flights and left thousands of people stranded at workplaces, stations and in cars on Tuesday. According to ANI reports, two people died following a landslide in Vikhrolis Surya Nagar. One person died and two were injured in a building collapse in Varsha Nagar. People scurried for cover and waded through waterlogged roads to get home, holding onto guardrails to avoid falling into manholes. The mayhem brought memories of a similar but bigger catastrophe in 2005 that killed more than 500 people. Read the story here.
Downpour to continue in Mumbai till Wednesday, schools and colleges to remain closed
All educational institutions in Mumbai will remain closed on Wednesday and officials have asked people to stay at home, in the wake of warnings from the weather department that heavy rains will continue till Wednesday afternoon. The weather bureau said the low pressure area, which caused Tuesdays deluge, will shift towards Gujarat by Wednesday afternoon and subsequently move to the Arabian Sea. The state government announced a holiday for all educational institutions in Mumbai on Wednesday. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asked people to stay at home unless there is an emergency. Read the story here.
Panic strikes Gorakhpurs BRD Medical College again, 61 children die in three days
Days after alleged disruption in oxygen supply resulted in deaths of over 30 children within 48 hours at Gorakhpurs BRD Medical College, 61 children died there in the last 72 hours, spreading panic in the hospital again. The latest deaths were due to various ailments, including encephalitis, health complexities in newborns, pneumonia, sepsis etc, whose patients have been flooding the hospital, leading to overcrowding. On August 27, 28 and 29, 61 deaths were recorded at the hospital 11 in the encephalitis ward, 25 in neonatal intensive care unit (NNICU) and another 25 in the general pediatric ward. Read the story here.
Criminalising marital rape may destabilise institution of marriage: Centre tells Delhi HC
The Centre on Tuesday told the Delhi high court that criminalising marital rape may destabilise the institution of marriage and would become an easy tool for harassing husbands, a position slammed as retrograde by rights activists. Responding to a bunch of petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape, the government said in an affidavit that the Supreme Court and high courts had already pointed to the misuse of Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) that prescribes punishment for husband for subjecting his wife to cruelty. In India, marital rape is not defined in any statute or law. Rights activists want it to be made a criminal offence, saying it forces women to suffer the worst form of sexual violence in their homes. Read the story here.
GST off to a bumper start, Rs 92,283 crore collected in July
Indias maiden GST revenue mop-up got off to a bumper start, with finance minister Arun Jaitley saying on Tuesday that taxes worth Rs 92,283 crore were collected in July from just 64.42% of the total taxpayer base. Tax collections for July, the first month when a unified Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented across the country in place of more than a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax and VAT, are likely to further go up when all the tax payers file returns. The collections so far are in excess of the finance ministrys internal estimate of Rs 91,000 crore. Read the story here.
Is there assurance that China will not try building road again in Doklam, asks Congress
As the BJP rejoiced the end of the Doklam standoff and hailed the Narendra Modi governments diplomacy, a cautious Congress posed several questions for the ruling establishment. The principal opposition party has sought to know if there was any explicit or implicit assurance that the Chinese side will not resume the construction of roads in that area the flashpoint of confrontation between the two neighbours. The statements of both India and China dont say anything on this. We wish to know if there is any assurance, asked party leader Manish Tewari. Tewari also pointed out that the Indian statement speaks about expeditious disengagement and said from the two statements, it did not look like it will be mutual. Read the story here.
Shimla rape case: CBI arrests 8 Himachal cops over custodial death of accused
A top Himachal Pradesh police officer was among eight personnel arrested on Tuesday by the CBI which is investigating the custodial death of a Nepali labourer, a suspect in the rape and murder of a minor schoolgirl in Shimla. Inspector general Zahur Haidar Zaidi was leading the special investigation team looking into the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in the Kotkhai area of Shimla in early July before the CBI took over the probe into the crime that shook the hill state and saw massive protests. The accused were produced before the court on Tuesday and they have been remanded to police custody till September 4, CBI spokesman Abhishek Dayal said. Read the story here.
Abdul Basits letter criticising Pakistan envoy to US emerges online
Pakistans former ambassador to India, Abdul Basit, has described the countrys envoy to the US, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, as the worst foreign secretary ever in a scathing letter that has been widely shared on social media. The letter listed several reasons why Chaudhry was not made for the delicate profession of diplomacy. Basit, who opted for early retirement and was replaced in New Delhi by Sohail Mahmood, has been silent on the letter since it began circulating on social media on Monday. Read the story here.
Shai Hope takes West Indies to historic win vs England, level series 1-1
The West Indies beat England by five wickets in the second Test at Headingley on Tuesday to level the three-match series at 1-1. Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 118 to guide the touring side to 322 for five in their second innings on the final day of the match. Hope became the first man to register hundreds in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley as West Indies closed in on a stunning victory in the second Test with England. This is the West Indies first win in England in 17 years. Hope top-scored with 147 runs in the Windies first-innings 427, putting on 246 for the fourth wicket with fellow centurion Kraigg Brathwaite. And the pair were at it again on Day five, adding 144 runs for the third wicket before Brathwaite (95) edged Moeen Ali to slip to leave the tourists on 197-3, 125 adrift of their victory target just before tea. Read the story here.
Window to past: Rare films from colonial India digitised in UK
A film with Calcutta in the title but shot in Varanasi, an early documentary by Bimal Roy and amateur footage of Mahatma Gandhis march after the Noakhali riots are among rare films digitised and released by the British Film Institute (BFI) for the UK-India year of Culture. Produced and presented in partnership with the British Council, the India on Film: 1899-1947 collection includes the earliest known surviving film of India from 1899, Panorama Of Calcutta. The films and footage were donated to the BFI National Archive from a variety of sources. They include travelogues, newsreels, educational films, ethnographic documentaries, missionary films and a wealth of home movies, many of which have never been seen before. Read the story here.
The Patna high court on Wednesday rejected the petition of former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP and Siwan strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin and three others, challenging their conviction in a 2004 double murder case.
Upholding a special Siwan court order awarding life sentence to the former lawmaker and his associates, a division bench of justice KK Mandal and justice Sanjay Kumar refused to interfere in the matter.
This court finds no merit to interfere with the judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the trial court, the bench said.
Shahabuddins lawyer had earlier pleaded that the trial court order be quashed as the former Siwan MPs name had not figured in the initial FIR and was added only after 62 months. We will now move the Supreme Court for relief, he said.
The special court in Siwan on December 11, 2015 sentenced Shahabuddin, Rajkumar Sah, Sheikh Aslam and Munna Mian to life imprisonment finding them guilty of abducting and killing two sons of a businessman.
Delivering the verdict at a special court created on Siwan prison premises, additional district judge Ajay Kumar Srivastava pronounced the former politician guilty under sections 302 (murder), 364A (kidnapping for ransom, etc), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
CASES AGAINST SHAHABUDDIN Convicted on May 8, 2007 by a special court that gave him life imprisonment for the abduction of CPI(ML) worker Chhote Lal Gupta in February, 1999. On August 30, 2007, Shahabuddin was found guilty of attacking Siwan SP Sanjiv Kumar Singhal. He faces a jail term of 10 years in the case. till September 10, 2016, he remained incarcerated, shuttling between Bhagalpur and Gaya jails. The Patna HC on September 7, 2016 granted Shahabuddin bail in a case involving murder of a witness in the killing of siblings Girish and Satish Raj. The SC on September 30, 2016 cancelled Shahabuddins bail and directed the Bihar government to take him into custody immediately. Of the 40 criminal cases Shahabuddin faces, judgment has come in 12 cases. He was acquitted in 4, while he has nearly completed his sentence in 8 other cases. Shahabuddin has been convicted in 10 other cases. In other cases the trial is yet to complete.
Satish Raj and Girish Raj, sons of Siwan businessman Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu and Kalawati Devi, were abducted and killed on August 16, 2004 after being drenched in acid. Their bodies were never recovered.
Chanda Babus third son, Rajiv Roshan, managed to escape, But, Roshan, the sole eyewitness in the case, was shot dead on June 16, 2014 - three days before he was to appear in a court as witness.
After the verdict, Chanda Babu told TV news channels that he respected the courts order and had faith in God. He, however, said since it was the rarest of rare case, Shahabuddin and his aides should get death penalty.
Chanda Babu said although his loss was irreparable, he was happy that justice had prevailed.
Recalling the incident, Chanda Babu said when he was away in Patna on August 16, 2004, alleged henchmen of Shahabuddin reached his Gaushala Road shop and picked up a quarrel with his sons.
They dispersed after Girish threatened to pour acid on them, only to return with many others who picked up Girish, Rajiv, and Satish and took them to Shahabuddins village, Pratappur. As the men allegedly poured acid on Girish and Satish , Rajiv managed to escape. But on June 16, 2014, Rajiv was gunned down, Chanda Babu said.
Shahabuddin is at present lodged in high-security Tihar jail in New Delhi after the Supreme Court ordered the Bihar government to move him out of the state to ensure free and fair trial in cases involving the former MP.
The top courts order came on petitions filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, and Chanda Babu.The Rajdeo Ranjan case is pending trial in a special CBI court at Muzaffarpur.
Shahabuddin is facing trial in more than 40 cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told his ministers while Indias success in ensuring withdrawal of the Chinese troops from Doklam needs to be publicised, the job should be left to the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
Other than the MEA, ministers should not speak on the sensitive subject, sources quoted Modi as saying during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The instructions came ahead of his visit to Xiamen in China for the ninth Brics summit from September 3 to 5. Brazil, Russia and South Africa are the other Brics members.
The Prime Minister said whatever publicity has to be done, whatever statement has to be made will be done by the ministry of external affairs. Cabinet ministers should not speak out of turn should not jump the gun, a source privy to the deliberations at the cabinet meeting said.
The soldiers of the two countries were locked in a standoff in the disputed Himalayan plateau for more than two months after China accused India of trespass. Both China and Bhutan claim Doklam, which borders Sikkim on Indias northeast.
The decision of the two sides to disengage was hailed as a diplomatic win for New Delhi as China had put on hold the plan to build a road that triggered the row. Chinese view it as Indias withdrawal.
The PM said that the government handled the Doklam issue well but at the same time, because of the sensitivity involved, he asked his cabinet colleagues not to speak anything on the issue, the source said.
MEA officials made a presentation before the cabinet on the stand-off and Indias concerns.
Responding to a query at a media briefing after the meeting, defence minister Arun Jaitley said, The MEA has already given its statement. Considering the sensitivity of the matter, there is no need to give multiple statements.
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Leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will meet top members of their ideological parent the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) this weekend in Mathura, where a number of recent controversies are expected to come up for discussion.
Sources in the RSS said the meeting is an annual exercise in which the organisation reviews its affiliates activities over the past year.
The discussions are likely to touch upon political concerns such as the violence in Haryana and the infant deaths in Uttar Pradesh that have drawn criticism for the chief ministers, who are members of the BJP.
Last week, followers of Dera Sacha Sauda cult ran riot and burned down public and private property at many locations in Haryana, triggering allegations that CM ML Khattar went soft on them to protect a crucial vote bank.
Khattars UP counterpart Yogi Adityanaths administration similarly faced allegations of negligence after more than 60 children died in a government hospital that ran out of its oxygen supply because suppliers were not paid on time.
The meetings in Mathura, which will include discussions between the chiefs of both organisations RSSs Mohan Bhagwat and the BJPs Amit Shah will discuss the PR fallout from the two controversies.
The Sangh, for its part, has left it to the party to take a decision on whether Khattar, a former RSS pracharak, will continue as CM.
In UP, the RSS has underlined the need for better coordination between the party and Sangh, cautioning that in the absence of doing so, the government could end up failing to deliver on its promises of good governance.
RSS sources tried to downplay the issues and said it is a coordination meeting of over 40 outfits affiliated to the Sangh. Each offshoot will present it report, so will the BJP, a functionary said.
The BJP and the Sangh are aspiring to increase their footprint across the country, especially in northeast and southern states.
Violence against the Sangh cadre in Kerala, the row triggered by officials attempting to stop Bhagwat from unfurling the National Flag; and the BJP-TMC faceoff in West Bengal are expected to be prominent on the agenda, as will the issue of BJPs uneasy relations with its alliance partner PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two partners have been bickering over the issue of repeal of Article 35 A from the state, even as the BJP government has refrained from commenting on the issue, letting the court take a call.
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In a stunning revelation, deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, on Wednesday, alleged that RJD president Lalu Prasad forced one Mohammad Shamim to write out his will bestowing two plots of land worth Rs 2 crore in a prime location of the state capital upon his sons, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap.
This, the BJP leader alleged, was a quid pro quo for Prasad making Shamim a member of the Bihar legislative on Governors quota.
Modi, who has been attacking the RJD chief and his family members for the past 145 days, accusing them of acquiring benami properties worth over Rs 1,000 crore, alleged that Lalu Prasad also grabbed immovable assets by employing the deed of will mode.
Prasad, Modi said, also prevailed upon Shamim to write out the power of attorney for the said property in the name of his wife Rabri Devi, a former chief minister.
The RJD leadership outrightly rejected the deputy chief ministers contention, with state chief spokesperson, Shakti Singh Yadav telling HT, Sushil Modi is given to hyperbole, which has no context or relation with truth,whatsoever. He is a Goebbels
He alleged Modi and chief miinister Nitish Kumar had a hand in the Rs 1,300-crore Srijan scam and had been forced to cite such instances, to distract people and provoke reaction against RJD after the success of its August 27 rally.
Modi is yet to rebut RJD allegations as to how his brother acquired huge properties through shell companies, Yadav said.
However, Modi told newsmen that Mohammad Shamim and his wife Sofia Tabassum wrote out a will on May 12, 2005 in favour of Lalus sons, Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, expressing their wish to bestow upon them two plots (roughly six katthas of land) in Vijay Vihar Co-operative near Saguna Mor in West Patna after their death. Shamim was made MLC in 1998.
The will also mentions, that in case the said legatees die earlier then the immovable property, shall go and devolve upon the legatees heirs only-which is Tej Prataps and Tejashwis children, Modi claimed.
Quoting the document, Modi said that in his deed of will, Shamim wrote, That the legatees have been very close to the testator for a long time and like their own nephew; they and their father have been sincerely serving the testator and have even helped him.
The document further said, The faithful service of legatees pleased the testator and so the testator desired to make a will in favour of the legatees
Shamim also mentioned in his deed that his other legal heirs and successors, or any other else, shall have no right, title or interest of any nature whatsoever in the schedule property. If any objection is raised regarding this will, then it shall be treated null and void.
Modi said, it was quite strange that though the Shamim couple had three children, they chose to make the will in favour of Lalus sons.
Significantly, Shamim and his wife had handed over the plots to Lalus wife Rabri Devi through a power of attorney in May 2005 itself, Modi said.
The deputy CM wondered as to the circumstances under which the Shamim couple chose to make the will in favour of Lalus sons, while ignoring the interest of their three legal heirs.
He also asked as to what services Lalus minor sons could have provided to the Shamim couple , making them frame the will in their favour, while challenging RJD chief Lalu Prasad to make the facts public. If Lalu suspects my allegation, then he is free to contradict my charges, he added.
Modi sought to make it clear that he had no information about the present status of the properties.
Recalling his earlier exposes, the deputy CM said, that in lieu of the largesses, the RJD chief used to oblige people by way of seats in the legislature and parliament, ministerships and other modes of pelf and power.
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to Russia next week to attend the third Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
Swaraj will travel to Russia at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here.
During her visit from September 5 to 7, Swaraj will participate in the opening ceremony of the Forum on September 6 as well as hold bilateral meetings with Trutnev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Governors of some of the Far Eastern Regions, among other engagements, the statement added.
Sitharaman, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, will be accompanied by a business delegation.
During her visit from September 5 to 8, Sitharaman will participate in the high level India-Russia Business Dialogue as well as have bilateral meetings with Russian Ministers, including the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.
She will also participate in a panel discussion and preside over the launch ceremony of the Russia Desk in Invest India during the Forum.
The ministers visit reflects the importance attached by India to emerging opportunities in the Russian Far East, and to its strategic partnership with Russia, the statement said.
The high-level Indian participation in the Forum follows the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Guest of Honour at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.
Upper Allen police released details about Wednesday morning's single-vehicle crash on US Route 15 in the township.
Police arrived on scene at the East Winding Hills Road exit ramp to find a single vehicle into a pole. Police identified the driver as Virginia A Imadojemu, 56, of Harrisburg, and determined she had suffered a medical emergency which caused her to lose control of her Cadillac Escalade.
The Cadillac then traveled off the roadway and struck a highway sign post. Traffic on US Route 15 north and south had to be shut down for less than 30 minutes so Life Lion could land on US Route 15 to transport Imadojemu for medical treatment.
The Upper Allen Police were assisted on the scene by the Upper Allen Fire Department, Hampden EMS, Lower Allen EMS, and Life Lion.
Posted earlier on Cumberlink:
LifeLion lifted off from the scene of a crash on Route 15 in Upper Allen Township at 8 a.m.
Upper Allen police tweeted at 8:02 a.m. that the highway is open to traffic.
The roadway is now open; however, the residual rush hour backlog may take some time to clear. The crash remains under investigation. Upper Allen Police (@UpperAllenPD) August 30, 2017
Posted earlier on Cumberlink:
Emergency crews have been called to a crash on Route 15 in Upper Allen Township at 7:30 a.m.
The crash happened between the Route 114 exit and the Cumberland Parkway exit.
LifeLion landed at the scene around 7:45 a.m. PennDOT traffic camera says all lanes are closed on the northbound side of Route 15.
Opposition in Tamil Nadu, led by DMK working president MK Stalin, has escalated the battle against the AIADMK led state government by deciding to call on President Ram Nath Kovind tomorrow to seek his intervention after acting governor C Vidyasagar Rao expressed his inability to interfere with an internal matter of AIADMK.
In tandem, rebel TTV Dinakaran who is fighting to stave off the challenge to his aunts authority in the party threatened chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami to resign on his own. He claimed the support of 40 MLAs and told media persons on Wednesday that the sleeper cells will get active at the appropriate time. For the present, in self-interest and part of strategy, they were silent.
Nineteen MLAs of AIADMK, owing allegiance to general secretary VK Sasikala and her nephew and deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran had in a written submission to Governor withdrew support to Edapaddi Palanisami government after the merger of the two factions of AIADMK that brought rebel leader O Panneerselvam back into government and party affairs in key roles.
TTV Dinakaran, breathing fire over the merger as also the possible efforts to oust his aunt Sasikala from the party post, on Wednesday claimed he had the support of at least 40 MLAs, though not all are with him now. For the present, 19 MLAs loyal to Dinakaran are lodged in a Puducherry resort and few others have pledged support to him.
With this, the Edapaddi Palanisami government has lost majority in the assembly and opposition alleges has absolutely no right to rule the state even for a minute more. A DMK delegation led by senior leader Durai Murugan and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi called on the governor on Monday urging him to convene assembly for trust vote.
On Wednesday, a delegation of Left parties -- CPM, CPI and VCK called on the governor to ask him to order a trust vote in the wake of developments in the AIADMK. CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan told media persons after coming out from Raj Bhavan that the governor maintained that it was an internal party matter and that he could not interfere in such a matter. The MLAs are still in the party only and hence it is an internal party matter.
DMK working president MK Stalin told media persons that a delegation comprising Congress, Left parties and IUML, will call on President Ram Nath Kovind on August 31, Thursday. The DMK and parties supporting it, will be calling on the president to request him to direct him Tamil Nadu acting governor to order a trust vote immediately so that the strength of the EPS government can be tested on the floor of the house.
The governor said that the ball was not in his court. So, when he had ordered a floor test when OPS had revolted, the ball was in governors court, Stalin questioned adding that we will discuss whether to play the DMK card (moving a no confidence motion).
Stalin said that the opposition delegation would call on President at 11 a.m.
If Stalin was putting pressure thus, Dinakaran upped the ante on Wednesday saying that we have the support of 40 MLAs now. The sleeper cells will get active at the appropriate time. We are waiting for EPS to resign on his own. The man whom we appointed, if he cheats us, he will not be spared.
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Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav has questioned his partys decision to remove him as its parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha, saying it was against its constitution and insisted that a majority of party members are with him.
Yadav on Wednesday released his rejoinder, which was also sent to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, to Lok Sabha member Kaushalendra Kumars letter to him on August 11, informing him of his removal.
You have no moral or legal authority to issue the aforesaid letter to me and the same is against the provisions of the partys constitution for which appropriate action is being proposed by its office bearers..., Yadav has written.
It is not him, but Nitish and Kaushalendra Kumar who have abandoned JD(U)s basic principles and have voluntarily given up its membership, Yadav said.
It appears that driven by pure political opportunism the faction led by Nitish Kumar has voluntarily left the membership of the Janata Dal (United), he said.
Yadav noted that his faction had already moved the Election Commission, claiming that a majority of party members is supporting him and its symbol should be allotted to his faction.
His close aide Javed Raza, who was recently axed from the post of partys general secretary, said only the partys parliamentary board can take a decision regarding Yadavs removal and parliamentary party cannot take it.
The JD(U) had replaced Yadav with Nitish Kumar confidant RCP Singh as its leader in the Rajya Sabha following the veteran leaders opposition to the alliance with the BJP.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his two deputies, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, will contest Legislative Council by-elections, the BJP announced on Wednesday.
A BJP statement said its central election committee had also picked Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza, both ministers in the state government, as party candidates for the elections.
With UP MLAs voting in the by-elections, the win of all BJP nominees is virtually certain given the partys huge majority in the assembly.
A number of MLCs from opposition parties in the state, who resigned recently, also spoke in favour of the Yogi government. Political watchers believe they did so to facilitate the entry of the chief minister and his colleagues to the Council.
Aditynath and his colleagues have to be elected to one of the houses, Assembly or Council, to continue in their posts.
Aditynath and Maurya are Lok Sabha members and are likely to resign once they win the Council by-polls.
When will the bandh end, is the dominant question in the Darjeeling hills after Tuesdays talks between the agitators demanding Gorkhaland and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, but the uncertainty over lifting of the shutdown is not clearing yet.
The hills of north Bengal are under the spell of an indefinite shutdown that started on June 15 and entered its 77th day on Wednesday. So far nine persons have lost their lives in the violence and firing by security forces. Shops and markets, educational institutes and business establishments have remained closed all over the hills causing untold misery to the common people.
The shutdown that started on June 15 has severely affected the local economy dependent on tourism and tea industry. (HT Photo)
Bimal Gurung, the hardliner president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) that is the most influential party in Darjeeling, has said that the bandh will continue till talks start on the creation of a new state. Significantly, while on August 13 Union home minister Rajnath Singh has made it clear that the Centre is not interested in carving out a new state from Bengal, on Tuesday chief minister Mamata Banerjee has told the agitators that Gorkhaland was not in the jurisdiction of the state government, and neither can she request the Centre to work towards it.
Read: Darjeeling talks: Separate Gorkhaland beyond our jurisdiction, says Mamata
The indefinite shutdown will continue. It will be lifted only after talks begin on the creation of the state of Gorkhaland. If anybody lifts the bandh, he will do so at his own risk, said Gurung in an audio statement circulated immediately after the meeting in the state secretariat.
A section of the GJM leaders, who are moderate, indicate that they are ready to consider lifting of the bandh, but they are not ready to comment officially. Binay Tamang, GJM coordinator who led the Morcha team of five to the meeting have said that they will return to the hills and discuss the question in a central committee meeting.
The situation has been complicated by different statements by Tamang and Gurung. The GJM president who is hiding after UA(P)A sections were slapped against him in two cases, said that he will hold a meeting in the next two-three days and decide the bandh issue along with other important decisions.
During the bandh agitators have set ablaze vehicles, government offices, toy train stations, police stations and tourist bungalows. A total of nine persons have been killed in the violence. (HT Photo)
Bimal Gurung cant attend the central committee meeting as he is hiding. So we have no idea where and with whom will he hold a meeting separately, said a GJM leader on conditions of anonymity.
Read: Gorkhaland stir: No school, playground or internet for children in Darjeeling
Its this virtual split in the party that has triggered fresh uncertainty on the lifting of the bandh.
Intriguingly, the resurfacing of Sanjay Thulung, a former GJM leader after three years, is adding to the confusion. Thulung was implicated in an arms case by the CID. He was accused of providing funds to a North East based militant outfit to train some hill youths. From an undisclosed location, Thulung told reporters, Those who have gone to attend the talks should speak only on Gorkhaland. They must keep in mind that if they go into any understanding with the state, they will have to face the consequences.
In the meeting, the chief minister appealed to the agitators to withdraw the bandh and let normal life return to the hills. GJM coordinator who led the Morcha team of five to the meeting have said that they will return to the hills and discuss the question.
Read: Gorkhaland stir: Bengalis of Darjeeling feel alienated after burning of historic hall in Kurseong
A GJM leader told HT that none wants to take the risk of announcing the end of the bandh as they fear it may trigger adverse public reaction, a large section of whom want a separate state.
Apart from GJM, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) participated in Tuesdays meeting.
The hills are on the boil since June 8 when the GJM supporters protesting against the state governments move to make Bengali compulsory up to class 10 clashed with the police in Darjeeling in front of the chief minister.
The agitators -- GJM is an ally of the NDA -- pinned their hopes on the Centre. But their hopes were dashed when the Union home minister asked them to speak to the Bengal chief minister.
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Terming the move to bring down the capacity of Rae Barelis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from 960 to 600 beds as a political vendetta, the Congress party says it will hold a major demonstration in protest in the coming weeks.
The AIIMS in Rae Bareli is a dream project of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party has been closely watching implementation of the project .
We are told that the capacity of AIIMS Rae Bareli is being brought down. The NDA government has also limited the allocation of funds for the project that has been unnecessarily delayed. Its political vendetta. Many other projects of Rae Bareli too have been affected. We will soon hold a demonstration against such moves, Sonia Gandhis Lok Sabha representative KL Sharma told HT on phone.
Rae Bareli is being given step motherly treatment by the Modi led NDA government. Its about construction of AIIMS and not a Congress office. Besides Rae Bareli, the AIIMS will be beneficial even to people of adjoining districts and states. There should have been no politics on the issue, said Rae Bareli district Congress committee president VK Shukla.
Other projects that have suffered include rail wheel project at Lalganj (Rae Bareli) approved during the UPA governments tenure. The NDA government has also not released funds for package formulated by the UPA government for the Indian Telephone Industry in Rae Bareli and Allahabad etc. A womens university project proposed for Rae Bareli has also been shelved, said Shukla.
The Congress had early this month held a dharna in Rae Bareli to demand that the OPD be made functional at the AIIMS there. The party had targeted the Yogi Adityanath government for failing to ensure promised 24-hour power supply at district headquarters and 18 hours in rural areas in Rae Bareli.
Congress has also been agitating for shelving of some projects in Amethi too. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi too had recently submitted a memorandum to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to raise issues concerning farmers of Amethi, his Lok Sabha seat.
Earlier in 2015, Rahul had led a padyatra to the site of Shaktiman Food Park project in Jagdishpur (Amethi) to protest shelving of the project. Another major Hindustan Paper Mill project that was supposed to provide 10000 jobs has also been shelved. Other major projects shifted out included Amethi campus of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Allahabad.
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The Allahabad high court on Wednesday directed all the parties in the case of allotment of land to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and cutting down of thousands of trees in Gautam Buddh Nagar not to make any changes on the land till the next date of hearing.
The court also directed principal secretary (industrial development) to inform it as to how the commissioner, Meerut region, resumed (took back) the disputed land under a repealed law.
The court asked the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar to file a counter-affidavit explaining his stand on the allegations. It directed the DM to inspect the spot and file a report providing details of the number of trees cut down by the authorities and the number of trees still there on the land.
It directed the Yamuna Industrial Development Authority (YIDA) to file counter-affidavit and show cause under which provision of law did it cut down thousands of green trees.
Petitioner Ausaf of Gautam Budh Nagar has challenged the allotment of 4500 acres of land in Noida in favour of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd of Baba Ramdev.
The petitioner alleged that more than 6,000 trees would be cut down to set up a food plaza which would result in a huge damage to environment.
In the petition it has been alleged that 200 bigha of land was given to the petitioner on lease for a period of 30 years for plantation of trees. However, the land has now been allotted to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd for construction of a food park which is illegal and contrary to the lease deed.
The bench comprising justice Tarun Agarwala and justice Ashok Kumar had deferred the hearing on Tuesday while asking the state government to apprise it of the details regarding the decision to cut down green trees.
The counsels of state government and YIDA could not apprise the bench about the facts of the case on Wednesday. Despite repeated opportunities given to both the counsels, they have not received any instructions from the authorities. When we called upon tehsildar Ajay Kumar to answer some queries, he candidly answered he is not aware of the proceedings in the case, the court observed.
The court fixed September 4 as the next date of hearing.
Three days ahead of Bakrid, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate flagged controversy by declaring that qurbani or sacrifice of animals was haraam (prohibited) during the festival.
The RSS affiliate Muslim Rashtriya Manchs (MRM) stand evoked angry reactions from both Shia and Sunni clerics who cited verses from the holy Quran to maintain that qurbani had religious sanction since the days of the Prophet.
Political history can be rewritten but none can rewrite religious history. Qurbani of animals has religious sanction dating back to the days of the Prophet and the holy Quran clearly mentions it, a visibly upset Sunni cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangimahal, the naib-imam of Lucknow Eidgah, told HT.
Firangimahal also met UP DGP Sulkhan Singh with a delegation of clerics to state what he called communitys concern on sacrifice during Bakrid, the first under Yogi Adityanath government that had launched a crackdown against illegal slaughter houses and cow slaughter.
The Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) was set up in 2002 by the RSS to reach out to the Muslims on various issues, including the vexed Ayodhya dispute. Interestingly, even Muslims owing allegiance to the BJP too refused to buy the MRM claim.
Animal sacrifice most certainly isnt banned during Bakrid and whosoever is saying is not putting the correct picture, said Rumana Siddiqui the former president of BJPs minority cell.
A few days back, the Lucknow district administration had announced a ban on camel sacrifice during Bakrid and the clerics had supported the ban.
We assured the DGP that animals banned by the government wont be sacrificed and those who violate the order wont have our support as well. But to say that qurbani of all animals was banned and justify it by citing religion is plain mischief, the Sunni cleric said.
On their part, the MRM officials, who had celebrated Bakrid last year by cutting a goat shaped cake and then followed up by getting Muslims to break their roza (dawn to dusk fasting) with cow milk in Ayodhya during Eid, stuck to their stand against animal sacrifice. God loves all living beings. There is nothing to justify animal sacrifice. We are Muslims too and believe animal sacrifice doesnt have religious sanction, said Raees Khan, an MRM office bearer.
MRMs point didnt cut much ice with Syed Saif Abbas Naqvi, president of Shia Chand Committee, either who slammed MRM for trying to divide the community.
Its sad and highly condemnable, he said.
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The UP government has decided to install solar-powered LED streetlights in main markets and streets in all development blocks to light up rural parts of the state.
The mission, to be undertaken as a part of Deendayal Upadhyay Solar Streetlight Scheme, will be carried out in all the districts under the supervision of a committee set up under the respective district magistrate.
Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) will be the main implementing agency of the scheme which will invite e-tenders from companies willing to undertake the mission with a five-year comprehensive warranty.
Read more: Delhiites cold to solar energy, govts push for renewable power hits a wall
The firm being awarded the contract will have to set up a service centre in each district where it will implement the project and will also arrange for a toll free number where people can lodge complaints.
The scheme will pave way for eco-friendly and economical lighting of main markets in all 822 development blocks in 75 districts of UP, said a senior official at the department of additional sources of energy.
The LED streetlights will automatically turn on after sunset and switch off in the morning. The step will also make life easy and safe for people, especially women, living in rural areas. It will minimise dependence on conventional power supply, he added.
Read more: Bringing solar heating to the remotest corners of India
An order, dated August 23, has been sent to all the district magistrates by principal secretary (energy) Alok Kumar which says that solar-powered streetlights will be installed as part of the initiative.
Technical details of the quality of streetlights have also been specified in the order.
For the selection of markets as well as streets and crossings of each development block, the government has asked for setting up of a panel under the respective DM. The panel will include chief development officer, block development officer and project officer of UPNEDA.
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The Election Commission of Indias notification announcing by-election to one more (fifth) Vidhan Parishad seat has come as a great relief to the Yogi Adityanath government.
As there were five contenders for four Vidhan Parishad seats, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had sent a special request to the ECI urging the poll panel to hold by-poll to one more upper house seat to save ministerial berth of one of his four colleagues in his council of ministers, confirmed sources in the Election Commission of India.
The ECIs decision now ensures five seats for Yogi governments five contenders.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his two deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and two ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza have to become members of either of the two houses of state legislature before completion of six months in office on September 19.
The BJP had got six Vidhan Parishad seats vacated for the five contenders. The ECI on August 24 had, however, announced by-polls only for four seats as term of remaining two seats was to end in less than one year. The ECI usually avoids holding by-election to seats having less than one year term. This decision has been taken under special circumstances. There are precedents when by-election has been held on special request of the chief minister, said sources.
Read more| Four UP Parishad seats, five contenders:One who exits ministry may get key party role
With the ECI notification issued on Tuesday, the poll panel has announced by-election to Vidhan Parishad seat vacated by BSPs Jaivir Singh whose term was scheduled to end on May 5, 2018. The ECI is, however, not holding by-poll for the sixth seat vacated by SP member Ambika Chaudhary, who had later joined the BSP.
While nominations to four Vidhan Parishad seats began on Tuesday, the nomination for fifth seat would begin on August 31 and end on September 7. The last date of withdrawals is September 11 and voting, if necessary, will take place on September 11 and counting on the same day.
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Raelin Scurry calls her child a miracle baby. Not because of motherly adulation, but because he was born en caul, which means he was born within the amniotic sac.
The amniotic sac, which is filled with fluid, serves as a cushion from injury to a baby inside the womb. When a womans water breaks, its the amniotic sac breaking and the fluid draining out through the vagina.
But this didnt happen in Scurrys case. At just 29 weeks pregnant, the Pennsylvania resident delivered her baby, 11 weeks early, in the front seat of her car.
A post shared by Raelin Scurry (@raeee_nacoal23) on Aug 24, 2017 at 1:21pm PDT
She thought she was having Braxton hicks (contractions that are like a dress rehearsal to labour pains). So, initially, she didnt worry too much. But when the contractions refused to subside even after 45 minutes, she decided to head to the hospital.
The contractions continued to get closer together and more intense and before I knew it was time to push, she writes in an Instagram post.
A post shared by Raelin Scurry (@raeee_nacoal23) on Aug 13, 2017 at 9:04am PDT
Scared, she called 911, but in vain. They couldnt understand her between the screams and contractions. Scurry handed the phone over to her fiance.
I pulled my pants off and reached down, sure enough his head was right there. I pushed one time and my miracle baby was here. When I looked down I realised he was still completely wrapped in the amniotic sac.
Scurry and her fiance Ean thought they would be able to make it to the hospital faster than the emergency services, so they kept driving, despite how scared they were.
A post shared by Raelin Scurry (@raeee_nacoal23) on Aug 23, 2017 at 6:46pm PDT
At first the baby was still and all I could do was pray he would be okay, says Scurry. And then I rubbed his face with my thumb and he pulled his little hands and feet up to his face as if he understood my prayers and wanted to reassure us he was okay.
It took about seven minutes for the family to make it to the hospital, where the staff took over.
According to babymed.com, en caul births are rare, occurring in fewer than 1 in 80,000 births.
Our little peanut is 4 pounds!! A post shared by Raelin Scurry (@raeee_nacoal23) on Aug 26, 2017 at 4:51pm PDT
Scurrys baby has gone from weighing 3lb 1oz at birth to 4lbs 3.8oz. He doing wonderful all things considered all He went through I know hes going to be an awesome little man! ? he is truly a miracle? baby. We are so blessed to be his parents.
Yiovani Camacho of Dickson City, and Marco Gonzalez of Harrisburg advanced to Round Two of the Texas Roadhouse National Meat Cutting Challenge after preliminary round competition Tuesday.
In March, they will meet again in Orlando, Florida, to face off against other regional winners where they will compete for the chance at the finals. The winner of this national competition receives a grand prize of $20,000 and is crowned Meat Cutter of the Year.
Judging by the response to the fragrance column I did here a couple of weeks ago, people want to know more about the subject. The question I got asked most often after the column came out was: But what perfume would you recommend?
So here, for what it is worth, are the top 20 feminine fragrances I would recommend. (Well, recommend this week...)
They are distinguished by my own very Indian prejudices ( I love spice, rose ,vanilla and sandalwood!) and are listed in no particular order.
Angel: Created by the fragrance house Quest for the Thierry Mugler label in 1992 (Olivier Cresp was the perfumer), this launched the trend for gourmand scents, that is to say, perfumes that are almost edible. There is a cotton candy and black currant note to the fragrance but it still smells feminine and yes, delicious.
Bandit: This is a re-issue of an iconic fragrance created by Germaine Cellier in 1944. Cellier, one of the few top female perfumers of that era, was a tough lady (possibly lesbian) who created a strong, dirty smell that many people associate with leather, trench coats and sadomasochism. All that sounds exciting. But to me, Bandit is the smell of a powerful woman crushing fragrant flowers roughly inside her balled fist.
Comme des Garcons 2: In its way as influential in the perfume world as Rei Kawakubos work in fashion. Created by Mark Buxton using mostly synthetic materials he ignored Kawakubos brief to create the smell of a swimming pool of black ink and created a virtual rose within a green wood. Stunning and intensely wearable.
Chanel No. 5: The most famous perfume in the world. It is so iconic that Chanel sells several versions. The original, formulated by Ernest Beaux is the perfume. The Eau de Toilette and the Eau de Parfum have slightly different formulations. And there are two updates, the Premiere by Jacques Polge and a more recent version by his son Olivier.
All are wonderful. Go to a perfume store. Try each version and choose the one that works for you.
Casmir: A somewhat idiosyncratic choice. This is a peachy floral with a sexy drydown (the last smell you get). I love the vanilla notes and I think it smells great on Indian women. Created in 1992 by the perfumer Michael Almariac for Chopard, this can be hard to find.
Sel de Vetiver: French perfumers love vetiver, which we call Khus. There are many outstanding vetivers out there (Sycomore by Chanel, the Guerlain Vetiver, etc.) but this is light and unusual. It begins with an evanescent note of salt that perfumer Celine Ellena (for the Different Company) is justly proud of.
Carnal Flower: All perfume is about sex. Sometimes it can be downright dirty. But here, Dominique Ropion (for Frederic Malle) makes it all about sophisticated seduction. Floral and glorious.
Coromandel: A spicy fragrance from Chanel, perfect for Indian tastes created (I suspect) by Christopher Sheldrake who did something similar (Borneo 1834) when he was at Serge Lutens.
Black Orchid: Perfume critics laugh and attribute the success of this sensual and heavy fragrance (created by the perfume company Givaudan) to Tom Fords marketing savvy. But I like it anyway.
Eau dHadrien: The most famous of Annick Goutals fragrances, this lemon and basil perfume is light and perfect for wearing in India in the summer.
Chinatown: From the funky New York boutique company Bond No. 9, this irresistible and naughty gourmand scent is actually quite French in construction, made along classic lines by Aurelien Guichard, who is from a famous French perfume dynasty.
Duelle: I love vanilla and I love spice so I love this Diptyque fragrance (by Fabrice Pellegrin) with its notes of cardamom, saffron, pepper, musk and lots and lots of vanilla.
Vanille Galante: The great perfumer Jean Claude Ellena finds most vanilla scents too vulgar, so this one, created while he was at Hermes, uses the smell of the vanilla flower and not the pod. Delicate and light.
Habanita: Cheap and cheerful. This is an ancient (1921!) fragrance that Indians love because it mixes vetiver (Khus) and vanilla. You can wear it all the year round. (By Molinard)
A La Nuit: Only if you like jasmine and like going out to glamorous places at night. This fragrance, a massive jasmine flowerbomb, created by Serge Lutens, merges the French and Middle Eastern perfume traditions in a way that is perfect for Indian women.
Shalimar: Created by Guerlain in 1925, apparently as a tribute to the Mughals, this is an all-time classic. It begins with soft citrusy notes but ends up as a warm, sophisticated vanilla-esque fragrance. Perfect with saris or Indian dress.
Rose Pompom: The problem with rose fragrances is that nobody wants to smell like rose sherbet. Camille Goutal and Philippine Courtier (for Annick Goutal) got around this problem by opening the perfume with fruit before getting to the heart of the rose and then settling down with wood and patchouli. This is new (2016) but will be around for a long time.
Portrait of a Lady: More rose, this time from the great Dominique Ropion (for Frederic Malle) it is modern in construction and successfully mixes patchouli with Turkish rose and spice. A knockout in the evening. Coolly sophisticated.
Bois des Iles: All perfumers are flummoxed by the shortage of sandalwood oil after India banned its export. So most sandalwood perfumes use synthetics. Chanel, on the other hand, has located its own source in New Caledonia. Sandalwood from elsewhere doesnt have the milky smell of real Indian sandalwood but Jacques Polge managed to save the beauty of the original Bois des lles, created by Ernest Beaux in the 1920s.This is Chanel No. 5 for Indians. It is full of our kinds of smells and yet is truly global.
Dries Van Noten: A strange animal. This is not a designer fragrance but one created by Bruno Jovanovic for Frederic Malle as a homage to the designers work. It is supposed to have Indian sandalwood (dont know the source) but thats not the dominant note to my nose. It is an assertive perfume that works well in our weather and I like it a lot more than I like Van Notens clothes.
The outliers
I should have included these but did not for various reasons:
Rose Nacree Du Desert: Created by Guerlains master perfumer Thierry Wasser from the Isfahan Rose (different from our rose) this is the ultimate rose fragrance, intense and light at the same time. But it is part of a limited edition and is hard to find so I left it out.
Scent: By Theo Fennel. I bought this in London a decade ago, a hard-to-find fragrance made by Christophe Laudamiel for the jeweller Theo Fennel. It matches saffron and musk so well that it is both gourmand and sexy. But I have never found it since so I didnt put it on the list.
Givenchy III: For years and years, this classic fragrance, created in 1970 by Jean-Francois Lotti and Raymond Chaillon was my favourite. Then it seemed to have disappeared and whenever I have been lucky enough to find it, the smell has never been the same. My guess is they tinkered with the formula.
Muscs Koublai Khan: This Serge Lutens fragrance by Christopher Sheldrake was launched in 1998 and its sheer dirty, sexy, power blows me away. Not on the list because I have only found it in a few Paris stores.
Diorissimo: The lily of the valley yields no perfume oil so all fragrances based on it are either made from cheap synthetics that mimic the smell, or like this classic, created by Edmond Roudnitska in 1956, made by blending natural and synthetic fragrances to convey the sense of the original flower. Sadly, the current version is nothing like the original. Either EU regulations made Dior change the formula or --- as they have done so often --- they are just using cheaper materials.
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The heavy rains lashing Mumbai have led to cancellation of the of a senior Australian minister to the city, authorities said on Wednesday.
Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo was scheduled to visit the BSE and the BSE Institute here on Thursday to promote Australia-India investment and education ties but it has been due to the inclement weather conditions in Mumbai, the Australian Consulate here said in a release.
Ciobo was to ring the opening bell of the BSE before addressing students from the BSE Institute and meet its leadership to highlight the growing interest of Australians to invest in India, the release said.
Ciobos visit was scheduled to highlight existing partnerships between Australian and Indian education institutions and also interact with BSE Institute students pursuing higher studies in Australia, it said.
The minister is in India for the Australia Business Week in India (ABWI), an initiative of the Australian government to expand the countrys trade, investment and education ties with India.
A senior doctor from Bombay Hospital, Parel went missing near Elphinstone road on Tuesday evening, after he decided to walk back home from work.
Dr Deepak Amarapurkar,58, a senior gastroenterologist physician at Bombay Hospital was on his way back home to Prabhadevi in his car when he decided to abandon the car and his driver and started walking to his house, said a family friend. He had called his wife at 6.50pm, 10 minutes before he went untraceable, said one of his colleagues. He is still missing, its a horrible situation. An eye witness told us that he got sucked in a manhole in Elphinstone, he added.
The Mumbai fire brigade, Mumbai police and disaster management personnel from the civic body, along with divers from National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) checked five manholes in Elphinstone, Dadar, starting from the one where he was last seen on Tuesday evening.
His family members have registered a missing persons complaint. We have been checking all manholes nearby the area with fire brigade and BMC officials to locate him, said assistant commissioner of police Sunil Deshmukh.
Police officials confirmed that a few witnesses saw a person who looked like Dr Amrapurkar walking in the middle of Tulsi Pipe road. The witnesses said they had warned him about the heavy flow of water, but he continued to walk.People had noticed a person being swept away due to the flow of the water and lost grip of his umbrella. Bystanders then handed over the umbrella to police officials, which was later identified to be Dr Amarapurkars, Dr Sharma added.
According to an official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, they looked for him in all the manholes and also at Love Grove and Cleveland Storm Water Pumping Stations in Worli, but could not trace him. We have checked all the possible places. Incase, he fell in the manhole and his body swept into the sea, we will have to wait for the next 24 hours as the body may swell and reach one of the shores, said AB Parab, from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
Meanwhile, Dr Amarapukars family friends said his children, who are in the United States, learnt about the incident on Wednesday morning. The family members told them about the incident on Wednesday morning, he said. His wife Anjali Amarapukar, is a pathologist who works at Sion Hospital.
Senior citizen found
80-year-old Madhav Vaidya, father of Dr Aachal Vaidya from Mulund, was found at Mulund station on Wednesday morning. The senior citizen had gone missing since Tuesday morning.
Police officials found him near Mulund station. He doesnt remember anything and we didnt ask further, said his son-in-law Mandar. Madhav wasnt carrying an umbrella or phone and didnt return home on Tuesday after the floods, leaving family and friends in a state of panic.
#RainHosts and #MumbaiCarPool were trending on Twitter on Tuesday, as people opened up their homes and offered to share their cars to help those stranded in the downpour.
Social media swung into action to help those stranded in the heavy downpour. People tweeted with the hashtag #RainHosts to offer their homes, including tea, snacks and in some cases, towels and even Netflix. The #MumbaiCarPool hashtag trended too, as those stuck in the rains tried to help each other.
The hashtag got a tremendous response, and someone stepped into create a document including all the details.
Hello people, here's a spreadsheet with tweets containing #rainhosts share it with people who're stuck. https://t.co/DdlhprAY30 Mehul Ved (@mehulved) August 29, 2017
If you're offering your space for people stuck in #MumbaiRains please tweet with the #RainHosts tag. Doc autoupdates https://t.co/wEnh1O4xVA Prolificd (@prolificd) August 29, 2017
#RainHosts Anyone stuck on WE Highway (Malad/Kandivali/Borivali), will be happy to host in Thakur Complex. Ping me here. #MumbaiRains ???? (@varungrover) August 29, 2017
If anyone is stuck around the Powai area, you are welcome to my place. We have books, tea, and a surprisingly comfortable couch. #RainHosts Siddharth Agarwal (@BoredMechie) August 29, 2017
Anyone stranded in Bandra? Otters Club, Carter Road, opens its doors to all. Do drop in for a cup of tea & snacks (and towels!). #RainHosts Pervin Sanghvi (@pervinsanghvi) August 29, 2017
Anyone around Mulund looking for a space to rest is welcomed. Netflix, Prime, Hotstar & Snacks. #RainHosts Shahrlock (@deepen_shah) August 29, 2017
Jain temples, Sikh gurudwaras, Ganeshostav mandals and housing societies invited people in to rest, have a meal, pick up drinking water or take some comfort in a hot cup of tea.
About 1,000 people reportedly responded to the WhatsApp messages from the GSB Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava Samiti in Wadala, saying it was offering hot food and water.
After we got the news of traffic blocks and train services coming to a halt, we immediately made arrangements to feed up to 5,000 people, says mandal member Subhash Pai. We knew a lot of people would be stuck in low-lying Dadar, Sion and Kings Circle and also invited them to come to the mandal for shelter.
Gurudwaras in the city opened their doors to those stranded and prepared their langars or community kitchens to help.
We have about 75 volunteers stationed at areas with major waterlogging Dadar, Lalbaug and Parel, to let people know there is help nearby. We found out in the evening about two buses of school children stuck near Sion hospital since the afternoon, so we headed there to provide food and water, said Manpreet Singh, who is spearheading the relief operation.
The Jain Mahajan Trust guest house in Masjid Bunder offered free food and accommodation, spreading word via WhatsApp. About 250 people took shelter there.
During the 26/7 deluge too we had helped people. We are doing the same this time, said Bhavesh Gangar, a member.
At the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh mandal, darshan also included offers of food, water and shelter. About 2,000 volunteers and myself are spread out in the areas around the pandal to spread the word, says mandal president Balasaheb Kamble.
Management consultant Gaurav Bagaria was one of the many citizens who opened their doors to strangers caught in the deluge.
This time, its been much easier to reach out and extend a helping hand, because of social media, he says. Otherwise, nothing has changed since 26/7. The mess is the same. The government apathy is the same.
The Maharashtra State Council for Educational Research and Training (MSCERT) has decided to create an online drop box that will have names of students remaining absent for more than 30 days at a stretch.
Officials said the decision was taken to bring down the number of students dropping out from schools.
Though the department first announced the initiative on August 17, a government resolution (GR) to implement it was issued on Monday.
As per the circular issued by Suvarna Kharat, deputy secretary of the department, the drop box will be part of governments online database, SARAL, and will help it in early identification and tracking of drop outs.
In the interiors of Maharashtra, children often remain absent from school for months to help their families in fields or migrate to other states in search of work. We hope to identify such students through this programme, said Kharat
However, city schools raised objections saying this will create confusion and add to the teachers workload.
The government is good at collecting data, but it is unable to manage it. The success of this initiative depends on how the data is managed, or else it will only add to the confusion, said Rohan Bhat, chairperson, Childrens Academy Group of Schools, Kandivli and Malad.
Schools are worried that entering data into the drop box daily will only increase teachers workload.
When SARAL was first introduced, our teachers were asked to upload students details online. Many of them missed classes to complete the given work, said Father Francis Swamy, principal of St Marys School, Mazagaon, and joint director of Archdiocesan Board of Education.
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A day after 316 mm of rain over 12 hours paralysed Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was defensive, insisting that the civic body, controlled by his party, did its best to tackle the natural disaster. Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with civic chief Ajoy Mehta and mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, Thackeray said the civic bodys handling of the situation had improved, compared to how the 26/11 floods were managed.
He added that as nature is unpredictable, it is possible to prepare for calamities only to a certain extent.
There was a nine-km-long cloud hovering over the city. Fortunately, it did not burst, otherwise the situation would have been much worse, he said.
He also slammed allegations that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had wasted funds allocated for monsoon preparation works.
If we had not used crores of rupees on these works, you wouldnt have been able to reach here today. The critics will criticise, but I have been working for the real Mumbaiites and not those who simply want to oppose [the BMC], said Thackeray.
An editorial in the partys mouthpiece, Saamana, said the people should look at Houston, which is reeling under floods.
There is chest-deep water there. Boats have rescued about 30,000 citizens from roads that turned into rivers. The Shiv Sena does not rule Houston and Texas. Those who criticise Mumbais municipal corporation should remember this, read the editorial. He added that Shiv Sainiks helped people on the ground, rescued them from trains and arranged for shelter and food for them.
We serve the people and that is why they give us their blessings time and again It was my Shiv Sainiks who went from house to house yesterday to help, not you, Thackeray told a reporter.
However, like the state government and the BMC, Shiv Sena leaders did not send out advisories or information about the nearest shelters.
The first public alert about the floods from the party was from Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray, who took to social media at 12.20 pm. While Uddhav stayed in the background, Aaditya took over as the partys face and point of contact for the public for the rest of the day.
A 30-year-old lawyer, who got trapped inside his car in Tuesdays deluge, was found dead on Wednesday morning at Sion.
According to the Sion police, the man, identified as Priyam Mithia, a resident of Sion, had gone to the street opposite Gandhi Market to park his car. The vehicle got locked automatically and he could not rescue himself.
In the morning we found a Santro car parked in the middle of the road towards Shanmukhananda Hall. We found a man inside. We opened the car and rushed the man to Sion hospital. He was declared dead on arrival, said Mrudula Lad, senior police inspector of Sion police station.
Lad said the doors of the car were jammed owing to waterlogging.
The windows of the car were also rolled up.
The police have sent the mans body for post-mortem. We will know the exact cause of death after post-mortem, said Lad.
Mumbai was marooned by heavy rain and floods on Tuesday for the second time in 12 years. Mercifully, only a handful of lives were lost unlike in the deluge of July 26, 2005 which had claimed more than 400 lives. But the 316 mm of rain in 12 hours only about a third of the 2005 downpour battered the city, left millions stranded, and made a mockery of its claims of improved disaster management systems.
Incidents of unusually high rainfall and cloudbursts were rare or once-in-a-century kind of occurrences, we were assured in 2005. They do not seem uncommon any more. What is rare is the willingness of those who govern Mumbai the state government, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and other agencies to collectively address the core issue: How to prepare for the worst case scenario and how to execute disaster management plans.
In three of the last seven years, Mumbai has experienced unusually high rainfall in a few hours in the month of August. Tuesdays was the fourth and most severe. There would be a few more days of extreme rain in June and July of a year since the 2005 deluge. On each occasion, the city came to a standstill, its suburban railway system was disrupted or halted, BEST buses braved the floods, arterial roads were gridlocked with traffic for hours on end. Millions suffered and were angry.
The day was saved by the proverbial Good Samaritans who opened doors to their homes, restaurants and sheltering places, by individual police and civic personnel who went beyond the call of duty to provide assistance, by a few dedicated staffers in key offices of the government and BMC. A day or two later, Mumbai returned to its usual rhythm. The anger dissipated, over time it turned to indifference or disinterest.
We did not remain angry, we did not demand accountability from those in charge of the city, we did not penalise them in elections.
After 2005, the citys systems were supposed to be geared to tackle unusually high rainfall or cloudburst situations. Their response on Tuesday should have been calm, comprehensive and coordinated. It was not. This was the first failure, never mind the Thackeray father-sons justifications. Nullah-cleaning, that too in a scattered manner, does not amount to preparing Mumbai for rain, let alone an unusually heavy downpour, Mr Uddhav Thackeray.
The initial lack of coordination between different agencies was another drawback. The first advisory came at around 2pm after the transport systems had been well and truly disrupted, and millions marooned. There was a comical contradiction too: At around 2.30pm, the state government urged its employees and others to head home but the Mumbai Police asked people to stay indoors wherever they were.
Why were coherent and useful advisories not issued earlier? Who erred? And how can two authorities issue contradictory advisories? Then, the National Disaster Management Authority put out a series of tweet-advisories, one asking Mumbaiites to use walking sticks or poles to look for open manholes and another advising them to avoid contact with flood waters. These might have been attempts at dark humour. Surely the agency can do better.
Dissemination of accurate and credible information is a key aspect of disaster management. Clearly, the BMC, state government and agencies like the NDMA floundered. The Met department had issued a forecast of heavy rain for Monday-Tuesday, but then the department goes off-key more often than not. Citizens are not equipped to make sense of the Mets warnings; the government and BMC are. Its their responsibility to interpret forecasts and inform Mumbaiites in time. Not doing so meant setting up the city for the disaster. Thats another failure.
There are larger fundamental issues. Back in 1985, after a city-stopping deluge, a detailed plan was worked out to expand the storm water carrying capacity of Mumbais drainage system, called the BRIMSTOWAD plan. It is rarely discussed or its implementation given priority by administrations obsessed with cosmetic projects such as the sealink or Smart City Mission. Of the BMCs staggering Rs 2.19 lakh crores total budget in the last ten years, it spent barely 18% or some Rs 40,000 crores on creating or upgrading basic infrastructure, as this paper pointed out earlier.
Beyond it all lies the unsurprising unwillingness of agencies to factor in impacts of climate change and rising sea levels in Mumbais plans and projects. The citys natural water drainage systems are treated with disdain and neglect, its green and open areas gifted to real estate developers, and natural sponges such as wetlands, mangroves and salt pan lands nonchalantly denotified for construction. Till this changes, theres little hope for Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena and BJP which shared power in the BMC have much to answer for. As do the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party whose alliance governments (1999 to 2014) created a parallel and autonomous to that extent, undemocratic network of agencies to govern Mumbai. Now, the buck stops at the chief ministers table via Thackerays bungalow. Nurse your anger, hold them accountable.
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Jai Maharashtra, said Madhya Pradesh-based 32-year-old Shailendra Sharvaiyya, whose ailing daughter and a family of four were given shelter at Mumbai police headquarters on Tuesday night.
The Mumbai police, responding to a tweet by the family members, rescued the family from flooded Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Kurla, and ensured they received food, water and shelter after torrential rains hit Mumbai.
Two months ago, Sharvaiyya with his daughter Neha had come to the city for treatment at Bombay Hospital. The seven-year-old was suffering from fever, vomiting and urine infections, and was being treated by a nephrologist at the hospital.
We came again on August 26 for follow-up treatment but since a lot for tests had to be done, the hospital asked us to admit the patient for three days, said Sharvaiyya.
The family who had to board a train back home scheduled to depart from LTT at 12.30am on Tuesday, however, got stuck owing to the incessant rain and train delays.
A cousin from Bangalore was also in the city, so I asked him to check if we could get help from the local police on twitter. He tweeted to Mumbai police, and to our surprise, the officials came looking for us in no time, Sharvaiyya added.
The family was immediately taken to the police headquarters and necessary arrangements were made. We got to know that there is a child patient involved; hence the case was treated as a priority. The family was extremely happy, and they will be leaving by a train tonight, said Mumbai police spokesperson.
Just before the first light of dawn at 4:30 am, office goers stranded at their workplaces -- which got converted into makeshift dormitories for the night -- made their way to the Churchgate station in south Mumbai to reach home. (Live Updates)
Shortly after the suburban train services resumed after the rain fury, Churchgate and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus witnessed scenes resembling any evening when offices shut for the day and commuters flock to return home.
People started trickling out on the streets and made their way to the two primary train terminuses -- CSMT on Central Railway and Churchgate on the Western Railway.
After the heavy downpour subsided overnight, commuters were seen crowding these stations, in expectation of taking a train back home and resting peacefully on a day virtually declared as an unofficial holiday by the state administration.
The place of work turned into place of stay or a dormitory for the office goers and almost all the offices, especially those of state-run institutions that dominate the south Mumbai area, hosted employees for the night.
Discussions about the night spent away from home, the adjustments which had to be made and the odd body ache were common as people descended on railway stations in the commercial district.
With no information on easing of rail traffic forthcoming, there was anxiety on what fate awaits. It transpired to be a mixed bag. While the Western Railway services were up albeit in a limited manner, it was status quo on Central Railways both Main Line and Harbour Line till 7.26 am when the first train chugged out for Kalyan from CSMT.
Predictably, there was disappointment and a few irate women passengers entered the station masters office in the heritage Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
People are trying to enter station masters offices at various stations including CSMT asking for services to resume at earliest. We have deployed additional force where necessary, a Government Railway Police official said.
A few hundred people had to be pushed back and the station managers office had to be cordoned off.
Outside, in the Nagar Chowk precinct, every passing vehicle was being waived at and asked for a lift.
I have been stuck at office since last evening and now have to pay extra to get back home to Thane, said a 40- something woman who works for a state-run bank and paid a hefty Rs 200 per seat for the 35-km journey till neighbouring Thane.
However, not everybody was as lucky as her and the crowds kept swelling. Some blamed the lack of coordination between the railways and BEST undertaking which runs local public transport buses.
If CR knew that services cannot be resumed by morning, why did not they deploy additional buses as the rains have stopped and roads were clear? asked an irate insurance employee.
In what seemed like an ad-hoc arrangement, BEST deployed a few buses to ply from CSMT to suburban Ghatkopar, through the Eastern Freeway, with priority to ferry women.
For some, it was a long haul with train services being stuck near Ghatkopar but for the lucky ones, the wish to return home was unfulfilled as another challenging day dawned.
YWCA Carlisle, in collaboration with members of the Bosnian Community Center, will offer a free community dinner for residents in Cumberland County on Sept. 13 at the organizations building at 301 G St., in Carlisle.
The event A Taste of Bosnia and Herzegovina will begin with a gathering at 6:30 p.m. followed by a meal and program beginning at 7 p.m., the YWCA said in a news release. Residents are encouraged to register by calling 717-243-3818. The evenings meal and program are free.
At Home With Our Neighbors is a wonderful opportunity for members of our communities to meet Bosnian families living in our county and experience their culture through food and fellowship, said YWCA Carlisle Executive Director Robin Scaer. When people take the time to get to know one another and discover the beauty and power of each others backgrounds, we are all lifted up by that experience and strengthen our community in the process.
Heavy rain pounded the city between 8.30am and 1.30pm, virtually paralysing transportation systems and inundating roads. However, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) released its first proper advisory, asking people to stay indoors, only around 2pm. By then, the citys drains, capable of handling only 25mm of rain an hour, had already gone under.
The Maharashtra government, too, sprung into action much after mid-day. After wrapping up a cabinet meeting at noon, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took stock of the situation and visited disaster management control centres in the afternoon. For the first part of the day, officials associated with the state disaster management cell maintained the situation is not dire and that the state was keeping a close watch. It also said that the first respondents to disaster, be it the BMC or the police, were tackling the problem.
Mumbai is no stranger to torrential rain, which has, on a number of occasions, strained weak infrastructure and battered the city, leaving people stranded. However, preventive disaster management and advisories remain a tall order for the citys authorities.
The Colaba observatory of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a statement to warn about heavy rain in the next 24 hours, after which the BMC sent out a perfunctory advisory through a press statement conveying the message. Despite that state authorities seemed to have taken things lightly. No efforts were made to ensure smooth commute as lakhs of people remained stranded at various stations waiting for suburban trains to go home.
Even the state governments circular to its own employees allowing them to leave work at 2.30pm was issued an hour later, after 3.30pm.
Medha Gadgil, additional chief secretary, relief and rehabilitation, however, said authorities informed all secretaries in advance verbally to let employees leave early and it was just the written word that was delayed. For preventive disaster management, our control room is operational 24/7. Moreover, the first respondents send out advisories based on weather warnings, she said.
Besides IMD warnings, the BMC also has its own 60 automatic rain gauges at 58 locations to rely on. Of these, 54 transmit rainfall data to the BMCs disaster control room every 15 minutes. They are also equipped with a console that can give an audible alarm if rainfall intensity exceeds 10mm in 15 minutes.
Sudhir Naik, deputy municipal commissioner of general administration in the BMC, said, the civic body takes preventive measures such as installing localised pumps to prevent water logging, activate its six pumping stations across the city and use sewerage pumping machinery to drain water into the sea. When we have warnings like the one today, our staff is sent to the field in the morning. We deliberately sent out the first advisory late on Tuesday as trains stopped functioning around 12.30-1pm. If we had raised an advisory before that, people would have tried to step out and get home, and in turn get stranded on roads, he said.
City-based environmental activist Rishi Agarwal said, More forceful advisories, like the ones sent out on Tuesday, could have been issued on Monday itself, knowing the situation and the weather warning. But people also need to start taking these advisories seriously when we know the administration is failing us.
IC Sisodia, former chief officer of the BMCs special vigilance cell and disaster management cell, said there is negligible preventive management and preparation for disasters. The disaster management cell functions literally like a call centre. People who man the phones are not very well educated or appropriately trained to tackle warnings or respond to calls. The flood preparation manuals never reach the mobilised field staff, said Sisodia, who retired in 1995. He wrote a letter to Fadnavis pointing out the lacunae in disaster management in June, but did not receive a reply.
He also highlighted the futility of the Greater Metropolitan Disaster Management Authority, a panel comprising the municipal commissioner, chief of the MMRDA, home guard and other members, and general managers of the Central and Western Railway. The authority is supposed to meet every three months, but that has not really helped as it should have to prevent days like today, he added
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The heavy downpour on Tuesday caused much trouble for students living at various government-run hostels for in the city, as water seeped in the rooms and libraries through leaky roofs and walls of the buildings.
Students said staying at several rooms in hostels at Chembur, Jogeshwari and Worli became tough due to persistent leakage and water accumulated on the floor. The inmates are also afraid that the old and dilapidated structures might not be able to withstand the harsh weather.
The hostels, which are managed by the state governments department of social justice and special assistance, house over 100 students - most of them belonging to socially backward categories.
The students said that while water leakage is a constant problem during the monsoon, the situation became much worse in the past 4-5 days. There isnt any dry spot left in many rooms. Some students spent the night awake, while others had to move their beds to other rooms. Our books are also unsafe as the also seeping in the lockers, said Rohit Kamble, an inmate at the Chembur hostel.
Budhbhushan Kamble, a student living in the Worli hostel, said the rooms occupied by the girls are particularly affected by the seepage. We have to keep draining the water. The academics have taken a toll, he said.
The students are also under the constant fear owing to the dilapidated condition of the buildings. The pillars have become very fragile. It seems they will fall any moment, said Kamble.
The students said they had filed complaints about lack of facility and poor condition of the buildings, to no avail. The authorities from the department have taken no action so far. All we get are assurances, said Sachin Manwadkar of Ambedkar Students Association.
Despite repeated attempts, SS Shere, assistant commissioner (Mumbai city), social welfare, didnt respond to HTs queries.
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Sion, Kings Circle, Kurla, Bandra, Mahim, Dadar, and Matunga were severely flooded on Tuesday, with public and private transport coming to a standstill. These areas form the backbone of Mumbai, connecting the island city to its suburbs, or forming entry points to the suburbs. However, they flood every monsoon, with the civic body refusing to listen to residents claims, said activists.
These areas are low lying. Coupled with encroachment on their river banks and a lack of planning on the BMCs part, they are often water logged, said environmentalists.
The Madhav Chitale committee set up after Mumbais 2005 deluge determined these areas to be the worst affected in the city, along with Kalina, Govandi, and Chembur. It suggested area-specific measures to mitigate flooding, such as risk zone mapping, and creating special disaster response guidelines in high-risk zones. However, the disaster management department has no such plans.
I dont know about zone mapping as the storm water drains department carries out this task. It must have done so this year, said a senior official.
Transport expert Ashok Datar, who was associated with Concerned Citizens Committee, which submitted suggestions to the Chitale Committee said maps can be used to inform residents that their areas are likely to flood. Authorities can use these areas to formulate precautionary measures, he added.
George Abraham, former Kalina corporator, had resigned over the BMCs lack of will to prevent flooding. He said little has changed since 2005. Two months before the 2005 monsoon, I asked the BMC to pay attention to Bandra and Mahim as they were likely to flood. As the BMC did not act, the areas flooded, so I resigned in protest, he said.
Abraham said Bandra and Kalina are prone to floods owing to the narrow mouth of the Mithi river. Though the river was subsequently widened, Godfrey Pimenta, of Watchdog Foundation,sent the BMC recently Google images of the river taken in 2005 and 2017. He said people continued to encroach on the river banks.
The city has several low-lying areas that are prone to seasonal flooding. To mitigate this, the Development Plan 2034 suggests buffer zones along rivers, creeks and nullahs. But, some have been marked and some have not, he said.
The dewatering pumps in these areas were all working on Tuesday. Desolating of nullahs in these areas has been systematically done, said a senior civic official, who did not wish to be identified.
The weatherman ruled out possibility of heavy rain in Mumbai on Wednesday as the flood-hit city tried to cope with the massive deluge that left vast areas under water and people stranded overnight at train stations and offices.
The countrys financial capital was brought to its knees on Tuesday after near-record rainfall left the city under water, disrupting flights and trains and leaving thousands of people stranded for long hours.
Rain stopped overnight and suburban trains resumed services late on Tuesday though the city braced for another day of hardship with vast areas still under water.
Mumbai is not going to see rains for few hours as the monsoon clouds have moved towards north, said KS Hosalikar of the India Meteorological Department.
South Gujarat & other areas may experience heavy rains.In afternoon, North Konkan region including Mumbai may experience light rain, the IMD added.
Schools and colleges have been asked to remain shut by authorities amid indications of a fresh spell of heavy showers in the megapolis.
The city and its suburbs virtually have a public holiday on Wednesday with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis advising people to stay back home unless there is an emergency.
However, essential services and critical staff in the government will be on duty today, Fadnavis said.
Mumbai Police said all roads are normal all over Mumbai except a little waterlogging at Sion.
Suburban train services on Western Railway resumed around midnight and those on the Central Railway are still struggling to come on track.
Trains started moving out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus where hundreds of people were stranded overnight. Indian Navy personnel distributed breakfast and tea to the stranded passengers at the CSMT station.
The downpour flooded tracks of all three suburban railway system Central, Western and Harbour lines the citys lifeline that carries more than seven million commuters every day.
Mumbai received 298 mm of rainfall over a period of 9 hours on Tuesday, nine times more rain than the average, an IMD official said.
The city recorded 298 mm of rainfall, the highest in a day in August since 1997.
Traffic on the Eastern and Western Express highways, the two key arterial roads in Mumbai, which was crawling at a snails pace, is slowly returning to normal.
Navy helicopters are on standby in view of heavy rains in Mumbai and its adjoining areas. Flood rescue teams and divers are also ready for deployment, a Navy spokesperson said.
Three persons, including two children were killed in Mumbai while a 32-year-old woman and a teenage girl died in rain-related incidents in Thane yesterday, police had said.
People in Mumbai opened their homes and hearts to strangers, offering assistance to those stranded in the floods.
In many offices, employees stayed back in the night as they could not catch trains and buses for getting home.
Under fire over the shoddy infrastructure in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena -- which heads the municipal corporation -- sought to blame rain gods for the natural calamity.
Although Mumbai is trying to build itself into a global financial hub, parts struggle to cope during annual monsoon rains.
Floods in 2005 killed more than 500 people in the city. The majority of deaths occurred in shanty town slums, which are home to more than half of Mumbais population.
Unabated construction on floodplains and coastal areas, as well as storm-water drains and waterways clogged by plastic garbage, has made the city increasingly vulnerable to storms.
Low-lying parts of the city with a population of more than 20 million people witnesses flooding almost every year but large-scale flooding of this magnitude hasnt been witnessed in recent years.
It was deja vu for many Mumbaiites on Tuesday. The downpour that brought the city to its knees was reminiscent of the heavy deluge on July 26, 2005 when a cloudburst had brought the megapolis to a complete standstill for two days.
Between 8.30am and 8.30pm on Tuesday, Mumbai recorded 315.8mm of rain. On July 26, 2005, when the city drowned, killing more than 1,000 people, 944mm rain fell over a period of 24 hours.
On social media, Mumbaikars drew parallels, recalling the utter mayhem that the city experienced on that dark day.
Rain intensity increasing in Mumbai. Shut office early. Car stuck in several feet of water. Looks nearly as bad as 26/7 Minhaz Merchant (@MinhazMerchant) August 29, 2017
#MumbaiRains I think it's a 26/7 situation.My maids & their families are with me as their house is half under water. Plz extend help to all Gita S. Kapoor (@GitaSKapoor) August 29, 2017
Johnny Joseph, the then municipal commissioner, said the situation was much better this year than what it was in 2005, as it was unprecedented back then. We had to rescue 2.20 lakh people over a span of five hours without being alerted about the intensity of rains, said Joseph. The 2005 deluge helped the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have a strategy that included widening rivers, developing more outfalls for the pipelines, having more pumping stations.
Mumbai is no stranger to calamities. It suffers almost every other year, when there is a downpour. The first such recorded crisis was in 1974 with 200mm rain, said Joseph, adding that the drainage system in the city is 125 years old and it cannot be changed overnight.
On July 26, 2005, a torrential downpour had brought the city to a grinding halt and claimed over a 1,000 lives. The city was flooded, with residents wading in chest-high water. Airports were shut for 30 hours, trains were cancelled, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was shut down, mobile networks were hit. Stranded residents sought shelter in colleges, offices and even in the homes of strangers.
Images from 26/7, carried in the Hindustan Times edition on July 28, show the extent of the disaster. Cars completely submerged in water, the elderly being carried on shoulders, the breakdown of public transport, chaos at railway stations.
Hindustan Times special edition dated July 28, 2005, which chronicled the submerged city on 26/7. (HT Archives)
On Tuesday again, Mumbais sewer lines were overwhelmed. The sewer lines in the city can manage a maximum of 70mm water from rain and high tide. However, if it increases beyond that, it is bound to cause water logging, said YB Sontakke, joint director, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The BMC alone cannot be held responsible. The condition has resulted due to a concoction of environmental issues such as tree felling and air pollution that has led to a shift in weather patterns and examples are these sudden downpours.
Environmentalists said while the city received half the amount of rain recorded on July 26, 2005, the chaos was far more on Tuesday. This is a result of construction of walls along the four rivers (Mithi, Dahisar, Poinsur and Oshiwara), reclamation of salt pans, and destruction of mangroves that has not allowed excess water from the downpour and high tide to evenly spread across our sewage lines, said Stalin D, director, NGO Vanashakti. We have left no space in the city to allow the flow of this water. Concrete is blocking most of it from flowing off. This was not the case in 2005. It was extremely heavy rain over three days that had caused the trouble then.
Hindustan Times special edition dated July 28, 2005. (HT Archives)
Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, Watchdog Foundation, agrees. While the 2005 deluge was unprecedented and it was much more catastrophic than what happened on Tuesday, the heavy rain still brought the city to a virtual breakdown. Over the past few years, we have been telling the state not to reclaim open spaces, mangroves, salt pans and wetlands but since they do not listen, the result is a flooded Mumbai, said Pimenta.
BMC officials said Tuesdays flooding was not comparable to what happened in 2005. We are trying to tackle the situation to the best of our capabilities by communicating with officials from the Centre, state and local ward offices. With the help of pumping stations, we have cleared a lot of water from water logged areas, which was not the case in 2005. Even 10 teams from the National Disaster Response Force are in the city for any untoward incidents, said a senior civic official.
Hindustan Times special edition dated July 28, 2005. (HT Archives)
Experts said the sewage lines need to be expanded and repaired. The fundamental problem persists that the citys sewage lines cannot hold more than 50mm of rain over 12 hours. The need of the hour is to focus on building a strategy that will help both old Mumbai and the suburbs release rainwater and high tide water faster, said Joseph. There needs to be a long standing plan that might be expensive but takes care of such waterlogging much faster. The BMC is working on it and hopefully circumstances will be even smoother in coming years.
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As Mumbai continued to brave heavy rains on Wednesday, the citys police came in for praise over their initiatives to help stranded residents and quick social media outreach.
The Mumbai Polices official Twitter account has been active during the downpour, tweeting helpful information about traffic snarls, roads to avoid as well as precautions that citizens should take.
The @MumbaiPolice repeatedly tweeted asking people to reach out to them in case they are stuck or couldnt locate a family member or friend.
In one case, the police responded to a mans tweet about his diabetic father who was stranded without a phone, while in another, they reached out to a woman who had tweeted about her brother. In both cases, the police made contact with the family members and ensured the safety of the stranded person.
We have contacted your brother. We are providing him assistance. Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 29, 2017
The polices prompt action was praised by many, including tycoon Anand Mahindra, who reflected on how technology was enhancing public service.
A good & hopeful note to end the day with...Technology enhancing public service.. https://t.co/sCE9HxBqCg anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 29, 2017
Not only Mahindra, the polices stellar performance and timely updates earned them laurels from the common man as well as the famous. The official Twitter account became a steady stream of accurate information for people left high and dry.
Mumbais police commissioner also tweeted praise for his force, lauding their efforts.
Proud to lead a force of dedicated officers & men, who delivered to the best of their abilities & lend Mumbaikars an assuring hand pic.twitter.com/J4S9bN3DaG CP Mumbai Police (@CPMumbaiPolice) August 30, 2017
On Twitter, celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar praised the polices efforts.
Dear #Mumbaikars ,
Requesting to follow @MumbaiPolice for continuous updates on overall situation in #Mumbai due to #MumbaiRains . Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) August 29, 2017
Heavy rains predicted. Pls get back home & stay safe. Kudos to @MumbaiPolice & others who are out trying to ease the situation. #MumbaiRains sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 29, 2017
congratulations and well done Mumbai Police .. !!???????? https://t.co/fIwEgvDTV2 Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 30, 2017
A big salute to the @MumbaiPolice Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) August 29, 2017
Follow @MumbaiPolice they're doing an excellent job with info, updates and advice on what to do. #MumbaiRains Jose Covaco (@HoeZaay) August 29, 2017
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) restored normalcy on Wednesday with very little impact on flight operations, a day after Mumbai witnessed heavy downpour.
Only Jet Airways cancelled 12 flights to minimise impact on their operations from and to the city. To start, a backlog of all flights that saw a 45-minute delay through Tuesday were cleared by 1am. Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said two Mumbai flights bound to Muscat and Singapore that could not take off on Tuesday flew at 11.30am and 2.30pm on Wednesday.
Officials from the Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) said operations on Wednesday morning had a minor delay of up to 20 minutes, which by noon was down to 10 minutes. However, senior Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials termed the 10-minute delay as normal. Sources from the airport said there was no air traffic congestion, but the late arrival of crew members and other ground staff due to water logging in various parts of the city led to flights taking off beyond their scheduled time.
On Wednesday evening, Jet Airways tweeted stating that arrivals and departures were delayed up to an hour, and was likely to continue till 10.30pm. Harikrishnan S who was travelling to Chennai by Jet Airways said his flight was delayed by an hour and moved toward take-off at 7pm. All airlines issued an advisory of suspected delays in flight operations to and from the city airport through the day.
The Juhu aerodrome that has around 100 operations every day remained shut for the first half of the day. The aerodrome has five pumps to drain the accumulated water in the airfield. However, water did not recede in the morning owing to increased water level in the nullahs. All our helicopters started flying from 1pm, said Sanjay Kumar, general manager, western region, Pawan Hans General Manager.
One of our worst experiences in India turned (out) to (be) one of our best and we learnt a lot from you, read the thank you postcard, written by Arie and Sophie Boleswaski and their three daughters to Dadar Gurudwara.
The French tourist family stuck in Mumbai floods on Tuesday went to three hotels in Dadar looking for a safe place before being directed to the Gurudwara. We were lost in the rain, and your Gurudwara appeared like a lighthouse in the dark. Not only you provided us with a shelter, but you welcomed us with extreme kindness, said Boleswaskis in the thank you note.
The family was offered dal khichadi for dinner and a small room by the Gurudwara officials as they were concerned about their safety.
The note. (HT)
They were one of 750 victims of Mumbai floods who came to the Gurudwara in need of shelter and food. Considering their concerns and the fact that they are our guests, we ensured they are not inconvenienced in any way, said Kulwant Singh, vice-president of Dadar Singh Sabha.
Singh said the family was extremely worried after the transportation system of the city collapsed and couldnt find a safe place to spend the night. They went about one hotel to another, but couldnt find a suitable place. Thats when one of the hotel owners, directed them towards us, said Manpreet Singh, one of the volunteers.
While the family refused any other special arrangement and chose to sleep on floor after seeing the condition of their fellow victims of the deluge, in the morning they said it was the best night of their life, Kulwant said.
As the family returned to their home town Paris, France, on Wednesday morning after the roads were cleared and transportation was resumed, but not without donating towards the cause of public welfare.
Please accept this small contribution to everything you do for the souls in need. If you happen to come to Paris, please let us know, said Arie and Sophie Boleswaski in the postcard.
The Ghaziabad police on Wednesday morning arrested a dreaded criminal following a gunfight. A police team from Sihani Gate police station chased the two men on a bike after they failed to stop at a barrier near Sihani Chungi area and were later chased to Raj Nagar Extension (RNE).
The two men were on an Apache bike and were speeding towards Sahibabad from RNE when the police team managed to reach closer but the two opened fire. According to sources, the two men fired at least 8-9 rounds at the police team which left sub inspector Saurabh Shukla and constable Arun Kumar injured. The officials said that both the injured were stable and suffered minor injuries.
In retaliatory fire, one of the two men sustained a bullet injury in his leg while the other managed to flee during the wee hours on Wednesday. The man who sustained injury was arrested and rushed to hospital. He was identified as Harendra Makreda with 29 cases of heinous crimes against his name, said Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city).
According to officials, Makreda has 29 cases that include attempt to murder, chain snatching and robberies at Sahibabad, Sihani Gate, Kavi Nagar and sector 58 in Noida police stations. He also has cases of the Gangster Act and had come out from jail around three months back.
In February, Makreda along with an accomplice had committed chain snatching in Sanjay Nagar after which he was nabbed by locals and sent to jail by police. Thereafter, he came out on bail and yet again indulged in robberies and chain snatching.
The police also recovered a pistol and several live cartridges from the possession of the accused. The bike which we recovered is suspected to be stolen and we are trying to verify the details. The other accused, Shiva, escaped and teams are trying to trace his hideouts, said Tomar.
The incident of cross fire between the criminals and the police came on heels of visit by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath who will arrive in Ghaziabad on August 31.
According to officials, they have already beefed up security arrangements in different areas and deployed nearly 2400 personnel along with a contingent of nearly 54 officers to secure the Kavi Nagar Ramlila Ground.
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Environmentalists have hailed the decision of the Uttar Pradesh state officials to change the proposed site of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrim centre from Arthala to Indirapuram.
The issue cropped up days before UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was slated to arrive in Ghaziabad for laying the foundation stone for the coveted project.
Environmentalist Sushil Raghav and Akash Vashishtha had filed complaints with the district administration and claimed on the basis of Fasli 1360 revenue record that a major portion of the land, was marked as jheel (water body).
The Ghaziabad municipal corporation had claimed that the land was registered as banjar (barren) and had proposed it for the development of the pilgrim centre.
It is appreciated that the government changed the proposed site at the last minute. That also saved the UP officials getting tangled in a litigation as we would have moved the court, Raghav said.
However, we will still move the court in order to get the land restored as a water body. We already have a case with the Natonal Green Tribunal for restoration of ponds and water bodies. We will now add this to the same application, he said.
Raghav is contesting a case for restoration and revival of water bodies in Ghaziabad and the NGTs directions have forced the authorities to remove encroachments and restore some ponds in the district.
...the applicant is directed to file a reply giving details of such ponds, which according to them, is still under encroachment (sic), the NGT said in its August 4 order in a petition filed by Raghav.
The land was shown barren in some records from the 1960s. There is no embarrassment for us and we have proposed a new site. Now, more previous records have come to light. If there is any negligence, we will inquire and take action, said Suresh Khanna, UPs urban development minister.
The officials of the Ghaziabad district administration scanned the Fasli 1360 record and even Fasli 1358 record and found that the land chunk was registered as a water body. According to norms, and the directions by the Supreme Court, the nature of such land cannot be changed.
The Haj House nearby the proposed site has met the same fate and stands locked as the case is presently being heard by the NGT. The decision to shift the site has come from the higher authorities and is a welcome step. UP CM is always concerned about protecting the environment. We hope he will take up more similar issues and be proactive in preserving the environment, said Vashishtha, who is also a petitioner to the Haj House case.
The members of Hindon Jal Biradiri also hailed the swift decision by the UP officials.
Their prompt action shows their sensitivity towards environmental issues. Their timely action also saved the project from falling into legal issues later on, said Vikrant Sharma, environmentalist.
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The committee of three ministers appointed by the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet at a meeting held on Wednesday assured homebuyers that the state government is determined to find solutions of their plight.
Industries minister Satish Mahana, urban housing minister Suresh Khanna and state minister (independent charge) of cane development and sugar mills Suresh Rana are the members of the committee that reached Greater Noida at 5 pm to meet buyers and builders to find solutions faced by the realty sector. The meeting was held in Greater Noida authoritys administrative office in Knowledge Park-IV.
The panel of ministers heard problems of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway buyers.
Over 300 homebuyers from Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway were inside the conference hall. The committee of ministers heard our issues one by one. The committee member and industry ministry Satish Mahana said the government is determined to resolve the issues, said SK Nagrath, president of Jaypee Aman buyers association.
Homebuyers, who met the committee belonged to different housing projects of various builders including Amrapali, Unitech, Sikka and Jaypee among others. The common issues of the buyers are late delivery of flats, non-delivery of flats, dilution of real estate regulatory authority rules, registry on super area basis and negligent attitude of builders among others.
We also demanded from the committee that it should ensure that the registry of flats should be executed on the circle rates that were applicable when the builder had assured them delivery of flat so that buyers are not compelled to cough up more money on stamp duty. Due to the delay in flat delivery by the builders a buyer has to pay more stamp duty because circle rates have increased since they were scheduled to get their flats. Why should we pay more due to the fault of the builders, said Abhishek Kumar, president of the Noida Extension flat buyers association.
Noida MLA Pankaj Singh and Dadri MLA Tejpal Nagar were also present in the meeting.
Most homebuyers said that they do not trust their builders therefore the state government should take control of their projects and bring solution.
There should be Central Bureau of Investigation and forensic audit of each builder because they have misused the money collected from the buyers. And it is high time the government takes over the projects because the builders cannot finish them, said Nagrath.
Greater Noida has 203 housing projects out of which 82 are critical in nature and builders owes Rs7,200 crore debt to pay to the government. The Noida authority in around 90 housing projects needs to recover Rs10,215 crore land dues to from the builders. The Yamuna authority struggles to recover around Rs3,000 crore from 13 builders. In three cities thousands of homebuyers suffer as the builders has delayed housing projects for four to eight years.
The committee is out to find solutions and give relief to homebuyers. We will not go back without giving buyers a roadmap for delivery of the flats or refund, said Satish Mahana, industry minister.
The committee will also meet builders and share next plan of action on Thursday. Noida chief executive officer Amit Mohan Prasad, Greater Noida authority CEO Debasish Panda, Yamuna authority CEO Arun Vir Singh and UP industrial development principal secretary Alok Sinha were also present in the meeting.
We demanded that the government should confiscate the property of Amrapali Group and refund our money, said KK Kaushal, an Amrapali buyer.
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At noon on Monday, an assistant sub-inspector of Jammu & Kashmir police Abdul Rashid Shah was gunned down by militants in the south Kashmir town of Anantnag. At the wreath-laying ceremony held for Shah at the district police lines in Srinagar in the evening, his five-year-old daughter Zohra broke down uncontrollably into tears. Press photographers captured that heart-wrenching moment Zohra, dressed in her school uniform, sobbing as if there were no tomorrow without her father.
Zohras photos went viral by Tuesday morning official social media handles of the J&K police tweeted the image and a Facebook page of the deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir range, wrote a message that every drop of Zohras tears seared the heart of every policeman.
As a journalist based in Srinagar for the last two years, I have regularly come across ghastly photographs of bullet-riddled and mutilated bodies of militants or security personnel, mothers and sisters of civilian protesters and militants crying at funerals and young faces perforated by pellets. And yet, Zohras photo was an image most disturbing a picture capable of haunting you for a long time to come.
But Zohras photo brought to mind something else, too. In March, a similar image had gone viral it was of a boy wailing at the funeral of at the funeral of a teenager killed during an encounter in Padgampora of Pulwama in south Kashmir.
Amir Nazir, a student of Class 9, died after being hit by a bullet in the neck when forces allegedly opened fire to quell protesters who had gathered at the site of the gun-battle to save the trapped militants. His family says he was targeted while the police say a stray bullet was responsible.
I travelled to a village called Begumbagh in Pulwama district to trace the boy in the photograph and find out his story who was he, how was he associated to the slain teenager and why was he crying. I met nine-year-old Burhan Fayaz at Amirs house and he broke down while telling me, Amir sirf neighbour nahi, woh mera bhaai tha (Amir was not only a neighbour but like a brother to me).
Outside the house, I met a few other teenaged boys and asked them would they again venture out to save trapped militants, now that Amir was killed. Hum phir jayenge (we will go again), came the sharp response.
Zohras and Burhans photos are the two sides of the same coin. The two innocent children cried because they lost someone dear to the decades-old conflict and their images became definitive of the Valleys crisis. The men with guns responsible for the deaths, however, belonged to the opposite halves of the ongoing war in Kashmir.
But empathy for Zohra and Burhan wont come from the same quarters in the Kashmir conflict. The outrage follows a selective path, its either black or white: Zohras photograph was shared mostly and her plight lamented by those who stand firmly on the states side in the Kashmir narrative while Burhans photo was made viral, not by official handles of the state, but by people who are vocal in questioning the states role in the strife-torn Valley. The other side, in each case, is mostly silent.
Photographs like these two should be empathised with unequivocally irrespective of which political narrative they tend to further because how the sufferings of children like Zohra and Burhan are healed will define what course the conflict takes on from here.
Abhishek Saha is HTs Srinagar correspondent. He tweets as @saha_abhi1990
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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday, gave his in-principle approval to build yet another bypass road for the capital city for smoother traffic flow,especially for vehicles bound for north and east Bihar districts.
The CMs approval followed presentation of the proposal by the road construction department (RCD) during the review of its activities and ongoing projects, at a meeting here.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, chief secretary (CS) Anjani Kumar Singh said the proposed outer ring road, measuring 50 km in length, would be built from Kanhauli (near Bihta) in western Patna to to Kachhi Dargah in the east , the starting point of the proposed 6-lane bridge overn river Ganga, via Naubatpur, Lakhana, Daniawan and Fatuha.
Though there is another bypass via Kankarbagh and Deedarganj, it is getting congested due to the increased load of vehicles. The new four-lane bypass will be built on part of the existing state highway 78, said Singh.
In another important decision, the state government has urged the Central government to have a relook at the design of the strategically important Indo-Nepal border road, which suffered massive damage due tothe recent floods.
The Central government has been asked to look if the road required more bridges and cross drainages to save it from the impact of floods, said the CS.
Besides, the government also finalised the alignment of a new four-lane bridge over the river Ganga, which was proposed by the Central government. The new bridge, to be named New Gandhi Setu, will come up adjacent to the existing Mahatma Gandhi setu.
A detailed project report (DPR), estimated to cost Rs 3,000 crore, will be sent to the Union ministry for surface transport for approval and to finalise modalities for its construction.
The RCD has sufficient land between Zero Mile in Patna and Ramashish Chowk in Hajipur to build an approach road to the new bridge, said principal secretary of RCD Amrit Lal Meena, adding, that the initial eight-kilometre stretch of Ganga Path would be opened for traffic in May next year.
The RCD has been told to widen the entire stretch of the state highways (SHs) into a double lane with paved shoulder in the next three years. About 1,300 km stretch of the state highways out of total 4005 km, is single lane. An estimated Rs 6,500 crore would be spent on widening of state highways.
The chief minister also asked the RCD to step up work to replace all narrow and screw-pile bridges, numbering 335, with reinforced concrete cement (RCC) structure and intensify monitoring of repair of roads under the maintenance policy.
Contractors are given Rs 5 crore per kilometre for maintenance and repair of roads, including state highways and district roads, every year.
The RCD has been told to take control of and look after maintenance of street lights in the capital city. Presently, Patna municipal corporation looks after maintenance of street lights in the state capital.
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A day after the jathedar (head) of the Sikh temporal seat Akal Takht announced that doors are open for Sikhs to return to the religions fold from Dera Sacha Sauda, the sects Punjab headquarters in-charge, Jora Singh, said on Wednesday: Now, those with double standards within the dera will get exposed.
The sparring comes after the dera chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was sentenced to 20 years in jail in a rape case. In-charge of the Salabatpur dera centre near Bathinda, Jora stressed, We are with the sect and will remain with the sect. Some people are mistaken that after the dera heads conviction, devotees faith in the dera will be shaken. That will not happen. Whole sangat (devotees) are standing with the dera head. We need to have trust in him. We have faced tough times earlier too. The activities of dera will go on as usual.
It must be mentioned here that in 2007, the Sikh clergy had had issued a hukamnama (edict) for social boycott of the dera after Gurmeet, who was born a Sikh, committed blasphemy by dressing up as the tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh. In 2015, the clergy issued a pardon to Gurmeet for the row that had sparked violence between dera followers and Sikg hardliners; but that pardon was later retracted under community pressure.
Jora, when asked specifically about the jathedars homecoming offer, said: This situation has come as a test for dera followers too who have double standards. They will get exposed.
However, the Salabatpura dera has seen no crowds right from the day a CBI court in Panchkula pronounced the dera head guilty on August 25. A dera employee said that only those working here are visiting, and no ordinary followers are present. Shops where deras products of daily needs are sold have been closed since last Friday.
Dera heads photos in canal
The sentencing of the Sirsa dera head seems to have disillusioned the devotees as his photos were found in the Bathinda branch of Sirhind Canal. The framed photos were found by a security guard at the micro-hydro-power project at the canal at Bibiwala.
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The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday said the mayhem caused by followers of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh last Friday was a war-like situation which had to be tackled accordingly.
The bench, comprising acting chief justice S S Saron, justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan, was responding to submissions of the dera counsel that security forces should have used rubber bullets to disperse the mob in Panchkula, rather than opening fire.
You have to hit hard in riotIt was a war-like situation. It was to be fought like war, the bench said.
Senior advocate Anupam Gupta, assisting the court, also said that he disagrees with the dera counsel as the entire Haryana would have burnt had the security forces not responded strongly to the situation.
However, some other lawyers assisting the court, including senior advocate Reeta Kohli, pointed out that most of those who died in firing had been shot in head and chest, which should not have happened.
The Haryana government claimed before the court that it did not remove the Dera Sacha Sauda followers from Panchkula ahead of the rape case verdict against sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim on August 25, to ensure his presence before the court.
He was using followers. Had we failed in ensuring his presence before court here, the casualties could have been of large scale in getting him from his dera in Sirsa, state advocate general (AG) BR Mahajan said, while referring to the large gatherings of folowers, including the one seen at 7-acre dera in Panchkula.
The AG also said Ram Rahims accomplices tried to free him, when he was arrested at the court complex post-conviction.
He was using his followers. Most of them did not know what may happen in Pacnhkula, Mahajan told the high court.
Use of force ahead of hearing could have been made as an excuse by him for non-appearance in courtViolence was managed by him.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Panchkula resident Ravinder Dhull, a lawyer who had raised the law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district, despite prohibitory orders.
The bench, while pointing out to weapons, iron rods, petrol bombs, sticks seized in the aftermath of the Panchkula violence, questioned the AG as to how the state presumed that all of those who had came to Panchuka were there for a peaceful gathering.
The AG admitted that some shortcomings may have been there in handling the situation, but the intent was to prevent
bigger damage which arsonists could have inflicted in such a situation.
PUNJAB, HARYANA TOLD TO FORM SIT
Meanwhile, the HC directed that to investigate all the FIRs registered at various places in connection with the dera violence, both Haryana and Punjab set up special investigation teams (SITs) of three officers each, to be headed by an officer not below the rank of additional director general of police (ADGP).
The court said no FIR registered by the two states during the episode shall be cancelled without its permission.
The HC bench also sought a detailed status report from the Haryana government regarding steps taken to sanitise dera centres, including headquarters at Sirsa. Earlier, Haryana stated that it was in the process of sanitising the dera headquarters. Justice Surya Kant said a lot of credit must be given to the central forces in controlling the situation.
Meanwhile, Mahajan informed the court that 1,039 people have been arrested and 63 FIRs registered, 103 dera centres sanitised so far.
DERA HEAD VEHICLES NOT SCANNED FOR WEAPONS
The bench asked the Haryana AG as to who gave permission to Ram Rahim to come in a cavalcade of 200 cars, to which the AG said only two vehicles were permitted inside the court at Panchkula.
However, the AG admitted that the dera heads vehicles were not scanned for weapons etc.
Keeping the nations flag flying high has proved to be quite a challenge for the administration and the Amritsar Improvement Trust. Over the past two years, 14 national flags have either been damaged or blown away from its height of 170 feet at Amrit Anand Park, adjoining the national highway 1. The latest flag, hoisted on August 14 this year lasted only two weeks.
To date, the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) that is responsible for the hoisting and the maintenance of the flag at the location has spent around Rs 10 lakh. Each flag measures around 2,400 square feet (60 feet length by 40 feet breadth). When flying, the flag is visible from a distance of 60km.
What causes the damage
The AIT has not deputed a team of experts to maintain the flag or study the reasons for the damage, but experts compiled a list of reasons for the cause.
These include strong winds, wear-and-tear of the fabric due to the weather, high levels of pollution and continuous rains.
The 170-foot pole at Amrit Anand Park in Amritsar stands without its flag on Wednesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)
Possible solutions
Officers with the AIT told HT that for a flag to be hoisted at 170 ft, its material needs to be tough and wind-resistant. They claim that AIT chairmans in the past had written to the Flag Company of India to give it flags made of such a material. A demand has also been made to hoist the flag each morning and lower it with the last light of the day by guards, who will also be responsible for its upkeep.
This will not honour the Flag Code, but save the fabric from damage and increase its life, an official said.
DC wants ministry to look into matter
Amritsar deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, who has written to the state home department and the local bodies ministry to look into the matter, said, The hoisting of the flag should be done after we find a solution. Damage to the tricolour is only causing embarrassment, even as the AIT is incurring huge expenses.
MP Gurjit Singh Aujla told that he would be taking up the matter with Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
I will bring the issue to the notice of the local administration. Perhaps reducing the height of the flag will help. We also need wind-resistant material, he added.
360 ft Tricolour at Attari not hoisted for five months
The countrys tallest Tricolour, which flies at 360 ft near the India-Pakistan border at Attari, has not been hoisted for the past five months. After high-velocity winds damaged the flag repeatedly, the Amritsar administration took it down.
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We are not blind to equal rights, says the 21-year-old vice-presidential candidate of All India Students Association (AISA) at Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11.
Badri Prasad, who is 100% visually challenged, will be contesting the student council elections at his college on September 7, the same day as Panjab University and its all 11 affiliated colleges in the city go to the polls. Representation of disabled students is an issue, says Badri. We are always sidelined. By contesting the elections, I want to tell the students that we too have equal rights.
Badri had lost his eyesight at the age of two after he suffered from chicken pox. A resident of Chhoti Karoran in Mohali, he is a second-year BA student. His subjects are Hindi, music and political science.
Fighting for full fee waiver
There are nine visually challenged students in the college, said Badri. When we took admission here, we realised we need representation. So we all decided to fight for our rights. Badri said Panjab University charges no fee from visually challenged students, but the college took full fee from such students when he took admission in 2016.
We joined AISA and struggled for lower fee. Now we pay half the fee, says Badri. We will work further for full fee waiver. At present, only those visually impaired students get full waiver who are below poverty line.
Contest on real issues
Badri says all student parties, except AISA, are only concerned about garnering votes. Many come to us and seek votes by reminded us that they dropped us somewhere, he says. This is not an issue for us. We are independent enough to go wherever we want on our own.
The main issue that we faced was that we were not being provided a writer during the examinations. We fought for it, and now the office of director, higher education, will pay for the writer.
Vijay Kumar, president of the citys AISA unit, said: We had nominated Rohit Kumar, another visually challenged student, for the post of vice-president in 2016 as well. They have an equal right of representation in the elections. Vikas said the party is also discussing the possibility of fielding a transgender student. There are two in the college .
With the Panjab University campus students council (PUCSC) election scheduled for September 7, the last date to file the nominations has been fixed for August 31.
All the student organisations will have to file their nominations on Thursday, following which, the authorities concerned will scrutinise them and the parties will later file their objections on the same day.
On September 1, the withdrawals will take place and the Dean Students Welfare will release the final list of the candidates in the fray for the posts of student council.
The code of conduct will be in place from August 31 onwards after which, the student bodies will have to abide by the Lyngdoh guidelines.
Vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover, however, said, The date is September 7 only, if the administrator accords his concurrence. The date still awaits official approval from the competent authority.
The V-C has already received a letter from the Chandigarh director-general of police suggesting to fix the election date on September 7 instead of September 8.
In regard to the election, a meeting was also held on Tuesday, wherein PU registrar Col GS Chadha (retd) said, The authorities concerned have carried out a periodic review of status of CCTV-camera deployment and CUS is actively pursuing their installation.
Committees constituted
Grievance redressal committee will take care of any kind of defacement on the campus and students will be free to report to this committee in case of any anti-social element or violence on the campus.
Election expenditure committee will keep a tab on the expenditure done by each and every organisation during the campaigning including free treats, movie tickets, trips or extra money on stickers and posters.
Departments have been told to send the list of enrolled students by August 31 to prepare the list of total number of voters.
Dateline
Nominations: August 31
Scrutiny and objections: August 31
Final list of the candidates: September 1 at 2:30 pm
End of campaigning: September 6 at 5pm
Voting: September 7 at 9:30am
Restrictions:
No public meetings, scooter or car rallies will be allowed
Only paper stickers will be allowed
No fancy cars will be allowed to enter the campus
Outsiders will be restricted
All the departments will have to get their PU stickers to distribute to the students and staff
The students who were booked during the stone pelting case will not be able to contest
Panjab University will send a list of candidates to Chandigarh police to verify if there is any criminal record registered against them.
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While holding Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of raping two disciples, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court said both the victims stood by their statements like rock and their credibility could not be impeached.
Despite lengthy sessions of cross-examination, the victims consistently maintained that they were ravished by the dera head. There is no contradiction or inconsistency in their statements, stated the court, which relied mainly on the victims statements for conviction of the dera chief, in its over 150-page verdict.
Ram Rahim was awarded a 20-year jail term by CBI special judge Jagdeep Singh on Monday. He was convicted on August 25 for raping the two disciples more than 15 years ago.
The (initial) reluctance of the victim in not reporting the matter to the police can also be appreciated in the light of the fact that they were christened as sadhvis by the accused and they treated Ram Rahim like God. Therefore, the incident of rape upon them by the accused was no less than horrific shock. Moreover, any believer, more so a person christened as sadhvi by the chief of the dera, would be the last person in the world to level false allegation against such revered personality and therefore testimony of both the victims inspires full confidence, the court said, discarding the argument of Ram Rahim that there were mitigating circumstances for the women to report crime late.
The rapes were reported between 1999 and 2002 and the victims came forward only after the CBI started probe in December 2012.
The court also did not accept Rahim Rahims argument that there was no recovery of revolver and blue movie, as cited by the victims.
The court also did not accept the argument of the dera head that the author of the letter, which carried allegations of rape, has not been established. It was after this letter that CBI started a probe and these two women came forward, it said.
The CBI had started probe into allegations of sexual exploitation by the dera head following an anonymous letter in 2002.
The court also said that Ram Rahim could not produce any evidence to prove that he was being implicated in the case by rival deras.
To the argument that Ram Rahim treated all sadhvis as daughters and there was congenial environment at the dera, the court said rapes are not committed in open space and the offender invariably commits such acts behind closed doors.
The court can also take judicial notice of the fact that various studies reveal that in majority of the cases of sexual assault, the perpetrators are known persons and therefore, no head of a dera would ever openly indulge in acts of sexual assault, it said.
To the argument of the dera head that none of them ever testified that the accused took off his clothes, the court termed it absurd and said it does not warrant discussion.
Regarding the argument over lack of medical examination, the court referred to the Supreme Court judgment that if the evidence of victim is found to be trustworthy and credible, then lack of medical examination cant be held against prosecution.
Dismissing the argument raised by the dera head that he was incapable of having sex since 1990, the court took note of the fact that two daughters were borne out of his loin. One of them was a student of fifth grade in 1998 and second one of 8th in 1998. The very fact speaks volumes about the virility of the accused, the court said adding that it remains unsubstantiated and it was incumbent upon him to adduce evidence, it said.
RAM RAHIM RAPE CASE Despite lengthy sessions of cross-examination, the two victims consistently maintained that they were ravished by the dera head, says court in its 150-page verdict
QUOTE1 The (initial) reluctance of the victim in not reporting the matter to the police can also be appreciated in the light of the fact that they were christened as sadhvis by the accused and they treated Ram Rahim like God.
CBI special court
QUOTE2 Any believer, more so a person christened as sadhvi by the chief of the dera, would be the last person in the world to level false allegation against such revered personality and therefore testimony of both the victims inspires full confidence.
CBI special court
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Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Kirpal Singh Badungar on Wednesday said they would intensify the drive of dharam parchar (religious propagation) to bring Sikhs who have joined the Dera Sacha Sauda back to the fold of Sikhism. This comes a day after Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said doors are open for Sikhs for homecoming.
Truth of dera head (Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh) is out with his conviction in the rape case. In the recent past, some Sikhs had joined the dera under illusions. They should now consider Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their guru and join the mainstream of Sikhism, Badungar said at a press conference.
Although the SGPC is running dharam parchar actively, now efforts will be made to intensify it to ensure homecoming of misled Sikhs. Besides, a dialogue process will be initiated to make contact with the dera followers.
SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar (HT Photo)
Urging people to be cautious about those who are running shops in the name of faith, Badungar said those who do not live their life as per religious ethos cannot be preachers of any religion. The path shown by the Gurus is supreme for a Sikh, and it is his duty to live life according to this path.
Also, lashing out at the Haryana government for the violence in Panchkula after dera followers, angered by the chiefs conviction, clashed with cops, the SGPC president said, If the state government had taken timely action, the violence could have been prevented. More than 30 dera followers died in firing by security forces.
President Trumps pardon of Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, has drawn predictable responses. The left, which long ago exceeded its sell-by date when it comes to ideas that work, denounced the decision as racist (thats all they have) and a perversion of justice. Some moderates, like Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake, both Arizona Republicans, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, joined the critics.
Arpaio, who is 85, was convicted of disobeying a 2011 federal court order to halt traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. He faced up to six months in prison.
The White House issued a list of reasons for the presidents decision, which included Arpaios age, his service to the country, including enlistment in the military at the start of the Korean War, and his work as a police officer and special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Arpaios defenders say he was trying to help the federal government identify people in the country illegally. His opponents say he profiled Hispanics only, and thus engaged in racism. Given that Mexicans, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, make up the largest group of unauthorized immigrants, it made sense to focus on this group. That the number of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico has been decreasing, matters little, as the number of immigrants from Central America and Asia has increased.
Even critics must acknowledge that any president has sole discretionary authority under the Constitution to pardon anyone for almost anything, except offenses against the United States and curtailing the impeachment process.
It is instructive to review some of the hundreds of pardons delivered by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama when they were president. Many were granted to people whose resumes do not come close to the services rendered to the nation by Sheriff Arpaio.
President Obama issued 70 pardons during his two terms as president. He pardoned minor drug offenders, bank embezzlers, military deserters, and, according to the Chicago Tribune, a young sailor court-martialed and demoted for taking four pounds of butter from his Navy base in 1947.
Bill Clintons pardon list contained names of people who committed crimes a little more consequential, some even a little suspect. His most notorious pardon was granted to Marc Rich, a major donor to the Clinton campaign. The Rich pardon came during Clintons last hours in office and was condemned by leading Democrats, including former President Jimmy Carter.
For those with short memories, Rich was indicted in the United States on federal charges of tax evasion and making controversial oil deals with Iran during the Iran hostage crisis. Rich, who fled to Switzerland when he was indicted, never returned to the U.S., and died there in 2013.
Clinton later said he regretted the Rich pardon. Without a hint of irony, he said, It wasnt worth the damage to my reputation. Most of Clintons other pardons were far less controversial. They included convictions for bank fraud and odometer rollback.
The presidents pardon of Arpaio is a far cry from those granted by Clinton and Obama. He was correct in sighting Arpaios age and service to the country among his reasons for granting it. His conviction had political overtones and it is perfectly fitting that the pardon addressed his conviction partially on a political level.
Arpaio reached the same conclusion when he tweeted: Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama Justice Department.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
With Shiromani Akali Dal out of power in Punjab, Students Organisation of India (SOI) has almost sunk into oblivion on the Panjab University (PU) campus. Before the PU polls last year, SOI leaders used to come in cars with red-beacons atop, senior Akali functionaries as chaperones and gunmen on toes, thus branding them as VVIPs on campus.
Few SOI leaders, namely Vicky Midhukhera, Bheem Waraicha and Robin Brar, were even provided gunmen, allowing them to manoeuvre around the campus flaunting their status.
Two years after sweeping the PU student polls, SOI has low-visibility on campus now, primarily due to change of regimes in Punjab.
Punjab connection
Most of the senior SOI leaders hail from Malout, Abohar and Muktsar belt, the home turf of Badals. And ahead of council elections, they have held a string of meetings with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, seeking support.
The leaders had travelled down to Faridkot lately to meet Badal and discuss the poll strategies for this year.
Bunty Romana, who continues to lead SOI, is confident to win the election this time as he claims to have done a lot for the campus students.
I have observed that situation is really good, not in university only but in colleges too, Romana said.
PU is dominated by students from Punjab and state of affairs in Punjab affects them. We have also observed that PU students are pro SOI, considering the fact that our leader Sukhbir Singh Badal is a youth icon and there is a lot of hope among the students to later join the party, he added.
NSUI wont get any advantage this year
On asking if the change of guards in Punjab will affect the elections this year, Romana said, Had the government been doing well, it could have favoured the NSUI. But the way current government has failed to fulfil its electoral promises and lost its credibility, NSUI is not getting any advantage this time.
The organisation has seen a couple of senior leaders, including former SOI campus president Karan Randhawa, quitting the party.
Navi Khemkaran, who stood as election in-charge last year, has left and former SOI president University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Piyush Anand, has moved abroad, thus weakening their hold on the major departments of campus.
Dent in leadership
Randhawa has now joined the newly launched Indian Students Association (ISA) while Navi is the current president of Panjab University Student Union (PUSU).
The duo were associated with SOI for the last four years and had openly stated that there was no freedom to express their views.
The organisation has brought fresh faces after facing defeat last year. SOI has introduced a 30-member team led by Iqbalpreet Singh Takhar, the last years winning president of SD College.
The main cadre which ensured my victory at SD is rigourous campaigning in departments, said Iqbal, who is campaigning at three-year law department.
We fulfilled all our promises
Vicky Midukhera, SOI state president, however said, All of our promises were fulfilled when we were in the council. We were committed to the requirements of students and our former council president is still with us.
However, the other student organisations on the campus believe that when SOI was in power, their claims to get the 10-crore grant had fallen flat, he added.
SAD had launched its youth wing in 2006.
However, SOI fought elections for the first time in 2014 and the party was re-launched after a senior Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) leader joined it. In 2014, SOI lost the presidents post by a margin of 58 votes.
When SOI tasted victory
In 2015, the SOI emerged as a winner. The victory margin for the post of president was 1,436 votes, the highest ever.
We had already reported that megastar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to play a cameo in Chiranjeevis upcoming Telugu historical drama Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, based on the life story of Kurnool-based freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. According to reliable sources from the films unit, Big B will be seen as Chiranjeevis guru in a key role. Even though its a cameo, the character is very important from the storys perspective. The rest of the cast includes Kananda superstar Kichcha Sudeep, Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Jagapathi Babu among others. Double Oscar-winning AR Rahman has been roped in to compose the tunes.
Chiranjeevi will essay the role of freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy in the film.
Its been Chiranjeevis long-time desire to play a historic character. Earlier this year, on his show Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu, he admitted to have regretted missing out an opportunity to play legendary Bhagat Singh. It has always been my dream to play Bhagat Singh. Despite being offered the role back then, I couldnt play it for several reasons and it was later played by several of my counterparts. It was played by several actors across languages. I regret missing out on an opportunity to play the role because I dont think anyone wants to make a film on him today, Chiranjeevi had said.
To be produced by Ram Charan, the film will be made on a whopping budget of Rs 150 crore and will be made in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. The film, which will feature a battalion of character artists, is being planned for a grand release in the summer of 2018.
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Filmmaker Ameer Sultan, known for helming path-breaking Tamil films such as Raam and Paruthiveeran, is returning to don the greasepaint after a hiatus of eight years.
Last seen in a full-length role in 2009 Tamil film Yogi, Ameer will be seen playing the lead in upcoming Tamil political satire MGR Pandiyan.
The film will throw the light on the current political scenario in Tamil Nadu. With factions fighting for power in the state, this will be a political satire that will appeal to all sections of the audience, director Adham Bhava said.
The director further added that the film will portray Ameer in a new dimension.
The film also stars Anandraj, Ponvannan, Kanja Karuppu, Iman Annachi, Maganathi Shanker, Raj Kapoor, Kasali, Raja Simman and Bava Lakshmanan among others.
Most actors will reprise real life political characters.
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Pulsar Suni, the prime accused in the Malayalam actress assault and abduction case, on Wednesday made a startling claim when he revealed that the madam he has always referred to in the past is none other than actor Kavya Madhavan, wife of actor Dileep.
Suni made this statement when he was been taken to Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court on Wednesday, reports The News Minute.
Kavya. I have said the name Kavya before. I am a thief, why are you listening to the confessions of a thief? he asked the media when he was questioned about madam, The News Minute quoted him as saying.
In the past, Pulsar has refused to divulge the identity of this mysterious madam, who he said, would give him money. There have been reports that she even tried to get him out on bail. According to The News Minute, while he has mentioned her name before, this is the first time he has mentioned it to the media.
Pulsar Suni is the prime accused in the Malayalam actress assault and abduction case.
During the investigation into the case, the madam reference has surfaced a number of times. Pulsar had earlier also maintained that he used to take instructions from her. When Police questioned advocate Pheney Balakrishnan, he claimed that two people had contacted him to secure a bail for Pulsar. The two men also mentioned about one madam, he added.
Pulsar had earlier mentioned that he had visited Kavyas office of Lakshyah, Kavya Madhavans online boutique, to deliver the pen drive containing the objectionable images of the assault of the actress.
Dileep, Kavyas husband, is in jail, accused of masterminding the assault and abduction of the Malayalam actress on February 17 this year. He was arrested on July 10.
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Bollywood actor Mandira Bedi is the latest Bollywood actor to join the Saaho team. The actor and TV host joins the long list of actors from Mumbai which includes Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Mahesh Manjrekar, Neil Nitin Mukesh and, of course, Shraddha Kapoor who is the lead actress in the film. She has a pivotal role, reports India Today.
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, a source was quoted as saying, Mandira, who plays a negative character called Kalki, was shooting in Hyderabad with Jackie till recently. They shot for some action sequences including hand-to-hand combat scenes. Their second schedule will commence shortly.
Jackie and Chunky form part of the films support cast. Neil Nitin Mukesh plays the main antagonist and was among the first to be finalised. The makers took a lot of time to finalise on the lead female actor. While a number of names were flying around, Anushka Shetty, Prabhas Baahubali co-star, was said to be the strongest contender. Having starred in five films with Prabhas, her onscreen chemistry with the actor is great. They have been rumoured to have been a pair in the past as well. However, in July it was confirmed that she wont be part of Saaho. She is committed to another big budget Tamil film and hence couldnt accommodate dates for Saaho. With names like Disha Patani and Pooja Hegde being speculated, it was confirmed in August that Shraddha Kapoor will star opposite Prabhas. Whats more, she will be paid a hefty sum of Rs 5 crore, it was reported.
Saaho is Telugu-Hindi action thriller directed by Sujeeth. Said to be made at a massive budget of Rs 150 crore, the film will see Prabhas in a very different role from his Baahubali avatar.
Saaho is expected to be a gritty, urban crime-cum-action drama set in modern times. One can expect that the difference between the good and the bad will blur to an extent here.
Prabhas who charged Rs 25 crore for Baahubali, will reportedly be paid Rs 35 crores for Saaho.
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Indonesian island Bali has topped the list of the most desired destination by Indian couples followed by Maldives and Thailand, said a survey. Indian couples love travelling to beach destinations that offer visa-on-arrival options. Unlike wedding preparations that involve family members, honeymoon is an intimate affair that most couples choose to plan on their own at least six months to a year in advance.
Bali is on the priority list of most honeymooners. Its sandy beaches and scenic beauty, complemented free visa-on-arrival options and plans to increase direct flight connectivity makes Bali even more appealing, Ezeego1.com CEO and Director Neelu Singh said.
The survey was based on data on Ezeego1s analysis of customer inquiries for honeymoon packages made online between January and June 2017. It revealed that while Greece and Paris still remained popular, Seychelles made it to the top five, recording the fastest growth in searches compared to last year.
Maldives is home to some of the greatest luxury hotels in the world and a preferred holiday destination by Bollywood celebrities, making it even more aspirational for honeymoon couples, it added.
Thailand has secured third position by attracting couples catering to all kind of budgets and needs, followed by Greece and Paris, which remained evergreen and more affordable than ever with the falling value of Euro, it said.
Seychelles is emerging in a big way as an aspiring and emerging destination for honeymooners, the survey said. Air Seychelles has started operating direct flights between Mumbai and Seychelles five times a week and this has aided the growth of Indian honeymooners heading to Seychelles by almost two-fold this year, it added.
Maldives, home to some of the greatest luxury hotels in the world and a preferred holiday destination by Bollywood celebrities, is ranked second among top honeymoon destinations Indians prefer. (Shutterstock)
While Mauritius, famous with couples for its range of exotic stay options, excellent beaches, climate and marine life, was ranked number seven followed by Sri Lanka that has become an ideal honeymoon destination as a short haul options and affordable getaway.
Scotland and Budapest, both believed to be romantic destinations, made it to the top 10 because of the favourable exchange rates they offer providing a great value for honeymooners, the survey added.
After Sonys sudden decision to take their controversial daily soap Pehredaar Piya Ki off air, the cast and crew were left in shock. The actors had said on Tuesday that it was disappointing how the show was cancelled and now, the producer has also reacted to the news.
In an interview to Times of India, producer Sumeet Mittal has compared the cancellation to a miscarriage. Its a very painful process to end the show abruptly. It surely feels bad. Taking a show off air is like suffering a miscarriage. We work hard for each of our creation, without thinking about the outcome. Whether the show works or not, we put in the same amount of hard work and passion. We didnt want to wait for the audience to reject our show, he said.
A still from the show.
The producer clarified that the decision to cancel the show was not sudden and was brewing in the team since the I&